Windsor National Baseball Association

[slickphipsi]

I'm trying something different (at least for me) - building a fictional world to play OOTP in. I present to my readers - the story of baseball in the nation of Windsor.

Windsor

Discovered circa 1770 by the little-known explorer Captain C.W. Windsor, the island nation of Windsor lies in the Pacific (on the same geographical points as Wallis and Futuna). As of 1897, the nation is a constitutional monarchy, whose monarchs are descendants of distant cousins of King George III.

Currently, the nation is home to just under 3,000,000 residents, a mix of South Pacific natives, and European and North American immigrants. During the 1840's, nearly 100,000 French settlers made their way to the northwest, while the 1850's and 1860's brought American slaves and then Confederate families to the shores.

Baseball

After years of attempts, Sir James York has successfully put together a 12-team circuit to compete for the National Cup. The league will be divided into Eastern and Western Leagues, with a possible mid-season "All-Star" contest to be contested between the best players from each side of the island.

Rules are simple - no DH in either league, no draft, 24-man rosters with 40-man secondary roster.

A quick run-down of the league:

Eastern League
Victoria Royals
Nottingham Red Hawks
Grand Valley Explorers
Pettinton Eagles
St. Claire Ravens
Nottingham Titans

Western League
Victoria Generals
Concordia Highlanders
Port Victoria Dockers
Port Cleveland Captains
Barnstable Bruins
Mothershead Lakers

Each team will also have a minor league club affiliated with it.

Updates

I am going to try and update this three times a season - mid-season, right after the National Cup Series, and then during the off-season. I will also try and do a wrap up at the end of each decade (I'll probably go 1897-1900 to get started, then do 1901-1910). I may also throw in city or player profiles as we go.

[slickphipsi]

I will start this thread with a quick glance at Windsor's capital, Victoria.

Victoria

Named after both Captain Windsor's mother and wife, Victoria lies in the low plains that connect the eastern and western parts of the country. The city of 800,000+ spreads itself out between the Pacific Ocean to the north and Pilgrim Bay to the south.

The city is centered on the Royal Palace, Marseille House, home to Queen Mary and her family. Across the King's Road from Marseille House is the Parliament Building. Major businesses are located in the downtown area, including York Manufacturing and the burgeoning Sovereign Bank.

The country's largest city is also home to most of their baseball power. Four teams in the NBA, a fifth club playing in the minor league circuit, as well as three major universities give the city a distinct hardball feel.

Victoria Royals
Owned by Sir James York, the "Father of Windsorian Base Ball", the Royals play at the King's Road Stadium. King's Road is the largest stadium in the league, with a capacity of 6,500 people. Queen Mary's son, Prince George, is said to be a huge fan, sneaking out as much as possible to catch the Royals in action. The Royals are the only Victoria-based team to play in the Eastern League. Their Minor Pro affiliate are the Oxford Scholars.

Victoria Generals
Based out of the Armory Grounds, the Generals are headed by Sir Jean-Sébastien Gauvreau, former head of the Royal Military and a popular choice for Prime Minister in the 1898 elections. Well-supported wherever they play, the Generals have had some success in convincing great athletes to play for them in exchange for the country's healthy veteran's benefits. The Generals are affiliated with the Cadbury Cadets, who play near the Royal Naval Academy on Cadbury Island.

Port Victoria Dockers
The Dockers play in the blue-collar areas on the Pacific coast at the Enterprise Avenue Field. Their crowds are known to be particularly rowdy, and they have clashed openly with police after some games. Already, the Dockers and Highlanders have found themselves to be fierce rivals. The Victoria Hills Rebels are the Dockers' affiliate in the Minor Pro League.

Concordia Highlanders
Playing out of the beautiful Concordia Ballpark in the hills overlooking Pilgrim Bay, the Highlanders are popularly known as the city's white-collar team. Owned by former police chief Hiram "Junior" Sweet, the Highlander fans have butted heads with Dockers fans a number of times. Concordia's minor league affiliate is the Plymouth Pirates.

Victoria Hills Rebels
The only minor league-level club in Victoria, the club is affiliated with Port Victoria. The Hills are a decidedly middle-class neighborhood to the east of downtown Victoria, centered around the Raleigh Esplanade.

Colleges & Universities
There are three institutes of higher education in Victoria that have looked into building a formal inter-collegiate athletics group: Royal College, Victoria City College and the University of Victoria. It is unknown at this point, when and if this plan will actually occur.

[slickphipsi]

1897 - Mid-Season Report

Eastern League
After a slow start, the Victoria Royals have taken a slim lead over St. Claire and Pettinton. The league itself is fairly well bunched, with Grand Valley 6.5 games back as the only team without a winning record. The best pitcher so far has been the Nottingham Titans Michael Kadow, who leads the league in all major pitching categories.

Western League
Four Western clubs are below .500, with Concordia stretching a nice size lead over Port Cleveland. At this point, we could be seeing an all-Victoria National Cup series. Port Cleveland has arguably the league's top pitcher thus far, Randolph Shearer, who is pacing the league in ERA, strikeouts, and VORP.


All-Star Game
The inaugural mid-season classic took place at the Generals' Armory Grounds. The visiting Easterners took a 9-6 decision, despite Concordia's Lonnie Yarrigle. The most valuable player of the game, Yarrigle finished 4-5 with a home run.

Nottingham Red Hawks
I have been piloting the Red Hawks, but have only played about half a dozen games (opening series, and one of the Nottingham Derby series against the Titans). The team is checking in a just a bit over .500, and is struggling with poor starting pitching and a below-average offense. There are a number of young players, so hopefully as they mature, the team will get better.

[slickphipsi]

1897 - Second Half

Concordia romped to a dominating 7-game lead to clinch the Western League pennant and the Premiership. However, they were one of only two teams in the West to win more than half their games - they were joined by Port Cleveland. Mothershead ended up taking the Wooden Spoon on the back of their highly disappointing 48-78 record.

The race in the Eastern League was far better, with all teams finishing over .500 and within 2 games of each other. The East dominated inter-league play, finishing 137-79 (.634) against the Western League, keeping anyone in the East from pulling too far ahead of anyone else. The Nottingham Titans, St. Claire and Pettinton were tied going into the final day of the regular season. The Ravens and Titans won, but the Eagles fell to the other Nottingham squad to set up a one-game playoff between the day's winners.

The next day, the Titans received a 13th inning walk-off single from Bruno Chouinard to clinch the Eastern League pennant. It was a fantastic second half for the Titans, finishing on 29-20 run to force themselves back into the race. The team was really paced by their pitching staff, with ace Michael Kadow clinching the pitching triple-crown by going 20-6 with a 1.77 ERA and 70 strikeouts in 269.2 innings.

The inaugural National Cup Series was a close, pitching-oriented series. Concordia scored two in the bottom of the first of the opening game, and Morie Hagi made it stand up for a 2-0 win. The home-standing Highlanders would win the second game 2-1 on a 10th inning walk-off sacrifice fly. The Titans Bob Hogan took the loss, going 9.2 IP, and Fletcher Hoyt got the win after throwing a complete game, allowing just an unearned run.

The series moved to Nottingham and the Titans' River's End Park, but Concordia posted a third straight win to put themselves on the cusp of cup victory. Again, the Highlanders scored two in the first, and Hagi made it hold up in a complete game, 3-1 win. Hogan and Hoyt would match up again in Game 4, but this time it was the Nottingham hurler who grabbed the win with a complete game 3-1 decision. With their season still alive, the Titans sent 19-year old Noah Wigley to the mound for Game 5, and were rewarded for their hope. Wigley allowed a single run in the 9th inning as the Titans forced a trip back to the capital with a 2-1 win.

A pair of aces matched up in Victoria for Game 6, with Kadow facing Hagi. Both pitchers went 10 innings, allowing just a run each. In the bottom of the 13th, Western League batting champion Jean-Simon Chouinard hit a bases loaded sac fly to clinch the title.

Down on the Farm
Concordia swept the championships, with the Premier Cup ending up in Plymouth. The Pirates took the Southern League crown by 5 games over Suffolk (Grand Valley), and then defeated the Gibraltar Knights (St. Claire) 3-1 in the series. The Pirates were paced by 29 year-old 1B Rhett Addicott, who finished with an impressive .364-42-106 season.

Red Hawk Round-up
While a 9-16 July featuring a number of key injuries de-railed the Red Hawks chances of winning the pennant, they did finish with a 20-6 month of August to finish 2.5 games back of their city rivals for the title. They played spoiler to the end, going 12-4 against their league rivals to close the season, ending the title dreams of the Victoria Royals, Pettinton and nearly spoiling the Titans season by winning 2 of 3 at River's End.

Nottingham skipper Nathaniel Taylor is hoping that the August effort will spill over to next season. The team's core is under the age of 30, and if they can find some reliable extra base power, the team should be in position to contend in 1898.

Team MVP: SP Brian Lock (17-9, 2.25 ERA, 44 K's, 22 CG's, 8 SO's)

League Leaders
(all stats are combined)
Batting - .362, Jean-Simon Chouinard (Concordia)
Homers - 8, Sergio Martinez (St. Claire)
RBI's - 73, Sone Ulmarra (Pettinton)
VORP - 53.2, Pierre Demers (Port Cleveland)
ERA - 1.77, Michael Kadow (Nottingham Titans)
Wins - 20, Kade Dethridge (Concordia), Karl Guerin (Grand Valley), Michael Kadow (Nottingham Titans)
Strikeouts - 71, Randolph Shearer (Port Cleveland)
VORP - 71.7, Michael Kadow (Nottingham Titans)

[joefromchicago]

Good beginning. I like the format of your reports

[slickphipsi]

@joefromchicago Thanks. I took a lot of inspiration from your Baseball Alliance posts (I'm subscribed to it). I prefer a truly fictional dynasty - it really allows you to get in there and into the nitty-gritty of the world.

[slickphipsi]

1897-98 Off-Season

Awards Season
The Awards Season came and went, with only one real surpise.

Eastern
Outstanding Hitter – Mike Barnes, St. Claire Ravens
Outstanding Pitcher – Michael Kadow, Nottingham Titans
Manager of the Year – Manu Richard, Victoria Royals


Western
Outstanding Hitter – Pierre Demers, Port Cleveland Captains
Outstanding Pitcher – Kade Dethridge, Concordia Highlanders
Manager of the Year – Rhys Naylor, Concordia Highlanders


Dethridge surprised me, as he was probably the #3 starter for the Highlanders. It's got to be those wins putting him over Shearer and his own teammates.


Transactions
The silly season came and went, with a number of teams making big waves. The Victoria Generals have made a huge splash, bringing in veteran pitchers Morie Hagi and Carlos Gonzalez. To replace Hagi, defending National Cup winners Concordia grabbed Declan Sheelah away from Barnstable. Not to be out-done, the Victoria Royals signed Randolph Dempsey away from the Wooden Spoon winners in Mothershead.


Red Hawk Round-up

While they didn't go out and spend like the gentlemen at the Armory Grounds, the Nottingham Red Hawks have made a number of seemingly minor moves to try and gain that 2.5 games that stood between them and a National Cup Series berth. They made three trades, the biggest sending starting pitcher Kevin Varmer to Mothershead, receiving OF Louis-Pierre Pelletier and a minor league pitcher. Another trade produced a probable starting backstop in former Docker Tepoea Kaulana.

In free agency, the Red Hawks signed pitcher Jean-Sabastien Rioux from Pettinton. Nottingham also added a number of amateurs, including roster players OF Rex Lee and pitcher Eiichi Kan. How these new additions help the Red Hawks is still unclear, but what is clear is their dedication to building from within.

[joefromchicago]

Originally Posted by slickphipsi

@joefromchicago Thanks. I took a lot of inspiration from your Baseball Alliance posts (I'm subscribed to it). I prefer a truly fictional dynasty - it really allows you to get in there and into the nitty-gritty of the world.

There's certainly that advantage. What name databases are you using? Looks like a combination of American, British, and French.

[slickphipsi]

Originally Posted by joefromchicago

What name databases are you using? Looks like a combination of American, British, and French.

I am using the stock database, with my ethnicities set at 50% Australian, 20% Canadian, 20% French Canadian, 15% Polynesian. I'd like to eventually add in more eastern European and American names, but I'm not sure how adjusting the ethnicities during the course of the game will affect the results.

[slickphipsi]

1898 First Half
Strong starts by the Nottingham Titans and the Concordia Highlanders have last year's National Cup participants gunning for another showdown. A season after a close pennant race captivated the Windsor baseball fans, the Titans hold a three-game lead over St. Claire, while in the East, Concordia holds a 3.5-game lead over their city rivals, the Generals.

St. Claire's Benoit Charron is having a fantastic first half, hitting a phenomenal .394-1-28, pacing the league in batting (.394), slugging (.487), OPS (.936), hits (123), and runs scored (62). The Ravens also have the league's top pitcher in Matthew Dhu. The Mothershead native has fashioned a 15-5, 1.71 ERA so far, already surpassing his strike out total for last year. Dhu's 42.7 VORP is over two runs better than Port Cleveland's John Weeks, who checks in with a 12-7 record and a league-pacing 1.59 ERA.

All-Star Game
The second annual mid-season classic was played at River's End in Nottingham. The East won their second straight game in the series on a 13th inning walk-off. Despite the loss, Port Victoria's Luke Grinter took home the MVP after going 2-4 with a run scored and three knocked in.

Red Hawk Review
Yikes. Last place in the East, 17.5 games behind their city rivals. Last or second to last in nearly all key offensive and defensive stats. The awful start cost Nathaniel Taylor and his staff, as their offices were cleared out on June 2. Replacing Taylor will be 37-year old Stephen Nolan, who has put together a young, hungry staff.

Needing to shake things up, two minor leaguers were shipped up to Pettinton in exchange for pitcher Tim Kavanaugh, who threw a complete game victory in his first start. To help fix a porous defense and to continue to build through young players, the Red Hawks traded veteran star pitcher Guillaume Chabot and infielder Semo Vaifale to Port Victoria. In exchange, the Dockers sent back SS Mitch Spotten and two minor leaguers.

Despite the fact that no Red Hawks were invited to River's End to play in the All-Star festivities, there are some lights shining at Forest Park. Toby Cutler and Brian Lock have stabilized the front of the rotation, combining for a 16-17 record with a sub-3 ERA. Offensively, though, Steve MacDougall went from a .324/.383/.449 with 9 errors at shortstop to .257/.330/.331 and 54 errors at short. He has moved off of the position and Spotten has taken it over.

[slickphipsi]

1898 Second Half

The second half of the 1898 season will always be remembered for an off-the-field tragedy. National Baseball Association founder and commissioner, Sir James York, passed away on August 7. At his funeral two days later, the Victoria Royals owner was feted as a "hero of Windsor", and, in the words of her Highness, Queen Mary, "the epitome of a Windsorian". Sir James' son, who shares his father's name, has taken over the club, promising that it will be the league's flagship franchise.

However, that distinction might have to go to their city rivals, the Concordia Highlanders. The Highlanders clinched their second consecutive Eastern pennant by five games over Port Victoria. In the East, the Victorian teams held serve, with Concordia, Port Victoria and the Royals taking spots one through three. Mothershead ended up with the Wooden Spoon, finishing with an NBA-worst 46-80 record.

In the West, the Nottingham Titans took home the pennant by seven games over St. Claire. After clinching the pennant over the Red Hawks, the Titans were awarded the York Cup as the league's regular season champions. St. Claire's chances were helped by eventual pitching triple-crown winner, Matthew Dhu. Dhu finished 1898 with a 24-7 record, 1.56 ERA, and 103 strikeouts.

Red Hawk Review
Awful defense, poor hitting, and an inability for the pitching staff to overcome their teammates mistakes helped the Nottingham Red Hawks to finish with a cellar position in the West at 53-73. Pitcher Goldie Cuttler ended up taking home the team MVP with a 12-14 record, 2.11 ERA and allowed just 194 hits in 217.2 innings. Every few days, Cuttler took the ball and pitched well enough to give his mates a shot.

With a new coaching staff heading into their first off-season, it is clear to Red Hawk fans that changes will be coming. Two consecutive second-division finishes is bad enough, but can the team overcome their short-comings to make a run at the top?

1898 National Cup Series

A re-match of the inaugural series saw the Nottingham Titans getting home-field advantage over the Concordia Highlanders. Declan Sheelah allowed just a solo home-run in the opening game as the Highlanders romped 8-1 at River's End. Sheelah added a solo home run of his own as the visitors knocked 13 hits and the Titans defense struggled behind Michael Kadow by committing four errors.

Veteran Fletcher Hoyt out-dueled youngster Noah Wigley in a 2-1 nail-biter in Game 2. While in Game 3, a 13th-inning walk-off game the Highlanders a commanding 3-0 lead. It was an ugly affair back in Victoria, where the teams combined for seven errors on the day. Neither starter pitched great, but Sheelah and Kadow both pitched into extra innings.

Game Four saw Wigley unable to make it out of the 2nd inning as the Highlanders opened up a 10-0 lead after two. Fletcher Hoyt cruised the rest of the way as Concordia clinched their second consecutive National Cup with a 13-2 win. The 39-year old Hoyt was named MVP of the series. Of course, maybe the Titans defense should have been given the award, committing a dozen errors over the four game series.

[slickphipsi]

Looking at my map and my OOTP database, I realize I've been making a geographical mistake over the last couple of seasons. The divisions have been reversed - Pettinton, Nottingham, Grand Valley and St. Claire are to the west of Victoria. Victoria lies in the center, while Barnstable, Mothershead and Port Cleveland lie on the east.

Changes will be made in the future.

[slickphipsi]

Down on the Farm
I missed this last time, but Plymouth repeated as Minor Pro champions. This year, they swept Riverhead (Pettinton), 3 games to zero.

Award Winners
The 1898 season concluded with the announcement of each league's top performers.

Eastern League
Outstanding Batter: Jean-Simon Chouinard (Concordia Highlanders): .346-4-59, walked 101 times vs. 25 strikeouts
Outstanding Pitcher: Barry Keough (Port Victoria Dockers): 20-12, 2.37 ERA, 47 strikeouts in 266 IP
Outstanding Newcomer: John Weeks (Port Cleveland Captains): 15-16, 2.26 ERA, 91 strikeouts in 274.2 IP
Outstanding Manager: Rhys Naylor (Concorida Highlanders): 75-51, won second consecutive National Cup

Western League
Outstanding Batter: Kekila Kaelani (Pettinton Eagles): .332-3-63, 14 triples, scored 92 runs, stole 64 bases
Outstanding Pitcher: Matthew Dhu (St. Claire Ravens): 24-7, 1.56 ERA, 103 strikeouts in 283 IP (Triple Crown of Pitching)
Outstanding Newcomer: Harris Dalton (Victoria Royals): .339-0-47
Outstanding Manager: Alec Sharp (Nottingham Titans): 83-43, York Cup winners and Western League pennant winners

How Keough beat out Weeks is a joke. Weeks was by far the best pitcher in the East in 1898.

Winter Meeting Round-up
The 1898 Winter Meetings took place at the Hotel Majestic in Portsmouth, where the announcement of the new National Baseball Association commissioner was the highlight. Sir Edward Marcum, the Earl of Cadbury, was named to replace Sir James York. Sir Edward is a long-time baseball fan and a part-owner of the Cadbury Cadets, the Minor Pro affiliate of the Victoria Generals. Previously, the Earl of Cadbury had served as a key advisor to Prime Minister Eddard Strange (1892-1896).

As part of his opening speech, Sir Edward announced that beginning in 1900, a second level of minor league seasoning would be available. The so-called "Western Association" would feature at least six clubs in its initial year. Already announced as fielding teams in the fledging association will be both Nottingham clubs, Pettinton, Port Cleveland, Barnstable and Concordia.

Red Hawk Review
After finishing in the Western League cellar in 1898, the Nottingham Red Hawks made a number of big moves during the off-season. The first was to jettison struggling defensive black hole Steve MacDougall, reserve OF Harris Gordam and two minor leagues to Mothershead. In return, Nottingham received rubber-armed reliever Rhys Walker and two potential roster players, IF Jack Lodge and OF Burt St. George.

The team followed up that trade by swinging another. Two roster players were sent to the Royals in exchange for Outstanding Newcomer Harry Dalton.

At the Portsmouth Winter Meetings, John Rayner and Daniel Carbonneau received plaudits for their glove work during the 1898 season. Rayner was judged to have been the most competent fielding pitcher, while Carbonneau's play at second base was considered the best on the western side of the island.

During and after the meetings, the Red Hawk management met with a number of free agents. The biggest addition on the mound was Glen Bray, who received a four-year deal worth $3,680 per season. To help make room for Bray, Nottingham made a deal with the Victoria Royals, sending Rayner and C William Roy to the capital. They received Tommy Bartholemew, a fine young hitting catcher.

The team's last big addition prior to the end of the year was 22-year old shortstop
Sean Rodgers. A Victoria native, Rodgers was involved in a lengthy bidding war, with the Red Hawks finally winning on the back of a three-year, $5,400 deal. Rodgers is an outstanding defensive player who should be able to hit at the top of the lineup for the next decade.

During the run-up to the start of the season, outfielder Rex Lee was named team captain by his peers. Lee hit a solid .269-0-46 with 20 extra base hits last year in his first campaign. The Red Hawks remain young, but there is definitely a light at the end of their tunnel.

[slickphipsi]

Mid-Season Notes
The first half of the 1899 season is in the books, and there are some very good races shaping up for the second part of the year.

In the West, the two-time pennant winning Nottingham Titans have fallen off the pace and find themselves two games under .500 and nine games back of the front-runners. The Victoria Royals are even further back, still trying to piece together their franchise in the wake of Sir James York's death last season. The high-flying Eagles of Pettinton, coming off of two consecutive third-place finishes, are currently in the lead, four games up on the Nottingham Red Hawks. The Eagles pace the league in runs scored, homers, walks, have accumulated the fewest strikeouts at the plate, and have stolen the most bases. Their offense has given a solid pitching staff the ability to pitch to contact, resulting in a Western League-high 62% ground-ball rate.

The three Victorian teams still reign supreme in the East, but it's not a usual customer on top. The Generals have put themselves up by 3.5 games on Port Victoria and four games on the Concordia Highlanders. With 471 runs scored, the Generals are pacing the National Baseball Association this season. Defensively, Victoria is solid, but the pitching does not blow anyone away, at least not yet. The Generals tried to grab a pitcher at the deadline, but many of their overtures fell on deaf ears. Mothershead and Port Cleveland are trying valiantly to avoid the Wooden Spoon, separated by a game at the bottom of the standings.

All-Star Game
The Mid-Fall Classic returned to the Armory Grounds, where the Western League got their third consecutive victory in the series, 11-3. Sean Rodgers of the Nottingham Red Hawks led the way for the West, going 4-5 with three RBI's and two runs scored. In total, the Red Hawks were the stars of the game, with their five hitters combining to go 11-of-15, scoring seven runs, and driving in six. Harry Dalton would have hardly made a bad choice for MVP, finishing 4-4 with four runs scored.

Red Hawk Review
A .500 April was follow by a 32-24 run through to the All-Star game, leaving last year's cellar dwellers just four games out of the league lead. Major free agent acquisition Glen Bray has made just 11 starts so far, posting a 2.05 ERA over 74.2 innings. The other off-season acquisitions, however, have been the ones guiding the team's charge up the standings.

Catcher Tommy Bartholomew has produced a .337-2-53 line, while outfielder Harry Dalton is posting .374-3-37 while walking 41 times. After being the subject of a fierce bid for his services, infielder Sean Rodgers has hit .322-2-31 with 60 runs scored. His keystone companion, Daniel Charbonneou is among the league leaders in extra base hits to go along with his 30/5 BB/K ratio from the lead-off spot. Not to be out-done, team captain Rex Lee is hitting .305-3-42 with 52 runs scored from the #3-spot in the lineup.

No major moves were made at the deadline, but the organization has to be worried about the pitching. Bray was supposed to anchor the staff, and his injuries have led the team to use much lesser talent in his stead.

[slickphipsi]

1899 - Second Half
Concordia took home their third consecutive Eastern pennant, but it was Pettinton breaking through to win their first Western Pennant. The York Cup winners, Pettinton, won their division by 11 games over the Nottingham Titans. The Eagles were led by Brendon Deacon, who went 22-8 with a 2.23 ERA. The 34-year old paced the nation with 59.9 VORP.

The Highlanders three-peat performance was paced, once again, by Jean-Simon Chouinard. The 40-year old infielder posted a .388-3-55 mark. His teammate, Marc Lemay, hit .325-7-91 from the shortstop position. The Victoria Giants finished second, led by Leandre Dion, who blasted a league-high 10 homers and drove in 100 runs. For the third consecutive year, the East also featured the Wooden Spoon winner. Port Cleveland "un-seated" Mothershead by six games to take home the worst record.



Pettinton dethroned the Highlanders with a 6-5 win in Game Seven at the Pettinton Fair Grounds. Duncan Sheelah pitched into the 10^th as Concordia took the series opener in Pettinton, 5-3. The extra inning affair saw three runs score in the top of the extra frame, with the vaunted heart of the Concordia lineup knocking Brendon Deacon around. The home-standing Eagles knotted the series at a game apiece with a bases-loaded walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth to win 3-2.


The scene shifted to the nation's capital, where the Highlanders took Game 3 by a 5-3 score with Sheelah beating Deacon again. Concordia took a commanding 3-1 lead with an eight-run eighth inning in Game 4 to win a 13-7 match. Despite seven errors, the Highlanders were victorious behind Lonnie Yarrigle's 3-4 and four RBI day. Defensive miscues would come back to haunt Concordia in Game 5, as they committed six of the day's 11 total errors in a 15-12 extra inning affair. The hitting hero for the Eagles was Sone Ulmarra, who was one of five Pettinton hitters with at least three hits.


Deacon and Sheelah matched up again as Concordia went looking for their third consecutive National Cup back in Pettinton. But more unearned runs helped the Eagles force a decisive seventh game. During his three outings in the 1899 National Cup Series, Duncan Sheelah allowed 10 runs, just three of them earned. Despite a last gasp rally that saw the tying run on-base, the Highlanders could not escape a bad start from Neil Rayner, giving the Eagles their first championship. Tipi Ihilani hit a homer in the 4^th inning to give Pettinton a lead they would not lose. Ulmarra was named the series MVP for the champion Eagles.


Down on the Farm
For the third consecutive year, the Plymouth Pirates (Concordia) made it to the playoffs. This year, they faced Victoria Hills (Port Victoria), but the Rebels made only a dent, falling 3-1. It was Plymouth's third consecutive Minor Pro title.

It will also be the last for the Pirates in the current format. Beginning next season, a lower league, based on the western portion of the island, will start play. The current Minor Pro League will become the Reserve League, while the new league will be referred to as the Academy League.

Red Hawk Review
A ten game losing streak at the end of July into August saw the end of the Red Hawks chances at competing in 1899. They swooned through the second-half to finish at .500 and in fourth place.


Harris Dalton (.361-4-59 with a team-high .864 OPS) was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Hold-overs Daniel Charbonneau (.310 with 34 XBH's), skipper Rex Lee (.291 32 XBH's) and Randy Simmonds (.271 with 26 steals) helped pace the offense. But it was newcomers Tommy Batholomew (.330-2-85), Sean Rodgers (.303-2-42, 90 runs scored), and Dalton who made the offense hum.


Starting pitching was the club's downfall in 1899. High-priced newcomer Glen Bray pitched just 139.1 innings, while assumed ace Goldie Cutler fell flat on his face. Cutler, 1898 Team MVP, allowed 321 hits and 1897 MVP Brian Lock pitched to an over-4 ERA. Tim Kavanagh was the team's best pitcher, at least via VORP, but he was a big part of the team allowing 387 walks against striking out 284 batters.


Around the League
Beginning with next off-season, the National Baseball Association has dictated that a player must have played at least 10 years under contract with his club before allowing for free agency. While the players are strongly against this move, the clubs and league commissioner Sir Edward Marcum, are firmly in favor. “Teams should benefit for investing in young players and helping them get better,” Marcum stated.


League Leaders (combined)
Average - Jean-Simon Chouinard (Concordia): .388

Home Runs - Neal Ashton (Nottingham Titans)/Leandre Dion (Victoria Generals): 10

RBI's - Leandre Dion (Victoria Generals): 100

Runs Scored - Greg Wicks (Nottingham Titans): 96

Stolen Bases - Ian Rodd (Concordia): 66

ERA - Vicente Medina (Concordia): 1.79

Pitching Wins - Brandon Deacon (Pettinton): 22

Pitching Losses - Adamu Tepano (Grand Valley): 22

Strikeouts - Noah Wigley (Nottingham Titans): 90
Saves - Kirila Alana (Nottingham Red Hawks): 7

[slickphipsi]

1899 Awards

Eastern League
Outstanding Hitter – Jean-Simon Chouinard, Concordia
Outstanding Pitcher – Barry Keough, Port Victoria
Manager of the Year – Burt McHugh, Victoria Generals (69-57, 2^nd place)
Rookie of the Year – Bob Watkins, SS, Port Cleveland

Western League
Outstanding Hitter – Mike Barnes, St. Claire
Outstanding Pitcher – Brendan Deacon, Pettinton
Manager of the Year – Axel Colcutt, Pettinton (79-47, York Cup & National Cup winner)
Rookie of the Year – Andy Brewster, SS, Pettinton


Red Hawks Review
Nottingham stayed out of the big-contract portion of the silly season, as they failed to find any pitcher to upgrade their starting staff. Instead, the club spent most of their time continuing to find talented youngsters to plug into their three levels. The big finds on the top level were 3B Randy Irving and OF Kawena Apekaloma. A number of pitchers with outstanding potential were brought in, including Mitch Glynn, Haiku Kale, and John Kennedy.


The only award given to a Red Hawk in 1899 was Jack Lodge's Outstanding Fielder Award. Lodge was judged to have been the best third-sacker in the Western League.

[slickphipsi]

1900 Mid-Season

Will it be four consecutive trips to the National Cup Series for Concordia? It sure looks like it, with the Highlanders 11 games up on Port Victoria. Concordia nabbed starter Brandon Deacon away from York Cup winners Pettinton, and have arguably the best pitching staff in the league. Surprisingly, Port Cleveland has moved out from Wooden Spoon territory and are in third place, albeit a game under .500. It strongly looks like the Wooden Spoon will come from the East yet again, with the Generals, Mothershead and Barnstable all with 33 or fewer wins.

In the West, St. Claire is currently 8.5 games up on Grand Valley, thanks largely to a powerful offense that leads the nation in runs scored, with 450. Mike Barnes continues to be arguably the league's top hitter, posting a .370-0-44 line with 69 walks against just four strikeouts. While the raw power hasn't been there like last season, Barnes should easily surpass his extra-base hit totals from a year ago.

All-Star Game
The mid-season classic returned to the home of the Nottingham Titans, River's End Park. But this time, it was the East finally notching a win in the series, with an 8-5 win that came after a six-run ninth inning. Port Cleveland SS Bob Watkins received the game's MVP award after going 2-4, with an RBI and a run scored.

Red Hawk Review
Statistically, the Nottingham Red Hawks have posted the league's worst pitching staff, and have the only sub-zero range factor defensively. Injuries have also been a problem, with Glen Bray going down with another injury, and star SS Sean Rodgers felled by a lengthy recovery from a concussion. At one point, the Red Hawks were within two games of the league lead, but then fell off near Wooden Spoon territory. Their hopes for competing this year are gone, but a solid finish should put them in good standing for 1901.

Harris Dalton has been a bright spot, going .366-2-41, while skipper Rex Lee has posted a .295-4-56 mark.

[slickphipsi]

1900 Final

Concordia nabbed their second York Cup and fourth consecutive trip to the National Cup Series by destroying the Eastern League by 18 games. It was the same story in the West, with the St. Claire Ravens galloping home by 18 games over the Nottingham Titan. The Ravens were the only club in the Western League to finish over .500. The Wooden Spoon went to Barnstable, who finished 32 games back of Concordia.

The Ravens featured Brayden Carrey, who won the Western League's Triple Crown with a .371-12-107 season, setting the NBA record with 107 RBI. Defensive blackhole Steve Macdougall hit 13 homers to set the record for Mothershead.

The 1900 National Cup Series opened in Victoria, with the visiting Ravens taking a 5-4 decision behind Clint Boivin. Vicente Medina scattered nine hits in Game 2, helping the Highlanders knot the series with a 4-1 victory.

The scene switched to the shores of Lake Lalolalo, with Boivin out-dueling Duncan Sheelah in a 3-2 victory. Sergio Martinez drove in three runs in Game 4 as the Ravens took a commanding 3-1 series lead. Unlike last year, there would be no comeback from a 3-1 deficit. Pierre Demers drove in three runs and Marc Bergeron handled a 7-2 decision without much trouble, giving St. Claire their first National Cup.

Clint Boivin was named the series MVP.

Down on the Farm
Another year, another Plymouth Pirates championship. This year, the Pirates (Concordia) took home their first Reserve Cup with a series sweep of Cadbury.

Finally, there was good news for the Nottingham Red Hawks, as their Academy team, the Cardinals, swept (you guessed it) Concordia's new affiliate Gandalf City in three games to take home the inaugural Academy Cup.

Red Hawks Review
55 wins meant that the Red Hawks just avoided being the Wooden Spoon holders. A below-average offense combined with a bad defense and horrible pitching to put the coaching staff at risk in 1901. This was all coupled with injuries, as well as the team's inability to plug holes with professional-caliber players.

Notes
I was going to do a 1897-1900 re-cap, but it's a bit too soon, so I'll wait for 1910 to do it.

Also, I'm going to change and just do a single write-up at the end of each season.

[slickphipsi]

1901 In Review

A new century brought some dramatic changes to the Windsorian National Baseball Association. Victoria continued to rule the East, but it wasn't the same club as normal. And in the West, St. Claire dominated once again.

The Victoria Giants ended Concordia's dominance at the top of the Eastern League standings by taking home their first pennant, as well as the York Cup. St. Claire repeated in the West by eight games over Pettinton. The General quickly dispatched the Ravens, 4-1, to claim the third National Cup for the city of Victoria. Ian Pick was named the National Cup Series MVP for the Generals.

The Western League continued their dominance in the All-Star Games, winning 1901's edition 7-6 in Mothershead. Rhys Wurfel of the Nottingham Titans took home the All-Star Game MVP.

Award Winners

Western League
Outstanding Hitter - Andy Brewster (Pettinton): .383/2/64
Outstanding Pitcher - Clint Boivin (St. Claire): 24-7, 1.96 ERA
Outstanding Newcomer - Baden Nattrass (Royals): .340/2/35

Eastern League
Outstanding Hitter - Kekila Kaelani (Generals): .361/2/62
Outstanding Pitcher - Loren Bernard (Port Victoria): 20-10, 2.59 ERA
Outstanding Newcomer - Brad McLaughlin (Generals): 18-11, 3.32 ERA

Down on the Farm

Another Concordia tradition fell apart, as the Plymouth Pirates failed to win a fifth-consecutive crown. The Riverhead Skyhawks (Pettinton) defeated the Pirates to capture their first Reserve Cup.

In the Academy Cup Finals, the Nottingham Cardinals (Red Hawks) defeated Victoria Hills (Port Cleveland/Victoria Generals co-op) for their second consecutive Academy Cup.

[slickphipsi]

Barnstable Bruins
Division: Eastern League
Home Field: Orient Downs
City: Barnstable

National Cups: 0
York Cups: 0
Pennants: 0
Wooden Spoons: 3 (1900, 1901, 1909)
Best Season: 1904 (66-60, .524%)
Worst Season: 1900 (49-77, .389%)
Total Record: 840-1,014 (.453%)

Best Pitcher (by VORP): Marc-Andre Chevalier - 258.8
Best Batter (by VORP): Joshua Neilson (C) - 133.0

Concordia Highlanders
Division: Eastern League
Home Field: Concordia Park
City: Victoria

National Cups: 3 (1897, 1898, 1903)
York Cups: 5 (1897, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1909)
Pennants: 8 (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1907, 1909)
Wooden Spoons: 0
Best Season: 1900 (85-41, .675%)
Worst Season: 1910 (70-74, .486%)
Total Record: 1,033-821 (.577%)

Best Pitcher (by VORP): Palaina Ekana - 223.6
Best Batter (by VORP): Marc Lemay (SS) - 190.8

Mothershead Lakers
Division: Eastern Division
Home Field: Mothershead Ball Grounds
City: Mothershead

National Cups: 0
York Cups: 0
Pennants: 1 (1908)
Wooden Spoons: 2 (1897, 1898)
Best Season: 1908 (84-60, .583%)
Worst Season: 1898 (46-80, .365%)
Total Record: 871-983 (.470%)

Best Pitcher (by VORP): Ferede Ikaaka - 221.9
Best Batter (by VORP): Ronald Meehan (1B) - 157.2

Port Cleveland Captains
Division: Eastern Division
Home Field: Gulf Coast Park
City: Port Cleveland

National Cups: 0
York Cups: 0
Pennants: 1 (1904)
Wooden Spoons: 1 (1899)
Best Season: 1904 (76-50, .603%)
Worst Season: 1899 (45-81, .357)
Total Record: 894-960 (.482%)

Best Pitcher (by VORP): John Weeks - 228.4
Best Batter (by VORP): Gene Carty (1B) - 212.9

Port Victoria Dockers
Division: Eastern Division
Home Field: Enterprise Avenue Field
City: Victoria

National Cups: 0
York Cups: 1 (1910)
Pennants: 1 (1910)
Wooden Spoons: 0
Best Season: 1910 (79-65, .549%)
Worst Season: 1905 (52-74, .413%)
Total Record: 920-934 (.496%)

Best Pitcher (by VORP): Barry Keough - 262.9
Best Batter (by VORP): Will Skiffington (OF) - 97.8

Victoria Generals
Division: Eastern Division
Home Field: Armory Grounds
City: Victoria

National Cups: 3 (1901, 1905, 1906)
York Cups: 1 (1901)
Pennants: 3 (1901, 1905, 1906)
Wooden Spoons: 0
Best Season: 1901 (78-48, .619%)
Worst Season: 1904 (50-74, .397%)
Total Record: 935-919, .504%)

Best Pitcher (by VORP): Allan Caldwell - 334.4
Best Batter (by VORP): Kekila Kaelani (2B) - 171.5