The Finger Lakes League

[Big Six]

I’ve always enjoyed league-based dynasties, but I’ve encountered the same problem every time I’ve tried to keep one going. I create leagues with twelve or sixteen teams, and I bog down when I try to give the thread’s readers enough information about each team and its players to keep their interest.

I’m trying one more time. This time I’ve created a six-team league based in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. (My wife grew up there, and we spend some time there every summer).

The teams will be based in the following towns:

Canandaigua
Geneva
Penn Yan
Seneca Falls
Waterloo
Watkins Glen

The league will begin play in 1904. Financials and free agency are off.

I hope it will be a lot of fun for all of us to keep up with the changing fortunes of these six teams and their players. And, I also hope that the smaller scope of the league will enable us to get to know them well enough to care about their stories, too.

[Big Six]

January 3, 1904

The Finger Lakes League's initial draft has been completed. Here's a short look at each of the League's six teams as they prepare for spring training.


CANANDAIGUA ICE CATS
Manager: Donovan Ivey

The Ice Cats will take the field behind a pitching staff that looks like it could be the best in the league. Righthander Joe Norris was the first player selected in the initial draft, and he looks like he has the makings of a real ace. His fastball touches 94 MPH, and nothing he throws is straight. Norris will throw to an outstanding catcher, Hamilton Phillips, who boasts a powerful throwing arm and a lively bat. Outfielders Chris May and Norman Connor should also produce lots of runs. The Ice Cats’ weakness looks to be its double play combination, but since the players involved are young, there is some potential there.


GENEVA GREEN SOX
Manager: Julian Ramirez

The Geneva nine will be led by one of the league’s most exciting young stars. Flychaser Kurt Winston was the Green Sox’ first-round pick, and at age 20 he is already a polished hitter and fielder. Fleet shortstop Dan Morrison will provide a spark at the top of the order, and first baseman Pancho Gonzales looks like he still has a bit of lightning left in has bat despite being born during the Civil War. The Green Sox staff doesn’t look like world-beaters, with stocky veteran Hayden Williams at the top of the rotation. Geneva loaded up on hot prospects during the draft, so even if the Sox don’t lead the league right away, their future looks very bright.


PENN YAN BRAWLERS
Manager: Fernando Torres

The Brawlers look like they’ll put a strong team on the field in the Finger Lakes League’s inaugural season. Outfielders Francisco Rivera and Mike Young might each contend for a batting title, and catcher Gilberto Fernandez and first baseman Mario Venegas are among the league’s best at their position. Ronald Bridges and Mark Thomas form a solid right-left pitching combination. However, Penn Yan’s biggest asset might be their gifted veteran manager, Torres. He has what it takes to bring the best out of his players; don’t be surprised if he leads the Brawlers into the first division.

SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS
Manager: Brandon Winter

The Sheepdogs boast three of the league’s best infielders in 2B Jack Robinson, 3B Robby Ward, and SS Oliver Saenz. Ward, in particular, should be a star. Outfielder Marc St. John also looks like a productive hitter. Brian Fritz and Dennis Williams head a solid, if unspectacular pitching staff. Like Penn Yan, Seneca Falls will be guided by a smart, experienced manager in Winter. Unfortunately for Winter, who excels at mentoring young players, the Sheepdogs don’t have many outstanding youngsters on their roster.


WATERLOO FINCHES
Manager: Ray Wells

Finches fans might have to wait several years before they have a team worth rooting for. Their young prospects, including teenagers Jose Perez, a hard-hitting outfielder and Dennis Brown, a promising catcher, are the best in the league. Ernesto Santos could develop into a fine #1 starter, and Billy Edgar seems ready to get Finger Lakes hitters out. Catcher Carlos Castro is a solid veteran. Otherwise, the Finches look like a second-division club. Ray Wells is a patient manager with a gift for teaching the game. His skills will be put to a real test with this club.


WATKINS GLEN BUCKS
Manager: Vincente Carrillo

The town of Watkins Glen was not named for Bucks pitcher Michael Watkins, but if the powerful righthander lives up to his potential, forgive the team’s rooters for believing it was so. Catcher “Duck” West might be the league’s most powerful batsman, while outfielder Donnie Oliver packs a surprising amount of power into a body that is reminiscent of Ichabod Crane. A solid club with no glaring weakness, the Bucks could very well join Canandaigua and Penn Yan in a fight for the league’s first championship.

[CatKnight]

Well, I'll be rooting for the Ice Cats. "Canandaigua" is an awful lot to swallow, but I like the nickname.

Regarding your 'problem,' I sympathize. I like the idea of trying to run a league dynasty again, but I bog down badly and lose interest if I give too much information.

I guess the only advice I can offer is to feel free to paint in broad strokes. I, for one, don't need to know that many people on each club. Let me know how the teams are doing, and perhaps if any major stars are developing where it might be worth it to watch their career progress, and personally I'd be more than happy.

Good luck with this! Hopefully the smaller (6 team) focus will be good for you!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by CatKnight

Well, I'll be rooting for the Ice Cats. "Canandaigua" is an awful lot to swallow, but I like the nickname.

Regarding your 'problem,' I sympathize. I like the idea of trying to run a league dynasty again, but I bog down badly and lose interest if I give too much information.

I guess the only advice I can offer is to feel free to paint in broad strokes. I, for one, don't need to know that many people on each club. Let me know how the teams are doing, and perhaps if any major stars are developing where it might be worth it to watch their career progress, and personally I'd be more than happy.

Good luck with this! Hopefully the smaller (6 team) focus will be good for you!

Thanks for the advice and the good wishes, CatKnight. I thought "Ice Cats" had a good ring to it, too. I simply kept generating new nicknames until I saw ones I liked a lot; then I wrote them down and assigned them.


July 1, 1904

FLL STANDINGS   W   L   PCT  GB
Watkins Glen   52  30  .634  --
Seneca Falls   50  32  .610   2
Geneva         48  34  .585   4
Penn Yan       38  44  .463  14
Canandaigua    31  51  .378  21
Waterloo       27  55  .329  25

With the inaugural season of the Finger Lakes League more than halfway over, the six teams have sorted themselves into “haves” and “have-nots.” Watkins Glen and Seneca Falls have occupied the top spot all season long, with the Bucks taking the lead in mid-May and holding it. Surprising Geneva has played well throughout the first half, too.

Seneca Falls’ success has been built upon a fine balance of pitching and hitting. The Sheepdogs are batting over .300 as a team, with an OPS of .727 and a league-best 350 runs scored. Their pitchers have tossed 16 shutouts and boast a combined ERA of 2.76. Ryan Hill (.401) and Robby Ward (.375) lead the league batting list, while Dennis Williams (15-6, 1.82) and Brian Fritz (9-9, 2.03) are both pitching well. Williams’ victory total and ERA are both league bests.

Donnie Oliver (.301) and "Duck" West (.338, 43 RBI) spearhead the tough Watkins Glen lineup, with some unexpected help from 3B John Pickett (.313). Michael Watkins (14-3, 1.99) has been every bit as good as Bucks fans hoped he’d be.

On the other hand, Penn Yan and Canandaigua have been worse than expected. The Ice Cats pitching staff, expected to be the best in the league, has instead been second worst. Only Joe Norris (2.81 ERA) has been anywhere close to effective, and Norris has won only eight of his twenty decisions.

Despite the great stick work of Francisco Rivera (.330, 34 RBI) and Mike Young (.337, 36 RBI), the Brawlers can’t overcome the mediocre work of their pitchers. Ronald Bridges, in particular, has struggled (3-17).

The Finger Lakes League’s first rookie draft took place on June 15. Waterloo made pitcher “Electric” Billy Patrick the first overall choice, and five of the six teams selected a twirler in the first round. Catcher Al Williams was the first position player chosen, going #6 overall to Watkins Glen.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the teams finishing in first and second place in the standings will play a seven-game series for the Seneca Cup. With three teams competing closely for those two spots, the remainder of the 1904 season promises to be very exciting.

[woodfeld]

As always Big Six, I will be reading with high interest in any league dynasty you are writing. Go Sheepdogs!

[norva13x]

Awesome thread!
I just moved to the Finger Lakes region a year ago, so I will definitely be following this thread.
GO ICE CATS (to bad they sucked up the first half of the season)

[Big Six]

woodfeld and norva13x: Thanks for your comments. I hope you'll both enjoy keeping up with the thread. I'm enjoying the league very much so far myself.

November 1, 1904

FINAL STANDINGS

                W   L   PCT  GB
Seneca Falls   86  64  .573  --
Watkins Glen   84  66  .560   2
Geneva         81  69  .540   5
Penn Yan       76  74  .507  10
Canandaigua    66  84  .440  20
Waterloo       57  93  .380  29

WATKINS GLEN BUCKS

Team OPS: .682 (2) Runs Scored: 577 (2)
Team ERA: 3.00 (3) Runs Allowed: 538 (3)

Best Players:
RHP Michael Watkins (23-6, 2.15, 98 K, 65.7 VORP)
RHP Hector Perez (17-19, 3.09, 89 K, 40.0 VORP)
2B John Pickett (.296/.357/.391, 43 2B, 51 RBI, 28.3 VORP)
C “Duck” West (.296/.339/.382, 35 2B, 61 RBI, VORP 25.3)
1B Pepe Perez (.279/.338/.343, 33 2B, 68 RBI, 24.0 VORP)
LF Ken Johnston (.301/.395/.373, 32 2B, 23.9 VORP)
CF Donnie Oliver (.306/.374/.400, 41 2B, 5 3B, 74 runs, 19.6 VORP).

Despite a lackluster second half, the Bucks earned a spot in the first Seneca Cup Series by edging Geneva for second place. Then, they righted themselves, rolling over regular season champion Seneca Falls to capture the Cup in five games. Watkins, the league’s top winner and ERA champion, was crowned the league’s Outstanding Pitcher. The Bucks’ only other post-season honoree was third baseman Eddie Ferguson, who earned a Gold Glove. Ferguson also demonstrated some pop, with 31 doubles and 12 triples.

SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS

Team OPS: .713 (1) Runs Scored: 633 (1)
Team ERA: 3.00 (2) Runs Allowed: 512 (2)

Best Players:
3B Robby Ward (.358/.447/.439, 35 2B, 3 3B, 62 RBI, 65.4 VORP)
LHP Dennis Williams (21-16, 2.30, 69 K, 65.2 VORP)
RHP Brian Fritz (16-18, 2.60, 81 K, 48.8 VORP)
2B Jack Robinson (.308/.373/.415, 36 2B, 5 3B, 70 RBI, 40.2 VORP)
CF Ryan Hill (.367/.414/.441, 4 3B, 50 SB, 30.4 VORP)
RHP Mark Thomas (11.9, 2.94, 22.4 VORP)
C Ramon Morales (.278/.342/.342, 66 RBI, 52.1 RTO%)

Ward, the league’s Oustanding Batter, led the formidable Sheepdogs offense throughout the year, with plenty of help from Hill and Robinson, who tied for the league lead in RBI. The loss of SS Oliver Saenz, who fractured his skull in early September and missed the entire Seneca Cup Series, hurt the ‘Dogs’ postseason chances. Morales, strong and steady behind the dish, won a Gold Glove.

GENEVA GREEN SOX

Team OPS: .662 (4) Runs Scored: 563 (4)
Team ERA: 2.86 (1) Runs Allowed: 509 (1)

Best Players:
RHP Hayden Williams (19-15, 2.52, 94 K, 55.2 VORP)
RHP Armando Jimenez (21-12, 2.74, 60 K, 47.7 VORP)
RHP Raul Alonso (13-14, 3.04, 69 K, 30.7 VORP)
1B Pancho Gonzales (.271/.313/.384, 38 2B, 7 3B, 58 RBI, 22.3 VORP)
LF Aurelio Esquire (.384/416/.500, 190 AB, 12 2B, 5 3B, 19 SB, 20.1 VORP)

The Green Sox rode the league’s stingiest pitching staff to a solid third place finish, missing the Series by three games. Ace Williams is 35 and slugger Gonzales is 41, however, so the Sox might struggle to equal this level of performance in ’05. Esquire’s outstanding performance in a part-time role might be an illusion; his ratings don’t support this level of production. However, Alonso, who’s only 19, and outfielder Karl Winston (.318/.374/.409. 61 SB), the league’s Rookie of the Year, look like the real deal. CF Ben Brown added a Gold Glove to his trophy shelf.

PENN YAN BRAWLERS

Team OPS: .662 (5) Runs Scored: 577 (2)
Team ERA: 3.27 (4) Runs Allowed: 554 (4)

Best Players:
RHP Will Kirk (16-13, 2.51, 73 K, 56.3 VORP)
RF Mike Young (.345/.408/.455, 40 2B, 7 3B, 70 RBI, 35.6 VORP)
RHP Ronald Bridges (11-25, 3.25, 110 K, 34.6 VORP)
RHP Norberto Sanchez (16-14, 3.36, 80 K, 27.3 VORP)

The Brawlers played terribly in May and June, and that was enough to sink their season. Bridges might have had the worst luck of any player in the league; he’s 37, however, so he might not get many chances to turn things around. Young and CF Francisco Rivera (.315/.372/.363, 54 SB) are considered by most experts to be two of the league’s three best players. LF Claudio Navarro earned a Gold Glove for the Brawlers, the surest-handed fielding team in the Finger Lakes League.

CANANDAIGUA ICE CATS

Team OPS: .667 (3) Runs Scored: 543 (5)
Team ERA: 3.31 (5) Runs Allowed: 603 (5)

Best Players:
RHP Jesus Martinez (10-18, 2.67, 82 K, 44.4 VORP)
RHP Joe Norris (15-18, 2.78, 100 K, 43.3 VORP)
C Hamilton Phillips (.287/.359/.380, 32 2B, 3 HR, 26.0 VORP)
3B Ronald Reese (.323/.374/.403, 4 3B, 25.8 VORP)

Expected to be one of the league’s better teams, the Cats’ inability to stop other teams from scoring doomed them to the second division. Norris, Hamilton, and Reese, the core of the team, are all young, so there is hope. Exciting LF Thad McCord led the league with 65 steals and smacked 11 triples, and Paul Crowley, another youngster, is one of the league’s best relief pitchers (1.81 ERA, 7 saves). Norris won a Gold Glove, as did the team’s double play duo: 2B Curt Miller and SS Cesar Morales.

WATERLOO FINCHES

Team OPS: .644 (6) Runs Scored: 484 (6)
Team ERA: 3.69 (6) Runs Allowed: 655 (6)

Best Players:
RHP Ernesto Santos (14-22, 3.36, 86 K, 34.8 VORP)
RHP Billy Edgar (10-22, 3.52, 69 K, 26.9 VORP)
RF Duane Blackburn (.317/.391/.405, 6 3B, 42 SB, 16.7 VORP)

The hapless Finches couldn’t hit, pitch, or field, and actually won two more games than their Pythagorean prediction indicated. Only in September, when they went 6-5, did the Finches win more than 40 percent of their games. Youth is on their side, however, as the league’s most promising hitter and pitcher are both Waterloo reserves. Blackburn and 1B Juan Lorenzo won Gold Gloves.


Top Prospects: Position Players
1. Dennis Brown, C, Waterloo, age 18.
2. Karl Winston, LF, Geneva, age 21.
3. Jose Perez, LF, Penn Yan, age 19.

Top Prospects: Pitchers
1. “Electric Billy” Patrick, RHP, Waterloo, age 20.
2. Maximo Chavez, RHP, Canandaigua, age 20.
3. Eric Cote, RHP, Canandaigua, age 21.

Dr. Strange’s Injury Report:
1. Canandaigua pitcher Maximo Chavez’ father-in-law broke Chavez' nose in a fistfight.
2. Seneca Falls pitcher Bob Gibson was hit with a golf ball, bruising his ribs.
3. Waterloo shortstop Ron Jordan suffered an undisclosed injury while gardening.

[Big Six]

July 1, 1905

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.

[Big Six]

November 1, 1905

FINAL STANDINGS   W   L   PCT  GB
Watkins Glen     85  65  .567  --
Penn Yan         81  69  .540   4
Geneva           77  73  .513   8
Canandaigua      73  77  .487  12
Waterloo         68  82  .453  17
Seneca Falls     66  84  .440  19

PENN YAN BRAWLERS

Team OPS: .713 (1) Runs Scored: 851 (1)
Team ERA: 3.24 (2) Runs Allowed: 798 (3)

Best Players:
RHP Will Kirk (16-17, 2.92, 95 K, 48.9 VORP)
CF Francisco Rivera (.353/.408/.429, 112 R, 95 RBI, 69 SB, 39.2 VORP)
LF Claudio Navarro (.320/.402/.428, 55 2B, 107 RBI, 38.6 VORP)
RHP Denny Myers (18-15, 3.30, 35.3 VORP)
RHP Norberto Sanchez (19-14, 3.38, 84 K, 33.4 VORP)
RF Mike Young (.355/.402/.441, 33 2B, 6 3B, 108 R, 94 RBI, 31.7 VORP)

The Brawlers caught fire during the second half of the season, catching Watkins Glen before cruising into the Seneca Cup Series. Penn Yan got a huge lift from RHP Julius Spencer, who went 7-1 with a 2.08 ERA in eight August and September starts.

Penn Yan then dispatched of the Bucks, 4 games to 1, claiming their first league championship. Rivera won the Outstanding Batter prize, although either of his outfield mates could also have claimed it. Navarro blew away the league RBI mark in a year that saw offenses across the league becoming more productive. Nowhere were the bats more potent than in Penn Yan.


WATKINS GLEN BUCKS

Team OPS: .696 (2) Runs Scored: 834 (2)
Team ERA: 3.04 (1) Runs Allowed: 751 (1)

Best Players:
RHP Hector Perez (21-12, 2.68, 97 K, 56.3 VORP)
RHP Michael Watkins (20-12, 2.87, 103 K, 49.4 VORP)
C "Duck" West (.322/.369/.453, 47 2B, 3 HR, 92 RBI, 40.4 VORP)
CF Donnie Oliver (.324/.403/.458, 42 2B, 9 3B, 95 R, 73 RBI, 38.6 VORP)
2B John Pickett (.296/.356/.379, 39 2B, 4 3B, 79 RBI, 25.6 VORP)

For the second straight season, the league's regular season champion failed to secure the Seneca Cup, but Watkins Glen rooters could not complain much. Perez, the league's Outstanding Pitcher, led the Finger Lakes circuit's best pitching staff, and the lineup was especially strong up the middle. 3B Eddie Ferguson won his second Gold Glove, and Pickett scored his first.


GENEVA GREEN SOX

Team OPS: .683 (5) Runs Scored: 756 (5)
Team ERA: 3.44 (5) Runs Allowed: 757 (2)

Best Players:
RHP Hayden Williams (19-14, 2.51, 103 K, 58.1 VORP)
3B Tony Powell (.324/.367/.425, 46 2B, 86 R, 97 RBI, 33.9 VORP)
RHP Scotty Stewart (20-9, 3.19, 29.8 VORP)
SS Dan Morrison (.308/.380/.400, 40 2B, 7 3B, 101 R, 64 SB, 24.5 VORP)

If the Green Sox had hit better, they might have been able to steal a playoff spot, but Powell and Morrison didn't get much help. LF Karl Winston stole 69 bases, but wasn't nearly as productive as he had been in '04. He did win a Gold Glove, however, as did CF Ben Brown, a repeat honoree.


CANANDAIGUA ICE CATS

Team OPS: .682 (6) Runs Scored: 788 (4)
Team ERA: 3.38 (4) Runs Allowed: 804 (4)

Best Players:
RHP Joe Norris (19-18, 2.39, 125 K, 68.9 VORP)
C Hamilton Phillips (.309/.387/.426, 39 2B, 4 HR, 76 RBI, 38.0 VORP)
LHP Darryl Johnson (8-5, 2.33, 3 SV, 27.1 VORP)
RHP Jesus Martinez (15-13, 3.26, 88 K, 26.2 VORP)

The Ice Cats undid their fine first half with a sloppy stretch run, and slipped back to fourth place. 3B Ronald Reese's torn ankle ligaments didn't help, but even a healthy Reese wouldn't have stopped the slide. Norris' outstanding season, which included the ERA and strikeout crowns, was basically wasted.


WATERLOO FINCHES

Team OPS: .688 (3) Runs Scored: 792 (3)
Team ERA: 3.64 (6) Runs Allowed: 844 (6)

Best Players:
RHP Billy Edgar (18-15, 3.14, 88 K, 45.1 VORP)
SS Eugene Adams (.322/.355/.429, 11 3B, 91 R, 101 RBI, 34.4 VORP)
RF Duane Blackburn (.344/.438/.440, 38 2B, 7 3B, 108 R, 53 3B, 33.8 VORP)
1B Matt Parkhill (.314/.367/.391, 106 RBI, 30.8 VORP)

Things might be looking up for the Finches, who put together a hard-hitting attack featuring 24-year-old Blackburn, one of the league's most versatile and popular stars. "Electric Billy" Patrick won the Rookie of the Year award, despite going 9-16 with a 4.08 ERA. Blackburn won another Gold Glove, and Edgar won his first.


SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS

Team OPS: .687 (4) Runs Scored: 746 (6)
Team ERA: 3.35 (3) Runs Allowed: 812 (5)

Best Players:
LHP Dennis Williams (14-20, 2.80, 91 K, 48.7 VORP)
CF Ryan Hill (.347/.387/.414, 209 H, 122 R, 50 SB, 33.3 VORP)
2B Jack Robinson (.291/.364/.378, 39 2B, 81 R, 81 RBI, 29.8 VORP)

The Sheepdogs' first-to-last debacle surprised many Finger Lakes League fans. A huge second half from Hill, who hit over .400 from July 1 on and set new league standards for runs and hits, salvaged his season. Robinson heated up with the summer weather, too. New 1B Felix Roman won a Gold Glove, which set him apart from the lousy lot of fielders who wore Sheepdogs gear this season.


Top Prospects: Position Players
1. Paul O'Connor, CF, Penn Yan, age 19.
2. Ronald Brady, LF, Penn Yan, age 18.
3. Brenton Kelly, RF, Seneca Falls, age 18.

Top Prospects: Pitchers
1. Antonio Guerrero, RHP, Canandaigua, age 18.
2. Justin Mann, RHP, Geneva, age 18.
3. Mike Hahn, RHP, Watkins Glen, age 18.

Dr. Strange's Injury Report:
1. Waterloo 3B Jack Kennedy hurt his elbow playing "fetch" with his dog.
2. Geneva 1B Kevin Williams strained an elbow ligament throwing a glass at the wall after an argument with his wife.
3. Penn Yan P Kevin Singleton suffered an "undisclosed injury" while cutting brownies out of a pan.

[Big Six]

April 2, 1906

As the Finger Lakes League begins its third season, many observers believe the league could be in for its most competitive season yet. Several players appear ready to emerge as stars, after turning in some impressive performances during spring training.

Penn Yan didn't have room for Felix Molina in its star-studded outfield, so the Brawlers traded him to Waterloo last July. In 43 games as the Finches' regular left fielder, Molina hit .359 and stole 19 bases. He led all Finger Lakes Leaguers with a .410 average this spring, and his seven steals tied him with Geneva's Karl Winston for first place in that category, too. Will Molina provide the Finches with a spark from the leadoff spot in their 1906 batting order?

The Seneca Falls Sheepdogs are excited about their pitching rotation, which features three southpaws. One of them is veteran Craig O'Neal, who went 9-6 with a 3.27 ERA in 20 starts in '05. O'Neal allowed only 13 hits in 24 spring innings, posting a 1.13 ERA and striking out ten men while walking only four.

Teenager Paul O'Connor of Penn Yan did nothing to diminish his standing as the league's best hitting prospect, ripping eight hits in 19 at bats.

For the most part, players who were expected to hit well did just that during spring training. A few pitchers did not show top form, however. They included talented youngsters like Geneva's Raul Alonso (5.63 ERA) and Waterloo's "Electric Billy" Patrick, who pitched one inning before tearing an abdominal muscle. Whether or not Patrick, who could be out of action until midseason, will recover his status as one of the league's top young pitchers is yet to be seen.

The FLL will see the first change in its managerial lineup for the 1906 season. Seneca Falls fired skipper Brandon Winter after the Sheepdogs finished last in '05. They've hired Bill Marks, 45, to replace him, and they hope Marks' enthusiasm will compensate for his inexperience.

Meanwhile, Winter will move six miles west to Waterloo, as the Finches have hired him as their pitching coach. The Waterloo-Seneca Falls rivalry has been particularly heated already, and this move is certain to stoke those flames even higher.

[Big Six]

July 1, 1906

FLL STANDINGS   W   L   PCT  GB
Geneva         50  34  .595  --
Canandaigua    45  29  .536   5
Watkins Glen   45  29  .536   5
Seneca Falls   44  40  .524   6
Penn Yan       42  42  .500   8
Waterloo       26  58  .310  24

Two things stand out about the first half of the 1906 Finger Lakes League season. The race for the playoffs has never been more exciting, with five of the six teams in the running for a spot in the Seneca Cup Series. And, after a turn in favor of the offenses in '05, the pitchers have taken over in '06. FLL batsmen are hitting in the .240s as a league, while the league's pitchers have posted an aggregate ERA of 2.47.

The Geneva Green Sox, with the league's top mound staff (team ERA 2.01), are leading the pack, with four clubs battling hard for second. Sox ace Hayden Williams has been unhittable (15-2, 1.27), and the Sox have received great work from their bullpen, featuring Kent Allen and Luis Gallegos. 3B Tony Powell, who leads the league in RBI with 44, keys the Geneva attack.

Other players who are off to fine starts include Penn Yan CF Francisco Rivera (.316-4-25), widely acclaimed as the league's best player; his Brawlers teammate, RF Mike Young (.295-2-32), and Seneca Falls LF Marc St. John (.331-0-18), who is finally enjoying the kind of year most experts thought he'd have.

Two previously unknown southpaw twirlers have exploded onto the scene this year. Watkins Glen's Edward Daybell (15-3, 1.67) and Canandaigua's Robinson Rodriguez (12-7, 2.03) pitched a total of 52 innings in 1905, and are now looking like aces. Other, more familiar names such as Joe Norris of the Ice Cats, Michael Watkins of the Bucks, and Dennis Williams of the Sheepdogs are all struggling to reach the .500 mark, despite pitching well. Norris is on pace to shatter the league strikeout record; he has 118 Ks already.

Waterloo hopes the return of RF Duane Blackburn and RHP "Electric Billy" Patrick, both of whom missed significant time with injuries, will shake them out of their doldrums. Finches rooters are the only ones, however, who should be singing the blues right now.

[Big Six]

The school year is over, I've been on a short vacation with my family, and now I'm back...and so is the Finger Lakes League.

November 1, 1906

Final 1906 Standings

                W   L   PCT  GB
Geneva         94  56  .627  --
Watkins Glen   82  68  .547  12
Seneca Falls   77  73  .513  17
Penn Yan       70  80  .467  24
Canandaigua    67  83  .447  27
Waterloo       60  90  .400  34

WATKINS GLEN BUCKS

Team OPS: .637 (1) Runs Scored: 492 (1)
Team ERA: 2.11 (1) Runs Allowed: (401)

Best Players:
RHP Michael Watkins (17-15, 1.70, 169 K, 1.00 WHIP, 63.0 VORP)
LHP Edward Daybell (22-10, 1.70, 128 K, 0.91 WHIP, 56.0 VORP)
RHP Armando Jimenez (17-11, 2.20, 1.13 WHIP, 36.6 VORP)
CF Donnie Oliver (.299/.386/.388, 27 2B, 6 3B, 31.5 VORP)
RF Neil Byers (.316/.355/.391, 25 2B, 4 HR, 31.0 VORP)
SS Travis Fraser (.289/.316/.354, 24 2B, 6 3B, 64 RBI, 24.4 VORP)

On paper, the Bucks were the best team in the league in 1906, and after fighting off Seneca Falls for a spot in the Seneca Cup Series, they proved it by beating regular season champion Geneva, 4 games to 1. Watkins Glen, therefore, became the first Finger Lakes League team to win the Series twice, and established their credentials as the league’s premier franchise.

Daybell’s arrival as a star, along with the development of Howard Ross, who won 14 games and posted a 2.40 ERA, helped propel the Bucks staff to elite status. The offense was steady and productive without the presence of a true superstar.

Three Bucks infielders: shortstop Fraser, along with first baseman Travis Cantrell and second baseman John Pickett, earned Gold Gloves. For Pickett, it was his second consecutive fielding prize.


GENEVA GREEN SOX

Team OPS: .582 (6) Runs Scored: 482 (2)
Team ERA: 2.16 (2) Runs Allowed: 411 (2)

Best Players:
RHP Hayden Williams (27-6, 1.67, 142 K, 1.01 WHIP, 63.2 VORP)
RHP Raul Alonso (15-17, 2.02, 151 K, 1.00 WHIP, 50.8 VORP)
RHP Nick Myers (12-12, 2.18, 120 K, 1.15 WHIP, 37.2 VORP)
3B Tony Powell (.296/.334/.365, 2 HR, 68 RBI, 31.0 VORP)

Geneva set a new league record for victories in a season, combining an opportunistic offense, a solid pitching staff, and a healthy dose of luck. The Sox beat their Pythagorean prediction by eight games.

Williams’ 27 victories set a new league standard, as he proved there’s still lots of life in his 37-year-old wing. He was an easy choice for the league's Oustanding Pitcher. Alonso and Myers, on the other hand, are both only 21. LF Karl Winston won his second Gold Glove, and provided some offense with a .275 average and 71 steals. He walked only 14 times all year, however.

Time will tell if the Green Sox will build upon this year’s successes. With the exception of Williams, their key players are young enough to continue to improve.


SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS

Team OPS: .620 (2) Runs Scored: 473 (3)
Team ERA: 2.65 (5) Runs Allowed: 505 (5)

Best Players:
LHP Dennis Williams (15-21, 2.43, 116 K, 1.13 WHIP, 33.7 VORP)
SS Robby Ward (.273/.364/.339, 4 HR, 62 RBI, 31.8 VORP)
RHP Denny Myers (13-10, 2.22, 88 K, 29.0 VORP)
CF Ryan Hill (.331/.369/.403, 77 R, 9 3B, 35 SB, 26.5 VORP)

The Sheepdogs stayed in the playoff fight until late August, as rookie manager Bill Marks’ gutsy moves paid off. Ward moved from third base to shortstop effectively, and Myers, acquired from Penn Yan in late may for Oliver Saenz, pitched very well for the ‘Dogs. Pitcher Tom Harvey won a Gold Glove, and 3B Felix Roman won his second, despite moving from first base before the season began.

Seneca Falls bounced partway back from their disastrous 1905 season, and Sheepdogs fans hope the gains will turn out to be permanent.


PENN YAN BRAWLERS

Team OPS: .606 (3) Runs Scored: 469 (4)
Team ERA: 2.55 (3) Runs Allowed: 491 (3)

Best Players:
RHP Will Kirk (20-15, 2.12, 1.11 WHIP, 116 K, 51.3 VORP)
RF Mike Young (.328/.397/.409, 5 HR, 69 RBI, 80 R, 38.6 VORP)
RHP Ronald Bridges (14-13, 2.30, 1.20 WHIP, 33.8 VORP)
CF Francisco Rivera (.327/.374/.395, 8 3B, 51 SB, 18.9 VORP)

The Brawlers fell all the way from the pinnacle of the Finger Lakes League into the second division, as most of their key players failed to perform as well as they had in 1905. Mike Young, the league’s Outstanding Batter, was one exception. Young led or tied for the lead in several offensive categories, missing the Triple Crown by three points’ worth of batting average.

Penn Yan fans have plenty of reasons for optimism, however. Kirk, Young, and Rivera are three of the league's biggest stars, and Kirk and Rivera are in their mid-twenties.

CANANDAIGUA ICE CATS

Team OPS: .587 (5) Runs Scored: 467 (5)
Team ERA: 2.64 (4) Runs Allowed: 493 (4)

Best Players:
RHP Joe Norris (17-20, 2.42, 182 K, 1.07 WHIP, 35.5 VORP)
LHP Robinson Rodriguez (15-18, 2.43, 1.12 WHIP, 32.0 VORP)
C Hamilton Phillips (.295/.355/.362, 5 3B, 51 RBI, 31.8 VORP)
RHP Maximo Chavez (17-13, 2.37, 151 K, 1.12 VORP, 29.6 VORP)

The Ice Cats teased their fans by playing fantastic ball during April and May, only to let them down by playing equally badly the rest of the way. Norris is still considered the league’s most talented twirler, despite a career record of 112-111 that more closely reflects the strength of his team rather than that of his right arm.

However, much like their counterparts down in Penn Yan, Cats rooters can find silver linings in the clouds they see overhead. The team’s best players are all in their twenties, and Chavez was 1906’s Rookie of the Year. Phillips, the loop’s top catcher, won his second consecutive Gold Glove.


WATERLOO FINCHES

Team OPS: .597 (4) Runs Scored: 448 (6)
Team ERA: 2.81 (6) Runs Allowed: 530 (6)

Best Players:
RHP Billy Edgar (11-24, 2.47, 130 K, 1.15 WHIP, 39.6 VORP)
RHP Ernesto Santos (14-18, 2.66, 129 K, 34.2 VORP)
RHP “Electric Billy” Patrick (12-4, 2.58, 21.6 VORP)
LF Fernando Molina (.322/.369/.364, 68 R, 41 SB, 20.7 VORP)

The Finches’ chances for a better 1906 season were lost when key players like Patrick and Duane Blackburn (.261, 52 RBI, 51 SB in 112 games) missed large portions of the season with injuries. Waterloo also acquired one of the league’s best young hitting prospects , 20-year-old Paul O’Connor, from Penn Yan in July.

Centerfielder Freddy Cordero and rightfielder Blackburn gave the Finches two Gold Glove outfielders; Blackburn, the league’s best flychaser, brought home his third.

[Big Six]

In the interest of space, I'm moving several of the features from the season wrap-up into a separate post. Here, then, is a further look at the 1906 Finger Lakes League season.

Top Players:
1. Francisco Rivera, CF, Penn Yan.
2. Robby Ward, SS, Seneca Falls.
3. Duane Blackburn, RF, Waterloo.

Top Pitchers:
1. Joe Norris, RHP, Canandaigua.
2. Hayden Williams, RHP, Geneva.
3. Raul Alonso, RHP, Geneva.

Top Prospects: Pitchers
1. Roger Hopkins, RHP, Seneca Falls. A 20-year-old righthander, Hopkins was the #1 choice in the June draft. His stuff isn't outstanding, but his command and control are exquisite.
2. Justin Mann, RHP, Geneva. Justin's still raw at age 19, but his upside is conisiderable.
3. Maximo Chavez, RHP, Canandaigua. Maximo is already demonstrating his ability to get Finger Lakes hitters out, and the best is yet to come. His pure stuff might be the best in the league one day.

Top Prospects: Position Players
1. Nick Wells, 2B, Penn Yan. Nick is only 5'4", but his on-base skills and speed mark him as an elite leadoff man one day. He's only 18, so his skills are still far from complete.
2. Geoffrey Veeck, SS, Watkins Glen. Veeck, 19, can fly and pick it with the best at shortstop, and he should hit .300 one day.
3. Paul O’Connor, CF, Waterloo. Paul hit only .204 in 206 at-bats this year, but he's only 20. He projects as a middle-of-the-order slugger with a sharp batting eye.


Finger Lakes Farewells

Four players who distinguished themselves during the first three seasons of Finger Lakes League play retired at the end of the 1906 season.

Catcher Carlos Castro, 39, played solid defense and hit .242 for the Waterloo Finches.

First baseman Mario Venegas of Penn Yan drove in 147 runs in two seasons and won a Seneca Cup Series ring. The Brawlers released him last January, and after failing to land a job during the ’06 season, he retired at age 40.

Another first sacker, Pancho Gonzales of Geneva, retired at age 43 after appearing in 12 games in 1906. Gonzales hit .261 and drove in 101 runs during his career.

Pitcher Ronald Bridges enjoyed a solid season with Penn Yan (see above), but chose to retire at age 37. He finished his career with a 37-53 record and a 3.13 ERA.

[Big Six]

April 1, 1907

The opening of another season brings a fresh sense of hope to the players, managers, and fans of all six Finger Lakes League teams.

In an odd turn of events, the Canandaigua Ice Cats and the Penn Yan Brawlers basically traded managers during the offseason. The Brawlers fired their skipper, Fernando Torres, after the club slid from second to fourth place in 1906. Two days later, Canandaigua handed a pink slip to young Donovan Ivey, who had failed to guide the Cats to a winning record in three seasons.

Canandaigua wasted no time in hiring Torres, and after searching for a month, Penn Yan could find no better man for their managing job than Ivey. Will a change of scenery lead to better results in both cases? We'll see.

Watkins Glen supporters have to feel good about their team’s chances to win a third Seneca Cup Series, after the Bucks rolled to an 18-6 spring training record. Veteran LF Ken Johnston hit a cool .491 and drove in 11 runs, while southpaw Howard Ross threw 16 scoreless innings. Jeff Jones also posted a sub-1.00 ERA for the Bucks.

Other Finger Lakes Leaguers who produced well during the spring included young outfielders Paul O’Connor of Waterloo (.400, 2 HR) and Jose Perez of Penn Yan (.333, 7 2B, 14 RBI), Seneca Falls ace Dennis Williams (4-0, 1.88, 0.79 WHIP), and rookie righthander Eric Cote of Canandaigua (2-0, 0.00, 0.58 WHIP).

The Brawlers will open the season without the services of star CF Francisco Rivera, who will be sidelined for up to two weeks with back spasms.

Waterloo RF Duane Blackburn, who is often mentioned along with Rivera on lists of the league’s best players, was banged up all spring long. Hopefully Blackburn, whose 1906 season was marred by injury, will have better luck in ’07.

[Big Six]

July 1, 1907

FLL STANDINGS   W   L   PCT  GB
Seneca Falls   55  29  .655  --
Waterloo       42  42  .500  13
Watkins Glen   41  43  .488  14
Canandaigua    38  46  .452  17
Geneva         38  46  .452  17
Penn Yan       38  46  .452  17

Who let the Dogs out?

The Seneca Falls Sheepdogs are running wild through the first half of the 1907 Finger Lakes League season. Surprisngly, they've done it while their best pitcher has spent most of the season on the sidelines.

Back spasms forced ace southpaw Dennis Williams out of action in late April, and he only returned last week. Upon his return, he did some real damage with his bat, going 4-5 and driving in the winning run in a 7-6 victory over Waterloo.

In Williams' absence, rookie Roger Hopkins (13-3, 1.45) and hulking Jordan Coleman (12-5, 2.51) have emerged as stars. The excellence of Hopkins, considered a prize prospect, is less surprising than that of the well-traveled Coleman, now working for his third team. The Sheepdogs offense, featuring CF Ryan Hill (.353) and C Ramon Morales (.306-6-36) has been productive, if not spectacular.

The other five teams are scrambling hard for a playoff spot behind the Sheepdogs. Right now, the surprising Waterloo Finches hold a slight advantage, powered by the blazing .362 bat of Fernando Molina and the steady production and dazzling defense of RF Duane Blackburn (.296-1-32). Ernesto Santos, with 13 wins, leads a solid pitching staff.

Other players who are putting together fine seasons include the Penn Yan outfield duo of Mike Young (.348, 39 RBI) and Francisco Rivera (.326, 26 RBI) and Watkins Glen flychasing pair RF Neil Byers (.319-2-43) and LF Ken Johnston (.318-2-35). Byers homered and drove in five run against Waterloo on May 12.

The year's best-pitched game to date belongs to crafty Watkins Glen lefthander Howard Ross, who shut out Penn Yan on two hits on May 13, striking out five without issuing a walk.

Will Seneca Falls continue to dominate the league? Can Waterloo hold on to second place? If they can't, which contender will take the spot from them?

We'll see...

[sluggo523]

I am glad to see you back. I would think that either Waterloo or Watkins Glen are the ones sitting in the prime spot. Unless Seneca Falls can break the mold, the 2nd place team has won all the Seneca Cup series so far.

Couple of questions though. I was wondering how you came up with 150 games for the season? 30 games against each team seams like a lot, just wondering if a shorter season ever was considered? Also are you playing with a minor league, or just reserves? and how are you controling the number if that is the case? The reason I ask the questions is I really want to start a small league, and was just wondering the best way to go about handling the younger players.

Great league by the way and I will be following, even if I don't post much.
Glenn

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by sluggo523

I am glad to see you back. I would think that either Waterloo or Watkins Glen are the ones sitting in the prime spot. Unless Seneca Falls can break the mold, the 2nd place team has won all the Seneca Cup series so far.

Couple of questions though. I was wondering how you came up with 150 games for the season? 30 games against each team seams like a lot, just wondering if a shorter season ever was considered? Also are you playing with a minor league, or just reserves? and how are you controling the number if that is the case? The reason I ask the questions is I really want to start a small league, and was just wondering the best way to go about handling the younger players.

Great league by the way and I will be following, even if I don't post much.
Glenn

Thanks, Glenn! I'm glad to have you on board. Post as often, or as rarely, as you like. It's always good to hear from FLL fans.

You noticed that the regular season runner-up has won the first three Series, too? I haven't been terribly surprised by any of the outcomes, though.

In '06, Geneva's luck simply ran out; Watkins Glen was clearly the better team. The '05 Brawlers took a while to get going, but they were red-hot in the second half and through the Series. In '04, Watkins Glen and Seneca Falls were so evenly matched that the outcome could have gone either way.

So far, the Sheepdogs look so much better than everybody else in the league that it's hard to imagine anyone beating them. Still, there's a lot of baseball left before the Series, and in seven games, anything can happen, right?

To answer your questions:

I wondered about the schedule, too. I finally decided to take a chance on the 150-game schedule because I wanted to see statistical totals that "looked right," both for a season and for a career. If I see a guy got 200 hits in a season, or 3000 in a career, I know he was good. A pitcher with 300 wins is a Hall of Famer; a guy with 150 might be nothing more than a durable journeyman. It's not quite as satisfying to have to remember that if teams are playing 75 games a year, a pitcher with 150 wins is an all-time great. The math's easy to do, but I'd still rather not have to do it.

Right now, I have reserves rather than a minor league. I'm seriously thinking about adding a minor league affiliate or two for each team, however. I noticed that most clubs have between 50 and 60 players under their control right now. My rookie draft is only five rounds, but the players are nonetheless piling up fast.

I haven't seen a problem with young players getting trapped in the reserves, but then again, the league's still very new. The top prospects seem to be getting chances to play quickly enough; guys like "Electric Billy" Patrick, Maximo Chavez, and Paul O'Connor are already FLL regulars. I'm not sure what's happening to the guys who aren't quite that good, however.

I wonder if adding some minor leagues would make the league more fun to follow, without bogging it down? Would you readers like to see a developmental league or two added?

Thanks again for the comments!

[Big Six]

November 1, 1907

FINAL STANDINGS

                W   L   PCT  GB
Seneca Falls   93  57  .620  --
Waterloo       79  71  .527  14
Geneva         77  73  .513  16
Watkins Glen   71  79  .473  22
Canandaigua    67  83  .447  26
Penn Yan       63  87  .420  30

SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS

Team OPS: .631 (2) Runs Scored: 600 (1)
Team ERA: 2.25 (1) Runs Allowed: 488 (1)

Best Players:
CF Ryan Hill (.357/.399/.400, 207 H, 92 R, 62 SB, 46.2 VORP)
LHP Dennis Williams (15-5, 1.67, 0.88 WHIP, 40.2 VORP)
RHP Roger Hopkins (20-11, 2.12, 124 K, 1.11 WHIP, 40.1 VORP)
2B Jack Robinson (.256/.308/.359, 24 2B, 12 3B, 3 HR, 52 RBI, 28.6 VORP)
SS Robby Ward (.267/.350/.311, 75 R, 28.5 WHIP)
LF Marc St. John (.310/.365/.386, 26 2B, 8 3B, 62 RBI, 28.2 VORP)
C Ramon Morales (.267/.341/.365, 6 HR, 52 RBI, 26.5 VORP)

The Sheepdogs continued to dominate the Finger Lakes League during the second half of the season, and became the first regular season champion to capture the Seneca Falls Series when they defeated Waterloo in a dramatic seven-game thriller.

If not for his injury, Williams would have easily won the Outstanding Pitcher Award, and Hill could have claimed the Outstanding Hitter prize, too. Robinson and Ward gave the Dogs the league's best double play combo. Hopkins, the league's Rookie of the Year, joined a crackerjack staff that also got 19 wins out of Tom Harvey and 18 more from Jordan Coleman.

Harvey won another Gold Glove, and so did Felix Roman, who played third base like he invented the position.

Most of the Sheepdogs' best players are in their late twenties and early thirties, so this excellent team should be near its peak. Enjoy it while you can.


WATERLOO FINCHES

Team OPS: .637 (1) Runs Scored: 566 (2)
Team ERA: 2.41 (3) Runs Allowed: 534 (4)

Best Players:
RHP Billy Edgar (17-15, 2.14, 130 K, 1.11 WHIP, 51.2 VORP)
RHP Ernesto Santos (23-11, 2.20, 136 K, 1.12 WHIP, 50.2 VORP)
RHP Billy Patrick (18-12, 2.16, 137 K, 1.12 WHIP, 47.1 VORP)
LF Fernando Molina (.342/.386/.401, 181 H, 81 R, 50 SB, 30.7 VORP)
1B Matt Parkhill (.282/.324/.381, 21 2B, 10 3B, 5 HR, 58 RBI, 30.6 VORP)
RF Duane Blackburn (.296/.374/.371, 8 3B, 57 RBI, 48 SB, 22.4 VORP)

Long-suffering Waterloo fans were rewarded by the performance of this gritty team, who fought off all comers to earn a spot in the Series and then took the might Sheepdogs to the seventh game.

Santos, the Outstanding Pitcher Award winner, led a solid rotation, and a batting order that boasted tough outs from top to bottom produced the most runs in the league.

SS Eugene Adams won a Gold Glove, and also hit .275 with 64 RBI. Moreno and Blackburn also added Gold Gloves to their trophy cases. Rookie CF Paul O'Connor and freshman C Al Williams both hit near .270, and O'Connor stole 41 sacks. Add in the fact that Edgar, Patrick, and Blackburn are all a long way from their thirtieth birthdays, and it's easy to predict the Finches might be singing sweet songs for some time to come.


GENEVA GREEN SOX

Team OPS: .610 (4) Runs Scored: 520 (4)
Team ERA: 2.41 (3) Runs Allowed: 514 (3)

Best Players:
RHP Raul Alonso (19-15, 2.18, 170 K, 1.08 WHIP, 44.7 VORP)
RHP Casey Ladner (10-5, 0.94, 99 K/144 IP, 0.76 WHIP, 40.3 VORP)
C Bryan Brafield (.272/.328/.344, 7 3B, 53 RBI, 17.8 VORP)
3B Tony Powell (.258/.303/.317, 64 RBI, 17.1 VORP)

The Green Sox won 17 fewer games than they did in 1906, as Father Time caught up with RHP Hayden Williams (23 losses, age 38) and LF Karl Winston (.240, .275 OBP) suffered through a dismal year. Manager Julian Ramirez was fired in early August; his interim replacement, Clarence Williams, was let go at the end of the season.

In fact, if not for the phenomenal Casey Ladner, the Green Sox would probably have finished in the second division. I'll tell Ladner's tale in more detail in a later post.

Brafield won a Gold Glove, as did CF Ben Brown, who is perhaps the league's most underrated star. Brown led the league in doubles (29) and triples (16), while his unparalleled range in the center garden earned him his third fielding prize.



WATKINS GLEN BUCKS

Team OPS: .614 (3) Runs Scored: 543 (3)
Team ERA: 2.37 (2) Runs Allowed: 509 (2)

Best Players:
LHP Edward Daybell (13-15, 1.98, 132 K, 1.08 WHIP, 42.9 VORP)
RHP Michael Watkins (15-18, 2.30, 143 K, 1.11 WHIP, 40.3 VORP)
RHP Armando Jimenez (12-11, 1.72, 9 SV, 71 GP, 39.0 VORP)
RF Neil Byers (.331/.369/.396, 179 H, 73 RBI, 35.7 VORP)

The Bucks were the league's unluckiest team, falling eight games short of their Pythagorean prediction. Had they played to that standard, they would have reached the Series, where they've managed to take care of business twice.

LF Ken Johnston (.288) slumped badly in the second half, and C "Duck" West (.240) never got his bat going. On the other hand, manager Vincente Carrillo's creative use of relief ace Jimenez gave the Bucks a powerful weapon, while Byers enjoyed a great season at the plate.

2B John Pickett can do just that--pick it--and nabbed a third straight Gold Glove. He knocked home 64 runs, too. He was joined in the ranks of elite glovemen by silky-smooth 1B Travis Cantrell, another repeat winner.


CANANDAIGUA ICE CATS

Team OPS: .571 (5) Runs Scored: 478 (6)
Team ERA: 2.76 (6) Runs Allowed: 568 (5)

Best Players:
RHP Joe Norris (16-21, 2.36, 170 K, 1.11 WHIP, 35.6 VORP)
3B Ronald Reese (.276/.321/.318, 60 R, 23.3 VORP)
C Hamilton Phillips (.258/.336/.346, 7 HR, 54 RBI, 21.6 VORP)

Canandaigua fans had little to cheer about again in 1907, except for the Norris-Phillips battery and an occasional strong outing from young righthander Maximo Chavez (15-14, 2.83). Phillips set a new league home run record, while Norris led the league in strikeouts for the third consecutive year.

The Cats acquired CF Claudio Navarro from Penn Yan in late July, but Navarro sulked and failed to hit, and was finally benched. At the end of the season, GM John Green fired manager Fernando Torres and offered the post to Julian Ramirez, formerly of Geneva.

Cats rooters are increasingly frustrated with Green's machinations, which have yet to accomplish much of a positive nature. A number of the team's most influential players, including Norris, are said to be just as unhappy.


PENN YAN BRAWLERS

Team OPS: .591 (5) Runs Scored: 494 (5)
Team ERA: 2.74 (5) Runs Allowed: 588 (6)

Best Players:
LHP Lawrence Inman (17-14, 2.14, 1.13 WHIP, 43.2 VORP)
RHP Will Kirk (13-20, 2.42, 121 K, 39.1 VORP)
RF Mike Young (.337/.394/.432, 14 3B, 58 RBI, 33.6 VORP)
CF Francisco Rivera (.331/.370/.408, 181 H, 12 3B, 55 SB, 27.6 VORP)

Young was his typical superlative self, and narrowly won the Outstanding Batter Award over Seneca Falls' Ryan Hill. Rivera, too, was in fine form, and Inman, age 24, looks like a good one.

Unfortunately for Brawlers fans, unless teenagers like 2B Nick Wells and RF Ronald Brady turn into stars quickly, the road back to the playoffs might be long and hard.

[Big Six]

1907 Miscellania

Best Players:
1. Duane Blackburn, RF, Waterloo.
2. Francisco Rivera, CF, Penn Yan.
3. Mike Young, RF, Penn Yan.
4. Robby Ward, SS, Seneca Falls.
5. Fernando Molina, LF, Waterloo.
6. Ryan Hill, CF, Seneca Falls.

I'm surprised to see Hill this far down the list.

Best Pitchers:
1. Joe Norris, Canandaigua.
2. Hayden Williams, Geneva.
3. Casey Ladner, Geneva.
4. Raul Alonso, Geneva.
5. Edward Daybell, Watkins Glen.
6. Michael Watkins, Watkins Glen.

I expected to see a guy named Williams among the top two pitchers on this list, but I figured it would be Dennis. The Seneca Falls ace is at #9, with his teammate Roger Hopkins at #10. Does the computer see something I don't see?

Top Prospects: Position Players
1. Nick Wells, 2B, Penn Yan. At age 19, Wells hit .237 in 80 AB for the '07 Brawlers.
2. Geoffrey Veeck, SS, Watkins Glen. 20-year-old Veeck made his FLL debut, playing three innings and going 0-1 at the plate.
3. Henry Kester, C, Watkins Glen. The first hitter taken in the June '07 draft, 20-year-old Kester is a fine receiver with a powerful bat.

Top Prospects: Pitchers
1. Chester Smith, Waterloo. The #1 draft pick in '07, Smith, 19, is likely to be a future ace.
2. Roger Hopkins, Seneca Falls. If Smith's better than Hopkins, who won 20 games at age 20, then he's very, very good.
3. Milo England, Seneca Falls. Nothing this compact righthander throws is straight.

Finger Lakes Farewells
Two notable players retired in 1907:

Shortstop Cesar Morales of Canandaigua made his mark on the league with his glove, earning Gold Gloves in 1904 and 1905. Injuries took their toll on his quickness, and after spending the 1907 season on the reserve list, he retired at age 37. He hit .245 in 1350 career AB.

Second baseman Oliver Saenz hit .302 for the Seneca Falls Sheepdogs in 1904, and bounced back from a fractured skull to hit .299 in 1905 at age 38. He saw his skills begin to slip away in '06. Traded to Penn Yan, he tore a groin muscle in August '06 and never played again. His lifetime average was a solid .268.

[Big Six]

During the 1907 Finger Lakes League season, I had the chance to enjoy one of those stories that make baseball--either the "real" or the simulated variety--so much fun.

I know it's not a 1907-style uniform, but here's the hero of our story...

On July 3, the Geneva Green Sox called up a righthanded pitcher named Casey Ladner from their reserve squad. I'd never seen Ladner before; it turns out he'd been created when I began the game, and he was Geneva's 22nd-round choice in the league's inaugural draft.

However, while toiling away as a reserve, young Ladner experienced a talent spike before the 1906 season began. Apparently, another similar surge occurred in 1907, and by mid-season the Geneva management decided to give Ladner a try.

Casey made his debut on July 5, before a good-sized crowd at the Geneva grounds. His opponents were the Canandaigua Ice Cats, with ace Joe Norris on the mound. Ladner shut out the Canandagua Ice Cats on four hits, striking out six and walking none, and throwing only 96 pitches.

Four days later, Casey was even better. He tossed another four-hit shutout, this time victimizing Watkins Glen. Again, Casey didn't walk a batter, and this time he struck out ten.

I had to see what kind of superman this Ladner was, so I looked at his ratings. His Movement (21) was exceptional, as was his Control (18). His Stuff (10) was also very good, but no better than that of five or six other pitchers in the league, including Norris, Billy Patrick, and Michael Watkins.

Now I was closely watching all of Ladner's starts. At Waterloo on July 14, he finally allowed a run, leaving a 1-1 tie for a pinch hitter in the 10th inning. The Green Sox lost, 3-1, in 13 innings.

On the 18th, Ladner and his 0.32 ERA took the mound at Seneca Falls, and he shut out the Sheepdogs on five hits. For the first time, he walked a batter, leaving his K/BB ratio at 28:1.

How much longer could this go on? On July 22, he once again faced Canandaigua and Joe Norris at home. His teammates scored a run in the bottom of the first, and Casey took care of the rest. Nine innings, three hits, no runs, no walks, seven strikeouts, 88 pitches.

In five games, Casey Ladner had thrown four shutouts, and his era stood at 0.20. Forget Fernandomania...this was Caseymania.

Casey finally proved himself human in his next start, losing 4-1 to the last-place Penn Yan Brawlers. He was hit hard one more time, too, allowing seven runs in a 12-inning loss to Canandaigua on September 5. Those were the only truly rough outings among Casey's 16 starts.

Here's his season statistics:

 W   L   SV  ERA   G  GS  CG   IP     H    R   ER   HR   BB    K   WHIP 
10   5    0  0.94 16  16  14  144.0  104  22   15    0    6   94   0.76

If this were a movie, Casey would have pitched the Green Sox into the Series, where they upset Seneca Falls and won the championship. Instead, the best Casey could do was keep the Sox in third place.

There's one more thing, however, that made the whole thing seem almost surreal. The first five or six games of Casey's career were played while I was on vacation with my family.

Where were we on vacation?

Geneva, New York.

I couldn't have made this up if I tried...