OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - The Baseball Chronicle

legendsport · 11-18-2009, 02:03 PM

The Cardinals posted a 17-10 record in May, cooling off a bit after their torrid April, but still performing well enough to maintain their grip on first place in the National League. Their record for the season stands at 28-14 and they have a 3.5 game lead over Pittsburgh. Outfielder Milt Cumberledge is leading the league in hitting with a .367 average and is no doubt one of the prime reasons St. Louis holds the lead. Pittsburgh has been paced by the stellar pitching of win-leader Harry Francis (11-4, 1.58 ERA).

MILT CUMBERLEDGE, ST. LOUIS (N)

Boston currently leads the American League with a 28-14 record of its own. The club, just recently dubbed the 'Red Sox' for fashionably obvious reasons, recorded a 19-8 record in May to build a two-game edge on their nearest competition. That competition comes from the St. Louis Browns (28-18), with Chicago (25-17), Washington (26-20) and Detroit (23-22) rounding out the AL clubs with winning ledgers thus far. Boston shortstop Frank Dorsey is hitting .325 to lead the club - and the American League - in average. Dorsey has been outstanding, but the real story in Beantown has been the pitching of Don Glass. Glass entered this season with a career mark of 45-62, but is perfect so far in '08, with a 6-0 mark and a league-best 0.98 earned run average.

DON GLASS, BOSTON (A)

The Eastern League has a tight pennant race of its own shaping up. Buffalo and Newark (the defending champions) are knotted at the top with identical 24-14 records and Toronto (21-16) and Montreal (21-18) are also playing well. Newark centerfielder Burl Ruppert has been the toast of the town in New Jersey's largest city, with an EL-best .365 average that will likely have the 29-year-old drawing some attention from the pennant-chasers in the American and National circuits. Buffalo counters with a hits-machine of its own in third baseman Andy Askins. Askins is second to Ruppert in EL average with a .350 mark and the ability to play all four infield spots. While neither is a spring chicken (Ruppert is 29, Askins 30), both would almost certainly help certain Major League clubs with holes at their positions.

BURL RUPPERT, NEWARK

The American Association has been a playground for Toledo pitcher Larry Sheppard. The 29-year-old right hander wasn't great shakes in his big league stints with Baltimore and New York of the American League, but he is setting the AA on fire and could be ready to return to the big time. Sheppard is 6-4, but his ERA is an outstanding 0.70 and he has allowed just 58 hits in 90 and a third innings this season. His pitching is a big reason why Toledo (28-16) is tied for first place in the AA with the St. Paul Apostles. Catcher Dan Oates leads the loop in batting with a solid .350 mark for the Milwaukee club. At 23 years of age, Oates looks as if he may develop into a top notch hitter and a premier backstop as well.

LARRY SHEPPARD, TOLEDO

Out west, the Pacific Coast League is abuzz with talk about San Francisco's prized rookie Charles Bowersox. The Kentucky-born "Bluegrass Charlie" hit .339 in May and is hitting .298 for the season, which places him third on the leaderboard behind Portland's established hitting star "Big Irish" Dan Boyle (.330) and fellow San Francisco Seal - and rookie - RF Aeolus Giddings (.305). While Bowersox, at 22, is considered the PCL player most likely to be a star, the 23-year-old Boyle is ranked third (which is also the number of seasons he has been in the PCL). Portland has the 2nd-best "prospect" in pitcher Ned Wayman. Wayman has been good, but not spectacular, thus far, with a 5-4 record and 2.23 earned run average.

DAN "BIG IRISH" BOYLE, PORTLAND

11-18-2009, 02:03 PM	#158 (permalink)
legendsport Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Behind The Lens Posts: 2,158 Thanks: 3 Thanked 8x in 8 posts	The Cardinals posted a 17-10 record in May, cooling off a bit after their torrid April, but still performing well enough to maintain their grip on first place in the National League. Their record for the season stands at 28-14 and they have a 3.5 game lead over Pittsburgh. Outfielder Milt Cumberledge is leading the league in hitting with a .367 average and is no doubt one of the prime reasons St. Louis holds the lead. Pittsburgh has been paced by the stellar pitching of win-leader Harry Francis (11-4, 1.58 ERA). MILT CUMBERLEDGE, ST. LOUIS (N) Boston currently leads the American League with a 28-14 record of its own. The club, just recently dubbed the 'Red Sox' for fashionably obvious reasons, recorded a 19-8 record in May to build a two-game edge on their nearest competition. That competition comes from the St. Louis Browns (28-18), with Chicago (25-17), Washington (26-20) and Detroit (23-22) rounding out the AL clubs with winning ledgers thus far. Boston shortstop Frank Dorsey is hitting .325 to lead the club - and the American League - in average. Dorsey has been outstanding, but the real story in Beantown has been the pitching of Don Glass. Glass entered this season with a career mark of 45-62, but is perfect so far in '08, with a 6-0 mark and a league-best 0.98 earned run average. DON GLASS, BOSTON (A) The Eastern League has a tight pennant race of its own shaping up. Buffalo and Newark (the defending champions) are knotted at the top with identical 24-14 records and Toronto (21-16) and Montreal (21-18) are also playing well. Newark centerfielder Burl Ruppert has been the toast of the town in New Jersey's largest city, with an EL-best .365 average that will likely have the 29-year-old drawing some attention from the pennant-chasers in the American and National circuits. Buffalo counters with a hits-machine of its own in third baseman Andy Askins. Askins is second to Ruppert in EL average with a .350 mark and the ability to play all four infield spots. While neither is a spring chicken (Ruppert is 29, Askins 30), both would almost certainly help certain Major League clubs with holes at their positions. BURL RUPPERT, NEWARK The American Association has been a playground for Toledo pitcher Larry Sheppard. The 29-year-old right hander wasn't great shakes in his big league stints with Baltimore and New York of the American League, but he is setting the AA on fire and could be ready to return to the big time. Sheppard is 6-4, but his ERA is an outstanding 0.70 and he has allowed just 58 hits in 90 and a third innings this season. His pitching is a big reason why Toledo (28-16) is tied for first place in the AA with the St. Paul Apostles. Catcher Dan Oates leads the loop in batting with a solid .350 mark for the Milwaukee club. At 23 years of age, Oates looks as if he may develop into a top notch hitter and a premier backstop as well. LARRY SHEPPARD, TOLEDO Out west, the Pacific Coast League is abuzz with talk about San Francisco's prized rookie Charles Bowersox. The Kentucky-born "Bluegrass Charlie" hit .339 in May and is hitting .298 for the season, which places him third on the leaderboard behind Portland's established hitting star "Big Irish" Dan Boyle (.330) and fellow San Francisco Seal - and rookie - RF Aeolus Giddings (.305). While Bowersox, at 22, is considered the PCL player most likely to be a star, the 23-year-old Boyle is ranked third (which is also the number of seasons he has been in the PCL). Portland has the 2nd-best "prospect" in pitcher Ned Wayman. Wayman has been good, but not spectacular, thus far, with a 5-4 record and 2.23 earned run average. DAN "BIG IRISH" BOYLE, PORTLAND __________________ The Baseball Chronicle - Swinging thru History! The Football Chronicle - Hitting Hard Historically (PFS - 1962) Alternate Universe Football (FOF - 1994)