Really loving the draft order video, looked about as professional as we'll probably get on these boards!

St. Louis and Cincinnati getting the first 2 picks is pretty funny, and obviously wouldn't normally happen, so at least it'll be one of those things fans can talk about/make conspiracies about, (ala New York Knicks winning the lottery to get Patrick Ewing-aka frozen envelope).  

Loving that Louisville got Mikey Horn.  Out of all the prospects I submitted, he and Robin Adams are the two I have the most faith in, glad my favorite team got one of them!  

Really nice work here with the draft!

Rounds 2-10

The rest of the draft was still eventful, provided with plenty of talent due to many of the top pitchers remaining on the board heading into the second round. Round 2 saw many of those future aces get snagged up quickly, however, but not before third baseman Nate Hopke, who indicated that he would be unwilling to sign with any lower midwest team due to “moral objections”, was selected by the Travellers with the 17th pick. Howard Townsley, often called “H-Town” by many of his teammates, is an intriguing offspeed pitcher with the potential to be among the league’s elite. Calvin Newton and Gavin Wooden have high ceilings, while Cowboy Buchanan and Cliff Hansen were left hanging in semi-pro for far too long. Brooklyn filled their organizational third baseman need in Josh Mace, but it might be a while until he sees time in the bigs; same goes for Manhattan and Douglas McCarthy.

Round 2, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: 3B Nate Hopke, age 20
Round 2, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: SP Howard Townsley, age 18
Round 2, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: SP Victor Portillo, age 18
Round 2, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: 3B Calvin Newton, age 22
Round 2, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: SP Gavin Wooden, age 20
Round 2, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: SP Bill Buchanan, age 24
Round 2, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: RF Cliff Hansen, age 27
Round 2, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: CF Freddie Mazzagatti, age 21
Round 2, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: SP Jonah Lucas, age 24
Round 2, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: CF Adam Vernier, age 21
Round 2, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: SP Cornelius Grant, age 21
Round 2, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: 3B Josh Mace, age 19
Round 2, Pick 13 - Detroit United: SS Roger Winterbotham, age 21
Round 2, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: 3B Douglas McCarthy, age 20
Round 2, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: C Isaiah Segar, age 22
Round 2, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: SS Victor Porras, age 19

The third round saw the likes of Wallace Dunn and Sam Cardiff IV go off the board, although pitchers Andy French and Brian Mill lok to be the steals of the round. Les Hughes, the oldest player in the round, would be a strong addition to a frustrated Baltimore locker room if he were to come up within the next year or so, although it’s unclear if he has the talent yet.

Round 3, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: SP Brian Mill, age 22
Round 3, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: 2B Matt Norton, age 22
Round 3, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: SP Andy French, age 20
Round 3, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: 2B Wallace Dunn, age 22
Round 3, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: SP Sam Cardiff IV, age 22
Round 3, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: 1B Tommie Harris, age 18
Round 3, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: SP Jimmy Larkin, age 18
Round 3, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: C Mod Erikkson, age 20
Round 3, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: 2B Les Hughes, age 23
Round 3, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: SP Chris Helms, age 18
Round 3, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: SP Nate Gardner, age 21
Round 3, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: CF Bobby Malone, age 17
Round 3, Pick 13 - Detroit United: 2B Rich Hunte, age 21
Round 3, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: CF Jimmy Perkins, age 21
Round 3, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: SS Edwin Valencia, age 22
Round 3, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: SS Edwin Valdez, age 22

Round 4 is noted for having some very raw yet promising prospects, in particular a studious and well-mannered Wade Dixon, stubborn reliever Gordon Jefferson, Jon “Duke” Dunear, West Virginia hillbilly Phil Yankton, and Iowa corn farmer Dave Market all look to have high ceilings, but it’ll be up to them to achieve them.

Round 4, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: SP Malik Tilman, age 18
Round 4, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: LF Jacob Washington, age 21
Round 4, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: 3B Pat Holbrook, age 18
Round 4, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: SP Erik Rodgers, age 21
Round 4, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: SP Danny Carranza, age 22
Round 4, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: RP Maxwell de Jong, age 21
Round 4, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: SP Dave Market, age 18
Round 4, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: SP Nate Coleman, age 23
Round 4, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: CF Cody Dorr, age 22
Round 4, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: 3B Ian Moss, age 21
Round 4, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: 1B Jonathan Dunear, age 24
Round 4, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: 2B Jeremy Underwood, age 22
Round 4, Pick 13 - Detroit United: RP Gordon Jefferson, age 22
Round 4, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: 2B Emmanuel Rodriguez, age 18
Round 4, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: SS Phil Yankton, age 24
Round 4, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: C Wade Dixon, age 20

Rounds 5 through 10 were effectively a slog. Most of these guys will most likely end up being long-term projects, trade assets for inter-league transactions, or be released within a few years. However, a young second baseman, Gabriel “Babe” Babcock, fell all the way to the 6th round due to character concerns despite his solid potential. It’ll be interesting to see how he progresses through the minors, especially with an organization as professional as Cincinnati.

Round 5
Round 5, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: C David Saucedo, age 20
Round 5, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: SP Jon Flickinger, age 18
Round 5, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: 2B Brad Slager, age 19
Round 5, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: SP Tyler Brinkley, age 18
Round 5, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: CF Ryan Riggins, age 19
Round 5, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: 3B Mike Edmister, age 21
Round 5, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: SP Sean West, age 18
Round 5, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: CF Greg King, age 22
Round 5, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: SP Wade Friend, age 18
Round 5, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: SS Derek McGregor, age 17
Round 5, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: CF Min Shuo, age 17
Round 5, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: SP Don Bornstein, age 19
Round 5, Pick 13 - Detroit United: SP Dave Mullinix, age 18
Round 5, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: SP Keith Dugan, age 22
Round 5, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: CF Forest Churchill, age 20
Round 5, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: 3B Dustin Williams, age 18
Round 6
Round 6, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: 1B Mike Johnson, age 20
Round 6, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: SS Paul Maio, age 22
Round 6, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: SP Chris Szydlo, age 18
Round 6, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: 2B Quadir Pinney, age 18
Round 6, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: SP Jason Doornbos, age 23
Round 6, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: SP Andy Daubney, age 18
Round 6, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: RP David Sanders, age 19
Round 6, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: SS Gabriel Babcock, age 19
Round 6, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: LF Mike Riddle, age 20
Round 6, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: SP Sergio Trujillo, age 18
Round 6, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: SP Keith Sandoval, age 18
Round 6, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: C Steve Walsh, age 18
Round 6, Pick 13 - Detroit United: C Jamie Johnson, age 18
Round 6, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: C Alex Ness, age 18
Round 6, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: SP Robert Miramontes, age 20
Round 6, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: SP Dave LaPorte, age 23
Round 7
Round 7, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: SP Tim Stern, age 17
Round 7, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: 1B Austin Dews, age 17
Round 7, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: 1B Keith McReynolds, age 20
Round 7, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: SP Jose Flores, age 20
Round 7, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: CF Brett Fears, age 20
Round 7, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: 3B Brian Landsman, age 19
Round 7, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: SP Matt DeMaria, age 22
Round 7, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: SP Jelexiz Lazo, age 22
Round 7, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: SP Tommy Schneider, age 21
Round 7, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: SS Daniel Baltazar, age 20
Round 7, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: RF Ryan Grafton, age 20
Round 7, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: SS Bill White, age 18
Round 7, Pick 13 - Detroit United: LF Derek Becker, age 20
Round 7, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: RP Justin Caple, age 22
Round 7, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: C Mark Hartt, age 18
Round 7, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: LF Mike Bracken, age 19
Round 8
Round 8, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: 3B Jason Moseley, age 21
Round 8, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: 2B Andy Strauss, age 20
Round 8, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: SP Michael Hurley, age 18
Round 8, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: CF Joaquin Pages, age 21
Round 8, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: SS Enrique Olvera, age 18
Round 8, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: SP Jaylen Allums, age 20
Round 8, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: CF John Goldberg, age 20
Round 8, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: SP Justin Perona, age 18
Round 8, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: C Chris Jones, age 18
Round 8, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: SP Bill Kolden, age 20
Round 8, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: SP Gideon Fochler, age 21
Round 8, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: CL Jeff Welch, age 20
Round 8, Pick 13 - Detroit United: SP Todd Klien, age 20
Round 8, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: C Mike Worles, age 18
Round 8, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: RF Kevin Rewerts, age 19
Round 8, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: RP Hunter Yeager, age 20
Round 9
Round 9, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: SP Garrett Bussell, age 22
Round 9, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: SP Aaron Fulkerson, age 19
Round 9, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: CF Chris Cochran, age 22
Round 9, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: C Matt Mundy, age 18
Round 9, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: SP Justin Miller, age 22
Round 9, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: 3B Kevin Filley, age 22
Round 9, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: SS Mitch Counsell, age 19
Round 9, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: SS Jay Blaylock, age 18
Round 9, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: SP Joe Mayer, age 20
Round 9, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: 3B Matt Tynes, age 18
Round 9, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: LF Bobby Register, age 23
Round 9, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: 1B Paul Crown, age 21
Round 9, Pick 13 - Detroit United: SS Jaden Smith, age 18
Round 9, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: SP Luis Ocampos, age 20
Round 9, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: SP Mike Shockley, age 21
Round 9, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: 2B Josh Buchanan, age 21
Round 10
Round 10, Pick 1 - St. Louis Travellers: CF Chris Towns, age 20
Round 10, Pick 2 - Cincinnati Reds: 3B Chayyim Ben-Zeev, age 20
Round 10, Pick 3 - Washington Cherry Blossoms: SP Mike Carmichael, age 19
Round 10, Pick 4 - New York Boroughers: SP Don Ricketts, age 19
Round 10, Pick 5 - Milwaukee Pros: CF Ryan Yarbrough, age 18
Round 10, Pick 6 - Cleveland Lakers: SP Eric Hollaway, age 18
Round 10, Pick 7 - Chicago Packers: SP Samuel Konop, age 20
Round 10, Pick 8 - Boston Bees: 2B Josh Houseworth, age 21
Round 10, Pick 9 - Baltimore Harbors: 2B George Bond, age 20
Round 10, Pick 10 - Chicago Republics: SP Patrick Shapiro, age 21
Round 10, Pick 11 - Louisville Indians: SP Mario Arellano, age 23
Round 10, Pick 12 - Brooklyn Jays: SP Trevor Parkey, age 22
Round 10, Pick 13 - Detroit United: SP Nick Adams, age 18
Round 10, Pick 14 - Manhattan Giants: C Josh Pense, age 17
Round 10, Pick 15 - Philadelphia Centennials: LF Steve Billings, age 20
Round 10, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Eagles: SP John Walkiewicz, age 21

Last edited by H-Town1141 (7/26/2021 1:06 pm)

Just like the later rounds of the draft, the inaugural all-star game will be shown in a text-only format. A few things to note:

I forgot to mention, because Boston is just the worst to talk ab0out, that star right fielder Chris Errico went down with an injury in the middle of June and will be out for the rest of the year. Good for them, however, as 1948's draft class also looks to be extremely talented at the top of the board. Also, the East only received one all-star spot at shortstop this year, as Brooklyn's tactical manager Joe LaRoque helped assemble the roster with ten (10!) pitchers. The Midwest wasn't much better, with FIVE first basemen.


(From OOTP) -- The Major American Baseball League All-Star Game. It's a great game for the fans. The All-Star Classic comes around each year at this time to the delight of every baseball fan. Talented players from the Eastern Division and Western Division come together and show their wares on the baseball diamond. The top players go toe-to-toe with one another to get the bragging rights for their league.

Selected to play for the Eastern Division All-Stars are:

SP Sam Coffman (MAN) - 9-3, 2.56 ERA, 112.2 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 2.8 K/9, 2.4 WAR
SP Alan Gragson (CBC) - 4-7, 3.14 ERA, 97.1 IP, 1.40 WHIP, 3.7 K/9, 0.7 WAR
SP Gary Hansen (BKN) - 7-5, 2.72 ERA, 109.0 IP, 1.06 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 3.1 WAR
SP Prince Jones (CBC) - 4-6, 3.29 ERA, 101.1 IP, 1.20 WHIP, 3.8 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Pete McGrath (HAC) - 6-2, 2.34 ERA, 84.2 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 3.9 K/9, 2.0 WAR
SP Kellen Sears (HAC) - 9-3, 2.25 ERA, 124.0 IP, 1.23 WHIP, 2.8 K/9, 2.5 WAR
SP Jason Stamm (PEBC) - 7-5, 3.23 ERA, 94.2 IP, 1.17 WHIP, 3.4 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP Tim Vogt (BKN)* - 8-2, 2.18 ERA, 111.2 IP, 1.13 WHIP, 4.2 K/9, 3.3 WAR
CL Matt Clements (BKN) - 4-1, 4 SV, 2.03 ERA, 31.0 IP, 1.19 WHIP, 5.5 K/9, 0.8 WAR
CL Paul Gillihan (MAN) - 4-1, 10 SV, 1.71 ERA, 31.2 IP, 1.36 WHIP, 3.1 K/9, 0.6 WAR
CL Ethan Kitchens (PEBC)* - 3-2, 14 SV, 1.49 ERA, 36.1 IP, 1.29 WHIP, 3.2 K/9, 0.4 WAR
C Bryant Riggs (BKN) - .306/.395/.407, 108 AB, 2 HR, 116 wRC+, 1.0 WAR
C J.D. Sarver (NYCAC)* - .258/.329/.424, 151 AB, 6 HR, 109 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
C David Sturtevant (PEBC) - .222/.324/.323, 158 AB, 3 HR, 88 wRC+, 0.5 WAR
1B Matt Box (BKN)* - .385/.458/.538, 169 AB, 6 HR, 1 SB, 165 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
1B Stan Byers (CBC) - .322/.385/.513, 152 AB, 5 HR, 148 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
1B Danny Ospina (BOS) - .301/.392/.436, 156 AB, 4 HR, 1 SB, 135 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
2B Justin Kovacs (BKN)* - .321/.424/.459, 196 AB, 5 HR, 18 SB, 144 wRC+, 3.3 WAR
2B Nolan Meyer (CBC) - .301/.423/.426, 183 AB, 4 HR, 1 SB, 143 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
2B Ryan Miller (NYCAC) - .293/.445/.332, 184 AB, 3 SB, 129 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
3B Brandon Madden (BOS) - .288/.359/.434, 205 AB, 8 HR, 125 wRC+, 1.4 WAR
3B Matt Stiefer (PEBC)* - .290/.372/.459, 207 AB, 8 HR, 136 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
3B Chris Thorp (MAN) - .321/.391/.410, 134 AB, 1 HR, 126 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
SS Jon Sierra (MAN)* - .337/.390/.506, 178 AB, 6 HR, 152 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
LF Etzer Duron (CCBC) - .296/.390/.459, 159 AB, 4 HR, 3 SB, 138 wRC+, 1.2 WAR
LF David Fassett (MAN) - .316/.412/.548, 155 AB, 7 HR, 167 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
LF Brian Rosenberg (BKN)* - .394/.470/.643, 213 AB, 12 HR, 38 SB, 205 wRC+, 5.7 WAR
CF Noel Kelley (BKN) - .308/.351/.540, 224 AB, 12 HR, 13 SB, 144 wRC+, 2.7 WAR
CF Javon McLeod (CBC) - .308/.339/.500, 214 AB, 5 HR, 4 SB, 129 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
CF Paul Sager (PEBC)* - .316/.385/.505, 212 AB, 7 HR, 5 SB, 150 wRC+, 2.9 WAR
RF Brian Dyck (MAN) - .328/.392/.535, 198 AB, 5 HR, 10 SB, 153 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
RF Chris Errico (BOS)* - .318/.366/.511, 176 AB, 8 HR, 146 wRC+, 1.3 WAR (Injured)
RF Mike Kulp (BKN) - .341/.399/.478, 182 AB, 3 HR, 9 SB, 145 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
RF Nate Smith (HAC) - .338/.422/.530, 198 AB, 7 HR, 1 SB, 150 wRC+, 2.2 WAR


The Western Division All-Stars will have these players on their roster:

SP Nick Blase (USBC) - 5-6, 2.82 ERA, 89.1 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 4.0 K/9, 1.8 WAR
SP Andy Johnson (LOU) - 2-2, 5 SV, 4.43 ERA, 44.2 IP, 1.77 WHIP, 3.4 K/9, 0.6 WAR
SP Chris Johnson (STL) - 7-2, 2.86 ERA, 97.2 IP, 1.14 WHIP, 3.7 K/9, 2.9 WAR
SP Morgan Lippens (MIL) - 5-5, 3.04 ERA, 100.2 IP, 1.22 WHIP, 3.0 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP George Rogers II (CIN)* - 8-1, 2.52 ERA, 85.2 IP, 1.32 WHIP, 6.1 K/9, 1.6 WAR
SP Kyle Sisk (CRBC) - 6-4, 2.86 ERA, 91.1 IP, 1.38 WHIP, 3.5 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP Tyler Stanton (STL) - 3-3, 2.21 ERA, 53.0 IP, 1.11 WHIP, 5.3 K/9, 1.7 WAR
SP Jonathan West (USBC) - 6-5, 2.85 ERA, 98.0 IP, 1.32 WHIP, 3.9 K/9, 2.5 WAR
RP Zach Molina (STL)* - 5-0, 4 SV, 1.32 ERA, 27.1 IP, 1.02 WHIP, 4.0 K/9, 0.2 WAR
CL Mike Osbahr (CLE) - 1-0, 5 SV, 0.81 ERA, 33.1 IP, 1.26 WHIP, 4.3 K/9, 0.5 WAR
C Eric Eyster (MIL) - .321/.387/.417, 84 AB, 1 HR, 1 SB, 123 wRC+, 0.9 WAR
C Cody Pilkington (DUB) - .275/.335/.386, 153 AB, 4 HR, 99 wRC+, 0.8 WAR
C Eddy Ramos (STL)* - .298/.369/.433, 141 AB, 2 HR, 124 wRC+, 1.4 WAR
1B Chris Deardorff (CLE) - .313/.429/.447, 179 AB, 5 HR, 1 SB, 151 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
1B Tom Grantham (MIL) - .331/.392/.444, 169 AB, 4 HR, 4 SB, 138 wRC+, 1.2 WAR
1B Tom Grossman (CIN) - .336/.412/.557, 131 AB, 7 HR, 168 wRC+, 0.9 WAR
1B Josh Lawhon (STL) - .355/.410/.560, 200 AB, 10 HR, 169 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
1B John Perl (DUB)* - .360/.462/.540, 189 AB, 8 HR, 182 wRC+, 2.5 WAR
2B Ron Levinson (CLE)* - .319/.389/.542, 166 AB, 8 HR, 9 SB, 157 wRC+, 2.2 WAR
3B Eric Houle (LOU) - .312/.382/.459, 170 AB, 3 HR, 135 wRC+, 1.6 WAR
3B Shane Mayne (DUB)* - .312/.396/.467, 199 AB, 5 HR, 142 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
SS Dave Emch (MIL) - .320/.366/.426, 197 AB, 2 HR, 8 SB, 122 wRC+, 1.7 WAR
SS Dickie Griffith (STL)* - .302/.386/.406, 192 AB, 2 HR, 127 wRC+, 2.3 WAR
LF Steve Blaisdell (CLE) - .350/.395/.470, 200 AB, 3 HR, 9 SB, 144 wRC+, 2.0 WAR
LF Greg Fairbanks (LOU) - .406/.455/.521, 192 AB, 2 HR, 14 SB, 177 wRC+, 2.4 WAR
LF Sean Lake (STL) - .266/.363/.464, 192 AB, 9 HR, 6 SB, 130 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
LF Matt Meyer (DUB) - .360/.389/.488, 203 AB, 4 HR, 143 wRC+, 1.1 WAR
LF Bruce Pack (USBC)* - .402/.467/.659, 132 AB, 6 HR, 3 SB, 209 wRC+, 1.9 WAR
CF Jonathan Felan (STL) - .315/.349/.455, 235 AB, 2 HR, 5 SB, 118 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
CF Corey Pennington (LOU)* - .305/.404/.493, 213 AB, 5 HR, 24 SB, 140 wRC+, 3.2 WAR
RF Mike Ament (CLE)* - .339/.372/.542, 168 AB, 5 HR, 4 SB, 149 wRC+, 1.2 WAR
RF Eddie Bullen (DUB) - .296/.360/.497, 199 AB, 5 HR, 27 SB, 130 wRC+, 1.5 WAR
RF Justin McGuire (CIN) - .349/.436/.457, 129 AB, 2 SB, 154 wRC+, 0.9 WAR

In a hard fought game in a packed house of Brooklyn's Hirsch Field, the Midwest All-Stars defeated the Eastern All-Stars 4-3. This means that the Midwestern Division Champion will receive home-field advantage in the first Roosevelt Cup Series.

Onto the second half!

Sooo, my two favorite teams are each in 7th place in their respective divisions... maybe I should choose new favorite teams. Just kidding, it's normal for Chicago and Boston fans to be disappointed (at least in the 1900s).

I did notice that 7th in the East is 23-43, but 33-33 in the Midwest. How much does each division play each other?

August became hell. As the weather began to peak in temperature, some melted under the heat while others used it as fuel for a playoff push. The rivalries became more intense, and players began fighting not only for wins, but their livelihoods. Once again, sorry for the longer post, but teams had sh-t going on!

Brooklyn firmly took hold of the division, although one might argue that it wasn’t entirely up to them. Rosenberg received another Player of the Month award with 4 home runs and 16 runs scored, and Noel Kelley leads the MABL with 20 home runs going into the final month despite a day-to-day injury hampering production. Matt Box is also in there, ranked 3rd in MABL batting average among qualifying players, but the real story of the month is the Giants’ fall. Starting the month only two games back of the mighty Jays, things quickly turned south when all-star and former player of the month Brian Dyck went down with an intercostal strain and was ruled out for the month. Dyck had been the glue of the team, and without him, the squad was down a premier outfielder. At 38, owner Theodore Newsome himself personally relieved Dyck of his duties after an early loss to Brooklyn. Afterwards, things quickly fell off the rails as the media circus hounded the team, goading them into a 5-10 record in August and being tied with the Hacks heading into the final month. With replacement right fielder Josh Simms injured at the end of the month, the Giants are onto their 4th string right fielder. Harbor’s month was actually quite solid, sweeping their August series against Manhattan which featured a 3-2 victory that lasted nineteen(!) innings and remained scoreless through 14. Centennial had a solid month as well despite a season ending torn elbow ligament in B. J. Rochon, and would’ve been even better if not for multiple extra-inning walk-offs for their opponents. Javon McLoed and Danny Braham became a one-two punch in the lineup as they both hit over .300 and tied for the month’s lead in RBI. However, for his 3 home run, 14 RBI performance and .327 average, mid-season call-up Braham will receive Player of the Month honors.

Pittsburgh, although tied for 4th, finds themselves in the second paragraph for the first time due to only a slightly less successful month than their fellow Pennsylvania squad. Nothing really to note but the continued near-.500 level play the top-heavy team has had for the last few months. NYCA, even with all the media shifting to the clown show on 97th and Columbus, still couldn’t get all the noise away from them. Garrett Cline made this team a must-watch for those able to go to the games, as he went 4-0 in as many starts with a 0.85 ERA. Aside from him, however, the squad went 2-9 for the typical reasons: No pitching, no power, no fire, although that last one might have a new meaning come the offseason. Boston, with the first overall pick on their doorstep, decided to pick up the tempo and go a surprising 8-7, good for their first monthly winning record in the MABL. With the overhauled squad beginning to gel, it was dominance by starting pitcher Mike Richardson that got recognized, with a 3-0 record through 5 starts and a 2.01 ERA. Capital City once again rounds out the bottom of the lineup with another poor showing by the squad. Often injured second baseman Tim Graverson found himself released by the end of the month and re-signed with MWPC Akron, allowing the Blossoms to shed $29,000 of a terrible contract from their books, but nothing else of note really happened. Although certifiably the worst team in baseball, it’s still unclear if this team will have the first overall pick next year.

The Midwest remains competitive with only a month to go, with even the Republics remaining *mathematically* eligible for playoff contention heading into September. However, it was the other Chicago team that found themselves tied at the top of the division. This team was on a tear all month, steamrolling through every team that wasn’t from St. Louis, their only series loss. Although Nick Blase is 4th in the division in ERA with 2.96 and James LaCava is 3rd in the Midwest with 53 RBI, it doesn’t really matter. This team is simply as well-rounded as they come. St. Louis, on the other hand, is filled to the brim with statistical leaders. Player of the Month Chunky Stanton, alongside Chris Johnson and Dario Ferrer, are all top-10 in the Midwest in ERA, with Stanton and Johnson proving their worth in advanced metrics as well. Josh Lawhon leads the Midwest with 15 home runs and 65 RBI with a month to go, and the team keeps trucking along, hopefully to a division crown. Louisville rebounded from a poor month of July, and are back on track after strong performances from everyone, including stars Corey Pennington and MABL batting average leader Greg Fairbanks. Detroit, however, had *the* standout pitching performance of the month in Isaac Bruckus, who went 3-0 with a 2.37 ERA, although he went down with a torn flexor tendon that’ll see him miss the first few months of the ‘48 campaign. Behind him, Detroit found themselves poised for contention, but without him it’ll be interesting to see if they can maintain momentum.

Cincinnati lost every series that they played, save the Lakers, and got swept by rivals Union Stock Yards and St. Louis in series that shifted the momentum away from the city on seven hills. Second baseman Roman Lomax getting hurt at the beginning of the month certainly didn’t help, but this squad was going down anyway. As was Milwaukee, whose streaky performances kept them from reaching much team success, despite shortstop Dave Emch remaining steady and batting .375 with 8 RBI for Player of the Month honors. Cleveland also saw individual success not amount to much, as this team fell off hard despite Ron Levinson’s 4 home run, 11 RBI, .429 performance in the month of August. No one else was able to pull their weight, with the offense unable to produce and Cowboy Buchanan getting rocked in his adjustment to MABL hitting, as the team slid further and further from contention. A sweep by the lowly Republics has this team in freefall heading into September. Speaking of what used to be the pride of their city, this team’s offense is terrible. Johnny Jansen got called up this month, and has pitched 4 games. He has a 2.73 ERA and only one win to his name. Matt Lampkin has a 4.15 ERA (admittedly very poor) but is 2-15. For reference, Louisville’s Chris White is 6-8 with a 4.43 ERA. God, I wanted this team to be good, and I still do, but they need to figure out how to play baseball this offseason.

In the regional leagues, everything seems as it should be, although Paterson’s squad leads the division containing Centennial and the Eagles. The Indians’ little brother, Louisville City B.C., is tied with them for second in their division. Lastly, the Republics are tied with Champaign and Rockford for the 3 seed in their division.