The United States of Newland Continental Baseball League

[jwinbigler]

August 8, 1984

1984 ALMANAC



Season Wrap-Up
The Newport Navigators are CBL champions again, for the 3rd time in 4 years. They have built quite the dynasty in the first few years of this league. As the season wound down, the Park City Patriots managed to win their series against Newport 2-1, but they went 1-3 in their other 4 games, including getting swept by Capital City in the season-concluding series. The Navigators, meanwhile, went 3-1 and finished the season 4 games ahead of the Patriots. Capital City had a good season, finishing 6 GB, and the Portsmouth Clippers showed tremendous improvement, finishing in 4th place with a .500 record. This is the first year they haven’t finished in last, and their fans are now excited for more.

Newport’s William McKinney had an amazing season, winning the pitching Triple Crown. He is surely a lock for the Outstanding Pitcher Award. The Outstanding Hitter Award is still up in the air however. Ken Bradley overtook Tim MacIntosh as the league’s batting champion by 1 point, but MacIntosh set a CBL record with 174 hits. The next best was 121! MacIntosh’s reputation, however, is hampered by his ridiculous 83-6 K/BB ratio. Guillermo Reyes and Steven Carney both have good cases from a slugging standpoint, and 2-time OHA winner Dave Bartlett led the league in OPS. It’s really anyone’s guess as to what the voters will decide.





Players of the Week
August 6 – C Terry Williams, NEW, 9-28, 6 HR, 14 RBI, 7 R

Top Performances
Batting – August 2 – C Dave Bartlett, LIB vs. IRO, 3-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 4 R, 2 BB
Pitching – August 6 – SP William McKinney, NEW vs. LIB, 8.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 K, 0 BB

Major Transactions
August 5 – SP Chance Webb, CC, signed a 1-year, $3 million extension
August 8 – CF Harry Cooper, CC, signed a 7-year, $106.4 million extension

Major Injuries
None

Games of the Month
August 3 – Liberty @ Irondale
Liberty held a 2-0 lead going into the 8th, but Irondale scored a run in the 8th, and Spencer Warren hit a walk-off 2-run homer in the 9th to give the Steelers a 3-2 win.

August 5 – Park City @ Capital City
Capital City’s #4 starter, Chance Webb, dominated the Patriots, giving up 1 hit in 7 innings. The Senators only scored 1 run in the 1st inning, but it was enough for a 1-0 win that dashed Park City’s hopes for their first championship.

August 5 – Newport @ Liberty
At the same time Park City was being dominated by Capital City, Newport came back from a 4-2 deficit, scoring 2 runs in the 9th to tie it and 2 more in the 10th on a Sammy Campbell homer. This win clinched the championship for Newport, as it put them 3 games ahead with 2 to play.

[jwinbigler]

September 2, 1984

As expected, William McKinney won the Outstanding Pitcher Award, but the Outstanding Hitter Award was a complete surprise to most observers. CF Pat Howard had a solid season, hitting .296 with 17 HR, 70 RBI, and 77 R, but the only categories he led the league in were R, RC, and VORP. Voters who value contact hitting and speed were split between Ken Bradley and Tim MacIntosh, while voters who value slugging were split between Dave Bartlett, Steven Carney, and Guillermo Reyes. Ultimately, it was the solid, but unspectacular Howard that took the award, despite very few 1st place votes.

This will be a huge offseason, as arguably the top hitter and pitcher in the CBL are both free agents. Dave Bartlett, 36, has played with Liberty the last 2 years, while William McKinney, 27, has played his entire career with Newport. Several other stars are available as well, including Justin Cannon, Al Jackson, Earl Gordon, Mike Wiedle, and both Holmes brothers.

Portsmouth’s owner, Bob Sullivan, died on August 29, and his son Noel Sullivan, 42, has taken over the team. Inside sources have indicated that the younger Sullivan will be more generous with his money and more demanding with results. There are rumors that the Clippers are going hard after William McKinney, which could immediately make them a contender.

Newland’s all-time greatest closer, Marlon Given, announced his retirement at the age of 46. He finishes his CBL career with 29 saves and a 3.00 ERA.

The 1984 CBL baseball cards have been released here.

1984 Awards
Outstanding Hitter Award: CF Pat Howard, POR
Outstanding Pitcher Award: SP William McKinney, NEW
Rookie of the Year Award: RF Roberto Fernandez, CC
Relief Pitcher Award: CL Bo Pratt, PC
Manager of the Year Award: Bryan Craig, NEW



Major Transactions
Capital City:
Signed GM Mark MacBurie to 2-year extension
Signed SS Howard Howard to 1-year extension
MR Marlon Given retires

Irondale:
Signed GM Dave Sanders to 3-year extension
Signed Manager Ryan Howard to 1-year extension
Signed SS Walt Jones and SP Chad Hansford to 1-year extensions

Liberty:
Fired GM Billy MacFadden
Signed GM Mike Ward to 4-year contract
Fired Manager Miguel Mendez
Promoted Bench Coach Jose Carbajal to Manager
Signed CL Ray Gilliam to 1-year extension

Newport:
Signed Manager Bryan Craig to 1-year extension
SP Gregg Scott executed last optional contract year
Signed SP Bob Cole, CL Will McBride, and C Terry Williams to 1-year extensions

Park City:
Traded MR Bill Reese and MR Bernardo Guzman (1983 #4 overall pick) to Portsmouth for SS Allen Erwin and cash

Portsmouth:
Did not renew contract of Manager Will Brown
Promoted Bench Coach William Kerr to Manager
Traded SS Allen Erwin to Park City for MR Bill Reese and MR Bernardo Guzman (1983 #4 overall pick)
Signed SP Kelvin Taylor, CF Pat Howard, and LF Reid Lee to 1-year extensions

Top Free Agents Available (Former Team), [Credentials]
C Dave Bartlett (LIB), 1981 & 1982 Outstanding Hitter Award
SP William McKinney (NEW), 1984 Outstanding Pitcher Award
LF Rob Hickmott (PC), 2-time Gold Glove Award
SP Earl Gordon (PC), 1983 Outstanding Pitcher Award
1B Al Jackson (LIB), 1981 Batting Champion
3B Mike Wiedle (CC), 2-time Batter of the Month, 1976 BNN Hitter of the Year
CL Ben Dixon (LIB), 1980 BNN Pitcher of the Year
SP Scott Allen (CC)
2B Justin Cannon (POR)
SP Lowell Holmes (IRO)

[Dark Horse]

Here's hoping Irondale has a better offseason than last year.
i gotta tell ya', i was disappointed that they took a first baseman in the last draft, instead of a pitcher.

[jwinbigler]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Here's hoping Irondale has a better offseason than last year.
i gotta tell ya', i was disappointed that they took a first baseman in the last draft, instead of a pitcher.

Yeah, Irondale and Portsmouth have both made some puzzling moves which have kept them in the cellar. I'm hoping that turns around, too.

Unfortunately for the Steelers, it was a pretty weak draft class IMO. They picked 2nd in a draft with really only one top-level prospect worthy of a 1st-round pick.

[elmwood44]

Originally Posted by jwinbigler

Yeah, Irondale and Portsmouth have both made some puzzling moves which have kept them in the cellar. I'm hoping that turns around, too.

60-60 feels like a championship considering the prior finishes
Hopefully this is a continuing upward trend

[jwinbigler]

October 1, 1984

Capital City, Irondale, and Liberty have been the big players so far in free agency. The Senators added the biggest catch of the offseason in 27-year-old SP William McKinney. They have already added 5.7 WAR this offseason, while Irondale is at 2.2. Liberty is still at -4.9, mostly due to the loss of Dave Bartlett.

Major Transactions
Capital City:
Signed 3B Mike Wiedle to 2-year contract (staying with team)
Signed SP William McKinney to 4-year contract (formerly of Newport)

Irondale:
Signed LF Rob Hickmott to 2-year contract (formerly of Park City)
Signed 2B Justin Cannon to 2-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth)

Liberty:
Signed SP Scott Allen to 2-year contract (formerly of Capital City)
Signed CL Ben Dixon to 3-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth, played with Liberty from 1981-83)

Newport:
None

Park City:
None

Portsmouth:
Signed SP Tim Bowen to 1-year contract (formerly of Liberty)

Top Free Agents Available (Former Team), [Credentials]
C Dave Bartlett (LIB), 1981 & 1982 Outstanding Hitter Award
SP Earl Gordon (PC), 1983 Outstanding Pitcher Award
1B Al Jackson (LIB), 1981 Batting Champion
SP Lowell Holmes (IRO)

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by jwinbigler

Major Transactions

Irondale:
Signed LF Rob Hickmott to 2-year contract (formerly of Park City)
Signed 2B Justin Cannon to 2-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth)

Top Free Agents Available (Former Team), [Credentials]
SP Earl Gordon (PC), 1983 Outstanding Pitcher Award
SP Lowell Holmes (IRO)

Okay, this is gonna' sound greedy. i'm glad Irondale has been active. But can they get some pitching?

If they get Gordon and Holmes, i won't ask for anything else...

[jwinbigler]

March 2, 1985

After signing William McKinney, Capital City added another major piece in Al Jackson. They have now added 8.4 WAR this offseason. Liberty had a huge offseason, resigning Bartlett and Beck, and adding Earl Gordon, Scott Allen, and Ben Dixon. Their final tally is +10.0 WAR. Irondale and Portsmouth essentially broke even, while Park City and Newport lost 8.5 and 8.6 WAR, respectively. Neither team did much to replace the players they lost, but Newport in particular has proven before that they can rebound from the loss of star players. We don’t recommend betting against them.

Major Transactions
Capital City:
Signed 1B Al Jackson to 3-year contract (formerly of Liberty)

Irondale:
None

Liberty:
Signed C Dave Bartlett to 3-year contract (staying with team)
Signed SP Earl Gordon to 5-year contract (formerly of Park City)
Signed SP Millard Beck to 4-year contract (staying with team)
Signed SP Brandon Harris to 1-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth)

Newport:
Signed SS Tad Gill to 2-year extension
Signed MR Stanley Evans to 1-year contract (formerly of Park City)
Signed MR Luis Silva to 1-year contract (formerly of Liberty)

Park City:
Signed SP Lowell Holmes to 1-year contract (formerly of Irondale)
Signed LF Gregory Metoyer to 1-year contract (staying with team)
Signed 2B John Bailey to 1-year extension

Portsmouth:
None

Top Free Agents Available (Former Team)
None

[jwinbigler]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Okay, this is gonna' sound greedy. i'm glad Irondale has been active. But can they get some pitching?

If they get Gordon and Holmes, i won't ask for anything else...

Ummm...sorry?

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by jwinbigler

ummm...sorry?

lol

[jwinbigler]

March 31, 1985



The Capital City Senators dominated Spring Training, going 18-6, while every other team finished .500 or worse. Irondale made the same claim last year, however, so it’s clear that it doesn’t always translate to regular season success.



Capital City is projected to win the CBL this year. They had the #2 pitching staff in the game last year and added the best pitcher in the game during the offseason. Half of the top ten pitchers play for the Senators, and while they don’t have any top ten hitters, they have a capable offense. New signee Al Jackson will return to his original position of catcher after playing primarily 1B the last 2 years alongside Dave Bartlett.

Liberty made several additions this offseason, and they should be much improved. They have several top hitters and are projected as the top offense in the league. Their rotation is decent, but they made the puzzling move to use Scott Allen as their closer after 4 years as a successful starter in Capital City. Ben Dixon was injured during Spring Training, and will likely miss the entire season.

Park City didn’t do much this offseason, and they will have a difficult time duplicating last year’s 2nd place finish. They are projected to have the 2nd best pitching staff, and their offense is middle of the pack.

3-time champion Newport lost William McKinney to free agency, and he will be extremely difficult to replace. However, they still have Edward Davis, Will McBride, and a solid middle of the lineup that includes Kyle Bailey, Sammy Campbell, Tad Gill, and Terry Williams. If the rest of the team can step up a little, this projected finish could be low. It’s worth noting that we predicted them to finish 5th last year, and they still won the championship. It’s not a good idea to bet against the Navigators.

Irondale and Portsmouth are projected to bring up the rear. We love the top of Portsmouth’s lineup, with Nathan Roberson, Tim MacIntosh, last year’s OHA-winner Pat Howard, and all-time great Steven Carney, but the rest of the lineup is not very good. Both teams have awful pitching, which will prevent them from contending this year.

Major Transactions
None

Major Injuries
March 13 – MR Armando Reyes, CC, out for 2-3 months due to strained hamstring
March 16 – MR Ben Dixon, LIB, out for 4 months due to ruptured finger tendon
March 23 – SS Nick O’Keefe, CC, out for 6 months due to broken kneecap

[jwinbigler]

May 1, 1985



Monthly Wrap-Up
Capital City lived up to expectations over the 1st month of the season, going 19-9 and holding a 3 game lead. William McKinney continued his domination of the CBL, and they are clearly looking like the team to beat this year. Irondale overachieved in April and currently sit in 2nd place, while Liberty had a disappointing start to the season at .500. Newport started off okay at 11-10, but they finished the month on a 7 game losing streak, and they are now in last place. Edward Davis has struggled to find his form, and Terry Williams is the only Navigator that’s played well in the early part of the season. It will be a long uphill climb for them to repeat as champions.





Players of the Week
April 8 – 1B Antonio Marte, POR, 13-26, 3 HR, 10 RBI
April 15 – RF Ken Bradley, PC, 9-25, 4 HR, 8 RBI
April 22 – C Dave Bartlett, LIB, 12-23, 2 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R
April 29 – C Al Jackson, CC, 9-18, 2 HR, 5 RBI

Players of the Month
Batter – RF Ken Bradley, PC, .353, 10 HR, 28 RBI, 30 R
Pitcher – SP William McKinney, CC, 5-0, 1.15 ERA, 39 IP, 38 K
Rookie – 1B Charles Messer, PC, .338, 0 HR, 9 RBI, 7 BB

Top Performances
Batting – April 3 – 1B Antonio Marte, POR vs. LIB, 4-4, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
Pitching – April 14 – SP Gregg Scott, NEW vs. POR, 9.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 7 K

Major Transactions
April 9 – CL Myles Brooks, CC, signed 1-year extension
April 9 – MR Marlon Johnson, CC, signed 3-year extension
April 13 – SS Walt Jones, IRO, signed 1-year extension

Major Injuries
April 15 – LF Nathan Roberson, POR, out for 5 weeks due to strained oblique
April 19 – LF Carl Schultz, LIB, out for 4 weeks due to strained quad
April 20 – CF Sammy Campbell, NEW, out for 3-4 weeks due to sprained ankle

Get to know…Myles Brooks

Baseball Cards: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

Myles Brooks of Capital City is our featured player of the month. Brooks, 28, was born in Park City and attended high school at Point Pleasant East in Point Pleasant, JE. He started his amateur career in 1976, and his amateur record was 8-10 with 36 saves and a 3.82 ERA.

Brooks was only 23 when the CBL was formed, and he immediately made an impact, winning a Pitcher of the Month award and the inaugural Relief Pitcher Award in the 1981 season. He led the league in saves in 1981 and 1982, and he has been in the top 3 each of the last 4 years. He is the CBL career leader in saves with 116, 24 ahead of #2. His record sits at 19-19, and he has a career ERA of 3.36. He was the runner-up in last year’s Relief Pitcher Award voting, and he looks to be just entering his prime. The Senators are certainly counting on him continuing to be a top closer as they pursue their 2nd championship in 3 years.

Brooks is a hard-worker, and he doesn’t have any real weaknesses. He is above average across the board, and he primarily relies on his fastball and forkball. He also has a changeup he can break out occasionally.

Games of the Month
April 1 – Capital City @ Park City
Park City gave Bo Pratt the opening day start, after he spent last year as the closer. He pitched 5.1 strong innings, only giving up 1 run, but his lack of stamina certainly limited him. He had the #3 performance of the day, but his opponent William McKinney was even better, pitching 7.2 scoreless innings as the Senators won 1-0.

April 8 – Newport @ Capital City
The game was tied 3-3 after 9 innings. In the 10th, Newport scored 2 runs on a Joe Craig homer, but Capital City answered with 2 of their own to tie it. In the 12th, Newport added 4 more runs, and once again, the Senators rallied back. In the bottom of the inning, 1984 Rookie of the Year Roberto Fernandez hit a 3-run homer, and they got another runner on 1st with no outs, but the rally fell short as Newport won 9-8.

April 11 – Liberty @ Newport
It was a great pitcher’s duel between 2 former OPA winners, Liberty’s Earl Gordon and Newport’s Edward Davis. Both left the game after 8 innings, with Davis and Newport leading 1-0, but Liberty’s Mike Pryor hit a 3-run homer in the 9th off closer Will McBride to give the Giants a 3-1 win. Scott Allen pitched a perfect 9th for the save.

April 11 – Irondale @ Park City
Down 5-1 entering the 9th, Irondale rallied to score 7 runs, winning 8-5.

April 19 – Park City @ Capital City
Park City manufactured a run on a sacrifice fly in the 13th inning to break a 2-2 tie, but the Senators’ Harry Cooper hit a walk-off 2-run homer to win the game.

April 28 – Portsmouth @ Capital City
Capital City held a 6-5 lead going to the 9th, but star closer Myles Brooks couldn’t shut the Clippers down, as they rallied for 5 runs, all with 2 outs. Portsmouth won 10-6.

[jwinbigler]

June 1, 1985



Monthly Wrap-Up
Just when it looked like Capital City might run away with it, the rest of the league stepped up and ensured that didn’t happen. The Senators went 13-16 in May and are only 2 games ahead of 2nd-place Liberty. Meanwhile, Park City and Newport are in last place, but they are only 6 games back. With more than half the season remaining, no team is out of it, which should make for an exciting second half. While Capital City still leads the league in runs against, the May struggles of William McKinney helped bring them back to the pack. In 6 starts, he went 1-1 with a 3.66 ERA.

Players of the Week
May 6 – LF Adam Pittman, IRO, 12-21, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 13 R
May 13 – C Sergio Ortega, POR, 12-27, 2 HR, 12 RBI
May 20 – 1B Mike Pryor, LIB, 16-31, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 9 R
May 27 – SP Chad Hansford, IRO, 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16.1 IP, 19 K

Players of the Month
Batter – 1B Mike Pryor, LIB, .370, 8 HR, 20 RBI, 30 R, 10 BB
Pitcher – SP Kevin Miller, LIB, 4-1, 1.10 ERA, 41 IP, 30 K
Rookie – RF Ashton Ratzlaff, POR, .432, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 11 R

Top Performances
Batting – May 24 – 2B Howard Howard, CC vs. LIB, 5-5, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R
Pitching – May 21 – SP Chad Hansford, IRO vs. NEW, 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K

Major Transactions
May 5 – CL Will McBride, NEW, signed 1-year extension
May 5 – MR Stanley Evans, NEW, signed 1-year extension
May 15 – Trade: Irondale gets MR Luis Silva (40 years old) and RF Gregg Kelly (1984 #5 draft pick), Newport gets LF Jorge Sanchez
May 30 – SP Bob Lewis, CC, signed 1-year extension

Major Injuries
May 19 – 3B Sixto Benvijes, LIB, out for 6 weeks due to strained quad
May 26 – RF Enrique Morales, POR, out for 4 weeks due to hamstring strain

Get to know…Kevin Miller

Baseball Cards: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

Kevin Miller, 35, was born in Liberty and played baseball at Indian Springs East High School. He started his amateur career in 1968. He bounced back and forth between starting and closing, leading the country in CG and SHO (2) in 1974, and leading in saves in 1978. He finished his amateur career at 60-63 with 48 saves and a 3.97 ERA.

At 6’7”, Miller is an imposing presence on the mound. His biggest strength is his movement. He also has good control, but his stuff is about average. He primarily relies on a cutter and a slider, but he also has a changeup that he uses occasionally. He is a decent teammate, but he is disliked by most fans. This may stem partly from a 10-game drug suspension from his early days in the amateur leagues.

After his unspectacular amateur career, Miller has established himself as one of the better pitchers in the CBL. He spent his first 3 years with Park City, then went to Liberty as a free agent in 1984. He finished 3rd in voting for the 1983 Outstanding Pitcher Award, and this month, he won his first Pitcher of the Month award. As a full-time starter, he has a record of 45-30 with a 3.45 ERA. This year, he is 8-2 with a 2.09 ERA, and he is definitely in the discussion for the OPA. He is 3rd in career wins, behind only William McKinney and Edward Davis. He is also 13th in ERA, 6th in VORP, and 4th in WAR.

Games of the Month
May 2 – Irondale @ Capital City
Capital City’s prized acquisition, William McKinney, showed his first sign of weakness, giving up 4 runs in the 1st inning and only lasting 3 innings. Each of the Senators’ next 3 pitchers gave up 4 runs as well, as Irondale blew them out, 18-3.

May 2 – Liberty @ Park City
It was a great pitching duel between former teammates Earl Gordon and Emery Murdock, who both played for Park City the first 4 years of the league. Gordon was good, giving up 1 run in 5.2 innings, but Murdock was better, going 8 scoreless innings. Bo Pratt picked up the save as Park City won 1-0.

May 3 – Irondale @ Newport
Newport led 4-1 entering the 9th, but a 3-run homer by Adam Pittman sent the game to extra innings. In the 10th, Irondale’s Spencer Warren hit a 2-run homer to give the Steelers a 6-4 win.

May 3 – Portsmouth @ Liberty
Portsmouth’s Will Harris hit a 2-run homer in the 9th to tie the game at 3, but Liberty’s Juan Jose Molina hit a walk-off double in the 10th for a 4-3 win.

May 10 – Newport @ Capital City
In a matchup of two top pitchers, Newport’s Edward Davis got the better of Bob Lewis, as the Navigators won 3-0.

May 12 – Newport @ Capital City
Capital City scored a run in the 8th to take a 4-3 lead, but star closer Myles Brooks couldn’t hold on for the save, as Newport rallied for 2 runs in the 9th to win 5-4. Last-place Newport won the 3-game series with first-place Capital City to improve to 7 GB.

May 16 – Park City @ Liberty
Park City scratched across a run in the 10th to take a 4-3 lead, but Liberty’s Mike Pryor hit a walk-off 2-run homer to give the Giants the win.

May 23 – Capital City @ Liberty
Liberty tied the game at 2 by scoring a run in the 9th, and then both offenses went stagnant. The Senators finally broke through by scoring 3 runs in the 17th inning to win the game.

May 26 – Capital City @ Newport
Capital City’s Guillermo Reyes hit a solo homer in the 11th to break a 1-1 tie, but Newport rallied in the bottom of the inning and won 3-2 on a Terry Williams walk-off single.

May 26 – Portsmouth @ Park City
Portsmouth scored a run to tie the game at 3 in the 9th, but Park City’s Jim Lake hit a walk-off solo homer in the bottom of the inning.

May 28 – Capital City @ Newport
Newport scored a run in the 8th to take the lead 3-2, but Will McBride blew the save and got the loss as the Senators scored twice in the 9th to win 4-3.

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by jwinbigler

Major Transactions
May 5 – CL Will McBride, NEW, signed 1-year extension
May 5 – MR Stanley Evans, NEW, signed 1-year extension
May 15 – Trade: Irondale gets MR Luis Silva (40 years old) and RF Gregg Kelly (1984 #5 draft pick), Newport gets LF Jorge Sanchez
May 30 – SP Bob Lewis, CC, signed 1-year extension

Looks like Irondale finally picked up a pitcher... why do they always go for the old guy?

One the upside, Hansford looks like he's having a breakout season.
And i'm glad they are the team making the comebacks now, instead of giving up leads.

Hang in there, Irondale!

[jwinbigler]

July 1, 1985



Monthly Wrap-Up
Last month, Capital City looked beatable, and we predicted that it was anyone’s race. Simply put, we were wrong. The Senators not only look like the best team in the league; they look like one of the best teams ever assembled. After a mediocre May, they went 21-6 in July and now lead the CBL by 7 games. They are leading the league in almost every major category, and it would take a monumental collapse for someone to catch them at this point. Liberty is the only team that conceivably has a shot, but it really doesn’t look likely. The Giants are as close as they are because of a sweep of the Senators near the end of the month, with each game going down to the wire (see Games of the Month below). Besides those 3 games, Capital City only lost 3 more the entire month.

William McKinney is back to his old self, and he won his second Pitcher of the Month award this year. It looks like he and Kevin Miller will be battling it out over the final month for the Outstanding Pitcher Award.

The Senators are so confident right now, they traded away a contributor for a prospect in order to keep building for the future. In a move that many experts are praising, they sent 32-year-old catcher Roland Harris to Portsmouth for a serviceable MR and one of the top SP prospects in the game, Chris Austin. Austin was the #1 pick in the draft last year and was named the #2 prospect in the CBL this year. Harris is one of the top 3 catchers in the league, but unfortunately for him, so is Al Jackson, who the Senators signed this offseason (Dave Bartlett is the other). Stuck with platoon duty, he wasn’t very happy in Capital City this year, so this trade is a win-win for the Senators. Portsmouth, on the other hand, gets a big upgrade at catcher, but their biggest weakness continues to be pitching. It’s difficult to see how getting rid of Austin makes sense in the long-term for the Clippers.



Players of the Week
June 3 – SS Tim MacIntosh, POR, 17-35, 0 HR, 4 RBI
June 10 – 1B Charles Messer, PC, 12-26, 4 HR, 8 RBI
June 17 – 1B Mike Pryor, LIB, 10-25, 5 HR, 7 RBI, 9 R
June 24 – 2B Miguel Molina, LIB, 10-22, 2 HR, 9 RBI, 5 R
July 1 – SS Tim MacIntosh, POR, 14-23, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 6 R

Players of the Month
Batter – CF Pat Howard, POR, .317, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 16 R
Pitcher – SP William McKinney, CC, 4-0, 0.85 ERA, 42.1 IP
Rookie – 1B Charles Messer, PC, .299, 9 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R

Top Performances
Batting – June 16 – 1B Mike Pryor, LIB vs. NEW, 3-3, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
Pitching – June 21 – SP Chance Webb, CC vs. PC, 8.0 IP, 0 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K

Major Transactions
June 2 – MR Ben Walden, IRO, signed 1-year extension
June 9 – 1B Antonio Marte, POR, signed 1-year extension
June 15 – CF Sammy Campbell, NEW, signed 3-year extension
June 17 – SP Kelvin Taylor, POR, signed 1-year extension
June 29 – Trade: Capital City gets 36-year-old MR Donald McCall and 19-year old SP Chris Austin (last year’s #1 draft pick, #2 ranked prospect), Portsmouth gets 32-year-old C Roland Harris and 5th round pick

Draft Highlights
#1 – Liberty – SP Trent ‘Fungo’ Gore, 21, Southeastern College
Gore has the tools to be one of the greatest pitchers of all-time. He has the potential to be an elite strikeout pitcher that can also move and control the ball at a very high level. He also has 4 solid pitches. He is already pitching for the Giants in the bullpen, and he has appeared in 9 games.

#2 – Irondale – SP Alonso Hinojosa, 18, Kingston North HS (Adams)
Hinojosa could develop into a very good strikeout pitcher, but he has some issues with control. He doesn’t have the ceiling of Gore, but he could definitely be a good top of the rotation starter.

#3 – Portsmouth – SP George Washington, 19, Concord West HS (Jefferson)
Washington could be a decent starter, but he only has 2 good pitches at this point.

#4 – Capital City – 3B Mariano Rios, 18, Lake Spruce East HS (Washington)
Rios is a solid, but unspectacular prospect. He is average to above average across the board, with no significant weaknesses.

#5 – Park City – 1B David Jones, 20, Lina Grove College
Jones has similar hitting potential as Rios, but with poor speed and baserunning ability.

#6 – Newport – SP Doug Stephens, 20, Ireneton College
Stephens has pretty good potential, and he has a higher ceiling than Hinojosa and Washington. His biggest weakness is only having 2 good pitches, but they both have the potential to be elite-level.

Major Injuries
June 4 – SP Lonnie Stewart, IRO, out for 6 months due to torn labrum
June 5 – 2B Justin Cannon, IRO, out for 4 weeks due to separated shoulder
June 6 – CF Harry Cooper, CC, out for 4 weeks due to strained oblique
June 11 – SP Miguel Espinosa, PC, out for 2-3 months due to elbow strain
June 23 – SS Vicente Flores, LIB, out for 5 months due to torn back muscle

Get to know…Harry Cooper

Baseball Cards: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

Harry Cooper, 28, is a key piece of this year’s juggernaut team, the Capital City Senators. He has played with the Senators since the formation of the CBL. Cooper was born in Park City and attended Point Pleasant South High School. He started his amateur career in 1976, but he didn’t make a huge impact at a young age. He hit .268 with 22 HR over 1413 ABs in 5 seasons.

Harry Cooper is a decent all-around hitter, but his biggest strengths are defense and speed. He is a capable CF, but he is better at LF. He has split time between the two positions in his career, and he has slightly more time at CF so far. His baserunning and stealing ability are second to none. He is also an intelligent player. Unfortunately, his skills have started to deteriorate early, particularly as a contact hitter, and he is now rated as a 3.5 star player, compared to 5 stars in 1982-83.

Cooper led the league in hits and doubles in 1982, and he led the league in WAR in 1983. He also led the league in stolen bases in each of the first 4 years of the league. He is obviously the career leader in stolen bases with 157, and he is 2nd in career WAR behind Dave Bartlett. He is also in the career top 10 for AVG (9th), OBP (7th), VORP (4th), R (2nd), H (4th), and BB (10th). In 1982 and 1983, Cooper finished 2nd and 3rd in the Outstanding Hitter Award voting, respectively. He also has won 3 Player of the Week awards, all in 1981 and 1982.

This year, Cooper was injured on June 6th, and he is expected to be back in 5 days. He will surely be able to help down the stretch as Capital City tries to hold off Liberty. He will probably be with the Senators for a while, as he signed a 7-year contract extension after last year. Hopefully for Capital City fans, his ability will bounce back some in the long term, as he is still a young ballplayer.

Games of the Month
June 3 – Irondale @ Capital City
Irondale scored twice in the 8th to tie the game at 3, then added another in the 9th to take the lead. Capital City answered with 2 in the 9th, capped by a walk-off single by pinch-hitter Roland Harris.

June 7 – Capital City @ Park City
Down 3-2 in the 9th, Park City’s Jesse Nelson hit a walk-off 3-run homer to give the Patriots a 5-3 win.

June 8 – Liberty @ Capital City
Roosevelt Jones pitched a gem for the Senators, giving up 3 hits and no runs in 7 innings to outduel Cesar Vega. Jones also struck out 10 batters as Capital City won 1-0.

June 10 – Portsmouth @ Irondale
Irondale entered the 9th down 5-4, but they scored 2 runs to win 6-5. Pinch-hitter Ron Maule got the game-winning walk-off single.

June 16 – Capital City @ Portsmouth
Down 5-1, Capital City scored 7 runs in the 9th to win 8-5.

June 24 – Capital City @ Liberty
Capital City rallied in the 9th to tie the game at 1, and they added another on an Eddie Terry solo homer in the 11th. After a Dave Bartlett single, Liberty’s Juan Jose Molina hit a walk-off 2-run homer in the bottom of the inning to give the Giants a 3-2 victory.

June 25 – Capital City @ Liberty
It was a second straight nailbiter between these two teams. Capital City’s Roosevelt Jones pitched 8 strong innings and left with a 3-1 lead, but Matt Haley couldn’t finish it off in the 9th, as Liberty rallied for 3 runs and a 4-3 win.

June 26 – Capital City @ Liberty
Once again, Liberty came back in dramatic fashion against the first-place Senators. Down 1-0 going to the 9th, the Giants rallied to win on a walk-off 2-run single by Miguel Molina, scoring Dave Bartlett and Juan Jose Molina.

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by jwinbigler

Draft Highlights
#2 – Irondale – SP Alonso Hinojosa, 18, Kingston North HS (Adams)
Hinojosa could develop into a very good strikeout pitcher, but he has some issues with control. He doesn’t have the ceiling of Gore, but he could definitely be a good top of the rotation starter.

Looks like Irondale finally picked up a pitcher... please don't trade him, please don't trade him

[jwinbigler]

August 1, 1985



Monthly Wrap-Up
Capital City has retained its lead in the CBL race, but they were unable to pull away in July. After a 14-15 month, they are only 4 games ahead of Liberty, who went 17-12. Down the stretch, the Senators will play 1 against Newport, then 3 each against Portsmouth and Irondale. Without a head-to-head series, Liberty is unlikely to catch them.

Liberty’s Kevin Miller claimed his second Pitcher of the Month award this year. He and Capital City’s William McKinney have split the 4 months of awards between them, and it is a neck-and-neck race between the two for the Outstanding Pitcher Award. McKinney is trying to be the first repeat winner of the award. Liberty’s Dave Bartlett took home his record 6th Batter of the Month award. He is making a case for his 3rd Outstanding Hitter Award.

There were several major trades as the deadline came and went. Newport was involved in 2 trades that effectively swapped 1B Kyle Bailey for 1B Guillermo Reyes. Both players are very good, but Reyes is 8 years younger. They also added 19-year-old 1B Dusty Adams, who is a great prospect for the future. In return, they downgraded a MR (Milton White for Tom Orr) and gave up an average SP prospect. By moving Reyes, Capital City upgraded their bullpen with White and made room for last year’s Rookie of the Year, Roberto Fernandez, to take over at 1B. In the final trade of the season, Park City gave up the #5 prospect in the CBL (MR Tyler Carr) to get 38-year-old Rob Hickmott, who is still a decent player, but it is difficult to see the logic in that trade. Carr could be a big contributor over several years, while Hickmott doesn’t have much left in the tank.

Players of the Week
July 8 – SS Tim MacIntosh, POR, 14-34, 0 HR, 4 RBI
July 15 – C Terry Williams, NEW, 8-18, 3 HR, 6 RBI
July 22 – RF Steve Donaldson, LIB, 15-26, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 7 R
July 29 – LF Juan Jose Molina, LIB, 9-21, 3 HR, 9 RBI

Players of the Month
Batter – C Dave Bartlett, LIB, .362, 8 HR, 31 RBI, 19 R
Pitcher – SP Kevin Miller, LIB, 5-1, 2.68 ERA, 43.2 IP, 31 K
Rookie – 1B Charles Messer, PC, .342, 5 HR, 21 RBI

Top Performances
Batting – July 12 – C Spencer Warren, IRO vs. POR, 4-4, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R, 3 BB
Pitching – July 21 – SP Edward Davis, NEW vs. POR, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K

Major Transactions
July 7 – Trade: Newport gets 27-year-old 1B Guillermo Reyes and $3 million, Capital City gets 28-year-old MR Milton White and 20-year-old SP Tony Sutton
July 10 – Trade: Newport gets 31-year-old MR Tom Orr and 19-year-old 1B Dusty James (#13 prospect), Irondale gets 35-year-old 1B Kyle Bailey
July 12 – 1B Guillermo Reyes, NEW, signed 1-year extension
July 12 – SP Chance Webb, CC, signed 1-year extension
July 30 – Trade: Park City gets 38-year-old LF Rob Hickmott, Irondale gets 31-year-old MR Ted Wolton and 20-year-old MR Tyler Carr (#5 prospect)

Major Injuries
July 19 – RF Eddie Terry, CC, out for 5 weeks due to herniated disc

Get to know…Pat Howard

Baseball Cards: 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984

Pat Howard, Portsmouth’s CF, is the reigning Outstanding Hitter Award winner. Howard, 25, was born in Newport and attended Marsh High School in Marsh, Adams. Marsh is a town of about 7,500 people in northern Adams, between Kingston and Monmouth. He started his amateur career at the age of 20 in 1980, appearing in 44 games as a bench player.

Howard is an excellent power hitter with patience, although his contact ability isn’t much better than average. He is good on the basepaths, and he has an outstanding arm in the outfield. His ability to play RF is much better than CF, but he has played more at CF for the Clippers out of necessity. He is somewhat of a clubhouse leader, and he is pretty smart.

Howard has been a full-time starter for Portsmouth since the formation of the CBL in 1981, but he didn’t have much of an impact for the first 3 years, other than a Rookie of the Month award. He had his breakout season in 1984, winning the OHA and leading the league in R, RC, and VORP. This year, he has added on his first Batter of the Month award, and he is near the top of several leaderboards. He could be one of the top CBL players for a long time to come.

Games of the Month
July 6 – Liberty @ Park City
Liberty held a 4-1 lead after 4 innings, but Park City scored 2 in the 7th and 2 more in the 9th to win 5-4.

July 12 – Portsmouth @ Irondale
Irondale’s offense erupted in a 28-5 win over Portsmouth. 11 different Steelers hit safely in the game.

July 12 – Park City @ Newport
Newport’s Vincent Robinson hit a walk-off 2-run homer in the 13th inning to give Newport an 8-6 win.

July 14 – Park City @ Portsmouth
Portsmouth gave up a 7-4 lead, giving up 4 runs in the 5th, but they rallied for 2 runs in the 9th for a 9-8 win.

July 14 – Newport @ Capital City
Down 2-0, Newport scored a run in the 8th and another in the 9th off Myles Brooks to tie it. Capital City answered in the bottom of the 9th, with Mike Wiedle hitting a walk-off RBI single off Will McBride.

July 23 – Liberty @ Portsmouth
Portsmouth’s Reid Lee broke a 9th inning tie with a walk-off solo homer to give the Clippers a 3-2 win.

July 28 – Capital City @ Liberty
Liberty scored a run in the 8th to tie it at 4, then won the game on a Dave Bartlett walk-off single in the 9th.

July 30 – Capital City @ Newport
Newport’s youngster, 23-year-old John Anderson, pitched a gem against the first-place Senators, giving up 2 hits in 8 innings as Newport won 1-0.

[Dark Horse]

[elmwood44]

HOWARD!!!!!
Clippers offense is fine with "Cooter" leading the league in hitting and Howard 2nd in HR's and 1st in RBI......WE NEED PITCHING!!!!

[jwinbigler]

Originally Posted by elmwood44

HOWARD!!!!!
Clippers offense is fine with "Cooter" leading the league in hitting and Howard 2nd in HR's and 1st in RBI......WE NEED PITCHING!!!!

That seems to be a recurring theme with the Clippers, doesn't it? When you give up 28 runs to a team below .500, you're probably not doing something right...