July 1, 1905
Code:
FLL STANDINGS W L PCT GB
Watkins Glen 50 33 .602 --
Canandaigua 47 36 .566 3
Penn Yan 44 39 .530 6
Geneva 41 42 .494 9
Waterloo 34 49 .410 16
Seneca Falls 33 50 .398 17
What a difference a year makes!
In 1904, the
Seneca Falls Sheepdogs were top dogs, boasting the Finger Lakes League's best record, while the
Canandaigua Ice Cats were ice-cold. Now, the Cats are challenging defending Seneca Cup champ
Watkins Glen for the league lead, while
Seneca Falls languishes in the basement.
Canandaigua's resurgence is due to a much more potent combination of pitching and hitting than they managed last year.
Joe Norris, Jesus Martinez, and southpaw reliever
Darryl Johnson are all pitching well; Norris leads the league with a 1.87 ERA. C
Hamilton Phillips, CF
Thad McCord, and 3B
Ronald Reece have the Cats' offense hitting on all cylinders.
LF
Donnie Oliver and C "
Duck" West highlight a Watkins Glen batting order that boasts three men hitting well over .300.
Michael Watkins, who already has 13 wins, once again gives the Bucks quality work every time he takes the hill.
Other players enjoying good years so far include
Penn Yan's fabulous outfield trio: RF
Mike Young (.367) , CF
Francisco Rivera (.357), and LF
Claudio Navarro (.334); Waterloo CF
Duane Blackburn (.334), and veteran Geneva twirler
Hayden Williams (10-8, 2.75).
Meanwhile, Seneca Falls standouts
Robby Ward, Ryan Hill, and
Jack Robinson have all failed to live up to the lofty standards they set in '04. Ward and Hill maintain batting averages in the .300 range, but they both hit over .350 last year. Robinson has lost nearly 100 points off his OPS since last season.
On June 15,
Waterloo made smooth RHP
Willie Morgan the first pick in the league's amateur draft. Morgan, 22, may not have the upside of some other youngsters, but he is much closer to being ready to retire Finger Lakes League hitters than most teenagers.
Penn Yan, drafting third, chose CF
Paul O'Connor, the first position player taken off the board. O'Connor is only 18, but might one day be the league's most fearsome slugger, and he has remarkable patience for a young hitter.
1904 #1 overall pick
"Electric" Billy Patrick of the Finches is struggling as a 20-year-old rookie, but despite a 3-10 record and an ERA over 4.00, he remains a prime prospect.