Michigan-Ohio Baseball League

[woodfeld]

Hi all, I’m not a regular poster on the board, but I am a pretty avid reader of the dynasty reports and random other messages on the board. I have loved reading Big Six’s Keystone League report and have done similar leagues in the past that are similar to the Keystone League. I have always wanted to post my own league summary for a while but haven’t for fear of not having any time to keep up with the updates and so forth, but ever since the team logos were added to the Keystone dynasty report, I decided I had to do my own. With a lot of thanks to knuckler for giving me logos for each of my teams, I am ready to start my first OOTP dynasty report. The premise of the league is pretty simple. For the majority of my life, I’ve been a Michigan resident, including getting my bachelors degree from the University of Michigan. As such, I’ve been pretty familiar with the rivalry and general hatred that stems between the state of Michigan and Ohio, so I decided to key in on this with a league split into two leagues, one all Michigan, the other all Ohio. There will be no interleague matchups, thus making the battle for the Gehringer-Sisler Cup the only games all season between a Michigan team and an Ohio team. There will be a league championship series though for each of the two leagues with the winner advancing to the Gehringer-Sisler Cup series. The two leagues have been split up into two divisions of four. The league will begin play with the 1940 season. With that, here is some background information on each of the teams with predicted finish, minor league system ranking, star batter, star pitcher, and top prospect not in the majors currently.

Michigan League
North Division


IronMountain Miners
Predicted finish in division – 3rd
Minor League system ranking – 16th (out of 16)
The Miners appear to be one of the top hitting teams in the entire league. They have a lineup that features guys that can get on base often (C Calvin Faithorne and 1B Teo Mendiviel) and guys that can knock them in often (LF Elroy Graves and RF Nathan Willman). They could be a weak team against lefties though, as all of their star players are left-handed hitters, except for the switch-hitting Faithorne (who struggles against lefties regardless). For all the wonderful things to be said about their lineup, the same cannot be said for their pitching. Their best starting pitcher, RHP Edgar Guzman, has good ratings for movement and control but is weak when it comes to stuff. The rest of the staff should get rocked with a 5.00 ERA or higher this season, with the absolutely pitiful RHP Pat White being the worst (1 for Stuff, 9 for Movement, 7 for Control). The closer, RHP Elvis Aliciea, isn’t too bad and should do fine this season, he’ll just have to close out 12-10 and 13-12 games.
Best Hitter – LF Elroy Graves (14 for Contact, 19 for Gap, 20 for Power, 11 for Eye, 8 for Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Edgar Guzman (8 for Stuff, 14 for Movement, 14 for Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RHP Soham van Tessel, 23 Years Old. Potential – (10 for Stuff, 7 for Movement, 15 for Control) Soham has decent ratings currently, and has the potential to increase his control to a real good number. With the current staff for the Miners, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Soham in the rotation at some point this season.


Mackinac Trolleys
Predicted Finish – 1st
Minor League System – 12th
Solid pitching, solid hitting. That’s exactly what the Trolleys have. While they certainly have some weak spots, this is a team that should compete for the Gehringer-Sisler Cup. Led by all-world LF Donovan Beller, the offense has all the ingredients to punish Michigan League pitching all year long. To top it off, they have 5 guys with a 14 or better for speed and stealing. The pitching is built on guys strong in movement and control, led by LHP Zachariah LaFlamme. The only negative about the rotation is the age – 3 players aged 30 or older. The middle relief is helped with a wicked lefty-righty punch of LHP Eric Cowing and RHP Bill Oliver, and when RHP Roald Plume enters a game to close it, it’ll get closed 97% of the time.
Best Hitter – LF Donovan Beller (16 Contact, 20 Gap, 15 Power, 14 Eye, 11 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – LHP Zachariah LaFlamme (10 Stuff, 13 Movement, 18 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RF Tyrone Porch, 25 years old. Potential – (16 Contact, 16 Gap, 15 Power, 14 Eye, 13 Avoiding K’s). According to Mackinac scout Armando Vadillo, Porch will be a star, but other scouting reports don’t report the young right fielder in the same light as Vadillo. He is just a few points below his potential in a number of categories; the Trolleys certainly hope he continues to grow into the player Vadillo thinks he can become. SISA thinks he will be a good player as he is ranked #80 in the top 100 prospects list.


Sault Ste. Marie White Lakers
Predicted Finish – 2nd
Minor League System – 5th
The White Lakers have all the talent in the world to win the Michigan League North division. They have a slightly better lineup than the Trolleys, led by the early front-runner for ML MOB, LF Vernon ‘Clueless’ Wareham. I just think the Trolley pitching corps is definitely a step above the White Lakers. But they are one or two good trades for some pitching help to being better than the Trolleys flat out. Wareham, the hulking lefty, is in his prime (29-years old) and is just a flat out monster offensively. He has help in young CF Jesus Ortiz. This is another lineup littered with lefties. The pitching staff isn’t awful, but does need some help. They hope Opening Day starter, young 23-year old RHP Luis Vecino, is able to blossom this season.
Best Hitter – LF Vernon ‘Clueless’ Wareham (17 Contact, 17 Gap, 20 Power, 15 Eye, 13 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – Closer LHP Robin Diggins (8 Stuff, 16 Movement, 16 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA LHP Sivan ‘Gunner’ O’Shea, 22 years old. Potential – (10 Stuff, 15 Movement, 17 Control). O’Shea has a decent set of ratings currently and could be a late season call-up, but the White Lakers shouldn’t count on him this season. But a spot in the starting rotation for 1941 is a very high possibility for this big lefty out of New York. SISA ranks him as the 6th best prospect in the MI-OH League.


Traverse City Cherries
Predicted Finish – 4th
Minor League System – 8th
I think the Cherries are the clear cut favorites to finish at the bottom of the barrel in the ML North. The other three teams I could see winning the division, but, unfortunately for Cherry fans, I don’t think there is any conceivable way this Traverse City team pulls it out. The news gets worse as a lot of their players are over 30 years old. But fear not Cherries fans as this ballclub does have some good young talent and could trade some of their older high profile players for young prospects at some point in the season. The offense is led by 30-year old LF Dave Batt (what is it with left-handed star LF’s in this division?), who could be trade bait at some point this season. Be on the lookout for these 24-year olds, RF Stein Padbury and 1B Jhon Sarceda. There isn't much to say about their pitching staff besides negative things, but they do have a good closer in RHP Moshe Vyse, it's just too bad he's 37 years old.
Best Hitter – LF Dave Batt (17 Contact, 9 Gap, 17 Power, 8 Eye, 19 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – Closer RHP Moshe Vyse (10 Stuff, 13 Movement, 16 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA 1B Miguel Bonola, 21 years old. Potential – (11 Contact, 13 Gap, 13 Power, 11 Eye, 13 Avoiding K’s). Miguel looks to be a good young hulk of a first baseman. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with an already young (and improving) Sarceda on the big club. Some scouts believe Miguel has more talent than the Traverse City head scout does, but either way, he is a player to watch and should become a good major leaguer at some point. SISA ranks him at #18 in their top 100 prospect list.

Next post - Another summary of one of the divisions.....

[AZTarHeel]

I've gotten into these "state" leagues myself lately ... will be following this one ... just need to pick a team or two to follow... have fun with it!

[woodfeld]

Ohio League
East Division

Akron Red Irons
Predicted Finish – 4th
Minor League System – 7th
The Red Irons are another team that do not look too good on paper and are the clear cut favorite to finish in last. The difference between them and the Cherries though is the hope for a quick improvement. Led by two excellent young pitchers, Brooklyn-raised RHP Kevin Hanlon and Queens-raised RHP Felix Pisa, the pitching staff looks to be in good hands with these two New Yorkers. The rest of the staff isn’t too bad, although the closer role could certainly be improved as I can see RHP Juan Santos blowing a number of games this season. The batting lineup could use a little bit of a makeover. There is no clear “superstar” hitter in the lineup, nor is there a clear power hitter. The closest thing to a power guy is RF Bernard Darrington, who won’t hit for average at any point during his season. The best overall hitter comes from the shortstop position, as SS Alfonso ‘Million Dollar’ Palacios seems to have the ability to do a lot of things well.
Best Hitter – SS Alfonso ‘Million Dollar’ Palacios (14 Contact, 19 Gap, 10 Power, 14 Eye, 11 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Ronte O’Murphy (13 Stuff, 12 Movement, 11 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA LHP Randal Rowand, 23 years old. Potential – (10 Stuff, 11 Movement, 20 Control). Randal looks to be the next Jamie Moyer, with excellent talent in the Control attribute. He will certainly look to complement Hanlon and Pisa in the Akron rotation for years to come, although it probably won’t happen until next season. Rowand needs to time develop that control in AAA for a little bit before he is ready for the big show. SISA ranks him at #40 on the top prospects list.


Canton Terriers
Predicted Finish – 1st
Minor League System – 15th
This Terriers ballclub looks absolutely stacked and built to win a Cup right now. A simply amazing pitching staff that features pitchers with amazing stuff, some with amazing movement, some with amazing control, and some with an amazing combination of two of those attributes. Having to face this staff in a playoff series would be difficult with the ability to throw such different pitchers at you each day. Led by potential MOP RHP Josh MacCord and LHP Ray Campbell, the staff will win Canton a lot of games on its own. While the lineup can’t boast quite the same talent as the staff, it’s not filled with slouches. It features one of the best overall talents in the league, in LF Peter Northcutt, who simply does everything very well and does not have a weakness in his game (maybe speed, but he’s still decent there). RF Syman Shores will get on base and get on base often and should hit a lot of doubles and triples, although he won’t hit too many homers. The Terriers have to figure out where to put young stud, RF Owen Yeley, or trade him for help as he simply has too much talent to be riding the pine.
Best Hitter – LF Peter Northcutt (15 Contact, 16 Gap, 15 Power, 15 Eye, 13 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Josh MacCord (17 Stuff, 16 Movement, 10 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA LF Barden Arbuthnott, 24 years old. Potential – (11 Contact, 13 Gap, 10 Power, 12 Eye, 14 Avoiding K’s). The scouts seem to differ on opinions when it comes to this young left fielder. Canton’s lead scout doesn’t think he’ll be a star in the league, but some other scouts think he will be. He will most likely get his shot with another team with a 25-year old Northcutt patrolling LF for the Terriers. SISA ranks him #34 on their prospects list.


Youngstown Black Irons
Predicted Finish – 3rd
Minor League System – 3rd
The Black Irons have got a real solid team that can compete this season. But this franchise is just biding their time as a lot of their current star players are young and they have a bevy of good prospects in the wings. This should be a team that consistently contends for the Gehringer-Sisler Cup for the next 5-10 years. The pitching staff is real good with top of the rotation pitchers in RHP Amor ‘Taco’ Rainez and RHP Myron ‘Soldier’ Gleave. To close it out, they have a very good and young stopper in RHP Bo ‘Digger’ Schumaker. The lineup is led by the potential .400 batter with a good eye who doesn’t strike out and has already become a fan favorite in the blue collar town of Youngstown at only 21-years old, SS Bart Kenedy. He may never hit more than 5-10 home runs a year, but this is probably the best leadoff guy in the league. It’s just too bad they won’t have too many guys with the ability to knock him in consistently. This club has a serious power deficiency, as 1B Martin Cook is clearly their hope for an RBI guy.
Best Hitter – SS Bart Kenedy (19 Contact, 10 Gap, 3 Power, 13 Eye, 17 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Amor ‘Taco’ Rainez (12 Stuff, 14 Movement, 15 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RHP Enrico Sanatillan, 23 years old. Potential – (16 Stuff, 9 Movement, 11 Control). An extremely good looking power righty, Sanatillan already has some solid current attributes as he continues to improve. A natural-born leader with a strong work ethic, Black Iron fans can expect to see Enrico in the rotation in 1941 most likely. He sits at #22 on the top 100 prospects list.


Zanesville Engineers
Predicted Finish – 2nd
Minor League System – 13th
The Engineers look like they could possibly have the best pitching staff in the entire Michigan-Ohio League. Led by the absolutely filthy and dominant RHP Jesus ‘The Comet’ Giraldo, the pitching staff alone might get this Engineer club to the Cup. The only negative on Giraldo is his age, he is already 41-years old. On the opposite end of the age spectrum sits the #2 pitcher on the staff, 22-year old RHP Ronald Norfleet. If the Engineers hope to send out Giraldo with at least one championship, they will have to improve their lineup. Zanesville makes the Youngstown team look the 2006 Chicago White Sox. There is absolutely no power in this lineup besides LF Edgar Charney, who has mediocre, at best, ratings everywhere else. In order to win a Cup for ‘The Comet’, they will have to improve the lineup, unless they think they can win it with 1-0, 2-1 games.
Best Hitter – 1B Jesus Badilla (14 Contact, 16 Gap, 12 Power, 13 Eye, 5 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Jesus ‘The Comet’ Giraldo (19 Stuff, 15 Movement, 15 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA LHP Dick Jackson, 19 years old. Potential – (12 Stuff, 8 Movement, 11 Control). This young lefty looks to be a potential #4 or 5 in a Michigan-Ohio League rotation. Jackson will look to prove the scouts wrong though and has plenty of time and room to grow being only 19. He is at least a year or two away from seeing action in the show. He ranks at #60 in the top 100 prospects list.

Next post-another division, hopefully coming tomorrow....

[Big Six]

Woodfeld,

This really looks great! I'm looking forward to following the M-O League from its inception, and I'll pick a favorite team and a player or two to follow.

Also, thanks for your kind words about the Keystone League. I've enjoyed it even more than I thought I would, and I hope you have as much fun with your league as I have with mine.

The logos look really cool, too. Knuckler does a fine job with them.

[Machiavelli999]

This looks cool, although I don't know why you went with the cities that you did. I don't even know the ones in Michigan and I know all the Ohio cities are around Cleveland. Why didn't you go with something like...Cleveland, Colombus, Dayton, Toledo

[woodfeld]

Thanks for reading all those that have...sorry about not updating yesterday, I certainly hope I'll be able to post another division tonight. Hope you continue to read and enjoy, I'm really looking forward to actually posting some standing/stats to see how some of my thoughts/predictions turn out.

Big Six-If you continue to read mine, I'll continue to read yours In fact, I'm sure I'll continue to read yours regardless. And knuckler has done an amazing job with the logos, I can't thank him enough for the job he's done for me.

Machiavelli, what I've shown thus far is just half the league. You've seen the ML North and OL East. The ML South has Grand Rapids, Lansing, Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo. The OL West has Columbus, Toledo, Dayton and Chillicothe. I didn't want to use any cities that currently had a MLB team, so Detroit, Cincy, Cleveland were left out.

[woodfeld]

Ohio League
West Division

Chillicothe Indians
Predicted Finish – 4th
Minor League System – 9th
There’s not too much to say about the Indians. They are a decent team at best. A pretty good # 1 pitcher in RHP Hector Aguirre with a bunch of decent pitchers fill the rest of the rotation. They have an excellent closer though in LHP Myles Shaffer, it’s just a matter of getting late enough in the game with a lead that will be the problem. The lineup is not the greatest, but does have a few decent players. There are clearly no stars on this team but they do the best with what they have. What they have is 3B Eduardo Cedero and CF Jaime ‘Destiny’ Rijo. These two will lead this Chillicothe lineup, but they could certainly benefit from some help, will they get it?
Best Hitter – 3B Eduardo Cedero (13 Contact, 13 Gap, 14 Power, 12 Eye, 10 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Hector Aguirre (13 Stuff, 13 Movement, 13 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RHP Rudy Hatton, 21 years old. Potential – (7 Stuff, 15 Movement, 13 Control). Rudy will look to develop his skills this season at AAA Lancaster. The Indians hope Hatton will be able to improve enough to grab a rotation spot in 1941. He certainly has the potential, and could really be a dominant pitcher if he could improve his stuff. It would certainly benefit him to learn another pitch in addition to the fastball-curveball he knows now. He is ranked as the # 11 prospect by SISA.


Columbus Archers
Predicted Finish – 3rd
Minor League System – 2nd
This Archer team looks to be real strong and should contend for a division title….it’s just too bad they are in the same division with Toledo and Dayton. They have a real solid pitching staff although they are all pretty similar, very strong in Control. Led by RHP Mario Corcoro and Closer RHP John Goforth, the staff should keep this team afloat all season. The lineup is stacked with some power hitters, specifically 1B Joseph Currey and CF Jake ‘Jitters’ Richards. The only problem will be having guys on base for all the power to be utilized. They don’t have any strong contact hitters and most are mediocre at best. There are a few guys in the lineup with a good eye, but they could use some better guys to get on base consistently.
Best Hitter – CF Jake ‘Jitters’ Richards (13 Contact, 17 Gap, 16 Power, 10 Eye, 13 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – Closer RHP John Goforth (19 Stuff, 18 Movement, 8 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RHP Pooky ‘Cash’ Wainwright, 20 years old. Potential – (14 Stuff, 11 Movement, 11 Control). The diminutive Pooky may have a funny name, but his stuff is anything but funny to opposing batters. An extremely loyal leader, Wainwright will hone his skills at AAA Lima and will probably be in the starting rotation next season. Pooky has become a fan favorite to the kids due to his name (and nickname) and his small stature. He ranks 7th on the top 100 prospects list.


Dayton Pilots
Predicted Finish – 2nd
Minor League System – 11th
The Pilots are led by their excellent staff which will have Dayton in the playoff hunt all season long. They are led by the phenomenal 25-year old RHP Kristopher ‘Gimmick’ MacKail from nearby Middletown, who the Pilots hope contends year after year for the MOP in a Pilots uniform. Along with an even younger LHP Gurkan Tiffany and slightly older RHP Anker Woodruff, they have a very formidable front three that are all under the age of 30. Whether the Pilots will be able to hang onto all these guys through the years is a question mark. The lineup is a nice complement to the pitching staff but it does have some weaknesses. They have what every team dreams of, a CF who plays extremely well defensively and can be in the middle of the lineup in Greg Bleasdale. He is aided by 3B Roger Merner and the pesky switch-hitting RF Dewie Pankhurst. There’s no reason to believe this team won’t be in the hunt for the playoffs and possibly more.
Best Hitter – CF Greg Bleasdale (13 Contact, 15 Gap, 15 Power, 19 Eye, 11 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Kristopher ‘Gimmick’ MacKail (13 Stuff, 16 Movement, 15 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA 1B Kuniaki Matsuoka, 24 years old. Potential – (12 Contact, 15 Gap, 16 Power, 12 Eye, 16 Avoiding K’s). This Japanese American projects to be a very solid power hitter and could see time as a late season call up this season. Extremely solid defensively and a switch hitter, Matsuoka should be patrolling first base soon as it is one of the big club’s weaknesses. He ranks #45 on the top 100 prospects list.


Toledo Admirals
Predicted Finish – 1st
Minor League System – 6th
I think this is by far the favorite to win the Gehringer-Sisler Cup. A batting lineup that is simply ridiculous (and that would be an understatement) and a pitching staff that is more than adequate, with a couple of very good players. All of this is a recipe for success 9 times out of 10. The lineup is led by the “Three Musketeers” as the fans are calling the three men in the Toledo outfield. The aged grandpa is LF Alfredo ‘Slap’ Arcos. He will teach all he knows to the young whipper snappers in CF Bob Harvey and RF Juan Satelo. All three should punish Ohio League pitching all season long. I haven’t even mentioned the best part. The Admirals have a guy riding the pine that every other team would KILL to have in CF Jon Koepke. Oh and don’t forget the most exciting young player in the league in 22-year old SS Tony ‘Ducky’ Tiner, who is the complete package even at 5’9” 175 lbs. Don’t forget about masher 1B John Slipper either. As you can see, this lineup is absolutely lethal, so the pitching staff basically just has to play up to their talent level for this team to be dominant. Luckily, they have a stud at # 1 in RHP Hershel ‘Megavolt’ Capers and the rest of staff certainly seems capable of being solid. If the Admirals don't win the division, I’d be quite surprised.
Best Hitter – RF Juan Satelo (15 Contact, 14 Gap, 20 Power, 10 Eye, 19 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Hershel ‘Megavolt’ Capers (13 Stuff, 15 Movement, 13 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RF Howard Cole, 23 years old. Potential – (12 Contact, 15 Gap, 11 Power, 12 Eye, 10 Avoiding K’s). Howard is a strong-willed left-handed outfielder that should make it to the show, but it won’t be with Toledo if he plans on playing RF, as a young Satelo claims that position. He could replace Arcos in LF when he retires if he’s willing to play there. Cole ranks as at # 46 in the SISA top prospects list.

Next post - The final division summaries/predictions and possibly the standing/stats after the first month of the season....

[woodfeld]

The final division, phew!!

Michigan League
South Division

Ann Arbor Democrats
Predicted Finish – 1st
Minor League System – 1st
In arguably the tightest division in the MOBL, I picked the Dems to finish 1st based on one thing – their pitching. It’s been shown and proven that pitching wins championships so this amazing staff gets the nod over the other equally good teams in the ML South. Featuring a rotation that doesn’t have one guy lower than 13 for Movement and four lefties, Ann Arbor will depend on this staff to keep them in the hunt for the Cup. Led by the marvelous LHP John ‘Cobra’ Durham and RHP George Price and possibly the best closer in the league in RHP John ‘Slush’ Gladstone, the Ann Arbor faithful can expect to see a lot of low scoring games. Which leads me to the lineup, while not terrible, can use a boost, especially in the “guys that can get on base” department. They have a couple of strong players in LF Pancho Niera and CF Harry St. John, who are real strong overall players, but won’t hit for average. The pitching staff is good enough to win the division on their own but I’m sure they hope the front office will look to improve the lineup to help them.
Best Hitter – LF Pancho Niera (10 Contact, 16 Gap, 18 Power, 13 Eye, 9 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – LHP John ‘Cobra’ Durham (10 Stuff, 19 Movement, 19 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA LHP Miguel Vasquez, 22 years old. Potential – (9 Stuff, 18 Movement, 13 Control). What does a team with 4 lefties in their rotation need? A stud lefty in AAA Flint of course! Vasquez does seem to have a bit of an attitude problem though so we’ll see if Ann Arbor can handle his greedy ways. He shouldn’t be in the bigs for another year or two. He could certainly be trade bait for a much needed bat in the lineup. SISA ranks him at #10.


Grand Rapids Blue Lakers
Predicted Finish – 4th
Minor League System – 10th
Grand Rapids looks to be the weakest of the four teams, but it wouldn’t shock me to see them compete in the division and possibly finish higher than last. The pitching staff looks competent with a very solid # 1 in Michigan-native RHP Anderson McSourly and a couple of other decent guys in LHP Alton Smith and RHP Jorge Diodosio. Closer RHP Paco Garcia, from Detroit, won’t be the greatest closer though and I could see the Blue Lakers improving this position at some point soon. The lineup also seems to be pretty decent, but no superstar to be found. A strong, powerful RF Kev Taylor will hopefully lead the offense with plenty of HR’s and RBI’s. Grand Rapids will certainly hope guys like 2B Jerry ‘Mustang’ Skeens, yet another Michigan native, and CF Edgardo Vorgas help Taylor out to prevent this from being a one man show. They also have a good prospect in SS Phil High.
Best Hitter – RF Kev Taylor (10 Contact, 16 Gap, 20 Power, 10 Eye, 5 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Anderson McSourly (9 Stuff, 14 Movement, 14 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RHP Nathan Boaden, 24 years old. Potential – (8 Stuff, 16 Movement, 13 Control). Boaden looks to be a very solid young prospect and would fit in nicely with this Blue Laker rotation. With a 4-pitch arsenal, Nathan will look to finesse and hit the corners with late movement on his pitches. He could see some late season action but in all reality, you can expect him to be in Grand Rapids sometime in 1941. He checks in at #58 on the top 100 prospects list.


Kalamazoo Bells
Predicted Finish – 3rd
Minor League System – 4th
This Bells team has the ability to win this division, no doubt about it. But on paper, they are just a step behind both Ann Arbor and Lansing. The lineup features some real good talent, especially with LF Miguel Bermejo and a young-developing speedster, CF Sawyl Mitchum. SS Telo Welter is the equivalent of Jason Giambi, he does one of three things generally – hits a home run, walks, or gets out (usually by strikeout). The Bells organization hopes it’s one of the first two more times than not. Keep an eye out for young 1B Florinio ‘Tag’ Hernando throughout the season, he has some very high potential. The pitching rotation looks very strong, especially with a dominant # 1 like RHP Rickey ‘Moby Dick’ Benson. Benson got the nickname in the minors when guys couldn’t seem to “catch” his pitches with their bats, making contact was like trying to catch Moby Dick. RHP Jake Thomas makes a very solid complement to Benson as the Bells hope this 1-2 punch can lead the team to a title. The bullpen could certainly use a facelift though.
Best Hitter – LF Miguel Bermejo (14 Contact, 13 Gap, 13 Power, 13 Eye, 14 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – RHP Rickey ‘Moby Dick’ Benson (19 Stuff, 16 Movement, 12 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA RHP Jose Guatarrez, 25 years old. Potential – (15 Stuff, 14 Movement, 11 Control). Jose has the ability to be pitching with the Kalamazoo club right now, but will have to stick out (at least for the time being) with AAA Battle Creek. He has more room to grow, but at this point should probably be pitching in the big leagues in order to get better. A five-pitch arsenal will keep batters guessing all season long, no matter where he plays. SISA ranks him at #17.


Lansing Capitals
Predicted Finish – 2nd
Minor League System – 14th
Lansing should be neck and neck with Ann Arbor all season long and I’m sure each time these teams meet, there’ll be no love lost and each team will bring out the best in each other. Lansing has the better lineup, Ann Arbor has the better pitching; we’ll see which is more important in how the season shakes out. That stellar lineup is headed by switch-hitting RF Edward ‘Barbwire’ Chisholm, who looks like an offensive machine, although he could stand to take a few more walks. The supporting cast should allow Chisholm the opportunity to see some good pitches, as C Carl Dunn, 1B Toste O’Bergin and 3B Mike Surgener are all formidable batters. The Caps rotation has some talent too, headlined by LHP Joe O’Crouley and RHP Arturo Perez. They will look to young RHP Alvar ‘Roach’ Sanchez to develop quickly with the team and make a top 3 that any team would be very happy to have. The bullpen looks very strong, especially with Closer RHP Stephen ‘Music’ Buchan.
Best Hitter – RF Edward ‘Barbwire’ Chisholm (14 Contact, 20 Gap, 18 Power, 12 Eye, 13 Avoiding K’s)
Best Pitcher – LHP Joe O’Crouley (12 Stuff, 16 Movement, 14 Control)
Best Prospect not in the majors – AAA 2B Ben Cerillo, 23 years old. Potential – (12 Contact, 17 Gap, 1 Power, 9 Eye, 13 Avoiding K’s). Scouts seem to differ on opinions when it comes to this small, pesky, doubles hitter. Some scouts feel he will develop a very strong ability to hit for singles as well, while others don’t think he will ever be a good leadoff man. Ben will probably spend the entire season at AAA Saginaw, but could get some late season action. He ranks at # 79 on the top prospects list.

I am finally all done with the team summaries and predictions, so what does everyone else think? Any favorites you'll be keeping an eye on? Any teams you think are being undervalued by myself (based on the limited knowledge I have shared)? For the playoffs, I predict Ann Arbor to face Mackinac and advance due to their pitching. I also predict Toledo to advance rather easily against Canton just because they are that good. And the closest teams, when it comes to distance between a Michigan and a Ohio team, will face in the "US-23 Series", but I don't expect it to be close and the Toledo Admirals will be the first Gehringer-Sisler Cup winners.

[Jestor]

I'll cheer on the Archers and Pooky.

[woodfeld]

Jestor, Pooky and the rest of the Archers organization appreciates your support. An update on how they've done so far is upcoming, 'Jitters' has led them off to a pretty decent start.

[woodfeld]

This may be a really dumb question but I'm new to posting so I plead stupidity by way of unfamiliarity here, but how do you post the standings and stats from the game into a post without having to manually type it into the message yourself? Thanks in advance to anyone that can help.

[Big Six]

Hey Woodfeld,

First I highlight and copy the standings, stats, etc. that I want to include in my post from the screen I'm working with in OOTP. Then I paste them into Notepad.

In Notepad, I make sure I'm using Courier New as my font; it's evenly spaced, so it will allow the columns to line up properly. Using the SPACE bar--not the tab--I align the stats columns the way I like them, and highlight and copy them again.

Finally, I use the code command to insert them into my post. Put the word "code" between brackets, like this [ ] in the line before your stats, and "/code" between another set of brackets in the line below your stats. (Don't include those quotation marks, either.)

I hope that makes sense. If you have any problems with that, let me know and I'll try to explain it better.

I think I'll back the Trolleys, and hopefully they'll be on track for a Gehringer-Sisler Cup title.

[woodfeld]

Michigan League Standings  
North  
Team                 W  L  PCT  GB  
Iron Mountain       15 12 .556  - 
Sault Ste. Marie    14 13 .519 1.0 
Mackinac            12 16 .429 3.5 
Traverse City        8 21 .276 8.0 
 
South 
Team                 W  L  PCT  GB 
Kalamazoo           20  8 .714  - 
Lansing             16 11 .593 3.5 
Ann Arbor           14 13 .519 5.5
Grand Rapids        11 16 .407 8.5 
 
Ohio League Standings  
East  
Team                 W  L  PCT  GB 
Canton              16 12 .571  - 
Youngstown          11 16 .407 4.5 
Zanesville          11 18 .379 5.5 
Akron                5 22 .185 10.5 
 
West  
Team                 W  L  PCT  GB
Toledo              19  8 .704  - 
Chillicothe         18  9 .667 1.0 
Columbus            15 12 .556 4.0 
Dayton              15 13 .536 4.5

Thanks for the help Big Six, I appreciate it…..

One month into the inaugural season of the Michigan-Ohio Baseball League has gone somewhat to plan. Most of my predictions have been pretty accurate.


The biggest surprise thus far has been the play of the Chillicothe Indians, who are sitting just one game behind Toledo for first place and are my choice as OL team of the month. I had undervalued this Indian pitching staff, which leads the Ohio League in a number of categories and boasts three guys in the rotation with sub-3.00 ERA’s. Hector Aguirre has done real well, including pitching a 3-hit shutout on opening day. Closer Myles Shaffer has been all that could be expected of him, a 0.00 ERA and 9 saves. This team sitting in 2nd place has to be the biggest surprise of the season.

And that may change in the coming weeks and months as the Admirals’ # 1 starter, Hershel ‘Megavolt’ Capers, is gone for the season with a ruptured elbow ligament. Star RF Juan Satelo is going to miss a few weeks with a concussion as well, so the door is open for Chillicothe (and for that matter Columbus and Dayton as well, they both aren’t far behind) to take the lead away from Toledo.

Everything else has gone right for the Admirals though. CF Bob Harvey has been tremendous, batting over .400 with 7 HR’s and 25 RBI’s. The Admirals started off the season winning the first 10 games.

I knew Columbus pitcher Mario Corcoro would be a real good pitcher, but if the first month of the season is any indication, I undervalued him. Corcoro has been lights out, leading the league in ERA with a whopping 0.19 ERA and is tied for the league lead with 5 wins. He has allowed only ONE earned run in 47 IP, just incredible.

I can’t explain quite yet what is wrong with Zanesville. Starting pitchers Jesus ‘The Comet’ Giraldo and Ronald Norfleet have pitched well (Giraldo leads the league in K’s with 59), but I would have expected their stats to be slightly better. Their offense has been right about where I would expect it to be considering the talent. The hope for Engineers fans is that this first month was just an aberration as this team is good enough on paper to win it all.

It has been somewhat surprising to see Mackinac where they are at. A team that has a good pitching rotation is simply struggling at that position, except for Zachariah LaFlamme and his 2.59 ERA. The bullpen has performed quite well though for the Trolleys. The biggest surprise this first month of the season on individual merits has been the Trolleys Italian first baseman, Laurente Tegliacci. Tegliacci leads the entire league in HR’s with 11 and leads the Michigan League with 25 RBI’s with a .313 average. He has certainly been a nice surprise in a lineup that is getting great production from star Donovan Beller (.345, 7 HR, 21 RBI). Mackinac will need more of that and some better pitching in order to compete for the division title.


And finally, with the best record in the entire M-O league are the Kalamazoo Bells, who have played phenomenally this first month and are the pick as the ML team of the month. Rickey ‘Moby Dick’ Benson has been all that he was advertised to be with a 1.50 ERA and 54 K’s, although he only has two wins. RHP Rafael Garza has fit in rather nicely in the # 3 spot in the rotation. Tied for the league lead with 5 wins, he also sports a very nice 1.62 ERA and 35 K’s. The lineup has been just as good with three guys carrying a .350 or higher batting average. The young and extremely talented Florinio ‘Tag’ Hernando has shown he’s ready for the show with a .355 average.


ML Batter of the Month - LF Miguel Bermejo, Kalamazoo Bells - .354, 6 HR, 23 RBI

ML Pitcher of the Month - RHP Rafael Garza, Kalamazoo Bells - 5-0, 44.1 IP, 35 K's, 1.62 ERA, 0.92 WHIP

OL Batter of the Month - LF Alfredo 'Slap' Arcos, Toledo Admirals - .381, 9 HR, 23 RBI, 24 Runs, 5 Doubles

OL Pitcher of the Month - RHP Mario Corcoro, Columbus Archers - 5-1, 47 IP, 27 K's, 0.19 ERA, 0.93 WHIP

[woodfeld]

Michigan League Standings  
North  
Team               W  L  PCT   GB 
Sault Ste. Marie  31 24 .564   - 
Iron Mountain     31 25 .554   .5 
Mackinac          25 30 .455  6.0 
Traverse City     18 39 .316  14.0 
 
South  
Team               W  L  PCT   GB 
Kalamazoo         35 18 .660   - 
Ann Arbor         31 25 .554  5.5 
Lansing           29 26 .527  7.0 
Grand Rapids      21 34 .382  15.0 
 
Ohio League Standings  
East  
Team               W  L  PCT   GB 
Canton            34 21 .618   - 
Youngstown        26 29 .473  8.0 
Zanesville        24 33 .421  11.0 
Akron             14 42 .250  20.5 
 
West  
Team               W  L  PCT   GB 
Toledo            36 19 .655   - 
Columbus          31 24 .564  5.0 
Chillicothe       30 26 .536  6.5 
Dayton            26 27 .491  9.0

June 1, 1940
The month of May 1940 proved to be more of the same in the M-O Baseball League, as there was only one change in division leaders and that is by the slimmest of margins. The other 3 division leaders just opened up bigger leads in their division including a red hot Canton team that has a monstrous 8 game lead at the beginning of June. And I don’t think that lead will be relinquished as the Terriers are a flat out better team than every other team in the OL East.


The incredible May from top of the rotation Josh MacCord (6-0, 1.56 ERA, 50 K’s in May) has helped make the Canton Terriers my pick for OL team of the month. They also were helped out with a great month by #2 starter Ray Campbell (5-0, 2.72 ERA, 39 K’s in May), who struggled in April. They got a very productive month out of star LF Peter Northcutt (.353, 4 HR, 19 RBI, 12 Doubles in May), but for the most part, nobody in the lineup had a real stellar month. It was mostly the pitching that helped the Terriers to their 18-9 record in May. They also made a nice trade in getting young stud catcher Tommy Braswell from Chillicothe at the end of the month. This position at the top of the standings is something Canton fans should get used to the rest of the season.

Speaking of those Chillicothe Indians, what happened?!?! Well, the poor month by the Indians can be attributed to the pitching taking a large step back, although Hector Aguirre is still putting up good numbers (7-4, 3.33 ERA, 76 K’s overall), including a stellar complete game 4-hit, 10 strikeout performance over the best team in the league, Toledo, and the waxing was delivered in Toledo’s own backyard on May 27. If the Indians fall further out of the race, could we see the 35-year old traded to a contender?

Speaking of bad months, the Akron Red Irons are just a flat out bad team. They rank last in the OL in almost every pitching category and the majority of the batting categories. 2B Lachlan ‘Duke’ Price leads the team with a mediocre .256 average. Two starting pitchers are winless on the season (0-8 and 0-7) and things don’t look to be turning around any time soon. Red Iron fans can only hope some good drafting and smart trades will turn this ship around in a couple of years.


The Sault Ste. Marie White Lakers have been kind of sitting around in the shadows so far this season and I think that’s the way they prefer it. They have a very solid nucleus and are getting good effort throughout the lineup and it is paying off as they are the ML team of the month. Vernon ‘Clueless’ Wareham had a good month, hitting 9 HR’s and knocking in 17 runners. But what has been conspicuous for the White Laker organization has been his low batting average, which is .249 currently. It’s a scary thought for the rest of the ML North that he probably still hasn’t hit his stride yet. Jesus Ortiz has picked up the slack though, he is batting a fantastic .346 (3rd in the ML) with 12 HR’s and 38 RBI’s. They also recently recalled top prospect LHP Sivan ‘Gunner’ O’Shea in hopes of solidifying a steady rotation.

The Ann Arbor Democrats had a very solid month of May, going 17-12, to jump back into the race in the ML South, albeit still a good distance behind top team Kalamazoo. They should be getting top hitter, LF Pancho Niera, back the first week of June and that will be a very big boon to the Ann Arbor lineup, which has struggled so far this season. Who hasn’t struggled has been top pitcher John ‘Cobra’ Durham, who has had a fantastic start to the season and is on the leader board in almost every pitching statistic. He is tied for the league lead with 8 wins, is just barely in 2nd in ERA with a 1.37 ERA and sits in 3rd in strikeouts with 96 this season.

The month of May didn’t go so well for the Lansing Capitals but on May 4, Lansing starting pitcher Alvar ‘Roach’ Sanchez was the talk of the entire league. The young phenom pitched the first no-hitter in M-O League history. He shut down Iron Mountain, allowing 3 walks and striking out 6 batters. “Coming into spring training, I was more worried about making the team than anything else,” Sanchez said. “I had no intentions of being the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter but I’m very honored to take that distinction.” This season, ‘Roach’ sports a 4-4 record with a 3.34 ERA and 43 strikeouts in 72.2 innings pitched.

May 4 must be a day of firsts for the M-O League as Youngstown RF David Drewry became the first player to hit 3 HR’s in a game versus Columbus. He was the main source of offense against the Archers as he knocked in 7 men with those 3 homers. “I got three good pitches and I took care of them,” Drewry commented. Drewry has been a pleasant surprise this season for the Black Irons, as he is performing well above expectations, batting .273 with 13 HR’s and 39 RBI’s this season.


ML Batter of the Month - CF Harry St. John, Ann Arbor Democrats - .324, 8 HR, 22 RBI, 3 Triples in May

ML Pitcher of the Month - LHP John 'Cobra' Durham, Ann Arbor Democrats - 4-0, 1.52 ERA, 49 K's, 1 CG, 47.1 IP in May

OL Batter of the Month - SS Tony 'Ducky' Tiner, Toledo Admirals - .342, 7 HR, 12 RBI, 23 Runs, .435 OBP in May

OL Pitcher of the Month - LHP Josh MacCord, Canton Terriers - 6-0, 1.56 ERA, 50 K's, 40.1 IP in May

[woodfeld]

1st Annual 1940 Michigan-Ohio Baseball League Draft
It’s the time of the year for promise and potential as the best high school and college baseball players are prepared to take their talent to a professional level. This year has found some decent players that should have very productive careers if they progress, although there don’t seem to be any clear superstars in this draft.


1. Akron Red Irons – LF Jose Rodriguez, 18 years old – This quite talented left-handed outfielder was just as surprised as any to be selected first overall. “I thought they were going to take one of the pitchers for sure,” the Canton-born Rodriguez said. “I’ve been going to a number of Terriers games this year, but now I bleed red and black. I hope to be the most-hated person in Canton in a few years,” Rodriguez added, grinning. Scouts don’t doubt his ability to get on base, but wonder if he’ll just be a good leadoff hitter, as his power potential seems to be in doubt. He’ll take plenty of time to develop, but Red Iron fans should be happy with this pick.

2. Traverse City Cherries – LHP Pancho Vargas, 17 years old – The Cherries hope they took a future staff ace when they selected the young, tall, lanky Alabaman. Vargas will probably never overpower anybody, but does have plenty of movement on his pitches and he rarely misses his target. Cherries fans shouldn’t plan on seeing this young southpaw for a number of years as he develops his pitching in the minors.

3. Zanesville Engineers – RHP Dan Lang, 21 years old – Zanesville thinks they’ve selected the best player in the draft when they selected Lang. Lang rates out well in every category and is exceptional in his movement potential. He features a nice 4-pitch arsenal and is an extremely intelligent, hard-working player. Engineer fans can expect Lang to rise rather quickly through the ranks and could be in the rotation in a couple years.

4. Grand Rapids Blue Lakers – RHP Anthony Lewington, 19 years old – Grand Rapids was just looking to pick the best player available with their pick and they did just so in drafting Lewington. The Illinois native has some very solid potential, but some scouts question his willingness to turn that potential into major league talent. He’ll need a few years to develop, but Blue Laker fans can expect to see Anthony in the rotation at some point in the future.

5. Youngstown Black Irons – LHP Anthony Boyd, 22 years old – A strong-minded leader of the clubhouse, Boyd was delighted to be selected by Youngstown. “I’ve rooted for the Black Irons since the season began. They have a hard working club and it’s a hard working town,” Boyd said. Featuring a 5-pitch arsenal with a wicked sinker, Youngstown infielders can expect to be busy when Boyd takes the rubber, especially since he’s not a strikeout pitcher.

6. Mackinac Trolleys – RHP David Massiter, 18 years old – If there was a common theme to this draft, it would be pitchers strong in moving the ball around and being able to control their pitches. The Trolleys pick is exactly that. The native Texan is not a flame-thrower but is a strong pitcher otherwise. Mackinac will let him develop him for a number of years for sure.

7. Lansing Capitals – 3B Clancy Samuels, 23 years old – SISA thinks Lansing just selected the best player in the whole draft. They believe his potential is as high as it gets, but scouts seem to differ with that opinion but don’t doubt the switch-hitting Samuels will be an excellent player. You don’t find too many switch-hitting third basemen that play excellent defense and get on base consistently and all the scouts agree this is something he will do. The scouts question his power ability though. Lansing hopes he quickly makes it through the ranks as they have a gaping hole at third.

8. Dayton Pilots – 3B Tom Pennyroyal, 22 years old – The Pilots have high hopes and praise for this right handed third baseman, who they think is just as good as Samuels as far as potential is concerned. Not quite as good defensively as Samuels, but the power potential is there for Pennyroyal. Luckily, the Pilots won’t have to rush him like Lansing is looking to do, but Pilots fans can expect a stud corner infielder when he does make the show.
The rest of the picks from the 1st round coming soon.....

[woodfeld]

9. Iron Mountain Miners – RHP Bobby Lewis, 23 years old – Lewis fits the mold of most of the pitchers in this draft, but will have to work on improving his stuff and the speed of his pitches. If he doesn’t have good control or movement on his pitches, he will get absolutely pummeled by M-O League hitting. “I know I have to work on my stuff; I have a lot of room for improvement there. I’m looking to develop a third pitch to help me out too,” Lewis said pre-draft. Lewis is still a few years away from a big league roster.


10. Chillicothe Indians – SS Antonio Amparan, 21 years old – This sweet-swinging, switch-hitting Cleveland native will be a fixture as a leadoff man for years to come in the M-O League. Antonio will never hit for power and is poor defensively (we could see him moved to 2B), but he could be a potential .400 hitter and that’s something you can’t pass up ever.


11. Sault Ste. Marie White Lakers – LF Ben Myers, 22 years old – Is Myers disaster control for the White Lakers if Wareham leaves the organization? Many other GM’s and scouts seem to think so. While not as talented as Wareham, Myers does possess a very potent bat and is a future .330-.350 hitter. He doesn’t have too much in the power department though and could play RF as well so he could make a nice complement to Wareham in the future.


12. Ann Arbor Democrats – LF Anthony Beresford, 23 years old – Beresford has all the talent in the world but one area that he is seriously lacking is his ability to get on base by hitting. He has great power numbers and has a good eye and can run like the wind, but it won’t matter if he can’t make contact with the ball. The Dems will keep a close eye on how he adjusts as he makes his way up the ranks as they could have a dominant superstar if he can adjust and improve.


13. Toledo Admirals – 1B Chris Cox, 19 years old – The Admirals selected the large Omaha-bred first baseman with the hope he will eventually develop the power that befits a man of his size. Scouts don’t doubt Cox’s ability to hit for contact, but many question his power talent and his eye. Regardless of what happens, Toledo picked a guy that will be a productive player at some point, a surprise he was still available at this point.


14. Canton Terriers – RHP Mike Rogers, 21 years old – The Terriers might have made a little bit of a “reach” pick here with this Georgia peach. You cannot doubt Rogers’ attitude as he is a player that works harder than anybody, is a complete leader on and off the field and despises losing, so he may develop based purely on those statistics. You have to question how effective of a pitcher he will be based on his ability though, but Canton hopes they have found a diamond in the rough here.


15. Columbus Archers – CF Jesus Rosalda, 21 years old – Columbus’ lead scout Roger Mullis is simply ecstatic this sweet swinging lefty is still available this late. Mullis rates him as the top player in this draft, with almost maxed out talent ratings. Other scouts don’t see him quite in the same light but some still see him as a very high rated talent. He has a great arm, but should be moved to a different outfield position as he is pretty poor defensively and that’s something you can’t have for a CF.


16. Kalamazoo Bells – RHP Raibeart Jackson, 23 years old – The Bells hope they’ve found a sleeper with the pick of Jackson coming out of Arizona St. University. While Jackson doesn’t have the most electric stuff, he does locate his pitches extremely well already and moves his pitches around pretty well too. A great leader and a very intelligent player, they have already put Jackson in single A South Haven. “I’m very excited to be going to the best team in the Michigan-Ohio Baseball League,” Jackson said excitedly from his parents’ home in New Mexico. “I couldn’t have dreamed a better scenario for me and I’m looking forward to getting started.”


And that ends the first round of the first annual inaugural draft. Coming up, updated standings and stats from the halfway point of the first season

[Shorty]

Just saw this- and I have a vested interest. I currently live in Dayton and one of my best friends is from Chilicothe. Good deal, but Chilicothe better be small market!

[woodfeld]

Shorty,
Thanks for the interest, not sure how many people are reading and are interested, but it's always nice to get a shout out here and there.

I have financials turned off, but I started the league with all teams being equal basically, but yes Chillicothe would have been a small market team otherwise. Same with Zanesville and pretty much any team in the ML North.

[Big Six]

I like the Trolleys' first round pick. It seems to me that pitchers with skills like Massiter's tend to develop pretty well. I've seen several of them turn into big winners in the Keystone League.

Hopefully the Trolleys will put together a winning streak before they lose touch with the division lead.

Keep up the good work, woodfeld.

[No Pepper]

Good start woodfeld What happened to Columbus' Corcoro after that hot start?