FOOL 2056 Regular Season

[Alan T]

We start the 96th season in FOOL history in 10 minutes!

If you haven't already done so, check in to the FOOL rule discussion thread to discuss possible rule changes for when we upgrade to OOTPX.

[Alan T]

Sim time! getting exports now

[Alan T]

Apex Assassins: Signed SP M. Tinkler to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $13,672,500.

St. Petersburg Pelicans: Signed SP J. Hale to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed SP M. García to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed SP T. Kiyomizu to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed SP R. Salgado to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed SP C. Corkum to a minor league contract extension.

St. Petersburg Pelicans: Signed 1B W. Dixon to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed MR D. Daubney to a minor league contract extension.

St. Petersburg Pelicans: Signed 3B F. Delvalle to a minor league contract extension.

St. Petersburg Pelicans: Signed LF S. Gibbons to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed C H. Webber to a minor league contract extension.

St. Petersburg Pelicans: Signed 1B M. Tobías to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed 1B A. Maldonado to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed CF L. Fontaine to a minor league contract extension.

St. Petersburg Pelicans: Signed SP J. Sweeney to a minor league contract extension.

Apex Assassins: Signed 3B A. Prieto to a minor league contract extension.

Napa Valley Winemakers: Signed free agent SP C. Bice to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,325,000.

Apex Assassins: Signed 3B J. García to a minor league contract extension.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent MR D. Carlson to a 1-year contract worth a total of $492,500.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent MR N. Okawa to a 1-year contract worth a total of $530,000.

Apex Assassins: Signed SP C. Rafael to a minor league contract extension.

Napa Valley Winemakers: Signed free agent 1B G. Boucher to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,985,000.

Napa Valley Winemakers: Signed free agent C J. Gonzáles to a 1-year contract worth a total of $335,000.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent MR J. Phillips to a 1-year contract worth a total of $615,000.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent SP D. Crouch to a 1-year contract worth a total of $672,500.

Napa Valley Winemakers: Signed free agent RF V. Morales to a 1-year contract worth a total of $2,525,000.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent MR E. Seánez to a 1-year contract worth a total of $392,500.

Napa Valley Winemakers: Signed free agent C D. Rodríguez to a 1-year contract worth a total of $320,000.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed SP K. Burkett to a 5-year contract extension worth a total of $14,250,000.

Hammersmith Hooligans: Signed free agent RF A. Valentín to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,400,000.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed free agent SP S. Sugiyama to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,402,500.

Apex Assassins: Signed 2B M. Ando to a minor league contract extension.

Hammersmith Hooligans: Signed free agent CL R. Hughes to a 1-year contract worth a total of $900,000.

[Alan T]

Ok, here we go. Good luck everyone!

[Montreal_GM]

Good luck everyone!

[Alan T]

Saturday, April 8th, 2056: Medina Brilliant -- Fires No-Hitter
Alfredo Medina was unhittable today as he beat the Pelicans 2-0. The Apex pitcher breezed through the St. Petersburg lineup and got himself a no-hitter. Medina had them talking to themselves as he struck out 11 and issued 2 walks in an outstanding performance at Assasins Ballpark.

His catcher said to reporters after the game, "He started off slow. He didn't have command of anything in the first three innings, but lucked his way through them. The Pelicans really helped him out by not being patient... they hit a lot of first pitches. Then it all came together in the fourth. From there on, the Pelicans never had a chance. He dominated them."

[Alan T]

The last no-hitter was 6 seasons ago when Boston's Carlos Perez no-hit Apex!

[Alan T]

Sunday, April 9th, 2056: Romo Slams Milestone Homer
Chico Rebels slugging right fielder José Romo swatted his way to the 300 home run mark today as the Rebels fell to the Hammersmith 9-6.

For his part, Romo chipped in 1 RBI, scored 1 run and collected 1 hit in 4 at-bats, but it was not enough to turn the tide.

"It was a special day for José," the team publicist said afterward, "He was disappointed at the result, but everyone was all smiles as he crossed home plate. We're proud of him."

In his 1769-game career Romo is batting .246 with 1573 hits, 300 home runs, 1068 runs scored and 1074 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Friday, April 21st, 2056: Cantú Shows Off, Hits for Cycle
Getting 4 hits in a game is no easy feat, but hitting for the cycle is much more rare. Félix Cantú was on fire today, going 4 for 5 and hitting for the cycle against New York at Rebels Ballpark. His batting escapade sparked the Chico Rebels to a 17-0 victory over the Heroes. For the day the Rebels left fielder scored 3 runs and drove in 5.

The feat is rare in baseball as it requires a game of no fewer than four hits and the unusual combination of a home run, which requires a batter to hit for some power, and a triple, which requires a batter to have both speed on the basepaths and a well-placed drive deep into the outfield.

He told reporters after the game, "It just happened. Must have been fate or something... you can't plan this. I was more concerned with winning the game."

F. Cantú doubled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, hit a two-run triple in the 4th, hit a two-run home run off N. Okawa in the 6th, grounded out in the 8th and walked in a run in the 9th.

Cantú is batting .344 this year with 2 home runs, 16 RBIs and 12 runs scored. He has 22 hits in 64 at-bats.

[Alan T]

Friday, April 28th, 2056: Harden Reaches 200 Wins
It was a special day at Ballpark of Colorado for Colorado's Tim Harden. The Rancheros ace logged his 200th career win against the Hooligans. In the 8-3 decision Harden tossed 7.1 innings, surrendered 9 hits with 2 walks and 4 strikeouts.

"I'm real fortunate that I had the opportunity to play with such good players during my career," said Harden. "I just couldn't have drawn it up any better. I'm glad I did it in this uniform, too. Colorado is a great organization to play for."

Thus far in his career, Harden has worked 2864.2 innings with 2143 strikeouts en route to a 200-123 record. The 37-year-old also has a 4.07 ERA.

[Alan T]

Sunday, April 30th, 2056: Holmes Records Shutout Against Patriots
Hammersmith's Jason Holmes used his full arsenal today to shoot down Hyannis 4-0. All day long, he exhibited fine command of all his pitches, giving up 1 walk and striking out 3. Holmes allowed the Hyannis 1 hit in the victory.

In 7 starts this year Holmes has crafted a 4-1 record and a 3.11 ERA.

[Alan T]

Monday, May 1st, 2056: Pengilly Garners RL #1 Pitcher Award
Veteran Jacob Pengilly put together quite a successful stretch in April for the Hammersmith Hooligans, earning himself the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

Pengilly racked up a 5-1 record in 6 starts, posting a 3.60 ERA over 40 innings and striking out 29.


Monday, May 1st, 2056: Anderson Wins Best CL Pitcher
Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Ben Anderson still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in April. The 32-year-old starter for Tokyo was named Continental League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 6 wins and no losses with 21 strikeouts in his 7 starts, putting up a fine 2.44 ERA in 44.1 innings of work.

[Alan T]

Monday, May 1st, 2056: Marés RL Outstanding Batter of the Month
April was an outstanding month for Chico center fielder Luis Marés and it was capped off today with the announcement that he was named the winner of the Republic League Batter of the Month award.

Marés compiled a .319 batting average and .410 on-base percentage for the month. In 23 games he piled up 29 hits, 9 home runs, 29 RBIs and 20 runs scored.


Monday, May 1st, 2056: CL Honors Brown, #1 Batter in April
Jeff Brown of the Tokyo Cyclones certainly made a resounding impression on the Continental League pitching corps in April and today reaped the reward as the league's best batter for the period.

The right fielder put up some good offensive figures as he hit .366 with 5 home runs, 19 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Monday, May 1st, 2056: Republic League Names Rookie of Month
A boyish Andrew Joseph emerged as the latest Republic League Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Hammersmith deserved the honor, batting .276 with 3 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 Joseph enjoy the limelight.


Monday, May 1st, 2056: CL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
Xavier León earned April's Rookie of the Month honors in the Continental League for last month's performance. The boyish Boston shortstop might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

León hit .264 with 2 home runs, 16 RBIs and 9 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 05-01-2056 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tokyo Cyclones 17 10 .630 - 16-11 1 10-6 7-4 1-0 3-1 135 L1 5-5 St. Petersburg Pelicans 15 11 .577 1.5 16-10 -1 11-4 4-7 1-3 3-1 W6 7-3 Apex Assassins 13 10 .565 2.0 12-11 1 11-3 2-7 0-0 4-1 W1 5-5 Baltimore Charm 13 10 .565 2.0 12-11 1 3-3 10-7 1-2 1-1 L1 6-4 Boston Settlers 10 13 .435 5.0 9-14 1 6-5 4-8 2-1 3-4 W4 4-6 Napa Valley Winemakers 11 16 .407 6.0 12-15 -1 7-8 4-8 1-1 2-6 W1 4-6 Edmonton Edge 8 17 .320 8.0 10-15 -2 4-6 4-11 1-0 1-3 L4 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hammersmith Hooligans 16 9 .640 - 15-10 1 6-4 10-5 0-0 4-0 137 W1 6-4 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 13 10 .565 2.0 12-11 1 6-8 7-2 2-0 1-0 W5 6-4 Colorado Rancheros 13 10 .565 2.0 13-10 0 5-6 8-4 0-2 1-4 W2 8-2 Hartford Harpooners 14 13 .519 3.0 14-13 0 5-10 9-3 1-1 2-2 W1 5-5 Chico Rebels 11 12 .478 4.0 13-10 -2 3-3 8-9 1-1 1-3 L2 6-4 Hyannis Patriots 12 14 .462 4.5 12-14 0 6-9 6-5 0-1 2-3 L5 2-8 New York Heroes 8 19 .296 9.0 7-20 1 3-13 5-6 1-0 4-3 L1 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. Locke - APX .424 2 M. Martínez HAR .396 3 Y. Rin TOK .386 4 L. Melanson ANN .367 5 J. Brown TOK .366	League Leaders HR L. Marés - CHI 9 2 L. Melanson ANN 8 2 J. Mozcado HAM 8 2 W. Snyder ANN 8 5 3 tied with 7	League Leaders RBI L. Marés - CHI 29 2 L. Melanson ANN 26 3 J. Locke APX 25 4 W. Snyder ANN 23 5 4 tied with 22
League Leaders W B. Anderson - TOK 6 2 J. Pengilly HAM 5 3 W. Conrad STP 4 3 C. Crowder HYN 4 3 7 more tied with 4	League Leaders ERA A. Medina - APX 1.45 2 T. Weaver BOS 2.01 3 C. Jordan STP 2.06 4 J. Velásquez BAL 2.10 5 J. Castro BOS 2.40	League Leaders K G. Mota - HYN 44 2 B. Tracy NVY 37 3 K. Burkett TOK 33 4 C. Pérez STP 32 5 3 tied with 31

[Alan T]

Thursday, May 4th, 2056: Serrano Powers 3 HR Against New York
Carlos Serrano, the Ann Arbor right fielder, blasted three homers today at Ann Arbor Grounds in the Winged Lingerines 11-2 victory against the New York Heroes.

For the game, Carlos Serrano scored 3 times and knocked in 3 runs. When he hit his last home run, his teammates, hearing the crack of the bat, leaped off the bench and rushed on the field to greet the jubilant Serrano, when he reached home plate.

In the clubhouse after the game, he gleefully said to the press, "It was just one game, but it sure was a lot of fun -- 3-for-4, three roundtrippers and a win. What a day!"

In the 2056 season Serrano has hit .339 with 8 home runs, 23 RBIs and scored 22 runs.

[Montreal_GM]

Had a fluke April last year, this year I think it's probably for real.

[Alan T]

Friday, May 5th, 2056: Jiménez Pitches Rebels to Shutout Win
Jesús Jiménez of the Chico Rebels just toyed with the Hammersmith Hooligans today, blanking them 8-0. He was almost untouchable, baffling them on a 2-hit shutout with 9 strikeouts and 5 walks.

"I'm sweating now because it's hot in here," Jiménez said in the clubhouse after the game. "But it didn't even feel like I was sweating out there."

One of his teammates said it was easy to play behind him today. "It was like he's just playing with the hitters and doing whatever he wanted to do."

This year Jiménez has compiled a 2-1 mark with a 3.54 ERA.

[Alan T]

Saturday, May 27th, 2056: Hyannis's Manzanar Stands out in Shutout
The Hyannis Patriots posted a 5-0 shutout over Colorado today on the strength of a strong performance by Xavier Manzanar. The Patriots pitcher held the Rancheros to 2 hits while walking 2 and fanning 7 in the route-going win.

So far this year Manzanar has compiled a 5-0 record with a 3.07 ERA.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, May 30th, 2056: Palmeiro Goes Cycling
The big buzz in the baseball world is about Felipe Palmeiro's performance today at Charm Ballpark against Boston. Palmeiro had 5 hits en route to hitting for the cycle, leading the charge for the Baltimore 13-3 triumph over the Settlers. A cycle requires all of the four types of hits possible -- single, double, triple and home run -- a batter has to have power, speed and a little luck to do it.

"It was one of those games you dream about," Palmeiro told the press. "I never expected to do something like this when I showed up at the park today. All you really want to do is hit it hard and put it into play. The hits will come." And the hits did come today. The 30-year-old left fielder rounded out his superb batting display with 5 hits in 6 at-bats, 4 runs batted in and 4 runs scored.

F. Palmeiro hit a two-run home run off D. Holmes in the 1st, tripled in the 3rd, singled in the 4th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, hit an RBI double in the 7th and flied out in the 8th.

Palmeiro currently has a .307 batting average with 63 hits, 5 homers, 27 RBIs, 40 runs scored and a .345 OBP.

[Alan T]

Thursday, June 1st, 2056: RL Top Pitcher in May - Holmes
Jason Holmes of the Hammersmith Hooligans was on top of his game the entire month of May, capping it off with the Republic League Pitcher of the Month honors.

He was outstanding in 7 starts with 3 wins and no losses, 43.2 IP, 30 strikeouts and a fine 1.24 ERA.

His record in 2056 is 7-1 in 14 starts and Holmes has a 2.20 ERA.

[Alan T]

Thursday, June 1st, 2056: CL Honors May's #1 Pitcher
Carlos Pérez's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 4-0 in May, the 31-year-old St. Petersburg hurler has been named Continental League Pitcher of the Month.

He fanned 35 in 38 innings, logged an ERA of 1.18 and allowed opponents to hit .218 against him.

Pérez has a 8-2 season record so far. In 11 starts, he has fanned 67 batters in 82 innings with a 2.41 ERA.

[Alan T]

Thursday, June 1st, 2056: Mario Martínez Named Best RL Batter in May
There's nothing like putting up good, solid numbers in the last year of your contract. Today Mario Martínez helped his contract negotiations by nabbing May's Republic League Batter of the Month honors.

The Hartford first baseman put together a .365 batting average with 5 home runs, 23 RBIs and 27 runs scored.

Someone will surely be opening up the vault this offseason if Martínez continues at this brisk pace.

Presently Martínez is batting .381 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. He has played in 51 games and scored 48 times.


Thursday, June 1st, 2056: Jeff Brown Winner in May
May's Hitter of the Month has been selected by the Continental League. This month's trophy was presented to the Tokyo right fielder, Jeff Brown.

He starred by hitting .404 with a .452 on-base percentage, totaled 46 hits in 114 at-bats, 9 home runs, 31 RBIs and scored 24 runs.

In 2056 Brown is batting .386 with 14 home runs and 50 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Thursday, June 1st, 2056:RL Announces Rookie of the Month
Yong-chan Kim was voted the best newcomer in the Republic League for his solid performance last month.

In May, the Hyannis center fielder posted a .291 average while racking up 30 hits, no home runs and 16 RBIs.

In this current campaign Kim is hitting at a .296 clip with 1 home run and 27 RBIs.


Thursday, June 1st, 2056: Top CL Rookie of the Month Named
José Valéncia was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 22-year-old third baseman definitely knows how to get to first, second or beyond. Today he was chosen May's Continental League Rookie of the Month for his remarkable month of hitting.

In 26 games Valéncia batted .282 for Boston, slapping 24 hits in 85 at-bats with 4 home runs, drove in 15 runs and scored 11 times.

This season-to-date Valéncia has 6 home runs and a .286 batting average.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 06-01-2056 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tokyo Cyclones 31 21 .596 - 33-19 -2 13-13 18-8 3-4 6-5 111 L2 6-4 Baltimore Charm 29 21 .580 1.0 30-20 -1 12-11 17-10 1-3 4-3 L1 6-4 St. Petersburg Pelicans 29 23 .558 2.0 30-22 -1 17-10 12-13 2-4 5-6 W3 8-2 Apex Assassins 25 25 .500 5.0 23-27 2 16-10 9-15 2-0 8-6 W1 6-4 Napa Valley Winemakers 24 27 .471 6.5 23-28 1 12-15 12-12 5-2 7-9 L1 4-6 Boston Settlers 21 30 .412 9.5 20-31 1 12-13 9-17 2-2 8-7 W1 3-7 Edmonton Edge 21 33 .389 11.0 21-33 0 12-14 9-19 3-3 5-7 W1 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hammersmith Hooligans 33 21 .611 - 30-24 3 13-13 20-8 2-2 8-3 107 L1 7-3 Hartford Harpooners 28 23 .549 3.5 30-21 -2 13-14 15-9 1-2 4-5 W1 5-5 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 27 23 .540 4.0 26-24 1 12-14 15-9 5-2 4-4 L1 6-4 Colorado Rancheros 27 24 .529 4.5 26-25 1 14-11 13-13 0-3 5-6 W4 7-3 Hyannis Patriots 27 25 .519 5.0 26-26 1 12-15 15-10 1-2 4-4 W1 3-7 Chico Rebels 22 28 .440 9.0 27-23 -5 10-13 12-15 3-3 5-7 L4 2-8 New York Heroes 16 36 .308 16.0 15-37 1 6-20 10-16 3-1 6-7 L1 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. Brown - TOK .386 2 M. Martínez HAR .381 3 Y. Rin TOK .364 4 C. Rippin HAR .349 5 J. Locke APX .347	League Leaders HR L. Marés - CHI 17 2 J. Brown TOK 14 2 A. Medina HAM 14 2 J. Serrano HAM 14 5 4 tied with 13	League Leaders RBI J. Locke - APX 55 2 L. Marés CHI 54 3 J. Brown TOK 50 4 A. Caster CHI 45 4 M. Martínez HAR 45
League Leaders W 2 tied with 9 1 B. Anderson TOK 9 1 J. Velásquez BAL 9 3 C. Pérez STP 8 4 3 tied with 7	League Leaders ERA J. Holmes - HAM 2.20 2 B. Anderson TOK 2.32 3 C. Pérez STP 2.41 4 J. Velásquez BAL 2.47 5 C. Jordan STP 2.77	League Leaders K G. Mota - HYN 79 2 J. Pengilly HAM 67 2 C. Pérez STP 67 4 B. Tracy NVY 65 5 W. Conrad STP 64

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 7th, 2056: 3000th Hit for Martin
With one swing of the bat, Josh Martin put his name in the league record books yesterday at Assasins Ballpark. It was his 3000th career hit, putting him in a select group of players.

In spite of Josh Martin's achievement, his Apex Assassins went down to defeat to the Baltimore Charm, 5-3.

On his milestone day, the 34-year-old shortstop registered 1 hit in 4 at-bats.

Martin has a lifetime .341 average and .401 on-base percentage in his career with 3000 hits, 570 doubles, 76 triples, 14 home runs, 939 RBIs and 1325 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Martin is the 30th member of the FOOL 3000 hit club!

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 14th, 2056: Shini Crashes 3 HR Against Ann Arbor
Fireworks exploded with regularity in the Rancheros-Winged Lingerines game, but it wasn't a match that set them off -- it was the bat of Toshiro Shini. He belted 3 home runs in an awesome display of sheer power.

In the 8-6 Colorado victory Shini stunned the Winged Lingerines pitching staff for 3 hits in 5 at-bats and knocked in 4 runs.

After the game, Shini said simply, "I saw everything they threw at me. Hitting was a piece of cake today... with lots of extra icing on it."

T. Shini grounded out in the 2nd, grounded out in the 3rd, hit a solo-shot off T. Caramalho in the 6th, hit a solo-shot off M. Giles in the 9th and hit a two-run home run off M. Giles in the 11th.

Posting a .238 batting average to date, Shini has 15 home runs and 44 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Sunday, June 18th, 2056: Buitrago Slugs 300th Home Run
Olímpio Buitrago circled the bases and raised his arm in triumph. He had finally hit his 300th 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.

Buitrago spoke with BNN and said, "I knew number 300 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 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 17-5 win over the New York Heroes. Buitrago went 4-for-5 in the game, scored 3 runs and batted in 3.

Buitrago's all-time stats include: 1415 hits, 195 doubles, 23 triples, 300 home runs and 993 RBIs in 1336 games. He is batting .293 with 38 stolen bases and has scored 923 runs.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, June 20th, 2056: Anderson Magnificent in St. Petersburg Win
The strong arm of Ben Anderson dealt a lot of misery to the Pelicans. He tossed a complete-game shutout to spark the Tokyo Cyclones to a 4-0 win. In today's contest at Sony Park, Anderson limited St. Petersburg to 2 hits and had 3 strikeouts and 2 walks.

So far this season Anderson has a 11-2 record with a 2.52 ERA.

[Alan T]

Thursday, June 29th, 2056: Cantú Pounds 3 HR Against Winged Lingerines
Félix Cantú penned his name in the record books after an explosive home run spree against Ann Arbor. He's now among the select sluggers who have hit three home runs in a game.

In his record-setting day at Rebels Ballpark the Chico left fielder went 3-5 with 6 RBIs and scored 3 times in the 11-7 victory over the Winged Lingerines.

"It was just one of those days," he said in the postgame interview. "I don't know how to explain it. I'm just putting a good swing on the ball."

"Cantú was locked in," the Ann Arbor skipper said. "We made some pretty good pitches. Those first two homers were exactly where the pitcher wanted to put them. He's pretty hot right now. You've just got to tip your hat."

F. Cantú flied out in the 1st, hit a solo-shot off T. Caramalho in the 3rd, hit a two-run home run off T. Caramalho in the 4th, hit a three-run home run off R. O'Reilly in the 6th and grounded out in the 7th.

To date this season Cantú is hitting .328 with 17 home runs.

[Alan T]

Saturday, July 1st, 2056: Chico's Starter Receives RL Pitching Award
Whether Cristian Pirvu stays in Chico beyond this season remains to be seen, but while he's here he's making the most of it. In June the 34-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 1.47. In 36.2 innings he struck out 18, surrendered 30 hits, 10 walks and proved to be a solid performer in 5 starts last month.

To date this season Pirvu is 8-4 with 15 starts and an ERA of 3.52 with 39 strikeouts in 92 innings.


Saturday, July 1st, 2056: CL Selects Jordan June's Best Starter
Curt Jordan nailed down June's Continental League Pitcher of the Month award today, adding pressure on St. Petersburg to get a deal done before the 33-year-old becomes a free agent.

Jordan 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 37 strikeouts, worked 39.2 innings and held batters to a .211 average for the month as he posted a 2.72 ERA.

Thus far this season Jordan has posted a 10-2 record, started 16 games, struck out 91 batters in 108 innings and compiled a 2.75 ERA.

[Alan T]

Saturday, July 1st, 2056: RL Presents Batter of Month Trophy to Snyder
The Republic League Batter of the Month has been chosen for June and the trophy was presented to William Snyder of the Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines.

He stood out this month with a .396 batting average, 40 hits and 8 home runs, along with 27 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

Looking at his season stats, Snyder has compiled a .307 batting average and a .443 on-base percentage, while hitting 21 home runs and driving in 64 runs.


Saturday, July 1st, 2056: López Grabs CL Best Batter Award for June
Eduardo López battered Continental League pitchers all June and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award.

"I've been around Front Office Offseason League 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 30-year-old López told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I may not take the field and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month."

In 26 games, López hit .310 with 9 home runs, 32 RBIs and scored 18 runs.

This year López is batting .255 with 19 home runs and 71 RBIs. In 78 games he has scored 52 times.

[Alan T]

Saturday, July 1st, 2056: Hammersmith Newcomer June's Best Rookie
Andrew Joseph 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 June the Hammersmith hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .301 average with 28 hits, 6 home runs and 21 RBIs.

Joseph is currently batting .251 with 12 home runs and 53 RBIs.


Saturday, July 1st, 2056: CL Chooses Rookie of the Month
Murray Cook's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Baltimore shortstop 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 .375 with 8 doubles, 2 triples and 2 home runs. Cook also scored 13 times and drove in 13 runs.

Currently Cook has 3 home runs and a .295 batting average.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 07-01-2056 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tokyo Cyclones 49 29 .628 - 48-30 1 21-15 28-14 3-5 13-10 82 W3 6-4 St. Petersburg Pelicans 47 32 .595 2.5 49-30 -2 26-14 21-18 5-5 12-9 W4 6-4 Baltimore Charm 41 35 .539 7.0 41-35 0 20-19 21-16 3-4 9-8 L2 4-6 Napa Valley Winemakers 35 41 .461 13.0 35-41 0 18-20 17-21 6-4 11-15 L1 5-5 Boston Settlers 34 41 .453 13.5 32-43 2 22-17 12-24 3-4 11-11 W1 5-5 Apex Assassins 34 44 .436 15.0 34-44 0 19-20 15-24 3-0 11-13 W1 5-5 Edmonton Edge 30 48 .385 19.0 29-49 1 16-23 14-25 4-5 10-11 L3 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hammersmith Hooligans 48 30 .615 - 44-34 4 22-17 26-13 2-3 13-6 82 L1 5-5 Colorado Rancheros 42 33 .560 4.5 40-35 2 25-14 17-19 2-4 9-9 L1 5-5 Hyannis Patriots 42 37 .532 6.5 42-37 0 18-22 24-15 2-3 7-8 L3 5-5 Hartford Harpooners 40 36 .526 7.0 43-33 -3 18-20 22-16 1-2 7-9 W1 5-5 Chico Rebels 38 38 .500 9.0 42-34 -4 20-19 18-19 6-4 11-9 W3 7-3 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 37 41 .474 11.0 38-40 -1 17-22 20-19 6-5 6-8 L2 3-7 New York Heroes 23 55 .295 25.0 23-55 0 8-28 15-27 3-1 8-12 W1 4-6

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. Brown - TOK .370 2 M. Martínez HAR .358 3 L. Melanson ANN .355 4 C. Rippin HAR .349 5 D. Griffin BAL .343	League Leaders HR L. Marés - CHI 23 2 L. Melanson ANN 21 2 W. Snyder ANN 21 4 O. Buitrago ANN 20 4 J. Mozcado HAM 20	League Leaders RBI J. Locke - APX 82 2 J. Brown TOK 75 3 E. López TOK 71 4 L. Marés CHI 69 5 W. Hawkins COL 67
League Leaders W 2 tied with 12 1 B. Anderson TOK 12 1 C. Pérez STP 12 3 J. Holmes HAM 10 3 C. Jordan STP 10	League Leaders ERA J. Holmes - HAM 2.22 2 A. Medina APX 2.42 3 C. Pérez STP 2.50 4 C. Jordan STP 2.75 5 B. Anderson TOK 3.19	League Leaders K G. Mota - HYN 108 2 W. Conrad STP 96 3 C. Pérez STP 95 4 V. Woods COL 94 5 2 tied with 93

[Alan T]

Sunday, July 9th, 2056: FOOL News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced
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 2056 Front Office Offseason League All-Star Game. The fans get to see all of 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 C. Pérez (STP)
SP B. Anderson (TOK)
SP C. Jordan (STP)
SP A. Medina (APX)
SP T. Noguchi (NVY)
SP W. Conrad (STP)
CL J. Ramírez (APX)
CL J. Vega (BAL)
CL A. Pérez (STP)
CL K. LeGrange (NVY)
MR R. Dawson (TOK)
MR J. Rodríguez (NVY)
RF J. Brown (TOK)
2B L. Winter (BAL)
C D. Griffin (BAL)
LF J. Locke (APX)
SS R. Núñez (EDM)
C A. Akii-Bua (BOS)
1B C. Morán (TOK)
CF F. Hidalgo (EDM)
3B J. Valéncia (BOS)
RF R. Pilgrim (APX)
2B H. Arai (APX)
2B L. Márquez (EDM)
LF H. Di (TOK)
LF F. Palmeiro (BAL)
2B G. Fisher (BAL)
LF W. Álvarez (BOS)


The Republic League roster includes the following players:


SP J. Holmes (HAM)
SP R. Grant (HAR)
SP X. Manzanar (HYN)
SP D. Pollock (CHI)
SP C. Pirvu (CHI)
SP T. Harden (COL)
CL S. Cuevas (HAM)
CL J. Días (COL)
MR P. Harper (COL)
MR R. Galloway (HAR)
CL T. Mizutani (CHI)
MR M. Giles (ANN)
1B M. Martínez (HAR)
C W. Snyder (ANN)
LF F. Cantú (CHI)
CF L. Melanson (ANN)
3B R. Rocha (HYN)
SS O. Buitrago (ANN)
RF L. Beltrán (HYN)
C R. Flores (HAR)
2B J. Mozcado (HAM)
CF C. Rippin (HAR)
CF W. Hawkins (COL)
CF L. Marés (CHI)
CF J. Rodríguez (ANN)
1B J. Serrano (HAM)
1B T. Tucker (COL)
3B A. Medina (HAM)

[Alan T]

Tuesday, July 18th, 2056: 2000 Hits for Fisher
"It would have been a lot nicer, if my 2000th hit had won the game," lamented Gavin Fisher after the Baltimore Charm had been tripped up by the Boston Settlers, 4-2, spoiling his big day. The Charm second baseman gained access to the exclusive 2000-hit club by going 1-for-4 in the game played at Charm Ballpark.

"The standing ovation by the fans is not something I will ever forget," Fisher related to the press after the game. "I think even the Settlers fans were cheering me."

Fisher currently has a career .293 batting average with 2000 hits, good for 282 home runs, 1138 RBIs and 1013 runs.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, July 26th, 2056: 400 Home Runs for Cantú
He has done it!
Félix Cantú has reached the 400 home run mark. He did it today, but the Chico Rebels still dropped the game to the Hammersmith Hooligans by the score of 15-13.

"#400 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 Cantú was 3-4 with 5 RBI and 4 runs scored.

In his career Cantú has hit .308 with 2293 hits, 319 doubles, 56 triples and 401 home runs. His totals also include 1366 RBIs and 1449 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Thursday, July 27th, 2056: Weaver Sizzles in No-Hitter
How do you pitch a no-hitter and lose the game? Ask Terry Weaver of the Boston Settlers. It happened to him today at Ballpark of Boston. He did not allow the Napa Valley Winemakers to get a single hit, but they won the ballgame 3-2.

"I have never seen anything like it. I didn't think it was possible to lose a game, if the other team went hitless," the Boston manager told BNN reporters after the historic event.

Weaver really zeroed in on the Winemakers in his masterpiece, finishing with 6 strikeouts and 12 walks, but not able to chalk up the win.

He lamented, "Things like this happen in baseball. I remember pitching an 11-inning shutout, only to lose it in the 12th. I was good that day, too. Good stuff... good location... but no cigar. Just like today."

So far this season, Weaver has logged a 4-11 record with a 4.55 ERA. He has started 18 games, hurled 110.2 innings and registered 98 strikeouts and 65 walks.

[Alan T]

Boston's rookie Terry Weaver's no hitter marks this as the first season since 2049 with two no-hitters in the same season.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, August 1st, 2056: Best Pitcher Picked by Republic League
As Wes Elvidge hoisted up the Republic League Pitcher of the Month trophy for July, rumors have already begun to swirl about whether he will leave Colorado once his contract is up at the end of the season.

Elvidge put pressure on the Rancheros to keep him around by posting a 4-1 record and an ERA of 1.83 over 39.1 innings last month. He also rolled up 18 strikeouts, increasing his value both to Colorado and to every other team in the league.

Checking out his stats for the season, Elvidge has racked up 9 wins and 7 losses in 20 starts, 4.49 ERA and struck out 69 batters in 130.1 innings.


Tuesday, August 1st, 2056: Pérez CL's #1 Pitcher in July
Carlos Pérez was on cloud nine the entire month of July, capping it off with the Continental League Pitcher of the Month honors.

The St. Petersburg starter was spectacular in 4 starting assignments with 4 wins and no losses, 31 innings pitched, 21 strikeouts and a fine 2.03 ERA.

Pérez has made 20 starts so far this year and put up a 16-2 won-lost record with a 2.41 ERA. In 149.2 innings he has allowed 134 hits, walked 29 and struck out 116.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, August 1st, 2056: Republic League Picks July's Best Batter
Mario Martínez is in the final year of his contract with Hartford and today added a timely piece of hardware to his trophy case. Playing in 26 games in July the 32-year-old first baseman ripped Republic League pitchers for a .430 batting average, nabbing him the Batter of the Month award.

He also rang up 5 home runs, 29 RBIs and 22 runs scored.

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

This season Martínez is batting .376 with 92 RBIs, 89 runs scored and 20 home runs.


Tuesday, August 1st, 2056: CL Honors Hidalgo, Best Hitter in July
Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 30-year-old Felipe Hidalgo put together a solid offensive month for Edmonton and was crowned July's top batter in the Continental League.

He batted .472 with 4 home runs, 24 RBIs and 13 runs scored.



Hidalgo is presently batting .331 with 10 home runs, 51 runs scored and 66 RBIs. His OBP is .424.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, August 1st, 2056: Joseph Chosen RL's Best Newcomer
In July, budding star Andrew Joseph had quite a month as he smashed up the Republic League and stashed away the Rookie of the Month award in his trophy case.

During the month he hit .311 with 7 doubles, no triples and 5 home runs. Joseph also scored 14 times and drove in 20 runs.

This year Joseph has hit at a .262 clip with 73 RBIs, 17 home runs and 49 runs scored.


Tuesday, August 1st, 2056: Boston Shortstop July's #1 Rookie
A veritable toddler to the Continental League, Xavier León just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for July.

Over the past month the 23-year-old shortstop for Boston hit .258 with 24 hits, 4 home runs and 12 runs batted in. He also logged 2 walks and compiled a .281 on-base percentage.

This season León is hitting .286 with 110 hits, 10 home runs, 59 RBIs, scored 44 runs and played in 98 games.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 08-01-2056 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Tokyo Cyclones 62 36 .633 - 61-37 1 28-19 34-17 5-5 15-12 64 W2 6-4 St. Petersburg Pelicans 60 37 .619 1.5 60-37 0 30-14 30-23 5-6 14-11 L1 7-3 Baltimore Charm 52 45 .536 9.5 54-43 -2 23-22 29-23 4-6 11-14 L2 6-4 Apex Assassins 47 52 .475 15.5 48-51 -1 29-24 18-28 3-1 16-18 L1 4-6 Edmonton Edge 41 56 .423 20.5 38-59 3 24-25 17-31 7-5 15-12 W2 7-3 Napa Valley Winemakers 42 57 .424 20.5 44-55 -2 24-28 18-29 6-6 15-18 W1 3-7 Boston Settlers 39 60 .394 23.5 38-61 1 27-26 12-34 4-5 14-15 L2 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hammersmith Hooligans 59 40 .596 - 57-42 2 28-21 31-19 2-4 14-10 61 L1 5-5 Colorado Rancheros 57 43 .570 2.5 56-44 1 35-19 22-24 5-4 12-11 W2 6-4 Hartford Harpooners 54 48 .529 6.5 56-46 -2 27-28 27-20 2-2 11-11 L1 4-6 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 52 50 .510 8.5 50-52 2 26-27 26-23 9-5 13-9 W1 6-4 Hyannis Patriots 50 50 .500 9.5 50-50 0 21-26 29-24 4-5 10-12 W1 4-6 Chico Rebels 49 51 .490 10.5 55-45 -6 23-22 26-29 6-4 13-11 L1 5-5 New York Heroes 31 70 .307 29.0 32-69 -1 12-37 19-33 3-7 9-18 W1 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. Brown - TOK .377 2 M. Martínez HAR .376 3 C. Rippin HAR .361 4 L. Melanson ANN .350 5 R. Núñez EDM .348	League Leaders HR L. Marés - CHI 31 2 E. López TOK 29 3 W. Snyder ANN 27 4 W. Hawkins COL 26 4 L. Winter BAL 26	League Leaders RBI J. Locke - APX 111 2 E. López TOK 99 3 J. Brown TOK 94 4 M. Martínez HAR 92 5 W. Hawkins COL 91
League Leaders W C. Pérez - STP 16 2 B. Anderson TOK 14 3 J. Holmes HAM 13 3 C. Jordan STP 13 5 2 tied with 11	League Leaders ERA J. Holmes - HAM 2.13 2 C. Pérez STP 2.41 3 C. Jordan STP 2.56 4 A. Medina APX 2.58 5 B. Anderson TOK 3.28	League Leaders K 2 tied with 124 1 G. Mota HYN 124 1 V. Woods COL 124 3 T. Noguchi NVY 117 3 J. Pengilly HAM 117

[Alan T]

Wednesday, August 9th, 2056: Hawkins Reaches 2000 Milestone
Colorado's Will Hawkins collected his 2000th career base hit, but Hammersmith collected the win. The Hooligans ruined his special day by knocking off the Rancheros 5-4. The 33-year-old center fielder reached the milestone by going 4-for-4 in the game.

Hawkins's career batting average stands at .331, and he has 370 home runs.

[Alan T]

Thursday, August 17th, 2056: Hartford's Martínez Reaches 2000 Hits
The Hartford contest with Chico featured a real shining moment: Mario Martínez, the Harpooners first baseman, collected career base hit #2000. That his team lost the game, 10-3, took away only a little bit of the luster. Fittingly, the 32-year-old Martínez, who went 1-for-3, received a warm ovation from the Harpooners Ballpark crowd.

As far as career numbers Martínez has compiled a .331 batting average and collected 2000 hits, 229 home runs and 1090 RBIs.