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#1121 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,262
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Cavaliers sign Lowndes
The expansion Houston Cavaliers are hardly likely to be contenders any time soon but they were at least not terrible in the 1976 season, going 76-86.
And apparently they at least hope to generate some interest in the fan base even if a winning season might still be a long shot and they went some ways towards that yesterday when they signed the always exciting Lazaro Lowndes to a 7-year deal. Lowndes, an 11-year WPK veteran at age 29, is a career .320 hitter who is usually among the league leaders in both stolen bases and times caught stealing. He was league MVP in 1972 and has a career WAR of 60. While the only Gold Glove award he has won was nearly a decade ago, he remains an above average fielder in center, has a strong arm, is among the fastest players in the game, and there are few contact hitters of his caliber in the world. He's durable and still fairly young and perhaps before his career is over he can help the Cavaliers to become contenders.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#1122 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,262
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Tobin to Baltimore
Chris Tobin is a former league MVP (1973), a 5-time All-Star and 5-time Silver Slugger award winner. He possesses great speed and strong all-around hitting skills, including plus power. On the other hand, he's 30 years old, not a great base runner, and no longer has the defensive range to be anything more than an average shortstop. Oh, and he's something of a jerk. He's also coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, his 2.5 WAR his second lowest season total yet.
Now, on the third hand, he is super durable (Iron Man) and if he was shifted to say, third base, he could once again be a valuable defender. So will this be a good signing for the Baltimore Lords? Hard to say. Would I have given this guy a pretty generous 5-year deal. No, I wouldn't have.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#1123 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,262
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Spinners sign home run king Bennett
The L.A. Spinners announced yesterday that they had come to terms with 37-year old free agent slugger Nate Bennett on a 3-year deal.
Bennett enters the 1977 season as the all-time leader in the WPK in homers with 384 but is also coming off the worst season of his career in terms of WAR (1.7). While he is still a terrific power hitter (his HR total of last year is deceiving as only one player in all of the WPK even hit 20 bombs in 1976), he is a very poor defender at first base and an extremely slow runner. He did lead the league in bases on balls last season but there are some concerns that his career may be in steep decline soon. It also means that the Spinners move 2-time Gold Glover (the winner the past 2 seasons) Edwin Ayala off first base and will have a hard time getting him playing time as the most obvious other position for him is second base, where they already have a superstar player in 25-year old Bryan Perry. Ayala's WAR wasn't considerably higher than Bennett's in 1976 (2.3) and he certainly doesn't have the bat Bennett does but at 26 he is a safer bet than Bennett to maintain his current performance level.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#1124 | |
Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: Jan 2013
Posts: 258
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Welcome Back!
Quote:
![]() Have a Great night! Palaaemon
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I don't have to run faster than the bear, just faster than you. |
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#1125 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,262
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Quote:
Those Columbus Whalers are certainly emerging as the New York Yankees of the WPK thus far, but then again, in the early days of the MLB the Yankees were not the dominant force, so only time will tell if the Whalers fall by the wayside eventually and some other dynasty emerges. I'm excited to start moving forward again into the unknown future of the W.P. Kinsella League!
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#1126 |
All Star Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sarasota
Posts: 1,931
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Lazaro Lowndes great name, great career.
__________________
Julien Henri Version 21 https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...22#post4626122 Michigan Town Ball https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...28#post4630528 |
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#1127 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,262
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Souffront stays in Portland!
Coming off the best season of his career at age 31 (he turns 32 in a week), Ruben "Streak" Souffront, was a free agent this off-season. Having produced just a 0.6 WAR season in 1975, his first in a Wild Thing uniform, Souffront produced an All-Star 5.9 campaign in 1976. And although he had the opportunity to cash in by taking his talent's elsewhere, in the end the free agent outfielder will remain in Portland, having been signed to a 4-year deal which nets him 300K per season.
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#1128 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: Denver, Colorado
Posts: 4,262
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Lyerly now a Wild Thing!
Having caught up a bit on our old friend Streak Souffront in the previous post, it seems only fitting that we wrap up this installment of WPK reporting with the news that Harry Lyerly also was signed as a free agent by Portland a few days after former teammate Souffront. Lyerly, the MGL Pitcher of the Year in 1970, spent 1976 between two WPK teams, having started the season in Portland but only pitching two games in a Wild Thing uniform before being released and signed to a minor league contract by Philadelphia. Lyerly ended up appearing in 24 games for the Mud Hens, with 10 starts including an 8-hit shutout of Washington in late July. While the season was far from a return to the glory days, he still showed himself to be a capable big league hurler with his electric fastball and solid sinker.
Once again a free agent this off-season, Portland decided to take a chance on him again and on the last day of 1976 signed him to a 1-year contract. The plan for the moment it appears is for Harry to pitch out of the Portland bullpen but he certainly also gives them some rotational flexibility, particularly if injuries strike. And this is where we will leave things for now, with a new year dawning and Spring Training 1977 not far away. Thanks for all who followed along here and hope to see you all along for the ride as the Denver Brewers and the WPK move on to OOTP 21. See you on the other side!
__________________
The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League-- The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570 And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500 On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601 For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717 |
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#1129 |
All Star Starter
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Sarasota
Posts: 1,931
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The French Baseball League and Julien Henri will be happy to migrate along side this outstanding league. See you on the next page!
__________________
Julien Henri Version 21 https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...22#post4626122 Michigan Town Ball https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...28#post4630528 |
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