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Old 12-15-2019, 09:43 PM   #841
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Week 16, July 27-August 2, 1975

Brewers record: 3-3 (week), 62-38, 1st place, MGL (season)

July 27-28, versus Baltimore: 9-8, 1-5.

The Brewers take the middle game of the 3 game series against the Lords on a walk-off hit by the newest member of the team, shortstop Rich White. Cheol-han Lee wasn't particularly sharp in the start, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 8 hits in 6 2/3rds innings. The win goes to Tim Shore (1-3, 6.00). Josh Schaeffer went 2 for 3 with 3 RBI in the game, hitting his 12th double. Chad Brown got the start at short before giving way to White and moving to second late in the game. Brown went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and hit his 12th double as well and picked up his 7th stolen base.

The Brewers can't muster much offense in the third game and drop the series. Harry Lyerly gave up 5 runs on 7 hits to take the loss and drops to 6-5 with a 3.58 ERA. Andrew Kennedy went 2 for 4 in the loss and hit his 18th double.

July 29-31, versus Phoenix: 6-9, 6-0, 3-1.

The Brewers then hosted the Speed Devils and were trailing 8-2 after 4 innings. Steve Green (10-3, 3.18) gave up 8 runs but this wasn't really entirely his fault as only 3 of those runs were earned. The Brewers committed 4 errors in the game, 3 of them in the 5 run 4th inning (2 by Andrew Kennedy at first base and one by RodRod.) Denver catcher Kirk Patnode was player of the game in the loss, as he went 4 for 5 with 2 runs and a RBI, hitting his 8th double of 1975. Rich White is off to a good start for his new team and went 4 for 6 in this one.

Game 2 was the Erik Sloan show. Sloan (6-4, 3.12) hurled the complete game shutout, allowing just 3 hits, striking out 6 and walking one. He got great offensive support from Rodrigo "RodRod" Rodriguez, who went 3 for 5 with 2 runs and 4 RBI, hitting his team best 21st double and 6th HR in the game. And these are the kinds of game that keep RodRod in the lineup in spite of his 17 errors. You have to find someway to play a guy with a slash line of .364/.414/.520 and an OPS of 142.
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Another great start from Sadahige Kawasaki (12-4, 2.57) and another win for the Brewers in the final game of the series. Kawasaki pitched 7 2/3rds, giving up 1 run on 4 hits, striking out 8 and walking 4. Tim Shore pitched the final inning and a third for his 9th save (5.51 ERA.) RodRod at it again, going 3 for 5, scoring a run, and picking up his 5th stolen base, but also committing his 18th error.

August 2, at Brooklyn: 4-9.

Heading up to Brooklyn to take on the second place Aces is no picnic. And game 1 certainly showed that. The Brewers dropped behind in the 3rd inning and were trailing 8-1 by the top of the 8th. Matty Helm (8-4, 2.52) took the loss, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits in his 5 innings pitched. Although the Brewers tried to make a game of it late, they would fall short. But RodRod stayed hot- going 2 for 5 and hitting his 22nd double- and Rich White also- he went 3 for 4 and hit his 1st HR in a Brewer uniform. Joe McPhillips only had 1 hit in 5 at-bats but the one was his 12th HR of the season.

Notes from around the league: Columbus remains atop the SJL standings, but Boston is catching up and is now 4 games back. The Philadelphia Mud Hens are playing well and are now in 3rd place, 8 games off the pace.
With the loss in the first game in Brooklyn, the Brewers lead the Aces and the L.A. Spinners by just 3 games, while the 4th place Baltimore Lords are 10 1/2 out. Oklahoma City has now won 12 straight games to get back into the race, sort of, as they are 51-49 and 11 games out in 5th place.
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The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570
And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500
On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601
For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717

Last edited by BirdWatcher; 12-15-2019 at 09:45 PM.
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Old 12-15-2019, 09:58 PM   #842
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Viewpoint on Koch for White Deal

Bird,

I think it was a fair deal worked out on short notice. Like you said you had a much nicer option to trade for earlier in the year but was not ready to execute the trade at that time. Rich White's batting profile if he hits his projections, should be more than adequate for a WPK shortstop starting for a top team with his overall profile. His ability to get on base will be very nice and his base stealing ability with that speed will make him a great distraction for the opposition. Of course the primary ability you look for in a shortstop is there in abundance for Rich, Defense. He certainly checks all the boxes.

As you have discussed he is certainly a handful and doesn't seem to care what he says to whom. He is going to have to be managed by the organization going forward from the PR dept, the coaching staff and team captain Matt Helm and the other team leaders. He is young yet. Hopefully he will learn and mature in time (sooner than later) and improve. In the meantime let's hope that his negativity does not affect the development of his talent or the rest of the team. With the culture that has been built here in Denver and the leadership level this team has I don't believe any negativity will ensue from him into the clubhouse. One thing he, and the team have going for you both is that at each level and everywhere he has ever been he has adapted to each new situation very well. So there is a positive to hang your hat on. In my opinion I believe that Rich White will not become any sort of true star in the league, but has a chance at being a very good player that could play for 10 years in our league barring injury issues.

Have a Great night my man!

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Old 12-16-2019, 12:18 PM   #843
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Palaaemon View Post
Bird,

I think it was a fair deal worked out on short notice. Like you said you had a much nicer option to trade for earlier in the year but was not ready to execute the trade at that time. Rich White's batting profile if he hits his projections, should be more than adequate for a WPK shortstop starting for a top team with his overall profile. His ability to get on base will be very nice and his base stealing ability with that speed will make him a great distraction for the opposition. Of course the primary ability you look for in a shortstop is there in abundance for Rich, Defense. He certainly checks all the boxes.

As you have discussed he is certainly a handful and doesn't seem to care what he says to whom. He is going to have to be managed by the organization going forward from the PR dept, the coaching staff and team captain Matt Helm and the other team leaders. He is young yet. Hopefully he will learn and mature in time (sooner than later) and improve. In the meantime let's hope that his negativity does not affect the development of his talent or the rest of the team. With the culture that has been built here in Denver and the leadership level this team has I don't believe any negativity will ensue from him into the clubhouse. One thing he, and the team have going for you both is that at each level and everywhere he has ever been he has adapted to each new situation very well. So there is a positive to hang your hat on. In my opinion I believe that Rich White will not become any sort of true star in the league, but has a chance at being a very good player that could play for 10 years in our league barring injury issues.

Have a Great night my man!

Palaaemon
Yes, I agree with your assessments.
I should probably say that I think the offer that would have given me Silveira was when I was shopping a package deal with Koch and John Flores, not a straight up Koch for Silveira offer. Having traded Flores earlier I didn't have any trade bait to add now that was quite as tempting. (And I will admit that part of the reason I didn't take that offer at the time- other than the fact that my goal was to get bullpen help and that Silveira is in his late 20's and expensive- was that it felt like borderline cheating. I try not to make trades that I feel are too lopsided in my favor.)

White is off to an incredible start with the bat since joining the team- he even hit his 2nd HR as a Brewer in the most recent game- but I chalk that up to the honeymoon effect (I think he's thrilled to be the starting shortstop on a winning team) and the small sample size. Still, we are already seeing dividends from the defensive improvement at short (or, at least, that's how it feels to me.)

And I agree that our overall good leadership and strong makeup as a team, combined with winning (of course), will help keep everyone happy in the clubhouse. But the interesting thing to watch down the line, especially if we hit a prolonged slump, is how the combination of several sparkplugs (McPhillips, Kawasaki, Taranto if and when he gets promoted, Antonio Nieves if and when he returns from AAA, John Weaver, same, and I feel like I might be forgetting one) and the outspoken White will interact with the low work ethic (unmotivated) Josh Schaeffer (who has been amazing, hard work or not) and the selfish Jorge Gonzalez (who has also so impressed me with his play that I feel the need to give him a chance.)
Fortunately, in addition to captain Matt Helm, we have strong leaders in Kirk Patnode and Ben Flynn (when you set Flynn to first base, where he is a bit less talented, instead of reliever he gets the captain label). And just overall great character types like Zacarias Martell (smart, hard working, loyal) and the veterans who just don't make waves (Chad Brown, Ryan Rodgers, Bobby Erbakan, Andrew Kennedy.)

The other young shortstops who I could have traded for who possessed the profile I was most looking for (plus defense) were largely even more problematic (and a bit less talented) than White. One of them, Andy O'Brien, who is currently in the middle of a rather long hitting streak, is selfish and error prone. Then there is Oscar Pereida, who is a total disruptive force in a clubhouse. The best character among them was Matt Bell, who is a captain, but while he is a great fielder he doesn't have much of a bat and he is considered fragile. So, in the end, White was considered the best choice.
I expect he will be our starting shortstop for at least the next 5 seasons and we have control for even longer than that. But of course if his defense starts to decline and a better option comes along, I don't see White as a career Brewer (unlike, say, McPhillips or perhaps Erbakan.)

Now the real question is who plays second base long term. I'm fine with making due with Willemse and Vargas for now (but, as stated, Vargas will likely be gone before next season) and we could bring David Bennett up with his solid defense and mediocre bat. But is Taranto the future? He would provide us with another really good contact bat with some pop but his defense is average at best. And we are already living with an average fielder at third because of his great bat (RodRod). I prioritize great defense up the middle and right now we have that again, with the addition of White. Taranto would be a pretty fine first baseman though, standing 6' 3", and so another option would be the unconventional move of the late 20's Erbakan to second (this maybe should have been done a few years ago) and/or shifting Chad Brown to second where he might have a few more quality years left in him. Then again, as they age, Kennedy and Rodgers might need to start playing first more as well. (Rodgers remains a great corner outfielder but for how many more seasons, and Kennedy is dependable but unspectacular in left with a much better defensive option in Gonzalez pushing him for playing time.)

Heading down the rabbit hole a bit further:
The team looks set in the starting rotation for at least the next few seasons, with Kawasaki and Green long-term pieces and Hamasaki and John Weaver potential replacements for aging starters.
The bullpen is a shambles but we have young arms with great potential (Ben Flynn, already starting to show his value, Eric Marino, who needs to get his control issues under control, and minor league prospect Adrian Darby a few years away but with recent scouting development indications being that he could be a great one eventually) and we can always invest in a few arms in the off-season if we need to.
Our catching tandem continues to impress (admittedly, also likely over-performing- especially Patnode at the plate) and are solid. Plus, we have another big league ready catcher at AAA in Chris Moon with very similar skills sets to Martell and Patnode.
The infield corners are set, barring a move of Erbakan to second, (and even then we have plenty of first base options that would work), assuming that we can continue to live with RodRod's fumbleitis given his great bat and running skills. Shortstop should be fine with White. Second, as stated above, is unsettled but not without options.

The outfield continues to look tremendous. (Don't try to run on us either. Schaeffer has a great arm in right and has been racking up the assists, and the most recent development report now shows McPhillips arm as a 10. And Rodgers still has a very strong arm also and threw out a guy at home plate a few days ago. Kennedy, admittedly, is just average and Gonzalez is a bit weak armed.) We also have great bats at those positions. (The August 1st development report shows a slight decline in contact rating for Kennedy- though he still leads the league in batting average, and shows Rodgers once again at 10 in this category, though he continues to under-perform.)

If we can stay healthy and our veteran stars don't suddenly fall apart (Cheol-han Lee and Ryan Rodgers- I'm looking at you) the present and near future for the Brewers looks pretty bright.

And a few prospects in the low minors- third baseman Jose Figuroa and starting pitcher Jim Atwell- also continue to look like future Brewers and possible stars. (And young first baseman Sean Wright, unheralded as he is, continues to rake and has 17 HR's this season in single A ball, IIRC.)
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The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570
And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500
On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601
For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717

Last edited by BirdWatcher; 12-16-2019 at 12:22 PM.
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Old 12-16-2019, 03:43 PM   #844
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Is Taranto blocked by other players? Is his hitting streak still alive?

What's up with 'The Streak'.
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Old 12-16-2019, 04:25 PM   #845
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stevem810 View Post
Is Taranto blocked by other players? Is his hitting streak still alive?

What's up with 'The Streak'.
Not really blocked so much as not quite ready for the bigs. Not that he couldn't play in the WPK right now, but I would like to see his contact and avoid K ratings get just a bit more of a boost. And maybe more relevant is that he can only play second and first and he is blocked at first by Bobby Erbakan. If I bring him up to play second then someone has to exit the roster and both Joe Willemse and Oscar Vargas provide me with positional flexibility and great defense at several positions.
But I'd say that Taranto will be up on September 1st, if not before, and likely will have a spot on next year's roster, with Vargas almost surely gone as a free agent.

I'll have to check in on his hit streak tonight but I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any news reports about it ending (only a few days have passed since he hit 20 in a row) so I assume it's still going.

EDIT: Oh, hey, I just noticed the question about Ruben "Streak" Souffront. I'll post more later about this, but last I knew he was playing regularly but not particularly well. Which makes me wonder about Pat Rondeau too. I can't say I've seen his name lately. Anyway, more about Ruben tonight when I'm in front of the game.
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The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570
And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500
On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601
For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717

Last edited by BirdWatcher; 12-16-2019 at 04:41 PM.
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Old 12-16-2019, 09:06 PM   #846
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Ruben Souffront, Pat Rondeu, Tanner Yurek, etc.

Hey, let's catch up with a few old friends- some former Brewers who once upon a time were very important members of the organization.

We will start with Ruben "Streak" Souffront. Ruben is the starting right fielder for the Portland Wild Things. But he's not very happy about it. Partly because the Wild Things are bad- 25 games behind the Brewers in last place. Partly because he isn't playing very well- on pace for a WAR of just 0.6. He's still a pretty good contact hitter and remains one of the fastest and most skilled runners in the game. But his batting skills are largely diminished and his defense, while not bad, isn't good enough to make up for his other deficiencies as a player. Ruben is also upset though about the clubhouse climate, particularly because of some very disruptive influences on the team (particularly starting pitcher Humberto Aleman, but the selfishness of star shortstop Chris Tobin doesn't help either.) Ruben's always been a good guy and good teammate and he just doesn't have the patience for this kind of crap. He has one more year on his contract with Portland and at age 30, he should have an opportunity to find a better situation before his career ends.
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What about his fellow right fielder Pat Rondeau? Well, things are even worse for Pat. He is a backup outfielder for the El Paso Dawgs. And he's not playing well- on pace for a -0.7 WAR for the season. And the hitter who led the MGL in batting average with a .364 mark in 1973, well, that guy doesn't seem to exist anymore. He still strikes out rarely, but his hit tool as a whole is mediocre at best. And the formerly great fielder has also exhibited enough loss of foot speed at age 32 that he is now just a bit above average defensively. He is also signed through 1976 but it is very possible that his big league career won't have much more life.
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Now, 34-year old second baseman Tanner Yurek is a bit of a different story. Having been selected by the Chicago Fire in the expansion draft, the fan favorite Yurek is having his best season since 1970, when he was still a Brewer. Yurek doesn't hit for average but he's a great OBP guy and still has good power and while no longer any more than average in terms of raw speed, he is a fine base runner and base stealer. Yurek's defense is just average at this point but he's certainly having a nice bounce back season after a few really poor seasons in a row. Of course, he's not happy either, because, well, he plays for the Chicago Fire. But he'll be a free agent at the end of the season and with his rejuvenation this season that might work out okay for him.
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What about one of the Brewers biggest starts, and best power hitter, of the early years- Antonio Puente? Sad news here. Puente, at age 31, has spent the entire 1975 season in the minor leagues of those same Chicago Fire, trying to get back to the show. He still has his power and he's still a pretty good defensive left fielder with decent speed. But he just can't make contact at the plate anymore and strikes out far too often. He might still get a chance or two in the WPK, but his days as a star are likely now behind him forever.
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The Brewers first Captain, catcher Sam Rogers, is still a solid guy and good leader. But at age 35 he is a backup catcher for the Portland Wild Things, and is seeing very little action. His defensive skills are almost non-existent at this point. And while he's actually hit pretty well in his limited at-bats, his life as a starting catcher in the WPK are pretty surely in the past. He'll be a free agent at the end of the season and chances are that he won't be getting a lot of calls from big league clubs. Though if he isn't ready to retire he might at least find a job on a minor league squad somewhere.
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The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League--
The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570
And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500
On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601
For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717
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Old 12-16-2019, 09:11 PM   #847
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Taranto's streak ends at 23 games.

I missed the news report somehow, but AAA Chester Big Stick second baseman Brett Taranto's consecutive game hitting streak came to an end at 23 games.
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__________________

The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League--
The fun starts here(1965-1971: https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=289570
And continues here (1972-1976): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=300500
On we go (1977- 1979): https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=314601
For ongoing and more random updates on the WPK:https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=325147, https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=330717
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Old 12-18-2019, 01:00 AM   #848
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Week 17, August 3-9, 1975

Brewers record: 6-1 (week), 68-39, 1st place, MGL (season).

August 3-4, at Brooklyn: 6-5, 4-5.

After dropping game 1 to the second place Aces, the Brewers find a way to win a back-and-forth extra inning game in the middle game of the series. The Brewers score a run in the top of the 11th when the ever impressive Zacarias Martell hits his 6th HR of the season. Tim Shore works the final 2 innings to get the win and improves to 2-3, 4.91 as a Brewer. Cheol-han Lee got the start and worked 8 innings, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits. Rich White hits his 2nd HR as a Brewer in the game. And Joe McPhillips drives in a pair of runs with his 18th double.

The Brewers lose the series though when the Aces get a walk-off 10-inning victory in the final game. Jaden Francis' poor season continues as he takes the loss, dropping to 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA. (Rumor has it that Francis, who is arbitration eligible at the end of the season for the last time might not be around in Brewer purple for the 1976 campaign.) Steve Green gave the team another solid start, lasting 7 and giving up 3 runs on 7 hits. And Joe McPhillips (.313/.387/.566) led the offense with a 3 for 5, 1 HR (13) game.

August 5-7, versus Detroit: 8-4, 9-3, 6-4.

On their way from one coast to another, the Brewers stopped in Denver to take on the slumping Detroit Falcons for three games. The Falcons came to Denver with an 8 game losing streak, and left having lost 11 in a row.

The Brewers win in game 1 came with a cost though: Joe McPhillips, legging out an infield hit in the 3rd inning came up limping and had to leave the game with a sprained knee, the second time this season that knee has bothered him. The prognosis was that he would probably be hurting, with moderate effects on his running, for 5 days, but the Brewers, not wanting to take any chances with their MVP at this stage of the season, put him on the 10-day IL and recalled Jorge Gonzalez, who was just sent back to AAA Chester when Bobby Erbakan returned. (And yes, Joe got injured the same day Bobby came back.) Harry Lyerly (7-5, 3.68) got the win in this one, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits in 7 innings. Josh Schaeffer, who came in to the game when McPhillips had to leave, went 2 for 2 and scored 2 runs. Bobby Erbakan came back strong with a 2 for 5 game, hitting his 12th double. And Oscar Vargas hit his 3rd HR of the season.

Bobby Erbakan was even hotter in game 2- pacing the offense with a 3 for 5 game, being just a single short of hitting for the cycle, with his 13th double, 3rd triple, and 7th HR. Josh Schaeffer hit HR #14 and still leads the team in this category. Both Jorge Gonzalez and RodRod went 3 for 5 in the game, which set the tone pretty well since they were in the 1 and 2 slots in the lineup. Erik Sloan (7-4, 3.17) got the win.

And it was the Erbakan show again in game 3, as Bobby was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBI, and hit his 8th HR. Andrew Kennedy (.355/.385/.438) was 3 for 4 in the game with 2 RBI and hit his 21st double. And Jorge Gonzalez (.352/.368/.473) is turning into a doubles machine, collecting 3 in this game to get to 10 on the season. Sekien Hamasaki (2-1, 3.68) got the victory, allowing 4 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits in 6 2/3rds. Tim Shore got save #10.

August 8-9, at Los Angeles: 5-4, 2-1.

Heading next to L.A., where the Spinners were the anti-Detroit, having won 7 in a row. And to conclude the week the Brewers may have had 2 of their most impressive games of the season.

In game 1 they lost Sadahige Kawasaki early to a foot injury (the third base coach inexplicably had him try to score from second on a 1-out RodRod single (Kawasaki having singled to lead off the inning) and not only was Kawasaki easily thrown out but he as mentioned he bruised his foot and had to be lifted from the game. So the Brewers not fully rested and not very good bullpen would be tested, and meanwhile the Spinners had probably their best pitcher this year, Mike Stagner, on the bump. And sure enough, the Spinners led 4-1 going into the 7th inning. But then the Brewers started doing what they do best- hitting. They chipped away with 2 runs in the 7th, another in the 8th, and one more in the 9th to take a 5-4 lead. And then another incredible thing happened. The bullpen closed it out! Eric Marino (3-1, 3.66) got the win and Jeremy Walker (6, 4.84) earned the save. Player of the Game was RodRod, who went 4 for 5 with a run scored and 2 RBI. Jorge Gonzalez got 2 hits, and guess what they were? Yup, that's right, doubles (12). And Andrew Kennedy picked up his 22nd double as well. Against all odds, the Brewers found a way to win.

And then did it again in game 2. Cheol-han Lee got his groove back, giving up just 1 run on 6 hits in 8 innings pitched to improve to 12-3 with a 3.40 ERA. Jason Gottula was called on to work the 9th, with much apprehension. And what did he do? Struck out the side, that's what he did. He earns his 1st save as a Brewer. And you are expecting me to talk about RodRod's bat, right? But no- here's the amazing thing about RodRod in this one. In the 7th inning, when the Spinners were threatening to score thanks to 2 errors in the inning- no, none by RodRod- 1 by Little Joe Willemse (who went 2 for 3 in the game) and the other by Rich White, on what should have been a routine popup out. So after our two defensively gifted middle infielders had botched make-able plays to put runners on 1st and 2nd with only 1 out, Bryan Ostrovsky hit an absolute screamer into the hole between Rich White and RodRod (100 mph EV) and somehow, against all odds, RodRod dug it out and tossed to first to get the speedy Spinners centerfielder. Sure the runners moved up to second and third, but the air seemed to be let out of the rally and the next batter meekly hit into a ground out to Willemse at second to end the threat.

A week when the Brewers play 4 of 7 games against their main competitors, Brooklyn and L.A., and only lose a single game (and that one by a single run) is a pretty darn good week to be a Brewer.

Notes from around the league: The Columbus Whalers (72-35) maintain a 5 game lead on Boston (67-40). Philadelphia (61-46) is in 3rd place, 11 games out. The expansion Chicago Fire have to be pretty happy with themselves right now. Not only have they won 7 of their last 10 but they are currently in 8th place with a 48-59 record, which means that 4 teams in the SJL are worse than them, and that's pretty good for a first year club. Their counterparts, the Houston Cavaliers, in comparison, are now 36-71, a distant 36 games off the pace in last place.
The Brewers manage to hold onto first in the MGL, 3 games up on the Brooklyn Aces, who have now won 6 in a row. L.A. drops back into 3rd place, 4 games back. And the Baltimore Lords (57-50), playing very well lately, are in 4th place, 11 games back.

EDIT: I probably should have said that Kawasaki's foot injury isn't serious and he should be able to make his next scheduled start.
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Old 12-18-2019, 09:29 PM   #849
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Lindsay to miss rest of '75 season

And sadly, this was probably inevitable.
Bud Lindsay, the San Antonio Key's captain and superstar shortstop, well on his way to a potential MVP season, once again suffers a season ending injury- this year it is torn ankle ligaments.
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The Keys are languishing in 10th place in the SJL, in spite of having several of the most talented players in the WPK, and this certainly won't help their fight to at least climb towards some measure of respectability.
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Old 12-19-2019, 12:54 AM   #850
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WTH is wrong with San Antonio?

Quote:
Originally Posted by BirdWatcher View Post
And sadly, this was probably inevitable.
Bud Lindsay, the San Antonio Key's captain and superstar shortstop, well on his way to a potential MVP season, once again suffers a season ending injury- this year it is torn ankle ligaments.
Attachment 664587

The Keys are languishing in 10th place in the SJL, in spite of having several of the most talented players in the WPK, and this certainly won't help their fight to at least climb towards some measure of respectability.
It has been amazing these last several years how far this team has monumentally underachieved. Bud Lindsay and his chronic injury problem we know about. I believe you mentioned that the Keys have not been able to put together a very good pitching staff. It is obvious that their stars have greatly underachieved, but that cannot be IT can it? Is it all that simple? There has to be some underlying reason(s) for this teams misfortunes. Can the owner be involved? Maybe a CIA plot to bring down the organization from the....you did NOT hear that from me! Maybe they are just caught up in binge watching on Netflix and don't have the energy for the game? Please investigate this mystery Mr. Bird and let your riveted readers know! Dig DEEP! Find the truth. It will set you free! Or give you something free maybe. I dunno. I might have that confused with a buy one get one free Blizzard at Dairy Queen I have on my mind. Either way, what is going on in San Antonio?

Have a Great night!

Palaaemon
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Old 12-19-2019, 01:22 AM   #851
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It has been amazing these last several years how far this team has monumentally underachieved. Bud Lindsay and his chronic injury problem we know about. I believe you mentioned that the Keys have not been able to put together a very good pitching staff. It is obvious that their stars have greatly underachieved, but that cannot be IT can it? Is it all that simple? There has to be some underlying reason(s) for this teams misfortunes. Can the owner be involved? Maybe a CIA plot to bring down the organization from the....you did NOT hear that from me! Maybe they are just caught up in binge watching on Netflix and don't have the energy for the game? Please investigate this mystery Mr. Bird and let your riveted readers know! Dig DEEP! Find the truth. It will set you free! Or give you something free maybe. I dunno. I might have that confused with a buy one get one free Blizzard at Dairy Queen I have on my mind. Either way, what is going on in San Antonio?

Have a Great night!

Palaaemon
More in depth answer coming tomorrow- but let me give a hint at some of the content in it by saying that one of the great stars of this San Antonio club is WPK arch-villain Joe Brodeur. So that's one clue.

Plus, most of the great stars on this team are position players. So, pitching might be a key to the failure of the Keys.
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Old 12-19-2019, 01:51 AM   #852
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Joe Brodeur

Bird,

I forgot about Joe. Don't know how I did that. Could you please post his information profile? I am very curious also if you could check to see if his stats have gone down at all. I mentioned this after he was caught that I wondered if the game is coded to affect players stats negatively or not after they get busted for PEDs. Thanks man!

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Old 12-19-2019, 11:25 AM   #853
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Bird,

I forgot about Joe. Don't know how I did that. Could you please post his information profile? I am very curious also if you could check to see if his stats have gone down at all. I mentioned this after he was caught that I wondered if the game is coded to affect players stats negatively or not after they get busted for PEDs. Thanks man!

Palaaemon
Sure, I'll look at this tonight and post. Last I looked his ratings hadn't been altered but he was off to a slow start after returning from his suspension mid-season.
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Old 12-21-2019, 01:11 PM   #854
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Week 18, August 10-16, 1975

Brewers record: 2-4 (week), 70-43, 1st place, MGL (season).

After a terrifically successful first full week of August, the Brewers experience a swing in the other direction in the second week of the month.

August 10, at Los Angeles: 5-6.

The Brewers nearly get the sweep against the Spinners, holding a 5-0 lead going into the bottom of the 6th inning but then things start to fall apart for starter Steve Green when he allows 4 runs in that frame and 2 more in the 8th to take the loss. Green falls to 10-4 with a 3.44 ERA. Kirk Patnode (.397/.466/.482) continues to exceed expectations as a hitter, and goes 2 for 3 in this one, hitting his 9th double. Bobby Erbakan only managed one hit but it was a big 2-out, bases-loaded triple, his 4th triple of 1975.

August 11-13, at Oklahoma City: 0-1, 4-1, 5-2.

The Brewers then travel to Oklahoma City and suffer a shutout in game 1. Matt Helm held the Diamond Kings to no runs on 7 hits in his 6 innings pitched. But Jaden Francis rough season continues as he allowed a run on 2 hits in his inning and a third and takes the loss, falling to 1-4 with a 4.41 ERA. Bobby Erbakan collected 2 of the Brewers 7 hits and drew a walk in the game. Josh Schaeffer hit his 13th double and stole his 5th base.

In the second game of the series, Harry Lyerly once again seemed determined to remind the front office of his value, as he allowed nary and run and just 2 hits in his 7 innings pitched. Lyerly picked up the win to improve to 8-5 with a 3.46 ERA. Jason Gottula got the save, his 2nd as a Brewer (4.50 ERA.) Another big game for Josh Schaeffer, who was 2 for 4, scoring twice and driving in a run, hitting his 14th double and stealing his 6th base.

The Brewers got the win in the rubber match behind the strong pitching of Erik Sloan. Sloan (8-4, 3.09), went the distance, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits. RodRod paced the offense, with a 3 for 4 game, all 3 hits being doubles to increase his team-leading total to 27. Zacarias Martell was also 3 for 4 in this one.

August 15-16, versus San Francisco: 4-11, 3-4
You would think coming home to play the not mighty Velocity after winning a series on the road might bode well for the Brewers. In the first 2 games of the series, not so much.

They were blown out in the first game as Sadahige Kawasaki suffered one of his worst outings of the season. Although it wasn't all his fault as only 3 of the 7 runs he allowed in his 5 1/3rd innings pitched were earned. (The team suffered big errors by Jorge Gonzalez and Joe Willemse, two players who are normally defensively reliable.) Sadahige falls to 12-5 with a 2.62 ERA. Zacarias Martell (.322/.401/.455) stays hot, going 4 for 5 in this one and hitting his 14th double of the season. Jorge Gonzalez somewhat made up for his defensive miscue by going 3 for 5 and picking up his 3rd stolen base of the season.

Game 2 was a very low scoring game until late, when the Velocity plated 2 in the 8th, one off starter Cheol-han Lee (12-4, 3.36) and 1 off reliever Tim Shore. This gave them a 4-0 lead going into the bottom of the 9th. The Brewers rallied for 3 but fell short. RodRod (.359/.404/.509) went 2 for 5 in the game. He now leads the MGL in batting average with teammate Andrew Kennedy having dropped to 3rd (.351).

Notes from around the league: The Columbus Whalers (75-38) hold a 5 game lead over Boston (70-43). The Philadelphia Mud Hens (63-50) are a distant third, 12 games out.
The Brewers lead in the MGL is down to just 1 game over L.A. (69-44) and 2 over Brooklyn (68-45). The Baltimore Lords have been playing well and are now in 4th place, but are 9 games off the pace.
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Old 12-21-2019, 03:17 PM   #855
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What's wrong with the San Antonio Keys?

(Sorry to be so late with this, Palaaemon- last few days got crazy busy so just getting to it now.)

A few short seasons ago it appeared that the San Antonio Keys were a team on the rise in the Shoeless Joe League.
They had the consensus best catcher in the league in Erik Buonopane. They had probably the best hitting second baseman in Jared Hancock. And they had two young stars on the rise in Joe Brodeur and Bud Lindsay.

So here we are, a few years later, and every one of those stars still wears the Key's uniform. And the team languishes in 10th place, tied with the Pittsburgh Roadrunners, 27 games behind the league leading Columbus Whalers.

What gives?

Well, it might be easy to blame it on the team chemistry being tainted by both Joe Brodeur and 25-year old shortstop Oscar Pereida being, well, jerks, and disruptive influences in the clubhouse. And certainly the fact that Brodeur spent the first half of the season sidelined by a drug suspension didn't help.
But this team also has multiple captains and sparkplugs. Even with the oft-injured Lindsay now on the IL again for the rest of the season (and yes, that will hurt moving forward, but doesn't explain the bad record up to now), the team still has two captains in third baseman Norm Howard, acquired from Phoenix in a mid-July trade, and starting pitcher Sam Jones. And they have three hard-working sparkplugs setting the tone, led by the great Jared Hancock. Outspoken center fielder Zach McClelland, especially given how angry he currently with the team's play and indeed his own on-field performance, probably doesn't help the chemistry. But it's hard to imagine that chemistry alone is the issue.

What about ownership and the fiscal realities of the team? Well, the owner, 64-year old Nick Halliburton (no, seriously, his name is Halliburton!), is an interesting mix of extremely patient while prioritizing winning and taking a very active role (some would call it interfering) in the everyday running (ruining?) of the team, and being very controlling fiscally. Probably not the best mix, but not necessarily a recipe for disaster either. And while the team only has the 11th highest budget, they are 6th in payroll, and play in a very big market with strong fan loyalty, and in spite of their continued disappointing play, fan interest remains pretty high. They are currently 11th in the WPK in attendance. Not great, but not bad. They have money. This isn't the problem.
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Okay, what about the obvious? That pitching staff. It's pretty bad. The bullpen is just okay and the rotation is simply bad. But they don't get much help from the defense either, which is one of the worst in the league. So maybe we can lay the blame here and move on? Well, there is blame to be laid here, but is that the whole story?
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Probably not. They are 5th in runs scored, which is in the top half of the league, but only 8th in OBP, 7th in batting WAR, 6th in HR's. They are a very good running team- 4th in stolen bases and 2nd in base running. But let's face it, for a team with multiple offensive superstars, these numbers are underwhelming.
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The fact is, stars don't make a big league ball club. This team lacks depth and it is hurting them.
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So ultimately, really, the answer to the question "what's wrong with the San Antonio Keys?" is: they just aren't very good.
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Old 12-21-2019, 09:25 PM   #856
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Yeah, the Pitching and Defense stand out. No matter how many runs you post up there will never be enough to overcome the shortcomings.
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Old 12-21-2019, 09:57 PM   #857
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Yeah, the Pitching and Defense stand out. No matter how many runs you post up there will never be enough to overcome the shortcomings.
Yes, though I probably should also have said that they play their home games in a pretty good hitters park, so the pitching might not be quite as horrible as it looks and the hitting might be even a bit more mediocre than it looks.
That defense, though. Well, that's bad no matter what.

The guy I feel most sorry for is Jared Hancock. He's a great player and a good guy trapped on a going nowhere team in the prime of his career. I mean I feel sorry for Bud Lindsay too- he's a next level leader and a terrifically talented player- but with him it's mostly the fact that he can't stay healthy for a full season to show just how great he is that makes me feel sorry for him.
And of course, I do not have any sympathy for Joe Brodeur, even if I do have a begrudging respect for his talent. (Though there are some indications from our scouting staff that his power bat is already showing declines at age 24. I guess maybe that's because he had to stop taking the juice when he got caught and suspended for half a season.)
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Old 12-22-2019, 12:03 AM   #858
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The San Antonio Off-Keys

The San Antonio Keys just might be the perfect example of that team that comes into your home ballpark and gets the infamous "over-rated" fan chant. It doesn't even matter if the team is playing .350 or .650 ball. They may be referring to either the team as a whole or individual "stars".

So after reading what you disseminated about this disfunctional organization I find no redeeming qualities in this team. I truly feel for the San Antonio fans as the team has remained mired in mediocrity in spite of the amount of position talent they have put together, but of course is going to waste through a myriad of ways that you, Bird mentioned including injuries, drugs, inefficiencies with roster construction, chemistry issues, etc, etc, etc.

When I first asked for an inquiry into this mess I had no idea how bad it was and where it would lead. Sometimes you really SHOULD beware of what you ask for.

Have a Great night!

Palaaemon
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Old 12-22-2019, 01:25 PM   #859
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Ace of Aces!

Aaron McNally is at it again and at this point I think there can be no doubt who the best pitcher in the WPK is.

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Unless something falls apart here in the last month plus of the season, he should be on his way to a second consecutive MGL Pitcher of the Year award.
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Old 12-22-2019, 01:56 PM   #860
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Bird,

Question for you. Who was drafted #1 ahead of Aaron McNally? Thanks my man.

Have a Great day!

Palaaemon
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