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03-06-2018, 12:40 AM
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#421 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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March 28, 1949
Eastern League: Braeland City, Stratford Set for Pennant Rematch    --------   Offense: .296/.367/.453 (1st/2nd/1st) Pitching: 3.74/3.80/3.46 (1st/2nd/1st) Defense: .710 (3rd) Chemistry: Ecstatic The Braeland City Monarchs finished in first place in the East for just the second time in their history. Three times previously they have won 96 games, but this year, they topped out with a ULB-wide best of 104 games. Two other teams have reached the 104-win mark: the 1942-43 Embro Suns and 1945-46 Kingston Pelicans. Interestingly, neither of those teams won the United Cup in their respective years. So, nothing is guaranteed for the mighty Monarchs. Top Position Player: 26-year old C Christopher Dainty (.328/.427/.534, 20 HR, 84 RBI, 82 BB, 6.6 WAR) was just outstanding in his second full season in the ULB. In July 1948, he was rated the 13th best catcher in the United Leagues. Now, he is rated the 3rd best, behind only Stratford’s Aaron Skidmore and Kingston’s Danny Trowbridge. Top Pitcher: 28-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (21-9, 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 138 ERA+, 6.8 WAR) finally put together an injury-free season, allowing him to take over as Braeland City’s No. 1 starter and win over 20 games for the first time in his career. He is only pitcher in the United Leagues to win 20+ games this season. The last time he was able to play a complete season was in 1945-46, where he went 16-8, 3.86, ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 109 ERA+. Player of the Week Awards: February 21 – 1B Dean Witherden (.462, 12 H, 1 HR, 9 RBI) March 7 – 1B Dean Witherden (.545, 12 H, 2 HR, 10 RBI) Noteworthy: March 14 – 39-year old LHP David Cooling (15-5, 3.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 108 ERA+) became the third pitcher to reach 200 career wins, when he defeated the Queensland Eagles 6-3. He now joins Stratford’s Joel Fearn and Brunswick’s Anastasio Rodríguez in the 200-victory club.   March 26 – It took 13 innings for the Monarchs to finally prevail over the Cobourg Red Stockings at Cobourg’s Radcliffe Field. The final score was 9-7 and included a 5 for 7 effort from 30-year 2B Dennis Borton (.354/.399/.495, 12 HR, 90 RBI, 39 BB, 3 SB, 4.3 WAR) against his old team. Borton flied out in the 1st, singled in the 4th, tripled in the 5th, flied out in the 7th, hit an RBI single in the 9th, singled in the 11th and hit what proved to be the winning two-run triple in the 13th. Current Injuries: CF Curt Tiffany – January 5 – ruptured tendon (finger). Out for: 6 days. RHP Freddie Trerise – March 25 – sore shoulder. Out for: DtD, 3 days. --------   Offense: .265/.372/.385 (5th/1st/5th) Pitching: 3.98/3.74/5.28 (3rd/1st/7th) Defense: .702 (5th) Chemistry: Ecstatic The Stratford Barons finally woke up in March to nail down the wild card and prevent any chance of the Downie Chiefs from catching them. It’s the fifth time the Barons have qualified for the post-season, but the first time they do as the second-place team. It’s also the first time they have made the playoffs two seasons in a row. They have alternated United Cup championships. They failed to win last year; they may be due this season if that trend continues. Top Position Player: 29-year C Aaron Skidmore (.311/.488/.538, 21 HR, 98 RBI, 160 BB, 8.4 WAR) has entrenched himself as the United Leagues top player this season. He has averaged 6.9 WAR over the past 5 seasons. He set two new records this season: OBP and walks.    Top Pitchers: This goes to Stratford’s aging nucleus of pitchers: 40-year old LHP Ryan Borden (15-12, 2.98 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 140 ERA+, 5.6 WAR) and 38-year old LHP Joel Fearn (17-9, 2.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 140 ERA+, 4.7 WAR). Without these two, it’s doubtful the Barons would have made the playoffs. Noteworthy: March 12 – Although the Barons fell to the Brunswick Legends 5-4 at Babe Ruth Park, there was still reason to celebrate. 36-year old SS Jake Walker (.301/.435/.413, 6 HR, 65 RBI, 133 BB, 4.6 WAR) went 2 for 4 in the game, which included his 2000th career hit. He becomes the second player in the United Leagues to reach that milestone, after Wellington Athletics’ 3B Ryley McLarnon.   Current Injuries: LHP Max MacColl – October 29 – radial nerve decompression surgery. Out for: 2 weeks. CF Won-ho Kim – March 26 – strained back. Out for: DtD, 1-2 weeks. --------   Offense: .268/.347/.405 (4th/4th/4th) Pitching: 4.06/4.07/4.04 (4th/4th/4th) Defense: .712 (1st) Chemistry: Content The Downie Chiefs were unable to keep their momentum going from January and attain their first playoff appearance, but they still finished above .500 for the first time in 9 seasons. They have the third deepest farm system in the ULB, but it is still light in arms, something they desperately need if they want to finally challenge for a playoff spot. Top Position Players: The Chiefs now have two bonafide stars on their roster, after going so many years without one: 23-year old CF Alfonso Léon (.302/.356/.485, 21 HR, 102 RBI, 58 BB, 8 SB, 7.5 WAR) whose offensive numbers were almost identical to last season, while his defense was even better (.988 PCT, 3.61 RNG, +24.6 ZR, 1.061 EFF). Joining him was 23-year old 3B Dominic Dudding (.336/.395/.575, 30 HR, 134 RBI, 59 BB, 7 SB, 7.3 WAR) who came into his own in his first full season. Dudding and Léon are rated 6th and 7th respectively among all position players. Top Pitcher: 26-year old RHP Kelii Pelanekelina (17-13, 3.55 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 115 ERA+, 3.8 WAR) performed strong from November to January (11-5, 2.75 ERA), but cooled off dramatically in February and March (4-5, 4.80 ERA). Pelanekelina needs help; he’s been carrying a heavy load as the No. 1 starter for the past 5 seasons. He is more suited as a No. 3 starter. Current Injuries: None. --------   Offense: .260/.339/.373 (6th/7th/7th) Pitching: 3.88/3.95/3.57 (2nd/3rd/3rd) Defense: .711 (2nd) Chemistry: Happy An anemic offense sunk the Queensland Eagles once again, seeing the club end the season with only a modest improvement in their record. They have some talent down on the farm, but they will have to exercise some patience for it to give the team the boost it so desperately needs. Pitching is not the problem, as it averaged 4.4 R/G, best in the Eastern League. But the offense only average 4.3 R/G. Top Position Player: 29-year old RF Jilenko Vergara (.364/.455/.596, 12 HR, 36 RBI, 39 BB, 3.5 WAR) missed 3 months of the season due to a partially torn labrum, but still managed to outperform his teammates. That’s the kind of season it was for the offense. Top Pitcher: 32-year old RHP Pi-ao Quian (14-12, 3.16 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 131 ERA+, 7.8 WAR) rebounded in a big way after a couple of down seasons to take over the No. 1 spot in the rotation from Aaron Saunderson. Player of the Week Awards: February 14 – RF Jilenko Vergara (.591, 13 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI) March 21 – RF Jilenko Vergara (.409, 9 H, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R) Current Injuries: RHP Bartolo Sánchez – March 16 – oblique strain. Out for: unknown. --------   Offense: .284/.346/.410 (2nd/5th/2nd) Pitching: 4.50/4.42/4.86 (5th/6th/6th) Defense: .677 (8th) Chemistry: Happy A combined 27-22 record in February and March helped the Embro Suns avoid a sub-70-win season, but that was small comfort for a team that has missed the playoffs for three straight seasons now and counting. The farm system has been getting stronger, but the Suns are still looking for one young ones to truly breakout. Until then, the Suns will continue to be an afterthought in the East. Top Position Player: Although he led the Suns in a slew of offensive categories, 35-year old CF Terence Durney (.312/.415/.481, 18 HR, 98 RBI, 101 BB, 2.6 WAR) was downright awful on defense (.993 PCT, 2.82 RNG, -39.4 ZR, .887 EFF). So, this goes once again to 34-year old 1B Jim Friend (.289/.403/.481, 22 HR, 106 RBI, 107 BB, 5.0 WAR) who also enjoyed one of his best seasons defensively (.992 PCT, 10.20 RNG, +2.4 ZR, 1.046 EFF). He surpassed 1000 RBIs this season and currently stands second on the all-time list with 1,085, behind only Kingston’s Katsunan Chikafuji (1,096). Top Pitcher: It was once again a mediocre season for Embro pitchers. 34-year old RHP Myung-gu Son (12-15, 4.19 ERA, 1.57 WHIP, 100 ERA+, 5.5 WAR) was as good as it got. 30-year old RHP Jim Hogue (16-10, 4.21 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 99 ERA+, 4.3 WAR) wasn’t far behind. Noteworthy: February 14 – RHP Jim Hogue led the Suns to an easy 6-0 victory against the Hespeler Stars. Hogue threw a 1-HITTER allowing 2 BB and 3 K. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the 8th inning, when the Suns finally got to the Stars’ RHP Stephan Tindall, cashing in all their 6 runs on 4 hits and 1 error in the inning. Hogue carried his no-hitter into the top of the 9th with just one out to go. However, 1B Vic Weetman ended it with a clean first-pitch single to shallow left field. Hogue got the next batter out to end the game. Current Injuries: None. --------   Offense: .284/.346/.410 (2nd/5th/2nd) Pitching: 4.50/4.42/4.86 (5th/6th/6th) Defense: .701 (6th) Chemistry: Content Despite the bevy of talent, the Cobourg Red Stockings continue to play middling ball, mired near the bottom of the standings. The pitching did see some improvement but staff has some ways to go for this team to truly compete for a playoff spot. This year’s 6th overall pick, 20-year old LHP Bill Budd (6-7, 2.97 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 120 ERA+, 2.5 WAR – 60/80) is knocking on the door and even 23-year old LHP Lester Counsell (3-5, 23 SV, 2.35 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 152 ERA+, 1.0 WAR – 22/61), a 3rd-round pick from 1947-48, is showing some promise. Encouraging signs for a team desperate for some quality arms. Top Position Player: 27-year old SS John Medley (.357/.414/.529, 6 HR, 84 HR, 62 BB, 29 SB, 8.0 WAR) remained head and shoulders above his teammates and greatly improved his defensive performance from last season (.955 PCT, 4.54 RNG, -1.9 ZR, .991 EFF). He also won his second consecutive Eastern League Batting Title.  Top Pitcher: 39-year old RHP Lenny Freke (16-12, 3.27 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 129 ERA+, 6.6 WAR) enjoyed his best season since 1941-42 and got stronger as the season wore on, as evidenced by winning Pitcher of the Month honors in March. Player of the Week Awards: March 14 – 1B Harry Doxey (.542, 13 H, 3 HR, 9 RBI) Current Injuries: RHP Tom Mayor – October 26 – torn labrum. Out for: 2-3 weeks. LHP Enéas Maleitas – March 17 – sprained elbow. Out for: DtD, 3 days. --------   Offense: .258/.344/.383 (7th/6th/6th) Pitching: 4.59/4.37/5.56 (6th/5th/8th) Defense: .685 (7th) Chemistry: Feuding It’s the worst of times right now for the Brunswick Legends, as the team fell to 7th place with a 65-89 record, their worst in team history and the first time they finished below .500 since their inaugural season, when they also finished in 7th place (72-82). They also have one of the worst-rated farm systems in the ULB (second only to the Kingston Pelicans). But they had an impressive run: 6 playoff appearances in 9 seasons and 3 United Cup championships. Not too shabby. Top Position Player: 27-year old SS Jorge Arredondo (.314/.387/.494, 17 HR, 96 RBI, 75 BB, 17 SB, 5.3 WAR) finished on top in a score of offensive categories for Brunswick, as the rest of this teammates suffered down years. Top Pitcher: Like Lenny Freke in Cobourg, there is a steep drop off after 32-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (18-13, 2.92 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 144 ERA+, 8.5 WAR) and the other starters. It wasn’t always like that, but the Legends have failed to bolster their pitcher core and the years of neglect is now showing. They have 21-year old RHP Kent Dundon (2-1, 2.55 ERA, 1.27 WHIP – 28/54) in AAA who scouts say may be ready for the majors, but that’s about it. He was a former 4th overall pick from 1946-47 by the Hespeler Stars. Player of the Week Awards: February 28 – 1B Stuart Bentham (.409, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: February 26 –LHP Anastasio Rodríguez reached a milestone at Babe Ruth Park when he blanked the Downie Chiefs 5-0 on 3 hits, 4 K and no walks. He picked up his 200th victory in the United Leagues, just the second pitcher to reach that milestone, after Stratford’s Joel Fearn and just before Braeland City’s David Cooling. March 6 – 32-year old 1B Stuart Bentham (.274/.372/.459, 25 HR, 98 RBI, 93 BB, 3.1 WAR) saw his 20-game hitting streak come to an end at the hands of the Wellington Athletics, who dropped the Legends, 5-0 at Santop Stadium. Current Injuries: CF Lance Oakley – October 9 – torn anterior cruciate ligament. Out for: 3 weeks. LF Gary Therien – December 29 – torn labrum (shoulder). Out for: 3 months. --------   Offense: .256/.320/.360 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.60/4.89/3.49 (7th/7th/2nd) Defense: .709 (4th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Wellington Athletics wrap up another dismal season, but unlike other teams in the second division, there are signs that the Athletics may soon return to relevance. They enjoy the second-deepest farm system and a good portion of that talent has either already joined the big-league roster or are knocking on the door. One player not yet included in the rankings is 21-year old LF Matthew Floyd (23/80), who was promoted to the Athletics starting lineup in March. Floyd was the 1st overall pick back in the January amateur draft. In addition to him on the major league roster are 21-year old CF Harvey Thornber (46/76 – 5th overall pick), 23-year old LHP Jorge Ortíz (21/78 – 4th-round pick by Downie) and 22-year old RHP Bert Morrow (32-65 – 3rd-round pick). So good things may be just around the corner, especially if some their other young veterans can bounce back from a disappointing year. Top Position Player: Not a clear-cut choice, but 25-year old SS Zhao-hui Qian (.278/.335/.404, 8 HR, 66 RBI, 51 BB, 21 SB, 4.6 WAR) enjoyed his best year at the plate and was outstanding in the field (.988 PCT, 4.38 RNG, +12.7 ZR, 1.051 EFF) once again. Top Pitcher: He wouldn’t be considered a No. 1 ace on a lot of other teams, but 29-year old LHP Arthur Bence (15-17, 3.65 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 113 ERA+, 4.4 WAR) was the team’s most consistent hurler this year. Player of the Week Awards: February 7 – LF Harvey Thornber (.750, 12 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) Noteworthy: February 6 – It was a tough day for the Sherburn Tigers at Wellington’s Santop Stadium, as the Athletics pummelled them, 14-1. Front and center in that offensive onslaught was 21-year old rookie LF Harvey Thornber (.353/.403/.511, 2 HR, 24 RBI, 9 BB, 2 SB, 1.5 WAR), who went 5 for 5 in the game. Thornber started things off with a GRAND SLAM in the 1st and then singled in the 2nd, 4th, 5th and 7th innings. Current Injuries: RHP Darren Whiteley – January 7 – Shoulder inflammation. Out for: 4 weeks. LF Alex Turner – March 12 – Strained back. Out for: DTD, unknown. RHP Wilfried Schop – March 22 – Sore elbow. Out for: DtD, unknown. --------  
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 03-06-2018 at 11:21 PM. |
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03-11-2018, 09:23 PM
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#422 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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March 28, 1949
Western League: It’s a Generals, Unions Rematch for the Pennant    --------   Offense: .280/.353/.422 (1st/2nd/1st) Pitching: 3.15/3.07/3.89 (1st/1st/3rd) Defense: .737 (1st) Chemistry: Ecstatic The Fort Richmond Generals suffered no slumps in February and March as the team powered its way to 103 victories and its second consecutive first place finish. The Generals punched their ticket to the post-season back on March 8 with 20 games to go and will meet the Wolseley Unions for the second straight season. In fact, for the first time in the United Leagues, all four playoff teams from the previous season return to battle for the United Cup. Fort Richmond heads into the playoffs with the best offense in the West (5.2 R/G) and the best pitching/defense in entire ULB (3.7 R/G). The Generals were remarkably consistent – 51-26 at home, while going 52-25 on the road. That almost matched the Braeland City Monarchs, who split their home/away record evenly (52-25). The bullpen was perhaps the lone weakness on this squad, but the staff has been bolstered of late thanks in part by 23-year old rookie LHP Gavin Flatt (13-6, 3.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 1.33 ERA+, 3.3 WAR), a future starter serving as the setup man. 25-year old RHP José Rodríguez (7-6, 15 SV, 2.61 ERA, 1.41 WHIP, 157 ERA+, 0.9 WAR) has made the closer role his own. Finally, the Generals welcomed back 27-year old long-reliever RHP John Bullivant (0-0, 1 SV, 1.15 ERA, 1.15 WHIP), who missed most of the season due to a torn meniscus. Thus, Fort Richmond is well positioned to defend their United Cup championship, despite the loss of 24-year old all-star RHP Shinzo Okamoto (2-1, 2.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP) to a season-ending injury back in November. Top Position Player: 26-year old CF Dylan Moyne (.349/.419/.543, 19 HR, 114 RBI, 70 BB, 24 SB, 8.8 WAR) established himself as an elite player last season and he only got better this year. In fact, he just missed out winning the Western League Batting Title by the slimmest of margins. The former 1st overall pick (and No. 2 rated position player in the ULB) was even better on defense compared to last year, if that was possible (.982 PCT, 3.30 RNG, +18.8 ZR, 1.051 EFF). Top Pitcher: 26-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (18-7, 2.48 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 165 ERA+, 6.9 WAR) is rated No. 2 among pitchers in the ULB and enjoyed his best season by far. Noteworthy: February 8 – 27-year old Alohalani Illoura (.251/.343/.371, 5 HR, 28 RBI, 23 BB, 0.8 WAR) serves as Fort Richmond’s backup catcher but on this day, he made the most of his start against the Cobourg Red Stockings, going 5 for 5. Illoura singled in the 2nd, 4th and 5th innings, hit a 2-run home run off José Fernández in the 7th and singled in the 9th. The Generals prevailed 11-9. Current Injuries: RHP Shinzo Okamoto – November 11 – fractured ulna (arm). Out for: 2 weeks. --------   Offense: .272/.356/.391 (2nd/1st/3rd) Pitching: 3.63/3.49/4.44 (2nd/2nd/5th) Defense: .707 (5th) Chemistry: Unhappy For the most part this season, the Wolseley Unions seemed content to simply stay just ahead of any and all challengers for the wild card. But that attitude very nearly cost them their third consecutive post-season appearance. At the end of February, they led the third place Cambria Cannons by 3 games. But in the first two weeks of March, Cambria went 9-3 while the Unions stumbled, going 5-7. By March 13, Cambria held a one-game lead for the wildcard as Wolseley appeared to be fading. But the Unions then went on a tear, finishing the regular season with a 13-game winning streak. The Cannons could not keep up, going just 5-8 and ending the season 7 games back. Top Position Player: 24-year old C Éric Denis (.336/.374/.463, 10 HR, 96 RBI, 33 BB, 5.2 WAR) enjoyed the best season of his three-year career so far, but 27-year old LF Carlton Hawking (.349/.468/.562, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 120 BB, 4 SB, 6.8 WAR) is the elite player on this squad. Hawking also won the Western League Batting Title in one of the tightest races ever over Fort Richmond’s Dylan Moyne. Hawking had 184 H on 527 AB (0.34915), while Moyne collected 207 H in 593 AB (0.34907). Hawking’s defense did improve over last season (.978 PCT, 2.33 RNG, -10.9 ZR, .951 EFF), but defense has never been his strength.  Top Pitcher: 31-year old RHP Hun Park (15-11, 3.04 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 139 ERA+, 5.3 WAR) enters the post-season as Wolseley’s top pitcher, but Wolseley boasts 4 very good starters, so it was really hard to choose. But they all will need to be good, as Fort Richmond’s rotation must be considered the best in the United Leagues right now. Player of the Week Awards: March 14 – LF Carlton Hawking (.448, 13 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI) Noteworthy: February 4 – The Unions won a shoot-out, 12-7 against the Stratford Barons at Stratford’s Bosworth Field. Pacing the Unions was LF Carlton Hawking, who went 5 for 5. Hawking hit a 2-run homer off Bonie Bandong in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, walked in the 4th, singled in the 6th and 8th and finally hit an RBI single in the 9th. March 10 – Carlton Hawking did it again, collecting 5 hits in a game. This time it was in Wolseley’s 13-9 win over the Hespeler Stars. The Unions scored 4 runs in the top of the 13th inning to pull out the victory. Hawking hit an RBI single in the 1st, singled in the 2nd and 4th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, flied out in the 8th and singled in the 10th. Current Injuries: RF Ramón Tavira – November 20 – fractured hip. Out for: 8 weeks. --------   Offense: .265/.350/.399 (3rd/3rd/2nd) Pitching: 4.38/4.26/4.79 (6th/5th/6th) Defense: .702 (6th) Chemistry: Happy As discussed in the Wolseley Union write-up, the Cambria Cannons came close to capturing the wildcard, but could not keep up with a hot Wolseley team at the end. Still, their 82-72 record is their best finish since 1944-45 when they went 89-65 and last made the playoffs. It represents a 17-game improvement over last season. What’s remarkable is that they made this improvement largely with the same 25-man roster they’ve had for the last few years. Only 25-year old rookie LF Edmond Boswell (.293/.364/.509, 15 HR, 50 RBI, 35 BB, 1.2 WAR) is the new face in the lineup, batting cleanup against both RHP and LHP. Top Position Player: 31-year old C Heung-su Park (.293/.377/.477, 16 HR, 76 RBI, 64 BB, 5.1 WAR) was consistent all season, but really came alive in the final two months, batting .357/.494/.601. Top Pitcher: 31-year old LHP Callum Stonehouse (14-15, 3.66 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 113 ERA+, 4.5 WAR) was signed to a minor league contract by the Cannons from an ‘independent league’ back September 1942. He has been pretty average over his six seasons in the ULB (57-61, 4.01 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 99 ERA+) but he is now Cambria’s No. 1 starter and enjoyed one of his better seasons. Player of the Week Awards: March 7 – C Heung-su Park (.560, 14 H, 2 HR, 8 RBI) Key Injuries: RHP Wing-kit Liu – January 16 – ruptured bicep tendon. Out for: 3-4 months. --------   Offense: .265/.338/.385 (4th/5th/5th) Pitching: 4.22/4.29/3.91 (5th/6th/4th) Defense: .712 (Tied for 2nd) Chemistry: Content It was doubtful that the Balmoral Giants were going to make a serious push for the wildcard, but an 8-16 February all but eliminated any chance they had. Still, they started March on a tear, going 15-3 before dropping 4 straight games to the Wolseley Unions by a combined score of 33-10. They did take 2 of 3 from Fort Richmond to end the season, though. The Giants are gathering some fine, young talent that should bolster the veterans on the club. Free agent 29-year old LHP Ricardo Cruz (10-17, 4.06 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 103 ERA+, 4.9 WAR) had his struggles, but should ultimately prove to be a steady pitcher. Their other free agent, 27-year old 1B Javier Romero (.282/.350/.429, 11 HR, 65 RBI, 41 BB, 1.1 WAR) finished the season strong and has entrenched himself in the No. 5 spot in the lineup. Another young prospect is 24-year old LF Kaleba Ulkini (.288/.342/.351, 6-2B, 27 RBI, 18 BB, 0.8 WAR – 63/71), a second-round pick from 1945-46. Promoted to the majors in December, Ulkini finished the season in the No. 2 spot. An excellent defender at LF with very good speed, he just needs to work on his offense a bit more. Lastly, waiting in the wings is 22-year old OF Orlando Morales (46/77), a third-overall pick from 1947-48, who was just promoted to AAA. When he finally reaches the majors, the Giants will have some decisions to make, as their outfield is getting rather crowded with talent. There are other areas (catcher, pitching) that they should look at upgrading if they want to contend soon. Top Position Player: 31-year old RF Carlton Broadbent (.345/.414/.576, 26 HR, 95 RBI, 67 BB, 5.0 WAR) is one of greatest offensive players to ever play in the ULB, and that didn’t change this season. But defense has never been his strength or an apparent concern with him. But this season he made a concerted effort to improve. And he did, going .973 PCT, 2.40 RNG, -9.7 ZR, .957 EFF. That may not look all that impressive, but it is for him. Top Pitcher: 24-year old RHP Quintilliano Galeo (17-10, 3.21 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 130 ERA+, 4.4 WAR) built upon his rookie season and is Balmoral’s best pitcher without question. He earned his first all-star selection and he has not yet hit his ceiling (51/79). Player of the Week Awards: February 7 – CF Damon Purcell (.500, 10 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI) March 21 – SS Francisco Rodríguez (.560, 14 H, 7 RBI) Current Injuries: RHP Paddy Vanderven – November 3 – surgery to remove bone chips (elbow). Out for: 3-4 weeks. --------   Offense: .251/.340/.386 (7th/4th/4th) Pitching: 4.16/4.25/3.76 (4th/4th/1st) Defense: .710 (4th) Chemistry: Happy The Kingston Pelicans appeared at times that they would seriously challenge for a playoff spot, but any hope collapsed in late February when they embarked on a 2-13 skid that included 8-straight losses. Certainly, the loss of No. 2 starter 29-year old Ben Currall (4-3, 3.60 ERA, 1.35 WHIP) in December for the rest of the season due to injury didn’t help their cause. Neither did the disappointing performance of their ace, 29-year old LHP Patrick Denman (12-17, 4.07 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 104 ERA+, 5.2 WAR). Like a lot of other teams, the Pelicans’ focus will be on rebuilding. It will be interesting to see how far they will go (trade Danny Trowbridge perhaps?) to expedite that rebuild in the coming months. Top Position Player: 30-year old C Danny Trowbridge (.328/.449/.519, 19 HR, 77 RBI, 106 BB, 6 SB, 6.4 WAR) is still a superstar, but this season was a step down from his established performance over the past five seasons. Top Pitcher: No. 3 starter 31-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (15-11, 3.61 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 117 ERA+, 5.5 WAR) struggled last season (10-12, 4.80 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 84 ERA+, 1.3 WAR) but enjoyed a nice rebound this year and was Kingston best overall pitcher. Player of the Week Awards: February 14 – C Danny Trowbridge (.650, 13 H, 5 RBI) February 21 – C Danny Trowbridge (.400, 6 H, 4 HR, 6 RBI) Current Injuries: RHP Ben Currall – December 20 – shoulder inflammation. Out for: 2-3 months. --------   Offense: .258/.329/.379 (5th/7th/6th) Pitching: 4.88/4.90/4.82 (8th/8th/7th) Defense: .701 (7th) Chemistry: Unhappy The Pulberry Trolleys endured their 12th consecutive losing season and the 11th time they have finished in the second division. The Trolleys have never finished closer than 14 games to first place, and it does not appear that will change anytime soon. You would think with all that losing, they would have built up an enviable roster of talent long ago. But that has not happened. Part of the reason is that some prospects have not delivered on their initial promise, like 25-year old RF Jon Pring (.286/.341/.400, 4 HR, 50 RBI, 29 BB, 3 SB, -0.2 WAR), a former 3rd overall pick and 31-year old 3B Colin Strudwick (.275/.322/.361, 28-2B, 43 RBI, 38 BB, 9 SB, 1.5 WAR), another 3rd overall pick from way back in 1937-38. Nevertheless, the Trolleys boast the deepest farm system in the United Leagues with 11 prospects rated 60 or better; eight of those are rated 70 or better. Alas only one pitcher, a reliever, is included in that group. Top Position Player: He may not be the darling of the scouts (rated only 55/57), but 27-year old SS Roland Binns (.320/.383/.518, 16 HR, 95 RBI, 50 BB, 8 SB, 6.7 WAR) enjoyed his best season ever and was outstanding in the field once again (.979 PCT, 4.80 RNG, +8.7 ZR, 1.032 EFF). He ended the season with 999 career hits. Top Pitchers: The Trolleys have one of the weakest pitching staffs in the entire ULB, but 32-year old RHP Patrick Tennant (14-12, 3.74 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 110 ERA+, 3.2 WAR) was Pulberry’s top starter and earned his 3rd All-Star selection. 30-year old stopper RHP Norberto Ortíz (4-3, 17 SV, 2.63 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 156 ERA+, 0.5 WAR) was another rare bright spot on the staff. He was a former 6th round selection by the Embro Suns back in 1940-41. Player of the Week Awards: February 28 – SS Roland Binns (.522, 12 H, 3 RBI) Noteworthy: February 2 – 26-year old LF Joey Maddaford (.193/.310/.278, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 43 BB, 9 SB, 0.8 WAR) got hot in a game against the Cobourg Red Stockings, going 5 for 6 in a 10-8 victory at Cobourg’s Radcliffe Field. Maddaford singled in the 1st, flied out in the 2nd, hit an RBI single in the 3rd, tripled in the 6th and singled in the 8th and 9th innings. February 21 – The Trolleys had a field day at Babe Ruth Park in Brunswick, pasting the Legends 13-4 in an interleague matchup. SS Roland Binns played a big role in the win, going 5 for 6. Binns hit an RBI single in the 1st, then singled in the 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 7th innings, before flying out in the 9th. Current Injuries: RHP Ben Banwell – November 17 – torn labrum (shoulder). Out for: 1 day. RHP Dorian Geissler – December 17 – surgery to remove bone spur (elbow). Out for: 4-5 weeks. --------   Offense: .256/.335/.369 (6th/6th/7th) Pitching: 4.46/4.31/5.09 (7th/7th/8th) Defense: .697 (8th) Chemistry: Feuding The Sherburn Tigers were close to .500 ball for the most part of the season, but took a steep nosedive in March, going 1-13 at one point. Whether that is indicative of what’s in store for this club for next season remains to be seen. Its been four seasons since they won 91 games and captured the wild card. They can sure use a little more talent to get back to those better days. But two of their most recent first-round draft picks have already made the major league roster. 22-year old 2B Jack Burt (.304/.357/.425, 45-2B, 55 RBI, 46 BB, 5 SB, 2.9 WAR) is rated 7th overall among all second basemen after his first season. That rating will surely rise in the seasons to come. This year’s 8th overall pick, 23-year old LHP Luke Henty (3-5, 2 SV, 5.47 ERA, 1.78 WHIP, 77 ERA+, 0.3 WAR – 40/80) got his feet wet pitching out of the bullpen since early December. He has the potential to be a future ace. Top Position Players: In addition to 2B Jack Burt, 29-year old SS Otton Overbeek (.262/.335/.429, 14 HR, 79 RBI, 58 BB, 2 SB, 4.2 WAR) was another solid player, both at the plate and in the field (.972 PCT, 4.85 RNG, +11.4 ZR, 1.041 EFF). But the Tigers made a good trade with the Queensland Eagles back in January, acquiring 30-year old 1B Héctor Gutiérrez (.291/.440/.450, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 117 BB, 4.4 WAR). He responded to the change of scenery in a big way, nailing down the No. 4 spot in the lineup. He is rated 5th overall among 1B. Top Pitchers: 25-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (14-11, 3.49 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 121 ERA+, 7.0 WAR) and 30-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (14-10, 2.93 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 144 ERA+, 6.8 WAR) remain in the Top 5 among pitchers in the ULB. Chapa struggled at times during the season, but Taváres was very consistent month-to-month. If Luke Henty delivers on his promise, the Tigers should have an outstanding 1-2-3 punch in the rotation very soon. Current Injuries: LHP Phil Wiebe – November 29 – torn elbow ligament. Out for: 8 weeks. LHP Lucas Nott – March 22 –shoulder strain. Out for: DtD, 1 week. --------   Offense: .247/.320/.360 (8th/8th/8th) Pitching: 4.09/4.14/3.81 (3rd/3rd/2nd) Defense: .712 (Tied for 2nd) Chemistry: Unhappy The Hespeler Stars endured a rough second half of the season (29-46) but more competitive days may not be all that far away. The Stars already have a respectable pitching staff and more talented hurlers could be on their way soon. In addition to 22-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (59/80) who is already on the big-league roster, Hespeler also have 24-year old RHP Troy Conlin (38/78), a second-round pick from 1947-48 and 22-year old RHP Dominic Whitmore (23/74), an 11th overall pick back in 1946-47 originally by the Brunswick Legends in AAA. If things pan out, Hespeler may have a pitching staff to rival the 1st place Generals very soon. Top Position Player: There were no standouts on offense for the Stars. 26-year old LF Bart Warwick (.253/.361/.439, 16 HR, 61 RBI, 80 BB, 5 SB, 2.5 WAR) was as good as it got this year. Top Pitcher: LHP Larry Kovnats (10-6, 3.23 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 131 ERA+, 1.7 WAR) was called up to the major league roster immediately after being selected in this year’s amateur draft. He did not disappoint. He finished the season as Hespeler’s No. 3 starter and led or tied for the lead in seven team pitching categories. Noteworthy: February 23 – 32-year old SS Steven Wormleighton (.271/.306/.339, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 4 BB, 0.4 WAR) didn’t see a lot of playing time in Hespeler this season, but he lit up the Wellington Athletics, racking up 5 hits in 6 AB in a 12-7 victory at Wellington’s Santop Stadium. The game went to 13 innings, with the Stars scoring 6 runs in the top of the 13th to win the game. Wormleighton singled in the 2nd and 3rd, doubled in the 5th, singled in the 7th, walked in the 9th, grounded out in the 11th and hit an RBI double in the 13th. Current Injuries: None. --------  
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 03-11-2018 at 09:49 PM. |
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03-14-2018, 09:48 PM
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#423 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
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 Braeland City Monarchs (104-50) vs. Stratford Barons (86-68) Season Matchup: 8-7 in favour of Stratford Braeland City: Runs scored – 919 (1st in East); runs allowed – 689 (2nd) Stratford: Runs scored – 822 (3rd); runs allowed – 712 (4th) The Monarchs and Barons return to face each other for the Eastern League Pennant, only this time, Braeland City will hold home field advantage in the Series. It’s the third meeting between these two clubs, with the Barons winning the Pennant (and United Cup) in 1940-41 and the Monarchs prevailing in an exciting 7-games series last year. Both teams are the current powerhouses in the East, with Braeland City racking up 200 victories over the past two seasons, compared to 185 for Stratford. Both clubs are dealing with injuries heading into the playoffs. Braeland City is without 28-year old CF Curt Tiffany (.269/.344/.379, 3 HR, 28 RBI, 24 BB, 5 SB, 0.9 WAR), who was acquired from Stratford back in May 1948 (for SP Max MacColl). He ruptured a tendon in his finger just before the All-Star Break and is not expected back. However, rookie sensation, 23-year old Patrick Lidgate (.301/.413/.515, 13 HR, 59 RBI, 74 BB, 6 SB, 4.3 WAR) has ably handled centerfield when not injured himself. Meanwhile, the Barons are without the aforementioned 37-year old Max MacColl (1-2, 3.97 ERA, 1.47 WHIP), who has been out since the end of October after having surgery on his elbow. As well, 29-year old back-up CF Won-ho Kim (.255/.368/.338, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 80 BB, 6 SB, 2.5 WAR) strained his back in late March and will be unavailable for the Series. But the teams have made the necessary adjustments and are set, and the fans are psyched. It’s time to play! -------- Game 1 – March 29 Kings Park in the Nation’s capital hosts the first two games. Partly cloudy skies, warm sunshine and a gentle breeze blowing out to center make it a perfect day for baseball. 26,742 are on hand, including the Royal family. Braeland City’s 27-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes (21-9, 3.06 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) starts the second playoff game of his career. Meanwhile, 38-year old LHP Joel Fearn (17-9, 2.98 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) takes the hill for his 13th career playoff game, all for Stratford. Bottom of the 1st: The Monarchs lead off with three straight walks – by LF Luwen Rodenburg, C Christopher Dainty and CF Patrick Lidgate. Next up is 1B Dean Witherden, who hits a long single into rightfield, scoring Rodenburg for the game’s first run. But SP Joel Fearn prevents further damage thanks to a pop fly and a double play. Stratford 0 – Braeland City 1 Top of the 2nd: 1B León Rivera leads off with a single, but is out on a LF Ricardo Castellanos fielder’s choice. After 3B Vincent Colón draws a walk, Joel Fearn advances the runners on a 4-3 ground out. CF Roberto Ríos then steps up to the plate, smacking a triple into centerfield to cash in both runners. Stratford 2 – Braeland City 1 Top of the 7th: Pitchers Grimes and Fearn are able to keep the batters in check until the 7th. Roberto Ríos cranks out a line drive single into right field to lead things off, but is caught stealing 2B during SS Jake Walker’s at-bat for the second out. Three pitches later, Walker gets to Grimes with a line drive solo home run, 403 ft. to right-centerfield, extending the Barons’ lead. Stratford 3 – Braeland City 1 Bottom of the 7th: RF Jesús Ortega leads off and reaches safely on an error (E3). Ortega quickly reaches 3B thanks to an Adam Ashley sac bunt and a successful steal during SS Simon Flatt’s at-bat. On the next pitch, Flatt singles home Ortega. 2B Derek Reed follows with a single, moving Flatt to 2B. PH Jorge Valentín then battles Fearn to a full-count before hitting a single into left-centerfield. Flatt beats out the throw to home plate, tying up the game. Luwen Rodenburg then singles as well, scoring Reed for the go-ahead run. Fearn finally gets out of the jam by inducing a 6-4-3 double play from Christopher Dainty. Stratford 3 – Braeland City 4 Top of the 9th: With RP Samuel Holier taking over from Grimes in the 8th, the Barons get two runners on first and second with two out. RF Lyndon Inagaki then comes through with a single to score the tying run from 2B. In the bottom of the 9th, RP Magtanggol Jaojoco allows two Braeland City baserunners to reach safely with one out, but a fly ball to centerfield and a 5-3 ground out end the threat, forcing the game into extra innings. Stratford 4 – Braeland City 4 Top of the 11th: With RP Harold Barr pitching, C Aaron Skidmore and Lyndon Inagaki draw back-to-back walks with one out. León Rivera follows with a single, loading the bases. Ricardo Castellanos then singles as well, scoring Skidmore for the go-ahead run. Vincent Colón then comes through with a first-pitch double to rightfield, scoring both Inagaki and Rivera. In the bottom of the 11th, RP Denzel Vyse gets the Monarchs to go down in order. The Barons take Game 1, sending the fans home disappointed. FINAL: Stratford 7 – Braeland City 4   Player of the Game: Roberto Ríos gets game honors, going 3 for 5, with 1-3B, 2 RBI, 2 BB. Vincent Colón went 2 for 4, 1-2B, 2 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB. Joel Fearn went 7.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 3.86 ERA. Denzel Vyse gets the win, going 2.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (1-0, 0.00). For Braeland City: Nicholas Grimes went 7.0 IP, with 9 H, 3 ER, 4 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 3.86 ERA. Harold Barr takes the loss: 2.0 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (0-1, 13.50 ERA). -------- Game 2 – March 30 The Monarchs fought back to take the lead in the late innings of Game 1 but squandered it and fell in extra innings. So Braeland City looks to try and get the split before the Series heads to Stratford. 26,891 fans return to see if their team can get the equalizer. The afternoon sees a carbon copy of the beautiful weather enjoyed the day before, with the wind blowing in right to left. The Monarchs send out 39-year old LHP David Cooling (15-5, 3.90 ERA, 1.30 WHIP). Stratford responds with 31-year old RHP Kelvin Hutchinson (9-8, 4.76 ERA, 1.51 WHIP). Hutchinson also started Game 2 last year. Top of the 1st: 2B Chris Spiller opens the scoring, crushing a 2-1 pitch 434 ft. into the centerfield bleachers for a one-out solo home run. Stratford 1 - Braeland City 0 Bottom of the 1st: CF Patrick Lidgate draws a four-pitch walk with one out, then steals 2B with two out. On the next pitch, LF Daniel Tantoco hits a line drive single, scoring Lidgate to tie things up. Stratford 1 - Braeland City 1 Top of the 3rd: Vincent Colón draws a full count walk to lead things off, then advances to 2B on a Kelvin Hutchinson sac bunt. Roberto Ríos follows, slicing a single into leftfield to score Colón. Chris Spiller then reaches base safely on a dropped throw (E1), moving Ríos to 2B. With two out, Aaron Skidmore drives in Ríos with a squeaker that gets by both SS Luwen Rodenburg and 3B Adam Ashley. Stratford 3 - Braeland City 1 Top of the 5th: Roberto Ríos leads off, getting to 2B on a throwing error (E6). Chris Spilller follows with a single to left-centerfield, scoring Ríos. The Barons then load the bases with a first-pitch single by Jake Walker and a walk drawn by Aaron Skidmore. Lyndon Inagaki follows, scoring Stratford’s fifth run with a sac fly to leftfield. Stratford 5 - Braeland City 1 Top of the 8th: RP Kai Torr gets two quick outs, but gives up a walk to Roberto Ríos. Chris Spiller steps up to the plate and cranks out a line drive triple into left centerfield, scoring Ríos easily. After Jake Walker is intentionally walked, Aaron Skidmore scrapes out an infield hit. Spiller comes home on the play, extending the Barons’ lead. Stratford 7 - Braeland City 1 Top of the 9th: Stratford takes advantage of more Braeland City miscues, as León Rivera leads off and reaches 1B safely on an error (E1). Ricardo Castellanos singles, but an error in the field (E7), allows Rivera to score and Castellanos to reach second. After reaching 3B on a ground out, Castellanos scores the Baron’s ninth run on a Kelvin Hutchinson single. Stratford 9 - Braeland City 1 Bottom of the 9th: The Monarchs finally get something going when Daniel Tantoco leads off with a first-pitch single, Christopher Dainty is hit by a pitch and Adam Ashley singles to load the bases with nobody out. Jesús Ortega follows with a single of his own, scoring Tantoco. 1B Dennis Borton grounds into a 4-6-3 double play, but Dainty comes home on the play. PH Kyle Pryor singles in Ashley for Braeland City’s forth run, but after RHP Alberto León comes on in relief, he gets Luwen Rodenburg to fly out to rightfield and end the rally. The Barons take two straight on the road as the series heads to Stratford for Game 3. FINAL: Stratford 9 - Braeland City 4  Player of the Game: Chris Spiller earns the accolade, going 4 for 6, with 1HR, 1-3B, 3 RBI, 3 R. Aaron Skidmore went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI, 1 BB. Kelvin Hutchinson picks up the victory, 8.2 IP, 8 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 3 K (1-0, 4.15 ERA). For Braeland City: David Cooling takes the loss, going just 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R 3 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (0-1, 5.40 ERA). -------- Game 3 – April 1 The Series switches to Bosworth Field, which hosts the Eastern League Pennant Series for the 5th time in 12 years. But the weather has taken a turn. Rain has been falling all morning, threatening to disrupt the afternoon game. Nevertheless, 26,092 hearty souls pack the stadium. The temperature is agreeable (68F) with just a very light breeze blowing out to left. 23-year old RHP Freddie Trerise (5-0, 2.95 ERA, 1.27 WHIP), who has battled injuries all season long, gets the start for Braeland City. Taking the mound for Stratford is 40-year old RHP Ryan Borden (15-13, 2.98 ERA, 1.21 WHIP). Bottom of the 1st: With one out, Roberto Ríos, Chris Spiller and Aaron Skidmore all hit consecutive singles, driving in the game’s first run. Lyndon Inagaki then doubles into deep rightfield, scoring both Walker and Skidmore. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 3 The game is delayed for 34 minutes in the 2nd inning. Top of the 3rd: Luwen Rodenburg reaches 2B on an error (E4) with one out. Christopher Dainty hits into a 5-3 groundout, allowing Rodenburg to reach 3B. On a 0-1 pitch to Patrick Lidgate, Rodenburg attempts to steal home, but is cut down at the plate, ending the inning. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 3 Top of the 5th: Simon Flatt singles with one out, then steals 2B two pitches later. But a throwing error (E2) on the steal attempt allows him to reach 3B. Derek Reed draws a walk to put runners on the corners. With two out, the Monarchs pummel Ryan Borden with four straight singles, by Luwen Rodenburg, Christopher Dainty, Patrick Lidgate and Dean Witherden. In the process, Braeland City scores four runs to take the lead. Braeland City 4 – Stratford 3 Bottom of the 7th: Roberto Ríos draws a walk with one out. That ends SP Trerise’s day after 120 pitches. RP Harold Barr replaces him. Ríos steals 2B and reaches 3B on 6-3 groundout by Chris Spiller. After Jake Walker draws a 4-pitch walk, Aaron Skidmore singles in Ríos for the tying run. Braeland City 4 – Stratford 4 Top of the 8th: Magtanggol Jaojoco relieves Ryan Borden to start the inning. Adam Ashley singles with one out and promptly steals 2B. The Barons then decide to intentionally walk Simon Flatt. Derek Reed follows with a double, scoring both Ashley and Flatt, giving the lead back to Braeland City. In the bottom of the 9th, RP Samuel Hollier induces three straight ground outs to end the game and nail down the Monarchs first victory in the Series. FINAL: Braeland City 6 – Stratford 4  Player of the Game: Simon Flatt went 2 for 2, with 2 R, 2 BB. Freddie Trerise went 6.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 5.68 ERA. Harold Barr picked up the win, going 0.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0K, 10.13 (1-1, 1 blown save). For Stratford: Ryan Borden went 7.0 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 5.14 ERA. Magtanggol Jaojoco took the loss, going 2.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (0-1, 4.50 ERA). -------- Game 4 – April 2 Braeland City finally got a win and look to try to even things up in Game 4. The rain is gone leaving sunny, clear skies. Things have heated up (78F) as well, but a moderate breeze is blowing out to center. 25,727 fans are making their presence known, hoping that they can cheer their Barons back into the win column. Braeland City’s 28-year old RHP Robin Medellin (18-7, 3.90 ERA, 1.68 WHIP) makes his fourth career playoff start, while it will be the second career playoff start for Stratford’s 22-year old RHP Bill Wolf (11-16, 1 SV, 3.44 ERA, 1.35 WHIP). Bottom of the 4th: Batters are kept off the scoreboard until the 4th inning, when Chris Spiller leads off with a first-pitch triple. An intentional walk to Jake Walker and an unintentional walk to Aaron Skidmore on four straight pitches load the bases with nobody out. Lyndon Inagaki battles Medellin to a full-count before smashing a line drive double in rightfield. Spiller and Walker score, putting the Barons on the board. Although Stratford continues to threaten, Medellin is able to get out of the jam four batters later without further damage. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 2 Top of the 5th: The Monarchs get something going when Dennis Borton doubles with one out. With two out, Luwen Rodenburg laces a single past third base. Borton scrambles home from 2B without a throw. Braeland City 1 – Stratford 2 Top of the 9th: Dennis Borton leads off with a single, reaches 2B on a sac bunt by PH Jorge Valentín, then advances to 3B on a wild pitch during Simon Flatt’s at-bat. On the next pitch, Flatt smacks a line-drive sac fly into left-centerfield. Flatt tags up on the play and scores the tying run. In the bottom of the 9th, RP Samuel Hollier comes in and gets the Barons to go down in order, forcing extra innings for the second time in the series. Braeland City 2 – Stratford 2 Bottom of the 10th: Roberto Ríos leads off with a full-count walk. Chris Spiller lays down a sac bunt, but beats out the throw at 1B, putting two men on base. After Ríos advances to 3B on a fielder’s choice, Aaron Skidmore comes through with a single, scoring Ríos to the game-winning run. Stratford takes a commanding 3 games to one lead in the series. FINAL: Braeland City 2 – Stratford 3   Player of the Game: Bill Wolf went the distance, going 10.0 IP, 11 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 3 K, 126 PI (1-0, 1.80 ERA). LF Ricardo Castellanos suffered a strained rib cage muscle in the 7th inning when fielding a fly ball by PH Kyle Pryor. He is expected to be day-to-day for the next 3 weeks. For Braeland City: Robin Medellin pitched a good game, going 8.0 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 5 BB, 3 K, 2.25 ERA. Samuel Hollier picked up the loss, going 1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 3.38 ERA. -------- Game 5 – April 3 The Barons smell blood and the Monarchs’ back is against the wall. That is the situation as the two teams head into Game 5 of the series. Braeland City needs a win just to stay alive, while the Barons are hoping to wrap things up at home and celebrate another Eastern League Pennant. There’s not a cloud in the sky and the temperature is climbing (81F). Only a gentle breeze blowing out to left provides some relief for the 26,136 rowdy fans. The starters of Game 1 meet again: Braeland City’s LHP Nicholas Grimes squares off against 38-year old LHP Joel Fearn again. Neither got the decision in Game 1. Bottom of the 2nd: Lyndon Inagaki leads off with a 4-pitch walk. With one out, Ricardo Castellanos singles, putting runners on the corners. After Vincent Colón draws another walk to load the bases, Joel Fearn helps his cause with a first-pitch single. That scores both Inagaki and Castellanos before SP Grimes gets back-to-back fly outs to end the inning. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 2 Bottom of the 3rd: Jake Walker leads off with a single. On a 3-2 pitch, Aaron Skidmore belts out a 2-run home run, 398 ft. into the rocking leftfield bleachers. León Rivera keeps the momentum going when he triples with one out. Ricardo Castellanos extends the lead when he follows with a sac fly to leftfield, bringing home Rivera. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 5 Bottom of the 4th: Joel Fearn leads off with an infield single, his second hit of the game. Roberto Ríos follows with a double, putting runners on 2B and 3B. Next up is Chris Spiller, who sends a sac fly deep into rightfield. That brings home Fearn for the Barons sixth run. Braeland City 0 – Stratford 6 Top of the 7th: The Monarchs finally get something going, when they load the bases with three straight singles by Dean Witherden, Jesús Ortega and Adam Ashley to start the inning. Simon Flatt hits into a 5-4 fielder’s choice, allowing Witherden to score Braeland City’s first run. Derek Reed then doubles, scoring both Ortega and Flatt. But Fearn is able to stem the tide with a couple of fly outs. Braeland City 3 – Stratford 6 Top of the 9th: Joel Fearn gets two quick outs when Adam Ashley hits into a 4-3 ground out and Simon Flatt strikes out swinging. Derek Reed keeps things alive with a triple. But PH Dennis Borton flies out to centerfield to end the game and the series. The Barons get revenge for last year’s loss and take down the mighty Monarchs in just 5 games. FINAL: Braeland City 3 – Stratford 6  Player of the Game: Joel Fearn was on fire. On the mound, he went 9.0 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K on 108 pitches (1-0, 3.38 ERA). At the plate, his line was 2-4, 2 RBI, 1 R. For Braeland City: It just wasn’t Nicholas Grimes’ day, as he went only 4.0 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K on 92 pitches (0-1, 7.36 ERA). -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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03-14-2018, 11:11 PM
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#424 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 2,467
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That Game 4 seemed to break Braeland City's back. If they'd got the win there... who knows?
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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 |
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03-16-2018, 09:01 PM
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#425 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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 Fort Richmond Generals (103-51) vs. Wolseley Unions (89-65) Season Matchup: 8-7 in favour of Fort Richmond Fort Richmond: Runs scored – 797 (1st in West); runs allowed – 576 (1st) Wolseley: Runs scored – 782 (2nd); runs allowed – 653 (2nd) The Generals and Unions square off for the Western League Pennant for the second consecutive season. Fort Richmond reached the playoffs for the first-time last season and went 8-2 in the playoffs, defeating the Unions and Braeland City Monarchs to capture the United Cup. The Generals return to defend their title against a Wolseley team that is making its third straight appearance in the playoffs – all as the wild card. In 1946-47, Wolseley overpowered the first place Kingston Pelicans for the Pennant before falling to the Queensland Eagles in 6 games in the United Cup Series. After last year’s drubbing by Fort Richmond, Wolseley is hoping the third time will be the charm. But the Unions will be facing a powerhouse Generals club that won 103 games this year and went 76-39 facing right-handed pitching. Wolseley’s four starters are all right-handed. On the other hand, Wolseley enters the Western League Pennant series riding a 13-game winning streak. Both clubs are missing key players. Fort Richmond is without the services of 24-year old RHP Shinzo Okamoto (2-1, 2.65 ERA, 1.18 WHIP), who suffered a season ending injury back in November. But the Generals barely missed him and still boast four front-line starters in RHP Nicky Sherlock (18-7, 2.48 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 165 ERA+, 6.9 WAR), RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (19-8, 3.25 ERA, 1.24 WHIP), LHP Mo Goldstraw (19-8, 3.16 ERA, 1.33 WHIP) and LHP Joy-shan Liu (17-6, 3.61 ERA, 1.40 WHIP). Wolseley has been without their starting rightfielder, 31-year old Ramón Tavira (.331/.387/.483, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 15 BB, 1.7 WAR) since late November, due to a fractured hip. But in early January, the Unions acquired 26-year old Howard Ockey (.282/.404/.413, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 50 BB, 5 SB, 2.0 WAR) from the Balmoral Giants for a backup catcher. Ockey saw limited playing time in Balmoral, but the former 10th overall pick from 1944-45 has blossomed as a full-time player, both at the plate and in the field. With Fort Richmond determined to defend their title and Wolseley just as determined to finally break through and win their first championship while their window of opportunity is still open, the battle for the Western League Pennant should be a dandy. Play ball! -------- Game 1 – March 29 24,476 fans cram into Generals Stadium for the first game – in the smallest ballpark in the United Leagues. There is not a cloud in the sky and its hot (80F). But a fresh breeze is blowing in from right (19mph), providing some relief. Fort Richmond’s No. 1 starter gets the ball – 26-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock. Wolseley sends out their No. 1 starter: 31-year old RHP Hun Park (15-11, 3.04 ERA, 1.18 WHIP). Top of the 1st: SP Sherlock gets two quick outs on just two pitches to start the game, but then runs into trouble. LF Carlton Hawking battles to a full-count before eking out an infield single. C Éric Denis promptly doubles, bringing home Hawking for the game’s first run. SS George Kimpton doubles into left field to score Denis while RF Howard Ockey singles home Kimpton, putting the Unions up by three. Wolseley 3 – Fort Richmond 0 Bottom of the 3rd: The Generals load the bases when Nicky Sherlock bangs out a first-pitch single with one out, LF Jake Stunt singles and 3B Belarmino Barbedo battles SP Park for a walk on 9 pitches. CF Dylan Moyne hits into a 3-1 ground out, scoring Sherlock and getting Fort Richmond on the board. Wolseley 3 – Fort Richmond 1 Top of the 4th: Howard Ockey leads off with a single, then reaches 3B on back-to-back ground outs. Hun Park connects on a first-pitch single, scoring Ockey for the Unions’ fourth run. Wolseley 4 – Fort Richmond 1 Bottom of the 4th: C Louis Wearne leads off with a double. With one out and SS Nobuyoshi Yoshida at bat, a balk is called on SP Park, advancing Wearne to 3B. Park is clearly unsettled as a result, as Yoshida immediately singles home Wearne. The next batter is 2B Oscar Agnolutto, who takes Park’s 1-0 pitch and parks it 356 ft. into the leftfield bleachers for two-run home run, tying up the game. Wolseley 4 – Fort Richmond 4 Bottom of the 6th: Louis Wearne leads off with a 4-pitch walk. With one out, Wearne reaches 2B on a Nobuyoshi Yoshida ground out. An intentional walk to Oscar Agnolutto and a first-pitch single by Nicky Sherlock load the bases. Jake Stunt reaches 1B on an error (E6), scoring Wearne for the go-ahead run. Belarmino Barbedo then slaps a single past 2B into shallow centerfield, scoring both Agnolutto and Sherlock. That ends Park’s day after 109 pitches. RP Brent Nix takes over and gets out of the inning two batters later. After taking over from Nicky Sherlock to start the 8th inning, RP José Rodríguez gives up a single to CF Owen Claridge to start the top of the 9th. But Rodríguez gets 2B Make-Make Kamaka, Carlton Hawking and Éric Denis to all fly out to end the game. Fort Richmond comes back to take Game 1. FINAL: Wolseley 4 – Fort Richmond 7  Player of the Game: 2B Oscar Agnolutto goes 1 for 3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. Nicky Sherlock goes 7.0 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 2 K on 114 PI (1-0, 5.14 ERA). For Wolseley: Hun Park came unnerved in the 4th inning and couldn’t recover. He went 5.2 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 4 K on 109 PI (0-1, 11.12 ERA). -------- Game 2 – March 30 The two teams reconvene at Generals Stadium for Game 2. Despite the fast start, Wolseley was unable hold onto the lead and now looks to try and get the split before heading home. It has cooled off a bit since the day before (67F) and the wind has died down, blowing in from centerfield (11mph). Fort Richmond is now undefeated in six straight home playoff games since last season, when they first qualified for playoff action. 24,314 fans take in the action to see if the Generals can make it 7 straight home wins. No. 2 starter 26-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li takes the hill for Fort Richmond, while Wolseley’s No. 2 pitcher, 29-year old RHP Kai Tosh (16-9, 3.15 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) makes his fifth career playoff start. Bottom of the 2nd: Nobuyoshi Yoshida connects on a two-out solo home run, sending it just over the leftfield wall, 340 ft. into the bleachers for the first run of the game. Wolseley 0 – Fort Richmond 1 Bottom of the 8th: Through the top of the 8th inning, SP Li has surrendered only 3 hits while P Tosh has a 1-hitter going (Yoshida’s home run). But that ends when Tosh gives up a one-out double to Nobuyoshi Yoshida. After Yoshida advances to 3B on a ground out, Li singles him home for the Generals’ second run. Jake Stunt then steps up to the plate and crushes Tosh’s second offering 430 ft. into the left-centerfield bleachers for a two-run home run. In the bottom of the 9th, Li gets the Unions to go down in order on two ground outs and an infield pop fly. Fort Richmond shuts down the Unions to take a 2 games-to-none lead and remain undefeated at home in the playoffs. FINAL: Wolseley 0 – Fort Richmond 4  Player of the Game: SP Ch’ang-chieh Li pitched an outstanding game and gets the shutout, going 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K on 103 PI (1-0, 0.00 ERA). For Wolseley: Kai Tosh was effective as well, but couldn’t get the offense to back him up. His line was 8.0 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, 2 HR on 99 PI (0-1, 4.50 ERA). -------- Game 3 – April 1 Playoff action returns to Satchel Paige Park on the west coast for the third consecutive year. 30,262 fans jam the stadium hoping to give their Unions a boost and get back into the Series. Partly clouds skies, 72F weather with just a light breeze (11 mph) blowing in from right set the stage. 25-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (13-5, 3.47 ERA, 1.26 WHIP), who missed nearly two months of the regular season to a hamstring strain gets the start, while No. 2 starter, 27-year old LHP Mo Goldstraw, takes the mound for Fort Richmond. Bottom of the 1st: In Game 4 of last year’s Western League Pennant, Mo Goldstraw got roughed up in his lone start against the Wolseley Unions. This year, the Unions got to him again. And they didn’t waste any time. 1B Evan Houk leads the game off with a single. 2B Make-Make Kamaka follows him with a single, putting runners on the corners. LF Carlton Hawking singles, scoring Houk for the game’s first run. Two pitches later, C Éric Denis singles in Kamaka. SS George Kimpton draws a full-count walk to load the bases. 3B Wen-huan Liu also draws a full-count walk, forcing in Hawking for the Unions’ third run. Next up is RF Howard Ockey who doubles home Denis and Kimpton. CF Owen Claridge then drives a single into shallow leftfield, scoring Liu. After Jeremy Albury lays down a sac bunt to put runners on 2B and 3B, Evan Houk, who started the inning, singles home Ockey and Claridge for the innings’ 7th and 8th runs. A beleaguered Mo Goldstraw finally gets Make-Make Kamaka and Carlton Hawking to both fly out to centerfield, mercifully bringing the inning to an end. In all, the Unions scored 8 runs on 7 hits. Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 8 Bottom of the 3rd: The Unions continue to pound away at Goldstraw with singles. Evan Houk smacks a first-pitch single with one out. Make-Make Kamaka follows him with a single once again, putting runners on the corners. Carlton Hawking steps up and hits a single into left-centerfield, scoring Houk. Éric Denis smacks the fourth consecutive single of the inning, sending it into shallow centerfield, allowing Kamaka to come home for Wolseley’s 10th run. Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 10 Bottom of the 4th: Owen Claridge leads off with a double, then reaches 3B on a Jeremy Albury sac bunt. On an 0-1 pitch to Evan Houk, Claridge attempts to steal home but is thrown out at the plate. Evan Houk eventually grounds out to 3B to end the inning. Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 10 Bottom of the 5th: RP Jamie Wigley comes on in relief of Mo Goldstraw to start the inning. Make-Make Kamaka leads off and reaches 1B on an error (E2). Carlton Hawking then hits his third single of the game, putting runners on the corners. After Éric Denis flies out to rightfield, Hawking is picked off at 1B. But George Kimpton comes through with the Unions 13th single of the game, scoring Kamaka. In the top of the 9th inning, Jeremy Albury finishes things off by inducing a 6-3 ground out from Louis Wearne and two pop flies by Clint Jones and Nobuyoshi Yoshida. Wolseley wins their first game of the series in convincing fashion. After being blanked by Fort Richmond in Game 3, the Unions return the favor. FINAL: Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 11  Player of the Game: SP Jeremy Albury did pretty good in pitching the shutout. He went 9.0 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 0 K on 110 PI. (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Lead-off hitter Evan Houk went 4 for 5, 2 RBI, 2 R. Carlton Hawking went 3 for 4, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. For Fort Richmond: Mo Goldstraw puts in one of the worst pitching lines in recent memory. He went just 4.0 IP, 13 H, 10 ER, 4 BB, 1 K on 105 PI (0-1, 22.50 ERA). His game score was -7. In Game 4 of last year’s Western Pennant Series, his game score was +1 (4.1 IP, 8 H, 9 ER, 10 BB, 0 K, 1 HR on 112 PI (0-1, 18.69 ERA). -------- Game 4 – April 2 Wolseley made a big statement in Game 3 to say the least, putting Fort Richmond on notice that they will not be pushed around. The two teams reconvene at Satchel Paige Park in a crucial Game 4 as the Generals look to regain the momentum and take a commanding 3 games-to-one lead, while the Unions aim to even up the series. 30,262 are on hand to witness the battle, under perfect conditions: partly cloudy, 72F, and the wind blowing in from right (11 mph). No. 4 starter, 30-year RHP Bill Blair (16-9, 3.46 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), who won a United Cup Championship with the Stratford Barons back in 1946-47, makes his first playoff start for Wolseley. Fort Richmond sends their No. 4 starter to the mound – 29-year old LHP Joy-shan Liu. Bottom of the 2nd: George Kimpton leads off with a walk, then advances to 3B when Wen-huan Liu singles. Howard Ockey steps up the plate and smacks Liu’s first offering deep into right-centerfield, scoring Kimpton. Owen Claridge follows him with a single of his own, scoring Liu. With one out, Evan Houk grounds out to 3B, but Ockey dashes home safely for the Unions’ third run. Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 3 Top of the 4th: Dylan Moyne leads off and flies out to leftfield. However, LF Carlton Hawking injures himself on the play and is forced out of the game. Lance Dulihanty replaces him in the field. Next up is RF Brandon Robinson, who crushes Blair’s second offering 359 ft. into the rightfield bleachers for a solo home run, putting Fort Richmond on the board. Fort Richmond 1 – Wolseley 3 Bottom of the 5th: Make-Make Kamaka and Lance Dulihanty lead off with back-to-back triples, adding to the Unions lead. Fort Richmond 1 – Wolseley 4 Bottom of the 6th: Owen Claridge singles with one out. With two out, Claridge steals 2B. That prompts the Generals to intentionally walk lead-off hitter Evan Houk. But Make-Make- Kamaka hits his second triple of the game into right-centerfield, scoring both Claridge and Houk. That ends Liu’s afternoon. He is replaced by RP Jorge Martínez. But CF Lance Dulihanty immediately singles home Kamaka for the Unions 7th run before Martínez gets Éric Denis to fly out to end the inning. Fort Richmond 1 – Wolseley 7 Bottom of the 7th: RP John Bullivant takes over from Martínez, but the Unions quickly load the bases with one out. SP Bill Blair helps his cause, smacking a first-pitch double deep into right-centerfield, scoring two more base runners. Fort Richmond 1 – Wolseley 9 Top of the 8th: PH Brian Earle leads off with a double and reaches 3B on a Dylan Moyne ground out. Brandon Robinson then reaches on an error (E5), allowing Earle to score Fort Richmond’s second run. Fort Richmond 2 – Wolseley 9 Top of the 9th: Fort Richmond starts a rally when Nobuyoshi Yoshida leads off with single, but reaches 2B on a throwing error (E7). Oscar Agnolutto steps up and crushes Bill Blair’s second pitch 376 ft. into the leftfield stands for a two-run homer. After PH Yoshino Ito flies out, Jake Stunt goes yard on Blair’s first pitch; a solo home run 361 ft. into the leftfield bleachers. But Blair gets Loïc Billon to strike out looking and induces a 5-3 ground out from Dylan Moyne to shut down the rally and preserve the win. Wolseley knots the series up a 2-games apiece. FINAL: Fort Richmond 5 – Wolseley 9  Player of the Game: SP Bill Blair goes 9.0 IP with 8 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 5 K, 3 HR on 130 PI (1-0, 4.00 ERA). Howard Ockey went 2 for 3, with 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. Make-Make- Kamaka went 2 for 5 with 2-3B, 2 RBI, 2 R. His two triples tie a Western League playoff game record. Carlton Hawking suffered back tightness in the 4th inning. He is considered DtD for the next 6 days. For Fort Richmond: Joy-shan Liu was somewhat better than Mo Goldstraw the day before, but that was little comfort for the Generals. He went 5.2 IP, 9 H, 7 ER, 5 W, 1 K on 116 PI (0-1, 11.12 ERA). -------- Game 5 – April 3 After being held to 4 runs over the course of the first two games, the Wolseley Unions have pounded the vaunted Fort Richmond pitching staff for 20 runs in Games 3 and 4. With the series now tied, the two teams meet in the rubber match, with Wolseley looking to keep its newfound momentum going and Fort Richmond merely looking to get back on track. But rainy skies are in the forecast. It’s humid (78F) and a breeze is blowing left to right (14 mph). Nevertheless, 30,413 fans defy the elements, looking for their Unions to take an upper hand in the series before it heads back to Fort Richmond. The Game 1 starters square off again: Wolseley’s RHP Hun Park will face the Generals’ RHP Nicky Sherlock. Sherlock got the win in the first match-up. Bottom of the 1st: Owen Claridge leads off with a single, but Make-Make- Kamaka grounds into a 4-6-3 double play. Carlton Hawking follows and draws a walk. Next up is Éric Denis who absolutely crushes Sherlock’s 2-0 offering 421 ft. into the left-centerfield stands for a 2-run home run. It’s the first home run for Wolseley in the series. Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 2 Bottom of the 5th: Wen-huan Liu leads off with a single but is thrown out when 3B Burt Willey hits into a 6-4 fielder’s choice. A sac bunt by Hun Park and a wild pitch moves Willey over to 3B. Owen Claridge then battles Sherlock for a full-count double, driving in Wolseley’s third run. Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 3 Bottom of the 6th: Carlton Hawking leads off with a walk, then reaches 3B when Éric Denis bangs out a first pitch single. George Kimpton follows with a double, scoring Hawking and moving Denis up to 3B. Howard Ockey joins in the fun with a first-pitch single, scoring Denis and moving Kimpton up the 3B. That ends Nicky Sherlock’s day after just 86 pitches. RP Jorge Martínez comes on in relief. But Wen-huan Liu connects on Martínez’s very first offering, cranking out a 3-run home run, 353 ft. into the delirious leftfield bleachers. Fort Richmond 0 – Wolseley 8 Top of the 8th: Hun Park keeps the Generals off the scoreboard until the 8th, when RP Jorge Martínez leads off with a solo home run, 404 ft. into the rightfield stands. It’s his second career home run and first since 1945. Jake Stunt follows Martínez with a single. With two out, Brandon Robinson singles as well. Stunt takes 2B on the play and tries for 3B, but a throwing error (E7) allows Stunt to score. Fort Richmond 2 – Wolseley 8 In the bottom of the 8th, the game is delayed for 20 minutes due to rain. Top of the 9th: Hun Park starts the inning, but gives up a lead-off solo home run to Clint Jones that sails 347 ft. into the rightfield bleachers. Nobuyoshi Yoshida follows with a single and advances to 3B on back-to-back ground outs. With one out to go, RP John Palm relieves Park. However, Jake Stunt reaches base safely on an error (E6), allowing Yoshida to score. But Loïc Billon grounds out to 2B on the very next pitch, ending the game. Wolseley takes the upper hand in the series as it heads back to Fort Richmond. FINAL: Fort Richmond 4 – Wolseley 8  Player of the Game: 1B Wen-huan Liu went 2-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. Éric Denis went 2 for 4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, Hun Park’s line was 8.2 IP, 11 H, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K, 2 HR on 107 PI (1-1, 6.28 ERA). For Fort Richmond: Clint Jones went 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R. Nicky Sherlock suffers his first career post-season loss (4-1), going just 5.0 IP, 7 H, 7 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 1 HR on 86 PI (1-1, 8.25 ERA). -------- Game 6 – April 5 As the Series returns Generals Stadium nestled in the foothills of the Amethyst Mountains, the Wolseley Unions appear to have figured out the Generals: score early and often enough to withstand any late-inning Fort Richmond comeback. That strategy has helped them take the series lead, but thus far, its been the home team winning every game. Now the Generals are back in familiar territory, where they have yet to lose a playoff game. Fort Richmond looks to keep that streak alive and that their home field advantage gives them the boost they need to win the next two games. But the heat is on more than just the Generals: the skies are clear and the mid-day sun is searing (84F). Just a slight breeze is blowing in from right (11 mph). 24,107 are on hand to cheer on their club and hope they won’t wilt under the pressure (and heat). The game sees the same matchup from Game 2: 26-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li for Generals and Wolseley’s 29-year old RHP Kai Tosh. Top of the 2nd: Howard Ockey leads off and on the first pitch, reaches 1B safely on an error (E4). Wen-huan Liu then takes Li deep on an 2-0 pitch, 377 ft. into leftfield for a 2-run home run, his second home run of the series. Wolseley 2 – Fort Richmond 0 Top of the 6th: Éric Denis leads off with a single. Three pitches later, George Kimpton cranks out the second 2-run home run of the game, 356 ft. into the rightfield bleachers. Wolseley 4 – Fort Richmond 0 Bottom of the 6th: Dylan Moyne, who has been strangely quiet in the series, leads off with a single. Its just his 4th hit of the series in 23 AB. With one out, Louis Wearne beats outs the throw to 1B for an infield hit as Moyne moves up to 2B. After reaching 3B on a Clint Jones fly out, Moyne scores on a Nobuyoshi Yoshida first-pitch single. Wolseley 4 – Fort Richmond 1 Top of the 7th: Owen Claridge draws a four-pitch walk with one out. With two out, Carlton Hawking singles, putting runners on the corners. Éric Denis follows with a single of his own, scoring Claridge. SP Ch’ang-chieh Li loads the bases when he walks George Kimpton on four pitches. Next up is Howard Ockey, who singles in both Hawking and Denis, who beats out the throw to home. That ends Li’s afternoon after 119 pitches. In the bottom of the 9th, PH Brian Earle draws a full-count walk to lead off. Wolseley manager Tony Fay calls to the bullpen for stopper John Palm. Palm gets to work first by getting Jake Stunt to fly out to rightfield on a full count. Belarmino Barbedo also battles Palm to full count, but grounds out to 1B, moving Earle to 2B. But just two pitches later, Dylan Moyne grounds out to 1B, ending the game, the series and Fort Richmond’s hope of repeating. The Generals lose their first home playoff game after going 7-0. The Wolseley Unions outscore the Generals 39-21 in the series and are Western League Pennant champions! FINAL: Wolseley 7 – Fort Richmond 1  Player of the Game: SP Kai Tosh comes through in the crunch, going 8.0 IP, 9 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K on 137 PI (1-1, 2.81 ERA). George Kimpton, who earned MVP honours for the series, went 2 for 3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. Éric Denis goes 2 for 4, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. Wen-huan Liu went 1 for 3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. For Fort Richmond: Fort Richmond pitching suddenly went south after Game 2. Ch’ang-chieh Li could only muster 6.2 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 0 K, 2 HR on 119 PI (1-1, 3.45 ERA). -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 03-19-2018 at 08:24 PM. |
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03-16-2018, 11:16 PM
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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It just seemed to me the Monarchs were 'out of sorts' all series long and couldn't figure out the Barons - because they couldn't figure themselves out either!
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03-21-2018, 12:00 PM
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#427 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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 Stratford Barons (86-68) vs. Wolseley Unions (89-67) Season Matchup: 4-2 in favor of Stratford Stratford: Runs scored – 822 (3rd in EL); runs allowed – 712 (4th in EL) Wolseley: Runs scored – 782 (2nd in WL); runs allowed – 653 (2nd in WL) For the first time, two wild card teams will meet for the United Cup. The Stratford Barons made relatively quick work of the Braeland City Monarchs in 5 games to capture their fifth Eastern League Pennant. Meanwhile the Wolseley Unions, after being down two games-to-none, stormed back to take four straight from the Fort Richmond Generals to win their second Western League Pennant in three years. It marks the first meeting between these two clubs for the Championship. Stratford is a two-time United Cup champion, having won it in 1940-41 and 1945-46, both times over the Kingston Pelicans. The Wolseley Unions however, are looking for their first championship in their third consecutive post-season appearance. This is the second season for Stratford under the regime of 47-year old GM Robin Ash and 52-year old manager Zachary Smith, who have guided the Barons to their first back-to-back playoff appearances. The Unions are led by 50-year old Tony Fay, the only field manager they have had in their 12-year existence and 48-year old Tony Hinton, their GM for the past four seasons. Both teams enter the Series dealing with the same major injuries they faced during their respective Pennant Series. Stratford is without 37-year old Max MacColl (1-2, 3.97 ERA, 1.47 WHIP), who has been out since the end of October after having surgery on his elbow. As well, 29-year old back-up CF Won-ho Kim (.255/.368/.338, 4 HR, 41 RBI, 80 BB, 6 SB, 2.5 WAR) strained his back in late March. As for Wolseley they are without their rightfielder, 31-year old Ramón Tavira (.331/.387/.483, 2 HR, 23 RBI, 15 BB, 1.7 WAR) due to a fractured hip. 26-year old Howard Ockey (.282/.404/.413, 7 HR, 43 RBI, 50 BB, 5 SB, 2.0 WAR) has taken his place. Both clubs displayed flashes of dominance during the regular season coupled with spells of mediocrity. But both came through when it counted to get here. Stratford has the experience on what it takes to win it all, but Wolseley is no doubt hungry for their first taste of victory. In short, the series should promise some fireworks. Play ball! -------- Game 1 – April 7 The United Cup opens up at Satchel Paige Park, with 30,605 fans anxious to see things get underway. Conditions are perfect: sunny skies, balmy weather (78F) and a wind blowing out to right (18mph). Wolseley goes with their No. 3 man: RHP Jeremy Albury (1-0, 0.00 ERA against Fort Richmond), while Stratford tabs 40-year old RHP Ryan Borden (0-0, 5.14 ERA against Braeland City). Top of the 1st: 2B Chris Spiller doubles with one out and reaches 3B when SS Jake Walker follows with a single. With two out, RF Lyndon Inagaki singles home Spiller for the game’s first run. Stratford 1 – Wolseley Unions 0 Top of the 2nd: The Barons put runners on the corners again when 1B León Rivera and 3B Vincent Colón lead off with back-to-back singles. With one out, CF Roberto Ríos draws a walk to load the bases. Chris Spiller then flies out right field to score Rivera before Albury can get out of the jam. Stratford 2 – Wolseley Unions 0 Bottom of the 2nd: C Éric Denis and SS George Kimpton lead off with back-to-back doubles, getting the Unions on the board. Stratford 2 – Wolseley Unions 1 Top of the 6th: With one out, León Rivera battles Albury to a full count, then launches a solo home run 356 ft. to the leftfield bleachers. Stratford 3 – Wolseley Unions 1 Bottom of the 6th: Wolseley puts runners on the corners when 1B Evan Houk triples with one out, followed by 2B Make-Make Kamaka with a full-count walk. Next up is LF Carlton Hawking, who doubles home Houk. Kamaka reaches 3B on the play. Éric Denis then hits into a 4-3 ground out, but Kamaka scores on the play, tying the game up. Stratford 3 – Wolseley Unions 3 Top of the 8th: Lyndon Inagaki leads off with a 4-pitch walk, then reaches 2B when LF Ricardo Castellanos lays down a sac bunt. After León Rivera battles Albury for a walk after 9 pitches, Vincent Colón cranks out a line drive triple into centerfield, scoring both Inagaki and Rivera. Stratford 5 – Wolseley Unions 3 Bottom of the 8th: Evan Houk leads off with a first-pitch triple, his second of the game. Make-Make Kamaka follows him with a single, driving Houk home. A single by Carlton Hawking and a walk by Éric Denis load the bases, still with nobody out. George Kimpton smacks a deep sac fly into rightfield, scoring Kamaka. Next up is 1B Wen-huan Liu, who doubles home both Hawking and Denis, giving Wolseley the lead. That ends Ryan Borden’s afternoon after 116 pitches. Stratford 5 – Wolseley Unions 6 Top of the 9th: Chris Spiller leads off with a single, then reaches 2B on a Jake Walker ground out. C Aaron Skidmore follows and battles Albury to a full count before connecting on a single to leftfield. That’s enough to drive home Spiller for the tying run, ending Albury’s 149 pitch day. RP Magtanggol Jaojoco gets the Unions to go down in order in the bottom of the 9th, sending the game into extras. Stratford 6 – Wolseley Unions 6 Top of the 10th: Stratford loads the bases with a single, a walk and an error with two out, but Aaron Skidmore grounds out to end the inning. Stratford 6 – Wolseley Unions 6 Bottom of the 12th: Wolseley puts runners on the corners with back-to-back singles with nobody out, but RP Alberto León gets the next three batters to go down in order to preserve the tie. Stratford 6 – Wolseley Unions 6 Bottom of the 14th: 3B Steve Laurence, who entered the game in the 10th, gets just enough of RP Ernesto Madrid’s 1-0 offering to send it 336 ft. over the leftfield wall for a walk-off solo home run. Unions fans erupt in jubilation, as Wolseley takes Game 1. FINAL: Stratford 6 – Wolseley Unions 7   Steve Laurence was the hero, going 2 for 2 with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R. Evan Houk went 3-6, 2-3B, 2 R. Jeremy Albury went 8.1 IP, 12 H, 6 ER, 4 BB, 6 K, 1 HR, 149 PI, 3.12 ERA. For Stratford: Player of the Game: León Rivera battled hard for the Barons, going 3 for 6, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB. Chris Spiller went 3 for 5, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. Ryan Borden went 7.2 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 116 PI, 6.14 ERA. -------- Game 2 – April 8 An exciting back-and-forth Game 1 set the stage for the Series. Wolseley hopes to carry their momentum into Game 2, while the Barons look to even things up before heading back to the friendly confines of Bosworth Field. Partly cloudy skies and agreeable weather (74F) greet the 30,698 fans who have returned to Satchel Paige Park for the afternoon game. However, a fresh Pacific Ocean breeze (22 mph) is blowing in from left to right. 31-year old RHP Hun Park (1-1, 6.28 ERA) takes the hill for Wolseley. Stratford responds with 38-year old LHP Joel Fearn (1-0, 3.38 ERA). Bottom of the 3rd: Fearn has things under control until the 3rd inning. Owen Claridge leads off with a single and advances to 2B on a SP Hun Park sac bunt. Up next is Evan Houk, who slices a single into deep centerfield, scoring Claridge. With two out, Carlton Hawking battles Fearn to a full count, then smashes a triple all the way to the centerfield wall. That scores Houk for Wolseley’s second run. Éric Denis and George Kimpton keep the pressure on, coming through with back-to-back singles. That plus a wild pitch scores two more runs before the inning is over. Stratford 0 – Wolseley Unions 4 Top of the 7th: Hun Park carries a no-hitter into the 7th, when the Barons finally break through. Ricardo Castellanos leads off with a double, then reaches 3B when Vincent Colón singles with one out. PH Ienobu Okazaki hits a sac fly to leftfield, allowing Castellanos to score. Next up is Roberto Ríos, who crushes a 2-2 pitch from Park 393 ft. into the leftfield bleachers for a 2-run home run, getting the Barons to within one. In the top of the 9th, Roberto Ríos singles off of RP John Palm with one out, then reaches 2B on a Chris Spiller U3 ground out. But Quinlevan Goldfinch hits into a 4-3 ground out to end the game. Stratford comes close, but the Unions take a 2 games-to-none lead as the series heads to Stratford. FINAL: Stratford 3 – Wolseley Unions 4  Player of the Game: Hun Park had the Barons number until the 7th. He went 7.1 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 1 HR, 108 PI (2-1, 5.40 ERA). Éric Dennis went 2-4 with 1 RBI, 1 R. For Stratford: Joel Fearn also had just one tough inning. He went 6.0 IP, with 9 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 93 PI (1-1, 4.09 ERA) Roberto Ríos went 2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R. SS Jake Walker on injured in the 6th inning, when he collided with a sliding Wen-huan Liu at 2B. He sprained his knee and is DtD, for 4 weeks. -------- Game 3 – April 10 The Series shifts east to Bosworth Field, where the Barons will play host to the Wolseley Unions for at least the next two games. Stratford desperately wants to reverse their fortunes and extend the series for a lot longer. 26,172 are on hand on this somewhat cooler (69F) afternoon. A light breeze blows out to center (10 mph) under partly cloudy skies. 31-year old RHP Kelvin Hutchinson (1-0, 4.15 ERA) gets the start for Stratford, while 30-year old RHP Kai Tosh (1-1, 2.81 ERA) takes the mound for Wolseley. Top of the 4th: Hutchinson and Tosh keep the batters off the board until the 4th inning. Wolseley puts runners on the corners when Make-Make Kamaka leads off with a walk and Carlton Hawking singles with nobody out. Éric Denis brings home Kamaka on 3-1 ground out. Wolseley 1 – Stratford 0 Bottom of the 4th: Tosh has only rough inning in the game, but it’s a costly one. Aaron Skidmore singles with one out. Next up is Lyndon Inagaki, who takes Tosh yard for a 2-run home run, 366 ft. into the rightfield bleachers. With two out, León Rivera singles and reaches 3B when Vincent Colón smacks a first-pitch double. SP Kelvin Hutchinson now comes up to the plate and stuns the Unions when he absolutely crushes a 1-0 pitch, 431 ft. into the riotous right-centerfield bleachers, for a 3-run home run. It’s the third home run of his career and first since 1943. Wolseley 1 – Stratford 5 Bottom of the 8th: With RHP Brent Nix having taken over for Tosh to start the 7th, Lyndon Inagaki connects on a 0-1 pitch for his second home run of the game, a solo shot, 346 ft. to rightfield with two out. In the top of the 9th, George Kimpton leads off with a first-pitch double and reaches 3B when Howard Ockey singles. After inducing a popup to the shortstop from Wen-huan Liu, Hutchinson is relieved by RHP Alberto León. León faces just one batter as Burt Willey grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game. The Barons finally get in the win column and send the fans home happy. FINAL: Wolseley 1 – Stratford 6  Player of the Game: Lyndon Inagaki went 2 for 4 with 2 HR, 3 RBI, 2R. Kelvin Hutchinson went 8.1 IP, 6 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 130 PI (2-0, 2.65 ERA). At the plate, he went 1 for 3 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1R. León Rivera goes 3 for 4, 1 R. Clint Jones went 1-2, 1 RBI, 2 BB. For Wolseley: Kai Tosh went 6.0 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 102 PI (1-2, 4.09 ERA). -------- Game 4 – April 11 Optimism is in the air as the home town crowd saw their Barons get back into the Series and look to try to even things up in Game 4. 26,150 have arrived for the 1:05 pm start and once again, the weather is cooperating: partly cloudy and 68F, with a fresh breeze blowing in from center (21 mph). A pair of ‘Bills’ get the start – and they are both their respective teams’ No. 4 starters: 22-year old RHP Bill Wolf (1-0, 1.80 ERA) gets the call for Stratford while 30-year old RHP Bill Blair (1-0, 4.00 ERA) responds for Wolseley. Bottom of the 4th: The only scoring in the game occurs in the 4th. Jake Walker singles to lead off the bottom half. Aaron Skidmore then steps up to the plate and deposits Bill Blair’s first pitch 348 ft. into the leftfield bleachers for a two-run home run. In the top of the 9th, Bill Wolf finishes Wolseley off by getting Owen Claridge, Make-Make Kamaka and Carlton Hawking to all fly out to three different outfielders to end the game just 2 hours and 20 minutes after it started. Wolf throws a two-hitter to help his club knot up the series at two games apiece. FINAL: Wolseley 0 – Stratford 2  Player of the Game: Bill Wolf was terrific, pitching the first complete game in the Series. He went 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K, 100 PI (2-0, 0.95 ERA). Aaron Skidmore went 1 for 4, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R. Jake Walker went 2 for 4, 1 R. For Wolseley: Bill Blair just had that one tough inning, but that was all Stratford needed. He went 7.0 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K, 80 PI (1-1, 3.38 ERA). -------- Game 5 – April 12 It’s a whole new ballgame – at least that’s what the Stratford Barons are thinking after they blanked the Unions on two hits to tie the Series in Game 4. Now it’s the rubber match to see who will take the upper hand, before the Series heads back to Wolseley. It’s a hot day in Stratford (84F) under clear, blue skies. Just a slight breeze (12 mph) blowing in from left to right offers some relief to the players and the 26,215 fans wedged into Bosworth Field. The starters of Game 1 get the gall again: 40-year old RHP Ryan Borden (0-0, 6.14 ERA for Stratford and 25-year old RHP Jeremy Albury (1-0, 3.12 ERA) will try to get Wolseley back on track. Top of the 1st: Wolseley wastes no time responding to being shut out the day before. Make-Make Kamaka singles with one out, then moves to 2B when Éric Denis reaches safely on an error (E5). George Kimpton battles Borden to a full count and draws a walk to load the bases. Up next is Wen-huan Liu, who gets a hold of a 2-2 pitch for a GRAND SLAM home run, sending it 360 ft. into the leftfield bleachers. The ball is promptly thrown back into the field by the unimpressed fans. Wolseley 4 – Stratford 0 Top of the 3rd: Éric Denis leads off with a double and reaches 3B on a George Kimpton ground out. Wen-huan Liu then grounds out to the shortstop, allowing Denis to add to the Unions lead. Wolseley 5 – Stratford 0 Top of the 4th: Wolseley loads the bases when Owen Claridge leads off with a single, Evan Houk draws a four-pitch walk and Make-Make Kamaka singles with one out. Carlton Hawking scores Claridge on a deep sac fly to centerfield. Back-to-back singles by Éric Denis and George Kimpton score two more runs. Jeremy Albury enters the bottom of the 9th working on a 2-hit shutout. Jake Walker leads off and reaches safely on an error (E3). But Aaron Skidmore grounds into a 5-4-3 double play. Down to their last out, Lyndon Inagaki draws walk and Ricardo Castellanos singles, putting runners on 1B and 2B. But Albury gets León Rivera to hit into a 5-4 fielder’s choice to end the game. The Unions take the upper hand in the series as the two teams head back to Braeland’s west coast for Game 6. FINAL: Wolseley 8 – Stratford 0  Player of the Game: Jeremy Albury responds with his second complete game shut-out of the playoffs, both times coming after a game where his teammates were shut-out themselves. He went 9.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 5 K, 147 PI (2-0, 2.05 ERA). Wen-huan Liu goes 1 for 4 with 1 HR, 5 RBI, 1 R. Make-Make Kamaka went 2 for 4, 2 R, 1 BB. Éric Denis goes 2 for 5, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 2 R. For Stratford: Ryan Borden could only go 5.0 IP, 8 H, 8 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 3 K, 1 HR, 97 PI (0-1, 6.41 ERA). 25-year old RHP Bonie Bandong settled things down the rest of the way, going 4.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K, 41 PI (0.00 ERA). -------- Game 6 – April 14 The Unions return home with renewed momentum and a chance to wrap up their first United Cup championship. 30,561 have converged on Satchel Paige Park to hopefully witness the historic event. But the Stratford Barons have proven themselves resilient in this year’s playoffs and won’t let an 8-0 drubbing dampen their determination. Certainly, the weather won’t put a damper on things either: party cloudy, warm (77F) and a gentle breeze blowing from left to right (11 mph). The Game 2 starters meet up once again: 31-year old RHP Hun Park (2-1, 65.4 ERA) for Wolseley; 38-year old LHP Joel Fearn (1-1, 4.09 ERA) for the Barons. Bottom of the 1st: Wolseley picks up where it left off in Game 5. Evan Houk leads off with a single. With one out, Carlton Hawking crushes Joel Fearn’s first offering for a 2-run home run, 389 ft. into the leftfield stands. Stratford 0 – Wolseley 2 Bottom of the 2nd: The Unions adds to their lead when the speedy Owen Claridge smacks a two-out INSIDE THE PARK home run into leftfield while the outfielders scramble for the ball. Stratford 0 – Wolseley 3 Top of the 3rd: The Barons respond with their own fireworks when Roberto Ríos connects on a full-count solo home run, 387 ft. into the rightfield stands with one out. Chris Spiller and Jake Walker immediately follow with back-to-back singles. However, Spiller is caught stealing 3B just before Aaron Skidmore draws a 4-pitch walk. That sets up the hot Lyndon Inagaki, who tags Hun Park for a 3-run home run, 358 ft. into the rightfield bleachers. It’s his third home run of the series. Stratford 4 – Wolseley 3 Bottom of the 3rd: Evan Houk leads off with full-count walk and advances to 2B when Carlton Hawking singles with one out. With two out, George Kimpton comes through with a single, scoring Houk for the tying run. Stratford 4 – Wolseley 4 Bottom of the 6th: Wen-huan Liu gives the lead back to Wolseley with a lead-off solo home run, 383 ft. to leftfield. Stratford 4 – Wolseley 5 Top of the 9th: With RHP Luke Woodward relieving Hun Park with two outs in the 7th, the Unions look to him to finish off the Barons in the 9th. Woodward gets two quick outs to start the inning, but Stratford manages to load the bases with back-to-back singles by Reggie Flournoy and Aaron Skidmore as well as a walk to Lyndon Inagaki. Ricardo Castellanos then works the count full before drawing a walk that forces in the tying run. In the bottom of the 9th, RHP Densel Vyse gets the Unions to go down 1-2-3, sending the game into extra innings for the second time in the series. Stratford 5 – Wolseley 5 Top of the 11th: Aaron Skidmore doubles with one out off of RHP John Palm. Skidmore reaches 3B on a wild pitch with two out, but Palm gets Ricardo Castellanos to fly out to leftfield to end the threat. Stratford 5 – Wolseley 5 Bottom of the 11th: Wen-huan Liu leads off with a double and Howard Ockey and PH Blair Toman both receive intentional walks, loading the bases with one out. But Evan Houk lines out to RHP Alberto León and Make-Make Kamaka hits into a 6-4 fielder’s choice to end the inning. Stratford 5 – Wolseley 5 Top of the 15th: Stratford loads the bases off of LHP Axel MacKay when Reggie Flournoy singles, Aaron Skidmore walks and Lyndon Inagaki singles with one out. Ricardo Castellanos then flies out to deep rightfield, scoring Flournoy for the go-ahead run. The Barons get some insurance when León Rivera and Vincent Colón draw back-to-back full-count walks, forcing in Skidmore. In the bottom of the 15th, RHP Bonie Bandong induces a 5-3 ground out from Wen-huan Liu. Howard Ockey then lines out to 3B. Finally, Owen Claridge flies out to leftfield ending the game after 5 hours and 20 minutes. The hometown crowd leaves dejected, as the Stratford Barons hang on to force a deciding winner-take-all Game 7. FINAL: Stratford 7 – Wolseley 5   Player of the Game: Aaron Skidmore goes 4 for 6 with 1-2B, 2 R, 2 BB. Lyndon Inagaki goes 2 for 7 with 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. Ricardo Castellanos went 2 for 5 with 1-2B, 2 RBI, 2 BB. Neither starter got the decision, as on this night the sluggers took center stage. Joel Fearn went 6.0 IP, 8 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 3 HR, 95 PI (4.82 ERA). For Wolseley: Hun Park went 6.2 IP, 10 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 111 PI (5.40 ERA). Carlton Hawking went 2-2, 1- HR, 2 RBI, 1 R, 2 BB. -------- Game 7 – April 15 The United Cup sees a 7th game for the fourth time in 12 years as the Stratford Barons pulled out a come from behind win in extra innings in an exciting Game 6. The final game of the season is played before 30,609 fans at Satchel Paige Park and millions of Braelanders listening in on the national radio broadcast. The afternoon could not be more perfect for the final showdown: partly cloudy, 73F and just a light Pacific breeze blowing in from left (12 mph). The Game 3 pitchers meet again for Game 7: Wolseley’s 30-year old RHP Kai Tosh (1-2, 4.09 ERA) and Stratford’s 31-year old RHP Kelvin Hutchinson (2-0, 2.65 ERA). Hutchinson got the win in Stratford’s 6-1 drubbing of the Unions in that previous encounter. Bottom of the 1st: Owen Claridge leads off with a single, then promptly steals 2B two pitches later. Make-Make Kamaka works the count full before squeaking a single into shallow leftfield. Claridge uses his blazing speed to beat out the throw to home plate, scoring Wolseley’s first run. Two pitches into Carlton Hawking’s at-bat, Kamaka steals 2B as well. Hawking then doubles home Kamaka for the Unions’ second run. Stratford 0 – Wolseley 2 Bottom of the 3rd: Carlton Hawking triples with one out. Éric Denis follows him and grounds out to 2B, as Hawking scurries home on the play. Stratford 0 – Wolseley 3 Bottom of the 6th: George Kimpton leads off with a first-pitch single, then reaches 2B when Evan Houk lays down a sac bunt. Burt Willey follows with a single. Kimpton reaches 3B and tries for home, but is cut down at the plate by CF Roberto Ríos’ tremendous throw. Willey moves up to 2B on the play. SP Kai Tosh singles on the first pitch he sees. This time, Willey heads for home and beats out the throw for the Unions 4th run of the game. That ends SP Hutchinson’s afternoon, as RHP Alberto León takes over. Stratford 0 – Wolseley 4 Bottom of the 8th: With RHP Ernesto Madrid replacing Alberto León in the 7th, he faces George Kimpton to start the bottom half of the 8th. Kimpton crushes Madrid’s first offering 412 ft. into the delirious left-centerfield stands for a solo home run. In the top of the 9th, SP Kai Tosh is relieved by RHP John Palm. PH Rafeal Meléndez flies out to deep centerfield on the first pitch. Roberto Ríos battles Palm to a full count, but grounds out to the shortstop. Finally, Chris Spiller pops up into foul territory near the first base dugout. C Éric Denis gets under it and snags the ball in his glove for the final out. The first base dugout as well as 30,609 fans erupt in jubilation as the home team takes Game 7 in convincing fashion. The Wolseley Unions finally win the United Cup! FINAL: Stratford 0 – Wolseley 5  Player of the Game: Kai Tosh was tremendous when it counted, keeping the Barons off the board. He went 8.0 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 142 PI (2-2, 3.00 ERA). Carlton Hawking goes 3 for 4 with 1-2B, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 1 R and was declared the Series MVP. George Kimpton went 2 for 4 with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R. Burt Willey went 2 for 3, 1-2B, 1 R. For Stratford: The magic wasn’t there for Kelvin Hutchinson this time, as he suffers his first loss of the playoffs. He went just 5.2 IP, 9 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 104 PI (2-1, 3.57 ERA). -------- 
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United Leagues of Braeland |
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03-23-2018, 07:00 AM
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#428 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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05-18-2018, 05:53 PM
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#429 |
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Bat Boy
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 2
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This is an amazing league! I really love the details you've put into it. Would it be possible to upload a quickstart that works with ootp19? I'd absolutely love to play this league.
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05-20-2018, 01:22 AM
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#430 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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Quote:
Here is a quickstart compatible with OOTP20, as well as an updated graphics link: OOTP20 Braeland Quickstart Braeland Graphics
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-17-2019 at 12:52 AM. Reason: Updated Links |
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05-22-2018, 05:37 PM
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#431 | |
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Bat Boy
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 2
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05-23-2018, 05:13 PM
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#432 |
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Major Leagues
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 362
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When will you be picking back up with this Reds1? I miss reading this league!
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05-25-2018, 01:05 AM
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#433 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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I'm slowly getting back into. Working on the awards right now, then the HOF report and the off-season summary before embarking on the new season proper. I'm still undecided whether I will convert to OOTP19 at this point or wait until the patch cycle is complete. I'm not fond of the in-game look of OOTP19 either, but I've said that a few time before of previous versions. So perhaps it will grow on me if I give it a little more time.
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05-25-2018, 10:25 AM
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#434 |
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Major Leagues
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 362
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Ok good to hear. Going to a new version is jarring sometimes but I do feel it refreshes the league all over again. I’m going to make the switch in my 12 year league after the postseason is done. Look forward to reading soon!
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05-25-2018, 01:05 PM
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#435 | |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 2,521
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05-26-2018, 11:43 AM
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#436 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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The 3D stadiums views are incredible, but the overall look and feel of OOTP19 is too 'modern' for me, especially if you're running an historical-type or throwback league. It's always been like that but now even more so. I know Questdog had a really nice skin for old-timey leagues, but the steps involved to load it in scared me off at the time. Too bad something similar isn't included in the base game.
Perhaps I'll have to start using 'OOTP19 Classic', but I find it too bright for my eyes.
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05-26-2018, 11:44 AM
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#437 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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05-29-2018, 07:01 PM
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#438 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
Posts: 3,864
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1948-49 United Leagues of Braeland Awards
Eastern League  Babe Ruth Award This past season saw a changing of the guard as three new players were in the running for the Eastern League top batter award. Stratford’s 29-year old C Aaron Skidmore (.311/.488/.538, 33-2B, 21 HR, 98 RBI, 8.4 WAR) has been an all-star in each of the 8 full seasons he has played since he was selected first overall by the Hespeler Stars back in 1940-41. He is considered the No. 1 rated position player in the entire United Leagues and now has a Babe Ruth Award to back up that claim. He led the Eastern League in BB (160), OPB (.488), OPS (1.026), wOBA (.454) and WAR (8.4). He finished in the Top 5 in two other offensive categories (Top 2 once). This year’s runner ups were: 2nd: Downie’s 3B Dominic Dudding (.336/.395/.575, 37-2B, 30 HR, 134 RBI, 7.3 WAR) 3rd: Braeland City’s C Christopher Dainty (.328/.427/.534, 30-2B, 20 HR, 84 RBI, 6.6 WAR) Dudding led the circuit in HR (30), RBI (134), SLG (.575), ISO (.240), XBH (76) and TB (348). He finished in the Top 5 in eight other offensive categories (Top 2 four times, including K’s). Dainty, who won Rookie of the Year honors last season, finished in the Top 5 in six categories (Top 2 once). 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 1944-45: Stuart Bentham, Brunswick Legends 1945-46: Jim Friend, Embro Suns 1946-47: Elijah Sheppard, Queensland Eagles 1947-48: Roberto Ríos, Stratford Barons -------- Satchel Paige Award Braeland City’s patience with Nicholas Grimes was rewarded this season when the 28-year old southpaw earned his first Satchel Paige Award. The injury-prone hurler, who was selected in the second-round back in 1943-44, lost significant playing time in both the 1946-47 and 1947-48 seasons due to tearing his labrum on two separate occasions. But he managed to hold it together this year to earn his first all-star selection and now his first Top Pitcher Award. Grimes led the circuit (and the ULB) in wins (21) and finished in the Top 5 in eight other categories (Top 2 once). Incidentally, this marks the 9th straight season and 10th overall that a left-handed pitcher has won the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award. Colm Soper and Lenny Freke are the only RH pitchers on the list. A previous two-time winner and a new-comer were in the running this season: 2nd: Brunswick's LHP Anastasio Rodríguez (18-13, 2.92 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 144 ERA+) 3rd: Queensland’s RHP Pi-ao Quian (14-12, 3.16 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 131 ERA+) Rodríguez led the League in ERA (2.92), IP (280.0), K/BB (2.25) and WAR (8.5). He finished in the Top 5 in five other pitching categories (Top 2 twice). Quian led in shutouts (4), HR/9 (0.20) and FIP (2.96). He finished in the Top 5 in two other categories (Top 2 once). 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 1944-45: Matthew Monroe, Brunswick Legends 1945-46: Joel Fearn, Stratford Barons 1946-47: Arthur Bence, Wellington Athletics 1947-48: Ryan Borden, Stratford Barons -------- Rookie of the Year Award Despite missing 11 weeks due to injuries, 23-year old CF/2B Patrick Lidgate (.301/.413/.515, 13-2B, 13 HR, 59 RBI, 4.3 WAR) was the clear choice for Rookie of the Year. The first overall pick from 1947-48 did not disappoint in his first full season. He also finished with 118 hits and 87 runs in 99 games. He represents the fourth Monarch to win the Award and second in a row. Here were the runners-up: 2nd: Embro's 23-year old LF/SS Keon-chae Cho (.333/.368/.533, 15-2B, 10 HR, 55 RBI, 2.1 WAR) 3rd: Cobourg’s 25-year old RF Fergus Thackwray (.287/.373/.465, 16-2B, 9 HR, 32 RBI, 1.9 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 1944-45: Kyle Pryor, Braeland City Monarchs 1945-46: Jilenko Batiles, Cobourg Red Stockings 1946-47: Ron Gavin, Queensland Eagles 1947-48: Christopher Dainty, Braeland City Monarchs -------- 1948-49 Western League Awards  Babe Ruth Award After finishing second in last year’s voting, Fort Richmond’s CF Dylan Moyne (.349/.419/.543, 38-2B, 19 HR, 114 RBI, 8.8 WAR) breaks through to win his first Babe Ruth Award, ending C Danny Trowbridge’s three-year reign. Up until this season, no former first overall pick has ever won either the top batter or top pitcher awards. With Aaron Skidmore’s win in the East and now Dylan Moyne’s win in the West, suddenly there are two. Moyne was selected first overall back in 1944-45. Moyne led the Western League in Hits (207), RBI (114), WAR (8.8), TB (322) and tied for first in SB (24). He finished in the Top 5 in nine other offensive categories (Top 2 twice). Moyne’s runners-up were a couple of Carltons: 2nd: Wolseley’s LF Carlton Hawking (.349/.468/.562, 36-2B, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 6.8 WAR) 3rd: Balmoral's LF Carlton Broadbent (.345/.414/.576, 42-2B, 26 HR, 95 RBI, 5.0 WAR) Hawking led in AVG (.34915), OBP (.468), OPS (1.030) and wOBA (.457). He finished in the Top 5 in ten other categories (Top 2 five times). Broadbent led in HR (26), SLG (.576) ISO (.231) and XBH (69). He finished in the Top 5 in eight other categories (Top 2 four times). 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 1944-45: Carlton Broadbent, Balmoral Giants 1945-46: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans 1947-48: Danny Trowbridge, Kingston Pelicans -------- Satchel Paige Award The trade of C Danny Trowbridge from Fort Richmond to Kingston back in November 1943 continues to pay dividends, as perhaps the top prospect the Generals got in return in that trade picked up his first Satchel Paige Award. 26-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (18-7, 2.48 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 165 ERA+) represents just the second pitcher not playing for either the Kingston Pelicans or Sherburn Tigers to earn top honours in the West. Sherlock led the West in ERA (2.48), IP (279.0) and WHIP (1.15). He finished in the Top 5 in eight other categories (Top 2 four times). Finishing behind Sherlock this year were: 2nd: Sherburn's RHP Roberto Taváres (14-10, 2.93 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 144 ERA+) 3rd: Wolseley's RHP Kai Tosh (16-9, 3.15 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 134 ERA+) Taváres led the Western League in HR/9 (0.2). He finished in the Top 5 in three other categories (Top 2 once). Tosh led in SO (129), K/9 (4.7) and K/BB (1.95). He finished in the Top 5 in six other categories. 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 1944-45: Roberto Taváres, Sherburn Tigers 1945-46: Patrick Denman, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers 1947-48: Jesús Chapa, Sherburn Tigers -------- Rookie of the Year Award It was a clean sweep for the Fort Richmond Generals, as 23-year old LHP Gavin Flatt (13-6, 3.08 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 133 ERA+) won this year’s Rookie of the Year Award. For the third time, a pitcher won the Rookie Award in the West. Flatt actually led the League in H/9 (7.12) and OAVG (2.16) in 189.2 IP. He finished in the Top 5 in two other categories. The runners-up for the Rookie Award were: 2nd: Sherburn’s 2B Jack Burt (.304/.357/.425, 45-2B, 55 RBI, 2.9 WAR) 3rd: Wolseley's RF Howard Ockey (.311/.436/.467, 4-2B, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 2.6 WAR) Burt led the West in doubles (45), triples (14) and SO (90). He finished in the TOP 5 in three other categories. 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 1944-45: Hao Wang, Cambria Cannons 1945-46: Ben Currall, Kingston Pelicans 1946-47: Éric Denis, Wolseley Unions 1947-48: Dominic Pipard, Balmoral Giants -------- Manager of the Year Award  Toby Reakes earned his second consecutive Eastern League Manager of the Year Award, after the Braeland City Monarchs reached new heights in the regular season. The Monarchs became the third team in United League history to win 104 games – the most any team has won. The Embro Suns first accomplished it back in 1942-43 and the Kingston Pelicans matched it in 1945-46. Although a United Cup victory still eludes the club, Reakes has guided the Monarchs now to two consecutive playoff appearances, matching their other back-to-back playoff appearances of 1940 and 1941. Over five seasons, he has gone 431-340, .559. The 51-year old former major leaguer is considered a tactician and enjoys an excellent reputation. It took 12 seasons, but Wolseley Unions manager Tony Fay (899-949, .486) finally grabbed the brass ring, leading his squad to their first United Cup championship. In the process, he also earned his first Manager of the Year Award, as he led the Unions to their third consecutive playoff appearance. Fay has been Wolseley’s field manager for their entire 12 season existence. He is joined in that club by three of his peers: Downie’s 53-year old Bill Bouchet, Cambria’s 62-year old Eddie Frierson and last year’s Western League Manager of the Year, 46-year old Morrigan O’Lonergan of Balmoral. Fay enjoys an excellent reputation but is not a shrinking violet: he is temperamental to say the least and his anger management issues have rubbed some of his players the wrong way over the years. But the 50-year old Pulberry native’s balanced, conventional approach has paid dividends. 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 Pelican 1943-44: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons; Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans 1944-45: Wesley Leseberg, Brunswick Legends; Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans 1945-46: Bill Quinn, Stratford Barons; Bradley Balmforth, Sherburn Tigers 1946-47: Reid Saxby, Queensland Eagles; Ben Houchens, Kingston Pelicans 1947-48: Toby Reakes, Braeland City Monarchs; Morrigan O’Lonergan, Balmoral Giants -------- New Records Set As previously mentioned in the team write-ups, Stratford’s C Aaron Skidmore set two new single-season marks: OBP (.4876), surpassing Gary Watkinson’s previous mark of .4832 set in 1937-38; and BB (160), breaking the old mark of 147, set by Héctor Nájera in 1938-39. Walks were up greatly this past season, as evidenced by four pitchers surpassing the previous mark. LHP Ah-cy Yao held the previous mark of 149 set in 1945-46. But Balmoral’s RHP Quintiliano Galeo and RHP Cris Herrera both set the new mark of 162. They were followed by Pulberry’s Lee Dowdeswell (161) and Braeland City’s Robin Medellin (157).
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06-01-2018, 01:42 AM
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#439 |
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Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Winnipeg
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 Notes on 1948-49 All-Braeland Team Starting Pitcher The last two seasons have witnessed the ascendancy of 26-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock. Last year, he helped lead the Fort Richmond Generals to a championship, picking up a United Cup MVP Award in the process. This season, he earned his first Satchel Paige Award and now, his first selection to the All-Braeland Team. He is rated second overall among starters in the ULB. But a couple of other pitchers were under consideration as well: Braeland City’s 28-year old LHP Nicholas Grimes, who won the Eastern League Satchel Paige Award this season, as well as the top-rated hurler in the United Leagues, 32-year old LHP Anastasio Rodríguez of Brunswick. All three were incredible this season, but Sherlock was the clear choice for me. Here are some of their stats for comparison (league leading stats in bold): • Sherlock – 18-7, 2.48 ERA, 34 GS, 279.0 IP, 106 K, 1.15 WHIP, 0.3 HR/9, 3.2 BB/9, 3.4 K/9, .233 BABIP, 165 ERA+, 3.25 FIP, 6.9 WAR. • Grimes – 21-9, 3.06 ERA, 33 GS, 279.2 IP, 110 K, 1.21 WHIP, 0.6 HR/9, 2.4 BB/9, 3.5 K/9, .261 BABIP, 138 ERA+, 3.39 FIP, 6.8 WAR. • Rodríguez – 18-13, 2.92 ERA, 33 GS, 280.0 IP, 137 K, 1.24 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 2.0 BB/9, 4.4 K/9, .286 BABIP, 144 ERA+, 2.97 FIP, 8.5 WAR. -------- Catcher He just replaced Danny Trowbridge as the top position player in the ULB and now usurps Danny’s seven-year reign on the All-Braeland Team. 29-year old Aaron Skidmore (.311/.488/.538, 33-2B, 21 HR, 98 RBI, 1.026 OPS, 8.4 WAR, .941 EFF) was the clear choice, after enjoying a season that saw him named both the Eastern League’ Babe Ruth Award winner and Pennant Series MVP. But two other catchers had seasons of note: • Braeland City's Christopher Dainty (.328/.427/.534, 30-2B, 20 HR, 84 RBI, 82 BB, .961 OPS, 6.6 WAR, .819 EFF) • Kingston’s Danny Trowbridge (.328/.449/.519, 28-2B, 19 HR, 77 RBI, 106 BB, .968 OPS, 6.4 WAR, 1.005 EFF) -------- First Base Embro’s Jim Friend (.289/.403/.481, 35-2B, 22 HR, 106 RBI, 107 BB, .884 OPS, 5.0 WAR, 1.014 EFF) returns to the All-Braeland Team after a one-year absence. It’s his 7th appearance, tying him with C Danny Trowbridge for the most selections. He and Brunswick’s Stuart Bentham have dominated this selection over the past five seasons, but a new crop of stars is starting to make some noise. Among them are 25-year old Dean Witherden (rated No. 1 among 1B) and 23-year old Harry Doxy (No. 5). They were among the other first basemen considered (Friend is rated 3rd and Gutiérrez is rated 6th): • Braeland City's Dean Witherden (.329/.375/.540, 24-2B, 24 HR, 91 RBI, 40 BB, .916 OPS, 4.2 WAR, 1.056 EFF) • Sherburn's Héctor Gutiérrez (.291/.440/.450, 22-2B, 13 HR, 51 RBI, 117 BB, .890 OPS, 4.4 WAR, .910 EFF) • Cobourg’s Harry Doxey (.323/.372/.482, 39-2B, 16 HR, 73 RBI, 46 BB, .854 OPS, 4.1 WAR, 1.062 EFF) -------- Second Base Trying to choose the top second baseman is giving me fits. Last season I had selected George Simpson, only to change my mind after generating his card, due to his suspect defense. Well, the same scenario is playing out again. Simpson is a fine offensive player but his defensive play leaves a lot to be desired; in fact, it was even worse than last year. Here are the three players I considered: • Cobourg’s George Simpson (.327/.381/.458, 29-2B, 10 HR, 79 RBI, 46 BB, .839 OPS, 3.3 WAR, .977 PCT, 5.48 RNG, -9.8 ZR, .962 EFF) • Balmoral’s Sean Brearton (.276/.358/.388, 20-2B, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 66 BB, .746 OPS, 3.3 WAR, .971 PCT, 5.89 RNG, +6.5 ZR, 1.025 EFF) • Downie’s Robin Duerden (.307/.375/.421, 22-2B, 6 HR, 69 RBI, 57 BB, .797 OPS, 3.1 WAR, .965 PCT, 5.37 RNG, -3.7 ZR, .971 EFF) What makes this decision more difficult is that there wasn’t a real standout at the position. To me, its essentially a wash between Simpson and Brearton, with one shining on offense and the other on defense. So, I’m going to stick with Simpson this time around. But with Sherburn’s Jack Burt and Braeland City’s Patrick Lidgate (who has slid over to 2B from CF immediately following the season) embarking on their sophomore seasons next spring, perhaps the selection will be easier. -------- Third Base Last year, Downie’s 2B Robin Duerden became the first Chief to earn a place on the All-Braeland Team. Dominic Dudding (.336/.395/.575, 37-2B, 30 HR, 134 RBI, 59 BB, .970 OPS, 7.3 WAR, .999 EFF) now makes it two. Only this time, it wasn’t close. Dudding is currently rated as the top 3B in the ULB. No argument here. A couple of former members of the Team rounded out the top 3: • Braeland City's Adam Ashley (.303/.379/.417, 20-2B, 3 HR, 55 RBI, 52 BB, .796 OPS, 4.1 WAR, 1.048 EFF) • Balmoral's Allen Cattanach (.294/.375/.407, 24-2B, 7 HR, 71 RBI, 62 BB, 3.6 WAR, 1.041 EFF) -------- Shortstop After missing out last season due to his woeful defense, Cobourg's John Medley (.357/.414/.529, 33-2B, 6 HR, 84 RBI, 62 BB, 29 SB, .944 OPS, 8.0 WAR, .991 EFF) finally earns his first selection to the All-Braeland Team. He did it not only by putting in another strong season at the plate and on the basepaths, but also by pulling up his ‘bootstraps’ on defense too. There were a couple of other fine performances at this position, but Medley was a no-doubter for me: • Pulberry's Roland Binns (.320/.383/.518, 31-2B, 16 HR, 95 RBI, 50 BB, .901 OPS, 6.7 WAR, 1.032 EFF) • Brunswick's Jorge Arredondo (.314/.387/.494, 35-2B, 17 HR, 96 RBI, 75 BB, 17 SB, .882 OPS, 5.3 WAR, .969 EFF) -------- Leftfield Last season, Stratford's Roberto Ríos (.284/.447/.453, 23-2B, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 154 BB, 19 SB, .900 OPS, 7.3 WAR, 1.063 EFF) earned his first Team selection at centerfield. One year later, he notches his second selection, only this time at leftfield. In doing so, he becomes the third player to earn a selection to the All-Braeland Team at different positions. Bob Boynton was the first, earning selection to centerfield in 1937-38, then leftfield the following season. Katsunan Chikafuji was next, earning a selection at 2B in 1937-38, then three more selections at shortstop from 1943-44 to 1945-46. Two other players made a noteworthy impact at the position as well: • Wolseley’s Carlton Hawking (.349/.468/.562, 36-2B, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 120 BB, 1.030 OPS, 6.8 WAR, .951 EFF) • Fort Richmond's Jake Stunt (.289/.354/.395, 22-2B, 10 HR, 71 RBI, 58 BB,21 SB, .748 OPS, 3.6 WAR, 1.070 EFF) -------- Centerfield Like the leftfield choices, this really came down to two titans: • Fort Richmond's Dylan Moyne (.349/.419/.543, 38-2B, 19 HR, 114 RBI, 70 BB, 24 SB, .962 OPS, 8.8 WAR, 1.051 EFF) • Downie's Alfonso León (.302/.356/.485, 26-2B, 21 HR, 102 RBI, 58 BB, 8 SB, .840 OPS, 7.5 WAR, 1.061 EFF) • Braeland City's Patrick Lidgate (.301/.413/.515, 13-2B, 13 HR, 59 RBI, 74 BB, 6 SB, .928 OPS, 4.3 WAR, 1.001 EFF) Moyne and León were strong contenders last season and are each coming off their best seasons so far. They are feared hitters and award-winning defenders in the field. I went with Moyne, as he was the top hitter in the West and just had an incredible year all-round. But if this is indicative of what is to come for the 23-year old León, then he’ll be getting his due sooner rather than later. The 23-year old Lidgate also showed what’s in store for the future in his award-winning rookie season. But if his shift to second base – his strongest position – by the Monarchs is permanent, then he should have a great chance at making the Team in the future. He is already rated as the top second basemen in the ULB. -------- Rightfield It was tough choice once again between the two top players: • Braeland City’s Jesùs Ortega (.314/.392/.522, 13-2B, 23 HR, 101 RBI, 61 BB, .914 OPS, 5.1 WAR, 1.051 EFF) • Balmoral's Carlton Broadbent (.345/.414/.576, 42-2B, 26 HR, 95 RBI, 67 BB, .989 OPS, 5.0 WAR, .957 EFF) • Queensland's Jilenko Vergara (.364/.455/.596, 12-2B, 12 HR, 36 RBI, 39 BB, 1.050 OPS, 3.5 WAR, 1.016 EFF) Broadbent is the top-rated rightfielder in the United Leagues, followed by Vergara and then Ortega. But for overall performance, I went with Ortega. His WAR rating more than doubled from last year, and his defense won him his first Top Fielder Award. And he was no slouch at the plate. Broadbent remains one of the most feared hitters in the ULB, but his defense continues to drag his worth down a bit. Vergara was enjoying a nice bounce-back season until he was forced to miss 3 months due to a partially torn labrum. If he can stay healthy and on course, he just may return to the heights of his 1946-47 season, when he was named to the All-Braeland Team.
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United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 06-02-2018 at 06:26 PM. |
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06-10-2018, 11:08 PM
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#440 | |
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