The United States of Newland Continental Baseball League

[jwinbigler]

September 19, 1995





Tiebreaker Results
The city of Liberty was abuzz with excitement as both teams hosted tiebreaker games simultaneously. The Giants jumped on Earl Gordon early, with Jeff Thompson hitting a 3-run homer in the 2nd inning. Portsmouth got one back in the 4th, but the Giants weren’t done either. Jeff Thompson hit another homer in the 6th to make it 4-1, and a wild pitch resulted in another insurance run later in the inning. Rob Godwin came out after 6 innings, and relievers Robert Warren and Albert Williams combined to give up no hits and 1 walk over the final 3 innings, as the Giants won 5-1.

Meanwhile, the Knights fell in an early hole when the 2nd batter of the game, Mike Armstrong, hit a solo homer. In the 3rd, Liberty (F) was able to manufacture a run on a walk, sac bunt, and single to tie it at 1. From there, it was all pitchers through the 9th inning. Matt Ashley gave up only 3 hits over 9 innings, but the 1st-inning homer prevented a shutout. The Knights had the bases loaded with no outs in the bottom of the 9th, and after a strikeout, superstar Ralph Torres came to the plate. Torres grounded into a fielder’s choice at home plate, and the next batter grounded out to end the threat. Reliever Donovan Burris got through the 10th with no issues, but he fell apart in the 11th, giving up 3 runs. Mount Sterling’s bullpen had no such meltdowns, and they went on to win 4-1.





Regular Season Wrap-Up
With wins in the tiebreaker games, Liberty (C) and Mount Sterling advance to the World Series. The Giants have 2 championships (’89 & ’90), both before the World Series era. Mount Sterling reached the World Series in back-to-back years (’91 & ’92) but lost both times to Portsmouth after being up 2-1.

We were very close to some very interesting storylines, as we could have had a crosstown World Series (Liberty (C) vs. Liberty (F)) or a rematch of the ’91 and ’92 World Series (Portsmouth vs. Mount Sterling). Instead, we got neither, but it’s an intriguing matchup nonetheless. The most interesting storyline is the matchup of Trent Gore and Michael Alexander, who are arguably the 2 best pitchers in the league. They will face each other in Game 1 and potentially again in Game 5, and we’re excited to see what happens.

Ralph Torres went 1-6 in the tiebreaker to fall to 2nd in batting average, and the first Triple Crown will have to wait another year. Kevin Gaze and Sean Tuttle each won their first batting title. Michael Alexander completed the pitching Triple Crown in the FL, and he is the 4th pitcher to accomplish the feat, following William McKinney (’84), Trent Gore (’92), and Lawrence Gordon (’93).

Ralph Torres set a new CBL record for TB with 366, beating his own record of 362 from 1991. Michael Alexander’s 1.25 ERA shattered the old record of 1.52, set by Gore in 1992. There have only been 5 seasons of ERAs under 2.00, and 2 occurred this year (Javier Soto at 1.81 is 4th on the leaderboard). Javier Soto set records for K/9 and Opponents SLG. Soto’s K/9 of 12.99 breaks the old record of 12.357 by Gore, and it’s interesting that the 2nd through 9th spots on the list all belong to Gore and Alexander.

World Series Preview



Liberty (C) Giants



Despite some top-end star power, the Giants offense was in the middle of the pack in the CL, and it was near the bottom in homers and stolen bases. LF Tom Jenkins (29, 4*), 3B Vicente Flores (32, 4.5*), and former Gladiator 1B David Jones (31, 4*) are the clear leaders in the lineup, but 2B Hunter Crosby (28, 1.5/2.5*) led the team in AVG, and SS Jeff Thompson (24, 4.5/5*) is a young up-and-comer that was the hero of the tiebreaker game. CF Reginald ‘Shifty’ Garner (25, 4*) is a nice tablesetter at the leadoff spot, but has underperformed this year. The bench includes veterans C Terry Williams (38, 1.5*) and LF Harry Cooper (38, 1.5*), along with future star 2B Jeremy Wiggins (23, 2.5/4.5*).

The pitching staff features 3 of the best pitchers ever, Trent Gore (31, 5*), Curt Snyder (29, 4.5*), and William McKinney (38, 4*), who have 6 OPAs between them. McKinney is past his prime and in the bullpen, but Gore and Snyder were outstanding this year. Rob Godwin (33, 2.5*) missed 4 months of the year but came back strong, while Bill Cranwell (24, 3/3.5*) rounds out the rotation. Closer Hal Phipps (25, 5*), Richard Knight (24, 5*), and Albert Williams (28, 5*) lead a very good bullpen.

Mount Sterling Gladiators



The surprise star for the Gladiators is 1B Raymond Richards (25, 3/4*), who was a backup behind Jason Coffman in Irondale before coming to Mount Sterling on June 6th. 3B Jim Hawking (25, 2/4*), 2B Bob Walker (28, 4.5*), and RF Mike Armstrong (22, 3.5/4.5*) are the other key players in the lineup. Even though they scored the most runs in the FL this year, this isn’t a very good lineup on paper.

Michael Alexander (25, 4.5*) just had one of the best seasons in CBL history, and Dan Bray (23, 4/5*) is a very capable #2. Alfonso Mendez (29, 2*) overachieved this season, and Luke Ashe (32, 1*) did okay too. The back end of the bullpen, with closer Zach Wolfe (33, 5*) and Daniel Davis (31, 4.5*) is very good, but the loss of Daniel Thompson (29, 3*), who had a 1.95 ERA in 22 appearances will really hurt. Mike Garland (26, 4.5*) can strike out a lot of people, but he is very inconsistent. The rest of the bullpen isn’t very strong.

Prediction
This is a very good matchup between two solid teams, although each has their weaknesses. Both offenses can put runs on the board, and the bullpens aren’t too far apart if the starters can go relatively deep. So, the pitching matchups could be the deciding factor. If everything goes as expected, Games 1 and 5 will be Gore vs. Alexander, which should be great pitchers’ duels. Games 2 and 6 will be Cranwell vs. Bray, while Games 3 and 7 will be Snyder and Mendez, who pitched together in Irondale for a couple years. It’s clear that Bray and Snyder have big advantages in their matchups, which is a 2-2 split. As great as Alexander has been, it’s tough to imagine Gore getting beat twice, so it comes down to the Game 4 matchup of Godwin and Ashe. We’ll take the veteran Godwin, who had 5 straight 10+ win seasons (and a 19-7 year in ’92) prior to this year, over Ashe, who has never won more than 9. We’re picking the Giants in 7.

Top Performances
Batting – September 12 – RF Miguel Romero, NEW vs. IRO, 3-3, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
Pitching – September 6 – SP John Anderson, POR vs. IRO, 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

Major Transactions
September 6 – LF Billy Copeland, NEW, signed 1-year extension
September 7 – 1B Ralph Torres, LBK, signed 1-year extension
September 10 – CL Miguel Pellicer, NEW, signed 1-year extension
September 12 – SP Ernie Webb, PCK, signed 1-year extension

Major Injuries
September 5 – MR Artie Smith, NEW, out for 12 months due to torn rotator cuff
September 15 – CL George Washington, POR, out for 3 months due to acute elbow soreness
September 18 – SS Cody Powers, MTS, out for 1 week due to sprained wrist

Game Boxscores
September 18 – Portsmouth @ Liberty (C)
See above.

September 18 – Mount Sterling @ Liberty (F)
See above.

[bigsmooth]

Great read, love the storylines!

Keep up the effort.

[GoPedro99]

Ughhhh Portsmouth can't pull thriugh

[jwinbigler]

September 20, 1995

World Series Game 1 – Liberty (C) @ Mount Sterling
Trent Gore vs. Michael Alexander

In a highly anticipated matchup between 2 elite pitchers, the Giants got on the board first in the 2nd inning. David Jones and Ralph Anderson hit singles with 1 out, and after a strikeout, Reginald Garner singled home the first run. A wild throw moved runners to 2nd and 3rd, but with the pitcher coming to bat, it shouldn’t have mattered. However, Alexander threw a wild pitch to Gore that resulted in a 2-0 lead for Liberty. From there, both pitchers were dominant for the next several innings, until Liberty got another in the 7th. Reginald Garner doubled home Ralph Anderson for his 2nd RBI of the game and a 3-0 lead. Gore got in trouble a half-inning later, giving up an RBI double to Jim Hawking, but he retired the next 2 batters to get out of it. Richard Knight relieved Gore in the 8th and promptly gave up a run, but limited the damage, and Hal Phipps pitched a perfect 9th for the save.

Gore got the win, giving up only 4 hits and 1 run in 7.1 innings. Reginald Garner went 2-3 with 2 RBI, and Ralph Anderson went 3-4 with 2 R.

Liberty (C) wins 3-2
Liberty (C) leads series 1-0

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by jwinbigler

September 20, 1995

World Series Game 1 – Liberty (C) @ Mount Sterling
Trent Gore vs. Michael Alexander

In a highly anticipated matchup between 2 elite pitchers, the Giants got on the board first in the 2nd inning. David Jones and Ralph Anderson hit singles with 1 out, and after a strikeout, Reginald Garner singled home the first run. A wild throw moved runners to 2nd and 3rd, but with the pitcher coming to bat, it shouldn’t have mattered. However, Alexander threw a wild pitch to Gore that resulted in a 2-0 lead for Liberty. From there, both pitchers were dominant for the next several innings, until Liberty got another in the 7th. Reginald Garner doubled home Ralph Anderson for his 2nd RBI of the game and a 3-0 lead. Gore got in trouble a half-inning later, giving up an RBI double to Jim Hawking, but he retired the next 2 batters to get out of it. Richard Knight relieved Gore in the 8th and promptly gave up a run, but limited the damage, and Hal Phipps pitched a perfect 9th for the save.

Gore got the win, giving up only 4 hits and 1 run in 7.1 innings. Reginald Garner went 2-3 with 2 RBI, and Ralph Anderson went 3-4 with 2 R.

Liberty (C) wins 3-2
Liberty (C) leads series 1-0

Wow! Getting a win against Alexander was big!

[jwinbigler]

September 21, 1995

World Series Game 2 – Liberty (C) @ Mount Sterling
Bill Cranwell vs. Dan Bray

This game was essentially a must-win for the Gladiators, as this pitching matchup was decidedly in their favor, and they are facing Curt Snyder tomorrow. Bray gave up a leadoff solo homer to Tom Jenkins in the 2nd inning, but Bob Walker hit a homer of his own in the bottom of the inning to tie it at 1. After that, both pitchers were locked in. Unfortunately, Bray was injured in the 4th inning, but he was replaced by Dan Cooke, who threw 3.1 perfect innings. Finally, in the top of the 9th, with Daniel Davis pitching, Hunter Crosby singled, and with 2 outs, Tom Jenkins hit his 2nd homer of the day to give the Giants a 3-1 lead. For the 2nd straight day, Hal Phipps pitched a perfect 9th for the save.

Bill Cranwell had a great day, giving up only 1 hit (the solo homer) in 7 innings. Richard Knight and Phipps combined to give up 1 hit over the last 2 innings. Tom Jenkins went 2-3 with 2 HR and 3 RBI, and he had half of the Giants’ hits. Crosby and pitcher Bill Cranwell had the others.

Liberty (C) wins 3-1
Liberty (C) leads series 2-0

[jwinbigler]

September 23, 1995

World Series Game 3 – Mount Sterling @ Liberty (C)
Alfonso Mendez vs. Curt Snyder

Down 2-0 and facing Snyder in Game 3, Mount Sterling had a tough task ahead of them. Mendez, his former teammate in Irondale, wasn’t intimidated despite a shaky start. In the 1st, he gave up 4 singles and hit a batter, but he escaped with only 2 runs scored, and he settled down after that. He gave up a solo homer to Ed Buck in the 4th, but he led off the 5th with a single to jump-start the offense, and Mike Armstrong hit a 2-run homer to make it 3-2. Snyder was pulled after 7 innings, and Richard Knight had his 2nd straight rough outing in this series. He gave up a leadoff double to Mike Armstrong and a wild pitch to move him to 3rd. He struck out Raymond Richards and was then replaced by Albert Williams, who gave up a tying sacrifice fly but got out of the inning. In the bottom of the 8th, Liberty loaded the bases with no outs, but Mike Garland struck out the next 3 batters to end the threat. Closer Zach Wolfe came in in the 9th, walked one, and gave up a 2-out single to Tom Jenkins. Then, on a 2-2 count, Vicente Flores crushed a walk-off 3-run homer to give the Giants a commanding 3-0 series lead.

Snyder outpitched Mendez, but not by much. He gave up 6 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings. Tom Jenkins went 3-4 with 1 RBI and 1 R, and Vicente Flores was 1-4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. Mike Armstrong was 4-4 with 1 HR, 2 RBI, and 2 R in the loss.

Liberty (C) wins 6-3
Liberty (C) leads series 3-0

[jwinbigler]

September 24, 1995

World Series Game 4 – Mount Sterling @ Liberty (C)
Luke Ashe vs. Rob Godwin

Both pitchers were strong early, but Godwin ran into trouble first. With 2 outs in the 3rd inning, he gave up 3 straight singles, resulting in a 1-0 deficit. However, the Giants answered with 5 hits in the bottom of the inning and scored 4 runs. They added another in the 4th, and that was enough for Godwin, who was excellent. Mount Sterling got one back in the 9th, but that was it, as they went down meekly, 5-2. The Giants won the World Series in a sweep that was much easier than anyone expected.

Godwin gave up only 4 hits and 1 run in 8 innings, while Ashe only lasted 3.2 innings and gave up 5 runs. Jeff Thompson and Tom Jenkins each had 2 RBI in the win.

Liberty (C) wins 5-2
Liberty (C) wins series 4-0

[Dark Horse]

Wow. i'm stunned. As an Astros fan, i can empathize with Mount Sterling.

Tom Jenkins for MVP? What were his stats for the series?

[jwinbigler]

September 25, 1995

1995 ALMANAC



World Series Wrap-Up
The Liberty Giants completed a surprising sweep of Mount Sterling to win their 3rd CBL championship. All 4 starting pitchers for the Giants went at least 7 innings in their starts, and the Gladiators just never got anything going on offense. Tom Jenkins was the offensive star of the series, batting .429 with 2 HR and 6 RBI. Mike Armstrong was the lone bright spot for Mount Sterling, hitting .438 with 1 HR and 3 RBI.

Season Wrap-Up
The Giants proved to be the best team this year, and they return nearly everyone next year. Tom Jenkins signed a 7-year extension, and the rest of the stars were already on multi-year contracts. 2B Hunter Crosby will be a free agent, but Jeremy Wiggins has shown he can take over if Crosby doesn’t come back. Veterans Harry Cooper, William McKinney, and Terry Williams are all likely departing as well, but they are each 38 years old and well past their primes. Mount Sterling’s only major losses are Jose Martinez and closer Zach Wolfe, who is massively overpaid. The expiration of Wolfe’s 4-year contract could actually benefit the Gladiators.

Of the two teams that lost the regular season tiebreakers, Liberty (F) looks most likely to repeat their success. They mostly just lose role players and reserves, while Portsmouth could lose Earl Gordon, Joe Jackson, Jeff Turner, and Tyler Carr.

We’re not really sure what to expect with the CL OHA this year. Jason Coffman was far and away the best power hitter, while Sean Tuttle won the batting title by a wide margin and led the league in WAR. Tom Duncan led the league in OBP and Runs. Tuttle and Duncan tied for the league lead in SB. It just depends on what the voters value most. In the FL, Ralph Torres is the clear favorite, as he very nearly won the Triple Crown. Everyone else is competing for 2nd. For the OPA, Curt Snyder, Michael Pittman, Trent Gore, and Javier Soto each have a compelling case in the CL, while Michael Alexander is a lock in the FL.

[jwinbigler]

October 20, 1995

In the CL, Sean Tuttle came away with his 1st OHA, edging out two former winners. Michael Pittman won his 2nd OPA in 3 years, while Curt Snyder was runner-up for the 3rd time (he also has won 2). Like Snyder, Trent Gore also earned his 5th Top 3 finish, which includes 1 win. As expected Ralph Torres and Michael Alexander won the FL awards. It is the 3rd OHA for Torres and 2nd OPA for Alexander. Hal Phipps and Zach Wolfe each won their 1st Relief Pitcher Award. Neil Stinson, who won last year, earned his 5th runner-up finish. Both Liberty managers won Manager of the Year awards, despite the Knights not making the World Series.

This is a very strong free agent class, particular for hitters. Among hitters, there are 2 OHA winners, at least 11 multiple-time All-Stars, and at least 9 Gold Glove winners. 3 of the best catchers in the league right now are available, along with 3 starters from the recent Portsmouth dynasty. Some very good pitchers are also available, but not as many. Irondale’s top 2 pitchers, Hinojosa and Morgan, were the last holdovers from the great Steeler rotations a few years ago, and they are likely moving on. So are Bill Epperson and Earl Gordon, who have each won championships in the last 3 years, but Gordon is 41 and probably doesn’t have much left. Zach Wolfe is probably the only real difference maker for a team needing bullpen help.

No star players retired this year, but we’ll take a moment to reflect on the retirement of reliever Norm Watkins. Watkins, 35, will go down in history as the 1st big draft bust in the CBL. In the inaugural 1981 draft, Roosevelt Jones and Tim MacIntosh were the top 2 picks, and they were both superstars in their primes. The #3 pick (Ron Wilson) failed to sign (although he was almost as big a bust as the #1 pick the following year), and Watkins was the 4th pick. He only appeared in 68 games, pitching 89 innings with a 4.25 ERA. He retires with a career WAR of 0.2.

Another interesting story we want to cover is the precipitous decline of starting pitcher Ed Woods. Only 26, he won the 1991 FL OPA as a rookie for Kingston, and he was expected to do great things. Instead, he developed some bad habits, resulting in terrible control, and Kingston declined to offer him arbitration. He actually had a 9-4 record this year, but his 4.42 ERA was well above league average, and he’s gotten worse every year. Early on, he was viewed as a potential 4.5* pitcher, and he is now a 1* pitcher when he should be in his prime.

The biggest trades so far this offseason involved rotation pitchers for 2 top-level teams. Rob Godwin, the #3 pitcher last year for the champion Giants, was traded to the Patriots, and Portsmouth traded John Anderson to the Knights.

There were some very surprising managerial changes in the league. The biggest shock was Miguel Mendez leaving Portsmouth. His contract expired, and they couldn’t come to terms for an extension. Mendez felt like he was underpaid in Portsmouth after leading them to 3 consecutive championships and 2 runner-up finishes in the last 5 years. Almost as surprising was the dismissal of Patrick McKenna by Capital City. McKenna had been the Senators’ skipper since 1982 and was the longest tenured manager in the league. He won 3 championships and 4 Manager of the Year awards, and the Senators finished 1 GB just a year ago. He immediately found a new job with rebuilding Centerville, and Capital City hired a very good replacement in Miguel Mendez.

Mount Sterling’s Lee Perkins, who has led the Gladiators to 2 World Series in his 4 years, will not return. Additionally, Ed Minor and Les Roberts, who faced each other in the 1994 World Series and both won Manager of the Year awards, will be leaving Newport and Fremont, respectively. Minor was hired to replace Roberts in Fremont. Perkins and Roberts are still unemployed. Portsmouth will go with first-time manager Tom Green, who has spent the last 9 years as Newport’s pitching coach.

The 1995 CBL baseball cards have been released here.

1995 Colonial League Awards
Outstanding Hitter Award: RF Sean Tuttle, CC
Outstanding Pitcher Award: SP Michael Pittman, POR
Rookie of the Year Award: MR Bob Lewis, PCP
Relief Pitcher Award: CL Hal Phipps, LBG
Manager of the Year Award: Van Holman, LBG

1995 Federal League Awards
Outstanding Hitter Award: 1B Ralph Torres, LBK
Outstanding Pitcher Award: SP Michael Alexander, MTS
Rookie of the Year Award: SS Merlin Westaway, LBK
Relief Pitcher Award: CL Zach Wolfe, MTS
Manager of the Year Award: Glenn Burch, LBK



Major Transactions
Capital City:
Fired Manager Patrick McKenna
Signed Manager Miguel Mendez to 5-year contract
Key free agents: 3B Mariano Rios, MR Rob Paris

Centerville:
Fired Manager Richard Graham
Signed Manager Patrick McKenna to 4-year contract
Key Free Agents: RF John Hill, 2B Tim MacIntosh, CL Gonzalo Solano

Fremont:
Fired GM Allen Washington
Fired Manager Les Roberts
Signed GM James Bartlett to 5-year contract
Signed Manager Ed Minor to 4-year contract
Key Free Agents: SP Bill Epperson, MR Chris Austin, MR Chris Harden

Irondale:
Signed GM Mike Ward to 1-year extension
Voided team option of RF Pat Howard
C Nolan Bird executed last optional contract year
Key Free Agents: SP Alonso Hinojosa, SP Alan Morgan, RF Pat Howard

Kingston:
Did not offer arbitration to SP Ed Woods
Key Free Agents: C Vic Taylor, LF Bob Ward, SP Derek Moore, SP Ed Woods

Liberty (C):
GM Gabe Sims retires
Traded SP Rob Godwin (33, 2*) to Park City (C) for RF Al Harren (27, 2*)
Signed GM Brian Baldwin to 5-year contract
Key Free Agents: 2B Hunter Crosby, MR William McKinney, LF Harry Cooper, C Terry Williams

Liberty (F):
Signed GM Pat Lambert to 2-year extension
Traded 2B Brad Oliver (26, 2.5*) and 1B Doug Lott (20, 1/2*) to Portsmouth for SP John Anderson (34, 3*)
Key Free Agents: 1B Charles Messer, 3B Ben Lewis

Mount Sterling:
Did not renew contract of Manager Lee Perkins
Signed Manager Antonio Betancourt to 5-year contract
Key Free Agents: CL Zach Wolfe, LF Jose Martinez, SP Alfonso Mendez

Newport:
Did not renew contract of Manager Ed Minor
Fired GM James Bartlett
Signed GM Travis O’Creagh to 4-year contract
Signed Manager Terry Bond to 1-year contract
Key Free Agents: C Robert Hollingsworth, RF Miguel Romero, LF Reid Lee

Park City (C):
Manager Daniel Sims retires
GM Melvin Workman retires
Promoted Bench Coach Cliff Church to Manager
Traded RF Al Harren (27, 2*) to Liberty (C) for SP Rob Godwin (33, 2*)
Signed GM Allen Washington to 5-year contract
Key Free Agents: SP Kelvin Taylor

Park City (F):
Key Free Agents: 1B Jason Wood

Portsmouth:
Did not renew contract of Manager Miguel Mendez
Voided team option year of LF Jorge Sanchez
Signed Manager Tom Green to 5-year contract
Traded SP John Anderson (34, 3*) to Liberty (F) for 2B Brad Oliver (26, 2.5*) and 1B Doug Lott (20, 1/2*)
Key Free Agents: C Jeff Turner, CF Javier Guzman, SP Earl Gordon, 1B Joe Jackson, CL Tyler Carr

Top Free Agents Available (Former Team, Age, *), [Credentials]
C Jeff Turner (POR, 26, 5*), 3-time All-Star, 1994 Gold Glove
RF Miguel Romero (NEW, 27, 4.5*), 2-time Gold Glove
LF Bob Ward (KIN, 27, 4.5*), 2-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove
CF Javier Guzman (POR, 29, 4/4.5*), 3-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove, 1993 3rd for OHA
C Robert Hollingsworth (NEW, 30, 4*), 2-time All-Star, 1995 Gold Glove
RF Pat Howard (IRO, 35, 4*), 3-time OHA, All-80s Team
3B Mariano Rios (CC, 28, 4/4.5*), 1994 OHA, 4-time All-Star
C Vic Taylor (KIN, 28, 4*), 5-time All-Star, 1993 2nd for OHA
1B Joe Jackson (POR, 28, 3/4.5*), 2-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove, 1992 3rd for OHA
1B Jason Wood (CEN, 28, 3*), 2-time All-Star, 1993 Gold Glove
2B Hunter Crosby (LBG, 28, 2.5/3*), 2-time All-Star, 2-time Gold Glove, 1989 ROY
RF John Hill (CEN, 29, 2.5*), 1989 Gold Glove

SP Alonso Hinojosa (IRO, 28, 4.5*), 3-time All-Star
SP Bill Epperson (FRE, 26, 4*), 2-time All-Star, 2-time Top 3 for OPA
SP Alan Morgan (IRO, 26, 4*), 3-time All-Star
SP Earl Gordon (POR, 41, 3.5*), 1983 OPA, 1987 RPA, 4-time All-Star
SP Derek Moore (KIN, 29, 3/3.5*), 1993 All-Star & 2nd for OPA

CL Zach Wolfe (MTS, 33, 5*), 1995 RPA
MR Rob Paris (CC, 30, 4.5*)
MR Tyler Carr (POR, 31, 4*), 1991 All-Star
CL Chris Harden (FRE, 32, 4*)
MR William McKinney (LBG, 38, 4*), 3-time OPA winner, 1980’s Pitcher of the Decade
MR Armando Reyes (PCK, 37, 4*), 3-time All-Star
MR Chris Austin (FRE, 30, 3.5*), 1993 RPA

[GoPedro99]

Time for a Portsmouth rebuild

[Dark Horse]

Looks like a pivotal year for the Steelers... I hope they can, at least, keep their free agent pitchers. They need something to put around Jason Coffman.

[jwinbigler]

March 2, 1996

Several star players changed teams, but there was also a surprising number of big free agents that returned to their previous teams, including Mariano Rios, Joe Jackson, and Miguel Romero. The Newport Navigators arguably had the best offseason, adding 2 star pitchers and re-signing Romero, although they lost Robert Hollingsworth. Mount Sterling and Portsmouth, who have been the 2 most successful teams of the 90s, were also big players in free agency, and they will probably be among the favorites again.

The biggest retirees among free agents were Reid Lee, an Honorable Mention on the All-80s Team, former OHA winner Mike Pryor, and all-time games pitched leader Ted Wolton.



Major Transactions
Free Agent Retirees:
LF Reid Lee, MR Ted Wolton, 1B Mike Pryor

Capital City:
Signed 3B Mariano Rios to 6-year contract (staying with team)
Signed 2B Drake John to 1-year extension
Signed LF Bob Ward to 4-year contract (formerly of Kingston)

Centerville:
Signed 2B Hunter Crosby to 4-year contract (formerly of Liberty (C))
Signed 2B Alvin Banks to 3-year contract (formerly of Kingston)

Fremont:
Signed CL Chris Harden to 2-year contract (staying with team)
Signed MR Tyler Carr to 1-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth)
Signed SP Derek Moore to 5-year contract (formerly of Kingston)
Signed SP Alfonso Mendez to 1-year contract (formerly of Mount Sterling)

Irondale:
Traded C Pat Hoover (26, 2/4*) and SP Melvin Robinson (23, 1/2*) to Liberty (C) for SP Matt Thompson (25, 2/2.5*)
Traded CL Ben Samuels (35, 4*) to Liberty (C) for 4 young non-impact pitchers
Signed LF Harry Cooper to 1-year contract (formerly of Liberty (C))
Signed SP Earl Gordon to 1-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth)
Signed RF Pat Howard to 1-year contract (staying with team)

Kingston:
Signed CF Javier Guzman to 7-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth)
Signed 2B Henley Doyle to 1-year contract (staying with team)
Signed 2B Tim MacIntosh to 1-year contract (formerly of Centerville)
Signed CL Gonzalo Solano to 1-year contract (formerly of Centerville)

Liberty (C):
Signed SS Jeff Thompson to 1-year extension
Traded SP Matt Thompson (25, 2/2.5*) to Irondale for C Pat Hoover (26, 2/4*) and SP Melvin Robinson (23, 1/2*)
Signed C Robert Hollingsworth to 5-year contract (formerly of Newport)
Traded 4 young non-impact pitchers to Irondale for CL Ben Samuels (35, 4*)

Liberty (F):
Signed C Jeff Turner to 5-year contract (formerly of Portsmouth)

Mount Sterling:
Signed SP Michael Alexander to 3-year extension
Signed SP Bill Epperson to 4-year contract (formerly of Fremont)
Signed MR Rob Paris to 1-year contract (formerly of Capital City)
Signed C Vic Taylor to 5-year contract (formerly of Kingston)
Signed MR Bob Lewis to 1-year contract (formerly of Kingston)

Newport:
Signed SP Ed Woods to 2-year contract (formerly of Kingston)
Signed SP Alan Morgan to 4-year contract (formerly of Irondale)
Signed RF Miguel Romero to 6-year contract (staying with team)

Park City (C):
Signed RF Ed Miller to 1-year extension
Signed 1B Jason Wood to 6-year contract (formerly of Park City (F))

Park City (F):
Signed C Terry Williams to 1-year contract (formerly of Liberty (C))
Signed MR Chris Austin to 1-year contract (formerly of Fremont)

Portsmouth:
Signed SP Alonso Hinojosa to 5-year contract (formerly of Irondale)
Signed CL Zach Wolfe to 3-year contract (formerly of Mount Sterling)
Signed 1B Joe Jackson to 7-year contract (staying with team)
Signed MR William McKinney to 2-year contract (formerly of Liberty (C))
Signed SP Michael Pittman to 1-year extension
Signed LF Jorge Sanchez to 1-year contract (staying with team)

Top Free Agents Available (Former Team), Age, [Credentials]
RF John Hill (CEN, 29, 2.5*), 1989 Gold Glove
MR Armando Reyes (PCK, 37, 4*), 3-time All-Star

[Dark Horse]

Looks like another rough year for the Steelers.

[jwinbigler]

April 1, 1996

Spring Training Results:



Season Predictions:

This year, I’m doing something a little different for team-by-team preview. Instead of just writing about all of the key players for each team, I’ve captured some screenshots for each team that show a lot more information than I could write about. Now, I can focus more on summarizing rather than writing details about players, and it saves me time. I think I’ll probably keep doing it this way from now on.

The following is a summary of the top 4 teams at every position:



One of the interesting trends we’ve seen over the last couple of years is teams having 2 top-flight starting pitchers to pair with each other. We’ve occasionally seen elite trios or more, particularly Portsmouth, Irondale, and Newport, but the 1-2 punch has become more common, and the lone ace is becoming a rarity. Just this year, we have Liberty (C) (Gore/Snyder), Liberty (F) (Ashley/Gordon), and Park City (F) (Thompson/Webb), while Newport, Portsmouth, and Mount Sterling each have 3 or 4 top pitchers. Unsurprisingly, these teams are the ones to beat.

Season Predictions – Colonial League:



All CL Lineups

Newport was the CL champion in 1994 but severely regressed last year. We think they’ll get back to their winning ways, although Portsmouth, Park City, and Liberty aren’t far behind.

Newport
Predicted Finish – 1st
Predicted Runs For/Against – 5th/1st
Key Additions – SP Alan Morgan, SP Ed Woods
Key Losses – C Robert Hollingsworth, LF Reid Lee (Retired)



Batters / Pitchers

After a poor showing last year, we expect Newport to return to the top of the Colonial League on the strength of their pitching staff. Their offense is weak, particularly after losing Hollingsworth, but they have a ton of team speed and can manufacture runs. Resigning Miguel Romero in the offseason was huge. The rotation, which was already great with Javier Soto, Mike Murdock, and Sam Taylor, will be bolstered by the addition of 3-time All-Star Alan Morgan. The bullpen isn’t deep, but closer Miguel Pellicer is one of the all-time greats.

Portsmouth
Predicted Finish – T2nd, 8 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 6th/2nd
Key Additions – SP Alonso Hinojosa, CL Zach Wolfe, 2B Brad Oliver (Trade)
Key Losses – C Jeff Turner, LF Javier Guzman, SP Earl Gordon, MR Tyler Carr, SP John Anderson (Trade)



Batters / Pitchers

Portsmouth came very close to their 4th CL pennant in 5 years, but came up just short last year. It was a rough offseason for the Clippers, but they still have a lot of talent. Losing Turner and Guzman will hurt a lot, but Lorenzo Herrera is ready to step up, and Tom Duncan and Joe Jackson are holdovers from the glory years. Anderson and Gordon are gone from the rotation, but the signing of Alonso Hinojosa should replace a lot of their production. The trio of Hinojosa, Michael Pittman, and Mark Ullrich are dominant in the rotation, and the bullpen is very good, although George Washington will miss the season with a torn labrum.

Park City
Predicted Finish – T2nd, 8 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 1st/4th
Key Additions – 1B Jason Wood, SP Rob Godwin (Trade)
Key Losses – CF Al Harren (Trade)



Batters / Pitchers

The Patriots have a deep and experienced lineup that is one of the best in the CL. Davey Simons is clearly the star, but there aren’t many holes. The rotation features an up-and-coming star (Hugh Christian) and a past-his-prime veteran (Bob Cole), along with several other capable starters. Thomas Collier, who would be #3, is out for 5 months. The bullpen is one of the best in the league, led by closer Neil Stinson and Terry Seals.

Liberty
Predicted Finish – 4th, 10 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 4th/3rd
Key Additions – C Robert Hollingsworth, MR Ben Samuels (Trade), C Pat Hoover (Trade), CF Al Harren (Trade)
Key Losses – 2B Hunter Crosby, C Terry Williams, MR William McKinney, LF Harry Cooper, SP Rob Godwin (Trade)



Batters / Pitchers

The defending CBL champion will enter the season with low expectations, but much of that is based on the players that are injured. The signing of Robert Hollingsworth will make a very good offense even better, as they return Vicente Flores, Tom Jenkins, and more. David Jones and Jeff Thompson will both start the season on the DL but will return within the first couple of weeks. Danny Wilson will miss 8 weeks. Trent Gore and Curt Snyder are the top pitching tandem in the league, but trading Rob Godwin weakened the rotation. Bill Cranwell is a decent #3, but the bottom is very weak. Fortunately for the Giants, they have an all-time great bullpen, led by closer Hal Phipps.

Capital City
Predicted Finish – 5th, 16 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 3rd/5th
Key Additions – LF Bob Ward
Key Losses – MR Rob Paris



Batters / Pitchers

Capital City has a very good offense, although 3 important players will start the season on the DL. All 3 should be back within a month, though. Mariano Rios and Sean Tuttle have won the last 2 OHAs, and the addition of Bob Ward makes the outfield so deep that former All-Star Monty Hicks will be a bench player when he returns. Drake John and Hank Stout are a great middle-infield duo. The Senators’ Achilles heel is their pitching. Roosevelt Jones is past his prime but still good, and Wayne Hixon is competent, but no one else is worth getting excited about. The bullpen is decent, but not good enough to make up for the rotation. This team will probably put up a lot of runs, but they’ll also give them up.

Irondale
Predicted Finish – 6th, 18 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 2nd/6th
Key Additions – SP Earl Gordon, SP Luke Ashe, LF Harry Cooper, SP Matt Thompson (Trade)
Key Losses – SP Alonso Hinojosa, SP Alan Morgan, MR Ben Samuels (Trade), C Pat Hoover (Trade)



Batters / Pitchers

Irondale still has the fantastic trio of Jason Coffman, Pat Howard, and Alfred Roberts, and the offense should be very good. However, the loss of their top 2 starting pitchers, Hinojosa and Morgan, will be too much to overcome. Earl Gordon is their only top-level starter, and he’s 41 years old, and the bullpen isn’t very good either. It will be a long season for the Steelers.

Season Predictions – Federal League:



All FL Lineups

Liberty and Mount Sterling battled for the pennant last year, and they are the teams to beat again this year. Park City also has a shot if the cards fall right, as their mid-season moves last year made them a much better team.

Liberty
Predicted Finish – 1st
Predicted Runs For/Against – 3rd/2nd
Key Additions – C Jeff Turner, SP John Anderson (Trade)
Key Losses – 2B Brad Oliver (Trade)



Batters / Pitchers

The Knights came up just short last year, but they are the favorite this year after some key offseason moves. Jeff Turner will make a great partner in the lineup for superstar Ralph Torres, while the rest of the young lineup is a year older and more experienced. They acquired starting pitcher John Anderson in a trade, but they will make him a closer due to team need. Matt Ashley and Lawrence Gordon are a great duo at the top of the rotation, rivaling Gore and Snyder across town, and youngsters Al Goodman and Cliff Bly provide good depth. The team’s main weakness is the bullpen, but they should be less reliant on it than most teams due to the strong rotation.

Mount Sterling
Predicted Finish – 2nd, 5 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 2nd/4th
Key Additions – SP Bill Epperson, C Vic Taylor, MR Rob Paris
Key Losses – SP Alfonso Mendez, SP Luke Ashe, CL Zach Wolfe



Batters / Pitchers

Mount Sterling was expected to be near the bottom of the league last year and won the pennant. After a solid offseason, they have high expectations. Adding Vic Taylor to a lineup that already featured Mike Armstrong, Cody Powers, Bob Walker, and Raymond Richards gives them a very strong offense. Michael Alexander is one of the top pitchers in the league, while Dan Bray is an excellent #2. The signing of Bill Epperson finally gives them a good #3 starter. They essentially swapped Zach Wolfe for Rob Paris in the bullpen, which is only a slight downgrade. Daniel Davis will step into the closer’s role.

Park City
Predicted Finish – 3rd, 6 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 4th/1st
Key Additions – C Terry Williams, MR Chris Austin
Key Losses – 1B Jason Wood, MR Armando Reyes



Batters / Pitchers

The Kings made several moves last year with the hope of making a run at a pennant, but it didn’t pay off. Most of those players are still around, though, so they’re hoping they can make another run. The offense has some very good players, including Jeffery Younger, Phil Clark, Gunnar Dorsey, and Gregg Kelly. Kyle Thompson and Ernie Webb are a great pitching duo, but the rest of the rotation isn’t very good. The bullpen, however, is very good and can cover up some of that deficiency.

Fremont
Predicted Finish – 4th, 8 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 1st/6th
Key Additions – SP Derek Moore, SP Alfonso Mendez, MR Tyler Carr
Key Losses – SP Bill Epperson, MR Chris Austin



Batters / Pitchers

Fremont’s offense is led by one of the top young hitters in the game, Bill Harrington, and he has a lot of support behind him. The Tigers added Derek Moore to the rotation, but he is a slight downgrade from former ace Bill Epperson, and the pitching staff is expected to be the worst in the FL.

Centerville
Predicted Finish – 5th, 14 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 6th/5th
Key Additions – 2B Hunter Crosby
Key Losses – RF John Hill, CL Gonzalo Solano, 2B Tim MacIntosh



Batters / Pitchers

Centerville’s best hitter is Ralph Coffey, and they also have power hitter Juan Jose Molina, but they don’t have much else. The pitching staff features a lot of young talent, including Jeremy Gray and Bill O’Clancy, but most of them aren’t yet in their primes. Looking at the potential of their pitchers shows a bright future for the Cyclones, but they’ll need to add some hitters in the next few years to be competitive.

Kingston
Predicted Finish – 6th, 19 GB
Predicted Runs For/Against – 5th/3rd
Key Additions – LF Javier Guzman, CL Gonzalo Solano, 2B Tim MacIntosh
Key Losses – LF Bob Ward, C Vic Taylor, SP Derek Moore, SP Ed Woods



Batters / Pitchers

Kingston had arguably the worst offseason in the league, and they will struggle this year. They still have Kevin Gaze and added Javier Guzman, but the loss of Bob Ward and Vic Taylor will really hurt their offense. The rotation has some decent pitchers, but losing Derek Moore and Ed Woods really hurts their depth. The bullpen should be the team’s bright spot.

Major Transactions
March 4 – Park City (F) signed MR Kelvin Taylor to 2-year contract (formerly of Park City (C))
March 4 – Irondale signed MR Armando Reyes to 1-year contract (formerly of Park City (F))
March 12 – Fremont signed RF John Hill to 1-year contract (formerly of Centerville)

Major Injuries
March 10 – MR Chris Harden, FRE, out for 2 months due to elbow inflammation
March 12 – SS Michael Brewer, IRO, out for 4 weeks due to shoulder soreness
March 18 – MR George Washington, POR, out for 9 months due to torn labrum
March 19 – SP Carlos Vargo, PCP, out for 4-5 months due to sore shoulder
March 21 – SP Colm Miller, KIN, out for 4-5 months due to torn labrum
March 21 – MR Mike Garland, MTS, out for 2-3 months due to torn meniscus
March 25 – RF Monty Hicks, CC, out for 5 weeks due to fractured hand
March 27 – LF Bob Ward, CC, out for 4 weeks due to hamstring strain

[jwinbigler]

May 1, 1996





Monthly Wrap-Up

Park City (C) got off to a hot start in April, going 17-8 to take a 4 game lead in the CL. 4 other teams are within a game of .500, while Capital City trails the pack at 9-16 despite a CBL-leading batting average. Fremont leads the FL at 16-9, 2 games up on Park City (F). The Tigers are looking to rebound from a 5th place finish last year, which followed a CBL championship in 1994.

Colonial League:
Players of the Week
April 8 – CF Jose Diaz, CC, 12-22, 0 HR, 3 RBI
April 15 – 1B Jason Coffman, IRO, 7-20, 4 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R
April 22 – C Robert Hollingsworth, LBG, 10-22, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R
April 29 – 3B Vicente Flores, LBG, 7-8, 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Players of the Month
Batter – C Lee Moran, PCP, .361, 6 HR, 27 RBI, 13 R
Pitcher – SP Darryl Atkinson, PCP, 4-0, 1.52 ERA, 41.1 IP, 28 K
Rookie – SS Cliff Robinson, IRO, .257, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Federal League:
Players of the Week
April 8 – 1B Ralph Torres, LBK, 12-26, 4 HR, 12 RBI
April 15 – 3B Bill Harrington, FRE, 11-23, 1 HR, 4 RBI
April 22 – 1B Raymond Richards, MTS, 8-26, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R
April 29 – SP Dan Bray, MTS, 2-0, 0.64 ERA, 24 K

Players of the Month
Batter – 1B Ralph Torres, LBK, .320, 7 HR, 26 RBI, 13 R
Pitcher – SP Ernie Webb, PCK, 5-0, 1.70 ERA, 37 IP, 30 K
Rookie – RF Michael White, KIN, .295, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R

Top Performances
Batting – April 28 – 1B Jason Wood, PCP vs. CC, 3-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 5 R, 2 BB
Pitching – April 16 – SP Trent Gore, LBG vs. PCP, 7.1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 12 K

Major Transactions
April 22 – SS Bob Stanley, PCP, signed 1-year extension

Major Injuries
April 10 – 3B Mariano Rios, CC, out for 3-4 months due to fractured fibula
April 11 – 3B Jim Brady, IRO, out for 5 weeks due to fractured thumb
April 11 – LF Juan Jose Molina, CEN, out for 6 weeks due to forearm strain
April 20 – 1B Kevin Gaze, KIN, out for 4 weeks due to fractured rib

Get to know…Jeffery Younger

Baseball Cards: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 (All-Star), 1995 (All-Star)

One of the stranger anomalies in the CBL has been the lack of great second basemen. John Bailey, coincidentally profiled below, is the only 2B to be featured in this section until now. While a consistent, solid player, Bailey has never been a star. The primary candidates to take the mantle as the CBL’s best 2B were Mariano Rios, who moved to 3B after a few years, and Norbert Harris, whose promising career was cut short by an injury at the age of 25.

Park City (F)’s Jeffery Younger is looking to change that narrative. Only 26, he is already the top 2nd baseman in the league, and barring catastrophe (like Harris), he should set a lot of records for the position. Younger was born in Aaronville, Madison, a town of about 20,000 on the northeast shore of Indian Lake. After a standout career at Elmerline College in Adams, he was the 1st pick of the 2nd round by Portsmouth in 1990 (#9 overall). Portsmouth’s 1st pick was Tom Duncan, and the pair looked to be a great young combo up the middle, but at the end of the season, Younger was selected by the Kings in the expansion draft.

Younger made his CBL debut in 1991 and immediately became a starter. Every year since, he has started the All-Star game for the Federal League, except in 1992 when he was injured. His career line is .286/.401/.465 with 63 HR and 269 RBI. He has led the FL in walks each of the last 3 years. Among 2B, he is the career leader in OBP and OPS. He also has the top 2 seasons in WAR and VORP among the same group. In addition to his All-Star appearances, he won the 1991 Gold Glove, finished 2nd for the 1994 OHA, and finished 3rd for the 1995 OHA. He also has 3 PotW awards and 1 BotM.

Younger is a great all-around player with no real weaknesses. He can hit for average and power, has a great eye, is an excellent defender, and has above average speed. He’s an average baserunner. He plays 2B at an elite level but can also play 3B and SS competently. He has a good head on his shoulders.

Where are they now?... John Bailey

Baseball Cards: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 (All-Star), 1995

Original Post (1990)

John Bailey, 36, was featured in 1990. Later that year, he was selected in the expansion draft by the Liberty Knights. After one year with the Knights, he returned to the Patriots as a free agent, and he has stayed with them since, so he is now in his 15th year with the team.

Bailey has been mostly an average player since being named to the All-80’s team, although a strong first half in 1994 resulted in his only All-Star appearance. His career line is now .249/.361/.371 with 97 HR and 589 RBI. However, due to his longevity and consistency, his name is at the top of several categories among second basemen. His 1276 career hits are 548 more than #2 Hunter Crosby, and he’s also 1st in Games, AB, R, TB, 2B, 3B, HR, RBI, and BB.

Games of the Month
April 8 – Kingston @ Fremont
Fremont’s Derek Moore pitched a complete game 1-hitter, beating the rival Lions 10-0.

April 16 – Park City (C) @ Liberty (C)
Youngster Scott Howell went toe-to-toe with superstar Trent Gore, with both pitchers departing in a scoreless game. The Patriots’ closer, Neil Stinson, was the first to crack, giving up a leadoff homer to Robert Hollingsworth in the bottom of the 9th.

April 17 – Kingston @ Mount Sterling
Kingston had a 6-1 lead at the 7th inning stretch, but the Gladiators weren’t done. They got 2 in the 7th, followed by a leadoff homer by Raymond Richards in the 8th to make it 6-4. With 2 outs and 2 men on in the 9th, Richards came up again and hit the first pitch out for a walk-off 7-6 win.

[jwinbigler]

June 1, 1996





Monthly Wrap-Up
The Park City Patriots reverted to the mean some in May, going 7-11 after a 12-game winning streak that ended on May 11th. Newport caught them with a strong 20-7 month, including an ongoing 9-game winning streak. The defending champion Giants got things going as well with a 19-8 record, and they sit only 2 games back.

Despite their lack of star power, the Fremont Tigers maintained a 2-game lead in the FL, led by journeyman Alfonso Mendez, who is tied for the CBL lead with 8 wins. Park City and Mount Sterling are 2 and 3 games back, and last-place Centerville is only 7 games behind. There seems to be a lot of parity in the Federal League right now.











Colonial League:
Players of the Week
May 6 – 1B Jason Coffman, IRO, 9-20, 3 HR, 8 RBI
May 13 – LF Ed Miller, PCP, 6-20, 4 HR, 7 RBI
May 20 – 3B Bill Lewis, NEW, 10-18, 1 HR, 4 RBI
May 27 – 1B Jason Coffman, IRO, 11-21, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 8 R

Players of the Month
Batter – 1B Jason Coffman, IRO, .355, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 23 R
Pitcher – CL Miguel Pellicer, NEW, 4-1, 8 S, 2.65 ERA, 17 IP, 20 K
Rookie – LF Cliff DeWitt, POR, .247, 1 HR, 6 RBI

Federal League:
Players of the Week
May 6 – CF Javier Guzman, KIN, 9-21, 2 HR, 5 RBI, 5 R
May 13 – SP Michael Alexander, MTS, 2-0, 0.61 ERA, 14.2 IP, 17 K
May 20 – C Phil Clark, PCK, 8-20, 3 HR, 8 RBI
May 27 – 1B Raymond Richards, MTS, 12-28, 4 HR, 12 RBI, 6 R

Players of the Month
Batter – 1B Raymond Richards, MTS, .349, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 16 R
Pitcher – SP Michael Alexander, MTS, 4-1, 0.89 ERA, 40.2 IP, 51 K
Rookie – RF Michael White, KIN, .244, 2 HR, 8 RBI

Top Performances
Batting – May 8 – LF Tom Jenkins, LBG vs. PCK, 2-2, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
Pitching – May 31 – SP Phil Church, LBK vs. PCP, 10.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 9 K

Major Transactions
May 6 – LF Britt Duncan, FRE, signed 2-year extension
May 14 – SP Ernie Webb, PCK, signed 1-year extension
May 17 – 2B Bob Walker, MTS, signed 1-year extension
May 29 – SP Dan Bray, MTS, signed 1-year extension
May 31 – CL Miguel Pellicer, NEW, signed 1-year extension

Major Injuries
May 4 – MR Dennis Sears, CC, out for 8-9 weeks due to rotator cuff strain
May 8 – SS Hank Stout, CC, out for 2-3 months due to fractured finger
May 22 – 3B Artie O’Connor, NEW, career over due to setback from broken kneecap
May 26 – RF Artie Frean, FRE, out for 5-6 weeks due to torn ankle ligaments

Draft Retrospective – 1986

Original Analysis

Batters:
After a pitcher was taken with the #1 pick, the next 13 picks were batters, and most of them have had good careers. Unfortunately, the promising career of the #2 pick, Chris Logan, was cut short due to a career-ending concussion. Tom Jenkins (#5) and Monty Hicks (#3) have had the best careers so far, but Jeff Turner (#4) and Ralph Coffey (#6) have also earned their 1st-round picks. Jose Diaz (#12) might be the 3rd-best hitter in the class.

Pitchers:
Matt Ashley was the #1 pick, and he is a star, but the next pitcher wasn’t selected until the 3rd round! Neil Stinson was the 2nd pitcher taken, and he is one of the top closers in the league, and perhaps CBL history. 4th-rounders Eric Frazier and Chuck Robertson have had decent careers as starters, but there aren’t too many other impact players.

Summary:
The 1st round picks were all successful, with the exception of Logan, who looked good before his career-ending injury. It was a deep class of hitters, but there weren’t many good pitchers.

Get to know…Ernie Webb

Baseball Cards: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 (All-Star)

Ernie Webb, the ace of the Park City Kings, was born in Point Pleasant, Jefferson and attended the University of Farmington. He was the 2nd pick of the 1990 draft by the Gladiators but failed to sign and returned to college. The Kings picked him with the #4 pick the following year, as he slipped down the board due to concerns over signing him.

Webb immediately entered the Kings’ rotation, going 6-3 with a 3.21 ERA over the rest of the season. The following year, he was an All-Star, but a torn UCL in 1993 cost him a full year of his career. He’s managed to bounce back, making his second All-Star team last year, and he is now considered one of the top pitchers in the game, going 16-9 last year and 8-2 so far this year. His career record is 51-38 with a 3.03 ERA, 551 strikeouts, and 259 walks. He has a Player of the Week award and won his first Pitcher of the Month last month.

Webb’s strength is his movement, and his stuff is very good too. His control is about average. His biggest weakness is low stamina for a starting pitcher, but he is a good fielder and an excellent hitter for a pitcher. His career batting line is .239/.339/.313 in 201 at-bats. He has a good head on his shoulders and puts in long hours. He is well-respected by his teammates.

Where are they now?... Curt Snyder

Baseball Cards: 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995 (All-Star)

Original Post (1990)

Curt ‘Einstein’ Snyder is still one of the top pitchers in the game, and at only 30 years old, he still has a lot of baseball left. When he was featured in 1990, he was the reigning OPA winner in the CL and had just thrown a no-hitter. He added a 2nd OPA in 1991, and he was the starting pitcher for the CL in the first 2 All-Star games. Since then, he finished 2nd in OPA voting 3 times (’92, ’93, and ’95), and made 2 more All-Star teams.

In 1994, Snyder was in the last year of his contract, and the Steelers traded him to the Tigers as a short-term rental down the stretch. It worked, as he helped lead Fremont to the first World Series win by a Federal League team. In the offseason, he signed a massive 7-year contract with the Liberty Giants to return to the Colonial League and team up with Trent Gore, and he won his 2nd straight World Series last year.

Snyder’s career record is 128-59 with a 2.74 ERA, 1562 K, and 471 BB. He started 1 game in each of his 2 World Series, getting a no-decision each time. He is 5th all-time in Wins, 7th in ERA, and 4th in WAR , behind only William McKinney, Trent Gore, and Roosevelt Jones, who are all at least 2 years older than Snyder.

Games of the Month
May 3 – Liberty (F) @ Liberty (C)
The Giants’ David Jones hit a walk-off 2-run homer in the 10th for a 4-2 win over the crosstown rival Knights.

May 7 – Park City (F) @ Liberty (C)
It was a great pitchers’ duel between Kyle Thompson and Trent Gore, and it went to extra innings tied 1-1. Reliever Robert Warren was left in to bat for the Giants in the 14th, and he hit a walk-off homer for a 2-1 win. It was Warren’s 2nd career homer in 14 at-bats, with the other coming 4 years ago.

May 17 – Park City (F) @ Mount Sterling
Park City (F) scored a run in the 9th to tie it at 2, then Gunnar Dorsey hit a solo shot in the top of the 11th for a 3-2 lead. In the bottom of the inning, the Gladiators’ Kevin Boyd hit a one-out, walk-off 2-run homer.

May 19 – Park City (C) @ Portsmouth
Portsmouth’s Mark Ullrich threw a complete game shutout over the 1st-place Patriots, striking out 6. The Clippers won 4-0.

May 25 – Portsmouth @ Newport
Portsmouth scratched across a rare run against Miguel Pellicer in the 11th to take a 1-0 lead, but Billy Copeland extended the game with a solo homer in the bottom of the inning. 2 innings later, Copeland hit his 2nd homer of the day to give the Navigators a 2-1 win.

[jwinbigler]

July 1, 1996





Monthly Wrap-Up
In the Colonial League, Newport went 19-9 in June, while Park City faded with a 14-14 month to fall to 3rd place. Liberty went 20-8 to move into 2nd, only a game behind Newport.

Newport has relied mostly on outstanding pitching, but they made a move this month to try to make their team more balanced, by trading away pitcher Sam Taylor a few weeks after signing him to an extension, getting catcher Jon Lyons and shortstop prospect Steve Cherry in return. There are rumors going around Newport that the team cunningly persuaded Taylor to give them a hometown discount in order to get more in return via trade, but if that’s the case, Taylor won’t say. It’s also been rumored that Javier Soto and Mike Murdock weren’t happy that Taylor was getting a big payday, potentially reducing the amounts they will be offered in the next few years. Or, maybe the Gladiators just made an offer the Navigators couldn’t refuse. The historically good rotation was an unaffordable luxury, and adding Lyons now and Cherry later was too hard to pass up. We may never know.

The defending champion Giants have a very balanced team that should give the Navigators a run for their money, and it should be an exciting race over the last few months.

In the Federal League, Liberty had an outstanding 21-7 month to move from 5th to 1st, a game ahead of Fremont, who went 14-14. There’s a lot of parity in the FL right now, as only 8 games separate 1st from last in the standings.

The Knights owe their great month to excellent starting pitching, but their bullpen is worst in the FL, and their offense is only average. They added Davey Simons this month via trade in an effort to boost their scoring. Fremont has a better offense, but their pitching is average, although their rotation is balanced.

The other big trade of the month involved Irondale and their continuing fire sale, as they sent slugger Alfred Roberts to the Lions for a very good 3B prospect and 2 spare parts.









Colonial League:
Players of the Week
June 3 – CF Jose Espinoza, PCP, 9-24, 3 HR, 10 RBI
June 10 – SP Sam Taylor, NEW, 2-0, 0.53 ERA, 17 IP, 9 K
June 17 – CF Jake Cole, NEW, 14-25, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R
June 24 – C Nolan Bird, IRO, 10-21, 4 HR, 9 RBI, 7 R
July 1 – 3B Bill Lewis, NEW, 11-21, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Players of the Month
Batter – 1B Jason Coffman, IRO, .282, 7 HR, 14 RBI, 19 R
Pitcher – SP Trent Gore, LBG, 4-2, 1.09 ERA, 41.1 IP, 49 K
Rookie – 1B Mike Roberts, LBG, .298, 0 HR, 8 RBI

Federal League:
Players of the Week
June 3 – C Phil Clark, PCK, 11-19, 4 HR, 10 RBI
June 10 – LF Bill Wall, LBK, 10-23, 0 HR, 1 RBI
June 17 – C Steven Logan, FRE, .471, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R
June 24 – C Phil Clark, PCK, 8-20, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 6 R
July 1 – 1B Kevin Gaze, KIN, 14-29, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 5 R

Players of the Month
Batter – 1B Kevin Gaze, KIN, .393, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 22 R
Pitcher – SP Warner Pollard, FRE, 5-0, 1.84 ERA, 49 IP, 31 K
Rookie – RF John Hairston, CEN, .269, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 8 R

Top Performances
Batting – June 18 – C Phil Clark, PCK vs. CEN, 3-3, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, 2 BB
Pitching – June 7 – SP Lawrence Gordon, LBK vs. IRO, 8.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 14 K

Major Transactions
June 7 – SP Sam Taylor, NEW, signed 6-year extension
June 18 – CF Jose Espinoza, PCP, signed 4-year extension
June 20 – 1B Kevin Gaze, KIN, signed 1-year extension
June 25 – Trade: Kingston gets LF Alfred Roberts (27, 5*), Irondale gets 3B Louis Smith (19, 1/4.5*), SP Chris Snelson (23, 1/2*), and RF Walt West (21, 1/1.5*)
June 29 – Trade: Mount Sterling gets SP Sam Taylor (26, 4*), Newport gets C Jon Lyons (34, 2.5*) and SS Steve Cherry (18, 1/5*)
June 30 – Trade: Liberty (F) gets 1B Davey Simons (28, 2.5*), Park City (C) gets SP Phil Church (29, 2.5*) and SP Ed Brown (19, 1/2.5*)

Draft Highlights
#1 – Centerville – SP Ralph ‘Vacuum’ Morgan, 21, Jefferson State
Morgan is a huge prospect that could probably fill a rotation spot right now, but he hasn’t signed with the Cyclones yet. This could be the 3rd straight year that the #1 pick fails to sign.

#2 – Irondale – SP Alex ‘Cannon’ Hancock, 21, University of Lincoln
Hancock was the 1st overall pick in both 1994 and 1995, failing to sign with Capital City and Irondale. The Steelers decided to try again with him, and this time he signed. He should be a top of the rotation starter for many years, but he doesn’t have quite as high a ceiling as Morgan.

#3 – Newport – SP Robbie ‘Pokey’ James, 19, Pearl HS (Jackson)
James has a huge ceiling, but a long way to go to get there. He could be an all-time great if he develops well.

#4 – Capital City – CF Dan ‘The Tornado’ Wilson, 19, Lower Talley East HS (Jefferson)
Wilson is an outstanding contact hitter and should be an on-base machine, but he has almost no power. His elite speed and excellent stealing ability make him a prototypical leadoff hitter. He can play all three outfield positions, but he is below average defensively.

#5 – Park City (F) – CF Donnie Martin, 23, University of Madison
Martin is an above average hitter, but he is a great baserunner and defender. He has yet to sign.

#6 – Fremont – SS Kevin Greene, 22, Bridgeport University
Greene is already capable of contributing in the CBL. He should be a very good on-base guy with excellent speed, and he is a great defender at all of the infield positions. His only weakness is home run power, where he is well below average.

#7 – Irondale – SS Conrad Larsen, 23, Jefferson State
With their compensatory pick, the Steelers grabbed a very good shortstop in Larsen. He is similar to Greene in many ways, although he has a little more pop in his bat and is a bit slower. He is an excellent defender at shortstop, but he is not as versatile playing other positions.

#8 – Kingston – CL Dominic Green, 21, University of Madison
Green is probably a stretch as a 1st-rounder. He has the potential to be a great closer, but his glaring control weakness could hinder his progress. His elite stuff and movement could make up for it, but it’ll be an uphill battle.

#9 – Park City (F) – C Randall Gregory, 18, Black Lake North HS (Washington)
Gregory is a one-trick pony, with a singular strength of excellent home run power. He’s an above average hitter otherwise, but he will struggle to draw walks. He is a poor baserunner and a well below average defensive catcher.

#10 – Park City (C) – RF Danny Fraser, 21, Victor Point College
Fraser was drafted by the crosstown Kings last year with the #4 pick but failed to sign. He has the potential to be a great home run hitter, but he doesn’t have many other strengths.

#11 – Portsmouth – RF Atanur Saffet, 22, Kingston College
Saffet is a decent prospect. Like Gregory and Fraser above, his major strength is home run power.

#12 – Liberty (F) – SP Ben Martinez, 19, Rochelle HS (Madison)
Martinez probably won’t be more than a back of the rotation starter or an above average long reliever.

#13 – Liberty (C) – CL Mario Lopez, 22, University of Franklin
Lopez doesn’t have the same top-end stuff and movement to rival Dominic Green, who went #8, but he doesn’t have any weaknesses either. He could turn into a very good closer.

#14 – Mount Sterling – SP Mark Baldwin, 21, Jefferson State
Baldwin could be the steal of the 1st round, with above average to good potential across the board, along with excellent stamina. His control should be a big strength.

Major Injuries
June 10 – RF Neil Blackwell, LBK, out for 8 weeks due to herniated disc in back
June 12 – CF Nick Hicks, POR, out for 5 weeks due to oblique strain
June 12 – MR Terry Seals, PCP, out for 4 months due to torn labrum
June 15 – 3B Bill Harrington, FRE, out for 4 weeks due to knee sprain
June 24 – SS Hank Stout, CC, out for additional 8 weeks due to setback in recovery
June 28 – 2B Dalton Bonner, NEW, out for 6 weeks due to fractured finger

Get to know…Sam Taylor

Baseball Cards:
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 (OPA), 1995

Starting pitcher Sam Taylor, 26, was in the news in a big way this month. Taylor was born in Riverview and went to high school in Janisdale, MO, a small town on the north shore of Arlington Bay. He was drafted by the Navigators with the 5th overall pick in 1988 and made 9 appearances as a reliever over the next 2 seasons. He joined the Newport rotation in 1990, going 10-11 with a 3.94 ERA over 27 starts and finishing 3rd in Rookie of the Year voting.

Taylor continued to improve each year, culminating in an outstanding 1994 season, where he went 17-8 with a 2.40 ERA and won the Colonial League Outstanding Pitcher Award, beating out his two more highly regarded teammates, Javier Soto and Mike Murdock. That season, he also won his only Pitcher of the Month award, made his only All-Star team, and led the Navigators to the World Series, where they were upset by the Tigers.

He has continued to pitch in the shadow of Soto and Murdock, and the 1st-place Navigators also added Alan Morgan in the offseason, pushing Taylor to the #4 spot in the rotation. As the oldest of the young trio, he would have been the first to reach free agency following this season, but Newport signed him to a 6-year extension on June 7th. Three days later, he won a Player of the Week award, a rarity for a pitcher. However, sometime during the month, the Newport brass had a change of heart and traded him to Mount Sterling on June 29 for Jon Lyons, a 34-year-old catcher, and Steve Cherry, a bright young shortstop prospect. In Mount Sterling, Taylor will again be the #4 starter ironically, behind Michael Alexander, Dan Bray, and Bill Epperson.

So far this year, Taylor is 9-5 with a 2.87 ERA, and his career record stands at 80-58 with a 3.19 ERA. He also has 4 shutouts already this year, breaking the record of 3 set by Eric Frazier in 1990. No one else has more than 2 in a season. His career total of 5 is tied for 4th all-time. He has the most wins in Newport history, one ahead of John Anderson.

Taylor relies on excellent movement and very good control, while his stuff is below average. He has elite stamina and 3 decent pitches. His sinker is his go-to pitch, resulting in a very good groundball percentage. Taylor is extremely intelligent and has a good work ethic. He is popular in the clubhouse.

Where are they now?... Spencer Warren

Baseball Cards: 1990, 1991

Original Post (1990)

Two months after being featured in 1990, Spencer Warren was selected in the expansion draft by Fremont. He played for the Tigers in 1991, hitting .373 in 59 AB as a backup, then went back to Capital City for a year, only appearing in 7 games as a 41-year-old before retiring at the end of the season. His career numbers are .269/.383/.488 with 178 HR and 587 RBI. He is 4th all-time among catchers in HR, 6th in RBI, 2nd in OPS, and 3rd in WAR behind only Dave Bartlett and Vic Taylor.

Warren has a gifted mind for coaching, and after sitting out the 1993 season, he was hired as a mid-season replacement Manager in 1994 by the Irondale Steelers. He has a 112-141 record with the rebuilding Steelers, and his time there may be short, but his reputation should earn him some more chances in the league.

Games of the Month
June 1 – Newport @ Fremont
The Navigators got off to a good start for the month, rallying for 3 runs in the 9th to tie it at 4, then winning with a run in the 12th.

June 4 – Irondale @ Mount Sterling
Irondale got to Dan Bray early, with Jason Coffman hitting a 3-run homer in the 1st, but their starter gave up 6 runs in 3 innings to make it an uphill battle. Down 8-3 in the 9th, Coffman struck out, but the rest of the team got hot, and after a 2-run homer and a 3-run homer, the game was tied before Coffman struck out again to end the inning. In the 13th, Irondale took the lead but Mount Sterling came back to tie it. Finally, in the 14th, the Steelers took the lead for good on a bases loaded sacrifice fly, winning 10-9.

June 7 – Liberty (C) @ Mount Sterling
Two of the game’s best, Trent Gore and Michael Alexander, faced off in a highly anticipated matchup. Gore was sharp, pitching 7 scoreless innings, but Alexander was off from the start as the Giants won easily, 8-0. Gore hit a solo homer off of Alexander in the 2nd inning to help his cause.

June 10 – Park City (F) @ Fremont
The Kings scored 3 runs in the 9th to tie it at 6, then both bullpens were outstanding from there. Fremont’s Bill Harrington finally ended it with a walk-off solo homer to lead off the 17th inning.

June 12 – Liberty (F) @ Centerville
Lawrence Gordon and Jeremy Gray battled, but both got no decisions. The Cyclones were down to their final out in the 9th before Ernest Ferguson tied it with a solo homer. William Ortiz hit a solo shot in the top of the 10th to regain the lead for the Knights, but Centerville’s Alvin Banks answered with a walk-off 2-run blast for a 5-4 win.

June 22 – Newport @ Irondale
Irondale got on the board first with a 2-run homer by Nolan Bird, but Ed Woods was great after that, and the Navigators piled on the weak Steeler pitching staff, taking a 9-2 lead to the bottom of the 9th. Jim Brady struck out to begin the inning, but after that, a steady stream of singles, doubles, and walks led to an unbelievable rally. Superstar closer Miguel Pellicer came in with 2 men on and a 4-run lead, but he allowed 3 straight hits to tie the game at 9. After another pitching change, Jim Brady redeemed himself with a walk-off RBI double to cap the 8-run inning, giving the Steelers a wild 10-9 win.

June 23 – Newport @ Irondale
A day after a crazy comeback by Irondale against the 1st-place Navigators, Newport got out to another big lead, holding a 7-1 advantage in the 4th. With Mike Murdock on the mound, that should have been enough, but Irondale mounted another comeback, scoring 1 in the 4th and 5 more in the 6th to tie it at 7. Pinch hitter Jorge Lugo hit a game-tying grand slam with 2 outs in the inning. Jason Coffman added an RBI single in the 8th for an 8-7 lead, and Newport was shut down in the 9th to end the game.

[Dark Horse]

Jason Coffman just keeps grinding. He's awesome.
i'm encouraged by the Steelers draft picks. (And surprised to see the extra first round pick.)
But i wish they had gotten more for Alfred Roberts.