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BradC · 05-08-2013, 01:45 PM

With just 30 games left in the inaugural Grand Championship League season, MLB Pro continues to dominate the competition, posting a 52-18 record and commanding an 18-game lead over second-place VBL in the Heinsohn Division.

Asked for thoughts on how to handle such a fearsome opponent, GM Joe Woodring of last-place World Baseball Hierarchy could only say: “WBH plans on throwing down fisticuffs in hopes of injuring their vastly superior team!”

Meanwhile, the races in the other three divisions remain tight, with ULB at 44-26 and maintaining a slight one-game lead over PEBA and BML in the Raht Division.

“It is clear that pitching is going to be the key for us if we are going to be able to contend for a playoff spot,” said PEBA GM Aric Kinast. “We are giving up 4.2 runs a game and both our starting pitching and bullpen have been disappointments so far.

“We knew that our bullpen was young but we thought it would be a strength anchored by an elite closer in Stanley Farrell. He has been decent with 20 saves but he has blown 3 saves and had career lows in most categories. The rest of the bullpen has been unreliable and will need to improve for us to compete.”

Kinast continued: “Our top of the rotation starting pitching has actually been very good. Gerald Blevins and John Ross have both been pitching well and are two starters we can rely on. The biggest disappointment has been our number three starter, Dale Hobbs. We had very high expectations for him and he has been worse than we could have imagined. Last season he was 10-3 with a 2.95 ERA and this year he was 1-7 with a 7.39 ERA before we took him out of the rotation. Our 4th and 5th starters have been solid enough. Finding a replacement for Dale Hobbs will really be a key for the stretch run.

“Overall we are happy with the team and it all starts with our best player and leader, Bill Haynes. At 25 years old he is the heart of the team and one of the main reasons we are even competitive. Along with two other young star hitters, Arturo Martinez and Jack Ibarra, we have had enough offense to average 4.7 runs a game. We are pleased with the offense and do not plan on any adjustments to it.”

Kinast concluded: “The two main adjustments that have to occur will be fixing the bullpen and finding an effective number 3 starter. Our first attempt was making one move that we hope will address both problems. We recently moved Johnny Hollis into the rotation and put Dale Hobbs into the bullpen. Hobbs pitched well in both appearance in the bullpen and Hollis pitched well in his last start, giving us 8 scoreless innings to get his first win as a starter. He has tremendous stamina but with only two pitches, he would probably be better off in the bullpen. However, we had to try something. Ultimately this move may determine the rest of the season for PEBA.”

As PEBA dukes it out at the top of the Raht Division, third place Action Packed Baseball League (APBL) is still holding out hope, thanks to a recent 7-3 run that left the team five games out of first place.

Asked for comment, APBL GM Steve Canham said: “While the team lacked focus in April, things have been much better after the slow start, and APBL is playing as well as anyone in the league. We do have some work to do to get out of a strongly contested Raht division.

“There have been a few lineup changes to reflect some performances this year as everyone knows they earn their spot on this team. The starters have been phenomenal in the last month or so, and now it’s up to our hitters to give them the support to win games. In the bullpen, James Reynolds and Foster Gordon have been great this year and they will be getting the ball more as a reward for their hard work and performance.” Reynolds and Gordon have posted ERAs of 1.88 and 1.82 and WHIPs of 1.21 and 0.88, respectively.

Canham continued: “There have also been changes to the lineup as well, as Jorge Guzman has shown APBL what he has and will be starting against both LHP and RHP now. The lineup order has also been shuffled to help give those who have not played up to expectations a chance to get their swing back in less pressure situations.” Batting in the clean-up spot, Guzman is hitting .268 for the season, with 7 HR and 17 RBI.

The big question, though, is whether APBL can weather the storm recently caused by third baseman Brian Wilkinson, who claimed to have hurt his back while chopping wood. That story turned out to be an attempt to cover up an affair.

Asked about the controversy, Canham could only sigh and remark: “As for Wilkinson, he knows he has the support of his teammates. It’s not good when things of this nature come out in a public way, but he is a member of this team and will not be punished for things off the field. He has apologized to me and the boys for the distraction, but said his focus is on getting to the playoffs now. We are focused and ready for the task at hand, a final push this season.”

05-08-2013, 01:45 PM	#5
BradC All Star Starter Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: northern CA Posts: 1,885	Heading Into the Stretch With just 30 games left in the inaugural Grand Championship League season, MLB Pro continues to dominate the competition, posting a 52-18 record and commanding an 18-game lead over second-place VBL in the Heinsohn Division. Asked for thoughts on how to handle such a fearsome opponent, GM Joe Woodring of last-place World Baseball Hierarchy could only say: “WBH plans on throwing down fisticuffs in hopes of injuring their vastly superior team!” Meanwhile, the races in the other three divisions remain tight, with ULB at 44-26 and maintaining a slight one-game lead over PEBA and BML in the Raht Division. “It is clear that pitching is going to be the key for us if we are going to be able to contend for a playoff spot,” said PEBA GM Aric Kinast. “We are giving up 4.2 runs a game and both our starting pitching and bullpen have been disappointments so far. “We knew that our bullpen was young but we thought it would be a strength anchored by an elite closer in Stanley Farrell. He has been decent with 20 saves but he has blown 3 saves and had career lows in most categories. The rest of the bullpen has been unreliable and will need to improve for us to compete.” Kinast continued: “Our top of the rotation starting pitching has actually been very good. Gerald Blevins and John Ross have both been pitching well and are two starters we can rely on. The biggest disappointment has been our number three starter, Dale Hobbs. We had very high expectations for him and he has been worse than we could have imagined. Last season he was 10-3 with a 2.95 ERA and this year he was 1-7 with a 7.39 ERA before we took him out of the rotation. Our 4th and 5th starters have been solid enough. Finding a replacement for Dale Hobbs will really be a key for the stretch run. “Overall we are happy with the team and it all starts with our best player and leader, Bill Haynes. At 25 years old he is the heart of the team and one of the main reasons we are even competitive. Along with two other young star hitters, Arturo Martinez and Jack Ibarra, we have had enough offense to average 4.7 runs a game. We are pleased with the offense and do not plan on any adjustments to it.” Kinast concluded: “The two main adjustments that have to occur will be fixing the bullpen and finding an effective number 3 starter. Our first attempt was making one move that we hope will address both problems. We recently moved Johnny Hollis into the rotation and put Dale Hobbs into the bullpen. Hobbs pitched well in both appearance in the bullpen and Hollis pitched well in his last start, giving us 8 scoreless innings to get his first win as a starter. He has tremendous stamina but with only two pitches, he would probably be better off in the bullpen. However, we had to try something. Ultimately this move may determine the rest of the season for PEBA.” As PEBA dukes it out at the top of the Raht Division, third place Action Packed Baseball League (APBL) is still holding out hope, thanks to a recent 7-3 run that left the team five games out of first place. Asked for comment, APBL GM Steve Canham said: “While the team lacked focus in April, things have been much better after the slow start, and APBL is playing as well as anyone in the league. We do have some work to do to get out of a strongly contested Raht division. “There have been a few lineup changes to reflect some performances this year as everyone knows they earn their spot on this team. The starters have been phenomenal in the last month or so, and now it’s up to our hitters to give them the support to win games. In the bullpen, James Reynolds and Foster Gordon have been great this year and they will be getting the ball more as a reward for their hard work and performance.” Reynolds and Gordon have posted ERAs of 1.88 and 1.82 and WHIPs of 1.21 and 0.88, respectively. Canham continued: “There have also been changes to the lineup as well, as Jorge Guzman has shown APBL what he has and will be starting against both LHP and RHP now. The lineup order has also been shuffled to help give those who have not played up to expectations a chance to get their swing back in less pressure situations.” Batting in the clean-up spot, Guzman is hitting .268 for the season, with 7 HR and 17 RBI. The big question, though, is whether APBL can weather the storm recently caused by third baseman Brian Wilkinson, who claimed to have hurt his back while chopping wood. That story turned out to be an attempt to cover up an affair. Asked about the controversy, Canham could only sigh and remark: “As for Wilkinson, he knows he has the support of his teammates. It’s not good when things of this nature come out in a public way, but he is a member of this team and will not be punished for things off the field. He has apologized to me and the boys for the distraction, but said his focus is on getting to the playoffs now. We are focused and ready for the task at hand, a final push this season.”