In a reflection, the first MABL season was an unequivocal success both commercially in regards to quality of play. This elevation of MABL teams was beared out in the first month of the Regional Open Cups as well, with all squads in the league securing playoff seeds before the preliminary round ends in October. This is thanks to the 30 days, 30 games warmup that doubles as a training period for MABL teams, whose rosters have only gotten that much better with the year's notice on financial gains. The increased media exposure has affected the Eastern and Midwestern Leagues as expected, but the MABL news stories have been creeping slowly out west. The GPL’s momentum heading into the year is far less palpable than previous, but in the offseason, the Pacific teams are going to look for answers in a league commissioner.

The MABL, too, needs a new figurehead now that the leader of the President’s commission (the equivalent of the National Baseball Commission) has passed. The league presidents see the GPL’s move on the horizon, and need to move quickly for the newly formed league to remain at the top of the baseball hierarchy.

All that’s for the offseason, though. Right now, we ball.

Brooklyn’s preseason expectations are through the roof. After dominating preliminary play in the Eastern open, the Jays offense and defense is back to its pre-war state. Jon Gibbs, Brandon Sutton, and an emergent David Dillard are now alongside a fully-developed Elliot DeAngelo and Zach Riley, while returning ace Jonah Lucas is expected to win the Lisiewicz Award. Newcomers Quentin, Lucie, and Sproul are akin to ringers. The Boroughers are in a tough spot, as the squad’s offseason additions need to prove their worth. Expectations are high for the core trio of McPherson, Manuel Gonzalez, and David Sandoval, but regression is expected from ‘47 MVP Jared Kaplan. Danny Castaneda, Jeremy Maddox, Elliot Keeling, and Omar Flores are the major offseason acquisitions that are hoped to help the Moles compete against the war machine. Capital City’s attrition of Joe Berg is hoped to be offset by the offense of Matt Dale and the pitching of Enrique Stone and Luis Hernandez, two of the best in ‘47. Catcher Jacopo Macaluso is trade bait for this season as a rental, but Capital City might be moving more than just him at the deadline. Centennial’s outlook is bleak entering ‘48, despite retaining both of the all-stars Tom Clark and Chris Charles, and newly acquired ace Luis Soto should be a piece to help them be contenders. Alas, their hopes are in the hands of the better built teams. Boston’s eventual surge will come on the backs of prospects, but Chris Erwin and Jesus Pineda will hold down the fort in expectation for the future. There is some good news coming out from the Bees, as Keith Holton finally reaches the bigs this season. Harbor, despite nearly their entire starting rotation being poached over the offseason, has some bright spots. The Hacks top prospects Steve Saunders and Wallace Dunn hope to provide additional firepower to their offensive lineup, while their 4th starter from the previous season, Leo Longoria, opens the season for the Harbors. The Manhattan Geezers might live up to their name in some ways, but some youth will play for the Giants this season. Alongside pricey additions of reigning Lisiewicz Award winner Joe Berg, Victor Badilla, and Javier Ortega, youngsters Hunter Ricketts and Bo Rosendale lead a crop of players expected to lead these Giants into their self-appointed position. Ted Newsome also has high hopes for newly-drafted minor-leaguer Mike Giordano, hoping to build his own star outfield like the other New York teams. Rounding out the table in the East is Pittsburgh, whose starting lineup features a lot of no-names outside of Rocky Thomas Jr. The bankrollers of the operation, U.S. Steel, have plenty to consider this offseason with a stacked draft class and a desire to increase the presence of the Eagles at the forefront in a crowded Pittsburgh baseball scene.

The West runs through the Republics, this year. Although not as dominant as the frontrunners in the East, Chicago already hosts a bunch of top talent. Ryan Griffin and Nate Hardesty lead an offense filled with newcomers. Draft pick Mario Alfaro, trade acquisition Cliff Hansen, and free agent signing Mike Klockow fill the order, balancing out a pitching rotation of Nick Adkins, Melvin Dominguez, Nelson Velasquez, and Cortes Velador. If each reaches their ceiling, this team will usurp the throne from Cleveland. Speaking of the Lakers, they indeed lost some talent, but they’re back with Joe Wells and Lance Byrd in the lineup and Oscar Fuentes, Israel Magana, Danny Rosas, and Ron Elliott on the bump. The Lakers aren’t going anywhere near the bottom with this squad, but they’ll again be playing catch up. Cincinnati looks to make an effort for the pennant, but their boys can’t have a repeat of last year. Two-way star Howard Townsley looks to be changing things, and at just 19, he’ll get the Opening Day start over Danny Hernandez and Jim McKeithan. With Dee, Ed Stutts, and Carlos Reyes back for another tour, the Reds are in prime position to win and win now. Detroit’s team is filled with up-and-comers, and many in the MABL are expecting Rock Adams to break out, but his supporting cast of German Arellano, Jeff Morrow, and Tim Outing look to provide extra runs at the plate. Last year’s All-Star Starter Edwin Trevino is back on the mound as Union’s young core looks to develop over the next few years. Milwaukee’s expected to fall by the wayside a bit this year thanks to the loss of their ace, but the hitting looks strong for the No-Names. Alongside Sebastian Michaels, Moises Provencio, Efrain Morales, and second baseman Rick O’Leary is youngster Brent Rodgers, who dazzled in his late season callup last year and should bolster the lineup. Pitching is their main concern, however, as last year’s mid-rotation Mario Pereira beat out offseason acquisition Will Rubio for the opening day start. Stock Yards looks like a whole new team this offseason, but shortstop Roger Doblado and third baseman Miguel Flores should form some consistency in the roster. Top prospect Gavin Barringer should provide some help at the plate, while Juan Escalante returns with the ace spot over new acquisitions Vinny Perez and Justin Conerly. Louisville’s rebuild is taking some time after they realized that their current roster wouldn’t be enough to overcome the tough hitting of the MABL, and this year’s Indians feature a slew of call-ups. Joining Chris Graff in the outfield is Brian Munger, who’s having high expectations lofted onto him by the organization. J.J. Lubanski is the only remaining player from last year’s infield but moving to left field this year, as a new crop led by third baseman John Thompson and first baseman Luis Farias start their tenures in Louisville. The pitching turnover is mild, however, as Eric Corbitt, Joe Soucy, and Mat Dugan are joined by Paul Lamson from the Republics off waivers. St. Louis doesn’t have much to play for this year, but the Travellers aren’t known to leave towns without a fight. Harry Pigg is back, now alongside late-1947 call up Jon “Duke” Dunear and '47 Roosevelt Cup Series MVP Ethan Cannady. Last Year’s Opening Day Starter Cowboy Buchanan was replaced by Ernesto Jimenez, but it’s unclear if that’ll do much good for the also-rans of the league.

Sorry, I’m back to long posts, I can’t help it.



The MABL’s new season saw a change in offensive strategy thanks to Brooklyn’s Jon Gibbs, whose 61 stolen bases the year prior led to a revival of sorts in the art.  In a supercharged offensive environment already thanks to a lower-than-life mound, the MABL’s total run output is unworldly in the 1948 season.

Brooklyn, for one, is taking advantage. This Jays team is putting together the best season in franchise history thanks to a truly team effort. Brandon Sutton and Heifer Dillard are on a convergent path to be the new face of the Jays alongside Gibbs, but it’s the surprises of the team that have helped them vault to their insane record. Elliot DeAngelo’s 1.093 OPS leads the rest of the supporting cast, while Zach Riley’s incredible defensive output is matched by his stellar ‘48 campaign at the plate. Brooklyn’s top 4 starters each reached the all-star game as well, with Martin Sproul getting the starting spot thanks to the 20 year-old’s 96 strikeouts and sub-3.00 ERA. Bar none, this might be the best team the Jays have ever put on the field, and with first baseman Bobby Lee set to be the oldest in this new core at 29, there’s no telling how far (or long) they can go. This spells doom for the Boroughers, whose offseason additions were told by management that they’d be on a pennant-winning team. Although not an all-star, Castaneda’s performance has been strong, but the rest of the Moles have been performing to expectations. At the break, Dilbert McPherson and David Sandoval hold the Eastern tie for the home run leaderboard at 15, but the rest of the lineup isn’t far behind. Jeremy Maddox has performed well in his new home, but he’ll have to be especially great down the stretch for New York to stay anywhere near the Jays. At the end of June, Eric Follett went down with torn UCL, leaving the star’s future uncertain for when (or even if) he returns to the club. 

Capital City has been doing well without Joe Berg (although they might be in second place if their ace re-signed). The pitching core has carried them to an above .500 record at the break, but their prized offseason acquisition Matt Dale hasn’t been enough to reverse course. His 6 dingers are paired with a .997 OPS at the break, while 30-year old Mike Schad, although not an all-star, is picking up the slack. He’s blooming late with 10 home runs, keeping the team in the semblance of contention, convincing the Scheevel estate to keep catcher Jacopo Macaluso around.  Centennial’s top players remain Chris Charles and Tom Clark, although Clark’s home run total isn’t nearly his ‘47 total. New Ace Luis Soto has been a total flop with an abysmal 5.12 ERA. Enjoy four more years of this, Centennials. Boston’s coming out party has been less than expected, with Chris Erwin leading the charge of under-performace. Erwin, an all-star, is still not living up to the totals expected of him by time this year, while Keith Holton is performing as an above average rookie. Jesus Pineda’s .355/.437/.517 slash is respectable, but this was supposed to be his breakout season. Manager Dan Bell is in control in the clubhouse, however, and as de-facto president, seems to have the long-term faith of the board. The Geezers, meanwhile, were actually trying to win the pennant this year. Ted Newsome has been riding his team since falling from 12-6, starting with a series sweep at the hands of the Moles. The team culture has suffered as a result, although Javier Ortega has risen above the squabbles and posted a .333 batting average. Promising rookie Bo Rosendale’s 10 first-half home runs are a welcome addition for a team ranked 7th in runs scored. Baltimore’s year has been saved thanks to Blaise Perez and rookie Steve Saunders, although Wallace Dunn’s poor first half performance got him sent back down to the developmental team at the end of June. Pittsburgh, again, is just Rocky Thomas Jr.

TL;DR: Brooklyn’s historic pace is led by their all-star outfield, and their new acquisitions are living up to the hype. New York’s time atop the East feels fleeting, despite solid play from everyone. Eric Follett, however, might not play again. Capital City stays above .500, but Centennial’s offseason pickups are all underperforming. Boston, too, is leaving much to be desired, but they’re in it for the long haul. Manhattan is toxic despite good play from their best, while Baltimore has a long road to hoe to become contenders.

In the West, Chicago’s narrow one game lead is testament to their offensive production. Ryan Griffin broke out this year, smashing 15 beyond the walls and again proving himself the quintessential team leader. While Hardesty has been good, fellow outfielder Sam Cooper is the supporting cast member the team needed. Cliff Hansen’s 40 stolen bases leads the West, and while his bat could show improvement, the man has become an on-base machine. Pitchers Velador and Velasquez earned all-star nods, but neither could match the production of the Unicorn. Howard Townsley, at just 19, has put himself in position to revolutionize the sport. Playing as both pitcher and catcher, the youngster is leading the charge on offense and defense for the Reds. The other stars of the rotation, Danny Hernandez and Jim McKeithan, got their all-star nods, alongside Ed Stutts in the field. Reyes and the rest of the players not mentioned have once again proved liabilities at the plate, but at least first baseman Pat Woodroofe has 8 home runs against his poor slash line. Thanks to their pitching, Cincinnati has a chance for the pennant. The Lakers are right there with ‘em, however, thanks to their stacked top of the order. Lance Byrd and ‘47 Western MVP Joe Wells are back up to their old tricks, each getting a rightful all-star start. The pitching rotation looks strong, too, as Oscar Fuentes has the lowest ERA of anyone not named Howard Townsley. Magana’s 4.75 ERA is the only blemish, so his righting of the ship is the only thing standing in the way of this team and the pennant. 

Detroit has been a surprise but Rock Adam’s is no fluke. The 20 year old has come into his own as the best hitter in baseball this season, and although many are saying that his hitting is unsustainable, the supporting cast of Tim Outing, Ryan Bohlen, and German Arnellano look to be a core to build around. With the rotation looking thin outside of Edwin Trevino, it’s up to the offense to carry them the rest of the way. Milwaukee’s inability to reach their potential lies squarely on the shoulders of a poor pitching staff outside of reliever Matt Haston, as offseason additions and established starters have regressed in the high-run environment. Without a true ace, Provencio, Michaels, Efrain Morales and rookie Brent Rodgers have been putting together a strong collective campaign on offense to pick up slack. Rodgers has yet to break out, but the No-Names are likely to punt towards next year. There is a constant desire to mention St. Louis just for Harry Pigg, but the Travellers have the beginnings of a strong offensive cast in Justin Fraser (if he an stay healthy) and Melvin Romero, who’s call-up to the bigs makes him quite the old rookie at 29. No one on the pitching staff looks good, but Cowboy’s 58 strikeouts are combined with a 5.21 ERA. New “ace” Ernesto Jimenez hasn’t fared much better (although he’s the only one on the staff with an ERA starting with 4.) Despite the new look Indians, Louisville’s main offensive output has been Chris Graff, the star of the franchise. Brian Munger has played well too, but the rotation led by a back-to-earth Eric Corbitt and rest of the cast can’t seem to do much to stem the tide. The Packers, meanwhile, have some things to work out. Their starting rotation has been let down time and time again by the worst bullpen in the Major League, while their offense has shown promise on the bats of Barringer and Doblado. Hopefully things can turn around, as Dave Perrin’s anxieties about his team grow worse by the day.

TL;DR: The Republics hold a tenuous lead heading into the break, but their squad has put together a solid season and a few all-stars. Cincinnati’s pitching staff is carrying a weak squad, and Howard Townsley seems to be the only one who can do something about it. Cleveland, despite offseason attrition, still commands respect. Detroit and Milwaukee surprise for opposite reasons, while the Travellers and Indians stay above the basement thanks to their stars. Chicago’s other team isn’t looking good on the field, and with no other revenue streams, their owner hopes to keep them looking good financially.




The Trade Deadline wasn’t nearly as hectic last year, although the Republics remained movers. The biggest trade was that for Capital City’s Jeff Oxford, an excellent first baseman whose surprising power stroke grabbed him 10 home runs as an everyday player in the first half. With Griffin switching full-time to first, the 34 year-old will play third base for the first place Republics. In  return, Capital City sheds some salary and adds prospects off of what accounts as a rental for Chicago.

Cincinnati gets in on the action too, trading away mid-season call up Mike Clark for established Centennials veteran Juan Diaz. The Reds, although seeing promise in the 24 year-old, needed a player who could contribute now, and Diaz was the best they could find on the market. At 31, he’s one of the few 30+ that’s still arbitration eligible. If the Reds don’t like what they see, this could be a disastrous trade if Clark (no relation to Tom) turns into even a serviceable starter.

Baltimore, ever building for the future, sends away a dreadfully underperforming Danny Gimeno (.236/.333/.329 in 53 games) for Republics pitching prospect Matt Wagner. Chicago’s hope is that the 28 year-old can put it together in the back half and help his team to the pennant, but that remains to be seen. 

At the deadline, the Eagles put together a deal with Detroit that sent away pitching prospect Mike Sparks and their starting right fielder Chris Coulter for 1947 late round pick Nick Lindorff. Coulter’s production was quite terrible, with a .274/.355/.385 slash and four home runs (down from an already poor 1947 season), and the Dubs are hoping that a change in scenery will help him. 




The All-Star game was held in Brooklyn, a decision made the previous offseason following the passing of the former owner and team president Adam Hirsch. Six Jays players made starts today, all wearing their blue uniforms at home in honor of the late MABL president. Hirsch’s absence was felt in the stadium, as former Jays pitcher Asher Lisiewicz threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Lamenting the loss of a great leader, Lisiewicz commented that “The hope of this great game rested time and time again on the shoulders of one man, and it's his shoulders that carried us to this new foundation.” Roukous applause belled out from 33,000 fans, as a late surge led by Elliot DeAngelo catapulted the East to a 10-8 victory in the bottom of the 9th.

Last edited by H-Town1141 (4/04/2024 9:59 pm)

1948 - End of Season


I’ll save the Jays talk for the Roosevelt Cup Preview, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Brooklyn’s offensive output was only rivaled by their defense, where they ranked tops in every category on both sides of the ball except for errors, where they were third. The East in 1948 was all but certainly Brooklyn’s by mid-July, but it took until the end of August for it to be mathematically certain. This wasn’t due to the opposition catching up, however, as the Jays kept extending their lead over New York. The Boroughers, for their part, fell off in August after a slight slump after the all-star break, where the team became racked in turmoil. Dilbert McPherson and David Sandoval were still some of the best hitters in baseball, but Jared Kaplan’s decline into normalcy left the clubhouse uninspired down the stretch. Players signed in the offseason, such as Castaneda, Flores, and Maddox simply weren’t performing to their standard, but even career years from the veterans couldn’t have stopped the best team since before the depression. With most of them having opt-outs after this season, the Moles have a lot to work on to re-tool and compete like they did in ‘47. 

The Capitals were able to retain their position in third place thanks to solid pitching performances. Although no Joe Berg, Bill Billiter turned around from a 9-15 record the previous season and put together the only ERA under 4.00 on the roster. Enrique Stone and Luis Hernandez were still perfectly fine, but Stone’s backslide towards good-not-great mirrors that of Matt Dale, whose offensive output slid after the offseason trade that sent Hunter Ricketts to Manhattan. Boston’s top of the lineup was daunting for any team they faced, as rookie Keith Holton joined Chris Erwin and Jesus Pineda in putting together strong seasons at the plate. Erwin’s 21 bombs are followed closely by Pineda’s 20, but the star power leading the order needs to be supplemented more this offseason if they have any chance to contend. The pitching staff was absolutely abysmal, but in a league with a high run environment like the MABL, Victor Castro was a solid ace with a 4.14 ERA. Centennial might have signed the worst MABL contract so far with Luis Soto, whose abysmal season saw him get dropped from the ace spot for Jermaine Holmes, who himself regressed from the year prior. Chris Charles and Tom Clark still combined for nearly 160 RBI, but it’s needless to say that someone like Cliff Hansen in the lineup could’ve helped them put more runs on the board. The Geezers season was bad all-around, as the only major signee seemingly worth anything was Joe Berg, whose 4.13 was quite good for the ‘48 season. Bo Rosendale’s 17 home runs look to be a bright spot for the club, but Ted Newsome’s meddling might become a problem in the prospect pipeline. In Baltimore, Steve Saunders has arrived, with a monster .957 OPS and 70 RBI, joining Blaise Perez as two potentially perennial all-stars. The hope is that the second worst starting rotation in the MABL can get a little help from Pat Rozsell in the future. Die Adler were pathetic this year, but on the bright side, Mike Jordan’s progress has been so apparent that the 21-year-old is expected on the opening day roster, likely pushing out one of my favorite MABL names, Orhan Tasköprülüzâde.

TL;DR: Brooklyn’s writeup is coming in the RCS preview, but look at the win total. The Moles need to pitch their offseason acquisitions hard if they're going to try to run it back, as the disappointing team still has holes to fill and might replace the 1947 MVP. Capital City’s replacement of Joe Berg in the aggregate kind of worked, but the squad still has a ways to go. Boston’s offense was strong, but Chris Erwin is only signed through the end of this season, leaving the Bees to search for both offense and pitching in the offseason. Centennial’s prized pickup Luis Soto was a dud, and their best bats already seem to be fading. Both Baltimore and Manhattan need prospects for the future, as Harbor need not waste Blaise Perez’s prime and Newsome needs to find the next great player to attract fans. Pittsburgh has the first pick in the loaded 1949 draft.



The West remained more wide open this season as no clear frontrunner emerged until the final two weeks of the season. Detroit, Cincinnati, and the Republics were battling for first place all year, but in the end it was Chicago’s boys that took home the crown. Led on offense by an always impressive Ryan Griffin, the squad racked up 511 runs on the season despite the awful averages of their back half of the lineup. Midseason pickup Jeff Oxford and a healthy Cliff Hansen provided valuable pacing in the lineup, while their pitching staff held up against poor defensive metrics. Nelson Velazquez ended up with a 3.91 ERA and an incredible 19-3 record, while MABL newcomers Mike Harmon and David Russ provided value out of the bullpen. Despite dropping series against both Cincinnati and Detroit in December, Chicago was able to hold on for the pennant. 

The Reds were in no position to drop a series in late September, but a sweep at the hands of the lowly Indians all but removed them from potentially clinching the West. Howard Townsley built off an incredible rookie season and put together an even better year 2. The 19 year old’s 2.62 ERA is the best in the West by a wide margin, and his .372/.453/.452 slash line is one of the best for any catcher in baseball. The unicorn led the best pitching staff outside of Brooklyn, as Danny Hernandez and Jim McKeithan kept up their winning ways. The offense, however, continued to sputter without any power at the plate (Carlos Reyes and Pat Woodroffe led the team in home runs with just 10). It’s going to be hard to see them get over the hump without new offensive weapons at their disposal, especially with an insurgent Detroit now in the mix. 

Union, for their part, has become an offensive machine. The young Rock Adams continued to rake throughout the season, ending the year with an eye watering 1.337 OPS. Thanks to manager Ryan Weinhandl’s lineups, the Dubs were the highest run-scoring team in the west despite relatively average offensive output. However, their pitching left a lot to be desired, as Edwin Trevino buoyed a poor starting rotation and the bullpen was saved by the MABL’s best reliever in Gavin Wooden. With some incredible prospects coming through their development system over the next few years, Detroit looks to be here to stay. 

Cleveland’s regression, although sort of expected, is still something of note. Ron Elliot and Israel Magana came nowhere close to their 1947 numbers, and yest the starting rotation was still quite solid in comparison to the rest of the league. Joe Wells’ 22 home runs  came in handy for a run-starved offense, and with Wells and Lance Byrd being the only batters hitting over .300, the Lakers need to bring in offensive production to remain near the top. Milwaukee’s disappointing season, on the other hand, bodes well for their future. Although the team still has holes, Sebastian Michaels, Moises Provencio, and rookie Brent Rodgers were still quite effective at the plate. Their starting rotation was helped by rookie Ken Friesen’s jump straight to the MABL, and his 7-2 record is an example of the youngster’s future impact. Louisville is waiting on prospects, but Chris Graff is here and ready. Arguably the second best player in baseball, his 1.226 OPS is bolstered by 27 home runs, and provided the sole excitement for a team ranked last in nearly every offensive metric. Eric Corbitt’s production this year was poor as well, as the ace is looking forward towards a better 1949. The Packers teardown mainly hurt their pitching staff, as Gavin Barringer, Roger Doblado, and Ryan Miller look like a solid young core for the future. If Manager Joshua Brooks has a chance to draft before his potential firing, owner Dave Perrin might not have a chance to run his team into the ground. St. Louis, on the other hand, is looking for any sign of hope outside of Harry Pigg. The young phenom was incredible both at and behind the plate this past season, and with Justin Fraser and Ethan Cannady, composed of a great top of the order. Cowboy Buchanan’s once promising career looks to be in shambles with a 6.33 ERA, and the pitcher might be looking forward to coaching at just 26.

TL;DR: The Republics’ luck was immense, in that they won the West despite dropping series against both Detroit and Cincinnati. The Reds have immense pitching talent, and need to bring in star hitters to become a potential dynasty. Detroit’s pitching prospects will help them get over the top in the future, but as long as Rock Adams is healthy, they’ll stay in the mix no matter what. Milwaukee’s potential dream season fell to pieces, but they squad still has bright spots in rookie Ken Friesen and the reliable bats of Provencio and Michaels. Cleveland’s top heavy lineup needs more depth, as the pitching staff simply isn’t what it was a year prior. Chriss Graff needs help, as he and Eric Corbitt nearly double-handedly dragged this team to respectability. Stockyards has a top-5 pick in the draft, and if Gavin Barringer is any indication, the team might be able to find a stud. The Travellers need to put together a team around Harry Pigg, because this is just sad.

Last edited by H-Town1141 (5/15/2024 7:39 pm)

I’m a huge supporter of this project, having been an avid reader of the Association. Glad to see it up and running again. Love all the looks and it’s great to see some action. I got Brooklyn with a sweep of Chicago. Frankly, they are just too good.

Congrats to Brooklyn, can't really say I didn't see this coming though. I have a feeling the Jays are gonna be here a lot.