FOOL: 2021 Regular season thread (Playoffs Tuesday night 9pm ET)

[Alan T]

Another Montreal award for the month of June:

Thursday, July 1st, 2021: CL's #1 Batter Chosen
June was a very productive month for Ben Keyte and today the Montreal right fielder was awarded the Continental League Batter of the Month trophy.

He clobbered enemy hurlers for a .290 average, 9 home runs, 21 RBIs and scored 19 runs.

Keyte is presently hitting at a .275 pace with 20 home runs, 60 RBIs and has scored 49 times.

[Alan T]

New York's first baseman wins the RL Rookie of the month for June:

Thursday, July 1st, 2021: Durán Earns RL Rookie of Month
Gabriel Durán was selected as the Republic League Rookie of the Month for the excellent performance he put together last month.

In June the 26-year-old first baseman for New York hit .262 with 27 hits, 10 home runs and 28 RBIs. He posted an OBP of .309 and played in 25 games.

This year Durán is batting .260 with 20 home runs and 60 RBIs.

[Alan T]

A Boston starting pitcher named the best rookie for the month of June:

Thursday, July 1st, 2021: Sulaiman Picked June's Best Newcomer
One of the bright young starters in the Continental League, Fulass Sulaiman is living up to the potential that Settlers scouts thought might be there.

As a starter for Boston, Sulaiman paced his team with a 4-1 record in June to earn himself Rookie of the Month accolades.

He made 5 starts, tossed 33 innings, struck out 29 batters and allowed the opposition to hit .200 against him.

This year Sulaiman has gone 7-3 with an ERA of 4.41 and has 88 strikeouts in 100 innings.

[gstelmack]

Ooo, Sulaiman is picking it up, gathering wins and pushing his ERA down. That's one young guy starting to pick it up as the season advances.

[Alan T]

July 1st, 2021 League Standings:

Continental League Standings

Boston Settlers			48	34	.585	-	
Montreal Majestics		47	35	.573	1.0	
Apex Assassins			45	37	.549	3.0	
Edmonton Edge			38	44	.463	10.0	
Napa Valley Winemakers		37	45	.451	11.0	
Baltimore Charm			31	51	.378	17.0	

Republic League Standings

Colorado Rancheros		45	37	.549	-	
New York Heroes			44	38	.537	1.0	
Hammersmith Hooligans		43	39	.524	2.0	
Hartford Harpooners		40	42	.488	5.0	
Chico Rebels			39	43	.476	6.0	
Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines	35	47	.427	10.0	

[cgould43]

ooh...i fell back a bit...gotta head to bed...good job alan and good luck to all...except boston and montreal

[Alan T]

July 1st stats leaders:

Batting avg: L. Sowards (HAR) .364
Home Runs: G. Castel (CHI) 26
RBI: D. Gil (BOS) 85

Wins: M. Kendall (COL) 13
Strikeouts: J. Sierra (NYH) 182
ERA: J. Sierra (NYH) 2.09

[Tasan]

Hrm....can we do this start to finish?

[gstelmack]

Nice June for Boston, let's keep it rolling now!

[Alan T]

Friday, July 2nd, 2021: Romero Collects Hit Number 2000
Héctor Romero of the Baltimore Charm earned his membership in the exclusive 2000-hit club this afternoon at Charm Ballpark. The 29-year-old second baseman got his milestone hit in the Charm 12-2 triumph over the Apex Assassins. Romero went 2-5 for the game.

Taking a look at his lifetime stats, Romero is hitting .316 with a total of 336 home runs.

[Alan T]

Friday, July 2nd, 2021: Young-keun Yi Gets Hit Number 2000
Chico's Young-keun Yi got the standing ovation -- but the Hammersmith Hooligans got the win.
It was a special day for him at Rebels Ballpark. A day when Yi notched hit #2000 of his career. The fans went wild when he did. Even the Hooligans fans applauded.

The Rebels center fielder went 1-4 in a losing cause as Hammersmith spoiled the party with the 7-2 victory.
In the postgame interview, a downhearted Yi told the media, "We lost -- It's not about individual accomplishments -- we lost."

When pressed further, he admitted his pride in reaching the 2000-hit mark, "A lot of great players never get there. I'm proud, but I would be happier if we had won."

Looking at his career numbers, Yi has played in 1701 games with a .304 batting average. Among his 2000 hits are 330 doubles, 53 triples and 316 home runs. He also has scored 1319 runs and driven in 1077 runs.

[Alan T]

Monday, July 5th, 2021: 300 Home Runs for Meyers
New York's outstanding third baseman Troy Meyers joined the 300 home run club today at New York Grounds with a booming blast in the Heroes win over the Rebels. They topped Chico 8-0.

On his milestone day Meyers had 2 hits in 5 at-bats with 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

Tongue-in-cheek he told the press, "Don't tell me when I get close to the next milestone. Just tell me after I reach it. It will be easier to hit that way."

Lifetime Meyers is hitting .273 and has totaled 300 home runs.

[Alan T]

Thursday, July 22nd, 2021: Napa Valley's Estrada Reaches 2000 Hits
What a day for Rafael Estrada. The 29-year-old Napa Valley second baseman reached the 2000-hit mark today and the Winemakers whipped the Baltimore Charm 7-5.

Estrada told reporters, "It's good to finally get it. The closer you get to 2000, the harder it is to get there. Now the pressure is off and I can go back to just playing ball."

He went 2 for 5 in the game to reach the milestone.

His numbers show Estrada is carrying a .306 lifetime batting average with 236 home runs and 1014 RBIs.

[Montreal_GM]

Great season so far. 10 games separation in the RL!

[Alan T]

Chico pitcher has no-hitter after 6 innings, but gives up the only hit of the game in the 7th:

Thursday, July 22nd, 2021: Ayala at His Best, Whips Heroes
Tomás Ayala of the Chico Rebels whitewashed the New York Heroes 2-0 in a complete-game win, limiting them to 1 hit while chalking up 7 strikeouts and giving up 1 walk.

Talking to BNN writers after the game, his manager said, "He's got the makeup. He's not afraid to challenge guys. Tomás is pretty poised out there. He knows how to pitch and how to use his stuff."

This season in 26 starts Tomás Ayala has a record of 10-14 with 107 strikeouts in 155.2 innings and a 4.74 ERA.

[Alan T]

Saturday, July 24th, 2021: Jackson Reaches 2000 Milestone
For Pat Jackson, it was a red-letter day. The Hammersmith Hooligans third baseman slapped his 2000th career hit. That his team defeated the Colorado Rancheros, 6-4, made it even sweeter.

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

The 33-year-old Jackson finished the day with 2 hits in 4 at-bats.

For his career Jackson has hit at a .309 clip. Among his lifetime numbers are 2001 hits, 369 doubles, 21 triples, 307 home runs and 1162 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Kendall wins another pitcher of the month award:

Sunday, August 1st, 2021: RL Top Pitcher in July - Kendall
It was a very good month for Murdock Kendall in July. The 41-year-old veteran starter for the Colorado Rancheros outpitched everybody -- young and old -- to claim the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award earlier today.

Kendall ran up a 6-0 record in his 7 starts during the month. In 49 innings he fanned 35 and recorded a 1.65 ERA.

In 28 starts this season Kendall has chalked up a 19-4 record and a 3.15 ERA.

[Alan T]

Quero with his second pitcher of the month award this year as well:

Sunday, August 1st, 2021: Quero Wins Best CL Pitcher
July's top-rated pitcher was Emmett Quero of Montreal Majestics. He demoralized Continental League hitters in posting a 6-0 record and captured the Pitcher of the Month award.

In 7 starts, Quero limited opposing batters to a .217 average. He rang up 56 strikeouts in 45.2 innings of work, issued 8 walks, and crafted a 1.58 ERA.

This season to date Quero has a record of 15 wins and 3 losses with a 2.45 ERA, has appeared in 28 games and struck out 197 in 183.1 innings.

[Alan T]

Colon also with his second hitter of the month award in the RL:

Sunday, August 1st, 2021: July's Premier Batter Announced
One of the more consistent batters in July, Hartford right fielder José Colón grabbed Republic League Batter of the Month honors by hitting .366 with 41 hits in 112 at-bats.

He racked up 7 home runs and 21 RBIs, scored 29 runs.

In 2021, Colón is hitting .358 with 25 home runs and 96 RBIs in 111 games played. He also boasts an OBP of .438 with 63 walks and 93 runs scored.

[Alan T]

The offseason's biggest trade striking a big mark in the month of july:

Sunday, August 1st, 2021: Héctor Romero Winner in July
On the heels of a very productive July, Héctor Romero received Continental League Batter of the Month recognition today.

The battle-tested second baseman hit .358 for the Baltimore Charm and racked up 8 home runs, 30 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

For the year Romero is batting .312 with 122 hits and 27 home runs. He has scored 68 times and driven in 99.

[Alan T]

RL Rookie of the month:

Sunday, August 1st, 2021: New York Rookie Reels in Reward in July
July was a month to remember for New York first baseman Gabriel Durán and it was capped off today with the announcement that he was named the winner of the Republic League Rookie of the Month award.

Durán compiled a .330 batting average and .392 on-base percentage last month. In 29 games he piled up 37 hits, 7 home runs, 21 RBIs and 23 runs scored.

Durán on the season is batting .277 with 27 home runs. His totals include 81 RBIs and 70 runs scored. He has played in 111 games.

[Alan T]

Miranda with a third CL rookie of the month award:

Sunday, August 1st, 2021: CL Rookie Vote Goes to Miranda
Alfredo Miranda earned July's Rookie of the Month honors in the Continental League for last month's performance. The boyish Apex right fielder might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

Miranda hit .324 with 2 home runs, 16 RBIs and 15 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

This year Miranda has hit 12 home runs and posted a .312 batting average.

[Alan T]

August 1st, 2021 League Standings:

Continental League Standings

Montreal Majestics		64	47	.577	-	
Boston Settlers			61	50	.550	3.0	
Apex Assassins			58	53	.523	6.0	
Edmonton Edge			52	59	.468	12.0	
Napa Valley Winemakers		52	59	.468	12.0	
Baltimore Charm			46	65	.414	18.0	

Republic League Standings

Colorado Rancheros		64	47	.577	-	
New York Heroes			61	50	.550	3.0	
Hartford Harpooners		57	54	.514	7.0	
Chico Rebels			52	59	.468	12.0	
Hammersmith Hooligans		52	59	.468	12.0	
Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines	47	64	.423	17.0	

[Alan T]

August 1st stats leaders:

Batting Avg: L. Sowards (HAR) .371
Home Runs: M. Harrington (ANN) 30
RBI: D. Gil (BOS) 101

Wins: M. Kendall (COL) 19
Strikeouts: J. Sierra (NYH) 223
ERA: J. Sierra (NYH) 2.25

[gstelmack]

Ugh, keeping 3 games ahead of Apex, but we let Montreal slip ahead. Come on playoffs!

[Alan T]

Thursday, August 5th, 2021: Coronado Slams Milestone Homer
He has done it!
Mauro Coronado has reached the 300 home run mark. He did it today, but the Boston Settlers still dropped the game to the Montreal Majestics by the score of 9-5.

"#300 was hard to come by. I think the pressure was getting to me a little bit. I got a calls a few days ago from a couple of guys that have been through this and they just said, 'Keep going, have some fun. Just be you.' I think that helped me a little bit having those guys make a call to me and try to settle some of the nerves down."

On his historic day Coronado was 1-3 with 3 RBI and 1 run scored.

In his career Coronado is batting .320 with a total of 300 home runs.

[Alan T]

Friday, August 6th, 2021: Lockyer Reaches 2000
Colorado's Colin Lockyer entered the record books today as he collected hit number 2000 at Ballpark of Colorado.

"I am proud of this. Not too many player reach this level. You have to be around quite a few years and you have to get a lot of hits," Lockyer said after the game.

On his milestone day he went 3 for 4 as the Rancheros won 8-5 over the Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines.

In 1736 games, Lockyer is a lifetime .303 hitter. He has knocked in 1052 runs, scored 1146 times, hit 272 home runs, walked 900 times and has an on-base percentage of .403.

[Alan T]

Monday, August 9th, 2021: Gil Gets Number 2000
By going 2-for-5 in the Boston 5-4 win over Edmonton, Daniel Gil reached the 2000-hit mark. The Ballpark of Boston fans, friend and foe, burst into applause and Gil's teammates hugged and congratulated him on his achievement.

"The guys began the countdown weeks ago," said the newest member of the 2000 Club. "I don't know who was more excited -- them or me."

Gil has compiled a career batting average of .296 with 2000 hits, 424 homers and 1225 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Sunday, August 22nd, 2021: Colón Smashes 3 Homers for Hartford
Today was a special one for José Colón of the Hartford Harpooners as he slammed three home runs in the 13-4 win over the Hammersmith Hooligans.

"Lately, I been uppercutting the ball too much. I would hit it hard, but they just went sky high and stayed in the ballpark," he said to sportswriters after the game. "No big long outs for me in this game... I leveled out my swing and connected on the sweet spot three times. I knew they were gone the minute I hit 'em."

The Hartford right fielder had quite a game at Harpooners Ballpark as he collected 3 hits in 4 at-bats, drove in 8 and scored 3 runs.

J. Colón hit a solo-shot off M. Gómez in the 1st, hit a three-run home run off M. Gómez in the 3rd, walked in a run in the 4th, struck out in the 6th and hit a three-run home run off H. Geng in the 8th.

Thus far this year Colón is batting .349 with 36 home runs, 124 RBIs and 114 runs scored.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Alan T

He did it today, but the Boston Settlers still dropped the game to the Montreal Majestics by the score of 9-5.

Stop. Please. Now.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Alan T

By going 2-for-5 in the Boston 5-4 win over Edmonton, Daniel Gil reached the 2000-hit mark.

Finally!

The win after a big hitting milestone I mean.

[Alan T]

Sierra wins a second pitcher of the month award:

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021: August's Best RL Hurler is Sierra
Juan Sierra of New York had an award-winning August as he took home the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

"He told me once people used to make fun of the way he pitches," Sierra's pitching coach told reporters. "There wasn't anybody laughing in August except for Juan."

Sierra was all business when he took the mound though, collecting a 5-1 record in 7 starts. He struck out 53 batters in 53.2 innings and kept opponents to a .211 batting average.

This season Sierra has 20 wins and 7 losses and a 2.17 ERA.

[Alan T]

I actually had to look up who the CL Pitcher of the month was. Not someone I was familiar with!

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021: Robison Takes CL Top Starter Trophy
The Continental League Pitcher of the Month honor has been given to Ralph Robison of Apex for a superlative month.

"I actually never wanted to be a pitcher," Robison told reporters when asked who he credits for his pitching ability. "I was an outfielder until high school and on the third day of tryouts my coach came up and said, 'Son you couldn't hit a lick even if we put it on a tee for ya.' Well, that ticked me off, so I decided if I couldn't hit I wanted to make sure no one else could either and so here I am."

It all turned out for the best as the Apex starter notched a 5-0 record with a 3.23 ERA last month. He made 6 starts and struck out 21 in 39 innings.

In 2021 Robison has compiled a 11-9 mark with a 4.41 ERA.

[Alan T]

Colon with a third hitter of the month award:

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021: Colón Claims RL Batter of the Month Award
José Colón, the Hartford right fielder, certainly made a name for himself this past month. He banged out a .286 batting average with 32 hits, 12 home runs, 32 RBIs and scored 23 times.

That kind of hitting earned him the Republic League Batter of the Month honors for August.

Colón has a .343 average and a .428 on-base percentage for the year. He has picked up 185 hits, 37 home runs and driven in 128 runs.

[Alan T]

Edmonton's first baseman wins a second hitter of the month award as well.

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021: CL's Top Hitter Selected
Though his face is weathered and his hands are calloused, Carlos Trujillo can still get it done in Front Office Offseason League. In fact, the 31-year-old first baseman for Edmonton was named the Continental League Batter of the Month today after putting up an impressive performance at the plate.

In August he batted .363 with 8 home runs, 25 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

This season Trujillo is batting at a .326 clip with 33 home runs and 115 RBIs.

[Alan T]

RL Rookie of the month:

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021: Deleón Snags Rookie of Month Trophy
The Republic League made the official announcement today. The Rookie of the Month honor went to Carlos Deleón of Hartford. He was singled out as the top-rated rookie for the month of August.

Last month the 26-year-old Harpooners center fielder played in 28 games and hit .395 with 9 doubles, 1 triple and 3 home runs. Deleón also scored 21 times and drove in 10 runs.

In 2021 Deleón is batting .359 with 9 home runs and 51 RBIs.

[Alan T]

One of 2021's feel good stories, Montreal's 30 year old career minor league catcher gets his first taste of the big leagues and wins the August CL rookie of the month award!

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021: CL Names Rookie of the Month
For a man of advanced years in baseball terms, Fred White is defying all logic by wading through his first Continental League season. Nonetheless, White is proving a formidable performer for Montreal, at least as far as this past August is concerned. Today he was hailed as the Continental League Rookie of the Month.

He put up a .232 average with 3 home runs, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored.

In 2021 White is batting .235 with 110 hits, 10 home runs, 49 RBIs, 32 walks, .297 OBP and has scored 41 runs. He has played in 134 games.

[gstelmack]

Originally Posted by Alan T

Wednesday, September 1st, 2021: CL Names Rookie of the Month
For a man of advanced years in baseball terms, Fred White is defying all logic by wading through his first Continental League season. Nonetheless, White is proving a formidable performer for Montreal, at least as far as this past August is concerned. Today he was hailed as the Continental League Rookie of the Month.

He put up a .232 average with 3 home runs, 12 RBIs and 11 runs scored.

If that's all it took then it was a bad month for rookies in the CL.

[Alan T]

I was wondering if the VI Jinx had set in and ruined Edmonton's season, but don't look now as they are only 4 games out of a playoff spot!

September 1st, 2021 League standings:

Continental League Standings

Montreal Majestics		79	60	.568	-	
Apex Assassins			72	67	.518	7.0	
Boston Settlers			72	67	.518	7.0	
Edmonton Edge			68	71	.489	11.0	
Napa Valley Winemakers		66	73	.475	13.0	
Baltimore Charm			60	79	.432	19.0	

Republic League Standings

Colorado Rancheros		79	60	.568	-	
New York Heroes			75	64	.540	4.0	
Hartford Harpooners		72	67	.518	7.0	
Chico Rebels			67	72	.482	12.0	
Hammersmith Hooligans		67	72	.482	12.0	
Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines	57	82	.410	22.0	

Montreal's magic number (to both win the CL and clinch a playoff spot) is 17
Colorado's magic number to win the RL is 20 and to clinch a playoff spot is 16

New York has a magic number of 21 to make the playoffs.

[Alan T]

September 1st stats leaders:

Batting avg: O. Reyes (CHI) .364
Home Runs: J. Colon (HAR) 37
RBI: J. Colon (HAR) 128

Wins: M. Kendall (COL) 25
Strikeouts: J.Sierra (NYH) 276
ERA: J. Sierra (NYH) 2.17

[Montreal_GM]

Finish strong boys!

[gstelmack]

Ugh, fallen back into a tie with Apex. Not good, we need to get back on that June run again to finish the season. I don't want to fall below .500 again which we're in danger of doing.

[Tasan]

COME ON RANCHEROS!

[Alan T]

Luis Sowards becomes the 41st player in FOOL history to reach 2500 hits in his career.

Sunday, September 12th, 2021: 2500 Hits for Sowards
Hartford's Luis Sowards collected his 2500th career base hit, but New York collected the win. The Heroes ruined his special day by knocking off the Harpooners 8-4. The 29-year-old second baseman reached the milestone by going 1-for-4 in the game.

Over his 1760-game career Sowards has compiled a .339 batting average and collected 2500 hits, 40 home runs and 680 RBIs.

[Alan T]

This is the first time in quite some time that I can remember being halfway through September and not a single team has clinched a playoff spot yet. It is also likely that we will not have a 100 win team this season.

September 13th, 2021 League Standings:

Continental League Standings

Montreal Majestics		85	65	.567	-	
Boston Settlers			77	73	.513	8.0	
Apex Assassins			75	75	.500	10.0	
Edmonton Edge			73	77	.487	12.0	
Napa Valley Winemakers		73	77	.487	12.0	
Baltimore Charm			67	83	.447	18.0	

Republic League Standings

Colorado Rancheros		85	65	.567	-	
New York Heroes			83	67	.553	2.0	
Hartford Harpooners		76	74	.507	9.0	
Chico Rebels			73	77	.487	12.0	
Hammersmith Hooligans		71	79	.473	14.0	
Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines	62	88	.413	23.0	

Montreal's magic number to reach the playoffs is 3, for home field advantage is 5.
Colorado's magic number to reach the playoffs is 4, for home field advantage however is 11.

Boston's magic number to reach the playoffs is 11
New York's magic number to reach the playoffs is 6.

[Tasan]

I CANT TAKE THIS!!!

[gstelmack]

With only 4 games separating second from fifth in the CL, this is going to be a tight finish with some heartbroken teams/fans. And Montreal is certainly not out of the woods yet although they'll likely clinch something soon.

[Alan T]

September 20th, 2021 League standings:

Continental League Standings

Montreal Majestics		88	69	.561	-	
Boston Settlers			81	76	.516	7.0	
Apex Assassins			78	79	.497	10.0	
Napa Valley Winemakers		78	79	.497	10.0	
Edmonton Edge			75	82	.478	13.0	
Baltimore Charm			71	86	.452	17.0	

Republic League Standings

Colorado Rancheros		91	66	.580	-	
New York Heroes			86	71	.548	5.0	
Hartford Harpooners		80	77	.510	11.0	
Chico Rebels			75	82	.478	16.0	
Hammersmith Hooligans		75	82	.478	16.0	
Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines	64	93	.408	27.0	

Montreal has clinched a playoff spot and are the 2021 Continental League regular season champions!

Colorado and New York have both clinched playoff spots in the Republic League, with Colorado having a magic number of 1 to win home field advantage in the RLCS.

Boston's magic number to reach the playoffs is 3.

[Alan T]

Boston's last 5 games are brutal as they have 2 games @ Napa Valley followed by 3 games @ Montreal.

Napa Valley has 2 games vs Boston and then 3 games @ Baltimore

Apex has 2 vs Baltimore followed by 3 @ Edmonton

Edmonton has 2 vs Montreal then 3 vs Apex.

So the last CL playoff spot is still wide open.

[gstelmack]

Nice to see it go from a +2/+2/+4 lead to a +3/+3/+6 lead over 3/4/5, but the season isn't over yet. Finish it men!