The Outpost League

[ifspuds]

Very glad to have you stop in, OakDragon, and thanks very much for the kind words. I think the successful league-based dynasty threads give you a reason to root for a specific team. I've been a fan of the Bethlehem Steelers in Big Six's Keystone League dynasty since nearly the beginning of the thread. It's very encouraging to know that I've been able to accomplish that level of success for you.

I should have another update some time in the next couple of days that'll shed some light on the details of a pretty exciting end to the 2nd Bay League season.

[ifspuds]

Bay League Title to Come Down to Final Day
Outpost News Service
September 13, 2015

In a remarkable finish to the second season of the Bay League, the Silver Beach Whales and Marsein Knights go into their final games in a dead heat for the Bay League championship. The Knights have led the league standings for much of the season, while the Silver Beach Whales have been propelled into the tie by the head-turning play of right fielder Josh Sowder.

The Knights, hailing from the remote northwest town of Marsein, came into the day's play with a one-game lead over the Whales and faced the last-place Gentry Hills Scouts in Gentry Hills. Marsein sent 24-year old pitcher Josh Ray (5-3, 3.22) to the mound to face Gentry Hills starter Allen Storey. Storey had only started one game, nearly three weeks prior, in the 2015 season, though he did pick up a win against the Allison Spelunkers in that start. It proved to be Storey that would have the advantage in this contest, holding the Knights scoreless until Mario DeGray led off the top of the final inning with a solo home run. By that time, Gentry Hills had plated three men against Knights' starter Ray, the first run coming after a leadoff single by Storey in the 5th inning. However, the Knights boast the top offense in the Bay League, and followed DeGray's home run with three straight singles off reliever Wahhab Duncan to add another run. Marsein had runners on second and third with nobody out and looked likely to at least tie up the game. Duncan picked up the first out by striking out Marsein left fielder Sterling Caldbeck on a curveball and induced pinch hitter Chad Ball to ground to the drawn-in third baseman for the second out. A second straight pinch-hitter, Joseph Davis gave the Knights some hope by drawing a base on balls to load up the bases, but center fielder Simon Burks grounded harmlessly to first base to end the game, leaving the Marsein Knights stunned at their inability to bring home the tying run from third with no outs.

Meanwhile in Tifton, the Silver Beach Whales faced off against their rivals, the Generals. Tifton had ace Carlin Bonner on the mound to face Jimmie Watson, who hadn't pitched a single inning in nearly a month and just 12 innings all season long. Bonner had shut out Marsein in his previous start, allowing 2 hits without a single walk and fanning 9 Knights hitters, and the advantage in the game looked strongly in Tifton's favor. Silver Beach's starting first baseman Jason Walton had other ideas, however. The Whales' first sacker followed a leadoff double by Jacob Leslie with a mammoth 2-run home run over the center field fence to give Silver Beach an early 2-0 lead. Walton followed that one inning later with an RBI single, and the 3-0 lead would be enough for Jimmie Watson, who turned in the game of his life, holding Tifton to 2 runs on 10 hits and a walk in his complete-game effort. The 7-2 Silver Beach win tied the Whales atop the standings with the Marsein Knights with one game for each team left on the schedule.

Tune in to the Outpost News Service on the 15th for the results of all the Bay League action, including the fateful games between Marsein and Gentry Hills and Silver Beach and Tifton!

[ifspuds]

Derrick Odle sat at the end of the visitor's dugout in Tifton City Park. The bench creaked and bowed underneath him. His catcher, Bryan Jones, piped up. "You gotta lose some weight, Hawkeye." Jones waggled a bat in his hands, studying the brand on the barrel. There were three bat makers in the Outposts and Jones was picky. He only swung a Talbot Special.

"They're tearing the dugouts out after this game anyway," snorted Odle. The idea that a 5'11" twig of a pitcher like Hawkeye Odle could snap even the dilapidated benches at Tifton City Park was hardly even worth laughing about.

Jones reached the bat over and tapped his pitcher on the knee. "You get double digit Ks, and I'll rip the bench out myself and have it mounted on your wall." The catcher stood up and moved to the top step of the dugout. He'd be up fourth, and Jacob Leslie just led off with a single.

The Whales' manager, Jim Latimer, muttered, "You win this game for us, Hawkeye, and I'll have the *@#$ing dugout bronzed. Now get out there, Jonesy, and get us a rib, huh?"

-----

Eight innings later, Odle sat in the same spot on the same bench. It creaked with exactly the same wooden whine. This time, though, the Silver Beach ace had a 4-hit shutout working, and apparently he'd be having to clear wall space for a splintered dugout bench, because he'd fanned ten Generals. Latimer paced a furrow up and back in the dugout. Apparently a 3-0 lead wasn't putting the manager at ease.

He stretched his legs out in front of him and shook his arm out. You had to admit, it'd be a lot of fun to bring a championship home to Silver Beach. It was the only place in the Outposts he'd ever lived, and even if the big boss was a borderline lunatic, it'd be a great story to tell someday. One thing was for sure, he was going to enjoy some time off from pitching. He had a home back in Silver Beach that was threatening to fall down around his ears, and every time he put a little extra oomph on the fastball he could feel a little twinge in his bicep, the one he tore at the end of last season.

All it was going to take was one more inning. Even if they won and Marsein won their game later, no way he was going to be able to pitch a playoff game. Terry Allen would get that responsibility.

He chuckled under his breath. One thing you had to say for the Bay League. Before it came along, he couldn't remember a time when he spent so much time worrying about what other people were doing. He'd spent all his time worrying about the here and now, not what'd happen two days down the road if someone else did something different. Playing baseball, even here at the end of the championship race, relaxed him. Calmed his mind. That would have been enough reason for him to play.

-----

The Silver Beach Whales went on to win the game 3-1. Odle gave up a one-out single and, after his 11th strikeout of the game for out #2, gave up a pinch-hit run-scoring double. Frankie Wise came out of the pen to end it with a grounder to short, and Silver Beach put the pressure on the Marsein Knights to put a win on the board against Gentry Hills.

[Dark Horse]

A one game playoff!?!

Geez, poor Jim Latimer. He's gonna' have ulcers.

[Big Six]

It looks like Allison was on their way to a .500 season. Where are they strong, and what areas of their team do they need to upgrade?

I'm also curious about how well Sebring's season ended. That BB/K ratio for teenager has to have the Spelunkers excited, even if he slumped in August.

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

A one game playoff!?!

Geez, poor Jim Latimer. He's gonna' have ulcers.

Jim Latimer is a walking ulcer.

And there will only be a one-game playoff if Marsein can knock off Gentry Hills in their final game. Great pitching matchup in that one: Broderick Earl, the front-runner for Top Pitcher, and Quentin Stallworth, Marsein's ace. First place vs. last place, but with Earl on the mound, it has to be considered a lot more even than it might otherwise. I'll have a recap of that game tomorrow.

Originally Posted by Big Six

It looks like Allison was on their way to a .500 season. Where are they strong, and what areas of their team do they need to upgrade?

I'm also curious about how well Sebring's season ended. That BB/K ratio for teenager has to have the Spelunkers excited, even if he slumped in August.

I'm planning to do team-by-team rundowns after this season. I can say that Allison's got a reasonably bright future, and not just with Sebring. Kyle Richardson had a down year, but he's just 25 and one of the most talented pitchers in the Bay League. They've got some other young players that ought to be pretty good.

As far as Sebring, his development took off like a shot this season. He's already fully-developed at age 18. His numbers? He slumped a little more in September, probably getting pretty tired, but I can safely end the suspense and tell you he was Top Rookie with a .298 average and an OBP in the high-.300s... .389 sticks in my mind. I don't have the league file here at home to check for sure. He won't hit for the same kind of average that Ace Gervin does, but he should hover around .300 with great HR power and discipline for many years to come, barring injury.

[Jestor]

Can't believe I didn't read this before now. Great job you've done with this, Jeff.

I'm another Silver Beach fan and I'd love to move there. Go Whales!

[ifspuds]

You and the rest of our Silver Beach contingent will be pleased with the following post then, Jestor. Welcome aboard!

Gentry Hills 2, Marsein 1
(newsfeed on Marsein and Gentry Hills local news service)

In a game that will go down as one of the most exciting contests in the young history of the Bay League, the last-place Gentry Hills Scouts downed the Marsein Knights 2-1 behind a 10-inning performance by Broderick Earl. The Knights' loss, their fourth straight, dropped them into second place behind Silver Beach and gave the Whales the 2015 Bay League championship.

The Scouts put the first run on the board in the bottom of the first inning on back-to-back doubles by Reggie Saunders and Heath Williams to open the inning. The score would stay 1-0 until the top of the fourth inning, when the Knights' all-league right fielder Mario DeGray popped his second hit of the game, a towering blast over the left field wall that knotted the score at one run apiece. DeGray would go on to keep the score 1-1 in the bottom of the inning, bringing a sure 2-run home run ball off the bat of Eugene Ashman back into the park. DeGray would go on to add a single in the 6th inning and lead off the top of the 9th inning with a walk before being lifted for a pinch-runner. He would be the only hitter to manage much off the Scouts' ace Broderick Earl, however, and Marsein's top hurler Quentin Stallworth matched him pitch for pitch through nine complete innings. In fact, the two pitchers both allowed five hits and three walks, striking out three apiece and allowing just the single runs.

With Earl on the mound for the top of the fateful tenth inning, the Gentry Hills defense cracked. With one out, Marsein second baseman Joseph Davis reached on his counterpart's booted grounder. Right fielder Sherman Cornell dropped the next batter's lazy pop fly, putting runners on first and second with just one out. Quentin Stallworth was pulled for a pinch hitter, who bunted the runners up ninety feet, but Earl bore down and sawed off Simon Burks, inducing a weak grounder to second base that was played cleanly for the third out.

Marsein reliever Amir Oliver, who had allowed just a single run all season long, took the mound in the bottom half and was immediately touched up for a single by shortstop Johnny Parker. Knights manager Lee Dent took the walk to the mound, where he held a heated conversation with his pitcher. Oliver ultimately was lifted for Travis Palmer, who faced a pinch-hitter for Broderick Earl, Eugene Perez, who'd had just 27 at-bats over the course of the season. With Parker going on the pitch, Perez snuck a liner just between the outstretched glove of Marsein's T.J. Ridnour. The ball dribbled down the left field line and Parker raced headlong around third. Ridnour's eventual relay to the plate came in high, and Parker slid in under the tag to score the winning run. Scouts players poured out of the dugout and bullpen, mobbing both Parker and Perez while dejected Marsein Knights slumped off the field.

When asked after the game about his conversation with Oliver, Lee Dent refused to comment on the particulars discussed. "Amir is a tough competitor. He didn't want to come out of the game," Dent said before cutting off further questions. Oliver was a bit more forthcoming. "If I'm not going to pitch in that kind of situation, when am I going to pitch? Travis and I are both right-handers, so it's not as if we needed to play the matchup game," said Oliver. The Knights, who led the league most of the season, will be faced with an offseason of wondering why things went sour at the very end of the season.

"What a game," said Johnny Parker after his mad dash for home. "There's that funny angle in the fence down in left field, so when the ball went down in there, I thought I might have a chance to come all the way around. I picked up Jimmy (Chen, Scouts third base coach) as I rounded second and he was waving his arm so hard I thought it might rip off at the shoulder, so I turned it on a little more. I've got all winter to rest up, after all."

(newsfeed continues with recaps of Deepvale's 6-0, 1-hit shutout win over Elliott Springs)

[Jason]

Very well done, man.

[ifspuds]

Thanks, DAED! I'm still not entirely happy with the way I wrote it up, but it's water under the bridge now. Hopefully people enjoyed an exciting and surprising end to the 2nd Bay League season regardless of how I recapped it!

September 17, 2015

Bay League Standings

Team              W   L   Pct   GB   Stk   L10
Silver Beach     39  31  .557    -    W2   5-5
Marsein          38  32  .543  1.0    L4   4-6
Allison          35  35  .500  4.0    W1   5-5
Deepvale         35  35  .500  4.0    W4   6-4
Lorris           35  35  .500  4.0    L1   7-3
Elliott Springs  34  36  .486  5.0    L4   3-7
Tifton           32  38  .457  7.0    L2   4-6
Gentry Hills     32  38  .457  7.0    W4   6-4

League News

As chronicled earlier, the Silver Beach Whales took advantage of a Marsein collapse to sneak into first place with the 2015 championship. Congratulations to the Whales and their fans on taking the second Bay League title in history. Josh Sowder unfortunately didn't stay above .400, even though he went 2-4 in his final game to end at .398 and broke Ace Gervin's average record of last season (.371). The Whales also got tremendous contributions from second baseman Carlin Chadwick (.300/.407/.480, 7 HR) and of course Hawkeye Odle, who gets more mention below. Will the Whales be able to carry this over into next season? Stay tuned for the 2016 season to find out!

Gervin can take some consolation in losing that record from the fact that he was named Top Batter of the league for the second time, making him the only player to ever earn that title. Gervin hit .388/.456/.658 with 16 homers, 50 RBI and 56 runs scored in 2015. Deepvale's Roy Lockwood teamed up with Gervin to make an impressive 1-2 punch in the lineup. Lockwood set new records for home runs (23) and RBI (62). Marsein's Mario DeGray also merits some notice for his outstanding season, as he too set a pair of new league records, in walks (57) and runs scored (57).

Players and coaches, who make up the voting body for the end-of-season awards, were also impressed by Derrick "Hawkeye" Odle's season, and his final gem of a game to clinch the title for the Whales couldn't have hurt. Named Top Pitcher, Odle went 17-9 with a 3.14 ERA and struck out 223 batters in 244 innings of work, leading his Whales all season long. The Top Rookie award went to Allison's Walter Sebring, who hit .298/.398/.434 with 6 homers, 29 RBI and 28 runs scored in 198 AB. Sebring won't turn 19 until late next winter, and looks to have a very bright future in the Bay League.

The Top Leather awards were also handed out. Despite an injury that cut short his terrific season, Elliott Springs' Matt Willis won the award at pitcher. Tarise Ellis (GEN, 1B), Mario Goodwin (DPV, LF) and Dionsio Brey (ALL, RF) are all repeat winners, and the other awards went to Michael Copeland (TIF, C), Drew Long (MAR, 2B), T.J. Ridnour (MAR, 3B), Maurice White (DPV, SS) and Jacob Leslie (SIL, CF).

Final League Leaders

Batting Average                Stolen Bases
J. Sowder (SIL)       .398     M. Smiley (TIF)         16
H. Gervin (DPV)       .388     T. Smith (LOR)          14
M. DeGray (MAR)       .372     C. Rock (LOR)           13
                               R. Isenhour (MAR)       13
                               
OPS                            ERA
H. Gervin (DPV)      1.113     M. Willis (TIF)       2.39
M. DeGray (MAR)      1.101     J. Chambers (LOR)     2.98
J. Sowder (SIL)      1.021     E. Hope (ESP)         3.04
 
Home Runs                      Wins
R. Lockwood (DPV)       23     B. Earl (GEN)           17
J. Brown (ESP)          19     D. Odle (SIL)           17
T. Ellis (GEN)          17     Q. Stallworth (MAR)     16
                               
RBI                            Strikeouts
R. Lockwood (DPV)       62     K. Richardson (ALL)    226
R. Isenhour (MAR)       50     B. Earl (GEN)          224
H. Gervin (DPV)         50     D. Odle (SIL)          223
                               
Runs Scored                   
M. DeGray (MAR)         57	
H. Gervin (DPV)         56
H. Johnson (TIF)        47

[seth70liz76]

Long time reader, first time poster. What you have done with Outpost is so amazing, the detail and coverage you get here is well beyond what many do with a more familiar set up.

[Dark Horse]

Still

KUTGW

[Big Six]

It's good to see Allison moving up in the standings. Strong is young, and so is Richardson, so they should still be very productive players as Sebring reaches his best years. Heck, if Sebring is as advanced a player as you indicate, he might be one of those guys for whom a "career year" is very hard to determine...starting in his early 20s.

[ifspuds]

Replying to several posts in one...

Originally Posted by seth70liz76

Long time reader, first time poster. What you have done with Outpost is so amazing, the detail and coverage you get here is well beyond what many do with a more familiar set up.

Thanks, Seth, I appreciate the kind words. Considering that a great deal of my motivation and planning behind this thread was directly inspired by Prologue, it's especially heartening.

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Still

KUTGW

I sometimes think I should go into the virtual popcorn business. I'd make a ton of virtual money off this board...

Regardless, thanks once again, loyal reader!

Originally Posted by Big Six

It's good to see Allison moving up in the standings. Strong is young, and so is Richardson, so they should still be very productive players as Sebring reaches his best years. Heck, if Sebring is as advanced a player as you indicate, he might be one of those guys for whom a "career year" is very hard to determine...starting in his early 20s.

As memory serves, Allison should be a team on the rise for just the reason you mention: their core remains young. If Richardson can get back to his rookie form and Strong remains... well, strong, they're going to have a good solid team, competitive for several seasons. I've been away from the laptop (where the league file resides) since last week and won't be able to update until next week, but you can count on some in-depth team-by-team reviews starting then. Thanks for reading!

[Tyke]

I'm with Dark Horse - Go Allison! And KUTGW, ifspuds, this is a great read!

[ifspuds]

As we head into the third season of the Bay League, let's take a detailed look at each of the eight teams.

We'll start our tour of the league with the Allison Spelunkers, a team that could well be on the rise.


2014 Season: 29-41, tied for 7th (last) place
2015 Season: 35-35, tied for 3rd place

Roster Losses: 3B Ron Swanson (14 AB over last two seasons)

All players will be listed with age, star rating, overall ratings and talents, followed by 2015 (last season) stats. Projected starters are shown in bold.

Position Players:
C Arlon Martin (age 27, 1 star, 5/7/5/5/5 vs. 5/6/4/5/5)
.224/.261/.324, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 14 runs, 63 games (210 AB)
C Matt Waldman (age 29, 1 star, 4/7/5/3/5 vs. 4/7/4/3/5)
.316/.350/.421, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 1 run, 9 games (19 AB)

Neither option is particularly palatable. Waldman is a better defensive player, but his lack of offensive skills makes him a poor option as a starter. Martin can hit a little bit, but scouts around the league think he's lucky to throw the ball down to second on the fly.

1B Larry Nielsen (age 32, 1.5 stars, 6/5/7/4/5 vs. 5/6/7/5/6)
.237/.282/.515, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 13 runs, 61 G (97 AB)
1B Walter Sebring (age 19, 5 stars, 7/4/9/10/7 vs. 8/5/9/10/7)
.298/.398/.434, 6 HR, 29 RBI, 28 runs, 64 G (198 AB)

Nielsen began the season as the starter, having started in 2014, but it was quickly apparent that there was no reason to keep Walter Sebring down on the farm. Sebring took over the starting role in May and kept it the rest of the season, winning Top Rookie honors. Sebring is a special hitter, power, discipline and a sweet swing. He may someday be discussed in the same breath as the great Ace Gervin.

2B Alton Strong (age 29, 4.5 stars, 7/6/7/9/7 vs. 7/6/7/9/7)
.253/.320/.438, 11 HR, 43 RBI, 37 runs, 9 SB, 68 G (233 AB)
2B Clayton Turner (age 33, 1 star, 4/6/5/3/5 vs. 4/6/4/3/5)
.111/.111/.111, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 run, 10 G (9 AB)

The question of last season was: what's wrong with Alton Strong? The power was definitely there, but he spent far less time on base (.389 OBP vs. .320 from 2014 to 2015) and with his speed, that really harmed the Allison run-scoring machine. He's a brilliant defensive player with outstanding range, and should be good for 15+ SB a season. If Strong can return to form this season, the Spelunkers should score loads more runs.

3B Jeff Anderson (age 28, 3.5 stars, 8/6/2/8/7 vs. 9/7/2/9/7)
.340/.431/.441, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 37 runs, 70 G (247 AB)
3B Brian Wampler (age 32, 1 star, 4/5/6/4/4 vs. 4/5/5/4/4)
.500/.500/1.000, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 0 runs, 3 G (2 AB)

Anderson is miscast as a #5 hitter in the Allison lineup, where his great contact skills and plate discipline would be more wisely used in the 2 hole. While Strong, Richardson and Sebring are the public face of the team, Jeff Anderson is considered by the team to be the glue that holds things together. Simply a solid, dependable player who won't embarrass himself on defense either.

SS Jared Davis (age 34, 1 star, 3/4/4/4/3 vs. 4/5/4/5/4)
.231/.262/.333, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 runs, 31 G (39 AB)
SS Rodney Miller (age 37, 2.5 stars, 4/4/2/7/4 vs. 4/5/2/8/4)
.233/.319/.314, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 23 runs, 69 G (210 AB)

Miller is clearly on the decline, but the local product remains a popular player with the fans. The Spelunkers don't currently own the rights to any other shortstops, so there'll be some serious consideration given this season to how Miller will be replaced.

LF Garrick Brinkley (age 29, 2.5 stars, 4/7/5/5/4 vs. 4/7/5/5/5)
.244/.318/.400, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 18 runs, 6 SB, 50 G (160 AB)
LF Derrick Zimmerman (age 32, 1.5 stars, 4/6/3/1/5 vs. 3/6/4/2/5)
.200/.243/.300, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 12 runs, 5 SB, 32 G (70 AB)

The left field platoon of Garrick and Derrick is another area where the Spelunkers could stand to improve. Luckily, the better hitter is the lefty-swinging Brinkley, which means he sees more time, but neither player will make a pitcher worry about leaving one out of the plate too much.

CF Jules Cooper (age 26, 2 stars, 4/7/6/2/5 vs. 4/7/6/2/4)
.221/.246/.456, 10 HR, 27 RBI, 30 runs, 7 SB, 63 G (217 AB)
CF Joe Leonard (age 35, 1 star, 4/7/4/4/4 vs. 3/6/4/5/4)
.191/.242/.270, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 12 runs, 9 SB, 42 G (89 AB)

Another outfield platoon, and another pair of guys that aren't going to break any offensive records. Leonard is the player-manager of the team, which could partly explain how he got 89 AB. Cooper's the better hitter, but a poor defensive player. Another position to be upgraded. Cooper also sees time in right field vs. lefties, which should tell you about the state of Allison's right fielders...

RF Dionsio Brey (age 33, 1 star, 4/6/7/5/5 vs. 4/6/7/5/5)
.180/.231/.336, 8 HR, 23 RBI, 21 runs, 4 SB, 64 G (211 AB)
RF Stephan Nolan (age 35, 1 star, 3/8/2/3/5 vs. 2/8/2/3/4)
.214/.241/.321, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 runs, 10 SB, 28 G (28 AB)

Dionsio Brey has won the Top Leather Award in right field in both seasons of the Bay League's existence. He doesn't look particularly smooth out there, but he gets the job done. If he could do the same at the plate, the outfield would be in good shape. Alas, he doesn't. Nolan is an incredible baserunner and useful in a pinch, but that's about it.

(Pitchers to come next...)

[ifspuds]

Pitchers

Because of the short schedule with a large number of off days, most Bay League teams use a three-man rotation and relievers don't see a great deal of action. We'll look at the pitchers who got at least 10 innings of work, or that are expected to see that much time in the upcoming season.

Kyle Richardson (age 23, 4 stars, 8/6/7 vs. 9/6/7)
8-9, 3.41 ERA, 208.2 IP, 226 K, 1.08 WHIP

Kyle Richardson is the unquestioned ace of the Allison pitching staff, and at age 23 is one of the brightest young pitching stars in the Bay League. His peripheral numbers were almost identical to his outstanding 2014 season, but his ERA went up just a tick. Still looking for a winning season, Richardson is poised to break out just as soon as he gets a bit more run support.

Bobby Edwards (age 31, 3 stars, 7/5/8 vs. 6/5/8)
10-11, 3.33 ERA, 186.1 IP, 154 K, 1.24 WHIP

Edwards is a consistent pitcher, not someone that's going to draw oohs and aahs from the crowd, but the kind of dependable guy a team really needs. In 2014, he posted a 3.36 ERA and a nearly identical WHIP to 2015, so the Spelunkers have a good idea of what to expect from him. The right-hander struggles noticeably against lefties, where his walk rate goes way up, and some work on that aspect could improve his numbers quite a bit.

Andre Logan (age 28, 3 stars, 7/5/8 vs. 7/5/8)
6-9, 3.73 ERA, 137.2 IP, 91 K, 1.19 WHIP

Like Edwards, Logan is pretty dependable. There's word from Allison that the team might try James Tinsley (see below) in the #3 spot, but independent scouts aren't as keen on Tinsley. Logan is younger with better stuff and is the better long-term option.

James Tinsley (age 32, 3 stars, 3/8/6 vs. 4/9/7)
0-1, 1.15 ERA, 15.2 IP, 10 K, 1.15 WHIP

Tinsley got the third most innings out of the Allison pen last season, but certainly has the talent to be a starter. It's difficult to say, however, how effective he would be. He pitched 5 games (5 starts) in 2014, going 0-4 with a 5.71 ERA, which would argue against giving him too much time, but it's admittedly a small sample size.

Juma Hill (age 28, 3.5 stars, 3/8/8 vs. 4/8/7)
5-1, 4.37 ERA, 22.2 IP, 13 K, 1.15 WHIP

Hill was the most used reliever on the staff, getting into 23 games for the Spelunkers. He was better in 2014 in fewer games, but there's no indication he couldn't handle the work load. A couple of bad games didn't help his cause any.

Marc Mangum (age 34, 4.5 stars, 7/5/6 vs. 7/6/7)
2-2, 3.44 ERA, 18.1 IP, 14 K, 1.36 WHIP

While Mangum is considered the closer, he was arguably the least effective reliever on the staff, putting too many baserunners on. He was outstanding in similar duty in 2014, so he'll get another season to prove that he should be the one to put out the fires.

[ifspuds]

I forgot to include Allison's top prospects in the previous posts, so here you go:

Top Hitting Prospect: 1B Fernando Foreman (age 25, 2 stars, 3/4/3/3/4 vs. 5/6/5/5/5, 43rd overall)
2015: .242/.328/.400, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 25 runs, 60 G (215 AB) at A
Top Pitching Prospect: SP Tony Jones (age 22, 5 stars, 2/3/4 vs. 7/9/8, 2nd overall)
2015: 5-5, 2.45 ERA, 117.1 IP, 115 K, 1.24 WHIP

[ifspuds]

Our next stop on the Bay League preview is the Deepvale Ferrymen, who boast the two-time Top Hitter and the current record holder for home runs and RBI in a season.


2014 Season: 39-31, tied for 2nd place
2015 Season: 35-35, tied for 3rd place

Roster Losses: None
Top Hitting Prospect: RF Jason Bratton (age 22, 2.5 stars, 4/5/6/3/4 vs. 6/6/6/5/5, 18th overall)
2015: .290/.365/.568, 11 HR, 23 RBI, 26 R, 42 G (155 AB) at A, .355/.432/.677, 5 HR, 10 RBI, 14 runs, 17 G (62 AB) at AA
Top Pitching Prospect: SP Mike Dodson (age 25, 5 stars, 3/5/3 vs. 8/10/8, 1st overall)
2015: 14-5, 2.46 ERA, 175.1 IP, 140 K, 1.01 WHIP at A

All players will be listed with age, star rating, overall ratings and talents, followed by 2015 (last season) stats.

Position Players:
C Junior Baptist (age 32, 1 star, 5/6/4/2/6 vs. 5/7/5/3/7)
.200/.190/.250, 0 HR, 3 RBI, 3 runs, 8 games (20 AB)
C Johnny Wright (age 28, 3.5 stars, 6/6/7/7/5 vs. 6/6/7/7/5)
.250/.335/.427, 10 HR, 33 RBI, 31 runs, 69 G (232 AB)

Wright is one of the top hitting catchers in the league, and he's no slouch behind the dish either. The 2015 season was a bit of a disappointment for Wright, a 73-point drop in OPS from the previous season, but he's hitting his prime and ought to be a stalwart in a strong Deepvale lineup.

1B Henry "Ace" Gervin (age 28, 5 stars, 10/9/9/8/7 vs. 10/8/9/8/7)
.388/.456/.658, 16 HR, 50 RBI, 56 runs, 68 G (260 AB)
1B Tyron White (age 25, 2 stars, 5/6/7/2/6 vs. 5/6/7/3/6)
.261/.261/.565, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 5 runs, 17 G (23 AB)

You may have heard of Ace Gervin. The sweet-swinging lefty is the only player to win a Top Hitter award in the Bay League, there is absolutely nothing he can't do with a bat in his hands. Hands down the single most feared hitter in the league, and he just turned 28 years old a month ago. He can even play a bit of defense.

2B Scott Alvin (age 24, 1 star, 4/6/3/2/6 vs. 5/7/4/3/6)
.222/.266/.292, 0 HR, 4 RBI, 8 runs, 31 G (72 AB)
2B Brian Brown (age 34, 1.5 stars, 5/6/3/3/5 vs. 6/7/3/3/6)
.212/.261/.275, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 21 runs, 57 G (222 AB)

A big hole in the lineup, the second base spot is a problem for the Ferrymen. Brown at least is an excellent defensive player and can swipe a bag or two under the right circumstances.

3B Roy Lockwood (age 33, 3.5 stars, 4/6/8/6/5 vs. 5/6/8/5/5)
.267/.351/.592, 23 HR, 62 RBI, 41 runs, 70 G (255 AB)
3B Jeff Martin (age 32, 1.5 stars, 4/6/6/2/5 vs. 4/5/6/3/5)
.333/.333/.500, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 1 run, 3 G (6 AB)

Ask someone off the street who hit the most home runs and drove in the most runs in the league last season, see who they answer. Give them the hint that it was a Deepvale player, and most people will guess Ace Gervin. They'd be wrong. The powerful Roy Lockwood set single-season marks in both categories in 2015 and brutalized baseballs all season long. Lockwood's also got incredible range at the hot corner, and his teammates say he might be even better at shortstop.

SS Orlando Stone (age 34, 1 star, 4/7/4/4/5 vs. 4/7/4/4/5)
.147/.195/.235, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 5 runs, 22 G (34 AB)
SS Maurice White (age 29, 2.5 stars, 4/5/3/5/5 vs. 5/6/4/5/5)
.215/.272/.344, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 17 runs, 64 G (209 AB)

The middle infield in Deepvale doesn't have nearly the star power as the corner infield spots. White is a talented defensive player, and won Top Leather last season, so at least he provides some benefit to the team.

LF Mario Goodwin (age 26, 2.5 stars, 6/7/4/4/5 vs. 6/7/4/4/4)
.246/.288/.406, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 36 runs, 64 G (244 AB)
LF John Thomas (age 31, 2.5 stars, 4/6/6/7/6 vs. 4/6/6/7/5)
.313/.353/.563, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 9 runs, 36 G (48 AB)

Goodwin is a two-time Top Leather winner in left field, but it's not because he's particularly graceful. In fact, he's been compared to a retired elephant. But he's got a cannon arm and pinpoint accuracy, which impresses the voters.

CF Marlon Nelson (age 23, 2 stars, 4/6/6/4/5 vs. 4/6/6/4/5)
.253/.310/.462, 8 HR, 26 RBI, 24 runs, 5 SB, 54 G (186 AB)

The young Nelson saw his first action last season, and performed admirably at the plate as well as in the field, where observers say he's the most talented defensive center fielder in the league. He doesn't have a tremendous upside as a hitter, but he should field enough to hold his spot for a while.

RF Steve Blackwell (age 35, 2.5 stars, 5/6/4/1/6 vs. 5/6/4/2/6)
.297/.331/.439, 4 HR, 14 RBI, 27 runs, 41 G (155 AB)
RF Thomas Heide (age 36, 1.5 stars, 4/6/3/3/6 vs. 5/6/4/3/7)
.248/.301/.331, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 10 runs, 50 G (133 AB)

Blackwell and Heide are really just keeping a spot warm for Jason Bratton, who tore up AA pitching last season and saw some brief action at the end of the schedule. Bratton may end up working his way into the picture in Deepvale sooner rather than later.

[ifspuds]

Finishing the Deepvale preview before the weekend...



Pitchers

Bo Dissinger (age 31, 4 stars, 5/9/4 vs. 6/9/4)
2-0, 0.98 ERA, 27.2 IP, 25 K, 0.65 WHIP

An interesting choice to head up the rotation. In two Bay League seasons, Dissinger has a grand total of 36.1 IP and 2 starts to his name, both last season. He's been absolutely dominant out of the bullpen, and he's got the talent and stamina to go enough innings to be a starter, but for a team that hopes to contend for a title, there are a lot of ifs to contend with.

Jason Grant (age 26, 2.5 stars, 5/9/7 vs. 5/9/6)
8-6, 3.80 ERA, 135.0 IP, 97 K, 1.16 WHIP

Grant was the Top Rookie in 2014, with numbers similar to what he posted in 2015, though injuries limited him to 8 fewer starts last year. He's a control artist, and doesn't throw all that hard, so he really needs to be on his game to be effective. He has the talent to post better numbers, and is probably a better candidate to be the eventual ace than Dissinger.

Isaac Black (age 29, 2.5 stars, 5/7/7 vs. 5/7/7)
8-11, 3.89 ERA, 175.2 IP, 112 K, 1.39 WHIP

Black was a legitimate Top Pitcher candidate in 2014, going 15-7, 3.10, but he struggled through a mediocre 2015: his walk rate increased, his strikeout rate plummeted and he allowed the same number of hits in 25 fewer innings. Which Isaac Black shows up in 2016 could go a long way to determining Deepvale's finish in the standings.

Michael Little (age 36, 2.5 stars, 4/7/5 vs. 4/8/6)
9-7, 3.87 ERA, 142.0 IP, 81 K, 1.36 WHIP

The third starter last season, Little will likely work as a swing man and backup starter this season. Growing a little long in the tooth, he pitched very well in relief in 2014 before posting average numbers as a starter in 2015.

Josh Bradley (age 25, 2 stars, 4/8/5 vs. 5/8/5)
0-1, 1.42 ERA, 12.2 IP, 7 K, 0.87 WHIP

True of many hurlers on the Deepvale staff, Bradley could potentially be a starter in a pinch.

Clayton Howard (age 31, 1 star, 6/4/7 vs. 6/4/7)
0-3, 6.75 ERA, 17.1 IP, 19 K, 1.56 WHIP

Howard made a couple of starts last season, but the less time he spends on the mound, the better off the Ferrymen will likely be. His control is unpredictable at best.

Travis White (age 27, 4.5 stars, 4/7/9 vs. 5/7/9)
0-1, 3.46 ERA, 13.0 IP, 5 K, 1.08 WHIP

White's got talent. He won't strike many guys out, but you can count on him not beating himself, and sometimes, that's all you ask out of a reliever. One of the few members of the staff not suited for starting or you can bet he'd be in the rotation.

Travis Floyd (age 27, 3 stars, 6/6/6 vs. 6/6/7)
2-0, 4.38 ERA, 24.2 IP, 12 K, 1.50 WHIP

Floyd was the closer last season, but isn't really suited for the role. This season, he'll be handing over finishing duties to Dalonte Morrison, and Ferrymen fans aren't sure which would be better. The astute ones answer, "Travis White, of course!".

Dalonte Morrison (age 27, 2.5 stars, 4/6/8 vs. 5/7/9)
1-2, 4.50 ERA, 38.0 IP, 18 K, 1.55 WHIP

Morrison also made a couple of starts last season, and wasn't very good. He's not terribly good at a relief role either, but relievers aren't used all that much in the Bay League, so maybe that's okay.