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04-30-2023, 06:32 PM
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#781 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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January 1, 1957
Looking Back: The 1946-47 Amateur Draft The 1946-47 draft class did not have quite the star power as previous classes nor subsequent classes had. There were no slam dunk picks either as the top five players selected in the draft have not distinguished themselves in any significant way. But despite the lack of clear hall of fame players, some fine talent was still unearthed, nevertheless. Below is a summary of the best players selected, an out-and-out bust and one late round standout: Cream of the Crop:  1B Harry Doxey – 6th overall pick by the Cobourg Red Stockings/Redlegs Career: .325/.375/.476, 1303 G, 5111 AB, 1659 H, 339-2B, 22-3B, 131 HR, 789 RBI, 694 R, 410 BB, 409 K, .852 OPS, 130 OPS+, 132 wRC+, 34.7 WAR Fielding: .988 PCT, 8.94 RNG, +37.9 ZR, .971 EFF Achievements: • 7-time All-Star • 3-time Ball Hawk Award winner • 1952 EL Pennant Series MVP Award • 1-time Batter of the Month • 10-time Player of the Week • 1-time EL Batting Title Crown winner • 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team • Hit for the Cycle What the original scouting report said: “Doxey should be an outstanding hitter with amazing contact and solid power. His defense is average and will not be looked upon to steal bases, but if his bat delivers as promised, those other skills will not be necessary.” Comments: The first of two first basemen to appear on this list, Doxey’s bat did indeed deliver, but he also defied the scouts who felt he was un-coachable with a poor work ethic by becoming a steady, dependable award-winning defensive infielder. He entered the United Leagues 1947, just as was named the #9 overall prospect, and embarked on a solid career. His best year thus far was the 1953-54 season, when he won the EL Batting Title (.368, 148 OPS+, 155 wRC+, 6.2 WAR). Although he has never hit more than 18 home runs in a season, he has led the Eastern League in hits twice and doubles four times. He is an ‘iron man’, having missed just three days (stomach virus) last season in total. Although his defense has slipped a bit over the past couple of seasons, he remains an effective hitter hitting out of the No. 4 spot for the Redlegs. He is currently ranked No. 2 among first basemen in the United Leagues, behind only Kingston’s Ira Bannatyne. In his lone playoff appearance in 1952-53, Doxey batted .423/464/.558, 189, OPS+, 183 wRC+ in 13 games and won a playoff series MVP Award. With the Redlegs currently in first place in the East, Doxey may get another chance to shine in the playoffs before his career is over. --------  1B Carlos Corea – 7th overall pick originally by the Cambria Cannons Career: .311/.366/.500, 1066 G, 4180 AB, 1302 H, 255-2B, 24-3B, 162 HR, 662 RBI, 677 R, 321 BB, 225 K, 16 SB, 17 CS, .866 OPS, 142 OPS+, 150 wRC+, 24.3 WAR Fielding: .992 PCT, 9.05 RNG, -94.9 ZR, .887 EFF Achievements: • 5-time All-Star • 4-time Batter of the Month • 8-time Player of the Week • 1-time Rookie of the Month • 2-time WL Batting Title Crown winner • 1954-55 WL Pennant Series MVP Award • Finished 2nd in 1954-55 WL Babe Ruth Award voting • 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team • Hit for the Cycle – twice • One United Cup (1952-53) What the original scouting report said: “Like Doxey selected ahead of him, Corea’s calling card is his bat; he has plus contact potential with some power. Defense may be an issue and he is not a fluid baserunner.” Comments: Selected immediately after Doxey, Corea has remained with the club that drafted him throughout his career as well. But unlike Doxey, the scouts nailed their initial appraisal of Corea – a talented hitter that looks lost on the field. The 30-year old from Mexico has made his mark in the United Leagues at the plate, perhaps the most gifted hitter available in this draft class. His best season was in 1954-55 (.352, 174 OPS+, 182 wRC+, 6.0 WAR) when he won his second WL batting title. A more prolific home run hitter than Doxey, Corea peaked at 30 home runs in 1953-54 and has hit 20 or more on four other occasions. That power has helped him lead the West in hits, total bases and RBIs twice and doubles three times. And like Doxey, Corea has shined in the post-season, batting .355/.392/.573, 177 OPS+, 185 wRC+ in 27 games over the course of two seasons. His efforts helped the Cannons win a United Cup in 1952-53. But he has never appeared in the Top 20 rankings for position players, no doubt due to his atrocious fielding, but the man sure can hit. --------  SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida – 8th overall pick by the Fort Richmond Generals Career: .302/.348/.427, 1124 G, 4347 AB, 1313 H, 246-2B, 41-3B, 71 HR, 541 RBI, 568 R, 299 BB, 220 K, 42 SB, 28 CS, .774 OPS, 116 OPS+, 120 wRC+, 39.5 WAR Fielding, SS: 952 G, .964 PCT, 4.55 RNG, +58.3 ZR, 1.042 EFF Fielding, 2B: 170 G, .981 PCT, 5.74 RNG, +15.6 ZR, 1.061 EFF Achievements: • 3-time All-Star • 4-time Ball Hawk Award winner • 1-time Batter of the Month • 3-time Player of the Week • 2-time Rookie of the Month • 1-time WL Batting Title Crown winner • 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team • Finished 2nd in the 1947-48 WL Rookie of the Year voting • Finished 2nd in the 1950-51 WL Babe Ruth Award voting • One United Cup (1953-54) What the original scouting report said: “The Fort Richmond Generals pick up a defensively versatile player in Yoshida, who hails from Embro, Dunwich. Yoshida also has very good contact potential but is not a home run threat and won’t draw too many walks. But he is sure-handed and reliable in the field and will steal a few bases.” Comments: Yoshida definitely turned out to be defensively versatile, as he won Ball Hawks for two positions (1 for 2B, 3 for SS) over his career thus far. But Yoshida proved to be no slouch at the plate either. While never becoming a home run threat (he peaked at 10 in 1950-51), his contact potential did develop, and he drew a decent number of walks over his career. His all-around play really stood out in the aforementioned 1950-51 season, when he batted .348/.399/.464, 140 OPS+, 153 wRC+, 8.1 WAR, winning a batting title and coming in 2nd in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting, behind teammate, C Louis Wearne. But injuries have plagued him ever since his major league career began and have really begun to affect his performance over the past two seasons. He has never suffered a season ending injury, but is the king of strains and muscle soreness, as he has lost almost a cumulative year to various ailments, not including the day-to-day variety. He can still hit, but his defense is starting to suffer as a result (.935 PCT, 4.49 RNG, -2.6 ZR, .970 EFF). --------  RHP Stiofan Micklethwait – 9th overall pick by the Queensland Eagles Career: 113-90, 3.12 ERA, 245 GS, 1909.2 IP, 809 BB, 1095 K, 86 CG, 20 SHO, 1.30 WHIP, .263 BABIP, 3.32 FIP, 44.4 WAR, 129 ERA+ Fielding: .941 PCT, 1.51 RNG, -1.5 ZR, .990 EFF Achievements: • 3-time All-Star • 3-time Pitcher of the Month • 2-time Player of the Week • Finished 3rd in 1949-50 EL Rookie of the Year Award voting • Finished 2nd in 1954-55 EL Satchel Paige Award voting • Finished 3rd in 1953-54 and 1955-56 EL Satchel Paige Award voting What the original scouting report said: “The Eagles select the second pitcher taken in the draft, a native of St. Thomas, Oxford. Micklethwait projects to be a well-balanced pitcher with respectable stuff, top-notch movement and decent control. He has three main pitches: fastball (40/45), curveball (40/60) and slider (40/55). His changeup will need some work (20/30) however.” Comments: Micklethwait never developed a serviceable changeup (25/25), but his other pitches have served him well as he is consistently ranked as one of the best pitchers in the United Leagues (4th overall). He would be considered the ace of the staff on nearly every other squad, but when the rotation also includes Logan Belsey (1st overall-ranked pitcher, 2-time Satchel Paige Award winner), Micklethwait is forced to settle as Queensland’s No. 2 hurler. Ranked as the 6th overall prospect as he entered the United Leagues full-time in 1949-50, Micklethwait has been a model of consistency with his last four seasons being his best. He has won 20 or more games each of the past two seasons with an ERA+ of 158 each year. There is not much else to say. He has come close to winning a Satchel Paige in his own right and he is still capable of finally getting the recognition he derserves. -------- Biggest Draft Disappointments The first and second rounds produced a bounty of players that have been productive and enjoyed staying power in the majors. However, one player taken high in the draft sticks out like a sore thumb:  OF Peter Diamond – 3rd overall pick originally by the Balmoral Giants Career: 1 PA, 1 BA. Minor League Achievements: • 1-time All-Star • 3-time Ball Hawk Award winner What the original scouting report said: “Diamond is not projected to be a high average or home run hitter, as his pitch recognition could use some work. But he has great patience at the plate and solid defense in the outfield as well as jaw-dropping speed. He should prove to be a nightmare for catchers and scouts noted his ability to read pitchers pick-off moves. Only his poor work ethic is a concern.” Comments: Whether his poor work ethic ultimately did him in or not, suffice to say Diamond did not exactly shine when he briefly reached the majors. He excelled in Double-A, winning a championship with Balmoral’s farm club, the Georgetown Goldbugs while earned all-star honors and fielding awards. But by 1948, he was ranked only 90th overall among prospects. When he reached the big-league level in 1949, he appeared in all of 6 games – never as a starter and made one plate appearance. That was it. Returning to Triple-A for good, he won another minor league championship with Balmoral’s Canterbury Seals but was a marginal player at best. By April 1952 he was a free agent and bounced around the minor leagues with both the Hespeler Stars and Embro Suns organizations before retiring in April 1956. -------- Later-Round Standout The later rounds of this draft did not produce an abundance of come-out-of-nowhere players. In fact, it produced a grand total of one. But it was a pretty good one:  RHP Ben Buschlen – 88th overall pick (Round 6, Pick 8) originally by the Fort Richmond Generals. Career: 100-84, 3.60 ERA, 221 GS, 1666.1 IP, 502 BB, 762 K, 69 CG, 7 SHO, 1.33 WHIP, .281 BABIP, 3.74 FIP, 26.1 WAR, 108 ERA+ Achievements: • 2-time All-Star • 2-time Pitcher of the Month • Finished 3rd in 1954-55 WL Satchel Paige Award voting Comments: Buschlen embarked on his baseball career in the United Leagues with low expectations, as his stuff (35/45) and control (25/40) were not that impressive, although he did have good movement (55/65) on his three-pitch arsenal. But in spite of his propensity for injuries, his ratings began to improve across the board allowing him to pick up a Triple-A Pitcher of the Month honor at one point. Things looked promising until the perennial playoff contending Fort Richmond Generals traded him to the lowly Sherburn Tigers in a 6-player deal back in April 1949. Buschlen was the key player the Tigers received for shipping Satchel Paige Award winner Roberto Taváres to the Generals. Taváres would win another Satchel Paige Award a few years later and help Fort Richmond win a United Cup in 1953-54 while Buschlen would toil with a Sherburn club that would finish in last place three times over the next six seasons. But instead of fading into obscurity, Buschlen thrived in pitching right behind staff ace Jesús Chapa, a three-time Satchel Paige Award winner in his own right. The Kingston-native continued to progress, seeing his stuff (50/50), movement (55/55) and control (70/70) advance enough to help him be named to two all-star games and to be ranked as high as No. 4 among all pitchers in the ULB back in July 1955. Today he pitches for a playoff caliber team once again although injuries continue to be a concern. If he can keep the serious injury bug at bay for just a little while longer, he just may get a chance to hoist a United Cup before too long.
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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05-01-2023, 01:15 AM
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#782 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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January 7, 1957
Quote:
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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05-07-2023, 12:18 AM
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#783 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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January 8, 1957
Eastern All-Stars Pull Out Victory in Pitching Showcase  -------- Queensland, Dunwich (BP) – In a season that has featured plenty of offensive firepower, it was the pitchers who took center stage at the 20th annual All-Star Game held at Wagner Stadium in Queensland on Braeland’s far north-east coast. On a sunny, clear day where the temperature shot up to 83F by mid-afternoon, a packed house of 27,600 witnessed a pitcher’s duel between the East and West’s best hurlers for the first four innings. Five singles, three by the West and two by the East were all that the offenses could muster. That is, until Cambria’s RF Sam Tite stepped to the plate with one out in the top of the 4th inning facing Cobourg’s ace, LHP Bill Budd. On a full count, Tite blasted Budd’s sixth offering 402 ft. into the leftfield bleachers to finally break the goose egg for a solo home run. But the East would not be held off the scoreboard for long. In the bottom of the 6th inning facing Fort Richmond’s closer, 24-year old LHP John Witheycombe, they finally broke through. First, Cobourg’s 1B Harry Doxey was hit by a pitch with one out. With two out, Witheycombe surrendered back-to-back walks to Downie’s 1B Louie Revill and 2B Dominic Dudding to load the bases. Stratford’s SS Callum Spalton and Brunswick’s RF Joshua Witherden then punched out back-to-back singles to score three runs, giving the East the lead. That was all the scoring they would need as the West could only muster a couple of harmless walks the rest of the way as Sherburn’s LF Ross Shewman would strike out for the final out against Embro’s RHP Juan Rivas, immediately after Fort Richmond’s CF Greg Cusack was cut down by Wellington’s C Carlos Camasura attempting to steal second base. Despite the loss, Sam Tite was named the game’s Most Valuable Player, the fourth time a player from the losing side has won it. -------- Here are the complete All-Star rosters and final voting results:    
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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05-07-2023, 06:26 AM
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#784 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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January 9, 1957
Here is a snapshot of the Leagues at the All-Star break: -----------     -----------    
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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05-21-2023, 06:05 AM
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#785 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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February 1, 1957
Eastern League: Redlegs Rise While Wellington Wilts    --------   Despite winning twice as many games as they lost in November, the Cobourg Redlegs still found themselves 5-1/2 games back of first place and in 4th place overall in early December, thanks to a four-game losing streak to open the month. But they quickly turned it around after that, going 11-1 at one point in the middle of December, then followed that with a 10-game winning streak that overlapped into January. From November to the end of January, they put up the best record in the United Leagues (53-26), 4 wins better than the next best team (Brunswick at 49-30). Their success is due in large part to a few standout performances in both their lineup and rotation, all backed up by a solid bullpen. Coupled with the No. 1 farm system in the United Leagues – one that is top heavy with promising arms that are either close to reaching the majors or are already there – the Redlegs appear to be well positioned to maintain their recent dominance. The offense continues to be led by the top ranked centerfielder and shortstop in the United Leagues, namely 30-year old Raymond Williams (.374/.437/.671, 27 HR, 84 RBI, 44 BB, 8 SB, 7.6 WAR) and 25-year old lead-off hitter, Douglas Jones (.268/.352/.491, 24 HR, 63 RBI, 51 BB, 4 SB, 5.6 WAR) respectively. Both are playing at an elite level. Of the nine Player of the Week honors that were handed out over the past two months in the East, Williams and Jones won five of them. Also contributing are 31-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.326/.378/.509, 13 HR, 55 RBI, 30 BB, 2.2 WAR) and 35-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.295/.352/.447, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 22 BB, 1.4 WAR). But those two players appear to be slowing down which may put pressure on the Redlegs to find their replacements in the not-too-distant future. Thus, its no surprise that Cobourg is officially in a ‘win now’ mode. The rotation continues to be led by 28-year old LHP Bill Budd (15-6, 2.20 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2.63 FIP, 180 ERA+) who is having a Satchel Paige Award-worthy season. Meanwhile, 23-year old sophomore RHP Albert Johnson (13-6, 3.96 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 4.20 FIP, 100 ERA+ - 49/70) continues to progress. But the Redlegs also have 20-year old RHP Lester Bell (1-0, 3.52 ERA, 0.52 WHIP, 2.84 FIP, 112 ERA+ - 40/80) pitching out of the bullpen. Bell, a 3rd-overall pick from 1954-55 is currently ranked No. 3 among all prospects and is a future starter. Down in Triple-A, Cobourg also has 24-year old RHP Shunen Minaminure (41/66 – 13th overall ranked prospect), a 2nd-round pick from 1955-56. But he suffered a torn UCL back in November and is gone for the season. Still, scouts feel he is capable of one day anchoring a rotation. All-Star Selections: SP Bill Budd (4th) CL Brian McDaniel (2nd) 1B Harry Doxey (8th) SS Douglas Jones (1st) CF Raymond Williams (10th) Player of the Week Awards: December 17 – CF Raymond Williams (.542, 13 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R) December 24 – CF Raymond Williams (.538, 14 H, 3 RBI) December 31 – SS Douglas Jones (.391, 9 H, 5 HR, 8 RBI) January 14 – SS Douglas Jones (.471, 8 H, 3 HR, 3 RBI) January 21 – CF Raymond Williams (.400, 10 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: January 13 – Immediately following the All-Star break, the Legends went into Cobourg and took the first three games from the Redlegs, each by a one-run margin. But Brunswick had no answer for LHP Bill Budd who blanked the Legends, 7-0 on 2 hits to salvage the final game of the series. Budd went all 9.0 innings, with 2 BB, 5 K, 111 PI, GS: 86. Key Trade: January 17 with the Cambria Cannons: To Cobourg – 31-year old RHP Keith Roche (56/56) To Cambria – 22-year old minor league SS Raúl León (22/45) Knee-jerk reaction: With the Redlegs aiming for what would be just their second playoff appearance and the Cannons well out of the playoff chase, the two clubs make a deal that now see the top two leaders in saves in the ULB on the same team. Roche, a 3-time all-star from British Columbia, may not have the best stuff (50/50) and essentially only one pitch (sinker-60/60; changeup-35/35), but his ability to limit home runs (70/70) and walks (60/60) has allowed him to be a reliable, consistent reliever throughout his 8-year career. Roche becomes Cobourg’s middle reliever and will make one the Eastern League’s top bullpens even better. The Redlegs do not give up much in the way of León. The former 7th-round pick from 1952-53, has a decent eye (45/55) and gap power (55/55) with average power (40/50). He has plenty of speed (70) but is not an effective base stealer (45). He is currently buried in the Cannons’ depth chart in Double-A but could make the majors one day if he can get more playing time.  --------   The Brunswick Legends appear to be the real deal as they have played consistently throughout the season and continue to hold down the wild card. They haven’t gone on any extended winning streaks, but they haven’t endured any extended losing streaks either, although they did stumble a little at the end of January, going 3-6. Like Cobourg, the Legends have been relying on a few key players. The biggest surprise has been in the rotation, where 31-year old journeyman LHP Luke Henty (13-6, 2.74 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 3.49 FIP, 145 ERA+) is enjoying his best season by far and is on pace for 19 wins. He picked up the first all-star selection of his nine-year career and is currently Brunswick’s ace. But 24-year old RHP Dave Ball (12-6, 2.97 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 134 ERA+) is enjoying a breakout season of his own, the fourth of his career. 29-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (12-7, 4.14 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.98 FIP, 96 ERA+) endured a rough patch in December (1-4, 6.70 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) but recovered a bit the following month (3-1, 3.06 ERA, 1.20 WHIP). The bullpen has been the best in the Eastern League, with 35-year old stopper RHP Lao Chen (6-2, 13 SV, 1.08 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 2.21FIP, 368 ERA+) and 27-year old LHP Ron Killingworth (3-4, 2 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.67 FIP, 196 ERA+) providing consistent outings game in and game out. The offense is led by the top-ranked catcher in the United Leagues, 28-year old Robert Kersey (.301/.390/.526, 21 HR, 74 RBI, 49 BB, 4.5 WAR). Although not the most well-liked player on the club, he has consistently been its best over the past six seasons, earning an all-star selection each year. He has been joined by 27-year old RF Joshua Witherden (.277/.381/.516, 16 HR, 39 RBI, 48 BB, 4.1 WAR), who continues to impress in just his second major league season. Batting ahead of Kersey in the No. 3 spot has been 26-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.279/.379/.531, 19 HR, 61 RBI, 48 BB, 3.4 WAR). The former 11th overall pick from 1951-52 is in his fourth major league season and has gotten better with each passing year. All-Star Selections: SP Dave Ball (1st) SP Luke Henty (1st) CL Lao Chen (7th) C Robert Kersey (6th) RF Jay Mitchell (2nd) RF Joshua Witherden (1st) Noteworthy: December 10 – The Legends swept all four games against the lowly Downie Chiefs with the first game being the only shoot-out. In it, C Robert Kersey went 5 for 5 as the Legends outpaced the Chiefs, 12-8. Kersey singled twice in the 2nd, singled again in the 5th, doubled in the 7th and then slammed a solo shot off RHP Frank Greggs in the 8th. In all, he scored 4 times and collected 1 RBI. December 14 – The Legends rolled into Queensland for a 3-game set against the Eagles and took the first game, 7-0. The man responsible for shutting down the Eagles was LHP Luke Henty who limited Queensland to just 2 hits. In all, he went 9.0 IP with 0 BB, 8 K, 94 PI, GS: 91. C Robert Kersey led the offense with a 3-run home run off RHP Wayne O’Reilly in a 6-run 3rd inning. But Queensland would bounce back to win the next two games to take the series. Key Trade: January 8 with the Cambria Cannons: To Brunswick – 36-year old RHP Ramón Ortíz (49/49) and 22-year old minor league IF Dave Smith (24/38) To Cambria – 22-year old minor league OF Doug Arce (38/47) Knee-jerk reaction: Not a major deal by any means but like the Redlegs, the Legends make a deal with Cambria for a middle reliever to try and beef up the top bullpen in the East even more. Ortíz is another pitcher with pedestrian stuff (40/40) that relies on command (70/70) and control (55/55) to get outs, utilizing two so-so pitches (fastball, sinker – 45/45). He will serve as one of two middle relievers for Brunswick. Cambria receives a low-level prospect in Acre, an 8th-round pick from 1952-53 with great plate discipline (60/65) and a decent eye (50/50). Possessing terrific speed and base running instincts (65) and a future solid defensive leftfielder (45/60), Acre has a chance to reach the majors although he may not necessarily be a future all-star in the making.  --------   The Stratford Barons continue to hang around in the wild card hunt without actually holding it down for any length of time. They have been as close as a game and a half and as far back as 5-1/2 games, but they continue to be a threat in the tight playoff race. There’s a chance that a team in the East could win 90 games this season and still miss the playoffs. That’s happened only once before, back in 1941-42 – to the Barons. That season, the Embro Suns won 100 games, while the Brunswick Legends won 93 to capture the wild card. Stratford finished with 92. If the Barons are going to buck that trend, they will need to step it up on offense, as they have slid back in a number of categories. December was particularly rough for a number of their key players in the lineup, although most of them bounced back a bit in January. 31-year old CF Alfonso León (.312/.384/.547, 16 HR, 56 RBI, 47 BB, 5.5 WAR) remains the lynchpin of the offense, but December (.241/.298/.429) saw him cool off from his torrid start. Also struggling at the plate in December were 28-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.284/.336/.527, 19 HR, 87 RBI, 34 BB, 15 SB, 4.4 WAR) and 25-year old SS Callum Spalton (.272/.321/.390, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 27 BB, 5 SB, 3.8WAR). Spalton’s struggles in fact, continued into January (.256/.297/.337). Also concerning for the Barons are signs that 37-year old Aaron Skidmore (.230/.396/.417, 14 HR, 38 RBI, 69 BB, 2.8 WAR) is starting to show his age at the plate, although the 15-time all-star’s defensive skills are still top-notch (.990 PCT, 5.11 RNG, +2.9 ZR, 1.020 EFF). The rotation represents the strength of the club right now, with the top three starters providing consistent outings. 28-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (15-2, 2.07 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.03 FIP, 190 ERA+) is proving that his Satchel Paige Award-winning season last year was no fluke. He is on pace for 21 victories. Pitching behind him in the rotation are 29-year old RHP Ted Smith (12-4, 3.24 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 3.61 FIP, 121 ERA+) and 30-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (11-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 3.47 FIP, 104 ERA+) who have both shaken off their earlier struggles. All-Star Selections: SP Robin Wadsworth (3rd) 2B Matthew Channing (4th) SS Callum Spalton (2nd) CF Alfonso León (10th) Key Trade: December 18 with the Fort Richmond Generals: To Stratford – 32-year old RHP José Rodríguez (79/79) To Fort Richmond – 23-year old minor league IF Neil Sluggett (23/49) and 23-year old minor league RHP Waylon Trotta (26/26) Knee-jerk reaction: Stratford is another team in the playoff hunt that acquired a reliever from a struggling team. In doing so, it snags one of the best. Rodríguez is a 6-time all-star whose forte is inducing ground balls when not generating swings and misses. His stuff-movement-control (65-70-60) are all top notch as are his two pitches: fastball (55) and curveball (60). He immediately moves into the closer role for the Barons. The main player the Generals get in return is Sluggett, a former 6th-round pick from 1955-56. Sluggett is not fast, but he is a heads-up base runner who will steal a few bases and should be a solid defensive infielder either at shortstop or at third base. He is showing good instincts and a good eye at the plate but will need to develop his bat a bit more if he wants to become anything more that just an average major leaguer.  --------   The Queensland Eagles continued their strong play into December, coming to within 2-1/5 games of first place in the East by the 24th. But they cooled off in January, pushing them well back of the wild card. They are not out of it just yet by any means, but their key players on both sides of the ball are going to have to reach the next level if they want to crash the playoff party in two months. The biggest need is for the offense to take it to the next level. The Eagles have some fine players in the lineup, but overall, they haven’t performed as well as have the lineups for both the Redlegs and Legends have. That can’t be said of 24-year old sophomore 2B Dennis Purcell (.301/.379/.560, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 32 BB, 4 SB, 3.6 WAR) however. The London, Ontario native has emerged as Queensland’s top offensive player, taking over the mantle from 30-year old LF Rod Dennis (.306/.382/.550, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 47 BB, 3.0 WAR). But Dennis is no slouch himself. After a slow start in October, the Pulberry-native found his form once again. The real issue is that the rest of the lineup needs to follow suit. They have a premiere offensive catcher in the making with 28-year old Robbie Leivers (.267/.363/.460, 14 HR, 55 RBI, 47 BB, 3.0 WAR) but the super-competitive East has made the need for Queensland’s young promising players to step it up much more urgent if they are still entertaining hopes of ending their 10-year playoff drought anytime soon. There is no shortage of outstanding Satchel Paige Award candidates in the East. Among them remains 31-year old RHP Logan Belsey (13-6, 2.79 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.42 FIP, 140 ERA+) despite enduring a rough January (1-3, 6.03 ERA, 1.50 WHIP). But that appears to be more of a blip than anything else. The real concern continues to be with their No. 2 starter, 29-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (12-10, 3.77 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 2.86 FIP, 103 ERA+), although he may be a victim of either poor defense or bad fortune more than anything else. On the positive side of things, 32-year old RHP Tyler Gissing (9-8, 3.24 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.56 FIP, 120 ERA+) is enjoying the best season of his 9-year career. All-Star Selections: SP Logan Belsey (6th) C Robbie Leivers (3rd) 1B Ryan Conisford (3rd) 2B Dennis Purcell (1st) LF Rod Dennis (6th) Player of the Week Awards: December 3 – 3B Apia Yarrah (.455, 10 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) January 28 – 2B Dennis Purcell (.476, 10 H, 5 HR, 9 RBI) Noteworthy: January 26 – The home run parade continued as 2B Dennis Purcell became the 20th player in United Leagues history and the 3rd this season to hit 3 home runs in a game. But because Braeland City’s Hayden Goodale actually accomplished this feat twice earlier this year, this represents the 21st time in league history and 4th time this season that it has been accomplished. Facing the Wolseley Unions in the first game of a three-game set, Purcell singled in the 1st, hit a solo shot off RHP Theo Morse in both the 3rd and 5th innings, hit a three-run home run off Morse in the 7th until striking out in the 9th. In all Purcell went 4 for 5 with 3 R and 5 RBI. But it wasn’t enough, as the Unions held on to win, 9-7. Key Trade: January 28 with the Fort Richmond Generals: To Queensland – 26-year old OF Matsuo Oyama (49/49) To Fort Richmond – 26-year old OF José Ibarra (48/48) Knee-jerk reaction: Essentially a trade of back-up outfielders that immediately helps out Queensland in the short-term as they strive to remain in striking distance of the wild card. Oyama, a 3rd-round pick from 1952-53, appears to be a solid offensive player with nice power (gap & home run power-55/60) and plate discipline (60/60) to go along with speed (70). He is a solid defensive outfielder as well either at center or rightfield. As such, he has taken over centerfield from 28-year old John Oldknow (.227/.303/.322, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 30 BB, 4 SB, -0.2 WAR) who began to regress last season. The Eagles are looking to Oyama to serve at least as a stopgap. Ibarra is very similar to Oyama both at the plate and defensively, especially on the outfield corners. The only difference is that he is a slow baserunner. He has tremendous raw power (65/65), so if he can make his way into the lineup on a regular basis, he could provide a much needed offensive punch, as the Generals are ranked last in terms of home runs in the West. As it is, he will be their 4th outfielder that could start every fourth game.   --------   Perhaps the biggest story over the past two months has been the collapse of the Wellington Athletics, who fell out of first place on December 5th and into a deep funk. They lost 8-straight games heading into the All-Star break and were as much as 9-1/2 games back of the lead shortly thereafter. A 6-game winning streak to end January has perhaps restored some hope that the Athletics can rebound, but they have dug themselves into a deep hole in the highly competitive East. The big question of course is why this sudden and dramatic collapse occurred in the first place. While it is true that Wellington has the worst-ranked bullpen in the East, there was only one blown save over the past two months that I could spot. The fact is the entire pitching staff has not exactly wrapped itself in glory of late. The rotation has struggled, and the lineup is perhaps not as explosive as it once was in the early going of the season. But the Athletics have made some curious player transactions as well. The most noticeable was the demotion of 3-time Rookie of the Month winner, 23-year old RHP Baskin Arncaple (7-4, 10 SV, 1.83 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.74 FIP, 212 ERA+) to Triple-A on January 1st. Since then, he has been up and down twice. It makes absolutely no sense. Arncaple is a future starter and the Athletics have done themselves no favours depriving themselves of the services of the pitcher that leads the Eastern League in ERA. Incidentally, shortly after his initial demotion, Arncaple pitched a no-hitter against the Tansley Dukes (Stratford), beating them 2-0 on 17 K, 3 BB. Wellington has also brought up two other promising pitchers: 24-year old LHP Adam Gibb (3-2, 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 3.02 FIP, 151 ERA+ - 45/51), a 4th-round pick from 1953-54 who just won his own Rookie of the Month honor for January, and 23-year old RHP Christian Wiley (1-2, 5 SV, 2.50 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 3.78 FIP, 155 ERA+ - 59/80), a 2nd-round pick from 1955-56. While Gibb is pitching out of the 3rd spot in the rotation, Wiley has recently taken over the closer role from a struggling 34-year old RHP Finlay Capstick (1-7, 6 SV, 6.89 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 5.26 FIP, 56 ERA+). Any lineup that is anchored by a player of the likes of 29-year old LF Matthew Floyd (.342/.436/.681, 38 HR, 88 RBI, 68 BB, 6 SB, 8.0 WAR) will be an enviable one. Although he cooled off just a little in January (.266/.400/.447), he still leads the East in 8 offensive categories. Batting right behind him in the order is 24-year old CF Greg Yates (.298/.351/.519, 16 HR, 65 RBI, 33 BB, 4 SB, 4.3 WAR). The Philadelphia-native is enjoying his best season by far, the fourth of his career and earned his first all-star selection. Along with 31-year old RF Jim Mars (.324/.386/.487, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 40 BB, 3.9 WAR) who continues to be his steady self, the Athletics can at least boast one of the most formidable outfields in the United Leagues. All-Star Selections: C Carlos Camasura (6th) LF Matthew Floyd (6th) CF Greg Yates (1st) RF Jim Mars (7th) Noteworthy: January 13 – The Athletics took 3 of 4 from the Monarchs right in Braeland City immediately following the All-Star break. The final game saw a brilliant pitching performance by rookie LHP Adam Gabb who blanked the Monarchs, 1-0 on 2 hits. Gabb pitched 9.0 innings with 8 BB, 4 K, 119 PI, GS: 79. The only run of the game came in the top of the 5th, when Jim Mars doubled home Yorikane Takeuchi, after Takeuchi led off the inning with a 4-pitch walk and reached 2B on a sac bunt by Gabb. --------   The Embro Suns have gotten stronger as the season has progressed. Last month saw them move above .500 for the first time this season, thanks to an impressive 17-9 record, tied with both the Cobourg Redlegs and Pulberry Trolleys for the best record in January. But it has the feeling of ‘too little, too late’ as the Suns remain well back of the wildcard. On the surface, it would appear that the pitching staff is weakest part of the team, but a closer inspection reveals it more about their poor defense as being the real culprit. 29-year old RHP Bradley Strawson (10-6, 3.27 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 121 ERA+) and 31-year old RHP Juan Rivas (5-3, 2.35 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 2.70 FIP, 168 ERA+) have been quite good leading the rotation. Rivas in fact picked up his first all-star selection after eight seasons. Pitching in the No. 3 spot is 23-year old RHP Jun Kichida (3-4, 3.81 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 3.87 FIP, 103 ERA+). The Japanese rookie has been struggling with his control at times, but scouts think he will be a middle-of-the-rotation mainstay for years to come. Interestingly, the entire pitching staff is currently comprised entirely of right-handers. The Suns’ upswing in fortune in recent months is reflected in the improved performance of 28-year old Moromao Nakagawa (.268/.363/.517, 26 HR, 78 RBI, 58 BB, 5.1 WAR). After an excruciatingly slow start, Nakagawa finally began turning things around in December, then got really hot in January (.360/.402/.690). As goes the 2-time Babe Ruth Award winner, so goes the Suns. 27-year old clean-up hitter, LF Jesús Abreu (.279/.389/.505, 22 HR, 63 RBI, 65 BB, 7 SB, 3.5 WAR), has been the most consistent hitter this year for the Suns, but was not selected to the All-Star Game. Perhaps his shortcomings on defense (.967 PCT, 2.35 RNG, -3.7 ZR, .975 EFF) influenced the voters. All-Star Selections: SP Juan Rivas (1st) SP Bradley Strawson (2nd) CL Rob Gladstone (2nd) 3B Moromao Nakagawa (5th) Player of the Week Awards: January 7 – 3B Moromao Nakagawa (.577, 15 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R) Noteworthy: December 15 – The Suns managed to pull out a win in Stratford with a 9-6 victory over the Barons in 10 innings. Leading the way for Embro was 23-year old rookie 1B Damien Whetter (.357/.448/.554, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 20 BB, 1.4 WAR), who completed the 32nd Cycle in United Leagues history and 4th of the season. Whetter hit a 3-run home run off RHP Bill Wolf in the first, singled in the 3rd, doubled in the 5th, grounded out in the 7th, and tripled in the 10th. With the game tied at 6-apiece going into the top of the 10th, 3B Moromao Nakagawa slammed a 2-run shot off RHP Bill Lafontaine immediately before Whetter hit his triple to complete the cycle. Whetter would eventually score on a C Gareth Mawle single to round out the scoring.  January 4 – At the tail end of Wellington’s 8-game losing slide, the Suns swept all four of their games against the Athletics leading up to the All-Star break. In the second game, Embro pulled out a 14-inning, 10-8 victory. The star of the game was 3B Moromao Nakagawa who went 5 for 7 with 2 home runs, scoring 3 times and driving in 4. Nakagawa grounded out in the 1st, singled in the 4th, flied out in the 6th and doubled in the 8th before hitting a two-run home run off RHP Rizal Doctolero in the 9th to tie the game up and send it into extras. After hitting a double in the 12th, Nakagawa connected on a walk-off two-run home run off RHP Finlay Capstick in the 14th to finally end the game after nearly 4-1/2 hours. --------   The Braeland City Monarchs recovered somewhat from a disastrous November to earn their first winning month in January. Things were looking up in early December when they went 8-1, but then they promptly lost the next 7 games and went 1-10 over that stretch. It is clear that this is a team on a downward slide and will need to focus on rebuilding if they want to become relevant again. What that means for their current stars on offense remains to be seen but they desperately need more help on the pitching staff. 30-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (12-9, 3.77 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 4.15 FIP, 106 ERA+) is as good as it gets in the rotation, but even he faltered badly in Dec/Jan (5-5, 5.12 ERA, 1.72 WHIP). They continue to use 20-year old rookie LHP Charlie Honeysett (2-3, 1 SV, 5.13 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, 3. 50 FIP, 78 ERA+ - 46/72) in long relief, but he has been recalled and demoted so many times, even on the same day that it has been a farce (I thought that had been fixed in OOTP a long time ago). The bullpen has been much more consistent, with 26-year old RHP Clive Howard (7-1, 6 SV, 2.02 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 198 ERA+) being a particular standout this season. 27-year old LF Hayden Goodale (.311/.390/.566, 26 HR, 80RBI, 47 BB, 3.5 WAR) remains the top offensive player in the lineup, but he suddenly went ice cold in January (.189/.275/.356). Here’s hoping he gets out of his funk quickly as he has been a fun player to watch this season. Close behind him is 31-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.261/.382/.500, 18 HR, 56 RBI, 67 BB, 3.4 WAR), but he has not been the fearsome hitter he once was in previous seasons and this year he has been downright awful on defense (.965 PCT, 4.79 RNG, -9.4 ZR, .943 EFF). All-Star Selections: 1B Dean Witherden (7th) 2B Patrick Lidgate (8th) LF Hayden Goodale (3rd) Player of the Week Awards: December 10 – LF Hayden Goodale (.625, 15 H, 6 HR, 17 RBI) Noteworthy: December 4 – Just eight games after he first accomplished the feat, LF Hayden Goodale slammed another three home runs in a game. He becomes not only the first player in United Leagues history to accomplish the feat more than once, but he is also the first player to accomplish it twice in the same season and to do it ‘back-to-back’. In the second game of a three-game series against the Downie Chiefs, Goodale first flied out in the 1st before hitting a solo shot off RHP Archie Harville in the 4th. He victimized Harville once again in the 5th with a 3-run homer before hitting another 3-run home run in the 7th off RHP Frank Greggs. He capped off his afternoon with an RBI single in the 8th. In all, Goodale collected 4 hits in 5 at-bats, scoring 3 runs and 8 RBIs as the Monarchs won, 9-6. --------   13-42. That is the pathetic record the Downie Chiefs put up Dec/Jan. December was ‘highlighted’ by a 12-game losing skid while January saw two – 6-game losing streaks. But the Chiefs did finish the final week in January going 4-2, taking 2 of 3 each from both the Pulberry Trolleys and Kingston Pelicans. So that’s something, right? But unless Downie can turn things around in the final two months of the season, the Chiefs are in danger of setting a new record in futility. They are currently on pace for losing 104 games. The current record for losses in a season is 103, set by the Cobourg Red Stockings back in 1940-41. There really is no excuse. The Chiefs have been in decline ever since their United Cup championship season back in 1949-50 and have had lots of time to either reload or reboot. Instead, they have traded away some of their best players for pennies on the dollar and have one of the weakest farm systems (14th overall) in the United Leagues. There is very little to highlight in the way of standout performances. 26-year old LHP Quinn Merrifield (9-10, 2.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.89 FIP, 129 ERA+) is the only pitcher on the staff enjoying a quality season. The Chiefs did have 25-year old rookie LHP Lucas Franklin (1-2, 3 SV, 2.89 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 134 ERA+ - 56/58) pitching out of the bullpen until he was sent down to Triple-A in late December. Scouts say that he will one day flourish in the majors and that he is close. I’d say he has nothing left to prove. On a largely gutted lineup, 31-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.318/.395/.516, 17 HR, 45 RBI, 41 BB, 4 SB, 3.9 WAR) continues playing at an all-star level. He has been joined by 28-year old 1B Louie Revill (.271/.333/.475, 20 HR, 68 RBI, 36 BB, 2.2 WAR) but like the majority of his teammates, he has cooled off over the past two months. Lastly, 25-year old rookie RF Ewan Komaki (.283/.338/.452, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 27 BB, 2.7 WAR – 54/54) remains perhaps the lone bright spot among Downie’s young prospects. The 2nd-round pick from 1953-54 has a decent bat with tremendous speed and is defensively sound (.977 PCT, 3.03 RNG, +6.6 ZR, 1.029 EFF). All-Star Selections: 1B Louie Revill (1st) 2B Dominic Dudding (10th) --------  
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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05-28-2023, 09:18 PM
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#786 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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February 1, 1957
Western League: Trolleys, Tigers Making Mockery of the Rest    --------   The Pulberry Trolleys and Sherburn Tigers continue their dominance of the Western League with two months remaining in the season. Not only is the playoff picture all but a forgone conclusion, but Pulberry and Sherburn may be only two teams in the League that will finish with winning records. That has not been an uncommon occurrence in the West. It happened twice before, in 1940-41 and 1946-47. But the 1938-39 season saw just one team finish with a winning record - the Kingston Pelicans with 103 wins. The Trolleys remain the top team although they did stumble a bit in December, enduring their first losing month since February 1953 (11-12). They bounced back in January, going on an 8-game winning streak around the All-Star break. But they ended the month dropping 2 of 3 each to the lowly Downie Chiefs and Cobourg Redlegs, the top team in the United Leagues. Just as the New York Yankees of the 1920s had their incredible duo of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, so the Trolleys are enjoying the one-two punch of 29-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.323/.413/.562, 19 HR, 65 RBI, 56 BB, 13 SB, 7.0 WAR – 80/80) and 28-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.358/.468/.704, 26 HR, 82 RBI, 74 BB, 10 SB, 8.0 WAR – 80/80). The Nos. 3 and 4 hitters respectively appear to be enjoying career peaks (they can’t get any better, can they?) Thirkettle currently leads the entire United Leagues in 6 offensive categories. There dominance is good news for Pulberry as the rest of the lineup has taken a step back from last season. Thus, the Trolleys are relying on their dynamic duo even more this year, which could expose them if either one of them goes into a slump. While the lineup may be uneven, that can’t be said of the pitching staff, which has been remarkably consistent and effective. Pulberry’s two lefthanders, 21-year old Bart Ohara (14-7, 2.65 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.69 FIP, 146 ERA+) and 27-year old LHP Dermott Rathbone (8-3, 16 SV, 3.78 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.28 FIP, 103 ERA+) anchor the rotation and bullpen respectively. Ohara is rated as the No. 2 stater in the United Leagues (behind only Queensland’s Logan Belsey) while Rathbone is rated the top closer. Noteworthy too, is 29-year old RHP Harley Rodman (8-3, 2.67 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 3.36 FIP, 145 ERA+), who is currently enjoying the best season thus far of his 6-year career. Rodman was a 6th-round pick by the Braeland City Monarchs in 1945-46 who in turn released him in January 1947. The Trolleys signed him to a minor league contract in February of that year. After enjoying an impressive minor league career (4-time all-star, twice runner-up to the best pitcher awards in both AA and AAA), Rodman was promoted to the majors for good in 1951. He is currently Pulberry’s No. 5 starter. All-Star Selections: SP Quintiliano Galeo (2nd) SP Robin Medellin (4th) SP Bart Ohara (2nd) SP Harley Rodman (2nd) CL Dermott Rathbone (3rd) C Paul England (2nd) LF Aidan Thirkettle (5th) CF Cooper Tyson (7th) --------   The Sherburn Tigers have remained consistent over the first four months of the season, solidifying their hold on the wild card in the process. But they have been unable to catch the first-place Trolleys. In the 11 games that they have squared off against each other thus far, the Tigers have lost 7 of them, being outscored 47-33. They will meet the Trolleys four more times in the final week of the season – in Pulberry. Those games may very well decide who finishes in first place. The Tigers do not have any players enjoying the kind of season that either Aidan Thirkettle or Cooper Tyson are enjoying, but the lineup is young and promising. The most notable is 25-year old CF/RF Leon Albrecht (.279/.404/.508, 15 HR, 82 RBI, 80 BB, 7 SB, 4.7 WAR – 64/71). The former 1st overall pick from 1954-55 slumped in December (.208/.351/.349) but he has been shifted around the outfield due to injuries to his teammates. Still, Albrecht is projected to become one of the most valuable commodities in the United Leagues in the not-too-distant future. 27-year old 3B Adrian Flynn (.310/.364/.523, 16 HR, 75 RBI, 35 BB, 3.6 WAR – 69/69) is enjoying his best season yet and is rated the No. 2 second baseman in the United Leagues, behind only Cobourg’s Douglas Jones. Flynn was particularly hot in January, batting .356/.420/.575. But like the Trolleys, the rest of the lineup is experiencing a bit of a letdown from last season. Overall, the pitching staff has improved but the club is really leaning on their top two starters. 33-year old ace RHP Jesús Chapa (16-5, 2.46 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 2.59 FIP, 162 ERA+) just seems to get better with age. The 3-time Satchel Paige Award winner is on pace for 23 wins. No. 2 starter, 31-year old RHP Keiran Bunce (11-5, 3.18 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 3.21 FIP, 126 ERA+), is thriving since coming over to Sherburn from Kingston last offseason. He picked up his first career Pitcher of the Month honor in January. The bullpen overall is still struggling, with only 36-year old stopper RHP Cris Herrera (6-6, 14 SV, 1.61 WHIP, 3.68 FIP, 115 ERA+) providing consistent outings. All-Star Selections: SP Jesús Chapa (8th) 3B Adrian Flynn (1st) SS Dwayne Vick (4th) LF Ross Shewman (2nd) CF Leon Albrecht (1st) Player of the Week Awards: January 28 – CF Ross Shewman (.600, 9 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R) Noteworthy: December 23 – The Tigers swept a three-game set against the visiting Kingston Pelicans. But the highlight came in game 3 when RHP Jesús Chapa blanked the Pelicans, 8-0 on four singles to earn his 200th career victory. He becomes the 9th pitcher in United Leagues’ history to reach that milestone. The game was also highlighted by two triples from OF Leon Albrecht who collected 2 R and 2 RBI.   January 31 – The Tigers dropped the first two games against the Queensland Eagles but salvaged the win on the last day of January, thumping the Eagles 18-1 right in Queensland. The Eagles led 1-0 until the 5th inning when Sherburn exploded. After scoring 2 runs in the 5th and 3 runs in the 6th, the Tigers erupted for 9 runs in the 7th, then added 3 more in the 8th and one more in the 9th. Every Tigers’ batter got a least one hit, with 29-year old back-up LF Richard Gastelum (.222/.344/.259, 1-2B, 5 RBI, 5 BB, 0.00 WAR) going 3 for 4 with 4 RBI, 4 R and 3 BB. OF Leon Albrecht went 2 for 4, including a 3-run home run and a bases-loaded double. In all, Albrecht collected 7 RBI, with 1 R, 1 BB. Key Trade: January 15 with the Hespeler Stars: To Sherburn – 31-year old 2B Vic Lewis (53/53) To Hespeler – 22-year old minor league C Dick Jenkins (49/60) Knee-jerk reaction: Sherburn perhaps makes the biggest splash leading up to the trade deadline, acquiring the 5-time All-Star Lewis. The Hespeler-native has also won a Ball Hawk Award and was Hespeler’s all-time leader in home runs (145). Indeed, the natural defender is a home run threat (65/65) and possesses good strike zone judgement (65/65). He is rated 5th overall in the ULB among second basemen. But the Tigers already have 26-year old Bernard Kerkin (.280/.320/.385, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 17 BB, 0.4 WAR – 55/55), a former 1st overall pick from 1953-54. But for whatever reason, Sherburn has not been using him in the lineup on a regular basis. Be that as it may, the Tigers get a major upgrade at second with Lewis playing full-time. On the other hand, it’s not clear what Hespeler’s intentions are. Jenkins, a 5th round pick from 1952-53, is projected to become a solid hitter with some pop. But the Stars already have two very good catchers on the roster: former 2nd-overall pick 24-year old Aidan Bennie (59/69) and former 2nd-round pick 26-year old Tristan Digby (53/53) serving as his back-up. Bennie is considered a future all-star while Digby is rated as an above-average catcher with outstanding defensive skills. So why trade your clean-up hitter for a catcher that will be buried behind them? As of now, 25-year old Oda Miyamoto (45/48) will be filling Lewis’ shoes or at least trying to. They do have a promising infielder in 19-year old Hidekazu Kudo (20/77) that they drafted earlier this season, but he is still years away from being major league ready. A definite swing and miss for Hespeler as they could have acquired a promising player for where they have an actual need.  --------   For the rest of the Western League, its either about looking to next year or perhaps finishing as close as possible to .500 this year. The Wolseley Unions appear to have the best shot at doing so as they finished January with an above .500 record. But their season took a blow with the loss of 22-year old rookie CF Jonathan Higgins (.310/.365/.498, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 25 BB, 9 SB, 2.7 WAR – 50/70). Higgins ruptured his Achilles tendon while running the bases in Wolseley’s 20-3 win over the Kingston Pelicans in early January and is gone for the season. That leaves 35-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.305/.419/.501, 15 HR, 66 RBI, 74 BB, 2.5 WAR) as the only productive player currently in the lineup. On the pitching side of things, the Unions have had only two dependable starters this season: 31-year old ace RHP Robert Garza (7-11, 3.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.09 FIP, 123 ERA+), who was sensational in December & January (5-4, 2.19 ERA, 1.12 WHIP) and 21-year old RHP Theo Morse (12-8, 3.27 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 4.26 FIP, 122 ERA+ - 51/80) who has moved into the No. 2 spot. All-Star Selection: SP Roberto Garza (4th) SP Theo Morse (1st) SS Lenny McQuhirr (1st) LF Carlton Hawking (11th) Noteworthy: January 14 – The Unions got their 4-game series against the Cambria Cannons off on the right foot thanks to an impressive performance by sophomore RHP Theo Morse who blanked the Cannons, 3-0 on 2 hits. Giving up just a single and a double, Morse went 9.0 IP, 3 BB, 8 K, 122 PI, GS: 88. The offense was provided by 32-year old back-up C Éric Denis (.246/.296/.408, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 10 BB, 0.6 WAR), who slammed two homers and drove in all three runs. The Unions would go on to take 3 of 4 from Cambria. --------   At first, it looked like it would be the Balmoral Giants who had the best chance of reaching .500. By the All-Star break, they were just 4 games below the break even mark, but a 7-game losing skid to end the month has seen them fall back into the second division. And its not at all surprising. 29-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.288/.353/.416, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 39 BB, 3 SB, 3.1WAR) has been far and away Balmoral’s best all-around player this season, his first with the Giants since he was acquired from the Trolleys this past off-season. 28-year old 1B Erik Perry (.286/.326/.428, 5 HR, 55 RBI, 25 BB, 5 SB, 2.5 WAR) has also contributed as Balmoral’s clean-up hitter and was hot in December (.317/.349/.548), hitting 4 of his 5 home runs during that month. But its fair to say that the former 7th overall pick from 1950-51 has not delivered on his initial promise. The Giants currently have the second-best farm system in the United Leagues, but all of their top prospects are still in Double-A. Thus, patience is the order of the day. That would hold true on the pitching squad as well, with just 23-year old rookie stopper RHP Bart Minto (8-6, 11 SV, 4.38 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 3.70 FIP, 90 ERA+) offering any glimmer of hope. Minto struggled in November and December but rebounded in January to win Rookie of the Month honors. All-Star Selections: 1B Erik Perry (2nd) 3B Makani Kahale (5th) SS Hayden Gunton (2nd) Player of the Week Awards: January 7 – 3B Makani Kahale (.476, 10 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI) --------   In December, the Hespeler Stars won 18 games, the most they have won in a single month since December 1942 (18-9). But true to form, they traded away one of their best players in January while getting little in return. They then cratered, losing 9 of 12 to round out the month. This after having just taken two of three from the Pulberry Trolleys. On offense, only 29-year old RF John Anthony (.306/.390/.543, 17 HR, 65 RBI, 52 BB, 6 SB, 3.2 WAR) has shone. In fact, the 6-year veteran has gotten better as the season has progressed and won his first Player of the Month honor in January. 24-year old sophomore C Aidan Bennie (.259/.299/.454, 8 HR, 28 RBI, 11 BB, 1.4 WAR), the former 2nd-overall pick from 1954-55, continues to show promise as an all-round player, both on offense and defense. On the mound, only two pitchers are worth noting. 36-year old LHP Patrick Denman (10-9, 3.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.20 FIP, 109 ERA+) is the ace of a rather weak squad. Denman was particularly good in December (4-0, 2.71 ERA, 1.25 WHIP). And 23-year old RHP Eduardo Rodríguez (7-1, 3 SV, 2.34 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 3.16 FIP, 171 ERA+) was promoted to the rotation in late January, winning his first career start 7-1 against the Balmoral Giants. He is currently pitching out of the No. 4 spot. All-Star Selections: 2B Vic Lewis (5th) RF John Anthony (1st) Player of the Week Awards: January 21 – RF John Anthony (.357, 10 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R) --------   The Cambria Cannons crashed in January, losing 18 games, the most in a month since December 1952 when they lost 19. While they are still capable of scoring runs (523, the most in the West), they have surrendered 563 runs in 108 games so far (5.2 R/G), 25 more than the next worst team in that category, the Kingston Pelicans. Its not hard to see why – their pitching is in shambles, and they have the worst-ranked defense in the United Leagues. On offense, 27-year old RF Sam Tite (.313/.424/.684, 37 HR, 96 RBI, 69 BB, 3 SB, 6.8 WAR – 80/80) is an anomaly. The top-ranked right fielder in the United Leagues is enjoying a phenomenal season at the plate and he is outstanding defensively as well. None of his teammates can make that claim. In fact, while Tite is just one home run off the United Leagues’ lead, only one of his teammates currently has more than 10: 32-year old 3B Louis Torres (.269/.340/.431, 13 HR, 58 RBI, 36 BB, 1.4 WAR). With 31-year old stopper RHP Keith Roche having been traded to the Cobourg Redlegs in mid-January, only 31-year old LHP Jarod Faulkner (2-1, 2 SV, 3.18 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 3.03 FIP, 122 ERA+) who has taken over stopper duties, is providing any sort of reliable pitching on this squad. All-Star Selections: CL Keith Roche (3rd) C Min-gook Lee (2nd) 1B Carlos Corea (6th) LF Calvin Hanbridge (4th) RF Sam Tite (2nd) Player of the Week Awards: December 10 – LF Calvin Hanbridge (.429, 12 H, 2 HR, 5 RBI) December 17 – RF Sam Tite (.350, 7 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI) December 31 – 1B Carlos Corea (.526, 10 H, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R) January 14 – RF Sam Tite (.600, 9 H, 4 HR, 6 RBI) Noteworthy: December 14 – The Cannons took 2 of 3 from the visiting Pulberry Trolleys with the Cannons earning an impressive 6-0 win in game 1. 37-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (9-5, 4.03 ERA, 152 WHIP, 4.42 FIP, 97 ERA+) was the player of the game, holding the Trolleys to 2 hits. Cruz had a no-hitter going until the 5th inning when Cooper Tyson led off with a single, one of only two singles Cruz would surrender. On the afternoon, the Guatemalan-native went 9.0 IP, with 2 BB, 3 K, 87 PI, GS: 84. The Cannons got to LHP Bart Ohara early when 30-year old C Min-gook Lee (.290/.351/.412, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 26 BB, 1.7 WAR) hit a two-out Grand Slam home run in the bottom of the 1st. --------   The Kingston Pelicans recovered somewhat from a disastrous November where they won only 5 games. January was shaping up to be their first winning month this season with a 11-9 record, until they were swept by the Cobourg Redlegs (0-3) and dropped 2 of 3 to the lowly Downie Chiefs to end the month. They have 18 more games to play against Eastern League teams in February. With the East dominating the West this season (Eastern Leagues teams have won 145 of 240 games so far, .604), the Pelicans could be in for a long month (in the shortest month of the year). In the lineup, 24-year old 1B Ira Bannatyne (.315/.387/.525, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 41 BB, 3.0 WAR) and 26-year old C Ronald Armstrong (.243/.339/.465, 19 HR, 58 RBI, 48 BB3.3 WAR) are the No. 3 and No. 4 hitters respectively, and for good reason. They have been the most consistent hitters this year, although Bannatyne cooled off just a little from his impressive (and unsustainable) start in October/November. Leading off is 23-year old CF Dan Hesketh (.264/.342/.396, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 38 BB, 4 SB, 1.9 WAR – 65/71). The former 1st overall pick from 1955-56 has been very respectable thus far in his rookie season. On the pitching staff, there has been only one standout. 27-year old stopper RHP Lester Beddoes (4-6, 15 SV, 2.59 ERA, 1.59 WHIP, 3.72 FIP, 154 ERA+) has been the club’s best pitcher. 23-year old rookie RHP Jacob Jones (2-3, 1 SV, 1.93 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 206 ERA+ - 49/57) was showing promise pitching out of the bullpen but was sent back down to Triple-A in late December. His replacement, 20-year old RHP Ernesto Luna (0-1, 9.82 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 8.18 FIP, 40 ERA+) has not enjoyed the same level of success. All-Star Selections: C Ronald Armstrong (1st) 1B Ira Bannatyne (1st) Player of the Week Awards: December 3 – C Ronald Armstrong (.333, 5 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI) Noteworthy: January 16 – It was all 22-year old LHP Ronald Dulihanty (7-10, 4.27 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 4.60 FIP, 93 ERA+) against the Fort Richmond Generals, as the sophomore blanked the home team, 5-0 on 2 hits. Dulihanty limited the Generals to a single in both the first and second innings, going 9.0 IP, 4 BB, 7 K, 125 PI, GS: 86. Dulihanty also went 2 for 4 at the plate with two singles and 3 RBI. --------   Just three years removed from their most recent United Cup championship, the Fort Richmond Generals are in danger in finishing in last place in the West for just the second time in their history. Perhaps its just as well. While the Generals have one of strongest farm systems in the United Leagues (3rd overall), they only have one prospect ranked in the top 20. Fort Richmond will need more high end prospects if they hope to eventually turn things around. Interestingly, of the eight Western League teams, only the Generals finished with a winning record against Eastern League teams in the final six games of January (5-1). But they still have 18 more against them in February. On offense, 28-year old lead-off hitter CF Greg Cusack (.289/.355/.406, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 44 BB, 11 SB, 4.2 WAR) has emerged as Fort Richmond’s best all-round player this year. 32-year old RF Brandon Robinson (.327/.327/.444, 7 HR, 46 RBI, 32 BB, 4 SB, 2.0 WAR) has been productive at the plate but has been downright awful in the field (.983 PCT, 2.52 RNG, -11.6 ZR, .940 EFF). As in the lineup, there are precious few highlights on the pitching staff. A couple of southpaws are having some success this season. 31-year old LHP Gavin Flatt (8-3, 3.53 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 3.93 FIP, 109 ERA+) is enjoying a bit of a bounce back after having been demoted to Triple-A the past couple of seasons, while 24-year old LHP John Witheycombe (3-3, 7 SV, 1.96 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 2.42 FIP, 197 ERA+) has easily been the Generals’ best pitcher this year and has moved into the stopper role after the departure of 32-year old RHP José Rodríguez to the Stratford Barons in mid-December. Finally, 2-time Satchel Paige Award winner and 8-time All-Star, RHP Roberto Taváres (1-0, 1.81 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 2.85 FIP, 213 ERA+), announced during the All-Star break that he will be retiring at the end of the season. But that has not stopped the 16-year veteran from pitching effectively out of the bullpen this season. All-Star Selection: CL John Witheycombe (1st) 2B Dale Linkletter (1st) CF Greg Cusack (2nd) RF Brandon Robinson (5th) Player of the Week Awards: December 24 – SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida (.571, 12 H, 3 RBI, 2 R) Noteworthy: January 28 – The Generals took the rubber match of a 3-game set against the Monarchs, 7-1 in Braeland City. Leading the way was 23-year old 2B Dale Linkletter (.259/.376/.321, 15-2B, 27 RBI, 56 BB, 6 SB, 1.5 WAR), who went 5 for 5, all singles. The rookie drove in 2 RBI with 1 R. --------  
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05-29-2023, 03:39 PM
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#787 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Land of Lincoln
Posts: 1,253
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After all these years, this is still hands-down the best Dynasty out there.
Really like the background images you are using for the baseball cards; super creative idea. Keep up the great work! Last edited by Bottom Of The Sixth; 05-29-2023 at 03:40 PM. |
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05-30-2023, 12:19 AM
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#788 | |
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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Quote:
I believe most of those images came from the amazing work of Graig Kreindler. Its great to hear from you! Hope you're doing well. 
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05-31-2023, 01:44 AM
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#789 |
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Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,521
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Thirkettle and Tyson still helping the the Trolleys roll down the stretch. Let's see if the boys can do it again!
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06-02-2023, 12:39 AM
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#790 | |
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
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Quote:
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06-02-2023, 12:50 AM
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#791 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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March 1, 1957 - Snapshot
Here is a snapshot of the Leagues, with a few highlights thus far:
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06-04-2023, 06:35 AM
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#792 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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March 18, 1957 - Snapshot
Here is a final snapshot of the Leagues, with one week left in the regular season:
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06-05-2023, 07:26 AM
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#793 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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March 24, 1957
Eastern League: First Place Still Up for Grabs   For the sixth time in United Leagues’ history, a tiebreaker game will be required to settle the regular season standings. This time, in the East. The Cobourg Redlegs and Brunswick Legends entered the final week of the season tied for top spot, both with a 92-55 record. That final week began with a 4-game series between the two clubs hosted by Cobourg. The Redlegs won the first game, 3-2, but Brunswick came back to take the next three, by scores of 6-0, 4-3 and 8-2. That gave the Legends a two-game cushion with three games remaining. But Brunswick would falter in their final three games, dropping two of three to the Queensland Eagles, while Cobourg swept the Braeland City Monarchs to move back into a first place tie and force the tiebreaker. The tiebreaker game will be held at Babe Ruth Park in Brunswick. 31-year old LHP Luke Henty (19-9, 2.78 ERA, 1.28 WHIP), Brunswick’s No.2 starter, gets the nod for the Legends, while Cobourg goes with their No. 3 hurler, 30-year old RHP Seb Frew (10-9, 3.85 ERA, 1.28 WHIP). In the West, there was no such end-of-the-season dramatics. Although the Pulbery Trolleys dropped three of four to the second place Sherburn Tigers in the final week of the season, they had already locked up first place a few days before. The Tigers, meanwhile, nailed down the wild card just a couple of days later, in a 10-1 trouncing of the Trolleys.
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06-08-2023, 06:10 PM
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#794 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,521
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Easy overall, but also rough end to the regular season for the Trolleys. Nice to see the boys gearing up for another post-season run. Here we go!
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06-11-2023, 06:14 PM
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#795 |
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Location: Winnipeg
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March 25, 1957
Legends Use Long Ball to Settle Season-long Battle for First  The Brunswick Legends locked up first place in the East with a convincing 7-4 win over the Cobourg Redlegs in their tiebreaker game. With the win, the Legends earned the right of homefield advantage in the Eastern League Pennant Series against this same Redlegs outfit who now settle for the wildcard. The Legends didn’t waste any time getting to Cobourg’s RHP Seb Frew (10-10, 3.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 4.52 FIP, 98 ERA+). The New Zealand-native gave up a lead off double to 3B Jorge Arredondo in the bottom of the 1st. One out later, C Robert Kersey launched a 1-2 pitch 369 ft. into the rightfield bleachers for a two-run blast to open the scoring. In the bottom of the 3rd it was wash, rinse and repeat, as Brunswick’s SS Harris Yaag led off with a single. One out later, RF Jay Mitchell jumped all over Frew’s first offering, lining a 2-run home run 329 ft. into the delirious rightfield bleachers. Two batters later, Frew was sent to the showers as 24-year old rookie Maurice Foley (1-1, 2.95 ERA), a recent callup, came on in relief. But Brunswick would add a run in the bottom of the 4th through two singles and a sac bunt and add two more runs in the bottom of the 7th, thanks to a solo home run by CF Joshua Witherden off RHP Keith Roche (8-9, 15 SV, 2.86 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2.82 FIP, 137 RA+) and a triple by 1B Edilberto Mandac, who scored on a 2B Dermott Morris single. For his part, LHP Luke Henty (20-9, 2.79 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.47 FIP, 141 ERA+) kept Cobourg off the board until the 5th inning, limiting them to two doubles and a walk up to that point. In the top of the 5th, CF Raymond Williams, who entered the game back in the 2nd inning despite being extremely exhausted, scored thanks to an error, a sac bunt by Maurice Foley and a ground out by SS Douglas Jones. Down 7-1, the Redlegs attempted to rally in the 8th. After starting the top half with back-to-back strikeouts, Luke Henty then surrendered back-to-back singles to 1B Harry Doxey and C Yoshiake Ikeda. Up next was 2B Luigi Purss, who bashed a 3-1 pitch 369 ft into the leftfield stands for a 3-run homer. But Henty would get out of the inning without any further damage, then shut down Cobourg in the bottom of the 9th to seal the win and finally settle the battle for first. With Brunswick’s victory, the playoff picture in the United Leagues is now set. The playoffs begin on March 27, with the Legends hosting the Redlegs once again for Game 1 of the Eastern League Pennant Series, while the Pulberry Trolleys welcome the Sherburn Tigers for their first match in the Western League Pennant Series.  
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06-19-2023, 01:23 AM
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#796 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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March 26, 1957
Eastern League: Brunswick, Cobourg Advance to the Playoffs    --------   The Brunswick Legends are returning to the playoffs for the first time in 10 years. Its also the first time they have finished in top spot since 1944-45, when they won 101 games and the United Cup. A 12-game winning streak at the end of February, which included a 3-game sweep of the Western League leading Pulberry Trolleys, brought them to within a half-game of the Cobourg Redlegs for first. But it wasn’t until March 16th that they pulled into a tie with Cobourg and ultimately forced a one-game playoff at the end of the season to finally lay claim to it. After averaging 75 wins a season over the past 9 years, the Legends finally broke through thanks to solid performances from both the rotation and bullpen. 56-year old manager Finlay Fay has set the following 4-man rotation for the playoffs:
Bullpen standouts:
Position Player standouts:
Player of the Week Awards: February 11 – 3B Jorge Arredondo (.478, 11 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) First Round Draft Pick Update: 9th overall – OF Brendan Doyle (36/54). The Doyle acquitted himself quite well in Double-A, both at the plate and in the field. He batted .270/.330/.505, 13 HR, 31 RBI, 27 BB, 87 SO, 15 SB, 1.9 WAR in 83 starts and 319 AB. --------   The Cobourg Redlegs took over first place in the East on December 30th and although they briefly yielded to the Legends in mid-January for a day, they regained it and had opened up a 5-1/2 game lead by mid-February. But they could not hold off the late-season surge by their rivals and was forced to play a one-game playoff at the end the season. Despite having to settle for the wildcard, the Redlegs have much to be excited about. They are making just their second playoff appearance in team history and their first in four years. Their 96 wins are the second most they have won in a season (they won 100 in 1952-53) and they have a strong young core on both the pitching staff and in the lineup. At present, their only real weakness would be the back end of the rotation. 62-year old manager Tyler Baldry has his 4-man rotation in place:
Bullpen standouts:
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 Player of the Week Awards: February 18 – CF Raymond Williams (.522, 12 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI) March 4 – CF Raymond Williams (.407 AVG, .452 OBP, 11 H, 4 HR, 6 RBI, 3 BB, 10 R) New Season Records Set: Wins Above Replacement: 11.33, Raymond Williams Noteworthy: February 5 – The Redlegs swept all three games against the visiting Fort Richmond Generals. The first game was a blow out as Cobourg blanked them, 9-0. The player of the game was 1B Harry Doxey who went 5 for 5 – all singles. Cobourg’s clean-up hitter collected 3 R and 3 RBI. First Round Draft Pick Update: 3rd overall – OF Michizane Aoki (20/58). Aoki played mostly leftfield in Double-A and got off to a slow start, at least at the plate. He batted .223/.267/.340, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 16 BB, 121 SO, 6 SB, -0.7 WAR in 85 starts and 318 AB. --------   Despite a strong finish in March, the Wellington Athletics were just too far back of the Legends and Redlegs to catch up and were eliminated from playoff contention with one week left in the season. It’s a disappointing end to a season that started with so much hope for the defending Eastern League Pennant winners. But with some promising young arms in both the rotation and bullpen as well as an offense anchored by the incredible Matthew Floyd, the Athletics should remain one of the top teams in the East next season. Rotation standouts:
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 Player of the Week Awards: February 25 – LF Matthew Floyd (.474, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R) March 18 – LF Matthew Floyd (.478, 11 H, 4 HR, 85 RBI, 7 R) New Season Records Set: Total Bases: 379, Matthew Floyd Home Runs: 49, Matthew Floyd (tie) Noteworthy: February 2 – The Athletics began their second interleague matchup strong, winning the first eight games of their 24 game set against Western League teams. After sweeping Cambria and Balmoral, they took the first two against the Sherburn Tigers. In that second game, LHP Adam Gabb pitched his second 2-hitter of the season. Gabb pitched all 9.0 innings with 1 BB, 1 K, 88 PI, GS: 83. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the 8th, when the Athletics belted out two singles and double against LHP Jesús Chapa to score a pair of runs. March 23 – Wellington pulled out a 1-0 victory over the Downie Chiefs in their second last game of the season. They got brilliant pitching from 10-year veteran RHP Hyun-kyoo Sin who pitched a 1-hitter. Sin went 9.0 IP, with 2 BB, 4 K, 104 PI, GS: 87. The lone run of the game came in the top of the 1st, when 30-year old 2B Vaiga Bultarro (.213/.288/.273, 2 HR, 43 RBI, 54 BB, 9 SB, 55 OPS+, 63 wRC+, 0.5 WAR) led off with a single, promptly stole second base, then scored when LF Matthew Floyd singled him home. First Round Draft Pick Update: 15th overall – OF José Salas (41/50). The Grand Rapids, Michigan native earned a promotion to Triple-A after hitting .366/.437/.739, 12 HR, 25 RBI, 12 BB, 40 SO, 5 SB, 2.0 WAR in 36 starts and 134 AB. In Triple-A, he batted .176/.268/.296, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 18 BB, 76 SO, 7 SB, 0.9 WAR in 45 starts and 159 AB. He primarily played centerfield but saw significant playing time in left as well. --------   After hovering anywhere from 3rd to 5th place in the East, the Stratford Barons moved into a two-way tie for the wildcard with the Legends on February 4. But the Barons began to fade in mid-month, dropping 10 of their next 12 games while the Legends and Redlegs continued to surge. By March 16, they were officially eliminated, ending their 4-year streak of consecutive playoff appearances. And there may be signs that it won’t be a one-year blip. The lineup is starting to show its age with five regulars now 29-years or older. The Barons also have the weakest farm system in the ULB that may hamper any attempt at a quick turnaround should their star players start to fade over the next couple of seasons. Rotation standouts:
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First Round Draft Pick Update: 14th overall – IF/OF Kosaku Fukushima (37/54). The Japanese-born Fukushima had an impressive first year in professional baseball. In Double-A, he hit .293/.329/.493, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 15 BB, 80 SO, 3 SB, 1.5 WAR in 69 starts and 276 AB before being promoted to Triple-A. He then batted .281/.303/.406, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 2 BB, 25 SO, 2 SB, 0.6 WAR in 14 starts and 64 AB. He primarily played centerfield and was outstanding defensively. --------   The Queensland Eagles finished the year strong but it was not enough for them to get anywhere near the wildcard and they were eliminated on March 15. Still, their 86 wins represent their best finish in 10 seasons. In 1946-47, their 86 victories were good enough for top spot in the East, but this season it got them only 5th place. They have some tantalizing young pitching prospects in 22-year old Kevin Jones (58/75) and 24-year old Derek Tarn (56/62) that should greatly bolster the rotation in the near future, but the biggest concern is the offense. The Eagles appear to have a very respectable lineup on paper, but they will need more consistency if they want to finally end their playoff drought. Rotation standouts:
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New Season Records Set: Strikeouts: 231, Logan Belsey Wins Above Replacement, Pitcher: 10.15, Logan Belsey Noteworthy: February 4 – The Eagles hosted the Pulberry Trolleys and took two of three from the defending United Cup Champions. The first matchup featured a stand-out performance by 27-year old 3B/SS Apia Yarrah (.317/.363/.478, 12 HR, 56 RBI, 31 BB, 13 SB, 128 OPS+, 135 wRC+, 2.9 WAR) in Queensland’s 8-5 win over the Trolleys. The former 1st overall pick went 5 for 5 on the afternoon – all singles. As a result of his knack of getting on base, Yarrah scored three runs. First Round Draft Pick Update: 11th overall – 3B Vaughan Oakley (24/66). The young Australian got off to a slow start in Double-A, where he hit .235/.265/.407, 10 HR, 16 RBI, 8 BB, 87 SO, 5 SB, -0.3 WAR in 70 starts and 268 AB. --------   The Embro Suns appeared to be coming alive in December/January when they won 32 games but came back to earth immediately after that, losing 31 games the rest of the way. That stretch included a 9-game losing streak in February. By March 4, they were eliminated from the playoffs for the second-straight year. There is no mystery as the Suns struggles: they lack impact pitching. They do have a couple of young starters that could help going forward in Jun Kichida (46/61) and 22-year old RHP Kieran Dare (48/64), but it may not be quite enough to seriously challenge for the playoffs. Rotation standouts:
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Player of the Week Awards: February 4 – LF Jesús Abreu (.500 AVG, .548 OBP, 14 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R) First Round Draft Pick Update: 10th overall – IF Benjamin Browne (44/57). Browne started 69 games in Double-A before being promoted to Triple-A for his final 15 games of the season. In Double-A, he hit .312/.382/.524, 9 HR, 25 RBI, 26 BB, 55 SO, 7 SB, 2.6 WAR in 269 AB. After his promotion he batted .154/.185/.250, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 BB, 16 SO, 2 SB, 0.0 WAR in 52 AB. --------   Like the Embro Suns, the Braeland City Monarchs were largely done in by a mediocre pitching staff but an aging core on offense is becoming a growing concern as well. It all added up to an uneven season that saw Braeland City eliminated by March 1. They miss the post-season for the third straight year. They do have a fairly strong farm system (4th overall) and have a few promising arms that got their first taste of the majors this season in 21-year old LHP Charley Honeysett (46/72), 23-year old RHP Bailey Organ (48/60) and 23-year old LHP Johnny Hunter (42/57). All are projected as starters, something the Monarchs desperately need. But it may be too late to help a lineup that is starting to show signs of fading. Rotation standouts:
Bullpen standouts:
Position Player standouts:
Noteworthy: February 9 – It was a long season for the Monarch faithful but on a warm, Saturday afternoon, the fans got to cheer for their star player, 2B Patrick Lidgate. The 9-year veteran hit the 200th home run of his career and 20th of the season. It came in the bottom of the 1st, when Lidgate jumped on a 0-1 pitch from LHP Kozue Saito for a 2-run homer that landed 357 ft. into the leftfield stands. The Monarchs went on to win, 8-2.   March 16 – The Brunswick Legends could not keep RF Aidan Trembath off the basepaths, as the Hespeler native went 5 for 5 in the Monarchs 8-3 triumph over the Legends. Trembath hit four singles and double, scoring 1 RBI. Braeland City would take 2 of 3 from the Legends in their final series win of the season. First Round Draft Pick Update: 8th overall – 2B Carlos Cruz (40/61). The 21-year old San Francisco-native was simply outstanding in his first season. In 85 starts, he batted .328/.375/.588, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 19 BB, 82 SO, 6 SB, 3.6 WAR in 320 AB. With the Double-A Kingsville Royals, he led the team to their second consecutive championship, winning MVP honors in the Surf Coast League Pennant Series. He was rewarded with a promotion to Triple-A at the end of the playoffs. --------   The Downie Chiefs may have avoided losing 100 games, but it comes as small comfort as they finish in last place in the East for the first time in 11 years and suffer their worst season since they lost 99 games back in 1941-42. They were eliminated from contention back on February 25, the first team in the United Leagues to achieve that ignoble distinction. The Chiefs simply do not have enough young impact players on their roster with the exception of closer Frank Greggs (65/75) and RF Ewan Komaki (54/54). They do not have a particularly strong farm system either (12th overall) but having the No. 1 pick in next year’s amateur draft will certainly help. Either way, its clear Downie is in for a lengthy rebuilding process. Rotation standouts:
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Position Player standouts:
Player of the Week Awards: March 11 – RF Ewan Komaki (.579, 11 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI) New Season Records Set: Saves: 30, Frank Greggs Noteworthy: February 2 – In a battle of cellar dwellers, the Chiefs took two of three against the Fort Richmond Generals, blanking them 7-0 and 5-0 in the first two games. That second game was highlighted by an outstanding performance from 34-year old RHP Kelii Pelanekelina (10-18, 4.47 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 4.78 FIP, 86 ERA+) who blanked the Generals on two hits. The 14-year veteran went 9.0 innings with 5 BB, 1 K, 109 PI, GS: 79. February 5 – The Chiefs began the month of February on a hot streak, winning 11 of their first 13 games. Their fourth win of the hot streak featured a commanding performance by RHP Stefan Rankin, who blanked the Hespeler Stars 1-0 on 1 hit. Rankin went 9.0 IP with 4 K, 0 BB, 86 PI, GS: 89. His bid for a perfect game was broken up in the 7th inning, when 33-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian smacked a one-out single to rightfield. The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the second, when 25-year old 3B Freddie Ogburn (.222/.286/.339, 10 HR, 53 RBI, 48 BB, 0.7 WAR) connected for a lead-off solo home off LHP Patrick Denman, 333 ft. down the leftfield line. First Round Draft Pick Update: 7th overall – RHP Jim Harbaugh (20/65). The 18-year old Harbaugh had a so-so first year in the minors, going 5-7, 6.00 ERA, 20 GS, 90.0 IP, 1.54 WHIP, .279 BABIP, 6.73 FIP, 75 ERA+. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 06-24-2023 at 03:56 AM. |
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06-19-2023, 01:31 AM
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#797 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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1956-57 Eastern League End of Season Player Stats:
   
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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06-24-2023, 05:00 AM
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#798 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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March 26, 1957
Western League: Pulberry, Sherburn Playoff Bound for Second Straight Year    --------   The Pulberry Trolleys locked up their fourth straight playoff appearance on March 2, after winning their 8th consecutive game. They secured their 4th-straight first-place finish in the West exactly two weeks later on the 16th. Despite a number of position players regressing from the career years they enjoyed last season, this is still a remarkably balanced club and is arguably the class of the United Leagues. Although their recent first-place finishes have started to take a toll on the depth of their farm system, they have a promising outfielder in 21-year old Joe Riding (42/62), a former 11th overall pick from 1953-54 on the major league roster. An outstanding defender who can play anywhere in the outfield, he is currently playing backup to CF Cooper Tyson. But it wouldn’t surprise me if he takes over right field from 32-year old Ellis Dibble (.261/.328/.428, 16 HR, 84 RBI, 56 BB, 106 OPS+, 112 wRC+, 0.8 WAR) full-time one day soon. Pulberry’s playoff rotation was revealed by 51-year old manager Ryo Ichikawa:
Bullpen standouts:
Position Player standouts:
 Player of the Week Awards: February 11 – SS Sean Abercrombie (.391, 9 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI) March 4 – RF Ellis Dibble (.423, 11 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R) March 18 – LF Aidan Thirkettle (.429, 9 H, 3 HR, 10 RBI) New Season Records Set: Slugging Pct: .6860, Aidan Thirkettle On-Base plus Slugging Pct: 1.1402, Aidan Thirkettle First Round Draft Pick Update: 16th overall – IF/OF Tim Scott (33/55). Scott spent most of time in centerfield and while he was solid in the field and was a base-stealing machine, he was still finding his way at the plate in Double-A. In 81 starts, he batted .198/.277/.327, 9 HR, 24 RBI, 28 BB, 76 SO, 29 SB, -0.4 in 257 AB. --------   The Sherburn Tigers qualified for the playoffs with six games remaining the season. Its their fourth playoff appearance in team history and it’s the first time they have qualified in back-to-back seasons. Like the Trolleys, they are a remarkably balanced team but strangely, they were unable to translate that into a consistent, dominant performance on the field. In the final two months, they barely played .500 ball. That may be due to the general youth of the club. It will be interesting to see if they can make it all click in the near future. 43-year old manager Jamie Blair announced the following rotation for the playoffs:
Bullpen standouts:
Position Player standouts:
Player of the Week Awards: February 25 – RHP Jesús Chapa (2-0, 0.50 ERA, 18.0 IP, .145 OppAVG, 6 K) March 11 – CF Leon Albrecht (.500, 12 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI) Noteworthy: March 10 – In the same game that Cambria’s RF Sam Tite broke the old mark for most home runs in a season, CF Leon Albrecht went 5 for 5 in the Tigers’ 9-7 triumph over the Cannons. The 25-year old sophomore hit four singles and a double, while scoring 1 RBI and 3 R. First Round Draft Pick Update: 13th overall – OF Christie Eldred (31/56). Playing primarily in centerfield, Eldred displayed impressive power and defense in Double-A. He hit .241/.292/.472, 18 HR, 33 RBI, 22 BB, 93 SO, 13 SB, 1.0 WAR in 81 GS, 320 AB. --------   The Balmoral Giants were scuffling along for most of the season but finished hot in March. That allowed them to reach .500 and avoid their second-consecutive losing season. But it’s been 13 years since their last playoff appearance and there is still a lot of work to be done. Having the top farm system in the United Leagues will certainly help turn things around one day and they do have a few young promising players already on the major league roster. 23-year old C Ellis Ford (.246/.469/.566, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 50 BB, 180 OPS+, 194 wRC+, 2.6 WAR – 61/61) is already viewed as the Giants’ best catcher even though he is still playing back-up. And Balmoral has two young future starters: 23-year old RHP Bart Minto (40/44) who won two Rookie of the Month honors this season and 22-year old RHP Clive Kerwin (4-10, 4 SV, 4.02 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 4.02 FIP, 97 ERA+ - 45/60). Rotation standouts:
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Position Player standouts:
Noteworthy: March 13 – The Giants opened their final home stretch of the season by taking 2 of 3 from the visiting Pulberry Trolleys. In the rubber match, CF Quido De Jesús made his presence felt, going 5 for 5 at the plate as the Giants won, 7-1. Balmoral’s lead-off hitter hit four singles and a double, scoring 1 R. March 22 –RHP Bart Minto put an exclamation mark on his final start of the season, blanking the Fort Richmond Generals, 5-0 on one hit. The rookie went all 9.0 IP with 2 BB, 6 K, 119 PI, GS: 89. The lone hit was a one-out single by Fort Richmond’s LF Ed Ellsworth in the top of the 3rd inning. First Round Draft Pick Update: 6th overall – RHP Ashley Tazewell (29/63). The 21-year old starter was outstanding in Double-A. He went 12-1, 1.77 ERA, 16 GS, 127.1 IP, 1.01 WHIP, .297 BABIP, 2.50 FIP, 246 ERA+, winning two Pitcher of the Month honors. He was then promoted to Triple-A and saw four starts, going 3-1, 3.14 ERA, 28.2 IP, 0.98 WHIP, .209 BABIP, 3.16 FIP, 96 ERA+ while picking up another Pitcher of the Month award. --------   The Hespeler Stars were a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde this season, playing brilliantly one month, then downright horrible the next. The bottom line, however, is that they finished below .500 for the 14th straight season and remain the last team in the United Leagues still to yet qualify for the playoffs. They’re starting to see some highly prized prospects reaching the major league roster, such as C Aidan Bennie (59/69) who debuted last season and now RHP Eduardo Rodríguez (43/54) and 20-year old LHP Nico van der Ham (40/79). But even with the third-best farm system in the United Leagues, it still seems that they are still years away from finally putting together a solid team. ‘Maybe next year next will be different’ remains the recuring theme for this star-crossed club. Rotation standouts:
Bullpen standouts:
Position Player standouts:
Player of the Week Awards: February 4 – RF John Anthony (.440, 11 H, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R) Noteworthy: March 7 –C Aidan Bennie perhaps gave a glimpse of what is in store for the former #1 rated prospect, as he completed the 33rd Cycle in United Leagues history and 5th of the season – and he completed it in dramatic fashion. Facing the visiting Wolseley Unions, Bennie doubled in the 1st, flied out in the 2nd, tripled in the 5th and singled in the 7th. But entering the bottom of 9th, the Unions still held on to a 6-5 lead. Enter Bennie. After 33-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.267/.326/.375, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 49 BB, 2.8 WAR) reached based on an error with nobody out, Bennie connected on an 0-1 pitch from RHP Robert Metcalfe and slammed a walk-off 2-run home run 345 ft. into the leftfield bleachers to complete the cycle and help the Stars pull off a 3-game sweep of the Unions.  First Round Draft Pick Update: 5th overall – 2B Hidekazu Kudo (27/68). The 20-year old from Japan had a bit of a rough start in his first season in Double-A. He hit .225/.254/.475, 13 HR, 34 RBI, 9 BB, 102 SO, 7 SB, -0.3 WAR in 68 GS, 236 AB, while looking shaky in the field .976 PCT, 3.22 RNG, -7.7 ZR, .890 EFF). --------   Any hope the Wolseley Unions had of reaching .500 this season was shot down by a 4-16 stretch in February, followed by a 7-game losing streak in early March. That losing streak culminated in the Unions being officially eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth year in a row. Wolseley clearly is in rebuilding mode. The pitching appears to show more promise in the short term than the lineup, however. While RHP Theo Morse (51/80) is the most highly touted, they also have 24-year old RHP Yasuo Yamauchi (47/59) and 25-year old RHP Robert Metcalfe (55/60), who is currently the team’s stopper. But the Unions do not have any impact position players that are ready to make the jump to the major leagues other than CF Jonathan Higgins (61/66), who suffered a season-ending injury back in January. Wolseley does have the No. 1 prospect in 22-year old IF/OF Jack Jarrom (42/80) but he is still in Double-A, and they will need more like him and soon to really jumpstart a sluggish offense. Rotation standouts:
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Noteworthy: February 20 – The Unions may have lost to the visiting Downie Chiefs, 3-0 but the player of the game was Wolseley’s RHP Theo Morse. The Pulberry-native set a new Western League record for strikeouts in a game with 16. That ties him with Queensland’s 31-year old RHP Logan Belsey, who struck out 16 batters on March 3, 1955, also against the Downie Chiefs. Despite being tagged with the loss, Morse went 9.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 16 K, 128 PI, GS: 81. He struck out 3 batters three times and two other batters twice. Downie scored all of their runs in the top of the 4th, when Morse ran into some problems. Besides surrendering two singles and double, he also hit a batter, gave up a walk and committed a wild pitch. First Round Draft Pick Update: 1st overall – IF/OF Jack Jarrom (42/80). Jarrom showed why he was picked first overall as he enjoyed a fine season in Double-A. Playing primarily at second base, he hit .258/.327/.566, 22 HR, 54 RBI, 27 BB, 120 SO, 14 SB, 2.4 WAR in 83 GS, 318 AB. He picked up two Player of the Week awards as well. --------   The Cambria Cannons suffered their first losing season in 5 years and were officially eliminated from contention with 3 weeks left in the season. The only genuine highlight was Sam Tite’s (80/80) tremendous season, as he set a new season record for home runs (in a tie with Wellington’s Matthew Floyd) and led the entire United Leagues in RBI (8 more than Pulberry’s Aidan Thirkettle). This team still has a very respectable lineup, but it is woeful defensively and the pitching staff is the worst in the United Leagues, giving up 5.1 R/G while scoring 4.6 (third in the West). The Cannons have the second-deepest farm system, but it is short on real pitching prospects. Until those shortcomings are addressed, this team is destined to endure further trying seasons. Rotation standouts:
Bullpen standouts:
Position Player standouts:
Player of the Week Awards: February 18 – RF Sam Tite (.429, 9 H, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 4 R) New Season Records Set: Home Runs: 49, Sam Tite (tie) Noteworthy: March 2 – The Cannons started off the month strong, sweeping all three games against the visiting Wolseley Unions. Game 2 was highlighted with a terrific performance by their lead off hitter, SS Doug Martin who went 5 for 5. Martin hit 4 singles and a double while collecting 2 RBI in the 6-1 victory. March 10 – Although Wellington’s Matthew Floyd was the first player to reach the 49 home run mark, it was actually RF Sam Tite who was the first to tie the old mark and break it. On March 5, Tite hit a solo shot in Cambria’s 8-1 loss to Pulberry to tie Cobourg’s Raymond Williams’ mark of 45, set back in 1953-54. Five days later, Tite broke the record when he hit not one, but two home runs in the Cannons’ 9-7 loss to the Sherburn Tigers. The Canadian hit a lead off solo shot off RHP Jesús Chapa in the top of the 2nd inning to open the scoring. He also hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 6th in addition to a 2-run double in the 8th, all against Chapa. In all, Tite went 3 for 5 with 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R. First Round Draft Pick Update: 12th overall – OF Danilo Barretto (30/56). The 22-year old Filipino enjoyed a fine season in Double-A. Besides playing solid defense in centerfield, he hit .250/.298/.422, 10 HR, 35 RBI, 20 BB, 99 SO, 13 SB, 0.5 WAR in 78 GS, 323 AB. --------   The Kingston Pelicans cratered in the last two months, winning only 18 games over that period and were eliminated from the playoffs on March 4 for the fifth straight season. They are in full rebuild on both sides of the ball, but the pitching rebuild seems to be lagging. Their only young, promising pitcher is 20-year old RHP Ernesto Luna (48/62) who they acquired in a trade from the Pulberry Trolleys last year. He was promoted to the major league club late in the season. They have a few more pieces in the lineup, particularly 1B Ira Bannatyne (57/57), C Ronald Armstrong (58/58) and especially 23-year old CF Dan Hesketh (.262/.337/.386, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 55 BB, 8 SB, 3.5 WAR – 65/71), Kingston’s 1st overall pick from last season. But with the exception of 20-year old C Dermott Biddulph (38/55), the majority of their prospects are still in Double-A, requiring further patience. Rotation standouts:
Bullpen standouts:
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First Round Draft Pick Update: 4th overall – IF/OF Puck Zwager (20/64). It was evident this season that the 17-year old from Curacao will need further seasoning in Double-A. In 67 GS he hit .153/.207/.256, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 10 BB, 89 SO, -1.8 WAR, 203 AB while playing entirely in leftfield. --------   The Fort Richmond Generals endured their 2nd-worst season ever, narrowing avoiding a 100-loss season, despite collapsing in the final two months. After winning the United Cup just three seasons ago, on March 1st they became the second team in the United Leagues to be eliminated from the playoffs. There is very little to write home about. This is a lacklustre team with no mass influx of young talent on the horizon. It appears the Generals rebuild will be a long one. Rotation standouts:
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Noteworthy: February 19 – The Generals picked up a rare series win when they took 2 of 3 from the visiting Stratford Barons. The second game saw a big performance from 24-year old rookie 1B Takuji Kanno (.284/.363/.438, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 41 BB, 1.2 WAR – 48/55) who went 5 for 5. The former 10th overall pick from 1953-54 hit 3 singles and two doubles, collecting 2 RBI and 1 R, helping Fort Richmond to a 4-2 win. First Round Draft Pick Update: 2nd overall – RHP Kenete Yuri (45/74). The 23-year old American Samoan played his first season entirely in Triple-A and was impressive. He went 8-4, 2.28 ERA, 20 GS, 142.1 IP, 1.10 WHIP, .325 BABIP, 2.03 FIP, 130 ERA+ while helping the Marleton Scouts win their first Kings Cup in franchise history. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 06-24-2023 at 05:04 AM. |
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06-24-2023, 05:07 AM
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#799 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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1956-57 Western League End of Season Player Stats:
   
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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06-29-2023, 03:53 AM
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#800 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,899
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  The Brunswick Legends and Cobourg Redlegs square off for the first time to battle for the Eastern League Pennant. This marks the second time that Cobourg has made the playoffs and the first time in four years. Meanwhile, it’s been 10 years for the Legends. This is their seventh playoff appearance and are looking for their sixth Pennant. But the Legends will be attempting to do so without a key player. 30-year old LF Carl Patton (.285/.399/.387, 6 HR, 51 RBI, 98 BB, 15 SB, 112 OPS+, 126 wRC+, 3.6 WAR) injured his shoulder in mid-March and is gone for the rest of the season. Patton led off against RH pitchers and batted in the No. 3 spot against lefties. 27-year old switch-hitter Ismael García (52/52) will take his place and bat from the No. 5 spot. On the other hand, Cobourg enters the playoffs with all hands-on deck. 56-year old Finlay Fay (954-895, .515) was hired by the Legends to be their field manager back in 1946-47, the last time Brunswick qualified for the playoffs. He previously led the Kingston Pelicans to a United Cup championship in the United Leagues’ inaugural season. As for Cobourg’s 62-year old manager, Tyler Baldry (476-535, .470), this is his second season at the helm of the Redlegs after serving four years as their bench coach. Last year, the team finished in the basement with a 67-87 record. But the team improved by 29 wins this year and came oh so close to finishing in first place before dropping the tiebreaker to the Legends. Although Brunswick won the regular season matchup, both teams finished with 69 runs apiece in their 15-game regular season matchup, with 7 of those games decided by a single run. But Brunswick won the tiebreaker and earned home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The playoffs are here – its time to begin. Play ball! -------- Game 1 – March 27 The playoffs return to a packed Babe Ruth Stadium for the first time in 10 years. The skies are clear, its warm with just a moderate breeze. 39-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian, who was with the Queensland Eagles when they defeated the Legends back in 1946-47 for the EL Pennant, makes his third career playoff start, after going 0-2, 5.14 ERA 10 years ago. He is looking for his first playoff victory. Cobourg has handed the ball to 29-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (2-0, 2.57 ERA in 4 playoff games). Bottom of the 4th: Ismael García smashes one down the leftfield line and into the corner for a one-out double. With two out, Francis Joicey rips one past a diving 2B Luigi Purss into rightfield. García sails around third and slides in hard, beating out the throw for the game’s first run. Cobourg 0 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 6th: Douglas Jones hits a slow roller to the right side and beats out the throw from SP Quian for a lead-off base hit. Nihopalaoa Neho then lays down a sac bunt to move him up to second. With two out, Harry Doxey belts a high fly ball to deep left center, landing 425 ft. into the stands for a 2-run homer. Cobourg 2 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 6th: But Brunswick soon retakes the lead when Robert Kersey leads off with a slow roller out toward third base. Harold Prudom runs in to pick it up but doesn’t risk the throw. SP Hirst then surrenders back-to-back walks to Ismael García and Joshua Witherden, loading the bases with nobody out. Francis Joicey then comes through again, grounding one back up the middle past a draw-in infield for a 2-run base hit. Hirst loads the bases once again. Pi-ao Quian then hits one sharply out between third base and shortstop. But SS Douglas Jones lunges to his right and backhands it, turns and whips it home to cut down Joshua Witherden to get the force out. SP Hirst then gets two quick outs to end the inning, preventing any further damage. But in the top of the 9th, Coboug goes down on three straight fly outs as Quian finally gets his first playoff victory. Brunswick takes Game 1. FINAL: Cobourg 2 – Brunswick 3     -------- Game 2 – March 28 The Legends pulled out a thrilling victory in Game 1 and look to continue rolling at Babe Ruth Park. No. 4 starter, 29-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil, makes his first career playoff appearance as he takes the hill for Brunswick. Cobourg responds with 28-year old LHP Bill Budd (1-0, 2.81 ERA, 1.25 WHIP). This will be his third career playoff start. Bottom of the 1st: Edilberto Mandac lines one down the rightfield line. RF Nathan Ashman lunges for it but its out of his reach as it bounces into the corner. Mandac rounds second and sails into third with a headfirst slide ahead of the throw for a 1-out triple. Jay Mitchell then ropes one into shallow centerfield, scoring Mandac. Cobourg 0 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 3rd: Pilapil lines one into centerfield that drops in front of CF Raymond Williams for a 1-out single. Lead-off hitter Jorge Arredondo hits a slow tapper to the right side. SP Budd gloves it and throws to second for one, but Pilapil breaks up the double-play with a good slide. With two out, Edilberto Mandac launches one into the gap in left center. LF Nihopalaoa Neho races back and just misses corralling it as the ball bounces up against the wall. Arredondo takes third then breaks for home. C Yoshiake Ikeda catches the relay, turns and applies the tag but its not in time as Arredondo scores Brunswick’s second run. Cobourg 0 – Brunswick 2 Top of the 4th: Harold Prudom lines one out to left center. LF Edilberto Mandac lunges for the ball but its just gets past his glove and rolls to the base of the wall. Prudom wheels past first and slides headfirst into second for a 1-out double. With two out, Nathan Ashman slices one down the rightfield line. RF Jay Mitchell catches up to it as Prudom crosses the plate. Mitchell throws to second as Ashman slides in awkwardly for a double. Play is called as the trainer examines Ashman’s back. Ashman is forced out of the game and is replaced by PR Randy Spivey. Cobourg 1 – Brunswick 2 Top of the 5th: Douglas leads off and quickly ties things up as he smashes a solo-shot 344 ft. down the leftfield line and into the stands. With two out, Harry Doxey lofts one out to shallow leftfield for a base hit. Next up is Yoshiake Ikeda, who launches Pilapil’s first offering 393 ft. into the left-centerfield bleaches for a go-ahead 2-run shot. Cobourg 4 – Brunswick 2 Top of the 7th: Nihopalaoa Neho sends a hard drive into deep right-center. CF Joshua Witherden races back to the track but the ball sails over his head and bangs off the wall. Neho tears around second and slides headfirst for a lead-off triple. Raymond Williams is then given a free pass, putting runners on the corners. Harry Doxey then launches one out to centerfield. Neho tags up and beats out the throw from Witherden. With one out, Jay Mitchell sends one out to deep centerfield past a lunging Raymond Williams. As it caroms off the wall, Mitchell chugs past first and slides in safely for a double. But after Robert Kersey strikes out, Harris Yaag lines one back up the middle. SS Douglas Jones stretches for it and makes a brilliant catch to end the threat and the game, as the Redlegs tie the series up. FINAL: Cobourg 5 – Brunswick 2 Note: Nathan Ashman suffered back spasms while sliding into second, but it was not serious (Day-to-day, 1 day).     -------- Game 3 – March 30 The Series shifts to a packed house at Radcliffe Field in Cobourg for the next three games. Cobourg hands to the ball to their 23-year old sophomore RHP Albert Johnson. For Brunswick, they turn to their No. 2 starter as well: 24-year old RHP Dave Ball. Both will be making their playoff debuts. Bottom of the 4th: SP Ball induces back-to-back grounds outs from Harry Doxey and Yoshiake Ikeda. But Harold Prudom jumps all over a 3-1 cutter and crushes it 410 ft. into the right-centerfield stands for a solo home run to get the Redlegs on the board. Brunswick 0 – Cobourg 1 Bottom of the 5th: Ball surrenders a one-out walk to Nihopalaoa Neho and then a two-out walk to Harry Doxey. Yoshiake Ikeda then smashes a hard grounder down the third base line and past a diving 3B Jorge Arredondo as the ball heads into the corner. Neho scores easily on the play. Doxey is given the windmill at third and scores without a throw as Ikeda pulls up into second for a 2-run double. Brunswick 0 – Cobourg 3 Bottom of the 6th: Luigi Purss leads off with a first-pitch single that finds the hole into shallow leftfield then moves up to second when Nathan Ashman walks on a full count. After Albert Johnson lays down a sac bunt to move up the runners, Douglas Jones battles SP Ball to a full count before launching a fly ball out to centerfield. Purss tags up and beats the throw from CF Joshua Witherden. Brunswick 0 – Cobourg 4 Top of the 7th: Dermott Morris sends one sailing into deep right center. Morris busts it to second and slides in headfirst for a lead-off double. After moving up to third when PH Dane Evans grounds out to SS Douglas Jones, Jorge Arredondo singles Morris home as his grounder finds the hole into leftfield, getting Brunswick on the board. Brunswick 1 – Cobourg 4 Top of the 9th: PH Harley Truman smashes RHP Brian McDaniel’s 2-1 cutter into deep right center with CF Raymond Williams in hot pursuit. As it bounces to the wall, Truman slides in safely for a one-out double. After moving up to third when Jorge Arredondo grounds out to SS Douglas Jones, Harris Yaag lofts one into short centerfield for a base hit. Truman scores easily to narrow the gap. Jay Mitchell follows and lines a bullet down the line to short rightfield. RF Nathan Ashman hurries the ball back in, but Yaag reaches third while Mitchell pulls into second standing up, representing the tying run. Robert Kersey lines one out to the left side. But just as he did in Game 2, SS Douglas Jones reaches out and snares the hot liner to end the threat and the game. Cobourg takes the upper hand in the series. FINAL: Brunswick 2 – Cobourg 4     -------- Game 4 – March 31 The Redlegs look to try and take a commanding lead while they continue to host the Series. A couple of pitchers making their playoff debuts get the start. Cobourg calls upon their No. 4 starter, 30-year old RHP Seb Frew while Brunswick answers with their ace, 31-year old LHP Luke Henty. Bottom of the 1st: Douglas Jones puts a charge into SP Henty’s 1-1 changeup and sends it soaring 420 ft. into the left centerfield bleachers for a lead-off home run. Brunswick 0 – Cobourg 1 Top of the 2nd: Joshua Witherden sends a sinking line drive to straight away center for a lead-off base hit, one that CF Raymond Williams is forced to play on the hop. Up next is Francis Joicey, who blasts Frew’s 88 mph fastball 374 ft. into the rightfield stands for a two-run home run. Brunswick 2 – Cobourg 1 Bottom of the 6th: Similar to what he did in the 1st inning, Douglas Jones leads off and drives Henty’s first offering down the leftfield line for a 352ft. solo home run, his second of the game. Brunswick 2 – Cobourg 2 Top of the 8th: With one out, Harris Yaag draws a walk on four-straight pitches. Jay Mitchell then raps one hard out to center for a base hit as Yaag takes second. After Robert Kersey grounds into a fielder’s choice at second base, putting runners on the corners, Ismael García bloops one out to centerfield for a base hit. Yaag comes in to score as Brunswick retakes the lead. In the bottom of the 9th, Henty gets the Redlegs to go down in order, tying up the series. FINAL: Brunswick 3 – Cobourg 2     -------- Game 5 – April 1 The Legends eked out a victory in Game 4 to tie things up a 2-apiece. Both clubs will be looking to try and take the lead before the series heads back to Brunswick. And both clubs will be doing it under hot, sunny skies in a jam-packed Radcliffe Field. The Game 1 starters face each other once again. Cobourg’s 29-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (0-1, 3.86 ERA) looks to avenge his loss while Brunswick’s 39-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (1-0, 2.00 ERA) aims to build upon his first career playoff victory. Top of the 3rd: Dermott Morris leads off and belts out a hard grounder past the mound. SS Douglas Jones knocks it down and whips it to first, but Morris beats out the throw for an infield hit. Pi-ao Quian then sac bunts Morris over to second. After Jorge Arredondo strikes out, Harris Yaag threads a hot grounder through the left side hole and into leftfield for a base hit. Morris rounds third and just beats out the throw from LF Nihopalaoa Neho as Brunswick opens the scoring. Brunswick 1 – Cobourg 0 Top of the 4th: Robert Kersey lifts one out to shallow leftfield for a lead-off base hit. Ismael García then crushes the payoff pitch out toward deep centerfield. CF Raymond Williams races back for it but can’t get to it in time as the ball caroms off the wall. Kersey takes third as García motors into second. Hirst gets two quick outs but then walks Dermott Morris to load the bases. Pi-ao Quian then cracks one down the line into short leftfield for a base hit. Kersey comes into score. García takes third then breaks for home. But LF Nihopalaoa Neho’s throw home is on target. C Yoshiake Ikeda spins around and tags out García to end the inning. Brunswick 2 – Cobourg 0 Top of the 5th: Jorge Arredondo leads off with a four-pitch walk. Harris Yaag bunts it back to the mound and is thrown out as Arredondo takes second. Jay Mitchell then steps in and jumps all over a 1-1 forkball, launching it 418 ft. into the right centerfield stands for a 2-run homer. Brunswick 4 – Cobourg 0 Top of the 7th: Jorge Arredondo leads off and lines one over second base for a base hit. Harris Yaag once again lays down a sac bunt back to the mound, advancing Arredondo to second. Jay Mitchell battles Hirst to a full count before drawing a walk. After Robert Kersey strikes out on a disputed call by the umpire, Ismael García draws a walk to load the bases. Joshua Witherden then draws a walk as well, forcing in Arredondo. That ends SP Hirst’s afternoon. But Francis Joicey works the count full against LHP Lester Bell before lining one into short right center. Mitchell scores easily on the play. García rounds third and chugs home as Joicey reaches base safely for a 2-run single. Brunswick 7 – Cobourg 0 Bottom of the 8th: Cobourg finally gets on the board when Nihopalaoa Neho leads off and gets all of Quian’s 2-2 change-up, sending it 344 ft. into the rightfield bleachers for a solo home run. In the bottom of the 9th, Nathan Ashman bangs out a grounder straight up the middle for a 1-out base hit. PH Bernie Vantassell then lines one out to centerfield for a base hit as Ashman takes second. One a 1-1 pitch, Douglas Jones swings and misses, but the umpire rules catcher’s interference, awarding Jones first base to load the bases. But after Nihopalaoa Neho strikes out, Raymond Williams lifts one out to shallow left centerfield. LF Ismael García waves off CF Joshua Witherden and pulls it in to end the threat. The Legends take the upper hand as the series heads back to Brunswick. FINAL: Brunswick 7 – Cobourg 1     -------- Game 6 – April 3 The Series returns to Babe Ruth Park with Brunswick needing just one more victory to capture the Pennant. Meanwhile, Cobourg is looking to try and swing the momentum away and extend the series. A full house and clear, blue skies set the stage. The pitchers of Game 2 face each other once again. Cobourg goes with their ace, 28-year old LHP Bill Budd (1-0, 2.00 ERA), who won game honors in the second match. Brunswick responds with 29-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (0-1, 6.14 ERA) who is looking to bounce back from a rough outing in his first playoff appearance. Bottom of the 2nd: Robert Kersey jumps all over a 1-0 pitch and sends into right center. CF Raymond Williams races back for it, but it sails 403 ft. into the stands for lead-off home run. Cobourg 0 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 7th: Dermott Morris leads off and bounces one through the hole into rightfield for a base hit. Mhelter Pilapil lays a bunt down the third base line. But 3B Harold Prudom pounces on it and cuts down Morris at second. With two out, Harris Yaag lifts one out to centerfield in front of a charging Raymond Williams for a base hit as Pilapil takes second. Jay Mitchell then slices one out to left for a base hit. Pilapil moves up to third as Yaag takes second. Pilapil then charges for home as LF Nihopalaoa Neho throws to the plate. Pilapil slides into home safely as Yaag and Mitchell move up to third and second respectively. On a full count, Robert Kersey drives one down the line into rightfield. RF Rizalino Ringor reaches for it but the ball drops in and skips into the corner. Kersey slides safely into second as both Yaag and Mitchell come home to score. In the top of the 9th, Yoshiake Ikeda lifts one out to leftfield. But Ismael García is right there to haul it in. Harold Prudom then hits a grounder out toward first base. 1B Francis Joicey collects it and takes it to the bag himself for the second out. Finally, Luigi Purss hits a slow dribbler back to the mound. Pilapil fields it and throws him out at first to end the game and the series. The Brunswick Legends win their first Eastern League Pennant in 12 years and are off to the United Cup! FINAL: Cobourg 0 – Brunswick 4     --------   
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