woodfeld and norva13x: Thanks for your comments. I hope you'll both enjoy keeping up with the thread. I'm enjoying the league very much so far myself.
November 1, 1904
FINAL STANDINGS
Code:
W L PCT GB
Seneca Falls 86 64 .573 --
Watkins Glen 84 66 .560 2
Geneva 81 69 .540 5
Penn Yan 76 74 .507 10
Canandaigua 66 84 .440 20
Waterloo 57 93 .380 29
WATKINS GLEN BUCKS
Team OPS: .682 (2)
Runs Scored: 577 (2)
Team ERA: 3.00 (3)
Runs Allowed: 538 (3)
Best Players:
RHP
Michael Watkins (23-6, 2.15, 98 K, 65.7 VORP)
RHP
Hector Perez (17-19, 3.09, 89 K, 40.0 VORP)
2B
John Pickett (.296/.357/.391, 43 2B, 51 RBI, 28.3 VORP)
C
“Duck” West (.296/.339/.382, 35 2B, 61 RBI, VORP 25.3)
1B
Pepe Perez (.279/.338/.343, 33 2B, 68 RBI, 24.0 VORP)
LF
Ken Johnston (.301/.395/.373, 32 2B, 23.9 VORP)
CF
Donnie Oliver (.306/.374/.400, 41 2B, 5 3B, 74 runs, 19.6 VORP).
Despite a lackluster second half, the Bucks earned a spot in the first Seneca Cup Series by edging Geneva for second place. Then, they righted themselves, rolling over regular season champion Seneca Falls to capture the Cup in five games. Watkins, the league’s top winner and ERA champion, was crowned the league’s
Outstanding Pitcher. The Bucks’ only other post-season honoree was third baseman
Eddie Ferguson, who earned a Gold Glove. Ferguson also demonstrated some pop, with 31 doubles and 12 triples.
SENECA FALLS SHEEPDOGS
Team OPS: .713 (1)
Runs Scored: 633 (1)
Team ERA: 3.00 (2)
Runs Allowed: 512 (2)
Best Players:
3B
Robby Ward (.358/.447/.439, 35 2B, 3 3B, 62 RBI, 65.4 VORP)
LHP
Dennis Williams (21-16, 2.30, 69 K, 65.2 VORP)
RHP
Brian Fritz (16-18, 2.60, 81 K, 48.8 VORP)
2B
Jack Robinson (.308/.373/.415, 36 2B, 5 3B, 70 RBI, 40.2 VORP)
CF
Ryan Hill (.367/.414/.441, 4 3B, 50 SB, 30.4 VORP)
RHP
Mark Thomas (11.9, 2.94, 22.4 VORP)
C
Ramon Morales (.278/.342/.342, 66 RBI, 52.1 RTO%)
Ward, the league’s
Oustanding Batter, led the formidable Sheepdogs offense throughout the year, with plenty of help from Hill and Robinson, who tied for the league lead in RBI. The loss of SS
Oliver Saenz, who fractured his skull in early September and missed the entire Seneca Cup Series, hurt the ‘Dogs’ postseason chances. Morales, strong and steady behind the dish, won a Gold Glove.
GENEVA GREEN SOX
Team OPS: .662 (4)
Runs Scored: 563 (4)
Team ERA: 2.86 (1)
Runs Allowed: 509 (1)
Best Players:
RHP
Hayden Williams (19-15, 2.52, 94 K, 55.2 VORP)
RHP
Armando Jimenez (21-12, 2.74, 60 K, 47.7 VORP)
RHP
Raul Alonso (13-14, 3.04, 69 K, 30.7 VORP)
1B
Pancho Gonzales (.271/.313/.384, 38 2B, 7 3B, 58 RBI, 22.3 VORP)
LF
Aurelio Esquire (.384/416/.500, 190 AB, 12 2B, 5 3B, 19 SB, 20.1 VORP)
The Green Sox rode the league’s stingiest pitching staff to a solid third place finish, missing the Series by three games. Ace Williams is 35 and slugger Gonzales is 41, however, so the Sox might struggle to equal this level of performance in ’05. Esquire’s outstanding performance in a part-time role might be an illusion; his ratings don’t support this level of production. However, Alonso, who’s only 19, and outfielder
Karl Winston (.318/.374/.409. 61 SB), the league’s
Rookie of the Year, look like the real deal. CF
Ben Brown added a Gold Glove to his trophy shelf.
PENN YAN BRAWLERS
Team OPS: .662 (5)
Runs Scored: 577 (2)
Team ERA: 3.27 (4)
Runs Allowed: 554 (4)
Best Players:
RHP
Will Kirk (16-13, 2.51, 73 K, 56.3 VORP)
RF
Mike Young (.345/.408/.455, 40 2B, 7 3B, 70 RBI, 35.6 VORP)
RHP
Ronald Bridges (11-25, 3.25, 110 K, 34.6 VORP)
RHP
Norberto Sanchez (16-14, 3.36, 80 K, 27.3 VORP)
The Brawlers played terribly in May and June, and that was enough to sink their season. Bridges might have had the worst luck of any player in the league; he’s 37, however, so he might not get many chances to turn things around. Young and CF
Francisco Rivera (.315/.372/.363, 54 SB) are considered by most experts to be two of the league’s three best players. LF
Claudio Navarro earned a Gold Glove for the Brawlers, the surest-handed fielding team in the Finger Lakes League.
CANANDAIGUA ICE CATS
Team OPS: .667 (3)
Runs Scored: 543 (5)
Team ERA: 3.31 (5)
Runs Allowed: 603 (5)
Best Players:
RHP
Jesus Martinez (10-18, 2.67, 82 K, 44.4 VORP)
RHP
Joe Norris (15-18, 2.78, 100 K, 43.3 VORP)
C
Hamilton Phillips (.287/.359/.380, 32 2B, 3 HR, 26.0 VORP)
3B
Ronald Reese (.323/.374/.403, 4 3B, 25.8 VORP)
Expected to be one of the league’s better teams, the Cats’ inability to stop other teams from scoring doomed them to the second division. Norris, Hamilton, and Reese, the core of the team, are all young, so there is hope. Exciting LF
Thad McCord led the league with 65 steals and smacked 11 triples, and
Paul Crowley, another youngster, is one of the league’s best relief pitchers (1.81 ERA, 7 saves). Norris won a Gold Glove, as did the team’s double play duo: 2B
Curt Miller and SS
Cesar Morales.
WATERLOO FINCHES
Team OPS: .644 (6)
Runs Scored: 484 (6)
Team ERA: 3.69 (6)
Runs Allowed: 655 (6)
Best Players:
RHP
Ernesto Santos (14-22, 3.36, 86 K, 34.8 VORP)
RHP
Billy Edgar (10-22, 3.52, 69 K, 26.9 VORP)
RF
Duane Blackburn (.317/.391/.405, 6 3B, 42 SB, 16.7 VORP)
The hapless Finches couldn’t hit, pitch, or field, and actually won two more games than their Pythagorean prediction indicated. Only in September, when they went 6-5, did the Finches win more than 40 percent of their games. Youth is on their side, however, as the league’s most promising hitter and pitcher are both Waterloo reserves. Blackburn and 1B
Juan Lorenzo won Gold Gloves.
Top Prospects: Position Players
1.
Dennis Brown, C, Waterloo, age 18.
2.
Karl Winston, LF, Geneva, age 21.
3.
Jose Perez, LF, Penn Yan, age 19.
Top Prospects: Pitchers
1.
“Electric Billy” Patrick, RHP, Waterloo, age 20.
2.
Maximo Chavez, RHP, Canandaigua, age 20.
3.
Eric Cote, RHP, Canandaigua, age 21.
Dr. Strange’s Injury Report:
1. Canandaigua pitcher
Maximo Chavez’ father-in-law broke Chavez' nose in a fistfight.
2. Seneca Falls pitcher
Bob Gibson was hit with a golf ball, bruising his ribs.
3. Waterloo shortstop
Ron Jordan suffered an undisclosed injury while gardening.