The IBL's Chicago Iron Pigs

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Award Winners
Bold denotes Triple Crown

Batting Title

FL
2012 .342 Bill Hill (DAY)
2013 .336 Ernesto Garza (SI)
2014 .369 Gregory McCain (EDM)
2015 .351 Ernesto Garza (SI)
2016 .360 Todd Helton (GB)
2017 .350 Carlos Andrade (BRO)
2018 .336 Eric Coats (CHI)
2019 .345 Luis Chavez (CHI)
2020 .345 Dennis Ash (CHI)
2021 .347 Dennis Ash (CHI)

CL
2012 .357 Rich Stone (FRE)
2013 .347 Vincente Soto (LA)
2014 .336 Vincente Soto (LA)
2015 .368 Jesus Andrales (LV)
2016 .339 Allan Hedden (PIT)
2017 .3390 Jesus Castro (PHI) .3387 Vincente Soto (LA) .3386 Jesus Andrales (LV)
2018 .340 Rich Alfred (TUL)
2019 .359 Jesus Andrales (LV)
2020 .355 Jesus Castro (PHI)
2021 .338 Jesus Chapa (NH)

HR Title

FL
2012 60 Bill Hill (DAY)
2013 49 Bill Hill (DAY)
2014 42 Carlos Leon (BRO)
2015 52 Alberto Vargas (BUF)
2016 48 Wes Morgan (CHI)
2017 52 Andruw Jones (GB)
2018 49 Christian Schall (COL)
2019 42 Alex Rodriguez (ALK)
2020 43 Lonnie Vaughan (SI)
2021 59 Tony Greene (DAY)

CL
2012 56 Cy May (HOU)
2013 41 Orlando Rios (FRE)
2014 54 Carlos Arredondo (PHI)
2015 47 Carlos Arredondo (PHI)
2016 48 Ron Stokes (SAN)
2017 57 Curt Whimster (TUL)
2018 49 Chandler Harris (LA)
2019 48 Travis Bryant (BAL) George Quinn (PHI)
2020 46 Travis Bryant (BAL)
2021 49 Alex Rodriguez (BAL)

RBI Crown

FL
2012 153 Bill Hill (DAY)
2013 156 Bill Hill (DAY)
2014 155 Bill Alexander (CHI)
2015 176 Gerald Wright (EP)
2016 156 Stefan Conway (NY)
2017 147 Jeffrey Hudson (COL)
2018 137 Jeffrey Hudson (COL)
2019 152 Hugh Collins (CHI)
2020 139 Wazir Ubadah (AZ)
2021 147 Hugh Collins (CHI) Tony Greene (DAY)

CL
2012 157 Cy May (HOU)
2013 141 Orlando Rios (FRE)
2014 150 Henry Wilson (LA)
2015 133 Ross Tunstall (PIT)
2016 134 Curt Whimster (TUL)
2017 148 Curt Whimster (TUL)
2018 137 George Quinn (PHI)
2019 147 Cliff Edwards (SAN)
2020 142 George Quinn (PHI)
2021 142 Alex Rodriguez (BAL)

ERA Title

FL
2012 2.59 Ernie Kelly (DAY)
2013 2.15 Shaun Calhoun (WMI)
2014 3.21 Walt Thompson (BRO)
2015 3.22 Will Cannon (COL)
2016 3.45 Barry Zito (ALK)
2017 2.91 Walt Thompson (CHI)
2018 2.97 Walt Thompson (CHI)
2019 3.35 Roberto Martinez (CHI)
2020 2.78 John Drake (WMI)
2021 2.96 Antonio Rodriguez (SI)

CL
2012 2.99 Mattthieu Cafasso (LV)
2013 3.07 Cecil Watts (CC)
2014 2.92 Chris O'Slattery (BAL)
2015 2.59 Vincent Bray (PIT)
2016 2.70 Rafael Garza (LA)
2017 2.72 Vincent Bray (PIT)
2018 2.94 Vincent Bray (PIT)
2019 2.60 Ramon Roa (PIT)
2020 2.52 Angelo Esparza (SAN)
2021 2.43 Angelo Esparza (SAN)

Wins

FL
2012 19 Chris Dusek (BUF)
2013 22 Ernie Kelly (DAY)
2014 18 Walt Thompson (BRO)
2015 19 Paco Gonzalez (EDM) Ron Pearce (SI) Walt Thompson (BRO)
2016 20 Ken Lee (CHI) Jesus Romano (NY)
2017 21 Walt Thompson (CHI)
2018 19 Ken Lee (CHI)
2019 20 Ken Lee (CHI)
2020 20 John Drake (WMI) Stan Hall (CHI)
2021 20 Roberto Martinez (CHI)

CL
2012 20 Matthieu Cafasso (LV) Alberto Luna (BAL)
2013 22 Raul Gonzalez (HOU)
2014 20 Vince Bray (PIT) Christ O'Slattery (BAL)
2015 24 Vince Bray (PIT)
2016 21 Vincente Elisary (FRE) Rafael Garza (LA)
2017 22 Vince Bray (PIT) George Perkins (TUL)
2018 20 George Perkins (TUL)
2019 21 Richard Dyce (TUL)
2020 20 Luis Acosta (PHI)
2021 25 Angelo Esparza (SAN)

K Title
FL
2012 278 Walt Thompson (BRO)
2013 255 Walt Thompson (BRO)
2014 281 Walt Thompson (BRO)
2015 236 Walt Thompson (BRO)
2016 229 Jesus Romano (NY)
2017 240 Barry Zito (ALK)
2018 226 Jesus Romano (NY)
2019 252 Joaquin Vargas (WMI)
2020 260 Maurice Paterson (MICH)
2021 277 Joaquin Vargas (WMI)

CL
2012 236 Chris O'Slattery (BAL)
2013 245 Chris O'Slattery (BAL)
2014 238 Chris O'Slattery (BAL)
2015 240 Vince Bray (PIT)
2016 206 Chris O'Slattery (BAL)
2017 232 Vincent Bray (PIT)
2018 266 Ramon Roa (PIT)
2019 279 Bryant Thomas (TUL)
2020 290 Angelo Esparza (SAN)
2021 273 Angelo Esparza (SAN)

Saves
FL
2012 43 F. Flores
2013 47 Bill Barlow (DAY) Greg Patterson (BRO)
2014 38 Nicholas Clark (NY)
2015 41 Sherwood Jacobs (MICH)
2016 37 Nicholas Clark (NY) Ernesto Cruz (CHI)
2017 48 Ernesto Cruz (CHI)
2018 46 Ivan Lopez (COL)
2019 44 Francisco Herreva (GB)
2020 49 Tom Conklin (WMI)
2021 44 Tom Conklin (WMI) Quincy Gallagher (ALK)

CL
2012 44 Julio Gonzalez (LA)
2013 42 Anbar Suhayb (LV)
2014 46 Julio Arroyo (PHI)
2015 43 Anbar Suhayb (LV)
2016 42 Anbar Suhayb (LV)
2017 39 Bill Barlow (SAC) Clinton Quinn (BAL)
2018 47 Joe Boswell (PIT)
2019 40 Shimei Ikarashi (SAN) Jesus Machado (BAL)
2020 42 Otto Hunter (TUL)
2021 44 Alex Brown (CC)

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The WS Champs through the 1st decade.
I had to cut and paste 2021, the game isn't recognizing them on this screen

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Through the 1st Decade

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Single season and career

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Here's our starters opening day for the past 10

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Every hitter that's stepped to the plate from 2012 to 2021, listed by VORP.

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Every pitcher that's thrown a pitch in an Iron Pig uniform.

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Through the 1st 10 years of the IBL, here are the 3 players recognized by league beat writers, as the best hitter, pitcher and fielder of the leagues first decade.

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SP-Walt Thompson 155-94 3.49 2231 K's
CL-Ernesto Cruz 27-26 1.94 377 of 423 Saves .891 Save %
C-Rich Alfred .309/.415/.531 970 games 186 HR's 680 RBI's 1 x Gold Glove 5 x All Star 1 x Rookie of the Year 2 x World Champion
1B-Curt Whimster .309/.410/.583 400 HR's 1247 RBI's 416 2B's 2 x MVP 6 x All Star 2 x World Champion
2B-Jeffrey Hudson .302/.390/.522 255 HR's 882 RBI's 1 x MVP 2 x Gold Glove 7 x All Star 1 x World Champion
SS-Alex Rodriguez .310/.408/.596 263 HR's 789 RBI's 1 x MVP 2 x Gold Glove 5 x All Star
3B-Chandler Harris .250/.331/.467 261 HR's 789 RBI's 107 SB's 3 x Gold Glove 1 x All Star
LF-Angelo Gomez .302/.411/.530 298 HR's 874 RBI's 215 SB's 2 x MVP 2 x Gold Glove 5 x All Star
CF-Hugh Collins .298/.379/.564 314 HR's 218 SB's 997 RBI's 1 x Gold Glove 6 x All Star
RF-Luis Chavez .319/.396/.547 243 HR's 221 SB's 2 x MVP 5 x All Star

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2/3
Cyclones sign veteran Gold Glover winner
Lando Jongmans will be calling Brooklyn home for the next 3 years after agreeing to terms on a 3 year 17.1M dollar free agent contract. The 31 year old is a career .256/.326/.448 hitter with 232 HR's in 1340 games. He's stolen 150 bases and hit 241 doubles to go with 787 RBI's. He's a 2 time all star.

NEW IBL SCHEDULE RELEASED
The IBL is moving to an unbalanced schedule, with limited interleague. Each team will play 22 games against their division, 6 games against the 15 other teams in their league, and a 6 game series vs the 4 teams in the division opposite theirs, in the other league. The Empire plays the Keystone, the Midwest plays the Lone Star, the West plays the Pacific and the Northeastern plays the southern.

2/5
Dayton nabs veteran RP
Joe Boswell has signed a 2 year 7.08M dollar deal with the Dayton Dragons. The 39 year old will, for the first time in his illustrious career, not open the season as a closer. Boswell will setup for closer Quincy Gallagher, and likely mentor the young arms in the Dragons pen, as well as spell Gallagher on odd days. He is 2nd all time in the IBL with 345 saves and has a lifetime 2.04 ERA.

2/9
White Caps tab former Chicago lefty.Randy Pennington signed a 1 year 3.76M dollar contract with West Michigan today. The 30 year old was being heavily recruited and was expected to sign a long term deal somewhere. He moves into an already dominant pen as one of 3 left handers right now.

2/12
Sharks nab Alejandrez
Alfredo Alejandrez, he of the 145-102 record, signed a 1 year 2.88M dollar deal with San Jose today. Everyone involved seemed excited, while everyone outside the deal was stunned. Stunned at the length and size, or lack of, both. He's coming off a career worst 10-16 5.48 season but is still a stop of the rotation arm, even at 36.

2/20
Texans land former MVP Wright
Gerald Wright agreed to a 1 year 10.7M dollar deal with a player option for 13.3M today. The 33 year old 4 time all star and 2015 Hank Aaron award winner is a career .300/.376/.513 hitter with 254 homers, 410 doubles and 961 RBI's. He holds the IBL single season RBI record with 176.

2/28
Trappers land Utley
25 year old Chase Utley has agreed to terms on a 3 year 18.6M dollar deal with the Edmonton Trappers. The 25 year old is a .290 lifetime hitter with 110 HR's and 393 RBI's.

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News worthy items

Free Agents still adrift:
Rich Alfred, the IBL's Catcher of the Decade, and OF Marcos Oginlara remain unsigned as camp approaches. Many are speculating that their ask, both north of 15M per year, and the fact that their compensation pick free agents, will force them to wait, and reduce their price tags, over the coming weeks.

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Here's a look at the work my scouts have been doing around the globe as we head into 2022 spring training.

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SPRING NEWS ITEMS

3/9
Baltimore tabs former Iron Pig Morgan
The Colts have announced the signing of 33 year old Wesley Morgan to a 1 year 6.5M dollar contract. Morgan is a career .276 hitter with 355 home runs and1068 RBI's. He won the 2021 GG at 1B and is a 2 time all star.

3/14
51's extend Andrales
Jesus Andrales has agreed to terms on a 2 year 18M dollar contract extension with the only team he's ever played for. The 2 time batting champion and 3 time stolen base champ will receive a 2023 base of 9M, and a vesting option, on 550 PA, for 2024 of 9M as well.

Overall a good spring, only 1 real injury to Miranda and that healed up fine before opening day. Very nice seeing both Salinas and Collins healthy and with great springs.

I've gotten VERY lucky in spring training, no real injuries to speak of. I almost feel like I need to up the injury rating?

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A quick look inside the spring numbers...

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A look at the experts (BTW, there is nothing I hate more at ESPN than predictions and power rankings, biggest bunch of feces in the world).

The new format will certainly be interesting. Eliminating the wild card is likely to make for fewer clubs involved in the race through seasons end, but I do like, and always have liked the 162 baseball schedule deciding winners and post season berths.

Is this the year the Bombers cement their rise? I think the Lone Star is the IBL's black and blue division.

Close in the Pacific, and not even remotely close in the Southern.

Pat Kelley is back for Boston, and Angelo Esparza is being predicted to shatter even more single season records.

Philly and San Antonio bats? wow.

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Chicago with 116? I was expecting our division to be far closer. Could Michigan finally make their 1st post season appearance???

If have health it's looking like another huge offensive year, and a potential record breaker from the pitching staff as well.

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A brief look at the franchise histories.
Slash numbers are Post Seasons/World Series Appearances/World Series titles
Underlined denotes original IBL franchises that have not made the post season

1. Chicago 1024-596 .632 9/5/2
2. Tulsa 924-696 .570 8/2/2
3. New York 842-700 .519 6/0/0
4. Las Vegas 889-732 .548 6/0/0
5. Green Bay 635-509 .551 5/1/0
6. Sacramento 859-763 .530 5/1/1
7. El Paso 852-769 .526 5/0/0
8. Philadelphia 850-770 .525 5/2/1
9. San Antonio 824-797 .508 5/1/0
10. Pittsburgh 820-800 .506 5/2/0
11. Columbus 882-738 .544 4/1/1
12. Los Angeles 868-752 .536 4/0/0
13. Brooklyn 794-829 .489 3/0/0
14. Houston 819-802 .505 2/2/2
15. Dayton 709-911 .438 2/1/0
16. Alaska 565-571 .496 2/0/0
17. Fresno 791-830 .488 2/0/0
18. Staten Island 742-879.458 2/0/0
19. West Michigan 767-853 .473 2/0/0
20. New Hampshire 771-849 .476 2/0/0
21. Arizona 771-850 .476 1/0/0
22. Corpus Christi 706-914 .436 1/1/1
23. Buffalo 781-836 .484 1/0/0
24. Boston 365-445 .451 1/0/0
25. Baltimore 800-820 .494 1/0/0
26. Edmonton 774-846 .478 0/0/0
27. Michigan 682-938 .421 0/0/0
28. Dallas 326-484 .402 0/0/0
29. Hawaii 59-103 .364 0/0/0
30. San Jose 71-91 .438 0/0/0
31. New Orleans N/A
32. Providence N/A

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3/27
Chicago and Houston make a deal
Chicago has sent 29 year old RP Pedro Garcia and their 2022 9th round draft choice to the Houston Roughriders for their 2022 5th round draft choice.

REASONING- Garcia had a bad spring, he's right handed and I have a slew of younger and far cheaper alternatives. His 3.75M dollar salary and arbitration again next winter made this an easy move.

3/28
Houston loses Closer....
A day after trading for Garcia Houston learned that 26 year old closer Shimei Ikarashi (4-4 36 Saves, 3.21) will be lost for the season after a rotator cuff injury was diagnosed at the end of camp. The Roughriders have announced that newly acquired reliever Pedro Garcia will assume the closers duties.

3/30
Voodoo ink Soto
New Orleans announced the signing of 2 time batting champion Vincente Soto to a 1 year 5.8M dollar deal today.

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2022 Chicago Iron Pigs

A look at the roster the Iron Pigs are breaking camp with.

STARTING ROTATION:
1) Stan Hall-The 1 in the 1 and 1A that is Hall/Martinez. Just 23 years old he already is 40-11 in his young career. Some bad bullpen luck robbed him of some wins last year but he's primed for another run at the Koufax. His control has improved yet again this past winter, so I expect the walk rate, 84 in 215 in '20 and 85 in 205 of '21 to go down.
2) Roberto Martinez-With Stan Hall these two represent the last 2 Koufax winners. Just 25 years old he's 68-33 in 4 seasons. They're now in position to challenge Corpus Christi's Lewis and Gobbi as the premier 1-2 in the game. Struck out a career high 238, setting a new Chicago single season record, last year.
3) Jorge Trujillo-Suffered from bullpen woes last year, winning just 13 of his 30 starts. Pitched to a career low 3.17 ERA. His stamina is the only concern here, need him to work deeper into games. In two years he's 26-16 but has yet to pass the 200 IP mark. Has enormous pop from the left side and has hit .306-7-17 in 21 games the past two years. Will look to find some spots to hit him more this year.
4) Andy Morgan-The leagues hardest throwing starter. Just 24 years old he's 32-20 with 436 K's in 396.2 IP. His control is his biggest enemy, but it's slowly improving. A true 1 or 2 when he matures.
5) Steve McKinley-The new guy. A 28 year old power arm, McKinly was 17-4 3.06 in AAA last year and came up to have 4 outstanding starts before his final one kind of skewed his numbers. Can reach triple digits routinely. Susceptible to the gopher ball a bit more than you'd like, but he'll be more than adequate coming out of the 5 hole.

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THE BULLPEN
Masafumi Watanabe-R (28), Jake Carlson-L (29), Jorge Pacheco-L (24), Bill Jones-R (28), Matt Tucker-R (25), Brandon Andre-L (27): Breaking camp once again with 3 lefties, 3 righties to mix and match up through the first 8. All potential closer arms but Watanabe is likely the 1st call for a closer should Cruz tire or falter.

Ernesto Cruz-R (36) Entering the twillight of what will likely be a hall of fame career. Saved 30 or more for the 9th time in 10 seasons (hurt in 2015) and still registers a lifetime ERA below 2.00 (1.94). Has saved 377 of 425 career games for an .891 lifetime percentage. Is the IBL Career leader in ERA (1.94) Saves (377) WHIP (0.95) Opp OBP (.249) and Opp OPS (.552). Still has enough gas in the tank to save 50. In the final year of his contract and we're hoping we can get something done at a reasonable number to allow him to finish out his career here.