United Leagues of Braeland - Page 34

reds1 · 05-05-2021, 11:49 PM

Dark Horse · 05-06-2021, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reds1

The most amusing thing I found in that unofficial sim, is that the Hespeler Stars came out of nowhere one year and won it all, then quickly went back to obscurity.)

Awww man!!!

Let's see... story wise we can go with the cheesy Dallas soap opera, it was all a dream... or a sci-fi alternate timeline, parallel universe... or it could be a cool remake of the Major League movie, OOTP style...

Looking at the Ball Hawk Awards, i would love to see a Monarchs - Chiefs game just to watch the Chiefs outfield play...

progen · 05-06-2021, 04:21 PM

Just gettin caught up on this! Excellent dynasty!!

reds1 · 05-07-2021, 04:57 PM

Babe Ruth Award

Incredibly, 28-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.343/.430/.640, 128 R, 199 H, 29-2B, 35 HR, 102 RBI, 84 BB, 10.0 WAR) has never finished in the top 3 of the Babe Ruth Award voting before. Well that all changed this year, as the 5-time all-star was voted the top offensive player in the Eastern League for 1953-54. Despite stiff competition, Lidgate was an easy choice as he was simply dominating this season.

Lidgate led the Eastern League in SLG (.640), OPS (1.070), WAR (10.0), Triples (19), Sac Flies (tied with three others at 8), EBH (83), OPS+ (172) and WOBA (.456). He finished in the Top 5 in 10 other offensive categories (second place 6 times).

His nearest competitors were:

2nd: Cobourg’s 28-year old CF Raymond Williams (.332/.409/.638, 138 R, 196 H, 24-2B, 45 HR, 115 RBI, 73 BB, 7 SB, 9.4 WAR)

3rd: Braeland City’s 33-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.340/.406/.533, 105 R, 207 H, 30-2B, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 64 BB, 6.2 WAR)

Williams, who finished 2nd in the voting last year as well, led the East in HR (45), Runs (138), TB (377) and ISO (.306). He finished in the Top 5 in 11 other offensive categories (second place 8 times).

Trembath finished in the Top 5 in 11 categories (second place once in Hits).

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Katsunan Chikafuji, Queensland Eagles
1938-39: Paul Hooks, Embro Suns
1939-40: Terence Durney, Embro Suns
1940-41: Jim Friend, Embro Suns
1941-42: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (2)
1942-43: Mark Elston, Brunswick Legends
1943-44: Dean Bishop, Braeland City Monarchs
1944-45: Stuart Bentham, Brunswick Legends
1945-46: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (3)
1946-47: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles
1947-48: Roberto Ríos, Stratford Barons
1948-49: Aaron Skidmore, Stratford Barons
1949-50: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings
1950-51: Alfonso León, Downie Chiefs
1951-52: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings (2)
1952-53: Alfonso León, Downie Chiefs (2)

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Satchel Paige Award

28-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (22-10, 3.18 ERA, 280.0 IP, 1.18 WHIP, .263 BABIP, 131 ERA+, 6.1 WAR) won his second Satchel Paige Award in three years, after finishing runner-up last season. He took all the first-place votes.

Jaojoco led the East in W (22), IP (280.0), CG (24), SHO (5) and QS (23 - tied). He finished in the Top 5 in 11 other categories and in the Top 2 three times.

Following him were:

2nd: Cobourg's 28-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (18-7, 2.89 ERA, 252.0 IP, 1.11 WHIP, .271 BABIP, 145 ERA+, 7.2 WAR)

3rd: Queensland’s 26-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (14-13, 2.97 ERA, 251.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, .283 BABIP, 139 ERA+, 6.6 WAR)

Turvill led the Eastern League in ERA (2.89), WAR (7.2), K/BB (3.1), BB/9 (2.1), WHIP (1.11), FIP (3.07), ERA+ (145), WIN% (.720) and QS (23 -tied). He finished in the Top 5 in 6 other pitching categories and in the Top 2 three times.

Micklethwait led in rWAR (8.1). He finished in the Top 5 in 8 other categories (second place twice).

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Colm Soper, Embro Suns
1938-39: Justin Hayhurst, Stratford Barons
1939-40: Lenny Freke, Braeland City Monarchs
1940-41: David Cooling, Braeland City Monarchs
1941-42: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends
1942-43: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (2)
1943-44: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons
1944-45: Matthew Monroe, Brunswick Legends
1945-46: Joel Fearn, Stratford Barons
1946-47: Arthur Bence, Wellington Athletics
1947-48: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons (2)
1948-49: Nicholas Grimes, Braeland City Monarchs
1949-50: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (3)
1950-51: Aaron Saunderson, Embro Suns
1951-52: Magtanggol Jaojoco, Stratford Barons
1952-53: Logan Belsey, Queensland Eagles

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Rookie of the Year Award

23-year old RHP Darren Etheridge (13-16, 3.31 ERA, 260.2 IP, 102 K, 1.31 WHIP, .271 BABIP, 124 ERA+, 4.7 WAR) becomes the second pitcher in the Eastern League and fifth overall (not including Mike Park who is now a full-time position player) to win Rookie of the Year honors. The 3rd-round pick from 1951-52 quickly became Wellington’s No.1 starter this season and responded well, winning two Rookie of the Month honors and an invitation to the All-Star game.

Finishing behind him were:

2nd: Etheridge’s teammate, 21-year old CF Greg Yates (.283/.317/.447, 50 R, 110 H, 18-2B, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 20 BB, 2.0 WAR). Yates, a 2nd-round pick from 1950-51, picked up 3 first-place votes.

3rd: Stratford’s 23-year old LF Ronald Hollinshed (.284/.327/.418, 58 R, 120 H, 25-2B, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 23 BB, 0.6 WAR). Hollinshed was a 4th overall pick last season.

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1938-39: Adam Ashley, Braeland City Monarchs
1939-40: Soren Heinke, Wellington Athletics
1940-41: Dean Bishop, Queensland Eagles
1941-42: Harry Chatwin, Brunswick Legends
1942-43: Geoff Lemoine, Stratford Barons
1943-44: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles
1944-45: Kyle Pryor, Braeland City Monarchs
1945-46: Jilenko Batiles, Cobourg Red Stockings
1946-47: Ron Gavin, Queensland Eagles
1947-48: Christopher Dainty, Braeland City Monarchs
1948-49: Patrick Lidgate, Braeland City Monarchs
1949-50: Matthew Floyd, Wellington Athletics
1950-51: Jim Mars, Wellington Athletics
1951-52: Robert Kersey, Brunswick Legends
1952-53: Andy Faulkner, Stratford Barons

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Babe Ruth Award

There was a ‘changing of the guard’ in the West, as three new players finished in the Top 3 voting. But the choice was rather academic, as 25-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.327/.417/.607, 114 R, 180 H, 35-2B, 33 HR, 122 RBI, 92 BB, 7.8 WAR) ran away with the Award, winning all but one first-place vote.

Thirkettle led the League in HR (33), RBI (122), SLG (.607), OPS (1.024), WAR (7.8), TB (334), Sac Flies (tied with 11), EBH (78), ISO (280), OPS+ (168) and WOBA (.434). He finished in the Top 5 in 6 other categories (second place twice).

This year’s runners-up were:

2nd: picking up one first-place vote was teammate 29-year old RF Ellis Dibble (.349/.408/.566, 104 R, 201 H, 35-2B, 24 HR, 95 RBI, 58 BB, 6.0 WAR)

3rd: Cambria's 24-year old CF Sam Tite (.297/.397/.515, 109 R, 168 H, 25-2B, 28 HR, 109 RBI, 94 BB, 8 SB, 6.2 WAR)

Dibble led the League in AVG (.349) and Hits (201). He finished in the Top 5 in 12 other offensive categories (second place three times).

Tite tied with Thirkettle with most Sac Flies (11). He finished in the Top 5 in 8 other offensive categories.

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans
1938-39: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1939-40: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans
1940-41: Steven Winstanley, Hespeler Stars
1941-42: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1942-43: Ron Westmacott, Cambria Cannons
1943-44: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants
1944-45: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants (2)
1945-46: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans
1946-47: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1947-48: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (3)
1948-49: Dylan Moyne, Fort Richmond Generals
1949-50: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions
1950-51: Louis Wearne, Fort Richmond Generals
1951-52: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions (2)
1952-53: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions (3)

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Satchel Paige Award

For the fourth time in six years, a pitcher for the Fort Richmond Generals won the Western League Satchel Paige Award. This season, 31-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (19-6, 2.92 ERA, 287.0 IP, 1.16 WHIP, .273 BABIP, 140 ERA+, 7.4 WAR) got the nod, the second of his career. In a year where the Generals lost both Nicholas Grimes ad Roberto Taváres to long-term injuries, Sherlock stepped up and led the team not only to the playoffs, but to a United Cup championship as well.

Sherlock led the West in WAR (7.4), IP (287.0), CG (18), BB/9 (1.6), FIP (3.17), WIN% (.760) and QS (25). He also finished in the Top 5 in 8 other pitching categories (second place 6 times).

Finishing behind Sherlock in voting this year were:

2nd: Wolseley’s 35-year old RHP Bill Blair (20-10, 2.57 ERA, 265.2 IP, 1.07 WHIP, .231 BABIP, 164 ERA+, 5.4 WAR)

3rd: Pulberry’s 26-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (16-10, 3.04 ERA, 201.0 IP, 1.19 WHIP, .250 BABIP, 135 ERA+, 3.5 WAR)

Blair was outstanding this season as well, earning 4 first-place votes. He led the Western League in ERA (2.57), Wins (20), WHIP (1.07), ERA+ (164), rWAR (10.5), BABIP (.231) and OAVG (.223). He finished in the Top 5 in 6 other categories (second place twice).

Folkard finished in the Top 5 in 5 categories (second place twice).

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Neil Guerin, Cambria Cannons
1938-39: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans
1939-40: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1940-41: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (3)
1941-42: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans
1942-43: Joey Cumberledge, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1944-45: Roberto Taváres, Sherburn Tigers
1945-46: Patrick Denman, Kingston Pelicans
1946-47: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers
1947-48: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers (2)
1948-49: Nicky Sherlock, Fort Richmond Generals
1949-50: Bill Blair, Wolseley Unions
1950-51: Roberto Taváres, Fort Richmond Generals (2)
1951-52: Nicholas Grimes, Fort Richmond Generals (2)
1952-53: Aaron Saunderson, Wolseley Unions (2)

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Rookie of the Year Award

The Balmoral Giants were aggressive in signing the Cuban-born LF Ángel Costa (.334/.399/.530, 78 R, 182 H, 42-2B, 19 HR, 79 RBI, 58 BB, 4.7 WAR) and the 33-year old did not disappoint them. He immediately become Balmoral’s top offensive player. He won two Rookie of the Month honors and a selection to the All-Star game, capping off his season with the Rookie of the Year Award.

Finishing behind Costa were:

2nd: Cambria’s 23-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.287/.410/.477, 121 R, 17 H, 32-2B, 18 HR, 73 RBI, 115 BB, 4.7 WAR)

3rd: Kingston’s 23-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.288/.340/.443, 101 R, 178 H, 22-2B, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 50 BB, 3.0 WAR)

Costa tied with the most Doubles (42) and finished in the Top 5 in 7 other offensive categories.

Hanbridge led the Western League in Runs (121) and WPA (5.48). He finished in the Top 5 in two other categories.

Ramsbottom led the League in SB (19) and CS (12). He finished in the Top 5 in two other categories, including second-most at-bats (619).

Voting Results:

Previous Winners:

1938-39: Aaron Flanagan, Wolseley Unions
1939-40: Francisco Rodríguez, Balmoral Giants
1940-41: Leon Hankey, Cambria Cannons
1941-42: Brian Pittman, Balmoral Giants
1942-43: Freddie Duran, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Rizalino Ringor, Wolseley Unions
1944-45: Hao Wang, Cambria Cannons
1945-46: Ben Currall, Kingston Pelicans
1946-47: Éric Denis, Wolseley Unions
1947-48: Dominic Pipard, Balmoral Giants
1948-49: Gavin Flatt, Fort Richmond Generals
1949-50: César Ruíz, Cambria Cannons
1950-51: Carlos Ortíz, Wolseley Unions
1951-52: Roberto Garza, Wolseley Unions
1952-53: Mike Park, Hespeler Stars

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Manager of the Year Award

The two men who faced each other in the United Cup both earned Manager of the Year honors.

60-year old Xavier Ahernfeld (321-295, .521) guided the Barons to first place in the East and the Pennant in his fourth year as a manager. Despite his laid-back demeanor, Ahernfeld is known for his no-nonsense approach, something his players have thrived on. He has managed the Barons to three above .500 seasons and two playoff appearances. This year he won his first Pennant.

A former player in the United Leagues, 48-year old John Mathis (528-397, .571) led his battered and beleaguered club not only to the playoffs, but to a United Cup championship as well. Although he previously won a United Cup with the Cambria Cannons as a utility infielder back in 1939-40, this was his first Pennant and Championship as a manager. He wins his second Manager of the Year Award, having won it previously in 1950-51. Unlike Ahernfeld, Mathis’ easygoing style is no put-on: he is a player’s manager through and through and the players love him for it.

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Bradley Balmforth, Wellington Athletics --- Rouke Barclay, Sherburn Tigers
1938-39: Vic Windle, Embro Suns --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans
1939-40: Warren Paulino, Braeland City Monarchs --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons
1940-41: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1941-42: Babe Ruth, Brunswick Legends --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons (2)
1942-43: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (2)
1944-45: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (3)
1945-46: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (3) --- Bradley Balmforth, Sherburn Tigers (2)
1946-47: Reid Saxby, Queensland Eagles --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (4)
1947-48: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs --- Morrigan O’Lonergan, Balmoral Giants
1948-49: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs (2) --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions
1949-50: Bill Bouchet, Downie Chiefs --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions (2)
1950-51: Finlay Fay, Brunswick Legends --- John Mathis, Fort Richmond Generals
1951-52: Eugene Rogge, Wellington Athletics --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (5)
1952-53: Nicholas Willis, Cobourg Red Stockings --- Benjamin Sadler, Cambria Cannons

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New Records Set

In a season where offense was up across the board, it was no surprise that the majority of new records were for offensive achievements.

Patrick Lidgate set a new mark for slugging percentage with .6397, surpassing Danny Trowbridge’s old mark of .6285, originally set in 1945-46.

Pulberry’s 1B Gerard Koerner tied the record for most game appearances in a regular season with 155. He now shares the record with Embro’s Jim Friend. Koerner played in all 154 regular games plus a tie-breaker game this season.

Raymond Williams established two new records: most total bases (377) and home runs (45). He eclipsed Downie’s Alfonso León’s old mark of 366 TB (1950-51) and Kingston’s Dean Bishop’s home run mark of 39, originally set in 1949-50.

One pitching record was set this season. Logan Belsey, who practically owns the strike out records, established a new mark in strikeouts/9 IP with 6.74. That edges his old mark from last season (6.70). He currently sits in the Top 3 in both K/9 IP and strikeouts. He is the only pitcher to surpass 200 strikeouts in a season in the United Leagues, which he accomplished in 1950-51 (203).

reds1 · 05-07-2021, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Awww man!!!

Let's see... story wise we can go with the cheesy Dallas soap opera, it was all a dream... or a sci-fi alternate timeline, parallel universe... or it could be a cool remake of the Major League movie, OOTP style...

The first thing I thought of were the 1914 Boston Braves, who seemingly came out of nowhere to sweep the mighty Athletics, then never made the post-season again until 1948. I hope things will not be as bleak for the Stars.

reds1 · 05-07-2021, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by progen

Just gettin caught up on this! Excellent dynasty!!

Thank you so much, progen!

DreamTeams · 05-08-2021, 02:47 AM

Hooray for Thirkettle! Such an appropriate baseball name. What a season he had. Definitely earned the award.

reds1 · 05-10-2021, 02:02 AM

Notes on 1953-54 All-Braeland Team

Starting Pitcher

Although offense was up this season, there were still many tremendous pitching performances to choose from. I narrowed it down to four that I feel were the best and equally deserving of recognition. Ultimately, I went with Fort Richmond’s 31-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock, as he performed brilliantly all season and throughout the playoffs. His reward was a United Cup championship and selection to the All-Braeland team.

Here are the four pitchers that were under consideration:

• RHP Nicky Sherlock – 19-6, 2.92 ERA, 35 GS, 287.0 IP, 120 K, 1.16 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 1.6 BB/9, 3.8 K/9, .273 BABIP, 3.17 FIP, 140 ERA+, 7.4 WAR.
• Stratford’s 28-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco – 22-10, 3.18 ERA, 34 GS, 280.0 IP, 149 K, 1.18 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 4.8 K/9, .263 BABIP, 3.53 FIP, 131 ERA+, 6.1 WAR.
• Cobourg’s 28-year old RHP Marcus Turvill – 18-7, 2.89 ERA, 32 GS, 252.0 IP, 183 K, 1.11 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.1 BB/9, 6.5 K/9, .271 BABIP, 3.07 FIP, 145 ERA+, 7.2 WAR.
• Wolseley’s 36-year old RHP Bill Blair – 20-10, 2.57 ERA, 33 GS, 265.2 IP, 107 K, 1.07 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 3.6 K/9, .231 BABIP, 3.66 FIP, 164 ERA+, 5.4 WAR.

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Catcher

After being a runner-up for the past two seasons, Brunswick’s 24-year old Robert Kersey finally gets his due as he was selected to the All-Braeland Team this season. Kersey, the top-rated catcher (No. 3 overall), led the United Leagues in WPA with 6.57.

Here are the three catchers that were under consideration:

• Robert Kersey – .320/.403/.580, 163 H, 31-2B, 33 HR, 110 RBI, 73 BB, .982 OPS, 151 OPS+, 7.3 WAR, .957 EFF.
• Braeland City’s 29-year old Hayden Billyard - .316/.374/.503, 168 H, 34-2B, 21 HR, 90 RBI, 46 BB, .877 OPS, 124 OPS+, 5.9 WAR, 1.113 EFF.
• Stratford’s 34-year old Aaron Skidmore – .262/.410/.443, 119 H, 13-2B, 23 HR, 89 RBI, 112 BB, .852 OPS, 123 OPS+, 5.1WAR, 1.021 EFF.

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First Base

Cobourg’s 28-year old Harry Doxey has been in the running as the top first baseman in the United Leagues over the past four seasons. This year he came out on top, as his sixth full season in the ULB was his best and it earned him a selection to the Team.

In all, I considered three players:

• Harry Doxey – .368/.413/.522, 229 H, 54-2B, 14 HR, 100 RBI, 43 BB, .935 OPS, 141 OPS+, 6.3 WAR, 1.008 EFF.
• Cambria’s 27-year old Carlos Corea – .335/.375/.566, 197 H, 42-2B, 30 HR, 115 RBI, 35 BB, .942 OPS, 145 OPS+, 3.26 WAR, .826 EFF.
• Queensland’s 27-year old Ryan Conisford – .287/.374/.478, 163 H, 29-2B, 23 HR, 94 RBI, 78 BB, .852 OPS, 124 OPS+, 4.7 WAR, 1.028 EFF.

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Second Base

Braeland City’s 28-year old Patrick Lidgate made this an easy exercise last year. This year he made it even easier, as he was the top position player in the Eastern League. In fact, he is currently rated the No. 1 player in the entire United Leagues. He proved it all season long and earned his 3rd selection to the All-Braeland Team.

Here are who I consider the Top 3 second basemen this season:

• Patrick Lidgate – .343/.430/.640, 199 H, 29-2B, 35 HR, 102 RBI, 84 BB, 1.070 OPS, 172 OPS+, 10.0 WAR, 1.009 EFF.
• Downie’s 28-year old Dominic Dudding – .322/.395/.510, 173 H, 22-2B, 25 HR, 87 RBI, 63 BB, .905 OPS, 139 OPS+, 5.7 WAR, .986 EFF.
• Stratford’s 25-year old Matthew Channing – .293/.341/.507, 176 H, 42-2B, 23 HR, 111 RBI, 44 BB, .849 OPS, 119 OPS+, 4.9 WAR, .995 EFF.

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Third Base

Cobourg’s 32-year old Alexander Tolmie has had a stranglehold on this spot on the All-Braeland Team for the past three seasons and that didn’t change this year either. Tolmie is the only third baseman rated in the Top 20 (9th overall) at present. But it wasn’t a runaway. In fact, Kingston’s 26-year old Harry Herold offers a compelling argument that he should be considered the top third baseman this season. But in the end, I went with Tolmie.

• Alexander Tolmie – .301/.396/.473, 167 H, 29-2B, 22 HR, 81 RBI, 88 BB, .869 OPS, 125 OPS+, 5.9 WAR, 1.004 EFF.
• Harry Herold – .321/.372/.514, 156 H, 27-2B, 21 HR, 101 RBI, 39 BB, .887 OPS, 127 OPS+, 4.9 WAR, 1.015 EFF.
• Pulberry’s 27-year old Makani Kahale – .312/.337/.457, 179 H, 32-2B, 13 HR, 81 RBI, 23 BB, .794 OPS, 109 OPS+, 4.2 WAR, 1.020 EFF.

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Shortstop

After getting serious consideration in 1951 and 1952, Hespeler's 31-year old Zhao-hui Qian finally earned his first selection to the All-Braeland Team. Qian was tremendous this year on a Hespeler team that struggled otherwise. He made it an easy choice.

Here are the three shortstops that were considered:

• Zhao-hui Qian – .323/.378/.490, 186 H, 24-2B, 22 HR, 101 RBI, 55 BB, .869 OPS, 122 OPS+, 6.8 WAR, 1.031 EFF.
• Cambria’s 34-year old César Ruíz – .288/.371/.504, 167 H, 28-2B, 29 HR, 109 RBI, 71 BB, .875 OPS, 129 OPS+, 3.9 WAR, .929 EFF.
• Kingston's 26-year old Charlie Cockin – .301/.369/.445, 160 H, 32-2B, 9 HR, 87 RBI, 53 BB, .814 OPS, 110 OPS+, 4.0 WAR, .986 EFF.

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Left Field

There was no agonizing over who was the top leftfielder either, as Pulberry’s 25-year old Aidan Thirkettle was the clear choice. He won the WL Babe Ruth Award and is currently rated as the No. 4 position player overall.

Here were the three leftfielders I considered:

• Aidan Thirkettle – .327/.417/.607, 180 H, 35-2B, 33 HR, 122 RBI, 92 BB, 1.024 OPS, 168 OPS+, 7.8 WAR, .990 EFF.
• Wolseley’s 33-year old Carlton Hawking – .326/.465/.484, 172 H, 28-2B, 17 HR, 71 RBI, 141 BB, .949 OPS, 146 OPS+, 5.9 WAR, .974 EFF.
• Stratford’s 30-year old Roberto Ríos – .290/.431/.438, 158 H, 26-2B, 14 HR, 77 RBI, 138 BB, .869 OPS, 128 OPS+, 5.4 WAR, 1.008 EFF.

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Center Field

Its hard to believe but it’s been 7 straight seasons now that either Cobourg’s 28-year old Raymond Williams or Downie’s 28-year old Alfonso León or (most times) both have been under consideration for the best centerfield in the United Leagues. Things were no different this year. But while León had a down year for him, Williams was sensational and was the easy choice. Cambria’s 24-year old Sam Tite joined them in have a terrific season as well, in just his second full season.

• Raymond Williams – .332/.409/.638, 196 H, 24-2B, 45 HR, 115 RBI, 73 BB, 1.047 OPS, 167 OPS+, 9.4 WAR, 1.011 EFF.
• Sam Tite - .297/.397/.515, 168 H, 25-2B, 28 HR, 109 RBI, 94 BB, .912 OPS, 139 OPS+, 6.2 WAR, .997 EFF.
• Alfonso León - .321/.375/.463, 187 H, 23-2B, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 50 BB, .838 OPS, 122 OPS+, 5.8 WAR, 1.022 EFF.
• Pulberry’s 27-year old Cooper Tyson – .281/.354/.450, 165 H, 35-2B, 16 HR, 77 RBI, 65 BB, .803 OPS, 112 OPS+, 5.2 WAR, 1.047 EFF.

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Right Field

Pulberry’s 29-year old Ellis Dibble and Braeland City’s 23-year old Aidan Trembath are considered the top two right fielders in the United Leagues and it shows, as both finished neck and neck, making it difficult to choose one over the other. Dibble was the better fielder, so I gave the edge to him. But after them it was a bit of a drop. Wellington’s 28-year old Jim Mars performed admirably for the Athletics when star teammate Matthew Floyd was lost for the season.

• Ellis Dibble – .349/.408/.566, 201 H, 35-2B, 24 HR, 95 RBI, 58 BB, .974 OPS, 156 OPS+, 6.0 WAR, 1.023 EFF.
• Aidan Trembath – .340/.406/.533, 207 H, 30-2B, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 64 BB, .938 OPS, 140 OPS+, 6.2 WAR, .980 EFF.
• Jim Mars – .295/.343/.443, 172 H, 41-2B, 8 HR, 67 RBI, 44 BB, .787 OPS, 107 OPS+, 3.6 WAR, 1.016 EFF.

care4ameatball · 05-12-2021, 07:04 AM

Just started reading this, well done on pretty much everything. Let’s go Barons!

DreamTeams · 05-14-2021, 02:21 AM

Woohoo! What a season for the Trolleys. Got two of the boys on the All-Braeland Team. Nice that some of the team's players can say "We lost, but we won." Now if only we can capture that trophy next year.

reds1 · 06-07-2021, 02:21 AM

June 2, 1954

Quote:

‘A ROSE BY ANY OTHER NAME’
COBOURG, KINGSTON INTRODUCE NEW OWNERS; NEW NAME RUMORED FOR LOCAL BALL CLUB

Cobourg, Dunwich (BP) – The dominoes continue to fall in the ownership ranks of the United Leagues as two teams saw new owners take over this offseason and immediately begin putting their own stamp on their respective clubs. One ownership change came as a result of the Leagues’ continuing efforts at ‘weeding out’ intractable owners, while the other was completely unexpected.

‘Loss of an Icon’

The death of Ethan MacKimmie, who died in his sleep back on February 13, came as a shock to more that just the Kingston Pelicans and its fans. The 80-year old MacKimmie was a beloved fixture in the south-western city for decades before he bought into the fledgling United Leagues back in 1937 and established the Pelicans, a team that qualified for the playoffs in its first 10 years of existence, winning seven Western League Pennants and three United Cups in total. A patron of the arts, MacKimmie was instrumental in establishing both the Kingston Opera Centre and the Oxford Museum of Art, which is recognized as containing the finest collection of Braelander art and sculpture.

Martin MacKimmie, Ethan’s eldest son, called his father’s unexpected passing “a loss of an icon”, adding that “baseball was in his blood. He appreciated the beauty in a well executed double-play just as much as he did in the perfect balance of light and colour found in a Renoir painting. We will miss him dearly.”

But the younger MacKimmie also stated that his father’s death was “an end of an era”, announcing that the Pelicans would soon be put up for sale, as the family plans to focus their energies on supporting the MacKimmie Foundation and the nation’s cultural heritage.

In early May the new ownership group took over, headed by another local fixture, Dalton Bartels. The 43-year old executive was announced as principal owner. Bartels, CEO of Sovereign Construction Inc., one of the country’s largest construction companies, acknowledged on the occasion of the sale that they had “big shoes to fill”. “But like Mr. MacKimmie", he continued, “we will be just as committed to winning as he was and continue the Pelicans high standard of excellence that Ethan established.”

A Fresh Start in Cobourg?

If the tenor in Kingston was one of smooth transference and continuance, the atmosphere in Cobourg was anything but. Harry Urien, the Red Stockings’ long-time owner, refused to step aside quietly when the United Leagues began to orchestrate his removal last season. Long recognized as the ringleader of the owners who refused to negotiate with the players over salaries, Mr. Urien had threatened legal action against the Commissioner’s Office and Kemsley Palace to prevent his ouster. It is believed that the public feud and drawn-out drama played a role in the team’s disappointing performance this year after they had won the Eastern League Pennant in 1952-53.

Holding out until the very end of the season, the 68-year old Urien finally capitulated and sold the team to the League. Yesterday, the United Leagues announced that the team was purchased by Preston Davis, the head of the Braeland Car & Foundry Company based in Cobourg. The 41-year old Davis, whose company is the country’s leading manufacturer of buses, trolleys and railroad rolling stock, announced at yesterday’s press conference that the acquisition of a baseball team in the United Leagues was a ‘dream come true’ and the culmination of many years of hard work. But he acknowledged that more hard work was needed in order to regain the trust of baseball fans in Cobourg, who grew frustrated at the circus-like atmosphere that surrounded the beleaguered club last season.

“This team has a great core [of players] and solid management”, Davis declared at the press conference, “but I am acutely aware that the team needs a fresh start as it were and refocus our energies on the baseball field instead of the off-field developments of the past few months. As owner, I am committed to making this club a winning one, especially while our playoff window is still open.”

But Mr. Davis would neither confirm nor deny the rumors that the new ownership group was considering a new name for the club. “All options are on the table”, he conceded. “Everything is being considered. But its premature to announce anything on that matter at this time. What I can say is that we do plan on unveiling new uniforms for next season before the team takes the field for spring training.”

But anonymous sources within the League have confirmed that the leading contender for the new name is ‘Redlegs’, the same moniker that the Cincinnati ballclub of the National League adopted in April 1953. While reports speculated that the Cincinnati ballclub was motivated to change their name due to the word ‘red’ becoming increasingly associated with Communism, ULB sources indicated that the new ownership group’s desire for a new name is not motivated by any political connotations, but rather the belief that the name ‘Red Stockings’ is simply old fashioned.

“The Davis ownership group is determined to put their stamp on the club as soon as possible and make a fresh start”, stated the League official, who asked not to be identified. “A name change is entirely in keeping with that goal. There is a strong desire to make a clean break from the recent past and re-engage the fanbase.”

But whether a new name or even new uniforms will excite the fans in Cobourg remains to be seen. But winning ballgames – and a lot of them at that – will. Seems the Red Stockings or whatever they will be called next season, could take a few pointers in that department from the Pelicans, who just happen to be the winningest ballclub in the United Leagues over the past 17 years.

reds1 · 06-29-2021, 06:15 PM

The 1954 off-season was a carbon copy of last year’s off-season in that the majority of transactions involved changes in team management. Indeed, a few teams displayed little patience in their recent hires by showing them the door after just one season. One team even jettisoned their manager after he had led them to the United Cup Championship just the year before. Two clubs also saw ownership changes and will embark on a new era as well.

But perhaps the most significant development this off-season was the sheer number of future hall of famers that called it a career. No less than five first ballot hall of famers along with two others that can make a compelling case for future enshrinement retired. There was a definite ‘passing of the guard’ feel to the transition from the 1953-54 season to the upcoming 1954-55 one.

Finally, for the first time since 1951, the Braeland Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed a new member to its ranks.

Here is a summary of some of the noteworthy developments that took place leading up up to the start of the Coconut Leagues that begin on August 30.

Hall of Fame Results:

LHP David Cooling was elected to the Braeland Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, garnering 76% of the vote, just enough to be inducted. He becomes the 10th member of the Hall and the fifth pitcher to be enshrined. At the time of his induction, he appeared in the Top 5 in eight pitching categories and in the Top 10 in four others. He is the first Hall of Famer whose career overlapped three decades.

Balmoral Giants - 1937-1938; 1950
Braeland City Monarchs - 1939-1949
Kingston Pelicans - 1950

Notable Achievements:
Satchel Paige Award: 1 (1940-41)
All-Star Selections: 10
Pitcher of the Month: 2
Ball Hawk Award: 1 (1946-47)

Other Selected Achievements:
Finished 2nd in votes for 1947-48 Satchel Paige Award
Finished 3rd in votes for 1941-42 Satchel Paige Award
Threw two 1-hitters and three 2-hitters.

Hall of Fame Metrics:
JAWS: 68.5 (average HOF SP – 49)
Black Ink: 28 (average HOF – 30)
Gray Ink: 228 (average HOF – 136)
HOF Standards: 39 (average HOF – 29)
HOF Monitor: 137 (average HOF – 105)

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Notable Player Retirements:

OF Carlton Broadbent

Broadbent was drafted 3rd overall back in 1938 by the Braeland City Monarchs and was traded to the Balmoral Giants in 1939 while still a prospect for this year’s Hall of Fame inductee, David Cooling. In his prime, Broadbent was one of the League’s most formidable hitters, winning back-to-back Babe Ruth Awards in 1943-1944 and 1944-1945. He was a 9-time all-star and won Batter of the Month honours 7 times. He was selected to 3 All-Braeland Teams as a right fielder. He won the Western League Batting Title (.345) as well as the Triple Crown (.345, 22 HR, 109 RBI) in 1944-45. He was rated the No. 1 position player in 1943 and 1944. He currently stands third overall in career home runs (284). Never a good defensive outfielder, his shortcomings became even more glaring in the second half of his career, which undoubtedly pulled his overall value down. How voters will balance his shortcomings with his undeniable prowess at the plate remains to be seen, but he is a future Hall of Famer in my book.

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IF Katsunan Chikafuji

Chikafuji was just 21-years old when the United League embarked on its inaugural season. He entered that season with a splash, winning the first EL Babe Ruth Award while playing for the Queensland Eagles. He was the first player in ULB history to hit for the cycle back on October 9, 1937. Although the ULB did not officially recognize any rookies in that first season, unofficially, OOTP awarded Chikafuji the Rookie of the Year Award that season, along with 3 Rookie of the Month honors. Katsunan won Batter of the Month honours 10 times, was an all-star 12 times and won 2 Ball Hawk Awards. He earned a selection to the All-Braeland Team 3 times as a shortstop and once as a second baseman. He finished his career first in WAR (89.42) and RBIs (1,433). He finished second in Total Bases (3,960) and home runs (293).

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RHP John Palm

A career relief pitcher will always have an uphill battle on achieving induction into the Hall of Fame, but Palm should pick up some votes and may even get in. Palm entered the United Leagues in 1937 as a 24-year old reliever with the Embro Suns. In his 17 seasons, he was an all-star 11 times and won 3 United Cups. He was a reliable, dependable pitcher, missing just one day to injury (a headache back in 1947!) He finishes his career ranked No. 1 in ERA (2.807), games (829) and OSLG (.3182). He finishes 3rd in both career saves (135) and WPCT (.643).

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LHP Anastasio Rodríguez

Anastasio Rodríguez retires as arguably the greatest pitcher to have played in the United Leagues, with only Joel Fearn who retired last year and Hall of Famer Brady Murdy, putting up any sort of argument. Drafted 4th overall back in 1937-38 by the Brunswick Legends, the 20-year-old Rodríguez dominated the United Leagues, winning 3 Satchel Paige Awards and 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team. The 10-time all-star earned 7 Pitcher of the Month honours and was named the 1942 Eastern League Pennant Series MVP. He was a 5-time United Cup champion, winning 3 with the Legends and 2 with the Wolseley Unions. In the playoffs, the Panamanian finished No. 1 in CG (16), IP (188.0), hits allowed (201), strikeouts (91) and WAR (5.00). Rodríguez was ranked the No. 1 pitcher in the ULB for an astonishing 9 years (1941, 1943, 1945-1951). No other pitcher has been ranked No. 1 for more than one season. He finishes his career ranked #1 in wins (251), strikeouts (1,730) and pitching WAR (96.83). He finishes second in IP (3,899.0). If there’s an automatic first ballot hall of famer in the United Leagues, Rodríguez is it.

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IF Francisco Rodríguez

The second notable Rodríguez to retire this off-season, Francisco Rodríguez entered the United Leagues as a 20-year-old free agent from Costa Rica and had an immediate impact. Playing his entire career with the Giants, he won Rookie of the Year honours in 1939-40, won 3 Ball Hawk Awards and was an 8-time all-star. He won the 1941-42 Western League Batting Title (.361) and was named to the All-Braeland Team as a shortstop twice. He was rated as the No. 1 position player in 1942. He currently holds the season record for doubles (57) set back in 1945-46. Rodríguez was a solid shortstop both in the field and at the plate for 10 straight seasons. But whether that will be enough to get him elected to the Hall of Fame awaits to be seen.

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C Danny Trowbridge

Danny Trowbridge was selected second overall by the Fort Richmond Generals in 1939-40 and reached the big leagues that same season. Acquired by the Kingston Pelicans in November 1943 in a blockbuster trade for this year’s Satchel Paige Award winner Nicky Sherlock, Trowbridge quickly dominated the ULB like few others. At his peak, he was the No. 1 position player in the entire United Leagues from 1945 to 1948, after which he saw a precipitous decline in production. But during his peak, the 9-time all-star won 3 Babe Ruth Awards, a Ball Hawk Award, 3 consecutive Batting Titles and an incredible 7 selections to the All-Braeland team as a catcher. In addition, he won the 1946 United Cup MVP Award (despite his team coming out on the losing side) and set the season record for OPS (1.0709) in 1945-46. Despite his rapid decline after 1949, few shown as brightly as he did in this prime. “A Hall of Famer for sure” equally applies to Trowbridge just as it did for Johnny Bench, at least in this humble dynasty.

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IF Jake Walker

The Canadian-born Jake Walker entered the United Leagues in 1937 as a 24-year old infielder with the Embro Suns. Two years later, he was traded to the Stratford Barons in what proved to be a lop-sided deal. Walker became the No. 1-rated position player in the ULB in 1940 and 1941, earning 11 all-star selections and 1 batting title (.351) in 1950-51 along the way. He hit for the cycle in 1949 and set the longest hitting streak (39 games) thus far back in 1945-46. He finishes his career ranked No. 1 in singles (1,909) and triples (193) and No. 2 in games (2,197), hits (2,600) and BB (1,406). A barely average defender at shortstop, Walker really began to regress defensively after he turned 32. Nevertheless, he was a very productive player for 13 straight seasons, which should make his election to the Hall of Fame a fairly easy decision.

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Management Shakeups:

April 23 – Cambria Raises Eyebrows with Hiring of New Manager

In a move that seemingly caught everyone off guard across the League, the Cambria Cannons abruptly fired their field manager, Benjamin Sadler on April 16. Sadler had just completed his second season at the helm, leading the Cannons to an 85-69 record for the second year in a row. Last season, it was good enough for second place. The Cannons went on to win the United Cup and Sadler earned the Western League Manager of the Year Award. This year it good enough for only 4th place and they finished out of the playoffs. But Sadler has a reputation for fiery temperament that may have rubbed some of the players the wrong way, which perhaps gave management an additional reason for the change.

Hired in his place is the 14-year veteran, Wesley Leseberg (699-688, .504). The 65-year old Australian was most recently the Balmoral Giants field manager, but he too was let go after two seasons. Leseberg is 2-time Manager of the Year Award winner, having won them back in 1942-43 and 1944-45, the same seasons where his Brunswick Legends won the United Cup. Leseberg is known as a player’s manager, which should help smooth out any lingering friction in the dugout.

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April 23 – Embro Make Wholesale Changes, Hire New GM, Manager

The Suns endured their worst season last year, finishing in 6th place with a 70-84 record. That prompted upper management to make major changes. Besides relieving their hitting coach and trainer of their duties, they also fired their general manager, Bill Beeby, as well as their 58-year old manager, Ashley Knuth. Beeby was Embro’s GM since their inaugural season back in 1937 and he is highly regarded. The Suns made the playoffs 6 times and won 1 Eastern League Pennant under his watch. Knuth (231-231, .500) was the Suns’ manager for 3 seasons. His first two seasons saw the Suns finish with above .500 records before they stumbled this past year. Both have since landed on their feet, with Knuth being hired as the Kingston Pelicans’ bench coach under Ben Houchens. Beeby’s new gig shows up further down.

Taking over are 54-year old Alexander Corsie and 57-year old Benjamin Sadler (170-138, .552), Cambria’s former manager. This will be Corsie’s first year as a GM anywhere, so it remains to be seen how he fares. He is said to favour offense and power in building his roster and highly favours scouting and current year stats. Sadler manages in a balanced, conventional style that has seen success. But he is a loose cannon and unpredictable from day-to-day in the clubhouse. We’ll see how long it takes for him to wear out his welcome or if he settles down.

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May 14 – Giants Hire Veteran Bench Coach as New Field Manager

Nearly a month after relieving Wesley Leseberg of his duties, Balmoral hired 61-year old Gary Compton as their new field manager. This will be Compton’s first crack at managing after spending 15 seasons as a bench coach with the Cambria Cannons (2 seasons), Fort Richmond Generals (3) and Stratford Barons (10). He is expected to employ a conventional approach that favours hitting, power and OBP. But he is known for being a strict disciplinarian; that could lead to tension in the clubhouse, especially among the veterans.

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May 3 – Sherburn Tigers Hire New GM for Second Consecutive Season

Although the Tigers may not have had a great season record-wise last year, it was still a bit of a surprise when they terminated 47-year old Stewart Pruitt’s (61-93, .396) employment as their GM after just one season.

Taking the helm is 62-year old Bill Beeby, the Embro Suns’ former long-time GM. Beeby is considered a ‘legendary’ executive: the Embro Suns won 100 and 104 games back in 1941-42 and 1942-43 respectively, but failed to win a Pennant, much less a United Cup. With the Tigers, he has a chance to revive a team that has not made the playoffs in 8 seasons and has made only 2 playoff appearances in their 17-year existence. In the past, Beeby has favoured prospects, hitting, offense, power and AVG. He has been aggressive on the trade market in the past and highly favours development and scouting values.

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May 9 – Cambria Hires Hall of Famer as New Scouting Director

After 3 seasons as Cambria’s scouting director, 62-year old Quinn Ellis’ contract was not renewed. He was soon hired, however, as the new scouting director for the Brunswick Legends.

Taking is place in Cambria is the Brunswick-born and Hall of Fame first baseman, 46-year old Fergus Chitty. This will be Chitty’s first management position in the United Leagues. He is rated ‘good’ in scouting both the major and minor leagues, as well as amateur and international scouting. He is said to favour ability.

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June 2 – New Ownership Take Over in Kingston, Cobourg

Two new owners were welcomed to the United Leagues fold earlier in the off-season. 43-year-old Dalton Bartels became principal owner of the Kingston Pelicans after the MacKimmie family decided to divest themselves of the ballclub after the passing of their patriarch, Ethan MacKimmie. Meanwhile, 41-year-old Preston Davis purchased the Cobourg Red Stockings. His acquisition was the culmination of a long stand-off between the Commissioner’s Office and the Red Stockings’ previous owner, Harry Urien, who resisted efforts to oust him from ownership of the club and was believed to have played a central role in the contentious standoff between the owners and players over the previous two years.

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Trades:

August 5

To Wellington – 25-year-old OF Jack Jefferson (47/52)
To Downie – 29-year-old SS Rupert Bricknell (51/51)

Knee-jerk reaction: Essentially a net-zero transaction for Downie, this trade will seem to have a more immediate impact on the Athletics. Bricknell was a 3rd overall pick back in 1944 but has been a disappointment both at the plate and in the field, even though his defensive ratings and baserunning skills are rated highly. He was ineffective as Wellington’s shortstop and lead-off hitter, so the club decided to part ways. Bricknell now sits buried in Downie’s depth chart.

In return, Wellington receives Jack Jefferson, who was not going to get many starts playing behind CF Alfonso León in Downie. Jefferson is solid defender at centerfield and is speedy on the basepaths. His bat as well, shows more promise than Bricknell’s. For now, he has displaced Greg Yates (.283/.317/.447, 107 OPS+ - 49/55) as the starting centerfielder, although I suspect that both will get equal number of starts. What this move does is allow Wellington to make 24-year-old Brayden Docking (49/61), their 6th overall pick from 1951-52, their everyday third baseman, with 27-year-old Yorikane Taekuchi (52/53), a versatile infielder, shifting over to shortstop. While I’m not convinced of Jefferson being a better centerfielder than Yates, I like how Wellington has strengthened their infield as a result of this trade.

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Finally, the War Gained chart reveals how utterly uneventful in terms of player movement between teams the off-season was. Cambria ‘won’ simply by having a bunch of negative WAR players retire.

But next up are Coconut Leagues. They begin tomorrow, Monday, August 30th as the teams gear up for the United Leagues’ 18th season.

reds1 · 08-30-2021, 03:34 AM

Baseball returns to Braeland at last, as spring training just wrapped up and the 16 clubs have set their rosters for Opening Day. Below are the spring training results for the 18th annual Coconut Leagues, pre-season predictions for both Leagues and some career leaderboards. But first, a run-down of a couple of trades that were consummated during September.

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Trades

September 8 between the Embro Suns and the Hespeler Stars.

To Embro – 30-year old RF Edgardo Barrón (42/42) and 19-year old minor league CF Nathan Ratcliffe (20/41)
To Hespeler – 34-year old LHP Arthur Bence (48/48)

Knee-jerk reaction: The Suns make a curious move, giving up a seasoned southpaw in exchange for essentially a utility player. Barrón is one of the best defensive outfielders in the United Leagues, a 4-time Ball Hawk Award winner and two-time all-star. He is a terror on the basepaths and would be an obvious candidate as a lead-off hitter if his bat wasn’t so underwhelming (almost 45/45 across batting ratings board; 40/40 in HR power). As such, he is batting 7th to start the season, but the player he is replacing, 28-year old Jose Maldonado (43/43), has the better bat. For now, Maldonado will start every 7th game. As for Ratcliffe, he has promising HR power (40/70) and good speed and excellent defensive ratings. But he will struggle making contact and avoiding outs and will often appear to be playing out of position (LF & CF are his best at 30). Whether he can eventually reach the majors remains to be seen.

Bence is a former Satchel Paige Award winner and 4-time all-star. While his peak years may be behind him, he can still be a serviceable workhorse. He has good control (60/60) with four decent pitches (fastball, changeup, splitter – 45/45; curveball 40/40) that he can throw for strikes. That, along with very good stamina (65), should provide a modest boost to the Stars’ rotation. Bence will be their No. 3 pitcher to start the season.

September 9 between the Wellington Athletics and the Downie Chiefs.

To Wellington – 27-year old SS Bob Thompson (48/48)
To Downie – 28-year old 38 Juan Maldonado (47/47)

Knee-jerk reaction: Having sent SS Rupert Bricknell to the Downie Chiefs back in the August in order to acquire CF Jack Jefferson, the Athletics traded for Thompson to take Bricknell’s place. The 27-year old is an incredible defender to go along with impressive speed and HR Power (60/60) and Gap power (55/55). However, he will struggle making contact (35/35) and avoiding K’s (35/35), making him an average starter. Whether he will be an upgrade at SS remains to be seen.

The Chiefs bring aboard Maldonado primarily as a back-up to their young third baseman, 23-year old Freddie Ogburn (46/57), who is still developing. Maldonado is a versatile infielder with good range and above average speed who can hit for average.

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New Uniforms

New owner Preston Davis made if official, confirming long-standing rumors that a new moniker for the Cobourg baseball club was in the works. Going forward, the team will be known as the ‘Redlegs’, in imitation of the Cincinnati Reds of the National League but prompted more out of a desire for a fresh start following the previous ownership group rather than for political reasons. The ‘Mr. Redlegs’ logo got promoted from just being a sleeve patch to being the team’s new primary logo, with the previous block ‘C’ replaced with a wishbone ‘C’, emulating the Cincinnati Reds even further.

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Eastern League Results

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The Stratford Barons and Embro Suns led the way in spring training; in fact, they were the only two clubs with above .500 records in the East. But the predicted standings would indicate that there will be no cakewalk for anyone, with the top four teams finishing within 9 games of each other and no one reaching the 90 win mark.

The top hitters list reveals the usual suspects, including Downie’s CF Alfonso León, who was absent from the list last season and had a comparatively down year, at least for him. Wellington’s LF Matthew Floyd returns to the list. His season was cut short last year due to a broken elbow bone. No doubt a healthy Floyd is reflected in Wellington’s projection as being a playoff contender. But the one unexpected name is at the top: Stratford’s 2B Matthew Channing. Channing enjoyed his best season last year (4.7 WAR) and looks to build on it. He is rated as the No. 3 second baseman, after Braeland City’s Patrick Lidgate and Downie’s Dominic Dudding.

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Western League Results

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If the playoff chase in the Eastern League is expecting to be close, the West is projected to be a total free-for-all, with all 8 teams finishing within 9 games of each other and no one reaching the 80-win mark. Eek. Could all 8 teams finish in a tie for top spot (or rather, bottom spot)? Double eek.

One name of interest that appears on the Top Hitters list is Sherburn’s RF Albert Sulley (54/59). Sulley started 71 games for the Tigers last season and is already rated as the 3rd-best right fielder in the United Leagues, behind only Braeland City’s Aiden Trembath and Pulberry’s Ellis Dibble. The 100th overall pick from 1950-51 is impressing the scouts with his plus-plus ability. He is projected to hit for a high average and be a solid base stealer with amazing speed (80). That is in addition to his excellent range and arm in the outfield. He should have plenty of opportunities to shine this season, as he will be batting out of the No. 3 spot.

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Here are the top players and pitchers and top 20 prospects as updated on Opening Day. Also included are the latest leaderboards for a slew of offensive and pitching categories.

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Leaderboards

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DreamTeams · 08-30-2021, 08:45 PM

Buckle up! Here we go. Trolleys look good. But, it's only spring training.

Hageneezz · 08-31-2021, 12:11 PM

Go Cannons!

Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A505FN met Tapatalk

reds1 · 09-01-2021, 02:58 AM

November 1, 1954

Thanks guys!

Here is a snapshot of the Leagues after the first month of play, with some teasers that will be answered in the December 1 league reports:

• To no one’s surprise, the pathetic Athletics are searching for a new field manager, after enduring a 14-game losing streak in the middle of October and ending the month mired in a 6-game losing streak. Can Wellington get back on track?
• Who hit the 23rd cycle in ULB history?
• Who became the 12th player to reach the 2000 career hits milestone?
• Who drove in 7 RBIs – two shy of the ULB record – in Pulberry’s 22-6 trouncing of the Cambria Cannons on October 25?

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reds1 · 09-06-2021, 12:32 PM

December 1, 1954

Eastern League: Barons Take the Early Lead

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Offense: .259/.342/.402 (7th/4th/2nd)
Pitching: 3.48/3.32/4.35 (3rd/3rd/4th)
Defense: .709 (4th)

In season that is seeing a bit of an upheaval in both Leagues in the early going, the Stratford Barons remain the lone constant. They are the only team in the ULB to have qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons and they continue their strong play this season, leading the Eastern League. After being two games back of first at the end of October, the Barons came on strong in November, a month that included an 8-game winning streak.

After two months, perineal all-star 35-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.306/.466/.476, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 44 BB, 2.6 WAR) remains the offensive leader of the team and the top catcher in the United Leagues. His primary support in the lineup have been 26-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.268/.319/.451, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 17 BB, 1.6 WAR) and 23-year old SS Callum Spalton (.279/.326/.419, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 11 BB, 1.5 WAR), but the rest of the lineup has been inconsistent.

Pitching remains the team’s primary strength, with both 28-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (7-2, 2.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 166 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Ted Smith (7-1, 3.12 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 127 ERA+) on pace for 21 wins apiece.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 8 – RHP Ted Smith (2-0, 0.53 ERA, 17.0 IP, 6 K)

Noteworthy:

October 20 – After dropping the fist two games of the series, RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco got the Barons back on track, thanks to a 2-hit, complete game shutout over the Brunswick Legends. Jaojoco struck out 4, walking 1 en route to a 3-0 win (GS: 86). 31-year old LF Roberto Ríos put an exclamation mark on the win with a solo home run in the 6th against RHP Pi-ao Quian.

Current Injuries:

November 10 – LHP Marcello Dean – torn rotator cuff. Out for: 5 months.
November 25 – SS Jeff Houston – quadriceps strain. Out for: DtD, 3 weeks.

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Offense: .275/.345/.410 (1st/2nd/1st)
Pitching: 3.83/3.92/3.50 (4th/5th/2nd)
Defense: .692 (7th)

Looking to bounce back from their worst season last year record-wise, the Embro Suns are off to a promising start. The offense leads the East in a host of categories but its not quite dominant enough to carry them through the season if their pitching, particularly the rotation, doesn’t improve.

24-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.291/.335/.490, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 15 BB, 2.4 WAR) is enjoying the best start of 4-year career. He lost 14 weeks to various injuries last season. Also off to his best start is 27-year old 1B Napana Mamo (.335/.385/.500, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 18 BB, 2.2 WAR). Mamo is rated No. 2 among 1B, behind only Cambria’s Carlos Corea.

The loss of LHP Arthur Bence to Hespeler is being felt, as the rotation has been underwhelming so far. Right now, Embro’s strength has been their bullpen, with 23-year old rookie stopper RHP Rob Gladstone (3-0, 3 SV, 2.93 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 135 ERA+) and 14-year veteran 36-year old RHP Max Dunston (1-2, 3 SV, 3.13 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 127 ERA+) being the most effective.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 11 – LF Jesús Abreu (.435, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI)

Current Injuries:

November 5 – 1B Bob Buchanan – fractured knee. Out for: 5 months.
November 29 – RHP Myung-gu Son – sore shoulder. Out for: DtD, 3 days.

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Offense: .266/.330/.393 (5th/7th/5th)
Pitching: 3.10/3.22/2.51 (1st/2nd/1st)
Defense: .732 (1st)

A strong start to the season saw the Queensland Eagles hold down top spot in the East after the first month, but a 3-10 stretch in November knocked them 4 games out of first place before finishing the rest of the month 8-4. For the past couple of seasons, the Eagles’ rotation has had the best one-two punch in the Leagues. They were just waiting for an anemic offense to start pulling their weight. That might happen this season. Not only has the offense received a much needed boost from new young talent, but the pitching has become even more impressive.

That’s because 29-year old RHP Logan Belsey (7-3, 2.52 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 155 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (9-1, 1.35 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 289 ERA+) have become even more dominant than they have in the past. They are rated Nos. 1 and 2 respectively among all pitchers and its not hard to see why. The rest of the rotation though is lagging behind. But Queensland is banking on two rookies finding their footing soon, namely 22-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (3-4, 4.64 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 84 ERA+ - 46/58), and 25-year old LHP Amoka Kalea (3-5, 4.41 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 88 ERA+ - 47/52). Another young starter, 22-year old RHP Derek Tarn (1-3, 4 SV, 2.91 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 134 ERA+ - 52/62), is holding down the stopper position for now.

After being a glaring weakness for some time, the offense is showing signs of flexing some muscle. 28-year old LF Rod Dennis (.305/.407/.492, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 33 BB, 1.9 WAR) continues to be Queensland’s best position player, but he has been joined by recent acquisition, 26-year old CF John Oldknow (.299/.364/.449, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 22 BB, 1.9 WAR). 25-year old C Robbie Leivers (.340/.411/.520, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 12 BB, 1.4 WAR) appears to be gradually taking over catching duties from 35-year old Elijah Sheppard (.235/.361/.33, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 15 BB, 0.5 WAR) and for good reason. Finally, 21-year old RF Hal Dhu (.306/.365/.471, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 18 BB, 1.3 WAR), a 4th overall pick form 1951-52, has found a home batting in the No. 2 spot, between Oldknow and Dennis.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 29 – RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 17.1 IP, 10 K)

Noteworthy:

October 10 – RHP Stiofan Micklethwait was impressive in his second start, picking up his first win of season against the Wellington Athletics. He shut them down 4-0, throwing a 2-hitter. He struck out 4 and walked 3 (GS: 84). All the runs were scored in the bottom of the 8th inning, when little used catcher Blake Nankervis connected on his first and so far, only major league hit of the season, a grand slam home run off Wellington’s RHP Zachary Collingham.

November 19 – The Eagles started off their 3-game home series against the Cambria Cannons on a high note, as Queensland won the game 6-0 on the strength of 30-year old RHP Tyler Gissing ‘s (4-5, 4.00 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 98 ERA+) 2-hit shut-out. Gissing carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning with 2 out when Cambria’s LHP Bill Southon lined a single into left-centerfield. In all, Gissing went 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 85 PI (GS: 85).

Current Injuries:

September 12 – SS Juan Ramos – fractured ankle. Out for: 4-5 weeks.

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Offense: .270/.351/.400 (3rd/1st/3rd)
Pitching: 4.96/4.88/5.15 (8th/8th/6th)
Defense: .673 (8th)

Over the past few seasons, the Braeland City Monarchs have been up and down in the standings. Last season, they won 84 games and made the playoffs. But this year, true to form, they are down. Not too far down though that they cannot jump right into the thick of things in the East. But they will need to somehow beef up a disappointing pitching staff if they hope to compete for a spot in the post-season.

With the exception of 29-year old RHP Lee Corp (6-1, 2.69 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 149 ERA+), the pitching has been inconsistent. Corp is perhaps enjoying the best start to his 7-year career, all with the Monarchs. It hasn’t helped that pitchers who have stepped into the stopper role keep getting injured. Braeland City currently has 3 pitchers in sick bay.

The offense continues to be the team’s strength, but all have seen a drop from last season – some more than others. Last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner, 29-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.291/.383/.495, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 27 BB, 2.4 WAR) continues his all-star pace (although it’s down from last season). He is joined by 29-year old C Hayden Billyard (.278/.358/.402, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 22 BB, 1.5 WAR) as the team’s offensive leaders, but others, like 24-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.293/.372/.414, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 25 BB, 1.0 WAR) are enduring slower starts.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 25 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.520, 13 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI)
November 22 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.450, 9 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI)

Noteworthy:

November 27 – It was a battle of pitchers between Wolseley Unions’ RHP Aaron Saunderson and Braeland City’s 26-year old RHP Pei Ming (4-6, 4.81 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 83 ERA+). But while Saunderson only gave up 4 hits and 2 runs, Ming was a bit better, shutting out the Unions, 2-0, on 2 hits. Ming struck out 5, walked 2 on 111 PI (GS: 86).

Current Injuries:

November 24 – RHP Corey Timothy – Torn UCL. Out for: 6 months.
November 29 – RHP Samuel Hollier – strained hamstring. Out for: DtD, 3-4 weeks.
November 30 – RHP Rizal Doctolero – strained triceps. Out for: DtD, 2 weeks.

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Offense: .273/.345/.381 (2nd/3rd/7th)
Pitching: 4.50/4.07/6.07 (7th/7th/8th)
Defense: .706 (5th)

The Brunswick Legends were just a game out of first place at the end of October, but a 3-14 start to November brought them back to earth with a thud. Like the Monarchs, the Legends are being held back by a struggling pitching staff. However, their offense isn’t quite as impressive as Braeland City’s – at least not yet.

26-year old C Robert Kersey (.297/.370/.491, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 22 BB, 2.0 WAR) continues to lead the team, at least in offense if not in providing good vibes in the clubhouse. But both 26-year old SS Harris Yaag (.326/.354/.449, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 8 BB, 1.5 WAR) and 26-year old 1B Francis Joicey (.280/.352/.452, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 22 BB, 1.5 WAR) are enjoying fine starts to the season as well.

The pitching continues to struggle, however, with only 37-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (6-5, 3.56 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 112 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (4-4, 3.64 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 109 ERA+) providing consistent outings.

Noteworthy:

October 10 – The Legends came up short against the Downie Chiefs, losing 2-1 on the afternoon, but the 27,966 fans at Babe Ruth Park were on their feet in the bottom of the 7th inning when 33-year old Jorge Arredondo (.233/.328/.267, 7-2B, 12 RBI, 28 BB, 0.4 WAR) lined a single past second base for his 2000th career hit. He became the 12th player in United Leagues’ history to reach that milestone. After popping out to the second baseman in the 1st inning, Arredondo connected for hit No. 1,999 in the bottom of the 3rd, singling into shallow centerfield to load the bases. That led to the Legends’ only run when C Robert Kersey followed with a sac fly to centerfield. Arredondo’s next opportunity for hit 2,000 came in the 5th but was walked on 4 straight pitches. But he finally reached the milestone two innings later. In all, he went 2 for 4, 1 BB.

November 7 – The Legends and Cannons engaged in a see-saw battle at Alexander Field in Cambria, with the home team eventually pulling out an 11-10 win in 14 innings. The Legends took a 5-3 lead in the top of the 9th, only to see the Cannons tie it in the bottom half and send it into extras. Brunswick scored a run in the top of the 10th, but Cambria got the equalizer in the bottom half. Brunswick scored two runs in the top of the 12th, but Cambria evened it up once again. In the top of the 14th, the Legends score two runs to make it 10-8, but the Cannons scored 3 in the bottom half to finally seal the victory, thanks to Carlos Corea’s walk-off two-out, 3-run home run off RHP Dave Ball.
Cambria’s 11 runs came off of 18 hits, but Brunswick out-paced them in that category with 27. Both 28-year old LF Carl Patton (.294/.381/.358, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 30 BB, 1.4 WAR) and C Robert Kersey went 5 for 7 on the afternoon. Patton singled in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th innings, flied out in the 7th, hit a sac fly in the 10th, singled in the 12th and grounded out in the 14th. He scored 2 R and 1 RBI. Kersey singled in the 1st and 3rd innings, grounded out in the 5th, singled in the 8th, hit an RBI single in the 9th, flied out in the 10th, hit an RBI single in the 12th and walked in the 14th. In all, he collected 2 R and 2 RBI.

November 30 – The Legends picked up their 25th win of the season with a convincing 7-1 victory over the Unions at Satchel Paige Park in Wolseley. But it was a career day for RHP Pi-ao Quian, as the 5-time all-star picked up his 200th career win. Quian went all 9 innings for the milestone on just 89 PI, scattering 5 hits with 4 K, 2 BB, and 1 unearned run (GS: 77). He becomes just the 7th pitcher to reach the 200 victory mark in ULB history.

Current Injuries:

October 8 – RHP Lao Chen – Torn elbow ligament. Out for: 4 months.
November 23 – RHP Mhelter Pilapil – sprained ankle. Out for: DtD, 4 days.

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Offense: .259/.330/.396 (6th/6th/4th)
Pitching: 4.11/3.91/4.75 (5th/5th/5th)
Defense: .703 (6th)

The Downie Chiefs appear to be a .500 team and their record thus far certainly bears that out. With one amazing exception, this is an underwhelming collection of players with few top prospects in the pipeline.

So far, it’s been all about 28-year old CF Alfonso León (.388/.440/.622, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 22 BB, 4.2 WAR). Last season was a bit of a down year for León (5.6 WAR), but he has bounced back in a big way. He currently leads the entire United Leagues in 5 offensive categories. But he hasn’t been quite the whole story.

23-year old 3B Freddie Ogburn (.265/.354/.412, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 24 BB, 1.8 WAR) is enjoying a fine start to his sophomore season and 9-year veteran, 30-year old LF Howard Dumbrill (.229/.376/.373, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 38 BB, 1.3 WAR) is off to his best start in 4 seasons. But others are struggling, especially 28-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.245/.284/.434, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 13 BB, 0.7 WAR), who has usually been a dominant player in own right over the past 6 seasons. And at this point, I think it safe to say that 27-year old RF Connor Bing (.198/.264/.325, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 19 BB, 0.2 WAR), a former 5th overall pick from 1948-49, has turned out to be a bust.

The pitching has been mediocre overall, with 31-year old LHP Hank Bennett (4-4, 2.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 136 ERA+) and 26-year old RHP Eddie Stannard (3-3, 3.07 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 126 ERA+) leading the way.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 18 – CF Alfonso León (.478, 11 H, 4 HR, 11 RBI)
November 15 – CF Alfonso León (.375, 12 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 23 – The Chiefs won big in Stratford, defeating the Barons 17-6 on 23 hits. Five of those hits came off the bat of RF Connor Bing. He went 5 for 5 with 4 RBI and 4 R. Bing singled in the 1st, hit a solo shot off RHP Ted Smith in the 4th, hit a 3-run double in the 4th, walked in the 5th and singled in both the 7th and 8th innings.

November 20 – After dropping their first game against the Wolseley Unions 1-0, the Chiefs bounced back in game 2 with a 7-1 win. 24-year old SS José Olivarez (.284/.338/.397, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 1.0 WAR) enjoyed a big day at the plate as well, going 5 for 5. Olivarez doubled in the 1st, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and singled in the 4th, 6th and 8th innings.

Current Injuries: None.

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Offense: .267/.333/.386 (4th/5th/6th)
Pitching: 3.26/3.09/4.35 (2nd/1st/3rd)
Defense: .722 (2nd)

To me, the Cobourg Redlegs remain an enigma. They should be better than their record suggests and yet, they just cannot find any consistency. They still have the talent that won them 100 games two seasons ago and their pitching staff is now second only to the Queensland Eagles. And yet, they continue to be mired near the bottom of the standings.

The offense led by their big 3: 28-year old CF Raymond Williams (.317/.385/.510, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 21 BB, 2.9 WAR), 32-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.361/.432/.492, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 26 BB, 2.4 WAR) and 29-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.318/.362/.458, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 13 BB, 2.0 WAR). Admittedly, there is a bit of a drop-off from them in the rest of the lineup and the loss of promising 23-year old SS Douglas Jones (.247/.313/.326, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 8 BB, 0.3 WAR – 59/71) to long-term injury doesn’t help.

But the pitching staff, once a perineal weak spot on the Redlegs teams in the past, is one of the best in the United Leagues. 27-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (5-3, 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 138ERA+) is considered the best starter in the ULB who doesn’t play for the Queensland Eagles. He is being ably supported by 28-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (5-4, 3.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 123 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Seb Frew (6-2, 2.29 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 174 ERA+). Even their No. 5 starter, 26-year old RHP Bobby Williams (2-3, 3.00 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 132 ERA+) is enjoying his best start since his rookie campaign back in 1951-52.

On the other hand, 26-year old LHP Bill Budd (3-7, 3.93 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 101 ERA+), who has long been rated as a Top-10 pitcher, continues to perform below expectations. He hasn’t been terrible, but nowhere near to what he is capable of. A fitting symbol of the team as a whole.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 1 – CF Raymond Williams (.458, 11 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 12 – RHP Marcus Turvill put on a pitching clinic against the Downie Chiefs, blanking them 3-0. Turvill pitched a 1-hitter, striking out 8 and giving up just 1 walk (GS: 92). The hurler went 1 for 3 at the plate to boot. The big damage for Cobourg was done in the 6th inning, when backup catcher 24-year old Yoshiake Ikeda slammed a 2-run home run 385 ft. into the leftfield bleachers, his first of the season.

Current Injuries:

October 28 – SS Douglas Jones – partially torn labrum. Out for: 3 months.
November 22 – RF Nathan Ashman – back strain. Out for: 1 week.

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Offense: .246/.302/.360 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 4.22/3.84/5.67 (6th/4th/7th)
Defense: .709 (3rd)

On October 8, the Wellington Athletics defeated the Queensland Eagles 3-2, to improve their record to 2-3. But it would be 15 games before they won again. After winning two in a row, they would drop the next 8. Finally, after a 9-2 loss to the Stratford Barons on November 1, their 7th in a row, Wellington fired 59-year old Eugene Rogge, their manager of the past 5 seasons. Despite winning Manager of the Year accolades in 1951-52, Rogge had clearly lost the clubhouse and was shown the door.

Two days later, the Athletics hired 60-year old Wildemar Aquino, a veteran hitting coach (12 years with the Cobourg Red Stockings) and bench coach (last three years with the Queensland Eagles). His one previous stint as a manager was with the Pulberry Trolleys back in 1949-50, leading them to a desultory 54-100 record. He is a laidback manager who is said to heavily favour prospects, defense and speed. In the short term at least, the move has turned things around both in the win column and in the clubhouse. Thus far under Aquino’s stewardship, the Athletics are 15-9 to the end of November and are no longer feuding amongst themselves.

Current Injuries:

November 4 – LHP Michael Etienne – torn labrum. Out for: 3 months.
November 29 – RHP Howard Turnbull – sore elbow. Out for: 4 weeks.

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reds1 · 09-10-2021, 02:38 AM

December 1, 1954

Western League: Trolleys, Giants Leading the Pack

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Offense: .281/.342/.418 (1st/1st/1st)
Pitching: 3.77/3.49/4.96 (3rd/1st/6th)
Defense: .717 (2nd)

After 14 straight losing seasons, the Pulberry Trolleys now have two consecutive winning seasons under their belt and one playoff appearance. They continue to build on that progress this season by setting the pace with the best record in the United Leagues and being solid in nearly every facet of the game. They have never won more than 88 games in a season, but this year, they are on course for 98. The offense is the best in the ULB, with only the Embro Suns putting up an argument and the pitching, particularly the starting rotation, is off to a strong start.

The lineup is being led by three players: 26-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.386/.491/.647, 7 HR, 45 RBI, 37 BB, 8 SB, 3.9 WAR) who recently enjoyed a 20-game hitting streak, 27-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.270/.351/.432, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 22 BB, 8 SB, 2.6 WAR) and 27-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.314/.341/.479, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 8 BB, 2.1 WAR). It took Thirkettle 22 games to hit his first home run of the season, but in nearly every other facet he is red hot who got even hotter in November. He is either leading or tied for the lead in 9 offensive categories across both Leagues.

29-year old SS Francis Jones (.301/.364/.471, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 22 BB, 1.8 WAR) is enjoying his best start in 5 years and 24-year old C Paul England (.274/.341/.415, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 17 BB, 1.0 WAR) continues to improve, especially in the power department. However, 29-year old RF Ellis Dibble (.292/.321/.416, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 10 BB, 0.6 WAR) slumped noticeably in November (.257/.296/327) after a strong start.

The rotation has become the best in the West, with 26-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (8-3, 2.99 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 130 ERA+), 33-year old RHP Robin Medellin (5-2, 2.90 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 134 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Harley Rodman (8-2, 3.35 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 116 ERA+) forming a formidable top 3 in the early going. But the bullpen is shaky at the moment. Right now, only the current stopper and future starter 25-year old LHP Dermott Rathbone (2-1, 7 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 151 ERA+) is pitching effectively.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 22 – SS Francis Jones (.440, 11 H, 5 RBI, 4 R)

Noteworthy:

October 25 – The Trolleys’ offense is hot, and it was no more apparent than against the visiting Cambria Cannons, as Pulberry powered to a 22-8 win off of 22 hits. Nine Trolleys collected at least two hits, including two pinch hitters. Leading the lineup was 3B Makani Kahale who went 4 for 7, producing 7 RBI, 1 R. Kahale hit 3 singles and then a Grand Slam home run in a 7-run 8th inning. Pulberry also scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning and 10 runs in the 5th to blow out the Cannons.

Current Injuries:

November 22 – RHP Alexander Ellacott – bone chips (elbow). Out for: 3 weeks.

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Offense: .271/.337/.406 (2nd/3rd/2nd)
Pitching: 3.57/3.66/3.27 (2nd/3rd/2nd)
Defense: .714 (3rd)

The Balmoral Giants have missed the playoffs 11 straight years, but things may turn out differently this season. The Giants have been impressive across the board on both offense and pitching, but it remains to be seen if they can sustain it.

34-year old LF Ángel Costa (.358/.451/.580, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 32 BB, 2.6 WAR) is the real deal and one of the best position players in the United Leagues (10th overall). But he has been joined by a couple of players who have stepped up their game. 27-year old Brock Renshaw (.322/.419/.462, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 23 BB, 1.9 WAR) has taken over rightfield from 28-year old Roy Belknap (.263/.282/.434, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 0.1 WAR) and 26-year old Erik Perry (.307/.347/.487, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 11 BB, 1.5 WAR) has entrenched himself at first base after temporarily losing his starting job to 29-year old Jacob Summerhayes (.421/.455/.579, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 0.2 WAR) over the past two seasons.

The pitching has been getting the job done as well, but like the offense, I question whether it is built for the long haul. Still, 31-year old LHP Ron Albin (4-4, 3.04 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 130 ERA+), 29-year old RHP Rodrigo González (7-4, 3.58 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 110 ERA+) and 26-year old RHP Robert Embley (4-1, 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 125 ERA+) have been doing fine jobs. But its puzzling to see long-time starter 29-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (5-1, 3.41 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 110 ERA+) reduced to long relief duties.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 1 – LF Ángel Costa (.583, 14 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R)

Noteworthy:

October 9 – The 23rd cycle in ULB history was accomplished just 6 games into the season by 31-year old 2B Sean Brearton (.255/.339/.400, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 20 BB, 1.3 WAR), although the Giants ultimately fell to the Kingston Pelicans, 6-4. Brearton tripled in the 2nd, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, doubled in the 6th and hit a solo-shot off RHP Kieran Bunce in the 8th. He finished with 2 RBI and 2 R. It was the first cycle hit by a member of the Giants.

Current Injuries:

November 27 – LHP Lucas Nott – back spasms. Out for: unknown.

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Offense: .267/.323/.380 (3rd/6th/3rd)
Pitching: 4.04/4.02/4.21 (5th/5th/4th)
Defense: .727 (1st)

The Sherburn Tigers toyed with first place in October but faltered badly in November, going 5-14 during one rough patch against Eastern League teams. Still, there are enough promising signs that the Tigers can finish in the first division for the first time in 9 years. But they will need a few more players to step up their game if they hope to return to the playoffs soon.

Without question, the revival no one saw coming was the resurgence of 32-year old C Christopher Dainty (.333/.428/.558, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 27 BB, 2.5 WAR). Most of last season was wiped out due to a torn labrum, but Dainty has come back in a big way and has reappeared in the Top Players Rankings (#13 overall). But he is not alone. 25-year old sophomore SS Dwayne Vick (.305/.343/.416, 11-2B, 29 RBI, 10 BB, 2.1 WAR) is proving his rookie season was no fluke. And both 24-year old RF Albert Sulley (.307/.390/.422, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 27 BB, 1.9 WAR) and 25-year old 1B Marcus Timberlake (.300/.374/.448, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 22 BB, 1.8 WAR) are earning their starting roles. On the other hand, former 1st overall pick 24-year old 2B Bernard Kerkin (.257/.286/.383, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 8 BB, 0.4 WAR) slumped badly in November (.220/.236/.290) after a strong start.

Finally, another 1st overall pick, 26-year old 3B Archie Eridge (47/59), is now riding the pine – in Triple-A! He should be starting on the major league roster instead. Ridiculous.

The pitching has been acceptable, but like the offense, is relying on just a couple of starters to carry them. 27-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (5-5, 3.14 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 127 ERA+) has returned nicely from a torn flexor tendon he suffered last season and 25-year old LHP Brendan Wombwell (5-5, 3.27 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 122 ERA+) has been a nice surprise. But former ace, 30-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (2-5, 5.33 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 75 ERA+), is struggling once again to start the season.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 11 – RF Albert Sulley (.571, 16 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI)
November 29 – C Christopher Dainty (.409, 9 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI)

Current Injuries:

October 28 – RHP Roy Hay – strained hamstring. Out for: 5 days.
November 17 – LF Noah Teale – strained back. Out for: DtD, unknown.

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Offense: .257/.321/.355 (5th/7th/7th)
Pitching: 3.48/3.60/2.87 (1st/2nd/1st)
Defense: .699 (4th)

The Fort Richmond Generals’ defense of their United Cup championship saw an uneven start, as the Generals got off to a slow start in October. November saw a 9-game winning streak vault them back to within 2.5 games of second place, but a 5-9 finish to the month saw them tumble once again.

The offense is the main culprit. It has never been overpowering in recent years, but this year it has really regressed. Despite that, there are a few standouts. 26-year old 3B Mason Geake (.307/.392/.438, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 26 BB, 2.3 WAR) has been Fort Richmond’s top player thus far. He is currently rated as the No. 3-3B in the ULB. 25-year old rookie LF Tom Lind (.370/.394/.457, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 7 BB, 1.5 WAR) is off to a terrific start. 30-year old RF Brandon Robinson (.302/.348/.456, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 14 BB, 0.7 WAR) has been effective as the plate as well but is struggling defensively.

Strong pitching remains the Generals’ strong suit. 32-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (5-4, 2.68 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 144 ERA+) is doing well as the team’s ace as 31-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (1-0, 2.51 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 154 ERA+) has just returned from an elbow inflammation injury. The bullpen remains the best in the League with 30-year old stopper RHP José Rodríguez (5-3, 4 SV, 1.23 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) off to a fantastic start.

Noteworthy:

November 21 – The Generals pulled out a hard-fought win in Stratford, a 6-4 victory that took 13 innings to settle. Helping his team’s cause, 3B Mason Geake went 4 for 7, hitting for the Cycle in the process, the 24th in United Leagues history. Geake flied out in the 1st, hit a 2-run home run off RHP Magtanggol Jaococo in the 3rd, flied out in the 5th, singled in the 8th flied out in the 9th, tripled in the 11th, then hit a decisive 2-run double in the 13th. It was the second cycle in history for Fort Richmond and first in 16 years.

Current Injuries:

October 5 – RHP Roberto Tavárez – strained forearm. Out for: 4 weeks.
October 29 – SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida – torn groin. Out for: 1 week.
November 21 – RHP Glen Limon – chronic back soreness. Out for: 2 weeks.

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Offense: .254/.340/.366 (6th/2nd/5th)
Pitching: 4.13/4.24/3.63 (6th/7th/3rd)
Defense: .689 (7th)

The Hespeler Stars are hovering around the .500 mark to start the season, which is saying something as this is a team that has not had an above .500 season in 17 years and only one .500 season during that span. They have a few effective players in the lineup and pitching staff, but there is still a lot of dead weight that will keep holding them back.

31-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.347/.442/.484, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 33 BB, 2.7 WAR) is considered the No. 1 shortstop in the United Leagues and its not hard to see why, at least offensively. He is off to a tremendous start this year, continuing a trend of all-star performances for the 5th straight year. But outside of 29-year old 2B Vic Lewis (.305/.373/.442, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 19 BB, 1.2 WAR), the rest of the team has struggled offensively and are not doing themselves any favors defensively. One positive note is that 24-year old 1B Bill Spaeth (.206/.236/.338, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, -0.2 WAR) has finally being given a chance to start regularly. Here’s hoping he finds his groove very soon. On the other hand, 25-year old SS Apia Yarrah (60/70), a former 1st overall pick, is riding the bench, as he is still being blocked by Zhao-hui Qian and is not rated for any other position.

The pitching is benefiting from the performances of 30-year old ace RHP Stephen Tindall (6-3, 3.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 107 ERA+), 35-year old LHP Arthur Bence (2-5, 2.92 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 137 ERA+) and 28-year old stopper/starter RHP Wayne Nesling (5-2, 7 SV, 2.11 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 190 ERA+). But the rest of the pitching has been middling at best.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 18 – 2B Vic Lewis (.478, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R)
October 25 – SS Zhao-hui Qian (.455, 10 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R)

Noteworthy:

November 6 – The Stars took it to the visiting Downie Chiefs, 8-3, and SS Zhao-hui Qian was at the center of things, going 5 for 5 on the afternoon. Quian singled in the 1st and 3rd innings, hit an RBI single in the 5th, singled in the 7th then hit a Grand Slam home run off RHP Bill Lafontaine in the 8th to put the game away. Hespeler’s no. 4 hitter collected 5 RBI and 2 R.

Current Injuries:

September 10 – RHP Rodney Gabrielson – torn labrum. Out for: 3 months.
October 30 – CF John McMurray – torn quadriceps. Out for: 1 week.
November 18 – 3B Mike Park – strained medial collateral ligament. Out for: 3 weeks.

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Offense: .264/.337/.376 (4th/4th /4th)
Pitching: 4.33/4.22/4.81 (7th/6th/5th)
Defense: .672 (8th)

The Cambria Cannons stumbled badly out of the gate and while they rebounded nicely in November, it appears their relegation to the second division in the early going is not a fluke. Their pitching has been dreadful, and a number of their key position players are struggling offensively at the start of the campaign.

One who hasn’t been struggling is 28-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.357/.411/.585, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 18 BB, 2.1 WAR). He is rated the top 1B in the ULB and it shows. He is off to the best start of his 6-year career. Cambria also has a couple of sophomores off to fine starts. 23-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.301/.455/.409, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 54 BB, 1.8 WAR) is developing into a special player, while 22-year old 2B/SS Doug Martin (.259/.341/.397, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 22 BB, 0.5 WAR) is progressing as well, although he appears to be more comfortable at second base. Currently he is manning shortstop while 34-year old SS César Ruíz (.216/.333/.388, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 22 BB, 0.4 WAR) is on the injured list for another month. The rest of the lineup, however, is struggling big time.

The pitching is really struggling right now too and is the club’s biggest concern. 24-year old LHP Bill Southon (6-3, 4.00 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 98 ERA+) rebounded from a rough October, providing some encouragement for the fans. No. 5 starter, 27-year old RHP Lou Dunne (4-2, 2.78 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 140 ERA+) has pitched effectively as well. But they are the exceptions at present.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 8 – 1B Carlos Corea (.417, 10 H, 3 HR, 11 RBI)

Noteworthy:

November 7 – In the wild game between the Cannons and Brunswick Legends that saw both LF Carl Patton and C Robert Kersey collect 5 hits, Cambria’s 1B Carlos Corea went 5 for 7 in the Cannons’ 11-10, 14-inning victory. Corea struck out in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, hit a 2-run home run off RHP Kent Dundon in the 5th, grounded out in the 7th, flied out in the 9th, singled in the 11th, hit an RBI single in the 12th and hit a walk-off 3-run home run off RHP Dave Ball in the decisive 14th.

November 14 & November 25 – 24-year old LHP Bill Southon (6-3, 4.00 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 98 ERA+) pitched two complete game 2-hitters in the same month. Both were shut-outs. The first was against the Stratford Barons, a 2-0 victory. Southon went 119 PI with 2 BB and 9 K (GS: 90). On the 25th, Southon blanked the Suns in Embro, 1-0. In that game, he went 134 PI, 5 BB, 3 K (GS: 81).

Current Injuries:

November 13 – RF Zhu Liao – broken kneecap. Out for: 4 months.
November 16 – SS César Ruíz – shoulder tendinitis. Out for: 4 weeks.
November 28 – LHP Ricardo Cruz – wrist soreness. Out for: 5 days.

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Offense: .251/.328/.361 (7th/5th/6th)
Pitching: 4.66/4.35/5.79 (8th/8th/8th)
Defense: .694 (6th)

There was no fast start for the Kingston Pelicans this season like there was last year. The Pelicans are 11 years removed from their last championship and have only made the playoffs once in the past 7 years. But they always seemed to hang around in contention year after year. But not this season. It appears that mediocrity has finally sunk the Pelicans into the second division.

24-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.304/.378/.481, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 19 BB, 5 SB, 1.8 WAR) has been the club’s best overall player so far, while 26-year old C Gareth Mawle (.347/.409/.576, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 11 BB, 1.7 WAR) has been sensational filling in for an injured 28-year old C Carlos Camasura (.261/.416/.319, 4-2B, 5 RBI, 19 BB, 0.8 WAR). Too bad Mawle cannot play another position because the offense might take a step back when Mawle returns to being a backup. The rest of the lineup has been pitiful.

The pitching has not been any better. Still, 29-year old RHP Kieran Bunce (7-3, 3.43 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 116 ERA+) continues his solid play from last season, and 30-year old LHP Dana Listman (2-4, 3.92 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 102 ERA+) has been acceptable as a No. 5 starter. But other than those two and 30-year old stopper RHP Kaula Makileo (3-1, 5 SV, 1.95 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 205 ERA+), the pitching staff is in shambles.

Current Injuries:

September 9 – RHP Ben Currall – torn labrum. Out for: 2-3 months.
October 30 – C Carlos Camasura – broken hamate bone. Out for: 4-5 weeks.
November 23 – 2B Noah Wellings – strained rib cage muscle. Out for: DtD, 1 week.

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Offense: .236/.307/.329 (8th/8th/8th)
Pitching: 4.03/3.71/5.56 (4th/4th/7th)
Defense: .699 (5th)

Despite not being the powerhouse they once were, the Wolseley Unions remained exceedingly competitive over the past two seasons and actually made the playoffs in 1952-53 after being near the bottom of the standings at the beginning of the season. But there doesn’t appear to be any magic left. The Unions are one of the worst teams in the United Leagues. The bloom is finally off the rose.

On offense, only 25-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.340/376/.474, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 13 BB, 1.8 WAR) and the slowing fading but still solid 33-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.307/.423/.466, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 36 BB, 1.5 WAR) are producing at a high level. The rest of the lineup is merely so-so or essentially missing in action contributing to the worst-ranked offense in the West.

Once unable to crack a strong rotation, 27-year old RHP Joseph Sellwood (6-4, 2.34 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 170 ERA+) is now the ace and has been sensational in the early going. No. 2 starter 35-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (2-6, 3.08 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 130 ERA+) has provided solid outings as well. 29-year old LHP Axel MacKay (2-6, 3.42 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 117 ERA+) started off well in October but struggled in November (0-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.48 WHIP). Outside of those three, the pitching has been mediocre to match the offense.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 15 – 1B Carlos Ortíz (.593, 16 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI)

Noteworthy:

November 19 – The Unions eked out a 1-0 road victory against the Downie Chiefs, thanks in large part to RHP Joseph Sellwood. Sellwood shackled Downie on 2 hits. He walked 2, struck out 5 over 126 PI (GS: 86). The lone run was scored by LF Carlton Hawking, a solo home run off RHP Kelii Pelanekina in the 4th inning.

Current Injuries:

November 12 – CF Howard Ockey – sore elbow. Out for: 2 weeks.

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reds1 · 09-13-2021, 03:02 AM

Wolseley, Dec. 6 – Although it’s the second consecutive year that the Sherburn Tigers will be selecting first overall and the third time in the past four, this will be a first time experience for General Manager Bill Beeby. Before this season, Beeby was the GM for the Embro Suns for the past 17 years and the highest the Suns ever selected under his watch was 5th overall, back in 1947-48. Beeby has had success with his previous picks, selecting such notable players as 6-time all-star and 2-time Satchel Paige Award winner Aaron Saunderson and current Suns stalwarts, 1B Napana Mamo and 3B Moromao Nakagawa. The 62-year-old native of Brunswick hopes to continue that trend with the Tigers, especially now that he has the opportunity to select a potential franchise-altering player.

“In some ways, you’re like a kid in a candy store”, joked Beeby, while holding court before a throng of reporters at Wolseley’s newly opened Manningham Exhibition Centre. “You have an abundance to choose from and you don’t know where to start. But at the same time, [holding the first pick] brings with it its own stress. Everyone will look back and judge whether you hit a home run or struck out. That’s what can keep you up at night – whether you’ve made the right decision or not. But we’ve done our due diligence on these players, and I believe we’ve made the right choice. I’m really excited about our pick.”

Like last season, the Tigers enter this year’s draft with the 4th strongest farm system. Following them will be the Hespeler Stars, whose farm system is rated 11th overall. Selecting 3rd will be the Queensland Eagles, who continue to have the 3rd best farm system. All three clubs are enduring long-term playoff droughts and in the case of the Stars, they have yet to taste the post-season. All three would like to reverse that trend soon. Perhaps the player they ultimately selected in the first round will play a pivotal role in achieving that.

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Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round:

1st Pick – Sherburn Tigers:

IF/OF Leon Albrecht (48/80) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH.
Status: College Senior

Sherburn appears to have selected that future impact player. The 22-year Albrecht from Wellington is practically major-league ready right now, with an explosive bat and blazing speed. Blessed with an excellent eye at the plate, power and the ability to reach base frequently should put fear in opposing pitchers. With above average defense, especially in the outfield, Albrecht is projected to make multiple trips to future All-Star games.

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2nd Pick – Hespeler Stars:

C Aidan Bennie (39/70) – 22-years old; 5’-7”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: College Senior

The Stars select the Queensland-native Bennie, an elite defensive catcher with a so-so arm. Nevertheless, he is projected to hit over .300 and has the tools to be a slightly above average power hitter. He should be a very solid player in the majors sooner rather than later.

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3rd Pick – Queensland Eagles:

IF Dennis Purcell (35/67) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH.
Status: College Junior

The Canadian-born Purcell is taken by the Eagles 3rd overall. Purcell is an impressive slugging prospect who is likely to fill a cleanup role. He shapes up to be an above average defender especially at second base with some decent speed on the basepaths.

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4th Pick – Wellington Athletics:

IF/OF Jordan Backhouse (46/65) – 23-years old; 6’-2”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: College Senior

The Athletics reached out all the way to Newcastle, Australia with their pick of Backhouse. The Australian is a speed demon who projects to be an amazing defender at either shortstop or second base. As he matures, he should have an above average eye and excel in small ball tactics.

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5th Pick – Embro Suns:

IF William Beresford (20/65) – 19-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: High School Senior

The Suns select Beresford from Pulberry. When fully developed, Beresford should be an elite hitter and run producer with plus raw power potential. While he may not win any defensive awards, he should field his position well and become an impact player.

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6th Pick – Brunswick Legends:

2B Apelama Kuahine (34/66) – 21-years old; 6’-2”, 195 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH.
Status: College Junior

The Legends go with the 21-year-old Kuahine from Samoa 6th overall. Kuahine is projected to be a solid second baseman with very good defensive skills and a good eye for the strike zone. He should also develop respectable home run power.

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7th Pick – Downie Chiefs:

IF Ashley McClelland (41/68) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: College Senior

The Chiefs scoop up McClelland 7th overall, a player capable of playing either second base or shortstop proficiently. The Hespeler native has plus contact potential with excellent patience at the plate. In time, he should grow into an above average power hitter as well.

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8th Pick – Balmoral Giants:

3B Dave Sherwood (20/66) – 18-years old; 6’-1”, 185 lbs.; Bats SH/Throws RH.
Status: High School Senior

Scouts think highly of Sherwood’s skill set that should see him one day fill a role on a major league roster. The young HS senior has a quick bat that handles most fastballs although off-speed stuff can challenge him. He is projected to have good contact and bat over .300 with above average raw power.

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9th Pick – Cobourg Redlegs:

SP Albert Johnson (39/80) – 20-years old; 6’-2”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: College Junior

The Redlegs make the Hespeler-born Johnson the first (and ultimately only) pitcher selected in the first round. Johnson has the makings of a future ace with impressive stuff, movement and control. He boasts 6 pitches with his changeup currently his best. He already throws 4 quality pitches but somehow manages to throw his secondary pitches for strikes on almost any count as well.

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10th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs:

IF/OF Jay Colcott (20/61) – 19-years old; 5’-11”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.
Status: High School Senior

The young Colcott looks to be a future corner outfielder in the major leagues. He has plus contact potential and good hand-eye coordination but could struggle with strike zone judgement. He does, however, grade out as an above average runner on the basepaths.

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11th Pick – Kingston Pelicans:

IF Jeff Fisher (20/52) – 21-years old; 5’-11”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: College Junior

Kingston takes Fisher from Sebastian, Florida. Fisher is a natural defender especially as a shortstop. He is projected to be very good at taking bad pitches and draw around 60 walks a season. He has speed and will be aggressive on the basepaths. However, he will need more seasoning against quality pitching before getting a shot at the majors.

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12th Pick – Cambria Cannons:

IF/OF Graham Gillbard (20/51) – 17-years old; 5’-7”, 145 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH.
Status: High School Senior

Gillbard, the youngest player selected in the first round, is blessed with dazzling speed, good patience and strike zone judgement. Defensively, he has good range and throwing arm. All-in-all, he should be an average big leaguer one day.

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13th Pick – Stratford Barons:

IF/OF Ashley Welch (20/51) – 18-years old; 5’-11”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: High School Senior

The Barons go with Welch from Balmoral, whose greatest strength is his bat. He has an excellent eye and the potential to display above average power from the right side of the plate. However, he currently struggles to make contact. Nevertheless, he appears destined to be a starting second baseman one day.

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14th Pick – Wolseley Unions:

IF/OF Lester Goscombe (28/59) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: College Junior

The versatile Goscombe from Embro was Wolseley’s first pick on the afternoon. Goscombe has soft hands with defender’s instincts. He has above average contact skills with a smooth swing, quick hands and good pitch recognition. A terrific baserunner, he is often allowed to make advancing decisions on his own. The Unions have him pegged as a shortstop in Double A.

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15th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:

OF Ed Ellsworth (39/66) – 22-years old; 5’-9”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.
Status: College Senior

The Generals think highly of Ellsworth, a solid defender who can make most plays. With his elite speed, he is an automatic green light when reaching base. He has the potential to make consistent hard contact. He is expected to start in Double A as a centerfielder.

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16th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:

C/1B Hokuaonani Kaili (30/51) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: College Senior

The final pick of the first round is the second player selected from Samoa. The Trolleys take a quality defensive catcher who possesses an advanced feel for the strike zone. Kaili has significant upside once he tops his raw power potential.

reds1 · 09-14-2021, 02:15 AM

December 31, 1954

Here are the standings and leaderboards for both Leagues at the end of games on December 31:

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Finally, here are the latest results of the All-Star voting for both Leagues. This time, I remembered to recall my ballots (last year's votes I assume) as soon as voting opened, so these should be accurate:

05-05-2021, 11:49 PM	#661
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	__________________ United Leagues of Braeland

05-07-2021, 04:57 PM	#664
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	Babe Ruth Award Incredibly, 28-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.343/.430/.640, 128 R, 199 H, 29-2B, 35 HR, 102 RBI, 84 BB, 10.0 WAR) has never finished in the top 3 of the Babe Ruth Award voting before. Well that all changed this year, as the 5-time all-star was voted the top offensive player in the Eastern League for 1953-54. Despite stiff competition, Lidgate was an easy choice as he was simply dominating this season. Lidgate led the Eastern League in SLG (.640), OPS (1.070), WAR (10.0), Triples (19), Sac Flies (tied with three others at 8), EBH (83), OPS+ (172) and WOBA (.456). He finished in the Top 5 in 10 other offensive categories (second place 6 times). His nearest competitors were: 2nd: Cobourg’s 28-year old CF Raymond Williams (.332/.409/.638, 138 R, 196 H, 24-2B, 45 HR, 115 RBI, 73 BB, 7 SB, 9.4 WAR) 3rd: Braeland City’s 33-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.340/.406/.533, 105 R, 207 H, 30-2B, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 64 BB, 6.2 WAR) Williams, who finished 2nd in the voting last year as well, led the East in HR (45), Runs (138), TB (377) and ISO (.306). He finished in the Top 5 in 11 other offensive categories (second place 8 times). Trembath finished in the Top 5 in 11 categories (second place once in Hits). Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Katsunan Chikafuji, Queensland Eagles 1938-39: Paul Hooks, Embro Suns 1939-40: Terence Durney, Embro Suns 1940-41: Jim Friend, Embro Suns 1941-42: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (2) 1942-43: Mark Elston, Brunswick Legends 1943-44: Dean Bishop, Braeland City Monarchs 1944-45: Stuart Bentham, Brunswick Legends 1945-46: Jim Friend, Embro Suns (3) 1946-47: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles 1947-48: Roberto Ríos, Stratford Barons 1948-49: Aaron Skidmore, Stratford Barons 1949-50: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings 1950-51: Alfonso León, Downie Chiefs 1951-52: Raymond Williams, Cobourg Red Stockings (2) 1952-53: Alfonso León, Downie Chiefs (2) -------- Satchel Paige Award 28-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (22-10, 3.18 ERA, 280.0 IP, 1.18 WHIP, .263 BABIP, 131 ERA+, 6.1 WAR) won his second Satchel Paige Award in three years, after finishing runner-up last season. He took all the first-place votes. Jaojoco led the East in W (22), IP (280.0), CG (24), SHO (5) and QS (23 - tied). He finished in the Top 5 in 11 other categories and in the Top 2 three times. Following him were: 2nd: Cobourg's 28-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (18-7, 2.89 ERA, 252.0 IP, 1.11 WHIP, .271 BABIP, 145 ERA+, 7.2 WAR) 3rd: Queensland’s 26-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (14-13, 2.97 ERA, 251.1 IP, 1.27 WHIP, .283 BABIP, 139 ERA+, 6.6 WAR) Turvill led the Eastern League in ERA (2.89), WAR (7.2), K/BB (3.1), BB/9 (2.1), WHIP (1.11), FIP (3.07), ERA+ (145), WIN% (.720) and QS (23 -tied). He finished in the Top 5 in 6 other pitching categories and in the Top 2 three times. Micklethwait led in rWAR (8.1). He finished in the Top 5 in 8 other categories (second place twice). Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Colm Soper, Embro Suns 1938-39: Justin Hayhurst, Stratford Barons 1939-40: Lenny Freke, Braeland City Monarchs 1940-41: David Cooling, Braeland City Monarchs 1941-42: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends 1942-43: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (2) 1943-44: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons 1944-45: Matthew Monroe, Brunswick Legends 1945-46: Joel Fearn, Stratford Barons 1946-47: Arthur Bence, Wellington Athletics 1947-48: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons (2) 1948-49: Nicholas Grimes, Braeland City Monarchs 1949-50: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends (3) 1950-51: Aaron Saunderson, Embro Suns 1951-52: Magtanggol Jaojoco, Stratford Barons 1952-53: Logan Belsey, Queensland Eagles -------- Rookie of the Year Award 23-year old RHP Darren Etheridge (13-16, 3.31 ERA, 260.2 IP, 102 K, 1.31 WHIP, .271 BABIP, 124 ERA+, 4.7 WAR) becomes the second pitcher in the Eastern League and fifth overall (not including Mike Park who is now a full-time position player) to win Rookie of the Year honors. The 3rd-round pick from 1951-52 quickly became Wellington’s No.1 starter this season and responded well, winning two Rookie of the Month honors and an invitation to the All-Star game. Finishing behind him were: 2nd: Etheridge’s teammate, 21-year old CF Greg Yates (.283/.317/.447, 50 R, 110 H, 18-2B, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 20 BB, 2.0 WAR). Yates, a 2nd-round pick from 1950-51, picked up 3 first-place votes. 3rd: Stratford’s 23-year old LF Ronald Hollinshed (.284/.327/.418, 58 R, 120 H, 25-2B, 4 HR, 47 RBI, 23 BB, 0.6 WAR). Hollinshed was a 4th overall pick last season. Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1938-39: Adam Ashley, Braeland City Monarchs 1939-40: Soren Heinke, Wellington Athletics 1940-41: Dean Bishop, Queensland Eagles 1941-42: Harry Chatwin, Brunswick Legends 1942-43: Geoff Lemoine, Stratford Barons 1943-44: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles 1944-45: Kyle Pryor, Braeland City Monarchs 1945-46: Jilenko Batiles, Cobourg Red Stockings 1946-47: Ron Gavin, Queensland Eagles 1947-48: Christopher Dainty, Braeland City Monarchs 1948-49: Patrick Lidgate, Braeland City Monarchs 1949-50: Matthew Floyd, Wellington Athletics 1950-51: Jim Mars, Wellington Athletics 1951-52: Robert Kersey, Brunswick Legends 1952-53: Andy Faulkner, Stratford Barons -------- Babe Ruth Award There was a ‘changing of the guard’ in the West, as three new players finished in the Top 3 voting. But the choice was rather academic, as 25-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.327/.417/.607, 114 R, 180 H, 35-2B, 33 HR, 122 RBI, 92 BB, 7.8 WAR) ran away with the Award, winning all but one first-place vote. Thirkettle led the League in HR (33), RBI (122), SLG (.607), OPS (1.024), WAR (7.8), TB (334), Sac Flies (tied with 11), EBH (78), ISO (280), OPS+ (168) and WOBA (.434). He finished in the Top 5 in 6 other categories (second place twice). This year’s runners-up were: 2nd: picking up one first-place vote was teammate 29-year old RF Ellis Dibble (.349/.408/.566, 104 R, 201 H, 35-2B, 24 HR, 95 RBI, 58 BB, 6.0 WAR) 3rd: Cambria's 24-year old CF Sam Tite (.297/.397/.515, 109 R, 168 H, 25-2B, 28 HR, 109 RBI, 94 BB, 8 SB, 6.2 WAR) Dibble led the League in AVG (.349) and Hits (201). He finished in the Top 5 in 12 other offensive categories (second place three times). Tite tied with Thirkettle with most Sac Flies (11). He finished in the Top 5 in 8 other offensive categories. Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans 1938-39: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1939-40: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans 1940-41: Steven Winstanley, Hespeler Stars 1941-42: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1942-43: Ron Westmacott, Cambria Cannons 1943-44: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants 1944-45: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants (2) 1945-46: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1947-48: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans (3) 1948-49: Dylan Moyne, Fort Richmond Generals 1949-50: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions 1950-51: Louis Wearne, Fort Richmond Generals 1951-52: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions (2) 1952-53: Carlton Hawking, Wolseley Unions (3) -------- Satchel Paige Award For the fourth time in six years, a pitcher for the Fort Richmond Generals won the Western League Satchel Paige Award. This season, 31-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (19-6, 2.92 ERA, 287.0 IP, 1.16 WHIP, .273 BABIP, 140 ERA+, 7.4 WAR) got the nod, the second of his career. In a year where the Generals lost both Nicholas Grimes ad Roberto Taváres to long-term injuries, Sherlock stepped up and led the team not only to the playoffs, but to a United Cup championship as well. Sherlock led the West in WAR (7.4), IP (287.0), CG (18), BB/9 (1.6), FIP (3.17), WIN% (.760) and QS (25). He also finished in the Top 5 in 8 other pitching categories (second place 6 times). Finishing behind Sherlock in voting this year were: 2nd: Wolseley’s 35-year old RHP Bill Blair (20-10, 2.57 ERA, 265.2 IP, 1.07 WHIP, .231 BABIP, 164 ERA+, 5.4 WAR) 3rd: Pulberry’s 26-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (16-10, 3.04 ERA, 201.0 IP, 1.19 WHIP, .250 BABIP, 135 ERA+, 3.5 WAR) Blair was outstanding this season as well, earning 4 first-place votes. He led the Western League in ERA (2.57), Wins (20), WHIP (1.07), ERA+ (164), rWAR (10.5), BABIP (.231) and OAVG (.223). He finished in the Top 5 in 6 other categories (second place twice). Folkard finished in the Top 5 in 5 categories (second place twice). Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1937-38: Neil Guerin, Cambria Cannons 1938-39: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1940-41: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans (3) 1941-42: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans 1942-43: Joey Cumberledge, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1944-45: Roberto Taváres, Sherburn Tigers 1945-46: Patrick Denman, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers 1947-48: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers (2) 1948-49: Nicky Sherlock, Fort Richmond Generals 1949-50: Bill Blair, Wolseley Unions 1950-51: Roberto Taváres, Fort Richmond Generals (2) 1951-52: Nicholas Grimes, Fort Richmond Generals (2) 1952-53: Aaron Saunderson, Wolseley Unions (2) -------- Rookie of the Year Award The Balmoral Giants were aggressive in signing the Cuban-born LF Ángel Costa (.334/.399/.530, 78 R, 182 H, 42-2B, 19 HR, 79 RBI, 58 BB, 4.7 WAR) and the 33-year old did not disappoint them. He immediately become Balmoral’s top offensive player. He won two Rookie of the Month honors and a selection to the All-Star game, capping off his season with the Rookie of the Year Award. Finishing behind Costa were: 2nd: Cambria’s 23-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.287/.410/.477, 121 R, 17 H, 32-2B, 18 HR, 73 RBI, 115 BB, 4.7 WAR) 3rd: Kingston’s 23-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.288/.340/.443, 101 R, 178 H, 22-2B, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 50 BB, 3.0 WAR) Costa tied with the most Doubles (42) and finished in the Top 5 in 7 other offensive categories. Hanbridge led the Western League in Runs (121) and WPA (5.48). He finished in the Top 5 in two other categories. Ramsbottom led the League in SB (19) and CS (12). He finished in the Top 5 in two other categories, including second-most at-bats (619). Voting Results: Previous Winners: 1938-39: Aaron Flanagan, Wolseley Unions 1939-40: Francisco Rodríguez, Balmoral Giants 1940-41: Leon Hankey, Cambria Cannons 1941-42: Brian Pittman, Balmoral Giants 1942-43: Freddie Duran, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Rizalino Ringor, Wolseley Unions 1944-45: Hao Wang, Cambria Cannons 1945-46: Ben Currall, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Éric Denis, Wolseley Unions 1947-48: Dominic Pipard, Balmoral Giants 1948-49: Gavin Flatt, Fort Richmond Generals 1949-50: César Ruíz, Cambria Cannons 1950-51: Carlos Ortíz, Wolseley Unions 1951-52: Roberto Garza, Wolseley Unions 1952-53: Mike Park, Hespeler Stars -------- Manager of the Year Award The two men who faced each other in the United Cup both earned Manager of the Year honors. 60-year old Xavier Ahernfeld (321-295, .521) guided the Barons to first place in the East and the Pennant in his fourth year as a manager. Despite his laid-back demeanor, Ahernfeld is known for his no-nonsense approach, something his players have thrived on. He has managed the Barons to three above .500 seasons and two playoff appearances. This year he won his first Pennant. A former player in the United Leagues, 48-year old John Mathis (528-397, .571) led his battered and beleaguered club not only to the playoffs, but to a United Cup championship as well. Although he previously won a United Cup with the Cambria Cannons as a utility infielder back in 1939-40, this was his first Pennant and Championship as a manager. He wins his second Manager of the Year Award, having won it previously in 1950-51. Unlike Ahernfeld, Mathis’ easygoing style is no put-on: he is a player’s manager through and through and the players love him for it. Previous Winners: 1937-38: Bradley Balmforth, Wellington Athletics --- Rouke Barclay, Sherburn Tigers 1938-39: Vic Windle, Embro Suns --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Warren Paulino, Braeland City Monarchs --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons 1940-41: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons --- John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1941-42: Babe Ruth, Brunswick Legends --- Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons (2) 1942-43: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (2) 1944-45: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends (2) --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (3) 1945-46: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons (3) --- Bradley Balmforth, Sherburn Tigers (2) 1946-47: Reid Saxby, Queensland Eagles --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (4) 1947-48: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs --- Morrigan O’Lonergan, Balmoral Giants 1948-49: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs (2) --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions 1949-50: Bill Bouchet, Downie Chiefs --- Tony Fay, Wolseley Unions (2) 1950-51: Finlay Fay, Brunswick Legends --- John Mathis, Fort Richmond Generals 1951-52: Eugene Rogge, Wellington Athletics --- Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans (5) 1952-53: Nicholas Willis, Cobourg Red Stockings --- Benjamin Sadler, Cambria Cannons -------- New Records Set In a season where offense was up across the board, it was no surprise that the majority of new records were for offensive achievements. Patrick Lidgate set a new mark for slugging percentage with .6397, surpassing Danny Trowbridge’s old mark of .6285, originally set in 1945-46. Pulberry’s 1B Gerard Koerner tied the record for most game appearances in a regular season with 155. He now shares the record with Embro’s Jim Friend. Koerner played in all 154 regular games plus a tie-breaker game this season. Raymond Williams established two new records: most total bases (377) and home runs (45). He eclipsed Downie’s Alfonso León’s old mark of 366 TB (1950-51) and Kingston’s Dean Bishop’s home run mark of 39, originally set in 1949-50. One pitching record was set this season. Logan Belsey, who practically owns the strike out records, established a new mark in strikeouts/9 IP with 6.74. That edges his old mark from last season (6.70). He currently sits in the Top 3 in both K/9 IP and strikeouts. He is the only pitcher to surpass 200 strikeouts in a season in the United Leagues, which he accomplished in 1950-51 (203). __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 10-29-2021 at 01:38 PM.

05-08-2021, 02:47 AM	#667
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Hooray for Thirkettle! Such an appropriate baseball name. What a season he had. Definitely earned the award. __________________

05-10-2021, 02:02 AM	#668
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	Notes on 1953-54 All-Braeland Team Starting Pitcher Although offense was up this season, there were still many tremendous pitching performances to choose from. I narrowed it down to four that I feel were the best and equally deserving of recognition. Ultimately, I went with Fort Richmond’s 31-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock, as he performed brilliantly all season and throughout the playoffs. His reward was a United Cup championship and selection to the All-Braeland team. Here are the four pitchers that were under consideration: • RHP Nicky Sherlock – 19-6, 2.92 ERA, 35 GS, 287.0 IP, 120 K, 1.16 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 1.6 BB/9, 3.8 K/9, .273 BABIP, 3.17 FIP, 140 ERA+, 7.4 WAR. • Stratford’s 28-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco – 22-10, 3.18 ERA, 34 GS, 280.0 IP, 149 K, 1.18 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 4.8 K/9, .263 BABIP, 3.53 FIP, 131 ERA+, 6.1 WAR. • Cobourg’s 28-year old RHP Marcus Turvill – 18-7, 2.89 ERA, 32 GS, 252.0 IP, 183 K, 1.11 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.1 BB/9, 6.5 K/9, .271 BABIP, 3.07 FIP, 145 ERA+, 7.2 WAR. • Wolseley’s 36-year old RHP Bill Blair – 20-10, 2.57 ERA, 33 GS, 265.2 IP, 107 K, 1.07 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.3 BB/9, 3.6 K/9, .231 BABIP, 3.66 FIP, 164 ERA+, 5.4 WAR. -------- Catcher After being a runner-up for the past two seasons, Brunswick’s 24-year old Robert Kersey finally gets his due as he was selected to the All-Braeland Team this season. Kersey, the top-rated catcher (No. 3 overall), led the United Leagues in WPA with 6.57. Here are the three catchers that were under consideration: • Robert Kersey – .320/.403/.580, 163 H, 31-2B, 33 HR, 110 RBI, 73 BB, .982 OPS, 151 OPS+, 7.3 WAR, .957 EFF. • Braeland City’s 29-year old Hayden Billyard - .316/.374/.503, 168 H, 34-2B, 21 HR, 90 RBI, 46 BB, .877 OPS, 124 OPS+, 5.9 WAR, 1.113 EFF. • Stratford’s 34-year old Aaron Skidmore – .262/.410/.443, 119 H, 13-2B, 23 HR, 89 RBI, 112 BB, .852 OPS, 123 OPS+, 5.1WAR, 1.021 EFF. -------- First Base Cobourg’s 28-year old Harry Doxey has been in the running as the top first baseman in the United Leagues over the past four seasons. This year he came out on top, as his sixth full season in the ULB was his best and it earned him a selection to the Team. In all, I considered three players: • Harry Doxey – .368/.413/.522, 229 H, 54-2B, 14 HR, 100 RBI, 43 BB, .935 OPS, 141 OPS+, 6.3 WAR, 1.008 EFF. • Cambria’s 27-year old Carlos Corea – .335/.375/.566, 197 H, 42-2B, 30 HR, 115 RBI, 35 BB, .942 OPS, 145 OPS+, 3.26 WAR, .826 EFF. • Queensland’s 27-year old Ryan Conisford – .287/.374/.478, 163 H, 29-2B, 23 HR, 94 RBI, 78 BB, .852 OPS, 124 OPS+, 4.7 WAR, 1.028 EFF. -------- Second Base Braeland City’s 28-year old Patrick Lidgate made this an easy exercise last year. This year he made it even easier, as he was the top position player in the Eastern League. In fact, he is currently rated the No. 1 player in the entire United Leagues. He proved it all season long and earned his 3rd selection to the All-Braeland Team. Here are who I consider the Top 3 second basemen this season: • Patrick Lidgate – .343/.430/.640, 199 H, 29-2B, 35 HR, 102 RBI, 84 BB, 1.070 OPS, 172 OPS+, 10.0 WAR, 1.009 EFF. • Downie’s 28-year old Dominic Dudding – .322/.395/.510, 173 H, 22-2B, 25 HR, 87 RBI, 63 BB, .905 OPS, 139 OPS+, 5.7 WAR, .986 EFF. • Stratford’s 25-year old Matthew Channing – .293/.341/.507, 176 H, 42-2B, 23 HR, 111 RBI, 44 BB, .849 OPS, 119 OPS+, 4.9 WAR, .995 EFF. -------- Third Base Cobourg’s 32-year old Alexander Tolmie has had a stranglehold on this spot on the All-Braeland Team for the past three seasons and that didn’t change this year either. Tolmie is the only third baseman rated in the Top 20 (9th overall) at present. But it wasn’t a runaway. In fact, Kingston’s 26-year old Harry Herold offers a compelling argument that he should be considered the top third baseman this season. But in the end, I went with Tolmie. • Alexander Tolmie – .301/.396/.473, 167 H, 29-2B, 22 HR, 81 RBI, 88 BB, .869 OPS, 125 OPS+, 5.9 WAR, 1.004 EFF. • Harry Herold – .321/.372/.514, 156 H, 27-2B, 21 HR, 101 RBI, 39 BB, .887 OPS, 127 OPS+, 4.9 WAR, 1.015 EFF. • Pulberry’s 27-year old Makani Kahale – .312/.337/.457, 179 H, 32-2B, 13 HR, 81 RBI, 23 BB, .794 OPS, 109 OPS+, 4.2 WAR, 1.020 EFF. -------- Shortstop After getting serious consideration in 1951 and 1952, Hespeler's 31-year old Zhao-hui Qian finally earned his first selection to the All-Braeland Team. Qian was tremendous this year on a Hespeler team that struggled otherwise. He made it an easy choice. Here are the three shortstops that were considered: • Zhao-hui Qian – .323/.378/.490, 186 H, 24-2B, 22 HR, 101 RBI, 55 BB, .869 OPS, 122 OPS+, 6.8 WAR, 1.031 EFF. • Cambria’s 34-year old César Ruíz – .288/.371/.504, 167 H, 28-2B, 29 HR, 109 RBI, 71 BB, .875 OPS, 129 OPS+, 3.9 WAR, .929 EFF. • Kingston's 26-year old Charlie Cockin – .301/.369/.445, 160 H, 32-2B, 9 HR, 87 RBI, 53 BB, .814 OPS, 110 OPS+, 4.0 WAR, .986 EFF. -------- Left Field There was no agonizing over who was the top leftfielder either, as Pulberry’s 25-year old Aidan Thirkettle was the clear choice. He won the WL Babe Ruth Award and is currently rated as the No. 4 position player overall. Here were the three leftfielders I considered: • Aidan Thirkettle – .327/.417/.607, 180 H, 35-2B, 33 HR, 122 RBI, 92 BB, 1.024 OPS, 168 OPS+, 7.8 WAR, .990 EFF. • Wolseley’s 33-year old Carlton Hawking – .326/.465/.484, 172 H, 28-2B, 17 HR, 71 RBI, 141 BB, .949 OPS, 146 OPS+, 5.9 WAR, .974 EFF. • Stratford’s 30-year old Roberto Ríos – .290/.431/.438, 158 H, 26-2B, 14 HR, 77 RBI, 138 BB, .869 OPS, 128 OPS+, 5.4 WAR, 1.008 EFF. -------- Center Field Its hard to believe but it’s been 7 straight seasons now that either Cobourg’s 28-year old Raymond Williams or Downie’s 28-year old Alfonso León or (most times) both have been under consideration for the best centerfield in the United Leagues. Things were no different this year. But while León had a down year for him, Williams was sensational and was the easy choice. Cambria’s 24-year old Sam Tite joined them in have a terrific season as well, in just his second full season. • Raymond Williams – .332/.409/.638, 196 H, 24-2B, 45 HR, 115 RBI, 73 BB, 1.047 OPS, 167 OPS+, 9.4 WAR, 1.011 EFF. • Sam Tite - .297/.397/.515, 168 H, 25-2B, 28 HR, 109 RBI, 94 BB, .912 OPS, 139 OPS+, 6.2 WAR, .997 EFF. • Alfonso León - .321/.375/.463, 187 H, 23-2B, 16 HR, 66 RBI, 50 BB, .838 OPS, 122 OPS+, 5.8 WAR, 1.022 EFF. • Pulberry’s 27-year old Cooper Tyson – .281/.354/.450, 165 H, 35-2B, 16 HR, 77 RBI, 65 BB, .803 OPS, 112 OPS+, 5.2 WAR, 1.047 EFF. -------- Right Field Pulberry’s 29-year old Ellis Dibble and Braeland City’s 23-year old Aidan Trembath are considered the top two right fielders in the United Leagues and it shows, as both finished neck and neck, making it difficult to choose one over the other. Dibble was the better fielder, so I gave the edge to him. But after them it was a bit of a drop. Wellington’s 28-year old Jim Mars performed admirably for the Athletics when star teammate Matthew Floyd was lost for the season. • Ellis Dibble – .349/.408/.566, 201 H, 35-2B, 24 HR, 95 RBI, 58 BB, .974 OPS, 156 OPS+, 6.0 WAR, 1.023 EFF. • Aidan Trembath – .340/.406/.533, 207 H, 30-2B, 27 HR, 90 RBI, 64 BB, .938 OPS, 140 OPS+, 6.2 WAR, .980 EFF. • Jim Mars – .295/.343/.443, 172 H, 41-2B, 8 HR, 67 RBI, 44 BB, .787 OPS, 107 OPS+, 3.6 WAR, 1.016 EFF. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

05-14-2021, 02:21 AM	#670
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Woohoo! What a season for the Trolleys. Got two of the boys on the All-Braeland Team. Nice that some of the team's players can say "We lost, but we won." Now if only we can capture that trophy next year. __________________

05-06-2021, 04:21 PM	#663
progen All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,530 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	Just gettin caught up on this! Excellent dynasty!!

05-12-2021, 07:04 AM	#669
care4ameatball Minors (Single A) Join Date: Jun 2016 Posts: 66	Just started reading this, well done on pretty much everything. Let’s go Barons!

06-29-2021, 06:15 PM	#672
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	The 1954 off-season was a carbon copy of last year’s off-season in that the majority of transactions involved changes in team management. Indeed, a few teams displayed little patience in their recent hires by showing them the door after just one season. One team even jettisoned their manager after he had led them to the United Cup Championship just the year before. Two clubs also saw ownership changes and will embark on a new era as well. But perhaps the most significant development this off-season was the sheer number of future hall of famers that called it a career. No less than five first ballot hall of famers along with two others that can make a compelling case for future enshrinement retired. There was a definite ‘passing of the guard’ feel to the transition from the 1953-54 season to the upcoming 1954-55 one. Finally, for the first time since 1951, the Braeland Baseball Hall of Fame welcomed a new member to its ranks. Here is a summary of some of the noteworthy developments that took place leading up up to the start of the Coconut Leagues that begin on August 30. Hall of Fame Results: LHP David Cooling was elected to the Braeland Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, garnering 76% of the vote, just enough to be inducted. He becomes the 10th member of the Hall and the fifth pitcher to be enshrined. At the time of his induction, he appeared in the Top 5 in eight pitching categories and in the Top 10 in four others. He is the first Hall of Famer whose career overlapped three decades. Balmoral Giants - 1937-1938; 1950 Braeland City Monarchs - 1939-1949 Kingston Pelicans - 1950 Notable Achievements: Satchel Paige Award: 1 (1940-41) All-Star Selections: 10 Pitcher of the Month: 2 Ball Hawk Award: 1 (1946-47) Other Selected Achievements: Finished 2nd in votes for 1947-48 Satchel Paige Award Finished 3rd in votes for 1941-42 Satchel Paige Award Threw two 1-hitters and three 2-hitters. Hall of Fame Metrics: JAWS: 68.5 (average HOF SP – 49) Black Ink: 28 (average HOF – 30) Gray Ink: 228 (average HOF – 136) HOF Standards: 39 (average HOF – 29) HOF Monitor: 137 (average HOF – 105) ----------- Notable Player Retirements: OF Carlton Broadbent Broadbent was drafted 3rd overall back in 1938 by the Braeland City Monarchs and was traded to the Balmoral Giants in 1939 while still a prospect for this year’s Hall of Fame inductee, David Cooling. In his prime, Broadbent was one of the League’s most formidable hitters, winning back-to-back Babe Ruth Awards in 1943-1944 and 1944-1945. He was a 9-time all-star and won Batter of the Month honours 7 times. He was selected to 3 All-Braeland Teams as a right fielder. He won the Western League Batting Title (.345) as well as the Triple Crown (.345, 22 HR, 109 RBI) in 1944-45. He was rated the No. 1 position player in 1943 and 1944. He currently stands third overall in career home runs (284). Never a good defensive outfielder, his shortcomings became even more glaring in the second half of his career, which undoubtedly pulled his overall value down. How voters will balance his shortcomings with his undeniable prowess at the plate remains to be seen, but he is a future Hall of Famer in my book. ----------- IF Katsunan Chikafuji Chikafuji was just 21-years old when the United League embarked on its inaugural season. He entered that season with a splash, winning the first EL Babe Ruth Award while playing for the Queensland Eagles. He was the first player in ULB history to hit for the cycle back on October 9, 1937. Although the ULB did not officially recognize any rookies in that first season, unofficially, OOTP awarded Chikafuji the Rookie of the Year Award that season, along with 3 Rookie of the Month honors. Katsunan won Batter of the Month honours 10 times, was an all-star 12 times and won 2 Ball Hawk Awards. He earned a selection to the All-Braeland Team 3 times as a shortstop and once as a second baseman. He finished his career first in WAR (89.42) and RBIs (1,433). He finished second in Total Bases (3,960) and home runs (293). ----------- RHP John Palm A career relief pitcher will always have an uphill battle on achieving induction into the Hall of Fame, but Palm should pick up some votes and may even get in. Palm entered the United Leagues in 1937 as a 24-year old reliever with the Embro Suns. In his 17 seasons, he was an all-star 11 times and won 3 United Cups. He was a reliable, dependable pitcher, missing just one day to injury (a headache back in 1947!) He finishes his career ranked No. 1 in ERA (2.807), games (829) and OSLG (.3182). He finishes 3rd in both career saves (135) and WPCT (.643). ----------- LHP Anastasio Rodríguez Anastasio Rodríguez retires as arguably the greatest pitcher to have played in the United Leagues, with only Joel Fearn who retired last year and Hall of Famer Brady Murdy, putting up any sort of argument. Drafted 4th overall back in 1937-38 by the Brunswick Legends, the 20-year-old Rodríguez dominated the United Leagues, winning 3 Satchel Paige Awards and 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team. The 10-time all-star earned 7 Pitcher of the Month honours and was named the 1942 Eastern League Pennant Series MVP. He was a 5-time United Cup champion, winning 3 with the Legends and 2 with the Wolseley Unions. In the playoffs, the Panamanian finished No. 1 in CG (16), IP (188.0), hits allowed (201), strikeouts (91) and WAR (5.00). Rodríguez was ranked the No. 1 pitcher in the ULB for an astonishing 9 years (1941, 1943, 1945-1951). No other pitcher has been ranked No. 1 for more than one season. He finishes his career ranked #1 in wins (251), strikeouts (1,730) and pitching WAR (96.83). He finishes second in IP (3,899.0). If there’s an automatic first ballot hall of famer in the United Leagues, Rodríguez is it. ----------- IF Francisco Rodríguez The second notable Rodríguez to retire this off-season, Francisco Rodríguez entered the United Leagues as a 20-year-old free agent from Costa Rica and had an immediate impact. Playing his entire career with the Giants, he won Rookie of the Year honours in 1939-40, won 3 Ball Hawk Awards and was an 8-time all-star. He won the 1941-42 Western League Batting Title (.361) and was named to the All-Braeland Team as a shortstop twice. He was rated as the No. 1 position player in 1942. He currently holds the season record for doubles (57) set back in 1945-46. Rodríguez was a solid shortstop both in the field and at the plate for 10 straight seasons. But whether that will be enough to get him elected to the Hall of Fame awaits to be seen. ----------- C Danny Trowbridge Danny Trowbridge was selected second overall by the Fort Richmond Generals in 1939-40 and reached the big leagues that same season. Acquired by the Kingston Pelicans in November 1943 in a blockbuster trade for this year’s Satchel Paige Award winner Nicky Sherlock, Trowbridge quickly dominated the ULB like few others. At his peak, he was the No. 1 position player in the entire United Leagues from 1945 to 1948, after which he saw a precipitous decline in production. But during his peak, the 9-time all-star won 3 Babe Ruth Awards, a Ball Hawk Award, 3 consecutive Batting Titles and an incredible 7 selections to the All-Braeland team as a catcher. In addition, he won the 1946 United Cup MVP Award (despite his team coming out on the losing side) and set the season record for OPS (1.0709) in 1945-46. Despite his rapid decline after 1949, few shown as brightly as he did in this prime. “A Hall of Famer for sure” equally applies to Trowbridge just as it did for Johnny Bench, at least in this humble dynasty. ----------- IF Jake Walker The Canadian-born Jake Walker entered the United Leagues in 1937 as a 24-year old infielder with the Embro Suns. Two years later, he was traded to the Stratford Barons in what proved to be a lop-sided deal. Walker became the No. 1-rated position player in the ULB in 1940 and 1941, earning 11 all-star selections and 1 batting title (.351) in 1950-51 along the way. He hit for the cycle in 1949 and set the longest hitting streak (39 games) thus far back in 1945-46. He finishes his career ranked No. 1 in singles (1,909) and triples (193) and No. 2 in games (2,197), hits (2,600) and BB (1,406). A barely average defender at shortstop, Walker really began to regress defensively after he turned 32. Nevertheless, he was a very productive player for 13 straight seasons, which should make his election to the Hall of Fame a fairly easy decision. ----------- Management Shakeups: April 23 – Cambria Raises Eyebrows with Hiring of New Manager In a move that seemingly caught everyone off guard across the League, the Cambria Cannons abruptly fired their field manager, Benjamin Sadler on April 16. Sadler had just completed his second season at the helm, leading the Cannons to an 85-69 record for the second year in a row. Last season, it was good enough for second place. The Cannons went on to win the United Cup and Sadler earned the Western League Manager of the Year Award. This year it good enough for only 4th place and they finished out of the playoffs. But Sadler has a reputation for fiery temperament that may have rubbed some of the players the wrong way, which perhaps gave management an additional reason for the change. Hired in his place is the 14-year veteran, Wesley Leseberg (699-688, .504). The 65-year old Australian was most recently the Balmoral Giants field manager, but he too was let go after two seasons. Leseberg is 2-time Manager of the Year Award winner, having won them back in 1942-43 and 1944-45, the same seasons where his Brunswick Legends won the United Cup. Leseberg is known as a player’s manager, which should help smooth out any lingering friction in the dugout. ----------- April 23 – Embro Make Wholesale Changes, Hire New GM, Manager The Suns endured their worst season last year, finishing in 6th place with a 70-84 record. That prompted upper management to make major changes. Besides relieving their hitting coach and trainer of their duties, they also fired their general manager, Bill Beeby, as well as their 58-year old manager, Ashley Knuth. Beeby was Embro’s GM since their inaugural season back in 1937 and he is highly regarded. The Suns made the playoffs 6 times and won 1 Eastern League Pennant under his watch. Knuth (231-231, .500) was the Suns’ manager for 3 seasons. His first two seasons saw the Suns finish with above .500 records before they stumbled this past year. Both have since landed on their feet, with Knuth being hired as the Kingston Pelicans’ bench coach under Ben Houchens. Beeby’s new gig shows up further down. Taking over are 54-year old Alexander Corsie and 57-year old Benjamin Sadler (170-138, .552), Cambria’s former manager. This will be Corsie’s first year as a GM anywhere, so it remains to be seen how he fares. He is said to favour offense and power in building his roster and highly favours scouting and current year stats. Sadler manages in a balanced, conventional style that has seen success. But he is a loose cannon and unpredictable from day-to-day in the clubhouse. We’ll see how long it takes for him to wear out his welcome or if he settles down. ----------- May 14 – Giants Hire Veteran Bench Coach as New Field Manager Nearly a month after relieving Wesley Leseberg of his duties, Balmoral hired 61-year old Gary Compton as their new field manager. This will be Compton’s first crack at managing after spending 15 seasons as a bench coach with the Cambria Cannons (2 seasons), Fort Richmond Generals (3) and Stratford Barons (10). He is expected to employ a conventional approach that favours hitting, power and OBP. But he is known for being a strict disciplinarian; that could lead to tension in the clubhouse, especially among the veterans. ----------- May 3 – Sherburn Tigers Hire New GM for Second Consecutive Season Although the Tigers may not have had a great season record-wise last year, it was still a bit of a surprise when they terminated 47-year old Stewart Pruitt’s (61-93, .396) employment as their GM after just one season. Taking the helm is 62-year old Bill Beeby, the Embro Suns’ former long-time GM. Beeby is considered a ‘legendary’ executive: the Embro Suns won 100 and 104 games back in 1941-42 and 1942-43 respectively, but failed to win a Pennant, much less a United Cup. With the Tigers, he has a chance to revive a team that has not made the playoffs in 8 seasons and has made only 2 playoff appearances in their 17-year existence. In the past, Beeby has favoured prospects, hitting, offense, power and AVG. He has been aggressive on the trade market in the past and highly favours development and scouting values. ----------- May 9 – Cambria Hires Hall of Famer as New Scouting Director After 3 seasons as Cambria’s scouting director, 62-year old Quinn Ellis’ contract was not renewed. He was soon hired, however, as the new scouting director for the Brunswick Legends. Taking is place in Cambria is the Brunswick-born and Hall of Fame first baseman, 46-year old Fergus Chitty. This will be Chitty’s first management position in the United Leagues. He is rated ‘good’ in scouting both the major and minor leagues, as well as amateur and international scouting. He is said to favour ability. ----------- June 2 – New Ownership Take Over in Kingston, Cobourg Two new owners were welcomed to the United Leagues fold earlier in the off-season. 43-year-old Dalton Bartels became principal owner of the Kingston Pelicans after the MacKimmie family decided to divest themselves of the ballclub after the passing of their patriarch, Ethan MacKimmie. Meanwhile, 41-year-old Preston Davis purchased the Cobourg Red Stockings. His acquisition was the culmination of a long stand-off between the Commissioner’s Office and the Red Stockings’ previous owner, Harry Urien, who resisted efforts to oust him from ownership of the club and was believed to have played a central role in the contentious standoff between the owners and players over the previous two years. ----------- Trades: August 5 To Wellington – 25-year-old OF Jack Jefferson (47/52) To Downie – 29-year-old SS Rupert Bricknell (51/51) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Essentially a net-zero transaction for Downie, this trade will seem to have a more immediate impact on the Athletics. Bricknell was a 3rd overall pick back in 1944 but has been a disappointment both at the plate and in the field, even though his defensive ratings and baserunning skills are rated highly. He was ineffective as Wellington’s shortstop and lead-off hitter, so the club decided to part ways. Bricknell now sits buried in Downie’s depth chart. In return, Wellington receives Jack Jefferson, who was not going to get many starts playing behind CF Alfonso León in Downie. Jefferson is solid defender at centerfield and is speedy on the basepaths. His bat as well, shows more promise than Bricknell’s. For now, he has displaced Greg Yates (.283/.317/.447, 107 OPS+ - 49/55) as the starting centerfielder, although I suspect that both will get equal number of starts. What this move does is allow Wellington to make 24-year-old Brayden Docking (49/61), their 6th overall pick from 1951-52, their everyday third baseman, with 27-year-old Yorikane Taekuchi (52/53), a versatile infielder, shifting over to shortstop. While I’m not convinced of Jefferson being a better centerfielder than Yates, I like how Wellington has strengthened their infield as a result of this trade. ----------- Finally, the War Gained chart reveals how utterly uneventful in terms of player movement between teams the off-season was. Cambria ‘won’ simply by having a bunch of negative WAR players retire. But next up are Coconut Leagues. They begin tomorrow, Monday, August 30th as the teams gear up for the United Leagues’ 18th season. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

08-30-2021, 03:34 AM	#673
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	Baseball returns to Braeland at last, as spring training just wrapped up and the 16 clubs have set their rosters for Opening Day. Below are the spring training results for the 18th annual Coconut Leagues, pre-season predictions for both Leagues and some career leaderboards. But first, a run-down of a couple of trades that were consummated during September. ----------- Trades September 8 between the Embro Suns and the Hespeler Stars. To Embro – 30-year old RF Edgardo Barrón (42/42) and 19-year old minor league CF Nathan Ratcliffe (20/41) To Hespeler – 34-year old LHP Arthur Bence (48/48) *Knee-jerk reaction:* The Suns make a curious move, giving up a seasoned southpaw in exchange for essentially a utility player. Barrón is one of the best defensive outfielders in the United Leagues, a 4-time Ball Hawk Award winner and two-time all-star. He is a terror on the basepaths and would be an obvious candidate as a lead-off hitter if his bat wasn’t so underwhelming (almost 45/45 across batting ratings board; 40/40 in HR power). As such, he is batting 7th to start the season, but the player he is replacing, 28-year old Jose Maldonado (43/43), has the better bat. For now, Maldonado will start every 7th game. As for Ratcliffe, he has promising HR power (40/70) and good speed and excellent defensive ratings. But he will struggle making contact and avoiding outs and will often appear to be playing out of position (LF & CF are his best at 30). Whether he can eventually reach the majors remains to be seen. Bence is a former Satchel Paige Award winner and 4-time all-star. While his peak years may be behind him, he can still be a serviceable workhorse. He has good control (60/60) with four decent pitches (fastball, changeup, splitter – 45/45; curveball 40/40) that he can throw for strikes. That, along with very good stamina (65), should provide a modest boost to the Stars’ rotation. Bence will be their No. 3 pitcher to start the season. September 9 between the Wellington Athletics and the Downie Chiefs. To Wellington – 27-year old SS Bob Thompson (48/48) To Downie – 28-year old 38 Juan Maldonado (47/47) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Having sent SS Rupert Bricknell to the Downie Chiefs back in the August in order to acquire CF Jack Jefferson, the Athletics traded for Thompson to take Bricknell’s place. The 27-year old is an incredible defender to go along with impressive speed and HR Power (60/60) and Gap power (55/55). However, he will struggle making contact (35/35) and avoiding K’s (35/35), making him an average starter. Whether he will be an upgrade at SS remains to be seen. The Chiefs bring aboard Maldonado primarily as a back-up to their young third baseman, 23-year old Freddie Ogburn (46/57), who is still developing. Maldonado is a versatile infielder with good range and above average speed who can hit for average. ----------- New Uniforms New owner Preston Davis made if official, confirming long-standing rumors that a new moniker for the Cobourg baseball club was in the works. Going forward, the team will be known as the ‘Redlegs’, in imitation of the Cincinnati Reds of the National League but prompted more out of a desire for a fresh start following the previous ownership group rather than for political reasons. The ‘Mr. Redlegs’ logo got promoted from just being a sleeve patch to being the team’s new primary logo, with the previous block ‘C’ replaced with a wishbone ‘C’, emulating the Cincinnati Reds even further. ----------- Eastern League Results --------- The Stratford Barons and Embro Suns led the way in spring training; in fact, they were the only two clubs with above .500 records in the East. But the predicted standings would indicate that there will be no cakewalk for anyone, with the top four teams finishing within 9 games of each other and no one reaching the 90 win mark. The top hitters list reveals the usual suspects, including Downie’s CF Alfonso León, who was absent from the list last season and had a comparatively down year, at least for him. Wellington’s LF Matthew Floyd returns to the list. His season was cut short last year due to a broken elbow bone. No doubt a healthy Floyd is reflected in Wellington’s projection as being a playoff contender. But the one unexpected name is at the top: Stratford’s 2B Matthew Channing. Channing enjoyed his best season last year (4.7 WAR) and looks to build on it. He is rated as the No. 3 second baseman, after Braeland City’s Patrick Lidgate and Downie’s Dominic Dudding. --------- Western League Results --------- If the playoff chase in the Eastern League is expecting to be close, the West is projected to be a total free-for-all, with all 8 teams finishing within 9 games of each other and no one reaching the 80-win mark. Eek. Could all 8 teams finish in a tie for top spot (or rather, bottom spot)? Double eek. One name of interest that appears on the Top Hitters list is Sherburn’s RF Albert Sulley (54/59). Sulley started 71 games for the Tigers last season and is already rated as the 3rd-best right fielder in the United Leagues, behind only Braeland City’s Aiden Trembath and Pulberry’s Ellis Dibble. The 100th overall pick from 1950-51 is impressing the scouts with his plus-plus ability. He is projected to hit for a high average and be a solid base stealer with amazing speed (80). That is in addition to his excellent range and arm in the outfield. He should have plenty of opportunities to shine this season, as he will be batting out of the No. 3 spot. --------- Here are the top players and pitchers and top 20 prospects as updated on Opening Day. Also included are the latest leaderboards for a slew of offensive and pitching categories. --------- Leaderboards --------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

08-30-2021, 08:45 PM	#674
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,522	Buckle up! Here we go. Trolleys look good. But, it's only spring training. __________________

08-31-2021, 12:11 PM	#675
Hageneezz All Star Reserve Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: The Hague,Netherlands Posts: 884	Go Cannons! Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A505FN met Tapatalk

09-01-2021, 02:58 AM	#676
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	November 1, 1954 Thanks guys! Here is a snapshot of the Leagues after the first month of play, with some teasers that will be answered in the December 1 league reports: • To no one’s surprise, the pathetic Athletics are searching for a new field manager, after enduring a 14-game losing streak in the middle of October and ending the month mired in a 6-game losing streak. Can Wellington get back on track? • Who hit the 23rd cycle in ULB history? • Who became the 12th player to reach the 2000 career hits milestone? • Who drove in 7 RBIs – two shy of the ULB record – in Pulberry’s 22-6 trouncing of the Cambria Cannons on October 25? ----------- ----------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

09-06-2021, 12:32 PM	#677
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	December 1, 1954 Eastern League: Barons Take the Early Lead -------- Offense: .259/.342/.402 (7th/4th/2nd) Pitching: 3.48/3.32/4.35 (3rd/3rd/4th) Defense: .709 (4th) In season that is seeing a bit of an upheaval in both Leagues in the early going, the Stratford Barons remain the lone constant. They are the only team in the ULB to have qualified for the playoffs the past two seasons and they continue their strong play this season, leading the Eastern League. After being two games back of first at the end of October, the Barons came on strong in November, a month that included an 8-game winning streak. After two months, perineal all-star 35-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.306/.466/.476, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 44 BB, 2.6 WAR) remains the offensive leader of the team and the top catcher in the United Leagues. His primary support in the lineup have been 26-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.268/.319/.451, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 17 BB, 1.6 WAR) and 23-year old SS Callum Spalton (.279/.326/.419, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 11 BB, 1.5 WAR), but the rest of the lineup has been inconsistent. Pitching remains the team’s primary strength, with both 28-year old RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco (7-2, 2.38 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 166 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Ted Smith (7-1, 3.12 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 127 ERA+) on pace for 21 wins apiece. Player of the Week Awards: November 8 – RHP Ted Smith (2-0, 0.53 ERA, 17.0 IP, 6 K) Noteworthy: October 20 – After dropping the fist two games of the series, RHP Magtanggol Jaojoco got the Barons back on track, thanks to a 2-hit, complete game shutout over the Brunswick Legends. Jaojoco struck out 4, walking 1 en route to a 3-0 win (GS: 86). 31-year old LF Roberto Ríos put an exclamation mark on the win with a solo home run in the 6th against RHP Pi-ao Quian. Current Injuries: November 10 – LHP Marcello Dean – torn rotator cuff. Out for: 5 months. November 25 – SS Jeff Houston – quadriceps strain. Out for: DtD, 3 weeks. -------- Offense: .275/.345/.410 (1st/2nd/1st) Pitching: 3.83/3.92/3.50 (4th/5th/2nd) Defense: .692 (7th) Looking to bounce back from their worst season last year record-wise, the Embro Suns are off to a promising start. The offense leads the East in a host of categories but its not quite dominant enough to carry them through the season if their pitching, particularly the rotation, doesn’t improve. 24-year old SS Kieron Bradridge (.291/.335/.490, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 15 BB, 2.4 WAR) is enjoying the best start of 4-year career. He lost 14 weeks to various injuries last season. Also off to his best start is 27-year old 1B Napana Mamo (.335/.385/.500, 3 HR, 29 RBI, 18 BB, 2.2 WAR). Mamo is rated No. 2 among 1B, behind only Cambria’s Carlos Corea. The loss of LHP Arthur Bence to Hespeler is being felt, as the rotation has been underwhelming so far. Right now, Embro’s strength has been their bullpen, with 23-year old rookie stopper RHP Rob Gladstone (3-0, 3 SV, 2.93 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 135 ERA+) and 14-year veteran 36-year old RHP Max Dunston (1-2, 3 SV, 3.13 ERA, 1.80 WHIP, 127 ERA+) being the most effective. Player of the Week Awards: October 11 – LF Jesús Abreu (.435, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI) Current Injuries: November 5 – 1B Bob Buchanan – fractured knee. Out for: 5 months. November 29 – RHP Myung-gu Son – sore shoulder. Out for: DtD, 3 days. -------- Offense: .266/.330/.393 (5th/7th/5th) Pitching: 3.10/3.22/2.51 (1st/2nd/1st) Defense: .732 (1st) A strong start to the season saw the Queensland Eagles hold down top spot in the East after the first month, but a 3-10 stretch in November knocked them 4 games out of first place before finishing the rest of the month 8-4. For the past couple of seasons, the Eagles’ rotation has had the best one-two punch in the Leagues. They were just waiting for an anemic offense to start pulling their weight. That might happen this season. Not only has the offense received a much needed boost from new young talent, but the pitching has become even more impressive. That’s because 29-year old RHP Logan Belsey (7-3, 2.52 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 155 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (9-1, 1.35 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 289 ERA+) have become even more dominant than they have in the past. They are rated Nos. 1 and 2 respectively among all pitchers and its not hard to see why. The rest of the rotation though is lagging behind. But Queensland is banking on two rookies finding their footing soon, namely 22-year old RHP Wayne O’Reilly (3-4, 4.64 ERA, 1.76 WHIP, 84 ERA+ - 46/58), and 25-year old LHP Amoka Kalea (3-5, 4.41 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 88 ERA+ - 47/52). Another young starter, 22-year old RHP Derek Tarn (1-3, 4 SV, 2.91 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 134 ERA+ - 52/62), is holding down the stopper position for now. After being a glaring weakness for some time, the offense is showing signs of flexing some muscle. 28-year old LF Rod Dennis (.305/.407/.492, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 33 BB, 1.9 WAR) continues to be Queensland’s best position player, but he has been joined by recent acquisition, 26-year old CF John Oldknow (.299/.364/.449, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 22 BB, 1.9 WAR). 25-year old C Robbie Leivers (.340/.411/.520, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 12 BB, 1.4 WAR) appears to be gradually taking over catching duties from 35-year old Elijah Sheppard (.235/.361/.33, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 15 BB, 0.5 WAR) and for good reason. Finally, 21-year old RF Hal Dhu (.306/.365/.471, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 18 BB, 1.3 WAR), a 4th overall pick form 1951-52, has found a home batting in the No. 2 spot, between Oldknow and Dennis. Player of the Week Awards: November 29 – RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 17.1 IP, 10 K) Noteworthy: October 10 – RHP Stiofan Micklethwait was impressive in his second start, picking up his first win of season against the Wellington Athletics. He shut them down 4-0, throwing a 2-hitter. He struck out 4 and walked 3 (GS: 84). All the runs were scored in the bottom of the 8th inning, when little used catcher Blake Nankervis connected on his first and so far, only major league hit of the season, a grand slam home run off Wellington’s RHP Zachary Collingham. November 19 – The Eagles started off their 3-game home series against the Cambria Cannons on a high note, as Queensland won the game 6-0 on the strength of 30-year old RHP Tyler Gissing ‘s (4-5, 4.00 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 98 ERA+) 2-hit shut-out. Gissing carried a no-hitter into the 6th inning with 2 out when Cambria’s LHP Bill Southon lined a single into left-centerfield. In all, Gissing went 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 85 PI (GS: 85). Current Injuries: September 12 – SS Juan Ramos – fractured ankle. Out for: 4-5 weeks. -------- Offense: .270/.351/.400 (3rd/1st/3rd) Pitching: 4.96/4.88/5.15 (8th/8th/6th) Defense: .673 (8th) Over the past few seasons, the Braeland City Monarchs have been up and down in the standings. Last season, they won 84 games and made the playoffs. But this year, true to form, they are down. Not too far down though that they cannot jump right into the thick of things in the East. But they will need to somehow beef up a disappointing pitching staff if they hope to compete for a spot in the post-season. With the exception of 29-year old RHP Lee Corp (6-1, 2.69 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 149 ERA+), the pitching has been inconsistent. Corp is perhaps enjoying the best start to his 7-year career, all with the Monarchs. It hasn’t helped that pitchers who have stepped into the stopper role keep getting injured. Braeland City currently has 3 pitchers in sick bay. The offense continues to be the team’s strength, but all have seen a drop from last season – some more than others. Last year’s Babe Ruth Award winner, 29-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.291/.383/.495, 7 HR, 38 RBI, 27 BB, 2.4 WAR) continues his all-star pace (although it’s down from last season). He is joined by 29-year old C Hayden Billyard (.278/.358/.402, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 22 BB, 1.5 WAR) as the team’s offensive leaders, but others, like 24-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.293/.372/.414, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 25 BB, 1.0 WAR) are enduring slower starts. Player of the Week Awards: October 25 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.520, 13 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI) November 22 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.450, 9 H, 1 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: November 27 – It was a battle of pitchers between Wolseley Unions’ RHP Aaron Saunderson and Braeland City’s 26-year old RHP Pei Ming (4-6, 4.81 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 83 ERA+). But while Saunderson only gave up 4 hits and 2 runs, Ming was a bit better, shutting out the Unions, 2-0, on 2 hits. Ming struck out 5, walked 2 on 111 PI (GS: 86). Current Injuries: November 24 – RHP Corey Timothy – Torn UCL. Out for: 6 months. November 29 – RHP Samuel Hollier – strained hamstring. Out for: DtD, 3-4 weeks. November 30 – RHP Rizal Doctolero – strained triceps. Out for: DtD, 2 weeks. -------- Offense: .273/.345/.381 (2nd/3rd/7th) Pitching: 4.50/4.07/6.07 (7th/7th/8th) Defense: .706 (5th) The Brunswick Legends were just a game out of first place at the end of October, but a 3-14 start to November brought them back to earth with a thud. Like the Monarchs, the Legends are being held back by a struggling pitching staff. However, their offense isn’t quite as impressive as Braeland City’s – at least not yet. 26-year old C Robert Kersey (.297/.370/.491, 7 HR, 32 RBI, 22 BB, 2.0 WAR) continues to lead the team, at least in offense if not in providing good vibes in the clubhouse. But both 26-year old SS Harris Yaag (.326/.354/.449, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 8 BB, 1.5 WAR) and 26-year old 1B Francis Joicey (.280/.352/.452, 8 HR, 29 RBI, 22 BB, 1.5 WAR) are enjoying fine starts to the season as well. The pitching continues to struggle, however, with only 37-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (6-5, 3.56 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 112 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (4-4, 3.64 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 109 ERA+) providing consistent outings. Noteworthy: October 10 – The Legends came up short against the Downie Chiefs, losing 2-1 on the afternoon, but the 27,966 fans at Babe Ruth Park were on their feet in the bottom of the 7th inning when 33-year old Jorge Arredondo (.233/.328/.267, 7-2B, 12 RBI, 28 BB, 0.4 WAR) lined a single past second base for his 2000th career hit. He became the 12th player in United Leagues’ history to reach that milestone. After popping out to the second baseman in the 1st inning, Arredondo connected for hit No. 1,999 in the bottom of the 3rd, singling into shallow centerfield to load the bases. That led to the Legends’ only run when C Robert Kersey followed with a sac fly to centerfield. Arredondo’s next opportunity for hit 2,000 came in the 5th but was walked on 4 straight pitches. But he finally reached the milestone two innings later. In all, he went 2 for 4, 1 BB. November 7 – The Legends and Cannons engaged in a see-saw battle at Alexander Field in Cambria, with the home team eventually pulling out an 11-10 win in 14 innings. The Legends took a 5-3 lead in the top of the 9th, only to see the Cannons tie it in the bottom half and send it into extras. Brunswick scored a run in the top of the 10th, but Cambria got the equalizer in the bottom half. Brunswick scored two runs in the top of the 12th, but Cambria evened it up once again. In the top of the 14th, the Legends score two runs to make it 10-8, but the Cannons scored 3 in the bottom half to finally seal the victory, thanks to Carlos Corea’s walk-off two-out, 3-run home run off RHP Dave Ball. Cambria’s 11 runs came off of 18 hits, but Brunswick out-paced them in that category with 27. Both 28-year old LF Carl Patton (.294/.381/.358, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 30 BB, 1.4 WAR) and C Robert Kersey went 5 for 7 on the afternoon. Patton singled in the 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th innings, flied out in the 7th, hit a sac fly in the 10th, singled in the 12th and grounded out in the 14th. He scored 2 R and 1 RBI. Kersey singled in the 1st and 3rd innings, grounded out in the 5th, singled in the 8th, hit an RBI single in the 9th, flied out in the 10th, hit an RBI single in the 12th and walked in the 14th. In all, he collected 2 R and 2 RBI. November 30 – The Legends picked up their 25th win of the season with a convincing 7-1 victory over the Unions at Satchel Paige Park in Wolseley. But it was a career day for RHP Pi-ao Quian, as the 5-time all-star picked up his 200th career win. Quian went all 9 innings for the milestone on just 89 PI, scattering 5 hits with 4 K, 2 BB, and 1 unearned run (GS: 77). He becomes just the 7th pitcher to reach the 200 victory mark in ULB history. Current Injuries: October 8 – RHP Lao Chen – Torn elbow ligament. Out for: 4 months. November 23 – RHP Mhelter Pilapil – sprained ankle. Out for: DtD, 4 days. -------- Offense: .259/.330/.396 (6th/6th/4th) Pitching: 4.11/3.91/4.75 (5th/5th/5th) Defense: .703 (6th) The Downie Chiefs appear to be a .500 team and their record thus far certainly bears that out. With one amazing exception, this is an underwhelming collection of players with few top prospects in the pipeline. So far, it’s been all about 28-year old CF Alfonso León (.388/.440/.622, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 22 BB, 4.2 WAR). Last season was a bit of a down year for León (5.6 WAR), but he has bounced back in a big way. He currently leads the entire United Leagues in 5 offensive categories. But he hasn’t been quite the whole story. 23-year old 3B Freddie Ogburn (.265/.354/.412, 4 HR, 31 RBI, 24 BB, 1.8 WAR) is enjoying a fine start to his sophomore season and 9-year veteran, 30-year old LF Howard Dumbrill (.229/.376/.373, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 38 BB, 1.3 WAR) is off to his best start in 4 seasons. But others are struggling, especially 28-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.245/.284/.434, 9 HR, 33 RBI, 13 BB, 0.7 WAR), who has usually been a dominant player in own right over the past 6 seasons. And at this point, I think it safe to say that 27-year old RF Connor Bing (.198/.264/.325, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 19 BB, 0.2 WAR), a former 5th overall pick from 1948-49, has turned out to be a bust. The pitching has been mediocre overall, with 31-year old LHP Hank Bennett (4-4, 2.85 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 136 ERA+) and 26-year old RHP Eddie Stannard (3-3, 3.07 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 126 ERA+) leading the way. Player of the Week Awards: October 18 – CF Alfonso León (.478, 11 H, 4 HR, 11 RBI) November 15 – CF Alfonso León (.375, 12 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI) Noteworthy: October 23 – The Chiefs won big in Stratford, defeating the Barons 17-6 on 23 hits. Five of those hits came off the bat of RF Connor Bing. He went 5 for 5 with 4 RBI and 4 R. Bing singled in the 1st, hit a solo shot off RHP Ted Smith in the 4th, hit a 3-run double in the 4th, walked in the 5th and singled in both the 7th and 8th innings. November 20 – After dropping their first game against the Wolseley Unions 1-0, the Chiefs bounced back in game 2 with a 7-1 win. 24-year old SS José Olivarez (.284/.338/.397, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 16 BB, 1.0 WAR) enjoyed a big day at the plate as well, going 5 for 5. Olivarez doubled in the 1st, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, and singled in the 4th, 6th and 8th innings. Current Injuries: None. -------- Offense: .267/.333/.386 (4th/5th/6th) Pitching: 3.26/3.09/4.35 (2nd/1st/3rd) Defense: .722 (2nd) To me, the Cobourg Redlegs remain an enigma. They should be better than their record suggests and yet, they just cannot find any consistency. They still have the talent that won them 100 games two seasons ago and their pitching staff is now second only to the Queensland Eagles. And yet, they continue to be mired near the bottom of the standings. The offense led by their big 3: 28-year old CF Raymond Williams (.317/.385/.510, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 21 BB, 2.9 WAR), 32-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.361/.432/.492, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 26 BB, 2.4 WAR) and 29-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.318/.362/.458, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 13 BB, 2.0 WAR). Admittedly, there is a bit of a drop-off from them in the rest of the lineup and the loss of promising 23-year old SS Douglas Jones (.247/.313/.326, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 8 BB, 0.3 WAR – 59/71) to long-term injury doesn’t help. But the pitching staff, once a perineal weak spot on the Redlegs teams in the past, is one of the best in the United Leagues. 27-year old RHP Fergus Hirst (5-3, 2.87 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 138ERA+) is considered the best starter in the ULB who doesn’t play for the Queensland Eagles. He is being ably supported by 28-year old RHP Marcus Turvill (5-4, 3.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 123 ERA+) and 28-year old RHP Seb Frew (6-2, 2.29 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 174 ERA+). Even their No. 5 starter, 26-year old RHP Bobby Williams (2-3, 3.00 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 132 ERA+) is enjoying his best start since his rookie campaign back in 1951-52. On the other hand, 26-year old LHP Bill Budd (3-7, 3.93 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 101 ERA+), who has long been rated as a Top-10 pitcher, continues to perform below expectations. He hasn’t been terrible, but nowhere near to what he is capable of. A fitting symbol of the team as a whole. Player of the Week Awards: November 1 – CF Raymond Williams (.458, 11 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI) Noteworthy: October 12 – RHP Marcus Turvill put on a pitching clinic against the Downie Chiefs, blanking them 3-0. Turvill pitched a 1-hitter, striking out 8 and giving up just 1 walk (GS: 92). The hurler went 1 for 3 at the plate to boot. The big damage for Cobourg was done in the 6th inning, when backup catcher 24-year old Yoshiake Ikeda slammed a 2-run home run 385 ft. into the leftfield bleachers, his first of the season. Current Injuries: October 28 – SS Douglas Jones – partially torn labrum. Out for: 3 months. November 22 – RF Nathan Ashman – back strain. Out for: 1 week. -------- Offense: .246/.302/.360 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.22/3.84/5.67 (6th/4th/7th) Defense: .709 (3rd) On October 8, the Wellington Athletics defeated the Queensland Eagles 3-2, to improve their record to 2-3. But it would be 15 games before they won again. After winning two in a row, they would drop the next 8. Finally, after a 9-2 loss to the Stratford Barons on November 1, their 7th in a row, Wellington fired 59-year old Eugene Rogge, their manager of the past 5 seasons. Despite winning Manager of the Year accolades in 1951-52, Rogge had clearly lost the clubhouse and was shown the door. Two days later, the Athletics hired 60-year old Wildemar Aquino, a veteran hitting coach (12 years with the Cobourg Red Stockings) and bench coach (last three years with the Queensland Eagles). His one previous stint as a manager was with the Pulberry Trolleys back in 1949-50, leading them to a desultory 54-100 record. He is a laidback manager who is said to heavily favour prospects, defense and speed. In the short term at least, the move has turned things around both in the win column and in the clubhouse. Thus far under Aquino’s stewardship, the Athletics are 15-9 to the end of November and are no longer feuding amongst themselves. Current Injuries: November 4 – LHP Michael Etienne – torn labrum. Out for: 3 months. November 29 – RHP Howard Turnbull – sore elbow. Out for: 4 weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 09-06-2021 at 02:50 PM.

09-10-2021, 02:38 AM	#678
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	December 1, 1954 Western League: Trolleys, Giants Leading the Pack -------- Offense: .281/.342/.418 (1st/1st/1st) Pitching: 3.77/3.49/4.96 (3rd/1st/6th) Defense: .717 (2nd) After 14 straight losing seasons, the Pulberry Trolleys now have two consecutive winning seasons under their belt and one playoff appearance. They continue to build on that progress this season by setting the pace with the best record in the United Leagues and being solid in nearly every facet of the game. They have never won more than 88 games in a season, but this year, they are on course for 98. The offense is the best in the ULB, with only the Embro Suns putting up an argument and the pitching, particularly the starting rotation, is off to a strong start. The lineup is being led by three players: 26-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.386/.491/.647, 7 HR, 45 RBI, 37 BB, 8 SB, 3.9 WAR) who recently enjoyed a 20-game hitting streak, 27-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.270/.351/.432, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 22 BB, 8 SB, 2.6 WAR) and 27-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.314/.341/.479, 5 HR, 32 RBI, 8 BB, 2.1 WAR). It took Thirkettle 22 games to hit his first home run of the season, but in nearly every other facet he is red hot who got even hotter in November. He is either leading or tied for the lead in 9 offensive categories across both Leagues. 29-year old SS Francis Jones (.301/.364/.471, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 22 BB, 1.8 WAR) is enjoying his best start in 5 years and 24-year old C Paul England (.274/.341/.415, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 17 BB, 1.0 WAR) continues to improve, especially in the power department. However, 29-year old RF Ellis Dibble (.292/.321/.416, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 10 BB, 0.6 WAR) slumped noticeably in November (.257/.296/327) after a strong start. The rotation has become the best in the West, with 26-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (8-3, 2.99 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 130 ERA+), 33-year old RHP Robin Medellin (5-2, 2.90 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 134 ERA+) and 27-year old RHP Harley Rodman (8-2, 3.35 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 116 ERA+) forming a formidable top 3 in the early going. But the bullpen is shaky at the moment. Right now, only the current stopper and future starter 25-year old LHP Dermott Rathbone (2-1, 7 SV, 2.57 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 151 ERA+) is pitching effectively. Player of the Week Awards: November 22 – SS Francis Jones (.440, 11 H, 5 RBI, 4 R) Noteworthy: October 25 – The Trolleys’ offense is hot, and it was no more apparent than against the visiting Cambria Cannons, as Pulberry powered to a 22-8 win off of 22 hits. Nine Trolleys collected at least two hits, including two pinch hitters. Leading the lineup was 3B Makani Kahale who went 4 for 7, producing 7 RBI, 1 R. Kahale hit 3 singles and then a Grand Slam home run in a 7-run 8th inning. Pulberry also scored 5 runs in the 3rd inning and 10 runs in the 5th to blow out the Cannons. Current Injuries: November 22 – RHP Alexander Ellacott – bone chips (elbow). Out for: 3 weeks. -------- Offense: .271/.337/.406 (2nd/3rd/2nd) Pitching: 3.57/3.66/3.27 (2nd/3rd/2nd) Defense: .714 (3rd) The Balmoral Giants have missed the playoffs 11 straight years, but things may turn out differently this season. The Giants have been impressive across the board on both offense and pitching, but it remains to be seen if they can sustain it. 34-year old LF Ángel Costa (.358/.451/.580, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 32 BB, 2.6 WAR) is the real deal and one of the best position players in the United Leagues (10th overall). But he has been joined by a couple of players who have stepped up their game. 27-year old Brock Renshaw (.322/.419/.462, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 23 BB, 1.9 WAR) has taken over rightfield from 28-year old Roy Belknap (.263/.282/.434, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 2 BB, 0.1 WAR) and 26-year old Erik Perry (.307/.347/.487, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 11 BB, 1.5 WAR) has entrenched himself at first base after temporarily losing his starting job to 29-year old Jacob Summerhayes (.421/.455/.579, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 0.2 WAR) over the past two seasons. The pitching has been getting the job done as well, but like the offense, I question whether it is built for the long haul. Still, 31-year old LHP Ron Albin (4-4, 3.04 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 130 ERA+), 29-year old RHP Rodrigo González (7-4, 3.58 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 110 ERA+) and 26-year old RHP Robert Embley (4-1, 3.16 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 125 ERA+) have been doing fine jobs. But its puzzling to see long-time starter 29-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (5-1, 3.41 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 110 ERA+) reduced to long relief duties. Player of the Week Awards: November 1 – LF Ángel Costa (.583, 14 H, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 7 R) Noteworthy: October 9 – The 23rd cycle in ULB history was accomplished just 6 games into the season by 31-year old 2B Sean Brearton (.255/.339/.400, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 20 BB, 1.3 WAR), although the Giants ultimately fell to the Kingston Pelicans, 6-4. Brearton tripled in the 2nd, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, doubled in the 6th and hit a solo-shot off RHP Kieran Bunce in the 8th. He finished with 2 RBI and 2 R. It was the first cycle hit by a member of the Giants. Current Injuries: November 27 – LHP Lucas Nott – back spasms. Out for: unknown. -------- Offense: .267/.323/.380 (3rd/6th/3rd) Pitching: 4.04/4.02/4.21 (5th/5th/4th) Defense: .727 (1st) The Sherburn Tigers toyed with first place in October but faltered badly in November, going 5-14 during one rough patch against Eastern League teams. Still, there are enough promising signs that the Tigers can finish in the first division for the first time in 9 years. But they will need a few more players to step up their game if they hope to return to the playoffs soon. Without question, the revival no one saw coming was the resurgence of 32-year old C Christopher Dainty (.333/.428/.558, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 27 BB, 2.5 WAR). Most of last season was wiped out due to a torn labrum, but Dainty has come back in a big way and has reappeared in the Top Players Rankings (#13 overall). But he is not alone. 25-year old sophomore SS Dwayne Vick (.305/.343/.416, 11-2B, 29 RBI, 10 BB, 2.1 WAR) is proving his rookie season was no fluke. And both 24-year old RF Albert Sulley (.307/.390/.422, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 27 BB, 1.9 WAR) and 25-year old 1B Marcus Timberlake (.300/.374/.448, 7 HR, 22 RBI, 22 BB, 1.8 WAR) are earning their starting roles. On the other hand, former 1st overall pick 24-year old 2B Bernard Kerkin (.257/.286/.383, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 8 BB, 0.4 WAR) slumped badly in November (.220/.236/.290) after a strong start. Finally, another 1st overall pick, 26-year old 3B Archie Eridge (47/59), is now riding the pine – in Triple-A! He should be starting on the major league roster instead. Ridiculous. The pitching has been acceptable, but like the offense, is relying on just a couple of starters to carry them. 27-year old RHP Ben Buschlen (5-5, 3.14 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 127 ERA+) has returned nicely from a torn flexor tendon he suffered last season and 25-year old LHP Brendan Wombwell (5-5, 3.27 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 122 ERA+) has been a nice surprise. But former ace, 30-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (2-5, 5.33 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 75 ERA+), is struggling once again to start the season. Player of the Week Awards: October 11 – RF Albert Sulley (.571, 16 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI) November 29 – C Christopher Dainty (.409, 9 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI) Current Injuries: October 28 – RHP Roy Hay – strained hamstring. Out for: 5 days. November 17 – LF Noah Teale – strained back. Out for: DtD, unknown. -------- Offense: .257/.321/.355 (5th/7th/7th) Pitching: 3.48/3.60/2.87 (1st/2nd/1st) Defense: .699 (4th) The Fort Richmond Generals’ defense of their United Cup championship saw an uneven start, as the Generals got off to a slow start in October. November saw a 9-game winning streak vault them back to within 2.5 games of second place, but a 5-9 finish to the month saw them tumble once again. The offense is the main culprit. It has never been overpowering in recent years, but this year it has really regressed. Despite that, there are a few standouts. 26-year old 3B Mason Geake (.307/.392/.438, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 26 BB, 2.3 WAR) has been Fort Richmond’s top player thus far. He is currently rated as the No. 3-3B in the ULB. 25-year old rookie LF Tom Lind (.370/.394/.457, 2 HR, 17 RBI, 7 BB, 1.5 WAR) is off to a terrific start. 30-year old RF Brandon Robinson (.302/.348/.456, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 14 BB, 0.7 WAR) has been effective as the plate as well but is struggling defensively. Strong pitching remains the Generals’ strong suit. 32-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (5-4, 2.68 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 144 ERA+) is doing well as the team’s ace as 31-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (1-0, 2.51 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 154 ERA+) has just returned from an elbow inflammation injury. The bullpen remains the best in the League with 30-year old stopper RHP José Rodríguez (5-3, 4 SV, 1.23 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) off to a fantastic start. Noteworthy: November 21 – The Generals pulled out a hard-fought win in Stratford, a 6-4 victory that took 13 innings to settle. Helping his team’s cause, 3B Mason Geake went 4 for 7, hitting for the Cycle in the process, the 24th in United Leagues history. Geake flied out in the 1st, hit a 2-run home run off RHP Magtanggol Jaococo in the 3rd, flied out in the 5th, singled in the 8th flied out in the 9th, tripled in the 11th, then hit a decisive 2-run double in the 13th. It was the second cycle in history for Fort Richmond and first in 16 years. Current Injuries: October 5 – RHP Roberto Tavárez – strained forearm. Out for: 4 weeks. October 29 – SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida – torn groin. Out for: 1 week. November 21 – RHP Glen Limon – chronic back soreness. Out for: 2 weeks. -------- Offense: .254/.340/.366 (6th/2nd/5th) Pitching: 4.13/4.24/3.63 (6th/7th/3rd) Defense: .689 (7th) The Hespeler Stars are hovering around the .500 mark to start the season, which is saying something as this is a team that has not had an above .500 season in 17 years and only one .500 season during that span. They have a few effective players in the lineup and pitching staff, but there is still a lot of dead weight that will keep holding them back. 31-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.347/.442/.484, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 33 BB, 2.7 WAR) is considered the No. 1 shortstop in the United Leagues and its not hard to see why, at least offensively. He is off to a tremendous start this year, continuing a trend of all-star performances for the 5th straight year. But outside of 29-year old 2B Vic Lewis (.305/.373/.442, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 19 BB, 1.2 WAR), the rest of the team has struggled offensively and are not doing themselves any favors defensively. One positive note is that 24-year old 1B Bill Spaeth (.206/.236/.338, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, -0.2 WAR) has finally being given a chance to start regularly. Here’s hoping he finds his groove very soon. On the other hand, 25-year old SS Apia Yarrah (60/70), a former 1st overall pick, is riding the bench, as he is still being blocked by Zhao-hui Qian and is not rated for any other position. The pitching is benefiting from the performances of 30-year old ace RHP Stephen Tindall (6-3, 3.75 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 107 ERA+), 35-year old LHP Arthur Bence (2-5, 2.92 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 137 ERA+) and 28-year old stopper/starter RHP Wayne Nesling (5-2, 7 SV, 2.11 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 190 ERA+). But the rest of the pitching has been middling at best. Player of the Week Awards: October 18 – 2B Vic Lewis (.478, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R) October 25 – SS Zhao-hui Qian (.455, 10 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R) Noteworthy: November 6 – The Stars took it to the visiting Downie Chiefs, 8-3, and SS Zhao-hui Qian was at the center of things, going 5 for 5 on the afternoon. Quian singled in the 1st and 3rd innings, hit an RBI single in the 5th, singled in the 7th then hit a Grand Slam home run off RHP Bill Lafontaine in the 8th to put the game away. Hespeler’s no. 4 hitter collected 5 RBI and 2 R. Current Injuries: September 10 – RHP Rodney Gabrielson – torn labrum. Out for: 3 months. October 30 – CF John McMurray – torn quadriceps. Out for: 1 week. November 18 – 3B Mike Park – strained medial collateral ligament. Out for: 3 weeks. -------- Offense: .264/.337/.376 (4th/4th /4th) Pitching: 4.33/4.22/4.81 (7th/6th/5th) Defense: .672 (8th) The Cambria Cannons stumbled badly out of the gate and while they rebounded nicely in November, it appears their relegation to the second division in the early going is not a fluke. Their pitching has been dreadful, and a number of their key position players are struggling offensively at the start of the campaign. One who hasn’t been struggling is 28-year old 1B Carlos Corea (.357/.411/.585, 9 HR, 46 RBI, 18 BB, 2.1 WAR). He is rated the top 1B in the ULB and it shows. He is off to the best start of his 6-year career. Cambria also has a couple of sophomores off to fine starts. 23-year old LF Calvin Hanbridge (.301/.455/.409, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 54 BB, 1.8 WAR) is developing into a special player, while 22-year old 2B/SS Doug Martin (.259/.341/.397, 3 HR, 15 RBI, 22 BB, 0.5 WAR) is progressing as well, although he appears to be more comfortable at second base. Currently he is manning shortstop while 34-year old SS César Ruíz (.216/.333/.388, 6 HR, 22 RBI, 22 BB, 0.4 WAR) is on the injured list for another month. The rest of the lineup, however, is struggling big time. The pitching is really struggling right now too and is the club’s biggest concern. 24-year old LHP Bill Southon (6-3, 4.00 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 98 ERA+) rebounded from a rough October, providing some encouragement for the fans. No. 5 starter, 27-year old RHP Lou Dunne (4-2, 2.78 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 140 ERA+) has pitched effectively as well. But they are the exceptions at present. Player of the Week Awards: November 8 – 1B Carlos Corea (.417, 10 H, 3 HR, 11 RBI) Noteworthy: November 7 – In the wild game between the Cannons and Brunswick Legends that saw both LF Carl Patton and C Robert Kersey collect 5 hits, Cambria’s 1B Carlos Corea went 5 for 7 in the Cannons’ 11-10, 14-inning victory. Corea struck out in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, hit a 2-run home run off RHP Kent Dundon in the 5th, grounded out in the 7th, flied out in the 9th, singled in the 11th, hit an RBI single in the 12th and hit a walk-off 3-run home run off RHP Dave Ball in the decisive 14th. November 14 & November 25 – 24-year old LHP Bill Southon (6-3, 4.00 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 98 ERA+) pitched two complete game 2-hitters in the same month. Both were shut-outs. The first was against the Stratford Barons, a 2-0 victory. Southon went 119 PI with 2 BB and 9 K (GS: 90). On the 25th, Southon blanked the Suns in Embro, 1-0. In that game, he went 134 PI, 5 BB, 3 K (GS: 81). Current Injuries: November 13 – RF Zhu Liao – broken kneecap. Out for: 4 months. November 16 – SS César Ruíz – shoulder tendinitis. Out for: 4 weeks. November 28 – LHP Ricardo Cruz – wrist soreness. Out for: 5 days. -------- Offense: .251/.328/.361 (7th/5th/6th) Pitching: 4.66/4.35/5.79 (8th/8th/8th) Defense: .694 (6th) There was no fast start for the Kingston Pelicans this season like there was last year. The Pelicans are 11 years removed from their last championship and have only made the playoffs once in the past 7 years. But they always seemed to hang around in contention year after year. But not this season. It appears that mediocrity has finally sunk the Pelicans into the second division. 24-year old CF Chris Ramsbottom (.304/.378/.481, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 19 BB, 5 SB, 1.8 WAR) has been the club’s best overall player so far, while 26-year old C Gareth Mawle (.347/.409/.576, 6 HR, 16 RBI, 11 BB, 1.7 WAR) has been sensational filling in for an injured 28-year old C Carlos Camasura (.261/.416/.319, 4-2B, 5 RBI, 19 BB, 0.8 WAR). Too bad Mawle cannot play another position because the offense might take a step back when Mawle returns to being a backup. The rest of the lineup has been pitiful. The pitching has not been any better. Still, 29-year old RHP Kieran Bunce (7-3, 3.43 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 116 ERA+) continues his solid play from last season, and 30-year old LHP Dana Listman (2-4, 3.92 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 102 ERA+) has been acceptable as a No. 5 starter. But other than those two and 30-year old stopper RHP Kaula Makileo (3-1, 5 SV, 1.95 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 205 ERA+), the pitching staff is in shambles. Current Injuries: September 9 – RHP Ben Currall – torn labrum. Out for: 2-3 months. October 30 – C Carlos Camasura – broken hamate bone. Out for: 4-5 weeks. November 23 – 2B Noah Wellings – strained rib cage muscle. Out for: DtD, 1 week. -------- Offense: .236/.307/.329 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.03/3.71/5.56 (4th/4th/7th) Defense: .699 (5th) Despite not being the powerhouse they once were, the Wolseley Unions remained exceedingly competitive over the past two seasons and actually made the playoffs in 1952-53 after being near the bottom of the standings at the beginning of the season. But there doesn’t appear to be any magic left. The Unions are one of the worst teams in the United Leagues. The bloom is finally off the rose. On offense, only 25-year old 1B Carlos Ortíz (.340/376/.474, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 13 BB, 1.8 WAR) and the slowing fading but still solid 33-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.307/.423/.466, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 36 BB, 1.5 WAR) are producing at a high level. The rest of the lineup is merely so-so or essentially missing in action contributing to the worst-ranked offense in the West. Once unable to crack a strong rotation, 27-year old RHP Joseph Sellwood (6-4, 2.34 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 170 ERA+) is now the ace and has been sensational in the early going. No. 2 starter 35-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (2-6, 3.08 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 130 ERA+) has provided solid outings as well. 29-year old LHP Axel MacKay (2-6, 3.42 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 117 ERA+) started off well in October but struggled in November (0-5, 4.01 ERA, 1.48 WHIP). Outside of those three, the pitching has been mediocre to match the offense. Player of the Week Awards: November 15 – 1B Carlos Ortíz (.593, 16 H, 2 HR, 7 RBI) Noteworthy: November 19 – The Unions eked out a 1-0 road victory against the Downie Chiefs, thanks in large part to RHP Joseph Sellwood. Sellwood shackled Downie on 2 hits. He walked 2, struck out 5 over 126 PI (GS: 86). The lone run was scored by LF Carlton Hawking, a solo home run off RHP Kelii Pelanekina in the 4th inning. Current Injuries: November 12 – CF Howard Ockey – sore elbow. Out for: 2 weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 09-10-2021 at 12:20 PM.

09-13-2021, 03:02 AM	#679
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	Wolseley, Dec. 6 – Although it’s the second consecutive year that the Sherburn Tigers will be selecting first overall and the third time in the past four, this will be a first time experience for General Manager Bill Beeby. Before this season, Beeby was the GM for the Embro Suns for the past 17 years and the highest the Suns ever selected under his watch was 5th overall, back in 1947-48. Beeby has had success with his previous picks, selecting such notable players as 6-time all-star and 2-time Satchel Paige Award winner Aaron Saunderson and current Suns stalwarts, 1B Napana Mamo and 3B Moromao Nakagawa. The 62-year-old native of Brunswick hopes to continue that trend with the Tigers, especially now that he has the opportunity to select a potential franchise-altering player. “In some ways, you’re like a kid in a candy store”, joked Beeby, while holding court before a throng of reporters at Wolseley’s newly opened Manningham Exhibition Centre. “You have an abundance to choose from and you don’t know where to start. But at the same time, [holding the first pick] brings with it its own stress. Everyone will look back and judge whether you hit a home run or struck out. That’s what can keep you up at night – whether you’ve made the right decision or not. But we’ve done our due diligence on these players, and I believe we’ve made the right choice. I’m really excited about our pick.” Like last season, the Tigers enter this year’s draft with the 4th strongest farm system. Following them will be the Hespeler Stars, whose farm system is rated 11th overall. Selecting 3rd will be the Queensland Eagles, who continue to have the 3rd best farm system. All three clubs are enduring long-term playoff droughts and in the case of the Stars, they have yet to taste the post-season. All three would like to reverse that trend soon. Perhaps the player they ultimately selected in the first round will play a pivotal role in achieving that. -------- Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round: 1st Pick – Sherburn Tigers: IF/OF Leon Albrecht (48/80) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH. Status: College Senior Sherburn appears to have selected that future impact player. The 22-year Albrecht from Wellington is practically major-league ready right now, with an explosive bat and blazing speed. Blessed with an excellent eye at the plate, power and the ability to reach base frequently should put fear in opposing pitchers. With above average defense, especially in the outfield, Albrecht is projected to make multiple trips to future All-Star games. -------- 2nd Pick – Hespeler Stars: C Aidan Bennie (39/70) – 22-years old; 5’-7”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: College Senior The Stars select the Queensland-native Bennie, an elite defensive catcher with a so-so arm. Nevertheless, he is projected to hit over .300 and has the tools to be a slightly above average power hitter. He should be a very solid player in the majors sooner rather than later. -------- 3rd Pick – Queensland Eagles: IF Dennis Purcell (35/67) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH. Status: College Junior The Canadian-born Purcell is taken by the Eagles 3rd overall. Purcell is an impressive slugging prospect who is likely to fill a cleanup role. He shapes up to be an above average defender especially at second base with some decent speed on the basepaths. -------- 4th Pick – Wellington Athletics: IF/OF Jordan Backhouse (46/65) – 23-years old; 6’-2”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: College Senior The Athletics reached out all the way to Newcastle, Australia with their pick of Backhouse. The Australian is a speed demon who projects to be an amazing defender at either shortstop or second base. As he matures, he should have an above average eye and excel in small ball tactics. -------- 5th Pick – Embro Suns: IF William Beresford (20/65) – 19-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: High School Senior The Suns select Beresford from Pulberry. When fully developed, Beresford should be an elite hitter and run producer with plus raw power potential. While he may not win any defensive awards, he should field his position well and become an impact player. -------- 6th Pick – Brunswick Legends: 2B Apelama Kuahine (34/66) – 21-years old; 6’-2”, 195 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH. Status: College Junior The Legends go with the 21-year-old Kuahine from Samoa 6th overall. Kuahine is projected to be a solid second baseman with very good defensive skills and a good eye for the strike zone. He should also develop respectable home run power. -------- 7th Pick – Downie Chiefs: IF Ashley McClelland (41/68) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: College Senior The Chiefs scoop up McClelland 7th overall, a player capable of playing either second base or shortstop proficiently. The Hespeler native has plus contact potential with excellent patience at the plate. In time, he should grow into an above average power hitter as well. -------- 8th Pick – Balmoral Giants: 3B Dave Sherwood (20/66) – 18-years old; 6’-1”, 185 lbs.; Bats SH/Throws RH. Status: High School Senior Scouts think highly of Sherwood’s skill set that should see him one day fill a role on a major league roster. The young HS senior has a quick bat that handles most fastballs although off-speed stuff can challenge him. He is projected to have good contact and bat over .300 with above average raw power. -------- 9th Pick – Cobourg Redlegs: SP Albert Johnson (39/80) – 20-years old; 6’-2”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: College Junior The Redlegs make the Hespeler-born Johnson the first (and ultimately only) pitcher selected in the first round. Johnson has the makings of a future ace with impressive stuff, movement and control. He boasts 6 pitches with his changeup currently his best. He already throws 4 quality pitches but somehow manages to throw his secondary pitches for strikes on almost any count as well. -------- 10th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: IF/OF Jay Colcott (20/61) – 19-years old; 5’-11”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. Status: High School Senior The young Colcott looks to be a future corner outfielder in the major leagues. He has plus contact potential and good hand-eye coordination but could struggle with strike zone judgement. He does, however, grade out as an above average runner on the basepaths. -------- 11th Pick – Kingston Pelicans: IF Jeff Fisher (20/52) – 21-years old; 5’-11”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: College Junior Kingston takes Fisher from Sebastian, Florida. Fisher is a natural defender especially as a shortstop. He is projected to be very good at taking bad pitches and draw around 60 walks a season. He has speed and will be aggressive on the basepaths. However, he will need more seasoning against quality pitching before getting a shot at the majors. -------- 12th Pick – Cambria Cannons: IF/OF Graham Gillbard (20/51) – 17-years old; 5’-7”, 145 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH. Status: High School Senior Gillbard, the youngest player selected in the first round, is blessed with dazzling speed, good patience and strike zone judgement. Defensively, he has good range and throwing arm. All-in-all, he should be an average big leaguer one day. -------- 13th Pick – Stratford Barons: IF/OF Ashley Welch (20/51) – 18-years old; 5’-11”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: High School Senior The Barons go with Welch from Balmoral, whose greatest strength is his bat. He has an excellent eye and the potential to display above average power from the right side of the plate. However, he currently struggles to make contact. Nevertheless, he appears destined to be a starting second baseman one day. -------- 14th Pick – Wolseley Unions: IF/OF Lester Goscombe (28/59) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: College Junior The versatile Goscombe from Embro was Wolseley’s first pick on the afternoon. Goscombe has soft hands with defender’s instincts. He has above average contact skills with a smooth swing, quick hands and good pitch recognition. A terrific baserunner, he is often allowed to make advancing decisions on his own. The Unions have him pegged as a shortstop in Double A. -------- 15th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals: OF Ed Ellsworth (39/66) – 22-years old; 5’-9”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. Status: College Senior The Generals think highly of Ellsworth, a solid defender who can make most plays. With his elite speed, he is an automatic green light when reaching base. He has the potential to make consistent hard contact. He is expected to start in Double A as a centerfielder. -------- 16th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys: C/1B Hokuaonani Kaili (30/51) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: College Senior The final pick of the first round is the second player selected from Samoa. The Trolleys take a quality defensive catcher who possesses an advanced feel for the strike zone. Kaili has significant upside once he tops his raw power potential. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 12-26-2021 at 12:01 PM.

09-14-2021, 02:15 AM	#680
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,927	December 31, 1954 Here are the standings and leaderboards for both Leagues at the end of games on December 31: -------- -------- Finally, here are the latest results of the All-Star voting for both Leagues. This time, I remembered to recall my ballots (last year's votes I assume) as soon as voting opened, so these should be accurate: __________________ United Leagues of Braeland