WORLD MATHEWSON

All Star Game facts

2012-01-30T20:46:00.002-05:00

By 69cubs (based on research by unitedcenter)

With the All Star game right around the corner, let's look at some interesting facts of the All Star game all-time rosters (not including this season).

First, below list shows the players with the most all star games:

1) 16 games Brad Green
2) 11 games Horacio Vallarta
3) 10 games Cookie Ramirez
3) 10 games Don Gonzales
3) 10 games Parker McIntyre
6) 9 games Felipe Vega
6) 9 games John Russ
6) 9 games Leo Billingsley
9) 8 games Albert Cairo
9) 8 games Alexander Green
9) 8 games Carlos Cubillan
9) 8 games Endy Horton
9) 8 games Felipe Colon
9) 8 games Robb Gant
9) 8 games Russell Leonard
9) 8 games Shea Brooks
9) 8 games Vladimir Valentin

Brad Green stands out here by far!

Remember, Babe Ruth only made 2 all star game appearances as the MLB was already started when the all star game was created! There were players here in Mathewson world who were great before we ever had an all star game.

Next, here is a list of the owners who have had the most all stars:

1) 110 appearances - hoyanoel
2) 78 appearances - wolfman19
3) 58 appearances - todzilla
4) 50 appearances - thurmodore
5) 49 appearances - jmagliaro
6) 48 appearances - sac_lambs
6) 48 appearances - jpelot
8) 46 appearances - oddson
9) 45 appearances - cavone
10)43 appearances - lylediekmann
11)42 appearances - hiloboy21
12)40 appearances - pelot
13)38 appearances - t2bott
14)36 appearances - 69cubs
15)32 appearances - unitedcenter
16)30 appearances - zoobaseball
16)30 appearances - wild44
18)29 appearances - pita323
19)28 appearances - zinpa

Congrats to hoyanoel, that is an average of 5 all stars per season for the previous 22 seasons!

At last, here are the most appearances at each position;

Catcher
11 - Horacio Vallarta
8 - Albert Cairo
6 - Eduardo Silva
6 - Joel McNamara

First base
10 - Parker McIntyre
7 - Santos Santana
6 - Russell Leonard

Second Base
7 - Vladimir Valentin
5 - Tony Sakamoto
3 - 9 tied

Third Base
7 - John Yashian
5 - Endy Horton
5 - Harry Moya

Shortstop
8 - Felipe Vega
7 - Howie Martin
6 - John Russ
6 - Leo Billingsley

Left Field
6 - Albert Hernandez
5 - Javier Valdez
4 - Hugh Stargell
4 - Angel Valdes

Center Field
8 - Robb Gant
8 - Shea Brooks
5 - Brendan Lee

Right Field
9 - Brad Green
8 - Alexander Green
6 - Ariel Santos

Designated Hitter
(tied with 2)
Emmett Halter
Jimmie Frias
Kareem Nunnally
Russell Leonard
Wilson Titan

Pitchers
10 - Cookie Ramirez
10 - Don Gonzales
8 - Carlos Cubillan
8 - Felipe Colon
7 - Juan Marin
7 - Sean Donovan
7 - Julian DeRojas
7 - Virgil Samuel
6 - Bip Bartee
6 - Jacob Johnson
6 - Julian Jimenez
6 - Ken Atkins
6 - Russ Service
6 - Terry Murphy
6 - Walt Falk
6 - Yogi Cooper

Looking at the early all star names this season, I see 2 names on the above lists that are on this season list (so far), Santos Santana (going for appearance #8) and Hugh Stargell (he is on the LF list above, but this season is one of the selections at 1B.

This file is saved for future updates.

History of Futility in Mathewson

2012-01-23T14:00:00.002-05:00

By 69cubs
Looking at the new rule of Minimum 50 wins in one season or 110 wins in 2 seasons, here is a history of who did not make it (noting that all except one below was by owners not currently in the Mathewson World):
First the 50 win minimum::
Pawtucket – Season 5 – 39 wins, owner was one season and done in Mathewson.
Richmond – Season 9 – 49 wins, owner was one and done
Tampa Bay – Season 2 – 18 wins, owner was one and done
Helena – Season 2 – 33 wins (106 total for season 1 and 2) this owner was in Mathewson for only 2 seasons.
Salt Lake City - Season 2 – 17 wins – owner was one and done
Chicago – Season 2 – 26 wins – owner was one and done
Atlanta – Season 5 - 41 wins – owner was one and done
Charlotte – Season 13 – 48 wins – 1 of only 2 owners (kcbp) with under 50 wins that returned in the following season. 2nd owner story explained later in this article.
Charlotte also fell into the “failure to reach 110 wins in 2 seasons” category.
He (kcbp) did it twice, season 12 -13 with 108 wins and seasons 13-14 with only 100 wins.

Of the current owners, only 1 has ever been at default of one of the rules. And that was back in seasons 3 and 4, Pville (Texas Steers) never had less than 50 in a season, but in season 3-4, he had only 102 wins (51 wins in each of the 2 seasons).

One last team needs more space when explaining their history, That would be Pittsburgh’s history.
6 owners in its first 6 seasons (including soulblazer in season 4 taking over the team before moving west with his current team).
Season win total for seasons 1-6 ( 31, 67, 55, 58, 48, 59) – 2 seasons failed to get 50 wins, but owners were one and done on both instances.
Season 7 – 17 had one owner “jacoby66”, in season 8, only 44 wins, seasons 7-8 and 8-9, failed to reach the 110 win mark, but never defaulted after that. Interesting not is that “jacoby66” managed the team to its best record in his last season (season 17) with a 73-89 record. And leaving the team with a couple of very good prospects.
One more interesting note on this franchise – “noah79” took over this team and led the team to 80, then 105 (only a WC spot), followed by a 83 win seasons, then “plymouth71 continued the success and brought this once “futile” franchise to playoff appearances in both his full seasons.

So, the point of this article is that the futility is usually eliminated on its own, but, if an owner is involved in their team, this should not ever happen. (And, what was going on in Season 2 with some awful teams!)

Who should be the 1st true catcher in the HOF? (by 69cubs)

2011-12-30T07:41:00.003-05:00

There has been a lot of catcher comparison in the HOF voting. I want to compare all the nominated catchers who were considered “catchers” during their career.
NOTE: Kareem Nunnally is in the HOF, but he had 728 games as catcher, 805 as DH and 511 at 1B. over 1300 games in a non-catcher position.

Let’s look at the candidates:
Ricardo Alomar (12 seasons)
Joel McNamara (16 seasons)
Ricky Gibbs (15 seasons)
Eduardo Silva (15 seasons)
Billy Hermansen (12 seasons)
Horacio Vallarta (18 seasons)
Luis Iglesias (9 seasons)
Phil Zheng (17 seasons)

My first step will be to eliminate Silva, Gibbs & Iglesias as they spent more time as DH/1B and less than half of their games played were at the catcher position.
That brings us down to 5:
McNamara, Vallarta, Zheng, Alomar and Hermansen.

My personal rank would be: Vallarta, McNamara, Hermansen, Zheng and Alomar.
To me, you cannot talk about a catcher going to the Hall of Fame without mentioning Vallarta in the sentence as a lock.
One NOTE: Vallarta NEVER played for my team in his career! So, this is not a favorite because he was on my team.
I think the career numbers shows he has earned the honor! This is not to take away the accomplishments of the others on the list.

Offensively, here are the numbers:
McNamara
2252 G, 1023 R, 2091 H, 1068 RBI, .294 BA, .375 OBP, .455 Slg
Vallarta
2356 G, 1630 R, 3008 H, 1321 RBI, .340 BA, .421 OBP, .522 Slg
Zheng
2217 G, 1025 R, 2066 H, 752 RBI, .340 BA, .441 OBP, .451 Slg
Alomar
1637 G, 946 R, 1866 H, 845 RBI, .344 BA, .448 OBP, .526 Slg
Hermansen
1451 G, 774 R, 1334 H, 817 RBI, .338 BA, .421 OBP, .576 Slg

Highlights: 4 of the 5 have outstanding career batting averages and OBP, above 340. 3 of the 5 have slugging pct over 520.
Vallarta is 1 of only 3 players in Mathewson World history to have 3000 hits!
It also appears we missed out on Hermansen and what final numbers he could have put up if he was in this world for his whole career.

Next, is the defense:
note: used Games Caught Pct, Field pct, ERA while catching, SB attempts and Caught Stealing pct.

McNamara
94.01% GC pct, .998 Field pct, 4.31 ERA, 1729 SB att., 27.88% CS pct
Vallarta
87.10% GC pct, .996 Field pct, 4.44 ERA, 1688 SB att., 29.56% CS pct
Zheng
66.94% GC pct, .994 Field pct, 4.43 ERA, 1388 SB att., 26.59% CS pct
Alomar
70.07% GC pct, .994 Field pct, 5.15 ERA, 1194 SB att., 23.10% CS pct
Hermansen
78.43% GC pct, .997 Field pct, 4.88 ERA, 744 SB att., 22.18% CS pct

McNamara appears to be best of this group defensively. He and Vallarta were workhorses when it came to being behind the plate.
The fielding percentage and ERA for that long of a career for McNamara is a great accomplishment. Vallarta and Zheng’s ERA are also worth noting as accomplishments.
Vallarta’s Caught Stealing percentage is a little over 1.5 percentage points above any of the other 4.

And finally, the awards (only used awards as a Major League player):

McNamara
6 AS, 1 SS, 1 GC & 1 WS ring
Vallarta
11 AS, 10 SS, 1 GC & 1 MVP
Zheng
3 AS, 2 SS & 1 WS ring
Alomar
3 AS & 4 SS
Hermansen
2 AS, 1 SS & 1 WS ring

Standing out is the double digit All Star Games and Silver Slugger total for Vallarta.
Only 2 (McNamara and Vallarta) earned Gold Gloves (1 each).
3 (McNamara, Zheng & Hermensen) won a world series in their careers.
Only 1 earned a league MVP, for a catcher, a great accomplishment!

I think these numbers show why I feel Vallarta belongs in the HOF! 3000+ hits. outstanding Batting percentages & an MVP!

He earned it, not just as a catcher, but as a major league player of any position!

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2011-12-29T21:57:00.002-05:00

World Series S22: New Britain's Empire Strikes Back

2011-12-18T10:39:00.013-05:00

World Series 22 featured a return of the New Britain Bombers against a Jackson team making its franchise's first visit to the World Series. Despite putting an incredible fight to the end and Sizzling to a game 7, it would be the veteran Bombers taking home their third World Series trophy.

Game 1: New Britain 0, Jackson 1
George Crandall faced off against Timo Fujiwara in the series opener and its closest game. In front of a sellout crowd in Jackson, this incredible pitching matchup became a bullpen game after six innings. Felipe Alvarez, who had entered the game as a pinch runner in the 8th inning, became the game's hero with a walk-off homerun in the 10th to give the Sizzle the series' first victory.

Game 2: New Britain 6, Jackson 5
Steven Reith and Kelly McPherson made quick exits after 5 innings each, but despite a close game, New Britain edged the one run victory. Don Hasegawa homered for New Britain.

Game 3: Jackson 3, New Britain 11
With the series tied and moving to New Britain, the Bombers's offense impressed the home crowd with an 11 run explosion. The Sizzle's Darryl Glass was on a short leash and got pulled after 2 innings and 4 earned runs, mostly on a 3 run blast by the Bomber's Harold Coffman. Reliever Jim Glass failed to get an out but gave up 3 more run, letting New Britain take a 7-2 lead by the end of the 3rd. Ezdra Ramirez gave the Bombers bullpen a rest with 8 solid and effective innings where he threw only 96 pitches. The Bombers hit 4 home runs in this game, and Coffman, Alexander Green and Howard Robinson each drove in 3 runs.

Game 4: Jackson 3, New Britain 2
Jackson's Torey Lopez gave his team exactly what they needed, with 8 solid innings. Lopez pitched brilliantly through the night, mixing curveballs, changeups and sliders to keep the Bombers off balance and turning poor contact into outs. Lopez made two pitching mistakes, with two hanging curveballs that became home runs off of Harold Coffman and Rob Bailes. Jackson only scored three times off of George Crandall, but this was enough for the win this time. Ismael Melo led off the game with a home run and Mac Aoki got two hits in the winning effort to tie the series at 2-2.

Game 5: Jackson 7, New Britain 10
Timo Fujiwara and Tom Snelling were the starting pitchers in a high scoring game that would ultimately go to New Britain. Neither starter pitched particularly well, but while Snelling lasted 6 innings, Fujiwara was pulled after 3 1/3 and became the first in a parade of 8 Jackson picthers. Catcher Harold Coffman homered again and drove in three runs for New Britain. In the bottom of the 4th, with Jackson leading 4-0, Coffman hit a 3-run blast to chase Fujiwara. Darryl Glass, appearing in relief, was immediately greeted with a homerun by Howard Robinson to tie the game. New Britain wasn't done,and by the time the inning was over, they would lead the game 9-4 and never surrendered the lead. Vin Mondesi also homered for New Britain.

Game 6: New Britain 1, Jackson 7
Back to Jackson and looking to clench the series, New Britain sent Game 3 starter Ezdra Ramirez to the mound. Ramirez pitched well enough through 6 innings to keep his team in the game, but was chased on a 2-Run homer by Felipe Alvarez in the 7th. Billy Darensbourg drove in two more runs, and Jackson scored 4 times in the 7th and never looked back after that. Jackson pitchers combined to allow only one run (a homerun by Howard Robinson) and Daryl Glass earned the victory in relief. Jackson's Pascual James had three hits and scored twice.

Game 7: New Britain 10, Jackson 8
Torey Lopez and George Crandall faced off in Game 7, but in a surprise move, the lefthanded Lopez was pulled after facing two batters for right hander Darryl Glass. The two batters faced by Lopez scored - a leadoff double by Hick Delahanty was followed by a 2 run homer by Don Hasegawa. Glass was greeted by a homer off the bat of Chris Tobin to give New Britain a 3 run lead. George Crandall didn't fare much better, giving up 7 runs in 3 1/3 and laboring with a high pitch count. Jackson built an 8-4 lead going into the 6th inning, in part on homers by Ismael Melo and Kevin Sikorski. Jackson's bullpen could not hold the large lead, giving up a 3 run home run to pinch hitter Vin Mondesi in the 6th to make it 8-7. The game's decision maker came in the 8th inning, when Chris Tobin hit a 2 out linedrive 3 run homer over the left field wall off of reliever Eddie Gardner. Jackson threatened in the 7th with runners on first and third, but Mac Aoki struck out looking to end the inning. New Britain's bullpen shut the door in the 8th and 9th,and rookie Julian Almanza earned the save with a perfect 9th to give New Britain another World Series title.

S22 Offensive Champions

2011-12-04T11:25:00.002-05:00

NL Batting Average
Mac Aoki (COL), .336
Santos Santana (HON), .331
Burke Mullins (COL), .318
Frank Valdes (BOS), .316
Jesus Martinez (COL), .316

AL Batting Average
Don Hasegawa (NB), .329
Pasqual Jimenez (SEA), .324
Wayne Ellis (ARI), .318
Gabe Marshall (CHR), .316
Brad Purcell (SLC), .313

NL Home Runs
Derrick Monroe (LV), 62
John Yashian (COL), 50
Jacque Kyung (NOR), 46
Chuck Nicholas (PAW), 41
Manuel Encarnacion (TB), 41
Trot Martin (HON), 41

AL Home Runs

Pasqual Jimenez (SEA), 57
Joe Strange (CH1), 54
Michael Harper (MEM), 54
Kevin Rolls (CH1), 48
Hipolito Coronado (OAK), 46

NL RBI

Derrick Monroe (LV), 152
Trot Martin (HON), 146
Cesar Armas (JAC), 130
Manuel Encarnacion (TB), 123
John Yashian (COL), 122

AL RBI
Pasqual Jimenez (SEA), 149
Hipolito Coronado (OAK), 145
Luis James (SAL), 140
Joe Strange (CH1), 138
Jerry Nolasco (PIT), 137

NL MVP SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION

2011-10-05T21:23:00.002-04:00

(story by 69cubs)

The Honolulu Star Advertiser is reporting that reigning NL MVP, Santos Santana, has signed a 5 year extension to remain with the Honolulu Volcanoes, therefore taking the first baseman and 2-time MVP off the market at the end of this season.

The Volcanoes and Santana’s agent were working throughout the preseason trying to get the deal done before the start of Season 22. Santana had repeatedly stated that he would not negotiate during the season. Reports coming out of camp are that there were several proposals presented and turned down before Santana finally accepted this contract.

Reportedly, the contract is a 5 year deal worth 49 million dollars with the 5th season being a mutual option.

Santos Santana, only 29, signed in Season 12 as an international FA, is a 2 time MVP, Season 14 Rookie of the year, 6 time All Star, 5 time Silver Slugger award winner and 1 Gold Glove to boot (no pun intended) plus the numerous Player of the Week awards he was stockpiling. In his 8 major league season, he has driven over 100 runs each season and has scored over 100 runs in all but one of those seasons (season 20 he just missed with 99). He has hit 30 or more HRs in all 8 seasons (4 with over 40, with 2 of them being over 50). Career BA of .317 and OBP of .394 and career OPS of .975 averaging 159 games and 631 Abs per season.

Santana made his 1st postseason appearance last season (season 21) batting .382 (.500 OBP) with 3 doubles, 2 HRs, 8 RBIs and 6 runs in 9 games as Honolulu lost in the 2nd round to eventual AL Champ (and NL West division champ) Colorado after beating the Tampa Bay Bandits in the 1st round.

When asked about the reported dollars, Santana’s agent stated that, “obviously, he would have commanded much more on the open market next season, but, Santos wanted to be here with this organization!”

Through his agent, Santos said, “Since I arrived here at the end of season 18, this organization has made great strides in proving to me that they want to win. We have improved on our win total each season and, last season, had the most wins in the franchise history and advancing to the 2nd round of the playoffs. We expect to take this further this season, with the maturity of Norm (Ricarrdi), Trotter (Trot Martin) & Andy (Andres Delgado) on the offense and the pitchers Ricky (Ricardo Rosado) and Zuks (James Suzuki) with another year under their belt joining Yoda (38 year old veteran Jackie Little), Bip (Bartee) & Pedro (Pulido), we expect great things this season!”

Santos continued, “The NL West is possibly the best division in Mathewson where all 4 teams are capable of winning big. We faded at the end of season 21 as we tried to overtake Colorado, but the experience we gained should help us this season To keep pace with the Crush, High Rollers and Cobfathers, we cannot let our guards down against any of them!”

During the press conference, GM 69cubs stated, “Of course, we are ecstatic that Santos has re-signed. He has become the face of this franchise and seeing him elsewhere would be wrong! This organization has made great strides and Santos is one of the main keys that have ignited us! We realized we got a “home town” discount, but this only proves to us what a great character Santos is in the clubhouse and to this community. We expect to take this team to the next level and work as a team towards the goal of bringing a championship to this organization!”

Also today, the Honolulu Volcanoes signed 30 year old SP, Pedro Pulido to a 3 year extension worth 18.4 million dollars with season 3 as a mutual option.

Pedro, the #3 starter, on the staff went 13-9 last season with a 3.85 ERA and 1-0 in the postseason.

One Man’s view of the HOF candidates (by cubs69)

2011-10-01T07:52:00.009-04:00

The remaining names not listed, I would remove from consideration

A LOCK...
Cookie Ramirez – 21 seasons -266 wins – All time world leader. 3.34 ERA, 10 time all star, 1 Cy Young

Javier Valdez – 14 seasons – 6 All Stars, 1 Gold Glove, 5 Silver Sluggers, 2 MVPs – 575 HRS/571 SBS

ALMOST A LOCK
Domingo Dali – 8 seasons (in his prime at the start of the world)-2 MVPs 2 All Star Games, 3 SilverSluggers

Juan Marin – 20 seasons – 7 All Stars, 2 Cy Young, 2 Gold Gloves. 257 Wins, .685 Per.

Sam Goodwin – 9 Seasons(active when world started), 3 All Star, 2 Cy Young, 142-55 (.721) in 9 seasons

BORDERLINE YES
Leo Billingsley – 14 seasons (active when world started) – 9 All stars, 1 Gold Glove, 2 Silver Sluggers. 2740 hits, .333 career batting average.

Giomar Diaz – 16 seasons, 5 All Star, 3 Cy Young, 1 Gold Glove, 1 ROY – 189-99 W/L

Ken Atkins– 17 seasons(active when world started),6 All Star, 1 Cy Young, 1 Gold Glove, 241 Wins

Stevie Slaughter – 10 seasons (active when world started), 5 All Star, 4 Silver Sluggers, 400 HRs in only 10 seasons

Yogi Cooper – 17 seasons, 6 All Star, 1 Gold Glove, 1 Silver Slugger, 2 WSR, 245-138 W/L

Mac Chong – 13 seasons (active when world started), 3 All star, 1 MVP, 4 Silver Slugger, 552 HRs – 13 seasons

Cookie Ramirez Announces Retirement

2011-09-19T23:19:00.003-04:00

The major leagues career wins leader, Cookie Ramirez, announced his retirement during a press conference this morning. Ramirez, 42, had a 266-177 record in 21 major league seasons and had a 3.34 career ERA, but his last season was a frustrating 0-11. Ramirez confirmed that an offer was made to return to the team, but he decided it was time to hang up the spikes.

Ramirez made the following statement at his press conference:

"Over the last few months, I discussed a contract extension with the franchise with which I have played my entire career. After considerable discussion with those closest to me, I have decided not to sign the extension, as I am unable to perform at a level equal to the salary the organization would be paying me or the level that I would be comfortable with. I believe I owe it to this team and our fans to step aside, so that the young talent can pitch as I once did as the team returns to a World Championship-caliber team.

So, I am walking away from the game that has provided me opportunities, experiences, memories and friendships to fill 10 lifetimes. For years I have said my motivation for playing wasn't for fame and fortune, but rather the love of competing. Baseball is a team sport and I have been lucky enough to contribute to the success of some great teams.

I want to thank the organization, and the thousands of Bison faithful for making this my family over 21 seasons. I want to thank the millions of baseball fans around the world and the many worthy opponents who have inspired me to take the mound as often as possible and play the best game in the world for a living."

World Series S21:Colorado's return to the World Series Crushed by New Britain's Bombers

2011-09-13T20:41:00.009-04:00

Game 1: Opening night of the World Series was a matchup between Colorado's 17-1 Harry Regan and the Bombers 16-3 Ezdra Ramirez. Ramirez gave up 5 runs and 11 hits in 7 innings, but Colorado's closer Andres Hernandez couldn't hold a lead, giving up a 2 Run walk-off homer to Hick Delahanty. Delahanty hit two homeruns, two doubles and drove in five runs for the Bombers.

Game 2: 21 yr old, 18-game winner Santiago Johnson for the Crush and the veteran George Crandall for the Bombers.
Colorado took a 4-2 lead into the 9th, but a 2-run blast by pinch hitter Cesar Rincon off of closer Andres Hernandez sent it into extra innings. Game 1 hero Hick Delahanty, who had entered the game as a pinch runner in the 9th inning, got a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th to give New Britain the come from behind win. Batting champion York McNamara had three hits for the Bombers.

Game 3: With the World Series shifting to Colorado, the Crush's re-energized offense made a statement by scoring 3 runs in the first inning by way of two homers. By the time the night was done, the Crush would cross homeplate 8 times, and even a late rally by the Bombers wasn't enough. Hipolito Escuela, hitting .348 in the postseason, had 3 hits and 2 runs batted in, while catcher Albert Cairo had a perfect 3 for 3 night. New Britain's Chris Tobin crushed a 3 run home run in the 9th to make it 8-5, but it was too little too late. New Britain's National League starting lineup had neither Hick Delahanty nor AL Batting Champion York McNamara, although McNamara did appear as a late inning pinch hitter.

Game 4: Colorado's Harry Regan had another strong performance in his second start of the series to remain a perfect 3-0 in the postseason, and the Colorado bats had a 17 hit, 9 run attack on the Bombers. Despite 12 hits, the Bombers missed some key scoring opportunities. Albert Cairo, Mac Aoki and Burke Mullins had three hits each for Colorado. Hick Delahanty, New Britain's hero in the first two games of the series, reached base three times.

Game 5: New Britain won the first game in Colorado behind strong pitching by Ezdra Ramirez and a 3 run home run by Trent Erickson to win it 5-1 and be within one run of clinching the series. Erickson, a 20 yr old rookie who batted .160 in a mere 50 at bats during the regular season, was the player of the game.

Game 6: Colorado jumped to an early 3-0 lead, but New Britain took the lead after consecutive unusual plays in the 4th inning. With the bases loaded, two separate attempts to end it by double plays were beaten by runners beating the throws to first base, allowing two runs to score on fielders' choices. New Britain would break it open in the 7th inning with 3 runs, and the Bombers never looked back, winning it 7-3 in front of the home crowd to clench their 3rd World Series title. Don Hasegawa had three hits and drove in 3 runs, including a home run, and George Crandall earned the victory with 6 quality innings.

S21 Pitching Leaders

2011-09-12T11:48:00.004-04:00

American League Wins
Quinton Hansen (CH1).. 20
Gerardo Cedeno (CH1).. 18
J.R. Clark (LA)....... 18

National League Wins
Alex Morlan (HEL)..... 23
Santiago Johnson (COL) 18
Fred Hughes (TB)...... 18

American League ERA
R.J. Guardado (SEA)... 2.71
Quinton Hansen (CH1).. 3.04
Ramiro Canseco (CHR).. 3.13

National League ERA
Harry Regan (COL)..... 2.22
Fred Hughes (TB)...... 2.47
Cozy Ponson (TB)...... 2.59

American League Saves
Alex Dellaero (PHI).... 48
Felipe Colon (OAK)..... 47
Juan Lopez (SEA)....... 47

National League Saves
Esteban Rodriguez (HON) 48
Al Canseco (HEL)....... 44
Andres Hernandez (COL). 43

S21 League Offensive Leaders

2011-09-11T12:17:00.013-04:00

Batting Average

National League Batting AVG:
Patrick Knotts (OMA)... .350
Mac Aoki (COL)......... .346
John Yashian (COL)..... .333
Mike Jameson (HON)..... .328

American League Batting AVG:
York McNamara (NB)..... .329
Wilfredo Estrella (CH1) .324
Gabe Marshall (CHR).... .323
Kevin Rolls (CH1)...... .320

National League Hits:
John Yashian (COL).......211
Santos Santana (HON).....205
Albert Cairo (COL).......197
Mac Aoki (COL)...........192

American League Hits:
Kevin Rolls (CH1).......212 (T)
Geoffery Gentry (CHA)...212 (T)
Gabe Marshall (CHR).....206
Lou Bonham (PHI)........198

National League Home Runs:
John Yashian (COL)......56
Santos Santana (HON)....52
Jacque Kyung (NOR)......49
Del Henley (TB).........44

American League Home Run Leaders:
Joe Strange (CH1).......51
Kevin Rolls (CH1).......50
Pasqual Jimenez (SEA)...49
Brad Purcell (SLC)......49

National League RBI Leaders
John Yashian (COL)..... 151
Santos Santana (HON) ...134
Chuck Nicholas (PAW) ...133
Del Henley (TB) ........124

American League RBI Leaders
Kevin Rolls (CH1)...... 140 (T)
Jerry Nolasco (PIT) ....140 (T)
Pasqual Jimenez (SEA) ..131
Michael Harper (MEM) ...128

National League OPS
Patrick Knotts (OMA)... 1.060
Mac Aoki (COL)......... 1.057
John Yashian (COL)..... 1.043
Santos Santana (HON)... 1.038

American League OPS
Art Sweeney (CH1)....... .994
Brad Purcell (SLC)...... .990
Kevin Rolls (CH1) ...... .986
Chris Tobin (NB) ....... .985

National League Stolen Bases
Albert Moraga (NOR) 61
Bailey Darensbourg (JAC) 57
Manuel Encarnacion (CIN) 54
Aaron Bailey (BUR) 41 (T)
Johnnie Grimsley (JAX) 41 (T)
A.J. Bailes (LV) 41 (T)

American League Stolen Bases
Everth Rojas (OAK) 88
Torey LaFromboise (SEA) 64
Brad Spruill (CHR) 61
Edgard Polanco (MNT) 60

National League On Base Percentage
Patrick Knotts (OMA)... .476
Mike Jameson (HON)..... .442
Willie Martin (NY1).... .434
Mac Aoki (COL)......... .430

American League On Base Percentage
Alberto Ordonez (CHR).... .433
Denny Kida (CHR)......... .432
York McNamara (NB)....... .421
Benji Infante (LA)....... .413

National League Slugging Percentage
John Yashian (COL).. .655
Santos Santana (HON) .636
Mac Aoki (COL)...... .627

American League Slugging Percentage
Art Sweeney (CH1). .624
Brad Purcell (SLC) .621
Chris Tobin (NB).. .595

American League Runs Scored
Shea Brooks (CH1)....... 144
Geoffery Gentry (CHA)... 127
Kevin Rolls (CH1)....... 124
Fernando Rodriguez (CHA) 119

National League Runs Scored
Mac Aoki (COL) ..... 137
John Yashian (COL).. 127
Santos Santana (HON).124
Endy Horton (TB).... 120

World Series S19: Battle of Two Dynasties

2011-03-14T23:33:00.005-04:00

World Series S19 rolled around as a battle between the two best records in the Majors: the 110 win Helena Handbaskets and their American League counterparts, the 108 win Chicago Billy Goats. The Billy Goats, the defending World Series champions, appeared poised to defend after sweeping Trenton in the League Championship Series and beating Washington 3-1 in the Division Championship Series. Helena came off of a tough 7-Game series with last season's NL champions, the Colorado Colorado Crush.

Game 1: Chicago Billy Goats at Helena Handbaskets (Gerardo Cedeno (18-8, 2.91 ERA in regular season) vs Julian Flores(21-6, 3.22 ERA in regular season))

The World Series opened in Helena, with Flores, the NL Cy Young winner matching nicely against Chicago's Cedeno, who had been lights out with a 3-0 record in the postseason. Helena struck early, with Joaquin Vega's solo shot in the 2nd inning, but Cedeno shut them down the rest of the way, silencing the Handbaskets at the rhythm of 10 strikeouts in 8 innings. Chicago's regular season 2B, Albert Bell, started at shortstop despite only starting there in 5 games during the regular season and was the engine behind their offense. Bell drove in 4 runs, including a 2-run homerun in the 6th.

Final Score: Chicago 7, Helena 1.
Player of the Game: Albert Bell, with 3 hits in 5 at bats and 4 RBI
Alberto Cedeno threw 8 solid innings, allowing 1 earned run and striking 10.

Game 2: Chicago Billy Goats at Helena Handbaskets: (Joaquin Gil (21-4, 2.71 ERA in regular season) vs Alex Morlan (13-4, 2.48 ERA in regular season))

In an incredible pitching matchup, AL Cy Young winner Gil faced off against NL Rookie of the Year Morlan. Unfortunately, the Billy Goats' offense took off early, battering the 21 year old Helena rookie for 5 runs in the first inning and never looked back. Joaquin Gil pitched 7 solid innings.

Final Score: Chicago 8, Helena 3
Player of the Game: Joaquin Gil, pitched 7 innings, allowed 1 run, earned the win
Albert Bell, got 3 more hits in 5 at bats, including a homerun

Game 3: Helena Handbaskets at Chicago Billy Goats: (Tomas Gonzales (15-8, 3.99 ERA in regular season) vs Joaquin Valentin (18-8, 4.27 ERA in regular season))

With the series shifting to Chicago, the game was a scoreless pitching duel for 8 innings, and tied at 1 for 11 innings. In the 11th inning, Billy Goat ss Albert Bell made his only hit of the night count, blasting a walk-off 3 run homerun off of Junior Otanez.

Player of the Game: Albert Bell, 3-run walkoff home run

Final Score: Helena 1, Chicago 4

Game 4: Helena Handbaskets at Chicago Billy Goats (Brian Wang (14-8, 3.65 ERA in regular season) vs Gerardo Cedeno (18-8, 2.91 ERA in regular season))

Gerardo Cedeno tossed a gem, with a 4 hit, complete game shutout of the Helena offense to clinch the World Series title for the Billy Goats. Ivan Pescado, Thom Monroe and Albert Bell each homered. Bell drove in 3 runs in 2 hits, stole a base and scored.

Final Score: Helena 0, Chicago 7.
Player of the Game: Alberto Cedeno threw a complete game shutout, 4 hits, 4 strikeouts, 0 walks.
Albert Bell, with 2 hits in 3 at bats and 3 RBI, SB

Chicago swept Helena and won the S19 World Series.

S19 League Leaders: Pitching Statistics

2011-03-13T09:40:00.007-04:00

American League Wins

Joaquin Gil (CHI), 21
Jackie Little (WAS), 19
Ronnie Pierce (WAS), 19
Adam Phillips (SFE), 19
Gerardo Cedeno (CH1), 18
Joaquin Valentin (CH1), 18

National League Wins
Julian Flores (HEL), 21
Oscar Martin (BUF), 19
Santiago Johnson (COL), 16
Vincenzo Wall (OMA), 16
Cookie Ramirez (BUR), 15
Tomas Gonzales (HEL), 15
Miguel Duran (OMA), 15

American League ERA
Harry Regan (ATL), 2.67
Joaquin Gil (CH1), 2.71
Dustan Stoops (MEM), 2.73
Joe Parker (WAS), 2.80
Daniel Martin (LA), 2.82

National League ERA
Alex Morlan (HEL), 2.48
Dave Lewis (NOR), 2.57
Cozy Ponson (HOU), 2.65
Raul James (BAL), 2.73
Cookie Ramirez (BUR), 2.93

American League Saves
Alex Dellaero (WAS), 39
Felipe Colon (OAK), 37
R.J. Nunez (CHA), 35
Alex Martin (LA), 35
R.A. O'Keefe (ATL), 34

National League Saves
Al Canseco (HEL), 48
Benj Kent (POR), 46
Kirk O'Shea (RIC), 44
Willis Bale (OMA), 43
Robert Owens (BUR), 42

American League WHIP
Gerardo Cedeno (CHI), 1.03
Joaquin Gil (CH1), 1.06
Joe Parker (WAS), 1.09
Dustan Stoops (MEM), 1.11
Jackie Little (WAS), 1.11
Jose Lee (SEA), 1.11

National League WHIP
Alex Morlan (HEL), 1.02
Brian Wang (HEL), 1.15
Cozy Ponson (HOU), 1.15
Cookie Ramirez (BUR), 1.16
Bip Bartee (HOU), 1.19

American League OAV
Gerardo Cedeno (CHI), .210
Joe Parker (WAS), .216
Joaquin Gil (CH1), .221
Harry Regan (ATL), .224
Jose Lee (SEA), .224

National League OAV
Alex Morlan (HEL), .211
Bip Bartee (HOU), .228
Miguel Duran (OMA), .229
Dave Lewis (NOR), .230
Cozy Ponson (HOU), .230

S18 World Series

2010-12-13T00:06:00.012-05:00

Game 1: Colorado 3, Chicago 4
Player of the Game: Gerardo Cedeno goes 8.0 innings for the win.
Notables:
Wilfredo Estrella: 2 for 4, Run scored
Shea Brooks: 3 for 5, 2 SB, 2 Runs scored, 1 RBI
Albert Bell: 2 for 4, 1 RBI
Gerardo Cedeno: 8 IP, 9H, 3ER, W

Game 2: Colorado 7, Chicago 10 (11 inning game)
Player of the Game: Wilfredo Estrella hits walk-off home run

Notables:
Wilfredo Estrella, pinch hit HR, 3 RBI in 11th inning
Shea Brooks: 3 for 6, 2 Runs scored, 1 RBI
Albert Bell: 2 for 5, 1 Run scored, 2 RBI
Ivan Andujar, 2 for 4, 1BB, 2 Runs scored

Game 3: Chicago 8, Colorado 13
Colorado scored 6 times in the 8th inning.

Player of the Game: John Wallace drives in 4 runs

Notables:
John Wallace: 2 for 4, 4 RBI, Run scored
Albert Cairo: 3 for 3, 4 RBI, 2 Run scored
Leon Dickerson 5 for 5, 2 RBI

Game 4: Chicago 0, Colorado 4

Player of the Game: Ruben Romano drives in 3 runs

Notables:
Ruben Romano: 1 for 3, 3 RBI

Game 5: Chicago 20, Colorado 10

Player of the Game: Albert Bell hits for the cycle

Notables:
Albert Bell: 4 for 6, 4 RBI, 3 Runs, hit for cycle
Wilfredo Estrella: 4 for 6, 5 RBI, 3 Runs scored
Ivan Pescado: 5 for 5, 4 runs, 1 RBI, 2 SB
Shea Brooks: 3 for 7, 3 runs, 3 RBI

Game 6: Colorado 5, Chicago 6 (13 innings)

Player of the Game: Shea Brooks hits walk-off home run

Notables:
Shea Brooks: Walk-off homerun (13th), 2 for 7, RBI
Wilfredo Estrella: 3 for 6, 1 RBI, 1 Run scored
Albert Bell: 2 for 5, 1 run scored
Anthony Mulholland, 4 for 6, 1 RBI

CHICAGO WINS THE WORLD SERIES

MVP Candidates:
Wilfredo Estrella
Shea Brooks
Albert Bell

S18 League Leaders: Pitching Statistics

2010-12-02T00:50:00.001-05:00

American League Wins
Gerardo Cedeno (CHI), 21
Louie Gonzalez (NB), 21
Joaquin Gil (CHI), 20
George Crandall (NB), 19
Adam Phillips (SFE), 19

National League Wins
Julian Flores (HEL), 19
Oswaldo Ramirez (NOR), 18
Clay Malone (BUR), 17
Del Butler (BUR), 17
Juan Cora (HEL), 17

American League ERA
Gerardo Cedeno (CHI), 2.25
Bip Bartee (NB), 2.71
Louie Gonzalez (NB), 3.06
Joaquin Valentin (CHI), 3.12
Marcus Perry (NB) 3.43

National League ERA
Vic Cordero (POR), 2.62
Clay Malone (BUR), 3.08
Javy Sierra (LOU), 3.09
Cozy Ponzon (CHI), 3.15
OT Ferrara (BUR), 3.18

American League Saves
Alex Dellaero (BOS), 38
Ruben Tatis (SFE), 38
Clarence Torrealba (CHR), 35
Brutus Nixon (NB), 35
Cliff Smart (NB), 35

National League Saves
Valerio Herrera (SLC), 50
Al Canseco (HEL), 49
Robert Owens (BUR), 47
Jorge James (ARI), 41
Benj Kent (POR) 40

American League WHIP
Bip Bartee (CHR), 1.09
Gerardo Cedeno (CHI), 1.11
Joaquin Valentin (CHI), 1.17
Louie Gonzales (NB), 1.18
Toby Haynes (SEA), 1.18

National League WHIP
Clay Malone (BUR), 1.07
Cookie Ramirez (BUR), 1.13
Tomas Gonzales (HEL), 1.13
Cozy Ponzon (CHI), 1.14
Del Butler (BUR), 1.16

American League OAV
Bip Bartee (CHR), .207
Gerardo Cedeno (CHI), .222
Toby Haynes (SEA), .226
Joaquin Valentin (CHI), .228
Louie Gonzales (NB), .232

National League OAV
Cookie Ramirez (BUR), .215
Clay Malone (BUR), .219
Del Butler (BUR), .220
Kelly McPherson (JAC), .228
Cozy Ponzon (CHI), .237

American League Quality Starts
Bip Bartee (CHR), 28
Gerardo Cedeno (CHI), 27
Louie Gonzales (NB), 24
George Crandall (NB). 24
Joaquin Valentin (CHI), 23

National League Quality Starts
Cookie Ramirez (BUR), 25
Julian Flores (HEL), 25
Andrew Newson (BUF), 23
Tomas Gonzales (HEL), 23
Clay Malone (BUR), 22

S18 League Leaders: Offensive Statistics

2010-12-01T23:33:00.014-05:00

American League Batting Average
Shea Brooks, CHI Billy Goats--- .351
Wayne Ellis, LA Canyoneros----- .348
Kevin Rolls, CHI Billy Goats--- .334
Pete Charleston, BOS Americans- .326
Sammy Boggs, BOS Americnans --- .322

National League Batting Average
Albert Cairo, COL Colorado Crush- .353
Mateo Montero, ARI Sun Devils---- .334
Parker McIntyre, BUF Blizzard---- .333
Derrek Silva, POR Rain----------- .328
Pete DeJean, SLC Grizzlies------- .325

American League Home Runs
Kevin Rolls, CHI ----------------- 65
Michael Harper, MEM -------------- 56
Alexander Green, SFE ------------- 56
Pasqual Jimenez, SEA ------------- 54
Ramon Jiang, SFE ----------------- 52

National League Home Runs
Geronimo Martis, NOR ------------- 67
John Yashian, COL ---------------- 49
Chris Tobin, JAC ----------------- 48
John Wallace, COL ---------------- 42
Sidney Gardner, IND -------------- 41

American League Runs Batted In
Kevin Rolls, CHI ----------------- 168
Ramon Jiang, SFE ----------------- 160
Alexander Green, SFE ------------- 151
Endy Horton, NB ------------------ 141
Mark Mieske, SAL ----------------- 139
Michael Harper, MEM -------------- 139

National League Runs Batted In
Geronimo Martis, NOR ------------- 156
John Yashian, COL ---------------- 141
Chris Tobin, JAC ----------------- 136
Santos Santana, ARI -------------- 135
King Ray, SLC -------------------- 123

American League Hits
Kevin Rolls, CHI ----------------- 222
Fernando Rodriguez, CHA ---------- 205
Sammy Boggs, BOS ----------------- 203
Tripp Patel, CHA ----------------- 200
Richie Johnson, SFE -------------- 197

National League Hits
Albert Cairo, COL ---------------- 234
Parker McIntyre, BUF ------------- 211
Albert Hernandez, IND ------------ 210
Santos Santana, ARI -------------- 201
Kirk Hundley, LR ----------------- 201

American League Runs Scored
Fernando Rodriguez, CHA ---------- 161
Alexander Green, SFE ------------- 151
Kevin Rolls, CHI ----------------- 142
Hick Delahanty, SAL -------------- 135
Shea Brooks, CHI ----------------- 127
Ken Easley, MEM ------------------ 127

National League Runs Scored
Albert Hernandez, IND ------------ 135
Santos Santana, ARI -------------- 124
John Yashian, COL ---------------- 115
Brendan Lee, HEL ----------------- 113
Larry Dupler, HEL ---------------- 112

American League Stolen Bases
Edgar Polanco, SXF ---------------- 83
Hick Delahanty, SAL --------------- 64
Aaron Bailey, CHR ----------------- 63
Geronimo Melian, SXF -------------- 62
Julio Alcantara, SXF -------------- 51

National League Stolen Bases
Vasco Marin, RIC ------------------ 65
Bailey Darensbourg, JAC ----------- 63
Albert Moraga, NOR ---------------- 60
Max Wolfredo, LR ------------------ 42
Jeremy Lyon, LOU ------------------ 39

American League On Base Percentage
Alexander Green, SFE ------------- .417
Tripp Patel, CHA ----------------- .401
Sammy Boggs, BOS ----------------- .400
Anthony Mulholland, CHI ---------- .400
Diego Pineiro, BOS --------------- .398

National League On Base Percentage
Omar Pena, HEL ------------------- .405
Patrick Knotts, OMA -------------- .402
Albert Cairo, COL ---------------- .401
Wade Dalrymple, HEL -------------- .398
Mateo Montero, ARI --------------- .398

American League Slugging Percentage
Alexander Green, SFE ------------- .705
Kevin Rolls, CHI ----------------- .680
Shea Brooks, CHI ----------------- .676
Endy Horton, NB ------------------ .644
Albert Bell, CHI ----------------- .629

National League Slugging Percentage
Geronimo Martis, NOR ------------- .685
Chris Tobin, JAC ----------------- .603
Santos Santana, ARI -------------- .591
John Yashian, COL ---------------- .589
Del Henley, JAC ------------------ .585

Top Free Agents of S18... How are they doing?

2010-10-14T22:25:00.002-04:00

The offseason saw some big names changing teams and even more money changing pockets. With 30 games into the season, what do the early stats tell us about busts and bargains?

David Lee - Los Angeles Canyoneros - .232 AVG, .306 OBP, .464 SLG. The biggest free agent name in the offseason got a big contract (110 million over 5 years), but his performance over the first 28 games has been abysmal. The season is young, and Lee should improve as the season progresses.

Doug Thompson - Charleston Stingrays - 6 starts, 3-2, 4.05 ERA. Thompson has pitched as well as could be expected from his history, but has pitched particularly well on the road. After being a reliever and spot starter in Little Rock, Thompson returned to the starting role that he is most comfortable with, and where he has spent the bulk of his career.

Banana Hawkins - Salem Trappers - 7 starts, 6-1, 2.76 ERA. The 37yr old southpaw has been outstanding for Salem. If he stays healthy and pitches like this through next season at 38, he will be a bargain at 6 million a year.

Ben Morris - Omaha Cobfathers - .271 AVG, .322 OBP, .579 SLG, .901 OPS. Morris, one of several Redlegs to walk out in free agency, has been a solid hitter, delivering power as promised for his new team.

Shannon Casey - Texas Steers - .336 AVG, .368 OBP, .546 SLG, .914 OPS - Casey has shown a live bat, and has exceeded expectations in the early returns. If he keeps up the pace, his 2.9 million per season for 2 years may be a huge bargain.

New Owners Join Mathewson, Teams renamed

2010-09-17T16:21:00.001-04:00

Today, the Mathewson League's Commisioner's office made official announcements about new owners joining the league and the franchise's new home cities and team names. The returning owners welcome the new members with open arms.

Montreal Maroons. The former New York Fadeaways, who made the post-season last season as a wild card team, has officially relocated to Montreal as the Maroons. The team is owned by experienced sports management group, Rubnsly, who has 8 previous seasons of professional baseball management in different leagues.

Charlotte Knights. Formerly the Wolfpack, Charlotte retains the team under a new name. This franchise is solid, with a relatively low payroll, solid talent that posted two consecutive winning seasons and should be competitive for a long time. The new ownership, Lone Ranger Inc, is new to baseball franchise management but hopes to remain within reach of a postseason berth that their predecessor missed by one game last season.

Santa Fe All Blacks. An experienced ownership group picked up the former Durham franchise, which lost 100 games last season. The new ownership, dshimoda, looks to return this franchise to the success it once had.

Boston Americans. Rookie owner Leslie Chow has jumped into big league management with the acquisition of several teams in several professional leagues. He is committed to improving on a Boston franchise that carries the historical record in franchise losses in this world. The first step was the rebranding of the franchise as the Boston Americans.

Minnesota Grape Apes. The former Montreal Monarchs franchise found itself without a home when the new ownership brought the Maroons into town, and Grapeape Management bought the team and relocated it to the Twin Cities, where it will carry the company name and be known as the Grape Apes.

Welcome to all the new owners and best of luck to all teams in the new Season.

Two franchises relocate for Season 18

2010-09-17T16:19:00.002-04:00

The league commissioner announced today the relocation of two franchises, which will retain the same ownership.

The Tacoma Hammerheads, which were abandoned by their previous owner halfway through S17, found a new home in Utah's Salt Lake City, where they will be known as the Grizzlies. (How somebody convinced the commisioner that Salt Lake City is a northern city remains a mystery).

In the American League, the Nashville Banjo Bears relocated to another Southern city and changed their name to the Charleston Stingrays.

George Crandall named S17 World Series MVP

2010-09-15T20:43:00.002-04:00

George Crandall was named S17 World Series MVP after pitching his team to 2 wins in the series. Crandall started four times in the post-season, including two stellar starts against Colorado in the World Series. The 26 yr old right hander had a season of ups and downs, following his first stint on the disabled list due to a shoulder injury. The injury limited Crandall to 154 innings and only 24 starts, both career lows in the majors. Crandall regained his form, pitching brilliantly since his return and shining in the World Series. "George is a tough competitor and he deserved the recognition for coming through for us as big as he did," said New Britain's GM Lyle Diekmann, "and that's why we locked him up to that contract. Crandall is our ace and he has even more awards in his future."

S17 Award Winners

2010-09-12T14:36:00.003-04:00

Season 17 ML - NL MVP Award and votes
MVP: John Yashian, Colorado Crush - 16

Runner ups:
Santos Santana, Hammerheads - 10
Tomas Liriano, Shoeless Joes - 4
Tyler Merrick, Bison - 1
Joaquin Santiago, Bison - 1

Season 17 ML - AL MVP Award and votes
MVP: Shea Brooks, Billy Goats - 16

Runner ups:
Horacio Vallarta, Banjo Bears - 10
Endy Horton, Bombers - 2
David Lee, Bombers - 2
Pasqual Jimenez, Lightning - 2

Season 17 ML - NL Cy Young Award and votes
Cy Young: Jackie Little, Shoeless Joes - 18

Runner ups:
Bey Franco, Sizzle - 7
Hector Riley, Tars - 3
Tomas Gonzales, Handbaskets - 3
Andres Hernandez, Colorado Crush - 1

Season 17 ML - AL Cy Young Award and votes
Cy Young: Wolf Miller, Canyoneros - 24

Runner ups:
Harry Regan, Banjo Bears - 4
Julian Jimenez, Fadeaways - 2
Dennys Satou, Trappers - 1
Luis James, Trappers - 1

Season 17 ML - NL Rookie of the Year Award and votes
ROY: Del Butler, Bison- 22

Runner ups:
Angel Lopez, Wild Turkeys - 4
Don Hasegawa, Colorado Crush - 3
Walt Walker, Handbaskets - 2
Santiago Oliva, Riot - 1

Season 17 ML - AL Rookie of the Year Award and votes
ROY: Luis James, Trappers -21

Runner ups:
Pasqual Jimenez, Lightning - 6
James Suzuki, Canyoneros - 2
Pascual James, Steers - 2
Welington Gandarillas, Minute Men - 1

S17 Pitching Leaders by League

2010-09-12T14:18:00.006-04:00

National League

Wins (W)
1 Bey Franco (JAC) 21
2 O.T. Ferrara (BUR) 18
3 (T) Del Butler (BUR) 17
3 (T) Jackie Little (CH2) 17
5 Oscar Martin (COL) 16

Earned Run Average (ERA)
1 Dave Lewis (NOR) 1.87
2 Jackie Little (CH2) 2.68
3 Tomas Gonzales (HEL) 2.72
4 Juan Cora (HEL) 2.80
5 Del Butler (BUR) 2.92

Saves (S)
1 Esteban Sosa (JAC) 47
2 Hector Riley (NOR) 46
3 (T) Robert Owens (BUR) 41
3(T) Al Canseco (HEL) 41
5 Andres Hernandez (COL) 38

WHIP
1(T) Vincenzo Wall (OMA) 1.08
1(T) Juan Marin (HEL) 1.08
3 Tomas Gonzales (HEL)1.11
4 Jackie Little (CH2) 1.11
5 Juan Cora (HEL) 1.11

American League
Wins (W)
1 Wolf Miller (LA) 25
2 (T) Brooks Reames (CH1) 18
2 (T) James Suzuki (LA) 18
2 (T)Louie Gonzalez (NB) 18
2 (T) Dennys Satou (SAL) 18
2 (T) Omar Gilbert (SAL) 18

Earned Run Average (ERA)
1 Harry Regan (NAS) 2.31
2 Luis James (SAL) 2.47
3 Wolf Miller (LA) 2.79
4 Ivan Henriquez (SEA) 3.12
5 Brooks Reames (CH1) 3.14

Saves (S)
1 Julian Jimenez (NY2) 47
2 Alex Dellaero (BOS) 43
3 R.J. Nunez (CHA) 37
4 Felipe Colon (OAK) 36
5 Clarence Torrealba (NAS) 35

WHIP
1 Harry Regan (NAS) 1.11
2(T) Brooks Reames (CH1) 1.14
2(T) Wolf Miller (LA) 1.14
4(T) Ivan Henriquez (SEA) 1.17
4(T) Luis James (SAL) 1.17

S17 Offensive Leaders by League

2010-09-12T13:47:00.005-04:00

National League
Batting Average (AVG)
John Yashian, COL .... .343
Mariano Gonzalez, COL. .335
Santos Santana, TAC .. .321
Tomas Liriano, CH2.... .320
Ross Carter, LV ...... .319

Home Runs (HR)
Geronimo Martis, NOR - 58
John Yashian, COL - 51
Norm Parris, NOR - 47
Art Sweeney, POR - 43
Chris Tobin, JAC -39

Runs Scored (R)
Mariano Gonzalez, COL -138
Albert Hernandez, IND - 127
Brendan Lee, HEL - 118
Pasqual Martin, BUR - 116
Santos Santana, TAC - 116

Hits (H)
John Yashian, COL - 218
Albert Hernandez, IND - 213
Santos Santana, TAC - 211
Mariano Gonzalez, COL -210
Tomas Liriano, CH2- 203

Runs Batted In (RBI)
John Yashian, COL - 143
Ben Morris, IND - 126
Geronimo Martis, NOR -126
Larry Dupler, HEL -121
Parker McIntyre, BUF - 118

On Base Percentage (OBP)
Mariano Gonzalez, COL -.417
John Yashian, COL - .399
Hugh Stargell, JAC - .394
Santos Santana, TAC - .389
Chris Tobin, JAC - .388

OPS
John Yashian, COL - 1.036
Geronimo Martis, NOR - 1.034
Mariano Gonzalez, COL - .950
Chris Tobin, JAC - .945
Santos Santana, TAC - .943

Stolen Bases (SB)
Albert Moraga (NOR) 57
Bailey Darensbourg (JAC) 55
Melvin Lawrence (BUR) 46
Brendan Lee (HEL) 44
Trevor Bellhorn (OMA) 38

American League
Batting Average (AVG)
1 Horacio Vallarta (NAS) .372
2 Alberto Ordonez (TRE) .349
3 Russell Leonard (CHA) .337
4 Wilfredo Estrella (CH1) .329
5 Luis Lee (NB) .324

Home Runs
1 (T) Shea Brooks (CH1) 52
1 (T) Bruce Relaford (TEX) 52
3 Kevin Rolls (CH1) 46
4 Fernando Rodriguez (CHA) 45
5 Michael Harper (MEM) 45

Runs Scored
1 Fernando Rodriguez (CHA) 132
2 Shea Brooks (CH1) 126
3 Ken Easley (MEM) 122
4 Hick Delahanty (SAL) 122
5 Bruce Relaford (TEX) 114

Hits
1 Fernando Rodriguez (CHA) 206
2 Tripp Patel (CHA) 199
3 Richie Johnson (DUR) 197
4 Horacio Vallarta (NAS) 195
5 Gabe Marshall (TRE) 193

RBI
1 Bruce Relaford (TEX) 141
2 Kevin Rolls (CH1) 137
3 Lonny Pujols (LA) 137
4 Endy Horton (NB) 137
5 Fernando Rodriguez (CHA) 135

OBP
1 Horacio Vallarta (NAS) .440
2 Alberto Ordonez (TRE) .436
3 Patrick Knotts (SAL) .431
4 Russell Leonard (CHA) .421
5 Juan Colon (MON) .408

OPS
1 Horacio Vallarta (NAS)1.047
2 Alexander Green (DUR) 1.005
3 Patrick Knotts (SAL) .997
4 Kevin Rolls (CH1) .996
5 Shea Brooks (CH1) .995

Stolen Bases
Aaron Bailey (NAS) 60
Julio Alcantara (SXF) 53
Edgard Polanco (SXF) 51
Evan Spencer (OAK) 47
Hick Delahanty (SAL) 47

S17 World Series: To Crush or to Bomb?

2010-09-08T22:52:00.015-04:00

World Series 17 rolled around with two of the winningest franchises facing off for the fall classic. The Colorado Colorado Crush has the third most wins in league history, but a World Series title has elluded them. New Britain makes their fifth appearance in the last six seasons.

Game 1: Colorado Colorado Crush 1, New Britain Bombers 9
The New Britain Bombers' George Crandall held Colorado to 1 run in 8 innings while the Bomber bats amassed 16 hits and 9 runs. Colorado starter David Martin was rocked to the rhythm of 7 earned runs and 9 hits in less than 3 innings. Bomber catcher Cesar Rincon got 3 hits, including a HR, and drove in 3 runs. RF Eduardo Molina and 3B Endy Horton got 2 hits a piece.

Player of the Game: Cesar Rincon, 3-5, 3 RBI, HR
Notable: George Crandall 8 IP, 4H, 3BB, 1ER, 9K

Game 2: Colorado Colorado Crush 1, New Britain Bombers 0
A classic pitching duel went Colorado's way to even the series. The Bombers' Louie Gonzalez held Colorado hitless through 4 innings, but Colorado scored on 2 hits and a sacrifice fly in the 5th. Gonzalez struck out 11 in 7 1/3, but Colorado's Yorrick Kramer pitched even better, with no runs allowed to earn the 1-0 win.

Player of the Game: Yorrick Kramer , 7 IP, 5H, 1BB, 3K

Game 3: New Britain 7, Colorado 2
With the series shifting to the NL, New Britain's starter, Mateo Colon got pulled early in favor of a pinch hitter. With a 4 run lead in the 5th, the manager chose to rest Colon and hand the game to the bullpen, who held the lead. David Lee and Yorvit Beltran collected 3 hits a piece while Eduardo Molina drove in 3.

Player of the Game: Eduardo Molina , 2-5, 3RBI

Game 4: New Britain 5, Colorado 0
George Crandall came back on short rest and once again shut down the Colorado offense for 6 innings (6IP, 0 ER, 3H, 4BB), while Cesar Rincon hit a 2 Run homer in the 4th and Yorvit Beltran followed with a 3 run homer in the 6th.

Player of the Game: Yorvit Beltran

Game 5: New Britain 9, Colorado 6
Louie Gonzalez pitched another solid game (7IP, 7H, 2ER) and David Lee and Kevin Sikorksi hit 3 hits a piece to give New Britain the win and the World Series title.

S17 Offseason Starts with Relocation Announcements

2010-06-15T12:42:00.005-04:00

The commissioner's office announced the approval of new owners for several franchises. Highlighting the new owners is the return of wolfman, who has significant major league management experience in this league.

In the American League:
1. Charlotte Wolfpack - taking over the former Baltimore Blast, the new owner is ready to compete. This young franchise has a low payroll and deep talent, after years of rebuilding in Baltimore. Charlotte welcomes the team with open arms.

2. Montreal Monarchs - a new ownership team has taken over the former Pawtucket Red Sox. The team, which lost 96 games last season, poses a challenge to the new owner, but with a high draft pick and some major league talent, this team will be competitive and is in great position to be shaped in whatever direction the new owners decide.

3. Sioux Falls Badlands - a new ownership team took over the former Pittsburgh Pirates franchise. After 15 of the previous 16 seasons under the same owner, the franchise is stable and in good position to compete. With a high pick in the forst round, the team is close to competing while still rebuilding.

4. Durham Bulls - following 6 years under the same owner, the former San Antonio Stallions are now the Durham Bulls. The team is solid, despite underperforming last season and seeing significant talent drafted away in the Rule 5 draft.

5. Tacoma Hammerheads - in yet another move, the league's wandering team has found a new home - from New York, the NL North's worst record in S16 became the Tacoma Hammerheads.

6. Arizona Sun Devils - the Vancouver Titans retained the same ownership group, but have relocated to Phoenix, AZ to benefit from the warmer weather... and are now known as the Arizona Sun Devils.

World Series 16 Game by Game Recap

2010-06-10T11:28:00.027-04:00

Game 1: Norfolk Tars at Chicago Billy Goats (Andre Sparks (13-3) vs Joaquin Valentin (14-2, 3.14 ERA)

Opening night in Chicago featured a matchup of the Tars' ace, Andre Sparks, against Joaquin Valentin. Sparks had pitched brilliantly in the post-season, but he appeared rusty at Wrigley Field, giving up 5 runs in the first inning, including a grand slam by Albert Bell. Although Norfolk tied it in the 3rd, the Tars' bullpen could not hold off the hometeam's attack. Valentin pitched well enough to win, despite giving up 9 hits and 6 runs in 7 innings.

Player of the Game: Albert Bell, SS, 2-4, 5 RBI, 2B, HR

Notable performances:
Ivan Pescado, RF, 2-5, 2 R, 2 SB

Final: Norfolk 6, Chicago 7
Chicago leads the series 1-0.

---
Game 2: Norfolk Tars at Chicago Billy Goats (Billy Fox (6-9, 4.34 ERA) vs Joaquin Gil (14-7, 3.54 ERA)

Game 2 in Chicago opened with Joaquin Gil on short rest and an even shorter leash. After a first inning where Gil gave up one hit and one walk, the Billy Goats' manager sent out Pedro Uribe in relief to start the 2nd. Uribe, who started 29 games in the regular season, pitched brilliantly in relief: 6 innings, 5 hits, 0 runs and 7 Ks en route to a combined shutout of the Norfolk offense. However, it was once again shortstop Albert Bell who would be the deciding player of this game, with a 2 run double in the 1st and a solo shot in the 3rd

Player of the Game: Albert Bell, SS, 2-4, 3 RBI, 2B, HR

Notable performances:
Pedro Uribe , RP, W, 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 7 K

Wilfredo Estrella, LF, 2-2, 2 BB, 1 R, 1 RBI

Final: Norfolk 0, Chicago 6
Chicago leads the series 2-0.

---
Game 3: Chicago Billy Goats at Norfolk Tars (Dave Lewis (11-6, 3.47 ERA) vs Gerardo Cedeno (22-9, 2.72 ERA)

The series moved to Norfolk with the Billy Goats leading 2-0. Chicago brought their Cy Young Winner to the mound, against Dave Lewis. The Tars threatened against Cedeno, with runners in scoring position in the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th, but ever actually scoring. Dave Lewis actually outpitched Cedeno for the first 4 innings, but he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 4th, and the Tars bullpen could not hold off the caprine attack. Cedeno allowed 12 hits in 7 innings, but never allowed a run to score. Cedeno even showed that AL pitchers can hit, getting 2 hits and driving in 1 run to help his cause. The Tars hit two homeruns in the 9th, but it wasn't enough to catch up to the Billy Goats, who won the game with 7 runs.

Player of the Game: Shea Brooks, CF, 2-5, 3 RBI, HR, 2 R

Notable performances:
Gerardo Cedeno, SP, W, 7 IP, 12 H, 0 ER, 4 K ; 2-4 with 1 RBI

Kevin Rolls, 1B, 2-5, 2 RBI, HR, 2 R

Wilfredo Estrella, LF, 2-3, 2 BB, 1 R

Final: Chicago 7, Norfolk 2
Chicago leads the series 3-0.

---
Game 4: Chicago Billy Goats at Norfolk Tars (Joaquin Gil (14-7, 3.54 ERA) vs Juan Cueto (7-6, 3.45 ERA)

With a sweep on the line, Joaquin Gil returned to the mound for the Billy Goats, but the Tars were ready for a comeback, scoring 4 times in 7 innings. A change in the lineup brought Albert Moraga to the cleanup spot, where he came through with a 3-4 night and a homerun.

Player of the Game: Juan Cueto SP, W, 6 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB

Notable performances:
Albert Moraga, CF, 3-4, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, HR

Final: Chicago 2, Norfolk 4
Chicago leads the series 3-1.

---
Game 5: Chicago Billy Goats at Norfolk Tars (Andre Sparks (13-3) vs Joaquin Valentin (14-2, 3.14 ERA)

A rematch of Game 1 starters showed a refreshed Sparks pitching brilliantly during the first 4 innings, not allowing a single hit and only one runner reached base (on an error). The 5th inning was a different story. Following a leadoff homerun by the Goats' Albert Bell, Sparks seemed to unravel, and before the inning was over, the Goats scored 7 runs. Goat 1B Kevin Rolls hit a grandslam to chase Sparks. Sparks' counterpart, Joaquin Valentin pitched 6 innings, allowing 2 runs to earn the victory and give the Goats' the World Series title.

Player of the Game: Kevin Rolls, 1B, 1-5, 1R, HR, 4 RBI

Notable performances:
Albert Bell, ss, 3-4, 2 R, HR, 1 RBI

Joaquin Valentin, SP, W, 6IP, 6H, 2R, 1 BB, 4 K

Wilfredo Estrella, LF, 2-5, 2 RBI, 1 R

Anthony Mulholland, 3B, 3-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI

Final: Chicago 10, Norfolk 2
Chicago WINS the WORLD SERIES.

World Series 16 is a tale of David and Goliath

2010-06-10T08:15:00.023-04:00

(89-73)

VS.

(109-53)

Chicago, IL - The field is ready, the fans are pumped and the chilly fall weather is here for the opening of the World Series. As the Norfolk Tars come into town to face off with the hometown Billy Goats, both teams look back at the long road that brought them here.

Norfolk entered the playoffs with the second wild card slot, which they secured in the last two games of the season after passing division rivals the Indianapolis Redlegs in the standings. Once in the playoffs, the league's version of David - the Tars - stormed through the playoffs, taking no prisoners and conceding nothing to their rivals. Norfolk defeated Helena 3-1 in the Divisional Play-in Series, swept Colorado 3-0 in the Division Championship Series and then swept Las Vegas in the League Championship Series. They have been resting, waiting to face off with the champions of the junior circuit.

The road the Billy Goats traveled was no less arduous, but they managed to win 109 games during the regular season - 20 games more than the Tars - and finished with the second-best record in the majors. Their regular season record bought them a first-round bye in the playoffs, but quickly dispatched the Trenton Fire 3-1 in the Divisional Series. In the League Championship Series, the Billy Goats faced off with the best record in the majors and returning AL champion New Britain Bombers. The series went to 7 games, but the Billy Goats emerged as the new AL champions. Meet the mighty Goliath.

Despite their regular season records, these teams match up pretty well. Without the advantage of a DH, Norfolk hit 73 homeruns less and hit 11 points lower than Chicago. The Billy Goats led the majors in team homeruns, and were only second to Colorado in team slugging and OPS. Despite facing far fewer pitchers at the bat than designated hitters, Chicago's pitching staff almost matched the Tars in almost every category. And thus, this battle will be a good one, likely decided by the details and nuances of the two teams.

Norfolk's record "on the road" was only 41-40, and the Billy Goats will likely benefit from the friendly "confines" of Wrigley Field, where they finished with a 54-27 record. The Billy Goats had 6 players who hit 20 or more HRs, but none if feared more than 1B Kevin Rolls, who hit 54 HRs, 141 RBIs in the regular season. Shortstop Albert Bell hit a career best 43 HRs to make up for his poor defensive play in the field. Rolls has had a disappointing post-season, but he is likely to turn it around at any moment.

Norfolk does not have a single player with 30 hrs or more, but their team OBP was 20 points higher than Chicago's. Albert Moraga led the team with 26 HRs, but the individual player stats are misleading, as Norfolk utilized a deep bench and only 4 players had 500 at bats or more. Norm Parris, who hit .237 in the regular season with 25 HRs, has hit 7 HRs while hitting for .375 in the post-season. Moraga is an exciting player that hit 26 HRs while stealing 72 bases and playing gold-glove defense in CF. All-Star SS and Silver Slugger Patrick Page brings his gritty play with a combination of power, contact and speed.

The Billy Goats had one of the most consistent and reliable starting rotations in the majors in the quintet of Gerardo Cedeno (22-9, 2.72 ERA), Joaquin Valentin (14-2, 3.14 ERA), Joaquin Gil (14-7, 3.54 ERA), Brooks Reames (14-6, 4.40 ERA) and Pedro Uribe (13-10, 5.04 ERA). Cedeno, the leading candidate for the AL Cy Young award, has a 4-0 record in the postseason. Norfolk's starting rotation features Andre Sparks (13-8, 3.63 ERA), Dave Lewis (11-6, 3.47 ERA), Oswaldo Ramirez (12-4, 3.93 ERA), Billy Fox (6-9, 4.34 ERA)and Juan Cueto (7-6, 3.45 ERA). A late season injury to Ramirez has kept him off of the playoffs so far, but the Tars have not missed a beat, maintaining a 2.16 ERA in the post season while holding opponents to a .212 average. Sparks leads the pack with a 0.47 ERA in 3 starts.

Prediction: Chicago is the favorite to win this series. In a short series likely to feature impressive pitching, it may be the long ball that decides it. Chicago's home record, Norfolk's road record and Chicago's ability to hit HRs give a slight edge to the Billy Goats, but don't count out the underdog Tars just yet. Remember David? Oh yeah, the kid did kill the giant Goliath when nobody expected it...

ADDENDUM: The Billy Goats announced that no fans will be allowed to sit in the first row of the left field line for any home games.

PUBLIC OR PRIVATE? (contributed by pita323)

2010-06-03T12:47:00.004-04:00

PUBLIC or PRIVATE?

Below are the results of a poll taken among all owners who have been in this world for a minimum of 10 seasons. This is not to say that the remaining 11 owners are not committed to this world and should not have a say so. If this poll showed a one-sided result, all owners would be asked their thoughts and a final decision decided from there.

This was not done to "not include" any of you, but to hear the comments of the owners that have been through more than 60% (the target number I wanted) of this world's life. 10 seasons is the closest number to 60%.

One of the things I find interesting when searching for the long time owners is that there are 11 owners who were here at the very beginning and 8 others who have a minimum of 10 seasons. That is 19 longtime owners and hopefully others will join this group as this world continues.

Including my response we have votes/comments from 14 of the owners out of 19 involved in this "poll".

Some of the comments are interesting and some are repeated among several owners.

2 comments that appeared on several replies are:
= 1st comment - Would going private make the rollover take longer with having to recruit new owners every season?
==== Being proactive was a comment on preventing that
==== Stronger and more stable if we hand pick owners when needed.
==== Is it worth the wait if we did have to wait a little longer to rollover.
==== One owner who also is in other private worlds says his experience is that it is a longer wait.

= 2nd comment - This world has been strong as a public world, why change.
==== Only a couple issues (2 past owners were mentioned more than once) in all our seasons
==== Stronger and more stable as a private?
==== How much discussion/arguing would be needed to pick a commish and set any world rules we may want?

2 good topics above. With the comments, below is the vote from the participating owners:

PRIVATE - 6 votes
PUBLIC - 3 votes
EITHER - 4 votes
ABSTAIN - 1 vote (longtime owner expected to leave this season)

IMO I do not believe there is enough of a majority to make the change, even though I would be willing. If we decide later to change to private, I would expect us to take volunteers for commish and have the owners vote in an election for commish and any guidelines we may set.
(- pita323)

Seattle hoping for Lightning Strike

2010-03-29T23:28:00.008-04:00

Seattle, WA - Last season was a tough one for baseball in Seattle. Finishing with the worst record in franchise history (99 losses), Seattle fans had little hope for a quick turnaround. In a press conference, Lightning GM Greg Soulblazer gave some honest, although unusual, insight into the rebuilding effort that was well underway as the offseason came around. "We are working on a long term rebuilding plan. Yes, the team has been bad for a long time, but we have been working out various things, and trying to find what works best for this team. I believe that things are finally starting to come together".

"Basicaly, our plan calls for a young core of players to make an impact at the major league level in two seasons. This year, and next year, are holding years, in which we admit that the team may be pretty rotten, but trying out different players to see who might stay with the team and who should not. We've avoided signing long term contracts for that reason, along with nobody commanding big pay checks. So we've been spending the last few seasons drafting well and signing some international prospects, and they all should be in the bigs by year 18".

"We traded for a couple of players from Colorado this year in keeping with that spirit, to see what they can do for the team: Julio Johnson and Willy Bergeron. "

"Our free agent signings were limited to two older vets on one year contracts each for fill-in roles: SS Willie Lopez and RF D'Angelo Caballero . Lopez has a reputation as a great fielder with some power, and should provide a defensive upgrade over Omar Pena, who declined an option and departed as a free agent.

We also acquired a major league talent through the Rule 5 Draft, and hope he will be a key addition to the team in Charley Carasone.

The first player of the 'young crop' that we hope will turn around the team will make his ML debut when he pitches the opening day game: International free agent signing Jose Lee.

Other players in the farm system who plan to be in the bigs by Season 18:

Amos Tanner
BJ Carter
Pasqual Jimenez
Matt Roberts
Ralph Marshall
Carson O'Keefe
Graeme Mercker
Bronson Dong
Joakim Castillo

"We also plan to sign another international prospect this year that hopefully could be in the bigs by year 18 or 19, and during the offseason or next offseason change the budget to make a big free agent signing to add another stud hitter to the major league club'.

There is no doubt that the Lightning's rebuilding efforts are well laid out and they have the prospect depth to show that their plans have already been set into motion. There is a bright future for the Lightning, and the league's first World Series champion promises that Lightning WILL strike again.

Which Bison herd will show up for S16?

2010-03-27T13:41:00.009-04:00

Burlington, VT - Last season was, by all accounts, a season of rebuilding for the Burlington Bison. Making few offseason moves, the Bison were poised for a season of rebuilding. Holding steady at last place at the All-Star break and looking to unload aging talent but finding no takers, the Bison played on... and actually turned the season around to clinch the second NL Wild Spot on the last day of the season by tying with the Norfolk Tars. Management has given no clear indication of which route the team is taking for S16, but with the core of the team returning, this team could be the first half losers of S15 or the second half contenders. GM Raul Padilla is convinced that his team is an improvement, but is still a few pieces away from being a legit contender and not a fluke. "Last season, we had several guys who put up career years. We think we can compete, and have brought in some new talent both from the free agency market and from the minors, but we will be looking to tweak the team midseason depending on how things go", Padilla said.

Once again, the Bison put together an anemic offensive team with good defense and good pitching, but don't expect the Bison to finish any better than last in a tough division.

Departing... Gone are 1B Jayson Penny (.285 AVG, 8HR), 3B Eddie ingram (.231, 9HR and a huge disappointment), C Aaron Schrenk, P Bud Lankford, P Elvis Forest and RP Walt Robinson .

Robinson, who departed as a free agent to sign with the Buffalo Blizzard, will likely be the biggest loss to the Bison.

Arriving...
Patrick McCurry, 2B - signed by the Bison to a ridiculous contract for an aging player, it is not clear where he will play or how frequently, but the Bison were attracted by his mixture of contact, speed and defense at the top of the lineup.

Greg Smith, C - The Bison have repeatedly tried to acquire Smith over the years and are convinced that he will be the backup catcher they have sorely missed, but others believe Smith is simply holding a spot until the arrival of one of the Bison catching prospects.

Clay Malone, P - Malone signed as a free agent for the Bison, and could be a huge mistake if he doesn't stay healthy... which is a HUGE unknown factor. He will battle for the 5th starting spot with Geronimo Martinez and Juan Pena, both of whom played swing roles between starting and relief last season.

Torey Mercado, LH RP - Mercado was a reliable lefthanded specialist for the Bison several seasons ago. AFter lingering in minor relief roles and swinging between AAA and the Majors, the Bison reclaimed him as a Rule 5 pickup from Seattle and are looking for him to return to top reliever form.

The prospects...
Expect the last position spot to be filled after a Spring training battle between Dustin Nunnally, Alberto Santayana and Rodrigo Vargas, one of which will likely earn the at bats that Ingram had last season. Pitcher Fernando Baez, who had a cup of coffee with the team after the September callups, has an outisde shot at earning a bullpen role after an impressive spring, but will likely compete with fellow prospects Del Butler, Glenn Hall and Joshua Davenport. However, the Bison's top prospects are all catchers, with Nick Vitiello apparently ready for the ML team, but likely to spend another year in the minors. Other minor league catching prospects may become trade bait if a mid-season move needs to happen or if injuries deplete the ML roster.

The Bison's lineup (and last seasons totals) projects to be:

Aaron Bailey, CF - (.254 AVG, .317 OBP, 4 HRs, 60+ SBs)
Patrick McCurry, LF (.302 AVG, .373 OBP, 11 HRs, 50+ SBs)
Norberto Fernandez, 1B (.273 AVG, .345 OBP, 18 HRs)
Tyler Merrick, 3B (.273 AVG, .345 OBP, 21 HRs)
Anthony Christensen, RF (.257, .334 OBP , 21 HRs)
Dustin Nunally, 2B (.294 AVG, .380 OBP, 20 HR in AAA)
Brandon Raines, C (.242, .304 obp, 16 HRs)
Tony Tatis, SS (vs R) (.249 AVG, .298 OBP, 6 HRs)
Steve Karl, SS (vs L) (.221 AVG, .271 OBP, 9 HRs)

Bench:
Gerald Sanders, IF (.255, .308 OBP, 8 HRs)
Greg Smith, C (.238 AVG, .287 OBP, 9 HRs)
Tony Lamb, 1B/LF (.256 AVG, .327 OBP, 10 HRS)

Pitchers:
Cookie Ramirez, RH SP (18-7, 2.31 ERA)
Ismael Alvarado, RH SP (6010, 3.19 ERA)
Rick Cobb, RH SP (15-10, 3.21 ERA)
OT Ferrara, LH SP (8-10, 3.40 ERA)
Clay Malone, RH SP (6-5, 4.28 ERA)
Juan Pena, RH SP (7-5, 3.69 ERA)
Geronimo Martinez, RHP (7-1, 1.69 ERA)
Norm Holdridge, RHP (5-2, 3.65 ERA)
Woody Brosius, RHP (4-4, 3.40 ERA, 8 SV)
Edwards Ransom, RHP (4-6, 4.59 ERA)
Torey Mercado, LH RP (4 IP, 3.86 ERA)
Robert Owens, RH RP (14 SV, 3.14 ERA)
Fernando Baez, RH RP (2 IP, 0.00 ERA)

Rule 5 Brings Major League Help to a few teams

2010-03-27T10:27:00.006-04:00

The S16 Rule 5 league brought some new faces to some teams, giving a handful of players the opportunity to help at the ML level when their original teams wouldn't.

1. Melvin Lawrence - CF - drafted by the Boston Minutemen. Lawrence is a speedy CF with a great ability to get on base and a high batting average through the minor leagues. Lawrence has hit 7 HRs in 4 seasons of professional baseball, but projects to help and improve with the Minutemen if given regular playing time.

2. Charley Carasone - 2B - drafted by the Seattle Lightning. Arguably the best hitter taken in the draft, Carasone should see lots of playing time with his new team. Carasone will likely strike out a lot at the ML level, but will see plenty of opportunities to hit 10-20 HRs while providing adequate defense.

3. David Meadows - RP - drafted by the Helena Handbaskets. Meadows has two major league quality pitches, but is still developing and will likely struggle at the ML level. New Britain took a gamble and left him unprotected, while Helena acquired some solid talent, and Meadows will mature into a top ML reliever if given enough innings.

4. Ernest Taft - 2B/3B - drafted by the LA Canyoneros - Taft is a great contact hitter with great on base potential, although he has never played above the High A level. After lingering at that level for 3 seasons, Taft is welcoming a fresh start and may see some action off the bench and get occasional starts.

World Series 15 Game by game recap

2010-03-13T11:42:00.014-05:00

World Series 15 featured two evenly matched teams, both on top of ther respective league's leaders in offense and pitching. New Britain's Bombers made their second consecutiuve World Series appearance while the Indianapolis Redlegs made their first. Here is what happened...

Game 1: Indianapolis Redlegs at New Britain Bombers (Yogi Cooper, 15-7, 3.01 ERA, vs Juan Marin, 12-8 2.21 ERA)

Opening night in New Britain brought the 38yr old Cooper, a veteran of numerous post-seasons and 220 career wins, a chance to shine for his team. Marin, an ace with 210 career wins, got a chance to show why New Britain traded for him in the offseason. Both starters pitched well enough to win, but a 2-run homer by the Redlegs, 33yr old catcher Paul Lewis would be enough to win. Although the Bombers threatened with the bases loaded in the 8th, the Redlegs halted their momentum when 38yrd old reliever Torey Arnold induced a groundball double play. The Redlegs added insurance runs off of the Bombers' bullpen to win it.

Player of the Game: Paul Lewis , C, 2-4, 3 RBI, (2 R HR)
Notable performances:
Yogi Cooper, P, 6 IP, 5H, 0ER, WIN
Howie Martin, ss, 2-4, 2 RBI

Final: Indianapolis 5, New Britain 1
Indianapolis leads the series 1-0.

Game 2: Indianapolis Redlegs at New Britain Bombers (Banana Hawkins, 13-7, 2.34 ERA, vs Louie Gonzalez 13-16, 3.93 ERA)

The 34 yr old Hawkins, acquired in an offseason trade, was a key part to the Redlegs' breakthrough season. Hawkins pitched like a veteran 13 game winner, while Gonzalez got pummeled with 6 runs and 10 hits in 4 innings. Torey Arnold made his second consecutive appearance with 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Player of the Game: Sidney Gardner, 2B, 2-3, 3RBI, HR
Notable performances:
Banana Hawkins, SP, 6 1/3, 8H, 2 ER, WIN
Ben Morris, CF, 2-4, 2 runs
Torey Arnold, RP, 2 2/3 IP, 0H

Final: Indianapolis 6, New Britain 2
Indianapolis leads the series 2-0.

Game 3: New Britain Bombers at Indianapolis Redlegs (George Crandall, 15-8, 3.34 ERA, vs Rick Ramirez, 14-8, 4.57 ERA)

With the series moving to Indianapolis, young phenom Crandall limited the Redlegs to one hit in 7 innings before being lifted for a pinch hitter, but he was matched by 7 shutout innings by Ramirez. The game would go into extra innings, where a clutch double by Ben Morris in the bottom of the 10th would bring in Howie Martin all the way from first base to score in a dramatic close call at the plate. Torey Arnold appeared once again in relief with a perfect inning.

Player of the Game: Ben Morris, CF, 1-4, 1 RBI
Notable performances:
Rick Ramirez, SP, 7 IP, 0H, 0 ER, 7k

Final: New Britain 0, Indianapolis 1
Indianapolis leads the series 3-0.

Game 4: New Britain Bombers at Indianapolis Redlegs (Mateo Colon, 16-8, 3.35 ERA vs Yogi Cooper, 15-7, 3.01 ERA)
Yogi Cooper came back on short rest to try to wrap it up in the series sweep, but despite throwing 5 solid innings and leaving with the lead, the Redlegs' bullpen was unable to hold the lead. The Bombers' bats came to live with a 4-run attack in the 8th inning and their bullpen shut down the Redlegs for good. Thomas Serrano hit a bases loaded double, followed by a 2run RBI single by Eduardo Molina.

Player of the Game: Eduardo Molina, LF, 2-4, 3 RBI, 1HR
Notable performances:
David Lee, 2B, 2-4, 1 RBI
Thomas Serrano , CF, 1-3, 2 RBI

Final: New Britain 6, Indianapolis 5
Indianapolis leads the series 3-1.

Game 5: New Britain Bombers at Indianapolis Redlegs (Banana Hawkins, 13-7, 2.34 ERA,vs Juan Marin, 12-8 2.21 ERA)

While it could be said that both starters have pitched better games, it is hard to argue that this was a very good game. The game would go into the bottom of the 9th, tied at 5 a piece when the Redlegs' offense put it away to clinch their first World Series Title. Sidney Gardner ste the table with a leadoff walk, and made it to third base with very aggresive base running on a controversial close call at third after a single to CF by Howard Robinson. Ben Morris threatened to end it, but a spectacular catch by LF Sal Greene came very close to killing the Redlegs' momentum. A walk-off single to RF by Mateo Montero drove Gardner in to clinch the World Series title. Bart Sheldon, who pitched a perfect 9th for the Redlegs, got the win. Ageless veteran Torey Arnold pitched 3 scoreless innings in relief after Hawkins hit the showers, and kept the Redlegs in the game.

Player of the Game: Mateo Montero, 3-5, 4 RBI, including walk-off single in 9th
Torey Arnold, RP, 3 IP, 0 ER, 2H, 2Ks
Ben Morris, CF 2-5
Sidney Gardner, 2B 1-4, HR

World Series 15 Promises to be a solid matchup

2010-03-13T10:50:00.007-05:00

The teams and how they got here

Indianapolis Redlegs (NL) - The Redlegs make their first World Series appearance after a long drought. The Redlegs moved from Cincinnati and immediately found themselves at home in only the second post-season appearance for this franchise. After years of seemingly underperforming, the young core of the Redlegs finally matured enough to put it all together into a juggernaut that won 95 games in the regular season. The Redlegs have breezed through the post season, dispatching the Burlington Bison in 4 games before sweeping the Chicago Shoeless Joes in 4 games, and are fresh and rested for the World Series.

New Britain Bombers (AL) - The mighty Bombers return to the World Series to defend the ring the took last year, and finished their 6th consecutive division championship. The post-season has seen the Bombers roll over the Salem Trappers 3-1 in the series before going to a 6 game series against the Chicago Bill Goats.

Both teams are evenly matched in offense and pitching, with New Britain carrying a slight edge in both categories. However, the Redlegs have a handful of individual players who could carry their team in a short series.

The Hall of Fame Looms Large

2010-02-06T15:07:00.022-05:00

After 15 years of Mathewson baseball, the commissioner's office announced today the formation of a panel of baseball experts in anticipation of the first Hall of Fame at the beginning of next season. The announcement was met with enthusiasm and some trepidation, as most fans agree that most of the best players of the last 15 years are still playing. Sports radio shows and columnists quickly lined up to voice their opinion and support for different players, and the panel is even considering expanding the list of eligible players before nomination.

At a date to be announced, all teams will be able to nominate retired players to the Hall of Fame. After the list of nominees is set, voters will then get to pick who gets enshrined in baseball's pantheon of fame. The following list of early eligibles was compiled by writers from three different cities as some who deserve consideration.

1. Mike Burrell - RF - Charlotte Wolfpack, Iowa City Bison - Burrell's .327 career AVG is 3rd amongst all HOF eligible players, and his .406 career OBP is nothing to ignore, he hit 330 career HRs, hit 2082 hits, scored 1333 runs (2nd amongst HOF eligibles), made 5 All-Star appearances, was a 3 time silver slugger RF, was a key part of one World Series victory for the Wolfpack. With 1333 runs scored (2nd amongst HOF eligibles), Burrell will always be remembered as a versatile outfielder who could get on base, clutch hit and score, but had enough power to be a game changer. Burrell had the respect of his teammates, and was credited with the Iowa City franchise's resurgence when he signed as a free agent in the latter years of his career.

2. Carlos Rincon - The all time career leader in stolen bases (570) also batted a career .323 average and scored over 1000 runs. He never appeared in an all Star Game or win any awards. In S8, Rincon established the single season stolen base record with 104 while only being caught 13 times. Rincon is a borderline HOF caliber player, and is not likely to get picked on his first attempt at the hall.

3. Kennie Perez - The native of Kodiak, Alaska will always be remembered as an All-Star CF, but he is amongst the most balanced players to ever play in this league. He starred as a CF, but graciously transitioned to be a 3B and a RF, even played SS for a stretch run at the end of S9 to help LAs Vegas make it into the playoffs. While he played at his prime for the Memphis BluesBoys, he also played for Las Vegas, Helena and Iowa City. Perez made 2 All-Star appearances, was a 3-time Silver Slugger, got 2 Gold Gloves (at different positions), and probably suffered from his biggest asset: his versatility to play multiple positions. He Leads HOF eligible players in runs scored, is 2nd in career hits (2130), hit 278 career hrs, and was a .292 carrer avg. He earned 1 World Series ring with Memphis. Perez was a leader in the club house and at the top of the lineup.

4. Carlos Franco - 3B - The most likely player to be inducted into the HOF, Franco was the Colorado Colorado Crush's 3B for 11 seasons. In that time, he was a 6 time All-Star, 2 time Silver Slugger 3B. 507 career HRs, 1985 career hits, .320 career AVG, .377 OBP, his career OPS (.998) ties for best amongst HOF eligible players. While critics argue that his offensive numbers were inflated by Colorado's thin air, and that 507 career HRs are not even in the top 10 in league history, nobody will argue that Franco was one of the most dangerous hitters of his playing years.

5. Willie Vazquez - CF/RF/2B - Norfolk, Portland - Although best remembered for a controversial contract signed in S8, Vazquez deserves respect for his accomplishments in the playing field. He was a 6 time All-Star, a 5 time silver slugger CF, a gold glove RF who hit 301 career HRs, 1095 RBIs, a .287 career AVG, and a .402 career OBP. It is unlikely that he will be picked for the Hall of Fame, but he will definitely get some consideration.

6. Fausto Canseco - The journeyman wore multiple jerseys in his career, but this LF was an offensive force to be reckoned regardless of where he played. He made 1 All-Star game appearance, but hit 457 career HRs, 1596 career hits, and compiled a.294 career AVG.

7. Mike McGlinchy - 3 Time All-Star, 1 Gold Glove, hit 419 career HRs over 9 seasons. Although popular for playing his entire career with one franchise and establishing most franchise career offensive records, he is unlikely to get enough support outside of his home team fan base to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

8. Rick Harnisch - 3 Time All Star, 2 time Silver Slugger 3B put up similar career numbers to McGlinchy (427 career HRs, .292 career AVG, 1616 hits, .829 OPS) in 200 more games (1555), and is likely to receive equal treatment.

9. Billy Hermansen - All Star catcher for the Louisville Wild Turkeys for 10 seasons is the career leader in batting average amongst HOF eligible players (.338), a 2 time all-star, a silver slugger catcher, and earned one World Series ring.

10. Don Gonzales - All time saves leader (423 in 471 opportunities) amongst HOF eligibles is second all-time in save totals, and is one of only a handful of pitchers worthy of Hall of Fame enshrinement. Although relievers tend to get snubbed out of the Hall, there is no arguing that Gonzales was amongst the best, being a 10-time All-Star, a 4 time Fireman of the Year, and got two World Series rings (one for Memphis and one for Buffalo). Gonzales should be a unanimous decision.

11. Sam Goodwin - Sam Goodwin won 142 games, which is best amongst HOF eligible pitchers (but not even top 15 in league history). He was a 2-time Cy Young Award winner, a 4 time 20 game winner, and made 3 All-Star game appearances. A key part of the Charlotte Wolfpack's early success, Goodwin suffered from making his major league debut after 10 years of professional baseball in other circuits. He was known as a "junkball" pitcher that relied heavily on his knuckle ball while keeping batters off-balance with an arsennal of off-speed pitches. He managed a career 3.55 ERA, held batters to a career .252 OAV and had a 1.24 career WHIP. Of all the starting pitchers eligible for nomination, Goodwin is as good as it gets

12. Richard Magee - a 4-time All-Star that trails only Goodwin in Career wins (141) amongst HOF eligibles, Magee was a 4-time All star and collected two World Series rings (one with Memphis and one with Las Vegas).

13. Alexander Goldman - Goldman was the anchor of the Las Vegas pitching staff for the first 7 years of this league's history, earning a Cy Young award and making two All-Star appearances. In S4, he was a key part of the Rollers' World Series victory. Goldman was a fierce competitor and an innings-eating workhorse for 6 years, before becoming a mopup reliever in the dusk of his career. Much like Goodwin, Goldman also suffered from debuting at the start of this league as a career veteran of other leagues. In 9 seasons, Goldman posted 122-52 career record, including 10 complete games. He had a 4.05 career ERA, and won 16 or more games 5 times, including a 21-6 record in S5 and a 19-4 record in his Cy Young award winning S2. Goldman will get some Hall of Fame consideration, but is not likely to be a unanimous choice for induction.

Where have all the homers gone?

2010-01-13T22:49:00.006-05:00

It is official. The league has pulled the plug on power. With slightly less than 20% of the season completed, the question everybody is asking is "Where are the homeruns?"

A comprehensive analysis by San Antonio Ken Adadry notes that average home run production is down 30% over last year and roughly 36% over the years before. Projected statistics of all major batting categories show no no change year over year in AVG or OBP, nor average total hits, walks or strikeouts, doubles or triples. The impression is that home runs are simply turning into singles. Average SLG and by turn OPS, have dropped as a direct result of the lower numbers of homeruns being hit.

A different analyst presents a different interpretation, although the overall lack of power is confirmed across the league. According to Seth Zooba of the Iowa City Baseball Insider, the numbers do show a decrease in overall power, but it is not as clear that homers have simply turned into singles. "We have seen big hitters barely hitting it out of the infield, never mind out of the park. The "across the board" decrease in power probably reflects that homers are turning into doubles, previous doubles into singles... while sharply hit singles are still singles. If you look at a guy like Parker McIntire, a guy that will likely give you 650 at bats - in the past he has hit 50+ HRs and 20-25 doubles. This year, his avg is typically Parkeresque (.347), but he is on pace to hit 15-20 HRs and 35-40 doubles. I think by season's end, we will see things stabilize to resemble last season, when a roughly 20% decrease in homeruns was seen... but the era of guys hitting 70+ homeruns is gone. This season's lack of power has been incredible."

The trend is reminiscent of the drop in triples seen between seasons 2 and 3. Baseball was played differently back then - aggresive base running and poor defense amounted to lots of triples in the league for the first two seasons, averaging >100 triples per team. Amphetamine use was reportedly rampant across the league, but by season 3, teams were averaging 20-25 triples per team.

"It's as if overnight, the gods of baseball collided to take away offensive advantages and rearrange the way the game is played - we see different leaders in the leader boards, different standings and very likely, a different amount of value placed on a player's attributes", Zooba said.

Why this sudden drop in power (slugging and OPS) is seen across the league is unknown, but some cite stricter testing for performance enhancing drugs, the standardized use of humidors for storing baseballs in all major league ballparks, better pitching across the league and significantly more experienced owner and GMs putting together teams with improved pitching... or then again, it is just too early to tell and it will all even out by season's end.

Some free agent pitchers likely to help new teams

2009-12-19T11:41:00.008-05:00

The phonecalls started ringing minutes after the announcement was made public. At 10 PM Eastern time on the evening of December 14, Bip Bartee's agent officially anounced that Bip was declining a mutual option with the Portland Rain and would opt to be a free agent. Portland has been trying to reach a deal while they have exclusive negotiating rights, but a source close to negotiations reported that Bartee's agent and the team have not reached an agreement and that his client will test the open free agent market. There is no doubt that Bartee, a bona fide pitching ace who was won 100 games while only being 28, will demand top salary in the open market. Under strict conditions of anonimity, a source close to negotiations has reportedly told Buster Olney of ESPN that the Rain had offered an offer in excess of 100 million in 5 years with a no trade clause, but Bartee will hold his options open and not agree to anything until the end of the negotiation period. In a league with only a handful of proven pitchers available in the open market, aging stars have gotten salaries that had them making double digits well past their pitching prime. Bartee will sign and will sign for a lot of money, with a few teams openly expressing interest and a few others quietly having talks with Bartee's offer. But... a few other pitchers are out there to be had, and smart teams could get a good deal if they act quickly.

1. Bip Bartee - No doubt the creme de la creme in this offseason, he may get a 5 year deal worth 100 million, plus a signing bonus, if a team can afford him. It is not often that 28 year old pitchers in their prime hit the free agent market, and Bartee has generated more excitement than any free agent in recent history. If he doesn't return to Portland (where he is likely to return to the postseason), expect Las Vegas, Trenton and New Britain to make a serious push for his services.

2. Yogi Cooper - The 38 yr old Cooper has won >200 games in 13 seasons, and has been a 6 time all star. His age may deter some potential teams, but expect Cooper to sign with a team in need of a back of the rotation starter to round their staff with a veteran presence in a 1-2 year deal.

3. Jeremy Blauser - The skills of a 34 yr old starter may be starting to slow down, but Blauser is likely to do well in a competitive team in search for a #2 or #3 starter. Blauser is a durable starter who can give his team 30+ starts per year, even if his 133 wins are fewer than some of his veteran peers who have pitched for better teams.

4. Nick Doster - The 34yr old veteran southpaw from Tulsa, Oklahoma has been a constant presence for the Colorado Colorado Crush for the last 6 seasons, managing to win 73 games despite a significant injury two seasons ago. Interest in a 34 yr old left hander with a significant injury in his past may be cool at first, but once teams look closely at the numbers he compiled despite pitching in Coors Field and some of the more desirable free agents get locked up in contracts, Doster will be a nice addition to any team.

5. Oscar Lunsford - 36 yr old pitcher declined a 4.5 million option to become a free agent. Expect Lunsford to be signed to be a back of the rotation starter, much like Yogi Cooper, but interest will be lower for a pitcher likely to pitch less than 150 innings and whose skills are declining.

Coming and going between seasons

2009-12-16T22:43:00.010-05:00

With the winter meetings due to start next week, a flurry of franchise moves and early retirements have started making highlights :

RELOCATIONS
1. The El Paso Fighting Tacos become the Jackson Sizzle. Following a dispute with the city of El Paso, who raised their demands for a lease to play at their home stadium, the Fighting Tacos decided to pack up their tortillas and move on to a more welcoming city. In changing their name, the league's favorite mascot will cease to exist as the team repackages their image.

2. The St. Louis Kamikazes move to Cleveland, and will be known as the Wildebeests. After 4 years in St. Louis, the management group behind this franchise decided to relocate the team after former majority owner Cliff Treefisenn sold all of his shares. This franchise compiled a .500 record last season and has a lot of upswing in a tough division.

3. The New Orleans franchise relocates to Little Rock after 6 years in Cajun country, becoming the Devils. This franchise had previously been in Little Rock, and the big city in Arkansas is glad to have their once demonized team back, even if their new team name is a far cry from their tradition as Christian gentlemen. Hand out.

4. Scottsdale Raiders move to St Louis and become the St. Louis Dispatch. On the same day that the gateway to the West lost their Kamikazes, the league announced that a new team would move into the latest reincarnation of Busch Stadium. An ownership group spearheaded through a local newspaper spearheaded efforts to bring the former Scottsdale franchise to St. Louis. The city is looking forward to meeting the new faces in town and to giving some stability to this franchise.

5. Sioux Falls Cougars relocates and becomes the Pawtucket Red Sox. Under a totally new ownership team, they hope to draw from their Northeastern roots to move into the future.

6. Mexico City moves to Nashville and will be known as the Banjo Bears. The league's winningest franchise relocated last season to Mexico City on a trial basis, and headed north across the border to land in Nashville. The wolves had become los lobos and will now be the Southern city's Banjo bears.

7. Salem Whips are now the Salem Trappers. Same team, same city, same owner, new brand and new name should reenergize this team.

8. Cincinnati Redlegs Revenge relocate to Indianapolis, sill be the Redlegs. After the bulk of this franchise's existence being in Cincinnati, dwindling attenadance forced management to relocate to the more favorable lands of Indianapolis, where the team will drop "revenge" from their name.

RETIREMENTS:
1. Jimmie Henley - The 38 yr old Jimmie Henley had a 13 year major league career, primarily as a CF and 2B. Known as an aggresive baserunner (298 career stolen bases) with a propensity to strike out a lot, Henley was a one-time All Star with the Bison and a Gold Glove CF for the late Washington Dukes franchise. He played last season in the minors.

2. Keith Durham - The 35 yr old Durham was a 4-time Gold-Glove CF in a 12 year ML career. He spent last season attempting a comeback in the Redlegs' minor league system.

The S14 World Series is a rematch ; Bombers get their revenge

2009-12-12T00:51:00.013-05:00

The S14 World Series saw a rematch between last season's winners: the Portland Rain and the New Britain Bombers. When it was all said and done, New Britain would get their revenge after 6 games... and here is how it all went down:

Game 1: Portland at New Britain. New Britain's George Crandall matched up against Portland's Bip Bartee. Bartee, 18-7 in the regular season, pitched a complete game while Crandall's post season woes continued to the beat of 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Rain hit 3 homeruns, one each by Art Sweeney, Willie Lopez and Derrek Silva. Andres Beltre went 5 for 5 with 2 RBI.

Final Score: Portland 10, New Britain 3

Game 2: Portland at New Britain. Portland jumped to an early 5-0 lead, but the Rain's starter, Cody Miles, ran out of steam in the 5th and allowed the Bombers to tie it. Despite regaining the lead, the Portland bullpen could not hold it and New Britain would win it 9-7. The Bombers' D'Angelo Gil hit a 3 run HR, while JT Stowers, Luis Lee and Carlos Lee got 2 hits a piece.

Final Score: Portland 7, New Britain 9

Game 3: New Britain at Portland. Starters Louie Gonzalez and Vic Cordero pitched extremely well, giving their teams a chance to win. After several bullpen changes, this game would go into extra innings, where David Lee would hit a solo HR in the 11th off of Portland's Max Almonte.

Final Score: Portland 2, New Britain 3

Game 4: New Britain at Portland. In the second game in a NL home park and no DH, Bip Bartee threw another complete game for the Rain, keeping his team in the game by allowing 3 runs in 9 innings. However, the Rain's offense would come up short and New Britain would take a 3-1 seris lead. Marcus Perry started for New Britain and picked up the win in 5+ innings of work before turning it over to the bullpen. The Bombers runs came through homeruns. With Portland leading 2-0 in the 5th, outfielder Sal Greene hit a 2-Run shot to tie the game. D'Angelo Gil hit a solo shot in the 6th, and that would be enough for New Britain to secure the win.

Final Score: Portland 2, New Britain 3

Game 5 : New Britain at Portland. The Rain's pitching would help their team live another day by shutting down the powerful bombers. 17-game winner Cody Miles threw 6 shutout innings before being lifted for Frank Shigetoshi and rookie closer Benj Kent. Javy Sierra took the loss for New Britain.

Final Score: New Britain 0, Portland 2

Game 6: Portland at New Britain. Game 6 moved back to New Britain, where the Bombers made true to their name and CRUSHED the Rain in front of a sellout hometown crowd. The Bombers hit 6 homeruns. DH Mike Fox hit 4 hits, and CF Thomas Serrano hit a pair of homers. Carlos Lee hit a 3-Run Homer to decisively give his team the lead in the 5th inning. 38 year old Sean Donovan, a future Hall of Famer, appeared in relief for the Rain, but didn't fare any better than his comrades.

Final Score: New Britain 21, Portland 8
New Britain wins the World Series

and then there were 4...

2009-12-05T00:04:00.016-05:00

When the two League Championship series open in less than 24 hours, neither of the teams with 100+ victories will be present. In the next chapters of a very exciting postseason, here is a look at the teams and how they got here.

American League
Chicago Billy Goats (95-67) and New Britain Bombers (99-63)

The Billy Goats entered the postseason with a Wild Card spot, finishing second to the mighty Trenton Fire in the AL EAST. After defeating the Salem Whips in 5 games, the Billy Goats matched up well against their division rivals, and while Trenton had the best record in the regular season, Chicago defetaed them in 5 games to take the series. Young Quinton Hansen has pitched brilliantly in the postseason, including a 5 hit shutout in the Game 5 clincher against Trenton. Rookie Thom Monroe has continued to be the offensive behemoth that carried this team all season long. Kevin Rolls (51 HR in regular season) has struggled in the post-season with a .175 AVG, but is due to break out of his slump any time. 21 yr old staff ace Gerardo Cedeno got 17 wins in the regular season, and is a Cy Young candidate. This is the 2nd consecutive post-season appearance for the Billy Goats, and their young core will likely take them to many future postseasons.

The New Britain Bombers are no strangers to the postseason, with their 5 consecutive appearance being as close to a dynasty as any of the current teams in this world. The Bombers' post season success has hinged primarily on the bats of D'Angelo Gil and J.T. Stowers. Stowers, who came in a late season trade, only hit .250 with 1 HR down the stretch with the Bombers, but has redeemed himself in the postseason. Louie Gonzalez has carried the post-season pitching for his team, but 17 game winner Javy Sierra is yet to make a single appearance. The Bombers are the slight favorites to win this series and make their second straight World Series appearance.

National League
Burlington Bison (90-72) and Portland Rain (96-66)

To say that the Bison have no business being in the postseason would be an understatement. The 90-72 Bison surprised by claiming a Wild Card spot in a season that saw them move from Iowa City in a self-proclaimed "rebuilding" effort. The team's offense is a combination of mid-season veteran acquisitions (Eddie Ingram, Felipe Vega), unsigned free agents acquired mid-season (Jayson Penny, Tony Zito) and a handful of franchise veterans, they have no power, but have good pitching and defense. Leadoff man Aaron Bailey has consistently set the table in the postseason and Richie Johnson has been the team's best hitter. The Bison squeezed by the El Paso Fighting Tacos in 5 games and surprised everybody by defeating the world's best team, the 105 win Buffalo Blizzard, in the second round of the playoffs. Pitcher Ismael Alvarado has shown the consistency in the postseason that he had lacked in previous seasons.

The Portland Rain is a solid team with an incredible balance of power, pitching and defense. Their three regular outfielders are silver sluggers, seven regular players hit 15 or more homeruns in the regular season, all 5 of the regular starters reached double digits in wins, and rookie closer Benj Kent nailed 33 saves in 37 opportunities. Often underrated centerfielder Robb Gant has been outstanding in the postseason, exceeding his regular season performance (which was already MVP worthy). Cody Miles has been arguably the Rain's best postseason pitcher this season, but S14 All-Stars Bip Bartee, Vasco Picasso and Vic Cordero carry impressive track records and will likely carry the Rain to another straight World Series appearance.

The S14's Top Rookies of The First Half

2009-11-01T19:31:00.008-05:00

With the All-Star game around the corner, these six rookies have impressed by making the most of their chances...

TOP ROOKIES:
1. Thom Monroe, 1B/ DH Chicago Billy Goats - The 25 yr old former first round pick has been tearing up the minors since being drafted in S11. Monroe has been tearing up AL pitching and leading all major league rookies in batting average (.335), Home runs (33), RBIs (86), OPS (1.075 ) and Slugging (.697) while being the leading vote getter to be the starting first baseman for the AL All-Star team.

2. Santos Santana, 1B St. Louis Kamikazes - The gentle giant from Almirante, Panama, with a name more reminiscent of a wrestling luchador than a major league ball player was signed to a 16 million bonus in S12, and in just 3 seasons he has shown that he belongs in the Majors. Santana has hit a career high 32 HRs in less than half a season at the ML level, while hitting .290 and swiping 11 bases. Santana is the undisputed NL rookie of the year for the first half of the season.

3. Buddy Bailey, DH Salem Whips- Bailey is hitting .318 and has a .428 OBP with 23 HRs. If it wasn't for Thom Monroe, Bailey would be putting together one of the most impresive rookie seasons in AL history.

4. Guy Zaun, RP San Antonio Stallions - Zaun has been the best rookie pitcher in the AL. He has been snubbed as an all-star selection, but he has been impressive with a 1.01 WHIP in 96 innings, holding batters to a .181 AVG and has not allowed a single inherited runner to score.

5. Bey Franco, SP El Paso Fighting Tacos - Franco has been the NLs best rookie pitcher, starting 10 games and holding a 7-4 record with 104 Ks in 115 innings.

6. Juan Pena, SP/RP Burlington Bison - Pena, a Rule 5 selction taken from the Colorado Colorado Crush, has been a big reason that the Bison are not in the basement of the division. Pena gracefully shifted between bullpen and rotation before being awarded a spot in the rotation. The native of Noord, Aruba has a 5-1 record in 9 starts as the Bison's #5 man, and nailed 2 saves in 2 save opportunities, and a 2.70 ERA.

Summer Classic promises to be full of Fire and Rain

2009-11-01T18:30:00.035-05:00

With the All-Star game just around the corner, here is a preview at the leading vote getters. In the AL, Trenton leads in number of All-Stars, while Portland's stars lead the NL.

American League:

PITCHERS:
Cozy Ponson, Pittsburgh Pirates - After 3 injuries almost derailed his promising career in S11 and getting traded twice, Ponson has excelled and shown no evidence of a sophomore slump. Ponson is on target to be a first-time All-Star, and with an 11-5 record, and a 2.63ERA, he will likely put up even better numbers than his impressive rookie season.

Kirk Heiserman, Trenton Fire - 22 saves in 23 opportunities en route to his 5th All-Star Game appearance, leading the AL in saves.

Amp Harris, Pittsburgh Pirates - Harris nomination as a possible all-star is well deserved. Harris has 17 saves in 19 opportunities and a meager 1.65 ERA. This would be his first appearance for the veteran who became a full time closer for the Pirates this season. Harris was released by the Salem Whips in the offseason, signed as a 1yr free agent by Cincinnati and claimed off waivers by the Pirates.

Oscar Martin, New York Fadeaways - Looks for his 3rd All-Star appearance, Martin has a 10-3 record and a lead leading 2.53 ERA.

Wolf Miller, San Antonio Stallions
Javy Sierra, New Britain Bombers
Neil Parris, LA Canyoneros
Felipe Colon, Oakland Elephants
David Lawrence, Oakland Elephants
Juan Marin, Trenton Fire
Damaso Pineda, LA Canyoneros
Tomas Espinosa, Memphis Blues Boys
Eli Ugueto, New Britain Bombers

Catchers
Horacio Vallarta, Mexico City Manada de Lobos - Vallarta is hitting .421 and has a .487 OBP. Vallarta is the last ML player to hit >.400 for an entire season.

Cesar Rincon, New Britain Bombers - .356 AVG, .433 OBP, 18 HRs

1B
Thom Monroe, Chicago Billy Goats - This rookie is an offensive juggernaut, leading all ML rookies in most offensvie categories.

Patrick Knotts, Salem Whips

2B
Larry Dupler, Trenton Fire - Looking at his 4th All-Star game
Thomas Serrano, New Britain Bombers

3B
Miguel Mairena, Boston Minute Men
Lonny Pujols, Texas Steers

SS
Miguel Espinoza, New York Fadeaways
Santiago Campos, Chicago Billy Goats

LF
Albert Hernandez, Chicago Billy Goats
Trevor Bellhorn, Trenton Fire

CF
Shea Brooks, Chicago Billy Goats
Jesus Pineda, Trenton Fire

RF
Alexander Green, San Antonio Stallions
Fernando Rodriguez, Trenton Fire

DH
Russell Leonard, Mexico City Manada de Lobos

NATIONAL LEAGUE

PITCHERS
Del Alvarez, Buffalo Blizzard - The Blizzard's closer leads the majors with 31 saves and a 1.18 ERA.

Hector Riley, Norfolk Tars - His 27 saves are second best in the NL; an impressive total for a team that has won 45 games.

Andres Hernandez, Colorado Colorado Crush

Cookie Ramirez, Burlington Bison - 11-3 record is 3rd best in the NL, but his 2.04 ERA leads all major league starters. This would be his 7th All-Star game appearance

Vasco Picasso, Portland Rain - Picasso just went on the DL with a shoulder aneurysm and will miss the rest of the season, but his 13 wins lead the NL at this point of the season.

Bip Bartee, Portland Rain - His 12-2 record is only second best to his teammate, Vasco Picasso

Julian DeRojas, St. Louis Kamikazes
Vic Cordero, Portland Rain
Tony Delgado, St. Louis Kamikazes
Bob Willis, Las Vegas High Rollers
Ken Atkins, Buffalo Blizzard
Cody Miles, Portland Rain
Robert Owens, Burlington Bison

Dick Naulty, Scottsdale Raiders - This middle reliever is Scottsdale's only rep in the All-Star game

C
Phil Zheng, Buffalo Blizzard - Zheng's .370 AVG leads the NL
Roger Webb, Vancouver Titans

1B
Chris Tobin, Chicago Shoeless Joes - Tobin has hit 40 HRs with more than half a seaon to go. The 24 yr old also has also drive in 89 runs.

Brad Green, Colorado Colorado Crush - The 34 yr old veteran is having a typical Brad Green season (.340 AVG, 22 HR), and is less than 50 hits away from career hit #3000.

2B
Tony Sakamoto, Colorado Colorado Crush - The NLs most consistent 2B looks at his 3rd straight All-Star game appearance

Tyler Merrick, Burlington Bison - The young Bison is having a breakthrough year while carrying his team's offense and looks at his first All-Star game appearance as a backup to Sakamoto.

3B
Albert DeSoto, Colorado Colorado Crush
Bud Burke, Buffalo Blizzard

SS
Rey Shigetoshi, Buffalo Blizzard
Harry Blanco, Las Vegas High Rollers

LF
Mariano Gonzalez, Colorado Colorado Crush
Joaquin Santiago, New Orleans Ragin' Cajuns

CF
Robb Gant, Portland Rain
Albert Moraga, Norfolk Tars

RF
Tommy Ransom, Buffalo Blizzard
Alex Gonzalez, Portland Rain

'Tis the Season to be Moving - Chicago, New York, Burlington, Sioux Falls and Scottsdale are newest ML cities

2009-09-13T15:15:00.010-04:00

Chicago, IL - In the first of a series of ML teams announcing relocation to open the next season, the south side of Chicago will once again have a team. The Columbus Flatlanders, following a change in ownership at the end of last season, have announced that they will play the season in Chicago, giving the city both an AL and NL team.

The Flatlanders, after several seasons as one of the top teams in the NL, had a sudden change in management, with an unexpected sale of their team in the middle of a pennant race. The new owners are moving to Chicago, where they will be known as the Chicago Shoeless Joes.

American League baseball returns to New York city, with the former Toronto Saints announcing that they are relocating to the big apple and the franchise will be known as the New York Fadeaways.

In Burlington, VT, the former team from Iowa City, the Bison, had a press release to declare them the new home for the roaming herd. The bison had been looking for an Eastern city to host them since the end of last season when IA City failed to renew the lease on their stadium. "Burlington welcomed us with open arms after the deal fell through in Iowa City", said team spokesperson Mike McGlinchy. The Bison are retaining their team name and logo.

The Pawtucket Sox announced a move to Sioux Falls, where they will be known as the Cougars under new ownership.

Finally, Scottsdale Arizona will have baseball beyond spring training. The former Colorado Springs Raiders will play the S14 season with Scottsdale as their home town. They will retain the name of Raiders.

In New Orleans, the team is undergoing a facelift and image remake. The former "Fifth Ward Reds" will now be known as the Ragin' Cajuns, a more uplifting name that has immediate appeal with the local, regional fanbase.

Bison Herd Migrating in Season 14

2009-09-13T03:20:00.005-04:00

Iowa City, IA - The Iowa City Bison announced today that they will not play in Iowa City next season. The announcement came days after the team failed to reach an agreement with the city on the lease of Principal Stadium.

Iowa City spokesperson and former player Mike McGlinchy issued a statement: "We are very grateful to the fans who gave us a great home after jumping from Columbus to New York before landing here. It is unfortunate that the city's demands were not something we could work with, leaving us homeless and our loyal fans in a bit of limbo. We warned them that we would be forced to look elsewhere if a deal could not be reached, and I don't think they were listening. We have several prospective cities that are offering us mutually beneficial deals and we will explore those options, although we will not discuss those at this time. We need to make a decision quickly, preferably on a short term deal at a different city, while we explore the options of a long-term deal somewhere. The thing is, we could not move on to next season and have the league set the schedule without a stadium deal in place, and we ran out of time with the Iowa City negotiators for next season. They are still delusional in thinking that we are bluffing. Time's up. The league needs to know where we are playing, and it can not be in Iowa City for next season. They are unrealistic about timelines and expectations, and we can not keep postponing the inevitable."

A spokesperson for the mayor's office said: "These are tough economic times for the working people of our city. We have had to make some tough financial decisions across the board, making cuts left and right, and we can not give away the use of the stadium when it is a clear source of revenue for the city, and we know they could easily meet our demands if they wanted to. We think they are bluffing and they will not move. We just need a break from the negotiations and we will reconvene next week and invite them to the table to start all over the week after that."

The Bison have previously explored relocation. After their first two seasons in Iowa City, attendance was dismal and they explored relocation, but an improved team resulted in higher attendance, and the team chose to stay. Prospective suitors at that time were San Juan PR, Burlington VT, Richmond, VA and Washington, DC. Since then, Richmond has secured a ML franchise, but the other cities may still be interested. Burlington has shown the most interest in landing a ML franchise, since losing their franchise to Baltimore after S10.

PORTLAND WINS S13 WORLD SERIES

2009-09-13T03:13:00.005-04:00

The Portland Rain won the S13 World Series by beating the New Britain Bombers in 7 games. Leadoff man and "Rain-maker" Alex Gonzalez was named the World Series MVP after hitting .306 in the postseason, including 4 HRs, 10 RBIs and 11 stolen bases. In presenting the award, the Comissioner of baseball said "Gonzalez showed why he is one of the best leadoff men in baseball - power, speed and clutch hitting. We are honored to present him with this award." Although multiple players played key roles in the Rain's win, including Bip Bartee, Vasco Picasso, Robb Gant and Adrian Beltre, Gonzalez steady and consistent performance throughout the series, with key moments of clutch hitting, made him a standout amongst the media voters.

In addition to the award, Gonzalez was presented with a brand new Chevy Corvette.

World Series Game by Game Recap: Portland Wins in 7

2009-09-07T11:26:00.069-04:00

Game 1: Portland Rain at New Britain Bombers
Bip Bartee (19-8, 2.76 ERA) vs George Crandall (20-5, 2.99 ERA)

Opening night brought a matchup of Cy Young award winners and a close game that could have gone either way. Ultimately, the Bombers edged the Rain with timely hitting and clutch pitching to win by one run. The Bombers scored all four runs after two outs in a disastrous 5th inning that the Rain would rather forget. With the Rain leading 3-0, a costly error by Harry Encarnacion brought up the deathly trio of D'Angelo Gil, David Lee and Kareem Nunnally, who delivered as promised. Crandall pitched 7 strong innings before turning it over to the bullpen, with Brutus Nixon pitching a perfect 9th to get the save, featuring a dramatic strikeout of Rigo Plata for the last out.

Key Performers:
for New Britain ---
George Crandall (W), 7 IP, 7H (2HR), 3BB, 3ER, 6K
David Lee, 2 for 3, 2 RBI, 1R, 1BB
D'Angelo Gil, 3 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 R
Brutus Nixon, S, 1 IP, oH, 1K

for Portland ---
Bip Bartee (L), 6IP, 4R, 0ER, 8H, 2BB, 3K
Robb Gant, 2 for 4, 1 RBI, 1HR

Player of the Game: George Crandall

Final: Portland Rain 3, New Britain Bombers 4
New Britain Leads the Series 1-0

---------------
Game 2: Portland Rain at New Britain Bombers
Sammy Ugueto (14-2, 2.65 ERA) vs Louie Gonzalez (12-7, 3.32 ERA)

Art Sweeney hit a solo shot and Robb Gant drove in a run with a double to give the Rain a 2-1 win over the Bombers. In another close game, both starting pitchers put out strong performances, but the game would swing in Portland's direction to tie the series. Closer Stephen Welch put it away with 8 pitches in the 9th to log the save.

Key Performers:
for New Britain---
Louie Gonzalez, (L) 6 2/3IP, 5H, 2BB, 7 K

for Portland---
Sammy Ugueto (W) 6 IP, 1ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 3 Ks
Stephen Welch (S) 1 IP, 0H, O, BB, 1K
Robb Gant, 1 for 4, 1 RBI, 1HR
Art Sweeney, 1 for 4, 1 RBI, 1HR

Player of the Game: Sammy Ugueto
Final: Portland Rain 2, New Britain Bombers 1
Series Tied at 1-1.

---------------
Game 3: New Britain Bombers at Portland Rain
Vasco Picasso (13-9, 4.82 ERA) vs Marcus Perry (10-7, 3.96 ERA)

The New Britain Bombers made true to their name in dramatic come from behind fashion, exploding in the 9th inning to chase Portland closer Stephen Welch . Rob Cox, the Bombers' rookie CF hit a grandslam to put his team ahead. This was Cox's 2nd HR of the game. Portland saw a strong pitching performance by starter Vasco Picasso, but Welch could not hold the lead, blowing the save and losing the game. The 9th inning Bomber explosion started in an unconventional way. With his team trailing 3-1, David Lee was replaced by pinch hitter Luis Lee, the Bombers' typical DH. The unexpected move worked, as Luis Lee led off with a sharp single to right field. Luis Lee is hitting >.400 in the postseason.

Key Performers

for New Britain---

Rob Cox 2 for 4, 2 HRs, 5 RBI

Brutus Nixon, S, 1 IP, oH, 1K

for Portland---
Vasco Picasso, 8 IP, 5H, 3ER, 3 K
Robb Gant, 1 for 4, 3 RBI, 1 HR

Player of the Game: Rob Cox
Final: New Britain 6, Portland 3
New Britain leads the series 2-1

---------------
Game 4: New Britain Bombers at Portland Rain
George Crandall (20-5, 2.99 ERA) vs Bip Bartee (19-8, 2.76 ERA)

In a rematch of game 1 starters, Crandall pitched 6 solid innings to get the win, and Felipe Vega drove in 3 runs to give the Bombers a 5-2 win over the Rain. Brutus Nixon picked up his third save of the World Series.

Key Performers:

New Britain:

Felipe Vega, 2 for 3, 3 RBI, 3R, 1 HR

George Crandall, W, 6 IP, 2ER, 3H, 1BB, 2K
Brutus Nixon, S, 1 IP, oH, 1BB

Portland:
Alex Gonzalez, 2 for 4, 2R, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1SB

Player of the Game: Felipe Vega (Left)

Final: New Britain 5, Portland 2
New Britain leads the series 3-1

---------------
Game 5: New Britain Bombers at Portland Rain

Louie Gonzalez (12-7, 3.32 ERA) vs Sammy Ugueto (14-2, 2.65 ERA)

A rematch of Game 2 starters gave Sammy Ugueto his second win of the series and Alex Gonzalez and Andres Beltre both homered for the Rain. Ugueto appeared a bit wild on limited rest, walking 5 batters. Stephen Welch got the save despite a shaky performance. Portland fans were at the edge of their seats in the 9th, as they saw Kareem Nunnally, the potential tying run, drive a deep fly ball to right field that was caught by Alex Gonzalez at the warning track.
Key Performers:
for New Britain---
Yorvit Beltran, 1 for 3, 2 RBI
D'Angelo Gil, 2 for 4, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Cesar Rincon, 2 for 4, 1R, 1 BB

Portland---
Alex Gonzalez, 2 for 4, 1R, 2 RBI, 1 HR, 1SB
Sammy Ugueto (W) 5 2/3 IP, 2ER, 3 H, 5 BB, 5 Ks
Stephen Welch (S) 1 IP, 2H, 1 ER,

Player of the Game: Alex Gonzalez

Final: New Britain 3, Portland 5

New Britain leads the series 3-2.

---------------

Game 6: Portland Rain at New Britain Bombers

Vasco Picasso (13-9, 4.82 ERA) vs Marcus Perry (10-7, 3.96 ERA)

The Portland offense exploded for 15 hits and 8 runs and Vasco Picasso pitched 7 scoreless innings to send the series to a deciding Game 7. Andres Beltre homered, hit a triple and drive in 3 runs while Art Sweeney got 4 hits, including two homeruns and 4 runs driven in. Alex Gonzalez, Robb Gant and Derrek Silva got two hits a piece. Picasso allowed 2 hits and walked 1 in 7 innings of work before giving way to Jose Piedra for the combined 8-0 shutout of the powerful Bombers' offense.

Key performers:

Portland---
Vasco Picasso (W) 7 IP, 2H, 1BB, OR, 4K

Art Sweeney, 4 for 5, 4 RBI, 2HR , 3R, SB

Andres Beltre, 3 for 5, 3 RBI, 1 HR, 1 3H, 2R

Robb Gant, 2 for 5, 1 RBI, 1 R

Alex Gonzalez , 2 for 4, 1 BB, 2R, SB

Derrek Silva, 2 for 3, 1 BB

Player of the Game: Art Sweeney

Final: Portland 8, New Britain 0

Series tied at 3-3.

------------------------

Game 7: Portland Rain at New Britain Bombers

Bip Bartee (19-8, 2.76 ERA) vs George Crandall (20-5, 2.99 ERA)

Facing off for the third time in the World Series, the pitching aces delivered as promised. The final score: 1-0 Portland. The Rain got 10 hits, but only scored once, while Bip Bartee and two relievers combined for the 3 hit shutout. Portland closer Stephen Welch, who was inconsistent and shaky in the series, was lifted with two outs in the bottom of the ninth. Cody Miles recorded the last out for the save and gave Portland its second World Series title.

Key performers:
Portland---

Bip Bartee (W) 7 IP, 1H, 4BB, OR, 3K

Andres Beltre, 2 for 5, 1 RBI

New Britain---

George Crandall (L) 6 2/3, 5H, 1R, 4 BB, 4K

Cesar Rincon 2 for 3, 1 BB

Player of the Game: Bip Bartee

Final: Portland 1, New Britain 0

PORTLAND WINS THE S13 WORLD SERIES

New Britain and Portland face off in S13 World Series

2009-09-06T10:51:00.021-04:00

The S13 World Series opens tomorrow, with the Portland Rain visiting the New Britain Bombers. This is the first World Series appearance for the Bombers and the second one for the Rain. The cast of players in this October classic is a mix of the young rising stars of the game and a handful of veteran faces, but both teams' youth and recent rise to the top have the makings of future Octobers between these two well-matched teams.

How the numbers compare:
New Britain won 103 games in the regular season, tying for the best record in the majors. Portland won 99 and finished 2nd behind S12 World Series champion and the other team to win 103 games, the Columbus Flatlanders.

Portland had a team season ERA of 3.88 (3rd in the NL) while New Britain had a 3.91 ERA (1st in the AL). New Britain allowed 668 runs (least in the AL), while Portland allowed 680 (3rd in the NL).

New Britain's mighty offense hit .288 AVG (1st in AL), had a .351 obp (2nd in AL), hit 240 HR (6th in AL), while scoring 904 runs (3rd in AL), and scoring 236 more runs than their pitching allowed

Portland hit for a .260 AVG (11th in the NL), a .328 OBP (8th in the NL), 273 HRs (2nd in NL), and scored 841 runs (5th in NL), which is 161 more runs than their pitching allowed.

Prediction: Although the overall numbers seem to slightly favor New Britain, the teams are actually very evenly matched for a 7 game series that is likely to be defined by key performances from individual players. Portland is very capable of hitting the long ball, which is easily overlooked when only comparing average and OBP.

Who to watch for?

Portland:
Bip Bartee (19-8, 2.76 ERA) - Bartee logged 250 innings in the regular season and has pitched well in 5 starts this postseason.

Sammy Ugueto (14-2, 2.65 ERA) - In his first complete season as a full time starter, Ugueto did not disappoint, with 160 Ks in 176 innings. His four postseason starts so far have been disappointing (5.14 ERA), but Ugueto can pitch and his success is key to Portland's chances.

Art Sweeney (55HR, 138 RBI) - the young outfielder had a power surge this season, which carried his team offensively. His power will be essential to the Rain's success. Sweeney in an excellent defensive outfielder.

Andres Beltre (1B) - (.323 AVG, 48 HR, 105 RBI) - The sophomore almost doubled his HR totals from his rookie season and has shown much better patience at the plate, with a .431 OBP and a .658 SLG. Beltre is likely to run away with the NL 1B Silver Slugger award, unseating perennial winner Parker McIntyre despite being snubbed out of the All-Star game.

Robb Gant (CF) - Fan favorite Gant is a spectacular CF who will win this season's Gold Glove award after his prowess with the glove has become legendary. At 25, Gant is a seasoned veteran who has hit 20 or more HR while swiping 20 or more bases in each of the last 5 seasons. Although his batting average and SLG dipped slightly this season, Gant's balance of defense, power and speed are key to the Rain's winning ways.

New Britain:
George Crandall (20-5, 2.99 ERA) - The sophomore pitcher is the leading AL Cy Young candidate, and if he pitches like he did all season, it will be difficult to beat his team when he starts. In his 3 postseason starts so far, Crandall has shown that thsi 21 yr old has what it takes to compete and succeed in big games.

Louie Gonzalez (12-7, 3.32 ERA) - traded mid season from Vancouver, Gonzalez went 7-2 for the Bombers and made two amazing starts in the playoffs, winning both games.

Cesar Rincon (C) - The Bombers's 24 yr old catcher had a breakthrough season, reaching career highs in at bats, HRs (30) and RBIs (87), batting AVG (.327), OBP (.417) and SLG (.571).

David Lee (ss/3B) - Lee split time between 3B and SS, but it is his bat (.320 AVG, 29 HR, 101 RBI) that is worth watching.

Kareem Nunnally (1B/DH) - The 35 yr old veteran and future hall of famer was the veteran presence around which this team anchored its success, but Nunnally's bat shows no evidence of slowing down (44 HR, 132 RBIs). Nunnally only committed 1 error at 1B in 148 games played in that position.

Difference makers?
Vasco Picasso (13-9, 4.82 ERA) The 6-7 giant from Wellington, Ohio needs to step up and show why he was a first round draft pick a few seasons ago. Hampered by injuries, Picasso has been a great ML pitcher, but he is capable of being a superstar. This season was characterized by a tendency to give up the longball, with 28 HRs allowed in 32 starts. Picasso has pitched well in the postseason, and his previous experience in big games should serve him and his team well.

Marcus Perry (10-7, 3.96 ERA) - Perry is likely to get the start in game 3 for the Bombers. Perry has been good but inconsistent all season, and the Bombers will need him to step up if they are to go deep into the World Series.

Defense
Although these teams are evenly matched in defense, Portland holds a slight but significant edge. Portland fields two gold glovers in the outfield, with CF Robb Gant being a nightly highlight reel.

New Britain's main defense up the middle in the postseason has been good (2B D'Angelo Gil, ss David Lee and CF Rob Cox/ Thomas Serrano), but Portland's (2b Rigo Plata, CF Rob Gant and ss Willie Lopez/Rob Bailes) has been better. New Britain's catchers threw out less than 20% of potential base stealers, and this is a distinct disadvantage against a team with at least 5 base stealing threats. Although New Britain has 6 potential base stealing threats, Portland's Derrek Silva's 36% caught stealing percentage (2nd in the ML) should discourage them from using base stealing as an offensive weapon.

While Nunnally has been very good at 1b, with only one error committed, the career catcher and DH has a somewhat limited range, and he is unlikely to compensate for errant throws from his infield partners.

THE BOTTOM LINE:
This is a very evenly matched world series, and it can go either way even if New Britain carries a slight edge due to overall pitching and offense. Look at performances from key players and surprise role players to give their team the edge. This should be an exciting series, featuring some of the young All-Stars of the game who will be the face of the league for years to come.

BEYOND THE STORY
The National League has won more World Series (7) than the American League (5) in the 12 year history of the Fall classic. No league has won it in two consecutive years, and only two teams have won the World Series more than once.

Is Joel McNamara what the Lightning needed?

2009-08-09T10:13:00.004-04:00

Amongst a flurry of activity leading up to the ML trade deadline last week, Seattle fans saw the return of one of the franchise's best and most popular players. At 38, Joel McNamara is no longer the young catcher that made the all star team for 6 consecutive seasons, and playing the role of hero in the franchise's only World Series team in Season 1. McNamara's trade may have seemed as a gesture of respect to give him the opportunity to return and retire with his original team, but nobody questions that McNamara can still play amongst the best. Immediately inserted as the Lightning's everyday catcher after being a platoon player for the Bison, McNamara has been rejuvenated in Seattle, and is hoping to lead his new team to a return to the postseason.

McNamara played a crucial role in the Bison's emergence to the top of the division in the last several seasons, but management decided that a youth movement was in order when the team sunk to the bottom of the division this season. Team spokesperson said "We were sad to see Joel go, but he had a chance to return home and possibly be a part of a winning team. Joel is a future Hall of Famer, and we wish him nothing but the best and thank him for his time with us and the passion and respect he showed to our fans."

McNamara brings his veteran presence and decent pitch calling abilities to the Lightning, and in his first 4 games, he is off to 5 hits in 10 at bats. Seattle fans are thrilled with the move.

Anatomy of the First Pick (story by 69cubs)

2009-07-23T23:37:00.007-04:00

"With the 1st pick in the draft, the Vancouver Titans select..........!"

To get to this point, first we had to be bad the previous season.

Fast Forward to Season 13 - Preseason.

From Vancouver, we take a plane to Virginia. In the small town of Prince Edward County, VA, outside of Richmond, we go to the field of the PEC Eagles to scout HS Senior Albie Mercedes - 1st team all-conference in baseball and football, and 2nd team all-conference in basketball. In the 2 games we watch while there, he plays 3 different positions, (C-LF-2B), hits 2 HRs, drives in 6 runs as he goes 6 for 9. Scouts say he can be the #1, BUT, while there, it is noticed that football scouts are also there (during baseball season?), talking to locals. It appears Albie has a football scholarship about to be offered, and he is considering it! We have an opportunity to talk to Albie, and we have doubts on his commitment to baseball.

Next stop - we stay in Virginia and head to Lynchburg's Liberty University to see the Flames' SP Harry Regan pitch in a game. What a game we saw here. A 1-hit shutout, striking out 8, no walks. I want to see him pitch again, maybe a return trip! It is planned.

Temple, Tx is next on our scouting trip. Visiting the college of the Temple Leopards, school for prospect B.C. Moreno. We watch B.C. pitch, 6 innings, 1 run. 7 strikeouts and a walk. He seemed to be showing some wear as he gets farther in the game, but he sure can pitch! Scouts like him, but as a #1 pick... hmmm. On to Coffeeville, KS and another school (Coffeeville CC Ravens) and another top SP prospect! Vincenzo Wall. He retires the 1st 9 batters, striking out 1, but 3 balls hit to the track and caught. Only 1 hit in the next 2 innings, a HR after an error on the 3B which is the 2 runs allowed. In the 6th inning, he has to be pulled as it appears there is an issue with his thigh.

Back to Virginia, where Albie Mercedes hits 2 HRs, drives in 6 in one game and runs down a ball in the LF corner. This guy is a great athlete!

Harry Regan throws a no-hitter with full command on his pitches, 2 baserunners (errors on the defense). Striking out 6 and walking 1. Our scouts think he can be better with a stronger training program. But talking to Harry, he wants to play pro ball and he has the arm to potentially compete with the best. Wish I could stay in VA a little longer to watch Mercedes and Regan a few more times, but San Francisco is calling for our next stop.

The Dons of the University of San Francisco. Here is a major college with a major talent! 22 year old senior SS Bobby Upshaw: 2 time All-American and school record holder in several categories. But, a lot of rain for a couple days, we don't get to see him play, so we can't scout him while we are there. Find the videos of him playing! Last stop is closer to home as we end our trip in Marysville, WA, home of the Tomahawks of Marysville High School.

Senior SP Kris Gates will be pitching today. Being close to home, we have seen him pitch as a junior and we have seen him a few times. 5 pitches and great control. He does not disappoint us this day either. 2 hit shutout, making many hitters look foolish! We get to talk to his coach, since we have scouted Kris several games. Very good kid and great potential.

Back to Vancouver to look over our notes. We have decided to discuss 2 players for the #1 spot. Our Virginia prospects, Albie Mercedes and Harry Regan. They both should be regular members of the All Star teams, and both stand out above the prospects we were able to scout! Albie can hit, but what will it take to sign him? Will it be worth it? Probably! Will football lure him away from baseball? Possibly! We do have prospect money to spend this season.......! Harry showed us something in the 2 games we watched that shows he should be outstanding. He does want to play pro ball and should be easier to sign than Albie! A stud hitter (with very good defensive tools), or a #1 starter? Finally, draft day is here and the announcement is made......

"With the 1st pick in the draft, the Vancouver Titans select......... Harry Regan!

P.S. He signs right away and is ready to pitch in the Rookie League! Stay Tuned!

'Twas the night before draft day...

2009-07-21T23:50:00.007-04:00

'Twas the night before draft day, when all through the league not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse. The draft notes were set by the owners with care, in hopes that at draft turn, their guy would still be there.

The prospects were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of dollars danced in their heads. An agent and thief, a pen in his hand, had just settled his brains on a bonus that's mad.

When out on the roof there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutter, and threw up the sash.

With a little old owner, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be cubs69. Larger than his Titans, from Vancouver that is, he first picked and he shouted and called them by name:

"Now Regan! Now Johnson! Now, Peters and Ruiz! On, Gomez! On, Soto! Cedeno and Grissom! To the top of the list! To the top of the wall! Now sign away! Sign away! Sign away all!"

He sprang from his chair, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all signed with a quill and and the inkster. But I heard him exclaim, 'ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Draft Day to all, and to all some good luck!"

Earl Stowers makes the most of his chances

2009-07-18T00:51:00.005-04:00

It was season 8 when 23 yr old rookie Earl Stowers made his major league debut with the Boston Minute Men. After starting 28 games, Stowers was demoted the next season, where he became an All-Star at the AA level. But Stowers' brief stint at the majors seemed like a once in a lifetime chance that came and went as Stowers simmered in the minors for 4 seasons. Iowa City signed him as an unsigned minor league free agent before trading him away. Earl was then waived 5 times, including 3 times by the Seattle Lightning and being limited to 6 games and 3 at bats in the majors. And 5 yrs after making his Major League debut, Seattle's latest waive coincided with a team's desperate need for a defensive catcher who could play regularly.

Never complaining about his limited opportunities in Seattle, the now 28 yr old grizzled catcher jumped at the opportunity to start for the Salem Whips. In 35 games, Stowers has taken advantage of every opportunity to show that he belongs in the Major league team. By anchoring the pitching staff, Stowers has helped his new team turnaround what seemed like an atrocious start to the season. Surprisingly, he has also handled the bat quite well - at the rhythm of a .292 batting AVG.

Earl Stowers is not an All-Star, he is not the best catcher in the league or even in his division, but this blue collar, hard-nosed, no-nonsense old-school catcher has taken advantage of every opportunity and he is not looking back.

Who will be the first to 3,000 hits?

2009-07-17T23:53:00.006-04:00

3000 hits. Considered to be the ultimate career achievement - a measure of longevity, skills and gamesmanship - to be able to reach 3,000 hits is within reach for a handful of players in the Mathewson league's 13 yr history.

Brad Green, Colorado Colorado Crush - 33 yr, 12 time All-Star, 2696 career hits. Barring a major injury, Green is likely to reach the 3000 hit milestone by the end of next season. At 33, with excellent health, and playing in Colorado's thing air, there is no doubt that this future Hall of Famer and career .361 hitter with 530 + career homeruns, Green may be the best offensive player in Mathewson history.

Leo Billingsley, Colorado Colorado Crush - 35 yr, 9 time All-Star, 2625 career hits. Billingsley is roughly 400 hits away from the 3000 hit landmark. At 35, he would need to play until he is 37 yr old and still averaging @160-180 hits per year to reach 3000. Billingsley does not have the durability on the field that he used to have, and he is on the last year of his contract with the Crush. A move to a different city will likely hurt his chances at 3K. Although he has never spent a day in the DL in his entire ML history, his 35 yr old body is not the same as the all-star shortstop that he once was. Billingsley should reach 3000 hits, but it won't be easy.

John Russ, Louisville Wild Turkeys - 36 yr old, 9 time All-Star, 2477 career hits. Russ is a stretch to reach the 3000 hit landmark, although he still has enough ability to play for several years. Russ is 523 hits away from 3000, which translates to having to average 200+ hits over the next 2 1/2 years to reach the milestone before age 40.

Vladimir Valentin, Chicago Billy Goats - 37 yr old, 8 time All-Star, 2336 career hits. Despite being one of the best historical hitters in the league, Valentin is unlikely to reach 3000, but had an outside chance at doing so. Valentin is in excellent health, has never been on the DL and has more durability on the field than many players half his age. He would have to maintain a pace of @190 hits per season and would reach 3000 by age 41.

Tony Lunar, Oakland Elephants - 34 yr old, 2 time All-Star, 2307 career hits. Lunar, a career .292 hitter with excellent health and durability, is likely to reach 3000 if he plays into his late 30's (38) at his current hitting pace.

Parker McIntyre, Buffalo Blizzard - 30 yr old, 9 time All-Star, 2065 career hits - Will likely reach the 3000 milestone by age 36. Big Mac will likely be the Mathewson historical leader in homers by the time he's done playing,

A history of 1st picks - story by soulblazer

2009-07-11T23:05:00.013-04:00

Here's some history on the players taken with the 1st pick of each season. For the sake of simplicty, I am using the franchises' current team names, not the old names when they were drafted.

Season 1 -- Stan Uribe, P
Drafted by Salem, currently with Toronto. Probaly due to the game being new, but it's surprising he was taken with the 1st pick. Uribe has been good, but not great over the years, and is still pitching at the ML level as a starting pitcher. He has a lifetime 119-95 record and a 4.42 ERA and has been traded four times while only been on the DL once. Decent pitcher, but too high for a 1st pick overall. Parker McIntyre was the 17th overall pick of this draft.

Season 2 -- Alfonso Gabriel, P
Drafted by Boston as a risky pick, and he never signed. A waste of a first pick.

Season 3 -- Oscar Martin, P
Drafted by Toronto, currently with Toronto. A good pitcher, worthy of being taken with the 1st pick. Still with the team that drafted him ten years ago, he's a SP who has been named to the All Star Team twice and has a impressive 117-73 record and a lifetime 4.33 ERA. Oscar has been on the DL twice and was a good pick.

Season 4 - Clay Malone, P
Drafted by Texas, currently with Pittsburgh. Another pitcher, he's been just as good as Oscar Martin, with a lifetime 57-48 and a career ERA of 4.74. Malone made one trip to the All Star game and a Gold Glove award in Season 12. Malone has a bad history of injuries, though, going on the DL 6 times and being traded twice before being a SP with Pittsburgh. Risky for a 1st pick.

Season 5 - Cookie Floyd, P
Drafted by Texas, currently with Pawtucket. A bit of a stretch for a 1st pick, Cookie has been traded twice, and is currently a SP with Pawtucket. He's been on the DL twice and has a lifetime 59-64 record and 4.96 ERA. Not worth a 1st pick, a pattern which seems to be repeating.

Season 6 -- Patrick Knotts, C
Drafted by Cincinnati, currently with Salem. The first player taken who was not a pitcher, it's hard to argue with Patrick going 1st. He may not be a catcher, but he's a very good hitter, putting up 109 HR's and 354 RBI's with a lifetime .319 average. Making the All Star team last year, he has been traded twice and never injured. Despite his low pitch calling rating, he has been used as a catcher for most of his ML career. It seems he would do better if he was used just as a DH and had the chance to play every game. Knotts signing bonus ($10.4 million) is the highest in league history.

Season 7 -- Larry Dupler, SS
Drafted by Trenton, currently with Trenton. Another non pitcher taken in the 1st round, again he looks like a good pick at that spot. Still with the team that drafted him, Larry is making big money (9.5 mil a year) and has earned a Silver Slugger and Gold Glove award playing RF, as well as two All Star trips. Only once has he gone on the DL and he has 172 HR's and 569 RBI's witn a lifetime avg of .283. He's going to be a good player for a long time to come.

Season 8 -- Lonny Pujols, SS
Drafted by Texas, currently with Texas. Another SS taken with the 1st pick, he's mostly played 2B and 3B in his time in the bigs. Not a full time starter until last year, in his limited time Lonny has 72 HR's, 228 RBI, and .260 average and has never been injured. A very good player, but perhaps too high to take with the 1st pick.

Season 9 -- Valerio Reyes, SS
Drafted by Boston, currently with Columbus. Yet another SS taken in the 1st pick, he again seems to be too high to spend that pick on. Valerio played all of last year as a starter at the SS position, then was traded to Columbus this year where he's played 2B and spent time on the DL, his first injury. In his young career he has 25 HR's, 126 RBI's, and a .281 average. Very similar to Lonny, in that he should be a very good player. It should be noted that pitcher Cozy Ponson was taken with the second pick.

Season 10 -- Octavio Guerrero, P
Drafted by Richmond, currently with Richmond. A pitcher is finally taken with the 1st pick again with Octavio, although it's debatable if he was worth it. Still in Triple A as he works his way up, he's a starter with a lifetime record of 26-29 and a ERA of 4.72 and has been injured once. Should be a decent SP in the 4th or 5th spot for a desperate team, but better as a LR. Very debatable spending a 1st pick on.

Season 11 -- Douglas Slaughter, P
Drafted by Colorado Springs, currently with Colorado Springs. Another SP, he again fits into that 'good, but not worth a 1st pick' group again. Currently in Double A, the young Douglas has a 12-9 record and 3.75 ERA with no injuries. Time will tell how he does in the bigs, but he should do better than the last pitcher taken in Season 10.

Season 12 -- King Ray, RF
Drafted by New Orleans, currently with New Orleans. The first player of his position taken in the 1st pick, King is already in Double A, although spending a few days as part of his first trip to the DL. He jumped from Rookie ball last year to Double A this year, he has 19 HR's and 78 RBI's with a .318 average. He has the abilities to be a wonderful player who can hit for power, but it's too soon to pass judgment on his worthiness as a 1st round pick.

Is this the season the Redlegs run away with the division?

2009-07-11T02:39:00.008-04:00

Rookie 3B Howard Robinson knew he would be joining an incredible young team when he got the news that he had made the team out of spring training. After hitting .345 with 4 HR in spring training, the former 1st draft pick left no doubt that he belonged with the ML team. Now 30 games into the season, Robinson didn't realize that he would be the leader of a Redlegs Revenge offense that has carried the team into first place in the NL East and would lead all rookies with 11 HRs.

The road to first place has been a long but steady one for the Redlegs. Built around primarily homegrown talent, the Reds looked like the team to beat going into Season 12 until their youngsters struggled at the plate and on the mound. Now a season later, this team has shwon that they are for real. First baseman Jeromy Millard was picked off waivers from Texas, and may have been the missing cog to turn things around for the young team with his leadership and veteran presence, not to mention his .336 average and .460 on base percentage. CF All-Star Ben Morris, on his 5th year with the Redlegs, is slugging at a slightly lower pace than the last two seasons, but has improved his batting average (.315) and ability to make contact. Patrick McCurry has made a succesful transition from 2B to LF on the field, and improving his career batting average by nearly 45 points.

Pitching has been a positive constant for the Reds, with a starting rotation that carries a combined 16-6 behind Yogi Cooper (3-1, 2.62 ERA), Rick Ramirez ( 3-3, 3.53 ERA), Jeremy Blauser (3-0, 2.18 ERA), Jorge Morales (4-2, 4.72 ERA) and Jose Amaro (3-0, 4.05 ERA).

These young Redlegs may finally get their revenge, but this young team should be an exciting core for years to come.

Aging Bison at a crossroads...

2009-07-10T22:22:00.006-04:00

Colorado Springs, CO - Revenge was sweet for Jason Whitehead. The 28yr old smacked a walk-off 2 Run homer in the bottom of the 9th to cap a come from behind victory for the Colorado Springs Raiders over the Iowa City Bison. Whitehead made his ML debut behind much fanfare for the Bison after the then 25 yr old was a Rule 5 selection 3 years ago... but the Bison gave up on him after reserve duty and limited playing time that only gave him 28 at bats before releasing him. It took 3 years for the chance that Whitehead needed to show up his former team.

But perhaps the biggest story behind the latest Bison loss is how last season's best record in the National League (104-58) has become one of the worse. The story starts with two future Hall of Famers but aging veterans: Mike Burrell and Kenny Perez.

Despite showing that he could still play last season, the Bison allowed future Hall of Famer Perez (.305 AVG, 15 HR) to become a free agent when he supposedly demanded a $4 million per year, 4 year contract that would've had him in a Bison uniform up until age 40. The 38 yr old Burrell (.315, 16 HR last year) still had a year left in his contract, but after an offseason that had a toll on his reflexes, affecting his ability to make contact and play in the field, Burrell found himself in a Penguin uniform when the Bison placed him on irreversible waivers. Gone were two of the franchise's most significant players, two veterans signed as free agents and seen as the reason the Bison made several post-season appearances. GM Raul Padilla explained: "Kenny and Mike were the ultimate professionals and we hope they will be enshrined in the Hall of Fame some day. Although our young players could benefit from them, it wasn't fair to them to be backup players in Iowa City, or in Kenny's case, to expect him to take a much lower salary simply because we were overbudget".

Next, the Bison lost one of last year's most significant role players: rookie pitcher Rube Murphy. Murphy logged 95 innings for the Bison bullpen, including 14 starts filling in for staff ace Cookie Ramirez. Following some disagreements with management after Murphy demanded to be a starting pitcher, the Bison waived him. GM Raul Padilla said: "Rube had a lot of upswing and it was hard to let him go, but it was best for him to find a team that could accommodate his professional interests and make him happy. He wanted to start, and... if somebody is not happy with the role we need him to play, it is best to sever ties...and we did. (Murphy was claimed by Boston, where he had a 10.38 ERA after making 4 appearances - all in relief - and being waived again).

But the story wouldn't be complete had the Bison replaced these three with comparable talent. In Rube Murphy's place, the Bison have inserted 35 yr old Brett "The Homer" Clark. The veteran has been a starter for the bulk of his career, and has a propensity for giving up the long ball. The Bison believed Clark would do better in the large spaces of Principal Stadium, but so far, the Bison ranch has been too small to contain the 7 HRs in 7 innings that Clark has appeared. (At this pace, if he logs 95 innings like Murphy did, the league will have a new record for HRs allowed).

To replace Burrell and Perez, the Bison traded for veteran Walt Daniels. Daniels has been in a season long slump (.215 AVG, .257 OBP, and .271 SLG). Jason Hall, who was acquired last year as a backup to Perez, has been a disappointment in full-time duty and has not yet found his rhythm. Rumors are being circulated that both may be traded if they don't hit their groove soon.

The Bison suffered a significant loss in the third game of the season when starting pitcher Rick Cobb, who was 17-7 with a 3.53 ERA last season, sprained his shoulder and landed on the DL. Rule 5 pickup Geronimo Martinez has pitched in well in Cobb's spot, and may bump struggling Pedro Saenz from the rotation when Cobb returns, and Brett Clark is likely to be released.

Today, the Bison acquired 1B Britt George from Memphis. The 30 yr old was known as a contact and high average hitter, but has struggled recently and was demoted to AAA earlier this season by Memphis. The Bison are hoping to give him a chance to jump-start their offense.

In the meantime, many realize that the Bison are at a crossroads. While many of their players have struggled after the departure of two of their former stars, critics also realize that the team has underperformed as a whole and that they are likely to improve. Management is considering trading for the future, but in a young season, it may be too soon to pull the trigger and throw in the towel. GM Padilla said" We are at a crossroads. We realize that our team is in a slump, but it is still early and we have the talent to succeed. Tomorrow we may start a winning streak and we won't look back, but we are always looking for ways to improve and have a competitive franchise for years to come."

League Historical Stats (by pita323)

2009-07-06T21:37:00.005-04:00

Looking back at the records through the league's 12 year history...

This list is based on the first 12 seasons, but first list is the number of division titles by City:

Trenton has had 3 different owners take the city to a division title.
City Division Titles
Charlotte 8
Colorado 8
Louisville 8
Omaha 7
Trenton 7
Milwaukee 6
El Paso 5
Buffalo 4
Chicago (Sox) 4
Scranton 4
Iowa City 3
Las Vegas 3
Memphis 3
New Britain 3
Portland 3
St. Louis 3
Cleveland 2
Kansas City 2
New York (Yank) 2
Norfolk 2
Atlanta 1
Columbus 1
Helena 1
Oakland 1
Ottawa 1
Philadelphia 1
Rochester 1
Salem 1
Washington 1

NEXT, we look at the number of seasons per city:
City, Total Seasons
Buffalo 12
Colorado 12
Columbus 12
Las Vegas 12
Louisville 12
Memphis 12
Norfolk 12
Oakland 12
Texas 12
Charlotte 10
Cincinnati 10
El Paso 10
Omaha 10
Portland 10
Seattle 10
Trenton 10
Boston 9
Chicago (Sox) 9
Helena 9
Iowa City 9
Milwaukee 9
St. Louis 9

Now - Win Percentage by City:
City, Win %
Charlotte 66.7%
Memphis 62.3%
Milwaukee 61.0%
Colorado 59.4%
Chicago (Sox) 58.0%
Las Vegas 57.9%
New Britain 57.3%
Buffalo 56.6%
Sante Fe 56.5%
Louisville 56.0%
Omaha 55.1%
San Antonio 55.0%
Iowa City 54.7%
Trenton 54.3%
New York (Yank) 53.2%
Los Angeles 52.9%
Rochester 52.5%
Cheyenne 52.1%
Toronto 51.9%
Dover 51.5%
El Paso 51.3%
Norfolk 51.2%
Portland 50.7%
Albuquerque 50.6%

And finally, Percent of division titles compared to total seasons:
City, Division Titles, Division Title % to Seasons
Ottawa 1, 100.0%
Charlotte 8, 80.0%
Omaha 7, 70.0%
Trenton 7, 70.0%
Colorado 8, 66.7%
Louisville 8, 66.7%
Milwaukee 6, 66.7%
El Paso 5, 50.0%
Scranton 4, 50.0%
New Britain 3, 50.0%
Kansas City 2, 50.0%
Rochester 1, 50.0%
Salem 1, 50.0%
Chicago (Sox) 4, 44.4%
Buffalo 4, 33.3%
Iowa City 3, 33.3%
St. Louis 3, 33.3%
Portland 3, 30.0%
Memphis 3, 25.0%
Las Vegas 3, 25.0%
New York (Yank) 2, 25.0%
Cleveland 2, 25.0%
Atlanta 1, 25.0%
Philadelphia 1, 20.0%
Norfolk 2, 16.7%
Washington 1, 16.7%
Helena 1, 11.1%
Columbus 1, 8.3%
Oakland 1, 8.3%

Clearing the pre-season notebook (story bysac_lambs)

2009-06-25T18:40:00.006-04:00

Welcome New Ownership –
1. deerhunter63, Colorado Springs Raiders: 29-season veteran has no fear to tackle the process of retooling franchises. He inherits a major league team that hasn't finished higher than third place in their division in the past five seasons.

2. antsampson, Pawtucket Sox: Relative newcomer to HD with only three seasons of experience. He takes over a franchise that hasn't reached the playoffs in six seasons and featured four owners in the past five years.

3. the_mad_monk, Salem Whips: This experienced owner (7 seasons) joins Mathewson with the reigns of the team that won the AL West in S12 despite finishing with a losing record, and losing over 100 games in the previous season. The mad_monk looks to re-establish this franchise to the dynasty it was during the first 10 seasons under the same owner.

If I missed anyone else, please accept the apologies and welcome aboard. Speaking for all veteran owners, we're grateful to have the rookie owners and hope you'll stay around for many seasons to come.

Where's Waldo?
pita323 isn't a new owner, but he's owned eight different franchises in 13 Mathewson HD seasons. It's always fun to see where pita is going to show up any season, but don't kid yourself, this guy has won six division titles and has strong teams no matter where he's located. This time, pita323 has taken over the former Charlotte franchise – the winningest franchise in Mathewson HD history. The wolfman set the standard of excellence before bowing out after 12 seasons, but pita323 has an impressive track record. Stay tuned.

Another Change Of Scenery
After a strong performance in Milwaukee, including five division crowns and a World Series title, thurmodore has returned to Mathewson after a brief hiatus, and relocated to the AL West with the Los Angeles Canyoneros. Interesting switch, but the track record shows thurmodore has never piloted a team that finished any lower than second. Can he do it in LA-la-land?

Year Of The 'Cat
Season 12 truly belonged to bobcat_grad – beginning with a major league title after eight seasons with the Columbus Flatlanders. What you might have missed is the overall success of the Flatlanders franchise. bobcat_grad put together playoff teams in every classification, including three division titles at the minor league level. Very impressive.

Division Title Ownership
The Colorado Colorado Crush, piloted by hoyanoel, won a seventh consecutive division title (NL West) at the ML level, the longest active streak in Mathewson.

Prime Time, Past Their Time Free Agents
This year's crop, unlike other seasons, did not feature a “franchise-type” player that drew unbelievable contracts. However, as exhibition season began, there were some interesting players, with great histories, that were still available.

1. OF Kennie Perez – A three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger and Golden Glover who figures to be a first ballot Hall Of Famer.

2. OF Vic Blank – Two-time All-Star that hit 30-plus homers in six seasons, including 52 in his best year.

3. IF Carlos Franco – A seven-time All-Star that had monster offensive seasons in Colorado, including a 64 HR, .339 avg. in Season 6. The Hall Of Fame is dusting off a spot for Franco's statue as we speak. (.320 career batting AVG, 507 HRs).

4. P Jacob Johnson – Six-time All-Star with 293 career saves.

5. Pitchers D.T. Plesac, Walker Gonzales, Don Bunch – Each made the All-Star team at least twice.

Columbus Becomes World Series 12 Champions

2009-06-13T10:32:00.017-04:00

The Columbus Flatlanders became World Series Champions by defeating the Trenton Fire with an 11-8 win in game 6 of the series. This is Columbus' first World Series title. The Flatlanders came in as underdogs and walked out as Top dogs behind the offensive prowess of rookie 1B Chris Tobin.

After a 102-60 regular season record and a third straight World Series appearance, the Trenton Fire were the favorites against a Columbus team that barely made the playoffs by qualifying in the last day of the season. With an 88-74 record, the Flatlanders actually tied the Las Vegas High Rollers, but it was Columbus and not Las Vegas that qualified because of their regular season head to head record. Once in the playoffs, Columbus left no doubt that they belonged in this party. Division rival Portland was dispatched 3-1 despite losing the Division Play-In Series opener. Next up was Colorado, who fought hard but came up short in Game 5 of the Division Championship Series. Columbus then moved on to play the El Paso Fighting Tacos, and this series went 7 games, but Tobin, Tony Lunar and Dennis Lo brought the Flatlanders back late in Game 7 to clinch the League Championship and move to the first World Series appearance.

The World Series becamse the stage in which the Flatlanders' young players showcased their abilities, and the team outscored Trenton 39-29 in the 6 game series. Trenton had battled through a tough 7 game series in the AL Championship series against the AL's best record holder (New Britain), forcing them to shuffle their pitching corps for the World Series.

Game 1: Jackie Little (19-10, 3.70 ERA) vs Andrew Baxter (3-0, 4.05 ERA) in Trenton

Season 11 AL Cy Young Award Winner Andrew Baxter was limited to 24 innings for Trenton in the regular season after returning from a shoulder aneurysm surgery suffered late last season, but he was nothing short of spectacular in the post season. Columbus countered with their ace, 19 game winner and Cy Young candidate Jackie Little. Neither starter factored in the final score, as this game was won in the 10th inning on a walk-off homer by DH Emmett Halter off of a seemingly fatigued Bart Valdez in relief.

Final: Columbus 5, Trenton 6 . Trenton leads Series 1-0

Game 2: Rodrigo Jimenez (12-9, 4.57 ERA) vs Stewart Pose (14-11, 4.08 ERA) in Trenton

Pose started on short rest, and got lifted after 3 1/3 innings. Jorel Roth made an appearance in relief and picked up the loss after 3 1/3 innings. Columbus' Rodrigo Jimenez held on for 8 innings, picking up the win despite giving up 3 homers and 6 earned runs. Emmett Halter homered twice in the loss.

Final: Columbus 7, Trenton 6. Series Tied 1-1.

Game 3: Juan Marin (14-8, 3.65 ) vs Harry Harding (9-14, 4.60) in Columbus

The Series shifted to Columbus, and Harding, the 25yr old rookie from Halifax, Nova Scotia, quieted the Fire's bats by allowing 1 run in 8 innings. Trenton suffered from playing in a NL park without a DH, which meant that Emmett Halter, who had led with 3 HRs in 2 games against Columbus, was limited to a pinch hit appearance.

Final: Trenton 1, Columbus 5. Columbus Leads the Series 2-1.

Game 4: Jorel Roth (17-3, 3.74 ERA) vs Carlos Rosado (12-13, 4.58 ERA) in Columbus

Trenton jumped to an early lead after scoring 6 runs in the first inning off of Rosado. But Rosado, who had a 9+ ERA in the postseason, managed to hold on, settled down and shut down the Fire for the next 6 innings before turning it over to the bullpen after the Flatlanders' bats had come back. The Fire's starting pitcher, Jorel Roth, who had made a relief appearance in Game 2, pitched well early on but got tired and was charged with 10 earned runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Final: Trenton 6, Columbus 10. Columbus Leads the Series 3-1.

Game 5: Andrew Baxter (3-0, 4.05 ERA) vs Jackie Little (19-10, 3.70 ERA) in Columbus

This rematch of Game 1 was an old-fashioned pitching duel, with both starters pitching 8 innings and allowing a combined 9 hits. Columbus' rookie 1B Chris Tobin misplayed a groundball, allowing what would be the winning run to score and denying Columbus the chance to claim the title at home.

Final: Trenton 2, Columbus 1. Columbus Leads the Series 3-2.

Game 6: Rodrigo Jimenez (12-9, 4.57 ERA) vs Stewart Pose (14-11, 4.08 ERA) in Trenton

With the series moving back to Trenton, the hometeam led 8-3 in the bottom of the 4th after Jimenez gave up 8 Earned runs in 3 1/3 (inlcuding a 3-run homerun by C Albert Osuna). Columbus' rookie Harry Harding came in in relief and stopped the bleeding long enough to allow Columbus to come back. The Flatlanders' comeback started with a 3-run homerun by Chris Tobin in the top of the 5th to redeem himself from his Game 5 defensive woes. (Tobin was the DH in this game and went 3 for 4 with 5 RBI and a walk). The Fire's pitching could not contain Columbus' bats, with Pose pitching poorly (6 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB) but avoiding the loss after leaving with a 2 run lead. Reliever Howie Herman faced 5 batters and recorded only one out, taking the loss after allowing 4 hits and being charged with 4 earned runs.

Final: Trenton 8, Columbus 11. Columbus WINS THE WORLD SERIES.

The Three Greatest Teams in Mathewson History (by unitedcenter)

2009-06-07T23:34:00.003-04:00

GREATEST TEAMS IN MATHEWSON HISTORY!

Being World Series time in the Mathewson World for season 12, let's look at a few teams that I would rank as the Top 3 of all time. All 3 teams won the World Series in the seasons that are listed. In order by season, not by preference, here they are...

SEASON 2 - (The season of the Triples).
Louisville Wild Turkeys with an 108-54 record.

Louisville went 11-4 in the playoffs beating my Chicago team (with Silver Slugger and Gold Glove winning catcher Chip Everett and Fireman of the year Dustan Schmidt) 4-1 in the World Series. This powerhouse team, who won the NL South by 17 games and led the NL in 3Bs, HRs and RBIs, was led by the following:- All Star SP Sean Donovan, who finished the season with a 20-4 record, 192 strikeouts, .216 OBA and a 1.16 WHIP.- SP Aaron Newson with a 19-6 record.- All Star and Silver Slugger 3B John Russ, with 151 runs, 44 2Bs, 32 3Bs, 49 HRs, 170 RBIs, 25 SBs, .329 BA and 1.191 OPs.- Silver Slugger and Season 2 NL MVP 2B Domingo Dali with 183 Runs, 28 3Bs, 62 HRs, 186 RBIs, 58 SBs and a 1.179 OPs.- Silver Slugger CF Mac Cookson and his 123 Runs, 49 2Bs, 23 3Bs, 29 HRs, 102 RBIs, 19 SBs and a 1.023 OPs.

SEASON 3
Charlotte Wolfpack with a 106-56 record.

Charlotte had their brooms with them in the first few rounds before facing season 2 champ Louisville (Cy Young winner Aaron Newson and MVP John Russ) and beating them 4-2 to finish the post season with an 11-2 record.The Wolfpack had to battle Memphis throughout the year but finally took the AL South by 4 games. They won this with their pitching leading the league in Saves and Strikeouts and their offense getting the Triple Crown (HRs, RBIs and Avg).The Wolfpack was led by the following:- All Star SP Yogi Cooper and his 17-9 record.- All Star closer Benny Suarez with 25 saves in 28 opportunities.- RP Tuck Diaz who appeared in 79 games (all in relief) with a 1.23 WHIP, a W/L record of 19-8 and 7 saves with that. - SP Alberto Sanchez with a 12-6 record.- All Star RF Mike Burrell, who despite playing in only 137 games, batted .306, 123 Runs, 37 2Bs, 23 HRs and 92 RBIs.- Silver Slugger 2B Felipe Vega with 112 Runs, 41 2Bs, 47 HRs, 154 RBIs and a .973 OPs.- Silver Slugger 3B Harry Moya with 130 Runs, 48 HRs, 156 RBIs, .313 Avg. and a .963 OPs.- Silver Slugger SS sparkplug Joe Watson with his 138 Runs and 77 SBs.

SEASON 6
Memphis Blues Boys with a 114-48 record.

They made the playoffs as a Wild Card as Charlotte took the AL South with 117 wins. They went on to a 14-3 record and swept the Colorado Crush (with NL MVP Brad Green and a team OPS of .972 with 390 HRs) 4-0 to win the World Series.The Blues Boys finishing 2nd in their division led the NL in batting with a .305 average. This team had individual honors bestowed on 9 different players.Memphis was led by the following:- All Star SP Dorian Kinkade and his 20-2 record, 3.06 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.- All Star and Fireman of the year Don Gonzales who had 45 saves and a 1.19 WHIP.- Rookie of the Year SP Dustan Stoops with a 15-3 record and 3.62 ERA.- 15-2 SP Richard Magee and a 1.15 WHIP.- All Star and AL MVP catcher Kareem Nunnally with 124 Runs, 68 HRs, 175 RBIs, .319 avg and 1.126 OPs.- All Star and Silver Slugger 2B Vladimir Valentin with 113 Runs, 43 HRs, 133 RBIs and a .318 BA.- All Star and Silver Slugger SS Andrea Childers and 139 Runs, 36 SBs and .324 BA.- All Star and Silver Slugger CF Kennie Perez and 151 Runs, 44 2Bs, 36 HRs, 133 RBIs, 31 SBs, .339 BA and .966 OPs.- Silver Slugger LF Roberto Santana, who, in 129 games had 34 HRs and 112 RBIs to go along with his .316 BA.- Gold Glove 3B Tanyon Owen who also contributed offensively with 107 Runs, 28 HRs, 95 RBIs and a .311 BA.

These 3 teams are the best in my opinion, I am sure arguments could be made for other teams also. (opinions by Unitedcenter)

and the offensive leaders are in...

2009-05-29T15:16:00.016-04:00

Season 12 ended yesterday, and while much excitement took place with the clinching of the final playoff spots, it is time to recognize the individual leaders...

Notable: Salem's Rookie outfielder (And Rule 5 selection) Alfredo Mateo swiped 101 bases. This total ranks second all time to the single-season record of 104 set by Carlos Rincon in season 8.

Batting Average
The big story was that New Orleans' C Ricardo Alomar finished the season with a .409 batting average, which becomes the new single season batting average record. The runner up to Alomar in the NL batting race, Parker McIntyre, trailed by 50 points. The previous record (.407) had been set by another catcher, Horacio Vallarta, in season 8. Vallarta won the AL batting crown this year with a .383 AVG.

NL Leaders - Batting Average
Ricardo Alomar, New Orleans .409
Parker McIntyre, Buffalo .349
Brad Green, Colorado .348
JT Stowers, Louisville .339
Ariel Santos, Saint Louis .338

The 24 yr old Santos made the top 5 despite being traded mid-season from Toronto to St. Louis. He batted .353 for the Toronto Saints but "only" .323 for St. Louis.

AL Leaders - Batting Average
Horacio Vallarta, Charlotte .373
Britt George, Memphis .337
Luis Lee, New Britain .336
Russell Leonard, Charlotte .333
Terrence Reese, Memphis .333

Memphis and Charlotte placed two hitters in the top 5 in batting average. Russell Leonard, who was traded to Charlotte in the offseason, did not skip a beat in maintaining the offensive rhythm that made him one of the AL's most feared hitters in his tenure with Trenton.

Home Runs
Parker McIntyre's 78 home runs rank 3rd all time in the single season home run totals. (Buster Byrdak hit 83 and McIntyre himself hit 80 in Season 7). Charlotte was the Major League Homerun capital, with a combined 410 homeruns. Buffalo was second, trailing by 126 homers.

NL Leaders - Home Runs
Parker McIntyre, Buffalo 78
Carter Taguchi, Richmond 53
Chris Tobin, Columbus 50
Jeff Trammell, Las Vegas 50
Tommy Ranson, Buffalo 46

22 year old rookie Chris Tobin carried the Columbus offense to the playoffs, while Taguchi set a career high with 53 HRs.

AL Leaders - Home Runs
Russell Leonard, Charlotte 57
Javier Valdez, Charlotte 57
Ricky Gibbs, Chicago 46
Adam Maxwell, Charlotte 46
Larry Dupler, Trenton 45

Although teammates Leonard and Chavez tied for the Homerun crown with 57 a piece, Leonard was also walked 100 times.

NL Leaders - Runs Batted In
Parker McIntyre, Buffalo 188
Brad Green, Colorado 156
Jeff Trammell, Las Vegas 153
Chris Tobin, Columbus 152
Carter Taguchi, Richmond 136

AL Leaders - Runs Batted In
Javier Valdez, Charlotte 148
Larry Dupler, Trenton 148
Russell Leonard, Charlotte 145
Chip Spence, San Antonio 139
Adam Maxwell, Charlotte 138

Aging bison keep on kicking

2009-05-15T23:16:00.011-04:00

Iowa City, IA - With 37 games to go, the Iowa City Bison hold a very slight 2 game lead over division rival Buffalo. After a difficult 23 consecutive game stretch that saw career relievers Brett Halter and Esteban Rodriguez spot-starting games, the Bison are looking forward to the return of staff ace and workhorse Cookie Ramirez.

How the aging Bison managed to plow through the loss of Ramirez and the increased strain on their pitching staff is anybody's guess, but at least 9 different pitchers started games. Rookie Rube Murphy (6-5, 4.81 ERA) filled in admirably and pitched better than expected, getting the bulk of the starts (11) in Ramirez' spot during his absence. The starting quartet of Ismael Alvarado (14-7, 2.74 ERA), Rick Cobb (12-7, 3.78), Brandon Freeman (8-8, 4.36 ERA) and Pedro Saenz (5-1, 1.79 ERA) has pitched extremely well, and the four saw themselves as leading men rather than supporting cast to Ramirez.

To say that the bullpen has been inconsistent and over-fatigued at times is an overstatment, even seeing a pitching appearance by ss Willie Lopez, and this is a far cry from the lights-out Bison pens of previous years, but they have pitched well enough to stay in games, preserve leads and win games. (Lopez pitched one inning in a 13-5 blowout loss to Las Vegas, and actually struck out utility man Mark Rupe). For the third year in a row, the Bison lack a true closer, and pitching roles seem to change faster than they can be defined. Iowa City pitching coach Piper Bradshaw said: "We asked a lot of these guys and they all did what the team needed. We'd have to look at it every day, looking a whose arm was fresh enough to go. We held back some relievers to rest them to where sombody could start the next game while using the regular starters as relievers on the day we needed them. It was chaotic for a while, but all of our guys were flexible. Joel (McNamara) and Gene (Maduro) had a great feel for who had gas in the tank and were our "on the field coaches", if you will, when we were trying to sort out pitchers".

But perhaps the biggest explanation for the success of the 'S12 Bison has been a renaissance in their offense. The Bison rank amongst the top 5 in NL Team batting AVG and OBP, despite being amongst the worse in hitting the long ball (132). Six of the Bison's regular starters are hitting .300 or above, although defining a "regular" for the Bison takes a bit of creativity. A total of 12 position players have accumulated 200 or more at bats, and seen action in 100 games or more. Only one player, leadoff man and All-Star CF Aaron Bailey, has exceeded 500 at bats. The Bison's offense has been built around platoon and role players, matching starters on a day to day basis while aggresively making late game substitutions and pinch hitting for more favorable matchups. The cast is full of older players, waiver wire pickups and a few home-raised players.

35 yr old Kenny Perez has been consistent with the bat and glove, despite seeing action at multiple positions and battling chronic fatigue. Aging 37 yr old slugger Mike Burrell has adapted well to a switch to 1B and LF from his traditional RF position, a move to put less strain on his arthritic knees and to facilitate giving him more days off. (Interestingly, Burrell has become a spokesperson for male enhancement pharmaceutical Viagra). 2B Tyler Merrick, CF Aaron Bailey and RF Norberto Fernandez form the young offensive core of this team, and were joined by 32yr old 3B Jason Hall before the trade deadline. Three positions are covered by platoon players: the offense of 35 yr old Bo Wells has alternated with Alex Cooke at 1B; the defensive duo of Tony Tatis and Willie Lopez has provided a combined 15 HRs and has been a welcomed bonus from a position where the Bison management only expected solid defense, and the catching platoon of Joel McNamara and Eugene Maduro has excelled defensively while handling the pitching corps admirably.

Vinny Funaki has been a disappointment, both defensively and offensively, and the Bison tried to trade him but found no suitable takers for the decreasing skills of the often injured 33 yr old former all-star and silver slugger 2B who has hit a meager .245 through the season. ESPN's Peter Gammons reported that the Bison had agreed in principle to a deal that would've sent Funaki to Seattle in a package for a pair of minor leaguers, but Funaki failed to clear waivers when the San Antonio Stallions claimed him. The Stallions were not interested in trading for Funaki, effectively forcing the Bison to keep him as a super utility backup role. (The Stallions, who reportedly were looking for offense, had apparently rejected two previous offers for a deal that included Funaki). Funaki may redeem himself in the last 30 games if given enough playing time, but it is doubtful that Funaki's ice cold bat will find a place in the heat of a pennant race.

The remainder of the schedule will be challenging for the Bison; with the exception of Helena and Norfolk, the Bison will only face teams with winning records, and they have performed poorly against Helena. There are no major additions expected down the stretch, although a handful of AAA players are likely to be called up at roster expansion to add bullpen depth and add some defensive flexibility.

The Bison have made the postseason for a few years in a row - they have done so while riding the arm of Cookie Ramirez. Much hinges on whether Ramirez is fully recovered from the injury that has limited him to 130 innings. An Iowa fanbase that saw a quiet offseason and criticized management as throwing in the "rebuilding flag" behind the remaining contracts of the Bison's aging core has found a renewed interest in this veteran team. These aging Bison are hungry for the postseason, realizing that for many of them, this may truly be their last chance at a World Series ring.

San Antonio is Raising the Bar – Not Just a Show Horse (by canadadry)

2009-05-15T23:08:00.004-04:00

For years, the MLB team that now plays in San Antonio played third string to its counterparts in Charlotte and Memphis. While every season was contested for a long 162 game schedule it seemed a forgone conclusion, year after year, that regardless of order of Charlotte and Memphis the third spot in the American League South was reserved for the hapless franchise now hailing from San Antonio. But last year that finally changed. With the insurgent tenacity that their name sake would suggest, the San Antonio Stallions pressured their way through the season, managing to leg out the Memphis squad by one game to claim the second spot in the AL South and also to secure a playoff berth as the final Wild Card team. And as so often happens, confidence bred confidence, the Stallions carried their momentum into the playoffs and knocking out long time division rival, Charlotte in the first round and then sweeping the powerhouse Bombers from New Britain to claim the Division Champion crown.But was it just a flash in the pan? Was it just a matter of percentages? Sooner or later every team squeaks a little further than it should….right?

This season the San Antonio Stallions have proven that last year’s rise to their best record ever (94-68) was not just a fluke. With 78 wins after 124 games played they are on pace to break the century mark for wins this season. And the division lead, which once seemed reserved for only Charlotte or Memphis, is a tangible, realistic goal. But like a horse with blinders, the San Antonio Stallions are keeping their head down and their feet low. They aren’t willing to settle for another rung up the divisional ladder. They got a taste for post-season success last year and they’ve raised the bar. The finish line isn’t 162 games out any more…it’s 14 wins past that!

Columbus looks to make a run at the postseason (Story by bobcat_grad)

2009-05-15T18:17:00.010-04:00

COLUMBUS, OH - With only a quarter of the season left, the Columbus Flatlanders are looking to make a run at the post season, but to ensure a place in the playoffs, Columbus is going to have to make up some ground on the Portland Rain. That seems to be an annual theme for the Columbus franchise. "Looking up in the standings at Portland is getting old", says owner/general manager/field manager, Bob Catgrad. “While I respect the job that Portland does year in and year out, I’m getting sick of being behind them all of the time.”

Portland has suffered some severe injuries to members of its pitching staff this year, so if there has ever been a time for Columbus to make a move, it is now. Portland has lost both their number two and three men in the rotation: Vasco Picasso and Jose Piedra. Luckily for the Rain, an injury to their ace, Bip Bartee, turned out to not be as serious as first feared. But Columbus isn’t waiting for Portland to lose. “We’re going to go after it, regardless of any one else’s situation. We need to focus on playing good ball right now,” says Catgrad. With the remainder of the Flatlander’s schedule against opponents with a combined .469 winning percentage, hopefully they can translate that approach into enough wins to catch Portland. To do that, they will need some key team members to keep up their pace and others to step it up some.

Chris Tobin has had the rookie season that most players dream about. With a batting average over .300, OBP over .400, 38 HR, and 115 RBI with 40 games to play, Tobin is carrying the offense on his young shoulders and pushing to be the NL Rookie of the Year. “He’s a natural. Plain and simple,” say Catgrad. Tobin attributes his success to a great set of players around him, and Harry Moya in particular. “Moya’s been great. He’s shown me the right way to approach being a professional," he said.

While Harry Moya may be a great influence on Tobin, it hasn’t been until recently that his on-the field productio has matched the Flatlanders' expectations. As recently as 20 games ago, he was hitting in the .250s and trade rumors were swirling. Those rumors must have lit a fire under Moya, who has driven his average up to .278. The new keystone combination for the Flatlanders this year, 2B Tony Lunar and ss Eddie Ingram, has also been crucial to their success. With a combined average over .300, 47 doubles, 46 SB, and 147 runs scored – not to mention solid defense – it seems the Flatlander ownership made the right move in trading for the two veterans. Switch-hitting leftfielder Denny Lo has been consistent at the plate while providing balance to a primarily right handed lineup. If Columbus is going to make it to the postseason, though, they will need more consistency from their pitching staff.

Outside of southpaw Jackie Little, who is 15-6 and having a stellar year after signing a 4 year/$39 million contract, the starting rotation has had its ups and downs. The Flatlanders may have expected too much out of youngsters Carlos Rosado and Harry Harding. Recently, Donaldo Perez was demoted to the bullpen, and Carlos Diaz replaced him in the rotation. Catgrad hopes this will help both players. “Diaz has pitched well for us down the stretch in the past, and Perez can be a good contributor is certain situations.” The Flatlanders stood pat at the trading deadline, so any additional help would have to come from within their farm system or through a late season waiver wire addition.

The pitching staff shouldn’t expect any help from the minors, but the offense could benefit if the Flatlander organization decides to call up slugger Randy Early. Early is murdering AAA pitching, posting a .320 average with 43 HR, 123 RBI, and an OPS of 1.055. The only reason he hasn’t been called up to the majors is there’s no place to put him. “He can play both corner outfield spots and first base, but with Tobin, Moya, and Lo in those spots, he’d end up sitting on the bench,” says Catgrad. "That will not help anybody."

The general consensus in the organization is the future looks very bright. But “wait ‘til next year” is not what the current team wants to hear, especially veteran Harry Moya. “This is a good team. A really good team. And we’re going to do everything we can to bring a pennant to Columbus."

Prospect Report

2009-05-13T22:37:00.009-04:00

At the beginning of the season, 10 prospects were identified as key prospects to watch. Here is how these guys have fared so far...

1. Sidney Gardner - 3B - Cincinnati Redlegs Revenge - Gardner has shown the tools that landed him a large contract as an unsigned draftee: 273 AVG, 30 HR, .365 OBP and 92 RBIs while playing primarily first base and some third base.

2. Fernando Rodriguez - LF - Trenton Fire - Rodriguez has a .297 AVG, .349 OBP, 32 hr and 100 rbi with 22sb. He has proven that he truly is as good as promised.

3. Carlos Rosado - SP - Columbus Flatlanders - Rosado has started 24 games, and has pitched 3 complete games, en route to compiling a 9-9 record with a 4.36 ERA in 169 innings pitched. He has been inconsistent at times, but has pitched well enough to help the Flatlanders.

4. Chris Tobin - 1B - Columbus Flatlanders - Tobin is a professional power hitter, and has been an offensive force at the plate : 37 hr, 113 rbi, .304 AVG, .404 obp.

5. Adam Phillips - SP - Colorado Colorado Crush - Adam Phillips can pitch really well - in AAA that is - and that is exactly where he is currently pitching. The curveballer struggled in 5 major league starts and compiled and 8.38 era before being sent back to the minors for more seasoning. His future in Colorado is uncertain.

6. George Crandall - SP -New Britain Bombers - The 20 year old top ranking prospect in the Season 11 Prospect rankings has shown that he has the makings of a superstar, and is still improving. In 18 starts, he has an 8-2 record, and a 3.49 era in 118 ip.

7. Tomas Gonzalez - SP - Helena Handbaskets - The 19 yr old Gonzalez has pitched well for the struggling Handbaskets, and has stayed healthy. In 24 starts, he has a 6-10 record and 3.45 era in 151 ip.

8. Cozy Ponson - SP - El Paso Fighting Tacos , now New York Transformers - the jury is still out on Ponson. He pitched well for El Paso's AAA team and managed to stay healthy enough to be traded to a Vancouver team that traded him again. Coy landed in New York and is still adapting to his new coaches.

9. Vic Cordero - SP - Portland Rain - Cordero has pitched well for a Portland team that has suffered some injuries. He has 10 wins (10-5), has made 24 starts and holds a respectable 3.26 era.

10. Brian Jordan - 2B - Salem Volcanoes - Jordan leads all ML rookies in batting average (.325) while hitting 22 hrs and has been a key to the Volcanoes' second half surge while playing respectable defense.

Surprises Guaranteed For The Postseason (story by sac_lambs)

2009-05-12T23:48:00.007-04:00

While the major league playoff brackets have yet to be filled, one thing is certain - whatever happens during the regular season means nothing in the playoffs. Mathewson World has a tremendous history of unpredictability once the postseason begins.

TEAMS THAT SHOULD'VE WON IT ALL
1. Season 5 - Charlotte (118-44) - The Wolfpack put together an incredible 10-year streak of 100-plus wins.Three of those teams topped the .700 win percentage mark. This was the best of the bunch.

2. Season 9 - Milwaukee (117-45). And, if you can believe it, Colorado (109-53) had a monster Season 9 as well, but also lost too soon in the playoffs.

3. Season 7 - Memphis (116-46). Defending WS champs got swept in the finals in four straight by an 84-78 Las Vegas team in the biggest upset in title series history.

4. Season 7 Buffalo (111-51). Aforementioned champion Las Vegas shot them down as well en route to the title.

5. Season 4 Trenton (108-54) A great regular season just didn't translate to postseason success.

HONORABLE MENTION
Seasons 10, 11 - New Britain. Two wonderful teams that broke the 100-win mark but could not get past the first round either season.

RANKING THE WS CHAMPIONS
1. Season 6 - Memphis (114-48) - The Blues Boys featured five impending Hall of Famers in their prime: IF Valentin, C Kareem Nunnally, SP Magee, SP Kinkade, RP Gonzales. Six All-Stars, four Sliver Sluggers, the AL MVP, the AL Rookie of the Year and the AL Fireman of the Year. Lost only one game in postseason.

2. Season 2 - Louisville (108-54) - Lest we forget, the Wild Turkeys were the best franchise as Mathewson World debuted, winning 100-plus games in four straight years. John Russ drove in 170 runs while Sean Donovan, arguably Mathewson World's greatest starting pitcher, anchored an exceptional pitching staff.

3. Season 11 - Buffalo (101-61) - The Blizzard were solid in every phase, but may have been the best offensive team in Mathewson history. Phil Zheng flirted with hitting .400 and Parker McIntyre hit 76, count 'em 76, homers. Buffalo won it all in Season 5, but this team was better.

4. Season 3 - Charlotte (106-56) - No ifs, ands or buts, Charlotte is the crown jewel franchise in Mathewson World and this is the only championship Wolfpack unit. Try these numbers out: Watson 77 stolen bases, Moya 156 RBI, Vega 154 RBI, Hines 116 RBI, with Cooper as the pitching ace. Lost only three games in postseason.

5. Season 10 - Trenton (93-69) - This team was 62-100 only two seasons earlier. Leonard hit .362 with a .654 slugging percentage. Baxter won the Cy Young Award and the Fire had three gold glovers, including Pineda and Fernandez in the middle infield.

HONORABLE MENTION
Season 8 - Las Vegas (84-78) - Made the postseason by winning on the last day of the regular season, then upset four straight opponents to win it all, including a 4-0 sweep in the title series against defending champ Memphis. The High Rollers had a better team in winning the Season 4 championship, but the Season 8 champs were "Destiny's Darlings".

Salem surges to first place

2009-05-09T20:18:00.007-04:00

The Salem Volcanoes rose to first place in the AL West, with a 14-5 record since the All-Star break, including a sweep of division rival Seattle and taking 3 out of 4 from Honolulu. The race is tight, with three teams leading for stretches of the season, despite all having sub .500 records and allowing more runs than they have scored. As of press time, Salem held a 1 game lead over Honolulu and a 3 game lead over Seattle.

The Volcanoes' edge has been their offense, which ranks amongst the top 5 in the AL in AVG and on base percentage, while Seattle and Honolulu have relied on pitching. Salem has a team that can score runs - and plenty of them - despite not relying on the long ball. Only two teams (Baltimore and New York) have hit fewer homeruns (108) than the Volcanoes. First time all star catcher Patrick Knotts has been Salem's main weapon, despite ownership's well known intent to trade him. Acquited in a trade last season, the 24 yr old is hitting .345 with 27 HRs and a 1.033 OPS. Rookie 2B Brian Jordan (.322 AVG, .398 OBP, 18 HR and 71 RBIs) has been a phenomenal and exciting addition to this team, quieting critics who claimed the 23yr old was not ready for the majors after only hitting .214 in Spring Training. Rule 5 selection Alfredo Mateo has stolen 69 bases and has been a spark in the Volcanoes' offense.

Salem's pitching has been reliable and consistent, with only 5 workhorses combining for all of the teams' starts. Sophomore starter Dennys Satou (8-5, 3.72 ERA in 21 starts) has been very good. Controversial free agent acquisition 39 yr old Dorian Kinkade (8-7, 4.80 ERA) has been very versatile, starting 18 games that included 5 complete games, in addition to making 11 appearances out of the bullpen and logging 2 saves. Prior to this season, Kinkade had not appeared in relief for 5 years (2 appearances for Memphis). The crafty lefthander has pitched particularly well against his own division. Pitching coach Pedro Guzman said in a recent statement: Dorian can anchor any pitching staff, plus he brings incredible professionalism, leadership and a team-first attitude that has been a boost to our young guys. New Salem's second starting pitcher free agent acquisition Bump Ponson has pitched much better than his 6-8 record suggests (3.32 ERA).

The AL West division title is a 3 horse race, but the Volcanoes have erupted since the All-Star break and show glimpses of being the most balanced team in the race. With so much young talent and significant offseason acquisitions, it is no surprise that Salem has risen to the top of the division, but they will have to battle Seattle and Honolulu the rest of the way to remain on top.

Honolulu returns to 1st place as All-Star break arrives (story by dealornodeal)

2009-05-02T22:12:00.014-04:00

The Honolulu Coconuts have seen a resurgence since the team hit a season low 29-39 record, including a stretch that saw them losing 12 of 14 games and left them trailing Seattle by 5 whole games in the division. Could it be that this veteran team was enjoying the move to Honolulu (from KC) too much? Could it be that they finally realized that the season had begun and it was time to get off the beach, or did this team just have a slow start? It is no surprise that Honolulu has risen to the top of the division - after all, they DID win the division in the last two seasons - and the reason for their early woes will never be known, but to fiery rightfielder Clarence Holdridge, the reason for the change of pace is obvious: "Seattle lit a fire that got us going by talking smack - feeling sorry for us and what not... that was a challenge for our guys to step it up and play like a team - we got veterans, we got rookies, we got stars and what others considered rejects - but we got a team that is not going to give in when people say they feel sorry for us."

In their latest run, the Honolulu Coconuts have won 16 of 23, while Seattle has only won 10 of 23, leaving the Coconuts with a 1 game lead in the AL West. The Coconuts have been 12-4 at home and 4-1 on the road, taking 2 of 3 from Vancouver, 4 of 7 from Baltimore, 3 of 3 from both New York and Toronto, 3 of 4 from Trenton, before losing 2 out of 3 in the last series with Charlotte. During this stretch, the Coconuts lost slugging 3B Howard Coco to a groin injury, but gained strength by adding pitching depth with the acquisition of veteran pitchers Walt Falk and Freddie Romero, 3B/RF Dennis Chang and 2B Brian Myers. In the last 21 games, the Coconuts have pitched their way with a 3.29 ERA.

The pitching staff has been led by All-Star starter and ace Terry Murphy, who has pitched 34 innings, 2 CGs and 41 Ks in his last 4 startes for a 4-0 record and 2.91 ERA. Veteran starter Ahmad Griffey has a 3-1 record in this period, and journeyman starter Louie Guzman has a 3.27 ERA, and pitched well enough for his team to carry a 3-1 record in his starts. The bullpen has been led by newcomer Walt Falk (2-0, 1.42 ERA and .182 OBA in 3 app.), Chris Cormier (9 games, 1.68 ERA and 14 Ks in 16 innings), and closer Dan Guerrero (7 saves during this period). The offense has been averaging about 5.5 runs per game behind 1B Bonk Daugherty (.460 OBA, 5 HR, 16 RBI & 17 R and solid defense)but the rest of the team has come together nicely. The offensive roles played by 2B Skip Kennedy (scored 10 runs), RF Clarence Holdridge (12 R, 14 RBI), DH Robinson Dixon (.384 OBA) and newcomer OF Dennis Chang (.369 OBA, 15 RBIs, 12 R) should not be ignored. The defense of catchers Tony Hawkins (7-1 record when he starts) and Carl Rivera (9-4 when starting) goes unnoticed, while 22 yr old phenom Howie Martin has shown steady improvement while showing offensive and defensive consistency at SS.

Team management announced some impending moves to be made during the All Star break. Slugger Howard Coco will be activated off of the DL, and will play the outfield (where he has played the bulk of his career) to minimize the impact on his groin. Dennis Chang, who has filled admirably in the OF while getting experience in the hot corner, will be seeing increased playing time at third base. Second baseman Skip Kennedy will be taking his glove to CF to make room for the recently acquired Brian Myers. Speculation also exists regarding a possible move of Walt Falk into the starting rotation, as he has been slowly regaining strength since coming off of the disabled list and has been seen building stamina by throwing extra pitches in the bullpen after appearing in games.

With Honolulu pitchers Murphy and Guerrero named to the AL All Star Team, the Coconuts are hoping to carry some momentum beyond the all-star break, and continue their recent winning ways. If so, they expect that the division they have won in the last 2 seasons will be theirs again. With the veteran depth they have added, they are expecting a playoff run that will hopefully take them to a World Series title.

Elephant Resurgence in the Bay (story by pelot)

2009-05-02T11:56:00.006-04:00

At first glance, the Oakland Elephant's season looks like a disappointment: a 38-51 record amidst another season of rebuilding while trailing division leader Honolulu by 7 games. But take a careful look, and you see that a new era of baseball is about to start by the Bay in Oakland, CA. Today, the Elephants announced that they will promote their two top prospects: Starting pitcher Steven Reith and ss Tony Miranda. These two recent top draft picks have proven they can do it in the minors, and now they are determined to be the cogs that turn the Major League team around. The rising stars have been told that they will be promoted after the All-Star break. In much excitement, Steven Reith said “There is a lot of pressure on me being the top prospect in the history of this organization, but I’m ready for the pressure and look forward to getting this franchise turned around”. Tony Miranda stated “I’m looking forward to being in the Bigs with Jason Elder - that man is a complete player and look forward to learning a lot from him, and taking this team from the depths of the AL West to the top in the coming seasons”. Oakland hasn’t had a winning season in years, but the light at the end of the tunnel has certainly appeared for the Elephants. With a deep farm system ready to explode onto the Major League in the coming years, Oakland's resurgence has started now.

Parker McIntyre hits career homeruns 600 and 601

2009-04-26T21:32:00.003-04:00

St. Louis, MO - The shot came in the top of the 6th. With St. Louis leading 3-2, Alex Velazquez left a curveball hanging a bit too long to an unforgiving Parker McIntyre. Within seconds, the ball sailed deep over the RF Rolando Lucano's head and over the wall. As Lucano and Velazquez looked at the ball, McIntire slowly rounded around first base and the giant screen flashed "600". Gameplay halted and the St. Louis crowd gave McIntire a standing ovation, realizing the magnitude of what they had witnessed , even though their team had just given up the lead. Gameplay was temporarily halted as fans, opponents and teammates greeted McIntyre
and congratulated him on his milestone.

The homecrowd reaction was a lot more frigid when McIntyre hit his second homer of the night - a 3 Run shot that gave the Blizzard an 8-3 lead over St. Louis. With career HRs 600 and 601, McIntyre is only the second major leaguer to reach the 600 career landmark. The perennial all-star first baseman of the Buffalo Blizzard is only 29 yrs old, and has never been injured in his entire career. McIntyre is the leading MVP candidate, and once again is leading the league in homers.

First Overall Draft Pick Signs to $9+ million Bonus

2009-04-26T17:02:00.008-04:00

Washington, OK - King Ray, the first overall pick of this season's draft, agreed to a professional contract with the New Orleans Fifth Ward Reds. According to sources close to the negotiations, the deal includes a record-setting $9.2 million bonus in addition to a spring training invite for next season. At a press conference held in the gym of Ray's alma-mater, Washington High School, in Washington OK, Doug Grahamm, GM for the New Orleans team announced the agreement while introducing the 18 yr old All-American baseball star. In a statement, Grahamm said "We felt like King Ray was the best player out there, and he is the type of franchise player that you want to build a franchise around. We are glad that we worked out a deal that we are all happy with."

King Ray was an all-star shortstop for his High School team, the Washington Warriors, smashing all regional offensive High school records with an unrivaled combination of power, contact and plate discipline. He projects to be a major league third baseman or corner outfielder.

Ray was assigned to Rookie League, where he is expected to make his professional debut tonight. Main street Washington, OK (pictured below) was abuzz with the excitement of the multi-million dollar signing. Ray's high school counselor and baseball coach, Bill Savage, said: "We are very proud of King, and we know he will never forget his humble roots or the blessings that the Lord has bestowed upon him. King is a very mature young man and we know he will be a star in every sense of the word and a role model for our town".

If accurate, this would be the 3rd largest signing bonus in history, following Patrick Knotts ($10.34 million) and Joaquin Santiago ($9.25 million)

Seattle Lightning Lead AL West

2009-04-25T23:05:00.013-04:00

The Seattle Lightning are leading the AL West with a 4 game lead over the Honolulu Coconuts. Seattle's starting rotation has been one of the most stable in the major leagues, compiling a 24-12 record while maintaining a regular rotation where no single pitcher has missed a start. Woody Mullin (3-3, 3.65 ERA in 14 starts), has long been management's golden boy and the team's ace over the last five seasons, but the quartet of Pasqual Roque (6-2, 4.11 ERA), Benito Manzanillo (5-3, 3.81 ERA), Yanick Brooks (5-3, 3.77 ERA) and youngster Ivan Henriquez (5-1, 3.81 ERA) has been surprisingly consistent and reliable. Sophomore reliever Andres Melo has anchored the bullpen, saving 12 of 14 opportunities. New Seattle pitching coach Frank Gibson has been very pleased with the success of his staff, and Melo in particular. In an interview with the Seattle Times, Gibson said: "Andres has built up the mental toughness and arm strength to come into the tight games, shut them down and stay long enough to get the save opportunities, and the numbers show it. I am very proud of this kid."

In the same story reported by the Seattle Times, new bench coach Kevin Gonzalez said "The season is still young, but we are thrilled with how things are going. I mean, we can definitely improve - .500 is an average team, but we realize that we hold the best record in the AL West, and we have no intention of looking back. This used to be a really tough division, and in a way I feel bad for the other teams in the AL West with us. It's pretty bad if an average .500 record is enough to lead the division with a four game lead. I just feel sorry for the other teams in this division".

Honolulu's temperamental outfielder Clarence Holridge responded to Gonzalez' statement: "Sorry? He feels sorry? Is this a joke? We are just warming up. We'll see who feels sorry when we catch up with them. I will not feel sorry for them when the dust settles and we come out on top".

New York and Charlotte complete blockbuster deal

2009-04-25T22:26:00.004-04:00

New York - The New York Transformers and the Charlotte Wolfpack completed a 6 player deal that sent ss Tanyon Owen, 2B James Banks, pitcher Bud Lankford and cash to the Wolfpack. In return, New York landed three minor league prospects: 19 yr old AA RF Matt Gates, 20 yr old High A pitcher (and former 1s tround pick) Shaggy Spencer, and 20 yr old High A 3B Stone Fogg. In the deal, New York shed salary in exchange for solid prospects, while Charlotte solidified their chances as they retain a stronghold on first place of the AL SOUTH. A day after the trade was completed, New York traded Spencer and Gates to the Vancouver Titans.

Owen transitioned to shortstop despite playing the majorityof his career as a 3B, and was the Transformers' highest profile off-season acquisition. A New York spokesperson explained: "We signed Tanyon to a big deal hoping to win it all, but it quickly became obvious that our franchise had to move towards rebuilding for the future. Tanyon Owen is the ultimate professional, working hard to transition to our team's needs, and this trade allows him to play for a championship team right away. His resume speaks for itself - Tanyon has a list of awards longer than most people's list of friends".

The 30 yr old Banks, an all star 2B last season, had been the face of the New York franchise. He is a .314 career hitter and is 1 homerun shy of 200 career HRs. Veteran Bud Lanford has been primarily a starter throughout his career, but projects to be working out of the Charlotte bullpen.

Top Free Agent Signs:

2009-04-20T23:31:00.009-04:00

Top 5 Free Agent Signs:

With 1/3 of the season underway, here is a look at the top 5 offseason signs.

1. D'Angelo Gil , New Britain Bombers, CF - Gil has been amongst the top 10 in batting average and OBP in the American League, while playing adequate defense as a first year centerfielder.

2. Sean Donovan , New Britain Bombers, SP - The 36yr old right hander and future Hall of Famer was signed to a 37.5 million over three years. After 12 starts into the season, Donovan has shown why he is the World leader in numerous pitching categories. Donovan has also provided some maturity and stability to the Bomber's pitching corps.

3. Tanyon Owen , New York Transformers, SS - Owen has played 60 games as New York's regular shortstop, despite being primarily a 3B or CF throughout most of his major league career.

4. Benito Manzanillo, Seattle Lightning, SP - Manzanillo's signing came and went without much fanfare. The Seattle Lightning signed the 35 yr old to a 3 yr contract for $5.6 million a year. Manzanillo's signing addressed a pitching shortage that had seen Seattle struggle for several years in a row. Although Manzanillo has not put lights-out numbers (nobody expected him to), he has given Seattle 13 opportunities to win, logging 13 starts and a respectable 4.22 ERA.

5. Anthony Dickerson, St. Louis Kamikazes, P - Anthony Dickerson, whose previous contract with Las Vegas earned him the nickname "Big" Dickerson, was a bargain sign by St. Louis. The 35 yr old Dickerson agreed to a 1 yr, $3.4 million contract, and has been a valuable swing man for the Kamikazes - 4 starts in 17 appearances with a career best 2.88 ERA. Dickerson provides some pitching depth to the Kamikazes.

Season 12: Early Surprises

2009-04-20T21:53:00.025-04:00

With roughly one third of the season underway, there are some early season surprises and some disappointments. Here is a look at the top 10 surprises...

1. Richmond Riot leading the NL South - Richmond's franchise has lost 318 games in the last 3 seasons. While last season showed some improvements and signs of hope, their 105 loss season did not indicate that they would be tied for the lead in the NL South. Despite a pitching staff that is average at best, Richmond dominates in 1-Run games and their offense is amongst the best three in the National League. Miguel Reynoso is having a breakthrough season in a full-time role, hitting .322 while providing stellar defense. Vic Blank has been an offensive force at a .434 pace; the same Blank that Richmond designated for assignment, waived and demoted but found no takers for early in the offseason.

2. Iowa City leads the AL East and has the best record in the majors- The Iowa City Bison have the oldest starting lineup in the National League, and the pitching staff is not much younger. The Bison did very little in the offseason, losing team wins leader Ruben Amaro (14-4, 2.88 ERA) as a free agent to the Cincinnati Redlegs Revenge, trading closer Stan Pierre to Anaheim and refusing to extend the contracts of 1B/LF Lyle Pritchett and Carlos Rincon. But somehow, the aged Bison hold a 6 game lead over the Buffalo Blizzard. A pitching staff anchored by Cookie Ramirez and Ismael Alvarado has excelled, but the staff has shown signs of fatigue despite carrying 13 arms.

3. Cincinnati in the cellar of the AL East - The Redlegs were many critics' favorites to lead the division. Unfortunately, the young Redlegs have struggled on the road, and are only 2 games over .500 while at home. The season is still young, but the Redlegs' early struggles have been a major disappointment, and they will have to improve against their own division, in one run games and in extra inning games to make up for lost ground.

4. Jin Chi Dong is having a breakthrough season and leading the Seattle Lightning in a serious push for claiming the AL West. The 25 yr old Dong, a Japanese import, has been very good since making his debut 3 seasons ago, but he is finally hitting at the MVP pace that landed him a large signing bonus as an international free agent. Dong is hitting .319 with 20 HRs, and if he continues this pace, he will surpass the 50 HR mark for the first time in his career.

5. Courtney Raitliff leads crop of rookies. The 25 yr old Pittsburgh Pirates' centerfielder leads all major league rookies in hitting and onbase percentage. Raitliff has made a great early season impression despite only 21 at bats above AA prior to this season. Raitliff is the early favorite for Rookie of the Year, but his defense has room for improvement.

6. Oakland's Felipe Colon leads the major leagues in saves despite 7.94 ERA. Colon is a very good reliever, and has shown that he can close games with exceptional skill. His early season struggles are an aberration, and Colon will likely rebound and finish the season with comparable statistics to what he has put up before.

7. Giomar Diaz is unbeaten in 11 starts, 8-0 record. The veteran starter has not won as many games as he did between seasons 6 and 8. In season 9 the former staff ace was released by his former team due to disagreements with management. Diaz has been perfect this season, showing the credentials to regain staff ace status.

8. Cookie Ramirez is not Iowa City's best pitcher. Ismael Alvarado has matched Ramirez in every pitching category... but Alvarado still has a ways to go in terms of durability and innings pitched before he can challenge Ramirez for staff ace status.

9. Evan Spencer is perfect in stolen bases. El Paso's speedy CF has shown he can steal bases - he swiped 50 bases last season - but as of today's play, he has stolen 28 consecutive bases and not been thrown out yet.

10. Ricardo Alomar is hitting .426. Alomar, a DH turned catcher for the New Orleans franchise, has shown some early season offensive dominance second to none.

Jose Amaro signs with Cincinnati - former teammate calls him "a cancer"

2009-03-20T19:05:00.012-04:00

Pitcher Jose Amaro inked a 3 yr, 4.4 million per year deal with the Cincinnati RedLegs Revenge. The 32 year old pitcher had opted out of a mutual option with the Iowa City Bison and reportedly rejected their 3 year, $15 million total deal to sign with their division rivals. The fiery Venezuelan had been at the center of controversy in Iowa City, often clashing with his manager and teammates over his role. After announcing the deal, former Bison teammate C/1B Bo Wells compared Amaro to cancer, saying Iowa City made the right decision by not resigning all-star pitcher.

"He was on a different train! And you saw what happened with that. We got rid of him, and we'll move on without him," Wells is quoted as saying in the Daily Iowan newspaper. "For him not to be on the same page as the rest of the team was a killer, man! It just takes one guy to bring an entire team down, and that's exactly what was happening." "Once we saw that, nobody was sad to see him go. It's like cancer. That's what he was. Cancer. He had to go". Wells added: "Ruben just wanted to pad his stats and get the attention- it is all about himself and his stats, and that whole talking about himself in the third person thing just reinforced it."

Amaro had a remarkable career year, making his first All-Star game appearance and finishing the season 14-4 with a 2.88 ERA, but often clashed with Wells and other teammates. Disagreements peaked on June 1st, when television cameras caught a dugout altercation between Wells and Amaro. The fight spilled over into the clubhouse, where Wells received a black eye and a fat lip. "Jose is a good pitcher, but he has neither the patience nor the makeup to be a team player. He is all about himself."

When asked about Wells' comments, Amaro simply said: "Jose Amaro speaks in the baseball field. Jose is a man of action, not words. Bo Wells knows actions are much louder and painful than words, and he can eat Jose's words. Bo Wells is a washed out old fat catcher. Jose Amaro is a superstar." Amaro's agent said: "Cincinnati is a classy organization with more upswing than the other teams who expressed interest in Jose, and we felt like he could be a part of a team that will be winning for years to come." Amaro is expected to be a reliever for the Redlegs Revenge.

9 Prospects to Watch...

2009-03-15T10:25:00.005-04:00

The World Series is behind us and the winter league meetings are at least a month away, but a few prospects will determine the success (or failure) of their major league clubs and a few of these guys are worth watching closely as the season progresses...

1. Sidney Gardner - 3B - Cincinnati Redlegs Revenge - Gardner was signed to a VERY large major league contract as a free agent after failing to come to terms with the team that drafted him in the amateur draft. Gardner has all the tools to be a superstar hitter, even if he has been labeled as a white-collar prima-donna looking to be a multi - millionaire. Expect Gardner to see significant playing time amidst a Cincinnati lineupthat is ready to claim a spot amongst the elite of their division.

2. Fernando Rodriguez - LF - Trenton Fire - Described as one of the best hitters to come out of the Dominican Republic, Rodriguez hit 51 homers as a 21 yr old in Trenton's AAA team. Rodriguez maywind up spending an extra year developing his power and ability to hit left-handers, but it will be more because of Trenton's World Series team's depth at the Major League level than because of lack of talent in Rodriguez' part.

3. Carlos Rosado - SP - Columbus Flatlanders - Rosado made 6 inconsistent starts down the stretch for the Flatlanders after going 13-6 for Columbus' AAA team. Rosado is highly talented, although he needs to develop his pitching repertoire and he may improve on his already excellent control and finesse. Rosado could make the difference in the Flatlanders' return to the postseason.

4. Chris Tobin - 1B - Columbus Flatlanders - Tobin is a professional power hitter that could carry a team offensively. Although his defensive skills would make him an ideal DH in the American League, Columbus hopes that his bat can make up for his glove. Tobin hit 56 HRs in AAA, earning an appearance in the AAA All-Star Team and being selected as league MVP.

5. Adam Phillips - SP - Colorado Colorado Crush - Adam Phillips can pitch. His knee-buckling curveball is flat-out unhittable, and while his curveball is major-league quality, developing an entourage of pitches to maximize its effectiveness has been the goal of his time in the minors. The 6-2 southpaw has the makings of being a durable major league starter: a control and finesse pitcher relying on wits and mixing pitches. He went 15-5 in AAA in season 11. Concerns about the effectiveness of control and finesse pitchers with a weak fastball in Colorado may result in Phillips spending more time in the minors or being traded to a pitching-friendly franchise. After 3 full seasons in AAA, Phillips development could use a promotion or a change of atmosphere.

6. George Crandall - SP -New Britain Bombers - The 20 year old prospect was Jmags' top ranking prospect in the Season 11 Prospect rankings. With only 2 minor league seasons and 242 innings under his belt, Crandall can use some time to mature and develop some stamina in the minors. Although he could be effective at the ML level, Crandall has the makings of a superstar if he reaches his full potential. Crandall has been playing Winter League baseball in the Dominican Republic for the Tigres del Licey and has dominated while focusing on his top two pitches.

7. Tomas Gonzalez - SP - Helena Handbaskets - The 19 yr old Gonzalez made 7 quality starts at the ML level after a late season promotion. He spent significant time in the Disabled List due to elbow tendinitis, and limiting him to roughly 100 innings between AAA and the ML level. While Gonzalez is considered a top prospect with pitching ace credentials if he matures as a pitcher, it is expected that Gonzalez will undergo "on the job training" at the Major League level as a top of the rotation stater with the Handbaskets.

8. Cozy Ponson - SP - El Paso Fighting Tacos - a former first round pick, Ponson had been an ace in the making after a quick ascent through the minors, until injuries derailed his development. Ponson probably will see 1-2 more seasons of seasoning and development in the minors, but if El Paso trades him to a non-contending team, he could be developing while mowing down hitters at the ML level.

9. Vic Cordero - SP - Portland Rain - Cordero struggled after a late season call-up to the majors and had some tough breaks as a starter for Portland's AAA team. If he gets over these struggles, Cordero will likely play a major role in Portland's pitching corps. Cordero lacks stamina to go deep into games that he starts, but Portland is hoping that will change after an offseason assignment to the winter leagues in his home country of Venezuela. With two dominant pitches, the key to his success will be the ability to mix and match his pitches.

What's in store for the Cozy's future?

2009-03-14T10:48:00.019-04:00

Ponce, Puerto Rico - Cozy Ponson had no problems with his right shoulder in a 6 inning, 90 pitch outing, to pick up the win against the Carolina Giants in winter league action. Many scouts have been watching the El Paso Fighting Tacos' highly touted pitching prospect. Sporting long hair and a beaded necklace, Ponson could easily be confused for an amateur surfer in town for the winter, rather than one of the Major League's most promising prospects.

Ponson is pitching in the Puerto Rico Winter League as part of a strengthening assignment, following a frustrating season 11 that saw Cozy injure his shoulder three times. Scouts from several teams have been watching the former 1st round pick very closely, amidst rumors that El Paso may trade their future ace due to health concerns. If Ponson can stay healthy and get back on track with his development, they should have no problems in finding takers... but if he regains his form, they may have no desire to trade him. Fighting Taco officials have declined to comment, but the pitching coach for the Ponce Lions, Tony Ortiz, mentioned that he is getting plenty of questions about Ponson's workouts and command of his pitches from people within and outside the organization.

Ponson, originally from Cambridge, Masachusetts, was a first round pick and second overall pick of the amateur draft two seasons ago. Ponson moved quickly through the Minor League ranks: he never pitched in rookie or Low A ball, and only pitched 7 innings in High A ball before being promoted to AA. He started 12 times for Kansas City's AA team and was promptly promoted to AAA, where he pitched 45 innings over two seasons. Kansas City traded Ponson to El Paso, and was originally reassigned to AA by his new franchise. He quickly overmatched AA hitters and El Paso promoted him again to AAA. In his 2nd season in professional baseball, Ponson logged 187 innings between two franchises, 3 teams and 2 levels. His combined record was 15-9 in 29 starts. Season 11 brought great promise - Ponson started 5 Spring training games and limited opponents to a .212 AVG, 1.05 WHIP and a 2.51 ERA. Things progressed quickly after that : 3 trips to the disabled list due to shoulder injuries and a season in which he only pitched 60 2/3 innings and gave up a 7.42 ERA, .303 OAV and a 4-5 record for El Paso's AAA team.

El Paso is hoping that a vigorous strengthening and conditioning program and off-season rehab while pitching to live batters in Puerto Rico will return Ponson to top prospect form. Many critics believe that Ponson's 187 innings in Season 10 took a toll on his arm, but his recent appearances as a starter have shown no indication that Ponson has slowed down. Ponson has struggled against left handed batters, and his coaches' efforts have focused on developing his delivery mechanics to give lefthanded hitters a more difficult read on his 4-pitch arsennal. Ponson has the potential to be one of the top pitches in the Major Leagues, and El Paso is investing heavily on his development. If the past is any consolation, and judging from his rapid progression through the minors, Ponson should someday challenge for the Cy Young award.

Ponson's AAA teammate and fellow New Englander Joe McCormick is also pitching for Ponce in the Puerto Rico Winter League.

Buffalo Blizzard Crowned World Series Champions

2009-03-13T10:42:00.024-04:00

By the time the ball landed on Sun Wanatabe's glove in deep right center field, it became official that Buffalo had its world series revenge. Leading 8-2 in the bottom of the 9th, it was no surprise that the Buffalo Blizzard were this season's World Series champs. This revenge was sweet for the Blizzard, after losing the Season 10 World Series to the Trenton Fire. In this rematch of last year's World Series, Buffalo won the series 4-2 and outscored the Fire 30-18 in the 6 games played. Buffalo followed on their reputation of a high scoring, offensive powerhouse led by Parker McIntyre and Rey Shigetoshi. Trenton suffered from a late season injury to Cy Young winner Andrew Baxter, whose stellar pitching performance last season made the difference in shutting down the Blizzard's offense.

Here is a game by game summary and highlights of the World Series:
Game 1: Buffalo 4, Trenton 2
Jorge Lee (13-3, 3.95 ERA) vs Norberto Gonzalez (4-0, 4.28 ERA no starts in regular season).

Jorge Lee pitched 6 innings, allowing 1 run before turning it over to the bullpen. Career closer and world saves leader Don Gonzales logged the save. Norberto Gonzalez pitched reasonably well (4 IP, 2 ER), and reliever Max Nunez allowed 2 ER over the next 4 innings, but 4 runs was all that Buffalo needed to win this one. Buffalo led the series 1-0.

Game 2: Buffalo 1, Trenton 2
Kenny White (13-9, 3.57 ERA vs Stewart Pose (19-5, 3.05 ERA)

Pitching on short rest, 19-game winner Stewart Pose shut off the Buffalo offense for 4 innings before relievers Jorel Roth and Kirk Heiserman picked it up and picked up the win for the Fire. Buffalo pitchers performed well enough to win, but it would go Trenton's way in this low scoring game. Kenny White pitching 6 innings, allowing 1 ER, and Carlos Gil got the loss by allowing 1 ER in 2 innings pitched. Series tied 1-1.

Game 3: Trenton 1, Buffalo 7
Aaron Ashley (14-5, 4.45 ERA) vs Benito Manzanillo (13-4, 4.73 ERA)

The series shifted to Buffalo for Game 3, where historic lows in October temperatures chilled the Fire's chances early on, but it was actually Benito Manzanillo's strong pitching and the combined power of Rey Shigetoshi and Parker McIntyre that finished them off. The Blizzard jumped to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning on back to back homers by the dynamic duo. Ashley allowed 12 hits and 6 ER in 6IP, and the offensive onslaught demoralized the Fire early on. Buffalo led series 2-1.

Game 4: Trenton 1, Buffalo 9
Norberto Gonzalez (4-0, 4.28 ERA) vs Elston Brunson (12-7, 4.84 ERA)

In a series turning point, Trenton's veteran Norberto Gonzalez started for the second time in the World Series, limiting the Blizzard to 1 run in 5 innings, but reliever Max Nunez was crushed by the Blizzard and by untimely erros, giving up 8 runs (6ER). The Blizzard asserted themselves in the 8th inning, with back to back homeruns by Shigetoshi and McIntyre followed three batters later by a 2Run HR by Horacio Guardado. Bill "The Caveman" Torres picked up the win in relief. Buffalo led series 3-1

Game 5 : Trenton 10, Buffalo 1
(Stewart Pose (19-5, 3.05 ERA) vs. Jorge Lee (13-3, 3.95 ERA)

Trenton re-established themselves in Game 5, denying the Blizzard's attempt at clenching at home and showing that Trenton's offense is also capable of fireworks. Once again pitching on short rest, Pose established himself as a gutsy pitcher, throwing a few innings before Jorel Roth picked up the win in 5+ innings of one-hit shutout ball. Jorge Lee pitched 5 innings, giving up 6R, 3 ER. Trenton's Russell Leonard provided the fire power, going 4 for 5 with 5 RBIs, including 2 homeruns. Buffalo led the series 3-2.

Game 6: Trenton 2, Buffalo 8

Aaron Ashley (14-5, 4.45 ERA) vs Kenny White (13-9, 3.57 ERA)

Kenny White finally got his series win, by throwing 7 innings of shutout ball in the World Series clincher. Buffalo jumped to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a 2-Run HR by Rey Shigetoshi and never looked back, scoring 4 more in the 3rd and 2 more later on. Parker McIntyre went 3 for 5 with 2 RBIs, including a solo shot in the 9th for his 11th homerun of the postseason. Buffalo wins the World Series for the second time in franchise history.

Fire and Ice Face off in World Series

2009-03-08T13:40:00.006-04:00

In a rematch of last season's World Series contenders, the Buffalo Blizzard will face the Trenton Fire in this year's edition. The Fire made it to their second consecutive world series after defeating San Antonio in the League Championship series in 6 games. The well-rested Buffalo team enters the World Series undefeated in post-season play after sweeping the Iowa City Bison and the El Paso Fighting Tacos. The series should be an evenly matched affair. Although Buffalo seems to have a slight edge in offense, Trenton's 105 regular season wins came riding on great pitching and superb defense. Leading Cy-Young award candidate Andrew Baxter, who went 23-3 in the regular season after an incredible World Series performance last year, will be missing from the defending champions due to a shoulder aneurysm. Game action starts tomorrow in Trenton.

SEASON 11 LEADERS : NATIONAL LEAGUE

2009-03-08T13:25:00.007-04:00

Batting Average
R. Alomar - NO - .383
B. Green - COL - .371
E. Silva - COL - .349
P. Zheng - BUF - .347
M. Burrell - IA - .343

Home Runs
McIntyre - BUF ..76
Shigetoshi - BUF ..70
Horton - ELP ..49
Devereaux - CLB.. 47
Silva - COL ..45
Grey - POR ..45

Runs Batted In
McIntyre - BUF ..158
Shigetoshi - BUF ..146
Post - CIN ..137
Horton - ELP ..133
Silva - COL ..131

Runs Scored
Green - COL ..161
McIntyre - BUF ..143
Shigetoshi - BUF ..142
Mieske - CIN ..134
Gonzalez - POR ..123

Stolen Bases
A. Gutierrez - RIC 68
H. Maas - COL 63
A. Bailey - IA 60
K. Mieske - CIN 60
D. Cook - LAA 53

Wins
Y. Cooper - CIN 19
P. Harang - LV 19
W. Meadows - LV 18
T. Arnold - LV 17

Saves
J. Jimenez - LV 46
D. Gutierrez - STL 40
S. Welch - POR 36
D. Gonzales - BUF 35
M. Boyer - CLB 31

League ERA
C. Leach - ELP 2.73
P. Harang - LV 2.80
B. Bartee - POR 2.85
J. Amaro - IA 2.88
R. Jimenez - CLB 3.08

Strikeouts
C. Ramirez - IA 227
T. Murphy - LA 197
M. Song - HEL 184
J. Little - CLB 177
A. Robinson - LA 174

and there were 4...

2009-03-06T09:31:00.006-05:00

The League Championship Series got under way with the last four playoff contenders fighting to make a World Series appearance.

National League Championship Series: Buffalo Blizzard vs El Paso Fighting Tacos

The Blizzard are the heavy favorites in this series, after compiling a 101-61 record, earning a first round bye and cruising through a sweep of the Iowa City Bison. El Paso has surprised many who thought this team was not a legit playoff contender, but El Paso proved them all wrong by squashing the teams with the best records in the regular season Despite and 81-81 regular season record, the Fighting Tacos quickly swept the mighty Las Vegas Rollers (104-58) by outscoring them 28-12 in the Division Play-in series. El Paso then faced the dangerous offense of the Colorado Colorado Crush (105-57), and sent them packing after 4 games. The Tacos come to face the Blizzard with their bats swinging - and the offense is led by Endy Horton, Humberto Paz and Charlie Brunson. This series promises to be an offensive battle full of excitement, but in the end, the El Paso team may be no match for the Blizzard's offense, which is paced by slugger extraordinaires Parker McIntyre and Rey Shigetoshi. Then again, similar predictions have been made before against these scrappy Fighting Tacos.

American League Championship Series: Trenton Fire vs San Antonio Stallions

Although the Trenton Fire are favored in this series, nobody is overlooking the Stallions. Dispatching the rival Charlotte Wolfpack and the New Britain Bombers, the Stallions hope to carry the momentum into Trenton. As these two offenses match up, it will be San Antonio's power vs Trenton's contact and ability to get on base. Trenton's pitching was best in the AL, followed closely by San Antonio's, and anything can happen in a short series. Hampering Trenton's hopes is the loss of Andrew Baxter to a significant injury.

Stallions Run Down Wolves!! (story by canadadry)

2009-03-01T08:41:00.003-05:00

After another division leading season, the Charlotte Wolfpack have fallen in the first round to division rival San Antonio Stallions. Shortly before this season’s All-Star break San Antonio GM, Ken Adadry, issued a playful challenge to the longtime division champs. Encouraged by his team's success he spoke out publicly and saying, “I’m coming for you Wolfman!”. Charlotte owner, Wolfman19 responded by outrightly dismissing the Stallions chances of catching the Wolfpack and even suggesting they wouldn’t be able to hold onto 2nd place. Later on in the season, Wolfman19 gloated after the Wolfpack swept the Stallions chiming, “Looks like the Stallions got sent to the glue station".

But in the end, the two teams faced off in the first round of the playoffs to settle things where it counted. And by the time the dust and the banter settled at the end of the first round of the playoffs, it would be the Wolves from Charlotte who were humbled by the San Antonio Stallions. After losing the first two games at home by large margins (7-1, 9-2), the Wolfpack managed one win in San Antonio before being sent packing in an 8-3 fourth game loss. Alexander Green, already an established start despite only being 23 yrs old, led the Stallion offense, hitting .412 and hitting 3 homers in the 4 game series. Surprise Rule 5 pickup and fan favorite Billy Hunter played stellar defense at 2B and was the sparkplug of the offense, hitting .400 with a .429 OBP and swiping 3 bases.

With their best season ever and their playoffs still going, perhaps the San Antonio Stallions have shown that they’re a force to be reckoned with in the future.