United Leagues of Braeland - Page 9

reds1 · 10-02-2015, 04:13 PM

1940 Offseason

The 1940 offseason did not see as many trades as what was seen last offseason, but it still saw some marquee names change addresses. As in past offseasons, transactions saw major league talent being shipped to Eastern League teams, while highly-touted prospects were sent to Western League teams. A clear indication that more teams in the East are in ‘win now’ mode, while the West teams not named Cambria or Kingston are still in rebuilding mode. It should be interesting how this all pans out. Sooner or later, the Western League will turn into a dogfight for the playoffs.

Here are the significant trades that went down in the off months, leading up to ‘Spring’ Training:

April 21:

The Queensland Eagles acquired 41-year old RP Michael Wilberfoss (66/66) from the Hespeler Stars.

In return, the Stars received three minor leaguers:

21-year old IF Jay Western (22/59);
18-year old IF Kobbe Adamse (40/50); and
20-year old IF See-tong Thum (21/23).

Wilberfoss is no longer a viable starting pitcher, as he has lost the edge on his fastball (85-87 Mph), but he still has decent command and stamina. He should still be useful coming out of the bullpen for the Eagles. In return, the Stars get a couple of potentially useful depth players. Of the three, Adamse appears to be the closest to joining the big club. He should be a decent contact hitter with decent defense at SS and tremendous speed on the base paths. He has poor plate discipline however.

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April 25:

The Pulberry Trolleys traded perhaps the face of the franchise, when they sent 31-year old CF Rio Gidley (68/68) to the Embro Suns.

In return, the Trolleys received three minor leaguers:

21-year old RHP-RP Luke Woodward (48/80 - #1 rated prospect);
21-year old OF Baden Waymouth (22/23); and
21-year old IF Dermott Driscoll (21/23).

Gidley, a multiple all-star and top fielder award winner with Pulberry, joins a Suns team that is already loaded with front-line talent in the outfield. Thus, he will probably serve as the fourth outfielder, behind stalwarts LF Anthony Stavely (62/63), CF Terence Durney (80/80) and RF Paul Hooks (80/80).

The Trolleys receive essentially one prospect of note: RHP Luke Woodward, who was drafted 9th overall in 1937-38 by the Wolseley Unions. This is the third trade he has been involved in. Is it because “Trouble always seems to find Woodward”, as his scouting report suggests? His stuff, movement and control are all top-notch, but he just hasn’t been able to develop a third pitch (changeup-20/25), relegating him to the bullpen. Still, he should have what it takes to make the big leagues soon.

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May 6:

The Wolseley Unions traded away 27-year old OF Aaron Flanagan (49/49), their 1938-39 Rookie of the Year winner, to the Downie Chiefs.

In return, the Unions received three minor leaguers:

20-year old C Thomas Geary (23/72);
22-year old LHP Scott Napper (20/23); and
21-year old RHP Rhys Sellick (20/32).

Flanagan mainly played 1B in Wolseley and was rated higher at that position (74/74). The only way for this trade to work to Wolseley’s benefit is if Geary, a 3rd round pick in 1939-40, develops into a quality catcher. Thus far, his development was been positive. He has above average contact with good speed and defense. Flanagan is coming off another all-star season and if he can continue that production with Downie, then the Chiefs may see an improvement in the standings.

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May 11:

The Embro Suns pulled off another major trade when they acquired 33-year old SS Gary Watkinson (80/80) from the Sherburn Tigers.

In return, the Tigers received three minor leaguers:

24-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (71/79 - #2 rated prospect);
20-year old 1B Kyle Moorhouse (21/43); and
20-year old SS Samuel Campbell (22/25).

The Suns continued their assembly of an outstanding team with the acquisition of perennial all-star Watkinson, rated #4 overall in the ULB. He is starting to show regressions in the latest scouting reports, but he remains a superior contact hitter and decent defender.
In return, Sherburn receives perhaps the best starting pitching prospect available in Pierson. He boasts great stuff, filthy movement and tremendous control. He has a reputation of being a tad conceited; but with the Tigers, he has a chance of becoming the team’s ace and backing his attitude up.

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May 23:

The Wellington Athletics joined in the fun as well, acquiring 28-year old IF Brian Main (57/63) from the Pulberry Trolleys.

In return, the Trolleys received four minor leaguers:

20-year old RHP Cameron Ueno (34/79 – 13th overall pick in 1939-40);
19-year old RHP Ramón Ortiz (33/80 - #5 rated prospect);
21-year old RHP Cheng-gong Zhao (20/48); and
19-year old SS Dean Ogilvie (20/23).

Brain Main has taken a few talent hits in the past couple of scouting reports, but he still a talented infielder, who is most comfortable playing either 2B or 3B. He should help Wellington’s quest in returning to the playoffs.
In return, the Trolleys receive some very nice arms, but Ueno and Ortiz are shaping up to be relief pitchers rather than starters. That may limit their impact for Pulberry, but the bullpen should be in good hands in the not-too-distant future.

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June 22:

The Queensland Eagles signed a 34-year old free agent from Curacao, RHP Henny Akerval (64/64) for their starting rotation. He is currently slotted as their No. 4 pitcher. Akerval should be a solid pitcher for the Eagles (Stuff-40/40; Movement-55/55; Control-55/55), with three pitches (fastball-40/40; curveball-45/45; changeup-45/45). His velocity tops out only at 88 Mph but has good stamina (70).

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June 28:

It doesn’t happen often, but an intra-league trade was consummated this off-season between the Downie Chiefs and Stratford Barons.
The Barons receive 30-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (55/55) and 19-year old minor league 3B Alexander Wearne (23/66) from the Chiefs, in exchange for 29-year old 1B William Tozer (67/74).

Ahn is a borderline starter at best, as he is not blessed with the best stuff (35/35); he is currently listed as Stratford’s No. 5 starter. Wearne, a 5th round pick from 1938-39, shows some promise as a decent contact hitter with some pop, a good eye and decent defense.
The Barons have designated 37-year old William Neal (57/57) as their starting 1B and thus deemed the younger Tozer as expendable. Having said that, Neal is higher rated at 1B than Tozer (3rd vs. 6th), but for how long remains to be seen.

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Similar to last year, the Eastern League teams improved their major league rosters the most, based on WAR. The Embro Suns gained the most (8.8 WAR) in their acquisitions of SS Gary Watkinson and CF Rio Gidley. The Downie Chiefs were also quite active, gaining 8.0 WAR, through the trades that brought 1B William Tozer and RF Aaron Flanagan on board. Last season, the Braeland City Monarchs were the leaders in WAR gained and they ended up going to the United Cup. So we’ll just have to see if either Embro or Downie can reach the same success this coming season.

The Pulberry Trolleys saw the greatest drain of frontline talent for a second year in a row. As a result they have the No. 1 ranked farm system in the ULB, just ahead of the Balmoral Giants and the defending United Cup Champions, the Cambria Cannons.

reds1 · 10-03-2015, 11:55 PM

October 7, 1940

Opening Day has finally arrived and it’s time to kick off another exciting season in the United Leagues. The following are the results of the Coconut Leagues, the projected finishes for each team, as well as the top rated players and prospects as of Opening Day.
First off, we’ll start with how the Eastern League is predicted to shape up this season:

Six teams finished within 3 games of each other, as only the Queensland Eagles and Cobourg Red Stockings were left behind in the standings. The Embro Suns and Stratford Barons finished tied for first.
The predicted standings also see the Embro Suns grabbing top spot this year, with the defending Eastern League champions, the Braeland City Monarchs finishing just ahead of the Wellington Athletics for the wild card. In fact, the top five teams are predicted to finish within eight games of each other, suggesting another free-for-all for the playoffs.

The Suns are loaded and balanced; bearing that out is the projection of them finishing 2nd in both Runs For and Runs Against. Four players are projected to finish in the Top 10:

Jim Friend (.344, 22 HR, 135 RBI)
Terence Durney (.314, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 17 SB)
Edward Hill (21-9, 3.22 ERA), and
Pete Allison (18-12, 3.50 ERA)

Interestingly, none of the Suns’ top-rated players appear, namely, SP Colm Soper (#1), SS Gary Watkinson (#4), LF Terence Durney (#5) and RF Paul Hooks (#10).

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The Braeland City Monarchs were projected to finish in 2nd place last season and are predicted to repeat that finish, just 2 games back of the Suns. They are the defending Eastern League champions, so they appear to be well poise to defend their title. The Monarchs are projected to finish 1<sup>st</sup> in Runs For but just 5<sup>th</sup> in Runs against. Three players are projected to finish in the Top 10 for Braeland City:

Scott Kessler (.316, 24 HR, 111 RBI),
Lenny Freke (22-7, 2.61 ERA), and
David Cooling (19-11, 3.70 ERA)

Hot on the heels of the Suns and Monarchs will be the Wellington Athletics, who have been one of the more consistent teams in the Eastern League’s early history. Wellington is predicted to finish 4th in Runs For and 1st in Runs Against. Three players appear in the Top 10:

Brian Main (.310, 15 HR, 106 RBI, 15 SB),
Bob Boynton (.305, 17 HR, 91 RBI, 16 SB), and
Clyde Boney (17-13, 2.86 ERA)

The results of the Coconut Leagues were promising for the West, as six of the eight teams finished within 3 games of each other. The Fort Richmond Generals finished on top, closely followed by the Cambria Cannons and Kingston Pelicans.

However, the projected standings tell quite a different tale. The Kingston Pelicans are not only projected to regain top spot in the West, but to make it a runaway with 106 victories. This perhaps speaks more about the Pelicans having retained their top talent and being able to compete with the East in interleague games. With the exception of Cambria, the other teams have been off-loading starting talent to the East and stocking their farm systems the past couple of seasons. If the projections hold true, we still have at least one more season before the top spot in the West gets crowded.
But there is one cravat: Kingston was predicted to finish in first place with 101 victories last season. But injuries and mediocre play saw them finish with just 85 wins and in 2nd place. So I guess that’s why we play these games out!

The Kingston Pelicans are projected to be No. 1 in Runs For and Runs Against; and it won’t even be close in either category. A whopping ten Pelicans make an appearance in the projected Top 10. They are:

Jayden Tennant (.315, 34 HR, 116 RBI),
Fergus Chitty (.289, 28 HR, 114 RBI),
Okura Ito (.327, 21 HR, 101 RBI),
Mo Symes (.283, 19 HR, 82 RBI)
Chong-sik Lee (.318, 3 HR, 87 RBI),
Hirotada Fukushima (23-6, 2.83 ERA),
Brady Murdy (21-12, 3.36 ERA),
Joey Cumberledge (18-8, 3.38 ERA),
Francis Slocock (18-8, 3.40 ERA), and
Darwin Monday (13-5, 3.23 ERA).

The Cambria Cannons were projected to finish in second place with 81 wins last season, but they ended up with the best record in all of the ULB and won the United Cup. So I guess that just goes to show that these projections are to be taken with a grain of salt. Cambria is projected as No. 2 for Runs For but just No. 6 in Runs Against. So it appears that defense and pitching may be a concern for them this season. Five players appear in the Projected Top 10:

Ron Westmacott (.287, 14 HR, 96 RBI, 20 SB),
Kenneth Logan (.314, 22 HR, 110 RBI),
Al Tucker (.303, 9 HR, 63 RBI, 15 SB),
Neil Guerin (16-9, 2.87 ERA), and
Owen Tautor (15-13, 4.31 ERA).

To round out the snapshot of the United Leagues, here are the top players and pitchers, top prospects and farm system rankings as updated on Opening Day. Play ball!!

reds1 · 10-06-2015, 06:30 PM

November 1, 1940

Eastern League: Embro, Braeland City Battle for Top Spot

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The Embro Suns started off the new season 4-5 but then found their groove, going 14-2 the rest of the month. That hot stretch included an 11-game winning streak that ended with a 12-8 loss to the Cobourg Red Stockings on the last day of the month. That dominance is reflected in that Embro swept the monthly awards in the Eastern League.
One game was particularly noteworthy: the October 18 match against the Queensland Eagles. Embro pounded the Eagles 24-7. Four players stood out in that game for the Suns:

1B Jim Friend went 4-6 with 3 RBI, 1 R;
Newly acquired SS Gary Watkinson went 4-6 with 6 RBI, 3 R;
Newly acquired OF Rio Gidley went 4-5 with 3 RBI, 4 R; and
C Jack MacAvoy went 5-5 with 2-2B, 2 RBI, 4 R.

Top Position Player: There’s a lot to choose from, but CF Terence Durney had just an incredible month, winning Batter of the Month honours. That’s in addition the two Player of the Week awards he earned as well. He is rated as Embro’s top player and he is playing like it.

Top Pitcher: Perhaps this shows a limitation of OOTP. Edward Hill had a terrific month and won Pitcher of the Month honours. But in my opinion, RHP Colm Soper was better. Soper went 4-0, 1.58 ERA, 45.2 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 29 K, 14 BB. But he was passed over for Pitcher of the Month because Hill went 5-0? At any rate, Embro enjoyed a fantastic 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in October.

Noteworthy: The Suns rated 1st in EVERY batting category in October (11 categories).

Key Injury: None.

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Like Embro, the Braeland City Monarchs started off slow in October. But after a 1-5 start, the Monarchs got red hot, going 16-3 the rest of the way. They enter November on a 7-game winning streak and just 1 game back of Embro for top spot. Offensively, the Monarchs are struggling in the early going (6th-7th), but are ranked 1st in pitching.

Top Position Player: LF Scott Kessler had a fine month, going .329/.400/.506, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 8 R, 10 BB.

Top Pitcher: LHP David Cooling went 4-1, 1.20 ERA, 45.0 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 18 K, 6 BB in October.

Key Injury: None.

Key trade: The Monarchs acquired 33-year old 1B Dale Langley (39/39 – .286/.361/.444, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R, 8 BB) and minor leaguer 21-year old IF/OF Francis Burrow (23/59) from the Sherburn Tigers on October 23. In return, the Tigers received 28-year old SS Damien Davis (38/41– .273/.293/.345, 4-2B, 9 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB).

Knee-jerk analysis: Langley becomes the starting 1B for Braeland City, at least against RHP. It is apparent that the Monarchs now feel that 29-year old Marcus Mundford can no longer get the job done. Indeed, Mundford (23/25) has fallen in recent development reports, and is hitting only .227/.292/.348, -0.5 WAR thus far. It is a shame really, as Mundford was the 1940 EL Pennant Series MVP just last season. Langley will be an upgrade somewhat, but the Monarch sure could use a hard-hitting 1B to jump start their anemic offense.

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Getting off to a slow start then turning it on seems to be the latest fad, as the Wellington Athletics followed that pattern in October. After a 3-7 start, the Athletics then went 11-1 before finishing the month with a 3-game losing streak. Like Braeland City, Wellington is doing well on the pitching side of things (1st-2nd), but is struggling on offense in the early going (5th-6th).
A couple of interesting player transactions was made by the Athletics. Both 37-year old 1B Alejandro Valdés (73/73) and 30-year old 1B Byron Tope (48/48) were designated for assignment and sent to AAA after clearing waivers. This means that 28-year old Jeaic Risbrough (25/25) is now the starting 1B for Wellington. While Valdés was struggling (.176/.222/.206, -0.4 WAR), Tope was doing OK (.270/.312/.388, 0.6 WAR). Risbrough (.283/.350/.453, 0.2 WAR) is doing all right as well in the early going. I would not be surprised if Wellington seeks a trade to reduce their glut of veteran 1B in the not-to-distant future.

Top Position Player: 3B Ryley McLarnon went .327/.333/.407, 5-2B, 15 RBI, 13 R, 1 BB in October.

Top Pitcher: LHP Clyde Boney was Wellington`s top pitcher for the month, going 3-1, 2.44 ERA, 48.0 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 26 K, 12 BB.

Key Injuries: RF Quentin Stubber strained a rib cage muscle in a game against the Embro Suns on October 9. He should be back in 5 more days.

2B Brian Main (.253/.340/.462, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 12 R, 13 BB) injured himself while throwing the ball in a game against the Brunswick Legends on the last day of the month. His diagnosis is still pending.

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The injury bug has gotten to the Queensland Eagles early, as they entered the season missing two of their starting pitchers and now their starting shortstop. Despite that, the Eagles were able to finish October with a .500 record, thanks to a 4-game sweep of the Downie Chiefs to end the month. Given the injuries to the rotation, it’s not surprising that their pitching struggled, ranking 6th; although the bullpen has really struggled, ranking last (9.55 ERA). The offense has actually done quite well in the early going, ranking 3rd.

Top Position Player: LF Terry Aspden gets the slight edge this month, as he went .261/.373/.565, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 18 R, 17 BB.

Top Pitcher: LHP Max MacColl performed well for the Eagles, as he went 4-1, 2.45 ERA, 44.0 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 18 K, 8 BB.

Key Injuries: RHP Darren Stewart (13-5, 4.02 ERA-last season) and RHP Roger Young (9-13, 6.37 ERA) were injured during ‘spring’ training. Stewart is out for another 4 weeks with a partially torn labrum and Young may be back in 1-2 weeks after suffering a rotator cuff strain.

SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) was on fire to start the season, going 4-6 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R against the Cobourg Red Stockings on October 10 and going 4-4 with 3 RBI, 2 R against the Stratford Barons on the 16th. But in that game against the Barons, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow. He is gone for another 4 months.

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Leave it to the Stratford Barons to buck the trend. While other teams started slow and then heated up, the Barons started the month off fine, going 9-4; but then they nosedived, staggering 2-10 the rest of the way. Interestingly, the Barons are not terrible either on offense (2nd to 4th) or in pitching (2nd to 4th). Only their starting ERA is subpar, rated as 6th. If the rotation can rebound, then perhaps the Barons will be right back in the thick of things.

Top Position Player: SS Jake Walker is a candidate as the top position player in the ULB today (along with Kingston’s SS Okura Ito). In October, he went .311/.431/.522, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 19 BB.

RF Paul DeLamare (.350/.398/.495, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 18 R, 9 B) is also having a fine start to the season; in fact, in a game against the Downie Chiefs on October 10, DeLamare went 6-6 with 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 2 R.

Top Pitcher: RHP Larry Parrish is the top rated reliever in the ULB, and he also enjoyed a fine month, going 2-0, 3 SV, 2.04 ERA, 17.2 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 10 K, 4 BB.

Key Injury: None.

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Babe Ruth’s inaugural month as a field manager did not go as smoothly as some would hope, as the Brunswick Legends faltered to a 10-15 record in October. Without question, the loss of pitching ace Matthew Monroe for the season hurts. Brunswick started 3-0, against the defending Eastern League champions Braeland City no less, but then went 7-15 the rest of the way. They did end the month on a 3-game winning streak, taking 3 of 4 from Wellington, so at least they have something to build on in November. The Legends are middle of the pack when it comes to both pitching and offense thus far in the early going.

Top Position Player: 1B Teuk-chin Kim has been with the organization since the beginning, mostly as a utility player. But he is now getting a chance to start every game and making the most of it. In October, he went .414/.474/.621, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 14 R, 10 BB. He leads all EL players in batting average.

Top Pitcher: The rotation is seeking some stability after the loss of Monroe. LHP Anastasio Rodríguez may provide it, as he went 3-2, 3.35 ERA, 51.0 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 21 K, 7 BB.

Key Injury: 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a serious elbow injury on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season.

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After opening the season with a pair of losses to Queensland, the Cobourg Red Stockings then rattled off 7 straight wins. But that was immediately followed by 7 straight losses. Since then, they have only mustered two victories against 6 defeats. That accurately reflects a team that is devoid of front-line talent, outside of CF Clint Jones and 2B Matthew Lane. But Cobourg does have talent in their system that could help turn things around. Eventually.

Top Position Player: 25-year old Clint Jones is Cobourg’s biggest star, and he demonstrated that in October, going .312/.369/.667, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 7 BB, 6 SB. Give that man some support!

Top Pitcher: The pitching staff is really struggling, but I’ll go with RHP George Blankley, as he went 1-2, 3.58 ERA, 37.2 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 15 K, 15 BB.

Key Injury: 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15 in a game against the Brunswick Legends. He is out for another 3 months.

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A series of offseason moves has not prevented the Downie Chiefs from hitting rock bottom. They find themselves in the cellar of the Eastern League standings after just one month. The Chiefs stubbornly continue to believe that they can compete. Thus, they went out and acquired players like 1B William Tozer and RF Aaron Flanagan. But they really need to face the fact that they are not very good and just cannot compete with the top clubs. Will this be the year they have an epiphany and finally embrace rebuild?

Top Position Player: 29-year old William Tozer is one of the best first basemen in the ULB, but he cannot carry a team every night. But he does what he can, and in October, he went .354/.433/.671, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 10 BB.

Top Pitcher: 36-year old RHP Frank Leadbeater is also does what he can for a desultory team. In October, he went 2-3, 3.14 ERA, 43.0 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 20 K, 14 BB.

Key Injury: RP-LHP Keith Mailes (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation back on October 9 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is out for another 2 months.

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thirdsaint · 10-07-2015, 12:48 PM

This might be the Embro Suns' league to lose this year though hopefully Braeland City can keep pace and not let the Suns get too far ahead. What an opening month for Durney!

reds1 · 10-08-2015, 12:05 PM

November 1, 1940

Western League: Kingston Asserts Itself

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Coming off a disappointing season (at least for them), the Kingston Pelicans were determined to get back on track for 1940-41. Their performance in October certainly bore out that determination, as they dominated to take first place in the West; three games up on both the Cambria Cannons and Sherburn Tigers.

The Pelicans’ pitching really shined, as five shutouts were thrown during the month: two by Joey Cumberledge and one each by Brady Murdy, Darwin Monday and Francis Slocock. Good thing, as the bullpen had a rough month, ranking last in the West (7.30 ERA). But that was the only blight on a team that appears to be firing on all cylinders – again.

Top Position Player: Oh my. Okura Ito and Fergus Chitty are tied for WAR (1.2) and are playing their best defense at their respective positions in the early going. Both are playing tremendous ball right now. Who do I choose? I’ll give the nod to Chitty, as the 1B played to the tune of .316/.411/.589, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 16 R, 15 BB. For comparison, SS Ito’s stat line was .343/.372/.569, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 18 R, 6 BB.
Pelican fans don’t care; they’re just glad they both play for their team.

Top Pitcher: Ok guys, you’re not making this easy. With four pitchers with WHIPs of 0.90, 1.09, 0.87 and 0.91, who really stands out above the others? I’ll give it to the 0.87 guy, I guess. RHP Francis Slocock had a great month, going 3-1, 1.85 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 15 K, 4 BB. But really, any of the starters could have been singled out.

Noteworthy: This will be discussed more when we get to Balmoral, but the Pelicans determined that they had too many starting pitchers on hand and deemed LHP Dave Mapp expendable. Balmoral claimed him on waivers. Guess who won Pitcher of the Month honours in October. Oops!

Key Injury: LHP Hirotada Fukushima (2-1, 2.30 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), who missed all of last season due to a torn flexor tendon, suffered a tired arm on October 27 while pitching against Cambria. He is expected back in 1-2 weeks.

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The Cambria Cannons have been hampered a bit by the injury bug, but they hung in there in October to keep within three games of Kingston. Offensively, the Cannons are doing alright (2nd-3rd), but their rotation is struggling mightily (8th-4.83 ERA) and they are doing poorly in defensive efficiency (7th). They faced Kingston seven times in October and dropped five decisions. With a resurgent Pelican team, there is little room for slack, so the Cannons will need to figure out their pitching struggles quickly if they want to keep pace.

Top Position Player: LF Ron Westmacott picked up where he left off last season and I was about to select him as the top Cannon, but I would be remiss if I didn’t give SS Hyun-jung Moon his due, as he went .320/.347/.505, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 16 R, 4 BB on the month. But Westmacott leads in a slew of categories just the same.

Top Pitcher: Cambria’s starting pitchers are glad to put October behind them, as it wasn’t very memorable. LHP Owen Tautor went 5-0, but with a 5.09 ERA. Looking at his game logs, nearly all of those runs were earned, so his bacon was saved in each start by his teammates.
The bullpen performed much better, so I’ll go with RP-RHP Shaun Alford, who in 12.1 IP, went 1-0, 1.46 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11 K, 10 BB.

Key Injuries: On October 20, RP-RHP Jason Fortenberry (0-0, 2 SV, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) suffered acute elbow soreness while pitching against Sherburn. He is gone 2-3 months.

C Glen Yeend (.325/.349/.463, 9-2B, 15 RBI, 10 R, 3 BB) suffered a sprained thumb in a collision at home plate against Wolseley on October 28. He is out 2 weeks.

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It’s much too early to get my hopes up, but it’s great to see a bunch of teams nipping at the heels of the Kingston and Cambria. Case in point is the Sherburn Tigers. After one month, the Tigers are tied for 2nd place with Cannons. However, they lost 3 of 4 to Cambria in October and have yet to meet the Pelicans, so I guess it’s too premature to celebrate. (Last year, Fort Richmond got off to a good start, but faded quickly after that.)
The Tigers were quite respectable on offense (4th) and nearing respectability in pitching (6th). But outside of C Joe Gault, 3B Mick Lanfear and LF Robin Harney, Sherburn is in dire need of some talent infusion to keep it up. But they have the deepest farm system in the ULB and one pitching prospect, LHP Daniel Pierson has already joined the bullpen. It is hoped that he will one day move to the rotation.

Top Position Player: 32-year old 3B Mick Lanfear was outstanding in October, going .320/.389/.653, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB.

Top Pitcher: I’ll go with RHP Steve Greenwell, who went 2-2, 1.95 ERA, 37.0 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 17 K, 13 BB. However, rookie Daniel Pierson had a nice debut, going 3-2, 1 SV, 20.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 10 K, 4 BB.

Key Injury: None.

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The Balmoral Giants are an up-and-coming team with young talent like 21-year old SS Francisco Rodríguez, who was Rookie of the Year last season and 22-year old LF Carlton Broadbent establishing themselves in the lineup. That is reflected in an offense that is improving (3rd-5th). But the pitching is lagging behind at this point (6th) and Balmoral’s top pitching prospects are still down in AA. So the Giants could use some help. Fortunately, Kingston obliged by placing LHP Dave Mapp on waivers. The Giants swooped in and claimed in. Mapp made an immediate impact and helped his new team to finish October just one game back of 2nd place, and one game over .500.

Top Position Player: 27-year old RF Shannon Walker has bounced around with Fort Richmond and Embro before landing in Balmoral. Last year, he established himself as an all-star and his excellent play continues, as he won Batter of the Month honours for the first time.

Top Pitcher: Not to belabor the point, but after being deemed expendable in Kingston, Dave Mapp suddenly became the ace of Balmoral’s starting rotation, and played like one, winning Pitcher of the Month honours in October.

Key Injury: None.

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Like a lot of teams in the West, the Wolseley Unions are a mediocre team with only a few players of note: SP Aaron Saunderson, CF Zak Kidd and LF Blake Harmon. That is not surprising, since Wolseley traded its best players to procure future talent. Wolseley has talent down on the farm, but it will take some time to reach the main club. With that in mind, the Unions did not do too badly in October, finishing just 1 game below .500 and 2.0 games back of the wild card. Their run differential reflected that finish as well (-1). The Unions are below average on offense (6th), but are not doing too badly in pitching (2nd-4th), although the rotation had a rough month (7th – 4.79). They are sound defensively however (2nd - .720).

Top Position Player: SS Rubén Sánchez was Wolseley’s top position player in October. He went .306/.364/.449, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R, 9 BB.

Top Pitcher: 31-year old RHP Joe Walrond had a fine month, going 4-2, 2.81 ERA, 48.0 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 19 K, 11 BB.

Key Injury: None.

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The Fort Richmond Generals are a team in transition at the moment, as they are starting to ease in a few of their highly-touted prospects into the lineup and rotation. Former first round picks, SS Steven Wormleighton (51/63) and C Danny Trowbridge (68/80) are still trying to find their grove. They have been joined in the lineup by former second rounder 3B Britt Wing (29/65). Meanwhile, in the rotation, RHP Dean Stroud (40/74) is now the 5th starter, after working out of the bullpen last season.
The Generals are really struggling on offense at the moment, ranking last in host of categories. However their pitching is much more consistent, ranking from 1st to 3rd in nearly every category.

Top Position Player: When your fifth starter (Dean Stroud) is ranked fourth on the offensive WAR list, just 0.3 WAR behind the leader, you know you’re offense is struggling. So I’ll have to go with SS Steve Wormeighton, who ‘leads’ the team with a .248/.306/.396, 11-2B, 6 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB stat line.

Top Pitcher: The pitching overall has been more positive; that said, RP-RHP Kantaro Sumita had the best month in my opinion, as he went 3-1, 1.10 ERA, 32.2 IP, 10.92 WHIP, 12 K, 8 BB.

Noteworthy: On October 18, Fort Richmond defeated the Wolseley Unions 4-3 in 16 innings. In the course of that game, SP Tristan Purss (2-2, 3.45 ERA) set the ULB record for most strikeouts in an extra-inning game with 13 in 12.0 IP. No one had pitched more than 11 K in a game of any length until now. Still waiting for that first 15 K game though (and the first 3 HR game for that matter)!

Key Injury: 28-year old 2B Everton Ridgley (.206/.227/.254) suffered a sprained ankle in a game against the Kingston Pelicans. He is out four more weeks.

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The Pulberry Trolleys are in the same position as the rest of the teams in the West not named Kingston or Cambria – waiting for its farm system to bear fruit. It already has former first round picks on the roster in both 2B Colin Strudwick and SS Wenceslas Jasmim, but it could sure use some more. They’re waiting in the wings, but it going to take a little more time.
The Trolleys’ pitching was quite respectable this past month, averaging 2nd to 4th in a host of categories, but it’s offense is ranked 7th.

Top Position Player: Not a lot to choose from, but it’s nice to see former 1st overall pick Wenceslas Jasmim doing well. In October, he went .304/.350/.467, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 14 R, 7 BB.

Top Pitcher: Again, no one player has really stood out, but RHP Dan Rogers performed well, going 1-2, 2.43 ERA, 37.0 IP, 1.319 WHIP, 19 K, 13 BB.

Noteworthy: Pulberry’s bullpen, comprised of 39-year old RHP Pete Malcolm and 29-year old LHP Quentin Teague, were both claimed off waivers. Malcolm, back on February 1 from the Stratford Barons, and Teague claimed from the Cambria Cannons on October 24. Teague is a former all-star and won the United Cup last year, but he was really struggling in the early going (2.30 WHIP) this season, before Cambria made him available.

Key Injury: None.

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Sooner or later, the Hespeler Stars are bound to escape the basement of the Western League. Their drafting and farm system is starting to produce results, in the form of last season’s 1st overall pick 22-year old CF Vic Weetman, who skipped the minors completely and is prospering as Hespeler’s leadoff man against RHP and cleanup hitter against LHP. They have 24-year old LF Steven Winstanley, who finished 2nd last season in Rookie of the Year honours. They also have 26-year old C Simon Smith, who bounced around the minors a bit. A couple of seasons ago, he was claimed by Fort Richmond in the Rule 5 draft from Heslpeler, only to be returned to the Stars a few months later. But he was a minor league all-star a couple of times and now, given the chance to start regularly for Hespeler, earned Rookie of the Month honours in October.
The Stars are very respectable on offense in the early going (1st-3rd) and are showing signs of improvement in the pitching stats (5th-7th). Time, of course, will tell whether they finally make the move upward this season.

Top Position Player: C Simon Smith won Rookie honours for the month, but LF Steven Winstanley was the Star that shown the brightest in October, batting .383/.439/.723, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 22 R, 11 BB.

Top Pitcher: 29-year old RHP Freddie Ventriss led a rotation that is still struggling for an identity. In October, he went 2-3, 1.84 ERA, 44.0 IP, 1.43 WHIP, 25 K, 19 BB.

Key Injury: 42-year old RP-RHP Hyo-cheong Yu (0-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) was diagnosed with bicep tendinitis back on October 26 in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is out for 3 months.

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reds1 · 10-08-2015, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirdsaint

This might be the Embro Suns' league to lose this year though hopefully Braeland City can keep pace and not let the Suns get too far ahead. What an opening month for Durney!

Embro nearly reached the United Cup the season before last, but this team looks like a real powerhouse. It be interesting to see if they will eventually pull away from the pack or cool off.

reds1 · 10-10-2015, 05:58 PM

December 1, 1940

Eastern League: The Top Half Tightens

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The Braeland City Monarchs took over 1st place in the East, if just barely, from the Embro Suns. Both clubs have had to deal with significant injuries to one of their front-line starters, however. In fact, the month of November saw a number of key players go down to major injuries throughout the ULB.
The Monarchs went 12-8 against the Western League teams during the month; 14-10 overall. They lost a series each against the Cambria Cannons, Hespeler Stars and Kingston Pelicans (2 games to 1 each). I make note of this, because in previous seasons, Eastern League teams have usually run roughshod over their Western League counterparts. Braeland City continues to struggle on offense (5th-7th), but has been getting outstanding pitching (1st in a host of categories).

Top Position Player: C Kane Broom (.322/.354/.461, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 26 R, 8 BB) continued his excellent play in November, as he batted .330/.337/.457, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R, 1 BB.

Top Pitcher: LHP David Cooling won Pitcher of the Month honours (9-1, 1.10 ERA, 0.90 WHIP), but the Monarchs’ rotation has been red hot. Earlier in the month, 27-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (8-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) pitched a 5-hit shutout and a 3-hit shutout in successive outings, to earn his first Player of the Week honour. If he keeps it up, Bonfield will earn his first all-star appearance as well.

Key Injuries: On November 19, LF Scott Kessler (.321/.369/.496, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 17 R, 11 BB) injured himself on a defensive play in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals. He could be back in 2 weeks.

SP David Cooling strained an abdominal muscle while pitching against the Pulberry Trolleys on November 25. Fortunately for Braeland City, he should be back in a week.

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The Embro Suns cooled off in November, allowing Braeland City to nudge them out of first place. To make matters worse, the Suns have lost their ace RHP Colm Soper for an extended period to injury. Embro continues to lead the Eastern League in offense, but they have regressed a bit in pitching (5th – 7th). That’s not good, especially in a highly competitive League. The Suns will have to find a way to compensate for the loss of their starting ace.

Top Position Player: CF Terence Durney won it last month, but this time, it was 1B Jim Friend’s (.359/.439/.646, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 46 R, 31 BB) turn to win the Batter of the Month Award. Really, the Suns are just dominating the Batting Leaderboards, with Friend, Durney, RF Paul Hooks and SS Gary Watkinson leading the way. Watkinson just had a 21-game hitting streak snapped on November 11 and Durney leads the entire ULB in batting average (.408), among other stats.

Top Pitcher: LHP Edward Hill (10-2, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) had another great month, going 5-2, 3.00 ERA in November. But there is a rather large gap between him and the rest of the rotation right now, especially with Colm Soper out of action for an extended period.

Key Injuries: 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow in a game against the Balmoral Giants on November 22. He is gone for at least 4 months. It should be noted that Soper had been pitching rather poorly in 3 of his previous 4 starts in November (7.16 ERA). So something was obviously troubling him.

C Jack MacAvoy (.296/.364/.440, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB) suffered an elbow contusion on November 26 in a game against the Cambria Cannons. He is out 1-2 weeks.

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It was steady as she goes for the Wellington Athletics in November. After winning 14 games in October, they won 15 games this month; to move to within 3.0 games of first place. Wellington continues to pitch well (2nd–3rd). But their offense started to pick up from last month, ranking 3rd – 5th in most categories.

Top Position Player: This was a little tougher to pick, but 3B Ryley McLarnon (.353/.368/.462, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 33 R, 6 BB, 8 SB) again gets the nod. He went .380/.404/.519, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 20 R, 5 BB this month.

Top Pitcher: LHP Clyde Boney (8-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) was Wellington`s top pitcher for the month again, as he went 5-0, 3.12 ERA.

Key Injuries: RF Quentin Stubber can’t stay healthy for very long. After straining a rib cage muscle last month, he bruised a bone in his wrist in a game against the Cambria Cannons back on November 16. He should be back in a week.

2B Brian Main’s (.265/.333/.459, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 27 R, 21 BB) injury last month was not serious. It turned out to be a sore shoulder and he was listed as day-to-day for a week.

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The Stratford Barons were the hottest team in the East in November, running up a 17-9 record. That moved them into fourth place in the standings, 4.0 games back of first. Their offense held steady (2nd – 3rd), but their pitching really stepped it up (1st – 3rd). The starting ERA rated as 6th last month, improved to 3rd (4.93 to 4.07). The bullpen has been sensational, leading the League in ERA (1.97).

Top Position Player: I’ll go with SS Jake Walker (.332/.461/.522, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 26 R, 44 BB) again, as he stepped it up even more in November. He batted .351/.488/.521, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 25 BB.

Top Pitcher: Despite the terrific performance by the bullpen, my pick for the month is 31-year old LHP Barry Brear (4-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who went 3-0, 2.20 ERA, 32.2 IP, 10 K, 11 BB.

Noteworthy: 3B Terry Maxwell (.251/.313/.419, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 20 R, 18 BB) hit for the cycle on November 10 against the Embro Suns. Maxwell singled in the 1st, hit a 3-run triple in the 2nd, hit an RBI double in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot in the 5th and flied in the 7th. In total, he went 4-5, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R. Stratford defeated the Suns 13-2. It’s the 8th cycle in ULB history and Maxwell becomes the 7th player to hit for one.

Key Injury: RF Paul DeLamare (.345/.406/.482, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 24 R, 15 BB) got hit with the injury bug in November. On November 8, he experienced ankle soreness in a collision at one of the bases and missed two weeks. Then, on November 27, he strained his groin while running the bases against the Fort Richmond Generals. He will miss 4-5 weeks.

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The Brunswick Legends’ fortunes improved somewhat in November, as they played more competitively, but perhaps more importantly, they went out and acquired a front-line pitcher to replace ace Matthew Monroe, who is lost for the season. The Legends continue to be a middle of the road team in pitching and offense (4th). With a major addition joining the pitching staff, perhaps Brunswick will be solid enough to challenge for the wild card.

Top Position Player: 2B Vince Bailey (.286/.320/.401, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 28 R, 11 BB, 12 SB) rebounded from a slow October and was Brunswick’s best offensive player in November, going .345/.367/.478, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R, 4 BB, 6 SB.

Top Pitcher: LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (8-3, 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), the new ace of the rotation, rose to the challenge in November, going a wonderful 5-1, 2.42 ERA, 52.0 IP, 21 K, 16 BB.

Key Injury: 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season.

Key trade No. 1: On November 24, Brunswick acquired 30-year old utility IN/OF Arthur Carruth (40/40) from the Wolseley Unions, along with 23-year old minor league 2B John Sullivan (22/43). In return, the Unions received 33-year old utility OF Jamie Thurgood (29/29).

Knee-jerk analysis: Carruth is a former Top Fielder and Thurgood is a former all-star. Both are now back-up players, so this really isn’t a ‘key’ trade per se. But Brunswick has moved Carruth to 1B in the depth chart, behind Teuk-Chin Kim. Kim slumped horribly in November (.175/.286/.190) after a strong October, so I suspect Brunswick was looking for an inexpensive backup just in case Kim continues to slump.

Key trade No. 2: The Legends acquired 25-year old LHP Hirotada Fukishima (67/73 – 5-1, 2.65 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) from the Kingston Pelicans on November 29. In return, the Pelicans received 20-year old minor league RHP Bernie Knowles (20/65) and 18-year old minor league SS Olaf Jasperse (22/35).

Knee-jerk analysis: Brunswick did what they had to do in the wake of losing their pitching ace Matthew Monroe for the entire season. Fukushima is a solid pitcher (rated 17th overall in ULB) who can step right into the rotation. He will be their No. 2 starter, behind Rodríguez, who is now rated 6th overall in the ULB. Kingston must have felt that injuries were going to limit Fukushima`s effectiveness, as he lost all of last season to injury and was injured for a couple of weeks in October (He is considered fragile).
In return, the Pelicans receive Knowles, who was a 3rd round pick last season. He has the potential for respectable stuff, top-notch movement and very good command. He has a good chance of becoming a starter in the majors at some point.

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Injuries continued to be the story with the Queensland Eagles. Like the Brunswick Legends, the Eagles lost one of their top pitchers for the season in LHP Max MacColl. That`s in addition to the other injuries they are dealing with. So it’s no surprise that the Eagles struggled in November, going 11-15. With the loss of MacColl, it’s not a stretch to say that Queensland is in trouble; aside from RHP Stewart Colcott (5-4, 4.36 ERA, 1.44 WHIP), the rest of the pitching staff has been brutal. 41-year old RP Michael WIllberfoss, who was acquired in a trade last season from the Hespeler Stars, is somehow still holding down a job in the ULB, even though he has so far gone 1-4, 0 SV, 10.22 ERA, 2.31 WHIP. Yeesh.

Top Position Player: LF Terry Aspden continued his strong play in November, but 31-year old C Dave Wilson (.333/.397/.554, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 38 R, 20 BB) really stepped it up going .371/.404/.629, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 16 R, 6 BB.

Top Pitcher: LHP Max MacColl (6-2, 2.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he went 2-1, 2.48 ERA, 32.2 IP, 16 K, 8 BB in November, before his season was cut short by injury.

Key Injuries: Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns back on November 19. He is lost for the season.

RF Toby Reakes (.250/.383/.319, 4-2B, 14 RBI, 25 R, 31 BB) suffered a bone spur in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns on November 13. He is expected in 1-2 weeks.

SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for another 3 months. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow.

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The Downie Chiefs rebounded somewhat in November and find themselves out of the basement, at least temporarily. The Chiefs had some success against the Western League teams, going 11-9 thus far. Their offense and defense is still ranked near the bottom (7th-8th), but their pitching improved modestly (6th from 7th).

Top Position Player: 25-year old LF Harrison Brooks (.278/.363/.405, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 19 R, 18 BB, 6 SB) won his first Player of the Week award in late November. During the month he went .329/.409/.500, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB 5 SB.

Top Pitcher: There weren’t any real standout performances for the Chiefs this month, but 31-year old RHP Bradley Paris (3-3, 2.09 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) went 2-3, 2.76 ERA, 42.1 IP, 18 K, 12 BB.

Key Injury: RP-LHP Keith Mailes (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation back on October 9 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is out for another 4 weeks.

Key trade: On November 13, Downie acquired 30-year old utility CF Tadamasa Takano (29/29) from the Cambria Cannons. In exchange, the Cannons received 33-year old RHP Hidetada Kobayashi (52/52) and 19-year old minor league C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (23/70).

Knee-jerk analysis: The Cannons get an average SP to shore up the 5th spot in the rotation, as they too, are dealing with injuries. But they also get Deang, a former 8th round pick who appears to be a sleeper as he is doing quite well offensively in AA. He really needs to work on his defense however. And what does Downie get in return? A CF that will only be a modest improvement to what they already had. Takano has great defense, great speed and limited offensive ability. Deals like this just make me shake my head, as I have no idea what Downie is trying to accomplish. They have the worst farm system in the ULB, and what they do have, they are trading away for marginal talent. A good deal for Cambria though.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings regressed badly in November, winning all of 7 games to fall to last place in the East. The Red Stockings have become a laughing stock at the moment, as they are rated last or near last in all offensive, defensive, and pitching categories. They have nowhere to go but up.

Top Position Player: While not a defensive whiz, 24-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (73/79 - .308/.374/.533, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 21 BB) has all the makings to become a top offensive force in the league. In November, he batted .343/.422/.559, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB.

Top Pitcher: Did I mention that this team is a laughing stock? I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone as having had a decent month on the pitching staff. Hopefully, things will pick up in December.

Key Injury: 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15 in a game against the Brunswick Legends. He is out for another 2 months.

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reds1 · 10-14-2015, 03:13 PM

(Have I mentioned that being sick is not fun?

)

December 1, 1940

Western League: The Good, the Bad and the Downright Ugly

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The Kingston Pelicans rolled right along in November going 18-8. Despite that impressive run, they only enjoy a 4.5 game lead over the 2nd place Cambria Cannons. Their offense is the best in the West and with the exception of their bullpen (8th – 6.14 ERA), so is their pitching.
On December 1, the Pelicans announced that they have set their team focus from ‘rebuild’ to ‘neutral’. Not only did I not realize they went through a rebuilding phase, but I’d hate to see them when they decide to focus on ‘win now’.

Top Position Player: 32-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.330/.427/.580, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 31 R, 25 BB) is at the top of his game, as he went .344/.442/.570, 3 HR, 8-2B, 20 RBI, 15 R, 17 BB in November.

Top Pitcher: This was a little bit easier this month, as 32-year old Brady Murdy (10-1, 1.83 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) won Pitcher of the Month honours in November. It’s the fifth time in his ULB career. During the month, he pitched a 5-hit shutout against the Pulberry Trolleys and a 3-hit shutout against the Brunswick Legends. He has pitched 3 shutouts this season so far.

Key Injury: OF Chong-sik Lee (.347/.423/.500, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 15 R, 10 BB) suffered a herniated disc on November 18 in a game against the Trolleys. He expected back in a couple more days.

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Despite the injuries, the Cambria Cannons carried on in November. The defending United Cup champions put up a 16-9 record that kept them within striking distance of the red-hot Pelicans as well as maintain their hold on the wild card. But their biggest test may yet to come, as they lost their franchise player, LF Ron Westmacott, to injury, for the rest of the regular season. The Cannons’ offense held steady (2nd-3rd) in November. In another bit of good news, their pitching staff picked things up (4th in ERA) after a subpar October.

Top Position Player: CF Joe Olver (.366/.419/.535, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB), who has shifted to left field in the wake of Ron Westmacot’s injury, had a sensational month. He won both a Batter of the Month award and a Player of the Week Award for his sterling play.

Top Pitcher: A toss-up between RHP Neil Guerin (4-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) and RHP Bradley Dodson (8-2, 3.18 ERA, 1.17 WHIP). Dodson went 5-0, 2.77 ERA in 6 starts, but I’ll give the edge to Guerin, who went 3-2, 2.55 ERA, 16 K, 8 BB in 6 starts.

Key Trade: On November 25, the Cambria Cannons made a trade with the Balmoral Giants. The Cannons received 28-year old IN/OF Domenic Carmody (45/62 - .307/.349/.453, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 8 R, 5 BB). In return, the Giants received 19-year old minor league OF Ron Robb (21/63) and 24-year old minor league SP Robbie MacVurich (21/26).

Knee-jerk Analysis: With the loss of Westmacott, the Cannons had some juggling to do. In Carmody, they receive an average player who was serving as a utility outfielder in Balmoral. However, he had a fine season last year and made the all-star team. He will start at 2B for Cambria, while regular 2B Aiden Smerdon will become the backup outfielder. CF Joe Olver switches to LF while OF Bert Helmer steps up to take over CF. The Cannons surrender a 4th rounder from 1939 in OF Robb and a 5th rounder from 1937 in MacVurich. Both have potential to make the majors, but nothing to get too excited about.

Key Injuries: LF Ron Westmacott (.321/.442/.603, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) suffered torn ankle ligaments in a game against the Downie Chiefs on November 17. He is out 4 months.

SP-RHP Willem Atkins (1-3, 4.45 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation back on November 4 while pitching against the Pulberry Trolleys. He will miss another 3 months.

RP-RHP Jason Fortenberry (0-0, 2 SV, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) suffered acute elbow soreness while pitching back in October. He is gone 6-7 weeks.

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The Sherburn Tigers kept their head above water in November, enjoying their second consecutive winning month. But with Cambria kicking it into high gear, the Tigers find themselves falling back 3.0 games of the wild card. Sherburn maintained their performance on offense (4th) but regressed a little in pitching (6th to 7th).

Top Position Player: 30-year old LF Robin Harney (.354/.469/.448, 13-2B, 20 RBI, 35 R, 41 BB, 7 SB) has been playing some his best baseball since being traded from the Kingston Pelicans back in 1937. In November, he went .372/.487/.457, 8-2B, 8 RBI, 15 R, 22 BB.

Top Pitcher: Not a memorable month for Sherburn pitchers, but I’ll give it to RHP Myung-gu Son (5-1, 4.15 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), who went 2-0, 3.64 ERA, 42.0 IP, 21 K, 18 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injury: None.

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The Fort Richmond Generals saw some hopeful signs from their young players as they finished November with a winning record. Although RHP Dean Stroud (1-6, 6.30 ERA, 1.88 WHIP) continued to struggle, others like SS Steven Wormleighton (.268/.310/.394, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 33 R, 12 BB), C Danny Trowbridge (.246/.256/.349, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 12 R, 2 BB) and especially 3B Britt Wing (.280/.351/.405, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R, 17 BB) saw their play pick up this past month. Thus the Generals saw a modest improvement in their batting rankings (7th from 8th) and held steady in pitching (2nd-3rd).

Top Position Player: 23-year old 3B Britt Wing, a former 2nd round pick from 1938 gave Generals’ fans cause for celebration this month. He had a terrific November at the plate, winning his first Rookie of the Month Award in the process.

Top Pitcher: Although the bullpen is rated No. 1 in the Western League, I’m going to give the nod to RHP Tristan Purss (5-4, 2.97 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), who went 2-2, 2.25 ERA, 53.0 IP, 26 K, 7 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: 26-year old utility IN/OF Copper Hawkins (.303/.343/.394, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB) was diagnosed with a torn quad suffered in a game against the Downie Chiefs on November 10. He is out for one more week.
21-year old RF Gavin Bansfield (.237/.295/.339, 6-2B, 6 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) separated his shoulder in a game against the Cobourg Red Stockings on November 12. He is out 2-3 weeks.

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The Wolseley Unions were the 5th Western League team to enjoy a winning record in November, another positive sign that perhaps the Western teams is becoming a little more competitive (although other teams are seriously regressing – see Pulberry).
The Unions maintained the status quo, ranking 6th on offense, 2nd-3rd in pitching and 7th in starter’s ERA.

Top Position Player: 23-year old RF Nicky Willis (.319/.377/.473, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 29 R, 19 BB) was outstanding in November. He batted .341/.396/.505, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R, 9 BB.

Top Pitcher: 21-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (4-3, 2.26 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), a former 1st round pick in 1937, showed his promise in November, going 3-1, 1.88 ERA, 28.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 6 K, 17 BB in 5 starts.

Key Injury: 31-year old 3B Datu Balsalubra (.248/.313/.295, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 10 BB) suffered shoulder tendinitis in a game back on November 29. He is out 5 more weeks.

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The Balmoral Giants struggled against the Eastern League teams in November, going just 7-20. The Giants are definitely going through some growing pains, as the offense regressed a bit to 5th overall. But it was their pitching that really sunk them, falling from 6th to 8th almost across the board. After winning Pitcher of the Month honours in October, ace LHP Dave Mapp went just 1-5, 7.75 ERA in 6 starts. Ouch.

Top Position Player: 22-year old SS Francisco Rodríguez (.297/.338/.492, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 29 R, 12 BB) had a fine month, batting .333/.352/.539, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R, 3 BB.

Top Pitcher: Given the funk the rotation is in, I’ll give this to RHP Julius Hunt (1-3, 3 SV, 3.82 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), who went 1-1, 3 SV, 2.25 ERA, 24.0 IP, 1 K, 7 BB.

Key Injury: None.

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The Hespeler Stars didn’t have a winning record in November, but they did improve a wee bit. Thanks to the total collapse of others around them, they even escaped the basement.
The Stars cooled off a little on offense (3rd – 4th), but maintained their pitching performance (6th). Their starters’ ERA continues to impress, ranking second in the West (4.01 ERA). But their rotation took a bit of a hit with the loss of SP- RHP Brendon De san miguel, who is gone for the season.

Top Position Player: 22-year old CF Vic Weetman (.340/.388/.490, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 33 R, 17 BB) is having a great season, but once again, LF Steven Winstanley (.345/.395/.600, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 43 R, 18 BB) gets the nod, as he went .311/.354/.491, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R, 7 BB.

Top Pitcher: RHP Freddie Ventriss (4-5, 2.34 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) went 2-2, 2.84 ERA, 44.1 IP, 13 K, 19 BB in 6 starts on an otherwise lackluster pitching staff.

Key Injuries: 36-year old RF Louie Maylam (.253/.330/.425, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 20 R, 19 BB) came down with knee tendinitis back on November 27. He is out for 4 weeks.

32-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (4-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn labrum in game against the Brunswick Legends back on November 21. He will be out of action for 8 months.

42-year old RP-RHP Hyo-cheong Yu (0-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) was diagnosed with bicep tendinitis back on October 26 in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is gone for 8 weeks.

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In what has to be the worst monthly performance thus far in ULB history, the Pulberry Trolleys went an embarrassing 5-20 in November. That included an 11-game losing streak near the start of the month as well as a 6-game losing streak they are currently ‘enjoying’.
Predictably, the Trolleys’ pitching regressed, falling to 4th – 5th in a host of categories, but their offense completely tanked. Pulberry suffered no injuries, minor or otherwise in November, so the frontline players have no one to blame but themselves for this stretch of ineptitude.

Top Position Player: No one really stood out, but there were a few decent performances to choose from. 30-year old LF Tony Blakeney (.286/.356/.379, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 26 R, 21 BB) did OK I guess, batting .286/.327/.374, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 6 BB.

Top Pitcher: Not a lot to choose from, but LHP Quentin Teague (2-2, 4 SV, 4.78 ERA, 1.82 WHIP) was one of the few to pick up his game in November, going 1-2, 2 SV, 3.46 ERA, 13.0 IP, 6 K, 7 BB. It was that kind of month for Pulberry.

Key Injury: None.

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Eugene Church · 10-14-2015, 06:34 PM

Brilliant idea to bring the Babe to Braeland.

Super writing in "The Legend Returns".

Boy, you are good.

I feel I was really aboard the ship and in the banquet room.

Special story... the cigars in the closing scene... and the "kid" with the Babe.

Now I'll have to follow the Legends as well as the Pelicans.

reds1 · 10-17-2015, 05:53 AM

December 6, 1940

1940-41 Amateur Draft Results

Hespeler, Norfolk (BP) – With the Stars having had the first selection last season as well as this year, it was only fitting that Hespeler played host to the 1940 – 41 Amateur Draft. Representative from all 16 clubs convened at Hespeler’s Hotel Pacific to select from among over 130 ULB hopefuls. Following the Stars, the Pulberry Trolleys and Wolseley Unions selected 2nd and 3rd respectively. Here is a brief sketch of the players taken in the first round:

1st Pick – Hespeler Stars:

C Aaron Skidmore (44/80) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 205 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The first overall selection was a 21-year old catcher that boasts amazing hitting skills. Skidmore has plus contact and power potential to go along with tremendous plate discipline. With a little work, he should be a serviceable defensive catcher. However, he has no speed or base running ability to speak of.

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2nd Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:

OF Bruno Lapthorne (22/77) – 20-years old; 6’-1”, 180 lbs.; Hits LH/Throws LH

The Trolleys went with the Australian outfielder as the 2nd overall pick. The Brisbane native is projected to be a terrific contact hitter and power hitter with blazing speed. He will be an absolute terror on the base paths. On the downside, plate discipline could be a serious liability if he is unable to improve.

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3rd Pick – Wolseley Unions:

SS Jorge Arredondo (20/50) – 19-years old; 6’-1”, 175 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The Cuban-born infielder should be a good although not great hitter. There are concerns over his plate discipline and below average fielding. He should be a proficient base-stealer.

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4th Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings:

SS Simon Flatt (21/63) – 19-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The second shortstop selected, Flatt will not have a lot of power, but should have above-average contact and work the count really well. He projects to be an average fielder with well above-average foot speed.

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5th Pick – Sherburn Tigers:

SP Roberto Taváres (52/80) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

For the second year in a row, the Tigers went with a starting pitcher for their first selection. The 21-year old RHP from Venezuela projects to be another keeper, as Taváres has consistent, above-average stuff, wonderful movement and great command.

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6th Pick – Balmoral Giants:

OF Ellis Rothwell (52/77) – 22-years old; 6’-1”, 200 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws LH

Rothwell has the potential of above-average contact and all-star caliber speed on the base paths. He will not be a power threat and he tends to swing at anything that’s near the plate. He should be a serviceable though not a spectacular fielder.

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7th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:

C Heung-su Park (25/78) – 23-years old; 5’-10”, 195 lbs.; Hits LH/Throws RH

The South Korean native is projected to be a very good contact hitter with plus-plus power. Not a good runner, he should however, be steady defender behind the plate.

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8th Pick – Downie Chiefs:

OF Sean Murchie (23/65) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 185 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

Murchie should a fairly decent singles hitter with solid defense and an excellent base-stealer. As with many prospects in this year’s draft, patience at the plate is not a strong suit.

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Here is the rest of the first round, selections 9-16:

9th Pick – Queensland Eagles:

SP Francisco López (25/77) – stuff (35/45), movement (55/65) and control (40/55). 23-years old; 5’-9”, 180 lbs.; groundball tendency; 89-91 Mph velocity; Switch hitter/Throws RH

Plus-plus stuff, top-notch movement on all pitches and very good command. Throws 4 type of pitches, with his cutter (45/50) and changeup (40/55) the most promising.

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10th Pick – Brunswick Legends:

SP Ron Cowen (52/78) – stuff (40/45), movement (65/70) and control (40/55). 23-years old; 5’-10’, 180 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 88-90 Mph velocity; Switch hitter/Throws RH

Great stuff and aggressive, top-notch movement on all pitches and great command. Throws three pitches: fastball (45/50), sinker (50/60) and curveball (45/50).

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11th Pick – Kingston Pelicans:

SP Patrick Denman (20/75) – stuff (30/40), movement (55/70) and control (30/55). 20-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws LH

Great stuff and aggressive, positively filthy movement and superb control. Throws 5 type of pitches, with his splitter and forkball (both 40/50) the best right now.

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12th Pick – Embro Suns:

3B Dennis Ducay (23/67) – contact (35/45), gap power (50/65) and eye (30/40). 21-years old; 6’-2”, 205 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH
Mediocre contact with elite power potential (30/40). Very good defense at 3B and RF and but not a speedster.

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13th Pick – Stratford Barons:

RP Arthur Collier (20/80) – stuff (30/40), movement (60/75) and control (25/50). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 160 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH

Above-average stuff, positively filthy movement and pretty good command. Throws a fastball (40/50) and a curveball (25/50); but Collier’s changeup is rated as 20/20, so he will need to work on improving it to have a realistic chance of becoming starter.

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14th Pick – Wellington Athletics:

IF Thomas Murphy (23/57) – contact (40/50), gap power (45/50) and eye (45/55). 22-years old; 5’-9”, 170 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits LH/Throws LH
Mediocre contact with little power potential (25/30). Solid defense at SS with above average speed on the base paths.

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15th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs:

OF Marcus Maundrell (21/67) – contact (35/50), gap power (35/45) and eye (40/60). 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits LH/Throws RH

Average contact with little, if any, power (20/25). OK defense at CF and excellent speed on the base paths.

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16th Pick – Cambria Cannons:

OF Jesús Ortega (21/66) – contact (35/55), gap power (25/40) and eye (30/55). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH
Above-average contact with cleanup power potential (25/40). Will go after a bad pitch now and then. Defense is a concern but has tremendous speed on the base paths.

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Here are the standings as of December 6:

Izz · 10-17-2015, 10:05 PM

That card set you're using is fantastic.

reds1 · 10-19-2015, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Brilliant idea to bring the Babe to Braeland.

Super writing in "The Legend Returns".

Boy, you are good.

I feel I was really aboard the ship and in the banquet room.

Special story... the cigars in the closing scene... and the "kid" with the Babe.

Now I'll have to follow the Legends as well as the Pelicans.

Thanks, Eugene for those really nice comments!

reds1 · 10-19-2015, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Izz

That card set you're using is fantastic.

Thanks, Izz!

Those are 1934 Goudey and they can be found here:

1934 Goudey

I may have to use them for another season or so, as there seems to be only one 1940s era baseball card template available for use in OOTP thus far. That's why I was using the modern day Japanese cards earlier.

reds1 · 10-19-2015, 07:31 PM

January 1, 1941

Eastern League: Braeland City Increases Lead, But Five Others in Hot Pursuit

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The Braeland City Monarchs rolled right along in December, increasing their lead in the East. They now enjoy a 4-game lead over the Stratford Barons for first place. In so doing, they remain above the fray that the wild card chase has become, as no less than 5 teams are now battling it out for a playoff spot. The Monarchs’ strength continues to be their pitching, as they rank first in a slew of categories (2.81 Starter’s ERA; 2.55 Bullpen ERA), but continue to trail most other teams on offense (.280/.339/.401 – 5th/6th/7th). It will be interesting to see whether Braeland City makes a move before the trade deadline at the end of January to beef up its lagging offense for the last playoff push or not.

Top Position Player: 2B Finlay Ridd (.325/.383/.412, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 38 R, 28 BB) is one of the Monarchs’ top players, and in December he proved it by going .323/.389/.448, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 14 R, 11 BB).

Top Pitcher: I’m going to go with two pitchers this time. SP David Cooling (12-1, 1.40 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) battled injuries and setbacks this past month, but still managed to go 3-0, 2.09 ERA, 38.2 IP, 24 K, 7 BB.
Out of the bullpen, 22-year old RHP Samuel Hollier (1-2, 8 SV, 1.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) went 1-1, 5 SV, 0.61 ERA, 14.2 IP, 9 K, 4 BB. You can’t ask for much more from your pitchers.

Key Injuries: Utility 1B Marcus Mundford (.233/.298/.309, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 9 BB) suffered a fractured cheekbone on December 13 in a game against the Cobourg Red Stockings. He is gone a further 3-4 weeks.[/COLOR]

3B Louie Hetherington (.261/.344/.390, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 40 R, 31 BB) sprained his thumb in a game against the Stratford Barons on December 23. He is out for 3 more weeks.[/COLOR]

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After a sub-par October, the Stratford Barons have been the hottest team in the Eastern League the past two months, winning a total of 33 games in November/December. That’s 3 more than Braeland City (and 1 more than the Brunswick Legends). The Barons’ offense has been rock solid this season (.291/.360/.437 – 1st/2nd/2nd) as has their pitching (3.77 overall ERA/3.99 starters ERA/2.37 bullpen ERA – 2nd/4th/1st). The Barons are relatively healthy and appear to be in good shape to challenge for a playoff spot or perhaps even challenge Braeland City for top spot (jinx!).

Top Position Player: So much to choose from, as Stratford is not short of players performing well, but I’ll give the slight edge this month to 22-year old LF Bart Wallwin (.314/.366/.450, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 38 R, 20 BB) who went .322/.392/.545, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 15 R, 7 BB.

Top Pitcher: 32-year old LHP Ryan Borden (9-6, 3.21 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) is currently Stratford’s No. 1 pitcher in the rotation. He had a fine month in December, going 5-1, 2.84 ERA, 50.2 IP, 20 K, 8 BB.

Key Injury: None.

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The Embro Suns have been regressing that past two months after a sensational October. They have fallen out of first in the East and are now a 0.5 game out of the wild card spot. It appears the loss of ace SP Colm Soper to an extended injury has affected the Suns more than anyone realized. Their offense continues to be top notch (.287/.361/.449 – 3rd/1st/1st), but their rotation has really been exposed (4.51/4.74/3.31 – 6th/7th/3rd). Only Cobourg’s starting ERA has been worse.

Top Position Player: 35-year old RF Paul Hooks (.335/.435/.634, 19 HR, 80 RBI, 44 R, 50 BB) was just incredible in December, batting .341/.437/.729, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 16 R, 16 BB. No doubt he was a serious contender for Batter of the Month. While a couple of his teammates endured slumps this past month (CF Terence Durney - .218; 1B Jim Friend - .253), Hooks seems to be immune to slumps (.333; .329 & .341 in Oct/Nov/Dec - another jinx!).

Top Pitcher: There was very little to choose from in the rotation in December, although RHP Chris Sappington wasn’t bad at all (4-2, 3.29 ERA). But LHP Nick Staples (5-1, 7 SV, 2.65 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) was sensational pitching out of the bullpen, as he went 1-1, 2 SV, 1.54 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 K, 4 BB.

Key Injury: 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He is gone for at least 3 more months.

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The Brunswick Legends was the hottest team in the East this past month, going 19-9. That included 10 games of a 12-game winning streak that carried over from the end of November. That success has seen them move them up in the standings and they are now just 2.5 games back of Stratford for the wild card. But December wasn’t all good news. Shortly after their 12-game winning streak ended, they went into a little slump which included a 4-game sweep at the hands of league leading Braeland City. Three of those losses were by a single run, so perhaps it was more of a case of bad breaks.
Their offense continues to be middle of the road in the East (.286/.351/.411 – 4th/5th/5th), but the pitching staff has done an admirable job of stepping it up in the wake of losing their ace for the season (3.88/3.89/3.84 – 3rd/2nd/4th).

Top Position Player: RF Mark Elston (.346/.461/.564, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 49 R, 61 BB) makes this selection easy, as he won Batter of the Month honours in December.

Top Pitcher: The Legends acquired 25-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (9-2, 2.35 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) in late November from the Kingston Pelicans to help shore up their rotation, and he did not disappoint. Fukushima rewarded them by going 4-1, 1.89 ERA, 38.0 IP, 17 K, 10 BB in December.

Key Injuries: 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season.

3B Derek Sakurai (.291/.383/.463, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 53 R, 36 BB) suffered a quad strain in a game against the Downie Chiefs on December 13. Two days later, he was acknowledged with a Player of the Week Award. He is out a further 3 weeks.

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The Wellington Athletics cooled off in December, going 13-14. In the highly competitive East, that sees them fall to 4th spot, 2.5 games back of the wild card and tied with the surging Brunswick Legends. They are a nicely balanced team, so their struggles speak more of the tough competition in the East. In the 11 games they played against their Eastern League counterparts this month, the Athletics lost seven of them, being swept by the Monarchs in 3 games, and dropping 3 of 4 to the Legends.
The offense continues to improve this season (.288/.351/.421 – 2nd/4th/3rd), but their pitching is regressing (4.04/3.90/4.62 – 4th/3rd/5th), after being a strength earlier in the season.

Top Position Player: 30-year old C Dylan Watkins (.337/.413/.543, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 44 R, 32 BB) was sensational in December, batting .381/.441/.691, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 15 R, 10 BB.

Top Pitcher: 29-year old RHP Derek Cawley (4-6, 4.05 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) had a fine month, going 1-2, 2.65 ERA, 37.1 IP, 25 K, 7 BB.

Key Injury: 2B Brian Main’s (.280/.353/.474, 5 HR, 40 RBI, 31 R, 25 BB) is having a hard time this year staying healthy. On December 4, he strained his quadriceps in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He should be back in 4 more days (or at least begin a rehab assignment).

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The Queensland Eagles enjoyed an upswing in December, winning 17 games, their best showing thus far this season. That moves them 3 games above .500 on the season and just 4 games back of the wild card. That is impressive considering the injuries they have endured thus far and the mediocre performance of their pitching staff overall (4.52/4.31/6.04 – 7th/6th/8th). That said, they’ve enjoyed some nice performances and the offense isn’t the worst around either (.275/.353/.419 – 6th/3rd//4th/).

Top Position Player: Oh my. No less than 4 players enjoyed outstanding months in December at the plate: LF Terry Aspden (.330), C Dave Wilson (.333), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.348) and newcomer 1B Dean Bishop (.324). I’ll go with Aspden and Bishop. Aspden (.307/.409/.564, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 59 R, 53 BB) went .330/.434/.580, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 22 R, 20 BB in December.

Meanwhile, 26-year old Bishop (69/69 – .287/.421/.490, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 20 R, 31 BB) was a revelation and won Rookie of the Month honours. Bishop was actually acquired in a trade last month with the Kingston Pelicans, a trade that I somehow overlooked. Queensland gave up 33-year old utility OF Lenny Wyatt (37/37 – .286/.333/.321) and 19-year old minor league OF Harold Sheldon (23/78 – 6th overall prospect) to get him. Bishop was blocked by all-star Fergus Chitty in Kingston and appears to be making the most of his opportunity to start in Queensland.

Top Pitcher: RHP Stewart Colcott (9-4, 3.48 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) really stepped it up in December, winning the second Pitcher of the Month honour of his career in the process.

Key Injuries: Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns back on November 19. He is lost for the season (4 months).

SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for 8-9 weeks. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow.

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The Downie Chiefs may be an afterthought in the playoff chase, but they have been steadily improving with each passing month. They enjoyed their first month with an above .500 record in December. They are still struggling on offense (.269/.332/.380 – 7th//7th//8th) but they’re pitching staff continues to slowly improve (4.16/4.08/6.62 –5th/5th/6th). It may be too late for the Chiefs this season to make a serious push for the playoffs, but if their improved play is indicative of things to come, then Chiefs fans have something to be hopeful.

Top Position Player: As mentioned, the Chiefs’ offense is struggling. But 27-year old RF Aaron Flanagan (.297/.373/.495, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 31 R, 22 BB) had a nice month overall, batting .338/.400/.575, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 16 R, 8 BB.

Top Pitcher: Some nice performances to choose from, but I’ll go with 36-year old RHP Frank Leadbeater (9-5, 2.93 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), the ace of the Chiefs staff. Leadbeater went 4-1, 2.30 ERA, 47.0 IP, 23 K, 14 BB.

Key Injury: None.

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In the race towards the bottom, no one can top the Cobourg Red Stockings. The Red Stockings won all of 7 games in November, but were upstaged by the Pulberry Trolleys, who won just 5. Not to be outdone, Cobourg could only muster 4 victories in the month of December in 27 games. They also threw in a 15-game losing streak for good measure. That’s a ‘winning’ percentage of .148, an all-time record in the ULB. There are not a lot of positives to speak of, but Cobourg still has one of the deepest farm systems in the ULB, so there’s that. Let’s just hope that when the prospects arrive, they will adjust to the majors a bit better than 22-year old SS Dennis Borton (.184/.221/.270, -1.9 WAR). Borton was the 12th overall pick in the 1937-38 amateur draft. How is Cobourg’s offense (.255/.319/.401 – 8th/8th/6th) and pitching (5.71/5.74/5.56 – 8th/8th/7th) doing exactly? Yeah, pretty crummy.

Top Position Player: It’s sad to see how this team has thrown in the towel. Players that were doing well earlier in the season have really regressed (e.g. Clint Jones - .218 in December). So no one really jumps out. That said 33-year old RF Tatsuya Sugahara (.305/.348/.439, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R, 10 BB) has performed pretty well in the starts he has been given this month. In 65 AB, Sugahara batted .323/.351/.408, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB.

Top Pitcher: Some truly embarrassing performances in December, but RHP Aiden Tassell (2-13, 4.70 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) actually improved his play. After going 0-9, 5.96 ERA in the first two months, he went 2-4, 2.74 ERA, 49.1 IP, 7 K, 16 BB in December.

Key Injury: 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15. He is out for another 5 weeks.

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reds1 · 10-21-2015, 04:30 PM

January 1, 1941

Western League: Catch Me If You Can

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17-8, 18-8, 19-8. That has been the record of the Kingston Pelicans for the first three months of the season. The Pelicans have set the bar in the West incredibly high. They are on pace to win around 106 games and are leaving the other 7 teams behind in their wake in the process. When it comes to pitching and hitting, Kingston is the class of the United Leagues. They are potent on offense (.289/.357/.439 – 1st/1st/1st) while only their bullpen has shown any vulnerability (3.13 ERA/2.17 Starters’ ERA/5.65 Bullpen ERA – 1st/1st/7th). After a down year for them last season, the Pelicans have returned with a vengeance.

Top Position Player: 29-year old SS Okura Ito (.336/.365/.457, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 60 R, 17 BB) was gangbusters again this month, batting .350/.381/.558, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 6 BB. He won a Player of the Week Award in the middle of the month as well.

Top Pitcher: SP Brady Murdy (16-1, 1.94 ERA, 0.92 WHIP) has not been stuck with a loss since October and he has won 9 of his last 10 starts. His work this season has been simply jaw-dropping. It’s no surprise that earned his second consecutive Pitcher of the Month honour this season.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Cambria Cannons have been putting up a valiant effort to try and keep up with the powerhouse Pelicans, but injuries have simply taken their toll on this outfit. On December 2, the Cannons announced that they set their focus on ‘Win Now’, even though they accomplished that last year. But for the battered Cannons, hanging onto the wild card and reaching the playoffs should be the realistic goal and not trying to catch Kingston. Despite the depleted roster, Cambria has done an admirable job in competing. Their offense (.288/.355/.421 – 2nd/2nd/2nd) is strong and their pitching (4.22/4.42/3.35 – 4th/5th/3rd) continues to compete, even though it appears to be sagging in some key categories (runs/hits allowed – 6th/7th).

Top Position Player: CF Joe Olver (.369/.413/.561, 8 HR, 55 RBI, 53 R, 24 BB), has really stepped it up in the wake of all the injuries. In December, he won his second consecutive Batter of the Month Award, the first two of his career.

Top Pitcher: It hasn’t been a stellar month for the starters, so I’ll go with rookie RHP Leon Hankey (3-1, 5 SV, 2.92 ERA, 1.56 WHIP), who went 2-0, 2 SV, 2.01 ERA, 22.1 IP, 8 K, 10 BB.

Key Injuries: LF Ron Westmacott (.321/.442/.603, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) is out 3 more months after suffering torn ankle ligaments back in November.

SP-RHP Willem Atkins (1-3, 4.45 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation back in November. He will miss another 8-9 weeks.

RP-RHP Jason Fortenberry (0-0, 2 SV, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) is suffering from acute elbow soreness that he sustained by in October. He is gone 2 additional weeks.

3B Kenneth Logan (.273/.328/.430, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 41 R, 22 BB) strained a hamstring in a game back on December 16. He should be returning in a day or two.

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The Sherburn Tigers stumbled a little in December to fall back to .500 for the season. They are now 6.0 games back of the wild card and it is looking increasingly as though the West will be a two-team outfit again this season, as Sherburn et al are not quite ready to put up a serious fight. Sherburn’s offense is trying (.272/.345/.385 – 4th/3rd/6th) but it appears that their pitching is starting to slip (4.56/4.62/4.25 – 7th/7th/5th).

Top Position Player: Not a memorable month for offense, but Tigers’ 1B Isaac Harker (.299/.411/.429, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 26 R, 32 BB) has done an admirable job since taking over 1B full-time in November. In December, he batted .293/.385/.427, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 10 R, 13 BB.

Top Pitcher: While the front end of the rotation was struggling last month, 5th starter RHP Yasushi Kabayashi (10-3, 4.33 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) was getting it done. He went 4-0, 1.95 ERA, 37.0 IP, 9 K, 14 BB.

Key Injuries: None.

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Like almost all the other teams in the West not named Kingston or Cambria, the Wolseley Unions struggled in December, to fall 2 games below .500 and 7.0 games back of the wild card. While the Unions are still a mediocre team, they are not horrible either. Both the offense (.263/.326/.399 – 7th/4th/4th) and pitching (4.32/4.53/3.69 – 6th/6th/4th) have shown that they can compete on some days, but more consistency is needed. They are in a holding position more or less until their prospects arrive.

Top Position Player: 22-year old CF Zak Kidd (.275/.318/.482, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 46 R, 14 BB) gets better with each passing month, and in December he went .300/.336/.573, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 22 R, 5 BB.

Top Pitcher: 26-year old RHP Jim Smyth (8-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) had a fine month. The Unions’ ace went 3-1, 3.35 ERA, 40.1 IP, 12 K , 11 BB.

Key Injuries: 3B Datu Balsalubra (.248/.313/.295, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 10 BB) suffered shoulder tendinitis in a game back on November 29. He is out a further 2-3 weeks.

LF Blake Harmon (.261/.312/.385, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 33 R, 17 BB) suffered a bruised knee after being hit by a pitch on December 28. Then he suffered a hand contusion while running the bases on December 29. In all, he will miss a week.

RF Nicky Willis (.310/.369/.458, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 33 R, 22 BB) suffered a knee sprain while running the bases back on December 11. He should be back in a few more days.

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The Fort Richmond Generals also stumbled in December, to fall 7.5 games back of the wild card and 3.0 games below .500. But the Generals have inserted a number of their prospects into the starting lineup and rotation and are starting to see some hopeful signs. If they are able to get acclimated to the big leagues, then Fort Richmond may turn the corner in the not-too-distant future. The offense could really use a boost (.265/.315/.372 – 6th/7th/7th), but the pitching staff has been very competitive (3.74/3.90/2.73 – 2nd/2nd/1st).

Top Position Player: Not a lot of great performances to choose from, but LF Joshua Chown (.307/.343/.406, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 41 R, 16 BB) has been Fort Richmond’s best player this season. In December, he batted .362/.394/.511, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 21 R, 5 BB. With the injury to Steven Wormleighton, SS Jamie Florey (.405/.500/.568, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 17 R, 14 RBI) has gotten a chance to start regularly, and he did not disappoint, winning Rookie of the Month Honours.

Top Pitcher: RHP Oscar Burress (6-7, 2.60 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) pitched very well in December, going 2-4, 2.08 ERA, 52.0 IP, 28 K, 18 BB.
Rookie RHP Dean Stroud (3-7, 4.83 ERA, 1.65 WHIP) had his first good month as well, going 2-1, 2.53 ERA, 32.0 IP, 14 K, 13 BB.

Key Injuries: SS Steven Wormleighton (.258/.293/.362, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 38 R, 13 BB) strained an abdominal muscle in a game on December 21. He is out a further 2-3 weeks.

33-year old 2B Nathaniel Pickhills (.282/.329/.394, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 11 R, 11 BB) sprained his knee on December 29. He is out 4 weeks.

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The Hespeler Stars will not be competing for a playoff spot this season, but there are signs that the team is preparing to make its acquaintance with the first division of the Western League soon. The Stars played below .500 baseball again in December, but continue to get stronger on both sides of the ball. They now have three former first round picks in their starting lineup: CF Vic Weetman (1st overall – 1939); SS Henry Yarnold (9th overall – 1938); and LF Steven Winstanley (10th overall - 1937). Another, 21-year old C Aaron Skidmore (1st overall – 1940) was recently promoted from AA to serve as backup to C Simon Smith. It is clear that Skidmore will be taking over the reins in the not-too-distant future.

Top Position Player: 26-year old 3B Gary Hinton (.284/.326/.423, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 27 R, 14 BB) had a fine month, batting .333/.370/.627, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 13 R, 5 BB.

Top Pitcher: The rotation did not have a great month overall, but 22-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (4-0, 4.19 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) pitched well in relief, going 3-0, 3.13 ERA, 23.0 IP, 9 K, 6 BB.

Key Injuries: 31-year old 2B Gilbert Austin (.282/.349/.378, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum back on December 26. He is out for 2-3 months.

32-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (4-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn labrum in game back on November 21. He is out 5-6 months.

42-year old RP-RHP Hyo-cheong Yu (0-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) was diagnosed with bicep tendinitis back on October 26. He is gone for 3 more weeks.

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The Balmoral Giants continue to nosedive, winning all of 7 games in December and are just 1 game removed from the Western League cellar. The pitching has been downright dreadful. They have surrendered 486 runs thus far, far and away the most in the United Leagues. The offense has been somewhat better, but still has a long way to go. Fortunately, the Giants’ farm system is the strongest overall and the way they are going, they will be getting another high pick next season. But sooner or later, all this losing has to stop.

Top Position Player: SS Francisco Rodríguez (.321/.360/.483, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 43 R, 19 BB) has been Balmoral’s best player, but 23-year old LF Carlton Broadbent (.290/.331/.466, 4 HR, 40 RBI, 48 R, 20 BB), the former 3rd overall pick, had a fine December, batting .299/.337/.505, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 17 R, 6 BB.

Top Pitcher: Absolutely no one. Instead, here are the earned run averages for each member of the 7-man pitching staff this past month (who shall all remain nameless): 7.86; 8.93; 4.06; 4.50; 6.19; 9.76 and 10.97. C’mon prospects!

Key Injuries: None.

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The Pulberry Trolleys performed much better in December; in fact, they enjoyed their best month this season. The Trolleys’ struggles rest largely with their futile offense (.247/.306/.343 – 8th/8th/8th), while their pitching has largely been a strength (4.17/4.37/2.96 – 3rd/4th/2nd). Fix the offense, and Puberry may have a team worth cheering about.

Top Position Player: The offense has been so lacklustre that I’m going to give the nod to a player who only starts against righties. 29-year old 3B Stefan Hutchence (.275/.376/.382, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 31 R, 33 BB) did some good things in December, batting .389/.476/.630, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 13 R, 9 BB in 54 AB.

Top Pitcher: The bullpen had a really nice month; in fact, 40-year old RHP Pete Malcolm (6-6, 2 SV, 3.69 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) went 3-1, 1 SV, 1.93 ERA, 18.2 IP, 2 K, 0 BB.

Key Trade: On December 24, Pulberry completed a deal with the Balmoral Giants. Pulberry received 26-year old William Briggs (66/66 - .269/369/.394, 1 HR, 34 RBI, 21 R, 33 BB). In exchange, the Giants received 35-year old SP Dan Rogers (31/31 – 2-8, 3.74 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) and 20-year old minor league RP Ramón Ortíz (57/80 – 15th overall pick in 1938).

Knee-jerk Analysis: Briggs will be an average but useful catcher, with moderate contact and a good eye. He will be an upgrade at the position for Pulberry but I’m not sure if he is a long-term answer.
SP Rogers is certainly nothing to get excited about and has never had an ERA below 4.00 in the ULB. Balmoral will be his third team in four seasons. The real prize for Balmoral is RP Ortíz, who should be an outstanding relief pitcher if he continues to develop. If he could improve his changeup (25/25) a bit, he could also be a starter, since his fastball (45/50) and sinker (50/60) are both top-notch.
Pulberry has a number of pitching prospects in their system, so I suppose they felt they could afford to part with Ortíz.

Key Injuries: None. In fact, the Trolleys haven’t had a player go down to injury (minor or otherwise) since late October – and no injury has lasted longer than a week this season.

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reds1 · 10-22-2015, 02:11 PM

January 14, 1941

1941 ASG: Comeback Payback

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Queensland (BP) – The Eastern League meted out a bit of payback to their Western League counterparts in the United Leagues’ 4th annual All-Star Game, held at Wagner Stadium in Queensland, Dunwich. After squandering a 7-run lead in last year’s all-star game which was ultimately lost in extra innings, the Eastern League came back in the late innings to take this year’s game in convincing fashion, 10-3. 30,300 fans witnessed a game that was won in large part by the pitch hitters.

The win now evens up the all-star game record at 2-games apiece between the East and West and continues the trend of the ‘home’ team coming off victorious in every single game thus far.

Here are the scoring highlights:

Top of the 2nd:
2B Mo Symes and 3B Mick Lanfear lead off with back-to-back singles off of SP Lenny Freke to put runners on the corners. C Glen Yeend immediately follows with a ground out (5-3) allowing Symes to score the game’s first run.
Western All-Stars 1 – Eastern All-Stars 0

Top of the 6th:
With SP Frank Leadbeater on the mound, PH Keane Fysh leads off with a single. Fysh reaches second base when PH Vic Weetman singles with one out. PH Francisco Rodríguez hits the third single of the inning to score Fysh.
After Weetman steals third base, PH Ellis Oram hits a sac fly to centerfield, driving in Weetman.
Western All-Stars 3 – Eastern All-Stars 0

Bottom of the 6th:
SP Joey Cumberledge starts the inning for the West and soon runs into trouble. With one out, PH Paul Hooks reaches base with a single, then advances to second when PH Kade Limeburner draws a walk. That set the stage for Queensland’s LF Terry Aspden, who drives an 0-2 pitch for a triple, scoring the East’s first two runs. PH Ryley McLarnon immediately follows with a single, scoring Aspden to tie the game at 3-runs apiece. That ended Cumberledge’s day, but his replacement, SP Darwin Monday, fared little better.
On Monday’s very first pitch, PH Matthew Lane slams a 2-run home run to right field, giving the Eastern League the lead for the first time.
But the East is not done quite yet. 1B Jim Friend and C Dylan Watkins follow with walks. With two out and runners on first and second, Queensland’s 3B Kian Meadmore, who led off the inning, singles, scoring Friend for the East’s sixth run.
Western All-Stars 3 – Eastern All-Stars 6

Bottom of the 7th:
SP Darwin Monday starts the inning for the West but gives up a leadoff walk to Kade Limeburner. Monday is then replaced with SP Tristan Purss.
Purss promptly gives up a walk to PH Stuart Bentham and a single to Ryley McLarnon to load the bases with nobody out. Matthew Lane follows with a single, scoring Limeburner for the East’s seventh run. However, Bentham is thrown out at home on the same play for the inning’s first out.
But next up is PH Don Adkins, who takes the first pitch he sees from Purss and sends it over the left-center field wall for a three-run homer.
The West is unable to mount any sort of comeback in the final two innings and the Eastern League takes the 1941 All-Star Game in convincing fashion.
Western All-Stars 3 – Eastern All-Stars 10

Cobourg’s Matthew Lane won Player of the Game honours, going 2-2 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R.

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Here are the complete All-Star rosters:

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Here are the standings as of January 14:

Tidbit #1: Braeland City had the same record last season at the All-Star Break as they do this season: 55-33.

Tidbit #2: The Cambria Cannons’ record last season at the All-Star Break is the same as the Kingston Pelicans’ record this season thus far: 58-30.

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Here are the overerall player and team leaders as of January 14:

reds1 · 10-24-2015, 11:29 PM

February 1, 1941

Eastern League: Barons Making Their Move

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All of a sudden, the Braeland City Monarchs have company. The Monarchs had another fine month in January, going 16-11, but find themselves hanging on to first place in the East by just a few percentage points. They have a couple of games in hand on their challengers, the Stratford Barons. But unless the Barons cool off, the Monarchs will have to seriously step it up if they want to maintain their hold on top spot in the East for the second year in a row.
The pitching continues to be top-notch as they rank first in a slew of categories (2.90/2.90/2.99 – 1st/1st/2nd), but their offense continues to be below average (.274/.338/.394 – 5th/6th/6th). The Monarchs did not make a substantial deal to upgrade their offense before the trade deadline, perhaps hoping that regulars, such as 3B Louie Heatherington, returning from injury will suffice. We’ll see the wisdom of that course as we head into the final two months of the season.

Five Monarchs were selected to the All-Star Game: SP Leo Bonfield (1st selection), SP David Cooling (2nd), SP Lenny Freke (3rd), RP Samuel Hollier (1st) and C Kane Broom (3rd).

Top Position Player: While most of Braeland City’s starters had a rather lacklustre month, SS Adam Ashley (.301/.352/.418, 5 HR, 56 RBI, 64 R, 34 BB, 12 SB) excelled, batting .330/.374/.443, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 19 R, 7 BB).

Top Pitcher: Some very nice performances to choose from, but I have to go with ace SP Lenny Freke (11-9, 2.45 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) who went 3-2, 1.53 ERA, 53.0 IP, 31 K, 9 BB. He pitched a 3-hit shutout and a 4-hit shutout during the course of January.

Key Injuries: None.

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The hottest team in the United Leagues since November 1 has not been the Kingston Pelicans. That honour goes to the Stratford Barons who have gone 53-26 in that span (Kingston has gone 52-26). Their 20 victories in January have catapulted them into a two-way tie with Braeland City, although the Monarchs have a couple of games in hand.

The Barons’ offense has really stepped it up (.296/.364/.445 – 1st/1st/1st), as has their pitching (3.48/3.68/2.23 – 2nd/2nd/1st). Stratford is doing everything well at the moment. But will it be enough to finally launch them into the post-season? The Barons have gotten hot before, only to see them wilt in the last few weeks of the season and come up short. But this team looks really solid.

Six players were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Ryan Borden (1st), RP Larry Parrish (3rd), 1B Don Adkins (3rd), 2B Rhett Curnow (2nd), SS Jake Walker (2nd) and CF Kade Limeburner (3rd).

Top Position Player: Wow. I mean, wow. When you have a starting lineup with players batting .333, .340, .360 and .366, and they still don’t get the nod for top player of the month, you know the offense is firing on all cylinders. But batting 9th in the lineup is 1B Don Adkins (.320/.409/.529, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 50 R, 47 BB) who went .379/.465/.632, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB. His efforts earned him a Player of the Week Award during the month.

Top Pitcher: I’ll go with LHP Ryan Borden (14-6, 2.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) again, although this was not an easy choice either. Stratford’s ace was even better in January, going 5-0, 1.31 ERA, 48.0 IP, 24 K, 12 BB.

But 36-year old Kazuhiko Chikafuji (12-4, 3.15 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) was outstanding as well. The No. 3 starter went 5-0, 2.16 ERA, 41.2 IP, 16 K, 8 BB

Key Injuries: None.

With their fortunes starting to slide, the Wellington Athletics responding in January with their best month yet, going 15-10. But with no signs of either Braeland City or Stratford slowing down, it may be too much to overcome for the Athletics in their efforts to return to the post-season. That hasn’t stopped Wellington from trying, as they made a couple of interesting trades before the deadline to address their weaknesses.

The offense has remained steady (.287/.350/.414 – 2nd/4th/3rd), but their pitching has made some significant improvements (3.78/3.76/3.83 – 3rd/3rd/4th), giving hope to the Athletics’ chances.

Four players were selected to the All-Star squad: SP Clyde Boney (4th), C Dylan Watkins (4th), 3B Ryley McLarnon (3rd) and LF Bob Boynton (4th).

Top Position Player: 28-year old 2B Brian Main (.299/.363/.476, 7 HR, 58 RBI, 43 R, 31 BB) finally stayed healthy and had a great month, batting .349/.389/.482, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB.

Top Pitcher: 23-year old RHP Kelvin Hutchinson (6-4, 2.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), a 7th overall pick back in 1937-38 who is pitching out of the bullpen, had an outstanding month, and richly deserved his first Pitcher of the Month Award.

Key Injury: 28-year old RP Jack Steeds (8-7, 8 SV, 3.65 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) strained a hamstring while pitching against the Braeland City Monarchs back on January 19. He will be out of action for 2-3 months.

Key Trade: On January 25, Wellington acquired 36-year old SP Frank Leadbeater (75/75 – 11-8, 2.93 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs received four minor leaguers:

21-year old SS Junji Seki (22/58 – 4th round pick from 1939-40); 19-year old RF Octavio Leon (20/25 – 4th round pick from 1940-41); 20-year old CF Edgardo Alomar (22/23); 24-year old LF Jonathan Coxall (22/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: A really, really sweet deal for the Athletics, as they now have the No. 8 overall pitcher to lead their rotation. He joins Colm Soper, who is rated No. 10 overall. In return, Downie receives four minor leaguers who are unlikely to make much of an impact. Seki has perhaps the best chance, as he has very good contact and great speed. He can play 2B/3B/SS and RF and not embarrass himself. But a rather light haul for a perennial all-star pitcher in my opinion.[/COLOR]

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Their 18-7 October seems like a distant memory now, as the Embro Suns continue to be left behind in the Eastern League standings. They could only muster a 13-13 record on the month. Their offense has started to slip (.280/.352/.438 – 4th/3rd/2nd) and the pitching has not improved (4.50/4.76/3.30 – 6th/7th/3rd). Injuries have certainly had an impact. But if the starting lineup can somehow get all healthy for the final stretch, then perhaps they can rebound. But it’s looking more and more like a tall order.

Five Suns were selected to the All-Star roster: RP Nick Staples (1st), 1B Jim Friend (2nd), SS Gary Watkinson (4th), LF Terence Durney (4th) and RF Paul Hooks (3rd).

Top Position Player: 26-year old 1B Jim Friend (.331/.406/.589, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 80 R, 55 BB) rebounded from down month, to bat .352/.408/.574, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 20 R, 11 BB in January. Friend is the top-rated 1B in the United Leagues.

Top Pitcher:The rotation simply hasn’t been carrying its weight this season. But 5th starter, RHP Owen Smith (3-2, 5.66 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) had a decent month. He went 2-1, 2.96 ERA, 27.1 IP, 14 K, 10 BB. The 30-year old has spent most of his career in the minors, save for one game with Embro back in 1937, where he pitched for 3.1 innings, giving up 3 H, 1 ER and 2 BB.

Key Injuries: 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He suffered a setback and will miss 3 more months.

LF Terence Durney (.325/.405/.511, 13 HR, 54 RBI, 76 R, 48 BB) was diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis after a game on January 12. He is out for another week, if he doesn’t suffer another setback.

Key Trade: On January 30, Embro acquired 27-year old 3B Yoshifumi Tamura (65/66 – .244/.313/.355, 5 HR, 43 RBI, 38 R, 33 BB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, the Red Stockings received three minor leaguers:

22-year old SP Armando Ramirez (23/53 – 3rd round pick from 1939-40);
19-year old SS Rizal Gorospe (20/40 – 2nd round pick from 1940-41);
21-year old SS Masato Narita (22/29).

Knee-jerk reaction: Overall, a minor deal for both parties. Tamura, who played RF with Cobourg, will take over 3B from Mason Damerell (.227/.282/.316) who hasn’t done much to justify a starting job. Tamura will not hit for high average or win any defensive awards, but has excellent power and decent plate discipline.
Cobourg receives three pretty average players in return. Ramirez may get a chance to be a No. 4 or 5 starter one day, as his stuff and repertoire is respectable but nothing special.

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The Brunswick Legends could not keep up the momentum they generated in December and fell to a 12-12 record in January. That included a 3-8 stretch to end the month. Part of that was due to the pitching staff taking a step back. While the offense held steady (.281/.346/.411 – 3rd/5th/5th), the pitching staff regressed a little (3.96/3.97/3.89 – 4th/4th/5th). Not a big difference, mind you, but in the competitive East, it saw them fall from 2.5 games back of the wild card to 9.0 games back in the span of a month. Another factor is that the Legends simply don’t have as strong a starting lineup as other teams do.

Five Legends made the All-Star team: SP Hirotada Fukushima (2nd), SP Anastasio Rodriguez (1st), 2B Vince Bailey (1st), RF Rovilson Valdevieso (3rd) and RF Mark Elston (3rd).

Top Position Player: OF Rovilson Valdevieso (.302/.341/.488, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 56 R, 27 BB, 12 SB) was the top legend in January, batting .293/.320/.543, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 11 R, 5 BB.

Top Pitcher: While the rest of the rotation had a down month in January, LHP Hirotada Fukushima (12-4, 2.31 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) held his own, going 3-2, 2.23 ERA, 44.1 IP, 21 K, 14 BB in December.

Key Injuries: 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season.

RF Mark Elston (.316/.437/.509, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 59 R, 76 BB) injured his wrist in a game against the Cambria Cannons on January 26. He remains out of action for 1-2 weeks.

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The Queensland Eagles cooled off in January to fall 11 games back of the league leaders. The Eagles continue to be stymied by a rash of injuries. Their offense remains competitive (.273/.354/.412 – 6th/2nd/4th), but their pitching continues to struggle (4.70/4.40/6.73 – 7th/5th/8th).

Five Eagles were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Bradley Paris (2nd), C Dave Wilson (2nd), 3B Kian Meadmore (4th), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (4th) and LF Terry Aspden (2nd).

Top Position Player: SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.317/.380/.541, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 86 R, 45 BB) had a sensational January and the 25-year old richly deserved the 5th Batter of the Month Award of his career.

Top Pitcher: 31-year old SP Darren Stewart (8-3, 2.76 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) had a fine January. The Eagles ace went 5-1, 2.44, 59.0 IP, 11 K, 22 BB.

Key Injuries: Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow back on November 19. He is lost for the season (3 months).

SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for 4 weeks. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow.

CF Ben Watson (.253/.323/.381, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 47 R, 33 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum on January 23 in a game against the Embro Suns. He is out 6 weeks.

CF Doug Winslade (.274/.337/.358, 4-2B, 12 RBI, 13 R, 9 BB) suffered a strained oblique in a game back on January 17. He should be back in a few days.

LF Terry Aspden (.288/.385/.512, 15 HR, 62 RBI, 64 R, 59 BB) strained a rib cage muscle in a game against the Brunswick Legends back on January 22. He is out a further 3 weeks.

Key Trade: On January 10, Queensland acquired 31-year old SP Bradley Paris (53/53 – 9-6, 3.24 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) from the Downie Chiefs, along with 23-year old minor league SS Maluhia Mara (29/50). In return, the Chiefs received 28-year old SS Ninfa Puzon (57/63 - .288/.374/.415, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 19 R, 17 BB).

Knee-jerk reaction: With the loss of ace SP MacColl, Queensland lands a pitcher who will be their No. 3 starter. Paris, once a 20-game winner in 1937, has not approached that level since, but he is still very capable. They also receive a former second rounder in Mara who projects to be a fine utility IF with average batting skills. In return, the Chiefs receive a journeyman SS. Downie is Ninfa’s fourth team in three seasons. He was little used in Queensland, but will be Downie’s cleanup hitter. Personally, I view Puzon as underrated and should benefit from starting regularly in Downie. Paris recently earned his second trip to the all-star game, but he is starting to regress, if slowly. I don’t think he will be much of a difference maker in Queensland.

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The Downie Chiefs went into selling mode BIG time in January, selling off three of their starting pitchers in Frank Leadbeater (Wellington), Bradley Paris (Queensland) and Nick Paddock (Cambria). The first two trades have already been discussed; the Paddock trade will be touched on when we look at Cambria. They also made a trade with Hespeler, which will be discussed later as well. Suffice to say, the Chiefs received some nice future pieces and have finally started that long-delayed rebuilding process that I’ve been anticipating since last season. They just do not have the horses to compete for a playoff spot, so it’s nice to see them finally begin to address that.

SP Frank Leadbeater (4th) was Downie’s lone representative at this month’s all-star game, shortly before he was traded to Wellington.

Top Position Player: RF Aaron Flanagan (.312/.385/.538, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 47 R, 28 BB) is the man. He continued his outstanding play despite the distractions in January, batting .352/.418/.648, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 16 R, 6 BB. He would have been a worthy candidate for Player of the Month.

Top Pitcher: The three top pitchers in the rotation are gone now, and the ones that remain are quite woeful, to say the least. So I’ll go with a bullpen guy. 23-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (2-4, 9 SV, 2.60 ERA, 1.52 WHIP), a former first rounder in 1939, went 1-2, 3 SV, 2.49 ERA, 21.2 IP, 11 K, 16 BB in January.

Key Injury: None.

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9, 7, 4, 5. That is the win total for the Cobourg Red Stockings in each of the first four months of the 1940/41 season. In all my years of playing around with this league in one form or another, from OOTP8 onward, I can’t recall a stretch of ineptitude like this. And it’s really depressing. They made a couple of trades in January, including a major one with Cambria that saw RF Clint Jones head to the Western League. That trade will be discussed in the Cambria section later. For Cobourg though, it’s all about the future. They have a couple of nice pieces in the lineup and bullpen right now, but otherwise this is a weak team that just got weaker, if that were possible.

Despite the team’s struggles, the Red Stockings actually had three players make the all-star team: 1B Clint Jones (2nd), 2B Matthew Lane (3rd Â– who won MVP honours at this year’s game) and LF Stuart Bentham (1st).

Top Position Player:25-year old LF Toin Tsuji (.274/.312/.447, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 24 R, 11 BB) had been a career minor leaguer until he signed a minor league contract last season with Cobourg. Given the opportunity to play in the majors for the first time this season, Tsuji has gotten better with each passing month. In January, he batted .296/.321/.593, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 12 R, 3 BB; winning Rookie of the Month honours in the process.

Top Pitcher: SP Jeff Hetzel (3-8, 5.26 ERA, 1.63 WHIP) had the best month out of all the pitchers on staff. In January, he went 0-2, 3.48 ERA, 31.0 IP, 13 K, 9 BB.

Key Injuries: None.

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reds1 · 10-26-2015, 10:34 PM

February 1, 1941

Western League: A Battle for the Wild Card

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The Kingston Pelicans are comfortably sitting in first place in the West, 12.5 games up on their nearest rival. But not all things have gone smoothly for the Pelicans this month. Kingston dropped 3 of 4 games to lowly Balmoral just prior to the All-Star break (they actually had a losing record in the first half of the month) and they now have lost a key component of the rotation, SP Francis Slocock, for the rest of the season. How that affects their performance the rest of the way remains to be seen. But their offense shows no signs of slowing down and they still have the best starter in the majors leading the rotation. In fact, their top-ranked offense (.292/.364/.446 – 1st/1st//1st) got even better. Their pitching staff, however, is showing signs of vulnerability, but the rotation is still formidable (3.40/3.03/5.84 – 1st/1st/8th).

Nine Pelicans were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Joey Cumberledge (4th), SP Darwin Monday (2nd), SP Brady Murdy (4th), SP Francis Slocock (3rd), C Ellis Oram (1st), 1B Fergus Chitty (4th), 2B Mo Symes (4th), SS Okura Ito (4th) and LF Jayden Tennant (4th).

Top Position Player: 32-year old LF Jayden Tennant (.300/.391/.575, 23 HR, 74 RBI, 63 R, 45 BB) was sensational this month, batting .379/.481/.833, 9 HR, 18 RBI, 14 R, 11 BB. Remarkably, he did not win any Player of the Week Awards during the month.

I suppose he was overshadowed by SS Okura Ito (.336/.380/.561, 24 HR, 100 RBI, 79 R, 33 BB), who perhaps deserves the nod instead. On January 19, the Pelicans played a double-header against the Hespeler Stars. In game one, Ito went 5-6 with 1 HR, 5 RBI and 1 R. In game 2, Ito went 3-4 with 3 HR, 6 RBI and 3 R. Ito becomes the first player in United League history to belt 3 HR in a single game. Needless to say, Ito is not your normal shortstop. Kingston won the games by a score of 8-4 and 17-4 respectively.

Top Pitcher: SP Brady Murdy (21-2, 1.98 ERA, 0.95 WHIP) won his third consecutive Pitcher of the Month honour this season. He belongs in a higher league.

Key Injury:SP Francis Slocock (10-6, 3.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation while pitching against the Pulberry Trolleys on January 24. He is lost for the season (3 months).

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The Cambria Cannons have gone into crisis mode, as they continue to battle injuries to key players and slip in the standings. They are still holding down a playoff spot but Kingston continues to pull away from them. More alarmingly, Cambria is hearing footsteps, as the Wolseley Unions are now just 4.0 games back of them. But Cambria is not standing pat. The Cannons made some significant trades to try and shore up their efforts to secure their third consecutive playoff appearance.

Their offense has done an admiral job of keeping them in contention (.290/.358/.421 – 2nd/2nd/2nd) and even their pitching has begun to step it up (4.08/4.48/3.09 – 3rd/3rd/2nd). If they keep it up, their below .500 record in January will be considered just an aberration rather than a trend.

Eight Cannons were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Bradley Dodson (2nd), SP Neil Guerin (4th), RP Shaun Alford (2nd), RP Leon Hankey (1st), C Glen Yeend (3rd), 1B Keane Fysh (3rd), LF Joe Olver (2nd) and RF Al Tucker (1st).

Top Position Player: C Glen Yeend (.357/.392/.495, 4 HR, 57 RBI, 51 R, 20 BB) was in the zone in January, as he hit .394/.437/.532, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 17 R, 8 BB.

Top Pitcher: It’s puzzling. Overall, the Cannons are doing alright in ERA, but individually, there is no real standout. He only pitched for 12.2 IP , but I’ll go with RHP Leon Hankey (3-1, 6 SV, 2.47 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), who went 0-0, 1 SV, 0.71 ERA, 12.2 IP, 11 K, 4 BB. The rookie needs to be used more.

Key Injuries: LF Ron Westmacott (.321/.442/.603, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) is out 8 more weeks after suffering torn ankle ligaments back in November.

SP-RHP Willem Atkins (1-3, 4.45 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation back in November. He will miss another 3 weeks.

RF Al Tucker (.282/.386/.390, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 80 R, 59 BB) fractured his hand in a game against the Pulberry Trolleys back on January 21. He is out 3-4 weeks.

Key Trade #1: On January 21, Cambria acquired 26-year old CF Clint Jones (78/80 – .260/.311/.436, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 54 R, 29 BB, 12 SB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received four minor leaguers:

19-year old OF Evan Houk (21/70 – 8th overall pick 1939-40);
19-year old C Josh MacBradden (20/27);
20-year old 3B Ron Hawes (22/23) and
22-year old SS António Peña (29/43 – 5th round pick in 1937-38).

Knee-jerk reaction: Clint Jones returns home. Back in 1939, the New Zealander was traded to Cobourg for 3B Kennth Logan and CF Bert Helmer. Now, he returns to serve as the clean-up hitter. Jones is a sensational player with no weaknesses at the plate and can play any position except catcher and pitcher. His numbers were suffering while playing for lowly Cobourg, but with his return to a playoff team, he should be rejuvenated.
In return, the Red Stockings receive a former first rounder in Houk, who has pretty good offensive skills and excellent speed. He can play anywhere in the outfield and at 1B. Of the other three, only Peña looks to have any major league skills. While he projects to be average at the plate, he is sensational defensively. All-in-all, Cambria got the best of this deal, especially if Jones rediscovers his form.

Key Trade #2: On January 22, Cambria acquired 31-year old SP Nick Paddock (67/67 – 8-11, 3.15 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) from the Downie Chiefs.

In return, Downie received four minor leaguers:

21-year old IF/OF John Pickett (23/78 – 2nd round pick in 1938-39);
20-year old SP Jesús Pérez (20/57);
21-year old 2B José Antonio Reyes (23/58) and
23-year old 1B Carson Morehouse (22/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: Paddock is a serviceable pitcher who will be Cambria’s No. 2 starter. He doesn’t have overpowering stuff (35/35), but has outstanding movement and control. Like Jones, Paddock may benefit from moving to a playoff caliber team.

The Chiefs meanwhile, get a very promising prospect in Pickett. He combines outstanding offensive skills with blazing speed and decent, but not great defense. He can play any outfield position as well as 1B and even 2B. He is now Downie’s top prospect. SP Pérez and 2B Reyes have a chance to be useful players as well. Both teams got what they needed in this trade.

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The recent struggles of the Cambria Cannons and their own fairly consistent level of play has allowed the Wolseley Unions to come within striking distance of a playoff spot. The Unions had their best month this season and are now 2 games above .500, and just 4.0 games back of 2nd place Cambria.

Wolseley’s offense (.264/.328/.400 – 7th/5th/4th) and pitching (4.24/4.44/3.65 – 5th/6th/4th) have held steady, but will need to improve if they really want to give Cambria a run for their money.

Kingston sent three players to the All-star game this month: SS Rubén Sánchez (1st), LF Nicky Willis (1st) and CF Zak Kidd (2nd).

Top Position Player: 27-year old SS Rubén Sánchez (.302/.355/.430, 6 HR, 52 RBI, 57 R, 37 BB) is quickly emerging as Wolseley’s best player. This month, he batted .382/.407/.527, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 13 R, 6 BB.

Top Pitcher: 21-year old SP Aaron Saunderson (7-7, 3 SV, 3.01 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) is steadily rising in the Unions’ rotation. The No. 3 starter went 2-0, 1 SV, 2.30 ERA, 27.1 IP, 9 K , 9 BB.

Key Injuries:None.

Key Trade: On January 29, Wolseley traded for 30-year old C Declan Cox (51/51 – .304/.389/.456, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R, 11 BB) from the Wellington Athletics. In return, Wellington received 30-year old RP Phil Edginton (31/31 – 6-4, 10 SV, 3.95 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) and 21-year old minor league C Geoff Lemoine (27/79).

Knee-jerk reaction: This trade is interesting in that the Unions have made a modest move to upgrade their lineup for a potential playoff run. Cox is an all-round average player, but is considered an upgrade to 36-year old C Nick Wellings (.293/.372/.402, 1 HR, 11 RBI, 16 R, 10 BB).

The Athletics receive a 5th round pick from this season’s draft in Lemoine. He combines very good offensive potential with decent defensive skills. RP Edginton is being treated as an afterthought and has been sent down to AA.
If Cox can make an impact for Wolseley for the balance of the season, then this trade will have been worth it.

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It looks as though the Sherburn Tigers will not be the team that will try and challenge the status quo in the West, as the Tigers continue to tread water and fall farther back in the standings. They are not out of it, being just 5.5 games back of Cambria for second place, but the Tigers are dealing with some injuries and they made no move before the trade deadline to indicate that they wanted to mount a serious challenge. Sherburn’s offense held steady (.269/.341/.381 – 5th/3rd/6th) while their pitching, particularly their bullpen, saw some improvement (4.52/4.65/3.80 – 6th/7th/5th).

Three Tigers were selected to the All-Star roster: C Joe Gault (3rd), 3B Mick Lanfear (2nd) and LF Tom Given (1st).

Top Position Player: 34-year old 1B Isaac Harker (.335/.429/.472, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 45 R, 42 BB) may not have qualified for the All-Star game, but he has been Sherburn’s best player this season. In January, he batted .402/.466/.554, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 19 R, 10 BB. Not bad for a player that was not in the starter lineup for the first month of the season.

Top Pitcher: 25-year old RP Daniel Pierson (13-7, 3.52 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) had a terrific month pitching out of the bullpen. He went 4-2, 1 SV, 2.86 ERA, 22.0 IP, 12 K, 6 BB.

Key Injury:LF Robin Harney (.320/.431/.401, 19-2B, 28 RBI, 52 R, 57 BB, 8 SB) bruised his ankle on January 3; then sprained his thumb on January 4 in games against the Fort Richmond Generals. The bruised ankle was minor, but the sprained thumb will keep him out of the lineup for another 3-4 weeks.

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The Fort Richmond Generals are like the Unions and Tigers in that they are both very much ‘middle-of-pack’ teams, winning just enough to stay close to the .500 mark. That suggests to me that their rebuilding plans are starting to produce results. Hopefully, it will lead to bigger and better things for competitiveness in the West. Both the offense (.267/.321/.378 – 6th/6th/7th) and pitching (3.74/3.90/2.69 – 2nd/2nd/1st) held steady. The pitching, in fact, has been very good this season. They just need that offense to kick in.

Three Generals were selected to the All-Star game: SP Oscar Burruss (3rd), SP Tristan Purss (1st) and RP Kantaro Sumita (1st – now with Brunswick).

Top Position Player: C Danny Trowbridge (.279/.312/.439, 8 HR, 57 RBI, 42 R, 16 BB) has been getting more and more comfortable in the lineup. In January, the former 2nd overall pick batted .312/.350/.602, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 16 R, 7 BB. He needs to cut down on his strikeouts, though (22 in January).

Top Pitcher: I’ll give a slight edge this month to SP Tristan Purss (9-10, 3.22 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) who went 2-4, 3.18 ERA, 51.0 IP, 25 K, 9 BB.

Key Injury: RF Gavin Bansfield (.294/.340/.431, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 27 R, 14 BB) is having a tough time staying healthy. He went back on the DL after straining posterior cruciate ligament back on January 19. He should be back in a week.

Key Trade: On January 21, Fort Richmond traded for 28-year old CF Scott Orchard (67/69 – .259/.326/.403, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 30 R, 29 BB) from the Brunswick Legends. In return, Brunswick received 34-year old RP Kantaro Sumita (47/47 – 8-5, 2 SV, 2.75 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) and 20-year old minor league C Vinnie Edwards (22/67).

Knee-jerk reaction: Not sure what either team was trying to accomplish in this transaction. Orchard is unlikely to ever become an all-star, but he was better than anything the Legends still have to replace him; so that represents a downgrade. He is a definite upgrade for the Generals though, but it’s not as if he’s a game changer.

Sumita is having a career year and earned an All-Star nod. But his overall numbers suggest that this season is more of an outlier and he will probably regress. But C Edwards is considered a future clean-up hitter with plenty of power and serviceable defense. So perhaps he may give the Legends the advantage in this trade in time.

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The Hespeler Stars struggled in January, but continue undaunted in their rebuilding process. Their offense has been very respectable this season (.278/.330/.407 – 3rd/4th/3rd) while the pitching remains weak (4.52/4.39/4.98 – 7th/5th/6th).

Three Stars were selected to the All-Star game: 1B Erwin Deang (1st), LF Steven Winstanley (2nd) and CF Vic Weetman (1st).

Top Position Player: It will not be difficult to select the top offensive player for the Stars at the end of the regular season. LF Steven Winstanley (.353/.409/.604, 21 HR, 77 RBI, 79 R, 39 BB) has been outstanding for Hespeler, and he richly deserved his first Batter of the Month Award in January. He also enjoyed a 22-game hitting streak during the month. The 24-year old is the prototypical player you can build a team around.

Top Pitcher: This is not a great pitching staff and 22-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (5-2, 3.90 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) is the lone bright spot for the second month in a row. In January he went 1-2, 3.54 ERA, 28.0 IP, 16 K, 9 BB.

Key Injuries:31-year old 2B Gilbert Austin (.282/.349/.378, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum back on December 26. He is out for 5 more weeks.

32-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (4-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn labrum in game back on November 21. He is 4 months.

Key Trade: On January 25, Hespeler and the Downie Chiefs consummated a trade. The Stars received 38-year old SS Jonathan Lauder (41/41 – .260/.345/.326, 1 HR, 30 RBI, 26 R, 38 BB). In return, Downie received 36-year old SP Michael Hanley (21/21 – 3-11, 5.48 ERA, 1.93 WHIP) and 19-year old minor league C Robinson Galván (25/68).

Knee-jerk reaction: Bravo to Hespeler for managing to off-load SP Hanley to another team. That sounds uncharitable I know, but I view that as addition by subtraction. But Downie has installed him as their No. 1 pitcher, so what do I know. I do know that he has been dreadful the last few years and I don’t quite understand his staying power. The Stars gave up a prospect in the process, but the young Galván will need to seriously improve his defensive abilities to have any real shot in the majors. He should be an OK contact hitter otherwise. Hespeler receives SS Lauder, who is nearing the end of his career. Still, he is an upgrade at the position (and hey, they got rid of Hanley!)

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The Pulberry Trolleys enjoyed their first non-losing month in January, going 14-14. Their offense (.255/.315/.360 – 8th/8th/8th) is still the pits, while their pitching has softened a little (4.19/4.29/3.58 – 4th/4th/3rd).

The Trolleys sent two players to the All-Star game: SP Nathaniel Schwer (1st) and 3B Stefan Hutchence (1st).

Top Position Player: CF Jamie Couch (.307/.342/.458, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 29 R, 10 BB, 8 SB), a former 2nd round pick last season, took over centerfield as a regular this month and responded in a big way, earning Rookie of the Month honours.

Top Pitcher: 35-year old SP Nathaniel Schwer (8-5, 3.35 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) went 2-0, 3.09 ERA, 43.2 IP, 19 K, 18 BB.

Key Injuries: None. The Trolleys have been remarkably healthy since October. Only one player was injured in January (4 days); and that player (RP Malcolm) was subsequently traded.

Key Trade: On January 25, Pulberry completed a deal with the Kingston Pelicans. Pulberry received 26-year old Andrew Jensen (52/53 - .305/.379/.412, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 52 R, 35 BB). In exchange, the Pelicans received 40-year old RP Pete Malcolm (68/68 – 9-7, 3.66 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) and 22-year old minor league RP Luke Woodward (68/80 – 9th overall pick in 1937).

Knee-jerk Analysis: OK, trading a pitching prospect is one thing, but trading a second one in as many months – and your top pitching prospect to boot? And to Kingston, of all teams? Jensen is a definite upgrade in Pulberry’s outfield and allows Tony Blakeney to move to 1B and upgrade that position. But what good does this do for Pulberry in the short term, other than let a top prospect move to a rival? Woodward is destined to be one of the very best relief pitchers in the United Leagues. If he were to develop his changeup a little more (20/25), he could be considered a starter. The only mark against him is a scout’s comment that “Trouble always seems to find Woodward.” Did that factor into this transaction? As for Malcolm, he may be 40-years old and doesn’t have the best stuff anymore, but he was having a decent season. Now he finds himself stuck in AAA. Bummer.

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The Balmoral Giants won 10 games in January, but lost 17 and finds itself comfortably settled into last place in the West. I keep saying this, but the Giants have the top farm system in the United Leagues and sooner or later, it’s bound to reap dividends, isn’t it?

The Giants are not completely terrible on offense (.269/.318/.395 – 4th/7th/5th), but their pitching is atrocious (5.47/5.56/5.15 – 8th/8th/7th).

Case in point, SP Dave Mapp (7-13, 6.34 ERA, 1.88 WHIP), who was claimed off of waivers from Kingston earlier in the season, has been terrible since he won Pitcher of the Month honours back in October. In October, his ERA was 1.56; since then, it’s been 7.75, 7.86 and 8.42. Perhaps Kingston knew what they were doing after all when they deemed his expendable.

Two Giants were selected to the All-Star game: 2B Chance Doerr (1st) and SS Francisco Rodríguez (2nd).

Top Position Player: No one really stood out this past month, but 23-year old RF Carlton Broadbent (.288/.333/.475, 7 HR, 56 RBI, 63 R, 29 BB) was solid once again, batting .284/.336/.505, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 15 R, 9 BB.

Top Pitcher: There were a few decent pitching performances in January for Balmoral. I’ll go with RP Ricardo Díaz (2-5, 4.92 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) who went 0-1, 7 SV, 1.34 ERA, 33.2 IP, 18 K, 9 BB.

Key Injuries:[ 39-year old 1B Roger Tyler (.277/.317/.393, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 46 R, 18 BB) injured himself while running the bases back on January 2. He broke a bone in his elbow and will be out of commission for another 5 months.

2B Chance Doerr (.291/.336/.418, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 36 R, 14 BB, 9 SB) suffered a fractured thumb when he was hit by a pitch in a game against the Braeland City Monarchs on January 27. 5 more weeks is his ETA.

Key Trade: On January 13, Balmoral made a deal with Cambria. The Giants received 21-year old Allen Cattanach (23/67 – .350/.443/.450, 4-2B, 9 RBI, 9 R, 10 BB), as well as 23-year old minor league RP Alec Kennelly (20/23). Cambria receives 27-year old OF Caspar Bowden (23/45 – .279/.317/.380, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 26 R, 13 BB).

Knee-jerk Analysis: With injuries to RF Al Tucker and LF Ron Westmacott, Cambria was desperate for outfield reinforcements. Bowden is a former 2nd round draft pick, but is not the most proficient hitter around. He is quite capable in the outfield and on the base paths, but I’m not sure how much help he will be to the Cannons. But he does provide some nice depth when their outfield gets healthy again.

Meanwhile, in Cattanach, a former 6th overall pick in 1938-39, Balmoral receives a young player who won’t hit for high average, but has a good eye and will hit for power. He can also play most of the infield and all outfield positions, and play them well. A really nice trade for the Giants in my opinion.

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reds1 · 10-28-2015, 08:09 PM

March 31, 1941

Eastern League: Barons Finish on Top; Will Battle Monarchs for Pennant

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The Stratford Barons and Braeland City Monarchs battled it out in the final two months of the season, but the Barons prevailed, winning 34 games to Braeland City’s 33 to finish 2.0 games ahead of the defending Eastern League champions. It will mark the first time the Barons have qualified for the post-season and they do so with the best record in the United Leagues. The Barons’ offense established itself as the best in the land (.290/.358/.437 – 1st/1st/1st) and their pitching was solid (3.48/3.68/2.23– 2nd/3rd/1st). Stratford enters the playoffs as a remarkably balanced team that actually had a better record on the road than at home (48 wins at home; 50 on the road). They are also reasonably healthy, which cannot be said for the Monarchs.

Top Position Player – Season: 28-year old SS Jake Walker was Stratford’s best player over the course of the season, combining top shelf offense and outstanding defense. This season, he batted .335/.453/.507, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 88 R, 107 BB, 7.0 WAR.

Top Pitcher – Season: 32-year old SP Ryan Borden became a legitimate ace this season. He went 23-8, 2.61 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 8.4 WAR. Borden is rated the No. 2 pitcher in the United Leagues, behind only Braeland City’s Lenny Freke.

Key Injuries: 1B Don Adkins (.314/.404/.529, 22 HR, 88 RBI, 72 R, 71 BB, 3.2 WAR) suffered a mild calf strain on March 29. He should return in 5 days.

Noteworthy: 28-year old 2B Rhett Curnow (.355/.401/.495, 11 HR, 89 RBI, 93 R, 44 BB, 5.2 WAR) won the Eastern League batting title, adding 206 H, 30-2B, 9-3B in 580 AB.

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The Braeland City Monarchs were not able to hold off the surging Stratford Barons and had to settle for 2nd spot this season. But the defending Eastern League champions have bigger issues to deal with right now. Two key cogs in their offense, C Kane Broom and 2B Adam Ashley, are lost for the season due to injuries. Thus, Braeland City enters the playoffs at a distinct disadvantage and will need to find a way to hang with the Barons’ potent offense. The Monarchs’ offense was not the strongest to begin with. With the loss of arguably their two best offensive players, it will make the challenge even more daunting.

The pitching is Braeland City’s main strength (3.04/3.02/3.28 – 1st/1st/2nd); their offense was average at best (.279/.344/.402 – 4th/5th/6th).

Top Position Player – Season: 27-year old 2B Adam Ashley was Braeland City’s top offensive player this season, batting .320/.365/.452, 6 HR, 79 RBI, 98 R, 46 BB, 19 SB, 5.3 WAR.

Top Pitcher – Season: SP Lenny Freke may be the No. 1 rated pitcher in the United Leagues and the Monarchs’ ace, but 31-year old SP David Cooling was Braeland City’s best pitcher this season. Cooling went 21-6, 2.02 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7.1 WAR.
Freke wasn’t bad either, going 20-12, 2.29 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.9 WAR. Cooling’s ERA of 2.02 set a United Leagues record for lowest earned run average in a season.

Key Injuries: Adam Ashley suffered torn quadriceps on March 26 in a game against the Downie Chiefs. He is out for 5 weeks.

Two days later, C Kane Broom (.295/.336/.450, 15 HR, 97 RBI, 76 R, 35 BB, 4.4 WAR) suffered the same injury as Ashley in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is gone for 3 weeks.

Playoff Note: Replacing Adam Ashley and Kane Broom in the lineup for the playoffs will be 24-year old 2B Trevor Bolen (.288/.338/.441, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 54 R, 24 BB, 0.4 WAR) and 34-year old C Rodrigo Pacheco (.317/.333/.451, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R, 3 BB, 0.8 WAR) respectively. Bolen was the 1st overall pick back in 1937/38, but aside from his all-star season in 1938/939, he has not lived up to his initial hype.

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The Wellington Athletics just could not keep up with Stratford and Braeland City this season and find themselves out of the playoffs. In January, they acquired SP Frank Leadbeater from the Downie Chiefs but then lost him a month later to injury. It was that kind of season for Wellington. On the whole though, the Athletics are a good team that should be competitive once again next season. The offense was fairly solid (.283/.349/.405 – 2nd/4th/5th) and the pitching steadily improved throughout the season (3.57/3.51/3.77 – 3rd/2nd/4th).

Top Position Player – Season: 30-year old C Dylan Watkins (.309/.390/.486, 15 HR, 88 RBI, 73 R, 68 BB, 5.5 WAR) was Wellington’s top player over the course of the season.

Top Pitcher – Season: 31-year old SP Clyde Boney (23-8, 2.21 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 6.8 WAR) is one of the best and was Wellington’s top pitcher this season.

Key Injury: 36-year old SP Frank Leadbeater (12-9, 2.75 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 4.9 WAR) fractured his elbow on February 19 in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He is out of commission for at least 6 months.

28-year old RP Jack Steeds (8-7, 8 SV, 3.65 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) strained a hamstring while pitching back in January. He will be out of action for 4 more weeks.

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The Brunswick Legends showed some flashes of excellence this season, but it wasn’t enough to reach the playoffs in Babe Ruth’s first season as manager. The Legends went 19-9 and 18-7 in December and February respectively, but in the other four months, they had difficulty playing .500 ball. It was enough, however, to challenge for third place in the East, but they will need more consistency if they want to be a factor next season. They don’t necessarily have the deepest farm system in the United Leagues, but they do have Top-10 ranked prospects at every position except catcher and starting pitching.

The offense suffered a bit in the final two months (.277/.343/.418 – 5th/6th/3rd), but the pitching staff held steady (3.84/3.84/3.87 – 4th/4th/6th).

Top Position Player – Season: RF Mark Elston (.317/.430/.517, 18 HR, 99 RBI, 82 R, 102 BB, 5.7 WAR) was again the top player for the Legends.

Top Pitcher – Season: Brunswick received a blow with the loss of their ace SP Matthew Monroe back on Opening Day, but they have to feel good about the blossoming of SP Anastasio Rodríguez (21-9, 2.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8.1 WAR). The 24-year old Rodríguez was the 4th overall pick back in 1937/38 and is now rated No.3 overall among pitchers in the United Leagues.

Key Injuries: 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day. He should be able to start throwing in 3-4 weeks.

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The Embro Suns never could build on their quick start and steadily fell back in the standings. The Suns boast some incredible talent on the roster. Three players, 1B Jim Friend, CF Terence Durney and RF Paul Hooks are all rated No. 1 at their respective positions, and the team has a few other players ranked in the top 4. Their window of opportunity has not closed, but they really need to address their lack of depth. They have the lowest ranked farm system and that weakness was exposed when starters started falling to injury.

The offense held steady (.281/.356/.435 – 3rd/2nd/2nd), but their pitching staff needs some infusion of talent (4.38/4.51/3.63 – 6th>/7th/3rd).

Top Position Player – Season: On a team with offensive heavyweights, 26-year old 1B Jim Friend had no trouble holding his own. Friend batted .329/.409/.590, 36 HR, 148 RBI, 120 R, 87 BB, 7.2 WAR. He established season records for home runs and RBI.

Also worthy of mention is RF Paul Hooks (.331/.432/.608, 35 HR, 140 RBI, 88 R, 97 BB, 6.2 WAR), who established a single season batting record for on-base pct. (.608).

Top Pitcher – Season: Embro acutely felt the loss of ace SP Colm Soper. But 26-year old SP Edward Hill responded with his best season, going 20-8, 4.06 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 4.9 WAR, before he too had his season end due to injury.

Key Injuries: 31-year old SP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He suffered a setback and will miss 3 more months.

SP Edward Hill was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation following a game against the Wellington Athletics back on March 11. He will be laid up for 4 months.

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The Queensland Eagles just weren’t able to get anything going this season and continue to regress after reaching the playoffs in the inaugural season. Certainly, all the injuries didn’t help. But the Eagles find themselves in a difficult spot: their situation is not so hopeless so as to justify a complete rebuild, but their present talent base on the roster is not prodigious enough to really compete in the highly competitive East.Their offense was reasonably productive this season (.274/.353/.413 – 6th/3rd/4th), but they will need to improve their pitching (4.57/4.37/5.95 – 7th/5th/8th).

Top Position Player – Season: 25-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji has been one of the most consistent players in the United Leagues. He continued his excellent play this season as well, batting [COLOR=black].316/.377/.522, 25 HR, 100 RBI, 117 R, 64 BB, 6.4 WAR.

26-year old rookie 1B Dean Bishop was a nice pickup from the Kingston Pelicans. He went .286/.405/.487, 18 HR, 75 RBI, 69 R, 83 BB, 4.3 WAR, earning three Rookie of the Month honour in all.

Top Pitcher – Season: It was a challenging year for Queensland pitchers. But 33-year old SP Stewart Colcott perhaps fared the best, going 14-13, 4.51 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 5.5 WAR.

Key Injuries: Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow back in November. He should begin his throwing program in 5 more weeks.

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1940/41 is the season that the Downie Chiefs realized that they needed to embrace rebuild and look to the future. They did that in a big way, but there is still a long way to go. And things may get worse before they get better. Both the offense (.265/.325/.384 – 7th/7th/8th) and pitching (4.34/4.45/3.83 – 5th/6th/5th) struggled this year, justifying a major makeover.

Top Position Player – Season: The quiet and unassuming 3B Andy Johnson has been a Downie fixture from Day 1 and the 1940/41 season was perhaps his best. Johnson batted .313/.368/.433, 12 HR, 78 RBI, 77 R, 55 BB, 4.8 WAR.

Top Pitcher – Season: SP Frank Leadbeater is gone now, but his work prior to his trade in January still merits consideration. While still with the team, Leadbeater went 10-7, 2.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.8 WAR.

Key Injury: 45-year old RP Robert Renton (3-0, 4 SV, 1.51 WHIP, -0.8 WAR) suffered a sore shoulder on March 25 while pitching against the Braeland City Monarchs. He will be laid up for 2 months.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings still showed that they had some pride left, as they went 26-26 over the last two months of the season, after failing to win more than nine games in each the previous four months. But as weak as the roster currently sits (1B Stuart Bentham and 3B Matthew Lane are the only players of note); their prospect ranking is another story. The Red Stockings have a Top 10 prospect waiting in the wings at every position, including four No. 1 ranked prospects. Better times may be just around the corner – or at least one can hope.

Top Position Player – Season:Despite the adversities, 31-year old 3B Matthew Lane responded with his best season, batting .270/.369/.487, 24 HR, 92 RBI, 74 R, 84 BB, 4.7 WAR.

Top Pitcher – Season: It was a year to forget for the pitching staff overall, but that’s not to say no one was trying. 30-year old SP George Blankely (8-16, 4.09 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 3.6 WAR) had his moments, such as in March, when he went 3-1, 2.02 ERA, 49.0 IP, 16 K, 16 BB.

29-year old SP Aiden Tassell (8-25, 4.61 ERA, 1.55 ERA, 3.2 WAR), however, was stuck with the dubious distinction of setting the record for most losses in a single season: 25.

Key Injuries: None.

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reds1 · 11-02-2015, 12:00 AM

March 31, 1941

Western League: Pelicans, Cannons Limp Into Playoffs

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The Kingston Pelicans finished in first place in the West comfortably, 15.0 games up on Cambria. However, the Pelicans lost some steam towards the end, finishing February-March with a 25-26 record. Whether that’s simply the team easing up due to the commanding lead they enjoyed this season or hints toward a more disturbing trend remains to be seen. The offense remained top-notch in the West (.285/.356/.435 – 1st/1st/1st), and so has the pitching staff, with the exception of the bullpen (3.66/3.40/5.20 – 1st/1st/8th). Kingston finished third in defensive efficiency (.702).

Top Position Player – Season: 29-year old SS Okura Ito was the top Pelican on offense and was solid on defense as well, batting .323/.364/.516, 29 HR, 126 RBI, 102 R, 45 BB, 7.1 WAR.

Top Pitcher – Season: 33-year old SP Brady Murdy made this selection easy. In 1940/41, Murdy went 25-10, 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.9 WAR. However, he struggled in February and March, going 2-4, 5.24 ERA and 2-4, 4.67 ERA respectively. Despite that, Murdy set a number of United League records this season, in wins (25), complete games (31), shutouts (8) and innings pitched (322.0).

Key Injury: SP Francis Slocock (10-6, 3.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation back on January 24. He is lost for the season (4 more weeks).

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The playoffs are a new season, and for the Cambria Cannons, that has significant meaning. They made the playoffs and can now try and put the struggles of the regular season behind them. The second half of the season saw them lose more games than they won (34-42) and only the continued struggles of the teams behind them in the standings helped the defending United Cup Champions return to the playoffs. Not only that, but their ace pitcher, 37-year old Neil Guerin, who won the 1938/39 Satchel Paige Award and is a 4-time all-star has regressed severely and finds himself in the bullpen for the playoffs.
But there are some positive signs. LF Ron Westmacott is due back from an extended injury in a couple of days and they are a fairly balanced team. Their offense hung in despite the injuries (.276/.342/.401 – 2nd/2nd/3rd) and their pitching continued to improve (3.84/4.00/3.00 – 2nd/3rd/1st).

Top Position Player – Season: 31-year old LF Joe Olver had a great season in 1939/40, but he was even better this season, batting .326/.363/.486, 13 HR, 79 RBI, 90 R, 36 BB, 5.6 WAR and providing rock-solid defense in the field.

Top Pitcher – Season: 29-year old SP Bradley Dodson was Cambria’s most consistent pitcher this season, going 18-11, 3.87 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.7 WAR.

Key Injuries: LF Ron Westmacott (.321/.442/.603, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) should be back in 2 more days after suffering torn ankle ligaments back in November.

35-year old B Kenneth Logan (.260/.326/.396, 13 HR, 73 RBI, 75 R, 54 BB, 1.9 WAR) sprained his finger in a game against the Pulbery Trolleys back on March 23. He is expected back in a week.

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The Fort Richmond Generals were a bit like Jekyll and Hyde, struggling in February, only to finish strong in March. Despite their fourth consecutive losing season, this season represented their best so far. They will need to improve offensively (.262/.318/.384 – 6th/8th/6th), but their pitching was a strength (389/3.96/3.42 – 3rd/2nd/2nd). They were the top defensive team in the West (.706).

Top Position Player - Season: 22-year old C Danny Trowbridge came into his own this season, batting .299/.334/.488, 15 HR, 92 RBI, 70 R, 26 BB, 4.8 WAR. He won his first Player of the Month honour in February.

Top Pitcher – Season: 27-year old SP Oscar Burruss was Fort Richmond’s top pitcher, going 15-11, 2.77 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 7.2 WAR.

Key Injuries: None.

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Like the Fort Richmond Generals, the Wolseley Unions suffered through a nightmarish February before rebounding in March. And like the Generals, the Unions enjoyed their best season, reaching 70+ victories. Now the challenge is to get above .500 on the season.
The Unions have some work to do, as the offense needs to pick it up a bit (.261/.323/.396 – 8th/6th/5th) as does the pitching (4.25/4.29/4.14 – 5th/5th/4th). Defensively, they were very good (.705- 2nd).

Top Position Player – Season: A tough choice between 22-year old CF Zak Kidd (.277/.331/.494, 25 HR, 87 RBI, 98 R, 43 BB, 25 SB, 5.6 WAR) and 27-year old SS Rubén Sánchez. Both were just outstanding defensively, but I’ll go with Sánchez, who batted .299/.346/.440, 12 HR, 82 RBI, 96 R, 49 BB, 5.2 WAR.

Top Pitcher - Season: 21-year old SP Aaron Saunderson, the former first round pick from 1937/38, is emerging as Wolseley’s ace. This season he went 11-13, 3 SV, 3.10 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.2 WAR.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Sherburn Tigers’ season ended in a whimper, losing 32 games and finishing in 5th place in a weak Western League. The Tigers have some nice pieces in their farm system, especially SP Gavin Wormersley (57/79) who is the top-rated pitching prospect in the United Leagues. But Sherburn could use more young talent like that to really make some noise in the West.
Sherburn’s offense got weaker near the end (.269/.336/.372 – 5th/3rd/8th) and their pitching overall could use some beefing up (4.47/4.54/4.09 – 6th/6th/3rd).

Top Position Player - Season: 34-year old 1B Isaac Harker got a chance to start regularly this season and emerged as arguably Sherburn’s best player, batting .343/.430/.437, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 63 R, 62 BB, 3.5 WAR, combined with good defense (1.022 EFF).

Top Pitcher - Season: SP Myung-gu Son may be the ace on the staff and won the WAR race (4.2) for pitchers, but 25-year old RP Daniel Pierson was Sherburn’s best overall pitcher, going 16-9, 9 SV, 3.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 0.5 WAR. He should be heading to the rotation in the not-too-distant future.

Key Injuries: None.
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The Balmoral Giants rebounded in February and March, winning 29 games verses 22 losses. It’s no coincidence that their improved play coincided with the improved play of veteran SP Dave Mapp. No doubt he took my recent criticism of his play to heart and responded with two great months, winning back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honours, his 2nd and 3rd on the season.
The Giants, offense was fairly good this year (.272/.324/.409 – 4th/5th/2nd), but their pitching is an area that needs to be addressed (5.04/5.15/4.65 – 8th/8th/6th). It improved slightly towards the end of the season, but not enough to help this team get out of the second division. Their defense was rated the worst in the West (.679) as well.

Top Position Player - Season: He’s still only 22-years old, but SS Francisco Rodríguez was head and shoulders the Giants’ top offensive player, batting .317/.362/.473, 8 HR, 70 RBI, 91 R, 44 BB, 6.1 WAR with tremendous defense at shortstop (1.060 EFF).

Top Pitcher – Season: How does a pitcher with a 5.18 ERA get the nod as a team’s best pitcher? You do if you’re SP Dave Mapp, who was all over the map this season. After starting off with a bang, Mapp went into a bad slump, but then rebounded in the final two months to return as the Western League’s top pitcher. Overall, Mapp went 15-14, 5.18 ERA, 1.74 ERA, 2.3 WAR.

Key Injuries: 39-year old 1B Roger Tyler (.277/.317/.393, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 46 R, 18 BB) injured himself while running the bases back on January 2. He broke a bone in his elbow and will be out of commission for another 3 months.

29-year old SP Simon Parker (6-9, 5.04 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 1.2 WAR) suffered torn biceps back on February 8 in a game against the Embro Suns. He should be returning in 4 months.

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The Pulberry Trolleys went 26-24 in the final two months of the season, but they still finished near the bottom of the standings. All signs indicate that they will continue to struggle as they need more young talent to improve their fortunes. Their offense got a little better towards the end, but that is faint praise at best (.261/.322/.372 – 7th/7th/7th). Their pitching is a little better, but still could use an upgrade (4.23/4.18/4.51 – 4th/4th/5th).

Top Position Player – Season: Not a great season offensively for the Trolleys. Former first overall pick SS Wenceslas Jasmim was Pulberry’s best player, batting .273/.308/.408, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 8 R, 32 BB, 3.4 WAR, combined with solid defense.

Top Pitcher – Season: 36-year old SP Nathaniel Schwer was his team’s best pitcher, going 13-10, 3.75 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 2.9 WAR.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Hespeler Stars slipped back into last place for the third consecutive year. Will it be their last bottom feeder finish for the foreseeable future? Time will tell. But sooner or later, one of these prospect rich teams is going to emerge as a new force in the West. Not just this season. The offense was not that bad (.276/.331/.401 – 3rd/4th/4th) but the pitching was very weak (4.63/4.58/4.85 – 7th/7th/7th).

Top Position Player – Season: No contest. 25-year old LF Steven Winstanley was far and away Hespeler’s best player, batting .347/.407/.578, 27 HR, 106 RBI, 121 R, 61 BB, 8.5 WAR while playing outstanding defense in the outfield. He also won the Western League batting title, adding 208 H, 31-2B, 13-3B in 599 AB.

Top Pitcher – Season: 25-year old LHP Gavin Hewat (11-11, 3.72 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 4.7 WAR was Hespeler’s best pitcher this season.

Key Injuries: 32-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (4-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn labrum in game back on November 21. He is out for 2 more months.

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10-02-2015, 04:13 PM	#161
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	1940 Offseason The 1940 offseason did not see as many trades as what was seen last offseason, but it still saw some marquee names change addresses. As in past offseasons, transactions saw major league talent being shipped to Eastern League teams, while highly-touted prospects were sent to Western League teams. A clear indication that more teams in the East are in ‘win now’ mode, while the West teams not named Cambria or Kingston are still in rebuilding mode. It should be interesting how this all pans out. Sooner or later, the Western League will turn into a dogfight for the playoffs. Here are the significant trades that went down in the off months, leading up to ‘Spring’ Training: April 21: The Queensland Eagles acquired 41-year old RP Michael Wilberfoss (66/66) from the Hespeler Stars. In return, the Stars received three minor leaguers: 21-year old IF Jay Western (22/59); 18-year old IF Kobbe Adamse (40/50); and 20-year old IF See-tong Thum (21/23). Wilberfoss is no longer a viable starting pitcher, as he has lost the edge on his fastball (85-87 Mph), but he still has decent command and stamina. He should still be useful coming out of the bullpen for the Eagles. In return, the Stars get a couple of potentially useful depth players. Of the three, Adamse appears to be the closest to joining the big club. He should be a decent contact hitter with decent defense at SS and tremendous speed on the base paths. He has poor plate discipline however. -------- April 25: The Pulberry Trolleys traded perhaps the face of the franchise, when they sent 31-year old CF Rio Gidley (68/68) to the Embro Suns. In return, the Trolleys received three minor leaguers: 21-year old RHP-RP Luke Woodward (48/80 - #1 rated prospect); 21-year old OF Baden Waymouth (22/23); and 21-year old IF Dermott Driscoll (21/23). Gidley, a multiple all-star and top fielder award winner with Pulberry, joins a Suns team that is already loaded with front-line talent in the outfield. Thus, he will probably serve as the fourth outfielder, behind stalwarts LF Anthony Stavely (62/63), CF Terence Durney (80/80) and RF Paul Hooks (80/80). The Trolleys receive essentially one prospect of note: RHP Luke Woodward, who was drafted 9th overall in 1937-38 by the Wolseley Unions. This is the third trade he has been involved in. Is it because “Trouble always seems to find Woodward”, as his scouting report suggests? His stuff, movement and control are all top-notch, but he just hasn’t been able to develop a third pitch (changeup-20/25), relegating him to the bullpen. Still, he should have what it takes to make the big leagues soon. -------- May 6: The Wolseley Unions traded away 27-year old OF Aaron Flanagan (49/49), their 1938-39 Rookie of the Year winner, to the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Unions received three minor leaguers: 20-year old C Thomas Geary (23/72); 22-year old LHP Scott Napper (20/23); and 21-year old RHP Rhys Sellick (20/32). Flanagan mainly played 1B in Wolseley and was rated higher at that position (74/74). The only way for this trade to work to Wolseley’s benefit is if Geary, a 3rd round pick in 1939-40, develops into a quality catcher. Thus far, his development was been positive. He has above average contact with good speed and defense. Flanagan is coming off another all-star season and if he can continue that production with Downie, then the Chiefs may see an improvement in the standings. -------- May 11: The Embro Suns pulled off another major trade when they acquired 33-year old SS Gary Watkinson (80/80) from the Sherburn Tigers. In return, the Tigers received three minor leaguers: 24-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (71/79 - #2 rated prospect); 20-year old 1B Kyle Moorhouse (21/43); and 20-year old SS Samuel Campbell (22/25). The Suns continued their assembly of an outstanding team with the acquisition of perennial all-star Watkinson, rated #4 overall in the ULB. He is starting to show regressions in the latest scouting reports, but he remains a superior contact hitter and decent defender. In return, Sherburn receives perhaps the best starting pitching prospect available in Pierson. He boasts great stuff, filthy movement and tremendous control. He has a reputation of being a tad conceited; but with the Tigers, he has a chance of becoming the team’s ace and backing his attitude up. -------- May 23: The Wellington Athletics joined in the fun as well, acquiring 28-year old IF Brian Main (57/63) from the Pulberry Trolleys. In return, the Trolleys received four minor leaguers: 20-year old RHP Cameron Ueno (34/79 – 13th overall pick in 1939-40); 19-year old RHP Ramón Ortiz (33/80 - #5 rated prospect); 21-year old RHP Cheng-gong Zhao (20/48); and 19-year old SS Dean Ogilvie (20/23). Brain Main has taken a few talent hits in the past couple of scouting reports, but he still a talented infielder, who is most comfortable playing either 2B or 3B. He should help Wellington’s quest in returning to the playoffs. In return, the Trolleys receive some very nice arms, but Ueno and Ortiz are shaping up to be relief pitchers rather than starters. That may limit their impact for Pulberry, but the bullpen should be in good hands in the not-too-distant future. -------- June 22: The Queensland Eagles signed a 34-year old free agent from Curacao, RHP Henny Akerval (64/64) for their starting rotation. He is currently slotted as their No. 4 pitcher. Akerval should be a solid pitcher for the Eagles (Stuff-40/40; Movement-55/55; Control-55/55), with three pitches (fastball-40/40; curveball-45/45; changeup-45/45). His velocity tops out only at 88 Mph but has good stamina (70). -------- June 28: It doesn’t happen often, but an intra-league trade was consummated this off-season between the Downie Chiefs and Stratford Barons. The Barons receive 30-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (55/55) and 19-year old minor league 3B Alexander Wearne (23/66) from the Chiefs, in exchange for 29-year old 1B William Tozer (67/74). Ahn is a borderline starter at best, as he is not blessed with the best stuff (35/35); he is currently listed as Stratford’s No. 5 starter. Wearne, a 5th round pick from 1938-39, shows some promise as a decent contact hitter with some pop, a good eye and decent defense. The Barons have designated 37-year old William Neal (57/57) as their starting 1B and thus deemed the younger Tozer as expendable. Having said that, Neal is higher rated at 1B than Tozer (3rd vs. 6th), but for how long remains to be seen. -------- Similar to last year, the Eastern League teams improved their major league rosters the most, based on WAR. The Embro Suns gained the most (8.8 WAR) in their acquisitions of SS Gary Watkinson and CF Rio Gidley. The Downie Chiefs were also quite active, gaining 8.0 WAR, through the trades that brought 1B William Tozer and RF Aaron Flanagan on board. Last season, the Braeland City Monarchs were the leaders in WAR gained and they ended up going to the United Cup. So we’ll just have to see if either Embro or Downie can reach the same success this coming season. The Pulberry Trolleys saw the greatest drain of frontline talent for a second year in a row. As a result they have the No. 1 ranked farm system in the ULB, just ahead of the Balmoral Giants and the defending United Cup Champions, the Cambria Cannons. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-16-2025 at 11:40 AM.

10-03-2015, 11:55 PM	#162
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	October 7, 1940 Opening Day has finally arrived and it’s time to kick off another exciting season in the United Leagues. The following are the results of the Coconut Leagues, the projected finishes for each team, as well as the top rated players and prospects as of Opening Day. First off, we’ll start with how the Eastern League is predicted to shape up this season: Six teams finished within 3 games of each other, as only the Queensland Eagles and Cobourg Red Stockings were left behind in the standings. The Embro Suns and Stratford Barons finished tied for first. The predicted standings also see the Embro Suns grabbing top spot this year, with the defending Eastern League champions, the Braeland City Monarchs finishing just ahead of the Wellington Athletics for the wild card. In fact, the top five teams are predicted to finish within eight games of each other, suggesting another free-for-all for the playoffs. The Suns are loaded and balanced; bearing that out is the projection of them finishing 2nd in both Runs For and Runs Against. Four players are projected to finish in the Top 10: Jim Friend (.344, 22 HR, 135 RBI) Terence Durney (.314, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 17 SB) Edward Hill (21-9, 3.22 ERA), and Pete Allison (18-12, 3.50 ERA) Interestingly, none of the Suns’ top-rated players appear, namely, SP Colm Soper (#1), SS Gary Watkinson (#4), LF Terence Durney (#5) and RF Paul Hooks (#10). --------- The Braeland City Monarchs were projected to finish in 2nd place last season and are predicted to repeat that finish, just 2 games back of the Suns. They are the defending Eastern League champions, so they appear to be well poise to defend their title. The Monarchs are projected to finish 1<sup>st</sup> in Runs For but just 5<sup>th</sup> in Runs against. Three players are projected to finish in the Top 10 for Braeland City: Scott Kessler (.316, 24 HR, 111 RBI), Lenny Freke (22-7, 2.61 ERA), and David Cooling (19-11, 3.70 ERA) Hot on the heels of the Suns and Monarchs will be the Wellington Athletics, who have been one of the more consistent teams in the Eastern League’s early history. Wellington is predicted to finish 4th in Runs For and 1st in Runs Against. Three players appear in the Top 10: Brian Main (.310, 15 HR, 106 RBI, 15 SB), Bob Boynton (.305, 17 HR, 91 RBI, 16 SB), and Clyde Boney (17-13, 2.86 ERA) The results of the Coconut Leagues were promising for the West, as six of the eight teams finished within 3 games of each other. The Fort Richmond Generals finished on top, closely followed by the Cambria Cannons and Kingston Pelicans. However, the projected standings tell quite a different tale. The Kingston Pelicans are not only projected to regain top spot in the West, but to make it a runaway with 106 victories. This perhaps speaks more about the Pelicans having retained their top talent and being able to compete with the East in interleague games. With the exception of Cambria, the other teams have been off-loading starting talent to the East and stocking their farm systems the past couple of seasons. If the projections hold true, we still have at least one more season before the top spot in the West gets crowded. But there is one cravat: Kingston was predicted to finish in first place with 101 victories last season. But injuries and mediocre play saw them finish with just 85 wins and in 2nd place. So I guess that’s why we play these games out! The Kingston Pelicans are projected to be No. 1 in Runs For and Runs Against; and it won’t even be close in either category. A whopping ten Pelicans make an appearance in the projected Top 10. They are: Jayden Tennant (.315, 34 HR, 116 RBI), Fergus Chitty (.289, 28 HR, 114 RBI), Okura Ito (.327, 21 HR, 101 RBI), Mo Symes (.283, 19 HR, 82 RBI) Chong-sik Lee (.318, 3 HR, 87 RBI), Hirotada Fukushima (23-6, 2.83 ERA), Brady Murdy (21-12, 3.36 ERA), Joey Cumberledge (18-8, 3.38 ERA), Francis Slocock (18-8, 3.40 ERA), and Darwin Monday (13-5, 3.23 ERA). The Cambria Cannons were projected to finish in second place with 81 wins last season, but they ended up with the best record in all of the ULB and won the United Cup. So I guess that just goes to show that these projections are to be taken with a grain of salt. Cambria is projected as No. 2 for Runs For but just No. 6 in Runs Against. So it appears that defense and pitching may be a concern for them this season. Five players appear in the Projected Top 10: Ron Westmacott (.287, 14 HR, 96 RBI, 20 SB), Kenneth Logan (.314, 22 HR, 110 RBI), Al Tucker (.303, 9 HR, 63 RBI, 15 SB), Neil Guerin (16-9, 2.87 ERA), and Owen Tautor (15-13, 4.31 ERA). To round out the snapshot of the United Leagues, here are the top players and pitchers, top prospects and farm system rankings as updated on Opening Day. Play ball!! __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-15-2025 at 09:39 AM.

10-06-2015, 06:30 PM	#163
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	November 1, 1940 Eastern League: Embro, Braeland City Battle for Top Spot -------- The Embro Suns started off the new season 4-5 but then found their groove, going 14-2 the rest of the month. That hot stretch included an 11-game winning streak that ended with a 12-8 loss to the Cobourg Red Stockings on the last day of the month. That dominance is reflected in that Embro swept the monthly awards in the Eastern League. One game was particularly noteworthy: the October 18 match against the Queensland Eagles. Embro pounded the Eagles 24-7. Four players stood out in that game for the Suns: 1B Jim Friend went 4-6 with 3 RBI, 1 R; Newly acquired SS Gary Watkinson went 4-6 with 6 RBI, 3 R; Newly acquired OF Rio Gidley went 4-5 with 3 RBI, 4 R; and C Jack MacAvoy went 5-5 with 2-2B, 2 RBI, 4 R. *Top Position Player:* There’s a lot to choose from, but CF Terence Durney had just an incredible month, winning Batter of the Month honours. That’s in addition the two Player of the Week awards he earned as well. He is rated as Embro’s top player and he is playing like it. *Top Pitcher:* Perhaps this shows a limitation of OOTP. Edward Hill had a terrific month and won Pitcher of the Month honours. But in my opinion, RHP Colm Soper was better. Soper went 4-0, 1.58 ERA, 45.2 IP, 1.03 WHIP, 29 K, 14 BB. But he was passed over for Pitcher of the Month because Hill went 5-0? At any rate, Embro enjoyed a fantastic 1-2 punch at the top of the rotation in October. *Noteworthy:* The Suns rated 1st in EVERY batting category in October (11 categories). *Key Injury:* None. -------- Like Embro, the Braeland City Monarchs started off slow in October. But after a 1-5 start, the Monarchs got red hot, going 16-3 the rest of the way. They enter November on a 7-game winning streak and just 1 game back of Embro for top spot. Offensively, the Monarchs are struggling in the early going (6th-7th), but are ranked 1st in pitching. *Top Position Player:* LF Scott Kessler had a fine month, going .329/.400/.506, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 8 R, 10 BB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP David Cooling went 4-1, 1.20 ERA, 45.0 IP, 0.93 WHIP, 18 K, 6 BB in October. *Key Injury:* None. *Key trade:* The Monarchs acquired 33-year old 1B Dale Langley (39/39 – .286/.361/.444, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 7 R, 8 BB) and minor leaguer 21-year old IF/OF Francis Burrow (23/59) from the Sherburn Tigers on October 23. In return, the Tigers received 28-year old SS Damien Davis (38/41– .273/.293/.345, 4-2B, 9 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB). *Knee-jerk analysis:* Langley becomes the starting 1B for Braeland City, at least against RHP. It is apparent that the Monarchs now feel that 29-year old Marcus Mundford can no longer get the job done. Indeed, Mundford (23/25) has fallen in recent development reports, and is hitting only .227/.292/.348, -0.5 WAR thus far. It is a shame really, as Mundford was the 1940 EL Pennant Series MVP just last season. Langley will be an upgrade somewhat, but the Monarch sure could use a hard-hitting 1B to jump start their anemic offense. -------- Getting off to a slow start then turning it on seems to be the latest fad, as the Wellington Athletics followed that pattern in October. After a 3-7 start, the Athletics then went 11-1 before finishing the month with a 3-game losing streak. Like Braeland City, Wellington is doing well on the pitching side of things (1st-2nd), but is struggling on offense in the early going (5th-6th). A couple of interesting player transactions was made by the Athletics. Both 37-year old 1B Alejandro Valdés (73/73) and 30-year old 1B Byron Tope (48/48) were designated for assignment and sent to AAA after clearing waivers. This means that 28-year old Jeaic Risbrough (25/25) is now the starting 1B for Wellington. While Valdés was struggling (.176/.222/.206, -0.4 WAR), Tope was doing OK (.270/.312/.388, 0.6 WAR). Risbrough (.283/.350/.453, 0.2 WAR) is doing all right as well in the early going. I would not be surprised if Wellington seeks a trade to reduce their glut of veteran 1B in the not-to-distant future. *Top Position Player:* 3B Ryley McLarnon went .327/.333/.407, 5-2B, 15 RBI, 13 R, 1 BB in October. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Clyde Boney was Wellington`s top pitcher for the month, going 3-1, 2.44 ERA, 48.0 IP, 1.10 WHIP, 26 K, 12 BB. *Key Injuries:* RF Quentin Stubber strained a rib cage muscle in a game against the Embro Suns on October 9. He should be back in 5 more days. 2B Brian Main (.253/.340/.462, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 12 R, 13 BB) injured himself while throwing the ball in a game against the Brunswick Legends on the last day of the month. His diagnosis is still pending. -------- The injury bug has gotten to the Queensland Eagles early, as they entered the season missing two of their starting pitchers and now their starting shortstop. Despite that, the Eagles were able to finish October with a .500 record, thanks to a 4-game sweep of the Downie Chiefs to end the month. Given the injuries to the rotation, it’s not surprising that their pitching struggled, ranking 6th; although the bullpen has really struggled, ranking last (9.55 ERA). The offense has actually done quite well in the early going, ranking 3rd. *Top Position Player:* LF Terry Aspden gets the slight edge this month, as he went .261/.373/.565, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 18 R, 17 BB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Max MacColl performed well for the Eagles, as he went 4-1, 2.45 ERA, 44.0 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 18 K, 8 BB. *Key Injuries:* RHP Darren Stewart (13-5, 4.02 ERA-last season) and RHP Roger Young (9-13, 6.37 ERA) were injured during ‘spring’ training. Stewart is out for another 4 weeks with a partially torn labrum and Young may be back in 1-2 weeks after suffering a rotator cuff strain. SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) was on fire to start the season, going 4-6 with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 2 R against the Cobourg Red Stockings on October 10 and going 4-4 with 3 RBI, 2 R against the Stratford Barons on the 16th. But in that game against the Barons, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow. He is gone for another 4 months. -------- Leave it to the Stratford Barons to buck the trend. While other teams started slow and then heated up, the Barons started the month off fine, going 9-4; but then they nosedived, staggering 2-10 the rest of the way. Interestingly, the Barons are not terrible either on offense (2nd to 4th) or in pitching (2nd to 4th). Only their starting ERA is subpar, rated as 6th. If the rotation can rebound, then perhaps the Barons will be right back in the thick of things. *Top Position Player:* SS Jake Walker is a candidate as the top position player in the ULB today (along with Kingston’s SS Okura Ito). In October, he went .311/.431/.522, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 19 BB. RF Paul DeLamare (.350/.398/.495, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 18 R, 9 B) is also having a fine start to the season; in fact, in a game against the Downie Chiefs on October 10, DeLamare went 6-6 with 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 2 R. *Top Pitcher:* RHP Larry Parrish is the top rated reliever in the ULB, and he also enjoyed a fine month, going 2-0, 3 SV, 2.04 ERA, 17.2 IP, 0.96 WHIP, 10 K, 4 BB. *Key Injury:* None. -------- Babe Ruth’s inaugural month as a field manager did not go as smoothly as some would hope, as the Brunswick Legends faltered to a 10-15 record in October. Without question, the loss of pitching ace Matthew Monroe for the season hurts. Brunswick started 3-0, against the defending Eastern League champions Braeland City no less, but then went 7-15 the rest of the way. They did end the month on a 3-game winning streak, taking 3 of 4 from Wellington, so at least they have something to build on in November. The Legends are middle of the pack when it comes to both pitching and offense thus far in the early going. *Top Position Player:* 1B Teuk-chin Kim has been with the organization since the beginning, mostly as a utility player. But he is now getting a chance to start every game and making the most of it. In October, he went .414/.474/.621, 5 HR, 11 RBI, 14 R, 10 BB. He leads all EL players in batting average. *Top Pitcher:* The rotation is seeking some stability after the loss of Monroe. LHP Anastasio Rodríguez may provide it, as he went 3-2, 3.35 ERA, 51.0 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 21 K, 7 BB. *Key Injury:* 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a serious elbow injury on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season. -------- After opening the season with a pair of losses to Queensland, the Cobourg Red Stockings then rattled off 7 straight wins. But that was immediately followed by 7 straight losses. Since then, they have only mustered two victories against 6 defeats. That accurately reflects a team that is devoid of front-line talent, outside of CF Clint Jones and 2B Matthew Lane. But Cobourg does have talent in their system that could help turn things around. Eventually. *Top Position Player:* 25-year old Clint Jones is Cobourg’s biggest star, and he demonstrated that in October, going .312/.369/.667, 8 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 7 BB, 6 SB. Give that man some support! *Top Pitcher:* The pitching staff is really struggling, but I’ll go with RHP George Blankley, as he went 1-2, 3.58 ERA, 37.2 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 15 K, 15 BB. *Key Injury:* 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15 in a game against the Brunswick Legends. He is out for another 3 months. -------- A series of offseason moves has not prevented the Downie Chiefs from hitting rock bottom. They find themselves in the cellar of the Eastern League standings after just one month. The Chiefs stubbornly continue to believe that they can compete. Thus, they went out and acquired players like 1B William Tozer and RF Aaron Flanagan. But they really need to face the fact that they are not very good and just cannot compete with the top clubs. Will this be the year they have an epiphany and finally embrace rebuild? *Top Position Player:* 29-year old William Tozer is one of the best first basemen in the ULB, but he cannot carry a team every night. But he does what he can, and in October, he went .354/.433/.671, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 10 BB. *Top Pitcher:* 36-year old RHP Frank Leadbeater is also does what he can for a desultory team. In October, he went 2-3, 3.14 ERA, 43.0 IP, 1.35 WHIP, 20 K, 14 BB. *Key Injury:* RP-LHP Keith Mailes (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation back on October 9 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is out for another 2 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-15-2025 at 09:41 AM.

10-08-2015, 12:05 PM	#165
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	November 1, 1940 Western League: Kingston Asserts Itself -------- Coming off a disappointing season (at least for them), the Kingston Pelicans were determined to get back on track for 1940-41. Their performance in October certainly bore out that determination, as they dominated to take first place in the West; three games up on both the Cambria Cannons and Sherburn Tigers. The Pelicans’ pitching really shined, as five shutouts were thrown during the month: two by Joey Cumberledge and one each by Brady Murdy, Darwin Monday and Francis Slocock. Good thing, as the bullpen had a rough month, ranking last in the West (7.30 ERA). But that was the only blight on a team that appears to be firing on all cylinders – again. *Top Position Player:* Oh my. Okura Ito and Fergus Chitty are tied for WAR (1.2) and are playing their best defense at their respective positions in the early going. Both are playing tremendous ball right now. Who do I choose? I’ll give the nod to Chitty, as the 1B played to the tune of .316/.411/.589, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 16 R, 15 BB. For comparison, SS Ito’s stat line was .343/.372/.569, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 18 R, 6 BB. Pelican fans don’t care; they’re just glad they both play for their team. *Top Pitcher:* Ok guys, you’re not making this easy. With four pitchers with WHIPs of 0.90, 1.09, 0.87 and 0.91, who really stands out above the others? I’ll give it to the 0.87 guy, I guess. RHP Francis Slocock had a great month, going 3-1, 1.85 ERA, 0.87 WHIP, 15 K, 4 BB. But really, any of the starters could have been singled out. *Noteworthy:* This will be discussed more when we get to Balmoral, but the Pelicans determined that they had too many starting pitchers on hand and deemed LHP Dave Mapp expendable. Balmoral claimed him on waivers. Guess who won Pitcher of the Month honours in October. Oops! *Key Injury:* LHP Hirotada Fukushima (2-1, 2.30 ERA, 1.39 WHIP), who missed all of last season due to a torn flexor tendon, suffered a tired arm on October 27 while pitching against Cambria. He is expected back in 1-2 weeks. -------- The Cambria Cannons have been hampered a bit by the injury bug, but they hung in there in October to keep within three games of Kingston. Offensively, the Cannons are doing alright (2nd-3rd), but their rotation is struggling mightily (8th-4.83 ERA) and they are doing poorly in defensive efficiency (7th). They faced Kingston seven times in October and dropped five decisions. With a resurgent Pelican team, there is little room for slack, so the Cannons will need to figure out their pitching struggles quickly if they want to keep pace. *Top Position Player:* LF Ron Westmacott picked up where he left off last season and I was about to select him as the top Cannon, but I would be remiss if I didn’t give SS Hyun-jung Moon his due, as he went .320/.347/.505, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 16 R, 4 BB on the month. But Westmacott leads in a slew of categories just the same. *Top Pitcher:* Cambria’s starting pitchers are glad to put October behind them, as it wasn’t very memorable. LHP Owen Tautor went 5-0, but with a 5.09 ERA. Looking at his game logs, nearly all of those runs were earned, so his bacon was saved in each start by his teammates. The bullpen performed much better, so I’ll go with RP-RHP Shaun Alford, who in 12.1 IP, went 1-0, 1.46 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 11 K, 10 BB. *Key Injuries:* On October 20, RP-RHP Jason Fortenberry (0-0, 2 SV, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) suffered acute elbow soreness while pitching against Sherburn. He is gone 2-3 months. C Glen Yeend (.325/.349/.463, 9-2B, 15 RBI, 10 R, 3 BB) suffered a sprained thumb in a collision at home plate against Wolseley on October 28. He is out 2 weeks. -------- It’s much too early to get my hopes up, but it’s great to see a bunch of teams nipping at the heels of the Kingston and Cambria. Case in point is the Sherburn Tigers. After one month, the Tigers are tied for 2nd place with Cannons. However, they lost 3 of 4 to Cambria in October and have yet to meet the Pelicans, so I guess it’s too premature to celebrate. (Last year, Fort Richmond got off to a good start, but faded quickly after that.) The Tigers were quite respectable on offense (4th) and nearing respectability in pitching (6th). But outside of C Joe Gault, 3B Mick Lanfear and LF Robin Harney, Sherburn is in dire need of some talent infusion to keep it up. But they have the deepest farm system in the ULB and one pitching prospect, LHP Daniel Pierson has already joined the bullpen. It is hoped that he will one day move to the rotation. *Top Position Player:* 32-year old 3B Mick Lanfear was outstanding in October, going .320/.389/.653, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB. *Top Pitcher:* I’ll go with RHP Steve Greenwell, who went 2-2, 1.95 ERA, 37.0 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 17 K, 13 BB. However, rookie Daniel Pierson had a nice debut, going 3-2, 1 SV, 20.0 IP, 3.60 ERA, 0.85 WHIP, 10 K, 4 BB. *Key Injury:* None. -------- The Balmoral Giants are an up-and-coming team with young talent like 21-year old SS Francisco Rodríguez, who was Rookie of the Year last season and 22-year old LF Carlton Broadbent establishing themselves in the lineup. That is reflected in an offense that is improving (3rd-5th). But the pitching is lagging behind at this point (6th) and Balmoral’s top pitching prospects are still down in AA. So the Giants could use some help. Fortunately, Kingston obliged by placing LHP Dave Mapp on waivers. The Giants swooped in and claimed in. Mapp made an immediate impact and helped his new team to finish October just one game back of 2nd place, and one game over .500. *Top Position Player:* 27-year old RF Shannon Walker has bounced around with Fort Richmond and Embro before landing in Balmoral. Last year, he established himself as an all-star and his excellent play continues, as he won Batter of the Month honours for the first time. *Top Pitcher:* Not to belabor the point, but after being deemed expendable in Kingston, Dave Mapp suddenly became the ace of Balmoral’s starting rotation, and played like one, winning Pitcher of the Month honours in October. *Key Injury:* None. -------- Like a lot of teams in the West, the Wolseley Unions are a mediocre team with only a few players of note: SP Aaron Saunderson, CF Zak Kidd and LF Blake Harmon. That is not surprising, since Wolseley traded its best players to procure future talent. Wolseley has talent down on the farm, but it will take some time to reach the main club. With that in mind, the Unions did not do too badly in October, finishing just 1 game below .500 and 2.0 games back of the wild card. Their run differential reflected that finish as well (-1). The Unions are below average on offense (6th), but are not doing too badly in pitching (2nd-4th), although the rotation had a rough month (7th – 4.79). They are sound defensively however (2nd - .720). *Top Position Player:* SS Rubén Sánchez was Wolseley’s top position player in October. He went .306/.364/.449, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 14 R, 9 BB. *Top Pitcher:* 31-year old RHP Joe Walrond had a fine month, going 4-2, 2.81 ERA, 48.0 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 19 K, 11 BB. *Key Injury:* None. -------- The Fort Richmond Generals are a team in transition at the moment, as they are starting to ease in a few of their highly-touted prospects into the lineup and rotation. Former first round picks, SS Steven Wormleighton (51/63) and C Danny Trowbridge (68/80) are still trying to find their grove. They have been joined in the lineup by former second rounder 3B Britt Wing (29/65). Meanwhile, in the rotation, RHP Dean Stroud (40/74) is now the 5th starter, after working out of the bullpen last season. The Generals are really struggling on offense at the moment, ranking last in host of categories. However their pitching is much more consistent, ranking from 1st to 3rd in nearly every category. *Top Position Player:* When your fifth starter (Dean Stroud) is ranked fourth on the offensive WAR list, just 0.3 WAR behind the leader, you know you’re offense is struggling. So I’ll have to go with SS Steve Wormeighton, who ‘leads’ the team with a .248/.306/.396, 11-2B, 6 RBI, 20 R, 8 BB stat line. *Top Pitcher:* The pitching overall has been more positive; that said, RP-RHP Kantaro Sumita had the best month in my opinion, as he went 3-1, 1.10 ERA, 32.2 IP, 10.92 WHIP, 12 K, 8 BB. *Noteworthy:* On October 18, Fort Richmond defeated the Wolseley Unions 4-3 in 16 innings. In the course of that game, SP Tristan Purss (2-2, 3.45 ERA) set the ULB record for most strikeouts in an extra-inning game with 13 in 12.0 IP. No one had pitched more than 11 K in a game of any length until now. Still waiting for that first 15 K game though (and the first 3 HR game for that matter)! *Key Injury:* 28-year old 2B Everton Ridgley (.206/.227/.254) suffered a sprained ankle in a game against the Kingston Pelicans. He is out four more weeks. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys are in the same position as the rest of the teams in the West not named Kingston or Cambria – waiting for its farm system to bear fruit. It already has former first round picks on the roster in both 2B Colin Strudwick and SS Wenceslas Jasmim, but it could sure use some more. They’re waiting in the wings, but it going to take a little more time. The Trolleys’ pitching was quite respectable this past month, averaging 2nd to 4th in a host of categories, but it’s offense is ranked 7th. *Top Position Player:* Not a lot to choose from, but it’s nice to see former 1st overall pick Wenceslas Jasmim doing well. In October, he went .304/.350/.467, 3 HR, 16 RBI, 14 R, 7 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Again, no one player has really stood out, but RHP Dan Rogers performed well, going 1-2, 2.43 ERA, 37.0 IP, 1.319 WHIP, 19 K, 13 BB. *Noteworthy:* Pulberry’s bullpen, comprised of 39-year old RHP Pete Malcolm and 29-year old LHP Quentin Teague, were both claimed off waivers. Malcolm, back on February 1 from the Stratford Barons, and Teague claimed from the Cambria Cannons on October 24. Teague is a former all-star and won the United Cup last year, but he was really struggling in the early going (2.30 WHIP) this season, before Cambria made him available. *Key Injury:* None. -------- Sooner or later, the Hespeler Stars are bound to escape the basement of the Western League. Their drafting and farm system is starting to produce results, in the form of last season’s 1st overall pick 22-year old CF Vic Weetman, who skipped the minors completely and is prospering as Hespeler’s leadoff man against RHP and cleanup hitter against LHP. They have 24-year old LF Steven Winstanley, who finished 2nd last season in Rookie of the Year honours. They also have 26-year old C Simon Smith, who bounced around the minors a bit. A couple of seasons ago, he was claimed by Fort Richmond in the Rule 5 draft from Heslpeler, only to be returned to the Stars a few months later. But he was a minor league all-star a couple of times and now, given the chance to start regularly for Hespeler, earned Rookie of the Month honours in October. The Stars are very respectable on offense in the early going (1st-3rd) and are showing signs of improvement in the pitching stats (5th-7th). Time, of course, will tell whether they finally make the move upward this season. *Top Position Player:* C Simon Smith won Rookie honours for the month, but LF Steven Winstanley was the Star that shown the brightest in October, batting .383/.439/.723, 5 HR, 15 RBI, 22 R, 11 BB. *Top Pitcher:* 29-year old RHP Freddie Ventriss led a rotation that is still struggling for an identity. In October, he went 2-3, 1.84 ERA, 44.0 IP, 1.43 WHIP, 25 K, 19 BB. *Key Injury:* 42-year old RP-RHP Hyo-cheong Yu (0-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) was diagnosed with bicep tendinitis back on October 26 in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is out for 3 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 08:59 PM.

10-10-2015, 05:58 PM	#167
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 1, 1940 Eastern League: The Top Half Tightens -------- The Braeland City Monarchs took over 1st place in the East, if just barely, from the Embro Suns. Both clubs have had to deal with significant injuries to one of their front-line starters, however. In fact, the month of November saw a number of key players go down to major injuries throughout the ULB. The Monarchs went 12-8 against the Western League teams during the month; 14-10 overall. They lost a series each against the Cambria Cannons, Hespeler Stars and Kingston Pelicans (2 games to 1 each). I make note of this, because in previous seasons, Eastern League teams have usually run roughshod over their Western League counterparts. Braeland City continues to struggle on offense (5th-7th), but has been getting outstanding pitching (1st in a host of categories). *Top Position Player:* C Kane Broom (.322/.354/.461, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 26 R, 8 BB) continued his excellent play in November, as he batted .330/.337/.457, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R, 1 BB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP David Cooling won Pitcher of the Month honours (9-1, 1.10 ERA, 0.90 WHIP), but the Monarchs’ rotation has been red hot. Earlier in the month, 27-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (8-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) pitched a 5-hit shutout and a 3-hit shutout in successive outings, to earn his first Player of the Week honour. If he keeps it up, Bonfield will earn his first all-star appearance as well. *Key Injuries:* On November 19, LF Scott Kessler (.321/.369/.496, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 17 R, 11 BB) injured himself on a defensive play in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals. He could be back in 2 weeks. SP David Cooling strained an abdominal muscle while pitching against the Pulberry Trolleys on November 25. Fortunately for Braeland City, he should be back in a week. -------- The Embro Suns cooled off in November, allowing Braeland City to nudge them out of first place. To make matters worse, the Suns have lost their ace RHP Colm Soper for an extended period to injury. Embro continues to lead the Eastern League in offense, but they have regressed a bit in pitching (5th – 7th). That’s not good, especially in a highly competitive League. The Suns will have to find a way to compensate for the loss of their starting ace. *Top Position Player:* CF Terence Durney won it last month, but this time, it was 1B Jim Friend’s (.359/.439/.646, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 46 R, 31 BB) turn to win the Batter of the Month Award. Really, the Suns are just dominating the Batting Leaderboards, with Friend, Durney, RF Paul Hooks and SS Gary Watkinson leading the way. Watkinson just had a 21-game hitting streak snapped on November 11 and Durney leads the entire ULB in batting average (.408), among other stats. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Edward Hill (10-2, 2.53 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) had another great month, going 5-2, 3.00 ERA in November. But there is a rather large gap between him and the rest of the rotation right now, especially with Colm Soper out of action for an extended period. *Key Injuries:* 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow in a game against the Balmoral Giants on November 22. He is gone for at least 4 months. It should be noted that Soper had been pitching rather poorly in 3 of his previous 4 starts in November (7.16 ERA). So something was obviously troubling him. C Jack MacAvoy (.296/.364/.440, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB) suffered an elbow contusion on November 26 in a game against the Cambria Cannons. He is out 1-2 weeks. -------- It was steady as she goes for the Wellington Athletics in November. After winning 14 games in October, they won 15 games this month; to move to within 3.0 games of first place. Wellington continues to pitch well (2nd–3rd). But their offense started to pick up from last month, ranking 3rd – 5th in most categories. *Top Position Player:* This was a little tougher to pick, but 3B Ryley McLarnon (.353/.368/.462, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 33 R, 6 BB, 8 SB) again gets the nod. He went .380/.404/.519, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 20 R, 5 BB this month. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Clyde Boney (8-1, 2.78 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) was Wellington`s top pitcher for the month again, as he went 5-0, 3.12 ERA. *Key Injuries:* RF Quentin Stubber can’t stay healthy for very long. After straining a rib cage muscle last month, he bruised a bone in his wrist in a game against the Cambria Cannons back on November 16. He should be back in a week. 2B Brian Main’s (.265/.333/.459, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 27 R, 21 BB) injury last month was not serious. It turned out to be a sore shoulder and he was listed as day-to-day for a week. -------- The Stratford Barons were the hottest team in the East in November, running up a 17-9 record. That moved them into fourth place in the standings, 4.0 games back of first. Their offense held steady (2nd – 3rd), but their pitching really stepped it up (1st – 3rd). The starting ERA rated as 6th last month, improved to 3rd (4.93 to 4.07). The bullpen has been sensational, leading the League in ERA (1.97). *Top Position Player:* I’ll go with SS Jake Walker (.332/.461/.522, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 26 R, 44 BB) again, as he stepped it up even more in November. He batted .351/.488/.521, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 25 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Despite the terrific performance by the bullpen, my pick for the month is 31-year old LHP Barry Brear (4-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who went 3-0, 2.20 ERA, 32.2 IP, 10 K, 11 BB. *Noteworthy:* 3B Terry Maxwell (.251/.313/.419, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 20 R, 18 BB) hit for the cycle on November 10 against the Embro Suns. Maxwell singled in the 1st, hit a 3-run triple in the 2nd, hit an RBI double in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot in the 5th and flied in the 7th. In total, he went 4-5, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R. Stratford defeated the Suns 13-2. It’s the 8th cycle in ULB history and Maxwell becomes the 7th player to hit for one. *Key Injury:* RF Paul DeLamare (.345/.406/.482, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 24 R, 15 BB) got hit with the injury bug in November. On November 8, he experienced ankle soreness in a collision at one of the bases and missed two weeks. Then, on November 27, he strained his groin while running the bases against the Fort Richmond Generals. He will miss 4-5 weeks. -------- The Brunswick Legends’ fortunes improved somewhat in November, as they played more competitively, but perhaps more importantly, they went out and acquired a front-line pitcher to replace ace Matthew Monroe, who is lost for the season. The Legends continue to be a middle of the road team in pitching and offense (4th). With a major addition joining the pitching staff, perhaps Brunswick will be solid enough to challenge for the wild card. *Top Position Player:* 2B Vince Bailey (.286/.320/.401, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 28 R, 11 BB, 12 SB) rebounded from a slow October and was Brunswick’s best offensive player in November, going .345/.367/.478, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 14 R, 4 BB, 6 SB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (8-3, 2.88 ERA, 1.19 WHIP), the new ace of the rotation, rose to the challenge in November, going a wonderful 5-1, 2.42 ERA, 52.0 IP, 21 K, 16 BB. *Key Injury:* 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season. *Key trade No. 1:* On November 24, Brunswick acquired 30-year old utility IN/OF Arthur Carruth (40/40) from the Wolseley Unions, along with 23-year old minor league 2B John Sullivan (22/43). In return, the Unions received 33-year old utility OF Jamie Thurgood (29/29). *Knee-jerk analysis:* Carruth is a former Top Fielder and Thurgood is a former all-star. Both are now back-up players, so this really isn’t a ‘key’ trade per se. But Brunswick has moved Carruth to 1B in the depth chart, behind Teuk-Chin Kim. Kim slumped horribly in November (.175/.286/.190) after a strong October, so I suspect Brunswick was looking for an inexpensive backup just in case Kim continues to slump. *Key trade No. 2:* The Legends acquired 25-year old LHP Hirotada Fukishima (67/73 – 5-1, 2.65 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) from the Kingston Pelicans on November 29. In return, the Pelicans received 20-year old minor league RHP Bernie Knowles (20/65) and 18-year old minor league SS Olaf Jasperse (22/35). *Knee-jerk analysis:* Brunswick did what they had to do in the wake of losing their pitching ace Matthew Monroe for the entire season. Fukushima is a solid pitcher (rated 17th overall in ULB) who can step right into the rotation. He will be their No. 2 starter, behind Rodríguez, who is now rated 6th overall in the ULB. Kingston must have felt that injuries were going to limit Fukushima`s effectiveness, as he lost all of last season to injury and was injured for a couple of weeks in October (He is considered fragile). In return, the Pelicans receive Knowles, who was a 3rd round pick last season. He has the potential for respectable stuff, top-notch movement and very good command. He has a good chance of becoming a starter in the majors at some point. -------- Injuries continued to be the story with the Queensland Eagles. Like the Brunswick Legends, the Eagles lost one of their top pitchers for the season in LHP Max MacColl. That`s in addition to the other injuries they are dealing with. So it’s no surprise that the Eagles struggled in November, going 11-15. With the loss of MacColl, it’s not a stretch to say that Queensland is in trouble; aside from RHP Stewart Colcott (5-4, 4.36 ERA, 1.44 WHIP), the rest of the pitching staff has been brutal. 41-year old RP Michael WIllberfoss, who was acquired in a trade last season from the Hespeler Stars, is somehow still holding down a job in the ULB, even though he has so far gone 1-4, 0 SV, 10.22 ERA, 2.31 WHIP. Yeesh. *Top Position Player:* LF Terry Aspden continued his strong play in November, but 31-year old C Dave Wilson (.333/.397/.554, 10 HR, 31 RBI, 38 R, 20 BB) really stepped it up going .371/.404/.629, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 16 R, 6 BB. *Top Pitcher:* LHP Max MacColl (6-2, 2.47 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he went 2-1, 2.48 ERA, 32.2 IP, 16 K, 8 BB in November, before his season was cut short by injury. *Key Injuries:* Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns back on November 19. He is lost for the season. RF Toby Reakes (.250/.383/.319, 4-2B, 14 RBI, 25 R, 31 BB) suffered a bone spur in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns on November 13. He is expected in 1-2 weeks. SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for another 3 months. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow. -------- The Downie Chiefs rebounded somewhat in November and find themselves out of the basement, at least temporarily. The Chiefs had some success against the Western League teams, going 11-9 thus far. Their offense and defense is still ranked near the bottom (7th-8th), but their pitching improved modestly (6th from 7th). *Top Position Player:* 25-year old LF Harrison Brooks (.278/.363/.405, 1 HR, 18 RBI, 19 R, 18 BB, 6 SB) won his first Player of the Week award in late November. During the month he went .329/.409/.500, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 15 R, 11 BB 5 SB. *Top Pitcher:* There weren’t any real standout performances for the Chiefs this month, but 31-year old RHP Bradley Paris (3-3, 2.09 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) went 2-3, 2.76 ERA, 42.1 IP, 18 K, 12 BB. *Key Injury:* RP-LHP Keith Mailes (1-0, 0.00 ERA) was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation back on October 9 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is out for another 4 weeks. *Key trade:* On November 13, Downie acquired 30-year old utility CF Tadamasa Takano (29/29) from the Cambria Cannons. In exchange, the Cannons received 33-year old RHP Hidetada Kobayashi (52/52) and 19-year old minor league C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (23/70). *Knee-jerk analysis:* The Cannons get an average SP to shore up the 5th spot in the rotation, as they too, are dealing with injuries. But they also get Deang, a former 8th round pick who appears to be a sleeper as he is doing quite well offensively in AA. He really needs to work on his defense however. And what does Downie get in return? A CF that will only be a modest improvement to what they already had. Takano has great defense, great speed and limited offensive ability. Deals like this just make me shake my head, as I have no idea what Downie is trying to accomplish. They have the worst farm system in the ULB, and what they do have, they are trading away for marginal talent. A good deal for Cambria though. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings regressed badly in November, winning all of 7 games to fall to last place in the East. The Red Stockings have become a laughing stock at the moment, as they are rated last or near last in all offensive, defensive, and pitching categories. They have nowhere to go but up. *Top Position Player:* While not a defensive whiz, 24-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (73/79 - .308/.374/.533, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 21 BB) has all the makings to become a top offensive force in the league. In November, he batted .343/.422/.559, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Did I mention that this team is a laughing stock? I cannot in good conscience recommend anyone as having had a decent month on the pitching staff. Hopefully, things will pick up in December. *Key Injury:* 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15 in a game against the Brunswick Legends. He is out for another 2 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 09:06 PM.

10-07-2015, 12:48 PM	#164
thirdsaint Major Leagues Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Chicago Posts: 364	This might be the Embro Suns' league to lose this year though hopefully Braeland City can keep pace and not let the Suns get too far ahead. What an opening month for Durney!

10-14-2015, 03:13 PM	#168
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	(Have I mentioned that being sick is not fun? ) December 1, 1940 Western League: The Good, the Bad and the Downright Ugly -------- The Kingston Pelicans rolled right along in November going 18-8. Despite that impressive run, they only enjoy a 4.5 game lead over the 2nd place Cambria Cannons. Their offense is the best in the West and with the exception of their bullpen (8th – 6.14 ERA), so is their pitching. On December 1, the Pelicans announced that they have set their team focus from ‘rebuild’ to ‘neutral’. Not only did I not realize they went through a rebuilding phase, but I’d hate to see them when they decide to focus on ‘win now’. *Top Position Player:* 32-year old 1B Fergus Chitty (.330/.427/.580, 9 HR, 39 RBI, 31 R, 25 BB) is at the top of his game, as he went .344/.442/.570, 3 HR, 8-2B, 20 RBI, 15 R, 17 BB in November. Top Pitcher: This was a little bit easier this month, as 32-year old Brady Murdy (10-1, 1.83 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) won Pitcher of the Month honours in November. It’s the fifth time in his ULB career. During the month, he pitched a 5-hit shutout against the Pulberry Trolleys and a 3-hit shutout against the Brunswick Legends. He has pitched 3 shutouts this season so far. *Key Injury:* OF Chong-sik Lee (.347/.423/.500, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 15 R, 10 BB) suffered a herniated disc on November 18 in a game against the Trolleys. He expected back in a couple more days. -------- Despite the injuries, the Cambria Cannons carried on in November. The defending United Cup champions put up a 16-9 record that kept them within striking distance of the red-hot Pelicans as well as maintain their hold on the wild card. But their biggest test may yet to come, as they lost their franchise player, LF Ron Westmacott, to injury, for the rest of the regular season. The Cannons’ offense held steady (2nd-3rd) in November. In another bit of good news, their pitching staff picked things up (4th in ERA) after a subpar October. *Top Position Player:* CF Joe Olver (.366/.419/.535, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB), who has shifted to left field in the wake of Ron Westmacot’s injury, had a sensational month. He won both a Batter of the Month award and a Player of the Week Award for his sterling play. *Top Pitcher:* A toss-up between RHP Neil Guerin (4-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) and RHP Bradley Dodson (8-2, 3.18 ERA, 1.17 WHIP). Dodson went 5-0, 2.77 ERA in 6 starts, but I’ll give the edge to Guerin, who went 3-2, 2.55 ERA, 16 K, 8 BB in 6 starts. *Key Trade:* On November 25, the Cambria Cannons made a trade with the Balmoral Giants. The Cannons received 28-year old IN/OF Domenic Carmody (45/62 - .307/.349/.453, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 8 R, 5 BB). In return, the Giants received 19-year old minor league OF Ron Robb (21/63) and 24-year old minor league SP Robbie MacVurich (21/26). *Knee-jerk Analysis:* With the loss of Westmacott, the Cannons had some juggling to do. In Carmody, they receive an average player who was serving as a utility outfielder in Balmoral. However, he had a fine season last year and made the all-star team. He will start at 2B for Cambria, while regular 2B Aiden Smerdon will become the backup outfielder. CF Joe Olver switches to LF while OF Bert Helmer steps up to take over CF. The Cannons surrender a 4th rounder from 1939 in OF Robb and a 5th rounder from 1937 in MacVurich. Both have potential to make the majors, but nothing to get too excited about. *Key Injuries:* LF Ron Westmacott (.321/.442/.603, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) suffered torn ankle ligaments in a game against the Downie Chiefs on November 17. He is out 4 months. SP-RHP Willem Atkins (1-3, 4.45 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation back on November 4 while pitching against the Pulberry Trolleys. He will miss another 3 months. RP-RHP Jason Fortenberry (0-0, 2 SV, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) suffered acute elbow soreness while pitching back in October. He is gone 6-7 weeks. -------- The Sherburn Tigers kept their head above water in November, enjoying their second consecutive winning month. But with Cambria kicking it into high gear, the Tigers find themselves falling back 3.0 games of the wild card. Sherburn maintained their performance on offense (4th) but regressed a little in pitching (6th to 7th). *Top Position Player:* 30-year old LF Robin Harney (.354/.469/.448, 13-2B, 20 RBI, 35 R, 41 BB, 7 SB) has been playing some his best baseball since being traded from the Kingston Pelicans back in 1937. In November, he went .372/.487/.457, 8-2B, 8 RBI, 15 R, 22 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Not a memorable month for Sherburn pitchers, but I’ll give it to RHP Myung-gu Son (5-1, 4.15 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), who went 2-0, 3.64 ERA, 42.0 IP, 21 K, 18 BB in 6 starts. *Key Injury:* None. -------- The Fort Richmond Generals saw some hopeful signs from their young players as they finished November with a winning record. Although RHP Dean Stroud (1-6, 6.30 ERA, 1.88 WHIP) continued to struggle, others like SS Steven Wormleighton (.268/.310/.394, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 33 R, 12 BB), C Danny Trowbridge (.246/.256/.349, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 12 R, 2 BB) and especially 3B Britt Wing (.280/.351/.405, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R, 17 BB) saw their play pick up this past month. Thus the Generals saw a modest improvement in their batting rankings (7th from 8th) and held steady in pitching (2nd-3rd). *Top Position Player:* 23-year old 3B Britt Wing, a former 2nd round pick from 1938 gave Generals’ fans cause for celebration this month. He had a terrific November at the plate, winning his first Rookie of the Month Award in the process. *Top Pitcher:* Although the bullpen is rated No. 1 in the Western League, I’m going to give the nod to RHP Tristan Purss (5-4, 2.97 ERA, 1.09 WHIP), who went 2-2, 2.25 ERA, 53.0 IP, 26 K, 7 BB in 6 starts. *Key Injuries:* 26-year old utility IN/OF Copper Hawkins (.303/.343/.394, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB) was diagnosed with a torn quad suffered in a game against the Downie Chiefs on November 10. He is out for one more week. 21-year old RF Gavin Bansfield (.237/.295/.339, 6-2B, 6 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) separated his shoulder in a game against the Cobourg Red Stockings on November 12. He is out 2-3 weeks. -------- The Wolseley Unions were the 5th Western League team to enjoy a winning record in November, another positive sign that perhaps the Western teams is becoming a little more competitive (although other teams are seriously regressing – see Pulberry). The Unions maintained the status quo, ranking 6th on offense, 2nd-3rd in pitching and 7th in starter’s ERA. *Top Position Player:* 23-year old RF Nicky Willis (.319/.377/.473, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 29 R, 19 BB) was outstanding in November. He batted .341/.396/.505, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R, 9 BB. *Top Pitcher:* 21-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (4-3, 2.26 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), a former 1st round pick in 1937, showed his promise in November, going 3-1, 1.88 ERA, 28.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 6 K, 17 BB in 5 starts. *Key Injury:* 31-year old 3B Datu Balsalubra (.248/.313/.295, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 10 BB) suffered shoulder tendinitis in a game back on November 29. He is out 5 more weeks. -------- The Balmoral Giants struggled against the Eastern League teams in November, going just 7-20. The Giants are definitely going through some growing pains, as the offense regressed a bit to 5th overall. But it was their pitching that really sunk them, falling from 6th to 8th almost across the board. After winning Pitcher of the Month honours in October, ace LHP Dave Mapp went just 1-5, 7.75 ERA in 6 starts. Ouch. *Top Position Player:* 22-year old SS Francisco Rodríguez (.297/.338/.492, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 29 R, 12 BB) had a fine month, batting .333/.352/.539, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R, 3 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Given the funk the rotation is in, I’ll give this to RHP Julius Hunt (1-3, 3 SV, 3.82 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), who went 1-1, 3 SV, 2.25 ERA, 24.0 IP, 1 K, 7 BB. *Key Injury:* None. -------- The Hespeler Stars didn’t have a winning record in November, but they did improve a wee bit. Thanks to the total collapse of others around them, they even escaped the basement. The Stars cooled off a little on offense (3rd – 4th), but maintained their pitching performance (6th). Their starters’ ERA continues to impress, ranking second in the West (4.01 ERA). But their rotation took a bit of a hit with the loss of SP- RHP Brendon De san miguel, who is gone for the season. *Top Position Player:* 22-year old CF Vic Weetman (.340/.388/.490, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 33 R, 17 BB) is having a great season, but once again, LF Steven Winstanley (.345/.395/.600, 9 HR, 34 RBI, 43 R, 18 BB) gets the nod, as he went .311/.354/.491, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 21 R, 7 BB. *Top Pitcher:* RHP Freddie Ventriss (4-5, 2.34 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) went 2-2, 2.84 ERA, 44.1 IP, 13 K, 19 BB in 6 starts on an otherwise lackluster pitching staff. *Key Injuries:* 36-year old RF Louie Maylam (.253/.330/.425, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 20 R, 19 BB) came down with knee tendinitis back on November 27. He is out for 4 weeks. 32-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (4-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn labrum in game against the Brunswick Legends back on November 21. He will be out of action for 8 months. 42-year old RP-RHP Hyo-cheong Yu (0-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) was diagnosed with bicep tendinitis back on October 26 in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is gone for 8 weeks. -------- In what has to be the worst monthly performance thus far in ULB history, the Pulberry Trolleys went an embarrassing 5-20 in November. That included an 11-game losing streak near the start of the month as well as a 6-game losing streak they are currently ‘enjoying’. Predictably, the Trolleys’ pitching regressed, falling to 4th – 5th in a host of categories, but their offense completely tanked. Pulberry suffered no injuries, minor or otherwise in November, so the frontline players have no one to blame but themselves for this stretch of ineptitude. *Top Position Player:* No one really stood out, but there were a few decent performances to choose from. 30-year old LF Tony Blakeney (.286/.356/.379, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 26 R, 21 BB) did OK I guess, batting .286/.327/.374, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 6 BB. *Top Pitcher:* Not a lot to choose from, but LHP Quentin Teague (2-2, 4 SV, 4.78 ERA, 1.82 WHIP) was one of the few to pick up his game in November, going 1-2, 2 SV, 3.46 ERA, 13.0 IP, 6 K, 7 BB. It was that kind of month for Pulberry. *Key Injury:* None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 09:12 PM.

10-14-2015, 06:34 PM	#169
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,798 Blog Entries: 1	Brilliant idea to bring the Babe to Braeland. Super writing in "The Legend Returns". Boy, you are good. I feel I was really aboard the ship and in the banquet room. Special story... the cigars in the closing scene... and the "kid" with the Babe. Now I'll have to follow the Legends as well as the Pelicans. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-14-2015 at 06:36 PM.

10-17-2015, 05:53 AM	#170
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	December 6, 1940 1940-41 Amateur Draft Results Hespeler, Norfolk (BP) – With the Stars having had the first selection last season as well as this year, it was only fitting that Hespeler played host to the 1940 – 41 Amateur Draft. Representative from all 16 clubs convened at Hespeler’s Hotel Pacific to select from among over 130 ULB hopefuls. Following the Stars, the Pulberry Trolleys and Wolseley Unions selected 2nd and 3rd respectively. Here is a brief sketch of the players taken in the first round: 1st Pick – Hespeler Stars: C Aaron Skidmore (44/80) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 205 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The first overall selection was a 21-year old catcher that boasts amazing hitting skills. Skidmore has plus contact and power potential to go along with tremendous plate discipline. With a little work, he should be a serviceable defensive catcher. However, he has no speed or base running ability to speak of. -------- 2nd Pick – Pulberry Trolleys: OF Bruno Lapthorne (22/77) – 20-years old; 6’-1”, 180 lbs.; Hits LH/Throws LH The Trolleys went with the Australian outfielder as the 2nd overall pick. The Brisbane native is projected to be a terrific contact hitter and power hitter with blazing speed. He will be an absolute terror on the base paths. On the downside, plate discipline could be a serious liability if he is unable to improve. -------- 3rd Pick – Wolseley Unions: SS Jorge Arredondo (20/50) – 19-years old; 6’-1”, 175 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The Cuban-born infielder should be a good although not great hitter. There are concerns over his plate discipline and below average fielding. He should be a proficient base-stealer. -------- 4th Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings: SS Simon Flatt (21/63) – 19-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The second shortstop selected, Flatt will not have a lot of power, but should have above-average contact and work the count really well. He projects to be an average fielder with well above-average foot speed. -------- 5th Pick – Sherburn Tigers: SP Roberto Taváres (52/80) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH For the second year in a row, the Tigers went with a starting pitcher for their first selection. The 21-year old RHP from Venezuela projects to be another keeper, as Taváres has consistent, above-average stuff, wonderful movement and great command. -------- 6th Pick – Balmoral Giants: OF Ellis Rothwell (52/77) – 22-years old; 6’-1”, 200 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws LH Rothwell has the potential of above-average contact and all-star caliber speed on the base paths. He will not be a power threat and he tends to swing at anything that’s near the plate. He should be a serviceable though not a spectacular fielder. -------- 7th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals: C Heung-su Park (25/78) – 23-years old; 5’-10”, 195 lbs.; Hits LH/Throws RH The South Korean native is projected to be a very good contact hitter with plus-plus power. Not a good runner, he should however, be steady defender behind the plate. -------- 8th Pick – Downie Chiefs: OF Sean Murchie (23/65) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 185 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH Murchie should a fairly decent singles hitter with solid defense and an excellent base-stealer. As with many prospects in this year’s draft, patience at the plate is not a strong suit. -------- Here is the rest of the first round, selections 9-16: 9th Pick – Queensland Eagles: SP Francisco López (25/77) – stuff (35/45), movement (55/65) and control (40/55). 23-years old; 5’-9”, 180 lbs.; groundball tendency; 89-91 Mph velocity; Switch hitter/Throws RH Plus-plus stuff, top-notch movement on all pitches and very good command. Throws 4 type of pitches, with his cutter (45/50) and changeup (40/55) the most promising. -------- 10th Pick – Brunswick Legends: SP Ron Cowen (52/78) – stuff (40/45), movement (65/70) and control (40/55). 23-years old; 5’-10’, 180 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 88-90 Mph velocity; Switch hitter/Throws RH Great stuff and aggressive, top-notch movement on all pitches and great command. Throws three pitches: fastball (45/50), sinker (50/60) and curveball (45/50). -------- 11th Pick – Kingston Pelicans: SP Patrick Denman (20/75) – stuff (30/40), movement (55/70) and control (30/55). 20-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws LH Great stuff and aggressive, positively filthy movement and superb control. Throws 5 type of pitches, with his splitter and forkball (both 40/50) the best right now. -------- 12th Pick – Embro Suns: 3B Dennis Ducay (23/67) – contact (35/45), gap power (50/65) and eye (30/40). 21-years old; 6’-2”, 205 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH Mediocre contact with elite power potential (30/40). Very good defense at 3B and RF and but not a speedster. -------- 13th Pick – Stratford Barons: RP Arthur Collier (20/80) – stuff (30/40), movement (60/75) and control (25/50). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 160 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH Above-average stuff, positively filthy movement and pretty good command. Throws a fastball (40/50) and a curveball (25/50); but Collier’s changeup is rated as 20/20, so he will need to work on improving it to have a realistic chance of becoming starter. -------- 14th Pick – Wellington Athletics: IF Thomas Murphy (23/57) – contact (40/50), gap power (45/50) and eye (45/55). 22-years old; 5’-9”, 170 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits LH/Throws LH Mediocre contact with little power potential (25/30). Solid defense at SS with above average speed on the base paths. -------- 15th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: OF Marcus Maundrell (21/67) – contact (35/50), gap power (35/45) and eye (40/60). 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits LH/Throws RH Average contact with little, if any, power (20/25). OK defense at CF and excellent speed on the base paths. -------- 16th Pick – Cambria Cannons: OF Jesús Ortega (21/66) – contact (35/55), gap power (25/40) and eye (30/55). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH Above-average contact with cleanup power potential (25/40). Will go after a bad pitch now and then. Defense is a concern but has tremendous speed on the base paths. -------- Here are the standings as of December 6: __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 09:22 PM.

10-17-2015, 10:05 PM	#171
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,469	That card set you're using is fantastic. __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report

10-19-2015, 07:31 PM	#174
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	January 1, 1941 Eastern League: Braeland City Increases Lead, But Five Others in Hot Pursuit -------- The Braeland City Monarchs rolled right along in December, increasing their lead in the East. They now enjoy a 4-game lead over the Stratford Barons for first place. In so doing, they remain above the fray that the wild card chase has become, as no less than 5 teams are now battling it out for a playoff spot. The Monarchs’ strength continues to be their pitching, as they rank first in a slew of categories (2.81 Starter’s ERA; 2.55 Bullpen ERA), but continue to trail most other teams on offense (.280/.339/.401 – 5th/6th/7th). It will be interesting to see whether Braeland City makes a move before the trade deadline at the end of January to beef up its lagging offense for the last playoff push or not. Top Position Player: 2B Finlay Ridd (.325/.383/.412, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 38 R, 28 BB) is one of the Monarchs’ top players, and in December he proved it by going .323/.389/.448, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 14 R, 11 BB). Top Pitcher: I’m going to go with two pitchers this time. SP David Cooling (12-1, 1.40 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) battled injuries and setbacks this past month, but still managed to go 3-0, 2.09 ERA, 38.2 IP, 24 K, 7 BB. Out of the bullpen, 22-year old RHP Samuel Hollier (1-2, 8 SV, 1.57 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) went 1-1, 5 SV, 0.61 ERA, 14.2 IP, 9 K, 4 BB. You can’t ask for much more from your pitchers. Key Injuries: Utility 1B Marcus Mundford (.233/.298/.309, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 9 BB) suffered a fractured cheekbone on December 13 in a game against the Cobourg Red Stockings. He is gone a further 3-4 weeks.[/COLOR] 3B Louie Hetherington (.261/.344/.390, 5 HR, 39 RBI, 40 R, 31 BB) sprained his thumb in a game against the Stratford Barons on December 23. He is out for 3 more weeks.[/COLOR] -------- After a sub-par October, the Stratford Barons have been the hottest team in the Eastern League the past two months, winning a total of 33 games in November/December. That’s 3 more than Braeland City (and 1 more than the Brunswick Legends). The Barons’ offense has been rock solid this season (.291/.360/.437 – 1st/2nd/2nd) as has their pitching (3.77 overall ERA/3.99 starters ERA/2.37 bullpen ERA – 2nd/4th/1st). The Barons are relatively healthy and appear to be in good shape to challenge for a playoff spot or perhaps even challenge Braeland City for top spot (jinx!). Top Position Player: So much to choose from, as Stratford is not short of players performing well, but I’ll give the slight edge this month to 22-year old LF Bart Wallwin (.314/.366/.450, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 38 R, 20 BB) who went .322/.392/.545, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 15 R, 7 BB. Top Pitcher: 32-year old LHP Ryan Borden (9-6, 3.21 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) is currently Stratford’s No. 1 pitcher in the rotation. He had a fine month in December, going 5-1, 2.84 ERA, 50.2 IP, 20 K, 8 BB. Key Injury: None. -------- The Embro Suns have been regressing that past two months after a sensational October. They have fallen out of first in the East and are now a 0.5 game out of the wild card spot. It appears the loss of ace SP Colm Soper to an extended injury has affected the Suns more than anyone realized. Their offense continues to be top notch (.287/.361/.449 – 3rd/1st/1st), but their rotation has really been exposed (4.51/4.74/3.31 – 6th/7th/3rd). Only Cobourg’s starting ERA has been worse. Top Position Player: 35-year old RF Paul Hooks (.335/.435/.634, 19 HR, 80 RBI, 44 R, 50 BB) was just incredible in December, batting .341/.437/.729, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 16 R, 16 BB. No doubt he was a serious contender for Batter of the Month. While a couple of his teammates endured slumps this past month (CF Terence Durney - .218; 1B Jim Friend - .253), Hooks seems to be immune to slumps (.333; .329 & .341 in Oct/Nov/Dec - another jinx!). Top Pitcher: There was very little to choose from in the rotation in December, although RHP Chris Sappington wasn’t bad at all (4-2, 3.29 ERA). But LHP Nick Staples (5-1, 7 SV, 2.65 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) was sensational pitching out of the bullpen, as he went 1-1, 2 SV, 1.54 ERA, 11.2 IP, 8 K, 4 BB. Key Injury: 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He is gone for at least 3 more months. -------- The Brunswick Legends was the hottest team in the East this past month, going 19-9. That included 10 games of a 12-game winning streak that carried over from the end of November. That success has seen them move them up in the standings and they are now just 2.5 games back of Stratford for the wild card. But December wasn’t all good news. Shortly after their 12-game winning streak ended, they went into a little slump which included a 4-game sweep at the hands of league leading Braeland City. Three of those losses were by a single run, so perhaps it was more of a case of bad breaks. Their offense continues to be middle of the road in the East (.286/.351/.411 – 4th/5th/5th), but the pitching staff has done an admirable job of stepping it up in the wake of losing their ace for the season (3.88/3.89/3.84 – 3rd/2nd/4th). Top Position Player: RF Mark Elston (.346/.461/.564, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 49 R, 61 BB) makes this selection easy, as he won Batter of the Month honours in December. Top Pitcher: The Legends acquired 25-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (9-2, 2.35 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) in late November from the Kingston Pelicans to help shore up their rotation, and he did not disappoint. Fukushima rewarded them by going 4-1, 1.89 ERA, 38.0 IP, 17 K, 10 BB in December. Key Injuries: 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season. 3B Derek Sakurai (.291/.383/.463, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 53 R, 36 BB) suffered a quad strain in a game against the Downie Chiefs on December 13. Two days later, he was acknowledged with a Player of the Week Award. He is out a further 3 weeks. -------- The Wellington Athletics cooled off in December, going 13-14. In the highly competitive East, that sees them fall to 4th spot, 2.5 games back of the wild card and tied with the surging Brunswick Legends. They are a nicely balanced team, so their struggles speak more of the tough competition in the East. In the 11 games they played against their Eastern League counterparts this month, the Athletics lost seven of them, being swept by the Monarchs in 3 games, and dropping 3 of 4 to the Legends. The offense continues to improve this season (.288/.351/.421 – 2nd/4th/3rd), but their pitching is regressing (4.04/3.90/4.62 – 4th/3rd/5th), after being a strength earlier in the season. Top Position Player: 30-year old C Dylan Watkins (.337/.413/.543, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 44 R, 32 BB) was sensational in December, batting .381/.441/.691, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 15 R, 10 BB. Top Pitcher: 29-year old RHP Derek Cawley (4-6, 4.05 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) had a fine month, going 1-2, 2.65 ERA, 37.1 IP, 25 K, 7 BB. Key Injury: 2B Brian Main’s (.280/.353/.474, 5 HR, 40 RBI, 31 R, 25 BB) is having a hard time this year staying healthy. On December 4, he strained his quadriceps in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He should be back in 4 more days (or at least begin a rehab assignment). -------- The Queensland Eagles enjoyed an upswing in December, winning 17 games, their best showing thus far this season. That moves them 3 games above .500 on the season and just 4 games back of the wild card. That is impressive considering the injuries they have endured thus far and the mediocre performance of their pitching staff overall (4.52/4.31/6.04 – 7th/6th/8th). That said, they’ve enjoyed some nice performances and the offense isn’t the worst around either (.275/.353/.419 – 6th/3rd//4th/). Top Position Player: Oh my. No less than 4 players enjoyed outstanding months in December at the plate: LF Terry Aspden (.330), C Dave Wilson (.333), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.348) and newcomer 1B Dean Bishop (.324). I’ll go with Aspden and Bishop. Aspden (.307/.409/.564, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 59 R, 53 BB) went .330/.434/.580, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 22 R, 20 BB in December. Meanwhile, 26-year old Bishop (69/69 – .287/.421/.490, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 20 R, 31 BB) was a revelation and won Rookie of the Month honours. Bishop was actually acquired in a trade last month with the Kingston Pelicans, a trade that I somehow overlooked. Queensland gave up 33-year old utility OF Lenny Wyatt (37/37 – .286/.333/.321) and 19-year old minor league OF Harold Sheldon (23/78 – 6th overall prospect) to get him. Bishop was blocked by all-star Fergus Chitty in Kingston and appears to be making the most of his opportunity to start in Queensland. Top Pitcher: RHP Stewart Colcott (9-4, 3.48 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) really stepped it up in December, winning the second Pitcher of the Month honour of his career in the process. Key Injuries: Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow in a game against the Embro Suns back on November 19. He is lost for the season (4 months). SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for 8-9 weeks. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow. -------- The Downie Chiefs may be an afterthought in the playoff chase, but they have been steadily improving with each passing month. They enjoyed their first month with an above .500 record in December. They are still struggling on offense (.269/.332/.380 – 7th//7th//8th) but they’re pitching staff continues to slowly improve (4.16/4.08/6.62 –5th/5th/6th). It may be too late for the Chiefs this season to make a serious push for the playoffs, but if their improved play is indicative of things to come, then Chiefs fans have something to be hopeful. Top Position Player: As mentioned, the Chiefs’ offense is struggling. But 27-year old RF Aaron Flanagan (.297/.373/.495, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 31 R, 22 BB) had a nice month overall, batting .338/.400/.575, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 16 R, 8 BB. Top Pitcher: Some nice performances to choose from, but I’ll go with 36-year old RHP Frank Leadbeater (9-5, 2.93 ERA, 1.32 WHIP), the ace of the Chiefs staff. Leadbeater went 4-1, 2.30 ERA, 47.0 IP, 23 K, 14 BB. Key Injury: None. -------- In the race towards the bottom, no one can top the Cobourg Red Stockings. The Red Stockings won all of 7 games in November, but were upstaged by the Pulberry Trolleys, who won just 5. Not to be outdone, Cobourg could only muster 4 victories in the month of December in 27 games. They also threw in a 15-game losing streak for good measure. That’s a ‘winning’ percentage of .148, an all-time record in the ULB. There are not a lot of positives to speak of, but Cobourg still has one of the deepest farm systems in the ULB, so there’s that. Let’s just hope that when the prospects arrive, they will adjust to the majors a bit better than 22-year old SS Dennis Borton (.184/.221/.270, -1.9 WAR). Borton was the 12th overall pick in the 1937-38 amateur draft. How is Cobourg’s offense (.255/.319/.401 – 8th/8th/6th) and pitching (5.71/5.74/5.56 – 8th/8th/7th) doing exactly? Yeah, pretty crummy. Top Position Player: It’s sad to see how this team has thrown in the towel. Players that were doing well earlier in the season have really regressed (e.g. Clint Jones - .218 in December). So no one really jumps out. That said 33-year old RF Tatsuya Sugahara (.305/.348/.439, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R, 10 BB) has performed pretty well in the starts he has been given this month. In 65 AB, Sugahara batted .323/.351/.408, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 7 R, 3 BB. Top Pitcher: Some truly embarrassing performances in December, but RHP Aiden Tassell (2-13, 4.70 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) actually improved his play. After going 0-9, 5.96 ERA in the first two months, he went 2-4, 2.74 ERA, 49.1 IP, 7 K, 16 BB in December. Key Injury: 29-year old RF Brian Herdman (.350/.480/.600, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R, 5 B) suffered a partially torn labrum back on October 15. He is out for another 5 weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-14-2025 at 06:04 PM.

10-21-2015, 04:30 PM	#175
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	January 1, 1941 Western League: Catch Me If You Can -------- 17-8, 18-8, 19-8. That has been the record of the Kingston Pelicans for the first three months of the season. The Pelicans have set the bar in the West incredibly high. They are on pace to win around 106 games and are leaving the other 7 teams behind in their wake in the process. When it comes to pitching and hitting, Kingston is the class of the United Leagues. They are potent on offense (.289/.357/.439 – 1st/1st/1st) while only their bullpen has shown any vulnerability (3.13 ERA/2.17 Starters’ ERA/5.65 Bullpen ERA – 1st/1st/7th). After a down year for them last season, the Pelicans have returned with a vengeance. *Top Position Player:* 29-year old SS Okura Ito (.336/.365/.457, 16 HR, 70 RBI, 60 R, 17 BB) was gangbusters again this month, batting .350/.381/.558, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 22 R, 6 BB. He won a Player of the Week Award in the middle of the month as well. *Top Pitcher:* SP Brady Murdy (16-1, 1.94 ERA, 0.92 WHIP) has not been stuck with a loss since October and he has won 9 of his last 10 starts. His work this season has been simply jaw-dropping. It’s no surprise that earned his second consecutive Pitcher of the Month honour this season. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The Cambria Cannons have been putting up a valiant effort to try and keep up with the powerhouse Pelicans, but injuries have simply taken their toll on this outfit. On December 2, the Cannons announced that they set their focus on ‘Win Now’, even though they accomplished that last year. But for the battered Cannons, hanging onto the wild card and reaching the playoffs should be the realistic goal and not trying to catch Kingston. Despite the depleted roster, Cambria has done an admirable job in competing. Their offense (.288/.355/.421 – 2nd/2nd/2nd) is strong and their pitching (4.22/4.42/3.35 – 4th/5th/3rd) continues to compete, even though it appears to be sagging in some key categories (runs/hits allowed – 6th/7th). *Top Position Player:* CF Joe Olver (.369/.413/.561, 8 HR, 55 RBI, 53 R, 24 BB), has really stepped it up in the wake of all the injuries. In December, he won his second consecutive Batter of the Month Award, the first two of his career. *Top Pitcher:* It hasn’t been a stellar month for the starters, so I’ll go with rookie RHP Leon Hankey (3-1, 5 SV, 2.92 ERA, 1.56 WHIP), who went 2-0, 2 SV, 2.01 ERA, 22.1 IP, 8 K, 10 BB. *Key Injuries:* LF Ron Westmacott (.321/.442/.603, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) is out 3 more months after suffering torn ankle ligaments back in November. SP-RHP Willem Atkins (1-3, 4.45 ERA, 1.59 WHIP) was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation back in November. He will miss another 8-9 weeks. RP-RHP Jason Fortenberry (0-0, 2 SV, 4.38 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) is suffering from acute elbow soreness that he sustained by in October. He is gone 2 additional weeks. 3B Kenneth Logan (.273/.328/.430, 8 HR, 36 RBI, 41 R, 22 BB) strained a hamstring in a game back on December 16. He should be returning in a day or two. -------- The Sherburn Tigers stumbled a little in December to fall back to .500 for the season. They are now 6.0 games back of the wild card and it is looking increasingly as though the West will be a two-team outfit again this season, as Sherburn et al are not quite ready to put up a serious fight. Sherburn’s offense is trying (.272/.345/.385 – 4th/3rd/6th) but it appears that their pitching is starting to slip (4.56/4.62/4.25 – 7th/7th/5th). *Top Position Player:* Not a memorable month for offense, but Tigers’ 1B Isaac Harker (.299/.411/.429, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 26 R, 32 BB) has done an admirable job since taking over 1B full-time in November. In December, he batted .293/.385/.427, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 10 R, 13 BB. *Top Pitcher:* While the front end of the rotation was struggling last month, 5th starter RHP Yasushi Kabayashi (10-3, 4.33 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) was getting it done. He went 4-0, 1.95 ERA, 37.0 IP, 9 K, 14 BB. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- Like almost all the other teams in the West not named Kingston or Cambria, the Wolseley Unions struggled in December, to fall 2 games below .500 and 7.0 games back of the wild card. While the Unions are still a mediocre team, they are not horrible either. Both the offense (.263/.326/.399 – 7th/4th/4th) and pitching (4.32/4.53/3.69 – 6th/6th/4th) have shown that they can compete on some days, but more consistency is needed. They are in a holding position more or less until their prospects arrive. *Top Position Player:* 22-year old CF Zak Kidd (.275/.318/.482, 12 HR, 48 RBI, 46 R, 14 BB) gets better with each passing month, and in December he went .300/.336/.573, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 22 R, 5 BB. *Top Pitcher:* 26-year old RHP Jim Smyth (8-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) had a fine month. The Unions’ ace went 3-1, 3.35 ERA, 40.1 IP, 12 K , 11 BB. *Key Injuries:* 3B Datu Balsalubra (.248/.313/.295, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 10 BB) suffered shoulder tendinitis in a game back on November 29. He is out a further 2-3 weeks. LF Blake Harmon (.261/.312/.385, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 33 R, 17 BB) suffered a bruised knee after being hit by a pitch on December 28. Then he suffered a hand contusion while running the bases on December 29. In all, he will miss a week. RF Nicky Willis (.310/.369/.458, 5 HR, 33 RBI, 33 R, 22 BB) suffered a knee sprain while running the bases back on December 11. He should be back in a few more days. -------- The Fort Richmond Generals also stumbled in December, to fall 7.5 games back of the wild card and 3.0 games below .500. But the Generals have inserted a number of their prospects into the starting lineup and rotation and are starting to see some hopeful signs. If they are able to get acclimated to the big leagues, then Fort Richmond may turn the corner in the not-too-distant future. The offense could really use a boost (.265/.315/.372 – 6th/7th/7th), but the pitching staff has been very competitive (3.74/3.90/2.73 – 2nd/2nd/1st). *Top Position Player:* Not a lot of great performances to choose from, but LF Joshua Chown (.307/.343/.406, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 41 R, 16 BB) has been Fort Richmond’s best player this season. In December, he batted .362/.394/.511, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 21 R, 5 BB. With the injury to Steven Wormleighton, SS Jamie Florey (.405/.500/.568, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 17 R, 14 RBI) has gotten a chance to start regularly, and he did not disappoint, winning Rookie of the Month Honours. *Top Pitcher:* RHP Oscar Burress (6-7, 2.60 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) pitched very well in December, going 2-4, 2.08 ERA, 52.0 IP, 28 K, 18 BB. Rookie RHP Dean Stroud (3-7, 4.83 ERA, 1.65 WHIP) had his first good month as well, going 2-1, 2.53 ERA, 32.0 IP, 14 K, 13 BB. *Key Injuries:* SS Steven Wormleighton (.258/.293/.362, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 38 R, 13 BB) strained an abdominal muscle in a game on December 21. He is out a further 2-3 weeks. 33-year old 2B Nathaniel Pickhills (.282/.329/.394, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 11 R, 11 BB) sprained his knee on December 29. He is out 4 weeks. -------- The Hespeler Stars will not be competing for a playoff spot this season, but there are signs that the team is preparing to make its acquaintance with the first division of the Western League soon. The Stars played below .500 baseball again in December, but continue to get stronger on both sides of the ball. They now have three former first round picks in their starting lineup: CF Vic Weetman (1st overall – 1939); SS Henry Yarnold (9th overall – 1938); and LF Steven Winstanley (10th overall - 1937). Another, 21-year old C Aaron Skidmore (1st overall – 1940) was recently promoted from AA to serve as backup to C Simon Smith. It is clear that Skidmore will be taking over the reins in the not-too-distant future. *Top Position Player:* 26-year old 3B Gary Hinton (.284/.326/.423, 7 HR, 27 RBI, 27 R, 14 BB) had a fine month, batting .333/.370/.627, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 13 R, 5 BB. Top Pitcher: The rotation did not have a great month overall, but 22-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (4-0, 4.19 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) pitched well in relief, going 3-0, 3.13 ERA, 23.0 IP, 9 K, 6 BB. *Key Injuries:* 31-year old 2B Gilbert Austin (.282/.349/.378, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum back on December 26. He is out for 2-3 months. 32-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (4-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn labrum in game back on November 21. He is out 5-6 months. 42-year old RP-RHP Hyo-cheong Yu (0-1, 2.45 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) was diagnosed with bicep tendinitis back on October 26. He is gone for 3 more weeks. -------- The Balmoral Giants continue to nosedive, winning all of 7 games in December and are just 1 game removed from the Western League cellar. The pitching has been downright dreadful. They have surrendered 486 runs thus far, far and away the most in the United Leagues. The offense has been somewhat better, but still has a long way to go. Fortunately, the Giants’ farm system is the strongest overall and the way they are going, they will be getting another high pick next season. But sooner or later, all this losing has to stop. *Top Position Player:* SS Francisco Rodríguez (.321/.360/.483, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 43 R, 19 BB) has been Balmoral’s best player, but 23-year old LF Carlton Broadbent (.290/.331/.466, 4 HR, 40 RBI, 48 R, 20 BB), the former 3rd overall pick, had a fine December, batting .299/.337/.505, 2 HR, 14 RBI, 17 R, 6 BB. Top Pitcher: Absolutely no one. Instead, here are the earned run averages for each member of the 7-man pitching staff this past month (who shall all remain nameless): 7.86; 8.93; 4.06; 4.50; 6.19; 9.76 and 10.97. C’mon prospects! *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys performed much better in December; in fact, they enjoyed their best month this season. The Trolleys’ struggles rest largely with their futile offense (.247/.306/.343 – 8th/8th/8th), while their pitching has largely been a strength (4.17/4.37/2.96 – 3rd/4th/2nd). Fix the offense, and Puberry may have a team worth cheering about. *Top Position Player:* The offense has been so lacklustre that I’m going to give the nod to a player who only starts against righties. 29-year old 3B Stefan Hutchence (.275/.376/.382, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 31 R, 33 BB) did some good things in December, batting .389/.476/.630, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 13 R, 9 BB in 54 AB. *Top Pitcher:* The bullpen had a really nice month; in fact, 40-year old RHP Pete Malcolm (6-6, 2 SV, 3.69 ERA, 1.43 WHIP) went 3-1, 1 SV, 1.93 ERA, 18.2 IP, 2 K, 0 BB. *Key Trade:* On December 24, Pulberry completed a deal with the Balmoral Giants. Pulberry received 26-year old William Briggs (66/66 - .269/369/.394, 1 HR, 34 RBI, 21 R, 33 BB). In exchange, the Giants received 35-year old SP Dan Rogers (31/31 – 2-8, 3.74 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) and 20-year old minor league RP Ramón Ortíz (57/80 – 15th overall pick in 1938). *Knee-jerk Analysis:* Briggs will be an average but useful catcher, with moderate contact and a good eye. He will be an upgrade at the position for Pulberry but I’m not sure if he is a long-term answer. SP Rogers is certainly nothing to get excited about and has never had an ERA below 4.00 in the ULB. Balmoral will be his third team in four seasons. The real prize for Balmoral is RP Ortíz, who should be an outstanding relief pitcher if he continues to develop. If he could improve his changeup (25/25) a bit, he could also be a starter, since his fastball (45/50) and sinker (50/60) are both top-notch. Pulberry has a number of pitching prospects in their system, so I suppose they felt they could afford to part with Ortíz. *Key Injuries:* None. In fact, the Trolleys haven’t had a player go down to injury (minor or otherwise) since late October – and no injury has lasted longer than a week this season. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 09:32 PM.

10-22-2015, 02:11 PM	#176
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	January 14, 1941 1941 ASG: Comeback Payback -------- Queensland (BP) – The Eastern League meted out a bit of payback to their Western League counterparts in the United Leagues’ 4th annual All-Star Game, held at Wagner Stadium in Queensland, Dunwich. After squandering a 7-run lead in last year’s all-star game which was ultimately lost in extra innings, the Eastern League came back in the late innings to take this year’s game in convincing fashion, 10-3. 30,300 fans witnessed a game that was won in large part by the pitch hitters. The win now evens up the all-star game record at 2-games apiece between the East and West and continues the trend of the ‘home’ team coming off victorious in every single game thus far. Here are the scoring highlights: Top of the 2nd: 2B Mo Symes and 3B Mick Lanfear lead off with back-to-back singles off of SP Lenny Freke to put runners on the corners. C Glen Yeend immediately follows with a ground out (5-3) allowing Symes to score the game’s first run. Western All-Stars 1 – Eastern All-Stars 0 Top of the 6th: With SP Frank Leadbeater on the mound, PH Keane Fysh leads off with a single. Fysh reaches second base when PH Vic Weetman singles with one out. PH Francisco Rodríguez hits the third single of the inning to score Fysh. After Weetman steals third base, PH Ellis Oram hits a sac fly to centerfield, driving in Weetman. Western All-Stars 3 – Eastern All-Stars 0 Bottom of the 6th: SP Joey Cumberledge starts the inning for the West and soon runs into trouble. With one out, PH Paul Hooks reaches base with a single, then advances to second when PH Kade Limeburner draws a walk. That set the stage for Queensland’s LF Terry Aspden, who drives an 0-2 pitch for a triple, scoring the East’s first two runs. PH Ryley McLarnon immediately follows with a single, scoring Aspden to tie the game at 3-runs apiece. That ended Cumberledge’s day, but his replacement, SP Darwin Monday, fared little better. On Monday’s very first pitch, PH Matthew Lane slams a 2-run home run to right field, giving the Eastern League the lead for the first time. But the East is not done quite yet. 1B Jim Friend and C Dylan Watkins follow with walks. With two out and runners on first and second, Queensland’s 3B Kian Meadmore, who led off the inning, singles, scoring Friend for the East’s sixth run. Western All-Stars 3 – Eastern All-Stars 6 Bottom of the 7th: SP Darwin Monday starts the inning for the West but gives up a leadoff walk to Kade Limeburner. Monday is then replaced with SP Tristan Purss. Purss promptly gives up a walk to PH Stuart Bentham and a single to Ryley McLarnon to load the bases with nobody out. Matthew Lane follows with a single, scoring Limeburner for the East’s seventh run. However, Bentham is thrown out at home on the same play for the inning’s first out. But next up is PH Don Adkins, who takes the first pitch he sees from Purss and sends it over the left-center field wall for a three-run homer. The West is unable to mount any sort of comeback in the final two innings and the Eastern League takes the 1941 All-Star Game in convincing fashion. Western All-Stars 3 – Eastern All-Stars 10 Cobourg’s Matthew Lane won Player of the Game honours, going 2-2 with 1 HR, 3 RBI and 2 R. -------- Here are the complete All-Star rosters: -------- Here are the standings as of January 14: *Tidbit #1: Braeland City had the same record last season at the All-Star Break as they do this season: 55-33. Tidbit #2: The Cambria Cannons’ record last season at the All-Star Break is the same as the Kingston Pelicans’ record this season thus far: 58-30. -------- Here are the overerall player and team leaders as of January 14: __________________ United Leagues of Braeland* Last edited by reds1; 04-14-2025 at 06:10 PM.

10-24-2015, 11:29 PM	#177
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	February 1, 1941 Eastern League: Barons Making Their Move -------- All of a sudden, the Braeland City Monarchs have company. The Monarchs had another fine month in January, going 16-11, but find themselves hanging on to first place in the East by just a few percentage points. They have a couple of games in hand on their challengers, the Stratford Barons. But unless the Barons cool off, the Monarchs will have to seriously step it up if they want to maintain their hold on top spot in the East for the second year in a row. The pitching continues to be top-notch as they rank first in a slew of categories (2.90/2.90/2.99 – 1st/1st/2nd), but their offense continues to be below average (.274/.338/.394 – 5th/6th/6th). The Monarchs did not make a substantial deal to upgrade their offense before the trade deadline, perhaps hoping that regulars, such as 3B Louie Heatherington, returning from injury will suffice. We’ll see the wisdom of that course as we head into the final two months of the season. Five Monarchs were selected to the All-Star Game: SP Leo Bonfield (1st selection), SP David Cooling (2nd), SP Lenny Freke (3rd), RP Samuel Hollier (1st) and C Kane Broom (3rd). *Top Position Player:* While most of Braeland City’s starters had a rather lacklustre month, SS Adam Ashley (.301/.352/.418, 5 HR, 56 RBI, 64 R, 34 BB, 12 SB) excelled, batting .330/.374/.443, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 19 R, 7 BB). *Top Pitcher:* Some very nice performances to choose from, but I have to go with ace SP Lenny Freke (11-9, 2.45 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) who went 3-2, 1.53 ERA, 53.0 IP, 31 K, 9 BB. He pitched a 3-hit shutout and a 4-hit shutout during the course of January. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The hottest team in the United Leagues since November 1 has not been the Kingston Pelicans. That honour goes to the Stratford Barons who have gone 53-26 in that span (Kingston has gone 52-26). Their 20 victories in January have catapulted them into a two-way tie with Braeland City, although the Monarchs have a couple of games in hand. The Barons’ offense has really stepped it up (.296/.364/.445 – 1st/1st/1st), as has their pitching (3.48/3.68/2.23 – 2nd/2nd/1st). Stratford is doing everything well at the moment. But will it be enough to finally launch them into the post-season? The Barons have gotten hot before, only to see them wilt in the last few weeks of the season and come up short. But this team looks really solid. Six players were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Ryan Borden (1st), RP Larry Parrish (3rd), 1B Don Adkins (3rd), 2B Rhett Curnow (2nd), SS Jake Walker (2nd) and CF Kade Limeburner (3rd). *Top Position Player:* Wow. I mean, wow. When you have a starting lineup with players batting .333, .340, .360 and .366, and they still don’t get the nod for top player of the month, you know the offense is firing on all cylinders. But batting 9th in the lineup is 1B Don Adkins (.320/.409/.529, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 50 R, 47 BB) who went .379/.465/.632, 5 HR, 22 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB. His efforts earned him a Player of the Week Award during the month. *Top Pitcher:* I’ll go with LHP Ryan Borden (14-6, 2.72 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) again, although this was not an easy choice either. Stratford’s ace was even better in January, going 5-0, 1.31 ERA, 48.0 IP, 24 K, 12 BB. But 36-year old Kazuhiko Chikafuji (12-4, 3.15 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) was outstanding as well. The No. 3 starter went 5-0, 2.16 ERA, 41.2 IP, 16 K, 8 BB *Key Injuries:* None. With their fortunes starting to slide, the Wellington Athletics responding in January with their best month yet, going 15-10. But with no signs of either Braeland City or Stratford slowing down, it may be too much to overcome for the Athletics in their efforts to return to the post-season. That hasn’t stopped Wellington from trying, as they made a couple of interesting trades before the deadline to address their weaknesses. The offense has remained steady (.287/.350/.414 – 2nd/4th/3rd), but their pitching has made some significant improvements (3.78/3.76/3.83 – 3rd/3rd/4th), giving hope to the Athletics’ chances. Four players were selected to the All-Star squad: SP Clyde Boney (4th), C Dylan Watkins (4th), 3B Ryley McLarnon (3rd) and LF Bob Boynton (4th). *Top Position Player:* 28-year old 2B Brian Main (.299/.363/.476, 7 HR, 58 RBI, 43 R, 31 BB) finally stayed healthy and had a great month, batting .349/.389/.482, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB. *Top Pitcher:* 23-year old RHP Kelvin Hutchinson (6-4, 2.48 ERA, 1.31 WHIP), a 7th overall pick back in 1937-38 who is pitching out of the bullpen, had an outstanding month, and richly deserved his first Pitcher of the Month Award. *Key Injury:* 28-year old RP Jack Steeds (8-7, 8 SV, 3.65 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) strained a hamstring while pitching against the Braeland City Monarchs back on January 19. He will be out of action for 2-3 months. *Key Trade:* On January 25, Wellington acquired 36-year old SP Frank Leadbeater (75/75 – 11-8, 2.93 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs received four minor leaguers: 21-year old SS Junji Seki (22/58 – 4th round pick from 1939-40); 19-year old RF Octavio Leon (20/25 – 4th round pick from 1940-41); 20-year old CF Edgardo Alomar (22/23); 24-year old LF Jonathan Coxall (22/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* A really, really sweet deal for the Athletics, as they now have the No. 8 overall pitcher to lead their rotation. He joins Colm Soper, who is rated No. 10 overall. In return, Downie receives four minor leaguers who are unlikely to make much of an impact. Seki has perhaps the best chance, as he has very good contact and great speed. He can play 2B/3B/SS and RF and not embarrass himself. But a rather light haul for a perennial all-star pitcher in my opinion.[/COLOR] -------- Their 18-7 October seems like a distant memory now, as the Embro Suns continue to be left behind in the Eastern League standings. They could only muster a 13-13 record on the month. Their offense has started to slip (.280/.352/.438 – 4th/3rd/2nd) and the pitching has not improved (4.50/4.76/3.30 – 6th/7th/3rd). Injuries have certainly had an impact. But if the starting lineup can somehow get all healthy for the final stretch, then perhaps they can rebound. But it’s looking more and more like a tall order. Five Suns were selected to the All-Star roster: RP Nick Staples (1st), 1B Jim Friend (2nd), SS Gary Watkinson (4th), LF Terence Durney (4th) and RF Paul Hooks (3rd). *Top Position Player:* 26-year old 1B Jim Friend (.331/.406/.589, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 80 R, 55 BB) rebounded from down month, to bat .352/.408/.574, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 20 R, 11 BB in January. Friend is the top-rated 1B in the United Leagues. *Top Pitcher:The rotation simply hasn’t been carrying its weight this season. But 5th starter, RHP Owen Smith (3-2, 5.66 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) had a decent month. He went 2-1, 2.96 ERA, 27.1 IP, 14 K, 10 BB. The 30-year old has spent most of his career in the minors, save for one game with Embro back in 1937, where he pitched for 3.1 innings, giving up 3 H, 1 ER and 2 BB. Key Injuries:* 31-year old RHP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He suffered a setback and will miss 3 more months. LF Terence Durney (.325/.405/.511, 13 HR, 54 RBI, 76 R, 48 BB) was diagnosed with shoulder tendinitis after a game on January 12. He is out for another week, if he doesn’t suffer another setback. *Key Trade:* On January 30, Embro acquired 27-year old 3B Yoshifumi Tamura (65/66 – .244/.313/.355, 5 HR, 43 RBI, 38 R, 33 BB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, the Red Stockings received three minor leaguers: 22-year old SP Armando Ramirez (23/53 – 3rd round pick from 1939-40); 19-year old SS Rizal Gorospe (20/40 – 2nd round pick from 1940-41); 21-year old SS Masato Narita (22/29). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Overall, a minor deal for both parties. Tamura, who played RF with Cobourg, will take over 3B from Mason Damerell (.227/.282/.316) who hasn’t done much to justify a starting job. Tamura will not hit for high average or win any defensive awards, but has excellent power and decent plate discipline. Cobourg receives three pretty average players in return. Ramirez may get a chance to be a No. 4 or 5 starter one day, as his stuff and repertoire is respectable but nothing special. -------- The Brunswick Legends could not keep up the momentum they generated in December and fell to a 12-12 record in January. That included a 3-8 stretch to end the month. Part of that was due to the pitching staff taking a step back. While the offense held steady (.281/.346/.411 – 3rd/5th/5th), the pitching staff regressed a little (3.96/3.97/3.89 – 4th/4th/5th). Not a big difference, mind you, but in the competitive East, it saw them fall from 2.5 games back of the wild card to 9.0 games back in the span of a month. Another factor is that the Legends simply don’t have as strong a starting lineup as other teams do. Five Legends made the All-Star team: SP Hirotada Fukushima (2nd), SP Anastasio Rodriguez (1st), 2B Vince Bailey (1st), RF Rovilson Valdevieso (3rd) and RF Mark Elston (3rd). *Top Position Player:* OF Rovilson Valdevieso (.302/.341/.488, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 56 R, 27 BB, 12 SB) was the top legend in January, batting .293/.320/.543, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 11 R, 5 BB. *Top Pitcher:* While the rest of the rotation had a down month in January, LHP Hirotada Fukushima (12-4, 2.31 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) held his own, going 3-2, 2.23 ERA, 44.1 IP, 21 K, 14 BB in December. *Key Injuries:* 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day and will miss the entire regular season. RF Mark Elston (.316/.437/.509, 12 HR, 73 RBI, 59 R, 76 BB) injured his wrist in a game against the Cambria Cannons on January 26. He remains out of action for 1-2 weeks. -------- The Queensland Eagles cooled off in January to fall 11 games back of the league leaders. The Eagles continue to be stymied by a rash of injuries. Their offense remains competitive (.273/.354/.412 – 6th/2nd/4th), but their pitching continues to struggle (4.70/4.40/6.73 – 7th/5th/8th). Five Eagles were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Bradley Paris (2nd), C Dave Wilson (2nd), 3B Kian Meadmore (4th), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (4th) and LF Terry Aspden (2nd). *Top Position Player:* SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.317/.380/.541, 19 HR, 68 RBI, 86 R, 45 BB) had a sensational January and the 25-year old richly deserved the 5th Batter of the Month Award of his career. *Top Pitcher:* 31-year old SP Darren Stewart (8-3, 2.76 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) had a fine January. The Eagles ace went 5-1, 2.44, 59.0 IP, 11 K, 22 BB. *Key Injuries:* Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow back on November 19. He is lost for the season (3 months). SS Ken Cutler (.425/.439/.650, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 6 R, 1 BB) remains out for 4 weeks. Back on October 10, Cutler suffered bone chips in his elbow. CF Ben Watson (.253/.323/.381, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 47 R, 33 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum on January 23 in a game against the Embro Suns. He is out 6 weeks. CF Doug Winslade (.274/.337/.358, 4-2B, 12 RBI, 13 R, 9 BB) suffered a strained oblique in a game back on January 17. He should be back in a few days. LF Terry Aspden (.288/.385/.512, 15 HR, 62 RBI, 64 R, 59 BB) strained a rib cage muscle in a game against the Brunswick Legends back on January 22. He is out a further 3 weeks. *Key Trade:* On January 10, Queensland acquired 31-year old SP Bradley Paris (53/53 – 9-6, 3.24 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) from the Downie Chiefs, along with 23-year old minor league SS Maluhia Mara (29/50). In return, the Chiefs received 28-year old SS Ninfa Puzon (57/63 - .288/.374/.415, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 19 R, 17 BB). *Knee-jerk reaction:* With the loss of ace SP MacColl, Queensland lands a pitcher who will be their No. 3 starter. Paris, once a 20-game winner in 1937, has not approached that level since, but he is still very capable. They also receive a former second rounder in Mara who projects to be a fine utility IF with average batting skills. In return, the Chiefs receive a journeyman SS. Downie is Ninfa’s fourth team in three seasons. He was little used in Queensland, but will be Downie’s cleanup hitter. Personally, I view Puzon as underrated and should benefit from starting regularly in Downie. Paris recently earned his second trip to the all-star game, but he is starting to regress, if slowly. I don’t think he will be much of a difference maker in Queensland. -------- The Downie Chiefs went into selling mode BIG time in January, selling off three of their starting pitchers in Frank Leadbeater (Wellington), Bradley Paris (Queensland) and Nick Paddock (Cambria). The first two trades have already been discussed; the Paddock trade will be touched on when we look at Cambria. They also made a trade with Hespeler, which will be discussed later as well. Suffice to say, the Chiefs received some nice future pieces and have finally started that long-delayed rebuilding process that I’ve been anticipating since last season. They just do not have the horses to compete for a playoff spot, so it’s nice to see them finally begin to address that. SP Frank Leadbeater (4th) was Downie’s lone representative at this month’s all-star game, shortly before he was traded to Wellington. *Top Position Player:* RF Aaron Flanagan (.312/.385/.538, 12 HR, 45 RBI, 47 R, 28 BB) is the man. He continued his outstanding play despite the distractions in January, batting .352/.418/.648, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 16 R, 6 BB. He would have been a worthy candidate for Player of the Month. Top Pitcher: The three top pitchers in the rotation are gone now, and the ones that remain are quite woeful, to say the least. So I’ll go with a bullpen guy. 23-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (2-4, 9 SV, 2.60 ERA, 1.52 WHIP), a former first rounder in 1939, went 1-2, 3 SV, 2.49 ERA, 21.2 IP, 11 K, 16 BB in January. *Key Injury:* None. -------- 9, 7, 4, 5. That is the win total for the Cobourg Red Stockings in each of the first four months of the 1940/41 season. In all my years of playing around with this league in one form or another, from OOTP8 onward, I can’t recall a stretch of ineptitude like this. And it’s really depressing. They made a couple of trades in January, including a major one with Cambria that saw RF Clint Jones head to the Western League. That trade will be discussed in the Cambria section later. For Cobourg though, it’s all about the future. They have a couple of nice pieces in the lineup and bullpen right now, but otherwise this is a weak team that just got weaker, if that were possible. Despite the team’s struggles, the Red Stockings actually had three players make the all-star team: 1B Clint Jones (2nd), 2B Matthew Lane (3rd Â– who won MVP honours at this year’s game) and LF Stuart Bentham (1st). *Top Position Player:25-year old LF Toin Tsuji (.274/.312/.447, 5 HR, 21 RBI, 24 R, 11 BB) had been a career minor leaguer until he signed a minor league contract last season with Cobourg. Given the opportunity to play in the majors for the first time this season, Tsuji has gotten better with each passing month. In January, he batted .296/.321/.593, 4 HR, 11 RBI, 12 R, 3 BB; winning Rookie of the Month honours in the process. Top Pitcher:* SP Jeff Hetzel (3-8, 5.26 ERA, 1.63 WHIP) had the best month out of all the pitchers on staff. In January, he went 0-2, 3.48 ERA, 31.0 IP, 13 K, 9 BB. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-14-2025 at 07:34 PM.

10-28-2015, 08:09 PM	#179
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	March 31, 1941 Eastern League: Barons Finish on Top; Will Battle Monarchs for Pennant -------- The Stratford Barons and Braeland City Monarchs battled it out in the final two months of the season, but the Barons prevailed, winning 34 games to Braeland City’s 33 to finish 2.0 games ahead of the defending Eastern League champions. It will mark the first time the Barons have qualified for the post-season and they do so with the best record in the United Leagues. The Barons’ offense established itself as the best in the land (.290/.358/.437 – 1st/1st/1st) and their pitching was solid (3.48/3.68/2.23– 2nd/3rd/1st). Stratford enters the playoffs as a remarkably balanced team that actually had a better record on the road than at home (48 wins at home; 50 on the road). They are also reasonably healthy, which cannot be said for the Monarchs. *Top Position Player – Season:* 28-year old SS Jake Walker was Stratford’s best player over the course of the season, combining top shelf offense and outstanding defense. This season, he batted .335/.453/.507, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 88 R, 107 BB, 7.0 WAR. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 32-year old SP Ryan Borden became a legitimate ace this season. He went 23-8, 2.61 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 8.4 WAR. Borden is rated the No. 2 pitcher in the United Leagues, behind only Braeland City’s Lenny Freke. *Key Injuries:* 1B Don Adkins (.314/.404/.529, 22 HR, 88 RBI, 72 R, 71 BB, 3.2 WAR) suffered a mild calf strain on March 29. He should return in 5 days. *Noteworthy:* 28-year old 2B Rhett Curnow (.355/.401/.495, 11 HR, 89 RBI, 93 R, 44 BB, 5.2 WAR) won the Eastern League batting title, adding 206 H, 30-2B, 9-3B in 580 AB. -------- The Braeland City Monarchs were not able to hold off the surging Stratford Barons and had to settle for 2nd spot this season. But the defending Eastern League champions have bigger issues to deal with right now. Two key cogs in their offense, C Kane Broom and 2B Adam Ashley, are lost for the season due to injuries. Thus, Braeland City enters the playoffs at a distinct disadvantage and will need to find a way to hang with the Barons’ potent offense. The Monarchs’ offense was not the strongest to begin with. With the loss of arguably their two best offensive players, it will make the challenge even more daunting. The pitching is Braeland City’s main strength (3.04/3.02/3.28 – 1st/1st/2nd); their offense was average at best (.279/.344/.402 – 4th/5th/6th). *Top Position Player – Season:* 27-year old 2B Adam Ashley was Braeland City’s top offensive player this season, batting .320/.365/.452, 6 HR, 79 RBI, 98 R, 46 BB, 19 SB, 5.3 WAR. *Top Pitcher – Season:* SP Lenny Freke may be the No. 1 rated pitcher in the United Leagues and the Monarchs’ ace, but 31-year old SP David Cooling was Braeland City’s best pitcher this season. Cooling went 21-6, 2.02 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 7.1 WAR. Freke wasn’t bad either, going 20-12, 2.29 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.9 WAR. Cooling’s ERA of 2.02 set a United Leagues record for lowest earned run average in a season. *Key Injuries:* Adam Ashley suffered torn quadriceps on March 26 in a game against the Downie Chiefs. He is out for 5 weeks. Two days later, C Kane Broom (.295/.336/.450, 15 HR, 97 RBI, 76 R, 35 BB, 4.4 WAR) suffered the same injury as Ashley in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is gone for 3 weeks. *Playoff Note:* Replacing Adam Ashley and Kane Broom in the lineup for the playoffs will be 24-year old 2B Trevor Bolen (.288/.338/.441, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 54 R, 24 BB, 0.4 WAR) and 34-year old C Rodrigo Pacheco (.317/.333/.451, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 12 R, 3 BB, 0.8 WAR) respectively. Bolen was the 1st overall pick back in 1937/38, but aside from his all-star season in 1938/939, he has not lived up to his initial hype. -------- The Wellington Athletics just could not keep up with Stratford and Braeland City this season and find themselves out of the playoffs. In January, they acquired SP Frank Leadbeater from the Downie Chiefs but then lost him a month later to injury. It was that kind of season for Wellington. On the whole though, the Athletics are a good team that should be competitive once again next season. The offense was fairly solid (.283/.349/.405 – 2nd/4th/5th) and the pitching steadily improved throughout the season (3.57/3.51/3.77 – 3rd/2nd/4th). *Top Position Player – Season:* 30-year old C Dylan Watkins (.309/.390/.486, 15 HR, 88 RBI, 73 R, 68 BB, 5.5 WAR) was Wellington’s top player over the course of the season. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 31-year old SP Clyde Boney (23-8, 2.21 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 6.8 WAR) is one of the best and was Wellington’s top pitcher this season. *Key Injury:* 36-year old SP Frank Leadbeater (12-9, 2.75 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 4.9 WAR) fractured his elbow on February 19 in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He is out of commission for at least 6 months. 28-year old RP Jack Steeds (8-7, 8 SV, 3.65 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) strained a hamstring while pitching back in January. He will be out of action for 4 more weeks. -------- The Brunswick Legends showed some flashes of excellence this season, but it wasn’t enough to reach the playoffs in Babe Ruth’s first season as manager. The Legends went 19-9 and 18-7 in December and February respectively, but in the other four months, they had difficulty playing .500 ball. It was enough, however, to challenge for third place in the East, but they will need more consistency if they want to be a factor next season. They don’t necessarily have the deepest farm system in the United Leagues, but they do have Top-10 ranked prospects at every position except catcher and starting pitching. The offense suffered a bit in the final two months (.277/.343/.418 – 5th/6th/3rd), but the pitching staff held steady (3.84/3.84/3.87 – 4th/4th/6th). *Top Position Player – Season:* RF Mark Elston (.317/.430/.517, 18 HR, 99 RBI, 82 R, 102 BB, 5.7 WAR) was again the top player for the Legends. *Top Pitcher – Season:* Brunswick received a blow with the loss of their ace SP Matthew Monroe back on Opening Day, but they have to feel good about the blossoming of SP Anastasio Rodríguez (21-9, 2.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 8.1 WAR). The 24-year old Rodríguez was the 4th overall pick back in 1937/38 and is now rated No.3 overall among pitchers in the United Leagues. *Key Injuries:* 30-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (1-0, 1.29 ERA) suffered a fractured ulna on Opening Day. He should be able to start throwing in 3-4 weeks. -------- The Embro Suns never could build on their quick start and steadily fell back in the standings. The Suns boast some incredible talent on the roster. Three players, 1B Jim Friend, CF Terence Durney and RF Paul Hooks are all rated No. 1 at their respective positions, and the team has a few other players ranked in the top 4. Their window of opportunity has not closed, but they really need to address their lack of depth. They have the lowest ranked farm system and that weakness was exposed when starters started falling to injury. The offense held steady (.281/.356/.435 – 3rd/2nd/2nd), but their pitching staff needs some infusion of talent (4.38/4.51/3.63 – 6th>/7th/3rd). *Top Position Player – Season:* On a team with offensive heavyweights, 26-year old 1B Jim Friend had no trouble holding his own. Friend batted .329/.409/.590, 36 HR, 148 RBI, 120 R, 87 BB, 7.2 WAR. He established season records for home runs and RBI. Also worthy of mention is RF Paul Hooks (.331/.432/.608, 35 HR, 140 RBI, 88 R, 97 BB, 6.2 WAR), who established a single season batting record for on-base pct. (.608). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Embro acutely felt the loss of ace SP Colm Soper. But 26-year old SP Edward Hill responded with his best season, going 20-8, 4.06 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 4.9 WAR, before he too had his season end due to injury. *Key Injuries:* 31-year old SP Colm Soper (5-1, 3.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) had surgery to remove bone chips from his elbow. He suffered a setback and will miss 3 more months. SP Edward Hill was diagnosed with ulnar nerve irritation following a game against the Wellington Athletics back on March 11. He will be laid up for 4 months. -------- The Queensland Eagles just weren’t able to get anything going this season and continue to regress after reaching the playoffs in the inaugural season. Certainly, all the injuries didn’t help. But the Eagles find themselves in a difficult spot: their situation is not so hopeless so as to justify a complete rebuild, but their present talent base on the roster is not prodigious enough to really compete in the highly competitive East.Their offense was reasonably productive this season (.274/.353/.413 – 6th/3rd/4th), but they will need to improve their pitching (4.57/4.37/5.95 – 7th/5th/8th). *Top Position Player – Season:* 25-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji has been one of the most consistent players in the United Leagues. He continued his excellent play this season as well, batting [COLOR=black].316/.377/.522, 25 HR, 100 RBI, 117 R, 64 BB, 6.4 WAR. 26-year old rookie 1B Dean Bishop was a nice pickup from the Kingston Pelicans. He went .286/.405/.487, 18 HR, 75 RBI, 69 R, 83 BB, 4.3 WAR, earning three Rookie of the Month honour in all. *Top Pitcher – Season:* It was a challenging year for Queensland pitchers. But 33-year old SP Stewart Colcott perhaps fared the best, going 14-13, 4.51 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 5.5 WAR. *Key Injuries:* Perennial all-star SP Max MacColl suffered a broken bone in his elbow back in November. He should begin his throwing program in 5 more weeks. -------- 1940/41 is the season that the Downie Chiefs realized that they needed to embrace rebuild and look to the future. They did that in a big way, but there is still a long way to go. And things may get worse before they get better. Both the offense (.265/.325/.384 – 7th/7th/8th) and pitching (4.34/4.45/3.83 – 5th/6th/5th) struggled this year, justifying a major makeover. *Top Position Player – Season:* The quiet and unassuming 3B Andy Johnson has been a Downie fixture from Day 1 and the 1940/41 season was perhaps his best. Johnson batted .313/.368/.433, 12 HR, 78 RBI, 77 R, 55 BB, 4.8 WAR. Top Pitcher – Season: SP Frank Leadbeater is gone now, but his work prior to his trade in January still merits consideration. While still with the team, Leadbeater went 10-7, 2.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.8 WAR. *Key Injury:* 45-year old RP Robert Renton (3-0, 4 SV, 1.51 WHIP, -0.8 WAR) suffered a sore shoulder on March 25 while pitching against the Braeland City Monarchs. He will be laid up for 2 months. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings still showed that they had some pride left, as they went 26-26 over the last two months of the season, after failing to win more than nine games in each the previous four months. But as weak as the roster currently sits (1B Stuart Bentham and 3B Matthew Lane are the only players of note); their prospect ranking is another story. The Red Stockings have a Top 10 prospect waiting in the wings at every position, including four No. 1 ranked prospects. Better times may be just around the corner – or at least one can hope. *Top Position Player – Season:Despite the adversities, 31-year old 3B Matthew Lane responded with his best season, batting .270/.369/.487, 24 HR, 92 RBI, 74 R, 84 BB, 4.7 WAR. Top Pitcher – Season:* It was a year to forget for the pitching staff overall, but that’s not to say no one was trying. 30-year old SP George Blankely (8-16, 4.09 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 3.6 WAR) had his moments, such as in March, when he went 3-1, 2.02 ERA, 49.0 IP, 16 K, 16 BB. 29-year old SP Aiden Tassell (8-25, 4.61 ERA, 1.55 ERA, 3.2 WAR), however, was stuck with the dubious distinction of setting the record for most losses in a single season: 25. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-14-2025 at 08:11 PM.

11-02-2015, 12:00 AM	#180
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,919	March 31, 1941 Western League: Pelicans, Cannons Limp Into Playoffs -------- The Kingston Pelicans finished in first place in the West comfortably, 15.0 games up on Cambria. However, the Pelicans lost some steam towards the end, finishing February-March with a 25-26 record. Whether that’s simply the team easing up due to the commanding lead they enjoyed this season or hints toward a more disturbing trend remains to be seen. The offense remained top-notch in the West (.285/.356/.435 – 1st/1st/1st), and so has the pitching staff, with the exception of the bullpen (3.66/3.40/5.20 – 1st/1st/8th). Kingston finished third in defensive efficiency (.702). *Top Position Player – Season:* 29-year old SS Okura Ito was the top Pelican on offense and was solid on defense as well, batting .323/.364/.516, 29 HR, 126 RBI, 102 R, 45 BB, 7.1 WAR. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 33-year old SP Brady Murdy made this selection easy. In 1940/41, Murdy went 25-10, 2.91 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 8.9 WAR. However, he struggled in February and March, going 2-4, 5.24 ERA and 2-4, 4.67 ERA respectively. Despite that, Murdy set a number of United League records this season, in wins (25), complete games (31), shutouts (8) and innings pitched (322.0). *Key Injury:* SP Francis Slocock (10-6, 3.83 ERA, 1.09 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation back on January 24. He is lost for the season (4 more weeks). -------- The playoffs are a new season, and for the Cambria Cannons, that has significant meaning. They made the playoffs and can now try and put the struggles of the regular season behind them. The second half of the season saw them lose more games than they won (34-42) and only the continued struggles of the teams behind them in the standings helped the defending United Cup Champions return to the playoffs. Not only that, but their ace pitcher, 37-year old Neil Guerin, who won the 1938/39 Satchel Paige Award and is a 4-time all-star has regressed severely and finds himself in the bullpen for the playoffs. But there are some positive signs. LF Ron Westmacott is due back from an extended injury in a couple of days and they are a fairly balanced team. Their offense hung in despite the injuries (.276/.342/.401 – 2nd/2nd/3rd) and their pitching continued to improve (3.84/4.00/3.00 – 2nd/3rd/1st). *Top Position Player – Season:* 31-year old LF Joe Olver had a great season in 1939/40, but he was even better this season, batting .326/.363/.486, 13 HR, 79 RBI, 90 R, 36 BB, 5.6 WAR and providing rock-solid defense in the field. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 29-year old SP Bradley Dodson was Cambria’s most consistent pitcher this season, going 18-11, 3.87 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.7 WAR. *Key Injuries:* LF Ron Westmacott (.321/.442/.603, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) should be back in 2 more days after suffering torn ankle ligaments back in November. 35-year old B Kenneth Logan (.260/.326/.396, 13 HR, 73 RBI, 75 R, 54 BB, 1.9 WAR) sprained his finger in a game against the Pulbery Trolleys back on March 23. He is expected back in a week. -------- The Fort Richmond Generals were a bit like Jekyll and Hyde, struggling in February, only to finish strong in March. Despite their fourth consecutive losing season, this season represented their best so far. They will need to improve offensively (.262/.318/.384 – 6th/8th/6th), but their pitching was a strength (389/3.96/3.42 – 3rd/2nd/2nd). They were the top defensive team in the West (.706). *Top Position Player - Season:* 22-year old C Danny Trowbridge came into his own this season, batting .299/.334/.488, 15 HR, 92 RBI, 70 R, 26 BB, 4.8 WAR. He won his first Player of the Month honour in February. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 27-year old SP Oscar Burruss was Fort Richmond’s top pitcher, going 15-11, 2.77 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 7.2 WAR. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- Like the Fort Richmond Generals, the Wolseley Unions suffered through a nightmarish February before rebounding in March. And like the Generals, the Unions enjoyed their best season, reaching 70+ victories. Now the challenge is to get above .500 on the season. The Unions have some work to do, as the offense needs to pick it up a bit (.261/.323/.396 – 8th/6th/5th) as does the pitching (4.25/4.29/4.14 – 5th/5th/4th). Defensively, they were very good (.705- 2nd). *Top Position Player – Season:* A tough choice between 22-year old CF Zak Kidd (.277/.331/.494, 25 HR, 87 RBI, 98 R, 43 BB, 25 SB, 5.6 WAR) and 27-year old SS Rubén Sánchez. Both were just outstanding defensively, but I’ll go with Sánchez, who batted .299/.346/.440, 12 HR, 82 RBI, 96 R, 49 BB, 5.2 WAR. *Top Pitcher - Season:* 21-year old SP Aaron Saunderson, the former first round pick from 1937/38, is emerging as Wolseley’s ace. This season he went 11-13, 3 SV, 3.10 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.2 WAR. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The Sherburn Tigers’ season ended in a whimper, losing 32 games and finishing in 5th place in a weak Western League. The Tigers have some nice pieces in their farm system, especially SP Gavin Wormersley (57/79) who is the top-rated pitching prospect in the United Leagues. But Sherburn could use more young talent like that to really make some noise in the West. Sherburn’s offense got weaker near the end (.269/.336/.372 – 5th/3rd/8th) and their pitching overall could use some beefing up (4.47/4.54/4.09 – 6th/6th/3rd). *Top Position Player - Season:* 34-year old 1B Isaac Harker got a chance to start regularly this season and emerged as arguably Sherburn’s best player, batting .343/.430/.437, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 63 R, 62 BB, 3.5 WAR, combined with good defense (1.022 EFF). *Top Pitcher - Season:* SP Myung-gu Son may be the ace on the staff and won the WAR race (4.2) for pitchers, but 25-year old RP Daniel Pierson was Sherburn’s best overall pitcher, going 16-9, 9 SV, 3.77 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 0.5 WAR. He should be heading to the rotation in the not-too-distant future. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The Balmoral Giants rebounded in February and March, winning 29 games verses 22 losses. It’s no coincidence that their improved play coincided with the improved play of veteran SP Dave Mapp. No doubt he took my recent criticism of his play to heart and responded with two great months, winning back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honours, his 2nd and 3rd on the season. The Giants, offense was fairly good this year (.272/.324/.409 – 4th/5th/2nd), but their pitching is an area that needs to be addressed (5.04/5.15/4.65 – 8th/8th/6th). It improved slightly towards the end of the season, but not enough to help this team get out of the second division. Their defense was rated the worst in the West (.679) as well. *Top Position Player - Season:* He’s still only 22-years old, but SS Francisco Rodríguez was head and shoulders the Giants’ top offensive player, batting .317/.362/.473, 8 HR, 70 RBI, 91 R, 44 BB, 6.1 WAR with tremendous defense at shortstop (1.060 EFF). *Top Pitcher – Season:* How does a pitcher with a 5.18 ERA get the nod as a team’s best pitcher? You do if you’re SP Dave Mapp, who was all over the map this season. After starting off with a bang, Mapp went into a bad slump, but then rebounded in the final two months to return as the Western League’s top pitcher. Overall, Mapp went 15-14, 5.18 ERA, 1.74 ERA, 2.3 WAR. *Key Injuries:* 39-year old 1B Roger Tyler (.277/.317/.393, 2 HR, 30 RBI, 46 R, 18 BB) injured himself while running the bases back on January 2. He broke a bone in his elbow and will be out of commission for another 3 months. 29-year old SP Simon Parker (6-9, 5.04 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 1.2 WAR) suffered torn biceps back on February 8 in a game against the Embro Suns. He should be returning in 4 months. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys went 26-24 in the final two months of the season, but they still finished near the bottom of the standings. All signs indicate that they will continue to struggle as they need more young talent to improve their fortunes. Their offense got a little better towards the end, but that is faint praise at best (.261/.322/.372 – 7th/7th/7th). Their pitching is a little better, but still could use an upgrade (4.23/4.18/4.51 – 4th/4th/5th). *Top Position Player – Season:* Not a great season offensively for the Trolleys. Former first overall pick SS Wenceslas Jasmim was Pulberry’s best player, batting .273/.308/.408, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 8 R, 32 BB, 3.4 WAR, combined with solid defense. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 36-year old SP Nathaniel Schwer was his team’s best pitcher, going 13-10, 3.75 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 2.9 WAR. *Key Injuries:* None. -------- The Hespeler Stars slipped back into last place for the third consecutive year. Will it be their last bottom feeder finish for the foreseeable future? Time will tell. But sooner or later, one of these prospect rich teams is going to emerge as a new force in the West. Not just this season. The offense was not that bad (.276/.331/.401 – 3rd/4th/4th) but the pitching was very weak (4.63/4.58/4.85 – 7th/7th/7th). *Top Position Player – Season:* No contest. 25-year old LF Steven Winstanley was far and away Hespeler’s best player, batting .347/.407/.578, 27 HR, 106 RBI, 121 R, 61 BB, 8.5 WAR while playing outstanding defense in the outfield. He also won the Western League batting title, adding 208 H, 31-2B, 13-3B in 599 AB. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 25-year old LHP Gavin Hewat (11-11, 3.72 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 4.7 WAR was Hespeler’s best pitcher this season. *Key Injuries:* 32-year old RHP Brendon De san Miguel (4-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) was diagnosed with a torn labrum in game back on November 21. He is out for 2 more months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 11:48 PM.