United Leagues of Braeland - Page 7

reds1 · 08-07-2015, 08:01 PM

reds1 · 08-09-2015, 12:29 AM

1938-39 ULB Awards

Eastern League Awards

Babe Ruth Award

Runners-ups for the award this season were Queensland’s SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.317/.374/.538, 29 HR, 100 RBI, 7.2 WAR) and Stratford’s C Gavin Hurley (.346/.384/.594, 20 HR, 94 RBI, 6.4 WAR).

Chikafuji won the award last season.

Satchel Paige Award

Coming in second and third respectively for the award this season were Downie’s SP Frank Leadbeater (19-11, 2.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 8.2 WAR) and Embro’s SP Colm Soper (18-11, 3.14 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.5 WAR).

Colm Soper took the award last season.

Rookie of the Year Award

The runners-ups this season were Queensland’s CF Ben Watson (.254/.326/.431, 16 HR, 50 RBI, 3.3 WAR) and Stratford’s 1B Francis Pynchon (.287/.335/.464, 6 HR, 51 RBI, 1.7 WAR).

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Western League Awards

Babe Ruth Award

Runners-ups for the award were Kingston’s SS Okura Ito (.333/.378/.557, 29 HR, 103 RBI, 8.2 WAR) and Kingston’s SP Brady Murdy (23-8, 2.17 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 9.2 WAR).

This is the second consecutive season for Fergus Chitty.

** Following the voting results for this season, the Commissioner’s Office has clarified the eligibility rules for the Babe Ruth Award. Thus, beginning in the 1939-40 season, pitchers will no longer be eligible for the Award.

Satchel Paige Award

The runners-ups in this category were Kingston’s SP Joey Cumberledge (20-11, 2.35 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 9.5 WAR) and Cambria’s SP Neil Guerin (17-10, 3.06 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.4 WAR).

Last season, Neil Guerin won the award.

Rookie of the Year Award

Coming in second and third respectively were Kingston’s LF Andrew Jensen (.307/.368/.458, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 1.9 WAR) and Balmoral’s 1B Jim Friend (.315/.367/.494, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 1.8 WAR).

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reds1 · 08-09-2015, 10:59 AM

1938-39 ULB Top Fielder Awards

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reds1 · 08-09-2015, 01:55 PM

Notes on the All-Braeland Team:

It wasn’t a particularly strong season for 3B; but selecting the top shortstop was quite challenging.

The top three position players right now in the ULB are all shortstops, namely:

1) Gary Watkinson – Sherburn - .344/.446/.466, 8 HR, 71 RBI, 124 R, 102 BB, 39 SB, 7.8 WAR;
2) Okura Ito – Kingston - .333/.378/.557, 29 HR, 103 RBI, 126 R, 44 BB, 8.2 WAR;
3) Katsunan Chikafuji – Queensland - .317/.374/.538, 29 HR, 100 RBI, 105 R, 59 BB, 7 SB, 7.2 WAR.

Ito definitely benefited from the teammates surrounding him in collecting his stats. Having Fergus Chitty batting behind you certainly doesn’t hurt.
Watkinson, the batting champion in the WL, led the entire ULB in batting average and stolen bases.
Ito, on the other hand, led the ULB in WAR, hits (216) and total bases (361).
Both players were fairly similar on defense (Chikafuji was the strongest of the three in that department).
Ultimately, I went with Ito, but it was a toss-up for me.

reds1 · 08-13-2015, 01:57 PM

1939 Offseason

The 1939 offseason in the United Leagues was an active one, as no fewer than 20 trades were consummated. The trades saw a continuing trend in the respective leagues. In general, the Eastern League teams were acquiring established players to help them now, since a number of teams are capable of winning the pennant. In the West however, most of the teams not named Kingston were the sellers, taking minor leaguers and prospects from the East in hopes of competing another day.

Significant Trades

April 14:
The Downie Chiefs acquired 30-year old SP Nick Paddock (67/67 - 10-17, 3.04 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 5.6 WAR) from the Pulberry Trolleys.
In return, the Trolleys received five minor leaguers. Of significance, were:
23-year old OF Brian Ilderton (23/65 – 12th overall pick in 1938);
21-year old C Werner Hock (22/45); and
23-year old RP Alex Forbes (21/58).

Nick Paddock becomes Downie’s No. 2 starter in the rotation. The Trolleys meanwhile continue their selloff of their top frontline talent for prospects.

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April 16:
The Hespeler Stars upgraded their catching situation a bit with the acquisition of 30-year old C Boyd Bedard (43/43 - .285/.357/.374, 1 HR, 45 RBI, 43 R, 42 BB, 2.2 WAR) from the Downie Chiefs.
In return, the Chiefs received 30-year old RP Keith Mailes (49/49 – 3-4, 8 SV, 3.79 ERA, 1/.44 WHIP) and minor leaguer 24-year old OF Jim Vickers (23/61 – rated #23 prospect).

Bedard immediately becomes Hespeler’s starting catcher (rated #11 overall in ULB). Meanwhile, Vickers becomes Downie’s top-rated prospect in their farm system.

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April 21:
The Braeland City Monarchs acquired 40-year old RP Noriaki Ito (64/64 - 4-4, 3.16 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 1.3 WAR) from the Balmoral Giants for four minor leaguers.

Noriaki Ito becomes Braeland City’s No. 1 reliever, rated #4 overall.

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April 28:
The Cobourg Red Stockings acquired 28-year old SP George Blankley (52/57 – 14-15, 3.55 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.1 WAR) from the Pulberry Trolleys.
Pulberry received four minor leaguers, including 20-year old OF Yoshino Ito (23/66 – rated #31 overall prospect).

Blankley is now Cobourg’s No. 2 starting pitcher in the rotation.

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May 5:
The Downie Chiefs acquired 36-year old SS Jonathan Lauder (65/65 – .313/.399/.415, 2 HR, 41 RBI, 42 R, 50 BB, 2.6 WAR) from the Stratford Barons.
Stratford received 36-year old 1B Chris Stonehouse (40/40 – .220/.321/.253, 3-2B, 6 RBI, 10 R, 13 BB) and 22-year old OF Kenneth Peck (26/41).

Not really sure what Stratford was thinking here. Downie has shifted Lauder to CF and he is rated #4 overall at that position. While Stratford already has Jake Walker at SS (#4 overall), Lauder is capable of playing anywhere in the outfield and would have been an upgrade for Stratford over who they have there now, had they have kept him. I really think the Barons dropped the ball on this one.

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May 6:
The Stratford Barons were involved in another trade a day later. The Barons sent 34-year old 2B Pat Copeman (54/54 - .264/.308/.315, 1 HR, 38 RBI, 48 R, 32 BB, 1.2 WAR) to the Queensland Eagles, along with a minor leaguer. In exchange, Queensland sent 30-year old 3B Nam-cheol Oh (55/55 - .299/.361/.429, 12 HR, 75 RBI, 62 R, 41 BB, 3.5 WAR).

Copeman became expendable when top fielder award winner Brian Main (#3 overall - 5.1 WAR) settled in as Stratford’s starting 2B. Oh now becomes Stratford’s starting 3B (#9 overall).
Meanwhile, Copeman (#13 overall) becomes Queensland’s starting 2B.

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May 8:
The Fort Richmond Generals traded 29-year old IF Finlay Ridd (65/65 - .296/.369/.358, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 57 R, 58 BB, 4.4 WAR) to the Braeland City Monarchs for three minor leaguers.

The Monarchs get a talented infielder that can play 2B, 3B and SS well. He will provide insurance should 2B Trevor Bolen, 3B Louie Hetherington or SS Adam Ashley go down to injury.

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May 9:
The Hespeler Stars deepened their farm system talent by trading 41-year old RF Toby Reakes (77/77 - .295/.416/.382, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 73 R, 107 BB, 31 SB, 2.4 WAR) to the Queensland Eagles for four minor leaguers. Of significance, were:
20-year old SP/RP Aiden Fothergill (20/64 – #33 rated pitching prospect); and
20-year old LF Danny Huggett (22/54 – #59 rated prospect).

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May 27:
The Balmoral Giants and Braeland City Monarchs completed a trade. The Giants agreed to send 29-year old SP David Cooling (72/74– 9-23, 3.81 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.3 WAR) to the Monarchs in exchange for two minor leaguers:
21-year old RF Carlton Broadbent (23/79 – 3rd overall pick in 1938); and
20-year old SS Joel Overy (22/23).

Cooling becomes Braeland City’s No. 2 starter in the rotation, and it will be interesting to see how he responds with playing for a stronger club. The pitching behind No. 1 starter Lenny Freke was shaky last season. Like most other team in the Western League, Balmoral is offloading frontline talent for a top-notch prospect that could help in the future (read: when Kingston is no longer dominant).

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May 31:
The Sherburn Tigers and Embro Suns made a trade that attempts to fill immediate needs in their rosters. The Tigers are sending 26-year old C Bill Gunter (45/52), along with a minor leaguer to the Suns in exchange 28-year old 1B Norm Calloway (23/27 - .320/.389/.480, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R, 12 BB, 0.7 WAR).

Both Gunter and Calloway will get a chance to start full-time for their new clubs.

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June 25:
The Balmoral Giants raised a few eyebrows when they traded 24-year old 1B Jim Friend (75/79 - .315/.367/.494, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 43 R, 28 BB, 1.8 WAR) to the Embro Suns for three minor league relievers.

Friend was the 5th overall pick in 1937 and finished 3rd last season in the WL Rookie of the Year Award voting. He immediately becomes the Suns’ starting 1B, and is rated No. 2 in the ULB among first basemen. Thus, Embro adds another solid player to its lineup.
For me, the problem with Balmoral is not that they traded Friend, but that they didn’t get a better return for him. Balmoral’s current 1B is 37-year old Roger Tyler (rated No. 7) and they do not have a 1B prospect like Friend waiting in the wings. Strange.

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When all was said and done, the Eastern League teams had improved their major league rosters the most, based on WAR. Leading the way was the Braeland City Monarchs who improved by 8.7 WAR, based on the acquisition of SP David Cooling, IF Finlay Ridd and RP Noriaki Ito. The Downie Chiefs were second, seeing a 6.3 WAR improvement, thanks to the trades that brought SP Nick Paddock and OF Jonathan Lauder on board

On the flip side, the Pulberry Trolleys saw the greatest drain of frontline talent, losing 9.3 WAR (the loss of Paddock and SP SP George Blankley). The Fort Richmond Generals lost 7.1 WAR from last season, as they got rid of Ridd and SP Hideki Matsui (2.7 WAR) to Cambria for a minor league relief pitcher.

reds1 · 08-15-2015, 07:24 PM

September 4, 1939

Quote:

Parliament Condemns Germany's Invasion of Poland
Motion Stops Short of Declaring War; Government to Step up Military, Agricultural Production

BRAELAND CITY, September 4 (BP) – With Spring Training currently in full-swing in the United Leagues, attention instead was turned to the nation's capital today, as Parliament formally condemned Germany’s invasion of Poland. But unlike its South Pacific neighbours, Australia and New Zealand, Braeland stopped short of declaring a state of war between Germany and itself.

The motion is seen as significant, however; not so much as a statement in of itself, but as a signal that Braeland will not take its international leadings from Great Britain. Unlike Australia and New Zealand, Braeland is not a member of the Commonwealth, and ever since it regained independence from Great Britain in 1884, it has endeavored to strike a balance in its relations with Britain. The government has also striven to strike a balance with the current mood in Braeland, which is decidedly opposed to entering the European conflict, particularly since the country is still recovering from its own recent upheavals.

Nevertheless, Prime Minister Avery’s government was adamant that Braeland should not declare itself neutral, in the face of the brazen invasion of Poland. “The actions of the present German Government are completely incompatible to justice and international law,” Avery declared in addressing the Lower House. “We cannot stand idle while fascism threatens to overrun world peace. As a nation, we must stand for our Allies and do our part.”

The Prime Minister then outlined just what ‘doing our part’ will entail: the stepping up of munition production at the Fort Richmond Armory, as well as at the Queensland’s Iron Works. Such production of materiel will go into supporting Great Britain’s war effort on a lend-lease basis. Prime Minister Avery also announced that agriculture will be expanded, with the goal of suppling meat, butter and wool to Britain. Such efforts will be in keeping with the actions of the New Zealand Government, although New Zealand has gone further by formally declaring war and pledged armed forces to fight alongside British forces.

The Avery Government also cautioned that while life in Braeland is to carry on as usual, Braelanders should prepare themselves for further sacrifices should world events escalate. When asked later to clarify what was meant by that statement, Deputy Prime Minister Donald Perry added that the country may have to face rationing as well as price controls should the ‘storm clouds of war’ draw closer to the country.

“As a government, we are currently looking at the long-range view and what an extended conflict would mean to the country and to our economy”, Mr. Perry explained. “We have seen from the appeasement process that Germany’s word is not to be taken at face value. And with the Sino-Japanese conflict continuing unabated, the European conflict is not the only international conflict that Braeland needs to be concerned about.”

The motion calling for the condemnation of Germany’s invasion was overwhelming passed in the House. The Government stated that coordination of Braeland’s response to the crisis will be overseen by both the Ministry of Supply and Munitions and the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

reds1 · 08-16-2015, 03:57 AM

October 2, 1939

It’s Opening Day in Braeland and it’s time to block out all that’s going on in the world for a while and enjoy some baseball!
For now though, we’ll take a look at the results of Spring Training and the projections for the projected top teams. We’ll start with a look at the Eastern League:

The Wellington Athletics and Braeland City Monarchs finished tied for top spot in the Coconut League standings in the East, with Brunswick and Queensland finishing just a game back of them.
The predicted standings see the Athletics also finishing first, with the Monarchs and Eagles challenging them for first place. But six teams are projected to finish with winning records, with 8 games separating first from sixth. It definitely appears that the Eastern League is shaping up to be a free-for-all like last season.

The Athletics were rather quiet on the trade front during the off-season, completing one trade back in May that sent 29-year old journeyman 3B Datu Balsalubra (41/41) to the Wolseley Unions for a couple of middle relievers.
But Wellington did sign a free agent that same month, a promising starting pitcher from Germany (the irony!), 26-year old Soren Heinke (64/65). Scouts are raving about his stuff; his movement and control are very good as well. His two best pitches are his fastball (50/50) and changeup (45/50). Heinke is projected as Wellington’s No. 2 starter.

The Athletics are projected to finish just 7th in Runs for but 1st in Runs against. They have one hitter and one pitcher projected to finish in the Top 10:

• Quentin Stubber (.275, 12 HR, 89 RBI, 21 SB), and
• Clyde Boney (16-12, 2.89)

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Unlike the Athletics, the Braeland City Monarchs were quite active this past offseason, acquiring SP David Cooling, RP Noriaki Ito and 2B Finlay Ridd in trades. The Monarchs would appear to be a well-balanced team, as they are projected to finish 2nd in Runs for and 2nd in Runs against. Interestingly, they have no position player projected to be in the Top 10, but they do have two pitchers making an appearance:

• David Cooling (22-7, 2.66)
• Lenny Freke (16-14, 2.81)

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Projected to finish just two games back of first are the Queensland Eagles, who finished a disappointing 77-77 last season. The Eagles made two major trades back in May, acquiring 42-year old RF Toby Reakes (74/74) from Hespeler and 34-year old 2B Pat Copeman (51/51) from Stratford. They are slated to bat 1-2 in the lineup; how those veteran legs hold up during the course of the season we’ll soon find out. Curiously, the Eagles’ offense is rated only 6th in Runs for, while they are projected to finish just 5th in Runs against. So it will be interesting to see how they manage in the actual standings.

Two position players and two pitchers appear in the Top 10 for Queensland:

• Terry Aspden (.327, 18 HR, 99 RBI)
• Katsunan Chikafuji (.300, 19 HR, 114 RBI)
• Max MacColl (20-12, 2.91)
• Stewart Colcott (19-12, 2.91)

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Last season, the projections predicted a close three-way race for top spot in the West. In reality, it turned into a farce, with the Kingston Pelicans blowing everyone out of the water and standing as the only team with a winning record.
This season, there’s no pretense of a race for first, as Kingston is projected to win again handily. Does this mean then that there will actually be a race in the West? Let’s hope so.
But there’s no denying the fact that the talent pool overall regressed in the West, as teams switched en masse to rebuild mode in view of Kingston’s continued dominance and traded top players to the Eastern League teams.

The Pelicans did not make a single trade nor did they sign a free agent. They didn’t have to. However, Kingston will be without SP Joey Cumberledge, last season’s runner-up for the Satchel Paige award, for the entire season. Cumberledge suffered a torn labrum in the second game of Spring Training and will be out for at least eight months. Despite, the loss, the Pelicans are still the overwhelming favourite in the West. They are projected to outscore their opponents by a comfortable margin and prevent the other teams from scoring against them just as easily.

Eight Pelicans make an appearance in the projected Top 10. The nominees are:

• Fergus Chitty (.329, 36 HR, 140 RBI)
• Okura Ito (.378, 20 HR, 134 RBI)
• Jayden Tennant (.299, 38 HR, 138 RBI)
• Mo Symes (.288, 19 HR, 81 RBI)
• Brady Murdy (20-11, 2.96)
• Francis Slocock (20-8, 3.14)
• Darwin Monday (20-9, 3.55)
• Hirotada Fukushima (18-8, 3.78)

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While there does not appear to be much of race this year in the West, the hope here is that the projections are right in one respect: a second team finishing with a winning record. The Cambria Cannons are projected to finish with 81 wins, a total that would be good for just 4th place in the East, but it would represent a small victory for the Western League. The Cannons appear to have assembled a pretty decent team thus far. They only made one minor trade back in April: acquiring SP Hideki Matsui from the Fort Richmond Generals for a minor leaguer. He is listed as the Cannons No. 4 starter. Cambria is projected as No. 2 for Runs for and No. 3 in Runs against. They also have no less than five players appearing on the Projected Top 10:

• Ron Westmacott (.299, 17 HR, 112 RBI, 21 SB)
• Clint Jones (.295, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 18 SB)
• Owen Tautor (17-11, 3.52)
• Neil Guerin (11-13, 3.28)
• Bradley Dodson (13-13, 3.86)

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Let the games begin!

reds1 · 08-18-2015, 08:53 AM

November 1, 1939

Eastern League: Stratford Takes the Early Lead

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The Stratford Barons stormed out of the starting block with an impressive 19-9 record to hold down top spot in the East. The Barons won all but one series in October; the lone exception being a 3-game sweep at the hands of the Embro Suns.

Top Position Player: 2B Brian Main (.288/.333/.477, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 21 R, 11 BB) gets the nod for the month of October. On October 6, Main drove in 6 runs against the Cobourg Red Stockings, going 3-5 with 1 HR.
LF Tony Blakeney (.316/.415/.392, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 18 R, 14 BB, 8 SB) and C Gavin Hurley (.302/.322/.535, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 3 BB) were also outstanding this past month.

Top Pitcher: SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji went 4-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.02 WHIP for the Barons in October. SP Justin Hayhurst (4-2, 2.15 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) was another reason the Barons were hot this month.

Key Injury: Promising 27-year old IF Terry Maxwell (.319/.429/.404, 4-2B, 3 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) suffered an undisclosed off-field injury on October 21 and will be gone for two months. Apparently he was bit by a rabid dog.

Key trade: The Barons acquired 30-year old OF John Dugan (65/65 – .308/.364/.308, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 17 R, 8 BB) and minor leaguer 21-year old RP Byron Poskitt (20/54) from the Downie Chiefs on October 21. In return, the Chiefs received 25-year old Francis Pynchon (69/69 – .313/.359/.482, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R, 7 BB).

Knee-jerk analysis: This trade makes no sense to me. Pynchon is a very good 1B, but the Chiefs already have 27-year old Jeaic Risbrough, an all-star and top fielder award winner last season. The Barons meanwhile, decide to stick with Kensaku Miura (.333/.481/.619, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 R, 6 BB). Miura is performing well now, but he is 40-years old. Pynchon finished 3rd in EL Rookie of the Year voting last season. Personally, I would have held on to Pynchon and enjoyed the depth. But hey, the Barons are in first place, so what do I know.

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The Braeland City Monarchs came on strong in the second half of the month to move themselves into second spot in the East, 2.5 games back of Stratford. This is in spite of injuries to a couple of their key players. Pitching has been their main strength in the early going.

Top Position Player: RF Dwayne Hollinshead (.347/.467/.526, 10-2B, 14 RBI, 14 R, 23 BB) has been the team leader on offense in the early going.

Top Pitcher: The rotation has been pretty steady for the Monarchs this past month, so it’s hard to select just one. However, SP Leo Bonfield went 3-1, 2.54 ERA, 1.23 WHIP has performed well, especially in the past couple of weeks.

Key Injuries: Left field has been a dangerous place to play for the Monarchs. First, 31-year old Scott Kessler was diagnosed with a hamstring strain on October 5; he suffered a setback in his recovery. He should be back in a week.
22-year old Trevor Bolen (.303/.303/.485, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R) was moved to LF from 2B to replace the injured Kessler. He then separated his shoulder on October 11 and also suffered a setback in his recovery. He is out for another two weeks.

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The Embro Suns have gotten off to a bit off slow start, considering the top tier talent they acquired in the off-season. They went just 3-7 to finish the month. However, they remain 1 game above .500, 4.5 games back of first. It would be a bit of a surprise if this talented team doesn’t get things worked out in the ensuing weeks.

Top Position Player: RF Paul Hooks enjoyed a hot October, going .340/.437/.560, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 19 R, 18 BB.

Top Pitcher: Colm Soper will probably get a lot of recognition in this category in the months to come, so I’ll go with 29-year old Rusty Mott, who went 3-1, 3.59 ERA, 1.38 WHIP in October.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Wellington Athletics were projected to be the top team in the East when all is said and done, but like Embro, they find themselves one game above .500, 29 games into the campaign. There’s still much more to go.

Top Position Player: While LF Bob Boynton has been hot of late, RF Quentin Stubber was Wellington’s top player in October, going .340/.453/.500, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 27 R, 22 BB, 5 SB. Stubber won EL Player of the Week honours in the third week of October.

Top Pitcher: It’s a close call, but I would pick 26-year old Darren Whiteley, who went 4-1, 2.61 ERA, 1.24 WHIP in October over Clyde Boney (4-1, 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) Boney had a couple of rough outings in his last two games, whereas Whiteley has been farily consistent, having had only one rough outing thus far.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Brunswick Legends finished the month of October with a .500 record, thanks largely to a struggling pitching staff. Their offense has been pretty solid, so if the pitchers can pull up their boot straps, then the Legends should greatly improve their fortunes in the standings.

Top Position Player: Another RF is singled out, as 31-year old Mark Elston (.393/.514/.708, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 30 R, 22 BB) was sensational in October, and richly deserved the Hitter of the Month Award.

Top Pitcher: A tough month for Brunswick pitchers, but Matthew Monroe (2-3, 3.46 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) gave his team steady outings in his six starts.

Key Injury: Mark Elston strained his back on a defensive play in a game on October 23. He is day-to-day for another 5 days.

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The Queensland Eagles also finished the first month of the season with a .500 record. Their offense has been outstanding in the early going. Their pitching, however, has been less than stellar, especially the bullpen. Fix that, and the Eagles will be soaring.

Top Position Player: 34-year old 1B Quentin Puddy (.393/.442/.573, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 16 R, 11 BB) was Queensland best player this past month. LF Terry Aspden had a pretty good month himself; on October 28, he drove in 6 runs against the Downie Chiefs, going 3-5 on the day.

Top Pitcher: SP Max MacColl had great month, going 5-1, 2.50 ERA, 1.04 WHIP in October. For his efforts, MacColl earned Pitcher of the Month honours.

Key Injury: Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) broke a bone in his elbow in a game on October 28. He is out for four months.

Key trade: The Eagles acquired 30-year old C Dave Wilson (61/61 – .248/.284/.327, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 6 BB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings on October 22. In return, Cobourg receives minor leaguers 34-year old RP Thomas Brajak (23/23) and 19-year old SS Iván Díaz (22/57).

Knee-jerk analysis: Wilson does represent an upgrade offensively for the Eagles, but is not a very good defensive catcher. Queensland does have solid catching prospect in 21-year old Owen Coxford (35/76) down in AA. He should see promotions soon; he just needs to become more consistent defensively as well.

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The Downie Chiefs were aggressive during the off-season beefing up their roster, but they find themselves two games below .500, six back of 1st place after one month.
The Chiefs have been wildly uneven, especially on offense. However, two recent trade acquisitions were productive in October: CF Jonathan Lauder and SP Nick Paddock.

Top Position Player: 1B Jeaic Risbrough (.326/.374/.478, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R, 7 BB) leads the team on a number of offensively categories and he has been equally successfully against both righties and lefties. The reason why Downie felt they needed another 1B in Francis Pynchon (a fine player in own right) currently escapes me for the moment.

Top Pitcher: SP Reece Abberley (4-0, 2.19 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) had a wonderful month, giving up as much as three earned runs only once in 6 starts. SP Nick Paddock (3-2, 2.23 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) pitched two shutouts in October.

Key Injury: None.

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Pitiful on both sides of the ball, the Cobourg Red Stockings find themselves in last place after one month, 15 games below .500. It’s shaping up to be a very long season in Cobourg.

Top Position Player: 3B Yoshifumi Tamura (.288/.321/.433, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 13 R, 6 BB) came on strong in the latter of the month, winning Player of the Week honours in the final week.

Top Pitcher: SP Joel Fearn (2-2, 3.44 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) was the top pitcher on a staff that could use a few more Joel Fearns.

Key Injury: None.

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reds1 · 08-19-2015, 04:07 PM

November 1, 1939

Western League: Cambria Serves Notice

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A 12-game winning streak to start the season served notice to everyone in the Western League that the Cambria Cannons cared little about projected finishes. The winning streak included a 3-game sweep of Kingston as well, no doubt signaling their intent on challenging the resident champions for the WL Pennant. There’s still a long way to go, but the Cannons are remarkably balanced and strong on both offense and pitching. They lead the league in both runs scored and runs against. If they keep it up, the Pelicans will indeed have a fight on their hands.

Top Position Player: Hard to choose when so many played well this month. I’ll go with SS Clint Jones (.368/.434/.553, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 27 R, 13 BB, 5 SB) who leads the team in a number of categories in the early going.
Both CF Ron Westmacott (.283/.357/.522, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 25 R, 14 BB, 5 SB) and C Glen Yeend (.364/.422/.505, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 19 R, 10 BB) won Player of the Week honours during the course of the month.

Top Pitcher: Another tough choice, but I opt for SP Willem Atkins (4-0, 1.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) who seemed to get stronger with each outing.

Key Injuries: 25-year old 2B/SS Charles Halse (.288/.386/.542, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 9 BB) fractured his wrist in a game on October 24. He will be out four more weeks.
3B Eric Jacobs (.273/.369/.382, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 9 BB) will be out for two weeks, due to a bruised wrist, suffered on October 27.

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The Cannons were not the only team shaking things up in the West in October, as the Fort Richmond Generals find themselves tied for 2nd place with Kingston. After being swept by the Pulberry Trolleys to start the season, the Generals then went an impressive 11-4 in the middle of the month before splitting a 4-game series with the Pelicans near the end of it. All-in-all, an encouraging sign of competitiveness in the West by a team not named the Pelicans or Cannons. Now they just need to keep it up.

Top Position Player: The Generals have been very impressive offensively in the early going, so it’s tough to choose. That said, RF Héctor Nájera (.330/.473/.557, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 20 R, 23 BB) had himself a great month.
Last season’s 5th overall pick SS Steven Wormleighton (.262/.297/.344, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 20 R, 5 BB, 8 SB) is showing signs of promise in his first full major league season.

Top Pitcher: The pitching has not been quite as good as the offense this past month. However, SP Tristan Purss (2-3, 3.35 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) has been the most consistent.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Kingston Pelicans find themselves in unfamiliar territory, as they spent the better part of October trying to get back into the thick of things. After opening the season with a 4-game winning streak, the Pelicans went 2-7 to fall 1 game below .500. They picked things up in the second half. It should be interesting to see if they can regain supremacy in the West in the succeeding months.
Kingston players captured both the Hitter and Pitcher of the Month Awards in October, so it wasn’t that hard to select the top players.

Top Position Player: The runner-up to last season’s WL Babe Ruth Award, SS Okura Ito had a great October, hitting .403/.422/.621, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 28 R, 6 BB.

Top Pitcher: SP Brady Murdy, winner of the 1938-39 Satchel Paige Award and triple-crown winner, picked up where he left off, putting up an incredible 7-0, 1.43 ERA, 0.92 WHIP record.

Key Injuries: After losing SP Joey Cumberledge for the season in Spring Training due to a torn labrum, Kingston will also be without the services of SP Francis Slocock (2-3, 5.53 ERA, 1.99 WHIP) for 8 weeks, due to a herniated disc suffered on October 30.

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After a slow start to the season, the Balmoral Giants improved their play in the latter half of the month to get within a game of .500. The month also saw the Giants go 4-3 in seven games played against Kingston. But they are going to have to pick things up, especially in the pitching department if they want to have any chance to stay within striking distance of the wild card. The Giants currently have the deepest farm system and boast the top two prospects, 20-year old CF Damon Purcell (No. 2 pick last season) and 21-year old RF Carlton Broadbent (No. 3 pick last season – acquired in a trade from Braeland City). The future could be very bright for Balmoral.

Top Position Player: Newcomer SS Francisco Rodríguez was a revelation in his first month in the major leagues. The Rookie of the Month winner went .347/.355/.512, 8-2B, 13 RBI, 20 R, 2 BB. Rodríguez was signed as a free agent from Costa Rica in June.

Top Pitcher: A rough month for Balmoral pitchers, but SP Charlie Crocombe (3-3, 5.02 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) finished the month fairly strong, and gets the acknowledgement based largely on that.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Pulberry Trolleys joined in the fun as well as they went 9-2 to start the season. But then they proceeded to lose the next eight games and came back down to earth. The Trolleys’ pitching has been pretty effective, especially their bullpen, and they lead the league in defensive efficiency after one month, so they are doing some things right. If they can pick things up on offense, they could very well challenge for the wild card.

Top Position Player: 1B William Tozer (.342/.417/.477, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 16 R, 15 BB) was the top position player for the Trolleys in October.

Top Pitcher: With the bullpen performing well, it’s tempting to go with a reliever, but I’ll stick with a starter. SP Bailey Keedwell, a Rule 5 draft pick taken from the Brunswick Legends in the offseason, went 3-2, 3.77 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in October.

Key Injury: None.

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The Sherburn Tigers were playing valiantly to start the month; going 10-8, but then lost the next seven games and fell 4 games below .500 at month’s end. A plague of injuries to some of their key players no doubt contributed to their struggles.

Top Position Player: For a team that is struggling on offense and dealing with injuries, I’ll go with 26-year old RF Tom Given (.287/.346/.516, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 12 BB, 4 SB).

Top Pitcher: 30-year old SP Dillon Green (3-3, 1 SV, 1.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) provided some versatility for Sherburn this month. He began the month in the bullpen, but then moved back to the rotation due to an injury to Simon Darling.

Key Injuries: 31-year old SP Simon Darling suffered an injury just 2.2 innings into his first game against the Hespeler Stars on October 5. He was diagnosed with a herniated disc and will miss 6 more weeks.
LF Robin Harney (.269/.347/.358, 4-2B, 7 RBI, 10 R, 8 BB) strained a “posterior cruciate ligament” October 18 while running the bases in a game against the Cambria Cannons. He is out for another 3-4 weeks.
In a game against the Kingston Pelicans on October 23, 3B Mick Lanfear (.339/.394/.492, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB) fractured his ankle. He is gone for at least 3 months.
2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) injured himself in a game against the Wolseley Unions on October 31. His diagnosis is not yet known.

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Being swept by the Pelicans to open the season set the tone for the Wolseley Unions, as the teams finds itself 7 games below .500 after one month of action. The Unions are about average on offense, but a bit below average on the pitching side of things.
They do have a strong farm system going for them, as it is rated 2nd only to Balmoral. They also have a couple of dynamic youngsters in 21-year old CF Zak Kidd and 26-year old 1B Aaron Flanagan, who won Rookie of the Year honours last season. So the Unions would appear to be an up and coming team.

Top Position Player: Appropriately, this is a tie. Both Zak Kidd (.349/.376/.524, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 22 R, 6 BB) and Aaron Flanagan (.315/.406/.622, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 22 R, 17 BB) gave the locals something to cheer about in October. Flanagan won the WL Player of the Week Award in the last week of the month.

Top Pitcher: No one on the pitching staff has really pitched all that well in the early going, but I’ll go with SP Jim Smyth (1-1, 3.06 ERA, 1.48 WHIP). He has been steady, if unspectacular.

Key Injury: SP Edward Hill (2-4, 4.44 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) was injured in a game against the Sherburn Tigers on the final day of the month. His diagnosis is not yet known.

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The woeful Hespeler Stars have all of 8 wins 1 month into the season, and 5 of those have come within the past 10. They just do not have the talent to compete with the rest in the Wild West and it shows in their stats and rankings. They are also lagging behind Balmoral and Wolseley in cultivating top prospects. Their farm system is ranked 10th – and they are a lot closer to the bottom of the rankings than to the top.

Top Position Player: LF Steven Winstanley (.311/.392/.557, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 15 R, 14 BB) has been far and away Hespeler’s best offensive player in the early going. Winstanley was the 10th overall pick in the 1937-38 draft.

Top Pitcher: SP Michael Wilberfoss (1-4, 3.24 ERA, 1.61 WHIP) is the pick of a mediocre lot. He pitched a couple of games in October where the Stars were shut-out. Rather hard to win with that sort of run support.
Hespeler claimed SP Michael Hanley (2-1, 1.11 ERA, 1.64 WHIP) off of waivers from the Wellington Athletics on October 21; he pitched well in both his starts for the Stars thus far. It will be interesting to see how he fares the rest of the way.

Key Injury: 30-year old C Boyd Bedard (.194/.219/.242, 3-2B, 3 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB) has been plagued with recurring back spasms since October 21. He will miss a further 4 weeks.

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reds1 · 08-22-2015, 07:22 AM

December 1, 1939

Eastern League: Monarchs, Eagles Take Flight

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The Braeland City Monarchs kicked it into high gear in November, going 19-6 for the month to grab first place in the East from a quickly fading Stratford Barons team. The month included a 9-game winning streak, including a 3-game sweep of the Kingston Pelicans. The Monarchs are hot to say the least and lead the Eastern League in a number of offensive and defensive categories. The Monarchs announced on November 27 that they’ve set their team focus to ‘Win Now’. That’s exactly what they’re doing.

Top Position Player: With so many Monarchs playing well, it’s tough to pick just one. I’ll give it to both RF Dwayne Hollinshead (.345/.438/.536, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 33 R, 35 BB), who leads in a slew of categories. But SS Adam Ashley (.333/.394/.494, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 49 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) leads in a number of categories too, including WAR (2.6).

Top Pitcher: Braeland City has an outstanding rotation and bullpen, so they are not relying on just one pitcher. But there’s a reason SP Lenny Freke is an all-star, and he continues to excel this season, with a 7-4, 2.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP record.

Noteworthy: CF Jay Atwood (.321/.424/.494, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 31 BB) won Player of the Week honours in the first week of November.

Key Injuries: None.

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Braeland City was not the only team in the East that was hot in November. The Queensland Eagles also went 19-6 to take over second spot in the standings and keep within 2.5 games of first. They are 9-1 in the past 10 games. The Eagles have been very good on offense, but are only average on pitching over the past two months. However, the pitching has been steadily improving. In fact, an Eagles pitcher won Pitcher of the Month honours for the second month in a row.

Top Position Player: 24-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.318/.391/.486, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 50 R, 27 BB) had an outstanding month. In October, he batted .259; in November, .385.

Top Pitcher: 32-year old SP Stewart Colcott went undefeated in November, at 5-0, to grab the Pitcher of the Month Award. After two months, his record is 8-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.13 WHIP.

Noteworthy: After struggling in October (2-2, 8.48 ERA in 5 starts), SP Roger Young turned things around in November, going 2-0, 2.81 ERA in four starts.

Key Injury: Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) broke a bone in his elbow in a game on October 28. He is out for three more months.

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The Wellington Athletics became the third team in the East to reach 30 victories after two months of action. But they remain 3.5 games back of the wild card and have a posse of teams hot on their tails. It’s looking like it will be a dogfight in the East this season.
The Athletics’ pitching has been top-notch thus far, while their offense has been average.

Top Position Player: 3B Ryley McLarnon has been rock steady to start the season (.315 in October, .319 in November), going .317/.343/.442, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 41 R, 10 BB, 15 SB thus far.

Top Pitcher: SP Clyde Boney was brilliant in November (4-0, 1.69 ERA) and probably would have won Pitcher of the Month honours if Queensland’s Stewart Colcott wasn’t hot as well. Boney’s record thus far is 8-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Brunswick Legends were not quite as hot as Braeland City and Queensland, but they did go 15-10 in November and that keeps them relevant in the early going. Their offense continued to roll right along, while their pitching improved, particularly their starting rotation. The Legends were involved in four trades this past month, three of them significant, so it would appear that the Legends are serious about defending their EL Pennant.

Top Position Player: OF Mark Elston appears to be playing in a higher league right now, as he is hitting .400/.527/.694, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 49 BB. It’s no surprise that he won his second consecutive Hitter of the Month Award. That’s the third he’s won in his ULB career.

Top Pitcher: The starting rotation had a really good month, so it’s a bit of a challenge to single out one of them. But you can't go wrong with 23-year old SP Anastasio Rodríguez, who has gone 6-3, 3.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP; 4-1, 2.49 in November. Rodríguez was the 4th overall pick for the Legends in the 1937-38 amateur draft.

Noteworthy: Unheralded 27-year old OF Scott Orchard (.246/.277/.388, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 30 R, 9 BB, 8 SB) won the Rookie of the Month Award in November.
Both Mark Elston and Rovilson Valdevieso (.402/.425/.584, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 35 R, 11 BB, 9 SB) won Player of the Week honours during the course of the month and they form a formidable tandem hitting in the No. 3 and 4 spots against righties. Are they Braeland’s version of Ruth and Gehrig? I don’t know, but it seems appropriate that they’re wearing pinstripes!

Key Injury: SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 6 weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair. Uh, Rob, are you sure you want to stick with that story?

Key Trade #1: Brunswick parted with 25-year old CF Pete Good (75/75 - .295/.337/.385, 5-2B, 13 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB), sending him to the Stratford Barons on November 4. Brunswick received 26-year old C Henry Goddier (40/46) and 21-year old minor league RP Byron Poskitt (20/53). Poskitt would not remain long in the Legends organization, as he was part of Trade No. 2 later that same day.

Key Trade #2: Just after completing Trade #1, the Legends traded Poskitt, along with 22-year old CF Ramón Tavira (23/64), 20-yearl old RP Zak Tuxford (20/34) and 21-year old 3B Alistair Lee (22/23) to the Balmoral Giants for 23-year old C Maurice Evans (51/68 - .248/.352/.382, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, 26 BB).

Knee-jerk analysis: In trading CF Pete Good to Stratford, the Legends are installing Rookie of the Month winner Scott Orchard as their starting CF from here on out. In the process, they have completely overhauled the catching situation. Evans (rated 8th for catchers in the ULB) is now the starting catcher, while Goddier will serve as his backup. Personally, I really like these moves. It will be fun to see if they pan out for Brunswick.

Interesting note: This the third trade that Poskitt has been a party of during a 2 week stretch. Stratford acquired him from the Downie Chiefs back on October 21.

Key Trade #3: On November 26, Brunswick traded 26-year old IF Rubén Sánchez (47/53 - .335/.361/.456, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 30 R, 10 BB) to the Wolseley Unions. In return, they receive 26-year old 3B Derek Sakurai (78/78 - .299/.370/.483, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 37 R, 24 BB) and 39-year old minor league RP Monte Key (25/25).

Knee-jerk analysis: Sakurai is currently rated the No. 1 3B in the ULB and represents an upgrade at that position for Brunswick. Losing 1B Sánchez hurts the Legends, and in fact, 1B and 2B remain a weakness for them. Sánchez becomes Wolseley’s starting SS.
I like the acquisition of Sakurai for Brunswick, and Sánchez is a fine player with tremendous defense, but I think Wolseley undersold Sakurai just a bit. If Sánchez performs really well for Wolseley, then perhaps the trade was equitable.

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While other teams were surging up the standing in the East, the Stratford Barons were rushing for the exits. The Barons stumbled in November, going 10-15, after putting up a 19-9 record the previous month. The offense took a nosedive, falling to around 6th after averaging around 3rd in October. A sweep at the hands of the Kingston Pelicans to end the month must have stung. The Barons need to do some soul-searching and determine whether they truly are contenders or just pretenders.

Top Position Player: For an offense that struggled last month, SS Jake Walker remained solid and has gone .299/.397/.464, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 27 R, 32 BB thus far this season.

Top Pitcher: SP Ryan Borden (6-3, 4.91 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) greatly improved in November, going 3-1, 2.27 ERA in 6 starts.
On the other hand, SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji collapsed, going 0-4, 8.16 ERA. In October, he went 4-0, 1.64 ERA. Ouch.

Key Injury: 27-year old IF Terry Maxwell (.319/.429/.404, 4-2B, 3 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) was bit by a rabid dog on October 21 and will be gone for 3 more weeks.

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The Embro Suns improved modestly in November, as they went 14-11 to move 4 games above .500. But they are finding out rather quickly that other teams are passing them by and the fans are starting to get anxious. While their offense is improving somewhat, the pitching took a step back from last month. The Suns did make a trade to acquire a SP to try and address the issue. Will it help? This is a talented team that has yet to see that talent pay dividends.

Top Position Player: CF Terence Durney (.299/.354/.514, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 46 R, 21 BB, 11 SB) is a star and that was not more apparent than in November, when he batted .340, compared to October when he hit .241.

Top Pitcher: SP Colm Soper (6-3, 2.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) was outstanding in November, going 4-0, 0.97 ERA in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade: The Suns acquired 24-year old SP Edward Hill (63/64 – 3-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) on November 26 from the Wolseley Unions. The Unions received 3 minor league players:
• 20-year old SP Kai Tosh (21/65 – rated #29 prospect; Round 3 pick in 1938-39);
• 20-year old SS Craig Aiton (21/33 – Round 2 pick in 1938-39) and
• 19-year old SP Kane Brenchley (20/23 – Round 4 pick in 1938-39).

Knee-jerk analysis: Hill becomes Embro’s No. 2 starter and provides a LHP in the rotation. He should benefit from the move and the improved run support. The private Tosh is an intriguing prospect and just adds more depth to Wolseley’s deep farm system. He becomes their second overall pitching prospect.

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The Downie Chiefs are quickly sinking into oblivion, as they went 11-14 in November, to fall 11.5 games out of first. Their offense is putrid and their pitching is regressing. Not a good combination. They also lost SP Bradley Paris for an extended period, so that will not help the situation. It’s desperation time in Downie and it’s only the end of November.
After acquiring Francis Pynchon last month from the Stratford Barons, the Chiefs did some shifting in the outfield and moved the former 1B to LF, leaving Jeaic Risbrough (.333/.392./.447, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 22 R, 15 BB) at 1B, which is the only position he is rated for.

Top Position Player: 3B Andy Johnson (.295/.342/.371, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 30 R, 18 BB) had a great month, where he hit .324.

Top Pitcher: Not a great month for Downie pitchers, but SP Frank Leadbeater (4-6, 3.99 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) pitched decently, going 3-3, 3.10 ERA.

Key Injury: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) partially tore his labrum in a game against the Kingston Pelicans on November 10. He will be gone for 3 months.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings enjoyed a winning record in November, going 13-12. In one 14-game stretch, they went 11-3 and swept the defending United Cup Champions Kingston Pelicans in their 3-game matchup. It was a hopeful sign for a woeful team, but the Red Stockings are still struggling on both sides of the ball, so the improved play may only be a mirage. They did make a surprising trade with Cambria however.

Top Position Player: LF Stuart Bentham (.287/.372/.385, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB) had a very good month in November, hitting .347, after hitting just .223 in October.

Top Pitcher: I’m sorely tempted to go with no one, since the pitching has been so dreadful thus far. But I’ll go with RP Larry Parrish (1-2, 2 SV, 3.89 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who had an ERA of 2.50 in November, with 12 K and 3 BB.

Key Injury: RF Brian Herdman (.248/.330/.337, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB) suffered a herniated disc on November 10 in a game against the Pulberry Trolleys. He will be out for another 1-2 weeks.

Key Trade: The Red Stockings acquired 25-year old Clint Jones (74/75 – .326/.388/.493, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 50 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) on November 15 from the Cambria Cannons.
Cambria received 34-year old 3B Kenneth Logan (58/58 - .325/.371/.521, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 19 R, 11 B) and 21-year old minor leaguer CF Bert Helmer (23/75 – No. 6 overall prospect).

Knee-jerk analysis: I just don’t get what the Red Stockings are trying to do. Clint Jones is a terrific player and is an immediate upgrade for Cobourg at CF, where he is slated to play. But I can’t see him transforming them into a contender when they need to seriously improve their pitching. Logan meanwhile will be an upgrade for Cambria at 3B. But the surrendering by Cobourg of a highly-rated prospect in Helmer just makes no sense for a team that should be stocking up, not shipping out. Helmer becomes Cambria’s top prospect, in a farm system that is now rated 3rd overall. Cobourg’s farm system falls to 10th. Why Cobourg, why?

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reds1 · 08-23-2015, 05:48 PM

December 1, 1939

Western League: Quickly Becoming a Two-Horse Town

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The Cambria Cannons were unable to replicate the phenomenal success they had in October, when they went 22-6, but against the tough Eastern League teams, they managed to hold their own. But they were just one of two teams in the West that could boast a winning record in November. In that context, their 15-10 record for the month is impressive. On both offense and pitching, they are outstanding and are shaping up to be the real deal in the West. They increased their lead to 7.5 games over the Kingston Pelicans and they currently have the best record in the ULB.

Top Position Player: Last time, I selected Clint Jones in this category, but he has since been traded to the Cobourg Red Stockings. But Cambria still has plenty of offensive weapons.
This time, I give the nod to C Glen Yeend (.370/.421/.530, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 33 R, 16 BB), who production has not let up since Opening Day.

Top Pitcher: Cambria continues to lead the West in ERA, but none of their starters had a particular impressive month. Thus I will go with RP Quentin Teague (2-1, 7 SV, 1.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) who went 2-0, 3 SV, 2.28 ERA in November.

Key Injuries: None.
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The Kingston Pelicans appeared to be getting back on track at the beginning of November, as they went 7-2 to start the month. But then they lost the next 8 games, which included a 3-game sweep by the lowly Cobourg Red Stockings. They went 6-2 for the rest of the month, but these lulls are uncharacteristic for a team that’s used to running roughshod over their opponents. Injuries to their pitching staff haven’t helped. Their offense is still firing on all cylinders, though, and will need to continue to do so to compensate for a battered rotation.

Top Position Player: SS Okura Ito (.420/.456/.642, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 51 R, 17 BB) is rated the No. 1 position player in the entire ULB, and you will not get an argument from me. In November, he hit .441/.496/.667, won a Player of the Week accolade and is currently on a 30-game hitting streak, just 5 short of the record. Curiously, he did not win the Player of the Month Award this month, but that speaks more of the incredible month Aaron Flanagan of Wolseley had than to any slight to Ito.

Top Pitcher: SP Brady Murdy (11-2, 2.43 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) did not have quite the month he had in October, but with the pitching staff in crisis, he was the pitcher his teammates look to for stability, and he went 4-2, 3.63 ERA for the month.

Key Injuries: SP Joey Cumberledge is out for at least 5 months (effectively the season), due to a torn labrum he suffered in Spring Training.
SP Francis Slocock (2-3, 5.53 ERA, 1.99 WHIP) is out for 4 more weeks, due to a herniated disc suffered on October 30.
24-year old SP Harley Bracher (3-6, 6.25 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), who stayed up with the big club following Spring Training when Cumberledge was injured, tore his triceps on November 27 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is gone for 4 months. Bracher was the 16th overall pick for the Pelicans in the 1938-39 amateur draft.

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Two months into the 1939-40 campaign, the West is quickly turning into a two-team league, as only the Cambria Cannons and Kingston Pelicans have managed to keep their heads above the waters. The rest of the league is quickly becoming an afterthought. The Fort Richmond Generals began the season with a promising October (16-11), but collapsed in November (9-16). Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part that the West would become a little more ‘top heavy’ this season. But if November is any indication, there will be a lot of ‘welcome mats’ instead.
That said the Generals do not rate all that badly in both the offensive and pitching ratings thus far. Now that they do not have to face the Eastern League for a couple of more months, perhaps the Generals will rebound in the standings (or is that just more wishful thinking?)

Top Position Player: The ageless, 42-year old RF Héctor Nájera (.377/.495/.568, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 32 R, 37 BB) stepped it up even more in November, as he hit .432/.523/.581, and leads the Generals in a number of categories. He also won a Player of the Week award in the middle of the month.

Top Pitcher: The pitching staff improved a bit, despite the team’s struggles in November. Leading the charge was Pitcher of the Month award winner Oscar Burress (9-2, 3.26 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), whose ERA last month was 4.80.

Noteworthy: On November 8, CF Kade Limeburner (.270/.403/.514, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 33 R, 43 BB) drove in 7 runs against the Downie Chiefs, going3 for 5 with 1 HR.

Key Injuries: None.

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Like a lot of teams in the West, the Pulberry Trolleys struggled in November, although not quite as bad, going 11-14, to fall 5.5 games back of the wild card. Their pitching rankings overall remain very good and they remain No. 1 in defensive efficiency. They are still below average, however, on offense. But perhaps like Fort Richmond, they have a chance to rebound now that they do not have to face Eastern League teams for the next little while.

Top Position Player: CF Rio Gidley (.301/.386/.429, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 21 R, 29 BB, 12 SB) had a solid month, going .311/.382/.444.

Top Pitcher: SP Sojuro Ojima (3-4, 3.79 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was Pulberry’s best SP in November, going 3-2, 3.46 ERA in 5 starts.

Key Injury: On November 28, 1B William Tozer (.317/.398/.446, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 29 R, 28 BB) was injured running the bases in a game against the Wellington Athletics. He was diagnosed with hamstring tendinitis. Fortunately, he will be out only 5 days.
On November 29, SP Dan Rogers (1-4, 4.69 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) sprained his ankle. He is out for 2 weeks.

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The Balmoral Giants could be excused if they appear to be a little punch drunk, after the beating they took in November from their Eastern League counterparts. They finished the month with just 9 victories against 16 losses, and only one did they lose by just one run. Most of them were on the order of 8-1, 7-1, 13-3 and 20-3 (the last one at the hands of the Braeland City Monarchs).
But the Giants have fully embraced the future and enriched their No. 1 rated farm system further when they acquired OF Ramón Tavira from the Brunswick Legends back on November 4 (See the Brunswick write-up in the previous post). Tavira, the 7th overall pick in the 1938-39 draft is rated #35 overall and becomes Balmoral’s 5th highest rated prospect. The #2 overall prospect, OF Carlton Broadbent (.297/.350/.459, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB), recently joined the big club. He was the 3rd overall pick in last season’s draft. If the rest develop in short order, then Balmoral will become a force to be reckoned with.

Top Position Player: SS Francisco Rodríguez (.363/.380/.504, 14-2B, 21 RBI, 38 R, 7 BB) won Rookie of the Month honours for the second month in a row. But he appears to be a rookie in name only, as he stepped it up in November and leads his team in a slew of offensive categories.

Top Pitcher: Balmoral pitchers are not a particularly strong unit, but SP Charlie Crocombe (5-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) had a decent month, as he went 2-2, 2.85 ERA in 6 starts.

Noteworthy: On November 25, 37-year old 1B Roger Tyler (.374/.368/.374, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 24 R, 27 BB) went 4 for 4 against the Downie Chiefs, setting a WL regular season game record with 4 doubles.

Key Injuries: Utility IF Andre Walshe (.250/.297/.331, 9-2B, 12 RBI, 25 R, 9 BB) suffered a sore shoulder on November 11. He is out for a further 2 weeks.
SP Scott Wadley (3-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) was diagnosed with radial nerve compression after a game on November 11, against the Wellington Athletics. He is gone for season (8 months).

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The Wolseley Unions fared somewhat better against the Eastern League than other Western League teams, going 11-14 on the month. The Unions offense has been pretty decent thus far, but Wolseley continues the trend of trading frontline starters for prospects. Case in point is 3B Derek Sakurai, who was hot in November, going 4 for 5 against the Wellington Athletics on November 5 and 5 for 6 against the Cobourg Red Stockings on November 22. Sakurai was then traded to Brunswick on the 26th.

Top Position Player: LF Aaron Flanagan (.330/.430/.646, 14 HR, 57 RBI, 43 R, 37 BB) is the real deal. After driving in 6 runs on November 21 against the Cobourg Red Stockings, going 2 for 4 with 1 HR, Flanagan went 3-4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R the next day against the same Red Stockings. For his performance on the month, he won the WL Player of the Week Award in the last week of November and the WL Batter of the Month Award.

Top Pitcher: Does a 2-1, 4.24 ERA deserve recognition? It does if you’re a pitcher on the Wolseley Unions. November was just a lousy month for the pitching staff, thus SP/RP Phil Edginton (6-4, 6.67 ERA, 2.11 WHIP) gets the lukewarm nod.

Key Injury: RF Dong-min Lee (.313/.414/.431, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 15 BB) suffered a hamstring strain on November 4. He will be out for another week.
1B Frazer Bainbridge (.317/.348/.381, 4-2B, 10 RBI, 12 R, 4 BB) strained his back in a game against the Brunswick Legends on November 27. He will be out for another week as well.

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At this point in the Western League standings, we really come to the ‘divert your eyes’ section. November was not kind to either the Sherburn Tigers or the Hespeler Stars. Sherburn won all of 8 eight games, although interestingly, they lost no more than 3 games consecutively during that spell. The Tigers are struggling on both sides of the ball. But unlike other teams that have committed themselves to rebuilding, the Tigers have been quiet on the trade front. They seem to be directionless, as their farm system is the second worst in the WL, 11th overall. Only Kingston has a poorer system (dead last). The Tigers made the playoffs in the ULB’s inaugural season but they have been sliding ever since. And they seem to be living in denial.

Top Position Player: CF Harold Yoder (.324/.355/.390, 6-2B, 28 RBI, 28 R, 9 BB) has performed well on a struggling team, batting .327/.350/.347 this month. However, he too has been scuffling in his last few games.

Top Pitcher: The pitching staff is not a pretty sight, but I’ll give it to SP Steve Greenwell (4-4, 4.06 ERA, 1.49 WHIP), who went 1-3, 3.49 ERA in November.

Key Injuries: 31-year old SP Simon Darling suffered an injury just 2.2 innings into his first game against the Hespeler Stars on October 5. He was diagnosed with a herniated disc and will miss 2 more weeks.
In a game against the Kingston Pelicans on October 23, 3B Mick Lanfear (.339/.394/.492, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB) fractured his ankle. He is gone for at least 2 months.
2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) injured himself in a game against the Wolseley Unions on October 31. He tore a labrum in his shoulder. He is out for 3-4 months.

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The Hespeler Stars are consistent. They won 8 games in October, and they won 8 games in November. And they are consistently bad. They boast the worst record in the ULB and will pick first in this season’s Amateur Draft in early December. The way things are going, they will likely pick first next season as well. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On the positive side, the Stars do have some nice young talent on their roster in both LF Steven Winstanley and SS Henry Yarnold, former first round picks that are producing right now for the Stars. They have the top-rated RF in the ULB in Louis Maylam and a fine 2B in Rhett Curnow. Both Maylam and Curnow would garner quality prospects in trades, should Hespeler ever decide to embrace a full rebuild. If you’re already in last place with no quick turnaround in sight, you might as well accelerate your rebuild. But Hespeler has yet to go that route.

Top Position Player: Steven Winstanley had another fine month, but I’ll go with 27-year old Rhett Curnow (.335/.377/.468, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 38 R, 14 BB) who batted .438/.469/.552 in November.
Winstanley went 4-4 in one game in November, while Rhett Curnow went 4 for 5 in two games and Louie Maylam went 4 for 5 in a couple of games as well.

Top Pitcher: On a pitching staff that had an abysmal month, SP Michael Wilberfoss (4-6, 3.13 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) bucked the trend, going 3-2, 2.98 ERA in November.
SP Michael Hanley (3-3, 3.57 ERA, 1.66 WHIP), who was claimed off of waivers last month, went 1-2, 4.95 ERA
Hespeler claimed another SP off of waivers: 28-year old Freddie Ventriss from the Embro Suns on November 29. He will be the No. 3 starter for the Stars.

Key Injury: 41-year old RP Hyo-cheong Yu (1-2, 2 SV, 7.67 ERA, 2.27 WHIP) was diagnosed with elbow inflammation on November 16. He will miss 3 months.

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reds1 · 08-24-2015, 08:54 PM

December 6, 1939

1939-40 Amateur Draft Results

Downie, Perth (BP) –Downie’s Empire Hotel played host to the 1939-40 Amateur Draft where about 160 or so players were selected with dreams of being the next star in Braeland’s United Leagues. This season, the Hespeler Stars received the first selection, followed by the Fort Richmond Generals and Wolseley Unions. Here is a brief sketch of the players selected in the first round:

1st Pick – Hespeler Stars:

IF/OF Vic Weetman (63/80) – 21-years old; 5’-8”, 160 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

Weetman was the first overall pick and it’s not hard to see why. The 21-year old lad from Willow Grove, Norwich, is an extremely versatile player. Scouts predict that his arrival in the majors will come sooner rather than later. Blessed with amazing vision and discipline, he projects to a high batting average with plus raw power. He has excellent range, especially in the outfield, and has well above average speed. An everyday guy, Weetman will start his professional career with the Muir Electrics, Hespeler’s AA farm team.

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2nd Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:

C Danny Trowbridge (39/80) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 195 lbs.; Switch hitter/Throws RH

The Generals selected a catcher as the 2nd overall pick. The switch-hitting Danny Trowbridge is projected to be an outstanding contact hitter with plus-plus power and decent fielding abilities. The 21-year old from Braeland City has been assigned to the Marburg Mustangs, Fort Richmond’s AA farm team.

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3rd Pick – Wolseley Unions:

LF Gary Therien (20/80) – 18-years old; 6’-1”, 190 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The Canadian-born Therien was selected 3rd overall by the Unions. The 18-year old is an offense-rich, defense-poor prospect. Therien has all the tools to be a fantastic contact hitter with wonderful power potential. He has an outstanding eye and patience at the plate. He is not necessarily a speedster on the base paths. However, the greatest concern is his very poor defensive skills. While a potential phenom at the plate, he could be a daily adventure in left field. The Unions have assigned him to their AA farm club, the Waterloo Whips.

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4th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:

SS Roland Binns (22/68) – 18-years old; 5’-9”, 155 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

For the 4th overall pick, the Trolleys selected an 18-year old shortstop from Downie. Binns’ strength is offense as well, as he brings well above-average contact potential with plus-plus power potential. He also has above average speed but will need to work on this defense, as he is not the most slick-fielding shortstop. Binns will begin with the Hopetown Islanders, Pulberry’s AA affiliate.

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5th Pick – Sherburn Tigers:

SP Gavin Womersley (23/80) – 18-years old; 5’-8”, 150 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The first pitcher selected in this season’s amateur draft, the 18-year old RHP from Queensland is blessed with above average stuff, incredible movement and tremendous control. Womersley has a great selection of pitches, with a top-notch sinker. The 5’-8” pitcher will start with the AA Hannon Greyhounds.

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6th Pick – Balmoral Giants:

IF/OF Lance Haworth (22/63) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The second Canadian-born player taken in the first round, Haworth greatest strengths are his outstanding defense in the outfield and his well above average speed on the base paths. The 21-year old has a decent eye to lay off most of the bad pitches, but currently doesn’t rate very highly as either a contact or power hitter. Haworth will begin his professional career with the AA Georgetown Goldbugs.

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7th Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings:

IF George Simpson (22/80) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The Red Stockings selected 18-year old George Simpson, an average infielder who has a chance to be a sensational contact hitter and hit for a high average. Simpson, however, will need to improve his discipline at the plate, as patience is not a virtue. Simpson has been assigned to Cobourg’s AA farm team, the Cardiff Crushers.

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8th Pick – Cambria Cannons:

IF/OF Evan Houk (20/64) – 18-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH

The 6’-0” Houk from Birmingham projects to become a solid contact hitter with average plate discipline and outstanding base running skills. He is also considered a solid defender in the field. The 18-year old will begin play with the AA Vandecar Spurs.

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Here is the rest of the first round, selections 9-16:

9th Pick – Queensland Eagles:

SP Pi-ao Quian (23/69) – stuff (35/40), movement (60/70) and control (35/50). 22-years old; 6’-1”, 195 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH
Above average stuff, positively filthy movement and outstanding control. Throws 5 type of pitches, with his cutter (40/45) and splitter (40/45) the best right now.

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10th Pick – Downie Chiefs:

RP Carl Luscombe (56/80) – stuff (45/60), movement (65/75) and control (35/50). 22-years old; 5’-10’, 175 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 90-92 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws RH
Really special stuff, positively filthy movement and very good command. Throws two pitches: fastball (50/60), slider (40/65).

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11th Pick – Stratford Barons:

SP Donn Griffin (21/76) – stuff (35/45), movement (60/70) and control (35/55). 20-years old; 5’-7”, 155 lbs.; neutral; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws RH
Great stuff and aggressive, positively filthy movement and superb control. Throws 5 type of pitches, with his splitter and forkball (both 40/50) the best right now.

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12th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs:

SP Roman Davis (20/79) – stuff (30/40), movement (50/70) and control (35/55). 19-years old; 6’-2”, 185 lbs.; groundball tendency; 86-88 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws LH
Above average stuff, positively filthy movement and excellent control. Throws 3 types of pitches, with his fastball (40/50) and curveball (25/50) having the best potential. Davis will need to work on his changeup (20/30) if he is to become a full-time SP.

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13th Pick – Wellington Athletics:

RP Cameron Ueno (36/79) – stuff (35/40), movement (60/75) and control (35/55). 20-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws RH
Passible stuff, positively filthy movement and superb control. Throws 2 type of pitches, a fastball (40/40) and curveball (35/45). Ueno will need to work on his stuff to face upper-echelon hitters. Struggles to keep his head in the game.

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14th Pick – Brunswick Legends:

SP Brent Nix (20/78) – stuff (30/40), movement (60/70) and control (20/35). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 87-89 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH
Consistent, above average stuff, positively filthy movement but only decent control. Throws 3 types of pitches, with his fastball (40/45) and curveball (35/50) having the best potential. He will need to work on his changeup (20/20) if he is to have any hope of becoming a full-time SP.

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15th Pick – Embro Suns:

OF Riley Parsons (22/64) – contact (40/55), gap power (40/50) and eye (35/50). 21-years old; 5’-10”, 180 lbs.; pull hitter; Hits LH/Throws LH
Above-average contact with outstanding power potential (35/45). Decent defense at RF and above average speed on the base paths.

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16th Pick – Kingston Pelicans:

SP Charlie Gilbert (21/74) – stuff (35/40), movement (60/65) and control (35/55). 21-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH
Great potential on his stuff and feisty, top-notch movement and great control. Throws 4 types of pitches, with his cutter (45/50) and forkball (45/50) having the best potential.
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reds1 · 08-28-2015, 09:00 AM

January 1, 1940

Eastern League: Wellington Joins in the Fun

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The fortunes of the Braeland City Monarchs cooled off a bit, as they went only 14-13 in December. That was enough to keep them in top spot in the East, but now they find themselves being pursued by a hot Wellington Athletics team. They remain very good on both offense and pitching. However, their bullpen has struggled, with their ERA falling to 4.71 from 4.08 over the past 4 weeks.

Top Position Player: The Monarchs are blessed with some mighty fine offensive players. One of them, 32-year old 3B Louie Hetherington (.329/.410/.464, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 63 R, 45 BB), had a terrific December, going .356/.436/.563 with 4 HR and 21 RBI. Hetherington won an EL Player of the Week Award during the month for his efforts.

Top Pitcher: 30-year old SP Lenny Freke (12-5, 1.87 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) is at the top of his game and is currently rated the No. 1 SP in the ULB. His performance in December (5-1, 1.35 ERA) earned him Pitcher of the Month honours. On December 4, he pitched a 5-hit shutout against the Downie Chiefs with 3 K and 1 BB. If that weren’t enough, Freke went 4-5 at the plate on December 25 against the Wellington Athletics, collecting 4 RBI and helping Braeland City win 7-1. Freke surrendered 4 hits and 1 ER with 3 K, 0 BB.

Noteworthy: SS Adam Ashley (.326/.387/.507, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 71 R, 33 BB, 15 SB) hit for the cycle against the Embro Suns on December 12, going 4-5 with 6 RBI and 3 R.

Curious: On December 26, 1B Tim Ambrose (.278/.350/.427, 10 HR, 58 RBI, 42 R, 35 BB) was designated for assignment and placed on waivers. After clearing them, he was assigned to the AAA Clifton Whales. On January 1, the 31-year old returned to the Monarchs as their starting 1B and bats 2nd in their lineup. What I find curious about these moves is that this is a player who leads the team in HRs and RBIs.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Wellington Athletics turned the heat up in the East, going 18-9 in December to leap into the wild card spot, 2.5 games up on the Queensland Eagles and just 2.0 games back of first place. Curiously, while they have remained competitive on both sides of the ball, the Athletics have slipped just a bit in the offensive rankings. That speaks, I think, to the overall competitiveness in the Eastern League.

Top Position Player: When Quentin Stubber went down to injury early in the month, Wellington re-called 24-year old RF Phil Keeling from AAA Quinlan. Needless to say, Keeling made the most of his opportunity, as he went .338/.373/.481, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 11 R, 5 BB and won the EL Rookie of the Month Award in December. With the return of Stubber from the DL, Keeling is now riding the pine, but it looks like he will stay up with the big club, biding his time.

Top Pitcher: A very tough choice, as 3 pitchers put in top performances in December. I’ll go with SP Soren Heinke (6-7, 2.89 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), who went 3-0, 1.02 ERA.
Both SP Clyde Boney (6-0, 2.93 ERA in Dec) and SP Darren Whiteley (5-0, 2.43 ERA in Dec) had outstanding months as well.

Key Injury: RF Quentin Stubber (.308/.454/.445, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 47 R, 55 BB, 11 SB) strained an oblique on a defensive play on December 2 against the Embro Suns. He returned to the lineup about 4 weeks later.

Key Trade: On December 19, Wellington traded little-used 27-year old C Hall Wright (22/23 - .167/.167/.667, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R) to the Embro Suns, along with 21-year old minor league RP Luke Woodward (26/80). In return, the Athletics received 36-year old 2B Alejandro Valdés (74/74 - .280/.348/.341, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 49 R, 33 BB, 7 SB).

Knee-jerk analysis: Valdés is still a proficient contact hitter and his speed and base-stealing abilities will make him a productive lead-off hitter for the Athletics. However, he is a nightmare defensively at 2B (-23.8 ZR) and no doubt this has contributed to his current -1.8 WAR value. It would appear that he is on the decline.
No doubt, Embro has this in mind when they traded him, as they appear to have a suitable replacement for him at 2B. In return, they receive the currently No. 1 rated pitching prospect in the ULB. Woodward was the 9th overall pick in the 1937-38 amateur draft. He is one decent pitch from being a viable SP, but his changeup is only rated 20/25, and the scouting report on him says that he doesn’t have the drive to make the most out of his tools. If Wellington can somehow mitigate Valdés’ defensive deficiencies and reach the playoffs, I will view this trade as equitable.

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The Queensland Eagles cooled off considerably in December, mustering only a 12-15 record to fall 4.5 games out of first place and 2.5 games behind the wild card. The Eagles continue to excel on offense, but their pitching has really regressed. A season ending injury to SP Darren Stewart would not seem to help matters either.

Top Position Player: SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.330/.401/.538, 11 HR, 78 RBI, 75 R, 41 BB) continued his outstanding play; in fact, he won the Batter of the Month Award for December.

Top Pitcher: December was just not kind to Queensland pitchers. The only SP who had a decent month was, ironically, called up in the middle of the month to replace the injured Stewart. The Taiwanese SP Pi-ao Quian was drafted 9th overall by the Eagles on December 6; on December 12 he joined the big club and started his first major league game on the 16th. In his 3 starts on the month, he went 3-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 4 K, 17 BB. All 3 were quality starts. Not a bad start for the 22-year old rookie.

Key Injuries: 30-year old SP Darren Stewart (5-6, 4.02 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) was diagnosed with a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, suffered in a game on December 8 against the Stratford Barons. He will be out for at least 8 months. Stewart was 1-0, 1.93 ERA in December before the injury.

Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) remains out for 7 more weeks with a broken bone in his elbow suffered back on October 28.

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The Embro Suns continue to play slightly above .500 ball, going 14-13 in December. They remain 7 games back of first, but due to the struggles of others, that’s good enough for 4th place in the standings. The offense improved overall but the pitching continues to sputter, preventing the team from gaining any traction.

Top Position Player: Some fine performances this month by the Suns, but 1B Jim Friend (.340/.403/.448, 3 HR, 53 RBI, 50 R, 21 BB) burned bright, hitting to the tune of .388/.419/.457. He went 4-5 in 3 games this month, collecting a total of 10 RBI and 6 R in those games. The 25-year old Friend was acquired back on June 25 from the Balmoral Giants.

Top Pitcher: It was a rough month for Suns pitchers; even ace SP Colm Soper went just 2-2, 4.35 ERA in December. However, SP Edward Hill (8-6, 3.72 ERA, 1.37 WHIP), who was acquired late last month from the Wolseley Unions, had a fine month, going 5-1, 3.60 ERA. RP Jim Palm (6-2, 6 SV, 1.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) was the only other pitcher who did well, going 2-1, 2 SV, 0.76 ERA.

Key Injuries: None.

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The recent wheeling and dealing by the Brunswick Legends has not exactly boosted the team’s fortunes here in the short term. In fact, they regressed in December, going just 12-16 to fall 9 games back of first and are now just 1 game above .500. Pitching improved modestly over the past month, but their offense has really cooled off. Certainly losing a player of the stature of a Mark Elston to an extended injury doesn’t help.

Top Position Player: It’s hard to fill the shoes of someone playing as well as Mark Elston, but 2B Matthew Shelley (.302/.357/.454, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 46 R, 27 BB, 6 SB) had a fine month, hitting .333/.393/.429.

Top Pitcher: Individually, the Brunswick pitchers didn’t have particularly great months, but SP Matthew Monroe (8-7, 2.78 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), did alright, going 2-2, 2.06 ERA in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: LF Mark Elston (.403/.526/.702, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 49 R, 50 BB) suffered an oblique strain on December 6. He will be out for another 3 weeks.

SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 2 more weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair back in November.

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October, when they went 19-9 on the month, seems like ages ago, as the Stratford Barons continue their decline into irrelevance. The Barons struggled in December, going 12-16, to fall 9 games back of first and now just sit 1 game above .500. Their offense picked up modestly in many of the rankings, but their pitching took a step back.
On the plus side, they have terrific players in the lineup, such as C Gavin Hurley, 2B Brian Main and SS Jake Walker; and SP Ryan Borden is developing into a legitimate ace (ranked 9th overall among pitchers). They have a solid farm system that is ranked 5th overall. But right now, there are just too many players that are underperforming, and it’s sinking the Barons.

Top Position Player: Got to go with SS Jake Walker (.352/.450/.522, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 54 R, 55 BB) again, as he was on fire in December, batting .449/.542/.626. The month included 2 games where he went 4-4 with 6 R in total, and he earned a Player of the Week Award.
C Gavin Hurley (.307/.345/.474, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 33 R, 17 BB) had a 20-game hitting streak end on December 22 against the Downie Chiefs.

Top Pitcher: SP Ryan Borden (10-4, 4.21 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) is the only pitcher carrying his weight at the moment. He went 4-1, 2.80 ERA in December.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Downie Chiefs enjoyed their first winning month of the season, going 15-13 in December. Their success is largely supported by the pitching staff, although the bullpen ERA is rated worst in the league. The offense has been abysmal, rated dead last in a slew of categories. Despite the struggles, the Chiefs’ run differential is only -5 and their Pythagorean record suggests that they should be at 40-41, a deficit of 1. In fact, with the exception of Cobourg (-5), all the teams in the Eastern League have a Pyt. record difference that is 1, 0 or -1.
Nevertheless, the Chiefs are mired near the bottom of the standings in a very competitive league and have the second worst farm system in the ULB. The moves they made in offseason bringing in the likes of SP Nick Paddock (7-10, 3.45 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) and CF Jonathan Lauder (.336/.388/.459, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 36 R, 23 BB) have not been enough to improve their fortunes in the East.

Top Position Player: He hasn’t hit a HR since October; but1B Jeaic Risbrough (.346/.414/.456, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 33 R, 26 BB) knows how to make contact. He had his best month in December, hitting .372/.456/.474.

Top Pitcher: SP Frank Leadbeater (8-8, 3.14 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) is Downie’s best pitcher, and he demonstrated that in December, going 4-2, 1.41 ERA.
SP Hidetada Kobayashi (3-3, 35 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) deserves a mention as well, as he went 3-2, 2.55 ERA on the month.

Noteworthy: 31-year old SS Ken Cutler (.255/.296/.306, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 24 R, 14 BB) enjoyed a couple of games in December where he went 4-5 and 4-6 at the plate. Alas, he collected no RBI and only 2 R for his efforts, illustrating Downie’s struggles with run production.

Key Injury: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) remains out for 8 more weeks due to a partially tore his labrum suffered in a game against the Kingston Pelicans on November 10.

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If it wasn’t for their disastrous 6-21 October, the Cobourg Red Stockings would be considered close to a .500 ball club. Cobourg went 13-15 in December; not great, but certainly an improvement over their earlier struggles. Over the past two months, their record is 26-27. But there’s a reason why they are mired in last place. The pitching and offence have been lacklustre to say the least. There have been some modest improvements in their hitting performance and the bullpen ERA is respectable. But it has been nowhere near enough to improve their fortunes.

Top Position Player: There were quite a few performances in December worthy of mention, but my selection is SS Ninfa Puzon (.298/.328/.457, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 59 R, 17 BB, 16 SB) who batted .313/.331/.548 with 11-2B, 5-3B and 2 HR.

Top Pitcher: RP Larry Parrish (3-2, 5 SV, 2.78 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he was sensational in December, going 2-0, 3 SV, 0.89 ERA, with 13 K and 7 BB.
Honourable mention goes to SP Carlo Foronda (4-9, 3.94 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) who went 2-3, 2.49 ERA in 5 starts.

Noteworthy: Whatever my misgivings about the wisdom behind Cobourg’s acquisition of CF Clint Jones (.315/.376/.479, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 65 R, 32 BB, 15 SB) last month from the Cambria Cannons, there’s no denying his talent. On December 18, Jones went 4-5 with 2 HR, 2 RBI and 4 R. He also won a Player of the Week Award later in the month.

Key Injuries: None.

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reds1 · 08-29-2015, 07:04 AM

January 1, 1940

Western League: Running in Slow Motion

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The Cambria Cannons maintained their grip on first place in the West, thanks to a modest 15-13 record in December. The Cannons enjoy an 8 game lead over the second place Pelicans and continue their strong overall play, averaging 1st or 2nd in many categories.
Six of the eight teams in the Western League teams sported win-loss records in December that were within a game or two of .500 – speaking either to the increased competitiveness of the Western League or to just plain mediocrity. I’m quite not sure yet.

Top Position Player: Count me a fan of OF Ron Westmacott (.313/.386/.599, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 37 R, 37 BB, 16 SB), who had a sensational December, batting .310/.388/.637. On December 4, Westmacott went 4-5 against the Sherburn Tigers, with 1 RBI and 2 R. But on December 25, the 2nd overall pick from the 1937-38 draft hit for the cycle, going 4-4 against the Fort Richmond Generals, collecting 1 RBI and 1 R.

Top Pitcher: SP Neil Guerin (11-4, 3.43 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) leads the top-rated pitching staff in the West; in December, he went 3-1, 2.44 ERA with 16 K, 5 BB.

Key Injuries: Cambria got hit with a rash of injuries in December.
3B Kenneth Logan (.324/.371/.549, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 24 R, 13 BB) fractured his hand in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals on December 7. He will miss 2 more weeks.

One day later, LF Joe Olver (.305/.358/.447, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 42 R, 21 BB) fractured his thumb in a collision at a base against the same Generals. He should be back in 4 days however.

On December 26, 2B Charles Halse strained an abdominal muscle while running the bases. He’s expected back within a couple of weeks.

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The Kingston Pelicans are a battered and bruised team. Kingston has been dealing with injuries and setbacks to key players all season long, but to their credit, they refuse to give up. The Pelicans went just 14-13 in December, their worst effort thus far, but it keeps them in the wild card spot, 3.5 games up on the Fort Richmond Generals. Their offense continues to be their strength, but the pitching staff has been improving as well of late in spite of the decimations.

Top Position Player: Many good individual performances to choose from in December, but my choice is 2B Mo Symes (.321/.389/.491, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 73 R, 37 BB), who went .282/.320/.504, with 8 HR, 25 RBI and 24 R. His efforts earned him a Player of the Week Award late in the month.

Top Pitcher: SP Dave Mapp (5-0, 3.08 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) was recalled from AAA Douro back on October 30 due to the injuries suffered by the starting rotation. In December, his 4-0, 1.88 ERA performance earned him his first Pitcher of the Month Award.

Key Injuries: SP Joey Cumberledge is out for at least 4 months (effectively the season), due to a torn labrum he suffered in Spring Training.

SP Francis Slocock (2-3, 5.53 ERA, 1.99 WHIP) was expected to return around the start of the New Year, but suffered a setback on December 15; he will be out another 4 weeks. Slocock suffered a herniated disc suffered back on October 30.

24-year old SP Harley Bracher (3-6, 6.25 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), remains out for 2-3 months, due to torn triceps, suffered back on November 27.

1B Fergus Chitty missed 3 weeks in December, when suffered a strained lat on December 6, while running the bases.

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The Fort Richmond Generals are stuck in the middle. Thanks to a 15-13 December, they are now 40-40 on the season. Their runs for: 404; their runs against: 404.
Both the pitching and offensive performances back up those numbers, as they rate somewhere around the middle of the pack in the Western League. However, their top 5 prospects are performing well at their respective levels. If that trend continues and get called up in the next little while, the Generals’ fortunes may finally head north, instead of being stuck in a holding pattern.

Top Position Player: CF Kade Limeburner (.291/.413/.554, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 53 R, 63 BB) had a superlative December, hitting .327/.432/.625. He won both a Player of the Week Award and the Batter of the Month Award.

Top Pitcher: SP Jeff Hetzel (6-7, 4.18 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) had a fine month, going 4-1, 2.53 ERA in 6 starts.
20-year old RP Dean Stroud (1-1, 2 SV, 2.50 ERA) has also shown some promise since his call up from AAA Marburg in November. Stroud, the 16th overall pick in the 1937-38 draft, was acquired from the Kingston Pelicans last January in the SP Francis Slocock trade.

Key Injury: SP Tristan Purss (4-11, 4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) suffered an intercostal strain in a game against the Hespeler Stars on December 29. He will be out for another week.

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The Sherburn Tigers bucked the trend in the West by having an impressive month, going 16-11 in December. The record is made all the more impressive considering the injuries they have had to contend with and the struggles of their pitching staff. The Tigers now find themselves in 4th place, 7.5 games back of the wild card. But I’ll wait and see how they do in January before taking them seriously.

Top Position Player: C Joe Gault (.285/.358/.420, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 34 R, 36 BB) had a dynamite December, batting .356/.404/.624, with 5 HR, 25 RBI, and 17 R.

Top Pitcher: The pitching staff had a rough month, but RP Bae Park (3-3, 4.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP), has been steadily improving with each passing month. In December, he went 1-2, 2 SV, 1.03 ERA.
SP Simon Darling, who has been out since his first start in October, finally returned the rotation and went 1-0, 1.50 ERA in his first start. Hopefully for Sherburn, it’s a sign of things to come.

Key Injuries: 3B Mick Lanfear (.339/.394/.492, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB) fractured his ankle back on October 23. He is out for another 3-4 weeks.

2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) tore a labrum in his shoulder on October 31. He is out for 2-3 months.

SS Gary Watkinson (.299/.398/.401, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 48 R, 43 BB, 8 SB) strained his back on December 17; he should be back in about 4 days.

SP Yasushi Kobayashi (6-8, 5.64 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) suffered a partially torn labrum on December 18 in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He is gone for at least 3 months.

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The Balmoral Giants had a bounce back month of sorts, especially compared to the rough month they had in November. In December, they went 13-14.
They are still way below average in a number of performance categories, so if they somehow they manage to reach .500 on the season, it will be an accomplishment.

Top Position Player: This was actually tougher than I expected. SS Francisco Rodríguez (.339/.366/.480, 1 HR, 38 RBI, 54 R, 15 BB, 11 SB) had another fine month that won him his third consecutive Rookie of the Month Award. He is quickly becoming one of the top-rated players in the ULB.
However, my choice for December goes to 27-year old RF Shannon Walker (.307/.356/.451, 8 HR, 54 RBI, 51 R, 25 BB, 6 SB), who went .303/.347/.431, with 3 HR, 14 RBI and 20 R.

Top Pitcher: On a weak staff, SP Charlie Crocombe (6-6, 3.44 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he went 1-1, 2.28 ERA in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: SP Scott Wadley (3-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) was diagnosed with radial nerve compression back on November 11. He is gone for season (6-7 months).

1B Roger Tyler (.278/.375/.376, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 31 R, 32 BB) suffered a hamstring strain in a collision while running the bases back on December 10. He will miss another 3-4 weeks.

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There’s only so many ways to describe a mediocre team, and the Wolseley Unions are just one of many in the Western League. They are not necessarily a dreadful team, but just don’t have enough horses yet to challenge the likes of Cambria and Kingston – yet.

Top Position Player: As slam-dunk a choice as you’re ever going to get. 1B Aaron Flanagan (.337/.443/.634, 18 HR, 75 RBI, 64 R, 59 BB) is Wolseley’s best by far. In December, he went .350/.467/.610, with 4 HR, 18 RBI and 21 RBI.

Top Pitcher: Weak pitching continues to be an issue for Wolseley. Nevertheless, SP Jim Smyth (7-3, 3.78 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) had a decent December, going 4-1, 3.58 ERA, with 21 K, 15 BB in 5 starts.

Key Injury: 2B Datu Balsalubra (.232/.323/.281, 9-2B, 22 RBI, 25 R, 28 BB) sprained his wrist in a December 10 game. He is out for 3 weeks.

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Well, forget about any rebound. After facing the tough Eastern League teams in November, it was hypothesised by yours truly that the Pulberry Trolleys may enjoy a bounce back in December. Going 8-18 does not qualify as a rebound. The Trolleys were downright dreadful. In particular, their offense that rates near or at the bottom in a host of categories, and it has seen them fall to 7th place from 4th in a span of a month. The pitching is still putting up a heroic effort, although the bullpen has started to regress as well.

Top Position Player: In a very lacklustre month for offense, 1B William Tozer (.304/.393/.413, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 40 R, 44 BB) is the standout, after he went .275/.383/.341 with 1 HR, 14 RBI, 11 R.

Top Pitcher: Ironically, in a month where the bullpen ERA has regressed, it’s a reliever who had the best month. RP Arnold Perkins (5-5, 5 SV, 3.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) went 2-2, 2.79 ERA in 6 games. In 3 of those games, he started, going at least a full 9 innings in each. In one other game in which he didn’t start, he went 8 innings and picked up the win.

Key Injuries: On December 8, 2B Colin Strudwick (.289/.327/.422, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 36 R, 14 BB, 11 SB) was diagnosed with recurring back spasms. He will be out another 3 weeks.

SP Sojuro Ojima (3-6, 3.91 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) experienced elbow tendinitis in a game against the Sherburn Tigers on December 9. He missed 3 weeks of action.

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The Hespeler Stars staunched the bleeding in December, as they went 14-14, nearly doubling their win total from the previous two months combined. But that may be more of a blip than a trend, as the Stars are struggling mightily on both offense and pitching.
Hespeler selected first in December’s amateur draft and picked a dynamic young player in IF/OF Vic Weetman. Interestingly, Hespeler immediately promoted him to the big club, where he has been their lead-off hitter. Thus far, Weetman has gone .221/.284/.256, 3-2B, 6 RBI, 11 R, 8 BB, 6 SB in 86 AB. We’ll have to see how he does the rest of the way, but it appears that the Stars are committed to him staying in the majors. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a player that skipped the minors completely in all of my OOTP days, although I know it must have happened.

Top Position Player: Same dilemma as last month, as both LF Steven Winstanley (.293/.351/.511, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 49 R, 29 BB) and 2B Rhett Curnow (.325/.373/.442, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 25 R, 25 BB) had the best months among Hespeler’s hitters. I’ll go again with Curnow, who went .306/.364/.389 with 1 HR, 20 RBI, 17 R, 11 BB on the month.

Top Pitcher: RP Gavin Hewat (4-4, 4, SV, 4.68 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) had a very good month in December, going 2-0, 3 SV, 1.88 ERA.

Key Injuries: 41-year old RP Hyo-cheong Yu (1-2, 2 SV, 7.67 ERA, 2.27 WHIP) was diagnosed with elbow inflammation on November 16. He is out for another 6 weeks.

On December 2, RF Louie Maylam (.300/.447/.547, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R, 38 BB) sprained his elbow in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He missed a total of 4 weeks.

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[

reds1 · 09-01-2015, 09:17 AM

January 9, 1940

1940 ASG: Comebacks, Extra Innings Cap Thrilling Western League Triumph

Sherburn (BP) – They had the fire power, but they didn’t have Okura Ito and in the end, that made all the difference. The Eastern League All-Stars jumped out to a commanding 7-run lead in the early innings of the 3rd Annual ULB All-Star Game held at The Paramount in Sherburn, Norwich. But the Western League All-Stars did not give up, and led by Kingston’s Okura Ito and Balmoral’s Francisco Rodriguez, they overcame the deficit to pull out a thrilling 11-10 victory in extra innings.

The victory continues the trend of the ‘home team’ winning the event for the 3rd year in a row.

Bottom of the 1st:
With Colm Soper pitching for the Eastern League, Gary Watkinson picks up a 2-out walk. A throwing error allows Okura Ito to reach first, moving Watkinson to second.
Watkinson comes in to score on a Francisco Rodriguez single and the Western League gets on the board first.
Eastern All-Stars 0 – Western All-Stars 1

Top of the 2nd:
The Easterners get to Brady Murdy early and often. Jim Friend hits a one-out triple and comes in to score when Quentin Stubber follows with a single. Next up is Bob Boynton, who triples as well, scoring Stubber to make it 2-1.
Later, with runners on first and third with two out, back-to-back singles by Adam Ashley and Ryley McLarnon score two more, and the Eastern All-Stars take the early lead.
Eastern All-Stars 4 – Western All-Stars 1

Top of the 3rd:
The Eastern League broke out the long ball in the third inning. Terence Durney led off with a solo shot to right field off of SP Michael Wilberfoss.
Later, with two out and runners on first and second, SP Colm Soper joined in the fun, smashing a 3-run homerun 379 ft. to left field, giving the Easterners a seemingly commanding lead.
Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 1

Bottom of the 3rd:
With two out and facing SP Joel Fearn, Okura Ito, Francisco Rodriguez and Fergus Chitty hit three consecutive singles, scoring Ito.
Following a pitching change, Ron Westmacott hits the Westerners’ fourth consecutive single, bringing in Rodriguez for the Western All-Stars’ third run.
Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 3

Bottom of the 4th:
Hyun-jung Moon leads off with a walk and reaches third on a Zak Kidd single with nobody out. Following a pitching change, Glen Yeend brings home Moon on a sac fly to center field.
During Gary Watkinson’s subsequent at-bat, Zak Kidd steals second and later tries to steal third, but is thrown out by C Kane Broom. Watkinson then grounds out to 1B (U3) to end the inning.
Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 4

Bottom of the 6th:
Aaron Flanagan leads off with a double off of Matthew Shelley and reaches third on a Mo Symes ground out. Dominic Carmody singles to score Flanagan.
The Westerners load the bases when Glen Yeend is hit by a pitch and Rhett Curnow reaches on an error. Okura Ito then singles, bringing in Carmody and Yeend, cutting the deficit to one.
Following a pitching change, Francisco Rodriguez singles off of Larry Parrish’s first pitch to load the bases once again with one out. William Tozer then hits into a fielder’s choice at second, scoring Curnow, and the game is tied.
Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 8

Top of the 10th:
Jay Atwood leads off with a double off of SP Bradley Dodson and comes in to score when Quentin Puddy follows with a single.
After Puddy is replaced at first with pinch runner Dwayne Hollinshead, Rovilson Valdevieso and Dylan Watkins hit back-to-back singles, scoring Hollishead and giving the Eastern All-Stars a two-run lead.
Eastern All-Stars 10 – Western All-Stars 8

Bottom of the 10th:
Okura Ito leads off with a double and immediately comes in to score when Francisco Rodriguez follows with a double of his own.
Following a pitching change, RP Kantaro Sumita singles off of SP Clyde Boney with one out to score Rodriguez and the game is tied once again.
Eastern All-Stars 10 – Western All-Stars 10

Bottom of the 11th:
Jayden Tennant leads off with a walk off of Clyde Boney and reaches third when Kade Limeburner follows with a double.
PH Tadayuki Jouda becomes the hero, hitting a sac fly to centerfield, scoring Tennant from third for the winning run.
Eastern All-Stars 10 – Western All-Stars 11

Kingston’s Okura Ito won Player of the Game honours, going 5-6 with 2-2B, 2 RBI and 2 R.

Balmoral’s Francisco Rodriguez shone as well, going 4-5 with 1-2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB.

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Here are the complete All-Star rosters:

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Here are the standings as of January 9:

reds1 · 09-02-2015, 04:54 PM

February 1, 1940

Eastern League – Embro, Stratford Make Their Moves

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The Braeland City Monarchs maintained their hold on top spot in the Eastern League, putting up an impressive 16-10 record in January and have won 9 of their last 10 games. That said, they remain just 4 games up on the Wellington Athletics and have seen two teams, the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons, make moves both on and off the field that have seen them surge up the standings and present a serious threat in the latter part of the season.
Eight Monarchs were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP David Cooling (1st selection); SP Lenny Freke (2nd); SP Jin-man Kim (1st); C Kane Broom (2nd); 3B Louie Hetherington (3rd); SS Adam Ashley (2nd); CF Jay Atwood (2nd) and RF Dwayne Hollinshead (2nd).

Top Position Player: SS Adam Ashley (.336/.388/.509, 4 HR, 54 RBI, 90 R, 38 BB, 22 SB) had a tremendous month in January, batting .369/.391/.515 and had a 22-game hitting streak come to an end. But C Kane Broom (.349/.381/.471, 7 HR, 50 RBI, 66 R, 24 BB) was even hotter, going .412/.435/.578, with 3 HR, 15 RBI and 19 R.

Top Pitcher: A toss-up between SP Lenny Freke (15-7, 1.82 ERA, 1.02 ERA) and SP David Cooling (15-7, 3.02 ERA, 1.19 WHIP). I’ll go with Cooling, who went 6-0, 2.33 ERA, with 36 K, 11 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: LF Scott Kessler (.276/.361/.455, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R, 18 BB) suffered and hamstring strain on January 4; he is out a further 8-9 weeks.

3B Louie Hetherington (.332/.413/.466, 6 HR, 53 RBI, 70 R, 48 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum as a result of a collision on January 7. He is out of action for another 3 weeks.

LF Trevor Bolen (.295/.325/.418, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 19 R, 7 BB, 7 SB), who has been battled injuries all season, injured himself while running the bases in a game on January 12. He was diagnosed with a strained quad and missed 2 weeks.

Key Trade: On January 20, the Monarchs traded 31-year old 1B Tim Ambrose (66/66 – .263/.345/.394, 11 HR, 67 RBI, 57 R, 51 BB) and 18-year old minor league SS Kansaburo Sato (20/34) to the Cobourg Red Stockings.
Braeland City received 27-year old IF Damian Davis (41/51 – .298/.368/.394, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 36 BB).

Knee-jerk analysis: The injuries to Kessler and Hetherington necessitated a move on Braeland City’s part. With Braeland City already having placed Ambrose on waivers in late December, it was clear that he was not going to be part of their long-term plans. Davis takes over 3B until Hetherington returns and Trevor Bolen moves to LF while Scott Kessler is on the mend. Bench player Ronald Goff (.250/.368/.375, 2-2B, 2 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB) takes over 1B for the Monarchs.
Ambrose moves from a playoff caliber team to the basement with Cobourg. Ambrose is not a complete player but he was having a productive season, so he is not exactly a happy camper.
Cobourg has already signaled a major sell-off with other moves they made this month, so this trade can be categorized as a wash.

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The Athletics lost some ground, falling 4 games back of Braeland City and now find themselves being chased by a couple of hot teams in the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons. Wellington has struggled on offense so far this season and made a couple of moves before the deadline to try and shore it up. The pitching staff meanwhile has been much more consistent.
Five Athletics were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Clyde Boney (3rd); C Dylan Watkins (3rd); 3B Ryley McLarnon (2nd); LF Bob Boynton (3rd) and RF Quentin Stubber (3rd).

Top Position Player: C Dylan Watkins (.303/.365/.485, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 57 R, 35 BB) had his best month of the season, batting .356/.408/.567 with 4 HR, 27 RBI and 14 R.

Top Pitcher: SP Clyde Boney (17-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.16 ERA) was solid once again, going 3-1, 1.72 ERA, with 22 K, 16 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade #1: Wellington received 27-year old 1B Jeaic Risbrough (42/43 – .327/.394/.436, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 35 R, 29 BB) from the Downie Chiefs on January 9. In return, Downie received two minor league players:
- 28-year old RP Ross Selby (43/43) and
- 18-year old C Zenon-Alejandro Deang (22/71).

Knee-jerk analysis: From October through to December, Risbrough hit .326, .345 and .372 in 228 total at-bats. And yet he is struggling to keep his starting position at 1B. Downie finally decided to go with Francis Pynchon full-time at 1B after acquiring him back in October. But instead of starting for Wellington, Risbrough is backing up Byron Tope (.264/.312/.382, 9 HR, 58 RBI, 48 R, 27 BB) for now at least, even though Risbrough is rated higher at that position. In return, Downie gets a middling relief pitcher for a middling bullpen. Deang is more intriguing, an 8th round sleeper pick from the 1939-40 amateur draft. A capable hitter, he will need to work hard to improve his lackluster defensive skills.

Key Trade #2: On January 30, Wellington completed a deal with the Cambria Cannons. The Athletics received 25-year old 2B Charles Halse (46/49 – .279/.363/.508, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 26 BB). Cambria received 2 minor league players:
- 27-year old RP Connor Mossop (20/21) and
- 18-year old C Anoi Hoalohonani (21/54).

Knee-jerk analysis: Practically a carbon copy of the first trade, an infielder for a middling reliever and a young catcher. Halse is decent hitter with some speed and good defense. He’s listed as the Wellington’s top 2B, but right now is taking a back seat to Alejandro Valdes (.274/.346/.333, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 65 R, 45 BB). I would expect that to change soon if Valdes regresses further, as he hit only .253/.340/.308 in January. In the meantime, Halse will come in handy in the late innings as a defensive replacement, as Valdes’ defense leaves something to be desired.

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After lingering just a few games above .500 for most of the season, the Embro Suns finally came alive in January, racking up 18 victories in 26 games. The late-season bloom catapults them into third spot, just 1 game back of the wild card.
The Suns’ strength this season has been its offense, which ranks 3rd in a slew of categories. Pitching meanwhile, has been below average overall, although the bullpen ERA is solid. Embro did not make any significant moves in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, so they are content with what they have now. It will be interesting to see if that is enough now that the League is entering the final push for the playoffs.
Six Suns were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Colm Soper (3rd); RP John Palm (3rd); 1B Jim Friend (1st); LF Anthony Stavely (2nd); CF Terence Durney (3rd) and RF Paul Hooks (2nd).

Top Position Player: RF Paul Hooks (.334/.440/.559, 23 HR, 91 RBI, 81 R, 77 BB) was a man possessed in January, and his performance earned him Batter of the Month honours. During the course of the month, Hooks hit 2 HR in a game against the Downie Chiefs (3-5, 5 RBI, 2 R) and 2 HR in a game against the Sherburn Tigers (2-5, 3 RBI, 3 R). On January 31, he went 5-6 against the Wolseley Unions, collecting 1 HR, 3 RBI, 4 R.
But he was not the only one with a hot month, as LF Anthony Stavely (.306/.415/.472, 12 HR, 70 RBI, 77 R, 75 BB) batted .427/.541/.640, with 3 HR, 32 RBI and 18 R.

Top Pitcher: The starting rotation has not been a particularly strong unit, but SP Rusty Mott (9-6, 4.01 ERA, 1.36 ERA) pitched very well, going 3-1, 2.16 ERA, with 8 K, 4 BB in 4 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Stratford Barons mean business. After sprinting out of the starting blocks in October, the Barons cooled off considerably in November and December, losing more games than they won and falling to just a game over .500 on the season. But after 5 transactions involving 20 players, some of them with BIG names, Stratford now finds itself right back in the mix for the playoffs.
Previously, I had opined that the Barons needed to do some soul-searching to determine whether they truly were up to the task to compete in East. It would appear that they did just that, and made the moves they felt were needed to get them into the Promised Land. It should be an exciting playoff chase as a result in the Eastern League this season.
Three Barons were selected to the All-Star game in January: C Gavin Hurley (3rd); 2B Brian Main (1st) and SS Jake Walker (1st).

Top Position Player: C Gavin Hurley (.323/.363/.500, 10 HR, 60 RBI, 48 R, 24 BB) was his usual outstanding self in January, batting .378/.424/.585 with 4 HR, 18 RBI and 15 R.

Top Pitcher: Although SP Joel Fearn won the Pitcher of the Month Award, he was still with the Cobourg Red Stockings when he earned it. It was not a great month for Stratford pitchers, but 35-year old SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji (9-7, 3.90 ERA, 1.35 ERA) put in a good performance, going 4-0, 2.45 ERA, with 21 K, 9 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade #1: Stratford traded 29-year old OF Tony Blakeney (47/51 – .290/.373/.412, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 60 R, 48 BB) to the Pulberry Trolleys on January 13. In return, Pulberry sent 29-year old IF Herbert Corrigan (23/23 - .211/.329/.253, 3-2B, 3 RBI, 5 R, 13 BB) and 21-year old minor league C Werner Hock (22/46).

Knee-jerk analysis: An interesting transaction on the Barons’ part. Blakeney is a productive player, with decent contact, very good power and good defense. His teammates consider him to be a selfish player, however. Whether OOTP factors the latter part in or not, I don’t know, but the Barons have decided to go with a young prospect of theirs, 21-year old OF Bart Wallwin (37/63 - .271/.324/.412, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 13 BB) in leftfield. Wallwin was rated the #15 overall prospect in the ULB at the start of the season.
Corrigan will be a utility player at most and Hock did not stay in the Barons’ organization for very long, as he was traded away later in the month.

Key Trade #2: On January 24, Stratford and Pulberry consummated another trade.

Stratford traded away 27-year old all-star IF Brian Main (75/77 - .304/.351/.467, 13 HR, 99 RBI, 66 R, 40 BB, 11 SB). In return, the Trolleys sent 28-year old 1B William Tozer (71/72 - .307/.399/.437, 9 HR, 63 RBI, 53 R, 61 BB) and 22-year old minor league OF William Wigmore (31/68 – 3rd round pick in 1937-38 draft).

Knee-jerk analysis: The Barons deemed that an upgrade at 1B was necessary and so went out and acquired William Tozer. Tozer is indeed a Top 5-1B in the ULB, but the price was steep, as Stratford surrendered Brian Main, a Top 2-2B. While Stratford has addressed the newly created vacuum at 2B with a subsequent trade, Brian Main was a great player that will be sorely missed in my opinion. Wigmore becomes Stratford’s top position prospect, an average hitter with no power whatsoever but with tremendous defense.

On January 29, Stratford made 3 more deals:

Key Trade #3: Stratford acquired 27-year old 2B Rhett Curnow (59/60 – .333/.378/.473, 9 HR, 65 RBI, 73 R, 32 BB) from the Hespeler Stars. In return, Hespeler received 4 minor league players:
- 21-year old SP Carlton Sherrell (21/64 - #22 overall prospect);
- 19-year old RF Isaia Taworri (20/23);
- 20-year old 1B Gary Lindley (21/22) and
- 21-year old 3B Damien Dyson (22/23).

Knee-jerk analysis: Rhett Curnow is a fine player, but not the quite the player Brian Main was. Curnow is rated the 3rd best 2B in the ULB, while Main is rated 2nd overall. Thus, with Tozer at 1B, Stratford believes that they will have a stronger lineup and it’s hard to dispute that reasoning. Hespeler, which is clearly in rebuilding mode, receives in its haul a pitching prospect in the form of Sherrell, who has above-average stuff and terrific movement. If he can improve his control a bit (30/45), then the Stars should have a very fine SP for the future.

Key Trade #4: Stratford acquired 38-year old RP Larry Parrish (80/80 – 5-2, 7 SV, 2.44 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received 5 minor league players:
- 20-year old RF Adoniia Haoa (23/70 - #51 overall prospect);
- 21-year old C Werner Hock (22/46);
- 20-year old 2B Steve Walker (22/37);
- 21-year old SS Ralph Coyne (21/22) and
- 23-year old CF Kenneth Peck (29/30).

Knee-jerk analysis: Parrish is the No. 1 rated RP in the ULB and an all-star. For a team bent on winning now, this was a no-brainer. Kudos to Stratford for going out and getting him before any other team could. Cobourg gets some nice future depth in return; in particular, Haoa, who becomes Cobourg’s 5th highest-rated prospect in the organization.

Key Trade #5: Stratford also acquired 29-year old SP Joel Fearn (76/76 – 13-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, Cobourg received 3 minor league players:
- 19-year old OF Miguel Rodriguez (22/66 - #10 overall prospect);
- 22-year old SP Pedro Gomez (21/46 - #77 overall prospect) and
- 19-year old C Henry Tofield (20/28).

Knee-jerk analysis: Fearn is rated #8 overall among pitchers and a perennial all-star. And he is also a coup. His acquisition, along with Parrish, transforms Stratford’s pitching staff to one that will rival both Braeland City’s and Wellington’s.
For Cobourg, Rodriguez becomes their top prospect, who should be an offensive force with great speed and solid defense in the outfield, especially in the corners. Overall, the Red Stockings have improved their farm system, rising from 10th to 5th. Stratford’s farm system, meanwhile, falls from 5th to 10th. But they are obviously in ‘win now’ mode. These transactions should put them in a good position to do just that.

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In stark contrast to the Stratford Barons, the Queensland Eagles have effectively thrown in the towel on this season. In fact, on January 29, they set their team focus to ‘rebuilding’ from ‘neutral’. The re-building will likely take place in the off-season, as the Eagles completed only one significant trade before the deadline, and that was to address a long-term injury.
Other than a 19-6 November, the Eagles have not looked like a playoff team and a 10-16 January only confirms that. Queensland is not an awful team by any means; it has some frontline talent on the pitching staff and in the lineup. But it is not a particularly deep team and the injuries have exposed that. Also, they have one of the weakest farm systems in the ULB (13th). No doubt, some tough decisions will be made once the season is over. It will be interesting to see whether the Eagles blow things up and start over or not.
Five Eagles were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Stewart Colcott (1st); SP Max MacColl (3rd); 1B Quentin Puddy (2nd); 2B Katsunan Chikafuji (3rd) and 3B Kian Meadmore (3rd).

Top Position Player: 3B Kian Meadmore (.281/.363/.538, 21 HR, 73 RBI, 64 R, 49 BB) had a fine month, hitting .290/.394/.559, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 16 R.

Top Pitcher: The pitching staff struggled over in January; however, SP Max MacColl (15-7, 3.52 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) did very well, going 3-1, 1.16 ERA, with 12 K, 7 BB in 4 starts.

Key Injuries: 30-year old SP Darren Stewart (5-6, 4.02 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) is out for another 6-7 months due to a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, suffered in a game back on December 8.

Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) remains out for 3 more weeks with a broken bone in his elbow suffered back on October 28.

SS Kastunan Chikafuji (.340/.407/.552, 12 HR, 83 RBI, 78 R, 41 BB) suffered a partially torn labrum on January 2. He is out for at least 5-6 weeks.

RF Toby Reakes (.312/.473/.387, 12-2B, 17 RBI, 66 R, 81 BB, 10 SB) suffered a quad strain on January 5 against the Cobourg Red Stockings. He is out another week.

Key Trade: On January 26, the Eagles acquired 27-year old IF Ninfa Puzon (59/64 – .296/.329/.443, 3 HR, 47 RBI, 78 R, 25 BB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings.
In return, Cobourg received 4 minor league players:
- 21-year old SS Antonio Pena (23/55);
- 21-year old 1B Brad Mitchinson (22/41);
- 21-year old C Benjamin Bertram (21/23) and
- 22-year old 2B Gavin Henderson (22/23).

Knee-jerk analysis: With the long-term injury to SS Chikafuji, Queensland acquires a fine player in Puzon to take up the slack. Puzon is not the player that Chikafuji is, but he can be productive at the plate, is decent fielding his position and quick on the base paths.
In return, the Red Stockings receive a bunch of 2nd-tier minor leaguers. Nothing to get excited about, but then perhaps Puzon is not the player he once was last season, when he earned an all-star selection. Queensland will be his third team in three seasons.

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It would appear the grand plan for getting back into the playoffs has fizzled. The flurry of activity that the Brunswick Legends engaged in back in November, where the club consummated 3 major trades has not improved their fortunes. The Legends have fallen 12 games back of first place and 8 games back of the wild card. The offense has regressed to be the worst or near worst in the Eastern League. The moves they made to acquire two new catchers (Maurice Evans - .218/.309/.332 and Henry Goddier - .254/.359/.313) and give CF Scott Orchard (.234/.288/.360) a starting job have not panned out.
Like Queensland, they have some incredible talent, but not much depth and the farm system is depleted (12th overall). The Legends did not make any deals in January, but some decisions will need to be made in the off-season, for sure.
Four Legends were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Matthew Monroe (3rd); 2B Matthew Shelley (2nd); LF Mark Elston (2nd) and RF Rovilson Valvevieso (2nd).

Top Position Player: Although teammate Mark Elston was out for most of January, RF Rovilson Valvevieso (.370/.402/.560, 13 HR, 66 RBI, 67 R, 25 BB) didn’t miss a beat, batting .398/.413/.650 with 5 HR, 21 RBI, 18 R.

Top Pitcher: 36-year old SP Song-Saeng Lee (10-9, 4.75 ERA, 1.58 ERA) had an outstanding month, going 3-1, 2.04 ERA, with 16 K, 7 BB in 5 starts.

Key Injuries: Back-up CF Jamie Thurgood (.404/.483/.635, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 7 BB) sprained his wrist in a game on December 23. He will be out for another 2-3 weeks.

SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 2 more weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair back in November.

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The Downie Chiefs imploded in January, staggering to an 8-18 record that included a 9-game losing streak. The Chiefs were putting up a fight to remain close to .500, but the bottom has fallen out to say the least. To me, January is indicative of the state of the Downie Chiefs. They are not very good overall on both pitching and offense; and the good players they do have are not getting any younger. Seven of their top players are 30 and older. The Queensland Eagles are next with 6.
The Chiefs sent one player to the All-Star game in January: SP Frank Leadbeater (3rd).

Top Position Player: After a sub-par December, RF Finlay Petty (.262/.296/.363, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 57 R, 23 BB) had his best month of the season in January, batting .308/.351/.510 with 4 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R.

Top Pitcher: Not a good month for Downie pitchers. SP Hidetada Kobayashi (4-4, 3.56 ERA, 1.32 ERA) had an OK month, going 1-1, 3.60 ERA, with 14 K, 10 BB in 4 starts.

Key Injuries: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) remains out for 3 more weeks due to a partially torn labrum suffered back on November 10.

RP Keith Mailes (0-5, 4 SV, 5.11 ERA, 1.66 WHIP) suffered a shoulder injury on January 15; he will be out for another 6-7 weeks.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings have embraced the ‘R’ word. On January 19, they changed their focus from ‘neutral’ to ‘rebuild’ and did not waste time; completing 5 trades that saw top veteran talent leave in exchange for valuable prospects. Most of the trades were discussed elsewhere in this post. But for all the upheaval, the Red Stockings actually enjoyed their first winning month of the season, going 14-12 in January, and are just a 0.5 game back of Downie for 7th place.
The Red Stockings sent 3 players to the All-Star game in January: SP Joel Fearn (3rd), RP Larry Parrish (2nd) and 2B Matthew Lane (2nd).

Top Position Player: CF Clint Jones (.330/.394/.510, 10 HR, 70 RBI, 89 R, 47 BB, 19 SB) is a terrific player, and he was terrific in January, batting .376/.448/.606 with 3 HR, 18 RBI, 24 R.

Top Pitcher: He’s no longer a Red Stocking, but SP Joel Fearn (13-8, 3.43 ERA, 1.35 ERA) left Cobourg on a high note, winning Pitcher of the Month honours.

Key Injuries: None.

Key Trade: In addition to all the other trades (discussed elsewhere), Cobourg completed the following transaction on January 19:
Cobourg acquired SP Jeff Hetzel (24/26 – 8-7, 4.01 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) from the Fort Richmond Generals. In return, the Generals received 23-year old SS Jamie Florey (34/67 - #53 overall prospect).

Knee-jerk analysis: I wonder if the Red Stockings would love to take back this deal, if they knew they were going into rebuild mode just a few days later. Florey was the 8th overall pick in the 1938-39 amateur draft, and while he is now considered the Generals’ #5 prospect, there are questions as to whether he will make it in the majors, as he has been struggling trying to make the jump from AA to AAA. That said it’s hard to know what Cobourg were expecting in Hetzel, a mediocre SP at best. Hetzel will serve as their No. 5 starter and while he may be a moderate upgrade in that spot, it’s not going to matter a whole lot at this point. Keeping the prospect would have been the better option in this case, whether a team was in rebuild mode or not. Sorry, Hetzel.

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wwines · 09-03-2015, 08:04 PM

Hey Reds, just wanted to let you know that I finally have some free time on my hands and I started a Braeland League using the quickstart. I made some changes, I released all the players, had a Free Agent draft and randomized the players names. Thanks for creating this league, it is a blast!

reds1 · 09-04-2015, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wwines

Hey Reds, just wanted to let you know that I finally have some free time on my hands and I started a Braeland League using the quickstart. I made some changes, I released all the players, had a Free Agent draft and randomized the players names. Thanks for creating this league, it is a blast!

Glad to hear that, wwines! That's awesome!

reds1 · 09-04-2015, 11:29 PM

February 1, 1940

Western League – It’s Cambria, Kingston into the Final Stretch

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The Cambria Cannons continued to rule the roost in the Western League, going 16-10 in January; however, they saw their lead shrink slightly as the Kingston Pelicans made a late season push. At this point though, it would appear that the playoff teams are set in the West; it’s just a question of the final order of first and second. They may be facing their toughest challenge in the remaining stretch, as a couple of injuries to key players have befallen the club in the waning days of January.

The Cannons have been remarkably consistent and lead in most pitching categories and are second in most offensive categories.

Eight Cannons were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Bradley Dodson (1st selection); SP Neil Guerin (3rd); RP Quentin Teague (1st); C Glen Yeend (2nd); 1B Keane Fysh (2nd); SS Hyun-jung Moon (2nd); CF Ron Westmacott (2nd) and RF Al Tucker (1st).

Top Position Player: This was an extremely tough choice, as the Cannons’ lineup is stocked with productive players who batted over .300. However, my pick is 1B Keane Fysh (.309/.376/.449, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 56 R, 42 BB) who was really productive in January, batting .293/.391/.505, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 15 R. His efforts earned him a Batting of the Week honour during the month.

Top Pitcher: Once again, it’s SP Neil Guerin (15-4, 3.10 ERA, 1.17 ERA) who won the Pitcher of the Month Award, the third of his career.

Key Injuries: RP Jason Fortenberry (2-3, 6 SV, 4.03 ERA, 1.52) was diagnosed with a partially torn labrum in a game on January 20. He is gone for the season (3-4 months).

C Glen Yeend (.334/.393/.475, 7 HR, 70 RBI, 63 R, 30 BB) was diagnosed with a strained posterior cruciate ligament on January 30. He will be out for 2 weeks.

LF Ron Westmacott (.316/.402/.609, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 91 R, 56 BB, 19 SB) was injured while throwing the ball in a game on January 29. The Cannons are holding their breath waiting for the diagnoses.

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After a couple of months where they played close to .500, the Kingston Pelicans came on strong in January with a 17-9 record. The Pelicans have the top offense in the West and 2nd best pitching staff. With the return of SP Francis Slocock from the DL and rehab, the Pelicans may be priming for a 1st place showdown with Cambria. They are 7 games back of first, so there is still some catching up to do. But never count out the Pelicans.

Eight Pelicans were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Joey Cumberledge (3rd selection); SP Dave Mapp (1st); SP Brady Murdy (3rd); RP Keith Kearney (1st); 1B Fergus Chitty (3rd); 2B Mo Symes (3rd); SS Okura Ito (3rd) and RF Jayden Tennant (3rd).

Top Position Player: SS Okura Ito (.402/.434/.584, 10 HR, 84 RBI, 82 R, 28 BB) is at the top of his game and his play in January earned him the Batter of the Month Award.

Top Pitcher: SP Darwin Monday (11-8, 3.97 ERA, 1.38 ERA) had the best overall month among starters, going 4-1, 2.72 ERA, 21 K, 18 BB.
RP Simon Chell (5-2, 3.35 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) performed well out of the bullpen, going 1-0, 2 SV, 1.59 ERA, 10 K, 6 BB in 28.1 innings.

Key Injuries: SP Joey Cumberledge is out for at least 3 months (effectively the season), due to a torn labrum he suffered in Spring Training.

24-year old SP Harley Bracher (3-6, 6.25 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), remains out for 6-7 weeks, due to a torn triceps injury.

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Despite a 9-16 November, the Fort Richmond Generals were putting up a game fight for the wild card, as they were just 3.5 games back of Kingston at the end of December. They began January 8-2 and crept to within 2.5 games of the Pelicans. But then the bottom fell out.

The Generals went 2-14 the rest of the way and just like that, they can for all intents and purposes, be considered an also-ran in the West. Their skid included a frustrating 12-game losing streak. Injuries were not the culprit, as they had none in January, but they regressed across the board on both offense and pitching. The Balmoral Giants are now just a 0.5 game back of them for 3rd spot.

Four Generals were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Oscar Burress (2nd); RP Kantaro Sumita (1st); C Tadayuki Jouda (1st) and CF Kade Limeburner (2nd).

Top Position Player: Some absolutely horrible performances in January by the stalwarts (Kade Limeburner - .176; Hector Najera- .200; Joshua Chown - .198), but SS Steven Wormleighton (.278/.311/.364, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 65 R, 22 BB, 21 SB) did very well, batting .306/.358/.414, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 15 R.

Top Pitcher: 4/5ths of the starting rotation was horrible, but ace Oscar Burress (14-5, 3.36 ERA, 1.26 ERA) held his own, going 2-3, 2.47 ERA, with 26 K, 8 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Balmoral Giants enjoyed their first winning month in January, going 14-12. But they still lag far behind most of the other teams in the offence and pitching rankings. No matter, the Giants committed themselves fully to the rebuild earlier in the season and are sitting on the top-rated farm system in the ULB. They also have a dynamic shortstop in Francisco Rodríguez that has won every Rookie of the Month honour so far this season and was a stand-out at the All-Star Game.

Speaking of, four Giants were selected to the All-Star game: SP Charlie Crocombe (2nd); SS Francisco Rodríguez (1st), CF Domenic Carmody (1st) and RFShannon Walker (1st).

Top Position Player: SS Francisco Rodríguez (.348/.381/.478, 2 HR, 60 RBI, 67 R, 26 BB, 15 SB) was bound to get this sooner or later. His performance won him another Rookie of the Month Award in January.

Top Pitcher: Absolutely nothing to write home about. SP Morgan Puddiphatt (6-3, 3.60 ERA, 1.19 ERA) was the best I could find, as he went 3-1, 3.90 ERA, with 10 K, 12 BB in 4 starts.

Key Injuries: SP Scott Wadley (3-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) was diagnosed with radial nerve compression back on November 11. He is gone for season (5 months).

2B Andre Walshe (.264/.308/.346, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 50 R, 18 BB) came done with plantar fasciitis while running the bases back on January 29; he will miss 4 weeks.

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After a 16-11 December, the Sherburn Tigers reverted to form, putting up a 12-15 record in January. Their offense has not been all that bad, averaging around 3rd to 4th in the West, but the pitching has not been quite as competitive. They have been racked with injuries this season and they don’t exactly have a robust farm system to compensate for them (11th overall). That is something they will need to address if they don’t want to fall any further in the seasons to come.

Two Tigers were selected to the All-Star game in January: C Joe Gault (2nd) and SS Gary Watkinson (3rd).

Top Position Player: SS Gary Watkinson (.309/.412/.416, 1 HR, 36 RBI, 64 R, 61 BB) returned from injury during the month and did very well, hitting .342/.459/.468, 4-3B, 9 RBI, 16 R, 18 BB in 79 AB.

Top Pitcher: Not a good month for the pitching staff, but I’ll go with RP Max Littler (7-6, 3.92 ERA, 1.34 WHIP), who went 1-2, 4 SV, 2.48 ERA, with 15 K, 8 BB in 29.0 innings.

Key Injuries: 2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) tore a labrum in his shoulder on October 31. He is out for another 7 weeks.

SP Yasushi Kobayashi (6-8, 5.64 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) suffered a partially torn labrum on December 18 in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He is gone for 8 more weeks.

C Joe Gault (.290/.442/.389, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 36 R, 43 BB) suffered a herniated disc back on January 14; he is out 4-5 weeks.

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Like the Giants, the Wolseley Unions are playing the waiting game, biding their time until their deep farm system delivers, hopefully in the not-too-distant future. A 12-14 January typifies what the Unions have done all season. Interestingly, they are performing well overall in a number of batting and pitching stats, but it has not translated into wins. Their pitching appears to have gotten stronger as the season has worn on. We’ll have to see if that continues and if it augers well for next season.

Four Unions were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Jim Smyth (1st); SP Reggie Jones (1st); 1B Aaron Flanagan (2nd) and CF Zak Kidd (1st).

Top Position Player: 23-year old rookie LF Nicky Williams (.299/.352/.478, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 47 R, 35 BB) was Wolseley’s best hitter this month, batting .326/.392/.478 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, 13 R.

Top Pitcher: SP Jim Smyth (10-5, 3.32 ERA, 1.40 ERA) had a solid month, going 3-2, 2.30 ERA, with 19 K, 14 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: None.

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The Pulberry Trolleys continued their slide, as they went 9-18 in January, after going 8-18 in December. Pulberry began their selloff, but it will hardly be enough to turn things around. They are not very good, and they will need an infusion of real talent to improve their fortunes. Other teams, like the Giants and Unions, have already got a head start on the rebuilding process. Pulberry needs to catch up if they want to be relevant in the near future.

The Trolleys sent one player to the All-Star game in January: 1B William Tozer (1st).

Top Position Player: Not a lot of decent performances, but 21-year old rookie RF Yoshino Ito (.294/.346/.359, 7-3B, 24 RBI, 37 R, 24 BB) had his best month yet, batting .387/.437/.510 with 3-3B, 9 RBI, 15 R.

Top Pitcher: It was bound to happen sooner or later, but no one – none – deserved to be recognized. The entire pitching staff performed poorly in January.

Key Injuries: None.

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As expected, the Hespeler Stars fell back to their old form, as they went 8-18. But as with most other teams in the West, the Stars are looking to the future. The Stars are awful in the pitching department, but their offense improved somewhat in the last four weeks. However they traded away 2B Rhett Curnow to the Stratford Barons late in the month, so that may not be sustained for very long either. But the Stars have some nice young talent in the minors and now at the major league level as well, in 23-year old LF Steven Winstanley (.287/.348/.488,15 HR, 79 RBI, 63 R, 39 BB) and 21-year old CF Vic Weetman.

The Stars sent 3 players to the All-Star game in January: SP Michael Wilberfoss (2nd), 2B Rhett Curnow (1st) and LF Steven Winstanley (1st).

Top Position Player: He’s yet to play a game down in the minors and if he continues to perform like he has this past month, he may never need to. The first overall pick in this season’s amateur draft, CF Vic Weetman (.259/.303/.384, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 31 R, 12 BB, 7 SB) became more comfortable batting in the leadoff spot. In January, he batted .293/.320/.495 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 20 R in 99 AB. He was the best offensive player for Hespeler this month.

Top Pitcher: The rotation is made up of a couple of waiver wire picks and unfortunately for Hespeler, they performed as such. But ace SP Michael Wilberfoss (8-14, 3.23 ERA, 1.55 ERA) at least put in a valiant effort, going 1-5, 2.81 ERA with 10 K, 18 BB in 6 starts.

Key Injuries: 41-year old RP Hyo-cheong Yu (1-2, 2 SV, 7.67 ERA, 2.27 WHIP) was diagnosed with elbow inflammation on November 16. He is out for another 6 weeks.

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reds1 · 09-08-2015, 01:48 PM

March 25, 1940

Eastern League: Braeland City, Wellington Square Off for Pennant

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The Braeland City Monarchs held off all challengers to take first place in the Eastern League, finishing 3.0 games up on the second place Wellington Athletics. The Monarchs had an outstanding month in February, going 18-7, which included an 11-game winning streak. They cooled off a little bit in March, with a 12-10 record, but that was still enough to lock up top spot and secure their first playoff appearance in the ULB. Last season, they finished in 4th; in 1937-38, they had finished dead last.

Top Position Player- Season: Braeland City had one of the top-rated offenses this season, so this is not an easy choice. But I’ll go with SS Adam Ashley (.333/.378/.496, 5 HR, 74 RBI, 119 R, 48 BB, 28 SB, 7.4 WAR), who led the league in PA (718), AB (661) and triples (30).

Top Pitcher-Season: SP-RHP Lenny Freke (22-9, 2.22 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 9.9 WAR) is the well-established ace of this team. In fact, the 30-year old is currently rated the #1 SP in the entire ULB.

Top Performance –Position Player: LF Scott Kessler had the top game performance for the team this season. On November 12 against the Hespeler Stars, Kessler went 3-4, with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R 1 BB (Score: 98).

Top Performance –Pitcher: On March 10, SP Lenny Freke went 12.0 IP, 6 HA, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Downie Chiefs (Score: 91; tied for 1st). Braeland City won 2-1 in 13 innings. Freke got the no-decision. It was one of two top-25 performances by Freke this season.

Key Injury: LF Scott Kessler (.276/.361/.455, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R, 18 BB, 1.4 WAR) suffered and hamstring strain on January 4; he is expected back in 6 days.

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The Wellington Athletics return to the playoffs after a one year absence, outlasting both the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons. While the Barons actually overtook the Athletics for second spot in the middle of February, Wellington regained the wild card with a crucial 7-0 week in mid-March. That week also included a 3-game sweep of the Barons. Wellington never looked back and finished the month strong, 4 games ahead of Stratford. In fact, the Athletics finished the season with a 13-2 record. That stretch also saw them go 3-1 against the first place Monarchs. It should be an exciting pennant series with two good teams squaring off.

Top Position Player- Season: Tough choice, but my selection goes to C Dylan Watkins (.306/.381/.495, 20 HR, 87 RBI, 78 R, 61 BB, 5.2 WAR), who was also decent defensively behind the plate (40.5 RTO %).

Top Pitcher-Season: No contest. SP-LHP Clyde Boney (23-5, 2.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 7.2 WAR) is one of the best at his craft. Overall rating: #5.

Top Performance –Position Player: 3B Ryley McLarnon went 5-5, with 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB on March 23 against the Downie Chiefs (Score: 87).

Top Performance –Pitcher: Back on December 23, SP Clyde Boney went 9.0 IP, 4 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Downie Chiefs (Score: 84). Boney picked up the win. It was one of two top-25 performances by Boney this season.

Key Injury: RF Quentin Stubber (.291/.428/.412, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 80 R, 88 BB, 25 SB, 3.8 WAR) sprained his ankle in a game on February 22; he is out for 3 more weeks.

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They nearly did it. The Stratford Barons put a scare into Wellington and even into Braeland City, but in the end, they just could not keep up the momentum and fell short. Stratford continued their hot streak into February, going 19-6 to take over second place. By mid-March, they enjoyed a 3.5 game lead over Wellington. But then they cooled off, just when the Athletics got hot, and fell back 4.0 games out of a playoff spot when everything was said and done. The Barons had some months where they were red hot and other months where they endured prolonged slumps. They will need to work on their consistency for next season.

Top Position Player- Season: SS Jake Walker (.353/.450/.518, 2 HR, 55 RBI, 92 R, 89 BB, 6.3 WAR) get the nod, over C Gavin Hurley. Walker is rated the #2 position player in the ULB.

Top Pitcher-Season: Tough choice, but I went with SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji (14-9, 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 4.0 WAR). Overall rating: #19.

Top Performance –Position Player: None made the Top 25.

Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji went 9.0 IP, 2 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Queensland Eagles (Score: 88). Chikafuji picked up the win. It was one of two top-25 performances by Chikafuji this season.

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Like Stratford, the Embro Suns performed well in February, but cooled off in the final weeks of the campaign. Embro actually held down the wild card spot for one week in February, one game up on both Wellington and Stratford. But they couldn’t keep it up and quickly fell back, falling to 4th spot in the Eastern League. Still, the Suns are a talented team that finished in top spot last season. A few tweaks in the off-season and Embro could once again be a playoff-bound team.

Top Position Player- Season: Embro has some really nice offensive players, but CF Terence Durney (.344/.411/.591, 19 HR, 103 RBI, 129 R, 61 BB, 22 SB, 8.9 WAR) is one of the best in the entire ULB. Walker is rated the #6 position player overall.

Top Pitcher-Season: The pitching staff for the Suns had its up and downs this season, but SP Colm Soper (13-12, 3.87 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 7.0 WAR) is still one of the best. Overall rating: #3.

Top Performance –Position Player: 1B Jim Friend had the top performance in the entire ULB, when he went 3-4, with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB on March 3 against the Cobourg Red Stockings (Score: 110).

Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Chris Sappington went 9.0 IP, 2 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K in a game against the Wolseley Unions back on January 30 (Score: 91; tied for 1st). Sappington picked up the win, as the Suns triumphed 7-0.

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The Brunswick Legends went 30-17 over the course of February and March, but it was a case of too little, too late. The season seems like a lost opportunity for a Legends team that qualified for the playoffs and reached the United Cup finals last season. Brunswick has some top shelf talent on both offense and their pitching staff, but couldn’t put it together like they did last season. Trades that Brunswick hoped would spark a surge up the standings didn’t pan out. The Legends will need to take stock of went wrong in the offseason. There’s still too much that’s right with Brunswick to believe their window of opportunity has closed.

Top Position Player- Season: RF Rovilson Valdevieso (.398/.426/.586, 20 HR, 105 RBI, 104 R, 36 BB, 25 SB, 6.3 WAR) is one of ULB’s most dynamic players. He gets the nod just over LF Mark Elston, who finished with 6.2 WAR, and missed a portion of the season to an injury. Valdevieso appeared in 152 of 154 games this season. He is rated the #9 position player overall and won the Eastern League batting title, in addition to the Batter of the Month Award for February.

Top Pitcher-Season: This was a little easier, as SP Matthew Monroe (16-11, 2.63 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6.8 WAR) is Brunswick’s clearly established ace. Overall rating: #6.

Top Performance –Position Player: None made the Top 25.

Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Anastasio Rodríguez went 9.0 IP, 4 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Cambria Cannons back on February 7 (Score: 84).
Rodríguez picked up the win in the 11-0 victory.

Performance Highlight: 2B Vince Bailey (.292/.349/.397, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 106 R, 50 BB, 3.7 WAR) went 6 for 6 in a game against the Downie Chiefs, collecting 1 RBI, 1 R.

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The Queensland Eagles finished last season with a 77-77 record, 9.0 games back of the wild card. This season, they finished 77-77, 16.0 games back of the wild card. The Eagles just could not keep up with the likes of Braeland City, Wellington and Stratford who all made strides in one way or another to beef up their roster. Queensland did not engage in any significant transactions during the season and the lack of action bears out the results. Queensland looks like a team that is going to hold the fort one more season to see if it can rebound. While the Eagles have some fine players in both its rotation and lineup, it needs to improve its depth to deal with injuries. Improving its farm system a bit (rated 11th) wouldn’t hurt either.

Top Position Player- Season: Some nice performances to choose from. I selected 3B Kian Meadmore (.283/.369/.545, 30 HR, 105 RBI, 91 R, 70 BB, 6.4 WAR) who was rock solid on defense as well.

Top Pitcher-Season: Wow, I don’t know who to choose here. Both SP Max MacColl and SP Stewart Colcott appeared in 33 games and each pitched 278.1 innings. MacColl finished with 6.1 WAR, Colcott with 6.2 (not that I put too much weight on WAR for pitchers).
Colcott went 15-9, 3.04 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 281 HA, 89 K, 70 BB, 13 HR.
MacColl, went 22-11, 3.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 273 HA, 129 K, 84 BB, 14 HR.
I’d go with MacColl here, but I’d be interested if anyone has any thoughts on this choice. MacColl is rated #8 overall for pitchers; Colcott is rated #10.

Top Performance –Position Player: 3B Kian Meadmore had the top performance for Queensland, when he went 4-4, with 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB back on October 4 against the Cobourg Red Stockings (Score: 91).

Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Max MacColl went 9.0 IP, 2 HA, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K in a game against the Hespeler Stars back on February 11 (Score: 85). MacColl picked up the win, as the Eagles triumphed 3-1. It was one of two top-25 performances by MacColl this season.

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The Downie Chiefs won over 80 games last season and fell just 3.0 games short of the wild card. This season, they finished well below .500 and nowhere near the wild card. The haves and have-nots in the Eastern League were quickly identified this season, and the Chiefs unfortunately find themselves in the latter group. Downie has a few nice pieces but the future looks bleak, as they simply do not have enough front-line talent or depth. Their farm system is rated #15 out of 16. They have a long road ahead of them.

Top Position Player- Season: 3B Andy Johnson (.295/.358/.399, 9 HR, 83 RBI, 76 R, 63 BB, 4.0 WAR) wins out in a relatively weak field.
CF Jonathan Lauder (.302/.361/.408) led in a number of percentage categories, but the 37-year old was frequently injured and was sub-par defensively in the field (-19.3 ZR, .918 EFF)

Top Pitcher-Season: SP Frank Leadbeater was joined in the rotation with Nick Paddock, but Leadbeater was still the top dog, as he went 18-11, 2.75 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.5 WAR. Leadbeater also earned Pitcher of the Month honours in February. Overall rating: #9.

Top Performance –Position Player: None made the Top 25.

Top Performance –Pitcher: On February 7, SP Frank Leadbeater went 9.0 IP, 1 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K in a game against the Hespeler Stars (Score: 91; tied for 1st). Leadbeater picked up the win, as the Chiefs triumphed 10-0. It was one of two top-25 performances by Leadbeater this season and one of 4 by a Downie pitcher.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings played out the string in February and March, going 18-30 over the final two months. The Red Stockings are clearly looking to the future, but some of that future may already be arriving in the form of young talent blossoming at the major league level. 21-year old SS Dennis Borton, drafted 12th overall in the 1937-38 draft, reached the majors in February and promptly won a Player of the Week Award. On the season, Borton went .321/.337/.447, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 13 R, 5 BB, 30 K in 169 AB. Borton is only the 9th overall prospect for Cobourg, so there just may be a powerhouse in the making.

Top Position Player- Season: No contest this season, as 25-year old RF Clint Jones (.328/.391/.523, 19 HR, 106 RBI, 117 R, 65 BB, 24 SB, 5.3 WAR), who was acquired in a trade with the Cambria Cannons back in mid-November, was far and away Cobourg’s top player this season. He is currently rated #13 overall.

Top Pitcher-Season: Although he was traded to the Stratford Barons in late January, SP Joel Fearn (19-11, 3.37 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 6.3 WAR) was head and shoulders above all other Cobourg pitchers. Overall rating: #11.

Top Performance –Position Player: C Euan Bevan (.262/.355/.409, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 47 R, 56 BB, 2.0 WAR) had the top performance for Cobourg, when he went 4-5, with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 0 BB back on November 8 against the Hespeler Stars (Score: 89).

Top Performance –Pitcher: None made the Top 25. SP Joel Fearn had two performances that made the Top 25, but both were achieved after his trade to Stratford on January 29.

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08-07-2015, 08:01 PM	#121
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	__________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:11 PM.

08-09-2015, 12:29 AM	#122
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	1938-39 ULB Awards Eastern League Awards Babe Ruth Award Runners-ups for the award this season were Queensland’s SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.317/.374/.538, 29 HR, 100 RBI, 7.2 WAR) and Stratford’s C Gavin Hurley (.346/.384/.594, 20 HR, 94 RBI, 6.4 WAR). Chikafuji won the award last season. Satchel Paige Award Coming in second and third respectively for the award this season were Downie’s SP Frank Leadbeater (19-11, 2.50 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 8.2 WAR) and Embro’s SP Colm Soper (18-11, 3.14 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 8.5 WAR). Colm Soper took the award last season. Rookie of the Year Award The runners-ups this season were Queensland’s CF Ben Watson (.254/.326/.431, 16 HR, 50 RBI, 3.3 WAR) and Stratford’s 1B Francis Pynchon (.287/.335/.464, 6 HR, 51 RBI, 1.7 WAR). -------- Western League Awards Babe Ruth Award Runners-ups for the award were Kingston’s SS Okura Ito (.333/.378/.557, 29 HR, 103 RBI, 8.2 WAR) and Kingston’s SP Brady Murdy (23-8, 2.17 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 9.2 WAR). This is the second consecutive season for Fergus Chitty. Following the voting results for this season, the Commissioner’s Office has clarified the eligibility rules for the Babe Ruth Award. Thus, beginning in the 1939-40 season, pitchers will no longer be eligible for the Award. Satchel Paige Award The runners-ups in this category were Kingston’s SP Joey Cumberledge (20-11, 2.35 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 9.5 WAR) and Cambria’s SP Neil Guerin (17-10, 3.06 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 7.4 WAR). Last season, Neil Guerin won the award. Rookie of the Year Award Coming in second and third respectively were Kingston’s LF Andrew Jensen (.307/.368/.458, 12 HR, 63 RBI, 1.9 WAR) and Balmoral’s 1B Jim Friend (.315/.367/.494, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 1.8 WAR). -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland** Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:13 PM.

08-09-2015, 10:59 AM	#123
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	1938-39 ULB Top Fielder Awards --------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:14 PM.

08-09-2015, 01:55 PM	#124
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Notes on the All-Braeland Team: It wasn’t a particularly strong season for 3B; but selecting the top shortstop was quite challenging. The top three position players right now in the ULB are all shortstops, namely: 1) Gary Watkinson – Sherburn - .344/.446/.466, 8 HR, 71 RBI, 124 R, 102 BB, 39 SB, 7.8 WAR; 2) Okura Ito – Kingston - .333/.378/.557, 29 HR, 103 RBI, 126 R, 44 BB, 8.2 WAR; 3) Katsunan Chikafuji – Queensland - .317/.374/.538, 29 HR, 100 RBI, 105 R, 59 BB, 7 SB, 7.2 WAR. Ito definitely benefited from the teammates surrounding him in collecting his stats. Having Fergus Chitty batting behind you certainly doesn’t hurt. Watkinson, the batting champion in the WL, led the entire ULB in batting average and stolen bases. Ito, on the other hand, led the ULB in WAR, hits (216) and total bases (361). Both players were fairly similar on defense (Chikafuji was the strongest of the three in that department). Ultimately, I went with Ito, but it was a toss-up for me. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:14 PM.

08-13-2015, 01:57 PM	#125
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	1939 Offseason The 1939 offseason in the United Leagues was an active one, as no fewer than 20 trades were consummated. The trades saw a continuing trend in the respective leagues. In general, the Eastern League teams were acquiring established players to help them now, since a number of teams are capable of winning the pennant. In the West however, most of the teams not named Kingston were the sellers, taking minor leaguers and prospects from the East in hopes of competing another day. Significant Trades April 14: The Downie Chiefs acquired 30-year old SP Nick Paddock (67/67 - 10-17, 3.04 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 5.6 WAR) from the Pulberry Trolleys. In return, the Trolleys received five minor leaguers. Of significance, were: 23-year old OF Brian Ilderton (23/65 – 12th overall pick in 1938); 21-year old C Werner Hock (22/45); and 23-year old RP Alex Forbes (21/58). Nick Paddock becomes Downie’s No. 2 starter in the rotation. The Trolleys meanwhile continue their selloff of their top frontline talent for prospects. -------- April 16: The Hespeler Stars upgraded their catching situation a bit with the acquisition of 30-year old C Boyd Bedard (43/43 - .285/.357/.374, 1 HR, 45 RBI, 43 R, 42 BB, 2.2 WAR) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs received 30-year old RP Keith Mailes (49/49 – 3-4, 8 SV, 3.79 ERA, 1/.44 WHIP) and minor leaguer 24-year old OF Jim Vickers (23/61 – rated #23 prospect). Bedard immediately becomes Hespeler’s starting catcher (rated #11 overall in ULB). Meanwhile, Vickers becomes Downie’s top-rated prospect in their farm system. -------- April 21: The Braeland City Monarchs acquired 40-year old RP Noriaki Ito (64/64 - 4-4, 3.16 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 1.3 WAR) from the Balmoral Giants for four minor leaguers. Noriaki Ito becomes Braeland City’s No. 1 reliever, rated #4 overall. -------- April 28: The Cobourg Red Stockings acquired 28-year old SP George Blankley (52/57 – 14-15, 3.55 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 3.1 WAR) from the Pulberry Trolleys. Pulberry received four minor leaguers, including 20-year old OF Yoshino Ito (23/66 – rated #31 overall prospect). Blankley is now Cobourg’s No. 2 starting pitcher in the rotation. -------- May 5: The Downie Chiefs acquired 36-year old SS Jonathan Lauder (65/65 – .313/.399/.415, 2 HR, 41 RBI, 42 R, 50 BB, 2.6 WAR) from the Stratford Barons. Stratford received 36-year old 1B Chris Stonehouse (40/40 – .220/.321/.253, 3-2B, 6 RBI, 10 R, 13 BB) and 22-year old OF Kenneth Peck (26/41). Not really sure what Stratford was thinking here. Downie has shifted Lauder to CF and he is rated #4 overall at that position. While Stratford already has Jake Walker at SS (#4 overall), Lauder is capable of playing anywhere in the outfield and would have been an upgrade for Stratford over who they have there now, had they have kept him. I really think the Barons dropped the ball on this one. -------- May 6: The Stratford Barons were involved in another trade a day later. The Barons sent 34-year old 2B Pat Copeman (54/54 - .264/.308/.315, 1 HR, 38 RBI, 48 R, 32 BB, 1.2 WAR) to the Queensland Eagles, along with a minor leaguer. In exchange, Queensland sent 30-year old 3B Nam-cheol Oh (55/55 - .299/.361/.429, 12 HR, 75 RBI, 62 R, 41 BB, 3.5 WAR). Copeman became expendable when top fielder award winner Brian Main (#3 overall - 5.1 WAR) settled in as Stratford’s starting 2B. Oh now becomes Stratford’s starting 3B (#9 overall). Meanwhile, Copeman (#13 overall) becomes Queensland’s starting 2B. -------- May 8: The Fort Richmond Generals traded 29-year old IF Finlay Ridd (65/65 - .296/.369/.358, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 57 R, 58 BB, 4.4 WAR) to the Braeland City Monarchs for three minor leaguers. The Monarchs get a talented infielder that can play 2B, 3B and SS well. He will provide insurance should 2B Trevor Bolen, 3B Louie Hetherington or SS Adam Ashley go down to injury. -------- May 9: The Hespeler Stars deepened their farm system talent by trading 41-year old RF Toby Reakes (77/77 - .295/.416/.382, 2 HR, 57 RBI, 73 R, 107 BB, 31 SB, 2.4 WAR) to the Queensland Eagles for four minor leaguers. Of significance, were: 20-year old SP/RP Aiden Fothergill (20/64 – #33 rated pitching prospect); and 20-year old LF Danny Huggett (22/54 – #59 rated prospect). -------- May 27: The Balmoral Giants and Braeland City Monarchs completed a trade. The Giants agreed to send 29-year old SP David Cooling (72/74– 9-23, 3.81 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.3 WAR) to the Monarchs in exchange for two minor leaguers: 21-year old RF Carlton Broadbent (23/79 – 3rd overall pick in 1938); and 20-year old SS Joel Overy (22/23). Cooling becomes Braeland City’s No. 2 starter in the rotation, and it will be interesting to see how he responds with playing for a stronger club. The pitching behind No. 1 starter Lenny Freke was shaky last season. Like most other team in the Western League, Balmoral is offloading frontline talent for a top-notch prospect that could help in the future (read: when Kingston is no longer dominant). -------- May 31: The Sherburn Tigers and Embro Suns made a trade that attempts to fill immediate needs in their rosters. The Tigers are sending 26-year old C Bill Gunter (45/52), along with a minor leaguer to the Suns in exchange 28-year old 1B Norm Calloway (23/27 - .320/.389/.480, 2 HR, 15 RBI, 16 R, 12 BB, 0.7 WAR). Both Gunter and Calloway will get a chance to start full-time for their new clubs. -------- June 25: The Balmoral Giants raised a few eyebrows when they traded 24-year old 1B Jim Friend (75/79 - .315/.367/.494, 8 HR, 49 RBI, 43 R, 28 BB, 1.8 WAR) to the Embro Suns for three minor league relievers. Friend was the 5th overall pick in 1937 and finished 3rd last season in the WL Rookie of the Year Award voting. He immediately becomes the Suns’ starting 1B, and is rated No. 2 in the ULB among first basemen. Thus, Embro adds another solid player to its lineup. For me, the problem with Balmoral is not that they traded Friend, but that they didn’t get a better return for him. Balmoral’s current 1B is 37-year old Roger Tyler (rated No. 7) and they do not have a 1B prospect like Friend waiting in the wings. Strange. -------- When all was said and done, the Eastern League teams had improved their major league rosters the most, based on WAR. Leading the way was the Braeland City Monarchs who improved by 8.7 WAR, based on the acquisition of SP David Cooling, IF Finlay Ridd and RP Noriaki Ito. The Downie Chiefs were second, seeing a 6.3 WAR improvement, thanks to the trades that brought SP Nick Paddock and OF Jonathan Lauder on board On the flip side, the Pulberry Trolleys saw the greatest drain of frontline talent, losing 9.3 WAR (the loss of Paddock and SP SP George Blankley). The Fort Richmond Generals lost 7.1 WAR from last season, as they got rid of Ridd and SP Hideki Matsui (2.7 WAR) to Cambria for a minor league relief pitcher. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:17 PM.

08-16-2015, 03:57 AM	#127
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	October 2, 1939 It’s Opening Day in Braeland and it’s time to block out all that’s going on in the world for a while and enjoy some baseball! For now though, we’ll take a look at the results of Spring Training and the projections for the projected top teams. We’ll start with a look at the Eastern League: The Wellington Athletics and Braeland City Monarchs finished tied for top spot in the Coconut League standings in the East, with Brunswick and Queensland finishing just a game back of them. The predicted standings see the Athletics also finishing first, with the Monarchs and Eagles challenging them for first place. But six teams are projected to finish with winning records, with 8 games separating first from sixth. It definitely appears that the Eastern League is shaping up to be a free-for-all like last season. The Athletics were rather quiet on the trade front during the off-season, completing one trade back in May that sent 29-year old journeyman 3B Datu Balsalubra (41/41) to the Wolseley Unions for a couple of middle relievers. But Wellington did sign a free agent that same month, a promising starting pitcher from Germany (the irony!), 26-year old Soren Heinke (64/65). Scouts are raving about his stuff; his movement and control are very good as well. His two best pitches are his fastball (50/50) and changeup (45/50). Heinke is projected as Wellington’s No. 2 starter. The Athletics are projected to finish just 7th in Runs for but 1st in Runs against. They have one hitter and one pitcher projected to finish in the Top 10: • Quentin Stubber (.275, 12 HR, 89 RBI, 21 SB), and • Clyde Boney (16-12, 2.89) --------- Unlike the Athletics, the Braeland City Monarchs were quite active this past offseason, acquiring SP David Cooling, RP Noriaki Ito and 2B Finlay Ridd in trades. The Monarchs would appear to be a well-balanced team, as they are projected to finish 2nd in Runs for and 2nd in Runs against. Interestingly, they have no position player projected to be in the Top 10, but they do have two pitchers making an appearance: • David Cooling (22-7, 2.66) • Lenny Freke (16-14, 2.81) --------- Projected to finish just two games back of first are the Queensland Eagles, who finished a disappointing 77-77 last season. The Eagles made two major trades back in May, acquiring 42-year old RF Toby Reakes (74/74) from Hespeler and 34-year old 2B Pat Copeman (51/51) from Stratford. They are slated to bat 1-2 in the lineup; how those veteran legs hold up during the course of the season we’ll soon find out. Curiously, the Eagles’ offense is rated only 6th in Runs for, while they are projected to finish just 5th in Runs against. So it will be interesting to see how they manage in the actual standings. Two position players and two pitchers appear in the Top 10 for Queensland: • Terry Aspden (.327, 18 HR, 99 RBI) • Katsunan Chikafuji (.300, 19 HR, 114 RBI) • Max MacColl (20-12, 2.91) • Stewart Colcott (19-12, 2.91) --------- Last season, the projections predicted a close three-way race for top spot in the West. In reality, it turned into a farce, with the Kingston Pelicans blowing everyone out of the water and standing as the only team with a winning record. This season, there’s no pretense of a race for first, as Kingston is projected to win again handily. Does this mean then that there will actually be a race in the West? Let’s hope so. But there’s no denying the fact that the talent pool overall regressed in the West, as teams switched en masse to rebuild mode in view of Kingston’s continued dominance and traded top players to the Eastern League teams. The Pelicans did not make a single trade nor did they sign a free agent. They didn’t have to. However, Kingston will be without SP Joey Cumberledge, last season’s runner-up for the Satchel Paige award, for the entire season. Cumberledge suffered a torn labrum in the second game of Spring Training and will be out for at least eight months. Despite, the loss, the Pelicans are still the overwhelming favourite in the West. They are projected to outscore their opponents by a comfortable margin and prevent the other teams from scoring against them just as easily. Eight Pelicans make an appearance in the projected Top 10. The nominees are: • Fergus Chitty (.329, 36 HR, 140 RBI) • Okura Ito (.378, 20 HR, 134 RBI) • Jayden Tennant (.299, 38 HR, 138 RBI) • Mo Symes (.288, 19 HR, 81 RBI) • Brady Murdy (20-11, 2.96) • Francis Slocock (20-8, 3.14) • Darwin Monday (20-9, 3.55) • Hirotada Fukushima (18-8, 3.78) --------- While there does not appear to be much of race this year in the West, the hope here is that the projections are right in one respect: a second team finishing with a winning record. The Cambria Cannons are projected to finish with 81 wins, a total that would be good for just 4th place in the East, but it would represent a small victory for the Western League. The Cannons appear to have assembled a pretty decent team thus far. They only made one minor trade back in April: acquiring SP Hideki Matsui from the Fort Richmond Generals for a minor leaguer. He is listed as the Cannons No. 4 starter. Cambria is projected as No. 2 for Runs for and No. 3 in Runs against. They also have no less than five players appearing on the Projected Top 10: • Ron Westmacott (.299, 17 HR, 112 RBI, 21 SB) • Clint Jones (.295, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 18 SB) • Owen Tautor (17-11, 3.52) • Neil Guerin (11-13, 3.28) • Bradley Dodson (13-13, 3.86) --------- Let the games begin! __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:21 PM.

08-18-2015, 08:53 AM	#128
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	November 1, 1939 Eastern League: Stratford Takes the Early Lead -------- The Stratford Barons stormed out of the starting block with an impressive 19-9 record to hold down top spot in the East. The Barons won all but one series in October; the lone exception being a 3-game sweep at the hands of the Embro Suns. Top Position Player: 2B Brian Main (.288/.333/.477, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 21 R, 11 BB) gets the nod for the month of October. On October 6, Main drove in 6 runs against the Cobourg Red Stockings, going 3-5 with 1 HR. LF Tony Blakeney (.316/.415/.392, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 18 R, 14 BB, 8 SB) and C Gavin Hurley (.302/.322/.535, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 3 BB) were also outstanding this past month. Top Pitcher: SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji went 4-0, 1.64 ERA, 1.02 WHIP for the Barons in October. SP Justin Hayhurst (4-2, 2.15 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) was another reason the Barons were hot this month. Key Injury: Promising 27-year old IF Terry Maxwell (.319/.429/.404, 4-2B, 3 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) suffered an undisclosed off-field injury on October 21 and will be gone for two months. Apparently he was bit by a rabid dog. Key trade: The Barons acquired 30-year old OF John Dugan (65/65 – .308/.364/.308, 0 HR, 7 RBI, 17 R, 8 BB) and minor leaguer 21-year old RP Byron Poskitt (20/54) from the Downie Chiefs on October 21. In return, the Chiefs received 25-year old Francis Pynchon (69/69 – .313/.359/.482, 1 HR, 10 RBI, 12 R, 7 BB). Knee-jerk analysis: This trade makes no sense to me. Pynchon is a very good 1B, but the Chiefs already have 27-year old Jeaic Risbrough, an all-star and top fielder award winner last season. The Barons meanwhile, decide to stick with Kensaku Miura (.333/.481/.619, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 2 R, 6 BB). Miura is performing well now, but he is 40-years old. Pynchon finished 3rd in EL Rookie of the Year voting last season. Personally, I would have held on to Pynchon and enjoyed the depth. But hey, the Barons are in first place, so what do I know. -------- The Braeland City Monarchs came on strong in the second half of the month to move themselves into second spot in the East, 2.5 games back of Stratford. This is in spite of injuries to a couple of their key players. Pitching has been their main strength in the early going. Top Position Player: RF Dwayne Hollinshead (.347/.467/.526, 10-2B, 14 RBI, 14 R, 23 BB) has been the team leader on offense in the early going. Top Pitcher: The rotation has been pretty steady for the Monarchs this past month, so it’s hard to select just one. However, SP Leo Bonfield went 3-1, 2.54 ERA, 1.23 WHIP has performed well, especially in the past couple of weeks. Key Injuries: Left field has been a dangerous place to play for the Monarchs. First, 31-year old Scott Kessler was diagnosed with a hamstring strain on October 5; he suffered a setback in his recovery. He should be back in a week. 22-year old Trevor Bolen (.303/.303/.485, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R) was moved to LF from 2B to replace the injured Kessler. He then separated his shoulder on October 11 and also suffered a setback in his recovery. He is out for another two weeks. -------- The Embro Suns have gotten off to a bit off slow start, considering the top tier talent they acquired in the off-season. They went just 3-7 to finish the month. However, they remain 1 game above .500, 4.5 games back of first. It would be a bit of a surprise if this talented team doesn’t get things worked out in the ensuing weeks. Top Position Player: RF Paul Hooks enjoyed a hot October, going .340/.437/.560, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 19 R, 18 BB. Top Pitcher: Colm Soper will probably get a lot of recognition in this category in the months to come, so I’ll go with 29-year old Rusty Mott, who went 3-1, 3.59 ERA, 1.38 WHIP in October. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Wellington Athletics were projected to be the top team in the East when all is said and done, but like Embro, they find themselves one game above .500, 29 games into the campaign. There’s still much more to go. Top Position Player: While LF Bob Boynton has been hot of late, RF Quentin Stubber was Wellington’s top player in October, going .340/.453/.500, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 27 R, 22 BB, 5 SB. Stubber won EL Player of the Week honours in the third week of October. Top Pitcher: It’s a close call, but I would pick 26-year old Darren Whiteley, who went 4-1, 2.61 ERA, 1.24 WHIP in October over Clyde Boney (4-1, 2.89 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) Boney had a couple of rough outings in his last two games, whereas Whiteley has been farily consistent, having had only one rough outing thus far. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Brunswick Legends finished the month of October with a .500 record, thanks largely to a struggling pitching staff. Their offense has been pretty solid, so if the pitchers can pull up their boot straps, then the Legends should greatly improve their fortunes in the standings. Top Position Player: Another RF is singled out, as 31-year old Mark Elston (.393/.514/.708, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 30 R, 22 BB) was sensational in October, and richly deserved the Hitter of the Month Award. Top Pitcher: A tough month for Brunswick pitchers, but Matthew Monroe (2-3, 3.46 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) gave his team steady outings in his six starts. Key Injury: Mark Elston strained his back on a defensive play in a game on October 23. He is day-to-day for another 5 days. -------- The Queensland Eagles also finished the first month of the season with a .500 record. Their offense has been outstanding in the early going. Their pitching, however, has been less than stellar, especially the bullpen. Fix that, and the Eagles will be soaring. Top Position Player: 34-year old 1B Quentin Puddy (.393/.442/.573, 3 HR, 32 RBI, 16 R, 11 BB) was Queensland best player this past month. LF Terry Aspden had a pretty good month himself; on October 28, he drove in 6 runs against the Downie Chiefs, going 3-5 on the day. Top Pitcher: SP Max MacColl had great month, going 5-1, 2.50 ERA, 1.04 WHIP in October. For his efforts, MacColl earned Pitcher of the Month honours. Key Injury: Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) broke a bone in his elbow in a game on October 28. He is out for four months. Key trade: The Eagles acquired 30-year old C Dave Wilson (61/61 – .248/.284/.327, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R, 6 BB) from the Cobourg Red Stockings on October 22. In return, Cobourg receives minor leaguers 34-year old RP Thomas Brajak (23/23) and 19-year old SS Iván Díaz (22/57). Knee-jerk analysis: Wilson does represent an upgrade offensively for the Eagles, but is not a very good defensive catcher. Queensland does have solid catching prospect in 21-year old Owen Coxford (35/76) down in AA. He should see promotions soon; he just needs to become more consistent defensively as well. -------- The Downie Chiefs were aggressive during the off-season beefing up their roster, but they find themselves two games below .500, six back of 1st place after one month. The Chiefs have been wildly uneven, especially on offense. However, two recent trade acquisitions were productive in October: CF Jonathan Lauder and SP Nick Paddock. Top Position Player: 1B Jeaic Risbrough (.326/.374/.478, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 14 R, 7 BB) leads the team on a number of offensively categories and he has been equally successfully against both righties and lefties. The reason why Downie felt they needed another 1B in Francis Pynchon (a fine player in own right) currently escapes me for the moment. Top Pitcher: SP Reece Abberley (4-0, 2.19 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) had a wonderful month, giving up as much as three earned runs only once in 6 starts. SP Nick Paddock (3-2, 2.23 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) pitched two shutouts in October. Key Injury: None. -------- Pitiful on both sides of the ball, the Cobourg Red Stockings find themselves in last place after one month, 15 games below .500. It’s shaping up to be a very long season in Cobourg. Top Position Player: 3B Yoshifumi Tamura (.288/.321/.433, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 13 R, 6 BB) came on strong in the latter of the month, winning Player of the Week honours in the final week. Top Pitcher: SP Joel Fearn (2-2, 3.44 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) was the top pitcher on a staff that could use a few more Joel Fearns. Key Injury: None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:31 PM.

08-19-2015, 04:07 PM	#129
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	November 1, 1939 Western League: Cambria Serves Notice -------- A 12-game winning streak to start the season served notice to everyone in the Western League that the Cambria Cannons cared little about projected finishes. The winning streak included a 3-game sweep of Kingston as well, no doubt signaling their intent on challenging the resident champions for the WL Pennant. There’s still a long way to go, but the Cannons are remarkably balanced and strong on both offense and pitching. They lead the league in both runs scored and runs against. If they keep it up, the Pelicans will indeed have a fight on their hands. Top Position Player: Hard to choose when so many played well this month. I’ll go with SS Clint Jones (.368/.434/.553, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 27 R, 13 BB, 5 SB) who leads the team in a number of categories in the early going. Both CF Ron Westmacott (.283/.357/.522, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 25 R, 14 BB, 5 SB) and C Glen Yeend (.364/.422/.505, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 19 R, 10 BB) won Player of the Week honours during the course of the month. Top Pitcher: Another tough choice, but I opt for SP Willem Atkins (4-0, 1.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP) who seemed to get stronger with each outing. Key Injuries: 25-year old 2B/SS Charles Halse (.288/.386/.542, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 11 R, 9 BB) fractured his wrist in a game on October 24. He will be out four more weeks. 3B Eric Jacobs (.273/.369/.382, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 4 R, 9 BB) will be out for two weeks, due to a bruised wrist, suffered on October 27. -------- The Cannons were not the only team shaking things up in the West in October, as the Fort Richmond Generals find themselves tied for 2nd place with Kingston. After being swept by the Pulberry Trolleys to start the season, the Generals then went an impressive 11-4 in the middle of the month before splitting a 4-game series with the Pelicans near the end of it. All-in-all, an encouraging sign of competitiveness in the West by a team not named the Pelicans or Cannons. Now they just need to keep it up. Top Position Player: The Generals have been very impressive offensively in the early going, so it’s tough to choose. That said, RF Héctor Nájera (.330/.473/.557, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 20 R, 23 BB) had himself a great month. Last season’s 5th overall pick SS Steven Wormleighton (.262/.297/.344, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 20 R, 5 BB, 8 SB) is showing signs of promise in his first full major league season. Top Pitcher: The pitching has not been quite as good as the offense this past month. However, SP Tristan Purss (2-3, 3.35 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) has been the most consistent. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Kingston Pelicans find themselves in unfamiliar territory, as they spent the better part of October trying to get back into the thick of things. After opening the season with a 4-game winning streak, the Pelicans went 2-7 to fall 1 game below .500. They picked things up in the second half. It should be interesting to see if they can regain supremacy in the West in the succeeding months. Kingston players captured both the Hitter and Pitcher of the Month Awards in October, so it wasn’t that hard to select the top players. Top Position Player: The runner-up to last season’s WL Babe Ruth Award, SS Okura Ito had a great October, hitting .403/.422/.621, 5 HR, 30 RBI, 28 R, 6 BB. Top Pitcher: SP Brady Murdy, winner of the 1938-39 Satchel Paige Award and triple-crown winner, picked up where he left off, putting up an incredible 7-0, 1.43 ERA, 0.92 WHIP record. Key Injuries: After losing SP Joey Cumberledge for the season in Spring Training due to a torn labrum, Kingston will also be without the services of SP Francis Slocock (2-3, 5.53 ERA, 1.99 WHIP) for 8 weeks, due to a herniated disc suffered on October 30. -------- After a slow start to the season, the Balmoral Giants improved their play in the latter half of the month to get within a game of .500. The month also saw the Giants go 4-3 in seven games played against Kingston. But they are going to have to pick things up, especially in the pitching department if they want to have any chance to stay within striking distance of the wild card. The Giants currently have the deepest farm system and boast the top two prospects, 20-year old CF Damon Purcell (No. 2 pick last season) and 21-year old RF Carlton Broadbent (No. 3 pick last season – acquired in a trade from Braeland City). The future could be very bright for Balmoral. Top Position Player: Newcomer SS Francisco Rodríguez was a revelation in his first month in the major leagues. The Rookie of the Month winner went .347/.355/.512, 8-2B, 13 RBI, 20 R, 2 BB. Rodríguez was signed as a free agent from Costa Rica in June. Top Pitcher: A rough month for Balmoral pitchers, but SP Charlie Crocombe (3-3, 5.02 ERA, 1.16 WHIP) finished the month fairly strong, and gets the acknowledgement based largely on that. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys joined in the fun as well as they went 9-2 to start the season. But then they proceeded to lose the next eight games and came back down to earth. The Trolleys’ pitching has been pretty effective, especially their bullpen, and they lead the league in defensive efficiency after one month, so they are doing some things right. If they can pick things up on offense, they could very well challenge for the wild card. Top Position Player: 1B William Tozer (.342/.417/.477, 3 HR, 20 RBI, 16 R, 15 BB) was the top position player for the Trolleys in October. Top Pitcher: With the bullpen performing well, it’s tempting to go with a reliever, but I’ll stick with a starter. SP Bailey Keedwell, a Rule 5 draft pick taken from the Brunswick Legends in the offseason, went 3-2, 3.77 ERA, 1.07 WHIP in October. Key Injury: None. -------- The Sherburn Tigers were playing valiantly to start the month; going 10-8, but then lost the next seven games and fell 4 games below .500 at month’s end. A plague of injuries to some of their key players no doubt contributed to their struggles. Top Position Player: For a team that is struggling on offense and dealing with injuries, I’ll go with 26-year old RF Tom Given (.287/.346/.516, 1 HR, 23 RBI, 23 R, 12 BB, 4 SB). Top Pitcher: 30-year old SP Dillon Green (3-3, 1 SV, 1.96 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) provided some versatility for Sherburn this month. He began the month in the bullpen, but then moved back to the rotation due to an injury to Simon Darling. Key Injuries: 31-year old SP Simon Darling suffered an injury just 2.2 innings into his first game against the Hespeler Stars on October 5. He was diagnosed with a herniated disc and will miss 6 more weeks. LF Robin Harney (.269/.347/.358, 4-2B, 7 RBI, 10 R, 8 BB) strained a “posterior cruciate ligament” October 18 while running the bases in a game against the Cambria Cannons. He is out for another 3-4 weeks. In a game against the Kingston Pelicans on October 23, 3B Mick Lanfear (.339/.394/.492, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB) fractured his ankle. He is gone for at least 3 months. 2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) injured himself in a game against the Wolseley Unions on October 31. His diagnosis is not yet known. -------- Being swept by the Pelicans to open the season set the tone for the Wolseley Unions, as the teams finds itself 7 games below .500 after one month of action. The Unions are about average on offense, but a bit below average on the pitching side of things. They do have a strong farm system going for them, as it is rated 2nd only to Balmoral. They also have a couple of dynamic youngsters in 21-year old CF Zak Kidd and 26-year old 1B Aaron Flanagan, who won Rookie of the Year honours last season. So the Unions would appear to be an up and coming team. Top Position Player: Appropriately, this is a tie. Both Zak Kidd (.349/.376/.524, 4 HR, 15 RBI, 22 R, 6 BB) and Aaron Flanagan (.315/.406/.622, 9 HR, 27 RBI, 22 R, 17 BB) gave the locals something to cheer about in October. Flanagan won the WL Player of the Week Award in the last week of the month. Top Pitcher: No one on the pitching staff has really pitched all that well in the early going, but I’ll go with SP Jim Smyth (1-1, 3.06 ERA, 1.48 WHIP). He has been steady, if unspectacular. Key Injury: SP Edward Hill (2-4, 4.44 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) was injured in a game against the Sherburn Tigers on the final day of the month. His diagnosis is not yet known. -------- The woeful Hespeler Stars have all of 8 wins 1 month into the season, and 5 of those have come within the past 10. They just do not have the talent to compete with the rest in the Wild West and it shows in their stats and rankings. They are also lagging behind Balmoral and Wolseley in cultivating top prospects. Their farm system is ranked 10th – and they are a lot closer to the bottom of the rankings than to the top. Top Position Player: LF Steven Winstanley (.311/.392/.557, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 15 R, 14 BB) has been far and away Hespeler’s best offensive player in the early going. Winstanley was the 10th overall pick in the 1937-38 draft. Top Pitcher: SP Michael Wilberfoss (1-4, 3.24 ERA, 1.61 WHIP) is the pick of a mediocre lot. He pitched a couple of games in October where the Stars were shut-out. Rather hard to win with that sort of run support. Hespeler claimed SP Michael Hanley (2-1, 1.11 ERA, 1.64 WHIP) off of waivers from the Wellington Athletics on October 21; he pitched well in both his starts for the Stars thus far. It will be interesting to see how he fares the rest of the way. Key Injury: 30-year old C Boyd Bedard (.194/.219/.242, 3-2B, 3 RBI, 6 R, 2 BB) has been plagued with recurring back spasms since October 21. He will miss a further 4 weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-02-2017 at 08:38 PM.

08-22-2015, 07:22 AM	#130
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	December 1, 1939 Eastern League: Monarchs, Eagles Take Flight -------- The Braeland City Monarchs kicked it into high gear in November, going 19-6 for the month to grab first place in the East from a quickly fading Stratford Barons team. The month included a 9-game winning streak, including a 3-game sweep of the Kingston Pelicans. The Monarchs are hot to say the least and lead the Eastern League in a number of offensive and defensive categories. The Monarchs announced on November 27 that they’ve set their team focus to ‘Win Now’. That’s exactly what they’re doing. Top Position Player: With so many Monarchs playing well, it’s tough to pick just one. I’ll give it to both RF Dwayne Hollinshead (.345/.438/.536, 4 HR, 38 RBI, 33 R, 35 BB), who leads in a slew of categories. But SS Adam Ashley (.333/.394/.494, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 49 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) leads in a number of categories too, including WAR (2.6). Top Pitcher: Braeland City has an outstanding rotation and bullpen, so they are not relying on just one pitcher. But there’s a reason SP Lenny Freke is an all-star, and he continues to excel this season, with a 7-4, 2.15 ERA, 1.14 WHIP record. Noteworthy: CF Jay Atwood (.321/.424/.494, 3 HR, 37 RBI, 33 R, 31 BB) won Player of the Week honours in the first week of November. Key Injuries: None. -------- Braeland City was not the only team in the East that was hot in November. The Queensland Eagles also went 19-6 to take over second spot in the standings and keep within 2.5 games of first. They are 9-1 in the past 10 games. The Eagles have been very good on offense, but are only average on pitching over the past two months. However, the pitching has been steadily improving. In fact, an Eagles pitcher won Pitcher of the Month honours for the second month in a row. Top Position Player: 24-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.318/.391/.486, 6 HR, 43 RBI, 50 R, 27 BB) had an outstanding month. In October, he batted .259; in November, .385. Top Pitcher: 32-year old SP Stewart Colcott went undefeated in November, at 5-0, to grab the Pitcher of the Month Award. After two months, his record is 8-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.13 WHIP. Noteworthy: After struggling in October (2-2, 8.48 ERA in 5 starts), SP Roger Young turned things around in November, going 2-0, 2.81 ERA in four starts. Key Injury: Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) broke a bone in his elbow in a game on October 28. He is out for three more months. -------- The Wellington Athletics became the third team in the East to reach 30 victories after two months of action. But they remain 3.5 games back of the wild card and have a posse of teams hot on their tails. It’s looking like it will be a dogfight in the East this season. The Athletics’ pitching has been top-notch thus far, while their offense has been average. Top Position Player: 3B Ryley McLarnon has been rock steady to start the season (.315 in October, .319 in November), going .317/.343/.442, 3 HR, 39 RBI, 41 R, 10 BB, 15 SB thus far. Top Pitcher: SP Clyde Boney was brilliant in November (4-0, 1.69 ERA) and probably would have won Pitcher of the Month honours if Queensland’s Stewart Colcott wasn’t hot as well. Boney’s record thus far is 8-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.09 WHIP. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Brunswick Legends were not quite as hot as Braeland City and Queensland, but they did go 15-10 in November and that keeps them relevant in the early going. Their offense continued to roll right along, while their pitching improved, particularly their starting rotation. The Legends were involved in four trades this past month, three of them significant, so it would appear that the Legends are serious about defending their EL Pennant. Top Position Player: OF Mark Elston appears to be playing in a higher league right now, as he is hitting .400/.527/.694, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 47 R, 49 BB. It’s no surprise that he won his second consecutive Hitter of the Month Award. That’s the third he’s won in his ULB career. Top Pitcher: The starting rotation had a really good month, so it’s a bit of a challenge to single out one of them. But you can't go wrong with 23-year old SP Anastasio Rodríguez, who has gone 6-3, 3.13 ERA, 1.32 WHIP; 4-1, 2.49 in November. Rodríguez was the 4th overall pick for the Legends in the 1937-38 amateur draft. Noteworthy: Unheralded 27-year old OF Scott Orchard (.246/.277/.388, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 30 R, 9 BB, 8 SB) won the Rookie of the Month Award in November. Both Mark Elston and Rovilson Valdevieso (.402/.425/.584, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 35 R, 11 BB, 9 SB) won Player of the Week honours during the course of the month and they form a formidable tandem hitting in the No. 3 and 4 spots against righties. Are they Braeland’s version of Ruth and Gehrig? I don’t know, but it seems appropriate that they’re wearing pinstripes! Key Injury: SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 6 weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair. Uh, Rob, are you sure you want to stick with that story? Key Trade #1: Brunswick parted with 25-year old CF Pete Good (75/75 - .295/.337/.385, 5-2B, 13 RBI, 5 R, 5 BB), sending him to the Stratford Barons on November 4. Brunswick received 26-year old C Henry Goddier (40/46) and 21-year old minor league RP Byron Poskitt (20/53). Poskitt would not remain long in the Legends organization, as he was part of Trade No. 2 later that same day. Key Trade #2: Just after completing Trade #1, the Legends traded Poskitt, along with 22-year old CF Ramón Tavira (23/64), 20-yearl old RP Zak Tuxford (20/34) and 21-year old 3B Alistair Lee (22/23) to the Balmoral Giants for 23-year old C Maurice Evans (51/68 - .248/.352/.382, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 21 R, 26 BB). Knee-jerk analysis: In trading CF Pete Good to Stratford, the Legends are installing Rookie of the Month winner Scott Orchard as their starting CF from here on out. In the process, they have completely overhauled the catching situation. Evans (rated 8th for catchers in the ULB) is now the starting catcher, while Goddier will serve as his backup. Personally, I really like these moves. It will be fun to see if they pan out for Brunswick. Interesting note: This the third trade that Poskitt has been a party of during a 2 week stretch. Stratford acquired him from the Downie Chiefs back on October 21. Key Trade #3: On November 26, Brunswick traded 26-year old IF Rubén Sánchez (47/53 - .335/.361/.456, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 30 R, 10 BB) to the Wolseley Unions. In return, they receive 26-year old 3B Derek Sakurai (78/78 - .299/.370/.483, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 37 R, 24 BB) and 39-year old minor league RP Monte Key (25/25). Knee-jerk analysis: Sakurai is currently rated the No. 1 3B in the ULB and represents an upgrade at that position for Brunswick. Losing 1B Sánchez hurts the Legends, and in fact, 1B and 2B remain a weakness for them. Sánchez becomes Wolseley’s starting SS. I like the acquisition of Sakurai for Brunswick, and Sánchez is a fine player with tremendous defense, but I think Wolseley undersold Sakurai just a bit. If Sánchez performs really well for Wolseley, then perhaps the trade was equitable. -------- While other teams were surging up the standing in the East, the Stratford Barons were rushing for the exits. The Barons stumbled in November, going 10-15, after putting up a 19-9 record the previous month. The offense took a nosedive, falling to around 6th after averaging around 3rd in October. A sweep at the hands of the Kingston Pelicans to end the month must have stung. The Barons need to do some soul-searching and determine whether they truly are contenders or just pretenders. Top Position Player: For an offense that struggled last month, SS Jake Walker remained solid and has gone .299/.397/.464, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 27 R, 32 BB thus far this season. Top Pitcher: SP Ryan Borden (6-3, 4.91 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) greatly improved in November, going 3-1, 2.27 ERA in 6 starts. On the other hand, SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji collapsed, going 0-4, 8.16 ERA. In October, he went 4-0, 1.64 ERA. Ouch. Key Injury: 27-year old IF Terry Maxwell (.319/.429/.404, 4-2B, 3 RBI, 7 R, 9 BB) was bit by a rabid dog on October 21 and will be gone for 3 more weeks. -------- The Embro Suns improved modestly in November, as they went 14-11 to move 4 games above .500. But they are finding out rather quickly that other teams are passing them by and the fans are starting to get anxious. While their offense is improving somewhat, the pitching took a step back from last month. The Suns did make a trade to acquire a SP to try and address the issue. Will it help? This is a talented team that has yet to see that talent pay dividends. Top Position Player: CF Terence Durney (.299/.354/.514, 5 HR, 36 RBI, 46 R, 21 BB, 11 SB) is a star and that was not more apparent than in November, when he batted .340, compared to October when he hit .241. Top Pitcher: SP Colm Soper (6-3, 2.27 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) was outstanding in November, going 4-0, 0.97 ERA in 6 starts. Key Injuries: None. Key Trade: The Suns acquired 24-year old SP Edward Hill (63/64 – 3-5, 3.80 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) on November 26 from the Wolseley Unions. The Unions received 3 minor league players: • 20-year old SP Kai Tosh (21/65 – rated #29 prospect; Round 3 pick in 1938-39); • 20-year old SS Craig Aiton (21/33 – Round 2 pick in 1938-39) and • 19-year old SP Kane Brenchley (20/23 – Round 4 pick in 1938-39). Knee-jerk analysis: Hill becomes Embro’s No. 2 starter and provides a LHP in the rotation. He should benefit from the move and the improved run support. The private Tosh is an intriguing prospect and just adds more depth to Wolseley’s deep farm system. He becomes their second overall pitching prospect. -------- The Downie Chiefs are quickly sinking into oblivion, as they went 11-14 in November, to fall 11.5 games out of first. Their offense is putrid and their pitching is regressing. Not a good combination. They also lost SP Bradley Paris for an extended period, so that will not help the situation. It’s desperation time in Downie and it’s only the end of November. After acquiring Francis Pynchon last month from the Stratford Barons, the Chiefs did some shifting in the outfield and moved the former 1B to LF, leaving Jeaic Risbrough (.333/.392./.447, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 22 R, 15 BB) at 1B, which is the only position he is rated for. Top Position Player: 3B Andy Johnson (.295/.342/.371, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 30 R, 18 BB) had a great month, where he hit .324. Top Pitcher: Not a great month for Downie pitchers, but SP Frank Leadbeater (4-6, 3.99 ERA, 1.52 WHIP) pitched decently, going 3-3, 3.10 ERA. Key Injury: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) partially tore his labrum in a game against the Kingston Pelicans on November 10. He will be gone for 3 months. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings enjoyed a winning record in November, going 13-12. In one 14-game stretch, they went 11-3 and swept the defending United Cup Champions Kingston Pelicans in their 3-game matchup. It was a hopeful sign for a woeful team, but the Red Stockings are still struggling on both sides of the ball, so the improved play may only be a mirage. They did make a surprising trade with Cambria however. Top Position Player: LF Stuart Bentham (.287/.372/.385, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB) had a very good month in November, hitting .347, after hitting just .223 in October. Top Pitcher: I’m sorely tempted to go with no one, since the pitching has been so dreadful thus far. But I’ll go with RP Larry Parrish (1-2, 2 SV, 3.89 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) who had an ERA of 2.50 in November, with 12 K and 3 BB. Key Injury: RF Brian Herdman (.248/.330/.337, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 15 R, 13 BB) suffered a herniated disc on November 10 in a game against the Pulberry Trolleys. He will be out for another 1-2 weeks. Key Trade: The Red Stockings acquired 25-year old Clint Jones (74/75 – .326/.388/.493, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 50 R, 22 BB, 10 SB) on November 15 from the Cambria Cannons. Cambria received 34-year old 3B Kenneth Logan (58/58 - .325/.371/.521, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 19 R, 11 B) and 21-year old minor leaguer CF Bert Helmer (23/75 – No. 6 overall prospect). Knee-jerk analysis: I just don’t get what the Red Stockings are trying to do. Clint Jones is a terrific player and is an immediate upgrade for Cobourg at CF, where he is slated to play. But I can’t see him transforming them into a contender when they need to seriously improve their pitching. Logan meanwhile will be an upgrade for Cambria at 3B. But the surrendering by Cobourg of a highly-rated prospect in Helmer just makes no sense for a team that should be stocking up, not shipping out. Helmer becomes Cambria’s top prospect, in a farm system that is now rated 3rd overall. Cobourg’s farm system falls to 10th. Why Cobourg, why? -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 01:23 AM.

08-23-2015, 05:48 PM	#131
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	December 1, 1939 Western League: Quickly Becoming a Two-Horse Town -------- The Cambria Cannons were unable to replicate the phenomenal success they had in October, when they went 22-6, but against the tough Eastern League teams, they managed to hold their own. But they were just one of two teams in the West that could boast a winning record in November. In that context, their 15-10 record for the month is impressive. On both offense and pitching, they are outstanding and are shaping up to be the real deal in the West. They increased their lead to 7.5 games over the Kingston Pelicans and they currently have the best record in the ULB. Top Position Player: Last time, I selected Clint Jones in this category, but he has since been traded to the Cobourg Red Stockings. But Cambria still has plenty of offensive weapons. This time, I give the nod to C Glen Yeend (.370/.421/.530, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 33 R, 16 BB), who production has not let up since Opening Day. Top Pitcher: Cambria continues to lead the West in ERA, but none of their starters had a particular impressive month. Thus I will go with RP Quentin Teague (2-1, 7 SV, 1.86 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) who went 2-0, 3 SV, 2.28 ERA in November. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Kingston Pelicans appeared to be getting back on track at the beginning of November, as they went 7-2 to start the month. But then they lost the next 8 games, which included a 3-game sweep by the lowly Cobourg Red Stockings. They went 6-2 for the rest of the month, but these lulls are uncharacteristic for a team that’s used to running roughshod over their opponents. Injuries to their pitching staff haven’t helped. Their offense is still firing on all cylinders, though, and will need to continue to do so to compensate for a battered rotation. Top Position Player: SS Okura Ito (.420/.456/.642, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 51 R, 17 BB) is rated the No. 1 position player in the entire ULB, and you will not get an argument from me. In November, he hit .441/.496/.667, won a Player of the Week accolade and is currently on a 30-game hitting streak, just 5 short of the record. Curiously, he did not win the Player of the Month Award this month, but that speaks more of the incredible month Aaron Flanagan of Wolseley had than to any slight to Ito. Top Pitcher: SP Brady Murdy (11-2, 2.43 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) did not have quite the month he had in October, but with the pitching staff in crisis, he was the pitcher his teammates look to for stability, and he went 4-2, 3.63 ERA for the month. Key Injuries: SP Joey Cumberledge is out for at least 5 months (effectively the season), due to a torn labrum he suffered in Spring Training. SP Francis Slocock (2-3, 5.53 ERA, 1.99 WHIP) is out for 4 more weeks, due to a herniated disc suffered on October 30. 24-year old SP Harley Bracher (3-6, 6.25 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), who stayed up with the big club following Spring Training when Cumberledge was injured, tore his triceps on November 27 in a game against the Stratford Barons. He is gone for 4 months. Bracher was the 16th overall pick for the Pelicans in the 1938-39 amateur draft. -------- Two months into the 1939-40 campaign, the West is quickly turning into a two-team league, as only the Cambria Cannons and Kingston Pelicans have managed to keep their heads above the waters. The rest of the league is quickly becoming an afterthought. The Fort Richmond Generals began the season with a promising October (16-11), but collapsed in November (9-16). Perhaps it was wishful thinking on my part that the West would become a little more ‘top heavy’ this season. But if November is any indication, there will be a lot of ‘welcome mats’ instead. That said the Generals do not rate all that badly in both the offensive and pitching ratings thus far. Now that they do not have to face the Eastern League for a couple of more months, perhaps the Generals will rebound in the standings (or is that just more wishful thinking?) Top Position Player: The ageless, 42-year old RF Héctor Nájera (.377/.495/.568, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 32 R, 37 BB) stepped it up even more in November, as he hit .432/.523/.581, and leads the Generals in a number of categories. He also won a Player of the Week award in the middle of the month. Top Pitcher: The pitching staff improved a bit, despite the team’s struggles in November. Leading the charge was Pitcher of the Month award winner Oscar Burress (9-2, 3.26 ERA, 1.36 WHIP), whose ERA last month was 4.80. Noteworthy: On November 8, CF Kade Limeburner (.270/.403/.514, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 33 R, 43 BB) drove in 7 runs against the Downie Chiefs, going3 for 5 with 1 HR. Key Injuries: None. -------- Like a lot of teams in the West, the Pulberry Trolleys struggled in November, although not quite as bad, going 11-14, to fall 5.5 games back of the wild card. Their pitching rankings overall remain very good and they remain No. 1 in defensive efficiency. They are still below average, however, on offense. But perhaps like Fort Richmond, they have a chance to rebound now that they do not have to face Eastern League teams for the next little while. Top Position Player: CF Rio Gidley (.301/.386/.429, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 21 R, 29 BB, 12 SB) had a solid month, going .311/.382/.444. Top Pitcher: SP Sojuro Ojima (3-4, 3.79 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was Pulberry’s best SP in November, going 3-2, 3.46 ERA in 5 starts. Key Injury: On November 28, 1B William Tozer (.317/.398/.446, 4 HR, 34 RBI, 29 R, 28 BB) was injured running the bases in a game against the Wellington Athletics. He was diagnosed with hamstring tendinitis. Fortunately, he will be out only 5 days. On November 29, SP Dan Rogers (1-4, 4.69 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) sprained his ankle. He is out for 2 weeks. -------- The Balmoral Giants could be excused if they appear to be a little punch drunk, after the beating they took in November from their Eastern League counterparts. They finished the month with just 9 victories against 16 losses, and only one did they lose by just one run. Most of them were on the order of 8-1, 7-1, 13-3 and 20-3 (the last one at the hands of the Braeland City Monarchs). But the Giants have fully embraced the future and enriched their No. 1 rated farm system further when they acquired OF Ramón Tavira from the Brunswick Legends back on November 4 (See the Brunswick write-up in the previous post). Tavira, the 7th overall pick in the 1938-39 draft is rated #35 overall and becomes Balmoral’s 5th highest rated prospect. The #2 overall prospect, OF Carlton Broadbent (.297/.350/.459, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R, 3 BB), recently joined the big club. He was the 3rd overall pick in last season’s draft. If the rest develop in short order, then Balmoral will become a force to be reckoned with. Top Position Player: SS Francisco Rodríguez (.363/.380/.504, 14-2B, 21 RBI, 38 R, 7 BB) won Rookie of the Month honours for the second month in a row. But he appears to be a rookie in name only, as he stepped it up in November and leads his team in a slew of offensive categories. Top Pitcher: Balmoral pitchers are not a particularly strong unit, but SP Charlie Crocombe (5-5, 3.96 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) had a decent month, as he went 2-2, 2.85 ERA in 6 starts. Noteworthy: On November 25, 37-year old 1B Roger Tyler (.374/.368/.374, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 24 R, 27 BB) went 4 for 4 against the Downie Chiefs, setting a WL regular season game record with 4 doubles. Key Injuries: Utility IF Andre Walshe (.250/.297/.331, 9-2B, 12 RBI, 25 R, 9 BB) suffered a sore shoulder on November 11. He is out for a further 2 weeks. SP Scott Wadley (3-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) was diagnosed with radial nerve compression after a game on November 11, against the Wellington Athletics. He is gone for season (8 months). -------- The Wolseley Unions fared somewhat better against the Eastern League than other Western League teams, going 11-14 on the month. The Unions offense has been pretty decent thus far, but Wolseley continues the trend of trading frontline starters for prospects. Case in point is 3B Derek Sakurai, who was hot in November, going 4 for 5 against the Wellington Athletics on November 5 and 5 for 6 against the Cobourg Red Stockings on November 22. Sakurai was then traded to Brunswick on the 26th. Top Position Player: LF Aaron Flanagan (.330/.430/.646, 14 HR, 57 RBI, 43 R, 37 BB) is the real deal. After driving in 6 runs on November 21 against the Cobourg Red Stockings, going 2 for 4 with 1 HR, Flanagan went 3-4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R the next day against the same Red Stockings. For his performance on the month, he won the WL Player of the Week Award in the last week of November and the WL Batter of the Month Award. Top Pitcher: Does a 2-1, 4.24 ERA deserve recognition? It does if you’re a pitcher on the Wolseley Unions. November was just a lousy month for the pitching staff, thus SP/RP Phil Edginton (6-4, 6.67 ERA, 2.11 WHIP) gets the lukewarm nod. Key Injury: RF Dong-min Lee (.313/.414/.431, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 15 BB) suffered a hamstring strain on November 4. He will be out for another week. 1B Frazer Bainbridge (.317/.348/.381, 4-2B, 10 RBI, 12 R, 4 BB) strained his back in a game against the Brunswick Legends on November 27. He will be out for another week as well. -------- At this point in the Western League standings, we really come to the ‘divert your eyes’ section. November was not kind to either the Sherburn Tigers or the Hespeler Stars. Sherburn won all of 8 eight games, although interestingly, they lost no more than 3 games consecutively during that spell. The Tigers are struggling on both sides of the ball. But unlike other teams that have committed themselves to rebuilding, the Tigers have been quiet on the trade front. They seem to be directionless, as their farm system is the second worst in the WL, 11th overall. Only Kingston has a poorer system (dead last). The Tigers made the playoffs in the ULB’s inaugural season but they have been sliding ever since. And they seem to be living in denial. Top Position Player: CF Harold Yoder (.324/.355/.390, 6-2B, 28 RBI, 28 R, 9 BB) has performed well on a struggling team, batting .327/.350/.347 this month. However, he too has been scuffling in his last few games. Top Pitcher: The pitching staff is not a pretty sight, but I’ll give it to SP Steve Greenwell (4-4, 4.06 ERA, 1.49 WHIP), who went 1-3, 3.49 ERA in November. Key Injuries: 31-year old SP Simon Darling suffered an injury just 2.2 innings into his first game against the Hespeler Stars on October 5. He was diagnosed with a herniated disc and will miss 2 more weeks. In a game against the Kingston Pelicans on October 23, 3B Mick Lanfear (.339/.394/.492, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB) fractured his ankle. He is gone for at least 2 months. 2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) injured himself in a game against the Wolseley Unions on October 31. He tore a labrum in his shoulder. He is out for 3-4 months. -------- The Hespeler Stars are consistent. They won 8 games in October, and they won 8 games in November. And they are consistently bad. They boast the worst record in the ULB and will pick first in this season’s Amateur Draft in early December. The way things are going, they will likely pick first next season as well. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. On the positive side, the Stars do have some nice young talent on their roster in both LF Steven Winstanley and SS Henry Yarnold, former first round picks that are producing right now for the Stars. They have the top-rated RF in the ULB in Louis Maylam and a fine 2B in Rhett Curnow. Both Maylam and Curnow would garner quality prospects in trades, should Hespeler ever decide to embrace a full rebuild. If you’re already in last place with no quick turnaround in sight, you might as well accelerate your rebuild. But Hespeler has yet to go that route. Top Position Player: Steven Winstanley had another fine month, but I’ll go with 27-year old Rhett Curnow (.335/.377/.468, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 38 R, 14 BB) who batted .438/.469/.552 in November. Winstanley went 4-4 in one game in November, while Rhett Curnow went 4 for 5 in two games and Louie Maylam went 4 for 5 in a couple of games as well. Top Pitcher: On a pitching staff that had an abysmal month, SP Michael Wilberfoss (4-6, 3.13 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) bucked the trend, going 3-2, 2.98 ERA in November. SP Michael Hanley (3-3, 3.57 ERA, 1.66 WHIP), who was claimed off of waivers last month, went 1-2, 4.95 ERA Hespeler claimed another SP off of waivers: 28-year old Freddie Ventriss from the Embro Suns on November 29. He will be the No. 3 starter for the Stars. Key Injury: 41-year old RP Hyo-cheong Yu (1-2, 2 SV, 7.67 ERA, 2.27 WHIP) was diagnosed with elbow inflammation on November 16. He will miss 3 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 01:30 AM.

08-24-2015, 08:54 PM	#132
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	December 6, 1939 1939-40 Amateur Draft Results Downie, Perth (BP) –Downie’s Empire Hotel played host to the 1939-40 Amateur Draft where about 160 or so players were selected with dreams of being the next star in Braeland’s United Leagues. This season, the Hespeler Stars received the first selection, followed by the Fort Richmond Generals and Wolseley Unions. Here is a brief sketch of the players selected in the first round: 1st Pick – Hespeler Stars: IF/OF Vic Weetman (63/80) – 21-years old; 5’-8”, 160 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH Weetman was the first overall pick and it’s not hard to see why. The 21-year old lad from Willow Grove, Norwich, is an extremely versatile player. Scouts predict that his arrival in the majors will come sooner rather than later. Blessed with amazing vision and discipline, he projects to a high batting average with plus raw power. He has excellent range, especially in the outfield, and has well above average speed. An everyday guy, Weetman will start his professional career with the Muir Electrics, Hespeler’s AA farm team. -------- 2nd Pick – Fort Richmond Generals: C Danny Trowbridge (39/80) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 195 lbs.; Switch hitter/Throws RH The Generals selected a catcher as the 2nd overall pick. The switch-hitting Danny Trowbridge is projected to be an outstanding contact hitter with plus-plus power and decent fielding abilities. The 21-year old from Braeland City has been assigned to the Marburg Mustangs, Fort Richmond’s AA farm team. -------- 3rd Pick – Wolseley Unions: LF Gary Therien (20/80) – 18-years old; 6’-1”, 190 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The Canadian-born Therien was selected 3rd overall by the Unions. The 18-year old is an offense-rich, defense-poor prospect. Therien has all the tools to be a fantastic contact hitter with wonderful power potential. He has an outstanding eye and patience at the plate. He is not necessarily a speedster on the base paths. However, the greatest concern is his very poor defensive skills. While a potential phenom at the plate, he could be a daily adventure in left field. The Unions have assigned him to their AA farm club, the Waterloo Whips. -------- 4th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys: SS Roland Binns (22/68) – 18-years old; 5’-9”, 155 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH For the 4th overall pick, the Trolleys selected an 18-year old shortstop from Downie. Binns’ strength is offense as well, as he brings well above-average contact potential with plus-plus power potential. He also has above average speed but will need to work on this defense, as he is not the most slick-fielding shortstop. Binns will begin with the Hopetown Islanders, Pulberry’s AA affiliate. -------- 5th Pick – Sherburn Tigers: SP Gavin Womersley (23/80) – 18-years old; 5’-8”, 150 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The first pitcher selected in this season’s amateur draft, the 18-year old RHP from Queensland is blessed with above average stuff, incredible movement and tremendous control. Womersley has a great selection of pitches, with a top-notch sinker. The 5’-8” pitcher will start with the AA Hannon Greyhounds. -------- 6th Pick – Balmoral Giants: IF/OF Lance Haworth (22/63) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The second Canadian-born player taken in the first round, Haworth greatest strengths are his outstanding defense in the outfield and his well above average speed on the base paths. The 21-year old has a decent eye to lay off most of the bad pitches, but currently doesn’t rate very highly as either a contact or power hitter. Haworth will begin his professional career with the AA Georgetown Goldbugs. -------- 7th Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings: IF George Simpson (22/80) – 18-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The Red Stockings selected 18-year old George Simpson, an average infielder who has a chance to be a sensational contact hitter and hit for a high average. Simpson, however, will need to improve his discipline at the plate, as patience is not a virtue. Simpson has been assigned to Cobourg’s AA farm team, the Cardiff Crushers. -------- 8th Pick – Cambria Cannons: IF/OF Evan Houk (20/64) – 18-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH The 6’-0” Houk from Birmingham projects to become a solid contact hitter with average plate discipline and outstanding base running skills. He is also considered a solid defender in the field. The 18-year old will begin play with the AA Vandecar Spurs. -------- Here is the rest of the first round, selections 9-16: 9th Pick – Queensland Eagles: SP Pi-ao Quian (23/69) – stuff (35/40), movement (60/70) and control (35/50). 22-years old; 6’-1”, 195 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH Above average stuff, positively filthy movement and outstanding control. Throws 5 type of pitches, with his cutter (40/45) and splitter (40/45) the best right now. -------- 10th Pick – Downie Chiefs: RP Carl Luscombe (56/80) – stuff (45/60), movement (65/75) and control (35/50). 22-years old; 5’-10’, 175 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 90-92 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws RH Really special stuff, positively filthy movement and very good command. Throws two pitches: fastball (50/60), slider (40/65). -------- 11th Pick – Stratford Barons: SP Donn Griffin (21/76) – stuff (35/45), movement (60/70) and control (35/55). 20-years old; 5’-7”, 155 lbs.; neutral; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws RH Great stuff and aggressive, positively filthy movement and superb control. Throws 5 type of pitches, with his splitter and forkball (both 40/50) the best right now. -------- 12th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: SP Roman Davis (20/79) – stuff (30/40), movement (50/70) and control (35/55). 19-years old; 6’-2”, 185 lbs.; groundball tendency; 86-88 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws LH Above average stuff, positively filthy movement and excellent control. Throws 3 types of pitches, with his fastball (40/50) and curveball (25/50) having the best potential. Davis will need to work on his changeup (20/30) if he is to become a full-time SP. -------- 13th Pick – Wellington Athletics: RP Cameron Ueno (36/79) – stuff (35/40), movement (60/75) and control (35/55). 20-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; groundball tendency; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits LH/Throws RH Passible stuff, positively filthy movement and superb control. Throws 2 type of pitches, a fastball (40/40) and curveball (35/45). Ueno will need to work on his stuff to face upper-echelon hitters. Struggles to keep his head in the game. -------- 14th Pick – Brunswick Legends: SP Brent Nix (20/78) – stuff (30/40), movement (60/70) and control (20/35). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 87-89 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH Consistent, above average stuff, positively filthy movement but only decent control. Throws 3 types of pitches, with his fastball (40/45) and curveball (35/50) having the best potential. He will need to work on his changeup (20/20) if he is to have any hope of becoming a full-time SP. -------- 15th Pick – Embro Suns: OF Riley Parsons (22/64) – contact (40/55), gap power (40/50) and eye (35/50). 21-years old; 5’-10”, 180 lbs.; pull hitter; Hits LH/Throws LH Above-average contact with outstanding power potential (35/45). Decent defense at RF and above average speed on the base paths. -------- 16th Pick – Kingston Pelicans: SP Charlie Gilbert (21/74) – stuff (35/40), movement (60/65) and control (35/55). 21-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; groundball pitcher; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH Great potential on his stuff and feisty, top-notch movement and great control. Throws 4 types of pitches, with his cutter (45/50) and forkball (45/50) having the best potential. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 01:35 AM.

08-28-2015, 09:00 AM	#133
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	January 1, 1940 Eastern League: Wellington Joins in the Fun -------- The fortunes of the Braeland City Monarchs cooled off a bit, as they went only 14-13 in December. That was enough to keep them in top spot in the East, but now they find themselves being pursued by a hot Wellington Athletics team. They remain very good on both offense and pitching. However, their bullpen has struggled, with their ERA falling to 4.71 from 4.08 over the past 4 weeks. Top Position Player: The Monarchs are blessed with some mighty fine offensive players. One of them, 32-year old 3B Louie Hetherington (.329/.410/.464, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 63 R, 45 BB), had a terrific December, going .356/.436/.563 with 4 HR and 21 RBI. Hetherington won an EL Player of the Week Award during the month for his efforts. Top Pitcher: 30-year old SP Lenny Freke (12-5, 1.87 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) is at the top of his game and is currently rated the No. 1 SP in the ULB. His performance in December (5-1, 1.35 ERA) earned him Pitcher of the Month honours. On December 4, he pitched a 5-hit shutout against the Downie Chiefs with 3 K and 1 BB. If that weren’t enough, Freke went 4-5 at the plate on December 25 against the Wellington Athletics, collecting 4 RBI and helping Braeland City win 7-1. Freke surrendered 4 hits and 1 ER with 3 K, 0 BB. Noteworthy: SS Adam Ashley (.326/.387/.507, 4 HR, 42 RBI, 71 R, 33 BB, 15 SB) hit for the cycle against the Embro Suns on December 12, going 4-5 with 6 RBI and 3 R. Curious: On December 26, 1B Tim Ambrose (.278/.350/.427, 10 HR, 58 RBI, 42 R, 35 BB) was designated for assignment and placed on waivers. After clearing them, he was assigned to the AAA Clifton Whales. On January 1, the 31-year old returned to the Monarchs as their starting 1B and bats 2nd in their lineup. What I find curious about these moves is that this is a player who leads the team in HRs and RBIs. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Wellington Athletics turned the heat up in the East, going 18-9 in December to leap into the wild card spot, 2.5 games up on the Queensland Eagles and just 2.0 games back of first place. Curiously, while they have remained competitive on both sides of the ball, the Athletics have slipped just a bit in the offensive rankings. That speaks, I think, to the overall competitiveness in the Eastern League. Top Position Player: When Quentin Stubber went down to injury early in the month, Wellington re-called 24-year old RF Phil Keeling from AAA Quinlan. Needless to say, Keeling made the most of his opportunity, as he went .338/.373/.481, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 11 R, 5 BB and won the EL Rookie of the Month Award in December. With the return of Stubber from the DL, Keeling is now riding the pine, but it looks like he will stay up with the big club, biding his time. Top Pitcher: A very tough choice, as 3 pitchers put in top performances in December. I’ll go with SP Soren Heinke (6-7, 2.89 ERA, 1.13 WHIP), who went 3-0, 1.02 ERA. Both SP Clyde Boney (6-0, 2.93 ERA in Dec) and SP Darren Whiteley (5-0, 2.43 ERA in Dec) had outstanding months as well. Key Injury: RF Quentin Stubber (.308/.454/.445, 6 HR, 30 RBI, 47 R, 55 BB, 11 SB) strained an oblique on a defensive play on December 2 against the Embro Suns. He returned to the lineup about 4 weeks later. Key Trade: On December 19, Wellington traded little-used 27-year old C Hall Wright (22/23 - .167/.167/.667, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R) to the Embro Suns, along with 21-year old minor league RP Luke Woodward (26/80). In return, the Athletics received 36-year old 2B Alejandro Valdés (74/74 - .280/.348/.341, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 49 R, 33 BB, 7 SB). Knee-jerk analysis: Valdés is still a proficient contact hitter and his speed and base-stealing abilities will make him a productive lead-off hitter for the Athletics. However, he is a nightmare defensively at 2B (-23.8 ZR) and no doubt this has contributed to his current -1.8 WAR value. It would appear that he is on the decline. No doubt, Embro has this in mind when they traded him, as they appear to have a suitable replacement for him at 2B. In return, they receive the currently No. 1 rated pitching prospect in the ULB. Woodward was the 9th overall pick in the 1937-38 amateur draft. He is one decent pitch from being a viable SP, but his changeup is only rated 20/25, and the scouting report on him says that he doesn’t have the drive to make the most out of his tools. If Wellington can somehow mitigate Valdés’ defensive deficiencies and reach the playoffs, I will view this trade as equitable. -------- The Queensland Eagles cooled off considerably in December, mustering only a 12-15 record to fall 4.5 games out of first place and 2.5 games behind the wild card. The Eagles continue to excel on offense, but their pitching has really regressed. A season ending injury to SP Darren Stewart would not seem to help matters either. Top Position Player: SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.330/.401/.538, 11 HR, 78 RBI, 75 R, 41 BB) continued his outstanding play; in fact, he won the Batter of the Month Award for December. Top Pitcher: December was just not kind to Queensland pitchers. The only SP who had a decent month was, ironically, called up in the middle of the month to replace the injured Stewart. The Taiwanese SP Pi-ao Quian was drafted 9th overall by the Eagles on December 6; on December 12 he joined the big club and started his first major league game on the 16th. In his 3 starts on the month, he went 3-0, 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, 4 K, 17 BB. All 3 were quality starts. Not a bad start for the 22-year old rookie. Key Injuries: 30-year old SP Darren Stewart (5-6, 4.02 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) was diagnosed with a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament, suffered in a game on December 8 against the Stratford Barons. He will be out for at least 8 months. Stewart was 1-0, 1.93 ERA in December before the injury. Back-up IF/OF Jilenko Balignasay (.286/.333/.429) remains out for 7 more weeks with a broken bone in his elbow suffered back on October 28. -------- The Embro Suns continue to play slightly above .500 ball, going 14-13 in December. They remain 7 games back of first, but due to the struggles of others, that’s good enough for 4th place in the standings. The offense improved overall but the pitching continues to sputter, preventing the team from gaining any traction. Top Position Player: Some fine performances this month by the Suns, but 1B Jim Friend (.340/.403/.448, 3 HR, 53 RBI, 50 R, 21 BB) burned bright, hitting to the tune of .388/.419/.457. He went 4-5 in 3 games this month, collecting a total of 10 RBI and 6 R in those games. The 25-year old Friend was acquired back on June 25 from the Balmoral Giants. Top Pitcher: It was a rough month for Suns pitchers; even ace SP Colm Soper went just 2-2, 4.35 ERA in December. However, SP Edward Hill (8-6, 3.72 ERA, 1.37 WHIP), who was acquired late last month from the Wolseley Unions, had a fine month, going 5-1, 3.60 ERA. RP Jim Palm (6-2, 6 SV, 1.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) was the only other pitcher who did well, going 2-1, 2 SV, 0.76 ERA. Key Injuries: None. -------- The recent wheeling and dealing by the Brunswick Legends has not exactly boosted the team’s fortunes here in the short term. In fact, they regressed in December, going just 12-16 to fall 9 games back of first and are now just 1 game above .500. Pitching improved modestly over the past month, but their offense has really cooled off. Certainly losing a player of the stature of a Mark Elston to an extended injury doesn’t help. Top Position Player: It’s hard to fill the shoes of someone playing as well as Mark Elston, but 2B Matthew Shelley (.302/.357/.454, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 46 R, 27 BB, 6 SB) had a fine month, hitting .333/.393/.429. Top Pitcher: Individually, the Brunswick pitchers didn’t have particularly great months, but SP Matthew Monroe (8-7, 2.78 ERA, 1.17 WHIP), did alright, going 2-2, 2.06 ERA in 6 starts. Key Injuries: LF Mark Elston (.403/.526/.702, 12 HR, 50 RBI, 49 R, 50 BB) suffered an oblique strain on December 6. He will be out for another 3 weeks. SP Rob Fields (3-2, 3.42 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) suffered elbow inflammation and will miss at least 2 more weeks. He was injured while trying to win a prize by knocking all the bottles over at the county fair back in November. -------- October, when they went 19-9 on the month, seems like ages ago, as the Stratford Barons continue their decline into irrelevance. The Barons struggled in December, going 12-16, to fall 9 games back of first and now just sit 1 game above .500. Their offense picked up modestly in many of the rankings, but their pitching took a step back. On the plus side, they have terrific players in the lineup, such as C Gavin Hurley, 2B Brian Main and SS Jake Walker; and SP Ryan Borden is developing into a legitimate ace (ranked 9th overall among pitchers). They have a solid farm system that is ranked 5th overall. But right now, there are just too many players that are underperforming, and it’s sinking the Barons. Top Position Player: Got to go with SS Jake Walker (.352/.450/.522, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 54 R, 55 BB) again, as he was on fire in December, batting .449/.542/.626. The month included 2 games where he went 4-4 with 6 R in total, and he earned a Player of the Week Award. C Gavin Hurley (.307/.345/.474, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 33 R, 17 BB) had a 20-game hitting streak end on December 22 against the Downie Chiefs. Top Pitcher: SP Ryan Borden (10-4, 4.21 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) is the only pitcher carrying his weight at the moment. He went 4-1, 2.80 ERA in December. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Downie Chiefs enjoyed their first winning month of the season, going 15-13 in December. Their success is largely supported by the pitching staff, although the bullpen ERA is rated worst in the league. The offense has been abysmal, rated dead last in a slew of categories. Despite the struggles, the Chiefs’ run differential is only -5 and their Pythagorean record suggests that they should be at 40-41, a deficit of 1. In fact, with the exception of Cobourg (-5), all the teams in the Eastern League have a Pyt. record difference that is 1, 0 or -1. Nevertheless, the Chiefs are mired near the bottom of the standings in a very competitive league and have the second worst farm system in the ULB. The moves they made in offseason bringing in the likes of SP Nick Paddock (7-10, 3.45 ERA, 1.39 WHIP) and CF Jonathan Lauder (.336/.388/.459, 5 HR, 34 RBI, 36 R, 23 BB) have not been enough to improve their fortunes in the East. Top Position Player: He hasn’t hit a HR since October; but1B Jeaic Risbrough (.346/.414/.456, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 33 R, 26 BB) knows how to make contact. He had his best month in December, hitting .372/.456/.474. Top Pitcher: SP Frank Leadbeater (8-8, 3.14 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) is Downie’s best pitcher, and he demonstrated that in December, going 4-2, 1.41 ERA. SP Hidetada Kobayashi (3-3, 35 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) deserves a mention as well, as he went 3-2, 2.55 ERA on the month. Noteworthy: 31-year old SS Ken Cutler (.255/.296/.306, 2 HR, 21 RBI, 24 R, 14 BB) enjoyed a couple of games in December where he went 4-5 and 4-6 at the plate. Alas, he collected no RBI and only 2 R for his efforts, illustrating Downie’s struggles with run production. Key Injury: SP Bradley Paris (4-3, 3.29 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) remains out for 8 more weeks due to a partially tore his labrum suffered in a game against the Kingston Pelicans on November 10. -------- If it wasn’t for their disastrous 6-21 October, the Cobourg Red Stockings would be considered close to a .500 ball club. Cobourg went 13-15 in December; not great, but certainly an improvement over their earlier struggles. Over the past two months, their record is 26-27. But there’s a reason why they are mired in last place. The pitching and offence have been lacklustre to say the least. There have been some modest improvements in their hitting performance and the bullpen ERA is respectable. But it has been nowhere near enough to improve their fortunes. Top Position Player: There were quite a few performances in December worthy of mention, but my selection is SS Ninfa Puzon (.298/.328/.457, 3 HR, 36 RBI, 59 R, 17 BB, 16 SB) who batted .313/.331/.548 with 11-2B, 5-3B and 2 HR. Top Pitcher: RP Larry Parrish (3-2, 5 SV, 2.78 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he was sensational in December, going 2-0, 3 SV, 0.89 ERA, with 13 K and 7 BB. Honourable mention goes to SP Carlo Foronda (4-9, 3.94 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) who went 2-3, 2.49 ERA in 5 starts. Noteworthy: Whatever my misgivings about the wisdom behind Cobourg’s acquisition of CF Clint Jones (.315/.376/.479, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 65 R, 32 BB, 15 SB) last month from the Cambria Cannons, there’s no denying his talent. On December 18, Jones went 4-5 with 2 HR, 2 RBI and 4 R. He also won a Player of the Week Award later in the month. Key Injuries: None. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 01:42 AM.

08-29-2015, 07:04 AM	#134
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	January 1, 1940 Western League: Running in Slow Motion -------- The Cambria Cannons maintained their grip on first place in the West, thanks to a modest 15-13 record in December. The Cannons enjoy an 8 game lead over the second place Pelicans and continue their strong overall play, averaging 1st or 2nd in many categories. Six of the eight teams in the Western League teams sported win-loss records in December that were within a game or two of .500 – speaking either to the increased competitiveness of the Western League or to just plain mediocrity. I’m quite not sure yet. Top Position Player: Count me a fan of OF Ron Westmacott (.313/.386/.599, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 37 R, 37 BB, 16 SB), who had a sensational December, batting .310/.388/.637. On December 4, Westmacott went 4-5 against the Sherburn Tigers, with 1 RBI and 2 R. But on December 25, the 2nd overall pick from the 1937-38 draft hit for the cycle, going 4-4 against the Fort Richmond Generals, collecting 1 RBI and 1 R. Top Pitcher: SP Neil Guerin (11-4, 3.43 ERA, 1.22 WHIP) leads the top-rated pitching staff in the West; in December, he went 3-1, 2.44 ERA with 16 K, 5 BB. Key Injuries: Cambria got hit with a rash of injuries in December. 3B Kenneth Logan (.324/.371/.549, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 24 R, 13 BB) fractured his hand in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals on December 7. He will miss 2 more weeks. One day later, LF Joe Olver (.305/.358/.447, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 42 R, 21 BB) fractured his thumb in a collision at a base against the same Generals. He should be back in 4 days however. On December 26, 2B Charles Halse strained an abdominal muscle while running the bases. He’s expected back within a couple of weeks. -------- The Kingston Pelicans are a battered and bruised team. Kingston has been dealing with injuries and setbacks to key players all season long, but to their credit, they refuse to give up. The Pelicans went just 14-13 in December, their worst effort thus far, but it keeps them in the wild card spot, 3.5 games up on the Fort Richmond Generals. Their offense continues to be their strength, but the pitching staff has been improving as well of late in spite of the decimations. Top Position Player: Many good individual performances to choose from in December, but my choice is 2B Mo Symes (.321/.389/.491, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 73 R, 37 BB), who went .282/.320/.504, with 8 HR, 25 RBI and 24 R. His efforts earned him a Player of the Week Award late in the month. Top Pitcher: SP Dave Mapp (5-0, 3.08 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) was recalled from AAA Douro back on October 30 due to the injuries suffered by the starting rotation. In December, his 4-0, 1.88 ERA performance earned him his first Pitcher of the Month Award. Key Injuries: SP Joey Cumberledge is out for at least 4 months (effectively the season), due to a torn labrum he suffered in Spring Training. SP Francis Slocock (2-3, 5.53 ERA, 1.99 WHIP) was expected to return around the start of the New Year, but suffered a setback on December 15; he will be out another 4 weeks. Slocock suffered a herniated disc suffered back on October 30. 24-year old SP Harley Bracher (3-6, 6.25 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), remains out for 2-3 months, due to torn triceps, suffered back on November 27. 1B Fergus Chitty missed 3 weeks in December, when suffered a strained lat on December 6, while running the bases. -------- The Fort Richmond Generals are stuck in the middle. Thanks to a 15-13 December, they are now 40-40 on the season. Their runs for: 404; their runs against: 404. Both the pitching and offensive performances back up those numbers, as they rate somewhere around the middle of the pack in the Western League. However, their top 5 prospects are performing well at their respective levels. If that trend continues and get called up in the next little while, the Generals’ fortunes may finally head north, instead of being stuck in a holding pattern. Top Position Player: CF Kade Limeburner (.291/.413/.554, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 53 R, 63 BB) had a superlative December, hitting .327/.432/.625. He won both a Player of the Week Award and the Batter of the Month Award. Top Pitcher: SP Jeff Hetzel (6-7, 4.18 ERA, 1.48 WHIP) had a fine month, going 4-1, 2.53 ERA in 6 starts. 20-year old RP Dean Stroud (1-1, 2 SV, 2.50 ERA) has also shown some promise since his call up from AAA Marburg in November. Stroud, the 16th overall pick in the 1937-38 draft, was acquired from the Kingston Pelicans last January in the SP Francis Slocock trade. Key Injury: SP Tristan Purss (4-11, 4.23 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) suffered an intercostal strain in a game against the Hespeler Stars on December 29. He will be out for another week. -------- The Sherburn Tigers bucked the trend in the West by having an impressive month, going 16-11 in December. The record is made all the more impressive considering the injuries they have had to contend with and the struggles of their pitching staff. The Tigers now find themselves in 4th place, 7.5 games back of the wild card. But I’ll wait and see how they do in January before taking them seriously. Top Position Player: C Joe Gault (.285/.358/.420, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 34 R, 36 BB) had a dynamite December, batting .356/.404/.624, with 5 HR, 25 RBI, and 17 R. Top Pitcher: The pitching staff had a rough month, but RP Bae Park (3-3, 4.86 ERA, 1.61 WHIP), has been steadily improving with each passing month. In December, he went 1-2, 2 SV, 1.03 ERA. SP Simon Darling, who has been out since his first start in October, finally returned the rotation and went 1-0, 1.50 ERA in his first start. Hopefully for Sherburn, it’s a sign of things to come. Key Injuries: 3B Mick Lanfear (.339/.394/.492, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 12 R, 6 BB) fractured his ankle back on October 23. He is out for another 3-4 weeks. 2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) tore a labrum in his shoulder on October 31. He is out for 2-3 months. SS Gary Watkinson (.299/.398/.401, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 48 R, 43 BB, 8 SB) strained his back on December 17; he should be back in about 4 days. SP Yasushi Kobayashi (6-8, 5.64 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) suffered a partially torn labrum on December 18 in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He is gone for at least 3 months. -------- The Balmoral Giants had a bounce back month of sorts, especially compared to the rough month they had in November. In December, they went 13-14. They are still way below average in a number of performance categories, so if they somehow they manage to reach .500 on the season, it will be an accomplishment. Top Position Player: This was actually tougher than I expected. SS Francisco Rodríguez (.339/.366/.480, 1 HR, 38 RBI, 54 R, 15 BB, 11 SB) had another fine month that won him his third consecutive Rookie of the Month Award. He is quickly becoming one of the top-rated players in the ULB. However, my choice for December goes to 27-year old RF Shannon Walker (.307/.356/.451, 8 HR, 54 RBI, 51 R, 25 BB, 6 SB), who went .303/.347/.431, with 3 HR, 14 RBI and 20 R. Top Pitcher: On a weak staff, SP Charlie Crocombe (6-6, 3.44 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) gets the nod again, as he went 1-1, 2.28 ERA in 6 starts. Key Injuries: SP Scott Wadley (3-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) was diagnosed with radial nerve compression back on November 11. He is gone for season (6-7 months). 1B Roger Tyler (.278/.375/.376, 3 HR, 25 RBI, 31 R, 32 BB) suffered a hamstring strain in a collision while running the bases back on December 10. He will miss another 3-4 weeks. -------- There’s only so many ways to describe a mediocre team, and the Wolseley Unions are just one of many in the Western League. They are not necessarily a dreadful team, but just don’t have enough horses yet to challenge the likes of Cambria and Kingston – yet. Top Position Player: As slam-dunk a choice as you’re ever going to get. 1B Aaron Flanagan (.337/.443/.634, 18 HR, 75 RBI, 64 R, 59 BB) is Wolseley’s best by far. In December, he went .350/.467/.610, with 4 HR, 18 RBI and 21 RBI. Top Pitcher: Weak pitching continues to be an issue for Wolseley. Nevertheless, SP Jim Smyth (7-3, 3.78 ERA, 1.53 WHIP) had a decent December, going 4-1, 3.58 ERA, with 21 K, 15 BB in 5 starts. Key Injury: 2B Datu Balsalubra (.232/.323/.281, 9-2B, 22 RBI, 25 R, 28 BB) sprained his wrist in a December 10 game. He is out for 3 weeks. -------- Well, forget about any rebound. After facing the tough Eastern League teams in November, it was hypothesised by yours truly that the Pulberry Trolleys may enjoy a bounce back in December. Going 8-18 does not qualify as a rebound. The Trolleys were downright dreadful. In particular, their offense that rates near or at the bottom in a host of categories, and it has seen them fall to 7th place from 4th in a span of a month. The pitching is still putting up a heroic effort, although the bullpen has started to regress as well. Top Position Player: In a very lacklustre month for offense, 1B William Tozer (.304/.393/.413, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 40 R, 44 BB) is the standout, after he went .275/.383/.341 with 1 HR, 14 RBI, 11 R. Top Pitcher: Ironically, in a month where the bullpen ERA has regressed, it’s a reliever who had the best month. RP Arnold Perkins (5-5, 5 SV, 3.01 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) went 2-2, 2.79 ERA in 6 games. In 3 of those games, he started, going at least a full 9 innings in each. In one other game in which he didn’t start, he went 8 innings and picked up the win. Key Injuries: On December 8, 2B Colin Strudwick (.289/.327/.422, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 36 R, 14 BB, 11 SB) was diagnosed with recurring back spasms. He will be out another 3 weeks. SP Sojuro Ojima (3-6, 3.91 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) experienced elbow tendinitis in a game against the Sherburn Tigers on December 9. He missed 3 weeks of action. -------- The Hespeler Stars staunched the bleeding in December, as they went 14-14, nearly doubling their win total from the previous two months combined. But that may be more of a blip than a trend, as the Stars are struggling mightily on both offense and pitching. Hespeler selected first in December’s amateur draft and picked a dynamic young player in IF/OF Vic Weetman. Interestingly, Hespeler immediately promoted him to the big club, where he has been their lead-off hitter. Thus far, Weetman has gone .221/.284/.256, 3-2B, 6 RBI, 11 R, 8 BB, 6 SB in 86 AB. We’ll have to see how he does the rest of the way, but it appears that the Stars are committed to him staying in the majors. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a player that skipped the minors completely in all of my OOTP days, although I know it must have happened. Top Position Player: Same dilemma as last month, as both LF Steven Winstanley (.293/.351/.511, 13 HR, 68 RBI, 49 R, 29 BB) and 2B Rhett Curnow (.325/.373/.442, 4 HR, 48 RBI, 25 R, 25 BB) had the best months among Hespeler’s hitters. I’ll go again with Curnow, who went .306/.364/.389 with 1 HR, 20 RBI, 17 R, 11 BB on the month. Top Pitcher: RP Gavin Hewat (4-4, 4, SV, 4.68 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) had a very good month in December, going 2-0, 3 SV, 1.88 ERA. Key Injuries: 41-year old RP Hyo-cheong Yu (1-2, 2 SV, 7.67 ERA, 2.27 WHIP) was diagnosed with elbow inflammation on November 16. He is out for another 6 weeks. On December 2, RF Louie Maylam (.300/.447/.547, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R, 38 BB) sprained his elbow in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He missed a total of 4 weeks. -------- [ __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 01:49 AM.

09-01-2015, 09:17 AM	#135
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	January 9, 1940 1940 ASG: Comebacks, Extra Innings Cap Thrilling Western League Triumph Sherburn (BP) – They had the fire power, but they didn’t have Okura Ito and in the end, that made all the difference. The Eastern League All-Stars jumped out to a commanding 7-run lead in the early innings of the 3rd Annual ULB All-Star Game held at The Paramount in Sherburn, Norwich. But the Western League All-Stars did not give up, and led by Kingston’s Okura Ito and Balmoral’s Francisco Rodriguez, they overcame the deficit to pull out a thrilling 11-10 victory in extra innings. The victory continues the trend of the ‘home team’ winning the event for the 3rd year in a row. Bottom of the 1st: With Colm Soper pitching for the Eastern League, Gary Watkinson picks up a 2-out walk. A throwing error allows Okura Ito to reach first, moving Watkinson to second. Watkinson comes in to score on a Francisco Rodriguez single and the Western League gets on the board first. Eastern All-Stars 0 – Western All-Stars 1 Top of the 2nd: The Easterners get to Brady Murdy early and often. Jim Friend hits a one-out triple and comes in to score when Quentin Stubber follows with a single. Next up is Bob Boynton, who triples as well, scoring Stubber to make it 2-1. Later, with runners on first and third with two out, back-to-back singles by Adam Ashley and Ryley McLarnon score two more, and the Eastern All-Stars take the early lead. Eastern All-Stars 4 – Western All-Stars 1 Top of the 3rd: The Eastern League broke out the long ball in the third inning. Terence Durney led off with a solo shot to right field off of SP Michael Wilberfoss. Later, with two out and runners on first and second, SP Colm Soper joined in the fun, smashing a 3-run homerun 379 ft. to left field, giving the Easterners a seemingly commanding lead. Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 1 Bottom of the 3rd: With two out and facing SP Joel Fearn, Okura Ito, Francisco Rodriguez and Fergus Chitty hit three consecutive singles, scoring Ito. Following a pitching change, Ron Westmacott hits the Westerners’ fourth consecutive single, bringing in Rodriguez for the Western All-Stars’ third run. Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 3 Bottom of the 4th: Hyun-jung Moon leads off with a walk and reaches third on a Zak Kidd single with nobody out. Following a pitching change, Glen Yeend brings home Moon on a sac fly to center field. During Gary Watkinson’s subsequent at-bat, Zak Kidd steals second and later tries to steal third, but is thrown out by C Kane Broom. Watkinson then grounds out to 1B (U3) to end the inning. Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 4 Bottom of the 6th: Aaron Flanagan leads off with a double off of Matthew Shelley and reaches third on a Mo Symes ground out. Dominic Carmody singles to score Flanagan. The Westerners load the bases when Glen Yeend is hit by a pitch and Rhett Curnow reaches on an error. Okura Ito then singles, bringing in Carmody and Yeend, cutting the deficit to one. Following a pitching change, Francisco Rodriguez singles off of Larry Parrish’s first pitch to load the bases once again with one out. William Tozer then hits into a fielder’s choice at second, scoring Curnow, and the game is tied. Eastern All-Stars 8 – Western All-Stars 8 Top of the 10th: Jay Atwood leads off with a double off of SP Bradley Dodson and comes in to score when Quentin Puddy follows with a single. After Puddy is replaced at first with pinch runner Dwayne Hollinshead, Rovilson Valdevieso and Dylan Watkins hit back-to-back singles, scoring Hollishead and giving the Eastern All-Stars a two-run lead. Eastern All-Stars 10 – Western All-Stars 8 Bottom of the 10th: Okura Ito leads off with a double and immediately comes in to score when Francisco Rodriguez follows with a double of his own. Following a pitching change, RP Kantaro Sumita singles off of SP Clyde Boney with one out to score Rodriguez and the game is tied once again. Eastern All-Stars 10 – Western All-Stars 10 Bottom of the 11th: Jayden Tennant leads off with a walk off of Clyde Boney and reaches third when Kade Limeburner follows with a double. PH Tadayuki Jouda becomes the hero, hitting a sac fly to centerfield, scoring Tennant from third for the winning run. Eastern All-Stars 10 – Western All-Stars 11 Kingston’s Okura Ito won Player of the Game honours, going 5-6 with 2-2B, 2 RBI and 2 R. Balmoral’s Francisco Rodriguez shone as well, going 4-5 with 1-2B, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. -------- Here are the complete All-Star rosters: -------- Here are the standings as of January 9: __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 01:52 AM.

09-03-2015, 08:04 PM	#137
wwines Minors (Triple A) Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 238	Hey Reds, just wanted to let you know that I finally have some free time on my hands and I started a Braeland League using the quickstart. I made some changes, I released all the players, had a Free Agent draft and randomized the players names. Thanks for creating this league, it is a blast! __________________ Dugout Wizards - Blue Jays AHBL - Red Sox - 1966 AL Champions

09-04-2015, 11:29 PM	#139
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	February 1, 1940 Western League – It’s Cambria, Kingston into the Final Stretch -------- The Cambria Cannons continued to rule the roost in the Western League, going 16-10 in January; however, they saw their lead shrink slightly as the Kingston Pelicans made a late season push. At this point though, it would appear that the playoff teams are set in the West; it’s just a question of the final order of first and second. They may be facing their toughest challenge in the remaining stretch, as a couple of injuries to key players have befallen the club in the waning days of January. The Cannons have been remarkably consistent and lead in most pitching categories and are second in most offensive categories. Eight Cannons were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Bradley Dodson (1st selection); SP Neil Guerin (3rd); RP Quentin Teague (1st); C Glen Yeend (2nd); 1B Keane Fysh (2nd); SS Hyun-jung Moon (2nd); CF Ron Westmacott (2nd) and RF Al Tucker (1st). Top Position Player: This was an extremely tough choice, as the Cannons’ lineup is stocked with productive players who batted over .300. However, my pick is 1B Keane Fysh (.309/.376/.449, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 56 R, 42 BB) who was really productive in January, batting .293/.391/.505, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 15 R. His efforts earned him a Batting of the Week honour during the month. Top Pitcher: Once again, it’s SP Neil Guerin (15-4, 3.10 ERA, 1.17 ERA) who won the Pitcher of the Month Award, the third of his career. Key Injuries: RP Jason Fortenberry (2-3, 6 SV, 4.03 ERA, 1.52) was diagnosed with a partially torn labrum in a game on January 20. He is gone for the season (3-4 months). C Glen Yeend (.334/.393/.475, 7 HR, 70 RBI, 63 R, 30 BB) was diagnosed with a strained posterior cruciate ligament on January 30. He will be out for 2 weeks. LF Ron Westmacott (.316/.402/.609, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 91 R, 56 BB, 19 SB) was injured while throwing the ball in a game on January 29. The Cannons are holding their breath waiting for the diagnoses. -------- After a couple of months where they played close to .500, the Kingston Pelicans came on strong in January with a 17-9 record. The Pelicans have the top offense in the West and 2nd best pitching staff. With the return of SP Francis Slocock from the DL and rehab, the Pelicans may be priming for a 1st place showdown with Cambria. They are 7 games back of first, so there is still some catching up to do. But never count out the Pelicans. Eight Pelicans were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Joey Cumberledge (3rd selection); SP Dave Mapp (1st); SP Brady Murdy (3rd); RP Keith Kearney (1st); 1B Fergus Chitty (3rd); 2B Mo Symes (3rd); SS Okura Ito (3rd) and RF Jayden Tennant (3rd). Top Position Player: SS Okura Ito (.402/.434/.584, 10 HR, 84 RBI, 82 R, 28 BB) is at the top of his game and his play in January earned him the Batter of the Month Award. Top Pitcher: SP Darwin Monday (11-8, 3.97 ERA, 1.38 ERA) had the best overall month among starters, going 4-1, 2.72 ERA, 21 K, 18 BB. RP Simon Chell (5-2, 3.35 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) performed well out of the bullpen, going 1-0, 2 SV, 1.59 ERA, 10 K, 6 BB in 28.1 innings. Key Injuries: SP Joey Cumberledge is out for at least 3 months (effectively the season), due to a torn labrum he suffered in Spring Training. 24-year old SP Harley Bracher (3-6, 6.25 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), remains out for 6-7 weeks, due to a torn triceps injury. -------- Despite a 9-16 November, the Fort Richmond Generals were putting up a game fight for the wild card, as they were just 3.5 games back of Kingston at the end of December. They began January 8-2 and crept to within 2.5 games of the Pelicans. But then the bottom fell out. The Generals went 2-14 the rest of the way and just like that, they can for all intents and purposes, be considered an also-ran in the West. Their skid included a frustrating 12-game losing streak. Injuries were not the culprit, as they had none in January, but they regressed across the board on both offense and pitching. The Balmoral Giants are now just a 0.5 game back of them for 3rd spot. Four Generals were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Oscar Burress (2nd); RP Kantaro Sumita (1st); C Tadayuki Jouda (1st) and CF Kade Limeburner (2nd). Top Position Player: Some absolutely horrible performances in January by the stalwarts (Kade Limeburner - .176; Hector Najera- .200; Joshua Chown - .198), but SS Steven Wormleighton (.278/.311/.364, 3 HR, 41 RBI, 65 R, 22 BB, 21 SB) did very well, batting .306/.358/.414, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 15 R. Top Pitcher: 4/5ths of the starting rotation was horrible, but ace Oscar Burress (14-5, 3.36 ERA, 1.26 ERA) held his own, going 2-3, 2.47 ERA, with 26 K, 8 BB in 6 starts. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Balmoral Giants enjoyed their first winning month in January, going 14-12. But they still lag far behind most of the other teams in the offence and pitching rankings. No matter, the Giants committed themselves fully to the rebuild earlier in the season and are sitting on the top-rated farm system in the ULB. They also have a dynamic shortstop in Francisco Rodríguez that has won every Rookie of the Month honour so far this season and was a stand-out at the All-Star Game. Speaking of, four Giants were selected to the All-Star game: SP Charlie Crocombe (2nd); SS Francisco Rodríguez (1st), CF Domenic Carmody (1st) and RFShannon Walker (1st). Top Position Player: SS Francisco Rodríguez (.348/.381/.478, 2 HR, 60 RBI, 67 R, 26 BB, 15 SB) was bound to get this sooner or later. His performance won him another Rookie of the Month Award in January. Top Pitcher: Absolutely nothing to write home about. SP Morgan Puddiphatt (6-3, 3.60 ERA, 1.19 ERA) was the best I could find, as he went 3-1, 3.90 ERA, with 10 K, 12 BB in 4 starts. Key Injuries: SP Scott Wadley (3-3, 4.92 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) was diagnosed with radial nerve compression back on November 11. He is gone for season (5 months). 2B Andre Walshe (.264/.308/.346, 1 HR, 25 RBI, 50 R, 18 BB) came done with plantar fasciitis while running the bases back on January 29; he will miss 4 weeks. -------- After a 16-11 December, the Sherburn Tigers reverted to form, putting up a 12-15 record in January. Their offense has not been all that bad, averaging around 3rd to 4th in the West, but the pitching has not been quite as competitive. They have been racked with injuries this season and they don’t exactly have a robust farm system to compensate for them (11th overall). That is something they will need to address if they don’t want to fall any further in the seasons to come. Two Tigers were selected to the All-Star game in January: C Joe Gault (2nd) and SS Gary Watkinson (3rd). Top Position Player: SS Gary Watkinson (.309/.412/.416, 1 HR, 36 RBI, 64 R, 61 BB) returned from injury during the month and did very well, hitting .342/.459/.468, 4-3B, 9 RBI, 16 R, 18 BB in 79 AB. Top Pitcher: Not a good month for the pitching staff, but I’ll go with RP Max Littler (7-6, 3.92 ERA, 1.34 WHIP), who went 1-2, 4 SV, 2.48 ERA, with 15 K, 8 BB in 29.0 innings. Key Injuries: 2B Tim Rackham (.292/.313/.377, 7-2B, 17 RBI, 13 R, 4 BB) tore a labrum in his shoulder on October 31. He is out for another 7 weeks. SP Yasushi Kobayashi (6-8, 5.64 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) suffered a partially torn labrum on December 18 in a game against the Balmoral Giants. He is gone for 8 more weeks. C Joe Gault (.290/.442/.389, 8 HR, 56 RBI, 36 R, 43 BB) suffered a herniated disc back on January 14; he is out 4-5 weeks. -------- Like the Giants, the Wolseley Unions are playing the waiting game, biding their time until their deep farm system delivers, hopefully in the not-too-distant future. A 12-14 January typifies what the Unions have done all season. Interestingly, they are performing well overall in a number of batting and pitching stats, but it has not translated into wins. Their pitching appears to have gotten stronger as the season has worn on. We’ll have to see if that continues and if it augers well for next season. Four Unions were selected to the All-Star game in January: SP Jim Smyth (1st); SP Reggie Jones (1st); 1B Aaron Flanagan (2nd) and CF Zak Kidd (1st). Top Position Player: 23-year old rookie LF Nicky Williams (.299/.352/.478, 8 HR, 59 RBI, 47 R, 35 BB) was Wolseley’s best hitter this month, batting .326/.392/.478 with 2 HR, 10 RBI, 13 R. Top Pitcher: SP Jim Smyth (10-5, 3.32 ERA, 1.40 ERA) had a solid month, going 3-2, 2.30 ERA, with 19 K, 14 BB in 6 starts. Key Injuries: None. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys continued their slide, as they went 9-18 in January, after going 8-18 in December. Pulberry began their selloff, but it will hardly be enough to turn things around. They are not very good, and they will need an infusion of real talent to improve their fortunes. Other teams, like the Giants and Unions, have already got a head start on the rebuilding process. Pulberry needs to catch up if they want to be relevant in the near future. The Trolleys sent one player to the All-Star game in January: 1B William Tozer (1st). Top Position Player: Not a lot of decent performances, but 21-year old rookie RF Yoshino Ito (.294/.346/.359, 7-3B, 24 RBI, 37 R, 24 BB) had his best month yet, batting .387/.437/.510 with 3-3B, 9 RBI, 15 R. Top Pitcher: It was bound to happen sooner or later, but no one – none – deserved to be recognized. The entire pitching staff performed poorly in January. Key Injuries: None. -------- As expected, the Hespeler Stars fell back to their old form, as they went 8-18. But as with most other teams in the West, the Stars are looking to the future. The Stars are awful in the pitching department, but their offense improved somewhat in the last four weeks. However they traded away 2B Rhett Curnow to the Stratford Barons late in the month, so that may not be sustained for very long either. But the Stars have some nice young talent in the minors and now at the major league level as well, in 23-year old LF Steven Winstanley (.287/.348/.488,15 HR, 79 RBI, 63 R, 39 BB) and 21-year old CF Vic Weetman. The Stars sent 3 players to the All-Star game in January: SP Michael Wilberfoss (2nd), 2B Rhett Curnow (1st) and LF Steven Winstanley (1st). Top Position Player: He’s yet to play a game down in the minors and if he continues to perform like he has this past month, he may never need to. The first overall pick in this season’s amateur draft, CF Vic Weetman (.259/.303/.384, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 31 R, 12 BB, 7 SB) became more comfortable batting in the leadoff spot. In January, he batted .293/.320/.495 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 20 R in 99 AB. He was the best offensive player for Hespeler this month. Top Pitcher: The rotation is made up of a couple of waiver wire picks and unfortunately for Hespeler, they performed as such. But ace SP Michael Wilberfoss (8-14, 3.23 ERA, 1.55 ERA) at least put in a valiant effort, going 1-5, 2.81 ERA with 10 K, 18 BB in 6 starts. Key Injuries: 41-year old RP Hyo-cheong Yu (1-2, 2 SV, 7.67 ERA, 2.27 WHIP) was diagnosed with elbow inflammation on November 16. He is out for another 6 weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 02:24 PM.

09-08-2015, 01:48 PM	#140
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	March 25, 1940 Eastern League: Braeland City, Wellington Square Off for Pennant -------- The Braeland City Monarchs held off all challengers to take first place in the Eastern League, finishing 3.0 games up on the second place Wellington Athletics. The Monarchs had an outstanding month in February, going 18-7, which included an 11-game winning streak. They cooled off a little bit in March, with a 12-10 record, but that was still enough to lock up top spot and secure their first playoff appearance in the ULB. Last season, they finished in 4th; in 1937-38, they had finished dead last. Top Position Player- Season: Braeland City had one of the top-rated offenses this season, so this is not an easy choice. But I’ll go with SS Adam Ashley (.333/.378/.496, 5 HR, 74 RBI, 119 R, 48 BB, 28 SB, 7.4 WAR), who led the league in PA (718), AB (661) and triples (30). Top Pitcher-Season: SP-RHP Lenny Freke (22-9, 2.22 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 9.9 WAR) is the well-established ace of this team. In fact, the 30-year old is currently rated the #1 SP in the entire ULB. Top Performance –Position Player: LF Scott Kessler had the top game performance for the team this season. On November 12 against the Hespeler Stars, Kessler went 3-4, with 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R 1 BB (Score: 98). Top Performance –Pitcher: On March 10, SP Lenny Freke went 12.0 IP, 6 HA, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Downie Chiefs (Score: 91; tied for 1st). Braeland City won 2-1 in 13 innings. Freke got the no-decision. It was one of two top-25 performances by Freke this season. Key Injury: LF Scott Kessler (.276/.361/.455, 6 HR, 28 RBI, 26 R, 18 BB, 1.4 WAR) suffered and hamstring strain on January 4; he is expected back in 6 days. -------- The Wellington Athletics return to the playoffs after a one year absence, outlasting both the Embro Suns and Stratford Barons. While the Barons actually overtook the Athletics for second spot in the middle of February, Wellington regained the wild card with a crucial 7-0 week in mid-March. That week also included a 3-game sweep of the Barons. Wellington never looked back and finished the month strong, 4 games ahead of Stratford. In fact, the Athletics finished the season with a 13-2 record. That stretch also saw them go 3-1 against the first place Monarchs. It should be an exciting pennant series with two good teams squaring off. Top Position Player- Season: Tough choice, but my selection goes to C Dylan Watkins (.306/.381/.495, 20 HR, 87 RBI, 78 R, 61 BB, 5.2 WAR), who was also decent defensively behind the plate (40.5 RTO %). Top Pitcher-Season: No contest. SP-LHP Clyde Boney (23-5, 2.33 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 7.2 WAR) is one of the best at his craft. Overall rating: #5. Top Performance –Position Player: 3B Ryley McLarnon went 5-5, with 2 RBI, 4 R, 1 BB on March 23 against the Downie Chiefs (Score: 87). Top Performance –Pitcher: Back on December 23, SP Clyde Boney went 9.0 IP, 4 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Downie Chiefs (Score: 84). Boney picked up the win. It was one of two top-25 performances by Boney this season. Key Injury: RF Quentin Stubber (.291/.428/.412, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 80 R, 88 BB, 25 SB, 3.8 WAR) sprained his ankle in a game on February 22; he is out for 3 more weeks. -------- They nearly did it. The Stratford Barons put a scare into Wellington and even into Braeland City, but in the end, they just could not keep up the momentum and fell short. Stratford continued their hot streak into February, going 19-6 to take over second place. By mid-March, they enjoyed a 3.5 game lead over Wellington. But then they cooled off, just when the Athletics got hot, and fell back 4.0 games out of a playoff spot when everything was said and done. The Barons had some months where they were red hot and other months where they endured prolonged slumps. They will need to work on their consistency for next season. Top Position Player- Season: SS Jake Walker (.353/.450/.518, 2 HR, 55 RBI, 92 R, 89 BB, 6.3 WAR) get the nod, over C Gavin Hurley. Walker is rated the #2 position player in the ULB. Top Pitcher-Season: Tough choice, but I went with SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji (14-9, 3.29 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 4.0 WAR). Overall rating: #19. Top Performance –Position Player: None made the Top 25. Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Kazuhiko Chikafuji went 9.0 IP, 2 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Queensland Eagles (Score: 88). Chikafuji picked up the win. It was one of two top-25 performances by Chikafuji this season. -------- Like Stratford, the Embro Suns performed well in February, but cooled off in the final weeks of the campaign. Embro actually held down the wild card spot for one week in February, one game up on both Wellington and Stratford. But they couldn’t keep it up and quickly fell back, falling to 4th spot in the Eastern League. Still, the Suns are a talented team that finished in top spot last season. A few tweaks in the off-season and Embro could once again be a playoff-bound team. Top Position Player- Season: Embro has some really nice offensive players, but CF Terence Durney (.344/.411/.591, 19 HR, 103 RBI, 129 R, 61 BB, 22 SB, 8.9 WAR) is one of the best in the entire ULB. Walker is rated the #6 position player overall. Top Pitcher-Season: The pitching staff for the Suns had its up and downs this season, but SP Colm Soper (13-12, 3.87 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 7.0 WAR) is still one of the best. Overall rating: #3. Top Performance –Position Player: 1B Jim Friend had the top performance in the entire ULB, when he went 3-4, with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB on March 3 against the Cobourg Red Stockings (Score: 110). Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Chris Sappington went 9.0 IP, 2 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K in a game against the Wolseley Unions back on January 30 (Score: 91; tied for 1st). Sappington picked up the win, as the Suns triumphed 7-0. -------- The Brunswick Legends went 30-17 over the course of February and March, but it was a case of too little, too late. The season seems like a lost opportunity for a Legends team that qualified for the playoffs and reached the United Cup finals last season. Brunswick has some top shelf talent on both offense and their pitching staff, but couldn’t put it together like they did last season. Trades that Brunswick hoped would spark a surge up the standings didn’t pan out. The Legends will need to take stock of went wrong in the offseason. There’s still too much that’s right with Brunswick to believe their window of opportunity has closed. Top Position Player- Season: RF Rovilson Valdevieso (.398/.426/.586, 20 HR, 105 RBI, 104 R, 36 BB, 25 SB, 6.3 WAR) is one of ULB’s most dynamic players. He gets the nod just over LF Mark Elston, who finished with 6.2 WAR, and missed a portion of the season to an injury. Valdevieso appeared in 152 of 154 games this season. He is rated the #9 position player overall and won the Eastern League batting title, in addition to the Batter of the Month Award for February. Top Pitcher-Season: This was a little easier, as SP Matthew Monroe (16-11, 2.63 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 6.8 WAR) is Brunswick’s clearly established ace. Overall rating: #6. Top Performance –Position Player: None made the Top 25. Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Anastasio Rodríguez went 9.0 IP, 4 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 5 K in a game against the Cambria Cannons back on February 7 (Score: 84). Rodríguez picked up the win in the 11-0 victory. Performance Highlight: 2B Vince Bailey (.292/.349/.397, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 106 R, 50 BB, 3.7 WAR) went 6 for 6 in a game against the Downie Chiefs, collecting 1 RBI, 1 R. -------- The Queensland Eagles finished last season with a 77-77 record, 9.0 games back of the wild card. This season, they finished 77-77, 16.0 games back of the wild card. The Eagles just could not keep up with the likes of Braeland City, Wellington and Stratford who all made strides in one way or another to beef up their roster. Queensland did not engage in any significant transactions during the season and the lack of action bears out the results. Queensland looks like a team that is going to hold the fort one more season to see if it can rebound. While the Eagles have some fine players in both its rotation and lineup, it needs to improve its depth to deal with injuries. Improving its farm system a bit (rated 11th) wouldn’t hurt either. Top Position Player- Season: Some nice performances to choose from. I selected 3B Kian Meadmore (.283/.369/.545, 30 HR, 105 RBI, 91 R, 70 BB, 6.4 WAR) who was rock solid on defense as well. Top Pitcher-Season: Wow, I don’t know who to choose here. Both SP Max MacColl and SP Stewart Colcott appeared in 33 games and each pitched 278.1 innings. MacColl finished with 6.1 WAR, Colcott with 6.2 (not that I put too much weight on WAR for pitchers). Colcott went 15-9, 3.04 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 281 HA, 89 K, 70 BB, 13 HR. MacColl, went 22-11, 3.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 273 HA, 129 K, 84 BB, 14 HR. I’d go with MacColl here, but I’d be interested if anyone has any thoughts on this choice. MacColl is rated #8 overall for pitchers; Colcott is rated #10. Top Performance –Position Player: 3B Kian Meadmore had the top performance for Queensland, when he went 4-4, with 2 HR, 5 RBI, 2 R, 0 BB back on October 4 against the Cobourg Red Stockings (Score: 91). Top Performance –Pitcher: SP Max MacColl went 9.0 IP, 2 HA, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 6 K in a game against the Hespeler Stars back on February 11 (Score: 85). MacColl picked up the win, as the Eagles triumphed 3-1. It was one of two top-25 performances by MacColl this season. -------- The Downie Chiefs won over 80 games last season and fell just 3.0 games short of the wild card. This season, they finished well below .500 and nowhere near the wild card. The haves and have-nots in the Eastern League were quickly identified this season, and the Chiefs unfortunately find themselves in the latter group. Downie has a few nice pieces but the future looks bleak, as they simply do not have enough front-line talent or depth. Their farm system is rated #15 out of 16. They have a long road ahead of them. Top Position Player- Season: 3B Andy Johnson (.295/.358/.399, 9 HR, 83 RBI, 76 R, 63 BB, 4.0 WAR) wins out in a relatively weak field. CF Jonathan Lauder (.302/.361/.408) led in a number of percentage categories, but the 37-year old was frequently injured and was sub-par defensively in the field (-19.3 ZR, .918 EFF) Top Pitcher-Season: SP Frank Leadbeater was joined in the rotation with Nick Paddock, but Leadbeater was still the top dog, as he went 18-11, 2.75 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 5.5 WAR. Leadbeater also earned Pitcher of the Month honours in February. Overall rating: #9. Top Performance –Position Player: None made the Top 25. Top Performance –Pitcher: On February 7, SP Frank Leadbeater went 9.0 IP, 1 HA, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 8 K in a game against the Hespeler Stars (Score: 91; tied for 1st). Leadbeater picked up the win, as the Chiefs triumphed 10-0. It was one of two top-25 performances by Leadbeater this season and one of 4 by a Downie pitcher. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings played out the string in February and March, going 18-30 over the final two months. The Red Stockings are clearly looking to the future, but some of that future may already be arriving in the form of young talent blossoming at the major league level. 21-year old SS Dennis Borton, drafted 12th overall in the 1937-38 draft, reached the majors in February and promptly won a Player of the Week Award. On the season, Borton went .321/.337/.447, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 13 R, 5 BB, 30 K in 169 AB. Borton is only the 9th overall prospect for Cobourg, so there just may be a powerhouse in the making. Top Position Player- Season: No contest this season, as 25-year old RF Clint Jones (.328/.391/.523, 19 HR, 106 RBI, 117 R, 65 BB, 24 SB, 5.3 WAR), who was acquired in a trade with the Cambria Cannons back in mid-November, was far and away Cobourg’s top player this season. He is currently rated #13 overall. Top Pitcher-Season: Although he was traded to the Stratford Barons in late January, SP Joel Fearn (19-11, 3.37 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 6.3 WAR) was head and shoulders above all other Cobourg pitchers. Overall rating: #11. Top Performance –Position Player: C Euan Bevan (.262/.355/.409, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 47 R, 56 BB, 2.0 WAR) had the top performance for Cobourg, when he went 4-5, with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 0 BB back on November 8 against the Hespeler Stars (Score: 89). Top Performance –Pitcher: None made the Top 25. SP Joel Fearn had two performances that made the Top 25, but both were achieved after his trade to Stratford on January 29. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-03-2017 at 02:30 PM.