Season II - Month 4 - Maple turns it around in July!

Maple got hot before the trade deadline going 15-11 to open up a 6.0 game lead over Jersey in the TML - Billy Martin Division.  In order to send a message to their fans, the Marauders made a trade with Las Vegas acquiring a bat in 1B Vic Jennings (Allstar) and a relief pitcher in Michael Coleman.  Both are expected to be in the lineup for the sim opener in August.  So far Maple has over achieved on the mound as they continue to lead the TML in ERA and RA.  So management decided to get the team a boost in the lineup by adding the power hitting 1B Jennings.

Roberto Martinez was one of the reasons the Marauders turn things around in July.  He was named TML pitcher of the month for July.  He posted a 4-1 record with a 1.02 ERA.

Meanwhile on the farm, Triple A OF Chris Stephens won batter of the month honours.  He batted .319 with 9 homers, 22 rbi and 27 runs scored.  The OF has been a back and forth call up due to injuries on the Maple team.  The OF is loaded in Maple so it will be interesting to see if Stephens stays or goes next season.  Another hot player who won player of the week honours was called up to Maple during the last sim of the month - Anastasio Rincon 1B/3B.  Rincon had been batting .347 with 21 homers and 69 RBI for Astoria.  It will be interesting to see how much play time he gets at 1B now since the arrival of Vic Jennings.

In Double A, OF Hidekazu Matsuura won the player of the week honours the last week in July.  he hit .450 with 3 homers and 13 RBI.  Matsuura wasn't the starting OF when the season began but, he has solidified himself as the starter the past few weeks.

In Single A, SP Joshua Goldberg; son of the commish received a promotion to AA ball in the last sim of the month.  In his very first start in Double A, he got the victory pitching 5.2 innings giving up 9 hits and 7 runs in a 12-8 victory over CIN.  Not a great start to his Double A career but, as he said after the game all that counts are team wins!

Season II - Month 3 - Maple below .500 in June...

Maple entered June in 1st place and leave June in 1st place, 1 game ahead of Jersey despite a 13-14 W/L record that has the Marauders at 43-39 W/L overall.

We are hoping that the June result isn't a sign of things to come as the pitching staff which has been torn apart by injuries is starting to show some signs of weakness.  Maple sits in 2nd in ERA, 2nd in bullpen ERA, 1st in RA, 2nd in Ks which by most is a big suprise even playing in a big stadium.  Of their 82 games only 35 of them have been at home so far.

Meanwhile the bats have been average so far but, this years big difference is the power.  Maple sits 8th in Bavg., 8th in OBPct., 6th in SLGPct., but, 1st in HRs with 105.  Another good aspect of the Marauders game is their defense which sits in 5th.

The above rankings are based against teams in the TML.

The minor league system sits in 16th place with two surprises in the top 100 list including Dave Guenette, 3B and David Picot, RF who are both having horrible seasons in Single A Kingwood.

Meanwhile, Maple took hit in the Top 20 list as Frank Powers, OF dropped out eventhough he is hitting .302 bavg, .370 obpct., with a .497 slugging pct. including 19 homers and 47 rbi. and our best player Roberto Martinez, SP has really struggled statistically this year despite his W/L record of 9-5.  His 3.80 ERA is higher than expected and has given up 128 HA in 106.2 IP while striking out 86 and walking 26 with a below average whip of 1.44.

On a positive note, each of the minor league systems have improved.  In Triple AAA, Astoria is in 2nd place 2.5 games back eventhough they are struggling through a 1-9 W/L stretch.  Look for Anastasio Rincon 3B to get a shot at a late season call up to play for Maple.  In Double AA, Sandy Springs is in 1st place.  Look for Kevin McConnell 1B and Ramon Villa OF to get a call up to Triple AAA soon.  Finally in Single A, Kingwood is actually playing competitive baseball despite being 24.5 games back.  Joshua Goldberg, R1 pick in this years draft is having a stellar year sitting at 6-7 W/L with a stingy whip 1.10 and a 3.17 ERA in 99.1 IP while fanning 103 batters.

Should be a very exciting finish in the Billy Martin TML division.  It would not surprise us to see this division race settled in the very late sim of the season just like last year.

Season II - Month #2 - Maple continues to battle for 1st place!

Maple entered the 2nd month of play with a 16-12 W/L record.  The experts had written off the Marauders after losing 60% of their SP rotation and their allstar CL.  However;  Pat Sellers, SP was scheduled to return at the end of the May.  GM Goldberg was asked if Sellers would see time in a rehab stint in Triple A.  He replied, "No we need arms in Maple right now"!  In his first start in the ABL this year, Sellers pitched effectively earning the Win after going 5 IP, giving up 3 hits and 2 ER, walking 1 and striking out 2 in a 9-2 win over South Carolina!  With one sim left this month, Maple stands at 12-12 W/L record in May and 28-24 W/L overall in 2nd place 1 game back of Jersey for the Billy Martin Division in the TML.  The two hot streaking players this month have been on the mound, SP Roberto Martinez their staff ACE and fill-in CL Brandon Wilson.  Martinez is 4-0 is his last 4 starts with a 1.63 ERA while Wilson has 3 Saves, 1.13 ERA in his last 13 games.  The bats cooled off a bit in May, however; allstar game hero RF Frank Powers gained his stride hitting, .322 avg, .400 obpct, .538 slugpct with 14 HRs and 33 RBI.

Powers says, "I'm seeing beach balls"!

SP Martinez is one of the best in the ABL!

I'm glad for the CL opportunity!

Season II - Opening Month Review - Maple

Maple and Jersey appear to be the early odds on picks to win the Thurman Munson League Billy Martin division in the ABL.  After 1 month a play both teams stand above .500 at a 17-15 W/L record.

Maple has been led by DH Eric "Stroking" McSwan.

G	AB	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	AVG	OBP	SLG	SB
23	85	24	2	0	8	17	16	19	.282	.392	.588	0

Maple was hit hard with off-season injuries that put SP Dave Krause, SP Ray Lester, SP Pat Sellers and CL Millard Marshall on the 60 day DL.

The 2nd month of play has the Marauders smack in the middle of divisional play with an opening series vs. Jersey followed by rival San Francisco.