United League of American Base B

Usual Suspects Leading East
Brooklyn, Cleveland Streak to Top
BROOKLYN (May 16) -- The Cleveland Barons and Brooklyn Superbas used nine- and eight-game win streaks to pull ahead of a tightly packed East Division. Cleveland was unbeaten from Apr. 29 to May 8, including sweeps of Dallas and San Francisco. The Barons have a 24-19 record despite ranking dead last in nearly every batting category -- a testament to how strong their pitching is. Cleveland leads the league with a 2.93 ERA and boasts the best rotation (3.07) and second best bullpen (2.51). Steve Barber (2-5, 2.22) and Johnny Podres (4-3, 2.34) rank #1 and #3 in ERA and are #1-2 in VORP. Seven of 10 pitchers have ERAs under 3.00, and closer Pete Richert has been virtually unhittable (0.69 ERA, .209 OAVG). Meanwhile, Johnny Roseboro (.505 OPS) and Eddie Mathews (.582 OPS) have the two lowest OPSs in the circuit.
The Superbas powered their way to eight straight wins May 4-11, averaging 7.8 runs per game. They blanked Boston 11-0 (4 RBIs by Ted Lepcio and Dick Williams) on the 6th and crushed Washington 10-1 on the 10th. Jim Gentile (1.288) and Ted Lepcio (1.237) are in the top four in OPS for May, and Mickey Mantle co-leads the league with 18 May RBIs. Gentile won Player of the Week May 16, batting .417 with 3 home runs and 7 RBIs.
Youngster Sammy Ellis, 25, has continued the time-honored Brooklyn tradition of fill-in pitchers turning into world-beaters. After Lew Burdette and Gene Conley fell to injury, Ellis jumped into the Brooklyn rotation on May 2. He won three of his first four starts with an 1.67 ERA and massive run support (11, 11, 10, and 5 runs). Ellis was the 18th overall pick in 1964 and posted a 3.33 ERA in 48 mostly-relief appearances in 1965.

Point, Counterpoint Part 2: Boston Federals
What Will the Feds Do Next? by Sean Holloway
With the mortgage crisis in America witnessing home prices dropping faster than Britney and Jamie Lynn Spears' pants, inquiring minds are wondering if Boston GM Shawn Martin is on the road to glory or ruin. Our trusted financial reporters try to make sense out of Beantown's band of baseball buddies.

Point: New York Times:
The Bulls Are Back!!!
Ah, it feels so good to be in Boston in the Spring! Better weather, singing birds, new rookies tearing up the League! The Feds are primed for a resurgence, and this very well could be the year, as the team has a line-up that's virtually recession-proof!

Reason 1: Power, power, power
That's all this reporter can say. Watching batting practice in Fenway is like watching a mad dash of 1,000 male streakers - balls are flying everywhere. Wynn, Cepeda, Freehan, Shamsky - all capable of going yard, and a line-up that balances power with solid OBP and average as well. This team has no problem scoring runs.

Reason 2: Lefties and Fireballers Rule!
What can you do when faced with two fireballers in Score and Cuellar and then run into Mr. Sneaky in the guise of Chris Short? Combine that with relivers Larry Sherry, Denny Coombs, and Bob "Chuckles" Chakales, and you won't know if the ball's coming at you at 95 or 60 mph! Talk about being thrown off balance! UL hitters won't know what's coming!!

Counterpoint: Wall Street Journal: Boston Is a Team of "Irrational Exuberance"
What concerns this respectable publication is that some of our competitors have been caught up in the new dreams and wishes of every Fed fan to capture a UL Title. In that euphoria of the Feds last several seasons, where the Team was on the verge of competing with the Big Dogs, many have overlooked the fundamentals that may negatively affect the Team's ability to positively perform in a neutral environment.

Reason 1: How Long Will It Last?
Cepeda, Freehan, Bressoud, and Freese all appear to be headed for career years. But, can their torrid pace be kept up all season? One nagging injury or a small slump and Boston could watch its run production dry up, as there aren't others left who could pick up the load. And although the slugging percentages are mighty, with slugging come Ks. Will the Team be able to balance its game of long-ball with OBP, or are we in for a bunch of solo HRs?

Reason 2: Wait - Another Hard-Throwing Leftie?
Many UL hitters can't wait to get into the box against a leftie, and with BOS, there is a veritable plethora of them. And control issues may bite BOS, with the Team in the latter third of the UL when it comes to BBs. Just how will these pitchers keep things fresh? Is it only a matter of time before hitters begin to tee off? Will Short perform as in the past? Is pitching Cuellar the right move, or will the rookie get bombed? Will 107-year old Dick Donovan even be alive by the end of the season?

Voice of Reason
Likely even more disconcerting for Boston faithful is the Team's cash crunch. With SS Eddie Bressoud actively being shopped and no cap space, the team likely won't be able to muster the star power it needs to overtake Brooklyn and Cleveland. Part of a three-way tie for 4th place in the brutal East.

Anatomy Of A Winner
by Charlie Qualls

“The young but grizzled veterinarian stands over the old, broken down horse. “I think it can be saved.” he says, “We both can.”
                              --Some Old-Timey Cowboy Writer

He went looking for a hobby, what he found was a project. Dr. William “Eric” Clemons was in search of a lark, a way to unwind in his spare time. Then one day as he perused the sports section want ads, he stumbled across the answer: “Millions of Dollars Burning a Hole in Your Pocket? The United League Wants You!” He’d had some experience and a modicum of success in now defunct baseball leagues, and enough time had passed to where he was ready to give his heart and spare time to another team in the sport he loved so much. Originally, Clemons showed interest in a certain Big Apple Super Franchise (whose owner, unable to cope with the pressure of unchallenged success, put the mansion on the block and bought the ultimate fixer-upper). However, Clemons was outbid by the enigmatic Magar Group. But if Doc Clemons was looking for his next patient, he need only cast his eyes to the great Expanse. The United League’s latest (and youngest) orphan needed tending to: the Dallas Texans.
      The initial consultation between the franchise and its new owner was a dubious one. “It looked pretty
obvious that this team had been built to compete right away and that their window had now closed,” Clemons said in a recent interview, “it was time to start over.” And that’s what he did. The new Texans are
barely recognizable from the squad that was drafted a few short years ago. His first order of business was
to brandish his scalpel and cut operating costs (i.e., salary) so the team could pay its bills while in rebuilding mode. He was surprised to find he enjoyed the challenge of re-building a squad from the bare bones. He’s thrilled about his young core of interns, most recently he added hot shot starting pitching prospects Ken Holtzman and Jim Merritt to the organization, who combined with Dave Boswell and Gaylord Perry could form the rotation of the future.
     As for that future, Eric’s not rushing things. His experience as a doctor has taught him that the human body is both fragile and remarkably resilient. He appreciates the delicate art of handling prospects. He took some heat from fans and the press for not calling up Holtzman, Merritt and reliever Casey Cox, despite some scouts (and the players themselves) believing they’re ready for their Minor League casts to be cut off. But the doc’s got his finger on the pulse of the bigger picture, he sees no need to burden them with that pressure when there are several deserving veteran arms to hold down the clinic. But he’s not coddling the youngsters either. Particularly, he’s keeping a close eye on Jim Merritt, who has been making mincemeat out of International League hitters. Clemons’ scouts tell him that Merritt’s got “The Good Face.” That’s a good thing, right?
When asked about his favorite type of player, Clemons admits he has a soft spot for the long ball, and he’s confident that one day science will develop new ways to help players hit baseballs harder and farther than ever. But in the meantime, he’s keenly attuned to the concept that pitching wins championships. When drafting and trading, he says he’ll pay most attention to starting pitching, OBP and defense. Hmmm, how did that strategy work out for the Superbas?
Dr. Clemons believes his experience as a doctor, while not necessarily giving him an edge in the Executive Suite, gives him a unique perspective. What’s the sagest piece of advice Doc Clemons can prescribe? “If there is a cancer, cut it out. If someone is not a good fit in the clubhouse, they won’t
be with the Texans for long.”

Williams Whines, Dines in Pittsburgh
by Charlie Qualls
What do you get when you cross twenty-four happy campers with one angry bear? I don’t know what you
get, but for Davey Williams it means a bus ticket to Pittsburgh. After a season-plus of grumbling and griping to anyone who would listen about his lack of playing time, Williams is finally getting his wish to play every day. An unnamed irate spokesperson for the Cleveland Barons has this to say:
“We’ve worked hard to finally build ourselves into a contender. We were thrilled to add Mr. Williams last season for what we feel was a more than generous contract, but he’s the only one not smiling in the team picture. This is the most exciting time in our franchise’s history so far, and if a player can’t appreciate his role in that, then he gets shown the door. On the same token, we’re not going to release him outright just yet. We’re still exploring trade options, but if his attitude doesn’t turn around, he’ll finish out his contract in the International League.”