A Different Ball Game

[jasg224]

1946 Major Transactions
*Stats are for 1945 unless otherwise noted

There was less movement compared to other years. Perhaps because of the new league north of the border? Or is it just coincidence? This offseason did see some players make the move north and become high earners, but no real stars crossed the border.

Tuzos de Aguascalientes - 46-62, 8th
Signed
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .244/.324/.342, 1.9 WAR - $9.8k over 2 years, from Guadalajara

Obsidianas de Guadalajara - 53-55, 6th
Lost
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .244/.324/.342, 1.9 WAR - Signed by Aguascalientes
RF David de la Rosa - .248/.315/.346, 1.8 WAR - Traded to Puebla
RHP Joaquín Cuestas - 1.77 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 0.5 WAR - Signed by Monterrey
LHP Arthur Barclay - 1.88 ERA, 1.81 WHIP, 0.1 WAR - Free Agent
1B Miguel Muñoz - .253/.337/.382, 0 WAR - Traded to Águilas
1B Jordán Hernández - .231/.350/.278, 3.8 WAR (Res.) - Traded to Monterrey
RHP Ricardo Sánchez - 0.85 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 1.1 WAR (Res.) - Traded to Monterrey

Signed
2B Enrique Rangel - .267/.322/.339, 1.5 WAR - $37k over 5 years, from Mérida
CF Walter Harrington - .267/.343/.348, 1.3 WAR - Trade from Monterrey
RF David Arroyo - .274/.330/.416, 1.1 WAR - Trade from Puebla
1B Carlos Torres - .259/.346/.324, 0.7 WAR - $38.5k over 5 years, re-signed
RHP Elías Hernández - 2.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 0 WAR - Trade from Puebla
2B Sergio Ramírez - .307/.366/.387, 0.9 WAR - $46.1k over 7 years, from Tampico
3B Mateo Castañeda - 55/55 35 year old discovery from Guatemala - $28.8k over 4 years
RHP Juan de León - 1.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, -0.1 WAR (Res.) - Trade from Puebla

Flechas de León - 62-46, 2nd
Lost
2B Oziel Rojas - .304/.321/.398, 2.2 WAR - Signed by Mérida
RHP Enrique Cruz - 6.75 ERA, 2.48 WHIP, -0.2 WAR - Signed by San Luis

Signed
1B Mario Morales - .255/.406/.345, 0.2 WAR - $18.4k over 2 years, from Tampico

Aulladores de Mérida - 58-50, 5th
Lost
RF Edwin Esparza - .305/.374/.504, 5.3 WAR - Signed by Tampico
RHP Carlos Delgado - 2.61 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.9 WAR - Signed by Monterrey
2B Enrique Rangel - .267/.322/.339, 1.5 WAR - Signed by Guadalajara
RHP Andrés Villalta - 2.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, -0.1 WAR - Signed by Monterrey

Signed
RF Manuel Vargas - .256/.392/.326, 3.8 WAR - $51k over 5 years, from Jaguares
C José Trujillo - .287/.402/.410, 3.1 WAR - $57k over 5 years, re-signed
RHP Francisco Barajas - 2.54 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.8 WAR - $24.3k over 3 years, re-signed
2B Oziel Rojas - .304/.321/.398, 2.2 WAR - $40.8k over 4 years, from León
RHP Felipe Nava - 1.53 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 1.4 WAR - $27.1k over 3 years, from Jaguares

Águilas de México - 42-66, 9th
Signed
1B Miguel Muñoz - .253/.337/.382, 0 WAR - Trade from Guadalajara

Jaguares de México - 71-37, 1st
Lost
RF Manuel Vargas - .256/.392/.326, 3.8 WAR - Signed by Mérida
RHP Felipe Nava - 1.53 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 1.4 WAR - Signed by Mérida

Signed
RHP Luis Aguilar - 2.04 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 1 WAR - Trade from Tampico
RF Juan Alcantur - .155/.231/.192, -0.8 WAR (Res.) - Trade from Puebla

Cardenales de Monterrey - 40-68, 10th
Lost
Manager Roberto Rodríguez - 148-176 after 3 years - Retired (374-394 lifetime with Guadalajara and Monterrey)
CF Walter Harrington - .267/.343/.348, 1.3 WAR - Traded to Guadalajara

Signed
Manager Juan Echeverría - Mérida Bench Coach (1940-44) - 5 year contract
RHP Carlos Delgado - 2.61 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.9 WAR - $51.7k over 5 years, from Mérida
RHP Joaquín Cuestas - 1.77 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 0.5 WAR - $7.2k over 2 years, from Guadalajara
RHP Andrés Villalta - 2.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, -0.1 WAR - $4.3k for 1946, from Mérida
1B Jordán Hernández - .231/.350/.278, 3.8 WAR (Res.) - Trade from Guadalajara
RHP Ricardo Sánchez - 0.85 ERA, 0.79 WHIP, 1.1 WAR (Res.) - Trade from Guadalajara

Serpientes de Puebla - 48-60, 7th
Lost
Manager Iván Moctezuma - 181-251 after 4 years - Fired
CF Alberto Campana - .258/.282/.404, 2.7 WAR - Signed by San Luis
RF David Arroyo - .274/.330/.416, 1.1 WAR - Traded to Guadalajara
2B Bruno Aguilar - .240/.269/.304, 0.4 WAR - Traded to San Luis
RHP Elías Hernández - 2.70 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 0 WAR - Traded to Guadalajara
RHP Juan de León - 1.98 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, -0.1 WAR (Res.) - Traded to Guadalajara
RF Juan Alcantur - .155/.231/.192, -0.8 WAR (Res.) - Traded to Jaguares

Signed
Manager Celestino de la Rosa - Former LF 1936-42, played for Puebla in 1939. 1937 Tlatoani. - 4 year contract
RHP Félix Alemán - 2.24 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.9 WAR - Trade from San Luis
RF David de la Rosa - .248/.315/.346, 1.8 WAR - Trade from Guadalajara
LF Jordán García - .269/.355/.389, 1.8 WAR - $24.9k over 3 years, from Tampico
SS Heraclio Rincón - .286/.311/.349, 1.7 WAR - $55.5k over 6 years, from Tampico

Tunas de San Luis - 61-47, 3rd
Lost
RHP Félix Alemán - 2.24 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.9 WAR - Traded to Puebla

Signed
CF Alberto Campana - .258/.282/.404, 2.7 WAR - $44k over 4 years, from Puebla
2B Bruno Aguilar - .240/.269/.304, 0.4 WAR - Trade from Puebla
RHP Enrique Cruz - 6.75 ERA, 2.48 WHIP, -0.2 WAR - $4k for 1946, from León

Jaibas de Tampico
Lost
Manager Félix Leyva - 376-356 after 7 years - Fired
LF Jordán García - .269/.355/.389, 1.8 WAR - Signed by Puebla
SS Heraclio Rincón - .286/.311/.349, 1.7 WAR - Signed by Puebla
RHP Luis Aguilar - 2.04 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 1 WAR - Traded to Jaguares
2B Sergio Ramírez - .307/.366/.387, 0.9 WAR - Signed by Guadalajara
1B Mario Morales - .255/.406/.345, 0.2 WAR - Signed by León

Signed
Manager Vicente Rivero - Guadalajara Bench Coach (1940-44), Mérida 1B Coach (1939) - 5 year contract
RF Edwin Esparza - .305/.374/.504, 5.3 WAR - $82.8k over 6 years, from Mérida
RHP Rafael Calderón - 20/50 16 year old discovery from El Salvador

Clubs by payroll (Difference from last year)
1. Jaguares - $140.3k (+24.1k)
2. San Luis - $138.7k (+7.1k)
3. Tampico - $135.2k (+16.3k)
4. León - $132.8k (-15.3k)
5. Mérida - $125.6k (+25.6k)
6. Puebla - $117.9k (+30.6k)
7. Águilas - $116k (NC)
8. Guadalajara - $114.8k (-1.8k)
9. Monterrey - $101.8k (+0.8k)
10. Aguascalientes - $93.1k (+13.5k)

Biggest earners
1. RF Edwin Esparza (TAM) - $13.8k
2. P Rich Faircloth (TAM) - $13.2k
3. C Miguel de León (AGU) - $12.6k
4. 1B Orlando Melara (TAM) - $12k
5. P Andrés Amaya (SNL) - $11.8k

[jasg224]

1946 Season Preview



León are favorites to win their second Ullamaliztli title after coming in second place last year. They're a solid team across all positions and the addition of 5x Teyaotlani 1B Mario Morales adds more punch to their lineup. Israel Álvarez is ready to lead their rotation for the second year in a row. Speaking of the rotation, this year will see the debut of #18 prospect Alejandro "Tepito" Hernández, who threw to a 1.24 ERA across 189 innings with Irapuato last year.

1944 Champions San Luis will be the closest competitors for the title with a very strong lineup. They might have downgraded offensively at 2B but the addition of 1940's best newcomer Alberto Campana brings more speed, power and defense to their lineup. Three-time Atlatl Roberto Mestre, now aged 34, will lead the Tunas rotation as he has since his age 24 season. The Tunas' rotation might be the weakest it's been since the league began 10 years ago, but they're still a very capable team.

Tampico are still chasing their first title, and they'll trust a mostly homegrown team to do so. They've brought outfielders José Contreras and Edwin Esparza from Mérida, with the latter being a 2x Tlatoani. They continue having the best rotation in the league with USA's John Nestle and Rich Faircloth at the helm. Will adding Esparza solve their run-production issue and aid their pitchers to a title?

The Cardinals were the last place team last year, but the experts predict them to have a rebound year for some reason. Their stars in C Guillermo Meraz and 2B César Loaiza will need to carry what looks like a pretty rough lineup. Raúl Romero is looking like a pretty good pitcher as he enters his prime. Romero was ranked as the 5th best starter in the league after a pretty solid 1945 season. We'll also see the debut of the 6th best prospect: LF Manuel Ramírez, despite the questions that arose after he hit .221/.284/.289 in the reserves last year.

Mérida look like underdogs once again after being predicted to come in right in the middle of the table. Losing key players, particularly Tlatoani Edwin Esparza seems to be the reason why they're classed as a mid-table team once again. Their lineup is still stacked with talent: C José Trujillo, 2B Oziel Rojas, 3B Carlos Renderos, LF Manuel Vargas and RF Héctor Ramírez are all top 2 players at their positions. Their rotation remains the same as last year, with Manuel Jiménez and his durability concerns leading the way for a rotation that's not the best but good enough to fight for a title. We'll also get to see a full season in the rotation out of Omar Huerta, who was the #4 prospect and pitched a 2.75 ERA in 16 relief appearances last year. #10 prospect José Barrios is also part of the pitching staff this year, though as a bullpen option as the Howlers are waiting to see how he develops his secondary pitches before giving him a stint in the rotation. #22 prospect Armando Cortés might also make his debut, once he recovers from a fractured hand he suffered in the final games of preparation.

Aguascalientes are also set to improve on last year's 8th place season, though them and Monterrey have done nothing to justify the expansion going into their 7th year in the league. A young core of CF Ricardo Santos (19), 3B Néstor Rentería (20) and former #5 prospect 2B Orlando Rosas (26) are raring to go alongside league legend Antonio Monterrosa, now covering the first base. Lefty Felipe Osorio will prove himself once again after being snubbed for the Atlatl award despite a 1.80 ERA and 1.21 WHIP last year, while a 37 year old Jacinto Santos will prove he still has some left in the tank after signing a 2-year deal with the Gophers. Aguascalientes are looking like an improved team, though still far from competitive.

It's a surprise to see the current champions ranked so far behind. Jaguares are predicted to have a losing season for the first time since 1942. They have the looks of a dynasty however, with Gabriel Barrón (now at 1B), 3B William Middleton, SS José Serrano, LF Antonio Cervantes RF Santiago González, and a rotation that includes Carlos Casillas, Pablo Hinojosa and Omar Sánchez, still considered the best of the best at their positions. If we take a look at their reserve, they also have the best 3 prospects, with P Ricky Repollet and Antonio Juárez ready to step up after 1.37 and 1.50 ERAs with Naucalpan last year. The Jaguars are still one of the best teams in the league, and they're hoping having the highest payroll will bring them another trophy.

The Águilas roster is looking pretty rough once again, will they ever have a winning season? They made no impact signings, but lefty David Guevara will make his debut out of the bullpen this year. The #4 prospect had a 2.09 ERA after 103.1 innings last year.

Rookie manager Celestino de la Rosa has his work cut out for him in Puebla. Their lineup looks solid after the additions of SS Heraclio Rincón, LF Jordán García, CF Manuel Escobedo and RF David de la Rosa. Their rotation looks pretty rough on the other hand, but the addition of Roberto Mestre's henchman Félix Alemán might give them a boost on that front.

Finally, Guadalajara seem to be ready to hit rock bottom, at least according to the experts. They took positive steps, signing CF Walter Harrington and Guatemalan newcomer 3B Mateo Castañeda. They might be better than they look at first glance, though you can't expect them to compete this year.



North of the border it seems like a tight affair, with Ft. Worth and San Diego looking like they're headed towards the first ever Desert Series. With the Desert League being more focused on power, with taller and stronger players than in Mexico, it will be a fantastic show for all those willing to pay a dollar-fifty. Owners are expecting crowds of around 10 thousand, just a tad bit bigger than Mexican crowds.

[jasg224]

April 1946 in The Ballgame!


Tampico are off to a hot start as the best performing team in the league! John Nestle (1.57 ERA), Rich Faircloth (0.90 ERA) and surprisingly Roy McAllister (1.80 ERA) have combined for a near perfect 10-0 record in 14 starts. Meanwhile, new signings Edwin Esparza and José Contreras have made an immediate impact, contributing 39 RBI this month from 2-3 in the lineup. The Crabs are looking like a totally new team and are early favorites for the title.

San Luis are hot on their tails though, leading the league in average and scoring 90 runs this month. Celestino Valadez (.356/.404/.471, 15 RBI), Ángel Ziranda (.339/.364/.629, 14 RBI), Alberto Campana (.261/.278/.500, 14 RBI) and Harold Montgomery (.333/.463/.455, 12 RBI) have been the main contributors. Pitching-wise, Roberto Mestre (1.83 ERA) is running it back and leading the 4th best rotation. Questions remain about the quality of their pitching, but they certainly do have enough to compete.

Aguascalientes is looking like a contender, though they're the opposite of San Luis. The 2nd best rotation includes Felipe Osorio (1.77 ERA), Jacinto Santos (1.34 ERA) and Alfonso Simental (2.39 ERA). Meanwhile, they're 8th in runs scored with only Antonio Monterrosa (.226/.258/.398, 13 RBI) cracking double digits for runs produced. This should improve once their young hitters adapt to the highest level of pitching, but will they do it in time to keep on competing?

The mid-table looks to be tight, with the predict bottom dwellers of Águilas and Guadalajara the only ones not in on the race.

Hitter of the Month


As mentioned above, RF Edwin Esparza has made a huge impact on the Tampico lineup. He's hitting .376/.427/.645, with 7 doubles, 3 triples, and 4 homers for 24 runs driven in. The 32 year old is an early favorite to earn his 3rd consecutive Tlatoani Award.

Pitcher of the Month


The Blue Crabs take home both awards with lefty Rich Faircloth being named the best pitcher in April. Faircloth has a 4-0 record, 0.90 ERA, 0.80 WHIP with 25 strikeouts and only 7 walks this month. This includes 2 shutouts so far, while the Californian has yet to allow a home run. Will he earn the Atlatl award ahead of teammate John Nestle?
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(Showing off some fresh new logos by 20_range, the rest were taken from the cephasjames pack.)

El Paso are running things in the East, mostly due to some nice pitching. Bill Pergola (0.00 ERA), Steve Ziegler (1.41 ERA) and Mike Castillo (2.23 ERA) make up the core of the 3rd best rotation so far. Offensively they are lacking consistency, with only a +8 run differential. 2B Mike Rickel (.289/.341/.368, 13 RBI) and C Robert Delgado (.306/.403/.419, 10 RBI) have been the standouts.

Houston are also fighting for a spot in the Desert Series, just 3 games back despite a better performance on paper. They have the best rotation in the league, with Colby Orman (1.06 ERA), Joel Coleman (1.24 ERA) and Trey Pfeiffer (2.70 ERA) leading the way. The Longhorns also lead the league in OPS, and are 4th in runs scored. Jon Durbin (.288/.354/.479, 12 RBI), Ryan Daubenspeck (.353/.439/.485, 11 RBI) and Chris McReynolds (.274/.295/.393, 10 RBI) have been the biggest contributors.

The West is ruled by the Condors, who own the 2nd best offense in the league. Aaron Gannon (.265/.341/.338, 13 RBI), Bobby Taylor (.262/.387/.410, 13 RBI) and Jason White (.302/.318/.397, 10 RBI) have been positive surprises in their lineup. Their rotation is just about average, but having Salvatore Rossi (2.17 ERA) would make any team better.

The Roadrunners are in the opposite situation. They're the 2nd best rotation thanks to performances by Mark Ummel (1.04 ERA) and Josh Borek (1.59 ERA), making up for an average lineup. Rich Maxwell (.264/.321/.333, 12 RBI) is the only player with double digit RBIs.

Hitter of the Month


Dallas LF Bill Soffa was the best hitter in April, slashing .343/.412/.571 with 11 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer and 11 RBI. The young outfielder has shown great defense as well, and is now leading the way for the PotS award.

Pitcher of the month


El Paso's Ziegler is 3-0 after 4 starts, including a shutout. The Californian has compiled a 1.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP with 13 strikeouts to 10 walks. Competition for the Pitcher of the Season award is tough, but Ziegler's name is definitely in the hat.
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Tight races, old stars and rising stars showing they have what it takes, it's been an exciting month and a nice debut for the Desert League! We'll have two champions in August, but let's enjoy the ride as well. Thanks for reading!

[jasg224]

May 1946 Report


Tampico hold onto first place, expanding their lead by 2 games and a half after a 15-10 May. Rich Faircloth had an amazing month, allowing just 4 runs in 5 games, including one complete game shutout. His 0.89 ERA made him the pitcher of the month! Their best hitter this month was RF Edwin Esparza, slashing .320/.361/.530, driving in 13 runs on 14 extra base hits. With two months remaining, do they have what it takes to take full control and secure their first title?

Despite a 12-12 month, San Luis remain in hot pursuit thanks in big part to Roberto Mestre having his best season since the league expanded. The 3-time Atlatl had a 5-run game against Tampico, but allowed just 3 runs otherwise, including 2 shutouts in 5 starts. Their hitting struggled a bit, but 2B Celestino Valadez led the charge with a .308/.351/.413 slash and 13 runs driven in on 7 doubles and 2 triples. Getting more consistent on the run-scoring will make them the team to beat, specially if Mestre is on the mound.

Aguascalientes dropped out of the race, but a 13-10 May makes León the dark horse contenders with the 4th best rotation and OPS. A 37 year old Leovigildo Esparza was their best pitcher this month, winning 3 games, one of which was a complete game shutout. He allowed 6 runs in his last 2 starts to take his month ERA to 1.49. 1B Mario Morales was one of the best hitters in the league this month, with a .317/.441/.524 line, 5 doubles, 6 triples and 17 runs driven in. It may be too late for them, but perhaps a nice little streak could push them into the top 2.

Pitcher of the Month


Once again, Rich Faircloth wins the Pitcher award! His 4th season in Mexico is turning out to be his best, with a 6-0 record and a 0.90 ERA after 10 starts. Just 13 walks to 49 strikeouts are contributing to a league leading 0.85 WHIP.

Hitter of the Month


Mérida 1B Héctor Ramírez was the best hitter in May, with a .352/.443/.637 slash. He led the league with 24 RBI after 4 doubles, 2 triples and 6 homers. Esparza, Morales, Ramírez and Melara will be fighting it out for the Tlatoani award.
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El Paso have gotten one more game on Houston despite losing their series against them. Mike Castillo had a great month and is now on a 4 game win streak. The last of his starts was a complete game shutout. Zorro had a 1.18 ERA this month. LF Jacob Brace was the best one in the lineup, hitting .328/.435/.403, with 2 doubles and a homer for 14 runs produced.

Out West the Condors have a strong lead now, after a 17-7 May. They now hold an impressive 19-6 record on the road. Their Italian ace had a nice month despite a loss, including one complete game shutout. Rossi held a 1.38 ERA and 0.92 WHIP after 5 starts. The best offense keeps on producing, and CF Mark Freeman was the most productive. He hit .330/.427/.564, 5 doubles, a triple and 5 homers make 15 runs produced this month. He was also creating runs on the basepath with 8 stolen bases.

Everything points to a "Scavenger Series" between the Coyotes and Condors for the first ever Championship!

Pitcher of the Month


The Roadrunners are the West division's closest competitors (if you can call them that), and pitcher Josh Borek has been amongst their best players. In 6 starts this month, the Lufkin native has won 5 and lost 1, including a complete game shutout in a 1-0 win against Fort Worth. Borek pitched his way to a 1.47 ERA and 1.12 WHIP with 18 walks to 18 Ks.

Hitter of the Month


The previously mentioned Freeman was the league's most decisive hitter this past May. He raised his game after a pretty mid April, and is now slashing .288/.402/.448 on the season with 7 doubles, 2 triples and 5 homers (all hit this month) for 20 RBI. He's currently second in HR (5) and SB (16).

[jasg224]

June 1946 Report


Tampico barely hold on to first place after their worst month to date. Their pitching was great, and the Jaibas remain as the best rotation in the league. John Nestle pitched his way to a 1.22 ERA in 6 starts this month, striking out 28 while walking only 12. He's still competing with fellow US-born pitcher Rich Faircloth for the 1946 Atlatl Award. Their offense led them down, particularly with getting on base, leading to 7 of their 12 losses this month being by 2 runs or less. RF Edwin Esparza was their most productive player, driving in 19 runs despite slashing just .232/.295/.368. They'll be hoping for a nice recovery in July and finally get their first title.

On the other hand, León picked up the pace with 15 wins in June and are now just two and a half games back. A 37 year old Leovigildo Esparza is looking like a dark horse for the Atlatl, with a 2.06 ERA and 0.96 WHIP this month. Young LF Marcos Olivares had a productive month with a .327/.380/.449 line, driving in 18 runs on 9 doubles and a homer. 1B Mario Morales was also a top producer, slashing .316/.417/.443, with 4 doubles and 2 homers for 12 RBI. If they're able to keep the pace and with Tampico slipping, they have a serious shot at a second title.

Quietly, the Jaguars have also become a contender. They were the hottest team in June, finishing with an 18-8 record, including an 8-game winning streak in the middle of the month and a sweep of Tampico. All their pitchers held an ERA below 2.4, with 4 of them having 2 or less. Lefty Pablo Hinojosa had the lowest of the bunch with a 1.43, striking out 15 and walking just 6 in 5 starts. They've quietly become the best offense in Mexico, and LF Antonio Cervantes played a big part this month. He hit .281/.320/.385, but more importantly drove in 20 runs after 7 doubles and a homer. 1B "Tablazo" Barrón was great out of the 3 spot, with a .311/.379/.359 line, doubling twice and homering once for 12 RBI. It was a fantastic month for the capital club, and their momentum could power them to a third title.

Pitcher of the Month


Salvadoran Juan González is having his best season since he won the 1941 Atlatl. This month he was the league's best starter, with a 3-0 record, 1.55 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 24 K to 13 walks and a 1.6 WPA. It might be too late for Mérida to get in the fight, but at least a handful of their players will be in the awards conversations come the end of the season.

Hitter of the Month


León wouldn't find themselves in 2nd place if they didn't have 1B Mario Morales hitting this month. In his return to León, 6 years later, he's looking like a favorite to collect his 6th Teyaotlani award and perhaps his first Tlatoani. Morales hit .316/.417/.443 with 4 doubles, 2 homers and 12 RBI for a 0.91 WPA. Another hot month from Morales in July will definitely increase the Arrows' chances at winning it all.
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Things are warming up in the east with 5 series remaining and all teams but San Antonio still in the race. The Coyotes' past form allows them to remain in first for now, but a terrible 8-12 month allowed their rivals to creep closer. Their bats have cooled off, and El Paso is now the 2nd worst offense in the league, being carried by the 2nd best defense. Their rotation was helped by the players behind them, also dropping off into 4th place. Former Aguascalientes pitcher Amadeo Velázquez was their best starter in June, with a 2-2 record and a complete game shutout against Phoenix this month. The 32 year old Mexican had a 3.13 ERA and 0.95 WHIP, he struck out 10 and walked 8 through 31.2 innings. While their lineup might have struggled to produce, 2B Mike Rickel held his own, slashing .293/.346/.427. The 26 year old from Sacramento doubled 7 times and homered once, producing 11 runs. The Coyotes need to get howling again, before the Longhorns steal their spot in the Desert Series.

Speaking of the Longhorns, they're the 3rd best rotation and 2nd best offense so far. If they had a bit more luck, perhaps their record in one-run games wouldn't be 11-11 and they'd be safely in 1st place. But that isn't the case, and a very talented squad will have to treat every game remaining as if it were the playoffs if they want to reach the actual Desert Series. Young Colby Orman is certainly pulling his weight; despite a 2-2 record, the pitcher from San Diego owns a 1.50 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 21 strikeouts and 14 walks after 42 innings in June. Orman and co. are getting run support from the likes of LF Mike Mullally, who's hitting .273/.390/.364 and drove in 15 runs on a double, two triples and a homer. If a couple of those games go their way, Houston could find themselves playing Los Angeles for the first championship.

Dallas are also amongst the top teams in the league, with the best rotation and 3rd best offensive production. The "Great Dane" had a 5-0 record after 6 starts this month, pitching 2 complete game shutouts and allowing 3 runs or less in all of his other starts. Sorensen was a workhorse, with a 1.58 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 23 strikeouts and 11 walks in 51.1 innings this month. Meanwhile, players like 1B Franklin Reyes make the Mustangs lineup a very solid one. Reyes hit .333/.476/.457 this month, doubling four times and going yard twice for 11 runs driven in. Despite a slow start, the Mustangs are now in a full gallop and will try to make it a photo finish come the end of the regular season.

Finally, the Horned Frogs are the third hottest team in the league, behind Dallas and Los Angeles. Performances from the likes of Jason Batchelder (3-1, 1.29 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 18 K, 16 BB this month) and 3B Jose Garcia (.398/.456/.645, 8 2B, 5 HR, 24 RBI this month) saw them rise from a .463 to a .540 winning percentage in just a month. Tough series against Albuquerque, El Paso, Los Angeles and Dallas remain as the East Division regular season reaches its conclusion.



The dust has settled in the West, and it is as clear as ever that the Los Angeles Condors will participate in the 1946 Desert Series. The're even looking like favorites to win it all, with the best rotation and the best offense in the league. Italian-USA pitcher Salvatore Rossi had a 4-1 record in June, including a complete game shutout, three one-run games and one two-run game. His 1.09 ERA and 0.99 WHIP, with 12 Ks and just 6 walks make him one of the best pitchers in the league this month, and he's in serious contention for the season pitching award. On the other side of the ball, SS Jack O'Reilly added a whole 1.09 Win Probability to his team, hitting .299/.413/.460 with 9 doubles, a triple, a homer and 12 runs driven in. At this point, the Los Angeles Condors are looking at ending up with a Desert Series and awards sweep.

Pitcher of the Month


If there's anyone keeping Albuquerque from being mathematically eliminated, it's Mark Ummel. The native Texan won all 5 of his starts this month, shutting out Phoenix and San Antonio on the road. Ummel allowed 2 runs or less in all of his starts this month, leaving him with a 1.09 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in June. Despite walking 13 batters, Mark also struck out 15 and remained effective, putting up a 1.7 WPA this month.

Hitter of the Month


The Horned Frogs' hot month coincided with 3B Jose Garcia's hot month. After 37 hits in 93 tries, 8 of them doubles and 5 of them going over the wall, Garcia's line for June is an outstanding .398/.456/.645 with 24 RBI. The McAllen native is leading the league in RBI with 44 but still has a ways to go to be in the MVP conversation.

[jasg224]

July 1946 Report


Tampico equal their best month by wins this year and are on pace for their first championship with just two full series (and rainout make-ups) left in the year. The best rotation in the league keeps lining up win after win. In fact, all year, only 8 of their losses have come in games where they allowed 2 runs or less! John Nestle is looking at a second Atlatl award in as many years, with his 1.65 ERA on the season being the same as last year when he won the title. Nestle had a 1.93 ERA and 0.95 WHIP this month, with 17 K and just 8 walks in 7 starts. Lefty Rich Faircloth is the closest competitor, with a 1.67 ERA on the season, though he let up a bit this month: 2.37 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 22 K and 13 BB in 7 starts this July. Their offense has been good, but they only blew out their opponents once this month. RF Edwin Esparza has looked like the signing of the year and it was no different this month as he posted a .333/.387/.505 slash with 9 2B, 3 HR and 18 RBI. Their cool offense has been the reason San Luis, León and Jaguares have been able to get close, but their magnificent rotation has kept them on top. The Crabs face Mérida and Monterrey in the remaining series.

San Luis got really hot in July and are now the closest competitor to Tampico. A consistent offence and rotation put them now just 2.5 games back from a 5th title! Roberto Mestre keeps on going with a 1.52 ERA, 0.99 WHIP month. Together with Andrés Amaya (1.88 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) and Alejandro Ubilla (1.94 ERA, 1.04 WHIP), San Luis kept it tight on the defensive side. 1B Celestino Valadez had a nice month, hitting for .333/.388/.432, with 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR and 11 runs driven in. The Tunas are the hottest team in the league right now and they certainly have the potential to upset Tampico. San Luis face Monterrey and Águilas in the remaining series.

Pitcher of the Month


As mentioned, John Nestle had a great month, leading the league with a 1.7 WPA and 1.6 WAR. He's looking like the Atlatl favorite, but the final games for Tampico will decide the outcome for him and Faircloth.

Hitter of the Month


2B Francisco Castro was the best hitter in July, collecting 41 hits in 30 games. The León 2B slashed .323/.379/.472, with 12 2B, 2 3B and a homer for 15 runs driven in. León are a long shot for the title and on a cold streak, but players like Castro will do all it takes to get the 2nd championship.
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Series wins against Dallas, Albuquerque and Houston to end the season secure a spot in the Desert Series for El Paso!



Los Angeles come out as the best team in the league, with the July series being the final procedure before the Desert Series!



The "Scavenger's Series" between Coyotes and Condors was an exciting first Desert Series! Both clubs went blow for blow in close game after close game. Even game 6 went the distance, with Los Angeles winning it 3-2 going into the 9th. 3B Mark Wakefield delivered a single which scored Coyotl and Hopkins for the Coyotes. El Paso brought in Tyler Miller, who allowed runners to reach 2nd and 3rd. A Ramón Acuña flyout tied things up for the Condors. Roy Starck decided to intentionally walk SS Jack O'Reilly (who was, for me, the series MVP) to get to Omar Esperanza. Esperanza brought the end to the Coyotes' hopes with a walkoff single.

The Los Angeles Condors win the 1946 Desert Series!

Salvatore Rossi was named series MVP after two starts, 17 innings, 10 hits allowed, one earned run, 4 walks and 9 strikeouts. I personally would like to highlight SS Jack O'Reilly, who was good enough to earn himself an intentional walk in the bottom of the 9th with a runner in scoring position. O'Reilly had 8 hits in 25 tries, including a double and a triple, driving in 3 runs. He also walked 7 times.

Player of the Season


The shortstop from Colorado added some more silverware to his collection in the offseason, earning the league's first MVP. The 26 year old slashed .310/.440/.497 with 21 doubles, 9 triples, 5 homers and 41 RBI. "Cow" also stole 8 bases. Jack was 4th in hits, 3rd in doubles, triples and slugging, 2nd in OPS and led the league in walks, OBP and WAR while playing good at short. O'Reilly is young and will remain in Los Angeles at least until 1949, with both parties hoping to add more trophies and awards to their cabinets.

Runner ups were Mustangs LF Bill Soffa (.330/.415/.553, 5.5 WAR) and Longhorns CF Ryan Daubenspeck (.287/.382/.427, 5.3 WAR).

Pitcher of the Season


Another player instrumental for the Condors to conquer the desert was LHP Salvatore Rossi. The Italian-American pitcher held an 11-3 record this season, with a 1.33 ERA (17 quality starts!), 1.08 WHIP, 2.06 FIP and 4.6 WAR. Rossi tallied 74 strikeouts to 26 walks in 135.2 innings to earn the award. The lefty was 4th in wins and complete games, 3rd in WHIP and led the league in K, ERA, quality starts, shutouts and WAR.

Runner ups were a couple of Dallas teammates: RHP Walter Thompson (8-5, 1.93 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 46 K, 26 BB, 4.5 WAR) and RHP Harold Sorensen (12-2, 1.93 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 57 K, 32 BB, 4 WAR).

Best Bat Awards
P Leo Álvarez - Tucson - .296/.300/.370, 2 2B, 4 RBI
C Lukasz Jedrzejewski - Tucson - .263/.369/.381, 12 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 28 RBI
1B Franklin Reyes - Dallas - .311/.423/.450, 17 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 30 RBI
2B Jeff Scelza - San Diego - .314/.413/.413, 15 2B, 3 3B, 2 HR, 33 RBI
3B Mark Wakefield - El Paso - .282/.372/.419, 14 2B, 3 3B, 7 HR, 29 RBI
SS Leo Navarro - San Diego - .305/.386/.427, 21 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 44 RBI
LF Ricky Hammack - Phoenix - .331/.430/.484, 25 2B, 5 3B, 3 HR, 48 RBI
CF Ryan Daubenspeck - Houston - .287/.382/.427, 15 2B, 9 3B, 3 HR, 45 RBI
RF Lance Turner - Dallas - .290/.381/.401, 19 2B, 5 HR, 35 RBI

Best Glove Awards
P Clyde Henson - Ft. Worth - 1.000 PCT, 1.8 RF, 2.3 ZR
C Robert Delgado - El Paso - .994 PCT, 4.9 RF, 3.6 ZR, 12 RTO, 4.7 FRM
1B Franklin Reyes - Dallas - .995 PCT, 10.7 RF, 3.6 ZR
2B Jon Durbin - Houston - .994 PCT, 6.3 RF, 9.6 ZR
3B Jose Garcia - Ft. Worth - .984 PCT, 2.9 RF, 6.6 ZR
SS Leo Navarro - San Diego - .992 PCT, 5.4 RF, 9 ZR
LF Scott Newman - Ft. Worth - .981 PCT, 2 RF, 7.2 ZR
CF Mario Hernández - San Diego - .971 PCT, 3.9 RF, 20.6 ZR
RF Lance Turner - Dallas - .983 PCT, 2.3 RF, 10.2 ZR

[jasg224]

1946 End of Season!


Another thrilling finish, but this time Jaibas de Tampico win their first title! It's Vicente Rivero who, in his first year in charge, ensures the Blue Crabs lift the trophy. Despite a strong finish from the Jaguars, series wins against Mérida and Monterrey secure the title for the Tamaulipas club.

Key players:
LHP Rich Faircloth - 13-6, 196 IP, 1.61 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 108 K, 42 BB, 4.5 WPA, 5.9 WAR
RHP John Nestle - 16-5, 196.2 IP, 1.78 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 95 K, 51 BB, 5.1 WPA, 4.7 WAR
LHP Roberto García - 12-4, 172 IP, 2.46 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 70 K, 57 BB, 3.3 WPA, 3.0 WAR

1B Orlando Melara - .254/.373/.363, 18 2B, 5 3B, 6 HR, 34 RBI, 10 SB, 2.6 WPA, 4.0 WAR
LF Edwin Esparza - .319/.373/.521, 31 2B, 10 3B, 12 HR, 84 RBI, 11 SB, 4.5 WPA, 3.7 WAR

Strong finishes from the other contenders in Jaguares (9-1) and San Luis (7-3) but in the end, Tampico (8-2) secure their first win ever. This year, Faircloth went from very good to all-time great and Nestle maintained his level. Esparza proved to be the final push they needed offensively, and it all clicked. Tampico join Jaguares, San Luis, León and Mérida as championship clubs.

At the other end of the table: Guadalajara finally reach rock bottom after a historically bad season; Águilas break club attendance records but their decline continues both on and off the field; the expansion clubs can't get it going yet and record another pair of losing seasons.
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Staff and Player Movement
- Joel Fuentes is let go by Jaguares after 6 seasons in charge. His final record with the club is 364-284. Fuentes won the 1945 championship.
- The other Ciudad de México club also fires their manager, Eleuterio Montes. Montes ends with a 182-250 record after 4 seasons at the helm.
- 6 players retired this year, here are the best:

LF Andrés Suárez - 1936-1946 - León, Aguascalientes, Monterrey and Mérida - Retires at 39
Career: 958 G, .269/.381/.388, 868 H, 135 2B, 26 3B, 65 HR, 373 RBI, 49 SB, 27.3 WAR
Best Season: 107 G, .294/.445/.511, 107 H, 16 2B, 6 3B, 17 HR, 80 RBI, 2 SB, 5.8 WAR in 1941 with León
Achievements: 1940, 1941 Tlatoani; 1936, 1939, 1940, 1942 Temanahui at LF; 1936, 1941 Teyaotlani at LF
Leaderboard: Highest single season SLG (.542) and OPS (.984), both in 1940; 6th in OBP (.381); 7th in HR (65); 12th in G (958) and WAR (27.4); 13th in OPS (.769) and RBI (373); 14th in hits (868); 21st in 2B (135); 25th in 3B (26)

LHP Alejandro Carranza - 1936-1946 - León, Monterrey, Guadalajara, San Luis and Mérida - Retires at 36
Career: 164 G, 47-55, 971 IP, 3.02 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 433 K, 307 BB, 11 WAR
Best Season: 20 G, 9-10, 165 IP, 3.33 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 42 K, 36 BB, 2.5 WAR in 1936 with León
Leaderboard: 18th in shutouts (13); 21st in strikeouts (433)

RHP Martín Pérez - 1936-1946 - Puebla, Guadalajara, Mérida and Aguascalientes - Retires at 37
Career: 224 G, 66-58, 1116 IP, 3.40 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 382 K, 392 BB, 7.6 WAR
Best Season: 28 G, 13-7, 176.2 IP, 3.06 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 64 K, 62 BB, 2 WAR in 1940 with Guadalajara
Leaderboard: 19th in Wins (66); 20th in IP (1116); 21st in Games (224)
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1946 Award Show
Tlatoani Award


Monterrey's best player currently is C Guillermo Meraz, who was awarded his first Tlatoani. Meraz broke the single season record with 24 home runs this year! He became the second player to hit more than 20 bombs in a single season. The backstop also hit .270/.364/.514, with 11 doubles and 2 triples, driving in 59 runs. Meraz led the league with 6.4 WAR. He was also 2nd in slugging, 3rd in OPS and 6th in RBI.

Runner-ups were Tampico's 3B Raúl Martínez (.284/.340/.482, 6 WAR) and Mérida's RF Manuel Vargas (.291/.421/.402, 5.9 WAR).

Atlatl Award


Faircloth earns his second award and first Atlatl in his 4th year with Tampico. The Californian lefty went 13-6 after 25 starts, holding a 1.61 ERA, 0.99 WHIP with 108 K and 42 walks. Rich led the league in ERA, WAR (5.9), and quality starts (23). He was also 2nd in K, WHIP and shutouts (4).

Faircloth out-pitched teammate John Nestle (15-5, 1.78 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 4.7 WAR) and legend Roberto Mestre (16-6, 1.94 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 3.8 WAR).

Moyaomamachtiani Award


RHP Alejandro Hernández started 24 games in his debut season with León. It was a successful 24 starts for the #10 prospect as he went 13-6, with a 3.01 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. The 24 year old struck out 81 opponents and walked 69. Hernández' 2.9 WAR was the best amongst rookies.

The other contenders were Cardenales SS Manuel Monje (.243/.318/.321, 2.2 WAR) and Tuzos C Matt Pieri (.223/.297/.287, 2.3 WAR).

Temanahui Award
P Esteban Ramírez (LEO) - 1st, .979 PCT, 5.4 ZR
C Matt Pieri (AGS) - 1st, .998 PCT, 4.9 ZR, 38 (64%) RTO
1B Juan Garnica (PUE) - 2nd, .994 PCT, 8.6 ZR
2B José García (AGU) - 1st, .961 PCT, 13.3 ZR
3B Rico Felix (MTY) - 1st, .980 PCT, 10.6 ZR
SS José Parra (LEO) - 3rd, .950 PCT, 18.8 ZR
LF Alberto Campana (SNL) - 1st, .974 PCT, 11.5 ZR
CF Ricardo Santos (AGS) - 1st, .981 PCT, 22.2 ZR
RF Paulo Hércules (AGS) - 1st, .980 PCT, 14.2 ZR

Teyaotlani Award
P Carlos Macías (PUE) - 1st, .258/.269/.318, 4 2B, 2 RBI
C Guillermo Meraz (MTY) - 3rd, .270/.364/.514, 11 2B, 2 3B, 24 HR, 59 RBI
1B Mario Morales (LEO) - 6th, .292/.402/.437, 18 2B, 9 3B, 6 HR, 59 RBI
2B José García (AGU) - 1st, .277/.326/.385, 17 2B, 14 3B, 1 HR, 45 RBI
3B Pedro Ayala (PUE) - 1st, .324/.407/.487, 18 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 63 RBI
SS Harold Montgomery (SNL) - 1st, .265/.373/.324, 13 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 43 RBI
LF Marcos Olivares (LEO) - 1st, .289/.348/.423, 27 2B, 9 3B, 4 HR, 52 RBI
CF Mario Diaz (LEO) - 1st, .306/.333/.400, 23 2B, 9 3B, 35 RBI
RF Edwin Esparza (TAM) - 6th, .319/.373/.521, 31 2B, 10 3B, 12 HR, 84 RBI

Potros de Jesús María (AGS) won the reserve league with a 79-29 record. SS Miguel Gallegos (.222/.337/.312, 6.1 WAR) was their best player. Caimanes de Colima (29-20-3) win their first National Youth Championship after beating Marineros de Baja California (30-17-5) 6 to 5 in the final. Tlaxcala's 2B Antonio Rodríguez (.346/.398/.537, 4.2 WAR) was the best player this year.

[jasg224]

10 Years of Ullamaliztli Namiqui - Part 1

The "Ballgame Union" turned 10 in 1946! It's been 10 amazing years of great ball. It all began in 1936 with 8 teams: Guadalajara, León, Mérida, Jaguares, Águilas, Puebla, San Luis and Tampico. They were joined by Aguascalientes and Monterrey in 1940. 575 players from seven different nationalities have begun to write the history of the league. Let's take a look:

Champions
1936 - Aulladores de Mérida - 55-29, .655, +8 G, +77 RD
1937 - Tunas de San Luis - 48-36, .571, +2 G, +51 RD
1938 - Tunas de San Luis - 54-30, .643, +7 G, +69 RD
1939 - Tunas de San Luis - 58-27, .682, +1 G, +98 RD
1940 - Jaguares de México - 74-34, .685, +14 G, +139 RD
1941 - Aulladores de Mérida - 63-45, .583, +1 G, +32 RD
1942 - Aulladores de Mérida - 69-39, .639, +8 G, +138 RD
1943 - Flechas de León - 67-41, .620, +5 G, +92 RD
1944 - Tunas de San Luis - 66-42, .611, +1 G, +117 RD
1945 - Jaguares de México - 71-37, .657, +9 G, +176 RD
1946 - Jaibas de Tampico - 66-42, .611, +3 G, +96 RD

All-Time Table
Team - Record - Pct
San Luis - 614-479 - .562
Jaguares - 605-487 - .554
León - 597-496 - .546
Mérida - 581-511 - .532
Guadalajara - 539-553 - .494
Tampico - 537-555 - .492
Puebla - 523-569 - .479
Águilas - 430-662 - .394
Monterrey - 357-399 - .472
Aguascalientes - 342-414 - .452

Individual Batting Leaders
At Bats
1936 - Raúl Pérez, Guadalajara - 353 in 84 G
1937 - Antonio Monterrosa, Mérida - 365 in 84 G
1938 - José Contreras, Mérida - 367 in 84 G
1939 - Antonio Sánchez, Jaguares - 363 in 83 G
1940 - Alberto Campana, Puebla - 472 in 108 G
1941 - Raúl Pérez, Tampico - 464 in 107 G
1942 - Raúl Pérez, Tampico - 467 in 107 G
1943 - Edwin Esparza, Mérida - 453 in 108 G
1944 - William Middleton, Jaguares - 458 107 G
1945 - José Contreras, Mérida - 457 in 108 G
1946 - Francisco Castro, León - 445 in 107 G

Runs
1936 - Celestino de la Rosa, Mérida - 50 in 84 G
1937 - Jorge Ramírez, Puebla - 49 in 84 G
1938 - Jorge Ramírez, Puebla - 53 in 83 G
1939 - Juan Negrete, León - 52 in 85 G
1940 - Andrés Suárez, León - 90 in 106 G
1941 - Raúl Pérez, Tampico - 84 in 107 G
1942 - Raúl Pérez, Tampico - 74 in 107 G
1943 - Celestino Valadez, Puebla - 77 in 108 G
1944 - Celestino Valadez, Puebla - 89 in 108 G
1945 - Manuel Vargas, Jaguares - 79 in 107 G
1946 - Orlando Melara, Tampico - 70 in 108 G

Hits
1936 - Antonio Monterrosa, Mérida - 119 in 83 G
1937 - Antonio Monterrrosa, Mérida - 116 in 84 G
1938 - Óscar Valladolid, Guadalajara - 118 in 81 G
1939 - Max Braud, San Luis and Juan Negrete, León - 111
1940 - Ángel Ziranda, León - 150 in 107 G
1941 - Alberto Campana, Puebla - 136 in 108 G
1942 - Antonio Monterrosa, Aguascalientes - 140 in 108 G
1943 - Oziel Rojas, León - 139 in 99 G
1944 - Gabriel Barrón, Jaguares - 148 in 108 G
1945 - José Serrano, Jaguares - 130 in 107 G
1946 - Edwin Esparza, Tampico - 138 in 108 G

Doubles
1936 - Reynaldo Caratachea, Águilas - 18 in 81 G
1937 - Juan Negrete, León - 20 in 84 G
1938 - Fernando del Toro, Puebla - 20 in 84 G
1939 - Juan Negrete, León - 24 in 85 G
1940 - Gregorio Pérez, Tampico - 38 in 105 G
1941 - Antonio Monterrosa, Puebla - 38 in 107 G
1942 - Antonio Monterrosa, Aguascalientes - 36 in 108 G
1943 - Heraclio Rincón, Tampico - 35 in 86 G
1944 - César Loaiza, Guadalajara - 35 in 107 G
1945 - Antonio Sánchez, Águilas - 32 in 107 G
1946 - Edwin Esparza, Tampico and Antonio Monterrosa, Aguascalientes - 31

Triples
1936 - Celestino de la Rosa, Mérida - 10 in 84 G
1937 - Celestino de la Rosa, Mérida - 11 in 83 G
1938 - Omar Morales, Jaguares - 6 in 74 G
1939 - Juan Negrete, León - 6 in 85 G
1940 - Raúl Pérez, Mérida - 23 in 103 G
1941 - Omar Morales, San Luis - 15 in 108 G
1942 - Raúl Pérez, Tampico - 16 in 107 G
1943 - Oziel Rojas, León - 20 in 99 G
1944 - Reynaldo Caratachea, Aguascalientes - 10 in 103 G
1945 - Celestino Valadez, San Luis - 12 in 108 G
1946 - José García, Aguascalientes - 14 in 108 G

Home Runs
1936 - Guillermo Aceves, San Luis, Gustavo Ruiz, León and Andrés Suárez, León - 5
1937 - Fernando del Toro, Puebla - 7 in 83 G
1938 - Jorge Ramírez, Puebla - 10 in 83 G
1939 - Daniel Rivera, Puebla - 7 in 81 G
1940 - Héctor Ramírez, Puebla - 20 in 108 G
1941 - Andrés Suárez, León - 17 in 107 G
1942 - Raúl Alvarado, Aguascalientes - 18 in 105 G
1943 - Héctor Ramírez, Mérida - 17 in 108 G
1944 - Héctor Ramírez, Mérida - 19 in 108 G
1945 - Edwin Esparza, Mérida and Guillermo Meraz, Monterrey - 17
1946 - Guillermo Meraz, Monterrey - 24 in 103 G

Runs Batted In
1936 - Gustavo Ruiz, León - 42 in 83 G
1937 - César Loaiza, Guadalajara - 49 in 84 G
1938 - Fernando del Toro, Puebla - 45 in 84 G
1939 - Fernando del Toro, Puebla - 42 in 84 G
1940 - Edwin Esparza, León - 88 in 107 G
1941 - Andrés Suárez, León - 80 in 107 G
1942 - Alberto Campana, Puebla - 75 in 108 G
1943 - Raúl Martínez, Tampico - 80 in 108 G
1944 - Alberto Campana, Puebla - 86 in 108 G
1945 - Edwin Esparza, Mérida - 83 in 108 G
1946 - Edwin Esparza, Tampico - 84 in 108 G

Stolen Bases
1936 - Guillermo Aceves, San Luis - 30 in 81 G
1937 - Juan Negrete, León and Jorge Ramírez, Puebla - 36
1938 - Nicolás Zúñiga, Tampico - 38 in 81 G
1939 - Juan Negrete, León - 39 in 85 G
1940 - Nicolás Zúñiga, Tampico - 33 in 108 G
1941 - Roberto Guerrero, Aguascalientes - 31 in 108 G
1942 - Roberto Guerrero, Aguascalientes - 29 in 107 G
1943 - Amado Almaraz, León and Raúl Pérez, Tampico - 24
1944 - Nicolás Zúñiga, Mérida - 22 in 108 G
1945 - José Contreras, Mérida - 26 in 108 G
1946 - José Contreras, Tampico - 19 in 108 G

Batting Champions
1936 - César Loaiza, Guadalajara - .347, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI in 83 G
1937 - Victor Barrios, Águilas - .332, 15 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI in 83 G
1938 - Antonio Monterrosa, Mérida - .324, 13 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 24 RBI in 84 G
1939 - Max Braud, San Luis - .342, 13 2B, 4 HR, 27 RBI in 83 G
1940 - Edwin Esparza, León - .348, 25 2B, 10 3B, 11 HR, 88 RBI in 107 G
1941 - David Herrera, Puebla - .333, 25 2B, 2 3B, 4 HR, 49 RBI in 92 G
1942 - Mario Morales, Tampico - .325, 24 2B, 2 3B, 10 HR, 57 RBI in 108 G
1943 - Miguel Aldava, León - .328, 13 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 41 RBI in 93 G
1944 - Gabriel Barrón, Jaguares - .351, 20 2B, 2 HR, 61 RBI in 108 G
1945 - Santiago González, Jaguares - .327, 15 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 47 RBI in 92 G
1946 - Pedro Ayala, Puebla - .324, 18 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 63 RBI in 93 G

[jasg224]

10 Years of Ullamaliztli Namiqui - Part 2

163 players have taken the mound, but who have been the cream of the crop?

Individual Pitching Leaders
Games
1936 - Andrés Amaya, Jaguares - 38
1937 - Pedro Avilla, León - 56
1938 - Raúl Romero, Águilas - 47
1939 - Pedro Avilla, León - 56
1940 - Antonio Plata, Águilas and Amadeo Velázquez, Aguascalientes - 73
1941 - Pedro Avilla, Puebla - 66
1942 - Andrés Villalta, Águilas - 58
1943 - Felipe Nava, León and José Vargas, Monterrey - 58
1944 - Pedro León, Aguascalientes - 73
1945 - Pedro León, Aguascalientes - 65
1946 - Pedro León, Aguascalientes - 68

Games Started
1936 - Francisco Barajas, Tampico - 32
1937 - Francisco Barajas, Tampico - 28
1938 - José García, Puebla - 22
1939 - 5 players - 22
1940 - Antonio Aguilar, Puebla, Luis Cruz, León and César Plascencia, Águilas - 29
1941 - Francisco Barajas, Mérida and Jacinto Santos, Tampico - 26
1942 - Gerardo Uribe, Tampico - 25
1943 - Rogelio Hernández and Israel Pastrana, Puebla - 25
1944 - Ben Lintner, Águilas - 27
1945 - 5 players - 23
1946 - 5 players - 25

Complete Games
1936 - Roberto García, Mérida and Jacinto Santos, Guadalajara - 24
1937 - Andrés Amaya, Jaguares - 17
1938 - Andrés Amaya, Jaguares - 15
1939 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 13
1940 - Roberto García, Águilas - 14
1941 - Jacinto Santos, Tampico - 13
1942 - Faustino Campos, Puebla - 13
1943 - Félix Alemán, San Luis - 15
1944 - Francisco Campos, San Luis - 11
1945 - John Nestle, Tampico - 16
1946 - John Nestle, Tampico - 14

Shutouts
1936 - Francisco Camacho, San Luis - 8
1937 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 8
1938 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis and Victor Villarroel, Puebla - 7
1939 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 8
1940 - Faustino Campos, Puebla - 5
1941 - Javier Fernández, Guadalajara - 5
1942 - Esteban Ramírez, León - 5
1943 - Carlos Casillas, Javier García, Jaguares, Roberto García, León and Pablo Hinojosa, Guadalajara - 4
1944 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 6
1945 - John Nestle, Tampico - 8
1946 - John Nestle, Tampico - 7

Saves
1936 - Remigio Rodríguez, Mérida - 6
1937 - Pedro Avilla, León, Melvin Ramírez, Jaguares and Ramiro Silva, Tampico - 12
1938 - Mariano Avelar, San Luis - 15
1939 - Pedro Avilla, León - 18
1940 - Ramiro Silva, Jaguares - 23
1941 - Joaquín Cuestas, León - 27
1942 - Joel Rodríguez, Guadalajara - 26
1943 - Luis Aguilar, Tampico - 28
1944 - Luis Aguilar, Tampico - 30
1945 - Edwin Pasos, León - 32
1946 - Héctor Contreras, San Luis - 31

Wins
1936 - Jacinto Santos, Guadalajara - 19
1937 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 16
1938 - Andrés Amaya, Jaguares - 14
1939 - Jonathan Estrada, León - 14
1940 - Carlos Casillas and Jacinto Santos, Jaguares - 17
1941 - Francisco Camacho, San Luis and Esteban Ramírez, León - 14
1942 - José García, Mérida - 18
1943 - Andrés Amaya, Monterrey and Luis Cruz, Tampico - 16
1944 - Jonathan Estrada, Tampico, Roberto Mestre, San Luis and Israel Pastrana, Puebla - 13
1945 - John Nestle, Tampico - 17
1946 - Edward Craven, Puebla - 17

Strikeouts
1936 - Ezequiel Anguiano, Águilas - 71
1937 - César Plascencia, San Luis - 97
1938 - Victor Villarroel, Puebla - 120
1939 - Victor Villarroel, Puebla - 106
1940 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 102
1941 - Carlos Casillas, Jaguares - 92
1942 - Carlos Casillas, Jaguares - 97
1943 - Félix Alemán, San Luis - 99
1944 - Esteban Ramírez, León - 96
1945 - Carlos Casillas, Jaguares - 93
1946 - Carlos Casillas, Jaguares - 128

Earned Run Average
1936 - Iván Moctezuma, Puebla - 1.57
1937 - Rafael Sianez, Puebla - 1.37
1938 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 1.31
1939 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 1.12
1940 - Faustino Campos, Puebla - 1.83
1941 - Juan González, Jaguares - 1.71
1942 - Juan González, Mérida - 1.82
1943 - Luis Cruz, Tampico - 1.36
1944 - Manuel Jiménez, Mérida - 1.63
1945 - John Nestle, Tampico - 1.65
1946 - Rich Faircloth, Tampico - 1.61

[jasg224]

10 Years of Ullamaliztli Namiqui - Part 3

Out of all of the players, only these have been the standouts with silverware to show for.

Premio Tequihua - Manager
1936 - Francisco Herrera, Puebla - 47-37, 2nd
1937 - Julio Padilla, León - 45-39, 3rd
1938 - Jesús Grana, San Luis - 54-30, Champions
1939 - Julio Padilla, León - 57-28, 2nd
1940 - Julio Reyes, Jaguares - 74-34, Champions
1941 - Iván Egas, Mérida - 63-45, Champions
1942 - Iván Egas, Mérida - 69-39, Champions
1943 - Antonio Huerta, León - 67-41, Champions
1944 - Marcos Barrientos, San Luis - 66-42, Champions
1945 - Joel Fuentes, Jaguares - 71-37, Champions
1946 - Marcos Barrientos, San Luis - 62-46, 3rd

Premio Tlatoani - MVP
1936 - SS Antonio Monterrosa, Mérida - .339/.356/.439, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 2.8 WAR
1937 - CF Celestino de la Rosa, Mérida - .299/.425/.450, 1 HR, 42 RBI, 3.2 WAR
1938 - 2B Fernando del Toro, Puebla - .318/.394/.447, 6 HR, 45 RBI, 4.9 WAR
1939 - 2B Max Braud, San Luis - .342/.408/.418, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 6.2 WAR
1940 - LF Andrés Suárez, León - .335/.441/.542, 13 HR, 57 RBI, 5.8 WAR
1941 - LF Andrés Suárez, León - .294/.445/.511, 17 HR, 80 RBI, 5.8 WAR
1942 - LF Raúl Alvarado, Aguascalientes - .322/.411/.532, 18 HR, 56 RBI, 6.2 WAR
1943 - 2B Oziel Rojas, León - .323/.350/.477, 59 RBI, 5.6 WAR
1944 - RF Edwin Esparza, Mérida - .327/.377/.502, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 5.1 WAR
1945 - RF Edwin Esparza, Mérida - .305/.374/.504, 17 HR, 83 RBI, 5.3 WAR
1946 - C Guillermo Meraz, Monterrey - .270/.364/.514, 24 HR, 59 RBI, 6.4 WAR

Premio Atlatl - Pitcher
1936 - Jesús Pérez, Mérida - 25 GS, 17-7, 1.76 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 53 K, 30 BB, 4.1 WAR
1937 - Jacinto Santos, Guadalajara - 20 GS, 12-3, 1.97 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 85 K, 23 BB, 4.7 WAR
1938 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 20 GS, 12-5, 1.31 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 69 K, 25 BB, 3.4 WAR
1939 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 22 GS, 12-5, 1.12 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, 85 K, 42 BB, 3.4 WAR
1940 - Faustino Campos, Puebla - 28 GS, 16-6, 1.83 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 100 K, 53 BB, 6 WAR
1941 - Juan González, Jaguares - 20 GS, 9-5, 1.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 63 K, 39 BB, 4.7 WAR
1942 - Juan González, Mérida - 15 GS, 10-5, 1.82 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 40 K, 46 BB, 2.2 WAR
1943 - Esteban Ramírez, León - 23 GS, 7-6, 2.12 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 79 K, 43 BB, 4.3 WAR
1944 - Roberto Mestre, San Luis - 26 GS, 13-3, 1.98 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 75 K, 58 BB, 3.9 WAR
1945 - John Nestle, Tampico - 23 GS, 17-5, 1.65 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 64 K, 38 BB, 5 WAR
1946 - Rich Faircloth, Tampico - 25 GS, 13-6, 1.61 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 108 K, 42 BB, 5.9 WAR

Precio Moyaomamachtiani - Rookie
1936 - 2B César Loaiza, Guadalajara - .347/.383/.435, 15 2B, 2 3B, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 3.3 WAR
1937 - 3B Carlos Renderos, San Luis - .280/.332/.337, 10 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 2.8 WAR
1938 - P Eulalio Garza, Águilas - 21 GS, 6-8, 2.62 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 63 K, 35 BB, 1.6 WAR
1939 - 2B Juan Garnica, Águilas - .293/.329/.346, 16 2B, 1 3B, 26 RBI, 3.0 WAR
1940 - CF Alberto Campana, Puebla - .309/.327/.492, 21 2B, 13 3B, 13 HR, 73 RBI, 3.0 WAR
1941 - P Esteban Ramírez, León - 22 GS, 14-7, 2.74 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 72 K, 48 BB, 4.6 WAR
1942 - SS Heraclio Rincón, Tampico - .285/.313/.403, 24 2B, 8 3B, 3 HR, 51 RBI, 3.0 WAR
1943 - P Rich Faircloth, Tampico - 22 GS, 14-5, 2.38 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 66 K, 38 BB, 3.9 WAR
1944 - 2B José García, Águilas - .304/.322/.422, 27 2B, 3 3B, 1 HR, 40 RBI, 2.6 WAR
1945 - P John Nestle, Tampico - 23 GS, 17-5, 1.65 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 64 K, 38 BB, 5.0 WAR
1946 - P Alejandro Hernández, León - 24 GS, 13-6, 3.01 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 81 K, 69 BB, 2.9 WAR

And of course, 10 years is enough time to accumulate some serious numbers. Let's take a look at who the leaders are in each category:
* Means the player is still active
Hitters
Games Played
1. Antonio Sánchez* - 1084
2. César Loaiza* - 1083
3. Raúl Pérez* - 1078
4. Juan Negrete* - 1051
5. Antonio Monterrosa* - 1045
6. Edwin Esparza* - 1033
7. Héctor Ramírez* - 1022
8. Ricardo Palacios* - 1013
9. Miguel Muñoz* - 994
10. Rico Santistevan* - 982

Runs Scored
1. Raúl Pérez* - 578
2. Edwin Esparza* - 570
3. Juan Negrete* - 562
4. César Loaiza* - 509
5. Héctor Ramírez* - 497
6. Antonio Monterrosa* - 487
7. Ricardo Palacios* - 484
8. Carlos Renderos* - 480
9. Antonio Sánchez* - 471
10. Andrés Suárez - 458

Hits
1. César Loaiza* - 1314
2. Antonio Monterrosa* - 1267
3. Edwin Esparza* - 1258
4. Antonio Sánchez* - 1193
5. Raúl Pérez* - 1110
6. Juan Negrete* - 1096
7. Oscar Valladolid* - 1072
8. Carlos Renderos* - 1049
9. Miguel Muñoz* - 993
10. Héctor Ramírez* - 989

Doubles
1. César Loaiza* - 260
2. Antonio Monterrosa* - 254
3. Edwin Esparza* - 240
4. Juan Negrete* - 237
5. Antonio Sánchez* - 224
6. Carlos Renderos* - 209
7. Raúl Pérez* - 199
8. José Contreras* - 190
9. Héctor Ramírez* - 184
10. Salvador Velázquez* - 172

Triples
1. Raúl Pérez* - 94
2. Omar Morales* - 69
3. Edwin Esparza* - 61
4. Alberto Campana* and Jorge Ramírez - 58
5. Juan Negrete* - 57
6. Reynaldo Caratachea - 51
7. José Contreras* and Celestino de la Rosa - 49
8. Ricardo Palacios* and Oziel Rojas* - 48
9. Celestino Valadez* - 44
10. Antonio Monterrosa* and Armando Rodríguez - 42

Home Runs
1. Héctor Ramírez* - 120
2. Edwin Esparza* - 88
3. Alberto Campana* - 79
4. Miguel Muñoz* - 77
5. César Loaiza* - 72
6. Raúl Alvarado - 68
7. David Arroyo*, Andrés Suárez and José Trujillo* - 65
8. Guillermo Meraz* - 61
9. Pedro Ayala* - 59
10. Salvador Velázquez* - 58

RBI
1. Edwin Esparza* - 609
2. Héctor Ramírez* - 588
3. César Loaiza* - 554
4. Oscar Valladolid* - 497
5. Miguel Muñoz* - 487
6. Alberto Campana* - 461
7. Antonio Monterrosa* - 441
8. Ángel Ziranda* - 437
9. José Trujillo* - 431
10. Antonio Sánchez* - 419

Stolen Bases
1. Raúl Pérez* - 246
2. Juan Negrete* - 201
3. Jorge Ramírez - 185
4. Nicolás Zúñiga - 157
5. Jesús Rodríguez - 144
6. José Contreras* - 138
7. Ricardo Palacios* - 137
8. Amado Almaraz* - 119
9. David Galván* - 110
10. Antonio Monterrosa* - 95

Batting Average
1. Gabriel Barrón* - .319
2. Oziel Rojas* - .313
3. Edwin Esparza* - 308
4. César Loaiza* - .303
5. Orlando Rosas* - .302
6. Oscar Valladolid* - .300
7. Antonio Monterrosa* - .297
8. Rubén Riviera* - .296
9. Mario Díaz* - .295
10. Mario Morales* - .294

Slugging
1. Rubén Riviera* - .469
2. Edwin Esparza* - 461
3. Guillermo Meraz* - .459
4. Oziel Rojas* - .451
5. Alberto Campana* - .442
6. Pedro Ayala* - .438
7. Armando Rodríguez - .434
8. Mario Morales* - .432
9. Ángel Ziranda* - .428
10. Héctor Ramírez* - .426

Pitching
Games
1. Pedro Avilla* - 539
2. Ramiro Silva* - 360
3. Joaquín Cuestas* - 290
4. Raúl Romero* - 269
5. Francisco Barajas* - 268
6. Andrés Amaya* - 266
7. Jacinto Santos* - 264
8. Carlos Casillas* - 263
9. Roberto García* - 262
10. Faustino Campos* - 258

Games Started
1. Francisco Barajas* - 264
2. Jacinto Santos* - 259
3. Carlos Casillas* - 255
4. Roberto Mestre* - 250
5. Andrés Amaya* and Israel Pastrana* - 246
6. Roberto García* - 244
7. Luis Cruz* - 240
8. Faustino Campos* - 232
9. Jonathan Estrada* - 231
10. Leo Álvarez* - 228

Complete Games
1. Carlos Casillas* - 123
2. Faustino Campos* - 117
3. Roberto Mestre* - 116
4. Roberto García* - 109
5. Andrés Amaya* - 104
6. Jacinto Santos* - 101
7. Israel Pastrana* - 79
8. Antonio Aguilar - 75
9. Francisco Barajas* and Francisco Camacho - 65
10. José García - 62

Shutouts
1. Roberto Mestre* - 46
2. Carlos Casillas* - 36
3. Jacinto Santos* - 32
4. Francisco Camacho and Faustino Campos* - 21
5. Roberto García* and Juan González* - 20
6. Antonio Aguilar and Andrés Amaya* - 17
7. Jonathan Estrada - 16
8. Luis Cruz* and John Nestle* - 15
9. Antonio Castañeda, José García, Jesús Pérez, César Plascencia and Victor Villarroel* - 14
10. Alejandro Carranza and Israel Pastrana* - 13

Saves
1. Pedro Avilla* - 152
2. Héctor Contreras* - 122
3. Felipe Nava* - 106
4. Luis Aguilar* - 97
5. Joaquín Cuestas* - 92
6. Ramiro Silva* - 88
7. Mariano Avelar* - 76
8. Pedro León* - 72
9. Rodrigo Parra* and Edwin Pasos* - 60
10. Amadeo Velázquez* - 55

Wins
1. Roberto Mestre* - 127
2. Jacinto Santos* - 126
3. Carlos Casillas* - 122
4. Andrés Amaya* - 110
5. Luis Cruz* - 107
6. Jonathan Estrada* - 106
7. Faustino Campos* - 100
8. Roberto García* - 95
9. José García - 91
10. Francisco Barajas* - 87

Innings Pitched
1. Carlos Casillas* - 2036.0
2. Jacinto Santos* - 2028.0
3. Roberto Mestre* - 2015.0
4. Andrés Amaya* - 1981.0
5. Roberto García* - 1917.0
6. Faustino Campos* - 1881.0
7. Israel Pastrana* - 1855.0
8. Francisco Barajas* - 1829.0
9. Luis Cruz* - 1736.0
10. Jonathan Estrada* - 1670.0

Strikeouts
1. Carlos Casillas* - 949
2. Roberto Mestre* - 831
3. Jacinto Santos* - 805
4. Israel Pastrana* - 776
5. Faustino Campos* - 748
6. Jonathan Estrada* - 739
7. Andrés Amaya* - 733
8. Luis Cruz* - 725
9. Victor Villarroel* - 675
10. Francisco Barajas* - 674

ERA
1. John Nestle* - 1.72
2. Roberto Olmos - 2.08
3. Rich Faircloth* - 2.12
4. Roberto Mestre* - 2.22
5. Héctor Contreras* and Manuel Jiménez* - 2.287
6. Felipe Nava* - 2.37
7. Jesús Pérez - 2.38
8. Pablo Hinojosa* - 2.59
9. Ángel Urquidi and Carlos Casillas* - 2.594
10. Esteban Ramírez* - 2.616

[jasg224]

10 Years of Ullamaliztli - Part 4

Finally, let's check out which players make the best 9 for each team!

Tuzos de Aguascalientes
One of the expansion franchises, they've been the home of greats like Antonio Monterrosa.

P Felipe Osorio - 1941-46, currently in Tampico - 134 GS, 45-60, 2.68 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 329 K, 383 BB, 14.9 WAR
C Matt Pieri - 1946-Pres., FA after 1949 - 92 G, .223/.297/.287, 13 2B, 2 3B, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 2.3 WAR
1B Miguel Muñoz - 1941-43, currently in El Paso - 304 G, .276/.354/.432, 61 2B, 7 3B, 35 HR, 169 RBI, 7.3 WAR
2B Ehécatl Cócom - 1943-44, '46, currently in Ft. Worth - 273 G, .253/.315/.321, 31 2B, 5 3B, 5 HR, 81 RBI, 5.6 WAR
3B Néstor Rentería - 1945-Pres., FA after 1948 - 205 G, .273/.317/.359, 40 2B, 10 3B, 3 HR, 78 RBI, 6.0 WAR
SS Antonio Monterrosa - 1942-Pres., FA after 1948 - 533 G, .284/.333/.385, 131 2B, 17 3B, 16 HR, 223 RBI, 13.7 WAR
LF Raúl Alvarado - 1942-43, retired 1954 - 211 G, .277/.378/.448, 39 2B, 4 3B, 28 HR, 101 RBI, 7.3 WAR
CF Ricardo Santos - 1944-Pres., FA after 1947 - 289 G, .236/.292/.325, 44 2B, 23 3B, 1 HR, 60 RBI, 9.1 WAR
RF Roberto Hernández - 1940-44, currently retired - 416 G, .266/.339/.390, 74 2B, 17 3B, 18 HR, 175 RBI, 8.0 WAR

Obsidianas de Guadalajara
A team of ups and downs, they've never been crowned champions despite all-time greats like César Loaiza, Jacinto Santos and Carlos Casillas suiting up for them.

P Jacinto Santos - 1936-39, currently in Aguascalientes - 98 G, 49-30, 2.39 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 326 K, 137 BB, 16.9 WAR
C David Cruz - 1944-46, currently in Jaguares - 285 G, .277/.336/.314, 27 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 93 RBI, 5.4 WAR
1B Enrique Pérez - 1940-43, currently in San Antonio - 334 G, .276/.331/.443, 53 2B, 6 3B, 30 HR, 142 RBI, 4.5 WAR
2B César Loaiza - 1936-44, currently in Monterrey - 870 G, .306/.352/.426, 204 2B, 19 3B, 57 HR, 455 RBI, 22.0 WAR
3B David Pizarro - 1941-43, currently in San Antonio - 294 G, .267/.359/.367, 47 2B, 9 3B, 12 HR, 111 RBI, 5.7 WAR
SS Rubén Riviera - 1942-46, currently in Houston - 320 G, .300/.340/.477, 74 2B, 5 3B, 40 HR, 186 RBI, 9.9 WAR
LF Oscar Valladolid - 1936-39, currently in San Luis - 315 G, .312/.343/.364, 38 2B, 2 3B, 6 HR, 110 RBI, 5.9 WAR
CF Raúl Pérez - 1936-39, currently in Phoenix - 336 G, .259/.292/.336, 51 2B, 21 3B, 5 HR, 80 RBI, 12.2 WAR
RF David de la Rosa - 1943-45, currently in Los Angeles - 291 G, .271/.338/.362, 56 2B, 14 3B, 7 HR, 82 RBI, 6.9 WAR

Flechas de León
Their sole championship so far came in 1943, León has been the home of big names like Juan Negrete and Andrés Suárez and other what-ifs like Oziel Rojas and Victor Barrios.

P Esteban Ramírez - 1941-Pres., FA after 1952 - 137 G, 62-51, 2.62 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 508 K, 307 BB, 24.9 WAR
C Victor Albornoz - 1936-39, currently in Puebla - 314 G, .282/.365/.364, 36 2B, 3 3B, 14 HR, 97 RBI, 11.6 WAR
1B Francisco Escamilla - 1938-44, currently in Tucson - 601 G, .288/.354/.405, 113 2B, 9 3B, 29 HR, 239 RBI, 5.8 WAR
2B Oziel Rojas - 1941-45, currently in Mérida - 282 G, .328/.349/.468, 77 2B, 41 3B, 2 HR, 150 RBI, 14.0 WAR
3B Gustavo Ruiz - 1936-39, currently retired - 335 G, .265/.296/.340, 48 2B, 1 3B, 16 HR, 117 RBI, 10.1 WAR
SS Amado Almaraz - 1939-45, currently in Puebla - 605 G, .252/.307/.344, 80 2B, 34 3B, 15 HR, 230 RBI, 14.4 WAR
LF Andrés Suárez - 1936-42, currently retired - 654 G, .285/.391/.419, 106 2B, 25 3B, 55 HR, 305 RBI, 25.3 WAR
CF Juan Negrete - 1936-43, 1945, currently in Tucson - 839 G, .266/.330/.374, 194 2B, 49 3B, 26 HR, 295 RBI, 28.9 WAR
RF Salvador Velázquez - 1944-46, currently in Jaguares - 319 G, .232/.340/.340, 50 2B, 9 3B, 19 HR, 133 RBI, 8.4 WAR

Cardenales de Monterrey
The second expansion team, they don't have a lot of stars on their lists but they do currently employ 1946 Tlatoani Guillermo Meraz.

P Raúl Romero - 1942-46, currently in Aguascalientes - 117 G, 39-53, 2.95 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 370 K, 335 BB, 16.2 WAR
C Guillermo Meraz - 1945-46, currently in Monterrey - 202 G, .278/.366/.503, 27 2B, 4 3B, 41 HR, 108 RBI, 11.6 WAR
1B Leocadio Garza - 1940-43, currently retired - 292 G, .261/.389/.396, 45 2B, 4 3B, 22 HR, 117 RBI, 6.4 WAR
2B Sergio Ramírez - 1941-44, currently in Guadalajara - 428 G, .277/.335/.350, 64 2B, 20 3B, 6 HR, 162 RBI, 5.5 WAR
3B Heriberto Rodríguez - 1941-44, currently in Dallas - 427 G, .210/.289/.268, 40 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 129 RBI, 6.5 WAR
SS José Parra - 1943-45, currently in El Paso - 281 G, .215/.298/.267, 26 2B, 2 3B, 7 HR, 94 RBI, 9.6 WAR
LF David Ramos - 1940-43, currently in Los Angeles - 334 G, .240/.332/.365, 31 2B, 6 3B, 22 HR, 111 RBI, 4.9 WAR
CF Manuel Escobedo - 1940-43, currently in San Antonio - 377 G, .250/.317/.355, 66 2B, 25 3B, 5 HR, 104 RBI, 7.8 WAR
RF David Galván - 1940-43, currently in San Luis - 405 G, .273/.358/.373, 74 2B, 25 3B, 10 HR, 137 RBI, 15.2 WAR

Aulladores de Mérida
The Howlers are the second most successful team so far, winning it all in 1936, '41 and '42. As one of the best franchises in the league's short history, there's quite a lot to choose from for the best 9 list.

P Jesús Pérez - 1936-40, currently retired - 116 G, 57-38, 2.38 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 355 K, 177 BB, 20.8 WAR
C José Trujillo - 1936-38, '40-Pres., FA after 1950 - 830 G, .277/.364/.390, 124 2B, 7 3B, 61 HR, 398 RBI, 28.6 WAR
1B Ismael González - 1940-44, currently in Jaguares - 300 G, .301/.369/.424, 28 2B, 6 3B, 12 HR, 79 RBI, 3.5 WAR
2B Quirino Ek - 1936-40, currently retired - 337 G, .252/.294/.301, 30 2B, 2 3B, 5 HR, 77 RBI, 10.0 WAR
3B Carlos Renderos - 1943-Pres., FA after 1947 - 391 G, .269/.343/.378, 100 2B, 9 3B, 17 HR, 141 RBI, 13.5 WAR
SS Antonio Monterrosa - 1936-39, currently in Aguascalientes - 298 G, .318/.344/.389, 51 2B, 7 3B, 8 HR, 102 RBI, 7.0 WAR
LF Héctor Ramírez - 1942-46, currently in Dallas - 528 G, .252/.333/.436, 100 2B, 14 3B, 76 HR, 327 RBI, 12.5 WAR
CF Celestino de la Rosa - 1936-38, '40, currently retired - 354 G, .294/.385/.432, 76 2B, 44 3B, 6 HR, 167 RBI, 9.9 WAR
RF Edwin Esparza - 1936-39, '41-45, currently in Tampico - 818 G, .301/.364/.444, 184 2B, 41 3B, 65 HR, 437 RBI, 30.0 WAR

Águilas de México
Despite some serious talent playing for them through the years, it seems like things never click for the Eagles and they've been bottom-dwellers for years.

P Ben Lintner - 1943-46, currently in San Antonio - 98 G, 34-47, 3.34 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 353 K, 318 BB, 9.3 WAR
C José Canto - 1936-39, '43, currently in Albuquerque - 322 G, .255/.311/.336, 33 2B, 5 3B, 14 HR, 82 RBI, 7.5 WAR
1B Miguel González - 1936-39, '43-46, currently in San Diego - 481 G, .277/.321/.357, 50 2B, 4 3B, 19 HR, 146 RBI, 7.9 WAR
2B Juan Garnica - 1939-43, currently in Puebla - 512 G, .280/.344/.370, 124 2B, 9 3B, 11 HR, 187 RBI, 14.1 WAR
3B Pedro Ayala - 1940-44, currently in Puebla - 419 G, .280/.341/.423, 90 2B, 13 3B, 36 HR, 230 RBI, 10.5 WAR
SS Andrés Martínez - 1941-42, currently in Phoenix - 267 G, .267/.320/.381, 46 2B, 9 3B, 13 HR, 94 RBI, 4.8 WAR
LF Ricardo Palacios - 1941-43, FA after 1947 - 279 G, .243/.348/.372, 60 2B, 17 3B, 11 HR, 108 RBI, 5.4 WAR
CF Reynaldo Caratachea - 1936-42, currently retired - 496 G, .273/.333/.375, 109 2B, 34 3B, 8 HR, 129 RBI, 10.5 WAR
RF Victor Barrios - 1936-37, currently in Ft. Worth - 158 G, .325/.384/.395, 24 2B, 1 3B, 5 HR, 51 RBI, 5.9 WAR

Jaguares de México
The Jaguars have been the second most winningest team, with silverware to show for in 1940 and '45. There's some all-time greats on their best 9.

P Carlos Casillas - 1940-Pres., FA after 1952 - 169 G, 81-61, 2.71 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 659 K, 421 BB, 29.9 WAR
C Miguel de León - 1942-44, currently in Águilas - 288 G, .291/.344/.419, 51 2B, 4 3B, 28 HR, 172 RBI, 10.8 WAR
1B Daniel Rivera - 1940-42, currently retired - 277 G, .266/.369/.380, 39 2B, 4 3B, 18 HR, 121 RBI, 3.7 WAR
2B Antonio Sánchez - 1936-42, currently in Águilas - 656 G, .273/.327/.355, 123 2B, 20 3B, 19 HR, 225 RBI, 27.3 WAR
3B Rico Santistevan - 1936-39, '41, currently in Dallas - 368 G, .284/.336/.363, 46 2B, 6 3B, 16 HR, 137 RBI, 15.5 WAR
SS José Serrano - 1941-Pres., FA after 1951 - 646 G, .279/.346/.363, 126 2B, 17 3B, 18 HR, 286 RBI, 28.0 WAR
LF Antonio Cervantes - 1943-Pres., FA after 1952 - 369 G, .278/.345/.348, 56 2B, 4 3B, 8 HR, 162 RBI, 9.6 WAR
CF Armando Rodríguez - 1936-40, currently retired - 307 G, .268/.301/.384, 59 2B, 17 3B, 17 HR, 137 RBI, 6.5 WAR
RF Manuel Vargas - 1941-45, currently in Mérida - 455 G, .278/.425/.382, 85 2B, 28 3B, 11 HR, 194 RBI, 18.3 WAR

Serpientes de Puebla
The Snakes have been consistently mid, with a pair of 2nd place finishes early on.

P Israel Pastrana - 1941-45, currently in Houston - 110 G, 40-46, 3.06 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 333 K, 264 BB, 15.3 WAR
1B Daniel Rivera - 1936-39, currently retired - 330 G, .280/.386/.355, 45 2B, 2 3B, 14 HR, 120 RBI, 12.0 WAR
2B Fernando del Toro - 1936-39, currently in Jaguares - 334 G, .290/.367/.386, 57 2B, 4 3B, 20 HR, 139 RBI, 16.2 WAR
3B Pedro Ayala - 1945-Pres., FA after 1948 - 169 G, .310/.380/.472, 32 2B, 2 3B, 23 HR, 106 RBI, 8.8 WAR
SS Manuel Portillo - 1936-39, currently retired - 336 G, .224/.257/.272, 29 2B, 1 3B, 9 HR, 85 RBI, 7.6 WAR
LF Héctor Ramírez - 1936-41, currently in Dallas - 494 G, .284/.340/.415, 84 2B, 8 3B, 44 HR, 261 RBI, 7.5 WAR
CF Alberto Campana - 1940-45, currently in San Luis - 637 G, .279/.306/.444, 142 2B, 53 3B, 64 HR, 397 RBI, 17.4 WAR
RF Antonio Tapia - 1936-39, currently retired - 318 G, .282/.316/.353, 52 2B, 5 3B, 9 HR, 106 RBI, 6.3 WAR

Tunas de San Luis
Without a doubt San Luis are the most successful team of the first decade of Ullamaliztli, as they have the most wins. They've won it all in 1937, '38, '39 and '44.

P Roberto Mestre - 1936-Pres., FA after 1947 - 257 G, 127-78, 2.22 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 831 K, 597 BB, 37.1 WAR
C Victor Albornoz - 1940-46, currently in Puebla - 545 G, .250/.359/.339, 79 2B, 7 3B, 23 HR, 228 RBI, 16.0 WAR
1B Fernando del Toro - 1940-46, currently in Jaguares - 562 G, .275/.381/.387, 71 2B, 3 3B, 33 HR, 206 RBI, 10.3 WAR
2B Max Braud - 1936-39, currently in El Paso - 335 G, .300/.365/.359, 37 2B, 4 3B, 10 HR, 104 RBI, 15.9 WAR
3B Carlos Renderos - 1937-42, currently in Mérida - 573 G, .278/.344/.369, 109 2B, 14 3B, 23 HR, 213 RBI, 21.2 WAR
SS Rogelio Herrán - 1936-40, currently retired - 437 G, .264/.308/.323, 61 2B, 7 3B, 6 HR, 118 RBI, 20.1 WAR
LF Oscar Valladolid - 1941-Pres., FA after 1948 - 637 G, .294/.351/.395, 130 2B, 10 3B, 31 HR, 387 RBI, 9.9 WAR
CF Guillermo Aceves - 1936-38, currently retired - 213 G, .276/.306/.363, 32 2B, 2 3B, 12 HR, 69 RBI, 7.0 WAR
RF David Galván - 1944-Pres., FA after 1949 - 312 G, .271/.354/.367, 62 2B, 15 3B, 8 HR, 115 RBI, 10.8 WAR

Jaibas de Tampico
The league's latest champions, Tampico have finally concluded a long fight out of the league's basement.

P Israel Pastrana - 1936-40, currently in Houston - 118 G, 36-53, 2.69 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 385 K, 205 BB, 19.8 WAR
C Javier Baca - 1943-46, currently in Los Angeles - 277 G, .258/.339/.323, 27 2B, 1 3B, 8 HR, 79 RBI, 5.8 WAR
1B Mario Morales - 1941-45, currently in Houston - 461 G, .297/.411/.454, 86 2B, 9 3B, 41 HR, 211 RBI, 16.7 WAR
2B Heraclio Rincón - 1941-45, currently in Puebla - 372 G, .279/.302/.376, 89 2B, 21 3B, 3 HR, 127 RBI, 8.8 WAR
3B Raúl Martínez - 1940-Pres., FA after 1949 - 650 G, .285/.341/.424, 131 2B, 11 3B, 57 HR, 346 RBI, 23.0 WAR
SS Andrés Martínez - 1936-40, currently in Phoenix - 381 G, .259/.298/.330, 40 2B, 7 3B, 16 HR, 138 RBI, 11.2 WAR
LF Orlando Melara - 1943-Pres., FA after 1948 - 411 G, .276/.387/.391, 89 2B, 22 3B, 16 HR, 144 RBI, 14.3 WAR
CF Raúl Pérez - 1941-45, currently in Phoenix - 533 G, .253/.305/.379, 109 2B, 45 3B, 24 HR, 200 RBI, 18.8 WAR
RF Ricardo Palacios - 1936-39, currently in Águilas - 315 G, .282/.347/.354, 33 2B, 8 3B, 12 HR, 90 RBI, 5.9 WAR

[jasg224]

1947 Major Transactions
*Stats are for 1946 unless otherwise noted

As expected, there was a frenzy of signings as several "big names" became free agents. With the Desert League's players not reaching free agency until the 1949 offseason, teams solely relied on the Mexican free agent market to reinforce their squads.

The Consulate
Several big names got their visas stamped, lured by big money contracts in the Desert League. Let's take a look!
- Former León SS José Parra signed a $68k contract with El Paso. The three-time Temanahui winner will be a Coyote for the next 5 years.
- 1B Héctor Ramírez will make almost $20k more than he did last year, this time with the Dallas Mustangs after signing for 3 years.
- LHP Rich Faircloth makes history upon his return to US soil, becoming the first player to sign a $100k contract. He does so with El Paso for the next 5 years.
- 3B Rubén Riviera puts pen to paper on a $99.6k contract over the next 4 years with the Houston Longhorns
- Riviera is then joined by 6x Teyaotlani 1B Mario Morales, becoming the highest paid player to date. Morales signs a $121k contract for 5 years, $26k of which he'll make this year.
- 2B Ehécatl Cocom and the Ft. Worth Horned Frogs pact for 3 years, $47.4k
- RHP Israel Álvarez will lead the Tucson Saguaros' rotation this year after signing an even $20k over 4 years.
- 26 year old David de la Rosa becomes the youngest of the bunch and joins the LA Condors for $98k over 4 years.

And now the biggest moves:

Tuzos de Aguascalientes
Lost
LHP Felipe Osorio - 2.00 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2.3 WAR - Traded to Tampico
2B Ehécatl Cocom - .329/.415/.457, 1.3 WAR - FA, signed by Ft. Worth
RHP Pedro León - 3.15 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 0.4 WAR - FA, signed by Houston
2B Orlando Rosas - .360/.365/.460, 0 WAR - Traded to San Luis
RHP Alejandro Rivera - 1.50 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 5.6 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Águilas
3B Rogelio Rico - .272/.422/.402, 4.3 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Monterrey
3B Luis Estrada - .186/.265/.212, 1.1 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Monterrey
RHP Vinicio Pacheco - 4.15 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 0 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Monterrey
LHP Diego Martínez - 40/55 RP from Veracruz - Traded to Águilas

Signed
2B José García - .277/.326/.385, 5 WAR - Trade from Águilas
RHP Raúl Romero - 3.16 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.1 WAR - Trade from Monterrey
RHP Daniel Rivera - 2.78 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 2.9 WAR - Trade from Monterrey
RF Jordán García - .244/.311/.311, -0.1 WAR - Trade from Puebla
LHP José Torres - 3.87 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 0.2 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Tampico

Obsidianas de Guadalajara
Lost
C David Cruz - .248/.310/.274, 1.5 WAR - Traded to Jaguares
SS Rubén Riviera - .281/.308/.438, 1.2 WAR - Option declined, signed by Houston
RHP Pedro Avilla - 4.53 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 0.1 WAR - FA, signed by San Antonio

Signed
1B Balam Canul - .267/.346/.359, 3.7 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Jaguares

Flechas de León
Lost
1B Mario Morales - .292/.402/.437, 4.4 WAR - Option declined, signed by Houston
RHP Israel Álvarez - 2.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.3 WAR - FA, signed by Tucson
RF Salvador Velázquez - .251/.361/.377, 3.3 WAR - Traded to Jaguares
SS José Parra - .199/.299/.249, 2.9 WAR - FA, signed by El Paso
RHP Edwin Pasos - 1.81 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 2.3 WAR - Traded to Monterrey
RHP Israel Pastrana - 3.21 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 2.0 WAR - FA, signed by Houston
RHP Agustín Galaviz - 2.43 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 0.4 WAR - FA, signed by Tucson
RHP Miguel Mata - 1.40 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 0.1 WAR - Traded to Tampico
3B David Pizarro - .227/.296/.312, -0.2 WAR - FA, signed by San Antonio

Signed
SS Roberto Sánchez - .259/.286/.259, -0.1 WAR - Trade from Tampico
RHP Rodrigo Juárez - 2.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 1.8 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Monterrey
RHP Luis Euceda - 40/65 SP from Baja California - Trade from Monterrey

Aulladores de Mérida
Lost
LHP Manuel Jiménez - 2.11 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 4.4 WAR - FA, signed by El Paso
RHP Faustino Campos - 3.05 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.8 WAR - FA, signed by Phoenix
RHP Juan González - 3.23 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 2.7 WAR - Traded to Tampico
1B Héctor Ramírez - .271/.364/.482, 2.6 WAR - FA, signed by Dallas
RHP Francisco Barajas - 2.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 1.8 WAR - Traded to San Luis
SS José Beas - .240/.283/.310, 0 WAR - FA, signed by Houston

Signed
RHP Salvador González - 3.12 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 1.2 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Tampico

Águilas de México
Lost
2B José García - .277/.326/.385, 5 WAR - Traded to Aguascalientes
LHP Leo López - 3.81 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.5 WAR - Traded to Tampico
RHP Ben Lintner - 3.17 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 2.0 WAR - FA, signed by San Antonio
LF Juan Negrete - .223/.324/.320, 1.9 WAR - FA, signed by Tucson
LF David Rosado - .262/.319/.333, 0.8 WAR - Traded to Monterrey
1B Miguel Muñoz - .250/.347/.336, 0.3 WAR - FA, signed by El Paso
LF Juan Zayas - .167/.217/.167, -0.7 WAR - Traded to Monterrey

Signed
RF Ricardo Palacios - .241/.354/.388, 1.5 WAR - Trade from Monterrey
CF Bruce Childress - .268/.314/.340, 0.9 WAR - Trade from Monterrey
RHP Santos Ulloa - 3.38 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 0.1 WAR - Trade from Tampico
RHP Alejandro Rivera - 1.50 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 5.6 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Aguascalientes
LHP Diego Martínez - 40/55 RP from Veracruz - Trade from Aguascalientes

Jaguares de México
Lost
RHP Omar Sánchez - 2.44 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 2.9 WAR - FA, signed by Houston
LF Santiago González - .240/.354/.294, 1.1 WAR - FA, signed by Tucson
RHP Luis Aguilar - 2.06 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 1.1 WAR - FA, signed by Albuquerque
RHP Rogelio Hernández - 1.13 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 0.3 WAR - FA, signed by Albuquerque
1B Balam Canul - .267/.346/.359, 3.7 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Guadalajara

Signed
RF Salvador Velázquez - .251/.361/.377, 3.3 WAR - Trade from León
C David Cruz - .248/.310/.274, 1.5 WAR - Trade from Guadalajara
1B Fernando del Toro - .293/.388/.439, 0.5 WAR - $4.7k for a year, from San Luis

Cardenales de Monterrey
Lost
RHP Raúl Romero - 3.16 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.1 WAR - Traded to Aguascalientes
RHP Daniel Rivera - 2.78 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 2.9 WAR - Traded to Aguascalientes
RF Ricardo Palacios - .241/.354/.388, 1.5 WAR - Traded to Águilas
RF Iván Alvear - .269/.341/.364, 1.2 WAR - FA, signed by Puebla
CF Bruce Childress - .268/.314/.340, 0.9 WAR - Traded to Águilas
RHP Joaquín Cuestas - 2.44 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 0.3 WAR - Option voided, signed by Dallas
1B Alberto Ferrer - .250/.312/.321, 0.1 WAR - Traded to San Luis
RHP Rodrigo Juárez - 2.70 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 1.8 WAR with the reserves - Traded to León
RHP Luis Euceda - 40/65 SP from Baja California - Traded to León

Signed
RHP Edwin Pasos - 1.81 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 2.3 WAR - Trade from León
LF David Rosado - .262/.319/.333, 0.8 WAR - Trade from Águilas
LF Juan Zayas - .167/.217/.167, -0.7 WAR - Trade from Águilas
3B Rogelio Rico - .272/.422/.402, 4.3 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Aguascalientes
3B Luis Estrada - .186/.265/.212, 1.1 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Aguascalientes
RHP Vinicio Pacheco - 4.15 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 0 WAR with the reserves - Trade from Aguascalientes

Serpientes de Puebla
Lost
RHP Edward Craven - 2.47 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 1.2 WAR - Option voided, signed by Los Angeles
RF Jordán García - .244/.311/.311, -0.1 WAR - Traded to Aguascalientes

Signed
RF Iván Alvear - .269/.341/.364, 1.2 WAR - $32k over 4 years, from Monterrey
RHP Omar Rico - 3.00 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 1.1 WAR with the reserves - Trade from San Luis

Tunas de San Luis
Lost
LHP Chase Dotson - 1.29 ERA, 0.86 WHIP, 1.0 WAR - FA, signed by Los Angeles
1B Fernando del Toro - .293/.388/.439, 0.5 WAR - FA, signed by Jaguares
RHP Enrique Cruz - 3.60 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 0.1 WAR - FA, signed by San Antonio
RHP Omar Rico - 3.00 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 1.1 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Puebla

Signed
RHP Francisco Barajas - 2.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 1.8 WAR - Trade from Mérida
1B Alberto Ferrer - .250/.312/.321, 0.1 WAR - Trade from Monterrey
2B Orlando Rosas - .360/.365/.460, 0 WAR - Trade from Aguascalientes

Jaibas de Tampico
Lost
LHP Rich Faircloth - 1.61 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 5.9 WAR - Option declined, signed by El Paso
LHP Roy McAllister - 2.86 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 3.0 WAR - FA, signed by Phoenix
SS Victor Huerta - .230/.286/.333, 1.5 WAR - FA, signed by Ft. Worth
1B David Ramos - .234/.352/.386, 1.1 WAR - FA, signed by Los Angeles
C Javier Baca - .230/.340/.310, 0.5 WAR - FA, signed by Los Angeles
RHP Santos Ulloa - 3.38 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 0.1 WAR - Traded to Águilas
SS Roberto Sánchez - .259/.286/.259, -0.1 WAR - Traded to León
RHP Salvador González - 3.12 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 1.2 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Mérida
LHP José Torres - 3.87 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 0.2 WAR with the reserves - Traded to Aguascalientes

Signed
RHP Juan González - 3.23 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 2.7 WAR - Trade from Mérida
LHP Leo López - 3.81 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 2.5 WAR - Trade from Águilas
LHP Felipe Osorio - 2.00 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 2.3 WAR - Trade from Aguascalientes
RHP Miguel Mata - 1.40 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 0.1 WAR - Trade from León

Of course, most of the free agents ended up north of the border, so where does this leave the clubs economically:
Clubs by payroll
1. San Luis - $145.9k (+7.2k)
2. Jaguares - $138.8k (-1.5k)
3. Tampico - $138.8k (+3.6k)
4. Mérida - $104.4 (-21.2k)
5. Guadalajara - $104.2 (-10.6k)
6. Águilas - $96.4k (-19.6k)
7. Puebla - $83.8k (-34.1k)
8. Aguascalientes - $83.3k (-9.8k)
9. Monterrey - $82.9k (-18.9k)
10. León - $68.2k (-64.6k)

Biggest earners (ULN)
1. Edwin Esparza (TAM) - $13.8k
2. Pablo Hinojosa (JAG) - $13k
3. Miguel de León (AGU) - $12.6k
4. José Serrano (JAG) - $12.6k
5. Orlando Melara (TAM) - $12k

Biggest earners (DES)
1. Mario Morales (HOU) - $26k
2. David de la Rosa (LA) - $23k
3. Héctor Ramírez (DAL) - $22k
4. Santiago González (TUC) - $21.4k
5. Omar Sánchez (HOU) - $20.8k

[jasg224]

(I took advantage of a busy couple of months to migrate this save to OOTP26 right before the season begins, but I'm ready to get back to writing!) PS: I don't know if this thread could be moved to the OOTP26 section of the forums? Thanks!

1947 Season Preview


San Luis want to add to their growing collection of trophies after consecutive 3rd place finishes. Roberto Mestre is ready to show he's still got plenty left in the tank at 34, but pressure won't be all on him with 23 year-old Alejandro Ubilla looking to be in top shape. The youngster has put in some serious work in this offseason and is topping out at 98 mph going into the preseason games. The youth revolution is in full effect, and the lineup will be headed by 21 year old CF Aureliano Domínguez, who's an aggressive speedster. Behind Domínguez, 3B Jesús Herrera (22) and 1B Celestino Valadez (26) have plenty of experience driving in runs despite their young age. Players like SS Harold Montgomery and LF Alberto Campana round out a very talented squad in all rubrics, will the Tunas deliver this year?

The competition will be amazing with another team who's used to contending, the Jaguares de México. After just missing out on back-to-back titles last year they'll be back with a vengeance. Former top prospect Antonio Juárez is expected to break out in a huge way, and he showed what he can become with a 2.05 ERA in just 11 starts last year. The rotation is complemented by two more lefties in Pablo Hinojosa and Carlos Casillas, and they are the reason why the Jaguars are expected to be the best pitching team in the league. Offensively they don't fall short either, with SS José Serrano, 3B William Middleton and 1B Gabriel Barrón ready to go once again for the pinstriped club. If this wasn't enough, they added power threat RF Salvador Velázquez, who is 12th all-time on the homer leaderboard. Once considered the "lesser" Mexico City club, Jaguares have become a force to be reckoned with in the Ullamaliztli Namiqui.

Reigning champions Jaibas de Tampico want to keep their crown, but it will be an uphill battle after losing key pieces in Rich Faircloth, Roy McAllister, Victor Huerta and others. The Crabs' rotation is still nothing to scoff at, with 1945 Atlatl John Nestle leading the way. Adding Felipe Osorio might be an underrated move, with the veteran lefty holding a sub 2.00 ERA in his last two season in Aguascalientes. Veterans Juan González (a 2x Atlatl), Luis Cruz and Roberto García round out what has potential to be an interesting rotation. Their lineup remains largely unmoved, with Edwin Esparza, Orlando Melara, Raúl Martínez and José Contreras putting up great numbers in last season's trophy run. The media don't like their chances, but the Jaibas have always been used to being the underdog.

While Aguascalientes are far from being contenders, they're projected to have their best season to date and their first winning season since 1941. They've bolstered their rotation with Raúl Romero, Daniel Rivera and Jacinto Santos to help out with a young core of Ricardo Santos, Manuel Ajanel, José García and Néstor Rentería. They've got a talented lineup and a rotation that's a little less so, but with the right results at the right times the Gophers might find themselves in contention for the first time.

Always contenders but only once champions, the Flechas de León are not expected to come close to competing this year and it's clear why. Another team with a young core in 2B Francisco Castro, LF Mario Díaz and RF Marcos Olivares, they don't have much else on their roster that could help them compete. It might be best to wait a year or two and see how top pitching prospects Luis Euceda (#4) and Rodrigo Juárez (#11) pan out before buying into the León hype.

Rumors begin to swirl about a potential move for the other Mexico City club, the Águilas have never come higher than 6th place and they are once again projected to come in the bottom half of the table. They have only a pair of top 3 talents in the league, no real prospect depth and a rookie manager trying to patch a sinking boat. Will 1947 be the final season for the Capital Eagles?

While Monterrey have been the more successful expansion team (357 wins to 342), their participation in the league so far has been disappointing. The Cardinals have collected some serious talent over the years, including current Tlatoani Guillermo Meraz and César Loaiza, who's less than 200 hits short of becoming the first player in league history to get 1,500 of them. In any case, it seems like the Nuevo León club just can't get things right. However, it is only the second year of Sergio Mora's tenure as General Manager, which might be bad news given his tenure in Tampico was the worst period of club history so far; or it might be good news, given the current state of affairs in Tamaulipas.

The Obsidians were once the league's young, promising squad, but they are now an aging club with no star power, no young prospects and dwindling attendances (their attendance dropped 10% from 1945 to 1946). With only 36 wins last year, it's possible the club might have hit their rock bottom and with the right moves they could begin climbing back up the table.

Puebla quickly went from being contenders in the early years to one of the worst clubs in the league. This year, Pedro Ayala, Heraclio Rincón and Juan Garnica might be able to pull a rabbit out of a hat and give some run support to young Antonio Moreno, who pitched his way to a 2.15 ERA in 41 games (14 starts) last year.

Finally, Mérida were completely disassembled in the offseason, with their entire rotation leaving the club. They are now left with glass cannon Oziel Rojas trying to stay healthy (he's played just 151 games in the last 3 years), and a 34 year old Manuel Vargas trying to rescue something out of a season that seems lost before it's even began.

We're in for another fun season of Ullamaliztli, with a three club race for the top!

[jasg224]

1947 Desert League Preview


East
Houston had a great offseason after coming 2nd in the East last time round. Adding Mario Morales, despite his age, makes their lineup immediately one of the most dangerous. If he can stay healthy, SS Rubén Riviera should put up some nice numbers as well. It's all a question of wether Morales, Riviera and Beas can transition well to the Desert League and justify their wages. Steve Cooper (1.79 ERA, 13 SV last year) put in some serious work this offseason, and looks poised to take over a starting role and perhaps even be #1 in the rotation. ULN veterans Omar Sánchez and Israel Pastrana will be right behind him, pushing the Longhorns into the 1947 Desert Series.

Dallas keeps their very talented core intact, while adding some serious power in 1B Héctor Ramírez. Bill Soffa, Lance Turner and Glenn Varney still make up the best outfield trio in the league, and will be at the heart of a fearful lineup. The Mustangs also added 3B Heriberto Rodríguez, who's not putting up hitting numbers and might see a rough transition (.201/.281/.252 career slash through 641 ULN games), but he's got serious talent with the glove and the versatility to play any infield position with ease. Dallas have the lineup and the rotation to take it all home.

El Paso fell just short of a championship last year, and the front office has commited to their players this year once again. Their core is left intact, and the only real addition of note to the lineup is SS José Parra who, like Dallas' Rodríguez, would be better off as a "designated fielder". Parra is a three-time Temanahui award winner and is one of the most talented SS in the league, but is this really the type of addition contending teams want to make? On the mound for the first time in the USA will be lefty Rich Faircloth, after an Atlatl season and a 1.61 ERA. The 29 year old elected to be closer to his family in California and should become a fan favorite like he was in Tampico.

Fort Worth are predicted to repeat their 4th place finish from last year, and will settle for a winning record. They have one of the weakest rotations in the league and it won't be made any better by adding 41 year old Matt McGuill from León, whose better years have already gone by. They've added more mid-level ULN talent in SS Victor Huerta and 2B Ehécatl Cócom.

San Antonio were the worst team in the league last year, and nobody will be surprised if they are the worst team in the league this year. They did trade for Phoenix 2B Brett Goggans, who put up league average numbers in 1946. The Armadillos also brought Ben Lintner, and they'll be glad if he can replicate his 3.34 ULN career ERA.

West

The Los Angeles Condors are still the team to beat in the league, and it seems like no other club is even close to preventing them from winning a second in a row. Having both Salvatore Rossi (1.33 ERA) and Rafael Moreno (2.27 ERA) in their rotation is unfair, and their lineup is so stacked that new signing and former ULN star David de la Rosa is set to hit 6th. With the amount of money they have, we might be seeing the beginning of a true dynasty.

Albuquerque were second last year and look like a second place team this year as well. They've added Rogelio Hernández despite him only getting 3 starts with Jaguares last year, as well as Javier García (3.17 ERA) to a rotation that had a 3.15 ERA last year. C Alfredo Hernández was part of a winning team in 1943, but is way past his prime and will give no support to Cole Chambless (.320/.404/.417), and his own talent window that is slowly closing. Albuquerque might not be a bad team, but their talent is not enough to compete with the LA juggernauts.

Tucson's Mikael Janssen (.274/.369/.392) seemed to take a step forward this offseason but the 3B would be better off playing for a better team. The Saguaros added two aging former ULN players who will mostly feature as bench options. Perhaps most notably, they've brought in Israel Álvarez who had a very underrated ULN career, keeping a 2.70 ERA over 91 starts.

The Phoenix Scorpions have a pair of top 3 talents in 2B Nate Fleming and 3B Justin Henry, but their project should probably be focusing on building around lefty Tony Hawkins. Hawkins had a 1.12 ERA in 13 starts as a senior at his Palmdale High School, and the Scorpions saw enough out of him to draft him 3rd overall in the draft last year. "The Sidewalk Surfer", as he is known due to his love for this hobby, throws four pitches with great command and all four of them break nicely, impeding good contact. There is no better example than his senior season, as he allowed just one home run and 14 walks, to 118 strikeouts. Hawkins is the future of Phoenix, unless they decide to trade him.

Finally, San Diego stood pretty still this offseason with their "reinforcements" being 1B Miguel González (36) and LHP Jonathan Estrada, who combined for 0.7 WAR in the ULN last year. It won't be long before players like C Henry Morales (.311/.375/.441), 2B Jeff Scelza (.314/.413/.413) or SS Leo Navarro (.305/.386/.427) ask out of the border city.

It all points towards a Houston/Dallas/El Paso rumble for a chance to face Los Angeles in the 1947 Desert Series!

[jasg224]

April 1947 - Ullamaliztli Namiqui Update

The league has had a chaotic start with a few surprises along the way.



The preseason favorites are tied at the top! Jaguares pull ahead with a 2-1 record against San Luis. Let's go team by team:

Jaguares de México had an amazing month, going 17-6. They won every single series they had this month: @ MER 2-1, vs SNL 2-1, @ AGS 2-1, vs PUE 2-1, vs GDL 3-0, @ MTY 3-0, vs LEO 2-1, vs AGU 1-1. Their best wins include(chronologically): a 9-6 win against Mérida where they scored 5 runs in the top of the 9th; a 3-hit shutout from Carlos Casillas against Aguascalientes; a 23-3 smashing of Guadalajara in a double-header, where 3 players got 4 hits and Gabriel Barrón had 7 RBI.

Stats-wise their rotation is 6th in ERA:
LH Antonio Juárez - 5 GS, 39.2 IP, 2.50 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 11 BB, 21 K
LH Carlos Casillas - 5 GS, 32.1 IP, 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 7 BB, 21 K
LH Pablo Hinojosa - 5 GS, 36 IP, 3.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 6 BB, 18 K
LH Ramón Ortiz - 4 GS, 28 IP, 3.54 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12 BB, 14 K
RH Javier Fernández - 4 GS, 27 IP, 5.00 ERA, 1.63 WHIP, 12 BB, 11 K

Juárez, who once fought for the top prospect spot with teammate Ricky Repollet, is doing great leading the staff in just his 2nd season in the capital. Carlos Casillas is now 30 strikeouts away from becoming the first pitcher in league history to set 1,000 batters down. Ramón Ortiz is transitioning nicely into the rotation, making his first 4 starts after 140 relief appearances.

They are the best team offensively according to runs scored, AVG, OBP and OPS! Here are their top hitters:
3B William Middleton - .446/.485/.696, 5 2B, 3 3B, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 2 SB (100%)
2B Francisco Rojas - .276/.372/.429, 5 2B, 5 3B, 5 RBI, 2 SB (50%)
1B Gabriel Barrón - .392/.449/.588, 7 2B, 4 HR, 22 RBI, 4 SB (40%)
RF Salvador Velázquez - .302/.410/.488, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 18 RBI
CF Andrés Tapia - .321/.382/.444, 8 2B, 1 3B, 14 RBI

Middleton is taking the league by storm, perhaps calling out for attention from teams up north as the end of his contract inches closer. Paco Rojas is going harder than ever in his 3rd ULN season. 20 year-old Andrés Tapia is already looking like a veteran hitter, and he has come a long way since he made his debut at 17. With such talent up and down the order, it's clear why Jaguares are in first place.

Tunas de San Luis are the second place team, and their only series loss has come against first place Jaguares: vs AGU 3-0, @ JAG 1-2, vs MER 2-1, vs TAM 2-1, @ AGS 2-1, vs PUE 3-0, @ GDL 2-1, vs MTY 2-0. Their best wins were: a 4-hit CGSO from Alejandro Ubilla on Opening Day; a 4-hit CGSO from Ubilla against Puebla; a 3-hit CGSO from Mestre against Puebla.

With performances like that, their rotation is 1st in ERA and the club is 2nd in runs allowed:
RH Alejandro Ubilla - 5 GS, 38.1 IP, 2.35 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 8 BB, 13 K
RH Roberto Mestre - 5 GS, 39 IP, 1.62 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 10 BB, 16 K
RH Francisco Barajas - 5 GS, 40.1 IP, 1.79 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 9 BB, 21 K
RH José Pérez - 4 GS, 28 IP, 2.25 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 12 BB, 12 K
LH Andrés Amaya - 4 GS, 32 IP, 1.41 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 11 BB, 11 K

Ubilla is looking like Mestre's true heir at just 23. It will be a tough call between teammates, as Roberto himself is putting in some serious work while he chases his 4th Atlatl award. A 38 year-old Barajas is also looking like his younger self, hoping to get one more ring before he retires. José Pérez is another highlight, with great performances that don't show it's his first time in a ULN rotation. Amaya has the lowest ERA of the bunch, pitching in the #5 spot, showing that San Luis' arms are an unstoppable force right now.

Their offense isn't lagging behind and they're 3rd in runs scored, here's their top hitters:
CF Aureliano Domínguez - .379/.433/.547, 8 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 2 SB (66%)
LF Alberto Campana - .312/.350/.452, 2 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB (12%)
3B Ángel Ziranda - .349/.411/.523, 3 2B, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 1 SB (25%)
C Ernesto González - .275/.326/.300, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 1 SB (100%)
1B Celestino Valadez - .237/.273/.376, 2 2B, 4 3B, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 1 SB (25%)

Domínguez, 21, is having a breakout year but time will tell if he can stay healthy in this one. Alberto Campana is looking like the hitter he was set to become when he won the 1940 Moyaomamachtiani award. But overall, their offense is reliant on timely hitting and teamwork.

Tuzos de Aguascalientes are our first surprise! A surprising hot start puts them in contention early: at LEO 2-1, at AGU 3-0, vs JAG 1-2, at MER 3-0, vs SNL 1-2, vs TAM 2-1, at PUE 1-2, vs GDL 2-0. Their best wins were: a 3-hit CGSO from Daniel Rivera vs León; a 5-4 win against León were Jesús Martínez put them on top with a 2-run double in the top of the 9th; an 11-8 win against Jaguares thanks to a 4-run rally in the bottom of the 8th; a 3-2 win over Mérida thanks to a Jordan Garcia HR in the top of the 9th; a 3-2 win over San Luis with a Jorge Ávila walkoff double; a 5-hit CGSO from Raúl Romero vs Tampico; a 5-hit CGSO from Raúl Romero vs Puebla; a 3-hit CGSO from Daniel Rivera vs Guadalajara.

Their pitching has been magnificent, they're 1st in runs allowed and 2nd in rotation ERA:
RH Raúl Romero - 5 GS, 39.2 IP, 1.13 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 8 BB, 18 K
RH Daniel Rivera - 5 GS, 44.1 IP, 1.22 ERA, 0.99 WHIP, 13 BB, 21 K
LH Luis Flores - 4 GS, 30.2 IP, 1.17 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 7 BB, 14 K
RH Jacinto Santos - 4 GS, 30 IP, 4.20 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 11 BB, 10 K
RH Vinicio Arizpe - 3 GS, 23.1 IP, 1.16 ERA, 0.73 WHIP, 3 BB, 6 K

Most have come to thrive in Aguascalientes, as all except for Jacinto Santos are debuting with the Gophers. They're just one game back, and they look like real contenders for the first time this year.

Pitching is near perfect, but the dramatic late wins are also thanks to the 2nd best offense in the league, powered by:
RF Jordan Garcia - .293/.314/.525, 7 2B, 5 3B, 2 HR, 15 RBI
1B Antonio Monterrosa - .275/.370/.407, 6 2B, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 3 SB (60%)
SS Roberto Jiménez - .276/.356/.421, 6 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB (50%)
CF Ricardo Santos - .267/.330/.400, 8 2B, 2 3B, 12 RBI, 3 SB (43%)
2B José García - .289/.337/.371, 4 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 4 SB (67%)

Jordan García is having a breakout year, after being a solid but unspectacular player with Guadalajara, Tampico, Puebla and even a one year stint for Tuzos in 1944. He's returned with vengeance and is now tied in the league lead for XBH. If he can keep it up and young stars like José García and Néstor Rentería can contribute, they are dark horses for a championship!

4th are Jaibas de Tampico, though inconsistency has been the name of their game: vs GDL 3-0, at MER 1-2, vs MTY 2-1, at SNL 1-2, vs LEO 1-2, at AGS 1-2, vs AGU 2-1, at PUE 1-1. Fun fact: the team hasn't won on a tuesday yet. Their best wins are: a 3-hit CGSO from John Nestle against Guadalajara on Opening Day; an 8-7 win against Guadalajara with David Herrera hitting a walkoff single in the 15th; a 6-hit CGSO from Juan González against Aguascalientes; a Miguel Zapata walkoff for a 2-1 win in 10 against Águilas; a 5-4 win in 10 against Puebla, Javier Acevedo with a clutch hit in the top of the 10th.

Their rotation is struggling right now and it seems like even John Nestle can't cope with being the lone ace. They're 8th in runs against and 7th in starter ERA:
RH John Nestle - 5 GS, 40 IP, 2.70 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 6 BB, 17 K
LH Felipe Osorio - 5 GS, 38.2 IP, 5.59 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 12 BB, 13 K
RH Juan González - 5 GS, 36 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 11 BB, 19 K
RH Luis Cruz - 4 GS, 25.2 IP, 3.16 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 6 BB, 15 K
LH Roberto García - 4 GS, 28 IP, 4.18 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 10 BB, 15 K

Just a bunch of veterans (Osorio is the youngest at 30) trying to hang on, this is definitely an area of improvement if they wish to go back-to-back.

Their hitting is keeping them right where they belong, though it's coming from unexpected sources:
3B Raúl Martínez - .323/.381/.427, 2 2B, 1 3B, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 1 SB (25%)
SS Oscar Hernández - .322/.378/.478, 3 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 17 RBI
CF José Contreras - .295/.323/.358, 6 2B, 11 RBI, 3 SB (38%)
C Miguel Zapata - .211/.333/.225, 1 2B, 4 RBI
LF Edwin Esparza - .344/.370/.510, 6 2B, 2 3B, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 7 SB (58%)

Their offense is also on-and-off. Martínez is having a career season, and 23 year-old Hernández had a .159 career average in 72 games before the season. Different players are contributing but, like Esparza and his negative WPA, something's overall wrong with the offense, and they aren't producing as much as they should be.

Aulladores de Mérida are just one game below .500: vs JAG 1-2, vs TAM 2-1, at SNL 1-2, vs AGS 0-3, at PUE 1-2, vs GDL 3-0, vs MTY 3-0, at LEO 0-2. Their best wins: a 4-3 win against Puebla thanks to a single from Esteban Casillas in the top of the 9th; a 4-3 win over Monterrey with Carlos Renderos walking with the bases loaded in the 11th; a walkoff double from Manuel Vargas vs Monterrey for a 2-1 win.

Their pitching is sort of pushing them forward, they're 4th in runs against and 5th in starter ERA:
RH Omar Huerta - 5 GS, 36 IP, 1.50 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 9 BB, 18 K
RH Raúl Cobo - 5 GS, 31.2 IP, 3.69 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 9 BB, 5 K
RH José Barrios - 5 GS, 35.1 IP, 2.55 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 8 BB, 13 K
RH Sergio Fonseca - 4 GS, 21 IP, 6.86 ERA, 1.86 WHIP, 8 BB, 8 K
RH Rafael Jerez - 3 G, 1 GS, 9.1 IP, 3.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 3 BB, 1 K

The young pitchers at the top of the rotation have been showing up! If they continue on this streak, they might even be dark horses for the title. That is, if the offense contributes...

The lineup has been the real let-down, and are currently 9th in runs scored:
CF Manuel Vargas - .269/.352/.333, 2 2B, 2 3B, 8 RBI, 1 SB (25%)
1B Esteban Casillas - .293/.350/.380, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 13 RBI
RF Jonathan Cervantes - .297/.411/.365, 2 2B, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 1 SB (33%)
C José Trujillo - .280/.341/.387, 8 2B, 6 RBI, 1 SB (100%)
2B Oziel Rojas - .289/.330/.320, 1 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI, 2 SB (50%)

With only a few players producing, it's clear why this team is behind in the race. Scoring more than 3 runs per game is a must if the Howlers want to escape mid-table mediocrity.

Cardenales de Monterrey are next, and they're on a pretty bad streak to end the month: vs PUE 3-0, at GDL 2-1, at TAM 1-2, vs LEO 3-0, at AGU 1-2, vs JAG 0-3, vs MER 0-3, at SNL 0-2. They started the month with some nice wins though: a 2-1 Opening Day win with Manuel Ramírez (and an error) walking it off with a single; a 5-4 win over León with David Rosado and Luis Estrada getting back to back RBIs to walk it off.

The Cardenales have allowed the 7th most runs with the 8th highest starter ERA:
RH Carlos Delgado - 5 GS, 29.1 IP, 2.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 12 BB, 20 K
RH Antonio Rodríguez - 5 GS, 36.2 IP, 4.17 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 23 BB, 11 K
RH Juan Martínez - 5 GS, 34.2 IP, 3.89 ERA, 1.62 WHIP, 15 BB, 12 K
LH Edgar Vasquez - 4 GS, 24 IP, 1.88 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 7 BB, 10 K
LH Alex García - 3 GS, 11 IP, 9.00 ERA, 2.00 WHIP, 7 BB, 6 K

Their offense is 6th in runs scored:
1B César Loaiza - .312/.350/.441, 6 2B, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 1 SB (50%)
2B Jesús Ramírez - .302/.355/.407, 6 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI
CF David Rosado - .360/.379/.470, 9 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI, 1 SB (14%)
C Guillermo Meraz - .273/.341/.442, 4 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI
SS Luis Estrada - .271/.361/.329, 3 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 2 SB (33%)

Not even the current Tlatoani can save Monterrey from another mid season.

Serpientes de Puebla have been inconsistent: at MTY 0-3, vs LEO 3-0, at AGU 1-2, at JAG 1-2, vs MER 2-1, at SNL 0-3, vs AGS 2-1, vs TAM 1-1. Some pretty nice wins: 3-2 vs León with 2 runs in the bottom 8th; 11-1 vs Puebla scoring 10 runs in the bottom 8th; 5-3 vs Aguascalientes with 4 runs in the bottom 8th; 9-8 vs Aguascalientes, they were 7-4 down in the bottom 8th, scored 2 runs, 1 in the bottom 9th, allowed one in the 10th but walked it off with a 2 run bottom of the 10th; a 5-4 win with a walkoff in the 12th.

Their young rotation is amazing, 3rd in runs against and 3rd in starter ERA:
RH Antonio Moreno - 5 GS, 38.2 IP, 0.93 ERA, 0.80 WHIP, 7 BB, 19 K
RH Jesús Espinoza - 5 GS, 33.2 IP, 4.28 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 12 BB, 16 K
RH Jesús Martínez - 5 GS, 33.2 IP, 2.67 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 4 BB, 14 K
RH Victor Villarroel - 4 GS, 29.1 IP, 2.76 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 13 BB, 9 K
RH José Hernández - 4 GS, 24.2 IP, 4.74 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 12 BB, 12 K

Martínez and Hernández are both rookies, and all but Villarroel are 24 or younger. Will they continue or will they become frustrated at the lack of run support?

If their lineup could hit the broad side of a barn, they might be able to do something this season. They're currently 6th in runs scored with a .244 team average:
3B Pedro Ayala - .315/.378/.483, 6 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI
RF Iván Alvear - .315/.378/.393, 4 2B, 1 HR, 11 RBI
1B Juan Garnica - .268/.337/.378, 7 2B, 1 3B, 7 RBI
C Victor Albornoz - .183/.253/.211, 2 2B, 8 RBI
CF Armando Correa - .229/.264/.265, 1 2B, 1 3B, 6 RBI, 2 SB (40%)

Their core either need to step up or perhaps other players could shine through, but something has to be done about this offensive slump.

Flechas de León are suffering from a terrible 3-9 start: vs AGS 0-3, at PUE 0-3, vs GDL 3-0, at MTY 0-3, at TAM 2-1, vs AGU 2-1, at JAG 1-2, vs MER 2-0. Notable games: 4-3 win vs Tampico with a run in the top 11th; 8-7 win vs Águilas with a bottom 12th walkoff; 5-3 win vs Jaguares with a pair of runs in the top 12th; 2-1 win vs Mérida with a walkoff in the 9th.

Pitching hasn't been good, they're 9th in both runs allowed and starters ERA:
LH Esteban Ramírez - 5 GS, 36 IP, 3.00 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, 17 BB, 13 K
RH Alejandro Hernández - 5 GS, 31.2 IP, 2.84 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 7 BB, 16 K
RH Leovigildo Esparza - 5 GS, 35 IP, 3.09 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 9 BB, 9 K
RH Luis Euceda - 4 GS, 23.1 IP, 5.79 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 7 BB, 11 K
LH Urbano Sepúlveda - 4 GS, 23.1 IP, 5.79 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 12 BB, 6 K

Having an Atlatl and a Moyaomamachtiani winner is not enough for this rotation to be good apparently. 19 year old Euceda is not ready for this level and 41 year old Sepúlveda is way past his prime.

The Arrows are 5th in runs scored, but their underlying numbers show they get hits when it matters most:
RF Mario Díaz - .453/.509/.674, 8 2B, 5 3B, 1 HR, 19 RBI, 1 SB
2B Francisco Castro - .310/.404/.345, 3 2B, 7 RBI, 4 SB
C Miguel Aldava - .284/.372/.297, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 1 SB (33%)
SS Roberto Sánchez - .219/.256/.288, 3 2B, 1 3B, 8 RBI
3B Miguel Galván - .222/.292/.272, 4 2B, 8 RBI

While they have some clutch performers, they have yet to build around them and that's affecting their output this year.

Águilas de México are also recovering from a bad start: at SNL 0-3, vs AGS 0-3, vs PUE 2-1, at GDL 0-3, vs MTY 2-1, at LEO 2-1, at TAM 1-2, vs JAG 1-1. Notable games: 4-3 vs Monterrey with a walkoff in the bottom 9th; 15-0 vs Monterrey with Alejandro Rivera pitching a 3 hit CGSO and Ricky Rodriguez going 5-5 with 4 RBI; 4-3 vs León with a run in the top 10th; 8-6 vs Tampico where Tampico scored 1 in the 9th, 1 in the 10th and 1 in the 12th but Águilas scored 1 in the 10th and 3 in the top 12th.

Pitching's decent but not good enough to compete. 6th in runs against and 4th in starters ERA:
LH Filiberto Soto - 5 GS, 33.2 IP, 2.41 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 12 BB, 12 K
LH David Guevara - 5 GS, 32.1 IP, 4.45 ERA, 1.64 WHIP, 18 BB, 12 K
RH Alfonso Simental - 5 GS, 31.2 IP, 3.13 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 10 BB, 17 K
RH Alejandro Rivera - 4 GS, 30.1 IP, 2.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8 BB, 12 K
RH Artemio Holguín - 4 GS, 23 IP, 3.52 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 12 BB, 10 K

Hot prospects Guevara and Rivera are surrounded by veterans like Holguín and Soto, and the formula is proving somewhat successful. Perhaps next year if Guevara and Rivera explode, the Eagles might compete.

Their hitting has been clutch, 6th in runs scored despite being 8th in AVG:
CF David García - .349/.419/.470, 4 2B, 2 HR, 9 RBI
SS Omar Tiscareño - .273/.341/.338, 5 2B, 6 RBI
2B Antonio Sánchez - .284/.327/.462, 8 2B, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 2 SB (33%)
C Miguel de León - .230/.287/.287, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI
LF Carlos Flores - .221/.308/.421, 4 2B, 3 3B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 3 SB (43%)

Finally, Obsidianas de Guadalajara just keep sinking after their 2nd place finish in 1941: at TAM 0-3, vs MTY 1-2, at LEO 0-3, vs AGU 3-0, at JAG 0-3, at MER 0-3, vs SNL 1-2, at AGS 0-2. Notable games: 2-1 vs Águilas with a walkoff in the 13th.

Dead last in runs against and starters ERA:
RH Diego Hernández - 5 GS, 35 IP, 5.14 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 11 BB, 10 K
LH Daniel Sánchez - 5 GS, 31.2 IP, 4.83 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 11 BB, 10 K
RH Gerardo Uribe - 5 GS, 31 IP, 8.13 ERA, 2.10 WHIP, 16 BB, 16 K
RH Juan Cárdenas - 4 GS, 17.2 IP, 14.77 ERA, 3.00 WHIP, 10 BB, 9 K
LH Arturo Ortiz - 4 GS, 28.2 IP, 3.77 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 11 BB, 9 K

Dead last in pretty much all offensive categories as well:
3B Fausto Alcántara - .233/.307/.322, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 2 SB (66%)
C Noé Aguilera - .250/.324/.281, 2 2B, 4 RBI
3B Mateo Castañeda - .266/.348/.329, 5 2B, 8 RBI
RF David Arroyo - .208/.266/.278, 3 2B, 1 3B, 9 RBI
1B Sergio Ramírez - .300/.337/.338, 3 2B, 5 RBI