FOOL-X 2057 Regular Season Thread

[Alan T]

Ok sim time, getting exports now

[Alan T]

Plantana Pirates: Signed free agent RF Henry Thompson to a 1-year contract worth a total of $3,198,000.

London Bishops: Signed SS Lee Terry to a minor league contract extension.

Oshawa Mullets: Signed free agent C Ernesto Elías to a 4-year contract worth a total of $21,472,000.

London Bishops: Signed MR Luis Fernández to a minor league contract extension.

Waikiki Beach Boys: Signed free agent 2B Jesús Martínez to a 1-year contract worth a total of $7,307,000.

London Bishops: Signed CF Dieter Mansvelt to a minor league contract extension.

New York Legends: Signed 1B Wilson Escalona to a 1-year contract extension worth a total of $700,000.

[Alan T]

Ok here we go. good luck to all teams this season

[Alan T]

García Swings for the Cycle
Sunday, April 8th, 2057: It was a special day for José García at Ballpark of Cleveland. Not only did Naps beat the Las Vegas Wildcats 15-2, but the Cleveland left fielder hit for the cycle, too. The 30-year-old García racked up 1 single, 1 double, 1 triple and 1 home run to get his name mentioned in the record book. For the game he was 4-5 with 8 RBI and 3 runs scored.

In the words of the Las Vegas manager, "He hit everything we threw. There was just no getting him out today."
Speaking to the press after the game, García said, "First pitch fastballs, that's what I was looking for today... I got some good looks."

José García hit a three-run home run off Wu-jiang Li in the 1st, hit a two-run triple in the 2nd, hit a three-run double in the 3rd, singled in the 5th and flied out in the 7th.

So far this season García has put up a .348 batting average with 8 hits, 1 home run and 10 RBIs.

[Alan T]

RL's Best Starter is Rea
Tuesday, May 1st, 2057: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Ramón Rea still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in April. The 33-year-old starter for Ann Arbor was named Republic League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 4 wins and 1 loss with 40 strikeouts in his 6 starts, putting up a fine 1.66 ERA in 43.1 innings of work.

Morales Wins CL Top Pitcher Award
Tuesday, May 1st, 2057: Carlos Morales hasn't been around the big leagues long enough to know that youngsters shouldn't be winning Continental League Pitcher of the Month. But when you put up numbers like his, you're going to get some notice.

In April the Oshawa starter earned a 4-1 mark in 5 starts. He threw 31.2 innings, struck out 25 and compiled a solid 2.27 ERA.

[Alan T]

Morales wins top pitcher award.... hmm where have I heard that before?

[Alan T]

RL's Top Hitter Selected
Tuesday, May 1st, 2057: Iván Cintrón battered Republic League pitchers all April and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award.

"I've been around FOOL-X long enough to know you really have to work hard day in and day out to be able to put up this kind of consistency," the 27-year-old Cintrón told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I might not take the field, and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month."

In 26 games, Cintrón hit .324 with 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and scored 20 runs.

Continental League Picks April's Best Batter
Tuesday, May 1st, 2057: Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 28-year-old António Velásquez put together a solid offensive month for Plantana and was crowned April's top batter in the Continental League.

He batted .427 with 3 home runs, 31 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Republic League Names Rookie of Month
Tuesday, May 1st, 2057: Youngster Bill Olson emerged as the latest Republic League Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Cleveland deserved the honor, batting .240 with 5 home runs and 21 RBI. Is the month of April a harbinger of things to come or just a fluke? We'll find out someday, but for now, we'll just let Olson enjoy the limelight.


CL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
Tuesday, May 1st, 2057: José Mendoza was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 25-year-old right fielder definitely knows how to get to first, second or beyond. Today he was chosen April's Continental League Rookie of the Month for his remarkable month of hitting.

In 26 games Mendoza batted .242 for Washington, slapping 22 hits in 91 at-bats with 5 home runs, drove in 17 runs and scored 16 times.

[Alan T]

May 1st, 2057:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 St Louis Hops 17 9 .654 - 15-11 2 10-3 7-6 0-1 3-2 136 W6 6-4 Havana Banana Sluggers 16 10 .615 1 15-11 1 6-3 10-7 2-1 5-3 W1 7-3 London Bishops 15 11 .577 2 16-10 -1 9-7 6-4 2-2 4-4 W2 8-2 Plantana Pirates 14 13 .519 3½ 14-13 0 11-7 3-6 0-1 4-6 L6 4-6 Oshawa Mullets 13 13 .500 4 13-13 0 3-6 10-7 0-1 4-6 L1 5-5 Washington Freedom 12 15 .444 5½ 13-14 -1 6-6 6-9 2-0 3-3 W1 4-6 St Cloud Raindrops 11 15 .423 6 11-15 0 3-5 8-10 1-2 6-5 L4 3-7 Stafford Terriers 8 20 .286 10 9-19 -1 7-14 1-6 1-0 3-3 L1 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Cleveland Naps 16 11 .593 - 17-10 -1 6-6 10-5 1-2 4-6 136 L1 7-3 New York Legends 15 11 .577 ½ 14-12 1 7-2 8-9 4-1 3-2 W3 8-2 Ann Arbor Wolverines 15 11 .577 ½ 14-12 1 5-3 10-8 1-1 4-1 W1 4-6 Maricopa Rattlers 14 12 .538 1½ 15-11 -1 8-5 6-7 3-0 4-3 W3 6-4 Las Vegas Wildcats 13 13 .500 2½ 13-13 0 4-5 9-8 1-1 6-6 W1 6-4 Waikiki Beach Boys 12 14 .462 3½ 13-13 -1 9-7 3-7 1-1 1-4 L1 3-7 Spring Lions 12 16 .429 4½ 11-17 1 9-12 3-4 0-3 5-5 L2 3-7 Portland Axemen 9 18 .333 7 7-20 2 7-11 2-7 0-2 3-3 L3 4-6

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG A. Velásquez - PLN .427 2 R. Ruíz STC .404 3 J. Aquino LON .389 4 M. Cruz MAR .371 5 W. Byers ANN .365	League Leaders HR I. Cintrón - MAR 11 2 A. García NY 10 3 Q. Bea SPG 8 3 M. Martínez CLE 8 5 4 tied with 7	League Leaders RBI I. Cintrón - MAR 34 2 A. Velásquez PLN 31 3 J. Hernández PLN 30 4 J. Arreola LON 26 4 2 more tied with 26
League Leaders W 8 tied with 4 1 J. Espinoza STL 4 1 C. Morales OSH 4 1 J. Núñez LON 4 1 5 more tied with 4	League Leaders ERA R. Rea - ANN 1.66 2 D. Cardoza NY 1.69 3 X. Li LVS 1.82 4 A. Garza MAR 2.06 5 P. Padilla STL 2.20	League Leaders K J. Núñez - LON 49 2 M. Chong STC 43 3 X. Li LVS 40 3 R. Rea ANN 40 5 S. Andersen STC 39

[Alan T]

Number 2500 for Tobias
Saturday, May 5th, 2057: The day belonged to George Tobias of the Ann Arbor Wolverines as he became the latest player to reach the 2500-hit plateau. He did it in Ann Arbor's 7-2 win over Las Vegas.

"It's a moment I'll never forget," said Tobias after the game, "2500 hits is a lot. It puts you in a very select group. I never expected to be around long enough to reach a milestone like this."

He finished the day with 2 hits in 4 at-bats.

In 2293 games Tobias has a career .304 batting average and a .361 on-base percentage. He has hit 10 home runs with 892 RBIs and 1176 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Red-Hot Pérez Scorches Wolverines
Friday, May 18th, 2057: Players get multihit games all the time. But a 6-hit game comes around only once in a blue moon. It happened at Ann Arbor Grounds when Luis Pérez of Portland scattered 6 hits all over the ballpark against the Ann Arbor Wolverines.

He walloped 6 hits in 6 at-bats in his career-day performance to help the Axemen get by the Wolverines 8-7.

In a talkative and jovial mood after the game, the shortstop of the Axemen said, "Whoa, my swing was really, really there today. I made some good, sweet-spot contact and when that happens... good things happen... like 6-6. I could get used to a lot of days like this one."

Luis Pérez singled in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, singled in the 4th, tripled in the 6th, singled in the 8th and singled in the 9th.

A look at his season totals shows Pérez with no home runs, .309 BA, .400 OBP, 11 RBIs and 31 runs scored.

[Alan T]

200 Victories for St Louis's António Peña
Tuesday, May 22nd, 2057: António Peña entered the record books today as he collected win number 200 at Fog Bowl.

"Wow! This is a pretty select group of pitchers. I am honored and thrilled to be in it," Peña said after the game. "I never dreamed of winning this many games."

In his historic outing he went 7 innings and gave up 3 runs on 6 hits. Peña also had 6 strikeouts and 2 walks as his St Louis Hops topped the St Cloud Raindrops 5-3.

Peña has a career 200-179 mark with a 4.37 ERA. He has fanned 2437 batters, issued 1105 walks, pitched 3240.1 innings and limited the opposition to a .267 batting average.

[Alan T]

2500th Hit for White
Thursday, May 24th, 2057: He made it!
Steve White got hit #2500! The Rattlers second baseman got his milestone hit at Ann Arbor Grounds against Ann Arbor. But it wasn't enough to bring home the victory. Maricopa was beaten by the Wolverines 12-4.

White's reaction to his accomplishment was nonchalant. He doffed his batting helmet to acknowledge the fans, who were chanting his name.

His manager said, "Steve doesn't pay any attention to individual statistics, the only thing he cares about is winning. He will be more concerned that we lost the game."

White finished the game with 1 hit in 4 at-bats.

White is batting .287 with 2500 career base hits, including 609 doubles, 90 triples and 30 home runs with 824 RBIs and 1295 runs scored. He has played in 2153 games, stolen 458 bases and compiled a .361 OBP.

[Alan T]

6-Hit Blitz by Wilcox
Tuesday, May 29th, 2057: Today Ira Wilcox led the New York Legends to a 21-6 win over the Las Vegas Wildcats. He topped all hitters in the game with 6 hits in 6 at-bats.

Ira Wilcox singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, singled in the 4th, singled in the 6th, singled in the 7th, walked in the 8th and hit an RBI single in the 9th.

Currently Wilcox is hitting .335 and has collected 2 home runs, 31 RBIs and scored 37 times, while playing in 53 games.

[Alan T]

Pitcher of the Month Named in RL
Friday, June 1st, 2057: "The kid had it all working last month," a veteran teammate told reporters. "He keeps up those kind of numbers, we might have to start inviting him out with us after the games."

Jen-kan Zi put together a very solid month to take home the Republic League's top pitching honor in May.

The 23-year-old reliever threw like a veteran. In 12 relief appearances he raked in 1 save and 20 strikeouts in 19.1 innings as he put together his 5-0 record and 0.93 ERA.

For the year, Zi has collected 1 save in 21 relief appearances. He has also rung up 29 strikeouts and 5 walks in 32.1 innings while registering a 2.78 ERA and a 6-0 won-lost mark.


Rúbio Snags CL Top Hurler Trophy
Friday, June 1st, 2057: As Pepe Rúbio hoisted up the Continental League Pitcher of the Month trophy for May, rumors have already begun to swirl about whether he will leave Havana once his contract is up at the end of the season.

Rúbio put pressure on the Banana Sluggers to keep him around by posting a 5-1 record and an ERA of 3.00 over 36 innings last month. He also rolled up 23 strikeouts, increasing his value both to Havana and to every other team in the league.

To date this season, Rúbio has registered 11 starts, 9-2 won-lost mark, 3.75 ERA, 62.1 IP, 44 strikeouts and 18 walks. Opposing teams have hit .287 against him.

[Alan T]

Red-Hot May Lands Shang Batting Prize in RL
Friday, June 1st, 2057: May's Batter of the Month has been chosen by the Republic League. This month's trophy was awarded to the Las Vegas left fielder, San-pao Shang.

He starred by hitting .339 with a .405 on-base percentage, totaled 37 hits in 109 at-bats, 5 home runs, 24 RBIs and 25 runs scored.

Shang has collected 64 hits for the Wildcats this year, 9 of them home runs. He has also netted 43 RBIs and scored 37 runs while batting .309.


Vidal Crowned Top CL Hitter in May
Friday, June 1st, 2057: Prospective free agents love to have hot streaks and José Vidal is no exception. The London shortstop capped off a fine month by hauling in Batter of the Month honors in the Continental League.

In May Vidal hit .348 with 7 home runs, 25 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

For the year Vidal has hit at a .313 clip with 40 RBIs, 10 home runs and 42 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Rookie Left Fielder Honored by RL
Friday, June 1st, 2057: The Republic League Rookie of the Month has been picked for May and the honor went to the Cleveland Naps hitting machine, Bill Olson.

During the last month he compiled a .330 batting average with 31 hits and 3 home runs, along with 18 RBIs and 13 runs scored.

Olson is batting at a .284 pace this season, picking up 55 hits in 194 at-bats with 8 home runs, 39 RBIs and 30 runs scored.


CL Names Newcomer of the Month
Friday, June 1st, 2057: Tomiichi Azuma's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young London first baseman has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month.

In May he was voted the Rookie of the Month Award.

During the month he hit .338 with 5 doubles, no triples and 1 home run. Azuma also scored 12 times and drove in 3 runs.

This year Azuma is batting .306 with 2 home runs.

[Alan T]

June 1st, 2057:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Havana Banana Sluggers 32 22 .593 - 34-20 -2 17-11 15-11 3-2 7-7 106 W1 5-5 St Louis Hops 29 25 .537 3 29-25 0 18-7 11-18 1-5 5-9 W1 3-7 London Bishops 29 25 .537 3 31-23 -2 17-10 12-15 4-2 9-7 L1 6-4 St Cloud Raindrops 29 26 .527 3½ 24-31 5 16-11 13-15 2-3 13-5 W1 6-4 Washington Freedom 27 25 .519 4 24-28 3 17-12 10-13 2-1 7-4 W2 6-4 Oshawa Mullets 26 29 .473 6½ 28-27 -2 12-13 14-16 3-3 11-14 L2 4-6 Plantana Pirates 24 30 .444 8 25-29 -1 14-10 10-20 1-2 8-11 L2 5-5 Stafford Terriers 21 35 .375 12 23-33 -2 14-18 7-17 3-1 5-8 W2 5-5

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Legends 34 21 .618 - 33-22 1 20-5 14-16 5-1 8-6 108 W1 8-2 Cleveland Naps 31 21 .596 1½ 33-19 -2 18-11 13-10 1-2 5-7 W5 8-2 Las Vegas Wildcats 29 25 .537 4½ 29-25 0 15-13 14-12 2-2 12-7 W1 6-4 Ann Arbor Wolverines 29 26 .527 5 28-27 1 14-13 15-13 2-1 8-5 L1 7-3 Waikiki Beach Boys 25 29 .463 8½ 27-27 -2 15-12 10-17 1-2 4-10 L2 4-6 Portland Axemen 24 30 .444 9½ 21-33 3 10-14 14-16 0-2 5-5 W2 4-6 Maricopa Rattlers 23 31 .426 10½ 24-30 -1 13-12 10-19 3-1 4-6 L10 0-10 Spring Lions 22 34 .393 12½ 22-34 0 14-18 8-16 0-3 8-8 W1 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG R. Miller - LVS .373 2 A. Velásquez PLN .369 3 F. Gutiérrez WAS .363 4 R. Ruíz STC .356 5 2 tied with .351	League Leaders HR A. García - NY 19 2 I. Cintrón MAR 18 3 M. Fortin OSH 15 3 C. Rivera WAS 15 5 2 tied with 14	League Leaders RBI I. Cintrón - MAR 61 2 A. García NY 54 2 J. García CLE 54 4 J. Arreola LON 51 5 2 tied with 50
League Leaders W P. Rúbio - HBS 9 2 S. Arenas CLE 7 2 M. Chong STC 7 4 S. Andersen STC 6 4 8 more tied with 6	League Leaders ERA R. Rea - ANN 2.36 2 M. Chong STC 2.38 3 J. Espinoza STL 2.44 4 A. Garza MAR 2.83 5 P. Raya STL 2.86	League Leaders K J. Núñez - LON 87 2 M. Chong STC 84 3 H. Morrison CLE 71 4 S. Andersen STC 69 5 R. Rea ANN 68

[Alan T]

Woods Finishes Off Hops 7-4 for 300th Save
Wednesday, June 6th, 2057: When Jack Woods got to the ballpark today, he just knew it was going to be a special day. The 31-year-old reliever was sitting just one save short of 300 for his career and anxious to reach that much-coveted milestone. "I just had a feeling that today was the day," Woods told reporters after the game, a 7-4 Havana Banana Sluggers win over the St Louis Hops. "I was a bit nervous before the game, but there wasn't much time for nerves once I started to warm up." The newest member of the 300 club pitched 1 innings, allowed no runs and no hits in his milestone effort.

During his career Woods has been credited with 300 saves, while compiling a 56-49 won-lost mark.

[Alan T]

Hit #2500 for Mullets Harrison
Saturday, June 23rd, 2057: It was a banner day for John Harrison, who collected his 2500th hit in the Oshawa 6-1 win over Stafford. Harrison went 3-4 in the game as both Mullets and Terriers fans cheered Harrison, when he reached base after his hit.

"It feels great to get #2500," Harrison said afterward, "especially since we won the game."

Lifetime Harrison has played in 2137 games, batted .299 with 272 home runs and 2501 base hits.

[Alan T]

Republic League Selects #1 Starter in June
Sunday, July 1st, 2057: Whether Ramón Rea stays in Ann Arbor beyond this season remains to be seen, but while he's here he's making the most of it. In June the 33-year-old certainly pulled out all the stops by winning the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

He put up some fancy numbers with a 4-1 record and and an ERA of 1.64. In 44 innings he struck out 38, surrendered 41 hits, 10 walks and proved to be a solid performer in 6 starts last month.

So far this year Rea has a 10-3 record with a 2.09 ERA.


Raindrops Hurler Named CL's Best Starter
Sunday, July 1st, 2057: Myon-ki Chong nailed down June's Continental League Pitcher of the Month award today, adding pressure on St Cloud to get a deal done before the 24-year-old becomes a free agent.

Chong seems unfazed by the talk. "We get a deal done or we don't," he told reporters, "I'm not worrying about next year. Worrying about next year isn't what wins awards, you know?"

He fashioned a 4-0 record, reeled off 40 strikeouts, worked 40 innings and held batters to a .150 average for the month as he posted a 1.13 ERA.

In 20 starts this season Chong has gathered 11 wins while suffering 4 losses. He has pitched 123.1 innings, allowed 92 hits, struck out 124 and has a 1.97 ERA.

[Alan T]

Spring Catcher RL's Best Batter in June
Sunday, July 1st, 2057: Juan Águila relied on a .275 average to capture the Republic League Batter of the Month trophy. He had a good June, going 28 for 102.

He finished with 12 home runs and 27 RBIs, scored 20 runs and had a .330 on-base percentage.

So far this season Águila is batting .244 with 22 home runs.


London's Vidal Snags June Batting Title
Sunday, July 1st, 2057: To survive in the bigs, you've got to be a scrapper like José Vidal. It never pays to take a day off from the batting cages or to shrug off the advice of the hitting coach. It all paid off today as London's shortstop pinned down the Continental League Batter of the Month trophy today.

He hit .333 in June collecting 6 home runs, 22 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

So far this season Vidal has put up a .320 batting average with 103 hits, 16 home runs and 62 RBIs.

[Alan T]

RL Best Rookie Award Announced
Sunday, July 1st, 2057: A veritable toddler to the Republic League, Cordell Coates just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for June.

Over the past month the 24-year-old right fielder for New York hit .358 with 34 hits, 3 home runs and 15 RBI. He also logged 4 walks and compiled a .392 on-base percentage.

Presently Coates is batting .330 with 6 home runs and 29 RBIs. He has played in 77 games and scored 34 times.


Sensational Month for CL Rookie
Sunday, July 1st, 2057: Andrés Valdéz is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest Continental League Rookie of the Month honoree? He hasn't been around the league long enough to fully know the ropes yet, despite the fact that he's putting up veteran-like numbers.

In June the Oshawa hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .345 average with 20 hits, 1 home run and 7 RBIs.

This year Valdéz has batted at a .302 pace with 49 hits, 4 home runs, 20 RBIs and scored 28 times.

[Alan T]

July 1st, 2057:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 London Bishops 47 35 .573 - 49-33 -2 28-14 19-21 5-3 12-13 80 L1 7-3 Havana Banana Sluggers 45 36 .556 1½ 49-32 -4 23-14 22-22 3-3 10-12 W1 4-6 St Cloud Raindrops 44 38 .537 3 38-44 6 27-15 17-23 3-5 19-9 L1 7-3 St Louis Hops 41 40 .506 5½ 41-40 0 26-13 15-27 3-5 9-14 W1 3-7 Oshawa Mullets 42 41 .506 5½ 42-41 0 20-18 22-23 6-3 18-17 W4 6-4 Plantana Pirates 41 41 .500 6 40-42 1 26-14 15-27 3-4 16-16 L2 5-5 Washington Freedom 37 43 .463 9 36-44 1 22-20 15-23 3-2 10-8 W2 4-6 Stafford Terriers 30 53 .361 17½ 33-50 -3 19-28 11-25 3-4 7-12 L3 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Legends 54 29 .651 - 52-31 2 32-6 22-23 9-1 16-13 69 W1 6-4 Waikiki Beach Boys 42 40 .512 11½ 44-38 -2 23-19 19-21 4-2 7-10 W3 5-5 Ann Arbor Wolverines 40 42 .488 13½ 40-42 0 21-21 19-21 3-2 13-9 L4 3-7 Cleveland Naps 39 41 .487 13½ 44-36 -5 22-20 17-21 2-3 7-13 W1 3-7 Las Vegas Wildcats 39 42 .481 14 38-43 1 17-20 22-22 3-4 15-9 L6 2-8 Spring Lions 39 44 .470 15 37-46 2 24-23 15-21 2-6 14-12 L1 6-4 Maricopa Rattlers 37 44 .457 16 36-45 1 19-20 18-24 3-4 7-9 W10 10-0 Portland Axemen 37 45 .451 16½ 36-46 1 19-21 18-24 0-4 9-13 L1 6-4

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG A. Velásquez - PLN .370 2 J. Martínez WAI .354 3 R. Ruíz STC .352 4 V. Eijpe STL .346 5 F. Gutiérrez WAS .341	League Leaders HR I. Cintrón - MAR 25 2 A. García NY 23 3 J. Águila SPG 22 4 M. Caldwell WAI 20 4 2 more tied with 20	League Leaders RBI I. Cintrón - MAR 87 2 J. Hernández PLN 77 3 J. Arreola LON 72 3 M. Caldwell WAI 72 5 A. García NY 68
League Leaders W 2 tied with 11 1 M. Chong STC 11 1 P. Rúbio HBS 11 3 J. Núñez LON 10 3 R. Rea ANN 10	League Leaders ERA M. Chong - STC 1.97 2 R. Rea ANN 2.09 3 J. Espinoza STL 2.42 4 A. Garza MAR 2.56 5 R. Díaz STA 2.95	League Leaders K M. Chong - STC 124 2 J. Núñez LON 122 3 A. Alba MAR 109 4 R. Rea ANN 106 5 J. Curry SPG 102

[CleBrownsfan]

yuck 8-20 record in June

[EddieK]

Originally Posted by Alan T

July 1st, 2057:

The good thing is that we are only 4.5 games out of 2nd so one good month and we can shoot up there.....

[Alan T]

FOOLX News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced
Sunday, July 8th, 2057: The Continental League All-Stars versus the Republic League All-Stars. It happens every year halfway through the season. It's a baseball spectacle for the fans and the players alike. It's the 2057 FOOL-X All-Star Game. The fans get to see all their favorite stars perform in the same game, and the outstanding players get to play against each other. The players are out to prove that their league is the best. Players are chosen by a vote of the fans.

Representing the Continental League All-Stars this year will be:

SP Sean Andersen (STC) - 6-5, 3.28 ERA
SP Myon-ki Chong (STC) - 11-5, 1.95 ERA
SP Robinson Díaz (STA) - 8-1, 3.02 ERA
SP Jorge Espinoza (STL) - 9-3, 2.37 ERA
SP José Núñez (LON) - 11-3, 3.42 ERA
SP Pepe Rúbio (HBS) - 11-3, 3.54 ERA
SP Carlos Torres (PLN) - 7-6, 3.07 ERA
MR Gerardo Lara (PLN) - 5-0, 1 SV, 2.66 ERA
MR Juan Ruíz (OSH) - 3-3, 17 SV, 2.45 ERA
CL Dave Kennedy (PLN) - 5-1, 16 SV, 2.56 ERA
CL Román Morín (STL) - 3-3, 13 SV, 1.96 ERA
CL Jack Woods (HBS) - 2-3, 20 SV, 1.62 ERA
C David Ayers (LON) - .270/.408/.471, 12 HR, 43 RBI
C Vince Eijpe (STL) - .342/.401/.517, 7 HR, 31 RBI
1B Cristo Rivera (WAS) - .304/.399/.560, 19 HR, 62 RBI
1B Raúl Ruíz (STC) - .345/.425/.601, 18 HR, 63 RBI
2B Juan Rivera (STA) - .340/.424/.475, 6 HR, 49 RBI
2B Bernardo Tolento (HBS) - .275/.383/.460, 9 HR, 49 RBI
2B Albert Martínez (PLN) - .287/.369/.418, 5 HR, 48 RBI
3B Randy Clayton (HBS) - .332/.403/.515, 7 HR, 51 RBI
SS Frank Gutiérrez (WAS) - .340/.431/.468, 4 HR, 39 RBI
SS José Vidal (LON) - .314/.444/.523, 16 HR, 64 RBI
LF Leonard Lee (STA) - .300/.392/.510, 14 HR, 53 RBI
LF Tim Hillin (HBS) - .289/.378/.523, 17 HR, 67 RBI
CF Oscar Harris (STA) - .249/.380/.481, 18 HR, 48 RBI
CF António Velásquez (PLN) - .373/.508/.523, 5 HR, 46 RBI
CF Juan Aquino (LON) - .331/.424/.476, 6 HR, 54 RBI
RF José Solís (STC) - .304/.367/.475, 9 HR, 52 RBI


The Republic League roster includes the following players:

SP Alonso Alba (MAR) - 4-2, 3.59 ERA
SP Daniel Cardoza (NY) - 6-5, 3.39 ERA
SP Edward Cox (ANN) - 6-2, 3.57 ERA
SP Albert Garza (MAR) - 7-4, 2.36 ERA
SP Alonso Luna (CLE) - 7-5, 3.52 ERA
SP Fernando Maldonado (SPG) - 8-3, 3.07 ERA
SP Ramón Rea (ANN) - 10-5, 1 SV, 2.21 ERA
MR Sandro Arenas (CLE) - 7-8, 3.43 ERA
MR Pedro Domínguez (LVS) - 5-0, 3 SV, 2.14 ERA
MR Jesse Spencer (MAR) - 4-0, 3 SV, 2.10 ERA
CL Larry Green (LVS) - 5-2, 14 SV, 2.03 ERA
CL Will Klein (NY) - 4-2, 16 SV, 1.36 ERA
C Mike Moore (NY) - .275/.326/.517, 19 HR, 55 RBI
C Juan Águila (SPG) - .247/.320/.544, 24 HR, 62 RBI
1B Rob Miller (LVS) - .325/.397/.417, 3 HR, 48 RBI
1B José Estrada (POR) - .258/.407/.440, 12 HR, 54 RBI
2B Steve White (MAR) - .318/.415/.429, 2 HR, 42 RBI
2B Javier Ruíz (CLE) - .293/.363/.460, 5 HR, 35 RBI
2B Jesús Martínez (WAI) - .352/.417/.499, 8 HR, 54 RBI
3B Iván Cintrón (MAR) - .301/.356/.596, 27 HR, 92 RBI
3B Ira Wilcox (NY) - .332/.447/.433, 3 HR, 44 RBI
SS Luis Pérez (POR) - .319/.403/.440, 6 HR, 48 RBI
LF Allen Hunt (SPG) - .306/.327/.580, 22 HR, 69 RBI
LF Drake Farley (POR) - .297/.434/.441, 6 HR, 52 RBI
LF Walker Byers (ANN) - .314/.383/.436, 4 HR, 54 RBI
LF Martín Cruz (MAR) - .318/.395/.497, 8 HR, 43 RBI
CF António Cuevas (CLE) - .313/.454/.477, 9 HR, 36 RBI
RF Cordell Coates (NY) - .325/.354/.466, 6 HR, 29 RBI

[Alan T]

Banana Sluggers Martínez Hits 300th Homer
Wednesday, July 18th, 2057: Havana's 3-1 victory over St Louis was highlighted by Salvador Martínez's 300th career home run. His teammates congratulated him at home plate after he circled the bases.

"I didn't see all of them out there," Martínez said with a chuckle, "until I rounded third base." He added sheepishly: "It was only a home run. It's not like I won us a World Series!"

In 4 at-bats the Banana Sluggers first baseman collected 1 hit in his historic game, scored 1 run, and had 1 run batted in.

In his 1951-game career Martínez is batting .265 with 1903 hits, 300 home runs, 1118 runs scored and 1127 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Gilbert Hittin' on All Cylinders
Friday, July 20th, 2057: It was a special day at The Brewery for Lonnie Gilbert at the plate, not only did he contribute to the Hops 11-4 win over the Freedom, he hit for the cycle.

"Boy, Lonnie had a game, didn't he? It's a rare player that has the talent to hit for the cycle. It takes speed, power and maybe a little luck, too. You don't see this happen very often." the St Louis manager said.

Gilbert went 4-5 on the day and had 5 runs batted in and 2 runs scored -- and he got his name in the record book, too.

Lonnie Gilbert singled in the 1st, doubled in the 3rd, hit a three-run home run off Piotr Kost in the 4th, hit a two-run triple in the 6th and struck out in the 7th.

Gilbert is hitting .280 for the season with 4 home runs, 22 RBIs and 38 runs scored. He has 71 hits in 254 at-bats and played in 73 games.

[Alan T]

Number 300 for Burks
Saturday, July 21st, 2057: "I wasn't trying to hit a homer. I just wanted to make contact."
That's what Jack Burks told reporters after he made baseball history today at Rattlers Ballpark. The prolific slugger belted home run #300 in the Cleveland Naps 6-2 victory over the Maricopa Rattlers.

The standout third baseman collected 3 hits in 5 at-bats with 5 RBI and 2 runs scored.

"I guess this puts me in baseball's elite," said Burks. "I don't feel any different. I probably should, but I don't. Still, it is a nice achievement. I did get a little excited, didn't I?"

Burks has hit for a .272 career average and totaled 1887 hits, 300 home runs and 1208 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Cardoza Top RL Pitcher in July
Wednesday, August 1st, 2057: Veteran Daniel Cardoza put together quite a successful stretch in July for the New York Legends, earning himself the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

Cardoza racked up a 5-0 record in 6 starts, posting a 2.41 ERA over 41 innings and striking out 28.

This season Cardoza has crafted a 10-5 mark with a 3.40 ERA in 153.2 innings. Opposing clubs are batting .272 against him and he has 125 strikeouts.


Núñez Earns CL's Best Pitcher Honor
Wednesday, August 1st, 2057: José Núñez's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 5-0 in July, the 31-year-old London hurler has been named Continental League Pitcher of the Month.

He fanned 25 in 33.1 innings, logged an ERA of 4.86 and allowed opponents to hit .248 against him.

Season-to-date Núñez has rung up 15 wins and 3 losses in 27 appearances. He has an ERA of 3.89 and has fanned 147 batters in 141 innings.

[Alan T]

July's Premier Batter Announced
Wednesday, August 1st, 2057: José Marquis is in the final year of his contract with Ann Arbor and today added a timely piece of hardware to his trophy case. Playing in 25 games in July the 29-year-old center fielder ripped Republic League pitchers for a .351 batting average, nabbing him the Batter of the Month award.

He also rang up 6 home runs, 20 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

If Marquis keeps up this pace, he'll cost someone a lot of money.

So far this season Marquis is batting .293 with 17 home runs, 75 RBIs and 64 runs scored. He has 123 hits in 420 at-bats, 40 walks and a .368 OBP. Marquis has played in 107 games.


Aquino Gets CL Batter of the Month Trophy
Wednesday, August 1st, 2057: Juan Aquino, the London Bishops center fielder, certainly made his name known to Continental League hurlers over the last month. He consistently introduced himself with hit after hit and came away with July's Continental League Batter of the Month award.

He slashed and bashed his way to a .355 batting average while tallying up 6 home runs, 21 RBIs and 34 runs scored. He also worked CL pitchers for 13 walks and a .425 on-base percentage.

Currently Aquino is batting .335 with 10 home runs and 72 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Portland Newcomer July's #1 Rookie
Wednesday, August 1st, 2057: José Estrada was voted the Republic League Rookie of the Month award for his standout play in July.

The 25-year-old Portland first baseman batted .330, hit 2 home runs and drove in 17 runs. He also tagged 31 hits, scored 14 runs and picked up 20 walks for a .452 on-base percentage.

This season Estrada has hit 14 home runs and posted a .271 batting average.


Azuma Wins CL Rookie Award
Wednesday, August 1st, 2057: Tomiichi Azuma earned July's Rookie of the Month honors in the Continental League for last month's performance. The boyish London first baseman might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

Azuma hit .429 with no home runs, 10 RBIs and 5 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

Presently Azuma is hitting .320 with 2 home runs and 24 RBIs. He has played in 81 games and scored 33 times.

[Alan T]

August 1st, 2057:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 London Bishops 65 42 .607 - 66-41 -1 36-17 29-25 5-4 15-14 49 W1 7-3 Havana Banana Sluggers 58 49 .542 7 62-45 -4 28-21 30-28 4-5 13-18 L1 5-5 St Cloud Raindrops 55 52 .514 10 50-57 5 31-24 24-28 4-7 25-15 L2 5-5 Plantana Pirates 55 52 .514 10 52-55 3 34-19 21-33 4-6 19-17 W1 5-5 Oshawa Mullets 54 53 .505 11 55-52 -1 29-27 25-26 7-3 21-20 L1 4-6 St Louis Hops 51 55 .481 13½ 53-53 -2 33-23 18-32 4-5 11-17 W2 5-5 Washington Freedom 48 59 .449 17 45-62 3 28-24 20-35 4-2 14-10 L2 4-6 Stafford Terriers 42 66 .389 23½ 46-62 -4 23-31 19-35 5-5 9-16 W3 5-5

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Legends 68 39 .636 - 63-44 5 43-13 25-26 10-1 22-15 44 L2 5-5 Portland Axemen 56 51 .523 12 53-54 3 30-23 26-28 2-4 12-13 W2 7-3 Cleveland Naps 55 52 .514 13 59-48 -4 27-25 28-27 2-4 11-17 W1 7-3 Waikiki Beach Boys 52 55 .486 16 56-51 -4 25-28 27-27 5-3 8-16 L1 5-5 Spring Lions 52 56 .481 16½ 49-59 3 27-27 25-29 2-8 19-15 L1 7-3 Las Vegas Wildcats 50 57 .467 18 49-58 1 21-28 29-29 4-4 20-11 W1 3-7 Ann Arbor Wolverines 49 58 .458 19 52-55 -3 25-30 24-28 4-2 14-15 W1 4-6 Maricopa Rattlers 46 60 .434 21½ 48-58 -2 26-30 20-30 3-6 8-12 L1 1-9

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG A. Velásquez - PLN .366 2 J. Martínez WAI .353 3 R. Clayton HBS .341 4 J. Rivera STA .337 5 J. Aquino LON .335	League Leaders HR I. Cintrón - MAR 32 2 M. Caldwell WAI 29 3 A. García NY 28 4 J. Águila SPG 27 4 A. Hunt SPG 27	League Leaders RBI I. Cintrón - MAR 102 2 M. Caldwell WAI 97 3 J. Arreola LON 94 4 J. Hernández PLN 92 5 V. Serrano LON 89
League Leaders W J. Núñez - LON 15 2 M. Chong STC 14 2 P. Rúbio HBS 14 4 W. Li LVS 11 4 2 more tied with 11	League Leaders ERA M. Chong - STC 2.07 2 R. Rea ANN 2.65 3 A. Garza MAR 2.66 4 J. Espinoza STL 2.89 5 C. Torres PLN 3.16	League Leaders K M. Chong - STC 166 2 J. Núñez LON 147 3 R. Rea ANN 143 4 A. Alba MAR 139 5 H. Morrison CLE 132

[Alan T]

Spring's Hunt Reaches 2500 Hits
Sunday, August 5th, 2057: Allen Hunt reached the 2500-hit mark today. Spring's 37-year-old left fielder received a standing ovation from Spring Lions and Maricopa Rattlers fans alike. On the day, Hunt went 1-5 in the Lions 10-1 victory.

Hunt is hitting .306 lifetime with 2500 hits, 575 doubles, 77 triples, 472 home runs and 1696 RBIs to date. He has scored 1285 runs and stolen 34 bases.

[Alan T]

Curry Spins Shutout Against Portland
Tuesday, August 7th, 2057: In a standout performance today at Morales Field II, Lions pitcher Justin Curry blanked the Portland Axemen 9-0. He limited them to 2 hits and posted 8 strikeouts and 4 walks to gain the win for Spring.

This year Curry has recorded a 7-8 mark. In 23 starts he has fanned 137 batters in 153 innings with a 3.94 ERA.

[Alan T]

Guerrero Toys with Waikiki
Monday, August 27th, 2057: It was a razor-sharp performance by António Guerrero of the Portland Axemen against the Waikiki Beach Boys. He fashioned a fine 2-hitter in blanking them 7-0 and chalked up 7 strikeouts and 2 walks.

Presently Guerrero has a 11-11 mark in 27 starts with a 4.70 ERA. He has given up 164 hits in 149.1 innings, struck out 113 and issued 52 walks. Opposing clubs have compiled a .281 batting average against him.

[Alan T]

August's Top Starter Named in RL
Saturday, September 1st, 2057: Daniel Cardoza was on top of the world in August, capping it off with the Republic League Pitcher of the Month honors.

The New York starter was superb in 7 starts with 4 wins and 1 loss, 42.1 innings pitched, 35 strikeouts and a fine 2.55 ERA.

To date this season Cardoza has compiled a 14-6 record with a 3.21 ERA in 34 starts.


Álvarez Acclaimed Top Pitcher in August
Saturday, September 1st, 2057: Ángel Álvarez is at the zenith of his career and today he was selected as the Continental League Pitcher of the Month for August.

He made 16 relief appearances for St Cloud last month, throwing 18.1 innings and collecting 9 saves, a 2-0 record, 19 strikeouts and a 0.98 ERA.

In 2057 Álvarez has totaled 69 relief appearances, worked 76 innings, struck out 58 and issued 44 walks. He has 30 saves and fashioned a 4.86 ERA and a 4-7 won-lost mark.

[Alan T]

RL Honors Cintrón, #1 Batter in August
Saturday, September 1st, 2057: In August, Maricopa Rattlers third baseman Iván Cintrón claimed the Republic League Batter of the Month award.

The 28-year-old swung with confidence, hitting .378 with 8 home runs, 35 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

In 134 games Cintrón is hitting .308 this season with 165 hits, 40 home runs, 137 RBIs, 42 walks, .359 OBP and has scored 88 runs.


CL's Best Batter Picked
Saturday, September 1st, 2057: José Santos hit the baseball with consistency all month long and was voted the Continental League's Batter of the Month for August.

The St Louis left fielder batted .340 and posted 10 home runs, 27 RBIs and 21 runs scored. He also drew 16 walks for a .434 OBP.

To date this season Santos is hitting .283 with 23 home runs.

[Alan T]

August's #1 RL Rookie Named
Saturday, September 1st, 2057: This month José Estrada bashed, belted and battered just about every Republic League pitcher in his path as he put up some substantial numbers to win the Rookie of the Week honors.

Day in and day out throughout August, the Portland first baseman punished opposing teams with base hits, finishing with a .280 average. Estrada went 26-93 in 27 games with 4 home runs, 21 RBIs, and 17 runs scored.

Looking at his present stats, Estrada has compiled a .273 batting average in 134 games with a .424 on-base percentage, while hitting 18 home runs and driving in 87 runs.


Azuma Wins Rookie of the Month
Saturday, September 1st, 2057: One of the Continental League's brightest newcomers, Tomiichi Azuma was at the head of his class in August as he picked up the Rookie of the Month honors.

The 25-year-old London first baseman batted .433 with no home runs and 8 RBIs.

For the year Azuma is batting .346 with 102 hits and 2 home runs. He has scored 44 times and driven in 32.

[Alan T]

September 1st, 2057:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 London Bishops 83 52 .615 - 82-53 1 47-23 36-29 7-5 24-18 19 L1 5-5 Plantana Pirates 73 61 .545 9½ 66-68 7 43-25 30-36 6-6 26-21 L2 7-3 Havana Banana Sluggers 70 64 .522 12½ 75-59 -5 35-28 35-36 4-7 14-25 W2 5-5 St Cloud Raindrops 70 65 .519 13 64-71 6 40-29 30-36 7-10 33-20 W4 6-4 Oshawa Mullets 69 65 .515 13½ 68-66 1 37-34 32-31 8-3 24-22 W1 6-4 St Louis Hops 64 70 .478 18½ 69-65 -5 38-29 26-41 6-5 13-22 W2 5-5 Washington Freedom 57 77 .425 25½ 54-80 3 31-31 26-46 5-4 19-13 L2 4-6 Stafford Terriers 51 83 .381 31½ 59-75 -8 28-39 23-44 5-8 11-23 L6 1-9

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Legends 90 44 .672 - 83-51 7 53-18 37-26 13-2 27-18 6 W4 7-3 Spring Lions 67 67 .500 23 65-69 2 34-33 33-34 3-9 25-18 L1 6-4 Portland Axemen 67 67 .500 23 66-68 1 39-29 28-38 2-6 13-18 W1 5-5 Cleveland Naps 67 67 .500 23 71-63 -4 32-30 35-37 3-5 13-20 L2 4-6 Ann Arbor Wolverines 65 70 .481 25½ 69-66 -4 32-37 33-33 5-4 17-19 W1 5-5 Las Vegas Wildcats 61 73 .455 29 58-76 3 28-35 33-38 7-7 24-12 L4 3-7 Waikiki Beach Boys 61 74 .452 29½ 65-70 -4 30-40 31-34 8-4 13-22 L1 4-6 Maricopa Rattlers 59 75 .440 31 62-72 -3 32-35 27-40 4-8 12-17 W2 6-4

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG A. Velásquez - PLN .361 2 I. Wilcox NY .345 3 V. Eijpe STL .344 4 J. Aquino LON .340 5 J. Rivera STA .331	League Leaders HR I. Cintrón - MAR 40 2 A. García NY 38 3 J. Águila SPG 36 4 M. Caldwell WAI 34 5 A. Hunt SPG 33	League Leaders RBI I. Cintrón - MAR 137 2 J. Arreola LON 116 3 J. Hernández PLN 115 3 V. Serrano LON 115 5 M. Caldwell WAI 110
League Leaders W 3 tied with 16 1 M. Chong STC 16 1 J. Núñez LON 16 1 P. Rúbio HBS 16 4 D. Cardoza NY 14	League Leaders ERA M. Chong - STC 2.20 2 R. Rea ANN 2.77 3 P. Ríos OSH 2.91 4 P. Raya STL 3.10 5 S. Andersen STC 3.18	League Leaders K M. Chong - STC 207 2 J. Núñez LON 186 3 A. Alba MAR 170 4 R. Rea ANN 165 5 J. Curry SPG 162

[Alan T]

Could this finally be the season we get a below .500 team in the postseason? That has never happened in either this league or the other FOOL league.

[Alan T]

Palmeiro Reaches 2500
Saturday, September 1st, 2057: For Héctor Palmeiro, it was a red-letter day. The Spring Lions first baseman slapped his 2500th career hit. That his team defeated the Maricopa Rattlers, 8-0, made it even sweeter.

His manager paid tribute to Palmeiro after the game: "I've followed Héctor since he came into the league," he said. "Fine ballplayer. Fine work ethic. I'm not surprised by what he's achieved."

The 38-year-old Palmeiro finished the day with 1 hit in 4 at-bats.

A check of his lifetime stats shows Palmeiro has played in 2704 games with a .233 batting average. Among his 2500 hits are 671 home runs. He also has scored 1599 runs and driven in 2054 runs.

[Alan T]

Speaking of Palmeiro, a small palmeiro update, his 25 Home Runs thus far this season has jumped him up to 3rd all time in the Career Home RUn list with 671 HR!!

Rank	Player	HR	YEAR
1	Kien-lung Teng*	702	1999-2013
2	Ignacio Guerrero	701	1975-1987
3	Héctor Palmeiro#	671	2040-2057

[Alan T]

September 17th, 2057:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 London Bishops 92 57 .617 - 90-59 2 54-27 38-30 8-6 26-18 1 W1 6-4 Oshawa Mullets 79 70 .530 13 77-72 2 42-35 37-35 8-3 27-23 W4 8-2 Havana Banana Sluggers 78 70 .527 13½ 85-63 -7 39-32 39-38 4-7 14-26 L1 7-3 St Cloud Raindrops 77 73 .513 15½ 70-80 7 45-33 32-40 7-11 33-22 L3 4-6 Plantana Pirates 77 73 .513 15½ 71-79 6 45-30 32-43 6-6 27-23 L5 2-8 St Louis Hops 74 75 .497 18 79-70 -5 39-32 35-43 7-5 16-24 W3 6-4 Washington Freedom 61 88 .409 31 59-90 2 35-40 26-48 5-5 19-15 L3 3-7 Stafford Terriers 59 91 .393 33½ 65-85 -6 29-40 30-51 7-9 14-25 W3 5-5

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Legends 97 52 .651 - 90-59 7 56-21 41-31 13-3 30-20 Clinched L1 3-7 Portland Axemen 78 72 .520 19½ 75-75 3 45-30 33-42 2-6 16-19 W1 5-5 Spring Lions 77 73 .513 20½ 76-74 1 36-33 41-40 4-9 27-22 W3 7-3 Cleveland Naps 74 75 .497 23 78-71 -4 38-37 36-38 4-5 16-22 L3 5-5 Ann Arbor Wolverines 72 78 .480 25½ 77-73 -5 36-42 36-36 6-4 18-23 L1 5-5 Waikiki Beach Boys 68 81 .456 29 72-77 -4 36-45 32-36 8-6 17-26 L1 6-4 Maricopa Rattlers 68 81 .456 29 70-79 -2 36-35 32-46 4-8 15-18 W1 7-3 Las Vegas Wildcats 63 85 .426 33½ 61-87 2 28-43 35-42 7-7 25-14 W1 2-8