FOOL-X 1996 Regular Season

[Alan T]

Kicking this off in about 15-20 minutes or so. Going to be a busy day for me, so have to fly through this one fairly quickly this morning.

[Alan T]

ok sim time, getting exports now!

[CleBrownsfan]

Good luck ya'll

[Chief Rum]

Hey Alan,

I am guessing you'll miss my late PM. If you can still do what's in there, thanks. If not, don't sweat it. Thanks.

[Alan T]

Ok, got one team 15 million over the cap, and another with way too many players, so going to take me a little bit. My conference call starts in 40 minutes, so time is tight today

[CleBrownsfan]

Come on guys - get it together - especially for Alan's sake.

[Alan T]

Thursday, April 4th, 1996

Ann Arbor Wolverines: Signed SP S. Chon to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $12,440,880.

Cleveland Naps: Signed CF R. Pacheco to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $4,226,000.

Wednesday, April 3rd, 1996

Cleveland Naps: Signed SS P. Estrada to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $3,229,000.

Chicago Cardinals: Signed free agent CF S. Austin to a 1-year contract worth a total of $330,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent CF C. Wulms to a 2-year contract worth a total of $8,712,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent MR M. Joseph to a 1-year contract worth a total of $900,000.

Indianapolis Clowns: Signed free agent SP Á. Ibarra to a minor league contract.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent MR J. Moffatt to a 1-year contract worth a total of $400,000.

Mexico City Aztecs: Signed free agent SS W. Shelton to a 2-year contract worth a total of $2,136,000.

Cleveland Naps: Signed 2B T. Ow to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $2,766,000.

Cleveland Naps: Signed SP J. Duncan to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $9,709,000.

Spring Lions: Signed 1B J. Tañón to a 3-year contract extension worth a total of $19,158,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed 3B A. Betancourt to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $5,300,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent RF A. Carlisle to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,800,000.

Chicago Cardinals: Signed free agent CF F. Juárez to a minor league contract.

Indianapolis Clowns: Signed MR R. Valéncia to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $3,858,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent MR P. López to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,000,000.

Chicago Cardinals: Signed free agent CF J. Serrano to a minor league contract.

[Alan T]

Ok, all set. time to get this rolling. Good luck all

[Alan T]

Red-Hot Buck Cools off Ann Arbor
Wednesday, April 10th, 1996: In an outstanding outing, Ted Buck tamed Ann Arbor on a 2-hit shutout. The Spring hurler went the distance, finishing with 6 strikeouts and 3 walks in the 6-0 win.

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

[Alan T]

200 Victories for Alfredo Saldaña
Wednesday, April 10th, 1996: Alfredo Saldaña entered the record books today as he collected win number 200 at Ballpark of Cleveland.

"Wow! This is a pretty select group of pitchers. I am honored and thrilled to be in it," Saldaña said after the game. "I never dreamed of winning this many games."

In his historic outing he went 6 innings and gave up no runs on 4 hits. Saldaña also had 7 strikeouts and 1 walk as his Cleveland Naps topped the Maricopa Rattlers 5-2.

In his career Saldaña has compiled an ERA of 3.43 with 200 victories and 101 defeats and has held opponents to a .243 batting average.

[Alan T]

Clark Acclaimed Top Pitcher in April
Wednesday, May 1st, 1996: Veteran Stephen Clark put together quite a successful stretch in April for the New York Legends, earning himself the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

Clark racked up a 4-1 record in 6 starts, posting a 2.76 ERA over 42.1 innings and striking out 25.


Johnston Wins CL Top Pitcher Award
Wednesday, May 1st, 1996: Greg Johnston's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 4-1 in April, the 30-year-old Boston hurler has been named Continental League Pitcher of the Month.

He fanned 27 in 36.1 innings, logged an ERA of 1.98 and allowed opponents to hit .192 against him.

[Alan T]

Cumberland's Ramos Bags RL Batting Award
Wednesday, May 1st, 1996: When Pedro Ramos stepped up to the plate in April, he did it with confidence and today he was honored with the Republic League Batter of the Month award.

The young Cumberland left fielder posted a .361 batting average with 11 home runs, 18 RBIs and scored 24 runs. Ramos also worked pitchers for 17 walks to post a .452 on-base percentage.


CL Best Hitter Trophy Goes to Bélanger
Wednesday, May 1st, 1996: Guillaume Bélanger, the Washington right fielder, certainly made a name for himself this past month. He banged out a .410 batting average with 43 hits, 12 home runs, 41 RBIs and scored 29 times.

That kind of hitting earned him the Continental League Batter of the Month honors for April.

[Alan T]

RL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
Wednesday, May 1st, 1996: Ben Caldwell's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young New York right fielder has been hitting everything in sight for the better part of a month.

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

During the month he hit .333 with 3 doubles, no triples and 9 home runs. Caldwell also scored 22 times and drove in 24 runs.


Continental League Names Rookie of Month
Wednesday, May 1st, 1996: De-wei Li 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 Balzac hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .330 average with 33 hits, 7 home runs and 17 RBIs.

[Alan T]

May 1st, 1996:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Boston Resettlers 21 7 .750 - 17-11 4 16-3 5-4 1-1 9-1 135 W2 9-1 Washington Freedom 21 7 .750 - 21-7 0 8-4 13-3 1-0 3-3 135 L1 9-1 Indianapolis Clowns 15 12 .556 5.5 14-13 1 7-2 8-10 0-2 5-4 W1 7-3 Mexico City Aztecs 15 12 .556 5.5 14-13 1 5-4 10-8 2-1 2-3 L3 5-5 Chicago Cardinals 10 17 .370 10.5 10-17 0 7-9 3-8 1-1 3-4 W1 2-8 Havana Banana Sluggers 10 17 .370 10.5 12-15 -2 7-7 3-10 1-0 3-5 W2 3-7 Stafford Terriers 10 17 .370 10.5 10-17 0 2-8 8-9 1-1 3-5 L1 3-7 Balzac Ticklers 8 21 .276 13.5 11-18 -3 8-13 0-8 1-2 2-5 L7 2-8

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Spring Lions 19 10 .655 - 19-10 0 13-8 6-2 1-3 3-5 133 W1 7-3 New York Legends 16 11 .593 2.0 13-14 3 9-5 7-6 1-1 3-3 L1 7-3 Ann Arbor Wolverines 14 13 .519 4.0 13-14 1 6-4 8-9 3-2 5-2 L1 6-4 Cleveland Naps 14 13 .519 4.0 13-14 1 5-4 9-9 2-2 8-5 W1 6-4 Portland Axemen 14 13 .519 4.0 15-12 -1 9-7 5-6 1-0 2-4 W1 5-5 Virginia Beach Surf 12 16 .429 6.5 13-15 -1 5-7 7-9 0-2 3-5 W2 3-7 Cumberland Defenders 11 17 .393 7.5 13-15 -2 7-12 4-5 1-0 3-3 L1 3-7 Maricopa Rattlers 10 17 .370 8.0 10-17 0 5-4 5-13 1-0 3-3 L5 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG S. Herrera - WAS .435 2 G. Bélanger WAS .410 3 R. Cedeño NY .381 4 B. Jenkins WAS .373 5 S. Moreno STA .368	League Leaders HR F. Chartrand - WAS 13 2 G. Bélanger WAS 12 3 E. Danton ANN 11 3 P. Ramos CMB 11 5 2 tied with 10	League Leaders RBI F. Chartrand - WAS 50 2 G. Bélanger WAS 41 3 E. Danton ANN 29 4 A. Balderas VIR 27 4 V. Reed SPG 27
League Leaders W R. Ts'ong - BOS 5 2 S. Clark NY 4 2 C. Concepción MEX 4 2 J. Gil WAS 4 2 2 more tied with 4	League Leaders ERA T. Kramer - BOS 1.77 2 J. Gómez BOS 1.93 3 G. Johnston BOS 1.98 4 A. Saldaña CLE 2.09 5 A. Braund STA 2.20	League Leaders K D. Vaughn - SPG 48 2 G. Wilson CMB 45 3 L. Campbell POR 44 4 J. Morán POR 42 5 J. Duncan CLE 40

[Montreal_GM]

Probably going to be middle of the pack all year with some late season suckage to secure a top 5 pick.

[Alan T]

Moreno Gets Number 2000
Wednesday, May 8th, 1996: Pedro Moreno's bat made good contact with the ball as he has many times in his career, but this time it added his name to an elite list of players with 2000 hits. The Chicago right fielder went to the plate 5 times and racked up 1 hit to gain the honor. But the Cardinals couldn't pull off a win -- they fell to the Indianapolis Clowns, 11-4.

During his career Moreno has played in 1655 games, batted .308 with 239 home runs and 2000 base hits.

[Alan T]

Maricopa's Hernández RL Top Pitcher
Saturday, June 1st, 1996: Roberto Hernández is at the zenith of his career and today he was selected as the Republic League Pitcher of the Month for May.

He made 12 relief appearances for Maricopa last month, throwing 17.2 innings and collecting 3 saves, a 4-0 record, 20 strikeouts and a 0.51 ERA.

To date, Hernández has 8 saves. In 21 relief appearances he has tossed 27.1 innings, fanned 33 and given up 7 walks with 5 wins and no losses. The Maricopa reliever has recorded a 0.33 ERA and allowed the opposition to hit .132 when he on the mound.


May's Top Hurler is López
Saturday, June 1st, 1996: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, José López still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in May. The 33-year-old starter for Washington was named Continental League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 5 wins and no losses with 20 strikeouts in his 5 starts, putting up a fine 1.30 ERA in 34.2 innings of work.

This year López has gone 9-1 with an ERA of 2.31 and has 49 strikeouts in 70 innings.

[Alan T]

Ann Arbor's Dunbar Collects May Batting Honor
Saturday, June 1st, 1996: When guys like Ann Arbor's Shawn Dunbar win Batter of the Month awards, it just makes you feel good. In a productive May, the longtime Republic League veteran toyed with opposing pitchers all month long, collecting 41 hits in 118 at-bats.

The veteran first baseman hit for a .347 batting average and collected 10 home runs, 28 RBIs and 19 runs scored.

In 56 games this year Dunbar has posted a .329 average and put up these numbers: 13 home runs, 42 RBIs and 35 runs scored.


Cantú Grabs CL Best Batter Award for May
Saturday, June 1st, 1996: Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 32-year-old Esteban Cantú put together a solid offensive month for Havana and was crowned May's top batter in the Continental League.

He batted .360 with 5 home runs, 20 RBIs and 26 runs scored.



Thus far this year Cantú is batting .344 with 7 home runs, 35 RBIs and 39 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Caldwell Selected May's Top RL Rookie
Saturday, June 1st, 1996: A veritable toddler to the Republic League, Ben Caldwell just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for May.

Over the past month the 24-year-old right fielder for New York hit .350 with 41 hits, 8 home runs and 22 RBI. He also logged 9 walks and compiled a .391 on-base percentage.

For the season Caldwell is currently batting .342 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs. In 55 games he has reached base at a .394 rate and scored 44 runs to date.


Stafford Catcher May's Best Rookie
Saturday, June 1st, 1996: Cory West was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 20-year-old catcher 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 28 games West batted .293 for Stafford, slapping 29 hits in 99 at-bats with 1 home run, drove in 20 runs and scored 16 times.

To date this season West is hitting .262 with 1 home run.

[Alan T]

June 1st, 1996:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Boston Resettlers 41 14 .745 - 36-19 5 22-3 19-11 1-1 14-5 105 W4 8-2 Washington Freedom 36 17 .679 4.0 34-19 2 19-11 17-6 3-1 10-4 W5 6-4 Indianapolis Clowns 30 26 .536 11.5 31-25 -1 16-11 14-15 0-3 9-8 L2 5-5 Mexico City Aztecs 27 28 .491 14.0 28-27 -1 15-13 12-15 2-4 5-7 L2 5-5 Stafford Terriers 26 30 .464 15.5 26-30 0 10-15 16-15 2-2 5-10 W3 5-5 Chicago Cardinals 24 31 .436 17.0 26-29 -2 13-14 11-17 4-1 7-8 W1 6-4 Havana Banana Sluggers 20 35 .364 21.0 24-31 -4 12-14 8-21 2-3 4-12 L9 1-9 Balzac Ticklers 17 40 .298 25.0 19-38 -2 10-23 7-17 3-2 7-7 L1 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Spring Lions 37 20 .649 - 36-21 1 20-13 17-7 2-3 7-9 102 W2 6-4 New York Legends 31 24 .564 5.0 27-28 4 14-12 17-12 1-4 9-9 W1 7-3 Cleveland Naps 29 26 .527 7.0 31-24 -2 14-14 15-12 3-3 11-9 W1 7-3 Ann Arbor Wolverines 27 29 .482 9.5 28-28 -1 12-13 15-16 4-3 7-6 L1 3-7 Cumberland Defenders 26 29 .473 10.0 27-28 -1 9-16 17-13 3-2 8-7 L2 6-4 Virginia Beach Surf 25 28 .472 10.0 24-29 1 13-17 12-11 1-2 6-7 L2 4-6 Maricopa Rattlers 25 31 .446 11.5 24-32 1 13-14 12-17 4-2 10-6 W4 6-4 Portland Axemen 21 34 .382 15.0 24-31 -3 12-15 9-19 2-1 6-11 L4 1-9

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG S. Herrera - WAS .409 2 S. Moreno STA .385 3 G. Bélanger WAS .362 3 B. Jenkins WAS .362 5 B. Moore BOS .351	League Leaders HR P. Ramos - CMB 21 2 F. Chartrand WAS 20 3 E. Danton ANN 18 4 G. Bélanger WAS 17 4 B. Caldwell NY 17	League Leaders RBI F. Chartrand - WAS 68 2 G. Bélanger WAS 61 3 V. Reed SPG 49 4 C. Combs CLE 47 5 B. Caldwell NY 46
League Leaders W J. López - WAS 9 2 J. Gómez BOS 7 2 F. Jordan IND 7 4 B. Agámez BOS 6 4 8 more tied with 6	League Leaders ERA 2 tied with 2.10 1 G. Wilson CMB 2.10 1 T. Kramer BOS 2.10 3 A. Saldaña CLE 2.18 4 J. Gómez BOS 2.27	League Leaders K J. Duncan - CLE 91 2 G. Wilson CMB 87 3 L. Campbell POR 83 4 D. Vaughn SPG 81 5 W. Ramírez SPG 78

[Chief Rum]

I expected to suck. Glad my ability to correctly predict my season is still in place.

[Alan T]

Razor-Sharp Wilson Blanks New York
Tuesday, June 11th, 1996: Cumberland was pleased to see so many goose eggs up on the scoreboard today as George Wilson blanked New York 7-0. He stopped them on 2 hits with 1 walk and 8 strikeouts.

His skipper said, "Once he gets in a groove, he can be dynamite. He was on top of his game in this one."

This season Wilson has crafted a 8-0 mark with a 1.82 ERA in 104 innings. Opposing clubs are batting .179 against him and he has 108 strikeouts.

[Alan T]

Joaquín Hernando Tames Virginia Beach 3-1 for #200
Sunday, June 23rd, 1996: Joaquín Hernando of the Cumberland Defenders pitched his way into the exclusive 200-win club today at Cumberland Stadium by stopping the Virginia Beach Surf 3-1. In his historic outing, he surrendered 5 hits and 1 run in 7.2 innings with 9 strikeouts and 1 walk.

With a huge grin on his face, the 38-year-old Hernando told reporters after the game, "Now I got to get real busy -- and start working on my next 200 wins."

Lifetime Hernando has registered a 200-189 record with a 4.93 ERA.

[Alan T]

RL Selects Wilson June's Top Starter
Monday, July 1st, 1996: The Republic League made it official today -- George Wilson of the Cumberland Defenders is the Pitcher of the Month. In June he impressed the sportswriters with his domination of league hitters.

Wilson made 6 starts, registered 5 wins and 1 loss with a solid 2.22 ERA. In 44.2 innings he allowed 29 hits, racked up 39 strikeouts, walked 7 and permitted teams to hit .176 against him.

On his stats sheet this season Wilson shows a 10-1 record, 17 starts, 126 innings, 126 strikeouts and a 2.14 ERA.


Freedom García Named CL's Best Pitcher
Monday, July 1st, 1996: When Sergio García takes the mound, a Washington victory is usually the result. At least that's the way it was in June.

He excelled with a 5-1 mark and a 2.25 ERA in 6 starts, tossed 36 innings, fanned 23 and held opposing batters to a .248 average.

That's why the Freedom starter was honored today as the Pitcher of the Month by the Continental League.

In 16 starts this season, García has recorded 9 wins and absorbed 3 losses. He has pitched 82 innings, allowed 76 hits, struck out 54 and has a 4.28 ERA.

[Alan T]

Colón Snags RL Batting Honor in June
Monday, July 1st, 1996: When it came to hitting the baseball, Francisco Colón had few Republic League peers in June. The right fielder for Portland mauled opposing pitchers for a .391 batting average and was voted the league's best batter for the month.

He finished with some strong stats: 8 home runs, 22 RBIs, 19 runs scored, 9 walks and a .462 on-base percentage.

Colón is currently batting .306 with 17 home runs, 41 RBIs and 39 runs scored. He has 64 hits in 209 at-bats.


CL Honors Bélanger, #1 Batter in June
Monday, July 1st, 1996: Guillaume Bélanger has been the model of consistency over the past month and has been a tough out, claiming the Continental League Batter of the Month trophy for June.

The Washington right fielder hit .275 with 14 home runs, 31 RBIs and 24 runs scored. He was also walked 14 times and posted a .356 on-base percentage.

This year Bélanger has 31 home runs and a .332 batting average.

[Alan T]

Colón Voted June's Top RL Rookie
Monday, July 1st, 1996: In June, budding star Francisco Colón 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 .391 with 3 doubles, no triples and 8 home runs. Colón also scored 19 times and drove in 22 runs.

This year Colón is batting .306 with 64 hits, 17 home runs, 41 RBIs, 18 walks, .357 OBP and has scored 39 runs.



Li Wins CL Rookie Award
Monday, July 1st, 1996: De-wei Li earned June's Rookie of the Month honors in the Continental League for last month's performance. The boyish Balzac center fielder might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

Li hit .297 with 9 home runs, 17 RBIs and 23 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

This season Li has banged out 84 hits in 273 at-bats for a .308 average with 21 home runs. He is getting on base at a .348 pace and his totals also include 47 RBIs and 62 runs scored.

[Alan T]

July 1st, 1996:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Boston Resettlers 57 26 .687 - 53-30 4 32-9 25-17 3-1 20-11 78 W2 3-7 Washington Freedom 53 28 .654 3.0 51-30 2 24-18 29-10 3-1 14-6 W3 8-2 Indianapolis Clowns 43 40 .518 14.0 43-40 0 22-21 21-19 1-4 13-10 W1 6-4 Havana Banana Sluggers 37 45 .451 19.5 38-44 -1 21-18 16-27 4-3 13-16 L1 7-3 Chicago Cardinals 37 46 .446 20.0 38-45 -1 19-24 18-22 6-2 10-12 W2 3-7 Mexico City Aztecs 36 46 .439 20.5 40-42 -4 18-19 18-27 2-6 7-16 L2 5-5 Stafford Terriers 37 47 .440 20.5 37-47 0 15-23 22-24 2-3 7-14 L2 3-7 Balzac Ticklers 31 53 .369 26.5 33-51 -2 18-30 13-23 3-4 11-10 L3 6-4

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Spring Lions 51 33 .607 - 52-32 -1 28-20 23-13 2-4 9-11 76 L1 5-5 New York Legends 46 36 .561 4.0 42-40 4 23-16 23-20 1-4 12-12 L1 5-5 Cumberland Defenders 43 40 .518 7.5 43-40 0 18-23 25-17 3-2 10-9 L1 5-5 Portland Axemen 40 43 .482 10.5 42-41 -2 23-20 17-23 4-5 12-15 W1 6-4 Virginia Beach Surf 39 42 .481 10.5 37-44 2 19-23 20-19 1-2 7-9 W1 5-5 Cleveland Naps 39 43 .476 11.0 40-42 -1 18-19 21-24 5-4 12-11 L1 2-8 Maricopa Rattlers 37 46 .446 13.5 35-48 2 21-22 16-24 7-3 16-8 W1 6-4 Ann Arbor Wolverines 36 48 .429 15.0 40-44 -4 16-22 20-26 4-3 10-13 W1 5-5

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG S. Herrera - WAS .388 2 S. Moreno STA .371 3 E. Cantú HBS .347 4 R. Cedeño NY .341 5 G. Bélanger WAS .332	League Leaders HR G. Bélanger - WAS 31 2 E. Danton ANN 29 3 F. Chartrand WAS 27 4 P. Ramos CMB 25 5 C. Adams HBS 24	League Leaders RBI 2 tied with 92 1 G. Bélanger WAS 92 1 F. Chartrand WAS 92 3 B. Liriano VIR 69 4 V. Rodríguez WAS 68
League Leaders W J. López - WAS 11 2 S. Clark NY 10 2 G. Johnston BOS 10 2 G. Wilson CMB 10 5 3 tied with 9	League Leaders ERA G. Wilson - CMB 2.14 2 C. Concepción MEX 2.76 3 G. Johnston BOS 2.86 4 A. Saldaña CLE 2.93 5 J. Gómez BOS 3.17	League Leaders K L. Campbell - POR 127 2 G. Wilson CMB 126 3 J. Duncan CLE 121 4 D. Vaughn SPG 112 5 B. Agámez BOS 111

[Alan T]

400th Save for Jake McKay, Stafford Downs Mexico City 7-6
Tuesday, July 2nd, 1996: "He's one of the best in the business and this milestone proves it," the Stafford Terriers manager told BNN after Jake McKay closed out another Terriers win for his 400th-career save. "It's not always pretty, but the man just knows how to get his job done." The 32-year-old relief specialist gave up no runs and no hits in 1 innings of work in the Terriers 7-6 triumph over the Mexico City Aztecs. The game was played at Constitution Plaza.

McKay has logged 400 career saves, struck out 915 batters, and compiled a 2.62 ERA. He has 46 wins and 49 losses.

[Alan T]

McKay is only the 5th closer with 400 saves in FOOl-X history

[Alan T]

Clowns Jordan Claims 200th Victory
Friday, July 5th, 1996: Indianapolis's Floyd Jordan took the hill at Memorial Stadium today in search of his 200th career win.
The 38-year-old ace found it against the Washington Freedom.

After the historic victory, his manager told reporters, "I saw a tremendous sigh of relief when this thing was over. He was just looking to hug everyone in sight."

He worked 6 innings with 4 strikeouts and 1 walk in the 4-2 victory, checking Washington on 7 hits.

"It a big milestone in my career," admitted Jordan. "When you get close to it, you worry about it a lot. It's done now... and I can relax and enjoy it."

Since his debut in the league, Jordan has posted 200 victories and 164 defeats with an ERA of 4.74.

[Alan T]

FOOLX News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced
Sunday, July 7th, 1996: Nothing is for certain about the 1996 FOOL-X All-Star Game. It may be dominated by top-notch pitching performances. Or it could turn into a home run derby. Who knows? Pitch by pitch, inning by inning, the game could feature a little of both -- six strikeouts in a row by a nasty southpaw -- or a 3-homer day for some superstar slugger -- plus great catches, thrills, chills and spills -- all the great and the unexpected things that can happen in a baseball game.

This year, the Continental League will be represented by these All-Star performers:
SP T. Kramer (BOS)
SP G. Johnston (BOS)
SP B. Agámez (BOS)
SP J. López (WAS)
SP J. Trevino (IND)
SP J. Gómez (BOS)
CL J. McKay (STA)
MR M. Dunn (BOS)
MR R. Marino (IND)
CL E. Andrews (CHI)
SP S. García (WAS)
MR P. Marín (MEX)
CF S. Herrera (WAS)
RF G. Bélanger (WAS)
LF E. Puente (IND)
1B F. Chartrand (WAS)
C M. Libbinga (IND)
C C. Adams (HBS)
SS R. Toro (STA)
2B J. Gould (STA)
3B B. Crowley (BOS)
CF S. Moreno (STA)
LF E. Cantú (HBS)
LF B. Moore (BOS)
1B S. Hodge (STA)
CF D. Li (BAL)
2B M. Pinentel (IND)
SS D. Tinker (WAS)
.

While the Republic League best will be these stars:
SP G. Wilson (CMB)
SP I. Estrada (NY)
SP A. Saldaña (CLE)
SP D. Vaughn (SPG)
SP S. Clark (NY)
SP W. Ramírez (SPG)
CL C. Evans (CLE)
CL L. Harris (NY)
CL G. Ames (VIR)
MR D. Bausi (SPG)
MR J. Pérez (SPG)
CL J. Somers (ANN)
LF P. Ramos (CMB)
RF B. Caldwell (NY)
C E. Danton (ANN)
1B S. Dunbar (ANN)
SS C. González (CMB)
C J. Júlio (SPG)
3B R. Cedeño (NY)
CF D. St.john (NY)
2B B. Walker (MAR)
1B Á. Fernández (POR)
LF V. Reed (SPG)
1B L. Torres (NY)
SS C. Cantrell (CMB)
RF C. Combs (CLE)
SS N. Garrone (POR)
LF B. Liriano (VIR)
.

The only thing for certain is that, with this group of fine all-stars, the fans will really enjoy the show.

[Alan T]

Cedeño Bashes 6 Base Hits
Thursday, July 25th, 1996: It was high-5 day at Ann Arbor Grounds, at least for Ricardo Cedeño of the New York Legends. He got a lot of high-5's from his teammates for his outstanding hitting against the Ann Arbor Wolverines. Cedeño smashed 6 hits in 7 at-bats on his record-setting day, leading his club to a 20-2 win.

His manager said, "Ricardo was hitting everything. It really was a special game for him."

In the other dugout the opposing manager told BNN beat writers, "He ambushed my boys today. Obviously we didn't have much success against him, but luckily, tomorrow is another day. Hopefully it will be our day to shine."

R. Cedeño singled in the 1st, hit an RBI single in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, doubled in the 5th, struck out in the 7th, singled in the 8th and hit a three-run double in the 9th.

This year Cedeño has hit 6 home runs and posted a .349 batting average.

[Alan T]

Hit #2500 for Aztecs Tobor
Friday, July 26th, 1996: Juan Tobor of the Mexico City Aztecs earned his membership in the exclusive 2500-hit club this afternoon at Estadio Azteca. The 38-year-old left fielder got his milestone hit in the Aztecs 8-5 triumph over the Indianapolis Clowns. Tobor went 1-2 for the game.

Tobor has played in 2262 games and is hitting .312 lifetime with 1073 RBIs, 2500 hits, 511 doubles, 70 triples and 177 home runs. He has scored 1466 times and stolen 89 bases.

[Alan T]

Harris Is RL's Best Pitcher in July
Thursday, August 1st, 1996: It was a productive month of July for New York reliever Luis Harris. He put up some impressive figures with 8 saves in 11 save opportunities -- figures so impressive that the Republic League chose him as its Pitcher of the Month.

During the month, the Legends bullpen specialist chalked up 3 wins and no losses while compiling a 4.63 ERA. In 11.2 innings Luis Harris yielded 13 base hits, struck out 0 and walked 6. Opposing batters hit .265 against him.

For the year Harris has nailed down 28 saves. In 57.2 innings he has fanned 68 batters and walked 17. His record is 6-4 with a 4.06 ERA and the opposition is batting .232 against him.


Boston Starter Named CL's Best Pitcher
Thursday, August 1st, 1996: July's premier pitcher was Bernardo Agámez of Boston Resettlers. He pulverized Continental League hitters all month long and picked up the Pitcher of the Month award. The Resettlers star hurler fashioned a 5-0 en route to the honor.

He had 28 strikeouts in 39.1 innings and compiled a 1.83 ERA. Other clubs hit .187 against him.

So far this season, Agámez has logged a 12-6 record with a 2.86 ERA. He has started 27 games, hurled 154.1 innings and registered 139 strikeouts and 33 walks.

[gstelmack]

This may (if I don't jinx myself) be the first time I won anything thanks to my pitching rather than my hitting. 4 starting pitchers made the All-Star team? Sweet!

[Alan T]

Torres RL Outstanding Batter of the Month
Thursday, August 1st, 1996: July's Republic League Batter of the Month trophy was claimed by first baseman Luis Torres of the New York Legends.

Last month he compiled a .415 batting average with 10 home runs, 25 RBIs, 20 runs scored and a .493 on-base percentage.

Currently Torres has 31 home runs and a .341 batting average.


July's #1 Batter Announced
Thursday, August 1st, 1996: To survive in the bigs, you've got to be a scrapper like Bernard Moore. It never pays to take a day off from the batting cages or to shrug off the advice of the hitting coach. It all paid off today as Boston's left fielder pinned down the Continental League Batter of the Month trophy today.

He hit .333 in July collecting 7 home runs, 21 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

Looking at his stats this year, Moore has compiled a .324 batting average, while hitting 12 home runs and driving in 71 runs. He has played in 108 games and scored 82 runs.

[Alan T]

Ben Caldwell Triumphs in RL Rookie Vote
Thursday, August 1st, 1996: Whenever Legends right fielder Ben Caldwell stepped into the batter's box last month, the 25-year-old meant business. With his .357 average he virtually ran away with the Republic League Rookie of the Month Award.

He collected 35 hits in July with 7 home runs, 21 RBIs and 23 runs scored.

Caldwell is swinging at a .336 pace on the year with 29 home runs, 81 RBIs and 89 runs scored. He has played in 107 games.


Li Grades Out as July's Top Rookie
Thursday, August 1st, 1996: Youngster De-wei Li emerged as the latest Continental League Rookie of the Month today. The young man from Balzac deserved the honor, batting .306 with 8 home runs and 20 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 Li enjoy the limelight.

On the season, Li is batting .307 with 29 home runs and 67 RBIs. He has played in 101 games.

[Alan T]

August 1st, 1996:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Boston Resettlers 76 32 .704 - 71-37 5 42-12 34-20 6-1 23-13 43 W5 8-2 Washington Freedom 64 44 .593 12.0 64-44 0 27-25 37-19 4-2 14-12 W2 6-4 Indianapolis Clowns 56 52 .519 20.0 59-49 -3 28-27 28-25 2-6 19-14 W2 3-7 Mexico City Aztecs 52 56 .481 24.0 55-53 -3 24-26 28-30 2-7 11-18 W1 5-5 Havana Banana Sluggers 50 57 .467 25.5 49-58 1 31-26 19-31 6-4 17-17 L2 5-5 Chicago Cardinals 47 61 .435 29.0 48-60 -1 24-29 23-32 6-3 15-14 L1 6-4 Stafford Terriers 46 62 .426 30.0 46-62 0 22-34 24-28 3-3 10-16 L4 3-7 Balzac Ticklers 41 68 .376 35.5 44-65 -3 19-36 22-32 3-6 12-17 L2 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 New York Legends 66 41 .617 - 61-46 5 40-17 26-24 2-4 17-15 53 W8 9-1 Spring Lions 65 44 .596 2.0 68-41 -3 31-24 34-20 3-4 10-12 W1 7-3 Cumberland Defenders 54 54 .500 12.5 53-55 1 25-29 29-25 4-2 14-11 L2 4-6 Cleveland Naps 53 55 .491 13.5 53-55 0 26-24 27-31 6-4 16-14 W1 6-4 Portland Axemen 49 59 .454 17.5 52-56 -3 27-26 22-33 4-9 16-20 L1 2-8 Virginia Beach Surf 49 59 .454 17.5 49-59 0 24-28 25-31 1-3 10-11 L1 5-5 Ann Arbor Wolverines 48 60 .444 18.5 49-59 -1 24-32 24-28 4-3 10-14 W2 5-5 Maricopa Rattlers 48 60 .444 18.5 47-61 1 27-28 21-32 8-3 16-12 L4 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG S. Herrera - WAS .386 2 S. Moreno STA .380 3 E. Cantú HBS .368 4 B. Jenkins WAS .345 5 R. Cedeño NY .343	League Leaders HR G. Bélanger - WAS 40 2 E. Danton ANN 36 3 F. Chartrand WAS 35 4 P. Ramos CMB 31 4 L. Torres NY 31	League Leaders RBI G. Bélanger - WAS 119 2 F. Chartrand WAS 118 3 V. Rodríguez WAS 92 4 B. Liriano VIR 90 5 2 tied with 86
League Leaders W 3 tied with 13 1 S. Clark NY 13 1 T. Kramer BOS 13 1 G. Wilson CMB 13 4 3 tied with 12	League Leaders ERA G. Wilson - CMB 2.57 2 G. Johnston BOS 2.62 3 C. Concepción MEX 2.79 4 B. Agámez BOS 2.86 5 A. Saldaña CLE 3.03	League Leaders K 2 tied with 161 1 J. Duncan CLE 161 1 G. Wilson CMB 161 3 L. Campbell POR 160 4 B. Agámez BOS 139

[Tasan]

Well, its nice to see all that money and draft pick slotting I spent this offseason actually paying off.

[Alan T]

200 Wins for Washington's López
Saturday, August 3rd, 1996: Freedom ace José López reeled in his 200th career victory by beating the Indianapolis Clowns 7-0 at Memorial Stadium. In his historic win, he notched 5 strikeouts in 7 innings, yielded no runs and 7 hits, while surrendering no walks.

"I tried to focus on each batter," said López after the game, "but as the game goes by, I couldn't help but think about the possibility. 200 is a big number. It's a pretty exclusive club and I'm honored to be a member."

The 33-year-old López has a career record of 200-110 and has fanned 2204 batters in 2710 innings with a 3.21 ERA.

[Alan T]

González Big Deal in Cumberland: Hits for Cycle
Saturday, August 3rd, 1996: Getting 4 hits in a game is no easy feat, but hitting for the cycle is much more rare. Cisco González was on fire today, going 4 for 6 and hitting for the cycle against Cleveland at Cumberland Stadium. His batting escapade sparked the Cumberland Defenders to a 8-6 victory over the Naps. For the day the Defenders shortstop scored 2 runs and drove in 2.

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."

C. González tripled in the 1st, grounded out in the 4th, walked in the 5th, singled in the 7th, struck out in the 8th, doubled in the 11th and hit a two-run home run off J. Valentín in the 13th.

This season González has delivered 150 hits in 465 at-bats for a .323 average with 13 home runs. He is getting on base at a .350 clip and his totals also include 70 RBIs and 73 runs scored. This year González has played in 111 games.

[gstelmack]

Moore is still pulling in awards as he hits 40...

[Alan T]

#300 for Tupper
Tuesday, August 20th, 1996: The crowd roared -- they knew they were seeing history -- and Werner Tupper was delighted, too: The 37-year-old Lions right fielder was making history with his 300th career homer. The crowd buzzed and roared again when Tupper stuck his head out of the dugout for a curtain call.

"Never, as a kid, did I ever think I'd hit even one," he told BNN after hitting No. 300 in a 5-0 victory over Portland. Tupper went 2-3 in the game, had 1 RBI, and scored 1 run.

In his career Tupper has hit for a .295 average and totaled 2239 hits, 300 home runs and 1319 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Gaines Reaches 3000
Saturday, August 24th, 1996: What a day for Mike Gaines. The 37-year-old Cumberland third baseman reached the 3000-hit mark today and the Defenders whipped the Virginia Beach Surf 4-1.

Gaines told reporters, "It's good to finally get it. The closer you get to 3000, the harder it is to get there. Now the pressure is off and I can go back to just playing ball."

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

Taking a look at his lifetime stats, Gaines is hitting .296 with a total of 53 home runs.

[Alan T]

Ann Arbor's Guzmán Reaches 3000 Hits
Saturday, August 24th, 1996: Roberto Guzmán, welcome to the club -- the 3000-hit club.

The Ann Arbor center fielder gained membership in that elite group in a 3-2 victory over the Spring Lions at Ann Arbor Grounds.

2 hits in 3 at-bats today enabled the Wolverines star to reach the milestone.

During his 2654-game career Guzmán has batted .295 and collected 3000 hits, 190 home runs and 1354 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Gaines and Guzman become the 10th and 11th players to reach 3000 hits, and they both do it on the same day!