United Leagues of Braeland - Page 39

reds1 · 10-22-2022, 03:21 AM

Notes on 1955-56 All-Braeland Team

Starting Pitcher

The 1955-56 season saw several outstanding pitching performances, especially in the Eastern League. As a result of that, this pick became rather academic. Stratford’s 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth won his first EL Satchel Paige Award in a close two-way race between him and Queensland’s 30-year old RHP Logan Belsey, who earned his first selection to the Team last season. Wadsworth has steadily improved over his five-year major league career, but the former 16th overall pick from 1948-49 was absolutely dominate this season.

Here are the 4 pitchers that I felt were the worthiest of consideration this season:

• LHP Robin Wadsworth – 20-9, 1.96 ERA, 34 GS, 257.0 IP, 156 K, 1.10 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 5.5 K/9, .232 BABIP, 3.14 FIP, 199 ERA+, 6.2 WAR.
• Sherburn’s 32-year old RHP Jesús Chapa – 18-5, 2.49 ERA, 35 GS, 278.2 IP, 144 K, 1.30 WHIP, 0.4 HR/9, 2.8 BB/9, 4.7 K/9, .282 BABIP, 2.92 FIP, 159 ERA+, 7.8 WAR.
• RHP Logan Belsey – 21-6, 2.63 ERA, 33 GS, 267.1 IP, 219 K, 1.19 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.7 BB/9, 7.4 K/9, .282 BABIP, 2.55 FIP, 147 ERA+, 8.8 WAR.
• Queensland’s 28-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait – 21-5, 2.42 ERA, 33 GS, 267.2 IP, 145 K, 1.03 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 4.9 K/9, .230 BABIP, 2.77 FIP, 160 ERA+, 7.8 WAR.

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Catcher

Choosing the top catcher in the United Leagues based on performance was anything but academic. It was one of two selections that I ended up changing my mind at the last minute. This year it came down to two players for me: Brunswick’s 27-year old Robert Kersey and Pulberry’s 25-year old Paul England. Kersey has been rated the top catcher for 3 of the past 4 seasons, including this year. But England pole-vaulted into the No. 2 spot this season and enjoyed a career year (doubling his WAR from 3.4 to 6.8 from the previous season for example). It’s a toss-up and I initially went with Kersey. But out of curiosity, I compared their respective totals in the Babe Ruth Award voting. England received more votes (131 to 105) with the caveat that the players play in different Leagues. But with that very unscientific analysis, I switched to England. But there wasn’t a lot to separate them.

Here are the three catchers that were under consideration:

• Paul England – .317/.402/.523, 151 H, 22-2B, 24 HR, 94 RBI, 66 BB, .925 OPS, 152 OPS+, 165 wRC+, 6.8 WAR, .976 EFF.
• Robert Kersey – .308/.408/.557, 132 H, 21-2B, 28 HR, 103 RBI, 75 BB, .965 OPS, 156 OPS+, 169 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 1.041 EFF.
• Kingston’s 29-year old Carlos Camasura - .293/.424/.376, 138 H, 19-2B, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 107 BB, .799 OPS, 116 OPS+, 130 wRC+, 5.2 WAR, 1.071 EFF.

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First Base

Pulberry’s 30-year old Gerard Koerner came into his own this season and emerged as one of the best first basemen in the United Leagues. In fact, he is currently ranked just behind Cambria’s 29-year old Carlos Corea. Both were the leading contenders for the Team, but I gave the nod to Koerner this time around. Overall, I feel that he had the better season. Voters for the WL Babe Ruth Award felt the same way, as Koerner picked up 103 votes compared to Corea’s 34.

Here are the four players I ultimately considered:

• Gerard Koerner – .330/.391/.500, 187 H, 22-2B, 22 HR, 83 RBI, 57 BB, .891 OPS, 143 OPS+, 156 wRC+, 5.8 WAR, 1.028 EFF.
• Carlos Corea – .318/.367/.543, 169 H, 30-2B, 26 HR, 101 RBI, 34 BB, .910 OPS, 145 OPS+, 157 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, .957 EFF.
• Braeland City’s 32-year old Dean Witherden – .302/.384/.499, 170 H, 24-2B, 27 HR, 82 RBI, 72 BB, .884 OPS, 134 OPS+, 152 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, .986 EFF.
• Hespeler’s 28-year old John McMurray – .308/.367/.491, 180 H, 19-2B, 22 HR, 91 RBI, 47 BB, .859 OPS, 126 OPS+, 137 wRC+, 4.5 WAR, 1.028 EFF.

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Second Base

Braeland City’s 30-year old Patrick Lidgate has had a stranglehold at the second base spot on the All-Braeland Team over the previous three seasons and that didn’t change this year either. The same three players from last season were contenders once again, but Lidgate’s all-round performance guaranteed his 5th selection.

Here were the Top 3 choices:

• Patrick Lidgate – .276/.383/.503, 148 H, 23-2B, 23 HR, 73 RBI, 83 BB, .886 OPS, 134 OPS+, 149 wRC+, 6.9 WAR, 1.003 EFF.
• Stratford’s 27-year old Matthew Channing – .286/.338/.461, 167 H, 34-2B, 18 HR, 86 RBI, 42 BB, 11 SB, .799 OPS, 114 OPS+, 125 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, 1.034 EFF.
• Downie’s 30-year old Dominic Dudding – .287/.333/.470, 155 H, 12-2B, 23 HR, 80 RBI, 39 BB, .803 OPS, 119 OPS+, 127 wRC+, 4.4 WAR, .980 EFF.

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Third Base

Although the hot corner saw some fine performances this year, this selection was a no-doubter. Embro’s 27-year old Moromao Nakagawa was way ahead of his nearest competition and was the East’s Babe Ruth Award winner for the second straight season. He has just entered his prime and it would be no surprise if his name is emblazoned on a few more Teams before his career winds down.

Here are the four that stood out for me this year:

• Moromao Nakagawa – .331/.413/.592, 30-2B, 36 HR, 123 RBI, 81 BB, 1.005 OPS, 168 OPS+, 178 wRC+, 8.3 WAR, .986 EFF.
• Cobourg’s 34-year old Alexander Tolmie – .307/.400/.487, 146 H, 25-2B, 19 HR, 100 RBI, 75 BB, 887 OPS, 137 OPS+, 152 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, .976 EFF.
• Sherburn’s 26-year old Adrian Flynn – .312/.376/.486, 162 H, 38-2B, 16 HR, 90 RBI, 53 BB, .862 OPS, 128 OPS+, 141 wRC+, 4.5 WAR, .983 EFF.
• Pulberry’s 30-year old Francis Jones – .304/.376/.496, 120 H, 20-2B, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, .872 OPS, 138 OPS+, 148 wRC+, 4.3 WAR, 1.040 EFF.

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Shortstop

This was an agonizing choice to make and one that I am not completely happy about. Cambria’s 36-year old César Ruíz was clearly the best offensive shortstop in the Leagues this season but was utterly woeful defensively. Meanwhile, Sherburn’s 26-year old Dwayne Vick and Balmoral's 26-year old Hayden Gunton were outstanding defensively, with Gunton picking up his first Ball Hawk Award. Both were fine offensively as well. But I ultimately went with Ruíz solely on the fact that he far outpaced the other two in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting. But I still wonder if I made the right choice. If this exact scenario came up again next year, I would probably lean toward defense more at this particular position. But I’ll leave it for now.

Here are the three shortstops that were considered this year:

• César Ruíz – .319/.409/.563, 137 H, 17-2B, 28 HR, 88 RBI, 62 BB, .972 OPS, 163 OPS+, 177 wRC+, 4.9 WAR, .887 EFF.
• Dwayne Vick – .320/.361/.423, 190 H, 32-2B, 3 HR, 59 RBI, 36 BB, .784 OPS, 108 OPS+, 124 wRC+, 5.8 WAR, 1.059 EFF.
• Hayden Gunton – .284/.362/.386, 159 H, 18-2B, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 69 BB, .749 OPS, 103 OPS+, 116 wRC+, 6.2 WAR, 1.091 EFF.

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Left Field

OK, back to easy selections. Pulberry’s 27-year old Aidan Thirkettle is ranked as the United Leagues best position player, he won his third straight Babe Ruth Award (picking up all first place votes to boot), won the Triple Crown and was named this past season’s United Cup’s MVP. He led the entire United Leagues in 10 offensive categories. Queensland’s 30-year old Rod Dennis and Wellington’s 28-year old Matthew Floyd are both sensational players in their own right who both represent the cornerstone of their respective team’s lineup. But Thirkettle belongs in a higher league. Just the fact that he makes this an automatic choice despite the competition is astounding.

• Aidan Thirkettle – .334/.434/.628, 27-2B, 40 HR, 113 RBI, 88 BB, 9 SB, 1.062 OPS, 188 OPS+, 198 wRC+, 9.1 WAR, 1.014 EFF.
• Rod Dennis – .343/.415/.596, 29-2B, 33 HR, 100 RBI, 69 BB, 1.011 OPS, 173 OPS+, 185 wRC+, 6.1 WAR, .937 EFF.
• Matthew Floyd – .318/.436/.543, 142 H, 23-2B, 21 HR, 89 RBI, 90 BB, 16 SB, .978 OPS, 167 OPS+, 172 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 1.004 EFF.

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Center Field

Over the past few seasons, centerfield excellence has been the domain of three players: Cobourg’s 30-year old Raymond Williams, Pulberry’s 29-year old Cooper Tyson and Stratford’s 30-year old Alfonso León. That hasn’t changed, but a new face has joined them: Sherburn’s 25-year old Ross Shewman. The Canadian sophomore was sensational in all facets of the game and finished second in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting. But this year, I went with Williams who I felt was just slightly better. But only just. It will be interesting to see what the young Shewman does for an encore next year.

• Raymond Williams – .301/.402/.547, 158 H, 28-2B, 29 HR, 88 RBI, 86 BB, 14 SB, .949 OPS, 152 OPS+, 161 wRC+, 7.3 WAR, .988 EFF.
• Ross Shewman - .286/.396/.530, 143 H, 22-2B, 26 HR, 110 RBI, 92 BB, .926 OPS, 145 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 7.0 WAR, 1.006 EFF.
• Cooper Tyson – .307/.392/.477, 149 H, 27-2B, 16 HR, 76 RBI, 69 BB, 10 SB, .869 OPS, 138 OPS+, 148 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 1.042 EFF.
• Alfonso León - .277/.355/.461, 153 H, 20-2B, 24 HR, 64 RBI, 64 BB, 10 SB, .816 OPS, 122 OPS+, 133 wRC+, 5.6 WAR, 1.053 EFF.

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Right Field

This was another selection that I changed my mind more than once. Selecting the top three left fielders in the game was easy. But which one to choose over the others was not. At first, I zeroed in on Cambria’s 26-year old Sam Tite, whose all around play was impressive. But then I remembered that he missed a good chunk of time (+7 weeks) this year to injuries and so I soured on him a little, rightly or wrongly. I then settled on Sherburn’s 26-year old Albert Sulley, who was terrific as well and won a Ball Hawk Award for his outstanding defense. But then there’s Wellington’s 30-year old Jim Mars, who was a bit more productive at the plate than Sulley and while he didn’t win a Ball Hawk Award, he was solid. Thus, at the last minute, I have switched to Mars who wins his first selection to the team. But all three players would have made solid choices in my view.

• Jim Mars – .317/.380/.462, 176 H, 29-2B, 12 HR, 86 RBI, 58 BB, .842 OPS, 130 OPS+, 140 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, .988 EFF.
• Albert Sulley – .287/.391/.395, 157 H, 20-2B, 7 HR, 72 RBI, 97 BB, 17 SB, .786 OPS, 110 OPS+, 127 wRC, 5.9 WAR, 1.057 EFF.
• Sam Tite – .273/.394/.541, 103 H, 14-2B, 25 HR, 70 RBI, 75 BB, .935 OPS, 153 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, 1.014 EFF.

reds1 · 10-26-2022, 01:42 AM

June 1, 1956

Quote:

COMMISSIONER CALLING IT QUITS
SIR WESTFALL RETIRING AT END OF NEXT SEASON, CITING POOR HEALTH

Queensland, Dunwich (BP) – The only Commissioner the United Leagues has ever known is calling it a day. Sir David Westfall, who was prevailed upon by King William back in 1936 to serve as the United Leagues’ first Commissioner, announced this morning that the upcoming season will be his last. Under the advice of his doctors as well as out of consideration for his wife Sarah, of 51 years, Sir Westfall has decided that now is the time to begin the transition and allow new leadership to take the reins.

Although the timing caught many within the Leagues off-guard, the decision itself was not wholly unexpected. Ever since he suffered the first of a series of heart attacks in August of last year, the 73-year-old Commissioner has struggled to regain his strength and return to his duties full-time. It is believed his most recent attack occurred in late March, preventing him from being on hand to personally award the United Cup to the triumphant Pulberry Trolleys the following month.

Speaking at a press conference held at his home in Queensland where he continues to convalesce, Sir Westfall spoke of his time as Commissioner over the past 19 years: “It has been an absolute privilege to have served as the United Leagues’ Commissioner during its formative years and to witness its continued growth right up to the present time. But the United Leagues needs and deserves a full-time commissioner. That is, I fear, something I can longer provide.”

The Commissioner stressed that the decision to step down was his and his alone and that he was not pressured one way or another.

“My doctors advise me that my prognosis for a full recovery is good. Nevertheless, it is evident that the demands of the Commissioner’s Office are now more than I can bear. Thus, I have informed His Majesty that of my intention to step down at the end of next season and assist in a smooth transition once the selection of a new commissioner has been made.”

“A Decision I Have Never Regretted”

At the time of his appointment as Commissioner back in February 1936, Sir Westfall was one of the most respected men in the country, owing to his service during the Braeland civil war and the subsequent role he played in the government-in-exile leading the resistance to the repressive regime that took power. Several historians site Westfall’s leadership as being crucial to the peaceful transfer of power that took place in 1935. But the unassuming medical man never sought the limelight and quietly returned to his practice soon after the monarchy was restored. That is, until a grateful young King tapped him for the job as Commissioner of the fledgling United Leagues.

Immediately following Sir Westfall’s press conference, King William issued a statement praising the Commissioner for his invaluable contributions to the success of the United Leagues.

“The appointment of Sir David as Commissioner was, without question, the easiest decision I made in the early days of my Kingship. It is a decision I have never regretted. From weathering the war years and the loss of Japanese-born players to the more recent labour strife and upheaval in the ownership ranks, not to speak of steering a fledgling new league through it inevitable growing pains, David’s tact and skill has repeatedly carried the day, ensuring the United Leagues continue on a sure footing going forward. I wish my dear friend nothing but success going forward and to convey my personal as well as the nation’s eternal gratitude.”

Search for New Commissioner Begins

The questions now become who will replace the outgoing Commissioner and when. In response to a reporter’s query on the subject, Sir Westfall stated that he will not be personally involved in the selection process but will work with whoever is ultimately chosen.

“I have spoken with the King,” continued Sir Westfall, “and he will be personally involved guiding the selection process, working with the owner and player representatives on narrowing down the candidates that would be acceptable to both parties.”

The Commissioner, however, could not give a precise answer as to when the selection would be finalized, but a Palace spokesman later revealed that the hope is to have a new Commissioner named by the All-Star break, so as to have sufficient time for a smooth transfer of the Office.

DreamTeams · 11-03-2022, 08:24 PM

Three Trolleys make the All-Braeland Team combining for 86 homers. That's a lot of power. Go Trolleys!

reds1 · 11-04-2022, 01:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DreamTeams

Three Trolleys make the All-Braeland Team combining for 86 homers. That's a lot of power. Go Trolleys!

The Trolleys combined for 184 homers this year. That's second only to the 1953-54 Braeland City Monarchs who hit 192.

The Monarchs had 5 players on that team who hit 21 or more home runs. Although Pulberry only had 3 who did that this year, they did have 7 players who hit 16 or more. Few slouches in that lineup.

reds1 · 11-12-2022, 03:54 AM

After the past few off-seasons that were relatively quiet on the trade front, it was refreshing to see a flurry of transactions made with a few notable names involved.
Here is a summary of some of the noteworthy developments that took place leading up to the start of the Coconut Leagues.

Hall of Fame Results:

The Braeland Baseball Hall of Fame saw its 12th member added when LHP Joel Fearn was elected in his first year of eligibility with a record 87.6% of the vote. At the time of his induction, he led the United Leagues in career complete games (323) and shutouts (40). He currently sits second overall in wins (250), one behind Anastasio Rodríguez.

Cobourg Red Stockings 1937-1939, 1952
Stratford Barons 1939-1951

Notable Achievements:
Satchel Paige Award: 1 (1945-46)
All-Star Selections: 7
Pitcher of the Month: 3
Player of the Week: 2
Playoff Series MVP: 2
United Cup Championships: 2

Other Selected Achievements:
Finished 2nd in voting for the Satchel Paige Award on two other occasions
First player to win both Pennant Series MVP and United Cup MVP in same season (1940-41)

Hall of Fame Metrics:
JAWS: 70.1 (average HOF SP – 53)
Black Ink: 48 (average HOF – 33)
Gray Ink: 227 (average HOF – 151)
HOF Standards: 46 (average HOF – 32)
HOF Monitor: 148 (average HOF – 112)

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Notable Player Retirements:

1B Stuart Bentham

Perhaps the greatest player of the United Leagues’ first 19 seasons has retired. The Pulberry-born Bentham played the bulk of his career with the Brunswick Legends after breaking in as a 20-year old with the Cobourg Red Stockings in the Leagues’ inaugural season. Bentham walks away from the game leading the United Leagues in games (2,341), at-bats (8,723), runs (1,422), hits (2,687), total bases (4,221), doubles (477) and home runs (333). There’s no question in my mind that Bentham is a first ballot hall of famer.

Other Achievements:

• 11-time All-Star
• 1944-45 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award
• 1 Ball Hawk Award
• 1941-42 United Cup MVP
• 3 United Cup Championships
• 2 Batting Titles (1949-50, 1951-52)
• 2-time All-Star Game MVP (1942-43, 1947-48)
• 9-time Batter of the Month
• 14-time Player of the Week
• 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team

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1B Dean Bishop

It’s fitting that Dean Bishop retires at the same time as Bentham as they competed against each other, often going 1-2 in the rankings among first basemen throughout their careers. Bishop made his first appearance in the United Leagues in 1937 with Kingston Pelicans’ Double-A farm team. After winning Hitter of the Year Awards in both Double-A and Triple-A, Bishop reached the majors in 1940 and went on to win Rookie of the Year honours and the first of nine Ball Hawk Awards, but not before he was traded to the Queensland Eagles. Inexplicably, the Eagles would trade him to the Braeland City Monarchs after just one season and the Monarchs in turn would trade him back to the Kingston Pelicans four years later. With the Pelicans, Bishop set a new mark in home runs in a season with 39 in 1949-50, a mark that held up until Raymond Williams hit 45 in 1953-54. Bishop finishes his career first overall in career strikeouts with 1,236 (the next in the list finished with 1,052), but he also finished third in career home runs (288) and fourth in RBIs (1,259) and walks (1,384). Plus, he was a premier defensive first baseman (.989 PCT, 10.03 RNG, +98.0 ZR, 1.043 EFF), winning nine Ball Hawk Awards, the most of any player to date (one more than CF Alfonso León). To me Bishop is a sure-fire hall of famer, but whether it will take two or three ballots to finally elect him remains to be seen.

Other Achievements:

• 8-time All-Star
• 1943-44 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award
• 1940-41 Eastern League Rookie of the Year
• 9 Ball Hawk Awards
• 6-time Batter of the Month
• 9-time Player of the Week
• 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team

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Here are some other players who retired and enjoyed fine careers but who I believe will fall short of the Hall of Fame:

LHP Arthur Bence

• 4-time All-Star
• 1946-47 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award
• 1946-47 Triple Crown (22-10, 1.93 ERA, 289.1 IP, 75 BB, 142 K)
• 1-time Pitcher of the Month
• Holds single season record for ERA (1.929, 1946-47)

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LHP Nicholas Grimes

• 4-time All-Star
• 2-time Satchel Paige Award winner (EL- 1948-49, WL - 1951-52)
• 4-time Pitcher of the Month
• 1-time United Cup Champion
• 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team

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CF Dylan Moyne

• 6-time All-Star
• 1948-49 Western League Babe Ruth Award
• 2-time Ball Hawk Award winner
• 2-time Batter of the Month
• 5-time Player of the Week
• 2-time United Cup Champion
• 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team

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Management Shakeups:

April 19 – Fort Richmond Part Ways with Mathis, Hire Former Journeyman Pitcher as Manager

The Fort Richmond Generals decided not to retain the services of 50-year old John Mathis (672-561, .545), after six seasons as their field manager. Mathis led the Generals to the playoffs four times, winning the United Cup in 1953-54 and winning WL Manager of the Year honours twice. But after enduring their first susb-.500 season in nine years, the Generals decided to change course.

Three days later, Fort Richmond introduced 42-year old Shaun Alford as their new field manager. A former relief pitcher in the United League who played for 6 different teams over his 12-year career, the two-time all-star takes on his first managerial job of any kind. Alford has his work cut out for him. Just two seasons removed from a United Cup championship, the Generals’ offense was ranked last in the Western League in practically every category. While they have some promising talent in their farm system, it is still a few years away from reaching the major league level. Thus, patience will be the order for the day as the club works to turn things around.

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April 19 – Hespeler Cleans House in Search of Winning Formula

After enduring their 13th straight losing season, the Hespeler Stars fired both their general manager and field manager. Replacing 56-year old GM Marcello Bonaddio after 4 seasons is 49-year old Stewart Pruitt (61-93, .396), whose only previous managerial experience was as the GM of the Sherburn Tigers in 1953-54. Pruitt, a former outfielder for the Pulberry Trolleys and Fort Richmond Generals, perhaps did not get a fair shot with the Tigers to turn things around. With Hespeler he has been given a three-year deal to see if he can change the fortunes of the Stars, something that has yet to happen for an organization still looking for their first playoff appearance.

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April 24 – End of an Era: Last Original Field Manager Dismissed by Downie

Although there remain a few general managers in the United Leagues who have been with the same club since 1937-38, the last remaining field manager to have been with their original team since that inaugural season was shown the door. 60-year old Bill Bouchet (1390-1536, .475) was relieved of his duties by the Downie Chiefs at the end of the season. The Canadian-born Bouchet led the Chiefs to three playoff appearances and one United Cup Championship in 1949-50, the year he won his only Manager of the Year award. Since their last playoff appearance in 1951-52, Downie has been mired in the second division of the Eastern League and have seen some notable players leave the club.

Taking his place is a complete unknown: 56-year old Oscar Baber. This will be Baber’s first coaching job of any kind in the United Leagues. Unlike the other novices who were hired to manage a team this season, Baber never played in the United Leagues or its minor leagues. It will be interesting to see how he fares with a roster that has few impact players and an organization saddled with the third weakest farm system.

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April 25 – Hespeler Hires Rookie Manager to Take the Reins

51-year old Carlton Stewart (677-863, .429) was shown the door after 10 desultory seasons as manager of the Hespeler Stars. Taking his place is 49-year old Ken Phelps, a former back-up outfielder that played parts of four seasons with the Cobourg Red Stockings. This will be his first managerial job anywhere in the United Leagues. Reports that GM Stewart Pruitt responded to questions as to why he hired him with “My baseball people loved Ken Phelps. They kept saying ‘Ken Phelps, Ken Phelps’” could not be confirmed.

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Notable Trades:

April 23

To Wellington – 29-year old C Carlos Camasura (70/70) and 21-year old minor league 3B Alfie Sherwin (25/38)

To Kingston – 24-year old SS Vance Fendley (51/52) and four minor league players:

• 24-year old SS KaKenzo Kodama (28/47)
• 22-year old 2B Leland Johnson (28/49)
• 24-year old 1B Gavin Cramphorn (35/44)
• 23-year old 3B Mike Ramsey (23/36)

Knee-jerk reaction: In a very active off-season, no team was more active in the trade market than the Kingston Pelicans. Of the 20 trades consummated, Kingston was involved in 6 of them. Wellington was not far behind with four. But none of them more significant than the first one. Camasura is ranked as the 4th best catcher in the United Leagues and is a 5-time all-star and 2-time Ball Hawk Award winner. He is an extremely disciplined hitter with great contact (65) and an outstanding eye (75). He is highly respected throughout the Leagues and has a strong work ethic. However, injuries are a concern. They cut short his 1954-55 season when he got into only 87 games. He bounced back last season with a strong performance, but he is considered fragile. All-in-all, Wellington gets an immediate upgrade at the position. The move relegates their long-time catcher, 28-year old Declan Bugbie (50/50), to being a solid defensive back-up. Bugbie himself just won his 5th Ball Hawk Award this past season.

In return, the Pelicans do not get any star-quality players, but they do get some solid depth. Vance Fendley is a speedy (60) and fundamentally sound infielder (SS-70, 2B-50/80) but with rather poor plate discipline (40/40). As such, he will be streaky at the plate. He was hot, however, during the EL Pennant Series this past season when he won MVP honors. But for now, it looks as though he will be a backup shortstop with the Pelicans. Of the minor league players acquired, Kodama and Johnson appear to be the most promising. Kodama is projected to be a future starter at shortstop, with good patience and discipline at the plate and speed. He can play anywhere in the outfield as well. Meanwhile, Johnson is an incredibly versatile IF/OF with good hands and instincts. He has good gap power (60/65) and should draw his share of walks (55/60). He could become a starter one day as well.

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May 21

To Sherburn – 31-year old RHP Kieran Bunce (57/57)

To Kingston – 20-year old minor league C Dermott Biddulph (21/51)

Knee-jerk reaction: The rebuilding in Kingston continues as the Pelicans ship off their No. 1 starter to the Tigers for a promising young catcher. Bunce is a two-time all-star who doesn’t have impressive stuff (40) but has sensational movement (70) and control (65) with a couple of OK pitches (fastball/curveball – 45; slider – 35). Although he was Kingston’s ace, he is considered more of a mid-rotation starter and that is where Sherburn has slotted him in – as their new No. 3 pitcher. He has a poor work ethic but joining a playoff caliber team may help things.

The Pelicans receive a young catcher that in many ways, resembles Carlos Camasura, the catcher they traded away a month earlier.
Biddulph is projected to have great contact (45/65) and gap power (45/55) who won’t strike out very often (40/70). He is also a solid defender and with a little more seasoning, he should get a shot at starting in the majors one day.

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May 22

To Pulberry – 31-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (53/53) and 23-year old minor league LHP Toby Andrews (27/47)

To Balmoral – 29-year old 3B Makani Kahale (56/56) and 22-year old minor league C Ellis Lutley (39/54)

Knee-jerk reaction: This appears to be a mutually beneficial trade for both clubs. Balmoral desperately needs to add some spark to a struggling offense and seem to have taken a step in that direction in acquiring Kahale. The 29-year old Samoan was replaced as Pulberry’s everyday 3B last season by 30-year old Francis Jones (69/69). Although his bat is not the equal of Jones’, with so-so contact (45) and plate discipline (45), he will not strike out often (70) and has blazing speed (60) and is an outstanding defender at 3B (70). The Giants have installed the 4-time all-star and 4-time Ball Hawk Award winner as their lead-off hitter going forward. They also acquire a young catcher in Lutley. He is considered a worthwhile development project with outstanding patience at the plate and excellent defensive ratings. He could become a starting catcher in the majors one day.

In Galeo, the Trolleys look to shore up the back end of their rotation. He has decent stuff/movement/control ratings (50/55/50) with five pitches in his repertoire. His fastball and splitter (50/50) are considered his best. The 1-time all-star/Ball Hawk Award winner is considered a No. 2 starter or even an ace by scouts, but with Pulberry, he is penciled in as their No. 5 starter. The Pulberry-born Andrews is considered a future borderline starter at best. He doesn’t have great stuff (45/45) but has outstanding movement on his pitches (55/65). He has three pitches in his arsenal, but other than a nasty curveball (65/70,) his fastball (40/40) and changeup (25/30) are nothing special.

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May 22

To Stratford – 32-year old RHP Stephan Tindall (51/51) and 24-year old minor league CF Jacob Blowers (33/40)

To Hespeler – 22-year old minor league LHP Tyler Gadd (27/45)

Knee-jerk reaction: A relatively minor deal that is posted here if only to demonstrate that Hespeler still doesn’t know what it’s doing. Thus, it is business as usual.

Stratford acquires Tindall who they originally drafted back in 1943-44. The one-time all-star has pedestrian stuff (40), but excellent movement (60) and control (65). Scouts consider him a back-end starter and that is where the Barons have slotted him in: as their No. 5 starter. He was Hespeler’s No. 2 man at the time of the trade. In return, the Stars get Gadd, a non-descript pitcher with no out pitch. He may be listed as a starter, but he will more likely eke things out in long relief or start in emergency situations. Hespeler has subsequently promoted him to their bullpen. But all-in-all, not sure what the Stars are thinking here. It seems so little a return, even for a modest veteran starter.

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May 26

To Wellington – 30-year old RHP Kazunori Fujimoto (50/50) and 20-year old minor league OF Wan-hua Gu (36/61)

To Fort Richmond – 21-year old minor league RHP Theo Rix (25/39) and 21-year old minor league 2B Ramón Rodríguez (20/45)

Knee-jerk reaction: If by this trade the Generals a signaling that a rebuild is in the works, they are getting off on the wrong foot in my estimation.

Wellington’s lack of depth in their rotation was exposed in the last season’s United Cup. This trade helps to address that with a serviceable pitcher in Fujimoto, a 6-year veteran who generates a lot of ground balls and is excellent at keeping the ball in the park (movement-65). Despite some control issues (45), he should fit in well with the Athletics as their No. 4 starter. He pitched out of the No. 2 spot with Fort Richmond. But Wellington also gets an excellent prospect in Gu. The former 1953-54 2nd-round pick from Taiwan is projected to be an elite hitter with electrifying speed and solid defensive skills, especially in the outfield corners. He is rated as the 17th-best prospect in the United Leagues and won a Double-A Lou Gehrig Award as best hitter last season. He could be something special.

But what does Fort Richmond get in return? Two players that aren’t really worth writing home about. Rix, a former 8th-round pick from 1952-53, is a mediocre pitcher (stu-45/move-35/cont-55) with four mediocre pitches (his best is his splitter-45). He is projected to be little more than a spot starter. Rodríguez has the chance to be a consistent contact hitter with improved pitch recognition but is average is every other way. Scouts feel that he will be little more than a bench player at the major league level. Hard to figure out this exchange from the Generals’ perspective.

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July 5

To Wellington – 36-year old RHP Rizal Doctolero (58/58)

To Braeland City – 24-year old minor league RHP Zak Boswell (36/43)

Knee-jerk reaction: Wellington continues its quest in acquiring veteran pitching by adding the Monarch’s former stopper. Doctolero, a three-time all-star, had a comparatively down year last season but may benefit from joining a playoff-caliber team. He has OK stuff (50) along with good movement (65) and control (60) with two pitches: cutter (55) and curveball (50). He is a tenacious pitcher who will be a leader in the clubhouse, if not the captain. He takes over from Wellington’s long-time stopper, 34-year old RHP Finlay Capstick, at least for the time being.

Braeland City essentially gets a warm body in return. Boswell has outstanding movement (65) and will generate a lot of ground balls, but his stuff is fringy (45) and his control is even worse (35/40). Reaching the major leagues is a possibility, but only in a minor role.

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July 8

To Pulberry – 34-year old 2B Dwayne Stace (50/50) and 22-year old minor league RHP Elton Haggar (26/26)

To Kingston – 20-year old minor league RHP Ernesto Luna (24/38)

Knee-jerk reaction: Pulberry boasted a formidable lineup last season, but the one glaring weakness was at second base, where 31-year old Paul Heisler (.206/.296/309, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 39 BB, 66 OPS+, 0.0 WAR) provided outstanding defense (1.023 EFF) but a woeful bat. So, the Trolleys have gone out and acquired Stace, an 8-year veteran who appears to be a carbon copy of Heisler, albeit three years older. Stace’s defense is elite and while he has an above average eye and very good plate discipline, his plate production has been very modest. He has enjoyed only one season with an OPS+ over 100 (114 with Brunswick in 1951-52). Complicating matters is that Heisler has simply been shifted over to shortstop in the RH lineup, thus reducing plate opportunities for their co-Rookie of the Year winner, Sean Abercrombie (110 OPS+ last season). We’ll have to see how things shake out by Opening Day, but this doesn’t look like a step forward in my view.

Kingston receives a future borderline starter in Luna, a durable, finesse pitcher with fine control (55) and a couple of decent pitchers (fastball/curveball – 50). But the bullpen is a more likely destination for Luna.

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July 26

To Hespeler – 38-year old RHP Bill Blair (50/50)

To Wolseley – 29-year old 3B Mike Park (60/52 - !!!)

Knee-jerk reaction: As frustrating a trade as they come. The Stars trade away a 32-year old pitcher (Stephan Tindall back on May 26) only to replace him with a 38-year old pitcher. If Hespeler was a contending team, I could understand it, but there are no signs that they are close to being one. For the record, Bill Blair is a very capable pitcher, a 5-time all-star who won the WL Satchel Paige Award 6 years ago. He has good control and can throw all his pitches for strikes. Scouts consider him a solid investment if he can continue to produce at his current level. The operative word of course is, if. The fact is he is fragile and missed over 4 months last season due to a ruptured tendon in his finger. Again, for a contending team, I could see this being a calculated, short-term risk on a 15-year veteran. But the Stars are not contenders, so I don’t see this making any sense. At any rate, he becomes their No. 2 starter, just as Tindall was.

The Stars give up an intriguing player in my mind that hasn’t been given a fair shot and it doesn’t look like the Unions will as well. Park is considered an above-average big league third baseman with very good contact (55), gap power (65) and strike zone judgement (60). He is a 1-time all-star and won Rookie of the Year honors in 1952-53. But as in Hespeler, Wolseley has him buried deep in their depth chart, to the extent that it appears he won’t be on their radar anytime soon. Even the position rankings don’t consider him the Unions’ best option at 3B. It’s times like these where I get the urge to take over a team and set the lineups myself. For me, Park should be starting. But we’ll see what happens during the regular season.

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August 13

To Fort Richmond – 24-year old 2B Richello Gaerlan (47/50) and 26-year old 2B Jake Hayden (48/48)

To Kingston – 29-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (47/47) and 24-year old LHP Senzo Hiroyuki (44/46)

Knee-jerk reaction: A trade involving as best average major league players that is notable mainly for one of the pitchers enters spring training as Kingston’s No. 1 starter. Despite that, I think Fort Richmond got the better of this deal.

Kingston trades their starting second baseman Gaerlan, an outstanding defensive fielder with amazing speed and base stealing abilities. But while he has a good eye (60/65) and power (60/60), the rookie who got in only 13 games last season has poor contact (35/35) and will strike out often (30/35). Fort Richmond also gets another infielder in Hayden, a near carbon copy of Gaerlan except that he may become a more consistent hitter. Although both as describes as average major league players, the Generals have them buried deep in their player depth charts.

Not buried is Rowet, a former second round pick from 1950-51. While he was Fort Richmond’s fifth starter, the Pelicans has inserted him into the top spot of their rotation. This speaks more of the lack of depth in Kingston’s pitching staff than to Rowet’s ability. His ratings are not all that impressive (stu-45/move-50/cont-45) with a cutter (50), curveball (45) and slider (50) his best offerings. Kingston also receives Hiroyuki, a 3rd-round pick from 1953-54. Hiroyuki has outstanding movement (65/70) and decent control (45/50), but poor stuff (35/35) with only one consistent pitch (forkball – 40/45). Thus, scouts consider him a future spot starter at best.

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The War Gained chart reveals that last year’s playoff contenders were the most active in bolstering their roster for the upcoming season, with Wellington’s acquisition of C Carlos Camasura and Sherburn’s trade for RHP Kieran Bunce leading the way.

Next up for the 16 clubs are the Coconut Leagues. They begin Monday, August 27th, as the teams prepare for the Leagues’ 20th Opening Day on October 1st.

reds1 · 12-24-2022, 04:15 PM

After a seemingly never-ending off-season, the familiar sounds of spring returned in September as the Coconut Leagues got under way in preparation for Opening Day. It marks the 20th season for the United Leagues, and it plans to be an historic one as the Leagues hope to name a new Commissioner before the season is out to replace the retiring Sir David Westfall.

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New Uniforms

The Downie Chiefs return to a look they last wore in 1950, abut this time with zipper-front jerseys. They join the Wolseley Unions as the only two zipped-up teams in the Leagues.

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Eastern League Results

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Just like last season, the Embro Suns jumped out to great start and never looked back, finishing with the best record in all the Coconut Leagues. Behind them was last season’s playoff teams, the Stratford Barons and Wellington Athletics. The projections point to the Barons having another strong year, pacing the East with 92 victories. But the wild card race could be wide open, with four teams projected to finish above .500.

One of those teams is the Cobourg Redlegs, who finished in last place last season. But the club could be the beneficiary of the projected emergence of their 24-year old shortstop, Douglas Jones (68/80). Jones, rated the No. 1 prospect back in October 1952, has battled significant injuries (torn labrum, fractured hand) that has curtailed his playing time over the previous two seasons. But he did pick up his first Ball Hawk Award last year and he has few weaknesses when healthy. He is an outstanding defender with great speed and the ability to hit the ball out of the park every time he comes to the plate (65/65). If he can stay off the DL, the Redlegs may have someone special in the young, power-hitting shortstop for years to come.

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Western League Results

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The West standings were exceptionally tight throughout Spring Training, with only 5 games separating first from last place for nearly the entire stretch of exhibition games. The Balmoral Giants started slow, going 3-7 to start the campaign but went 11-4 over the final half to take top spot.

One noteworthy game was the 22-inning, 6.5 hour marathon between the Kingston Pelicans and Pulberry Trolleys on September 14. The hometown Pelicans took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 1st thanks to a 3-run home run by 1B Ira Bannatyne off of LHP Bart Ohara. But the Trolleys pushed two runs across in the 3rd to knot things up. No runs were scored until the 10th inning when both teams added two runs each to keep things tied. It remained 5-5 for 11 more innings until Pulberry finally broke the tie in the top of the 22nd, scoring two runs thanks to a double, two singles and a throwing error. Kingston was unable to score any runs in the bottom half, giving the Trolleys a 7-5 win.

Nevertheless, the projections point to this season being a two-team race in the West, with the Sherburn Tigers and the defending United Cup Champions Pulberry Trolleys locking up the two playoff spots for the second straight year.

A couple of promising 24-year-olds have been installed as their team’s No. 3 hitter and are projected to have big seasons. 1B Ira Bannatyne (44/50), a second-round pick from 1950-51, is now installed as the Pelicans’ everyday first baseman, now that they parted ways with 28-year old Harry Herold (44/44). Herold now starts for the Stratford Barons. Kingston is not projected to be in the playoff picture this season, but Bannatyne may provide some highlights for an otherwise middling team.

On the other hand, LF Leon Albrecht (48/80) could have a significant impact on his team’s fortunes this season. The former 1st overall pick was rated the No. 1 prospect back in October 1955 and is already rated as the 5th best leftfielder in the United Leagues. With a strong cast surrounding him, the sophomore may lead the Tigers to top spot in the West as the projections indicate. The Tigers have never finished in first place.

Finally, the Hespeler Stars may realize a decent 1-2 punch in the rotation if the projections for 27-year old LHP Amoka Kalea (52/53) pan out. Acquired in a trade from the Queensland Eagles back in May 1955, scouts feel the former 3rd-rond pick is a solid investment with good movement (55/55), control (55/60) and average stuff (50/50). He will pitch right behind 28-year old RHP Battista Corotta (53/53), who also is projected to have another fine season.

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Here are the top players and pitchers and top 20 prospects as updated on Opening Day. Also included are the latest leaderboards for a slew of offensive and pitching categories.

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Leaderboards

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Bottom Of The Sixth · 12-24-2022, 11:18 PM

Hands-down, still the best, long standing Dynasty out there!

Great stuff as always...Really like the opening day program cover!

reds1 · 12-28-2022, 01:24 AM

November 1, 1956 - Snapshot

Here is a snapshot of the Leagues after the first month of play, with a few highlights that will be featured in the December 1 league reports:

• Who batted in 8 RBIs on Opening Day, just 1 RBI shy of the ULB record?

• Which rookie and sophomore hit the 29th and 30th cycles in ULB history?

• Which two outstanding leftfielders became the 16th and 17th players to hit 3 home runs in a single game?

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reds1 · 12-28-2022, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bottom Of The Sixth

Hands-down, still the best, long standing Dynasty out there!

Great stuff as always...Really like the opening day program cover!

Thank you so much, Chad!

reds1 · 04-01-2023, 08:32 PM

December 1, 1956

Eastern League: Wellington, Brunswick Ride Power Surge to Top of Standings

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Someone call the fire department – the United Leagues are on fire. Offensive firepower has arrived in a big way, at least for the top teams. Over the course of just the first two months, four different players have hit 3 home runs in a game and 3 others (all in the West) have hit for the cycle. The four 3-run home run games equal the 1953-54 season. With regards to cycles, the 1954-55 season saw five accomplished. It will be interesting to see if there is more offensive flexing in store over the next four months to set new records. Indeed, the young season has already seen a new home run record set by a member of the Wellington Athletics.

The Athletics started off slowly, losing 4 of their first 5 games. But they soon got back on track and took over first place by the end of October where they remain just slightly ahead of a surprising Brunswick Legends squad.

For Wellington, their offense can (almost) be summed up in two words: Matthew Floyd. In fairness, the 29-year old LF Floyd (.348/.429/.744, 25 HR, 54 RBI, 28 BB, 4.7 WAR) has some able support surrounding him. He has always been one of the top players in the United Leagues, but his start this season is simply astounding. He has been easily the top player in the East, if not the entire United Leagues thus far and he is on course to hit over 70 home runs. While that pace may not be sustainable, he is just 20 away from the record of 45, set by Cobourg’s Raymond Williams in 1953-54. Floyd’s current high mark for home runs in a season is 30, reached back in 1950-51. He has never won a Babe Ruth Award and finished in the top 3 in voting only once back in 1951-52. That drought may very well end this season if he stays healthy.

As mentioned earlier, Wellington is hardly a one-trick pony. With Floyd batting in the No. 3 spot, the lineup from #2 through 5 has been solid:

#2 - 31-year old RF Jim Mars (.322/.396/.473, 4 HR, 24 RBI, 24 BB, 1.9 WAR)
#4 – 24-year old CF Greg Yates (.310/.355/.513, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 15 BB, 4 SB, 1.9 WAR)
#5 – 30-year old C Carlos Camasura (.360/.484/.456, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 29 BB, 2.2 WAR)

Camasura, acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Kingston Pelicans back in April, is currently rated as the No. 1 catcher in the ULB. The rest of the lineup, however, has not come close to matching the performances of these four players.

While somewhat overshadowed, the pitching staff has been holding their own in the East, with No. 2 starter 28-year old RHP Vinnie Snell (6-2, 3.16 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 4.15 FIP, 124 ERA+) and No. 5 starter 30-year old RHP Kazurnori Fujimoto (6-0, 2.95 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 4.12 FIP, 133 REA+) leading the way. They have recently been joined in the rotation by 23-year old rookie RHP Baskin Arncaple (3-1, 0.95 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.65 FIP, 413 ERA+ - 42/60), winner of back-to-back Rookie of the Month honors. The 3rd-round pick from last season was pitching out of the bullpen until the last week of November when he was installed as the team’s ace. He won his first start, 3-0 against the Kingston Pelicans, going 7.2 IP, 3 H, 6 BB, 3 K, 128 PI.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 8 – C Carlos Camasura (.706, 12 H, 9 RBI, 2 R)
November 5 – LF Matthew Floyd (.476, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI)
November 19 – LF Matthew Floyd (.429, 9 H, 5 HR, 9 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 28 – The visiting Athletics blasted the Brunswick Legends, 13-1 to take 3 of 4 games. Leading the way for Wellington was their superstar, Matthew Floyd who hit 3 home runs. His first of the afternoon came in the top of the 2nd when he hit a 2-run shot off RHP Mhelter Pilapil to make it 5-0. In the top of the 5th down 8-0, RHP Byron Ollson relieved Pilapil with two out and two men on base. The first batter he faced was Floyd, who took his 1-2 offering and slammed it into the rightfield bleachers for a 3-run shot, increasing the lead to 11-0. In the top of the 7th, Floyd struck again against Ollson, launching his first offering into the rightfield bleachers for a 2-run home run and making it 13-0 for Wellington. In all, Floyd went 3 for 5 with 1 BB, 7 RBI & 4 R. Brunswick finally broke the goose egg when 26-year old RF Jay Mitchell (.249/.328/.428, 7 HR, 25 RBI, 21 BB, 0.8 WAR) launched a lead-off solo shot against 25-year old RHP Mike Murray (4-4, 3.84 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, .237 BABIP, 102 ERA+) in the bottom of the 9th.

November 15 – The Athletics went into Cambria and took 2 of 3 games from the Cannons, including a convincing 13-2 win in the final match. RF Jim Mars was the star of the game, going 5 for 5. Mars hit 3 singles and 2 triples to along with 1 RBI, 3 R & 1 BB. Naturally his battery-mate, Matthew Floyd contributed to the offensive output as well, going 3 for 6 with 2 HR, 5 RBI & 2 R.

November 16 – After playing 12 straight games on the road, the Athletics finally returned home to host the Hespeler Stars. Nearly 25,000 fans jammed Santop Stadium with all eyes on their beloved star, Matthew Floyd. That’s because the leftfielder had hit two home runs the day before, the 5th straight game in which Floyd had hit a least one home run. That tied the home run streak record shared by four other players and first set by OF Kade Limeburner in the ULB’s inaugural season. Fans didn’t have to wait long to see if he could break it and establish a new record. In the bottom of the 1st with two out, Floyd jumped on the first pitch he saw from 30-year old RHP Dominic Whitmore, sending it 393 ft. down the rightfield line and into the history books, setting a new Home Run Streak at six games. Floyd hit 8 home runs over the course of the streak. Alas, the Athletics fell to the Stars, 3-2. While they would hang onto to win the next day 7-6, Floyd went 1 for 3 with 2 BB and no home runs to end the streak.

On a side note, Kingston Pelicans’ 24-year old sophomore, 1B Ira Bannatyne, hit a home run in 5 straight games to start the season (Oct. 1 to 5).

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Over the past five seasons, the Brunswick Legends have been the model of mediocrity, averaging 75 wins a season and never finishing higher than fourth. But the start of this season has seen a turnaround. They got off to a fast start, winning their first 4 games and hanging onto to first place until October 29 when the Athletics finally caught up and overtook them. In early November they fell back to 4th place but rebounded against the Western League teams to get back to within a half game of Wellington. They finished off November strong, going 10-1. They also enjoy hitting against left-handers, having gone 11-1 thus far.

Their pitching staff is the main reason why, leading the East in ERA and fewest runs allowed. The pitching crew has been uniformly steady, with No. 3 starter 29-year old RHP Mhelter Pilapil (8-2, 3.29 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 3.48 FIP, 122 ERA+) and 34-year old stopper RHP Lao Chen (2-0, 4 SV, 0.34 ERA, 0.76 WHIP, 1.53 FIP, 1,173 ERA+) leading the way.

The offense has been solid in the early going as well, particularly 27-year old sophomore RF Joshua Witherden (.285/.395/.557, 11 HR, 27 RBI, 29 BB, 2.4 WAR). The 3rd-round pick from 1952-53 leads the team in 9 offensive categories and is already rated 4th overall among right fielders. Curiously, despite his running speed/stealing ability/baserunning instincts being off the charts (70/80/80), he has yet to steal a base (and was caught on his lone attempt). He is batting second in the lineup, ahead of perennial all-star, 28-year old C Robert Kersey (.271/.387/.482, 10 HR, 32 RBI, 30 BB, 2.0 WAR).

Player of the Week Awards:

November 12 – CF Joshua Witherden (.529, 9 H, 5 HR, 8 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 18 – The Legends won a wild one over the Monarchs, 19-11 at Kings Park in Braeland City. Leading 1-0, the Legends exploded for 10 runs in the top of the 2nd inning, thanks to 6 singles, 1 triple, 3 walks, a sac fly, an error and a 3-run homer by 28-year old 1B Francis Joicey (.288/.379/.527, 8 HR, 24 RBI, 19 BB, 1.0 WAR). Brunswick would make it 18-0 before Braeland City finally got on the board with a solo shot by 31-year old 2B Partrick Lidgate (.257/.383/.492, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 37 BB, 1.7 WAR) in the bottom of the 6th. The Monarchs would tack on 5 runs each in the 7th and 8th innings to get back into the game, although they still came up way short. In all, the two teams combined for 33 hits and 7 home runs.

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The Cobourg Redlegs took a tumble in the standings over the past couple of seasons, just a few years removed from their break-out 100-54 season where they won their first Eastern League Pennant. But an 8-game winning streak in late October and into early November, plus a 7-1 stretch to finish off the month of November has seen the club bounce back in a big way in the early going. That 8-game winning streak saw them get to within a game of first place. A continued strong showing in November where they feasted on Western League teams has them very much in the thick of things. But they will need greater contributions from more than just of few of their key players if they want to sustain it.

This is still very much CF Raymond Williams’ (.328/.410/.583, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 24 BB, 5 SB, 3.1 WAR) team. The 30-year old 2-time Babe Ruth Award winner remains among the very best position players in the ULB (5th overall) and is just 29 home runs away from reaching 300. But it appears that he will soon have company among the Leagues’ elite on the Redlegs’ roster. 25-year old SS Douglas Jones (.246/.329/.424, 8 HR, 25 RBI, 25 BB, 2.1 WAR – 76/80) is emerging as one of Cobourg’s best players in hist 4th season and is already rated as the United Leagues’ No. 1 shortstop. Last year’s EL Rookie of the Year, 26-year old LF Harrison Covey (.267/.345/.438, 9 HR, 29 RBI, 24 BB, 1.0 WAR), is contributing as well, hitting out of the No. 2 spot, between Jones and Williams. But outside of them and 31-year old 1B Harry Doxey (.322/.373/.480, 6 HR, 24 RBI, 13 BB, 1.0 WAR), there is a rather steep drop in production.

Just as Williams is the pillar of the offense, so too is 28-year old LHP Bill Budd (7-5, 2.66 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 3.20 FIP, 116 ERA+) to the pitching staff. The three-time all-star is the ace of the rotation and is currently rated 5th overall among all pitchers. But the rest of the rotation has been very solid in the early going as well. Pitching right behind Budd is 22-year old sophomore LHP Lachlan Lloyd (5-1, 1 SV, 2.92 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 1.99 FIP, 137 ERA+ - 39/54). Lachlan, who was acquired from the Braeland City Monarchs in a trade back in January, moved into the rotation in mid-November. Also, if their other young promising arm, 22-year old RHP Albert Johnson (6-3, 4.81 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 4.40 FIP, 83 ERA+ - 48/73), can continue to develop, the Redlegs rotation may become a formidable unit in its own right. For now, Johnson is pitching out of the No. 5 spot, so he is not under any undue pressure.

Noteworthy:

October 10 – The Redlegs and Downie Chiefs played a wild one just 8 games into the young season, going 15-innings before Cobourg’s 26-year old C Yoshiake Ikeda singled home Raymond Williams for the winning run. The final score was 5-4 with the Redlegs churning out 19 hits. Getting five of those was LF Harrison Covey. Covey went 5 for 8 with 5 singles, 1 K and 2 fly outs. Interestingly, he collected no runs or RBIs.

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The Stratford Barons currently enjoy the United Leagues longest active playoff streak, having qualified for the postseason for the past four straight years. They remain a high-caliber squad but with the resurgence of both the Brunswick Legends and Cobourg Redlegs, at least in the early going, the top of the Eastern League standings has gotten noticeable more crowded.

The Barons have felt the stiffer competition. A rough patch in early November where they lost 5 straight games and 1-6 overall, saw them fall to 19-19 and 5-1/2 games out of first place. But the rest of the month saw them go 12-3, helping to keep them very much in the thick of things.

30-year old CF Alfonso León (.356/.429/.600, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 26 BB, 3.2 WAR) is off to a torrid start, something not unusual for the two-time Babe Ruth Award winner who is enjoying his first full season with the Barons, after 9-1/2 seasons as the Downie Chiefs’ premier player. Right behind him in the lineup, batting 4th and 5th, are the Barons’ other top position players this season: 28-year old 2B Matthew Channing (.294/.361/.537, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 22 BB, 11 SB, 2.9 WAR) and 25-year old SS Callum Spalton (.291/.330/.429,4 HR, 28 RBI, 11 BB, 2.5 WAR). Both are off to the best starts of their careers.

Although he may no longer be rated as the top catcher in the United Leagues, 37-year old Aaron Skidmore (.230/.412/.492, 10 HR, 22 RBI, 38 BB, 1.9 WAR) continues his excellent all-around play. He is the ULB’s all-time leader in career walks (1,828) by a healthy margin (Wolseley’s Carlton Hawking is second with 1,561).

The pitching has been hot and cold thus far. Last year’s EL Satchel Paige Award winner, 28-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth (8-0, 2.06 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 3.13 FIP, 193 ERA+) has simply picked up where he left off and is on pace for 23 wins. But besides 32-year old No. 3 starter RHP Stephen Tindall (4-4, 2.93 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 3.67 FIP, 136 ERA+) and 33-year old reliever RHP Bill Lafontaine (4-1, 1 SV, 2.37 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, 2.92 FIP, 168 ERA+), the rest of the staff have been mediocre at best.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 26 – CF Alfonso León (.391, 9 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R)

Noteworthy:

October 17 – The Barons doubled up the visiting Brunswick Legends, 10-5 in a mid-week matinee. Leading the charge was CF Alfonso León, who batted 5 for 5 with 2 RBI & 3 R off 4 singles and a triple. Down 4-0, the Barons exploded for 5 runs in the 5th and never looked back, scoring 10 runs off 16 hits.

November 13 – The Barons swept a 3-game set against the Giants in Balmoral. In game 1, LHP Robin Wadsworth pitched his club to a 3-0 win, giving up just two hits. Wadsworth was pitching a perfect game until the bottom of the 5th, when he surrendered a one-out single to CF Quido De Jesús. Balmoral got two men on base in the bottom of the 9th with a single and walk, but Wadsworth got 1B Erik Perry to fly out to center to end the threat and game. In all, Wadsworth went 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 4 K, 114 PI, GS: 84.

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A strong showing in November has catapulted the Queensland Eagles back into the thick of things after a sluggish start to the season. The Eagles are aiming for their third consecutive winning season, but they have their work cut out for them if they are to succeed in ending their 10-year playoff drought. The top of the standings in the East has gotten decidedly more crowded this year.

Several their key players either got off to slow starts in October or are in fact still struggling. 30-year old LF Rod Dennis (.304/.373/.552, 13 HR, 34 RBI, 21 BB, 1.4 WAR) endured a somewhat rough October for him (.247/.308/.515) but bounced back last month (.369/.443/.595). He finished 3rd in the Babe Ruth Award voting last season and the Eagles desperately need him to lead the way if they hope to make some noise in March. 30-year old 1B Ryan Conisford (.299/.419/.514, 7 HR, 24 RBI, 37 BB, 2.3 WAR) has been Queensland’s most consistent position player thus far, with 23-year old RF Hal Dhu (.251/.340/.480, 12 HR, 28 RBI, 23 BB, 5 SB, 1.7 WAR) going from ice cold in October (.170/.266/.362) to red hot in November (.341/.423/.612).

Two-time Satchel Paige Award winner, 31-year old RHP Logan Belsey (9-2, 1.71 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 1.88 FIP, 230 ERA+), is rated as the No. 1 pitcher in the United Leagues and its hard to argue. He is on pace to win 26 starts. But the rest of the staff has been underwhelming. Especially concerning are the struggles of 29-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait (5-4, 4.46 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 3.00 FIP, 88 ERA+). Queensland also needs the 3-time all-star find his groove soon if they want to keep pace in the East.

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After back-to-back 80+ win seasons, it appears that the Embro Suns are running out of steam. Both the offense and the pitching are struggling. A 3-11 stretch in the middle of October has knocked them down in the standings and they are finding it hard to keep up in the competitive East.

The reigning two-time EL Babe Ruth Award winner and No. 1 rated third baseman in the United Leagues is currently a shadow of his former self. 28-year old Moromao Nakagawa (.218/.357/.410, 10 HR, 26 RBI, 39 BB, 1.9 WAR – 71/71) epitomizes the Suns’ struggles this season, batting only .182/327/.352 in November. Embro desperately needs him to find his groove fast if they hope to stay relevant this season. But it may be moot as no one else in the lineup has stepped up. Only 26-year old LF Jesús Abreu (.286/.409/.550, 12 HR, 28 RBI, 35 BB, 1.8 WAR) is having anything close to what can be considered a career year. The rest have regressed along with Nakagawa.

The pitching is perhaps in even more desperate shape. Embro’s ace, 29-year old RHP Bradley Strawson (5-3, 2.99 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 2.95 FIP, 133 ERA+), is carrying his weight, but the rest of the staff has not. The team promoted their No. 10 overall prospect, 23-year old RHP Jun Kichida (1-0, 4.07 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, 4.17 FIP, 98 ERA+ - 42/59), from Triple-A in early November. The second-round pick from last season is currently ensconced as their No. 3 starter. The Suns have the second-highest rated farm system in the ULB, but outside of 22-year old RHP Kieran Dare (7-4, 2.27 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 2.56 FIP, 129 ERA+ - 38/53), they have no one playing higher than Double-A.

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The Braeland City Monarchs continue to regress three years after they made their last playoff appearance. After winning just 74 games last season, they are on pace for only 66 this year. A disastrous November has seen them tumble to the depths of the standings, at one point going 3-10 in the first half of the month and then 2-7 to finish it.

Overall, the offense is in somewhat better shape than the pitching. Leading the way is 27-year old LF Hayden Goodale (.352/.441/.615, 13 HR, 40 RBI, 28 BB, 2.9 WAR), who is off to the best start of his 5-year career. On the other hand, 31-year old 2B Patrick Lidgate (.257/.383/.492, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 37 BB, 1.7 WAR) has been sluggish to start the season. He is still rated as one of the top players in the ULB (4th overall) however, so a resurgence is still very much anticipated. Braeland City is also getting much needed contributions from both 32-year old 1B Dean Witherden (.289/.357/.567, 14 HR, 30 RBI, 20 BB, 1.5 WAR) and 26-year old RF Aidan Trembath (.272/.318/.485, 12 HR, 31 RBI, 14 BB, 0.6 WAR). 21-year old sophomore Bernard Burkitt (.207/.234/.272, 18 RBI, 5 BB, 2 SB, -0.4 WAR – 45/60) has been installed as their full-time centerfielder, but he continues to struggle at the plate. He was their 5th overall pick from 1953-54.

The pitching staff, however, appears to be in dire straights with the unit ranked near the bottom in almost all categories. The lone bright spot has been 30-year old LHP Larry Kovnats (7-2, 2.65 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 3.26 FIP, 152 ERA+). The former 3rd overall pick from 1948-49 has been a below average pitcher in eight of his previous 10 seasons. But he has been very impressive to start the season. But with perhaps the exception of 30-year old journeyman RHP Bobby Hogg (4-5, 3.37 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.63 FIP, 119 ERA+), the rest of the crew is really struggling.

The Monarchs do have the deepest farm system with several still promising arms in the pipeline that could one day solidify things. One prospect is 20-year old LHP Charlie Honeysett (1-3, 1 SV, 5.56 ERA, 2.38 WHIP, .407 FIP, 72 ERA+ - 45/71), who has started his major league career pitching out of the bullpen. If the former 2nd-round pick from 1953-54 can settle in, he could give the rotation a much-needed boost.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 15 – 1B Dean Witherden (.391, 9 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI)
October 29 – 2B Patrick Lidgate (.364, 8 H, 4 HR, 8 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 12 –27-year old SS Natsu Sakei (.221/.297/.315, 1 HR, 12 RBI, 16 BB, 0.1 WAR) may be batting 8th in the lineup, but the Japanese native who signed with Braeland City as a free agent back in 1953 came up big against the Embro Suns, leading the Monarchs to a 12-10 victory. He went 5 for 5 with 5 RBI & 2 R off 2 doubles and 3 singles.

November 21 – The Monarchs were swept by the visiting Pulberry Trolleys, but they made a game of it in the third & final match. Down 11-5 going into the bottom of the 8th, Braeland City scored 6 runs to tie things up. Ultimately, Pulberry pushed 2 runs across in the top of the 11th and held on to win, 13-11. But 1B Dean Witherden got game honors in a losing cause, banging out 3 home runs. Witherden hit a solo shot off RHP Quintiliano Galeo in the 1st as well as a 2-run home run in the 5th. He then hit a solo home run off RHP Bonie Bandong in the eventful 8th inning. In total, he went 3 for 4 with 4 RBI, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HBP.

November 24 – LF Hayden Goodale became the 4th player this season and 19th overall to hit 3 home runs in a game, just 3 days after his teammate, Dean Witherden accomplished the same feat. He achieved it in Braeland City’s 9-3 win over the Wolseley Unions at Kings Park. Goodale hit a 3-run home run off RHP Joseph Sellwood in the 1st, singled in the 3rd and a slammed a 2-run homer in the 4th. His third dinger was a solo shot off RHP José Fernández in the 6th. In all, Goodale went 4 for 4, with 6 RBI, 4 R.

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The Downie Chiefs are off to their worst start since the 1945-46 season, the last time they finished at the bottom of the Eastern League standings. In those intervening 11 seasons, they have made playoffs three times, winning the United Cup in 1949-50. But they have endured a losing record the past four seasons and don’t appear to be anywhere near to turning things around. Both the pitching crew and batting lineup share the blame for the team’s struggles but there still are a few bright spots on both sides of the ball.

Batting fifth in the RHP lineup, 28-year old 1B Louie Revill (.296/.363/.513, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 22 BB, 1.9 WAR) is finally enjoying a break-out season after six years in the majors and after having been drafted 4th overall in 1947-48. Batting in front of him are 30-year old 2B Dominic Dudding (.333/.409/.620, 11 HR, 27 RBI, 17 BB, 1.7 WAR) and 24-year old rookie RF Ewan Komaki (.289/.347/.493, 6 HR, 17 RBI, 14 BB, 1.6 WAR – 49/49). Dudding, a 9-time all-star, appears destined to make his 10th, while Komaki, a 2nd-round pick from 1953-54, has taken over rightfield from 29-year old Connor Bing (.181/.200/.250, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, -0.8 WAR).

Two young pitchers at the top of the rotation are providing some optimism that they can form a nucleus to build a pitching staff around. 25-year old RHP Stefan Rankin (4-3, 3.14 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.55 FIP, 124 ERA+) is now Downie’s ace while 25-year old LHP Quinn Merrifield (4-6, 2.68 ERA, 1.25 WHIP, 3.95 FIP, 146 ERA+) is starting right behind him after two seasons pitching out of the bullpen. But outside of 25-year old rookie LHP Lucas Franklin (1-1, 3 SV, 0.86 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 2.25 FIP, 453 ERA+), the rest of the staff is a sorry lot.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 22 – 1B Louie Revill (.478, 11 H, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R)

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progen · 04-02-2023, 08:31 AM

This has been an awesome read, and the fact that you've stayed with it for so long. Hats off to you!

reds1 · 04-03-2023, 06:06 PM

Thanks so much, progen!

Keeping my energy level up and finding time for this has been a challenge, but I'm still enthused about the League and always wondering 'what will happen next'. So I'm going to keep plugging away at it.

Sizeman21 · 04-04-2023, 12:37 AM

Fine work with your Gem Mint dynasty! Always a fan!

italyprof · 04-04-2023, 10:33 AM

This is awesome.

DreamTeams · 04-04-2023, 10:53 AM

Trolleys still top the West! Let's go boys. Should be another great year.

reds1 · 04-07-2023, 04:51 PM

Thanks, guys!

reds1 · 04-07-2023, 05:07 PM

December 1, 1956

Western League: Winning Ways Belong to Pulberry, Sherburn

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The Pulberry Trolleys and Sherburn Tigers established themselves as the two best teams in the Western League last year and that dominance continues this season. If anything, their pre-eminence has only deepened as they have jumped out to a commanding lead in the standings and are currently the only two teams with a winning record in the West. Both appear built for further sustained success.

Of course, any team blessed with a player like 28-year old LF Aidan Thirkettle (.411/.511/.878, 18 HR, 47 RBI, 37 BB, 4 SB, 5.5 WAR), the Western Leagues’ 3-time defending Babe Ruth Award winner, is going to have a distinct advantage. As good as he has been, he may be enjoying his best season yet, to the chagrin of his competitors. Off to his best start as well is 29-year old CF Cooper Tyson (.341/.449/.603, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 36 BB, 5 SB, 3.9 WAR). But the rest of the lineup is experiencing a bit of a letdown from the career years they all enjoyed last season, a strong all-around performance that helped propel the Trolleys to the United Cup. That is to be expected, but with the Tigers nipping at their heels, the supporting crew surrounding Thirkettle and Tyson will need to find last year’s magic if they want to keep holding them off.

Overall, the pitching staff remains one of the top units in the West, led by 21-year old sophomore LHP Bart Ohara (7-3, 3.12 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.68 FIP, 125 ERA+) and 31-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (4-0, 3.20 EA, 1.16 WHIP, 4.49 FIP, 122 ERA+). But No. 2 starter, 28-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (4-3, 4.86 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 3.68 FIP, 81 ERA+) continues his hot-and-cold ways. Only this time, he has yet to get on a hot streak. Curious too, is the use of 27-year old LHP Dermott Rathbone (5-1, 6 SV, 3.65 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 3.72 FIP, 107 ERA+) as the team’s stopper. He is more than qualified to take on a role in the rotation.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 15 – LF Aidan Thirkettle (.647, 11 H, 5 HR, 7 RBI, 10 R)
November 5 – LF Aidan Thirkettle (.435, 10 H, 1 HR, 6 RBI, 8 R)
November 26 – LF Aidan Thirkettle (.455, 10 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 7 R)

Noteworthy:

October 14 – The Wolseley Unions did not stand a chance in their third game at Trolleys Stadium in the young season. After splitting the first two matches, the Trolleys pummelled Wolseley 13-1, thanks to an incredible performance from LF Aidan Thirkettle, who went 5 for 5 and hit 3 home runs. He was the 16th player in ULB history to hit 3 home runs in a game and the first of four players to accomplish it this season. Thirkettle hit a solo shot off 21-year old sophomore RHP Theo Morse in both the 2nd and 4th innings, doubled in the 6th, hit an RBI single in the 7th and lastly hit a 2-run home run off 32-year old RHP José Fernández in the 8th. In all, he collected 4 R and 5 RBI.

October 16 – Two days later, the Trolleys and Kingston Pelicans engaged in a battle that lasted for 5 hours and 19 minutes before a winner was declared. The Trolleys eked out a 3-2 victory, in 18 innings. Pulberry led 2-1 until the top of the 8th when Kingston tied it up thanks to two singles, a walk and a fielding error. The two clubs would go 9 full innings before another run would score. In the bottom of the 18th, the Trolleys loaded the bases on two singles and a walk. With two out, back-up rookie catcher, 24-year old Hokuaonani Kaili (.229/.269/.333, 1 HR, 7 RBI, 3 BB, 0.0 WAR) drew a full count walk from 25-year old LHP Senzo Hiroyuki to force in the winning run.

November 19 – The Trolleys rolled over the Braeland City Monarchs, 7-4, thanks to another terrific performance by Aidan Thirkettle. The leftfielder went 5 for 5 again with 3 R and 2 RBI. Thrikettle doubled in the 1st, hit a 2-run home run off 30-year old RHP Danilo Narvaez in the 3rd, singled in the 4th, doubled in the 7th and singled in the 8th. The Trolleys would go on to take the next two games to sweep the Monarchs right in Braeland City.

November 23 – It was touted as a battle of two of the very best pitchers in the United Leagues in the pre-game hype and they didn’t disappoint as the Trolleys and Stratford Barons battled for 11 innings before a run was finally scored. Under clear skies and a scorching 91 F at game time at Stratford’s Bosworth Field, 28-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth held the Trolleys’ bats at bay for over 9 innings, limiting them to three hits and 4 walks (4 K, GS: 81). After 130 pitches he was done. But LHP Bart Ohara went all 11 innings, pitching a 2-hitter in a complete game shutout (3 BB, 3 K, 137 PI, GS: 93). The lone run came in the top of the 11th. After 24-year old SS Sean Abercrombie (.285/.353/.461, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 14 BB, 2 SB, 0.8 WAR) doubled with two out, 30-year old 2B Wade Billyard (.233/.312/.314, 14 RBI, 9 BB, 4 SB, 0.2 WAR) lined a single into deep rightfield to score Abercrombie for the game’s first run. The run held up, as Ohara limited the Barons to a walk in the bottom half to close out the game.

November 26 – The Trolleys took care of business in their first game against Wellington, thumping the Athletics, 12-5. The highlight of the game was the 31st cycle in ULB history achieved by CF Cooper Tyson. Tyson hit an RBI double in the 1st, grounded out in the 3rd, hit an RBI triple in the 5th, hit a solo shot off 37-year old RHP Rizal Doctolero in the 7th and hit an RBI single in the 8th. In all, he went 4 for 5 with 1 R and 4 RBI.

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The Sherburn Tigers are proving that last season’s resurgence was no fluke as they enjoy a seven game cushion for the wild card and are keeping pace with the Trolleys. The two teams have yet to meet this season but will do so seven times in December, all in Sherburn. It should provide a perfect opportunity to see how the Tigers measure up to the defending United Cup champions.

Certainly, the offense has a case to make of being the equal of Pulberry’s. While they may not boast a player of Aiden Thirkettle’s caliber just yet, the early going has seen the emergence of 24-year old sophomore CF Leon Albrecht (.324/.437/.596, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 39 BB, 4 SB, 3.2 WAR – 66/80) as one of the United Leagues’ top players (8th overall). The former 1st-overall pick from 1954-55 is joined by 26-year old RF Albert Sulley (.351/.445/.505, 5 HR, 19 RBI, 34 BB, 3 SB, 2.7 WAR) and 27-year old 1B Marcus Timberlake (.373/.445/.466, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 19 BB, 1.8 WAR) in terms of fast starts. But really, this is a lineup of stacked talent that could easily become the top offensive unit when all begin hitting their stride.

Pitching right now though is the biggest concern. It never hurts to have one of the best starters in the league in 32-year old ace RHP Jesús Chapa (8-3, 2.54 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 2.51 FIP, 158 ERA+), but with the exception of No. 4 starter, 23-year old RHP Kozue Saito (6-3, 3.59 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 3.81 FIP, 112 ERA+), the rest of the rotation has been mediocre. And the bullpen has been downright horrible, something that will have to be fixed soon if the Tigers want to keep up with the Trolleys.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 19 – 3B Adrian Flynn (.444, 8 H, 3 HR, 8 RBI, 6 R)

Noteworthy:

November 14 – The Tigers and Embro Suns played a 10-inning thriller that ended with the visiting Suns pulling out a 11-8 win. But in a losing cause, 1B Marcus Timberlake went 5 for 5 – all singles, with 1 R and 1 RBI. His lone RBI came at a crucial moment when he singled home 26-year old LF Ross Shewman with one out to tie the game up at 7 a-piece and ultimately send the game into extras. But Embro would answer back with two home runs in the top of the 10th, including a 3-run shot by 23-year old 1B Damien Whetter. Although 34-year old S Luwen Rodenburg would lead off with his first home of the season in the bottom of the 10th, it wasn’t enough as the Tigers fell for their 18th loss of the season.

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The Cambria Cannons are in danger of falling further into obscurity after missing the playoffs last year. The pitching is the biggest culprit, but the offense could be more consistent as well.

But nothing but praise can be directed towards 27-year old Sam Tite (.296/.404/.672, 20 HR, 50 RBI, 32 BB, 2 SB, 3.6 WAR), who has been spectacular in his 5th full season and has emerged as the No. 1 right fielder in the ULB. However, the rest of the lineup has taken a step back, although 24-year old SS Doug Martin (.307/.370/.482, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 19 BB, 6 SB, 0.9 WAR – 61/63) still shows enough promise to emerge as one of the top shortstops in the United Leagues.

But what is really dragging the team down is the pitching, particularly the rotation, which does not boast one consistent starter. Only 31-year old stopper RHP Keith Roche (4-5, 6 SV, 2.50 ERA, 1.44WHIP, 2.14 FIP, 158 ERA+) is providing a steady hand in the season’s first two months.

Noteworthy:

October 1 – The Cannons and Balmoral Giants started the season off with a bang, scoring 17 runs off 23 hits on Opening Day. RF Sam Tite collected 8 of those RBIs, tying a United Leagues regular season record. After grounding out in his first two at-bats, Tite came through in the top of the 6th with a bases-loaded single to score two runs, giving Cambria a 2-1 lead. But Balmoral answered back in the bottom half, pushing 5 runs across to retake the lead, 6-2. The Cannons, however, would not give up. In the top of the 7th, they pounded out two singles, a double and two walks to make it 6-3. With two out and the bases loaded once again, Tite faced 28-year old RHP Robert Embley, who had just come into the game. On the third offering, Tite crushed it 433 ft. to dead centerfield for a Grand Slam home run, giving the lead back to Cambria. 36-year old SS César Ruíz (263/.356/.441, 6 HR, 28 RBI 17 BB, 0.6 WAR) followed him with a solo shot of his own. But Tite wasn’t done. With two on and two out in the top of the 9th, the Winnipeg-born right fielder connected for his second home run of the game, sending it 432 ft. into the left-centerfield bleachers. In all, he went 3-5 with 2 R and 8 RBI. The Cannons hung on to win on the road, 10-7.

October 24 – After dropping the first two games of a 3-game set in Pulberry, the Cannons avoided the sweep by trouncing the Trolleys 8-1. Leading the way was 22-year old sophomore CF Kilipeka Maleko (.228/.284/.407, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 13 BB, 0.5 WAR – 43/53). The 2nd-overall pick from 1952-53 hit for the cycle. Maleko started off with a 2-run home run off 28-year old RHP Talyor Folkard in the first inning, then singled in the 2nd, hit an RBI triple in the 4th and doubled in the 6th before striking out in the 9th. It represented the 30th cycle in ULB history and the 8th for a Cambria player, by far the most by any team in the United Leagues. Three other teams are tied for 2nd with three each, while another three teams (Wellington, Downie and Wolseley) have yet to have a player accomplish the feat.

November 13 – In the first game of a 3-game series at home, the Cannons pulled out a win against the Wellington Athletics. With Wellington leading 2-1 with two out and two men on base in the bottom of the 9th, Athletics’ manager Widemar Aquino called in 23-year old rookie RHP Baskin Arncaple to face Cambria’s rookie, 27-year old OF Eiichi Nakashima (.308/.500/.923, 2 HR, 8 RBI, 4 BB, 0.5 WAR – 37/38). On a 1-1 pitch, Nakashima blasted a 3-run home run that landed 389 ft. into the right-centerfield bleachers for a 4-2 walk-off win. He has since returned to Triple-A, so we’ll have to wait and see if the former 4th-round pick from 1951-52 gets another chance for further heroics in the big leagues.

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Reaching the first division after the first two months might appear to be progress for a team that finished in last place for the first time in its existence last season, but it would only be an apparition. The Wolseley Unions still have a long way to go to return to their glory days when they made the playoffs seven straight years and won three United Cups. They have a number of young prospects that have made the major league roster, but emphasis must still be on building up their farm system (11th overall) if they want to become relevant again. Having the No. 1 overall pick this season is a good first step.

The offense is essentially being carried by two players: 22-year old rookie CF Jonathan Higgins (.299/.362/.433, 1 HR, 20 RBI, 16 BB, 6 SB, 1.2 WAR – 50/70) and 35-year old veteran LF Carlton Hawking (.326/.451/.514, 6 HR, 32 RBI, 43 BB, 1.5 WAR). Higgins was a 2nd-overall pick from last season and entered this year as the No. 4 overall rated prospect. With his blazing speed and impressive defensive capabilities in both the outfield and infield, the Milwaukee-born native has a chance to become something special. He won a Rookie of the Month honor in November. Meanwhile Hawking, the 3-time Babe Ruth Award winner, is enjoying a bit of a resurgence in the early going after a poor season last year, one plagued by injuries. But the rest of the lineup is practically invisible, with four players ‘boasting’ WAR in the minus and two others with less than 1.0. The ‘Help Wanted’ sign is definitely on display.

It’s not much rosier in the pitching department. But the Unions do have a couple of promising young pitchers. 21-year old RHP Theo Morse (6-4, 3.20 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 4.27 FIP, 125 ERA+ - 51/80) is a groundball pitcher that has the chance to become quite formidable if he can continue to develop his control (40/55). His stuff (65/75) and movement (65/70) are top notch and his sinker (60/65), curveball (40/60) and slider (65/65) should serve him well. The 2nd-round pick from 1953-54 is currently pitching out of the No. 3 spot. Another potential bright spot is 23-year old rookie RHP Yasuo Yamauchi (5-3, 4.01 REA, 1.39 WHIP, 4.21 FIP, 100 ERA+ - 46/59), a 2nd-round pick from last year. Yamauchi does not have great stuff (45/45) but does have pinpoint control (70/75) to go along with five decent pitches. Scouts believe that he has a chance to be an above-average starter. But that’s currently on hold as he nurses a sore elbow for the next four weeks. But the rest of the staff looks awful, with the possible exception of 31-year old ace RHP Robert Garza (2-6, 4.23 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 3.20 FIP, 95 ERA+), who may be the victim of poor defensive support behind him. He endured a rough month in November, going 0-5, 5.02 ERA, 1.65 WHIP.

Noteworthy:

October 25 – LF Carlton Hawking proved to be a tough out against the Cambria Cannons in the first game of a four game set. Hawking went 5 for 6, collecting 5 singles with 1 R and 2 RBI. His biggest hit came in the bottom of the 11th. Down 5 -4, the Unions cranked out 3 singles against 31-year old RHP Keith Roche to push a run across to tie things up at 5. Up next was Hawking, who promptly singled into the gap in left centerfield to score the winning run.

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It’s 12 years and counting for the Balmoral Giants since they last made the playoffs and it’s increasingly evident that the drought will extend to 13. In the process, it appears they have squandered the few productive years of their best player by either not building around him or trading him for prospects when they had the chance.

36-year old LF Ángel Costa (.244/.328/.357, 4 HR, 25 RBI, 21 BB, -0.3 WAR) joined Balmoral as a 32-year free agent out of Cuba in 1953. In each of his first three seasons he was an all-star and won the 1953-54 WL Rookie of the Year Award. But this year he has gotten off to slow start. Still, scouts think highly of his skill set – his batting ratings are mostly 65 or 70 (eye is 55), so there is a reasonable expectation his bat will come around. But either way, it will be too little, too late for the scuffling Giants’ lineup. Only lead-off hitter, 29-year old 3B Makani Kahale (.294/.358/.431, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 20 BB, 2 SB, 1.7 WAR) and No. 2 hitter, sophomore CF Quido De Jesús (.301/.346/.409, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 13 BB, 2 SB, 1.4 WAR) are providing any kind of spark. The 23-year old De Jesús was the 3rd overall pick from 1953-54. But their best player, 27-year old SS Hayden Gunton (.287/.349/.383, 2 HR, 19 RBI, 18 BB, 0.9 WAR), is having down year, especially compared to last season where he racked up 6.2 WAR.

The pitching staff continues to struggle. 30-year old RHP Wayne Nesling (3-2, 3.69 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 3.55 FIP, 107 ERA+) is the de facto ace and the only one in the rotation playing with any real competence. He pitched well in November, going 2-0, 2.27 ERA, 1.22 WHIP in 5 starts. The Giants promoted 22-year old rookie RHP Clive Kerwin (0-5, 3 SV, 4.39 ERA, 1.69 WHIP, 4.20 FIP, 90 ERA+ - 40/51) to the rotation to start the season, but he struggled in October (0-4, 5.88 ERA, 1.81 WHIP). The former 4th-round pick from 1954-55 responded well when he was moved to the bullpen in November (0-1, 3 SV, 1.83 ERA, 1.56 WHIP). He has since returned to the rotation to pitch out the No. 4 spot. Another rookie, 23-year old RHP Bart Minto (4-4, 4 SV, 3.86 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 3.58 FIP, 103 ERA+ - 53/67) has begun the season as the team’s stopper, but the former 4th-round pick from last season has a chance to become a starter at some point. He has incredible stuff (80/80), but his movement (40/40) and control (35/45) are only so-so.

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The Fort Richmond Generals have spent the most time in the basement of this season’s Western League standings thus far, but a 5-5 finish to a rough month of November has seen them escape from the cellar for now. The Hespeler Stars (2-8) and Kingston Pelicans (1-9) fared far worse during that stretch.

Both the starting lineup and rotation have been listless. 32-year old RF Brandon Robinson (.324/.370/.413, 2 HR, 18 RBI, 13 BB, 0.5 WAR) is perhaps the pick of a weak lot, at least offensively. Indeed, with 24-year old LF Uki Edewada (.318/.362/.362, 1 HR, 13 RBI, 5 BB, 3 SB, 0.7 WAR) batting cleanup ahead of Robinson, this lineup has to be one of the least intimidating in the United Leagues. The Generals do have two rookies who have joined the lineup. 23-year old 2B Dale Linkletter (.266/.376/.353, 8-2B, 16 RBI, 23 BB, 3 SB, 1.1 WAR – 45/54), who was acquired from the Stratford Barons back in January, is showing promise, while 24-year old 1B Takuji Kanno (47/55), a 10th overall pick from 1953-54 has just been promoted to the major league roster, after batting .303/.401/.461 in 179 AB in Triple-A. Kanno does not have a lot of power (45/45), but he has been slotted into the three-hole, nevertheless.

The rotation is in trouble as all members are struggling. 33-year old RHP Nicky Sherlock (4-5, 2.81 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 4.88 FIP, 139 ERA+) appears to be having the most success, but he is in fact being helped by having one the top defensive units in the West playing behind him. That sums up the rest of the rotation as well, as all the starters have FIP north of 4.00. 27-year old RHP Damon Pinney (3-7, 3.68 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 4.61 FIP, 106 ERA+) is on pace for losing 20 games while 34-year old RHP Ch’ang-chieh Li (0-10, 6.41 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 4.79 FIP, 61 ERA+) is on target for 29 losses.

The bullpen though is one of the West’s top units, led by 32-year old stopper RHP José Rodríguez (3-2, 7 SV, 2.41 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 2.39 FIP, 161 ERA+) and former 2-time Satchel Paige Award winner, 37-year old RHP Roberto Taváres (1-0, 1.82 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, 2.77 FIP, 215 ERA+).

Player of the Week Awards:

October 29 – RF Brandon Robinson (.545, 12 H, 1 HR, 4 RBI)

Noteworthy:

October 3 – After losing the first two games, the Generals got their first win of the season, thanks to an impressive 5-0 win over the Pulberry Trolleys. RHP Damon Pinney got the win, going the distance as he blanked the Trolleys on two hits, a single and a double. Pinney’s line was 9.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 6 K, 125 PI, GS: 84.

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It’s more of the same for the Hespeler Stars this season, as they appear no closer to making their first playoff appearance in team history. They have some promising talent that has recently joined the major league roster and a tantalizing prospect that is performing well in Triple-A, but it doesn’t look nearly enough to change the franchises’ playoff fortunes anytime soon.

The lineup has been underwhelming, with 29-year old RF John Anthony (.303/.388/.486, 6 HR, 23 RBI, 25 BB, 1.4 WAR) the lone standout. He may earn his first all-star selection if he keeps it up. He may also be joined by 24-year old sophomore C Aidan Bennie (.250/.286/.428, 6 HR, 19 RBI, 8 BB, 0.8 WAR – 58/71) in providing some offensive spark. The former 2nd overall pick from 1954-55 and one-time No. 1-rated prospect is batting immediately behind Anthony in the No. 5 spot. His bat has no apparent weakness as the plate (55 to 65 ratings across the board) and should become one of the top defensive catchers as well (position-70, ability-80, arm-45).

There is not a lot to write home about regarding the pitching staff either. The Stars have promoted 23-year old RHP Eduardo Rodríguez (0-0, 0 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.52 WHIP, 2.75 FIP, 999 ERA+ - 37/55) from Triple-A this season. The former 2nd-round pick from last year is currently serving as the team’s stopper, but he is projected to be a starter some day. But some day soon, the No. 1-rated prospect in the ULB should be getting the call up to the big-league roster. 20-year LHP Nico van de Ham (2-7, 2.89 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 2.35 FIP, 102 ERA+ - 27/74) was promoted to Triple-A this season after being drafted in the 3rd round back in 1954-55 and is more than holding his own on a struggling farm team. He is projected to be a future ace one day.

Player of the Week Awards:

October 8 – RF John Anthony (.520, 13 H, 3 HR, 6 RBI)
October 22 – LHP Amoka Kalea (2-0, 0.00 ERA, 18.0 IP, 9 K, .150 OppAVG)

Noteworthy:

October 9 – The Stars opened up their 3-game home set against the Fort Richmond Generals with a brilliant performance by 36-year old LHP Patrick Denman (4-5, 4.43 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 3.27 FIP, 91 ERA+). The 1946-47 Satchel Paige Award winner showed flashes of his former greatness by limiting the Generals to 2 hits en route to a 1-0 complete game win. Denman gave up just two singles along with 2 BB and 5 K (107 PI, GS: 86). The lone run of the game came in the bottom of the 5th, when 25-year old 3B Clive Yarwood (.222/.300/.383, 7 HR, 18 RBI, 15 BB, 0.4 WAR) led off with a double then scored thanks to back-to-back sacrifice flies.

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The Kingston Pelicans are off to their worst start in their 20-year history. They have missed the playoffs for four straight seasons (equalling their previous longest drought) and do not have the pieces, especially on the pitching staff, to prevent missing the post-season for a 5th straight year. The end of November was particularly brutal, where they finished just 1-11. But they have some genuine reasons to be optimistic and if their shrewd drafting continues, they may be able to turn things around – eventually.

The most optimism is to be found in the batting lineup. Scouts are not overly enthused about 1B Ira Bannatyne (.373/.448/.725, 10 HR, 23 RBI, 21 BB, 2.7 WAR – 47/50), calling him a “below average first baseman”. But the 24-year old rookie from Burton, Michigan is defying all naysayers and is off to an incredible start. The 2nd-round pick from 1950-51 is already rated as the top first baseman in the United Leagues and has a formidable bat. His contact/gap/home run power are all rated at 60, eye at 50 and avoid K’s at 65. He looks like the real deal to me. About to join him sooner rather than later is 23-year old rookie CF Dan Hesketh (.263/.318/.369, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 12 BB, 0.6 WAR – 61/75). The former 1st-overall pick from last season should become one of the best defensive outfielders in the ULB to go along with jaw-dropping speed and a smooth swing. Also contributing and developing are 26-year old C Ronald Armstrong (.244/.335/.506, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 23 BB, 1.9 WAR) and 23-year old sophomore 2B Denzel Daintry (.246/.323/.345, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 23 BB, 3 SB, 0.8 WAR – 50/59). IF Hesketh and Daintry can continue to develop, then the Pelicans could have a very respectable offensive core to build around. But their other promising prospects are still in Double-A, so the rebuilding is going to take some time.

But the pitching staff is in most need of attention right now. Just two players are providing some semblance of competency at the moment. 29-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (6-4, 3.75 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 4.29 FIP, 107 ERA+), who was acquired from the Fort Richmond Generals back in August, is the only starter carrying his weight. He has rebounded nicely after missing most of last season with a torn rotator cuff. But scouts consider him little more than an emergency starter. The bullpen is in somewhat better shape, led by 27-year old stopper RHP Lester Beddoes (3-3, 5 SV, 2.89 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 3.25 FIP, 139 ERA+) and 23-year old rookie RHP Jacob Jones (1-3, 1 SV, 2.00 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 2.86 FIP, 201 ERA+ - 48/57). The former 6th-round pick from 1952-53 was acquired last July in a trade with the Queensland Eagles.

Player of the Week Awards:

November 12 – 1B Ira Bannatyne (.500, 13 H, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 5 R)

Noteworthy:

October 8 – After starting the season hitting a home run in 5 straight games (and tying a then-ULB record in the process), 1B Ira Bannatyne hit the 29th cycle in United Leagues history in the first game of a 3-game series against the Cambria Cannons. Pacing the Pelicans to a 9-5 home victory, Bannatyne started things off with a 3-run home run off 28-year old RHP Ray Lambright in the 1st, flied out in the 3rd, hit a 2-run triple in the 5th, collected an RBI single in the 6th and finally hit a double in the 8th to cap off the cycle. It was the first cycle accomplished by a Pelicans player in League history.

November 8 – Beginning November with five straight losses, the Pelicans got a much needed win against the Queensland Eagles. Noteworthy in the victory was CF Dan Hesketh, who hit his first major league home run. Leading off the bottom of the 6th, Hesketh jumped on a 2-2 pitch from 31-year old RHP Logan Belsey and launched it 381 ft. down the rightfield line to tie the game up a 3-apiece. Although the Eagles would retake the lead, the Pelicans rallied in the bottom of the 8th to score 3 runs and hold on for a 7-5 win. In all, Kingston’s lead-of hitter went 3 for 4, 1 HR, 3 R, 1 RBI.

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reds1 · 04-16-2023, 02:14 AM

Hespeler, Dec. 6 – After coming off a 63-91 season where they finished in last place in the West for the first time in 19 years, the Wolseley Unions will be making their first overall pick in the annual Amateur Draft. From 1945-46 to 1953-54, the Unions finished no lower than third and finished first four years in a row, winning a remarkable five Western league Pennants and three United Cups during that stretch.

Those heady days seem like an eternity ago, but the Union faithful are heartened by that fact that last year’s 2nd overall pick, 22-year old CF Jonathan Higgins (.305/.359/.489, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 23 BB, 9 SB, 2.4 WAR – 50/70) is thriving in his first full season as the Unions’ cleanup hitter. The man responsible for his selection, 57-year old GM Tzu-yu Jin, now has a chance to build upon that shrewd selection with the first overall pick this year.

The ornate and expansive ballroom of Hespeler’s Hotel Pacific hosts the Amateur Draft for the first time since the 1940-41 season, where the likes of Stratford’s C Aaron Skidmore (15-time all-star, 1949-50 Babe Ruth Award winner) and Fort Richmond’s RHP Roberto Taváres (8-time all-star, two-time Satchel Paige Award winner) were selected and embarked on their legendary careers in the United Leagues.

Following the Unions on the draft board will be the Fort Richmond Generals, another team in the middle of a rebuild, and the Cobourg Redlegs.

Amateur scouts throughout the United Leagues ranked the following players as the Top 10 picks for this year’s draft:

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Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round:

1st Pick – Wolseley Unions:

IF/OF Jack Jarrom (42/80) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Junior

GM Tzu-yu Jin ultimately picks the 4th overall ranked Jarrom out of Baryass, Oxford in south-west Braeland. Jarrom has tantalizing offensive skills and speed that could easily see him challenge for batting crowns one day. He has an elite eye that should see him draw plenty of walks. He is projected to become an above average fielder either in the outfield or at second base. But it looks as though the Unions have an elite big-league outfielder in the fold.

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2nd Pick – Fort Richmond Generals:

P Kenete Yuri (31/77) – 23-years old; 6’-6”, 200 lbs.; Bats SH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Junior

The Generals have had plenty of quality pitchers in their 20-year history and they appear to be adding to that legacy by selecting the American Samoan Yuri, who was rated No. 1 overall in this season’s draft. Yuri throws four pitches, with his best being a good changeup. His pitches have plenty of movement that should help keep the ball in the park. Yuri throws four quality pitches and has the potential to be an ace one day. Although originally assigned to their Double-A farm club, Yuri in fact was promptly promoted to the Triple-A Marleton Scouts, where he is serving as the team’s ace. The Scouts are currently the top club in the Amethyst Leagues with a 51-25 record.

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3rd Pick – Cobourg Redlegs

OF Michizane Aoki (20/67) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: HS Senior

Cobourg selects the Kingston-born Aoki, the highest-rated position player in the draft. Aoki has a balanced, rhythmic swing and is a talented contact hitter. He has blazing speed and outstanding baserunning skills to go along with good plate discipline. He is projected to become a productive regular on a contending team.

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4th Pick – Kingston Pelicans:

OF Puck Zwager (20/76) – 17-years old; 6’-3”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: HS Senior

The Pelicans go with the young Zwager from Curaçao. Zwager’s greatest strength is his bat, as he is projected to be blessed with very high contact to go along with tons of raw power. He should also draw a decent share of walks. Zwager has a high ceiling and projects well on the field and at the plate.

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5th Pick – Hespeler Stars:

2B Hidekazu Kudo (20/77) – 19-years old; 5’-11”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: HS Senior

The host Hespeler Stars select the infielder Kudo from Japan. He has plus-plus speed with advanced instincts on the basepaths. He has a fluid swing and shows above average power potential, which should make him an elite hitter one day. If Kudo fully develops, he could become a regular fixture at annual all-star games.

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6th Pick – Balmoral Giants:

P Ashley Tazewell (20/68) – 20-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH.
Status: JuCo Sophomore

The Giants select the 8th overall ranked Tazewell from Fullarton, Dunwich with their first pick. The second pitcher taken in the first round, Tazewell has a four-pitch repertoire with the changeup being his best. His strike throwing ability and movement should limit the long ball and he has the stuff to generate swings and misses. He is projected to be a front-of-the-rotation starter one day.

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7th Pick – Downie Chiefs:

P Jim Harbaugh (20/76) – 18-years old; 6’-6”, 200 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: HS Senior

The Chiefs follow the Giants by selecting a pitcher themselves, the tall, lanky Harbaugh from Ethel, Oxford. He throws three pitches with his fastball currently his best, although he could boast a devastating curveball if it fully develops. Scouts are raving about his elite stuff. If it all comes together, Harbaugh has a chance to be the ace of a major league rotation one day.

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8th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs:

2B Carlos Cruz (30/62) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Junior, Fresno State

Originally ranked third overall coming into the draft, the San Francisco-native Cruz fell into the lap of the Monarchs for their first pick. Demonstrating plus contact ability and solid base running skills should make Cruz a future lead-off hitter. He is also projected to be an excellent defensive infielder at second base.

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9th Pick – Brunswick Legends:

OF Brendan Doyle (33/55) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Senior

The Legends select the outfielder Doyle from Monkton, Oxford in Western Braeland. Doyle’s greatest asset is his base running ability. But he is demonstrating good contact potential which should translate into an above average batting average. If his home run potential develops as well, he should become an above average major leaguer.

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10th Pick – Embro Suns:

IF Benjamin Browne (40/59) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Senior

The Suns go with the infielder Browne from Brunswick. Browne is an elite defender with tremendous speed. His contact skills should peak around league average. By hitting line drives in lieu of flyballs, Browne has a chance to become a lead-off hitter one day.

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11th Pick – Queensland Eagles:

3B Vaughan Oakley (20/74) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: HS Senior

The Eagles take the young Oakley from Craigieburn, Australia with their first selection. Oakley has a significant projection for very high contact and grades out as an above average runner on the basepaths. If he develops his defense at third base, Oakley should have a very high ceiling on the field and at the plate.

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12th Pick – Cambria Cannons:

OF Danilo Barretto (31/62) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH.
Status: CO Senior

For the rest of the first round, the focus was on players who were primarily outfielders. The first of these was selected by Cambria, the Manila-born Barretto. Barretto is an outstanding outfielder with blazing speed who is projected to be a plus-.300 hitter. He projects to be a valuable cog both on the field and at the plate at the major league level.

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13th Pick – Sherburn Tigers:

OF Christie Eldred (31/57) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Junior

The Tigers take the Brunswick-born Eldred for their first pick. Eldred has a lot of talent – he is an above-average runner on the basepaths and grades out as a plus contact hitter. He’s also a pull hitter who can hit an average number of home runs who could also lead-off one day.

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14th Pick – Stratford Barons:

IF/OF Kosaku Fukushima (33/53) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH.
Status: CO Senior

Stratford picks Fukushima, the second Japanese-born player selected in the first round. Fukushima has the speed and instincts to be a threat on the basepaths every time he gets on base. He is a very sure-handed and reliable outfielder who can also play first base. With the potential for plus contact, Fukushima is projected to become an above average, everyday big-league player.

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15th Pick – Wellington Athletics:

OF José Salas (35/52) – 23-years old; 6’-1”, 195 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Senior, University of Notre Dame

Wellington reaches all the way out to Grand Rapids, Michigan for their first pick in José Salas. Salas has plenty of speed and will be aggressive on the basepaths. He profiles as an above average defensive outfielder and as an above average power hitter.

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16th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys:

IF/OF Tim Scott (33/61) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH.
Status: CO Senior

The Trolleys don’t go far as they take the Pulberry-born Tim Scott as the final selection of the first round. Scott is one of the fastest players in the game, with outstanding base stealing skills. He is projected to grade out as a superior defensive outfielder and does a great job at the plate working the count and frustrating opposing pitchers. Scott is viewed as a worthwhile development project for a future starting role in the outfield.

reds1 · 04-17-2023, 03:08 AM

December 31, 1956 - Snapshot

Here are the standings and leaderboards for both Leagues at the end of games on December 31:

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Here are the latest results of the All-Star voting for both Leagues:

DreamTeams · 04-21-2023, 11:46 PM

Wew. The heat is on as the boys try to hold off the Tigers. Great to see Tyson hit for the Cycle. What a player! Also, young Scott looks like a very nice pick-up if he pans out. Go Trolleys Go!

10-22-2022, 03:21 AM	#761
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Notes on 1955-56 All-Braeland Team Starting Pitcher The 1955-56 season saw several outstanding pitching performances, especially in the Eastern League. As a result of that, this pick became rather academic. Stratford’s 27-year old LHP Robin Wadsworth won his first EL Satchel Paige Award in a close two-way race between him and Queensland’s 30-year old RHP Logan Belsey, who earned his first selection to the Team last season. Wadsworth has steadily improved over his five-year major league career, but the former 16th overall pick from 1948-49 was absolutely dominate this season. Here are the 4 pitchers that I felt were the worthiest of consideration this season: • LHP Robin Wadsworth – 20-9, 1.96 ERA, 34 GS, 257.0 IP, 156 K, 1.10 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 3.0 BB/9, 5.5 K/9, .232 BABIP, 3.14 FIP, 199 ERA+, 6.2 WAR. • Sherburn’s 32-year old RHP Jesús Chapa – 18-5, 2.49 ERA, 35 GS, 278.2 IP, 144 K, 1.30 WHIP, 0.4 HR/9, 2.8 BB/9, 4.7 K/9, .282 BABIP, 2.92 FIP, 159 ERA+, 7.8 WAR. • RHP Logan Belsey – 21-6, 2.63 ERA, 33 GS, 267.1 IP, 219 K, 1.19 WHIP, 0.7 HR/9, 2.7 BB/9, 7.4 K/9, .282 BABIP, 2.55 FIP, 147 ERA+, 8.8 WAR. • Queensland’s 28-year old RHP Stiofan Micklethwait – 21-5, 2.42 ERA, 33 GS, 267.2 IP, 145 K, 1.03 WHIP, 0.5 HR/9, 2.5 BB/9, 4.9 K/9, .230 BABIP, 2.77 FIP, 160 ERA+, 7.8 WAR. -------- Catcher Choosing the top catcher in the United Leagues based on performance was anything but academic. It was one of two selections that I ended up changing my mind at the last minute. This year it came down to two players for me: Brunswick’s 27-year old Robert Kersey and Pulberry’s 25-year old Paul England. Kersey has been rated the top catcher for 3 of the past 4 seasons, including this year. But England pole-vaulted into the No. 2 spot this season and enjoyed a career year (doubling his WAR from 3.4 to 6.8 from the previous season for example). It’s a toss-up and I initially went with Kersey. But out of curiosity, I compared their respective totals in the Babe Ruth Award voting. England received more votes (131 to 105) with the caveat that the players play in different Leagues. But with that very unscientific analysis, I switched to England. But there wasn’t a lot to separate them. Here are the three catchers that were under consideration: • Paul England – .317/.402/.523, 151 H, 22-2B, 24 HR, 94 RBI, 66 BB, .925 OPS, 152 OPS+, 165 wRC+, 6.8 WAR, .976 EFF. • Robert Kersey – .308/.408/.557, 132 H, 21-2B, 28 HR, 103 RBI, 75 BB, .965 OPS, 156 OPS+, 169 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 1.041 EFF. • Kingston’s 29-year old Carlos Camasura - .293/.424/.376, 138 H, 19-2B, 6 HR, 48 RBI, 107 BB, .799 OPS, 116 OPS+, 130 wRC+, 5.2 WAR, 1.071 EFF. -------- First Base Pulberry’s 30-year old Gerard Koerner came into his own this season and emerged as one of the best first basemen in the United Leagues. In fact, he is currently ranked just behind Cambria’s 29-year old Carlos Corea. Both were the leading contenders for the Team, but I gave the nod to Koerner this time around. Overall, I feel that he had the better season. Voters for the WL Babe Ruth Award felt the same way, as Koerner picked up 103 votes compared to Corea’s 34. Here are the four players I ultimately considered: • Gerard Koerner – .330/.391/.500, 187 H, 22-2B, 22 HR, 83 RBI, 57 BB, .891 OPS, 143 OPS+, 156 wRC+, 5.8 WAR, 1.028 EFF. • Carlos Corea – .318/.367/.543, 169 H, 30-2B, 26 HR, 101 RBI, 34 BB, .910 OPS, 145 OPS+, 157 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, .957 EFF. • Braeland City’s 32-year old Dean Witherden – .302/.384/.499, 170 H, 24-2B, 27 HR, 82 RBI, 72 BB, .884 OPS, 134 OPS+, 152 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, .986 EFF. • Hespeler’s 28-year old John McMurray – .308/.367/.491, 180 H, 19-2B, 22 HR, 91 RBI, 47 BB, .859 OPS, 126 OPS+, 137 wRC+, 4.5 WAR, 1.028 EFF. -------- Second Base Braeland City’s 30-year old Patrick Lidgate has had a stranglehold at the second base spot on the All-Braeland Team over the previous three seasons and that didn’t change this year either. The same three players from last season were contenders once again, but Lidgate’s all-round performance guaranteed his 5th selection. Here were the Top 3 choices: • Patrick Lidgate – .276/.383/.503, 148 H, 23-2B, 23 HR, 73 RBI, 83 BB, .886 OPS, 134 OPS+, 149 wRC+, 6.9 WAR, 1.003 EFF. • Stratford’s 27-year old Matthew Channing – .286/.338/.461, 167 H, 34-2B, 18 HR, 86 RBI, 42 BB, 11 SB, .799 OPS, 114 OPS+, 125 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, 1.034 EFF. • Downie’s 30-year old Dominic Dudding – .287/.333/.470, 155 H, 12-2B, 23 HR, 80 RBI, 39 BB, .803 OPS, 119 OPS+, 127 wRC+, 4.4 WAR, .980 EFF. -------- Third Base Although the hot corner saw some fine performances this year, this selection was a no-doubter. Embro’s 27-year old Moromao Nakagawa was way ahead of his nearest competition and was the East’s Babe Ruth Award winner for the second straight season. He has just entered his prime and it would be no surprise if his name is emblazoned on a few more Teams before his career winds down. Here are the four that stood out for me this year: • Moromao Nakagawa – .331/.413/.592, 30-2B, 36 HR, 123 RBI, 81 BB, 1.005 OPS, 168 OPS+, 178 wRC+, 8.3 WAR, .986 EFF. • Cobourg’s 34-year old Alexander Tolmie – .307/.400/.487, 146 H, 25-2B, 19 HR, 100 RBI, 75 BB, 887 OPS, 137 OPS+, 152 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, .976 EFF. • Sherburn’s 26-year old Adrian Flynn – .312/.376/.486, 162 H, 38-2B, 16 HR, 90 RBI, 53 BB, .862 OPS, 128 OPS+, 141 wRC+, 4.5 WAR, .983 EFF. • Pulberry’s 30-year old Francis Jones – .304/.376/.496, 120 H, 20-2B, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 48 BB, 8 SB, .872 OPS, 138 OPS+, 148 wRC+, 4.3 WAR, 1.040 EFF. -------- Shortstop This was an agonizing choice to make and one that I am not completely happy about. Cambria’s 36-year old César Ruíz was clearly the best offensive shortstop in the Leagues this season but was utterly woeful defensively. Meanwhile, Sherburn’s 26-year old Dwayne Vick and Balmoral's 26-year old Hayden Gunton were outstanding defensively, with Gunton picking up his first Ball Hawk Award. Both were fine offensively as well. But I ultimately went with Ruíz solely on the fact that he far outpaced the other two in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting. But I still wonder if I made the right choice. If this exact scenario came up again next year, I would probably lean toward defense more at this particular position. But I’ll leave it for now. Here are the three shortstops that were considered this year: • César Ruíz – .319/.409/.563, 137 H, 17-2B, 28 HR, 88 RBI, 62 BB, .972 OPS, 163 OPS+, 177 wRC+, 4.9 WAR, .887 EFF. • Dwayne Vick – .320/.361/.423, 190 H, 32-2B, 3 HR, 59 RBI, 36 BB, .784 OPS, 108 OPS+, 124 wRC+, 5.8 WAR, 1.059 EFF. • Hayden Gunton – .284/.362/.386, 159 H, 18-2B, 9 HR, 44 RBI, 69 BB, .749 OPS, 103 OPS+, 116 wRC+, 6.2 WAR, 1.091 EFF. -------- Left Field OK, back to easy selections. Pulberry’s 27-year old Aidan Thirkettle is ranked as the United Leagues best position player, he won his third straight Babe Ruth Award (picking up all first place votes to boot), won the Triple Crown and was named this past season’s United Cup’s MVP. He led the entire United Leagues in 10 offensive categories. Queensland’s 30-year old Rod Dennis and Wellington’s 28-year old Matthew Floyd are both sensational players in their own right who both represent the cornerstone of their respective team’s lineup. But Thirkettle belongs in a higher league. Just the fact that he makes this an automatic choice despite the competition is astounding. • Aidan Thirkettle – .334/.434/.628, 27-2B, 40 HR, 113 RBI, 88 BB, 9 SB, 1.062 OPS, 188 OPS+, 198 wRC+, 9.1 WAR, 1.014 EFF. • Rod Dennis – .343/.415/.596, 29-2B, 33 HR, 100 RBI, 69 BB, 1.011 OPS, 173 OPS+, 185 wRC+, 6.1 WAR, .937 EFF. • Matthew Floyd – .318/.436/.543, 142 H, 23-2B, 21 HR, 89 RBI, 90 BB, 16 SB, .978 OPS, 167 OPS+, 172 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 1.004 EFF. -------- Center Field Over the past few seasons, centerfield excellence has been the domain of three players: Cobourg’s 30-year old Raymond Williams, Pulberry’s 29-year old Cooper Tyson and Stratford’s 30-year old Alfonso León. That hasn’t changed, but a new face has joined them: Sherburn’s 25-year old Ross Shewman. The Canadian sophomore was sensational in all facets of the game and finished second in the WL Babe Ruth Award voting. But this year, I went with Williams who I felt was just slightly better. But only just. It will be interesting to see what the young Shewman does for an encore next year. • Raymond Williams – .301/.402/.547, 158 H, 28-2B, 29 HR, 88 RBI, 86 BB, 14 SB, .949 OPS, 152 OPS+, 161 wRC+, 7.3 WAR, .988 EFF. • Ross Shewman - .286/.396/.530, 143 H, 22-2B, 26 HR, 110 RBI, 92 BB, .926 OPS, 145 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 7.0 WAR, 1.006 EFF. • Cooper Tyson – .307/.392/.477, 149 H, 27-2B, 16 HR, 76 RBI, 69 BB, 10 SB, .869 OPS, 138 OPS+, 148 wRC+, 6.6 WAR, 1.042 EFF. • Alfonso León - .277/.355/.461, 153 H, 20-2B, 24 HR, 64 RBI, 64 BB, 10 SB, .816 OPS, 122 OPS+, 133 wRC+, 5.6 WAR, 1.053 EFF. -------- Right Field This was another selection that I changed my mind more than once. Selecting the top three left fielders in the game was easy. But which one to choose over the others was not. At first, I zeroed in on Cambria’s 26-year old Sam Tite, whose all around play was impressive. But then I remembered that he missed a good chunk of time (+7 weeks) this year to injuries and so I soured on him a little, rightly or wrongly. I then settled on Sherburn’s 26-year old Albert Sulley, who was terrific as well and won a Ball Hawk Award for his outstanding defense. But then there’s Wellington’s 30-year old Jim Mars, who was a bit more productive at the plate than Sulley and while he didn’t win a Ball Hawk Award, he was solid. Thus, at the last minute, I have switched to Mars who wins his first selection to the team. But all three players would have made solid choices in my view. • Jim Mars – .317/.380/.462, 176 H, 29-2B, 12 HR, 86 RBI, 58 BB, .842 OPS, 130 OPS+, 140 wRC+, 4.8 WAR, .988 EFF. • Albert Sulley – .287/.391/.395, 157 H, 20-2B, 7 HR, 72 RBI, 97 BB, 17 SB, .786 OPS, 110 OPS+, 127 wRC, 5.9 WAR, 1.057 EFF. • Sam Tite – .273/.394/.541, 103 H, 14-2B, 25 HR, 70 RBI, 75 BB, .935 OPS, 153 OPS+, 162 wRC+, 4.6 WAR, 1.014 EFF. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 10-22-2022 at 03:39 AM.

11-03-2022, 08:24 PM	#763
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,521	Three Trolleys make the All-Braeland Team combining for 86 homers. That's a lot of power. Go Trolleys! __________________

11-12-2022, 03:54 AM	#765
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	After the past few off-seasons that were relatively quiet on the trade front, it was refreshing to see a flurry of transactions made with a few notable names involved. Here is a summary of some of the noteworthy developments that took place leading up to the start of the Coconut Leagues. Hall of Fame Results: The Braeland Baseball Hall of Fame saw its 12th member added when LHP Joel Fearn was elected in his first year of eligibility with a record 87.6% of the vote. At the time of his induction, he led the United Leagues in career complete games (323) and shutouts (40). He currently sits second overall in wins (250), one behind Anastasio Rodríguez. Cobourg Red Stockings 1937-1939, 1952 Stratford Barons 1939-1951 Notable Achievements: Satchel Paige Award: 1 (1945-46) All-Star Selections: 7 Pitcher of the Month: 3 Player of the Week: 2 Playoff Series MVP: 2 United Cup Championships: 2 Other Selected Achievements: Finished 2nd in voting for the Satchel Paige Award on two other occasions First player to win both Pennant Series MVP and United Cup MVP in same season (1940-41) Hall of Fame Metrics: JAWS: 70.1 (average HOF SP – 53) Black Ink: 48 (average HOF – 33) Gray Ink: 227 (average HOF – 151) HOF Standards: 46 (average HOF – 32) HOF Monitor: 148 (average HOF – 112) ----------- Notable Player Retirements: 1B Stuart Bentham Perhaps the greatest player of the United Leagues’ first 19 seasons has retired. The Pulberry-born Bentham played the bulk of his career with the Brunswick Legends after breaking in as a 20-year old with the Cobourg Red Stockings in the Leagues’ inaugural season. Bentham walks away from the game leading the United Leagues in games (2,341), at-bats (8,723), runs (1,422), hits (2,687), total bases (4,221), doubles (477) and home runs (333). There’s no question in my mind that Bentham is a first ballot hall of famer. Other Achievements: • 11-time All-Star • 1944-45 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award • 1 Ball Hawk Award • 1941-42 United Cup MVP • 3 United Cup Championships • 2 Batting Titles (1949-50, 1951-52) • 2-time All-Star Game MVP (1942-43, 1947-48) • 9-time Batter of the Month • 14-time Player of the Week • 3 selections to the All-Braeland Team ----------- 1B Dean Bishop It’s fitting that Dean Bishop retires at the same time as Bentham as they competed against each other, often going 1-2 in the rankings among first basemen throughout their careers. Bishop made his first appearance in the United Leagues in 1937 with Kingston Pelicans’ Double-A farm team. After winning Hitter of the Year Awards in both Double-A and Triple-A, Bishop reached the majors in 1940 and went on to win Rookie of the Year honours and the first of nine Ball Hawk Awards, but not before he was traded to the Queensland Eagles. Inexplicably, the Eagles would trade him to the Braeland City Monarchs after just one season and the Monarchs in turn would trade him back to the Kingston Pelicans four years later. With the Pelicans, Bishop set a new mark in home runs in a season with 39 in 1949-50, a mark that held up until Raymond Williams hit 45 in 1953-54. Bishop finishes his career first overall in career strikeouts with 1,236 (the next in the list finished with 1,052), but he also finished third in career home runs (288) and fourth in RBIs (1,259) and walks (1,384). Plus, he was a premier defensive first baseman (.989 PCT, 10.03 RNG, +98.0 ZR, 1.043 EFF), winning nine Ball Hawk Awards, the most of any player to date (one more than CF Alfonso León). To me Bishop is a sure-fire hall of famer, but whether it will take two or three ballots to finally elect him remains to be seen. Other Achievements: • 8-time All-Star • 1943-44 Eastern League Babe Ruth Award • 1940-41 Eastern League Rookie of the Year • 9 Ball Hawk Awards • 6-time Batter of the Month • 9-time Player of the Week • 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team ----------- Here are some other players who retired and enjoyed fine careers but who I believe will fall short of the Hall of Fame: LHP Arthur Bence • 4-time All-Star • 1946-47 Eastern League Satchel Paige Award • 1946-47 Triple Crown (22-10, 1.93 ERA, 289.1 IP, 75 BB, 142 K) • 1-time Pitcher of the Month • Holds single season record for ERA (1.929, 1946-47) ----------- LHP Nicholas Grimes • 4-time All-Star • 2-time Satchel Paige Award winner (EL- 1948-49, WL - 1951-52) • 4-time Pitcher of the Month • 1-time United Cup Champion • 1 selection to the All-Braeland Team ----------- CF Dylan Moyne • 6-time All-Star • 1948-49 Western League Babe Ruth Award • 2-time Ball Hawk Award winner • 2-time Batter of the Month • 5-time Player of the Week • 2-time United Cup Champion • 2 selections to the All-Braeland Team ----------- Management Shakeups: April 19 – Fort Richmond Part Ways with Mathis, Hire Former Journeyman Pitcher as Manager The Fort Richmond Generals decided not to retain the services of 50-year old John Mathis (672-561, .545), after six seasons as their field manager. Mathis led the Generals to the playoffs four times, winning the United Cup in 1953-54 and winning WL Manager of the Year honours twice. But after enduring their first susb-.500 season in nine years, the Generals decided to change course. Three days later, Fort Richmond introduced 42-year old Shaun Alford as their new field manager. A former relief pitcher in the United League who played for 6 different teams over his 12-year career, the two-time all-star takes on his first managerial job of any kind. Alford has his work cut out for him. Just two seasons removed from a United Cup championship, the Generals’ offense was ranked last in the Western League in practically every category. While they have some promising talent in their farm system, it is still a few years away from reaching the major league level. Thus, patience will be the order for the day as the club works to turn things around. ----------- April 19 – Hespeler Cleans House in Search of Winning Formula After enduring their 13th straight losing season, the Hespeler Stars fired both their general manager and field manager. Replacing 56-year old GM Marcello Bonaddio after 4 seasons is 49-year old Stewart Pruitt (61-93, .396), whose only previous managerial experience was as the GM of the Sherburn Tigers in 1953-54. Pruitt, a former outfielder for the Pulberry Trolleys and Fort Richmond Generals, perhaps did not get a fair shot with the Tigers to turn things around. With Hespeler he has been given a three-year deal to see if he can change the fortunes of the Stars, something that has yet to happen for an organization still looking for their first playoff appearance. ----------- April 24 – End of an Era: Last Original Field Manager Dismissed by Downie Although there remain a few general managers in the United Leagues who have been with the same club since 1937-38, the last remaining field manager to have been with their original team since that inaugural season was shown the door. 60-year old Bill Bouchet (1390-1536, .475) was relieved of his duties by the Downie Chiefs at the end of the season. The Canadian-born Bouchet led the Chiefs to three playoff appearances and one United Cup Championship in 1949-50, the year he won his only Manager of the Year award. Since their last playoff appearance in 1951-52, Downie has been mired in the second division of the Eastern League and have seen some notable players leave the club. Taking his place is a complete unknown: 56-year old Oscar Baber. This will be Baber’s first coaching job of any kind in the United Leagues. Unlike the other novices who were hired to manage a team this season, Baber never played in the United Leagues or its minor leagues. It will be interesting to see how he fares with a roster that has few impact players and an organization saddled with the third weakest farm system. ----------- April 25 – Hespeler Hires Rookie Manager to Take the Reins 51-year old Carlton Stewart (677-863, .429) was shown the door after 10 desultory seasons as manager of the Hespeler Stars. Taking his place is 49-year old Ken Phelps, a former back-up outfielder that played parts of four seasons with the Cobourg Red Stockings. This will be his first managerial job anywhere in the United Leagues. Reports that GM Stewart Pruitt responded to questions as to why he hired him with “My baseball people loved Ken Phelps. They kept saying ‘Ken Phelps, Ken Phelps’” could not be confirmed. ----------- Notable Trades: April 23 To Wellington – 29-year old C Carlos Camasura (70/70) and 21-year old minor league 3B Alfie Sherwin (25/38) To Kingston – 24-year old SS Vance Fendley (51/52) and four minor league players: • 24-year old SS KaKenzo Kodama (28/47) • 22-year old 2B Leland Johnson (28/49) • 24-year old 1B Gavin Cramphorn (35/44) • 23-year old 3B Mike Ramsey (23/36) *Knee-jerk reaction:* In a very active off-season, no team was more active in the trade market than the Kingston Pelicans. Of the 20 trades consummated, Kingston was involved in 6 of them. Wellington was not far behind with four. But none of them more significant than the first one. Camasura is ranked as the 4th best catcher in the United Leagues and is a 5-time all-star and 2-time Ball Hawk Award winner. He is an extremely disciplined hitter with great contact (65) and an outstanding eye (75). He is highly respected throughout the Leagues and has a strong work ethic. However, injuries are a concern. They cut short his 1954-55 season when he got into only 87 games. He bounced back last season with a strong performance, but he is considered fragile. All-in-all, Wellington gets an immediate upgrade at the position. The move relegates their long-time catcher, 28-year old Declan Bugbie (50/50), to being a solid defensive back-up. Bugbie himself just won his 5th Ball Hawk Award this past season. In return, the Pelicans do not get any star-quality players, but they do get some solid depth. Vance Fendley is a speedy (60) and fundamentally sound infielder (SS-70, 2B-50/80) but with rather poor plate discipline (40/40). As such, he will be streaky at the plate. He was hot, however, during the EL Pennant Series this past season when he won MVP honors. But for now, it looks as though he will be a backup shortstop with the Pelicans. Of the minor league players acquired, Kodama and Johnson appear to be the most promising. Kodama is projected to be a future starter at shortstop, with good patience and discipline at the plate and speed. He can play anywhere in the outfield as well. Meanwhile, Johnson is an incredibly versatile IF/OF with good hands and instincts. He has good gap power (60/65) and should draw his share of walks (55/60). He could become a starter one day as well. ----------- May 21 To Sherburn – 31-year old RHP Kieran Bunce (57/57) To Kingston – 20-year old minor league C Dermott Biddulph (21/51) *Knee-jerk reaction:* The rebuilding in Kingston continues as the Pelicans ship off their No. 1 starter to the Tigers for a promising young catcher. Bunce is a two-time all-star who doesn’t have impressive stuff (40) but has sensational movement (70) and control (65) with a couple of OK pitches (fastball/curveball – 45; slider – 35). Although he was Kingston’s ace, he is considered more of a mid-rotation starter and that is where Sherburn has slotted him in – as their new No. 3 pitcher. He has a poor work ethic but joining a playoff caliber team may help things. The Pelicans receive a young catcher that in many ways, resembles Carlos Camasura, the catcher they traded away a month earlier. Biddulph is projected to have great contact (45/65) and gap power (45/55) who won’t strike out very often (40/70). He is also a solid defender and with a little more seasoning, he should get a shot at starting in the majors one day. ----------- May 22 To Pulberry – 31-year old RHP Quintiliano Galeo (53/53) and 23-year old minor league LHP Toby Andrews (27/47) To Balmoral – 29-year old 3B Makani Kahale (56/56) and 22-year old minor league C Ellis Lutley (39/54) *Knee-jerk reaction:* This appears to be a mutually beneficial trade for both clubs. Balmoral desperately needs to add some spark to a struggling offense and seem to have taken a step in that direction in acquiring Kahale. The 29-year old Samoan was replaced as Pulberry’s everyday 3B last season by 30-year old Francis Jones (69/69). Although his bat is not the equal of Jones’, with so-so contact (45) and plate discipline (45), he will not strike out often (70) and has blazing speed (60) and is an outstanding defender at 3B (70). The Giants have installed the 4-time all-star and 4-time Ball Hawk Award winner as their lead-off hitter going forward. They also acquire a young catcher in Lutley. He is considered a worthwhile development project with outstanding patience at the plate and excellent defensive ratings. He could become a starting catcher in the majors one day. In Galeo, the Trolleys look to shore up the back end of their rotation. He has decent stuff/movement/control ratings (50/55/50) with five pitches in his repertoire. His fastball and splitter (50/50) are considered his best. The 1-time all-star/Ball Hawk Award winner is considered a No. 2 starter or even an ace by scouts, but with Pulberry, he is penciled in as their No. 5 starter. The Pulberry-born Andrews is considered a future borderline starter at best. He doesn’t have great stuff (45/45) but has outstanding movement on his pitches (55/65). He has three pitches in his arsenal, but other than a nasty curveball (65/70,) his fastball (40/40) and changeup (25/30) are nothing special. ----------- May 22 To Stratford – 32-year old RHP Stephan Tindall (51/51) and 24-year old minor league CF Jacob Blowers (33/40) To Hespeler – 22-year old minor league LHP Tyler Gadd (27/45) *Knee-jerk reaction:* A relatively minor deal that is posted here if only to demonstrate that Hespeler still doesn’t know what it’s doing. Thus, it is business as usual. Stratford acquires Tindall who they originally drafted back in 1943-44. The one-time all-star has pedestrian stuff (40), but excellent movement (60) and control (65). Scouts consider him a back-end starter and that is where the Barons have slotted him in: as their No. 5 starter. He was Hespeler’s No. 2 man at the time of the trade. In return, the Stars get Gadd, a non-descript pitcher with no out pitch. He may be listed as a starter, but he will more likely eke things out in long relief or start in emergency situations. Hespeler has subsequently promoted him to their bullpen. But all-in-all, not sure what the Stars are thinking here. It seems so little a return, even for a modest veteran starter. ----------- May 26 To Wellington – 30-year old RHP Kazunori Fujimoto (50/50) and 20-year old minor league OF Wan-hua Gu (36/61) To Fort Richmond – 21-year old minor league RHP Theo Rix (25/39) and 21-year old minor league 2B Ramón Rodríguez (20/45) *Knee-jerk reaction:* If by this trade the Generals a signaling that a rebuild is in the works, they are getting off on the wrong foot in my estimation. Wellington’s lack of depth in their rotation was exposed in the last season’s United Cup. This trade helps to address that with a serviceable pitcher in Fujimoto, a 6-year veteran who generates a lot of ground balls and is excellent at keeping the ball in the park (movement-65). Despite some control issues (45), he should fit in well with the Athletics as their No. 4 starter. He pitched out of the No. 2 spot with Fort Richmond. But Wellington also gets an excellent prospect in Gu. The former 1953-54 2nd-round pick from Taiwan is projected to be an elite hitter with electrifying speed and solid defensive skills, especially in the outfield corners. He is rated as the 17th-best prospect in the United Leagues and won a Double-A Lou Gehrig Award as best hitter last season. He could be something special. But what does Fort Richmond get in return? Two players that aren’t really worth writing home about. Rix, a former 8th-round pick from 1952-53, is a mediocre pitcher (stu-45/move-35/cont-55) with four mediocre pitches (his best is his splitter-45). He is projected to be little more than a spot starter. Rodríguez has the chance to be a consistent contact hitter with improved pitch recognition but is average is every other way. Scouts feel that he will be little more than a bench player at the major league level. Hard to figure out this exchange from the Generals’ perspective. ----------- July 5 To Wellington – 36-year old RHP Rizal Doctolero (58/58) To Braeland City – 24-year old minor league RHP Zak Boswell (36/43) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Wellington continues its quest in acquiring veteran pitching by adding the Monarch’s former stopper. Doctolero, a three-time all-star, had a comparatively down year last season but may benefit from joining a playoff-caliber team. He has OK stuff (50) along with good movement (65) and control (60) with two pitches: cutter (55) and curveball (50). He is a tenacious pitcher who will be a leader in the clubhouse, if not the captain. He takes over from Wellington’s long-time stopper, 34-year old RHP Finlay Capstick, at least for the time being. Braeland City essentially gets a warm body in return. Boswell has outstanding movement (65) and will generate a lot of ground balls, but his stuff is fringy (45) and his control is even worse (35/40). Reaching the major leagues is a possibility, but only in a minor role. ----------- July 8 To Pulberry – 34-year old 2B Dwayne Stace (50/50) and 22-year old minor league RHP Elton Haggar (26/26) To Kingston – 20-year old minor league RHP Ernesto Luna (24/38) *Knee-jerk reaction:* Pulberry boasted a formidable lineup last season, but the one glaring weakness was at second base, where 31-year old Paul Heisler (.206/.296/309, 6 HR, 35 RBI, 39 BB, 66 OPS+, 0.0 WAR) provided outstanding defense (1.023 EFF) but a woeful bat. So, the Trolleys have gone out and acquired Stace, an 8-year veteran who appears to be a carbon copy of Heisler, albeit three years older. Stace’s defense is elite and while he has an above average eye and very good plate discipline, his plate production has been very modest. He has enjoyed only one season with an OPS+ over 100 (114 with Brunswick in 1951-52). Complicating matters is that Heisler has simply been shifted over to shortstop in the RH lineup, thus reducing plate opportunities for their co-Rookie of the Year winner, Sean Abercrombie (110 OPS+ last season). We’ll have to see how things shake out by Opening Day, but this doesn’t look like a step forward in my view. Kingston receives a future borderline starter in Luna, a durable, finesse pitcher with fine control (55) and a couple of decent pitchers (fastball/curveball – 50). But the bullpen is a more likely destination for Luna. ----------- July 26 To Hespeler – 38-year old RHP Bill Blair (50/50) To Wolseley – 29-year old 3B Mike Park (60/52 - !!!) *Knee-jerk reaction:* As frustrating a trade as they come. The Stars trade away a 32-year old pitcher (Stephan Tindall back on May 26) only to replace him with a 38-year old pitcher. If Hespeler was a contending team, I could understand it, but there are no signs that they are close to being one. For the record, Bill Blair is a very capable pitcher, a 5-time all-star who won the WL Satchel Paige Award 6 years ago. He has good control and can throw all his pitches for strikes. Scouts consider him a solid investment if he can continue to produce at his current level. The operative word of course is, if. The fact is he is fragile and missed over 4 months last season due to a ruptured tendon in his finger. Again, for a contending team, I could see this being a calculated, short-term risk on a 15-year veteran. But the Stars are not contenders, so I don’t see this making any sense. At any rate, he becomes their No. 2 starter, just as Tindall was. The Stars give up an intriguing player in my mind that hasn’t been given a fair shot and it doesn’t look like the Unions will as well. Park is considered an above-average big league third baseman with very good contact (55), gap power (65) and strike zone judgement (60). He is a 1-time all-star and won Rookie of the Year honors in 1952-53. But as in Hespeler, Wolseley has him buried deep in their depth chart, to the extent that it appears he won’t be on their radar anytime soon. Even the position rankings don’t consider him the Unions’ best option at 3B. It’s times like these where I get the urge to take over a team and set the lineups myself. For me, Park should be starting. But we’ll see what happens during the regular season. ----------- August 13 To Fort Richmond – 24-year old 2B Richello Gaerlan (47/50) and 26-year old 2B Jake Hayden (48/48) To Kingston – 29-year old LHP Diarmid Rowet (47/47) and 24-year old LHP Senzo Hiroyuki (44/46) *Knee-jerk reaction:* A trade involving as best average major league players that is notable mainly for one of the pitchers enters spring training as Kingston’s No. 1 starter. Despite that, I think Fort Richmond got the better of this deal. Kingston trades their starting second baseman Gaerlan, an outstanding defensive fielder with amazing speed and base stealing abilities. But while he has a good eye (60/65) and power (60/60), the rookie who got in only 13 games last season has poor contact (35/35) and will strike out often (30/35). Fort Richmond also gets another infielder in Hayden, a near carbon copy of Gaerlan except that he may become a more consistent hitter. Although both as describes as average major league players, the Generals have them buried deep in their player depth charts. Not buried is Rowet, a former second round pick from 1950-51. While he was Fort Richmond’s fifth starter, the Pelicans has inserted him into the top spot of their rotation. This speaks more of the lack of depth in Kingston’s pitching staff than to Rowet’s ability. His ratings are not all that impressive (stu-45/move-50/cont-45) with a cutter (50), curveball (45) and slider (50) his best offerings. Kingston also receives Hiroyuki, a 3rd-round pick from 1953-54. Hiroyuki has outstanding movement (65/70) and decent control (45/50), but poor stuff (35/35) with only one consistent pitch (forkball – 40/45). Thus, scouts consider him a future spot starter at best. ----------- The War Gained chart reveals that last year’s playoff contenders were the most active in bolstering their roster for the upcoming season, with Wellington’s acquisition of C Carlos Camasura and Sherburn’s trade for RHP Kieran Bunce leading the way. Next up for the 16 clubs are the Coconut Leagues. They begin Monday, August 27th, as the teams prepare for the Leagues’ 20th Opening Day on October 1st. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 11-12-2022 at 04:08 AM.

12-24-2022, 04:15 PM	#766
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	After a seemingly never-ending off-season, the familiar sounds of spring returned in September as the Coconut Leagues got under way in preparation for Opening Day. It marks the 20th season for the United Leagues, and it plans to be an historic one as the Leagues hope to name a new Commissioner before the season is out to replace the retiring Sir David Westfall. ----------- New Uniforms The Downie Chiefs return to a look they last wore in 1950, abut this time with zipper-front jerseys. They join the Wolseley Unions as the only two zipped-up teams in the Leagues. ----------- Eastern League Results --------- Just like last season, the Embro Suns jumped out to great start and never looked back, finishing with the best record in all the Coconut Leagues. Behind them was last season’s playoff teams, the Stratford Barons and Wellington Athletics. The projections point to the Barons having another strong year, pacing the East with 92 victories. But the wild card race could be wide open, with four teams projected to finish above .500. One of those teams is the Cobourg Redlegs, who finished in last place last season. But the club could be the beneficiary of the projected emergence of their 24-year old shortstop, Douglas Jones (68/80). Jones, rated the No. 1 prospect back in October 1952, has battled significant injuries (torn labrum, fractured hand) that has curtailed his playing time over the previous two seasons. But he did pick up his first Ball Hawk Award last year and he has few weaknesses when healthy. He is an outstanding defender with great speed and the ability to hit the ball out of the park every time he comes to the plate (65/65). If he can stay off the DL, the Redlegs may have someone special in the young, power-hitting shortstop for years to come. --------- Western League Results --------- The West standings were exceptionally tight throughout Spring Training, with only 5 games separating first from last place for nearly the entire stretch of exhibition games. The Balmoral Giants started slow, going 3-7 to start the campaign but went 11-4 over the final half to take top spot. One noteworthy game was the 22-inning, 6.5 hour marathon between the Kingston Pelicans and Pulberry Trolleys on September 14. The hometown Pelicans took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the 1st thanks to a 3-run home run by 1B Ira Bannatyne off of LHP Bart Ohara. But the Trolleys pushed two runs across in the 3rd to knot things up. No runs were scored until the 10th inning when both teams added two runs each to keep things tied. It remained 5-5 for 11 more innings until Pulberry finally broke the tie in the top of the 22nd, scoring two runs thanks to a double, two singles and a throwing error. Kingston was unable to score any runs in the bottom half, giving the Trolleys a 7-5 win. Nevertheless, the projections point to this season being a two-team race in the West, with the Sherburn Tigers and the defending United Cup Champions Pulberry Trolleys locking up the two playoff spots for the second straight year. A couple of promising 24-year-olds have been installed as their team’s No. 3 hitter and are projected to have big seasons. 1B Ira Bannatyne (44/50), a second-round pick from 1950-51, is now installed as the Pelicans’ everyday first baseman, now that they parted ways with 28-year old Harry Herold (44/44). Herold now starts for the Stratford Barons. Kingston is not projected to be in the playoff picture this season, but Bannatyne may provide some highlights for an otherwise middling team. On the other hand, LF Leon Albrecht (48/80) could have a significant impact on his team’s fortunes this season. The former 1st overall pick was rated the No. 1 prospect back in October 1955 and is already rated as the 5th best leftfielder in the United Leagues. With a strong cast surrounding him, the sophomore may lead the Tigers to top spot in the West as the projections indicate. The Tigers have never finished in first place. Finally, the Hespeler Stars may realize a decent 1-2 punch in the rotation if the projections for 27-year old LHP Amoka Kalea (52/53) pan out. Acquired in a trade from the Queensland Eagles back in May 1955, scouts feel the former 3rd-rond pick is a solid investment with good movement (55/55), control (55/60) and average stuff (50/50). He will pitch right behind 28-year old RHP Battista Corotta (53/53), who also is projected to have another fine season. --------- Here are the top players and pitchers and top 20 prospects as updated on Opening Day. Also included are the latest leaderboards for a slew of offensive and pitching categories. --------- Leaderboards --------- --------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 12-25-2022 at 12:58 AM.

12-28-2022, 01:24 AM	#768
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	November 1, 1956 - Snapshot Here is a snapshot of the Leagues after the first month of play, with a few highlights that will be featured in the December 1 league reports: • Who batted in 8 RBIs on Opening Day, just 1 RBI shy of the ULB record? • Which rookie and sophomore hit the 29th and 30th cycles in ULB history? • Which two outstanding leftfielders became the 16th and 17th players to hit 3 home runs in a single game? ----------- ----------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

12-24-2022, 11:18 PM	#767
Bottom Of The Sixth All Star Starter Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Land of Lincoln Posts: 1,239	Hands-down, still the best, long standing Dynasty out there! Great stuff as always...Really like the opening day program cover!

04-02-2023, 08:31 AM	#771
progen All Star Starter Join Date: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,526 Infractions: 0/1 (1)	This has been an awesome read, and the fact that you've stayed with it for so long. Hats off to you!

04-03-2023, 06:06 PM	#772
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Thanks so much, progen! Keeping my energy level up and finding time for this has been a challenge, but I'm still enthused about the League and always wondering 'what will happen next'. So I'm going to keep plugging away at it. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

04-04-2023, 12:37 AM	#773
Sizeman21 Major Leagues Join Date: Feb 2016 Location: The bleachers of Sportsman's Park Posts: 435	Fine work with your Gem Mint dynasty! Always a fan! __________________ Last edited by Sizeman21; 04-04-2023 at 10:22 AM.

04-04-2023, 10:33 AM	#774
italyprof All Star Reserve Join Date: Feb 2014 Posts: 991	This is awesome.

04-04-2023, 10:53 AM	#775
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,521	Trolleys still top the West! Let's go boys. Should be another great year. __________________

04-07-2023, 04:51 PM	#776
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Thanks, guys! __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

04-16-2023, 02:14 AM	#778
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	Hespeler, Dec. 6 – After coming off a 63-91 season where they finished in last place in the West for the first time in 19 years, the Wolseley Unions will be making their first overall pick in the annual Amateur Draft. From 1945-46 to 1953-54, the Unions finished no lower than third and finished first four years in a row, winning a remarkable five Western league Pennants and three United Cups during that stretch. Those heady days seem like an eternity ago, but the Union faithful are heartened by that fact that last year’s 2nd overall pick, 22-year old CF Jonathan Higgins (.305/.359/.489, 4 HR, 33 RBI, 23 BB, 9 SB, 2.4 WAR – 50/70) is thriving in his first full season as the Unions’ cleanup hitter. The man responsible for his selection, 57-year old GM Tzu-yu Jin, now has a chance to build upon that shrewd selection with the first overall pick this year. The ornate and expansive ballroom of Hespeler’s Hotel Pacific hosts the Amateur Draft for the first time since the 1940-41 season, where the likes of Stratford’s C Aaron Skidmore (15-time all-star, 1949-50 Babe Ruth Award winner) and Fort Richmond’s RHP Roberto Taváres (8-time all-star, two-time Satchel Paige Award winner) were selected and embarked on their legendary careers in the United Leagues. Following the Unions on the draft board will be the Fort Richmond Generals, another team in the middle of a rebuild, and the Cobourg Redlegs. Amateur scouts throughout the United Leagues ranked the following players as the Top 10 picks for this year’s draft: -------- Here is a brief overview of the 16 players taken in the first round: 1st Pick – Wolseley Unions: IF/OF Jack Jarrom (42/80) – 22-years old; 6’-0”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Junior GM Tzu-yu Jin ultimately picks the 4th overall ranked Jarrom out of Baryass, Oxford in south-west Braeland. Jarrom has tantalizing offensive skills and speed that could easily see him challenge for batting crowns one day. He has an elite eye that should see him draw plenty of walks. He is projected to become an above average fielder either in the outfield or at second base. But it looks as though the Unions have an elite big-league outfielder in the fold. -------- 2nd Pick – Fort Richmond Generals: P Kenete Yuri (31/77) – 23-years old; 6’-6”, 200 lbs.; Bats SH/Throws RH. Status: CO Junior The Generals have had plenty of quality pitchers in their 20-year history and they appear to be adding to that legacy by selecting the American Samoan Yuri, who was rated No. 1 overall in this season’s draft. Yuri throws four pitches, with his best being a good changeup. His pitches have plenty of movement that should help keep the ball in the park. Yuri throws four quality pitches and has the potential to be an ace one day. Although originally assigned to their Double-A farm club, Yuri in fact was promptly promoted to the Triple-A Marleton Scouts, where he is serving as the team’s ace. The Scouts are currently the top club in the Amethyst Leagues with a 51-25 record. -------- 3rd Pick – Cobourg Redlegs OF Michizane Aoki (20/67) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 170 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: HS Senior Cobourg selects the Kingston-born Aoki, the highest-rated position player in the draft. Aoki has a balanced, rhythmic swing and is a talented contact hitter. He has blazing speed and outstanding baserunning skills to go along with good plate discipline. He is projected to become a productive regular on a contending team. -------- 4th Pick – Kingston Pelicans: OF Puck Zwager (20/76) – 17-years old; 6’-3”, 190 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: HS Senior The Pelicans go with the young Zwager from Curaçao. Zwager’s greatest strength is his bat, as he is projected to be blessed with very high contact to go along with tons of raw power. He should also draw a decent share of walks. Zwager has a high ceiling and projects well on the field and at the plate. -------- 5th Pick – Hespeler Stars: 2B Hidekazu Kudo (20/77) – 19-years old; 5’-11”, 165 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: HS Senior The host Hespeler Stars select the infielder Kudo from Japan. He has plus-plus speed with advanced instincts on the basepaths. He has a fluid swing and shows above average power potential, which should make him an elite hitter one day. If Kudo fully develops, he could become a regular fixture at annual all-star games. -------- 6th Pick – Balmoral Giants: P Ashley Tazewell (20/68) – 20-years old; 5’-10”, 165 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws RH. Status: JuCo Sophomore The Giants select the 8th overall ranked Tazewell from Fullarton, Dunwich with their first pick. The second pitcher taken in the first round, Tazewell has a four-pitch repertoire with the changeup being his best. His strike throwing ability and movement should limit the long ball and he has the stuff to generate swings and misses. He is projected to be a front-of-the-rotation starter one day. -------- 7th Pick – Downie Chiefs: P Jim Harbaugh (20/76) – 18-years old; 6’-6”, 200 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: HS Senior The Chiefs follow the Giants by selecting a pitcher themselves, the tall, lanky Harbaugh from Ethel, Oxford. He throws three pitches with his fastball currently his best, although he could boast a devastating curveball if it fully develops. Scouts are raving about his elite stuff. If it all comes together, Harbaugh has a chance to be the ace of a major league rotation one day. -------- 8th Pick – Braeland City Monarchs: 2B Carlos Cruz (30/62) – 21-years old; 5’-10”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Junior, Fresno State Originally ranked third overall coming into the draft, the San Francisco-native Cruz fell into the lap of the Monarchs for their first pick. Demonstrating plus contact ability and solid base running skills should make Cruz a future lead-off hitter. He is also projected to be an excellent defensive infielder at second base. -------- 9th Pick – Brunswick Legends: OF Brendan Doyle (33/55) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Senior The Legends select the outfielder Doyle from Monkton, Oxford in Western Braeland. Doyle’s greatest asset is his base running ability. But he is demonstrating good contact potential which should translate into an above average batting average. If his home run potential develops as well, he should become an above average major leaguer. -------- 10th Pick – Embro Suns: IF Benjamin Browne (40/59) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Senior The Suns go with the infielder Browne from Brunswick. Browne is an elite defender with tremendous speed. His contact skills should peak around league average. By hitting line drives in lieu of flyballs, Browne has a chance to become a lead-off hitter one day. -------- 11th Pick – Queensland Eagles: 3B Vaughan Oakley (20/74) – 19-years old; 6’-0”, 175 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: HS Senior The Eagles take the young Oakley from Craigieburn, Australia with their first selection. Oakley has a significant projection for very high contact and grades out as an above average runner on the basepaths. If he develops his defense at third base, Oakley should have a very high ceiling on the field and at the plate. -------- 12th Pick – Cambria Cannons: OF Danilo Barretto (31/62) – 22-years old; 5’-10”, 170 lbs.; Bats LH/Throws LH. Status: CO Senior For the rest of the first round, the focus was on players who were primarily outfielders. The first of these was selected by Cambria, the Manila-born Barretto. Barretto is an outstanding outfielder with blazing speed who is projected to be a plus-.300 hitter. He projects to be a valuable cog both on the field and at the plate at the major league level. -------- 13th Pick – Sherburn Tigers: OF Christie Eldred (31/57) – 21-years old; 6’-0”, 185 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Junior The Tigers take the Brunswick-born Eldred for their first pick. Eldred has a lot of talent – he is an above-average runner on the basepaths and grades out as a plus contact hitter. He’s also a pull hitter who can hit an average number of home runs who could also lead-off one day. -------- 14th Pick – Stratford Barons: IF/OF Kosaku Fukushima (33/53) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws LH. Status: CO Senior Stratford picks Fukushima, the second Japanese-born player selected in the first round. Fukushima has the speed and instincts to be a threat on the basepaths every time he gets on base. He is a very sure-handed and reliable outfielder who can also play first base. With the potential for plus contact, Fukushima is projected to become an above average, everyday big-league player. -------- 15th Pick – Wellington Athletics: OF José Salas (35/52) – 23-years old; 6’-1”, 195 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Senior, University of Notre Dame Wellington reaches all the way out to Grand Rapids, Michigan for their first pick in José Salas. Salas has plenty of speed and will be aggressive on the basepaths. He profiles as an above average defensive outfielder and as an above average power hitter. -------- 16th Pick – Pulberry Trolleys: IF/OF Tim Scott (33/61) – 22-years old; 5’-11”, 180 lbs.; Bats RH/Throws RH. Status: CO Senior The Trolleys don’t go far as they take the Pulberry-born Tim Scott as the final selection of the first round. Scott is one of the fastest players in the game, with outstanding base stealing skills. He is projected to grade out as a superior defensive outfielder and does a great job at the plate working the count and frustrating opposing pitchers. Scott is viewed as a worthwhile development project for a future starting role in the outfield. __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 04-16-2023 at 05:13 AM.

04-17-2023, 03:08 AM	#779
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,864	December 31, 1956 - Snapshot Here are the standings and leaderboards for both Leagues at the end of games on December 31: ----------- ----------- ----------- Here are the latest results of the All-Star voting for both Leagues: __________________ United Leagues of Braeland

04-21-2023, 11:46 PM	#780
DreamTeams Hall Of Famer Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,521	Wew. The heat is on as the boys try to hold off the Tigers. Great to see Tyson hit for the Cycle. What a player! Also, young Scott looks like a very nice pick-up if he pans out. Go Trolleys Go! __________________