FOOL 2049 Regular Season

[Chief Rum]

Just wanted to wish everyone good luck tonight. I am headed for my other job, so I will not be around until late.

I know I say this every year, but I believe this is the year the Hooligans fail to make the playoffs. I do not have any faith that the veteran pitchers I picked up will either stay at their ratings or will exceed their past performances. And I do not think the kids I have added to the lineup will provide enough power in the short term to make up for the losses of Higashi and Garcia. I think I will come in at around .500.

See you guys tonight.

[TimGuru]

Good luck tonight. I think Hyannis is close, but not quite there. Good enough for a bad draft pick.

I won't be around for the sim, most likely.

[Alan T]

Sim time! Getting exports now!

[Alan T]

Thursday, April 1st, 2049

Chico Rebels: Signed free agent SP O. Hernández to a 1-year contract worth a total of $605,000.

Baltimore Charm: Signed free agent LF N. Chaney to a 5-year contract worth a total of $10,512,500.

Edmonton Edge: Signed free agent LF P. Alomar to a 2-year contract worth a total of $2,440,000.

Chico Rebels: Signed free agent SS J. Ward to a 1-year contract worth a total of $650,000.

Wednesday, March 31st, 2049

Hyannis Patriots: Signed free agent SS E. Negrete to a 2-year contract worth a total of $4,160,000.

Newark Terriers: Signed free agent 2B Q. Strode to a 2-year contract worth a total of $1,600,000.

Newark Terriers: Signed free agent 3B R. Didkowsky to a 2-year contract worth a total of $1,220,000.

Newark Terriers: Signed SP J. Patterson to a 5-year contract extension worth a total of $35,862,500.

[Alan T]

Ok, ready to roll. Kicking off the season now.

[Alan T]

Sunday, April 4th, 2049: Caulfield Tosses Shutout for Apex
Apex's Arnie Caulfield brought his "A game" to the park, shutting down and shutting out the Edmonton Edge 8-0. He racked up 8 strikeouts, surrendered 2 hits and issued 3 walks on his way to the victory.

[Alan T]

Saturday, April 10th, 2049: Number 2500 for Villa
Settlers shortstop José Villa went 1-for-4 and reached the 2500-hit milestone yesterday, but Boston still lost the game 9-3 to the Tokyo Cyclones.

For his 1950-game career Villa has hit .330 with 2500 hits, 1069 RBIs and 150 home runs.

[Alan T]

Sunday, April 25th, 2049: Edmonton's Huo Gets 2000th Hit
Edmonton's Xi-tong Huo got the standing ovation -- but the Apex Assassins got the win.
It was a special day for him at Edge Ballpark. A day when Huo notched hit #2000 of his career. The fans went wild when he did. Even the Assassins fans applauded.

The Edge center fielder went 2-3 in a losing cause as Apex spoiled the party with the 6-5 victory.
In the postgame interview, a downhearted Huo 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."

For his career Huo has hit at a .279 clip. Among his lifetime numbers are 2001 hits, 448 doubles, 71 triples, 226 home runs and 849 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Saturday, May 1st, 2049: Bygrove Grabs RL Top Pitcher Trophy
Chet Bygrove has been around the league long enough to know that relievers are often overlooked. That has never stopped him from doing what he does best -- and he did it extremely well in April and stole away with the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

The Harpooners bullpen ace collected 6 saves and 18 strikeouts in 20.1 innings, holding the opposition to a .141 average and posting a 0.89 ERA and a 2-1 record.


Saturday, May 1st, 2049: Moya Chosen April's Best CL Hurler
It was a very good month for Albert Moya in April. The 37-year-old veteran starter for the Napa Valley Winemakers outpitched everybody -- young and old -- to claim the Continental League Pitcher of the Month award earlier today.

Moya ran up a 5-0 record in his 7 starts during the month. In 49 innings he fanned 30 and recorded a 2.02 ERA.

[Alan T]

Saturday, May 1st, 2049: RL Honors Burrow, #1 Batter in April
Gerard Burrow earned April's Batter of the Month honors in the Republic League by reeling off a .375 average, going 39 for 104 with 9 home runs, 30 RBIs and 25 runs scored.

The soon-to-be free agent was hitting with great urgency in an effort to bolster his asking price in the Hyannis clubhouse and around the rest of the league.


Saturday, May 1st, 2049: Ledrew of Baltimore CL Batter of the Month
Though his face is weathered and his hands are calloused, Justin Ledrew can still get it done in Front Office Offseason League. In fact, the 39-year-old first baseman for Baltimore was named the Continental League Batter of the Month today after putting up an impressive performance at the plate.

In April he batted .415 with 3 home runs, 15 RBIs and 21 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Saturday, May 1st, 2049: RL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
A veritable toddler to the Republic League, Aaron Caster just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for April.

Over the past month the 25-year-old right fielder for Chico hit .356 with 36 hits, 5 home runs and 16 runs batted in. He also logged 7 walks and compiled a .398 on-base percentage.


Saturday, May 1st, 2049: Continental League Names Rookie of Month
César Morán was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 24-year-old shortstop definitely knows how to get to first, second or beyond. Today he was chosen April's Continental League Rookie of the Month for his remarkable month of hitting.

In 26 games Morán batted .281 for Tokyo, slapping 27 hits in 96 at-bats with no home runs, drove in 5 runs and scored 24 times.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 05-01-2049 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Baltimore Charm 14 9 .609 - 14-9 0 1-5 13-4 0-0 1-4 138 W3 7-3 Tokyo Cyclones 16 11 .593 - 16-11 0 8-8 8-3 0-0 4-3 136 L1 5-5 Newark Terriers 15 11 .577 .5 11-15 4 6-9 9-2 3-1 10-1 W1 5-5 Napa Valley Winemakers 14 13 .519 2.0 18-9 -4 7-8 7-5 0-0 4-9 W1 6-4 Apex Assassins 10 13 .435 4.0 11-12 -1 5-9 5-4 1-2 3-4 L2 4-6 Boston Settlers 10 13 .435 4.0 8-15 2 4-7 6-6 0-0 4-2 W3 7-3 Edmonton Edge 8 17 .320 7.0 10-15 -2 3-7 5-10 0-1 0-3 L8 1-9

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hyannis Patriots 19 7 .731 - 17-9 2 11-4 8-3 1-0 6-1 134 W6 8-2 Chico Rebels 13 10 .565 4.5 14-9 -1 4-2 9-8 0-1 3-5 L1 6-4 Colorado Rancheros 11 12 .478 6.5 11-12 0 5-6 6-6 2-1 3-4 W1 5-5 Hammersmith Hooligans 12 13 .480 6.5 14-11 -2 6-4 6-9 3-1 4-3 L2 6-4 Hartford Harpooners 13 14 .481 6.5 13-14 0 6-9 7-5 1-2 0-5 L1 4-6 New York Heroes 13 14 .481 6.5 14-13 -1 9-7 4-7 0-1 5-5 W1 5-5 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 6 17 .261 11.5 5-18 1 4-10 2-7 0-1 6-4 W1 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG F. Cantú - CHI .421 2 J. Ledrew BAL .415 3 B. Tate HYN .405 4 J. Cruden HYN .392 5 G. Burrow HYN .375	League Leaders HR B. Bennerman - NVY 12 2 G. Burrow HYN 9 2 F. Cantú CHI 9 2 H. Okamoto NYH 9 5 2 tied with 7	League Leaders RBI 2 tied with 30 1 G. Burrow HYN 30 1 K. Hashimoto HYN 30 3 H. Okamoto NYH 26 4 B. Bennerman NVY 25
League Leaders W 3 tied with 5 1 J. Aitken TOK 5 1 A. Moya NVY 5 1 V. Woods NWK 5 4 5 tied with 4	League Leaders ERA W. Stephens - BOS 0.38 2 C. Correa BAL 1.73 3 S. Soethout NWK 1.74 4 J. Holmes HAM 2.00 5 A. Moya NVY 2.02	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 61 2 J. Patterson NWK 48 3 V. Woods NWK 46 4 A. Caulfield APX 45 4 B. Keir TOK 45

[Alan T]

Sunday, May 2nd, 2049: Caulfield Blanks Cyclones
In an impressive outing Arnie Caulfield hurled nothing but zeros at the Cyclones today at Assasins Ballpark. The Apex pitcher allowed 1 hit, fanned 6 and walked 0 in blanking Tokyo 3-0.

Caulfield has a 3-1 season record so far. In 7 starts, he has fanned 51 batters in 49 innings with a 2.20 ERA.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, May 4th, 2049: Roa Gets No-Hitter Against Ann Arbor
New York's José Roa was right on the mark today at New York Grounds in a sensational no-hitter against the Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines, shutting them down 7-0. He chalked up 3 strikeouts and gave up 1 walk in a game he could really brag about.
"You might say I was the best pitcher in the league today and you would be right."

Roa has offended some fans and sportswriters with confidence that sometimes borders on arrogance.

The New York skipper told reporters in the postgame interview, "He tossed a masterpiece today and it ain't braggin' if you can back it up. Today he certainly did just that."

A reporter asked Roa if he thought the fans would appreciate his perceived greatness after this game. With a big grin on his face, he quickly quipped, "Listen, if you start worrying about the people in the stands, before too long you're up in the stands with them."

This year in 6 starts, Roa has recorded 3 wins and absorbed 1 loss. He has pitched 35.2 innings, allowed 29 hits, struck out 17 and has a 4.79 ERA.

[Alan T]

That was the first no-hitter in 5 seasons!

[Alan T]

Wednesday, May 5th, 2049: Blanco Razor-Sharp, Shuts out Hammersmith
"He was too darn good for us today," grumbled the Hammersmith manager after his club suffered a 9-0 shutout at the hands of Luis Blanco of the Chico Rebels. He held the Hammersmith Hooligans scoreless in a 1-hit whitewash.

Blanco was in a zone of his own most of the game and finished with 4 strikeouts and 2 walks in a strong outing.

In a postgame quote his own skipper added, "He pitched his butt off, had good velocity, good movement and had those guys off balance. Luis did a whale of a pitching job."

This year Blanco has 3 wins and no losses and a 2.36 ERA.

[Alan T]

Saturday, May 22nd, 2049: 200 Wins for Dávila
Iván Dávila of the Apex Assassins will go down as one of the league's legendary pitchers after his 3-1 win today against the Baltimore Charm.

"It felt like it was a postseason game, one out at a time," said his manager. "It was something special to see."

The 36-year-old Dávila picked up his 200th career victory at Assasins Ballpark. He hurled 8 innings, gave up 7 hits and registered 2 strikeouts along with 2 walks.

"I've worked a long time for this," Dávila said. "I can't believe it's really here. It feels great!"

Dávila has a lifetime record of 200 wins and 182 losses and a 3.81 ERA.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, June 1st, 2049: RL's Premier Starter is Holmes
Jason Holmes's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 4-0 in May, the 27-year-old Hammersmith hurler has been named Republic League Pitcher of the Month.

He fanned 40 in 47 innings, logged an ERA of 1.53 and allowed opponents to hit .188 against him.

So far this season, Holmes has logged a 6-2 record with a 1.73 ERA. He has started 11 games, hurled 83 innings and registered 78 strikeouts and 6 walks.


Tuesday, June 1st, 2049: CL Top Pitcher in May - Soethout
Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Sjoerd Soethout still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in May. The 32-year-old starter for Newark was named Continental League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 6 wins and no losses with 41 strikeouts in his 7 starts, putting up a fine 1.64 ERA in 55 innings of work.

Soethout has made 13 starts, tossed 101.2 innings, struck out 76 batters and walked 24. His record is 8-1 with a 1.68 ERA and he has limited other teams to a .204 batting average.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, June 1st, 2049: May's Best Batter Announced
Chico Rebels 25-year-old right fielder Aaron Caster hit his way to a .450 batting average and the Republic League Batter of the Month award in May.

He had 7 home runs, 22 RBIs and 25 runs scored for the month.

Thus far this year Caster has hit .405 with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs.


Tuesday, June 1st, 2049: Pereira Wins Best Bat Award in May
One of the more consistent batters in May, Baltimore center fielder Fernando Pereira grabbed Continental League Batter of the Month honors by hitting .369 with 31 hits in 84 at-bats.

He racked up 8 home runs and 25 RBIs, scored 15 runs.

In 48 games this season Pereira is batting .325 with 53 hits and 10 home runs. He has scored 27 runs and driven in 37.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, June 1st, 2049: May's Premier RL Rookie Named
Aaron Caster 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 May the Chico hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .450 average with 49 hits, 7 home runs and 22 RBIs.

During the current season Caster is batting at a .405 clip with 12 home runs and 38 RBIs. He has played in 49 games and scored 46 times.


Tuesday, June 1st, 2049: Morán Named Newcomer of the Month
A boyish César Morán emerged as the latest Continental League Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Tokyo deserved the honor, batting .299 with no home runs and 6 runs batted in. Is the month of May a harbinger of things to come or just a fluke? We'll find out someday, but for now, we'll just let Morán enjoy the limelight.

This season Morán has banged out 56 hits in 193 at-bats for a .290 average with no home runs. He is getting on base at a .425 pace and his totals also include 11 RBIs and 46 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 06-01-2049 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Newark Terriers 31 21 .596 - 26-26 5 14-13 17-8 5-1 16-4 110 L1 6-4 Baltimore Charm 28 22 .560 2.0 29-21 -1 11-12 17-10 1-0 6-8 W2 4-6 Tokyo Cyclones 29 23 .558 2.0 28-24 1 15-11 14-12 1-1 8-7 W1 6-4 Napa Valley Winemakers 26 25 .510 4.5 31-20 -5 14-13 12-12 1-1 6-14 L1 5-5 Boston Settlers 25 26 .490 5.5 24-27 1 12-13 13-13 0-0 9-6 L3 6-4 Apex Assassins 20 30 .400 10.0 21-29 -1 11-15 9-15 1-2 6-8 W1 5-5 Edmonton Edge 21 33 .389 11.0 22-32 -1 11-15 10-18 0-4 5-9 W1 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hyannis Patriots 35 17 .673 - 34-18 1 17-10 18-7 2-2 8-3 106 W2 7-3 Chico Rebels 28 22 .560 6.0 31-19 -3 13-10 15-12 0-4 4-9 L4 5-5 New York Heroes 27 25 .519 8.0 26-26 1 15-11 12-14 2-1 7-5 L1 5-5 Colorado Rancheros 26 25 .510 8.5 26-25 0 12-13 14-12 3-1 5-6 W2 8-2 Hartford Harpooners 26 25 .510 8.5 26-25 0 12-15 14-10 2-3 4-7 W2 4-6 Hammersmith Hooligans 27 27 .500 9.0 30-24 -3 15-11 12-16 4-1 7-5 L2 5-5 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 11 39 .220 23.0 10-40 1 5-21 6-18 0-1 6-6 L2 2-8

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG A. Caster - CHI .405 2 J. Cruden HYN .371 3 B. Tate HYN .368 4 J. Sánchez NYH .362 5 F. Cantú CHI .361	League Leaders HR B. Bennerman - NVY 19 2 F. Cantú CHI 16 3 G. Burrow HYN 15 3 H. Okamoto NYH 15 5 K. Hashimoto HYN 14	League Leaders RBI K. Hashimoto - HYN 53 2 G. Burrow HYN 49 3 H. Okamoto NYH 48 4 J. Cruden HYN 46 5 F. Cantú CHI 43
League Leaders W 2 tied with 9 1 J. Aitken TOK 9 1 A. Moya NVY 9 3 S. Soethout NWK 8 3 V. Woods NWK 8	League Leaders ERA S. Soethout - NWK 1.68 2 J. Holmes HAM 1.73 3 C. Correa BAL 1.89 4 A. Moya NVY 2.27 5 T. Harden COL 2.42	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 106 2 A. Caulfield APX 93 3 J. Patterson NWK 87 4 B. Keir TOK 85 5 V. Woods NWK 83

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2049: 2000th Hit for Burrow
Gerard Burrow was bubbling over with joy, celebrating his 2000th hit in the Hyannis 14-12 victory over the Heroes at Patriots Place.

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

The 35-year-old right fielder achieved that milestone with 3 hits in 6 at-bats to join the exclusive 2000-hit club.

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

Burrow has a lifetime average of .301, played in 1665 games and collected 250 home runs and 1117 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Saturday, June 5th, 2049: Pérez Fashions Shutout Against Winemakers
"He's got a bunch of different arm angles and his ball was really moving," said the Napa Valley manager after watching Carlos Pérez of the Boston Settlers humiliate his club 4-0 in a fine 2-hit shutout.

"If I make good pitches, I'm going to get some outs," Pérez said after he befuddled the Winemakers. "I was making good pitches the entire game."

He whiffed 14 and walked 1 in the complete game effort.

This year Pérez has made 12 starts, thrown 77 innings, fanned 80 batters and walked 24. His won-lost record is 7-4 with a 3.51 ERA.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, June 22nd, 2049: Correa Tops Colorado for 200th Win
Chico ace Francisco Correa solidified his place in league history with his 200th career victory today at Rebels Ballpark. Correa and the Rebels bested Colorado 6-0. He checked the Rancheros on 4 hits in 9 innings and finished the day with 6 strikeouts and no walks.

"I've worked hard for this day," Correa said. "Sometimes I didn't think it would happen. Most of the time it seemed so far off. Now it's here. It's like a dream!"

Lifetime Correa has compiled a 200-166 record with a 3.74 ERA in 481 starts.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 30th, 2049: 2000 Hits for Yamada
Hammersmith beat New York 6-5 yesterday at New York Grounds, but it still was a good game for Heroes center fielder Kanko Yamada, who went 2-for-4 and reached the 2000-hit mark.

In 1826 career games Yamada is hitting at a .294 pace with 2000 hits with 487 doubles, 52 triples and 51 homers while scoring 867 runs and racking up 722 RBIs. He logged 615 walks and owns a .354 on-base percentage.

[Alan T]

Thursday, July 1st, 2049: Cutler - June's Best RL Hurler
Capping off a whirlwind month in which he went 4-1 with a 1.94 ERA, Davis Cutler was selected as June's Republic League Pitcher of the Month today. Reporters caught up with the elated Hartford starter as he left the clubhouse.

"I know it's difficult for pitchers -- when you have a bad start or two, people start wondering if you've lost it. Then you ride stretches like this one for all you can. You find it easier to come to the park every day because know you're contributing to the club, not just waiting for your turn in the rotation to make up for your last start."

Davis Cutler definitely contributed to the club. He had 5 starts, throwing 41.2 innings, striking out 34, and holding the opposition to a .182 average.

This season Cutler has registered 8 wins and 5 losses in 15 starts with a 2.91 ERA.


Thursday, July 1st, 2049: CL Announces June's Best Starter
Whether Marcos Rodríguez stays in Boston beyond this season remains to be seen, but while he's here he's making the most of it. In June the 37-year-old certainly pulled out all the stops by winning the Continental League Pitcher of the Month award.

He put up some fancy numbers with a 5-0 record and and an ERA of 1.59. In 39.2 innings he struck out 16, surrendered 37 hits, 7 walks and proved to be a solid performer in 5 starts last month.

So far this year Rodríguez has a 7-5 record with a 4.02 ERA.

[Alan T]

Thursday, July 1st, 2049: García Brings Home RL Batter of Month Honor
Jaime García battered Republic 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 32-year-old García 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, García hit .340 with 8 home runs, 33 RBIs and scored 27 runs.

So far in 2049 García has hit .258 with 18 home runs and 69 RBIs. He has played in 76 games and scored 51 times.




Thursday, July 1st, 2049:June's #1 Batter Announced
Akinori Kobayashi has made a definite impact on the baseball world by snatching Continental League Batter of the Month honors for June.

In 24 games the Boston batter hit .375 with 8 home runs, 18 RBIs and 26 runs scored.

This season Kobayashi is hitting .306 with 94 hits, 14 home runs, 42 RBIs, scored 60 runs and played in 75 games.

[Alan T]

Thursday, July 1st, 2049: June's Spotlight Falls on Rookie Star
Aaron Caster's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Chico 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 .288 with 7 doubles, no triples and 4 home runs. Caster also scored 18 times and drove in 21 runs.

This year Caster has hit at a .366 clip with 115 hits, 16 home runs, 59 RBIs and 64 runs scored.



Thursday, July 1st, 2049:Great Month Gets CL Top Rookie Trophy
The most productive Continental League rookie in June was Napa Valley's third baseman António Medina.

Last month he played in 25 games and hit .253 with 1 double, 1 triple, and 5 home runs. Medina also scored 16 times and drove in 15 runs.

In 2049 Medina is batting .235 with 13 home runs.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 07-01-2049 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Baltimore Charm 42 34 .553 - 42-34 0 21-18 21-16 5-2 10-10 86 L1 6-4 Napa Valley Winemakers 41 35 .539 1.0 45-31 -4 20-18 21-17 2-2 9-19 L2 5-5 Newark Terriers 42 37 .532 1.5 35-44 7 21-19 21-18 6-1 19-5 W1 5-5 Tokyo Cyclones 41 37 .526 2.0 39-39 2 20-16 21-21 2-3 10-11 W2 4-6 Boston Settlers 39 36 .520 2.5 38-37 1 19-20 20-16 0-0 10-8 W2 6-4 Edmonton Edge 33 45 .423 10.0 35-43 -2 17-22 16-23 1-5 6-10 L2 3-7 Apex Assassins 32 46 .410 11.0 35-43 -3 16-23 16-23 2-5 11-12 L2 6-4

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hyannis Patriots 53 26 .671 - 51-28 2 26-14 27-12 2-2 11-4 82 L2 8-2 Chico Rebels 48 28 .632 3.5 52-24 -4 26-13 22-15 1-4 8-10 W9 9-1 Hammersmith Hooligans 41 37 .526 11.5 43-35 -2 23-16 18-21 4-2 9-8 W2 6-4 Colorado Rancheros 38 37 .507 13.0 39-36 -1 18-21 20-16 4-1 8-8 W3 6-4 Hartford Harpooners 38 38 .500 13.5 38-38 0 17-21 21-17 2-4 7-10 L2 5-5 New York Heroes 37 41 .474 15.5 36-42 1 20-16 17-25 3-3 11-13 L2 1-9 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 15 63 .192 37.5 15-63 0 8-31 7-32 1-1 9-10 L10 0-10

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG A. Caster - CHI .366 2 D. Gaona COL .362 3 J. Villa BOS .361 4 R. Hernández COL .351 5 B. Tate HYN .350	League Leaders HR 3 tied with 23 1 B. Bennerman NVY 23 1 G. Burrow HYN 23 1 F. Cantú CHI 23 4 H. Okamoto NYH 21	League Leaders RBI G. Burrow - HYN 76 2 K. Hashimoto HYN 73 3 H. Okamoto NYH 70 4 J. Cannon APX 69 4 J. García CHI 69
League Leaders W J. Aitken - TOK 13 2 M. Bradford CHI 12 2 A. Moya NVY 12 4 L. Blanco CHI 10 4 4 more tied with 10	League Leaders ERA J. Holmes - HAM 1.81 2 T. Harden COL 2.40 3 S. Soethout NWK 2.42 4 C. Correa BAL 2.43 5 A. Medina NYH 2.56	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 158 2 A. Caulfield APX 138 3 J. Patterson NWK 136 4 V. Woods NWK 132 5 2 tied with 123

[Alan T]

Friday, July 2nd, 2049: Homer #400 for Hartford's Córdova
"I wasn't trying to hit a homer. I just wanted to make contact."
That's what Jorge Córdova told reporters after he made baseball history today at Harpooners Ballpark. The prolific slugger belted home run #400 in the Hartford Harpooners 6-3 victory over the New York Heroes.

The standout first baseman collected 1 hit in 5 at-bats with 3 RBI and 1 run scored.

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

During his career Córdova has played in 1695 games, batted .295 with 400 home runs and 1965 base hits.

[Alan T]

Sunday, July 4th, 2049: FOOL News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced
Once again it is time to honor the elite players in the Front Office Offseason League. The league office today announced the names of the players selected to play in the annual league All-Star classic.

Representing the Continental League:


SP A. Moya (NVY)
SP J. Aitken (TOK)
SP S. Soethout (NWK)
SP C. Correa (BAL)
SP V. Woods (NWK)
SP C. Bice (BAL)
CL A. López (NWK)
MR D. Copeland (BAL)
MR M. Chávez (NVY)
CL J. Phillips (BOS)
MR W. Stephens (BOS)
MR Y. Murakami (EDM)
CF J. Cannon (APX)
2B A. Kobayashi (BOS)
SS J. Villa (BOS)
1B J. Ledrew (BAL)
LF T. Komatsu (APX)
3B G. Fisher (NWK)
C B. Bartell (NVY)
C A. Akii-Bua (BOS)
RF Y. Rin (BOS)
CF X. Huo (EDM)
SS R. England (NWK)
CF B. Bennerman (NVY)
1B J. Martin (APX)
1B W. Aguirre (NVY)
CF L. Holland (APX)
CF M. Pagán (TOK)


Participating for the Republic League:


SP J. Holmes (HAM)
SP L. Blanco (CHI)
SP T. Harden (COL)
SP M. Bradford (CHI)
SP D. Cutler (HAR)
SP A. Medina (NYH)
MR K. Oshima (HYN)
CL I. Gil (COL)
MR P. Hlavac (HYN)
CL C. Bygrove (HAR)
CL J. Vega (NYH)
CL T. Hayagawa (HAM)
RF G. Burrow (HYN)
3B K. Hashimoto (HYN)
LF F. Cantú (CHI)
1B G. Pratt (CHI)
2B M. Martínez (ANN)
CF W. Hawkins (COL)
C F. Betancourt (HYN)
SS K. Gallagher (COL)
C R. Pavlov (CHI)
RF P. Garza (ANN)
RF H. Okamoto (NYH)
RF J. Cruden (HYN)
3B E. Watanabe (HAM)
RF A. Caster (CHI)
1B G. Pichette (NYH)
1B B. Tate (HYN)

[Alan T]

Two no-hitters in the same season!



Wednesday, July 14th, 2049: No-Hit Masterpiece by Rodríguez
It was a game that all pitchers dream about: a no-hitter.

It happened today at Charm Ballpark.

Marcos Rodríguez of the Baltimore Charm was right on target against the Napa Valley Winemakers in his 8-1 victory. He really zeroed in on them, holding them hitless with 6 strikeouts and 4 walks.

Rodríguez said he just had it all today, "Very good stuff and great location, a combination that's hard to beat."

Rodríguez has started 21 times this year, pitched 141.1 innings, fanned 72 batters and walked 30. His current record is 9 wins and 3 losses with a 4.27 ERA.

[Alan T]

Friday, July 16th, 2049: Hit #2000 for Hooligans Chávez
Hammersmith's Roberto Chávez collected his 2000th career base hit, but Hartford collected the win. The Harpooners ruined his special day by knocking off the Hooligans 8-7. The 31-year-old right fielder reached the milestone by going 1-for-4 in the game.

Chávez has compiled a career batting average of .328 with 2000 hits, 343 homers and 1268 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Monday, July 26th, 2049: #300 for Cannon
There was a big sigh of relief by Joe Cannon after he hit his 300th career homer. The Apex center fielder told BNN, "Whew. I'm glad it's over... now I can go back to just playing baseball."

It was quite a day for Cannon. He got his name in the league record books, 1 hit, 3 RBI, scored 1 run and his team, the Apex Assassins beat the Edmonton Edge 6-5.

Cannon knew it when he hit it. He raised his hands in the air, then ran the bases like a high school player clapping and grinning.

He told reporters in the post-game interview, "I was acting goofy running the bases... but it was my 300th home run."

"It was great," his manager said. "He stood there and watched it... we all did. You just felt it was coming... you just had a sense he would hit it soon... he has been having a lot of good at-bats. It was great to get it out of the way."

Cannon is hitting .283 lifetime with 1684 hits, 384 doubles, 78 triples, 300 home runs and 1104 RBIs to date. He has scored 1049 runs and stolen 405 bases.

[Alan T]

Sunday, August 1st, 2049: Chico Starter Named RL's Best Pitcher
In July Chico starter Francisco Correa mystified Republic League hitters and carried off the Pitcher of the Month honors by chalking up a 4-0 record in 5 starts.

The 35-year-old Correa added 15 strikeouts in 37.2 innings and 7 walks to his season record and compiled a 2.87 ERA. Opposing batters hit .301 against him.

This season Correa has crafted a 10-6 mark with a 3.53 ERA in 137.2 innings. Opposing clubs are batting .254 against him and he has 66 strikeouts.


Sunday, August 1st, 2049: Winemakers Starter Named July's Premier Pitcher
Diego Hernández took home the Continental League Pitcher of the Month honors in July. After all these years playing ball, the 35-year-old veteran still enjoys the game as though he'd just broken camp for the first time a month ago. He's a bit older now with a few more aches and pains, but the old man has reason to celebrate, having gone 5-0 for Napa Valley last month and claiming the Pitcher of the Month award.

He tacked up a 2.76 ERA in his 6 starts, tossing 42.1 innings and striking out 28.

Checking out his stats for the season, Hernández has registered 10 wins and 4 losses in 25 starts, 2.84 ERA and struck out 146 batters in 164.2 innings.

[Alan T]

Sunday, August 1st, 2049: Hawkins Takes Best Bat Trophy in July
In July, Colorado Rancheros center fielder Will Hawkins claimed the Republic League Batter of the Month award.

The 26-year-old swung with confidence, hitting .363 with 8 home runs, 27 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

Thus far this season Hawkins is hitting .306 with 25 home runs, 78 RBIs and 64 runs scored. He has 119 hits in 389 at-bats and has played in 99 games.


Sunday, August 1st, 2049: July's CL Batter of Month Award Announced
When guys like Boston's José Villa win Batter of the Month awards, it just makes you feel good. In a productive July, the longtime Continental League veteran toyed with opposing pitchers all month long, collecting 34 hits in 81 at-bats.

The veteran shortstop hit for a .420 batting average and collected 3 home runs, 13 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

This season Villa is swinging the bat at a .374 rate with 135 hits in 361 at-bats. To date he has hit 7 home runs, scored 60 runs and driven in 58.

[Alan T]

Sunday, August 1st, 2049: Best Republic League Newcomer Named
Aaron Caster earned July's Rookie of the Month honors in the Republic League for last month's performance. The boyish Chico right fielder might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

Caster hit .342 with 8 home runs, 24 RBIs and 22 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

So far this year Caster is hitting .360 with 24 home runs.



Sunday, August 1st, 2049: Medina Hauls in July's Best Rookie Award
António Medina was named the top rookie in the Continental League for his outstanding performance last month.

In July, the Napa Valley third baseman posted a .239 average while racking up 21 hits, 5 home runs and 14 RBIs.

This year Medina is batting .236 with 18 home runs. He has scored 55 runs and driven in 50.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 08-01-2049 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Napa Valley Winemakers 58 41 .586 - 62-37 -4 30-22 28-19 2-4 13-22 62 W2 8-2 Baltimore Charm 54 43 .557 3.0 51-46 3 25-20 29-23 6-2 16-11 W1 7-3 Boston Settlers 51 48 .515 7.0 52-47 -1 28-25 23-23 1-0 12-9 W1 6-4 Tokyo Cyclones 50 48 .510 7.5 51-47 -1 24-23 26-25 3-3 11-15 L1 4-6 Newark Terriers 49 48 .505 8.0 42-55 7 23-21 26-27 6-2 19-8 W3 3-7 Edmonton Edge 42 55 .433 15.0 45-52 -3 22-27 20-28 1-6 7-13 L1 4-6 Apex Assassins 39 60 .394 19.0 41-58 -2 20-33 19-27 4-6 14-14 L5 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Chico Rebels 68 32 .680 - 70-30 -2 30-15 38-17 3-4 11-11 55 W3 7-3 Hyannis Patriots 60 40 .600 8.0 58-42 2 27-20 33-20 2-4 13-8 L3 5-5 Hartford Harpooners 55 47 .539 14.0 54-48 1 28-27 27-20 6-7 13-13 W1 6-4 Hammersmith Hooligans 52 47 .525 15.5 52-47 0 28-21 24-26 5-2 10-11 W1 7-3 Colorado Rancheros 51 49 .510 17.0 53-47 -2 24-30 27-19 5-3 12-11 W2 4-6 New York Heroes 47 54 .465 21.5 48-53 -1 24-25 23-29 4-5 13-16 L1 3-7 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 19 83 .186 50.0 21-81 -2 10-43 9-40 3-3 11-13 L1 1-9

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. Villa - BOS .374 2 A. Caster CHI .360 3 B. Tate HYN .357 4 D. Gaona COL .351 5 R. Hernández COL .350	League Leaders HR F. Cantú - CHI 28 2 H. Okamoto NYH 27 3 B. Bennerman NVY 26 4 G. Burrow HYN 25 4 2 more tied with 25	League Leaders RBI K. Gallagher - COL 87 2 K. Hashimoto HYN 86 2 H. Okamoto NYH 86 4 G. Burrow HYN 85 5 A. Caster CHI 83
League Leaders W 2 tied with 16 1 J. Aitken TOK 16 1 A. Moya NVY 16 3 M. Bradford CHI 14 4 2 tied with 13	League Leaders ERA J. Holmes - HAM 1.74 2 C. Correa BAL 2.56 3 S. Soethout NWK 2.58 4 T. Harden COL 2.83 5 D. Hernández NVY 2.84	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 187 2 A. Caulfield APX 172 3 J. Patterson NWK 167 4 B. Keir TOK 157 5 C. Chao ANN 155

[Alan T]

Tuesday, August 3rd, 2049: Hernández Sharp in Shutout
Diego Hernández really wowed everybody at the ballpark with his 6-0 shutout victory over Apex today. The Napa Valley pitcher mystified the Assassins in a strong performance. He gave up 1 hit and totaled no walks and 9 strikeouts.

His manager said, "Diego had them chasing a lot of pitches and talking to themselves. It was something special to watch."

This year Hernández has fanned 155 in 173.2 innings and collected a 11-4 record with a 2.69 ERA.

[Alan T]

Friday, August 13th, 2049: Watanabe Makes 400 HR Mark
At Ballpark of Hammersmith Eiichi Watanabe smashed his 400th career home run in a game against Ann Arbor today. The 36-year-old third baseman had a hand in the Hammersmith Hooligans 6-5 victory with 1 home run and 3 runs batted in. For the day he went 2 hits-4 at-bats.

At the press conference after the game, Watanabe downplayed his achievement.

"Obviously, I've hit 400 home runs so I belong in that 400 club. But when you talk about the other guys that have done it, I'm not as good as they were. Those guys were the greatest of all time. I've just been able to scrape together some good years and stayed healthy and gotten there."

His career stats show that Watanabe has batted .322 and connected for 400 home runs.

[Alan T]

Saturday, August 14th, 2049: Pichette Rips HR Number 500
Gaël Pichette hit a historic home run today -- career blast number 500. "I am happy to be in such elite company. It has been quite a ride so far," Pichette said after the game.

The Heroes first baseman went 2 for 4 with 1 home run and 3 runs batted in as the New York Heroes won 9-8 over the Hartford Harpooners.

In his 1892-game career Pichette is hitting .320 with 2300 hits, 509 doubles, 18 triples and 500 home runs. He has scored 1288 runs and driven in 1612.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, August 18th, 2049: Córdova Reaches 2000
It took quite a few years to do it, but Jorge Córdova finally did it. The Harpooners first baseman swatted hit #2000 this afternoon at Harpooners Ballpark, but still came up short in the victory column. The Chico Rebels came away with a 4-2 win over Hartford. Córdova was 1-for-4 in the loss.

In his career Córdova has accumulated a .294 batting average with 2000 hits. His totals include 399 doubles, 25 triples, 406 home runs, 826 strikeouts, 1052 runs scored, 1285 RBIs and a lifetime .363 OBP.

[Tasan]

We just don't have the bullets in our gun this year. We look real average.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, September 1st, 2049: Holmes Selected RL's Best Pitcher
When Jason Holmes took the hill in August, he was in charge. The Hammersmith starter never let the Republic League batters get a foothold against him. For his peerless performance, he came away with an impressive 5-1 record and the Pitcher of the Month award.

The talented Hooligans hurler made 6 starts, worked 47.2 innings, permitted 39 base hits, and struck out 38 while putting up a 1.13 ERA.

In 26 starts this season Holmes has fashioned a 18-4 record and a 1.59 ERA.


Wednesday, September 1st, 2049: Hernández - CL's Top Starter
Diego Hernández of the Napa Valley Winemakers outdistanced his peers on the mound this month. He fashioned a fine 6-0 won-lost mark and 2.36 ERA in 7 starts to get the Continental League Pitcher of the Month honors.

Hernández had a very impressive August, finishing with 38 strikeouts in 49.2 innings and holding opposing hitters to a .201 average.

This season Hernández has gone 16-4 with an ERA of 2.73, posting 184 strikeouts in 214.1 innings.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, September 1st, 2049: Cantú Takes Home RL Top Batter Award
August's Hitter of the Month has been selected by the Republic League. This month's trophy was presented to the Chico left fielder, Félix Cantú.

He starred by hitting .429 with a .504 on-base percentage, totaled 45 hits in 105 at-bats, 6 home runs, 21 RBIs and scored 28 runs.

On the season, Cantú is batting .357 with 34 home runs and 101 RBIs. He has played in 127 games.


Wednesday, September 1st, 2049: Hankins Claims CL Batter of the Month Award
Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 32-year-old Richie Hankins put together a solid offensive month for Newark and was crowned August's top batter in the Continental League.

He batted .380 with 9 home runs, 25 RBIs and 25 runs scored.



Hankins is hitting .249 in 2049 with 18 home runs, 50 RBIs and 75 runs scored. He has 110 hits in 442 at-bats and played in 124 games.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, September 1st, 2049: Arai Wins Newcomer of the Month
Hoshi Arai earned the Republic League Rookie of the Month award for his fine play in August.

The 23-year-old Hammersmith second baseman batted .406, smacked 1 home run and drove in 15 runs. He also tagged 39 hits, scored 15 runs and picked up 5 walks for a .438 on-base percentage.

This season Arai has hit 3 home runs and posted a .344 batting average.


Wednesday, September 1st, 2049: Medina Voted August's Top CL Rookie
When it came to hitting the baseball, António Medina had few peers in the Continental League last month. The gifted third baseman for Napa Valley tagged opposing pitchers for a .320 average and was voted the Rookie of the Month for August.

Included in his stats were 32 hits, 4 homers, 15 runs scored and 22 RBIs.

In 126 games this season Medina has compiled a .254 batting average with 116 hits and 22 home runs. He has also scored 70 times and knocked in 72 runs.