As we reach August 15th, the injury bug has jumped up and sharply bitten one of the leading contenders. More in the injury news section below.
In the Platonic League, the division leaders went 4-0 on the sim, but still lost a half-game of their cushion as Miami went 5-0 to close to within 13.5 games of the division lead. Of course, with the Masters’ 17.5 game lead over third-place Stockholm, the rest of the season is a largely academic exercise to determine who will be at home for Game One of the playoffs. Maryland has surged into a two-game lead over Cairo and now is in position to receive the coveted first pick in next June’s draft.
In the Socratic League, Jersey City has pulled into a tie with Brooklyn. Both teams are eight games clear of third-place Seattle, while defending league champion New York has now dropped ten games out of a playoff berth and is only 2.5 games ahead of Gainesville. Marietta remains in last place in the division and in position for only the fifth pick in next year’s draft. Every team in the SL except for Marietta is currently over .500.
In league news, Pittsburgh’s Danilo Henriquez and Seattle’s Myles Horne were named Players of the Week. Also, Henriquez and Stockholm’s Horace Lawson rapped five-hit days during the sim. The top hitting performance of the season though remains Miami’s Winfred Kiser’s 5-5 with two home run, one walk, five runs, four RBI day way back on April 4. No significant transactions.
In injury news, karma came around somewhat as Jersey City’s Donald Parson was hit by a pitch, suffered a fractured cheekbone, and is expected to be out seven months. As you all may recall, Parson was traded for top outfield prospect Albert Guzman, who suffered a fractured skull in April. I guess this new injury makes the deal a lose-lose trade, at least in the short-term. In addition, Jersey City’s Gonzalo Fernandez suffered a bruised jaw, but has almost completed healing. Stockholm lost Marvin Weist first to a bruised wrist and then to a fractured jaw. The eight weeks Weist will miss will likely cost him the rest of the season.
Finally, Gainesville lost David Austin for 1-2 weeks with a dead arm. A second baseman. With a dead arm. Toughen up a bit, will you, David? You ought to be able to roll it to first much of the time. Maybe the team will change it’s name to the Purple Wussies in his honor.
On to the hot, hot game action.
On August 10, Gainesville and Marietta played a double-header (my bad, again) with the Purple Porpoises taking both ends 6-4 and 4-1. Luckily, the two teams had the next day off. The symbolic end of the season may have come for the Knights as Jersey City scored one in the eighth and three in the ninth to come back for a 6-5 win over New York. The winning runs came home on George “Pushum” Pullum’s 26th home run of the season. Ramapough Mountain used a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth by Todd Stewart to nip Cairo 5-4. Pittsburgh white-washed Stockholm 12-0 as Jose Doriva threw 7.2 shutout innings and three Pisces homered. Tyler Conn won his 15th game of the year, stopping the red hot Seattle Pilots in a 5-2 win.
On August 11, the offenses broke out in Sweden as Pittsburgh outscored Stockholm 15-8 in a game featuring home runs from six different players. Gaby Duran won his 17th game of the season. Seattle led Brooklyn 1-0 going into the eighth, but the Bombers broke out then for five runs and won 5-1, taking their second straight game. Jersey City scored again in the ninth inning to beat New York 4-3. New York had the game headed into extra innings, but a two-out passed ball allowed Basil Gomez to reach first instead of striking out and Orlando Amell’s bases-loaded single two batters later won the game for the Skeeters. Cairo pounded Ramapough Mount 11-2, although the Indians’ Ted Corns hit his 20th home run of the season in the defeat.
On August 12, the Masters’ and Pilots’ offenses broke out. Miami got two home runs from Ben Towell in a 11-3 win. Seattle’s Frankie Garnett homered in their 10-4 win over Brooklyn. New York regained some face, scoring the last three runs of the game to beat the Skeeters 7-4. Marietta scored four runs on just four hits to beat Gainesville 4-3.
Only two games on August 13. In the first one, Cairo pounded Ramapough Mountain 14-1. Leveeman Anthony Gladney went the distance, giving up just three hits, in the win. In the other game, Miami topped Gainesville 7-5.
On August 14, interleague play returned in force and the Platonic League went a surprising 5-1. The two division leaders squared off and Pisces’ ace Richard Ro led the Pisces to a 2-1 victory. Stockholm handled New York 9-2, Maryland beat Marietta 4-2, Seattle fell to Ramapough by the same margin, and Miami topped Gainesville 7-3 with two home runs and 6 RBI from Brady Morris. The only bright spot of the day for the SL was Jersey City’s 7-4 win over Cairo.
Turning to the minors for a minute, as there is less than three weeks left in their seasons, there are a number of playoff races. In AAA, in the PCL, the Sarasota Soup Nazis (MIA) lead the Imperial Guards (PIT) by three and the Tacoma Rainiers (SP) by four. In the IL, the Anaheim Leprechauns (MPD) are one game ahead of the Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers (BRK). How do the Brooklyn Bombers feel about having another organization’s AAA team literally in their backyard? Inquiring minds …
In AA, it appears the championship will be decided by the San Angeles Celestial Teapots (RAM) and the Churchill Icebreakers (GAI), who lead their divisions by eight and seven games respectively.
In Single A, the Bloomington Troopers (JCY) and Uniontown Strikers (PIT) are tied in the CL. The winner will likely face the Las Vegas Low Rollers (NYK), who benefit from a seven-game cushion.
In short-season A, there are three teams battling for one berth as the Laredo Tigersharks (BRK) are only two games clear of the Newark Bears (NYK) and three in front of the Issaquah Indians (SP). In the other division, the Staten Island Revolution are five up on the Beaver Shots (PIT).
Finally, Rookie ball is a very competitive mix. The only teams apparently hopeless are the Jacksonville Junior Mints (MIA) and Flagstaff Flagellum (RAM), as every other team is within seven games of the division lead. (That’s quite a fall from grace for the Mints, as they went a stunning 56-6 last season, winning the championship.) The current division leaders are the Akron Arsenal (CAI) and the Flint Stones (NYK).
In the next sim, Brooklyn and Pittsburgh finish their showdown series and interleague play continues. Nate has the sim on Monday. League file is posted. Web pages still outdated. Sorry, I keep forgetting, and I can’t update them from work.
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