Farm Fresh 2043, AA Wrap-Up
You can be pardoned if you think the Beloit Blue Sox modeled their season on their major league parent club: a surprising 90-win regular season campaign followed by a hasty playoff exit.
Led by starting pitchers John McClain and Juan Martinez (the Donaldo Sub-League Pitcher of the Year) and 1B Francisco Rosales (the Donaldo Hitter of the Year), Beloit wound up posting a 90-50 record with a league-best +195 run differential, pundits figured Beloit would do well in the playoffs.
They figured wrong.
Instead, the Blue Sox lost their opening round series to Columbus 2 games to 1, and just like that, their season was over.
Still, the Blue Sox have built an admirable record of success in recent years: 3 straight visits to the playoffs (the first multi-year string in their 47-year history) and a Warren Cox League championship in 2041.
Whether they can keep the string going in 2044 will be an interesting question, with virtually all of their top talent destined to move up to AAA.
Tune in next season, folks. It should be interesting.
Final Accounting
Overall Record: 90-50, .643
Position in Standings: In 1st Place in the DNL Mid-Central Division, 5 games ahead of Columbus.
Best Month: May: 22-7, .759
Worst Month: April: 13-15, .464
Run Differential: +195
Team Batting
AVG: .251, 7th in DNL
OBP: .345, 12th in DNL
SLG: .417, 6th in DNL
Runs Scored: 685, 8th in DNL
Team Pitching
Staff ERA: 3.24, 1st in DNL
Starters’ ERA: 3.38, 1st in DNL
Bullpen ERA: 3.03, 1st in DNL
Runs Allowed: 490, 1st in DNL
Team Batting Leaders
AVG: 1B Francisco Rosales, .305
OBP: SS Mashashi Fujihara, .400
HR: 1B Francisco Rosales, 40
RBI: 1B Francisco Rosales, 104
Team Pitching Leaders
W: John McClain, 16
SV: Ike Kocher, 18
ERA: Juan Martínez, 2.66
K: Pat Pederson, 187