The Finger Lakes League

[Mach_1]

Being a racing fan, I'll have to root for Watkins Glen ....

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Mach_1

Being a racing fan, I'll have to root for Watkins Glen ....

The Bucks appreciate your support, Mach_1. I've seen a few races at the Glen myself.

Thanks for the comment...there's some big news involving your team coming right up!

[Big Six]

January 21, 1908

Until now, the six teams of the Finger Lakes League had remained fairly quiet during the offseason. A few managers were fired, and a handful of reserves were traded, but that was all.

Not so during the winter of 1907-1908. The hot stove has been stoked with plenty of fuell, as two of the league’s most productive hitters were sent packing, in separate deals that involved the same two teams!

Nobody was surprised to see the Penn Yan Brawlers making some changes, on the heels of two straight losing seasons. The news that broke on December 15, 1907 was shocking, nonetheless. The Brawlers traded two-time Outstanding Batter winner Mike Young to the Watkins Glen Bucks in exchange for infielder Eddie Ferguson and promising 20-year-old 3B Eugene Allen.

Young, the league’s all-time leader in on base percentage, slugging average, OPS, and RBI, has a lifetime average of .342. At age 36, he is probably in the twilight of his career, but his formidable talents appear to be intact. Ferguson, who can play any infield position and won two Gold Gloves at third base, is useful, but he’s the same age as Young. The real prize for the Brawlers is Allen, the #2 prospect at his position in the league.

The Bucks and Brawlers weren’t done yet. Today, the Bucks shipped RF Neil Byers, who hit .331 and led the league with 73 RBI in ’07, and teenaged outfielder Bryan Griggs to Penn Yan in exchange for 25-year-old righthander Kevin Singleton. Byers hasn’t been quite as productive as Young, but he is in his prime at age 29. Singleton lacks the endurance to be a front-line starter, but the Bucks believe they can use him in relief.

Unless Young’s booming bat powers the Bucks back into the Series, it’s hard to see how they got much from this deal. Both youngsters Watkins Glen gave away, Allen and Griggs, have the potential to be regular players, at least. Byers could fill the cleanup spot for Penn Yan for nearly a decade to come. We’ll see how this all turns out.

[Big Six]

April 6, 1908

As the Finger Lakes League season gets underway, several teams will be trying to compensate for the loss of veteran players who injured themselves during spring training. The outlook on that front is gloomiest for Canandaigua and Seneca Falls.

Although LF Chris May has slipped lately, the Canandaigua Ice Cats still consider him a solid, everyday player. On March 14, he tore a rib cage muscle, and doctors fear he might miss the entire 1908 season. In fact, his ability to play at anything resembling his previous level of skill is in serious jeopardy.

Cartilage damage in his knee will sideline Seneca Falls slugger Marc St. John for the first three weeks or so. St. John is 39, but he seems to be healing well, and the Sheepdogs hope he’ll be back at full strength when he returns. St.John hit .310 with 69 RBI in 1907.

Geneva (17-7) and Penn Yan (15-9) had the best records in spring training contests this season. For fans of the Brawlers, any success of this sort is encouraging. Manager Donovan Ivey claims his team will be ready to carry their success over to the regular season. Prize prospects RF Ronald Brady (.370) and 2B Nick Wells (.324) have staked solid claims to spots on the Opening Day roster with their performance so far. Southpaw Robinson Rodriguez has been lights-out during the preaseason, allowing only one earned run in 24 innings.

Geneva is being led by a new pilot this year, 39-year-old Gene Adams. 3B Tony Powell (.350) has been swinging a hot bat for the Green Sox, while last year’s phenom, RHP Casey Ladner, has been impressive as well, striking out 20 batters in 24 spring innings. Ladner’s 2.63 ERA indicates a return to less superhuman levels of performance, however. Two other Geneva hurlers, Raul Alonso and Eric Cote, with ERAs of 0.90 and 1.13 respectively, have been nothing short of incredible, however.

Watkins Glen CF Donnie Oliver might be showing signs of a return to stardom, with a .298 average, two home runs, and a .903 OPS. Waterloo C Al Williams stroked 22 hits, best among all batters in preseason games.

[Dr. Wu]

Originally Posted by Big Six

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

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

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

Thanks again for the comments!

Hey, Big Six. Long time reader, first time poster here. The FLL seems to be up to your usual high-quality standards.

I assume you're running the league in OOTP 9. If you convert to 10, you can limit the size of the reserve rosters, which might help with the stockpiling of talent on the reserve squads.

Looking forward to seeing how the '08 season plays out!

[woodfeld]

Originally Posted by Big Six

SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wa hoo! Go Sheepdogs! Hopefully it's the first of many for them. Hill is a stud, he was robbed of the MOB, but that's alright as he's taking home the championship trophy. Is he the career leader in SB? Is he also a good defensive CF?

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by Dr. Wu

Hey, Big Six. Long time reader, first time poster here. The FLL seems to be up to your usual high-quality standards.

I assume you're running the league in OOTP 9. If you convert to 10, you can limit the size of the reserve rosters, which might help with the stockpiling of talent on the reserve squads.

Looking forward to seeing how the '08 season plays out!

Thanks for your kind words, Dr. Wu. It's good to hear from you, and I hope you'll continue enjoying the story!

I'm actually running the FLL in OOTP8. Version 9 came out when money was particularly tight around my house, and I never bought it. I'm probably going to buy OOTP10 in the next few weeks, now that I see that its owners are generally happy with it.

Right now, all the teams have between 31-38 players on their reserve lists. I think I'm going to create one minor league affiliate per team, because I like having some minor league stats to look at.

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by woodfeld

Wa hoo! Go Sheepdogs! Hopefully it's the first of many for them. Hill is a stud, he was robbed of the MOB, but that's alright as he's taking home the championship trophy. Is he the career leader in SB? Is he also a good defensive CF?

The Sheepdogs really put it together in 1907, didn't they? Roger Hopkins was a huge addition to their team, and if Dennis Williams hadn't been hurt they might have won 100 games.

You're right; Ryan Hill is a tremendous player. If I'd been selecting the awards myself (which, incidentally, I'm going to start doing), I'd have picked him for the '07 MOB.

Ryan has stolen 181 bases in four years. He ranks fourth all-time in that category, behind Karl Winston (265), Francisco Rivera (288), and Duane Blackburn (184). Winston has never stolen fewer than 61 sacks in a year, while Hill's best season total is 62.

Hill is average defensively. He lacks the range of some centerfielders, but his arm is strong and he catches almost everything he gets his hands on. At age 29, Hill should be in his prime, and should delight Sheepdogs fans for years to come.

Thanks for your comment, woodfeld. I'm going to edit Ryan Hill's popularity ratings to reflect the fact that he seems to be acquiring some fans.

[Big Six]

July 1, 1908

                W   L   PCT  GB
Geneva         49  31  .613  --
Waterloo       44  36  .550   5
Watkins Glen   43  37  .537   6
Seneca Falls   39  41  .487  10
Canandaigua    33  47  .412  16
Penn Yan       32  48  .400  17

The rollercoaster that carried Geneva RHP Hayden Williams from 27 wins in 1906 to 23 losses in 1907 apparently hasn’t finished its trip, and the resurgent veteran has his Green Sox firmly entrenched in first place.

Williams, the pride of Pecan Acres, Texas, is proving anyone wrong who thought he was washed up. His 15-4 record and 1.46 ERA are evidence that his 39-year-old arm isn’t worn out yet. Casey Ladner (12-7, 1.41) and Nick Myers (13-6, 1.51) are also well on their way to 20 victories, and their ERAs are among the best in a league that is dominated by pitching even more than last year. Ladner has thrown seven shutouts, giving him 14 in his first 36 career starts.

When a league hits .225, a .280 hitter like Green Sox RF Mike Gamble is a dangerous batsman. Gamble also leads the Sox in RBI with 34.

Billy Edgar, Ernesto Santos, and Billy Patrick give second-place Waterloo a trio of starters with double -figure win totals; they’ve racked up 13, 12, and 10 victories respectively. Patrick pitched the best game of the season to date on April 16, when he held Seneca Falls to one hit over 10 innings. The Finches won the game, 1-0, in the 12th inning.

Finches LF Fernando Molina leads the league with a .323 average, and RF Duane Blackburn has driven home 31 runs despite batting only .229.

Mike Young (.295) is thrilled to be playing for a contender in Watkins Glen; he’s leading the league with 40 RBI. Teammate Ken Johnston has smacked five home runs already, and looks like he could set a new single-season standard. And, as usual, the Seneca Falls duo of CF Ryan Hill (.295) and SS Robby Ward (.315) are among the league’s most productive players.

Three teams remain in serious playoff contention, with a fourth not far behind. The end of the season looks like it will provide plenty of thrills for Finger Lakes League fans.

[Big Six]

November 1, 1908

FINAL STANDINGS

TEAM            W   L   PCT  GB
Geneva         92  58  .613  --
Watkins Glen   80  70  .533  12
Waterloo       77  73  .513  15
Seneca Falls   72  78  .480  20
Canandaigua    65  85  .433  27
Penn Yan       64  86  .427  28

When the Watkins Glen Bucks acquired veteran slugger Mike Young, they made it clear that they were going all-out in their pursuit of another Seneca Cup Series title. And, when the Bucks outlasted Waterloo to sew up second place in the regular season standings, they earned the opportunity to do just that.

In their path stood the tough Geneva Green Sox, who won 92 regular-season games and finished 12 full lengths in front of their closest competitors. The strength of the Geneva club was its formidable pitching staff, with three men who could reasonably be called an ace.

As they've done in each even-numbered year since the FLL was formed, the Bucks upset the regular season champ to win the Series. The 1908 Series was the best yet, a seven-game thriller that wasn't decided until the tenth inning of the final game.

The Bucks looked at first like they'd take the Series with ease, beating Geneva 6-2 and 4-0 at the Green Sox' ballpark. The Sox managed a total of nine hits, with Armando Jimenez firing a four-hit shutout in Game Two.

The Sox battled back, winning three straight in Watkins Glen as their three best pitchers all threw brilliant games. Casey Ladner set the stage with a 6-0 shutout in Game Three, as the Sox hit Bucks southpaw stalwart Edward Daybell hard. Hayden Williams followed with a smooth 3-1 victory, outdueling Bucks star Michael Watkins. In Game Five, big Raul Alonso, backed by his teammates' ten hits, rolled to a 6-2 win that gave Geneva the Series lead.

With the Series returning to Geneva for Game Six, the Bucks found their backs to the wall. They responded as champions do, battering Geneva starter Luis Gallegos for three runs in the sixth inning en route to a 4-2 victory.

The stage was set for a classic finish, with both teams sending aces to the mound: Ladner for Geneva, Daybell for Watkins Glen. As expected, the game was a thrilling pitchers' duel, and the teams finished nine innings tied 1-1.

With one out in the top of the tenth, Bucks 2B John Pickett guided a ground ball between first and second into short right field for a single. Bucks manager Vincente Carrillo signalled for a bunt. Travis Cantrell tried twice to execute his skipper's orders, but sent both bunts foul. With two strikes, Carrillo took the bunt sign off, and Cantrell responded with a sharp line single to left.

Ladner got two quick strikes on Travis Fraser, but he left his third pitch right in Fraser's wheelhouse and the Watkins Glen shortstop drove it to the left-center field fence. Pickett and Cantrell scored, and Fraser pulled into second with what turned out to be the Series-winning hit.

Daybell was up next, and Carrillo pulled him for rookie Geoffrey Veeck in an attempt to pad the Bucks' lead. Ladner struck him out on three pitches, and then retired tough Ken Johnston on a popup.

Howard Ross came in in relief and retired the Sox in order in the bottom of the tenth, giving the Bucks the victory and their third Series title.

Mike Young, who was brought to the Glen to win a Series, did just that. He added a championship ring to his considerable collection of awards, and was named Series MVP on the strength of his .385 average.

Congratulations to the 1908 Seneca Cup Series Champions
WATKINS GLEN BUCKS

[Big Six]

WATKINS GLEN BUCKS

Team OPS: .628 (1) Runs Scored: 578 (1)
Team ERA: 2.11 (2) Runs Allowed: 493 (3)

Best Players:
LF Ken Johnston (.308/.402/.387, 171 H, 97 R, 6 HR, 52 RBI, 46.9 VORP)
RHP Michael Watkins (22-9, 2.00, 180 K, 1.03 WHIP, 44.1 VORP)
LHP Edward Daybell (10-18, 1.91, 123 K, 1.08 WHIP, 42.0 VORP)
RHP Armando Jimenez (13-12, 1.84, 1.06 WHIP, 41.2 VORP)
RF Mike Young (.316/.372/.417, 32 2B, 10 3B, 76 RBI, 38.3 VORP)
CF Donnie Oliver (.269/.344/.386, 12 3B, 4 HR, 57 RBI, 23.5 VORP)

Peaking when it mattered most, the Bucks slipped past Waterloo to gain a spot in the Series and took over from there. Johnston, the league's Outstanding Batter, alternated between the leadoff spot and the three-hole in Vincente Carrillo's batting order and did a great job in both spots.

A better season from Oliver helped, but the acquisition of Young was the finishing touch. He solidified the Bucks' batting order and provided leadership and emotion.

While the Bucks' infield didn't produce as much as the team's star-studded outfield, three infielders won Gold Gloves. Perennial honorees 1B Travis Cantrell and 2B John Pickett were joined by new 3B Flynn Howard.

1909 will, of course, be an odd-numbered year, so don't look for the Bucks to return to the Series next year. However, 1910 is on its way.


GENEVA GREEN SOX

Team OPS: .584 (3) Runs Scored: 514 (3)
Team ERA: 1.84 (1) Runs Allowed: 393 (1)

Best Players:
RHP Hayden Williams (26-10, 1.76, 183 K, 6 ShO, 1.01 WHIP, 50.9 VORP)
RHP Raul Alonso (17-19, 1.81, 196 K, 5 ShO, 1.00 WHIP, 50.4 VORP)
RHP Casey Ladner (20-16, 1.88, 222 K, 8 ShO, 0.91 WHIP, 47.5 VORP)
RHP Nick Myers (22-11, 2.09, 128 K, 5 ShO, 1.11 WHIP, 37.9 VORP)
RF Mike Gamble (.268/.307/.369, 27 2B, 4 HR, 56 RBI, 18.8 VORP)

The greatest pitching staff in league history carried the Green Sox to the regular season title, as the team's offense was merely average.

Williams earned a well-deserved Outstanding Pitcher award, the second of his career; his 26 victories fell one short of his own record. Ladner wiped out the league strikeout record, and his eight shutouts set a new mark, too.

Three Gold Glove fielders gave the staff all the help it needed. C Bryant Brafield and LF Karl Winston each won his second fielding prize, and Ladner capped off his first full season with a Gold Glove, too.

If the Green Sox can add some offense and if Williams can find a way to defy time as he passes his 40th birthday, Geneva could become the first team to win 100 games in a single season.


WATERLOO FINCHES

Team OPS: .617 (2) Runs Scored: 530 (2)
Team ERA: 2.19 (3) Runs Allowed: 489 (2)

Best Players:
RHP Billy Edgar (21-13, 1.60, 170 K, 6 ShO, 1.01 WHIP, 61.5 VORP)
RHP Ernesto Santos (20-15, 2.13, 175 K, 5 ShO, 1.02 WHIP, 45.2 VORP)
RHP Billy Patrick (15-14, 2.45, 128 K, 1.06 WHIP, 32.5 VORP)
LF Fernando Molina (.341/.393/.398, 166 H, 73 R, 41 SB, 31.5 VORP)
RF Duane Blackburn (.265/.349/.373, 24 2B, 11 3B, 4 HR, 51 RBI, 43 SB, 23.7 VORP)

The Finches let second place slip from their grasp during the second half of the season, but still managed to post their second straight winning season.

Without fanfare, Edgar is rounding into one of the league's elite pitchers, while Molina and Blackburn turn out one great season after another. Blackburn continues to establish himself as perhaps the league's most versatile star, a true five-tool player who won his fifth straight Gold Glove this season.


SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS

Team OPS: .567 (4) Runs Scored: 490 (5)
Team ERA: 2.34 (4) Runs Allowed: 520 (4)

Best Players:
LHP Dennis Williams (19-20, 2.13, 136 K, 1.09 WHIP, 38.3 VORP)
SS Robby Ward (.290/.357/.364, 155 H, 3 HR, 51 RBI, 37.4 VORP)
RHP Roger Hopkins (12-23, 2.18, 152 K, 1.06 WHIP, 36.2 VORP)
CF Ryan Hill (.319/.366/.357, 169 H, 86 R, 42 SB, 27.9 VORP)

Collective slumps by the Sheepdogs' hitters and pitchers sent them tumbling to the second division in 1908.

A lack of power was the offense's biggest problem, as only Ward and RF Gunnar Doyle (.273, 14 triples, 64 RBI) hit with much punch. Hopkins had to be the unluckiest pitcher in the league; seven times he allowed two runs or fewer and lost. Tom Harvey, on the other hand, was lucky; he led the staff with a 21-13 record despite the highest ERA on the staff.

Williams did provide a thrill on July 10, when he pitched the first no-hitter in Finger Lakes League history. The Canandaigua Ice Cats were his victims.

Hill, too, added to his legacy by reeling off a 30-game hitting streak in July and August, the longest in league history.


CANANDAIGUA ICE CATS

Team OPS: .564 (6) Runs Scored: 459 (6)
Team ERA: 2.45 (5) Runs Allowed: 551 (5)

Best Players:
RHP Joe Norris (21-13, 1.85, 196 K, 0.93 WHIP, 52.0 VORP)
LF Claudio Navarro (.289/.394/.371, 25 2B, 46 RBI, 32.8 VORP)
C Hamilton Phillips (.246/.322/.303, 42 RBI, 18.1 VORP

It was much of the same for the Ice Cats, who appear to be taking up permanent residency in the second division. Norris had his best season yet; his .617 winning percentage contrasting starkly with the .379 mark his teammates produced when he was not on the mound.

Navarro had a better season than he did in 1908, and Phillips remains a solid backstop, but the Ice Cats seem to be a long, long way from contention.


PENN YAN BRAWLERS

Team OPS: 572 (5) Runs Scored: 503 (4)
Team ERA: 2.70 (6) Runs Allowed 628 (6)

Best Players:
CF Francisco Rivera (.312/.390/.379, 168 H, 10 3B, 59 SB, 34.8 VORP)
LHP Lawrence Inman (14-19, 2.36, 1.14 WHIP, 30.4 VORP)
RF Neil Byers (.277/.316/.373, 27 2B, 5 HR, 69 RBI, 14.4 VORP)

The prospect is even bleaker in Penn Yan, where ther Brawlers pitchers allowed half a run more per game than any other staff in the league.

Rivera, who added a Gold Glove to his resume, is the sole remaining member of the outfield trio that once struck fear into opposing hitters. Byers was solid in place of Mike Young, but nothing more.

LF Ronald Brady (.270/.290/.360) did win the Rookie of the Year award, but he'll have to develop better strike zone judgement in order to become a star. 2B Nick Wells and C Bill Richards also started as rookies, so there could be help on the way for beleaguered Brawlers rooters.

[Big Six]

Best Players:
1. Francisco Rivera, CF, Penn Yan.
2. Duane Blackburn, RF, Waterloo.
3. Mike Young, RF, Watkins Glen.
4. Robby Ward, SS, Seneca Falls.
5. Donnie Oliver, CF, Watkins Glen.


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


Best Prospects: Position Players (age in parentheses)
1. Nick Wells, 2B, Penn Yan. (20)
2. Dennis Wallace, 1B, Seneca Falls. (18)
3. Mike Lewis, 2B, Geneva. (19)

Wallace was the #6 pick in this June's draft. He's 5'11", 250 pounds. Think Prince Fielder, circa 1908. Lewis, a 2nd round pick, has every tool except real power.


Best Prospects: Pitchers (age in parentheses)
1. Eric Groves, Canandaigua. (20)
2. Chester Smith, Waterloo. (20)
3. Patrick Davis, Penn Yan. (22)

Groves has an electric left arm, but does he have the endurance to be a front-line starter? Davis, the #1 pick in the June '08 draft, looks like a future MOP winner.

[Big Six]

January 1, 1909

With the New Year comes big changes to the Finger Lakes League.

The league directors announced today that a developmental league will begin play for the 1909 seaon. Each of the six Finger Lakes League teams will be affiliated with a club in the new Seneca League, which will provide a place for their reserve players to hone their skills. Each team will be allowed to assign up to 35 players to their Seneca League affiliate.

The Seneca League teams and their Finger Lakes league affiliates are the:

Clyde Black Bears (Seneca Falls)
Hammondsport Harpoons (Penn Yan)
Lyons Lancers (Waterloo)
Montour Falls Pioneers (Watkins Glen)
Newark Bobcats (Geneva)
Palmyra Prophets (Canandaigua)

In addition, two feeder leagues will begin play in 1909. A 20-team high school feeder league will consist of teams from the western Finger Lakes region. Eight area colleges will field teams in the collegiate feeder league. The annual rookie draft pool will consist entirely of players from these two leagues.

Hopefully, Finger Lakes League fans will enjoy being able to keep closer track of the future stars of their favorite teams before they make their FLL debuts. And, you'll possibly be able to spot the stars of the future while they're still fresh-faced schoolboys.

[norva13x]

Originally Posted by Big Six

January 1, 1909

With the New Year comes big changes to the Finger Lakes League.

The league directors announced today that a developmental league will begin play for the 1909 seaon. Each of the six Finger Lakes League teams will be affiliated with a club in the new Seneca League, which will provide a place for their reserve players to hone their skills. Each team will be allowed to assign up to 35 players to their Seneca League affiliate.

The Seneca League teams and their Finger Lakes league affiliates are the:

Clyde Black Bears (Seneca Falls)
Hammondsport Harpoons (Penn Yan)
Lyons Lancers (Waterloo)
Montour Falls Pioneers (Watkins Glen)
Newark Bobcats (Geneva)
Palmyra Prophets (Canandaigua)

I was rooting for Canadaigua but now the town I live in has a minor league team that is someone else's affiliate
Might have to change alliances

[Big Six]

That's a tough call, norva13x. The 'Cats can use all the support they can get right now, but there's something about being able to watch a team's prospect on their way to the "Show" that endears you to a team. I've been able to see a lot of Orioles prospects at several different levels--Markakis, Wieters, Reimold, etc.-- and it's making me somewhat of an O's fan.

Hey, as long as you're a fan...it's all good.

[Big Six]

Here are the career leaders in several important offensive categories over the first five years of the Finger Lakes League's history:

BATTING AVERAGE
Ryan Hill           .344
Fernando Molina     .338
Mike Young          .336
Francisco Rivera    .328
Neil Byers          .309
Robby Ward          .298
Duane Blackburn     .298
Donnie Oliver       .294
Marc St. John       .290
Ronald Reece        .288

OBP
Mike Young          .395 
Fernando Molina     .388
Ryan Hill           .387
Francisco Rivera    .383
Robby Ward          .383

SLUGGING AVERAGE
Mike Young          .431
Donnie Oliver       .402
Ryan Hill           .401
Francisco Rivera    .395
Fernando Molina     .392

OPS
Mike Young          .825
Ryan Hill           .788
Fernando Molina     .781
Francisco Rivera    .778
Donnie Oliver       .773

RUNS
Ryan Hill            446
Francisco Rivera     386
Mike Young           383
Duane Blackburn      378
Donnie Oliver        378

HITS
Ryan Hill            941
Francisco Rivera     916
Mike Young           848
Robby Ward           806
Tony Powell          789

HOME RUNS
Hamilton Phillips     17
Mike Gamble           14
Ken Johnston          13
Ramon Morales         13
Matt Parkhill         12

RUNS BATTED IN
Mike Young           367
Tony Powell          335
Eugene Adams         328
Claudio Navarro      320
Robby Ward           311

STOLEN BASES
Karl Winston         311
Francisco Rivera     288
Duane Blackburn      227
Ryan Hill            223
Dan Morrison         198

VORP
Robby Ward         191.2
Mike Young         177.9
Ryan Hill          164.3
Hamilton Phillips  135.3
Donnie Oliver      132.1

A few random stat-based observations:

• Ronald Reece and Eugene Adams are the kind of durable, dependable players that nobody notices until they've been around for 10, 15 years. Then you realize they've been in the lineup every day, year after year, doing their job and doing it well. Reece plays third for Canandaigua, and Adams plays short for Waterloo. They're both pros, and their teams are glad to have them.
  
• I wonder if fans in 1960 will think Fernando Molina and Francisco Rivera were the same player. If they do, they'll think he was a beast.
  
• I'm surprised to see Donnie Oliver's name appear on so many of these lists. He's hardly a model of consistency, but when he's good, he's very good.
  
• Karl Winston can flat-out fly, and he's a tremendous outfielder. He can't figure out how to steal first base, however, so that keeps his overall value down somewhat.
  
• I wouldn't have guessed Robby Ward was the career leader in VORP. He plays key defensive positions and plays them well; that probably makes a difference somehow. Ditto for Hamilton Phillips.

[Big Six]

And here are the FLL's career pitching leaders to date:

EARNED RUN AVERAGE
Michael Watkins     2.20
Hayden Williams     2.29
Dennis Williams     2.31
Joe Norris          2.35
Raul Alonso         2.48
Armando Jimenez     2.50
Will Kirk           2.51
Tom Harvey          2.72
Billy Patrick       2.75
Ernesto Santos      2.80

WINS
Hayden Williams      103
Michael Watkins       97
Joe Norris            88
Dennis Williams       84
Ernesto Santos        83

STRIKEOUTS 
Joe Norris           773
Michael Watkins      693
Raul Alonso          688
Hayden Williams      674
Ernesto Santos       619

SHUTOUTS
Michael Watkins       23
Hayden Williams       23
Dennis Williams       20
Billy Edgar           16
Ernesto Santos        16

SAVES
Kent Allen            54
Paul Crowley          42
Chris Poe             42
Javier Galvan         41
Darryl Anderson       32

WHIP
Joe Norris          1.08
Michael Watkins     1.11
Dennis Williams     1.12
Hayden Williams     1.12
Raul Alonso         1.16

VORP
Michael Watkins    262.5
Hayden Williams    238.3
Joe Norris         232.1
Dennis Wiliams     226.1
Billy Edgar        224.5

• I'm almost positive fans in 1960 will think Hayden Williams and Dennis Williams were the same pitcher. They will have forgotten that Hayden threw righthanded, while Dennis was a lefty, and that Hayden was white, while Dennis was black. (Yes, the FLL is fully integrated.)
  
• With any luck, Joe Norris could have well over 100 wins. Of the five winningest pitchers in the league's history, Norris is the only one with a losing record.
  
• Saves aren't as crucial a category in the Dead Ball Era, but that shouldn't mean we undervalue the contributions of pitchers like Geneva relief ace Kent Allen, Canandaigua firemen Paul Crowley and Darryl Anderson, Seneca Falls stopper Chris Poe, and Waterloo stalwart Javier Galvan. In another era, they'd be household names. In this era, they're under-appreciated stars.

[Big Six]

My high school feeder league encountered a couple of glitches during the 1909 season. For some reason, it got hung up at the end of the regular season, possibly because there were ties for first place in two of the divisions that would have necessitated a playoff. Incidentally, I've run across that exciting scenario plenty of times, and it never caused a problem before.

Anyway, I deleted the high school league, throwing hundreds of teenaged free agents into the player pool. I was afraid something else in the league files might have been corrupted, so I quickly simmed out the 1910 season without a high school feeder league.

Everything went fine, so I added the high school league again--this time with 12 teams in two divisions--and began 1911. The season completed without incident.

To make sure, I went ahead to 1912. When that season played out perfectly, I became convinced that everything was cool.

As a result, I won't be covering the 1909, 1910, 1911, or 1912 seasons in the format I used for 1904-1908. I'll write a season summary only. If we all like the revised format, I might stick with it.

So, stay tuned for the next chapters of the FLL story. They'll feature the shifting fortunes of more than one club; the appearance of a team that might go down as one of the best of all time, at least for one glorious season; the arrival of several players who look like they might be not only very good players, but interesting characters, too; the farewells of several stars who made the first seasons of the league worth watching; and the disappearance of more than one player under circumstances I couldn't figure out.

[cbbl]

As I grew up in Shortsville, NY (just north of Canandaigua), I'll be rooting for the Ice Cats to rise up and dominate this league!

Good job so far!

[Big Six]

Originally Posted by cbbl

As I grew up in Shortsville, NY (just north of Canandaigua), I'll be rooting for the Ice Cats to rise up and dominate this league!

Good job so far!

Thanks, ccbl. The Ice Cats seem to have a faithful following, despite their struggles. They've never ended the season with a winning record, and they've never finished higher than fourth, which they managed to do in 1905.

The 'Cats have a long way to go, but there's been a decent amount of volatility in the league standings so far. Teams are rising and falling on a yearly basis...maybe it will soon be Canandaigua's turn.

Thanks again for the comment...enjoy the story.