United Leagues of Braeland - Page 37

DreamTeams · 11-28-2021, 11:29 PM

Thirkettle still considered in the top 5. Nice! Will also be keeping an eye on young Ohara.

reds1 · 11-29-2021, 03:00 PM

November 1, 1955 - Snapshot

Here is a snapshot of the Leagues after the first month of play, with a couple of highlights that will be featured in the December 1 league reports:

• After starting the first month of the season last year at 4-23, the Wellington Athletics now boast the best record in the entire United Leagues after the first month of this season. Who deserves the lions’ share of the credit in the early going for the remarkable turnaround?

• Which two-time Satchel Paige Award winner pitched the 11th No-Hitter in United Leagues history and the first in nearly three years?

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Dark Horse · 12-03-2021, 02:36 PM

Looks like a rough season for the Monarchs... and the Stars seem... hopeless.

reds1 · 12-06-2021, 03:15 AM

December 1, 1955

Eastern League: Barons Battle Back as Wellington Wearies

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Offense: .246/.331/.372 (6th/3rd/7th)
Pitching: 3.33/3.37/3.18 (2nd/2nd/3rd)
Defense: .717 (3rd)

The Stratford Barons have started off the season as the most consistent team in the East and have established themselves as once again the team to beat. Overall, offense is down a bit throughout the United Leagues compared to last season and this is reflected in the Barons’ lineup. Still, it has done enough to keep the defending United Cup Champions at the top of the heap.

36-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.300/.458/.545, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 33 BB, 2.1 WAR) is not showing signs of slowing down yet. He remains the top-ranked catcher in the ULB. 27-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.294/.356/.467, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB, 1.7 WAR) and 27-year old RF Andy Faulkner (.250/.384/.409, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 23 BB, 1.7 WAR) are providing able support.

The pitching is currently the team’s strength. No. 1 starter, 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (7-3, 1.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 254 ERA+) is off to tremendous start, while second-year closer, 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (2-1, 8 SV, 1.99 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 192 ERA+) anchors a strong bullpen.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 7 – 2B Matthew Channing (.478, 11 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI)

Noteworthy:

November 5 – It was a Saturday massacre in Stratford, as the Barons obliterated the Embro Suns 16-0 on 18 hits. The Suns just could not get anything going against 29-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (6-6, 4.10 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 93 ERA+), who pitched a 1-hit complete game shut out (2 BB, 5 K, GS: 88). Jaojoco carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning where LF Jesús Abreu broke it up with a 1-out double.

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Offense: .258/.330/.368 (3rd/4th/8th)
Pitching: 3.22/3.22/3.20 (1st/1st/4th)
Defense: .735 (1st)

The Wellington Athletics’ start in October was nearly the exact opposite of last year, when they stumbled out to a 4-23 start. And as projected, the pitching is leading the way, as the staff leads the East in six pitching categories after the first two months. But they stumbled against Western League teams in November. Thus, it remains to be seen whether their turnaround is for real.

Like the Stratford Barons, the offense has not as been strong as the pitching staff. Still, 30-year old RF Jim Mars (.346/.425/.492, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 26 BB, 2.4 WAR) has been outstanding and is off to his best start in four years, while 28-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.286/.393/.459, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 33 BB, 8 SB, 2.2 WAR) continues to progress after he broke a bone in his elbow two seasons ago.

Pre-season projections can be fickle, but they appear to have gotten it right with 27-year old RHP Vinnie Snell (5-3, 3.16 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 119 ERA+) and 30-year old RHP Troy Conlin (5-2, 3.14 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 120 REA+). Both got off to hot starts in October, although they cooled off a bit in November. Again, we’ll have to see how they fare the rest of way to see if they’re the real deal. Second-year starter, 24-year old RHP Mike Murray (5-4, 3.42 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 110 ERA+), got off to a promising start as well, before he was laid low with an injury. Also worthy of note is the play of 33-year old stopper, RHP Finley Capstick (3-2, 9 SV, 0.78 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 481 ERA+), who appears to have shaken off his previous two sub-par seasons.

Noteworthy:

October 8 – The Athletics took the first two games of a three-game set from the Stratford Barons. Game 2 was a lop-sided affair as Wellington thumped the Barons 12-1. RHP Vinnie Snell went the distance, limiting the Stratford batters to 4 hits on 7 strikeouts. 26-year old back-up catcher Doug Bowman (.356/.367/.441, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 0.6 WAR) made the most of hit start, going 5 for 5 with 2 R and 1 RBI. Bowman belted out 4 singles and a solo shot in the 8th inning that capped the Athletics scoring on the day.

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Offense: .270/.336/.398 (1st/1st/3rd)
Pitching: 4.19/4.20/4.15 (5th/4th/7th)
Defense: .709 (4th)

The Queensland Eagles are attempting to build upon their 78-76 season last year and try to end their 8-year playoff drought. The initial two months are promising, as the offense has been a strength after having been a weakness for so many seasons. Ironically, the pitching staff, once one of the most dominant in the United Leagues, got off to a slow start.

Six-year veteran, 29-year old LF Rod Dennis (.263/.341/.459, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 23 BB, 1.5 WAR) is enjoying a solid start, the best of his 4-year career. Two rookies have made the lineup attempting to establish themselves. 26-year old C Robbie Leivers (.278/.342/.414, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 16 BB, 1.3 WAR) and last year’s Eastern League Rookie of the Year, 22-year old RF Hal Dhu (.276/.347/.481, 8 HR, 31 RBi, 18 BB, 8 SB, 1.3 WAR) continue to progress. However, Queensland appears to be grappling with how to utilize both 23-year old SS Noel Eissens (.147/.143/.176, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, -0.3 WAR) and SS Apia Yarrah (.321/.367/.472, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 12 BB, 9 SB, 1.0 WAR). Right now, they are starting Eissens, which makes absolutely no sense.

On the flip side, 30-year old RHP Logan Belsey (6-3, 3.64 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 104 ERA+) got off to a slow start in October, while 28-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (6-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 99 ERA+) cooled off a little in November after a hot start. But both should be just fine leading the way. 23-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (4-4, 3.30 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 115 ERA+), Queensland’s No. 4 starter, has been very consistent so far in his second full season.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 31 – SS Apia Yarrah (.391, 9 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R)

Noteworthy:

October 20 – The Braeland City Monarchs headed into Queensland and received a rude welcome, as the Eagles won the first two games of their 3-game series with back-to-back shutouts. In the first game, RHP Stiofan Micklethwait surrendered only two hits, walking two and striking out four (GS: 85). The next day, 31-year old RHP Tyler Gissing (4-5, 5.17 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 73 ERA+) picked up his first win of the season with a 10-0 shellacking of the Monarchs. He gave up just 4 hits (1 BB, 2 K, GS: 80).

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Offense: .268/.326/.431 (2nd/5th/1st)
Pitching: 4.19/4.34/3.80 (5th/5th/6th)
Defense: .704 (6th)

The Braeland City Monarchs are hanging around the .500 mark to start the season but if their pitching staff can find more consistency, they may be able to challenge for a playoff spot. The Monarchs currently have the deepest farm system with some tantalizing pitching prospects still developing. But they may not be developing fast enough for Braeland City to take advantage of while they have one of the best players in the ULB currently in his prime. 19-year old LHP Charlie Honeysett (20/80 – 2nd round pick of 1953-54) and 22-year old LHP Johnny Hunter (30/71 – 8th overall pick of 1952-53) are still in Double-A, while 23-year old RHP Clive Clarke (38/63 – 2nd round pick in 1954-55) is in Triple-A. They all portend to form an incredible three-fifths of a rotation one day, as all are rated as future No. 1 starters.

The offense is impressive to start the season, with 30-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.325/.413/.629, 12 HR, 32 RBI, 25 BB, 3.2 WAR) returning to his Babe Ruth Award winning level from two seasons ago, at least in the early going. But both 31-year old 1B Dean Witherden (.332/.415/.576, 12 HR, 27 RBI, 24 BB, 2.5 WAR) and 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.316/.361/.500, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 17 BB, 1.3 WAR) are off to hot starts as well. Also, 26-year old CF Hayden Goodale (.244/.315/.528, 13 HR, 33 RBI, 20 BB, 1.3 WAR) continues to rake, just as he did last season when led the United Leagues with 36 HR. But the Monarchs also have 5th overall pick, 20-year old CF Bernard Burkitt (41/70), on the major league roster. That may force Goodale to a corner outfield spot, as Burkitt is strong at CF (65), but weak at the other spots (20).

The pitching has been another matter, however, with the majority struggling to begin the season. But No. 1 starter 29-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (3-2, 3.67 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 105 ERA+) has improved in recent outings and No. 4 starter, 29-year old Danilo Narvaez (5-0, 2.16 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 179 ERA+), after 5 mediocre seasons, has been outstanding so far this year.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 10 – 1B Dean Witherden (.542, 13 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R)
October 17 – RF Aidan Trembath (.444, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R)
November 21 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.423, 11 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI)
November 28 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.476, 10 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI)

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Offense: .235/.303/.387 (8th/8th/5th)
Pitching: 3.55/4.05/1.99 (3rd/3rd/1st)
Defense: .723 (2nd)

The Downie Chiefs were projected to be firmly entrenched in the second division this season and their first two months are certainly bearing that prediction out. The Chiefs have some young talent in the pipeline, but they’re either still too far away to help in the short term or can only play a position currently occupied by an established superstar. Case in point: Downie has a wonderful young player in 24-year old CF Ben Darvell (53/68) who is ready to start, but he is blocked by one of the best in 27-year old CF Alfonso León (.321/.396/.497, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 23 BB, 4 SB, 2.7 WAR), who is enjoying one of best starts. So it goes for some of these hard luck teams.

Besides León, only 29-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.277/.328/.505, 11 HR, 37 RBI, 15 BB, 1.6 WAR) is providing any kind of offensive production.

The pitching is not much better, with 24-year old RHP Stefan Rankin (6-3, 3.64 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 103 ERA+) leading an underwhelming pitching staff.

Noteworthy:

November 16 – The Chiefs went into Balmoral and swept a 3-game set from the Giants at Foster Field. Game 3 saw 27-year old RHP Kent Dundon (5-4, 3.76 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 100 ERA+) pitch a 2-hit shut-out to lead the Chiefs to a 4-0 victory. Dundon kept the Giants off the bases until the 5th inning, when he surrendered a lead-off double to 1B Erik Perry. Dundon struck out 3 and gave up no walks (GS: 86).

November 18 – After a travel day, the Chiefs went into Sherburn and took 2 of 3 from the Tigers. In the first game, 32-year old LHP Hank Bennett (3-6, 4.45 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 84 ERA+) pitched Downie’s second consecutive shut-out, blanking the Tigers 1-0 on 2-hits. Bennett struck out two and walked three (GS: 82).

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Offense: .251/.322/.376 (5th/6th/6th)
Pitching: 4.03/4.86/2.14 (4th/8th/2nd)
Defense: .676 (8th)

Things appeared to be looking up for the Embro Suns. They went the distance against the eventual United Cup champions Stratford Barons in last season’s Eastern League Pennant Series and were red hot in Spring Training. But a disastrous November has seen them tumble down the standings and there is plenty of blame to go around.

A once dynamic offense has been a major disappointment with last year’s babe Ruth Award winner, 27-year old 3B Moromao Nakagawa (.264/.375/.503, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 35 BB, 1.7 WAR) leading the way in regressing in November. 25-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.295/.357/.429, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 19 BB, 2.2 WAR) was sensational in October, but he too fell off a cliff the following month.

The pitching staff does not offer much to write home about either. 25-year old RHP Bob Nord (5-3, 4.21 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 91 ERA+) has had his moments, but he is not the pitcher he was two seasons ago when he was selected to his first all-star game. But 25-year old reliever RHP Phil McKelvey (5-0, 3 SV, 0.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 390 ERA+) has been a standout thus far.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 24 – SS Kieron Bradridge (.481, 13 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 18 – Down 8-4 against the Cobourg Redlegs, the Suns scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th to send the game into extras, where the Redlegs ultimately prevailed 9-8 in 11 innings. But they had to overcome 25-year old SS Kieron Bradridge, who went 5 for 6 on the day. Bradridge was on fire, hitting a single in the 1st, a double in the 3rd and a 3-run home run in the 5th. After flying out in the 6th, he hit another 3-run home in the 9th to pull Embro to within one run. After 27-year old Moromao Nakagawa tied the game up two batters later with a solo shot, Bradrige singled for this 5th hit in the top of the 11th. Alas, it wasn’t enough as the Redlegs drove in the winning in the bottom half.

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Offense: .254/.335/.401 (4th/2nd/2nd)
Pitching: 4.26/4.51/3.24 (7th/7th/5th)
Defense: .706 (5th)

The Brunswick Legends are another team beset by a largely motley crew of mediocre players with few impact players in their farm system to turn things around in the short term.

27-year old C Robert Kersey (.321/.393/.649, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 16 BB, 2.2 WAR) remains one of the top players in the United Leagues, but he has little support around him, other than 25-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.269/.385/.515, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 33 BB, 1.8 WAR) who appears to be coming into his own in his third major league season. 27-year old 1B Francis Jones (.266/.357/.524, 9 HR, 21 RBI, 18 BB, 2 SB, 1.4 WAR) is having a fine season, but he is being challenged by the one prospect Brunswick has on their roster – 24-year old IF/OF Edilberto Mandac (.262/.306/.455, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 9 BB, 2 SB, 0.3 WAR – 45/54). Currently, he is getting starts at first base against LH pitching. Meanwhile, future hall of famer, 39-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (38/38), has become an afterthought.

The pitching seems to be an afterthought as well. But 28-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (5-4, 3.36 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 115 ERA+) pitched well in November (3-1, 1.89 ERA), while 30-year old RHP Byron Ollson (1-1, 1 SV, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 125 ERA+) has been a serviceable reliever over 23.1 innings this season.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 14 – C Robert Kersey (.500, 11 H, 3 HR, 10 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 15 – The Stratford Barons were victimized by another back-up catcher when 26-year old Owen Besent (.302/.345/.340, 2-2B, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 0.1 WAR) led the charge for the Legends in their 11-8 victory in Stratford. Besent went 5 for 5, with four singles and a double, collecting 4 RBI and a run on the day. The Legends ultimately took 3 of 4 games from the defending United Cup Champions right in Stratford.

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Offense: .242/.310/.390 (7th/7th/4th)
Pitching: 4.48/4.37/4.82 (8th/6th/8th)
Defense: .685 (7th)

The Cobourg Redlegs remain perhaps the most frustrating team to watch, as they just cannot get any consistency going, despite their present stock of talent on the roster. Right now, they are struggling in all facets of the game. But that could soon change, as a number of their top prospects are on the major league roster. And the team now has some leadership, so there is no feuding going on despite the losing. Progress!

In the rotation, the Redlegs have rookie RHP Albert Johnson (4-6, 5.19 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 74 ERA+ - 47/80). The 21-year old former 9th overall pick is pitching from the No. 3 spot but could be the ace soon if he continues to progress. Cobourg also has 23-year old IF/OF Luigi Purss (44/63), 23-year old IF Harold Prudom (43/54) and 25-year old LF Harrison Covey (.240/.352/.335, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 30 BB, 0.6 WAR – 47/52) who has already cracked the lineup and won Rookie of the Month honours in October. If any or all of these promising youngsters can develop, then the Redlegs may finally gain some traction in the standings.

Certainly, the likes of 29-year old CF Raymond Williams (.299/.377/.609, 13 HR, 37 RBI, 21 BB, 7 SB, 2.6 WAR), 33-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.306/.383/.491, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 22 BB, 2.0 WAR) and 27-year old LHP Bill Budd (4-5, 3.09 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 124 ERA+) deserve the support.

Lead off hitter, 24-year old SS Douglas Jones (.260/.327/.520, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 0.7 WAR) missed nearly 7 weeks due to a fractured hand suffered in early October, but he should be a major contributor as well, if he can stay healthy.

Noteworthy:

November 27 – 34-year old utility IF John Medley (.250/.297/.342, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 8 BB, -0.8 WAR) doesn’t get the starts he did in year’s past, but he started at first base against the Pelicans in Kingston. Although Kingston pulled out a walk-off 4-3 win, Medley went 2 for 4 on the afternoon, which included his 2000th career hit. It came on his second hit of the game, a line-drive single into rightfield off LHP Rob Hutchence in the 6th inning.

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reds1 · 12-25-2021, 04:30 PM

December 1, 1955

Western League: Pulberry, Cambria Remain Cream of the Crop

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Offense: .260/.344/.430 (3rd/2nd/1st)
Pitching: 3.14/3.23/2.74 (1st/1st/2nd)
Defense: .730 (1st)

After two disappointing playoff runs, the Pulberry Trolleys appear to be doubling down in their efforts to build a more complete team. In addition to their established stars, they also have young players in their lineup and pitching staff that are off to incredible starts. That bodes well for a team still looking for that elusive first pennant.

While two-time defending Babe Ruth Award winner, 27-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.285/.397/.637, 18 HR, 43 HR, 30 BB, 3 SB, 2.5 WAR), continues to rake, he is far from alone in giving pitchers nightmares. 28-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.313/.425/.469, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 34 BB, 5 SB, 3.3 WAR) continues his incredible all-around play from last season. 29-year old 1B Gerard Koerner (.333/.413/.561, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 25 BB, 2.6 WAR) is off to his best start by far and is currently rated No. 2 among first basemen, behind only Cambria’s Carlos Corea. Now in his sixth season, Koerner has never racked up more than 2.9 WAR; this season he is on pace for 7.4. Off to his best start as well is 4-year veteran, 25-year old C Paul England (.302/.386/.488, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 29 BB, 1.2 WAR). The No. 4-rated catcher is on pace for 6.1 WAR; his previous best was 3.6 reached last season.

But Pulberry is also receiving a boost from their rookie shortstop, 23-year old Sean Abercrombie (.262/.342/.463, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 21 BB, 2 SB, 1.5 WAR – 51/71). He has already been installed as the team’s captain. His play has forced 30-year old Francis Jones (.280/.368/.466, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 16 BB, 3 SB, 1.5 WAR) to third base, relegating 28-year old Makani Kahale (.210/.291/.295, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 12 BB, 0.2 WAR – 62/62) to back-up duties. Pulberry’s lone weak spot is at second base, where 30-year old Paul Heisler (.193/.274/.319, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 13 BB, -0.3 WAR) is struggling. Although he is not strong at 2B defensively (35), I would expect Kahale to take over there at some point, as his bat is too good to just sit on the bench.

The pitching staff has ably supported the offense thus far, with 20-year old LHP Bart Ohara (5-5, 2.90 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 129 ERA+ - 54/80) making his presence felt, winning Rookie of the Month honours in November. Ohara has always been rated as a top prospect since he was drafted in the 4th round back in 1953-54, but OOTP22 seems to really like him. Its not hard seeing him challenging for a Satchel Paige Award at some point. Perhaps overlooked a bit is 26-year old LHP Dermott Rathbone (8-0, 5 SV, 1.75 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 215 ERA+ - 48/58), who is off to an incredible start in his own right. Since moving into the rotation full-time in early November, he has won 5 straight starts. The infusion of young talent in the rotation has seen 34-year old veteran RHP Alexander Ellacott (6-2, 6 SV, 3.81 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 99 ERA+) transition to the stopper role.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 10 – CF Cooper Tyson (.520, 13 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI)

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Offense: .261/.345/.416 (2nd/1st/2nd)
Pitching: 3.88/4.28/2.35 (4th/6th/1st)
Defense: .698 (7th)

The Cambria Cannons jumped out to an 7-0 start before losing 4 of the next 5 to quickly fall back to second place where they remain after the first two months. The Cannons are unquestionably one of the top teams in the United Leagues and could be even better if only their rotation was firing on all cylinders.

The lineup remains one of the most potent, even with 26-year old CF Sam Tite (.291/.406/.605, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 17 BB, 2 SB, 1.2 WAR) out of the lineup for an extended period. 24-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.295/.449/.462, 6 HR, 25 HR, 51 BB, 3 SB, 2.6 WAR) is emerging as a bona fide elite player while 31-year old 3B Luis Torres (.327/.406/.527, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 25 BB, 2.0 WAR) has been wildly productive batting lower in the lineup. 29-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.300/.371/.567, 11 HR, 30 RBI, 16 BB, 1.7 WAR) continues to rake even if his defense remains suspect. But he is far from alone in that department.

While Cambria’s farm system is in the middle of the pack (8th overall), they have two impressive rookies on the major league roster that could soon make a major league impact. 21-year old CF Kilipeka Maleko (39/63), a 2nd-overall pick from 1952-53, is getting starts facing left-handed pitchers. But with Sam Tite (75/75) nearing a return from injury, Maleko’s playing time may be severely limited, as he rated mainly for centerfield (65) and perhaps rightfield (25). But he’s got great range (70) and arm (55). In the infield, Cambria has 24-year old 2B Chai-liang Fang (48/56), a 13th-overall pick from 1953-54. The Taiwanese Fang projects to be an above average player with outstanding defensive ratings, something that the Cannons sorely need.

The rotation has been a relatively weak link in the early going. Right now, only 27-year old RHP Ray Lambright (8-4, 3.15 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 120 ERA+) has been consistent. The bullpen, however, has been impressive, with 30-year old stopper RHP Keith Roche (5-1, 9 SV, 0.54 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 700 ERA+) giving up only two earned runs so far this season, through 33.1 IP.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 31 – 1B Carlos Corea (.455, 10 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI)
November 28 – LF Calvin Handridge (.550, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI)

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Offense: .265/.338/.384 (1st/3rd/3rd)
Pitching: 3.49/3.35/4.15 (3rd/2nd/6th)
Defense: .719 (4th)

The Sherburn Tigers finished November with a 4-game winning streak to remain 2.5 games back of the wildcard spot. If there is a team poised to make a big leap forward in the immediate future, it’s the Tigers. A few seasons ago, Sherburn’s roster was practically devoid of impact players. Today, its brimming with young talent. If they all can hit their stride, the Tigers could be a force to reckon with in the West very soon.

Case in point is the previously unheralded LF Ross Shewman (.289/.398/.548, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 29 BB, 2.7 WAR – 60/60), the 25-year old Canadian the Tigers selected in the 2nd round back in 1952-53. Only in his second season, he is already one of the top leftfielders in the Leagues and is enjoying an all-star season. An elite defender at his position, it would be no surprise if he should pick up some Ball Hawk awards in his career. Also making an impact this year is 26-year old SS Dwayne Vick (.352/.383/.426, 10-2B, 20 RBI, 11 BB, 2.5 WAR – 65/65). Vick is a two-time all-star and two-time Ball Hawk award winner; he is on pace to make it three each this season.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Sherburn also has 25-year old RF Albert Sulley (.264/.357/.371, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 30 BB, 9 SB, 1.8 WAR – 67/72), 26-year old 3B Adrian Flynn (.301/.378/.460, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 21 BB, 1.5 WAR – 65/65), 23-year old CF Leon Albrecht (.234/.353/.354, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 28 BB, 2 SB, 1.0 WAR – 56/80) and 25-year old 2B Bernard Kerkin (.288/.327/.374, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 11 BB, 0.8 WAR – 55/55) currently in the lineup. Both Albrecht and Kerkin are former 1st overall picks, with Albrecht currently rated as the top prospect in the United Leagues. That’s a lot of young talent that could make Sherburn’s lineup one of the most fearsome if they can all hit their stride.

The pitching staff is more than holding its own, as 31-year old ace RHP Jesús Chapa (7-1, 1.87 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 223 ERA+) has returned to the award-winning level he enjoyed in the late 1940s when he won back-to-back Satchel Paige Awards. 28-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (6-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 135 ERA+) remains one the best No. 2 starters in the business. 23-year old LHP Brendan Wombell (7-5, 3.50 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 111 ERA+) has provided some solid outings, but the Tigers are eager to get 22-year old RHP Kozue Saito (2-5, 3.70 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 105 ERA+ - 42/69) back from injury so that the former 2nd-round pick can continue to develop.

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Offense: .259/.322/.368 (4th/6th/5th)
Pitching: 3.38/3.36/3.48 (2nd/3rd/5th)
Defense: .729 (2nd)

The Fort Richmond Generals bucked the early predictions by getting off to a strong start in October, finishing the month just 3 games out of first place. But a rough 4-11 start to November saw them fall back to perhaps more realistic expectations. The Generals simply do not have the impact players they need in the lineup to compete over the course of the season. They also have the second-worst rated farm system at the moment with precious few highly-rated prospects in the system.

Right now, 24-year old C Scott Sheelah (.273/.360/.406, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 23 BB, 1.4 WAR) and 28-year old 1B Jacob Gadsden (.296/.348/.472, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, 1.1 WAR) lead a very hum-drum lineup, with 23-year old rookie Uki Edewada (.318/.364/.477, 5-2B, 18 RBI, 10 BB, 4 SB, 1.3 WAR – 39/55) getting regular starts at rightfield and batting out of the No. 3 spot against left-handers.

The pitching features mainly two standouts in the rotation. 32-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (6-4, 1.79 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 210 ERA+) has bounced back nicely from an injury-plagued season last year while 29-year old RHP Kazunori Fujimoto (6-3, 2.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 156 ERA+) is off to the best start of his 5-year career. But outside of 31-year old stopper RHP José Rodríguez (1-2, 5 SV, 3.04 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 123 ERA+), the pitching staff is not as formidable as previous Generals’ staffs were in years past. But they do have 22-year old LHP John Witheycombe (3-0, 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 100 ERA+ - 48/61), a 2nd-round pick from 1951-52 in the bullpen. If he can develop his third pitch (circle change – 25/50), he may be able to move into the rotation one day.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 21 – 2B Derek Reed (.524, 11 H, 2 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 16 – The Generals swept the visiting Wolseley Unions in a 3-game set, a series that saw back-to-back 1-0 victories in the final two games. In the second game, the Generals won when they finally pushed a run across the plate in the bottom of the 13th inning. While that game saw seven pitchers take the mound, Game 3 witnessed a brilliant matchup between two pitchers that each went the distance. For the Unions, 37-year old RHP Bill Blair pitched 8 innings, giving up 4 hits, one earned run and 4 strikeouts on 90 pitches (GS: 74). But Fort Richmond’s RHP Nicky Sherlock outdid him, pitching the United Leagues’ 11th no-hitter and first in nearly 3 years (9.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, 103 PI, GS: 90). Sherlock’s only blemish came early, when LF Carlton Hawking drew a two-out walk in the first inning. The only other baserunner for Wolseley was when 24-year old 2B Koto Honma reached safely on a throwing error in the 5th inning. But two pitches later, he was caught stealing at 2B to end the inning. The only run in the game was scored by 1B Jacob Gadsden, who launched a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the 7th.

October 19 – It was a tough day at the office for the pitchers, as the Fort Richmond Generals and Kingston Pelicans scored 20 runs off 29 hits. But the Generals got the lion’s share, defeating the Pelicans 13-7 on 19 hits. While Kingston’s 25-year old C Ronald Armstrong went 3 for 4 with 2 HR, 2 R and 5 RBI in a losing cause, Fort Richmond’s 26-year old LF Tom Lind (.281/.293/.404, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 0.0 WAR) when 5 for 6 with 5 singles, 1 R and 1 RBI. Lind’s teammate, 30-year old SS Derek Reed (.312/.344/.392, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 5 BB, 0.7 WAR) went 4 for 4 with a double, 1 R, 2 BB, and 2 RBI.

October 27 – 28-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (4-5, 4.46 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 84 ERA+) was on his ‘A’ game, as he blanked the visiting Kingston Pelicans 5-0 on 2 hits, allowing the Generals to take their 4-game matchup against Kingston, 3 games to one. Rowet’s no-hitter was broken up in the 6th inning when 33-year old 2B Dwayne Stace led off with a line drive single into right centerfield. Rowet walked 5 and struck out 7 on 137 PI (GS: 85).

November 28 – The Generals opened their 3-game home series against the Embro Suns with a 5-0 victory. The player of the game was RHP Kazunori Fujimoto who pitched a 2-hitter on 114 PI. Embro’s first hit came in the top of the 5th, when 29-year old 2B Robert Jameson led off with a single into rightfield. Fujimoto walked 2 and struck out 3 on the day (GS: 84).

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Offense: .253/.327/.359 (5th/5th/7th)
Pitching: 4.00/4.52/2.76 (5th/8th/3rd)
Defense: .703 (6th)

The Kingston Pelicans stumbled out of the gate, going 1-6 to start the season, before recovering somewhat to finish close to .500 at the end of November. The Pelicans are another team with a rather hum-drum cast of characters, although they are off to slightly better start than they did last season where they won only 60 games, their worst performance to date.

While the lineup has been lackluster, second-year player, 3B Mark Johnson (.275/.390/.392, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 31 BB, 1.9 WAR) has emerged as Kingston’s best overall player so far this season. The 28-year old was drafted in the 5th round back in 1949-50 and has been on the Pelicans’ roster for the past 4 seasons, but this is the first productive one and is getting regular starts. 29-year old C Carlos Camasura (.276/.402/.356, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 35 BB, 1.4 WAR – 74/74) and 25-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.286/.344/.469, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 14 BB, 6 SB, 1.3 WAR – 62/63) have also been productive, but it feels like they are capable of much more as Kingston designated offensive leaders.

The rotation has been a trainwreck, with only 30-year old ace RHP Kieran Bunce (6-3, 2.54 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 152 ERA+) being effective. In the bullpen, 31-year old stopper RHP Kaula Mafileo (4-3, 5 SV, 3.13 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 123 ERA+) remains his reliable self, while 26-year old RHP Lester Beddoes (1-2, 6 SV, 2.17 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 178 ERA+) has bounced back from a poor season last year.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 17 – 2B Dwayne Stacey (.478, 11 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI)
October 24 – CF Chris Ramsbottom (.522, 12 H, 6 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 17 – The Pelicans took two of three from the Fort Richmond Generals in their first matchup of the season. Game 1 witnessed an impressive pitching performance by 21-year old rookie LHP Ronald Dulihanty (4-4, 1 SV, 5.12 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 75 ERA+) in just his third career start. He pitched a 2-hitter, blanking the Generals 2-0 (5 BB, 5 K, 115 PI, GS: 83). Dulihanty carried a no-hitter into the top of the 9th, when he surrendered singles to 31-year old SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida and fellow rookie 23-year old RF Uki Edewada. All the scoring took place in the bottom the 5th, when 27-year old SS Charlie Cockin (.261/.329/.353, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 20 BB, 1.0 WAR) belted out a one-out two-run homer off Fort Richmond’s 28-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet.

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Offense: .250/.319/.361 (7th/7th/6th)
Pitching: 4.15/4.14/4.19 (8th/5th/7th)
Defense: .726 (3rd)

Expectations were not high for the Balmoral Giants this season and a 0-7 start in October certainly bore that out. But after going 4-12, they finished the month strong, going 11-2. But a disastrous November has certainly dashed any realistic hope that Balmoral could build upon their 82-72 record and 3rd-place finish last season.

35-year old LF Ángel Costa (.294/.387/.553, 12 HR, 31 RBI, 24 BB, 2.0 WAR) remains Balmoral’s top player while 29-year old C Alexander Pyatt (.316/.352/.413, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 9 BB, 1.4 WAR) continues to contribute, but overall, this is not a strong lineup. The Giants have installed their top prospect, 22-year old CF Quido De Jesús (.207/.257/.274, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 8 BB, 1 SB, 0.1 WAR – 43/70) at centerfield and at the top of the lineup. The 3rd-overall pick from 1953-54 is projected to become a ‘first-division starter’ by scouts.

The pitching staff is really struggling, with only 28-year old journeyman RHP Harry Dinsmore (3-5, 3.29 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 116 ERA+) pitching with any kind of consistency in his first season with Giants. The bullpen has been erratic as well, but both 31-year old stopper Bonie Bandong (0-2, 12 SV, 2.53 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 151 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Robert Embley (4-0, 2.42 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 157 ERA+) are offering a fine solid tandem that can help try to stabilize things.

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Offense: .251/.327/.369 (6th/4th/4th)
Pitching: 4.09/4.35/3.32 (6th/7th/4th)
Defense: .694 (8th)

The Wolseley Unions have simply picked up where they left off last season, when they finished with 61 wins, their worst showing in their previous 18 seasons. They are on course for no better than 62 wins this year and the reason is simple. After years of winning, age and a lack of premium talent in the pipeline have caught up with them. With the 3rd-worst rated farm system, the Unions have barely just begun their rebuild.

The lone bright spot in the lineup is 26-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.311/.381/.592, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 24 BB, 2.4 WAR), who is off to the best start of his 6-year career. 28-year old rookie CF Josh Eggert (.255/.301/.412, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 12 BB, 1.2 WAR – 41/43) saw his play improve in November. Eggert was drafted by the Unions in the 2nd-round of the 1950-51 draft as a pitcher/outfielder and saw success in the minors. Besides winning a playoff MVP award and a league championship, he won two Ball Hawk awards in the same season as pitcher and right fielder. In October 1953, he hit for the cycle and won a second Ball Hawk award as an outfielder before being released by the Unions organization in December 1954. But just 6 days later, he was signed by Wolseley’s AAA farm team, the Caledonia Jets. He finally reached the majors this season with the team that originally drafted him and has since won a Player of the Week award.

One curious move is the demotion of 34-year old SS/3B George Kimpton (.326/.375/.504, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 10 BB, 1.2 WAR) to being a utility player. He appears to be still more productive than either 27-year old SS Lenny McQuhirr (.283/.327/.413, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 10 BB, 0.3 WAR) or 30-year old 3B Paddy Leseberg (.175/.308/.192, 2-2B, 6 RBI, 22 BB, -0.1 WAR).

Like the offense, the pitching staff is a far cry from the dominant force it once was. 30-year old ace RHP Robert Garza (5-6, 3.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 107 ERA+) has been effective, especially in November (2-2, 2.61 ERA), as has 37-year old RHP Bill Blair (3-2, 2.37 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 159 ERA+). 34-year old Shou-xin Chin (2-5, 4 SV, 2.91 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 133 ERA+) remains an effective stopper.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 7 – 1B Carlos Ortíz (.421, 8 H, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)
November 14 – CF Josh Eggert (.519, 14 H, 7 RBI, 6 R)

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Offense: .246/.317/.348 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 4.09/4.05/4.39 (7th/4th/8th)
Defense: .704 (5th)

A 9-20 October would be alarming for most teams, but for the Hespeler Stars its just another day at the office. The projections for this season were not very lofty for the Stars to begin with but their performance thus far has been even worse, despite the couple of trades Hespeler made in the offseason to bolster their roster. It could still happen, but you wonder if the Stars are ever going to get it right.

Hespeler has three rookies in the lineup at the moment, so growing pains is not totally unexpected. Leading off is 24-year old LF Douggie Dallimore (.278/.365/.361, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 21 BB, 9 SB, 1.2 WAR – 49/54) who came over from Kingston along with SP Patrick Denman in a late July trade. Although Dallimore has no power, he is lights-out fast with decent contact and solid defensive skills. At the bottom of the lineup, the Stars are easing in both 23-year old C Aidan Bennie (.211/.267/.276, 5-2B, 6 RBI, 7 BB, -0.2 WAR – 48/74) and 24-year old 2B Shigemori Saikawa (.265/.265/.324, 2-2B, 4 RBI, 0.0 WAR – 40/49). Bennie, a 2nd-overall pick from 1954-55, is rated No. 2 among all prospects. Saikawa was a 7th-overall pick from 1953-54 and is more or less holding down the fort until 30-year old 2B Vic Lewis (.217/.283/.289, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, -0.1 WAR) can come back from injury.

Hespeler’s best player in the early going has been 24-year old 3B Clive Yarwood (.333/.422/.535, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 19 BB, 2.0 WAR), while 4-time all-star, 32-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.298/.349/.399, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 16 BB, 1.5 WAR) is a bit off the hot pace he enjoyed over his previous two seasons.

Hespeler’s pitching has been uneven to say the least. However, 27-year old RHP Battista Carotta (5-4, 2.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 131 ERA+) has been pitching like an ace and make pick up his first all-star selection if he can stay healthy. 26-year old sophomore LHP Amoka Kalea (2-7, 3.56 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 109 ERA+) has shown promise despite a rough November (0-4, 4.15 ERA). He was another trade acquisition in the off-season, from the Queensland Eagles.

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Bottom Of The Sixth · 12-25-2021, 06:09 PM

Super great stuff, Reds1!

As you well know, I've been faithfully following your league for many years and the quality and effort you put into it keeps getting better and more entertaining every year!

Kudos to you for continuing to produce very high quality league reports for all of these years! You have set the bar very high for others to try and follow but who never can duplicate!

Thank You my friend!

DreamTeams · 12-26-2021, 03:00 PM

Great to see the Trolleys continue the push for the title as the season has started out well. The report that the young pups are starting to contribute is welcome news, as well. Go Trolleys!

reds1 · 12-30-2021, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottom Of The Sixth

Super great stuff, Reds1!

As you well know, I've been faithfully following your league for many years and the quality and effort you put into it keeps getting better and more entertaining every year!

Kudos to you for continuing to produce very high quality league reports for all of these years! You have set the bar very high for others to try and follow but who never can duplicate!

Thank You my friend!

Thanks, Chad!

(Oh, where is that thanks button?)

reds1 · 12-30-2021, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamTeams

Great to see the Trolleys continue the push for the title as the season has started out well. The report that the young pups are starting to contribute is welcome news, as well. Go Trolleys!

Hurray for the Metro Leagues! 'Slippery Bradbury'. Now that is a baseball name.

reds1 · 12-30-2021, 12:50 PM

Downie, Dec. 6 – The Kingston Pelicans enter uncharted waters at this year’s Amateur Draft, as this will be the first time that they will be making the first overall pick. After avoiding the basement for their first 17 seasons, the Pelicans finally hit rock bottom last season with a 60-94 record to earn the first pick. Pelicans GM Kane Overell has been at the helm of the team since the 1943-44 season. Over the past 12 seasons, Kingston has made the playoffs 5 times, winning three Western League Pennants and one United Cup. That Cup came in Overell’s first year as general manager. But in recent years, the Pelicans have steadily fallen in the standings until they finally fell into the basement last season.

But it’s not as though Overell has been striking out on his draft selections over the past several years. The Pelicans can claim quality picks currently on the roster with the likes of C Carlos Camasura (2nd round pick in 1944-45; 74/74), RF Mo Spenceley (13th overall pick in 1945-46; 53/53), SS Charlie Cockin (16th overall pick in 1946-47; 61/61), SP Kieran Bunce (16th overall pick in 1947-48; 57/57) and CF Chris Ramsbottom (8th overall pick in 1951-52; 62/63) to name a few. But as their recent fortunes bear out, more work is needed to turn things around.

“We have some quality players in the lineup”, agreed Overell, “but he have some gaping holes as well if I’m perfectly honest. We have a chance now to try and plug them. High picks mean that you are not doing well in the standings of course, but when they come, you need to make your blows count. Hopefully this can be start of where we turn things around.”

Following the Pelicans on the draft board are the Wolseley Unions, who in recent years have been more accustomed to selecting in the bottom half of the 10 rounds that make up the Braeland Amateur Draft. This year, they will pick 2nd overall for the first time in franchise history. The highest selection made before this year was 3rd overall, back in 1940-41 when they picked IF Jorge Arredondo. The 34-year old Cuban-native was traded to the Brunswick Legends back in December 1946 where he went on to earn three all-star appearances and three Ball Hawk Awards. Tzu-yu Jin, who was hired as Wolseley’s new general manager this past off-season, will be looking to turn around the Unions’ fortunes as well, which fell on hard times last year when they barely finished just ahead of the Pelicans in the standings.

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Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round:

1st Pick – Kingston Pelicans:

OF Dan Hesketh (27/70) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.
Status: CO Junior

For their first overall pick, GM Kane Overell reached out to Australia for the immensely talented Dan Hesketh. The Brisbane-native has top-of-the scale speed with terrific baserunning and bunting skills. He grades out as a plus contact hitter with outstanding defensive abilities at either center or rightfield. He projects to be an impact player for a top-tier team.

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2nd Pick – Wolseley Unions:

IF/OF Jonathan Higgins (25/58) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Junior; University of Nebraska

Tzu-yu Jin taps the American mid-west for his first pick as Wolseley’s GM. Higgins, who hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an immensely versatile fielder who can play anywhere in the outfield with ease. He too, has top-flight speed and will steal his share of bases. As his pitch recognition improves, he should make consistent contact. Scouts feel that he has a very promising future in the United Leagues.

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3rd Pick – Hespeler Stars:

IF/OF Alistair Benney (20/73) – 18-years old; 5’-8”, 155 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: HS Senior

The first Braelander picked in the draft is Golspie, Oxford native, Alistair Benney. Benney’s greatest strength is his bat: he has plus-plus contact ability and a very smooth swing that will allow him to hit for average. He should also grow into an above average power hitter as well. Defensively, he has good range and profiles as an everyday second baseman.

Fun fact: at last season’s amateur draft, the Stars selected C Aidan Bennie second overall. That means that one day there may be an A. Bennie and an A. Benney on the same roster.

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4th Pick – Wellington Athletics:

IF/OF Jorge López (20/69) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 160 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH.
Status: HS Senior

The Athletics select fourth overall for the second consecutive season. This year, they go with the young López from Aruba. López projects to be a force at the plate, with above average contact and power. With excellent range, he should develop into an above average outfielder as well.

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5th Pick – Cobourg Redlegs:

1B Vic Weld (20/58) – 18-years old; 6’-0”, 200 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: HS Senior

The Redlegs go with Vic Weld of Hespeler. Weld’s greatest strength is his bat as well. He shows plus contact ability that should translate into a solid batting average. He has a fluid swing and shows above average power potential. Defensively, he looks to be a development project for a starting role at first base.

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6th Pick – Downie Chiefs:

OF Gary Scofield (20/71) – 18-years old; 5’-8”, 150 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.
Status: HS Senior

The Chiefs take the young Scofield of Cobourg as their first pick. Scofield show tremendous potential at the plate, with raw power, patience and a quick bat that should handle most fastballs and draw plenty of walks. Defensively, he has very good range and throwing arm that should suit him well as an outfielder.

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7th Pick – Sherburn Tigers:

OF Carlos Cuevas (24/56) – 21-years old; 6’-2”, 200 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.
Status: CO Junior; Puerto Rico-Utuado

The Tigers take Cuevas of Puerto Rico as their first pick. Cuevas has a sweet, fluid swing that will allow him to drive the ball with consistency and become an above average power hitter. Defensively, he should also become an above average outfielder, especially on the corners. Although not fast, he is a smart baserunner and will steal a few. Scouts consider him a future second division starter at rightfield.

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8th Pick – Queensland Eagles:

OF Nobuyori Sugahara (20/67) – 18-years old; 6’-0”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

Queensland takes Sugahara from Japan, who projects to be among the best in the baseball at working the count and drawing walks, with above average contact potential. He has the speed and baserunning skills to one day steal around 20 bases a season. With good range in the outfield, scouts believe that he as a very promising future in the majors.

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9th Pick – Brunswick Legends:

3B Al Annear (20/59) – 19-years old; 5’-10”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

The second Australian taken in the first round, the young Annear also boasts an impressive bat, with a balanced, rhythmic swing. The Perth-native should become a talented contact hitter with the potential to slam 20 homers a season. While he may not become a star, he should still become a solid contributor one day.

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10th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:

C Shane Acton (20/54) – 18-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH.

The Generals select Acton from Tansley, Dunwich. Acton’s greatest strength his is power abilities. When fully developed, he should have enough power to hit his share of balls out of the park. However, he grades out as a slightly below average contact hitter.

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11th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs:

IF/OF Andrew MacDerment (34/61) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.

The fifth Braelander selected, the Monarchs take Andrew MacDerment, an enticing all-around player. MacDerment is blessed with above average contact skills, a smooth swing with quick hands and good pitch recognition. He projects to be an above average power hitter as well. With solid speed on the basepaths and excellent range and arm in the outfield, the Rutherglen, Perth native is projected to make a solid impact on the field and at the plate.

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12th Pick – Embro Suns:

2B James Reed (20/56) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

Embro takes a young infielder from Fort Richmond. Scouts like his offensive capabilities. Reed has a feel for the strike zone and knows when to lay off a bad pitch. Besides a fluid swing he shows above average power potential. Defensively, however, is considered merely average.

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13th Pick – Balmoral Giants:

IF/OF Maurice Gayford (20/67) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

Balmoral picks Maurice Gayford from Wolseley, whose speed and baserunning skills should regularly put pressure on defenses. Gayford has above average contact potential and with further development, good power and plate discipline. Defensively, he has excellent range and arm strength for any position in the infield. Scouts really like his ceiling and feel he can one day be a first division starter.

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14th Pick – Cambria Cannons:

OF Kuauli Walenekino (29/53) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH.

Cambria goes with the speedy Walenekino from Fiji. Walenekino is blessed with blazing speed and great timing, which should give him the green light to steal every time he reaches base. He should one day be among the leaders in stolen bases each year. He is also an elite defensive center fielder. A smooth right-handed swing should help him hit around 25 home runs a season one day. The consensus is that he will soon flourish in the majors.

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15th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:

3B Callum Gunton (31/52) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 195 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

The Trolleys select Cobourg-native Callum Gunton with their first pick. Gunton possess a lot of talent and grades out as a plus contact hitter although he may difficulty in strike zone judgement. Although he may win many defensive awards, he should be a proficient third baseman in the majors.

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16th Pick – Stratford Barons:

IF Manalagenna Ulani (20/44) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.

To close out the first round, the Barons selected Manalagenna Ulani, the second Fujian to be taken in the initial round. Ulani’s greatest asset is his defensive play. With a great arm and range, he should be a well above average defender. However, while he should have an average eye at the plate, he is considered a slightly below average contact hitter. Unless he improves, he may prove to be more useful as a role player than starter.

reds1 · 12-31-2021, 11:14 AM

December 31, 1955

Here are the standings and leaderboards for both Leagues at the end of games on December 31:

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Here are the latest results of the All-Star voting for both Leagues.

DreamTeams · 12-31-2021, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reds1

Hurray for the Metro Leagues! 'Slippery Bradbury'. Now that is a baseball name.

Thanks reds1. Agree.

Hey, the Trolleys still looking good, 4 games up on closest competition. So far, a strong season with Thirkettle, Koerner and Tyson at top 3 in WAR. Wow!

reds1 · 01-04-2022, 12:00 AM

January 1, 1956

Looking Back: The 1945-46 Amateur Draft

The 1945-46 draft class was definitely top-heavy as the first three picks have gone on to enjoy hall of fame or near-hall of fame careers. But there were many useful players taken in the first and subsequent rounds as well that are currently thriving in the United Leagues. But as always, there were at least one or two players drafted in the first round whose resulting careers were hugely disappointing.

Below is a summary of the best players selected, a couple of busts and one late round standout:

Cream of the Crop:

CF Raymond Williams – 1st overall pick by the Cobourg Red Stockings/Redlegs

Career: .320/.390/.556, 1343 G, 5268 AB, 1688 H, 264-2B, 111-3B, 252 HR, 953 RBI, 982 R, 592 BB, 416 K, 122 SB, 117 CS, .946 OPS, 155 OPS+, 152 wRC+, 63.7 WAR

Achievements:

• 8-time All-Star
• 1949-50 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award
• 1951-52 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award
• 1950-51 All-Star Game MVP
• 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team
• 10-time Batter of the Month
• 12-time Player of the Week
• Hit for the Cycle – March 10, 1955

What the original scouting report said:

“Williams has the makings of a rock-solid player in the United Leagues, as his greatest strength is perhaps that he has few weaknesses. He should hit for good contact with a bit of power, to go along with strong defense and above-average speed.”

Comments: The scouts and Cobourg got it right: if there was anyone who was a sure thing, it was Williams. Currently the top-rated position player in the United Leagues, Williams is a 5-tool player with few weaknesses. In 1949-50, he hit .353, his personal best. Four years later in 1953-54 when he batted .332, he hit for 45 home runs and 377 total bases, both ULB records. He currently leads in career SLG with .5562, ahead of Hall of Fame member Paul Hooks (.5553).

Although he has yet to win a Ball Hawk Award, he has always been a solid outfielder with incredible range (65) and throwing arm (70). Perhaps his only weakness has been in base stealing. Despite being one of the fastest players (75) with amazing stealing (75) and baserunning abilities (70), he has barely stolen more bases (122) than he has been caught stealing (117). But that is nitpicking. Williams has been and continues to be a cornerstone player whose resume is missing only a championship ring.

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SS Zhao-hui Qian – 2nd overall pick originally by the Wellington Athletics

Career: .290/.349/.425, 1299 G, 5088 AB, 1476 H, 246-2B, 57-3B, 109 HR, 616 RBI, 712 R, 486 BB, 533 K, 92 SB, 52 CS, .774 OPS, 115 OPS+, 121 wRC+, 46.0 WAR

Achievements:

• 4-time All-Star
• 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team
• 3-time Ball Hawk Award winner
• 8-time Player of the Week

What the original scouting report said:

“Qian hails from Taiwan and has the tools to be a stalwart at shortstop for years. He is sure handed in the field and blessed with outstanding speed. Like Williams who was selected before him, Qian should hit for high average. He will not be a home run threat however.”

Comments: Qian did indeed become a stalwart shortstop almost immediately when he reached the majors, winning two Ball Hawk Awards for the Athletics before being traded in January 1950 to the Hespeler Stars in a deal that saw OF Jim Mars and RHP Troy Conlin head to Wellington in return. After leading off for Wellington, Qian served as Hespeler’s No. 3 hitter and later, their clean-up hitter in a talent-poor squad. There, he developed some decent power, hitting a career high of 22 home runs in 1953-54. From 1952 to 1954, he was rated as the top shortstop in the United Leagues and remains in the top 10 this season. But Qian has yet to get a taste the playoffs, as he is saddled with a team that has been unable to get its act together. And at 32-years of age, you have to wonder if time is running out on the gifted shortstop.

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2B/3B Dominic Dudding – 3rd overall pick by the Downie Chiefs

Career: .313/.381/.513, 1204 G, 4592 AB, 1436 H, 241-2B, 63-3B, 184 HR, 821 RBI, 756 R, 512 BB, 303 K, 43 SB, 37 CS, .893 OPS, 147 OPS+, 142 wRC+, 47.2 WAR

Achievements:

• 8-time All-Star
• 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team
• 1949-50 Eastern League Pennant Series MVP
• 3-time Batter of the Month
• 11-time Player of the Week
• Finished 2nd in Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting twice

What the original scouting report said:

“The second Braeland City native selected, the Chiefs also went with a player with similar skills as the first two picks: plus contact potential, some pop and speed. The hot corner is considered his strongest position in the field.”

Comments: Dudding was the third-straight player taken in the draft that delivered on his promise. While he never developed into a base stealing threat nor into an award-winning defender, he was no slouch in either. But it was with his bat that he really made his mark. In 1948-49, his first full season, he led the entire United Leagues in home runs (30) and RBIs (134). For the next two seasons, he was the top-rated third baseman in the Leagues. Then in 1951-52, he made the move to second base and was the top-rated 2B for two seasons until Patrick Lidgate made his ascendancy in 1953. Since then, Dudding has been a comfortable No. 2 and has never left the Top 10 for all position players until this season (No. 14). At age 23, Dudding helped the Chiefs to a United Cup Championship, batting .350/.395/675 in 9 playoff games and picked up MVP honours in the Eastern League Pennant Series. Like Cobourg’s Raymond Williams, he is still in his prime and should continue as one the top players in the ULB for the foreseeable future.

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RHP Magtanggol Jajoco – 6th overall pick by the Stratford Barons

Career: 121-80, 30 SV, 3.50 ERA, 194 GS, 1743.0 IP, 715 BB, 893 K, 111 CG, 22 SHO, 1.34 WHIP, .269 BABIP, 3.62 FIP, 32.4 WAR, 117 ERA+

Achievements:

• 3-time All-Star
• 1951-52 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award
• 1953-54 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award
• 5-time Pitcher of the Month
• 1-time Player of the Week

What the original scouting report said:

“Jaojoco, from the Philippines, has the makings of carving out a pretty good career in the ULB, with respectable stuff, incredible movement and decent command. His velocity is certainly not off the charts, but he has a nice arsenal of pitches.”

Comments: Jaojoco was the first pitcher selected in the draft and the best. The Barons selected another pitcher in the second round, 28-year old RHP Ted Smith. Both have been mainstays in Stratford’s starting rotation, but Jaojoco went on to establish himself as one of the top pitchers in the United Leagues, albeit for a short time. In October 1946 he was declared the No. 2-rated prospect and by the early 1950’s, he delivered on that promise, eventually being ranked as the top pitcher in the United Leagues in 1953-54. In that stretch, he won two Eastern League Satchel Paige Awards and finished 3rd in the voting in 1952-53.

This year, he has slipped out of the Top 20 rankings for pitchers and is no longer the best pitcher on his club. But he remains effective and continues to show flashes of his previous greatness, as witnessed by his snaring Pitcher of the Month honours this past November.

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Biggest Draft Disappointments:

The first round produced premium talent that is still making it presence felt in the United Leagues. However, there were a couple of players that proved to be busts and downright frustrating:

RHP Freddie Trerise – 8th overall pick originally by the Braeland City Monarchs

Career: 36-46, 5 SV, 4.63 ERA, 113 GS, 682.2 IP, 494 BB, 330 K, 4 CG, 1 SHO, 1.67 WHIP, .269 BABIP, 4.75 FIP, 3.4 WAR, 89 ERA+

Minor League Achievements:

• 2-time Player of the Week
• 1-time All-Star

What the original scouting report said:

“The Monarchs select a Pulberry kid who has the potential to be a terrific pitcher in the ULB. Trerise has nice stuff, top-notch movement and above-average control with three good pitches. Scouts considered him the best pitcher available in the draft.”

Comments: The scouts weren’t necessarily wrong. Trerise may have been the best pitcher in the draft and was drafted only a couple of picks after Jaojoco. His minor league start was promising, pitching a no-hitter in Double-A in January 1946 and leading his team in a number of pitching categories that first minor league season. The following season, he was rated 4th overall among prospects, was selected to the Triple-A All-Star Game and won a Triple-A championship. But during that same season he tore a finger tendon, and it was all down hill from there. The following year he had fallen to No. 62 among prospects and repeatedly got injured, missing multiple seasons with torn elbow ligaments, torn labrums and dealing with a chronic back ailment when he wasn't on the long-term injury list.

Finally in 1953, Braeland City gave up on him and he has drifted from one minor league team to another. Today, he is toiling as a reliver in Triple-A in the Cobourg Redlegs organization, dealing with bouts of wildness no doubt caused by repeated arm injuries over the years. His experience elicits more sadness than frustration for me now, as I didn’t realize just how much his career was done in by injuries.

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OF Louie Pate – 10th overall pick by the Sherburn Tigers

Career: .286/.332/.421, 871 G, 2777 AB, 795 H, 170-2B, 23-3B, 53 HR, 372 RBI, 361 R, 187 BB, 198 K, 7 SB, 9 CS, .753 OPS, 111 OPS+, 115 wRC+, 6.6 WAR

Achievements:

• 2-time Player of the Week

Minor League Achievements:

• 2-time Player of the Week
• 1954-55 East Coast League Josh Gibson Award (Triple-A)

What the original scouting report said:

“Considered the top prospect available in the draft, Pate remained on the board until the 10th pick, made by the Tigers. While the young outfielder from Delamere should hold his own at the plate, I expect his so-so defense and mediocre speed caused him to drop down the board.”

Comments: OK, here is one the scouts got flat-out wrong. After being drafted, Pate was rated only #62 among prospects, clearly not “the top prospect available in the draft”. He did show some promise in 1950 and 1951, winning a couple of Player of the Week Awards. His best year in the majors was in 1950-51, where he batted .311/.343/.438, 11 HR, 70 RBI, 24 BB, 2.0 WAR in 573 at-bats. But he mysteriously regressed quickly after that. Both his hitting and defense became indifferent. Perhaps it was his attitude; Pate was known for having a disruptive personality and his scouting report states that “Teammates have run out of patience with his selfish attitude”.

Sherburn finally ran of patience when they finally released him in October 1954. He joined the Kingston Pelicans organization a few days later and that is where he currently resides. His time in Triple-A has not been unproductive, however. Last season, he won a couple of Player of the Week Awards as well as the 1954 Triple-A Josh Gibson Award for best hitter. But the Pelicans show no inclination of promoting him and his days as a major league hitter are probably long behind him. And he can’t blame injuries for that either.

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Later-Round Standout:

The later rounds of this draft were a pleasant surprise as a number of players, especially pitchers, are enjoying productive careers in the United Leagues. An honourable mention is 28-year old RHP Vinnie Snell, a 98th overall pick (7th round) by the Wellington Athletics. Snell (45-40, 3.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 104 ERA+) has been improving with each passing year and earned his first all-star selection last season. He is on pace to earn his second this year.

But one player in particular was the clear choice for me:

RHP Marcus Turvill – 115th overall pick (Round 8, Pick 3) originally by the Downie Chiefs.

Career: 94-48, 2 SV, 2.97 ERA, 94 GS, 772.2 IP, 193 BB, 564 K, 42 CG, 11 SHO, 1.08 WHIP, .253 BABIP, 3.32 FIP, 18.0 WAR, 137 ERA+

Achievements:

• 3-time All-Star
• 1-time Pitcher of the Month
• 4-time Rookie of the Month
• Finished 2nd in 1953-54 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award voting

Comments: Selected in the final round of the draft, Turvill did not appear to be a diamond in the rough, at least not at first. In 1947-48 in Double-A, Turvill pitched in 60 games and went 15-4, 8 SV, 2.65 ERA, 155 WHIP. The following season though saw him lose 9 months due to a torn UCL, but he bounced back in 1949-50, pitching 19-6, 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP. Despite that, Downie allowed him to leave as a minor league free agent in April 1951 and he soon joined Cobourg’s minor league system. That is where he began his transformation into a major league pitcher. His stuff while slowing improving over the years, jumped from 50/55 in July 1951 to 70/75 in September 1952, and has remained at 70/70 since then. It has been his stuff and three great pitches (fastball – 60/60; curveball – 65/65; changeup – 60/60) that has seen him thrive in the major leagues since he was called up for good in 1952-53. Goodness knows it hasn’t been his movement (25/25) which has never been impressive, although his control is respectable (50/50).

In that initial season, he won four Rookie of the Month honours and finished 3rd in the voting for Rookie of the Year. As recently as July 1954, he was rated No. 7 among pitchers and has become a league leader in shutouts over the past two seasons. Last season, he tied the record for most shutouts in a season with 8 and despite having only 4 seasons under his belt, he leads the United Leagues in five career categories: Hits allowed/9 IP (7.47), K/9 IP (6.57), Walk + Hits/IP (1.08), Opp. AVG (.2253) and Opp. OBP (.2813). Not bad for a player selected 115th out of a class of 128.

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reds1 · 02-19-2022, 10:48 PM

January 10, 1956

Hometown Tigers Roar as West Wins Wild Mid-Season Classic

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Sherburn, Oxford (BP) – For the third time in United Leagues history, the All-Star Game had to be settled in extra innings. Two of those extra-inning affairs have taken place at the Paramount in Sherburn, with the Western League pulling out a thrilling win in both. Back in 1940, the West eked out a 11-10 victory in 11 innings. This year, the Western League squandered a 4-run lead before tying things up in the 8th and coming back in the bottom of the 10th to win their 8th All-Star Game. The East still leads in that category with 11 wins.

25-year old CF Ross Shewman, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 4th inning in place of Pulberry’s CF Cooper Tyson, was one of two hometown Tigers who hit home runs in the game. Shewman hit his home run in walk-off fashion, helping the West pull out the victory. For his efforts, Shewman picked up Player of the Game honors.

But the extra inning heroics likely would not have been needed if not for some questionable pitching staff management. For some inexplicable reason, Kingston’s RHP Kieran Bunce was left in the game for 2.2 innings and 73 pitches, where he surrendered 6 earned runs, 4 walks and the lead. But the Westerners fought back and pulled out the win, sending the 25,400 partisan fans home happy.

The Eastern League opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd, when Wellington’s Jim Mars slammed a first-pitch solo home run off Wolseley’s RHP Roberto Garza.

But the West came right back in the bottom half when Cambria’s César Ruíz led off with a double off Wellington’s RHP Finley Capstick. Two outs later, Balmoral’s Ángel Costa and Pulberry’s Cooper Tyson banged out back-to-back singles to tie up the game.

The Westerners appeared to break it open in the bottom of the 4th, where César Ruíz led off with a single off Queensland’s Logan Belsey, then scored one out later when Balmoral’s Sean Brearton tripled into left-centerfield.
After Sherburn’s Christopher Dainty walked, two of his fellow Tigers teammates immediately followed. Ross Shewman doubled into centerfield to score Brearton, while Albert Sulley’s ground out to Embro’s 3B Moromao Nakagawa scored Dainty.
Cambria’s Carlos Corea then singled into shallow leftfield, allowing Shewman to race around 3B and beat out the throw from Queensland’s LF Rod Dennis to put the West up by four.

RHP Kieran Bunce took the mound with one out in the top of the 6th and kept the Eastern League hitters baffled until the wheels went off the rails in the 8th.

First, Braeland City’s Dean Witherden led off with a solo home run to the rightfield bleachers. Brunswick’s Jay Mitchell then banged out a first-pitch triple and scored when Stratford’s Matthew Channing grounded out to 2B Sean Brearton.
With two out, Stratford’s Andy Faulkner battled Bunce to a full count before beating out Bunce’s throw to 1B, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Bunce soon loaded the bases when he surrendered back-to-back walks to Downie’s Alfonso León and Embro’s Moromao Nakagawa. Wellington’s Matthew Floyd then lined a double into centerfield to clear the bases and give the East the lead.
Stratford’s Aaron Skidmore followed with a single into centerfield to score Floyd. Bunce then gave up a double to Cobourg’s Harry Doxey and a walk to Jay Mitchell before Bunce finally got out of the inning when Matthew Channing grounded out to 2B Sean Brearton.

But the Western League evened things up in the bottom of the 8th with a couple of solo home runs by Christopher Dainty and Kingston’s Mo Spenceley.

Fort Richmond’s RHP Nicky Sherlock relieved Kieran Bunce in the 9th and got the East to go down in order, while Embro’s RHP Phil McKelvey did the same against the West in the bottom of the 9th, forcing extras.

But in the top of the 10th, Sherlock would give the lead back to the East, at least temporarily. Moromao Nakagawa led off with a single, then reached 2B when Brunswick’s Carl Patton grounded out to Hespeler’s 3B Clive Yarwood. Queensland’s Robbie Leivers then singled home Nakagawa to give the East the lead.

But Cobourg’s LHP Bill Budd, who took the mound in the bottom of the 10th, couldn’t make the lead stick. Kingston’s Chris Ramsbottom quickly tied things up when he led off with a solo home run to the left-centerfield stands.

Budd got the next two batters out, but Sherburn’s Ross Shewman quickly ended the 19th All-Star Game when he launched Budd’s first offering 456 ft. into the centerfield bleachers for a walk-off, solo home run.

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Here are the complete All-Star rosters and final voting results:

reds1 · 02-20-2022, 01:39 AM

[Updates might be a bit more sporadic than usual as I have a close family member that has been in the hospital for more than a month and my wife and I are set to move to a new abode next month for the first time in 20 years. So things will be a little more hectic for me over the next few weeks.]

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January 11, 1956 - Snapshot

Here is a snapshot of the Leagues at the All-Star break, with a couple of developments I found interesting:

• The Hespeler Stars began the season 9-20 and were 21-33 at the end of November, putting them in last place, 13 games back of top spot in the West. But since December 1, they have gone 24-10 (7-1 so far in January) and have moved into the first division and just 3 games back of the wild card. Is this a harbinger of better things or just a blip for the last remaining team still seeking their first playoff appearance?

• Offense has always been a bit more robust in the minor leagues, but this season is seeing some potential record-breaking numbers being racked up. In particular, home runs are being generated like never before. In Double-A, the season home run record is 48, set last season. But this year, Wellington’s Elliot Loder is on pace for 71. He is just 9 homers shy of the current mark. But Triple-A is also seeing an increase in the number of long bombs. Last year, Hespeler’s minor league player Craig Diprose hit 40 home runs, breaking the old mark of 39. But this season, Queensland’s farmhand, 24-year old Seb Kingman, is on pace for hitting 63. That’s understandable in Triple-A, as LgAvg and LgERA are both up compared to last season. But LgAvg and LgERA are actually down this season in Double-A, so who knows what is going on there.

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DreamTeams · 02-22-2022, 07:55 PM

Hope all goes well with your family, reds1. Thanks for the update.

reds1 · 03-23-2022, 04:21 PM

February 1, 1956

Eastern League: Athletics Take Over Top Spot While Barons Load Up

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Offense: .258/.331/.375 (4th/6th/7th)
Pitching: 3.51/3.49/3.59 (1st/1st/4th)
Defense: .734 (1st)

Despite falling back to third place by mid-December, the Wellington Athletics did not falter for long. After re-taking the wildcard spot from the Queensland Eagles by the end of the month, the Athletics closed in on the league-leading Stratford Barons by the All-Star break. They then went 12-2 immediately after the break to take top spot in the East. That stretch included taking 3 of 4 games from the Barons, where they outscored Stratford, 21-12.

The strength of the team continues to be the starting rotation, where the still developing 24-year old sophomore RHP Mike Murray (6-5, 3.78 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 104 ERA+ - 53/68) has taken over the No. 1 spot. But 28-year old RHP Vinnie Snell (8-6, 3.35 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 117 ERA+) continues his steady play and a surprising 32-year old RHP Hyun-kyoo Sin (13-4, 2.78 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 141 ERA+) has transformed himself into the best pitcher on the squad this season. The 10-year veteran (63-77, 4.73 ERA, 156 WHIP, 86 ERA+ lifetime) was a waiver wire pick-up from the Brunswick Legends back in December 1953. He has not enjoyed a winning season since he went 16-12, 3.97 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 101 ERA+ with Brunswick back in 1949-50.

The offense continues to trail the other teams in the East and there is concern as to whether it can hold up down the stretch. But 28-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.326/.438/.561, 19 HR, 78 RBI, 72 BB, 15 SB, 5.8 WAR – 80/80) is steadily returning to his status as one of the best position players in the ULB he enjoyed three seasons ago. He is joined by 30-year old RF Jim Mars (.327/.395/.488, 10 HR, 66 RBI, 44 BB, 4.0 WAR) and 28-year old 1B Wayne Emmert (.298/.392/.455, 8 HR, 39 RBI, 56 BB, 3.1 WAR), who are both enjoying their best seasons in years.

The Athletics also have two former 1st-round picks on the major league roster who could provide an offensive boost soon, although it may not come soon enough: 24-year old IF/OF Jordan Backhouse (.263/.324/.338, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 10 BB, 2 SB, 0.4 WAR – 49/57) and 25-year old OF Noel Johnston (.221/.376/.309, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 16 BB, 0.1 WAR – 49/62).

All-Star Selections:

RHP Vinnie Snell (2nd)
RHP Finley Capstick (4th)
LF Matthew Floyd (5th)
RF Jim Mars (6th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 26 – LF Matthew Floyd (.500, 14 H, 4 HR, 15 RBI)
January 16 – 1B Wayne Emmert (.562, 9 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI)

Key Trade: January 12 with the Embro Suns:

To Wellington – 30-year old 3B Keon-chae Cho (53/53)
To Embro – 26-year old RF Thom Larsen (43/47) and 18-year old minor league RHP Wayne Beardsall (23/44)

Knee-jerk reaction: Essentially a trade of two utility players, except that Embro has made Larsen their starting centerfielder and Cho would appear to be deserving to start at third base for Wellington. With 29-year old OF Orlando Morales (.207/248/.321, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 17 BB, 3 SB, -1.0 WAR) struggling this season, the Suns went out and acquired Larsen, an incredibly gifted defensively outfielder with amazing speed. However, while his eye at the plate grades out as above average (60), he is not an especially gifted offensive player, which may hold him back from a regular role in the lineup.

Cho’s best season came in 1949-50, when he racked up 4.1 WAR and won Game MVP honors in his lone All-Star appearance. But since then, he has been relegated to back-up duties behind last year’s EL Babe Ruth Award winner, Moromao Nakagawa (.310/.406/.554, 22 HR, 80 RBI, 64 BB, 4.6 WAR). Cho is a steady outfielder with a decent bat with some power (60) and a great eye (75). However, he struggles with consistent contact (45). For now, he is buried deep in Wellington’s depth chart, but frankly he deserves to start over the Athletics current starting third baseman, 29-year old Yorikane Takeuchi (.196/.267/.270, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 30 BB, 0.1 WAR).

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Offense: .248/.335/.391 (6th/3rd/5th)
Pitching: 3.77/3.81/3.63 (3rd/2nd/5th)
Defense: .712 (4th)

The Stratford Barons enjoyed the best record in the United Leagues at the end of December but took a tumble in January and find themselves holding down the wildcard spot. They dropped 5 of 8 games against the lowly Cobourg Redlegs and 4 of 7 against the Athletics last month. The regression is particularly noticeable on the pitching staff. However, the lineup has not been consistent either. In view of that, they made three high profile trades to try and shore up their bullpen and add a major spark to their offense.

On paper, the offense should be one of the most potent in the East. That holds true for 36-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.279/.438/.484, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 62 BB, 3.5 WAR) although Skidmore endured a slump in December (.196/.403/.348) before bouncing back in January (.302/.429/.476). Close behind him are 27-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.280/.336/.469, 15 HR, 63 RBI, 32 BB, 6 SB, 3.3 WAR) and 27-year old RF Andy Faulkner (.270/.397/.462, 17 HR, 56 RBI, 74 BB, 3.2 WAR), who was particularly hot in January (.322/.445/.544). But other than 26-year old 1B Sherwin Carasig (.309/.374/.486, 13 HR, 61 RBI, 38 BB, 11 SB, 2.8 WAR), who is enjoying a nice bounce-back after an injury-plagued season last year, the rest of the lineup has been lagging.

27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (14-6, 1.73 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 229 ERA+) remains arguably the best starter in the East, but outside of 28-year old RHP Ted Smith (10-6, 3.22 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 123 ERA), the rotation and particularly the bullpen have regressed.

All-Star Selections:

LHP Robin Wadsworth (2nd)
RHP Bill Wolf (3rd)
C Aaron Skidmore (15th)
2B Matthew Channing (3rd)
RF Andy Faulkner (3rd)

Noteworthy:

December 24 – The Brunswick Legends may have jumped out to a 9-2 lead and held on to win 9-7 the day before, but 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth completely shut down the Legends’ bats the following day right in Brunswick. Stratford’s ace limited the Legends to just two hits, leading the Barons to a 1-0 victory. The only run came in the top of the third, when CF Mo Brinklow led off with a double, reached 3B on a Matthew Channing 4-3 ground out, then came home on a Sherwin Carasig sac fly to leftfield. The only two hits for Brunswick came in the bottom of the 4th, when Wadsworth gave up back-to-back two-out singles. In all, Wadsworth walked 3, struck out 7 on 127 PI (GS: 87).

Key Trade #1: January 4 with the Downie Chiefs:

To Stratford – 32-year old RHP Bill Lafontaine (62/62)
To Downie – 23-year old minor league LF Bryan Crocker (26/34) and 23-year old minor league C Hollis Chase (38/50)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Barons were aggressive in the days leading up to the trade deadline, pulling the trigger on three trades to try and beef up their bullpen and secure the rights to one the top position players in the United Leagues. And all three trades saw them give up relatively little in the way of premium talent. The first trade brought back Lafontaine; a former 1st-round pick originally selected by Stratford in 1942-43. He has been a serviceable reliever over the past 12 seasons, with very good stuff (55), movement (60) and control (60). His two main pitches are the cutter (55) and slider (45). He now becomes the Barons’ stopper, taking over from RHP Frank Greggs who was shipped out in a separate trade a few weeks later.

The Chiefs who evidently are entering rebuilding mode, receive a couple of ho-hum minor leaguers in return. The most promising is Chase, who has good contact skills and pitch recognition to go along with above average defensively skills behind the plate. He may become a starter one day. Crocker, however, has incredible speed and base-stealing skills and provides above average defense in the outfield. But his bat is anemic, making him more of a future journeyman.

Key Trade #2: January 23 with the Fort Richmond Generals:

To Stratford – 26-year old RHP Glen Limon (66/66)
To Fort Richmond – 22-year old minor league 2B Dale Linkletter (38/57) and 19-year old minor league CF Russell Mcmullen (20/40)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Barons go out and snag another reliever, but this time they get one of the best. Limon was a 14th overall pick back in 1948-49 and has been a very good middle reliever for Fort Richmond over the last few seasons. Until this year. Shoulder and elbow issues have hampered him since spring training, causing him to miss months of action. But when healthy, he has premium stuff (75) and movement (60) with two terrific pitches: a fastball (65) and curveball (65). He has wonderful stamina (75) as well, enabling him to fill in as an emergency starter when needed. He is considered the 2nd-best reliever in the ULB, behind only Brunswick’s LHP Ron Killingworth.

The Generals, who also appear to be focusing on rebuilding, get a reasonable prospect in Linkletter, a 2nd-round pick from 1951-52. Linkletter’s greatest strengths are his defense and throwing arm at 2B and his speed/stealing/baserunning (60/70/80) abilities. He should have good plate discipline as well, but otherwise, he is nothing special at the plate. But he has a real chance of becoming a starter one day. Mcmullen is very similar to Linkletter ability-wise but with a weaker bat. Still, he could develop into a quality bench player.

Key Trade #3: January 30 with the Downie Chiefs:

To Stratford – 30-year old CF Alfonso León (79/79)
To Downie – 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (50/67), 23-year old SS Jake Dean (45/51), 22-year old minor league 2B Garth Fuson (35/49), 22-year old minor league RF Archie Orchard (30/40) and 23-year old minor league RF Greg Trask (23/34)

Knee-jerk reaction: Stratford sent shockwaves throughout the United Leagues when they landed the 2-time Babe Ruth Award-winning Alfonso León (.277/.358/.459, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, 4.4 WAR) from Downie, perhaps the most dominant position player to be traded since Fort Richmond’s trade of Danny Trowbridge to Kingston back in November 1943. León, a 9-time All-Star and 7-time Ball Hawk Award winner, is one of the best position players in the United Leagues (3rd-best CF, 9th overall). Batting .311/374/.500 over the past 9+ seasons, he is a 5-tool player who does everything well and is an iron man injury-wise. Despite that, he is penciled in as Stratford’s No. 5 hitter, behind C Aaron Skidmore and 2B Matthew Channing.

In exchange for parting with their best player, Downie receives a haul that includes at least a couple of useful players. After Stratford acquired relievers Lafontaine and Limon, Greggs (8-2, 10 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 155 ERA+) was deemed expendable. He has only one useful pitch, a sinker (65) to go along with a poor changeup (20). He has great stuff (65/70), but control can be iffy (40/55) and he could have trouble getting lefties out. He becomes the Chiefs’ new stopper. Also entering their major league lineup is Dean, a 1st-round pick from Australia who should win defensive awards with great position ratings at SS (75) and defensive ratings (70/80/55/80). His bat, however, may hold him back from being a top-flight starter. He takes over starting duties with Downie while 24-year old CF Ben Darvell (.175/.340/.212, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 20 BB, 4 SB, 0.1 WAR – 50/67), a 3rd-round pick from 1950-51, will get a chance to replace León in the lineup.

The rest of the players Downie received appear destined to be little more than bench warmers, but both Fuson and Orchard are above average defenders with some ability as hitters, if they can develop it. Orchard especially has a chance to develop into a reasonable contact hitter to go along with his average power potential and solid defense in the outfield.

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Offense: .263/.334/.411 (3rd/4th/2nd)
Pitching: 4.23/4.11/4.63 (6th/5th/8th)
Defense: .703 (Tied for 6th)

The Queensland Eagles are in unfamiliar territory. For years, the team was strong on pitching but weak on offense. This year its reversed, as the Eagles are enjoying a revived offensive lineup but have a pitching staff that is in disarray.

There is nothing wrong with their top two starters. 30-year old RHP Logan Belsey (14-4, 2.92 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 135 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (16-2, 2.49 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 158 ERA+) have been absolutely incredible over the past two months. In December/January, Belsely went 8-1, 2.17 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, while Micklethwait was downright dominant, going 10-1, 1.24 ERA, 0.89 WHIP. No other team in the United Leagues has anything to rival that 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation, but the rest of the pitching staff has been awful, preventing the Eagles from puttting up a greater challenge against the Athletics and Barons for a playoff spot.

The offense may not rival the Barons yet, but it has some nice pieces that could form a winning group. 29-year old LF Rod Dennis (.341/.411/.601, 24 HR, 79 RBI, 47 BB, 4.1 WAR) has emerged as one of the top players in the East and a strong candidate for the EL Babe Ruth Award. He currently leads or is tied in 5 offensive categories. Meanwhile, 22-year old sophomore RF Hal Dhu (.298/.366/.544, 22 HR, 66 RBI, 37 BB, 13 SB, 3.2 WAR) has upped his power game, slugging 14 homers over the past two months. 27-year old C Robbie Leivers (.265/.338/.414, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 36 BB, 2.7 WAR) has been a steady presence behind the plate. And the Eagles may be finally coming around on 26-year old SS Apia Yarrah (.319/.380/.494, 10 HR, 47 RBI, 24 BB, 10 SB, 2.0 WAR – 70/70). Although 23-year old SS Noel Eissens (.165/.203/.223, 0 HR, 12 RBI, 1 BB, -0.5 WAR – 49/68) remains listed in the starting lineup for some reason, Yarrah has been getting the lion’s share of the playing time at the position, which is only fitting for the 4th-best ranked shortstop in the United Leagues.

All-Star Selections:

RHP Logan Belsey (5th)
RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (3rd)
C Robbie Leivers (2nd)
SS Apia Yarrah (1st)
LF Rod Dennis (5th)
RF Hal Dhu (1st)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 9 – RF Hal Dhu (.429, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R)

Noteworthy:

January 12 – The Eagles’ return from the All-Star break saw a dominant performance from their No. 4 starter, 23-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (8-7, 4.04 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 97 ERA+). O’Reilly blanked the defending United Cup champions, the Stratford Barons, 1-0 on just 2 hits, both singles. The young Brunswick-native surrendered just one walk and struck out 4 on 134 PI (GS: 86). The only run in the game came in the bottom of the second inning, when RF Hal Dhu led off with a double, reached 3B on a double play, then scored on a wild pitch by Stratford’s RHP Ted Smith.

Key Trade: January 24 with the Cobourg Redlegs:

To Queensland – 29-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (50/50)
To Cobourg – 23-year old RHP Maurice Foley (41/54)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Eagles make a move to try and beef up their rotation in hopes of landing a playoff spot. Their target is Cobourg’s Turvill, a four-year veteran and three-time all-star who started to struggle this season and is not a happy camper. Turvill is essentially a hot and cold pitcher. He is blessed with incredible stuff (70), decent control (50) but lousy movement (25) that will cause him to give up this share of homers. Still, he has great velocity (94-96), stamina (60) and three impressive pitches (fastball-60, curveball-65, changeup-60). He becomes Queensland’s No. 2 starter, just as he was with Cobourg.

With the Redlegs hopelessly out of the playoff hunt, they evidently decided to flip Turvill for a prospect. They get the young Foley, who projects to become a more balanced pitcher than Turvill (stuff-45/50, movement-50, control-45/60) with a respectable if not overpowering arsenal (fastball-35, changeup-55, forkball-45, screwball-50). He becomes Cobourg’s No. 4-rated pitching prospect and will see some action on the major league roster while the Redlegs deal with a rash of injuries to their pitching staff.

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Offense: .263/.331/.424 (2nd/5th/1st)
Pitching: 4.55/4.79/3.98 (8th/7th/6th)
Defense: .703 (Tied for 6th)

Any thoughts the Braeland City Monarchs entertained about seriously challenging for a playoff spot this season appears to be dashed because of a pitching staff that is ranked dead last in the East in at least five categories. The Monarchs made a modest move leading up to the trade deadline to try and improve their bullpen, but it’s hardly enough. Perhaps that’s just being realistic on their part – the rotation is going to need a complete overhaul if Braeland City ever hopes to become a serious playoff threat. They have some excellent pitching prospects down on the farm as reported in their previous writeup, but its of little use for their current ‘win-now’ lineup.

Case in point is 30-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.304/.408/.571, 18 HR, 59 RBI, 57 BB, 5.9 WAR), who is in his prime and playing like it. He remains the top-ranked second baseman in the United Leagues. Also in his prime is 32-year old 1B Dean Witherden (.324/.398/.551, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 46 BB, 3.8 WAR), while 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.327/.376/.526, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR) is ranked second only to Cambria’s Sam Tite among right fielders. But there is a steep drop-off after them in the lineup.

The pitching is a shambles right now, with only 29-year old Danilo Narvaez (8-0, 2.88 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 140 ERA+) pitching with any kind of consistency out of the rotation.

All-Star Selections:

RHP Danilo Narvaez (1st)
RHP Clive Howard (1st)
1B Dean Witherden (6th)
2B Patrick Lidgate (7th)
RF Aidan Trembath (5th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 12 – 1B Dean Witherden (.462, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)
December 19 – RF Aidan Trembath (.474, 9 H, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R)

Noteworthy:

January 5 – It was not a memorable day for the Monarchs, as the visiting Embro Suns thumped them 13-0 on 21 hits at Kings Park. Embro hitters belted out 6 doubles, 2 triples and 2 home runs on the afternoon. Braeland City responded with just 6 singles and a double. The day also saw the end of 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath’s 28-game hitting streak. Trembath (.327/.376/.526, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR) went 0 for 3 at the plate to end his streak.

Key Trade: January 6 with the Downie Chiefs:

To Braeland City – 38-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (49/49) and 21-year old RHP Jonathan Brookins (44/61)
To Downie – 24-year old minor league LHP José Hernández (25/45) and 20-year old minor league SS Sean Hancorn (23/45)

Knee-jerk reaction: Luscombe is a 7-time all-star who was drafted by the Chiefs and then traded to the Cambria Cannons in 1941 before being traded back to the Chiefs in 1948 in time to help Downie win the United Cup two years later. But he is no longer the dominant pitcher he once was, with poor command (45) and a couple of average pitches (fastball-55, slider-35). It appears he is being jettisoned as part of Downie’s rebuilding efforts. However, the real prize for Braeland City would appear to be Brookins, who has a chance to be a devastating reliever if handled properly. Brookins has amazing stuff (60/75) and movement (65/70), but poor control (25/30). He should rack up plenty of strikeouts with his sinker (65/70) and cutter (50/60), but his walk rate could be the price for that. Thus, the Monarchs would be better served by using him in shorter stints.

Downie’s return seems a little underwhelming, even for a couple of relievers. But Hernández could develop into a back-end starter as he possesses nice movement potential (55/60) with a couple of decent pitches (curveball-65/65, changeup-40/65). Hancorn is destined to a bench role. While he is a solid defensive shortstop with a terrific arm, he has too many offensive shortcomings to become a regular.

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Offense: .265/.336/.405 (1st/1st/3rd)
Pitching: 4.35/4.91/2.96 (7th/8th/1st)
Defense: .693 (8th)

The Embro Suns are in a similar situation as Braeland City. They have a respectable lineup that is being hampered by a gruesome pitching staff. But unlike the Monarchs, who boast the top-rated farm system, the Suns do not have any promising arms in their weak pipeline (12th overall). So, although Embro bounced back somewhat from a disastrous November, there is little hope for them to realistically compete for the playoffs this year or next. That is a shame, as they boast some of the top offensive players in the League.

Any concern over 27-year old 3B Moromao Nakagawa’s (.310/.406/.554, 22 HR, 80 RBI, 64 BB, 4.6 WAR) struggles in November evaporated, as he returned to award-winning form in December and January. He is the top-rated third baseman in the United Leagues and won his second career Player of the Month honour in January. But not far behind him is 25-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.307/.348/.474, 16 HR, 80 RBI, 28 BB, 4.3 WAR), who bounced back big-time in January (.380/.402/.648) after a couple of sluggish months. Supported them as the club’s lead off hitter is 26-year old Jesús Abreu (.272/.394/.438, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 71 BB, 9 SB, 3.0 WAR), who has been quietly putting together the best season of his 4-year career. Finally, 27-year old C Gareth Mawle (.321/.362/.452, 5 HR, 42 RBI, 22 BB, 2.4 WAR) is enjoying another fine season at the plate.

The rotation is a disaster, with only No. 3 starter 40-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (4-6, 3.36 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 119 ERA+) providing any consistency. Things are so bad that Embro has finally moved 31-year old RHP Domingas Frias (2-2, 2 SV, 2.45 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 162 ERA+ - 45/45) to pitch behind Son. Frias has never started before in his 8-year career until this season, although he is considered a starter. Until recently, Frias was part of one of the strongest bullpens in the East, led by 25-year old RHP Phil McKelvey (8-2, 3 SV, 2.56 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 156 ERA+) and 25-year old closer RHP Rob Gladstone (5-5, 10 SV, 2.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 142 ERA+).

All-Star Selections:

RHP Phil McKelvey (1st)
C Gareth Mawle (2nd)
1B Napana Mamo (3rd)
3B Moromao Nakagawa (4th)
LF Jesús Abreu (2nd)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 23 – 2B Robert Jameson (.545, 12 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI)

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Offense: .251/.335/.385 (5th/2nd/6th)
Pitching: 3.89/3.99/3.44 (4th/4th/3rd)
Defense: .717 (3rd)

Just when you thought it was time to comfortably write-off them off for another season, the Brunswick Legends go on a hot streak that makes you wonder if they are capable of a playoff run after all. After scuffling in mid-December that saw them go just 3-12 – a stretch that included an 8-game losing streak – the Legends turned things around immediately thereafter, going 10-4 leading up to the all-star break. Brunswick continued their strong play over the course of January. But they still remain 11.5 games back of the wildcard and it will take a much hotter hand to realistically catch up to the Barons and Athletics.

The pitching, particularly the starting top 3, are largely responsible for the improved play of late. 38-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (10-11, 3.90 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 103 ERA+) went 4-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.19 WHIP in January. But Brunswick’s ace was joined by 28-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (12-7, 2.99 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 134 ERA+) and 23-year old RHP Dave Ball (7-6, 3.26 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 123 ERA+), who went 3-1, 0.94 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 3-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.28 WHIP in January respectively.

The Legends are led by three standout players: 27-year old C Robert Kersey (.289/.386/.550, 20 HR, 71 RBI, 48 BB, 3.9 WAR) is currently the top-ranked catcher in the United Leagues. He is joined by fellow all-stars 29-year old LF Carl Patton (.281/.378/.394, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 61 BB, 7 SB, 3.2 WAR) and 25-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.276/.384/.491, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 60 BB, 2.8 WAR). But outside of 24-year old rookie IF/OF Edliberto Mandac (.308/.352/.500, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB, 1.2 WAR), there is a big drop off in production in the lineup. As it is, Mandac is having difficulty getting regular starts. For now, he is starting at first base against LH pitching, while 27-year old Francis Joicey (.263/.355/.456, 13 HR, 35 RBI, 39 BB, 3 SB, 1.7 WAR) is getting the starts against RH pitchers.

All-Star Selections:

C Robert Kersey (5th)
LF Carl Patton (2nd)
RF Jay Mitchell (1st)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 5 – SP Dave Ball (2-0, 5 K, 18.0 IP, 0.50 ERA)
January 2 – LF Edilberto Mandac (.800, 4 H, 2 RBI)

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Offense: .246/.323/.391 (7th/7th/4th)
Pitching: 4.19/4.21/4.15 (5th/6th/7th)
Defense: .706 (5th)

The Cobourg Redlegs are an afterthought in the East once again, squandering the fine talent they have on a roster that seemingly has no identity. But their season has taken on a ‘can’t look away’ quality as their top two starting pitchers have fallen to injuries and as a result, the club is frantically cobbling together a pitching staff with unheralded rookies to try and hold things together. A train wreck to be sure, but train wrecks are anything but dull.

With 27-year old LHP Bill Budd (10-8, 2.59 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 154 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (1-4, 4.65 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 86 ERA+) unable to stay healthy, it has exposed the Redlegs’ lack of depth in the rotation. Things are so bad right now that a player acquired in a minor deal that I didn’t think was worthy of commenting on is currently the staff’s ace. 21-year old LHP Lachlan Lloyd (2-0, 1.15 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 384 ERA+ - 41/53) came over from the Braeland City Monarchs on January 17 in a 4-player deal. Lloyd is the most promising of the group by far and has done well in his first two major league starts. The 5th-round pick from 1952-53 has decent pitching potentials (Stuff-50, Move-60, Cont-55) and a four-pitch arsenal, with his cutter (55) and splitter (45) having the most potential. But two other rookies are shoring up the back end of the rotation: 23-year old RHP Maurice Foley (0-1, 9.00 ERA, 1.83 WHIP, 44 ERA+ - 41/54), who came over from the Queensland Eagles in the Marcus Turvill trade and 24-year old RHP Hang-ki Chin (0-0, 3.47 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 115 ERA+ - 34/34). Foley has only one major league start under his belt while Chin has none. It will be interesting to see how they fare the rest of the way. But if everyone can get healthy, the Redlegs could one day have an impressive pitching roster, as the team has one of the strongest farm systems (4th overall). In addition to Lloyd and Foley, Cobourg has 22-year old RHP Albert Johnson (5-12, 5.10 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 79 ERA+ - 47/80), who is also injured and 23-year old RHP Shunen Minaminure (25/64), a 2nd-round pick from this season who was recently promoted to Triple-A. If they can develop and mature, then things may finally stabilize for the Redlegs.

Throughout all this dysfunction, 29-year old CF Raymond Williams (.315/.414/.605, 24 HR, 69 RBI, 60 BB, 11 SB, 5.9 WAR) continues his incredible all-around play and should be a serious contender for winning his third EL Babe Ruth Award this year. He has finished 2nd in the voting over the past three seasons and recently scored his 1000th career run. But outside of 34-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.307/.390/.509, 15 HR, 78 RBI, 46 BB, 3.4 WAR) and 30-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.339/.397/.490, 11 HR, 57 RBI, 32 BB, 2.4 WAR), the rest of the lineup has sputtered.

All-Star Selections:

LHP Bill Budd (3rd)
1B Harry Doxey (7th)
3B Alexander Tolmie (8th)
CF Raymond Williams (9th)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 30 – 1B Harry Doxey (.500, 14 H, 1 HR, 11 RBI)

Noteworthy:

December 13 – 29-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (4-10, 4.36 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 92 ERA+) is not enjoying the success he’s had in previous seasons and was ultimately traded to Queensland the following month, but he was sensational against the Downie Chiefs, blanking them 5-0 on 2 hits. Turvill gave up a single and double, walked one and struck out 9 on 118 PI (GS: 91).

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Offense: .224/.298/.363 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 3.69/3.82/3.34 (2nd/3rd/2nd)
Defense: .723 (2nd)

GM Raymond Hunt wasted no time in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, completing four trades that significantly changed the makeup of the Downie Chiefs’ lineup and bullpen. But it remains to be seen whether the pieces he received from all those transactions will help turn his club around. After winning the United Cup back in 1949-50 and making the playoffs the next two seasons, the Chiefs have steadily regressed with four straight losing seasons. That doesn’t look to change anytime soon and if the GM is intent on a full rebuild, more moves may be in store during the off-season.

The loss of superstar 30-year old CF Alfonso León (.277/.358/.459, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, 4.4 WAR) to Stratford has made an already anemic offense much worse. 30-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.278/.328/.496, 20 HR, 64 RBI, 29 BB, 3.1 WAR is now the team’s top position player and only consistent run-producer. But perhaps León’s heir apparent in 24-year old Ben Darvell (.175/.340/.212, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 20 BB, 4 SB, 0.1 WAR – 50/67) will blossom now that he is entrenched as Downie’s starting centerfielder and lead-off hitter. 23-year old rookie SS Jake Dean (45/51), who was acquired in the León trade, will be given regular starts as well.

The pitching has actually been the Chiefs’ strong suit this season, but that could change now with loss of some stalwart relievers as discussed earlier in the Stratford Barons writeup. Still, 24-year old RHP Stefan Rankin (7-9, 3.82 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 102 ERA+) and 33-year old RHP Kelii Pelankelina (6-8, 3.46 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 113 ERA+) have provided a steady hand at the top of the rotation. And the Chiefs will give a couple of newly acquired relievers a chance to contribute: 24-year old LHP José Hernández (25/45) is on the major league roster in long relief while 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (8-2, 10 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 155 ERA+ - 50/67) is now Downie’s new stopper.

All-Star Selections:

2B Dominic Dudding (9th)
CF Alfonso León (9th)

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reds1 · 03-23-2022, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamTeams

Hope all goes well with your family, reds1. Thanks for the update.

Thanks DreamTeams. We moved in to the new place & my father finally returned home later in the same week, but he's still recovering. I need to get caught up on my sleep but I'm still gonna try and get through this season!

DreamTeams · 03-28-2022, 01:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reds1

Thanks DreamTeams. We moved in to the new place & my father finally returned home later in the same week, but he's still recovering. I need to get caught up on my sleep but I'm still gonna try and get through this season!

Cool. Glad all is working out.

reds1 · 04-18-2022, 12:50 AM

February 1, 1956

Western League: Trolleys Hanging on to Top Spot, Stars Making a Move

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Offense: .272/.344/.439 (1st/2nd/1st)
Pitching: 3.52/3.65/3.05 (1st/1st/2nd)
Defense: .717 (3rd)

The Pulberry Trolleys quickly regained top spot in the West after surrendering it to the Cambria Cannons in early December. But after opening up a 6-game lead by the All-Star break, the Trolleys faltered a little bit in the latter half of January, going 10-10 to finish the month. That included dropping 3 of 4 to the Kingston Pelicans and 5 of 8 to the resurgent Sherburn Tigers. Still, Pulberry remains a stacked team with several players either in their prime or just entering it. Over the course of December and January, 7 players pounded out 13 four-hit games, with 27-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle responsible for four of them. In that same period, three players hit two home runs in a game, with 28-year old CF Cooper Tyson accomplishing it twice.

It doesn’t hurt having the top player in the United Leagues anchoring your lineup in LF Aidan Thirkettle (.346/.447/.690, 35 HR, 84 RBI, 63 BB, 5 SB, 6.8 WAR – 80/80). Thirkettle has been simply outstanding the past two months, batting .389/.509/.633 in December, then topping that in January with an incredible .421/.482/.842. Its no surprise he won Batter of the Month honours. Ably supporting him is CF Cooper Tyson (.305/.388/.472, 12 HR, 54 RBI, 51 BB, 7 SB, 5.2 WAR – 80/80) batting behind him in the cleanup spot and 29-year old 1B Gerard Koerner (.345/.404/.540, 18 HR, 62 RBI, 38 BB, 4.8 WAR – 60/60) hitting from the No. 2 position.

25-year old C Paul England (.308/.391/.482, 14 HR, 61 RBI, 46 BB, 4.3 WAR – 71/71) is currently rated No. 3 among catchers in the ULB, behind only Brunswick’s Robert Kersey and Stratford’s Aaron Skidmore. But based on performance, he has to be considered No. 1 right now.

But Pulberry is doing itself no favours by continuing to give 30-year old Paul Heisler (.199/.286/.294, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 27 BB, -0.5 WAR – 46/46) regular starts at second base. Although he is stronger there defensively (65) than 28-year old Makani Kahale (.243/.299/.335, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 21 BB, 0.9 WAR – 62/62), Kahale’s bat is far superior and is a former 1st-round pick with a proven track record. He is simply being wasted.

Trying to match the excellence of the offense may be a tall order, but Pulberry’s pitching core is quickly shaping up to being the best in the West in its own right. 20-year old LHP Bart Ohara (10-6, 3.10 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 126 ERA+ - 54/80) has taken over the No. 1 spot in the rotation, having won three consecutive Rookie of the Month honours so far. After finishing 2nd in the WL Satchel Paige Award voting last season, 34-year old RHP Robin Medellin (13-6, 2.93 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 134 ERA+ - 53/53) continues transforming himself into an ace in his own right. In December, he won his second Pitcher of the Month honour and first in over three years. 26-year old LHP Dermott Rathbone (10-5, 11 SV, 2.59 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 151 ERA+ - 50/58) continues to impress, despite bouncing back and forth between the rotation and bullpen. For now, he is back in the rotation pitching out of the No. 4 spot. But the biggest concern has to be with 28-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (9-9, 4.26 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 92 ERA+ - 55/55). The one-time ace has been hot and cold this season (and was really cold in January, going 2-2, 6.81 ERA, 1.54 WHIP).

All-Star Selections:

RHP Robin Medellin (3rd)
LHP Bart Ohara (1st)
LHP Dermott Rathbone (2nd)
C Paul England (1st)
1B Gerard Koerner (3rd)
3B Francis Jones (2nd)
LF Aidan Thirkettle (4th)
CF Cooper Tyson (6th)
RF Ellis Dibble (4th)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 16 – CF Cooper Tyson (.471, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R)
January 23 – 1B Gerard Koerner (.469, 15 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 10 R)

Key Trade: January 12 with the Balmoral Giants:

To Pulberry – 31-year old RHP Bonie Bandong (53/53)
To Balmoral – 24-year old minor league C Toby Stavely (33/44) and 20-year old minor league RHP Roy Wilkins (30/30)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Trolleys add to an already strong bullpen with the acquisition of Bandong. The 8-year veteran has decent stuff (50) with good movement (55) and control (55) with a cutter (50) and slider (40). He is intelligent with a good work ethic but has struggled with Balmoral over the past 5 seasons. With Pulberry, he takes over the stopper role from former starter RHP Alexander Ellacott (11-5, 9 SV, 4.15 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 94 ERA+ - 48/48) who moves into one of the middle relief spots.

For Balmoral, it is not entirely clear what they gain in this deal. Bandong may not have been effective for them, but this is hardly addition by subtraction. Stavely, a 4th-round pick from last season, is a steady defender with a good eye but will struggle to make regular contact. Thus, he is not projected to be a front-line starter. Neither is WIlkins, who has four respectable pitches but lousy movement (25/25). His stuff (45/50) and control (30/45) will not be enough to make him anything more than a journeyman.

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Offense: .265/.346/.419 (2nd/1st/2nd)
Pitching: 3.85/4.19/2.78 (3rd/5th/1st)
Defense: .694 (7th)

The Cambria Cannons are a flawed team right now, capable of performing like a powerhouse at times but are ultimately being betrayed by a troublesome starting rotation. The Cannons took over top spot in the West early in December, starting the month 13-6. But they quickly misfired against the other top clubs in the West, being swept by the Sherburn Tigers and Hespeler Stars and dropping 2 of 3 to their rivals, the Pulberry Trolleys. During that stretch they went 4-13 (including a 7-game losing streak) heading into the All-Star break. They made no moves leading up to the trade deadline and have no pitching prospects to speak of in a weak farm system. Thus, they are trusting that their current pitching core can pull it together while riding their strong offence to another playoff appearance.

Cambria is getting strong offensive performances from their core, but with the exception of 26-year old CF Sam Tite (.282/.422/.579, 14 HR, 39 RBI, 49 BB, 3.3 WAR – 75/77), the rest are performing miserably defensively. 35-year old SS César Ruíz (.319/.409/.583, 22 HR, 68 RBI, 46 BB, 3.5 WAR – 73/73) is enjoying a great bounce back season at the plate, his best in two years. They are joined by 29-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.299/.363/.554, 22 HR, 70 RBI, 30 BB, 3.1 WAR – 62/62), 31-year old 3B Luis Torres (.308/.372/.489, 16 HR, 79 RBI, 40 BB, 2.6 WAR – 63/63) and lead off hitter, 24-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.263/.393/.414, 10 HR, 39 HR, 79 BB, 3 SB, 3.1 WAR – 75/75). Their WAR would be higher if they weren’t struggling so much in the field.

The rotation has continued to be the team’s weak link, with nearly the entire staff enduring down years. Remarkably, the top performer has been 37-year old LHP Aidan Fothergill (7-4, 3.40 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 116 ERA+ -37/37). Cambria represents the eighth club he’s pitched for in his 14-year career. He’s been released by Brunswick, Pulberry, Downie and most recently Stratford this past October. But he’s enjoying his best season since he last pitched with Hespeler 12 years ago.

All-Star Selections:

RHP Keith Roche (2nd)
1B Carlos Corea (5th)
3B Luis Torres (3rd)
SS César Ruíz (5th)
LF Calvin Hanbridge (3rd)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 19 – SS César Ruíz (.450, 9 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI)
January 2 – LF Calvin Handridge (.600, 3 H)

Noteworthy:

December 19 – The Cannons swept Wolseley in a four-game set where they outscored the lowly Unions by a combined score of 30-6. The first game saw a masterful performance by 26-year old LHP Bill Southon (7-6, 4.04 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 97 ERA+), who pitched a 1-hitter for a 5-0 victory. Wolseley lone hit came in the second inning, a single off the bat of 27-year old 2B Kane Viccars. Southon went 9.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 124 PI, GS: 92. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 6th, when 21-year old rookie CF Kilipeka Maleko (.182/.274/.255, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 13 BB, 5 SB, 0.0 WAR) slammed his first career home run, a two-out, three-run home run down the leftfield line.

January 12 – In their first game back from the All-Star break, the Cannons pulled out a 7-6 win over the Fort Richmond Generals in 13 innings, after being down 6-0 up until the 7th. Front and center was 1B Carlos Corea who went 4 for 6 and hit for the cycle, the 28th in ULB history and the second of his career. After grounding out in the 1st and 3rd innings, Corea singled in the 6th, hit a 3-run home run off Ch’ang-chieh Li in the 8th, hit a game-tying 2-run triple in the 9th, walked in the 11th and then doubled home the winning run in the 13th. Corea previously accomplished the feat back on December 12, 1953 against the Hespeler Stars.

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Offense: .261/.335/.392 (3rd/3rd/3rd)
Pitching: 4.00/3.96/4.17 (5th/3rd/8th)
Defense: .716 (4th)

The Sherburn Tigers rebounded from a sub-par December to get back to within 2-1/2 games of the Cambria Cannons for the wild card spot. Their resurgence in January saw them enjoy an 8-game winning streak and take 5 of 8 from the League-leading Pulberry Trolleys. After finishing 77-77 last season, the Tigers are still seeking their first winning season since 1945-46, when they won 91 games and made the playoffs as a wild card team. There’s no shortage of young talent, both on the major league roster and in the pipeline, but they are persevering through some key injuries that could put a crimp in their playoff hopes. But if January is any indication, they appear to be thriving on their adversities.

Case in point has been 25-year old OF Ross Shewman (.296/.401/.566, 22 HR, 81 RBI, 59 BB, 5.3 WAR – 62/62) whose play is getting stronger as the season wears on, despite having moved over to centerfield from his normal leftfield position this past month due to a long-term injury to 24-year old CF Ryan Blenkhorn (56/58) and a recent injury to 24-year old CF Leon Albrecht (.223/.344/.363, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 48 BB, 5 SB, 1.8 WAR – 58/80). Ably supporting Shewman have been 25-year old RF Albert Sulley (.283/.385/.399, 6 HR, 50 RBI, 66 BB, 14 SB, 4.0 WAR – 66/71), 26-year old SS Dwayne Vick (.322/.363/.408, 1 HR, 39 RBI, 24 BB, 3.9 WAR – 74/74) and 26-year old 3B Adrian Flynn (.291/.365/.440, 8 HR, 58 RBI, 41 BB, 2.3 WAR – 65/65).

The team has benefitted from the reliable performances of 32-year old ace RHP Jesús Chapa (13-2, 2.36 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 170 ERA+ - 68/68) and 29-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (10-5, 3.20 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 126 ERA+ - 60/60). 26-year old LHP Brendan Wombell (14-8, 3.70 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 109 ERA+ - 50/50) continues to be a solid mid-rotation pitcher in this third full season in the majors. But the Tigers continue to patiently wait on 22-year old LHP Kozue Saito (4-9, 5.14 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 78 ERA+ - 42/57). He has really struggled since returning from an elbow strain in November (2-4, 6.32 ERA, 1.80 WHIP over 9 starts in December/January).

All-Star Selections:

RHP Jesús Chapa (7th)
C Christopher Dainty (5th)
SS Dwayne Vick (3rd)
CF Ross Shewman (1st)
RF Albert Sulley (2nd)

Player of the Week Awards:

January 30 – CF Ross Shewman (.409, 9 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R)

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Offense: .260/.330/.385 (4th/4th/4th)
Pitching: 3.96/3.96/3.94 (4th/4th/6th)
Defense: .705 (6th)

The Hespeler Stars may haven gotten off to a typically slow start in October (9-20), but they untypically turned things around in December/January, going 32-19 during that span to move one game above .500 and 7 games back of the wild card. It’s not very often that it can be said of Hespeler being in the playoff hunt and they still have an uphill climb. But perhaps their recent play is indicative of better things to come. In early December, they went 12-1 and then 9-1 leading up to the All-Star break in January. That span saw them go 8-0 against the Fort Richmond Generals as well as series sweeps against the Balmoral Giants and Cambria Cannons (7-0 collectively).

As befits a team currently in fourth place in the League, the Stars are a middle of the road team in terms of offensive and defensive ratings. But 32-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.325/.386/.449, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 38 BB, 4.3 WAR – 67/67) remains one of the best all-round shortstops in the United Leagues and Hespeler’s best player. 24-year old 3B Clive Yarwood (.307/.387/.502, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 34 BB, 3.3 WAR – 62/65) is having a terrific sophomore season and picked up his first All-Star selection. And former first overall pick from 1949-50, 28-year old 1B John McMurray (.310/.364/.494, 15 HR, 63 RBI, 29 BB, 4 SB, 2.8 WAR – 51/51) is enjoying the best season of his 6-year career. But the lineup is populated with a number of young players still finding their footing, such as 23-year old C Aidan Bennie (.234/.294/.335, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 16 BB, 0.2 WAR – 48/74). If they reach their potential – all at once – then the Stars lineup may prove formidable for the first time in the club’s history.

The same could be said of the pitching staff. 27-year old RHP Battista Carotta (12-7, 2.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 138 ERA+ - 62/62) has emerged as one of the United Leagues’ best pitchers this season, his fourth in the Leagues, winning Pitcher of the Month honours in January and his first All-Star selection. But the Stars are waiting upon some youngsters to settle in as well. Players like 26-year old LHP Amoka Kalea (5-10, 3.83 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 105 ERA+ - 55/55), 21-year old rookie RHP Zachariah Horton (4-3, 4.16 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 97 ERA+ - 46/46) and 24-year old rookie RHP Pedro Peña (1-0, 2.38 ERA, 0.79 WHIP – 47/60) offer the team hope for the near future, with a number of other prospects working their way up to the majors.

All-Star Selections:

RHP Battista Carotta (1st)
1B John McMurray (1st)
3B Clive Yarwood (1st)
SS Zhao-hui Qian (5th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 5 – SS Zhao-hui Qian (.476, 10 H, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 5 R)
January 9 – 1B John McMurray (.556, 15 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI

Noteworthy:

January 5 – The Stars took 3 of 4 from the Wolseley Unions just prior to the All-Star break as part of a red-hot 7-1 stretch to start the month. In game 1, 1B John McMurray came up big, going 5 for 5 on the day as the Stars defeated the Unions, 7-3 in Wolseley. The Wellington native hit a solo shot against RHP Bill Blair in the 1st inning and followed that up with four singles. In all, McMurray collected 2 R and 2 RBI.

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Offense: .254/.329/.372 (7th/5th/6th)
Pitching: 4.30/4.65/3.45 (7th/8th/3rd)
Defense: .707 (5th)

The Kingston Pelicans have a few nice pieces on their roster, but unfortunately for them, the emphasis is on ‘few’. While they are much more competitive this year than last season, the Pelicans just do not have the horses right now to put up a serious challenge for a playoff spot. This season’s 1st overall draft pick, 22-year old CF Dan Hesketh (41/76), was recently promoted to Triple-A and continues to rake (.379/.486/.690 in 29 AB), giving Kingston some hope. But aside from possibly 22-year old SS Denzel Daintry (48/57), a second-round pick from 1951-52 who was just promoted to the major league roster, the Pelicans are in short supply of young players who can make an impact in the short term, especially in the pitching department.

Kingston’s improved play this season is no doubt due to a couple of key players who are enjoying bounce back years. 29-year old C Carlos Camasura (.306/.440/.386, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 78 BB, 3.9 WAR – 73/73) is rebounding nicely from an injury-plagued season last year. 31-year old RF Mo Spenceley (.312/.366/.513, 15 HR, 62 RBI, 36 BB, 5 SB, 2.5 WAR – 53/53) is enjoying one of his best seasons, after a poor season last year. And 25-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.290/.343/.458, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 32 BB, 13 SB, 3.0 WAR – 62/63) is emerging as one of the ULB’s top outfielders in his fourth season. But there is a big drop off after them right now in the lineup.

Things are worse on the pitching staff, however. Only 30-year old ace RHP Kieran Bunce (8-9, 3.10 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 129 ERA+ - 57/57) has been pulling his weight on the rotation. In the bullpen, the only reliable pitching has come from 31-year old stopper RHP Kaula Mafileo (8-6, 12 SV, 2.92 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 138 ERA+ - 60/60) and 26-year old RHP Lester Beddoes (5-5, 10 SV, 3.22 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 125 ERA+ - 54/55).

All-Star Selections:

RHP Kieran Bunce (2nd)
RHP Kaula Mafileo (4th)
C Carlos Camasura (5th)
CF Chris Ramsbottom (2nd)
RF Mo Spenceley (4th)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 26 – RF Mo Spenceley (.440, 5 HR, 12 RBI, 8 R)

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Offense: .256/.324/.379 (5th/7th/5th)
Pitching: 4.10/4.25/3.71 (6th/6th/5th)
Defense: .730 (1st)

Despite another season slipping away on them, the Balmoral Giants continue to compete, playing just above .500 over December and January, despite suffering injuries to their core players. No doubt they wish they could play the Kingston Pelicans more often, as they have gone 9-3 against them so far. Alas, they only meet 3 more times, in March.

35-year old LF Ángel Costa (.312/.392/.598, 22 HR, 55 RBI, 41 BB, 4.1WAR – 67/67) was enjoying another tremendous season at the plate until he fractured his ankle in a game against the Braeland City Monarchs back on January 21. He is gone for the rest of the season, dealing a serious blow to the Giants’ lineup. Also enjoying an impressive season is 26-year old sophomore SS Hayden Gunton (.298/.367/.378, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 43 BB, 4.1 WAR – 62/62) who should get serious consideration for his first Ball Hawk Award (.979 PCT, 4.79 RNG, +14.2 ZR, 1.105 EFF). Meanwhile, 22-year old rookie CF Quido De Jesús (.219/.268/.329, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 20 BB, 0.6 WAR – 43/70) continues to develop. His power, at least, is coming along nicely. He has hit 6 of his 7 home runs in December/January.

The pitching staff is undergoing a bit of a transformation, as the Giants made a couple of trades leading up to the trade deadline. So far this season, 31-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (9-9, 3.70 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 107 ERA+ - 48/48) and 28-year old RHP Harry Dinsmore (3-7, 3.68 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 108 ERA+ - 46/46) have been Balmoral’s best starters, although Dinsmore has not picked up a win since late November. However, the Giants do have a promising future starter in 23-year old RHP Kai Dean (5-5, 2 SV, 4.06 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 98 ERA+ - 47/68). The former 3-round pick from 1953-54 has been working out of the bullpen this season.

All-Star Selections:

2B Sean Brearton (4th)
SS Hayden Gunton (1st)
LF Ángel Costa (3rd)

Key Trade: January 31 with the Hespeler Stars:

To Balmoral – 30-year old RHP Wayne Nesling (56/56)
To Hespeler – 28-year old CF Cedric Bristow (49/50)

Knee-jerk reaction: Back in December 1952, Wayne Nesling (7-5, 3 SV, 3.15 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 128 ERA+) threw a no-hitter against the Balmoral Giants. Now, just over three years later, he will start for them. I’m more puzzled about why Hespeler felt they needed to move Nesling at all, considering that they are challenging for a playoff spot and Nesling is still very much a serviceable pitcher with respectable stuff (50), control (50) and good movement (60) with three decent pitches (sinker-50, curveball-45 and changeup-45). In fact, he is currently rated 15th overall among all pitchers in the ULB. Still, scouts consider him only being suited for a set-up role. After serving as Hespeler’s No. 4 pitcher, he moves into the No. 3 spot for Balmoral. Perhaps the Stars are making room for 24-year old RHP Pedro Peña (1-0, 2.38 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 169 ERA+ - 47/60), a future starter they picked up as a free agent from Columbia back in April 1955. For now, he is their middle reliever.

In return they receive Cedric Bristow (.169/.229/.254, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 10 BB, -0.8 WAR), a former first-round pick from 1949-50 who appears to have flamed out after racking up 5.4 WAR back in 1952-53. However, he remains an excellent defender with incredible base-running skills and speed. But Hespeler already has speedy outfielders in 25-year old lead-off hitter LF Douggie Dallimore (.275/.376/.339, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 55 BB, 19 SB, 2.2 WAR – 49/54) and 24-year old CF Jack Foulsham (.233/.318/.305, 3 HR, 38 RBI, 46 RBI, 12 SB, 1.0 WAR -56/56). Thus, Bristow will be a depth starter and pinch runner, just as he was with Balmoral.

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Offense: .250/.319/.349 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 3.75/3.76/3.65 (2nd/2nd/4th)
Defense: .722 (2nd)

Just two seasons removed from their United Cup championship, the Fort Richmond Generals have fallen dramatically from relevance. Their offense is pitiable, the worst in the West and while their pitching has held up better, it is thin and extremely venerable. Rookie GM Timothy Slater has his work cut out for him as the farm system is one of the weakest in the ULB (15th overall).

The offense is anemic, with hardly any standouts. 27-year old LF Greg Cusack (.279/.336/.377, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 32 BB, 10 SB, 2.1 WAR – 57/57) is as good as it gets right now, while 24-year old C Scott Sheelah (.252/.358/.358, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 54 BB, 1.9 WAR – 68/69) has cooled off considerably this season from an All-Star performance last year (5.4 WAR). The Generals promoted last season’s 15th overall pick, 23-year old CF Ed Ellsworth (45/68) to the major league roster in January and should get a shot at starting full-time soon.

33-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (8-9, 2.86 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 136 ERA+ - 57/57) remains one of the top starters in the United Leagues but he is gone for the season due to shoulder inflammation suffered in a game against the Cambria Cannons on January 15. There is no one else on the pitching staff nearly as good as he is. 30-year old RHP Kazunori Fujimoto (6-9, 3.64 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 107 ERA+ - 47/47) is perhaps Fort Richmond’s best pitcher, but he hasn’t won a game since November 28 (0-7 in 16 starts over that span). Granted, its hard to win with such poor run support. Still, Fujimoto has not helped his cause, sporting a 4.99 ERA over December and January. All the injuries to the pitching staff have allowed mid-level prospect, 24-year old LHP Senzo Hiroyuki (3-3, 3.17 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 123 ERA+ - 36/49), get into the rotation in late December.

All-Star Selection:

RHP Nicky Sherlock (7th)

Noteworthy:

January 23 – LHP Senzo Hiroyuki won his third career game in impressive fashion, pitching a complete game 2-hitter to defeat the Downie Chiefs, 1-0. The Fort Richmond native struck out two and walked three on 107 PI (GS: 82). Both hits were singles, a lead-off single to Howard Dumbrill in the first inning and a lead-off single to Dominic Dudding in the 8th. The closest the Chiefs got to scoring was in the top of the 9th, when Hiroyuki walked three to load the bases with two out. But Dominic Dudding grounded out to 2B Benjamin Hollamby to end the threat and game. The only run of the game came in the bottom of the 5th, when the Generals pushed a run across on three consecutive singles and a sac fly by 1B Jacob Gadsden.

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Offense: .255/.327/.367 (6th/6th/7th)
Pitching: 4.31/4.36/4.16 (8th/7th/7th)
Defense: .691 (8th)

The Wolseley Unions are a shell of their former selves, with both the pitching staff and lineup bearing little resemblance to the powerhouse team that made the playoffs for seven straight seasons, winning five Pennants and three United Cups. The current edition of the Unions is firmly entrenched in last place in the West with the worst record in all of the United Leagues. If there’s any positive news its that it appears Wolseley enjoyed a strong draft this season, as their farm system ranking improved from 14th to 7th as a result.

Wolseley’s top two players this season have been 26-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.280/.334/.499, 22 HR, 78 RBI, 37BB, 2.8 WAR – 51/51) and 27-year old 2B Kane Viccars (.272/.338/.408, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 30 Bb, 2.8 WAR – 54/55). But while Ortíz went into a deep funk in December (.179/.212/.286), Viccars has been getting stronger as the season has worn on, batting .340/390/.433 in January. But for some unknown reason, the Unions continue to employ 30-year old 3B Paddy Leseberg (.215/.334/.238, 6-2B, 13 RBI, 46 BB, -0.2 WAR – 43/43) when they have 24-year old 3B Rusty McLaren (47/66), a former 16th overall pick from 1950-51, sitting on the bench.

The pitching, particularly the rotation, is a mess. But 30-year old ace RHP Robert Garza (8-8, 3.38 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 119 ERA+ - 59/59) has been outstanding. But the rest have been underperforming to say the least. In response, the club promoted their top pitching prospect, 20-year old RHP Theo Morse (1-2, 1 SV, 4.37 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 92 ERA+ - 27/66), to the major league roster in early January. Morse, a 2nd-round pick from 1953-54, is rated 11th overall among all prospects in the ULB.

All-Star Selection:

RHP Roberto Garza (3rd)

Player of the Week Awards:

December 12 – SS Lenny McQuhirr (.480, 12 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI)

Noteworthy:

December 31 – The Pulberry Trolleys took two of three from the Unions, but Wolseley avoided the sweep on the final day of 1955 when they pulled out a 9-7 win in 13 innings in Pulberry. Back-up catcher 31-year old Éric Denis (.275/.314/.406, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 8 BB, 0.8 WAR) got the start and went for 5 for 7, with a solo home run and four singles for 1 R and 2 RBI. After the Trolleys tied things up at 6-apiece in the 8th, the Unions pushed across three runs in the 13th. Denis’ RBI single in that frame proved to be the game winner, as Pulberry could only respond with one run in the bottom half of the inning.

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11-28-2021, 11:29 PM	#721
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Thirkettle still considered in the top 5. Nice! Will also be keeping an eye on young Ohara. __________________

11-29-2021, 03:00 PM	#722
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	November 1, 1955 - Snapshot Here is a snapshot of the Leagues after the first month of play, with a couple of highlights that will be featured in the December 1 league reports: • After starting the first month of the season last year at 4-23, the Wellington Athletics now boast the best record in the entire United Leagues after the first month of this season. Who deserves the lions’ share of the credit in the early going for the remarkable turnaround? • Which two-time Satchel Paige Award winner pitched the 11th No-Hitter in United Leagues history and the first in nearly three years? ----------- ----------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

12-03-2021, 02:36 PM	#723
Dark Horse Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Texas! Posts: 2,633 Blog Entries: 5	Looks like a rough season for the Monarchs... and the Stars seem... hopeless. __________________ A Justafan Fan LBA Geo Bahn Rock Hounds fan of the ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE

12-06-2021, 03:15 AM	#724
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 1, 1955 Eastern League: Barons Battle Back as Wellington Wearies -------- Offense: .246/.331/.372 (6th/3rd/7th) Pitching: 3.33/3.37/3.18 (2nd/2nd/3rd) Defense: .717 (3rd) The Stratford Barons have started off the season as the most consistent team in the East and have established themselves as once again the team to beat. Overall, offense is down a bit throughout the United Leagues compared to last season and this is reflected in the Barons’ lineup. Still, it has done enough to keep the defending United Cup Champions at the top of the heap. 36-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.300/.458/.545, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 33 BB, 2.1 WAR) is not showing signs of slowing down yet. He remains the top-ranked catcher in the ULB. 27-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.294/.356/.467, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 18 BB, 4 SB, 1.7 WAR) and 27-year old RF Andy Faulkner (.250/.384/.409, 7 HR, 21 RBI, 23 BB, 1.7 WAR) are providing able support. The pitching is currently the team’s strength. No. 1 starter, 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (7-3, 1.51 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 254 ERA+) is off to tremendous start, while second-year closer, 21-year old RHP Frank Greggs (2-1, 8 SV, 1.99 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 192 ERA+) anchors a strong bullpen. Player of the Week Awards: November 7 – 2B Matthew Channing (.478, 11 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: November 5 – It was a Saturday massacre in Stratford, as the Barons obliterated the Embro Suns 16-0 on 18 hits. The Suns just could not get anything going against 29-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (6-6, 4.10 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 93 ERA+), who pitched a 1-hit complete game shut out (2 BB, 5 K, GS: 88). Jaojoco carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning where LF Jesús Abreu broke it up with a 1-out double. -------- Offense: .258/.330/.368 (3rd/4th/8th) Pitching: 3.22/3.22/3.20 (1st/1st/4th) Defense: .735 (1st) The Wellington Athletics’ start in October was nearly the exact opposite of last year, when they stumbled out to a 4-23 start. And as projected, the pitching is leading the way, as the staff leads the East in six pitching categories after the first two months. But they stumbled against Western League teams in November. Thus, it remains to be seen whether their turnaround is for real. Like the Stratford Barons, the offense has not as been strong as the pitching staff. Still, 30-year old RF Jim Mars (.346/.425/.492, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 26 BB, 2.4 WAR) has been outstanding and is off to his best start in four years, while 28-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.286/.393/.459, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 33 BB, 8 SB, 2.2 WAR) continues to progress after he broke a bone in his elbow two seasons ago. Pre-season projections can be fickle, but they appear to have gotten it right with 27-year old RHP Vinnie Snell (5-3, 3.16 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 119 ERA+) and 30-year old RHP Troy Conlin (5-2, 3.14 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 120 REA+). Both got off to hot starts in October, although they cooled off a bit in November. Again, we’ll have to see how they fare the rest of way to see if they’re the real deal. Second-year starter, 24-year old RHP Mike Murray (5-4, 3.42 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 110 ERA+), got off to a promising start as well, before he was laid low with an injury. Also worthy of note is the play of 33-year old stopper, RHP Finley Capstick (3-2, 9 SV, 0.78 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 481 ERA+), who appears to have shaken off his previous two sub-par seasons. Noteworthy: October 8 – The Athletics took the first two games of a three-game set from the Stratford Barons. Game 2 was a lop-sided affair as Wellington thumped the Barons 12-1. RHP Vinnie Snell went the distance, limiting the Stratford batters to 4 hits on 7 strikeouts. 26-year old back-up catcher Doug Bowman (.356/.367/.441, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 1 BB, 0.6 WAR) made the most of hit start, going 5 for 5 with 2 R and 1 RBI. Bowman belted out 4 singles and a solo shot in the 8th inning that capped the Athletics scoring on the day. -------- Offense: .270/.336/.398 (1st/1st/3rd) Pitching: 4.19/4.20/4.15 (5th/4th/7th) Defense: .709 (4th) The Queensland Eagles are attempting to build upon their 78-76 season last year and try to end their 8-year playoff drought. The initial two months are promising, as the offense has been a strength after having been a weakness for so many seasons. Ironically, the pitching staff, once one of the most dominant in the United Leagues, got off to a slow start. Six-year veteran, 29-year old LF Rod Dennis (.263/.341/.459, 9 HR, 35 RBI, 23 BB, 1.5 WAR) is enjoying a solid start, the best of his 4-year career. Two rookies have made the lineup attempting to establish themselves. 26-year old C Robbie Leivers (.278/.342/.414, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 16 BB, 1.3 WAR) and last year’s Eastern League Rookie of the Year, 22-year old RF Hal Dhu (.276/.347/.481, 8 HR, 31 RBi, 18 BB, 8 SB, 1.3 WAR) continue to progress. However, Queensland appears to be grappling with how to utilize both 23-year old SS Noel Eissens (.147/.143/.176, 0 HR, 2 RBI, 0 BB, -0.3 WAR) and SS Apia Yarrah (.321/.367/.472, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 12 BB, 9 SB, 1.0 WAR). Right now, they are starting Eissens, which makes absolutely no sense. On the flip side, 30-year old RHP Logan Belsey (6-3, 3.64 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 104 ERA+) got off to a slow start in October, while 28-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (6-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 99 ERA+) cooled off a little in November after a hot start. But both should be just fine leading the way. 23-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (4-4, 3.30 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 115 ERA+), Queensland’s No. 4 starter, has been very consistent so far in his second full season. Player of the Week Awards: October 31 – SS Apia Yarrah (.391, 9 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R) Noteworthy: October 20 – The Braeland City Monarchs headed into Queensland and received a rude welcome, as the Eagles won the first two games of their 3-game series with back-to-back shutouts. In the first game, RHP Stiofan Micklethwait surrendered only two hits, walking two and striking out four (GS: 85). The next day, 31-year old RHP Tyler Gissing (4-5, 5.17 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 73 ERA+) picked up his first win of the season with a 10-0 shellacking of the Monarchs. He gave up just 4 hits (1 BB, 2 K, GS: 80). -------- Offense: .268/.326/.431 (2nd/5th/1st) Pitching: 4.19/4.34/3.80 (5th/5th/6th) Defense: .704 (6th) The Braeland City Monarchs are hanging around the .500 mark to start the season but if their pitching staff can find more consistency, they may be able to challenge for a playoff spot. The Monarchs currently have the deepest farm system with some tantalizing pitching prospects still developing. But they may not be developing fast enough for Braeland City to take advantage of while they have one of the best players in the ULB currently in his prime. 19-year old LHP Charlie Honeysett (20/80 – 2nd round pick of 1953-54) and 22-year old LHP Johnny Hunter (30/71 – 8th overall pick of 1952-53) are still in Double-A, while 23-year old RHP Clive Clarke (38/63 – 2nd round pick in 1954-55) is in Triple-A. They all portend to form an incredible three-fifths of a rotation one day, as all are rated as future No. 1 starters. The offense is impressive to start the season, with 30-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.325/.413/.629, 12 HR, 32 RBI, 25 BB, 3.2 WAR) returning to his Babe Ruth Award winning level from two seasons ago, at least in the early going. But both 31-year old 1B Dean Witherden (.332/.415/.576, 12 HR, 27 RBI, 24 BB, 2.5 WAR) and 25-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.316/.361/.500, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 17 BB, 1.3 WAR) are off to hot starts as well. Also, 26-year old CF Hayden Goodale (.244/.315/.528, 13 HR, 33 RBI, 20 BB, 1.3 WAR) continues to rake, just as he did last season when led the United Leagues with 36 HR. But the Monarchs also have 5th overall pick, 20-year old CF Bernard Burkitt (41/70), on the major league roster. That may force Goodale to a corner outfield spot, as Burkitt is strong at CF (65), but weak at the other spots (20). The pitching has been another matter, however, with the majority struggling to begin the season. But No. 1 starter 29-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (3-2, 3.67 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 105 ERA+) has improved in recent outings and No. 4 starter, 29-year old Danilo Narvaez (5-0, 2.16 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 179 ERA+), after 5 mediocre seasons, has been outstanding so far this year. Player of the Week Awards: October 10 – 1B Dean Witherden (.542, 13 H, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R) October 17 – RF Aidan Trembath (.444, 12 H, 3 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R) November 21 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.423, 11 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI) November 28 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.476, 10 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI) -------- Offense: .235/.303/.387 (8th/8th/5th) Pitching: 3.55/4.05/1.99 (3rd/3rd/1st) Defense: .723 (2nd) The Downie Chiefs were projected to be firmly entrenched in the second division this season and their first two months are certainly bearing that prediction out. The Chiefs have some young talent in the pipeline, but they’re either still too far away to help in the short term or can only play a position currently occupied by an established superstar. Case in point: Downie has a wonderful young player in 24-year old CF Ben Darvell (53/68) who is ready to start, but he is blocked by one of the best in 27-year old CF Alfonso León (.321/.396/.497, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 23 BB, 4 SB, 2.7 WAR), who is enjoying one of best starts. So it goes for some of these hard luck teams. Besides León, only 29-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.277/.328/.505, 11 HR, 37 RBI, 15 BB, 1.6 WAR) is providing any kind of offensive production. The pitching is not much better, with 24-year old RHP Stefan Rankin (6-3, 3.64 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 103 ERA+) leading an underwhelming pitching staff. Noteworthy: November 16 – The Chiefs went into Balmoral and swept a 3-game set from the Giants at Foster Field. Game 3 saw 27-year old RHP Kent Dundon (5-4, 3.76 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 100 ERA+) pitch a 2-hit shut-out to lead the Chiefs to a 4-0 victory. Dundon kept the Giants off the bases until the 5th inning, when he surrendered a lead-off double to 1B Erik Perry. Dundon struck out 3 and gave up no walks (GS: 86). November 18 – After a travel day, the Chiefs went into Sherburn and took 2 of 3 from the Tigers. In the first game, 32-year old LHP Hank Bennett (3-6, 4.45 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 84 ERA+) pitched Downie’s second consecutive shut-out, blanking the Tigers 1-0 on 2-hits. Bennett struck out two and walked three (GS: 82). -------- Offense: .251/.322/.376 (5th/6th/6th) Pitching: 4.03/4.86/2.14 (4th/8th/2nd) Defense: .676 (8th) Things appeared to be looking up for the Embro Suns. They went the distance against the eventual United Cup champions Stratford Barons in last season’s Eastern League Pennant Series and were red hot in Spring Training. But a disastrous November has seen them tumble down the standings and there is plenty of blame to go around. A once dynamic offense has been a major disappointment with last year’s babe Ruth Award winner, 27-year old 3B Moromao Nakagawa (.264/.375/.503, 10 HR, 40 RBI, 35 BB, 1.7 WAR) leading the way in regressing in November. 25-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.295/.357/.429, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 19 BB, 2.2 WAR) was sensational in October, but he too fell off a cliff the following month. The pitching staff does not offer much to write home about either. 25-year old RHP Bob Nord (5-3, 4.21 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 91 ERA+) has had his moments, but he is not the pitcher he was two seasons ago when he was selected to his first all-star game. But 25-year old reliever RHP Phil McKelvey (5-0, 3 SV, 0.98 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 390 ERA+) has been a standout thus far. Player of the Week Awards: October 24 – SS Kieron Bradridge (.481, 13 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: October 18 – Down 8-4 against the Cobourg Redlegs, the Suns scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th to send the game into extras, where the Redlegs ultimately prevailed 9-8 in 11 innings. But they had to overcome 25-year old SS Kieron Bradridge, who went 5 for 6 on the day. Bradridge was on fire, hitting a single in the 1st, a double in the 3rd and a 3-run home run in the 5th. After flying out in the 6th, he hit another 3-run home in the 9th to pull Embro to within one run. After 27-year old Moromao Nakagawa tied the game up two batters later with a solo shot, Bradrige singled for this 5th hit in the top of the 11th. Alas, it wasn’t enough as the Redlegs drove in the winning in the bottom half. -------- Offense: .254/.335/.401 (4th/2nd/2nd) Pitching: 4.26/4.51/3.24 (7th/7th/5th) Defense: .706 (5th) The Brunswick Legends are another team beset by a largely motley crew of mediocre players with few impact players in their farm system to turn things around in the short term. 27-year old C Robert Kersey (.321/.393/.649, 11 HR, 41 RBI, 16 BB, 2.2 WAR) remains one of the top players in the United Leagues, but he has little support around him, other than 25-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.269/.385/.515, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 33 BB, 1.8 WAR) who appears to be coming into his own in his third major league season. 27-year old 1B Francis Jones (.266/.357/.524, 9 HR, 21 RBI, 18 BB, 2 SB, 1.4 WAR) is having a fine season, but he is being challenged by the one prospect Brunswick has on their roster – 24-year old IF/OF Edilberto Mandac (.262/.306/.455, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 9 BB, 2 SB, 0.3 WAR – 45/54). Currently, he is getting starts at first base against LH pitching. Meanwhile, future hall of famer, 39-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (38/38), has become an afterthought. The pitching seems to be an afterthought as well. But 28-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (5-4, 3.36 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 115 ERA+) pitched well in November (3-1, 1.89 ERA), while 30-year old RHP Byron Ollson (1-1, 1 SV, 3.09 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 125 ERA+) has been a serviceable reliever over 23.1 innings this season. Player of the Week Awards: November 14 – C Robert Kersey (.500, 11 H, 3 HR, 10 RBI) Noteworthy: October 15 – The Stratford Barons were victimized by another back-up catcher when 26-year old Owen Besent (.302/.345/.340, 2-2B, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 0.1 WAR) led the charge for the Legends in their 11-8 victory in Stratford. Besent went 5 for 5, with four singles and a double, collecting 4 RBI and a run on the day. The Legends ultimately took 3 of 4 games from the defending United Cup Champions right in Stratford. -------- Offense: .242/.310/.390 (7th/7th/4th) Pitching: 4.48/4.37/4.82 (8th/6th/8th) Defense: .685 (7th) The Cobourg Redlegs remain perhaps the most frustrating team to watch, as they just cannot get any consistency going, despite their present stock of talent on the roster. Right now, they are struggling in all facets of the game. But that could soon change, as a number of their top prospects are on the major league roster. And the team now has some leadership, so there is no feuding going on despite the losing. Progress! In the rotation, the Redlegs have rookie RHP Albert Johnson (4-6, 5.19 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 74 ERA+ - 47/80). The 21-year old former 9th overall pick is pitching from the No. 3 spot but could be the ace soon if he continues to progress. Cobourg also has 23-year old IF/OF Luigi Purss (44/63), 23-year old IF Harold Prudom (43/54) and 25-year old LF Harrison Covey (.240/.352/.335, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 30 BB, 0.6 WAR – 47/52) who has already cracked the lineup and won Rookie of the Month honours in October. If any or all of these promising youngsters can develop, then the Redlegs may finally gain some traction in the standings. Certainly, the likes of 29-year old CF Raymond Williams (.299/.377/.609, 13 HR, 37 RBI, 21 BB, 7 SB, 2.6 WAR), 33-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.306/.383/.491, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 22 BB, 2.0 WAR) and 27-year old LHP Bill Budd (4-5, 3.09 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 124 ERA+) deserve the support. Lead off hitter, 24-year old SS Douglas Jones (.260/.327/.520, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 4 BB, 0.7 WAR) missed nearly 7 weeks due to a fractured hand suffered in early October, but he should be a major contributor as well, if he can stay healthy. Noteworthy: November 27 – 34-year old utility IF John Medley (.250/.297/.342, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 8 BB, -0.8 WAR) doesn’t get the starts he did in year’s past, but he started at first base against the Pelicans in Kingston. Although Kingston pulled out a walk-off 4-3 win, Medley went 2 for 4 on the afternoon, which included his 2000th career hit. It came on his second hit of the game, a line-drive single into rightfield off LHP Rob Hutchence in the 6th inning. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 12-09-2021 at 01:30 PM.

12-25-2021, 04:30 PM	#725
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 1, 1955 Western League: Pulberry, Cambria Remain Cream of the Crop -------- Offense: .260/.344/.430 (3rd/2nd/1st) Pitching: 3.14/3.23/2.74 (1st/1st/2nd) Defense: .730 (1st) After two disappointing playoff runs, the Pulberry Trolleys appear to be doubling down in their efforts to build a more complete team. In addition to their established stars, they also have young players in their lineup and pitching staff that are off to incredible starts. That bodes well for a team still looking for that elusive first pennant. While two-time defending Babe Ruth Award winner, 27-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.285/.397/.637, 18 HR, 43 HR, 30 BB, 3 SB, 2.5 WAR), continues to rake, he is far from alone in giving pitchers nightmares. 28-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.313/.425/.469, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 34 BB, 5 SB, 3.3 WAR) continues his incredible all-around play from last season. 29-year old 1B Gerard Koerner (.333/.413/.561, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 25 BB, 2.6 WAR) is off to his best start by far and is currently rated No. 2 among first basemen, behind only Cambria’s Carlos Corea. Now in his sixth season, Koerner has never racked up more than 2.9 WAR; this season he is on pace for 7.4. Off to his best start as well is 4-year veteran, 25-year old C Paul England (.302/.386/.488, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 29 BB, 1.2 WAR). The No. 4-rated catcher is on pace for 6.1 WAR; his previous best was 3.6 reached last season. But Pulberry is also receiving a boost from their rookie shortstop, 23-year old Sean Abercrombie (.262/.342/.463, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 21 BB, 2 SB, 1.5 WAR – 51/71). He has already been installed as the team’s captain. His play has forced 30-year old Francis Jones (.280/.368/.466, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 16 BB, 3 SB, 1.5 WAR) to third base, relegating 28-year old Makani Kahale (.210/.291/.295, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 12 BB, 0.2 WAR – 62/62) to back-up duties. Pulberry’s lone weak spot is at second base, where 30-year old Paul Heisler (.193/.274/.319, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 13 BB, -0.3 WAR) is struggling. Although he is not strong at 2B defensively (35), I would expect Kahale to take over there at some point, as his bat is too good to just sit on the bench. The pitching staff has ably supported the offense thus far, with 20-year old LHP Bart Ohara (5-5, 2.90 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 129 ERA+ - 54/80) making his presence felt, winning Rookie of the Month honours in November. Ohara has always been rated as a top prospect since he was drafted in the 4th round back in 1953-54, but OOTP22 seems to really like him. Its not hard seeing him challenging for a Satchel Paige Award at some point. Perhaps overlooked a bit is 26-year old LHP Dermott Rathbone (8-0, 5 SV, 1.75 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 215 ERA+ - 48/58), who is off to an incredible start in his own right. Since moving into the rotation full-time in early November, he has won 5 straight starts. The infusion of young talent in the rotation has seen 34-year old veteran RHP Alexander Ellacott (6-2, 6 SV, 3.81 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 99 ERA+) transition to the stopper role. Player of the Week Awards: October 10 – CF Cooper Tyson (.520, 13 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) -------- Offense: .261/.345/.416 (2nd/1st/2nd) Pitching: 3.88/4.28/2.35 (4th/6th/1st) Defense: .698 (7th) The Cambria Cannons jumped out to an 7-0 start before losing 4 of the next 5 to quickly fall back to second place where they remain after the first two months. The Cannons are unquestionably one of the top teams in the United Leagues and could be even better if only their rotation was firing on all cylinders. The lineup remains one of the most potent, even with 26-year old CF Sam Tite (.291/.406/.605, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 17 BB, 2 SB, 1.2 WAR) out of the lineup for an extended period. 24-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.295/.449/.462, 6 HR, 25 HR, 51 BB, 3 SB, 2.6 WAR) is emerging as a bona fide elite player while 31-year old 3B Luis Torres (.327/.406/.527, 9 HR, 41 RBI, 25 BB, 2.0 WAR) has been wildly productive batting lower in the lineup. 29-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.300/.371/.567, 11 HR, 30 RBI, 16 BB, 1.7 WAR) continues to rake even if his defense remains suspect. But he is far from alone in that department. While Cambria’s farm system is in the middle of the pack (8th overall), they have two impressive rookies on the major league roster that could soon make a major league impact. 21-year old CF Kilipeka Maleko (39/63), a 2nd-overall pick from 1952-53, is getting starts facing left-handed pitchers. But with Sam Tite (75/75) nearing a return from injury, Maleko’s playing time may be severely limited, as he rated mainly for centerfield (65) and perhaps rightfield (25). But he’s got great range (70) and arm (55). In the infield, Cambria has 24-year old 2B Chai-liang Fang (48/56), a 13th-overall pick from 1953-54. The Taiwanese Fang projects to be an above average player with outstanding defensive ratings, something that the Cannons sorely need. The rotation has been a relatively weak link in the early going. Right now, only 27-year old RHP Ray Lambright (8-4, 3.15 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 120 ERA+) has been consistent. The bullpen, however, has been impressive, with 30-year old stopper RHP Keith Roche (5-1, 9 SV, 0.54 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 700 ERA+) giving up only two earned runs so far this season, through 33.1 IP. Player of the Week Awards: October 31 – 1B Carlos Corea (.455, 10 H, 4 HR, 10 RBI) November 28 – LF Calvin Handridge (.550, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI) -------- Offense: .265/.338/.384 (1st/3rd/3rd) Pitching: 3.49/3.35/4.15 (3rd/2nd/6th) Defense: .719 (4th) The Sherburn Tigers finished November with a 4-game winning streak to remain 2.5 games back of the wildcard spot. If there is a team poised to make a big leap forward in the immediate future, it’s the Tigers. A few seasons ago, Sherburn’s roster was practically devoid of impact players. Today, its brimming with young talent. If they all can hit their stride, the Tigers could be a force to reckon with in the West very soon. Case in point is the previously unheralded LF Ross Shewman (.289/.398/.548, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 29 BB, 2.7 WAR – 60/60), the 25-year old Canadian the Tigers selected in the 2nd round back in 1952-53. Only in his second season, he is already one of the top leftfielders in the Leagues and is enjoying an all-star season. An elite defender at his position, it would be no surprise if he should pick up some Ball Hawk awards in his career. Also making an impact this year is 26-year old SS Dwayne Vick (.352/.383/.426, 10-2B, 20 RBI, 11 BB, 2.5 WAR – 65/65). Vick is a two-time all-star and two-time Ball Hawk award winner; he is on pace to make it three each this season. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Sherburn also has 25-year old RF Albert Sulley (.264/.357/.371, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 30 BB, 9 SB, 1.8 WAR – 67/72), 26-year old 3B Adrian Flynn (.301/.378/.460, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 21 BB, 1.5 WAR – 65/65), 23-year old CF Leon Albrecht (.234/.353/.354, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 28 BB, 2 SB, 1.0 WAR – 56/80) and 25-year old 2B Bernard Kerkin (.288/.327/.374, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 11 BB, 0.8 WAR – 55/55) currently in the lineup. Both Albrecht and Kerkin are former 1st overall picks, with Albrecht currently rated as the top prospect in the United Leagues. That’s a lot of young talent that could make Sherburn’s lineup one of the most fearsome if they can all hit their stride. The pitching staff is more than holding its own, as 31-year old ace RHP Jesús Chapa (7-1, 1.87 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 223 ERA+) has returned to the award-winning level he enjoyed in the late 1940s when he won back-to-back Satchel Paige Awards. 28-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (6-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 135 ERA+) remains one the best No. 2 starters in the business. 23-year old LHP Brendan Wombell (7-5, 3.50 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 111 ERA+) has provided some solid outings, but the Tigers are eager to get 22-year old RHP Kozue Saito (2-5, 3.70 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 105 ERA+ - 42/69) back from injury so that the former 2nd-round pick can continue to develop. -------- Offense: .259/.322/.368 (4th/6th/5th) Pitching: 3.38/3.36/3.48 (2nd/3rd/5th) Defense: .729 (2nd) The Fort Richmond Generals bucked the early predictions by getting off to a strong start in October, finishing the month just 3 games out of first place. But a rough 4-11 start to November saw them fall back to perhaps more realistic expectations. The Generals simply do not have the impact players they need in the lineup to compete over the course of the season. They also have the second-worst rated farm system at the moment with precious few highly-rated prospects in the system. Right now, 24-year old C Scott Sheelah (.273/.360/.406, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 23 BB, 1.4 WAR) and 28-year old 1B Jacob Gadsden (.296/.348/.472, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, 1.1 WAR) lead a very hum-drum lineup, with 23-year old rookie Uki Edewada (.318/.364/.477, 5-2B, 18 RBI, 10 BB, 4 SB, 1.3 WAR – 39/55) getting regular starts at rightfield and batting out of the No. 3 spot against left-handers. The pitching features mainly two standouts in the rotation. 32-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (6-4, 1.79 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, 210 ERA+) has bounced back nicely from an injury-plagued season last year while 29-year old RHP Kazunori Fujimoto (6-3, 2.40 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 156 ERA+) is off to the best start of his 5-year career. But outside of 31-year old stopper RHP José Rodríguez (1-2, 5 SV, 3.04 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 123 ERA+), the pitching staff is not as formidable as previous Generals’ staffs were in years past. But they do have 22-year old LHP John Witheycombe (3-0, 3.75 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 100 ERA+ - 48/61), a 2nd-round pick from 1951-52 in the bullpen. If he can develop his third pitch (circle change – 25/50), he may be able to move into the rotation one day. Player of the Week Awards: November 21 – 2B Derek Reed (.524, 11 H, 2 RBI) Noteworthy: October 16 – The Generals swept the visiting Wolseley Unions in a 3-game set, a series that saw back-to-back 1-0 victories in the final two games. In the second game, the Generals won when they finally pushed a run across the plate in the bottom of the 13th inning. While that game saw seven pitchers take the mound, Game 3 witnessed a brilliant matchup between two pitchers that each went the distance. For the Unions, 37-year old RHP Bill Blair pitched 8 innings, giving up 4 hits, one earned run and 4 strikeouts on 90 pitches (GS: 74). But Fort Richmond’s RHP Nicky Sherlock outdid him, pitching the United Leagues’ 11th no-hitter and first in nearly 3 years (9.0 IP, 1 BB, 4 K, 103 PI, GS: 90). Sherlock’s only blemish came early, when LF Carlton Hawking drew a two-out walk in the first inning. The only other baserunner for Wolseley was when 24-year old 2B Koto Honma reached safely on a throwing error in the 5th inning. But two pitches later, he was caught stealing at 2B to end the inning. The only run in the game was scored by 1B Jacob Gadsden, who launched a one-out solo home run in the bottom of the 7th. October 19 – It was a tough day at the office for the pitchers, as the Fort Richmond Generals and Kingston Pelicans scored 20 runs off 29 hits. But the Generals got the lion’s share, defeating the Pelicans 13-7 on 19 hits. While Kingston’s 25-year old C Ronald Armstrong went 3 for 4 with 2 HR, 2 R and 5 RBI in a losing cause, Fort Richmond’s 26-year old LF Tom Lind (.281/.293/.404, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 BB, 0.0 WAR) when 5 for 6 with 5 singles, 1 R and 1 RBI. Lind’s teammate, 30-year old SS Derek Reed (.312/.344/.392, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 5 BB, 0.7 WAR) went 4 for 4 with a double, 1 R, 2 BB, and 2 RBI. October 27 – 28-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (4-5, 4.46 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 84 ERA+) was on his ‘A’ game, as he blanked the visiting Kingston Pelicans 5-0 on 2 hits, allowing the Generals to take their 4-game matchup against Kingston, 3 games to one. Rowet’s no-hitter was broken up in the 6th inning when 33-year old 2B Dwayne Stace led off with a line drive single into right centerfield. Rowet walked 5 and struck out 7 on 137 PI (GS: 85). November 28 – The Generals opened their 3-game home series against the Embro Suns with a 5-0 victory. The player of the game was RHP Kazunori Fujimoto who pitched a 2-hitter on 114 PI. Embro’s first hit came in the top of the 5th, when 29-year old 2B Robert Jameson led off with a single into rightfield. Fujimoto walked 2 and struck out 3 on the day (GS: 84). -------- Offense: .253/.327/.359 (5th/5th/7th) Pitching: 4.00/4.52/2.76 (5th/8th/3rd) Defense: .703 (6th) The Kingston Pelicans stumbled out of the gate, going 1-6 to start the season, before recovering somewhat to finish close to .500 at the end of November. The Pelicans are another team with a rather hum-drum cast of characters, although they are off to slightly better start than they did last season where they won only 60 games, their worst performance to date. While the lineup has been lackluster, second-year player, 3B Mark Johnson (.275/.390/.392, 5 HR, 18 RBI, 31 BB, 1.9 WAR) has emerged as Kingston’s best overall player so far this season. The 28-year old was drafted in the 5th round back in 1949-50 and has been on the Pelicans’ roster for the past 4 seasons, but this is the first productive one and is getting regular starts. 29-year old C Carlos Camasura (.276/.402/.356, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 35 BB, 1.4 WAR – 74/74) and 25-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.286/.344/.469, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 14 BB, 6 SB, 1.3 WAR – 62/63) have also been productive, but it feels like they are capable of much more as Kingston designated offensive leaders. The rotation has been a trainwreck, with only 30-year old ace RHP Kieran Bunce (6-3, 2.54 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 152 ERA+) being effective. In the bullpen, 31-year old stopper RHP Kaula Mafileo (4-3, 5 SV, 3.13 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 123 ERA+) remains his reliable self, while 26-year old RHP Lester Beddoes (1-2, 6 SV, 2.17 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 178 ERA+) has bounced back from a poor season last year. Player of the Week Awards: October 17 – 2B Dwayne Stacey (.478, 11 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI) October 24 – CF Chris Ramsbottom (.522, 12 H, 6 RBI) Noteworthy: October 17 – The Pelicans took two of three from the Fort Richmond Generals in their first matchup of the season. Game 1 witnessed an impressive pitching performance by 21-year old rookie LHP Ronald Dulihanty (4-4, 1 SV, 5.12 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 75 ERA+) in just his third career start. He pitched a 2-hitter, blanking the Generals 2-0 (5 BB, 5 K, 115 PI, GS: 83). Dulihanty carried a no-hitter into the top of the 9th, when he surrendered singles to 31-year old SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida and fellow rookie 23-year old RF Uki Edewada. All the scoring took place in the bottom the 5th, when 27-year old SS Charlie Cockin (.261/.329/.353, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 20 BB, 1.0 WAR) belted out a one-out two-run homer off Fort Richmond’s 28-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet. -------- Offense: .250/.319/.361 (7th/7th/6th) Pitching: 4.15/4.14/4.19 (8th/5th/7th) Defense: .726 (3rd) Expectations were not high for the Balmoral Giants this season and a 0-7 start in October certainly bore that out. But after going 4-12, they finished the month strong, going 11-2. But a disastrous November has certainly dashed any realistic hope that Balmoral could build upon their 82-72 record and 3rd-place finish last season. 35-year old LF Ángel Costa (.294/.387/.553, 12 HR, 31 RBI, 24 BB, 2.0 WAR) remains Balmoral’s top player while 29-year old C Alexander Pyatt (.316/.352/.413, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 9 BB, 1.4 WAR) continues to contribute, but overall, this is not a strong lineup. The Giants have installed their top prospect, 22-year old CF Quido De Jesús (.207/.257/.274, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 8 BB, 1 SB, 0.1 WAR – 43/70) at centerfield and at the top of the lineup. The 3rd-overall pick from 1953-54 is projected to become a ‘first-division starter’ by scouts. The pitching staff is really struggling, with only 28-year old journeyman RHP Harry Dinsmore (3-5, 3.29 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 116 ERA+) pitching with any kind of consistency in his first season with Giants. The bullpen has been erratic as well, but both 31-year old stopper Bonie Bandong (0-2, 12 SV, 2.53 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 151 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Robert Embley (4-0, 2.42 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 157 ERA+) are offering a fine solid tandem that can help try to stabilize things. -------- Offense: .251/.327/.369 (6th/4th/4th) Pitching: 4.09/4.35/3.32 (6th/7th/4th) Defense: .694 (8th) The Wolseley Unions have simply picked up where they left off last season, when they finished with 61 wins, their worst showing in their previous 18 seasons. They are on course for no better than 62 wins this year and the reason is simple. After years of winning, age and a lack of premium talent in the pipeline have caught up with them. With the 3rd-worst rated farm system, the Unions have barely just begun their rebuild. The lone bright spot in the lineup is 26-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.311/.381/.592, 12 HR, 41 RBI, 24 BB, 2.4 WAR), who is off to the best start of his 6-year career. 28-year old rookie CF Josh Eggert (.255/.301/.412, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 12 BB, 1.2 WAR – 41/43) saw his play improve in November. Eggert was drafted by the Unions in the 2nd-round of the 1950-51 draft as a pitcher/outfielder and saw success in the minors. Besides winning a playoff MVP award and a league championship, he won two Ball Hawk awards in the same season as pitcher and right fielder. In October 1953, he hit for the cycle and won a second Ball Hawk award as an outfielder before being released by the Unions organization in December 1954. But just 6 days later, he was signed by Wolseley’s AAA farm team, the Caledonia Jets. He finally reached the majors this season with the team that originally drafted him and has since won a Player of the Week award. One curious move is the demotion of 34-year old SS/3B George Kimpton (.326/.375/.504, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 10 BB, 1.2 WAR) to being a utility player. He appears to be still more productive than either 27-year old SS Lenny McQuhirr (.283/.327/.413, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 10 BB, 0.3 WAR) or 30-year old 3B Paddy Leseberg (.175/.308/.192, 2-2B, 6 RBI, 22 BB, -0.1 WAR). Like the offense, the pitching staff is a far cry from the dominant force it once was. 30-year old ace RHP Robert Garza (5-6, 3.61 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 107 ERA+) has been effective, especially in November (2-2, 2.61 ERA), as has 37-year old RHP Bill Blair (3-2, 2.37 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 159 ERA+). 34-year old Shou-xin Chin (2-5, 4 SV, 2.91 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 133 ERA+) remains an effective stopper. Player of the Week Awards: November 7 – 1B Carlos Ortíz (.421, 8 H, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R) November 14 – CF Josh Eggert (.519, 14 H, 7 RBI, 6 R) -------- Offense: .246/.317/.348 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.09/4.05/4.39 (7th/4th/8th) Defense: .704 (5th) A 9-20 October would be alarming for most teams, but for the Hespeler Stars its just another day at the office. The projections for this season were not very lofty for the Stars to begin with but their performance thus far has been even worse, despite the couple of trades Hespeler made in the offseason to bolster their roster. It could still happen, but you wonder if the Stars are ever going to get it right. Hespeler has three rookies in the lineup at the moment, so growing pains is not totally unexpected. Leading off is 24-year old LF Douggie Dallimore (.278/.365/.361, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 21 BB, 9 SB, 1.2 WAR – 49/54) who came over from Kingston along with SP Patrick Denman in a late July trade. Although Dallimore has no power, he is lights-out fast with decent contact and solid defensive skills. At the bottom of the lineup, the Stars are easing in both 23-year old C Aidan Bennie (.211/.267/.276, 5-2B, 6 RBI, 7 BB, -0.2 WAR – 48/74) and 24-year old 2B Shigemori Saikawa (.265/.265/.324, 2-2B, 4 RBI, 0.0 WAR – 40/49). Bennie, a 2nd-overall pick from 1954-55, is rated No. 2 among all prospects. Saikawa was a 7th-overall pick from 1953-54 and is more or less holding down the fort until 30-year old 2B Vic Lewis (.217/.283/.289, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 11 BB, 2 SB, -0.1 WAR) can come back from injury. Hespeler’s best player in the early going has been 24-year old 3B Clive Yarwood (.333/.422/.535, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 19 BB, 2.0 WAR), while 4-time all-star, 32-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.298/.349/.399, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 16 BB, 1.5 WAR) is a bit off the hot pace he enjoyed over his previous two seasons. Hespeler’s pitching has been uneven to say the least. However, 27-year old RHP Battista Carotta (5-4, 2.97 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 131 ERA+) has been pitching like an ace and make pick up his first all-star selection if he can stay healthy. 26-year old sophomore LHP Amoka Kalea (2-7, 3.56 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 109 ERA+) has shown promise despite a rough November (0-4, 4.15 ERA). He was another trade acquisition in the off-season, from the Queensland Eagles. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 12-27-2021 at 05:38 PM.

12-25-2021, 06:09 PM	#726
Bottom Of The Sixth All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 1,254	Super great stuff, Reds1! As you well know, I've been faithfully following your league for many years and the quality and effort you put into it keeps getting better and more entertaining every year! Kudos to you for continuing to produce very high quality league reports for all of these years! You have set the bar very high for others to try and follow but who never can duplicate! Thank You my friend!

12-26-2021, 03:00 PM	#727
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Great to see the Trolleys continue the push for the title as the season has started out well. The report that the young pups are starting to contribute is welcome news, as well. Go Trolleys! __________________

12-30-2021, 12:50 PM	#730
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	Downie, Dec. 6 – The Kingston Pelicans enter uncharted waters at this year’s Amateur Draft, as this will be the first time that they will be making the first overall pick. After avoiding the basement for their first 17 seasons, the Pelicans finally hit rock bottom last season with a 60-94 record to earn the first pick. Pelicans GM Kane Overell has been at the helm of the team since the 1943-44 season. Over the past 12 seasons, Kingston has made the playoffs 5 times, winning three Western League Pennants and one United Cup. That Cup came in Overell’s first year as general manager. But in recent years, the Pelicans have steadily fallen in the standings until they finally fell into the basement last season. But it’s not as though Overell has been striking out on his draft selections over the past several years. The Pelicans can claim quality picks currently on the roster with the likes of C Carlos Camasura (2nd round pick in 1944-45; 74/74), RF Mo Spenceley (13th overall pick in 1945-46; 53/53), SS Charlie Cockin (16th overall pick in 1946-47; 61/61), SP Kieran Bunce (16th overall pick in 1947-48; 57/57) and CF Chris Ramsbottom (8th overall pick in 1951-52; 62/63) to name a few. But as their recent fortunes bear out, more work is needed to turn things around. “We have some quality players in the lineup”, agreed Overell, “but he have some gaping holes as well if I’m perfectly honest. We have a chance now to try and plug them. High picks mean that you are not doing well in the standings of course, but when they come, you need to make your blows count. Hopefully this can be start of where we turn things around.” Following the Pelicans on the draft board are the Wolseley Unions, who in recent years have been more accustomed to selecting in the bottom half of the 10 rounds that make up the Braeland Amateur Draft. This year, they will pick 2nd overall for the first time in franchise history. The highest selection made before this year was 3rd overall, back in 1940-41 when they picked IF Jorge Arredondo. The 34-year old Cuban-native was traded to the Brunswick Legends back in December 1946 where he went on to earn three all-star appearances and three Ball Hawk Awards. Tzu-yu Jin, who was hired as Wolseley’s new general manager this past off-season, will be looking to turn around the Unions’ fortunes as well, which fell on hard times last year when they barely finished just ahead of the Pelicans in the standings. -------- Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round: 1st Pick – Kingston Pelicans: OF Dan Hesketh (27/70) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. Status: CO Junior For their first overall pick, GM Kane Overell reached out to Australia for the immensely talented Dan Hesketh. The Brisbane-native has top-of-the scale speed with terrific baserunning and bunting skills. He grades out as a plus contact hitter with outstanding defensive abilities at either center or rightfield. He projects to be an impact player for a top-tier team. -------- 2nd Pick – Wolseley Unions: IF/OF Jonathan Higgins (25/58) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Junior; University of Nebraska Tzu-yu Jin taps the American mid-west for his first pick as Wolseley’s GM. Higgins, who hails from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is an immensely versatile fielder who can play anywhere in the outfield with ease. He too, has top-flight speed and will steal his share of bases. As his pitch recognition improves, he should make consistent contact. Scouts feel that he has a very promising future in the United Leagues. -------- 3rd Pick – Hespeler Stars: IF/OF Alistair Benney (20/73) – 18-years old; 5’-8”, 155 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: HS Senior The first Braelander picked in the draft is Golspie, Oxford native, Alistair Benney. Benney’s greatest strength is his bat: he has plus-plus contact ability and a very smooth swing that will allow him to hit for average. He should also grow into an above average power hitter as well. Defensively, he has good range and profiles as an everyday second baseman. *Fun fact:* at last season’s amateur draft, the Stars selected C Aidan Bennie second overall. That means that one day there may be an A. Bennie and an A. Benney on the same roster. -------- 4th Pick – Wellington Athletics: IF/OF Jorge López (20/69) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 160 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH. Status: HS Senior The Athletics select fourth overall for the second consecutive season. This year, they go with the young López from Aruba. López projects to be a force at the plate, with above average contact and power. With excellent range, he should develop into an above average outfielder as well. -------- 5th Pick – Cobourg Redlegs: 1B Vic Weld (20/58) – 18-years old; 6’-0”, 200 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: HS Senior The Redlegs go with Vic Weld of Hespeler. Weld’s greatest strength is his bat as well. He shows plus contact ability that should translate into a solid batting average. He has a fluid swing and shows above average power potential. Defensively, he looks to be a development project for a starting role at first base. -------- 6th Pick – Downie Chiefs: OF Gary Scofield (20/71) – 18-years old; 5’-8”, 150 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. Status: HS Senior The Chiefs take the young Scofield of Cobourg as their first pick. Scofield show tremendous potential at the plate, with raw power, patience and a quick bat that should handle most fastballs and draw plenty of walks. Defensively, he has very good range and throwing arm that should suit him well as an outfielder. -------- 7th Pick – Sherburn Tigers: OF Carlos Cuevas (24/56) – 21-years old; 6’-2”, 200 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. Status: CO Junior; Puerto Rico-Utuado The Tigers take Cuevas of Puerto Rico as their first pick. Cuevas has a sweet, fluid swing that will allow him to drive the ball with consistency and become an above average power hitter. Defensively, he should also become an above average outfielder, especially on the corners. Although not fast, he is a smart baserunner and will steal a few. Scouts consider him a future second division starter at rightfield. -------- 8th Pick – Queensland Eagles: OF Nobuyori Sugahara (20/67) – 18-years old; 6’-0”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Queensland takes Sugahara from Japan, who projects to be among the best in the baseball at working the count and drawing walks, with above average contact potential. He has the speed and baserunning skills to one day steal around 20 bases a season. With good range in the outfield, scouts believe that he as a very promising future in the majors. -------- 9th Pick – Brunswick Legends: 3B Al Annear (20/59) – 19-years old; 5’-10”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. The second Australian taken in the first round, the young Annear also boasts an impressive bat, with a balanced, rhythmic swing. The Perth-native should become a talented contact hitter with the potential to slam 20 homers a season. While he may not become a star, he should still become a solid contributor one day. -------- 10th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals: C Shane Acton (20/54) – 18-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH. The Generals select Acton from Tansley, Dunwich. Acton’s greatest strength his is power abilities. When fully developed, he should have enough power to hit his share of balls out of the park. However, he grades out as a slightly below average contact hitter. -------- 11th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: IF/OF Andrew MacDerment (34/61) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. The fifth Braelander selected, the Monarchs take Andrew MacDerment, an enticing all-around player. MacDerment is blessed with above average contact skills, a smooth swing with quick hands and good pitch recognition. He projects to be an above average power hitter as well. With solid speed on the basepaths and excellent range and arm in the outfield, the Rutherglen, Perth native is projected to make a solid impact on the field and at the plate. -------- 12th Pick – Embro Suns: 2B James Reed (20/56) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Embro takes a young infielder from Fort Richmond. Scouts like his offensive capabilities. Reed has a feel for the strike zone and knows when to lay off a bad pitch. Besides a fluid swing he shows above average power potential. Defensively, however, is considered merely average. -------- 13th Pick – Balmoral Giants: IF/OF Maurice Gayford (20/67) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Balmoral picks Maurice Gayford from Wolseley, whose speed and baserunning skills should regularly put pressure on defenses. Gayford has above average contact potential and with further development, good power and plate discipline. Defensively, he has excellent range and arm strength for any position in the infield. Scouts really like his ceiling and feel he can one day be a first division starter. -------- 14th Pick – Cambria Cannons: OF Kuauli Walenekino (29/53) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH. Cambria goes with the speedy Walenekino from Fiji. Walenekino is blessed with blazing speed and great timing, which should give him the green light to steal every time he reaches base. He should one day be among the leaders in stolen bases each year. He is also an elite defensive center fielder. A smooth right-handed swing should help him hit around 25 home runs a season one day. The consensus is that he will soon flourish in the majors. -------- 15th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys: 3B Callum Gunton (31/52) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 195 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. The Trolleys select Cobourg-native Callum Gunton with their first pick. Gunton possess a lot of talent and grades out as a plus contact hitter although he may difficulty in strike zone judgement. Although he may win many defensive awards, he should be a proficient third baseman in the majors. -------- 16th Pick – Stratford Barons: IF Manalagenna Ulani (20/44) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. To close out the first round, the Barons selected Manalagenna Ulani, the second Fujian to be taken in the initial round. Ulani’s greatest asset is his defensive play. With a great arm and range, he should be a well above average defender. However, while he should have an average eye at the plate, he is considered a slightly below average contact hitter. Unless he improves, he may prove to be more useful as a role player than starter. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

12-31-2021, 11:14 AM	#731
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 31, 1955 Here are the standings and leaderboards for both Leagues at the end of games on December 31: -------- -------- Here are the latest results of the All-Star voting for both Leagues. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

01-04-2022, 12:00 AM	#733
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	January 1, 1956 Looking Back: The 1945-46 Amateur Draft The 1945-46 draft class was definitely top-heavy as the first three picks have gone on to enjoy hall of fame or near-hall of fame careers. But there were many useful players taken in the first and subsequent rounds as well that are currently thriving in the United Leagues. But as always, there were at least one or two players drafted in the first round whose resulting careers were hugely disappointing. Below is a summary of the best players selected, a couple of busts and one late round standout: Cream of the Crop: CF Raymond Williams – 1st overall pick by the Cobourg Red Stockings/Redlegs Career: .320/.390/.556, 1343 G, 5268 AB, 1688 H, 264-2B, 111-3B, 252 HR, 953 RBI, 982 R, 592 BB, 416 K, 122 SB, 117 CS, .946 OPS, 155 OPS+, 152 wRC+, 63.7 WAR Achievements: • 8-time All-Star • 1949-50 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award • 1951-52 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award • 1950-51 All-Star Game MVP • 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team • 10-time Batter of the Month • 12-time Player of the Week • Hit for the Cycle – March 10, 1955 What the original scouting report said: “Williams has the makings of a rock-solid player in the United Leagues, as his greatest strength is perhaps that he has few weaknesses. He should hit for good contact with a bit of power, to go along with strong defense and above-average speed.” *Comments:* The scouts and Cobourg got it right: if there was anyone who was a sure thing, it was Williams. Currently the top-rated position player in the United Leagues, Williams is a 5-tool player with few weaknesses. In 1949-50, he hit .353, his personal best. Four years later in 1953-54 when he batted .332, he hit for 45 home runs and 377 total bases, both ULB records. He currently leads in career SLG with .5562, ahead of Hall of Fame member Paul Hooks (.5553). Although he has yet to win a Ball Hawk Award, he has always been a solid outfielder with incredible range (65) and throwing arm (70). Perhaps his only weakness has been in base stealing. Despite being one of the fastest players (75) with amazing stealing (75) and baserunning abilities (70), he has barely stolen more bases (122) than he has been caught stealing (117). But that is nitpicking. Williams has been and continues to be a cornerstone player whose resume is missing only a championship ring. -------- SS Zhao-hui Qian – 2nd overall pick originally by the Wellington Athletics Career: .290/.349/.425, 1299 G, 5088 AB, 1476 H, 246-2B, 57-3B, 109 HR, 616 RBI, 712 R, 486 BB, 533 K, 92 SB, 52 CS, .774 OPS, 115 OPS+, 121 wRC+, 46.0 WAR Achievements: • 4-time All-Star • 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team • 3-time Ball Hawk Award winner • 8-time Player of the Week What the original scouting report said: “Qian hails from Taiwan and has the tools to be a stalwart at shortstop for years. He is sure handed in the field and blessed with outstanding speed. Like Williams who was selected before him, Qian should hit for high average. He will not be a home run threat however.” *Comments:* Qian did indeed become a stalwart shortstop almost immediately when he reached the majors, winning two Ball Hawk Awards for the Athletics before being traded in January 1950 to the Hespeler Stars in a deal that saw OF Jim Mars and RHP Troy Conlin head to Wellington in return. After leading off for Wellington, Qian served as Hespeler’s No. 3 hitter and later, their clean-up hitter in a talent-poor squad. There, he developed some decent power, hitting a career high of 22 home runs in 1953-54. From 1952 to 1954, he was rated as the top shortstop in the United Leagues and remains in the top 10 this season. But Qian has yet to get a taste the playoffs, as he is saddled with a team that has been unable to get its act together. And at 32-years of age, you have to wonder if time is running out on the gifted shortstop. -------- 2B/3B Dominic Dudding – 3rd overall pick by the Downie Chiefs Career: .313/.381/.513, 1204 G, 4592 AB, 1436 H, 241-2B, 63-3B, 184 HR, 821 RBI, 756 R, 512 BB, 303 K, 43 SB, 37 CS, .893 OPS, 147 OPS+, 142 wRC+, 47.2 WAR Achievements: • 8-time All-Star • 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team • 1949-50 Eastern League Pennant Series MVP • 3-time Batter of the Month • 11-time Player of the Week • Finished 2nd in Eastern League Babe Ruth Award voting twice What the original scouting report said: “The second Braeland City native selected, the Chiefs also went with a player with similar skills as the first two picks: plus contact potential, some pop and speed. The hot corner is considered his strongest position in the field.” *Comments:* Dudding was the third-straight player taken in the draft that delivered on his promise. While he never developed into a base stealing threat nor into an award-winning defender, he was no slouch in either. But it was with his bat that he really made his mark. In 1948-49, his first full season, he led the entire United Leagues in home runs (30) and RBIs (134). For the next two seasons, he was the top-rated third baseman in the Leagues. Then in 1951-52, he made the move to second base and was the top-rated 2B for two seasons until Patrick Lidgate made his ascendancy in 1953. Since then, Dudding has been a comfortable No. 2 and has never left the Top 10 for all position players until this season (No. 14). At age 23, Dudding helped the Chiefs to a United Cup Championship, batting .350/.395/675 in 9 playoff games and picked up MVP honours in the Eastern League Pennant Series. Like Cobourg’s Raymond Williams, he is still in his prime and should continue as one the top players in the ULB for the foreseeable future. -------- RHP Magtanggol Jajoco – 6th overall pick by the Stratford Barons Career: 121-80, 30 SV, 3.50 ERA, 194 GS, 1743.0 IP, 715 BB, 893 K, 111 CG, 22 SHO, 1.34 WHIP, .269 BABIP, 3.62 FIP, 32.4 WAR, 117 ERA+ Achievements: • 3-time All-Star • 1951-52 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award • 1953-54 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award • 5-time Pitcher of the Month • 1-time Player of the Week What the original scouting report said: “Jaojoco, from the Philippines, has the makings of carving out a pretty good career in the ULB, with respectable stuff, incredible movement and decent command. His velocity is certainly not off the charts, but he has a nice arsenal of pitches.” *Comments:* Jaojoco was the first pitcher selected in the draft and the best. The Barons selected another pitcher in the second round, 28-year old RHP Ted Smith. Both have been mainstays in Stratford’s starting rotation, but Jaojoco went on to establish himself as one of the top pitchers in the United Leagues, albeit for a short time. In October 1946 he was declared the No. 2-rated prospect and by the early 1950’s, he delivered on that promise, eventually being ranked as the top pitcher in the United Leagues in 1953-54. In that stretch, he won two Eastern League Satchel Paige Awards and finished 3rd in the voting in 1952-53. This year, he has slipped out of the Top 20 rankings for pitchers and is no longer the best pitcher on his club. But he remains effective and continues to show flashes of his previous greatness, as witnessed by his snaring Pitcher of the Month honours this past November. -------- Biggest Draft Disappointments: The first round produced premium talent that is still making it presence felt in the United Leagues. However, there were a couple of players that proved to be busts and downright frustrating: RHP Freddie Trerise – 8th overall pick originally by the Braeland City Monarchs Career: 36-46, 5 SV, 4.63 ERA, 113 GS, 682.2 IP, 494 BB, 330 K, 4 CG, 1 SHO, 1.67 WHIP, .269 BABIP, 4.75 FIP, 3.4 WAR, 89 ERA+ Minor League Achievements: • 2-time Player of the Week • 1-time All-Star What the original scouting report said: “The Monarchs select a Pulberry kid who has the potential to be a terrific pitcher in the ULB. Trerise has nice stuff, top-notch movement and above-average control with three good pitches. Scouts considered him the best pitcher available in the draft.” *Comments:* The scouts weren’t necessarily wrong. Trerise may have been the best pitcher in the draft and was drafted only a couple of picks after Jaojoco. His minor league start was promising, pitching a no-hitter in Double-A in January 1946 and leading his team in a number of pitching categories that first minor league season. The following season, he was rated 4th overall among prospects, was selected to the Triple-A All-Star Game and won a Triple-A championship. But during that same season he tore a finger tendon, and it was all down hill from there. The following year he had fallen to No. 62 among prospects and repeatedly got injured, missing multiple seasons with torn elbow ligaments, torn labrums and dealing with a chronic back ailment when he wasn't on the long-term injury list. Finally in 1953, Braeland City gave up on him and he has drifted from one minor league team to another. Today, he is toiling as a reliver in Triple-A in the Cobourg Redlegs organization, dealing with bouts of wildness no doubt caused by repeated arm injuries over the years. His experience elicits more sadness than frustration for me now, as I didn’t realize just how much his career was done in by injuries. -------- OF Louie Pate – 10th overall pick by the Sherburn Tigers Career: .286/.332/.421, 871 G, 2777 AB, 795 H, 170-2B, 23-3B, 53 HR, 372 RBI, 361 R, 187 BB, 198 K, 7 SB, 9 CS, .753 OPS, 111 OPS+, 115 wRC+, 6.6 WAR Achievements: • 2-time Player of the Week Minor League Achievements: • 2-time Player of the Week • 1954-55 East Coast League Josh Gibson Award (Triple-A) What the original scouting report said: “Considered the top prospect available in the draft, Pate remained on the board until the 10th pick, made by the Tigers. While the young outfielder from Delamere should hold his own at the plate, I expect his so-so defense and mediocre speed caused him to drop down the board.” *Comments:* OK, here is one the scouts got flat-out wrong. After being drafted, Pate was rated only #62 among prospects, clearly not “the top prospect available in the draft”. He did show some promise in 1950 and 1951, winning a couple of Player of the Week Awards. His best year in the majors was in 1950-51, where he batted .311/.343/.438, 11 HR, 70 RBI, 24 BB, 2.0 WAR in 573 at-bats. But he mysteriously regressed quickly after that. Both his hitting and defense became indifferent. Perhaps it was his attitude; Pate was known for having a disruptive personality and his scouting report states that “Teammates have run out of patience with his selfish attitude”. Sherburn finally ran of patience when they finally released him in October 1954. He joined the Kingston Pelicans organization a few days later and that is where he currently resides. His time in Triple-A has not been unproductive, however. Last season, he won a couple of Player of the Week Awards as well as the 1954 Triple-A Josh Gibson Award for best hitter. But the Pelicans show no inclination of promoting him and his days as a major league hitter are probably long behind him. And he can’t blame injuries for that either. -------- Later-Round Standout: The later rounds of this draft were a pleasant surprise as a number of players, especially pitchers, are enjoying productive careers in the United Leagues. An honourable mention is 28-year old RHP Vinnie Snell, a 98th overall pick (7th round) by the Wellington Athletics. Snell (45-40, 3.80 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 104 ERA+) has been improving with each passing year and earned his first all-star selection last season. He is on pace to earn his second this year. But one player in particular was the clear choice for me: RHP Marcus Turvill – 115th overall pick (Round 8, Pick 3) originally by the Downie Chiefs. Career: 94-48, 2 SV, 2.97 ERA, 94 GS, 772.2 IP, 193 BB, 564 K, 42 CG, 11 SHO, 1.08 WHIP, .253 BABIP, 3.32 FIP, 18.0 WAR, 137 ERA+ Achievements: • 3-time All-Star • 1-time Pitcher of the Month • 4-time Rookie of the Month • Finished 2nd in 1953-54 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award voting *Comments:* Selected in the final round of the draft, Turvill did not appear to be a diamond in the rough, at least not at first. In 1947-48 in Double-A, Turvill pitched in 60 games and went 15-4, 8 SV, 2.65 ERA, 155 WHIP. The following season though saw him lose 9 months due to a torn UCL, but he bounced back in 1949-50, pitching 19-6, 3.86 ERA, 1.34 WHIP. Despite that, Downie allowed him to leave as a minor league free agent in April 1951 and he soon joined Cobourg’s minor league system. That is where he began his transformation into a major league pitcher. His stuff while slowing improving over the years, jumped from 50/55 in July 1951 to 70/75 in September 1952, and has remained at 70/70 since then. It has been his stuff and three great pitches (fastball – 60/60; curveball – 65/65; changeup – 60/60) that has seen him thrive in the major leagues since he was called up for good in 1952-53. Goodness knows it hasn’t been his movement (25/25) which has never been impressive, although his control is respectable (50/50). In that initial season, he won four Rookie of the Month honours and finished 3rd in the voting for Rookie of the Year. As recently as July 1954, he was rated No. 7 among pitchers and has become a league leader in shutouts over the past two seasons. Last season, he tied the record for most shutouts in a season with 8 and despite having only 4 seasons under his belt, he leads the United Leagues in five career categories: Hits allowed/9 IP (7.47), K/9 IP (6.57), Walk + Hits/IP (1.08), Opp. AVG (.2253) and Opp. OBP (.2813). Not bad for a player selected 115th out of a class of 128. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

02-19-2022, 10:48 PM	#734
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	January 10, 1956 Hometown Tigers Roar as West Wins Wild Mid-Season Classic -------- Sherburn, Oxford (BP) – For the third time in United Leagues history, the All-Star Game had to be settled in extra innings. Two of those extra-inning affairs have taken place at the Paramount in Sherburn, with the Western League pulling out a thrilling win in both. Back in 1940, the West eked out a 11-10 victory in 11 innings. This year, the Western League squandered a 4-run lead before tying things up in the 8th and coming back in the bottom of the 10th to win their 8th All-Star Game. The East still leads in that category with 11 wins. 25-year old CF Ross Shewman, who entered the game as a pinch hitter in the 4th inning in place of Pulberry’s CF Cooper Tyson, was one of two hometown Tigers who hit home runs in the game. Shewman hit his home run in walk-off fashion, helping the West pull out the victory. For his efforts, Shewman picked up Player of the Game honors. But the extra inning heroics likely would not have been needed if not for some questionable pitching staff management. For some inexplicable reason, Kingston’s RHP Kieran Bunce was left in the game for 2.2 innings and 73 pitches, where he surrendered 6 earned runs, 4 walks and the lead. But the Westerners fought back and pulled out the win, sending the 25,400 partisan fans home happy. The Eastern League opened the scoring in the top of the 2nd, when Wellington’s Jim Mars slammed a first-pitch solo home run off Wolseley’s RHP Roberto Garza. But the West came right back in the bottom half when Cambria’s César Ruíz led off with a double off Wellington’s RHP Finley Capstick. Two outs later, Balmoral’s Ángel Costa and Pulberry’s Cooper Tyson banged out back-to-back singles to tie up the game. The Westerners appeared to break it open in the bottom of the 4th, where César Ruíz led off with a single off Queensland’s Logan Belsey, then scored one out later when Balmoral’s Sean Brearton tripled into left-centerfield. After Sherburn’s Christopher Dainty walked, two of his fellow Tigers teammates immediately followed. Ross Shewman doubled into centerfield to score Brearton, while Albert Sulley’s ground out to Embro’s 3B Moromao Nakagawa scored Dainty. Cambria’s Carlos Corea then singled into shallow leftfield, allowing Shewman to race around 3B and beat out the throw from Queensland’s LF Rod Dennis to put the West up by four. RHP Kieran Bunce took the mound with one out in the top of the 6th and kept the Eastern League hitters baffled until the wheels went off the rails in the 8th. First, Braeland City’s Dean Witherden led off with a solo home run to the rightfield bleachers. Brunswick’s Jay Mitchell then banged out a first-pitch triple and scored when Stratford’s Matthew Channing grounded out to 2B Sean Brearton. With two out, Stratford’s Andy Faulkner battled Bunce to a full count before beating out Bunce’s throw to 1B, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Bunce soon loaded the bases when he surrendered back-to-back walks to Downie’s Alfonso León and Embro’s Moromao Nakagawa. Wellington’s Matthew Floyd then lined a double into centerfield to clear the bases and give the East the lead. Stratford’s Aaron Skidmore followed with a single into centerfield to score Floyd. Bunce then gave up a double to Cobourg’s Harry Doxey and a walk to Jay Mitchell before Bunce finally got out of the inning when Matthew Channing grounded out to 2B Sean Brearton. But the Western League evened things up in the bottom of the 8th with a couple of solo home runs by Christopher Dainty and Kingston’s Mo Spenceley. Fort Richmond’s RHP Nicky Sherlock relieved Kieran Bunce in the 9th and got the East to go down in order, while Embro’s RHP Phil McKelvey did the same against the West in the bottom of the 9th, forcing extras. But in the top of the 10th, Sherlock would give the lead back to the East, at least temporarily. Moromao Nakagawa led off with a single, then reached 2B when Brunswick’s Carl Patton grounded out to Hespeler’s 3B Clive Yarwood. Queensland’s Robbie Leivers then singled home Nakagawa to give the East the lead. But Cobourg’s LHP Bill Budd, who took the mound in the bottom of the 10th, couldn’t make the lead stick. Kingston’s Chris Ramsbottom quickly tied things up when he led off with a solo home run to the left-centerfield stands. Budd got the next two batters out, but Sherburn’s Ross Shewman quickly ended the 19th All-Star Game when he launched Budd’s first offering 456 ft. into the centerfield bleachers for a walk-off, solo home run. -------- Here are the complete All-Star rosters and final voting results: __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

02-20-2022, 01:39 AM	#735
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	[Updates might be a bit more sporadic than usual as I have a close family member that has been in the hospital for more than a month and my wife and I are set to move to a new abode next month for the first time in 20 years. So things will be a little more hectic for me over the next few weeks.] ----------- January 11, 1956 - Snapshot Here is a snapshot of the Leagues at the All-Star break, with a couple of developments I found interesting: • The Hespeler Stars began the season 9-20 and were 21-33 at the end of November, putting them in last place, 13 games back of top spot in the West. But since December 1, they have gone 24-10 (7-1 so far in January) and have moved into the first division and just 3 games back of the wild card. Is this a harbinger of better things or just a blip for the last remaining team still seeking their first playoff appearance? • Offense has always been a bit more robust in the minor leagues, but this season is seeing some potential record-breaking numbers being racked up. In particular, home runs are being generated like never before. In Double-A, the season home run record is 48, set last season. But this year, Wellington’s Elliot Loder is on pace for 71. He is just 9 homers shy of the current mark. But Triple-A is also seeing an increase in the number of long bombs. Last year, Hespeler’s minor league player Craig Diprose hit 40 home runs, breaking the old mark of 39. But this season, Queensland’s farmhand, 24-year old Seb Kingman, is on pace for hitting 63. That’s understandable in Triple-A, as LgAvg and LgERA are both up compared to last season. But LgAvg and LgERA are actually down this season in Double-A, so who knows what is going on there. ----------- ----------- ----------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

02-22-2022, 07:55 PM	#736
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Hope all goes well with your family, reds1. Thanks for the update. __________________