The Oil Expansion: Major Pacific Baseball

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Disclaimer: Major Pacific Baseball is a 12 team, fictional league quickstart with 30+ years of history. It was created by Neasag, and you can check it out for yourself here.

The clouds of change were rolling over Borealia. The league had just seen it's 35th Elite Series wrap, and the Burney Condors just brought in their 6th championship becoming the winningest team in MPB history. But the league felt incomplete. With the minor leagues doing so well in the smaller markets the league commissioner and owners approved a 4 team expansion; giving the league enough teams to divide into 4 even divisions, 2 divisions per league.

The Western League added the Fort Arthur Pioneers in southern New Saxon, as Pittland was awarded its fourth ML team in the Pitt's Woods Mountaineers out of Riouton. The Eastern League saw the addition of the New Wight Islanders, who joined the Harris Ravens as the second team in the Pacific Territory. And the Arctic Territory became the final region to support a ML team with the Douglas Oil Kings.

Western League
Anglo-Saxon Division
Cathays Canaries
Derry Thunderbirds
Fort Arthur Pioneers
Lambrecht Roosters

Pittland Division
Addington Red Hawks
Canning White Hawks
New Cardiff Bluebirds
Pitt's Woods Mountaineers

Eastern League
North Gloucester Division
Burney Condors
Douglas Oil Kings
New Bristol Crows
New Bristol Gulls

Martin Bay Division
Clevedon Cardinals
Harris Ravens
Martin Bay Ducks
New Wight Islanders

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To accommodate the new teams a 35 rounds expansion draft was held before free agents filed for the new baseball year. The 12 Old Birds were allowed to protect 20 of their players, while the Expansion Four picked from the litter.

The First Round:
Fort Arthur Pioneers select 21 y/o, 0.5/4*, RF Zak Eggins
Con 8/9 | Gap 12/12 | HR 8/14 | Eye 9/12 | AVoid K 9/11
Range 10 | Error 17 | Arm 11 | LF 8 | RF | 10

Douglas Oil Kings select 26 y/o, 4.5/4.5*, SS/3B Ralph Gilmour
Con 9 | Gap, 12 | HR 9 | Eye 9 | Avoid K 13
Range 17 | Error 20 | Arm 20 | Turn DP 17 | SS 20 | 3B 19 | 2B 12

New Wight Islanders select 28 y/o 4/4*, 2B/SS Sergio Cabrera
Con 13/14 | Gap 13 | HR 2 | Eye 6/7 | Avoid K 18
Range 15 | Error 20 | Arm 15 | Turn DP 18 | 2B 17 | SS 15
Speed 19 | Stealing 20 | Baserunning 20

Finally, Pitt's Woods Mountaineers select 23 y/o, 3/4*, 3B/SS Lou Laing
Con 11/12 | Gap 13 | HR 8/10 | Eye 8 | Avoid K 11/14
Range 15 | Error 17 | Arm 17 | Turn DP 13 | 3B 17 | SS 14

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Heading into Free Agency the expansion teams found themselves at an advantage with an abundance of budget room coming out of the draft, letting them spend on the free agents to fill holes in their rosters. The Oil Kings in particular have a solid defensive roster, but need some help on offense, a true Ace Starting Pitcher, and some personnel changes to help build a team that Douglas can be proud for years to come.



November 14th, 1979
Oil Kings trade 26 y/o 1B for 28 y/o utility player Kyle Beneich, last year's EL 2B Golve Wizard Award Winner. Kyle actually projects to play better in the outfield than in the infield, as the fielding award came more from no other player starting anywhere near as many innings at Second Base than his actual skill at the position.

November 23rd, 1979
Coming into Free Agency Dale Morris was one of the top three SP, and at only 26 was the man demanding the biggest contract. In order to insure getting the man they wanted, as well as creating room for salaries in the future the Oil Kings made Dale Morris likely the highest paid man in baseball in 1980 with a price tag of $3.5M. His salary drops by half a million each year until it hits 1.5M, and includes a sixth year player option at $1M that will most likely be passed over for more money.

November 29th, 1979
The biggest name in free agency was "Sonny" Chon, a future Hall of Famer at First Base. Sonny is 37 years old and will be playing in his 16th year in the league. He is signed for two years, making it very likely he will retire an Oil King. Not only does Sonny bring an upgrade to 1B, he is a huge draw for games with a fledgling franchise. He still has incredible bat control spotting a .376 OBP last season, the lowest of his career. The 10 time All-Star will captain the Kings as he is 8 years senior to all but 5 other members of the 40 man roster.

Personnel
The Scouting Director assigned to the team was cut in favor of another big name First Baseman like Sonny Chon, 1945-1956 MPBer Danny Cowell. Excellent at scouting minors and amateurs, Danny spent the last 9 years with the Burney Condors, culminating in back to back championships.

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December 1979 saw the addition of two potential major leaguers. RP Kelvin Wanhalla signed a 2 year $480,000 contract to join the bullpen as the top lefty, which opens up 23 y/o LHP Ryan Fuller to be optioned to AAA for more seasoning. Additionally, the Kings brought in 24 y/o multipurpose infielder, Larry McLaughlin, from the International league. McLaughlin will get his starts all around the diamond and have every chance to earn the starting 2B position during spring training.

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Stuff-Movement-Control-Stamina-Usable Pitches

Starters
1. Dale Morris (13-13-17-12-CH/FB/SL/CB)
2. Dylan Hutchence (10-14-10-17-SK/CU/CH)
3. Bolan McGuire (12-15-8-9-CB/CH/FB)
4. Craig Clark (12-13-8-10-CU/CB/SP)
5. Glen Britz (10-10-14-15-FB/CB/SP)
6. Anthony Delzoppo (10-13-9-16-CB/FB)
7. Jesus Ruiz (10-8-10-8-FB/FK/SL)
8. Nelson Terrelly (12-9-9-12-FB/SL/CH/CB)

The starting pitching for the Oil Kings might be set for the next 5 years. At he top of the list are two 27 y/o righties, Dale Morris and Dylan Hutchence who will both win some games. Dale Morris could be the Ace of an All-Star team, and has one of the nastiest changeups (17) in the game. Dylan Hutchence is not as over powering, but is still a quality pitcher with a sinker (13) that will fool a lot of players.

The bottom of the rotation will feature three youngsters who are being forced into ML service maybe before they were ready, due to the expansion. 24 y/o Craig Clark is a lefty with 4 or 5 star potential, depending on who you ask, who has two breaking balls that are plus pitches and a strong cutter that he will have to keep a control of to win games. Unfortunately he does have control issues that will lead to him giving up some long balls and walking more than a few batters, but he does have the tools in place to fix those issues. Glen Britz is a year Clark's senior, but will likely spend the next stage of his career in his shadow. Britz is a very methodical pitcher who has an average fastball/ curveball lineup, with a splitter that he is working on and a slider that he breaks out when he's ahead in the count. He's a reliable guy, but will never win any awards for his efforts. Lastly, is 22 y/o Bolan McGuire who has a 12-6 curve like you've never seen. To complement his curve are an average fastball/ change-up mix that many believe Bolan can make elite, and like Britz he has a slider to shake things up now and again. As with Clark, there are some questions about control, and our head scout doesn't know if it will ever improve. At 22 Bolan could still surprise us with some unrealized potential, but as it stands now he is a middle of the rotation guy who will one day be a very good middle of the rotation guy.

Del Zoppo will be given a few looks but is likely to spend his time starting in AAA praying for a new pitch to make him a ML starter, if not he might have a future as the leader of a bullpen. Ruiz is at the end of his career, it will take an injury or terrible spring to see him keep his name off waivers come April. Lastly, 24 y/o Terrelly has 4 quality pitches and big league stuff, but he lacks the movement and control to ever be more than a spot starter. With two option years left Terrelly will be looked at as a prospect going forward but unlikely to make the team this season.


Relievers
1. Kevin Wanhalla (14-12-12-6-FB/SL)
2. Jason Hill (10-12-15-7-FB/CH)
3. Greg Cassidy (9-13-10-12-SP/CU/CC)
4. Jordan Kraft (13-12-8-13-FB/SK)
5. Elmar Hendriksen (12-12-9-16-KC/FB)
6. Ryan Fuller (11-10-10-12-SL/FB)
7. Teddy Upton (9-12-14-12-FK/SK)
8. Ernest Hardin(12-11-10-5-FB/CH/CU)
9. Jose Sanchez (9-12-13-8-SK/FB)
10. Bronson Grinter (9-12-10-10-FB/SL)
11. Brandon Gale (9-13-7-4-SP/CB/CU/SL)

The relief pool is a bit deep and will see some of the toughest fights of the preseason. Wanhalla was brought in as a lefty specialist to sure up the staff, but he could see some save situations depending on the lineup and how tired the rest of the staff is. Kraft's stuff and stamina should be enough to earn him a spot on the roster, while Jason Hill's control may make him the top option for being a setup man. Youngster's Gale, Fuller, and Hendriksen have the potential of becoming a great bullpen staff of the future, but will have to impress incredibly to make the team.


Closers
1. Daniel Zarate (16-14-11-13-SL/FB)
2. Marco Morgenstern (12-12-10-FB/CB)

Zarate the hero. Marco the zero.



Sure Thing
CL- Zarate
SP- Morris
SP- Hutchence
SP- McGuire
SP- Clark
SP- Britz
MR- Kevin Wanhalla
MR- Jason Hill
MR- Jordan Kraft

Bubble (2-3 MR)
Teddy Upton
Ernest Hardin
Jose Sanchez
Bronson Grinter

Unlikely
CL- Morgenstern
SP- Del Zoppo
SP- Ruiz
SP- Torrelly
MR- Hendriksen
MR- Gale
MR- Fuller

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Catchers
1. Ronald Murray (9-9-7-14-9)
2. Frenando Garza (8-9-9-9-10)
3. Alastair Hammond (9-8-10-6-10)
4. Alfredo Antonio (8-8-4-7-11)

The catcher position could use a major retooling to improve Douglas' team. Ronald Murray leads the pack offensively, bringing with him 124 games of experience over the last 3 years. He hits a decent .249 on his career, probably average at his position. Defensively he might be a liability with the weakest catcher's arm in the whole organization (8), but is reliable at hist position (15). 30 y/o Garza brings in the most experience with over 200 games behind the plate, but he is also a defensive liability (C-11, Arm-13), he swings a lot and is looking for more pop than he actually can give.

In Triple A will be a pair of youngsters with options available who will be trying to develop their game as they battle for starts. Alastair Hammond is only a year younger than Murray, at 26, and still needs to work on his discipline at the plate. But he is already a better defender than Garza (C-12, Arm-13). If he makes some adjustments at the plate he could earn some time in the MPB sooner rather than latter. Right now 24 y/o Alfredo Antonio is a better batter than Hammond, but he many don't believe he has the stuff to be better than him in the long run. What could earn Anotnio a look down the road is his defense. He has the stuff to one day be named Defensive Player of the Year for his abilities behind the plate (16) as well as his cannon of an arm (19). Both players will be given looks in the future and this could be a big year for them developmentally.


First Base
1. Sung-oo Chon (9-13-12-16-9)
2. Edwin Bywaters (10-10-14-8-9)

If you asked 10 MPB experts who the best First Baseman of all time was Sonny Chon would get more votes than any other player. At 37 he is on the tail of his career, but he can still get on base and hit the gaps. With his hitting ability he will find himself at the top of the order most of the time. Unfortunately, he has a recent injury history that means a quality back up will be needed. Edwin Bywaters is a 26 y/o who spent part of the last two years in MPB, mostly as a corner outfielder. Defensively he isn't anything to write home about, but he isn't considerably worse than Chon. What really earns Bywaters his bread is his power. While still unproven (16 HR in 133 career games) he has the potential to knock in 30 over a full season. He will be fighting for the DH spot, but with 2 option years left he might see himself spending another year with the Windsor-Cobourg Soldiers as the 25 man roster is yet to be completed.


Second Base (2B-Range-Arm-DP-Error)
1. Larry McLaughlin (10-11-2-6-15) (12-18-13-17-15)
2. Dan Danvers (9-12-6-7-10) (18-15-6-19-11)
3. Gavin Young (10-11-5-8-14) (14-13-16-12-16)

The 2B position will be one fought mostly on defense, with each player not having a clear step up on the competition in the batting box, with the exception of Danvers not being able to keep an at bat alive. Larry McLaughlin was brought in as an international rookie, and is slotted to make $300,000 each of the next four years; possibly a rookie mistake as it created a log jam at a position which already had the closest position battle. Larry does bring variability with him as he can actually play SS (17) and 3B (16) better than 2B (12), making him a sure thing for the final 25. Defensively speaking Dan Danvers is the most solid fit at 2B, with his only weakness being a poor arm which is not as important at second than it would be at 3rd or SS. As noted above he is the worst of the 3 offensively and as such has found his name in the rumors section of the daily newspaper. Coming out of the expansion draft Gavin Young was seen as a potential DH, but the addition of the likes of McLaughlin and Chon have made his bat expendable. At 26 he is the oldest of the trio and still relatively young. While he has two option years left his trade value could sink if he were not able to stick with an expansion team at this point of his career, if Danvers doesn't get returned to AAA expect Young to be gone before opening day.


Short Stop
1. Ralph Gilmour (9-13-10-9-12)
2. Andre Yeo (10-10-7-8-11)

Gilmour is an absolute stallion at his position. He should be able to bring home a couple of Defender of the Year awards (20-17-20-18-20), and his bat isn't too bad either when he can make contact. He also is a solid 2B (12) and could be the team's top 3B (19) if his double play ability wasn't so useful at short. Yeo has a solid bat for an infielder and with no options will be a surefire back up in the infield, unless someone wants to make a play for his services.


Third Base
1. Ryan O'Flaherty (9-9-13-7-10)

After seven good years playing international ball O'Flaherty made the transition to MPB playing his next seven years with the Burney Condors. Now on the eve of his 34th birthday O'Flaherty is starting the next stop on his journey with the Douglas Oil Kings. In over 700 starts at Third he has only registered 35 errors, and with a cannon of an arm himself he rounds out a solid infield for the Oil Kings.



Sure Things
C- Ronald Murray
1B- Sung-oo Chon
2B/3B/SS- Larry McLaughlin
SS/3B/2B- Ralph Gilmour
3B- Ryan O'Flaherty
1B/OF- Edwin Bywaters

Bubble (1 C, 1-2 IF)
C- Fernando Garza
C- Alfredo Antonio
C- Alastair Hammond
2B- Dan Danvers
2B- Gavin Young
SS- Andre Yeo

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RF Joe Phelps (12-12-3-9-12)
23 years old and already a man who could be considered one of the faces of the franchise, Joe is maybe the teams' best 'pure' hitter. At every level he has been a .300 hitter, including his 24 games last season with the Red Hawks. He will start the year off as the team's lead off, with a good OBP and baserunning skills the job will be his to lose. In the field he is a rangy player, using his 6'2 body to make solid plays every night. With a good arm he can play any OF position if asked, but is most comfortable in right.


CF Kyle Marshall (11-14-6-5-14)
Defense: Kyle Marshall can only play CF, but he plays it extremely well. Offense: When he isn't striking out he is hitting doubles and triples regularly, but he is striking out more than he hits. Marshall is a good guy at the bottom of the lineup who can bring home some speedy players. He will play well in the roles he is given, but he shouldn't be leaned on too much outside of his comfort zone.


LF Kyle Bendeich (10-11-13-5-10)
The other Kyle is the team's best power hitting OF, unfortunately the name Kyle is cursed with an abundance of SO on this team. Bendeich could hit 20 HR a year if he can get the at bats he needs. Out in the field he is not a liability and can even play CF (11), 2B (10), or 1B (9) if injuries become an issue.


OF Andy "Reach" Trew (9-9-8-10-9)
Reach is the utility man in the outfield. He has great range (17) and the best arm on the team (17) and can play each OF position (20-15-17, LF to RF). While he will never have the great bat that the other outfielders bring he can expect to make it into a lot of games to help keep things close defensively.


DH Hal Murphy (9-11-13-10-9)
In his 652 career MPB games Hal has made it out onto the field for at most 350 of them. His skills outside of the batting box are quite frankly, atrocious and if he spends anytime in the field it will mean the team is in dire straights. However, Hal does provide good pop off the bench and will be spending spring training in a battle with Edwin Bywaters to see who will get the lion's share of DH starts. Being 9 years Bywater's senior he will likely lose that battle, but the staff will still be happy to have Hal coming off the bench once in a while for a pinch hit.


Down on the Farm
Bill Delany (10-8-8-12-9)
23 y/o Bill Delany will be showcasing his skills at Spring Training, and could see some time in center field to see if he has any potential outside of LF. His bat is good but unless he has a hell of a great March he will likely be spending the year leading Windsor-Cobourg's offense. Expect him to make his MPB debut in 1981.

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From a wins perspective things haven't been going great in spring training, but in terms of building the team there has been a lot of advancement. So far the Oil Kings have only won 2 of their games, but the team has been able to put on good pitching performances and have shown an ability to score runs in bunches.

Batting
Edwin Bywaters and Sonny Chon are projected to be Top 10 Hitters in the Eastern Conference. They have great OBP's to start the Spring, and don't have inflated BABIP's that are spiking their numbers. At Second Base McLaughlin is winning the battle handedly, as Dan Danvers is just returning from an injury he sustained in the first game of the season. Outfielders Delaney and Phelps have been disappointing so far, with Andy Trew fighting for a spot it could be off to AAA for one of the youngsters. Also surprising is Alfredo Antonio who is playing his butt off as he looks to wrap up the backup catcher position.


Pitching
At this point pitching is a harder story to tell. Starters have each only played 4-7 innings so not much can be made of their stats. While relievers are still trying to shake off their rust. The true bright spot has been Elmar Hendrikson who has yet to give up an Earned Run in 4 innings. If he can keep this up Bronson Grinter may be looking behind his back the rest of April. However it will take the rest of the preseason to determine which relievers make it, as they are all playing respectably at this point. Over the final 9 games the expected starting 5 will each be given a total of 3 starts with the expectation of getting 12 to 14 innings under their belts going into the season.

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As Opening Day stands on the horizon the Oil Kings begin to make their moves for the season. Spring brought one tough break with it as Douglas' first ever pick, Ralph Gilmore, was injured halfway through Spring Training and will be out for the first 5 weeks of the season. Also hurting the middle infield is injury to utility man/ starting 2nd basemen, Larry McLaughlin who is questionable for the first game of the year, but will be with the team shortly.

Alfredo Antonio stepped up to the plate 27 times during camp and was able to get on base 13 times. Maybe those numbers are a fluke, but Antonio will have the chance to prove he belongs as he backs up Ronald Murray to start the year. This meant 30 y/o Graza would be on the move, and unfortunately he'd likely be grabbed off waivers. Thankfully, the Crows were willing to take him and offered up 1B Carlos Santos who comes with a 6 figure price tag, but has two option years and can be used as an injury replacement if fragile Chon or Bywaters go down.

SP's DelZoppo and Terrelly were optioned down to AAA, while Jesus Ruiz is sitting on waivers before he gets sent down following Opening Day. Relievers Gale, Fuller, Morgenstern, and Grinter join catcher Hammond in Triple A ball as well. This will leave the roster at 28 once Ruiz clears waivers. To accommodate for that, Hendricksen, who has earned his spot in the bullpen, will start the year in AAA and switch with Ruiz once able.

The toughest choices came down to the bullpen. Kelvin Wanhalla is a man that management believes in and was brought in to be a quality setup man. Ernest Hardin and Hendricksen gave up 1 run between their combined 11.1 innings, sealing their fate on the team as well. Jose Sanchez has no options left, and is likely the team's best option for an emergency start. Jordan Kraft's breaking balls still hang too long and he will need to fix that before making it to the bigs, where he could be a dominate setup man with his elite fastball. Upton has the makings of a AAA starter more than a ML reliever, and as such will be working on his arsenal on the farm. Seaweed Cassidy will turn 35 this year and will be lucky if he spends that many days with the big club by the end of the year. He didn't have a terrible spring, but he can't really be expected to contribute at the major league level. With that being said, the natural born leader and control expert Jason Hill will complete the bullpen as a long relief specialist, who should get his fair share of chances to earn a few wins for the club.

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Here's Your Inaugural 1980 Douglas Oil Kings:



Batting Order
RF Joe Phelps
DH Sung-oo Chon
3B Ryan O'Flaherty
1B Edwin Bywaters
LF Kyle Bendeich
CF Kyle Marshall
SS Larry McLaughlin
C Ronald Murray
and
2B Dan Danvers or Gavin Young

Bench
PH Hal Murphy
OF Andy Trew
IF Andre Yeo
C Alfredo Antonio

Rotation
1. Dale Morris
2. Dylan Hutchence
3. LHP Craig Clark
4. Glen Britz
5. Bolan McGuire

Bullpen
LR Jason Hill
MR Elmar Hendriksen
MR Jose Sanchez
SU Earnest Hardin
SU LHP Kelvin Wanhalla
CL Daniel Zarate

Injury Reserve
SS Ralph Gilmore

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Match-ups: 3 vs New Bristol Gulls

Game 1: 5/1/80 Game 1 vs. NB Gulls
The New Bristol Gulls were the lucky birds chosen to welcome the Oil Kings in the league, and welcome they did; to the tune of 2 runs scored in the first ever inning at Ruttman Oil Stadium. "Jammer" Morris gave up a double to start the game and gave up 7 more hits through the first 5 innings, the Gulls earned 3 runs off the ace. In the 4th Bywaters led off with a walk and took the first Oil King's run off a Bendeich homer. With Lachlan Jensen shaken the next two batters were able to take bases and Ronald Murray brought home a 3rd run off a double play ball. The Gulls took the lead back in the 6th inning, off Jason Hill, but Bywaters responded with a lead off home run. The bottom of the 6th saw the entire lineup again, as Marshall recorded the first and last outs against two of the three Gulls' pitchers who pitched that inning. 7 runs were scored, bringing the score to 5-10. Hill pitched a solid second inning before turning the ball over to Hardin and Zarate to finish out the game.
Final: NBG 6, DOU 10

Game 2: 5/2/80 Game 2 vs. NB Gulls
The second game of the series saw a different spin as the Kings took the lead two batters into the game and never let up. Phelps hit safely twice, and was able to score both times, proving his value at the lead off spot. Meanwhile, Huthcence pitched an incredible 7 innings on his way to a 2 hitter, but step back in the 8th forced the bullpen in and things got dicey as two longballs were given up in the 9th to bring the game to within 2 runs. O'Flaherty ended up the game winner with his one hit coming in the 7th as a 2 run shot to deep left. But the hero and player of the game had to be Sonny Chon whose homer in the first was the 226th of his career. Chon scored 3 hits, 3 runs, 2 RBI, and 7 total bases on the night, but his first hit of the night was the one to remember:

Final: NBG 5, DOU 7

Game 3: 5/3/80 Game 3 vs. NB Gulls
The opening week and series ended with a nail biter as Ruttman Oil Stadium got it's first taste of bottom of the 9th baseball. Bolan McGuire came out with a strong 5.2 innings, but he struggled with control as he tried to bring in his final out of the 6th and ended up getting pulled after walking home a run. Elmar Hendriksen was brought in and he too couldn't find the strike zone as he gave up 3 runs in the 7th inning to put New Bristol up 4-3. Hill (1-0) was brought in again, and went another 2 innings, allowing only one baserunner off a walk. Entering the bottom of the 9th Murray took a linedrive for 2 bases and was moved over on a sacrifice ground out. A second double by Phelps tied up it up and the cat and mouse game had begun. Chon was intentionally walked to set up the double play, but a double steal forced another intentional walk and brought up Bywaters who earlier in the game had blasted his second HR of the year. However, a strikeout brought Bendeich up for the classic baseball moment: bottom of the 9th, 2 outs, bases loaded. Swinging on the first pitch the ball found its way past a diving SS as Phelps crossed home for the dramatic win.
Final: NBG 4, DOU 5


Record: 3-0
Power Ranking: 1st
Fan Interest: 92
Owners Mood: Happy

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Game 4: 5/4/80 Game 1 @ Clevedon
Douglas proved that they aren’t shy away from home. For their first road trip they were able to hit safely 15 times. Each batter got at least one hit, including Alfredo Antonio who was given his first start of the year behind home plate. Bywaters led the offense with 3 hits for 3 RBI, including a solo shot. Clark had an outing to forget as he only lasted 4 IP, but used up 101 pitches. As is the story of the year Jason Hill (3-0, 1.50) was brought on in relief and gave up only 1 hit in 2 innings of work and his third W of the year in as many appearances. Sanchez was only able to pitch 0.1 before giving up 2 runs and getting pulled for Wanhalla who is officially back from injury and playing like he never left (1.2 IP, 32 PI, 0H, 0BB, 1K). Zarate pitched a perfect 9th for his first Save, using only 5 pitches to do it.
Final: DOU 9, CLE 7

Game 5: 5/5/80 Game 2 @ Clevedon
The Douglas-Clevedon hit parade continued with an even 10-10 split, increasing the series total to 46 hits. Douglas’ hits primarily came from Bywaters (4-5, 1 RBI) and Marshall (3-4, 2 RBI), who was one homer short of the cycle. Britz (1-0, 2.57) pitched exceptionally in 7 innings, while Hardin (1H) and Zarate (1SV) closed out the night and kept the 5 game win streak alive as Douglas becomes the only team without a loss entering Tuesday’s matchups.
Final: DOU 5, CLE 3

Game 6: 5/6/80 Game 3 @ Clevedon
The final game of the series saw a third consecutive 20 hit game. Sadly Clevedon took 13 of those hits, and converted 4 into runs. Morris (0-1) was hit 12 times as he still is looking to gain his form, while Clevedon’s Wesley Ough (2-0) was able to go 8 innings before closer Brett Lumsden sealed his 2nd save of the year. This gave Clevedon their first win in 4 games, while Douglas finally joined the rest of the league back on planet earth, just in time to catch their ferry to New Wight Island for their next series.
Final: DOU 3, CLE 4

**GM Note:
Heading into the series with the New Wight Islanders Catcher Ronald Murray was moved up in the order from 8th to 6th. He has two doubles and a long ball over the first six games, and deserves more at bats than he is getting. The 2B battle is tilting in favor of Young, but Danvers needs to be given a few more starts. By a clerical error I haven’t given the two even starts and I will give Danvers the next two starts to see if he can collect his first hit of the year. Trew will also be getting a start as I look to include the extra outfielder at least once a week; initially I wanted to cycle him through the outfield but Bendeich is hitting very well after Bywaters and Phelps is coming into the leadoff role, so it may be Marshall who gets the weekly breather.

Game 7: 5/7/80 Game 1 @ New Wight
With the praise just given to Bendeich he really couldn’t come up clutch on this day. He came to the plate with runners in scoring position and 2 outs 3 times, yet managed to strike out each time. It’s not hard to do the math, one slappy hit to the outfield and this game could have gone a different way. Luckily the win came mostly from the opposing pitcher’s ability to retire Oil Kings with ease, we will see what Edward Skinner (9.64 ERA) can do tomorrow..
Final: DOU 1, NW 3

Game 8: 5/8/80 Game 2 @ New Wight
Bloan McGuire (2-0, 0.75) earned Player of the Game honors after lasting one out into the 7th inning before he passed the 100 pitch mark. Only in his second start of the year he had to be pulled, despite only giving up 2 hits. There were also a pair of errors by Yeo which caused a runner to be brought in by the Isles. But small ball won out as Bywaters and Young were each able sacrifice in a run. In the bottom of the 9th O’Flaherty (1-5, 1 RBI) was able to get a hit and belted out a 430 footer over centerfield. Wanhalla was given his first save opportunity and retired a group of lefties for his first save of the year
Final: DOU 4, NW 1

Game 9: 5/9/80 Game 3 @ New Wight
The Islander series ended in a nail bitter that’s biggest lead came in the bottom of the 5th when a 3 run homerun by Clarkin Rice saw the Islanders up 3-1. But the top of the sixth pulled the score back to within one and the game stayed like that the rest of the way. Two seventh inning solo home runs put the Oil Kings back on top, as Jason Hill (2H) pitched a solid 7th in relief before Hardin was brought on in the 8th. After two quick outs he botched a routine toss to first for an error, then gave up a meaty home run, the lead, and game. Clark (0-0) pitched much better this outing going 6 innings and only walking 1 batter, as opposed to 6 in 4 IP. A home stand vs Burney is up next, followed by a long awaited day off.
Final: DOU 4, NW 5

Game 10: 5/10/80 Game 1 vs. Burney
The Burney Condors entered the game 1-8 despite having an amazing lineup. Britz did not fear the lineup however as he faced the minimum his first 4 innings before giving up 3 runs in 7 sides of work. He only pitched 83 times, but 7 innings was enough work and with other pitchers going deep this early it was good to save one starter’s arm. The offense couldn’t get going for the team as Bywaters stuck out in all four at bats. The batters who hit hit well and often and in the end Dan Danvers found his first two hits of the year, including an RBI double. But after Hendriksen gave up the home run that snapped the 3-3 tie their closer finished things off. Hendriksen was able to finish the game pitching two innings, earning himself a few days rest and letting the rest of the bullpen have a day off as they will try to close out the series early next week.
Final: BUR 4, DOU 3


Record: 3-4 (6-4)
Power Ranking: 8th
Fan Interest: 92
Owners Mood: Happy

Bean's Minute:
Despite not breaking .500 on the week things are still looking good for the Oil Kings. The team looks like it could live and die by Bywaters' bat, which while not ideal in and of itself there are worse batters to rely on in the league. Chon will be chasing records all year, so hopefully the fans will remain interested in times of doubt. Mr. Ruttman is still happy with the team preformance as well. If Morris can find his way in one of his two starts next week the Douglas rotation will be well on its way to being one of the better pitching staffs in the East.

[BeanSobie]

Mathups: 2 vs. Burney, Off-Day, 3 at New Bristol, 1 vs. Harris

Game 11: 5/11/1980 Game 2 vs. Burney
Coming off a close game with Burney the Kings were able to turn to their Ace, Dale Morris, who is still searching for his first win in his third start. Jammer was able to pitch a real gem as he only allowed 4 baserunners in a full 7 innings. After two questionable starts (10.2 IP, 20 H, 7 ER, 4 K, 10-16 GB/FB) it was reassuring to see the Super Star put up a solid start (7.0 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 6 K, 11-3 GB/FB). Good news comes in bunches as the offense really got going, converting 18 baserunners into 12 runs. The entire lineup both hit and scored a run, with the sole exception of Edwin Bywaters, and even Dan Danvers (3-4 1RBI) and Alfredo Antonio (1-4 1 Sac Fly) were able to get in on the offense as Burney ran through 5 pitchers (4 throwing at least 20 pitches before getting hooked). O’Flaherty (3-5 6 RBI) looked amazing as he was just a single short of The Cycle and came close to a multiple HR night when he was robbed at the warning track.
Final Score: DOU 12, BUR 0

Game 12: 5/12/1980 Game 3 vs. Burney
With the series split Douglas was looking to capitalize on the struggling Condors, who by all rights should be the most dangerous team in the league. That much was proven when the game started off with a Broomhall homer that quieted the crowd and had the Oil Kings worried that they may become the Condors’ wake up game following last night’s blowout. Luckily Hutchence was able to handle the lineup for 6 innings, while the top of the lineup kept the game moving with 2 hit nights from Phelps and Chon. Danvers kept his hitting streak alive as he may have earned the series MVP with some rangey moves at second to keep Burney at bay. Bywaters hit at least one ball hard and was able to walk twice as he tries to get his swing back. The only downside offensively came from an injury to O’Flaherty after he was plucked by Pickford in the 6th. The seventh inning saw Wanhalla come in to face the lefty heavy lineup, but the plan backfired as they were able to turn in 2 runs and tie the game, but Wanhalla was given the last laugh and his first Douglas W as Phelps drove in Danvers in the bottom of the 7th and Wanhalla worked the 8th with no issue. Hardin came in for his first save attempt and he recorded it easily on 8 pitches.
Final Score: DOU 4, BUR 3

Game 13: 5/14/1980 Game 1 at N.B. Crows
Things were looking pretty good for the away team as the Crows hosted Douglas. Through 6 innings Bolan McGuire only allowed 6 runners and was able to stay out of trouble, but into the 7th he started things off with a hit and an error put him into some trouble as he neared 110 pitches. Giving a 4-0 lead and the ball to Elmar Hendrikson things took a bad turn as the young reliever let in 5 runs before finishing the inning. Hardin came on to start the 8th inning and was on the board when a double by pinch hitter Hal Murphy brought in pinch runner Andre Yeo who was able to take home off a Joe Phelps single. Hardin continued pitching well as he faced 9 batters over 3 innings. The 11th inning saw Joe Phelps bring in two more runs and Zarate was able to get his 3rd save of the year.
Final Score: DOU 7, NBC 5

Game 14: 5/15/1980 Game 2 at N.B. Crows
The offense was at a minimum in the second game of the series as a two run inning by New Bristol ended up being all it took for the Crows to even the series. On a good note Bywaters found his way onto base 3 times with two hits and a pitch off his bicep, one of the hits even brought in his 10th RBI of the year as he joined O’Flaherty, Chon, Bendeich, and Phelps as the first 5 Oil Kings to break double digit RBIs.
Final Score: DOU 1, NBC 2

Game 15: 5/16/1980 Game 3 at N.B. Crows
Bywaters continued to work out of his short slump with a 3 hit night as he climbed back to the top of the team’s batting average board. In fact, every starter except 2B Dan Danvers was able to register at least one hit which came to a head in the 4th inning when 4 runners crossed home plate. Clark was set for his first decision of the year but an error at shortstop by Gavin Young (who is being forced to learn the position to keep him and Danvers in the lineup) made for another 7th inning collapse as Hill (3-1) was given his first loss on the season.
Final Score: DOU 4, NBC5

Game 16: 5/17/1980 Game 1 vs. Harris
The return home saw the start of a series between the two top teams in the EL, with an even record this series could be a big measuring stick for the Oil Kings. Almost, the entirety of the King’s offense came before they recorded their first out. Phelps took a lead off walk and an infield hit by Chon put O’Flaherty in a comfortable position, he ended up just barely sending one over the wall as he took the spot of EL Homerun/ RBI leader with 5 and 18. Bywaters was the only Oil King to hit the rest of the game as he had his 3rd consecutive multi-hit game, one of those hits bringing home Chon who had walked earlier in the inning. In 8 innings Morris only gave up one run off 3 hits, and while he had the energy to finish things up for a complete game, the choice was made to let Zarate do what Zarate does and close the game in fashion, no hits and just 10 pitches.
Final Score: HAR 1, DOU 4


Record: 4-2 (10-6)
Power Ranking: 6th
Fan Interest: 92
Owners Mood: Happy

[BeanSobie]

Mathups: 2 vs. Harris, 3 vs. Martin Bay, 2 at New Bristol Gulls

Game 17: 5/18 vs. Harris
The fact that Hutchence was not given any sort of reward for this game is the definition of a crying shame. He pitched 9 innings of no hit baseball, an effort that would have easily been a no-hit win almost any other night. Unfortunately, Douglas could not convert their own 3 hits into runs and the game went into 4 extra innings. Elmar Hendriksen pitched for 3 innings solidly, but gave up a 3 run homer after walking 2 and ended up getting pulled for Jose Sanchez who finished the side with ease. Douglas put up one run in the bottom of the 13th but the damage was done, and the series and EL lead tied. Worst of all Joe Phelps was hurt one a diving catch in the 12th inning and will be out of action for about a month with a sprained ankle.
Final Score: HAR 3, DOU 1

**GM Note: With Joe Phelps injured Bill Delaney will be brought in from AAA to play LF/ lead-off. Andre Yeo will get some games at lead-off as well. Gilmore is still 2 weeks out from his injury, at which point Delaney will get sent back down. Once Phelps returns, barring any other injuries, the mess at middle-infield will have to be sorted out.

Game 18: 5/19 vs. Harris
The second frame of this match saw the only two runs of the night, in a unique game with no earned runs. Steven Wise was looking good having put down three in a row in the first and striking out Bywaters to start the second. The next hitter, Bendeich, was able to get a hit but called out on a fielder’s choice when Marshall came up. Yeo hit a two out double to put two in scoring position. Catcher Ronald Murray ended up hitting a ball dead to Wise, but the pitcher sent the ball into the stands on what should have been a routine out at first. Bolan McGuire picked up his second win of the year going 7 innings. Hardin (3 H, 1.93), Wanhalla (2 H, 2.84), and Zarate (5 SV, 0.00) each retired 2 to put the game away.
Final Score: HAR 0, DOU 2

Game 19: 5/20 vs. Martin Bay
Bill Delaney played well in his second career game, the left field rookie registered 1 hit, 1 run, 1 walk and 1 RBI out of the leadoff spot. It was another day of balanced hitting by the Kings as everyone but 2B Dan Danvers (0-2), who was still helpful with a sacrifice bunt. Britz (2-1, 2.33) earned his second win of the year, saving his arm with a 7-0 lead after 6 IP and 74 PI. Jose Sanchez (1 SV, 5.63) finished the final 3 innings in just 33 pitches, earning himself an easy save.
Final Score: MAR 2, DOU 7

Game 20: 5/21 vs. Martin Bay
Alf Van Dyke, 2 time pitcher of the year, put on a show in the Arctic Territory as the 15 year pro made a mockery of the Oil Kings. In 95 pitches he faced just 3 above the minimum for 8 innings of work when Lee came in to close the shut out. Clark pitched poorly as he allowed 8 hits and 5 walks in 6 innings of work, Hendriksen was given the chance to work some extra IP as he faced 14 meaningless batters to end the game. Despite 2 Ks, Delaney can be proud he walked and hit off of such an elite pitcher.
Final Score: MAR 7, DOU 0

Game 21: 5/22 vs. Martin Bay
Neither starter had their best stuff as Bob Richards (3-0, 2.88) and Bolan McGuire (2-1, 1.86) allowed 6 ER on 13 hits and 5 walks in a combined 9.2 innings. As bad as the pitching was, the clutch hitting could make a grown man cry: 40 men were forced to take the walk of shame from the bag back to the dugout. Bywaters and Delaney would have loved to have had some of those baserunners at their disposal as they went 6 for 8 with just 1 RBI and no strikeouts between them on the night.
Final Score: MAR 4, DOU 3

Game 22: 5/23 at. NB Crows
With the spot for top team in the division on the line again Douglas felt comfortable entering the series at the top of the rotation. Maybe that was too comfortable as Morris (2-2) got hit hard for his second loss of the year. The ace gave up 11 hits, two of which were 2 solo homeruns. Hardin came in and gave up a 2 run homerun of his own as the Gulls built a 7-1 lead for Charles Webster to finish up. In his 4 starts Karl Galloway (2-0, 1.80) has been off to an incredible start for the Gulls as the number 5 starter has found his way back to a full time rotation for the first time since his 1-16 season in 1976. His sub .200 BABIP will rise soon enough as he finds his way back to Earth. Speaking of BABIP, Morris is holding one of .330 (.050 above his MPB career average) and if that comes down he should be able to find the 11 more wins he needs on the year to become a 100 game winning pitcher.
Final Score: DOU 1, NBC 7

Game 23: 5/24 at. NB Crows
Pitching won out again as Hutchence led the Oil Kings for 7 innings of shutout ball, followed by Hendriksen and Zarate putting down 4 and 2 runners each. On the other side of the field Lachlan Eveson pitched his second game against the Oil Kings, and after recording his first win against the the team earlier in the season he set down 10 of his 20 outs with K’s. It would appear that Eveson has this teams number as his other 3 starts were all below average. Hendriksen was on the books for his first career win, it came when McLaughlin (3 hits in his return since being benched for 3 days) brought home Marshall for the only run of the game.
Final Score: DOU 1, NBC 0



Record: 3-4 (13-10)
Power Ranking: 8th
Fan Interest: 90
Owners Mood: Happy

Coming Next: The 1980 Armature Draft Class

[BeanSobie]

Top Batters
Ratings: Con/Gap/Power/Eye/K’s/Speed

Liam MacKintosh
Positions: 2B/1B
Pot. Ratings: 18/12/6/10/18/17
Signability: Normal
Report: The best pure hitter in the draft. Will have to work to become a good defender, but will always have potential as a leadoff DH. Has the potential to make records on runs and OBP.

Duhan Guilfoyle
Positions: 1B
Pot. Ratings: 12/9/14/14/13/6
Signability: Hard
Report: A pure power hitter who will hit balls often and far. A prototypical 1B with poor speed and defensive ability. His power is complemented very nicely by a great eye and ability to not strike out, will make pitchers throw a lot of pitches.

Mick Kelly
Positions: LF
Pot. Ratings: 14/14/13/11/13/6
Signability: Hard
Report: Could be a good left fielder who projects to bat in the middle of the lineup. Could mature into a complete hitter, with below average speed, maybe a three-hole hitter. Also has potential to become a SP if things do not pan out with his batting development.

Paddy O’Flaherty
Positions: OF/2B
Pot. Ratings: 13/13/14/11/9/16
Signability: Extremely Hard
Report: A flexible player who would be a real pain to sign but could grow into a elite clean up hitter who is a constant threat for hitting the cycle. Has a lot of development to do at the plate, but has the raw skills at defense and speed to make him worth the risk.

Elliot Hughes
Positions: OF
Pot. Ratings: 12/13/10/8/13/16
Signability: Extremely Hard
Report: The most MPB ready prospect in the draft, with a high floor and great ceiling Elliot Hughes could be the first player off the board. A rangy outfielder who doesn’t make a lot of mistakes, but with only an average arm, could find himself centering a team’s outfield in the near future. A potential leadoff hitter.

Arthur Filby
Positions: SS/2B
Pot. Ratings: 13/9/7/9/15/15
Signability: Hard
Report:[ OSA has him listed a lot lower than our scouting team and he could end up being a good player to let fall until the right moment. Will be a solid defensive player with the ability to make some good plays at the plate.


Top Pitchers
Ratings: Stuff/Movement/Control/Stam/Holding

Jacob Lock
Pitches: FB/CUT/SPL/CH
Pot. Ratings: 16/15/14/12/19
Signability: Hard
Reports: Already throwing mid 90’s Cowell has him listed as the Top Prospect in the draft. Only 18 y/o and honestly not far from being ready for the bigs. Will be an ace.

George Wouters
Pitches: CH/FB/SL/CUT/FORK
Pot. Ratings: 12/14/14/7/18
Signability: Normal
Reports: Still 17 he has the chance to improve big time, a jump in stamina is all he needs to become a potential ML starter. If not he could become the next Fat Cat Hill.

Glen Campbell
Pitches: CUT/SNK
Pot. Ratings: 11/14/15/5/5
Signability: Normal
Reports: Drafted in the second round last season by Harris. Considered a potential HoF reliever, not a K pitcher, but won’t let on a lot of baserunners. A closer talent, is not liked by his teammates.

Will Mills
Pitches: SNK/FB
Pot. Ratings: 10/15/13/18/18
Signability: Extremely Hard
Reports: One pitch away from having the makings of a career number 2 pitcher.

Bradley Thornton
Pitches: SNK/FB
Pot. Ratings: 9/14/13/18/13
Signability: Extremely Hard
Reports: Also just one pitch from being a potential starter. More likely to remain in the pen for his career.

Arthur Fisher
Pitches: FB/SL
Pot. Ratings: 11/12/17/14/11
Signability: Extremely Hard
Reports: Can place his slider wherever he needs it to go. Not an overpowering guy, but could become an All-Star setup man in the bigs. Not worth a top pick.

[BeanSobie]

Mathups: 1 @ N.B. Gulls, Off Day, 3 vs. Clevedon, 2 vs. New Wight

Game 24: 5/25 at. New Bristol
Douglas’ offense had a down night as they faced a hot pitcher in the Gulls’ Jimmy Walters who went 8 innings with only 99 pitches for the eventual win. The only run he let up was a surprising home run by Bill Delaney. Britz pitched well in his 7 innings, letting 10 runners on but holding the Gulls to 2 runs.
Final Score: DOU 1, NBG 2

Game 23: 5/27 vs. Clevedon
For the second game in a row the Douglas batters were unable to force the opposing starter to the bench until after the 8th. And while they were able to put up 3 runs against Ough (5-0, 2.49), Lumsden (8SV, 0.75) was able to shut out the 9th with just one walk. McGuire was forced out in the 6th when he gave up 3 runs. Hill picked up 2.1 IP before he handed the tie ball game to Hardin who blew the save by giving up the game winning run.
Final Score: CLE 4, DOU 3

Game 24: 5/28 vs. Clevedon
The streak for opposing pitchers continued for a third game when Clevedon’s Edlich (1-5, 7.05) tossed his 8 and gave up 3 runs. Dale Morris (3-2, 3.18) matched the effort as he went 8 innings, but only gave up one run. Wanhalla (3 H, 2.57) retired two batters, while Zarate (7 SV, 0.00) was given a cheap save when he took care of his only batter with an easy ground out.
Final Score: CLE 1, DOU 3

Game 25: 5/29 vs. Clevedon
The Cardinals got after Hutchence (1-2, 2.16) early putting up 2 runs in each of the first two innings. Douglas could only get two runs coming from Bywaters who scored off a balk, and O’Flaherty’s 6th homer.
Final Score: CLE 5, DOU 2

Game 26: 5/30 vs. New Wight
Douglas got on the board first against their expansion rivals, as the right handed ridden lineup attacked leftie Elst (2-3, 3.99) for 8 hits and 3 walks in 5.2 IP. Alfredo Antonio slammed a 2 run homerun in the 4th to create a 3-1 lead that the team never looked back on. Murphy scored Bywaters in the 8th for the final score of the game. Britz (3-2, 2.20) pitched a strong 7 innings (5H, 1R, 1BB, 3K, 100 PI) while Wanhalla (4 H, 2.25) and Zarate (8 SV, 0.00) each retired 3 batters. Zarate was especially electrifying as he struck out the side in just 13 pitches.
Final Score: NW 1, DOU 4

Game 27: 5/31 vs. New Wight
The start of the second game looked like it would even the series. Clark was touched for 4 hits (1 single, 2 doubles, and a homerun) and 3 runs in the first two innings, and also threw a wild pitch that moved the first run into scoring position. He regained his form and ended up lasting 5 more innings, allowing only 3 more hits. New Wight’s Hipple was the polar opposite, lasting 6.2 innings before giving up 3 runs in the 7th to tie the game. Hardin (2-2, 3.18) pitched a solid 8th inning and was able to pick up the win while still on the books for the second half of the inning. Hal Murphy was brought in to pinch hit with 2 outs and the bases loaded, and recorded a rather unsexy RBI walk that ended up winning the game.
Final Score: NW 3, DOU 4

Game 28: 6/1 vs. New Wight
The final game of the series tested both team's bullpens as it went deep into the night before wrapping up. Both teams' starters gave up 3 runs, going 6.1 and 7.1 innings each. McGuire was scored on early with all 3 runs coming from the top of the 1st, while Douglas scored once in the second and tied things up in the bottom of the 4th. Chon led the team with 2 hits and 2 walks in five at bats, but was unable to contribute to any other teams runs, outside of moving the runners along the bases. The middle of the lineup did well as Bendeich (2-6) made the most of his chances scoring twice, while Murphy and McLaughlin both hit twice and were able to both get a run and an RBI on the night. From the bullpen Hill went 3 innings before tiring out, he registered walked two and struck out 4 without allowing a hit, Wanhalla came on in the 11th inning to face a slew of left handed bats in his two innings before passing the ball along to Hendriksen who came away the eventual winning pitcher as he played 2.2 innings (1 BB, 0 Hits, 4 K). The bullpen is sufficiently worn out, so Hendriksen will be swapped with a rested AAA pitcher to help add some depth to the pen.



Record: 4-3 (17-13)
Power Ranking: 4th
Fan Interest: 90
Owners Mood: Happy

Bean’s Moment:
Hal Murphy has played well as a pinch hitter but expressed a desire to join the everyday lineup. As he has 0 skills in the field he has been taking the DH spot from Chon. In his 5 starts he’s gone 4-18 with 1 double, 1 RBI, and just 3 SO. The only downside to giving Murphy the DH spot is that it forces Chon to 1B and Bywaters to the outfield, taking Marshall’s glove or Bendeich’s bat out of the lineup.

Speaking of adding bats to the lineup, Ralph Gilmore is just days away from returning from his injury, he is expected to be coming in off the bench for a few games before he takes back the starting shortstop position and forces Danvers to the minors.

[BeanSobie]

Series: @ Burney, vs. Crows

Games 31-33: at. Burney
The last time Burney came to town the All-Star team was slumping. The effects of the slump were still prevalent in the standings, and after a 7-1 lead after the Top of the 7th in game one it appeared that things would continue that way. Hardin ended up blowing the save and the lead by giving up 4 runs and only retiring one batter. Game 2 ended up being all Condors as no batters except Outfielders Marshall and Delaney could get anything going. Game 3 ended up the biggest heartbreaker as Delaney, one of the better Oil Kings this series, crashed into a wall in the 7th and strained his shoulder. He will likely make his return to AAA following his stint on the DL, as Phelps is scheduled to return. The top of the rotation faced the Condors, and while pitching 3 decent games the offense and bullpen really let the team down: Morris (6.2 IP, 8H, 3ER, 2BB, 2K), Hutchence (L, 6.0 IP, 7H, 3ER, 5BB, 2K), [b]Britz[b] (L, 5.0 IP, 4H, 2ER, 4BB, 5K)

Scores: L 7-8, L 2-5, L 1-5
Series MVP: Vinny Broomhall (.546/.643/.546)
6-11, 3 BB, 3 Runs, 4 RBI, 0 K’s

Games 34-36: vs. Crows
Coming into the game the Crows were the bottom feeders of the division (16-18), a sweep would move Douglas from the wild card spot all the way down to last in the division. To start the series Clark pitched a stellar 2 run, 7 inning outing, but Hardin earned his second straight loss as he went 5 straight outs but gave up a solo homerun and then an extra run as he could not close the 9th. Bendeich had the tying run on 1st but lined out to end the game. Game 2 saw Bywaters hit his first homer in 30 games as the rightie hopes to get on another hot streak; unfortunately, his 3 RBI’s could not match Paddy Colenutt’s 5 and Douglas fall below .500 for the first time all year. With a right handed pitcher finally due up in Game 3, 1B LHB power hitter Carlos Santos was awarded his first start for the Oil Kings getting a hit in his first at bat. But it was 3B Ralph Gilmore and DH Hal Murphy hitting second and third who led the offense hitting 3-run and 2-run home runs, respectively. Morris took home his 4th Win despite giving up 4 runs while Zarate worked his 10th Save.

Scores: L 2-4, L 6-9, W 5-4
Series MVP: Paddy Colenutt (.539/.539/1.615)
7-13, 2 Doubles, 4 Home Runs, 4 Runs, 9 RBI


Record: 1-5 (18-18)
Power Ranking: 8th
Fan Interest: 90
Owners Mood: Happy

Bean’s Moment: Despite the rough week against two division rivals management is still happy and the fans are still coming out to games. Being a top team over the first quarter of the year helped solidify some sort of fanbase. Being a .500 ball club is exactly what our owner is asking for so even if we were to take another week like this we shouldn’t be on the hot seat yet. Phelps is scheduled to be back next week for the Martin Bay series, while Ralph Gilmore has gotten three games back under his belt and should be ready to return to fulltime shortstop duties.

[BeanSobie]

Series: @ Harris, @ Martin Bay

Games 37-39: at. Harris
Harris are a middling team over the first 36 games as they are hoping for a few wins vs the new guys to help bring them back into the Wild Card picture. Their offense has been led by CF Muldoon and 1B Abbey who are responsible for bringing in a quarter of the teams runs. Game 1 saw Hutchence add another win and quality start as he went 8 and only allowed a solo home run and an unearned run. With two outs in the 8th and the game tied at two Santos came in to pinch hit for Bywaters and brought in what would become the game winning runs with a 2 RBI single. The next two games however Douglas could not find their stride as the team struggled against the righthanded pitchers Kelly (3-2, 4.47) and Delgado (4-2, 3.62). Bywaters struggled as he couldn’t collect a hit and struck out 5 of his 8 at bats, Santos is trying to give the team a reason to keep him when Phelps returns.

Scores: W 3-2, L 2-3, L 1-4
Series MVP: Game Winning Starting Pitchers
In an interesting feat each of the wins came off the heels of a great start by the winning side’s starter, each going 8 innings and allowing no more than 6 hits and 2 earned runs. The closers were all perfect as well.

Games 40-42: at. Martin Bay
Douglas had a series to forget as they were swept by the EL leaders. Van Dyke was actually less than his usual as he gave up 7 hits and 2 walks in his 8 innings, but he held Douglas to one run as McGuire was taken for 4 runs in 5.1 innings. Bywaters was one of the best hitters for the Oil Kings, getting 2 hits in both of his starts. Game two was tight, but Zarate, playing for a win on a 1-1 tie, gave up a walk off run in 10th inning. The following day looked like it had the makings for an upset as the Oil Kings put up 7 runs in the first 4 innings, retiring Pugsley after 3 IP and raising his ERA by .49, but Hutchence was not immune to the hitter’s night and gave up the game tying Grand Slam early in the 6th. Zarate got stuck with the loss as he gave up a second walkoff win in as many nights, the Ducks ruining his so far perfect season.

Scores: L 1-5, L 1-2, L 7-8
Series MVP: Kyle Cornell (.500/.545/1.000)
5-10, 1 BB, 2 HR, 4 R, 6 RBI


Record: 1-5 (19-23)
Power Ranking: 12th
Fan Interest: 89
Owners Mood: Normal

Bean’s Moment: The bounceback did not come. Phelps (4-7, 1 BB, 2 SB) made his return to the top of the order and is looking as good as he has all season, hopefully this return can help bring the team back to relevance as we are 18 games away from the All-Star Break. Looking at some of the splits so far it is becoming apparent that the team prefers playing at home (13-8) and vs. LHP (10-6). Luckily their next two games will be against LHP at home; The Gulls' Lachlan Boys: Lachlan Eveson and Lachlan Jensen.

[BeanSobie]

Series: vs. Gull, @ Clevedon

Games 43-45: vs. New Bristol
The Gulls completed the division rivals set. Unlike the previous two series, Douglas actually came out of this set of games looking good. The series tone was set in game one when Glen Britz (4-3, 2.40) tossed the first complete game in team history. In 116 pitches Britz walked none, gave up 8 hits, and 3 earned runs. The Sixth Inning saw the offense gel for 3 runs as Phelps, Bywaters, O’Flaherty, Murphy, and Gilmore all reached base. The next night saw McGuire (3-3, 3.19), Wanhalla (6 H, 1.72), Hardin (2 SV, 5.66) combine for the shutout, as Gilmore and O’Flaherty both scored and brought in an RBI for the second straight game. With the series under wraps the team could not put together a run in game three and lost three-nill to Kuypers (5-3, 5.20) and the Gulls.

Scores: W 4-3, W 3-0, L 0-3
Series MVP: Ralph Gilmore (.500/.500/.700)
2 R, 2 doubles, 3 RBI, 0 SO


Games 46-48: at. Clevedon
Clevedon came into the series on a 5 game win streak. On the first game there were 4 lead changes in a gut wrenching extra inning loss. Douglas started the game with a two run homerun by Bywaters in the first, that could have been a 3 run homer had Young not been caught stealing before the blast. Morris gave up 3 runs through the 3rd, but held the Cardinals scoreless into the 9th when he gave the tie game to the bullpen. The top of the 11th saw Phelps get on with a two out triple and was brought home by McLaughlin. Zarate however couldn't get the save as he blew his first attempt with a walkoff two out, two run homer.
Speaking of homer runs the third inning of game two saw Bywaters hit his second in as many games as he was the first half of back-to-back homeruns with O’Flaherty. The 8th saw Bywaters get another RBI as he put the team up 4-3 and Wanhalla (7 H, 1.62) and Zarate (12 SV, 2.40) closed out the final two frames to give Hill (4-1, 2.76) the W. Pitching was no problem as Hutchence (2-3, 2.69) gave up only one earned run in 6 innings as the pitcher has been hard pressed for wins despite the leading the team with quality starts (7 out of 10).
Game 3 was a hard fought match as Douglas called up Terrelly for his first major league start, the rookies gave up 6 runs in just 4.1 innings. Phelps (4-5, 1 SB), Bywaters (2-5, 3 RBI), and Murray (1-4, 1 HR) couldn't help the team as hard as they tried. While the team lost the series the offense found a groove going three straight games with 4 runs and 37 total hits.

Scores: L 4-5, W 4-3, L 4-6
Series MVP: Edwin Bywaters (.462/.462/1.077)
6-13, 2 Doubles, 2 HR, 7 RBI, 3 SO


Record: 3-3 (22-26)
Power Ranking: 9th
Fan Interest: 88
Owners Mood: Normal

Bean’s Moment: Bywaters (.310/.376/.477) celebrated his 27th birthday on the day off following the last series, he is looking to set personal records in all offensive categories and has really settled into his role as the team’s starting Left Fielder and with 12 games left until the All-Star break he is hoping he can keep his bat alive and earn his first All-Star bid.

Coming up next will be Douglas’ first Amateur Draft.

[BeanSobie]

Top Five Picks

1. New Wight Islanders- Mick Kelly (RF/LF)
A good contact hitter who has the tools to hit for power. Not a great defender, but not a liability either. Not who I would pick first, but makes sense to add some power to the Isles’ lineup in just a few years.

2. Pitt’s Wood Mountaineers- Liam MacKintosh (RF/CF/LF/2B/3B)
Great contact potential and already major league ready, could probably hit .250 this year. Defensively he has the tools to learn just about any position except SS depending on the team’s needs.

3. Fort Arthur Pioneers- Jacob Lock (SP)
A highschool arm that has all the potential in the world. He still needs to command his pitches better, and has a changeup that he has to work on in the minors before he is ready to come up. Great long term value.

4. Douglas Oil Kings- Paddy O’Flaherty (RF/LF/3B)
Our scouts think he has the potential to be a better hitter than Mick Kelly. Is a strong runner as well and is probably the best 5 Tool player in the draft.

5. Derry Thunderbirds- Tye Kearney (SS/2B)
Derry went off the board with an easy to sign, high floor pick. Kearney will probably only ever hit a few major league home runs, and projects to be an average hitter and fielder at best. Our scouts are very low on this pick.


Douglas Picks

Round Two: Pick lost in Dale Morris Signing.

Round Three: Gearroc Cassidy (OF/IF)
Has defense, speed, and a good arm to go with his potential as a hitter. Will work on learning SS as well as CF in the minors to add some versatility.

Round Four: Bronson Neumann (SP)
Projects to be a below average starter, but at 17 he will still have time to develop and work on his control. His success depends on how well his curve and slider come along these next few years.

Round Five: Sean Mundy (2B/3B/SS)
Above average infielder with good speed. A line drive hitter who needs to focus on not striking out so much. Great value in the 5th round if he can sign with the team.