FOOL 2050 Regular Season Thread!

[Alan T]

We are back on schedule after the holidays and ready for our 90th season of FOOL baseball!!

The opening pitch is in one hour!

[TeachEnEspanol]

Yayyyyyyyyyy! Happy 2010 people!

[Alan T]

Sim time! Getting exports now.

[Montreal_GM]

Excited for a mediocre season!

[TeachEnEspanol]

Originally Posted by Montreal_GM

Excited for a mediocre season!

Way to keep your eye on the prize.

[Alan T]

Friday, April 1st, 2050

Baltimore Charm: Signed free agent SP M. Rodríguez to a 1-year contract worth a total of $542,500.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed C L. Cisneros to a minor league contract extension.

Hammersmith Hooligans: Signed C K. Yamasaki to a minor league contract extension.

Colorado Rancheros: Signed RF D. Larwood to a minor league contract extension.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent MR A. Cedeño to a 1-year contract worth a total of $120,000.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent 2B V. Ortega to a 1-year contract worth a total of $265,000.

Baltimore Charm: Signed free agent C S. Hilliard to a minor league contract.

Chico Rebels: Signed free agent CF Y. Hétu to a minor league contract.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent RF C. Serrano to a minor league contract.

Thursday, March 31st, 2050

Colorado Rancheros: Signed free agent SP O. Hernández to a 2-year contract worth a total of $4,480,000.

Colorado Rancheros: Signed free agent SP J. Roa to a 2-year contract worth a total of $4,880,000.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed free agent C R. Clark to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,125,000.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed free agent 1B M. Gato to a minor league contract.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed free agent C S. Brewer to a 2-year contract worth a total of $742,500.

Tokyo Cyclones: Signed free agent SS A. Morales to a minor league contract.

Hyannis Patriots: Signed free agent RF J. Ramos to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,222,500.

New York Heroes: Signed free agent MR A. Youldon to a minor league contract.

[Alan T]

Sorry, have a salary cap issue that I'm having to deal with real quick. Then we'll get going with the season!

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 04-01-2050 Annual Baseball America Top Systems

Minor League Systems
#	Team	Points	Top 5 Prospects
1st	Apex Assassins	189	RF R. Pilgrim (2nd), P T. van der Mijl (12th), 3B A. Prieto (24th), 3B E. López (26th), P M. Tinkler (35th)
2nd	Edmonton Edge	177	CF F. Hidalgo (1st), SS R. Núñez (3rd), 3B R. García (13th), P O. Arévalo (39th), LF F. Libbinga (59th)
3rd	New York Heroes	147	P C. Ward (6th), P J. Venegas (7th), LF B. Chesley (25th), P A. Youldon (42nd), P A. López (56th)
4th	Boston Settlers	141	C F. Cantú (18th), P J. Fox (23rd), P P. Rivera (30th), LF T. Shini (40th), 3B S. Bravo (45th)
5th	Hyannis Patriots	124	3B R. Swanson (5th), C K. Yao (14th), 2B A. Martínez (34th), 3B R. Rocha (51st), P A. Torres (64th)
6th	Baltimore Charm	111	C D. Griffin (8th), LF F. Palmeiro (20th), P D. Campbell (43rd), 2B J. Aranda (65th), P A. Gutiérrez (71st)
7th	Hammersmith Hooligans	111	1B A. Joseph (11th), 1B J. Serrano (28th), C K. Yamasaki (38th), 2B Z. McClure (44th), RF J. Orozco (60th)
8th	Tokyo Cyclones	110	RF J. Brown (10th), LF H. Di (19th), RF A. Maldonado (33rd), P K. Burkett (52nd), P J. Ts'ai (69th)
9th	Newark Terriers	101	P C. Crowder (4th), LF M. Cervantes (31st), P Á. Marino (50th), P A. Díaz (61st), 2B W. Espinosa (74th)
10th	Hartford Harpooners	101	SS J. Silva (16th), CF C. Rippin (21st), RF J. Clark (22nd), P R. Grant (48th), P S. García (63rd)
11th	Colorado Rancheros	96	RF J. Oliva (17th), RF V. Sandoval (27th), C G. LeClerc (32nd), LF A. Guzmán (54th), 2B J. Sánchez (77th)
12th	Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines	68	C W. Snyder (15th), RF J. McGregor (46th), SS D. McCarthy (55th), 2B M. Koyama (66th), 3B R. Dixon (91st)
13th	Chico Rebels	65	CF L. Marés (9th), P A. García (49th), 2B T. Kokura (68th), C J. Perkins (83rd)
14th	Napa Valley Winemakers	64	2B R. Parks (29th), 3B C. Culaham (41st), 3B A. Wall (47th), 1B S. Visscher (62nd), SS K. Matsumoto (85th)

[Alan T]

Time to get this show on the road!

[Alan T]

Monday, April 18th, 2050: García Tags Number 400
400 home runs is a lot of home runs to hit. It's a number that very few players reach. Today Jaime García became a member of that exclusive club. He belted it at Rebels Ballpark against the Patriots. But sometimes milestone homers don't win the game. The powerful Chico first baseman got all of the headlines, but Hyannis came away with the victory. They beat the Rebels 8-7.

During the postgame interview he told the press, "It's a big relief to get it over. I tried not to think about it, but it's kind of hard when you have a huge sign on the scoreboard staring at you every time you step up to the plate. The home run was nice, but I would have preferred to win the game."

His batting totals for the game showed 1 hit in 5 at-bats, 1 home run and 1 RBI.

The hardworking and dedicated García also said, "I'll celebrate a little with my family tonight but not too much. This is not the last home run I will hit. I think I have a lot baseball left in me and have other goals. I'll get back to work tomorrow."

A check of his lifetime stats shows García has a career .280 average with 1579 hits, 337 doubles, 12 triples, 400 home runs and 1259 RBIs. To date he has scored 941 runs, walked 574 times and stolen 8 bases.

[Alan T]

Friday, April 22nd, 2050: Great Day for Otsuka -- 6 Hits
It was a big day for Noburo Otsuka of the Hammersmith Hooligans. He led his club to a 25-10 victory over the New York Heroes today at New York Grounds. The 23-year-old second baseman smoked Heroes pitching for 6 hits in 7 at-bats.

N. Otsuka singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, singled in the 5th, flied out in the 6th, singled in the 7th, singled in the 8th and hit a GRAND SLAM off R. Hughes in the 8th.

Thus far in 2050 Otsuka is hitting .426 with 1 home run, 11 RBIs, 10 runs scored and has compiled a .467 OBP.

[Alan T]

Sunday, May 1st, 2050: RL Honors April's #1 Pitcher
Veteran Jason Holmes put together quite a successful stretch in April for the Hammersmith Hooligans, earning himself the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

Holmes racked up a 5-1 record in 7 starts, posting a 2.72 ERA over 53 innings and striking out 48.


Sunday, May 1st, 2050: Castro Collects CL Pitching Award
In April, the premier pitcher in the Continental League was a reliever. It does happen, but not often. The Newark Terriers fine bullpen ace, José Castro stood out some much that he was picked the outstanding Pitcher of the Month by the Continental League.

The Newark reliever was extraordinary with no saves in no relief appearances, a 4-0 won-lost mark and 2.15 ERA. He worked 37.2 innings, allowed 32 hits, struck out 33 and walked 10.

[Alan T]

Sunday, May 1st, 2050: Hawkins Cops RL Batter of the Month Honors
Colorado center fielder Will Hawkins put the wraps on a fine April by capturing the Republic League Batter of the Month honors today.

He put up a .387 batting average and .427 on-base percentage last month while racking up 7 home runs, 30 RBIs, 27 runs scored and 7 walks.


Sunday, May 1st, 2050: CL Presents Batter of Month Trophy to Cannon
When guys like Edmonton's Joe Cannon win Batter of the Month awards, it just makes you feel good. In a productive April, the longtime Continental League veteran toyed with opposing pitchers all month long, collecting 31 hits in 94 at-bats.

The veteran left fielder hit for a .330 batting average and collected 9 home runs, 30 RBIs and 24 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Sunday, May 1st, 2050: RL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
António Martínez earned April's Rookie of the Month honors in the Republic League for last month's performance. The boyish Hyannis second baseman might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

Martínez hit .313 with 1 home run, 17 RBIs and 8 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.


Sunday, May 1st, 2050: Continental League Names Rookie of Month
Rob Wharton is still a bit shy, but then, who could blame the newest Continental League Rookie of the Month honoree? He hasn't been around the league long enough to fully know the ropes yet, despite the fact that he's putting up veteran-like numbers.

In April the Apex hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .357 average with 30 hits, 5 home runs and 20 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 05-01-2050 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Newark Terriers 16 10 .615 - 16-10 0 8-7 8-3 0-1 2-1 137 L2 6-4 Edmonton Edge 15 10 .600 .5 17-8 -2 7-3 8-7 1-0 4-3 W3 5-5 Apex Assassins 12 11 .522 2.5 13-10 -1 4-2 8-9 2-2 4-2 L2 4-6 Napa Valley Winemakers 12 11 .522 2.5 14-9 -2 5-6 7-5 1-2 3-3 L2 7-3 Tokyo Cyclones 12 15 .444 4.5 12-15 0 6-10 6-5 4-1 5-5 W3 6-4 Baltimore Charm 9 14 .391 5.5 7-16 2 6-8 3-6 0-1 1-3 W3 5-5 Boston Settlers 11 16 .407 5.5 9-18 2 6-9 5-7 1-2 2-4 L4 2-8

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Colorado Rancheros 18 7 .720 - 15-10 3 9-1 9-6 2-0 4-1 135 W2 6-4 Hammersmith Hooligans 17 10 .630 2.0 17-10 0 9-6 8-4 2-0 1-1 W1 5-5 Hartford Harpooners 15 12 .556 4.0 15-12 0 9-7 6-5 1-0 5-2 L1 7-3 Chico Rebels 11 12 .478 6.0 13-10 -2 3-3 8-9 0-0 2-2 L1 4-6 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 9 14 .391 8.0 10-13 -1 7-7 2-7 0-2 1-4 W1 4-6 Hyannis Patriots 8 15 .348 9.0 9-14 -1 3-8 5-7 0-2 3-4 L1 4-6 New York Heroes 9 17 .346 9.5 9-17 0 5-10 4-7 1-2 1-3 L2 4-6

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG K. Gallagher - COL .406 2 G. Fisher NWK .400 3 N. Otsuka HAM .392 4 D. Gaona COL .388 5 W. Hawkins COL .387	League Leaders HR 2 tied with 9 1 J. Cannon EDM 9 1 R. Chávez HAM 9 3 G. Brown BOS 7 3 6 more tied with 7	League Leaders RBI R. Chávez - HAM 32 2 J. Cannon EDM 30 2 W. Hawkins COL 30 4 J. Córdova HAR 29 5 G. Brown BOS 27
League Leaders W J. Holmes - HAM 5 2 J. Castro NWK 4 2 W. Conrad CHI 4 2 I. Dávila APX 4 2 3 more tied with 4	League Leaders ERA W. Conrad - CHI 1.89 2 J. Castro NWK 2.15 3 C. Joo EDM 2.35 4 J. Zúñiga NYH 2.40 5 J. Holmes HAM 2.72	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 57 2 J. Holmes HAM 48 3 C. Pérez BOS 38 3 M. Sánchez HAM 38 5 2 tied with 36

[Alan T]

Thursday, May 5th, 2050: Hit #2500 for Heroes Sánchez
Juan Sánchez started out as a baby-faced rookie many seasons ago. Yesterday at New York Grounds the New York veteran joined the league's 2500-hit club. Sánchez achieved that milestone with a 3-for-6 day in the Heroes 17-11 win over the Hyannis Patriots.

He spoke to reporters in the clubhouse after the game and said, "Looking at the list of all the great players who have done this is humbling. It is a great honor to be among them."

In his 2111-game career Sánchez is hitting .317 with 2501 hits, 619 doubles, 67 triples and 86 home runs. He has scored 1318 runs and driven in 882.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, May 10th, 2050: Hyannis Blanks Ann Arbor Behind Davies
"Sometimes I was smart... and sometimes just a little lucky." That's how Kent Davies of the Hyannis Patriots described his shutout victory over the Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines. Davies blanked them 2-0 on 2 hits while striking out 11 and walking 1.

This season in 7 starts Kent Davies has a record of 3-3 with 41 strikeouts in 45.1 innings and a 4.96 ERA.

[Alan T]

Friday, May 20th, 2050: Homer #300 for Ann Arbor's Martin
"I wasn't trying to hit a homer. I just wanted to make contact."
That's what Ernie Martin told reporters after he made baseball history today at Ann Arbor Grounds. The prolific slugger belted home run #300 in the Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 9-3 victory over the Chico Rebels.

The standout third baseman collected 2 hits in 3 at-bats with 1 run batted in and 2 runs scored.

"I guess this puts me in baseball's elite," said Martin. "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?"

Martin is batting .247 lifetime with 1221 hits, 227 doubles, 8 triples, 300 home runs, 840 RBIs to date. He has also scored 732 runs.

[Alan T]

Monday, May 23rd, 2050: Moya Reaches 250 Wins
Albert Moya of the Napa Valley Winemakers pitched his way into the exclusive 250-win club today at Ballpark of Napa Valley by stopping the Boston Settlers 12-9. In his historic outing, he surrendered 6 hits and 4 runs in 6.1 innings with 4 strikeouts and 5 walks.

With a huge grin on his face, the 38-year-old Moya told reporters after the game, "Now I got to get real busy -- and start working on my next 250 wins."

In his career Moya has 250 wins and 157 losses and a 3.14 ERA.

[Alan T]

Monday, May 23rd, 2050: Garza Belts Number 400
He has done it!
Pepillo Garza has reached the 400 home run mark. He did it today, but the Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines still dropped the game to the Chico Rebels by the score of 9-4.

"#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 Garza was 1-4 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored.

His numbers show Garza is carrying a .295 lifetime batting average with 400 home runs and 1287 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Saturday, May 28th, 2050: Elvidge Tosses Shutout
Wes Elvidge of the Hartford Harpooners shut out the Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 4-0, held them to 2 hits with no walks and 3 strikeouts. Elvidge said, "I could throw any pitch on any count."

The Ann Arbor skipper called his game a jewel, saying, "The way he was pitching, it would have been tough for anyone to beat him."

So far this season Elvidge has a 5-3 record, 10 starts, 77 innings, 33 strikeouts and a 2.81 ERA.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 1st, 2050: Gil Acclaimed Top Pitcher in May
Iván Gil 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 May and stole away with the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

The Rancheros bullpen ace collected 10 saves and 13 strikeouts in 13 innings, holding the opposition to a .234 average and posting a 1.38 ERA and a 1-0 record.

This year Gil has earned 18 saves, made 23 relief appearances, fanned 27 hitters in 23.2 innings and posted an ERA of 1.90 and a 2-0 record.

Wednesday, June 1st, 2050: Noguchi Named Top CL Hurler
Tatsuzo Noguchi of the Winemakers pretty much bewildered opposing batters in May and was honored as the Continental League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

The Napa Valley starter sparkled last month with a 5-0 record and 3.11 ERA. He made 7 starts, tossed 46.1 innings and had 42 strikeouts.

In 2050 Noguchi has posted a record of 7 wins and 3 losses with a 3.08 ERA. He has appeared in 13 games and struck out 72 in 84.2 innings.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 1st, 2050: Watanabe Crowned Batter of the Month in May
Though his face is weathered and his hands are calloused, Eiichi Watanabe can still get it done in Front Office Offseason League. In fact, the 37-year-old third baseman 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 .414 with 5 home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

Currently Watanabe has 11 home runs and a .348 batting average.


Wednesday, June 1st, 2050: Medina Earns May's Top Batter Prize in CL
Snap, crackle and pop!
In May, António Medina snapped up the Continental League Batter of the Month trophy by cracking 33 hits and popping 8 home runs.

For the month he hit a solid .303 with 27 RBIs and 21 runs scored. The Napa Valley third baseman also picked up 18 walks to compile a .400 on-base percentage.

Medina has a .323 average and a .412 on-base percentage for the year. He has picked up 65 hits, 14 home runs and driven in 44 runs.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 1st, 2050: Martínez Voted RL's #1 Rookie
António Martínez's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young Hyannis second baseman has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month.

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

During the month he hit .324 with 11 doubles, no triples and 4 home runs. Martínez also scored 15 times and drove in 23 runs.

In 2050 Martínez is batting .319 with 5 home runs.


Wednesday, June 1st, 2050: Núñez Wins Newcomer of the Month
A veritable toddler to the Continental League, Raúl Núñez just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for May.

Over the past month the 21-year-old shortstop for Edmonton hit .308 with 32 hits, no home runs and 17 runs batted in. He also logged 10 walks and compiled a .424 on-base percentage.

Núñez is currently batting .314 with 4 home runs and 30 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 06-01-2050 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Napa Valley Winemakers 28 23 .549 - 29-22 -1 13-12 15-11 3-4 4-6 111 L1 6-4 Newark Terriers 28 24 .538 .5 28-24 0 15-12 13-12 1-1 4-3 L5 5-5 Baltimore Charm 26 24 .520 1.5 22-28 4 14-12 12-12 2-3 5-4 L2 6-4 Edmonton Edge 28 26 .519 1.5 28-26 0 15-11 13-15 3-3 12-8 W2 5-5 Tokyo Cyclones 27 25 .519 1.5 30-22 -3 11-15 16-10 5-3 6-8 W3 8-2 Apex Assassins 22 28 .440 5.5 24-26 -2 10-13 12-15 3-2 5-6 W1 4-6 Boston Settlers 21 30 .412 7.0 20-31 1 10-17 11-13 2-3 5-6 L2 2-8

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Colorado Rancheros 35 19 .648 - 28-26 7 21-5 14-14 3-1 11-3 109 W1 6-4 Hammersmith Hooligans 32 19 .627 1.5 30-21 2 17-10 15-9 2-1 4-3 L1 8-2 Chico Rebels 25 25 .500 8.0 29-21 -4 13-10 12-15 1-1 3-4 L3 5-5 Hartford Harpooners 26 26 .500 8.0 26-26 0 14-12 12-14 3-0 8-4 L2 3-7 Hyannis Patriots 22 29 .431 11.5 25-26 -3 11-14 11-15 0-4 4-9 W5 6-4 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 21 29 .420 12.0 23-27 -2 14-12 7-17 0-2 3-6 W1 4-6 New York Heroes 19 33 .365 15.0 20-32 -1 10-17 9-16 2-2 2-6 W1 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG G. Pratt - CHI .390 2 G. Brown BOS .379 3 R. Chávez HAM .361 4 K. Gallagher COL .358 5 J. Sánchez NYH .352	League Leaders HR 2 tied with 15 1 J. Córdova HAR 15 1 K. Gallagher COL 15 3 O. Buitrago CHI 14 3 A. Medina NVY 14	League Leaders RBI E. Watanabe - HAM 56 2 G. Brown BOS 50 2 J. Córdova HAR 50 2 K. Gallagher COL 50 5 W. Hawkins COL 48
League Leaders W 2 tied with 8 1 W. Conrad CHI 8 1 J. Holmes HAM 8 3 T. Noguchi NVY 7 3 2 more tied with 7	League Leaders ERA J. Holmes - HAM 2.27 2 W. Conrad CHI 2.36 3 C. Joo EDM 2.66 4 J. Zúñiga NYH 2.79 5 W. Elvidge HAR 2.81	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 95 2 C. Chao ANN 78 3 J. Holmes HAM 77 4 J. Patterson NWK 76 5 M. Sánchez HAM 73

[Alan T]

Friday, June 3rd, 2050: 300 Home Runs for Gallagher
Swinging his way into the record books, Ken Gallagher reached the 300 homer mark today at Ballpark of Colorado against the Hyannis Patriots. He went 1-4 with 2 RBI and 1 run on the day, although Colorado would go down to defeat 9-4.

"It was a distraction," Gallagher said of his 300th home run, "I'm happy it's over. I just wish I'd been able to make a difference in the outcome today."

Lifetime Gallagher is hitting .297 with 1591 hits, 300 home runs, 880 runs scored and 1128 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Monday, June 6th, 2050: Ledrew Rips HR Number 300
Baltimore Charm slugging first baseman Justin Ledrew swatted his way to the 300 home run mark today as the Charm fell to the Newark 16-10.

For his part, Ledrew chipped in 2 RBI, scored 2 runs and collected 1 hit in 4 at-bats, but it was not enough to turn the tide.

"It was a special day for Justin," 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 2748-game career, Ledrew has hit at a .296 clip and collected 2846 hits with 512 doubles, 19 triples, 300 homers and 1385 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Wednesday, June 29th, 2050: Pepillo Garza Gets Hit Number 2000
It was a day of mixed emotions for Ann Arbor right fielder Pepillo Garza, who collected his 2000th hit in the club's 19-16 loss to Chico. Winged Lingerines and Rebels fans alike cheered Garza as he reached base after his milestone hit.

"I wish the score had been different," Garza said after the game, "but it was a great moment. The standing ovation was really special... even the fans wearing Rebels caps were cheering me."

Garza was 1-4 on the day.

Over his career Garza is batting .294 with 406 doubles, 49 triples, 405 home runs, 1318 RBIs and scored 1445 runs in 1856 games.

[Alan T]

Friday, July 1st, 2050: Conrad Wins RL Top Pitcher Award
An outstanding 4-0 record in June earned Walt Conrad the Pitcher of the Month Award in the Republic League. When his name was penciled in to start on the Chico lineup card, it meant trouble for opposing teams.

In 36.2 innings of work, Conrad limited opposing batters to 30 base hits and a .233 batting average. He notched 28 strikeouts, issued 7 walks and had a 2.21 ERA.

So far this season Conrad has compiled a 12-1 record with a 2.31 ERA.


Friday, July 1st, 2050: Continental League Names #1 Pitcher in June
Gijsbert van der Star's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 5-1 in June, the 32-year-old Tokyo hurler has been named Continental League Pitcher of the Month.

He fanned 20 in 41.2 innings, logged an ERA of 3.46 and allowed opponents to hit .222 against him.

This year van der Star has made 19 starts, thrown 114 innings, fanned 57 batters and walked 39. His won-lost record is 6-5 with a 4.11 ERA.

[Alan T]

Friday, July 1st, 2050: RL's #1 Batter Announced
Chico's Olímpio Buitrago had a productive June and topped it off by winning the Batter of the Month citation from the Republic League.

The 26-year-old shortstop stood out at the plate with a .411 batting average, 11 home runs, 36 RBIs and 29 runs scored.

This year Buitrago has hit at a .301 pace and produced 77 RBIs, 25 home runs and scored 60 runs.


Friday, July 1st, 2050: Beltrán Grabs CL Best Batter Award for June
Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 29-year-old Luis Beltrán put together a solid offensive month for Tokyo and was crowned June's top batter in the Continental League.

He batted .299 with 7 home runs, 24 RBIs and 19 runs scored.



In 2050 Beltrán is batting .294 with 89 hits, 16 home runs, 62 RBIs, 40 walks, .381 OBP and has scored 54 runs. He has played in 78 games.

[Alan T]

Friday, July 1st, 2050: Top Rookie of the Month Named by RL
For the last thirty days he outperformed all the other newcomers in the Republic League. So it was no surprise that Hammersmith's second baseman Juan Mozcado took the Rookie of the Month honors today.

In June he hit .389 as he ran up some impressive offensive numbers. In 16 games he collected 21 hits, 8 home runs, 18 RBIs and 15 runs scored.

Mozcado is swinging at a .326 pace on the year with 15 home runs, 34 RBIs and 33 runs scored. He has played in 42 games.


Friday, July 1st, 2050: Apex Third Baseman June's #1 Rookie
Eduardo López was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 24-year-old third baseman definitely knows how to get to first, second or beyond. Today he was chosen June's Continental League Rookie of the Month for his remarkable month of hitting.

In 26 games López batted .265 for Apex, slapping 27 hits in 102 at-bats with 6 home runs, drove in 19 runs and scored 15 times.

López is batting .282 this season in 76 games with 13 home runs, 50 RBIs and 50 runs scored. He has 86 hits in 305 at-bats.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 07-01-2050 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Napa Valley Winemakers 45 30 .600 - 46-29 -1 23-16 22-14 3-4 8-8 83 W2 6-4 Tokyo Cyclones 43 35 .551 3.5 46-32 -3 17-19 26-16 7-3 9-10 W4 6-4 Newark Terriers 42 37 .532 5.0 43-36 -1 21-19 21-18 1-1 7-7 L2 5-5 Baltimore Charm 37 41 .474 9.5 33-45 4 19-20 18-21 3-4 6-8 W1 3-7 Edmonton Edge 37 41 .474 9.5 39-39 -2 19-20 18-21 3-6 14-12 L3 5-5 Apex Assassins 34 42 .447 11.5 35-41 -1 17-22 17-20 4-2 7-8 W1 5-5 Boston Settlers 32 44 .421 13.5 28-48 4 17-21 15-23 2-3 11-9 L2 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Hammersmith Hooligans 46 30 .605 - 41-35 5 21-17 25-13 4-3 7-4 85 L1 4-6 Colorado Rancheros 46 32 .590 1.0 38-40 8 25-14 21-18 6-1 14-5 L3 5-5 Chico Rebels 44 32 .579 2.0 47-29 -3 26-13 18-19 1-4 5-5 W2 8-2 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 36 42 .462 11.0 37-41 -1 19-20 17-22 2-3 6-10 L1 7-3 Hartford Harpooners 34 44 .436 13.0 36-42 -2 16-20 18-24 3-2 9-6 W3 4-6 New York Heroes 34 45 .430 13.5 35-44 -1 17-23 17-22 5-3 6-8 L1 5-5 Hyannis Patriots 30 45 .400 15.5 35-40 -5 16-23 14-22 0-5 6-15 W1 1-9

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG R. Chávez - HAM .376 2 G. Pratt CHI .363 3 G. Brown BOS .361 4 K. Gallagher COL .356 5 G. Fisher NWK .343	League Leaders HR 2 tied with 25 1 O. Buitrago CHI 25 1 K. Gallagher COL 25 3 J. García CHI 24 4 2 tied with 20	League Leaders RBI O. Buitrago - CHI 77 2 K. Gallagher COL 75 3 R. Chávez HAM 71 3 J. García CHI 71 5 2 tied with 69
League Leaders W W. Conrad - CHI 12 2 T. Noguchi NVY 11 3 C. Bice BAL 10 3 C. Brown ANN 10 3 3 more tied with 10	League Leaders ERA W. Conrad - CHI 2.31 2 C. Joo EDM 2.63 3 S. Soethout NWK 3.02 4 J. Holmes HAM 3.11 5 W. Elvidge HAR 3.16	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 146 2 C. Chao ANN 118 3 J. Patterson NWK 115 4 V. Woods NWK 109 5 T. Noguchi NVY 106

[Alan T]

Sunday, July 3rd, 2050: New York Hurler Captures 200th Victory
History was made today at New York Grounds -- Javier Zúñiga won game #200 to seal his name in the league record books. The New York ace downed the Hyannis Patriots 2-1 to gain entrance into the elite 200 Club.

"I was wound up at first. I think I threw too hard," remarked Zúñiga, "I had to calm down and go out there and pitch... not just throw. I think I got better as the game wore on. I started to think less about 200 wins and more about doing what I had to do."

Thus far in his career, Zúñiga has 200 victories and 129 defeats with a 3.60 ERA. He has limited other teams to a .275 average.

[Alan T]

Monday, July 4th, 2050: 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 2050 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 T. Noguchi (NVY)
SP S. Soethout (NWK)
SP C. Bice (BAL)
SP V. Woods (NWK)
SP C. Joo (EDM)
SP B. Keir (TOK)
MR D. Copeland (BAL)
CL M. Chávez (NVY)
MR J. Vélez (NVY)
MR J. Phelps (TOK)
CL A. López (NWK)
CL J. Phillips (BOS)
SS G. Brown (BOS)
3B A. Medina (NVY)
1B J. Villa (BOS)
LF L. Beltrán (TOK)
CF B. Bennerman (NVY)
RF G. Burrow (EDM)
C S. Barnard (TOK)
C B. Bartell (NVY)
2B M. Martínez (EDM)
3B G. Fisher (NWK)
SS R. Núñez (EDM)
1B J. Ledrew (BAL)
CF M. Pagán (TOK)
LF R. Wharton (APX)
SS R. England (NWK)
LF J. Romo (NVY)


The Republic League roster includes the following players:


SP W. Conrad (CHI)
SP J. Holmes (HAM)
SP J. Zúñiga (NYH)
SP C. Chao (ANN)
SP C. Brown (ANN)
SP W. Elvidge (HAR)
CL I. Gil (COL)
CL J. Vega (NYH)
MR M. Hodge (ANN)
MR K. Oshima (HYN)
MR T. Mizutani (HAM)
CL V. Chavarría (HAR)
SS K. Gallagher (COL)
CF W. Hawkins (COL)
RF R. Chávez (HAM)
LF F. Cantú (CHI)
1B J. García (CHI)
3B E. Watanabe (HAM)
2B M. Martínez (ANN)
C E. Ramsey (CHI)
C R. Kawaguchi (ANN)
CF X. Huo (ANN)
SS O. Buitrago (CHI)
RF A. Caster (CHI)
3B K. Hashimoto (HYN)
1B G. Pratt (CHI)
LF J. Sánchez (NYH)
RF H. Okamoto (NYH)

[Alan T]

Friday, July 8th, 2050: Winged Lingerines Chao Earns 200th Win
His goal at twenty was to win twenty games one year, pitch until he was thirty, win the league pennant and to make some money. Well, Chua chay Chao did something even better -- the 32-year-old Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines star has now won 200 games in his career. That put him in a very select group of pitchers.

He joined that exclusive club today at Ann Arbor Grounds by whipping the Hammersmith Hooligans 4-2, holding them to 4 hits in 7 innings while chalking up 3 strikeouts and 1 walk.

In the postgame interview, the modest Chao said, "It's special to win 200 games. You don't do it by yourself. You do it with good stuff and a good bullpen. You are only as good as the guys behind you. Years from now I might look back on it and give myself a little pat on the back."

Lifetime Chao has 200 wins and 140 losses and a 4.29 ERA.

[Alan T]

Saturday, July 16th, 2050: Pérez Hurls No-Hitter
Carlos Pérez of the Settlers was standing behind the mound when the scoreboard caught his eye, confirming what he already knew... he was one out from a no-hitter. He froze... for a couple of seconds he didn't move.

"This hitter is the last one," Pérez told himself. Then he collected himself and finished one of his greatest performances ever.

The Boston hurler no-hit the Apex Assassins 15-0 at Ballpark of Boston, finishing with 0 walks and 14 strikeouts, facing only 28 batters.

Pérez admitted to the press, "I knew from the fifth inning on it was a no-hitter, but really didn't worry about it until the last out. I just wanted to win the game until then... then I wanted the no-hitter, too."

This year Pérez has 7 wins and 5 losses and a 4.05 ERA.

[Alan T]

2050's first no-hitter of the season is one year and 2 days after the previous FOOL no-hitter!

[Alan T]

Sunday, July 31st, 2050: Villa on a Tear, Hits for Cycle
"Some days everything falls in place and you have an almost perfect day."
Those were the comments from Boston first baseman José Villa today as his 4-5 day included the cycle, a baseball rarity.

"He sure was a wrecking ball today," said one teammate after the Settlers tamed the Charm 16-3 at Ballpark of Boston.

J. Villa hit a solo-shot off M. Rodríguez in the 1st, walked in the 2nd, tripled in the 3rd, hit a two-run double in the 4th, singled in the 6th and flied out in the 8th.

Villa currently has a .326 batting average with 122 hits, 11 homers, 44 RBIs, 76 runs scored and a .446 OBP.

[Alan T]

Monday, August 1st, 2050: Republic League Announces Best Starter
The top-rated pitcher this past month in the Republic League was Walt Conrad of the Chico Rebels. He really dominated league hitters, finishing July with a 5-0 won-lost mark and a 3.52 ERA.

The Rebels ace made 5 starts and surrendered 34 hits in 38.1 innings. He struck out 31 and walked 5.

Conrad has posted a 17-1 record in 2050 with a 2.63 ERA. Teams are hitting .230 against him and he has rung up 113 strikeouts in 143.2 innings.


Monday, August 1st, 2050: Aitken Is CL's Best Pitcher in July
Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Jeremy Aitken still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in July. The 33-year-old starter for Tokyo was named Continental League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 5 wins and no losses with 35 strikeouts in his 5 starts, putting up a fine 1.51 ERA in 41.2 innings of work.

In 25 starts this season Aitken has crafted a 12-6 record with a 3.83 ERA.

[Alan T]

Monday, August 1st, 2050: Red-Hot July Lands Martínez Batting Prize in RL
July was a good month for Mario Martínez. The Ann Arbor second baseman had his way with opposing pitchers all month while posting a .416 batting average and was selected as the Republic League Batter of the Month.

Last month Martínez put up some solid numbers: 3 home runs, 19 RBIs, 19 runs scored and a .522 on-base percentage.

This year Martínez is hitting .344 with 137 hits, 13 home runs, 65 RBIs and has scored 71 runs.


Monday, August 1st, 2050: Joe Cannon is July's #1 Hitter in CL
Joe Cannon battered Continental League pitchers all July 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 34-year-old Cannon 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 18 games, Cannon hit .387 with 7 home runs, 21 RBIs and scored 20 runs.

This season Cannon is hitting .278 with 20 home runs.

[Alan T]

Monday, August 1st, 2050: Red-Hot Rookie Rewarded in July
John Clark earned the Republic League Rookie of the Month award for his fine play in July.

The 26-year-old Hartford right fielder batted .291, smacked 3 home runs and drove in 11 runs. He also tagged 25 hits, scored 18 runs and picked up 10 walks for a .408 on-base percentage.

This season Clark is hitting .248 with 98 hits, 10 home runs, 39 RBIs, scored 61 runs and played in 99 games.


Monday, August 1st, 2050: López in a Class by Himself
A boyish Eduardo López emerged as the latest Continental League Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Apex deserved the honor, batting .282 with 4 home runs and 17 runs batted in. Is the month of July a harbinger of things to come or just a fluke? We'll find out someday, but for now, we'll just let López enjoy the limelight.

This year López has hit at a .282 clip with 110 hits, 17 home runs, 67 RBIs and 63 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Front Office Offseason League 08-01-2050 Standings Report

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Napa Valley Winemakers 59 40 .596 - 62-37 -3 31-22 28-18 5-5 11-11 61 W1 3-7 Tokyo Cyclones 55 43 .561 3.5 57-41 -2 23-24 32-19 7-4 12-11 L1 6-4 Newark Terriers 51 46 .526 7.0 53-44 -2 22-22 29-24 2-4 9-10 L1 6-4 Edmonton Edge 49 48 .505 9.0 50-47 -1 25-24 24-24 5-7 17-12 L2 4-6 Apex Assassins 43 54 .443 15.0 45-52 -2 21-24 22-30 6-5 10-14 W2 7-3 Baltimore Charm 44 55 .444 15.0 40-59 4 24-29 20-26 5-4 9-11 L1 4-6 Boston Settlers 42 57 .424 17.0 40-59 2 23-29 19-28 3-4 13-12 W2 5-5

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Chico Rebels 58 42 .580 - 60-40 -2 30-15 28-27 2-4 10-8 63 W2 5-5 Colorado Rancheros 57 42 .576 .5 48-51 9 31-18 26-24 6-1 18-10 L3 5-5 Hammersmith Hooligans 56 46 .549 3.0 55-47 1 28-27 28-19 4-3 9-6 L4 3-7 Ann Arbor Winged Lingerines 52 50 .510 7.0 52-50 0 28-25 24-25 3-3 10-13 W4 6-4 New York Heroes 46 54 .460 12.0 45-55 1 22-25 24-29 6-4 11-12 L2 6-4 Hartford Harpooners 46 55 .455 12.5 48-53 -2 24-25 22-30 4-3 15-8 W2 5-5 Hyannis Patriots 37 63 .370 21.0 43-57 -6 21-33 16-30 0-7 8-24 W1 5-5

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG 2 tied with .361 1 G. Brown BOS .361 1 G. Pratt CHI .361 3 R. Chávez HAM .355 4 W. Hawkins COL .349	League Leaders HR J. García - CHI 32 2 O. Buitrago CHI 30 2 K. Gallagher COL 30 4 A. Medina NVY 27 5 W. Hawkins COL 24	League Leaders RBI O. Buitrago - CHI 99 2 K. Gallagher COL 96 3 J. García CHI 93 3 E. Watanabe HAM 93 5 2 tied with 91
League Leaders W W. Conrad - CHI 17 2 T. Noguchi NVY 13 2 V. Woods NWK 13 2 J. Zúñiga NYH 13 5 3 tied with 12	League Leaders ERA W. Conrad - CHI 2.63 2 C. Joo EDM 2.67 3 S. Soethout NWK 3.04 4 J. Zúñiga NYH 3.05 5 T. Noguchi NVY 3.21	League Leaders K J. Aitken - TOK 181 2 C. Chao ANN 149 3 J. Patterson NWK 146 4 J. Holmes HAM 144 5 V. Woods NWK 138

[Alan T]

Saturday, August 6th, 2050: Okamoto Launches Number 600
New York right fielder Hitomaro Okamoto blasted himself into an elite group of baseball players. Today he joined the exclusive 600 home run club in the Heroes 7-3 loss to the Hartford Harpooners.

"As soon as I hit it, I knew it was gone. I was happy to move on. Now I can go and have some fun. It is a weight lifted off my shoulders," Okamoto told the press. He admitted just how much pressure he had been feeling. "Especially every time you'd get out of the hotel, everybody would say, 'Hey, when are you going to hit it?'"

In his milestone game, Okamoto went 3-for-4 with 3 runs batted in and 1 run scored.

Lifetime Okamoto has compiled a .324 batting average and collected 3127 hits, 600 home runs and 1891 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Okamoto is only the second player in FOOL history with 600 Home Runs for his career! He ends the month of August with 608 home runs which ties him for the all time Home run lead with former Boston great Daniel Gil!!

[Alan T]

Saturday, August 20th, 2050: Hartford Halts Martínez's Hitting Steak
Winged Lingerines second baseman Mario Martínez and his hot bat finally met their match today, ending his 36-game hitting string. The Harpooners held Martínez hitless in 2 at-bats and also whipped Ann Arbor 5-2 at Ann Arbor Grounds.

Martínez is batting .344 with 14 home runs and 73 RBIs this season.

[Alan T]

Martinez' 36 game hit streak is the first 30+ game hit streak in FOOL in the last 6 seasons, and the longest since Sandro Dimeceli hit in 40 streaight games 16 seasons ago!