DELMARVA Baseball League

[illeracula]

Week 2
Current Week: 6-2 (9-5 .653, +1.0)
Next Week: 4 @ Christiana Blue Hens, 2 @ Seaford Blue Jays
Power Ranking: 5 (+8, 122.7)
Fan Interest: 72
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 7-3 .700
Away: 2-2 .500

Runs Scored: 55 (t5th)
Avg: .259 (1st)
HR: 7 (t11th)
SB: 4 (t8th)
Runs Against: 42 (2nd)
Starters ERA: 2.55 (1st)
Pen ERA: 4.30 (11th)
Def Eff: .737 (4th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Phil Davis: .414-1-4 (12-29), 3 2B, 9 R's, 5 BB, 3 SB
Pitching: Nobukazu Higashi: 2 GS, 2-0 1.93, 14.0 IP, 9 H, 16 K's

Week 2:
Game 7: Chadds Ford 1, Dover 5
Ying-Hua Ji (0-1): 8.0 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, BB, 9 K
Francisco Chavez: 2-4
Phil Davis: 2-5, 2B
Dan Foley: 1-4, 2B, RBI
Luther Reid: 2-3 (ejected)
H: 9, LOB: 12

Game 8: Chadds Ford 6, Dover 3
Juan Melendez (1-0): 5.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 2): 1.0 IP, H, 2 K
Matt Douglas: 3-3, 2 2B, 3 RBI
Eugene Todd: 3-4, 2 2B, 2 R
Ricardo Bravo: 1-5, HR (1), R, RBI
Donald Hampton: 2-4
H: 11, LOB: 11

Game 9: Chadds Ford 2, Dover 1
Nobukazu Higashi (1-1): 6.0 IP, 3 H, R, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 3): 1.0 IP, K
Ricardo Bravo: 1-3, 2 RBI
H: 2, LOB: 7

Game 10: Harrington 2, Chadds Ford 4
Eric Harmon (2-0): 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Tim Meyers (SV 1): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Matt Douglas: 2-4, 2 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-2, 3 R, 3 SB
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4
H: 10, LOB: 4

Game 11: Harrington 2, Chadds Ford 1
Robert Shepherd (1-1): 8.0 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 7 K
Phil Davis: 2-4, RBI
Francisco Chavez: 1-3
H: 7, LOB: 11

Game 12: Harrington 0, Chadds Ford 5
Ying-Hua Ji (1-1): 8.2 IP, 7 H, BB, 5 K
Tully Maxwell: 1-3, HR (1), R, RBI
Phil Davis: 1-4, HR (3), R, 2 RBI
Luther Reid: 1-3, R, RBI
H: 7, LOB: 4

Game 13: Harrington 6, Chadds Ford 10
Juan Melendez (2-0): 5.2 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Tim Meyers (SV 2): 1.2 IP, 2 H, R, K
Donald Hampton: 3-5, HR (1), R, 5 RBI
Ryan Urbina: 4-5
Naofumi Ohayshi: 3-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-4, 2B, 2 R
Julio Casanes: 1-5, 3 R, RBI
H: 16, LOB: 11

Game 14: Harrington 2, Chadds Ford 2
Nobukazu Higashi (2-1): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 10 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 4): 1.0 IP, K
Phil Davis: 3-4, 2B, R, RBI
Tully Maxwell: 2-4
Luther Reid: 2-4, R
H: 8, LOB: 9



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
none

Other/Roster News:
SS Luther Reid was suspended by the league for 2-games after arguing balls and strikes. The struggling short-stop didn't help his cause for a roster slot with his antics.

GM Notes:
I don't take this week into much consideration, but it is nice to get some W's on the board. It is hard to say we had a great week, when we beat one of the weakest teams in the league 4 out of 5. That is what we are supposed to do! Now heading into next week is a whole other story if we can keep this going against a little better competition, then I will know its "real". I just am not sure I can trust this offense to score runs against good pitching yet.

Now we head into a much tougher week, in which we this team will be able to proove to me they are the real deal. Christiana and Seaford, playing away both series. It should be interesting, I just hope our offense will turn it up. Phil Davis and Matt Douglas are hitting over .300 our next best hitter? Luther Reid hitting .243! I want to dump Reid, but how can I right now when he is on a semi-hot streak.

I want to dump Julio Casanes, but I can't find anyone will to make a deal for a player hitting a whopping .160! I hope he starts hitting sooner than later. All I could get out of Casanes was 2-solid but "fragile" players making too much money, and one prospect that was really tempting. But in the end I head my ground. I am going to wait and hope to see him warm up and try to trade him later in the season.

Seems like 2037 is off to the same kind of start 2036, when we spend most of the season relying on how our pitching does. My offense is just too well 'rated' to perform this poorly... As I stated last season I am ready to blow this offense up if the deals are there to be made. I am going to wait a little bit longer, but I am getting myself primed for deal season. I need to find the right combination.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Dover Generals/Milford Clippers: 7-7 .500 (+1.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons 9-5 .643 (+1.0)
DE Atlantic: Milton Brewers: 9-5 .643 (+2.0)
WC: 3 tied with 8-6 .571 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 11-2 .846 (+0.5)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 9-5 .643 (+4.0)
MV Coastal: Chesapeake Blue Crabs: 12-2 .857 (+2.0)
WC: Baltimore Barons (MVB): 11-3 .786 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Marvin Garrett, Lewes Braves: 10-23, 3 HR's, 4 RBI's
MarVa: Oliver Ramos: 13-29, 3 HR's, 7 RBI's, 7 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (173.3)
2) Chespeake Blue Crabs (168.3)
3) Baltimore Barons (146.4)
4) Norfolk Cavaliers (131.6)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons (122.7)

News:
New Castle Colonials: Catcher Jorge Rose crushed 3-HR's against the Annapolis Admirals. On the day Rose went 4-4 with 3 HR's, and 3 RBI's, but it wasn't enough as the Admirals took the game 4-3.
Dover Generals: Lost their manager Josh Doyle for a game after 1B Mike Griffin miss-threw a ball and hit him in the head. Yes, that is the same Mike Griffin that was in Chadds Ford, glad I traded him away.
Baltimore Barons: OF Rafael Estrada will miss 4-weeks with a strained oblique. Estrada is hitting .250-1-5 to start the season.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Lost MR Ruben Acevedo for the rest of the season. Acevedo was 0-1 4.91 in 5 games so far this season.

[illeracula]

Week 3
Current Week: 4-2 (13-7 .650, +1.0)
Next Week: 2 @ Seaford Blue Jays, 4 Milton Brewers
Power Ranking: 6 (-1, 120.0)
Fan Interest: 72
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 7-3 .700
Away: 6-4 .600

Runs Scored: 93 (3rd)
Avg: .259 (1st)
HR: 19 (6th)
SB: 5 (t11th)
Runs Against: 76 (7th)
Starters ERA: 3.30 (5th)
Pen ERA: 4.50 (12th)
Def Eff: .717 (6th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Naofumi Ohayashi: .280-4-10 (7-25), 2B, 7 R's
Pitching: Dani Rubio: 4 GS, 1-0 0.00, 6.2 IP, 4 H, 7 K

Week 3:
Game 15: Chadds Ford 16, Christiana 9 (12 innings)
Eric Harmon: 8.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Jonathan Loeffler (BS 1): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, K
Dani Rubio (1-0): 3.0 IP, 2 H, 4 K
Tully Maxwell: 2-7, 2B, HR (2), 2 R, 3 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-6, HR (2), 2 R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-6, 2B, HR (1), 2 R, 3 RBI
Julio Casanes: 3-7, HR (1), 2 R, 4 RBI
Phil Davis: 3-5, 4 R, 2 RBI
H: 16, LOB: 7

Game 16: Chadds Ford 8, Christiana 2
Robert Shepherd (2-1): 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, BB, 9 K
Naofumi Ohayshi: 1-3, HR (3), 2 R, 3 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, HR (2), 2 R, RBI
Francisco Chavez: 3-4, 2B, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
H: 10, LOB: 3

Game 17: Chadds Ford 1, Christiana 2
Ying-Hua Ji (1-2): 8.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Phil Davis: 4-4, HR (4), R, RBI
Luther Reid: 2-4, 2B
H: 7, LOB: 7

Game 18: Chadds Ford 6, Christiana 3
Juan Melendez (3-0): 6.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, BB, 5 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 5): 0.1 IP
Bo Keller: 4-5, 2 RBI
Luther Reid: 2-4, HR (1), 2 R, 2 RBI
Phil Davis: 1-4, 2 R
H: 10, LOB: 6

Game 19: Chadds Ford 6, Seaford 5 (11 Innings)
Nobukazu Higashi: 7.0 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 4 ER, BB, 2 K
Oscar Robinson (2-0): 2.1 IP, H, BB, K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 6): 1.0 IP, BB
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-6, HR (4), 2 R, 2 RBI
Donald Hampton: 2-3, 2B, HR (2), R, 3 RBI
Bo Keller: 3-6, R
H: 11, LOB: 10

Game 20: Chadds Ford 1, Seaford 3
Eric Harmon (2-1): 1.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 2 BB, K
Juan Cuesta: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, HR (5), R, RBI
Juan Guzman: 1-3, 2B
H: 5, LOB: 5



Transactions:
Placed OF Matt Douglas on the 11-day DL
Purchased the contract of Juan Guzman from AAA

Injuries:
OF Matt Douglas, pinched nerve, 2-weeks, 11-day DL

So Douglas went down, and I needed an OF'er to call up to replace him right? Well check this out, my triple OF'ers that would get the call Russel Worsfold, out 2-3 weeks, Clarence Roberson, out 3-weeks, Armando Martinez, diagnosis pending... so Juan Guzman gets the call. Guzman should be up with us and has been tearing it up in AAA, hitting .325-1-10 in 18 games. He could end up staying around for a while depending on how Chavez (.246-1-7, time of injury) and Reid (.250-1-8, time of injury) perform.

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
I thought I said the pitching was carrying us... boy was I wrong... Eric Harmon last week? 0-1 11.17! He gave up 16 hits and 12 runs in 9.2 innings, and our "closer" well he went 0-0 with 2 saves, in 3 games, but still posted a 10.80 ERA... Meyers struggled, Cuesta struggled, and Robertson struggled.... can't get very far when you pitching gains a point in ERA. This was a tough week for the staff.

My scout, Elias, has Luther Reid rated as your prototypical Gold Glove shortstop, which is why he is always in the lineup when he is called up. His SS D is 15, his range is 17, is error is 14, all of his other ratings are above average, but man he struggles some still at SS. Despite all these great fielding ratings his fielding PCT is .965 and his ZR is -0.5! I have my eye on him, and I am not sure how long I will keep with him at this, but he better start picking it up... at least his bat has come around a little.

This week the offense came to play, but pitching didn't. I am getting worried about the players I am putting on the field. Is it enough? Are we good? Can we win the division or the Conference? There are days I feel like yes, and some that make me really worried... I do know that I a missing Matt Douglas! Giovanni Smith hit .219-3-13 last season, and I think I still remember the first month when he was hot. But this year he has started 2-13. I need him to find his stroke, he is better than the .154 he is showing.

Speaking of slumps... I am starting to get worried about Tully Maxwell. Maybe I rushed him up here and I should send him back. He has show streaks here and there, but right now his .192-2-6 isn't cutting it. Do I send him to AAA for more seasoning or hang with him and see what happens. I might wait the two weeks that Douglas is out and then make a decision then. I have high hopes for Tully and I hope he can live up to them.

Three weeks into the season and we are playing like a solid team. I don't think we are "the" best we can be, but I do have faith we will get there. But it will take some time and effort. Maybe even a deal or two. I am going for it all this year and next. I want a title here in CF soon. I am ready to move on I have built this team up and now I want to prove that we are good and worth it.

Too much turnover when the team has as small budget. I would do anything to sign a Loeffler and a Douglas to long-term deals, but neither one are willing to take the "home team" discount. Maybe I will try again later this season, but it doesn't look good. Lucky for me there are always deals out there for 'good' players.

Another tough week ahead and the end of the first month of the season... I hope we can stay healthy and keep getting the W's on the board. Lets go Cannons.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Dover Generals/Milford Clippers: 11-9 .550 (+2.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 13-7 .650 (+1.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 12-8 .600 (+2.0)
WC: Newark Millers (DEN)/Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 12-8 .600 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 16-4 .800 (+2.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 15-5 .750 (+7.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 15-5 .750 (+1.0)
WC: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC)/Baltimore Barons (MVB): 14-6 .700 (+5.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Brian Anderson, Newark Millers: 13-26, 2 HR's, 8 RBI's
MarVa: Henry Rojas, Norfolk Cavaliers: 10-20, 4 HR's, 11 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (155.0)
2) Richmond Cardinals (152.0)
3) Norfolk Cavaliers (138.0)
4) Chespeake Blue Crabs (129.0)
5) Baltimore Barons (126.0)

News:
Norfolk Cavaliers: 3B Jake Garcia had a day to remember against the Tourists, collecting 5-hits in 6 AB's.
Newark Millers: 3B Tomas Murillo went 5 for 5 to lead the Millers to victory over the Ponies.
Wilmington Iron Pigs: 2B Victor Daniel got some bad news from the trainer. Daniel is expected to miss 3-months due to a dislocated shoulder. On the year Daniel was off to a hot start hitting .347-5-13.

PS: Heading on vacation till Thursday. Hopefully get week 4 up on Saturday.

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - April 2037



Delaware Conference

Delaware Conference Picks April's Best Batter: Phil Davis may be much younger than other hitters in the Delaware Conference, but he performed like a seasoned veteran in April to win the Batter of the Month award. The 25-year-old Chadds Ford center fielder hit .337 with 4 home runs, 11 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

April's Starter of the Month Goes to Cortés: António Cortés took home the Delaware Conference Pitcher of the Month honors in April. After all these years playing ball, the 38-year-old veteran still enjoys the game as though he'd just broken camp for the first time a month ago. He's a bit older now with a few more aches and pains, but the old man has reason to celebrate, having gone 5-0 for Georgetown last month and claiming the Pitcher of the Month award. He tacked up a 1.04 ERA in his 5 starts, tossing 43.1 innings and striking out 32.

Delaware Conference Names Rookie of Month: Jorge Muñóz's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young New Castle right fielder has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month. In April he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award. During the month he hit .333 with 6 doubles, no triples and 5 home runs. Muñóz also scored 12 times and drove in 10 runs.

MarVa Conference

April's Best Batter Announced: Martinsburg Mountaineers fans believe they've got a talented young star in Tyrone Jackson. He did nothing to dissuade that notion in April, as he hit .452 with 9 home runs, 26 RBIs and 21 runs scored. The end result was the center fielder being named the MarVa Conference Batter of the Month.

April's Top Hurler is Gonzáles: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Jorge Gonzáles still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in April. The 33-year-old starter for Washington was named MarVa Conference Pitcher of the Month earlier today. He collected 5 wins and no losses with 23 strikeouts in his 5 starts, putting up a fine 2.75 ERA in 39.1 innings of work.

MV Conf Selects Rookie Star of the Month: Youngster Godofredo Queirs emerged as the latest MarVa Conference Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Washington deserved the honor, batting .355 with no home runs and 15 runs batted in. Is the month of April a harbinger of things to come or just a fluke? We'll find out someday, but for now, we'll just let Queirs enjoy the limelight.

Standings - May 1st, 2037

Colonial Division
Current Leader: Milford Clippers - 14-10 .583 (+1.5)
Predicted: Milford Clippers - 101-61 .623 (+10.0)

Northern Division
Current Leader: Newark Millers - 14-10 .583 (+1.0)
Predicted: Chadds Ford Cannons - 92-70 .568 (+1.0)

Atlantic Division
Current Leader: Georgetown Sixteens / Milton Brewers - 13-11 .542 (+2.0)
Predicted: Georgetown Sixteens - 98-64 .605 (+2.0)

Beltway Division
Current Leader: Washington Senators - 18-6 .750 (+1.0)
Predicted: Washington Senators - 102-60 .630 (+8.0)

Mountain Division
Current Leader: Richmond Cardinals - 15-9 .625 (+4.0)
Predicted: Richmond Cardinals - 100-62 ..617 (+14.0)

Coastal Division
Current Leader: Nrofolk Cavaliers - 18-6 .750 (+3.0)
Predicted: Norfolk Cavaliers - 95-67 .586 (+20.0)

Delaware Conference Leaders:
Average: Patrick Asther, Sixteens: .361
HR: Gabriel Martinez, Brewers: 8
RBI: Phil Kaufman, Millers/Gabriel Martinez, Brewers: 21
SB: Julian De Jesus, Brewers: 7 SB
WAR: Augusto Pacheco, Ponies / Juan Hernandez, Clippers: 1.2

ERA: Martin Beaulieu, Millers: 0.90
W: Antonio Cortes, Sixteens / Ivan Rosario, Generals: 5
K's: Robert Shepherd, Cannons: 40
SV: Ruben Dano Dasmarinas, Generals: 8
WAR: Martin Beaulieu, Millers: 2.2

MarVa Conference Leaders:
Average: Hector Pagan, Cardinals: .467
HR: Manuel Miranda, Senators: 12
RBI: Tyrone Jackson, Mountaineers: 26
SB: Jorge Arredondo, Cardinals / David Gonzalez, Barons: 10
WAR: Tyrone Jackson, Mountaineers / Hector Pagan, Cardinals: 2.6

ERA: William Dyer, Admirals: 1.91
W: Multiple w/ 4
K's: Pablo Gonzalez, Express: 44
SV: Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Cavaliers: 11
WAR: Jose Hernandez, Barons: 1.4

[illeracula]

Harpers Ferry Held Hitless by Acevedo:
Sancho Acevedo was untouchable today at Barons Ballpark, displaying a good fastball and wicked breaking balls in his 10-0 win against the Harpers Ferry Raiders. The Baltimore hurler did not allow a single hit, fanning 9 while walking 1.

"This is great," Acevedo told reporters after the game. "Every pitcher wants a no-hitter. I just wanted the win but the no-hitter is a little extra icing on the victory cake."

For the year Acevedo has a 4-1 record with a 3.41 ERA in 5 starts.

-----------------

This is the second no-hitter of 2037. The record for most no-hitters in a season is 4 and this season we are on target to beating it... Both expansion teams have been no hit this season, it might just be one of those years...

[illeracula]

Week 4
Current Week: 2-4 (15-11 .577, -1.0)
Next Week: 4 @ Lewes Braves, 3 vs Georgetown Sixteens
Power Ranking: 7 (-1, 103.8)
Fan Interest: 73 (+1)
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 9-5 .643
Away: 6-6 .500

Runs Scored: 117 (3rd)
Avg: .260 (1st)
HR: 21 (t11th)
SB: 5 (13th)
Runs Against: 109 (9th)
Starters ERA: 3.43 (6th)
Pen ERA: 4.92 (13th)
Def Eff: .707 (9th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Ryan Urbina: 5 G, 3 GS, .563-1-3 (9-16), 2 2B, 2 R
Pitching: Ying-Hua Ji: 0-0 0.90, 10.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 7 K

Week 4:
Game 21: Chadds Ford 0, Seaford 6
Robert Shepherd (2-2): 6.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4
H: 6, LOB: 6

Game 22: Chadds Ford 1, Seaford 2 (14 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 10.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 7 K
Tim Meyers (0-1): 1.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Eugene Todd: 1-3, RBI
Ryan Urbina: 1-1
H: 4, LOB: 5

Game 23: Milton 7, Chadds Ford 6 (14 Innings)
Juan Melendez: 4.0 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 5 K
Eric Harmon: 2.1 IP, H, R, BB
Jonathan Loeffer: 2.0 IP, 3 K
Juan Cuesta (0-1): 1.2 IP, H, R, K
Ryan Urbina: 4-6, 2B, HR (1), R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 4-6, 2B, 2 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-6, 2 R, 2 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-5, 2B, 2 R
H: 19, LOB: 20

Game 24: Milton 14, Chadds Ford 2
Nobukazu Higashi (2-2): 4.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, BB, 6 K
Oscar Robinson: 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Eric Harmon: 1.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, BB
Donald Hampton: 3-4, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-3, 2B, 2 R
H: 9, LOB: 7

Game 25: Milton 1, Chadds Ford 2
John Robertson: 5.0 IP, 7 H, R, 2 BB, 4 K
Dani Rubio (2-0): 2.1 IP, 1 H, BB, K
Francisco Chavez: 2-3
Phil Davis: 2-5, 2 RBI
H: 9, LOB: 8

Game 26: Milton 3, Chadds Ford 13
Robert Shepherd (3-2): 9.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, BB, 7 K
Julio Casanes: 3-4, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-4, 3B, R, 2 RBI
Ryan Urbina: 2-4, R, 2 RBI
Luther Reid: 2-5, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Jun Guzman: 2-5, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
H: 15, LOB: 6



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
OF Matt Douglas, pinched nerve, 1-week, 11-day DL

Other/Roster News:
Manager Bill Patterson moved John Robertson into the rotation sending Eric Harmon to the pen. Harmon and Cuesta both will be ready when they get their to move into the rotation, but the time for Harmon seems to be running out. Harmon had a solid rookie season, then struggled last year and this year hasn't gone any better.

GM Notes:
I had to walk away from the scores... after two losses in 14-innings and the second loss saw us leave 20 runners on base I just had to turn away. What an awful way to start the week, but what is the issue? Pitching? Hitting? Both? Actually how could it be pitching if we kept the game close till 14-innings... I have been trying to shop players to no avail, but I am not giving up just yet... No market of Luther Reid, no market for Julio Casanes, no market for anyone right now. I don't want to move Loeffler and Douglas (yet)... so what do I do? I think I will see if there is a market for Melendez, he is a top known pitcher and I have some young depth. So if I can get a half-way decent middle infielder that might help.

I have been looking to strike a deal, but I am not sure who I want to trade away. I know I need a nice young bat in my lineup who can drive in runs. I actually had faith that this offense was going to be able to make things happen this year. I guess my judgement of players has changed quite a bit or I am just not able to find that 'magic' combo. I need more speed and more power, but how can that be? This team seems to have a bunch of singles and doubles hitters, weird... The question is how far am I willing to go. Who can I deal, how many can I deal, that type of stuff.

Eric Harmon isn't amounting to the pitcher I was expecting. I know I mentioned him last week, but he is just better than this. Elias only sees him as a #4 or 5, but I based on what I see he could be a #2 or 3, if he lives up to his ratings. OSA has him being a little better than Elias, so I am still holding out faith that he will turn this around. At 26-years-old however the window is starting to shut. Maybe I rushed him to the bigs, maybe I am the one that caused his issues. I have seen this with Bill Summers and Juan Cuesta too... could that be it? Am I rushing these guys to quickly?

Speaking of rushing players to quickly I think that is exactly what I have done with Tully Maxwell. He hasn't adjusted well to the bigs and after his first 23 games is hitting only .198. I am torn if I should demote him or stick with him. Will demoting him hurt him? Will keeping him around here hurt? He had a decent spring so I know he can do it at this level, but maybe he just needs a little more minor league seasoning. I am going to keep him around a little bit longer to see what he has, but I am starting to get worried I am hurting his development.

We have another tough week ahead of us and we have to get some W's on the board. We can't fall back to fast, we can't dig a hole and try to work our way out of it. Doing it that way last season was a fluke, we won't be able to do it again. We need to starting winning games, we need the bats to start coming through.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 14-12 .538 (+1.0)
DE Northern: Newark Millers: 16-10 .615 (+1.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 15-11 .577 (+2.0)
WC: Chadds Ford (DEN): 15-11 .577 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Washington Senators: 19-7 .731 (+1.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 17-9 .654 (+5.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 18-8 .692 (+3.0)
WC: Baltimore Barons (MVB): 18-8 .692 (+3.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Augusto Pacheco, Harrington Ponies: 12-22, 3 HR's, 6 RBI's
MarVa: Ricardo Hidalgo, Washington Senators: 10-23, 5 HR's, 11 RBI's, 7 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Washington Senators (136.5)
2) Baltimore Barons (125.6)
3) Norfolk Cavaliers (124.6)
4) Richmond Cardinals (121.7)
5) Newark Millers (116.8)

News:
Washington Senators: SS Joey Bradley cracked 5-hits during a 11-9 win over the Mountaineers.
Lewes Braves: Will be without SP Bud Jackson for 8-weeks. Jackson strained a hamstring earlier this week. He is 3-1 4.15 so far on the season.
Lewes Braves: Lost MR Jacob Young for 2-months witha strained hamstring. Young is 2-3 5.11 in 5 starts.
Annapolis Admirals: All-Star 2B Roberto Zavala had a day to remember going 6 for 6 against the Blue Crabs during a 14-1 victory.
Salisbury Ports: Will miss SS Petar Mrdja for 1-2 weeks with a strained ab muscle.
Lewes Braves: Lost OF Ray Crowe for 3-weeks. Crowe strained a hamstring, the third hamstring strain for the Braves this week! On the year the 26-year-old is hitting .345-2-13.

[illeracula]

Hernández Fashions No-Hitter Against Royals:
José Hernández really did a number on the King George Royals at Barons Ballpark today -- and that number was zero.

The Baltimore Barons hurler had what he later called "one of the best moments of my life," tossing a no-hitter and leading the Barons to victory, 2-0.

"This is something special," Hernández said. "I knew from the fifth inning that I had a no-hitter working. I tried to get it out of my mind, but you just can't. They have too many scoreboards in the park. They're everywhere you look."

The right-hander faced only 28 batters in the no-hit gem, struck out 10 and walked 1.

"We simply couldn't get any wood on the ball," King George manager Jorge López said when asked about the epic performance. "Hernández was brilliant out there. He certainly had our number."

In the current season in 7 starts, José Hernández has a record of 4-1 with 52 strikeouts in 53 innings and a 1.87 ERA.

------------------------------

This just might be the year of the pitcher, with the third no-hitter thrown in the first 4+ weeks of the season, and the second by a Barons pitcher. Is this team that good? They just might be! Their pitching is showing off so far, and this guy, Hernandez, well he is 100% beast! I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up holding the Golden Arm Award at the end of the season, and at 23-years-old he has a very bright future ahead... he is already getting compared to Ricardo Gonzalez which is some great praise right there.

One more no-hitter we tie the season record of no-hitters, and I have a feeling this might be a magical year for the pitchers in the DBL.

[illeracula]

Week 5
Current Week: 5-2 (20-13 .606, -2.0)
Next Week: 1 vs Georgetown Sixteens, 4 @ Cape May Beacons, 1 vs Milford Clippers
Power Ranking: 7 (-1, 103.8)
Fan Interest: 74 (+1)
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 13-5 .722
Away: 7-8 .467

Runs Scored: 164 (1st)
Avg: .266 (1st)
HR: 31 (t8th)
SB: 11 (11th)
Runs Against: 128 (t5th)
Starters ERA: 3.09 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.58 (12th)
Def Eff: .719 (3rd)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Naofumi Ohayashi: .419-4-12 (13-31), 5 2B, 7 R
Pitching: Nobukazu Higashi: 2 GS, 2-0 0.00, 14.2 IP, 10 H, 1 R, 9 K

Week 5:
Game 27: Chadds Ford 7, Lewes 4 (11 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 8.0 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Jonathan Loeffler (1-1): 2.0 IP, H, 2 K
Tim Meyers (SV 3): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Julio Casanes: 3-4, 2B, HR (3), 2 R, 4 RBI
Giovanni Smith: 3-5, 2 R, RBI
Phil Davis: 2-6, 2B, R
H: 14, LOB: 12

Game 28: Lewes 0, Chadds Ford 15
Nobukazo Higashi (3-2): 8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 BB, 4 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 4-4, 2 2B, 3 R, 4 RBI
Phil Davis: 3-5, 2 R, 2 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-5, 2B, 2 R, 2 RBI
Tully Maxwell: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
H: 16, LOB: 4

Game 29: Chadds Ford 1, Lewes 2
Juan Melendez: 7.0 IP, H, R, 4 BB, 3 K
Dani Rubio (2-1, BS 1): 0.0 IP, H, R
Julio Casanes: 2-3, RBI
Mu-Sang Kim: 1-4, R
H: 6, LOB: 8

Game 30: Chadds Ford 2, Lewes 6
John Robertson (0-2): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 5 K
Giovanni Smith: 1-2, 2B, 2 RBI
H: 5, LOB: 6

Game 31: Georgetown 1, Chadds Ford 5
Robert Shepherd (4-2): 8.0 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 7 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, 2B, HR (8), 2 R, 2 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, R
Francisco Chavez: 1-3, 2 RBI
H: 7, LOB: 5

Game 32: Georgetown 5, Chadds Ford 6 (14 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 7.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 2 K
Oscar Robinson: 3.2 IP, 2 H, R, 2 BB, 2 K
Eric Harmon (3-1): 0.1 IP
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-5, 2B, HR (9), 2 R, 2 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-6, R
Giovanni Smith: 2-5, 2B, 2 R
Julio Casanes: 27- 2 RBI
H: 13, LOB: 11

Game 33: Georgetown 1, Chadds Ford 11
Nobukazu Higashi (4-2): 6.0 IP, 4 H, R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K
Eric Harmon (SV 1): 3.0 IP, 3 H, BB, 2 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-3, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI
Giovanni Smith: 4-4, 3 2B, 2 R, RBI
Francisco Chavez: 1-3, 2B, 2 R
H: 15, LOB: 11



Transactions:
Demoted SS Luther Reid to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of 2B Mu-sang Kim from Triple A San Juan.

The week started with me sending Luther Reid down to AAA. He wasn't playing awfully (.228-1-11), but I felt like I could do much better with Kim and Guzman getting more playing time. And so far this season Kim is hitting .333-0-0 in 12 AB's and Guzman is hitting .292-2-7 in 24 AB's... so yes I am pleased with my decision after this week.

Demoted 3B Tully Maxwell to Triple A San Juan.
Placed CF Matt Douglas on the active roster.
Activated CF Matt Douglas from the disabled list.

At the end of the week, I made the decision to send Tully Maxwell down to AAA to get his swing back on track. His .193-4-9 (.193/.273/.336) line isn't doing much for me right now, not to mention the 37 K's that make his 23 hits look that much worse... So when Douglas was ready to come back Maxwell went down. He should be back soon. He has just been very hot and cold and his glove has been shaky lately.

Injuries:
none

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
We are scoring at a crazy high right rate 4.9 per game, and allowing just 3.8 runs per game, but for some reason something doesn't seem 'right'. I just can't place it though. I think it is that we have so many starters not hitting. Donald Hampton is hitting .189-3-11, Maxwell was hitting .194, and now his replacement is Eugene Todd is hitting only .180... I hope this feeling goes away, because I really 'think' I have built a solid team.

I am working on a deal with the Admirals to get two players for Melendez. I am not sure if that is a good thing or not. Melendez is 3-0 4.45, which will be hard to replace, but I think Gehrig Pearl is ready, and Melendez's "wrecked" injury rating scares me... 2B Brad Sims is the cornerstone of the deal for me, he is a 4.5 star prospect who is playing in A-Ball in Annapolis, but should probably be in the bigs. He has some solid ratings and he is a great defender, and he will probably walk into my starter SS by the end of the season. The other player CF Joe Hoffman is more a risk as a 'fragile' player and has had many stints on the DL, but he is ripping it up in AAA right now .322-7-24, and it would be nice to have some added OF depth.

Juan Cuesta and Eric Harmon are throwing out of the pen, but they really could be starters for this club. In fact I am surprised Patterson hasn't gone with Cuesta in the rotation. He has some solid ratings and has done a solid job when given the opportunity... I brought Melendez in thinking I would need some rotation depth or at least leadership, but now I am thinking he was a waste of money and I should have just had some faith in the young guys... however that being said there is something to be said about veteran leadership, look at what Shunyen Koyama did for us last season.

Here we are early in the season again and I am battling the same feelings I had last year, well not quite. Last season I was ready to blow up this team... I think we are in a much better place this season. Our team is missing some things, but we are and should end up with a better record than last season. However, right now, the Millers are playing like crazy. I don't know they are doing it, but they are putting up the W's. At least on paper we blow them away... so much for paper right? Their starters are over-performing and their offense gets on base and knows how to run... Maybe this is something I should look into when I start moving players, well if I start moving players. OBP and SB, along with ground-balls and WHIP.

I signed with Chadds Ford to bring home a championships. Last year we made the playoffs, this year we are a better team. So why don't I feel like I am heading in the right direction?



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 19-14 .576 (+2.0)
DE Northern: Newark Millers: 22-11 .667 (+2.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 17-16 .515 (+2.0)
WC: Chadds Ford (DEN): 20-13 .606 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 23-10 .697 (+2.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 21-12 .636 (+5.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 24-9 .727 (+5.0)
WC: Washington Senators (MVB): 21-12 .636 (+2.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Naofumi Ohayashi, Chadds Ford Cannons: 13-31, 4 HR's, 12 RBI's
MarVa: Yasushi Fujimoto, Norfolk Cavaliers: 13-28, 4 HR's, 8 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Norfolk Cavaliers (135.9)
2) Newark Millers (130.0)
3) Baltimore Barons (126.5)
4) Richmond Cardinals (117.5)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons (116.1)

News:
Washington Senators: Lost CF Salvador Espinoza for 4-weeks with a separated shoulder. The 23-year-old, 3-time stolen base king, is hitting .244-0-3 on the year.
Salisbury Ports: Lost MR Sid Boyer for 4-months with bone chips in his elbow. Boyer was 0-1 1.84 with a save in 11-games.
Seaford Blue Jays: Acquired prospect SP Trevor Peterson (1-2 3.34, #162) from the Dover Generals for SS Evan Gowing (.000/.100/.000, 0-9).
Cape May Beacons: Acquired rookie LF Manuel Collazo (0-1) from the Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs for veteran 2B Dave Simmons, who was playing in AAA.

[illeracula]

Week 6
Current Week: 4-2 (24-15 .615, -2.0)
Next Week: 3 vs Milford Clippers, 4 @ Baltimore Barons
Power Ranking: 5 (+2, 115.8)
Fan Interest: 75 (+1)
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 15-5 .750
Away: 9-10 .474

Runs Scored: 208 (1st)
Avg: .273 (1st)
HR: 38 (t7th)
SB: 16 (8th)
Runs Against: 154 (t5th)
Starters ERA: 3.28 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.43 (12th)
Def Eff: .716 (4th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Matt Douglas: .423-0-7 (11-26), 2B, 3B, 4 R
Pitching: Juan Cuesta: 3 G, 1-0 2.45, 7.1 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 7 K

Week 6:
Game 34: Georgetown 3, Chadds Ford 11
Jose Melendez (4-0): 5.0 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K
Juan Cueast: 3.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, K
Phil Davis: 4-4 , 2B, HR (5), 3 R, 2 RBI
Giovanni Smith: 2-3, 2B, HR (1), R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, R, 2 RBI
H: 16, LOB: 3

Game 35: Chadds Ford 6, Cape May 1
John Roberston (1-2): 9.0 IP, 10 H, R, BB, 2 K
Matt Douglas: 3-6, RBI
Donald Hampton: 2-2, 2B, R
Julio Casanes: 1-6, HR (4), R, RBI
Giovanni SmitH: 2-4, 3B, R, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 14

Game 36: Chadds Ford 2, Cape May 3
Robert Shepherd (4-3): 8.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, BB, 10 K
Phil Davis: 2-4, R
Matt Douglas: 2-4, R
Julio Casanes: 1-3, 2 RBI
H: 6, LOB: 6

Game 37: Chadds Ford 6, Cape May 5 (11 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, BB, 6 K
Jonathan Loeffler (2-1): 2.0 IP, H, 2 BB, K
Tim Meyers (SV 4): 1.0 IP, H, 2 R, BB
Giovanni Smith: 1-5, HR (2), R, RBI
Phil Davis: 1-5, HR (6), 2 R, RBI
Ryan Urbina: 1-1, R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 1-4, 2B, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 6

Game 38: Chadds Ford 1, Cape May 10
Nobukazu Higashi (4-3): 2.0 IP, 7 H, 8 R, BB, 2 K
Mu-Sang Kim: 1-3
H: 5, LOB: 5

Game 39: Milton 4, Chadds Ford 18
Juan Melendez: 4.2 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 4 K
Juan Cuesta (1-1): 2.2 IP, 2 R, 5 K
Francisco Chavez: 2-3, HR (3), 3 R, 2 RBI
Don Foley: 3-6, 2B, HR (1), 2 R, 4 RBI
Mu-Sang Kim: 3-6, 2 R, 2 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, 3B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Phil Davis: 2-5, 3 R, RBI
H: 20, LOB: 10



Transactions:
Placed 2B Juan Guzmán on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/13/2037.
Placed LF Giovanni Smith on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/17/2037.
Purchased the contract of LF Russell Worsfold from Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of 3B Tully Maxwell from Triple A San Juan.

Injuries:
2B Juan Guzman, sprained elbow, 2-weeks, 6 days left
OF Giovanni Smith, hip soreness, 6-days, 10 days left

I didn't really have to put Smith on the DL, but I felt with Guzman going down I just needed some fresh legs. Despite he is really "day-to-day" it just made sense, he was putting up some solid numbers this year .314-2-10 since taking over the starting role... With Guzman heading down, Maxwell will take over. Maxwell has been crushing in AAA .346-3-5 so hopefully he can bring that streak to Chadds Ford.

Other/Roster News:
With the injuries and Ryan Urbina hitting he has moved into the starting lineup. Hitting .315-1-8 in 21 games. I am looking forward to him in the lineup.

GM Notes:
I am trying to trade Melendez and get Sims, but I am having issues doing so. The Admirals are just asking for too much and won't pull the trigger. I am not giving up hope yet, but it is getting close... I was worried about trading Melendez for "leadership" reasons, but he isn't a leader, so it makes the decision a little easier. One reason I need to make this deal is to free up space on the 40-man roster for Jose Ayala. This kid is a gamer and he is ready to play in Chadds Ford. A solid SS, with great speed, he is hitting .308-6-29 in 163 AB's so far, but I just have no roster moves to fit him in right now.

I am surprised how "weak" I think this offense is, but somehow we lead the league in runs scored and batting average. So maybe I am being to hard on them and I need to focus more on the pitching. Is it time to start bringing up some of the young guys? Pearl or Gutierrez? I am a little worried about rushing Gutierrez as I have ruined some of these other guys (or so I think) by rushing them.

This has been a solid season so far. If you told me that we had a winning pct of .615 at this point I would be shocked. I really didn't think the season was going that well, but here we are. If we can keep this going I know we will overtake the Millers, they just aren't that good. Soon however we will be in a win now slot as players like Douglas, Davis, Ohayashi, Shepherd, Hi, Loeffler and others will be too costly for our budget. I really want a title in Chadds Ford before I hang it up, and I think we have the foundation to make it happen.

My catching is hurting us and I think I will be forced to make a move soon. Donald Hampton won me over two years ago and has struggled since. This year he is hitting .198-3-14, while his back-up is hitting .241-1-10, and I wish I would see Foley in the lineup more. In AAA we have Raul Garcia who isn't playing much, and is our best defensive option. Jose Matos who is my starting AAA catcher hitting .291-5-21 but he isn't any good behind the plate... and then there is my top prospect Miguel Cortesini who started the season off hot in AAA (.302-2-10), but he went down injured and will miss 3-4 more weeks. Matos might be coming up soon... maybe its time to move Hampton, but he does have a 52.4 CS%, which is crazy, and 16 points higher than his previous high.

I hope we can stay hot and finish this month strong. And over the next two weeks I am hoping that I can start building my confidence in this team.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 22-17 .564 (+2.0)
DE Northern: Newark Millers: 26-13 .667 (+2.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens: 19-20 .487 (+1.0)
WC1: Chadds Ford (DEN): 24-15 .615 (+4.0)
WC2: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEC): 21-18 .538 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 28-11 .718 (+3.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 26-16 .590 (+5.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 28-11 .718 (+5.0)
WC1: Washington Senators (MVB): 25-14 .641 (+5.0)
WC2: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 23-16 .590 (+3.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Marvin Garrett, Lewes Braves: 8-18, 3 HR's, 6 RBI's
MarVa: Antonio Lopez, Salisbury Ports: 11-26, 5 HR's, 6 R's, 11 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Baltimore Barons (137.2)
2) Norfolk Cavaliers (134.2)
3) Newark Millers (126.0)
4) Washington Senators (119.4)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons (115.8)

News:
Ellicott City Express: The oft-hurt OF Mike Johnson is heading back to the DL, this time for 5-weeks with a sprained ankle. Johnson is hitting .274-8-26 on the season and is one of the games best when on the field.
Washington Senators: Will be without power-hitting OF Ricardo Hidalgo. Hidalgo is 32 HR's shy of becoming the first player in DBL history to reach 700. At 39-years-old the race might be coming to a close. He will miss 4-weeks with a sprained ankle. On the season he is hitting .294-13-31.
Annapolis Admirals: 3B Rafael Ramirez became the first hitter to reach to 20 straight games this season. The 3B has been huge part of the the Admirals success hitting .355-5-18.
Washington Senators: Lost 3B John Minor for 4-weeks with a strained biceps. Minor is hitting .265-3-13 on the year.
Ellicott City Express: OF Don Hamilton is done for the season with a torn PCL. The 33-year-old has battled injuries during his career. He hit .222-4-13 in 36 gamest his season.

[illeracula]

Week 7
Current Week: 3-4 (27-19 .587, -2.0)
Next Week: 4 @ Newark Millers, 2 vs New Castle Colonials
Power Ranking: 5 (--, 102.7)
Fan Interest: 76 (+1)
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 17-6 .739
Away: 10-13 .435

Runs Scored: 241 (1st)
Avg: .271 (1st)
HR: 44 (t8th)
SB: 17 (9th)
Runs Against: 187 (6th)
Starters ERA: 3.44 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.60 (12th)
Def Eff: .714 (3rd)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Phil Davis: .303-2-5 (10-33), 2 2B, 6 R
Pitching: John Robertson: 2 GS, 1-1 3.52, 15.1 IP, 12 H, 4 BB, 12 K

Week 7:
Game 40: Milford 2, Chadds Ford 1 (10 Innings)
Robert Shepherd: 8.0 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 13 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (2-2): 1.2 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB, 3 K
Matt Douglas: 2-5, 2B
Francisco Chavez: 1-3, 2B, R
H: 5, LOB: 8

Game 41: Milford 2, Chadds Ford 8
John Robertson (2-2): 8.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, BB, 8 K
Phil Davis: 3-5, 2 2B, HR (7), 2 R, 3 RBI
Ryan Urbina: 2-5, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Matt Douglas: 3-5, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, R
H: 15, LOB: 9

Game 42: Milford 3, Chadds Ford 8
Ying-Hua Ji (2-2): 8.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 9 K
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 2 2B, RBI
Phil Davis: 2-4, HR (8), R, 2 RBI
Dan Foley: 1-4, HR (2), R, 3 RBI
H: 11, LOB: 6

Game 43: Chadds Ford 3, Baltimore 2
Nobukazi Higashi: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K
Juan Cuestas (2-1): 0.1 IP
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 7): 1.0 IP, K
Ryan Urbina: 2-4, HR (2), R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-3, RBI
Francisco Chavez: 1-3, HR (4), R, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 7

Game 44: Chadds Ford 7, Baltimore 8
Juan Melendez: 5.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, BB, 5 K
Oscar Robinson (2-1, BS 1): 0.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R
Phil Davis: 4-5, 2 R
Ryan Urbina: 3-5, 2B, R
Matt Douglas: 2-5, R, 2 RBI
Francisco Chavez: 2-4, 2 2B, 3 RBI
H: 13, LOB: 5

Game 45: Chadds Ford 4, Baltimore 10
Robert Shepherd (4-4): 3.0 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 5 K
Juan Cuesta: 3.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 2 K
Ricardo Bravo: 1-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Dan Foley: 2-3, R
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-5, R
H: 8, LOB: 10

Game 46: Chadds Ford 2, Baltimore 6
John Robertson (2-3): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
Naofumi Ohayahsi: 2-3, HR (10), 2 R, RBI
Tully Maxwell: 1-4, 2B
H: 4, LOB: 6



Transactions:
Placed RP Dani Rúbio on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 05/21/2037.
Purchased the contract of RP Jorge Matos from Triple A San Juan.

Injuries:
2B Juan Guzman, sprained elbow, 11-day DL, 1 week
OF Giovanni Smith, hip soreness, 11-day DL, 3 days
MR Dani Rubio, strained forearm, 11 day DL, 7-8 weeks

Rúbio Out 8 Weeks: A blow for Dani Rúbio today -- team doctors were able to determine the full extent of his recent injury. He will miss 8 weeks with a forearm strain. Rúbio suffered the injury on 05/21/2037. The team will likely place Rúbio on the disabled list today. So far this season, Rúbio has a 2-1 won-lost record with no saves. He has made 16 relief appearances, logged 15 innings and fanned 12 batters while fashioning a 3.60 ERA and allowing the opposition a .200 batting average.

Other/Roster News:
none.

GM Notes:
The Baltimore Series wrecked us! We were tied for first heading into that series and the Barons just owned us... which isn't a good sign, since our interleauge team this season is the Barons who we will end up playing 12 times. Which means games like last week are big games, just a bad time to be playing a team like the Barons.

I figured we had a solid team heading into this season after last years showing, we didn't lose much, and I figured we gained a bit. And after you take into consideration of the youth growing it makes sense that we should be getting better... but the pitching just isn't following along. Really its the bullpen mostly, I just can't get much from any of them. Maybe it is my fault because I have too many starters in the pen, or maybe they are just burnt out.

Maybe I should find a new team-leader out of the bullpen. There has to be one out there who is talented enough to keep around. Sort of like what I got out of Pedro Rivera last season. That is really the big difference, losing two veteran leaders. I just thought someone else was ready to step-up and take over that role! How long does it take a young player with leadership ability to actually be able to lead on and off the field. One thing I will say I am happy about is the teams morale has been much better than I had to deal with in the past. Have all the bad apples been removed??

I am still trying to deal Melendez and I think I am going to try to move Urbina who is read hot right now. He was an all-star and a platinum bat award winner, so he has talent. Just all offense no defense. But he is hitting .337/.390/.467 right now... It is hard to figure out what kind of move to make, you don't want to sell the youth and the future for a big-name or a top player now, right? You have to look forward to the future, unless this is going to be our only season. Which I don't think it will be, we have a deep minor league system so we should be ok for a while.

Now we take on the Millers and with a 2-game deficit this is a big first half series for the Cannons. I feel like we match up well with them and we should be able to win some games, and we have the middle of our rotation going... I would like a sweep, but realistically 2 of 4 is what I should be hoping for.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 25-21 .543 (+2.0)
DE Northern: Newark Millers: 29-17 .630 (+2.0)
DE Atlantic: Georgetown Sixteens/Lewes Braves/Milton Brewers: 22-24 .478 (+3.0)
WC1: Chadds Ford Cannons (DEN): 27-19 .587 (+4.0)
WC2: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEC): 25-21 .543 (+2.0)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 32-14 .696 (+5.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 25-21 .543 (+2.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 31-15 .674 (+3.0)
WC1: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 28-18 .609 (+6.0)
WC2: Washington Senators (MVB): 27-19 .587 (+5.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Naoaki Okubo, Georgetown Sixteens: 12-24, 5 HR's, 12 RBI's
MarVa: Ignacio Coronado, Martinsburg Mountaineers: 18-33, 6 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Baltimore Barons (132.2)
2) Norfolk Cavaliers (118.3)
3) Newark Millers (115.5)
4) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (111.6)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons/Washington Senators (102.7)

News:
Norfolk Cavaliers: Lost SS Ramon Lorenzo for 4-weeks with a stained ab muscle. The SS is hitting .290-5-23 on the year.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: SS Ignacio Coronado went 6-7 during a 17-inning, 5 to 4 victory, against the Cav's. Coronado scored 2 times and drove in 2.
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Rookie OF Alan Willis had a day to remember going 5 for 5 during a 11-5 win over the Blue Hens. Willis is hitting .370-2-10 since getting the call.
Annapolis Admirals: 3B Rafael Ramirez had his hitting streak snapped at 24-games, the longest of 2037.
New Castle Colonials: C Jorge Rose went 0-4 snapping his 20-game hitting streak. On the year the catcher is hitting .283-11-21.
Annapolis Admirals: Lost MR Cristobal Diaz for the rest of the year. The 38-year-old went down with a stretched elbow ligament. On the year he was 0-2 9.00 in 16 games. There is no word on if he will return next season.
Newark Millers: The Millers continued to stay hot, and so did catcher Tom Kirk, crushing 3 HR's during a 6-4 win over the Clippers.

Delaware Conference All-Star Voting: Current top vote getter: SP Robert Shepherd, Chadds Ford: 439,756
MarVa Conference All-Star Voting: Current top vote getter: SS Petar Mrdja, Salisbury Ports: 445,048

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - May 2037



Delaware Conference

DE Conf Presents Batter of Month Trophy to Okubo: In May, Georgetown Sixteens first baseman Naoaki Okubo claimed the Delaware Conference Batter of the Month award. The 28-year-old swung with confidence, hitting .361 with 9 home runs, 24 RBIs and 20 runs scored. This season Okubo has hit 11 home runs and posted a .303 batting average.

DE Conf Selects Richards May's #1 Pitcher: As Shawn Richards hoisted up the Delaware Conference Pitcher of the Month trophy for May, rumors have already begun to swirl about whether he will leave Lewes once his contract is up at the end of the season. Richards put pressure on the Braves to keep him around by posting a 4-0 record and an ERA of 2.32 over 31 innings last month. He also rolled up 40 strikeouts, increasing his value both to Lewes and to every other team in the league. This year Richards has made 5 starts, thrown 39 innings, fanned 51 batters and walked 23. His won-lost record is 4-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

Delaware Conference Names Rookie of Month: Youngster Elwood Krause emerged as the latest Delaware Conference Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Seaford deserved the honor, batting .274 with 6 home runs and 15 runs batted in. Is the month of May a harbinger of things to come or just a fluke? We'll find out someday, but for now, we'll just let Krause enjoy the limelight. This year Krause is hitting at a .298 pace with 8 home runs and 19 RBIs. He has played in 33 games and scored 17 times.

MarVa Conference

MV Conf's #1 Batter Chosen: May's outstanding offensive player in the MarVa Conference has been picked and the honor goes to the Annapolis third baseman Rafael Ramírez. He won the award by batting .417, hitting 7 home runs, knocking in 22 runs and scoring 24 times. In 50 games Ramírez is hitting .359 this season with 71 hits, 8 home runs, 29 RBIs, 16 walks, .409 OBP and has scored 35 runs.

Rocha Garners MV Conf #1 Pitcher Award: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Júlio Rocha still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in May. The 36-year-old starter for Washington was named MarVa Conference Pitcher of the Month earlier today. He collected 5 wins and 1 loss with 39 strikeouts in his 6 starts, putting up a fine 1.59 ERA in 51 innings of work. Up to now Rocha has recorded a record of 6-2. In 11 starts he has fanned 57 batters in 78.1 innings with a 2.87 ERA.

MV Conf Selects Rookie Star of the Month: Alan Willis's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Chesapeake center fielder has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month. In May he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award. During the month he hit .370 with 8 doubles, no triples and 2 home runs. Willis also scored 17 times and drove in 11 runs. Thus far this season Willis has hit .370 with 2 home runs, 11 RBIs and scored 17 times.

Standings - July 1st, 2037

Colonial Division
Current Leader: Milford Clippers - 28-24 .538 (+2.0)
Predicted: Milford Clippers - 101-61 .623 (+10.0)

Northern Division
Current Leader: Newark Millers / Chadds Ford Cannons - 31-21 .596 (+4.0)
Predicted: Chadds Ford Cannons - 92-70 .568 (+1.0)

Atlantic Division
Current Leader: Lewes Braves - 28-24 .538 (+2.0)
Predicted: Georgetown Sixteens - 98-64 .605 (+2.0)

Wild Cards:
Newark Millers / Chadds Ford Cannons - 31-21 .596 (+5.0)
Wilmington Iron Pigs - 27-25 .519 (+1.0)

Beltway Division
Current Leader: Balitmore Barons - 36-16 .692 (+7.0)
Predicted: Washington Senators - 102-60 .630 (+8.0)

Mountain Division
Current Leader: Richmond Cardinals - 27-24 .529 (+1.5)
Predicted: Richmond Cardinals - 100-62 ..617 (+14.0)

Coastal Division
Current Leader: Norfolk Cavaliers - 35-17 .673 (+2.0)
Predicted: Norfolk Cavaliers - 95-67 .586 (+20.0)

Wild Cards:
Chesapeake Blue Crabs - 33-19 .635 (+7.0)
Washington Senators - 29-23 .558 (+3.0)

Leaderboard - July 1st, 2037

Delawre Conference Leaders:
Average: Todd McFarland, Blue Jays: .356
HR: Ivan Sanchez, Iron Pigs: 15
RBI: Brian Anderson, Millers: 41
SB: Julian De Jesus, Brewers: 17
WAR: Enrique Lopez, Blue Jays: 2.4

ERA: Martin Beaulieu, Millers: 1.87
W: Three tied with 8
K's: Robert Shepherd, Cannons: 94
SV: Ruben Dano Dasmarinas, Generals: 17
WAR: Robert Shepherd, Cannons: 3.0

MarVa Conference Leaders:
Average: Hector Pagan, Cardinals: .360
HR: Winston Davis, Cardinals: 22
RBI: Winston Davis, Cardinals: 49
SB: David Gonzalez, Barons: 26
WAR: Hector Pagan, Cardinals: 3.8

ERA: Luis Ventura, Ports: 1.94
W: Bob Davis, Cavaliers / Sergio Gallegos, Cavaliers: 8
K's: Pablo Gonzalez, Express / Jose Hernandez, Barons: 78
SV: Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Cavaliers: 17
WAR: Jose Hernandez, Barons: 3.0

[illeracula]

Week 8
Current Week: 4-2 (31-21 .596, 0.0)
Next Week: 2 vs New Castle Colonials, 4 @ Wilmington Iron Pigs, 1 vs Dover Generals
Power Ranking: 4 (+1, 109.3)
Fan Interest: 77 (+1)
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 19-6 .760
Away: 12-15 .444

Runs Scored: 241 (1st)
Avg: .271 (1st)
HR: 44 (t8th)
SB: 17 (9th)
Runs Against: 187 (6th)
Starters ERA: 3.44 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.60 (12th)
Def Eff: .714 (3rd)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Phil Davis: .310-1-12 (9-29), 3 2B, 5 R
Pitching: Tim Meyers: 3G, 2-1 1.69, 5.1 IP, 4 H, 6 K

Week 8:
Game 47: Chadds Ford 7, Newark 6
Score 4 in the 8th, 3 in the 9th
Ying-Hua Ji: 4.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Tim Meyers (1-1): 0.1 IP
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 8): 1.0 IP
Phil Davis: 2-5, 2B, R, 3 RBI
Tully Maxwell: 2-4, 2B, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-4, 2B, R
Julio Casanes: 1-4, 2 RBI
H: 11, LOB: 6

Game 48: Chadds Ford 11, Newark 4
Nobukazu Higashi (5-3): 6.0 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 3 ER, BB, 6 K
Juan Cuesta (SV 1): 3.0 IP, 3 H, 4 K
Ricardo Bravo: 4-5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI
Phil Davis: 3-5, HR (9), R, 6 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-5, HR (5), R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 3-5, 2B, R, RBI
H: 18, LOB: 9

Game 49: Chadds Ford 1, Newark 3
Juan Melendez (4-1): 5.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, BB, 7 K
Ryan Urbina: 1-3, HR (3), R, RBI
H: 4, LOB: 5

Game 50: Chadds Ford 4, Newark 5
Robert Shepherd: 8.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 12 K
Tim Meyers (1-2): 0.0 IP, H, R
Tully Maxwell: 1-4, 2B, R, RBI
Don Foley: 1-1, R, RBI
H: 6, LOB: 5

Game 51: New Castle 3, Chadds Ford 4 (15 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 8.0 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Tim Meyers (2-2): 5.0 IP, 3 H, 6 K
Tully Maxwell: 2-2, HR (5), R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 3-5, HR (6), R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-5, R
H: 11, LOB: 7

Game 52: New Castle 3, Chadds Ford 7
Nobokazu Higashi (6-3): 6.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 5 K
Jorge Matos (SV 1): 1.0 IP
Phil Davis: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, 2B, R
H: 9, LOB: 5



Transactions:
LF Bo Keller was designated for assignment and placed on waivers.
Placed LF Giovanni Smith on the active roster.
Activated LF Giovanni Smith from the disabled list.
Demoted LF Russell Worsfold to Triple A San Juan.
Placed LF Bo Keller on the 40-man roster.
Placed LF Bo Keller on the active roster.

Well as you can see I was busy making some weird moves. I didn't realize that Worsfold was on the team, called up on the 18th, he didn't play for the 10-days he was on the Roster. So down he went and I quickly brought Keller back up and removed him from waivers. I didn't want to waive Keller, so I am glad I didn't lose him. That being said I am close to getting Mark Hoover from waivers and if that happens Keller will be waived again.

I claimed OF Mark Hoover from waivers and turned around and waived him. He he passes through I am hoping to send him to AAA. Otherwise I will release him. I just have no room for him and after reviewing him vs Bo Keller I think Bo is better fro the clubhouse... however, Hoover is known as a great clubhouse man, so maybe I will rethink that. He was hitting .242-0-1 in 33 AB's for the Cavaliers before he was waived.

Injuries:
2B Juan Guzman, sprained elbow, 11-day DL, ready to be activated
MR Dani Rubio, strained forearm, 11 day DL, 6-7 weeks

Other/Roster News:
none

GM Notes:
I keep trying to make a move with Melendez for Sims I think I am getting close, even if my Assistant GM thinks I am crazy. I am about to ship 3-big-league players off for 3 minor leaguers, of which one might be worth something one day. And yes I said might, you really never know. I have never been able to get a feel for how my scout works since I have been working with him. And now his contract is up which is making me think long and hard about what I should do with him. He is a 'legendary' scout so I really feel like I 'need' to keep him around.

I have to keep telling myself we are having a good season, we are tied for first, we are winning games, but still something doesn't feel right and I just can't place my finger on it. Maybe it is because our offense isn't playing on full tilt. Maxwell and Hampton to name a few are just not getting the job done and I really don't have much of a solution for them right now. Maybe that is why I just can't beat this feeling that something is wrong... that being said Maxwell has finally raised his average up over .200.

I have been here since 2030 and we are finally putting W's up on the scoreboard, ever since June of last season this team has turned into something else. We have a good solid core and based on players ratings we should be able to contend this season. With the extra wild-card we are in a good position to get into the playoffs and make some noise. But a lot needs to happen over the next 110 games. We have to continue to win, we have to stay healthy, the bullpen has to get their heads on straight, and at least 1/3 of the starting line-up needs to get their bats going.

Robert Shepherd and Ying-Hua Ji are a solid 1-2, but it seems like they aren't getting the run support to get the W's they need. I can't remember the last time Ji pulled down a W it seems like forever a go. This week he added 2 ND's to his record. I will need these two guys to pull down some W's the rest of the way... why? Well because they will look better and one of them might be traded this coming off season. The money issue's that I have with the low budget are troublesome. It is sometimes hard to keep that many "top" players around. Ji has 4 decisions in 11 starts.

Speaking of starters John Robertson has done a solid since joining the rotation. He 6 starts he is 2-3 3.27, which I have to say is better than I was expecting. He has 28 K's in 44 innings, and has allowed only 40 hits. If he can keep his whip around 1.3 he should be a formidable starter for me this season. I do want to get Gehrig Pearl, Juan Cuesta, and Bill Summers on this roster, but I just don't have the roster slots to get them back up here.

Not much more to say, we keep on winning we will be in good shape. We don't it will be a long season. The owner is happy, hte players are happy we are in first I will put my feelings aside and say this season has been great so far. We did just win 18 games in May after a 13 win April... hopefully this is our year.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 28-24 .538 (+2.0)
DE Northern: Newark Millers/Chadds Ford Cannons: 31-21 .596 (+4.0)
DE Atlantic: Lewes Braves: 28-24 .538 (+2.0)
WC1: Newark Millers(DEN)/Chadds Ford Colonials (DEN): 31-21 .596 (+5.0)
WC2: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 27-25 .519 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 36-16 .692 (+7.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 27-24 .529 (+1.5)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 35-27 .673 (+2.0)
WC1: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 33-19 .635 (+7.0)
WC2: Washington Senators (MVB): 29-23 .558 (+3.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Eduardo Juarez, New Castle Colonials: 9-23, 4 HR's, 5 RBI's
MarVa: Ira Kelly, Washington Senators: 8-18, 3 HR's, 4 RBI's, 6 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Baltimore Barons (131.6)
2) Norfolk Cavaliers (123.2)
3) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (122.2)
4) Chadds Ford Cannons (109.3)
5) Lewes Braves (108.9)

News:
Harpers Ferry Raiders: Lost 1B Antonio Rosario for the rest of the season with a torn PCL. Rosario was hitting .255-4-10 for the Raiders.
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Lost CF Jarred Martin for the rest of the year with a torn labrum. Martin was hitting .267-5-16 during his sophomore season.
Lewes Braves: Acquired MR Steve Thomas (1-0 4.50) from the Salisbury Ports for 3B Bill Carroll (0-4, #38). A deal which left many analysts scratching their heads!

Delaware Conference: 1B Naoaki Okubo of the Georgetown Sixteens took over the top spot in votes in the DE Conference displacing Robert Shepherd. Okubo has 1,022,738 votes and holds a slim lead over Gabino Miller of the Blue Jays. Shepherd has falling to #3 in starting pitchers after recent struggles.
MarVa Conference: SS Petar Mrdja of the Salisbury Ports was replaced by Tyrone Jackson of the Martinsburg Mountaineers as the top vote getter in the MarVa Conference. Jackson having another MVP season now has 1,022,775. He has a 7+ million vote lead over Cardinals catcher Hector Pagan.

[illeracula]

DBL News: First-Year Player Draft:
For the newcomer to professional baseball, today's amateur draft is a rite of passage. Every young player in the country is filtered through the draft pool, assessed, reassessed, scrutinized and run through several mock drafts even before they get to the real thing. But on draft day, once you've been picked, you have a shot to do what so few men in history have done, become a DELMARVA Baseball League ballplayer. Harpers Ferry, Harrington, Salisbury, Ocean City and Cape May will have the first five picks. The top ten players, as rated by BNN, are:

1. Crisp Klin, 21 year-old RHP out of college.
2. Ron Brown, 19 year-old LHP out of high-school.
3. José Díaz, 21 year-old LHP out of college.
4. Jeremiah Christensen, 21 year-old RHP out of college.
5. José Águila, 20 year-old CF out of college.
6. Raleigh Haynes, 21 year-old RHP out of college.
7. Kiyomasu Kono, 19 year-old CF out of college.
8. Jim Shelton, 22 year-old SS out of college.
9. Michael Jones, 21 year-old RHP out of college.
10. Brent West, 21 year-old CF out of college.

These ballclubs will have the first five choices: Harpers Ferr Raiders, Harrington Ponies, Salisbury Ports, Ocean City Tourists and the Cape May Beacons.

The Cannons will pick 21st in the first round, no-picks in the second round, 25th pick in the third round and 14th and 22nd in the fourth.

DBL History of #1 Picks:
Here is a look at the past #1's, there is a lot of talent there. Jorge Moran fell just short of the Hall-of-Fame vote this year, but he should be a lock next. Will Riley should make it to the Hall and Cornell Pearson will be a close vote. Having his career end early due to injury is going to hurt him.

2013 - Jorge Moran (SP), Chesapeake Blue Crabs, Columbia University
Retired: 2030 | 200 Wins, 2382 K's, 530 G's | ** 2037 Hall-of-Fame **

2014 - Gabriel Santos (SP), Norfolk Cavaliers, High School (My only #1 Selection)
Retired: 2026 | 6 W's, 31 SV, 208 G's

2015 - Phil Carlson (SP), Lewes Braves, High School
Retired: 2023 | Never made it to the bigs

2016 - Will Riley (C), Ellicott City Express, Vanderbilt U
Retired: 2033 | .298, 463 HR's, 1500 RBI's, 6x All-Star, Newcomer Award

2017 - Cornell Pearson (SP) Seaford Blue Jays, Creighton
Retired: 2032 | 384 G's, 192 W's, 2077 K's | ** 2037 Hall-of-Fame **

2018 - Pablo Garcia (SP), Salisbury Ports, Oral Roberts University
Retired: 2032 | 423 G's, 163 W's, 1595 K's

2019 - Shunen Koyama (SS), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, U of New Mexico
Retired: 2037 | 5x All-Star, Glove Wizard

2020 - Will Hayes (3B), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, Farleigh Dickinson College
Retired: 2030 | 248 G's, 204 H's, 21 HR's

2021 - Steve Cole (SP), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, High School
Active | Free-Agent

2022 - Brooks Carlson (SP), Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs, High School
Active | Baltimore Barons

2023 - Ryan McCoy (SP), Ellicott City Express, TCU
Active | Baltimore Barons

2024 - Ernie Kennedy (SP), Ellicott City Express, HS
Active | Georgetown Sixteens | 6x All-Star, Golden Arm Winner

2025 - Mike Johnson (OF), Milton Brewers, U of Miami
Active | Ellicott City Express | Newcomer Award, MVP, 7x All-Star, 4 Glove Wizard

2026 - Allen Graves (1B), Richmond Cardinals, Lehigh U
Active | Milton Brewers

2027 - Stephen Bentall (SS), Annapolis Admirals, St Norbert College
Active | Georgetown Sixteens | 4x All-Star

2028 - Dennis MacPherson (SP), Baltimore Barons, Wichita State U. (didn't sign, re-entered 2029 / R1/P12)
Retired: 2037

2029 - Roy Okumura (OF), Richmond Cardinals, Farleigh Dickinson College
Active | Richmond Cardinals | Starting RF

2030 - Jose Aguilar (OF), Cape May Beacons, U of Georgia
Active | Cape May Beacons | Newcomer Award, Glove Wizard, All-Star

2031 - Jon Hughes (3B), Martinsburg Mountaineers, U of St. Louis
Active | Martinsburg Mountaineers | Platinum Bat Award

2032 - Chris Mildmay (SS), King George Royals, HS
Active | King George Royals

2033 - Van Casey (C), Salisbury Ports, HS
Active | SA (Salisbury Ports) | #12 Ports Prospect

2034 - Tyrone Jackson, Martinsburg Mountaineers, HS
Active | Martinsburg Mountaineers | 2035 Newcomer of the Year, 2x All-Star, 2x Platinum Bat

2035 - Tony Luke Jr, Cape May Beacons, NC State
Active | AAA (Cape May) | #7 prospect

2036 - Luke Garza, Salisbury Ports, St. Johns U
Active | A (Salisbury) | #22 prospect

First-Year Player Draft - First Round Results:
Harpers Ferry Raiders: Drafted SP Wes O'Rourke in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 1, 1st overall pick).
Harrington Ponies: Drafted CF Kiyomasu Kono in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 2, 2nd overall pick).
Salisbury Ports: Drafted SS Manuel Mendoza in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 3, 3rd overall pick).
Ocean City Tourists: Drafted CF Brent West in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 4, 4th overall pick).
Cape May Beacons: Drafted SP Will Holt in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 5, 5th overall pick).
New Castle Colonials: Drafted SP José Díaz in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 6, 6th overall pick).
Chesapeake Blue Crabs: Drafted CF José Águila in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 7, 7th overall pick).
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Drafted SP Crisp Klin in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 8, 8th overall pick).
Christiana Blue Hens: Drafted SS Jim Shelton in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 9, 9th overall pick).
Milton Brewers: Drafted SP Jeremiah Christensen in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 10, 10th overall pick).
Wilmington Iron Pigs: Drafted C Brian Smith in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 11, 11th overall pick).
King George Royals: Drafted SP Ron Brown in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 12, 12th overall pick).
Virginia Beach Surf Dawgs: Drafted SS Bob Mortin in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 13, 13th overall pick).
Dover Generals: Drafted SP William Powell in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 14, 14th overall pick).
Christiana Blue Hens: Drafted CF Andy Page in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 15, 15th overall pick).
Milford Clippers: Drafted SP Nick Brown in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 16, 16th overall pick).
Newark Millers: Drafted RF Clemente Lucarelli in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 17, 17th overall pick).
Ellicott City Express: Drafted SP Ryan Marshall in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 18, 18th overall pick).
Georgetown Sixteens: Drafted SP Artie Bright in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 19, 19th overall pick).
Annapolis Admirals: Drafted SP Michael Swift in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 20, 20th overall pick).
Chadds Ford Cannons: Drafted CF Roberto Ruíz in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick).
Norfolk Cavaliers: Drafted 2B Felipe Hernández in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 22, 22nd overall pick).
Richmond Cardinals: Drafted SP Michael Jones in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 23, 23rd overall pick).
Seaford Blue Jays: Drafted SP Juan Beltrán in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 24, 24th overall pick).



History of Cannons #1's
2030: Dragoljub Karadzic | Pick: 3 | Signed: $1,400,000
Debut: 2031 | Traded to Cape May Beacons

2031: Jonathan Loeffler | Pick: 4 | Signed: $3,750,000
Debut: 2032 | Closer | 2-3 5.50, 10 SV

2032: Matt Douglas | Pick: 4 | Signed: $7,360,000
Debut: 2032 | Centerfield | .280-1-13, 0.4 WAR

2033: Bill Summers | Pick: 7 | Signed: $2,400,000
Debut: 2035 | AAA | Chadds Ford 2035-2036, 37 games

2034: Gehrig Pearl | Pick: 7 | Signed: $2,590,000
Debut: 2036 | AAA | 14 Chadds Ford Starts in 2036

2035: Otto Carrillo | Pick: 14 | Signed: $2,100,000
Triple-A | 49 G, .287-3-36 | #10 Chadds Ford Prospect

2036: Tully Maxwell | Pick: 15 | Signed: $1,380,000
Debut: 2036 | Third-Base | .209-5-13

================================================== =
2037 Chadds Ford 1st Year Player Draft Results:
Drafted CF Roberto Ruíz in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick).
Signability: Hard | Demand: $460,000 | Offer: $460,000
Norfolk State University (Norfolk, VA)
Elias: "Ruiz has a really high ceiling"
Age: 21 | CON: 5/9, GAP: 9/13, HR: 5/12, EYE: 6/11, Ks: 2/9

Drafted CF Donald Porter in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 25, 84th overall pick).
Signability: Impossible | Demand: ?? | Offer: $460,000
Fordham University (NY, NY)
Elias: "Porter has the skill to get into the lineup one day and be a solid hitter."
Age: 23 | CON: 5/9, GAP: 11/11, HR: 12/17, EYE: 6/11, Ks: 2/4
** I messed up with Porter by offering him slot. I should have negoiated and give him some money he couldn't refuse. He is 23-years-old so I am hoping he will consider this or at least allow me to give him a counter.

Drafted SP Ramiro Flores in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 14, 102nd overall pick).
Signability: Extremely Hard | Demand: $200,000 | Offer: $210,000
Oregon State University (Eugene, OR)
Elias: "His stuff shows respectable potential"
Age: 20 | STU: 6/10, MOV: 7/10, CON: 6/12

Drafted RF Jude Winchester in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 22, 110th overall pick).
Signability: Normal | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $200,000
Atlantic Baptist University (New Brunswick, Canada)
Elias: "Winchester has plus raw power and the chance to be a run producer."
Age: 21 | CON: 5/8, GAP: 6/9, HR: 7/14, EYE: 6/12, Ks: 2/7

Drafted C Cipriano Ibarra in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 22, 136th overall pick).
Signability: Extremely Hard | Demand: $250,000 | Offer: $250,000
Richmond University (Richmond, VA)
Elias: "There is room to get strong, and he could be a 15 home run guy down the road"
Age: 20 | CON: 5/11, GAP: 4/9, HR: 2/10, EYE: 6/13, Ks: 3/8

Drafted SP Gary Cooper in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 6, Pick 22, 162nd overall pick).
Drafted SP Ángel Gómez in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 7, Pick 22, 188th overall pick).
Great Valley HS (Malvern, PA)
Elias: "Nice stuff for a young kid. Should toss some strong innings."
Signability: Impossible | Demand: ?? | Offer: $1,000,000

Drafted SP Ray Jensen in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 8, Pick 22, 214th overall pick).
Drafted SP Everett Parker in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 9, Pick 22, 240th overall pick).
Drafted SS Gerald Alexander in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 10, Pick 22, 266th overall pick).
Drafted SP Ricardo Rowe in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 11, Pick 22, 292nd overall pick).
Drafted SP Chris Morgan in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 12, Pick 22, 318th overall pick).
Drafted SP Walt Franklin in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 13, Pick 22, 344th overall pick).
Drafted C Andy Smith in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 14, Pick 22, 370th overall pick).
Drafted 2B Andy Cox in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 15, Pick 22, 396th overall pick).

[illeracula]

Meléndez, Sims Swap Clubs:
The Cannons and the Admirals finalized a deal this afternoon. Chadds Ford has traded for 23-year-old minor league SS Brad Sims, 22-year-old minor league C Eric Edwards and 20-year-old minor league RHP José Santana and in return Annapolis will receive 36-year-old RHP Juan Meléndez, 19-year-old minor league SS Fidelio DeVesci, 21-year-old minor league SS Melvin Butler, 28-year-old C Donald Hampton, 31-year-old RHP Jorge Matos and a 10th round draft pick.

--------------------------

In what some DelMarVa baseball experts are calling a bold move, but most are calling a crazy move the Chadds Ford Cannons traded away 3 players from their 25-man active roster to the Annapolis Admirals for 3 minor leaguers.

Gone from the Cannons are #4 man in the rotation, and newly signed, SP Juan Melendez (4-1 4.37), starting (on and off again) catcher Donald Hampton (.185/.336/.294, 3 HR) and 2036 All-Star MR Jorge Matos (0-0 12.00, SV). Along with those three minor leaguers SS Fidelio DeVesci (SA), SS Melvin Butler (SA) and a 10th round draft pick header over to the Admirals.

GM Tony Luke had this to say about the deal:
It is not my job to make a deal that the fans like, it is my job to put the best team on the field year-in and year-out, and this deal does just that. not only does it think of the 'now' it thinks of the 'then' too. I am tired of the complaining and the Monday morning quarterbacking. Come at me when we aren't winning, come at me when Catcher Jose Matos, and pitchers Bill Summers and Gehrig Pearl aren't doing their job, until then just be quiet.


Brad Sims, SP Jose Santanta (#144) and C Eric Edwards will all head to AAA. None of them have been there yet, so we will see what they have. I am really curious about Sims and how he progresses and based on his ratings I could see him in Chadds Ford this season.

One thing this deal does is it frees up space on the 40-man roster, and the more SS Jose Ayala (39th DBL Prospect) looks ready to get the call the more important those spots become. Ayala is hitting .320-11-47 in AAA, plays above average SS (18, but his arm 9 means he should be at 2B), has top notch speed (18 steals this season, 38 last) and solid batting ratings (CON: 10/12, GAP: 11/12, HR: 11/14, Eye: 6/8, K's: 9/12). He is close to getting that call.

----

I will be using imgur for my images from now on out. The fact that photobucket wants to charge $50 a month is insane!!

[illeracula]

Week 9
Current Week: 4-3 (35-24 .593, +3.0)
Next Week: 3 vs Dover Generls, 3 @ Harrington Ponies
Power Ranking: 4 (--, 109.8)
Fan Interest: 77
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 21-7 .750
Away: 14-17 .452

Runs Scored: 317 (1st)
Avg: .276 (1st)
HR: 59 (7th)
SB: 21 (10th)
Runs Against: 236 (5th)
Starters ERA: 3.47 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.27 (9th)
Def Eff: .710 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Dan Foley: 6 G, .318-1-8 (7-22), 2 R
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 2-0, 18.0 IP, 15 H, 5 ER, 23 K

Week 9:
Game 53: New Castle 4, Chadds Ford 3
John Robertson: 6.0 IP, 6 H, R, 2 BB, 4 K
Johnathan Loeffler (2-3, BS 2): 0.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 BB< K
Francisco Chavez: 2-3, 2B, HR (5), R, RBI
Dan Foley: 2-4, 2 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-5, 2B, 2 R
H: 10, LOB: 11

Game 54: New Castle 2, Chadds Ford 12
Robert Shepherd (5-4): 9.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, BB, 10 K
Tully Maxwell: 1-4, HR (6), R, 2 RBI
Dan Foley: 2-5, HR (4), R, 3 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-5, HR (3), 2 R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 3-3, 2B, 2 R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-3, 3 R
H: 12, LOB: 11

Game 55: Chadds Ford 2, Wilmington 3
Juan Melendez: 7.0 IP, 6 H, R, BB, 8 K
Tim Meyers (2-3, BS 1): 0.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, BB
Bo Keller: 2-2, HR (1), R, RBI
Tully Maxwell: 1-3, HR (7), R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4
H: 6, LOB: 4

Game 56: Chadds Ford 9, Wilmington 0
Ying-Hua Ji (3-2): 8.1 IP, 3 H, BB, 4 K
Bo Keller: 1-5, HR (2), 2 R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 3-6, R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 3-3, R
Dan Foley: 2-3, R, 2 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-5, HR (11), R, 3 RBI
H: 17, LOB: 19

Game 57: Chadds Ford 10, Wilmington 6
Nobukazu Higashi: 6.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, BB, 6 K
Juan Cuesata (3-1, BS 1): 1.1 IP, H, 2 BB, 2 K
Phil Davis: 2-3, 2B, 3 R, 3 RBI
Matt Douglas: 3-4, 3 RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, 2B
Juan Guzman: 1-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
H: 13, LOB: 11

Game 58: Chadds Ford 0, Wilmington 5
John Robertson (2-4): 6.0 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 5 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4
Matt Douglas: 2-4
H: 8, LOB: 7

Game 59: Dover 5, Chadds Ford 6
Robert Shepherd (6-4): 9.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 13 K
Matt Douglas: 3-5, 2 R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI
Francisco Chavez: 3-4, 2B, R
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-3, HR (12), R, RBI
H: 12, LOB: 7



Transactions:
Demoted 3B Eugene Todd to Triple A San Juan.
Placed 2B Juan Guzmán on the active roster.
Activated 2B Juan Guzmán from the disabled list.

I had to send Todd down he wasn't getting the AB's in the bigs and it wasn't helping. I hope he gets his bat going again and I will swap him with Kim, but for now his .148-0-3 in 88 AB's just wasn't cutting it.

Injuries:
MR Dani Rubio, strained forearm, 11 day DL, 6-7 weeks

Other/Roster News:
OF Giovanni Smith was suspended for 9-games after he and SP Doug Brown got into a crazy conflict during a game earlier this week. Smith was hitting .288-2-10 at the time of the suspension.

GM Notes:
Look at those LOB numbers, they drive me crazy! We need our 'big' bats to get those runners home so we can get some more W's on the board. What we are winning? I know, but you can never have enough W's! Who ever wins the last game of the season goes home Champions and that is my goal here in CF. Champions! I am just not sure we have the team yet, but we are very close.

Matt Douglas had a crazy week, collecting 17 hits and hitting a whopping .567! But one thing that those stats aren't show is that all of his hits, yes all 17 of them, were singles! For a guy with decent power (5), an average gap bat (10) and solid speed (17), that isn't really "great"... However that being said, he is my go-to guy with runners on. For the season he his hitting 25-45 (.556-1-30) with runners in scoring position, not to mention a crazy 7 for 9 with a runner on third! Just crazy.

I am starting to like this team. And what I mean by that is I am starting to feel like I did in Norfolk, when I just had a good feeling every week. We won games, and the players had fun doing so. I felt like that way in Georgetown, but it was a little different. In GTown I had all the money I wanted to spend, but here I don't. Here I am following the path I did in Norfolk and building from within. I did that in Norfolk the first stretch, and yes I know I bought a lot of good players there, but the first few titles were all done very similar to the what is going on here in Chadds Ford.

We have some weaknesses, but as the season progresses those weaknesses seem to be getting worked through. The bullpen looks strong, the offense is hitting better than ever, the rotation is strong. Gehrig Pearl will make his debut next week and I am hoping he will be able to make up for what we are losing from Melendez. I don't see why not he is better rated, just younger and less experienced. How he does in the rotation may have a lot of bearing on this season.

If I had to go back 3 seasons I would have done things a little differently. I feel like I rushed a lot of players, and in the meanwhile hurt their progress. Players like Bill Summers, Eric Harmon, Matt Douglas and Johnathan Loeffler. The worst part of this is as they finally are hitting their progression they will also be hitting arbitration and free-agency, two things this team can NOT afford. It won't be long until I have to deal a player like Douglas or Loeffler. I will try to work things out with them, but I can't expect to give them tons of money and still put a winning team week-in and week-out. They are good, but not worth putting my budget at risk.

Hopefully we can keep this up. I am waiting for a 'break' in our schedule when we get some easy games, but it doesn't look that will happen.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers/Dover Generals: 30-29 .508 (+2.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 35-24 .593 (+3.0)
DE Atlantic: Lewes Braves: 33-26 .559 (+2.0)
WC1: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 32-27 .542 (+2.0)
WC2: Georgetown Sixteens (DEA)/Newark Millers (DEN): 31-28 .525 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 42-17 .712 (+10.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 32-27 .542 (+3.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 39-20 .661 (+2.0)
WC1: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 37-22 .627 (+6.0)
WC2: Washington Senators (MVB): 32-27 .542 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Matt Douglas, Chadds Ford Cannons: 17-30, 5 RBI's
MarVa: Alonso Sierra, Annapolis Admirals: 12-21, 4 HR's, 8 RBI's , 10 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Baltimore Barons (137.1)
2) Norfolk Cavaliers (122.0)
3) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (117.9)
4) Chadds Ford Cannons (109.8)
5) Lewes Braves (107.7)

News:
Lewes Braves: Triple-A OF Edgardo Perdnard won the player-of-the week award. Perdnard was a minor leaguer pitcher that I turned into a position player so I enjoy hearing about the things he does. He put .429-3-12, while scoring 7 runs. His big-league playing days might be done, but I will always be pleased with the career he turned in after I decided to convert him.
King George Royals: Lost OF Mikel Wallstreet for 6-weeks with elbow tendinitis. Wall street was off to a slow start this season hitting .239-8-33. He hasn't lived up to the early expectations of the Royals.
Norfolk Cavaliers: Will have to live without SP Gonzalo Bustamante for a few more weeks after he suffered a set-back during his rehab. The 31-year-old pitcher has only pitched in 1-game this season.
Baltimore Barons: Will be without All-Star OF Shawn Wilson for 4-weeks. Wilson herniated a disc earlier this week. On the year he is hitting .319-8-24.
Lewes Braves: Will be without team-leader 3B Tom Anderson for the rest of the year. The 41-year-old broke his elbow earlier this week and has been ruled out for the season. The future hall-of-famer was hitting .215-5-19 for the Braves. Will this be it for him?
Baltimore Barons: Lost 3B Thomas Johnston for the season with a broken kneecap. The 25-year-old was hitting .277-20-42 on the early season well on his way to career highs in HR's and RBI's. Johnson refused comment after the diagnosis.


Delaware Conference: Georgetown 1B Naoaki Okubo continues to hold the conference lead in votes with 1,662,992. SP Gabino Miller of the Blue Jays is hot on his tail with 1,649,712
MarVa Conference: Three weeks, three leaders as Cardinals catcher Hector Pagan took over the MarVa lead with 1,687,136 votes! Last weeks leader Tyrone Jackson is second with 1,664,361.

[illeracula]

Week 10
Current Week: 4-2 (39-26 .600, +3.0)
Next Week: 1 @ Harrington Ponies, 4 vs Christiana Blue Hens, 2 vs Seaford Blue Jays
Power Ranking: 5 (-1, 113.0)
Fan Interest: 78 (+1)
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 23-8 .742
Away: 16-18 .471

Runs Scored: 345 (1st)
Avg: .277 (1st)
HR: 63 (t8th)
SB: 21 (10th)
Runs Against: 249 (t3rd)
Starters ERA: 3.25 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.22 (8th)
Def Eff: .712 (4th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Naofumi Ohayashi: .308-1-7 (8-26), 2B, 4 R
Pitching: Ying-Hua Ji: 2 GS, 1-0 1.59, 17.0 IP, 10 H, 16 K

Week 10:
Game 60: Dover 3, Chadds Ford 12
Gehrig Pearl (1-0): 8.0 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 8 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 4-5, HR (13), 2 R, 5 RBI
Francisco Chavez: 4-5, 2 RBI
Bo Keller: 3-5, R, RBI
Juan Guzman: 3-5, 2 R
Tully Maxwell: 2-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI
H: 21, LOB: 9

Game 61: Dover 4, Chadds Ford 3
Ying-Hua Ji: 8.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 10 K
Jonahtan Loeffler (2-4): 1.0 IP, 2 H, R, 2 K
Dan Foley: 2-3
Julio Casanes: 1-5, 2 RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4
H: 7, LOB: 11

Game 62: Dover 1, Chadds Ford 4
Nobukazu Higashi (7-3): 7.0 IP, 5 H, R, BB, 8 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 9): 1.0 IP, K
Julio Casanes: 2-4, 3 RBI
Mu-Sang Kim: 2-3, 2B
Francisco Chavez: 1-4, HR (6), R, RBI
H: 9, LOB: 6

Game 63: Chadds Ford 3, Harrington 2 (14 Innings)
Robert Shepherd: 8.1 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 7 K
Jonathan Loeffler (BS 3):2.0 IP, H, BB, K
Tim Meyers (3-3): 3.1 IP, H, BB, 4 K
Oscar Robinson (SV 1): 0.1 IP, K
Dan Foley: 2-6, 2B, HR (5), R, 2 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-6, R
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-6, R
H: 13, LOB: 9

Game 64: Chadds Ford 2, Harrington 3
John Robertson: 8.0 IP, 5 H, R, 0 ER, 4 K
Oscar Robinson (BS 2, 2-2): 0.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, BB, K
Julio Casanes: 2-4, 2B
Ryan Urbina: 1-3, HR (4), R, 2 RBI
H: 7, LOB: 7

Game 65: Chadds Ford 4, Harrington 0
Ying-Hua Ji (4-2): 9.0 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 6 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, 2B, R, 2 RBI
Tully Maxwell: 1-4, 2 RBI
Juan Guzman: 2-4, 2B, R
H: 6, LOB: 9



Transactions:
This was a crazy week of transactions and really all of it would have been different if the Phil Davis injury happened two days sooner.

Hoover cleared waivers, but wouldn't take a demotion to AAA, I had no where for him so I dealt him to the Colonials instead of taking the salary hit.
Placed CF Mark Hoover on the 40-man roster.
Traded 32-year-old center fielder Mark Hoover to the New Castle Colonials, getting 32-year-old shortstop Chris Cook in return.

I grabbed cook placed him on the 40-man and then waived him. I didn't want or need him.
Placed SS Chris Cook on the 40-man roster.
Placed SS Chris Cook on irrevocable waivers.

Then Davis went down injured, which is really going to hurt us, so Russell Worsfold got his second call-up of the season.
Placed CF Phil Davis on the 11-day disabled list, retroactive to 06/09/2037.
Purchased the contract of LF Russell Worsfold from Triple A San Juan.

At the time I called up Worsfold I noticed that Forrest Johnson was on waivers so I claimed him. When the waiver came through, down went Worsford and Forrest joined the team.
Demoted LF Russell Worsfold to Triple A San Juan.
CF Forrest Johnson was claimed off waivers from New Castle.
Placed CF Forrest Johnson on the 40-man roster.
Placed CF Forrest Johnson on the active roster.

Johnson is a decent player and should fill the role I need him to for the time being. Two seasons ago he hit .236-10-45 in 110 games and I won't be asking that much of him at all.
CON: 11/11, GAP: 9/9, HR: 10/10, Eye: 5/5, Ks: 10/10
As for Worsfold he got into one game and went 0-1. I have a feeling he will be back next season for us.

Injuries:
MR Dani Rubio, strained forearm, 11 day DL, 5 weeks (16 G, 2-1 3.60)
OF Phil Davis, herniated disc, 11 day DL, 5 weeks (.310-9-42, 15 SB)

With Davis out, the pressure will be on Giovanni Smith to pick up the slack. We will see how that goes. He did a decent job last year filling in for Douglas and Casanes, but Davis is my offensive star so far this season.

Other/Roster News:
We have opened up contract talks with 2B Francisco Chavez after he let us know he wants to stay in Chadds Ford. He is a highly greedy player, and our numbers are very far apart, so he may be dealt before the trade deadline instead of risking losing him. Contract: $980,000 | Offer: $6,500,000 / 3 seasons | Demand: $18,000,000 / 3 seasons.

1B Ryan Urbina came to me too and said he would like to stay in Chadds Ford. He currently makes $6M and I am sure he won't want to take a $4.5M pay cut. I haven't talked to him yet, but I am wondering if I should or not. On the year he is hitting .343-4-15. Can't ask for more about of back-up 1B.

Times are changing here in Chadds Ford, players actually want to stay.

Draft Update:
CF Roberto Ruíz in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 21, 21st overall pick).
Signability: Hard | Demand: $460,000 | Offer: $460,000
-- It took over a week, but Ruiz and his people got back to us and he headed down to Short-Season A.

CF Donald Porter in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 25, 84th overall pick).
Signability: Impossible | Demand: ?? | Offer: $460,000
-- Porter didn't even give us a chance to counter, broken off.

Drafted SP Ramiro Flores in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 14, 102nd overall pick).
Signability: Extremely Hard | Demand: $200,000 | Offer: $210,000
-- Signed

Drafted RF Jude Winchester in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 22, 110th overall pick).
Signability: Normal | Demand: $220,000 | Offer: $200,000
-- Signed

Drafted C Cipriano Ibarra in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 22, 136th overall pick).
Signability: Extremely Hard | Demand: $250,000 | Offer: $250,000
-- Signed

Drafted SP Ángel Gómez in the 2037 first-year player draft (Round 7, Pick 22, 188th overall pick).
Signability: Impossible | Demand: ?? | Offer: $1,000,000
-- Didn't want to talk, broke off negotiations

GM Notes:
We had another solid week and we continue to play quality ball here in Chadds Ford. We can't seem to pull away from the Iron Pigs and Millers enough though. I really want to start expanding the division lead so I can feel comfortable. I don't want to hold on, I want to be able to breath.

Our offense is clicking, our defense is solid, our starters are doing great, which leaves the bullpen, our weakness. I am surprised, since the bullpen did well last year. Oscar Robinson and Juan Cuesta both have ERA's over 5, Eric Harmon is at 4.50 and hasn't been great out of the pen, Summers has been up a month and hasn't even seen the mound. I am thinking maybe I need to bring up a fresh arm, since Summers or Robinson or Cuesta down. I do have Gallin Krall who is pitching well in AAA waiting. Elias, our scout, says he is ready.

Looking at this team and the future it looks like I am going to need to make some deals before the deadline. I have a month and half, but I will need to focus or lose out. Trade and get something or hold and lose something... that is really the question.

We lost a couple of games this week and it goes back to leaving men on base. It is hard to worry since our offense is doing so well, but we still seem to be missing out on some key moments. Am I being too optimistic? Am I being too naive? I don't know, but I would like to see a few more hits in key slots.

A big 7 game week ahead of us. We just need to keep on winning more games than we lose. However, that is going to be much tougher now that Phil Davis is out. I am a little worried about this offense without Davis. He was such an important part and I am not sure how much Smith and Johnson. This is the true test of how good a team is, how well can they play when a star is injured.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers/Dover Generals: 30-29 .508 (+2.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 35-24 .593 (+3.0)
DE Atlantic: Lewes Braves: 33-26 .559 (+2.0)
WC1: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 32-27 .542 (+2.0)
WC2: Georgetown Sixteens (DEA)/Newark Millers (DEN): 31-28 .525 (+1.0)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 42-17 .712 (+10.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 32-27 .542 (+3.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 39-20 .661 (+2.0)
WC1: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 37-22 .627 (+6.0)
WC2: Washington Senators (MVB): 32-27 .542 (+1.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: OF Juan Morales, Christiana Blue Hens: 10-22, 3 HR's, 5 RBI's, 6 R's
MarVa: OF Tim Wood, Ocean City Tourists: 12-24, 3 HR's, 9 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (127.3)
2) Baltimore Barons (124.6)
3) Norfolk Cavaliers (118.1)
4) Lewes Braves (113.2)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons (113.0)

News:
Ocean City Tourists: CF Tim Wood has his hitting streak snapped at 22 games. On the season the 28-year-old is hitting .386-16-55.
Harrington Ponies: Lost SP Gary St. John for the rest of the year. St. John was 2-4 5.00 in 13 games, 11 starts. St. John suffered a torn rotator cuff.
Christiana Blue Hens: Lost 2B Rafael Gonzalez for 6-7 months. Gonzalez tore a flexor tendon in his elbow. He is hitting .216-5-17 on the year.
Martinsburg Mountaineers: Lost OF Tyrone Jackson for 1-2 weeks with a tender shoulder. Jackson an MVP candidate when on the field is hitting .358-16-42 on the year.
Salisbury Ports: Lost OF Dave Tapia for 5-6 weeks with a fractured wrist. Tapia is hitting .270-3-21 on the year. Oddly consistent: 2036: 230 AB's, 62 H's, 2 HR's, 23 RBI's | 2037: 230 AB's, 62 H's, 3 HR's, 21 RBI's
Seaford Blue Jays: Lost OF Octavio Lopez for 3-weeks with a strained back muscle. Lopez is hitting .201-4-19 on the year.
Lewes Braves: Thirty-four year-old SP Fernando Farles won his 200th game of his career and he did it in style. Fareles pitched a 3-hit shut-out against the Washington Senators. Fareles is 200-151 3.21 over 422 games.
Harrington Ponies: Acquired 1B Israel Cruz (.238/.271/.463, 14 HR, #205) from the New Castle Colonials for SS Dave Smith (AAA).
Wilmington Iron Pigs: Acquired SP Raul Cardona (2-8 5.42) from the Ellicott City Express for OF Lewis Bacon (AAA, #94)

Delaware Conference: Georgetown 1B Naoaki Okubo continues to hold the conference lead in votes with 1,662,992. SP Gabino Miller of the Blue Jays is hot on his tail with 1,649,712
MarVa Conference: Three weeks, three leaders as Cardinals catcher Hector Pagan took over the MarVa lead with 1,687,136 votes! Last weeks leader Tyrone Jackson is second with 1,664,361.

[illeracula]

Week 11
Current Week: 4-3 (43-29 .597, +2.0)
Next Week: 2 vs Seaford Blue Jays, 4 @ Milton Brewers
Power Ranking: 5 (--, 110.5)
Fan Interest: 78
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 26-11 .703
Away: 17-18 .486

Runs Scored: 385 (1st)
Avg: .277 (1st)
HR: 74 (7th)
SB: 22 (10th)
Runs Against: 277 (3rd)
Starters ERA: 3.30 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.23 (10th)
Def Eff: .708 (6th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Dan Foley: 6 G, .440-4-12 (11-25), 4 2B, 5 R
Pitching: Gehrig Pearl: 2 GS, 2-0 1.20, 15.0 IP, 9 H, 17 K

Week 11:
Game 66: Chadds Ford 11, Harrington 3
Nobukazu Higashi (8-3): 8.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 6 K
Juan Guzman: 2-5, R, 3 RBI
Tully Maxwell: 3-5, HR (8), 2 R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-5, HR (14), R, RBI
Julio Casanes: 2-4, 2B, HR (7), 2 R, 2 RBI
Ryan Urbina: 3-5, 2 2B, 2 R, RBI
Dan Foley: 3-5, 2B, HR (6), 2 R, 2 RBI
H: 17, LOB: 7

Game 67: Christiana 1, Chadds Ford 5
Gehrig Pearl (2-0): 7.0 IP, 5 H, R, 2 BB, 7 K
Dan Foley: 2-4, 2B, HR (7), R, 3 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-3, 2B, 2 R
H: 10, LOB: 7

Game 68: Christiana 1, Chadds Ford 9
Robert Shepherd (7-4): 9.0 IP, 5 H, R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 11 K
Dan Foley: 2-4, 2 HR (9), 2 R, 5 RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI
H: 7, LOB: 1

Game 69: Christiana 10, Chadds Ford 6
John Robertson (2-5): 4.1 IP, 8 H, 6 R, BB, 2 K
Francisco Chavez: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Ryan Urbina: 2-4, 2B, 3 RBI
Tully Maxwell: 1-3, HR (9), 2 R, RBI
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, HR (15), R, RBI
Jose Matos: 2-4, R (first big leauge hits)
H: 9, LOB: 4

Game 70: Christiana 4, Chadds Ford 2
Ying-Hua Ji (4-3): 7.1 IP, 10 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K
Juan Guzman: 1-4, HR (4), R, RBI
Dan Foley: 1-4, 2B, RBI
H: 4, LOB: 1

Game 71: Seaford 8, Chadds Ford 5
Nobukazu Higashi (8-4): 6.0 IP, 10 H, 6 R, BB, 5 K
Julio Casanes: 3-5, R, RBI
Dan Foley: 3-+4, 2B, RBI
Francisco Chavez: 2-4, 2 2B, R
H: 12, LOB: 8

Game 72: Seaford 1, Chadds Ford 2
Gehrig Pearl (3-0): 8.0 IP, 4 H, R, 3 BB, 10 K
Jonathan Loeffler (SV 10): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Juan Guzman: 2-4
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-2, HR (16), R, 2 RBI
H: 7, LOB: 7



Transactions:
Demoted C José Matos to Triple A San Juan.
Purchased the contract of C Raúl García from Triple A San Juan.

I pulled the trigger and sent Matos down quickly because he just wasn't comfortable. Hitting just .154-0-0 in 13 AB's. I brought back up Raul Garcia who was our back-up all of last season. His bat isn't great, he wasn't even playing much in AAA, but he does give me a lock-down defensive catcher if necessary.

Demoted RP Bill Summers to Triple A San Juan.
Placed SP Gallin Krall on the 40-man roster.
Purchased the contract of SP Gallin Krall from Triple A San Juan.

I sent Summers down to AAA, as he struggled during a game up and has only pitched in two. He will be utilized as a starter in AAA and hopefully prove himself worthy. I feel like a lot of these guys who were supposed to be something are starting to falter and that is disappointment. Krall has been ready, and I hope he can give the pen a boost... Rubio is getting close to coming back, which will be nice as well.

Injuries:
MR Dani Rubio, strained forearm, 11 day DL, 3 weeks (16 G, 2-1 3.60)
OF Phil Davis, herniated disc, 11 day DL, 3 weeks (.310-9-42, 15 SB)

Eugene Todd who is trying to earn a slot back on the Cannons roster is out for a 1-2 weeks with an oblique strain. Todd who was struggling in Chadds Ford (.148-0-3) was crushing it in AAA (.397-2-15). If he played a better OF he would be in the bigs. He just doesn't have the quickness to do so.

Other/Roster News:
Catcher Dan Foley was named player of the week and then contacted me about getting a contract extension. But with a plethora of catchers coming up and getting closer I am not sure I will, but he is a team leader. And that is always a good thing.

GM Notes:
Another consistent week in the books, but still not good enough. We have pretty much put the Millers in the review mirror, but the Iron Pigs are gaining. I really didn't think they were going to be that good, but I guess I was wrong as they have closed the gap to 2 games. Looking at their key stats I am not sure how they are winning, as they only have a mid-range starting staff... Maybe that is all you need? Could I win with a mid-range staff? Am I going at this thing the wrong way?

One more week till the All-Star break, which will be nice (I think). At least I hope we can rest up some and get the bullpen back on track for the second half. We are so close to being a contender, but for some reason we just aren't gelling enough to be one. I think the second half will be a true testament to how good we are, and if we are just so-so or the real deal I don't have much more time with this core so I better start making something happen sooner, like 2037, than later.

Speaking of making something happen, Once the All-Star game hits I will have a few weeks to try to deal Francisco Chavez. However, the initial results of shopping him around don't seem to promising. So now I have to think, deal him and include other prospects or stars or just lose him at the end of the season. The fact that he is greedy makes it hard to sign him, he just isn't good enough to warrant 10% of the payroll. Plus I am banking on the fact that Sims, who I acquired a few weeks ago, will be ready for the bigs next season... him or Otto Carillo, our #1 pick 2-seasons ago. Maybe letting him walk will be the right thing to do.

We won't see the Iron Pigs till August, and then again to finish off the season, so it could be a very interesting close to the season. I do hope we start putting together some more W's and pull away from them. The good thing is there is the second wild card this season, which means we have a pretty solid shot at making the playoffs as things stand now. Yes we have a ton of games to go, but we are heading in the right direction. Keeping our W's greater than our L's... if we can continue to do that we should be alright.

We should be able to get some W's up this week as we play the Brewers, who hold a 29 and 43 record. This should give us a boost heading into the all-star break. Get some W's, get some momentum... which means the owner will be happy and the fans will be happy and that is just what I need here in CF.



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 40-32 .556 (+4.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons: 43-29 .597 (+2.0)
DE Atlantic: Lewes Braves: 40-32 .556 (+1.5)
WC1: Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 41-31 .569 (+5.0)
WC2: Georgetown Sixteens (DEA): 38-33 .535 (+2.5)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 50-22 .694 (+10.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 37-35 .514 (+4.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 48-24 .667 (+3.0)
WC1: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 45-27 .625 (+8.0)
WC2: Washington Senators (MVB): 40-32 .556 (+3.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Dan Foley, Chadds Ford Cannons: 11-25, 4 HR's, 12 RBI's, 5 R's
MarVa: Jesus Harnandez, Washington Senators: 10-31, 6 HR's, 11 RBI's

Power Rankings:
1) Baltimore Barons (130.0)
2) Norfolk Cavaliers (121.0)
3) Chesapeake Blue Crabs (115.5)
4) Milford Clippers (111.0)
5) Chadds Ford Cannons (110.5)

News:
Washington Senators: SP Julio Rocha will miss the next 3-weeks with a strained hamstring. The 36-year-old was having a solid season going 7-3 3.29 in his first 15 starts.
Milton Brewers: Dan Austin was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff and will miss the rest of the '37 season. The 31-year-old was 0-1 6.75 in 15 games.
Norfolk Cavaliers: SP Joaquin Hernandez won his 200th game. On the year Hernandez is 9-5 3.55. Hernandez won 3 Golden Arms during his career, and at 32-years-old he should have a few more W's in his arm.
New Castle Colonials: Lost SP Paul Lee for the rest of the year. Lee was diagnosed with a damaged elbow ligament, on the year Lee was 2-10 5.89.
Dover Generals: Will be without OF Ron Turney for 5-weeks with a fractured finger. Turney is hitting .278-7-31 on the year.
Milton Brewers: Lost MR Carl Powell for the rest of tye hear. Powell tore his flexor tendon and will undergo surgery this week. Powell was 0-0 3.38 in 9 games since being called up.
Baltimore Barons: OF Rafael Estrada will miss 6-weeks with a separated shoulder after running into the wall during a defensive play earlier this week. Estrada was hitting .267-5-34 at the time of the injury.

Delaware Conference: Georgetown 1B Naoaki Okubo has collected 3,013,398 votes to lead the DE Conference, and he is pulling away as the #2 voter getter Gabino Miller has only 2,850,390.
MarVa Conference: C Hector Pagan holds the lead in the MarVa Conference again this month with 3,222,464, just under 200,000 votes ahead of OF Tyrone Jackson (3,035,722).

[illeracula]

DBL News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced:
It's All-Star Game time -- time for the superstars to shine! Every year the DELMARVA Baseball League takes a break in the schedule to play the annual All-Star Game. It's a battle of the superstars -- the Delaware Conference All-Stars versus the MarVa Conference All-Stars. The All-Star Game will spotlight the best hitters, the best pitchers and the best fielders, all doing battle against one another, all trying to prove their league is best.

This years game falls early this season due to the botched schedule, but it is still be quite a classic.

All-Star Game History:
2013: MarVa 5, Delaware 6
2014: Delaware 6, MarVa 5
2015: MarVa 7, Delaware 1
2016: Delaware 8, MarVa 3
2017: Delaware 5, MarVa 3
2018: MarVa 1, Delaware 3
2019: Delaware 6, MarVa 5
2020: MarVa 6, Delaware 8
2021: MarVa 1, Delaware 5
2022: Delaware 1, MarVa 2
2023: MarVa 3, Delaware 1
2024: Delaware 7, MarVa 2
2025: MarVa 0, Delaware 2
2026: Delaware 8, MarVa 7
2027: MarVa 4, Delaware 5
2028: Delaware 3, MarVa 4
2029: MarVa 0, Delaware 2
2030: Delaware 9, MarVa 5
2031: MarVa 0, Delaware 1
2032: Delaware 6, MarVa 7
2033: MarVa 5, Delaware 1
2034: Delaware 7, MarVa 3
2035: MarVa 3, Delaware 2
2036: Delaware 10, MarVa 3

The Delaware Conference holds an all-time lead in the mid-season classic 17 to 7. Last years game was the first first time either team scored at least 10 runs. Maybe this year will have something special in store as well.

Chadds Ford:
Last year the Cannons sent three players to the Matt Douglas, Phil Davis and Jorge Matos... This year the Cannons are sending three again. Matt Douglas and Phil Davis will be returning, and Robert Shepherd will be making his first appearance... Phil Davis didn't play in last years game, and this year he won't be play again, thanks to an injury.

[illeracula]

Week 12
Current Week: 2-4 (45-33 .577, --)
Next Week: ** All-Star Break **, 4 vs Lewes Braves
Power Ranking: 9 (-4, 100.8)
Fan Interest: 78
Owners Mood: Happy
Expectation: Close to .500

Home: 27-12 .692
Away: 18-21 .462

Runs Scored: 399 (1st)
Avg: .271 (1st)
HR: 80 (7th)
SB: 24 (11th)
Runs Against: 296 (3rd)
Starters ERA: 3.27 (2nd)
Pen ERA: 4.27 (10th)
Def Eff: .710 (5th)

Top Performers:
Hitting: Juan Guzman: .381-0-2 (8-21), 3 2B, 2 R
Pitching: Robert Shepherd: 2 GS, 2-0 1.59 ERA, 17.0 IP, 11 H, 19 K

Week 12:
Game 73: Seaford 3, Chadds Ford 5
Robert Shepherd (8-4): 8.0 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 9 K
Jonathan Loeffler (Sv 11): 1.0 IP, 2 K
Juan Guzman: 1-3, 2B, 2 R, RBI
Ryan Urbina: 2-3, HR (5), R, RBI
Matt Douglas: 2-4, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 10

Game 74: Seaford 3, Chadds Ford 0
John Robertson (2-6): 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 BB, 6 K
Francisco Chavez: 1-3
H: 3, LOB: 7

Game 75: Chadds Ford 2, Milton 3 (10 Innings)
Ying-Hua Ji: 8.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 7 K
Tim Meyers (3-4): 1.0 IP, 2 H, R, 4 BB
Giovanni Smith: 1-5, HR (3), R, RBI
Juan Guzman: 3-5, 2B
Naofumi Ohayashi: 2-4
H: 7, LOBL 9

Game 76: Chadds Ford 0, Milton 4
Nobukazu Higashi (8-5): 6.0 IP, 7 H, R, BB, 4 K
Julio Casanes: 1-2
H: 2, LOB: 4

Game 77: Chadds Ford 2, Milton 6
Gehrig Pearl (3-1): 5.1 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 2 BB, K
Giovanni Smith: 2-4, R
Matt Douglas: 2-4
Dan Foley: 1-4, HR (10), R, RBI
H: 8, LOB: 4

Game 78: Chadds Ford 5, Milton 0
Robert Shepherd (9-4): 9.0 IP, 2 H, BB, 10 K
Naofumi Ohayashi: 1-4, HR (17), R, 2 RBI
Dan Foley: 1-4, HR (11), R, RBI
Tully Maxwell: 2-3, R
Forrest Johnson: 1-4, HR (5), R, 2 RBI
H: 9, LOB: 9



Transactions:
none

Injuries:
MR Dani Rubio, strained forearm, 11 day DL, 2 weeks (16 G, 2-1 3.60)
OF Phil Davis, herniated disc, 11 day DL, 2 weeks (.310-9-42, 15 SB)

Other/Roster News:
Dan Foley currently makes $1,029,000 and he opened the bidding for an extension by asking for $4,400,000. There is no way I will pay him that much so we will see if he is willing to come down. I keep thinking it will be nice to have a veteran catcher around when I bring up one of our top prospect Miguel Cortesini who could be our #1 catcher next season. I offered $1.7, $2.7, $3.7 (vesting) and he came down a little, but still wants over $4M/year.

GM Notes:
Well this week stunk as the we could only split with the Brewers, one of the games worst teams this season. And doing that let the Iron Pigs tie for the division lead and this is rough for me. I kept saying I didn't have faith in this team and that we were just missing someone, and then I started to believe... and now this! I may have to make a move, bullpen help, offensive help, I am not really sure... one thing is for certain I need Phil Davis back.

I am looking around trying to get some pitching help, but I am not sure there is anyone out there who is going to be willing to make a deal with me where I don't give up one of my top prospects or starters. There is really only one starter I am willing to deal, but I will need to get something worthwhile back. I was hoping that Brad Sims was going to bring back memories of my Henry Rojas deal I made a long while back with the Cavaliers. When I traded for him and he came up and almost won the Newcomer Award. With Sims ratings I thought he would be ready and that would make Francisco Chavez expendable. However Sims hasn't hit well in AAA (.162-3-11), but he is looking good for the future.

The IF of the future in Chadds Ford is going to be pretty awesome, but they aren't ready yet. Brad Sims at 2B, Tully Maxwell at 3B and Otto Carillo at SS. This is should give us a lot of W's in the future. I am excited by them. I do wish I was excited as much about this team... I am back to focusing on the future.

The one player I am trying to acquire shut us out last week, and that is Gregorio Costello. He is still under team control for at least another 2 years and will be a nice boost to the staff. I am close to pulling off this deal and he will give us a huge boost...

We head into the all-star break tied for first and still have a lot of games left. I am worried and I will do what I can to make this team better over the next 83 games. We have to play better to win the division and I really want to win the division. Yes the wild card will be acceptable, but the division is more important to me.

It is going to be a long 83 games...



Standings Leaders
DE Colonial: Milford Clippers: 43-35 .551 (+5.0)
DE Northern: Chadds Ford Cannons/Wilmington Iron Pigs: 45-33 .577 (+7.0)
DE Atlantic: Lewes Braves/Georgetown Sixteens: 45-33 .577 (+13.0)
WC1: Chadds Ford Cannons/Wilmington Iron Pigs (DEN): 45-33 .577 (+7.0)
WC2: Lewes Braves/Georgetown Sixteens (DEA): 45-33 .577 (+7.0)

MV Beltway: Baltimore Barons: 54-24 .692 (+8.0)
MV Mountain: Richmond Cardinals: 39-39 .500 (+4.0)
MV Coastal: Norfolk Cavaliers: 53-25 .679 (+4.0)
WC1: Washington Senators (MVB): 46-32 .590 (+4.0)
WC2: Chesapeake Blue Crabs (MVC): 45-33 .577 (+3.0)

Players of the Week:
Delaware: Rodney Byrd, Lewes Braves: 11-25, 3 HR's, 8 RBI's
MarVa: Roman Cruz, Norfolk Cavaliers: 14-26, 3 HR's, 7 RBI's, 6 R's

Power Rankings:
1) Baltimore Barons (130.6)
2) Norfolk Cavaliers (129.3)
3) Washington Senators (120.2)
4) Georgetown Sixteens (116.8)
5) Annapolis Admirals (110.9)

News:
Lewes Braves: SS Rodney Byrd went 5 for 6 during a 19-4 drubbing against the Cape May Beacons.
King George Royals: OF Mikel Wallstreet suffered a set-back and will be out another 3-4 weeks. Wallstreet hasn't been able to live up to expectations due to a rash of injuries.
Harpers Ferry Raiders: Lost Starter Juan Gamboa for the rest of the year. Gamboa was diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff and will be out 15-months. He finished the year 16 G, 2-4 4.61.
Norfolk Cavaliers: Will be without OF Carlos Martinez for the next 4-weeks, due to an intercostal strain. Martinez was hitting .228-7-22 on the year.
Norfolk Cavaliers: OF Ramon Cruz had a day to remember going 5 for 5 during an 11-3 victory.
Ellicott City Express: Are without OF Mike Johnson for 5-weeks with a sore shoulder. The one time MVP has had struggles staying on the field lately. He is hitting .260-8-26 on the year.
Richmond Cardinals: One of the games best all-time relievers has asked for trade. Ed Yoder is 1-1 1.16 with a save this season, but as he isn't being used a close and he believes he should be the closer.

Delaware Conference: Georgetown 1B Naoaki Okubo was the top vote getter in the conference with 3,556,436 votes.
MarVa Conference: C Hector Pagan finished with the most votes in the DBL with 3,961,124.

[illeracula]

Delaware Conference Stars Put On a Show at Ballpark of Cape May:
Matt Douglas shone brightly tonight against the best talent that the DBL has to offer.

The all-star was named MVP for the annual mid-season showcase held at Ballpark of Cape May, as his Delaware Conference All-Stars downed the MarVa Conference All-Stars by a count of 8-4.

"It's humbling to even play in a game like this with legends of the sport all around you," he said.

Douglas went 2 for 2 to capture the honor.

In his career Douglas has hit for a .293 average and totaled 736 hits, 26 home runs and 247 RBIs.

------------------------------------

The Delaware Conference continue their dominance over the MarVa Conference with yet another big win. The MarVa Conference held the lead 2 times during the game, but the Delaware Conference's offense was just too powerful. This All-Star game saw 7 HR's hit, which has to be an All-Star game record. The DE Conference now hold a 18 to 7 edge in the All-Star games.

Chadds Ford:
Matt Douglas replaced CF Ray Crowe (Lewes) in the 6th as a pinch hitter. He would single and then score on 2-run HR by Enrique Lopez (Seaford). Douglas would bat again in the 8th and hit a solo-HR.
2-2, HR, 2 R, RBI

Phil Davis: Injured DNP

Robert Shepherd: DNP

Shepherd didn't pitch and I have to admit that doesn't bother me at all! Just means he will return to the mound for us a little bit sooner. He pitched the last game of the 1st half for the Cannons and was only able for an emergency situation.

------------------------------------

[illeracula]

Players of the Month - June 2037



Delaware Conference

DE Conf Batter of the Month Honors to Coates: At only 22 years of age, Patrick Coates could very well be having many more months like the last this in his career. That would be great news for fans of the Milford Clippers, as June was one to remember for the second baseman and he has captured the Delaware Conference Batter of the Month award. On the month he hit .386 with 6 home runs, 11 RBIs and 20 runs scored. Thus far this year Coates is batting .284 with 17 home runs, 38 RBIs and 44 runs scored.

June's DE Conf Top Pitcher is Cannons Shepherd: Robert Shepherd hasn't been around the big leagues long enough to know that youngsters shouldn't be winning Delaware Conference Pitcher of the Month. But when you put up numbers like his, you're going to get some notice. In June the Chadds Ford starter earned a 5-0 mark in 6 starts. He threw 52.1 innings, struck out 60 and compiled a solid 1.72 ERA. Shepherd has a 9-4 season record so far. In 17 starts, he has fanned 154 batters in 134.1 innings with a 2.41 ERA.

Delaware Conference Names Rookie of Month: Juan Morales is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest Delaware Conference Rookie of the Month honoree? He hasn't been around the league long enough to fully know the ropes yet, despite the fact that he's putting up veteran-like numbers. In June the Christiana hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .295 average with 26 hits, 6 home runs and 12 RBIs. So far this season Morales has hit .246 with 19 home runs, 38 RBIs and and scored 48 times.

MarVa Conference

Annapolis's Sierra Snaps up June Batting Award: Alonso Sierra battered MarVa Conference pitchers all June and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award. "I've been around DELMARVA Baseball League long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to be able to put up this kind of consistency," the 31-year-old Sierra told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I might not take the field, and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month." In 23 games, Sierra hit .356 with 10 home runs, 21 RBIs and scored 23 runs. This year Sierra has 20 home runs and a .272 batting average.

June's Top Hurler is Hernández: José Hernández has made fans throughout DELMARVA Baseball League take notice over the past month with an exceptional 5-0 record. No pitcher in the MarVa Conference threw better in June, garnering him the Pitcher of the Month award today. In 6 starts Hernández compiled a 2.90 ERA, putting up a 5-0 record, striking out 56 and tossing 49.2 innings. So far this season, Hernández has logged a 12-1 record with a 2.32 ERA. He has started 17 games, hurled 132 innings and registered 134 strikeouts and 39 walks.

Ki-hoon Yi Captures Rookie of Month: The top-ranked MarVa Conference rookie in June was Harpers Ferry's third baseman Ki-hoon Yi. Last month, he played in 26 games and hit .305 with 1 double, 1 triple, and 8 home runs. Yi also scored 13 times and drove in 22 runs. Thus far this year Yi has hit .289 with 10 home runs and 46 RBIs.

Standings - July 1st, 2037

Delaware Conference:
Colonial Division
Current Leader: Milford Clippers - 43-35 .551 (+5.0)
Predicted: Milford Clippers - 101-61 .623 (+10.0)

Northern Division
Current Leader: Wilmington Iron Pigs / Chadds Ford Cannons - 45-33 .577 (+7.0)
Predicted: Chadds Ford Cannons - 92-70 .568 (+1.0)

Atlantic Division
Current Leader: Lewes Braves/Georgetown Sixteens - 45-33 .577 (+13.0)
Predicted: Georgetown Sixteens - 98-64 .605 (+2.0)

Wild Cards:
Wilmington Iron Pigs / Chadds Ford Cannons - 45-33 .577 (+7.0)
Current Leader: Lewes Braves/Georgetown Sixteens - 45-33 .577 (+7.0)

MarVa Conference:
Beltway Division
Current Leader: Baltimore Barons - 54-24 .692 (+8.0)
Predicted: Washington Senators - 102-60 .630 (+8.0)

Mountain Division
Current Leader: Richmond Cardinals - 39-39 .500 (+4.0)
Predicted: Richmond Cardinals - 100-62 ..617 (+14.0)

Coastal Division
Current Leader: Nrofolk Cavaliers - 53-25 .679 (+8.0)
Predicted: Norfolk Cavaliers - 95-67 .586 (+20.0)

Wild Cards:
Washington Senators - 46-32 .590 (+4.0)
Chesapeake Blue Crabs - 45-33 .577 (+3.0)

Delaware Conference Leaders:
Average: Matt Douglas, Cannons: .354
HR: Artie Hamilton, Clippers: 21
RBI: Naofumi Ohayashi, Cannons: 63 (but not an All-Star / .301-17-63)
SB: Julian De Jesus, Brewers: 21
WAR: Patrick Coates, Clippers: 3.0

ERA: John Smith, Blue Jays: 1.87
W: Jesus Lugo, Iron Pigs: 12
K's: Robert Shepherd, Cannons: 154
SV: Ruben Dano Dasmarinas, Generals: 25
WAR: Robert Shepherd, Cannons: 5.7

MarVa Conference Leaders:
Average: David Gonzalez, Barons: .345
HR: Winston Davis, Cardinals: 30
RBI: Winston Davis, Cardinals: 67
SB: David Gonzalez, Barons: 35
WAR: Hector Pagan, Cardinals/Tyrone Jackson, Mountaineers: 4.9

ERA: Luis Ventura, Ports: 1.91
W: Jose Hernandez, Barons: 12
K's: Jose Hernandez, Barons: 134
SV: Miguel Angel Gonzalez, Cavaliers: 30
WAR: Jose Hernandez, Barons: 5.3