by Gordon Johnson for Uplantica Sport
September 24, 1932
CRATERVIEW PARK, PLATTE, SIMMONS — The 1932 UA SemiFinal Series will begin tomorrow with the Platte Bears hosting the defending Windsor Cup champs, the Delle Stars. They will play a best-of-5 series for the right to face the Deerborn White Sox in this year’s Windsor Cup Finals.
The Bears and Stars were both in heated races in their respective divisions that came down to the final days of the season. The Bears once again clashed with the Northsouth Guardians in the West, coming out on top thanks in part to a series win in which they took 2 of 3 from the Guardians in September. The Stars kept pace with the White Sox in the East, finishing just 2 games behind them at the end of the season. The Stars’ 71-29 record is the 3rd best Regular Season record in history. Although Delle finished 3 games better than Platte in the standings, the Bears will enjoy home field advantage in the SFS, as they won their division while the Stars qualified for the playoffs as the Wild Card team.
The Platte Bears were the league’s strongest offense this season. They outscored the Stars by 107 total runs this season with a total of 545. They also had the top batting average as a team at .257. The Stars, meanwhile, were the top defensive team in the UA. They allowed the least runs, had the most efficient defense, and the best bullpen ERA. However, the Stars came in 2nd in the starter ERA category to these Platte Bears.
Both of these teams dealt with major injuries this season on their way to playoffs.
The Stars lost two of their top pitchers before the season began, with RHP Stanley Quinn and LHP Kevin Leroux missing this entire year. They relied on LHP Jeffrey Irvin and RHP John Munson, who both performed very well in their second seasons with the team. They also acquired RHP Jeremy Wheeler from the Plains City Reapers of the NPL, who was great out of the bullpen. In late August, the Stars made a move before the trade deadline for Prissley Trail Blazers ace Jeff Rogers, who is having one of the best seasons of his career. The Stars also lost LF Norm Hester for the season, who tore a muscle in his back in late August. Despite these hardships, the Stars had the best Regular Season in their history, and are riding high coming into the playoffs.
“These guys have been great teammates for years, but this year I feel like we all really became best friends. I mean that. We all went through a lot losing Yassine, and I feel like it’s brought us all together. It makes you remember why you play this game,” said Stars RF Antonio Teakowa. He referred to the loss of former teammate Yassine Joseph, whose plane crashed over the Trat’eo Gulf in June. The team has dedicated their season to Joseph.
The Bears are also missing two of their top starters. RHP Travis Voelker went out for the season with a torn labrum on August 19, and RHP Justin Russell left for the year with a torn elbow tendon ten days later. They traded for RHP Mark Lia Yorino from the Railey Rivals after Voelker’s injury. Lia Yorino has had a great year, but has missed time with a strained shoulder. After Russell’s injury, the Bears once again dealt prospects to the Rivals to acquire RHP Oliver Medina. Medina has been exceptional since coming to Platte, with a 1.00 ERA and 25 Ks in 27 innings. The Bears lost All-Star LF Stan Davis for five weeks to a strained oblique. He returned to the team just in time to help them win their 2nd UA West pennant.
Both teams have talented lineups.
The Stars boast last season’s MVP, Mario Olivo, who won the batting title this season with a .337 average. They acquired Pedro Bausi from the NPL’s Petchon Carp, who has hit a ton, winning two Player of the Week awards this year. Antonio Teakowa, Bobby Moyle, Carlos Teakowa, and Alex Terawaa have all had solid seasons at the plate, making the Stars a lineup to be reckoned with despite missing Norm Hester.
The Bears’ lineup is one of the best ever. Every starting batter in their lineup hit 10+ home runs and drove in at least 30 runs. Gabriel Martinezto was the MVP of the All-Star Game this season. He splits time at first base with Dave Phillips, who came to the Bears from the NPL’s Wight Spiders this year. Andy Bernard had yet another stellar season for Platte, along with solid performances from Stan Davis, Gurr Gurr, and Ralph Maxwell. Tim Rogers had a great year in his first full season with the team as well. Former MVP and HR record-holder Juan Tokorres was the only player on the team who seemed to have an “off” year, hitting sub-.200 for the first time in his career. If he can find his swing in the playoffs, the Bears may be unstoppable.
These teams played each other 11 times in 1932, with the Stars taking 7 of the 11 games from Platte. They should be familiar with one another coming into this series, since they ended the Regular Season with a 3-game series against each other. The Stars won 2 of 3 in that series.
The stage is set for a great series. For what it’s worth, I’m taking the Stars in 5 games. Best of luck to both teams!
Uplantic Sports Today 