Weekly Report: September 8, 1930

The Stags, Stars, and Brothers are battling atop the Wild Card race in the UA, while the Bears and White Sox have all but wrapped up their divisions and are racing for the league’s top record. As a reminder, both division champs will make the three-team playoff tournament, along with one Wild Card. The team with the UA’s top record will earn a bye to the Windsor Cup Finals.

The Carp, Canaries, Metros, and Lakers are still bunched at the top of the NPL standings as their season is now entering its final week. Unlike the UA, the NPL will not have a postseason and will crown the top team at the end of its schedule as 1930 NPL Champions.

Two frightening injuries on the same day have more people calling for head protection in professional baseball.

(Jump to UA Standings & League Leaders)

(Jump to NPL Standings & League Leaders)

UA News:

9/1:

White Sox RHP Roberto Tokorres leaves in the 4th inning of today’s game at Delle. Team doctors say he has an abdominal strain. He is listed as day-to-day, so we will watch and see if he misses starts as the season winds down. He is expected to recover in 2-3 weeks, which makes his status for the playoffs questionable. It’s another tough break for Deerborn’s banged-up starting rotation, but the remain in a tight battle with Platte for the UA’s best record. The White Sox win against the Stars, 7-1.
CF Stan Davis and 3B Juan Tokorres each hit their 26th home run in Platte’s 7-4 win over Railey. They remain 2 games ahead of the White Sox for the league’s top record.
Jose Lia Tinta hits his 30th HR and Ramon Zuniga hits his 24th for the Stags, but the Miners win in dramatic fashion, tying the game in the bottom of the 9th and then walking off in the 11th on Rogers Jenkins’s pinch-hit RBI double.

9/2:

Owls LF Ambroise Forestier blasts a pair of long balls in Redwood’s 10-3 win over Cherricaw.
The Stars take the rubber match in Delle, beating the White Sox, 5-2. Stars LHP David Rogers leaves the game clutching his left arm. Rogers is a 3-time All-Star and last year’s Reliever of the Year. It could be trouble for Delle as they continue to fight for a playoff spot. Rogers awaits an official prognosis.
Bears RHP Julio Martinezto goes 8.2 innings and gives up just 1 run while striking out 9 in Platte’s 8-1 win over Railey. Platte sweeps Railey for their 5th win in a row. They are the first team to 60 wins. If they can win 6 of the last 15 games remaining, they will own the best Regular Season in UA history, besting Roland’s 65-win 1928 season.
A scary moment in the Bears’ big win today: LF Andy Bernard, one of the team’s most beloved players, lost consciousness after a collision on the base paths. He quickly regained awareness, but was removed from the game. His status moving forward in uncertain. He would certainly be missed if he ends up out for any upcoming games.
RHP Jose Verdier pitches 8 scoreless, 4-hit innings with 8 Ks as Roland shuts down Lia Kompos, 4-0. Stags 2B Ronald Pass is struck in the head with a pitch and leaves the game with blurred vision and nausea. He will miss tomorrow’s game against Delle as a precaution, but appears to be uninjured. The incident, along with Andy Bernard’s injury today, is renewing the call for head protection in baseball.
In yet another injury to a star player, Brothers RF Curt Lawson leaves today’s game with a back strain. He is expected to miss 1-2 weeks. Luckily for Salvation, Andy Thompson has returned to the lineup for the final push for the Wild Card. The Brothers win today on a Cliff Moyer walk-off solo blast, 6-5, sweeping Taawa.

9/3:

Prissley RHP Jeff Rogers keeps his great season rolling, giving up just 1 hit in 7 scoreless innings in today’s 4-1 win over the Bears. Rogers strikes out 9 in the effort. He is a contender for Pitcher of the Year, with the league’s best ERA at 1.99.
Delle LHP Kevin Leroux racks up 12 Ks in 8 innings as the Stars beat the Stags, 4-2. Delle pulls with a game of the Wild Card with the win. Stags LF Jose Lia Tinta hits his 31st HR in the loss.
Deerborn wins in a great game in dramatic fashion on back-to-back home runs from Ryad Hanguille and Jorge Oko in the bottom of the 10th.
Bears star LF Andy Bernard is day-to-day with ongoing blurred vision and headaches after his collisoin in yesterday’s game. The symptoms could last anywhere from a few days to a week or two. Bernard hopes to be on the field for the postseason as Platte chases their first Windsor Cup.
Despite clear ongoing pain from his sprained knee, Brothers CF Andy Thompson goes 2 for 4 with a home run and scores three times in Salvation’s 11-2 thumping of the Guardians. The win brings the Brothers back into a tie with the Stags for the Wild Card.
Ambroise Forestier hits his 3rd home run in the last two days and teammate Jorge Akil hits his 31st of the year as Redwood downs Railey, 10-2.

9/4:

Stars CL David Rogers heads to the IL with a “tired arm.” He will be eligible to return on September 13, for the last 6 games of the season.
Andy Thompson hobbles around the bases with another long ball and teammate Howard Tenney hits his 29th as Salvation rolls over Northsouth, 9-1.
Owls RF Jorge Akil hits a pair of home runs, but Rivals RF Julio Kastro retains the league lead over Akil, hitting 2 of his own. Kastro has 34 and Akil has 33 for the year. Railey beats Redwood, 7-4.
Stags LF Jose Lia Tinta continues to drive baseballs out of ballparks, adding 2 more homers to his season total, which stands at 33. The Stags shut out the Stars, 6-0, keeping pace with Salvation in the Wild Card race.

9/5:

Roland beats Delle, 5-2, to take 2 of 3 from them in the series. Delle falls 2 games behind the Stags and Brothers, who are tied for the Wild Card with 12 games left.
Deerborn RF Curt Sawyer hits his 32nd HR of the year to help lift the White Sox over Cherricaw, 6-5. Deerborn wins in the bottom of the 9th on a Chad Murray RBI single, scoring Rygh Ogg on a thrilling play at the plate. The White Sox stay 2 games behind the Bears for the UA’s top record and a bye to the Finals.
The Chargers and Miners square off in a wild one. Taawa LF Joe Katakien goes 4 for 4 with 2 doubles and a triple, driving in 4 runs. Taawa 3B Ted Sharpe hits 2 home runs for 7 RBI, tying the UA record. The teams score 33 total runs as the Chargers beat the Miners, 21-12.

9/6:

Stars RHP Stanley Quinn strikes out 8 in 5.2 innings as Delle walks off against Taawa on C Jon Garcika’s 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th. Final: DEL 2, TAA 1.
Owls LF Ambroise Forestier’s home run barrage continues with his 26th of the year today. His teammate, CF Carlos Teakowa, hits a pair of home runs in the Owls’ 8-4 win over Prissley.
White Sox RF Curt Sawyer hits his 33rd HR of the year as Deerborn beats the Rivals, 7-1.
The Guardians take down the Bears in 11 innings, 5-2. The loss narrows Platte’s lead over Deerborn to 1 game.
Andy Thompson’s return to the Salvation lineup is short lived. A week after returning from a knee sprain, still in obvious pain, Thompson breaks a finger on a headfirst slide. The injury-prone star will miss the rest of the year. He only played in 29 games this season, but hit .375 with 11 home runs, 28 runs scored, and 26 RBI.
Howard Tenney hits his 30th HR in the Brothers’ 6-4 win over Lia Kompos. Despite a whopping 9 players on the IL,the Brothers remain at the top of the Wild Card race.

9/7:

1B Ralph August and CF John Bunce both hit homers in back-to-back games for the Herders in their 7-0 win over Roland. Cherricaw pitching combines for 10 Ks and allows just 3 hits in a bullpen game. The loss drops Roland 1 game back of Salvation for the Wild Card.
The Brothers manage to win their 8th in a row despite their ailing lineup. They beat Lia Kompos, 5-2, to stay atop the Wild Card standings, 1 game in front of Roland.
White Sox RF Curt Sawyer goes deep in his 3rd straight game to bring his season total 34. He is now tied with Julio Kastro for the league lead. Deerborn 3B Rygh Ogg goes yard twice in the game, and SP Jorge Takato strikes out 9 in 5.1 innings as the White Sox pound the Rivals, 10-1.
Bears SP Julio Martinezto continues his quest for Pitcher of the Year honors with a scoreless, 4 hit, 8 inning performance as Platte beats Northsouth, 5-0. The Bears still lead the White Sox by 1 game for the UA’s top record.

Current UA Standings:

Current UA League Leaders:

NPL Watch:

LHP Morgan Burnett gives Carver 8 innings, but gives up the tying run in the 8th. The Kings go on to beat the Canaries in 11 innings, 2-1. (9/1)
The Lakers continue to slide, losing their 4th in a row. Final: PC 5, ELD 4. They remain in the conversation, however, just 3 games out of first. (9/1)
The Metros take game 1 of 3 from the Carp, 6-4. The win brings Tiny Sea even with Petchon, both a game behind the Canaries with 11 games left. (9/1)
LHP Greg Crepin gives Lia Puedris 7.1 scoreless innings as the Kings shut out the Canaries, 5-0. The loss brings Carver into a tie for first with Petchon after their 3-2 victory over the Metros. (9/2)
Lakers 3B David Little hits a pair of solo shots for the Lakers, but Reapers SP Ed Austin is otherwise brilliant, going 8 innings for 5 hits in Plains City’s 10-2 win at Elderwood. (9/3)
The Carp take 2 of 3 from Tiny Sea, winning 3-2 today, to take sole possession of first place with Carver’s loss at Lia Puedris. (9/3)
Wight 1B Lier Semb hits his league-leading 23rd home run, but Petchon beats the Spiders, 5-4, holding onto first place with 8 games to go. (9/5)
Kings RHP Stanton Simms give Lia Puedris 7 scoreless innings, but Elderwood ties it in the 9th and goes on to win in 13 innings, 4-1. (9/5)
Bob Jones hits his 16th HR as Carver beats Trimble, 5-2. (9/6)
Reapers RHP Julian Rault gives up just 1 run on 3 hits in 8 innings on the way to a 4-1 win over Tiny Sea. Tiny Sea is now 2 games back. (9/6)
Spiders LHP Mark Flower goes 7.1 1-hit innings as Wight takes down Petchon, 2-1. The loss brings the Carp back into a tie with Carver for the league championship with 7 games to go. (9/6)
Kings 1B Luis Rokodriguez goes 3 for 5 with 2 HR and 4 RBI as the Kings beat the Lakers, 8-2. Rokodriguez now has 21 HR in 1930. The Lakers championship hopes are growing dim. They are 3 games out with 7 to go. (9/6)
The Canaries outlast the Toppers in 12 innings to stay atop the NPL standings in a tight race. (9/7)
Lia Puedris SP Justin Antoine allows just 2 runs on 4 hits in 7.1 IP. The Lakers lose to the Kings, 4-2, dropping 2 of 3 in the series. They are 4 games out, watching their championship hopes slip away day by day. (9/7)
The Carp beat the Spiders, 8-4, remaining tied with the Canaries for the NPL Championship with 6 games remaining. The stage is set for a big final series of the year between the two teams to finish the season, starting this Thursday, September 11. (9/7)