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02-22-2016, 03:18 PM
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#221 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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1942 Off-Season: United Leagues Cannot Escape Effects of War Team rosters were once again affected by the realities of war, as approximately 25 players who played baseball in Braeland last season are not returning. Such ones were called instead to serve in the armed forces of their respective countries. The number lost to the leagues however, is far less than that of last season, when over 100 players of Japanese citizenship were barred from resuming their baseball careers last season, due to the severing of diplomatic relations with the Empire of Japan. No clear-cut stars of the United Leagues left this offseason to actively serve in the war effort. But there were a couple of starters: Kingston Pelicans lost their starting C Nick Hewat (Australian - 23/37 - .239/.311/.341, 7 HR, 65 RBI, 1.1 WAR) and the Wolseley Unions’ lost the services of CF Blake Harmon (American – 50/61 - .259/.357/.329, 1 HR, 26 RBI, 1.5 WAR). Harmon won a Top Fielder Award just last season. Other notable players that will not be back are 21-year old RHP Dylan Grimes (New Zealander – 29/68), who was a second-round pick back in 1939-40 for the Wellington Athletics and 24-year old CF Roland Throsby (New Zealander – 29/63 – 2.65/.296/.371, 8 HR, 62 RBI, 1.0 WAR). Throsby was also a second-round pick back in the 1939-40 season. Nevertheless, the business of baseball carries on, and a few noteworthy trades were made leading up the start of the regular season. April 18: The Kingston Pelicans received 28-year old CF Daniel Martin (56/57) from the Queensland Eagles. In return, the Eagles received two minor leaguers: 19-year old C Christopher Dainty (22/69 – 2nd round pick from 1941-42); 24-year old C Benjamin Killeen (22/29). Knee-jerk reaction: The Pelicans acquired Martin to try and upgrade centerfield. 27-year old Soshu Shimizu has been their centerfielder for the most part since the ULB began. While a solid defensive outfielder, Shimizu has never been anything special on offense (.249/.303/.323 over 5 seasons). That said Martin represents only a modest upgrade. He is a patient hitter and has exceptional speed, but that’s about it. He will lead off for the Pelicans this season. In return, Queensland receives a potential future starting catcher in Dainty that has terrific power potential, but with terrible plate discipline. Killeen is a catcher in name only, as he is weak defensively, but does have top-notch power potential.  ----------- April 18: The Stratford Barons received 26-year old RF Finlay Petty (32/32) from the Wellington Athletics. In return, the Athletics received: 34-year old CF Kade Limeburner (53/53); 23-year old RHP Luke Woodward (76/80 – 9th overall pick in 1937-38). Knee-jerk reaction: The Barons acquired Petty to try and shore up a position that was a weakness last year. Paul DeLamare acquitted himself adequately two seasons ago when the Barons won the United Cup, but regressed severely last season (.250/.314/.390/-0.2 WAR). Petty should represent an upgrade, albeit modestly. Wellington receives OF Limeburner, a three-time all-star. He has above-average power and is a tough out, but is not much of a contact hitter. He will replace 30-yearold Scott Orchard in the lineup, but it’s not a big upgrade. What’s most interesting is that Woodward once again finds himself involved in a trade – the sixth one since his selection back in 1937-38. This is the second time he joins the Athletics organization in a trade. He carries a reputation of “trouble always seems to find him”; which no doubt is reflected in his frequent moves. He has spent little time in the majors, despite the fact that he has the tools to be a reliable relief pitcher.  ----------- April 30: The Cambria Cannons traded for31-year old 2B Wayne Balmer (71/71) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs received three minor leaguers: 21-year old CF Matt Tierney (22/60); 23-year old CF José Padilla (22/24); 20-year old 1B Carlos Rodríguez (21/22). Knee-jerk reaction: Now here is one trade that definitely represents an upgrade. Cambria did not have much success at 2B this past season. 34-year old Aiden Smerdon is a versatile IF/OF with good defense, but struggled at the plate (.204/306/.245/0.3 WAR). Balmer was terrific last season (.273/331/.393/4.1 WAR) while playing for a struggling team. Both Cambria and he should benefit from the trade. Tierney, a former third-round pick from 1941-42 is the main piece in return for Downie. He should be an above-average contact hitter, but is otherwise nothing special.  ----------- May 8: The Balmoral Giants received 25-year old RHP Denzel Vyse (57/74) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, the Unions received two minor leaguers: 20-year old CF Carlton Hawking (23/64 – 2nd round pick from 1941-42); 23-year old 1B Gary Lindley (21/22). Knee-jerk reaction: Pitching was a sore spot for the Giants, who are attempting to break their playoff drought this season. To that end, they acquired Vyse, a former first-round pick from 1937-38. Vyse is yet to prove himself a difference maker however. Until he masters his changeup (25/25), he will be little more than a borderline starter. But he has good mechanics, is durable and has good stamina. In return, Wolseley receives a young CF who may surprise, as he looks to be a solid offensive player with plus power. In fact, he could become a fixture in the Unions outfield for years to come.  ----------- May 25: The Embro Suns traded for 27-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (72/73) from the Sherburn Tigers. In return, the Chiefs received four minor leaguers: 21-year old RHP Cris Herera (25/72); 18-year old CF José Hernández (22/62 – 2nd round pick in 1941-42); 23-year old RHP Jamie Atherol (21/22); 23-year old 2B Oliver Kerkin (22/22). Knee-jerk reaction: The Suns made a coup when they acquired Son, who had a phenomenal season with Sherburn last season. Son has the potential to join the upper echelon of starting pitchers with a solid pitch repertoire, terrific movement and good command. He will be their No. 2 pitcher in the rotation, after ace Colm Soper. Embro now has a very solid rotation. In giving up Son, a pitcher of the present, the Tigers get a pitcher of the future in Herrera. An international free agent from Argentina, Herrera has great potential with top-notch movement. Only his control needs work. If he can improve that a little, he will be solid starter in the ULB. OF Hernández has some tools as well, particularly his base-stealing ability and decent power that could help him one day reach the major league level.  ----------- May 25: The Queensland Eagles acquired 25-year old RF Jon Moreau (63/68) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, the Unions received: 32-year old RHP Ross New (45/45); 18-year old minor league 2B Vincent Colón (22/52 – 2nd round pick in 1941-42). Knee-jerk reaction: Queensland acquires some stability at CF, where three players filled in last season. 36-yearold Doug Winslade (.296/.345/.407/0.3 WAR) spent the most time there, but he is better suited in LF or as a fourth outfielder. In Moreau, they get a solid lead-off hitter with good defense. He hurts himself with poor plate discipline, however. In return, the Unions acquire a starting pitcher in New, whose ability to stick with a major league club should be questioned. Plus, they get an average defender with good contact and great speed in Colón.  ----------- May 25: The Balmoral Giants traded for 36-year old RHP Henny Arkerval (58/58) from the Queensland Eagles. In return, Queensland received 23-year old LF Kunimichi Baba (46/64); and three minor leaguers: 22-year old SS Feleti Monti (22/47); 23-year old RF Bob Hutchings (22/23); 22-year old SS Alastair Bibby (38/46). Knee-jerk reaction: The Giants made their second move to improve their pitching staff with the acquisition of Arkerval, who immediately becomes their Opening Day starter. That said, Arkerval is merely a competent pitcher, nothing more. He was the No. 3 pitcher for Queensland, a team whose pitching staff ranked sixth in the Eastern League last season. The Eagles receive OF Baba, a former 3rd round pick in 1938-39. Baba has above average contact, good hands and good speed. Both Monti and Bibby are mediocre hitters with good defense and speed.  -------- May 27: The Fort Richmond Generals acquired 27-year old IF/OF Al Tucker (66/67) from the Pulberry Trolleys. In return, Pulberry received: 32-year old 1B Byron Tope (46/46); 24-year old minor league CF Alan Doyle (21/22). Knee-jerk reaction: A head-scratcher for sure. Tucker was underutilized in Pulberry as an outfielder but now he has a chance to start every day at 1B for Fort Richmond. However, the Generals it would seem already had an adequate 1B in Merlin Teeters, who they traded away the following month (see the June 17 entry below). Tucker is patient at the plate, but otherwise a so-so hitter and his defense at 1B grades out a little worse than Teeter’s was. I have no idea what Fort Richmond was thinking about here. Tope joins his third team in his professional career and while he has decent contact and power, he is hardly a game changer.  ----------- June 17: The Fort Richmond Generals acquired 35-year old RF Jamie Thurgood (42/42) from the Queensland Eagles. In return, the Eagles received: 25-year old 1B Merlin Teeters (66/66 – 3rd round pick in 1939-40); 21-year old minor league SS Toby Trott (22/23). Knee-jerk reaction: Another head-scratcher by the Generals. In surrendering Teeters’ services to the Eagles, Fort Richmond receives a player who appears by all accounts on the down side of his playing career. Thurgood won’t embarrass himself at the plate or in the field, but he is no longer an ever day starter. Teeters, however, takes over 1B for Queensland and will serve as their cleanup hitter. Not sure why Fort Richmond considered their former 1B who was fresh off his first all-star appearance was expendable. But a nice trade made by Queensland in my opinion.   ----------- July 31: The Braeland City Monarchs acquired 32-year old RHP Darren Stewart (69/69) from the Queensland Eagles. In return, Queensland received two minor leaguers: 20-year old RHP Jeff Peters (24/80 – 2nd round pick from 1941-42); 19-year old SS Vic Haggers (21/47). Knee-jerk reaction: The Monarchs made this deal to bolster their bullpen by picking up a former starter who once won 22 games and 21 games in back-to-back seasons. But now, Stewart is little more than a junk-ball pitcher. Stewart found success in this reduced role in 1940-41, but was little used last season. That said, he still has tremendous movement and good control. In return, Queensland gets a couple of useful pieces in relief pitcher Peters and IF Haggers. Like Stewart, Peters does not have good stuff, but has tremendous movement and average control.  ----------- In what seems like a first, a Western League team not named either the Cambria Cannons or Kingston Pelicans made moves during the off-season to improve their major league roster. The Balmoral Giants finished just a few games out of a playoff spot last season. So it is not surprising that they are trying to position themselves this season to take the next step. The Embro Suns saw the biggest gain in talent, followed by the Giants, Cambria Cannons and Kingston Pelicans. The Suns (6.9 WAR) achieved the big boost with just one signing: SP Myung-gu Son. It will exciting to see what he can do on this power-house team that appears determined to finally reached the United Cup finals, after being denied last season by the ultimate champions, the Brunswick Legends. Balmoral was the top Western League team to improve their roster based on WAR. That gain mainly came from two pitchers: SP Henny Akerval (3.3) and RP Denzel Vyse (1.5). The Cannons were next, with the acquisition of 2B Wayne Balmer (4.1 WAR) from the Downie Chiefs. 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 09:58 PM. |
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02-23-2016, 12:30 PM
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#222 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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October 5, 1942
Opening Day Forecasts Opening Day has finally arrived on the Island and that means it’s time to check out the results of the “Coconut Leagues”. First up, the Eastern League results and predicted standings:   --------- That the Embro Suns finished on top again this year is no surprise, but their dominance over the other Eastern League teams was impressive. Brunswick and Wellington finished a distance second with rest of the league not far behind them. In the predicted standings, however, the defending United Cup champions are projected to finish in first place comfortably with 98 wins, six games up on the Suns. It’s interesting to see that the East may be turning into a two-team race between Embro and Brunswick, the same way the Western League has been that last few seasons with the Kingston Pelicans and Cambria Cannons. ---------   --------- Although familiar faces occupy first and second place in the Coconut Leagues standings, it was not a runaway. The Balmoral Giants and Pulberry Trolleys were right there with Kingston and Cambria when exhibition season was over. Balmoral is no surprise, as they appear poised to challenge for a playoff spot this year. But it will be interesting to see if Pulberry’s performance was just an aberration of ‘spring’ training, or if they are serious in crashing the first division this season. The projected standings for the West suggest that not only parity, but even mediocrity will be a dominant feature this season. The Pelicans are predicted to win top spot with just 86 wins, good enough to finish 9 games ahead of Balmoral, who finish just ahead of the Fort Richmond Generals and Pulberry Trolleys with a .500 record. Let’s hope there’s more ‘fire in the belly’ from the Western League teams to finish with stronger records. --------- To round out the snapshot of the United Leagues, here are the top players and pitchers and top prospects as updated on Opening Day. Despite the troubles of the world threatening from all sides, it’s time to offer a respite to all those serving overseas. Play ball! ---------     
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 10:02 PM. |
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02-26-2016, 10:24 AM
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#223 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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December 1, 1942
Eastern League: Legends Rule The Roost    --------  Towards the end of last season, the Brunswick Legends appeared to be a team that was just happy to have made the playoffs, as they were hampered by injuries and fought off a furious pursuit by the Stratford Barons for the wild card. Then they proceeded to sweep the Embro Suns in the Eastern Pennant Series and won the United Cup in six games over the Cambria Cannons. Well this year, it appears the Legends have no intention of settling for the wild card or allowing their championship last season to be a one-off event. They have stormed out of the gate in October and November with the best record in the United Leagues and enjoy a 6-game lead over the Embro Suns, who are no slouches either. If Brunswick can stay relatively healthy, then watch out; this unit looks scary good. The offense, not surprisingly is top notch (.287/.355/.421 – 1st/2nd/1st), while their pitching, at least the starting rotation, has been dominating (2.89/2.71/4.60 – 1st/1st/7th – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA). Defensively, they are in the middle (.695 – 5th). Top Position Player: After returning from a ruptured Achilles tendon that saw him miss almost 9 months last season, Mark Elston (.375/.485/.646, 11 HR, 49 RBI, 41 R, 43 BB) is a man playing possessed – a 34-year old man playing possessed. He won back-to-back Player of the Month Awards to the start the season, as well as Player of the Week Award in November to boot. Now, if only he can stay healthy for an entire season. He has been one the ULB’s biggest and most popular stars. Brunswick (and the entire ULB) needs him to stay healthy (I just jinxed him, right?) Top Pitcher: 32-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (9-1, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) always has his game face on (no, seriously, just look at his baseball card above) and was simply dominating in October/November. He did have control issues in November (26 BB verses 8 BB in October), but Monroe is a major component of perhaps the best starting rotation in the United Leagues right now: • Anastasio Rodríguez: 6-4, 2.73 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, • Matthew Monroe: 9-1, 2.28 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, • Hirotada Fukushima: 5-5, 3.64 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, • Wilson Villas: 8-0, 2.46 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, • Roger Battle: 5-1, 2.38 ERA, 1.27 WHIP. Key Injuries: 3B Derek Sakurai (.393/.413/.595, 1 HR, 27 RBI, 18 R, 4 BB) suffered shoulder swelling back on October 29; he should be beck in another day or two. Key Trade #1: On November 17, Brunswick acquired 31-year old RHP Andrie-Luiz Rosacega (48/48) and 20-year old minor league RHP Finlay Capstick (33/80) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, Wolseley received 34-year old 1B Teuk-chin Kim (40/40). Knee-jerk reaction: The bullpen has been one of the few weaknesses for the Legends in the early going, so it not surprising that they went out and acquired a reliever. But Rosacega is not very consistent and not a long-term answer. But they do get Capstick, a promising young reliever that has tremendous stuff and control. He projects to be dominating reliever in the future. Why Wolseley felt they had to part with him to get Kim escapes me. Kim has average contact and above average power and will be a modest upgrade at 1B for the Unions. If he can help the Unions make a serious challenge for the wildcard, then it may have been worth it. But that’s a big if, even if the Western League is in flux in the early going.   Key Trade #2: On December 1, Brunswick acquired 30-year old LF Rhett Curnow (42/42) from the Stratford Barons. In return, Stratford received 33-year old RF John Dugan (49/49) and 22-year old minor league RF Robin Gare (22/34). Knee-jerk reaction: Not a key trade by any means, but is noteworthy for the inclusion of a three-time all-star in Curnow. Curnow won a batting title two season ago (.355) and came within a cat’s whisker last year of winning it, but is not the player he once was. He can still hit a little and will provide Brunswick with infield depth. Similarly, Dugan will provide outfield depth for the Barons, as he has good power and decent defense.   --------  The Embro Suns appeared poised to explode out of the gate this season, with their high octane offense and beefed up rotation. They did start off strong, winning 31 games, the second best in the ULB. But it turns out that’s only good for 2nd place, as the Brunswick Legends have stolen their thunder a bit, leaving the Suns 6.0 games back of first place. While most of the credit must go to the Legends for their hot start, the Suns’ offense is also partly to blame, as it looked rather human to open the season. Injuries have been a factor, but main cogs like 1B Jim Friend (.279/.378/.401, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 28 R, 30 BB) and CF Terence Durney (.256/.370/.372, 3 HR, 23 RBI, 37 R, 38 BB, 5 SB) are off to uncharacteristically slow starts. As a result, the offense has slumped as a whole (.247/.334/.346 – 7th/5th/6th). The pitching has been performing pretty much as expected (3.24/3.40/2.18 – 2nd/4th/1st). The defense could use some shoring up (.694 – 7th) though. Top Position Player: 35-year old 2B Kian Meadmore (.246/.329/.503, 11 HR, 48 RBI, 32 R, 23 BB) has swung and missed a lot (51 K), but when he does connect, he’s been productive and is the offensive leader of the Suns in the early going. Top Pitcher: A rather difficult choice, as Embro’s top three starters are pitching well. I’ll go with LHP Edward Hill (6-4, 2.31 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) who’s had a wonderful start to the season. But RHP Colm Soper (5-3, 2.57 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) and RHP Myung-gu Son (7-3, 2.68 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) can also make the same claim. Key Injuries: 37-year old OF Paul Hooks (.289/.373/.356, 0 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 6 BB) suffered a strained upper arm back on October 19. He missed 6 weeks and just got back into the lineup on November 29. SP Edward Hill strained a stomach muscle in a game on the last day of November. He is out for 6 more days. Key Trade: On November 12, Embro acquired 25-year old RF Spencer Marsland (60/69) from the Wolseley Unions. In return, the Unions received 20-year old minor leaguer IF/OF Joey Phinney (22/25) and 21-year old minor leaguer LHP Sam Champman (23/32). Knee-jerk reaction: With the injury to Paul Hooks and the underwhelming overall performance of its outfield, such as 27-year old OF Charles Usherwood (.214/.306/.286, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 13 BB), Embro sought an upgrade. Marsland (.309/.329/.481, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 13 R, 3 BB, 3 SB), a second-round pick for Wolseley back in 1939-40, won’t wow anyone at the plate. But he can hit a little, is a speed demon and is a defensive wizard in right field. Little used by Wolseley, he will be in the starting lineup for Embro. Hooks will move over the left field to accommodate. In return, the Unions receive very little: a couple of former fourth-round picks whose chances at making a major league roster don’t look promising. While the Unions already have Nicky Willis and Zak Kidd holding down rightfield and centerfield respectively, left field was wide open, a spot Marsland could have filled. Just another confounding move made by Wolseley.  --------  The Stratford Barons got off to slow start in October, but picked things up a bit in November. With Brunswick and Embro setting the pace in the East, the Barons find themselves as a good team that’s just a step behind the current leaders. They came close last year to returning to the playoffs, finishing just 1 game behind Brunswick for the wild card. This season is starting off eerily similar, with Stratford just on the outside, trying to keep pace and within striking distance. But it’s really no mystery, as the offense (.270/.341/.387 – 4th/3rd/3rd), pitching (3.28/3.24/3.79 – 3rd/3rd/4th) and defense (3rd – .698) all reveal a third-place team. That said, the Barons are not without hope, as they have some fine rookies stepping up at just the right time. Top Position Player: 27-year old CF Ben Watson (.325/.386/.468, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 30 R, 20 BB, 6 SB) has found a nice groove in the early going. He joins 26-year old LF Steven Winstanley (.281/.384/.449, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 33 R, 34 BB) as Stratford’s offensive leaders. Also worthy of note is the ascendance of 22-year old C Geoff Lemoine (.298/.418/.484, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 19 R, 27 BB), who has taken over the main catching duties from 31-year old, 3-time all-star Gavin Hurley (.222/.257/.286). It appears that Lemoine, a former 5th round pick by Wolseley back in 1940-41 and who has been traded a couple of times, has finally found a regular spot on a roster. In fact, he is currently rated 2nd overall among catchers in the United Leagues, behind only the Fort Richmond Generals’ Danny Trowbridge. If that weren’t enough, Stratford enjoyed the performance of 23-year old 2B Maurice Keyworth (.309/.367/.482, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 24 R, 10 BB, 5 SB) who was sensational in November and won Rookie of the Month honours. Top Pitcher: 33- year old RHP Darwin Monday (5-2, 2.35 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) may simply be a fifth starter at this stage of his career, but he showed he can still pitch with the best of them in Oct/Nov. Not to be overlooked is rookie RHP Donn Griffin (4-0, 2.63 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). The 23-year old, who was selected 11th overall in the 1939-40 amateur draft, made his major league debut in November. All he did was win Pitcher of the Month honours. Not bad for a guy who missed the entire 1940-41 season due to a torn rotator cuff. Key Injuries: Steven Winstanley is having trouble staying healthy again this season. Twice now, he has injured himself while running the bases. On October 20, he strained his neck, missing a week; then on November 29, he strained his back. He is now out 2-3 weeks. --------  Last season, the Queensland Eagles embarked on a rebuild when they traded away top players SS Katsunan Chikafuji and LHP Mac MacColl last season before the trade deadline. The trades continued in the off-season. But a funny thing happened: Three of those trades are actually paying dividends for the Eagles right now. CF Jon Moreau (acquired from the Wolseley Unions), 1B Merlin Teeters (Fort Richmond Generals) and even 3B Gabriel Fairless (acquired in a minor trade with Wellington on November 2) have all made contributions that have helped the Eagles start the season 3 games above .500 and just 4.0 games behind the wildcard. That said, the offense could use a little more help (.268/.331/.376 – 5th/6th/5th) if Queensland is going to seriously challenge for a playoff spot. The pitching (3.51/3.19/6.16 – 4th/2nd/8th), with the exception of the bullpen, has been quite good. Defensively, Queensland is in the middle of the pack (.697 – 4th). Top Position Player: The trade for OF Jon Moreau (.320/.369/.483, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 32 R, 17 BB, 4 SB) is looking like a steal for the Eagles. The former 4th overall pick in the 1938-39 amateur draft leads in a number of offensive categories. Also doing well are Merlin Teeters (.279/.323/.446, 6 HR, 36 RBI, 30 R, 15 BB) and 33-year old Gabriel Fairless (.395/.462/.494, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 14 R, 9 BB), who was little used in Wellington, but is now getting a chance to start every day in Queensland and appears to be making the most of it. Top Pitcher: 33-year old RHP Bradley Paris (6-4, 1.92 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) had enjoyed a very fine start to the season. 35-year old RHP Stewart Colcott (6-5, 3.02 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) had not been far behind. Key Injuries: Gabriel Fairless missed a week in late November. He suffered a deep hand bruise from a fight with his father-in-law. --------  The Wellington Athletics are the definition of average, as they played .500 ball in both October and November. They definitely have talented players on the roster, but not enough to seriously challenge for a playoff spot. But it appears that the Athletics are a confused bunch. Last December, they declared that they were going into rebuilding mode and I expected them to be busy in the off-season. But they made no significant transactions. Now, on November 30, they once again declared they are focusing on rebuilding. Perhaps they’ll mean it this time? This is not a bad bunch by any means. Both the offense (.277/.336/.381 – 3rd/4th/4th), and pitching (3.88/3.78/4.42 – 5th/5th/6th) have made some improvements over last season. Defense has not been great, however (.679 – 7th). Top Position Player: I’m an unabashed Brian Main fan. The 30-year old second baseman has made the all-star team once, won a top fielder award once and has won the odd Player of the Week award here and there. But he just seems to fly under the radar. Nevertheless, he is enjoying perhaps his best season to date (.337/.375/.561, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 43 R, 15 BB, 6 SB). If he keeps it up, he should get some of the recognition he deserves. Top Pitcher: 33-year old LHP Clyde Boney (7-3, 2.31 ERA, 1.02 WHIP) is one of the best pitchers in the United Leagues and demonstrated that in Oct/Nov. Especially in October, when he went 4-1, 1.13 ERA. Noteworthy: Speaking of Boney, he also became the all-time career leader in wins back on October 21, when he picked up win No. 99 in a 5-1 victory over the Cobourg Red Stockings. Boney surpassed Kingston’s Brady Murdy. Boney now leads with 103 wins as of November 30. Following Brady Murdy, who has 98, are Stratford’s Joel Fearn with 94 and Braeland City teammates David Cooling and Lenny Freke, who are tied with 93.  Key Injuries: None. --------  Injuries are just killing the Braeland City Monarchs. Three starters are out of the lineup for extended periods and the team’s fortunes can’t help but be negatively affected. But on December 1, the Monarchs announced that they are shifting to rebuilding mode, so it will be interesting to see what they do between now and the trade deadline on January 31. But the offense has been quite good (.287/.356/.407 – 2nd/1st/2nd). The pitching, however, is struggling overall (3.94/4.10/2.51 – 7th/7th/2nd) and their defense is dead last (.677 – 8th) in the ULB. Top Position Player: 29-year old SS Adam Ashley (.321/.383/.419, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 33 R, 23 BB, 9 SB) is one of the best defensive shortstops in the ULB, having won four consecutive Top Fielder Awards. But he has been a solid offensive contributor as well. He is currently playing 2B due to the rash of injuries. Top Pitcher: 32-year old LHP David Cooling (6-2, 3.09 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) continues to play at a high level. Mention should also be given to 24-year old RHP Samuel Hollier (2-3, 5 SV, 1.83 ERA, 0.93 WHIP). The former second round pick (17th overall) from 1937-38 has carried the bulk of the load for the bullpen and has been lights out for the Monarchs. Key Injuries: IF Finlay Ridd was injured in a collision at a base in a game back on October 12 and suffered brain fever. He is out for at least 7 more weeks. RHP Lenny Freke (0-2, 6.43 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) was injured while pitching in a game back on October 17. He was diagnosed with shoulder swelling and will miss another 2-3 months. On November 29, 2B Trevor Bolan (.317/.356/.471, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 37 R, 12 BB, 2 SB) broke his knee cap while running the bases. He is gone for the season (7 months). --------  The Cobourg Red Stockings started off the season in typical fashion, losing a lot more games than they won. But in November, they actually put together a winning record. No doubt that was a blip, as the Red Stockings are just not set up to turn things around quite yet. Their young players are struggling mightily. 3B Shelby Cain (.183), 2B George Simpson (.165), LF Cliff Jordan (.199) and CF Dwayne Whit (.220) are all getting regular playing time despite their struggles to adjust to the majors. Even all-star veterans like 3B Mathew Lane (.143) have stopped producing and are currently relegated to back-up duties. Not surprisingly, the offense is woeful (.231/.291/.319 – 8th/8th/8th). The rotation is only somewhat better (3.90/3.89/3.97 – 6th/6th/5th). But their defense is the best in the East (.719 – 1st). Top Position Player: The offensive stats for this team are not for the faint of heart, but 24-year old SS Dennis Borton (.281/.311/.372, 6-3B, 23 RBI, 17 R, 10 BB, 8 SB) is at least showing some consistency. Top Pitcher: 26-year old RHP Luke Mason saw limited action in the majors with the Sherburn Tigers before he was traded to the Kingston Pelicans last season. Claimed off of waivers by the Red Stockings back in May, Mason (4-0, 2.56 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) is now their No. 5 starter in the rotation. He has been easily Cobourg’s best pitcher in the first two months. Key Injuries: 24-year old RHP Tom Mayor (0-0, 2 SV, 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament in a game back on November 7. He is out for at least 6 more months. 24-year old C Neil Voigt (.281/.337/.461, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R, 8 BB) suffered a knee-bone bruise in a game back on November 8. He was out for 4 weeks. --------  Like the Cobourg Red Stockings, the Downie Chiefs got off to a horrendous start but fared somewhat better in November. But make no mistake: this is a bad team that will experience some pain before they start to turn things around. The good news is that their farm system is slowly becoming a strength, as it is now ranked 4th overall in the ULB, a marked improvement over last season. That said, Downie is still behind other rebuilding teams and it will take a while before we see positive results in the standings. Thus, the Chiefs should get comfy in the basement; they will be staying there for the foreseeable future. As such, the offense (.253/.304/.345 – 6t/7th/7th) is lackluster, but the pitching, while not great by any means (4.44/4.68/2.97 – 8th/8th/6th) actually saw an improvement over last season. Whether they can keep it up is another thing. Defensively, they are 2nd (.698) overall in the East. Top Position Player: Not a lot to choose from. But 30-year old SS Ninfa Puzon (.293/.363/.419, 14-2B, 21 RBI, 24 R, 22 BB, 6 SB) started off the season well offensively. Top Pitcher: No standout performances to speak of, but 31-year old SP Reece Abberley (5-5, 3.28 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) is Downie’s ace and was a steady presence on the mound in both Oct/Nov. Key Injuries: 36-year old 3B Andy Johnson (.292/.357/.313, 1-2B, 4 RBI, 8 R, 6 BB) was injured on a defensive play in a game on November 28. He suffered a deep hand cut and is considered day-to-day for the next two weeks. Key Trade: The Chiefs traded 31-year old 1B William Tozer (40/40) to the Balmoral giants, getting three minor league players in return: 22-year old RHP Louis Le Roy (20/50), 21-year old RF Paea Lukela (22/23), and 24- year old RHP Byron Poskitt (22/40). Knee-jerk reaction: Tozer joins the fifth team of his career, as the Chiefs finally traded him away. Tozer is not quite the player he once was, but the two-time all-star and two-time Top Fielder Award winner brings experience and a steady hand to a young Balmoral team that feels it is ready to make the playoffs. Tozer will face RHP for now. Downie gets nothing special in return. RP Louis Le Roy does not have great stuff or great movement, but has decent control and can hit his spots well. Poskitt was originally a 6th round draft pick by the Chiefs back in 1938. This is his fourth trade and it sees him returning to his original club. Like Le Roy, Poskitt has so-so stuff and movement, but has decent control.  -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 10:10 PM. |
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02-28-2016, 01:15 AM
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#224 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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December 1, 1942
Western League: Balmoral Leading Power Shift    --------  The Balmoral Giants made hints late last season that they were finally turning the corner when they nearly captured the wild card. A late push by the Kingston Pelicans prevented the Giants from crashing the playoff party, but the Giants are sending out all kinds of signals that they are serious about shaking things up in the West this season. After the first two months, Balmoral leads the way, 2.5 games up on the Hespeler Stars. Yes, the power in the Western League does appear to be shifting. It will be exciting to see if it will continue over the course of the season. The Giants have been a strong offensive team (.284/.350/.399 – 1st/1st/2nd) for some time, but now their pitching is improving as well (3.49/3.82/1.91 – 3rd/4th/1st). Combine that with a strong defense (.708– 3rd), and its little wonder the Giants are in first place. Top Position Player: 3B Otton Overbeek (.336/.367/.500, 5 HR, 35 RBI, 34 R, 12 BB) is just in this second season, but the 22-year old started this season red hot and has only gotten better. Top Pitcher: 34-year old RHP Charlie Crocombe (7-1, 2.47 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) has been with Balmoral since Day 1, but he is enjoying his best start by far this season. Unfortunately, he is out of action for a bit due to an injury. Key Injuries: 37-year old LHP Dave Mapp (3-3, 4.04 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) tore an upper arm muscle while pitching in a game back on November 19. He is out for 3 months. Charlie Crocombe experienced shoulder stiffness in a game on November 28. He is out of action for another 1-2 weeks. --------  The Hespeler Stars were not projected to be much of a factor this season and October more or less bore that out. But a 16-10 November catapulted them into second spot, just 2.5 games back of first place Balmoral. Like the Giants, the Stars have been rebuilding for some time and if they continue to have months like November, then they just might have joined the power shift that’s playing out in the Western League right now. But the offense will have to pick up the pace (.266/.337/.368 – 6th/6th/4th). To their credit, the offense has modestly improved over last season in the first two months, but the young guns on the team really need to finally figure things out. The pitching, however, has really blossomed this season (3.19/3.29/2.76 – 1st/2nd/2nd), as has the defense (.709 – 2nd). If the offense can find the switch, then this could be a really exciting season in the West. Top Position Player: There’s not a lot to get too excited about, at least not yet, but 23-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.265/.396/.395, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 35 BB) shows a lot of promise. He was the first overall pick for Hespeler back in 1940-41. 24-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (.230/.371/.361, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 27 R, 41 BB) started off slow, but had a fine month in November, winning Rookie of the Month honours. Top Pitcher: Hespeler enjoyed some nice pitching performances to start the season, so it’s not easy to choose one. But 31-year old RHP Freddie Ventriss (5-2, 2.86 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) has had a fine start to the season. He just needs to cut down on BB a bit (51 BB, 21 K). Key Injuries: 38-year old RF Louie Maylam tore ankle ligaments in a ‘spring’ training game back in September 7. He is out for another 8 weeks. 24-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (1-2, 2.66 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) experienced a slip disc while pitching in a game back on October 18. He will be out for at least another week. 32-year old LHP Anthony Schmidt (1-3, 4.42 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) separated his hip joint while pitching on November 10. He is out for 3 more months. --------  General Manager Bill Byers is embarking on his sixth season at the helm of the Fort Richmond Generals. They have yet to make the playoffs and the bold moves Byers made last season to try and break that drought blew up big time as the Generals tumbled to sixth place in the West. Yet somehow, Byers kept his job and has another chance this season to try and turn things around. The Generals have essentially treaded water over the years and it’s time to either make a serious push for the playoffs or commit to a rebuilding project. They are not a bad team on either offense (.272/.346/.366 – 4th/3rd/5th) or pitching (3.69/3.60/4.39 – 4th/3rd/7th), but it does represent a step back from the start of last season. They have fallen to 6th place in defensive efficiency (.689). Top Position Player: 26-year old SS Steven Wormleighton (.296/.338/.393, 1 HR, 16 RBI, 27 R, 12 BB, 4 SB), a former 5th overall pick back in 1938-39, is both a solid offensive and defensive player. He was Fort Richmond’s best position player to start the season. Top Pitcher: 28-year old RHP Oscar Burress (7-3, 2.21 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) was his team’s best pitcher over the first two months of the season, winning Pitching of the Month honours in November. 34-year old RHP Tristan Purss (8-3, 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) won the Pitching of the Month award in October, but he struggled a bit in November (3-2, 5.90 ERA). 30-year old LHP David Nixon (5-0, 2.78 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) is enjoying his best season by far, as Fort Richmond’s No. 5 starter. Nixon was a Rule 5 draft pick (from the Stratford Barons) back in 1939. Key Injuries: None. --------  Last season, the Kingston Pelicans were up and down from month-to-month. They are continuing that trend in October/November as well, sitting at .500 after two months. But that is a good thing for Kingston, as they are dealing with significant injuries to key players. Despite the adversities, they sit just 1.5 games back of the wild card and just 4.0 games out of first place. If they keep within striking distance, the wily Pelicans always have a chance at returning to the playoffs. They won’t allow themselves to be written off just yet. The offense is not what it was, but there still plenty of time to rebound (.267/.341/.370 – 5th/4th/4th). The rotation is performing well, but the bullpen is a concern (3.44/3.21/5.03 – 2nd/1st/8th). Defensively, Kingston saw a modest improvement over last season (.696 – 5th) in the first two months. Top Position Player: Both 32-year old 2B Mo Symes (.330/.394/.456, 5 HR, 24 RBI, 34 R, 23 BB) and 34-year old LF Jayden Tennant (.345/.442/.580, 5 HR, 23 RBI, 18 R, 24 BB) are the offensive leaders for the Kingston Pelicans in the early going. However, the loss of starting catcher Nick Hewat of Australia in the off-season due to being called up for military service, has given a heretofore unknown player a chance to shine. 24-year old C Freddie Duran (.311/.391/.393, 9-2B, 17 RBI, 17 R, 19 BB) is now in the regular lineup against right-handed pitching this season and won Rookie of the Month honours in October. Duran was traded away from the Embro Suns to the Cambria Cannons back in 1938, and then released by Cambria in 1940, without ever having reached the major league level. Two weeks later, Kingston signed him to a minor league deal and he finally reached the majors this season. It will be interesting to see how he fares the rest of the way. Top Pitcher: 24-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (7-4, 2.00 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) is in his second season in the majors. The former 16th overall pick back in 1939-40 is off to great start. Key Injuries: 32-year old RHP Francis Slocock sprained his ankle in a ‘Coconut’ League game back in September. He missed 2-3 months but could be back in 3 days. 29-year old RF Chong-sik Lee (.318/.348/.409) tore a knee ligament in a game back on October 10. He is out for the season (5 more months). 33-year old RHP Yasushi Kobayashi (1-1, 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on October 25. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is out for the season as well (5 more months). 27-year old SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.208/.289/.350, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 19 R, 13 BB) tore ankle ligaments in a game on November 7 and suffered a setback on top of that. He is out a further 1-2 weeks. --------  After running away with the league lead last season, the Cambria Cannons find themselves playing catch up in the early going. The Cannons are struggling and it is largely due to their lacklustre pitching. The offense is as strong as ever (.282/.346/.405 –2nd/2nd/1st) if not stronger, but the pitching is really struggling (4.08/4.22/3.14 – 6th/6th/4th). They are once again the top rated defensive team (.712) in the West. Top Position Player: The offense is riding high right now, but no one is as hot as 25-year old LF Ron Westmacott (.340/.448/.592, 7 HR, 31 RBI, 37 R, 36 BB, 7 SB). After missing nearly 5 months last season due to various ailments, Westmacott has returned with a vengeance and won Batter of the Month honours in November. Top Pitcher: Unfortunately, the pitching staff is struggling right now, but 25-year old RHP Carl Luscombe (5-1, 3.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) has been the main go-to guy out of the bullpen thus far and has performed well. Key Injuries: 29-year old RHP Shaun Alford (0-1, 1 SV, 2.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) tore his knee joint while pitching in a game on November 29. He is out for 3 months. 31-year old RHP Bradley Dodson (3-6, 4.60 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) suffered a slip disc while pitching, also on November 29. He is day-to-day for the next 6 days. Noteworthy: On November 3, Ron Westmacott hit for the cycle in a 9-5 victory over the Kingston Pelicans. Westmacott singled in the 1st, flied out in the 3rd, hit a two-run home run in the 5th, doubled in the 7th and hit a two-run triple in the 8th. In all, he went 4-5, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R. It’s the second cycle for Westmacott, who hit for his first cycle back on December 25, 1939. It’s the first cycle in nearly two years and the ninth in United Leagues history. Terry Maxwell was the last to hit for the cycle back on November 10, 1940.  --------  The Wolseley Unions are obviously a team the marches to the beat of its own drummer. They have made a number of trades lately that have left me scratching my head. Trades that appear to have either netted them very little in return or where they have traded away players that could have helped them now. Such transactions have done little to really strengthen their farm system. They rank 5th this year. That doesn’t too bad, but their ranking a year ago was exactly the same and not much better than what it was two seasons ago. To me it appears they are squandering time and talent that could have helped them to be much better now than what they really are. So it’s no surprise that the Unions are struggling. The offense (.245/.317/.342 – 8th/7th/8th) has regressed from last season as has the pitching (4.48/4.54/4.16 – 7th/7th/5th). Defense has hit rock bottom (.685 – 8th). Top Position Player: He’s only 25-years old but RF Nicky Willis (.312/.401/.516, 9 HR, 31 RBI, 28 R, 29 BB) is already a 4-year veteran of the ULB. He is off to his best start. Top Pitcher: Like Willis, 23-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (6-4, 2.22 ERA, 1.03 WHIP) is in his fourth season in the ULB and he is far and away Wolseley’s best pitching to start the season. Key Injuries: 34-year old RHP Jean-Pierre Da Silva (2-1, 2.25 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) was out for 6 weeks due to a torn back muscle suffered in a game back on October 22. He recently returned to the rotation. --------  The Sherburn Tigers have consistently maintained one of the deepest farm systems over the last few seasons, but the payoff from all that talent has yet to appear. That may change soon. The talent is starting to rise to the major league level. If that talent can blossom, then Sherburn may become formidable in the not-too-distant future. But for now, the Tigers will have to content themselves with more struggles in the standings. Sherburn’s offense has improved in some areas (.277/.341/.362 – 3rd/5th/6th) but lags in other areas as well (HRs, BBs for example). The pitching is still largely a nightmare (4.50/4.55/4.17 – 8th/8th/6th). Defensively, they haven’t improved much (.688 – 7th). Top Position Player: From a consistency perspective, 28-year old 3B Harley Simmons (.290/.351/.420, 2 HR, 26 RBI, 24 R, 16 BB) has been Sherburn’s best player thus far. 1B Francis Pynchon (.305/.356/.492, 7 HR, 33 RBI, 30 R, 13 BB) was hot in October and won the Batter of the Month Award, but he cooled off in November. He is also on the disabled list for the new few weeks. Top Pitcher: 27-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (7-2, 3.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) was off to a good start and was the best pitcher in the rotation, but he too has fallen to injury and will not be back this season. 22-year old RHP Chris Herrera (3-0, 2.51 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) who came over from Embro during the offseason in a trade is slowly being eased into the rotation as a 5th starter. No doubt Sherburn is hoping he can fit in quickly now that Pierson is unavailable. Key Injuries: On November 28, Francis Pynchon was injured in a collision at a base. He suffered a thigh muscle strain and will miss four weeks. Daniel Pierson suffered shoulder swelling while pitching on November 29. He is gone for the season (6 months). --------  The Pulberry Trolleys are in a bit of a precarious spot. The bulk of their prospects are now on the major league roster and in various degrees of adjustment. However, they do not have much high-end talent left in the pipeline, as their farm system is currently ranked last in the United Leagues. Thus the Trolleys are in a ‘sink or swim’ situation. So far, they are sinking further into the basement of the Western League. But they have talent for sure – it just needs to start producing. When and if it does, it may finally pull Pulberry into relevancy – something it has yet to experience. Their offense (.248/.313/.344 – 7th/8th/7th) has regressed from last season, while the pitching (4.02/4.16/2.88 – 5th/5th/3rd) has slowly improved. The defense is holding steady (.704 – 4th). Top Position Player: Not a lot to choose from as many of the players got off to very slow starts. In contrast, 26-year old SS Wenceslsas Jasmin (.286/.359/.367, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 27 R, 24 BB, 5 SB) got off to a fast start, but then cooled off in November. But he was still Pulberry’s best position player to start the season. Top Pitcher: Slim pickings thus far, but 23-year old RHP Lee Dowdeswell (2-1, 1.23 ERA, 0.82 WHIP) has been outstanding pitching out of the bullpen. Dowdeswell was a 5th round pick back in 1939-40 and is projected to one day be a starter. Key Injuries: None. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 11:50 PM. |
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02-29-2016, 01:27 PM
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#225 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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December 6, 1942
1942-43 Amateur Draft Results Balmoral, Oxford (BP) – The United Leagues held its sixth annual Amateur Draft at the Oxford College Auditorium in Balmoral today. As a result of wartime restrictions, a greater percentage of the over 140 eligible players were homegrown. But there were still a few non-native players that were already living in the country that were drafted. But if the war continues for an extended period as government and military leaders fear, future drafts will likely comprise players solely from Braeland. The Cobourg Red Stockings selected first once again. They were followed by the Downie Chiefs and Pulberry Trolleys. Here is a brief sketch of the 16 players taken in the first round: 1st Pick – Cobourg Red Stockings:   IF Alexander Tolmie (23/80) – 20-years old; 6’-1”, 190 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. The first player drafted hails from Wolseley, Braeland’s second largest city. Tolmie is a fantastic prospect: tremendous contact potential, grade ‘A’ power and a terrific eye. He is also a strong defensive player at 2B and 3B. He has ‘future star’ written all over him. -------- 2nd Pick – Downie Chiefs:   OF Nathan Ashman (22/78) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. A native of Brunswick, Ashman is not projected to be either a great contact or power hitter, but he does have a good eye. He also has the potential to be a great defensive outfielder, especially in right field and is blessed with amazing speed. -------- 3rd Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:   OF/IF Jon Pring (22/78) – 19-years old; 5’-9”, 160 lbs.; Hits SH/Throws RH. Balmoral’s own Jon Pring was selected third in the draft. The hometown boy is a solid hitting prospect, combining amazing vision with tremendous raw power. He should be a versatile, albeit average defender with above-average speed. -------- 4th Pick – Sherburn Tigers:   RHP Jesús Chapa (20/79) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. The first pitcher and foreign-born player selected, the Puerto Rican Chapa has all the tools to be a successful pitcher in the ULB. Chapa combines above-average stuff with incredible movement and excellent control. -------- 5th Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:   OF Ramón Corona (21/72) – 19-years old; 5’-11”, 170 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws LH. Selected fifth, Corona hails from the Dominican Republic. Corona projects to be a pretty average contact hitter with above-average power and great speed on the base paths. He should also be a pretty good, although not flashy, defender. -------- 6th Pick – Hespeler Stars:   OF Jacob Pate (21/73) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Hits LH/Throws LH. The Queensland native should be a very good contact hitter with all-star power. His main weakness will be the laying off of bad pitches, especially anything on the inside of the plate. But he should be a good defender with above-average speed. -------- 7th Pick – Queensland Eagles:   RHP Jeremy Albury (20/69) – 19-years old; 6’-3”, 195 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. Albury combines above-average stuff with OK movement and outstanding control. He currently has five pitches in his repertoire. Not shown in the above graphic is his forkball (35/45). -------- 8th Pick – Wolseley Unions:   OF Glen Traill (22/71) – 20-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Hits RH/Throws RH. Traill projects to be average contact hitter with a decent eye and decent home run power. His biggest strengths are his very good defensive abilities in the outfield and tremendous speed on the base paths. -------- Here is the rest of the first round, selections 9-16: 9th Pick – Balmoral Giants: OF/IF Clyde Whitaker (22/73) – contact (35/50), gap power (40/55) and eye (35/60). 19-years old; 5’-7”, 155 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits LH/Throws LH. Whitaker projects to be major power hitter, with average contact and a good eye. His defense at all three outfield positions is very good (60-55-55). He has above average speed (65) and can play 1B as well (40). His work ethic is a concern, however. -------- 10th Pick – Wellington Athletics: OF/IF Phillip Trew (21/63) – contact (25/40), gap power (40/50) and eye (40/60). 19-years old; 6’-1”, 180 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits LH/Throws LH. The young Trew from the small town of Candyville, Dunwich projects to become a prototypical clean-up hitter, with terrific home run power (30/45) and a good eye. He will struggle as a contact hitter, however. His defense is merely adequate; his best position is RF (55). He has above-average speed. An ordinary guy. -------- 11th Pick – Kingston Pelicans: RHP Ben Currall (21/80) – stuff (35/45), movement (60/65) and control (40/55). 22-years old; 6’-1”, 200 lbs.; neutral; 88-90 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH. Currell has all the makings of becoming a solid starter in the United Leagues: great stuff, top-notch movement and consistent control. He throws three pitches: cutter (45/50), slider (40/45) and circle change (40/50). He is considered a good influence. -------- 12th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: RHP Dan Turner (20/76) – stuff (35/40), movement (50/65) and control (30/65). 19-years old; 6’-0”, 175 lbs.; neutral; 87-89 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH. Another solid pitching prospect, Turner is blessed with consistent above-average stuff, top-notch movement and consistent control. He has four pitches in his developing repertoire: fastball (35/35), curveball (35/45), changeup (20/40 and splitter (35/40). He combines smarts with a good work ethic. -------- 13th Pick – Stratford Barons: RHP Bill Lafontaine (20/80) – stuff (30/40), movement (55/65) and control (35/60). 19-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; groundball tendency; 86-88 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH. The kid from Tavistock, Ontario, Canada [just a few miles from my hometown, which just happens to be Stratford  ], has above-average stuff, top-notch movement and solid control. However, he needs to work on his changeup (20/25) if he wants to become a starter. His other two pitches are a cutter (40/45) and slider (35/50). He is considered one of the guys.-------- 14th Pick – Brunswick Legends: OF/IF Jamie Huband (21/27) – contact (30/40), gap power (30/40) and eye (40/55). 21-years old; 5’-9”, 160 lbs.; normal hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH. A so-so hitter, Huband greatest strengths are his defense in the outfield, particularly LF (80) and above-average speed (70). His work ethic is a concern. -------- 15th Pick – Cambria Cannons: IF/OF Jarrod Pearce (22/57) – contact (35/45), gap power (35/40) and eye (35/45). 22-years old; 5’-10”, 185 lbs.; pull hitter; Hits RH/Throws RH. Pearce will really need to work on his offense if he wants to one day stick with the major leagues. He is a versatile defender who can play 2B (60), 3B (55), SS (55), LF (80) and RF (60). He has above average speed (65) as well. An ordinary guy. -------- 16th Pick – Embro Suns: RHP Shinzo Okamoto (20/74) – stuff (30/35), movement (60/75) and control (25/55). 18-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; groundball tendency; 86-88 Mph velocity; Hits RH/Throws RH. The final player taken in the first round, the 18-year old from Wellington needs to bring his stuff up a notch to really dominate. He does have absolutely filthy movement and excellent control. He uses four pitches: fastball (35/35), slider (30/30), changeup (20/35) and forkball (35/40). --------
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 11:54 PM. |
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03-01-2016, 11:26 PM
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#226 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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December 31, 1942
Looking Back: The 1937-38 Amateur Draft It’s been five seasons now since the first Amateur Draft was held, so I thought it would be interesting to take a brief look back at the draft and see how the players taken in the first round have fared. Who justified their lofty selection? Who proved to be a bust? And were there any ‘diamonds in the rough’ so-to-speak in the later rounds? That’s what I set to find out. Going over the draft, the first thing that strikes me is how many of the first round picks went on to become stars in the United Leagues. Here are the top 3 position players taken in the 1937-38 Draft, based on their subsequent careers thus far:  1B Jim Friend – 5th overall pick originally by the Balmoral Giants. Career: .331/.407/.526, 807 H, 171-2B, 17-3B, 91 HR, 516 RBI, 441 R, 339 BB, 113 K, 5 SB, 152 OPS+, 154 wRC+, 23.8 WAR. Achievements: • Three All-Star Game selections: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • Two-time Babe Ruth Award Winner: 1940-41, 1941-42; • One Batting Title: 1941-42 (.331); • Three selections to the All-Braeland Team: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • Finished 3rd in the 1938-39 Western League Rooking of the Year Award voting. What the original scouting report said: “The left-handed Friend brings with him a tremendous offensive package, with outstanding contact (45/60), gap power (50/50) and plate discipline (55/70). Friend looks to be the Giants’ clean-up hitter of the future.” Comments: Unfortunately for Balmoral, the Giants traded him away in a rather lop-sided deal back in 1939. After the trade, Friend quickly came to dominate the United Leagues and has been one of the premier offensive forces in the Leagues’ young history. He did indeed become a clean-up hitter, but it’s the Embro Suns who have been the benefactor. --------  OF Ron Westmacott – 2nd overall pick by the Cambria Cannons. Career: .308/.403/.573, 570 H, 123-2B, 104-3B, 53 HR, 328 RBI, 393 R, 284 BB, 241 K, 70 SB, 168 OPS+, 169 wRC+, 24.5 WAR Achievements: • Three All-Star Game selections: 1938-39, 1939-40, 1941-42; • United Cup MVP: 1939-40; • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1939-40; • Finished 3rd in the 1939-40 Western League Babe Ruth Award voting. • Hit for the cycle twice (1939, 1942). What the original scouting report said: “The first Braelander and Stratfordite selected, Westmacott should be an offensive force, boasting solid contact (45/60) and outstanding power potential (30/50). He also projects to be an outstanding base stealer (speed-70/stealing-75/baserunning-65). Defensively, he looks to be average to slightly below average (LF-55/CF-45/RF-50). He comes with a reputation as being a good influence on his teammates.” Comments: Westmacott immediately joined the Cannons’ major league roster and hasn’t looked back. The only thing that has slowed him down is injuries. Thus far, Westmacott has been sidelined for nearly 10 months in total. Who knows how dominate he could have been in the first five seasons of his career if he didn’t miss so much time. But there’s no doubting the impact he has had on the Cambria Cannons success since they drafted him: four playoff appearances and one United Cup championship. --------  OF Steve Winstanley – 10th overall pick originally by the Hespeler Stars. Career: .305/.376/.497, 582 H, 86-2B, 36-3B, 70 HR, 343 RBI, 335 R, 228 BB, 178 K, 27 SB, 140 OPS+, 144 wRC+, 20.4 WAR Achievements: • Three All-Star Game selections: 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • One-time Babe Ruth Award Winner: 1940-41; • Two-time Top Fielder Award winner: 1940-41 (LF), 1941-42 (RF); • One Batting Title: 1940-41 (.347); • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1940-41; • Finished 2nd in the 1939-40 Western League Rookie of the Year Award voting. Comments: Winstanley quickly rewarded Hespeler’s selection of him; he came in second in Rookie of the Year Honours and then had a monster second season in 1940-41 (8.8 WAR). Following that, the Stars promptly traded him to the Stratford Barons. He hasn’t matched his 1940-41 season, but at 26-years of age, he has plenty of time. He is without question an impact player. -------- Two pitchers selected in the 1937-38 Draft can be singled out for their immediate impact in the ULB:  LHP Anastasio Rodríguez – 4th overall pick by the Brunswick Legends. Career: 83-56, 3.20 ERA, 1331.0 IP, 92 CG, 7 SHO, 1.37 WHIP, .284 BABIP, 3.52 FIP, 28.5 WAR, 134 ERA+ Achievements: • Two All-Star Game selections: 1940-41, 1941-42; • One Satchel Paige Award: 1941-42; • Eastern League Pennant MVP: 1941-42; • One selection to the All-Braeland Team: 1941-42. What the scouting report said: “The first pitcher selected in the draft, the Panamanian Rodríguez combines good stuff (40/45) with great movement (60/70) and very good control (40/65). A groundball pitcher that can through into the low 90’s, the left-handed Rodríguez main pitches are the sinker and forkball, backed by a slider and a developing changeup. A quiet and introverted fellow, Rodríguez will start off working out of the bullpen for the Legends.” Comments: Rodríguez was unquestionably the top pitcher to be selected in the inaugural draft and has been everything Brunswick hoped he would be: a dominating ace. He is currently rated as the 2nd overall pitcher in the ULB and he is just 26-years old. He is the kind of pitcher teams dream about. --------  RHP Oscar Burress – 6th overall pick by the Fort Richmond Generals. Career: 77-58, 3.33 ERA, 1331.0 IP, 65 CG, 12 SHO, 1.31 WHIP, .273 BABIP, 3.52 FIP, 25.0 WAR, 124 ERA+ Achievements: • Four All-Star Game selections: 1938-39, 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42; • One Top Fielder Award: 1941-42; • Finished 3rd in the 1939-40 Western League Satchel Paige Award voting. • Finished 2nd in the 1940-41 Western League Satchel Paige Award voting. Comments: The original scouting report said that “his makeup was a serious concern”. Well, the Fort Richmond Generals were wise to ignore that bit, as Burress has proven to be a solid pick. His statistics stack up quite well with Anastasio Rodríguez’s (in fact, their IP and FIP stats are the same). But because Burress plays for a team that hasn’t always given him the best support, he does not have the same high profile as Rodríguez. But he is a legitimate ace. -------- Two other pitchers, namely 23-year old RHP Aaron Saunderson (13th overall pick) and 27-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (14th overall pick) have also proven to be wise selections. They have not had the immediate impact the others have had, but they are currently enjoying tremendous success this season. -------- Biggest Draft Disappointment At this point in the League’s history, all 16 players selected in the first round of the 1937-38 Amateur Draft have reached the major league level. However, one stands out as not quite fulfilling his initial promise as yet:  RHP Luke Woodward – 9th overall pick originally by the Wolseley Unions. Career: 6-4, 4.79 ERA, 6 SV, 71.1 IP, 1.85 WHIP, .322 BABIP, 4.41 FIP, -0.40 WAR, 91 ERA+ Woodward was once rated the #4 prospect in the United Leagues, but he has yet to deliver on that promise. Scouting reports have consistently raised red flags as to him being a “trouble maker”. He has been involved in no less than six trades. He is currently in his second stint with the Wellington Athletics and is serving as their go-to guy out of the bullpen. Will he finally settle in, or will ‘trouble’ continue to find him? -------- Diamond in the Rough Mention should also be given the to the second round, as three players taken in that round have gone on to taste success in the ULB; namely Wolseley Unions’ RF Nicky Willis (2 all-star appearances, 1 top fielder award), Pulberry Trolleys’ RF Yos-hito Ito (1 all-star appearance, 2 top fielder awards) and Braeland City Monarchs’ RHP Samuel Hollier (1 all-star appearance). But that season’s diamond in the rough was rather ‘clear cut’:  C Brian Pittman – 85th overall pick (round 6, pick 5) by the Balmoral Giants Career: .283/.362/.385, 248 H, 49-2B, 4-3B, 11 HR, 100 RBI, 119 R, 112 BB, 63 K, 111 OPS+, 113 wRC+, 5.8 WAR Achievements: • Won the 1941-42 Western League Rookie of the Year Award. Pittman may not be the most gifted hitter, nor will he ‘wow’ anyone with his defensive game, but he made great strides during his time in the minors and now finds himself as the Giants starting catcher. Fresh off his Rookie of the Year winning season, it will be interesting to see how the rest of his career plays out. --------
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-04-2017 at 11:58 PM. |
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03-02-2016, 01:33 PM
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#227 |
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January 12, 1943
1943 All-Star Game: The East Proves Too Much to Handle for the West  -------- Downie, Perth (BP) – The United Leagues took a break from regular play to celebrate the stars of the 1942-43 season in the sixth annual All-Star Game. The Eastern League continued its dominance in the top inter-league matchup with a convincing 8-2 victory, held at Gibson Ballpark in Downie. It’s the third consecutive victory for the Eastern League which now leads the annual series, 4 games to 2. The game was played under partly cloudy skies, 63 degrees F weather. To the pleasant surprise of League officials and organizers, the game was a sellout (30,300). But it wasn’t just the fine weather that drew the crowds; recent international events have raised the hope among Braelanders that the tide of war was now turning. After advances made by the Empire of Japan into Luzon, Philippines and Wilkes Island in December, the ongoing Battle of Guadalcanal and the Solomon Islands campaign signaled for the first time that the Allies were turning to the offensive in the Pacific. With Japan’s military advances now being checked, it was fair to say that fear and uncertainly in Braeland was now slowly being replaced with a cautious optimism. In a region starved for good news, the glimmer of hope now offered was embraced by Braelanders. The renewed enthusiasm and excitement was palpable among all who attended the game. -------- Top of the 1st: The Western League struck first. SS Katsunan Chikafuji led off with a single and reached third when CF Clint Jones immediately followed with a single of his own. After LF Ron Westmacott struck out swinging, C Danny Trowbridge singled in Chikafuji for the game’s first run. Western All-Stars 1 – Eastern All-Stars 0 Bottom of the 2nd: The East tied things up in the second. 1B Stuart Bentham led off with a first-pitch single and reached third on LF Steven Winstanley’s single. Bentham then scored on a fielder’s choice to even things up. Western All-Stars 1 – Eastern All-Stars 1 Top of the 3rd: As he did in the first inning, Katsunan Chikafuji led off with a single. But when Ron Westmacott doubled into right field with one out, RF Mark Elston threw out Chikafuji at home plate to preserve the tie. But Westmacott scored the go-ahead run when Danny Trowbridge reached first safely on an error (E5). However, the Westerners’ lead would not last long. Western All-Stars 2 – Eastern All-Stars 1 Bottom of the 3rd: RHP Aaron Saunderson started the inning for the Western League, but alas, he was unable finish it. PH Thomas Murphy led off with a double and reached third on a ground out. Mark Elston then singled him home to tie the game up once again. SS Jake Walker immediately followed and tripled, scoring Elston for the go ahead run. A single by Stuart Bentham scored Walker and the Eastern League now led 4-2. Steven Winstanley and 3B Derek Sakurai followed with back-to-back walks to load the bases. That ended Saunderson’s day, who was replaced with LHP David Nixon. But a walk to C Dylan Watkins and single by 2B Brian Main plated two more, increasing the Easterners lead to 6-2. Finally Thomas Murphy who led off the inning, grounded into a double play (U6-3), ending the East’s big comeback. Western All-Stars 2 – Eastern All-Stars 6 Bottom of the 7th: The East would add to their lead in the seventh. Derek Sakurai led off with a walk, reached second on a sac bunt and third base on a PH Bart Wallwin single. Sakurai then scored on a wild pitch by RHP Morgan Tice during PH Merlin Teeters at-bat. Western All-Stars 2 – Eastern All-Stars 7 Bottom of the 8th: Eyebrows were raised (at least mine were) in the 8th inning. With two out, PH Yoshifumi Tamura singled and was immediately replaced with PR Jim Friend. Despite a five-run lead in the late innings, Friend nevertheless broke for second. But a throwing error by C Aaron Skidmore allowed Friend to reach third base. PH Terry Aspden then singled to score Friend for the game’s final run. Western All-Stars 2 – Eastern All-Stars 8 -------- For the second year in a row, a Brunswick Legend player earned Player of the Game honours. Stuart Bentham went 2-3 with 1 RBI and 2 R. -------- Here are the complete All-Star rosters:   -------- Here are the standings as of January 12, 1943:  
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 12:02 AM. |
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03-02-2016, 01:55 PM
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#228 | |
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03-02-2016, 05:15 PM
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#229 | |
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03-07-2016, 09:40 PM
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#230 |
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February 1, 1943
Eastern League: Suns Explode, Legends Falter in Two Team Race    --------  Despite the quick start by the Brunswick Legends this season, the Embro Suns remained unfazed; in fact, not only did they keep pace with the front-runners, but actually overtook them in January when the Legends began to lose some steam. The Suns are a dangerous team that endured an uncharacteristically slow start to its offense. But its pitching has carried the team thus far. If the offense as a whole picks things up even a little bit, it will not be easy for anyone to wrest first place from their grip. The offense has seen a modest improvement (.257/.336/.360 – 6th/5th/6th) but still has a way to go to being the offense we’re used to seeing from this Suns outfit. The pitching is simply the best in the land (2.94/3.03/2.10 – 1st/2nd/1st – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA) and the defense has greatly improved (.700 – 2nd). Seven Suns were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Edward Hill (1st selection), SP Myung-gu Son (1st), SP Colm Soper (4th), RP John Palm (5th), 1B Jim Friend (4th), 3B Yoshifumi Tamura (1st) and OF Terence Durney (6th). Top Position Player: 1B Jim Friend (.300/.381/.454, 13 HR, 71 RBI, 65 R, 56 BB) returned to form in December, winning Batter of the Month honours. But 3B Yoshifumi Tamura (.315/.402/.478, 8 HR, 43 RBI, 36 R, 46 BB) is also have a great year. Top Pitcher: There’s no point in singling out just one pitcher. The staff is having a tremendous season and deserves to be highlighted as they are really carrying this team at the moment: • RHP Colm Soper 13-6, 2.39 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 152 ERA+, • RHP Myung-gu Son 15-6, 2.53 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 143 ERA+, • LHP Edward Hill, 15-6, 2.65 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 137 ERA+, • RHP John Palm, 3-2, 5 SV, 0.73 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 497 ERA+, • LHP Nick Staples, 2-0, 1.24 ERA, 0.97 WHIP, 292 ERA+. Not surprisingly, Embro pitchers captured the Pitcher of the Month Award in December (Myung-gu Son) and January (Edward Hill). Key Injuries: 35-year old 2B Kian Meadmore (.247/.325/.444, 11 HR, 57 RBI, 39 R, 33 BB) strained his neck muscles while running the bases in a game back on January 2. He is out for another 4 weeks. 35-year old back-up 2B Ramón Lugo (.293/.301/.381, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 18 R, 3 BB) suffered shoulder stiffness from a collision in a game on January 31. He will miss 3 weeks. --------  The Brunswick Legends just got a dose of reality splashed in their face. After cruising through the first three months of the season, the Legends faltered in January, going 10-14. The slide included dropping 3 of 4 to the lowly Cobourg Red Stockings and two of three to the Embro Suns. With the relentless Suns on the heels, they surrendered first place in the East and now trail Embro by 1.5 games. The offense weakened ever so slightly (.275/.342/.394 – 3rd/2nd/1st), while their pitching held steady (2.94/2.79/4.22 – 2nd/1st/7th). Defensively, they collapsed (.683 – 8th). Seven Legends made the All-Star team: SP Matthew Monrow (4th), SP Anastasio Rodríguez (3rd), SP Wilson Villas (1st), RP Roger Battle (1st), 1B Stuart Bentham (3rd), 3B Derek Sakurai (3rd), and RF Mark Elston (4th). Top Position Player: RF Mark Elston’s (.346/.472/.584, 19 HR, 76 RBI, 71 R, 90 BB) batting average dipped in December (.244) but returned to form in January (.356). He is currently one of the most productive players in the ULB. He leads the entire United Leagues in batting average, home runs and is tied with Balmoral Giants’ Carlton Broadbent for RBIs. He is also a tough out; in 370 AB thus far, he has struck out just 8 times. Only Wolseley Unions’ RF Nicky Willis has bested him in that department (5 K in 377 AB). Top Pitcher: LHP Matthew Monroe (16-2, 2.49 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) was simply outstanding in Dec/Jan, going 7-1, 2.61 ERA. LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (10-9, 2.27 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) was also outstanding, going 4-5, 1.73 ERA. Alas, minor injuries (strained stomach muscles and slight neck strain) and poor run support cut into his stats in January. Key Injuries: 26-year old C Maurice Evans (.300/.345/.498, 8 HR, 41 RBI, 31 R, 16 BB) suffered a thigh muscle strain in a collision in a game back on January 6. He is out for two more weeks. Anastasio Rodríguez is out 4 more days with the aforementioned neck strain, suffered on January 30. --------  While the Braeland City Monarchs are being decimated by injuries, they began their rebuilding process, completing three major trades before the trade deadline. In spite of all that, the Monarchs actually improved in the standings and sit 6 games over .500. It means little in the East this season, as the Suns and Legends have practically ran away with the playoff spots, leaving everyone else in their wake. But their determination to remain competitive despite all the travails is remarkable. The offense has been the story (.280/.347/.388 – 1st/1st/2nd) as they have been one of the best offensive units in the East this season. Even the pitching with the exception of the bullpen improved (3.48/3.47/3.68 – 4th/5th/4th). Their defense also saw a modest improvement (.691 – 7th). Seven Monarchs were selected to the All-Star Game: SP David Cooling (4th), SP Max MacColl (5th), RP Samuel Hollier (2nd), C Kane Broom (4th), SS Adam Ashley (4th), LF Scott Kessler (4th) and RF Dwayne Hollinshead (3rd). Top Position Player: The starting lineup is practically unrecognizable from the start of the season, due to all the trades and injuries. One of the few familiar faces, 32-year old C Kane Broom (.304/.356/.407, 5 HR, 59 RBI, 50 R, 32 BB), has somehow remained healthy and productive thus far. 23-year old SS Amana Ghera (.321/.378/.396, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 15 R, 9 BB) was called up from AAA Clifton in late November and was inserted into the starting lineup in December. The former 4th rounder from 1938 has filled in quite nicely, winning Rookie of the Month honours in January. Top Pitcher: 31-year old LHP Max MacColl (13-8, 2.98 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) is now the ace of the starting rotation, and the 5-time all-star was solid, particularly in December, when he went 5-1, 1.60 ERA. Key Injuries: IF Finlay Ridd was injured in a collision at a base in a game back on October 12 and suffered brain fever. He could be back in a couple of days. RHP Lenny Freke (0-2, 6.43 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) was injured while pitching in a game back on October 17. He was diagnosed with shoulder swelling and will miss another week. On November 29, 2B Trevor Bolan (.317/.356/.471, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 37 R, 12 BB, 2 SB) broke his knee cap while running the bases. He is gone for the season (3 months). LF Scott Kessler (.314/.389/.475, 10 HR, 45 RBI, 38 R, 37 BB,) was injured on a defensive play on January 8. He suffered a thigh muscle strain and could be back within a week. SS Adam Ashley (.321/.367/.439, 2 HR, 41 RBI, 45 R, 27 BB, 10 SB) broke a wrist bone in a collision back on December 30. He is out a further 6 weeks. SP David Cooling (12-6, 3.09 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament in a game on January 27. He is gone for at least 6 months. Key Trade #1: On December 19, the Monarchs traded 35-year old 3B Louie Hetherington (62/62) to the Cambria Cannons, getting 31-year old SS Thaddeus Vidal (23/23) and 23-year old minor league OF/IF Tony Dunsmore (23/45). Knee-jerk reaction: On the surface, it would appear Braeland City’s return for Hetherington was rather light. But despite being a 3-time all-star, Hetherington has regressed every season since his outstanding year in 1937-38, particularly on defense. He has not been the player he could be if he applied himself more (Scouts say he “doesn’t always give 100%”, and his career stats seem to bear that out.) Dunsmore, a 2nd round pick from 1941-42, won’t be much of a contact hitter, but has some pop, a decent eye, great speed and solid defense in the outfield. Vidal is a versatile defender (especially at 2B and SS) but has limited offensive skills. Despite that, he has been outstanding at the plate since the trade (.380/.443/.444, 1 HR, 14 RBI, 14 R, 14 BB).  Key Trade #2: On January 17, Braeland City traded 29-year old RHP Jin-man Kim (57/60) to the Cambria Cannons, getting 21-year old minor leaguer OF Jesús Ortega (22/69) and 23-year old minor league RHP Harrison Revell (20/23). Knee-jerk reaction: Kim (9-6, 4.02 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) has been an absolute workhorse for the Monarchs since their inaugural season and earned an all-star appearance in 1939-40. But he has seen his production decrease over the last couple of seasons. He does not have the best stuff or control, but he does have very good movement. He will serve as Cambria’s No. 3 starter. Braeland City receives a former 1st rounder in Ortega, who has respectable offensive skills with outstanding speed and decent defense. He immediately becomes Braeland City’s top prospect (No. 23 overall in the ULB). Revell meanwhile has above-average stuff and decent command; his movement is a concern however.  --------  Like the Monarchs, the Wellington Athletics have embarked on their rebuilding project, completing three major trades before the trade deadline. And like the Monarchs, they actually saw their record improve modestly over Dec/Jan, to go 5 games above .500. The offense has remained consistent (.277/.339/.374 – 2nd/4th/5th), and the pitching has held steady as well (3.66/3.53/4.40 – 5th/5th/6th). Defense improved slightly (.691 – 6th). Four players were selected to the All-Star squad: SP Clyde Boney (5th), C Dylan Watkins (5th), 2B Brian Main (2nd) and SS Thomas Murphy (1st). Top Position Player: Brian Main (.318/.364/.488, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 71 R, 32 BB, 13 SB) earned his second all-star appearance and has been the best Athletic so far this season by a healthy margin. 1B Keane Fysh (.322/.405/.488, 7 HR, 55 RBI, 50 R, 51 BB) won the Eastern League Batter of the Month award in January, but he only appeared in 12 games with Wellington after the trade with Cambria. Top Pitcher: Once again, 33-year old LHP Clyde Boney (15-4, 2.17 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) was outstanding in Dec/Jan. There is currently a steep drop-off after Boney in the rotation since Wellington traded away two of their key pitchers. Key Injuries: LF Kade Limeburner (.273/.369/.429, 5 HR, 29 RBI, 24 R, 24 BB) was injured back on December 1 in a collision. He has brain fever and will miss another 4 weeks. 28-year old SS Charles Halse (.333/.471/.556, 2-3B, 10 RBI, 5 R, 7 BB) tore a knee ligament while running the bases back on January 18. He is gone for the season (6 months). Key Trade #1: On December 23, the Athletics traded 29-year old RHP Soren Heinke (38/38) to the Balmoral Giants, getting 20-year old minor leaguer OF Alex Turner (22/59) and 22-year old minor league IF Stuart Upshaw (23/23). Knee-jerk reaction: Heinke has been a serviceable pitcher for Wellington over the past 4 years. The former 1939-40 Rookie of the Year Award winner has decent stuff and movement, but his control has always been an issue. The Giants will use him as their No. 3 starter. Turner and Upshaw are nothing special at the plate, but Turner has exceptional speed and solid defense.  Key Trade #2: On January 18, the Athletics traded 25-year old SS Thomas Murphy (51/63) to the Cambria Cannons, getting 31-year old 1B Keane Fysh (30/30) and 19-year old minor league OF Peter Metcalfe (21/23). Knee-jerk reaction: Dumb. Fresh off his first all-star appearance, Wellington trades away their former first rounder for an older one-dimensional player and a minor league lifer. And Wellington is supposed to be rebuilding? How is trading away a solid young player a step forward, if you’re not getting anything comparable in return? Fysh is a former Rookie of the Year Award winner, a 4-time all-star and a Top Fielder Award winner. But his defensive abilities are now practically non-existent. He can still hit, but for how long? And what good does it do Wellington in either the short term or long-term? You’re not a ‘win-now’ team, remember? Meanwhile, Cambria looks to bolster its roster with Murphy (.279/.328/.376, 4 HR, 27 RBI, 63 R, 29 BB, 10 SB) at shortstop and 29-year old IF Rubén Sánchez moving over to 1B to replace Fysh. Great move by Cambria, who haven’t given up their playoff hopes for this season. But just a dumb move made by Wellington, at least in my view.   --------  The Stratford Barons stumbled in December and January to fall back into 5th place in the East, 14.5 games back of a wildcard spot. But it would appear the Barons are not giving up on the season, if their recent trade acquisitions are any indication. At the very least, if the Barons are unable to catch Brunswick or Embro this season, there’s always next year. Their window of winning hasn’t closed just yet. Both their offense (.270/.339/.382 – 4th/3rd/3rd) and pitching (3.34/3.34/3.38 – 3rd/3rd/3rd) held steady. Defensively, they are still middle of the road (5th – .693). Five players were selected to the All-Star roster: 2B Bart Wallwin (1st), 3B Nam-cheol Oh (1st), SS Jake Walker (4th) LF Steven Winstanley (3rd) and CF Ben Watson (2nd). Top Position Player: 24-year old 2B Bart Wallwin (.290/.335/.455, 7 HR, 37 RBI, 47 R, 20 BB) has been progressing every month. He was his team’s most consistent player over the past two months. 2B Maurice Keyworth (.299/.343/.416, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 40 R, 15 BB, 9 SB) won his second Rookie of the Month honour in December. Alas, he has missed most of January due to an extended injury. Top Pitcher: 34-year old LHP Ryan Borden (10-12, 2.64 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) is enjoying another strong season as Stratford’s top pitcher in the rotation. How he was not selected to the All-Star game just baffles me. Key Injuries: Maurice Keyworth was injured in a collision in a game back on January 3. He is experiencing recurring back spasms. The initial diagnosis called for him to miss 6 weeks, but on January 25, he suffered a setback. He is out for a further 3 weeks. Key Trade #1: On December 23, the Monarchs traded 29-year old RHP Leo Bonfield (61/61) to the Stratford Barons, getting 19-year old minor leaguer OF Carlos Ruíz (21/37) and 24-year old minor league OF Antony Tolmie (23/27). Knee-jerk reaction: Bonfield (6-4, 3.33 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) probably deserves a much better fate. A one-time 20-game winner and all-star, he never had the stuff to be an ace, but he is still a capable pitcher. But his production has decreased the last couple of seasons and the Monarchs deemed him expendable. As of right now, the Barons have buried him deep within their bullpen. Whether that’s just temporary or speaks of their poor estimation of him remains to be seen. The Monarchs receive a competent hitter and defender in OF Ruíz, and a mediocre IF/OF in Tolmie. Bonfied is the real prize in this trade, even if the Barons don’t agree with me.  Key Trade #2: On January 12, Wellington traded 25-year old RHP Kelvin Hutchinson (63/70) to the Stratford Barons, getting 21-year old minor leaguer OF Mario Castillo (23/68) and 20-year old minor league OF Kevin Wrigley (22/28). Knee-jerk reaction: Hutchinson is a former first round pick from 1937-38 and has solid stuff, great movement and good control. Despite that, he has never been able to put it all together. He will get a fresh start with Stratford, who has installed him as their no. 5 starter in the rotation. In Castillo, Wellington gets an above-average singles hitter with jaw-dropping speed and decent defense. He rates as the Athletics’ No. 1 prospect (20th overall).  --------  The Queensland Eagles currently have the deepest farm system in the United Leagues and are essentially in a holding pattern as their young prospects develop. They have some fine talent on the major league roster, but it’s not enough to compete in the top-heavy East. But the Eagles have had their eye on the next few seasons anyway. The offense has remained steady (.267/.324/.375 – 5th/6th/4th). The bullpen has improved (3.49/3.41/4.15 – 5th/4th/5th). Queensland has also held steady on defense (.699 – 3rd). Four Eagles were selected to the All-Star roster: C Dave Wilson (4th), 1B Merlin Teeters (1st), LF Terry Aspden (4th) and CF Jon Moreau (1st). Top Position Player: 26-year old CF Jon Moreau (.312/.349/.455, 5 HR, 48 RBI, 53 R, 25 BB, 4 SB) continues to prove what a shrewd acquisition he has been. He’s the Eagles’ top position player this season. Queensland acquired him from the Wolseley Unions back in May 1942 in a trade. Top Pitcher: 35-year old RHP Stewart Colcott (11-11, 2.74 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) has been Queensland’s most consistent pitcher this season. He went 2-3, 1.70 ERA in January. Another starter pitching that was deserving of an all-star selection but was overlooked. Key Injuries: None. --------  To no one’s surprise, the Downie Chiefs have been left far behind (along with Cobourg) in the Eastern League. Just as there’s a 12-game gap between 2nd place Brunswick and 3rd place Braeland City, an 11.5-game gap separates 6th place Queensland and 7th place Downie. Don’t look for Downie to close the gap anytime soon. The offense (.247/.298/.333 – 8th/8th/7th) has hit rock bottom. The pitching, however, continues to improve (4.06/4.23/3.00 – 7th/7th/2nd) ever so slightly. Also on the positive side, they are tops defensively (.703) overall in the East. One Chief was selected to the All-Star game: CF Ricardo Castellanos (1st). Top Position Player: 23-year old OF Ricardo Castellanos (.253/.300/.437, 7 HR, 42 RBI, 43 R, 24 BB) was Downie’s lone representative to the All-Star game this season. The former 2nd round pick (1939-40) is enjoying his best season thus far at the plate and is a very good defender. Top Pitcher: A tough year for pitchers in Downie. 33-year old LHP Barry Brear (8-12, 3.86 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) has gotten better with each passing month. He went 2-2, 2.86 in January. Back on January 15, Downie claimed veteran RHP Darwin Monday (7-6, 3.04 ERA, 1.37 WHIP) off waivers from the Cambria Cannons. He is currently the Chiefs No. 1 pitcher in the rotation. Key Injuries: None. --------  The Cobourg Red Stockings continue to struggle as their young players adjust to the major league level. But some are slowly coming along. LF Cliff Jordan (.241), CF Dwayne Whit (.250) and 3B Shelby Cain (.211) have all seen stretches of good performances, particularly Jordan who batted .296 in January. Veteran 3B Mathew Lane (.277), too, has really picked up his game in Dec/Jan. But Cobourg’s slow start claimed manager Lawrence Luke’s job back on December 14. After back-to-back seasons of 103 and 101 losses, the Red Stockings opted for a change. They replaced Luke with 51-year old Nicholas Willis. Willis previously spent four seasons as the Sherburn Tigers’ bench coach. [As a side note, it’s interesting that of the 16 teams, 11 of them still have their original manager from their inaugural season.] The offense saw a modest improvement (.241/.304/.328 – 7th/7th/8th). But the pitching has really regressed (4.41/4.44/4.19 – 8th/8th/6th). The defense has begun to fade as well (.698 – 4th). For the second consecutive season, Cobourg was not represented at the all-star game. Top Position Player: 24-year old SS Dennis Borton (.268/.299/.336, 13-3B, 51 RBI, 39 R, 21 BB, 14 SB) would not be the first or second pick on any other team, but for the Red Stockings, he has been the most consistent position player this season. His defensive play has been very strong. Top Pitcher: 32-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (3-3, 1 SV, 3.49 ERA, 1.54 WHIP) was claimed off of waivers from Stratford back on December 26. In that time, he went 3-1, 2.93 ERA for Cobourg. That’s good enough to be considered the Red Stockings top pitcher for the past two months. Key Injuries: 24-year old RHP Tom Mayor (0-0, 2 SV, 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament in a game back on November 7. He is out for at least 3-4 more months. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 12:08 AM. |
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03-10-2016, 06:51 PM
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#231 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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February 1, 1943
Western League: Giants, Stars Leading the Pack    --------  The Giants of Balmoral are in unfamiliar territory as they find themselves buyers instead of sellers this season. But if it’s a new experience for them, they are definitely quick learners. The Giants consummated three trades before the deadline in an attempt to secure their first playoff appearance. The Hespeler Stars actually overtook Balmoral in mid-December and led by 3.0 games at one point before the Giants regained the lead in the final week of January. Its clear Balmoral doesn’t want that to happen again and so went about beefing up its roster for a playoff push. The Giants have cooled offensively, but are still strong (.280/.344/.388 – 2nd/2nd/2nd). Their pitching has continued to improve (3.37/3.62/1.84 – 2nd/3rd/1st) and the defense has remained sturdy (.712 – 3rd). Three Giants were selected to the All-Star game: 3B Otton Overbeek (1st), CF Damon Purcell (1st) and LF Carlton Broadbent (2nd). Top Position Player: RF Carlton Broadbent (.329/.403/.530, 16 HR, 76 RBI, 61 R, 52 BB) is without question, the offensive leader on the team. He won the Batter of the Month honour in December. He and SS Francisco Rodríguez (.280/.328/.416, 1 HR, 44 RBI, 52 R, 24 BB, 8 SB) are rated Nos. 3 and 4 respectively among position players in the United Leagues. Top Pitcher: The Giants’ top three starting pitchers were all recently acquired via trades: Tristan Purss and Soren Henkie in January and Henny Akerval last May. 36-year old RHP Akerval (13-7, 3.34 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) has gotten stronger with each passing month. Key Injuries: 37-year old LHP Dave Mapp (3-3, 4.04 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) tore an upper arm muscle while pitching in a game back on November 19. He is out a further 3 weeks. RF Shannon Walker (.238/.347/.310, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R, 13 BB) was injured on a defensive play back on January 8. He could be back in a few more days. Key Trade #1: On January 21, the Giants received 28-year old OF Andrew Jensen (56/63) from the Fort Richmond Generals. Balmoral parted with 29-year old SS Chance Doerr (23/32) and 24-year old minor league 3B Ross Andrews (22/22). Knee-jerk reaction: After being acquired by the Generals last January for their failed playoff push, the Giants acquire him for the same reason. Jensen (.287/.343/.356, 3 HR, 30 RBI, 38 R, 28 BB) is a well-traveled veteran. He has decent offensive skills but is not the slickest of fielders. It’s not that Balmoral lacks talent in the outfield; far from it. They have 25-year old RF Carlton Broadbent (3rd overall pick, 1938), 23-year old CF Damon Purcell (2nd overall pick, 1938), 25-year old OF Ramón Tavira (7th overall pick, 1938) and 25-year old OF Lance Haworth (6th overall pick, 1939) on the 25-man roster. Add in 24-year old OF Jason Pollock (2nd round pick, 1937) down in AAA (and who the scouts say is ready for the big leagues), it’s clear that Balmoral made this move to get some playoff experience on the roster. Jensen has it: he won two United Cups while with the Kingston Pelicans. As for the Generals, well the less said the better. No disrespect to Doerr, a one-time all-star, but Fort Richmond got nothing of value out of this deal. This trade is a microcosm of two teams going in opposite directions.  Key Trade #2: On January 29, Balmoral traded for 35-year old RHP Tristan Purss (58/58). In exchange, the Fort Richmond Generals received four minor league players: • 21-year old RHP Jorge Martínez (28/59), • 19-year old IF/OF José Dávila (22/57), • 24-year old OF Alan Doyle (22/22), and • 21-year old 3B Toby Trott (22/25). Knee-jerk reaction: If there’s one area that the Giants are vulnerable, it’s starting pitching. They attempted to address that by acquiring Purss (in addition to Heinke and Akerval). Purss immediately becomes their No. 1 starter. While capable, Purss is more of a No. 3 or 4 pitcher on stronger rotations. He has an effective fastball and outstanding control, but he is very prone to giving up the long ball. In return, Fort Richmond gets a couple of mid-level prospects in Martínez and Dávila. Martínez had good control and decent movement, but does not have the stuff to be more than a borderline starter. Dávila is a sure-handed defender with limited batting skills.  --------  The Hespeler Stars served notice on the rest of the Western League with their surge into first place in December. They faltered in January and surrendered top spot late in the month. However, they did not make any significant moves before the trade deadline, so if the Stars are heading to the playoffs for the first time in their existence, they will be doing it with a roster built largely from the draft. The offense is taking its sweet time to mature (.262/.334/.375 – 6th/5th/3rd), but the pitching continues its strong play (3.09/3.19/2.51 – 1st/2nd/4th). The defense is the best in the United Leagues 4 months into the season (.720 – 1st). Four Stars were selected to the All-Star game: LHP Carlton Sherrell (1st), C Aaron Skidmore (2nd), CF Vic Weetman (2nd) and RF Marcus Peyto (1st). Top Position Player: It would appear that 24-year old CF Vic Weetman (.288/.340/.430, 11 HR, 52 RBI, 61 R, 34 BB, 10 SB) has finally found his groove. The former 1st overall pick from 1939-40 has been a decent but not great player since joining the Stars’ roster that first season. But Weetman hit .333/.343 in Dec/Jan and won the first two Player of the Week Awards of his career. Top Pitcher: 24-year old LHP Carlton Sherrell (10-5, 2.45 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) has just been outstanding this season. Sherrell, a former 3rd round pick from 1938-39, went 5-1, 2.20 ERA and 3-1, 1.57 ERA in Dec/Jan respectively. It’s little wonder he earned his first invitation to the All-Star game and is the No. 1 starter in the rotation. Key Injuries: 32-year old LHP Anthony Schmidt (1-3, 4.42 ERA, 1.50 WHIP) separated his hip joint while pitching on November 10. He is out for 3 more weeks. --------  The Kingston Pelicans continue in lurking mode as it were, hanging just behind the league leaders ready to pounce on a vulnerable team. The Pelicans found some stability in December/January to move 7.0 games above .500 and remain just a couple of games behind the wild card. Kingston has been rather successful positioning themselves for playoff runs. Last season, they acquired SS Katsunan Chikafuji before the trade deadline, a move that helped them claim the wild card from Balmoral. This season, they traded for an outfielder to compensate for the loss of Jayden Tennant. Will it be enough? They’ve proven that you can never count out the Pelicans until the very end. Both the offense (.269/.342/.371 – 4th/3rd/5th) and pitching (3.41/3.40/3.48 – 3rd/2nd/5th) have held steady. So has the defense (.697 – 5th) for that matter. Seven Pelicans were selected to the All-Star roster: SP Joey Cumberledge (6th), RHP Charlie Gilbert (1st), RHP Brady Murdy (5th), 1B Fergus Chitty (6th), 2B Mo Symes (6th), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (6th) and LF Jayden Tennant (6th). Top Position Player: 33-year old 2B Mo Symes (.319/.392/.454, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 62 R, 49 BB, 9 SB) continues to lead the team offensively; his defense though is suffering (.971 EFF). 24-year old rookie C Freddie Duran (.301/.395/.382, 2 HR, 37 RBI, 29 R, 41 BB) is holding his own against right-handed pitching. Duran was called up this year after toiling in the minors for a few years. He replaced Nick Hewat, who was summoned for military service. Top Pitcher: 32-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (13-6, 3.08 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) pitched well the past couple of months, particularly in December, where he went 3-1, 2.55 ERA. Key Injuries: RF Chong-sik Lee (.318/.348/.409) tore a knee ligament in a game back on October 10. He is out for the season (3 more months). RHP Yasushi Kobayashi (1-1, 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP) injured himself while pitching back on October 25. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is out for the season as well (2-3 more months). LF Jayden Tennant (.333/.430/.541, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 21 R, 25 BB) broke an elbow bone after being hit by a pitch back on December 7. He is out of action for 2 months. Key Trade: On January 10, Kingston traded for 26-year old OF Jamie Couch (61/63). In exchange, the Pulberry Trolleys received five minor league players: • 20-year old 1B Albert Unicume (22/56), • 21-year old 2B Kyle Bashaw (22/30), • 22-year old SS Alan Doyle (21/29), • 21-year old 2B Juan Estrada (22/24), and • 24-year old OF Danny Greene (23/23). Knee-jerk reaction: With the loss of Tennant, possibly for the rest of the season, Kingtson went out and acquired Couch (.245/.311./.315, 1 HR, 21 RBI, 28 R, 22 BB, 9 SB), a former 2nd round pick in 1939-40. Couch can hit for average, but discipline at the plate is not a strong point. He is a terrific base stealer and outstanding centerfielder, having two Top Fielder Awards under his belt. He will lead off against RH pitching and helps shore up the outfield. In return, Pulberry gets a lot of warm bodies, but nothing on par with Couch. Personally, I thought Kingston would have been the desperate party and more willing to give up better prospect(s). For Pulberry, who has one of the weakest farm systems, this does nothing to improve their situation.  --------  In an effort to keep within striking distance of the league leaders, the Cambria Cannons made a series of moves to shore up their rotation and deepen their lineup. They acquired veterans RHP Jin-man Kim and 3B Louie Hetherington from the Braeland City Monarchs as well as former 1st rounder IF Thomas Murphy from the Wellington Athletics. Will the moves be enough to reach the wild card at least? The Cannons are a very good team, but the Western League is becoming uncharacteristically crowded at the top. The offense, already a strength, has gotten better as the season has won on (.284/.347/.407 –1st/1st/1st). The good news for Cambria is that the pitching has really improved (3.73/3.90/2.46 – 4th/5th/3rd). Defensively, they are no slouches either (.713 – 2nd). Seven Cannons were selected to the All-Star roster: RHP Leon Hankey (3rd), RHP Carl Luscombe (1st), 1B Keane Fysh (4th – since traded to Wellington), 1B Kenneth Logan (2nd), 2b Wayne Bulmer (3rd), LF Ron Westmacott (4th) and RF Clint Jones (4th). Top Position Player: LF Ron Westmacott (.318/.423/.573, 14 HR, 60 RBI, 89 R, 68 BB, 14 SB) continues to be the offensive leader of the team and is enjoying one of the best seasons of this career. Top Pitcher: RHP Leon Hankey (13-7, 2.92 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) was just sensational in the Dec/Jan, going 4-1, 1.98 ERA and 5-0, 2.01 ERA respectively. 29-year old RHP Darren Whiteley (9-8, 4.14 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) enjoyed a great December and won his first Pitcher of the Month Award in the process. But January was a little bumpier, as he went 0-5, 4.97 ERA. Key Injuries: 29-year old RHP Shaun Alford (0-1, 1 SV, 2.22 ERA, 1.27 WHIP) tore his knee joint while pitching in a game on November 29. He is out for 5 more weeks. --------  It would appear that the Fort Richmond Generals have opted to try a ‘quick-build, as they have unloaded veteran players for a bunch of minor leaguers. The trades of Andrew Jensen and Tristan Purss to the Balmoral Giants are completely understandable for a team that is on the outside of the playoffs looking in. But the haul the Generals got back from those trades was rather light, in my humble opinion. Fort Richmond has some really nice young players; if they could have gotten a couple more like them, then a ‘mini-build’ would just be all they would have needed. But alas, it appears they missed a great opportunity. The offense is sturdy (.271/.341/.373 – 3rd/4th/4th), but both the pitching (4.06/3.86/5.25 – 6th/4th/8th) and defense have regressed (.679 – 8th). Four Generals were selected to the All-Star game: RHP Oscar Burruss (5th), LHP David Nixon (1st), C Danny Trowbridge (2nd), and 3B Britt Wing (1st). Top Position Player: SS Steven Wormleighton (.294/.327/.374, 2 HR, 34 RBI, 49 R, 18 BB, 9 SB) continues to be Fort Richmond’s offensive leader who combines outstanding defense (1.041 EFF). 24-year old 2B Shaun Attenborough (.303/.330/.510, 7 HR, 35 RBI, 39 R, 9 BB, 7 SB) was recalled from AAA in December. The former 2nd rounder from 1940-41 struggled in his brief time with the club last season, but he found his groove at the plate in January, winning Batter of the Month honours. Top Pitcher: 30-year old LHP David Nixon (11-2, 2.56 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) has quietly put together his best season by far, his fourth season in the majors. In January, he went 3-0, 1.88 ERA. Nixon was a Rule 5 draft pick (from the Stratford Barons) back in 1939. In contrast, team ace RHP Oscar Burress (10-11, 3.45 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) went 0-5, 6.12 ERA in December. He recovered in January, going 3-3, 3.72 ERA. Key Injuries: 23-year old RHP Dean Stroud (3-12, 4.05 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) strained his thigh while pitching back on January 8. He is out for two more months. 32-year old LHP Jeff Wooten (3-1, 2 SV, 4.04 ERA, 1.40 WHIP) sprained his ankle in a game back on January 18. He should be back in a week. --------  The Wolseley Unions have to be the most boring team in the United Leagues right now. To me, they seem to be in this endless holding pattern. Not good enough to seriously challenge for a playoff spot and not bad enough to ‘earn’ high draft picks. But their situation isn’t hopeless; they have a decent farm system (ranked 5th overall) and have some talent on the roster. But it’s nowhere near enough to shift them into high gear, at least not yet. They have only two players rated in the Top 20: LF Nicky Willis (ranked 8th overall) and RHP Aaron Saunderson (7th overall among pitchers). Not surprisingly, they were Wolseley’s two representatives at the recent All-Star game. But they can’t do it alone. Management needs to bring in a little more all-star calibre talent and end these doldrums once and for all. The offense overall has been pitiful (.244/.320/.343 – 8th/7th/7th) as has the pitching (4.26/4.31/4.02 – 8th/8th/7th). Defense has not improved at all (.689 – 7th). Wolseley sent two players to the All-Star game: RHP Aaron Saunderson (1st) and LF Nicky Willis (3rd). Top Position Player: These picks were easy. RF Nicky Willis (.329/.415/.483, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 54 R, 56 BB) is only getting better as the season progresses. 23-year old 1B Craig Aiton (.265/.333/.358, 9-2B, 28 RBI, 22 R, 20 BB, 6 SB), a 2nd round pick from 1938-39, is getting his first sustained taste of the majors. He earned Rookie of the Month honours in January. Top Pitcher: RHP Aaron Saunderson (13-8, 1.95 ERA, 1.06 WHIP) has just been sensational this season. In December, he went 4-2, 1.03 ERA in 7 starts. Key Injuries: RHP Jean-Pierre Da Silva (4-5, 3.38 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) tore elbow ligaments back on January 14. He is gone 8 months. 2B Philip Ducat (.244/.313/.312, 4 HR, 16 RBI, 33 R, 29 BB, 4 SB) suffered a mild shoulder strain in a collision back on January 19. He could be back in a couple of days. 3B Fernando Gómez (.224/.340/.364, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 37 R, 55 BB, 3 SB) was injured in a collision at a base back on January 19. He was diagnosed with back strain and should be back in a week. --------  As far as the standings are concerned, it was more of the same for the Sherburn Tigers, as the club remained firmly in the second division. But the Tigers enjoyed a few nice performances from some of their young players. It hasn’t led to much team success, at least not yet. While Sherburn’s offense has regressed (.266/.330/.354 – 5th/6th/6th), the pitching is showing some improvement (4.10/4.17/3.54 – 7th/7th/6th). Defensive has improved modestly (.693 – 6th). Four Tigers were selected to the All-Star roster: RHP Cris Herrera (1st), C Joe Gault (4th), 3B Harley Simmons (2nd) and RF Francis Pynchon (1st). Top Position Player: Most of Sherburn’s hitters have run hot and cold from month to month. But 3B Harley Simmons (.299/.353/.425, 8 HR, 51 RBI, 45 R, 31 BB, 6 SB) has been Mr. Steady. His defense at the hot corner has been simply jaw-dropping (1.112 EFF). 28-year old CF Bob Guerin (.236/.301/.337, 4 HR, 21 RBI, 33 R, 25 BB, 6 SB) is enjoying his first full season at the major league level. He earned Rookie of the Month honours in December. Top Pitcher: 23-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (11-11, 3.35 ERA, 1.42 WHIP) won his first Pitcher of the Month Award in January. The 5th overall pick from 1940-41 is looking more and more comfortable in the rotation with each passing month. RHP Chris Herrera (7-3, 2.21 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) is looking like a solid acquisition as well. Sherburn acquired him from the Embro Suns during the offseason in a trade for RHP Myung-gu Son. Key Injuries: 2B Damien Davis (.309/.375/.360, 8-2B, 32 RBI, 28 R, 25 BB) tore a back muscle in a collision in a game back on January 4. He is out 3-4 months. LHP Daniel Pierson (7-2, 3.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) experienced shoulder swelling while pitching in a game back on November 29. He is gone for the season (4 months). --------  After struggling through a horrendous stretch in November and December, Pulberry Trolleys enjoyed their first winning month in January. Whether that is indicative of this club turning the corner remains to be seen. But the Trolleys certainly have a ways to go if they want to leave the Western League basement. Certainly a more robust offense wouldn’t hurt. Their offense (.248/.317/.338 – 7th/8th/8th) has not picked up any since the start of the season. However, the pitching (3.76/3.92/2.39 – 5th/6th/2nd) has continued to improve, if ever so slightly. The defense continues to hold steady (.700 – 4th). The Trolleys sent three players to the All-Star game: RHP Nathaniel Martin (2nd), RHP Morgan Tice (1st) and SS Wenceslas Jasmin (1st). Top Position Player: SS Wenceslas Jasmin (.287/.362/.375, 2 HR, 32 RBI, 58 R, 47 BB, 11 SB) bounced back after a frustrating November and is by far Pulberry’s top position player this year. He has been solid on defense as well (1.021 EFF). Top Pitcher: 25-year old RHP Morgan Tice (6-1, 6 SV, 2.04 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) has been sensational in his second season in the United Leagues. In January, he went 5-0, 0.60 ERA in 15.0 IP. Key Injuries: 33-year old 1B Byron Tope (.262/.323/.369, 5 HR, 25 RBI, 29 R, 25 BB) strained his groin while running the bases back on January 22. He is out a further 4-5 weeks. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 12:12 AM. |
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03-11-2016, 12:07 PM
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#232 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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March 29, 1943
Eastern League: Suns, Legends Square Off for First Place  -------- 154 games were not enough to claim sole possession of first place in the Eastern League this season. The Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns finished tied atop the standings, with 103-51 records each. For the first time in the United Leagues, a one-game playoff was required to settle the issue and determine home field advantage in the upcoming Eastern League Pennant Series. Embro led the regular season matchup, taking 8 of 15 games from Brunswick. But the game was held at Brunswick’s Babe Ruth Park with almost 31,000 in attendance. It would take extra innings in an error-filled game to finally settle the matter. Ten errors were committed in total, 8 by the Suns. It was a fitting end to a wild and woolly season in the Eastern League. RHP Myung-gu Son (23-8, 2.57 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) got the start for Embro. LHP Wilson Villas (21-7, 3.26 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) took the mound for the Legends. -------- Top of the 1st: The Suns wasted no time, as SS José Sánchez led off with a double. Back-to-singles by C Denzel Fontaine and 1B Jim Friend scored Sánchez for the game’s first run. A fielder’s choice (6-4) and fly out scored Fontaine, giving the Suns the early lead. Embro 2 – Brunswick 0 Bottom of the 1st: With one out, C Maurice Evans doubled. But Evans injured himself while running the bases and was replaced with PR/C Phil Flood. 1B Stuart Bentham immediately followed with a single, putting runners on the corners. Back-to-back walks issued to RF Mark Elston and SS Mathew Shelley scored Flood for Brunswick’s first run. 3B Derek Sakurai then hit into a 4-6 fielder’s choice, scoring Bentham to tie the game. Embro 2 – Brunswick 2 Top of the 2nd: SP Myung-gu Son reached base on an error (E8) with two out. José Sánchez immediately followed and took a 2-0 pitch from Villas for a two-run blast to leftfield. Embro 4 – Brunswick 2 Bottom of the 5th: Stuart Bentham doubled with one out. After Mark Elston grounded out (6-3), Matthew Shelley followed with a double, scoring Bentham to get the Legends to within a run. Embro 4 – Brunswick 3 Top of the 6th: 3B Yoshifumi Tamura led off with a single. With one out, LF Tony Blakeney and 2B Kian Meadmore hit back-to-back singles, scoring Tamura and restoring Embro’s two-run lead. Embro 5 – Brunswick 3 Bottom of the 6th: LF Rovilson Valdevieso led off, reaching base on an error (E6). 2B Vince Bailey immediately followed, reaching first on a fielder’s choice (5-4). SP Wilson Villas then reached base on another error (E2), putting runners on second and third. CF Harry Chatwin then singled, scoring Bailey. With two out, Stuart Bentham singled, scoring Villas and tying the game up once again. Embro 5 – Brunswick 5 -------- In the bottom of the ninth, back-to-back errors by the Suns put Legends on second and third base with one out. But Vince Bailey hit into a fielder’s choice (6-2), preventing Derek Sakurai from scoring the winning run. PH Conor Chantler then grounded out (U3) to end the inning and send the game into extra innings. -------- Top of the 10th: With LHP Rob Fields pitching, RF Charles Usherwood led off with a walk. 3B Dennis Ducay then reached on an error (E5), putting runners on second and third. PH Darren Blume was then intentionally walked to load the bases. With one out, CF António Rodríguez drew a four-pitch walk to score Ducay for the go-ahead run. Embro 6 – Brunswick 5 Bottom of the 10th: Ace RHP Colm Soper took the mound to start the inning for Embro. But a single by PH Samuel Lobb, a walk to Stuart Bentham and a single by Mark Elston loaded the bases with one out. After Soper got Matthew Shelley to fly out (F8), Derek Sakurai singled, scoring Lobb and tying the game up once again. Embro 6 – Brunswick 6 Top of the 12th: After a scoreless 11th, Dennis Ducay led off with a first-pitch home run to left field off of Rob Fields, returning the lead to the Suns. Embro 7 – Brunswick 6 -------- In the bottom of the twelfth, Brunswick put runners on first and second with two out, thanks to a Matthew Shelley single and an error (E6) allowing Derek Sakurai to reach base safely. But Colm Soper got Rovilson Valdevieso to pop up (F5) on the first pitch to end the inning and the game. Embro finally claimed first place and earned home field advantage in the upcoming Eastern League Pennant series against these same Brunswick Legends. --------  Player of the Game: José Sánchez went 3-5, 1-2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R. Jim Friend went 3-5, 1 RBI, 1 BB Myung-gu Son went 9.0 IP, 10 H with 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K. Colm Soper (17-8, 2.19 ERA) picked up the win, going 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K For Brunswick: Stuart Bentham went 3 for 6, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. Wilson Villas went 7.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K Rob Fields (2-8, 3.91 ERA) took the loss, going 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. Maurice Evans sprained his knee in the first inning while running the bases. He is out 1-2 weeks. --------
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 12:14 AM. |
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03-14-2016, 06:45 PM
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#233 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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March 30, 1943
Eastern League: Return of the Titans    --------  It took 12 innings of the 155th game of a 154-game season, but the Embro Suns finally prevailed over the Brunswick Legends in winning top spot in the Eastern League and securing home field advantage throughout the playoffs. It’s the second consecutive season that the Suns and Legends have finished 1-2 in the East respectively. Both teams were predicted to finish on top, but their sheer dominance over all other teams was amazing. But it remains to be seen if Embro can translate that into playoff success, something they have not a lot of. They may be a 104-win team, but they will still be facing a 103-team for the Pennant. The offense wasn’t as strong as in other seasons (.263/.342/.369 – 6th/3rd/5th) but steadily improved as the season wore on. Pitching was tops in the League (2.96/3.05/1.97 – 1st/2nd/1st – ERA/Starter’s ERA/Bullpen ERA). Ominously though, RHP Colm Soper (17-8, 2 SV, 1.19 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 2.47 FIP) has fallen from elite pitcher status. Rated as the No. 1 pitcher in the entire United Leagues as recently as February 1, Soper has dropped out of the Top 20 altogether and finds himself in the bullpen as the playoffs are set to begin. That’s probably because his stamina has fallen to ‘35’. The five-time all-star is still rated as 80/80, but Embro could really miss his presence in the rotation. Their defense remained strong (.699 – 2nd); their 8 errors in the one-game playoff notwithstanding. Top Position Player – Season: Overall, the offense had a down year. That included 28-year old 1B Jim Friend (.313/.397/.469, 19 HR, 109 RBI, 100 R, 89 BB, 5.0 WAR), who won his second Batter of the Month Award of this season in March. 29-year old CF Terence Durney (.274/.387/.419, 12 HR, 66 RBI, 106 R, 105 BB, 8 SB, 5.3 WAR) was a contender as well; his defense at CF (10.6 ZR, 1.032 EFF, 7 E) was strong once again. One can only imagine how many games the Suns would have won had the offense been firing on all cylinders this season. Top Pitcher – Season: Just like last season, Embro enjoyed three starters with 20+ victories. 28-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (23-8, 2.57 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 2.75 FIP) enjoyed his best season thus far since coming over from the Sherburn Tigers in a trade last May. RHP Pete Allison (21-10, 3.39 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.53 FIP) and LHP Edward Hill (20-11, 3.14 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.36 FIP) also boasted 20+ win seasons. Team Goat: This item is for players that I deemed got way too much playing time to justify their anemic performance over the course of the season. Now, for a team that won 104 games and finished in first place, this might be deemed a useless exercise. But useless exercises are my specialty. For Embro, I’m going to pick on 32-year old C Denzel Fontaine (.233/.295/.289, 3 HR, 33 RBI, 38 R, 36 BB, 1 SB, 0.8 WAR in 336 AB). The Suns did not get a lot of production from its catcher position. Fontaine was solid defensively behind the plate, but his paltry bat did not help much. If he was just a bit more productive, the Suns may have avoided having to play the one-game playoff altogether. Key Injuries: RF Spencer Marsland (.304/.336/.425, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 39 R, 12 BB, 8 SB, 1.4 WAR) fractured his ankle on a defensive play in a game back on February 1. He is out a further 2-3 months. SS Gary Watkinson (.278/.395/.323, 2 HR, 66 RBI, 76 R, 88 BB, 3.3 WAR) strained a rib cage muscle on a defensive play back on March 13. He could be back in 4 days. On March 20, CF Terence Durney suffered shoulder soreness, also on a defensive play. He will miss two more weeks. --------  Despite their incredibly strong play this season, 103 victories was not quite enough for the Brunswick Legends to finish in first place for the first time in their history. So if they are going to repeat as United Cup champions, they will have to do it as a wild card team once again. And they will have to get past the Suns to do it – once again. The offense rebounded big time in the final two months of the season to finish tops in the East (.283/.352/.404 – 1st/1st/1st). The pitching staff was right on the heels of Embro (2.99/2.99/3.02 – 2nd/1st/3rd). Only on defense did they stumble (.682 – 8th). Top Position Player – Season: Absolutely, positively no contest. RF Mark Elston (.334/.469/.567, 29 HR, 111 RBI, 111 R, 141 BB, 7.3 WAR) rebounded from a ruptured Achillies tendon that wiped out his season last year to post his best season yet. He won his third Batter of the Month Award in February. The Legends have a pretty solid lineup, but Elston was head and shoulders over all this year. More is mentioned in the Noteworthy section below. Top Pitcher – Season: Brunswick has a strong starting rotation as well. This year, 32-year old Matthew Monroe (23-5, 2.49 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 2.73 FIP) enjoyed perhaps his best season in the United Leagues with his first 20+ victory campaign. LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (18-11, 2.65 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.37 FIP) and LHP Hirotada Fukushima (18-12, 3.30 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 2.93 FIP) each had strong campaigns as well. No. 4 starter LHP Wilson Villas (21-7, 3.26 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 3.33 FIP) won his first Pitcher of the Month honour in March. Team Goat: Brunswick came oh-so-close to finishing in first place, so I thought it would be fairly easy to identify a player that could have done a bit more. But the Legends had no glaring weakness. If they were perhaps just a little more fortunate than Embro (Brunswick’s Pyt. Record was 100-54, while Embro’s was 98-57), then they might be the ones enjoying home-field advantage throughout of the playoffs. Key Injuries: C Maurice Evans (.297/.350/.477, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 53 R, 29 BB, 3.4 WAR) sprained his knee while running along the bases back in the playoff game against the Embro Suns on March 29. He is out 1-2 weeks. Noteworthy: Declaring that he “can still keep up with those young guys”, 34-year old Mark Elston not only won the Eastern League batting title, but became the first batter to win the Triple Crown in ULB history. In fact, he led the entire United Leagues in eight offensive categories this season. RHP Brady Murdy won the Pitching Triple Crown in 1938-39. They are the only two players thus far to accomplish the feat.  --------  The Queensland Eagles finished in third place in the East this season, but it was a hollow achievement. The Eagles were merely a little better than the rest of the pack that finished way behind Embro and Brunswick. But with a deep farm system and shrewd acquisitions of young talent, like 26-year olds Jon Mareau and Merlin Teeters, the Eagles may be primed to make a serious challenge for a playoff spot in the next season or two. The offense was consistent all-season long (.265/.323/.375 – 5th/6th/3rd). Nothing great, but not terrible either. The pitching saw a modest improvement towards the end (3.44/3.38/3.97 – 4th/4th/7th). Queensland remained strong on defense (.697 – 3rd). Top Position Player – Season: CF Jon Moreau (.305/.342/.456, 9 HR, 77 RBI, 83 R, 36 BB, 8 SB, 5.8 WAR) was the top Eagle this season, especially combined with his terrific defense in the field (3.09 RNG, +11.5 ZR, 1.035 EFF, 9 E). Top Pitcher – Season: Once again, RHP Stewart Colcott (19-14, 2.76 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2.89 FIP) was Queensland’s most consistent pitcher. He went 2-3, 1.70 ERA in January. Not that ERA is solely a pitcher’s stat, but Colcott’s ERA in February/March was 1.70 and 1.74 respectively in 11 starts, 94.1 IP. This guy knows how to pitch. Team Goat: 22-year old SS Dermott Akers (.251/.303/.376, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 36 R, 26 BB, 0.2 WAR in 378 AB) is just in his first full season in the United Leagues and the former second rounder from 1940-41 did win a Rookie of the Month Award in November. But it was all downhill after that, and his poor defense (4.83 RNG, -8.5 ZR, .963 EFF, 40 E) did little to help the Queensland cause. Key Injuries: RHP Francisco López (14-7, 3.43 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 3.86 FIP) required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips resulting from a game back on February 18. The 25-year old is out a further 6-7 months. C Dave Wilson (.273/.343/.409, 10 HR, 42 RBI, 42 R, 43 BB, 2.7 WAR) strained his neck muscles while running the bases back on March 20. He should be fully recovered in a week. Noteworthy: 1B Merlin Teeters (.297/.341/.471, 21 HR, 107 RBI, 78 R, 46 BB, 3.3 WAR) enjoyed the longest hitting streak of the season, reaching 26 consecutive games. It ended on March 11 when he went 0-3 against the Brunswick Legends. Queensland lost 3-0. It is the longest hitting streak in the ULB since Colin Strudwick hit safely in 29 straight games back in 1939-40. Okura Ito holds the all-time record of 30, accomplished in 1938-39.  --------  The Wellington Athletics have been regressing over that past three years, but they still managed to finish 2 games above .500. The Athletics’ focus is on rebuilding and on that front, they appear to be making progress. Their farm system has improved from 9th to 6th in depth and one of their lower ranked prospects, 25-year old CF Stewart Cuthbertson (.311/.387/.471, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 25 R, 15 BB, 7 SB, 1.0 WAR) reached the majors in February. In March, the former 4th rounder from 1938-39 won Rookie of the Month honours. The offense held steady (.274/.341/.369 – 2nd/4th/6th), but the pitching regressed towards the end (3.75/3.61/4.62 – 6th/5th/8th). The defense also faltered (.683 – 7th). Top Position Player – Season: He lost some steam in the final two months of the campaign, but 30-year old 2B Brian Main (.291/.337/.458, 15 HR, 87 RBI, 100 R, 44 BB, 16 SB, 5.4 WAR) was easily Wellington’s top player, dividing his time almost equally between shortstop and second base, and providing solid defense at both positions. Top Pitcher – Season: SP Clyde Boney (21-10, 2.59 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 2.65 FIP) was simply outstanding this season; a return to form of sorts for the 33-year old who had a somewhat down year last season. Team Goat: 35-year old CF Kade Limeburner (.259/.357/.415, 6 HR, 37 RBI, 31 R, 32 BB, 0.3 WAR in 205 AB) has been regressing the past few years, but none were more unproductive than this past season. Out for 3 months due to brain fever, Limeburner just couldn’t get things going after that. But it was his struggles on defense (2.70 RNG, -7.7 ZR, .881 EFF, 5 E) that earned him the goat horns. Key Injuries: SS Charles Halse (.333/.471/.556, 2-3B, 10 RBI, 5 R, 7 BB, 0.5 WAR) tore a knee ligament while running the bases back on January 18. He is out 4 more months. --------  The story of the Braeland City Monarchs this season was the decimation of the starting lineup and rotation, as six of their key players went down for extended periods. The Monarchs put up a game fight to remain competitive, but in March, the bottom fell out and they fell to 5th place in the East. Braeland City embarked on a rebuilding project this season, but it will take a bit more, as their farm system is one of the weakest in the ULB (13th overall). The offense slowly began to fade in the final months (.274/.343/.380 – 3rd/2nd/2nd) but was still one of the best in the East. The pitching was respectable as well (3.63/3.67/3.20 – 5th/56th/4th), considering the injuries. The defense remained middle of the road (.691 – 5th). Top Position Player – Season: Like the rest of the offense, C Kane Broom (.288/.343/.381, 7 HR, 76 RBI, 77 R, 49 BB, 3.5 WAR) slowed down just a bit in March. But he was Braeland City’s top offensive player in what was a challenging season. Top Pitcher – Season: LHP Max MacColl (19-12, 3.26 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.33 FIP) was the Monarchs’ most consistent pitcher this season. In February, he went 5-0, 3.12 ERA. But like the rest of the team, he struggled in March (1-4, 4.59 ERA). Team Goat: It was not a good year for 38-year old RHP Frank Leadbeater (5-15, 1 SV, 4.77 ERA, 1.70 WHIP, 4.45 FIP). After being claimed off waivers from Wellington in December, Leadbeater could only manage 5-12, 4.13 ERA, 1.60 WHIP, 4.22 FIP. Key Injuries: On November 29, 2B Trevor Bolan (.317/.356/.471, 7 HR, 29 RBI, 37 R, 12 BB, 2 SB, 1.4 WAR) broke his knee cap while running the bases. He could be back in 5 weeks. SP David Cooling (12-6, 3.09 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 118 ERA+) tore an elbow ligament in a game on January 27. He is out of action for another 4 months. --------  The Stratford Barons were projected to win 78 games this season. The projection was not far off the mark, as they won 76. It would appear then that the Barons are at a crossroads. For despite the talent they have and just being two seasons removed from their United Cup championship, the Barons are heading in the wrong direction. While to me it would seem they still have a playoff caliber team, the players’ performances are not bearing that out. I would not be surprised if Stratford keeps this core together one more season to see if they can bounce back. But if it’s more of the same, then perhaps it will be time to blow things up. The offense (.266/.334/.372 – 4th/5th/4th) was underwhelming this season; however, the pitching (3.32/3.37/2.91 – 3rd/3rd/2nd) steadily improved. The defense remained middle of the road (6th – .688). Top Position Player – Season: It was not a great season offensively for the Barons, but C Geoff Lemoine (.271/.381/.411, 10 HR, 41 RBI, 47 R, 68 BB, 3.2 WAR) was a great story, a former 5th round pick that had been traded a couple of times and now finding a home as the Barons’ starting catcher. Last season in the minors, he won the Surf Coast Leagues’ Lou Gehrig Award for Batter of the Year. Top Pitcher – Season: Too close to call, as both LHP Ryan Borden (13-18, 3.15 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 2.87 FIP) and LHP Joel Fearn (15-11, 3.28 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2.83 FIP) had fine seasons, despite the team’s struggles. Team Goat: 27-year old OF Finlay Petty (.231/.275/.323, 3 HR, 26 RBI, 33 R, 17 BB, -0.3 WAR in 251 AB) was acquired in the offseason; but his first year with Stratford was not a sterling one. When Steven Winstanley went down to injury, Petty was just not up to the challenge. Key Injuries: 2B Maurice Keyworth (.283/.333/.402, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 47 R, 19 BB, 10 SB, 1.3 WAR) was injured again in a collision at a base back on March 7. He missed a month of action. RHP Kelvin Hutchinson (6-9, 3.87 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 3.75 FIP) suffered shoulder swelling while pitching in a game back on February 3. He could be throwing again in a couple of weeks. LF Steven Winstanley (.271/.363/.420, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 49 R, 56 BB, 2.7 WAR) fractured a rib while running the bases. He missed almost 6 weeks and finished the season on a rehab assignment. --------  The Downie Chiefs finished just one game out of last place this season, losers of 95 games. But that shouldn’t be too surprising for a team that featured seven rookies in its starting lineup by season’s end. The Chiefs are giving every opportunity for their young prospects to show what they can do at the major league level. A couple players had their moments here or there, but the majority experienced acute growing pains. Given how green the lineup was, it wasn’t surprising that the offense (.249/.303/.337 – 8th/8th/7th) was near or at the bottom. The pitching was underwhelming as well (4.16/4.30/3.29 – 8th/8th/5th). The one bright spot was defense (.699 – 1st). Top Position Player – Season: 23-year old OF Ricardo Castellanos (.262/.316/.449, 13 HR, 69 RBI, 61 R, 38 BB, 3.0 WAR) was his team’s lone representative to this season’s All-Star game, and was Downie’s most consistent offensive player. He was also a decent defender in the field, playing mostly in centerfield this season (3.10 RNG, +4.4 ZR, 1.021 EFF, 12 E). Top Pitcher – Season: A forgetful year for pitchers on the Downie staff. Case in point, 29-year old RHP Manuel Páez (9-21, 4.69 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 3.77 FIP) was as good as it got in the rotation, as far as FIP and WAR (2.5) was concerned. If only Páez could have gotten better run support. Team Goat: I’d hate to pick on a rookie, but sometimes these selections reflect more on the team than it does on the player himself. But 23-year old 2B Junji Seki (.217/.270/.279, 1 HR, 22 RBI, 49 R, 29 BB, -0.1 WAR in 438 AB) was given just too much playing time. His lacklustre performance simply didn’t justify it. He did win a Rookie of the Month Award for February, but that was due more to the lack of outstanding candidates that month than to Seki’s play. Key Injuries: RF Harrison Brooks (.286/.394/.446, 1 HR, 9 RBI, 10 R, 10 BB) suffered a broken kneecap back on October 25. He is out 1-2 more weeks. Ricardo Castellanos bruised a wrist bone on a defensive play back on March 20. He will be laid up a further week. Junji Seki tore a thumb ligament in a collision in a game back on March 21. He will be sitting idle for a further 4-5 weeks. --------  The Cobourg Red Stockings managed to avoid losing 100+ games, the first time in two seasons. A small victory to be sure, but the Red Stockings did appear to be more competitive this season as they enjoyed four out of six months with at least 10 victories. The Red Stockings have their main prospects now on the big league roster and are patiently waiting for them to find their groove. Neither offense 251/.308/.334 – 7th/7th/8th) or pitching (4.09/4.12/3.85 – 7th/7th/6th) wall all that good, but they did improve overall as the season progressed, giving Cobourg some optimism. The defense held steady to finish the season in the middle of the pack (.696 – 4th). Top Position Player – Season: IF Dennis Borton (.281/.323/.356, 4 HR, 72 RBI, 55 R, 39 BB, 17 SB, 3.5 WAR) caught fire in February and March, batting .300 and .323 respectively. He just finished his third full season in the ULB and the former 12th overall pick from 1937-38 is quickly becoming the cornerstone of the lineup. If the other young players can soon follow suit, then Cobourg’s days in the basement may be numbered. Top Pitcher – Season: 33-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (10-6, 1 SV, 3.47 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 3.49 FIP) proved to be wise waiver wire pickup as he was Cobourg’s best pitcher overall this season, even though he didn’t get his first start for the Red Stockings until January. The change of scenery seemed to suit Ahn, as he earned his first career Pitcher of the Month Award in February. Team Goat: 3B Shelby Cain (.209/.295/.313, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 41 R, 48 BB, 1.5 WAR in 402 AB) is another coveted prospect that the Red Stockings have on their roster. But the former 1st overall pick from 1941-42 was perhaps thrown into the cleanup spot a tad early, as he just didn’t produce enough to justify holding down such a key role in the lineup. He was outstanding on defense though (2.65 RNG, +10.4 ZR, 1.057 EFF, 15 E). Key Injuries: RHP Tom Mayor (0-0, 2 SV, 2.35 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) tore an elbow ligament in a game back on November 7. He is out for another 7 weeks. Shelby Cain tore a thumb ligament on a defensive play back on February 6. He should be 100% healthy in 5 more weeks. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 12:19 AM. |
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03-18-2016, 10:58 AM
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#234 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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March 30, 1943
Western League: Pesky Pelicans Pounce on Giants, Stars    --------  The Kingston Pelicans moved out of lurking mode as it were and leapt over both the Hespeler Stars and Balmoral Giants to take first place by a single game. It’s the sixth straight year that Kingston has made the playoffs and the second straight year that they have surged in the final month of the season to grab a playoff spot. The offense (.275/.346/.375 – 3rd/1st /3rd), pitching (3.21/3.15/3.73 – 1st/1st/6th) and defense (.706 – 4th) all improved as the season wore on. Top Position Player – Season: Recognition must go to both 2B Mo Symes (.315/.395/.437, 12 HR, 86 RBI, 88 R, 77 BB, 18 SB, 4.1 WAR) and 1B Fergus Chitty (.288/.424/.433, 16 HR, 78 RBI, 79 R, 123 BB, 4.2 WAR). However, both saw their offensive production go down compared to last season, and both were miserable on defense. CF Jamie Couch (.304/.350/.394, 3 HR, 46 RBI, 58 R, 33 BB, 18 SB, 2.4 WAR) came on strong in both February and March, winning Batter of the Month honours for February. He proved to be another shrewd trade acquisition by the Pelicans that helped them return to the playoffs. Top Pitcher – Season: RHP Joey Cumberledge (21-7, 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.01 FIP) enjoyed an outstanding season serving as Kingston’s ace and won the Pitcher of the Month award in March. It was his third season with 20+ wins. Team Goat: For reasons not immediately clear to me, the Pelicans are currently employing 32-year old C Ellis Oram (.291/.344/.349, 9-2B, 17 RBI, 14 R, 16 BB, 0.7 WAR in 189 AB) as their starting catcher, despite his sub-par defense (4.64 RNG, -4.8 ZR, .824 EFF, 5 E) and having a younger, more defensively sound catcher in 25-year old Freddie Duran (.283/.379/.370, 4 HR, 57 RBI, 40 R, 56 BB, 2.5 WAR in 346 AB). Oram may be adequate as an occasional backup, but he is no longer an everyday catcher. Key Injuries: RF Chong-sik Lee (.318/.348/.409) tore a knee ligament in a game back on October 10. He is out for the season (4-5 weeks). RHP Yasushi Kobayashi (1-1, 2.63 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 3.88 FIP) injured himself while pitching back on October 25. He required surgery to remove elbow-bone chips. He is out for the season as well (6-7 weeks). RHP Harley Bracher (10-13, 3.42 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 3.20 FIP) experienced shoulder swelling while pitching back on February 11. He is laid up another 2-3 weeks. LF Jayden Tennant (.333/.430/.541, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 21 R, 25 BB, 1.5 WAR) broke an elbow bone after being hit by a pitch back on December 7. He is out for one more day, but it remains to be seen if he can rejoin the team for the playoffs. --------  Despite the moves the Balmoral Giants made to solidify their roster prior to the trade deadline, it was not enough to hang onto first place in the West. Balmoral stumbled in February, and while they made a modest recovery in March, it left them one game short of the suddenly hot Pelicans. Nevertheless, the Giants can celebrate their first postseason appearance, with a view that more success will follow in the seasons to follow. The offense held pretty much steady in the final two months of the season (.278/.338/.386 – 2nd/4th/2nd). The pitching was one of the best in the West (3.38/3.50/2.53 – 2nd/2nd/1st) and the defense finished on top (.714 – 1st). Top Position Player – Season: RF Carlton Broadbent (.321/.391/.521, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 85 R, 65 BB, 5.1 WAR) was outstanding this season, and at 25-years of age, the former 3rd overall pick may still be just warming up. Unfortunately, Broadbent is gone for the season due to an ill-timed off-field injury. Top Pitcher – Season: RHP Henny Akerval (19-10, 3.50 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 3.56 FIP) emerged this season as Balmoral’s most consistent pitcher, on a rotation that is largely comprised of trade acquisitions. While he struggled in February (2-3, 5.02 ERA) like the rest of the team, he bounced back in March (4-0, 2.79 ERA). Team Goat: 23-year old 2B Allen Cattenach (.254/.303/.342, 4 HR, 53 RBI, 73 R, 43 BB, 1.6 WAR in 579 AB) is a former 6th overall pick (1938-39) whose progress has been rather slow. So the decision to make him Balmoral’s lead-off hitter is a questionable one, given his low OBP and middling success at base-stealing (11 SB, 11 CS). But that’s perhaps due more to injuries forcing the Giants to play him there than anything else. Still, Balmoral will be heading into the playoffs with Cattenach as their lead-off hitter. Key Injuries: LHP Dave Mapp (3-3, 4.04 ERA, 1.57 WHIP) suffered shoulder swelling while on a rehab assignment and has been shut down. He could be pitching again in 2 months. Carlton Broadbent was diagnosed with an elbow strain after attempting to haul in a large fish back on March 13. He will be out 4 more weeks. Noteworthy: For the second season in a row, a Balmoral Giant won the batting title. This season, it was 1B Roger Tyler (.324/.392/.391, 2 HR, 64 RBI, 52 R, 53 BB, 2.1 WAR), who won the Western League batting title with a .324 AVG (159 H in 491 AB).  --------  After a strong November and December that propelled them into first place, the Hespeler Stars were unable to sustain their momentum and utterly collapsed. They finished a distant third and missed another chance to end their playoff drought. While Kingston and Balmoral made moves prior to the trade deadline for their respective playoff pushes, the Stars sat idle. They thus have the entire off-season to prepare for another go next year. Despite the crop of young stars already on the roster, Hespeler still has one of the deepest farm systems (3rd overall). It may not be long before they finally enjoy some sustained success in the West. The offense is going to have to improve (.261/.328/.371 – 6th/5th/5th) if they want to make the playoffs next season. The pitching fared better (3.38/3.53/2.59 – 3rd/3rd/2nd) and the defense was solid all season (.712 – 2nd). Top Position Player – Season: CF Vic Weetman (.296/.341/.436, 16 HR, 82 RBI, 94 R, 46 BB, 16SB, 5.7 WAR) was simply outstanding in the final four months of the season, and like last season, he was sensational in the field (3.21 RNG, 16.8 ZR, 1.050 EFF, 11 E). Only his base-stealing needs some work; while he stole 16 bases, he was caught 17 times. Top Pitcher – Season: LHP Carlton Sherrell (16-8, 2.86 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 3.41 FIP) is in his third season in the United Leagues and it was his best by far. The former third-rounder from 1938-39 finished the season as Hespeler’s No. 1 starter. Team Goat: The Stars are not overly blessed at present at the 1B spot. Carrying the bulk of the load this season was 24-year old Héctor Gutiérrez (.235/.361/.362, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 39 R, 70 BB, 0.5 WAR in 345 AB). While he won a Rookie of the Month award in November, his overall production was not what you would want from a first baseman. No doubt Gutiérrez is still adjusting to the major league level, but as he does, Hespeler’s offense will continue to hold the team back. Key Injuries: 38-year old 1B Dwaine Thompstone (.261/.298/.358, 3 HR, 14 RBI, 16 R, 10 BB, 0.3 WAR) broke his kneecap while running the bases back on February 28. He will be out of action for 6 months. --------  The Cambria Cannons miss the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season. It was not for a lack of trying, however, as the Cannons made three trades to try and improve their chances. But none of them paid off, as 36- year old 3B Louie Hetherington (.276/.352/.384, 5 HR, 58 RBI, 52 R, 56 BB, 1.2 WAR) faded in the final months and was relegated to the bench, 25-year old SS Thomas Murphy was wholly ineffective and 29-year old RHP Jin-man Kim was sidelined for the season due to injury less than a month after he was acquired. The Cannons have some soul-searching to do to determine what went wrong and why they are no longer a powerhouse despite the obvious talent on the team. The offense was near the top in most categories (.278/.340/.388 –1st/2nd/1st), but the pitching, while not terrible was bypassed by other teams (3.77/3.91/2.83 – 5th/6th/4th). Defensively, they were fine (.707 – 3rd). Top Position Player – Season: No doubt about this selection, as 26-year old LF Ron Westmacott (.323/.431/.557, 18 HR, 94 RBI, 118 R, 104 BB, 18 SB, 8.7 WAR) had his best season in years and one of the best in the entire United Leagues. For good measure, he won his second Batter of the Month honour this season in March. Top Pitcher – Season: Not a great season for stand-out performances, but RHP Bradley Dodson (12-15, 3.31 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) got stronger as the season wore on, especially in February and March (5-4, 2.24 ERA over that stretch). Team Goat: Thomas Murphy (.258/.310/.353, 7 HR, 49 RBI, 82 R, 43 BB, 15 SB, 1.9 WAR) is another young player still adjusting to the major league level, so this reflects more on the team as to how they figured Murphy could step in and produce right away. After joining Cambria in mid-January, Murphy went .205/.255/.300, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 22 R, 5 SB, -0.1 WAR in 220 AB to go along with some poor defense. Key Injuries: RHP Jin-man Kim (4-0, 3 SV, 2.86 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) strained a thigh muscle while pitching back on February 11. He should be 100% in another 6 weeks. --------  The Fort Richmond Generals finished the season much like they have for the previous five: not good enough to challenge for a playoff spot nor bad enough to finish near the bottom. But in a season where there were no powerhouses in the West, it must be viewed as a squandered opportunity by the Generals not to have made a push for the wild card. Instead they began a fairly tepid rebuild. If Fort Richmond really wants to become a player in the Western League, then they need to decide which way they are headed: either a win now mode or a full-rebuild. Half-measures won’t cut it. The offense remained middle of the road throughout the season (.272/.339/.372 – 4th/3rd/4th), but both the pitching (3.96/3.79/5.08 – 6th/4th/8th) and defense will need to be addressed (.680 – 8th) if the Generals want to make any strides. Top Position Player – Season: This year is wasn’t a slam dunk, but C Danny Trowbridge (.288/.387/.401, 11 HR, 60 RBI, 89 R, 87 BB, 5 SB, 4.7 WAR) emerged as Fort Richmond’s top position player this season, despite the fact that it was a step down from last year (6.6 WAR in 1941-42). Top Pitcher – Season: Overall, RHP Oscar Burress (17-14, 3.07 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 2.95 FIP) was the best pitcher on the staff this season. Although LHP David Nixon (18-6, 2.90 ERA, 3.70 WHIP) could make a case that he had the best overall season as well. Team Goat: 28-year old OF Gael Huxham (.261/.340/.376, 9 HR, 60 RBI, 48 R, 47 BB, -0.1 WAR) is nominally a back-up outfielder, but Fort Richmond saw fit to play him in centerfield for 844.1 innings, and he just killed them with his defense (3.29 RNG, -16.9 ZR, .931 EFF, 11 E). Key Injuries: RHP Dean Stroud (3-12, 4.05 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) strained his thigh while pitching back on January 8. He is out for one more week. SS Steven Wormleighton (.295/.332/.388, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 80 R, 29 BB, 15 SB, 4.1 WAR) suffered a hip strain while running the bases back on March 23. He will be out 5 weeks. CF Gael Huxham also suffered a hip strain while running the bases back on March 24. But he will be laid up 4 months. --------  The 1942-43 season comes to end with the Wolseley Unions once again searching for an identity. I have considered them to be the most boring team as a result, but perhaps that may start to change. They’ve embraced youth and now have five former 1st or 2nd round draft picks in the lineup. They also have a bona fide ace heading the rotation, but they will need a lot more if they hope to earn a winning identity anytime soon. The offense was dreadful this season, despite some genuine talent (.245/.320/.345 – 8th/8th/8th) and the pitching (4.28/4.37/3.80 – 8th/8th/7th) was not in any shape this year to help. Defense was woeful (.687 – 7th). The Unions have lots of room for improvement. Top Position Player – Season: RF Nicky Willis (.315/.400/.458, 15 HR, 74 RBI, 76 R, 81 BB, 5.1 WAR) made great strides this season and he is only 25-year old. 1B Craig Aiton (.269/.325/.368, 1 HR, 41 RBI, 43 R, 27 BB, 11 SB, 1.0 WAR) continued to improve as the season wore on and won his second consecutive Rookie of the Month Award in February. Top Pitcher – Season: Seeing the progress of RHP Aaron Saunderson (18-15, 2.61 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.02 FIP) over the past few seasons has been quire enjoyable and this year he was far ahead of the rest of the pitching staff. Team Goat: As with many of these ‘goats’, it falls to a young player that wasn’t quite ready to handle an everyday spot in the lineup. In Wolseley’s case, it was 21-year old SS Jorge Arredondo (.222/.265/.297, 4 HR, 45 RBI, 56 R, 28 BB, -0.2 WAR in 481 AB) who was installed as the Unions’ lead-off hitter this season. The former 3rd overall pick from 1940-41 struggled game in and game out. Hopefully, he can shake it off and come back fresh next season. Key Injuries: RHP Jean-Pierre Da Silva (4-5, 3.38 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) tore elbow ligaments back on January 14. He is gone 3 more months. RHP Douggie Taylor (2-3, 5 SV, 3.94 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 3.58 FIP) experienced elbow numbness while pitching back on March 6. He will be sidelined another 4 months. --------  The 1942-43 season was essentially a tale of two halves for the Pulberry Trolleys, as the team came alive in January and went on to finish the second half with a 41-37 record. By comparison, they went just 25-51 in the first three months. While they slowed down in March to finish the season, there may be some basis that this is a club that is on the verge of tasting more winning next season. Or, at least one can hope. Their offense (.258/.326/.350 – 7th/8th/7th) saw a modest improvement to end the season, but it still has a ways to go. The pitching, too, continued to improve (3.75/3.85/2.82 – 4th/5th/3rd). The defense remained in the middle of the pack (.705 – 5th) this season. Top Position Player – Season: 27-year old SS Wenceslas Jasmin (.296/.361/.376, 3 HR, 55 RBI, 85 R, 63 BB, 16 SB, 5.0 WAR) enjoyed his best season in the United Leagues, and was the offensive leader of the club. The former first overall pick (1938-39) also contributed on defense as well (5.19 RNG, +6.5 ZR, 1.016 EFF, 28 E). 24-year old rookie CF Jarod Dwyer (.265/.326/.403, 3 HR, 31 RBI, 24 R, 15 BB, 0.4 WAR) joined the big league club in late December and soon began contributing. The former third overall pick (1941-42) caught fire in March, winning Rookie of the Month honours. Top Pitcher – Season: The Pulberry starters all had uneven seasons, so this time, I’ll go with RHP Morgan Tice (8-3, 10 SV, 2.27 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.24 FIP) who enjoyed a terrific second season as the Trolleys’ go-to guy out of the bullpen. RHP Bailey Keedwell (11-19, 4.06 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 3.83 FIP) enjoyed his best month of the season in February, winning the Pitcher of the Month award in the process. Team Goat: 33-year old Byron Tope (.264/.321/.372, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 29 R, 25 BB, 0.6 WAR in 277 AB) served as the nominal first baseman for Pulberry, after coming over from Fort Richmond in a trade in the off-season. But he is little more than a utility player at best and is not a long-term solution at that position. Pulberry would have been better served I think if they had played Wenceslas Jasmin at 1B and put either Jamie Florey (.255/.353/.368, 11 HR, 72 RBI, 78 R, 85 BB, 4.3 WAR) or Colin Strudwick (.281/.316/.370, 2 HR, 65 RBI, 63 R, 29 BB, 1.2 WAR) at SS. Key Injuries: 22-year old LF Bruno Lapthorne (.269/.315/.385, 4 HR, 72 RBI, 69 R, 38 BB) suffered shoulder stiffness while throwing in a game back on March 6. He is laid up for another 2 weeks. --------  If anything, the Sherburn Tigers are consistent, as they sported an identical 33-44 record both at home and on the road this season. Sherburn is another team that is patiently waiting for its young prospects to reach and thrive at major league level. Thus patience will be a virtue for Tigers fans, as Sherburn will probably be calling the second division home for at least the next little while. Sherburn’s offense (.265/.328/.354 – 5th/5th/6th), pitching (4.28/4.41/3.33 – 7th/8th/5th) and defense (.691 – 6th) perfectly illustrated why the Tigers are a second division team. Top Position Player – Season: 29-year old 3B Harley Simmons (.303/.367/.447, 12 HR, 72 RBI, 67 R, 51 BB, 11 SB, 6.9 WAR) emerged as a legitimate star this season, as he really came alive in the second half of the season. Over his previous four seasons in the ULB, he accumulated 5.9 WAR; he surpassed that total in this year alone. Mention should also be made as to his defense at the hot corner: 3.30 RNG, +32.7 ZR, 1.109 EFF, 9 E. Wow. Top Pitcher – Season: 24-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (16-15, 3.46 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 3.41 FIP) finished the season as Sherburn’s No. 1 starter. The former 5th overall pick (1940-41) looks poised to become one of the Tigers leaders on the rotation. Team Goat: 33-year old RHP Dillon Green (8-21, 5.90 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 4.51 FIP) had his worst season by far. In his six seasons, he has never had an ERA below 4.20. For now, he serves as Sherburn’s No. 5 starter, but without doubt this is one area the Tigers would like to upgrade ASAP. Key Injuries: 2B Damien Davis (.309/.375/.360, 8-2B, 32 RBI, 28 R, 25 BB) tore a back muscle in a collision in a game back on January 4. He is out 7-8 weeks. LHP Daniel Pierson (7-2, 3.19 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) experienced shoulder swelling while pitching in a game back on November 29. He is gone for 2-3 more months. RHP Leo Chesters (7-17, 5.32 ERA, 1.66 WHIP, 4.73 FIP) tore an elbow ligament while pitching in a game back on February 28. He is gone for at least another 9 months. -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 12:22 AM. |
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03-19-2016, 10:12 PM
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#235 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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 Embro Suns (104-51) vs. Brunswick Legends (103-52) Season Matchup: 9-7 in favour of Embro Embro: Runs scored – 797 (1st in EL); runs allowed – 575 (2nd in EL), def. eff. - .699 (2nd in EL). Brunswick: Runs scored – 724 (2nd in EL); runs allowed – 535 (1st in EL), def. eff. - .682 (8th in EL). The 1942-43 regular season saw the emergence of its first true rivalry in the East, as the Embro Suns and Brunswick Legends battled each other for top spot all season long and then squared off on a one game playoff to settle the matter after 154 games were not enough. It took extra innings, but Embro eventually came out on top and earned home field advantage in the Eastern League Pennant. But Embro has a serious monkey on its back. Last season, they finished in first place as well, winners of 100 games. But second place Brunswick proceeded to humble the Suns, sweeping them in four straight games and shutting them out in the final three. In fact, Embro scored just one lone run in that entire four-game series. Embro has yet to taste playoff success despite their recent dominance in the regular season. They have come back to try and exact their revenge on last year’s humiliation. Can they do it? It won’t be easy: the Legends are no slouches either, having just missed out on finishing on top by the narrowest of margins, winners of 103 games. Both clubs are dealing with injuries that could have an impact. Embro will be without their starting CF Terence Durney (.274/.387/.419, 12 HR, 66 RBI, 106 R, 105 BB, 8 SB, 5.3 WAR) and RF Spencer Marsland (.304/.336/.425, 2 HR, 28 RBI, 39 R, 12 BB, 8 SB, 1.4 WAR). However, SS Gary Watkinson (.278/.395/.323, 2 HR, 66 RBI, 76 R, 88 BB, 3.3 WAR) should be ready for Game 1. As for Brunswick, they will be missing their starting C Maurice Evans (.297/.350/.477, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 53 R, 29 BB, 3.4 WAR) who injured his knee in the recent playoff game. Embro’s Speaker Stadium hosted the first and second games, with nearly 26,400 in attendance for Game 1 and over 26,800 for Game 2. -------- Game 1 LHP Edward Hill (20-11, 3.14 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) got the start for Embro. LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (18-11, 2.65 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) took the mound for Brunswick. Bottom of the 4th: The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the fourth inning, when LF Tony Blakeney drew a two-out walk. 2B Kian Meadmore immediately followed with a double, scoring Blakeney and giving the Suns a 1-0 lead. Brunswick 0 – Embro 1 Top of the 6th: C Daniel Dancy led off with a single and reached second on an Anastasio Rodríguez sac bunt. With two out, 2B Vince Bailey singled to score Dancy and tie the game at 1 apiece. Brunswick 1– Embro 1 Top of the 9th: Vince Bailey led off with a single and reached second when 1B Stuart Bentham immediately followed with walk. That set the stage for RF/LF Mark Elston, who took Hill’s first offering and smashed a 3-run home run into the left field bleachers. The Suns went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth, and Brunswick took the first game. Brunswick 4– Embro 1  Player of the Game: Anastasio Rodríguez went the distance, scattering 6 H with 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA). Mark Elston went 2-4, with 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R. For Embro: Edward Hill took the loss, going 9.0 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (0-1, 4.00 ERA). -------- Game 2 Starting for Embro was RHP Pete Allison (21-10, 3.39 ERA, 1.29 WHIP). LHP Matthew Monroe (23-5, 2.49 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) started for Brunswick. The 8th inning saw a 29-minute rain delay. Bottom of the 1st: With one out, 2B Vince Bailey reached first base on an error (E5) and moved up to second when 1B Stuart Bentham followed him with a walk. SS Matthew Shelley then singled with two out, scoring Bailey for the game’s first run. Brunswick 1 – Embro 0 Top of the 9th: C Harry Goddier doubled with one out. PH Samuel Lobb immediately followed with a single, scoring Goddier for the insurance run. Embro, who could only reach third base but once in the game, went down quietly in the ninth once again and the Legends took a 2-0 game lead in the series. Brunswick 2– Embro 0  Player of the Game: Matthew Monroe pitched 8.0 innings, with 5 H with 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Mark Elston went 2-4, with 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R. Matthew Shelley went 3- 4, 1 RBI. For Embro: Pete Allison took the loss, going 9.0 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (0-1, 1.00 ERA). -------- Game 3 The series shifted to Brunswick’s Babe Ruth Stadium with 30,399 in attendance. LHP Hirotada Fukushima (18-12, 3.30 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) took the hill for Brunswick. RHP Myung-gu Son (23-8, 2.57 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) got the start for Embro. Bottom of the 3rd: LF Rovilson Valdevieso and C Henry Goddier lead off the inning with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. After Hirotada Fukushima’s sac bunt moved Goddier up to second, 2B Vince Bailey singled in both runners with two out to put Brunswick on the board. Embro 0 – Brunswick 2 Bottom of the 6th: RF Mark Elston leads off the inning with his second home run of the series, taking a 1-0 pitch from Son to add to the Legends lead. Embro 0 – Brunswick 3 Bottom of the 8th: Mark Elston and SS Matthew Shelley lead off with back-to-back singles. With one out, Rovilson Valdevieso doubles to score Elston for the game’s final run. Embro manages to put three runners on base in the bottom of the ninth, but a double play and a strikeout by RF Yoshifumi Tamura end the threat and suddenly, the Suns find themselves down three games to none. Embro 0 – Brunswick 4  Player of the Game: Hirotada Fukushima pitched 9.0 innings, with 6 H with 0 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Mark Elston went 3-4, with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R. For Embro: Myung-gu Son took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 13 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (0-1, 4.50 ERA). -------- Game 4 30, 816 were in attendance to witness the rematch between Game 1 pitchers Embro’s LHP Edward Hill and Brunswick’s LHP Anastasio Rodríguez. Top of the 1st: CF António Rodríguez and 3B Gary Hinton lead off the game with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. Rodríguez comes into score off of SS Gary Watkinson’s sac fly. Embro 1 – Brunswick 0 Bottom of the 1st: CF Harry Chatwin leads off the inning with a single of his own. With two out, RF Mark Elston singles in the speedy Chatwin to tie the game up. Embro 1 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 3rd: With one out, Gary Hinton and Gary Watkinson hit back-to-back singles. After 1B Jim Friend flied out, LF Tony Blakeney and RF Yoshifumi Tamura hit back-to-back singles as well, scoring both Hinton and Watkinson. Embro 3 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 4th: Mark Elston leads off with a walk and reaches third base when SS Matthew Shelley singles. 3B Derek Sakurai then doubles to score Elston. LF Rovilson Valdevieso follows him with a single to drive in both Shelley and Sakurai, before Embro finally records their first out. Embro 3 – Brunswick 4 Bottom of the 6th: Rovilson Valdevieso puts an exclamation mark on matters with a full-count two-out home run into right-centerfield. Embro 3 – Brunswick 5 In the bottom of the ninth, Embro would put two men on base, but a double play and a ground out by PH Paul Hooks ended the game and the series. Once again, the mighty Suns had been thoroughly outplayed by the Legends and will have to wait yet another year to try and win that elusive first post-season series.  Player of the Game: Rovilson Valdevieso went 3-4, with 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R. Anastasio Rodríguez went 9 IP with 9 H with 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 7 K (2-0, 2.00 ERA). For Embro: Edward Hill took the loss again, going 8.0 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (0-2, 4.76 ERA). -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 12:59 AM. |
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03-19-2016, 11:04 PM
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#236 |
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All Star Starter
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Land of Lincoln
Posts: 1,239
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Ouch! What a way to go, again, for Embro.
 Sounds like they are badly in need of hiring a medicine man or a witch doctor.  They may also want to consider allowing a goat to enter the ballpark!  As a last resort, I would suggest that they change their unlucky uniforms to help break The Curse! 
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03-20-2016, 09:13 AM
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#237 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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Quote:
But Embro is also starting to get old - I noticed that multiple all-star Paul Hooks is now reduced to the bench and pitch hitting duties and former pitching ace Colm Soper didn't even get into any of the games, so I think Embro may have peaked, which is a shame. It also made me think of how the wild card can change the entire complexion of a team and their post-season success. If there was no wild card in the ULB, Embro would have reached the United Cup finals three times, beating out Brunswick each time, since Brunswick has reached the United Cup every time as the wild card team. So we would probably be lamenting Brunswick's 'bad luck', as they would have kept coming up short - espeically this season when they won 103 games, and still finished as runners-up. Love the emoticons, by the way! 
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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03-21-2016, 12:16 AM
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#238 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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 Kingston Pelicans (87-67) vs. Balmoral Giants (86-68) Season Matchup: 8-7 in favour of Kingston Kingston: Runs scored – 690 (4th in WL); runs allowed – 608 (2nd), def. eff. – .706 (4th). Balmoral: Runs scored – 709 (1st in WL); runs allowed – 648 (3rd), def. eff. – .714 (1st). The Western League Pennant welcomed the old along with the new as the Balmoral Giants made their first post-season appearance. They finished just one game in the standings behind the Kingston Pelicans, who are no strangers to the playoffs. In fact, they have never missed the playoffs yet, finishing first in the standings four times and second place twice. But this season saw no dominant team emerge in the West; in fact, no team reached 90 victories for the first time. As with the Eastern Pennant, injuries could play a role in who ultimately triumphs in the West. Kingston will be without RHP Harley Bracher (10-13, 3.42 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 3.20 FIP), who experienced shoulder swelling while pitching back on February 11. He will be most likely unavailable for the entire playoffs. However, LF Jayden Tennant (.333/.430/.541, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 21 R, 25 BB, 1.5 WAR) may be back in time to start for the Pelicans for Game 1, after breaking his elbow bone after being hit by a pitch back on December 7. Balmoral will be missing their starting RF Carlton Broadbent (.321/.391/.521, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 85 R, 65 BB, 5.1 WAR), who strained his elbow after attempting to haul in a large fish back on March 13. He will definitely be unavailable for the duration of the playoffs. Kingston Park played host to the first two games, with 26,928 and 27,174 in attendance for Games 1 and 2 respectively. It was a battle between the old guard and the new kid in town. Let’s play ball! -------- Game 1 RHP Joey Cumberledge (21-7, 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) took the hill for Kingston, while RHP Tristan Purss (16-15, 3.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) got the call for Balmoral. Top of the 3rd: Balmoral got on the board first when 2B Allen Cattanach and LF Andrew Jensen led off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. SS Francisco Rodríguez then promptly grounded into a 1-6-3 double play. But during CF Damon Purcell’s subsequent at-bat, a wild pitch by Joey Cumberledge allowed Cattanach to come in to score the game’s first run. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 4th: With one out, RF Daniel Martin draws a walk and moves to second when SS Katsunan Chikafuji reaches first safely on an error (E8). With two out, LF Jayden Tennant singles to drive in Martin and the game is tied up. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 1 Bottom of the 9th: The game remains deadlocked until the bottom of the ninth, when Katsunan Chikafuji leads off and takes a 0-1 pitch from Tristan Purss and crushes a walk-off home run into the left field bleachers. Kingston takes game 1. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 2  Player of the Game: Joey Cumberledge pitched all nine innings, with 6 H with 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA). For Balmoral: Tristan Purss was handed a tough loss, going 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (0-1, 1.13 ERA). Allen Cattanach went 2-4, with 1 R. -------- Game 2 For Game 2, RHP Francis Slocock (9-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) got the start for Kingston, while RHP Henny Akerval (19-10, 3.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) took the ball for Balmoral. Bottom of the 4th: No runner got past 2B until the fourth inning, when RF Daniel Martin, SS Katsunan Chikafuji, 1B Fergus Chitty and 2B Mo Symes all hit singles off of Akerval to drive in the game’s first two runs. Balmoral 0 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 5th: Daniel Martin added to the Pelicans lead with a one-out, line drive solo home run to leftfield. In the bottom of the ninth, 3B Otton Overbeek led off with a single, but three straight fly outs ended the inning and game. Kingston now enjoyed a 2 games-to-none lead heading into Giants territory. Balmoral 0 – Kingston 3  Player of the Game: Francis Slocock went the distance, with 6 H with 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Daniel Martin went 3-3, with 1-2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. For Balmoral: Henny Akerval took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (0-1, 3.38 ERA). -------- Game 3 Balmoral’s Foster Field hosted its first playoff game with 26,499 in attendance. 25-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (18-11, 2.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) pitched for Kingston in his first playoff appearance, while RHP Soren Heinke (10-13, 3.01 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) started for Balmoral. Bottom of the 3rd: Both pitchers managed to keep the game scoreless in the early innings, but in the third, Balmoral came close. Soren Heinke led off with single and reached second when LF Andrew Jensen singled with one out. With two out, CF Damon Purcell singled. Heinke then tried to score from second but was cut down at home plate to end the threat and the inning. Kingston 0 – Balmoral 0 Bottom of the 5th: In a 10-pitch at-bat, C Brian Pittman fouled off 4 straight pitches before drawing a lead-off walk. 2B Allen Cattanach singled with one out, moving Pittman to second. After SS Francisco Rodríguez walked with two out to load the bases, Damon Purcell singled to score Pittman. On the same play, Cattanach attempted to score as well, but was thrown out to end the inning and limit the damage for Kingston. Kingston 0 – Balmoral 1 Top of the 9th: With Ah-cy Yao starting in relief of Heinke, PH Bob Kight led off the inning by slamming a 1-1 pitch into dead centerfield (425 ft.) to tie the game up and send it into extra innings. Kingston 1 – Balmoral 1 Top of the 11th: The game remained tied until Daniel Martin took a 1-1 pitch from Yao for a one-out solo home run to left-centerfield. SS Katsunan Chikafuji and 1B Fergus Chitty immediately followed with a single and a walk respectively. LF Jayden Tennant then singled on the first pitch from Yao, scoring Chikafuji. After 2B Mo Symes walked to load the bases, PH/C Freddie Duran singled with two out to score Chitty and give the Pelicans a 3-run lead. In the bottom of the 11th, LHP Patrick Denman gets the Giants to go down in order, striking out the last two batters. Game 3 is in the books and the Pelicans now sport a 3 games-to-none lead in the series, looking to finish the Giants off the next day. Kingston 4 – Balmoral 1  Player of the Game: Despite the loss, Soren Heinke got game honours, going 8.0 IP, 2 H with 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Damon Purcell went 3-5, with 1 RBI. Ah-cy Yao got hung with the loss, going 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 1 blown save (0-1, 13.50 ERA). For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert did not get the win, but went 9.0 IP, 12 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0-0, 1.00 ERA). In relief, Patrick Denman went 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (1-0, 0.00). Daniel Martin went 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB. -------- Game 4 26,344 returned to Foster Field to see if the Giants could finally figure out the Pelicans before it was too late. As in Game 1, Kingston’s RHP Joey Cumberledge and Balmoral’s RHP Tristan Purss got the start. Top of the 1st: Kington went for the jugular when, with one out, RF Daniel Martin hit a full-count single. SS Katsunan Chikafuji immediately followed with a triple to score Martin for the game’s first run. 1B Fergus Chitty and LF Jayden Tennant then doubled and tripled respectively, scoring two more before a stunned Giants team could get out of the inning. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 0 Bottom of the 2nd: The Giants responded in the second. 3B Otton Overbeek and 1B Roger Tyler led off with singles to put runners on the corners. A 5-3 ground out by RF Ramón Tavira scored Overbeek, putting Balmoral on the board. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 1 Bottom of the 4th: CF Damon Purcell leads off with a single and promptly steals second. Otton Overbeek immediately follows with a single, scoring Purcell and getting the Giants to within a run. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 2 Top of the 5th: Kingston gets those runs back in the top half. After Joey Cumberledge leads off with a single, Daniel Martin draws a one-out walk. With two out, Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant hit back-to-back singles, scoring both Cumberledge and Martin. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 2 Bottom of the 5th: But Balmoral responds in a big way. LF Andrew Jensen singles with one out and moves to second when SS Francisco Rodríguez reaches base safely on an error (E6 popup). Doubles by Damon Purcell and Roger Tyler score three, tying the game at five runs apiece. With two out, Ramón Tavira is intentionally walked. But Brian Pittman comes through with a double to centerfield, scoring Tyler. Tavira attempts to score as well on the same play, but is thrown out at home to end the inning. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 6 Bottom of the 7th: With RHP Simon Chell pitching in his second inning of relief to Joey Cumberledge, Francisco Rodríguez leads off with an infield single. With one out, Otton Overbeek doubles him home, giving the Giants a two-run lead. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 7 Bottom of the 8th: Although RHP Brady Murdy comes in to start the inning for Kingston, the onslaught continues. Tristan Purss, 2B Allen Cattanach and Andrew Jensen hit consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out. That sets the stage for Francisco Rodríguez, who triples in all three runners. After Damon Purcell in intentionally walked, Otton Overbeek hits a sac fly, scoring Rodríguez and increasing the Giants lead. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 11 Top of the 9th: CF Jamie Couch leads off with a first-pitch single. With one out, Katsunan Chikafuji singles to put runners on the corners. Couch comes in to score when Fergus Chitty reaches base safely on an error (E5). Kingston’s final run scores on another error (E6) with two out. After 3B Terry Maxwell draws a walk, Balmoral finally seals the win by inducing a groundout (1-3) from C Ellis Oram. The Giants avoid the sweep and lives to fight another day. Kingston 7 – Balmoral 11  Player of the Game: Otton Overbeek went 3-4, with 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R. Francisco Rodríguez went 2-5, 1-3B, 3 RBI, 3 R. Tristan Purss picked up the first playoff win of his career, going 9.0 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 158 PI (1-1, 3.18 ERA). For Kingston: Joey Cumberledge took the loss, going 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (1-1, 2.57 ERA). Jayden Tennant went 2-3, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB. Fergus Chitty went 2-5, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R. Katsunan Chikafuji went 2-5, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 2 R. -------- Game 5 After allowing Game 4 get away from them, Kingston came into Game 5 determined to finish the Giants off. 26,138 witnessed the action live and endured an 84 minute rain delay in the 5th inning. Game 2 starters, Kingston’s RHP Francis Slocock and Balmoral’s RHP Henny Akerval, faced each other again. Top of the 1st: Kington wasted no time as CF Jamie Couch and RF Daniel Martin led off with back-to back singles to put runners on the corners. 1B Fergus Chitty then flew out, scoring Couch for the game’s first run. Following him was LF Jayden Tennant, who slammed a two-out two-run home run to left-centerfield. Just like that, the Pelicans jumped out to an early lead once again. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 0 Bottom of the 1st: Balmoral gets one of those runs back in the bottom half. 2B Allen Cattanach and LF Andrew Jensen lead off with a walk and single respectively, putting runners on the corners. SS Francisco Rodríguez then grounds into a double play (5-4-3), scoring Cattanach. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 1 Bottom of the 2nd: The Giants come up big in the second. A first-pitch single by RF Ramón Tavira and a walk by C Brain Pittman lead off the inning. Henny Akerval then moves them up a base with a sac bunt. Allen Cattanach then singles, scoring Tavira. Up next is Andrew Jensen who smashes a 3-run homer into right-centerfield, instantly giving Balmoral a two-run lead. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 5 Top of the 4th: Fergus Chitty leads off with a 4-pitch walk and reaches third base on 2B Mo Symes’ one-out double. After C Ellis Oram is intentionally walked with two out, Francis Slocock comes through with a single, scoring both Chitty and Symes to tie the game. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 5 Bottom of the 6th: CF Damon Purcell gives the lead back to Balmoral with a one-out solo home run to leftfield off of RHP Brady Murdy. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 6 Bottom of the 7th: Ramón Tavira leads off with a single and moves up to second base on Brain Pittman’s sac bunt. RHP Ricardo Díaz comes through with a double, scoring Tavira for the Giants’ seventh run. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 7 Top of the 9th: Jamie Couch singles with one out. Down to their last out, SS Katsunan Chikafuji doubles, scoring Couch. Fergus Chitty follows with a single, bringing Chikafuji home. That ties the game up, sending into extra innings for the second time in the series. Kingston 7 – Balmoral 7 Bottom of the 10th: Facing LHP Patrick Denman, Damon Purcell leads off with a walk and promptly steals second. After Otton Overbeek is intentional walked, PH Shannon Walker singles. But Purcell is thrown out at home, preserving the tie. Ramón Tavira is also intentional walked, loading the bases. That sets the stage for Brian Pittman, who draws a 5-pitch walk, scoring Overbeek and giving the Giants their second consecutive victory in the series. Kingston 7 – Balmoral 8  Player of the Game: Damon Purcell went 4-5, with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. Otton Overbeek went 4-5, 1 R, 1 BB. Andrew Jensen goes 2-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R. Ramón Tavira went 2-4, 2 R, 2 BB. Henny Akerval got a no-decision, going 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (0-1, 5.54 ERA). Ah-cy Yao picked up the win, going 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2nd blown save (1-1, 10.80 ERA). For Kingston: Jayden Tennant went 2-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K. Francis Slocock went 4.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (1-0, 3.38 ERA). Patrick Denman took the loss, going 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 0 K (1-1, 2.70 ERA). -------- Game 6 The series returned to Kingston, with the Pelicans still needing just one win to punch their ticket to the United Cup finals. Balmoral was looking to continue their newfound momentum on the road. The game was a rematch of Game 3 starters: RHP Charlie Gilbert for Kingston and RHP Soren Heinke for Balmoral. 27,299 attended, seeing if their hometown heroes could wrap it up. Top of the 2nd: 3B Otton Overbeek get the Giants on the board first with a first-pitch one-out solo home run to the leftfield bleachers. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 2nd: Kingston responds, thanks to Soren Heinke’s control issues. C Ellis Oram singles with one out and reaches second on Charlie Gilbert’s sac bunt. Heinke then surrenders four straight walks to CF Jamie Couch, RF Daniel Martin, SS Katsunan Chikafuji and 1B Fergus Chitty. Oram and Couch come into score, giving the Pelicans the lead. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 2 Top of the 3rd: LF Andrew Jensen draws a 4-pitch walk with one out. After a fielder’s choice at 2nd (4-6), back-to-back singles by CF Damon Purcell and Otton Overbeek scores SS Francisco Rodríguez to the game up. Balmoral 2 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 3rd: With one out, 3B Terry Maxwell doubles. He is followed by Ellis Oram who singles, putting runners on the corners. Charlie Gilbert hits a sac fly to centerfield, scoring Maxwell. Balmoral 2 – Kingston 3 Top of the 4th: RF Ramón Tavira leads off with a single and reaches second on a C Brian Pittman ground out (6-3). Soren Heinke and 2B Allen Cattanach immediately follow with back-to-back doubles, scoring Tavira and Heinke. After Andrew Jensen reaches base on an error (E6), putting runners on the corners, SS Francisco Rodríguez singles, scoring Cattanach to give Balmoral a 2-run lead. Balmoral 5 – Kingston 3 Top of the 8th: Brian Pittman draws a one-out walk on four straight pitches and reaches second when PH Shannon Walker singles on the first pitch. After a fielder’s choice (6-4) moves Pittman up to third, Andrew Jensen comes through with a single, scoring Balmoral’s final run. In the bottom on the ninth, RF Daniel Martin leads off and gets hit by a pitch from RHP Ricardo Díaz. But Díaz then gets Katsunan Chikafuji, Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant to all fly out, ending the game and tying the series up at 3-games apiece. Balmoral 6 – Kingston 3  Player of the Game: Soren Heinke picked up the win, going 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 1 K (1-0, 1.80 ERA). He also set a Western League playoff game record with 8 walks. Otton Overbeek went 2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R. For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (0-1, 3.71 ERA). -------- Game 7 After being down three games to none, Balmoral has battled back to tie the series, setting up a winner-take-all Game Seven. 27,172 filled Kingston Park to see who could finally pull it out. Kingston’s RHP Joey Cumberledge and Balmoral’s RHP Tristan Purss faced each other for the third time in the series. 4th Inning: Although there was no scoring in the inning, it was not without drama. In the top of the 4th, Joey Cumberledge was forced out of the game after getting SS Francisco Rodríguez to fly out for the second out. He complained of shoulder stiffness and was replaced by RHP Simon Chell. In the bottom of the 4th, SS Katsunan Chikafuji singled with one out. After 1B Fergus Chitty walked on four straight pitches, LF Jayden Tenant singled. Chikafuji then tried to score, but was thrown out at home, preserving the scoreless tie. Balmoral 0 – Kingston 0 Top of the 5th: 3B Otton Overbeek leads off with a single and reaches second on a 1B Roger Tyler ground out (3-1). RF Ramón Tavira is given a free pass. C Brian Pittman then singles, scoring Overbeek, who beats out the throw. With two out, 2B Allen Cattanch triples, scoring both Tavira and Pittman. Balmoral 3 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 6th: Fergus Chitty doubles with one out. Jayden Tennant immediately follows, and after fouling off five straight pitches, he takes a 2-2 pitch from Tristan Purss and wallops it into the left-centerfield bleachers (409 ft.) to get the Pelicans to within one. Balmoral 3 – Kingston 2 Top of the 7th: Brian Pittman leads off with a single. He reaches third base thanks to a sac bunt by Tristan Purss and a ground out (4-3) by Allen Cattenach. During LF Andrew Jensen’s subsequent at-bat, RHP Brady Murdy is called for a balk, forcing in Pittman and eliciting angry cat calls from both the bench and stands (NO WAY!) Balmoral 4 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 7th: C Ellis Oram leads off with a double and reaches third on a sac bunt by Brady Murdy. CF Jamie Couch then grounds out (3-1), allowing Oram to score and getting Kingston back to within a run. Balmoral 4 – Kingston 3 Bottom of the 9th: With LHP Ah-cy Yao taking over from Tristan Purss, PH Lenny Wyatt leads off with a walk. PH Bob Kight then tries to move him over with a sac bunt, but he hits into a double play instead. Down to their last out, PH Brandon Channing draws a 4-pitch walk. RF Daniel Martin then singles. Channing beats out the throw at third, allowing Martin to take second. Katsunan Chikafuji then draws a walk, loading the bases. Fergus Chitty reaches base safely on an error (E5), scoring Channing to tie the game up. Jayden Tennant follows and sends the crowd and his teammates into jubilation when he hits a game winning single, scoring Martin. Despite a spirited comeback by the Giants to get back into the series, the Pelicans manage to hold them off, if just barely, to return to their fourth United Cup. Balmoral 4 – Kingston 5  Player of the Game: Jayden Tennant went 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. Ellis Oram went 3-3, 1-2B, 1 R. Brady Murdy picked up the win, going 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (1-0, 7.88 ERA). Joey Cumberledge suffered shoulder stiffness in the 4th inning and will not be available for the United Cup series. He is out 3-4 weeks. For Balmoral: Brian Pittman went 3-4, with 1 RBI, 2 R. Tristan Purss went 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 112 PI (1-1, 3.24 ERA). Ah-cy Yao got stung with the loss, going 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 3rd blown save (1-1, 9.53 ERA). -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 01:03 AM. |
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03-22-2016, 02:26 PM
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#239 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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 Brunswick Legends (103-52) vs. Kingston Pelicans (87-67) Season Matchup: 4-2 in favour of Kingston Brunswick: Runs scored – 724 (2nd in EL); runs allowed – 535 (1st), def. eff. - .682 (8th). Kingston: Runs scored – 690 (4th in WL); runs allowed – 608 (2nd), def. eff. – .706 (4th). For the first time, two teams that have previously won the United Cup will meet in the final. And it will be a rematch of sorts to the 1938-39 United Cup, as the Kingston Pelicans and Brunswick Legends each won their respective League’s Pennants. This will be the fourth United Cup appearance for the Kingston Pelicans, having played previously in the 1937-38, 1938-39 and 1940-41 United Cups. The Pelicans won the first two (against the Wellington Athletics and Brunswick Legends), but lost to the Stratford Barons in their last appearance. As for the Brunswick Legends, this will be their third appearance, having lost to Kingston in 1938-39 and defeating the Cambria Cannons in last season’s United Cup. The Legends come into this United Cup as the prohibited favourites, not only due to the 16-game differential between the two team’s regular season records, but also to the injuries that the Kingston Pelicans are dealing with. Kingston will continue to be without RHP Harley Bracher (10-13, 3.42 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 3.20 FIP), who experienced shoulder swelling while pitching back on February 11. But perhaps an even bigger blow will be the loss of RHP Joey Cumberledge (21-7, 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP. 3.01 FIP) who experienced shoulder stiffness in Game 7 of the Western League Pennant, and had to come out of the game. He will not be available for the United Cup series either. As for Brunswick though, they will come into the United Cup relatively healthy. Their starting C Maurice Evans (.297/.350/.477, 11 HR, 56 RBI, 53 R, 29 BB, 3.4 WAR), who missed the Eastern League Pennant due to a knee injury suffered during the one-game playoff with the Embro Suns, has recovered and will be available for the United Cup. The Legends are well rested, having swept the Embro Suns in four straight games for the Eastern League Pennant. But the Pelicans are coming off an exhausting 7-game series with the Balmoral Giants that saw two games go into extra innings and wasn’t undecided until the Pelicans pulled out a victory in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7. Despite Brunswick’s better regular season record, the series opened at Kingston Park (perhaps due to Kingston winning the head-to-head record?) Warm, clear skies greeted the 27,029 in attendance for Game 1. The question on everyone’s mind was: Who would add to their team’s trophy case? Would it be a dominant Brunswick team or the ‘never say die’ Kingston crew? It’s time to find out. Play ball! -------- Game 1 RHP Francis Slocock (9-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) gets the start for Kingston. LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (18-11, 2.65 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) takes the mound for Brunswick. Top of the 1st: The Legends waste no time getting on the board, as 1B Stuart Bentham slams a two-out solo home run to the left-centerfield stands for the game’s first run. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 1st: Kingston quickly responds. With one out, CF Jamie Couch singles and moves to second when SS Katsunana Chikafuji draws a walk. With two out, LF Jayden Tennant takes a 1-1 pitch from Anastasio Rodríguez and smashes it into the leftfield bleachers for a 3-run home run. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 3 Top of the 2nd: The see-saw battle continues, as LF Rovilson Valdeviseso leads off with a double and scores on 3B Derek Sakurai’s triple. With one out, Valdeviseso comes home on Anastasio Rodríguez’s sac fly, tying the game. Brunswick 3 – Kingston 3 Top of the 9th: The score remains deadlock until the ninth inning. LHP Brendan Margerson, coming in to relieve Francis Slocock, gives up a first-pitch single to PH Laroya Quindiagan. Quindiagan reaches third base thanks to a sac bunt by Derek Sakurai and a ground out (4-3) by PH Hang-ki Huan. PH Albert Cooling then comes through with a 2-run homer to left-centerfield, giving the Legends the lead with three outs to go. Brunswick 5 – Kingston 3 Bottom of the 9th: LHP Rob Fields comes in to relieve Anastasio Rodríguez. After getting two quick outs, Fields surrenders a double to 1B Fergus Chitty. Chitty immediately scores when Jayden Tennant reaches safely on an error (E5). Fields then loads the bases when 2B Mo Symes walks and 3B Terry Maxwell singles. PH Bob Kight then comes through with a single, scoring Tennant and tying the game up once again. Brunswick 5 – Kingston 5 Top of the 10th: RHP Simon Chell starts the inning and gets two easy outs. But PH Samuel Lobb take a 2-1 pitch and crushes a 429 ft. bomb to right-centerfield to give the lead back to Brunswick. In the bottom half, Rob Fields gets both RF Daniel Martin and Brandon Channing to fly out. After Katsunana Chikafuji draws another walk, Fergus Chitty hits into a fielder’s choice (U6) to end the game, giving the Legends a 1-0 series lead. Brunswick 6 – Kingston 5  Player of the Game: Anastasio Rodríguez pitched 8.0 innings, scattering 3 H with 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (2-0, 2.42 ERA), but did not get the win. Rob Fields picked up the winning, going 2.0 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 blown save (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Albert Cooling went 1-1, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R. For Kingston: Francis Slocock went 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (1-0, 3.38 ERA). Simon Chell took the loss, going 1.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 1 HR (0-1, 9.00 ERA). Jayden Tennant went 1-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R. -------- Game 2 27,069 are on hand for Game 2 that’s played under cool, partly cloudy skies. RHP Charlie Gilbert (18-11, 2.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) takes the hill for Kingston, while LHP Matthew Monroe (23-5, 2.49 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) starts for Brunswick. Top of the 3rd: The game remains hitless until RF Daniel Martin steps up to the plate with two out. Martin gets all of Matthew Monroe’s first pitch and deposits it into the leftfield stands for the Pelicans’ first run. Brunswick 0 – Kingston 1 Top of the 7th: Charlie Gilbert keeps the Legends’ hitters at bay until the seventh inning. SS Matthew Shelley and LF Rovilson Valdevieso lead off with back-to-back singles and aggressive base running moves them up to third and second base. PH Rhett Curnow flies out to leftfield, scoring Shelley to tie the game up. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 1 Bottom of the 7th: 1B Fergus Chitty leads off with a double and reaches third on a 2B Mo Symes groundout. With two out, C Ellis Oram singles in Chitty to return the lead to Kingston. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 2 Top of the 8th: CF Harry Chatwin leads off with a first pitch single and reaches third base on a C Maurice Evans sac bunt and a 1B Stuart Bentham ground out (U3). The Legends then pour the hits on, as RF Mark Elston singles, Matthew Shelley doubles and Rovilson Valdevieso singles to score three runs, giving the lead back to Brunswick. Matthew Monroe then finishes things off himself by getting the Pelicans to go down in order in the ninth, giving the Legends a two games-to-none lead. Brunswick 4 – Kingston 2  Player of the Game: Matthew Monroe pitched all 9 innings, scattering 4 H with 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (2-0, 1.06 ERA). Rovilson Valdevieso went 3-4, 2 RBI. Matthew Shelley went 2-4, 1-2B, 2 R. For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert suffered his second loss of the playoffs, going 9.0 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (0-2, 3.81 ERA). Daniel Martin went 1-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R. He hit his third homerun of the playoffs. -------- Game 3 The series shifts to the east coast as Brunswick’s Babe Ruth Park hosts Game 3. 30,733 fill the stands to see if the Legends can continue their undefeated streak, having won 6 games in a row in the playoffs thus far. It’s a perfect day for a baseball game, with beautiful clear skies and a moderate breeze (16 mph out-to-right). LHP Hirotada Fukushima (18-12, 3.30 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) starts for Brunswick, while Kingston’s 24-year old RHP Jim Hogue (12-15, 3.95 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) makes his first career post-season start. Bottom of the 1st: CF Harry Chatwin and C Maurice Evans lead off with back-to-back singles. But 1B Stuart Bentham grounds into a double play (6-4-3), leaving Chatwin on third. After RF Mark Elston walks, SS Matthew Shelley singles, driving in Chatwin for the first run. Kingston 0 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 2nd: 2B Mo Symes leads off with a walk and scores when 3B Terry Maxwell follows with a triple. With one out, Jim Hogue hits a sac fly, scoring Maxwell and the Pelicans go out in front. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 3rd: 1B Fergus Chitty hits a two-out solo home run, a line drive into the leftfield bleachers. Kingston 3 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 6th: Kingston breaks it open. With one out, RF Jayden Tennant singles, Mo Symes doubles and Terry Maxwell is intentional walked, loading the bases. But an unintentional walk to C Ellis Oram, a Jim Hogue single, a RF Daniel Martin single and a CF Jamie Couch single score four runs, ending Hirotada Fukushima’s day. LHP Rob Fields gets SS Katsunan Chikafuji to ground into a double play to end the inning. Kingston 7 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 7th: Harry Chatwin singles, steals second and reaches third on a ground out. Stuart Bentham drives Chatwin home with a single. After Mark Elston walks, Matthew Shelley singles, scoring Bentham for Brunswick’s third run of the game. Kingston 7 – Brunswick 3 Top of the 9th: Jamie Couch and Katsunan Chikafuji lead off with back-to-back singles. Fergus Chitty reaches safely on a dropped throw (E6), loading the bases with nobody out. Jayden Tennant grounds out (U3) to score Couch and Mo Symes drives in Chikafuji with a sac fly, restoring Kingston’s 6-run lead. Kingston 9 – Brunswick 3 Bottom of the 9th: Maurice Evans singles and Stuart Bentham draws a walk with nobody out, ending Jim Hogue’s afternoon. Mark Elston then doubles off of RHP Simon Chell, scoring Evans. Matthew Shelley grounds out (6-3) scoring Bentham and Rovilson Valdevieso flies out to rightfield, plating Elston. But Derek Sakurai flies out to leftfield for the final out. Kingston hangs on for their first win in the series. Kingston 9 – Brunswick 6  Player of the Game: Mo Symes went 2-3, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 1 BB. Jamie Couch goes 2-3, 1 RBI, 2 BB. Jim Hogue picked up the win, going 8.0 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K (1-0, 5.63 ERA). For Brunswick: Matthew Shelley went 2-5, 3 RBI. Mark Elston went 1-3, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB. Hirotada Fukushima suffered the loss, going just 5.1 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (1-1, 4.40 ERA). -------- Game 4 Disappointed in their team’s performance in Game 3, 30,711 fans return to see if the Legends will bounce back. The ideal weather for baseball continues, with warm, partly cloudy skies. Game 4 features the same matchup as in Game 1. LHP Anastasio Rodríguez takes the mound for Brunswick. RHP Francis Slocock starts for Kingston. Bottom of the 3rd: Francis Slocock cruises through the first two innings, but meets up with trouble in the third. 3B Derek Sakurai and 2B Vince Bailey lead off with back-to-back singles. But a throwing error (E9) scores Sakurai and allows Bailey to reach second. Anastasio Rodríguez’s follows with a sac bunt, moving Bailey to third. CF Harry Chatwin then slams a first pitch double to score Bailey, steals third and then scores himself on C Maurice Evans’ ground out (6-3). 1B Stuart Bentham doubles and scores on RF Mark Elston’s single before the inning comes to an end. Kingston 0 – Brunswick 4 Bottom of the 5th: Three consecutive singles by Harry Chatwin, Maurice Evans and Stuart Bentham with one out drives in a run. With two out, SS Matthew Shelley singles, scoring Evans. Kingston 0 – Brunswick 6 Top of the 8th: RF Daniel Martin doubles and SS Katsunan Chikafuji follows with a single to score Martin, finally getting Kingston on the board. Kingston 1 – Brunswick 6 Bottom of the 8th: Matthew Shelley leads off with a single but is thrown out at second trying to stretch the hit. Rovilson Valdevieso and Derek Sakurai follow with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. RHP Brady Murdy comes on in relief, but Vince Bailey grounds out (3-1) to score Valdevieso. In the top of the ninth, Anastasio Rodríguez surrenders back-to-back singles to Mo Symes and Terry Maxwell with one out. But C Ellis Oram strikes out and PH Bob Kight grounds out (4-3) to end the threat. Brunswick takes Game 4 and a commanding three games-to-one lead in the series. Kingston 1 – Brunswick 7  Player of the Game: Anastasio Rodríguez picked up his third win of the playoffs. He went 9.0 IP, 8 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 K (3-0, 2.06 ERA). Stuart Bentham went 3-4, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 1 R. Harry Chatwin went 2-4, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 1 R. Derek Sakurai went 2-4, 1 R. For Kingston: Francis Slocock started off strong but quickly ran into trouble. He took the loss, going 5.0 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (1-1, 4.78 ERA). -------- Game 5 The sky is clear, but cool as 30,918 settle in for Game 5 at Babe Ruth Park. Brunswick is looking win the United Cup here and now, while the Pelicans are hoping to live another day and send the series back to Kingston. The starting pitching is a rematch of Game 2: Brunswick’s LHP Matthew Monroe faces Kingston’s RHP Charlie Gilbert. Bottom of the 2nd: LF Rovilson Valdevieso doubles with two out. 3B Derek Sakurai follows with a single, scoring Valdevieso for the game’s first run. Kingston 0 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 3rd: Matthew Monroe singles, CF Harry Chatwin draws a walk and C Maurice Evans singles to load the bases with nobody out. With one out, RF Mark Elston singles, driving in Monroe for Brunswick’s second run. Kingston 0 – Brunswick 2 Top of the 6th: RF Daniel Martin leads off, reaching safely on an error (E5). Martin reaches second on a ground out and then steals third. After SS Katsunan Chikafuji walks, 1B Fergus Chitty singles, scoring Martin. With two out, 2B Mo Symes singles, driving in Chikafuji to tie the game up at two runs apiece. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 2 Bottom of the 9th: Charlie Gilbert gets two quick fly outs, but gives up a single to Maurice Evans. Gilbert is then relieved by RHP Brady Murdy. 1B Stuart Bentham singles off of Murdy’s first pitch, moving Evans to second. After fouling off the first pitch, Mark Elston singles down the leftfield line. Evans rounds third and slides into home, beating out the throw and scoring the winning run. The series is over and the Brunswick Legends win their second consecutive United Cup. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 3  Player of the Game: Matthew Monroe picks up his third win of the playoffs as well, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 21 BB, 2 K (3-0, 0.69 ERA). Mark Elston went 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 BB. Maurice Evans goes 2-4, 1 R. For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert pitched well, but took the loss again, going 8.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, (0-3, 3.63 ERA). -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 01:06 AM. |
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03-22-2016, 04:52 PM
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 01:06 AM. |
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