DELMARVA Baseball League

[illeracula]

DBL News: First-Year Player Draft:
In the few hours remaining until the draft begins today, GMs across DELMARVA Baseball League will be penned up in their offices, making hurried last minute notes about each of their most coveted prospects. Fearful that things won't go as planned, many of them are still playing through the myriad scenarios that are all but certain to unfold in the high-stakes lottery of drafting. Scouting teams play devil's advocate, argue strategy back and forth and try to help their general manager gain the strategic upper hand, even though they know a lot of what transpires today will come down to being in the right place at the right time. BNN projects that the top picks of the draft will be:

1. Clint Guyer, 22 year-old RHP out of college.
2. Chris Sanders, 20 year-old RHP out of college.
3. Merlin Riley, 20 year-old CF out of college.
4. Kiyomasu Kono, 18 year-old CF out of high-school.
5. Mookie Wallstreet, 20 year-old CF out of college.
6. Joe Higgins, 18 year-old RHP out of high-school.
7. Carl Powell, 23 year-old RHP out of college.
8. Carl Hubbard, 18 year-old RHP out of high-school.
9. Chance Brady, 18 year-old RHP out of high-school.
10. Errol Arthur, 24 year-old LHP out of college.

These ballclubs will have the first five choices: Salisbury, Wilmington, Virginia Beach, Christiana and Ocean City.

The Cannons will pick 15th and 21st in the first round, 15th in the second round, 14th and 15th in the 4th round, and 5th and 14th in the 5th round. We are without a 3rd round pick this season.

DBL History of #1 Picks:

Here is a look at the past #1's, there is a lot of talent there. Jorge Moran fell just short of the Hall-of-Fame vote this year, but he should be a lock next. Will Riley should make it to the Hall and Cornell Pearson will be a close vote. Having his career end early due to injury is going to hurt him.

2013 - Jorge Moran (SP), Chesapeake Blue Crabs, Columbia University
Retired: 2030 | 200 Wins, 2382 K's, 530 G's

2014 - Gabriel Santos (SP), Norfolk Cavaliers, High School (My only #1 Selection)
Retired: 2026 | 6 W's, 31 SV, 208 G's

2015 - Phil Carlson (SP), Lewes Braves, High School
Retired: 2023 | Never made it to the bigs

2016 - Will Riley (C), Ellicott City Express, Vanderbilt U
Retired: 2033 | .298, 463 HR's, 1500 RBI's, 6x All-Star, Newcomer Award

2017 - Cornell Pearson (SP) Seaford Blue Jays, Creighton
Retired: 2032 | 384 G's, 192 W's, 2077 K's

2018 - Pablo Garcia (SP), Salisbury Ports, Oral Roberts University
Retired: 2032 | 423 G's, 163 W's, 1595 K's

2019 - Shunen Koyama (SS), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, U of New Mexico
Active | Chadds Ford Cannons | 5x All-Star, Glove Wizard

2020 - Will Hayes (3B), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, Farleigh Dickinson College
Retired: 2030 | 248 G's, 204 H's, 21 HR's

2021 - Steve Cole (SP), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, High School
Active | Milford Clippers

2022 - Brooks Carlson (SP), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, High School
Active | Baltimore Barons

2023 - Ryan McCoy (SP), Ellicott City Express, TCU
Active | Cape May Beacons

2024 - Ernie Kennedy (SP), Ellicott City Express, HS
Active | Norfolk Cavaliers | 6x All-Star, Golden Arm Winner

2025 - Mike Johnson (OF), Milton Brewers, U of Miami
Active | Ellicott City Express | Newcomer Award, MVP, 6x All-Star, 3 Glove Wizard

2026 - Allen Graves (1B), Richmond Cardinals, Lehigh U
Active | Richmond Cardinals

2027 - Stephen Bentall (SS), Annapolis Admirals, St Norbert College
Active | Georgetown Sixteens | 3x All-Star

2028 - Dennis MacPherson (SP), Baltimore Barons, Wichita State U. (didn't sign, re-entered 2029 / R1/P12)
Active | Free-Agent

2029 - Roy Okumura (OF), Richmond Cardinals, Farleigh Dickinson College
Active | Richmond Cardinals | Starting RF

2030 - Jose Aguilar (OF), Cape May Beacons, U of Georgia
Active | Cape May Beacons | Newcomer Award, Glove Wizard

2031 - Jon Hughes (3B), Martinsburg Mountaineers, U of St. Louis
Active | Martinsburg Mountaineers

2032 - Chris Mildmay (SS), King George Royals, HS
Active | King George Royals

2033 - Van Casey (C), Salisbury Ports, HS
Active | SA (Salisbury Ports | #12 Ports Prospect

2034 - Tyrone Jackson, Martinsburg Mountaineers, HS
Active | Martinsburg Mountaineers | #1 Prospect | 2035 Newcomer of the Year

2035 - Tony Luke Jr, Cape May Beacons, NC State
Active | A (Cape May) | #23 prospect

First-Year Player Draft - First Round Results:
Salisbury Ports: Drafted 2B Luke Garza in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 1, 1st overall pick).
Wilmington Iron Pigs: Drafted CF Maxmillion Wallstreet in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 2, 2nd overall pick).
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Drafted RF José Valentín in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 3, 3rd overall pick).
Christiana Blue Hens: Drafted CF Mookie Wallstreet in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 4, 4th overall pick).
Ocean City Tourists: Drafted C Thes Klin in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 5, 5th overall pick).
Cape May Beacons: Drafted SP Chance Brady in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 6, 6th overall pick).
Dover Generals: Drafted SP Jim Morlini in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 7, 7th overall pick).
Christiana Blue Hens: Drafted CF Kiyomasu Kono in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 8, 8th overall pick).
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Drafted RF Miguel Ramos in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 9, 9th overall pick).
Milton Brewers: Drafted SP Carl Powell in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 10, 10th overall pick).
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Drafted SP Fred Rose in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 11, 11th overall pick).
New Castle Colonials: Drafted SP Eric Sanders in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 12, 12th overall pick).
Ellicott City Express: Drafted CF Merlin Riley in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 13, 13th overall pick).
Seaford Blue Jays: Drafted CL Wally Carey in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 14, 14th overall pick).
Chadds Ford Cannons: Drafted 3B Tully Maxwell in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 15, 15th overall pick).
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Drafted CF Andrew Guerin in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 16, 16th overall pick).
Newark Millers: Drafted CF Brooks Storie in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 17, 17th overall pick).
Norfolk Cavaliers: Drafted C Steve Scott in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 18, 18th overall pick).
King George Royals: Drafted SP Errol Arthur in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 19, 19th overall pick).
Georgetown Sixteens: Drafted SP Chris Sanders in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 20, 20th overall pick).
Chadds Ford Cannons: Drafted CF Ron Walls in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick).



History of Cannons #1's
2030: Dragoljub Karadzic | Pick: 3 | Signed: $1,400,000
Debut: 2031 | Traded to Cape May Beacons

2031: Jonathan Loeffler | Pick: 4 | Signed: $3,750,000
Debut: 2032 | Closer | 2-3 5.50, 10 SV

2032: Matt Douglas | Pick: 4 | Signed: $7,360,000
Debut: 2032 | Centerfield | .280-1-13, 0.4 WAR

2033: Bill Summers | Pick: 7 | Signed: $2,400,000
Debut: 2035 | Set-up | 18 G, 0-0 3.38, 3 SV

2034: Gehrig Pearl | Pick: 7 | Signed: $2,590,000
Debut: 2036 | Starter | 3 GS, 1-0 5.19 | #48 Prospect DBL

2035: Otto Carrillo | Pick: 14 | Signed: $2,100,000
Double-A | 25 G, .305-3-21

================================================== =

I went through the first four picks, which we agreed on with everyone and then I let Elias take over. I think he did a pretty decent job expect with our two 5th round picks. Not sure why he is drafting players with "Impossible" signability. Now to try to sign these guys.

First-Year Player Draft - Chadds Ford:
Drafted 3B Tully Maxwell in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 15, 15th overall pick), LSU
"Should have an illustrious career"
CON: 9/12, GAP: 11/12, HR: 8/12, EYE: 9/14, Ks: 5/10
Hard | Demand: $850,000 | Offer: $1,380,000

Drafted CF Ron Walls in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick), HS (NY)
"A lot to like here. Walls definitely has the tools to eventually play at the top level"
CON: 8/13, GAP: 11/17, HR: 2/3, EYE: 3/9, Ks: 5/15
Normal | Demand: $550,000 | Offer: $1,200,000

Drafted CF Ziven Warshawski in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 15, 45th overall pick), Seton Hall
"Warshawski projects to be a .290 hitter"
CON: 7/12, GAP: 8/11, HR: 3/11, EYE: 5/10, Ks: 2/9
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $480,000

Drafted SS John Markle in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 14, 94th overall pick), HS (PA)
"He's got above-average power potential, the kind that could generate 30 homers a season in the future"
CON: 5/9, GAP: 1/8, HR: 6/13, EYE: 4/13, Ks: 1/8
Hard | Demand: $250,000 | Offer: $250,000

Drafted LF Monte Madden in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 15, 95th overall pick), St. Johns
"Madden has shown some extra-base power and could develop a little home run pop in the future"
CON: 5/10, GAP: 6/9, HR: 3/10, EYE: 7/13, Ks: 4/8
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $220,000

Drafted SP Nick Simmons in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 5, 109th overall pick), HS (NY)
"You can tell he knows how to pitch"
STU: 6/14, MOV: 10/11, CON: 6/11
Impossible | Demand: over $3M | Offer: $2,000,000

Drafted 3B Richard James in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 14, 118th overall pick), HS (NY)
"Displays some ability, with potential to be a .350 hitter."
CON: 8/13, GAP: 11/17, HR: 2/3, EYE: 3/9, Ks: 5/15
Impossible | Demand: $4M | Offer: $275,000

Drafted SP Roberto O'Mahony in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 7, Pick 14, 166th overall pick).
Drafted C Salvador Durán in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 8, Pick 14, 190th overall pick).
Drafted SP Phil Baker in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 9, Pick 14, 214th overall pick).
Drafted SS Ray Eaton in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 10, Pick 14, 238th overall pick).
Drafted C Lawrence Rix in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 12, Pick 14, 286th overall pick).
Drafted SP Keith Robertson in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 13, Pick 14, 310th overall pick).
Drafted 2B Edgardo Quiñonez in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 15, Pick 14, 358th overall pick).


Now back to the games...

[illeracula]

Week 8
Current Week: 6-1 (22-29 .431 / -4.5)
Next Week: 2 vs Chesapeake Blue Crabs, 3 vs Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs
Power Ranking: 13 (85.6, +10)
Fan Interest: 63 (+1)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 9-13 .409
Away: 13-16 .448

Runs Scored: 201 (11th)
Avg: .255 (6th)
HR: 49 (10th)
SB: 24 (11th)
Runs Against: 251 (10th)
Starters ERA: 4.52 (9th)
Pen ERA: 5.26 (12th)
Def Eff: .710 (3th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Hank Davis: 6 G, .407-3-10 (11-27), 2B, 4 R
Pitching: Jonathan Loeffler: 5 G, 0-0 1.80, 5 SV, 3 H, 9 K
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 2-0 2.30, 15.2 IP, 10 H, 21 K

Week 8:
Game 45: Wilmington 2, Chadds Ford 4
Ying-Hua Ji (2-6): 8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 6): 1.0 IP, K
Ramon Garcia: 2-3, 2B, R, RBI
Hank Davis: 1-3, HR (6), R, 2 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-3
H: 9, LOB: 4

Game 46: Wilmington 3, Chadds Ford 4
Robert Shepherd (2-6): 8.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, BB, 14 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 7): 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K
Ricardo Bravo: 2-5, 3B, R
Howard Porter: 2-3, 3B, R
Matt Douglas: 2-4, RBI
Julio Casanes: 1-2, 2B, R, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 10

Game 47: Chadds Ford 0, Newark 1 (11 Innings)
Eric Harmon: 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 5 K
Oscar Robinson (0-1): 2.2 IP, 2 H, R, BB, 3 K
Juan Guzman: 1-2
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3
H: 5, LOB: 9

Game 48: Chadds Ford 4, Newark 3
Gehrig Pearl (1-0): 6.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 8): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Hank Davis: 3-5, 2B, R
Donald Hampton: 1-2, HR (2), 2 R, RBI
Bo Keller: 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI
H: 8, LOB: 12

Game 49: Chadds Ford 6, Christiana 4
John Robertson (4-4): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, 5 K
Jorge Matos (SV 1): 1.0 IP, K
Hank Davis: 2-5, HR (7), R, 3 RBI
Donald Hampton: 2-3
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3, HR (3), 2 R, RBI
Shunyen Koyama: 2-3, 2 2B, R
H: 10, LOB: 12

Game 50: Chadds Ford 7, Christiana 5
Ying-Hua Ji (3-6): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 9): 1.0 IP, 2 H, R, 2 K
Howard Porter; 2-4, HR (5), R, 2 RBI
Ramon Cruz: 1-5, HR (4), R, 2 RBI
Shunyen Koyama: 1-2, HR (2), R, 2 RBI
H: 8, LOB: 9

Game 51: Chadds Ford 5, Christiana 2
Robert Shepherd (3-6): 7.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 7 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 10): 1.0 IP, H, 2 K
Hank Davis: 2-4, HR (8), R, 4 RBI
Shunyen Koyama: 1-3, HR (3), 2 R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, 2B
Howard Porter: 1-3, 2 R
H: 9, LOB: 9



Transactions:
Placed SP Mike Quinn on the Global League 7-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/20/2036.
Demoted RP Tim Meyers to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of SP Oscar Robinson from Triple A San Juan.

Meyers had an ERA over 15 so I sent him back down. He has some major control issues that I am not willing to work with... I also had to put Mike Quinn on the DL, he was pitching in AAA to start the season, but was on the radar to get called up soon. Oh well. Another pitcher down.

Draft Signings
Drafted 3B Tully Maxwell in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 15, 15th overall pick), LSU
Hard | Demand: $850,000 | Offer: $1,380,000

Drafted CF Ron Walls in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick), HS (NY)
Normal | Demand: $550,000 | Offer: $1,200,000

Drafted CF Ziven Warshawski in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 15, 45th overall pick), Seton Hall
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $480,000

Drafted SS John Markle in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 14, 94th overall pick), HS (PA)
Hard | Demand: $250,000 | Offer: $250,000

Drafted LF Monte Madden in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 15, 95th overall pick), St. Johns
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $220,000

Drafted SP Nick Simmons in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 5, 109th overall pick), HS (NY)
Impossible | Demand: over $3M | Offer: $2,000,000

Drafted 3B Richard James in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 14, 118th overall pick), HS (NY)
Impossible | Demand: $4M | Offer: $275,000

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 2 weeks
SP Juan Cuesta, strained oblique, 11-day DL, 1 week
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 4-months (so much for being durable)

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
Well one thing is for certain and that is this team is a complete mess. Hot, cold, cold, hot, we just can't seem to get anything going for certain. I am not sure if it just our competition or if it is more than just that... I have noticed that we are much better against our division than we are against everyone else.

So I was about to trade Hank Davis and then he went berserk this past week, so now I am torn, trade him now when he is hot or keep him and hope he doesn't suffer. It is a tough call, but I need his power. I just hope he can stay hot.

We are 2 weeks away from getting Cuesta and Higashi back, and that is great. The problem is we have a lot of talented guys in the bigs now and it might it tough to decide who stays and who goes. I am interested in watching Higashi and his 2 AAA starts that he will get. I hope he bounces back to what he was, he could help us track down the Blue Hens.

Our runs per game is down to 3.9, which is awful. If we don't score 4.25 to 4.5 per game if we want to compete. The good thing is we have the team to do that, but our under performers better start performing! Its not that our pitching has been great, but with a better offense it will take the pressure off our hitters. Last week we won 6 games, and in all 6-games we had saves. The games are too close.

Ji has been doing better and if he continues, with the way Shepherd has been throwing and the return of Higashi we will have a solid start staff once again. I have a feeling we are getting better not worse, we are going to make a run, but that run has to start now. Or at least 3-weeks when Higashi is back with the big league club.

If you were to tell me at the beginning of this season we wouldn't have any more all-stars I would of said you were crazy we are too talented not to. As of right now we don't have anyone who is all-star caliber, very frustrating.

I feel like I am just babbling along... we are on a hot streak and I better stop talking before I ruin our momentum.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 36-16 .692 (+10.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 27-25 .519 (+4.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 33-19 .635 (+5.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 28-24 .538 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 36-16 .692 (+6.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 33-19 .635 (+6.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 31-21 .596 (+6.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 30-22 .577 (+3.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Leonard Lawson, Dover Generals: 9-20, 3 HR's, 8 RBI's, 5 R's
MarVa: Manuel Miranda, Washington Senators: 16-29, 4 HR's, 12 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (132.6)
2) Seaford Blue Jays (124.6)
3) Georgetown Sixteens (117.2)
4) Norfolk Cavaliers (116.3)
5) Richmond Cardinals (115.2)

News:
Georgetown Sixteens: Will be without 28-year-old MR Rob Rice (0-0 0.00, SV, 5 G) once the season ends as he announced he will enlist in the Navy.
Seaford Blue Jays: Lost OF Howard Gray (.328-8-35), an integral part of the Blue Jay offense, for 3-weeks with a strained Achilles tendon.
Dover Generals: Watched as their 3B Zach Davenport went 5 for 5 during a 10-7 victory over the Colonials.
Georgetown Sixteens: SS Stephen Bentall became the first player in 2036 to hit in 20 straight games, his streak ended three days later at 22 games.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Will miss their star OF Tyrone Jackson for 7-weeks. Jackson was off to an amazing start hitting .377-17-31
Washington Senators: Saw power-hitting 3B Manuel Miranda put on a show crushing 3 HR's during an 11-5 victory against the Barons. Miranda has 17 HR's on the season.
Milton Brewers: 33-year-old 1B Edward Barnes added to his resume collecting hit #2000.
Newark Millers: Acquired MR Hee-Seop So (2-1 2.66, 10 SV) from the Wilmington Iron Pigs for 3 mediocre prospects.

[illeracula]

Week 9
Current Week: 5-0 (27-29 .482 / -3.5)
Next Week: 2 vs Ocean City Tourists, 2 @ Baltimore Barons, 3 @ Annapolis Admirals
Power Ranking: 6 (103.8, +7)
Fan Interest: 66 (+3)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 14-13 .519
Away: 13-16 .448

Runs Scored: 238 (9th)
Avg: .262 (5th)
HR: 56 (t9th)
SB: 25 (11th)
Runs Against: 267 (7th)
Starters ERA: 4.39 (7th)
Pen ERA: 5.06 (12th)
Def Eff: .709 (4th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Julio Casanes: 5 G, .533-2-9 (8-15), 2B, 5 R, 7 BB, .695 OBP
Pitching: Eric Harmon: 2 GS, 2-0 2.93, 15.1 IP, 14 H, 10 K

Week 9:
Game 52: Chesapeake 0, Chadds Ford 12
Eric Harmon (2-4): 9.0 IP, 6 H, BB, 3 K
Julio Casanes: 1-2, HR (11), 2 R, 4 RBI
Howard Porter: 3-4, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Donald Hampton: 2-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
**Offense exploded against Tadasuke Uenohara
H: 11, LOB: 7

Game 53: Chesapeake 6, Chadds Ford 8
Gehrig Pearl: 6.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Jorge Matos (3-0, BS 1): 1.1 IP, H, R, BB, 3 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 11): 1.0 IP, H, 2 BB
Matt Douglas: 1-3, HR 92), R, 3 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-2, HR (12), R, 2 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, 2 HR (9), 2 R, 3 RBI
H: 12, LOB: 4

Game 54: Virginia Beach 2, Chadds Ford 3
Ying-Hua Ji: 8.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (3-3): 1.0 IP, K
Matt Douglas: 2-4
Donald Hampton: 2-3, RBI
Ramon Cruz: 1-4, 2B, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 1

Game 55: Virginia Beach 3, Chadds Ford 6
Robert Shepherd (4-6): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 12): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Leon Hernandez: 1-4, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-3, R
Julio Casanes: 2-4, R, RBI
H: 11, LOB: 9

Game 56: Virginia Beach 5, Chadds Ford 8
Eric Harmon (3-4): 6.1 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 7 K
Nate Rice (SV 1): 1.0 IP, H, K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, HR (4), R, 2 RBI
Hank Davis: 3-5, 2B, HR (9), 2 R, 2 RBI
Julio Casanes: 3-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Donald Hampton: 3-5, 2B
H: 15, LOB: 10



Transactions:
Sent SP Juan Cuesta to AAA for injury rehab

Injuries:
SP Nobukazu Higashi, torn elbow ligament, 11-day DL, 5-days
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 3-4 months

Draft Picks:
3B Tully Maxwell (Round 1, Pick 15, 15th overall pick), LSU
Hard | Demand: $850,000 | Offer: $1,380,000 / Signed

CF Ron Walls (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick), HS (NY)
Normal | Demand: $550,000 | Offer: $1,200,000 / Signed

CF Ziven Warshawski (Round 2, Pick 15, 45th overall pick), Seton Hall
Hard | Demand: $250,000 | Offer: $250,000 / Signed

SS John Markle in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 14, 94th overall pick), HS (PA)
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $480,000 / Signed

LF Monte Madden (Round 4, Pick 15, 95th overall pick), St. Johns
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $220,000

SP Nick Simmons (Round 5, Pick 5, 109th overall pick), HS (NY)
Impossible | Demand: over $3M | Offer: $2,000,000 / Walked away

3B Richard James (Round 5, Pick 14, 118th overall pick), HS (NY)
Impossible | Demand: $4M | Offer: $275,000

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
Well we have ran off 9 in a row after Patterson lost his first game in Chadds Ford. Does a manager have that much control over the team? The lineup isn't that much different but the clubhouse has changed quite a bit. I am hoping we can keep hot and win a few more games. Prove to the league (and me) that we can beat better teams. Winning is exciting.

Yes I mentioned walking away after this contract and then we started winning, but I am still thinking it might be best for me to leave this place. If I do leave it will be hard, because it will be walking away from "job" I set out to do. I would prefer winning the title hear, but I am frustrated... however this winning streak has made me feel better.

Juan Cuesta came off the DL and I sent him down to AAA. I didn't want to ruin this streak by breaking anything up in the clubhouse so for now Cuesta is in AAA. I am not sure how long he will stay down there, but with Higashi coming off the DL soon I will have to make a move soon, not sure I have two moves to make however.

The offense was awesome this week. We scored a lot of runs. We had 7 of our 9 starters hit over .300 and 2 over .500. I know that isn't going to keep up, but we have to get one of our top hitters Ramon Cruz hitting. Last week he was 2 for 20. If you remember he was supposed to have an incredible season according to the predictions. Right now I haven't seen a glimpse of what he is cable of. He needs to hit... crazy thing about Cruz? He has 216 plate appearances and hasn't walked yet!

This is going to be a fun week. We continue our 18 games in 17 days streak. I may need to make a pitching move to bring up another starter, but we will see how things go. Seven games this week, eight games next. This week is going to be tough as we a fairly tough schedule ahead with games against the Admirals and the Barons. Here is to keep our streak alive and staying hot.

Things are exciting again in Chadds Ford hopefully they stay this way for a while.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 40-17 .702 (+12.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 31-26 .544 (+3.5)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 38-19 .667 (+7.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 31-19 .667 (+3.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 40-17 .702 (+5.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 36-21 .632 (+8.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 32-25 .561 (+7.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 35-22 .614 (+7.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Naoaki Okubo, Georgetown Sixteens: 10-18, 4 HR's, 10 RBI's
MarVa: Ray Okumura, Richmond Cardinals: 10-20, HR, 5 RBI's, 3 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (134.3)
2) Georgetown Sixteens (132.0)
3) Washington Senators (131.3)
4) Annapolis Admirals (120.5)
5) Richmond Cardinals (114.7)

News:
Washington Senators: Signed their star 1B Manuel Miranda to a 6-year extension worth a reported $137,200,000 deal. The deal should keep Miranda in DC till he is 33.
Washington Senators: It is not often that you see a player hit for the cycle in the DBL and even more rare is when you see a catcher do it, but that is exactly what catcher Abraham Towns did going 4 for 5 during an 11-4 victory. Towns collected the 40th cycle in the DBL and he is only the second catcher (Pedro Cantu, 2030)
Milford Clippers: SP Ricardo Gonzalez showed off his arm, proving he can still strikeout hitters with the best of him, striking out 15 Mountaineers.
Norfolk Cavaliers: SS Lorenzo Ramon (.272-3-20) will miss 6-weeks with torn ligaments in his thumb.
Richmond Cardinals: SS Rodney Byrd went 5 for 7 during an extra inning loss against the Dover Generals.
King George Royals: Will be without CF Mikel Wallstreet for 4-weeks. The 20-year-old was hitting .231-3-19 during his second full season.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Acquired 1B Stefan Wetl (.295/.354/.523, 9 HR, #12) from the Martinsburg Mountaineers for MR Keven Seal (2-2 5.11, #86)
Salisbury Ports: Acquired prospect 1B Sergio Garcia (AAA, #102) from the Seaford Blue Jays (AAA).
Christiana Blue Hens: Traded for MR Jonathan Hunter (2-0 1.64) from the Lewes Braves for minor league OF Jose Ruiz (AAA).

[illeracula]

Week 10
Current Week: 2-5 (29-34 .460 / -4.5)
Next Week: 2 vs Salisbury Ports, 2 @ Washington Senators, 4 vs King George Royals
Power Ranking: 14 (78.9, -8)
Fan Interest: 67 (+1)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 15-14 .517
Away: 14-20 .412

Runs Scored: 267 (8th)
Avg: .261 (5th)
HR: 66 (9th)
SB: 25 (11th)
Runs Against: 303 (8th)
Starters ERA: 4.58 (8th)
Pen ERA: 4.86 (12th)
Def Eff: .707 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Naofumi Ohayashi: .333-3-4 (9-27), 2B, 4 R
Pitching: Bill Summers: 2 G, 6.1 IP, 5 H, 10 K, 0-0 2.84

Week 10:
Game 57: Ocean City 3, Chadds Ford 4 (10 Innings)
John Robertson: 6.1 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 4 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (4-3): 2.0 IP, H
Eugene Todd: 2-5, HR (5), R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, 2B, HR (5), R, RBI
H: 11, LOB: 7

Game 58: Ocean City 7, Chadds Ford 3
Gehrig Pearl (1-1): 4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Pedro Rivera: 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Ramon Cruz: 3-4
Matt Douglas: 2-4, HR (3), R, RBI
Shunyen Koyama: 1-3, HR (4), R, RBI
H: 10, LOB: 9

Game 59: Chadds Ford 11, Baltimore 3
Ying-Hua Ji (4-6): 8.1 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 4 K
Hank Davis: 3-5, 3 HR (12), 3 R, 5 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-5, 2 R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-5, HR (6), R, 2 RBI
Shunyen Koyama: 1-3, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
H: 11, LOB: 1

Game 60: Chadds Ford 3, Baltimore 4 (10 Innings)
Robert Shepherd: 7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Oscar Robinson (0-2): 1.2 IP, 3 H, R, 2 BB, K
Shunyen Koyama: 1-2, 2 R
Leon Hernandez: 1-3, 3 RBI
H: 8, LOB: 6

Game 61: Chadds Ford 2, Annapolis 7
Eric Harmon (3-5): 3.1 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Bill Summers: 4.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3, HR (7), R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4
H: 6, LOB: 5

Game 62: Chadds Ford 6, Annapolis 7
John Robertson: 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Nate Rice (1-2, BS 1): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, BB
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-4, R
Ramon Cruz: 2-3, HR (5), R, 2 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-4, 2 2B, R, RBI
H: 11, LOB: 9

Game 63: Chadds Ford 0, Annapolis 5
Gehrig Pearl (1-2): 6.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 6 K
Donald Hampton: 2-4, 2 2B
H: 5, LOB: 8



Transactions:
SP Nobukazu Higashi was sent to AAA for some rehab starts.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 3-4 months

Juan Cuesta: 2 GS, 0-1 4.76, 11.1 IP, 13 H, 6 BB, 13 K's
Nobukazu Higashi: 1 GS, 0-1 7.94, 5.2 IP, 9 H, 2 BB, 8 K's

Draft Picks:
I am happy with our picks and the fact that we signed everyone. I am not really sure what Elias was thinking when he drafted 2 "impossible" highschoolers who didn't want to be in Chadds Ford, so I don't really count them. One of the downfalls of letting the scout take over the draft.

3B Tully Maxwell (Round 1, Pick 15, 15th overall pick), LSU
Hard | Demand: $850,000 | Offer: $1,380,000 / Signed
CF Ron Walls (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick), HS (NY)
Normal | Demand: $550,000 | Offer: $1,200,000 / Signed
CF Ziven Warshawski (Round 2, Pick 15, 45th overall pick), Seton Hall
Hard | Demand: $250,000 | Offer: $250,000 / Signed
SS John Markle in the 2036 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 14, 94th overall pick), HS (PA)
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $480,000 / Signed
LF Monte Madden (Round 4, Pick 15, 95th overall pick), St. Johns
Extremely Hard | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $220,000 / Signed
SP Nick Simmons (Round 5, Pick 5, 109th overall pick), HS (NY)
Impossible | Demand: over $3M | Offer: $2,000,000 / Walked away
3B Richard James (Round 5, Pick 14, 118th overall pick), HS (NY)
Impossible | Demand: $4M | Offer: $275,000 / Walked Away

Other/Roster News:
MR Pedro Rivera contacted me and asked for an extension. Not sure I am ready to move on that just yet. Not sure he will be around with the team come the All-Star Break with Cuest and Higashi on the mend.

GM Notes:
We hit 10 wins in a row and then all hell broke loose. After losing our streak, we won another one and then loss 4-straight. This is why this team drives me crazy. We just can't seem to do anything consistent. Red-hot, ice-cold. We aren't going to get very far playing like that. The highs of the past 2-weeks have pretty much been washed away (at least in my eyes.)

With Juan Cuesta and Nobukazu Higashi making their way through rehabs, I will need to make some decisions. The Gehrig Pearl experiment might need to be put on hold after struggling this season. So far he has gone 1-2 6.17 in 6 starts, but it looks like he could use some development. He has a bright future, but now isn't his time.

Losing Leon Hernandez is going to hurt, but at least he won't be out that long. I have thought about bringing up my top pick Tully Maxwell, but that is probably not the right move. With 8 games next week I might just go with 12 pitchers and only 13 hitters. Maybe not, maybe its Mu-Sang Kim's turn... something to think about in the next few minutes.

I keep battling myself with what I should do with Hank Davis. Hank Davis is how hitting .218 with 31 bombs and 33 RBI's. Far off his 2035 season. I am going to keep him around for now, but depending on how the next month goes he may be dealt before the deadline. His arbitration numbers are going to get too pricey for a .220 hitter.

Like I mentioned last week, being able to be "better" teams is going to be key to our success, and that is what we could NOT do last week losing all three games in a bad way against the Admirals. What it boils down to is starting pitching. We need our pitchers to step it up. We are not going to be able to compete with the 8th best staff in the conference.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 44-20 .688 (+13.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 34-30 .531 (+3.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 40-24 .625 (+7.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 33-31 .516 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 45-19 .703 (+6.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 42-22 .656 (+9.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 37-27 .578 (+9.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 39-25 .609 (+6.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Tom Kirk, Newark Millers: 13-25, 4 HR's, 6 RBI's
MarVa: Oliver Williams, Ocean City Tourists: 15-31, HR, 3 RBI's, 5 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (133.6)
2) Seaford Blue Jays (126.8)
3) Richmond Cardinals (125.1)
4) Annapolis Admirals (116.7)
5) Georgetown Sixteens (114.5)

News:
MarVa Conference: Tyrone Jackson of the Martinsburg Mountaineers is currently the top vote getter in the MV Conference with 1,857,800.
Delaware Conference: Catcher Marvin Garrett of the Lewes Braves is the top vote getter in the DE Conference with 1,725,792.
Lewes Braves: MR Jim Molina will miss 2-months with an elbow strain. Molina was 2-1 3.15 in 10 appearances.
King George Royals: The veteran of the Royals, OF Mike Simmons, picked up his 2000th career hit of his DBL career.

[illeracula]

Week 11
Current Week: 4-4 (33-38 .465 / -4.0)
Next Week: 2 vs Cape May Beacons, 3 @ Seaford Blue Jays
Power Ranking: 12 (82.7, +2)
Fan Interest: 67
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 18-16 .529
Away: 15-22 .405

Runs Scored: 291 (9th)
Avg: .258 (5th)
HR: 77 (9th)
SB: 27 (11th)
Runs Against: 327 (8th)
Starters ERA: 4.40 (7th)
Pen ERA: 4.32 (10th)
Def Eff: .704 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Ramon Cruz: .385-2-4 (10-26), 2B, 2 R
Pitching: Jorge Matos: 3 G, 2-0 0.00, 6.0 IP, 0 H, 7 K

Week 11:
Game 64: Salisbury 1, Chadds Ford 4
Ying-Hua Ji (5-6): 7.0 IP, 6 H, R, 2 BB, 11 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 13): 1.0 IP, K
Shunyen Koyama: 1-4, HR (5), R, RBI
Naofumi Ohyashi: 2-3, HR (8), R, 2 RBI
Hank Davis: 1-3, HR (13), R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 6

Game 65: Salisbury 2, Chadds Ford 0
Robert Shepherd (4-7): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Ramon Cruz: 3-3
H: 6, LOB: 7

Game 66: Chadds Ford 3, Washington 4
Eric Harmon (3-6): 8.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, BB, 2 K
Julio Casanes: 3-4, R
Ramon Cruz: 2-4, HR (6), R, 3 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4
H: 11, LOB: 6

Game 67: Chadds Ford 1, Washington 5
Nobukazu Higashi (0-1): 5.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Donald Hampton: 2-4
Shunyen Koyama: 1-3, 2B
H: 5, LOB: 6

Game 68: Chadds Ford 2, King George 1
John Robertson: 6.0 IP, 5 H, R, 0 ER, 4 K
Jorge Matos (4-0): 1.0 IP, K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 14): 1.0 IP, H, K
Eugene Todd: 1-4, 2B, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, RBI
Matt Douglas: 1-2, R
H: 8, LOB: 10

Game 69: King George 2, Chadds Ford 4
Ying-Hua Ji: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 7 K
Jorge Matos (5-0): 1.2 IP, 2 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 15): 1.0 IP, K
Naofumi Ohyashi: 1-4, HR (9), R, 2 RBI
Donald Hampton: 1-4, HR (3), R, RBI
Ramon Cruz: 1-3, HR (7), R, RBI
Hank Davis: 2-4, R
H: 11, LOB: 8

Game 70: King George 2, Chadds Ford 1 (23 Innings)
Robert Shepherd: 8.0 IP, 4 H, BB, 15 K
Jonathan Loeffler: 2.0 IP, H, 5 K
Jorge Matos: 3.1 IP, 2 BB, 4 K
Bill Summers: 4.2 IP, H, 3 BB, 5 K
Pedro Rivera (0-1): 2.1 IP, 2 H, R, K
Howard Porter: 3-9
Ramon Cruz: 3-9, 2B
Juan Guzman: 2-10
H: 14, LOB: 15

Game 71: King George 7, Chadds Ford 9
Eric Harmon (4-6): 5.1 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Nate Rice (SV 2): 2.0 IP, 3 H, R
Hank Davis: 3-4, 2B, HR (14), 3 R, 3 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-5, HR (14), R, 3 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, HR (10), R, 2 RBI
Ramon Garcia: 1-3, HR (2), R, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 8



Transactions:
Placed 2B León Hernández on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 06/13/2036.
Purchased the contract of 2B Mu-sang Kim from Triple A San Juan.
Demoted SP Gehrig Pearl to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of SP Nobukazu Higashi from Triple A San Juan.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 3 months
3B Leon Hernandez, ankle sorness, 11-day DL, 1-day left

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
I am just about to say "let the fire sale begin"... but we are playing well enough to hang on, while the Blue Hens and the Millers can't seem to pull away. I am at a loss for words right now with this team. 4-4 isn't bad this week, but I watch what we do against the "good" teams like the Senators and it just shows that we don't have it.

Thank goodness for the light week. We have 2-days off including tomorrow and our pitching staff can really use the break. Nothing like throwing in a 23 inning game in the middle of an 8-game week. I guess I should have paid some more attention to that game. Funny thing about that game Eugene Todd pinch-hit in the 7th and ended up going 2 for 7.

This week doesn't get any easier as we play the Beacons who can't seem to beat, and the Blue Jays who are one of the top teams in the league right now. If we can pull of some magic and beat the Blue Jays that will be really nice. I am starting to lose faith in these guys.

Going back to the fire sale I really want something to happen, the Blue Hens have to pull away or we have to start tanking. I have a few guys I would like to deal and see what happens. Higashi, Davis, Cruz, maybe some others, I guess it depends on how much of a "fire sale" I want to happen... We have 18-games to go till we hit the All-Star break. If we can get to .500 by then I think we have a good shot of winning the division if not then watch out.

As it stands right now our salary's go up around $5M next year, and that includes seven players dropping off due to free-agency. I will have to monitor the it, but do I want to keep Matt Noble, Nate Rice and Shunen Koyama?

I just took a look at the teams mood and overall it seems to be ok. Yes there are some unhappy players, but will there every be a time when everyone is happy? I am just happy to see so few sad faces, despite the way we have a played... One of the funniest stores is Ramon Cruz, who isn't having a great season and he is unhappy because there are "too many slackers on the team" anyone to care to know what Cruz's work ethic is??

I will end this write up on a bright note.. Robert Shepherd has had a great season so far. Much better than I was expecting, the problem he has ran into is run support. He is 4-7 3.38 with 115 K's in 98.2 innings. He has only walked 34 during that time. He has held his opponents to a crazy .228 average... the problem is he is ONLY getting 2.07 runs per game! Imagine if our offense could score for him. (knock on wood, hopefully I didn't just jinx him).



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 49-22 .690 (+16.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 37-34 .521 (+3.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 45-26 .634 (+9.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 36-35 .507 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 51-20 .718 (+8.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 46-25 .648 (+7.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 42-29 .592 (+12.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 43-28 .606 (+4.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Augusto Pacheco, Georgetown Sixteens: 12-25, 2 HR's, 5 RBI's, 5 R's
MarVa: Steven Hodge, Chesapeake Blue Crabs: 12-25, 2 HR's, 9 RBI's, 6 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (142.3)
2) Seaford Blue Jays (131.2)
3) Richmond Cardinals (121.6)
4) Georgetown Sixteens (120.1)
5) Annapolis Admirals (116.0)

News:
Norfolk Cavaliers: 3B Jake Garcia went 5-5 during a 4-1 win over the Colonials. The 27-year old is hitting .314-1-15 on the year.
Lewes Braves: Lost SP Bob Young for 7-weeks with a partially torn laburm. Young has started 14 games this season going 3-3 3.60.
Delaware Conference: Catcher Marvin Martin continues to lead the voter getters in the DE Conference. He now has 2,393,549, more than Gabino Miller (2,173,141) and Chris Brock (2,117,472)
MV Conference: Despite being injured OF Tyrone Jackson continues to lead the league in votes with 2,580,677. Jackson leads catcher Hector Pagan, who has 2,455,052.
Milford Clippers: Will be without one of their top hitters OF Jorge Arredondo for the next 3-months. Arredondo is out with a partially torn laburm, the OF is hitting .310-3-27.
Ellicott City Express: Dumped 3B Chip Westlund (AAA) on the Chesapeake Blue Crabs for MR Henry Ward (0-0 1.40, SV). Both players make over $1.2M and have spent time in the bigs.
Lewes Braves: Traded prospect catcher Javier Montero (0-3, #199) to the Dover Generals for MR Aaron Reynolds (1-3 3.16, SV, #210).

Here is a look at the box score of our memorable game...

[illeracula]

Week 12
Current Week: 4-1 (37-39 .487 / -3.0)
Next Week: 3 vs Dover Generals, 4 vs Milford Clippers
Power Ranking: 11 (96.6, +1)
Fan Interest: 67
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 18-16 .529
Away: 15-22 .405

Runs Scored: 291 (9th)
Avg: .258 (5th)
HR: 77 (9th)
SB: 27 (11th)
Runs Against: 327 (8th)
Starters ERA: 4.40 (7th)
Pen ERA: 4.32 (10th)
Def Eff: .704 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Donald Hampton: .385-2-4 (5-13), 2B, 4 R
Pitching: Nobukazu Higashi: 2 GS, 1-0 1.20, 15.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 7 K

Week 12:
Game 72: Cape May 0, Chadds Ford 3
Nobukazu Higashi (1-1): 8.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 16): 1.0 IP, BB, K
Ramon Cruz: 2-3, R
Donald Hampton: 1-3, HR (4), R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 5

Game 73: Cape May 3, Chadds Ford 8
John Robertson (5-4): 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K
Jorge Matos (SV 2): 3.0 IP, 4 H, R, 3 K
Donald Hampton: 4-4, 2B, HR (5), 2 R, 3 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, HR (11), R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 1-3, HR (14), 2 R, RBI
Ramon Cruz: 1-4, HR (8), R, 3 RBI
H: 12, LOB: 6

Game 74: Chadds Ford 3, Seaford 4
Robert Shepherd (4-8): 7.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 5 BB, 9 K
Leon Hernandez: 1-3, 2 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 2-4, R
H: 6, LOB: 4

Game 75: Chadds Ford 7, Seaford 3
Ying-Hua Ji (6-6): 8.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 7 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-5, HR (12), R, 4 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-2, 2 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 2-3, 2 2B, R
Ramon Garcia: 2-4, R, RBI
H: 14, LOB: 4

Game 76: Chadds Ford 5, Seaford 4 (10 Innings)
Nobukazu Higashi: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 3 K
Oscar Robinson (1-2): 2.0 IP, K
Jorge Matos (SV 3): 1.0 IP, H
Eugene Todd: 1-1, HR (6), R, 3 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 2-2, 2 2B, R
H: 7, LOB: 11



Transactions:
Demoted 2B Mu-Sang Kim to AAA
Activated 2B Leon Hernandez from the DL and placed him on the active roster.

Kim will be on the roster next season, most likely, made 1 appearance going 0-2 with a walk.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 2-3 months
OF Julio Casanes, Bruised Ribs, Day-toDay

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
I am not sure what is going on, the owner is now happy, the fan interest is up to 67, and the clubhouse seems pretty mellow, and here I am ready to start a fire sale. Is their something wrong with me? Am I the only that is seeing how these guys are playing? Should I start drinking the kool-aid too?? Then again we have gone from 7-14 in April, to 14-15 in May to 16-10 in June. July will be a very important month.

Higashi looked good last week, maybe after his 2 rough starts, one in AAA, he is finally finding his groove, back from his injury. now all eyes will be on him and our record as we head towards the trade deadline. I signed him to bad contract, bad for us at least, not often you can have ace pitcher making $5 million a year... but I just don't think I can afford that and keep this team competitive. Hard to compete, however, when you can't keep these guys. Higashi $5.5M this year, $6.5 next, $7.5 in 2038.

Hank Davis and Ramon Cruz will be under my watchful eye for the month of July too. Cruz hit .251-15-45 last season and he is on pace for a pretty solid .260-17-90 season this year. But I have realized he has no discipline at the plate. In 280 plate appearances he hasn't walked yet! How does that happen? I am not sure there is a way to find the record for least amount of walks in a full season, but my guess is Cruz is right there.

Naofumi Ohayashi has been a pleasant surprise. I expected him to be a solid ballplayer, and he hasn't let me down. I would like to see him raise his .243 average but everything seems right on par with what I have expected. Hopefully Patterson will keep him in the lineup the rest of the way.

Well we are just about halfway through the season and I am this close to making a deal to make us better and that close to firesaling this team and getting younger guys in here that will be "rip" for us in 2 seasons... With Higashi, Ji and Shepherd starting to hit their stride maybe we are ready to make the move. We will need to score more runs, but maybe this is going to happen.

In 30 days I will have to know for sure if I want to start making moves.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 49-22 .690 (+16.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 37-34 .521 (+3.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 45-26 .634 (+9.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 36-35 .507 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 51-20 .718 (+8.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 46-25 .648 (+7.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 42-29 .592 (+12.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 43-28 .606 (+4.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Javier Montero, Dover Generals: 9-12, 4 HR's, 8 RBI's
MarVa: Jon Hughes, Martinsburg Mountaineers: 12-23, 6 HR's, 12 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (123.2)
2) Washington Senators (117.6)
3) Richmond Cardinals (117.5)
4) Annapolis Admirals (116.9)
5) Georgetown Sixteens (114.3)

News:
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Leadoff man Ignacio Coronado went 5 for 6 with a run and RBI during a 9-4 win over the Tourists.
Dover Generals: Catcher Javier Montero crushed 5-hits during a loss to the Lewes Braves.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Former #1 prospect, SS Brian Battle is starting to reach his full potential hitting in his 20th straight games. He is now hitting .327-7-26 on the year.
DE Conference: Lewes Braves catcher Marvin Garrett leads the conference in total votes with less than 2-weeks to go, with 2,973,929.
MV Conference: Martinsburg Mountaineers OF Tyrone Jackson is the top vote getter in the Conference with 3,321,272, one of 3 players with over 3 million votes in the MVC.
New Castle Colonials: Acquired MR Zach Harris and $270,000 from the Christiana Blue Hens for minor leaguer 3B Don Johnson (AAA).
The King George Royals: Sent MR Nori Suzuki (4-2 3.77) to the Milford Clippers in return for OF Bill Nilson (.254/.338/.270, 0 HR) and $1.1 M.

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - June 2036



Delaware Conference

DE Conf Best Hitter Award to Georgetown's Naoaki Okubo: When it came to hitting the baseball, Naoaki Okubo had few Delaware Conference peers in June. The first baseman for Georgetown mauled opposing pitchers for a .382 batting average and was voted the league's best batter for the month. He finished with some strong stats: 8 home runs, 19 RBIs, 22 runs scored, 20 walks and a .491 on-base percentage. For the year Okubo has hit .351 with 21 home runs, 61 RBIs and scored 55 runs.

Cortés Chosen June's Best DE Conf Hurler: António Cortés nailed down June's Delaware Conference Pitcher of the Month award today, adding pressure on Milford to get a deal done before the 38-year-old becomes a free agent. Cortés seems unfazed by the talk. "We get a deal done or we don't," he told reporters, "I'm not worrying about next year. Worrying about next year isn't what wins awards, you know?" He fashioned a 4-1 record, reeled off 44 strikeouts, worked 45.1 innings and held batters to a .235 average for the month as he posted a 1.59 ERA. For the year Cortés has compiled a 8-5 record with a 3.07 ERA.

Red-Hot Rookie Rewarded in June: Hot-hitting Naofumi Ohayashi of the Chadds Ford Cannons garnered the Rookie of the Month honors for June in the Delaware Conference. Posting a .265 average last month, he collected 27 hits, 9 home runs, 18 RBIs and 14 runs scored. This season Ohayashi is swinging the bat at a .243 rate with 43 hits in 177 at-bats. To date he has hit 12 home runs, scored 19 runs and driven in 27.

MarVa Conference

Miranda Grabs MV Conf Best Batter Award for June: Manuel Miranda battered MarVa Conference pitchers all June and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award. "I've been around DELMARVA Baseball League long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to be able to put up this kind of consistency," the 27-year-old Miranda told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I might not take the field, and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month." In 26 games, Miranda hit .358 with 9 home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 22 runs. Miranda is currently batting .360 with 26 home runs and 68 RBIs.

Cole Is June's Best MV Conf Hurler: Veteran Eric Cole put together quite a successful stretch in June for the Annapolis Admirals, earning himself the MarVa Conference Pitcher of the Month award. Cole racked up a 5-1 record in 6 starts, posting a 2.70 ERA over 43.1 innings and striking out 54. For this year Cole has chalked up 11 wins and 4 losses in 16 starts with 122 strikeouts in 114 innings and a 3.39 ERA.

MarVa Conference Names Rookie of Month: Jon Hughes's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Martinsburg third baseman has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month. In June he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award. During the month he hit .312 with 7 doubles, no triples and 7 home runs. Hughes also scored 16 times and drove in 19 runs. So far this season Hughes is hitting .283 with 13 home runs.

Standings - July 1st, 2036

The Colonial Division looks to be the Blue Jays division, as they gained 4 games in June and are now holding the biggest lead in the league.

The Northern Division might be the worst division in the game, however it will be quite competitive. With all the teams within 8-games. In June the Blue Hens went 13-13, the Millers went 16-10, and the Cannons 16-11. It looks like this division is going to come down to who gets hot at the right time.

The Sixteens are starting to pull away from the Braves and with the leagues #1 run scoring offense and the leagues #1 pitching team, watch out.

The DE Wild Card is wide open with every team in the league within 10 games!

Leaders:
Average: Naoaki Okubo, Sixteens: .351
HR: Naoaki Okubo, Sixteens: 21
RBI: Naoaki Okubo, Sixteens: 61
SB: Jorge Arredondo, Clippers: 31
WAR: Naoaki Okubo, Sixteens: 3.8

ERA: John Smith, Blue Jays: 2.28
W: John Denton, Sixteens / Gambino Miller, Blue Jays: 9
K's: Robert Shepherd, Cannons: 124
SV: Edward Hill, Sixteens: 23
WAR: Chirs Brock, Sixteens: 4.6

The Senators lost a game to the Admirals in June, as the Admirals show they aren't ready to give up on the season just yet. These two teams look to be setting up for a solid battle to end the season.

The Mountain Division sees the Cardinals in the lead yet again, as they try to win the division for the 4th time and 5th in the past 6 years. The Express aren't ready to give up as they gained a game in June.

The Cavaliers went 14-12 and gained 6 games on the Blue Crabs. The Cavaliers are right on track for their 21st straight title. The Cavaliers have one of the games pitching staff holding the top SP ERA (2.94) and the BP ERA (3.08).

The Wild Card looks to be a two team battle at this time with the Admirals and the Express battling it out. The Express are on the outside looking in and haven't played well as the underdog in the past. Will this year change things?

Leaders:
Average: Shawn Wilson, Barons: .368
HR: Manuel Miranda, Senators: 26
RBI: Manuel Miranda, Senators: 68
SB: Salvador Espinoza, Senators: 32
WAR: Ryan Hunt, Royals: 4.4 WAR

ERA: Anthony Sinclair, Senators: 1.70
W: Three tied with 11
K's: Eric Cole, Admirals: 122
SV: Travis Abadee, Cardinals: 23
WAR: Bob Davis, Cavaliers: 4.4

[illeracula]

Week 13
Current Week: 3-4 (40-43 .482 / -2.0)
Next Week: 3 vs New Castle Colonials, 3 vs Georgetown Sixteens
Power Ranking: 13 (85.7, -2)
Fan Interest: 67
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 23-20 .535
Away: 17-23 .425

Runs Scored: 344 (t9th)
Avg: .259 (4th)
HR: 91 (9th)
SB: 31 (11th)
Runs Against: 374 (8th)
Starters ERA: 4.25 (7th)
Pen ERA: 4.30 (9th)
Def Eff: .708 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Matt Doulgas: .520-2-7 (13-25), 2 2B, 5 R, 5 BB
Pitching: Jonathan Loeffler: 4 G, 0-0 2.08, 2 SV, 4.1 IP, H, 6 K, .083 AVG

Week 13:
Game 77: Dover 10, Chadds Ford 2
Eric Harmon (4-7): 5.2 IP, 10 H, 6 H, 2 BB, 2 K
Ramon Cruz: 1-2, 3B, R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 2

Game 78: Dover 6, Chadds Ford 11
John Robertson (6-4): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 2 K
Matt Douglas: 4-4, 2 HR (5), 4 R, 6 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-4, 2B, HR (13), 4 R, 2 RBI
Hank Davis: 3-5, 2B, R, RBI
H: 16, LOB: 6

Game 79: Dover 2, Chadds Ford 1
Robert Shepherd (4-9): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 9 K
Matt Douglas: 2-4
Ramon Cruz: 1-3, HR (9), R, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 9

Game 80: Milford 3, Chadds Ford 4
Ying-Hua Ji (7-6): 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 17): 1.0 IP, K
Hank Davis: 2-4, HR (15), R, 3 RBI
H: 9, LOB: 8

Game 81: Milford 6, Chadds Ford 1
Nobukazu Higashi (1-2): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 6 BB, 9 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, 2B
H: 5, LOB: 6

Game 82: Milford 0, Chadds Ford 3
Eric Harmon (5-7): 8.2 IP, 5 H, 3 BB, 7 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 18): 0.1 IP, 2 BB
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-4, HR (14), 2 R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 4-4, 2B, RBI
H: 11, LOB: 8

Game 83: Milford 6, Chadds Ford 5 (11 Innings)
John Robertson: 5.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (BS 3): 2.0 IP, H, R, 2 BB, 4 K
Oscar Robinson (1-3): 1.0 IP, H, R, 3 K
Julio Casanes: 3-5, 2B, HR (15), 2 R, 4 RBI
Howard Porter: 2-4
H: 8, LOB: 7



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 2-3 months


Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
Here is one of my biggest dilemma's: Bo Keller. Last year in 38 games he hit .290-3-14, which showed me he could handle being the 5th out-fielder. This season he hasn't had a day without the snowflake, and is currently hitting .114-0-3 in 18 G (5-44). I am not sure if it is time to let him go and bring up Armando Martinez (.267-3-22) or Mike Smith (.281-7-58), both players are solid defenders and fast, or do I keep him around. Why keep him around? Well he is 30 and he is looked up to. Can I risk losing a leader on this volatile club?

We are close to being a contender, at least that is what I tell myself. I think we are really missing one or maybe two pieces to the puzzle. One thing that I would like to have on this team is someone who can steal bases. Maybe that is going to be my next project. Ramon Cruz (8 for 12) and Howard Porter (8 for 13) lead the team, Ricardo Bravo (7 for 7) is our best base-stealer and Matt Douglas (5 for 11) is our worst. And because of that I am in talks with the Blue Hens for OF Phil Davis. Davis is 24 for 27 on the year and I think having someone like that in hte lineup will be a huge boost. It has to lead to more runs right??

My catchers are having the year I figured they were going to have. Rookie Raul Garcia, who should be a round for a long while, at least till our top catching prospect Miguel Cortesini is ready, has done well hitting .253-2-11 in 158 AB's. And our more offensive back-stop, Donald Hampton, is only hitting .237-5-17. I can live with the lower average, but I need him to start showing off his power. Hampton isn't great defensively would probably make a better DH, where as Garcia could be a Glove Wizard Catcher if he played full time. He has thrown out a whooping 43.9% of would be baserunners.

This team still drives me crazy with their inconsistent play. Every time I think they are about to turn corner something like a 3 and 4 week happens. We head into the final week of the first half with a tough schedule and I would really like to be able to pull off a winning week and head into the All-Star break on a high. Rest up then come out and take down the Blue Hens. We have the team to do that if we can only put it all together.

I hated letting Don Sweetapple go, but it seemed to be the best for the team. Since Bill Patterson has taken over we are 22-15, which is a huge change against Sweetapples 18-28. I hope that Sweetapple lands on his feet and becomes that solid manager, but I doubt it will be for me. Letting him go burned some bridges.

The Ramon Cruz walk watch continues... he now has 0 walks in 78 games and 302 PA's.

And finally in All-Star news Matt Douglas is the leading vote getter in the Delaware Conference for CF'ers! This is exciting.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 55-28 .663 (+14.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 42-41 .506 (+2.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 53-30 .639 (+8.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 45-38 .542 (+4.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 53-29 .646 (+3.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 54-28 (+6.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 46-36 .561 (+12.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 50-32 .610 (+2.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Howard Gray, Seaford Blue Jays: 14-31, 3 HR's, 8 RBI's
MarVa: Oliver Ramos, Norfolk Cavaliers: 10-18, 2 HR's, 4 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Richmond Cardinals (128.5)
2) Georgetown Sixteens (121.9)
3) Seaford Blue Jays (115.3)
4) Ellicott City Express (113.4)
5) Annapolis Admirals (112.8)

News:
Milford Clippers: SP Antonio Cortes has been in the DBL since 2022 when he made his debut out of the Salisbury Ports bullpen going 8-0 5.05 in 51 games, 4 of which he started. In 2023 he became a full time starter, and over the next 15-seasons he would win 2 Golden Arm awards and reach the 200 win mark. Becoming the 3rd lefty to reach the 200 mark. He is tied with Jorge Moran, and trails only Julio Rocha with 212 (still active) to be the top lefty.
Annapolis Admirals: SS Leo O'Conner had a day to remember going 4-4 with 3 HR's and 7 RBI's, which included a 3rd inning grand-slam.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Claimed Emery Cardell off the waiver wire. The 28-year-old was hitting .306-3-14 with the Senators.
Baltimore Barons: SS David Gonzalez will be on the shelf for 5-weeks with a bon-spur in his elbow. The 24-year-old was hitting .279-1-24 on the year.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Ended 25-year-old Brian Battle's hitting streak at 24-games. On the season Battle is hitting .317-7-27.
Newark Millers: Acquired 2B Hugo Holderlin (.241/.361/.387, 6 HR) along with $1.2 M cash for minor leaguer OF Jesus Gonzalez (SA) from the Chesapeake Blue Crabs.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Acquired SP David Leach (4-8 4.83, #184) from the King George Royals for 2B Dave Gilbert (AAA).
Wilmington Iron Pigs: Acquired prospect C Leslie Barnes (AAA, #201) from the Ellicott City Express for OF Pancho Montes (AAA).
Georgetown Sixteens: Traded away minor leaguers MR Marcos Barron (SA) and OF Todd Anderson (SA) to the King George Royals for MR Jesus Miranda (3-3 4.50).
Cape May Beacons: Acquired MR Paul Holloway (6-1 3.29, SV) and OF Francisco Solis (SA) from the Christiana Blue Hens for SS Jorge Galindo (.263/.363/.463, 7 HR, #49).

[illeracula]

Cannons-Blue Hens Swap
Cruz for Davis: Chadds Ford and Christiana announced some roster changes today as the Cannons acquired 24-year-old CF Phil Davis, 21-year-old minor league LF Max Erickson and a 4th round draft pick from the Blue Hens in exchange for 26-year-old RF Román Cruz, 27-year-old minor league RHP Tony Cox, 21-year-old minor league SS Ánibal Herrera and a 2nd round draft pick. Representatives from both teams say they are pleased with the deal.

Cruz's current batting average stands at .266 and he has chalked up 9 home runs and 44 RBIs.

So far this season Davis has put up a .273 batting average with 66 hits, 9 home runs and 37 RBIs.

--
I pulled off this deal and I feel good about it. Davis will come in and play a big role. Davis will take over in RF and bat lead-off, hopefully this will lead to more runs scored which is what we need.

The shortstop we gave up was our 14th prospect, but we have 4 other short-stops ahead of him so it shouldn't be that big of a loss.

I am excited about this...

[illeracula]

Week 14
Current Week: 4-2 (44-45 .494 / -1.0)
Next Week: ** All Star Break**, 3 @ Ocean City Tourists
Power Ranking: 12 (90.0, +1)
Fan Interest: 67
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 27-22 .551
Away: 17-23 .425

Runs Scored: 369 (9th)
Avg: .260 (4th)
HR: 99 (9th)
SB: 33 (11th)
Runs Against: 396 (6th)
Starters ERA: 4.23 (7th)
Pen ERA: 4.20 (7th)
Def Eff: .707 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Shunen Koyama: .417-3-7 (5-12), 2B, 4 R
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 1-0 1.69, 16.0 IP, 12 H, 17 Ks

Week 14:
Game 84: New Castle 3, Chadds Ford 5 (10 Innings)
Robert Shepherd: 7.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 9 K
Jose Matos (6-0): 2.0 IP, 2 H
Howard Porter: 2-5, HR (6), 2 R, 2 RBI (GWHR)
Matt Douglas: 2-4, HR (6), R, 2 RBI
Ramon Cruz: 2-4, 2B, R
H: 8, LOB: 4

Game 85: New Castle 4, Chadds Ford 10
Ying-Hua Ji (8-6): 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 4 BB, 9 K
Howard Porter: 3-5, 2B, 2 R
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 2 R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, HR (15), R, RBI
Donald Hampton: 1-5, 2B, 3 RBI
H: 14, LOB: 9

Game 86: New Castle 1, Chadds Ford 3
Nobukazu HIgashi (2-2): 6.2 IP, 6 H, R, 2 BB, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 19): 1.0 IP, K
Shunen Koyama: 1-2, HR (6), R, 3 RBI
H: 4, LOB: 1

Game 87: Georgetown 4, Chadds Ford 0
Eric Harmon (5-8): 5.0 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 3 K
Pete Davis: 1-3 (CF Debut)
Hank Davis: 2-4
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4
H: 9, LOB: 8

Game 88: Georgetown 0, Chadds Ford 3
Robert Shepherd (5-9): 8.1 IP, 6 H, BB, 8 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 20): 0.2 IP, K
Shunyen Koyama: 1-3, HR (7), R, 2 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 2-3, R
Donald Hampton: 1-3, HR (6), R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 6

Game 89: Georgetown 10, Chadds Ford 4
John Robertson (6-5): 3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 R, BB, K
Donald Hampton: 2-2, HR (7), R, 2 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 2-4, HR (8), R, RBI
H: 10, LOB: 4



Transactions:
Traded 26-year-old right fielder Román Cruz, 27-year-old minor league reliever Tony Cox, 21-year-old minor league shortstop Ánibal Herrera and a 2nd round draft pick to the Christiana Blue Hens, getting 24-year-old center fielder Phil Davis, 21-year-old minor league left fielder Max Erickson and a 4th round draft pick in return.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 2 months

Other/Roster News:
nada

GM Notes:
Pete Davis is off to a slow start since joining us going 2 for 12 (.167). He tried to steal one base and got gunned down. He is in a good mood as of now, but he isn't happy with the "transactions", which from what I can tell he isn't happy that the Blue Hens traded him... I am hoping that the clubhouse doens't become a problem the second half. It went from a leader Shunen Koyamo complaining about being the "old man" on the club, to him asking for an extension. I am hoping that is a good sign for things to come.

Shunen Koyama is a bit past his prime, coming in at 37 years old, but he can still hit half-way decent. He is a hard worker and is leader on the field, however he won't be happy if he isn't starting. He wants to come back next season and has reached out and asked if he could, but I am not sure what to do. A 38-year-old 5x All-Star sounds great to help lead this team... but if he isn't going to be happy not playing everyday, I don't think I can bring him back. Last year in Ocean City he hit .219-11-40 and this year he has done a little better than that. However his glove isn't nearly what it used to be. He has a +24.0 career ZR at SS, this year? -2.7. All signs tell me let him walk, but...

We had a strong week to end the first half. I would have liked to of beaten the Sixteens 2 of 3, but I will take the 4 and 2 week. Heck we were even in first place there for a minute. When I saw us in first place 0 games back I thought for a second, this could really happen. Why not? We are now 3-games out in the wild card, 1 game out in the division and just think this is all after a 7-14 start to the season. Man that hurt, what if we turned that around and went 14 and 7, we would be 6 games up. Crazy to think how such a little thing would make such a big difference.

On a side note Ramon Cruz, who was predicted to go .292-36-119, isn't even in the starting lineup for the Blue Hens. And no, he didn't walk in his 3-games since being acquired... While looking around at my OF options I came across Henry Gilmore's name. Made me wonder how he was doing, well he is hitting .205-8-35 in 86 games with the Blue Crabs. He does have 10 steals, but for the most part, it was a solid decision to trade him away. Why? Well he is upset in Chesapeake too. He may be one of those guys who will just never be happy.

I think I said this before, but what we need to do to win is to play together! There seems to be too many times our hitters are hitting, but our pitchers aren't pitching, or vice versa. If we can put it together, find some consistency we will be alright. One thing that is for certain is we need more from our #4 and #5 starters. Eric Harmon (5-8 4.83) and John Robertson (6-5 4.77) have just been way too inconsistent. I would like Patterson to give Bill Summers a try in the rotation, he has done pretty good out of the pen (0-0 3.89, 3 SV, 44.0 IP) and I think he has earned a try, despite that he needs some development. Maybe I rushed him.

Finding balance of vets and youth and keeping a happy club house is tough. I never had these issues in Norfolk or Georgetown, but then again we had a huge budgets and winning teams. Winning seems to cure everything, but sometimes winning isn't that easy. With all the players we have had in my time here from Woody Brown, Julio Jaramillo and Ryan Urbina to the lesser known's like Felix Olvias, Vance Burns and Terry Hale. And the pitchers like John Denton, Carl Outlon, Carlos Sanchez and Lazzaro Tadiotto to players like Hee-Seop So, Juan Fernandez, and Dan Pierson. We have had a lot of talent to a little talent, but we have always had heart. It hasn't always translated to W's, but this year, just maybe, this year might be the year we break that playoff barrier.

Now that we are winning, I am so nervous about making any kind of roster moves. Pedro Rivera (0-1 5.14) and Bo Keller (.114-0-3) wouldn't be around otherwise. The good thing about those two players is they are both "leaders" we need that 30+ year old leadership on this team... Especially as we start to gel.... And to think less than a month ago I was ready to blow this team up and bring up our #1 pick Tully Maxwell. Who is having a great A-ball season so far (.351-10-28). He may be due for a bump to AA.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 60-29 .674 (+16.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 45-44 .506 (+1.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 57-32 .640 (+10.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 47-42 .528 (+3.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 56-33 .629 (+3.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 59-30 .663 (+10.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 50-39 .562 (+13.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 53-36 .596 (+4.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Ricardo Hidalgo, Lewes Braves: 11-22, 6 HR's, 11 RBI's, 7 R's
MarVa: Peter Mrdja, Salisbury Ports: 10-25, 6 HR's, 11 RBI's, 10 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (128.3)
2) Richmond Cardinals (127.3)
3) Georgetown Sixteens (120.3)
4) Washington Senators (110.3)
5) Annapolis Admirals (103.2)

News:
Wilmington Iron Pigs: Lost SP Chris Johnson for 11-12 months with a torn UCL. The 23-year-old was 4-8 6.27 over 17 starts in his second big-league season.
New Castle Colonials: Will be without OF Ray Parks for the rest of the season. Parks broke his kneecap and is expected to miss the next 5-months. On the season he is hitting .255-0-3 in 98 AB's.
Georgetown Sixteens: OF Wayne Weaver showed off his power hitting the 300th HR of his career. Weaver, now 37, isn't the hitter he once was, but that HR might have made him a HOF lock. ON the year he is hitting .226-8-31.
Ocean City Tourists: It is sad to watch on of the games best pitchers battle injuries, but that is what we are doing with Julio Rocha. The 35-year-old is going ot miss 2-months with acute elbow soreness. He was on a rehab assignment when this injury occurred. In 5 starts he was 2-3 4.36 with the Tourists before going down the first time.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Lost SP Robert Hudson for the season with a partially torn labrum. Hudson was 3-9 6.93 in 18 starts this season.
Norfolk Cavaliers: Lost MR Emilio Medine for 3-weeks with elbow tendinitis. Medine is 1-2 2.75 with 2 saves over 28 games of relief.
Ellicott City: Traded away veteran reliever Yoo-Hyun Kim (3-0 5.40, 3 SV) to the Annapolis Admirals for 3B Dan Moss (.200/.200/.200, 5 AB).
Norfolk Cavaliers: Traded away 6-time All-Star and perennial Golden Arm Award candidate SP Ernie Kennedy (9-7 3.40) to the Baltimore Barons for prospect OF Takamuku Shibata (.218/.279/.396, 3 HR, #41). Many see this move as a desperate act to boost offense, others see it as a way to get something from Kennedy who will be a free-agent at the end of the season.
Christiana Blue Hens: Traded for SP Paul Lee (4-6 4.96) from the Milton Brewers for prospect OF Luis Sanahia (.223/.265/.374, 4 HR, #44).
Salisbury Ports: Swapped players with the Chesapeake Blue Crabs, sending 2B Garry Hensley (.357/.400/.571, HR, 14 AB), while receiving SP Jose Guzman (8-5 4.59).

[illeracula]

DBL News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced: The Delaware Conference All-Stars versus the MarVa Conference All-Stars. It happens every year halfway through the season. It's a baseball spectacle for the fans and the players alike. It's the 2036 DELMARVA Baseball League All-Star Game. The fans get to see all their favorite stars perform in the same game, and the outstanding players get to play against each other. The players are out to prove that their league is the best. Players are chosen by a vote of the fans.

Delaware Conference All-Star Fan Voting Top Vote Getter: C Marvin Garrett: 4,062,147
MarVa Conference All-Star Fan Voting Top Vote Getter: CF Tyrone Jackson: 4,616,219

All-Star Game History:
2013: MarVa 5, Delaware 6
2014: Delaware 6, MarVa 5
2015: MarVa 7, Delaware 1
2016: Delaware 8, MarVa 3
2017: Delaware 5, MarVa 3
2018: MarVa 1, Delaware 3
2019: Delaware 6, MarVa 5
2020: MarVa 6, Delaware 8
2021: MarVa 1, Delaware 5
2022: Delaware 1, MarVa 2
2023: MarVa 3, Delaware 1
2024: Delaware 7, MarVa 2
2025: MarVa 0, Delaware 2
2026: Delaware 8, MarVa 7
2027: MarVa 4, Delaware 5
2028: Delaware 3, MarVa 4
2029: MarVa 0, Delaware 2
2030: Delaware 9, MarVa 5
2031: MarVa 0, Delaware 1
2032: Delaware 6, MarVa 7
2033: MarVa 5, Delaware 1
2034: Delaware 7, MarVa 3
2035: MarVa 3, Delaware 2

Delaware leads the all-time series 16-7

The Chadds Ford Cannons will be represented by Matt Douglas, who was the top vote getter in CF in the DE Conference, and by Phil Davis who just joined the team last week. He will be the first Chadds Ford player to start the All-Star game, and only the third player to represent the Cannons and the first position player. Dan Kessler was an All-Star in 2030 and did not play, and Jonathan Loeffler showed up last season and pitched in 1/3 innings.



** I realized after the game I missed Jorge Matos made the All-Star team too! So we had 2 1/2 All-Stars this season. I am excited to see Matos there, he deserved it.

[illeracula]

Bentall Dominates in 10-3 Win over MarVa Conference All-Stars:
Stephen Bentall said the annual all-star game is mostly for the fans to enjoy, but the players have a lot of fun, too.

"It's a great time to get that much talent on one ball diamond," he said. "You feel fortunate to even be part of it."

Bentall wasn't just a part of the game, he was named the game MVP, as his Delaware Conference All-Stars won 10-3 over the MarVa Conference All-Stars.

Bentall went 3 for 5 in the game to earn the nod as the game's best.

Lifetime Bentall is hitting .295 and has totaled 176 home runs.

The Delaware Conference now leads the all-time series 17-7

------

The MarVa Conference took the lead in the 2nd scoring 2 times against one of the games all-time best pitchers Ricardo Gonazalez. The Delaware Conference answered back with 3 against Bob Davis, last years Golden Arm winner in the MC. The DC pitching picked it up and didn't allow a hit until Edward Hill allowed a hit in he 7th... The DC Conference would add 2 in the 5th, 3 in the 7th and 2 in the 8th. The big blows where 3-run HR by Marvin Garrett, in the 3rd, and a 3-run blast by Stephen Bentall, in the 7th.

This is the first All-Star in DBL history to see a team score in double-digits.

------

Matt Douglas had a day to remember as an all-star, going 3 for 5 with a double and scoring 3 times. Douglas and Bentall each had 3 hits to lead the DC Conference. Douglas played the full-game in CF, keeping Phil Davis, the other CF on the bench.

I just realized I missed Jorge Matos was also on the All-Star team. How'd I miss that? Matos pitched 1 inning striking out two. He threw 9 pitches, 7 strikes.

------

[illeracula]

Week 15
Current Week: 3-0 (47-45 .511 / -1.0)
Next Week: 2 @ Richmond Cardinals, 2 vs Martinsburg Mountaineers, 3 vs Washington Senators
Power Ranking: 8 (99.0, +4)
Fan Interest: 68
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 27-22 .551
Away: 20-23 .465

Runs Scored: 395 (8th)
Avg: .262 (3rd)
HR:103 (8th)
SB: 35 (11th)
Runs Against: 405 (7th)
Starters ERA: 4.18 (6th)
Pen ERA: 4.18 (8th)
Def Eff: .709 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Phil Davis: .643-2-7 (9-14), 2 2B, SB, 4 R
Pitching: Ying-Hua Ji: 1 GS, 1-0 1.00, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 11 K

Week 15:
** All Star Break**

Game 90: Chadds Ford 9, Ocean City 1
Robert Shepherd (6-9): 9.0 IP, 3 H, R, BB, 7 K
Phil Davis: 4-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-3, 2 R
Juan Guzman: 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 2-4 2B, 2 RBI
H: 13, LOB: 12

Game 91: Chadds Ford 8, Ocean City 1
Ying-Hua Ji (9-6): 9.0 IP, 2 H, R, 11 K
Phil Davis: 2-5, HR (10), 2 R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, R, 2 RBI
Hank Davis: 2-4, 2 RBI
Donald Hampton: 1-5, HR (8), R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 10

Game 92: Chadds Ford 9, Ocean City 7
Nobukazu Higashi: 4.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Nate Rice (2-2): 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, BB, 2 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 21): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Phil Davis: 3-4, 2B, HR (11), R, 4 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 1-3, HR (9), 2 R, 3 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, 2 R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-5, R
H: 12, LOB: 4



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 8-weeks

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
As the trade deal looms (10 days away) I have to figure out if I am going to make any moves or not. I am leaning towards the not part of it all, since the team has been playing so well since Patterson took over. This might be the best team we can put out there.

It is nice to Phil Davis has found a home in the leadoff slot. I have to say I am excited to have a base threat back on the roster. It has been a while since I did. In 2030-2032 I had 3 players with over 30 steals. I need that back, that will help us score more runs and leave less runners on the bags. Runs is what we need.

It is nice to see the pitching staff starting to come together. I am thinking about sending John Robertson down to AAA (1-1 9.69 in 3 starts in July) and bring up a Juan Cuesta. He may be our best bet. Between Cuesta and Pearl down in AAA, we have two solid young bloods who just need to develop a little more.

I am quite excited right now, such a difference from when the season began. It is hard to believe that just a few weeks ago I was ready to blow things up and then here I am making deals to make this team better. We are doing well, we are in a good place. One more week of this roster and then I will talk to our assistant GM and see if we should make any deals (sell or buy, not sure yet).

This week is going to be tough, as we play 2-games against the Cardinals and the Senators, both of them are division leaders. It might be a big tell-tale week. We don't want to fall too far behind and our schedule isn't going to get any easier... It will be nice to see Ji, Higashi and Shepherd go up against top teams. Let just hope we are up for the challenge.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 61-31 .663 (+14.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 48-44 .522 (+1.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 57-35 .620 (+8.0)
WC: Lewes Braves (DEA): 49-43 .533 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 59-33 .641 (+5.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 59-33 .641 (+8.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 51-41 .554 (+13.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 54-38 .587 (+3.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Phil Davis, Chadds Ford Cannons: 9-14, 2 HR's, 7 RBI's, 4 R's
MarVa: Jimmy Moore, Annapolis Admirals: 6-12, 2 HR's, 4 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (120.4)
2) Seaford Blue Jays (120.3)
3) Richmond Cardinals (112.4)
4) Georgetown Sixteens (108.5)
5) Annapolis Admirals (104.7)

News:
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Will be without starting pitcher Eric Doyle for the rest of the season. Doyle is suffering from shoulder inflammation and the Dawgs have shut him down for the rest of '36. Doyle went 5-9 3.34 in 19 starts.
Newark Millers: Lost OF Phil Kaufman for 3-weeks after straining his back muscle after he fell off a horse during the All-Star break.
Salisbury Ports: Lost OF Dave Tapia for the rest of the year. Tapia suffered a hamstring strain. He was hitting .270-2-23 on the year.
Norfolk Cavaliers: In need of pitching shipped off 1B Artie Hamilton (.256/.413/.411, 5 HR, #78) to the Milford Clippers for SP Antonio Cortes (8-6 3.07) and $3.3M.
Ellicott City Express: Acquired MR Charlie Boykin (4-2 3.31) from the King George Royals for 2B Virgil Carey (AAA).
Cape May Beacons: Shipped Catcher Alton Howard (.265/.362/.310, HR) to the Milton Brewers for SP Chad Moore (5-7 5.61).
New Castle Colonials: SP Alberto Ramos (4-7 5.09) was acquired for the playoff run in exchange for C Reid Griffin and a 2nd round pick.
Christiana Blue Hens: MR Chris Smiley (0-0 27.00, #197) was acquired from the Chesapeake Blue Crabs for OF Cornell Wright (.232/.312/.448, 6 HR, #94).

[illeracula]

Week 16
Current Week: 5-2 (52-47 .525 / -1.0)
Next Week: 3 @ Ellicott City Express, 3 vs Baltimore Barons
Power Ranking: 5 (103.5, +4)
Fan Interest: 72 (+4)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 31-23 .574
Away: 21-24 .467

Runs Scored: 437 (t4th)
Avg: .263 (2nd)
HR: 109 (8th)
SB: 36 (11th)
Runs Against: 430 (7th)
Starters ERA: 4.13 (6th)
Pen ERA: 4.11 (6th)
Def Eff: .709 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Eugene Todd: .389-2-10 (7-18), 2 2B, 5 R
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 1-1 1.17, 15.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 18 K

Week 16:
Game 93: Chadds Ford 11, Richmond 7
Eric Harmon: 4.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, BB, 3 K
Pedro Rivera (1-1): 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R
Julio Casanes: 4-5, 2B, 2 HR (17), 3 R, 5 RBI
Naofumi Ohyashi: 1-4, HR (16), R, RBI (left hurt)
Matt Douglas: 4-5, 2 R, RBI
Howard Porter: 3-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
H: 15, LOB: 7

Game 94: Chadds Ford 0, Richmond 3
Robert Shepherd (6-10): 6.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 6 K
Juan Guzman: 2-4
Matt Douglas: 1-3, 2B
H: 3, LOB: 8

Game 95: Martinsburg 6, Chadds Ford 9
Ying-Hua Ji (10-6): 5.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, BB, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 22): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Pete Davis: 3-4, 2B, HR (12), 2 R, RBI
Leon Hernandez: 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Donald Hampton: 2-3, 2B, 2 R
H: 13, LOB: 13

Game 96: Martinsburg 4, Chadds Ford 3
Juan Cuesta (2-3): 6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 6 K
Donald Hampton: 2-4, R, RBI
Pete Davis: 2-5, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 8

Game 97: Washington 1, Chadds Ford 3
Nobukazu Higashi: 7.0 IP, 6 H, R, 3 BB, 7 K
Oscar Robinson (2-3): 1.0 IP
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 23): 1.0 IP, 2 BB, 2 K
Eugene Todd: 1-3, HR (7), R, RBI
Juan Guzman: 1-3, 2B, R
H: 6, LOB: 1

Game 98: Washington 4, Chadds Ford 7
Eric Harmon (6-8): 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 24): 1.0 IP, K
Eugene Todd: 2-4, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-2, R, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 5

Game 99: Washington 0, Chadds Ford 9
Robert Shepherd (7-10): 9.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 12 K
Eugene Todd: 2-3, HR (8), R, 4 RBI
Matt Douglas: 1-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 1-2, 2 R
Donald Hampton: 1-3, 2 R
H: 10, LOB: 5



Transactions:
Demoted SP John Robertson to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of SP Juan Cuesta from Triple A San Juan.

Trying to catch fire in a bottle I decided to swap out the cold pitcher and bring up Cuesta. Cuesta was 3-5 3.20 in AAA in 7 starts.

Placed 1B Naofumi Ohayashi on the 11-day DL
Purchased the contract of 2B Mu-Sang Kim from Triple A San Juan.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 8-weeks
1B Naofumi Ohayashi, oblique strain, 11-day DL, 4-days

Other/Roster News:
Our AA Pierre Jackrabbits now has a lineup which includes our #1 draft picks from this year and last season. SS Otto Carillo started the season in Pierre and is hitting .279-3-44 on the year. He is still on track to be a big time prospect. This years pick 3B Tully Maxwell just joined Carillo in Pierre after raking in A-ball, hitting .379-14-37. In his first 6 games in Pierre he has stayed hot hitting .583-5-17. Could a call-up be on the horizon? What a bright future this kid has ahead of him.

GM Notes:
We keep playing well and winning games, but so do the Blue Hens. Both of us are 8-2 in our last 10. I just have to hope that we are playing the way we are going to finish and they are just on a hot streak. Anyways, if the season ended today we would be going to the playoffs. Pretty crazy to think... 63 more games to go, there is a long road ahead of us.

The trade deadline is 3 days away and I have to figure out if I want to make a deal. I need that #5 starter. Our #4 and 5 starters have been really inconsistent this season, so if I could solidify one of those slots that would be great... but do I really want to give up a prospect? Eric Harmon (6-8 4.93), Juan Cuesta (2-3 4.21), John Robertson (6-5 4.77), and Gehrig Pearl (1-2 6.17) are all going to be solid starters in the future. I just need one of them to step it up. I have a feeling the roster will be rotating till one of these guys catches fire.

We are climbing the runs scored ranks over the past few weeks. Part of that has to do with the red hot bad of Julio Casanes, but I am also going to attribute some of that to the acquisition of Phil Davis. I feel having a true lead-off man who can steal bases in the lead-off slot changes the way the #9 and the #2 hitter are being pitched. When you have a speed threat on the base paths, you just play differently. I think that is what is happening.

The loss of Naofumi Ohayashi is going to hurt, unless Eugene Todd continues to play the way he did this past week. I don't think he will keep it up, but you never know. He is in the #9 slot, and he has a mission to prove to me and Patterson that he belongs in the everyday lineup. His performance over the next 2 weeks, while he is in the lineup, could help me determine what I am going to do with Hank Davis this off-season. Right now I am leaning on dealing him away, or letting him walk if I can't swing a deal. He is getting to expensive for Chadds Ford, especially since he can't even hit .230.

It has been a while in my career, and I don't think it has happened here, that a couple of roster moves have gone a long way. I attribute our team success over the past few months to the new manager Bill Patterson. Signing him was the best thing I could have done, at least that is how it is appearing right now.

Sweeping one of the top teams in the MarVa Conference hopefully filled this team with confidence. We will need it heading into the final months. I can not say it enough, maybe it is because I am stunned, but we have come a long way over the past 8-weeks. I am speechless.

We really do have a solid team here. After years of just getting by I actually think this might be our year to break the playoff drought for the Cannons and me. We have to a) keep winning and b) stay healthy. If we do that we will make the playoffs. No if's and's or but's... I really want to chase down the Blue Hens sooner than later.

I can not tell you much confidence I have in this team right now. I just hope they don't let me know.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 65-34 .657 (+15.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens: 53-46 .535 (+1.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 60-39 .606 (+10.0)
WC: Chadds Ford Cannons (DEN): 52-47 .525 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 63-36 .636 (+6.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 64-35 .646 (+6.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 55-44 .556 (+12.0)
WC: Ellicott City Express (MVM): 58-41 .586 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Pete Wyman, Christiana Blue Hens: 10-25, 4 HR's, 10 RBI's
MarVa: Ryan Hunt, King George Royals: 11-26, 4 HR's, 8 R's, 5 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Ellicott City Express (120.5)
2) Richmond Cardinals (119.4)
3) Seaford Blue Jays (119.2)
4) Washington Senators (115.5)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons (103.5)

News:
Dover Generals: Lost SP Ivan Rosario for the rest of the season. Rosario has been diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff. The 25-year-old was 5-8 4.11 in 19 starts.
Georgetown Sixteens: In sad new 30-year-old Catcher Patrik Asther was diagnosed with MS. Asther is hitting .251-9-45 on the year and has no plans on giving the game up.
Richmond Cardinals: Power hitting 1B Allen Graves is out for 4-weeks with a strained rib-cage muscle. Graves is hitting .286-20-58 on the year.
Richmond Cardinals: Dealt away OF Lewis Bacon (.263/.318/.316, #94) to the Wilmington Iron Pigs for MR Ramon Lopez (3-1 3.79, SV)
Annapolis Admirals: Acquired SP Ray Thompson (9-5 4.03) from the Washington Senators for C Gabriel Castellanos (.265/.410/.413, 13 HR, #37) and OF Alberto Encarnacion (SA).
Ellicott City Express: Traded OF Bob Brooks (.202/.270/.361, 7 HR) to the Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs for CL Joel Rose (0-0 4.76).
Ocean City Tourists: Acquired SP Dan Pierson (8-8 4.20) from the Christiana Blue Hens for OF Roberto Flores (.294/.328/.463, 10 HR)
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Have been active during this trade season, acquiring SP Coy Evans (7-9 4.54, #52) from the New Castle Colonials for OF Matthew Bennett (.321/.364/.458, 5 HR).

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - July 2036



Delaware Conference

Douglas of Chadds Ford DE Conf Batter of the Month: The premier hitter in the Delaware Conference in July was Chadds Ford center fielder Matt Douglas. For his standout play, he was voted the Batter of the Month. Douglas was selected after batting .407, hitting 4 home runs, scoring 17 runs and driving in 20. So far this season Douglas is batting .317 with 7 home runs, 41 RBIs and 55 runs scored. He has 121 hits in 382 at-bats, 66 walks and a .415 OBP. Douglas has played in 100 games.

Sixteens Denton Named DE Conf's Best Pitcher: The Delaware Conference hitters didn't have a chance in July when the Georgetown Sixteens manager wrote "Denton" on the lineup card. Outing after outing, John Denton held teams in check and usually got a win. He excelled with a 5-0 mark and 2.47 ERA in 6 starts. The talented Sixteens star pitched 47.1 innings, fanned 23 and held opposing teams to a .240 average. For his superb mound work Denton was named the DE Conf Pitcher of the Month by the baseball writers. In 22 starts this year Denton has fashioned a 14-2 record and a 3.02 ERA.

Delaware Conference Names Rookie of Month: Lorenzo Montoya is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest Delaware Conference Rookie of the Month honoree? He hasn't been around the league long enough to fully know the ropes yet, despite the fact that he's putting up veteran-like numbers. In July the Christiana hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .323 average with 31 hits, 7 home runs and 13 RBIs.

MarVa Conference

Mrdja Wins MV Conf's Best Bat Award: Petar Mrdja made his presence known as one of the best young stars in the MarVa Conference this past month. The Salisbury Ports shortstop shone through the month of July and has won the Batter of the Month award. The 25-year-old hit .356 with 14 home runs, 26 RBIs and 25 runs scored. This season Mrdja is batting .292 with 32 home runs. His totals include 69 RBIs and 66 runs scored.

Nelson Earns July's Best Pitcher Honor: Whether Oliver Nelson stays in Richmond beyond this season remains to be seen, but while he's here he's making the most of it. In July the 36-year-old certainly pulled out all the stops by winning the MarVa Conference Pitcher of the Month award. He put up some fancy numbers with a 4-1 record and and an ERA of 0.55. In 33 innings he struck out 27, surrendered 19 hits, 16 walks and proved to be a solid performer in 5 starts last month.

MV Conf Selects Rookie Star of the Month: Ka-pa Zhou's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Martinsburg first baseman has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month. In July he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award. During the month he hit .310 with 6 doubles, no triples and 3 home runs. Zhou also scored 7 times and drove in 15 runs. Zhou is presently hitting at a .351 pace with 18 home runs, 75 RBIs and has scored 57 times.

Standings - August 1st, 2036

The Blue Jays continue to pull away and getting ever closer to their first playoff appearance. Thanks to the leagues #1 starting staff which includes Gambino Miller (12-2 2.76), John Smith (10-2 2.76) and Jacob Young (12-4 2.91). Not too shabby. Starting will need to carry them the rest of the way.

The Blue Hens put together a 15-10 July, while the Cannons went 17-8 to cut the lead to one game. And while doing so both teams started pulling away from the Millers. The Blue Hens win with offense, while the Cannons are better balanced... However in Chadds Ford the fans and team are waiting to hear the diagnosis of offense star Julio Casanes (.276-18-53) losing him will really hurt and open the door for the Blue Hens.

In one of the m ore surprising divisions the Sixteens, who arguably have the best team in the game, are pulling away from the pack, while the Braves struggle to stay afloat. The 16's lead by MVP candidates Naoaki Okubo (.345-26-82) and Stephen Bentall (.344-19-77) and Golden Arm candidates Chris Brock (11-7 3.06) and John Denton (14-2 3.02).

Leaders:
Average: Naoaki Okubo, Sixteens: .345
HR: Marvin Garrett, Braves: 27
RBI: Naoaki Okubo, Sixteens: 82
SB: Jorge Arredondo, Clippers: 31
WAR: Stephen Bentall, Sixteens: 4.7

ERA: Gambino Miller & John Smith, Blue Jays: 2.76
W: John Denton, Sixteens: 14
K's: Robert Shepherd, Cannons: 175
SV: Edward Hill, Sixteens: 29
WAR: Chirs Brock, Sixteens: 6.1

With a chance to pull away the Senators couldn't take advantage of a 11-14 month by the Admirals, as they did the same! These two teams are waiting to catch fire and which one does should win the division. Both teams have been known to collapse at the end of the season.

The Cardinals are playing well, but the Express are playing better, and just won't let the Cardinals run away with the division. The Express won 15 games in July, following a huge June. Many people say the division is in the bag for the Cardinals, but don't tell the Express that.

The Cavaliers string of winning continues. Despite having some offensive woes this season, the Cavaliers still have a great pitching staff... and yes they still do even after trading away Ernie Kennedy. Oliver Ramos (.308-19-55) and Yasushi Fumimoto (.298-14-51) will need to pick up the slack if the Cav's want to go deep into the playoffs this season.

Leaders:
Average: Ka-pa Zhou, Mountaineers: .3509 / Rodney Byrd, Richmond Cardinals: .3507
HR: Petar Mrdja, Salisbury Ports: 32
RBI: Manuel Miranda, Senators: 88
SB: Salvador Espinoza, Senators: 39
WAR: Ryan Hunt, Royals: 5.3 WAR

ERA: Anthony Sinclair, Senators: 2.23
W: Eric Cole, Admirals, Bob Davis, Cavaliers: 13
K's: Eric Cole, Admirals: 155
SV: Travis Abadee, Cardinals: 28
WAR: Bob Davis, Cavaliers: 5.9


Notes:
Naoaki Okubo is trying to win the triple crown in the DE Conf. He leads in average and rbi's, and is just one HR away from the HR lead. We will be watching this closely.

Lorenzo Montoya is on pace reach the 30/30 club in his rookie season. Current he his 25/20 and on pace for 40/32. If he does reach it he will become the 3rd player (more research needed) to hit the mark, joining Michael Johnson and Robert Perez.

Robert Shepherd leads the DC in K's and is trying to oust Ricardo Gonzalez as the DC K leader. If Gonzalez doens't win the K title it will be the first time we have seen a different pitcher with the title since 2024!

[illeracula]

Week 17
Current Week: 4-2 (56-49 .533 / +0.0)
Next Week: 3 vs Wilmington Iron Pigs, 4 vs Newark Millers
Power Ranking: 7 (102.0, -2)
Fan Interest: 72 (+4)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 33-24 .579
Away: 23-25 .479

Runs Scored: 460 (4th)
Avg: .262 (3rd)
HR: 121 (8th)
SB: 37 (11th)
Runs Against: 451 (7th)
Starters ERA: 4.07 (4th)
Pen ERA: 3.95 (6th)
Def Eff: .709 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Leon Hernandez: .389-2-3 (7-18), 3 R's
Pitching: Oscar Robinson: 3 G, 7.1 IP, 3 H, R, 7 K, 1.23 ERA

Week 17:
Game 100: Chadds Ford 5, Ellicott City 3
Ying-Hua Ji: 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, 14 K
Oscar Robinson (3-3): 1.0 IP, K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 25): 1.0 IP, H, 2 K
Julio Casanes: 1-4, HR (18), R, RBI
Eugune Todd: 1-4, HR (9), R, 3 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-4, R
Leon Hernandez: 2-4, R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 5

Game 101: Chadds Ford 4, Ellicott City 3 (12 Innings)
Juan Cuesta: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K
Oscar Robinson (BS 1): 3.0 IP, H, R, B< 3 K
Jorge Matos (7-0): 2.0 IP, BB
Matt Douglas: 3-5, HR (7), R, RBI
Donald Hampton: 1-4, HR (9), R, RBI
Phil Davis: 2-5, HR (13), R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 7

Game 102: Chadds Ford 3, Ellicott City 6
Nobukazo Higashi (2-3): 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
Bo Keller: 2-4, 2B, R
Phil Davis: 1-4, 2B, R
Matt Douglas: 1-3, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 3

Game 103: Baltimore 5, Chadds Ford 4 (15 Innings)
Eric Harmon: 8.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Jorge Matos (7-1): 1.2 IP, 2 H, R, BB
Howard Porter: 1-6, HR (7), R, 2 RBI
Hank Davis: 2-6, 2B, HR (16), R, RBI
Juan Guzman: 3-6
Eugene Todd: 2-6, R
H: 12, LOB: 7

Game 104: Baltimore 1, Chadds Ford 3
Robert Shepherd (8-10): 8.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 26): 1.0 Ip, BB, 2 K
Hank Davis: 2-4, HR (17), 2 R, RBI
Mike Smith: 03, 2 K (debut)
Ricardo Bravo: 2-3, 2B, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 4

Game 105: Baltimore 3, Chadds Ford 4 (11 Innings)
Gehrig Pearl: 8.0 IP, 9 H, R, 2 BB, 6 K
Jorge Matos (BS 2): 1.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB
Nate Rice (3-2): 2 K
Leon Hernandez: 2-3, HR (11), R, RBI
Howard Porter: 2-5, HR (8), R, 2 RBI
Ricardo Bravo: 2-4, 2B
Juan Guzman: 2-5, RBI
H: 14, LOB: 10



Transactions:
Placed LF Júlio Casanes on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 07/30/2036.
Demoted SP Juan Cuesta to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of SP Gehrig Pearl from Triple A San Juan.
Placed LF Mike Smith on the 40-man roster.
Purchased the contract of LF Mike Smith from Triple A San Juan.

The loss of Casanes is going to hurt. I called up Mike Smith who I think will be ok. He has a good eye, a decent fielder, some speed and can find the gaps. He was hitting .287-11-76 in AAA, so now its time for him to prove he is ready. The 24-year-old wasn't happy sitting in AAA and he will be in the starting lineup over the next 6-weeks. Exciting times.

Cuesta did ok in 2 starts after getting the recall, but my head scout, Alex Elias, told me that Gehrig Pearl has found his control and is the best option. So I decided to call him up and see what he is made of.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 6-weeks
1B Naofumi Ohayashi, oblique strain, 11-day DL, ready to be activated
OF Julio Casanes, sprained knee, 11-day DL, 6-weeks

* on thing about the 26-year-old Casanes is he is "fragile". And heading into 2037 he will be arbitration eligible. Does that make him trade bait? I hate taking on salary for fragile players.

Other/Roster News:
Not much we did sign 3 minor leaguers, still trying to find that gem in the rough.

OF Mike Smith has decided to start using his middle name instead of his first name after the first week of his big league career. Mike Smith will now be known as Giovanni Smith. Smith was quoted as saying he was tired of having such a "normal and boring" name.

GM Notes:
I decided to stay put at the trade deadline with what I have. I think it is ok and I think if we can continue to play the way we have we will be fine. Overcoming that Casanes injury will be our biggest hurdle heading into the final 2-months... I did try to pull off one deal with the Milton Brewers. Fernando Fareles, is a free-agent at the end of the season and he is struggling with the last place Brewers. I offered the Brewers draft picks and prospects, but I needed cash to help cover whats left of his $21,200,000 contract. They didn't have it, Corbin was against taking on debut so the deal didn't get done. He would have been a huge addition, but it isn't the end of the world.

I am getting excited about our #1 draft pick this year Tully Maxwell. I almost called up him, but I thought better of it. After hitting .379-14-37 in A-ball, he hit .529-5-17 in AA and is now playing in AAA. The talent is a little better and his .200-0-0 is showing it, but man he has a bright future. He will be the 3B in Chadds Ford in 2037. Unless there is a major injury I will not be calling him up, I don't want his clock to start!

I am not sure what Patterson's deal is with the bullpen. Summers and Rivera don't pitch in any games, but Robinson and Matos pitch in 3 each... I want Summers to pitch more, I figure he could be our #5 starter, and probably would be if I was running the staff.

Phil Davis has hit .282-4-12 since coming over and the big thing is he has scored 12 runs in 19 games. I brought him here to score runs and that is just what he has done. He has only 2 steals (in 3 attempts) in his 19 games here, and I have to say that is a little disappointing. Maybe Patterson needs to free the reigns a little bit.

I can tell that I am not 100% sold on this season yet or I just am not believing yet, as I keep on thinking about the off-season or trying to figure what I can do to make us better... yet there we are tied for first 9 games over .500. I just hope we can maintain this. Are you getting excited? The fans in Chadds Ford are with our fan interest soaring now I just have to jump on the bad wagon. I am not sold just yet.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 71-34 .676 (+20.0)
DE Northern: Christiana Blue Hens/Chadds Ford Cannons: 56-49 .533 (+6.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 64-41 .610 (+13.0)
WC: Christiana Blue Hens (DEN)/Chadds Ford Cannons (DEN): 56-49 .533 (+5.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 64-41 .610 (+4.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 70-35 .667 (+11.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 60-45 .571 (+13.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 60-45 .571 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Ray Green, Newark Millers: 9-22, 5 HR's, 10 RBI's
MarVa: Stefan Wetl, Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: 13-25, 2 HR's, 7 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Richmond Cardinals (137.0)
2) Seaford Blue Jays (134.7)
3) Georgetown Sixteens (112.7)
4) Norfolk Cavaliers (111.9)
5) Annapolis Admirals (103.9)

News:
Dover Generals: Old friend, and now 34-years-old, Leonard Lawson collected hit number 2000. Lawson now has 2003 hits, 296 HR's, and 1058 RBI's during his 15-year-career.
Norfolk Cavaliers: 1B Oliver Ramos has decided to donate 1/10 of his 2036 salary to the American Cancer Society.
Georgetown Sixteens: 2B Carlos Lopez who has been out since April suffered a set-back during his rehab and will now be out at least another 5-weeks.
Milton Brewers: 2B Pedro Perez was struggling this season (.188-0-3) for the Brewers and due to that he decided to try an experimental eye surgery. The recover time will take 4-6 weeks... the day after the surgery the Brewers released Perez.
Ellicott City Express: MR Henry Ward will miss the rest of the year with shoulder inflammation. The 26-year-old was 3-0 4.20 1 SV since joining the Express.
Baltimore Barons: Lost OF Rafael Estrada for 4-weeks with a sprained ankle. Estrada sprained his ankle a defensive play. He was hitting .292-3-21 on the year in 79 games.
New Castle Colonials: Sent prospect SP Coy Evans (7-9 4.54, #52) to the Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs for OF Matthew Bennett (.321/.364/.458, 5 HR).
King George Royals: Acquired SP Robert England (4-8 5.11) from the Salisbury Ports (.258/.344/.449, 14 HR).
New Castle Colonials: OF Edgardo Perdnard has joined the Colonials after spending most of the season in AAA. He cost the Colonials 2B Evan Gowing (.323/.337/.409, HR) who joins the Seaford Blue Jays.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: In the last deal before the deadline the Surf Dawgs sent OF Terry Greer (.242/.320/.582, 6 HR, #143) to the Chesapeake Blue Crabs for MR Adrian Padgett (1-1 4.75, SV).

[illeracula]

Week 18
Current Week: 6-1 (62-50 .554 / +3.0)
Next Week: 3 @ Christiana Blue Hens, 3 @ Wilmington Iron Pigs
Power Ranking: 4 (109.5, +3)
Fan Interest: 73 (+1)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 39-25 .609
Away: 23-25 .479

Runs Scored: 494 (t5th)
Avg: .262 (2nd)
HR: 131 (t6th)
SB: 40 (11th)
Runs Against: 474 (5th)
Starters ERA: 4.05 (4th)
Pen ERA: 3.80 (6th)
Def Eff: .707 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Eugene Todd: .471-1-3 (8-17), 2B, 5 R, BB, 2 HBP, .550 OBP, .706 SLG
Pitching: Jonathan Loeffler: 5 G, 5 SV, 4.2 IP, H, 2 BB, 5 K, .064 WHIP

Week 18:
Game 106: Wilmington 5, Chadds Ford 7
Ying-Hua Ji: 4.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, BB, 3 K
Bill Summers (1-0): 2.1 IP, H, BB, 3 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 27): 1.0 IP, BB, K
Giovanni Smith: 2-4, 2B, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 1-3, HR (12), 2 R, RBI
Shunen Koyama: 3-4, 2 R
Howard Porter: 4-5, 2B
Pete Davis: 2-5, R, 2 RBI
H: 15, LOB: 7

Game 107: Wilmington 1, Chadds Ford 3
Nobukazu (3-3): 8.0 IP, 4 H, R, 9 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 28): 1.0 IP, BB, K
Matt Douglas: 2-4, 2B
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3, HR (17), R, RBI
Eugene Todd: 1-2, HR (10), R, 2 RBI
H: 4, LOB: 4

Game 108: Wilmington 5, Chadds Ford 4
Eric Harmon (6-9): 7.2 IP, 11 H, 5 R, BB, 6 K
Pete Davis: 1-3, R, RBIK
Ricardo Bravo: 2-4, 3B, 2 RBI
Giovanni Smith: 1-2, 2B, R
H: 8, LOB: 7

Game 109: Newark 4, Chadds Ford 5
Robert Shepherd (9-10): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 BB, 11 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 29): 1.0 IP, H
Giovanni Smith: 1-4, 3B, R
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 2B, R
Shunen Koyama: 1-4, 2B, 3 RBI
H: 7, LOB: 7

Game 110: Newark 1, Chadds Ford 3
Gehrig Pearl (2-2): 7.0 IP, 4 H, R, BB, 6 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 30): 1.0 IP, K
Leon Hernandez: 2-3, 2B, RBI
Pete Davis: 1-3, R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 5

Game 111: Newark 4, Chadds Ford 5 (10 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 7.0 IP, 6 H, R, BB, 10 K
Pedro Rivera (BS 1): 0.1 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER
Bill Summers (2-0): 1.2 IP, 2 BB, K
Ricardo Bravo: 1-3, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Bo Keller: 2-5, HR (1), R, 2 RBI
Eugene Todd: 2-4, R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 6

Game 112: Newark 3, Chadds Ford 7
Nobukazu Higashi 4.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 9 K (left hurt)
Pedro Rivera (2-1): 3.1 IP, 3 H, R, 3 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 31): 0.2 IP, 2 K
Naofumi Ohyashi: 2-5, HR (18), R, RBI
Howard Porter: 4-5, 2 HR (10), 2 R, 3 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 1-4, HR (13), R, RBI
Hank Davis: 1-4, HR (18), R, RBI
Raul Garcia: 2-3, R
H: 15, LOB: 9



Transactions:
Demoted 2B Mu-sang Kim to Triple A San Juan.
Placed 1B Naofumi Ohayashi on the active roster.
Activated 1B Naofumi Ohayashi from the disabled list.

Eugene Todd will head back to the back-up 1B, LF and DH. He will still get his AB's, and Ohayashi will take over 1B duties. Todd is having a solid season .286-9-32 and has earned his AB's. He gives me some nice depth on the bench and good bat for the future.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 6-weeks
OF Julio Casanes, sprained knee, 11-day DL, 6-weeks
3B Howard Porter, back stiffness, DtD, 1-day left
SP Nobukazu Higashi, diagnosis pending

**The fear flags went up when Higashi walked off the field in pain. William Blair, our trainer, meet him on the field and ushered him into the clubhouse. From there Blair decided to send him to Wilmington (DE) Hospital for a more in-depth look. The team, the fans and most of all Nobukazu are waiting for the final diagnosis. Higashi just made a comeback after a 10-month baseball-less streak with a stretched elbow tendon, so the nerves are running high... Most likely I will put him on the 11-day while we wait for the offical diagnosis. I am hoping for a 1-day injury.

Other/Roster News:


GM Notes:
We are on a hot streak and I am starting to think it is time to jump on thd bandwagon. It seems like the only thing that is going top us is injuries... last week it was Julio Casanes (possible for the season) and this week it is our #3 Higashi whose status is still unknown. We have some depth but not that much to handle too many more injuries. I would much rather Casanes in the OF than Giovanni Smith, Ricardo Bravo and Eugene Todd. Not that they are bad, but they aren't Julio.

This coming week we start off with a chance to gain a few more games as we take on the #2 team in the division the Blue Hens. And the worst part is our top probalby won't be making an appearnace with Ji pitching 2 days ago, Shepherd 4 and Higashi out. I have to hope that the bottom of our staff (and probably Juan Cuesta) can put together some quality starts. We are only up by 3 and I would love to be up by more when this week ends.

I have questioned a lot about my time here, but I feel now this team is proving to me that maybe I haven't made that many 'bad' deals. I have made some, but now look where we are? I wanted to build from within and I still think can over the next year or two. Right now we have 6 drafted players on the roster, which is pretty awesome...

We are on pace to crush our attendance record, as long as we can continue to win... we have a small market, but these guys really like to see winners. And as long as we win the fan interest will stay high... then again its not very often you see fan interest stay high when you don't win.

I am amazed by the way Robert Shepherd has pitched this year and I just hope he can make it through 2 more months. It is pretyt amazing that he has a losing record 9-10 despite posting a 2.89 ERA and a 0.97 WHIP. Hopefully he will be able to pull some W's over the next 8 starts and end up in the talks for the Golden Arm Award. He deserves it he has been the ace of our team...

Fifty more games, a magic number of 48 and injuries to two of our top players... can we keep us this pace? Is it feasible? After our first month and a half I was ready to right this team off, and now here we are in the thick of things. Is this really happening? I wonder what the turn around was. Can a manager really have that much impact? Was Sweetapple really that terrible? Ever since he left the team I haven't heard any complaints so maybe he was. Crazy.

I came to Chadds Ford in 2030 with a goal to win the playoffs. I don't think we will this year, not that it isn't possible, but if we can make the playoffs that will be a HUGE step in the right direction.

How long has it been since I did a weekly write-up without complaining about something? The attitudes around here are changing.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 76-35 .685 (+19.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 62-50 .554 (+3.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 69-43 .616 (+15.0)
WC: Christiana Blue Hens (DEN): 59-53 .527 (+1.5)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 67-45 .598 (+3.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 75-36 .676 (+14.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 65-7 .580 (+13.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 64-48 .571 (+2.5)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Oreste Pigafetta, Newark Millers: 11-22, 3 HR's, 12 RBI's
MarVa: Tyrone Jackson, Martinsburg Mountaineers: 12-21, 3 HR's, 9 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (134.2)
2) Richmond Cardinals (128.6)
3) Georgetown Sixteens (117.9)
4) Chadds Ford Cannons (109.6)
5) Norfolk Cavaliers (109.5)

News:
Baltimore Barons: 22-year-old star in the making SS Jaime Guerrero went 5-5 during a 6-0 win against the Salisbury Ports. The SS is hitting .342-1-8 in 52 games this season.
Georgetown Sixteens: OF Jason Atkins reached 400 HR's for his career. The 35-year-old was once a yearly MVP candidate, but injuries have slowed him down. Despite his struggles in 2036 he was happy to finally reach he milestone.
Annapolis Admirals: The Admirals have one of the games most powerful lineup, and it was on display this week when Leo O'Conner crushed 3-HR's against the Salisbury Ports. With those 3 HR's the Admirals now have 3 players with 30 or more HR's on the season (Pena: 25, Moore: 34).
Newark Millers: Lost SP Edward Scott for the season. The 36-year-old was shut down after he was diagnosed with a stretched elbow ligament. The Millers ace (12-7 3.35) hopes to return next season (out 9-10 months).
Salisbury Ports: There are rumors swirling around the DBL that after 20 losing seasons the Ports may 1) relocate or 2) the owner will be forced to sell. The Ports were part of the 2013 expansion have yet to accomplish a winning season. Their best season was 79 W's which they did 2 times in 2023 and 2024. Last year they lost 109 games and this season they are on pace to lose over 100 again. If they do it will the 9th time in team history. Owner Marvin Park, a Salisbury Native, has deflected all questions regarding the future of the team. No team has ever relocated in DBL history.

[illeracula]

Week 19
Current Week: 5-1 (67-51 .568 / +5.0)
Next Week: 2 vs Cape May Beacons, 4 @ Milton Brewers
Power Ranking: 3 (114.2, +1)
Fan Interest: 74 (+1)
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 39-25 .609
Away: 28-26 .519

Runs Scored: 530 (4th)
Avg: .261 (2nd)
HR: 139 (6th)
SB: 43 (11th)
Runs Against: 496 (4th)
Starters ERA: 4.02 (4th)
Pen ERA: 3.72 (6th)
Def Eff: .710 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Giovanni Smith: .500-1-5 (7-14), 2 R, 2 BB
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 2-0 1.17, 15.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 18 Ks

Week 19:
Game 113: Chadds Ford 3, Christiana 2
Robert Shepherd (10-10): 8.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 7 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 32): 1.0 IP, K
Naofumi Ohyashi: 3-4
Hank Davis: 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI
H: 7, LOB: 9

Game 114: Chadds Ford 5, Christiana 6 (10 Innings)
Eric Harmon: 6.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, BB, K
Nate Rice (3-3): 3.1 IP, 3 H, R, 2 K
Hank Davis: 1-1, HR (19), 2 RBI (PH)
Giovanni Smith: 2-2, HR (2), R, 2 RBI
Shunyen Koyama: 1-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Naofumi Ohyashi: 2-5, 2B
H: 8, LOB: 8

Game 115: Chadds Ford 5, Christiana 4 (12 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 7.0 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
Oscar Robinson (4-3): 4.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 3 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 33): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Naofumi Ohyashi: 1-5, HR (19), R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 3-6, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 11

Game 116: Chadds Ford 12, Wilmington 3
Juan Cuesta (3-3): 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 7 BB, 4 K
Giovanni Smith: 3-5, 3 RBI
Eugene Todd: 2-6, 2B, HR (11), 3 R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohyashi: 1-5, HR (20), R, 2 RBI
Donald Hampton: 2-5, 2 R, 2 RBI
H: 15, LOB: 8

Game 117: Chadds Ford 7, Wilmington 6 (10 Innings)
Gehrig Pearl: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Jonathan Loeffler (5-3, BS 4): 2.0 IP, H, R, BB, 2 K
Giovanni Smith: 2-3, R
Matt Douglas: 1-4, HR (8), R, 2 RBI
Leon Hernandez: 1-5, R, 2 RBI
Ramon Garcia: 2-4
H: 8, LOB: 6

Game 118: Chadds Ford 4, Wilmington 1
Robert Shepherd (11-10): 7.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 11 K
Pete Davis: 2-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI
Howard Porter: 2-3, 2B, R
H: 8, LOB: 5



Transactions:
Placed SP Nobukazu Higashi on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 08/10/2036.
Purchased the contract of SP Juan Cuesta from Triple A San Juan.

The injury to Higashi is a tough one to take... and now we have 2 rookies in the starting rotaiton. Hopefully they will be up for the challenge.

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 4-weeks
OF Julio Casanes, sprained knee, 11-day DL, 4-weeks
SP Nobukazu Higashi, bone spur (elbow) surgery, 11-day DL, 4-5 months

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
Pitching pitching pitching, that is what is keeping us going. So as long as our bats can continue to score runs for these guys we should be alright. There will be a lot of pressure on Gehrig and Pearl the final 2 months of the season. Rookies in a pennant race, could get really interesting, since they will be in the spotlight.

Eric Harmon has been rather inconsistent this season. Last year his first in the bigs he went 12-16 4.54 in 34 starts, but this year he has only managed a 6-9 5.05 record. The biggest difference is more grounders are getting through, his BABIP went from .282 to .307, which in turn has increased his WHIP from 1.32 to 1.48. Not bad stats, but still not good enough. I am just hoping this is a sophomore slump and he will work his way through it and bounce back next year. Or if we are lucky he will find his groove the final 1 1/2 months of the season. He is my #3 now so I would like to see some consistency, in a positive way.

I have a dilemma going on right now. Should I offer 38-year-old Shunen Koyama a contract for 2037. He is hitting .255-9-31, but according to our scout he shouldn't be in the bigs. He plays 3 positions "ok" and he is a well known clubhouse presence. He won't cost much, just a roster slot and I am not sure I am ready to give that up... but with expansion hitting in 2037 it might be wise for me to sign him.

MR Dani Rubio and OF Julio Casanes will be coming off in mid-September. I am not sure what to do with them. I am guessing Rubio will need to be sent down to AAA after missing 4-months, but Casanes coming back after 6-weeks. Will he be better than Smith? It is September, but activating him will take Smith out of the lineup and the way he is playing right now I am not sure I can do that... looks like I will have a tough decision or two coming up.

We should have one more big week and then we head off into the tough competition with 2 games against division leaders Georgetown and Seaford... Then comes September which is going to be a rough month. We play a group of tough teams from the Admirals, Cavaliers, and Braves. That will be the month that will make or break us. The pressure will be on the rookies (Todd, Ohayashi, Smith, Cuesta, Pearl, and Matos). How will they hold up? Is Patterson going to be able to keep this team in check? I am hoping for a strong August finish, which should put us in a great slot of September. The Division is in our reach, and it is ours to lose. I just hope we can hold on.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 81-37 .686 (+21.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 67-51 .568 (+5.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 73-45 .619 (+15.0)
WC: Christiana Blue Hens (DEN): 62-56 .525 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 71-47 .602 (+3.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 80-38 .678 (+14.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 68-50 .576 (+14.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 68-50 .576 (+2.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Anibal Corona, Seaford Blue Jays: 11-28, 4 HR's, 11 RBI's, 8 R's
MarVa: Javier Ramirez, Ellicott City Express: 9-17, 4 HR's, 10 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (128.6)
2) Richmond Cardinals (128.0)
3) Chadds Ford Cannons (114.2)
4) Georgetown Sixteens (112.4)
5) Washington Senators (111.3)

News:
Annapolis Admirals: Catcher Alonso Sierra hit HR #300 of his career during a 7-3 win against the Senators. At 30-years-old there should be a lot more HR's left in his bat.
Norfolk Cavaliers: Lost MR Gus James for 3-weeks with a sore shoulder. James was 1-2 2.08 with a save in 21 games this year.
New Castle Colonials: OF Teagan Welshman is still trying to prove he belongs in the bigs, and 5 for 5 does a lot to prove he does. Welsh went 5-5 against the Generals during a 13-3 victory.

Wood King of the Hill, No-Hits Royals:
Joey Wood was untouchable today at Kauffman Stadium, displaying a good fastball and wicked breaking balls in his 3-0 win against the King George Royals. The Richmond hurler did not allow a single hit, fanning 9 while walking 4. "This is great," Wood told reporters after the game. "Every pitcher wants a no-hitter. I just wanted the win but the no-hitter is a little extra icing on the victory cake." To date this season Wood is 7-4 with 11 starts and an ERA of 2.94 with 88 strikeouts in 95 innings.

[illeracula]

Week 20
Current Week: 4-2 (71-53 .573 / +7.0)
Next Week: 2 @ Georgetown Sixteens, 2 vs Seaford Blue Jays, 3 @ Cape May Beacons
Power Ranking: 5 (108.1, -2)
Fan Interest: 74
Owners Mood: Good
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 40-26 .606
Away: 31-27 .534

Runs Scored: 555 (5th)
Avg: .259 (3rd)
HR: 145 (6th)
SB: 45 (11th)
Runs Against: 516 (4th)
Starters ERA: 3.96 (4th)
Pen ERA: 3.77 (6th)
Def Eff: .713 (4th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Phil Davis: .304-2-3 (7-23), 3B, 7 R, SB
Pitching: Gehrig Pearl: 1 GS, 1-0 0.00, 9.0 IP, H, 5 K

Week 20:
Game 119: Cape May 8, Chadds Ford 1
Eric Harmon (6-10): 7.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, BB, K
Howard Porter: 2-4
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3, HR (21), R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 9

Game 120: Cape May 3, Chadds Ford 10
Ying-Hua Ji (11-6): 7.2 IP, 11 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 3 K
Donald Hampton: 1-1, HR (11), R, 4 RBI, 3 BB
Pete Davis: 2-5, HR (15), 2 R, RBI
Eugene Todd: 1-3, HR (12), R, RBI
Naofumi Oyhashi: 3-4, 2B, R, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 6

Game 121: Chadds Ford 7, Milton 2
Juan Cuesta (4-3): 8.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB, 5 K
Howard Porter: 2-4, HR (12), 2 R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-5, 2B, 3B, R, 2 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 2-4, R
Howard Porter: 2-4, HR (12), 2 R, 3 RBI
H: 10, LOB: 5

Game 122: Chadds Ford 3, Milton 1
Robert Shepherd (12-10): 7.1 IP, 4 H, R, 2 BB, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 34): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Pete Davis: 3-4, 3B, 2 R
Hank Davis: 2-4, 2 RBI
H: 8, LOB: 6

Game 123: Chadds Ford 1, Milton 0
Gehrig Pearl (3-2): 9.0 IP, H, 4 BB, 5 K
Donald Hampton: 2-3
Matt Douglas: 0-2, SF, RBI
H: 5, LOB: 6

Game 124: Chadds Ford 3, Milton 6
Eric Harmon (6-11): 6.2 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Donald Hampton: 2-4
Giovanni Smith: 2-3, 2B, R
Pete Davis: 1-4, HR (16), R, 2 RBI
H: 6, LOB: 3



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 3-weeks
OF Julio Casanes, sprained knee, 11-day DL, 3-weeks
SP Nobukazu Higashi, bone spur (elbow) surgery, 11-day DL, 4 months

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
For a small market with an average fan loyalty base I have to admit I am quite excited to see us at #3 in total attendance. I am shocked to see we are actually averaging over 40K per game! We should and with 16 home games left we may break our 3.070 million we had last season.

I talked about how I needed Eric Harmon to step up, but last he got rocked. Losing both of his starts and giving up 15 hits and 9 runs in 13.2 innings pitched. His opponents hit .283 against him... I am really torn about having him continue as my #3 starter, but I still he is better than throwing another rookie in the mix. Right?

I am glad to see our pitching coming around. It is nice to see us in the top 5 in runs against and ERA's. The bullpen has had a great year after an dismal start. Oscar Robinson (4-3 2.34) and Jorge Matos (7-1 2.29) have been lights out for our closer Jonathan Loeffler (34 SV, 2.47) who finally found his groove. Loeffler went 16-games (June 6th to August 16th) with out giving up a run. After an awful first month (0-1 8.44, 5 SV) he turned himself around and has been lights out the last 3-months (June: 2-0 7 SV, 1.38; July 0-0 0.82, 9 SV; Aug: 1-0 0.66, 9 SV). After a start that had me almost trade him he is on his way to break his own team record of 38 saves. Makes you wonder where would we be if he has been this hot all season long.

This week we head in to Georgetown, then home against Seaford, and then back into Cape May. This is going to be a TOUGH week for us. Georgetown and Seaford are the best teams in the Delaware Conference and Cape May, no matter how bad they are, have always given us trouble. If we can finish this week, the last of August, as well as we have played the rest of the month we will be in great shape to walk away with a title. I would like to lose less than 3-games so we can better our July record of 17-8 (17-5 in Aug). We were predicted to win 87 games, I wonder if we can hit that mark still.

I have no idea why we can't score more runs. We have the 3rd best average and OBP in the DE Conference, we are 3rd in walks and still only 5th in runs. Maybe it is our lack of HR's, 6th, or our strikeouts, which is 4th, that is the problem. Whatever it is I am shocked. As well as we get on base, we have just never been able to score. Hank Davis our leading RBI man is hitting .227 with runners in scoring position, and our top hitter Matt Douglas is hitting only .248. We have to do better than that, stats like that boggle my mind.

So far the injury to Higashi hasn't been 'that' detrimental to this club. I am worried about how it will go the final month. When September rolls around we will see some September call-ups as our AAA team the Hibiscus are 8 games out and its not looking good for them... the Question is however who?

After a slow start in AAA 3B Tully Maxwell (2036 #1 pick) has started to heat up and is now hitting .319-7-17. He will most likely be my starting 3B next season. He has just an amazing run up the ladder. It will take a lot from me NOT to call him up in September... however if an injury happens he could be the first to get the call.

Lets end this month on a high note and take this momentum right into September and win this division. I am shocked we are this close, but I am also really excited.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 83-41 .669 (+20.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 71-53 .573 (+7.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 75-49 .605 (+12.0)
WC: Christiana Blue Hens (DEN): 64-60 .516 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 77-48 .616 (+5.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 82-43 .656 (+14.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 74-51 .592 (+16.0)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 72-53 .576 (+4.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Naoaki Okubo, Georgetown Sixteens: 10-20, 3 HR's, 5 RBI's
MarVa: Manuel Miranda, Washington Senators: 13-29, 7 HR's, 12 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Seaford Blue Jays (121.5)
2) Washington Senators (120.9)
3) Norfolk Cavaliers (117.6)
4) Richmond Cardinals (114.1)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons (108.1)

News:
Washington Senators: OF Rafael Piedade one of the leagues best hitters went 5-5 during a 4-0 victory over the express.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: OF Parker Brow got some bad news. He will be out the rest of the season with a torn laburm. He hopes to be back in time for opening day 2037. On the year he is hitting .289-9-42.
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Lefty Rodney Glatz struck out 15 Express this week during a 7-3 win. Glatz is only the third player to hit that mark in the MarVa Conference. Joining Matt Hollis and Paul Brown (who did it 5 times).
Lewes Braves: 38-year-old OF Ricardo Hidalgo picked up hit number 2500 during a 8-2 victory over the Blue Hens. Hidalgo is a shoe in for the Hall with 2500 hits and 650 HR's.
Milford Clippers: The all-time K leader won game number 250 this week, during a 4-1 win over the Newark Millers. Gonzalez is now 11 games behind Miguel Contreras for the all-time record. May believe the 33-year-old has a good shot at hitting the 300 mark!
Ellicott City Express: Catcher Javier Ramirez picked up a hit against the Blue Crabs extending his hitting streak to 20-games. The catcher is hitting .275-17-68 on the season.
Ellicott City Express: 40-year-old MR Bob McCord is done for season. McCord will miss 8-9 months with a torn flexor tendon. This could sign the end of a career for McCord who has a career record of 154-121 4.30, with 37 saves over 755 games, 309 of which were starts.

[illeracula]

Week 21
Current Week: 7-0 (78-53 .595 / +10.0)
Next Week: 2 @ New Castle Colonials, 4 vs Lewes Braves
Power Ranking: 1 (122.2, +4)
Fan Interest: 74
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 42-26 .618
Away: 36-27 .571

Runs Scored: 590 (5th)
Avg: .260 (4th)
HR: 155 (6th)
SB: 52 (11th)
Runs Against: 532 (4th)
Starters ERA: 3.86 (3rd)
Pen ERA: 3.70 (5th)
Def Eff: .713 (4th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Howard Porter: .345-3-8 (10-29), 3 2B, 5 R
Hitting: Shunen Koyama: .385-4-7 (10-26), 3 2B, 8 R
Pitching: Jonathan Loeffler: 5 G, 0-0 0.00, 5 SV, 4.2 IP, 5 K

Week 21:
Game 125: Chadds Ford 8, Georgetown 5
Ying-Hua Ji (12-6): 6.2 IP, 6 H, 5 R, BB, 4 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (SV 35): 1.0 IP, H, 2 BB, K
Pete Davis: 3-4, 2B, 4 RBI
Shunen Koyama: 1-3, HR (10), 2 R, RBI
Howard Porter: 2-4, HR (13), R, RBI
Hank Daivs: 2-5, 2B, HR (20), 2 R, RBI
Giovanni Smith: 2-4, 2B, 2 R
H: 13, LOB: 6

Game 126: Chadds Ford 5, Georgetown 0
Juan Cuesta (5-3): 9.0 IP, 5 H, BB, 2 K
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 3B, R, RBI
Howard Porter: 2-4, 2B, HR (14), 2 R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, 2B
H: 8, LOB: 8

Game 127: Seaford 3, Chadds Ford 6
Robert Shepherd (13-10): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 36): 1.0 IP, H
Phil Davis: 2-4, 2 R, 2 SB
Shunen Koyama: 4-4, 3 2B, R, RBI
Juan Guzman: 1-4, HR (1), R, 2 RBI
H: 11, LOB: 6

Game 128: Seaford 2, Chadds Ford 5
Gehrig Pearl (4-2): 8.1 IP, 9 H, R, BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 37): 0.2 IP, H
Howard Porter: 3-3, 2B, HR (15), R, 4 RBI
Eugene Todd: 2-3, R
H: 8, LOB: 6

Game 129: Chadds Ford 3, Cape May 1
Eric Harmon (7-11): 8.2 IP, 6 H, R, 3 BB, 4 K
Oscar Robinson (SV 1): 0.1 IP, H, BB
Matt Douglas: 1-2, 3B, R
Hank Davis: 2-3, RBI
Howard Porter: 1-4, 2B, R
H: 6, LOB: 5

Game 130: Chadds Ford 3, Cape May 1 (10 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji (13-6): 9.0 IP, 8 H, R, BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 38): 1.0 IP, BB, 2 K
Shunen Koyama: 2-4, 2 HR (12), 2 R, 3 RBI
H: 5, LOB: 3

Game 131: Chadds Ford 5, Cape May 4 (10 Innings)
Juan Cuesta: 7.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 3 BB, K
Oscar Robinson (5-3): 2.0 IP, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 39): 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 K
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 3B, HR (9), R, RBI
Shunen Koyama: 2-5, HR (13), 2 R, RBI
Leon Hernandez: 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI
Raul Garcia: 1-4, 2 R
H: 14, LOB: 11



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
CL Dani Rubio, torn laburm, 11-day DL, 2-weeks
OF Julio Casanes, sprained knee, 11-day DL, 1-2 weeks
SP Nobukazu Higashi, bone spur (elbow) surgery, 11-day DL, 4 months

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
I am not sure what happened this month with these guys, but I will take it. After such a bad start we just made it through August at 24-5! I am not sure I did that good during my hay-day in Norfolk. I am not sure what is going on, but we are riding high and I have to say I am amazed to see us on the top of the power rankings! We are riding high here in Chadds Ford. I don't think we will stay at #1, but to say we peaked at #1 is quite impressive, especially for an expansion team from just a few seasons back. The Royals, another expansion team from 2030, were supposed to be contenders this season as well, but they imploded and were never able to battle back as we have. That is the difference, the young guys in Chadds Ford have performed and are proving themselves to be legit. Have we finally turned that corner?

Here we head into September #1 in our division with a really handy lead. Can we hold off the competition? Win the division head into the playoffs? Or will we crash and burn? We have continued to get better over the year, which is just something I have no reason why.
April: 7-14 .333
May: 14-15 .483
June: 16-11 .593
July: 17-8 .680
August: 24-5 .828

This was a month to remember... What to attribute these W's too? The new manager Bill Patterson? The acquisition of Phil Davis? The removal of Ramon Cruz or John Robertson from the lineup? Having true leaders like Shunen Koyama and Pedro Rivera? Maybe it has just been a combination of them all... whatever it is I will take it.

Look at these starters for August: Cuesta: 3-0; Ji: 3-0;, Pearl: 3-0; Shepherd: 6-0, and then you have Jonathan Loeffler who picked up 14 saves! I am just blow away by the way this team has come together and the way they have played.

The big question is do I bring up anyone for September? I am worried about breaking up the clubhouse and the continuity of this team. I do look forward to getting Casanes back. I am thinking about bringing Rubio back too, but in a limited role. And that might be all the changes I make... at least until we clinch (if we do), then maybe we will bring up some more players.

This is pretty crazy, but quite exciting. After the way this team started to be where we are right now to have a chance to take home a division title, to be #1 in the power rankings to have a 10 game lead. This all has happened way too fast, I really didn't think it would happen to us, at least not in 2036.

That is really all I have to say. A lot of positive cheering and back-patting, but now it gets real. Now is the time to prove we are contenders and not pretenders. This is when the fun begins.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Seaford Blue Jays: 84-47 .641 (+18.0, M14)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 78-53 .595 (+10.0, M22)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 79-52 .603 (+11.0, M21)
WC: Christiana Blue Hens (DEN)/Lewes Braves (DEA): 68-63 .519 (+2.0, M32)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 82-49 .626 (+6.0, M26)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 84-47 .641 (+12.0, M20)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 76-55 .580 (+15.0, M17)
WC: Annapolis Admirals (MVB): 78-55 .580 (+4.0, M28)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Naoaki Okubo, Georgetown Sixteens: 14-24, 4 HR's, 9 RBI's
MarVa: Alonso Sierra, Annapolis Admirals: 8-19, 6 HR's, 11 RBI's, 7 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Chadds Ford Cannons (122.2)
2) Washington Senators (120.7)
3) Georgetown Sixteens (111.5)
4) Richmond Cardinals (109.4)
5) Annapolis Admirals (108.4)

News:
Milton Brewers: Lost SS Gordon Purkis for the rest of the year. Purkis was hitting .216-11-24 on the season before going down with a broken kneecap.
Washington Senators: Lost 22-year-old CF Salvador Espinoza for the 5-6 weeks with shoulder inflammation. The CF, who is in his 3rd season, is hitting .262-0-37 on the year.
Annapolis Admirals: Took a blow to their starting rotation when it was announced that SP William Dyer was out for the season. Dyer was 15-6 3.39 leading the Admirals on their chase for divisional supremacy.
Dover Generals: OF Leonard Lawson joined a small group of players who have 2000 hits and 300 HR's. Lawson collected HR #300 this week with a go-ahead 9th inning grand-slam against the Braves.
Annapolis Admirals: Catcher Alonso Sierra picked up a hit for the 25th straight game.
Baltimore Barons: OF Sergio Rodriguez is one of the games best hitters when he is in the lineup, however, he won't be in the lineup anymore this season after suffering a herniated disc. The 32-year-old hit only.271-2-45 on the year.