Here Comes The Paragon Baseball League!

[luckymann]

This pretty much sums up how the Grays' season is going so far. Despite Will's thrills they still lose to fall to a nasty 15-31.

[luckymann]

After two seasons as the Panthers closer, where he racked up 63 saves, the move of Pud Galvin into the rotation late last year now looks nothing short of genius. This makes it 5 no-hitters now in the PBL and is the first by a Florida hurler.

[luckymann]

Some sharp divergences forming as we get into the heart of the 1963 season. While the West and South remain relatively tight, Boston has kicked away in the North, leaving the last-placed Stallions 17 games adrift with just 50 having been played. In the East, Indy is just one ahead of Carolina, but the Grays and Fury are already well out of contention, respectively 15 and 19 GB.

Quite the opposite from last season, I'll be interested to see if this holds.

A few points of note from May:

• Vic Willis is moved into the rotation at Boston.
• Jimmie Foxx hits his 1st PBL home run.
• New Jersey’s Robinson Cano, who banged out 33 HR last season, takes 36 games to hit his first of this one. After 6 straight losses to open the season, his teammate Mickey Lolich finally gets in the win column.

Monthly Award Winners

Northwest League

• Batter – Ed Delahanty (Boston): 328 / 2 HR / 13 RBI
• Pitcher – Greg Maddux (Boston): 5-0 / 1.47 / 47 K / 49 IP

Southeast League

• Batter – Lou Gehrig (Kansas City): 337 / 3 HR / 14 RBI
• Pitcher – Christy Mathewson (Virginia): 5-0 / 1.38 / 14 K / 52 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 6th: Greg Maddux (Boston) / Jose Cruz (Atlanta)
• 13th: Bob Johnson (Connecticut) / Amos Rusie (Florida)
• 20th: Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles) / Mickey Cochrane (Indianapolis)
• 27th: Sam Rice (Connecticut) / Christy Mathewson (Virginia)

Top 20 Hitters by WAR




Top 20 Pitchers by WAR

[luckymann]

Walker Buehler is holding down a Long Relief role at present for the Lizards, but that might change after he gets a spot start and does this with it.

[luckymann]

Plenty of travails for Rocket in the PBL so far, including a 26-33 record and briefly losing his spot in the spin last year. Looks like he's moving on up now, though, even if his Canaries are not.

[luckymann]

Sorry Sutt, you get the dreaded post #666. This effort of yours deserves better.

[luckymann]

Rafa causing some carnage against his side's nearest rival in the North at the moment.

[luckymann]

Satch making his mark. 17-7 last season and looking like producing something along similar lines in this one.

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Despite a great month by Mike Trout and Dick Redding's continued dominance, Seattle's challenge in the West ends as quickly as it began as a 10-17 month sees them fall 10 GB a Lizards outfit that looks set to take their title defence a long way. Team BA of 200 is doing the Rainiers no favours, with Bregman, Wynn, Gordon, Bench and Rodriguez all sub-Mendozan.

Other than that not much change and not much to reoprt, other than:

• Through 137 IP, Clay Kershaw's FIP- is 37 (that is not a typo...)
• Justin Verlander into the rotation at Indianapolis.
• Carlos Beltran hits his 1st PBL home run.
• Curt Schilling now the closer at Washington, David Price into the rotation.
• Luis Tiant into the rotation at Atlanta.
• Pedro Martinez now the closer at New Jersey.
• Pudge Rodriguez 12 HR already v 13 in full season 1962.

Monthly Award Winners

Northwest League

• Batter – Mike Trout (Seattle): 379 / 7 HR / 13 RBI
• Pitcher – Carl Mays (Las Vegas): 5-0 / 2.09 / 23 K / 43 IP

Southeast League

• Batter – Johnny Mize (New Orleans): 337 / 7 HR / 20 RBI
• Pitcher – Satchel Paige (Indianapolis): 5-0 / 1.29 / 38 K / 48.2 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 3rd: Aaron Judge (New York) / George Davis (Carolina)
• 10th: Jesse Burkett (Las Vegas) / Jose Cruz (Atlanta)
• 17th: Rube Foster (Connecticut) / Will Clark (Washington)
• 24th: Mickey Lolich (New Jersey) / Bobby Abreu (New Orleans)

Top 20 Hitters by WAR



Top 20 Pitchers by WAR

[luckymann]

Won by Johnny Mize (New Orleans)

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The SE breaks through for its first ASG win.

[luckymann]

As has been the case since the PBL began, it is inconsistency hampering the Gothams this season. On their day they have no match. Unfortunately those days come around less regularly than needed and are often sandwiched between periods of mediocrity.

This, however, was one of those good days. With the Beacons looking super strong, they'll need more of them if they want to compete this year.

[luckymann]

It seems Don Sutton has appeared in more of these posts than almost any other pitcher this season, and yet he is only 9-8 / 3.45. So he must be putting in some poor ones as well.

This, obviously, was not one of them.

[luckymann]

After a couple seasons where he really didn't do much (a combined 6-3 with 79 IP and -0.7 WAR), Mad Dog has certainly come into his own in 1963.

These two consecutive shutouts put him at a PBL-high 14 wins against just 5 losses, with an ERA+ of 164, FIP- of 77 and 3.8 WAR. No surprise his Boston side is so dominant to this point.








You'll notice in that second game how, despite a sub-2.00 ERA, Dick Redding now has a losing record on the year. That tells you how things are going in Seattle right now.

[luckymann]

Certainly not having the sort of dominant season he did last year, but still Adrian is going OK, slashing 268/315/408 with 11 HR / 53 RBI and 2.8 WAR.

[luckymann]

No challenges emerging yet, but neither is any team running away with their division. The Beacons' 6-game lead in the North is the widest, but the Gothams look like they are getting ready to make a run at them. That said, 8 games is a lot to make up in less than 60.

A few things of note going on this past month:

• Jim Sundberg’s 5 HR so far in 1963 match his combined 1961-2 total.
• Corey Seager has already eclipsed his season high of 22 HR.
• Rafael Palmeiro 15 HR so far this season v 5 in 1961-2.
• Vegas suffers a 9-game losing streak.
• Graig Nettles hits his first PBL HR.
• Catfish Hunter now the closer at Washington, Andy Pettite into the rotation.
• Oscar Charleston has hit more HR so far this season than his previous career total.
• Pedro Martinez into the rotation at New Jersey.
• Both Johnny Mize and Ted Williams are top-3 in all TC categories.

Monthly Award Winners

Northwest League

• Batter – Ted Williams (Connecticut): 348 / 6 HR / 22 RBI
• Pitcher – Dwight Gooden (New York): 5-1 / 0.88 / 58 K / 51.1 IP

Southeast League

• Batter – Johnny Mize (New Orleans): 347 / 9 HR / 23 RBI
• Pitcher – George Uhle (Carolina): 5-0 / 1.47 / 16 K / 43 IP

Weekly Award Winners

• 1st: Mike Trout (Seattle) / Satchel Paige (Indianapolis)
• 8th: Ted Williams (Connecticut) / Nap Lajoie (Indianapolis)
• 15th: Dwight Gooden (New York) / Jake Beckley (Indianapolis)
• 22nd: Greg Maddux (Boston) / Scott Rolen (Atlanta)
• 29th: Kid Gleason (New York) / Jose Cruz (Atlanta)

Top 20s.

[luckymann]

Oscar coming along nicely and has a day out here.




Meanwhile The Bull moves to 15-7 with this gem against Florida.

[luckymann]

The move of John Clarkson into the Atlanta rotation is certainly proving a good one this year.





A few days later, teammate Addie Joss follows suit.

[luckymann]

After a slow start that saw him hit just 1 home run in April and May, Robinson Cano has come roaring back with 6 in June, 4 in July and - after these two, including the walkoff winner - 9 so far in August.