The Milburn Mallards (The Big Leagues)

[Dobber2419]

The Winter Meetings ended without me trading Bill Hancock. I shopped him around, but just didn’t receive any offers worth pursuing very far. He has only ever played shortstop in the Big Leagues, but perhaps we will have him get some work in at Second Base during Spring Training. Give us, and him, some flexibility then.

I did get a couple trade offers that led to some further discussions, but ultimately no deal was reached.

The first one was from the Houston Buffaloes. Billy Weeks, their GM, approached me with an offer that revolved around them sending 31-year-old reliever Ossie Torres in return for 24-year-old minor league RHP Mike Stokes, 21-year-old minor league RHP Bob Stone, and 23-year-old minor league LHP Israel Valencia.

Then Billy Weeks, the Atlanta Thrashers GM, reached out about a potential deal. His initial offer was Theodore Walden for Single A 1B Bill Kennedy and AA SP Israel Valencia. We eventually worked out an agreement for the trade I noted above.



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[Dobber2419]

Rule 5 Draft (12/10/1979)

Today was the Big Leagues Rule 5 Draft. We had open slots on our 40 Man Roster, so I added a couple players in order to protect them from being selected:

• CF Ryan Brown (22 years old, played at AA Kernal City in 1979)
• CL Sheldon Washburn (30 years old, bounced between AAA Porterville and the big club last year)

Ended up not selecting anyone in the Draft. We did have three players selected from our organization:

• RP Juan Real (23 years old, played last season in AAA Porterville)
• RF Armando Santiago (22 years old, played last season in AA Kernal City)
• LF Rodger Edinger (24 years old, played last season in AA Kernal City)

Both Santiago and Edinger were selected by Detroit, and then promptly returned back to us.

Real had some potential, and would have had a shot making the Big League club this season. Chief Scout Bill White's take on Real is that he locates his pitches well and has average stuff. He noted he could pitch his way into a back-end rotation opportunity. But at this point that appears to be with the LA Seraphs, who selected him in the Draft.

[Dobber2419]

Offseason News
We signed a couple guys to minor league deals, more as potential filler for our minor league organization than any hopes of either guy playing a role with the big club.

• CF Al Williams (18 years old) - Drafted in the last Big Leagues draft by the Washington Generals in the 15th Round. Lead Scout Bill White says his ceiling is in a bench role.
• 2B Henry Laprade (19 years old) - 14th Round draft pick by the Cincinnati Redbirds in last year’s draft. Much stronger defensively than offensively.

Other News Throughout the League

• The Detroit Zephyrs signed RP Mike Amster to a 2-year, $196,000/season deal. Amster, 28 years old, had been with us the past eight seasons, but his contract desire was too rich for what we were looking to spend on a middle reliever. Last season Amster started 3 games for us, going 1-1 with a 3.79 ERA. He does have the dubious distinction of having 19 losses in the 1976 season while filling the role of closer with the Mallards.
• The New York Mammoths signed 28 year old starting pitcher Paul Sutphen to a 6 year, $757,666/season contract. Sutphen went 19-11 with a 3.78 ERA last year for the Chicago Unions, and has an 86-81 career record.
• RF Aubrey Gaddis signed a 6 year, $398,000/season deal with the San Diego Skippers. Gaddis, 29 years old, also played with the Chicago Unions last season, compiling a .286 average, while hitting 9 home runs and 39 RBI.
• The Detroit Zephyrs were active again, signing free agent catcher Eric Hamer to a 7 year contract worth $600,000/season. Hamer has been an All-Star two of the last three years with the LA Seraphs, and is 29 years old. Last season he hit .290/.400/.472 with 13 HR and 52 RBI.
• The Philadelphia Centennials signed SP John Barrett to a 5 year, $390,000/season deal. Barrett had been with the Detroit Zephyrs last season, going 6-7 with a 3.37 ERA in 23 starts. Barrett is 33 years old.
• The St. Louis Saints signed SP Lydell Peace to a 3 year deal worth $448,000 per season. The 32-year-old also pitched for Detroit the last two seasons, going 10-8 with a 3.93 ERA in 27 starts in 1979.
• Closer Ron McMullin reached agreement on a deal for 3 years/$630,000 per season with the Kansas City Keystones. McMullin was an All-Star in 1976, but this is a ton-load of money to give to a 36 year old closer who has had some injury issues. That being said, he has pitched pretty effectively the last couple seasons. This deal also brings him back to the team that he broke in with originally. Good luck to Kansas City on this one.

[Eugene Church]

Nice concept... and you make it an excellent presentation with your graphics... enjoyed reading your dynasty.

[Dobber2419]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Nice concept... and you make it an excellent presentation with your graphics... enjoyed reading your dynasty.

Thanks Eugene! That means a lot coming from you!

[Dobber2419]

This is a nice honor for Curley. He will go down as most likely the greatest Baybird in the team's history. And the 35-year-old is not done yet.

He was a 4th Round pick by Baltimore back in the 1962 Rookie Draft, and made his Big Leagues debut in 1967. He is a 7-time All-Star, as well as 7-time winner of the Silver Slugger Award.

Curley was a member of the 1970 World Series Champion Baybirds squad, and was also the 1972 Hickory League Division Series MVP.

He finished 3rd in voting for the 1971 Hickory League Player of the Year Award, and 2nd in 1974.

His career WAR of 59.6 is 27.4 wins greater than the 2nd highest Baybird, Don Galvin. His 1763 games as a Baybird are 400 more than any other player in the team's history, and he is the club leader in Runs, Hits, Singles, Doubles, RBI, Walks, and Strikeouts. He is one behind Jim Longo, the franchise leader, in Triples with 64, and 57 Home Runs shy of franchise leader Butch Winterstein. Winterstein has 285 to Curley's 228.

[Dobber2419]

2/9/1980 -

Today marks the “official” start of the 1980 Preseason. Mr. Jacoby reached out to remind me we have a total of $6.2 million available for total team expenses this season. Right now we are projected to be at $6.22 million, so we are projected to be about $20,000 over the budget right now. Will have to keep a close eye on this. Our budget is currently the 13th highest in the league, and our player payroll ($4.539 million) is slated to be the 9th highest right now.

The signing of Jody Carroll is projected to have huge positives from an attendance standpoint. Last season we sold 8,867 season tickets, and thus far we have already sold 10,674. Our projections put us at 15,000 season tickets for the season (69% increase). Additionally, right now projections indicate our attendance per game could climb from 19,415 to 31,000 (59.7% increase), and per game revenue looks to jump up 66% (from $66,334 to $110,000).

Of course, we have to perform on the field to actually see any of these projections come to fruition.

[Dobber2419]

New York Metropolitans GM Will Dubbert reached out to me today with a trade proposal:
Metros 27-year-old Starting Pitcher Rich Hoffer for RF Pete Grier and 20-year-old minor league pitcher Ginger Saltz.

This is an interesting offer for a few reasons. Hoffer is one of the better starting pitchers in the Big Leagues from a ratings perspective. He would be a #1 starter on most teams. But he has not yet put it all together. He has won 10 games each of the last two seasons, but this past season he was 10-17 with a 4.58 ERA. His WAR was 5.5 though. He is signed through 1984 at a salary of $226,000 per season, so not exorbitant given his tools and age (27). He has faced some injury troubles though, including three 2-3 month stints on the DL because of elbow issues. New York may be trying to unload him for that reason. But he is also beloved in New York. Rumors are if he were to run for mayor of New York, he would win. (Editor’s Note: Reminds me of someone from an "alternate reality" with a nickname of the 'The Dark Knight’.)

Grier though is just 26 years old, is a two-time All-Star already, and signed through 1985 at a rate of $206,000 a year. He is also a fan favorite. So it would take an amazing offer to deal him. No player is ‘untradeable' in my book, but he would be one of the closer ones to that probably.
Not to mention Saltz, who is one of our higher ranked pitching prospects. The 20-year-old pitched last year at Single A Cascadia City, and projects to be a closer in the future.

So all that being said, I politely declined the offer.

[Dobber2419]

Love Rekindled
by Buzz Braden, Milburn Gazette
Milburn Mallards Beat Writer

(March 10, 1980) Today marks one of the most exciting days of the calendar . . . . the start of Spring Training. The icy grip of winter is starting to fade into the rear view mirror, the blissful brown of the infield dirt begins to shake off its bitter, white overcoat, and the blessed aroma of the ballpark frank starts to percolate in the nostrils of the rawhide-revering multitudes. Baseball is back!

The ballplayers, those established and those hoping for at least a whiff of that sacred cup of coffee, all descend on the grapefruit-laden peninsula of Florida or the cactus-covered deserts of Arizona hoping to quickly shake off the rust of the long winter days.

Teams with high aspirations, and hopes of raising that coveted Big Leagues Cup as the premier club in the land in the year of our Lord 1980 include in the Hickory League the defending champion Chicago Stars, the Pittsburgh Summits, Philadelphia Centennials, and the dueling waterfowl-focused squads of the Baltimore Baybirds and our very own Milburn Mallards.

In the Ash League, those with high aspirations include the St. Louis Saints, Boston Colonials, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the Seattle Rainiers.

Will a surprise team ascend to the mountaintop? Will dominos fall along a line somewhat expected in these early days? That is both the beauty of and the mystery in the glorious battleground known as the Big League baseball season.

I look forward to this day in much the same way an expectant parent looks to the birth of a child. All the highs and lows, the blessings and curses, the joys and heartbreaks that is the baseball season.

Play ball, boys! Play ball!

[Dobber2419]

Spring Training is such a great time of year. Everyone gathers again for the first time since we went our separate ways in the fall. Familiar faces, as well as some new ones, all come together with that same giddy, excited feeling we all felt as a kid pulling that glove out for the first time in a new year. Alright, granted, maybe some of the older vets don’t quite have that same giddy, child-like exuberance for Spring Training as others do. But I definitely do.

The Mallards conduct our Spring Training in Coconut Bay, Florida. Coconut Bay is also the home of our Rookie Level team, the Coconut Bay Sandpipers. What’s that? You say you have never been to Coconut Bay? You say you have never heard of Coconut Bay? Well, if you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend it. Located on the Gulf side of the state, it is a Spring Break destination, particularly for families looking to catch a little baseball. If you ever find yourself in the area, and looking for food, I highly recommend Shrimper’s and Conchy Pete’s. Both are right on the water, and have great atmosphere to go along with pretty good food.


Anyway, let’s talk about the Mallards a bit. All of our position decisions are already wrapped up. So no intrigue there at all. So the main focus for this Spring Training will be locking up the Starting Rotation, nailing down the bullpen, figuring out what to do with Bob Hancock, and filling out the Position Player reserves.

Let’s take a further look at each group:

Starting Pitchers:
Juan Leyva is the ace of the staff. Wally Christensen is the #2 starter. No doubts about either one of them. Ruben Solis will probably be the #3 starter. Currently we have Bob Carithers slated as the #4, and Jose Amador as the #5 starter, but Spring Training will help sort all that out.

Bullpen:
Here is what we do know. Lee Lewis is our closer. Hal Holmes and Mike Straub are solid anchors in the bullpen. Newly acquired Theodore Walden should be a mainstay. Others vying for roles include Bob Stone, Sheldon Washburn, Leon Williams, Harry Schubert, Johnny Middleton, Don Penland, Jimmy Riggs, and a slate of others. Leftys include Williams, Riggs, and Pedro Medina, so any deals we may make should probably look to add a solid lefty for the pen.

Catcher:
Obviously Ron Schwartz is the guy here. Best catcher in baseball. Simply put. Last year’s backup was Andre Barnett. He would have the inside track at backing up Schwartz again, but could be pushed by 32-year-old Ray Ward. If Schwartz were to get hurt for an extended time, we would no doubt need to go out and upgrade the backup situation. Neither Barnett or Ward could fill in for any length of time.

Infield:
Positions are set at all infield positions, from a starting perspective. 1B is the big free-agent signing, Jody Carroll. 2B is Dan Musgrave. SS is Richie Swan. 3B is Mario Mora. One of the questions for the spring is Bob Hancock. He deserves to be starting, is a fan favorite, but has only played shortstop, and cannot unseat Richie Swan. We are going to work him at 2B, and see if he can make the adjustment. He would be a slight upgrade offensively over Dan Musgrave, probably a slight downgrade defensively. Hancock is a free agent after this year though, so the other option is to deal him for some prospects. We most likely won’t re-sign him unless something devastating were to happen to Swan. Other players fighting for backup roles include Alex Thigpen, Bobby Bugbee, George Byers, and Marty Fuqua. Thigpen was last year’s starter at 1B, but he can also play the OF, which gives him a little more value. If he was strictly a first baseman, it wouldn’t make much sense to keep him. He is still potentially excess.

Outfield:
Once again, we are set on the starting roles. Ian Auld in LF, Jim Rainey in CF, and Pete Grier in RF. Might be the best outfield in The Big Leagues. Last year’s reserves were Steve Binks and Oscar Gutierrez. They have the inside track on those roles again this year, though Armando Santiago’s glove might be a nice thing to have on the bench. Auld is not strong defensively, but his bat needs to be in the lineup. Santiago also brings speed, so he could work himself into a backup role.

[Dobber2419]

The Milburn Gazette's Preseason Predictions for the 1980 Big Leagues Season:

[Dobber2419]

1980 Spring Training Recap
* Team went 8-16 during Spring Training.
* Closer Lee Lewis did not give up a run all spring. He pitched 15.1 innings of scoreless ball, notching 6 saves.
* Reliever Thomas Janney pitched well enough to make the big club, but just didn’t have an available spot for him. He pitched 11 innings and had a 1.64 ERA. He will start the season in AAA Porterville.
* Starting Rotation will be Juan Leyva, Wally Christensen, Ruben Solis, Bob Carithers, Bob Figiel
* Bullpen will consist of Lee Lewis (Closer), Hal Holmes, Mike Straub, Harry Schubert, Theodore Walden, Jimmy Riggs
* Final bullpen spot came down to Harry Schubert, Sheldon Washburn or Thomas Janney. Janney pitched the best, but he’s probably the rawest of the three. Washburn did not pitch well, so despite his experience, his inconsistent production over the years hurt him.
* Starting lineup will be: C-Ron Schwartz, 1B-Jody Carroll, 2B-Dan Musgrave, SS-Richie Swan, 3B-Mario Mora, LF-Ian Auld, CF-Jim Rainey, RF-Pete Grier
* Reserves are: C-Andre Barnett, Infielders-Alex Thigpen, Marty Fuqua, Bob Hancock, Steve Binks, Armando Santiago
* Last spot came down to Armando Santiago vs. Oscar Gutierrez. In the end Santiago’s defense and speed won out over Gutierrez’s experience last season.
* Pete Grier led the club with 3 home runs and 11 RBI in Spring Training.
* Jody Carroll batted .306/.468/.500 with 2 home runs and 4 RBI. He walked 11 times as well.
* Jim Rainey struggled during the spring. He hit just .075/.091/.075, going 4 for 53 and 1 walk.

Spring Training News Around the League
* The Pittsburgh Summits lost SP Greg Wilder for the season. Wilder was 17-8, 3.21 ERA last year.
* The San Francisco Seals lost SP Bruce Wheeler for 6-7 months with a partially torn ulnar collateral ligament. Wheeler was 19-8 last year, with a 3.02 ERA.
* The Pittsburgh Summits signed free agent closer Bob Molsbee to a 1 year, $780,000 contract. The 27 year old pitched last year with the Boston Colonials, notching 37 saves with a 2.78 ERA. He is a three-time All-Star.
* The Detroit Zephyrs signed Jose Puma to be their closer. Puma signed a 1 year, $440,000 contract. This smells of desperation for the Zephyrs, because Puma has infrequently been a full-time closer in his 8 year career. That’s a lot of money to pay someone not fully proven in the role. Local scribes are apparently calling this a huge move for the team’s future. Interesting . . .
* San Diego Skippers Owner Shane Crooks died suddenly while on vacation during Spring Training. His son, Ed, will take over.

[Dobber2419]

I realized I have not yet introduced you to our manager, Charlie Pepe. Charlie is in his 4th season at the helm of the Mallards. He’s on the final year of his contract, so when I took the position of General Manager I decided to give him a shot to show me what he can do.



Charlie was born in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee on June 16, 1938, which makes him 41 years old. He was undrafted out of college, and signed a minor league deal with the Memphis Chickasaws in 1964. He played two seasons with Memphis, and had pretty good success, but decided to hang up the glove and lace his spikes in a different role.

He was a manager in the high school and college ranks before joining the Seattle Rainiers organization in 1970, managing various teams in their minor league organization.

In 1974 he was named the manager of the Seattle Rainiers, a role he filled for three lackluster seasons. His contract was not renewed after the 1976 season. The Mallards hired him as manager shortly thereafter.

So far in his three seasons in charge, the team has not been consistent. Year 1, the team finished 77-77. Year 2, a big jump as the team finished 101-53, making the playoffs but losing in the Pennant Series. Last year saw the team plummet to 75-79.

He is a pretty conventional manager, known more of developing hitters. His personality is pretty vanilla, straightforward, which seems to suit many players.

He has a good relationship with most of the players on the team, but his relationship with some of the pitchers is not quite as strong. Particularly Juan Leyva, Wally Christensen, Ruben Solis, and Lee Lewis. That may end up being one of his undoings here. That is a pretty important contingent of our pitching staff.

[Dobber2419]

As we prepare to begin the 1980 season, just thought I would share some thoughts on our organization, along with any other random things that might come to mind.

Met with Mr. Jacoby again, and he stated that is expectation for this season is to achieve a winning season, playing better than .500 ball. I didn’t want to bring notice to this, but in my head I’m thinking, ‘really? That’s it?’ I’m expecting higher achievements than that, but I’ll let him sit with his lower expectations.

Current Mallards Long-term Injury List
* RP Don Penland (Out 6 weeks with Biceps Tendinitis)
* RP Pedro Medina (Out 2-3 months with Elbow Ligament Reconstructive Surgery)
* 3B Ken Baldridge (Out 5 weeks with Elbow Tendinitis)
* RF Tony Moyer (Out 13 months with Torn Ulnar Collateral Ligament)

Current Milburn Top 10 Prospects
1. SP Neifi Rath (Class A Cascadia City)
2. 2B Bobby Bugbee (AA Kernal City)
3. CL Ginger Saltz (A Cascadia City)
4. RP Harry Schubert (Milburn)
5. SP Jim Cahoon (AA Kernal City)
6. CF Joe Rhoads (A Cascadia City)
7. 3B Gussie Garvelink (Rookie Coconut Bay)
8. CF Ryan Brown (AAA Porterville)
9. RF Tony Moyer (Injured List)
10. SP Joe Hoehn (A Cascadia City)

Rath is listed as the #77 prospect in The Big leagues, and Bugbee is currently listed as the #87 prospect. They are the only two prospects we have in the Top 100. Our system is ranked 24th out of 28 teams. Not great, but we have a pretty young big league club, so it's not as bad as it sounds.

Top 10 Prospects Overall
1. 3B Arturo Martinez, 20 years old (Toronto)
2. SP Doug Daniels, 21 years old (Toronto)
3. SP Al Parrish, 20 years old (Boston)
4. SP Walt Harris, 20 years old (Milwaukee)
5. SP Dick Joy, 23 years old (Milwaukee)
6. SP Ned Ashford, 19 years old (Toronto)
7. LF Ned Fox, 19 years old (Milwaukee)
8. SP Farmer Ritchie, 18 years old (Atlanta)
9. LF Joe Rich, 22 years old (Toronto)
10. CF Jake Klein, 20 years old (Washington)

Can you guess what two teams have the highest ranked minor league systems? Both Daniels and Rich are starting out the season with the big club for Toronto, and just Harris is for Milwaukee.

[Dobber2419]

Today is Opening Day in the 1980 Big Leagues season. Here are the matchups for today:

Hickory League
Montreal Royales (Steve Scales) at Milburn Mallards (Juan Leyva)
Pittsburgh Summits (Layne Hughes) at Cincinnati Redbirds (Terry McNeal)
San Diego Skippers (Ryan Miller) at Brooklyn Atlantics (Larry Calhoun)
Philadelphia Centennials (Steve Weston) at Minnesota Millers (Ron Joyce)
Baltimore Baybirds (Carlos Diaz) at San Francisco Seals (Alfonso Solares)
New York Mammoths (Bill DeMasi) at Milwaukee Chiefs (Lou Theus)
Los Angeles Bluebirds (Bobby Dobson) at Chicago Stars (Jorge Gutierrez)

Ash League
Dallas Texans (Dave Butler) at New York Metropolitans (Rich Hoffer)
Chicago Unions (Barry Kroninger) at Washington Generals (Johnny Osborn)
Los Angeles Seraphs (Francisco Loera) at Atlanta Thrashers (Don Camacho)
St. Louis Saints (Mike Phillips) at Detroit Zephyrs (Steve DeSantis)
Cleveland Foresters (Larry Moye) at Toronto Maple Leafs (Don Hopen)
Seattle Rainiers (Marv Kendrick) at Houston Buffaloes (Grady McConnell)
Boston Colonials (Steve Pope) at Kansas City Keystones (Steve Kowalski)

Notes

• Boston’s Steve Pope makes his first start with the club after being their big free agent signing.
• Philadelphia’s Steve Weston makes his debut as well after signing a big free agent contract with the Centennials.
• The defending champion Chicago Stars open their campaign at home against the Bluebirds. The Stars have won two of the last three Big League Series.

Major Milestone Watches This Season

• Atlanta’s Al Travers is 4 hits shy of 2200 for his career, 6 home runs shy of 450, 1 run shy of 1250 runs scored.
• Detroit’s Vic Baez is 8 home runs shy of 300 for his career.
• Toronto’s Don Galvin is 9 home runs shy of 300 for his career.
• San Diego’s Miguel Gutierrez is 19 RBI shy of 1000 for his career.
• Milwaukee’s Al Jackson is 7 SB shy of 400 for his career.
• San Francisco’s Vic Neal is 28 SB shy of 400 for his career.
• Chicago Union’s Dave Founds needs 1 Win for 150 in his career.
• Pittsburgh’s John Butler needs 8 wins for 150.
• Cleveland’s Larry Moye needs 62 strikeouts for 2000 in his career.
• New York Metropolitans’ Gerry Ellis needs 14 games pitched for 900 in his career.

[Dobber2419]

We open the 1980 season with a two game series against Montreal at home in Jacoby Park. The Royales finished 56-98 last year in the 3rd year of the team’s existence.


The pitching matchups for the series are slated to be:
Game 1 - Juan Leyva (us) vs Steve Scales (them)
Game 2 - Wally Christensen (us) vs. Charlie Fitch (them)

Scales went 7-15 in 207 innings last year, posting a 3.83 ERA. Fitch was 9-21 with a 3.97 ERA in 258 innings pitched. Good numbers, bad team. They deserved better than their record ended up. Montreal's top players are closer Odell Jackson, SS Moses Anderson, SP Steve Scales, and SP Charlie Fitch.

Our planned Opening Day Lineup
1. Dan Musgrave, 2B
2. Ian Auld, LF
3. Pete Grier, RF
4. Richie Swan, SS
5. Jody Carroll, 1B
6. Ron Schwartz, C
7. Jim Rainey, CF
8. Mario Mora, 3B
9. Juan Leyva, SP

[Dobber2419]

4/14/1980

Week #1 Recap
Record: 4-3, .571, 2.5 GB
Position: 3rd place (behind San Diego and Chicago)
Runs Scored: 38 – 3rd in Hickory League
Runs Allowed: 27 – Tied for 7th in Hickory League
Defense: .711 – 4th in Hickory League
Power Ranking: 102.9 (13th in TBL)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 79/100

The Mallards go 4-3 this week:
4/7 - beat Montreal 10-1 (W-Leyva, 1-0, L-Scales, 0-1) - 3 hits by Auld. 3 RBI by Rainey. CG for Leyva.
4/8 - beat Montreal 3-0 (W-Christensen, 1-0, L-Fitch, 0-1) - 2 hits by Swan. HRs by Swan and Rainey. Shutout for Christensen.
4/9 - beat Baltimore 6-5 (W-Solis, 1-0, S-Holmes (1), L-Garibay, 0-1) - 4 hits by Mora, 3 by Schwartz.
4/10 - loss to Baltimore 9-5 (W-Barr, 1-0, L-Carithers, 0-1) - 2 hits by Schwartz.
4/11 - loss to Baltimore 8-7 (W-Campbell, 1-0, L-Schubert, 0-1) - 2 hits by many. HR by Grier. 3 RBI by Swan.
4/12 - beat Philadelphia 4-0 (W-Leyva, 2-0, L-Pouncy, 0-1) - 4 hits by Musgrave, 3 by Auld, Schwartz.
4/13 - loss to Philadelphia 4-3 (W-Guerrero, 1-1, L-Christensen, 1-1) - 3 hits by Auld. HR by Schwartz, Auld.

Hitting Notes
- Ian Auld and Richie Swan each have 7 RBI thus far.
- Ron Schwartz batting .440/.517/.600 thus far. Has 1 home run, 3 RBI.
- Dan Musgrave has 3 stolen bases.
* Jody Carroll has started slowly. Batting .130/.310/.130 with no home runs and no RBI.

Pitching Notes
* Juan Leyva is 2-0 thus far, with a 0.50 ERA in his two starts.
* Lee Lewis is battling back spasms, listed as day-to-day.

Other Team News
* None of note at this stage of the season.

Next Week
* 2 games vs. San Francisco (2-5)
* 3 games vs. Minnesota (2-5)

Standings Notes
* The New York Mammoths are 7-0 thus far, leading the HL East Divison. Montreal is 0-7, bringing up the bottom.
* San Diego and the Chicago Stars are tied atop the HL West at 6-1.
* Boston, at 4-2, is 1/2 game up on Cleveland in the AL East.
* St. Louis and Kansas City are tied at 6-1, leading the AL West.
* The Mammoths are #1 in the Team Power Ranking, followed by Kansas City, San Diego and then St. Louis. We are 13th.

Around the League
* Ron Iles of St. Louis leads the Big Leagues in Batting Average after Week 1 with a .536 BA.
* Don Galvin (Toronto), Rick Luers (Cleveland), and Gary Martin (St. Louis) all hit three home runs this week.
* Cincinnati’s Luis Diaz leads all of the Big Leagues with a Batter WAR of 1.0 so far.
* Chicago Union’s Jim Manery has an 18 game hitting streak active, dating back to last season.
* The New York Mammoths’ Harry Wyble saved 5 games this week.
* Minnesota’s 3B Tom McGrath notched his 1500th career hit April 11th against the Chicago Stars.
* Cincinnati’s Luis Diaz (Catcher) named HL Player of the Week. Diaz hit .536, 2 home runs, 8 RBI.
* St. Louis RF Ron Iles named AL Player of the Week. He had a .542 AVG, 13 hits, 9 RBI, 4 runs scored.

[Dobber2419]

4/21/1980

Week #2 Recap
Record: 9-4
Position: 3rd place (1 game behind Chicago and San Diego)
Runs Scored: 71 (2nd in Hickory League)
Runs Allowed: 47 (5th in Hickory League)
Defense: .711 (6th in Hickory League)
Power Ranking: 129.6 (6th in TBL)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 79/100

The Mallards go 5-1 this week:
4/14 - beat San Francisco 11-7 (W-Figiel, 1-0, L-Anthony, 0-2) - 3 hits by Auld and Musgrave. Auld has 4 RBI and a home run (his 2nd).
4/16 (Game 1) - beat San Francisco 3-1 (W-Carithers, 1-1, S-Lewis (1), L-Siciliano (0-1) - 3 hits by Pete Grier.
4/16 (Game 2) - lose to San Francisco 3-1 (W-Sandoval, 1-1, S-Toland (1), L-Schubert, 0-2) - Jody Carroll hit his first home run as a Mallard.
4/17 - beat Minnesota 5-4 in 17 innings (W-Straub, 1-0, S-Riggs (1), L-McBride, 0-1) - 3 hits by Auld and Rainey. Home run by Swan (2).
4/18 - beat Minnesota 10-5 (W-Christensen, 2-1, L-Young, 0-2) - 3 hits by Auld, Grier, Carroll. 3 RBI for Auld. HRs by Auld (3), Carroll (2), Binks (1).
4/19 - beat Minnesota 3-0 (W-Figiel, 2-0, S-Lewis (2), L-Moore, 1-1) - 2 hits by Carroll, Schwartz, Figiel.

Hitting Notes
* Jody Carroll was named Hickory League Player of the Week after his .417, 2 home run, 7 RBI performance.
* Ian Auld leads the team in Batting Average at .359. Ron Schwartz is 2nd at .348.
* Schwartz leads in OBP at .444.
* Schwartz leads in OPS+ at 137, followed by Auld at 131 (amongst regular players)
* Auld leads with 3 home runs. He also leads with 15 RBI.
* Dan Musgrave has stolen 8 bases thus far.
* He has also struck out 12 times already though too.
* Armando Santiago notched his first career Big League hit 4/17 in the win against Minnesota.

Pitching Notes
* Juan Leyva is 2-0 with a 1.33 ERA thus far.
* Wally Christensen is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA.
* Lee Lewis has pitched 7 innings of scoreless relief thus far. He has 2 saves and a hold.
* Hal Holmes has a sore elbow, listed as day-to-day.

Other Team News
* AAA Porterville 1B Bill Kennedy has hit 3 home runs so far this season.

Next Week
* 3 games vs Cincinnati
* 3 games at New York Mammoths
* Start 3 game series vs San Diego

Standings Notes
* Philadelphia leads the HL East at 10-3, 1 game ahead of Baltimore
* Cleveland leads the AL East at 8-5, 1/2 game ahead of New York Metropolitans and Boston
* Kansas City leads the AL West at 11-2, 1 game ahead of St. Louis
* Houston has the worst record in the league, at 2-11
* Top 10 in Power Rankings:
* Kansas City
* San Diego
* Chicago Stars
* Philadelphia
* St. Louis
* Milburn
* Baltimore
* Cleveland
* New York Metropolitans
* New York Mammoths

Around the League
* Luis Diaz of Cincinnati continues to rake. Average still above .500 at .521. His WAR is 1.4.
* Seattle’s catcher, Rick Thornton, went 5-5 April 16th against the St. Louis Saints.
* RF Cliff Jones (Cleveland Foresters) goes 5-5 April 18th against the Los Angeles Seraphs.
* 1B Roger Dumont of the Kansas City Keystones hits for the cycle April 18th against the Chicago Unions.
* RF Tom Benstead of the New York Metropolitans notched his 1000th career hit April 18th in their game against the Washington Generals.
* Kansas City’s Roger Dumont was the AL Player of the Week. He batted .458 with 2 home runs and 6 RBI.

[Dobber2419]

Let's take a little intermission to meet Jacoby Park

The Milburn Mallards have called just two locations home in its over 75 year history. The first home of the Mallards, Bennet Square, was home from the club's inception in 1871 until 1913. Bennet Square was located at the corner of 4th Avenue and 3rd Street, and baseball, or base ball as it was known then, had been played on that location since 1863. Bennet Square had originated as a city park, and when the new game of baseball had made its way to Milburn, the site quickly became the hot spot for anyone looking to play. Clubs began to form, and city leagues would develop, using Bennet Square as the primary location. When Abe Jacoby was forming the Milburn Mallards, then Milburn mayor Walter Highsmith agreed to provide enhancements to the field and the rudimentary seating that existed at the time. Over the years of its existence, the park went through multiple iterations and renovations.

Around 1910, Mallards owner Abe Jacoby began looking at other options for the team's home as he had grown tired of playing in a city-owned park and not having complete control over the stadium. Ultimately he and Ole Avery, owner of the Milburn Northern Railroad, came to an agreement. The Milburn Northern had a rail yard along the shore of Lake Michigan, ending at the point where the Lafontaine River entered the lake. As Milburn continued to grow quickly, real estate in the downtown area was becoming more and more of a hot commodity. Some civic leaders also did not like the sight of a rail yard located along such a prime piece of land. But the rail yard also serviced many businesses in the downtown area, so its existence was vital. So Jacoby and Avery came to a rather ingenious solution to essentially bury the rail yard underneath a new baseball stadium. Work began in 1911, and the work was completed in time for the new stadium to open for the 1914 Big League season. Jacoby originally planned to name the new park Lakeshore Park, but due to the urging of some members of the press, he named the new stadium after himself, Jacoby Park. At the time of its completion, it was one of the first concrete and steel stadiums to be built. Originally built with a capacity of 18,000, the stadium capacity was increased to 30,000 in 1927.

The scoreboard in left field has distinctive ads for Gem blades and Old Dusseldorf beer, and the clock at the top of the scoreboard includes an ad for Hunter Bacon.

Jacoby Park's field size ranges from 351 feet in left field to 426 feet in dead center to 320 feet in right field.

With its location on the lakeshore, wind patterns can dramatically affect the nature of the play at Jacoby Park. When the wind is blowing in, the park becomes a pitchers' park, and pitchers can dominate. But if the wind is blowing out, the park becomes more of a hitters' park.

Jacoby Park was also the home of the Milburn Muskies football team from 1919 to 1923, at which time the Muskies built their own stadium, Municipal Cary Park Stadium, which is still used today by the Milburn Rockets, the current professional football team in Milburn, though it has been renamed Somerset Stadium.

[Dobber2419]

4/28/1980

Week #3 Recap
Record: 15-5
Position: 1st place
Power Ranking: 147.0 (1st in TBL)
Owner Mood: Ecstatic; Fan Interest: 79/100

The Mallards go 6-1 this week:
4/21 - beat Cincinnati 3-2 (W-Straub, 2-0, S-Lewis (3), L-Farakiko, 1-2) - 3 hits from Musgrave.
4/22 - beat Cincinnati 4-3 (W-Lewis, 1-0, L-McNeal, 2-2) - HR from Swan (3).
4/23 - loss to Cincinnati 8-4 (W-Berkeley, 2-1, L-Christensen, 2-2) - 3 hits from Grier.
4/24 - beat NY Mammoths 14-1 (W-Figiel, 3-0, L-Ave, 1-3) - 5 hits from Auld, 3 hits from Grier, Carroll, Schwartz. Schwartz also notched 6 RBI off of 2 doubles.
4/25 - beat NY Mammoths 9-0 (W-Schubert, 1-2, L-Beaford, 1-1) - 3 hits by Mora. 3 RBI by Rainey. HR by Musgrave (1).
4/26 - beat NY Mammoths 9-1 (W-Carithers, 2-1, L-Bjerg, 1-3) - HR by Musgrave (2). 5 hits by Grier, along with 4 RBI. 3 hits by Swan and Auld.
4/27 - beat San Diego 4-1 (W-Leyva, 3-0, S-Lewis (4), L-Miller, 1-2) - 2 hits by Musgrave, Auld, Grier, Rainey. HR from Grier (2).

Hitting Notes
* Ian Auld raked for 5 hits April 24th in the 14-1 win over the Mammoths. He had 4 singles and a double.
* Pete Grier banged out 5 hits April 26th against the Mammoths. He also had 4 singles and a double.
* Auld batting .389/.408/.505 so far. Has 3 home runs, leads team with 18 RBI.
* Schwartz batting .360/.442/.480 with 1 home run and 12 RBI.
* Because Musgrave has been hitting so well, Bob Hancock has not had much of a chance to see the field. He just has 3 plate appearances thus far.

Pitching Notes
* Harry Schubert had struggled in his first two Big League starts. But he put it together in his 3rd, with a shutout against the Mammoths. He held them to 6 hits, while striking out 4 and walking 2.
* Leyva and Bob Figiel both have 3 wins thus far.
* Lee Lewis has 4 saves, and has still not given up a run this season. 10 innings pitched thus far.

Other Team News
* Mario Mora has been struggling defensively at 3B. He has made 8 errors thus far, second most in the Bigs for third basemen. His Zone Rating is also second worst currently, at -2.4. It has not hurt us thus far, but something to keep an eye on.
* Top Prospect Neifi Rath is 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA in Single A Cascadia City thus far.

Next Week
* 2 more games vs. San Diego
* 3 games at the LA Bluebirds
* Start a 3 game series vs. Chicago Stars

Standings Notes
* Baltimore and Philly tied atop the HL East at 15-5
* Cleveland leads the AL East at 12-8, 1/2 game over the Metropolitans and Boston
* Kansas City leads the AL West at 15-5, 2 games ahead of St. Louis
* Top 10 in Power Rankings:

* Milburn
* Philadelphia
* Baltimore
* Kansas City
* San Diego
* St. Louis
* Chicago Stars
* Cleveland
* New York Metropolitans
* Los Angeles Seraphs

Around the League
* Boston’s Bob Benware notched 6 hits April 21st in their game against Dallas.
* Baltimore RF Wayne Pramann hit his 100th career home run April 21st versus Los Angeles Bluebirds.
* Kansas City’s Roger Dumont hit the 150th home run of his career April 22 vs the Saints.
* Philadelphia 3B Ernie Maclean hit his 100th career home run April 25th vs. the Bluebirds.
* NY Metropolitans SP Rich Hoffer expected to miss 8 weeks after straining his hamstring April 28th.
* Baltimore SS Jim Steadman named HL Player of the Week after going .444 with 1 home run and 10 RBI. He scored 12 runs also.
* Atlanta Thrasher 1B Jim Keigher named AL Player of the Week. He hit .593 for the week, with 3 home runs and 11 RBI.