FOOL-X 2013 Regular Season

[Alan T]

Work is pretty nuts this morning for me, so today's sim is going to go a bit slower probably. Looks like I have a bunch of PMs too, so be patient with me today

Lets get this show started! Getting exports now.

[Alan T]

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2013

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent MR Jorge Colón to a 1-year contract worth a total of $236,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent 3B Jaime Reyes to a 1-year contract worth a total of $2,002,000.

Balzac Ticklers: Signed free agent 3B Ernesto Ornelas to a 1-year contract worth a total of $2,875,000.

New York Legends: Signed MR Tony Morgan to a 2-year contract extension worth a total of $5,500,000.

New York Legends: Signed free agent CF José Bullinas to a 1-year contract worth a total of $13,000,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent SS Jorge Vázquez to a 1-year contract worth a total of $3,380,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent SP Joaquín Avilés to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,500,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent MR Héctor Reyes to a 1-year contract worth a total of $1,750,000.

Havana Banana Sluggers: Signed free agent 1B Tung Lee to a 1-year contract worth a total of $5,000,000.

New York Legends: Signed free agent 1B Shinkichi Shini to a 1-year contract worth a total of $6,000,000.

New York Legends: Signed free agent SP Pancho Esquivel to a 1-year contract worth a total of $200,000.

[Alan T]

Ok, lets get this show on the road. Good luck to everyone.

[Alan T]

Quezada Tosses No-No Against Terriers
Wednesday, April 3rd, 2013: In a brilliant performance at Constitution Plaza, Washington pitcher Mario Quezada entered an elite group today by tossing a no-hitter against the Stafford Terriers. Hurling a complete game he fanned 7 and walked 3 in the 7-0 victory.

In the clubhouse, Quezada said, "I was getting my off-speed stuff over so they couldn't sit on the fastball. My guys made some nice plays behind me, too, and cut off several hits."

[Alan T]

This was the first no-hitter in FOOL-X since Matt Gibbs threw one for Havana 3 years ago.

[Alan T]

Milestone Save, Andy Knight Gets Number 400
Thursday, April 4th, 2013: With one well-thrown pitch, Balzac's 38-year-old reliever Andy Knight found himself a new place in the record books. As the teams left the field at the end of the Ticklers 4-1 win over St Cloud Raindrops, the official scorer gave Knight the save, making him the newest member of the 400-save club. The Fog Bowl crowd recognized this outstanding achievement with a standing ovation as he made his way to the dugout.

In his career Knight has made 1200 relief appearances and converted 400 saves. His record stands at 105-and-81 with a 3.16 ERA.

[Alan T]

RL Selects Gibbs April's Best Pitcher
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013: Whether Matt Gibbs stays in Maricopa beyond this season remains to be seen, but while he's here he's making the most of it. In April the 37-year-old certainly pulled out all the stops by winning the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

He put up some fancy numbers with a 4-1 record and and an ERA of 3.63. In 39.2 innings he struck out 37, surrendered 35 hits, 12 walks and proved to be a solid performer in 6 starts last month.


Quezada Takes CL Top Starter Trophy
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013: Veteran Mario Quezada put together quite a successful stretch in April for the Washington Freedom, earning himself the Continental League Pitcher of the Month award.

Quezada racked up a 4-1 record in 6 starts, posting a 2.29 ERA over 39.1 innings and striking out 31.

[Alan T]

An Wins RL's Best Bat Award
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013: Today Spring's Jung-tae An was named the Republic League Batter of the Month for April. He punished RL hurlers hard all month long, collecting 45 hits in 109 at-bats.

With a .413 batting average, 4 home runs, 19 RBIs and 31 runs scored, he was an easy choice.

Luis Huerta Winner in Continental League
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013: Seasoned by several years of professional experience, 34-year-old Luis Huerta put together a solid offensive month for St Louis and was crowned April's top batter in the Continental League.

He batted .346 with 10 home runs, 20 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

[Alan T]

Top Rookie of the Month Named by RL
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013: April was a very good month for Luis Salazar. The first baseman for the Ann Arbor Wolverines was named the best newcomer in the Republic League.

He captured the honor by hitting .300 in 27 games with 30 hits, 8 home runs and 23 RBIs.


Continental League Names Rookie of Month
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013: Iván García's eyes seem to light up whenever he sees the baseball. The young St Cloud first baseman 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 .319 with 7 doubles, 2 triples and 4 home runs. García also scored 15 times and drove in 16 runs.

[Alan T]

May 1st, 2013:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 St Louis Hops 19 8 .704 - 17-10 2 5-4 14-4 2-0 3-2 134 L1 8-2 Havana Banana Sluggers 17 10 .630 2 16-11 1 5-5 12-5 1-1 3-2 L2 5-5 Washington Freedom 16 12 .571 3½ 16-12 0 11-8 5-4 0-0 4-3 W2 7-3 Chicago Cardinals 15 12 .556 4 14-13 1 8-8 7-4 1-1 6-3 W2 5-5 Plantana Pirates 12 16 .429 7½ 14-14 -2 4-8 8-8 1-1 3-5 W1 5-5 Balzac Ticklers 11 16 .407 8 13-14 -2 4-5 7-11 0-1 2-7 L2 2-8 Stafford Terriers 10 17 .370 9 8-19 2 3-11 7-6 1-0 4-5 W1 2-8 St Cloud Raindrops 10 19 .345 10 12-17 -2 9-12 1-7 1-3 6-4 L1 7-3

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Maricopa Rattlers 16 11 .593 - 13-14 3 6-3 10-8 2-0 3-3 136 W2 4-6 Spring Lions 16 11 .593 - 17-10 -1 8-2 8-9 0-2 3-3 136 W4 8-2 Cumberland Defenders 15 14 .517 2 15-14 0 10-11 5-3 0-0 3-1 W3 7-3 Virginia Beach Surf 14 13 .519 2 13-14 1 7-7 7-6 0-0 1-2 L2 5-5 Ann Arbor Wolverines 13 14 .481 3 15-12 -2 6-3 7-11 1-0 5-6 L1 4-6 New York Legends 13 15 .464 3½ 12-16 1 4-8 9-7 1-0 5-3 W1 7-3 Portland Axemen 12 16 .429 4½ 13-15 -1 8-11 4-5 0-1 3-3 L4 2-8 Cleveland Naps 11 16 .407 5 13-14 -2 7-9 4-7 0-1 3-5 L2 3-7

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. An - SPG .413 2 Á. Enríquez VIR .371 3 I. Yamasaki ANN .365 4 B. Pedersen WAS .360 5 W. Contreras NY .359	League Leaders HR Z. Kum - CHI 11 2 L. Huerta STL 10 2 M. Ramírez STL 10 4 J. Montalvo STC 9 4 J. Palma PLN 9	League Leaders RBI M. Ramírez - STL 30 2 Z. Kum CHI 27 3 A. Contreras CMB 26 4 C. Maldonado POR 25 5 5 tied with 23
League Leaders W 5 tied with 4 1 M. Gibbs MAR 4 1 J. González SPG 4 1 Y. Maideyi STA 4 1 2 more tied with 4	League Leaders ERA J. Archuleta - STC 1.57 2 L. Butler PLN 2.21 3 M. Quezada WAS 2.29 4 J. Walsh WAS 2.39 5 2 tied with 2.45	League Leaders K T. Takahashi - HBS 38 2 M. Gibbs MAR 37 3 C. Guerrero POR 36 4 R. López CLE 35 5 A. Martínez PLN 34

[Alan T]

Joo Slams Milestone Homer
Friday, May 10th, 2013: Portland Axemen slugging designated hitter Ling-lai Joo swatted his way to the 300 home run mark today as the Axemen fell to the Virginia Beach 8-5.

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

"It was a special day for Ling-lai," 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."

During his career Joo has played in 1332 games, batted .329 with 300 home runs and 1637 base hits.

[Alan T]

Viramontes Collects Cycle
Friday, May 10th, 2013: Today at Rattlers Ballpark, Maricopa center fielder Mario Viramontes accomplished a true baseball rarity, knocking a single, double, triple and a home run to hit for the cycle and lead the Rattlers to a 13-6 win over Cumberland. In a standout performance Viramontes laced 4 hits in 5 trips to the plate and had 5 runs batted in.

Mario Viramontes hit an RBI double in the 1st, hit a three-run triple in the 2nd, hit a solo-shot off Joe Wells in the 3rd, grounded out in the 6th and singled in the 8th.

This year Viramontes is hitting .343 with 49 hits, 10 home runs, 26 RBIs and has scored 25 runs.

[Alan T]

One of the new things in OOTP11 is how owners are handled. One thing that can happen is they can die and a new owner takes control of the team. Not a huge impact for FOOL since you have your entire budget to play with, but in ootp 11 leagues where owner controls that it would have more impact...

[Alan T]

Spring Lions Mourn the Passing of Owner Joe Segura
Monday, May 13th, 2013: Joe Segura has died. A spokesperson for a local Spring hospital reported that the Spring Lions owner passed away today. Cause of death was not released. The team has scheduled a press conference for tomorrow. It is expected that son Joe will take his father's position in the organization. He has a reputation for being charitable in financial matters and tolerant in personnel matters.

[Alan T]

St Cloud's López Hammers #400
Tuesday, May 14th, 2013: The St Cloud Raindrops had something to celebrate today even though they dropped a 6-1 decision to St Louis. The reason -- the splendid slugger Javier López hit his 400th career homer in today's contest at The Brewery.

"I'm fortunate to be here," López told the media after the game. "The Raindrops have a classy organization and some great fans. Homer #400 was for them."

As far as career numbers López has compiled a .251 batting average and collected 1569 hits, 400 home runs and 1207 RBIs.

[Alan T]

Palma Big Deal in Plantana: Hits for Cycle
Sunday, May 19th, 2013: "Some days everything falls in place and you have an almost perfect day."
Those were the comments from Plantana center fielder Jesús Palma today as his 4-4 day included the cycle, a baseball rarity.

"He sure was a wrecking ball today," said one teammate after the Pirates tamed the Ticklers 18-1 at The Tickle Trunk.

Jesús Palma hit a solo-shot off Ken Avery in the 1st, hit a two-run double in the 1st, hit a two-run triple in the 3rd, hit a two-run single in the 4th, walked in the 6th, walked in the 8th and walked in the 9th.

A look at his current stats shows Palma with a .312 average, 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and 40 runs scored. He has played in 43 games.

[muns]

Well thats the start that we wanted. Lets see if it holds up

[Alan T]

Cruz Funeral Tomorrow in Cumberland
Tuesday, May 21st, 2013: Despondent and forlorn are the streets of Cumberland today. The Cumberland Defenders baseball team has lost its leader, owner António Cruz. He died suddenly yesterday, while on vacation. Club officials briefed the press today on the situation and released funeral plans. Services will be held day after tomorrow in Cumberland. As far as who will take over for Cruz, the Cumberland Defenders spokesman indicated it would be dealt with in the near future, but he had no word on who the successor would be. Press speculation is that Cruz's son, Carl, would be his replacement as owner. The younger Cruz was characterized by sources high up in the Cumberland Defenders hierarchy as generous when it comes to money and tolerant when it comes to management.

[Alan T]

Owners are dropping like flies this year!

[CleBrownsfan]

And I thought I was going to have a playoff run this year

[muns]

Originally Posted by Alan T

Owners are dropping like flies this year!

2 in a matter of what a few weeks of each other!!!!

[Alan T]

Lee 6-6 for Havana
Thursday, May 30th, 2013: Tung Lee had an answer for everything the Stafford Terriers threw him today in the Havana 24-5 triumph at Constitution Plaza. He made good contact 6 times and 6 times he drilled the ball for a base hit.

The Havana first baseman went 6 for 6 in the game to put his name in the record book.

Summing up his batting philosophy to BNN writers after the game, Lee said, "I just see the ball and I hit it."

Tung Lee singled in the 1st, singled in the 3rd, hit an RBI double in the 4th, walked in the 6th, hit an RBI single in the 6th, singled in the 7th, singled in the 8th and walked in the 9th.

For the year Lee is batting .298 with 12 home runs, 40 RBIs and 42 runs scored.

Lee Shows Off, Hits for Cycle
Friday, May 31st, 2013: Getting 5 hits in a game is a pretty good feat, but when those 5 hits include a single, a double, a triple and a home run -- that makes it extra special. The Havana first baseman did just that, hitting for the cycle and sparking the Banana Sluggers to a 40-6 victory over the Terriers at Constitution Plaza.

The elated Lee told reporters, "Winning is the name of the game... and hitting for the cycle puts a little icing on it."

The 5-5 day was also good for his batting average as he saw it rise a few percentage points. In addition, Lee had 9 runs batted in and 6 runs scored.

Tung Lee hit a two-run home run off Chris Allen in the 1st, flied out in the 2nd, was hit by a pitch in the 3rd, hit an RBI double in the 4th, hit a two-run single in the 5th, walked in the 6th, hit an RBI single in the 7th, hit a two-run triple in the 8th and walked in the 9th.

This season Lee is batting .315 with 13 home runs. He has scored 48 runs and driven in 49.

[Alan T]

For those scoring at home, in back to back games, Lee went a combined 11 for 11 with 4 walks, 9 runs scored, 11 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR


Havana outscored Stafford in those two games by a combined 64-11 ... ouch

[Alan T]

Jiménez Wins RL Top Pitcher Award
Saturday, June 1st, 2013: Despite the number of years he's been in the league, Pedro Jiménez still gets excited when he puts together a quality stretch like he had in May. The 33-year-old starter for Portland was named Republic League Pitcher of the Month earlier today.

He collected 3 wins and no losses with 35 strikeouts in his 7 starts, putting up a fine 2.25 ERA in 40 innings of work.

This season to date Jiménez has a record of 6 wins and 2 losses with a 2.55 ERA, has appeared in 14 games and struck out 65 in 77.2 innings.

May's Starter of the Month Goes to Lloyd
Saturday, June 1st, 2013: Tim Lloyd took home the Continental League Pitcher of the Month honors in May. 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 Washington last month and claiming the Pitcher of the Month award.

He tacked up a 2.37 ERA in his 6 starts, tossing 38 innings and striking out 14.

Up to now Lloyd has recorded a record of 6-2. In 11 starts he has fanned 20 batters in 68.1 innings with a 3.42 ERA.

[muns]

Originally Posted by Alan T

For those scoring at home, in back to back games, Lee went a combined 11 for 11 with 4 walks, 9 runs scored, 11 RBI, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR


Havana outscored Stafford in those two games by a combined 64-11 ... ouch

damn those are some stats right there.

[Alan T]

Frizzell Wins Best Bat Trophy in May
Saturday, June 1st, 2013: Only one person can take home the Republic League Batter of the Month trophy for May and that person is Greg Frizzell. During the month the Portland center fielder collected 34 hits in 109 at-bats.

Frizzell put up a .312 average, hit 9 home runs, drove in 34 and scored 21 runs.

A look at his season totals shows Frizzell with 13 home runs, .264 BA, .343 OBP, 55 RBIs and 40 runs scored.


Washington's Pedersen Top CL Batter in May
Saturday, June 1st, 2013: On the heels of a very productive May, Bernt Pedersen received Continental League Batter of the Month recognition today.

The battle-tested left fielder hit .358 for the Washington Freedom and racked up 9 home runs, 34 RBIs and 28 runs scored.

Currently Pedersen has 12 home runs and a .359 batting average.

[Alan T]

Ann Arbor Catcher May's Top Rookie
Saturday, June 1st, 2013: Maxim Gerdt earned May's Rookie of the Month honors in the Republic League for last month's performance. The boyish Ann Arbor catcher might be wet behind the ears, but he's proving that he has what it takes to play at this level.

Gerdt hit .347 with 6 home runs, 25 RBIs and 16 runs scored this past month on his way to winning the award.

In 50 games this season Gerdt has batted at a .284 pace with 55 hits and 11 home runs.


CL Selects Rookie Star of the Month
Saturday, June 1st, 2013: Ramiro Salas 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 May the Havana hitter tagged opposing pitching for a .425 average with 31 hits, 3 home runs and 22 RBIs.

This season Salas is batting .360 with 49 hits, 4 home runs, 35 RBIs, 11 walks, .399 OBP and has scored 29 runs. He has played in 50 games.

[Alan T]

June 1st, 2013:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Washington Freedom 38 17 .691 - 37-18 1 15-10 23-7 1-0 7-4 104 W1 7-3 Havana Banana Sluggers 35 21 .625 3½ 35-21 0 14-11 21-10 2-2 6-6 W3 6-4 St Louis Hops 35 21 .625 3½ 32-24 3 15-12 20-9 4-0 8-6 L1 6-4 Balzac Ticklers 25 30 .455 13 25-30 0 13-15 12-15 0-1 6-9 W1 6-4 Chicago Cardinals 25 30 .455 13 26-29 -1 14-13 11-17 2-2 10-8 L4 4-6 St Cloud Raindrops 24 33 .421 15 27-30 -3 14-19 10-14 1-5 10-8 W2 6-4 Plantana Pirates 21 32 .396 16 25-28 -4 8-22 13-10 1-2 4-9 L3 2-8 Stafford Terriers 18 37 .327 20 17-38 1 6-20 12-17 1-0 9-10 L2 3-7

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Maricopa Rattlers 32 23 .582 - 28-27 4 16-12 16-11 3-2 9-6 106 W2 6-4 Spring Lions 31 25 .554 1½ 34-22 -3 16-9 15-16 2-3 7-10 L3 4-6 Cumberland Defenders 29 28 .509 4 28-29 1 19-14 10-14 1-1 9-3 W1 8-2 New York Legends 26 27 .491 5 26-27 0 13-17 13-10 3-1 9-8 L1 5-5 Ann Arbor Wolverines 27 29 .482 5½ 30-26 -3 14-13 13-16 2-2 8-11 W2 5-5 Portland Axemen 26 29 .473 6 26-29 0 11-14 15-15 1-2 7-7 L4 3-7 Virginia Beach Surf 26 29 .473 6 24-31 2 14-12 12-17 1-1 4-6 W2 5-5 Cleveland Naps 24 31 .436 8 25-30 -1 12-15 12-16 2-3 7-9 L1 5-5

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. An - SPG .376 2 J. Martínez PLN .366 3 B. Pedersen WAS .359 4 Á. Enríquez VIR .351 5 M. Sakurai WAS .346	League Leaders HR Z. Kum - CHI 22 2 L. Huerta STL 18 3 C. Maldonado POR 16 3 L. Martínez VIR 16 3 M. Viramontes MAR 16	League Leaders RBI Z. Kum - CHI 60 2 G. Frizzell POR 55 3 L. Martínez VIR 53 4 A. Contreras CMB 49 4 3 more tied with 49
League Leaders W 3 tied with 7 1 T. Hernández STL 7 1 I. Pérez WAS 7 1 M. Quezada WAS 7 4 9 tied with 6	League Leaders ERA J. Walsh - WAS 1.87 2 L. Butler PLN 2.51 3 P. Jiménez POR 2.55 4 M. Urbina VIR 2.58 5 A. Mausinha SPG 2.76	League Leaders K 2 tied with 66 1 R. López CLE 66 1 S. Sturzo STC 66 3 M. Burns STL 65 3 3 more tied with 65

[Alan T]

Unsigned draft picks:

Spoiler

Wednesday, May 29th, 2013

Washington Freedom: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick José Ortíz.

Washington Freedom: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Jesús Ventura.

Washington Freedom: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Paul Cook.

St Louis Hops: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick Nakazo Takeuchi.

St Louis Hops: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick Graha Kartodirdjo.

St Louis Hops: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Charles Hendricks.

St Louis Hops: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Iván Ramos.

St Louis Hops: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Ken Larsen.

St Louis Hops: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Yong Kwon.

St Cloud Raindrops: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Pedro Reyes.

Plantana Pirates: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick Lung Chan.

Plantana Pirates: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick Esteban Gil.

Plantana Pirates: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Lewis Scoley.

Plantana Pirates: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Diego Sánchez.

Plantana Pirates: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Enrique Ramos.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 1st round draft pick Terry Kelly.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign supplemental 1st round draft pick Álex Parra.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign supplemental 1st round draft pick Francisco Franco.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick Arturo Pacheco.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick Tony Esparza.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Arturo Valentín.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Gabriel Hildred.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Pancho Castillo.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Jack Young.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Seiichi Kawaguchi.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Willie Frey.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Roberto Díaz.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Keita Kudo.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Claudio Hernández.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Michael Lowe.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Dustin Monroe.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Juan Hernández.

Stafford Terriers: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Jesús Leal.

New York Legends: Failed to sign 1st round draft pick Ke-yue Jian.

New York Legends: Failed to sign supplemental 1st round draft pick Pepe López.

New York Legends: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick De-wei Liu.

New York Legends: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Okura Nomura.

New York Legends: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Eduardo Fernández.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign 1st round draft pick Tom Weighill.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign supplemental 1st round draft pick Ajdir Krama.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign supplemental 1st round draft pick Jonathan Desmarais.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick José Flores.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign 2nd round draft pick Brian Snook.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Vicente Sepúlveda.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Ira Hunter.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Katsumi Fujimoto.

Spring Lions: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Fernando Miranda.

Ann Arbor Wolverines: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Shosuke Fujihara.

Ann Arbor Wolverines: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Brian Murphy.

Cleveland Naps: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Roy Glenn.

Cleveland Naps: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Luis López.

Cleveland Naps: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Brett Turpin.

Cleveland Naps: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Darrel Helton.

Cumberland Defenders: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Ramiro Serrano.

Cumberland Defenders: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Sean Harkins.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Reynaldo Mata.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Ramón Guzmán.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Rafael Álvarez.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 3rd round draft pick Minyar Babu.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Jurrie de Beeld.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Dou-guan Xú.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Juan Rojas.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Bobby Arnipp.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 4th round draft pick Mannus Pasveer.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Salvador Villarreal.

Portland Axemen: Failed to sign 5th round draft pick Felipe Ramos.

[Alan T]

Lasseter Blanks New York
Monday, June 10th, 2013: The Legends tried, but could not solve Cleveland's Henry Lasseter, falling to the Naps 15-0. New York managed only 1 hit off Lasseter, who kept opposing hitters guessing all day. In a strong route-going performance he had 7 strikeouts and walked 4.

Thus far this season, Lasseter has tossed 87.1 innings in 16 starts, fanned 44 batters, walked 41 and put up a 5.05 ERA with 6 wins and 7 losses.

[Alan T]

Chicago's Leslie Gets 2500th Hit
Monday, June 24th, 2013: The box score from yesterday's game will show that Chicago beat the St Louis Hops, 8-3. It will also show that right fielder Nathan Leslie went 2-for-3 for the Cardinals. It will not show, however, that Leslie reached the 2500-hit mark for his career.

The 37-year-old Leslie reflected on the achievement after the game. He mused: "In one respect, it's a real milestone, I guess. Yet, it's just a base hit like any other base hit."

In his 2334-game career Leslie is hitting .291 with 2501 hits, 404 doubles, 86 triples and 369 home runs. He has scored 1820 runs and driven in 1514.

[Alan T]

Un-four-gettable: Flores Hits for Cycle
Thursday, June 27th, 2013: At The Brewery today Sergio Flores led St Louis to a 9-4 victory over the Terriers by hitting for the cycle, one of baseball's most difficult feats.

The Hops center fielder told reporters after the game, "Most people think the triple is the hardest one to get, but today, it was the homer... because the ball wasn't carrying. When I took it deep, I expected the ball to die on the warning track. Seeing the umpire give me the signal to circle the bases was sweet."

In addition to going 4-5, Flores chalked up 4 RBI and scored 1 run in an exceptional performance.

Sergio Flores singled in the 1st, flied out in the 2nd, hit a solo-shot off Chris McAtee in the 5th, hit an RBI double in the 6th and hit a two-run triple in the 7th.

So far this season Flores has put up a .316 batting average with 90 hits, 16 home runs and 45 RBIs.

[Alan T]

June's RL Top Pitcher is Rattlers Real
Monday, July 1st, 2013: Jean Real 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 June and stole away with the Republic League Pitcher of the Month award.

The Rattlers bullpen ace collected 10 saves and 19 strikeouts in 16 innings, holding the opposition to a .130 average and posting a 1.13 ERA and a 0-0 record.

To date this season Real has 22 saves with a 3-0 mark and 2.35 ERA.


CL's Best Starter is Colón
Monday, July 1st, 2013: José Colón's been around the league long enough to appreciate the honor he received today. After going 4-1 in June, the 29-year-old Balzac hurler has been named Continental League Pitcher of the Month.

He fanned 32 in 43.2 innings, logged an ERA of 1.24 and allowed opponents to hit .220 against him.

In 16 starts this year Colón has crafted a 6-5 record and a 3.48 ERA.

[Alan T]

Maricopa Center Fielder RL's Best Batter in June
Monday, July 1st, 2013: Mario Viramontes battered Republic League pitchers all June and wound up taking home the Batter of the Month Award.

"I've been around FOOL-X 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 29-year-old Viramontes told reporters. "I put in a lot of work, even on the days I might not take the field, and it's always nice when everything comes together for me like it did this last month."

In 27 games, Viramontes hit .312 with 12 home runs, 29 RBIs and scored 22 runs.

This year Viramontes has batted at a .310 pace with 94 hits, 28 home runs, 69 RBIs and scored 57 times.


Huerta of St Louis CL Batter of the Month
Monday, July 1st, 2013: Though his face is weathered and his hands are calloused, Luis Huerta can still get it done in FOOL-X. In fact, the 34-year-old right fielder for St Louis was named the Continental League Batter of the Month today after putting up an impressive performance at the plate.

In June he batted .424 with 8 home runs, 24 RBIs and 33 runs scored.

This year Huerta is hitting at a .359 pace with 26 home runs and 65 RBIs. He has played in 83 games and scored 86 times.

[Alan T]

June's Top Newcomer Picked by RL
Monday, July 1st, 2013: Matt Whittier was toddling around on his tricycle when some of the guys he's playing against were in their prime, but the 25-year-old catcher definitely knows how to get to first, second or beyond. Today he was chosen June's Republic League Rookie of the Month for his remarkable month of hitting.

In 26 games Whittier batted .385 for Cumberland, slapping 35 hits in 91 at-bats with 6 home runs, drove in 15 runs and scored 16 times.

So far this year, Whittier is batting .294 with 17 home runs and 46 RBIs.


#1 Continental League Newcomer Named
Monday, July 1st, 2013: Sergio Flores was acclaimed the Continental League Rookie of the Month for his fine play in June.

The 26-year-old St Louis center fielder hit .354, swatted 8 home runs and drove in 22 runs. He also tagged 34 hits, scored 21 runs and picked up 5 walks for a .392 on-base percentage.

this season for the

[Alan T]

July 1st, 2013:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 St Louis Hops 54 29 .651 - 49-34 5 27-16 27-13 6-1 13-9 76 W6 7-3 Havana Banana Sluggers 51 33 .607 3½ 53-31 -2 21-17 30-16 4-4 10-12 L2 6-4 Washington Freedom 50 33 .602 4 50-33 0 23-18 27-15 3-2 11-9 W2 5-5 Balzac Ticklers 43 39 .524 10½ 43-39 0 20-17 23-22 1-1 9-12 L1 5-5 Chicago Cardinals 41 42 .494 13 42-41 -1 25-18 16-24 4-4 17-11 W1 7-3 St Cloud Raindrops 41 43 .488 13½ 42-42 -1 23-25 18-18 1-5 15-10 L1 6-4 Plantana Pirates 29 52 .358 24 33-48 -4 10-32 19-20 3-4 6-12 W1 3-7 Stafford Terriers 22 60 .268 31½ 23-59 -1 9-30 13-30 2-3 11-17 L4 1-9

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Maricopa Rattlers 48 34 .585 - 43-39 5 23-14 25-20 3-2 14-11 79 W1 4-6 Spring Lions 48 36 .571 1 50-34 -2 23-15 25-21 2-3 12-14 L1 7-3 Virginia Beach Surf 42 40 .512 6 38-44 4 22-17 20-23 1-3 10-8 W2 9-1 Ann Arbor Wolverines 41 42 .494 7½ 45-38 -4 22-21 19-21 3-2 11-15 L2 5-5 Cumberland Defenders 40 44 .476 9 41-43 -1 26-22 14-22 1-2 12-7 L1 4-6 New York Legends 38 43 .469 9½ 37-44 1 16-26 22-17 5-1 12-14 W1 5-5 Portland Axemen 39 44 .470 9½ 41-42 -2 18-23 21-21 2-3 9-10 W1 4-6 Cleveland Naps 35 48 .422 13½ 36-47 -1 18-25 17-23 2-3 13-14 L1 2-8

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. An - SPG .369 2 L. Huerta STL .359 3 J. Martínez PLN .343 4 Y. Song CHI .339 5 A. Coronado HBS .336	League Leaders HR M. Viramontes - MAR 28 2 Z. Kum CHI 27 3 L. Huerta STL 26 4 G. Cruz PLN 25 5 J. Vargas POR 23	League Leaders RBI G. Cruz - PLN 86 2 Z. Kum CHI 79 3 G. Frizzell POR 76 3 M. Ramírez STL 76 5 T. Lee HBS 75
League Leaders W 7 tied with 9 1 M. Gibbs MAR 9 1 M. Hancock MAR 9 1 T. Hernández STL 9 1 4 more tied with 9	League Leaders ERA M. Urbina - VIR 2.48 2 A. Mausinha SPG 2.87 3 J. Archuleta STC 2.92 4 J. Feist HBS 3.38 5 J. Walsh WAS 3.41	League Leaders K R. López - CLE 106 2 C. Guerrero POR 102 3 T. Takahashi HBS 99 4 M. Gibbs MAR 96 5 L. Roussel MAR 93

[Alan T]

Kong Goes Cycling
Saturday, July 6th, 2013: "How sweet it is, when the good part of the bat makes contact with the baseball." That's how Yee Kong, the New York first baseman, described what happened in today's 9-2 victory over the Ann Arbor Wolverines -- hitting for the cycle. In baseball, a player hits for the cycle when he hits a single, a double, a triple and a home run in the same game, though not necessarily in that order. Collecting the hits in that exact order is known as a "natural cycle," something that almost never occurs.

"I heard that sound every time I hit the ball -- it really was a special game for me." It was a game good enough for him to make a little history. He bombed Ann Arbor pitching for 4 hits in 5 at-bats and his name will now go into the record book. Kong also racked up 4 runs batted in and 2 runs scored in the game.

Yee Kong hit a two-run triple in the 1st, singled in the 2nd, hit a solo-shot off Pacho Barrera in the 5th, grounded out in the 7th and hit an RBI double in the 8th.

This year Kong is batting .303 with 108 hits and 20 home runs. He has scored 56 times and has batted in 71 runs.

[Alan T]

FOOLX News: The All-Star Game Rosters Have Been Announced
Sunday, July 7th, 2013: Half of the season has been played and now it's time for the All Star game! It's a game where the fans will get to see their favorite players compete on the same field together, a game where the players themselves become fans and all of baseball comes together to celebrate one of the great traditions of the game -- the FOOL-X All-Star game. The Continental League and the Republic League will come together today to decide the title of the best league for this season.

Here are the talented stars on the Continental League roster:

SP José Archuleta (STC) - 7-4, 2.85 ERA
SP Mark Burns (STL) - 10-5, 4.16 ERA
SP Jorge Donis (STC) - 7-5, 3.43 ERA
SP Jim Feist (HBS) - 8-3, 3.62 ERA
SP Tsuramatsu Takahashi (HBS) - 8-3, 3.68 ERA
SP Jim Walsh (WAS) - 6-1, 3.21 ERA
MR Miguel Hernández (WAS) - 3-1, 1 SV, 1.61 ERA
MR Andy Knight (BAL) - 3-2, 19 SV, 2.88 ERA
MR Jorge Solís (CHI) - 3-4, 10 SV, 3.33 ERA
MR Pedro Vélez (STC) - 1-3, 21 SV, 1.85 ERA
CL Juan Reynoso (WAS) - 4-2, 23 SV, 2.43 ERA
CL Carl Young (HBS) - 5-2, 2 SV, 2.81 ERA
C Scott Bean (STL) - .297/.358/.520, 15 HR, 60 RBI
C Roberto Marino (BAL) - .270/.380/.510, 17 HR, 52 RBI
1B Tung Lee (HBS) - .302/.407/.561, 22 HR, 78 RBI
1B Matsusuke Sakurai (WAS) - .337/.418/.463, 1 HR, 52 RBI
2B Bailey Marks (STA) - .277/.403/.520, 14 HR, 53 RBI
2B Yong-kook Song (CHI) - .340/.403/.448, 5 HR, 45 RBI
2B Juan Martínez (PLN) - .332/.397/.503, 9 HR, 66 RBI
3B Juan Alfaro (STL) - .296/.384/.527, 17 HR, 72 RBI
SS Jorge Vázquez (HBS) - .312/.426/.498, 12 HR, 69 RBI
LF Bernt Pedersen (WAS) - .317/.405/.547, 17 HR, 68 RBI
LF Ze-min Kum (CHI) - .271/.375/.596, 28 HR, 81 RBI
LF Andre Moles (WAS) - .310/.418/.498, 7 HR, 50 RBI
LF Anastasio Coronado (HBS) - .329/.499/.579, 10 HR, 55 RBI
CF Sergio Flores (STL) - .323/.384/.642, 19 HR, 50 RBI
CF Jesús Palma (PLN) - .278/.390/.479, 14 HR, 50 RBI
RF Luis Huerta (STL) - .362/.501/.729, 28 HR, 71 RBI


And these are the gifted players for the Republic League:

SP Matt Gibbs (MAR) - 10-4, 3.36 ERA
SP Micheal Hancock (MAR) - 10-5, 3.76 ERA
SP Pedro Jiménez (POR) - 7-4, 3.61 ERA
SP Antão Mausinha (SPG) - 8-2, 2.69 ERA
SP Tomás Olivares (MAR) - 7-4, 2.92 ERA
SP Manuel Urbina (VIR) - 9-4, 2.37 ERA
MR Stanley Carter (VIR) - 5-0, 2 SV, 2.57 ERA
MR Jesús González (SPG) - 6-3, 1 SV, 2.96 ERA
MR José López (MAR) - 5-0, 3 SV, 2.19 ERA
MR Bob Wall (VIR) - 2-4, 24 SV, 2.78 ERA
MR Abera Zouabri (NY) - 4-1, 15 SV, 1.85 ERA
CL Bryan Waterton (ANN) - 2-4, 18 SV, 2.52 ERA
C Matt Whittier (CMB) - .301/.378/.528, 17 HR, 48 RBI
C Chao Cheng (SPG) - .292/.357/.465, 8 HR, 58 RBI
1B Luis Salazar (ANN) - .260/.335/.472, 15 HR, 62 RBI
1B Yee Kong (NY) - .303/.351/.555, 20 HR, 71 RBI
2B Willie Anderson (ANN) - .324/.383/.468, 6 HR, 55 RBI
2B Miguel Esparza (MAR) - .302/.364/.503, 7 HR, 44 RBI
3B Carlos Maldonado (POR) - .308/.440/.599, 22 HR, 63 RBI
3B Steve Johnson (CLE) - .276/.340/.550, 21 HR, 61 RBI
SS Juan Castillo (POR) - .293/.406/.494, 14 HR, 58 RBI
LF Nelson Román (CMB) - .316/.372/.565, 20 HR, 54 RBI
LF Wilson Contreras (NY) - .315/.380/.492, 10 HR, 44 RBI
LF Eduardo Martínez (VIR) - .305/.432/.515, 14 HR, 62 RBI
CF Medardo Badajoz (CMB) - .277/.369/.505, 10 HR, 45 RBI
CF Mario Viramontes (MAR) - .319/.412/.669, 28 HR, 72 RBI
CF José Vargas (POR) - .289/.366/.545, 23 HR, 74 RBI
RF Jung-tae An (SPG) - .369/.459/.546, 9 HR, 52 RBI

[Alan T]

300 Homers for Valdés
Thursday, July 18th, 2013: Cleveland right fielder José Valdés pounded a home run during the Naps 6-3 loss to Ann Arbor yesterday. Despite the defeat the long ball was a significant achievement and raised his career home run total to 300.

"Some hitters never live up to the hype," said his manager. "José has definitely lived up to his. He's hammered the heck out of the ball year after year."

The Cleveland star went 2 hits for 3 at-bats during the game, scoring 2 runs and had 1 RBI.

All-time Valdés has played in 1548 games, batted .236 with 300 home runs and 1148 base hits.

[Alan T]

Olivares Acclaimed Top Pitcher in July
Thursday, August 1st, 2013: In July Maricopa starter, Tomás Olivares really put the strong arm on the other Republic League teams and hauled in the Pitcher of the Month trophy. He did it with an impressive 5 wins and 1 loss.

In 6 starts and 36.1 innings of work, Olivares limited opposing batters to 27 base hits and a .214 batting average. He fanned 28, issued 11 walks and had a 2.72 ERA.

So far this season Olivares has 11 wins and 5 losses and a 2.93 ERA.


St Louis Starter July's Best Pitcher
Thursday, August 1st, 2013: In July St Louis starter Mark Burns mystified Continental League hitters and carried off the Pitcher of the Month honors by chalking up a 5-1 record in 7 starts.

The 31-year-old Burns added 22 strikeouts in 33 innings and 10 walks to his season record and compiled a 4.09 ERA. Opposing batters hit .248 against him.

On the season Burns has a 13-6 record with a 4.33 ERA.

[Alan T]

Shini Snags RL Batting Honor in July
Thursday, August 1st, 2013: Shinkichi Shini is in the final year of his contract with New York and today added a timely piece of hardware to his trophy case. Playing in 27 games in July the 29-year-old first baseman ripped Republic League pitchers for a .290 batting average, nabbing him the Batter of the Month award.

He also rang up 9 home runs, 36 RBIs and 18 runs scored.

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

This season Shini has hit at a .229 clip with 78 RBIs, 23 home runs and 53 runs scored.


St Louis's Flores Bags CL Batting Award
Thursday, August 1st, 2013: It's official. BNN writers have voted Sergio Flores of the St Louis Hops the Continental League Batter of the Month award for July.

During the month he recorded a .338 average with 8 home runs, 17 RBIs and 23 runs scored.

Flores is currently batting .322 with 24 home runs, 62 RBIs and 81 runs scored. He has 119 hits in 370 at-bats.

[Alan T]

Rookie Reaps Reward This Month
Thursday, August 1st, 2013: Youngster Man-u Cho emerged as the latest Republic League Rookie of the Month today. The young man from New York deserved the honor, batting .333 with no home runs and 8 RBI. 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 Cho enjoy the limelight.

This season in 94 games, Cho has hit at a .285 clip with 105 hits, no home runs, 34 RBIs and 45 runs scored.



July's #1 Rookie Named by CL
Thursday, August 1st, 2013: A veritable toddler to the Continental League, Ramiro Salas just sewed up the Rookie of the Month trophy for July.

Over the past month the 24-year-old right fielder for Havana hit .476 with 30 hits, 6 home runs and 21 runs batted in. He also logged 4 walks and compiled a .507 on-base percentage.

This year Salas is hitting .380 with 10 home runs and 65 RBIs in 96 games played. He also boasts an OBP of .422 with 22 walks and 58 runs scored.

[Alan T]

August 1st, 2013:

Continental League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 St Louis Hops 70 38 .648 - 66-42 4 33-22 37-16 6-2 14-10 50 W1 5-5 Havana Banana Sluggers 65 43 .602 5 65-43 0 31-25 34-18 6-6 14-16 L1 7-3 Washington Freedom 65 43 .602 5 64-44 1 31-23 34-20 4-3 15-12 W1 6-4 Balzac Ticklers 54 54 .500 16 54-54 0 27-23 27-31 2-2 13-14 W1 6-4 Chicago Cardinals 54 54 .500 16 56-52 -2 32-21 22-33 7-5 20-14 L1 6-4 St Cloud Raindrops 54 55 .495 16½ 56-53 -2 28-27 26-28 2-5 18-11 W1 5-5 Plantana Pirates 37 71 .343 33 42-66 -5 11-41 26-30 4-7 8-19 L1 2-8 Stafford Terriers 33 74 .308 36½ 32-75 1 19-38 14-36 4-5 13-19 L1 4-6

Republic League Standings

Team W L PCT GB Pyt.Rec Diff Home Away XInn 1Run M# Streak Last10 Maricopa Rattlers 67 41 .620 - 61-47 6 31-19 36-22 5-2 20-12 47 L2 5-5 Spring Lions 59 49 .546 8 62-46 -3 31-25 28-24 2-4 15-17 L1 6-4 Ann Arbor Wolverines 54 54 .500 13 56-52 -2 28-27 26-27 5-3 15-15 L1 4-6 New York Legends 53 55 .491 14 54-54 -1 21-31 32-24 6-2 12-18 L1 4-6 Portland Axemen 53 55 .491 14 56-52 -3 27-27 26-28 3-3 11-10 W1 6-4 Virginia Beach Surf 52 55 .486 14½ 46-61 6 31-26 21-29 2-4 13-10 W1 4-6 Cumberland Defenders 49 60 .450 18½ 51-58 -2 29-26 20-34 2-4 13-12 W1 4-6 Cleveland Naps 45 63 .417 22 48-60 -3 22-31 23-32 2-5 13-18 W2 6-4

[Alan T]

League Leaders AVG J. An - SPG .359 2 L. Huerta STL .347 3 A. Coronado HBS .336 4 M. Sakurai WAS .333 5 Y. Song CHI .329	League Leaders HR M. Viramontes - MAR 36 2 Z. Kum CHI 32 3 L. Huerta STL 30 4 M. Ramírez STL 28 4 B. Wood BAL 28	League Leaders RBI G. Frizzell - POR 110 2 M. Ramírez STL 109 3 S. Harrisson CHI 100 4 G. Cruz PLN 97 4 Z. Kum CHI 97
League Leaders W M. Burns - STL 13 2 M. Gibbs MAR 12 2 M. Quezada WAS 12 2 M. Urbina VIR 12 5 3 tied with 11	League Leaders ERA M. Urbina - VIR 2.59 2 A. Mausinha SPG 2.78 3 T. Olivares MAR 2.93 4 M. Gibbs MAR 2.99 5 J. Archuleta STC 3.15	League Leaders K C. Guerrero - POR 127 2 R. López CLE 123 3 T. Takahashi HBS 122 4 P. Jiménez POR 117 5 M. Gibbs MAR 116

[Alan T]

Gilbert Launches Number 300
Tuesday, August 6th, 2013: Geoff Gilbert circled the bases and raised his arm in triumph. He had finally hit his 300th home run. It was a homer for a lot of people: himself; his teammates past and present; his former managers and coaches; and especially his family, who sat near the plate cheering his every at-bat during the past few games.

Gilbert spoke with BNN and said, "I knew number 300 would come sooner or later. I had to keep reminding myself, 'Relax, relax, just let it happen, let it happen.' And it finally did."

His milestone homer came in the Cleveland Naps 6-5 win over the Ann Arbor Wolverines. Gilbert went 2 for 4 in the game, scored 2 runs, and batted in 2.

Lifetime Gilbert has played in 1294 games, batted .262 with 300 home runs and 1312 base hits.

[Alan T]

Defenders Contreras Hits 300th Homer
Monday, August 19th, 2013: It was a great day for Alfredo Contreras, but not a good one for his Cumberland Defenders. The 31-year-old right fielder reached a personal milestone with his 300th career homer, but it wasn't enough to beat the Cleveland Naps, who came away with a 9-4 victory. Contreras finished the day with 3 hits, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored.

"Well, I've conceded the fact that you can't will yourself to hit a home run," he said. "I tried hard for the last few days. It was getting to be embarrassing with the crowd standing up every time I came to the plate."

In his career Contreras has played in 1385 games, totaling 1340 hits, 318 doubles, 58 triples and 300 homers. He has hit .265 with 946 RBIs and scored 871 times.

[Alan T]

Mausinha Nabs RL #1 Pitcher Award
Sunday, September 1st, 2013: The elite pitcher this past month in the Republic League was Antão Mausinha of the Spring Lions. He stood head and shoulders above the rest, finishing August with an extraordinary 5-0 record and a 2.19 ERA.

The Lions star hurler made 6 starts and surrendered 36 hits in 37 innings. He struck out 23 and walked 8.

So far this season Mausinha has compiled a 13-2 record with a 2.66 ERA.


Havana Starter Named CL's Top Pitcher
Sunday, September 1st, 2013: Joaquín Avilés nailed down August's Continental League Pitcher of the Month award today, adding pressure on Havana to get a deal done before the 31-year-old becomes a free agent.

Avilés seems unfazed by the talk. "We get a deal done or we don't," he told reporters, "I'm not worrying about next year. Worrying about next year isn't what wins awards, you know?"

He fashioned a 4-0 record, reeled off 27 strikeouts, worked 35.1 innings and held batters to a .213 average for the month as he posted a 1.27 ERA.

In the current season in 27 starts, Joaquín Avilés has a record of 9-6 with 96 strikeouts in 143.1 innings and a 4.58 ERA.