United Leagues of Braeland - Page 15

reds1 · 07-02-2016, 01:06 AM

February 1, 1945

Eastern League: Brunswick Setting the Pace

With two months remaining in the regular season, the Brunswick Legends have opened up a comfortable 12 game lead on the second place Embro Suns. So it would appear on the surface that the real race will be for the wild card, as the Suns have surged ahead of the scuffling Queensland Eagles. The race may be joined by the Braeland City Monarchs as well, who have stepped up their play of late, despite the trade of former Babe Ruth Award winner Dean Bishop to Kingston. But the Legends are not quite out of the woods as yet, as they are now forced to deal with a devastating injury to one of their key players. Whether that will be a game changer for Brunswick or whether the other claimants really do mean business remains to be seen as the League enters the final stretch.

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The Brunswick Legends are for real as the team continued their winning ways in December and January. Brunswick racked up 36 victories in that span, more than any other team in the United Leagues. With the exception of stealing bases (27 - 7th in EL), the Legends are excelling in all facets of the game. It would appear that a first place finish in the East is a mere formality. But the club is dealing with some adversity. Most significantly, it has lost the services of its top starting pitcher Anastasio Rodríguez for the balance of the season and playoffs. They are also without their three-time all-star 3B in Derek Sakurai for the next few weeks.
However, the Legends are perhaps the best team right now to weather such a storm. The team fortuitously picked up free agent RHP Hun Park (12-7, 3.44 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) in the off-season, and he appears more than capable of picking up the slack.
They also have 26-year old rookie 3B Dwaine Ainsley (.303/.351/.416) who has stepped in quite nicely since being promoted to the major leagues in late December. The former fourth-rounder from 1937-38 had been kicking around the minor leagues with seven different organizations before Brunswick signed him for a second time back on July 7, after he made his first minor league all-star appearance the season before.

The Legends sent 7 representatives to the All-star game: LHP Hirotada Fukushima (3rd), LHP Mathew Monroe (6th), RHP Hun Park (1st), LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (5th), 1B Stuart Bentham (4th), CF Harry Chatwin (2nd), and RF Mark Elston (6th).

Offense: .269/.344/.374 (2nd/2nd/3rd)
Pitching: 2.79/2.81/2.64 (1st/1st/1st)
Defense: .700 (1st)

Noteworthy Performance: Veteran RF Mark Elston won Player of the Week honours on December 12. For the week, he batted .435 (10 H in 23 AB) with 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R.

Key Injuries: 31-year old 3B Derek Sakurai (.270/.341/.351, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 13 R, 13 BB) was hit by a pitch in a game back on December 3 and broke his hand. He will miss a further 3-4 weeks.

28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (13-5, 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) suffered a dislocated finger in a game back on January 21. He is gone for the season (5 months).

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The Embro Suns are definitely writing a new script this season as they got hot in December, winning 19 games and overtaking the Queensland Eagles for the wild card. But the remaining two months of the season may provide a cliffhanger, as the Suns announced on January 22 that they have shifted team focus to 'rebuild' from 'neutral'. What that means, if anything, remains to be seen. A better strategy in the short term would be for them to win more games at home. While they are 39-24 on the road, they are just 22-22 at home. With 33 home games still left to play, now would be good time to make Speaker Stadium a tougher place to steal a win for the visitors.
The Suns are certainly benefiting from strong play from the likes of 29-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (14-5, 2.68 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) and CF Terence Durney. But Embro must be especially pleased with the play of 29-year old 1B Charles Usherwood (.310/.391/.413, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 43 R, 47 BB). The former 2nd-rounder from 1938-39 earned his second all-star selection and is enjoying his best season thus far in the United Leagues – while trying to fill two-time Babe Ruth Award winner Jim Friend's shoes.

Seven Suns were invited to the All-star game: RHP Oscar Burress (7th), RHP Myung-gu Son (3rd), RHP Colm Soper (7th), 1B Charles Usherwood (2nd), SS Gary Watkinson (6th) and CF Terence Durney (8th).

Offense: .278/.351/.362 (1st/1st/5th)
Pitching: 3.59/3.69/2.94 (5th/5th/2nd)
Defense: .699 (4th)

Noteworthy Performance: After enjoying a 20-game hitting streak back in October/November, CF Terence Durney soon embarked on another one. This time, it lasted 24 consecutive games. It ended on December 8, when he went hitless against the Downie Chiefs. However, the Suns still prevailed, 4-3.

Key Injury: 33-year old RHP Pete Allison (6-5, 4.10 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching in a game back on December 28. He will miss 2 more months.

Key Trade: December 4 with the Downie Chiefs

To Embro – 25-year old 3B Elliot Tugby (74/74)
To Downie – three minor league players:
20-year old CF Craig Gardner (23/59)
22-year old 1B Vincent Simmons (29/44)
21-year old 3B Frank Lynch (22/57)

Knee-jerk reaction: Last season, the Suns acquired 27-year old 3B Britt Wing from the Fort Richmond Generals. With this trade, they add another productive infielder in Tugby, who is rated slightly higher than Wing. Tugby is a fairly good hitter, a very steady fielder with good speed, and will provide solid depth as the Suns make a push for the playoffs.
Downie receives some nice players, but none of them project to be quite the player Tugby is. But all three have decent hitting potential and defensive ability. The Chiefs' infield was already getting crowded with both 21-year old Max Westgate (44/76) and Maluhia Mara (57/71) vying for playing time, thus making Tugby expendable.

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The Queensland Eagles are starting to fade from the playoff picture, as they currently sit 3.5 games back of Embro. Pitching would not appear to be the problem, as three of Queensland's top four starters all sport ERAs below 3.00. Only RHP Aaron Saunderson (12-9, 3.49 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) is north of 3.00. No, the Eagles could use an alternate lefty in their bullpen, as LHP Roman Davis (3-9, 8.28 ERA, 2.06 WIP; 12th overall pick in 1939-40) is just not getting it done. But he is the only lefty on the entire pitching staff and the team is using him more than the other relievers.
They could also use a couple more players like 28-year old CF Jon Moreau (.337/.372/.532, 7 HR, 62 RBI, 59 R, 21 BB) who is having a career year. Moreau leads the team with 4.2 WAR. LF Aaron Flanagan, C Elijah Harper and SS Dermot Akers are next in line with 1.6.

Queensland sent 7 players to the All-star game: RHP Francisco López (2nd), RHP Aaron Saunderson (3rd), RHP Bradley Paris (3rd), C Elijah Sheppard (2nd), 3B Fernando Gómez (2nd), RF Aaron Flanagan (4th) and CF Jon Moreau (3rd).

Offense: .264/.336/.377 (5th/3rd/1st)
Pitching: 3.34/3.11/5.35(2nd/2nd/8th)
Defense: .692 (7th)

Key Injury: 36-year old 2B Ken Cutler (.254/.314/.295, 12-2B, 30 RBI, 41 R, 28 BB) strained a hamstring in a collision at a base back on January 19. He is expected to miss 4 weeks.

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The Braeland City Monarchs may have signalled a rebuild back in November and demonstrated that with the trade of 1B Dean Bishop in early December (more on that trade in the Kingston profile). But the Monarchs have in fact seen their immediate fortunes improve, going from 12 games below .500 in early November, to just 1 game below .500 at the end of January. Whether that will continue or be enough to make a serious challenge for a playoff spot in the final two months remains to be seen.

Five Monarchs were selected to play in this year’s All-star game: LHP David Cooling (5th), RHP Samuel Hollier (3rd), C Kane Broom (5th), SS Adam Ashley (6th), and LF Phillip Ferguson (1st).

Offense: .268/.330/.375 (3rd/4th/2nd)
Pitching: 3.56/3.51/3.85 (4th/3rd/7th)
Defense: .696 (5th).

Noteworthy Performance: Rookie 1B Kyle Pryor is helping the Monarchs get over the parting of last season's Babe Ruth Award winner 1B Dean Bishop in a hurry. In addition to winning back-to back Rookie of the Month Awards and a Batter of the Month Award, Pryor also won Player of the Week honours on January 15. For the week, he batted .474 (9 H in 19 AB) with 1 HR, 7 RBI. I can't recall another player winning both the Batter and Rookie of the Month Awards in the same month before. Pryor, a former third round pick from 1940-41, is currently rated only No. 17 on Braeland City's prospect list. You just never know sometimes.

Key Injuries: 35-year old SS Finlay Ridd (.250/.345/.327, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 23 R, 32 BB) suffered an intercostal strain on a defensive play back on January 21. He is will out of action for 2 more weeks.

36-year old RF Scott Kessler (.272/.352/.382, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 23 BB) strained a hamstring while running the bases in a game on January 24. He will be out at least 8 weeks.

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The Stratford Barons have seen their play improve last month, but like the Braeland City Monarchs, they have a tough haul to try and make it back into contention. And now with the loss of their ace LHP Ryan Borden, that could prove even tougher. But a number of Barons are playing well of late (as detailed below) and the team is enjoying one of Jake Walker's best season since 1941-42. This year, he is batting .325/.418/.463, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 55 R, 66 BB.

Three Barons were selected to the All-star game: LHP Ryan Borden (4th), 2B Jake Walker (6th) and 2B Maurice Keyworth (2nd).

Offense: .267/.330/.363 (4th/5th/4th)
Pitching: 3.50/3.52/3.34 (3rd/4th/4th)
Defense: .695 (6th)

Noteworthy Performances: A number of Barons earned recognition for their play in December and January:
Besides earning Player of the Month honours for December, 32-year old SS Jake Walker won Player of the Week honours on December 11. Walker batted .414 (12 H in 29 AB) with 2 HR, 7 RBI.

RF Lyndon Inagaki went on a bit of a tear. Not only did he win Player of the Week honours on December 25 (.471 with 8 H in 17 AB, 1 HR, 7 RBI), but he also went 5 for 6 in a game against the Queensland Eagles back on January 12. Inagaki hit an RBI single in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, grounded out in the 5th, singled in the 7th, doubled as well as hit an RBI single in the 8th. Inagaki scored 2 runs and came into score 3 times himself. The Barons clobbered the Eagles 15-3.

25-year old 2B Maurice Keyworth (.276/.316/.367) won Player of the Week honours on January 8. For the week, he batted .429 (12 H in 28 AB) with 1 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R.

Lastly, RHP Bill Blair earned Player of the Week honours on January 29. Blair went 2-0, 0.50 ERA. He struck out 10 in 18 IP and held opponents to a .164 AVG.

Key Injury: The Barons lost their ace LHP Ryan Borden (8-6, 1.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) when he experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching in a game on December 19. He will be laid up a further 2-3 months.

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The Downie Chiefs cratered in January to finally fall back into irrelevance. They are not the worst team around; the pitching staff has given the team reasonable outings, but with the exception of LF Ricardo Castellanos (.314/.385/.473, 9 HR, 43 RBI, 58 R, 42 BB, 12 SB), no one in the lineup has stepped up on a regular basis. Castellanos leads the position players in WAR (4.3) and it is not even close. 22-year old Robin Duerdon (.265/.299/.360) is next with 1.9.

RF Ricardo Castellanos (3rd) was the Chiefs' lone representative to this year's All-Star Game.

Offense: .262/.313/.353 (6th/7th/7th)
Pitching: 3.79/3.78/3.84 (6th/6th/6th)
Defense: .700 (2nd)

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The Wellington Athletics endured one of the worst months that any team has experienced when they went 5-22 in December (A quick look-back revealed that the Cobourg Red Stockings went 4-23 in December 1940). That the Athletics would be an also-ran this season is no surprise, but the depths of their adversity was still surprising. What was not a surprise though was that stretch of ineptitude cost long-time manager Bradley Balmforth's job, as he was relieved of his duties on December 16. 50-year old rookie manager Tyler Baldry took over two day's later. The change must have done some good, if only temporarily: Wellington enjoyed it's first winning month in January.
Illustrating the turnaround is perhaps 31-year old RHP Darren Whiteley (8-12, 3.79 ERA, 1.54 WHIP). In January, he won his first Pitcher of the Month Award in over two years. But his December was forgetful: 0-5, 6.31 ERA.
On January 21, 32-year old IF Brian Main was traded to the Kingston Pelicans for a couple of nondescript minor league players. In Kingston, Main will largely assume a back-up role, thus the decision to mention this transaction only in passing. Which is a shame in a way, as Main was enjoying a very fine season as a starter with Wellington (.321/.369/.532, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 35 R, 22 BB). But at least he's going to a contender.

Prior to his trade, 2B Brian Main (3rd) was Wellington's only representative to the All-Star Game.

Offense: .256/.313/.349 (7th/7th/5th)
Pitching: 4.17/4.26/3.50 (7th/7th/5th)
Defense: .700 (3rd)

Noteworthy: 3B Ryley McLarnon won Player of the Weeks honours on January 22. For the week, he batted .464 (13 H in 28 AB) with 3 RBI, 6 R.

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The Cobourg Red Stockings continue to plug away, despite enduring a mostly forgetful season. I say mostly forgetful, since if you look hard enough, there are some positives to gleam from the season thus far.
First off, four Red Stockings made the All-Star team, the most since 1939. And all of them are young players qualifying for the first time, boding well for the future. 23-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.282/.349/.413, 9 HR, 53 RBI, 41 R, 42 BB), a former 1st overall pick from 1942-43, is playing well in just his first full season in the ULB. He leads the team in WAR (2.7). C Neil Voigt and SS John Medley (last season's first overall pick) are next with 1.9.
This season's fourth overall pick, 21-year old C Jason Lymer, is doing so good in AA that team scouts are saying that he is ready for the major league challenge right now.
In terms of pitching, Cobourg appears to have a keeper in SP Trent Beaton, a former 2nd round pick (17th overall) from last year's draft. Unfortunately, he suffered a season ending injury.
Finally, one of the pitchers Cobourg received in a trade with the Cambria Cannons back in November, 20-year old RHP José Fernández, was promoted to the AAA Oakville Oaks and is performing well. So perhaps he will soon be ready to join the big league team and provide some much needed help.

Heading to this year's All-Star Game for Cobourg were RHP Brent Nix (1st), C Neil Voigt (1st), 2B John Medley (1st) and 3B Alexander Tolmie (1st).

Offense: .261/.306/.357 (7th/8th/6th);
Pitching: 4.18/4.35/3.21 (8th/8th/3rd);
Defense: .685 (8th).

Key Injuries: 26-year old 1B Brad Mitchinson (.290/.346/.430, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 20 R, 17 BB) collided at a base on December 31. The diagnosis is a partially torn labrum and he will miss 2 more months.

22-year old RHP Trent Beaton (4-10, 3.86 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) tore a back muscle while pitching in a game on January 15. He will be out of commission for another 4 months.

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reds1 · 07-04-2016, 09:21 PM

February 1, 1945

Western League: Going in Cycles

Almost on cue, the top of the Western League standings have become a veritable dogfight, as the Cambria Cannons, in spite of their stellar play, find themselves just one game up on the Kingston Pelicans. The Pelicans are the ‘unluckiest’ team right now in the ULB, as their record differential stands at -5 (for comparison, Brunswick is a +6). But Cambria’s differential is -3, thus confirming that these two teams are very evenly matched.

But will this be Kingston’s final swan song? I say that because there is evidence that the Pelicans are starting to break down, if ever so slightly, and are in a bit of patching mode to keep things running smoothly. Also noteworthy is that the Sherburn Tigers have kept within striking distance of the two top teams in the West. But it will take a hot streak and a faltering of either Cambria or Kingston for the Tigers to really have a chance at crashing the party. Still, their overall performance this season has been a pleasant surprise.
What was also a pleasant surprise was that there were not one, but two players who hit for the cycle over the past two months – both playing for the same team.

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The Cambria Cannons continued their strong play in December and January, but find themselves just one game ahead of the ever-present Kingston Pelicans. But Cambria has had the upper hand so far in their head-to-head matchup with Kingston – they are 6-3 with another 6 games to play against their rival in the final two months.
The Cannons are benefiting from the strong play of key players and particularly the healthy return of their star player, Ron Westmacott (.322/.415/.461, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 71 R, 67 BB, 17 SB). He had missed most of last season due to brain fever.
But also leading the team offensively have been 28-year old SS Wenceslas Jasmin (.278/.330/.395, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 69 R, 32 BB, 8 SB), 28-year old LF Nicky Willis (.312/.405/.474, 9 HR, 71 RBI, 69 R, 69 BB) and 28-year old RF Hao Wang (.315/.363/.493, 10 HR, 51 RBI, 61 R, 28 BB, 7 SB).

Cambria sent eight players to the all-star game: RHP Carl Luscombe (3rd), C Scott Weller (1st), 3B Shelby Cain (2nd), SS Wenseslas Jasmin (2nd), LF Nicky Willis (5th), CF Ron Westmacott (5th), CF Clint Jones (6th) and RF Hao Wang (1st).

Offense: .283/.349/.410 (2nd/1st/1st)
Pitching: 3.19/3.27/2.31 (2nd/2nd/2nd)
Defense: .694 (6th)

Noteworthy Performances: Hao Wang had a great month in December. On December 2, Wang went 4 for 5 against the Balmoral Giants. His 4-hit day included hitting for the Cycle, the 10th in ULB history. Wang hit a solo home run in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, flied out in the 4th, doubled in the 7th and hit an RBI triple in the 8th. Cambria won handily 12-1.

Wang also won Player of the Week honours on December 4. He batted .500 (12 H in 24 AB) with 2 HR, 6 RBI. That is in addition to winning Rookie of the Month honours for January.

Ron Westmacott then took over in January, winning two Player of the Week Awards. For the week ending on January 8, Westmacott batted .448 (13 H in 29 AB) with 1 HR, 4 RBI. Then on January 22, he was acknowledged again, as he batted .500 (14 H in 28 AB) with 2 HR, 5 RBI.

On January 17 against the Wolseley Unions, Westmacott hit for the Cycle, the 11th in ULB history and the third of his career (most of any player). Westmacott went 4 for 6 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. He tripled in the 1st, hit a solo-home run off of Les Gandy in the 3rd, grounded out in the 5th, singled in the 7th, grounded out in the 9th and hit an RBI double in the 11th. The Cannons prevailed 4-3.

Last but not least, LHP Owen Tautor was selected as the Western League's top player on January 29. Tautor went 2-0 in 18 IP, 0.50 ERA, 7 K, 0 BB.

Key Injuries: On January 1, 38-year old RHP Henny Akerval (6-5, 3.84 ERA, 1.51 WIP) suffered a broken hand while at the plate in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is effectively gone for the season (2-3 months).

On January 23, 26-year old 2B Shaun Attenborough (.286/.336/.418, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB) was injured in a collision at a base. He was subsequently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. He will be laid up for another 5 months.

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At the end of December, the Kingston Pelicans stood 4 games back of first place, but then erupted for 20 victories in January to pull within a game of Cambria for the lead. The Pelicans are on a roll and healthy, but there are signs that there are cracks in the foundation, if only slightly. Three players that have been the key to Kingston’s success are now struggling.
Seven-time all-star and two-time Babe Ruth Award winner Fergus Chitty (.250/.340/.371, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 13 R, 16 BB) is now 36-years old and no longer the starting 1B. He is also coming off an injury that laid him up for 6 weeks.
Seven-time all-star and 1943 United Cup MVP Mo Symes (.277/.378/.409, 4HR, 22 RBI, 20 R, 25 BB) turned 35 in January and has also lost his starting job at 2B.
Finally, seven-time all-star and one-time Babe Ruth Award winner LF Jayden Tennant (.253/.337/.467, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 42 R, 37 BB) will turn 37 in March. While he still has his starting job, he has been in steep decline since his incredible 1941 season (7.1 WAR that year; 0.7 last year and 0.7 so far this year).
Kingston has done well in acquiring fresh talent in trades and has a great young player in 26-year old 2B Wen-huan Liu (.291/.360/.415, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 48 R, 37 BB) to pick up some of the slack, but it will be interesting to see whether the organization can continue to compete at a high level as its core players continue to age.

Eight Pelicans were selected for the All-star game in January: RHP Joey Cumberledge (8th), RHP Francis Slocock (6th), RHP Harley Bracher (1st), RHP Luis Velásquez (2nd), C Danny Trowbridge (4th), 2B Wen-huan Liu (1st), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (8th) and CF Jamie Couch (2nd).

Offense: .283/.349/.404 (3rd/2nd/2nd)
Pitching: 2.99/3.04/2.47 (1st/1st/3rd)
Defense: .716 (1st)

Noteworthy Performances: Wen-huan Liu won Player of the Week honours on December 18. For the week, he batted .500 (8 H in 16 AB) with 2 HR, 5 RBI.

In addition to winning Batter of the Month honours in January, Danny Trowbridge earned a Player of the Week honour on January 15, when he batted .529 (9 H in 17 AB) with 4 HR, 10 RBI in 5 games.

Key Trade: December 7 with the Braeland City Monarchs.

To Kingston – 30-year old 1B Dean Bishop (70/70).
To Braeland City – four minor league players:

20-year old 1B Dean Witherden (23/68)
20-year old SS Finley Bryce (22/28)
22-year old RF Atamu Apekaloma (23/29)
24-year old LF Ted Tennant (22/22)

Knee-jerk reaction: Realizing that 7-time all-star, 36-year old 1B Fergus Chitty is no longer the dominant player he once was, the Pelicans acquire last year's Babe Ruth Award winner, Dean Bishop. Bishop is not having quite the season he did last year, but he is still having a great year and should step right in to fill the gap.
Braeland City receives Witherden, a former 14th overall pick in last year's draft. Witherden should be a very good hitter with plus-plus power; only is his patience at the plate needs some work. Speed is not a part of his game, but he should be a capable defender and his development has all been trending upward.

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If not for their disastrous 9-19 October, the Sherburn Tigers would actually be running neck-in-neck with both Cambria and Kingston. The Tigers have actually enjoyed a better record than the Cambria since November 1 (47-31 vs. 46-33) and are just a game behind the Pelicans (who were 48-30 in that stretch).
Their success is due in large part to an emerging solid pitching core, led by former 5th overall pick, 25-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (13-7, 2.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP); former 4th overall pick, 21-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (10-6, 2.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) and 29-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (8-11, 3.61 ERA, 1.33 WHIP).
But the Tigers’ offense has also seen some improvement, going from rock-bottom after the first two months to almost middle of the pack in most categories. The resurgence has been led by 26-year old RF Bert Helmer (.309/.359/.445, 7 HR, 47 RBI, 53 R, 30 BB) and 27-year old 2B Jim List (.298/.351/.386, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 45 R, 28 BB), both former first round picks. But they can’t turn things around alone. Sherburn has a deep farm system, but it is top heavy with young pitchers and thin on position players (In fact, they took another starting pitcher in this year’s draft as well). Sherburn may be wise to trade a young pitching prospect to gain some additional offensive oomph – especially if their turnaround is for real.

Three Tigers were selected to the all-star game: RHP Jesús Chapa (1st), RHP Roberto Taváres (2nd) and RF Bert Helmer (1st).

Offense: .265/.321/.349 (5th/5th/8th)
Pitching: 3.27/3.27/3.27 (3rd/3rd/4th)
Defense: .697 (4th)

Key Injury: 32-year old 2B Damien Davis (.271/.338/.335, 9-2B, 38 RBI, 36 R, 33 BB) fractured his hand in a collision at a base back on January 22. He will miss another 3 months.

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Once considered (by me) the anointed challenger to the Kingston Pelicans, the Balmoral Giants find themselves barely hanging on in the first division in the West. Overall, the Giants remain competitive, at least statistically, but it appears their starting rotation is in transition. One-time ace, RHP Tristan Purss (8-11, 3.54 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), turned 37 in late December and is now the No. 5 starter – one year after winning 20 games in a season for the first time. 31-year old RHP Soren Heinke (9-5, 3.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) was for some reason demoted to AAA in early January and suffered a torn flexor tendon after his third start. He is gone for 14-15 months – if he is able to return at all. Another long-time starter, 34-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (2-3, 5.01 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), was also demoted to AAA. His play has regressed the past two seasons.
So Balmoral is in the midst of re-calibrating its team. Fortunately, it has one of the deepest farm systems (4th overall) and is nicely balanced between pitchers and position players. Its top pitching prospect, 24-year old RHP Gerard Leese (5th round pick in 1940-41) is excelling in AAA (11-5, 1.85 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) – although he is considered a borderline starter at present.

The Giants sent five players to the all-star game: RHP Derek Cawley (2nd), 2B Allen Cattanach (1st), 3B Otton Overbeek (3rd), SS Francisco Rodríguez (5th) and RF Carlton Broadbent (4th).

Offense: .285/.347/.387 (1st/3rd/3rd)
Pitching: 3.31/3.46/1.79 (4th/5th/1st)
Defense: .701 (3rd)

Noteworthy Performance: Carlton Broadbent enjoyed a 26-game hitting streak, longest so far this season. It ended on December 14 at the hands of the Kingston Pelicans, went he went 0-4 in a 6-3 Pelican victory.

Key Injuries: On January 29, 24-year old 3B Otton Overbeek (.294/.315/.416, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 39 R, 11 BB) suffered a herniated disc in a collision at a base. He is out another week.

After just 6 at-bats, former fourth overall pick from 1941-42 3B Sean Brearton suffered an intercostal strain while running the bases on January 31. He will out 4 weeks.

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The Pulberry Trolleys faded in January to fall 9.5 games back of the wild card. Like Balmoral, it too is essentially a middle of road team that is seeing a number of youngsters join the team. For starters, the three ‘M’s’ have reached the major leagues: 24-year old LF Marcus Minter (third round pick in 1942-32), 22-year old RF Tadamichi Matsumoto (4th overall pick in 1943-44) and 22-year old CF Joey Maddaford (third round pick in 1941-42). All three are just getting their feet wet, with Matsumoto winning Rookie of the Month honours in December. Unfortunately, Matsumoto was lost to injury towards the end of January. That prompted another promotion, this time the No 2 overall prospect in the ULB: 21-year old RF Jon Pring (3rd overall pick in 1942-43). He joins the Trolleys straight out of AA. The switch-hitter is to bat in the No. 5 spot. So despite the team fading in the standings, some exciting things are happening in Pulberry.

Four players represented the Trolleys at the most recent all-star game: RHP Alexander Ellacott (1st), RHP Patrick Tennant (2nd), SS Roland Binns (1st) and LF Bruno Lapthorne (2nd).

Offense: .273/.324/.375 (4th/4th/4th)
Pitching: 3.43/3.41/3.57 (5th/4th/5th)
Defense: .706 (2nd)

Noteworthy Performances: Joe Lock enjoyed a fine week in December. For the second time this season, Lock banged out five hits in a game. On December 24, he went 5 for 5 against the Cambria Cannons as the Trolleys won 4-3. Lock singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, singled in the 6th, singled in the 8th and hit a two-run single in the 9th.
The day after, he was acknowledged as the Western League's Player of the Week, as he batted .524 on the week (11 H in 21 AB) with 1 HR and 5 RBI.

Key Injury: 22-year old RF Tadamichi Matsumoto (.282/.308/.393, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 55 R, 11 BB) injured himself while throwing the ball on January 30. He was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation and will miss 6 weeks.

Key Trade: January 21 with the Kingston Pelicans.

To Pulberry – 32-year old 3B Terry Maxwell (60/60)
To Kingston – 31-year old RHP Shaun Alford (65/65) and 22-year old minor league LHP William Say (24/79).

Knee-jerk reaction: Kingston decides to cut ties with Maxwell, a two-time all-star who is having a down year. But he should still have something left in the tank for Pulberry and he has steady hands in the field.
In return, the Pelicans receive two relief pitchers. Alford, a two-time all-star as well, has never been consistent from year-to-year and will join Kingston's AAA farm team, the Douro Redbirds. Say, the 9th overall pick from this year's amateur draft, is projected to be a solid reliever, with dynamite stuff and awesome movement.

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The Wolseley Unions is a team that perhaps represents the “if only” dilemma. Despite its struggles, Wolseley is currently enjoying the performances of two of its young pitchers: 26-year old LHP Bruce Whitten (14-5, 3.39 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) who is in the starting rotation for the first time (in this third season), and 23-year old RHP Les Gandy (4th round pick in 1940-41). Both earned all-star selection for the first time.
But “if only” RHP Kai Tosh and RHP Jeremy Albury could have stayed healthy, the locals are thinking, this might be a more exciting team. Hopefully, a healthy rotation featuring all these young pitchers will give the fan base something to cheer about next season.

Wolseley sent three players to the all-star game: RHP Les Gandy (1st), LHP Bruce Whitten (1st) and LF Zak Kidd (5th).

Offense: .258/.318/.360 (6th/6th/5th)
Pitching: 3.65/3.55/4.27 (6th/7th/7th)
Defense: .692 (7th)

Noteworthy Performance: No. 4 starter Les Gandy won Player of the Week honours on December 11. Gandy picked up two wins, 17 IP, 0.53 ERA with 5 K.

Key Injuries: 25-year old RHP Kai Tosh (2-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) suffered a severe injury while pitching back on November 24. He required immediate radial nerve decompression surgery. He is effectively gone for the season (3 months).

21-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (8-3, 3.51 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) suffered a fractured hand in a game back on December 26. The former seventh overall pick from 1942-43 will miss 4-5 months.
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The Hespeler Stars collapsed in January to fall just a game and a half out of last place in the West. The Stars are very much a team that needs to re-calibrate its build as it has faltered in its first go-around. It has some talent on the major league roster: 1st overall picks in CF Vic Weetman (.298/.339/.413, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 52 R, 25 BB) and C Aaron Skidmore (.238/.353/.385, 12 HR, 38 RBI, 43 R, 62 BB) that have been toiling for Hespeler six and five years respectively. Promising young players like 21-year old CF Jacob Pate (6th overall pick in 1942-43) and 24-year old LF Marcus Peyto (2nd overall pick in 1941-42) are being given the chance to compete.
A couple of young pitchers have shown flashes of excellence: 26-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (13-10, 3.48 ERA, 1.26 WHIP), who won Pitcher of the Month honours in December. Then in January, 26-year old RHP Enrico Arredondo, a former 7th round pick in 1938-39, was promoted from AAA (for a second time) and promptly won the Pitcher of the Month Award for that month.
More youngsters from Hespeler’s deep farm system are working their way up. But it’s going to take a little time, as most of the pitching prospects are still in AA.

Two Stars were selected to this year’s all-star game: C Aaron Skidmore (4th) and SS Jayden Whiteway (1st).

Offense: .252/.317/.355 (8th/7th/6th)
Pitching: 3.85/3.55/5.85 (7th/6th/8th)
Defense: .691 (8th)

Key Injury: 24-year old LF Marcus Peyto (.280/.343/.427, 3 HR, 35 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) injured himself a second time on January 24 when he sprained his ankle while throwing the ball. He will be out for 4 weeks.

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The Fort Richmond Generals have faded quickly and will be towards another high draft pick next season. The Generals are essentially in a holding pattern as their young prospects work their way up to the big leagues. Those that are already with the parent club sure could use the help. Pitchers like 24-year old RHP Reece Leavers (11-9, 3.27 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) and 26-year old RHP Max Dunston (8-13, 4.17 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) are carrying a heavy burden at the moment are feeling the strain. There’s young talent sprinkled all over the roster at the moment. Indeed, 20 of the 25 players on the main roster are under 30 years of age. There’s more to come from the minors, especially pitchers, so the Generals are in the same boat as Hespeler and as Wolseley and as Pulberry and as Balmoral…..Man, if these teams can finally put it together, the West will truly be a free-for –all. Go Team! - Any team.

Two Generals were selected for the All-Star game: RHP Jorge Martínez (1st) and 2B Neil Boyle (1st).

Offense: .255/.315/.352 (7th/8th/7th)
Pitching: 4.16/4.20/3.93 (8th/8th/6th)
Defense: .696 (5th)

Noteworthy Performance: The 1st overall pick from this year's draft, Dylan Moyne, went 5 for 5 against the Wolseley Unions on January 24. In 9-2 victory, Moyne hit an RBI double in the 1st, hit an RBI triple in the 2nd, hit an RBI single in the 4th, singled in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

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reds1 · 07-08-2016, 06:00 PM

March 27, 1945

Eastern League: Familiar Foes Will Meet for the Pennant

For the 1945 playoffs, two foes very familiar with each other will square off, as both the Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns took care of business and secured playoff spots rather handily. The Legends finished with 101 victories, the only team to win more than 90 games in the United Leagues this season. That was more than enough for them to finish in first place in the Eastern League for the first time.
But things weren’t looking up for Embro as this season dawned. The team finished 10 games below .500 the year before and then lost the services of its marquee player, 1B Jim Friend, to the war effort. The team regrouped though to win 88 games and soon took over the wild card spot and never looked back. However, it now has the daunting task of facing a team that so far, has had its number in the playoffs.

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The Brunswick Legends went wire-to-wire in 1944-45, winning 15 straight games to start the season and was never seriously challenged for first place in the East the rest of the way. They finished with 101 victories, by far the best mark in the entire United Leagues. The Legends appeared to have suffered a critical loss when No. 1 starter Anastasio Rodríguez went down to an extended injury. But 27-year old RHP Hun Park (16-12, 3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.16 FIP, 107 ERA+) did well in his first year and gives Brunswick much needed depth in the upcoming playoffs.

Offense: .274/.346/.379 (2nd/2nd/1st)
Pitching: 2.90/2.95/2.47 (1st/1st/1st)
Defense: .699 (3rd)

Top Position Player – Season: A tough call, but I’ll go with 26-year old CF Harry Chatwin (.324/.379/.452, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 77 R, 47 BB, 15 SB, 4.8 WAR) who was consistent all year leading off Brunswick’s lineup. He was steady on defense as well, giving him a slight edge over 28-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (.316/.427/.471, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 95 R, 109 BB, 4.6 WAR), who was outstanding as well. Bentham led the team in a slew of offensive categories.

Top Pitcher – Season: The pitching crew was second to none this season and finished strong despite the loss of ace Anastasio Rodríguez. Another tough choice, but I’ll go with 30-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (20-9, 2.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3.12 FIP, 140 ERA+), who led the team in eleven pitching categories. 34-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (22-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 2.96 FIP, 143 ERA+) led the pitching staff in shutouts (5), WAR (6.1) and ERA and would be great choice as well.

Key Injury: 28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (13-5, 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) suffered a dislocated finger in a game back on January 21. He is gone for the season (3 months).

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The Embro Suns make it back to the playoffs after one season, but whether they can solve the problem that is the Brunswick Legends remains to be seen. The Suns have been swept by the Legends the past two times they met in the Eastern League finals. The offense was tops in the East, averaging 4.6 R/G, but the pitching was only so-so (4.3 R/G). Brunswick, by comparison, averaged 4.4 R/G on offense, 3.4 R/G on the pitching side of things. Embro will have to be stouter on pitching and defense if they are to finally make the United Cup finals.

Offense: .277/.350/.366 (1st/1st/4th)
Pitching: 3.83/3.89/3.46 (6th/6th/4th)
Defense: .695 (5th)

Top Position Player – Season: I’m tempted to go with 38-year old SS Gary Watkinson (.337/.435/.411, 1 HR, 72 RBI, 90 R, 104 BB, 11 SB, 6.0 WAR) as he led in so many offensive categories for the team but once again his defense was a liability, although not as bad as it was last season.
So my pick is 31-year old CF Terence Durney (.299/.383/.410, 8 HR, 101 RBI, 78 R, 83 BB, 11 SB, 5.8 WAR), who, in addition to hitting in the heart of the order, was solid on defense (.991 PCT, 2.99 RNG, +10.0 ZR, 1.030 EFF).

Top Pitcher – Season: Embro’s pitching was not the strongest unit around, but it saw a definite improvement over last season. Two pitchers deserve mentioning. First off, my selection for top pitcher is 30-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (19-8, 3.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, 118 ERA+), who enjoyed a nice bounce-back year (last season he went 8-21, 4.30 ERA, 1.48 WHIP).
But 31-year old ace RHP Oscar Burress (15-13, 3.41 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, 105 ERA+) was pretty good too.
35-year old RHP Colm Soper (9-4, 14 SV, 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.97 FIP), who was Embro’s ace at one time and a former Satchel Paige Award winner has been a steady presence working out of the bullpen the past two seasons.

Key Injury: 23-year old 2B José Sánchez (.281/.353/.383, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 40 R, 34 BB, 14 SB, 2.5 WAR) tore a back muscle while running the bases in a game back on February 4. He will be laid up for 3 months.

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The Queensland Eagles started off well in October, but soon fell back to being a .500 club, going 37-37 since January 1. But the Eagles are not that far from seriously challenging for a playoff spot, with some nice pieces already in place, such as RF Jilenko Vergara, C Elijah Sheppard (.251/.322/.375, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 67 R, 55 BB, 3.4 WAR) and RHP Pi-ao Quian (16-14, 2.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.20 FIP, 135 ERA+). There’s no reason to think that Queensland cannot improve on this season next year.

Offense: .264/.334/.373 (5th/3rd/3rd)
Pitching: 3.35/3.10/5.55 (2nd/2nd/8th)
Defense: .693 (7th)

Top Position Player – Season: Queensland has some fine players, but this one was easy. 28-year old LF Jon Moreau (.338/.368/.525, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 76 R, 26 BB, 6.5 WAR) was head and shoulders above his teammates, leading the Eagles in a number of offensive categories. He also won the Eastern League batting title.

Top Pitcher – Season: 27-year old RHP Francisco López (19-6, 2.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 154 ERA+) was the No. 4 starter, but the four-year veteran had his best season yet and was his team’s best pitcher. López was the Eagles’ 9th overall pick from 1940-41.

Key Injury: 25-year old RF Jilenko Vergara (.315/.364/.445, 8 HR, 48 RBI, 42 R, 27 BB, 2.4 WAR) was injured in a collision at home plate on March 23. He suffered an intercostal strain and will be out 2-3 weeks.

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The Braeland City Monarchs just could not recover from a slow start in October and November, but it’s doubtful whether this team had a realistic chance of competing for the wild card anyway. The Monarchs signalled a switch to rebuilding mode in late November, and the trade of all-star 1B Dean Bishop was a clear indication of that. Bishop is currently rated No. 5 overall among first basemen in the ULB. 1B Kyle Pryor, as a rookie, is already rated as No. 6. So if Pryor is the real deal, then first base in ‘Capital’ city should be in good hands for years to come.

Offense: .269/.330/.378 (3rd/4th/2nd)
Pitching: 3.64/3.62/3.74 (4th/4th/6th)
Defense: .698 (4th)

Top Position Player – Season: Although 22-year old rookie 1B Kyle Pryor (.273/.356/.489, 19 HR, 67 RBI, 60 R, 48 BB, 2.7 WAR) made quite the splash when he took over from the recently traded Dean Bishop, 31-year old 3B/SS Adam Ashley (.319/.363/.412, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 89 R, 41 BB, 14 SB, 4.5 WAR) was Braeland City’s best offensive player over the course of the season.

Top Pitcher – Season: His won-loss record doesn’t do him justice, but 35-year old LHP David Cooling (14-16, 2.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.00 FIP, 145 ERA+) was his team’s best pitcher this year, as Cooling led the Monarchs in 13 pitching categories.

Key Injuries: 36-year old RF Scott Kessler (.272/.352/.382, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 23 BB, 0.9 WAR) strained a hamstring while running the bases in a game on January 24. He should be fully recuperated in a few more days.

28-year old 2B Trevor Bolen (.283/.317/.406, 12 HR, 77 RBI, 60 R, 24 BB, 1.0 WAR) experienced knee inflammation while running the bases on March 24. He should be 100% in 1-2 weeks.

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After finishing in first place last year, the Stratford Barons fell 10 games below .500. A 7-16 February really hurt the team, but again, it was apparent that the Barons were not going to make a serious push for the playoffs this year. Stratford may not be competitive next season either, as they are undergoing a bit of a transition. Some stalwarts are starting to regress and the Barons are trying to compensate. But a look at Stratford’s prospect depth is encouraging. They have at least 7 prospects ranked in the Top 10 at their respective positions and Stratford’s farm system is rated 4th overall. Thus the Barons may be able to make a relatively quick turnaround.

Offense: .264/.329/.358 (4th/5th/5th)
Pitching: 3.60/3.49/4.31 (3rd/3rd/7th)
Defense: .694 (6th)

Top Position Player – Season: His defense was largely forgetful, but offensively 32-year old SS Jake Walker (.328/.425/.462, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 81 R, 95 BB, 5.2 WAR) had his best season in three years.

Top Pitcher – Season: Not exactly a clear cut choice, but 26-year old RHP Bill Blair (17-11, 3.28 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 3.52 FIP, 110 ERA+) was very consistent and reliable throughout the season.

Key Injuries: 36-year old LHP Ryan Borden (8-6, 1.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2.55 FIP) experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching in a game on December 19. He will be laid up a further 3 weeks.

23-year old RF Lyndon Inagaki (.293/.362/.404, 8 HR, 66 RBI, 59 R, 56 BB, 1.1 WAR) strained a rib cage muscle on defensive play back on March 21. He is expected to be back up to speed in a week.

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The Downie Chiefs lumbered home to their sixth straight losing season, but help may finally be on the way. Indeed, for many of the teams that have been struggling for years, the one solace has been player development. In 9 of 10 player positions, the Chiefs have prospects rated in the Top 10 of their respective positions, so there is reason for hope. They appear to have an exciting young catcher in C Spencer Fletcher, who was a 5th-round pick in the 1941-42 draft, originally by the Sherburn Tigers. He is now rated 5th overall among catchers in the ULB. They have the top-ranked prospect at 2B with 22-year old George Coker, who is still in Double-A. He was a 3rd-round pick back in 1943-44. The one area that Downie needs to address however is starting pitching, where they are rated dead last in the overall depth rankings.

Offense: .262/.313/.356 (6th/6th/6th)
Pitching: 3.66/3.71/3.27 (5th/5th/2nd)
Defense: .706 (1st)

Top Position Player – Season: 25-year old RF Ricardo Castellanos (.296/.359/.433, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 75 R, 53 BB, 13 SB, 5.0 WAR) was once again his team’s best player by a comfortable margin and was terrific on defense (.962 PCT, 2.48 RNG, +13.5 ZR, 1.072 EFF).

Top Pitcher – Season: Downie’s pitching saw some improvement this season over last year. One reason was 22-year old Fijian RHP Kelii Pelanekelina (11-15, 3.24 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 4.04 FIP, 111 ERA+). The former third round pick from 1941-42 took over the No. 1 spot in the rotation in just his first full season in the ULB.
31-year old RHP Manuel Páez (15-12, 3.69 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 3.89 FIP, 97 ERA+) enjoyed his first winning season with an ERA below 4.00. His record over the previous four seasons is 34-77, 4.97 ERA.

Noteworthy: 27-year old C Spencer Fletcher (.324/.368/.422, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 41 R, 28 BB, 3.6 WAR) had quite the month of March. On March 5, he was acknowledged with a Player of the Week Award, for batting .500 (14 H in 28 AB) with 4 RBI the previous week. Two weeks later, he won his second Player of the Week Award. He batted .526 (10 H in 19 AB), with 2 HR, 4 RBI. A good portion of that came in a game played against the Cobourg Red Stockings on March 13. Fletcher went 4 for 4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R. The Chiefs won the game, 8-4.

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The Wellington Athletics endured their worst season thus far as they could only muster 60 wins to finish a whopping 41-games back of first place. Wellington has a long haul ahead of them: their roster is wholly unable to compete for a playoff spot and their farm system is one of the weakest in the ULB (14th overall). The two best players for the Athletics since their inception in 1937 have been 35-year old LHP Clyde Boney and 34-year old Ryley McLarnon (.288/.339/.359, 1 HR, 43 RBI, 46 R, 38 BB, 14 SB, 2.6 WAR). But they are both past their prime and can no longer be counted among the elite players of the United Leagues. Things are looking pretty grim right now and for the foreseeable future in Wellington.

Offense: .250/.309/.337 (8th/7th/8th)
Pitching: 3.92/3.97/3.59 (7th/7th/5th)
Defense: .699 (2nd)

Top Position Player – Season: He may have been traded to Kingston in late January, but I’m going with 32-year old 2B Brian Main (.297/.355/.472, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 52 R, 34 BB, 2.8 WAR). Not a lot of positives on this team right now, although 22-year old SS Mac Medley (.260/.320/.355, 3 HR, 51 RBI, 69R, 51 BB, 24 SB, 2.6 WAR) made some nice strides in his sophomore season.

Top Pitcher – Season: Got to go again with 35-year old LHP Clyde Boney (12-16, 3.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.46 FIP, 96 ERA+) as the rest of the rotation is in flux.

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After escaping the cellar last season, the Cobourg Red Stockings fell to 8th place again for the sixth time in eight campaigns. They have never finished higher than sixth place or won more than 76 games (back in Year 1). All that losing has brought them a lot of young talent and sooner or later, that talent should blossom, shouldn’t it? As they said in Brooklyn, just wait ‘til next year.

Offense: .262/.309/.355 (7th/8th/7th)
Pitching: 4.09/4.20/3.38 (8th/8th/3rd)
Defense: .684 (8th)

Top Position Player – Season: 23-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.271/.347/.394, 12 HR, 68 RBI, 63 R, 69 BB, 3.5 WAR) has all the makings of being a star in this league for a very long time.

Top Pitcher – Season: Not a stellar year for Cobourg pitcher, so I’ll go with 27-year old RHP Pedro Gómez (10-21, 3.99 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 3.51 FIP, 90 ERA+) who definitely deserved better run support.

Key Injuries: 26-year old 1B Brad Mitchinson (.290/.346/.430, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 20 R, 17 BB) collided at a base on December 31. The diagnosis is a partially torn labrum and he will miss another 1-2 weeks.

22-year old RHP Trent Beaton (4-10, 3.86 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) tore a back muscle while pitching in a game on January 15. He will be out of commission for another 2 months.

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reds1 · 07-10-2016, 01:04 AM

More tweaking!

I updated a few of the uniform timelines, as I was not fully satisfied with them:

Wellington Athletics (small revision to the 1947-1958 logo and road jersey)

Queensland Eagles (wholesale changes - essentially created new uniforms and logos for the 1965-2000 period)

Cobourg Red Stockings (major revisions throughout, but essentially added new uniforms and logo for 1962-1967 as well as an additional alternate uniform for 1986-2000) I always liked blue in the Reds palette, ironic as it may seem.

I’ve updated the zipfile containing these new graphics. For anyone that is interested, it can be downloaded here:

See this page for updated graphics

reds1 · 07-13-2016, 01:22 AM

March 27, 1945

Western League: Battered Cannons, Pelicans Square Off for the Pennant

The Cambria Cannons held on to take top spot in the Western League, the third time in their existence, but they are a battered team as it enters the playoffs. For the fourth time in his career, Ron Westmacott went down to an extended injury and will not be available for the playoffs, perhaps dealing the Cannons a critical blow to their playoff fortunes.
But the Kingston Pelicans did not escape the injury bug either and will be missing their No. 1 starter as they head into the Western League Pennant series. It will be a question of who can better adjust to their loss as they meet up in the Pennant Series for the fifth time in the League's young history.

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The Cambria Cannons won just one more game than they lost in the final two months of the season, and fans are justifiably concerned as to whether their team has the depth to win a series against the rival Pelicans. Injuries have definitely impacted their overall play. Still, Cambria is nowhere near to being a one-trick pony and it will be interesting to see if this team can rally against Kingston in the playoffs.

Offense: .278/.341/.399 (3rd/3rd/1st)
Pitching: 3.46/3.60/2.27 (4th/6th/2nd)
Defense: .689 (8th)

Top Position Player – Season: If offense was the only criteria, then Ron Westmacott would probably get singled out, but his defense, like a number of his teammates was subpar this year. But SS Wenceslas Jasmin (.285/.334/.400, 7 HR, 66 RBI, 98 R, 44 BB, 13 SB, 5.3 WAR) was no slouch and was fantastic in the field as well (.972 PCT, 5.08 RNG, +12.9 ZR, 1.036 EFF). The former 1st overall pick from 1938-39 enjoyed his best overall season in the ULB thus far.

Top Pitcher – Season: 33-year old LHP Owen Tautor (19-14, 3.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.06 FIP, 114 ERA+) was the Cannons most consistent pitcher, on a team that does not have a truly dominant pitcher.

Noteworthy Performance: Wenceslas Jasmin went 5 for 6 with 1 RBI and 3 R in a 8-6 victory over the Pulberry Trolleys on March 24. Jasmin singled in the 1st, hit an RBI single in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, singled in the 6th, singled in the 8th and flied out in the 9th.

Key Injuries: On January 1, 38-year old RHP Henny Akerval (6-5, 3.84 ERA, 1.51 WIP) suffered a broken hand while at the plate in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is gone for a further 1-2 weeks.

On January 23, 26-year old 2B Shaun Attenborough (.286/.336/.418, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 0.3 WAR) was injured in a collision at a base. He was subsequently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. He will be laid up for another 3 months.

28-year old LF Ron Westmacott (.315/.402/.461, 12 HR, 69 RBI, 91 R, 77 BB, 22 SB, 4.4 WAR) tore an abdominal muscle while running the bases back on February 27. He is out of commission for 3 more months.

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After winning 20 games in January, the Kingston Pelicans lost an unheard of (for them) 16 games in February and very nearly fell out of the wild card. Indeed, at various times both the Sherburn Tigers and Balmoral Giants got to within a half-game of the Pelicans for second place, but just could not overtake them. And with a strong finish in March, Kingston was able to give themselves some breathing room.
But the Pelicans will be without their top starting pitcher, Joey Cumberledge, who injured himself in mid-March and will be unavailable for the playoffs. But while this team is showing some cracks, if ever so slightly, it is still probably better equipped to sustain a lengthy playoff run. The team remains strong in all facets of the game. They are still a nicely balanced team.

Offense: .281/.350/.395 (2nd/1st/3rd)
Pitching: 3.24/3.21/3.43 (1st/1st/4th)
Defense: .706 (2nd)

Top Position Player – Season: I'll go with a tie, as it was so close. SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.334/.393/.476, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 90 R, 61 BB, 7 SB, 7.6 WAR) had another incredible year at the plate to go along with sensational defense (.968 PCT, 5.40 RNG, +14.6 ZR, 1.037 EFF). But 26-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.340/.419/.492, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 96 R, 74 BB, 4 SB, 7.4 WAR) was not far behind. It was Danny's best season yet in his 6-year career.

Top Pitcher – Season: He may be only the 5th starter now, but 35-year old RHP Francis Slocock (16-8, 2.75 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.24 FIP, 131 ERA+) put in yet another solid season for the Pelicans. He has been one of the most consistent pitcher in ULB history.

Noteworthy Performance: Katsunan Chikafuji went 5 for 6 with 3 RBI and 3 R in a 22-5 beat-down of the Hespeler Stars on March 22; a game that saw Kingston collect 27 hits and Hespeler commit 5 errors. Chikafuji singled in the 1st, hit a two-run single in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 4th, flied out in the 5th and singled in the 7th.

Key Injury: 34-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (15-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.13 FIP, 104 ERA+) injured himself while pitching on March 16. He was diagnosed with a ulnar nerve irritation. He will miss 4 months.

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The Balmoral Giants won 28 games in the final two months of the season (2nd most in the West) to vault them into third spot. They came very close to overtaking Kingston in February, but just were not able to grab the jugular. But this a very good team who saw their pitching core make major strides this season. If it can continue next season, then they may finally see a return to the playoffs.

Offense: .287/.348/.396 (1st/2nd/2nd)
Pitching: 3.38/3.52/1.83 (3rd/3rd/1st)
Defense: .708 (1st)

Top Position Player – Season: There was no shortage of fine performances to chose from, but really, could it be anyone else but RF Carlton Broadbent (.345/.401/.535, 22 HR, 109 RBI, 105 R, 63 BB, 6.6 WAR)? He enjoyed his best season yet and his defense was really good this year (+2.4 ZR), something that couldn't be said last season (-10.3 ZR).

Top Pitcher – Season: Balmoral got a pretty decent year from its pitching staff and 33-year old RHP Derek Cawley (17-15, 3.39 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.38 FIP, 106 ERA+) was his team's top pitcher, leading in no less than 19 pitching categories.

Noteworthy Performance: Carlton Broadbent not only won the Western League batting title, but also became the second position player to win the Triple Crown. However, it wasn't so cut and dry: 1B Dean Bishop of the Kingston Pelicans finished with 24 home runs and 112 RBI, most in the United Leagues overall. But because he split the season between the Eastern and Western Leagues, Bishop didn't qualify for the lead in either (with Braeland City, Bishop had 12 HR and 43 RBI in 58 games; with Kingston he had 12 HR and 69 RBI in 95 games).
Broadbent becomes the fourth consecutive Giant to win the WL batting title. He follows Francisco Rodriquez (.361) in 1941-42, Roger Tyler (.324) in 1942-43 and Otton Overbeek (.338) last season.

Brunswick's Mark Elston was the first position player to win the Triple Crown, back in 1942.

Key Injuries: 25-year old 3B Otton Overbeek (.313/.341/.459, 7 HR, 70 RBI, 64 R, 18 BB, 4.3 WAR) injured his knee (knee tendinitis) while running the bases on March 7. He is out one week.

31-year old RHP Soren Heinke (9-5, 3.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 3.92 FIP, 111 ERA+) tore a flexor tendon in his elbow back on January 16. He is out of commission for at least 6 months.

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The Sherburn Tigers very nearly became the darlings of the United Leagues as they also came to within a half game of the Kingston Pelicans to challenge for the wild card. But in the end, they were unable to pull off a storybook ending. Sherburn enjoyed just it second winning season, the first since their inaugural season of 1937-38. They have a bevy of young prospects waiting in the wings and are quickly assembling a formidable pitching core with more on the way. But their offense will continue to hold them back until they address the dearth of young offensive talent. They have one of the strongest farm systems in the ULB, but do not have any hitting prospects to speak of. Perhaps they can address that in the off-season with a trade or two?

Offense: .263/.320/.348 (5th/6th/8th)
Pitching: 3.24/3.27/2.92 (2nd/2nd/3rd)
Defense: .695 (5th)

Top Position Player – Season: The former 11th overall pick from 1937-38 had his break out season, as 26-year old LF Bert Helmer (.291/.347/.405, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 74 R, 50 BB, 11 SB, 4.4 WAR) finally fulfilled his potential in his first full year with Sherburn (after 3-1/2 middling years in Cambria). He was incredible on defense as well (.968 PCT, 2.34 RNG,+13.4 ZR, 1.074 EFF).

Top Pitcher – Season: Sherburn's pitching staff really blossomed this season and 26-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (20-8, 2.33 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.90 FIP, 154 ERA+) has been getting better and better with each passing season. His back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honours in February and March only underscore that point. The fourth overall pick from 1940-41 is currently rated as the ULB's No. 2 pitcher.

Key Injuries: 30-year old 1B Francis Pynchon (.288/.323/.396, 7 HR, 56 RBI, 45 R, 23 BB, 0.3 WAR) tore a hamstring while running the bases back on February 16. He should be healed up in less than a week.

RHP Cris Herrera (14-15, 3.56 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 3.41 FIP, 101 ERA+) strained his hamstring while pitching back on March 16. The 24-year old should be up and ready in a couple of weeks.

LHP Daniel Pierson (8-17, 3.69 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, 97 ERA+) suffered shoulder inflammation while pitching back on March 19. He should be 100% in a couple of more weeks.

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For the first time in their existence, the Wolseley Unions did not finish a season with a losing record. It may not have been a winning record either, but progress is progress, and the 77 victories represent the most a Unions team has won. Their offense made modest gains this season and their farm system, once one of the worst in the ULB, has been quietly getting stronger (6th overall). They may not prove to be next year's sensation, but it appears that Wolseley is heading in the right direction – something that could not be said in recent years.

Offense: .259/.323/.361 (6th/5th/5th)
Pitching: 3.75/3.66/4.33 (6th/7th/7th)
Defense: .691 (7th)

Top Position Player – Season: 26-year old LF Zak Kidd (.286/.359/.430, 13 HR, 87 RBI, 78 R, 66 BB, 21 SB, 5.1 WAR) had a nice bounce-back season to once again be Wolseley's best position player. He was as good as they come defense as well (.997 PCT, 2.35 RNG, +17.2 ZR, 1.093 EFF).

Top Pitcher – Season: Despite the team's struggles, they got a couple of decent performances from their starters, including 26-year old LHP Bruce Whitten (20-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.71 FIP, 97 ERA+), giving the Unions some hope for the future.

Key Injuries: 25-year old RHP Kai Tosh (2-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2.98 FIP, 107 ERA+) suffered a severe injury while pitching back on November 24. He required immediate radial nerve decompression surgery. He is laid up for another 6 weeks..

21-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (8-3, 3.51 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.75 FIP, 102 ERA+) suffered a fractured hand in a game back on December 26. He his out for another 3 months.

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The Pulberry Trolleys were a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in that they enjoyed a strong February, only to falter in March and fall to sixth place. The Trolleys in fact lost on more game than last year, but their situation is far from dire. They have an exciting mix of young talented players, especially on offense and the their pitching saw a nice improvement over last season. The Trolleys give me the impression that they are not very far from putting it all together – and if they can, then next year's pennant race may become one of the most heated. But they first have to make the playoffs, something they have yet to do.

Offense: .274/.325/.375 (4th/4th/4th)
Pitching: 3.64/3.60/3.96 (5th/5th/5th)
Defense: .704 (3rd)

Top Position Player – Season: Lots of reasons for optimism with this young crew, and 23-year old SS Roland Binns (.289/.349/.373, 6 HR, 57 RBI, 87 R, 55 BB, 21 SB, 4.2 WAR) is quickly becoming one of best shortstops in the ULB (5th overall).

Top Pitcher – Season: There are actually a few to choose from, but I'll go with 32-year old RHP Bailey Keedwell (19-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.30 FIP, 105 ERA+).

Noteworthy Performance: Rookie Jon Pring hit the third Cycle of the season. On February 21, the rookie went 4 for 5 against the Brunswick Legends, with 3 RBI and 3 R, to help the Trolleys defeat the Legends, 10-2.
Pring flied out in the 1st, hit an RBI triple in the 3rd, hit a 2-run home run off of Hirotada Fukushima in the 4th, singled in the 6th and doubled in the 8th.

Key Injuries: 22-year old CF Joey Maddaford (.233/.298/.349, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 12 BB, 0.6 WAR) suffered a fractured rib on a defensive play back on March 18. His timeline is for another 4 weeks.

RHP Alexander Ellacott (18-13, 2.83 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.22 FIP, 127 ERA+) ruptured a tendon in his finger while pitching on March 19. The 23-year old will be unable to pitch for another 3 months.

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The Fort Richmond Generals finished the season with a flourish, winning 30 games in the final two months, most of any team in the West. That helped them escape the basement and finish the season with 71 victories, 15 more than last year. Still, this team is far from competing for a playoff spot and will probably endure some further pains as the youngsters slowly make their way to the major league roster. But the Generals have a very strong farm system and have a couple of exciting players in C Henug-su Park and this year's first overall pick CF Dylan Moyne. Hopefully, Fort Richmond can stay the course, as some exciting things are brewing.

Offense: .257/.319/.354 (7th/8th/7th)
Pitching: 4.05/4.04/4.10 (8th/8th/6th)
Defense: .701 (4th)

Top Position Player – Season: Not a memorable season for the Generals, but 27 year old C Henug-su Park (.312/.373/.466, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 70 R, 44 BB, 5.0 WAR) is a bonafide star, and is second only to Kingston's Danny Trowbrdge as the ULB's top-ranked catcher (the man who he just happened to replace in Fort Richmond).

Top Pitcher – Season: Also not a great season for Fort Richmond pitching-wise, but 24-year old RHP Reece Leavers (15-12, 3.01 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.70 FIP, 119 ERA+) is at least giving his team something to be happy about.

Noteworthy Performance: C Heung-su Park enjoyed quite a stretch in late February and March. On February 27, Park went 4 for 5 against the Hespeler Stars with 2 RBI. On March 10, he hit two home runs against the Wolseley Unions, with 3 RBI, 1 R. The next day, he went 4 for 5 against the same Wolseley Unions, collecting 3 RBI and 1 R.
For his efforts, the 7th overall pick from 1940-41 won back-to-back Player of the Week Awards. In the first week, he batted .520 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R. The following week, he batted .476 with 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R. Not surprisingly, he was voted Batter of the Month for March as well.

Key Injuries: On March 11, RHP Reece Leavers (15-12, 3.01 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.70 FIP, 119 ERA+) suffered ulnar nerve irritation while pitching. The 24-year old will be unable to pitch for another 3 months.

26-year old LF Gavin Bansfield (.259/.323/.352, 3 HR, 52 RBI, 50 R, 47 BB, -0.4 WAR) injured his ankle while fielding in a game back on March 17. He should be OK in an other week.

RHP John Bullivant (7-4, 3 SV, 5.00 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 3.99 FIP, 72 ERA+) experienced shoulder tendinitis while pitching on March 21. The 23-year old should be back up to speed in 1-2 weeks.

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The Hespeler Stars meandered through the final two months of the season and found themselves relegated to last place in the West when the Fort Richmond Generals leaped over them. There's nowhere to go but up and its probably just as well – with the other perennial losing teams in the West starting to show some strength, the Stars need to do some re-aligning. They are rather woeful on both side of the ball. But they boast the deepest farm system in the United Leagues right now, and it should only get deeper. If they remain patient, then the second go-around in their rebuild may finally bear some fruit.

Offense: .254/.319/.358 (8th/7th/6th)
Pitching: 3.78/3.55/5.19 (7th/4th/8th)
Defense: .692 (6th)

Top Position Player – Season: 25 year old C Aaron Skidmore (.262/.390/.424, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 65 R, 102 BB, 6.2 WAR) took it to the next level in his 4th full season in the United Leagues was his team's best position player by a comfortable margin.

Top Pitcher – Season: Somewhat of a down year for 27-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (18-15, 3.48 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.70 FIP, 103 ERA+) but that still good enough to be considered the Stars' best pitcher.

Noteworthy Performance: 2B Vic Weetman won Player of the Week honours on March 19. He batted .448 (13 H in 29 AB) with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R.

Key Injury: LHP Carlton Sherrell (9-13, 3.60 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 3.69 FIP, 100 ERA+) experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching on February 4. The 26-year old is still out for another 4-5weeks.

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reds1 · 07-14-2016, 09:55 PM

Brunswick Legends (101-53) vs. Embro Suns (88-66)
Season Matchup: 9-6 in favour of Brunswick

Brunswick: Runs scored – 679 (2nd in EL); runs allowed – 529 (1st in EL)
Embro: Runs scored – 711 (1st in EL); runs allowed – 668 (5th in EL)

For the fourth time, the Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns will meet to battle for the Eastern League Pennant. With the exception of their first meeting, the matchup has been decidedly one-sided. In 1938-39, the Suns and Legends battled a full seven games, going back and forth, with scores like 17-4 (Game 2 win for Embro) and 10-2 (Game 7 win for Brunswick). Both teams tallied 41 runs apiece in that epic.
But since then it has been all Brunswick. In 1941-42 and 1942-43, the Legends swept the Suns each time, outscoring them 27-5 in the combined eight games.

What is different this time around is that the Legends finished the season in first place – something that has never happened before. In their previous four playoff appearances, Brunswick made it as the wild card team. But it has never put them at a disadvantage – indeed, the Legends have yet to lose a Pennant Series.

So if the Embro Suns are finally going to prevail, they will have to do it against the best team in the United Leagues. The Suns boasted the best offense in the East , but their pitching was merely average. Meanwhile, the Legends are a supremely balanced team.

But Brunswick will be without the services of the No. 1 pitcher in the ULB: 28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (13-5, 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 2.56 FIP, 128 ERA+), who suffered a dislocated finger in a game back on January 21. However, their other three starters, namely Matthew Monroe (No. 3), Hun Park (No. 8) and Hirotada Fukushima (No. 11), are all Top 20 pitchers themselves, and are coming off excellent seasons. For Embro's part, they have two Top 20 pitchers: Oscar Burress (No. 7) and Myung-gu Son (No. 9).

Embro is also affected by injuries heading into the series: 23-year old 2B José Sánchez (.281/.353/.383, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 40 R, 34 BB, 14 SB, 2.5 WAR) tore a back muscle while running the bases in a game back on February 4. 27-year old Britt Wing (.313/.393/.422, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 40 R, 35 BB, 0.9 WAR) will take his place in the lineup.

The series opened at Brunswick’s Babe Ruth Park, which has been no stranger to playoff action. 30,612 fans attended Game 1 under gorgeous, clear skies with just a light breeze blowing out to right. Enough preamble – it time to play ball!

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Game 1

RHP Hun Park (16-12, 3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) took the hill for Brunswick.
RHP Oscar Burress (15-13, 3.41 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) started for Embro.

Top of the 1st:
Yoshino Ito leads off with a walk. But when Gary Watkinson singles with one out, Ito is thrown out trying to reach 3B. Watkinson moves up to 2B on the same play and then reaches 3B on an error (E4) during Terence Durney's at-bat. Britt Wing follows with a single to score Watkinson for the game's first run.
Embro 1 – Brunswick 0

Bottom of the 2nd:
Mark Elston leads off with a full-count double. After reaching 3B on a Matthew Shelley ground-out, Elston comes in to score on Vinnie Edwards' first-pitch single.
Embro 1 – Brunswick 1

Bottom of the 4th:
Mark Elston leads off with a walk, but is promptly thrown out by Oscar Burress when he tries to steal 2B during Matthew Shelley's at-bat. With two out, Vinnie Edwards singles, then takes 2B on a wild pitch. Derek Sakurai follows with a double, scoring Edwards to give the Legends the lead.
Embro 1 – Brunswick 2

Bottom of the 5th:
Harry Chatwin leads off and takes Burress yard on a first-pitch solo home run.
Embro 1 – Brunswick 3

Top of the 6th:
Not to be outdone, Elliot Tugby leads off and takes Hun Park yard on a first-pitch solo home run.
Embro 2 – Brunswick 3

Top of the 7th:
With one out, Dylan Watkins doubles and reaches 3B on an Oscar Burress ground-out. Yoshino Ito then hits a line drive single, scoring Watkins and tying up the game.
Embro 3 – Brunswick 3

Bottom of the 7th:
Hun Park leads off with a first-pitch single. With one out, Terry Aspden and Stuart Bentham follow with back-to-back singles to load the bases.
A sac fly by Mark Elston and back-to-back singles by Matthew Shelley and Vinnie Edwards score four runs. That ends Burress' day, but the damage has been done.

Embro goes down in order in the top of the 9th as Brunswick draws first blood.
FINAL: Embro 3 – Brunswick 7

Player of the Game: C Vinnie Edwards went 3-4, with 3 RBI, 1 R.

Hun Park went 9.0 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1HR (1-0, 2.00 ERA)

For Embro:

Oscar Burress took the loss, going 6.2 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (0-1, 9.45 ERA).

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Game 2

The sky was clear once again and even warmer (72 F), as 30,438 attended Game 2. A light breeze was blowing out to right, just as in Game 1.
Starting for Brunswick was LHP Matthew Monroe (22-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.19 WHIP).
RHP Myung-gu Son (19-8, 3.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) pitched for Embro.

Bottom of the 1st:
Harry Chatwin leads off with a triple and scores on Terry Aspden's sac fly to centerfield.
Embro 0 – Brunswick 1

Bottom of the 6th:
Things fall apart for Myung-gu Son in the 6th. With one out, Vinnie Edwards, Derek Sakurai and Vince Bailey hit back-to-back-to-back singles, scoring a run.
With two out, Harry Chatwin singles to score Sakurai and Bailey.
After Terry Aspden singles, Stuart Bentham reaches base safely on an error (E8), allowing Chatwin to score. Mark Elston then follows with another single, driving in two more, ending Myung-gu Son's day.
Embro 0 – Brunswick 7

Top of the 7th:
Embro gets on the board in the 7th. Gary Watkinson leads off with a single, followed by Britt Wing, who draws a walk.
With one out, Terence Durney singles, scoring Watkinson. Dennis Ducay then follows with a single to score Wing.
With two out, RP Edward Hill scores Durney on a single. But Ducay is then thrown out at home to end the inning.
Embro 3 – Brunswick 7

Bottom of the 8th:
Terry Aspden leads of with a single. But then Stuart Bentham, Mark Elston and Matthew Shelley all draw back-to-back-to-back walks, scoring Aspden.
Vinnie Edwards hits a sac fly to right-centerfield to score Bentham.

In the bottom of the 9th, Elliot Tugby singles with two out. Morgan Tice then relieves Matthew Monroe and gets PH Lyndon Duggleby to hit into a 5-4 fielder's choice to end the game.
FINAL: Embro 3 – Brunswick 9

Player of the Game: CF Harry Chatwin went 3-5, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 2 R.

Matthew Monroe pitched 8.2 innings, with 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (1-0, 3.12 ERA).

Terry Aspden went 3-4, 4 RBI, 2 R.

For Embro:

Myung-gu Son took the loss, going 5.2 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (0-1, 11.12 ERA).

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Game 3

Embro's Speaker Stadium took center stage in the Eastern League Pennant, with 26,679 in attendance to see if the Suns could stem the tide. The weather was pleasant (65 F) with a gentle breeze blowing from right to left.

LHP Hirotada Fukushima (20-9, 2.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) took the hill for Brunswick.
RHP Pete Allison (6-5, 4.10 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) started for Embro.

Bottom of the 1st:
Yoshino Ito leads off with a double. A sac fly by Dylan Watkins and a 3-1 ground-out by Gary Watkinson scores Ito and the Suns are on the board.
Brunswick 0 – Embro 1

Top of the 3rd:
Harry Chatwin hits a one-out solo home run to right-centerfield, tying the game up.
Brunswick 1 – Embro 1

Top of the 4th:
After Maurice Evans reaches safely on an error (E4) with two out, Derek Sakurai follows with run-scoring triple.
Brunswick 2 – Embro 1

Bottom of the 5th:
Dennis Ducay leads off with a single and Elliot Tugby follows him with a walk. After a sac bunt by Pete Allison advances the runners, Ducay comes in to score on a Yoshino Ito 4-3 ground out, tying up the game.
Brunswick 2 – Embro 2

Top of the 7th:
With two on and two out, Matthew Shelley singles in Terry Aspden from second, as Brunswick retakes the lead.

In the bottom of the 9th, Britt Wing leads off with a single. But back-to-back fielder's choices at 2B and a 1-3 ground-out end the game, giving the Legends a commanding 3-0 games lead.
FINAL: Brunswick 3 – Embro 2

Player of the Game: Hirotada Fukushima pitched 9.0 innings, with 4 H with 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (1-0, 2.00 ERA).

For Embro:

Pete Allison put up a game fight, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 9 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (0-1, 2.00 ERA).

Noteworthy: Allison's 9 BB tied an Eastern League playoff game record.

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Game 4

26,611 were in attendance to witness the rematch between the Game 1 pitchers: Brunswick’s RHP Hun Park and Embro’s RHP Oscar Burruss.
The weather continued to cooperate with a pleasant 71 F and partly cloudy skies. The wind picked up just a little from the day before, again blowing in from right from left.

Bottom of the 3rd:
Dylan Watkins leads off with a first-pitch single.
After Oscar Burress moves him over to 2B on a sac bunt, Elliot Tugby doubles with two out to bring in Watkins.
Brunswick 0 – Embro 1

Top of the 4th:
Mark Elston doubles with out. Matthew Shelley immediately follows with a single, scoring Elston and tying the game up.
Brunswick 1 – Embro 1

Bottom of the 6th:
Back-to-back singles by Elliot Tugby and Gary Watkinson to lead off the inning put runners on the corners. But Brunswick's RF Mark Elston injures himself on the throw to 3B. He is immediately replaced by Daniel Martin in the field.
With one out and 1B open, Britt Wing is given an intentional walk to load the bases. With two out, Charles Usherwood doubles, scoring all three base runners.

In the top of the 9th, Matthew Shelley doubles with one out and reaches 3B on a ground-out. But Derek Sakurai also grounds out (5-3) to end the threat and the game.
In the process, Embro snaps a 12-game losing streak in the playoffs, and keeps their playoff hopes alive for at least one more game.
FINAL: Brunswick 1 – Embro 4

Player of the Game: Oscar Burress went 9.0 IP with 6 H with 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (1-1, 4.60 ERA).

Charles Usherwood went 2-3, with 1-2B, 3 RBI.

For Brunswick:

Hun Park took the loss , going 7.0 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (1-1, 3.38 ERA).

Injury update: Mark Elston threw out his back out while making a throw to 3B. He is out for at least 2 weeks and will not be available for the duration of the playoffs.

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Game 5

With renewed hope, 26,796 thronged Speaker Stadium to see if their Suns could build on their Game 4 win. The weather wouldn't be a factor, as partly cloudy skies and a soft breeze blowing in from right to left blessed the proceedings.
The starters for Game 2 faced each other again: for Embro, RHP Myung-gu Son took the mound, while Brunswick's LHP Matthew Monroe took the ball.

Bottom of the 1st:
With two out, Gary Watkinson and Britt Wing hit back-to-back singles. Charles Usherwood then follows with a double to score both runs.
Brunswick 0 – Embro 2

Top of the 2nd:
With one out, Harry Chatwin draws a walk. Derek Sakurai follows him with a first-pitch home run to rightfield, tying the game up.
Vince Bailey immediately follows with a first-pitch single and reaches 2B on a sac bunt by Matthew Monroe. Woody Eaton then comes through with a single of his own, scoring Bailey and Brunswick takes the lead.
Brunswick 3 – Embro 2

Top of the 3rd:
Brunswick loads the bases on a walk and back-to-back singles with nobody out. A 6-4 fielder's choice by Harry Chatwin scores Stuart Bentham.
After Derek Sakurai walks to reload the bases, Vince Bailey comes through with a single, scoring Matthew Shelley and Chatwin.
Brunswick 6 – Embro 2

Top of the 7th:
Maurice Evans reaches 1B on an error (E4) to lead off the inning. Harry Chatwin follows him with an RBI triple.
Derek Sakurai then scores Chatwin on a single.
Brunswick 8 – Embro 2

Top of the 8th:
Stuart Bentham leads off with a single, reaches 2B on a Matthew Shelley ground-out and comes in to score on a Maurice Evans double.
After Harry Chatwin singles to put runners on the corners, Evans scores on a Derek Sakurai ground-out.
Brunswick 10 – Embro 2

Bottom of the 9th:
Dylan Watkins leads off with a 4-pitch walk and reaches 3B on a Gary Watkinson double.
Britt Wing then comes through with a double to score both Watkins and Watkinson.
After Wing reaches 3B on a Charles Usherwood ground-out, Brunswick's Matthew Monroe is replaced by RP Rob Fields.
Terence Durney then flies out to rightfield. Wing tags up, but is thrown out at home to end the game and the series.
FINAL: Brunswick 10 – Embro 4

Player of the Game: Derek Sakurai went 2-4, with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R.

Harry Chatwin went 2-4 with 1-3B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB.

Mathew Monroe went 8.1 IP with 9 H with 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (2-0, 3.71 ERA).

For Embro:

Myung-gu Son had another rough outing, going just 3.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (0-2, 13.00 ERA).

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reds1 · 07-16-2016, 01:35 PM

Cambria Cannons (89-65) vs. Kingston Pelicans (87-67)
Season Matchup: 9-6 in favour of Cambria

Cambria: Runs scored – 753 (2nd in WL); runs allowed – 618 (4th)
Kingston: Runs scored – 760 (1st in WL); runs allowed – 586 (1st)

Like their Eastern League counterparts, the Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns, Cambria and Kingston are no strangers to the playoffs nor to facing each other for the Western League Pennant. But unlike the Legends and Suns, the battle between the Cannons and Pelicans has been much more even. In 1938-39, Kingston prevailed 4 games to 2; a year later, Cambria won 4 games to 2 as well. In 1940-41, Kingston swept the Cannons; in 1941-42, Cambria defeated Kingston 4 games to 1.

So this year marks the fifth time Cambria and Kingston will square off to see who will earn the right to represent the West in the United Cup Championship. In fact, no team other than Kingston or Cambria has represented the West in the United Cup. But this past season was perhaps the most competitive so far in the Western League, as five teams finished with a .500 record or better while no one reached 90 victories. Not bad for a League that one year only boasted one team with an above .500 record.

Both teams are dealing with significant injuries as they enter the playoffs. Cambria will be without star player LF Ron Westmacott (.315/.402/.461, 12 HR, 69 RBI, 91 R, 77 BB, 22 SB, 4.4 WAR), who tore an abdominal muscle while running the bases back on February 27. Clint Jones (.287/.346/.422, 12 HR, 77 RBI, 69 R, 50 BB, 1.3 WAR) will make the shift over to LF.

Also, 2B Shaun Attenborough (.286/.336/.418, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 0.3 WAR) is out with post-concussion syndrome. 26-year old Daniel Edney (.258/.290/.344, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB, 1.0 WAR) will take his place.

As for Kingston, the are without their No. 1 pitcher, 34-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (15-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.13 FIP, 104 ERA+) who was diagnosed with a ulnar nerve irritation after pitching on March 16.

The Series opened at Cambria’s Alexander Field, with 24,655 in attendance. Blue skies and warm sunshine were the order of the day. A fresh breeze was blowing out to center at game time. Play ball!

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Game 1

RHP Leon Hankey (17-14, 3.91 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) started for the Cannons, while RHP Jim Hogue (13-10, 3.74 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) got the call for Kingston.

Bottom of the 1st:
With one out, Wenceslas Jasmin takes Jim Hogue’s first pitch for a single and moves to 3B when Nicky Willis follows with a double.
With two out, Clint Jones doubles home both Jasmin and Willis to open the scoring.
Keane Fysh then follows with his own double to score Jones for the Cannons’ third run.
Kingston 0 – Cambria 3

Top of the 9th:
Leon Hankey is able to keep the Pelicans off the board until the 9th when, with one out, Dean Bishop triples and comes in to score when Wen-huan Liu grounds out. Jayden Tennant then flies out to leftfield to end the game, as Cambria takes Game 1.
FINAL: Kingston 1 – Cambria 3

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Player of the Game: Leon Hankey went the distance, allowing just 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA).

Clint Jones went 3-4, 2-2B, 2 RBI, 1 R.

For Kingston:

Jim Hogue took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0-1, 3.38 ERA).

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Game 2

For the second game, LHP Owen Tautor (19-14, 3.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) got the start for Cambria, while LHP Patrick Denman (15-15, 3.30 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) started for Kingston.

Conditions were slightly cooler, but the skies remained blue and that same fresh breeze blowing out to center was in attendance, along with 24,582 faithful.

Top of the 2nd:
Katsunan Chikafuji becomes the first batter to take advantage of the wind blowing out to center, as he leads off with a solo home run to left centerfield.
Dean Bishop then follows with a walk and reaches 2B on a groundout. That sets the stage for Jayden Tennant, who slams a two-run home run to the leftfield bleachers.
Kingston 3 – Cambria 0

Top of the 3rd:
With two out, Dean Bishop singles and Wen-huan Liu reaches safely on an error (E5). Jayden Tennant then singles, scoring Bishop.
Kingston 4 – Cambria 0

Bottom of the 3rd:
Scott Weller singles with one out and then reaches 2B on a sac bunt by Owen Tautor. A single by Hao Wang and a double by Daniel Edney score Cambria’s first two runs.
Kingston 4 – Cambria 2

Top of the 5th:
Katsunan Chikafuji and Dean Bishop lead off with back-to-back singles. With one out, Jayden Tennant singles in Chikafuji.
Kingston 5 – Cambria 2

Top of the 6th:
Lance Haworth leads off with a solo home run to leftfield.
Kingston 6 – Cambria 2

Bottom of the 6th:
With one out, Clint Jones singles and reaches 2B on a ground out. Keane Fysh then singles in Jones.

In the bottom of the 9th, Scott Weller singles with one out. But PH Louie Hetherington grounds into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.
FINAL: Kingston 6 – Cambria 3

Player of the Game: Jayden Tennant went 4-5, 1HR, 4 RBI, 1 R.

Patrick Denman went 9.0 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (1-0, 3.00 ERA)

For Cambria:

Owen Tautor was the victim of the long ball, going 7.0 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 3 HR (0-1, 6.43 ERA).

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Game 3

The series moved to Kingston Park, with 26,927 attending. The weather was nice and warm (74 F) with clear skies and just a gentle breeze blowing in from center.

RHP Charlie Gilbert (15-10, 3.00 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) took the hill for Kingston, while RHP Jin-man Kim (18-11, 3.53 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) got the start for Cambria.

Top of the 2nd:
The Cannons got to Charlie Gilbert quickly. Hao Wang and Clint Jones hit back-to-back singles. They were followed by Keane Fysh who doubled in Wang.
Shelby Cain reached safely on an error (E6) that also allowed Jones to score.
After getting two quick outs, Gilbert attempted a pickoff throw to 1B that led to an error (E1) and allowed Fysh to score. Daniel Edney then walked to put runners on 1B and 2B.
A single by Wenceslas Jasmin and a double by Nicky Willis led to three more runs and the Cannons took a commanding early lead.
Cambria 6 – Kingston 0

Top of the 4th:
Wenceslas Jasmin draws a walk with one out and then advances to 3B on a Nicky Willis double. With two out, Clint Jones singles in Jasmin for Cambria’s seventh run.
Cambria 7 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 4th:
Lance Haworth, Danny Trowbridge and Dean Bishop all hit singles off of Jin-man Kim to load the bases with one out.
With two out, Jayden Tennant draws a 4-pitch walk, forcing in Haworth.
Cambria 7 – Kingston 1

In the top of the 7th inning, Clint Jones singles with one out. However, Jones injures himself while trying to reach 3B on Shelby Cain’s two-out single. Jones is called out and forced to leave the game with a bruised thigh.
The Pelicans go down in order in the bottom of the 9th and Cambria takes Game 2.
FINAL: Cambria 7 – Kingston 1

Player of the Game: Jim-man Kim got game honours, going 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA).

Clint Jones went 4-4, 1 RBI, 1 R before being injured. He is listed as day-to-day.

For Kingston:

Charlie Gilbert took the loss, going 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (0-1, 5.40 ERA).

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Game 4

The weather continued to cooperate, with partly cloudy skies and a gentle breeze blowing from left to right for Game 4. 27,064 fans filed into Kingston Park to see if their Pelicans could bounce back.

The matchup was the same as in Game 1, with Kingston’s RHP Jim Hogue getting the call, while RHP Leon Hankey took the hill for Cambria.

Top of the 2nd:
A double by Keane Fysh and single by Shelby Cain scores the first run with two out.
Cambria 1 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 4th:
A single by Katsunan Chikafuji and a walk drawn by Dean Bishop puts runners on 1B and 2B with one out.
Wen-huan Liu then singles. Chikafuji tries for home and beats the throw, allowing the baserunners to advance.
Bishop then scores on a Jayden Tennant sac fly.
Cambria 1 – Kingston 2

Bottom of the 5th:
Things fall apart for Cambria in the 5th. After Lance Haworth draws a walk and Danny Trowbridge singles, Katsunan Chikafuji slams a 3-run home run into the left-centerfield bleachers.
SP Leon Hankey then walks Dean Bishop, hits Wen-huan Liu and walks Jayden Tennant to load the bases. Brian Main follows with a single, scoring both Bishop and Liu. That ends Hankey’s day.
But RP Leif Bryant gives up a single to Jamie Couch with two out, allowing two more runs to score before the inning is over.
Cambria 1 – Kingston 9

Top of the 8th:
Cambria gets one more run, when Leif Bryant triples with two out and comes into score on Daniel Edney’s single.

The Cannons go down in order in the top of the 9th as Kingston knots up the series at 2-games apiece.
FINAL: Cambria 2 – Kingston 9

Player of the Game: Katsunan Chikafuji went 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R.

Jim Hogue picked up his first win, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (1-1, 2.65 ERA).

Brian Main went 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB.

For Cambria:

Leon Hankey suffered the loss, going just 4.1 IP, 7 H, 9 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (1-1, 6.75 ERA).

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Game 5

The two teams were back at it for Game 5, as 26,983 fans came to see who would take the series lead. The weather remained beautiful with a light breeze blowing in from left.

As in Game 2, Kingston’s LHP Patrick Denman started, while LHP Owen Tautor took the ball for Cambria.

Top of the 1st:
Hao Wong leads off with a single and reaches 2B on a ground-out. With two out, Clint Jones singles and Wang races home for the game’s first run.
Cambria 1 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 1st:
With one out, Lance Haworth singles. Danny Trowbridge immediately follows and deposits an Owen Tautor offering into the leftfield bleachers.
Cambria 1 – Kingston 2

Top of the 3rd:
Daniel Edney singles with one out and ties it up on Clint Jones’ double that falls into the gap in left-centerfield.
Cambria 2 – Kingston 2

Bottom of the 3rd:
Patrick Denham helps his own cause when leads off with a single, reaches 2B on a ground-out and scores on Lance Haworth’s double.
Cambria 2 – Kingston 3

Top of the 4th:
Scott Weller evens things up again with a two-out solo home run to leftfield.
Cambria 3 – Kingston 3

Top of the 8th:
Cambria retakes the lead when Nicky Willis smashes a triple to left-center and then scores on Keane Fysh’s two-out single.
Cambria 4 – Kingston 3

Bottom of the 8th:
Owen Tautor gets the first two outs rather easy, but he will not be around for the third one.
Following the two outs, Wen-huan Liu and Jayden Tennant reach base on back-to-back singles. After PR Soshu Shimizu replaces Liu at 2B, Brian Main singles to load the bases.
That sets the table for PH Fergus Chitty, who takes Tautor’s 2-0 offering and smashes a Grand Slam home run into the leftfield bleachers.
That ends Tautor’s day as he is replaced by RP Carl Luscombe.
But Luscombe promptly gives up back-to-back singles to Chong-sik Lee and Brandon Channing and then a double to Danny Trowbridge. Two more runs score as a result before Cambria finally gets the third out of the inning.

The Cannons go down in order in the top of the 9th, and Kingston takes the upper hand in the series.
FINAL: Cambria 4 – Kingston 9

Player of the Game: Danny Trowbridge went 3-5, 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R.

Fergus Chitty went 1-1, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R.

Patrick Denhman picked up his second win of the playoffs, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (2-0, 3.71 ERA).

For Cambria:

Owen Tautor took the loss, his second of the playoffs, going 7.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR (0-2, 7.36 ERA).

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Game 6

The series headed back to Cambria, with the Cannons looking to stay alive. 24,729 fans took in the game on an extraordinarily beautiful day: warm, clear skies and a gentle breeze blowing in from right to left.

RHP Jin-man Kim started for Cambria; RHP Charlie Gilbert for Kingston.

Top of the 1st:
Jamie Couch leads off with a single and advances to 2B when Lance Haworth reaches safely on an error (E2).
Danny Trowbridge follows with a single, scoring Couch for the game’s first run.
Kingston 1 – Cambria 0

Bottom of the 1st:
Daniel Edney evens things up quickly when he leads off with a first-pitch home run to leftfield.
Kingston 1 – Cambria 1

Top of the 4th:
Kingston gets that run back when Wen-huan Liu takes Jin-man Kim’s first pitch for a one-out solo home run to dead centerfield.
Jayden Tennant immediately follows with a double and comes in to score on a Brian Main single.
Kingston 3 – Cambria 1

Top of the 6th:
Dean Bishop leads off with a single and then advances to 2B on a sac bunt. After Jayden Tennant is intentionally walked, Brian Main grounds out to advance the runners.
Charlie Gilbert then comes through with a single, scoring both runners.
Kingston 5 – Cambria 1

Bottom of the 8th:
With one out, PH Sergio Fuentes singles. He scores when Daniel Edney triples. Wenceslas Jasmin immediately follows with a double to score Edney.
With two out, Hao Wang singles, advancing Jasmin to 3B.
On Clint Jones’ subsequent at-bat, a balk is called on Charlie Gilbert, scoring Jasmin.
Jones then strikes out looking to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 9th, Keane Fysh leads off with a first-pitch single and is then replaced with PR Mezwar Iyapo.
Iyapo reaches 2B on a Shelby Cain sac bunt and then to 3B on a wild pitch.
But with the tying run just 90 ft. away, Scott Weller strikes out swinging and PH Louie Hetherington flies out to centerfield to end the game and the series.
FINAL: Kingston 5 – Cambria 4

Player of the Game: Charlie Gilbert went 8.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HR (1-1, 4.61 ERA).

Jayden Tennant went 1-1, 1-2B, 2 R, 3 BB.

For Cambria:

Jim-man Kim suffered a tough loss, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (1-1, 3.18 ERA).

Daniel Edney went 2-4, 1 HR, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 2 R.

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reds1 · 07-18-2016, 01:07 AM

Brunswick Legends (101-53) vs. Kingston Pelicans (87-67)
Season Matchup: 5-1 in favour of Brunswick

Brunswick: Runs scored – 679 (2nd in EL); runs allowed – 529 (1st).
Kingston: Runs scored – 760 (1st in WL); runs allowed – 586 (1st).

If you think the United Cup is suffering from a case of déjà vu, don't be alarmed – its not just you. For the third year in a row, the Kingston Pelicans and Brunswick Legends will meet for the ultimate baseball prize in Braeland. It will be the fourth time that the two teams have faced each other for the United Cup and the fourth consecutive year that Brunswick has won the right to represent the East. For Kingston, its their third consecutive appearance and their sixth overall. The Pelicans defeated the Legends 4 games to 1 back in 1938-39. In 1942-43, Brunswick turned the tables, defeating Kingston 4 games to 1. Last year, the two teams battled each other to the limit, until the Pelicans obliterated the Legends 17-1 in Game 7.

This year, the two teams combined to produce perhaps the most exciting United Cup series I have witnessed in all my years of playing around with this League, with an unprecedented Game 6 that literally had me on the edge of my seat.

As to injuries, Brunswick is without two key players: their ace 28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (dislocated finger) and 36-year old RF Mark Elston (chronic back soreness). 26-year old backup OF Woody Eaton (.300/.364/.400) will be taking his place in the field.

Kingston will continue to be without their No. 1 pitcher, 34-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (ulnar nerve irritation).

But on the eve of the Series, international events once again reminded Braelanders of the war raging just beyond the horizon. On April 1, U.S. Army and Marines began their invasion of Okinawa Island, as part of the Allies plan to set up an air base for an anticipated invasion of the Japanese mainland. On April 5, the Japanese Government collapsed. Then on April 7, the second day the Series, Braelanders learned that the most powerful battleship ever built, the Japanese Yamato, was sunk by U.S. aircraft. Response by Braelanders to these developments was one of muted optimism – the hope simply that hostilities would soon end and that their 'boys' could come home.

With all that going on around them, it was simply time to focus and just enjoy some baseball!

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Game 1

The series opened at Babe Ruth Park in Brunswick with 30,716 packed into the stadium. An unusually warm, autumn day (77 F) greeted the crowds, with clear skies and just a light breeze blowing out to center.

RHP Hun Park started for Brunswick, while RHP Jim Hogue took the hill for Kingston.

Bottom of the 3rd:
Terry Aspden and Stuart Bentham draw back-to-back walks with one out. Matthew Shelley and Maurice Evans then hit back-to-back singles, scoring three runs.
Kingston 0 – Brunswick 3

Top of the 7th:
Wen-huan Liu leads off with a double. Jayden Tennant then draws a walk. After Brian Main advances the runners on a ground-out, Jim Hogue hits a fly ball to centerfield, allowing Liu to tag up and score.
Kingston 1 – Brunswick 3

Bottom of the 7th:
Woody Eaton singles with one out, then scores on Terry Aspden's triple.
After Stuart Bentham is intentionally walked, Matthew Shelley singles, scoring Aspden.
Maurice Evans draws a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Harry Chatwin then grounds-out, allowing Bentham to score. That ends Jim Hogue's day.
Kingston 1 – Brunswick 6

Top of the 9th:
Singles by Jayden Tennant and Brian Main, plus a walk issued to PH Fergus Chitty, load the bases with one out. Jamie Couch then singles, scoring both Tennant and Main.
After Chong-sik Lee singles to re-load the bases, Danny Trowbrige flies out to leftfield. Chitty tags up on the play and attempts to score, but he is cut down at home plate to end the game.
FINAL: Kingston 3 – Brunswick 6

Player of the Game: Matthew Shelley goes 4-4, 2 RBI, 1 R.

Hun Park pitches 8.0 innings, 7 H with 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (2-1, 2.63 ERA).

Terry Aspden goes 1-4, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB.

For Kingston:

Jim Hogue pitches 6.2 innings, 9 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (1-2, 4.18 ERA).

Jayden Tennant goes 2-2, 1 R, 2 BB.

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Game 2

30,928 were on hand for the second game. The skies were partly cloudy with a gentle breeze blowing in from left to right. It had cooled off a bit (66 F) from the day before.

LHP Matthew Monroe took the hill for Brunswick, while LHP Patrick Denman was pegged by Kingston to start.

Bottom of the 3rd:
Woody Eaton singles with one out and advances to 2B on a Vince Bailey ground-out. Stuart Bentham then doubles him home for the game's first run.
Kingston 0 – Brunswick 1

Top of the 7th:
The Pelicans finally get to SP Monroe in the 7th. Katsunan Chikafuji singles with one out, then moves up to 2B when Dean Bishop draws a walk. But on Wen-huan Liu's ensuing single, Bishop is called out after being hit with the batted ball, leaving runners on the corners with two out.
Jayden Tennant singles in Chikafuji for Kingston’s first run. Brian Main follows with a double. That scores Liu. But when Tennant tries to score, he is cut down at home to end the inning.
Kingston 2 – Brunswick 1

Bottom of the 7th:
Vinnie Edwards leads off with a walk, then moves up to 2B on a Harry Chatwin sac bunt.
With two out, Matthew Monroe singles in Edwards to tie up the game.
Kingston 2 – Brunswick 2

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In the top of the 9th, Kingston loads the bases with one out, but RP Luke Woodward is able to get out of the jam unscathed.
In the bottom of the 9th, Harry Chatwin singles with one out, but is thrown out trying to steal 2B. PH Rhett Curnow then flies out to leftfield, sending matters into extra innings.

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Top of the 11th:
This time, RP Woodward isn't so fortunate. Wen-huan Liu leads off with a single and reaches 2B on a Jayden Tennant ground-out. Brian Main is up next and he hits a two-run home run to leftfield.

In the bottom of the 11th, the Legends load the bases with two out, but Dwaine Ainsley hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice at 2B to end the game.
FINAL: Kingston 4 – Brunswick 2

Player of the Game: Brian Main goes 3-5, 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R.

Patrick Denman did not pick up the win, but he went 8.0 IP, with 6 H with 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (2-0, 3.24 ERA).

Wen-huan Liu goes 4-5, 1-2B, 2 R.

For Brunswick:

Matthew Monroe pitches 8.1 innings, 10 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (2-0, 3.20 ERA).

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Game 3

The United Cup moved to Kingston Park for the next three contests and 27,133 looked on to see who would take the series lead. The weather was warm and clear, with a soft breeze blowing in from left to right.

RHP Charlie Gilbert started for Kingston, while Brunswick's LHP Hirotada Fukushima replied for Brunswick.

Top of the 1st:
With two out, Stuart Bentham singles and Matthew Shelley draws a walk. Maurice Evans then follows and slams Gilbert's first offering into the left-centerfield bleachers for a three-run home run.
Brunswick 3 – Kingston 0

Top of the 2nd:
Vince Bailey triples with one out, then scores on Hirotada Fukushima's sac fly.
Brunswick 4 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 3rd:
Jayden Tennant leads off with a walk. With two out, Jamie Couch and Lance Haworth hit back-to-back singles, scoring Tennant.
Brunswick 4 – Kingston 1

Bottom of the 7th:
With one out, Wen-huan Liu, Jayden Tennant, Brian Main and Chong-sik Lee all hit consecutive singles. Liu comes in to score, but for the second time in the series, Tennant is cut down at home plate.
Brunswick 4 – Kingston 2

Top of the 8th:
A walk, a single and fielder's choice at 2B, put runners on the corners with two out. Stuart Bentham, Matthew Shelley and Maurice Evans then hit consecutive singles, scoring three more runs for Brunswick.

In the bottom of the 9th, Wen-huan Liu reaches on an error (E5) with one out. But Jayden Tennant then hits into a U6-3 double play to end the game.
FINAL: Brunswick 7 – Kingston 2

Player of the Game: Hirotada Fukushima picks up the win, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (2-0, 2.00 ERA).

Maurice Evans goes 2-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R.

Stuart Bentham goes 2-4, 1 RBI, 2 R.

For Kingston:

Charlie Gilbert took the loss, going 7.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (1-2, 4.79 ERA).

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Game 4

The Pelicans and Legends were back at it for Game 4 at Kingston Park. 27,046 were on hand to see if their Pelicans could tie matters up. It was a warm, clear afternoon with a slight breeze blowing in from left to right.

As in Game 1, RHP Jim Hogue pitched for Kingston, while RHP Hun Park took the hill for Brunswick.

Top of the 1st:
Woody Eaton and Terry Aspden lead off with back-to-back singles. With one out, SP Hogue attempts to pick-off the base runner at 1B, but an error (E1) allows Eaton to score.
Brunswick 1 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 1st:
Jamie Couch leads off with a walk. With one out, Katsunan Chikafuji and Dean Bishop hit back-to-back singles, scoring Couch.
Brunswick 1 – Kingston 1

Bottom of the 6th:
Dean Bishop leads off with a full-count solo home run to leftfield.
Brunswick 1 – Kingston 2

Bottom of the 7th:
Jamie Couch draws a walk with one out. Couch steals second, but a throwing error (E2) allows him to reach 3B. PH Mo Symes then flies out to centerfield scoring Couch.
Brunswick 1 – Kingston 3

Bottom of the 8th:
Jayden Tennant walks with two out. After LHP Rob Fields comes into the game in relief of Hun Park, Harley Simmons smashes a first-pitch double, scoring Tennant.

In the top of the 9th, Harry Chatwin leads off with a walk. But the Legends go down 1-2-3 after that, allowing Kingston to tie up the series once again.
FINAL: Brunswick 1 – Kingston 4

Player of the Game: Jim Hogue goes the distance, with 9 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (2-2, 3.31 ERA).

Dean Bishop goes 2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R.

Jayden Tennant went 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB.

For Brunswick:

Hun Park took the loss, going 7.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR (2-2, 2.84 ERA).

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Game 5

A carbon copy of the day before, 27,044 enjoyed the warm, clear skies and a soft breeze blowing from right to left.

As in Game 2, LHP Patrick Denman started for Kingston while LHP Matthew Monroe started for Brunswick.

Bottom of the 2nd:
SP Monroe gets into a bit of trouble when Kingston loads the bases with nobody out.
A single by Brian Main and back-to-back walks issued to Jamie Couch and Lance Haworth pushes three runs across the plate.
Brunswick 0 – Kingston 3

Bottom of the 3rd:
After Dean Bishop leads off with a walk, Wen-huan Liu shows off his power with a two-run home run to left field.
With one out, Brian Main reaches safely on an error (E1). After advancing to 2B on a sac bunt, Main comes in to score on Jamie Couch's single.
Brunswick 0 – Kingston 6

Top of the 4th:
Terry Aspden leads off with a single, reaches 3B on an error (E4) and scores when Derek Sakurai grounds out.
Brunswick 1 – Kingston 6

Bottom of the 4th:
Three consecutive singles by Katsunan Chikafuji, Dean Bishop and Wen-huan Liu pushes another run across for Kingston.
Brunswick 1 – Kingston 7

Top of the 9th:
Brunswick loads the bases with nobody out, thanks to a lead off single by PR Rhett Curnow, a walk issued to Woody Eaton and Vince Bailey being hit by a pitch. Curnow scores on a sac fly by Stuart Bentham, but SP Denman is able to limit the damage after that as Kingston takes a 3 games to 2 lead in the series.
FINAL: Brunswick 2 – Kingston 7

Player of the Game: Wen-huan Liu goes 3-4, 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 2 R.

Patrick Denman remains undefeated in the playoffs, going 9.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 2 K (3-0, 2.65 ERA).

Dean Bishop goes 2-3, 2 R, 1 BB.

Brian Main goes 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R.

For Brunswick:

Matthew Monroe suffers his first loss, going 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 1 HR (2-1, 4.15 ERA).

Noteworthy: Patrick Denman ties the playoff record for walks with 8.

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Game 6

The Series returned to Brunswick with the Legends needing to win both remaining games if they wanted to win the United Cup. For the first time in this year's playoffs, the skies were grey with a soft but steady rain falling throughout the afternoon.

The weather seemed appropriate, as a sombre crowd of 30,924 observed a moment of silence prior to the game to honour United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had died suddenly the previous afternoon in Washington.

But even without the pre-game events, Game 6 would be the talk of the nation, as it took 8 different pitchers and 5 hours, 33 minutes to finally determine an outcome.

As in Game 3, LHP Hirotada Fukushima started for Brunswick, while RHP Charlie Gilbert got the call for Kingston.

Top of the 2nd:
Wen-huan Liu walks with one out and scores on Jayden Tennant's double.
Kingston 1 – Brunswick 0

Bottom of the 4th:
Terry Aspden smashes a one-out solo home run to rightfield to tie things up.
Kingston 1 – Brunswick 1

Top of the 7th:
Jayden Tennant leads off with a single and beats the throw to 2B when Brian Main reaches 1B safely on a sac bunt.
After Tennant is replaced by PR Soshu Shimizu, the base runners advance on a sac bunt by Charlie Gilbert.
Chong-sik Lee then singles, scoring both Shimizu and Main.
Kingston 3 – Brunswick 1

Bottom of the 9th:
With one out and Luis Veláquez pitching in relief of Charlie Gilbert, Maurice Evans doubles. After PH Cliff Jordan draws a walk with two out, Evans is replaced at 2B with PR Daniel Martin.
Down to their final out, Brunswick's pinch hitters Carson Morehouse and Cedric Horsey bang out back-to-back singles, scoring both Martin and Jordan to tie the game up once again.

Woody Eaton then grounds out to end the inning, sending the game into extras, for the second time in the series.
Kingston 3 – Brunswick 3

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A rain delay holds up the game for 54 minutes in the bottom the 14th inning.

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Kingston has its best chance at winning in the top of the 15th, when they load the bases with one out. But Katsunan Chikafuji grounds into a 5-2-3 double play to snuff out the threat as the game carries on in the rain.

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Bottom of the 16th:
Harry Chatwin leads off with a single. With one out, Benton Jefferson reaches on an error (E6) as Chatwin moves up to 2B.
After Jim Ferguson lays down a sac bunt to advance the runners, Woody Eaton singles off of RHP Bernie Knowles, scoring Chatwin for the winning run.
Brunswick ties the series up at 3 games apiece and forces a Game 7 for the second year in a row.
FINAL: Kingston 3 – Brunswick 4

Player of the Game: Despite his team's loss, Kingston's Charlie Gilbert picked up game honours, going 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (1-2, 3.77 ERA).

Chong-sik Lee went 1-1, 2 RBI.

Jayden Tennant went 2-3, 1-2B, 1 RBI.

For Brunswick:

Hirotada Fukushima went 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, (2-0, 2.42 ERA).

Noteworthy: Woody Eaton sets the playoff extra-inning game record for at-bats with 8.

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Game 7

For the second year in a row, the Brunswick Legends have come from behind to force a game 7. Its the third time in United Leagues history that the United Cup has gone the full seven games.

The rainy, grey gloom was gone, and warm (67 F), sunny skies took its place. Just a light breeze blew out to right as 30,846 were on hand to cheer on their team in the final, decisive game.

Brunswick's RHP Hun Park and Kingston's RHP Jim Hogue faced each other for the third time in the series. Park won Game 1, while Hogue got the 'W' in Game 4.

Top of the 2nd:
Katsunan Chikafuji leads off with a single and reaches 2B on a ground-out. With two out, Jayden Tennant singles, advancing Chikafuji to 3B. Harley Simmons then doubles, scoring both runs.
Kingston 2 – Brunswick 0

Bottom of the 5th:
After Derek Sakurai singles with one out, Vince Bailey immediately follows with a triple to score Sakurai.
Bailey comes home with the tying run thanks to a Hun Park sac fly to centerfield.
Kingston 2 – Brunswick 2

Bottom of the 6th:
With two out, Matthew Shelley singles, Maurice Evans walks and Harry Chatwin reaches safely on an error (E3) to load the bases.
That sets up Derek Sakurai, who singles in both Shelley and Evans, as Brunswick surges ahead.
Kingston 2 – Brunswick 4

Top of the 8th:
After Lance Haworth leads off with a walk, Danny Trowbridge singles to put runners on the corners.
Katsunan Chikafuji then grounds into a 5-4-3 double play, but Haworth comes in to score to get Kingston to within one.
Kingston 3 – Brunswick 4

Bottom of the 8th:
Kingston runs into defensive problems in the 8th.
Stuart Bentham singles, Matthew Shelley walks and Maurice Evans reaches safely on an error (dropped throw, E3) to load the bases with nobody out.
Harry Chatwin flies out to centerfield, but a throwing error (E8) allows Bentham to score the insurance run.

In the top of the 9th inning, Harley Simmons draws a walk off of RP Luke Woodward with two out. But PH Mo Symes then flies out to rightfield to end the inning, the game and the series.
FINAL: Kingston 3 – Brunswick 5

Player of the Game: Hun Park is the hero, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (3-2, 2.95 ERA).

Derek Sakurai goes 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 R.

For Kingston:

Although the game box listed Park as the Player of the Game, the score page in OOTP listed Jim Hogue as having the #1 Performance of the Day. For what its worth, both pitchers finished with a game score of 53.

For the record, Hogue went 8.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (2-3, 3.10 ERA).

Harley Simmons goes 1-2, 1-2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB.

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In a first (for me), the Most Valuable Player Award goes to a member of the losing team:

reds1 · 07-18-2016, 07:04 AM

BigRed75 · 07-18-2016, 08:30 AM

You know, my first teaching post was in a town called Brunswick. But I just can't bring myself to support a team that's basically just a Yankees analog.

Bottom Of The Sixth · 07-18-2016, 10:27 AM

Talk about some nail-biting, sitting-at-the-edge-of-your-seat baseball! You can't get much better than that!

Anyone up for a bet that either the Pelicans and Legends will be playing in next year's cup?

reds1 · 07-18-2016, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottom Of The Sixth

Anyone up for a bet that either the Pelicans and Legends will be playing in next year's cup?

Heh, funny you should mention that.

After this season, I intend to migrate over to OOTP17. In fact, I imported the league over to 17 prior to the 1943-44 season (the season before last) and simmed it out as a test.

In 16 of course, the Kingston Pelicans defeated the Brunswick Legends in 7 games for the Championship.

But in 17, the 102-52 Embro Suns beat the 93-61 Legends in 5 games to win the EL Pennant. Over in the West, the 91-63 Balmoral Giants upended the 83-71 Pelicans in 7 games.

For the United Cup, Embro defeated Balmoral 4 games to 1.

Understandably, I'm intrigued!

reds1 · 07-25-2016, 10:20 PM

reds1 · 07-29-2016, 06:01 PM

1944-45 United Leagues of Braeland Awards

Eastern League

The Brunswick Legends were far and away the best team in the United Leagues this season, let alone the Eastern League, so it’s no surprise that two of the top three individual awards went to Brunswick players. Indeed, a total of five Legends were in the running for all three awards.

Babe Ruth Award

After finishing third for the 1941-42 Babe Ruth Award, four-time All-Star 1B Stuart Bentham wins the Babe Ruth Award for the first time. He finished just ahead of teammate Mark Elston, who won the award two seasons ago.

The runners-up for the award were:

2nd: Brunswick's RF Mark Elston (.279/.395/.456, 20 HR, 99 RBI, 4.7 WAR)
3rd: Queensland's CF Jon Moreau (.338/.368/.525, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 6.5 WAR)

Stuart Bentham led the Eastern League in BB (109), OPS (.898), Total Bases (270), BB (109) and IW (34). He tied with Mark Elston for HR (20).

Mark Elston led the League in 2B (39) and tied Stuart Bentham for HR as noted above. Elston currently leads the entire ULB for career walks (821).

Jon Moreau led the circuit in AVG (.338), SLG (.525), ISO (.187) and WAR (6.5).

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Katsunan Chikafuji, Queensland Eagles
1938-39: Paul Hooks, Embro Suns
1939-40: Terence Durney, Embro Suns
1940-41: Jim Friend, Embro Suns
1941-42: Jim Friend, Embro Suns
1942-43: Mark Elston, Brunswick Legends
1943-44: Dean Bishop, Braeland City Monarchs

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Satchel Paige Award

After coming in third in 1938-39 and second in 1942-43, Brunswick’s Matthew Monroe finally snags the Satchel Paige Award for his efforts this season.

The other pitchers under consideration included Monroe’s teammate:

2nd: Brunswick's LHP Hirotada Fukushima (20-9, 2.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3.12 FIP)
3rd: Queensland's RHP Francisco López (19-6, 2.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.97 FIP)

Monroe led the League in wins (22) and Winning PCT (.786). He tied Braeland City’s LHP David Cooling in Shutouts (5).

Fukushima led the East in Hits/9 IP (7.7), Opponents AVG (.230) and Opponents OPS (.597).

López led in ERA (2.33).

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Colm Soper, Embro Suns
1938-39: Justin Hayhurst, Stratford Barons
1939-40: Lenny Freke, Braeland City Monarchs
1940-41: David Cooling, Braeland City Monarchs
1941-42: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends
1942-43: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends
1943-44: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons

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Rookie of the Year Award

When all-star 1B Dean Bishop was acquired by the Kingston Pelicans back on December 7, the Braeland City Monarchs promoted 22-year old rookie Kyle Prior from AAA to take his place. He did not disappoint, winning two Rookie of the Month and one Batter of the Month Awards, on route to capturing the 1944-45 Rookie of the Year Award in the East. The former third-round pick from 1940-41 led the Monarchs in home runs and intentional walks (7), and finished second in RBIs (10 behind teammate Trevor Bolen).

Here were the runners-up:

2nd: Brunswick's RHP Hun Park (16-12, 3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.16 FIP)
3rd: Queensland’s RF Jilenko Vergara (.315/.364/.445, 8 HR, 48 RBI, 2.4 WAR)

Previous Winners:

1938-39: Adam Ashley, Braeland City Monarchs
1939-40: Soren Heinke, Wellington Athletics
1940-41: Dean Bishop, Queensland Eagles
1941-42: Harry Chatwin, Brunswick Legends
1942-43: Geoff Lemoine, Stratford Barons
1943-44: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles

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Western League

Babe Ruth Award

The Award went to a familiar face, as Carlton Broadbent won for the second consecutive year with an even more impressive effort. Noteworthy was his defense, as it went from being a liability (-10.3 ZR) last season to a positive (+2.4).

On his heels for the Award were a couple of Pelicans:

2nd: Kingston's C Danny Trowbridge (.340/.419/.492, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 7.4 WAR)
3rd: Kingston's SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.334/.393/.476, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 7.6 WAR)

Broadbent led the Western League in Hits (212), HR (22), RBI (109), AVG (.345), SLG (.535), OPS (.936), RC/27 Outs (8.16), ISO (.190) and Total Bases (329).

Trowbridge led the West in OPB (.419).

Chikafuji led the West in WAR (7.6) for the second year in a row.

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans
1938-39: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans
1939-40: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans
1940-41: Steven Winstanley, Hespeler Stars
1941-42: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans
1942-43: Ron Westmacott, Cambria Cannons
1943-44: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants

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Satchel Paige Award

The streak of Pelicans winning the Pitcher of the Year Award came to an end, as Sherburn’s 26-year old RHP Roberto Taváres enjoyed a breakout season in his third full year in the ULB.

Runners-up for the award included last season's winner:

2nd: Camria's LHP Owen Tautor (19-14, 3.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.06 FIP)
3rd: Kingston's RHP Francis Slocock (16-8, 2.75 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.24 FIP)

Taváres led the West in ERA (2.33), HR/9 (0.1), Winning PCT (.714) and WAR (6.9). He tied with Tautor for the lead in GS (34) and IP (285.2). He tied for wins in the West with Wolseley’s LHP Bruce Whitten with 20.

Tautor tied Taváres in GS (20) and IP (285.2) and led the West in BB/9 (1.7) and K/BB (2.00).

Slocock led the League in WHIP (1.16).

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Neil Guerin, Cambria Cannons
1938-39: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans
1939-40: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans
1940-41: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans
1941-42: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans
1942-43: Joey Cumberledge, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans

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Rookie of the Year Award

The 28-year old free agent from Taiwan quickly made his presence felt, as Hao Wang won three Rookie of the Month Awards, hit for the cycle and was selected to the All-Star game during the course of the season. He capped it off winning the Rookie of the Year Award.

Here were the runners-up for the Award:

2nd: Wolseley's 2B Oscar Agnolutto (.259/.323/.341 7 HR, 50 RBI, 3.7 WAR)
3rd: Pulberry's CF Tadamichi Matsumoto (.286/.312/.397, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 2.8 WAR)

Previous Winners:

1938-39: Aaron Flanagan, Wolseley Unions
1939-40: Francisco Rodríguez, Balmoral Giants
1940-41: Leon Hankey, Cambria Cannons
1941-42: Brian Pittman, Balmoral Giants
1942-43: Freddie Duran, Kingston Pelicans
1943-44: Rizalino Ringor, Wolseley Unions

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Manager of the Year Award

For the third consecutive season, 41-year old Ben Houchens of the Kingston Pelicans won the Western League Manager of the Award. He is the first manager to win three Manager Awards and the only one to win it in consecutive years, let alone winning it three years in a row.

After a bit of a down year, the 56-year old Wesley Leseberg guided his Brunswick Legends to their second 100+ win season and their third United Cup Championship. Not surprisingly, he won his second Manager of the Year Award, after first winning it in 1942-43.

During the recent United Cup Series, the disparate managing styles of the two men were put on display. While the Australian Leseberg maintains a relaxed, non-confrontational atmosphere in the Legends’ dugout, Houchens’ penchant for profanity-laced outbursts and lively meetings with the umpires ensured that no one would confuse the two.

Despite their recent success, the two managers have a ways to go before they reach the upper echelon of the manager ranks. At the end of this season, Houchens is 12th in Wins (516), while Leseberg is 14th (474).
In terms of ‘Wins over .500’, Houchens is 3rd overall with 108 (516-408), while Leseberg is 11th with 23 (474-451).

Overall, Stratford’s Bill Quinn leads all managers with 686 wins and 140 ‘Wins over .500’ (686-546).

Previous Winners:

1937-38: Bradley Balmforth, Wellington Athletics; Rouke Barclay, Sherburn Tigers,
1938-39: Vic Windle, Embro Suns; John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans,
1939-40: Warren Paulino, Braeland City Monarchs; Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons,
1940-41: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons; John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans,
1941-42: Babe Ruth, Brunswick Legends; Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons.
1942-43: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends; Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans.
1943-44: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons; Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans.

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New Records

Two new single-season offensive records were set in 1944-45.

28-year old CF Jamie Couch of the Kingston Pelicans set a new record for singles with 176, surpassing former teammate Rovilson Valdevieso who hit 175 singles in 1939-40, while with the Brunswick Legends.

In a rather dubious distinction, Stratford Barons’ 26-year old RF Dan Hunter set a new record for Caught Stealing with 32 (to go along with 28 SB).
Hunter’s new record well-surpasses the old mark of 25, set by Wellington Athletics’ Ryley McLarnon (who ‘accomplished’ it twice – in 1937 and 1939).

reds1 · 11-22-2016, 12:33 AM

Notes on 1944-45 All-Braeland Team

Starting Pitcher

Some fine performances in the United Leagues from the pitchers this season, but it essentially came down to the two Satchel Paige Award winners: Brunswick's Matthew Monroe (22-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 144 ERA+, 6.1 WAR) and Sherburn's Roberto Taváres (20-8, 2.33 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 156 ERA+, 6.9 WAR). But for me, the easy choice was the 26-year old Taváres.

He led the Western League in Wins, ERA, GS (34), IP (285.2), HR/9 (0.1) and WAR (among pitchers). Monroe's numbers were very similar to last season, when he was runner-up as well.

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Catcher

Danny Trowbridge (.340/.419/.492, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 96 R, 74 BB, 7.8 WAR, .976 fielding %) won his fourth consecutive berth onto the All-Braeland Team, and it isn't hard to see why; he had perhaps the finest season a catcher has ever had in the United Leagues. This past season saw Mr. Trowbridge set all-time marks for catchers in OBP (.419), OPS (.911) and WAR.

Also enjoying fine seasons behind the plate were:

Hespeler's Aaron Skidmore (.262/.390/.424, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 65 R, 102 BB, 6.5 WAR, .973 fielding %)
Fort Richmond's Heung-su Park (.312/.373/.466, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 70 R, 44 BB, 5.2 WAR, .967 fielding %)

Incidentally, both Skidmore and Park would be involved in separate trades later in the off-season.

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First Base

After being in the running in 1941-42 and 1942-43, and then enduring a injury plagued season in 1943-44, Brunswick's Stuart Bentham (.316/.427/.471, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 95 R, 109 BB, 5.1 WAR, .991 fielding %) put it all together this past season to earn his first nod to the All-Braeland Team. Bentham led the Eastern circuit in HR, BB, and OPS (.898).

Kingston’s Dean Bishop (.269/.358/.462, 24 HR, 112 RBI, 87 R, 83 BB, 5.9 WAR, .987 fielding %), who was named to the team last season and won a Top Fielder Award this year, was also a worthy candidate.

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Second Base

Two 2B stood out this season as deserving candidates for the All-Braeland Team:

Balmoral's Allen Cattanach (.294/.374/.394, 4 HR, 80 RBI, 87 R, 76 BB, 4.7 WAR, .965 fielding %)
Fort Richmond’s Neil Boyle (.285/.361/.364, 0 HR, 44 RBI, 56 R, 61 BB, 4.9 WAR, .983 fielding %).

Boyle won a Top Fielder Award this season with a jaw-dropping defensive performance, but I went with the top-rated 2B Cattanach, as he held his own defensively and was a more complete offensive player than Boyle. Cattanach was a runner-up last season.

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Third Base

He's a 6-time all-star and winner of 5 Top Fielder Awards in addition to a Rookie of the Year Award, but Braeland City's 32-year old Adam Ashley (.319/.363/.412, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 89 R, 41 BB, 14 SB, 5.0 WAR, .963 fielding %) had never made the All-Braeland Team until this season. He came close in 1941-42 though, playing primarily at SS. This season saw him play the majority of his games at 3B for the first time. And no wonder – he is rated as the top 3B in the ULB.

Otton Overbeek (.313/.341/.459, 7 HR, 70 RBI, 64 R, 18 BB, 4.5 WAR, .979 fielding %), who made the team last season for Balmoral, again had a fine season. He too was traded in the off-season and is penciled in as Braeland City's new SS – to play alongside Adam Ashley.

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Shortstop

The top-four rated shortstops in the ULB put in performances this past season that were worthy of the All-Braeland Team:

Kingston's Katsunan Chikafuji (.334/.393/.476, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 90 R, 61 BB, 15 SB, 8.0 WAR, .968 fielding %)
Balmoral's Francisco Rodríguez (.303/.349/.437, 6 HR, 75 RBI, 75 R, 40 BB, 5.6 WAR, .961 fielding %)
Embro's Gary Watkinson (.337/.435/.411, 1 HR, 72 RBI, 90 R, 104 BB, 6.6 WAR, .974 fielding %)
Stratford's Jake Walker (.328/.425/.462, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 81 R, 95 BB, 5.7 WAR, .930 fielding %)

Some fine offensive performances produced by that group, but overall, Chikafuji was just a bit better. Combined with his award-winning defensive performance this season, the choice was clear.

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Leftfield

There were three candidates for LF on the All-Braeland Team this season:

Pulberry's Bruno Lapthorne (.286/.338/.464, 17 HR, 95 RBI, 85 R, 45 BB, 15 SB, 4.2 WAR, .979 fielding %)
Cambria's Nicky Willis (.307/.399/.473, 15 HR, 97 RBI, 107 R, 97 BB, 5.1 WAR, .978 fielding %)
Embro's Yoshino Ito (.293/.382/.406, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 118 R, 92 BB, 37 SB, 4.7 WAR, .978 fielding %)

Tough call, as all three had their strong points. Lapthorne was the strongest defensively, as Willis and Ito did not have particularly strong defensive years. Ito led the East in PA (730), AB (628), runs and stolen bases, while Willis led the West in runs and doubles (50). I went with Willis, but it was not an automatic choice this time around.

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Centerfield

This selection has been going back and forth between Jon Moreau and Terence Durney over the past few season and this year was no different. For the record, there were four I considered:

Queensland's Jon Moreau (.338/.368/.525, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 76 R, 26 BB, 7.1 WAR, .959 fielding %)
Embro's Terence Durney (.299/.383/.410, 8 HR, 101 RBI, 78 R, 83 BB, 6.3 WAR, .991 fielding %)
Kingston's Jaimie Couch (.323/.365/.396, 3 HR, 85 RBI, 95 R, 42 BB, 6.7 WAR, .981 fielding %)
Brunswick's Harry Chatwin (.324/.379/.452, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 77 R, 47 BB, 15 SB, 5.2 WAR, .976 fielding %)

Moreau led the East in AVG, SLG and WAR; Durney in RBI. In the West, Couch led in PA (713), AB (657) and hits (212). Ultimately, I went with Moreau for both his fine offensive and defensive performances (he picked up his second Top Fielder Award).

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Rightfield

For the second straight year, Balmoral's Carlton Broadbent (.345/.401/.535, 22 HR, 109 RBI, 105 R, 63 BB, 6.9 WAR, .974 fielding %) made this selection rather automatic. Aside from winning his second-consecutive Babe Ruth Award, he also put together his first solid performance in the outfield in years. For good measure, Broadbent led the Eastern League in hits (212), HR, RBI, AVG, SLG and OPS (.936).

But a couple of other players had fine seasons as well:

Brunswick's Mark Elston (.279/.395/.456, 20 HR, 99 RBI, 92 R, 106 BB, 5.1 WAR, .976 fielding %)
Downie's Ricardo Castellanos (.296/.359/.433, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 75 R, 53 BB, 13 SB, 5.4 WAR, .962 fielding %)

Izz · 11-22-2016, 03:19 AM

You're back!! Hooray!!

BigRed75 · 11-22-2016, 03:33 AM

Welcome back!

reds1 · 11-22-2016, 06:37 PM

Thanks, guys!

Believe me, it wasn't because it took me this long to select an All-Braeland Team.

When you start to feel burnt out, you need to step back and take a little break. Then you can get back on the horse.

reds1 · 11-23-2016, 05:10 AM

September 2, 1945

Quote:

IT'S OVER! WAR OFFICIALLY ENDS AS JAPAN SURRENDERS TO ALLIES
JAPANESE FOREIGN MINISTER SIGNS INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER ABOARD U.S.S. MISSOURI IN TOKYO BAY
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE ACCELERATING PLANS FOR DEMOBILIZATION OF BRAELANDER SOLDIERS

BRAELAND CITY, Sept. 2 (BP) – Three months following the surrender of the European Axis Powers, the Second World War officially came to an end today when Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signed the formal instrument of surrender aboard the battleship U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan. The ceremony follows the announcement made back on August 15 by Emperor Hirohito of Japan's acceptance of the Postdam Declaration, which called for Japan's unconditional surrender.

Japan initially balked at U.S. President Harry Truman's demands to quit the war or face total destruction. That rejection was followed by the deployment of an unprecedented new weapon – the world's first atomic bomb – that was dropped onto the Japanese city of Hiroshima on August 6 with devastating results. On August 8, the Soviet Union rejected Japan's overtures to mediate surrender negotiations and instead declared war on Japan, invading Manchuria and North Korea. Finally, on August 9, the United States dropped the second nuclear bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. The fear of more atomic weapon attacks and the certainty of land defeat by the Soviets combined to finally secure Japan's complete surrender.

Demobilization of Armed Forces to Begin Immediately

Speaking to reporters on the steps of Parliament in Braeland City today, Minister of Defense Robert Allard offered further cause for jubilation when he announced that the return of Braelander Armed Forces was well underway.

“The Braeland government began coordinating with our Allies on the general demobilization of all our Armed Forces and the rehabilitation of our soldiers shortly after Japan's surrender in August. With the cessation of all hostilities being formalized, we have accelerated that general demobilization. It is the Government's intention to have the majority of our military personnel home within the next several weeks.”

Clarifying that last statement, Mr. Allard revealed that a number of Braelander soldiers have volunteered to remain on active duty a little longer to assist Australia's efforts in the recovery of POWs.

“There are literally thousands of men and women who have been held in Japanese prison camps for up to three and a half years. We have therefore enjoined with our Australian counterparts to move into Japanese occupied areas in the South-West Pacific to assist in formalizing regional surrenders and liberate prisoners of war and internees. It is both a privilege and a duty that we should do this.”

United Leagues Preparing for Return of Players

The news that ballplayers will be soon returning home instead of going off to war was welcome relief to Commissioner Dr. David Westfall as well as to all teams that comprise the United Leagues and their minor league clubs. Dr. Westfall was in attendance at Parliament and spoke to reporters following the Government's official announcement.

“We have had to endure the uncertainty of losing ballplayers to the war effort and the ongoing concern for their welfare. So to receive the news that not only is the war finally over but we'll soon be welcoming back our brave players is indeed a cause for celebration.”

However, the Commissioner did not have an exact timeline for when we could be seeing players rejoin their original clubs.

“That is a matter entirely out of our hands. With the 'Coconut Leagues' already underway, we don't anticipate the players to be back in time for Opening Day. But the majority should be returning in the following weeks and we will be eagerly welcoming them back and honouring them for their service.”

The Commissioner was also pleased to inform the nation that all athletes who went off to war were safe and accounted for. But that did not mean that all would be returning to the playing field.

One noteworthy example is that of Bob Guerin, who played leftfield with the Queensland Eagles and Sherburn Tigers prior to joining the Armed Forces in 1942. Sapper Guerin was severely wounded by Japanese sniper fire while involved in bridge repair in November 1943 during the Bougainville Campaign. He recovered, but sustained permanent damage to his right leg.

“We are aware that a few of our ballplayers sustained significant injuries during the course of the war that has potentially jeopardized the resumption of their careers, regretfully,” acknowledge the Commissioner. “But the Leagues and their clubs will not leave them in the lurch. We will ensure that they will be gainfully employed in a meaningful capacity, whether on the field or in some other capacity.”

reds1 · 11-26-2016, 12:27 AM

September 3, 1945

1945 Off-Season: Returning Players Eager to Leave the Battlefield Behind

Driving gas and oil trucks for refueling planes wasn't exactly the most exciting assignment in the war, but it was one Steven Winstanley took seriously nonetheless.

“Somebody had to do it”, opined Private Winstanley, “so I was proud to do it.”

But as the returning outfielder for the Stratford Barons noted, it was not all routine.

“I was stationed at the beachhead at Torokina on Bourgainville in November 1943, as part of the battalion maintaining the newly constructed air strips. The Japanese Army didn't care for our presence there and began shelling the beachhead, targeting the air strips and our supply dumps. It got pretty hot there for a while, as the Japanese had taken control of the ridges overlooking the beach. We survived, but it wasn't until mid-December that the 21st Marines finally drove them off and took control of the southern half of the island. Didn't leave a lot of time for playing baseball, I can tell you.”

Harrowing experiences such as Winstanley's proved to be the exception rather than the rule, fortunately. But for all involved, the knowledge that attacks could come without warning was stressful enough.

Able Seaman Wilson Villas and Seaman Jamie Florey both served on the corvette HMBR Arrow in New Caledonia, serving on patrol and convoy escort duty. While they saw little in the way of actual fighting, they were involved in the search back on August 19, 1943, for the Japanese submarine I-17, the first Axis ship to shell the United States mainland.

“We accompanied the US Scouting Squadron VS-57 as they joined up with the New Zealand HMNZS Tui, who had spotted the sub 40 miles off the coast of New Caledonia” explained Villas, who will be returning to pitch for the defending champion Brunswick Legends. “Both Jamie and I watched as the Tui and the Kingfisher floatplanes struck her and finished her off. It was the Arrow who picked up the survivors, just six of them, out of a crew of 97 sailors.”

Like Winstanley, their duties during the course of their service left little time for organizing ball games.

“We sometimes heard of the exploits of the Base 30 Manila Dodgers and the U.S. Navy all-star team,” added Jamie, who will attempt to work his way back into the starting lineup of the Pulberry Trolleys. “But we were far removed from that sort of action. Needless to say, we're all pretty anxious to get back onto the ballfield and leave the battlefields behind. ”

The same can be said for Braelanders in general, as the country looks to another season of action. But this time, they will be welcoming back their baseball heroes instead of seeing them off to war.

With an eye on the upcoming 'Coconut Leagues', many of the teams spent the off-season wheeling and dealing, with the hopes of positioning themselves for success in the upcoming 1945-46 season.

Here are the noteworthy trades this off-season:

June 2:

The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old OF Ricardo Castellanos (65/67) from the Downie Chiefs.

In return, the Chiefs received three minor leaguers:
21-year old RP Bill Lafontaine (47/78),
22-year old SP Kent Allomes (20/48),
24-year old SP Teune van Heijbeeck (23/36),
$7,500.

Knee-jerk reaction: Not sure what the Chiefs were thinking here. Downie is nowhere near to competing for a pennant, so the trade of Castellanos to a contending team for some younger prospects isn't all that surprising. But their haul is a bit underwhelming. Right now, Lafontaine is a borderline starter, but he if can develop his changeup (20/25), then the complexion of this deal changes. Then both he and Allomes would be potentially nice additions to a future rotation.
Meanwhile, Castellanos is a 3-time all-star and 2-time Top Fielder, so the Barons' lineup gets a much needed boost. The Baron's team batting average (.264) hit an all-time low last season where they lost 82 games. The season before, they won 93 and finished in first place.

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June 7:

The Sherburn Tigers acquired 26-year old C Neil Voigt (65/65) and $4,200 from the Cobourg Red Stockings.

In return, the Red Stockings received four minor leaguers:
21-year old SP Hank Bennett (20/59),
21-year old IF/OF Conor Almond (22/23),
24-yearold OF Kane Tabor (22/22),
24-year old RF Manuel Ocampto (22/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: With 3-time all-star C Joe Gault turning 40-years old in November, the Tigers felt the need to make an upgrade behind the plate and found a willing partner in Cobourg. Voigt fills that need and is pegged as Sherburn's No. 4 hitter in the lineup. Voight had somewhat of a down year last season and perhaps that affected his trade value. But the Red Stockings do get a serviceable starter in Bennett who immediately becomes their top pitching prospect. At any rate, Cobourg obviously feels that 3rd round pick from 1942-43, 22 year old Jilenko Batiles (56/66) is ready to take over.

As a side note, the Tigers also acquired C Brian Pittman from the Balmoral Giants in a minor deal to serve as Voigt's backup. Pittman was a 6th round pick back in 1937-38 who went on to win Rookie of the Year honours in 1942-43.

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June 25:

The Braeland City Monarchs traded for 25-year old IF Otton Overbeek (23/32) from the Balmoral Giants.

In return, the Giants received 36-year old LF Scott Kessler (35/35) and 19-year old minor league C Dominic Pipard (23/71).

Knee-jerk reaction: My feeling is that OOTP17 is underselling Overbeek as he is coming off consecutive outstanding seasons or at least penalizing him as a shortstop (yes – in fact, he's rated as 38/65 at the hot corner where he has played for most of his career). Overbeek will take over from 36-year old Finlay Ridd who regressed a little last season. Ridd will move to 2B.

For the Giants, the loss of Overbeek will be felt, as his current replacement, 32-year old Chito Domogma (38/38) is definitely not an upgrade. But at least they have an up-an-coming prospect in Pipard, whose development has consistently been trending upward since he was drafted in the 4th round in 1943-44. As for Kessler, a former 5-time all-star, his starting days appear over and will serve as a utility OF for Balmoral.

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July 5:

The Cambria Cannons acquired 27-year old C Heung-su Park (67/67) and $5,600 from the Fort Richmond Generals.

In return, the Generals received four minor leaguers:
23-year old SS Clive Lanham (23/34),
24-year old RP Arthur Collier (32/69),
20-year old OF Johhny [that’s how he spells his name] Barberie (22/26),
24-year old 2B Juan Estrada (23/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: An absolute puzzler from my end, as the Generals ship out yet another 1st round pick in Park, who is coming off his best season yet. (Fort Richmond traded 2nd overall pick C Danny Trowbridge back in 1943). Unless they make a trade in the near future, the Cannons will boast the strongest catching tandem in the ULB, as Park is expected to take over the primary catching duties from 25-year old Scott Weller, who earned a trip to the All-Star game last year as well as a Top Fielder Award for good measure.

Fort Richmond does get two former 1st round picks in return, but Lanham has not developed his earlier promise and Collier is a relief pitcher. A potentially decent one mind you, but still just a reliever. Fort Richmond will be his sixth team – and he has still yet to get a sniff of the majors. 'Nuff said.

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July 12:

The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old C Aaron Skidmore (74/77) and $8,300 from the Hespeler Stars.

In return, the Stars received 21-year old SP/RP Stephen Tindall (29/79) and 24-year old minor league SP/RP Francisco Báez (20/23).

Knee-jerk reaction: Seeing 25-year old C Geoff Lemoine severely regress last season prompted the Barons to make another major acquisition. This time, they got the best catcher in the ULB not named Danny Trowbridge. While he doesn't hit for high average, Skidmore enjoyed a tremendous season last and has been rock-solid ever since he reached the majors.

The Stars in turn feel that 23-year old C Enrique García (23/66) is ready to take over. He was a 2nd round pick just this past season. Tindall is projected as a future starter, but the former 7th overall pick from 1943-44 is not as highly touted as he was initially. Still, he has lots of potential , and could be an ace if everything falls into place.

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July 31:

The Embro Suns acquired 26-year old SP Jim Hogue (68/68) from the Kingston Pelicans.

In return, the Pelicans got 27-year old 3B Britt Wing (65/68).

Knee-jerk reaction: With their infield stacked (and with 1B Jim Friend's imminent return to the lineup from military service), the Suns deemed the lightly-used Wing expendable. Britt Wing has not done a whole lot since he was drafted in the second round by the Fort Richmond Generals back in 1938-39 and he will be essentially buried in Kingston's depth chart, so it's not entirely clear what the Pelicans were thinking here. Despite the loss of Hogue, Kingston is still disgustingly strong in their rotation, so the loss of Hogue will not be all that noticeable.

For the Suns, however, Hoque is pegged as their No. 3 starter and should provide a nice 1-2-3 punch in rotation, behind Oscar Burress (72/72) and Myung-gu Son (72/72). I like this trade a lot for Embro.

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Below is the War Gained chart and it documents the aggressive moves made by the Stratford Barons to land C Skidmore and OF Castellanos. The Barons missed the playoffs last season after finishing in first place the season before. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the defending United Cup champions, the Brunswick Legends, who were rather quiet this off-season.

On the other hand, the Cambria Cannons are not standing idle, despite finishing in first place last season. It's pretty clear they want to beat the Kingston Pelicans in the playoffs next time – not just in the regular season.

07-02-2016, 01:06 AM	#281
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	February 1, 1945 Eastern League: Brunswick Setting the Pace With two months remaining in the regular season, the Brunswick Legends have opened up a comfortable 12 game lead on the second place Embro Suns. So it would appear on the surface that the real race will be for the wild card, as the Suns have surged ahead of the scuffling Queensland Eagles. The race may be joined by the Braeland City Monarchs as well, who have stepped up their play of late, despite the trade of former Babe Ruth Award winner Dean Bishop to Kingston. But the Legends are not quite out of the woods as yet, as they are now forced to deal with a devastating injury to one of their key players. Whether that will be a game changer for Brunswick or whether the other claimants really do mean business remains to be seen as the League enters the final stretch. -------- The Brunswick Legends are for real as the team continued their winning ways in December and January. Brunswick racked up 36 victories in that span, more than any other team in the United Leagues. With the exception of stealing bases (27 - 7th in EL), the Legends are excelling in all facets of the game. It would appear that a first place finish in the East is a mere formality. But the club is dealing with some adversity. Most significantly, it has lost the services of its top starting pitcher Anastasio Rodríguez for the balance of the season and playoffs. They are also without their three-time all-star 3B in Derek Sakurai for the next few weeks. However, the Legends are perhaps the best team right now to weather such a storm. The team fortuitously picked up free agent RHP Hun Park (12-7, 3.44 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) in the off-season, and he appears more than capable of picking up the slack. They also have 26-year old rookie 3B Dwaine Ainsley (.303/.351/.416) who has stepped in quite nicely since being promoted to the major leagues in late December. The former fourth-rounder from 1937-38 had been kicking around the minor leagues with seven different organizations before Brunswick signed him for a second time back on July 7, after he made his first minor league all-star appearance the season before. The Legends sent 7 representatives to the All-star game: LHP Hirotada Fukushima (3rd), LHP Mathew Monroe (6th), RHP Hun Park (1st), LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (5th), 1B Stuart Bentham (4th), CF Harry Chatwin (2nd), and RF Mark Elston (6th). Offense: .269/.344/.374 (2nd/2nd/3rd) Pitching: 2.79/2.81/2.64 (1st/1st/1st) Defense: .700 (1st) *Noteworthy Performance:* Veteran RF Mark Elston won Player of the Week honours on December 12. For the week, he batted .435 (10 H in 23 AB) with 2 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R. *Key Injuries:* 31-year old 3B Derek Sakurai (.270/.341/.351, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 13 R, 13 BB) was hit by a pitch in a game back on December 3 and broke his hand. He will miss a further 3-4 weeks. 28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (13-5, 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) suffered a dislocated finger in a game back on January 21. He is gone for the season (5 months). -------- The Embro Suns are definitely writing a new script this season as they got hot in December, winning 19 games and overtaking the Queensland Eagles for the wild card. But the remaining two months of the season may provide a cliffhanger, as the Suns announced on January 22 that they have shifted team focus to 'rebuild' from 'neutral'. What that means, if anything, remains to be seen. A better strategy in the short term would be for them to win more games at home. While they are 39-24 on the road, they are just 22-22 at home. With 33 home games still left to play, now would be good time to make Speaker Stadium a tougher place to steal a win for the visitors. The Suns are certainly benefiting from strong play from the likes of 29-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (14-5, 2.68 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) and CF Terence Durney. But Embro must be especially pleased with the play of 29-year old 1B Charles Usherwood (.310/.391/.413, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 43 R, 47 BB). The former 2nd-rounder from 1938-39 earned his second all-star selection and is enjoying his best season thus far in the United Leagues – while trying to fill two-time Babe Ruth Award winner Jim Friend's shoes. Seven Suns were invited to the All-star game: RHP Oscar Burress (7th), RHP Myung-gu Son (3rd), RHP Colm Soper (7th), 1B Charles Usherwood (2nd), SS Gary Watkinson (6th) and CF Terence Durney (8th). Offense: .278/.351/.362 (1st/1st/5th) Pitching: 3.59/3.69/2.94 (5th/5th/2nd) Defense: .699 (4th) *Noteworthy Performance:* After enjoying a 20-game hitting streak back in October/November, CF Terence Durney soon embarked on another one. This time, it lasted 24 consecutive games. It ended on December 8, when he went hitless against the Downie Chiefs. However, the Suns still prevailed, 4-3. *Key Injury:* 33-year old RHP Pete Allison (6-5, 4.10 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching in a game back on December 28. He will miss 2 more months. *Key Trade:* December 4 with the Downie Chiefs To Embro – 25-year old 3B Elliot Tugby (74/74) To Downie – three minor league players: 20-year old CF Craig Gardner (23/59) 22-year old 1B Vincent Simmons (29/44) 21-year old 3B Frank Lynch (22/57) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Last season, the Suns acquired 27-year old 3B Britt Wing from the Fort Richmond Generals. With this trade, they add another productive infielder in Tugby, who is rated slightly higher than Wing. Tugby is a fairly good hitter, a very steady fielder with good speed, and will provide solid depth as the Suns make a push for the playoffs. Downie receives some nice players, but none of them project to be quite the player Tugby is. But all three have decent hitting potential and defensive ability. The Chiefs' infield was already getting crowded with both 21-year old Max Westgate (44/76) and Maluhia Mara (57/71) vying for playing time, thus making Tugby expendable. -------- The Queensland Eagles are starting to fade from the playoff picture, as they currently sit 3.5 games back of Embro. Pitching would not appear to be the problem, as three of Queensland's top four starters all sport ERAs below 3.00. Only RHP Aaron Saunderson (12-9, 3.49 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) is north of 3.00. No, the Eagles could use an alternate lefty in their bullpen, as LHP Roman Davis (3-9, 8.28 ERA, 2.06 WIP; 12th overall pick in 1939-40) is just not getting it done. But he is the only lefty on the entire pitching staff and the team is using him more than the other relievers. They could also use a couple more players like 28-year old CF Jon Moreau (.337/.372/.532, 7 HR, 62 RBI, 59 R, 21 BB) who is having a career year. Moreau leads the team with 4.2 WAR. LF Aaron Flanagan, C Elijah Harper and SS Dermot Akers are next in line with 1.6. Queensland sent 7 players to the All-star game: RHP Francisco López (2nd), RHP Aaron Saunderson (3rd), RHP Bradley Paris (3rd), C Elijah Sheppard (2nd), 3B Fernando Gómez (2nd), RF Aaron Flanagan (4th) and CF Jon Moreau (3rd). Offense: .264/.336/.377 (5th/3rd/1st) Pitching: 3.34/3.11/5.35(2nd/2nd/8th) Defense: .692 (7th) *Key Injury:* 36-year old 2B Ken Cutler (.254/.314/.295, 12-2B, 30 RBI, 41 R, 28 BB) strained a hamstring in a collision at a base back on January 19. He is expected to miss 4 weeks. -------- The Braeland City Monarchs may have signalled a rebuild back in November and demonstrated that with the trade of 1B Dean Bishop in early December (more on that trade in the Kingston profile). But the Monarchs have in fact seen their immediate fortunes improve, going from 12 games below .500 in early November, to just 1 game below .500 at the end of January. Whether that will continue or be enough to make a serious challenge for a playoff spot in the final two months remains to be seen. Five Monarchs were selected to play in this year’s All-star game: LHP David Cooling (5th), RHP Samuel Hollier (3rd), C Kane Broom (5th), SS Adam Ashley (6th), and LF Phillip Ferguson (1st). Offense: .268/.330/.375 (3rd/4th/2nd) Pitching: 3.56/3.51/3.85 (4th/3rd/7th) Defense: .696 (5th). *Noteworthy Performance:* Rookie 1B Kyle Pryor is helping the Monarchs get over the parting of last season's Babe Ruth Award winner 1B Dean Bishop in a hurry. In addition to winning back-to back Rookie of the Month Awards and a Batter of the Month Award, Pryor also won Player of the Week honours on January 15. For the week, he batted .474 (9 H in 19 AB) with 1 HR, 7 RBI. I can't recall another player winning both the Batter and Rookie of the Month Awards in the same month before. Pryor, a former third round pick from 1940-41, is currently rated only No. 17 on Braeland City's prospect list. You just never know sometimes. *Key Injuries:* 35-year old SS Finlay Ridd (.250/.345/.327, 2 HR, 16 RBI, 23 R, 32 BB) suffered an intercostal strain on a defensive play back on January 21. He is will out of action for 2 more weeks. 36-year old RF Scott Kessler (.272/.352/.382, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 23 BB) strained a hamstring while running the bases in a game on January 24. He will be out at least 8 weeks. -------- The Stratford Barons have seen their play improve last month, but like the Braeland City Monarchs, they have a tough haul to try and make it back into contention. And now with the loss of their ace LHP Ryan Borden, that could prove even tougher. But a number of Barons are playing well of late (as detailed below) and the team is enjoying one of Jake Walker's best season since 1941-42. This year, he is batting .325/.418/.463, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 55 R, 66 BB. Three Barons were selected to the All-star game: LHP Ryan Borden (4th), 2B Jake Walker (6th) and 2B Maurice Keyworth (2nd). Offense: .267/.330/.363 (4th/5th/4th) Pitching: 3.50/3.52/3.34 (3rd/4th/4th) Defense: .695 (6th) *Noteworthy Performances:* A number of Barons earned recognition for their play in December and January: Besides earning Player of the Month honours for December, 32-year old SS Jake Walker won Player of the Week honours on December 11. Walker batted .414 (12 H in 29 AB) with 2 HR, 7 RBI. RF Lyndon Inagaki went on a bit of a tear. Not only did he win Player of the Week honours on December 25 (.471 with 8 H in 17 AB, 1 HR, 7 RBI), but he also went 5 for 6 in a game against the Queensland Eagles back on January 12. Inagaki hit an RBI single in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, grounded out in the 5th, singled in the 7th, doubled as well as hit an RBI single in the 8th. Inagaki scored 2 runs and came into score 3 times himself. The Barons clobbered the Eagles 15-3. 25-year old 2B Maurice Keyworth (.276/.316/.367) won Player of the Week honours on January 8. For the week, he batted .429 (12 H in 28 AB) with 1 HR, 7 RBI, 7 R. Lastly, RHP Bill Blair earned Player of the Week honours on January 29. Blair went 2-0, 0.50 ERA. He struck out 10 in 18 IP and held opponents to a .164 AVG. *Key Injury:* The Barons lost their ace LHP Ryan Borden (8-6, 1.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) when he experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching in a game on December 19. He will be laid up a further 2-3 months. -------- The Downie Chiefs cratered in January to finally fall back into irrelevance. They are not the worst team around; the pitching staff has given the team reasonable outings, but with the exception of LF Ricardo Castellanos (.314/.385/.473, 9 HR, 43 RBI, 58 R, 42 BB, 12 SB), no one in the lineup has stepped up on a regular basis. Castellanos leads the position players in WAR (4.3) and it is not even close. 22-year old Robin Duerdon (.265/.299/.360) is next with 1.9. RF Ricardo Castellanos (3rd) was the Chiefs' lone representative to this year's All-Star Game. Offense: .262/.313/.353 (6th/7th/7th) Pitching: 3.79/3.78/3.84 (6th/6th/6th) Defense: .700 (2nd) -------- The Wellington Athletics endured one of the worst months that any team has experienced when they went 5-22 in December (A quick look-back revealed that the Cobourg Red Stockings went 4-23 in December 1940). That the Athletics would be an also-ran this season is no surprise, but the depths of their adversity was still surprising. What was not a surprise though was that stretch of ineptitude cost long-time manager Bradley Balmforth's job, as he was relieved of his duties on December 16. 50-year old rookie manager Tyler Baldry took over two day's later. The change must have done some good, if only temporarily: Wellington enjoyed it's first winning month in January. Illustrating the turnaround is perhaps 31-year old RHP Darren Whiteley (8-12, 3.79 ERA, 1.54 WHIP). In January, he won his first Pitcher of the Month Award in over two years. But his December was forgetful: 0-5, 6.31 ERA. On January 21, 32-year old IF Brian Main was traded to the Kingston Pelicans for a couple of nondescript minor league players. In Kingston, Main will largely assume a back-up role, thus the decision to mention this transaction only in passing. Which is a shame in a way, as Main was enjoying a very fine season as a starter with Wellington (.321/.369/.532, 7 HR, 41 RBI, 35 R, 22 BB). But at least he's going to a contender. Prior to his trade, 2B Brian Main (3rd) was Wellington's only representative to the All-Star Game. Offense: .256/.313/.349 (7th/7th/5th) Pitching: 4.17/4.26/3.50 (7th/7th/5th) Defense: .700 (3rd) *Noteworthy: 3B Ryley McLarnon* won Player of the Weeks honours on January 22. For the week, he batted .464 (13 H in 28 AB) with 3 RBI, 6 R. -------- The Cobourg Red Stockings continue to plug away, despite enduring a mostly forgetful season. I say mostly forgetful, since if you look hard enough, there are some positives to gleam from the season thus far. First off, four Red Stockings made the All-Star team, the most since 1939. And all of them are young players qualifying for the first time, boding well for the future. 23-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.282/.349/.413, 9 HR, 53 RBI, 41 R, 42 BB), a former 1st overall pick from 1942-43, is playing well in just his first full season in the ULB. He leads the team in WAR (2.7). C Neil Voigt and SS John Medley (last season's first overall pick) are next with 1.9. This season's fourth overall pick, 21-year old C Jason Lymer, is doing so good in AA that team scouts are saying that he is ready for the major league challenge right now. In terms of pitching, Cobourg appears to have a keeper in SP Trent Beaton, a former 2nd round pick (17th overall) from last year's draft. Unfortunately, he suffered a season ending injury. Finally, one of the pitchers Cobourg received in a trade with the Cambria Cannons back in November, 20-year old RHP José Fernández, was promoted to the AAA Oakville Oaks and is performing well. So perhaps he will soon be ready to join the big league team and provide some much needed help. Heading to this year's All-Star Game for Cobourg were RHP Brent Nix (1st), C Neil Voigt (1st), 2B John Medley (1st) and 3B Alexander Tolmie (1st). Offense: .261/.306/.357 (7th/8th/6th); Pitching: 4.18/4.35/3.21 (8th/8th/3rd); Defense: .685 (8th). *Key Injuries:* 26-year old 1B Brad Mitchinson (.290/.346/.430, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 20 R, 17 BB) collided at a base on December 31. The diagnosis is a partially torn labrum and he will miss 2 more months. 22-year old RHP Trent Beaton (4-10, 3.86 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) tore a back muscle while pitching in a game on January 15. He will be out of commission for another 4 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-14-2017 at 07:39 PM.

07-04-2016, 09:21 PM	#282
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	February 1, 1945 Western League: Going in Cycles Almost on cue, the top of the Western League standings have become a veritable dogfight, as the Cambria Cannons, in spite of their stellar play, find themselves just one game up on the Kingston Pelicans. The Pelicans are the ‘unluckiest’ team right now in the ULB, as their record differential stands at -5 (for comparison, Brunswick is a +6). But Cambria’s differential is -3, thus confirming that these two teams are very evenly matched. But will this be Kingston’s final swan song? I say that because there is evidence that the Pelicans are starting to break down, if ever so slightly, and are in a bit of patching mode to keep things running smoothly. Also noteworthy is that the Sherburn Tigers have kept within striking distance of the two top teams in the West. But it will take a hot streak and a faltering of either Cambria or Kingston for the Tigers to really have a chance at crashing the party. Still, their overall performance this season has been a pleasant surprise. What was also a pleasant surprise was that there were not one, but two players who hit for the cycle over the past two months – both playing for the same team. -------- The Cambria Cannons continued their strong play in December and January, but find themselves just one game ahead of the ever-present Kingston Pelicans. But Cambria has had the upper hand so far in their head-to-head matchup with Kingston – they are 6-3 with another 6 games to play against their rival in the final two months. The Cannons are benefiting from the strong play of key players and particularly the healthy return of their star player, Ron Westmacott (.322/.415/.461, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 71 R, 67 BB, 17 SB). He had missed most of last season due to brain fever. But also leading the team offensively have been 28-year old SS Wenceslas Jasmin (.278/.330/.395, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 69 R, 32 BB, 8 SB), 28-year old LF Nicky Willis (.312/.405/.474, 9 HR, 71 RBI, 69 R, 69 BB) and 28-year old RF Hao Wang (.315/.363/.493, 10 HR, 51 RBI, 61 R, 28 BB, 7 SB). Cambria sent eight players to the all-star game: RHP Carl Luscombe (3rd), C Scott Weller (1st), 3B Shelby Cain (2nd), SS Wenseslas Jasmin (2nd), LF Nicky Willis (5th), CF Ron Westmacott (5th), CF Clint Jones (6th) and RF Hao Wang (1st). Offense: .283/.349/.410 (2nd/1st/1st) Pitching: 3.19/3.27/2.31 (2nd/2nd/2nd) Defense: .694 (6th) *Noteworthy Performances:* Hao Wang had a great month in December. On December 2, Wang went 4 for 5 against the Balmoral Giants. His 4-hit day included hitting for the Cycle, the 10th in ULB history. Wang hit a solo home run in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, flied out in the 4th, doubled in the 7th and hit an RBI triple in the 8th. Cambria won handily 12-1. Wang also won Player of the Week honours on December 4. He batted .500 (12 H in 24 AB) with 2 HR, 6 RBI. That is in addition to winning Rookie of the Month honours for January. Ron Westmacott then took over in January, winning two Player of the Week Awards. For the week ending on January 8, Westmacott batted .448 (13 H in 29 AB) with 1 HR, 4 RBI. Then on January 22, he was acknowledged again, as he batted .500 (14 H in 28 AB) with 2 HR, 5 RBI. On January 17 against the Wolseley Unions, Westmacott hit for the Cycle, the 11th in ULB history and the third of his career (most of any player). Westmacott went 4 for 6 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. He tripled in the 1st, hit a solo-home run off of Les Gandy in the 3rd, grounded out in the 5th, singled in the 7th, grounded out in the 9th and hit an RBI double in the 11th. The Cannons prevailed 4-3. Last but not least, LHP Owen Tautor was selected as the Western League's top player on January 29. Tautor went 2-0 in 18 IP, 0.50 ERA, 7 K, 0 BB. *Key Injuries:* On January 1, 38-year old RHP Henny Akerval (6-5, 3.84 ERA, 1.51 WIP) suffered a broken hand while at the plate in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is effectively gone for the season (2-3 months). On January 23, 26-year old 2B Shaun Attenborough (.286/.336/.418, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB) was injured in a collision at a base. He was subsequently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. He will be laid up for another 5 months. -------- At the end of December, the Kingston Pelicans stood 4 games back of first place, but then erupted for 20 victories in January to pull within a game of Cambria for the lead. The Pelicans are on a roll and healthy, but there are signs that there are cracks in the foundation, if only slightly. Three players that have been the key to Kingston’s success are now struggling. Seven-time all-star and two-time Babe Ruth Award winner Fergus Chitty (.250/.340/.371, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 13 R, 16 BB) is now 36-years old and no longer the starting 1B. He is also coming off an injury that laid him up for 6 weeks. Seven-time all-star and 1943 United Cup MVP Mo Symes (.277/.378/.409, 4HR, 22 RBI, 20 R, 25 BB) turned 35 in January and has also lost his starting job at 2B. Finally, seven-time all-star and one-time Babe Ruth Award winner LF Jayden Tennant (.253/.337/.467, 14 HR, 49 RBI, 42 R, 37 BB) will turn 37 in March. While he still has his starting job, he has been in steep decline since his incredible 1941 season (7.1 WAR that year; 0.7 last year and 0.7 so far this year). Kingston has done well in acquiring fresh talent in trades and has a great young player in 26-year old 2B Wen-huan Liu (.291/.360/.415, 10 HR, 46 RBI, 48 R, 37 BB) to pick up some of the slack, but it will be interesting to see whether the organization can continue to compete at a high level as its core players continue to age. Eight Pelicans were selected for the All-star game in January: RHP Joey Cumberledge (8th), RHP Francis Slocock (6th), RHP Harley Bracher (1st), RHP Luis Velásquez (2nd), C Danny Trowbridge (4th), 2B Wen-huan Liu (1st), SS Katsunan Chikafuji (8th) and CF Jamie Couch (2nd). Offense: .283/.349/.404 (3rd/2nd/2nd) Pitching: 2.99/3.04/2.47 (1st/1st/3rd) Defense: .716 (1st) *Noteworthy Performances:* Wen-huan Liu won Player of the Week honours on December 18. For the week, he batted .500 (8 H in 16 AB) with 2 HR, 5 RBI. In addition to winning Batter of the Month honours in January, Danny Trowbridge earned a Player of the Week honour on January 15, when he batted .529 (9 H in 17 AB) with 4 HR, 10 RBI in 5 games. *Key Trade:* December 7 with the Braeland City Monarchs. To Kingston – 30-year old 1B Dean Bishop (70/70). To Braeland City – four minor league players: 20-year old 1B Dean Witherden (23/68) 20-year old SS Finley Bryce (22/28) 22-year old RF Atamu Apekaloma (23/29) 24-year old LF Ted Tennant (22/22) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Realizing that 7-time all-star, 36-year old 1B Fergus Chitty is no longer the dominant player he once was, the Pelicans acquire last year's Babe Ruth Award winner, Dean Bishop. Bishop is not having quite the season he did last year, but he is still having a great year and should step right in to fill the gap. Braeland City receives Witherden, a former 14th overall pick in last year's draft. Witherden should be a very good hitter with plus-plus power; only is his patience at the plate needs some work. Speed is not a part of his game, but he should be a capable defender and his development has all been trending upward. -------- If not for their disastrous 9-19 October, the Sherburn Tigers would actually be running neck-in-neck with both Cambria and Kingston. The Tigers have actually enjoyed a better record than the Cambria since November 1 (47-31 vs. 46-33) and are just a game behind the Pelicans (who were 48-30 in that stretch). Their success is due in large part to an emerging solid pitching core, led by former 5th overall pick, 25-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (13-7, 2.60 ERA, 1.32 WHIP); former 4th overall pick, 21-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (10-6, 2.44 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) and 29-year old LHP Daniel Pierson (8-11, 3.61 ERA, 1.33 WHIP). But the Tigers’ offense has also seen some improvement, going from rock-bottom after the first two months to almost middle of the pack in most categories. The resurgence has been led by 26-year old RF Bert Helmer (.309/.359/.445, 7 HR, 47 RBI, 53 R, 30 BB) and 27-year old 2B Jim List (.298/.351/.386, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 45 R, 28 BB), both former first round picks. But they can’t turn things around alone. Sherburn has a deep farm system, but it is top heavy with young pitchers and thin on position players (In fact, they took another starting pitcher in this year’s draft as well). Sherburn may be wise to trade a young pitching prospect to gain some additional offensive oomph – especially if their turnaround is for real. Three Tigers were selected to the all-star game: RHP Jesús Chapa (1st), RHP Roberto Taváres (2nd) and RF Bert Helmer (1st). Offense: .265/.321/.349 (5th/5th/8th) Pitching: 3.27/3.27/3.27 (3rd/3rd/4th) Defense: .697 (4th) *Key Injury:* 32-year old 2B Damien Davis (.271/.338/.335, 9-2B, 38 RBI, 36 R, 33 BB) fractured his hand in a collision at a base back on January 22. He will miss another 3 months. -------- Once considered (by me) the anointed challenger to the Kingston Pelicans, the Balmoral Giants find themselves barely hanging on in the first division in the West. Overall, the Giants remain competitive, at least statistically, but it appears their starting rotation is in transition. One-time ace, RHP Tristan Purss (8-11, 3.54 ERA, 1.35 WHIP), turned 37 in late December and is now the No. 5 starter – one year after winning 20 games in a season for the first time. 31-year old RHP Soren Heinke (9-5, 3.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) was for some reason demoted to AAA in early January and suffered a torn flexor tendon after his third start. He is gone for 14-15 months – if he is able to return at all. Another long-time starter, 34-year old RHP In-sin Ahn (2-3, 5.01 ERA, 1.77 WHIP), was also demoted to AAA. His play has regressed the past two seasons. So Balmoral is in the midst of re-calibrating its team. Fortunately, it has one of the deepest farm systems (4th overall) and is nicely balanced between pitchers and position players. Its top pitching prospect, 24-year old RHP Gerard Leese (5th round pick in 1940-41) is excelling in AAA (11-5, 1.85 ERA, 1.14 WHIP) – although he is considered a borderline starter at present. The Giants sent five players to the all-star game: RHP Derek Cawley (2nd), 2B Allen Cattanach (1st), 3B Otton Overbeek (3rd), SS Francisco Rodríguez (5th) and RF Carlton Broadbent (4th). Offense: .285/.347/.387 (1st/3rd/3rd) Pitching: 3.31/3.46/1.79 (4th/5th/1st) Defense: .701 (3rd) *Noteworthy Performance:* Carlton Broadbent enjoyed a 26-game hitting streak, longest so far this season. It ended on December 14 at the hands of the Kingston Pelicans, went he went 0-4 in a 6-3 Pelican victory. *Key Injuries:* On January 29, 24-year old 3B Otton Overbeek (.294/.315/.416, 4 HR, 49 RBI, 39 R, 11 BB) suffered a herniated disc in a collision at a base. He is out another week. After just 6 at-bats, former fourth overall pick from 1941-42 3B Sean Brearton suffered an intercostal strain while running the bases on January 31. He will out 4 weeks. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys faded in January to fall 9.5 games back of the wild card. Like Balmoral, it too is essentially a middle of road team that is seeing a number of youngsters join the team. For starters, the three ‘M’s’ have reached the major leagues: 24-year old LF Marcus Minter (third round pick in 1942-32), 22-year old RF Tadamichi Matsumoto (4th overall pick in 1943-44) and 22-year old CF Joey Maddaford (third round pick in 1941-42). All three are just getting their feet wet, with Matsumoto winning Rookie of the Month honours in December. Unfortunately, Matsumoto was lost to injury towards the end of January. That prompted another promotion, this time the No 2 overall prospect in the ULB: 21-year old RF Jon Pring (3rd overall pick in 1942-43). He joins the Trolleys straight out of AA. The switch-hitter is to bat in the No. 5 spot. So despite the team fading in the standings, some exciting things are happening in Pulberry. Four players represented the Trolleys at the most recent all-star game: RHP Alexander Ellacott (1st), RHP Patrick Tennant (2nd), SS Roland Binns (1st) and LF Bruno Lapthorne (2nd). Offense: .273/.324/.375 (4th/4th/4th) Pitching: 3.43/3.41/3.57 (5th/4th/5th) Defense: .706 (2nd) *Noteworthy Performances:* Joe Lock enjoyed a fine week in December. For the second time this season, Lock banged out five hits in a game. On December 24, he went 5 for 5 against the Cambria Cannons as the Trolleys won 4-3. Lock singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, singled in the 6th, singled in the 8th and hit a two-run single in the 9th. The day after, he was acknowledged as the Western League's Player of the Week, as he batted .524 on the week (11 H in 21 AB) with 1 HR and 5 RBI. *Key Injury:* 22-year old RF Tadamichi Matsumoto (.282/.308/.393, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 55 R, 11 BB) injured himself while throwing the ball on January 30. He was diagnosed with shoulder inflammation and will miss 6 weeks. *Key Trade:* January 21 with the Kingston Pelicans. To Pulberry – 32-year old 3B Terry Maxwell (60/60) To Kingston – 31-year old RHP Shaun Alford (65/65) and 22-year old minor league LHP William Say (24/79). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Kingston decides to cut ties with Maxwell, a two-time all-star who is having a down year. But he should still have something left in the tank for Pulberry and he has steady hands in the field. In return, the Pelicans receive two relief pitchers. Alford, a two-time all-star as well, has never been consistent from year-to-year and will join Kingston's AAA farm team, the Douro Redbirds. Say, the 9th overall pick from this year's amateur draft, is projected to be a solid reliever, with dynamite stuff and awesome movement. -------- The Wolseley Unions is a team that perhaps represents the “if only” dilemma. Despite its struggles, Wolseley is currently enjoying the performances of two of its young pitchers: 26-year old LHP Bruce Whitten (14-5, 3.39 ERA, 1.26 WHIP) who is in the starting rotation for the first time (in this third season), and 23-year old RHP Les Gandy (4th round pick in 1940-41). Both earned all-star selection for the first time. But “if only” RHP Kai Tosh and RHP Jeremy Albury could have stayed healthy, the locals are thinking, this might be a more exciting team. Hopefully, a healthy rotation featuring all these young pitchers will give the fan base something to cheer about next season. Wolseley sent three players to the all-star game: RHP Les Gandy (1st), LHP Bruce Whitten (1st) and LF Zak Kidd (5th). Offense: .258/.318/.360 (6th/6th/5th) Pitching: 3.65/3.55/4.27 (6th/7th/7th) Defense: .692 (7th) *Noteworthy Performance:* No. 4 starter Les Gandy won Player of the Week honours on December 11. Gandy picked up two wins, 17 IP, 0.53 ERA with 5 K. Key Injuries: 25-year old RHP Kai Tosh (2-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.31 WHIP) suffered a severe injury while pitching back on November 24. He required immediate radial nerve decompression surgery. He is effectively gone for the season (3 months). 21-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (8-3, 3.51 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) suffered a fractured hand in a game back on December 26. The former seventh overall pick from 1942-43 will miss 4-5 months. -------- The Hespeler Stars collapsed in January to fall just a game and a half out of last place in the West. The Stars are very much a team that needs to re-calibrate its build as it has faltered in its first go-around. It has some talent on the major league roster: 1st overall picks in CF Vic Weetman (.298/.339/.413, 3 HR, 45 RBI, 52 R, 25 BB) and C Aaron Skidmore (.238/.353/.385, 12 HR, 38 RBI, 43 R, 62 BB) that have been toiling for Hespeler six and five years respectively. Promising young players like 21-year old CF Jacob Pate (6th overall pick in 1942-43) and 24-year old LF Marcus Peyto (2nd overall pick in 1941-42) are being given the chance to compete. A couple of young pitchers have shown flashes of excellence: 26-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (13-10, 3.48 ERA, 1.26 WHIP), who won Pitcher of the Month honours in December. Then in January, 26-year old RHP Enrico Arredondo, a former 7th round pick in 1938-39, was promoted from AAA (for a second time) and promptly won the Pitcher of the Month Award for that month. More youngsters from Hespeler’s deep farm system are working their way up. But it’s going to take a little time, as most of the pitching prospects are still in AA. Two Stars were selected to this year’s all-star game: C Aaron Skidmore (4th) and SS Jayden Whiteway (1st). Offense: .252/.317/.355 (8th/7th/6th) Pitching: 3.85/3.55/5.85 (7th/6th/8th) Defense: .691 (8th) *Key Injury:* 24-year old LF Marcus Peyto (.280/.343/.427, 3 HR, 35 RBI, 33 R, 28 BB) injured himself a second time on January 24 when he sprained his ankle while throwing the ball. He will be out for 4 weeks. -------- The Fort Richmond Generals have faded quickly and will be towards another high draft pick next season. The Generals are essentially in a holding pattern as their young prospects work their way up to the big leagues. Those that are already with the parent club sure could use the help. Pitchers like 24-year old RHP Reece Leavers (11-9, 3.27 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) and 26-year old RHP Max Dunston (8-13, 4.17 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) are carrying a heavy burden at the moment are feeling the strain. There’s young talent sprinkled all over the roster at the moment. Indeed, 20 of the 25 players on the main roster are under 30 years of age. There’s more to come from the minors, especially pitchers, so the Generals are in the same boat as Hespeler and as Wolseley and as Pulberry and as Balmoral…..Man, if these teams can finally put it together, the West will truly be a free-for –all. Go Team! - Any team. Two Generals were selected for the All-Star game: RHP Jorge Martínez (1st) and 2B Neil Boyle (1st). Offense: .255/.315/.352 (7th/8th/7th) Pitching: 4.16/4.20/3.93 (8th/8th/6th) Defense: .696 (5th) *Noteworthy Performance:* The 1st overall pick from this year's draft, Dylan Moyne, went 5 for 5 against the Wolseley Unions on January 24. In 9-2 victory, Moyne hit an RBI double in the 1st, hit an RBI triple in the 2nd, hit an RBI single in the 4th, singled in the 6th and singled in the 8th. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-14-2017 at 07:50 PM.

07-08-2016, 06:00 PM	#283
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	March 27, 1945 Eastern League: Familiar Foes Will Meet for the Pennant For the 1945 playoffs, two foes very familiar with each other will square off, as both the Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns took care of business and secured playoff spots rather handily. The Legends finished with 101 victories, the only team to win more than 90 games in the United Leagues this season. That was more than enough for them to finish in first place in the Eastern League for the first time. But things weren’t looking up for Embro as this season dawned. The team finished 10 games below .500 the year before and then lost the services of its marquee player, 1B Jim Friend, to the war effort. The team regrouped though to win 88 games and soon took over the wild card spot and never looked back. However, it now has the daunting task of facing a team that so far, has had its number in the playoffs. -------- The Brunswick Legends went wire-to-wire in 1944-45, winning 15 straight games to start the season and was never seriously challenged for first place in the East the rest of the way. They finished with 101 victories, by far the best mark in the entire United Leagues. The Legends appeared to have suffered a critical loss when No. 1 starter Anastasio Rodríguez went down to an extended injury. But 27-year old RHP Hun Park (16-12, 3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.16 FIP, 107 ERA+) did well in his first year and gives Brunswick much needed depth in the upcoming playoffs. Offense: .274/.346/.379 (2nd/2nd/1st) Pitching: 2.90/2.95/2.47 (1st/1st/1st) Defense: .699 (3rd) *Top Position Player – Season:* A tough call, but I’ll go with 26-year old CF Harry Chatwin (.324/.379/.452, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 77 R, 47 BB, 15 SB, 4.8 WAR) who was consistent all year leading off Brunswick’s lineup. He was steady on defense as well, giving him a slight edge over 28-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (.316/.427/.471, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 95 R, 109 BB, 4.6 WAR), who was outstanding as well. Bentham led the team in a slew of offensive categories. *Top Pitcher – Season:* The pitching crew was second to none this season and finished strong despite the loss of ace Anastasio Rodríguez. Another tough choice, but I’ll go with 30-year old LHP Hirotada Fukushima (20-9, 2.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3.12 FIP, 140 ERA+), who led the team in eleven pitching categories. 34-year old LHP Matthew Monroe (22-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 2.96 FIP, 143 ERA+) led the pitching staff in shutouts (5), WAR (6.1) and ERA and would be great choice as well. *Key Injury:* 28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (13-5, 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP) suffered a dislocated finger in a game back on January 21. He is gone for the season (3 months). -------- The Embro Suns make it back to the playoffs after one season, but whether they can solve the problem that is the Brunswick Legends remains to be seen. The Suns have been swept by the Legends the past two times they met in the Eastern League finals. The offense was tops in the East, averaging 4.6 R/G, but the pitching was only so-so (4.3 R/G). Brunswick, by comparison, averaged 4.4 R/G on offense, 3.4 R/G on the pitching side of things. Embro will have to be stouter on pitching and defense if they are to finally make the United Cup finals. Offense: .277/.350/.366 (1st/1st/4th) Pitching: 3.83/3.89/3.46 (6th/6th/4th) Defense: .695 (5th) *Top Position Player – Season:* I’m tempted to go with 38-year old SS Gary Watkinson (.337/.435/.411, 1 HR, 72 RBI, 90 R, 104 BB, 11 SB, 6.0 WAR) as he led in so many offensive categories for the team but once again his defense was a liability, although not as bad as it was last season. So my pick is 31-year old CF Terence Durney (.299/.383/.410, 8 HR, 101 RBI, 78 R, 83 BB, 11 SB, 5.8 WAR), who, in addition to hitting in the heart of the order, was solid on defense (.991 PCT, 2.99 RNG, +10.0 ZR, 1.030 EFF). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Embro’s pitching was not the strongest unit around, but it saw a definite improvement over last season. Two pitchers deserve mentioning. First off, my selection for top pitcher is 30-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (19-8, 3.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, 118 ERA+), who enjoyed a nice bounce-back year (last season he went 8-21, 4.30 ERA, 1.48 WHIP). But 31-year old ace RHP Oscar Burress (15-13, 3.41 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, 105 ERA+) was pretty good too. 35-year old RHP Colm Soper (9-4, 14 SV, 2.78 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.97 FIP), who was Embro’s ace at one time and a former Satchel Paige Award winner has been a steady presence working out of the bullpen the past two seasons. *Key Injury:* 23-year old 2B José Sánchez (.281/.353/.383, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 40 R, 34 BB, 14 SB, 2.5 WAR) tore a back muscle while running the bases in a game back on February 4. He will be laid up for 3 months. -------- The Queensland Eagles started off well in October, but soon fell back to being a .500 club, going 37-37 since January 1. But the Eagles are not that far from seriously challenging for a playoff spot, with some nice pieces already in place, such as RF Jilenko Vergara, C Elijah Sheppard (.251/.322/.375, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 67 R, 55 BB, 3.4 WAR) and RHP Pi-ao Quian (16-14, 2.66 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.20 FIP, 135 ERA+). There’s no reason to think that Queensland cannot improve on this season next year. Offense: .264/.334/.373 (5th/3rd/3rd) Pitching: 3.35/3.10/5.55 (2nd/2nd/8th) Defense: .693 (7th) *Top Position Player – Season:* Queensland has some fine players, but this one was easy. 28-year old LF Jon Moreau (.338/.368/.525, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 76 R, 26 BB, 6.5 WAR) was head and shoulders above his teammates, leading the Eagles in a number of offensive categories. He also won the Eastern League batting title. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 27-year old RHP Francisco López (19-6, 2.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.97 FIP, 154 ERA+) was the No. 4 starter, but the four-year veteran had his best season yet and was his team’s best pitcher. López was the Eagles’ 9th overall pick from 1940-41. *Key Injury:* 25-year old RF Jilenko Vergara (.315/.364/.445, 8 HR, 48 RBI, 42 R, 27 BB, 2.4 WAR) was injured in a collision at home plate on March 23. He suffered an intercostal strain and will be out 2-3 weeks. -------- The Braeland City Monarchs just could not recover from a slow start in October and November, but it’s doubtful whether this team had a realistic chance of competing for the wild card anyway. The Monarchs signalled a switch to rebuilding mode in late November, and the trade of all-star 1B Dean Bishop was a clear indication of that. Bishop is currently rated No. 5 overall among first basemen in the ULB. 1B Kyle Pryor, as a rookie, is already rated as No. 6. So if Pryor is the real deal, then first base in ‘Capital’ city should be in good hands for years to come. Offense: .269/.330/.378 (3rd/4th/2nd) Pitching: 3.64/3.62/3.74 (4th/4th/6th) Defense: .698 (4th) *Top Position Player – Season:* Although 22-year old rookie 1B Kyle Pryor (.273/.356/.489, 19 HR, 67 RBI, 60 R, 48 BB, 2.7 WAR) made quite the splash when he took over from the recently traded Dean Bishop, 31-year old 3B/SS Adam Ashley (.319/.363/.412, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 89 R, 41 BB, 14 SB, 4.5 WAR) was Braeland City’s best offensive player over the course of the season. *Top Pitcher – Season:* His won-loss record doesn’t do him justice, but 35-year old LHP David Cooling (14-16, 2.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 3.00 FIP, 145 ERA+) was his team’s best pitcher this year, as Cooling led the Monarchs in 13 pitching categories. *Key Injuries:* 36-year old RF Scott Kessler (.272/.352/.382, 2 HR, 22 RBI, 18 R, 23 BB, 0.9 WAR) strained a hamstring while running the bases in a game on January 24. He should be fully recuperated in a few more days. 28-year old 2B Trevor Bolen (.283/.317/.406, 12 HR, 77 RBI, 60 R, 24 BB, 1.0 WAR) experienced knee inflammation while running the bases on March 24. He should be 100% in 1-2 weeks. -------- After finishing in first place last year, the Stratford Barons fell 10 games below .500. A 7-16 February really hurt the team, but again, it was apparent that the Barons were not going to make a serious push for the playoffs this year. Stratford may not be competitive next season either, as they are undergoing a bit of a transition. Some stalwarts are starting to regress and the Barons are trying to compensate. But a look at Stratford’s prospect depth is encouraging. They have at least 7 prospects ranked in the Top 10 at their respective positions and Stratford’s farm system is rated 4th overall. Thus the Barons may be able to make a relatively quick turnaround. Offense: .264/.329/.358 (4th/5th/5th) Pitching: 3.60/3.49/4.31 (3rd/3rd/7th) Defense: .694 (6th) *Top Position Player – Season:* His defense was largely forgetful, but offensively 32-year old SS Jake Walker (.328/.425/.462, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 81 R, 95 BB, 5.2 WAR) had his best season in three years. *Top Pitcher – Season:* Not exactly a clear cut choice, but 26-year old RHP Bill Blair (17-11, 3.28 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 3.52 FIP, 110 ERA+) was very consistent and reliable throughout the season. *Key Injuries:* 36-year old LHP Ryan Borden (8-6, 1.81 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2.55 FIP) experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching in a game on December 19. He will be laid up a further 3 weeks. 23-year old RF Lyndon Inagaki (.293/.362/.404, 8 HR, 66 RBI, 59 R, 56 BB, 1.1 WAR) strained a rib cage muscle on defensive play back on March 21. He is expected to be back up to speed in a week. -------- The Downie Chiefs lumbered home to their sixth straight losing season, but help may finally be on the way. Indeed, for many of the teams that have been struggling for years, the one solace has been player development. In 9 of 10 player positions, the Chiefs have prospects rated in the Top 10 of their respective positions, so there is reason for hope. They appear to have an exciting young catcher in C Spencer Fletcher, who was a 5th-round pick in the 1941-42 draft, originally by the Sherburn Tigers. He is now rated 5th overall among catchers in the ULB. They have the top-ranked prospect at 2B with 22-year old George Coker, who is still in Double-A. He was a 3rd-round pick back in 1943-44. The one area that Downie needs to address however is starting pitching, where they are rated dead last in the overall depth rankings. Offense: .262/.313/.356 (6th/6th/6th) Pitching: 3.66/3.71/3.27 (5th/5th/2nd) Defense: .706 (1st) *Top Position Player – Season:* 25-year old RF Ricardo Castellanos (.296/.359/.433, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 75 R, 53 BB, 13 SB, 5.0 WAR) was once again his team’s best player by a comfortable margin and was terrific on defense (.962 PCT, 2.48 RNG, +13.5 ZR, 1.072 EFF). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Downie’s pitching saw some improvement this season over last year. One reason was 22-year old Fijian RHP Kelii Pelanekelina (11-15, 3.24 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 4.04 FIP, 111 ERA+). The former third round pick from 1941-42 took over the No. 1 spot in the rotation in just his first full season in the ULB. 31-year old RHP Manuel Páez (15-12, 3.69 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 3.89 FIP, 97 ERA+) enjoyed his first winning season with an ERA below 4.00. His record over the previous four seasons is 34-77, 4.97 ERA. *Noteworthy:* 27-year old C Spencer Fletcher (.324/.368/.422, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 41 R, 28 BB, 3.6 WAR) had quite the month of March. On March 5, he was acknowledged with a Player of the Week Award, for batting .500 (14 H in 28 AB) with 4 RBI the previous week. Two weeks later, he won his second Player of the Week Award. He batted .526 (10 H in 19 AB), with 2 HR, 4 RBI. A good portion of that came in a game played against the Cobourg Red Stockings on March 13. Fletcher went 4 for 4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, 5 R. The Chiefs won the game, 8-4. -------- The Wellington Athletics endured their worst season thus far as they could only muster 60 wins to finish a whopping 41-games back of first place. Wellington has a long haul ahead of them: their roster is wholly unable to compete for a playoff spot and their farm system is one of the weakest in the ULB (14th overall). The two best players for the Athletics since their inception in 1937 have been 35-year old LHP Clyde Boney and 34-year old Ryley McLarnon (.288/.339/.359, 1 HR, 43 RBI, 46 R, 38 BB, 14 SB, 2.6 WAR). But they are both past their prime and can no longer be counted among the elite players of the United Leagues. Things are looking pretty grim right now and for the foreseeable future in Wellington. Offense: .250/.309/.337 (8th/7th/8th) Pitching: 3.92/3.97/3.59 (7th/7th/5th) Defense: .699 (2nd) *Top Position Player – Season:* He may have been traded to Kingston in late January, but I’m going with 32-year old 2B Brian Main (.297/.355/.472, 8 HR, 50 RBI, 52 R, 34 BB, 2.8 WAR). Not a lot of positives on this team right now, although 22-year old SS Mac Medley (.260/.320/.355, 3 HR, 51 RBI, 69R, 51 BB, 24 SB, 2.6 WAR) made some nice strides in his sophomore season. *Top Pitcher – Season:* Got to go again with 35-year old LHP Clyde Boney (12-16, 3.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.46 FIP, 96 ERA+) as the rest of the rotation is in flux. -------- After escaping the cellar last season, the Cobourg Red Stockings fell to 8th place again for the sixth time in eight campaigns. They have never finished higher than sixth place or won more than 76 games (back in Year 1). All that losing has brought them a lot of young talent and sooner or later, that talent should blossom, shouldn’t it? As they said in Brooklyn, just wait ‘til next year. Offense: .262/.309/.355 (7th/8th/7th) Pitching: 4.09/4.20/3.38 (8th/8th/3rd) Defense: .684 (8th) *Top Position Player – Season:* 23-year old 3B Alexander Tolmie (.271/.347/.394, 12 HR, 68 RBI, 63 R, 69 BB, 3.5 WAR) has all the makings of being a star in this league for a very long time. *Top Pitcher – Season:* Not a stellar year for Cobourg pitcher, so I’ll go with 27-year old RHP Pedro Gómez (10-21, 3.99 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 3.51 FIP, 90 ERA+) who definitely deserved better run support. *Key Injuries:* 26-year old 1B Brad Mitchinson (.290/.346/.430, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 20 R, 17 BB) collided at a base on December 31. The diagnosis is a partially torn labrum and he will miss another 1-2 weeks. 22-year old RHP Trent Beaton (4-10, 3.86 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) tore a back muscle while pitching in a game on January 15. He will be out of commission for another 2 months. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-14-2017 at 07:55 PM.

07-10-2016, 01:04 AM	#284
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	More tweaking! I updated a few of the uniform timelines, as I was not fully satisfied with them: Wellington Athletics (small revision to the 1947-1958 logo and road jersey) Queensland Eagles (wholesale changes - essentially created new uniforms and logos for the 1965-2000 period) Cobourg Red Stockings (major revisions throughout, but essentially added new uniforms and logo for 1962-1967 as well as an additional alternate uniform for 1986-2000) I always liked blue in the Reds palette, ironic as it may seem. I’ve updated the zipfile containing these new graphics. For anyone that is interested, it can be downloaded here: See this page for updated graphics __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-14-2017 at 08:00 PM.

07-13-2016, 01:22 AM	#285
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	March 27, 1945 Western League: Battered Cannons, Pelicans Square Off for the Pennant The Cambria Cannons held on to take top spot in the Western League, the third time in their existence, but they are a battered team as it enters the playoffs. For the fourth time in his career, Ron Westmacott went down to an extended injury and will not be available for the playoffs, perhaps dealing the Cannons a critical blow to their playoff fortunes. But the Kingston Pelicans did not escape the injury bug either and will be missing their No. 1 starter as they head into the Western League Pennant series. It will be a question of who can better adjust to their loss as they meet up in the Pennant Series for the fifth time in the League's young history. -------- The Cambria Cannons won just one more game than they lost in the final two months of the season, and fans are justifiably concerned as to whether their team has the depth to win a series against the rival Pelicans. Injuries have definitely impacted their overall play. Still, Cambria is nowhere near to being a one-trick pony and it will be interesting to see if this team can rally against Kingston in the playoffs. Offense: .278/.341/.399 (3rd/3rd/1st) Pitching: 3.46/3.60/2.27 (4th/6th/2nd) Defense: .689 (8th) *Top Position Player – Season:* If offense was the only criteria, then Ron Westmacott would probably get singled out, but his defense, like a number of his teammates was subpar this year. But SS Wenceslas Jasmin (.285/.334/.400, 7 HR, 66 RBI, 98 R, 44 BB, 13 SB, 5.3 WAR) was no slouch and was fantastic in the field as well (.972 PCT, 5.08 RNG, +12.9 ZR, 1.036 EFF). The former 1st overall pick from 1938-39 enjoyed his best overall season in the ULB thus far. *Top Pitcher – Season:* 33-year old LHP Owen Tautor (19-14, 3.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.06 FIP, 114 ERA+) was the Cannons most consistent pitcher, on a team that does not have a truly dominant pitcher. *Noteworthy Performance:* Wenceslas Jasmin went 5 for 6 with 1 RBI and 3 R in a 8-6 victory over the Pulberry Trolleys on March 24. Jasmin singled in the 1st, hit an RBI single in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, singled in the 6th, singled in the 8th and flied out in the 9th. *Key Injuries:* On January 1, 38-year old RHP Henny Akerval (6-5, 3.84 ERA, 1.51 WIP) suffered a broken hand while at the plate in a game against the Sherburn Tigers. He is gone for a further 1-2 weeks. On January 23, 26-year old 2B Shaun Attenborough (.286/.336/.418, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 0.3 WAR) was injured in a collision at a base. He was subsequently diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. He will be laid up for another 3 months. 28-year old LF Ron Westmacott (.315/.402/.461, 12 HR, 69 RBI, 91 R, 77 BB, 22 SB, 4.4 WAR) tore an abdominal muscle while running the bases back on February 27. He is out of commission for 3 more months. -------- After winning 20 games in January, the Kingston Pelicans lost an unheard of (for them) 16 games in February and very nearly fell out of the wild card. Indeed, at various times both the Sherburn Tigers and Balmoral Giants got to within a half-game of the Pelicans for second place, but just could not overtake them. And with a strong finish in March, Kingston was able to give themselves some breathing room. But the Pelicans will be without their top starting pitcher, Joey Cumberledge, who injured himself in mid-March and will be unavailable for the playoffs. But while this team is showing some cracks, if ever so slightly, it is still probably better equipped to sustain a lengthy playoff run. The team remains strong in all facets of the game. They are still a nicely balanced team. Offense: .281/.350/.395 (2nd/1st/3rd) Pitching: 3.24/3.21/3.43 (1st/1st/4th) Defense: .706 (2nd) *Top Position Player – Season:* I'll go with a tie, as it was so close. SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.334/.393/.476, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 90 R, 61 BB, 7 SB, 7.6 WAR) had another incredible year at the plate to go along with sensational defense (.968 PCT, 5.40 RNG, +14.6 ZR, 1.037 EFF). But 26-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.340/.419/.492, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 96 R, 74 BB, 4 SB, 7.4 WAR) was not far behind. It was Danny's best season yet in his 6-year career. *Top Pitcher – Season:* He may be only the 5th starter now, but 35-year old RHP Francis Slocock (16-8, 2.75 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.24 FIP, 131 ERA+) put in yet another solid season for the Pelicans. He has been one of the most consistent pitcher in ULB history. *Noteworthy Performance:* Katsunan Chikafuji went 5 for 6 with 3 RBI and 3 R in a 22-5 beat-down of the Hespeler Stars on March 22; a game that saw Kingston collect 27 hits and Hespeler commit 5 errors. Chikafuji singled in the 1st, hit a two-run single in the 2nd, singled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 4th, flied out in the 5th and singled in the 7th. *Key Injury:* 34-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (15-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.13 FIP, 104 ERA+) injured himself while pitching on March 16. He was diagnosed with a ulnar nerve irritation. He will miss 4 months. -------- The Balmoral Giants won 28 games in the final two months of the season (2nd most in the West) to vault them into third spot. They came very close to overtaking Kingston in February, but just were not able to grab the jugular. But this a very good team who saw their pitching core make major strides this season. If it can continue next season, then they may finally see a return to the playoffs. Offense: .287/.348/.396 (1st/2nd/2nd) Pitching: 3.38/3.52/1.83 (3rd/3rd/1st) Defense: .708 (1st) *Top Position Player – Season:* There was no shortage of fine performances to chose from, but really, could it be anyone else but RF Carlton Broadbent (.345/.401/.535, 22 HR, 109 RBI, 105 R, 63 BB, 6.6 WAR)? He enjoyed his best season yet and his defense was really good this year (+2.4 ZR), something that couldn't be said last season (-10.3 ZR). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Balmoral got a pretty decent year from its pitching staff and 33-year old RHP Derek Cawley (17-15, 3.39 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.38 FIP, 106 ERA+) was his team's top pitcher, leading in no less than 19 pitching categories. *Noteworthy Performance:* Carlton Broadbent not only won the Western League batting title, but also became the second position player to win the Triple Crown. However, it wasn't so cut and dry: 1B Dean Bishop of the Kingston Pelicans finished with 24 home runs and 112 RBI, most in the United Leagues overall. But because he split the season between the Eastern and Western Leagues, Bishop didn't qualify for the lead in either (with Braeland City, Bishop had 12 HR and 43 RBI in 58 games; with Kingston he had 12 HR and 69 RBI in 95 games). Broadbent becomes the fourth consecutive Giant to win the WL batting title. He follows Francisco Rodriquez (.361) in 1941-42, Roger Tyler (.324) in 1942-43 and Otton Overbeek (.338) last season. Brunswick's Mark Elston was the first position player to win the Triple Crown, back in 1942. *Key Injuries:* 25-year old 3B Otton Overbeek (.313/.341/.459, 7 HR, 70 RBI, 64 R, 18 BB, 4.3 WAR) injured his knee (knee tendinitis) while running the bases on March 7. He is out one week. 31-year old RHP Soren Heinke (9-5, 3.24 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 3.92 FIP, 111 ERA+) tore a flexor tendon in his elbow back on January 16. He is out of commission for at least 6 months. -------- The Sherburn Tigers very nearly became the darlings of the United Leagues as they also came to within a half game of the Kingston Pelicans to challenge for the wild card. But in the end, they were unable to pull off a storybook ending. Sherburn enjoyed just it second winning season, the first since their inaugural season of 1937-38. They have a bevy of young prospects waiting in the wings and are quickly assembling a formidable pitching core with more on the way. But their offense will continue to hold them back until they address the dearth of young offensive talent. They have one of the strongest farm systems in the ULB, but do not have any hitting prospects to speak of. Perhaps they can address that in the off-season with a trade or two? Offense: .263/.320/.348 (5th/6th/8th) Pitching: 3.24/3.27/2.92 (2nd/2nd/3rd) Defense: .695 (5th) *Top Position Player – Season:* The former 11th overall pick from 1937-38 had his break out season, as 26-year old LF Bert Helmer (.291/.347/.405, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 74 R, 50 BB, 11 SB, 4.4 WAR) finally fulfilled his potential in his first full year with Sherburn (after 3-1/2 middling years in Cambria). He was incredible on defense as well (.968 PCT, 2.34 RNG,+13.4 ZR, 1.074 EFF). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Sherburn's pitching staff really blossomed this season and 26-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (20-8, 2.33 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 2.90 FIP, 154 ERA+) has been getting better and better with each passing season. His back-to-back Pitcher of the Month honours in February and March only underscore that point. The fourth overall pick from 1940-41 is currently rated as the ULB's No. 2 pitcher. *Key Injuries:* 30-year old 1B Francis Pynchon (.288/.323/.396, 7 HR, 56 RBI, 45 R, 23 BB, 0.3 WAR) tore a hamstring while running the bases back on February 16. He should be healed up in less than a week. RHP Cris Herrera (14-15, 3.56 ERA, 1.44 WHIP, 3.41 FIP, 101 ERA+) strained his hamstring while pitching back on March 16. The 24-year old should be up and ready in a couple of weeks. LHP Daniel Pierson (8-17, 3.69 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 2.94 FIP, 97 ERA+) suffered shoulder inflammation while pitching back on March 19. He should be 100% in a couple of more weeks. -------- For the first time in their existence, the Wolseley Unions did not finish a season with a losing record. It may not have been a winning record either, but progress is progress, and the 77 victories represent the most a Unions team has won. Their offense made modest gains this season and their farm system, once one of the worst in the ULB, has been quietly getting stronger (6th overall). They may not prove to be next year's sensation, but it appears that Wolseley is heading in the right direction – something that could not be said in recent years. Offense: .259/.323/.361 (6th/5th/5th) Pitching: 3.75/3.66/4.33 (6th/7th/7th) Defense: .691 (7th) *Top Position Player – Season:* 26-year old LF Zak Kidd (.286/.359/.430, 13 HR, 87 RBI, 78 R, 66 BB, 21 SB, 5.1 WAR) had a nice bounce-back season to once again be Wolseley's best position player. He was as good as they come defense as well (.997 PCT, 2.35 RNG, +17.2 ZR, 1.093 EFF). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Despite the team's struggles, they got a couple of decent performances from their starters, including 26-year old LHP Bruce Whitten (20-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.71 FIP, 97 ERA+), giving the Unions some hope for the future. *Key Injuries:* 25-year old RHP Kai Tosh (2-7, 3.36 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 2.98 FIP, 107 ERA+) suffered a severe injury while pitching back on November 24. He required immediate radial nerve decompression surgery. He is laid up for another 6 weeks.. 21-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (8-3, 3.51 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.75 FIP, 102 ERA+) suffered a fractured hand in a game back on December 26. He his out for another 3 months. -------- The Pulberry Trolleys were a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in that they enjoyed a strong February, only to falter in March and fall to sixth place. The Trolleys in fact lost on more game than last year, but their situation is far from dire. They have an exciting mix of young talented players, especially on offense and the their pitching saw a nice improvement over last season. The Trolleys give me the impression that they are not very far from putting it all together – and if they can, then next year's pennant race may become one of the most heated. But they first have to make the playoffs, something they have yet to do. Offense: .274/.325/.375 (4th/4th/4th) Pitching: 3.64/3.60/3.96 (5th/5th/5th) Defense: .704 (3rd) *Top Position Player – Season:* Lots of reasons for optimism with this young crew, and 23-year old SS Roland Binns (.289/.349/.373, 6 HR, 57 RBI, 87 R, 55 BB, 21 SB, 4.2 WAR) is quickly becoming one of best shortstops in the ULB (5th overall). *Top Pitcher – Season:* There are actually a few to choose from, but I'll go with 32-year old RHP Bailey Keedwell (19-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 3.30 FIP, 105 ERA+). *Noteworthy Performance:* Rookie Jon Pring hit the third Cycle of the season. On February 21, the rookie went 4 for 5 against the Brunswick Legends, with 3 RBI and 3 R, to help the Trolleys defeat the Legends, 10-2. Pring flied out in the 1st, hit an RBI triple in the 3rd, hit a 2-run home run off of Hirotada Fukushima in the 4th, singled in the 6th and doubled in the 8th. *Key Injuries:* 22-year old CF Joey Maddaford (.233/.298/.349, 1 HR, 15 RBI, 17 R, 12 BB, 0.6 WAR) suffered a fractured rib on a defensive play back on March 18. His timeline is for another 4 weeks. RHP Alexander Ellacott (18-13, 2.83 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 3.22 FIP, 127 ERA+) ruptured a tendon in his finger while pitching on March 19. The 23-year old will be unable to pitch for another 3 months. -------- The Fort Richmond Generals finished the season with a flourish, winning 30 games in the final two months, most of any team in the West. That helped them escape the basement and finish the season with 71 victories, 15 more than last year. Still, this team is far from competing for a playoff spot and will probably endure some further pains as the youngsters slowly make their way to the major league roster. But the Generals have a very strong farm system and have a couple of exciting players in C Henug-su Park and this year's first overall pick CF Dylan Moyne. Hopefully, Fort Richmond can stay the course, as some exciting things are brewing. Offense: .257/.319/.354 (7th/8th/7th) Pitching: 4.05/4.04/4.10 (8th/8th/6th) Defense: .701 (4th) *Top Position Player – Season:* Not a memorable season for the Generals, but 27 year old C Henug-su Park (.312/.373/.466, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 70 R, 44 BB, 5.0 WAR) is a bonafide star, and is second only to Kingston's Danny Trowbrdge as the ULB's top-ranked catcher (the man who he just happened to replace in Fort Richmond). *Top Pitcher – Season:* Also not a great season for Fort Richmond pitching-wise, but 24-year old RHP Reece Leavers (15-12, 3.01 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.70 FIP, 119 ERA+) is at least giving his team something to be happy about. *Noteworthy Performance:* C Heung-su Park enjoyed quite a stretch in late February and March. On February 27, Park went 4 for 5 against the Hespeler Stars with 2 RBI. On March 10, he hit two home runs against the Wolseley Unions, with 3 RBI, 1 R. The next day, he went 4 for 5 against the same Wolseley Unions, collecting 3 RBI and 1 R. For his efforts, the 7th overall pick from 1940-41 won back-to-back Player of the Week Awards. In the first week, he batted .520 with 2 HR, 7 RBI, 5 R. The following week, he batted .476 with 3 HR, 8 RBI, 4 R. Not surprisingly, he was voted Batter of the Month for March as well. *Key Injuries:* On March 11, RHP Reece Leavers (15-12, 3.01 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.70 FIP, 119 ERA+) suffered ulnar nerve irritation while pitching. The 24-year old will be unable to pitch for another 3 months. 26-year old LF Gavin Bansfield (.259/.323/.352, 3 HR, 52 RBI, 50 R, 47 BB, -0.4 WAR) injured his ankle while fielding in a game back on March 17. He should be OK in an other week. RHP John Bullivant (7-4, 3 SV, 5.00 ERA, 1.48 WHIP, 3.99 FIP, 72 ERA+) experienced shoulder tendinitis while pitching on March 21. The 23-year old should be back up to speed in 1-2 weeks. -------- The Hespeler Stars meandered through the final two months of the season and found themselves relegated to last place in the West when the Fort Richmond Generals leaped over them. There's nowhere to go but up and its probably just as well – with the other perennial losing teams in the West starting to show some strength, the Stars need to do some re-aligning. They are rather woeful on both side of the ball. But they boast the deepest farm system in the United Leagues right now, and it should only get deeper. If they remain patient, then the second go-around in their rebuild may finally bear some fruit. Offense: .254/.319/.358 (8th/7th/6th) Pitching: 3.78/3.55/5.19 (7th/4th/8th) Defense: .692 (6th) *Top Position Player – Season:* 25 year old C Aaron Skidmore (.262/.390/.424, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 65 R, 102 BB, 6.2 WAR) took it to the next level in his 4th full season in the United Leagues was his team's best position player by a comfortable margin. *Top Pitcher – Season:* Somewhat of a down year for 27-year old LHP Jake Osmotherley (18-15, 3.48 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.70 FIP, 103 ERA+) but that still good enough to be considered the Stars' best pitcher. *Noteworthy Performance:* 2B Vic Weetman won Player of the Week honours on March 19. He batted .448 (13 H in 29 AB) with 1 HR, 6 RBI, 6 R. *Key Injury:* LHP Carlton Sherrell (9-13, 3.60 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 3.69 FIP, 100 ERA+) experienced shoulder inflammation while pitching on February 4. The 26-year old is still out for another 4-5weeks. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-14-2017 at 08:07 PM.

07-14-2016, 09:55 PM	#286
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Brunswick Legends (101-53) vs. Embro Suns (88-66) Season Matchup: 9-6 in favour of Brunswick Brunswick: Runs scored – 679 (2nd in EL); runs allowed – 529 (1st in EL) Embro: Runs scored – 711 (1st in EL); runs allowed – 668 (5th in EL) For the fourth time, the Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns will meet to battle for the Eastern League Pennant. With the exception of their first meeting, the matchup has been decidedly one-sided. In 1938-39, the Suns and Legends battled a full seven games, going back and forth, with scores like 17-4 (Game 2 win for Embro) and 10-2 (Game 7 win for Brunswick). Both teams tallied 41 runs apiece in that epic. But since then it has been all Brunswick. In 1941-42 and 1942-43, the Legends swept the Suns each time, outscoring them 27-5 in the combined eight games. What is different this time around is that the Legends finished the season in first place – something that has never happened before. In their previous four playoff appearances, Brunswick made it as the wild card team. But it has never put them at a disadvantage – indeed, the Legends have yet to lose a Pennant Series. So if the Embro Suns are finally going to prevail, they will have to do it against the best team in the United Leagues. The Suns boasted the best offense in the East , but their pitching was merely average. Meanwhile, the Legends are a supremely balanced team. But Brunswick will be without the services of the No. 1 pitcher in the ULB: 28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (13-5, 2.80 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 2.56 FIP, 128 ERA+), who suffered a dislocated finger in a game back on January 21. However, their other three starters, namely Matthew Monroe (No. 3), Hun Park (No. 8) and Hirotada Fukushima (No. 11), are all Top 20 pitchers themselves, and are coming off excellent seasons. For Embro's part, they have two Top 20 pitchers: Oscar Burress (No. 7) and Myung-gu Son (No. 9). Embro is also affected by injuries heading into the series: 23-year old 2B José Sánchez (.281/.353/.383, 1 HR, 37 RBI, 40 R, 34 BB, 14 SB, 2.5 WAR) tore a back muscle while running the bases in a game back on February 4. 27-year old Britt Wing (.313/.393/.422, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 40 R, 35 BB, 0.9 WAR) will take his place in the lineup. The series opened at Brunswick’s Babe Ruth Park, which has been no stranger to playoff action. 30,612 fans attended Game 1 under gorgeous, clear skies with just a light breeze blowing out to right. Enough preamble – it time to play ball! -------- Game 1 RHP Hun Park (16-12, 3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) took the hill for Brunswick. RHP Oscar Burress (15-13, 3.41 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) started for Embro. Top of the 1st: Yoshino Ito leads off with a walk. But when Gary Watkinson singles with one out, Ito is thrown out trying to reach 3B. Watkinson moves up to 2B on the same play and then reaches 3B on an error (E4) during Terence Durney's at-bat. Britt Wing follows with a single to score Watkinson for the game's first run. Embro 1 – Brunswick 0 Bottom of the 2nd: Mark Elston leads off with a full-count double. After reaching 3B on a Matthew Shelley ground-out, Elston comes in to score on Vinnie Edwards' first-pitch single. Embro 1 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 4th: Mark Elston leads off with a walk, but is promptly thrown out by Oscar Burress when he tries to steal 2B during Matthew Shelley's at-bat. With two out, Vinnie Edwards singles, then takes 2B on a wild pitch. Derek Sakurai follows with a double, scoring Edwards to give the Legends the lead. Embro 1 – Brunswick 2 Bottom of the 5th: Harry Chatwin leads off and takes Burress yard on a first-pitch solo home run. Embro 1 – Brunswick 3 Top of the 6th: Not to be outdone, Elliot Tugby leads off and takes Hun Park yard on a first-pitch solo home run. Embro 2 – Brunswick 3 Top of the 7th: With one out, Dylan Watkins doubles and reaches 3B on an Oscar Burress ground-out. Yoshino Ito then hits a line drive single, scoring Watkins and tying up the game. Embro 3 – Brunswick 3 Bottom of the 7th: Hun Park leads off with a first-pitch single. With one out, Terry Aspden and Stuart Bentham follow with back-to-back singles to load the bases. A sac fly by Mark Elston and back-to-back singles by Matthew Shelley and Vinnie Edwards score four runs. That ends Burress' day, but the damage has been done. Embro goes down in order in the top of the 9th as Brunswick draws first blood. FINAL: Embro 3 – Brunswick 7 *Player of the Game:* C Vinnie Edwards went 3-4, with 3 RBI, 1 R. Hun Park went 9.0 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 7 K, 1HR (1-0, 2.00 ERA) For Embro: Oscar Burress took the loss, going 6.2 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 5 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (0-1, 9.45 ERA). -------- Game 2 The sky was clear once again and even warmer (72 F), as 30,438 attended Game 2. A light breeze was blowing out to right, just as in Game 1. Starting for Brunswick was LHP Matthew Monroe (22-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.19 WHIP). RHP Myung-gu Son (19-8, 3.06 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) pitched for Embro. Bottom of the 1st: Harry Chatwin leads off with a triple and scores on Terry Aspden's sac fly to centerfield. Embro 0 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 6th: Things fall apart for Myung-gu Son in the 6th. With one out, Vinnie Edwards, Derek Sakurai and Vince Bailey hit back-to-back-to-back singles, scoring a run. With two out, Harry Chatwin singles to score Sakurai and Bailey. After Terry Aspden singles, Stuart Bentham reaches base safely on an error (E8), allowing Chatwin to score. Mark Elston then follows with another single, driving in two more, ending Myung-gu Son's day. Embro 0 – Brunswick 7 Top of the 7th: Embro gets on the board in the 7th. Gary Watkinson leads off with a single, followed by Britt Wing, who draws a walk. With one out, Terence Durney singles, scoring Watkinson. Dennis Ducay then follows with a single to score Wing. With two out, RP Edward Hill scores Durney on a single. But Ducay is then thrown out at home to end the inning. Embro 3 – Brunswick 7 Bottom of the 8th: Terry Aspden leads of with a single. But then Stuart Bentham, Mark Elston and Matthew Shelley all draw back-to-back-to-back walks, scoring Aspden. Vinnie Edwards hits a sac fly to right-centerfield to score Bentham. In the bottom of the 9th, Elliot Tugby singles with two out. Morgan Tice then relieves Matthew Monroe and gets PH Lyndon Duggleby to hit into a 5-4 fielder's choice to end the game. FINAL: Embro 3 – Brunswick 9 *Player of the Game:* CF Harry Chatwin went 3-5, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 2 R. Matthew Monroe pitched 8.2 innings, with 7 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (1-0, 3.12 ERA). Terry Aspden went 3-4, 4 RBI, 2 R. For Embro: Myung-gu Son took the loss, going 5.2 IP, 12 H, 7 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (0-1, 11.12 ERA). -------- Game 3 Embro's Speaker Stadium took center stage in the Eastern League Pennant, with 26,679 in attendance to see if the Suns could stem the tide. The weather was pleasant (65 F) with a gentle breeze blowing from right to left. LHP Hirotada Fukushima (20-9, 2.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) took the hill for Brunswick. RHP Pete Allison (6-5, 4.10 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) started for Embro. Bottom of the 1st: Yoshino Ito leads off with a double. A sac fly by Dylan Watkins and a 3-1 ground-out by Gary Watkinson scores Ito and the Suns are on the board. Brunswick 0 – Embro 1 Top of the 3rd: Harry Chatwin hits a one-out solo home run to right-centerfield, tying the game up. Brunswick 1 – Embro 1 Top of the 4th: After Maurice Evans reaches safely on an error (E4) with two out, Derek Sakurai follows with run-scoring triple. Brunswick 2 – Embro 1 Bottom of the 5th: Dennis Ducay leads off with a single and Elliot Tugby follows him with a walk. After a sac bunt by Pete Allison advances the runners, Ducay comes in to score on a Yoshino Ito 4-3 ground out, tying up the game. Brunswick 2 – Embro 2 Top of the 7th: With two on and two out, Matthew Shelley singles in Terry Aspden from second, as Brunswick retakes the lead. In the bottom of the 9th, Britt Wing leads off with a single. But back-to-back fielder's choices at 2B and a 1-3 ground-out end the game, giving the Legends a commanding 3-0 games lead. FINAL: Brunswick 3 – Embro 2 *Player of the Game:* Hirotada Fukushima pitched 9.0 innings, with 4 H with 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (1-0, 2.00 ERA). For Embro: Pete Allison put up a game fight, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 9 BB, 3 K, 1 HR (0-1, 2.00 ERA). *Noteworthy:* Allison's 9 BB tied an Eastern League playoff game record. -------- Game 4 26,611 were in attendance to witness the rematch between the Game 1 pitchers: Brunswick’s RHP Hun Park and Embro’s RHP Oscar Burruss. The weather continued to cooperate with a pleasant 71 F and partly cloudy skies. The wind picked up just a little from the day before, again blowing in from right from left. Bottom of the 3rd: Dylan Watkins leads off with a first-pitch single. After Oscar Burress moves him over to 2B on a sac bunt, Elliot Tugby doubles with two out to bring in Watkins. Brunswick 0 – Embro 1 Top of the 4th: Mark Elston doubles with out. Matthew Shelley immediately follows with a single, scoring Elston and tying the game up. Brunswick 1 – Embro 1 Bottom of the 6th: Back-to-back singles by Elliot Tugby and Gary Watkinson to lead off the inning put runners on the corners. But Brunswick's RF Mark Elston injures himself on the throw to 3B. He is immediately replaced by Daniel Martin in the field. With one out and 1B open, Britt Wing is given an intentional walk to load the bases. With two out, Charles Usherwood doubles, scoring all three base runners. In the top of the 9th, Matthew Shelley doubles with one out and reaches 3B on a ground-out. But Derek Sakurai also grounds out (5-3) to end the threat and the game. In the process, Embro snaps a 12-game losing streak in the playoffs, and keeps their playoff hopes alive for at least one more game. FINAL: Brunswick 1 – Embro 4 *Player of the Game:* Oscar Burress went 9.0 IP with 6 H with 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (1-1, 4.60 ERA). Charles Usherwood went 2-3, with 1-2B, 3 RBI. For Brunswick: Hun Park took the loss , going 7.0 IP, 11 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (1-1, 3.38 ERA). *Injury update:* Mark Elston threw out his back out while making a throw to 3B. He is out for at least 2 weeks and will not be available for the duration of the playoffs. -------- Game 5 With renewed hope, 26,796 thronged Speaker Stadium to see if their Suns could build on their Game 4 win. The weather wouldn't be a factor, as partly cloudy skies and a soft breeze blowing in from right to left blessed the proceedings. The starters for Game 2 faced each other again: for Embro, RHP Myung-gu Son took the mound, while Brunswick's LHP Matthew Monroe took the ball. Bottom of the 1st: With two out, Gary Watkinson and Britt Wing hit back-to-back singles. Charles Usherwood then follows with a double to score both runs. Brunswick 0 – Embro 2 Top of the 2nd: With one out, Harry Chatwin draws a walk. Derek Sakurai follows him with a first-pitch home run to rightfield, tying the game up. Vince Bailey immediately follows with a first-pitch single and reaches 2B on a sac bunt by Matthew Monroe. Woody Eaton then comes through with a single of his own, scoring Bailey and Brunswick takes the lead. Brunswick 3 – Embro 2 Top of the 3rd: Brunswick loads the bases on a walk and back-to-back singles with nobody out. A 6-4 fielder's choice by Harry Chatwin scores Stuart Bentham. After Derek Sakurai walks to reload the bases, Vince Bailey comes through with a single, scoring Matthew Shelley and Chatwin. Brunswick 6 – Embro 2 Top of the 7th: Maurice Evans reaches 1B on an error (E4) to lead off the inning. Harry Chatwin follows him with an RBI triple. Derek Sakurai then scores Chatwin on a single. Brunswick 8 – Embro 2 Top of the 8th: Stuart Bentham leads off with a single, reaches 2B on a Matthew Shelley ground-out and comes in to score on a Maurice Evans double. After Harry Chatwin singles to put runners on the corners, Evans scores on a Derek Sakurai ground-out. Brunswick 10 – Embro 2 Bottom of the 9th: Dylan Watkins leads off with a 4-pitch walk and reaches 3B on a Gary Watkinson double. Britt Wing then comes through with a double to score both Watkins and Watkinson. After Wing reaches 3B on a Charles Usherwood ground-out, Brunswick's Matthew Monroe is replaced by RP Rob Fields. Terence Durney then flies out to rightfield. Wing tags up, but is thrown out at home to end the game and the series. FINAL: Brunswick 10 – Embro 4 *Player of the Game:* Derek Sakurai went 2-4, with 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R. Harry Chatwin went 2-4 with 1-3B, 2 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB. Mathew Monroe went 8.1 IP with 9 H with 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K (2-0, 3.71 ERA). For Embro: Myung-gu Son had another rough outing, going just 3.1 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (0-2, 13.00 ERA). -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-14-2017 at 11:50 PM.

07-16-2016, 01:35 PM	#287
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Cambria Cannons (89-65) vs. Kingston Pelicans (87-67) Season Matchup: 9-6 in favour of Cambria Cambria: Runs scored – 753 (2nd in WL); runs allowed – 618 (4th) Kingston: Runs scored – 760 (1st in WL); runs allowed – 586 (1st) Like their Eastern League counterparts, the Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns, Cambria and Kingston are no strangers to the playoffs nor to facing each other for the Western League Pennant. But unlike the Legends and Suns, the battle between the Cannons and Pelicans has been much more even. In 1938-39, Kingston prevailed 4 games to 2; a year later, Cambria won 4 games to 2 as well. In 1940-41, Kingston swept the Cannons; in 1941-42, Cambria defeated Kingston 4 games to 1. So this year marks the fifth time Cambria and Kingston will square off to see who will earn the right to represent the West in the United Cup Championship. In fact, no team other than Kingston or Cambria has represented the West in the United Cup. But this past season was perhaps the most competitive so far in the Western League, as five teams finished with a .500 record or better while no one reached 90 victories. Not bad for a League that one year only boasted one team with an above .500 record. Both teams are dealing with significant injuries as they enter the playoffs. Cambria will be without star player LF Ron Westmacott (.315/.402/.461, 12 HR, 69 RBI, 91 R, 77 BB, 22 SB, 4.4 WAR), who tore an abdominal muscle while running the bases back on February 27. Clint Jones (.287/.346/.422, 12 HR, 77 RBI, 69 R, 50 BB, 1.3 WAR) will make the shift over to LF. Also, 2B Shaun Attenborough (.286/.336/.418, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 0.3 WAR) is out with post-concussion syndrome. 26-year old Daniel Edney (.258/.290/.344, 7 HR, 40 RBI, 27 R, 15 BB, 1.0 WAR) will take his place. As for Kingston, the are without their No. 1 pitcher, 34-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (15-13, 3.44 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 3.13 FIP, 104 ERA+) who was diagnosed with a ulnar nerve irritation after pitching on March 16. The Series opened at Cambria’s Alexander Field, with 24,655 in attendance. Blue skies and warm sunshine were the order of the day. A fresh breeze was blowing out to center at game time. Play ball! -------- Game 1 RHP Leon Hankey (17-14, 3.91 ERA, 1.56 WHIP) started for the Cannons, while RHP Jim Hogue (13-10, 3.74 ERA, 1.44 WHIP) got the call for Kingston. Bottom of the 1st: With one out, Wenceslas Jasmin takes Jim Hogue’s first pitch for a single and moves to 3B when Nicky Willis follows with a double. With two out, Clint Jones doubles home both Jasmin and Willis to open the scoring. Keane Fysh then follows with his own double to score Jones for the Cannons’ third run. Kingston 0 – Cambria 3 Top of the 9th: Leon Hankey is able to keep the Pelicans off the board until the 9th when, with one out, Dean Bishop triples and comes in to score when Wen-huan Liu grounds out. Jayden Tennant then flies out to leftfield to end the game, as Cambria takes Game 1. FINAL: Kingston 1 – Cambria 3 [i *Player of the Game:* Leon Hankey went the distance, allowing just 5 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA). Clint Jones went 3-4, 2-2B, 2 RBI, 1 R. For Kingston: Jim Hogue took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 12 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0-1, 3.38 ERA). -------- Game 2 For the second game, LHP Owen Tautor (19-14, 3.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) got the start for Cambria, while LHP Patrick Denman (15-15, 3.30 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) started for Kingston. Conditions were slightly cooler, but the skies remained blue and that same fresh breeze blowing out to center was in attendance, along with 24,582 faithful. Top of the 2nd: Katsunan Chikafuji becomes the first batter to take advantage of the wind blowing out to center, as he leads off with a solo home run to left centerfield. Dean Bishop then follows with a walk and reaches 2B on a groundout. That sets the stage for Jayden Tennant, who slams a two-run home run to the leftfield bleachers. Kingston 3 – Cambria 0 Top of the 3rd: With two out, Dean Bishop singles and Wen-huan Liu reaches safely on an error (E5). Jayden Tennant then singles, scoring Bishop. Kingston 4 – Cambria 0 Bottom of the 3rd: Scott Weller singles with one out and then reaches 2B on a sac bunt by Owen Tautor. A single by Hao Wang and a double by Daniel Edney score Cambria’s first two runs. Kingston 4 – Cambria 2 Top of the 5th: Katsunan Chikafuji and Dean Bishop lead off with back-to-back singles. With one out, Jayden Tennant singles in Chikafuji. Kingston 5 – Cambria 2 Top of the 6th: Lance Haworth leads off with a solo home run to leftfield. Kingston 6 – Cambria 2 Bottom of the 6th: With one out, Clint Jones singles and reaches 2B on a ground out. Keane Fysh then singles in Jones. In the bottom of the 9th, Scott Weller singles with one out. But PH Louie Hetherington grounds into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game. FINAL: Kingston 6 – Cambria 3 *Player of the Game:* Jayden Tennant went 4-5, 1HR, 4 RBI, 1 R. Patrick Denman went 9.0 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K (1-0, 3.00 ERA) For Cambria: Owen Tautor was the victim of the long ball, going 7.0 IP, 13 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 3 HR (0-1, 6.43 ERA). -------- Game 3 The series moved to Kingston Park, with 26,927 attending. The weather was nice and warm (74 F) with clear skies and just a gentle breeze blowing in from center. RHP Charlie Gilbert (15-10, 3.00 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) took the hill for Kingston, while RHP Jin-man Kim (18-11, 3.53 ERA, 1.46 WHIP) got the start for Cambria. Top of the 2nd: The Cannons got to Charlie Gilbert quickly. Hao Wang and Clint Jones hit back-to-back singles. They were followed by Keane Fysh who doubled in Wang. Shelby Cain reached safely on an error (E6) that also allowed Jones to score. After getting two quick outs, Gilbert attempted a pickoff throw to 1B that led to an error (E1) and allowed Fysh to score. Daniel Edney then walked to put runners on 1B and 2B. A single by Wenceslas Jasmin and a double by Nicky Willis led to three more runs and the Cannons took a commanding early lead. Cambria 6 – Kingston 0 Top of the 4th: Wenceslas Jasmin draws a walk with one out and then advances to 3B on a Nicky Willis double. With two out, Clint Jones singles in Jasmin for Cambria’s seventh run. Cambria 7 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 4th: Lance Haworth, Danny Trowbridge and Dean Bishop all hit singles off of Jin-man Kim to load the bases with one out. With two out, Jayden Tennant draws a 4-pitch walk, forcing in Haworth. Cambria 7 – Kingston 1 In the top of the 7th inning, Clint Jones singles with one out. However, Jones injures himself while trying to reach 3B on Shelby Cain’s two-out single. Jones is called out and forced to leave the game with a bruised thigh. The Pelicans go down in order in the bottom of the 9th and Cambria takes Game 2. FINAL: Cambria 7 – Kingston 1 *Player of the Game:* Jim-man Kim got game honours, going 9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA). Clint Jones went 4-4, 1 RBI, 1 R before being injured. He is listed as day-to-day. For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert took the loss, going 5.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (0-1, 5.40 ERA). -------- Game 4 The weather continued to cooperate, with partly cloudy skies and a gentle breeze blowing from left to right for Game 4. 27,064 fans filed into Kingston Park to see if their Pelicans could bounce back. The matchup was the same as in Game 1, with Kingston’s RHP Jim Hogue getting the call, while RHP Leon Hankey took the hill for Cambria. Top of the 2nd: A double by Keane Fysh and single by Shelby Cain scores the first run with two out. Cambria 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 4th: A single by Katsunan Chikafuji and a walk drawn by Dean Bishop puts runners on 1B and 2B with one out. Wen-huan Liu then singles. Chikafuji tries for home and beats the throw, allowing the baserunners to advance. Bishop then scores on a Jayden Tennant sac fly. Cambria 1 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 5th: Things fall apart for Cambria in the 5th. After Lance Haworth draws a walk and Danny Trowbridge singles, Katsunan Chikafuji slams a 3-run home run into the left-centerfield bleachers. SP Leon Hankey then walks Dean Bishop, hits Wen-huan Liu and walks Jayden Tennant to load the bases. Brian Main follows with a single, scoring both Bishop and Liu. That ends Hankey’s day. But RP Leif Bryant gives up a single to Jamie Couch with two out, allowing two more runs to score before the inning is over. Cambria 1 – Kingston 9 Top of the 8th: Cambria gets one more run, when Leif Bryant triples with two out and comes into score on Daniel Edney’s single. The Cannons go down in order in the top of the 9th as Kingston knots up the series at 2-games apiece. FINAL: Cambria 2 – Kingston 9 *Player of the Game:* Katsunan Chikafuji went 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R. Jim Hogue picked up his first win, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (1-1, 2.65 ERA). Brian Main went 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. For Cambria: Leon Hankey suffered the loss, going just 4.1 IP, 7 H, 9 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (1-1, 6.75 ERA). -------- Game 5 The two teams were back at it for Game 5, as 26,983 fans came to see who would take the series lead. The weather remained beautiful with a light breeze blowing in from left. As in Game 2, Kingston’s LHP Patrick Denman started, while LHP Owen Tautor took the ball for Cambria. Top of the 1st: Hao Wong leads off with a single and reaches 2B on a ground-out. With two out, Clint Jones singles and Wang races home for the game’s first run. Cambria 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 1st: With one out, Lance Haworth singles. Danny Trowbridge immediately follows and deposits an Owen Tautor offering into the leftfield bleachers. Cambria 1 – Kingston 2 Top of the 3rd: Daniel Edney singles with one out and ties it up on Clint Jones’ double that falls into the gap in left-centerfield. Cambria 2 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 3rd: Patrick Denham helps his own cause when leads off with a single, reaches 2B on a ground-out and scores on Lance Haworth’s double. Cambria 2 – Kingston 3 Top of the 4th: Scott Weller evens things up again with a two-out solo home run to leftfield. Cambria 3 – Kingston 3 Top of the 8th: Cambria retakes the lead when Nicky Willis smashes a triple to left-center and then scores on Keane Fysh’s two-out single. Cambria 4 – Kingston 3 Bottom of the 8th: Owen Tautor gets the first two outs rather easy, but he will not be around for the third one. Following the two outs, Wen-huan Liu and Jayden Tennant reach base on back-to-back singles. After PR Soshu Shimizu replaces Liu at 2B, Brian Main singles to load the bases. That sets the table for PH Fergus Chitty, who takes Tautor’s 2-0 offering and smashes a Grand Slam home run into the leftfield bleachers. That ends Tautor’s day as he is replaced by RP Carl Luscombe. But Luscombe promptly gives up back-to-back singles to Chong-sik Lee and Brandon Channing and then a double to Danny Trowbridge. Two more runs score as a result before Cambria finally gets the third out of the inning. The Cannons go down in order in the top of the 9th, and Kingston takes the upper hand in the series. FINAL: Cambria 4 – Kingston 9 *Player of the Game:* Danny Trowbridge went 3-5, 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R. Fergus Chitty went 1-1, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R. Patrick Denhman picked up his second win of the playoffs, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (2-0, 3.71 ERA). For Cambria: Owen Tautor took the loss, his second of the playoffs, going 7.2 IP, 11 H, 7 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 2 HR (0-2, 7.36 ERA). -------- Game 6 The series headed back to Cambria, with the Cannons looking to stay alive. 24,729 fans took in the game on an extraordinarily beautiful day: warm, clear skies and a gentle breeze blowing in from right to left. RHP Jin-man Kim started for Cambria; RHP Charlie Gilbert for Kingston. Top of the 1st: Jamie Couch leads off with a single and advances to 2B when Lance Haworth reaches safely on an error (E2). Danny Trowbridge follows with a single, scoring Couch for the game’s first run. Kingston 1 – Cambria 0 Bottom of the 1st: Daniel Edney evens things up quickly when he leads off with a first-pitch home run to leftfield. Kingston 1 – Cambria 1 Top of the 4th: Kingston gets that run back when Wen-huan Liu takes Jin-man Kim’s first pitch for a one-out solo home run to dead centerfield. Jayden Tennant immediately follows with a double and comes in to score on a Brian Main single. Kingston 3 – Cambria 1 Top of the 6th: Dean Bishop leads off with a single and then advances to 2B on a sac bunt. After Jayden Tennant is intentionally walked, Brian Main grounds out to advance the runners. Charlie Gilbert then comes through with a single, scoring both runners. Kingston 5 – Cambria 1 Bottom of the 8th: With one out, PH Sergio Fuentes singles. He scores when Daniel Edney triples. Wenceslas Jasmin immediately follows with a double to score Edney. With two out, Hao Wang singles, advancing Jasmin to 3B. On Clint Jones’ subsequent at-bat, a balk is called on Charlie Gilbert, scoring Jasmin. Jones then strikes out looking to end the inning. In the bottom of the 9th, Keane Fysh leads off with a first-pitch single and is then replaced with PR Mezwar Iyapo. Iyapo reaches 2B on a Shelby Cain sac bunt and then to 3B on a wild pitch. But with the tying run just 90 ft. away, Scott Weller strikes out swinging and PH Louie Hetherington flies out to centerfield to end the game and the series. FINAL: Kingston 5 – Cambria 4 *Player of the Game:* Charlie Gilbert went 8.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 8 K, 1 HR (1-1, 4.61 ERA). Jayden Tennant went 1-1, 1-2B, 2 R, 3 BB. For Cambria: Jim-man Kim suffered a tough loss, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (1-1, 3.18 ERA). Daniel Edney went 2-4, 1 HR, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 2 R. -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-14-2017 at 11:58 PM.

07-18-2016, 01:07 AM	#288
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Brunswick Legends (101-53) vs. Kingston Pelicans (87-67) Season Matchup: 5-1 in favour of Brunswick Brunswick: Runs scored – 679 (2nd in EL); runs allowed – 529 (1st). Kingston: Runs scored – 760 (1st in WL); runs allowed – 586 (1st). If you think the United Cup is suffering from a case of déjà vu, don't be alarmed – its not just you. For the third year in a row, the Kingston Pelicans and Brunswick Legends will meet for the ultimate baseball prize in Braeland. It will be the fourth time that the two teams have faced each other for the United Cup and the fourth consecutive year that Brunswick has won the right to represent the East. For Kingston, its their third consecutive appearance and their sixth overall. The Pelicans defeated the Legends 4 games to 1 back in 1938-39. In 1942-43, Brunswick turned the tables, defeating Kingston 4 games to 1. Last year, the two teams battled each other to the limit, until the Pelicans obliterated the Legends 17-1 in Game 7. This year, the two teams combined to produce perhaps the most exciting United Cup series I have witnessed in all my years of playing around with this League, with an unprecedented Game 6 that literally had me on the edge of my seat. As to injuries, Brunswick is without two key players: their ace 28-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (dislocated finger) and 36-year old RF Mark Elston (chronic back soreness). 26-year old backup OF Woody Eaton (.300/.364/.400) will be taking his place in the field. Kingston will continue to be without their No. 1 pitcher, 34-year old RHP Joey Cumberledge (ulnar nerve irritation). But on the eve of the Series, international events once again reminded Braelanders of the war raging just beyond the horizon. On April 1, U.S. Army and Marines began their invasion of Okinawa Island, as part of the Allies plan to set up an air base for an anticipated invasion of the Japanese mainland. On April 5, the Japanese Government collapsed. Then on April 7, the second day the Series, Braelanders learned that the most powerful battleship ever built, the Japanese Yamato, was sunk by U.S. aircraft. Response by Braelanders to these developments was one of muted optimism – the hope simply that hostilities would soon end and that their 'boys' could come home. With all that going on around them, it was simply time to focus and just enjoy some baseball! -------- Game 1 The series opened at Babe Ruth Park in Brunswick with 30,716 packed into the stadium. An unusually warm, autumn day (77 F) greeted the crowds, with clear skies and just a light breeze blowing out to center. RHP Hun Park started for Brunswick, while RHP Jim Hogue took the hill for Kingston. Bottom of the 3rd: Terry Aspden and Stuart Bentham draw back-to-back walks with one out. Matthew Shelley and Maurice Evans then hit back-to-back singles, scoring three runs. Kingston 0 – Brunswick 3 Top of the 7th: Wen-huan Liu leads off with a double. Jayden Tennant then draws a walk. After Brian Main advances the runners on a ground-out, Jim Hogue hits a fly ball to centerfield, allowing Liu to tag up and score. Kingston 1 – Brunswick 3 Bottom of the 7th: Woody Eaton singles with one out, then scores on Terry Aspden's triple. After Stuart Bentham is intentionally walked, Matthew Shelley singles, scoring Aspden. Maurice Evans draws a four-pitch walk to load the bases. Harry Chatwin then grounds-out, allowing Bentham to score. That ends Jim Hogue's day. Kingston 1 – Brunswick 6 Top of the 9th: Singles by Jayden Tennant and Brian Main, plus a walk issued to PH Fergus Chitty, load the bases with one out. Jamie Couch then singles, scoring both Tennant and Main. After Chong-sik Lee singles to re-load the bases, Danny Trowbrige flies out to leftfield. Chitty tags up on the play and attempts to score, but he is cut down at home plate to end the game. FINAL: Kingston 3 – Brunswick 6 *Player of the Game: Matthew Shelley* goes 4-4, 2 RBI, 1 R. Hun Park pitches 8.0 innings, 7 H with 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K (2-1, 2.63 ERA). Terry Aspden goes 1-4, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. For Kingston: Jim Hogue pitches 6.2 innings, 9 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 2 K (1-2, 4.18 ERA). Jayden Tennant goes 2-2, 1 R, 2 BB. -------- Game 2 30,928 were on hand for the second game. The skies were partly cloudy with a gentle breeze blowing in from left to right. It had cooled off a bit (66 F) from the day before. LHP Matthew Monroe took the hill for Brunswick, while LHP Patrick Denman was pegged by Kingston to start. Bottom of the 3rd: Woody Eaton singles with one out and advances to 2B on a Vince Bailey ground-out. Stuart Bentham then doubles him home for the game's first run. Kingston 0 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 7th: The Pelicans finally get to SP Monroe in the 7th. Katsunan Chikafuji singles with one out, then moves up to 2B when Dean Bishop draws a walk. But on Wen-huan Liu's ensuing single, Bishop is called out after being hit with the batted ball, leaving runners on the corners with two out. Jayden Tennant singles in Chikafuji for Kingston’s first run. Brian Main follows with a double. That scores Liu. But when Tennant tries to score, he is cut down at home to end the inning. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 7th: Vinnie Edwards leads off with a walk, then moves up to 2B on a Harry Chatwin sac bunt. With two out, Matthew Monroe singles in Edwards to tie up the game. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 2 -------- In the top of the 9th, Kingston loads the bases with one out, but RP Luke Woodward is able to get out of the jam unscathed. In the bottom of the 9th, Harry Chatwin singles with one out, but is thrown out trying to steal 2B. PH Rhett Curnow then flies out to leftfield, sending matters into extra innings. -------- Top of the 11th: This time, RP Woodward isn't so fortunate. Wen-huan Liu leads off with a single and reaches 2B on a Jayden Tennant ground-out. Brian Main is up next and he hits a two-run home run to leftfield. In the bottom of the 11th, the Legends load the bases with two out, but Dwaine Ainsley hits into a 6-4 fielder's choice at 2B to end the game. FINAL: Kingston 4 – Brunswick 2 *Player of the Game:* Brian Main goes 3-5, 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R. Patrick Denman did not pick up the win, but he went 8.0 IP, with 6 H with 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (2-0, 3.24 ERA). Wen-huan Liu goes 4-5, 1-2B, 2 R. For Brunswick: Matthew Monroe pitches 8.1 innings, 10 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (2-0, 3.20 ERA). -------- Game 3 The United Cup moved to Kingston Park for the next three contests and 27,133 looked on to see who would take the series lead. The weather was warm and clear, with a soft breeze blowing in from left to right. RHP Charlie Gilbert started for Kingston, while Brunswick's LHP Hirotada Fukushima replied for Brunswick. Top of the 1st: With two out, Stuart Bentham singles and Matthew Shelley draws a walk. Maurice Evans then follows and slams Gilbert's first offering into the left-centerfield bleachers for a three-run home run. Brunswick 3 – Kingston 0 Top of the 2nd: Vince Bailey triples with one out, then scores on Hirotada Fukushima's sac fly. Brunswick 4 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 3rd: Jayden Tennant leads off with a walk. With two out, Jamie Couch and Lance Haworth hit back-to-back singles, scoring Tennant. Brunswick 4 – Kingston 1 Bottom of the 7th: With one out, Wen-huan Liu, Jayden Tennant, Brian Main and Chong-sik Lee all hit consecutive singles. Liu comes in to score, but for the second time in the series, Tennant is cut down at home plate. Brunswick 4 – Kingston 2 Top of the 8th: A walk, a single and fielder's choice at 2B, put runners on the corners with two out. Stuart Bentham, Matthew Shelley and Maurice Evans then hit consecutive singles, scoring three more runs for Brunswick. In the bottom of the 9th, Wen-huan Liu reaches on an error (E5) with one out. But Jayden Tennant then hits into a U6-3 double play to end the game. FINAL: Brunswick 7 – Kingston 2 *Player of the Game:* Hirotada Fukushima picks up the win, going 9.0 IP, 7 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 4 K (2-0, 2.00 ERA). Maurice Evans goes 2-4, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 1 R. Stuart Bentham goes 2-4, 1 RBI, 2 R. For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert took the loss, going 7.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (1-2, 4.79 ERA). -------- Game 4 The Pelicans and Legends were back at it for Game 4 at Kingston Park. 27,046 were on hand to see if their Pelicans could tie matters up. It was a warm, clear afternoon with a slight breeze blowing in from left to right. As in Game 1, RHP Jim Hogue pitched for Kingston, while RHP Hun Park took the hill for Brunswick. Top of the 1st: Woody Eaton and Terry Aspden lead off with back-to-back singles. With one out, SP Hogue attempts to pick-off the base runner at 1B, but an error (E1) allows Eaton to score. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 1st: Jamie Couch leads off with a walk. With one out, Katsunan Chikafuji and Dean Bishop hit back-to-back singles, scoring Couch. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 1 Bottom of the 6th: Dean Bishop leads off with a full-count solo home run to leftfield. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 7th: Jamie Couch draws a walk with one out. Couch steals second, but a throwing error (E2) allows him to reach 3B. PH Mo Symes then flies out to centerfield scoring Couch. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 3 Bottom of the 8th: Jayden Tennant walks with two out. After LHP Rob Fields comes into the game in relief of Hun Park, Harley Simmons smashes a first-pitch double, scoring Tennant. In the top of the 9th, Harry Chatwin leads off with a walk. But the Legends go down 1-2-3 after that, allowing Kingston to tie up the series once again. FINAL: Brunswick 1 – Kingston 4 *Player of the Game:* Jim Hogue goes the distance, with 9 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 K (2-2, 3.31 ERA). Dean Bishop goes 2-4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R. Jayden Tennant went 2-3, 1 R, 1 BB. For Brunswick: Hun Park took the loss, going 7.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 5 K, 1 HR (2-2, 2.84 ERA). -------- Game 5 A carbon copy of the day before, 27,044 enjoyed the warm, clear skies and a soft breeze blowing from right to left. As in Game 2, LHP Patrick Denman started for Kingston while LHP Matthew Monroe started for Brunswick. Bottom of the 2nd: SP Monroe gets into a bit of trouble when Kingston loads the bases with nobody out. A single by Brian Main and back-to-back walks issued to Jamie Couch and Lance Haworth pushes three runs across the plate. Brunswick 0 – Kingston 3 Bottom of the 3rd: After Dean Bishop leads off with a walk, Wen-huan Liu shows off his power with a two-run home run to left field. With one out, Brian Main reaches safely on an error (E1). After advancing to 2B on a sac bunt, Main comes in to score on Jamie Couch's single. Brunswick 0 – Kingston 6 Top of the 4th: Terry Aspden leads off with a single, reaches 3B on an error (E4) and scores when Derek Sakurai grounds out. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 6 Bottom of the 4th: Three consecutive singles by Katsunan Chikafuji, Dean Bishop and Wen-huan Liu pushes another run across for Kingston. Brunswick 1 – Kingston 7 Top of the 9th: Brunswick loads the bases with nobody out, thanks to a lead off single by PR Rhett Curnow, a walk issued to Woody Eaton and Vince Bailey being hit by a pitch. Curnow scores on a sac fly by Stuart Bentham, but SP Denman is able to limit the damage after that as Kingston takes a 3 games to 2 lead in the series. FINAL: Brunswick 2 – Kingston 7 *Player of the Game:* Wen-huan Liu goes 3-4, 1 HR, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 2 R. Patrick Denman remains undefeated in the playoffs, going 9.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 8 BB, 2 K (3-0, 2.65 ERA). Dean Bishop goes 2-3, 2 R, 1 BB. Brian Main goes 2-4, 1 RBI, 1 R. For Brunswick: Matthew Monroe suffers his first loss, going 5.0 IP, 9 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 1 HR (2-1, 4.15 ERA). *Noteworthy:* Patrick Denman ties the playoff record for walks with 8. -------- Game 6 The Series returned to Brunswick with the Legends needing to win both remaining games if they wanted to win the United Cup. For the first time in this year's playoffs, the skies were grey with a soft but steady rain falling throughout the afternoon. The weather seemed appropriate, as a sombre crowd of 30,924 observed a moment of silence prior to the game to honour United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who had died suddenly the previous afternoon in Washington. But even without the pre-game events, Game 6 would be the talk of the nation, as it took 8 different pitchers and 5 hours, 33 minutes to finally determine an outcome. As in Game 3, LHP Hirotada Fukushima started for Brunswick, while RHP Charlie Gilbert got the call for Kingston. Top of the 2nd: Wen-huan Liu walks with one out and scores on Jayden Tennant's double. Kingston 1 – Brunswick 0 Bottom of the 4th: Terry Aspden smashes a one-out solo home run to rightfield to tie things up. Kingston 1 – Brunswick 1 Top of the 7th: Jayden Tennant leads off with a single and beats the throw to 2B when Brian Main reaches 1B safely on a sac bunt. After Tennant is replaced by PR Soshu Shimizu, the base runners advance on a sac bunt by Charlie Gilbert. Chong-sik Lee then singles, scoring both Shimizu and Main. Kingston 3 – Brunswick 1 Bottom of the 9th: With one out and Luis Veláquez pitching in relief of Charlie Gilbert, Maurice Evans doubles. After PH Cliff Jordan draws a walk with two out, Evans is replaced at 2B with PR Daniel Martin. Down to their final out, Brunswick's pinch hitters Carson Morehouse and Cedric Horsey bang out back-to-back singles, scoring both Martin and Jordan to tie the game up once again. Woody Eaton then grounds out to end the inning, sending the game into extras, for the second time in the series. Kingston 3 – Brunswick 3 -------- A rain delay holds up the game for 54 minutes in the bottom the 14th inning. -------- Kingston has its best chance at winning in the top of the 15th, when they load the bases with one out. But Katsunan Chikafuji grounds into a 5-2-3 double play to snuff out the threat as the game carries on in the rain. -------- Bottom of the 16th: Harry Chatwin leads off with a single. With one out, Benton Jefferson reaches on an error (E6) as Chatwin moves up to 2B. After Jim Ferguson lays down a sac bunt to advance the runners, Woody Eaton singles off of RHP Bernie Knowles, scoring Chatwin for the winning run. Brunswick ties the series up at 3 games apiece and forces a Game 7 for the second year in a row. FINAL: Kingston 3 – Brunswick 4 *Player of the Game:* Despite his team's loss, Kingston's Charlie Gilbert picked up game honours, going 8.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR (1-2, 3.77 ERA). Chong-sik Lee went 1-1, 2 RBI. Jayden Tennant went 2-3, 1-2B, 1 RBI. For Brunswick: Hirotada Fukushima went 8.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 5 BB, 1 K, (2-0, 2.42 ERA). *Noteworthy:* Woody Eaton sets the playoff extra-inning game record for at-bats with 8. -------- Game 7 For the second year in a row, the Brunswick Legends have come from behind to force a game 7. Its the third time in United Leagues history that the United Cup has gone the full seven games. The rainy, grey gloom was gone, and warm (67 F), sunny skies took its place. Just a light breeze blew out to right as 30,846 were on hand to cheer on their team in the final, decisive game. Brunswick's RHP Hun Park and Kingston's RHP Jim Hogue faced each other for the third time in the series. Park won Game 1, while Hogue got the 'W' in Game 4. Top of the 2nd: Katsunan Chikafuji leads off with a single and reaches 2B on a ground-out. With two out, Jayden Tennant singles, advancing Chikafuji to 3B. Harley Simmons then doubles, scoring both runs. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 0 Bottom of the 5th: After Derek Sakurai singles with one out, Vince Bailey immediately follows with a triple to score Sakurai. Bailey comes home with the tying run thanks to a Hun Park sac fly to centerfield. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 2 Bottom of the 6th: With two out, Matthew Shelley singles, Maurice Evans walks and Harry Chatwin reaches safely on an error (E3) to load the bases. That sets up Derek Sakurai, who singles in both Shelley and Evans, as Brunswick surges ahead. Kingston 2 – Brunswick 4 Top of the 8th: After Lance Haworth leads off with a walk, Danny Trowbridge singles to put runners on the corners. Katsunan Chikafuji then grounds into a 5-4-3 double play, but Haworth comes in to score to get Kingston to within one. Kingston 3 – Brunswick 4 Bottom of the 8th: Kingston runs into defensive problems in the 8th. Stuart Bentham singles, Matthew Shelley walks and Maurice Evans reaches safely on an error (dropped throw, E3) to load the bases with nobody out. Harry Chatwin flies out to centerfield, but a throwing error (E8) allows Bentham to score the insurance run. In the top of the 9th inning, Harley Simmons draws a walk off of RP Luke Woodward with two out. But PH Mo Symes then flies out to rightfield to end the inning, the game and the series. FINAL: Kingston 3 – Brunswick 5 *Player of the Game:* Hun Park is the hero, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (3-2, 2.95 ERA). Derek Sakurai goes 2-3, 2 RBI, 1 R. For Kingston: Although the game box listed Park as the Player of the Game, the score page in OOTP listed Jim Hogue as having the *#1 Performance of the Day. For what its worth, both pitchers finished with a game score of 53. For the record, Hogue went 8.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (2-3, 3.10 ERA). Harley Simmons goes 1-2, 1-2B, 2 RBI, 1 BB. -------- In a first (for me), the Most Valuable Player Award goes to a member of the losing team: __________________ United Leagues of Braeland* Last edited by reds1; 07-15-2017 at 12:11 AM.

07-18-2016, 07:04 AM	#289
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	__________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-15-2017 at 12:11 AM.

07-18-2016, 08:30 AM	#290
BigRed75 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 2,430	You know, my first teaching post was in a town called Brunswick. But I just can't bring myself to support a team that's basically just a Yankees analog. __________________ Mainline team SPTT team Was not a Snag fan...until I saw the fallout once he was gone and realized what a good job he was actually doing. - Ty Cobb

07-18-2016, 10:27 AM	#291
Bottom Of The Sixth All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 1,239	Talk about some nail-biting, sitting-at-the-edge-of-your-seat baseball! You can't get much better than that! Anyone up for a bet that either the Pelicans and Legends will be playing in next year's cup?

07-25-2016, 10:20 PM	#293
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	__________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-15-2017 at 12:12 AM.

07-29-2016, 06:01 PM	#294
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	1944-45 United Leagues of Braeland Awards Eastern League The Brunswick Legends were far and away the best team in the United Leagues this season, let alone the Eastern League, so it’s no surprise that two of the top three individual awards went to Brunswick players. Indeed, a total of five Legends were in the running for all three awards. Babe Ruth Award After finishing third for the 1941-42 Babe Ruth Award, four-time All-Star 1B Stuart Bentham wins the Babe Ruth Award for the first time. He finished just ahead of teammate Mark Elston, who won the award two seasons ago. The runners-up for the award were: 2nd: Brunswick's RF Mark Elston (.279/.395/.456, 20 HR, 99 RBI, 4.7 WAR) 3rd: Queensland's CF Jon Moreau (.338/.368/.525, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 6.5 WAR) Stuart Bentham led the Eastern League in BB (109), OPS (.898), Total Bases (270), BB (109) and IW (34). He tied with Mark Elston for HR (20). Mark Elston led the League in 2B (39) and tied Stuart Bentham for HR as noted above. Elston currently leads the entire ULB for career walks (821). Jon Moreau led the circuit in AVG (.338), SLG (.525), ISO (.187) and WAR (6.5). *Previous Winners:* 1937-38: Katsunan Chikafuji, Queensland Eagles 1938-39: Paul Hooks, Embro Suns 1939-40: Terence Durney, Embro Suns 1940-41: Jim Friend, Embro Suns 1941-42: Jim Friend, Embro Suns 1942-43: Mark Elston, Brunswick Legends 1943-44: Dean Bishop, Braeland City Monarchs -------- Satchel Paige Award After coming in third in 1938-39 and second in 1942-43, Brunswick’s Matthew Monroe finally snags the Satchel Paige Award for his efforts this season. The other pitchers under consideration included Monroe’s teammate: 2nd: Brunswick's LHP Hirotada Fukushima (20-9, 2.57 ERA, 1.17 WHIP, 3.12 FIP) 3rd: Queensland's RHP Francisco López (19-6, 2.33 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.97 FIP) Monroe led the League in wins (22) and Winning PCT (.786). He tied Braeland City’s LHP David Cooling in Shutouts (5). Fukushima led the East in Hits/9 IP (7.7), Opponents AVG (.230) and Opponents OPS (.597). López led in ERA (2.33). *Previous Winners:* 1937-38: Colm Soper, Embro Suns 1938-39: Justin Hayhurst, Stratford Barons 1939-40: Lenny Freke, Braeland City Monarchs 1940-41: David Cooling, Braeland City Monarchs 1941-42: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends 1942-43: Anastasio Rodríguez, Brunswick Legends 1943-44: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons -------- Rookie of the Year Award When all-star 1B Dean Bishop was acquired by the Kingston Pelicans back on December 7, the Braeland City Monarchs promoted 22-year old rookie Kyle Prior from AAA to take his place. He did not disappoint, winning two Rookie of the Month and one Batter of the Month Awards, on route to capturing the 1944-45 Rookie of the Year Award in the East. The former third-round pick from 1940-41 led the Monarchs in home runs and intentional walks (7), and finished second in RBIs (10 behind teammate Trevor Bolen). Here were the runners-up: 2nd: Brunswick's RHP Hun Park (16-12, 3.38 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.16 FIP) 3rd: Queensland’s RF Jilenko Vergara (.315/.364/.445, 8 HR, 48 RBI, 2.4 WAR) *Previous Winners:* 1938-39: Adam Ashley, Braeland City Monarchs 1939-40: Soren Heinke, Wellington Athletics 1940-41: Dean Bishop, Queensland Eagles 1941-42: Harry Chatwin, Brunswick Legends 1942-43: Geoff Lemoine, Stratford Barons 1943-44: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles -------- Western League Babe Ruth Award The Award went to a familiar face, as Carlton Broadbent won for the second consecutive year with an even more impressive effort. Noteworthy was his defense, as it went from being a liability (-10.3 ZR) last season to a positive (+2.4). On his heels for the Award were a couple of Pelicans: 2nd: Kingston's C Danny Trowbridge (.340/.419/.492, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 7.4 WAR) 3rd: Kingston's SS Katsunan Chikafuji (.334/.393/.476, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 7.6 WAR) Broadbent led the Western League in Hits (212), HR (22), RBI (109), AVG (.345), SLG (.535), OPS (.936), RC/27 Outs (8.16), ISO (.190) and Total Bases (329). Trowbridge led the West in OPB (.419). Chikafuji led the West in WAR (7.6) for the second year in a row. *Previous Winners:* 1937-38: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans 1938-39: Fergus Chitty, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans 1940-41: Steven Winstanley, Hespeler Stars 1941-42: Jayden Tennant, Kingston Pelicans 1942-43: Ron Westmacott, Cambria Cannons 1943-44: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants -------- Satchel Paige Award The streak of Pelicans winning the Pitcher of the Year Award came to an end, as Sherburn’s 26-year old RHP Roberto Taváres enjoyed a breakout season in his third full year in the ULB. Runners-up for the award included last season's winner: 2nd: Camria's LHP Owen Tautor (19-14, 3.15 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.06 FIP) 3rd: Kingston's RHP Francis Slocock (16-8, 2.75 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.24 FIP) Taváres led the West in ERA (2.33), HR/9 (0.1), Winning PCT (.714) and WAR (6.9). He tied with Tautor for the lead in GS (34) and IP (285.2). He tied for wins in the West with Wolseley’s LHP Bruce Whitten with 20. Tautor tied Taváres in GS (20) and IP (285.2) and led the West in BB/9 (1.7) and K/BB (2.00). Slocock led the League in WHIP (1.16). *Previous Winners:* 1937-38: Neil Guerin, Cambria Cannons 1938-39: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1939-40: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1940-41: Brady Murdy, Kingston Pelicans 1941-42: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans 1942-43: Joey Cumberledge, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Francis Slocock, Kingston Pelicans -------- Rookie of the Year Award The 28-year old free agent from Taiwan quickly made his presence felt, as Hao Wang won three Rookie of the Month Awards, hit for the cycle and was selected to the All-Star game during the course of the season. He capped it off winning the Rookie of the Year Award. Here were the runners-up for the Award: 2nd: Wolseley's 2B Oscar Agnolutto (.259/.323/.341 7 HR, 50 RBI, 3.7 WAR) 3rd: Pulberry's CF Tadamichi Matsumoto (.286/.312/.397, 4 HR, 39 RBI, 2.8 WAR) *Previous Winners:* 1938-39: Aaron Flanagan, Wolseley Unions 1939-40: Francisco Rodríguez, Balmoral Giants 1940-41: Leon Hankey, Cambria Cannons 1941-42: Brian Pittman, Balmoral Giants 1942-43: Freddie Duran, Kingston Pelicans 1943-44: Rizalino Ringor, Wolseley Unions -------- Manager of the Year Award For the third consecutive season, 41-year old Ben Houchens of the Kingston Pelicans won the Western League Manager of the Award. He is the first manager to win three Manager Awards and the only one to win it in consecutive years, let alone winning it three years in a row. After a bit of a down year, the 56-year old Wesley Leseberg guided his Brunswick Legends to their second 100+ win season and their third United Cup Championship. Not surprisingly, he won his second Manager of the Year Award, after first winning it in 1942-43. During the recent United Cup Series, the disparate managing styles of the two men were put on display. While the Australian Leseberg maintains a relaxed, non-confrontational atmosphere in the Legends’ dugout, Houchens’ penchant for profanity-laced outbursts and lively meetings with the umpires ensured that no one would confuse the two. Despite their recent success, the two managers have a ways to go before they reach the upper echelon of the manager ranks. At the end of this season, Houchens is 12th in Wins (516), while Leseberg is 14th (474). In terms of ‘Wins over .500’, Houchens is 3rd overall with 108 (516-408), while Leseberg is 11th with 23 (474-451). Overall, Stratford’s Bill Quinn leads all managers with 686 wins and 140 ‘Wins over .500’ (686-546). *Previous Winners:* 1937-38: Bradley Balmforth, Wellington Athletics; Rouke Barclay, Sherburn Tigers, 1938-39: Vic Windle, Embro Suns; John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans, 1939-40: Warren Paulino, Braeland City Monarchs; Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons, 1940-41: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons; John Permenter, Kingston Pelicans, 1941-42: Babe Ruth, Brunswick Legends; Eddie Frierson, Cambria Cannons. 1942-43: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends; Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans. 1943-44: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons; Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans. -------- New Records Two new single-season offensive records were set in 1944-45. 28-year old CF Jamie Couch of the Kingston Pelicans set a new record for singles with 176, surpassing former teammate Rovilson Valdevieso who hit 175 singles in 1939-40, while with the Brunswick Legends. In a rather dubious distinction, Stratford Barons’ 26-year old RF Dan Hunter set a new record for Caught Stealing with 32 (to go along with 28 SB). Hunter’s new record well-surpasses the old mark of 25, set by Wellington Athletics’ Ryley McLarnon (who ‘accomplished’ it twice – in 1937 and 1939). __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-15-2017 at 12:14 AM.

11-22-2016, 12:33 AM	#295
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Notes on 1944-45 All-Braeland Team Starting Pitcher Some fine performances in the United Leagues from the pitchers this season, but it essentially came down to the two Satchel Paige Award winners: Brunswick's Matthew Monroe (22-6, 2.51 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 144 ERA+, 6.1 WAR) and Sherburn's Roberto Taváres (20-8, 2.33 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 156 ERA+, 6.9 WAR). But for me, the easy choice was the 26-year old Taváres. He led the Western League in Wins, ERA, GS (34), IP (285.2), HR/9 (0.1) and WAR (among pitchers). Monroe's numbers were very similar to last season, when he was runner-up as well. -------- Catcher Danny Trowbridge (.340/.419/.492, 14 HR, 83 RBI, 96 R, 74 BB, 7.8 WAR, .976 fielding %) won his fourth consecutive berth onto the All-Braeland Team, and it isn't hard to see why; he had perhaps the finest season a catcher has ever had in the United Leagues. This past season saw Mr. Trowbridge set all-time marks for catchers in OBP (.419), OPS (.911) and WAR. Also enjoying fine seasons behind the plate were: Hespeler's Aaron Skidmore (.262/.390/.424, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 65 R, 102 BB, 6.5 WAR, .973 fielding %) Fort Richmond's Heung-su Park (.312/.373/.466, 13 HR, 63 RBI, 70 R, 44 BB, 5.2 WAR, .967 fielding %) Incidentally, both Skidmore and Park would be involved in separate trades later in the off-season. -------- First Base After being in the running in 1941-42 and 1942-43, and then enduring a injury plagued season in 1943-44, Brunswick's Stuart Bentham (.316/.427/.471, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 95 R, 109 BB, 5.1 WAR, .991 fielding %) put it all together this past season to earn his first nod to the All-Braeland Team. Bentham led the Eastern circuit in HR, BB, and OPS (.898). Kingston’s Dean Bishop (.269/.358/.462, 24 HR, 112 RBI, 87 R, 83 BB, 5.9 WAR, .987 fielding %), who was named to the team last season and won a Top Fielder Award this year, was also a worthy candidate. -------- Second Base Two 2B stood out this season as deserving candidates for the All-Braeland Team: Balmoral's Allen Cattanach (.294/.374/.394, 4 HR, 80 RBI, 87 R, 76 BB, 4.7 WAR, .965 fielding %) Fort Richmond’s Neil Boyle (.285/.361/.364, 0 HR, 44 RBI, 56 R, 61 BB, 4.9 WAR, .983 fielding %). Boyle won a Top Fielder Award this season with a jaw-dropping defensive performance, but I went with the top-rated 2B Cattanach, as he held his own defensively and was a more complete offensive player than Boyle. Cattanach was a runner-up last season. -------- Third Base He's a 6-time all-star and winner of 5 Top Fielder Awards in addition to a Rookie of the Year Award, but Braeland City's 32-year old Adam Ashley (.319/.363/.412, 3 HR, 58 RBI, 89 R, 41 BB, 14 SB, 5.0 WAR, .963 fielding %) had never made the All-Braeland Team until this season. He came close in 1941-42 though, playing primarily at SS. This season saw him play the majority of his games at 3B for the first time. And no wonder – he is rated as the top 3B in the ULB. Otton Overbeek (.313/.341/.459, 7 HR, 70 RBI, 64 R, 18 BB, 4.5 WAR, .979 fielding %), who made the team last season for Balmoral, again had a fine season. He too was traded in the off-season and is penciled in as Braeland City's new SS – to play alongside Adam Ashley. -------- Shortstop The top-four rated shortstops in the ULB put in performances this past season that were worthy of the All-Braeland Team: Kingston's Katsunan Chikafuji (.334/.393/.476, 13 HR, 108 RBI, 90 R, 61 BB, 15 SB, 8.0 WAR, .968 fielding %) Balmoral's Francisco Rodríguez (.303/.349/.437, 6 HR, 75 RBI, 75 R, 40 BB, 5.6 WAR, .961 fielding %) Embro's Gary Watkinson (.337/.435/.411, 1 HR, 72 RBI, 90 R, 104 BB, 6.6 WAR, .974 fielding %) Stratford's Jake Walker (.328/.425/.462, 7 HR, 69 RBI, 81 R, 95 BB, 5.7 WAR, .930 fielding %) Some fine offensive performances produced by that group, but overall, Chikafuji was just a bit better. Combined with his award-winning defensive performance this season, the choice was clear. -------- Leftfield There were three candidates for LF on the All-Braeland Team this season: Pulberry's Bruno Lapthorne (.286/.338/.464, 17 HR, 95 RBI, 85 R, 45 BB, 15 SB, 4.2 WAR, .979 fielding %) Cambria's Nicky Willis (.307/.399/.473, 15 HR, 97 RBI, 107 R, 97 BB, 5.1 WAR, .978 fielding %) Embro's Yoshino Ito (.293/.382/.406, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 118 R, 92 BB, 37 SB, 4.7 WAR, .978 fielding %) Tough call, as all three had their strong points. Lapthorne was the strongest defensively, as Willis and Ito did not have particularly strong defensive years. Ito led the East in PA (730), AB (628), runs and stolen bases, while Willis led the West in runs and doubles (50). I went with Willis, but it was not an automatic choice this time around. -------- Centerfield This selection has been going back and forth between Jon Moreau and Terence Durney over the past few season and this year was no different. For the record, there were four I considered: Queensland's Jon Moreau (.338/.368/.525, 11 HR, 80 RBI, 76 R, 26 BB, 7.1 WAR, .959 fielding %) Embro's Terence Durney (.299/.383/.410, 8 HR, 101 RBI, 78 R, 83 BB, 6.3 WAR, .991 fielding %) Kingston's Jaimie Couch (.323/.365/.396, 3 HR, 85 RBI, 95 R, 42 BB, 6.7 WAR, .981 fielding %) Brunswick's Harry Chatwin (.324/.379/.452, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 77 R, 47 BB, 15 SB, 5.2 WAR, .976 fielding %) Moreau led the East in AVG, SLG and WAR; Durney in RBI. In the West, Couch led in PA (713), AB (657) and hits (212). Ultimately, I went with Moreau for both his fine offensive and defensive performances (he picked up his second Top Fielder Award). -------- Rightfield For the second straight year, Balmoral's Carlton Broadbent (.345/.401/.535, 22 HR, 109 RBI, 105 R, 63 BB, 6.9 WAR, .974 fielding %) made this selection rather automatic. Aside from winning his second-consecutive Babe Ruth Award, he also put together his first solid performance in the outfield in years. For good measure, Broadbent led the Eastern League in hits (212), HR, RBI, AVG, SLG and OPS (.936). But a couple of other players had fine seasons as well: Brunswick's Mark Elston (.279/.395/.456, 20 HR, 99 RBI, 92 R, 106 BB, 5.1 WAR, .976 fielding %) Downie's Ricardo Castellanos (.296/.359/.433, 10 HR, 61 RBI, 75 R, 53 BB, 13 SB, 5.4 WAR, .962 fielding %) __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-15-2017 at 12:14 AM. Reason: Danny Trowbridge drew 74 BB this season, not 874!

11-22-2016, 03:19 AM	#296
Izz Hall Of Famer Join Date: Sep 2012 Posts: 2,467	You're back!! Hooray!! __________________ Not only do I play OOTP but I also write science-fiction: My Website A brief history of the Australia-New Zealand Baseball League (AUNZBL 2019-2119)--A Dynasty Report The National Penterham Four-Bases Association--A Dynasty Report

11-22-2016, 03:33 AM	#297
BigRed75 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2009 Posts: 2,430	Welcome back! __________________ Mainline team SPTT team Was not a Snag fan...until I saw the fallout once he was gone and realized what a good job he was actually doing. - Ty Cobb

11-22-2016, 06:37 PM	#298
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Thanks, guys! Believe me, it wasn't because it took me this long to select an All-Braeland Team. When you start to feel burnt out, you need to step back and take a little break. Then you can get back on the horse. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 11-22-2016 at 07:22 PM.

11-26-2016, 12:27 AM	#300
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	September 3, 1945 1945 Off-Season: Returning Players Eager to Leave the Battlefield Behind Driving gas and oil trucks for refueling planes wasn't exactly the most exciting assignment in the war, but it was one Steven Winstanley took seriously nonetheless. “Somebody had to do it”, opined Private Winstanley, “so I was proud to do it.” But as the returning outfielder for the Stratford Barons noted, it was not all routine. “I was stationed at the beachhead at Torokina on Bourgainville in November 1943, as part of the battalion maintaining the newly constructed air strips. The Japanese Army didn't care for our presence there and began shelling the beachhead, targeting the air strips and our supply dumps. It got pretty hot there for a while, as the Japanese had taken control of the ridges overlooking the beach. We survived, but it wasn't until mid-December that the 21st Marines finally drove them off and took control of the southern half of the island. Didn't leave a lot of time for playing baseball, I can tell you.” Harrowing experiences such as Winstanley's proved to be the exception rather than the rule, fortunately. But for all involved, the knowledge that attacks could come without warning was stressful enough. Able Seaman Wilson Villas and Seaman Jamie Florey both served on the corvette HMBR Arrow in New Caledonia, serving on patrol and convoy escort duty. While they saw little in the way of actual fighting, they were involved in the search back on August 19, 1943, for the Japanese submarine I-17, the first Axis ship to shell the United States mainland. “We accompanied the US Scouting Squadron VS-57 as they joined up with the New Zealand HMNZS Tui, who had spotted the sub 40 miles off the coast of New Caledonia” explained Villas, who will be returning to pitch for the defending champion Brunswick Legends. “Both Jamie and I watched as the Tui and the Kingfisher floatplanes struck her and finished her off. It was the Arrow who picked up the survivors, just six of them, out of a crew of 97 sailors.” Like Winstanley, their duties during the course of their service left little time for organizing ball games. “We sometimes heard of the exploits of the Base 30 Manila Dodgers and the U.S. Navy all-star team,” added Jamie, who will attempt to work his way back into the starting lineup of the Pulberry Trolleys. “But we were far removed from that sort of action. Needless to say, we're all pretty anxious to get back onto the ballfield and leave the battlefields behind. ” The same can be said for Braelanders in general, as the country looks to another season of action. But this time, they will be welcoming back their baseball heroes instead of seeing them off to war. With an eye on the upcoming 'Coconut Leagues', many of the teams spent the off-season wheeling and dealing, with the hopes of positioning themselves for success in the upcoming 1945-46 season. Here are the noteworthy trades this off-season: June 2: The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old OF Ricardo Castellanos (65/67) from the Downie Chiefs. In return, the Chiefs received three minor leaguers: 21-year old RP Bill Lafontaine (47/78), 22-year old SP Kent Allomes (20/48), 24-year old SP Teune van Heijbeeck (23/36), $7,500. *Knee-jerk reaction:* Not sure what the Chiefs were thinking here. Downie is nowhere near to competing for a pennant, so the trade of Castellanos to a contending team for some younger prospects isn't all that surprising. But their haul is a bit underwhelming. Right now, Lafontaine is a borderline starter, but he if can develop his changeup (20/25), then the complexion of this deal changes. Then both he and Allomes would be potentially nice additions to a future rotation. Meanwhile, Castellanos is a 3-time all-star and 2-time Top Fielder, so the Barons' lineup gets a much needed boost. The Baron's team batting average (.264) hit an all-time low last season where they lost 82 games. The season before, they won 93 and finished in first place. ----------- June 7: The Sherburn Tigers acquired 26-year old C Neil Voigt (65/65) and $4,200 from the Cobourg Red Stockings. In return, the Red Stockings received four minor leaguers: 21-year old SP Hank Bennett (20/59), 21-year old IF/OF Conor Almond (22/23), 24-yearold OF Kane Tabor (22/22), 24-year old RF Manuel Ocampto (22/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* With 3-time all-star C Joe Gault turning 40-years old in November, the Tigers felt the need to make an upgrade behind the plate and found a willing partner in Cobourg. Voigt fills that need and is pegged as Sherburn's No. 4 hitter in the lineup. Voight had somewhat of a down year last season and perhaps that affected his trade value. But the Red Stockings do get a serviceable starter in Bennett who immediately becomes their top pitching prospect. At any rate, Cobourg obviously feels that 3rd round pick from 1942-43, 22 year old Jilenko Batiles (56/66) is ready to take over. As a side note, the Tigers also acquired C Brian Pittman from the Balmoral Giants in a minor deal to serve as Voigt's backup. Pittman was a 6th round pick back in 1937-38 who went on to win Rookie of the Year honours in 1942-43. ----------- June 25: The Braeland City Monarchs traded for 25-year old IF Otton Overbeek (23/32) from the Balmoral Giants. In return, the Giants received 36-year old LF Scott Kessler (35/35) and 19-year old minor league C Dominic Pipard (23/71). *Knee-jerk reaction:* My feeling is that OOTP17 is underselling Overbeek as he is coming off consecutive outstanding seasons or at least penalizing him as a shortstop (yes – in fact, he's rated as 38/65 at the hot corner where he has played for most of his career). Overbeek will take over from 36-year old Finlay Ridd who regressed a little last season. Ridd will move to 2B. For the Giants, the loss of Overbeek will be felt, as his current replacement, 32-year old Chito Domogma (38/38) is definitely not an upgrade. But at least they have an up-an-coming prospect in Pipard, whose development has consistently been trending upward since he was drafted in the 4th round in 1943-44. As for Kessler, a former 5-time all-star, his starting days appear over and will serve as a utility OF for Balmoral. ----------- July 5: The Cambria Cannons acquired 27-year old C Heung-su Park (67/67) and $5,600 from the Fort Richmond Generals. In return, the Generals received four minor leaguers: 23-year old SS Clive Lanham (23/34), 24-year old RP Arthur Collier (32/69), 20-year old OF Johhny [that’s how he spells his name] Barberie (22/26), 24-year old 2B Juan Estrada (23/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* An absolute puzzler from my end, as the Generals ship out yet another 1st round pick in Park, who is coming off his best season yet. (Fort Richmond traded 2nd overall pick C Danny Trowbridge back in 1943). Unless they make a trade in the near future, the Cannons will boast the strongest catching tandem in the ULB, as Park is expected to take over the primary catching duties from 25-year old Scott Weller, who earned a trip to the All-Star game last year as well as a Top Fielder Award for good measure. Fort Richmond does get two former 1st round picks in return, but Lanham has not developed his earlier promise and Collier is a relief pitcher. A potentially decent one mind you, but still just a reliever. Fort Richmond will be his sixth team – and he has still yet to get a sniff of the majors. 'Nuff said. ----------- July 12: The Stratford Barons acquired 25-year old C Aaron Skidmore (74/77) and $8,300 from the Hespeler Stars. In return, the Stars received 21-year old SP/RP Stephen Tindall (29/79) and 24-year old minor league SP/RP Francisco Báez (20/23). *Knee-jerk reaction:* Seeing 25-year old C Geoff Lemoine severely regress last season prompted the Barons to make another major acquisition. This time, they got the best catcher in the ULB not named Danny Trowbridge. While he doesn't hit for high average, Skidmore enjoyed a tremendous season last and has been rock-solid ever since he reached the majors. The Stars in turn feel that 23-year old C Enrique García (23/66) is ready to take over. He was a 2nd round pick just this past season. Tindall is projected as a future starter, but the former 7th overall pick from 1943-44 is not as highly touted as he was initially. Still, he has lots of potential , and could be an ace if everything falls into place. ----------- July 31: The Embro Suns acquired 26-year old SP Jim Hogue (68/68) from the Kingston Pelicans. In return, the Pelicans got 27-year old 3B Britt Wing (65/68). *Knee-jerk reaction:* With their infield stacked (and with 1B Jim Friend's imminent return to the lineup from military service), the Suns deemed the lightly-used Wing expendable. Britt Wing has not done a whole lot since he was drafted in the second round by the Fort Richmond Generals back in 1938-39 and he will be essentially buried in Kingston's depth chart, so it's not entirely clear what the Pelicans were thinking here. Despite the loss of Hogue, Kingston is still disgustingly strong in their rotation, so the loss of Hogue will not be all that noticeable. For the Suns, however, Hoque is pegged as their No. 3 starter and should provide a nice 1-2-3 punch in rotation, behind Oscar Burress (72/72) and Myung-gu Son (72/72). I like this trade a lot for Embro. ----------- Below is the War Gained chart and it documents the aggressive moves made by the Stratford Barons to land C Skidmore and OF Castellanos. The Barons missed the playoffs last season after finishing in first place the season before. It will be interesting to see how they fare against the defending United Cup champions, the Brunswick Legends, who were rather quiet this off-season. On the other hand, the Cambria Cannons are not standing idle, despite finishing in first place last season. It's pretty clear they want to beat the Kingston Pelicans in the playoffs next time – not just in the regular season. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-15-2017 at 12:17 AM.