The AAAA League (Circa 1950)

[Chipper_Jones]

April 1951

1 - @ Bombers		W 3-1		1-0
2 - @ Bombers		L 2-4		1-1
3 - @ Bombers		W 6-1		2-1
5 - @ Blues		L 0-3		2-2
7 - @ Patriots		L 7-10		2-3
8 - @ Patriots		W 4-3		3-3
9 - @ Patriots		W 14-9		4-3

Traded Carlos Castanada to New Hampshire for $3 million and sent Luis Murata to Colorado for $1 million.

10 - @ Colonials	L 4-13		4-4
11 - @ Colonials	L 6-7		4-5
12 - @ Colonials	W 5-2		5-5
13 - Bombers		L 3-10		5-6		5,914
14 - Bombers		L 8-9		5-7		5,878
15 - Bombers		L 6-8		5-8		5,855
16 - Gators		W 4-1		6-8		5,838
17 - Gators		W 14-5		7-8		5,902
18 - Gators		W 7-6		8-8		5,923
19 - Patriots		W 7-6		9-8		5,980
20 - Patriots		W 9-6		10-8		5,999
21 - Patriots		L 10-19		10-9		6,095
22 - @ Gators		L 5-9		10-10
23 - @ Gators		L 7-9		10-11
24 - @ Gators		W 6-4		11-11
25 - @ Blades		W 3-1		12-11
26 - @ Raiders		W 11-6		13-11
27 - @ Raiders		W 7-4		14-11
28 - @ Raiders		W 3-2		15-11
30 - Rebels		W 9-3		16-11		6,034

Not a bad start at all! We recovered from some tough losses against tough opponents, and finished the month on a six win streak, putting us at 16-11, in second place in the Heartland, and only four games back of Columbus (20-7).We're not hitting as well (.287) and our ERA is at 5.38, a terrible place to be. But I think we're coming into our own, and this is a young team like every other. And in a league where each team has a roster chock full of rookies, we're going to see a lot of parity. In fact, though a 5.38 ERA looks bad on paper, the league AVERAGE is 6.46, and the league batting average is .296. So we're above average with our pitching rotation and only slightly below average on our hitting.

At age 37, Will Dawson has come down to earth … sort of. He's only hitting .312 this year in 93 at-bats, but he has seven doubles, two triples and eight homers (for a .688 slugging average). Wilson Gomez also has eight homers, to go with his .345 average, while Haruhisa Fujihara is hitting .347 with six homers and three stolen bases. As for pitching, John Butterfield's off to a 2-1 start with a 3.34 ERA, while Pedro Chico has a 3-1 record and a 4.71 ERA. Orlando Masolta's off to a slow start, 1-3 with a 5.84 ERA, but I'm really gaining respect for Rick Fuller. He takes his spot at fifth in the rotation, listens to all the talk about how he doesn't have the skills, and then goes out there and plays perfectly. He's got a 3-0 record so far, with a 3.67 ERA. Perhaps I should fire our scouts, the ones who say, and I quote: "Rick Fuller doesn't belong in the major leagues." Our bullpen isn't bad either! Orlando Lariano's off to a quick start, he's 2-0 with a 5.74 ERA and seven saves! And Walter Nason is currently 1-0 with a 1.53 ERA, not too shabby!

Meanwhile, attendance is down, but not much, considering the higher ticket prices. And those are necessary: we're now making $160,000 plus per game in ticket revenue, which is going to help expand the stadium and give us the ability to have a payroll higher than $9 million. The price will stay, and I'll just hope that by the end of the year we'll be packing the joint. I mean, look at the finances … right now we've made $226,000 in profits, and that was in a month with more road games than anything! Meanwhile, SIX TEAMS in our league are running in the red this year, along with seven others in the WL. None of them are close to bankruptcy, but it's a sign that in a league with this much parity, it's important to stockpile cash and plan for profits while you can. This place is gonna go nuts at the end of the 1955 season, when all these young guys demand more money. It'll be interesting to see which teams overload with payroll, and then drown in debt, compared to others who live within their means. Should be interesting indeed.

[Chipper_Jones]

May 1951

1 - Rebels		L 3-6		16-12		6,127
2 - Rebels		W 7-6		17-12		5,927
4 - Raiders		W 5-1		18-12		5,965
5 - Raiders		L 0-11		18-13		5,981
6 - Raiders		W 2-0		19-13		5,932
8 - @ Raiders		L 2-3		19-14
9 - @ Raiders		L 4-6		19-15
10 - @ Colonials	L 4-5		19-16
11 - @ Colonials	L 1-4		19-17
12 - Raiders		L 3-7		19-18		5,843
13 - Raiders		W 3-2		20-18		5,819
14 - Rebels		L 1-5		20-19		5,927
15 - Rebels		W 6-2		21-19		5,891
16 - Bombers		L 7-9		21-20		5,953
17 - Bombers		W 4-2		22-20		5,918
18 - @ Gators		W 9-1		23-20
19 - @ Gators		L 5-10		23-21
21 - Colonials		L 0-8		23-22		5,984
22 - Colonials		W 7-3		24-22		5,964
23 - Colonials		L 1-2		24-23		6,052
24 - @ Bombers		L 2-4		24-24
25 - @ Bombers		L 1-2		24-25
26 - Gators		W 5-1		25-25		5,849
27 - Gators		W 1-0		26-25		5,910
28 - Creoles		L 1-6		26-26		5,920
30 - @ Sluggers		W 2-1		27-26
31 - Sluggers		L 4-8		27-27		6,070

Well, this month brought us tumbling down … we're now struggling to stay at .500, we're fourth in the division (down 10.5 games to Columbus, they're 37-18!) and it's clearly because we're not hitting as well (our batting average is .280, our ERA has improved to 4.65). Will Dawson's hitting .284, with just 12 doubles and nine homers, his slugging average is down to .530, which is brutal. He's still got the skills to be a contending slugger, but he's not showing it. The question is, do I try to make some risky trades to build this team up? Or do I let them last out the hitting slump? Your bet's as good as mine, but I'm inclined to ride it out. They're all young (except Dawson) and inexperienced, I'd rather have a player develop into a great one here, than with some rival team.

As for pitching, Pedro Chico's got a 6-2 record and 3.36 ERA, and Rick Fuller's got a 5-2 record and 3.10 ERA. Orlando Lariano has a 3-1 record, a 6.26 ERA (ouch!) and 10 saves (I can live with that). No other standouts in the relief corps though … and that worries me, as they're the most talented group on our team. We NEED our relievers to perform when our starters can't take the heat.

We've made $1.4 million in profits so far this season, which gives us $13,972,999 in cash reserves. I am proud to say we're managing our finances well, we have 19.2 percent liquidity, which will come in handy down the road. No one else is even CLOSE. I'm also surprised to see our payroll is FAR below the rest of the league, as they're all filling their AAA rosters and prepping farm development, while I see it being a wiser move to keep a lean mean team going with players who are talented NOW. If I need someone new, I can trade for someone in their farm system and still keep my payroll low. Apparently the other GMs haven't figured that out yet.

[Chipper_Jones]

June 1951

1 - @ Rebels		L 2-5		27-28
2 - @ Rebels		W 13-11		28-28
3 - @ Rebels		W 10-7		29-28
4 - Millers		W 9-7		30-28		5,887
5 - @ Creoles		L 1-4		30-29
6 - Blues		L 4-6		30-30		5,852
8 - @ Fury		W 3-2		31-30
9 - @ Fury		W 5-0		32-30
10 - @ Fury		W 6-5		33-30
12 - Colonials		L 4-6		33-31		6,371
13 - Colonials		L 4-8		33-32		6,090
14 - @ Fury		W 7-6		34-32
15 - @ Fury		L 6-10		34-33
16 - @ Fury		L 4-8		34-34
17 - @ Rebels		W 11-10		35-34
18 - @ Rebels		W 5-4		36-34
19 - @ Patriots		W 4-1		37-34
20 - @ Patriots		L 9-15		37-35
22 - @ Millers		W 3-0		38-35
23 - @ Grays		L 12-18		38-36
24- @ Grays		L 8-10		38-37
25 - @ Grays		W 8-5		39-37
26 - Blades		W 5-2		40-37		5,916
27 - @ Fury		W 8-7		41-37
28 - @ Fury		L 3-5		41-38
29 - @ Fury		W 6-1		42-38
30 - Harvesters		W 6-0		43-38		6,504

After a 16-11 month, we're 43-38 overall, still in fourth place in the Heartland division, we're nine games back of Columbus (52-29). We're hitting .290, which is an improvement, but our ERA took a nosedive to 4.96. Will Dawson's slump continues, as he's moved to the third spot instead of the fourth (he's hitting .272, though his power numbers have picked up, 19 doubles and 17 homers). Josh Mariscal is hitting .335 in the leadoff position, and Haruhisa Fujihari, who has been moved to fifth, is our top power hitter this year, with a .314 average, 19 doubles and 18 homers.

As for pitching, Pedro Chico is 11-2 with a 3.58 ERA, Jonathon Bonham is 7-3 with a 3.28 ERA, and Rick Fuller is 6-4 with a 4.30 ERA. Closer Orlando Lariano is 5-3 with a 5.03 ERA and 16 saves, while the rest of the young bullpen are underperforming. I've had enough with a couple of them, and have made some calls. Like Josh Wesp. He's pitched in 40 games this year, 47 innings, and has a 2-4 record, and an abysmal 10.34 ERA. I'm sending him to Greensboro for their young reliever Cy Pearson, a 25-year-old rookie who, in five appearances for the Gators, is 0-0 and has a 2.00 ERA. He'll take over in the setup role. I'm also benching Corey Svidler, as the 20-year-old is 0-1 in 17 appearances and 42 innings, with an ERA of 8.23. We sent Jonathon Smith, Hector Loewenstein, Tony Cunningham, Nick Olin and Walter Nason to Columbus along with $1 million, in exchange for Jose Quentin, who has played 34 games this year and compiled a 4-1 record, a 2.30 ERA, and a .225 OBA!

But the trade leaves us a little short on offense. So I've signed a couple free agents:

- Rob Reese (25, RF) has hit .324 this year in AAA, but is considered to be an average prospect. That makes him perfect for this role, sitting on the pine. He may come in to hit once in a while, but other than that, he can just exercise his mind reading a book or two on technique, while collecting $320,000 for this season only.
- Sam Gubkin (24, CF) has hit .216 in AAA, but he looks like he might actually turn into a decent "midlevel" prospect if he keeps working hard. He'll likely bounce from AAA to the bench a few times this year, I've offered him $430,000 a year for three years, this one and the next two, to see if we can mold him into something.
- Nelson Miller (22, 1B) has something good. He can hit (.278 so far in AAA, with nine doubles and six homers) and he has a TON of potential! I've signed him to a contract for this and next year at $300,000, and we'll see how it goes from there, but I like what I see!
- Same goes for Grant Makasdjan (21, LF) who is hitting .282 right now with 10 doubles, he's got potential and speed. I signed him at $620,000 for this and the next two years.

I also signed a couple pitching prospects:

- Tony Bihan (23, RP) is 2-2 with a 5.81 ERA in AAA, but he has potential if he can get some experience. Offered him $300,000 for this year.
- Vern Rehfeld (23, SP) is 5-4 this year with a 5.24 ERA in AAA, after a 10-3 season last year, and he has potential (he's weak now, but hey, so are a lot of our starters). Offered him $540,000 a year for this and next year.

This all boosts our player salaries to $10,310,490, still less than others in the league by far, and we now have a couple DECENT players in AAA who might turn into something. And we won't risk leaving our batters out to dry if they were injured (we were WAY short).

Oh, and did I mention, Wilson Gomez is out for the season? He was hitting .291, with 11 homers, when he tore his PCL and will remain out at least another 286 days. Ted Rogers is filling in for him at third base, and in 17 games, he's hitting .182. Ouch! Anyone got a line on a brilliant 3B? Anyone? F---.

[Chipper_Jones]

July 1951

1 - Harvesters		W 13-4		44-38		6,551
2 - Harvesters		L 3-6		44-39		6,628
3 - @ Heat		L 5-6		44-40
4 - Heat		W 6-1		45-40		6,169

ALL STAR WEEKEND: In the All Star game this year, the WL got out to a 3-0 start, but we led 4-3 by the end of the second, and we never looked back. At the end of the fifth we were tied 6-6, but by the end of the sixth, a three run spurt had put us up for good. The EL All Stars were victorious, 9-7!

12 - Patriots		W 4-3		46-40		5,960
13 - Patriots		W 14-8		47-40		5,980
14 - Harvesters		W 4-1		48-40		6,739
15 - Harvesters		W 5-4		49-40		6,816
16 - Harvesters		W 10-7		50-40		6,901
18 - @ Grays		W 7-4		51-40
19 - @ Grays		L 8-9		51-41
20 - @ Grays		L 3-4		51-42
22 - @ Grays		L 7-10		51-43
23 - @ Grays		W 12-10		52-43
24 - @ Grays		W 8-4		53-43
25 - Grays		L 8-13		53-44		5,887
26 - Grays		W 6-3		54-44		5,838
27 - Grays		W 5-4		55-44		5,872
28 - Grays		W 17-10		56-44		5,891
29 - Grays		W 14-6		57-44		5,908
30 - Grays		W 10-2		58-44		5,924
31 - Buckeyes		W 5-3		59-44		6,974

Great news! This month's 16-6 record puts us back in contention! We're still in fourth place in the Heartland division, but we're only 1.5 games back of Columbus, half a game back of Indianapolis, and we're tied with Green Bay! Oh, and did I mention we're hitting .305, with a team ERA of 4.99? I'll tell you, I want to know where Will Dawson gets his Wheaties, because he's perked up like nothing I've seen before! I had hoped it was just a slump, and I was right … he's now hitting .315, and had 15 doubles and seven homers this month, bringing his totals to 34 and 24 respectively (slugging: .634!) He came out of nowhere to now stand in second place in the doubles race, and he's about four homers away from being in the top ten in that race! Elsewhere, Josh Mariscal is hitting .359 with 11 homers, Haruhisa Fujihara is batting .323 with 19 homers, Jose Gomiz is hitting .311, and Ted Rogers has woken up (he's now hitting .308, having given up getting power hits, and instead focusing on just GETTING hits).

Pitching-wise, Pedro Chico is 14-2 now with a 3.72 ERA (which brings his career record to 30-5, with a 3.32 ERA), while Jonathon Bonham is 9-3 with a 4.05 ERA. As for our (former) closer Orlando Lariano, he's now playing setup, and has a 5-3 record with a 4.37 ERA and 18 saves. Jose Quentano, our NEW closer (pardon the fact that I misspelled his name earlier), he's now 5-2 with a 2.68 ERA and three saves! I'm glad we got him away from Columbus … he should help us stay in this race!

In other news, Vern Rehfield, the starter we signed on the 1st, has taken over the fifth spot from Rick Fuller … Rehfield is 1-1 with a 6.45 ERA in four starts. Fuller is now in AAA, where he's 2-3 with a 5.30 ERA … I'm starting to think the scouts may have been right about him, he's melting down, losing control … his OBA has crashed to .280, which is a terrible sign. I started calling folks as the trade deadline approached, hoping I could get him off our hands, but to someone who might play him … I finally convinced Salt Lake City to take him, they paid us $1 million and the deal was done. It officially went through on August 1, moments after the deadline took affect. Goodbye Rick … twelve months ago you were an all star, but I fear twelve months from now you'll be facing early retirement.

And on that note, I leave you for now … I have church in the a.m., and need my sleep so I don't snore during services Will the Tornados continue their recent success, and make the playoffs for a second straight year? You'll learn … TOMORROW. buh buh DUMMMMMMMM …

[Chipper_Jones]

August 1951

1 - Buckeyes		W 7-3		60-44		7,051
2 - Buckeyes		W 10-0		61-44		7,118
3 - Gamblers		L 4-5		61-45		7,264
4 - Gamblers		W 8-4		62-45		6,748
5 - Gamblers		L 1-3		62-46		6,871
6 - Harvesters		L 8-9		62-47		6,760
7 - Harvesters		W 9-5		63-47		6,688
8 - Harvesters		W 10-4		64-47		6,866
9 - Gamblers		W 11-2		65-47		6,962
10 - Gamblers		L 0-5		65-48		7,025
11 - Gamblers		W 7-4		66-48		6,781
13 - Grays		L 7-11		66-49		5,903
14 - Grays		L 7-13		66-50		5,870
15 - Grays		W 14-2		67-50		5,851
18 - Buckeyes		L 2-5		67-51		6,818
19 - Buckeyes		W 13-6		68-51		6,679
20 - Buckeyes		L 10-11		68-52		6,812
21 - @ Harvesters	L 1-21		68-53
22 - @ Harvesters	L 9-10		68-54
23 - @ Harvesters	W 7-5		69-54
25 - Buckeyes		W 13-11		70-54		6,794
26 - Buckeyes		W 8-4		71-54		6,858
27 - Buckeyes		W 6-2		72-54		6,932
28 - Fury		W 5-4		73-54		5,944
29 - Fury		L 5-9		73-55		5,960
30 - Fury		W 4-2		74-55		5,874
31 - @ Harvesters	W 6-5		75-55

We're keeping this race close … we're now 75-55, in third place in the Heartland league, just 1.5 games back of Columbus (77-54) and one game behind Indianapolis (77-56). We're hitting .305 now, but our ERA has crashed to 5.16, which is, oddly, the best in our division.

Will Dawson's back in stride! He's hit .354 so far this year after that three month slump, with 52 doubles and 44 homers! You've got that right, folks, he got 18 doubles and 20 homers THIS MONTH! He's now slugging .766, .003 higher than last year. He now leads the doubles race by five two baggers, and is in second place in the homerun race behind Jason Waqued of Buffalo … who has 47! As for other hitters doing well for us, Jose Mariscal's got a .355 average and 13 homers, Jose Chaves is .302 with 20 homers, Ron Panasik is .299 with 18 homers and Haruhisa Fujihara is .311 with 24 homers. I can live with that!

In the pitching world, Pedro Chico is 15-4 with a 4.41 ERA, while Jonathon Bonham is right on his heels, 13-4 with a 3.76 ERA! John Butterfield is 9-8 with a 4.59 ERA to round out our key starting contributors. Jose Quentano is now 5-4 with a 2.66 ERA and nine saves, while Orlando Lariano, our former closer, is 6-3 with a 5.20 ERA and his 18 saves from early in the year.

After our biggest month of home games, we now have made a profit of $4.1 million, which leaves us $16,687,910 in our cash reserves! To give the fans a treat, and a reason to come out in droves for our nine remaining home games, prices have been slashed to $22.50 for those remaining games! Hope to see you there!

September 1951

1 - @ Harvesters	L 6-9		75-56
2 - @ Harvesters	L 8-13		75-57
4 - @ Buckeyes		W 7-3		76-57
5 - @ Buckeyes		L 7-8		76-58
6 - @ Buckeyes		W 11-7		77-58
7 - @ Buckeyes		W 9-6		78-58
8 - @ Buckeyes		W 3-1		79-58
9 - @ Buckeyes		W 3-1		80-58
10 - Fury		W 6-4		81-58		6,626
11 - Fury		L 3-4		81-59		6,701
12 - Fury		W 3-1		82-59		6,320
13 - @ Buckeyes		W 6-3		83-59
14 - @ Buckeyes		W 8-4		84-59
15 - @ Buckeyes		L 1-13		84-60
16 - Gamblers		W 8-4		85-60		7,500
17 - Gamblers		W 3-1		86-60		7,500
18 - Gamblers		W 7-4		87-60		7,500
22 - Fury		W 3-0		88-60		6,600
23 - Fury		W 5-1		89-60		6,662
24 - Fury		W 8-2		90-60		6,728
26 - @ Gamblers		L 2-5		90-61
27 - @ Gamblers		L 1-5		90-62
28 - @ Gamblers		L 4-8		90-63
29 - @ Gamblers		L 2-10		90-64
30 - @ Gamblers		W 18-15		91-64

We have seven games left, and a 91-64 record, which puts us in second place in the Heartland division, just one game behind Indianapolis (94-65). We're hitting .303, our ERA is 5.15, and we NEED to win these games if we want to be in the playoffs. Will Dawson's hitting .358 so far, with 65 doubles (breaking his 64 from last year) and 54 homers (beating his 52 from last year) … he's now slugging .779, and leads the doubles race by nine and the homerun race by two, with Jason Waqued and Columbus's Juan Martinez both chasing him with 52 homers. Josh Mariscal has hit .339 with 16 homers, Jose Chaves has a .314 average and 26 homers and Haruhisa Fujihara is at .300 with 25 homers.

As for pitching, Pedro Chico is 17-5 with a 4.21 ERA, Jonathon Bonham is 14-6 with a 4.12 ERA and John Butterfield is 11-9 with a 4.59 ERA. Butterfield and Chico may get two shots to add wins to their tally, while Bonham will probably only get one shot at that 15th win.

We finished the regular season averaging 6,316 fans in attendance, for a total of 511,674, down significantly from last year's total. But we did make $13.58 million in ticket revenue, a $4 million increase over last year, which suggests that even though we didn't sell out, it was wise to raise prices enough to actually MAKE MONEY. Which we'll need to succeed down the road.

October 1951

1 - @ Gamblers		W 12-3		92-64
2 - @ Harvesters	W 14-6		93-64
3 - @ Harvesters	L 5-10		93-65
4 - @ Harvesters	W 6-1		94-65
5 - @ Gamblers		L 2-7		94-66
6 - @ Gamblers		W 4-2		95-66
7 - @ Gamblers		L 2-3		95-67

This is insane! We've TIED Indianapolis for the title, and will have to play a runoff game!

[Chipper_Jones]

THE RUNOFF GAME

Indianapolis Harvesters at Troy (Mich.) Tornados
October 14, 1951

                     1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 +  R  H  E
    Harvesters (IND) 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0    4 11  0
       Tornados (TT) 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 3    5  8  0

INDIANAPOLIS         ab  h bb  r hr bi  k sb     avg
D. Berend (DH)        4  1  0  1  0  1  2  0    .334
C. Vives (2B)         4  2  1  2  1  1  0  0    .284
N. Clough (SS)        5  2  0  0  0  0  0  0    .323
Y. Sanabria (LF)      4  1  1  0  0  0  0  0    .324
L. Torrillas (1B)     4  1  1  0  0  2  1  0    .311
R. Monteiro (C)       3  1  1  0  0  0  0  0    .285
W. Helander (RF)      4  0  0  0  0  0  1  0    .316
 J. Bravo (RF)        0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0    .354
P. Heitner (3B)       4  2  0  0  0  0  0  0    .282
J. Mica (CF)          4  1  0  1  0  0  0  0    .261
TOTALS               36 11  4  4  1  4  4  0

   2B:  J. Mica (32), D. Berend (32)
   HR:  C. Vives (30)

    INDIANAPOLIS   ip  h bb hr  r er  k pit    ERA
         A. Krug  7.0  6  4  2  2  2  4 114   4.49
        D. Shain  1.0  0  1  0  0  0  2  18   8.35
        E. Freyr  0.1  2  1  2  3  3  0  17  10.66
          TOTALS  8.1  8  6  4  5  5  6 149

TROY (MICH.)         ab  h bb  r hr bi  k sb     avg
J. Mariscal (SS)      5  1  0  1  1  2  1  0    .335
F. Scherbak (CF)      4  0  1  0  0  0  1  0    .281
R. Panasik (1B)       5  3  0  2  2  2  0  0    .292
W. Dawson (2B)        3  1  0  0  0  0  0  0    .367
H. Fujihara (RF)      4  0  0  0  0  0  2  0    .295
J. Gomiz (C)          4  1  0  1  1  1  0  0    .295
N. Miller (DH)        2  1  2  0  0  0  0  0    .263
E. Wernick (LF)       3  1  1  0  0  0  1  0    .297
T. Rogers (3B)        2  0  2  1  0  0  1  0    .251
TOTALS               32  8  6  5  4  5  6  0

   2B:  N. Miller (5)
   HR:  J. Gomiz (13), R. Panasik 2 (25), J. Mariscal (19)

    TROY (MICH.)   ip  h bb hr  r er  k pit    ERA
  J. Butterfield  3.2  9  3  0  3  3  1  74   4.40
      C. Pierson  2.0  2  0  1  1  1  0  28   4.22
         E. Haas  3.1  0  1  0  0  0  3  42   4.85
          TOTALS  9.0 11  4  1  4  4  4 144

     WP: E. Haas (4-4)
     LP: E. Freyr (3-10)

     Attendance: 7,500
     Time: 3:07

TOP OF THE FIRST
John Butterfield takes the mound for the Tornados.
Dennis Berend was hit by a pitch. <--1>
Cy Vives walked. <-21>
Nate Clough grounded to second. <-21>
York Sanabria walked. <321>
Luis Torrillas walked, scoring a run. <321>
Rob Monteiro grounded to short. <321>
Wyatt Helander popped up to second. <321>
1 run, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 3 left on base.
In the middle of the first, Indianapolis leads 1 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE FIRST
Andrew Krug takes the mound for the Harvesters.
Josh Mariscal popped up to third. <--->
Frederick Scherbak struck out. <--->
Ron Panasik singled to left. <--1>
Will Dawson singled to center. <-21>
Haruhisa Fujihara struck out. <-21>
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 2 left on base.
At the end of the first, Troy (Mich.) trails 1 to 0.

TOP OF THE SECOND
Paul Heitner singled down the left field line. <--1>
Paul Heitner went for an extra base and was thrown out at second. <--->
Juan Mica doubled down the third base line. <-2->
Dennis Berend doubled down the left field line, scoring a run. <-2->
Cy Vives grounded to third. <-2->
Nate Clough hit an infield single to short. <3-1>
York Sanabria lined out to left. <3-1>
1 run, 4 hits, 0 errors, and 2 left on base.
In the middle of the second, Indianapolis leads 2 to 0.

BOTTOM OF THE SECOND
Jose Gomiz homered over the left field fence. <--->
Nelson Miller grounded to short. <--->
Elmo Wernick singled to right. <--1>
Elmo Wernick was caught stealing second. <--->
Ted Rogers walked. <--1>
Josh Mariscal struck out. <--1>
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
At the end of the second, Troy (Mich.) trails 2 to 1.

TOP OF THE THIRD
Luis Torrillas grounded to the pitcher. <--->
Rob Monteiro hit an infield single to third. <--1>
Wyatt Helander popped up to the catcher. <--1>
Paul Heitner singled to left. <-21>
Juan Mica flied out to center. <-21>
0 runs, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 2 left on base.
In the middle of the third, Indianapolis leads 2 to 1.

BOTTOM OF THE THIRD
Frederick Scherbak walked. <--1>
Ron Panasik popped up to third. <--1>
Will Dawson grounded to second. <-2->
Haruhisa Fujihara popped up to the pitcher. <-2->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
At the end of the third, Troy (Mich.) trails 2 to 1.

TOP OF THE FOURTH
Dennis Berend struck out. <--->
Cy Vives singled down the first base line. <--1>
Nate Clough popped up to third. <--1>
York Sanabria singled in the left field gap, advancing the runner to third. <3-1>
Luis Torrillas singled up the middle, scoring a run. <-21>
Cy Pierson came in to pitch for the Tornados. <-21>
Rob Monteiro grounded to first. <-21>
1 run, 3 hits, 0 errors, and 2 left on base.
In the middle of the fourth, Indianapolis leads 3 to 1.

BOTTOM OF THE FOURTH
Jose Gomiz grounded to second. <--->
Nelson Miller walked. <--1>
Elmo Wernick flied out to left. <--1>
Ted Rogers grounded to third. <--1>
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
At the end of the fourth, Troy (Mich.) trails 3 to 1.

TOP OF THE FIFTH
Wyatt Helander popped up to first. <--->
Paul Heitner flied out to right. <--->
Juan Mica grounded to first. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the fifth, Indianapolis leads 3 to 1.

BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH
Josh Mariscal flied out to center. <--->
Frederick Scherbak grounded to first. <--->
Ron Panasik flied out to center. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the fifth, Troy (Mich.) trails 3 to 1.

TOP OF THE SIXTH
Dennis Berend popped up to short. <--->
Cy Vives homered over the left field fence. <--->
Nate Clough hit an infield single to third. <--1>
York Sanabria flied out to center. <--1>
Eric Haas came in to pitch for the Tornados. <--1>
Luis Torrillas grounded to short. <--1>
1 run, 2 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
In the middle of the sixth, Indianapolis leads 4 to 1.

BOTTOM OF THE SIXTH
Will Dawson was hit by a pitch. <--1>
Haruhisa Fujihara grounded to third. <-2->
Jose Gomiz grounded to third. <--1>
Nelson Miller doubled to center. <32->
Elmo Wernick walked. <321>
Ted Rogers struck out. <321>
0 runs, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 3 left on base.
At the end of the sixth, Troy (Mich.) trails 4 to 1.

TOP OF THE SEVENTH
Rob Monteiro walked. <--1>
Wyatt Helander struck out. <--1>
Paul Heitner grounded to second for a double play. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the seventh, Indianapolis leads 4 to 1.

BOTTOM OF THE SEVENTH
Josh Mariscal popped up to third. <--->
Frederick Scherbak popped up to second. <--->
Ron Panasik homered over the left field fence. <--->
Will Dawson grounded to short. <--->
1 run, 1 hit, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
At the end of the seventh, Troy (Mich.) trails 4 to 2.

TOP OF THE EIGHTH
Juan Mica grounded to second. <--->
Dennis Berend struck out. <--->
Cy Vives grounded to second. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the eighth, Indianapolis leads 4 to 2.

BOTTOM OF THE EIGHTH
Dave Shain came in to pitch for the Harvesters. <--->
Juan Bravo came in to play Right Fielder. <--->
Haruhisa Fujihara struck out. <--->
Jose Gomiz flied out to right. <--->
Nelson Miller walked. <--1>
Elmo Wernick struck out. <--1>
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 1 left on base.
At the end of the eighth, Troy (Mich.) trails 4 to 2.

TOP OF THE NINTH
Nate Clough popped up to the catcher. <--->
York Sanabria lined out to center. <--->
Luis Torrillas struck out. <--->
0 runs, 0 hits, 0 errors, and 0 left on base.
In the middle of the ninth, Indianapolis leads 4 to 2.

BOTTOM OF THE NINTH
Elmo Freyr came in to pitch for the Harvesters. <--->
Ted Rogers walked. <--1>
Josh Mariscal homered over the left field fence for two RBIs. <--->
Frederick Scherbak popped up to first. <--->
Ron Panasik homered over the right field fence. <--->

TORNADOS WIN: 5-4

[Chipper_Jones]

14 - Harvesters		W 5-4		96-67		7,500

Whooot! We're in the playoffs! We're in the playoffs! With our 96-67 record assured, thanks to a three run two homer ninth inning against Indy that gave us the 5-4 win, we'll get to face New Haven (87-75), hoping for another pennant and a trip to the 4A World Series! In the Western League, Louisville (96-66), last year's champions, will face Sacramento (93-69) for THEIR shot at a return to the Series.

Will Dawson finished with a batting average of .367, 69 doubles and 59 homers, for a slugging percentage of .799! He easily won both races for the second year in a row! Josh Mariscal averaged .335 with 42 doubles and 19 homers, playing in EVERY GAME all year! He's now played in all but two games of the past two seasons! No one else finished above .300.

Jose Butterfield got his two wins, and finished at 13-9 with a 4.40 ERA. Pedro Chico finishes the season with an 18-6 record and a 4.36 ERA, and Jonathon Bonham will end the year with a 14-7 record and 4.27 ERA. Vern Rehfeld finished 8-4 with a 5.84 ERA, and Orlando Masolta was 9-9 with a 4.92 ERA.

Jose Quentano finished at 6-5 with a 2.74 ERA and 17 saves, while Orlando Lariano was 8-5 with a 5.73 ERA and 19 saves! No other relievers are worth the mention, which is a little disappointing.

[Chipper_Jones]

EL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
TROY (MICH.) TORNADOS (96-67) VS. NEW HAVEN COLONIALS (87-75)

17 - Colonials		W 3-2		1-0		7,500
18 - Colonials		W 7-3		2-0		7,500
20 - @ Colonials	W 8-3		3-0
21 - @ Colonials	L 0-1		3-1
22 - @ Colonials	W 4-0		4-1

We did it again! If it hadn't been for that slip-up on the 21st, we'd have had a clean sweep, but hey, I'll take what we can get. Meanwhile, the Sacramento Earthquakes upset the Louisville Sluggers in a 4-1 series rout! So we're now the heavy favorites to win a world title, despite the fact that Sacramento gets homefield advantage thanks to upsetting the reigning champs.

4A WORLD SERIES
TROY (MICH.) TORNADOS (96-67) VS. SACRAMENTO EARTHQUAKES (93-69)

28 - @ Earthquakes	W 5-4		1-0
29 - @ Earthquakes	W 8-5		2-0
31 - Earthquakes	W 4-3		3-0		7,500
1 - Earthquakes		L 1-6		3-1		7,500
2 - Earthquakes		W 8-6		4-1		7,500

We swept them on the road, then came back, took game three, and collapsed in game four. But we recovered and beat them in a hitter's game on the 2nd of November, to take home the 1951 4A World Championship! How's that for the smallest market in the league making good?

[Chipper_Jones]

November 14, 1951
LEAGUE FINANCIAL REPORT

EASTERN LEAGUE	ATTENDANCE	REVENUE	LOYALTY	PROFIT		CASH
Buffalo		10,000		$24.6M	D+	$967,000	$6.9M
Columbus	12,500		$26.0M	D+	$176,000	$7.5M
Evansville	7,923		$19.1M	D	$1.9M		$1.7M
Fort Wayne	5,668		$15.6M	D-	- $1.9M		- $557,000
Green Bay	11,923		$24.6M	D+	$699,000	$7.4M
Greensboro	10,000		$21.0M	D	- $1.4M		$4.2M
Hartford	9,587		$31.8M	D+	$1.5M		$11.4M
Indianapolis	12,309		$26.4M	C-	$3.1M		$9.2M
New Haven	10,000		$33.8M	C-	$2.0M		$13.2M
Newark		12,500		$35.9M	D	$3.8M		$15.4M
Rhode Island	5,759		$19.6M	D	$1.1M		$2.3M
Troy (Mich.)	6,398		$19.4M	B-	$5.0M		$17.5M

WESTERN LEAGUE	ATTENDANCE	REVENUE	LOYALTY	PROFIT		CASH
Birmingham	7,251		$18.3M	D	- $1.1M		$1.3M
Fresno		8,000		$20.5M	D	$162,000	$2.6M
Honolulu	8,000		$21.6M	D	$329,000	$4.4M
Las Vegas	10,978		$28.8M	D+	$1.3M		$10.0M
Louisville	8,000		$19.5M	C	$755,000	$3.5M
Memphis		11,000		$24.6M	D+	$320,000	$6.6M
Milwaukee	12,491		$25.9M	D	$1.8M		$8.5M
Nashville	10,898		$22.8M	D+	$1.8M		$5.2M
New Orleans	10,809		$21.8M	D	$133,000	$4.2M
Sacramento	12,500		$30.3M	C	$973,000	$13.1M
Salt Lake City	11,000		$20.4M	D+	- $1.3M		$2.8M
Vancouver	12,489		$23.8M	D+	$939,000	$6.9M

[Chipper_Jones]

1951 FINAL LEAGUE STANDINGS

EASTERN LEAGUE
HEARTLAND DIVISION

Troy (Mich.)		96-67		--
Indianapolis		95-68		1.0 GB
Columbus		92-70		3.5 GB
Green Bay		89-73		6.5 GB
Evansville		66-96		29.5 GB
Fort Wayne		58-104		37.5 GB

COLONIAL DIVISION

New Haven		87-75		--
Rhode Island		83-79		4.0 GB
Hartford		79-83		8.0 GB
Greensboro		77-85		10.0 GB
Buffalo			76-86		11.0 GB
Newark			75-87		12.0 GB

WESTERN LEAGUE
MASON DIXON DIVISION

Louisville		96-66		--
Memphis			94-68		2.0 GB
Nashville		86-76		10.0 GB
Birmingham		72-90		24.0 GB
Milwaukee		71-91		25.0 GB
New Orleans		60-102		36.0 GB

FRONTIER DIVISION

Sacramento		93-69		--
Las Vegas		84-78		9.0 GB
Vancouver		83-79		10.0 GB
Salt Lake City		83-79		10.0 GB
Honolulu		76-86		17.0 GB
Fresno			74-88		19.0 GB

[Chipper_Jones]

Free Agency is not what it will be in the future I'm sure … right now teams have their future stuperstars and they're dirt cheap … when that changes, we'll hopefully be in prime condition to take on a few. I did make a few trades though:

- I knew I wanted to make Luis Montanes a Tornado. The 27-year-old center fielder has been playing in Honolulu for two seasons, and has averaged .345 over both seasons! Last year he also had 32 doubles and a whopping 72 stolen bases, and that's with being caught stealing THIRTY-FIVE TIMES. This guy loves to gun for it, and he's FAST. But could I lure him away from Hawaii's perfect shores, to play in gloomy Michigan? Honestly, I was surprised how easy it was! I offered up Josh Mariscal, our leadoff man (also a CF) and it was a done deal! Personally I think Mariscal is great, but to have someone as lightning fast as Montanes in the leadoff spot (he's no slugger, so he'll never be a fourth man or anything) is like having a fresh wild card minted for our team. I can dig that.

- I also wanted to nab Justin Waqued away from Buffalo … the slugging God is like a younger Will Dawson, he hit .337 last year with 33 doubles and 54 homers! They played real hardball, but we finally made a deal fly, sending $5 million in cash along with Ron Panasik (1B), John Butterfield (SP) and Wilson Gomez (3B) to the Blades for Waqued. But for such a stud prospect, I'll take it any way I can get it.

1952 Minor League Draft
I wanted our first pick to be a guy named Ed Muchow, who went 37-2 in his first two AA seasons. But the 20-year-old was taken by Fort Wayne with their #1 pick. I sent them Chad Whipple (CF), Cy Pearson (RP) and Adam Laird for him, but had to include $2 million because their ******* of a manager almost pulled the deal off the table at the last second. But we got him, which is excellent. He's currently rated at 90, with potential suggesting he could become a 97% player! He already has super endurance, control, power AND movement, defensive skills, hitting skill and is healthy. How much more can you ASK for?

ROUND 1 (PICK 23)
RP - Ernie Devereaux (19) Overall: 79, Peak: 93
With the top pitching prospect secured, we were able to go for a hitter (as every other team seemed to want pitching prospects, leaving the batters unscathed! Or maybe not. Seems this year's draft is pitcher-heavy, which could be a bad bad thing. I settled on Ernie because we need some improement in our relief corps. He's got the talent and it's seemingly a sure thing! In fact, our scouts rated him a 9.3 out of 10, calling him one of the best picks in the draft.

ROUND 2 (PICK 47)
SP - Carlos Cresaco (19) Overall: 74, Peak: 86
I picked Cresaco because he's young, and he pitches for power with moderate control. In his first AA season, he went 11-10 with a 5.47 ERA, and has an OBA of .224. I like this kid, he could be a starter, or could prove to be valuable as a long reliever. Either way, he's a Tornado for the time being.

ROUND 3 (PICK 71)
RP - Dan Turnbull (18) Overall: 71, Peak: 83
I'm leery to keep picking all these pitchers, but hey, if this has to be the year to fully revamp our pitching squad with youth, better do it before the other teams in our division do. And the hitters in this draft ARE subpar. Turnbull, however, is anything BUT subpar! This reliever God went 9-0 in his AA season at age SEVENTEEN, with a 5.62 ERA and .209 ERA … he's skilled in control, power AND movement, and I can see him becoming the perfect closer-style pitcher. In any other season he'd have been a first rounder.

ROUND 4 (PICK 95)
SP - Esteban Filho (22) Overall: 68, Peak: 77
He played 27 games last year in AA, and went 5-7 with a 6.26 ERA. He'll need time in the minors to hone his skills, but could become a solid player down the road.

I didn't see anyone else I wanted from this year's class. So I let my assistants pick the remaining two, who will likely be trade bait quickly (I don't think I'll even waste time learning their names). Apparently they were both second baseman prospects though. (For those of you who care, I did indeed trade one of these two schlubs away … along with solid center fielder prospect Frederick Scherbak, Rich Streich went to Salt Lake City for Jeff Zwillinger, who actually looks to be a solid shortstop, he's spent two years with the Saints, hitting .287 last year with 11 doubles. The other, Vinnie Gorokhovsky, was sent to Sacramento for Rick Busey, an average relief prospect who will likely never play).

I sent Jose Arruti, Vern Rehfeld and Sam Gubkin to New Orleans for Anthony Oukherman, a decent catcher prospect. I also sent Fort Wayne $2 million for Geronimo Aguero, a decent LF prospect I thought we could use. And to round out our lineup, I added a pair of free agents:

- Rick Sharei, a 24-year-old rookie 3B, hit .478 in limited relief for Birmingham in 1950, then spent last year hitting .262 in AAA in a fuller relief role. He may never play for us, but if he does, he's a decent bench hitter, and we need some backup hitters badly. He'll make $300,000 for two seasons.

- Juan Contreras, a 25-year-old rookie RF, hit .307 last year in his first AAA season. He's got a peak rating of 67 and is at 62 now, so he's mostly AAA material. But like I said, we need at least a few backup players. He'll also get $300,000 for two years.

AWARDS
- Will Dawson was named MVP for the second straight year! He also won the EL 2B Gold Glove.
- Mariscal, who isn't on our team anymore, won the CF Gold Glove.
- Haruhisa Fujihara won the RF Gold Glove for the second straight year.

I've talked to the leaders of the city of Troy, and they want us to hold off any plans for a stadium addition until at least 1960. They're leery of havinbg us spend all our cash on stadium additions when they want to see how we'll handle keeping our players in 1955. I'm fine with that, gives us time to shore up the funds anyway.

BUDGET
FARM: $1,000,000 (18th)
SCOUTING: $3,000,000 (13th)
MEDICAL: $1,000,000 (1st)
TEAM SALARY: $9,620,694
TOTAL EXPENSE: $14,620,694
1951 REVENUE (PROJECTED): $19,763,499
ANTICIPATED PROFIT: $5,142,805

[Chipper_Jones]

The Team (1952)

LINEUP
1. Luis Montanes (CF) 27, 3rd Season (86/86)
2. Jose Chaves (DH) 24, 3rd Season (86/86)
3. Will Dawson (2B) 38, 3rd Season (95/95)
4. Jason Waqued (1B) 28, 3rd Season (100/100)
5. Haruhisa Fujihara (RF) 24, 3rd Season (91/91)
6. Jose Gomiz (C) 24, 3rd Season (81/81)
7. Elmo Wernick (LF) 24, 3rd Season (75/75)
8. Ted Rogers (3B) 24, 3rd Season (70/70)
9. Jeff Zwillinger (SS) 27, 3rd Season (83/83)

B1. Woody Mikulinsky (C) 25, 3rd Season (72/74)
B2. Rick Sharei (3B) 24, Rookie (64/67)
B3. Juan Contreras (RF) 25, Rookie (62/67)
B4. Geronimo Aguero (LF) 24, Rookie (67/71)
B5. Anthony Oukherman (C) 24, Rookie (61/74)

(AAA) Nathaniel Crowell (RF) 24, Rookie (64/78)
(AAA) Nelson Miller (1B) 23, Rookie (68/81)
(AAA) Grant Makasdjan (LF) 22, Rookie (64/74)

PITCHING
1. Ed Muchow (22) Rookie (90/97)
2. Pedro Chico (23) 3rd Season (74/76)
3. Jonathon Bonham (23) 3rd Season (74/74)
4. Esteban Filho (22) Rookie (68/76)
5. Carlos Cresaco (19) Rookie (74/82)

Closer: Jose Quentano (23) 3rd Season (88/91)
Setup: Orlando Lariano (22) 3rd Season (80/81)
Short: Eric Haas (23) 2nd Season (81/86)
Middle: Ernie Devereaux (19) Rookie (79/90)
Long: Corey Svidler (21) 2nd Season (75/79)
Alt: Chris Cafferty (25) 2nd Season (70/74)

(AAA) Orlando Masolta (24) 3rd Season (55/63)
(AAA) Don Turnbull (18) Rookie (71/81)
(AAA) Rick Busey (26) Rookie (61/61)

Is this a team that can make it to the playoffs for the third straight time and perhaps win another 4A World Series? Look them over now. The season starts on April 1!

What does everyone think of this diary? Is there anything you'd like to know that I haven't hit on? Let me know, and I'll try to oblige.

[adam]

would you make that universe public?

it sounds like a fun game to play!