2025 WEEK 18
RECORD: 5-1
OVERALL: 74-37 +16.5
RUNS SCORED: 596 (33) 7th
RUNS AGAINST: 459 (21) 1st
OWNER: Ecstatic
FANS: 66/100
SCHEDULE: 1 @ Arizona/Off Day/3 @ Buffalo/2 vs Staten Island
7/28
ALK 10 AZ 4
W-C.Durham (9-5) L-A.Davis (7-5)
HR AZ-Hernandez (14) Schall (17) Reeves (8)
2-1 game busted open in a 4 run 5th. Garcia goes 4-4 driving in 4 (50) and stealing his 31st base. Peterson is 2-4 with a 3B (2) and Martinez goes 2-3 with 2 2B's (15) and steals 2 bases (15) while scoring 4 times. Durham is dominant going 7-4-2-2-0-9 on 106 pitches.
TRADE NEWS-(news item below) Damn, some pretty good players on both ends of the Dallas/Columbus trade. Fong is apparently an amazing talent, and a 2 way guy with back end bullpen potential or top of the order offense.
7/29
Off Day
TRADE NEWS-(item below) some fascinating deals being made. That's a staggering amount of pitching talent changing hands in the Hawaii/Dayton trade. Oswalt is a true ace now, and out of my division! Cameron was the 20th overall pick in 2022 (Tulsa) and Almadanim was the 60th overall pick that same year (Buffalo) as well as the SS Koufax winner in 2024. Bridges will setup or close and is in the Hawaii pen now, Cameron goes to AA, Almadanim A. Great deal for both ONLY if Dayton signs Oswalt to an extension, otherwise it's a last place team rental.
7/30
ALK 3 BUF 2 (13)
W-Casas (4-2) L-Melendez (2-3) S-Wheeler (31)
HR ALK-Rodriguez (7) Ibarbia (11) BUF-Gonzalez (17)
Pitchers duel that turned over to the pens. Solis goes 9-4-2-2-1-4 and Casas/Wheeler combine to go 4-0-0-0-2-6 with Casas punching out 5 in 3. Park goes 7.1-3-2-2-3-5. Mauro Ibarbia goes 4-6 with a 2B (18) homer and 2 RBI's (57). Staff yields just 4 hits in 13 innings.
ROSTER NEWS-McBryde suffered a rehab setback and will be out another week.
TRADE NEWS-Angel Martinez is 27, LH and a homer or punchout sorta guy. I don't like those sorta guys. However I DO like 22 year old power arms, and in David Rodgers I got one. Additionally we swapped 1st rounders, which, as of today, moves me up about 15 slots into the front half of the round. Kevin Olson is recalled, Rodgers is sent to AA. (news below)
7/31
BUF 6 ALK 5
W-Artlano (3-2) L-J.Durham (4-1) S-Melendrez (15)
HR BUF-Romero (8) Gill (18)
Santos carries 5-1 lead into the 6th before Romero's game tying homer. Durham gives up Gill's solo shot the next inning to lose it after jumping out to 5-1 lead after 2 ½ . Gill was 2-2 HR 3 runs
INJURY NEWS-AAA SP Will Allison was off to a great season. 5-8 in 16 AAA starts but sporting a 2.63 in 109.2 IP with 89 H and 107 punch outs. He's going to have Tommy John surgery and miss the next 11-12 months. Joong Koo is sent from AA to AAA into the rotation. Both of these guys are on our prospect radar.
8/1
ALK 2 BUF 0
W-Rubio (12-7) L-R.Martinez (8-11) S-Wheeler (32)
HR ALK-M.Rodriguez 2 (9)
Rubio was dominating all day 7.1-3-0-0-3-9 (W) with Casas getting out of a runner on 3rd 1 out 8th inning jam. Martinez (ex-Iron Pig Roberto) was outstanding in the CG (L) 9-6-2-2-5-5. Rodriguez was 2-2 2 HR's 2 runs 2 RBI's (29) and 2 walks with a SB (7).
8/2
ALK 6 SI 5 (14)
W-Sheppard (5-0) L-Vazquez (3-2)
HR SI-Cannon (25) Knox (27) Flowers (6) Salgado (4) ALK-Ibarbia (12)
Fox struggles 5 ER 5 IP and then the pen takes over, going 8.1-8-0-0-2-12 with Casas getting 5 K's in 2.2 IP. Hernandez (SI) 3-7 Knox (SI) 3-7 HR 4 K's Peterson 3-6 Ibarbia 2-6 HR SB (29) 2 RBI's (61)
MILESTONE- Curt Whimster becomes the first IBL player to achieve this one. Gerald Wright is 2nd at 2321 and Rich Stone is 3rd at 2190. Iron Pig Jeffrey Hudson is 4th at 1989.
2500 HITS
Curt Whimster 8/2/25 (37 years 72 days) 9559 at bats over 13 years 124 days
8/3
ALK 7 SI 4
W-C.Durham (10-5) L-Miller (9-8) S-Alexander (2)
HR SI-Bond (26) ALK-Ledezma (4) Collins (11) Ibarbia (13)
Durham strong in 8-6-4-4-1-7 and Alexander picks up an exhausted pen. Ibarbia goes 2-4 with a HR and drives in 3 (64) Garcia goes 3-4
WEEK 18 SUMMARY
FL POTW-Lando Jongmans (WMI) 12-25 4 HR's 11 RBI's (.255-19-74)
CL POTW-Stan Park (EP) 12-26 6 RBI's (.325-3-57)
NEWS-Providence cleans house. At 31-78 they're on an epically bad pace.
WEEK 18 POWER RANKINGS
1) Chicago (1)
2) Fresno (2)
3)
Alaska (3)
4) West Michigan (4)
5) Columbus (5)
Might be the 1st week I can ever remember the rankings staying the same 1 week to the next
MINOR LEAGUE UPDATE
AAA Eagan (21 -5) 54-60 30 GB 1st SB 3rd SP ERA 5th AVG
AA Kodiak (22 -1) 53-60 10 GB 3rd Def Eff 4th SP ERA
A(S) Spokane (11 +2) 58-55 17 GB 5th Runs/AVG
A(N) Yakima (23 +3) 48-65 23 GB 2nd SB 3rd AVG
SS Juneau (27 -2) 14-23 10 GB 5th BP ERA
R Fairbanks (12 +4) 19-17 1 GB 1st SB 3rd HR 5th OBP
IRON PIG UPDATE
81-29 and 11.5 up on a very good Clipper team. They're 1st in Runs (808) AVG. (.322) and OBP(.409) They're pitching their asses off too. Bright 10, Davenport and Trujillo 11, Hall 14 and Morgan with 15 wins.