FOOL 2054 Regular Season Thread

[Alan T]

We kick off the 94th season in FOOL history tonight at 9pm ET! Here are some of the stories that we will be following!

Hitomaro 'Lurch' Okamoto has hit 40+ Home Runs in each of the past 7 seasons. He already is the only player in FOOL history to have hit 700 home runs in his career. He now is only 49 home runs away from becoming the first with 800 Homers! At the age of 39, does he have enough left in the tank to make it there? He already has the career records for Home Runs and RBI. This season he will likely add two more accomplishments as he is just 39 hits away from becoming the all time Hits leader, and 10 runs scored away from that mark!

Eight time Hammersmith all star Roberto Chávez is just 113 hits away from becoming the 28th player in FOOL history with 3000 hits! He is also only 17 Home Runs away from the prestigious 500 Home Run Club!


Tokyo Cyclones Ace Jeremy 'Bruiser' Aitken turned 37 during the offseason. This season could end up being one of his biggest yet though. He only needs 13 wins to move to 4th place all time, just behind Sierra, Billy Smith and Quero. Thus far in Aitken's 16 year career, he has won at least 13 games every single season!

Happy Birthday to Albert 'Guns' Moya! The three time Prado award winner turned 42 years old today. He could have a great birthday present as he is only 1 win away from joining FOOL's 300 win club!



See you tonight!

[Alan T]

Most Career Games Pitched Without a Win
(Top 25 Players)

Player	G	IP	W	L	SV
Saku Hernesniemi	50	67.0	0	0	0
Shawn Weber	33	53.0	0	0	0
Rafael Vargas	33	42.0	0	0	0
Bob Head	32	36.7	0	0	0
Hideki Hayagawa	31	52.7	0	0	0
Tsukasa Nakagawa	29	43.7	0	0	0
Kevin Cook	28	43.0	0	0	0
Stan Iles	27	33.7	0	0	0
Paul Hartman	25	34.0	0	0	0
Kenzaburo Ito	24	34.7	0	0	0
Florent Théberge	22	27.0	0	0	0
Glenn Christopher	21	26.0	0	0	0
Burt Wilson	21	26.3	0	0	0
Jeremy Jordan	21	26.3	0	0	1
José Hernández	20	32.7	0	0	0
César Pérez	18	28.0	0	0	0
Bobby Cooper	16	24.0	0	0	0
Harry Bunten	16	26.0	0	0	0
Jaime Romo	14	30.7	0	0	0
Nicholas Williams	14	20.0	0	0	0
Nick Ouellet	10	11.7	0	0	2
Katsumi Ohayashi	8	9.3	0	0	0
Ricardo Peña	6	5.3	0	0	0
Ernesto Rodríguez	2	6.3	0	0	0

[Alan T]

We kick off the season in a little over 1 hour!

[Montreal_GM]

Tokyo is fired up for yet another playoff appearance, but it's going to be a bit tougher this season as we're without 3 key players from last season.

Manuel Pagan takes his degraded but sufficient tools to Napa, where surprise supreme SP Ronald Murphy will join him with a huge 4 year contract for a guy that was a nobody 4 seasons back. The Cyclone closer the last 3 seasons, Tokuhei Mizutani, also departs en route for Hartford.

I'll be throwing 2 low stamina guys in the rotation this year, so the relief corp will need to be up to the task. I think they are. Pitching in general should be fine.

The real area of concern is the lineup. With Pagan gone we'll be without a key component in the middle of the lineup, as well as a stellar defensive presence in the outfield. Hard to replace a guy like that when you forget to export for FA#1.

I'm hoping for 2nd but to be honest we could easily falter and fall down to 4th or 5th. With 12 playoff appearances in the last 17 seasons the talent pool is limited and the run is definitely coming to an end, but it wouldn't bother me to drag it out for another season or two.

Good luck everyone!

[Alan T]

Sim time, getting exports now!

[Alan T]

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed free agent 3B S. Shibata to a 1-year contract worth a total of $2,005,000.

Napa Valley Winemakers: Signed CL K. LeGrange to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $10,695,000.

Hyannis Patriots: Signed free agent CF S. Hashimoto to a 2-year contract worth a total of $1,900,000.

Napa Valley Winemakers: Signed SP L. Blanco to a 4-year contract extension worth a total of $35,970,000.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed free agent SP G. Shippy to a 1-year contract worth a total of $2,785,000.

Hartford Harpooners: Signed free agent 3B J. Rodríguez to a 1-year contract worth a total of $427,500.

Baltimore Charm: Signed free agent RF J. Rivera to a minor league contract.

Chico Rebels: Signed free agent SS B. Starks to a minor league contract.

[Alan T]

ok, done with the preseason moves, ready to start this show!

[Alan T]

Friday, April 3rd, 2054: Martin Gets Number 2500
By going 2-for-4 in the Apex 4-0 win over Baltimore, Josh Martin reached the 2500-hit mark. The Assasins Ballpark fans, friend and foe, burst into applause and Martin's teammates hugged and congratulated him on his achievement.

"The guys began the countdown weeks ago," said the newest member of the 2500 Club. "I don't know who was more excited -- them or me."

His lifetime stats show that Martin has hit .340 and connected for 14 home runs.

[Alan T]

Sunday, April 5th, 2054: Moya Defeats Assassins For #300
The Charm Albert Moya wrote his name in the league history books by picking up career victory number 300 today against the Apex Assassins. In the Baltimore 5-4 triumph at Charm Ballpark, the 42-year-old hurler went 6.2 innings, allowed 8 hits and had 2 strikeouts and 2 walks.

"I won't forget this day," an emotional Moya told reporters. "It's hard to stay at the top for so long and to win 300 games is quite a feat."

A check of his career stats reveals Moya has chalked up 300 wins and 207 losses with 3464 strikeouts and a 3.40 ERA. Opposing teams have put up a .255 batting average against him.

[Alan T]

Sunday, April 19th, 2054: Cisneros Clips Settlers for Cycle
León Cisneros stole the headlines today by hitting for the cycle in the Tokyo 15-1 win over the Boston Settlers. His 4 hits got the Cyclones offense going and his 3 runs batted in and 3 runs scored helped to seal the verdict.

L. Cisneros hit a two-run home run off C. Pérez in the 1st, struck out in the 2nd, doubled in the 5th, hit an RBI triple in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

During the current season Cisneros is batting at a .377 clip with 4 home runs and 17 RBIs. He has played in 16 games and scored 17 times.

[CrimsonFox]

This season we see Cannon and Burrow in their golden (old) years seeing if they can go the distance. The youngsters galore have blossoms and we're seeing Ruben Garcia as a rookie. Pitching, well. We have one rookie picter and one sophomore year pitcher joining our stud from last year. Have a new setup man to sgo with our former/current closer.

[Alan T]

Thursday, April 30th, 2054: Settlers Fox Fans 15 Edge
What a game John Fox threw today at Ballpark of Boston! He really had the Edmonton batters swinging and missing. Fox sat down 15 hitters on strikes and whipped the Edge 8-1. He allowed 5 hits and gave up no walks in a standout mound performance.

Looking at his season stats, Fox has won 3 and lost 1, collecting 37 strikeouts and 13 walks in 36 innings with a 2.50 ERA.

[TeachEnEspanol]

I need to figure out who is willing to trade up in here because I've had one too many 3rd place seasons and I haven't seen a good prospect for years!

[Alan T]

Friday, May 1st, 2054: Venegas - April's Starter of the Month
Júlio Venegas has made fans throughout Front Office Offseason League take notice over the past month with an exceptional 4-1 record. No pitcher in the Republic League threw better in April, garnering him the Pitcher of the Month award today.

In 5 starts Venegas compiled a 4.24 ERA, putting up a 4-1 record, striking out 24 and tossing 34 innings.


Friday, May 1st, 2054: CL Honors April's #1 Pitcher
John Phillips's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 3-0 in April, the 33-year-old Tokyo hurler has been named Continental League Pitcher of the Month.

He fanned 38 in 38 innings, logged an ERA of 2.13 and allowed opponents to hit .201 against him.

[Alan T]

Friday, May 1st, 2054: April's Best RL Hitter is Carlos Serrano
When Carlos Serrano stepped up to the plate in April, he did it with confidence and today he was honored with the Republic League Batter of the Month award.

The young Ann Arbor right fielder posted a .387 batting average with 7 home runs, 27 RBIs and scored 27 runs. Serrano also worked pitchers for 4 walks to post a .421 on-base percentage.


Friday, May 1st, 2054: Tokyo's Cisneros Collects April Batting Honor
April's Batter of the Month has been chosen by the Continental League. This month's trophy was awarded to the Tokyo catcher, León Cisneros.

He starred by hitting .337 with a .463 on-base percentage, totaled 29 hits in 86 at-bats, 4 home runs, 20 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Friday, May 1st, 2054: Republic League Names Rookie of Month
Carlos Serrano is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest Republic 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 April the Ann Arbor hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .387 average with 41 hits, 7 home runs and 27 RBIs.


Friday, May 1st, 2054: CL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
A veritable toddler to the Continental League, Lorenzo Cavazos just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for April.

Over the past month the 25-year-old second baseman for Newark hit .367 with 33 hits, 2 home runs and 14 RBI. He also logged 1 walks and compiled a .452 on-base percentage.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 05-01-2054 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tokyo Cyclones 20 7 .741 - 21-6 -1 13-2 7-5 1-2 3-3 131 W1 7-3 Apex Assassins 15 12 .556 5.0 14-13 1 9-7 6-5 1-1 3-4 L1 5-5 Boston Settlers 14 11 .560 5.0 11-14 3 8-2 6-9 2-0 5-3 W1 5-5 Baltimore Charm 11 12 .478 7.0 12-11 -1 3-3 8-9 1-0 5-3 W1 3-7 Napa Valley Winemakers 10 13 .435 8.0 12-11 -2 6-8 4-5 1-0 1-3 L1 5-5 Edmonton Edge 10 16 .385 9.5 10-16 0 6-9 4-7 1-2 2-2 L2 4-6 Newark Terriers 7 16 .304 11.0 7-16 0 4-7 3-9 0-2 2-3 W1 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Chico Rebels 18 9 .667 - 16-11 2 11-5 7-4 1-0 4-2 136 L1 6-4 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 14 9 .609 2.0 13-10 1 5-1 9-8 2-0 3-5 L1 5-5 New York Heroes 13 10 .565 3.0 12-11 1 7-7 6-3 1-0 3-1 W1 6-4 Colorado Rancheros 14 13 .519 4.0 13-14 1 10-5 4-8 3-3 5-3 W1 7-3 Hammersmith Hooligans 13 12 .520 4.0 13-12 0 5-5 8-7 0-0 4-2 W1 4-6 Hyannis Patriots 7 16 .304 9.0 8-15 -1 4-7 3-9 0-1 0-0 W2 4-6 Hartford Harpooners 8 18 .308 9.5 11-15 -3 5-10 3-8 1-4 2-8 L1 2-8

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG M. Koyama - ANN .436 2 A. Martínez HYN .388 3 C. Serrano ANN .387 4 M. Yu CHI .385 5 F. Moreno HAR .381	League Leaders HR P. Alomar - COL 9 2 A. Caster CHI 8 2 J. Mozcado HAM 8 4 K. Hashimoto ANN 7 4 2 more tied with 7	League Leaders RBI G. Davis - TOK 29 2 C. Serrano ANN 27 3 P. Alomar COL 26 3 G. Pratt CHI 26 5 2 tied with 25
League Leaders W 2 tied with 4 1 M. Shimizu CHI 4 1 J. Venegas NYH 4 3 J. Aitken TOK 3 3 17 more tied with 3	League Leaders ERA W. Conrad - BOS 2.04 2 J. Phillips TOK 2.13 3 J. Castro NWK 2.21 4 T. van der Mijl APX 2.40 5 E. Rosa APX 2.43	League Leaders K J. Phillips - TOK 38 2 J. Fox BOS 37 3 J. Aitken TOK 35 4 L. Blanco NVY 32 5 3 tied with 31

[Alan T]

Wednesday, May 6th, 2054: van der Mijl Spins Shutout
"I felt great out there. After the second or third inning, I got real comfortable," Trevor van der Mijl said in his postgame interview. "Hopefully this is a building block for me. I'm hoping for a few more starts like this."

The Apex hurler scored a 5-0 shutout victory over the Settlers, stopping them on 2 hits. He rung up 12 strikeouts and gave up 2 walks in today's performance.

In 7 starts this year van der Mijl has crafted a 4-2 record and a 1.97 ERA.

[Alan T]

Thursday, May 21st, 2054: Hammersmith Hurler Captures 200th Victory
Jason Holmes of the Hammersmith Hooligans pitched his way into the exclusive 200-win club today at Ballpark of Hammersmith by stopping the Hartford Harpooners 14-6. In his historic outing, he surrendered 6 hits and 1 run in 7.1 innings with 8 strikeouts and no walks.

With a huge grin on his face, the 32-year-old Holmes told reporters after the game, "Now I got to get real busy -- and start working on my next 200 wins."

In his career the 32-year-old Holmes has put up a 3.00 ERA and a 200-102 mark.

[Montreal_GM]

Leon Cisneros as the HOM?

I knew John Phillips would be an absolute steal but I didn't expect him to win any awards.

[Alan T]

Monday, May 25th, 2054: 2000 Hits for Kobayashi
Akinori Kobayashi was bubbling over with joy, celebrating his 2000th hit in the Tokyo 7-2 victory over the Assassins at Sony Park.

"I learned what hard work, focus, dedication and opportunity can do. This is how it pays off."

The 32-year-old second baseman achieved that milestone with 2 hits in 5 at-bats to join the exclusive 2000-hit club.

His manager said, "Akinori plays the same every day and every inning - with all his heart - that's why he's such a special player."

Over his career Kobayashi is batting .312 with 476 doubles, 81 triples, 140 home runs, 789 RBIs and scored 1072 runs in 1504 games.

[Tasan]

Hrm. Not the hot start I expected. Come on Rancheros.

[Alan T]

Monday, June 1st, 2054: Rebels García May's #1 Pitcher
When Albert García takes the mound, a Chico victory is usually the result. That was the the case in May.

That's why he was voted the Republic League Pitcher of the Month.

García throttled league hitters the whole month with an impressive 4-1 mark and 1.78 ERA in 5 starts. The Rebels star hurler also rung up 27 strikeouts in 35.1 innings.

This year García has a 7-2 mark in 11 starts with a 2.74 ERA. He has given up 71 hits in 75.2 innings, struck out 48 and issued 18 walks. Opposing clubs have compiled a .251 batting average against him.


Monday, June 1st, 2054: Aitken - CL's Top Starter
As Jeremy Aitken hoisted up the Continental League Pitcher of the Month trophy for May, rumors have already begun to swirl about whether he will leave Tokyo once his contract is up at the end of the season.

Aitken put pressure on the Cyclones to keep him around by posting a 5-0 record and an ERA of 1.80 over 45 innings last month. He also rolled up 45 strikeouts, increasing his value both to Tokyo and to every other team in the league.

In 13 starts this year Aitken has recorded a 8-2 record and a 2.61 ERA.

[Alan T]

Monday, June 1st, 2054: RL's Premier Batter Picked
Though his face is weathered and his hands are calloused, Roberto Chávez can still get it done in Front Office Offseason League. In fact, the 35-year-old right fielder for Hammersmith was named the Republic League Batter of the Month today after putting up an impressive performance at the plate.

In May he batted .375 with 9 home runs, 26 RBIs and 23 runs scored.

This year Chávez is hitting .340, produced 37 RBIs and 10 home runs, scored 33 times and gotten on base at a .417 rate.


Monday, June 1st, 2054: Continental League Picks May's Best Batter
Felipe Hidalgo of the Edmonton Edge swung a mean bat for the last 30 days and was acclaimed the Continental League Batter of the Month for May.

The 28-year-old center fielder slapped out a .376 batting average, 6 home runs, 26 RBIs, 21 runs scored and a .422 on-base percentage.

Currently Hidalgo is hitting .354 and has collected 9 home runs, 40 RBIs and scored 38 times, while playing in 52 games.

[Alan T]

Monday, June 1st, 2054: Rookie Wiz Gets May Award in RL
Carlos Serrano was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 23-year-old right fielder definitely knows how to get to first, second or beyond. Today he was chosen May's Republic League Rookie of the Month for his remarkable month of hitting.

In 27 games Serrano batted .336 for Ann Arbor, slapping 38 hits in 113 at-bats with 3 home runs, drove in 22 runs and scored 21 times.

Thus far this season Serrano has hit .361 with 10 home runs, 49 RBIs and scored 48 times.


Monday, June 1st, 2054: Williams Grades Out as May's Top Rookie
The premier Continental League rookie in May was Baltimore's right fielder John Williams.

Last month he played in 23 games and hit .365 with 3 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 home runs. Williams also scored 16 times and drove in 13 runs.

Williams currently has a .333 batting average with 45 hits, 3 homers, 23 RBIs, 19 runs scored and a .387 OBP.

[Montreal_GM]

Originally Posted by Tasan

Hrm. Not the hot start I expected. Come on Rancheros.

I'd still bet on your boys making the playoffs. Very nice rotation there with the addition of Woods.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 06-01-2054 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tokyo Cyclones 40 11 .784 - 38-13 2 23-4 17-7 2-2 7-4 99 W1 8-2 Apex Assassins 28 24 .538 12.5 27-25 1 15-11 13-13 4-2 7-6 W1 5-5 Baltimore Charm 25 25 .500 14.5 28-22 -3 14-9 11-16 1-2 8-8 W7 8-2 Napa Valley Winemakers 25 25 .500 14.5 28-22 -3 13-13 12-12 1-1 4-6 W2 6-4 Edmonton Edge 25 27 .481 15.5 24-28 1 13-14 12-13 3-2 6-5 L1 3-7 Boston Settlers 21 33 .389 20.5 19-35 2 13-13 8-20 2-1 6-8 L1 2-8 Newark Terriers 16 35 .314 24.0 17-34 -1 9-16 7-19 1-4 6-7 L3 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Colorado Rancheros 32 19 .627 - 31-20 1 18-9 14-10 4-3 8-6 110 L1 6-4 Chico Rebels 31 21 .596 1.5 29-23 2 15-11 16-10 2-0 8-5 L4 3-7 New York Heroes 29 21 .580 2.5 27-23 2 13-13 16-8 2-0 9-6 W5 7-3 Hammersmith Hooligans 29 25 .537 4.5 30-24 -1 12-14 17-11 0-1 8-6 W1 8-2 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 25 25 .500 6.5 23-27 2 12-11 13-14 3-0 4-6 L1 4-6 Hartford Harpooners 20 32 .385 12.5 24-28 -4 7-20 13-12 1-5 6-12 W4 6-4 Hyannis Patriots 14 37 .275 18.0 17-34 -3 8-17 6-20 0-3 3-5 W1 2-8

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG R. Núñez - EDM .392 2 G. Boucher NYH .363 3 M. Koyama ANN .362 4 J. Martin APX .361 4 C. Serrano ANN .361	League Leaders HR 2 tied with 17 1 A. Caster CHI 17 1 J. Mozcado HAM 17 3 P. Alomar COL 14 3 2 more tied with 14	League Leaders RBI P. Alomar - COL 51 2 V. Sandoval COL 50 3 C. Serrano ANN 49 4 L. Beltrán TOK 48 5 A. Caster CHI 46
League Leaders W J. Aitken - TOK 8 2 L. Blanco NVY 7 2 A. García CHI 7 4 T. Corcoran COL 6 4 7 more tied with 6	League Leaders ERA T. van der Mijl - APX 2.28 2 J. Phillips TOK 2.41 3 J. Castro NWK 2.59 4 J. Aitken TOK 2.61 5 J. Zúñiga BAL 2.69	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 80 2 J. Phillips TOK 70 3 J. Fox BOS 64 4 B. Tracy NVY 63 5 2 tied with 60

[Tasan]

Well OK, that was better guys. I'm just wondering where Hawkins is in the leaderboards. I'm getting a little worried.

[Alan T]

Monday, June 1st, 2054: Cannon Reaches 2500 Milestone
Edge left fielder Joe Cannon never thought his name would be associated with some of the great players in league history. Now that he has reached the 2500-hit threshold, that's all but guaranteed. Cannon collected his big hit in a 9-2 loss to Apex.

Afterward, he thought about the achievement: "Overwhelmed," he said. "That's how I feel about it right now."

Cannon went 1-1 for the game.

Over his career Cannon is batting .281 with 417 home runs and 1586 RBIs. In 2311 games he has delivered 2500 hits, scored 1542 runs, stolen 455 bases and gotten on base at a .365 clip.

[Alan T]

Back to back shutouts for Hyannis over Colorado:


Friday, June 5th, 2054: Patriots Shut out Rancheros, Bice Winner
In an outstanding outing, Colin Bice tamed Colorado on a 4-hit shutout. The Hyannis hurler went the distance, finishing with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk in the 7-0 win.

"He had a lot of first pitch strikes and kept us off balance with a lot of off-speed stuff," according to the Colorado manager. "We just didn't get too many balls squared up today."

His record in 2054 is 3-5 in 12 starts and Bice has a 5.74 ERA.


Saturday, June 6th, 2054: Anderson Bewilders Rancheros in Shutout
Ben Anderson dominated the day, pitching shutout ball against the Rancheros and holding them to 2 hits. He fanned 5 and walked 2 in spinning his 3-0 win.

"I can't take all the credit for this one," Anderson said. "I had some great defense behind me."

So far this year Anderson has made 12 starts, tossed 72 innings, struck out 43 batters and walked 23. His record is 4-6 with a 4.13 ERA and he has limited opposing teams to a .270 batting average.

[Alan T]

Friday, June 12th, 2054: Napa Valley's Pagán Reaches 2000 Hits
Manuel Pagán of the Napa Valley Winemakers collected career hit number 2000 against the Boston Settlers today. The 35-year-old center fielder went 1 for 5 in a 7-0 Napa Valley victory at Ballpark of Napa Valley.

In his career Pagán has accumulated a .312 batting average with 2000 hits. His totals include 402 doubles, 62 triples, 163 home runs, 620 strikeouts, 1108 runs scored, 983 RBIs and a lifetime .403 OBP.

[Tasan]

Lovely.

Wow, no offense to Hyannis, but those jerseys are U-G-L-Y.

[Alan T]

Sunday, June 21st, 2054: Castro at His Best, Whips Charm
José Castro spun his magic in a 4-0 shutout victory, allowing 1 hit while totaling 2 walks and 10 strikeouts.

The Newark pitcher put quite a spell on Baltimore in a strong performance.

"I had a lot of good things working in this one," Castro said. "I worked both sides of the plate. I was rarely behind in the count."

This year Castro has gone 7-4 with an ERA of 2.45 and has 73 strikeouts in 102.2 innings.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, July 1st, 2054: June's Best RL Hurler is Holmes
Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Jason Holmes still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in June. The 32-year-old starter for Hammersmith was named Republic League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 3 wins and 1 loss with 31 strikeouts in his 6 starts, putting up a fine 2.52 ERA in 35.2 innings of work.

In 2054 Holmes has compiled a 9-4 record with a 3.82 ERA.


Wednesday, July 1st, 2054:Castro CL Choice for Best Pitcher
In June, the best pitcher in the Continental League was Miguel Castro, thanks to some sensational numbers coming out of the bullpen.

The Tokyo relief ace compiled a 4-0 mark and an ERA of 2.25 in 12 innings with 16 strikeouts and 6 saves in 6 save opportunities.

To date this year, he has registered 18 saves, 4 wins and 2 losses with a 2.81 ERA. Castro has made 31 relief appearances, worked a total of 32 innings and surrendered 31 hits. He has fanned 31, issued 11 free passes and held opposing clubs to a .256 batting average.

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by Tasan

Lovely.

Wow, no offense to Hyannis, but those jerseys are U-G-L-Y.

Sorry, I gotta agree a little bit. That green kind of offends my eyes.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, July 1st, 2054: Marés Brings Home RL Batter of Month Honor
Luis Marés hit the baseball with consistency all month long and was voted the Republic League's Batter of the Month for June.

The Chico center fielder batted .348 and posted 10 home runs, 27 RBIs and 20 runs scored. He also drew 17 walks for a .463 OBP.

Currently Marés has 17 home runs and a .285 batting average.


Wednesday, July 1st, 2054: CL Announces Best Batter Award
Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 35-year-old Manuel Pagán put together a solid offensive month for Napa Valley and was crowned June's top batter in the Continental League.

He batted .370 with 3 home runs, 19 RBIs and 17 runs scored.



This year Pagán has hit 5 home runs and posted a .300 batting average.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, July 1st, 2054: June's Best RL Rookie Named
Carlos Serrano earned June's Rookie of the Month honors in the Republic League for last month's performance. The boyish Ann Arbor right fielder might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

Serrano hit .280 with 4 home runs, 22 RBIs and 20 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

For 2054 Serrano is hitting .334 with 14 home runs. His stats include 71 RBIs and 68 runs scored.


Wednesday, July 1st, 2054: Apex Right Fielder Rated Best Rookie
R.J. Pilgrim's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Apex right fielder has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month.

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

During the month he hit .330 with 10 doubles, 2 triples and 2 home runs. Pilgrim also scored 30 times and drove in 9 runs.

In 2054 Pilgrim has put up a .298 batting average with 94 hits, 3 home runs and 22 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 07-01-2054 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tokyo Cyclones 59 17 .776 - 54-22 5 32-6 27-11 6-2 13-5 71 W9 9-1 Apex Assassins 45 33 .577 15.0 47-31 -2 23-13 22-20 6-4 10-8 L1 3-7 Napa Valley Winemakers 42 36 .538 18.0 46-32 -4 21-18 21-18 3-3 7-10 W1 5-5 Baltimore Charm 35 41 .461 24.0 39-37 -4 22-17 13-24 1-3 11-11 W1 8-2 Edmonton Edge 34 45 .430 26.5 33-46 1 18-22 16-23 3-3 9-11 L5 3-7 Boston Settlers 31 47 .397 29.0 28-50 3 19-20 12-27 2-3 10-10 W1 4-6 Newark Terriers 24 51 .320 34.5 24-51 0 14-25 10-26 2-5 6-11 L2 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Colorado Rancheros 47 29 .618 - 44-32 3 25-13 22-16 6-3 12-6 83 L1 7-3 Chico Rebels 45 33 .577 3.0 41-37 4 21-15 24-18 3-1 11-8 W1 5-5 New York Heroes 42 36 .538 6.0 41-37 1 20-19 22-17 2-2 12-10 L1 4-6 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 38 38 .500 9.0 38-38 0 22-17 16-21 3-0 5-8 L1 6-4 Hammersmith Hooligans 39 39 .500 9.0 45-33 -6 17-22 22-17 0-2 9-11 L1 4-6 Hartford Harpooners 36 43 .456 12.5 39-40 -3 15-25 21-18 2-6 8-15 W5 6-4 Hyannis Patriots 23 52 .307 23.5 24-51 -1 15-24 8-28 1-3 6-5 W1 2-8

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. Martin - APX .380 2 M. Koyama ANN .371 3 R. Núñez EDM .365 4 P. Alomar COL .353 5 2 tied with .345	League Leaders HR J. Mozcado - HAM 24 2 A. Caster CHI 20 2 W. Hawkins COL 20 4 O. Buitrago ANN 19 4 J. Serrano HAM 19	League Leaders RBI V. Sandoval - COL 80 2 J. Mozcado HAM 74 3 P. Alomar COL 72 4 C. Serrano ANN 71 5 E. López APX 70
League Leaders W 2 tied with 11 1 J. Aitken TOK 11 1 L. Blanco NVY 11 3 K. Burkett TOK 10 4 2 tied with 9	League Leaders ERA T. van der Mijl - APX 2.14 2 E. Rosa APX 2.36 3 J. Castro NWK 2.54 4 J. Bandelow TOK 2.67 5 J. Aitken TOK 2.88	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 114 2 B. Tracy NVY 98 3 J. Phillips TOK 95 4 L. Blanco NVY 91 4 2 more tied with 91

[Tasan]

Nice to see my Alomar pickup late was a good signing. I had to have something at 3rd.

[CrimsonFox]

Originally Posted by Alan T

Monday, June 1st, 2054: Cannon Reaches 2500 Milestone
Edge left fielder Joe Cannon never thought his name would be associated with some of the great players in league history. Now that he has reached the 2500-hit threshold, that's all but guaranteed. Cannon collected his big hit in a 9-2 loss to Apex.

Afterward, he thought about the achievement: "Overwhelmed," he said. "That's how I feel about it right now."

Cannon went 1-1 for the game.

Over his career Cannon is batting .281 with 417 home runs and 1586 RBIs. In 2311 games he has delivered 2500 hits, scored 1542 runs, stolen 455 bases and gotten on base at a .365 clip.

Congrats Cannon! You're awesome!

[Alan T]

Friday, July 3rd, 2054: 3-HR Game for Caster
Aaron Caster went on a hitting rampage at Rebels Ballpark today and got membership in the select club of hitters who have hit three home runs in a game. He walloped three into the stands to pace the Rebels to a 6-5 victory over the Colorado Rancheros.

The Chico left fielder collected 3 hits in 3 at-bats, drove in 3 and scored 4 runs.

After his three-home run game he said this to the press: "I have been making solid contact lately, but not getting any lift. Today I got it up in the air and out of the ballpark. I had my home run swing down pat. Got some good pitches to hit, too."

A. Caster hit a solo-shot off D. Catron in the 1st, hit a solo-shot off D. Catron in the 3rd, walked in the 5th and hit a solo-shot off P. Gallegos in the 8th.

This season Caster is batting .338 with 118 hits, 23 home runs, 63 RBIs, .377 OBP and has scored 70 runs.

[Alan T]

Sunday, July 5th, 2054: Wells Reaches 2000
The box score from yesterday's game will show that Hartford beat the Hyannis Patriots, 19-7. It will also show that left fielder Bernard Wells went 1-for-3 for the Harpooners. It will not show, however, that Wells reached the 2000-hit mark for his career.

The 33-year-old Wells reflected on the achievement after the game. He mused: "In one respect, it's a real milestone, I guess. Yet, it's just a base hit like any other base hit."

Over his 1703-game career Wells has compiled a .293 batting average and collected 2000 hits, 226 home runs and 956 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Monday, July 6th, 2054: FOOL News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced
How would you like to manage a team with more star players than you can play? It wouldn't be an easy chore. That's the dilemma facing the two managers at the annual Front Office Offseason League All-Star classic -- how to get all the talented All-Stars in the game? But it's a joy for the fans -- to see all of their favorite stars on one field at the same time.

Here are the official All-Star rosters:

Continental League:


SP J. Aitken (TOK)
SP T. van der Mijl (APX)
SP L. Blanco (NVY)
SP J. Castro (NWK)
SP J. Zúñiga (BAL)
SP E. Rosa (APX)
SP J. Bandelow (TOK)
SP J. Phillips (TOK)
MR I. Galindo (TOK)
MR M. Castro (TOK)
CL K. LeGrange (NVY)
CL J. Vélez (BOS)
3B J. Martin (APX)
CF F. Hidalgo (EDM)
SS R. Núñez (EDM)
C L. Cisneros (TOK)
2B L. Winter (BAL)
C L. López (EDM)
LF R. Wharton (APX)
RF R. Pilgrim (APX)
1B S. Visscher (NVY)
CF M. Pagán (NVY)
2B G. Fisher (BAL)
SS C. Morán (TOK)
2B A. Kobayashi (TOK)
CF M. Fontanez (TOK)
LF F. Palmeiro (BAL)
LF L. Beltrán (TOK)


Republic League:


SP J. Holmes (HAM)
SP V. Woods (COL)
SP A. García (CHI)
SP J. Long (HAM)
SP T. Harden (COL)
SP C. Ward (NYH)
CL V. Chavarría (CHI)
MR P. Gallegos (COL)
MR A. Pérez (ANN)
CL S. Cuevas (HAM)
MR R. García (COL)
CL J. Días (COL)
3B P. Alomar (COL)
RF C. Serrano (ANN)
2B M. Martínez (HAR)
CF W. Hawkins (COL)
LF A. Caster (CHI)
SS O. Buitrago (ANN)
C W. Snyder (ANN)
1B G. Pratt (CHI)
C S. Barnard (NYH)
2B J. Mozcado (HAM)
RF V. Morales (ANN)
3B K. Hashimoto (ANN)
RF C. Martínez (HAR)
1B G. Boucher (NYH)
3B M. Yu (CHI)
RF J. Withers (NYH)

[Alan T]

Tuesday, July 14th, 2054: Beltrán Gets 400th Home Run
Luis Beltrán circled the bases and raised his arm in triumph. He had finally hit his 400th home run. It was a homer for a lot of people: himself; his teammates past and present; his former managers and coaches; and especially his family, who sat near the plate cheering his every at-bat during the past few games.

Beltrán spoke with BNN and said, "I knew number 400 would come sooner or later. I had to keep reminding myself, 'Relax, relax, just let it happen, let it happen.' And it finally did."

His milestone homer came in the Tokyo Cyclones 9-3 win over the Baltimore Charm. Beltrán went 3-for-4 in the game, scored 2 runs and batted in 5.

During his career Beltrán is hitting .268 with a total of 400 home runs.

[Montreal_GM]

I made a comment about Napa stealing my players in the offseason, in the meantime I have two former Colorado relievers as All-Star SP's.

[Alan T]

Thursday, July 16th, 2054: Roberto Chávez Gets Hit Number 3000
The Hammersmith 19-9 loss to Colorado wasn't all bad. Something good came out it, at least for Roberto Chávez. As a consolation prize he got the 3000th hit of his career. The veteran Hooligans right fielder went 2-for-4 in the game and added his name to the coveted 3000-hit club. He was given a five-minute ovation by the crowd, which included his wife and family and quite a few former Hooligans teammates.

"I could have scripted it better," Chávez commented to the press after the game, "a win would have made it a lot more enjoyable. But what the hey... hit #3000 ain't so bad."

Chávez has played in 2341 games and posted a lifetime .327 average. He has 3000 hits, 508 doubles, 57 triples and 499 homers. In addition he has driven in 1870 runs and scored 1669 times.

[Alan T]

Chavez is the 28th player to get 3000 hits in FOOL history!