The Green and the White - Page 2

Elendil · 07-28-2019, 11:14 PM

Top Native Performers
While most of the players in the GWL were washed-up major leaguers, career independent-ball journeymen, or international players looking for a foothold in the U.S. market, each club did have at least a couple of local men who had tried out and made the squad. In some cases, these "native performers" were actually doing quite well and making a name for themselves. Here are some of them, arranged by team.
Bangor Barons
The local hero for the Barons was undoubtedly Jeremy Bleich, now 30 years old and one of the best relief pitchers in the league so far. His ERA on the season was 3.18 (152 ERA+) at the end of July. He still hadn't given up a dinger in 39 2/3 innings and had posted 38 K's alongside just 11 walks.
Concord Wild
The Wild have had several local men on their active roster at various points this season, but the biggest star is undoubtedly All-Star Ronnie Bourquin, a Michigan native with previous indie ball experience who had settled in the Manchester, N.H. area and worked in property management before the GWL launched. He boasts a .308/.437/.436 line in 263 PA's, but his first-base defense has been below average so far.
Nashua Silver Knights
Nashua has benefited from the considerable population pool in the southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts area. They have drawn two of the best pitchers in the league from this area: Mike Dubois, age 27, and Jim Divine, age 35. Divine has put up a 4.41 ERA at the end of July (109 ERA+) in 79 2/3 IP, with 33 BB, 58 K, and 1 HR allowed. Dubois, dubbed the "Henniker Hurricane" after his hometown, "the only Henniker on earth," and his explosive, upper-90s fastball, has posted a 3.79 ERA in 76 IP (127 ERA+) with 34 BB, 75 K, and 3 HR allowed. (Note that Henniker is actually closer to Concord than to Nashua; still, Nashua made him the better offer back in March.)
Old Orchard Beach Surge
Old Orchard Beach has relied less on local talent and more on aggressive nationwide scouting than any other club, to their benefit. However, relief pitcher Joe Goodson lives in York, Maine (he has only pitched 21 2/3 innings pitched with a 2.91 ERA and is currently on the reserve roster).
Plattsburgh Redbirds
The Redbirds signed a number of locals, but only one has performed up to snuff: finesse starting pitcher Brian Baker, who actually has a lot of minor league experience but lives in the Lake George area down I-87. He's put together a better-than-it-sounds 5.35 ERA (90 ERA+) in 74 IP with six HR, 23 BB, and 63 K, good for 1.1 WAR.
Rutland Marblebreakers
In an otherwise dismal season, no fewer than three local men (where "local" is defined as anyone living in central to western Vermont) have carried the team on their shoulders: starting pitchers Tony Benson and Dave Dykes and first baseman Willie Carmona. Age 36, Benson has put together 1.4 WAR on a 4.52 ERA in 89 2/3 innings pitched. Youngster Dykes, age 25, has added 1.0 WAR in just 25 innings, with a whopping 38 K's and zero HRA. Carmona has an eye-popping line of .344/.387/.520 with 135 wRC+ in 250 AB. He's third in the league in RBI with 49.
Seacoast Humpbacks
The Humpbacks have probably not taken advantage of the Greater Boston talent base as they should have. They don't really have any local heroes at all to this point.
Upper Valley Nighthawks
The Nighthawks did recruit locally before the season, but they have also signed aggressively since the start of the season, and as of August 1, none of those local men remain on the active roster. Willie Warren, for whom there had been high hopes, flailed on a 7.22 ERA and 1-8 record in 67 1/3 innings, though bad luck may have been a part of those ghastly numbers, as his 5.39 FIP and 111 FIP- were hardly obscene (his BABIP stands at .377).

The Stretch Run
With a month and a half remaining in the season, the Surge continue to run away with the East, now 7.5 games ahead of Seacoast on a 45-19 record. Nashua has also virtually salted away the West, leading Plattsburgh by eight games with a 37-28 record. The lack of drama in the GWL season and relative dearth of local heroes apart from Bourquin, Carmona, and The Henniker Hurricane has dampened local interest in the games and threatened the continued existence of the league.

07-28-2019, 11:14 PM	#21
Elendil Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: the dynasty forum Posts: 2,318	July 2017 (cont.) Top Native Performers While most of the players in the GWL were washed-up major leaguers, career independent-ball journeymen, or international players looking for a foothold in the U.S. market, each club did have at least a couple of local men who had tried out and made the squad. In some cases, these "native performers" were actually doing quite well and making a name for themselves. Here are some of them, arranged by team. Bangor Barons The local hero for the Barons was undoubtedly Jeremy Bleich, now 30 years old and one of the best relief pitchers in the league so far. His ERA on the season was 3.18 (152 ERA+) at the end of July. He still hadn't given up a dinger in 39 2/3 innings and had posted 38 K's alongside just 11 walks. Concord Wild The Wild have had several local men on their active roster at various points this season, but the biggest star is undoubtedly All-Star Ronnie Bourquin, a Michigan native with previous indie ball experience who had settled in the Manchester, N.H. area and worked in property management before the GWL launched. He boasts a .308/.437/.436 line in 263 PA's, but his first-base defense has been below average so far. Nashua Silver Knights Nashua has benefited from the considerable population pool in the southern New Hampshire and northern Massachusetts area. They have drawn two of the best pitchers in the league from this area: Mike Dubois, age 27, and Jim Divine, age 35. Divine has put up a 4.41 ERA at the end of July (109 ERA+) in 79 2/3 IP, with 33 BB, 58 K, and 1 HR allowed. Dubois, dubbed the "Henniker Hurricane" after his hometown, "the only Henniker on earth," and his explosive, upper-90s fastball, has posted a 3.79 ERA in 76 IP (127 ERA+) with 34 BB, 75 K, and 3 HR allowed. (Note that Henniker is actually closer to Concord than to Nashua; still, Nashua made him the better offer back in March.) Old Orchard Beach Surge Old Orchard Beach has relied less on local talent and more on aggressive nationwide scouting than any other club, to their benefit. However, relief pitcher Joe Goodson lives in York, Maine (he has only pitched 21 2/3 innings pitched with a 2.91 ERA and is currently on the reserve roster). Plattsburgh Redbirds The Redbirds signed a number of locals, but only one has performed up to snuff: finesse starting pitcher Brian Baker, who actually has a lot of minor league experience but lives in the Lake George area down I-87. He's put together a better-than-it-sounds 5.35 ERA (90 ERA+) in 74 IP with six HR, 23 BB, and 63 K, good for 1.1 WAR. Rutland Marblebreakers In an otherwise dismal season, no fewer than three local men (where "local" is defined as anyone living in central to western Vermont) have carried the team on their shoulders: starting pitchers Tony Benson and Dave Dykes and first baseman Willie Carmona. Age 36, Benson has put together 1.4 WAR on a 4.52 ERA in 89 2/3 innings pitched. Youngster Dykes, age 25, has added 1.0 WAR in just 25 innings, with a whopping 38 K's and zero HRA. Carmona has an eye-popping line of .344/.387/.520 with 135 wRC+ in 250 AB. He's third in the league in RBI with 49. Seacoast Humpbacks The Humpbacks have probably not taken advantage of the Greater Boston talent base as they should have. They don't really have any local heroes at all to this point. Upper Valley Nighthawks The Nighthawks did recruit locally before the season, but they have also signed aggressively since the start of the season, and as of August 1, none of those local men remain on the active roster. Willie Warren, for whom there had been high hopes, flailed on a 7.22 ERA and 1-8 record in 67 1/3 innings, though bad luck may have been a part of those ghastly numbers, as his 5.39 FIP and 111 FIP- were hardly obscene (his BABIP stands at .377). The Stretch Run With a month and a half remaining in the season, the Surge continue to run away with the East, now 7.5 games ahead of Seacoast on a 45-19 record. Nashua has also virtually salted away the West, leading Plattsburgh by eight games with a 37-28 record. The lack of drama in the GWL season and relative dearth of local heroes apart from Bourquin, Carmona, and The Henniker Hurricane has dampened local interest in the games and threatened the continued existence of the league. __________________ Heaven is kicking back with a double Talisker and a churchwarden stuffed with latakia.