Andros Islands Baseball Leagues

[Sizeman21]

Andros Island 1895



So, you want to travel the world and see everything under the sun? Why not visit the Andros Islands? Located north of the beautiful Yucatan and west of the vibrant island of Cuba, Andros Island, named after Sir Charles Andros, has everything imaginable for your tropical getaway.

Andros Islands has a rich history of maritime ventures, with the first colonial ships dropping anchor back in 1866. The early days of colonization by both the English and Spanish were tense. Merchant ships coming from Spain were often raided by the English hoping to sabotage and steal chests of gold brought from Europe. The Spanish fought back, raiding the few seaside enterprises set up by the English. Skirmishes ended in 1890 after a treaty was inked and the island was divided east to west down the center of the island. The two nations compromised and avoided aggressive attacks on their new neighbors ships and settlements. 6 years of peace followed.

Since then, both English and Spanish colonies have been settled and built beach towns and island towns that rival those of the French Riviera. Beautiful English row houses surround docks and piers stretched out into the sea. Red clay tiled houses popped up on the Spanish half of the island, trademarking their signature colonial style look. The Old Town settlement on the west side on the island has a beautiful square with lots of shops and restaurants as well as massive cannons guarding the seawall from anxious black flag pirates that patrol the waters looking for tiny vessels to plunder. Cramped fishing villages can be found hauling in Kingfish, Angelfish, Grouper and Tarpons around the coast.

The northern, English half of the island has beautiful forests,towering waterfalls, and a large active volcano, Mount Candice, named after Sir Andros’s wife. Regular riverboat cruises are scheduled year around up and down the Yaxley River, the longest on the island. Sharks are regularly seen off the eastern shores, feeding on the gulls landing in the warm waters outside of the surf. Be careful while exploring the rainforests and swamps, leopards and alligators lurk and are always hungry for a stray tourist.

Come sail around the Spanish southern coast, with crystal clear water, and beaches that stretch on and on. Great blue herons glide by your boat as the sun sets a marvelous orange on the horizon. Take sail boats out to any of the Barceló Islands and toast to paradise.

The western half of the island is dotted with countless tiny islands, some with beaches and some barren rock. Kingfish, or Pez Real in Spanish, and dolphins are regular swimmers around the small bays and inlets. Lots of marine life can be found in the barrier reefs scattered around the islands.

Enjoy some of the best tasting mangoes and bananas anywhere in the world. Grown locally and sold to villages and tourists, you can find tropical fruits anywhere on the island.

The Androsian people are known for being friendly and welcoming. The island is a major trade hub and exports it’s fruits and tropical produce grown on the island. Andros imports lots of raw materials, like stone, hardwood and metals used in buildings.

The English and Spanish play sports they brought from their homelands. Namely, football and baseball. The English primarily play football while the Spanish play baseball. While both sports on the island have multiple amateur circuits, baseball seems to rule over football in terms of popularity with the common folk. Extensive work is put into building stadiums for spectators to enjoy watching games during the day. Teams play on the greenest grass you have ever laid your eyes on. The great island weather allows for hundreds of games to be played in a small stretch of time.

Popularity has risen so steeply in the last year, that a committee has been formed, dedicated to ensuring baseball continues on the island in an orderly fashion. Rumors of a professional league have been circulating. Teams from both sides of the island will be created to ensure mutual friendships on the island and no tensions form.

As tourism brings in more money to the island, so does the interest in sport. The Americans are always asking when the Athletics or Pirates or Tigers are getting their first Androsian player in the team. The Mexicans ask as well, and so do the Cubans.

The Major League in America is rumored to be planning a barnstorming tour on the island next fall after the season ends. Star studded teams will face off against the best the island has to offer. Javi Zaragoza and Jay Humbolt have been picked to be spokesmen for international relations for the league. The Androsian Baseball Committee foresees a great friendship with their neighboring baseball neighbors, namely America and Mexico.

1896 sees 4 teams from each side of the island compete, with the best team winning the Andros Championship title.


Present Day Andros Islands
2020

Andros Islands is a flourishing tourist hotspot, with year round flights into the island to visit the beautiful beaches and stay for the great weather. Baseball has become a multimillion dollar industry on the islands and the main sightseeing event during the summer months. A newly formed Andros Island league has been formed in anticipation of a huge influx in tourists and permanent residents arriving to the islands this summer. Stadiums have grown to squeeze almost 55,000 anxious fans while players are signing larger than life contracts backed by rich owners looking to see baseball rise past the height of baseball in America. While still friendly with the Andros Islands, The MLB sees the rapid growth in the sport down south as a threat to the game in the homeland and refuses to harbor any Androsians in any of their teams. American born players are welcome to try out for teams in the islands.

With a 12 team Major League circuit and 12 team Rising Stars league, baseball has spread to all corners of the island and all the smaller islands around as well. With cheap tickets and great food selections, fans die hard and scream non stop for their teams. Ferry services shuttle people to the Salisbury, Murcia and Tortuga islands for close away games and a small charter plane for farther games. While fans can walk to games in Leon or Wessex, rail and bus services are readily available in larger cities like San Isabella and Old Town.

The 2020 Andros Islands Major League and Rising Stars League will look as follows


Androsian Major League (AML)

English Northern Division

Gateshead Gunslingers
Mersey Rivermen
Old Town Cannons
Salisbury Sea Dogs
Wessex Warriors
Brittany Leopards

Spanish Southern Division

Armada de San Isabella
Buscadores de Castille
Garzas Azul de León
Tarpons de Toledo
Bucaneros de Tortuga
Murciélagos de Murcia




Rising Stars League (AAA)

English Northern Division

Brighton Bridge Scarlets
Castle Acre Archer
Gloucester Gators
Hawkshead Highlanders
St. Albans Saints
Yorkshire Yorkies

Spanish Southern Division

Costa del Sol Pez Real
Puerto Sur Delfines
Tarragona Tiburones
Villa del Rio Oleada
Matadores de Madrid
Padres de Pontevedra




Some notes on the league:


162 game schedule
2020 settings (Financials, modifiers, general league rules)
March 1 trade deadline
December 31 Amateur Draft & Rule 5 signings
All Star Game, Prospects Game and HR Challenge enabled
Regular playoffs (top 2 teams of each sub league face off, winner faces winner of other sub league)
IFA, Scouting Discoveries and Established IFA all default and 100% random
5 year Free Agency
172 day service time
League expansion is planned but not a main concern for team owners currently

Editors Notes:

I messed up the start date when I created the league and used 2020 instead of 1896. So that's why I added the whole thing about the 2020 league and tension with the American MLB. I'm too lazy to remake my whole league and nation just to change the date. Oh well...

[Lafayette53]

Love leagues like this. Good luck, I'll be following!

[Sizeman21]

[progen]

Nice ad. Looking forward to following along.

[Eugene Church]

I'm glad my favorite map maker is starting his own dynasty league... looking forward to it.
Love those old time photos and ads... great idea.

Hope your team jerseys and caps are as good as your maps and photos.

Enjoyed the back story, too... well-written.

[Sizeman21]

[Sizeman21]

[Sizeman21]

The inaugural Andros Baseball season is upon us! Fans are eager for cracking season, filled with pop and zip! Rivalries will ignite and a champion crowned.

Preseason predictions says Leon will have the best record on the island, while Brittany drags the bottom with 57 wins on the season. Marty Miller could claim the Most Valuable Player award if he achieves his predicted season while Marco Munoz could top the Hurler of the Year Award with 21 wins for Toledo.








The Prospects Pipeline has been published for the upcoming season, ranking the best young talent on the island with some scouting marks for each player. Fans are filled with excitement when they see their young players take the field for the first time under the lights.



The 2020 Androsian Baseball season is coming up next!

[Archelirion]

Always good to root for an underdog! Come on you Leopards!

Your map is cracking but the adverts you made with the photos are absolutely beautiful. Needless to say I'll be watching this one with bated breath :]

[Sizeman21]

Originally Posted by progen

Nice ad. Looking forward to following along.

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

I'm glad my favorite map maker is starting his own dynasty league... looking forward to it.
Love those old time photos and ads... great idea.

Hope your team jerseys and caps are as good as your maps and photos.

Enjoyed the back story, too... well-written.

Originally Posted by Archelirion

Always good to root for an underdog! Come on you Leopards!

Your map is cracking but the adverts you made with the photos are absolutely beautiful. Needless to say I'll be watching this one with bated breath :]

Thanks all!

I am finally gunna start work on this season. I had a bit of a motivation loss, turned to my Elyria save for a week or so, but now I have traveled to my beach house in the Andros Islands and am truly soaking in the sun here. Monthly reports should be up in a day or so.

Hope to see you at some games this season!

[stevem810]

Good stuff going on here! Very nice, I'll be reading along.

[Sizeman21]

In the first month of the 2020 season, Wessex, Mersey and San Isabella have slim leads over their competitors. Marty Miller has a lot going for him. The Wessex left fielder just broke into the majors this year and now the Andros Baseball League has just picked him as its top hitter for April.

In 27 games last month this outstanding rookie batted .350 with 9 home runs, 24 RBIs and 25 runs scored.

Rex McCauley took a much-deserved turn in the spotlight earlier today as he accepted the Andros Baseball League Pitcher of the Month award for April.

The 23-year-old Gunslingers starter is a relative newcomer to the league, but nonetheless racked up an impressive 5-0 won-lost record in 6 starts. This month he fanned 26 batters in 48.2 innings and compiled a 2.22 ERA.

April's Rookie of the Month Award in the Andros Baseball League went to Rex McCauley of Gateshead.

Major Injury Reports:

No Comeback This Season for Simpson: Clearly dejected, Negrón Simpson left the San Isabella clubhouse nearly in tears this afternoon. He acknowledged that his season is over after sustaining a torn rotator cuff in a ballgame recently. It brings an early end to the San Isabella reliever's season.

Injury Shuts Down Hadley for Season: The San Isabella Armada have lost the services of Andy Hadley for the rest of this season. He suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament in a recent ballgame and the follow-up report from the medical staff is not good. Hadley is out for the year.

Hadley has a 3-1 season record so far. In 5 starts, he has fanned 25 batters in 38.2 innings with a 5.12 ERA.

Injury Shuts Down Ortiz for Season: "Not what I wanted to hear," said Leon's Bruno Ortiz to reporters this afternoon, as he revealed that the injury he sustained on 04/29/2020 would force him to miss the rest of the season. "The doctor made it clear," Ortiz said. "There's no chance for me -- none at all -- to come back this year. That's the last thing I wanted to hear." Ortiz has been out of action since he suffered a torn labrum.

So far this season Ortiz has 4 wins and no losses and a 2.35 ERA.

Major Game Performances:

2 hit shutout tossed by Meltham:

Meltham Guns Down Cannons: It wasn't easy but the Salisbury Sea Dogs made it look that way.

Starter Eric Meltham shut out the Old Town Cannons despite having what he later called "sub-par" stuff, and the Salisbury Sea Dogs cruised to victory, 5-0. Meltham allowed only 2 hits and rang up 5 strikeouts but insisted later that he did not deserve primary credit for the win.

Rivermen Suffer 9-0 Drubbing from Murciélagos:

Today was Chad Hutchinson's turn in the rotation for the Murcia Murciélagos and he made the most of it, shutting out the Mersey Rivermen on 6 hits.

The 33-year-old right-hander led the Murciélagos to an easy 9-0 victory, allowing 1 walk and tallying 2 strikeouts.

"I hope we miss him next time," Mersey manager Virgilio Salvador said. "Hutchinson certainly pitched a strong game against us today. He was in a groove, throwing everything for strikes. Throwing hard. Changing speeds."

Wright-Taylor 5-for-5 Against Leon:

Dean Wright-Taylor did more than his part as the Mersey Rivermen topped the Leon Garzas Azul today at Garzas Azul Ballpark. The Rivermen first baseman pounded out 5 hits to pace his team to a 7-4 thumping of the Garzas Azul. Dean Wright-Taylor hit an RBI single in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, hit a two-run home run off Benjamin Wade in the 5th, singled in the 6th and singled in the 9th.

Presently Wright-Taylor is batting .410 with 16 hits and 2 home runs. He has knocked in 7 runs and scored 7 times.

Great Day for King -- 5 Hits:

Douglas King put on a hitting clinic today as the Leon Garzas Azul dumped the Salisbury Sea Dogs 17-6 at Garzas Azul Ballpark.

The Leon shortstop made Salisbury defenders earn their pay, lashing Salisbury pitching for 5 hits in 6 at-bats in the game. He told BNN reporters after the game that his strategy was "just hit it where they pitched it."

"Too often I try too hard to pull the ball," King said in his postgame press conference. "Today, I just went with the pitch."

Douglas King singled in the 1st, singled in the 1st, grounded out in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, singled in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

In his 2020 season totals, King has no home runs, .339 BA, .394 OBP, 13 RBIs and 13 runs scored.


Game of the Month:

9 run inning destroys hope for Old Town



In a wild game in Old Town, neither starting pitcher pitched gems, Brian Hewitt of Wessex giving up 7 runs on 8 hits in 7 innings while Junior Marengue game up 6 runs on 10 hits in 6 innings of work. Old Town's Felix Ga won player of he game with his 2 home runs in the losing effort.

Archelirion, your Leopards are doing......bad


Month of May recap coming up next!

-------------

Also going to share songs I love listening to while writing these reports up

The Lazarus Heart - Sting

He looked beneath his shirt today
There was a wound in his flesh so deep and wide
From the wound a lovely flower grew
From somewhere deep inside
He turned around to face his mother
To show her the wound in his breast that burned like a brand
But the sword that cut him open
Was the sword in his mother's hand

Every day another miracle
Only death will tear us apart
To sacrifice a life for yours
I'd be the blood of the Lazarus heart
The blood of the Lazarus heart

Though the sword was his protection
The wound itself would give him power
The power to remake himself
At the time of his darkest hour
She said the wound would give him courage and pain
The kind of pain that you can't hide
From the wound a lovely flower grew
From somewhere deep inside

Every day another miracle
Only death will keep us apart
To sacrifice a life for yours
I'd be the blood of the Lazarus heart
The blood of the Lazarus heart

Birds on the roof of my mother's house
I've no stones that chase them away
Birds on the roof of my mother's house
Will sit on my roof someday
They fly at the window, they fly at the door
Where does she get the strength to fight them anymore
She counts all her children as a shield against the rain
Lifts her eyes to the sky like a flower to the rain

Every day another miracle
Only death will keep us apart
To sacrifice a life for yours
I'd be the blood of the Lazarus heart
The blood of the Lazarus heart

https://youtu.be/I0Y24BIn-7w

[Archelirion]

Yikes. I wouldn't mind but that Pythagorean record suggests that things could be even worse for them. Offence looks like it could be average but that fielding/pitching is just plain BAD.

What the heck happened in that 16-inning game by the way? I assume the Wessex bullpen ran out of steam (and players) and Old Town let them have it.

[Sizeman21]

Lots of movement in month 2 of the Andros Baseball League. Wessex lose top spot in the north division while San Isabella fall to the basement of the south division. The gap widens between 1st and second spot in each division.

Castille Sweep Player Awards for May

Castille Shortstop ABL's Best Batter in May: Robby Farrow has a lot going for him. The Castille shortstop just broke into the majors this year and now the Andros Baseball League has just picked him as its top hitter for May.

In 28 games last month this outstanding rookie batted .402 with 11 home runs, 39 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

This season Farrow has hit at a .352 clip with 55 RBIs, 17 home runs and 42 runs scored.

Andros Baseball League #1 Hurler is Cabrera: Ráyman Cabrera took a much-deserved turn in the spotlight earlier today as he accepted the Andros Baseball League Pitcher of the Month award for May.

The 21-year-old Buscadores starter is a relative newcomer to the league, but nonetheless racked up an impressive 5-0 won-lost record in 7 starts. This month he fanned 23 batters in 59.1 innings and compiled a 1.06 ERA.

To date this season, Cabrera has a record of 9 wins and no losses and a 1.35 ERA. He has appeared in 13 games and struck out 43 in 107 innings.

Cabrera Picked ABL's Premier Rookie: Ráyman Cabrera has become a big Castille fan favorite, especially during the last month when the pitching phenom racked up a 5-0 record, making him the easy choice for May's Andros Baseball League Rookie of the Month Award.

He notched 23 strikeouts in 59.1 innings as he compiled a 1.06 ERA and held opponents to a .200 batting average.

Checking out his stats for the season, Cabrera has racked up 9 wins and no losses in 13 starts, 1.35 ERA and struck out 43 batters in 107 innings.

Major Injury Report:

Season-Ending Injury for Vargas: Team officials for the San Isabella Armada confirmed that a torn rotator cuff will force Jordi Vargas to miss the rest of the season. Vargas sustained the injury on 05/07/2020. It remains to be seen who will replace Vargas on the active roster.

Thus far this season, Vargas has worked 56.1 innings with 13 strikeouts en route to a 4-2 record and a 3.04 ERA.

Injury Derails Season for Yang: Obviously disappointed, Eduardo Yang confirmed today that his season is officially over. The Mersey starting pitcher offered mostly monosyllabic responses to reporters. "Nope," he said, when asked if he might possibly return this year. The 35-year-old Yang suffered a torn labrum on 05/26/2020 and has been out of action since.

For the year Yang has compiled a 4-3 record with a 4.00 ERA.

Hutchinson Has Season End: The news was not unexpected, but that didn't make it easier to accept for the Murcia Murciélagos: starting pitcher Chad Hutchinson is out for the year. Hutchinson suffered a torn flexor tendon in his elbow on 05/11/2020. The team knew that the chances of seeing him return were slim to none. But today it was made official.

Checking out his stats for the season, Hutchinson has racked up 2 wins and 3 losses in 7 starts, 5.08 ERA and struck out 8 batters in 44.1 innings.

Major Game Performances:

Costello Batters Old Town Big Time: It was a parade of hits for Joseph Costello of the Salisbury Sea Dogs at Salisbury Grounds today.

Connecting almost every time he went to the plate, Costello finished the day with a total of 5 hits in 5 at-bats. His strong individual effort propelled the Sea Dogs to a 10-1 victory.

"Costello was really good and we were really bad," groaned Cannons manager Riley McFarlane. "Next time he's that hot, we'll just walk him."

Joseph Costello singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, singled in the 7th and hit a two-run double in the 8th.

A look at his season totals shows Costello with 1 home run, .357 BA, .427 OBP, 14 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

First two Cycles hit in ABL history!

Hit Parade: Dagnino Gets Cycle: Today at Ballpark of Murcia Leo Dagnino tore up Murciélagos pitching, but the Armada still came up empty. Murcia whipped them 7-6, despite his best efforts. The San Isabella center fielder hit for the cycle with a 4-for-5 day and collected 2 RBI and scored 2 runs -- but to no avail -- his team lost the game anyway.

Leo Dagnino doubled in the 1st, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, tripled in the 5th, struck out in the 6th and hit a solo-shot off Ponce Colon in the 8th.

Currently Dagnino has 7 home runs and a .372 batting average.

Guevara Hits for the Cycle: Jorge Guevara punished the Wessex Warriors today, leading the Rivermen to a 9-4 win. In doing so, Guevara hit for the cycle, tagging the Warriors for 4 hits in 4 at-bats.

A player hitting a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game is one of the more unusual feats in professional baseball and typically happens only a couple times per season.

"Well, I didn't expect that to happen," the Mersey center fielder said after the game. "I got some great pitches and I hit their mistakes."

Guevara also had 2 RBI and 4 runs scored in the game at Warriors Ballpark.

Jorge Guevara hit a solo-shot off Clement Beltre in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, hit an RBI triple in the 5th, walked in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

Batting .320 to date, Guevara has 1 home run and 3 RBIs.


Archelirion, I'm just laughing at this point.


Song of the day:

Lucky Sometimes - Pokey LaFarge

https://youtu.be/kIl3qO3MRGM

Pokey LaFarge is a musician, songwriter, bandleader, entertainer, innovator and preservationist, whose well-rounded arsenal of talents has placed him at the forefront of American music. His music transcends the confines of genre, continually challenging the notion that tradition-bearers fail to push musical boundaries.

I saw him perform at a house party down the street from my house about a year ago, he was amazing to say the least! Very talented vocalist and musician.

[Sizeman21]

News updates from month of June in next post

[Sizeman21]

June News Update

Injury Report:

CF Leo Dagnino Out: Injuries are something every team has to deal with. That fact struck home for the Armada when after today's game against the Rivermen, the club found out they would be without the services of Leo Dagnino for at least 5-6 weeks. After the game, his manager said of the incident, "You hate to lose anyone to injury. That's always a negative." Dagnino was injured earlier today throwing the ball and suffered a sore shoulder.

This year Dagnino is hitting .347 with 77 hits, 12 home runs, 43 RBIs and has scored 47 runs.

Season Done for Ferry: Team officials for the Brittany Leopards confirmed that a broken bone in the elbow will force Clifford Ferry to miss the rest of the season. Ferry sustained the injury on 06/01/2020. It remains to be seen who will replace Ferry on the active roster.

On the year Ferry has hit .241 with 7 home runs, 33 RBIs and scored 23 runs.

Game Performances:

25 Games in a Row for Belez: Chalk up another one for Castille Buscadores third baseman Julián Belez. He now has hit in 25 straight games. Belez went 4-for-5 today's game at Rivermen Ballpark but saw his club defeated 8-5 by the host Mersey Rivermen.

"Playing on the road always makes it harder to get hits and to get wins," Buscadores manager Rio Villa said after the game. "We got one of the two, but unfortunately it was the wrong one."
Julián Belez singled in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, singled in the 5th, flied out in the 7th and singled in the 9th.

Presently Belez is hitting .375 with 7 home runs and 32 RBIs. He has played in 55 games and scored 49 times.

Cabrera Holds Tarpons Scoreless: Ráyman Cabrera of the Castille Buscadores really zeroed in on Toledo hitters at Ballpark of Castille, blanking them 13-0 on 4 hits. Cabrera struck out 5 and gave up 3 walks in defeating the Tarpons.

Cabrera has a 10-0 season record so far. In 15 starts, he has fanned 51 batters in 123 innings with a 1.32 ERA.


2020 All-Star Game:



Click on image to see larger size

Enjoy some of St. Louis's best jazz, played by Miles Davis

https://youtu.be/UayFuEbHxrs

[Archelirion]

Got all excited when I saw that a Brittany player was leading a batting stat... then I saw it was strikeouts. This ain't gonna be our year ;-;

[Sizeman21]

League Transactions:

Castille-Wessex Trade: Ohara for García: It came down to the last hour of a self-imposed trade deadline, but the Castille Buscadores and Wessex Warriors finally came to an agreement on a trade that had been rumored for weeks. The trade sends Castille's 25-year-old 2B Agustin Ohara to Wessex in a swap for 27-year-old RHP Ricardo García and 17-year-old minor league 1B Dan Rumsey. Both GMs seemed relieved that the deal had been completed with one stating, "We had to set a deadline to get it done." The players are expected to report to their new teams by tomorrow.

Ohara is hitting .297 this year with 6 home runs and 47 RBIs. He also has an OBP of .355, 39 walks and scored 62 times.

García has taken the mound for 18 relief appearances this season, nailing down 7 saves while notching a 4-8 record with a 4.99 ERA. The Castille reliever has limited opposing batters to a .269 batting average.



San Isabella Armada Ship Alexander to Mersey: Both sides appear content with the trade finalized today that will send 28-year-old minor league RF William Alexander to the Mersey Rivermen, while the San Isabella Armada will receive 29-year-old 2B Milton Vazquez and 23-year-old minor league 3B Michael Díaz.

"This is a move that filled a few gaps in our roster," said Eddie Sharp, Armada general manager.

For his part, the Rivermen GM said the trade was made "in the best interest of our organization's future." BNN analysts reported that on paper the trade seemed to be a plus for both ball clubs. The players involved are expected to join their new teams for the next scheduled game.

Currently Alexander is batting .278 with 7 home runs, 27 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

This season Vazquez is hitting .265 with 3 home runs.



San Isabella-Leon Trade: Ashford for Thai: Done deal! The San Isabella Armada have agreed to send 33-year-old 3B Martin Ashford and 24-year-old RF C.J. Jeronimo to the Leon Garzas Azul for 37-year-old minor league RF Josu Thai. The trade, rumored for days, was completed in the wee hours this morning.

Ashford is currently hitting at a .302 pace with 6 home runs, 57 RBIs and has scored 54 times.



Game Performances:

Capote 5-for-5 for Leopards: The Brittany Leopards stopped the Wessex Warriors by a score of 5-0 at Warriors Ballpark today, with the lion's share of the credit going to left fielder Carlos Capote. The 23-year-old had a career day, collecting 5 hits.

"Every batter wants to have a quality at-bat every time he steps up to the plate," Capote said later. "He wants to hit the ball hard."

Capote did just that in his 5 at-bats, much to the chagrin of the Warriors.

"Not much that I can say," offered Wessex manager Tomy Peralez. "He just hammered the heck out of us."

Carlos Capote singled in the 1st, hit an RBI triple in the 3rd, singled in the 4th, singled in the 6th and hit an RBI double in the 7th.

This year Capote is batting .328 with 4 home runs.



BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM! 4 HR for Wright: The only thing better for Badger Wright than hitting 4 home runs in a game would have been hitting them in a win.

Wright put up a monster display of hitting for the Wessex Warriors but had it spoiled as the Toledo Tarpons pulled out a 10-7 win.

"Ten years from now," Wright said, "I'll probably look back on this day with more satisfaction than I feel right now."

On his historic day at Warriors Ballpark, the Wessex second baseman belted 4 home runs and put up a 4-for-4 line. He scored 4 times and had 7 RBIs.

Badger Wright hit a two-run home run off Gervasio Taveras in the 1st, hit a solo-shot off Gervasio Taveras in the 3rd, walked in the 5th, hit a three-run home run off Gervasio Taveras in the 7th and hit a solo-shot off Cesar Cunnington in the 9th.

This season Wright is batting at a .317 clip with 11 home runs and 65 RBIs.



Miscellaneous Baseball News:

Tarp Trip More Serious Than Thought for Hong: What seemed comical at the time has turned out to be no laughing matter for Dario Hong of the Rivermen. The closer joked with teammates after stumbling over the renegade tarp and twisting his left ankle. However, the ankle swelled over the next few days and tests revealed Hong had actually suffered a high ankle sprain. The revised diagnosis is bad news for Mersey, since it means Hong may be out for a month or more. The Rivermen are currently at 46-45 and in 5th place in their division. Asked if the team may need to explore trade options, manager Virgilio Salvador said, "It's too early to tell at this point. We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it."

Salisbury Players Find Life After Poker: There's more to a good clubhouse than an available poker game, members of the Salisbury Sea Dogs have found out.

Only a short time after manager Pascoal Gómez banned poker games from the clubhouse in an effort to improve his team's focus, some members of the team are saying the move had a positive impact on the clubhouse.

"We probably did spend too much time playing cards," said Agustin Rivera. "Guys are actually just talking to each other more, and I guess we're talking about the game and our opponents more to."

Leandro Longoria was a vocal opponent of the skipper's decision to ban poker games and while he said he's still not overly pleased about it, it's not the worst thing in the world.

"I always lost money in those games anyway," he said.

Monthly Player Awards:

Belez Claims ABL Batter of the Month Award: For a rookie just breaking in, Julián Belez certainly put together a successful month. It was good enough to win the ABL Batter of the Month award for July.

The 27-year-old third baseman for the Castille Buscadores hit .441 with 6 home runs, 20 RBIs and 26 runs scored.

This season Belez has banged out 149 hits in 381 at-bats for a .391 average with 14 home runs. He is getting on base at a .443 pace and his totals also include 57 RBIs and 82 runs scored.



Eguia Nabs ABL #1 Pitcher Trophy: Any time a rookie makes a splash on the scene, it's got to be great for his career potential. Just ask Mauro Eguia, who put together a stellar month out of the pen. The Tortuga Bucaneros closer, 25, kept the opposition off balance all month as he held them to a .230 average and walked away with the Andros Baseball League Pitcher of the Month award for July.

Eguia posted a 4-0 mark and a 1.70 ERA in 21 relief appearances. In 37 innings, he had 6 saves, 33 strikeouts, and 24 walks.

This year Eguia has 15 saves. In 72 relief appearances he has hurled 130.1 innings, fanned 130 and given up 77 walks with a 11-8 record. The Tortuga reliever has recorded a 4.49 ERA and allowed the opposition to hit .267 when he is in the game.



Tortuga Newcomer July's Best Rookie: Yes, Mauro Eguia is just a rookie. But he is a special rookie. Today the 25-year-old Tortuga starter was awarded the Andros Baseball League Rookie of the Month trophy for his standout performance in July.

He dominated the rookie class, registering 4 wins and no losses in 0 starts with 33 strikeouts in 37 innings and a 1.70 ERA.

Not bad for a first-year man.

To date this year Eguia has 15 saves with a 11-8 mark and 4.49 ERA.



August Wrap Up in next post!

Song of the Day:

Some good ol' Bobby Timmons, excellent Jazz pianist and composer from 1950s to 70s.

https://youtu.be/a3dlBI87A9Q

[Eugene Church]

Being an old DJ and record spinner, your league has a really nice spin on it... really like your song of the day idea... very nice touch.

[StLee]

I want to throw my hat in for the Salisbury Sea Dogs. I like the Sea Dogs nickname, and I can find some connections to Salisbury (Steak).