United Leagues of Braeland - Page 30

reds1 · 05-26-2020, 06:56 PM

Cobourg Red Stockings (100-54) vs. Cambria Cannons (85-69)
Season Matchup: 3-3

Cobourg: Runs scored – 741 (1st in East); runs against – 576 (1st)
Cambria: Runs scored – 667 (1st); runs against – 644 (6th)

The two most active clubs during the off-season in terms of WAR Gained were the Cobourg Red Stockings and Cambria Cannons. At the time, it was stated “It appears that they are both making a push for the playoffs this coming season.” Those efforts paid off handsomely as both clubs not only made the playoffs but have reached the United Cup. The Cannons return to the United Cup for the first time since the 1941-42 season, while for the Red Stockings, it marks their ever first playoff appearance let alone their first United Cup appearance.

Cobourg welcomes back 24-year old LHP Bill Budd (18-12, 3.01 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 119 ERA+) from the disabled list as his forearm has healed. He returns to his familiar No. 2 spot in the rotation and is slated to start Game 2.

However, the Cannons are still without their starting catcher, 35-year old Heung-su Park (.300/.381/.514, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 51 BB, 5.7 WAR) who suffered a groin injury in early March. 26-year old Min-gook Lee, who batted .143/.143/.179 in 28 AB in the Western League Pennant, will continue to take his place in the lineup.

The two managers, Cobourg’s 61-year old Nicholas Willis and Cambria’s 55-year old Benjamin Sadler both completed their first full season as field managers in the United Leagues. Willis previously served as an interim manager for the Red Stockings for 93 games (37-56) back in 1942-43. That club finished in last place, 45.5 games back of the Embro Suns. This time around things went a little smoother, as the club took control of the East early and never looked back en route to a 100-win season. The Cannons, meanwhile, led the West for most of the season, but were overcome by the Wolseley Unions for first place late in the final month. But the club, led by their manager didn’t get discouraged and now find themselves squaring off against the Red Stockings for baseball supremacy in Braeland. Play ball!

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Game 1 – April 10

An Eastern League team hosts Game 1 of the United Cup for the first time in 5 years, as 25,798 pack Cobourg’s Radcliffe Field. There’s not a cloud in the sky, its 69F and the wind is blowing out to right at 11 mph.

Cobourg’s 25-year old ace, RHP Fergus Hirst (2-0, 2.16 ERA, 16.2 IP in EL Pennant Series) takes the mound against Cambria’s No. 2 starter, 33-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (1-1, 4.80 ERA, 15.0 IP in WL Pennant Series).

Bottom of the 3rd:
Cobourg strikes first when lead-off hitter John Medley leads off with line drive double into right field. Medley tags up and takes third base when Rizalino Ringor flies out to centerfield. Raymond Williams then flies out to RF Seung-jae Park. Medley tags up and beats out the throw to open the scoring.
Cambria 0 – Cobourg 1

Bottom of the 5th:
Dwayne Stace leads off with a single into leftfield and reaches second on a Fergus Hirst sac bunt. John Medley steps up next and slams a 2-run home run, 363 ft. into the leftfield stands.
Cambria 0 – Cobourg 3

Top of the 8th:
Fergus Hirst keeps Cambria’s hitters off the board until the 8th. After getting two quick fly outs to leftfield, Hirst gives up back-to-back singles to Ricardo Cruz and Sam Tite. Luis Torres then doubles into deep centerfield. Cruz scores easily while Tite follows him and beats out CF Raymond Williams’ throw home for the Cannons’ second run.
Cambria 2 – Cobourg 3

Bottom of the 8th:
Rizalino Ringor battles Cruz to a full count then singles into right field. Manager Benjamin Sadler then calls upon RHP Ray Lambright to relieve Cruz.
After Ringor advances to second on a Raymond Williams ground out, Alexander Tolmie doubles down the leftfield line, scoring Ringor.
Cambria 2 – Cobourg 4

Top of the 9th:
Hirst looks to make the two-run lead hold up, but César Ruíz leads off with a double into right centerfield. Min-gook Lee comes up next and launches a 1-0 pitch 379 ft. into the leftfield stands for a 2-run home run, quickly tying up the game.
Seung-jae Park follows him and hits the ball back to Hirst. But Park beats out the throw to first for an infield single. After Wenceslas Jasmin sacrifices him over to second, Ichizo Ando reaches safely when Harry Doxey’s throw to Fergus Hirst covering first base is off target, putting runners on the corners. PH Nicky Willis grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie, allowing Ando to reach second. Sam Tite is then given a free pass to load the bases.
On the next pitch, Luis Torres cranks out a single into left centerfield. Seung-jae Park scores from third. Ando rounds third and beats out the throw home from LF Rizalino Ringor, giving the Cannons a two-run lead. That ends Hirst’s afternoon, as RHP Marcus Turvill comes on in relief. Turvill then strikes out Carlos Corea to end the rally.
Cambria 6 – Cobourg 4

Bottom of the 9th:
Cambria’s stopper RHP Keith Roche takes the mound and tries to close things out, but after striking out Nathan Ashman, Dwayne Stace lines the first offering into left centerfield for a single. PH Bernie Vantassell then steps up to the plate and crushes a 1-1 pitch 368 ft. into the riotous leftfield bleachers for the third 2-run home run of the game. Roche then gets two quick ground outs to keep the game tied, sending it into extras.
Cambria 6 – Cobourg 6

Top of the 10th:
Cobourg’s stopper LHP William Say takes over from Turvill and gets César Ruíz to pop out to 2B Dwayne Stace on the first pitch. But Min-gook Lee singles and reaches second when PH Jay Durham draws a walk. Manager Benjamin Sadler then replaces Lee with PR George Lasseter. After the first pitch to Wenceslas Jasmin, the Cannons successfully execute a double steal, as Lasseter takes third and Durham steals second. Cobourg then elects to walk Jasmin, loading the bases. PH Tony Gómez singles into leftfield, scoring Lasseter for the go-ahead run.
Say then strikes out both Wayne Hudson and Sam Tite to end the top half.

In the bottom of the 10th, Keith Roche is given another chance to close things out. But Raymond Williams and Alexander Tolmie lead off with back-to-back singles. Jason Lymer then grounds into a 6-4-3 double play, as Williams reaches third. Harry Doxey wrangles a walk from Roche to put runners on the corners. But Nathan Ashman grounds out to SS César Ruíz to end the threat and the game. Cambria comes back late to take Game 1.
FINAL: Cambria 7 – Cobourg 6

For Cambria:

Player of the Game: Min-gook Lee came up big with the game-tying home run to go along with 6 total bases.

Luis Torres went 2 for 5, 4 RBI.

Ricardo Cruz went 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 134 PI (4.91 ERA; GS: 53)

Keith Roche pitched 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 29 PI (1-0, 4.91 ERA, 1 BS)

For Cobourg:

Fergus Hirst went 8.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 127 PI (2.84 ERA; GS: 47).

William Say took the loss, going 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 19 PI (0-1, 9.00 ERA).

Alexander Tolmie went 3 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 BB.

Dwayne Stace batted 2 for 4, 2 R.

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Game 2 – April 11

25,719 fans return to Radcliffe Field disappointed at yesterday’s results but ready to cheer on the Red Stockings as they look to tie up the Series. It’s partly cloudy, 71F, with the wind blowing out to center at 10 mph.

LHP Bill Budd is set to make his first career playoff start. It will be his first start overall since March 27 against the Braeland City Monarchs. For Cambria, No. 3 starter 27-year old RHP Masami Fujihara (1-0, 1.00 ERA, 9.0 IP) makes his second career playoff start.

Top of the 1st:
The Cannons take advantage of Budd’s rustiness immediately. Sam Tite leads off with a triple into the gap in right centerfield. Luis Torres then singles off Budd’s first offering into left centerfield. That scores Tite for the game’s first run.
Carlos Corea follows with a four-pitch walk as Torres moves up to second. César Ruíz battles Budd to a full count, then doubles into centerfield. Torres comes home to score as Corea takes third.
Budd then uncorks a wild pitch. Corea comes home and Ruíz moves to third on the play.
Min-gook Lee grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie, but Ruíz scores the inning’s fourth run before Budd gets through the rest of the opening inning unscathed.
Cambria 4 – Cobourg 0

Bottom of the 4th:
Alexander Tolmie and Jason Lymer lead off with back-to-back singles. Harry Doxey hits into a fielder’s choice at second base, as Tolmie takes third. Nathan Ashman then flies out to CF Sam Tite. Tolmie tags up and beats out the throw to the plate, getting Cobourg on the board.
Cambria 4 – Cobourg 1

Bottom of the 6th:
Alexander Tolmie leads off with another single. With two out, Nathan Ashman lines a double into the right centerfield gap. Tolmie races around third and scores as Ashman reaches third base, beating out CF Sam Tite’s throw. But Dwayne Stace strikes out to end the inning.
Cambria 4 – Cobourg 2

Top of the 7th:
Sam Tite leads off with a single and advances to second on a Luis Torres sac bunt. After Carlos Corea is intentionally walked, César Ruíz hits into a fielder’s choice at second, moving Tite up to third. Min-gook Lee then comes through with a single, scoring Tite.
Cambria 5 – Cobourg 2

Bottom of the 8th:
Cobourg’s hitters start wearing down Fujihara. Raymond Williams and Alexander Tolmie lead off with back-to-back singles. Jason Lymer then doubles into leftfield. That scores Williams and moves Tolmie to third.
After Harry Doxey strikes out, RHP Keith Roche is called upon to relieve Fujihara. But Nathan Ashman singles into centerfield. Tolmie scores on the play. Lymer reaches third and is given the green light for home. Lymer beats out the throw from CF Sam Tite as Cobourg ties up the game.

In the bottom of the 9th, Rizalino Ringor singles with two out. But Raymond Williams grounds out to 2B Wenceslas Jasmin to end the inning and send the game into extras for the second straight afternoon.
Cambria 5 – Cobourg 5

Bottom of the 10th:
RHP Ray Lambright takes the mound in relief of Roche. Lambright gets Alexander Tolmie to ground out to SS César Ruíz and Jason Lymer to fly out to RF Seung-jae Park. But Harry Doxey doubles off the first pitch into left centerfield. Nathan Ashman battles Lambright to a full count, then singles past a diving 2B Wenceslas Jasmin as Doxey comes home with the winning run. The Red Stockings even things up as the Series heads to Cambria for the next three games.
FINAL: Cambria 5 – Cobourg 6

For Cobourg:

Player of the Game: Nathan Ashman had the hot bat today and came up with the big hits, including the walk-off in the 10th.

Bill Budd had to shake off a few cobwebs. He went 7.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 118 PI, (6.43 ERA, GS: 36)

William Say picked up the win, going 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 14 PI (1-1, 4.50 ERA)

For Cambria:

Masami Fujihara went 7.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 121 PI (3.31 ERA, GS: 38)

Ray Lambright took the loss, going 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 17 PI (0-1, 1.69 ERA)

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Game 3 – April 13

Alexander Field welcomes 24,712 fans who settle in for the first of three home games, seeing how the Cobourg Red Stockings have evened up the Series. Its partly cloudy, 72F and the wind is blowing out to left at 15 mph.

Cambria’s ace, 23-year old LHP Bill Southon (2-0, 1.04 ERA, 17.1 IP), makes his third career playoff start, while Cobourg counters with their No. 3 starter, 31-year old RHP Alberto León (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 16.0 IP), who will be making his third career playoff start.

Top of the 2nd:
The only damage done was early in the game. Jason Lymer singles into shallow right field with one out and reaches second on a wild pitch. Harry Doxey then draws a walk. With two out, Dwayne Stace connects on a 2-0 pitch and slams it 401 ft. into the leftfield bleachers for a 3-run home run.

León enters the bottom of the 9th with a chance to close things out. Sam Tite leads off and strikes out swinging while Seung-jae Park grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie. Carlos Corea then singles into left centerfield. But César Ruíz grounds out to 1B Harry Doxey to end the game. León gets his complete game shut-out as Cobourg takes their first lead in the Series.
FINAL: Cobourg 3 – Cambria 0

For Cobourg:

Player of the Game: Alberto León allowed only four hits – all of them singles. His line was 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 103 PI (2-0, 1.44 ERA, GS: 82)

For Cambria:

Bill Southon was also impressive, getting tripped up only in the second inning. He went: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 135 PI (2-1, 1.71 ERA; GS: 67)

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Game 4 – April 14

Cambria looks to get its offense back on track after being shut-out the previous afternoon. 24,590 fans have returned to Alexander Field, where Braeland’s dry spell continues. The weather is partly cloudy, 76F with the wind blowing out to center at 10 mph.

A pair of No. 4 starters square off. Cambria taps 38-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (0-1, 7.20 ERA, 10.0 IP), who will make his 18th career playoff start. Cobourg goes with 24-year old RHP Bobby Williams (0-1, 20.25 ERA, 2.2 IP), who will try and bounce back from his previous playoff appearance.

Bottom of the 1st:
Williams starts off striking out Sam Tite and inducing a ground out from Seung-jae Park. But he hits Carlos Corea with the first pitch, then walks César Ruíz. Luis Torres then lines a double into right centerfield, scoring Corea.
Cobourg 0 – Cambria 1

Bottom of the 3rd:
Sam Tite leads off with a first-pitch single, then steals second two pitches later. Seung-jae Park singles into leftfield, putting runners on the corners. Carlos Corea steps up to the plate and perhaps in retribution for being hit by Williams’s first offering back in the 1st inning, slams the first pitch he sees 363 ft. into the leftfield bleachers for a 3-run home run.
Cobourg 0 – Cambria 4

Top of the 5th:
Harry Doxey and Nathan Ashman lead off with back-to-back singles. After Dwayne Stace strikes out, Bobby Williams lays down a sac bunt to advance the runners. John Medley then doubles into left centerfield, scoring both Doxey and Ashman.
Cobourg 2 – Cambria 4

Bottom of the 5th:
Seung-jae Park leads off with a single, then reaches second on a Carlos Corea ground out. With two out, Luis Torres singles into leftfield. Park races around third and beats out the throw from LF Rizalino Ringor for the Cannons fifth run.
Cobourg 2 – Cambria 5

Top of the 6th:
Cobourg loads the bases when Raymond Williams leads off with a single, Jason Lymer singles with one out and Harry Doxey draws a walk. Nathan Ashman then flies out to CF Sam Tite. Williams tags up on the play and scores without a throw.
Cobourg 3 – Cambria 5

Bottom of the 7th:
LHP Ethan Hoyes comes on in relief of Bobby Williams to start the 7th. Seung-jae Park leads off with a single once again, but Carlos Corea grounds into a 6-4-3 double play. César Ruíz then takes a 2-2 pitch from Hoyes and deposits it 343 ft. int the bleachers down the right field line for a solo home run.
Cobourg 3 – Cambria 6

Top of the 8th:
Alexander Tolmie doubles with one out. That ends Hirotada Fukushima's afternoon as manager Benjamin Sadler makes a double switch, relieving Fukushima with stopper RHP Keith Roche and inserting George Lasseter at shortstop. But Jason Lymer and Harry Doxey bang out back-to-back singles to score Tolmie.

In the top of the 9th, PH Bernie Vantassell grounds out to the pitcher followed by John Medley, who singles. But Rizalino Ringor flies out to CF Sam Tite while Raymond Williams pops out to 3B Luis Torres to end the game. Roche closes out the Red Stockings as the Cannons tie up the Series.
FINAL: Cobourg 4 – Cambria 6

For Cambria:

Player of the Game: Carlos Corea had a big hit and collected 4 total bases.

HIrotada Fukushima picks up the win, going 7.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 113 PI (1-1, 6.23 ERA; GS: 50)

For Cobourg:

Bobby Williams pitched a little better this time out but that is faint praise at best. He went 6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 96 PI (0-2, 11.42 ERA; GS: 38)

John Medley went 2 for 5, 1-2B, 2 RBI.

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Game 5 – April 15

Cambria and Cobourg square off in the rubber match to see who will take the upper hand in the Series. Alexander Field hosts the United Cup for one more game with 24,702 fans on hand. Its another hot one: 83F, clear skies with the wind blowing out to left at 10 mph.

The Game 1 starters take the hill once more. 33-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (1-1, 4.91 ERA, 23.0 IP) starts for Cambria, while 25-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (2-0, 2.84 ERA, 25.1 IP), Cobourg’s ace, gets the call. Neither got the decision in Game 1 that went in extras.

Bottom of the 1st:
Sam Tite leads off with a first pitch single. Seung-jae Park hits it straight to 2B Dwayne Stace who fumbles it for an error, allowing Park to reach safely. Carlos Corea singles down the first base line. Tite rounds third and beats out RF Nathan Ashman’s throw home for the game’s first run.
Cobourg 0 – Cambria 1

Top of the 2nd:
Cobourg loads the bases with nobody out when Jason Lymer singles on the first pitch, Harry Doxey doubles into right centerfield and Nathan Ashman draws a walk. Dwayne Stace then flies out to CF Sam Tite. Lymer tags up and scores the tying run unchallenged, but the Red Stockings are unable to cash in any more runs.
Cobourg 1 – Cambria 1

Top of the 5th:
Harry Doxey singles into shallow leftfield with two out. After Nathan Ashman draws his second walk of the game, Dwayne Stace singles down the leftfield line. Doxey comes home to score as Cobourg takes the lead.
Cobourg 2 – Cambria 1

Bottom of the 6th:
Cambria loads the bases thanks to a couple of Cobourg miscues. César Ruíz leads off with a single, Luis Torres is hit by a pitch and Min-gook Lee reaches safely when SS John Medley bobbles the ball. Ichizo Ando then flies out to CF Raymond Williams. Ruíz tags up at third and sprints for home. But Williams’ throw is on the money as Ruíz is cut down, while Torres and Lee advance. Wenceslas Jasmin is given a free pass, loading the bases once again. Ricardo Cruz then reaches safely when SS John Medley’s throw to 2B Dwayne Stace is off target, allowing Torres to score.
Sam Tite then battles Hirst to a full count before drawing a walk, forcing in Lee for the go-ahead run.
Cobourg 2 – Cambria 3

Top of the 7th:
Harry Doxey doubles into the gap in right centerfield with one out, then reaches third on a Nathan Ashman sacrifice fly to CF Sam Tite. Dwayne Stace follows and singles into leftfield, scoring Doxey.
Cobourg 3 – Cambria 3

Top of the 8th:
John Medley leads off and slams a solo home run, 391 ft. into the leftfield bleachers as Cobourg retakes the lead. Ricardo Cruz is relieved by RHP Ray Lambright one out later.
Cobourg 4 – Cambria 3

Bottom of the 9th:
Fergus Hirst looks to close out the game, but Carlos Corea leads off with a double to the wall in right centerfield and reaches third when George Lasseter grounds out to 2B Dwayne Stace. Luis Torres then lines a single into leftfield. Corea come home to score the tying run. Although Cambria soon loads the bases thanks to an error and a walk, Hirst is able get out of the inning without any more damage as Wenceslas Jasmin strikes out swinging and PH Jasmin Durham flies out to RF Nathan Ashman.
Cobourg 4 – Cambria 4

Bottom of the 12th:
RHP Marcus Turvill takes over from stopper LHP William Say and gets two quick outs as PH Jarod Dwyer strikes out swinging and Sam Tite grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie. But Seung-jae Park and Carlos Corea bang out back-to-back singles and Quincy Blencowe walks on four-straight pitches as Cambria loads the bases. Up next is Luis Torres who takes Turvill’s 1-1 offering and singles past a diving SS John Medley. Parks comes home to score as the Cannons orchestrate another walk-off victory.
FINAL: Cobourg 4 – Cambria 5

For Cobourg:

Player of the Game: A tough loss, but the Red Stockings get the accolades. John Medley rang up 7 total bases and stole a base.

Dwyane Stace went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, 1 BB.

Fergus Hirst battled hard but could not get the win. He went 9.2 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 150 PI (2.57 ERA; GS: 52)

For Cambria:

Ricardo Cruz struggled at times in his second outing. He went 7.1 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 141 PI (4.91 ERA, GS: 35)

Philip Stranaghan picked up the win. His line was 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 34 PI (1-0, 0.00 ERA)

Carlos Corea batted 4 for 7, 1 RBI, 1 R.

Luis Torres went 3 for 6, 2 RBI, 1 R.

Min-gook Lee went 3 for 5, 1 R.

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Game 6 – April 17

The United Cup returns to Cobourg with the Red Stockings needing a win just to stay alive. The Cannons have been tenacious and won two out of the three games so far that have gone into extra innings. 25,751 Red Stockings fans have converged on Radcliffe Field to help their club get back on track. The weather continues to cooperate: 79F, not a cloud in the sky with the wind blowing left to right at 11 mph.

Cobourg’s 24-year old LHP Bill Budd (0-0, 6.43 ERA, 7.0 IP) and Cambria’s 27-year old RHP Masami Fujihara (1-0, 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP) face each other again, just as they did in Game 2 of the Series. Neither were particularly effective in their last meeting, so both are looking to bounce back.

Bottom of the 1st:
With one out, Rizalino Ringor reaches first safely when LF Ichizo Ando loses track of the fly ball in the sun. Raymond Williams then reaches base on a walk. Alexander Tolmie then steps to the plate and slams a 3-2 pitch from Fujihara for a 3-run home run, 358 ft. into the jubilant leftfield stands.
Cambria 0 – Cobourg 3

Bottom of the 3rd:
Raymond Williams leads off and absolutely crushes a 1-2 pitch 433 ft. into the right centerfield bleachers for a solo home run.
Alexander Tolmie then singles off the very next pitch and reaches second on a wild pitch two batters later. After the wild pitch, Harry Doxey singles into leftfield moving Tolmie up to third. During Nathan Ashman’s at-bat, Fujihara attempts to pick off Doxey at first, but 1B Carlos Corea can’t handle Fujihara’s wayward throw. That allows Tolmie to score Cobourg’s fifth run.
Cambria 0 – Cobourg 5

Bottom of the 4th:
Rizalino Ringor singles after Fujihara gets two quick outs. Raymond Williams then drives the second pitch he sees 384 ft. into the right field bleachers for a two-run home run. That ends Fujihara’s afternoon as RHP Leon Hankey comes on in relief. He gets Alexander Tolmie to fly out to centerfield on the next pitch.
Cambria 0 – Cobourg 7

Bottom of the 5th:
Cobourg keeps it rolling. Jason Lymer leads off with a four-pitch walk. Nathan Ashman singles him over to second with one out. Dwayne Stace immediately doubles off the next pitch into deep right field. That scores both Lymer and Ashman. Stace beats out the throw from RF Seung-jae Park to take third.
Bill Budd and John Medley then bang out back-to-back doubles, scoring two more runs. Hankey hits the showers as RHP Ray Lambright is called upon in relief. But Rizalino Ringor lines a double into right field, scoring Medley for the fifth run of the inning. Raymond Williams and Jason Lymer both walk to load the bases. But with two out, Harry Doxey pops out to SS César Ruíz to end the inning.

In the top of the 9th, Bill Budd looks to finish what he started. Luis Torres though, battles him for 10 pitches before singling to the gap in left centerfield. But Budd gets PH Wayne Hudson to ground into a 5-4 fielder’s choice and César Ruíz to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game. Cobourg evens up the Series at 3-games apiece in a lop-sided victory.
FINAL: Cambria 0 – Cobourg 12

For Cobourg:

Player of the Game: Raymond Williams came alive big time, collecting 8 total bases.

Bill Budd was much sharper in his second playoff start, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 85 PI (1-0, 2.81 ERA, GS: 76)

Rizalino Ringor went 2 for 5, 1 RBI, 2 R.

Jason Lymer went 2 for 3, 1-2B, 1 R, 2 BB.

Dwayne Stace batted 2 for 4, 2 RBI, 1 R,

For Cambria:

It was a rough day at the office for Masami Fujihara. He went just 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 3 HR, 76 PI (1-1, 5.40 ERA; GS: 17).

Leon Hankey didn’t far much better, going 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 18 PI.

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Game 7 – April 18

For the 6th time in United League history, the United Cup goes the distance, as Game 7 will be played this afternoon at Radcliffe Field in Cobourg. The nation has practically grounded to a halt to watch the two combatants, who have gone back and forth all Series long, finally settle the matter once and for all. 25,816 have packed the stadium, hoping the Red Stockings’ momentum continues. At least the incredible weather has – clear skies, 72F with the wind blowing in from center at 16 mph.

31-year old RHP Alberto León (2-0, 1.44 ERA, 25.0 IP), who was brilliant in shutting out the Cannons in Game 3 takes the ball for Cobourg one more time. Cambria’s ace, 23-year old LHP Bill Southon (2-1, 1.71 ERA, 26.1 IP) looks to try and contain the Red Stockings’ batters, after his club was blown out just 24 hours earlier.

Top of the 3rd:
Bill Southon leads off with a single into shallow leftfield, then advances to second as Sam Tite battles for a walk. After Seung-jae Park hits into a fielder’s choice at second base, Carlos Corea flies out to RF Nathan Ashman. Southon tags up on the play and scores easily.
Cambria 1 – Cobourg 0

Top of the 4th:
Min-gook Lee and Ichizo Ando lead off with back-to-back walks. León then gets two quick outs before Sam Tite singles into the gap in right centerfield. Lee races around third and beats out the throw home from RF Nathan Ashman as Cambria tacks on another run.
Cambria 2 – Cobourg 0

Bottom of the 4th:
Rizalino Ringor leads off and fouls off four straight pitches at one point before he strikes out looking on a full count. Ringor slams his bat down and argues vehemently at the call. Manager Nicholas Willis races out to get between Ringor and the umpire, but he’s not in time – Ringor is tossed from the game. The Red Stockings get back-to-back singles by Alexander Tolmie and Jason Lymer later in the inning but are unable to capitalize. 24-year old RF Ken Chronister takes Ringor’s place in the lineup.
Cambria 2 – Cobourg 0

Top of the 5th:
Cambria continues to add runs. Carlos Corea leads off with a single into right field, while César Ruíz lines a double into left centerfield as Corea takes third. Luis Torres doubles off the first pitch down the leftfield line. Both Corea and Ruíz come home to score, doubling Cambria’s lead.
Cambria 4 – Cobourg 0

Top of the 6th:
León strikes out both Bill Southon and Sam Tite to start the inning but Seung-jae Park triples on a 1-1 pitch into the gap in right centerfield. Carlos Corea then lines a single into the same gap, scoring Park. That ends León’s day as RHP Marcus Turvill takes over.

In the bottom of the 9th, Bill Southon takes the hill once more looking to close things out. But Raymond Williams hits the first pitch back to 2B Wenceslas Jasmin and beats out the throw at first for an infield single. Up next is Alexander Tolmie, but Tolmie grounds into a 6-4-3 double play on the second pitch. Representing Cobourg’s last chance, Jason Lymer swings at the first pitch, but it’s hit straight to 3B Luis Torres, who throws out Lymer for the final out. Needing just four pitches, Southon retires the side and locks up the win as the Cambria Cannons converge onto the field to celebrate their second United Cup Championship!
FINAL: Cambria 5 – Cobourg 0

For Cambria:

Player of the Game: Bill Southon turns the tables on the Red Stockings, shutting them out in the most important game of the season. In all, he went 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 111 PI (3-1, 1.27 ERA, GS: 77)

For Cobourg:

After a sterling performance in Game 3, Alberto León struggled when the chips were down. He went 5.2 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 101 PI (2-1, 2.64 ERA; GS: 27)

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DreamTeams · 05-26-2020, 08:16 PM

Congrats to the Cannons on a great season and a solid Game 7 close-out to capture the Cup.

reds1 · 05-27-2020, 09:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ralphieboy

Wow, that must have been fun to play. Crazy 9th inning of a deciding game. It's nice to see some new blood in the finals.

It was! Heading into the last inning, I was just going through the motions as it were thinking the Unions were going to win yet again. That rally just seemed to come out of nowhere and the Cannons just continued with that 'never say die' approach in the United Cup. 'They shouldn't have taken out SP Garza so soon' was my thought. I guess Yogi was right - It ain't over till it's over.

reds1 · 05-27-2020, 12:16 PM

reds1 · 07-13-2020, 04:11 PM

reds1 · 07-19-2020, 03:43 AM

Babe Ruth Award

After a down year in 1951-52, 27-year old CF Alfonso León (.342/.403/.557, 34-2B, 28 HR, 85 RBI, 62 BB, 10.3 WAR) bounced back in a big way, beating out last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner, Raymond Williams, who was no slouch himself. León and Williams have monopolized the award in recent years; they each have won it twice over the past four seasons.

León led the Eastern League in AVG (.342), WAR (10.3), hits (203), total bases (331), caught stealing (17), EBH (67) and WOBA (.439). He finished in the Top 5 in nine other offensive categories (second place five times).

This year’s runners-up were:

2nd: Cobourg’s 27-year old CF Raymond Williams (.340/.419/.568, 28-2B, 32 HR, 100 RBI, 77 BB, 9.7 WAR)
3rd: Stratford’s 33-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.302/.459/.463, 16-2B, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 128 BB, 8.9 WAR)

Williams led the East in HR (32), SLG (.568), OPS (.988), runs (128), ISO (.228), OPS+ (175) and WPA (7.47). He finished in the Top 5 in nine other offensive categories (second place seven times).

Skidmore led the circuit in OBP (.459) and BB (128). He finished in the Top 5 in five other categories.

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Katsunan Chikafuji, Queensland Eagles
1938-39: Paul Hooks, Embro Suns
1939-40: Terence Durney, Embro Suns
1940-41: Jim Friend, Embro Suns
1941-42: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (2)
1942-43: Mark Elston, Brunswick Legends
1943-44: Dean Bishop, Braeland City Monarchs
1944-45: Stuart Bentham, Brunswick Legends
1945-46: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (3)
1946-47: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles
1947-48: Roberto Ríos, Stratford Barons
1948-49: Aaron Skidmore, Stratford Barons
1949-50: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings
1950-51: Alfonso León, Downie Chiefs
1951-52: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings (2)

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Satchel Paige Award

A pitcher from a last-place team picks up the top pitching award for the East. But 27-year old RHP Logan Belsey (14-16, 2.69 ERA, 267.1 IP, 1.17 WHIP, .260 BABIP, 130 ERA+, 5.2 WAR) enjoyed perhaps his finest season yet of his 5-year career, edging out Fergus Hirst as well as last year’s winner, Magtanggol Jaojoco, for top honours.

Belsey led the East in K (199), K/9 (6.7), rWAR (6.5) and QS (24). He finished in the Top 5 in 11 other categories and in the Top 2 four times.

Following him were:

2nd: Cobourg's 25-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (16-7, 2.57 ERA, 206.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, .263 BABIP, 139 ERA+, 5.2 WAR)
3rd: Stratford’s 27-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (15-7, 2.98 ERA, 223.2 IP, 1.25 WHIP, .268 BABIP, 119 ERA+, 5.0 WAR)

Hirst led the Eastern League in ERA (2.57), WHIP (1.16) and ERA+ (139). He finished in the Top 5 in eight other pitching categories and in the Top 2 twice.

Jaojoco led in shutouts (5). He finished in the Top 5 in four other categories.

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Colm Soper, Embro Suns
1938-39: Justin Hayhurst, Stratford Barons
1939-40: Lenny Freke, Braeland City Monarchs
1940-41: David Cooling, Braeland City Monarchs
1941-42: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends
1942-43: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (2)
1943-44: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons
1944-45: Matthew Monroe, Brunswick Legends
1945-46: Joel Fearn, Stratford Barons
1946-47: Arthur Bence, Wellington Athletics
1947-48: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons (2)
1948-49: Nicholas Grimes, Braeland City Monarchs
1949-50: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (3)
1950-51: Aaron Saunderson, Embro Suns
1951-52: Magtanggol Jaojoco, Stratford Barons

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Rookie of the Year Award

A 4th-round pick of the Cobourg Red Stockings from 1950-51, 25-year old RF Andy Faulkner (.287/.393/.422, 23-2B, 13 HR, 79 RBI, 84 BB, 4.3 WAR) was traded to the Stratford Barons back on July 30, 1952 and made an immediate impact as the Barons’ No. 4 hitter, picking up a Player of the Month Award and an All-Star selection in his rookie season. He was the overwhelming choice for the East’s Rookie of the Year as well.

Finishing behind Faulkner were:

2nd: Embro’s 23-year old LF Jesús Abreu (.280/.401/.457, 15-2B, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 55 BB, 3.4 WAR)
3rd: Cobourg’s 27-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (11-4, 2 SV, 2.56 ERA, 137.1 IP, 0.99 WHIP, .256 BABIP, 140 ERA+, 3.6 WAR)

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1938-39: Adam Ashley, Braeland City Monarchs
1939-40: Soren Heinke, Wellington Athletics
1940-41: Dean Bishop, Queensland Eagles
1941-42: Harry Chatwin, Brunswick Legends
1942-43: Geoff Lemoine, Stratford Barons
1943-44: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles
1944-45: Kyle Pryor, Braeland City Monarchs
1945-46: Jilenko Batiles, Cobourg Red Stockings
1946-47: Ron Gavin, Queensland Eagles
1947-48: Christopher Dainty, Braeland City Monarchs
1948-49: Patrick Lidgate, Braeland City Monarchs
1949-50: Matthew Floyd, Wellington Athletics
1950-51: Jim Mars, Wellington Athletics
1951-52: Robert Kersey, Brunswick Legends

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Babe Ruth Award

The same players that finished 1-2-3 last year in the voting finished 1-2-3 again this season, but the voting was much closer this time around. Wolseley’s 31-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.318/.454/.482, 26-2B, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 133 BB, 6.2 WAR) earned enough votes to win his third Babe Ruth Award and second in a row in a season that saw offensive production in the West drop overall from the previous year.

Hawking led the League in OBP (.454), OPS (.936), BB (133), OPS+ (161) and WOBA (.424). He finished in the Top 5 in 10 other categories (second place three times).

This year’s runners-up were:

2nd: Pulberry’s 26-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.293/.391/.457, 33-2B, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 89 BB, 8.8 WAR)
3rd: Cambria's 33-year old SS César Ruíz (.272/.387/.457, 22-2B, 25 HR, 88 RBI, 101 BB, 6.0 WAR)

Tyson led the League in WAR (8.8), doubles (tied with 33) and caught stealing (20). He finished in the Top 5 in 10 other offensive categories (second place four times).

Ruíz led the Western circuit in HR (25) and ISO (.185). He finished in the Top 5 in ten other offensive categories.

Interestingly, Carlos Corea led the West in nine offensive categories, but only finished 5th in the voting. I suppose his weak defensive play at first base brought his stock down (.990 PCT, 8.93 RF, -23.1 ZR, .827 EFF).

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans
1938-39: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1939-40: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans
1940-41: Steven Winstanley, Hespeler Stars
1941-42: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1942-43: Ron Westmacott, Cambria Cannons
1943-44: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants
1944-45: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants (2)
1945-46: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans
1946-47: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1947-48: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (3)
1948-49: Dylan Moyne, Fort Richmond Generals
1949-50: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions
1950-51: Louis Wearne, Fort Richmond Generals
1951-52: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions (2)

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Satchel Paige Award

Last year, Nicholas Grimes became the first United Leagues pitcher to win a Satchel Paige Award in both Leagues. This year, 33-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (17-14, 2.58 ERA, 2.71.2 IP. 1.09 WHIP, .238 BABIP, 139 ERA+, 5.7 WAR) became the second to accomplish the feat. He previously won the Award with the Eastern League’s Embro Suns two seasons ago. But the voting was close as well this season, with Saunderson edging out Nicky Sherlock.

Saunderson led the West in wins (tied with 17), complete games (24) and QS (tied with 25). He also finished in the Top 5 in eight other pitching categories (second place four times).

Finishing behind Saunderson in voting this year were:

2nd: Fort Richmond’s 30-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (16-13, 2.75 ERA, 274.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, .261 BABIP, 126 ERA+, 5.5 WAR)
3rd: Wolseley’s 26-year old RHP Roberto Garza (16-11, 2.95 ERA, 253.0 IP, 1.12 WHIP, .250 BABIP, 122 ERA+, 5.9 WAR)

Sherlock led the Western League in shutouts (5), rWAR (7.2) and BB/9 (1.9). He finished in the Top 5 in nine other categories (second place once).

Garza led in WAR (5.9) and QS (tied with 25). He finished in the Top 5 in six other categories.

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Neil Guerin, Cambria Cannons
1938-39: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans
1939-40: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1940-41: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (3)
1941-42: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans
1942-43: Joey Cumberledge, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1944-45: Roberto Taváres, Sherburn Tigers
1945-46: Patrick Denman, Kingston Pelicans
1946-47: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers
1947-48: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers (2)
1948-49: Nicky Sherlock, Fort Richmond Generals
1949-50: Bill Blair, Wolseley Unions
1950-51: Roberto Taváres, Fort Richmond Generals (2)
1951-52: Nicholas Grimes, Fort Richmond Generals (2)

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Rookie of the Year Award

The first (and quite likely the last) two-way player won the top rookie award. 26-year old 3B/RHP Mike Park (.331/385/.475, 25-2B, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 32 BB, 4.0 WAR as a position player; 11-8, 3.59 ERA, 170.1 IP, 1.56 WHIP, 100 ERA+, 1.1 WAR as a pitcher), a 2nd-round pick from 1949-50, started 91 games at third base and took the mound in another 24 starts. He is already rated as the 4th-best third baseman in the ULB.

Finishing behind Park were:

2nd: Cambria’s 28-year old 3B Luis Torres (.279/.343/.402, 20-2B, 15 HR, 77 RBI, 50 BB, 4.1 WAR)
3rd: Balmoral’s 27-year old 1B Jacob Summerhayes (.282/.328/.443, 16-2B, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 23 BB, 1.6 WAR)

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1938-39: Aaron Flanagan, Wolseley Unions
1939-40: Francisco Rodríguez, Balmoral Giants
1940-41: Leon Hankey, Cambria Cannons
1941-42: Brian Pittman, Balmoral Giants
1942-43: Freddie Duran, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Rizalino Ringor, Wolseley Unions
1944-45: Hao Wang, Cambria Cannons
1945-46: Ben Currall, Kingston Pelicans
1946-47: Éric Denis, Wolseley Unions
1947-48: Dominic Pipard, Balmoral Giants
1948-49: Gavin Flatt, Fort Richmond Generals
1949-50: César Ruíz, Cambria Cannons
1950-51: Carlos Ortíz, Wolseley Unions
1951-52: Roberto Garza, Wolseley Unions

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The second time around for Nicholas Willis (137-110, .555) went much smoother that the first, as the 61-year old Australian guided the Cobourg Red Stockings to their first playoff appearance and to within one victory of a United Cup Championship. The laid-back skipper previously managed the Red Stockings on an interim basis back in 1942-43, where they went just 37-56 after he took over the managerial reigns 61 games into the season. He has been mostly a bench coach for three different clubs over his 12-year career in the United Leagues.

55-year old Benjamin Sadler (85-69, .552) had also been a bench coach for eight seasons with four different clubs, including the Cobourg Red Stockings (1941 and 1942 seasons). He was out of baseball for five years at one point before joining the Brunswick Legends in 1950 as their bench coach. That’s where the Cambria Cannons lured him away to be their new manager. The rookie skipper did not disappoint, guiding the Cannons to their first playoff appearance in eight years and capturing their second United Cup in franchise history, knocking off the defending champions, the Wolseley Unions, in the process.

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Bradley Balmforth, Wellington Athletics --- Rouke Barclay, Sherburn Tigers
1938-39: Vic Windle, Embro Suns --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans
1939-40: Warren Paulino, Braeland City Monarchs --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons
1940-41: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1941-42: Babe Ruth, Brunswick Legends --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons (2)
1942-43: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1944-45: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (3)
1945-46: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (3) --- Bradley Balmforth, Sherburn Tigers (2)
1946-47: Reid Saxby, Queensland Eagles --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (4)
1947-48: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs --- Morrigan O’Lonergan, Balmoral Giants
1948-49: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs (2) --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions
1949-50: Bill Bouchet, Downie Chiefs --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions (2)
1950-51: Finlay Fay, Brunswick Legends --- John Mathis, Fort Richmond Generals
1951-52: Eugene Rogge, Wellington Athletics --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (5)

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New Records Set

Alfonso León set a new record for WAR with 10.31, surpassing Danny Trowbridge’s mark of 9.46 from 1945-46.

Cobourg's 24-year old LHP Bill Budd set a new mark for hits allowed/9 IP with 6.41. That breaks Matt Price record of 6.67, originally set in 1947-48.

Logan Belsey set a new record for K/9 IP with 6.70. That breaks his two-year old record of 6.56.

Although he only came in fourth in the Western League Satchel Paige Award voting, Wolseley's 34-year old RHP Bill Blair was impressive this year, setting five new pitching records:

• 0.96 WHIP (breaking HOF member Brady Murdy’s 1938-39 mark of 1.01)
• .1974 OAVG (breaking Joy-shan Liu’s mark of .2066 set in 1947-48)
• .2523 OOBP (breaking Brady Murdy’s 1938-39 mark of .2541)
• .2747 OSLG (surpassing Charlie Gilbert’s mark of .2860 set in 1942-43)
• .5270 OOPS (beating Jesús Chapa record of .5531, set in 1946-47)

reds1 · 11-15-2020, 01:45 AM

Notes on 1952-53 All-Braeland Team

Starting Pitcher

Oh man was this selection tough. I had all but crowned Queensland’s Logan Belsey as this season’s top pitcher, but the more I compared him with Wolseley’s Aaron Saunderson, the more I gravitated towards the latter. But to me it’s a toss up. Both won the Satchel Paige Award in their respective League this past season. Belsey is the ace for a last-place team while Saunderson is the fourth starter for a perennial playoff team. Should that influence the selection? I’m not sure. In the end, I switched over to Saunderson for his slightly better stats.

Here are their stats lined up for comparison and see what you think. If anyone has some insight that I am overlooking, I’m all ears. I can always switch back.

Here are the three pitchers that were under consideration:

• 33-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson – 17-4, 2.58 ERA, 33 GS, 271.2 IP, 114 K, 1.09 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 3.8 K/9, .238 BABIP, 3.07 FIP, 139 ERA+, 5.7 WAR.
• 27-year old RHP Logan Belsey – 14-16, 2.69 ERA, 33 GS, 267.1 IP, 199 K, 1.17 WHIP, 0.8 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 6.7 K/9, .260 BABIP, 3.09 FIP, 130 ERA+, 5.2 WAR.
• Cobourg’s 25-year old RHP Fergus Hirst – 16-7, 2.57 ERA, 25 GS, 206.2 IP, 122 K, 1.16 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 5.3 K/9, .263 BABIP, 2.78 FIP, 139 ERA+, 5.2 WAR

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Catcher

While it might have been a close race last season, Stratford’s 33-year old Aaron Skidmore was the obvious choice this year. He is the top-rated catcher in the ULB and the only catcher in the Top 10 (#4). Among all players in the United Leagues, Skidmore finished #1 in OBP (.459), #4 in OPS (.922), #4 in WAR (8.8), #2 in BB (128), #4 in OPS+ (160), #3 in WPA (5.69) and #3 in WOBA (.426).

Here are the four catchers I gave serious consideration:

• Aaron Skidmore – .302/.459/.463, 137 H, 16-2B, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 128 BB, .922 OPS, 160 OPS+, 8.8 WAR, 1.038 EFF.
• Brunswick’s 24-year old Robert Kersey – .288/.376/.436, 147 H, 28-2B, 16 HR, 87 RBI, 74 BB, .812 OPS, 126 OPS+, 6.4 WAR, .911 EFF.
• Cambria’s 35-year old Heung-su Park - .300/.381/.514, 122 H, 25-2B, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 51 BB, .894 OPS, 153 OPS+, 5.7 WAR, .964 EFF.
• Cobourg’s 30-year old Jason Lymer – .318/.349/.457, 162 H, 31-2B, 12 HR, 86 RBI, 26 BB, .806 OPS, 124 OPS+, 5.5 WAR, 1.122 EFF.

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First Base

The question of who the best player at their position is always open to debate. Specifically, how much weight do you give to defense? For first base it may not be as critical, but what if the player borders on inept? That’s the conundrum I faced this time around as Carlos Corea was sensational at the plate, but was a nightmare defensively (.990 PCT, 8.93 RF, -23.1 ZR, .827 EFF). He didn’t hurt his team too much, as the Cannons won the United Cup (and Corea was outstanding offensively throughout the playoffs). Still his weakness was glaring, and I couldn’t ignore it. As it is, he is rated as the United Leagues No. 2 first baseman, behind only Stratford Barons’ Bob Goodyear. While Goodyear was solid defensively (.988 PCT, 9.28 RF, +5.4 ZR, 1.026 EFF), he was Corea’s equal offensively, making this pick a little easier. Overall, Goodyear finished #3 in AVG (.321), #2 in RBI (108), #4 in SLG (.496), #5 in Hits (185), #2 in doubles (36), #4 in TB (292), #2 in SF (11) and #3 in EBH (59).

Here are the four players I considered:

• 35-year old Bob Goodyear – .321/.396/.496, 189 H, 36-2B, 21 HR, 108 RBI, 77 BB, .891 OPS, 150 OPS+, 7.3 WAR, 1.026 EFF.
• 26-year old Carlos Corea – .321/.372/.482, 197 H, 33-2B, 20 HR, 99 RBI, 47 BB, .854 OPS, 142 OPS+, 3.2 WAR.
• Braeland City’s 29-year old Dean Witherden – .300/.357/.475, 180 H, 24-2B, 27 HR, 94 RBI, 54 BB, .832 OPS, 130 OPS+, 4.3 WAR, .969 EFF.
• Cobourg’s 27-year old Harry Doxey – .303/.369/.452, 169 H, 32-2B, 15 HR, 96 RBI, 60 BB, .821 OPS, 129 OPS+, 4.2 WAR, 1.028 EFF.

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Second Base

This was one of the easier selections, as Braeland City’s Patrick Lidgate enjoyed one of his finest seasons, while Downie’s Dominic Dudding regressed a little for the second straight year. But these two players are in their prime and represent the top two second basemen in the United Leagues. I expect that they will be dominating this selection process for a little while more.

Here are the three second basemen I considered:

• 27-year old Patrick Lidgate – .279/.398/.468, 152 H, 27-2B, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 93 BB, .866 OPS, 140 OPS+, 7.1 WAR, 1.009 EFF.
• 27-year old Dominic Dudding – .290/.359/.432, 166 H, 23-2B, 16 HR, 95 RBI, 62 BB, .791 OPS, 127 OPS+, 5.3 WAR, 1.023 EFF.
• Hespeler’s 28-year old Vic Lewis – .274/.329/.426, 155 H, 14-2B, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 44 BB, .755 OPS, 108 OPS+, 4.8 WAR, 1.031 EFF.

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Third Base

Cobourg’s Alexander Tolmie has dominated the past few years as the United Leagues’ top third baseman and that hasn’t changed this season. He is currently rated No. 1 overall at the hot corner but he has a few youngsters nipping at his heals. That includes Embro’s sophomore Moromao Nakagawa who finished second as well as a couple of rookies: Cambria’s Luis Torres (4.1 WAR) and Hespeler’s Mike Park (4.0 WAR). They are rated 1 through 4 among third basemen respectively, but Brunswick’s Jorge Arredondo, who is rated at No. 5, enjoyed a respectable season as well.

• 31-year old Alexander Tolmie – .297/.390/.454, 153 H, 22-2B, 19 HR, 95 RBI, 79 BB, .844 OPS, 136 OPS+, 6.1 WAR, .999 EFF.
• 24-year old Moromao Nakagawa – .284/.362/.453, 162 H, 27-2B, 15 HR, 85 RBI, 71 BB, .815 OPS, 128 OPS+, 5.2 WAR, .983 EFF.
• 31-year old Jorge Arredondo – .261/.361/.353, 152 H, 23-2B, 9 HR, 57 RBI, 92 BB, .714 OPS, 100 OPS+, 4.6 WAR, 1.012 EFF.

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Shortstop

In the past, shortstop was where the United Leagues top-rated players resided. That isn’t the case this year. Cambria’s César Ruíz is the ULB’s top-rated shortstop and 6th-best player overall. He won his second selection to the Team rather handily as last year’s selection, Fort Richmond’s Nobuyoshi Yoshida, endured an off year.

• 33-year old César Ruíz – .272/.387/.457, 148 H, 22-2B, 25 HR, 88 RBI, 101 BB, .844 OPS, 140 OPS+, 6.0 WAR, .965 EFF.
• Embro's 23-year old Kieron Bradridge – .270/.310/.402, 165 H, 31-2B, 11 HR, 66 RBI, 37 BB, .712 OPS, 99 OPS+, 5.1 WAR, 1.049 EFF.
• Wolseley's 31-year old George Kimpton – .265/.346/.390, 156 H, 25-2B, 15 HR, 80 RBI, 74 BB, .736 OPS, 105 OPS+, 5.0 WAR, .980 EFF.
• 28-year old Nobuyoshi Yoshida – .286/.336/.409, 133 H, 24-2B, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 34 BB, .745 OPS, 114 OPS+, 4.4 WAR, 1.049 EFF.

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Left Field

Wolseley's Carlton Hawking has been selected to the All-Braeland Team in five of the past six seasons. Although his offense was top notch once again, I gave the edge to Wellington’s Matthew Floyd this time. Floyd continues to be ranked as the top left fielder in the ULB and was outstanding in all aspects of the game. I also felt that Brunswick’s Carl Patton edged out Hawking in overall play as well. Patton won his first Ball Hawk Award this year.

• 25-year old Matthew Floyd – .316/.407/.499, 184 H, 28-2B, 21 HR, 91 RBI, 89 BB, .906 OPS, 159 OPS+, 8.8 WAR, 1.025 EFF.
• 26-year old Carl Patton – .295/.419/.413, 171 H, 18-2B, 10 HR, 67 RBI, 124 BB, 24 SB, .832 OPS, 133 OPS+, 7.8 WAR, 1.038 EFF.
• 31-year old Carlton Hawking – .318/.454/.482, 167 H, 26-2B, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 133 BB, .936 OPS, 161 OPS+, 6.1 WAR, .963 EFF.

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Center Field

Center field is currently home to three of the most dynamic players in the United Leagues. Cobourg’s Raymond Williams is rated No. 1 overall, while Downie’s Alfonso León is rated No. 2. Both have taken turns winning the Eastern League’s Babe Ruth Award over the past four seasons. Meanwhile, Pulberry’s Cooper Tyson, rated 7th overall, is perhaps the best defensive centerfielder in the United Leagues today, having won his third consecutive Ball Hawk Award. After them, there is a steep drop off.

This year León got the nod. It wasn’t that hard of a choice – he won the Babe Ruth Award as well as the Batting Title.

• 27-year old Alfonso León - .342/.403/.557, 203 H, 34-2B, 28 HR, 85 RBI, 62 BB, .960 OPS, 174 OPS+, 10.2 WAR, 1.026 EFF.
• 27-year old Raymond Williams – .340/.419/.568, 194 H, 28-2B, 32 HR, 100 RBI, 77 BB, .988 OPS, 175 OPS+, 9.6 WAR, .995 EFF.
• 26-year old Cooper Tyson – .293/.391/.457, 158 H, 33-2B, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 89 BB, .848 OPS, 142 OPS+, 8.7 WAR, 1.053 EFF.

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Right Field

The winds of change appear to be blowing in right field as some fresh faces are starting to make an impact at the position. Pulberry’s Ellis Dibble continues to be rated as the United Leagues’ top player at this position, but he was surpassed by a couple of players ranked immediately behind him. Downie’s Connor Bing enjoyed his finest all-round season of his 3-year career, which included his second Ball Hawk Award. Wellington’s Wayne Emmert picked up his first All-Star selection and is now rated just behind Dibble among right fielders. This was a close race, but I gave the edge to Bing this time.

• 26-year old Connor Bing – .262/.343/.437, 141 H, 37-2B, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 66 BB, .779 OPS, 123 OPS+, 6.0 WAR, 1.054 EFF.
• 25-year old Wayne Emmert – .286/.383/.414, 167 H, 20-2B, 20-3B, 5 HR, 71 RBI, 90 BB, .797 OPS, 128 OPS+, 5.8 WAR, 1.028 EFF.
• 28-year old Ellis Dibble – .296/.370/.455, 150 H, 19-2B, 17 HR, 76 RBI, 62 BB, .825 OPS, 135 OPS+, 4.7 WAR, 1.031 EFF.

reds1 · 11-23-2020, 12:37 AM

May 15, 1953

Quote:

PLAYERS VOTE OVERWHELMINGLY TO UNIONIZE
COMMISSIONER WARNS OF ROYAL INVOLVEMENT AS OWNERS REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE

Fort Richmond, Norfolk (BP) – The final week of the 1952-53 regular season saw more than just a couple of playoff races being finalized. It also witnessed the unifying of baseball ballplayers throughout the entire United Leagues as they approved the formation of a new union – the United Leagues Ballplayers Fraternity (ULBF), the first of its kind in Braeland. With 15 of the 16 Team Owners reportedly refusing to entertain player grievances or even recognize player-appointed representatives from each club, the stage has thus been set for an eventual showdown between the two sides.

On the final day of the regular season, players voted overwhelmingly, 348-52, to unionize and appoint one player from each club to sit on the newly formed Executive Board. Recognizing the need for a full-time Executive Director, the Board appointed three of its members yesterday to a search committee: Wolseley Unions shortstop George Kimpton, Wellington Athletics outfielder Jim Mars and Fort Richmond Generals second baseman Derek Reed. The committee is expected to begin its search next week.

Long dissatisfied with salaries they believe have been artificially depressed by Owners over the past two seasons, players began informal discussions amongst themselves last September over coordinating their efforts at addressing their grievances with the Owners. But a truly united effort didn’t materialize until Fort Richmond’s Derek Reed suggested players appoint team representatives to try and meet with Owners on a one-on-one basis.

“The goal initially was to simply raise our concerns and find some common ground” explained Reed, speaking from his home, not far from Generals Stadium in Fort Richmond. “But the Owners’ refusal to discuss salaries and benefits at all or to even speak with the players’ representative really underscored the need for us to present a united front. It’s disappointing to be sure, as its abundantly clear that we’re on own to fight for equitable terms for playing professional baseball in Braeland. No owner can claim poverty. It’s well known that all the clubs are flush with cash. Baseball has never been more popular. Its time for the ballplayer’s renumeration to reflect that prosperity and more importantly, reflect their contribution to the United Leagues’ success.”

Specific goals of the players union that have been articulated are for Owners to establish a minimum annual salary while avoiding instituting a maximum salary. In addition, players want the right to take salary disputes and other grievances to arbitration and establish provisions for bonuses and insurance. But one long-standing thorn of contention noticeably absent from the player’s demands is for the end of the reserve clause.

“It’s premature to tackle that critical issue head-on with the Owners right now. But its not being overlooked – not by a long shot”, stressed Reed.

Reed, along with the rest of the players, are awaiting the outcome of a case that has reached the United States Supreme Court between the New York Yankees and one its minor league players, George Earl Toolson. In 1950, Toolson refused a demotion he believed to be unfair and filed suit, claiming that the reserve clause is a restraint of trade and that baseball should not be exempt from the American antitrust laws. The Court is expected to hand down its decision later this year, but Reed said the Union is not holding its breath for a favourable outcome.

“The American courts have consistently ruled in favour of the baseball Owners, against all reason and evidence that clearly shows that baseball meets the definition of interstate commerce,” continued Reed. “Although the Braeland Courts have not had the opportunity to weigh in on the business model of the United Leagues, they have taken their cue from American rulings on other matters involving trade and commerce in general. A favourable outcome in this particular American case would no doubt bolster our cause, but the Supreme Court’s past decisions are not on our side. Thus, we believe any success on our part will have to measured in degrees rather than in one all encompassing decision.”

Commissioner Running Out of Patience with Owners – Hints that King May Weigh In

Notably silent over the past several months has been the United Leagues Commissioner, Sir David Westfall. But in reality, the Commissioner has been working behind the scenes to try and foster open dialogue between the Owners and players. The Commissioner has preferred to remain in the background and not speak to the press in any detail on the issues dividing the two sides. However, that has changed in recent days. Accustomed to having the Owners fall quickly into line on other issues in the past, Commissioner Westfall has reportedly grown frustrated with the Owners’ refusal to engage with the players in any meaningful way. It is rumoured that only Wellington Athletics owner, 43-year old Seung-ryong Kim Jr., agreed to sit down with the team’s player representative, Jim Mars, last September, but was pressured by other Owners to refrain from agreeing to any further meetings.

In response to the players’ announcement in March of the formation of the ULBF, the Commissioner issued a statement, declaring that both the Commissioner’s office and His Royal Majesty, King William, “welcome the new development and hope that it will prove to be a positive step in improving owner-player relationships within the Leagues.”

It was intended for Owners to take a cue from that statement as to the King’s feelings on the matter, but it appears stronger measures are warranted. That was evident in an interview with the Commissioner yesterday. Speaking to the Sentinel, Westfall aimed a salvo toward the Owners, confirming that a special meeting with His Royal Majesty is scheduled for Monday, May 18. This despite the meeting falling on a national holiday (Constitution Day observed).

“Obviously, I cannot get into specifics”, the Commissioner explained. “But I can say that this meeting will be about the Owners’ current standing – not the players’. I might add that it is felt by both myself and His Majesty that this meeting should not have been necessary. Indeed, it has been thrusted upon the King – and at an inopportune time at that. The Owners must not forget that the United Leagues operate under the aegis of the King. And that support could be withdrawn if it is felt that any member was doing real harm to the enterprise as a whole.”

As of this writing, none of the Owners have gone on record or even commented on the formation of the players union. Instead, they have continued to insist that they are not, in fact, earning the profits that players say they are, but have promised to share any increased revenue they realize in the future with the players. However, the players have long been dubious as to those claims. But in view of the Commissioner’s recent remarks, the Owners may have to convince more that just the players that they are telling the truth. They may soon be dragged to Kemsley Palace in the nation's capital to make their case. And that would certainly be a tougher sell.

reds1 · 01-28-2021, 03:04 AM

May 28, 1953

Quote:

UNITED LEAGUES ‘SHAKEN TO THEIR CORE’
PLAYERS RATIFY KING’S OFFER; NEW CLUB OWNERS FOR EMBRO, FORT RICHMOND

Embro, Dunwich (BP) – There may only be a few days left in the month of May, but its end can’t come soon enough for the beleaguered team owners. Four short weeks ago, the club barons seemingly possessed an unassailable position as “Lords of the Leagues”, running their teams as they wished with little if any, interference from either the Office of the Commissioner or Kemsley Palace. For the players, this meant they were little more than pawns, with little say in how they were treated or paid. That imbalance of power eventually led to the widespread dissatisfaction that players have felt particularly over the past couple of seasons due to what they alleged were artificially suppressed salaries. Despite the recent formation of the United Leagues Ballplayers Fraternity (ULBF) designed to provide a united front in their negotiations with the owners, the players’ efforts to reach a new deal continued to go largely ignored. The owners, confident that their positions were secure, held fast to the status quo.

My how things have changed in just a few short weeks.

‘We Are Not Amused’

That, in essence, was the message delivered by King William to the owners whose intransigence saw them haled before His Royal Majesty at Kemsley Palace back on May 18. After months of refusing to address the financial inequities cited by the players, the owners finally yielded following a tense meeting called by the King. Although reporters were not allowed into the proceedings, sources confirmed that the King berated the owners with a lengthy, withering harangue. The King’s ire was raised when the owners failed to provide evidence in advance of the meeting for their claims that their respective clubs’ revenue and profit could not support improved player salaries and benefits. Instead, the owners opened the meeting by tabling an offer that provided a modest increase in salaries for players with ten or more years of service time. But if the owners hoped that this would appease His Royal Majesty, they woefully miscalculated. For the King as well as for Commissioner Sir David Westfall, it only served to confirm what they suspected all along: that the owners had merely been bluffing and were unwilling to act as true partners with the players.

The King then turned the tables on the owners, using the owners’ tepid offer as a starting point for His own offer, one that calls for across-the-board salary increases with commitments on both a benefits package and a player’s pension. That offer, the owners were informed, would be immediately submitted to the ULBF for review and a formal vote by the players. It was then that King William dropped another bomb on the owners. Per the United League’s charter, His Majesty was exercising His right to undertake a ‘thorough review’ of each ownership group to determine their continued fitness. Although the meeting ended on that ominous note, the now-humbled barons did not have to wait very long on hearing the results of the King’s review. The next day, the Commissioners Office announced that two owners were being forced to relinquish their respective clubs: 74-year old Jong-beom Yu of the Fort Richmond Generals and 43-year old Oliver Blowers of the Embro Suns. They were reportedly two of the most prominent hardline owners. The Commissioner also noted that the review was still ongoing, hinting that further ownership shakeups may still occur.

All that flurry of activity culminated into today’s dual announcement made by the Commissioners Office: that the players have officially accepted the new agreement and the formal introduction of the new ownership groups for Embro and Fort Richmond.

A New Era for the Leagues

The new agreement with the players was ratified with 83% of the players voting in favor. Jim Mars of the Wellington Athletics and the club’s union representative was on hand in Braeland City along with the Commissioner to make the announcement. Mars was asked about the lower than expected acceptance of the deal by the players.

“Some of my colleagues were disappointed that the reserve clause remained in place,” admitted the 27-year old outfielder. “But as a Union, we are preaching patience – ‘one base at a time’ as it were. We consider this agreement a big step for the players and one we can build on. The Union is waiting on the decision that the United States Supreme Court is expected to render later this year in the Toolson v. New York Yankees case. That will undoubtedly inform our next steps. Regardless, we don’t view our work as being done and we stressed to our membership that equity with the Owners will have to come in fits and starts. We view this new deal as a definite start and we believe in time that all the players will view it this way as well.”

On the heels of that momentous announcement, Commissioner David Westfall held a second news conference, this time introducing the two new team owners. Daniel Walker II of the Walker Brewery Company was introduced as head of the Embro Sun’s ownership group, while Allen Ratcliffe made is official debut as majority owner of the Fort Richmond Generals. The 43-year old Ratcliffe is the owner of the Ratcliffe Transport Company, one of the largest trucking firms in the country. Mr. Ratcliffe is no stranger to the United Leagues, having been a minority owner of the Generals for the past six years. On the other hand, the 44-year old Walker joins the ULB’s ownership ranks for the first time. However, the name ‘Walker’ is no stranger to the Leagues, as their popular suds are a ubiquitous sight throughout the Leagues’ stadiums.

“We’re very pleased to welcome both Allen Ratcliffe and Daniel Walker to the fold”, beamed the Commissioner. “I have known both Allen and Daniel for a number of years and look forward to working with them in the months and years ahead. They will without doubt bring a fresh perspective and approach to the United Leagues.”

Although the new owners were prepared to answer questions, the throng of reporters in attendance were more interested in peppering the Commissioner with questions regarding what particular transgressions the previous owners in Embro and Fort Richmond were guilty of that forced their abrupt dismissal from the Leagues. Sir Westfall would not get into specifics as the overall ownership review was still in progress but did reveal one potential sore point when he touched on the subject of good communication between the owners and players, something that was noticeably lacking over the past two years.

“Success of any complex enterprise such as the United Leagues depends upon good communication between all participants”, explained Commissioner Westfall. “You’re never going to see eye-to-eye on issues all of the time and that’s fine. But its important to keep the lines of communication open. That was lacking in recent years and it was starting to impact the role of the Commissioners Office. Thus, it was deemed a ‘culture change’ was warranted.”

The Commissioner was also asked if other team ownership changes are being considered and if so, why they were not being made at the same time as the Suns and Generals were.

“The replacement of ownership groups in such a unilateral way is without question ‘the nuclear option’. Thus, the ongoing review is being done thoroughly and we believe, fairly. Its not something the King nor I take lightly. Only when there is a clear basis for such drastic action will it be undertaken. But I can say the ownership changes announced today are not the end of the matter.”

Forced Ownership Changes – The Right Move or a Dangerous Precedent?

Still, not all impartial observers are convinced that such a drastic action as forcing owners out is a good idea in the long term, although admittedly the owners were largely the architects of their predicament. One of those onlookers, Dr. Paul Massey of the Lowery School of Management located at the King Hugh University in Balmoral, expressed astonishment at the dramatic turn of events and the sweeping changes initiated by the King.

“These last few weeks have absolutely shaken the United Leagues to their core”, observed Massey. “For something this drastic, I think you have to go back to 1876, when National League President William Hulbert expelled both the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Mutuals from the League when they refused to play road trips late in the season. That sent a clear message that league schedules were to be respected. The moves made by King William sent a clear message as well, but potential future owners can be forgiven if they are starting to think twice about buying into the Leagues. If either the King or Commissioner’s Office can act this unilaterally, what monetary incentive is there for prospective owners to enter a situation that can quickly turn ugly if you should happen to displease His Majesty? To me, this has opened a Pandora’s box and it cannot be closed again. Even if a situation calls for immediate action, should such remedies emanate from the mere whims of the King? How high or low should the bar be set for handing down such severe measures going forward? It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the seasons to come. The owners are a weakened group right now. The Players Union will not be satisfied indefinitely with these new terms and they could go too far too soon with their demands if they smell blood in the water.”

So, what does the King need to do at this point?

“He needs to spell out the grounds rules for undertaking these kinds of drastic actions in the future and make it fair for both owners and players,” concluded Dr. Massey. “The King needs to right the ship – otherwise we’ll be seeing good owners – both current and potential – abandoning the Leagues for other opportunities.”

Tyke · 01-28-2021, 08:18 AM

Still loving this! Thanks, reds 1.

DreamTeams · 01-28-2021, 02:42 PM

Interesting turn of events. Looks like the players have won, for now.

Dark Horse · 01-28-2021, 07:31 PM

Excellent

reds1 · 02-03-2021, 04:34 PM

Thanks guys!

reds1 · 02-03-2021, 04:44 PM

It was an off-season unlike any other in the United Leagues as practically all the significant transactions that took place involved front office personnel rather than the players in the clubhouse. While a notable free agent was signed, not one trade was consummated in the months leading up to spring training. Was this due to the drama that unfolded during the months that saw the players form a union while two obdurate team owners were forced out? Or was it a mere coincidence? I never turn off trade activity in OOTP (it is set to ‘average’), so it was likely the latter. While it might have seemed appropriate given the off-field developments, the lack of trades is a concern. Here’s hoping it’s not a trend as the United Leagues move up to OOTP21.

On the other hand, impatience seemed to be the order of the day, as the Queensland Eagles cleaned house, letting go of their GM, field manager, pitching coach and hitting coach. Their GM and field manager were let go after just one season. The Sherburn Tigers fired both their general manager and field manager as well. All that in addition to the new owners in Embro and Fort Richmond.

Here is a review of some of the noteworthy transactions that took place since the Cambria Cannons won the United Cup back in April and right up to the start of the Coconut Leagues.

Player Retirements:

There was only one significant player retirement, as SP Joel Fearn called it a career after 16 seasons. Fearn was one of the greatest pitchers in United Leagues history and one of the 1937 “originals”. He was a 7-time All-Star and a 2-time United Cup Champion. He won the Satchel Paige Award in 1945-46 (23-10, 2.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 159 ERA+) and finished 2nd for the Award on two other occasions.

In the Stratford Barons’ triumphant run to the United Cup in 1940-41, Fearn won both the Pennant Series MVP and the United Cup MVP, the first of two players to accomplish that feat in the same season. He finishes his career as the leader in six pitching categories: Wins (250), Games Stared (466), Complete Games (40), Innings Pitched (3,959.2) and Hits Allowed (3,945). Over the course of 483 games with the Stratford Barons and Cobourg Red Stockings, he went 250-169, 3.32 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, .274 BABIP, 121 ERA+ 483 G, 466 GS, and 3,959.2 IP.

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Hall of Fame Results:

For the second year in a row, there were no players elected to the Hall of Fame. But SS Gary Watkinson and SP Joey Cumberledge, who are both in their first-year eligibility, have the best chance of eventually getting inducted, while SP Francis Slocock is not far behind them. I did not place a vote myself, as I’m still unsure whether I should influence the proceedings like I did with the inaugural class.

Watkinson was a 7-time all-star mainly with the Embro Suns, while Cumberledge was a 9-time all-star, won 1943 Western League Satchel Paige Award as well as the 1939 WL Pennant Series MVP. He played his entire career with the Kingston Pelicans, winning 3 United Cups. Slocock won two Satchel Paige Awards (1942, 1944) and was a 7-time all-star. He won two United Cups while with the Kingston Pelicans as well.

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Management Shakeups:

May 2 – Cobourg Hires Roy King as their New GM, replacing the retiring Oliver Richards

After just three seasons as the Red Stockings general manager, 60-year old Oliver Richards called it a career on April 18. In his brief spell as GM, he’s had relatively little impact on the big-league roster apart from drafting a couple of solid relief pitchers selected in first round in back-to-back seasons. He also traded away 25-year old OF Andy Faulkner (3.9 WAR) last year to the Stratford Barons. Faulkner went on to win the Eastern League Rookie of the Year award. On the other hand, Cobourg did end their long playoff drought under his watch and came within one game of winning the United Cup last season.

Replacing him is veteran Roy King ($21,986, 4 yrs.) The 62-year old King spent 15 seasons (1021-1289, .442) as the Hespeler Stars’ general manager from 1937 to 1951. Although his reputation is considered ‘outstanding’ and in his write-up he is said to be “respected, even feared, by other GMs”, there is really nothing in his track record to warrant such a high evaluation. The Stars were singularly unsuccessful under his watch, finishing in the second division 12 times in those 15 seasons and not getting even close to a playoff spot. But perhaps he can build on the Red Stockings’ recent success. He is rated as an extreme wheeler-dealer and very aggressive in trades, so we’ll see if he is able to shake the United Leagues out of its trade doldrums.

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May 17 – Queensland Eagles Clean House; Hire New GM and Field Manager

On April 20, Queensland fired general manager Denzel Seamon and declined to renew manager’s Rhys Pedler’s contract. Both had been hired just the season before, but after a 65-89 campaign and an 8th place finish, the club decided to go in ‘a different direction’. On May 15, the Eagles hired the newly available Jack Clayton. The 49-year old had spent the previous two seasons as the Sherburn Tigers general manager, with lackluster results (130-178). He signed a 4-year deal worth 14,120 per annum. He continues to favor prospects, hitting, loyalty and scouting.

Two days later, Queensland hired 50-year old Ethan Umbleby to be their new manager, agreeing to a 4-year deal at $10,676. Umbleby comes over from the Pulberry Trolleys, where he served as a bench coach over three seasons. He served as a bench coach for the Brunswick Legends for three seasons as well between his two stints with the Trolleys. He is considered an authoritarian, which could rankle some of the veterans. But he knows his stats and matchups before each game. Prior to his coaching career, Umbleby was a starting pitcher for the Balmoral Giants from 1937 to 1939, compiling a 38-49, 4.28 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 101 ERA+ over 662.1 IP.

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May 20 – Sherburn Tigers Make a Clean Sweep; Hire New GM and Field Manager

Immediately following the season, Sherburn also made a clean sweep, firing both GM Jack Clayton and manager Lewis Trueman. Clayton would soon land on his feet, signing on with the Queensland Eagles as noted earlier. Trueman had been the Tigers manager for 6 seasons (395-529, .427) after serving as their bench coach the previous four. Sherburn finished no higher than 5th and won no more than 75 games in a season under his guidance, so the Tigers elected for a fresh start.

On May 10, Sherburn introduced Stewart Pruitt ($3,576, 2 yrs.) as their new general manager. This is Pruitt’s first gig as a GM. He previously played in the United Leagues as a utility outfielder from 1937 to 1943. He spent five seasons with the Pulberry Trolleys and one final campaign with the Fort Richmond Generals before retiring in 1946. The 46-year old favors prospects, hitting and offence and places a premium on scouting, while not so much on trading or prospect development.

After a lengthy search, Sherburn announced that rookie Jamie Blair ($4,736, 2 yrs.) will be their new field manager. At 39-years of age, he will be the youngest manager in the United Leagues. Blair enjoyed a very brief cup of coffee in the ULB: in six games, he made one plate appearance as a 25-year old back in 1939 with the Tigers. He struck out in his only at-bat. He spent the rest of his playing career in the minors before hanging things up for good in 1949. Blair is said to be laid back and puts a premium on creating a comfortable atmosphere in the clubhouse and dugout. He favors offense and power and won’t be hesitant to put prospects into the lineup.

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May 28 – Ownership Changes in Embro, Fort Richmond

As reported earlier, two long-standing owners were forced out due to their central role in colluding with the other owners in artificially suppressing player salaries and refusing to address their grievances in good faith. Shown the door were 43-year old Oliver Blowers of the Embro Suns and 75-year old Jong-beom Yu of the Fort Richmond Generals. Both were considered controlling, demanding and placed an emphasis on extreme profit.

In their place are two new faces: 43-year old Allen Ratcliffe and 44-year old Daniel Walker II. Radcliffe takes over the Fort Richmond Generals while Walker leads the ownership group for the Embro Suns. Both men figure to be more amenable to working with the players and paying them fairly. It remains to be seen whether their appointments will set a new tone among the owners as a whole or whether the ‘old guard’ mentality will rub off on them.

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Signings:

June 22:

The Balmoral Giants snagged the lone top name available in free agency, signing 32-year old OF Angel Costa (73/83) from Cuba to a 1-year contract ($55,000). The contract is currently the richest in the United Leagues (a few years ago, the elite players were earning nearly $20,000 more than that). Although not a youngster, Costa should make an immediate impact for the Giants who have not had a dominant leftfielder since Carlton Broadbent was in his prime. Carlton (25/25) is only two years older than Costa but is a shadow of the player he once was.

Costa is a hitting machine with the power to be a middle of the order smasher. He should put a much-needed charge into Balmoral’s rather anemic offense. Although he may not win any defensive awards, he should be a very reliable, sure-handed outfielder. He is slotted in as the Giants’ No. 3 batter heading into the Coconut Leagues and is rated 5th overall among leftfielders (18th overall among all players) in the United Leagues.

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The War Gained chart reveals how ‘off’ the off-season was. No trades whatsoever took place while off the field happenings dominating the headlines. Hopefully this stasis will not linger for much longer and the teams can get back to the business of baseball, including the making of appropriate trades. Spring training would be a good place to start as trades have been made during that time many times before. The Coconut Leagues are set to begin August 31st, as the United Leagues’ embark on their 17th season.

reds1 · 02-07-2021, 05:17 PM

At long last, baseball drama in Braeland turns to the field instead of being the domain of the boardrooms where players and owners fought over money. With eight games on tap this afternoon across the country, fans that could land tickets have packed the stadiums for Opening Day. The rest of the country will not be left out though, as millions will be either listening to their radios or for the few that can afford them, on their new fangled television sets, as the United Leagues are set to be televised for the first time.

For Braelanders, it has been a year of truces. Not only did the owners and players both accept an uneasy peace agreement in the two-year old player salary dispute, but the country rejoiced at the news that an armistice agreement was reached on the Korean peninsula back on July 27. With complete cessation of hostilities in the Korean War, 4,683 Braelander soldiers who were serving in the United Nations Command when the armistice was signed began returning home, much to the relief of their families and the Wesley Bryans government, whose popularity began to suffer as the war dragged on.

The chill in the trade market continued throughout the Coconut Leagues, so there is still nothing to report on that front. It has been 8 months since the last trades were consummated, one day before last season’s trade deadline.

But the 17th annual Coconut Leagues have concluded, and all 16 clubs have set their Opening Day rosters for the 1953-54 season. Below are the spring training results, pre-season predictions for both Leagues and some career leaderboards.

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New Uniforms

Three clubs updated their on-the-field appearance. The Queensland Eagles unveiled a new logo and some slightly modified uniforms. The Sherburn Tigers updated their primary logo and also made slight modifications to their uniforms and caps. Finally, the Wolseley Unions have ditched the home pinstripes and have gone with zippered-front jerseys, the first team to do so since the 1943-44 Kingston Pelicans.

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Eastern League Results

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For the fourth time over the past five seasons, the Wellington Athletics finish in top spot in the spring training standings. In fact, they finished with the best record overall. However, they are projected to be buried in the Eastern League standings. But its not really a huge gulf between first and last place. If their pitching, which is perhaps their biggest question mark, can deliver some solid innings, then a wild card berth will not be out the question. Any team with 26-year old Matthew Floyd, the top leftfielder in the Leagues and 27-year old Jim Mars, the fifth-overall best centerfielder, has a chance to make some noise.

One notable name missing from the Top Hitters list is Alfonso León, Downie’s star centerfielder and last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner. But as one of the ULB’s top player (2nd overall) and in his prime, its hard not to see him have another big year.

The Cobourg Red Stockings enjoyed a break-out season last year, winning 100 games and coming just one game short of winning the United Cup. The projections suggest that was not a fluke. They long have had a high-powered offense, but they are projected to have the most dominant pitching staff in the United Leagues. One pitcher that is predicted to have a big year is Marcus Turvill. Turvill was drafted 115th overall by the Downie Chiefs back in 1945 but suffered a torn UCL in 1948. After becoming a minor league free agent in April 1951, he was signed by the Red Stockings in June of that year. By the start of last season, he made the major league roster. He won two Rookie of the Month honors, was selected to the All-Star game and finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year Award voting.

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Western League Results

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Both the spring training and predictions project a tight race in the Western League as four teams are within four games of each other at the top. But the Balmoral Giants present an interesting case. They finished in top spot in spring training but are projected to be at the bottom of the standings in the regular season. That projection appears to be without their new player, LF Ángel Costa. Costa dominated the Western League offensively during the Coconut Leagues, leading the ULB in nine categories and finished in the top three in six others. But he has been demoted down to their AAA farm club, the Canterbury Seals as of Opening Day. That could be due to the fact that the Giants have designated for assignment two former franchise players and are waiting for them to clear waivers: 34-year old SS Francisco Rodríguez (30/30) and 35-year old LF Carlton Broadbent (25/25). Rodríguez is a former 8-time all-star and 3-time Ball Hawk award winner while Broadbent is a former 9-time all-star and two-time Babe Ruth Award winner. But it appears their careers are coming to a sad end. They will remain on the DFA list for at least 9 more days. Then we’ll know if Costa will be brought up to the major league roster and see if he can raise the Giants’ fortunes this season.

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Here are the top players and pitchers and top 20 prospects as updated on Opening Day. Also included are the latest leaderboards for a slew of offensive and pitching categories.

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Leaderboards

Tyke · 02-08-2021, 04:47 AM

Top notch, again!!

DreamTeams · 02-08-2021, 11:39 PM

Good to see the season set to go. Nice, the Trolleys picked to make the postseason. Let's go boys!

Hageneezz · 02-09-2021, 06:57 AM

I love your league!

GO UNIONS!

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A505FN met Tapatalk

reds1 · 02-09-2021, 05:38 PM

November 1, 1953

Thanks again, guys!

We're one month into the new season, so I thought I would continue with these one month snapshots. And the Trolleys and Unions are very much in the thick of things, but have been joined by an unexpected resurgent Pelicans team.

Here are the standings and leaderboards at the end of games on October 31:

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DreamTeams · 02-10-2021, 07:06 PM

Thirkettle performing well as predicted. Nine dingers, 24 RBI so far!

05-26-2020, 06:56 PM	#581
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	Cobourg Red Stockings (100-54) vs. Cambria Cannons (85-69) Season Matchup: 3-3 Cobourg: Runs scored – 741 (1st in East); runs against – 576 (1st) Cambria: Runs scored – 667 (1st); runs against – 644 (6th) The two most active clubs during the off-season in terms of WAR Gained were the Cobourg Red Stockings and Cambria Cannons. At the time, it was stated “It appears that they are both making a push for the playoffs this coming season.” Those efforts paid off handsomely as both clubs not only made the playoffs but have reached the United Cup. The Cannons return to the United Cup for the first time since the 1941-42 season, while for the Red Stockings, it marks their ever first playoff appearance let alone their first United Cup appearance. Cobourg welcomes back 24-year old LHP Bill Budd (18-12, 3.01 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 119 ERA+) from the disabled list as his forearm has healed. He returns to his familiar No. 2 spot in the rotation and is slated to start Game 2. However, the Cannons are still without their starting catcher, 35-year old Heung-su Park (.300/.381/.514, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 51 BB, 5.7 WAR) who suffered a groin injury in early March. 26-year old Min-gook Lee, who batted .143/.143/.179 in 28 AB in the Western League Pennant, will continue to take his place in the lineup. The two managers, Cobourg’s 61-year old Nicholas Willis and Cambria’s 55-year old Benjamin Sadler both completed their first full season as field managers in the United Leagues. Willis previously served as an interim manager for the Red Stockings for 93 games (37-56) back in 1942-43. That club finished in last place, 45.5 games back of the Embro Suns. This time around things went a little smoother, as the club took control of the East early and never looked back en route to a 100-win season. The Cannons, meanwhile, led the West for most of the season, but were overcome by the Wolseley Unions for first place late in the final month. But the club, led by their manager didn’t get discouraged and now find themselves squaring off against the Red Stockings for baseball supremacy in Braeland. Play ball! -------- Game 1 – April 10 An Eastern League team hosts Game 1 of the United Cup for the first time in 5 years, as 25,798 pack Cobourg’s Radcliffe Field. There’s not a cloud in the sky, its 69F and the wind is blowing out to right at 11 mph. Cobourg’s 25-year old ace, RHP Fergus Hirst (2-0, 2.16 ERA, 16.2 IP in EL Pennant Series) takes the mound against Cambria’s No. 2 starter, 33-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (1-1, 4.80 ERA, 15.0 IP in WL Pennant Series). Bottom of the 3rd: Cobourg strikes first when lead-off hitter John Medley leads off with line drive double into right field. Medley tags up and takes third base when Rizalino Ringor flies out to centerfield. Raymond Williams then flies out to RF Seung-jae Park. Medley tags up and beats out the throw to open the scoring. Cambria 0 – Cobourg 1 Bottom of the 5th: Dwayne Stace leads off with a single into leftfield and reaches second on a Fergus Hirst sac bunt. John Medley steps up next and slams a 2-run home run, 363 ft. into the leftfield stands. Cambria 0 – Cobourg 3 Top of the 8th: Fergus Hirst keeps Cambria’s hitters off the board until the 8th. After getting two quick fly outs to leftfield, Hirst gives up back-to-back singles to Ricardo Cruz and Sam Tite. Luis Torres then doubles into deep centerfield. Cruz scores easily while Tite follows him and beats out CF Raymond Williams’ throw home for the Cannons’ second run. Cambria 2 – Cobourg 3 Bottom of the 8th: Rizalino Ringor battles Cruz to a full count then singles into right field. Manager Benjamin Sadler then calls upon RHP Ray Lambright to relieve Cruz. After Ringor advances to second on a Raymond Williams ground out, Alexander Tolmie doubles down the leftfield line, scoring Ringor. Cambria 2 – Cobourg 4 Top of the 9th: Hirst looks to make the two-run lead hold up, but César Ruíz leads off with a double into right centerfield. Min-gook Lee comes up next and launches a 1-0 pitch 379 ft. into the leftfield stands for a 2-run home run, quickly tying up the game. Seung-jae Park follows him and hits the ball back to Hirst. But Park beats out the throw to first for an infield single. After Wenceslas Jasmin sacrifices him over to second, Ichizo Ando reaches safely when Harry Doxey’s throw to Fergus Hirst covering first base is off target, putting runners on the corners. PH Nicky Willis grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie, allowing Ando to reach second. Sam Tite is then given a free pass to load the bases. On the next pitch, Luis Torres cranks out a single into left centerfield. Seung-jae Park scores from third. Ando rounds third and beats out the throw home from LF Rizalino Ringor, giving the Cannons a two-run lead. That ends Hirst’s afternoon, as RHP Marcus Turvill comes on in relief. Turvill then strikes out Carlos Corea to end the rally. Cambria 6 – Cobourg 4 Bottom of the 9th: Cambria’s stopper RHP Keith Roche takes the mound and tries to close things out, but after striking out Nathan Ashman, Dwayne Stace lines the first offering into left centerfield for a single. PH Bernie Vantassell then steps up to the plate and crushes a 1-1 pitch 368 ft. into the riotous leftfield bleachers for the third 2-run home run of the game. Roche then gets two quick ground outs to keep the game tied, sending it into extras. Cambria 6 – Cobourg 6 Top of the 10th: Cobourg’s stopper LHP William Say takes over from Turvill and gets César Ruíz to pop out to 2B Dwayne Stace on the first pitch. But Min-gook Lee singles and reaches second when PH Jay Durham draws a walk. Manager Benjamin Sadler then replaces Lee with PR George Lasseter. After the first pitch to Wenceslas Jasmin, the Cannons successfully execute a double steal, as Lasseter takes third and Durham steals second. Cobourg then elects to walk Jasmin, loading the bases. PH Tony Gómez singles into leftfield, scoring Lasseter for the go-ahead run. Say then strikes out both Wayne Hudson and Sam Tite to end the top half. In the bottom of the 10th, Keith Roche is given another chance to close things out. But Raymond Williams and Alexander Tolmie lead off with back-to-back singles. Jason Lymer then grounds into a 6-4-3 double play, as Williams reaches third. Harry Doxey wrangles a walk from Roche to put runners on the corners. But Nathan Ashman grounds out to SS César Ruíz to end the threat and the game. Cambria comes back late to take Game 1. FINAL: Cambria 7 – Cobourg 6 For Cambria: *Player of the Game:* Min-gook Lee came up big with the game-tying home run to go along with 6 total bases. Luis Torres went 2 for 5, 4 RBI. Ricardo Cruz went 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 134 PI (4.91 ERA; GS: 53) Keith Roche pitched 2.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR, 29 PI (1-0, 4.91 ERA, 1 BS) For Cobourg: Fergus Hirst went 8.2 IP, 10 H, 6 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 127 PI (2.84 ERA; GS: 47). William Say took the loss, going 1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 19 PI (0-1, 9.00 ERA). Alexander Tolmie went 3 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 BB. Dwayne Stace batted 2 for 4, 2 R. -------- Game 2 – April 11 25,719 fans return to Radcliffe Field disappointed at yesterday’s results but ready to cheer on the Red Stockings as they look to tie up the Series. It’s partly cloudy, 71F, with the wind blowing out to center at 10 mph. LHP Bill Budd is set to make his first career playoff start. It will be his first start overall since March 27 against the Braeland City Monarchs. For Cambria, No. 3 starter 27-year old RHP Masami Fujihara (1-0, 1.00 ERA, 9.0 IP) makes his second career playoff start. Top of the 1st: The Cannons take advantage of Budd’s rustiness immediately. Sam Tite leads off with a triple into the gap in right centerfield. Luis Torres then singles off Budd’s first offering into left centerfield. That scores Tite for the game’s first run. Carlos Corea follows with a four-pitch walk as Torres moves up to second. César Ruíz battles Budd to a full count, then doubles into centerfield. Torres comes home to score as Corea takes third. Budd then uncorks a wild pitch. Corea comes home and Ruíz moves to third on the play. Min-gook Lee grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie, but Ruíz scores the inning’s fourth run before Budd gets through the rest of the opening inning unscathed. Cambria 4 – Cobourg 0 Bottom of the 4th: Alexander Tolmie and Jason Lymer lead off with back-to-back singles. Harry Doxey hits into a fielder’s choice at second base, as Tolmie takes third. Nathan Ashman then flies out to CF Sam Tite. Tolmie tags up and beats out the throw to the plate, getting Cobourg on the board. Cambria 4 – Cobourg 1 Bottom of the 6th: Alexander Tolmie leads off with another single. With two out, Nathan Ashman lines a double into the right centerfield gap. Tolmie races around third and scores as Ashman reaches third base, beating out CF Sam Tite’s throw. But Dwayne Stace strikes out to end the inning. Cambria 4 – Cobourg 2 Top of the 7th: Sam Tite leads off with a single and advances to second on a Luis Torres sac bunt. After Carlos Corea is intentionally walked, César Ruíz hits into a fielder’s choice at second, moving Tite up to third. Min-gook Lee then comes through with a single, scoring Tite. Cambria 5 – Cobourg 2 Bottom of the 8th: Cobourg’s hitters start wearing down Fujihara. Raymond Williams and Alexander Tolmie lead off with back-to-back singles. Jason Lymer then doubles into leftfield. That scores Williams and moves Tolmie to third. After Harry Doxey strikes out, RHP Keith Roche is called upon to relieve Fujihara. But Nathan Ashman singles into centerfield. Tolmie scores on the play. Lymer reaches third and is given the green light for home. Lymer beats out the throw from CF Sam Tite as Cobourg ties up the game. In the bottom of the 9th, Rizalino Ringor singles with two out. But Raymond Williams grounds out to 2B Wenceslas Jasmin to end the inning and send the game into extras for the second straight afternoon. Cambria 5 – Cobourg 5 Bottom of the 10th: RHP Ray Lambright takes the mound in relief of Roche. Lambright gets Alexander Tolmie to ground out to SS César Ruíz and Jason Lymer to fly out to RF Seung-jae Park. But Harry Doxey doubles off the first pitch into left centerfield. Nathan Ashman battles Lambright to a full count, then singles past a diving 2B Wenceslas Jasmin as Doxey comes home with the winning run. The Red Stockings even things up as the Series heads to Cambria for the next three games. FINAL: Cambria 5 – Cobourg 6 For Cobourg: *Player of the Game:* Nathan Ashman had the hot bat today and came up with the big hits, including the walk-off in the 10th. Bill Budd had to shake off a few cobwebs. He went 7.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 118 PI, (6.43 ERA, GS: 36) William Say picked up the win, going 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 14 PI (1-1, 4.50 ERA) For Cambria: Masami Fujihara went 7.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 121 PI (3.31 ERA, GS: 38) Ray Lambright took the loss, going 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 17 PI (0-1, 1.69 ERA) -------- Game 3 – April 13 Alexander Field welcomes 24,712 fans who settle in for the first of three home games, seeing how the Cobourg Red Stockings have evened up the Series. Its partly cloudy, 72F and the wind is blowing out to left at 15 mph. Cambria’s ace, 23-year old LHP Bill Southon (2-0, 1.04 ERA, 17.1 IP), makes his third career playoff start, while Cobourg counters with their No. 3 starter, 31-year old RHP Alberto León (1-0, 2.25 ERA, 16.0 IP), who will be making his third career playoff start. Top of the 2nd: The only damage done was early in the game. Jason Lymer singles into shallow right field with one out and reaches second on a wild pitch. Harry Doxey then draws a walk. With two out, Dwayne Stace connects on a 2-0 pitch and slams it 401 ft. into the leftfield bleachers for a 3-run home run. León enters the bottom of the 9th with a chance to close things out. Sam Tite leads off and strikes out swinging while Seung-jae Park grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie. Carlos Corea then singles into left centerfield. But César Ruíz grounds out to 1B Harry Doxey to end the game. León gets his complete game shut-out as Cobourg takes their first lead in the Series. FINAL: Cobourg 3 – Cambria 0 For Cobourg: *Player of the Game:* Alberto León allowed only four hits – all of them singles. His line was 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 103 PI (2-0, 1.44 ERA, GS: 82) For Cambria: Bill Southon was also impressive, getting tripped up only in the second inning. He went: 9.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 135 PI (2-1, 1.71 ERA; GS: 67) -------- Game 4 – April 14 Cambria looks to get its offense back on track after being shut-out the previous afternoon. 24,590 fans have returned to Alexander Field, where Braeland’s dry spell continues. The weather is partly cloudy, 76F with the wind blowing out to center at 10 mph. A pair of No. 4 starters square off. Cambria taps 38-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (0-1, 7.20 ERA, 10.0 IP), who will make his 18th career playoff start. Cobourg goes with 24-year old RHP Bobby Williams (0-1, 20.25 ERA, 2.2 IP), who will try and bounce back from his previous playoff appearance. Bottom of the 1st: Williams starts off striking out Sam Tite and inducing a ground out from Seung-jae Park. But he hits Carlos Corea with the first pitch, then walks César Ruíz. Luis Torres then lines a double into right centerfield, scoring Corea. Cobourg 0 – Cambria 1 Bottom of the 3rd: Sam Tite leads off with a first-pitch single, then steals second two pitches later. Seung-jae Park singles into leftfield, putting runners on the corners. Carlos Corea steps up to the plate and perhaps in retribution for being hit by Williams’s first offering back in the 1st inning, slams the first pitch he sees 363 ft. into the leftfield bleachers for a 3-run home run. Cobourg 0 – Cambria 4 Top of the 5th: Harry Doxey and Nathan Ashman lead off with back-to-back singles. After Dwayne Stace strikes out, Bobby Williams lays down a sac bunt to advance the runners. John Medley then doubles into left centerfield, scoring both Doxey and Ashman. Cobourg 2 – Cambria 4 Bottom of the 5th: Seung-jae Park leads off with a single, then reaches second on a Carlos Corea ground out. With two out, Luis Torres singles into leftfield. Park races around third and beats out the throw from LF Rizalino Ringor for the Cannons fifth run. Cobourg 2 – Cambria 5 Top of the 6th: Cobourg loads the bases when Raymond Williams leads off with a single, Jason Lymer singles with one out and Harry Doxey draws a walk. Nathan Ashman then flies out to CF Sam Tite. Williams tags up on the play and scores without a throw. Cobourg 3 – Cambria 5 Bottom of the 7th: LHP Ethan Hoyes comes on in relief of Bobby Williams to start the 7th. Seung-jae Park leads off with a single once again, but Carlos Corea grounds into a 6-4-3 double play. César Ruíz then takes a 2-2 pitch from Hoyes and deposits it 343 ft. int the bleachers down the right field line for a solo home run. Cobourg 3 – Cambria 6 Top of the 8th: Alexander Tolmie doubles with one out. That ends Hirotada Fukushima's afternoon as manager Benjamin Sadler makes a double switch, relieving Fukushima with stopper RHP Keith Roche and inserting George Lasseter at shortstop. But Jason Lymer and Harry Doxey bang out back-to-back singles to score Tolmie. In the top of the 9th, PH Bernie Vantassell grounds out to the pitcher followed by John Medley, who singles. But Rizalino Ringor flies out to CF Sam Tite while Raymond Williams pops out to 3B Luis Torres to end the game. Roche closes out the Red Stockings as the Cannons tie up the Series. FINAL: Cobourg 4 – Cambria 6 For Cambria: *Player of the Game:* Carlos Corea had a big hit and collected 4 total bases. HIrotada Fukushima picks up the win, going 7.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 113 PI (1-1, 6.23 ERA; GS: 50) For Cobourg: Bobby Williams pitched a little better this time out but that is faint praise at best. He went 6.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 1 HR, 96 PI (0-2, 11.42 ERA; GS: 38) John Medley went 2 for 5, 1-2B, 2 RBI. -------- Game 5 – April 15 Cambria and Cobourg square off in the rubber match to see who will take the upper hand in the Series. Alexander Field hosts the United Cup for one more game with 24,702 fans on hand. Its another hot one: 83F, clear skies with the wind blowing out to left at 10 mph. The Game 1 starters take the hill once more. 33-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (1-1, 4.91 ERA, 23.0 IP) starts for Cambria, while 25-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (2-0, 2.84 ERA, 25.1 IP), Cobourg’s ace, gets the call. Neither got the decision in Game 1 that went in extras. Bottom of the 1st: Sam Tite leads off with a first pitch single. Seung-jae Park hits it straight to 2B Dwayne Stace who fumbles it for an error, allowing Park to reach safely. Carlos Corea singles down the first base line. Tite rounds third and beats out RF Nathan Ashman’s throw home for the game’s first run. Cobourg 0 – Cambria 1 Top of the 2nd: Cobourg loads the bases with nobody out when Jason Lymer singles on the first pitch, Harry Doxey doubles into right centerfield and Nathan Ashman draws a walk. Dwayne Stace then flies out to CF Sam Tite. Lymer tags up and scores the tying run unchallenged, but the Red Stockings are unable to cash in any more runs. Cobourg 1 – Cambria 1 Top of the 5th: Harry Doxey singles into shallow leftfield with two out. After Nathan Ashman draws his second walk of the game, Dwayne Stace singles down the leftfield line. Doxey comes home to score as Cobourg takes the lead. Cobourg 2 – Cambria 1 Bottom of the 6th: Cambria loads the bases thanks to a couple of Cobourg miscues. César Ruíz leads off with a single, Luis Torres is hit by a pitch and Min-gook Lee reaches safely when SS John Medley bobbles the ball. Ichizo Ando then flies out to CF Raymond Williams. Ruíz tags up at third and sprints for home. But Williams’ throw is on the money as Ruíz is cut down, while Torres and Lee advance. Wenceslas Jasmin is given a free pass, loading the bases once again. Ricardo Cruz then reaches safely when SS John Medley’s throw to 2B Dwayne Stace is off target, allowing Torres to score. Sam Tite then battles Hirst to a full count before drawing a walk, forcing in Lee for the go-ahead run. Cobourg 2 – Cambria 3 Top of the 7th: Harry Doxey doubles into the gap in right centerfield with one out, then reaches third on a Nathan Ashman sacrifice fly to CF Sam Tite. Dwayne Stace follows and singles into leftfield, scoring Doxey. Cobourg 3 – Cambria 3 Top of the 8th: John Medley leads off and slams a solo home run, 391 ft. into the leftfield bleachers as Cobourg retakes the lead. Ricardo Cruz is relieved by RHP Ray Lambright one out later. Cobourg 4 – Cambria 3 Bottom of the 9th: Fergus Hirst looks to close out the game, but Carlos Corea leads off with a double to the wall in right centerfield and reaches third when George Lasseter grounds out to 2B Dwayne Stace. Luis Torres then lines a single into leftfield. Corea come home to score the tying run. Although Cambria soon loads the bases thanks to an error and a walk, Hirst is able get out of the inning without any more damage as Wenceslas Jasmin strikes out swinging and PH Jasmin Durham flies out to RF Nathan Ashman. Cobourg 4 – Cambria 4 Bottom of the 12th: RHP Marcus Turvill takes over from stopper LHP William Say and gets two quick outs as PH Jarod Dwyer strikes out swinging and Sam Tite grounds out to 3B Alexander Tolmie. But Seung-jae Park and Carlos Corea bang out back-to-back singles and Quincy Blencowe walks on four-straight pitches as Cambria loads the bases. Up next is Luis Torres who takes Turvill’s 1-1 offering and singles past a diving SS John Medley. Parks comes home to score as the Cannons orchestrate another walk-off victory. FINAL: Cobourg 4 – Cambria 5 For Cobourg: *Player of the Game:* A tough loss, but the Red Stockings get the accolades. John Medley rang up 7 total bases and stole a base. Dwyane Stace went 2 for 4 with 3 RBI, 1 BB. Fergus Hirst battled hard but could not get the win. He went 9.2 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 5 BB, 4 K, 150 PI (2.57 ERA; GS: 52) For Cambria: Ricardo Cruz struggled at times in his second outing. He went 7.1 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 141 PI (4.91 ERA, GS: 35) Philip Stranaghan picked up the win. His line was 3.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K, 34 PI (1-0, 0.00 ERA) Carlos Corea batted 4 for 7, 1 RBI, 1 R. Luis Torres went 3 for 6, 2 RBI, 1 R. Min-gook Lee went 3 for 5, 1 R. -------- Game 6 – April 17 The United Cup returns to Cobourg with the Red Stockings needing a win just to stay alive. The Cannons have been tenacious and won two out of the three games so far that have gone into extra innings. 25,751 Red Stockings fans have converged on Radcliffe Field to help their club get back on track. The weather continues to cooperate: 79F, not a cloud in the sky with the wind blowing left to right at 11 mph. Cobourg’s 24-year old LHP Bill Budd (0-0, 6.43 ERA, 7.0 IP) and Cambria’s 27-year old RHP Masami Fujihara (1-0, 3.31 ERA, 16.1 IP) face each other again, just as they did in Game 2 of the Series. Neither were particularly effective in their last meeting, so both are looking to bounce back. Bottom of the 1st: With one out, Rizalino Ringor reaches first safely when LF Ichizo Ando loses track of the fly ball in the sun. Raymond Williams then reaches base on a walk. Alexander Tolmie then steps to the plate and slams a 3-2 pitch from Fujihara for a 3-run home run, 358 ft. into the jubilant leftfield stands. Cambria 0 – Cobourg 3 Bottom of the 3rd: Raymond Williams leads off and absolutely crushes a 1-2 pitch 433 ft. into the right centerfield bleachers for a solo home run. Alexander Tolmie then singles off the very next pitch and reaches second on a wild pitch two batters later. After the wild pitch, Harry Doxey singles into leftfield moving Tolmie up to third. During Nathan Ashman’s at-bat, Fujihara attempts to pick off Doxey at first, but 1B Carlos Corea can’t handle Fujihara’s wayward throw. That allows Tolmie to score Cobourg’s fifth run. Cambria 0 – Cobourg 5 Bottom of the 4th: Rizalino Ringor singles after Fujihara gets two quick outs. Raymond Williams then drives the second pitch he sees 384 ft. into the right field bleachers for a two-run home run. That ends Fujihara’s afternoon as RHP Leon Hankey comes on in relief. He gets Alexander Tolmie to fly out to centerfield on the next pitch. Cambria 0 – Cobourg 7 Bottom of the 5th: Cobourg keeps it rolling. Jason Lymer leads off with a four-pitch walk. Nathan Ashman singles him over to second with one out. Dwayne Stace immediately doubles off the next pitch into deep right field. That scores both Lymer and Ashman. Stace beats out the throw from RF Seung-jae Park to take third. Bill Budd and John Medley then bang out back-to-back doubles, scoring two more runs. Hankey hits the showers as RHP Ray Lambright is called upon in relief. But Rizalino Ringor lines a double into right field, scoring Medley for the fifth run of the inning. Raymond Williams and Jason Lymer both walk to load the bases. But with two out, Harry Doxey pops out to SS César Ruíz to end the inning. In the top of the 9th, Bill Budd looks to finish what he started. Luis Torres though, battles him for 10 pitches before singling to the gap in left centerfield. But Budd gets PH Wayne Hudson to ground into a 5-4 fielder’s choice and César Ruíz to ground into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game. Cobourg evens up the Series at 3-games apiece in a lop-sided victory. FINAL: Cambria 0 – Cobourg 12 For Cobourg: *Player of the Game:* Raymond Williams came alive big time, collecting 8 total bases. Bill Budd was much sharper in his second playoff start, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 85 PI (1-0, 2.81 ERA, GS: 76) Rizalino Ringor went 2 for 5, 1 RBI, 2 R. Jason Lymer went 2 for 3, 1-2B, 1 R, 2 BB. Dwayne Stace batted 2 for 4, 2 RBI, 1 R, For Cambria: It was a rough day at the office for Masami Fujihara. He went just 3.2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 3 HR, 76 PI (1-1, 5.40 ERA; GS: 17). Leon Hankey didn’t far much better, going 0.2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 0 K, 18 PI. -------- Game 7 – April 18 For the 6th time in United League history, the United Cup goes the distance, as Game 7 will be played this afternoon at Radcliffe Field in Cobourg. The nation has practically grounded to a halt to watch the two combatants, who have gone back and forth all Series long, finally settle the matter once and for all. 25,816 have packed the stadium, hoping the Red Stockings’ momentum continues. At least the incredible weather has – clear skies, 72F with the wind blowing in from center at 16 mph. 31-year old RHP Alberto León (2-0, 1.44 ERA, 25.0 IP), who was brilliant in shutting out the Cannons in Game 3 takes the ball for Cobourg one more time. Cambria’s ace, 23-year old LHP Bill Southon (2-1, 1.71 ERA, 26.1 IP) looks to try and contain the Red Stockings’ batters, after his club was blown out just 24 hours earlier. Top of the 3rd: Bill Southon leads off with a single into shallow leftfield, then advances to second as Sam Tite battles for a walk. After Seung-jae Park hits into a fielder’s choice at second base, Carlos Corea flies out to RF Nathan Ashman. Southon tags up on the play and scores easily. Cambria 1 – Cobourg 0 Top of the 4th: Min-gook Lee and Ichizo Ando lead off with back-to-back walks. León then gets two quick outs before Sam Tite singles into the gap in right centerfield. Lee races around third and beats out the throw home from RF Nathan Ashman as Cambria tacks on another run. Cambria 2 – Cobourg 0 Bottom of the 4th: Rizalino Ringor leads off and fouls off four straight pitches at one point before he strikes out looking on a full count. Ringor slams his bat down and argues vehemently at the call. Manager Nicholas Willis races out to get between Ringor and the umpire, but he’s not in time – Ringor is tossed from the game. The Red Stockings get back-to-back singles by Alexander Tolmie and Jason Lymer later in the inning but are unable to capitalize. 24-year old RF Ken Chronister takes Ringor’s place in the lineup. Cambria 2 – Cobourg 0 Top of the 5th: Cambria continues to add runs. Carlos Corea leads off with a single into right field, while César Ruíz lines a double into left centerfield as Corea takes third. Luis Torres doubles off the first pitch down the leftfield line. Both Corea and Ruíz come home to score, doubling Cambria’s lead. Cambria 4 – Cobourg 0 Top of the 6th: León strikes out both Bill Southon and Sam Tite to start the inning but Seung-jae Park triples on a 1-1 pitch into the gap in right centerfield. Carlos Corea then lines a single into the same gap, scoring Park. That ends León’s day as RHP Marcus Turvill takes over. In the bottom of the 9th, Bill Southon takes the hill once more looking to close things out. But Raymond Williams hits the first pitch back to 2B Wenceslas Jasmin and beats out the throw at first for an infield single. Up next is Alexander Tolmie, but Tolmie grounds into a 6-4-3 double play on the second pitch. Representing Cobourg’s last chance, Jason Lymer swings at the first pitch, but it’s hit straight to 3B Luis Torres, who throws out Lymer for the final out. Needing just four pitches, Southon retires the side and locks up the win as the Cambria Cannons converge onto the field to celebrate their second United Cup Championship! FINAL: Cambria 5 – Cobourg 0 For Cambria: *Player of the Game:* Bill Southon turns the tables on the Red Stockings, shutting them out in the most important game of the season. In all, he went 9.0 IP, 7 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K, 111 PI (3-1, 1.27 ERA, GS: 77) For Cobourg: After a sterling performance in Game 3, Alberto León struggled when the chips were down. He went 5.2 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 101 PI (2-1, 2.64 ERA; GS: 27) -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 05-27-2020 at 09:45 AM.

05-26-2020, 08:16 PM	#582
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Congrats to the Cannons on a great season and a solid Game 7 close-out to capture the Cup. __________________

05-27-2020, 12:16 PM	#584
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	__________________ United Leagues of Braeland

07-13-2020, 04:11 PM	#585
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	__________________ United Leagues of Braeland

07-19-2020, 03:43 AM	#586
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	Babe Ruth Award After a down year in 1951-52, 27-year old CF Alfonso León (.342/.403/.557, 34-2B, 28 HR, 85 RBI, 62 BB, 10.3 WAR) bounced back in a big way, beating out last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner, Raymond Williams, who was no slouch himself. León and Williams have monopolized the award in recent years; they each have won it twice over the past four seasons. León led the Eastern League in AVG (.342), WAR (10.3), hits (203), total bases (331), caught stealing (17), EBH (67) and WOBA (.439). He finished in the Top 5 in nine other offensive categories (second place five times). This year’s runners-up were: 2nd: Cobourg’s 27-year old CF Raymond Williams (.340/.419/.568, 28-2B, 32 HR, 100 RBI, 77 BB, 9.7 WAR) 3rd: Stratford’s 33-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.302/.459/.463, 16-2B, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 128 BB, 8.9 WAR) Williams led the East in HR (32), SLG (.568), OPS (.988), runs (128), ISO (.228), OPS+ (175) and WPA (7.47). He finished in the Top 5 in nine other offensive categories (second place seven times). Skidmore led the circuit in OBP (.459) and BB (128). He finished in the Top 5 in five other categories. Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Katsunan Chikafuji, Queensland Eagles 1938-39: Paul Hooks, Embro Suns 1939-40: Terence Durney, Embro Suns 1940-41: Jim Friend, Embro Suns 1941-42: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (2) 1942-43: Mark Elston, Brunswick Legends 1943-44: Dean Bishop, Braeland City Monarchs 1944-45: Stuart Bentham, Brunswick Legends 1945-46: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (3) 1946-47: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles 1947-48: Roberto Ríos, Stratford Barons 1948-49: Aaron Skidmore, Stratford Barons 1949-50: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings 1950-51: Alfonso León, Downie Chiefs 1951-52: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings (2) -------- Satchel Paige Award A pitcher from a last-place team picks up the top pitching award for the East. But 27-year old RHP Logan Belsey (14-16, 2.69 ERA, 267.1 IP, 1.17 WHIP, .260 BABIP, 130 ERA+, 5.2 WAR) enjoyed perhaps his finest season yet of his 5-year career, edging out Fergus Hirst as well as last year’s winner, Magtanggol Jaojoco, for top honours. Belsey led the East in K (199), K/9 (6.7), rWAR (6.5) and QS (24). He finished in the Top 5 in 11 other categories and in the Top 2 four times. Following him were: 2nd: Cobourg's 25-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (16-7, 2.57 ERA, 206.2 IP, 1.16 WHIP, .263 BABIP, 139 ERA+, 5.2 WAR) 3rd: Stratford’s 27-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (15-7, 2.98 ERA, 223.2 IP, 1.25 WHIP, .268 BABIP, 119 ERA+, 5.0 WAR) Hirst led the Eastern League in ERA (2.57), WHIP (1.16) and ERA+ (139). He finished in the Top 5 in eight other pitching categories and in the Top 2 twice. Jaojoco led in shutouts (5). He finished in the Top 5 in four other categories. Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Colm Soper, Embro Suns 1938-39: Justin Hayhurst, Stratford Barons 1939-40: Lenny Freke, Braeland City Monarchs 1940-41: David Cooling, Braeland City Monarchs 1941-42: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends 1942-43: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (2) 1943-44: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons 1944-45: Matthew Monroe, Brunswick Legends 1945-46: Joel Fearn, Stratford Barons 1946-47: Arthur Bence, Wellington Athletics 1947-48: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons (2) 1948-49: Nicholas Grimes, Braeland City Monarchs 1949-50: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (3) 1950-51: Aaron Saunderson, Embro Suns 1951-52: Magtanggol Jaojoco, Stratford Barons -------- Rookie of the Year Award A 4th-round pick of the Cobourg Red Stockings from 1950-51, 25-year old RF Andy Faulkner (.287/.393/.422, 23-2B, 13 HR, 79 RBI, 84 BB, 4.3 WAR) was traded to the Stratford Barons back on July 30, 1952 and made an immediate impact as the Barons’ No. 4 hitter, picking up a Player of the Month Award and an All-Star selection in his rookie season. He was the overwhelming choice for the East’s Rookie of the Year as well. Finishing behind Faulkner were: 2nd: Embro’s 23-year old LF Jesús Abreu (.280/.401/.457, 15-2B, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 55 BB, 3.4 WAR) 3rd: Cobourg’s 27-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (11-4, 2 SV, 2.56 ERA, 137.1 IP, 0.99 WHIP, .256 BABIP, 140 ERA+, 3.6 WAR) Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1938-39: Adam Ashley, Braeland City Monarchs 1939-40: Soren Heinke, Wellington Athletics 1940-41: Dean Bishop, Queensland Eagles 1941-42: Harry Chatwin, Brunswick Legends 1942-43: Geoff Lemoine, Stratford Barons 1943-44: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles 1944-45: Kyle Pryor, Braeland City Monarchs 1945-46: Jilenko Batiles, Cobourg Red Stockings 1946-47: Ron Gavin, Queensland Eagles 1947-48: Christopher Dainty, Braeland City Monarchs 1948-49: Patrick Lidgate, Braeland City Monarchs 1949-50: Matthew Floyd, Wellington Athletics 1950-51: Jim Mars, Wellington Athletics 1951-52: Robert Kersey, Brunswick Legends -------- Babe Ruth Award The same players that finished 1-2-3 last year in the voting finished 1-2-3 again this season, but the voting was much closer this time around. Wolseley’s 31-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.318/.454/.482, 26-2B, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 133 BB, 6.2 WAR) earned enough votes to win his third Babe Ruth Award and second in a row in a season that saw offensive production in the West drop overall from the previous year. Hawking led the League in OBP (.454), OPS (.936), BB (133), OPS+ (161) and WOBA (.424). He finished in the Top 5 in 10 other categories (second place three times). This year’s runners-up were: 2nd: Pulberry’s 26-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.293/.391/.457, 33-2B, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 89 BB, 8.8 WAR) 3rd: Cambria's 33-year old SS César Ruíz (.272/.387/.457, 22-2B, 25 HR, 88 RBI, 101 BB, 6.0 WAR) Tyson led the League in WAR (8.8), doubles (tied with 33) and caught stealing (20). He finished in the Top 5 in 10 other offensive categories (second place four times). Ruíz led the Western circuit in HR (25) and ISO (.185). He finished in the Top 5 in ten other offensive categories. Interestingly, Carlos Corea led the West in nine offensive categories, but only finished 5th in the voting. I suppose his weak defensive play at first base brought his stock down (.990 PCT, 8.93 RF, -23.1 ZR, .827 EFF). Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans 1938-39: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1939-40: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans 1940-41: Steven Winstanley, Hespeler Stars 1941-42: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1942-43: Ron Westmacott, Cambria Cannons 1943-44: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants 1944-45: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants (2) 1945-46: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1947-48: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (3) 1948-49: Dylan Moyne, Fort Richmond Generals 1949-50: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions 1950-51: Louis Wearne, Fort Richmond Generals 1951-52: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions (2) -------- Satchel Paige Award Last year, Nicholas Grimes became the first United Leagues pitcher to win a Satchel Paige Award in both Leagues. This year, 33-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (17-14, 2.58 ERA, 2.71.2 IP. 1.09 WHIP, .238 BABIP, 139 ERA+, 5.7 WAR) became the second to accomplish the feat. He previously won the Award with the Eastern League’s Embro Suns two seasons ago. But the voting was close as well this season, with Saunderson edging out Nicky Sherlock. Saunderson led the West in wins (tied with 17), complete games (24) and QS (tied with 25). He also finished in the Top 5 in eight other pitching categories (second place four times). Finishing behind Saunderson in voting this year were: 2nd: Fort Richmond’s 30-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (16-13, 2.75 ERA, 274.2 IP, 1.15 WHIP, .261 BABIP, 126 ERA+, 5.5 WAR) 3rd: Wolseley’s 26-year old RHP Roberto Garza (16-11, 2.95 ERA, 253.0 IP, 1.12 WHIP, .250 BABIP, 122 ERA+, 5.9 WAR) Sherlock led the Western League in shutouts (5), rWAR (7.2) and BB/9 (1.9). He finished in the Top 5 in nine other categories (second place once). Garza led in WAR (5.9) and QS (tied with 25). He finished in the Top 5 in six other categories. Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Neil Guerin, Cambria Cannons 1938-39: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1940-41: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (3) 1941-42: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans 1942-43: Joey Cumberledge, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1944-45: Roberto Taváres, Sherburn Tigers 1945-46: Patrick Denman, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers 1947-48: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers (2) 1948-49: Nicky Sherlock, Fort Richmond Generals 1949-50: Bill Blair, Wolseley Unions 1950-51: Roberto Taváres, Fort Richmond Generals (2) 1951-52: Nicholas Grimes, Fort Richmond Generals (2) -------- Rookie of the Year Award The first (and quite likely the last) two-way player won the top rookie award. 26-year old 3B/RHP Mike Park (.331/385/.475, 25-2B, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 32 BB, 4.0 WAR as a position player; 11-8, 3.59 ERA, 170.1 IP, 1.56 WHIP, 100 ERA+, 1.1 WAR as a pitcher), a 2nd-round pick from 1949-50, started 91 games at third base and took the mound in another 24 starts. He is already rated as the 4th-best third baseman in the ULB. Finishing behind Park were: 2nd: Cambria’s 28-year old 3B Luis Torres (.279/.343/.402, 20-2B, 15 HR, 77 RBI, 50 BB, 4.1 WAR) 3rd: Balmoral’s 27-year old 1B Jacob Summerhayes (.282/.328/.443, 16-2B, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 23 BB, 1.6 WAR) Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1938-39: Aaron Flanagan, Wolseley Unions 1939-40: Francisco Rodríguez, Balmoral Giants 1940-41: Leon Hankey, Cambria Cannons 1941-42: Brian Pittman, Balmoral Giants 1942-43: Freddie Duran, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Rizalino Ringor, Wolseley Unions 1944-45: Hao Wang, Cambria Cannons 1945-46: Ben Currall, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Éric Denis, Wolseley Unions 1947-48: Dominic Pipard, Balmoral Giants 1948-49: Gavin Flatt, Fort Richmond Generals 1949-50: César Ruíz, Cambria Cannons 1950-51: Carlos Ortíz, Wolseley Unions 1951-52: Roberto Garza, Wolseley Unions -------- The second time around for Nicholas Willis (137-110, .555) went much smoother that the first, as the 61-year old Australian guided the Cobourg Red Stockings to their first playoff appearance and to within one victory of a United Cup Championship. The laid-back skipper previously managed the Red Stockings on an interim basis back in 1942-43, where they went just 37-56 after he took over the managerial reigns 61 games into the season. He has been mostly a bench coach for three different clubs over his 12-year career in the United Leagues. 55-year old Benjamin Sadler (85-69, .552) had also been a bench coach for eight seasons with four different clubs, including the Cobourg Red Stockings (1941 and 1942 seasons). He was out of baseball for five years at one point before joining the Brunswick Legends in 1950 as their bench coach. That’s where the Cambria Cannons lured him away to be their new manager. The rookie skipper did not disappoint, guiding the Cannons to their first playoff appearance in eight years and capturing their second United Cup in franchise history, knocking off the defending champions, the Wolseley Unions, in the process. Previous Winners: 1937-38: Bradley Balmforth, Wellington Athletics --- Rouke Barclay, Sherburn Tigers 1938-39: Vic Windle, Embro Suns --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Warren Paulino, Braeland City Monarchs --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons 1940-41: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1941-42: Babe Ruth, Brunswick Legends --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons (2) 1942-43: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1944-45: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (3) 1945-46: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (3) --- Bradley Balmforth, Sherburn Tigers (2) 1946-47: Reid Saxby, Queensland Eagles --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (4) 1947-48: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs --- Morrigan O’Lonergan, Balmoral Giants 1948-49: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs (2) --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions 1949-50: Bill Bouchet, Downie Chiefs --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions (2) 1950-51: Finlay Fay, Brunswick Legends --- John Mathis, Fort Richmond Generals 1951-52: Eugene Rogge, Wellington Athletics --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (5) -------- New Records Set Alfonso León set a new record for WAR with 10.31, surpassing Danny Trowbridge’s mark of 9.46 from 1945-46. Cobourg's 24-year old LHP Bill Budd set a new mark for hits allowed/9 IP with 6.41. That breaks Matt Price record of 6.67, originally set in 1947-48. Logan Belsey set a new record for K/9 IP with 6.70. That breaks his two-year old record of 6.56. Although he only came in fourth in the Western League Satchel Paige Award voting, Wolseley's 34-year old RHP Bill Blair was impressive this year, setting five new pitching records: • 0.96 WHIP (breaking HOF member Brady Murdy’s 1938-39 mark of 1.01) • .1974 OAVG (breaking Joy-shan Liu’s mark of .2066 set in 1947-48) • .2523 OOBP (breaking Brady Murdy’s 1938-39 mark of .2541) • .2747 OSLG (surpassing Charlie Gilbert’s mark of .2860 set in 1942-43) • .5270 OOPS (beating Jesús Chapa record of .5531, set in 1946-47) __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-19-2020 at 01:01 PM.

11-15-2020, 01:45 AM	#587
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	Notes on 1952-53 All-Braeland Team Starting Pitcher Oh man was this selection tough. I had all but crowned Queensland’s Logan Belsey as this season’s top pitcher, but the more I compared him with Wolseley’s Aaron Saunderson, the more I gravitated towards the latter. But to me it’s a toss up. Both won the Satchel Paige Award in their respective League this past season. Belsey is the ace for a last-place team while Saunderson is the fourth starter for a perennial playoff team. Should that influence the selection? I’m not sure. In the end, I switched over to Saunderson for his slightly better stats. Here are their stats lined up for comparison and see what you think. If anyone has some insight that I am overlooking, I’m all ears. I can always switch back. Here are the three pitchers that were under consideration: • 33-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson – 17-4, 2.58 ERA, 33 GS, 271.2 IP, 114 K, 1.09 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 3.8 K/9, .238 BABIP, 3.07 FIP, 139 ERA+, 5.7 WAR. • 27-year old RHP Logan Belsey – 14-16, 2.69 ERA, 33 GS, 267.1 IP, 199 K, 1.17 WHIP, 0.8 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 6.7 K/9, .260 BABIP, 3.09 FIP, 130 ERA+, 5.2 WAR. • Cobourg’s 25-year old RHP Fergus Hirst – 16-7, 2.57 ERA, 25 GS, 206.2 IP, 122 K, 1.16 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 5.3 K/9, .263 BABIP, 2.78 FIP, 139 ERA+, 5.2 WAR -------- Catcher While it might have been a close race last season, Stratford’s 33-year old Aaron Skidmore was the obvious choice this year. He is the top-rated catcher in the ULB and the only catcher in the Top 10 (#4). Among all players in the United Leagues, Skidmore finished #1 in OBP (.459), #4 in OPS (.922), #4 in WAR (8.8), #2 in BB (128), #4 in OPS+ (160), #3 in WPA (5.69) and #3 in WOBA (.426). Here are the four catchers I gave serious consideration: • Aaron Skidmore – .302/.459/.463, 137 H, 16-2B, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 128 BB, .922 OPS, 160 OPS+, 8.8 WAR, 1.038 EFF. • Brunswick’s 24-year old Robert Kersey – .288/.376/.436, 147 H, 28-2B, 16 HR, 87 RBI, 74 BB, .812 OPS, 126 OPS+, 6.4 WAR, .911 EFF. • Cambria’s 35-year old Heung-su Park - .300/.381/.514, 122 H, 25-2B, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 51 BB, .894 OPS, 153 OPS+, 5.7 WAR, .964 EFF. • Cobourg’s 30-year old Jason Lymer – .318/.349/.457, 162 H, 31-2B, 12 HR, 86 RBI, 26 BB, .806 OPS, 124 OPS+, 5.5 WAR, 1.122 EFF. -------- First Base The question of who the best player at their position is always open to debate. Specifically, how much weight do you give to defense? For first base it may not be as critical, but what if the player borders on inept? That’s the conundrum I faced this time around as Carlos Corea was sensational at the plate, but was a nightmare defensively (.990 PCT, 8.93 RF, -23.1 ZR, .827 EFF). He didn’t hurt his team too much, as the Cannons won the United Cup (and Corea was outstanding offensively throughout the playoffs). Still his weakness was glaring, and I couldn’t ignore it. As it is, he is rated as the United Leagues No. 2 first baseman, behind only Stratford Barons’ Bob Goodyear. While Goodyear was solid defensively (.988 PCT, 9.28 RF, +5.4 ZR, 1.026 EFF), he was Corea’s equal offensively, making this pick a little easier. Overall, Goodyear finished #3 in AVG (.321), #2 in RBI (108), #4 in SLG (.496), #5 in Hits (185), #2 in doubles (36), #4 in TB (292), #2 in SF (11) and #3 in EBH (59). Here are the four players I considered: • 35-year old Bob Goodyear – .321/.396/.496, 189 H, 36-2B, 21 HR, 108 RBI, 77 BB, .891 OPS, 150 OPS+, 7.3 WAR, 1.026 EFF. • 26-year old Carlos Corea – .321/.372/.482, 197 H, 33-2B, 20 HR, 99 RBI, 47 BB, .854 OPS, 142 OPS+, 3.2 WAR. • Braeland City’s 29-year old Dean Witherden – .300/.357/.475, 180 H, 24-2B, 27 HR, 94 RBI, 54 BB, .832 OPS, 130 OPS+, 4.3 WAR, .969 EFF. • Cobourg’s 27-year old Harry Doxey – .303/.369/.452, 169 H, 32-2B, 15 HR, 96 RBI, 60 BB, .821 OPS, 129 OPS+, 4.2 WAR, 1.028 EFF. -------- Second Base This was one of the easier selections, as Braeland City’s Patrick Lidgate enjoyed one of his finest seasons, while Downie’s Dominic Dudding regressed a little for the second straight year. But these two players are in their prime and represent the top two second basemen in the United Leagues. I expect that they will be dominating this selection process for a little while more. Here are the three second basemen I considered: • 27-year old Patrick Lidgate – .279/.398/.468, 152 H, 27-2B, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 93 BB, .866 OPS, 140 OPS+, 7.1 WAR, 1.009 EFF. • 27-year old Dominic Dudding – .290/.359/.432, 166 H, 23-2B, 16 HR, 95 RBI, 62 BB, .791 OPS, 127 OPS+, 5.3 WAR, 1.023 EFF. • Hespeler’s 28-year old Vic Lewis – .274/.329/.426, 155 H, 14-2B, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 44 BB, .755 OPS, 108 OPS+, 4.8 WAR, 1.031 EFF. -------- Third Base Cobourg’s Alexander Tolmie has dominated the past few years as the United Leagues’ top third baseman and that hasn’t changed this season. He is currently rated No. 1 overall at the hot corner but he has a few youngsters nipping at his heals. That includes Embro’s sophomore Moromao Nakagawa who finished second as well as a couple of rookies: Cambria’s Luis Torres (4.1 WAR) and Hespeler’s Mike Park (4.0 WAR). They are rated 1 through 4 among third basemen respectively, but Brunswick’s Jorge Arredondo, who is rated at No. 5, enjoyed a respectable season as well. • 31-year old Alexander Tolmie – .297/.390/.454, 153 H, 22-2B, 19 HR, 95 RBI, 79 BB, .844 OPS, 136 OPS+, 6.1 WAR, .999 EFF. • 24-year old Moromao Nakagawa – .284/.362/.453, 162 H, 27-2B, 15 HR, 85 RBI, 71 BB, .815 OPS, 128 OPS+, 5.2 WAR, .983 EFF. • 31-year old Jorge Arredondo – .261/.361/.353, 152 H, 23-2B, 9 HR, 57 RBI, 92 BB, .714 OPS, 100 OPS+, 4.6 WAR, 1.012 EFF. -------- Shortstop In the past, shortstop was where the United Leagues top-rated players resided. That isn’t the case this year. Cambria’s César Ruíz is the ULB’s top-rated shortstop and 6th-best player overall. He won his second selection to the Team rather handily as last year’s selection, Fort Richmond’s Nobuyoshi Yoshida, endured an off year. • 33-year old César Ruíz – .272/.387/.457, 148 H, 22-2B, 25 HR, 88 RBI, 101 BB, .844 OPS, 140 OPS+, 6.0 WAR, .965 EFF. • Embro's 23-year old Kieron Bradridge – .270/.310/.402, 165 H, 31-2B, 11 HR, 66 RBI, 37 BB, .712 OPS, 99 OPS+, 5.1 WAR, 1.049 EFF. • Wolseley's 31-year old George Kimpton – .265/.346/.390, 156 H, 25-2B, 15 HR, 80 RBI, 74 BB, .736 OPS, 105 OPS+, 5.0 WAR, .980 EFF. • 28-year old Nobuyoshi Yoshida – .286/.336/.409, 133 H, 24-2B, 9 HR, 45 RBI, 34 BB, .745 OPS, 114 OPS+, 4.4 WAR, 1.049 EFF. -------- Left Field Wolseley's Carlton Hawking has been selected to the All-Braeland Team in five of the past six seasons. Although his offense was top notch once again, I gave the edge to Wellington’s Matthew Floyd this time. Floyd continues to be ranked as the top left fielder in the ULB and was outstanding in all aspects of the game. I also felt that Brunswick’s Carl Patton edged out Hawking in overall play as well. Patton won his first Ball Hawk Award this year. • 25-year old Matthew Floyd – .316/.407/.499, 184 H, 28-2B, 21 HR, 91 RBI, 89 BB, .906 OPS, 159 OPS+, 8.8 WAR, 1.025 EFF. • 26-year old Carl Patton – .295/.419/.413, 171 H, 18-2B, 10 HR, 67 RBI, 124 BB, 24 SB, .832 OPS, 133 OPS+, 7.8 WAR, 1.038 EFF. • 31-year old Carlton Hawking – .318/.454/.482, 167 H, 26-2B, 18 HR, 61 RBI, 133 BB, .936 OPS, 161 OPS+, 6.1 WAR, .963 EFF. -------- Center Field Center field is currently home to three of the most dynamic players in the United Leagues. Cobourg’s Raymond Williams is rated No. 1 overall, while Downie’s Alfonso León is rated No. 2. Both have taken turns winning the Eastern League’s Babe Ruth Award over the past four seasons. Meanwhile, Pulberry’s Cooper Tyson, rated 7th overall, is perhaps the best defensive centerfielder in the United Leagues today, having won his third consecutive Ball Hawk Award. After them, there is a steep drop off. This year León got the nod. It wasn’t that hard of a choice – he won the Babe Ruth Award as well as the Batting Title. • 27-year old Alfonso León - .342/.403/.557, 203 H, 34-2B, 28 HR, 85 RBI, 62 BB, .960 OPS, 174 OPS+, 10.2 WAR, 1.026 EFF. • 27-year old Raymond Williams – .340/.419/.568, 194 H, 28-2B, 32 HR, 100 RBI, 77 BB, .988 OPS, 175 OPS+, 9.6 WAR, .995 EFF. • 26-year old Cooper Tyson – .293/.391/.457, 158 H, 33-2B, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 89 BB, .848 OPS, 142 OPS+, 8.7 WAR, 1.053 EFF. -------- Right Field The winds of change appear to be blowing in right field as some fresh faces are starting to make an impact at the position. Pulberry’s Ellis Dibble continues to be rated as the United Leagues’ top player at this position, but he was surpassed by a couple of players ranked immediately behind him. Downie’s Connor Bing enjoyed his finest all-round season of his 3-year career, which included his second Ball Hawk Award. Wellington’s Wayne Emmert picked up his first All-Star selection and is now rated just behind Dibble among right fielders. This was a close race, but I gave the edge to Bing this time. • 26-year old Connor Bing – .262/.343/.437, 141 H, 37-2B, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 66 BB, .779 OPS, 123 OPS+, 6.0 WAR, 1.054 EFF. • 25-year old Wayne Emmert – .286/.383/.414, 167 H, 20-2B, 20-3B, 5 HR, 71 RBI, 90 BB, .797 OPS, 128 OPS+, 5.8 WAR, 1.028 EFF. • 28-year old Ellis Dibble – .296/.370/.455, 150 H, 19-2B, 17 HR, 76 RBI, 62 BB, .825 OPS, 135 OPS+, 4.7 WAR, 1.031 EFF. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

01-28-2021, 08:18 AM	#590
Tyke All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Brighouse, West Yorkshire, U.K. Posts: 1,135	Still loving this! Thanks, reds 1.

01-28-2021, 02:42 PM	#591
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Interesting turn of events. Looks like the players have won, for now. __________________

01-28-2021, 07:31 PM	#592
Dark Horse Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas! Posts: 2,633	Excellent __________________ A Justafan Fan LBA Geo Bahn Rock Hounds fan of the ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE

02-03-2021, 04:34 PM	#593
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	Thanks guys! __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

02-03-2021, 04:44 PM	#594
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	It was an off-season unlike any other in the United Leagues as practically all the significant transactions that took place involved front office personnel rather than the players in the clubhouse. While a notable free agent was signed, not one trade was consummated in the months leading up to spring training. Was this due to the drama that unfolded during the months that saw the players form a union while two obdurate team owners were forced out? Or was it a mere coincidence? I never turn off trade activity in OOTP (it is set to ‘average’), so it was likely the latter. While it might have seemed appropriate given the off-field developments, the lack of trades is a concern. Here’s hoping it’s not a trend as the United Leagues move up to OOTP21. On the other hand, impatience seemed to be the order of the day, as the Queensland Eagles cleaned house, letting go of their GM, field manager, pitching coach and hitting coach. Their GM and field manager were let go after just one season. The Sherburn Tigers fired both their general manager and field manager as well. All that in addition to the new owners in Embro and Fort Richmond. Here is a review of some of the noteworthy transactions that took place since the Cambria Cannons won the United Cup back in April and right up to the start of the Coconut Leagues. Player Retirements: There was only one significant player retirement, as SP Joel Fearn called it a career after 16 seasons. Fearn was one of the greatest pitchers in United Leagues history and one of the 1937 “originals”. He was a 7-time All-Star and a 2-time United Cup Champion. He won the Satchel Paige Award in 1945-46 (23-10, 2.60 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 159 ERA+) and finished 2nd for the Award on two other occasions. In the Stratford Barons’ triumphant run to the United Cup in 1940-41, Fearn won both the Pennant Series MVP and the United Cup MVP, the first of two players to accomplish that feat in the same season. He finishes his career as the leader in six pitching categories: Wins (250), Games Stared (466), Complete Games (40), Innings Pitched (3,959.2) and Hits Allowed (3,945). Over the course of 483 games with the Stratford Barons and Cobourg Red Stockings, he went 250-169, 3.32 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, .274 BABIP, 121 ERA+ 483 G, 466 GS, and 3,959.2 IP. ----------- Hall of Fame Results: For the second year in a row, there were no players elected to the Hall of Fame. But SS Gary Watkinson and SP Joey Cumberledge, who are both in their first-year eligibility, have the best chance of eventually getting inducted, while SP Francis Slocock is not far behind them. I did not place a vote myself, as I’m still unsure whether I should influence the proceedings like I did with the inaugural class. Watkinson was a 7-time all-star mainly with the Embro Suns, while Cumberledge was a 9-time all-star, won 1943 Western League Satchel Paige Award as well as the 1939 WL Pennant Series MVP. He played his entire career with the Kingston Pelicans, winning 3 United Cups. Slocock won two Satchel Paige Awards (1942, 1944) and was a 7-time all-star. He won two United Cups while with the Kingston Pelicans as well. ----------- Management Shakeups: May 2 – Cobourg Hires Roy King as their New GM, replacing the retiring Oliver Richards After just three seasons as the Red Stockings general manager, 60-year old Oliver Richards called it a career on April 18. In his brief spell as GM, he’s had relatively little impact on the big-league roster apart from drafting a couple of solid relief pitchers selected in first round in back-to-back seasons. He also traded away 25-year old OF Andy Faulkner (3.9 WAR) last year to the Stratford Barons. Faulkner went on to win the Eastern League Rookie of the Year award. On the other hand, Cobourg did end their long playoff drought under his watch and came within one game of winning the United Cup last season. Replacing him is veteran Roy King ($21,986, 4 yrs.) The 62-year old King spent 15 seasons (1021-1289, .442) as the Hespeler Stars’ general manager from 1937 to 1951. Although his reputation is considered ‘outstanding’ and in his write-up he is said to be “respected, even feared, by other GMs”, there is really nothing in his track record to warrant such a high evaluation. The Stars were singularly unsuccessful under his watch, finishing in the second division 12 times in those 15 seasons and not getting even close to a playoff spot. But perhaps he can build on the Red Stockings’ recent success. He is rated as an extreme wheeler-dealer and very aggressive in trades, so we’ll see if he is able to shake the United Leagues out of its trade doldrums. ----------- May 17 – Queensland Eagles Clean House; Hire New GM and Field Manager On April 20, Queensland fired general manager Denzel Seamon and declined to renew manager’s Rhys Pedler’s contract. Both had been hired just the season before, but after a 65-89 campaign and an 8th place finish, the club decided to go in ‘a different direction’. On May 15, the Eagles hired the newly available Jack Clayton. The 49-year old had spent the previous two seasons as the Sherburn Tigers general manager, with lackluster results (130-178). He signed a 4-year deal worth 14,120 per annum. He continues to favor prospects, hitting, loyalty and scouting. Two days later, Queensland hired 50-year old Ethan Umbleby to be their new manager, agreeing to a 4-year deal at $10,676. Umbleby comes over from the Pulberry Trolleys, where he served as a bench coach over three seasons. He served as a bench coach for the Brunswick Legends for three seasons as well between his two stints with the Trolleys. He is considered an authoritarian, which could rankle some of the veterans. But he knows his stats and matchups before each game. Prior to his coaching career, Umbleby was a starting pitcher for the Balmoral Giants from 1937 to 1939, compiling a 38-49, 4.28 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 101 ERA+ over 662.1 IP. ----------- May 20 – Sherburn Tigers Make a Clean Sweep; Hire New GM and Field Manager Immediately following the season, Sherburn also made a clean sweep, firing both GM Jack Clayton and manager Lewis Trueman. Clayton would soon land on his feet, signing on with the Queensland Eagles as noted earlier. Trueman had been the Tigers manager for 6 seasons (395-529, .427) after serving as their bench coach the previous four. Sherburn finished no higher than 5th and won no more than 75 games in a season under his guidance, so the Tigers elected for a fresh start. On May 10, Sherburn introduced Stewart Pruitt ($3,576, 2 yrs.) as their new general manager. This is Pruitt’s first gig as a GM. He previously played in the United Leagues as a utility outfielder from 1937 to 1943. He spent five seasons with the Pulberry Trolleys and one final campaign with the Fort Richmond Generals before retiring in 1946. The 46-year old favors prospects, hitting and offence and places a premium on scouting, while not so much on trading or prospect development. After a lengthy search, Sherburn announced that rookie Jamie Blair ($4,736, 2 yrs.) will be their new field manager. At 39-years of age, he will be the youngest manager in the United Leagues. Blair enjoyed a very brief cup of coffee in the ULB: in six games, he made one plate appearance as a 25-year old back in 1939 with the Tigers. He struck out in his only at-bat. He spent the rest of his playing career in the minors before hanging things up for good in 1949. Blair is said to be laid back and puts a premium on creating a comfortable atmosphere in the clubhouse and dugout. He favors offense and power and won’t be hesitant to put prospects into the lineup. ----------- May 28 – Ownership Changes in Embro, Fort Richmond As reported earlier, two long-standing owners were forced out due to their central role in colluding with the other owners in artificially suppressing player salaries and refusing to address their grievances in good faith. Shown the door were 43-year old Oliver Blowers of the Embro Suns and 75-year old Jong-beom Yu of the Fort Richmond Generals. Both were considered controlling, demanding and placed an emphasis on extreme profit. In their place are two new faces: 43-year old Allen Ratcliffe and 44-year old Daniel Walker II. Radcliffe takes over the Fort Richmond Generals while Walker leads the ownership group for the Embro Suns. Both men figure to be more amenable to working with the players and paying them fairly. It remains to be seen whether their appointments will set a new tone among the owners as a whole or whether the ‘old guard’ mentality will rub off on them. ----------- Signings: June 22: The Balmoral Giants snagged the lone top name available in free agency, signing 32-year old OF Angel Costa (73/83) from Cuba to a 1-year contract ($55,000). The contract is currently the richest in the United Leagues (a few years ago, the elite players were earning nearly $20,000 more than that). Although not a youngster, Costa should make an immediate impact for the Giants who have not had a dominant leftfielder since Carlton Broadbent was in his prime. Carlton (25/25) is only two years older than Costa but is a shadow of the player he once was. Costa is a hitting machine with the power to be a middle of the order smasher. He should put a much-needed charge into Balmoral’s rather anemic offense. Although he may not win any defensive awards, he should be a very reliable, sure-handed outfielder. He is slotted in as the Giants’ No. 3 batter heading into the Coconut Leagues and is rated 5th overall among leftfielders (18th overall among all players) in the United Leagues. ----------- The War Gained chart reveals how ‘off’ the off-season was. No trades whatsoever took place while off the field happenings dominating the headlines. Hopefully this stasis will not linger for much longer and the teams can get back to the business of baseball, including the making of appropriate trades. Spring training would be a good place to start as trades have been made during that time many times before. The Coconut Leagues are set to begin August 31st, as the United Leagues’ embark on their 17th season. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

02-07-2021, 05:17 PM	#595
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	At long last, baseball drama in Braeland turns to the field instead of being the domain of the boardrooms where players and owners fought over money. With eight games on tap this afternoon across the country, fans that could land tickets have packed the stadiums for Opening Day. The rest of the country will not be left out though, as millions will be either listening to their radios or for the few that can afford them, on their new fangled television sets, as the United Leagues are set to be televised for the first time. For Braelanders, it has been a year of truces. Not only did the owners and players both accept an uneasy peace agreement in the two-year old player salary dispute, but the country rejoiced at the news that an armistice agreement was reached on the Korean peninsula back on July 27. With complete cessation of hostilities in the Korean War, 4,683 Braelander soldiers who were serving in the United Nations Command when the armistice was signed began returning home, much to the relief of their families and the Wesley Bryans government, whose popularity began to suffer as the war dragged on. The chill in the trade market continued throughout the Coconut Leagues, so there is still nothing to report on that front. It has been 8 months since the last trades were consummated, one day before last season’s trade deadline. But the 17th annual Coconut Leagues have concluded, and all 16 clubs have set their Opening Day rosters for the 1953-54 season. Below are the spring training results, pre-season predictions for both Leagues and some career leaderboards. ----------- New Uniforms Three clubs updated their on-the-field appearance. The Queensland Eagles unveiled a new logo and some slightly modified uniforms. The Sherburn Tigers updated their primary logo and also made slight modifications to their uniforms and caps. Finally, the Wolseley Unions have ditched the home pinstripes and have gone with zippered-front jerseys, the first team to do so since the 1943-44 Kingston Pelicans. ----------- Eastern League Results --------- For the fourth time over the past five seasons, the Wellington Athletics finish in top spot in the spring training standings. In fact, they finished with the best record overall. However, they are projected to be buried in the Eastern League standings. But its not really a huge gulf between first and last place. If their pitching, which is perhaps their biggest question mark, can deliver some solid innings, then a wild card berth will not be out the question. Any team with 26-year old Matthew Floyd, the top leftfielder in the Leagues and 27-year old Jim Mars, the fifth-overall best centerfielder, has a chance to make some noise. One notable name missing from the Top Hitters list is Alfonso León, Downie’s star centerfielder and last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner. But as one of the ULB’s top player (2nd overall) and in his prime, its hard not to see him have another big year. The Cobourg Red Stockings enjoyed a break-out season last year, winning 100 games and coming just one game short of winning the United Cup. The projections suggest that was not a fluke. They long have had a high-powered offense, but they are projected to have the most dominant pitching staff in the United Leagues. One pitcher that is predicted to have a big year is Marcus Turvill. Turvill was drafted 115th overall by the Downie Chiefs back in 1945 but suffered a torn UCL in 1948. After becoming a minor league free agent in April 1951, he was signed by the Red Stockings in June of that year. By the start of last season, he made the major league roster. He won two Rookie of the Month honors, was selected to the All-Star game and finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year Award voting. --------- Western League Results --------- Both the spring training and predictions project a tight race in the Western League as four teams are within four games of each other at the top. But the Balmoral Giants present an interesting case. They finished in top spot in spring training but are projected to be at the bottom of the standings in the regular season. That projection appears to be without their new player, LF Ángel Costa. Costa dominated the Western League offensively during the Coconut Leagues, leading the ULB in nine categories and finished in the top three in six others. But he has been demoted down to their AAA farm club, the Canterbury Seals as of Opening Day. That could be due to the fact that the Giants have designated for assignment two former franchise players and are waiting for them to clear waivers: 34-year old SS Francisco Rodríguez (30/30) and 35-year old LF Carlton Broadbent (25/25). Rodríguez is a former 8-time all-star and 3-time Ball Hawk award winner while Broadbent is a former 9-time all-star and two-time Babe Ruth Award winner. But it appears their careers are coming to a sad end. They will remain on the DFA list for at least 9 more days. Then we’ll know if Costa will be brought up to the major league roster and see if he can raise the Giants’ fortunes this season. --------- Here are the top players and pitchers and top 20 prospects as updated on Opening Day. Also included are the latest leaderboards for a slew of offensive and pitching categories. --------- Leaderboards __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 02-07-2021 at 05:45 PM. Reason: Grammar

02-08-2021, 04:47 AM	#596
Tyke All Star Starter Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Brighouse, West Yorkshire, U.K. Posts: 1,135	Top notch, again!!

02-08-2021, 11:39 PM	#597
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Good to see the season set to go. Nice, the Trolleys picked to make the postseason. Let's go boys! __________________

02-09-2021, 06:57 AM	#598
Hageneezz All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Hague,Netherlands Posts: 868	I love your league! GO UNIONS! Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A505FN met Tapatalk

02-09-2021, 05:38 PM	#599
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	November 1, 1953 Thanks again, guys! We're one month into the new season, so I thought I would continue with these one month snapshots. And the Trolleys and Unions are very much in the thick of things, but have been joined by an unexpected resurgent Pelicans team. Here are the standings and leaderboards at the end of games on October 31: -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

02-10-2021, 07:06 PM	#600
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Thirkettle performing well as predicted. Nine dingers, 24 RBI so far! __________________