I have been kinda AWOL lately and I do apologize. As usual, my time in the spring has been taken up with the Illinois Baseball Report.
The Illini season is winding to end soon (I will find out for sure at Monday’s NCAA Selection Show). Regardless, I will have more time for The APBA Blog. I want to thank Kevin Weber for keeping the fires burning at the website with his fantastic Final Card Friday column that has always been a hit.
So I promised you an update on my Twin City Thunderchickens from the Illowa APBA League. They got off to a surprisingly good start during the initial get-together. We went 19-11! Wow, I wasn’t thinking we had it us. My excitement was tempered a little when the newsletter was sent out and we were still just in fourth place.
Check out the weird standings from the first month…
This is definitely an all or nothing season for the IAL.
I wondered if our first month was a fluke. However, in the next two series, the Thunderchickens went 6-3 and then 5-4. At this point, we’re sitting on a 30-18 record and potentially in second place.
Some interesting highlights through 48 games
- Unlike last year, JD Martinez is hitting for me out of the gate. He is hitting .343 with 15 HR and 40 rbis. JD wowed the fans by hitting homeruns in four straight at-bats.
- Manny Machado has been a great addition. Hitting .289, he’s hit 14 HR and leads the team in runs with 33.
- Rookie Joey Wendle (my last draft pick) is responding to the leadoff spot by hitting .304 and stealing 13 bases.
- Tanner Roark is dominant. In eight starts, he is 8-0 with a 2.49 ERA. Kyle Freeland is fantastic as well with a 7-1 ERA and a 1.71 mark. Between the two of them, they have five shutouts.
- This is the stat I find most unbelievable. My two catchers are hitting for average. Yan Gomes is hitting .327 with 7 HR and Wilson Ramos is batting .304 with five dingers.
Lessons learned
- It’s fun to score runs
- It’s fun to roll 66s
- It’s not so fun when your opponent does
- It’s fun to win
How’s Luke Voit (1-1-1-0-0, 55-7) doing for me? I couldn’t tell you. He’s only played one game so far. I’m saving him for the season homestretch.
Confession Time (it’s okay… the IAL managers don’t read this anyway)
I admit I didn’t know much about Dylan Floro when I drafted him except for the quick few minute research I did during my draft pick. That and he was an A*YZ with a bunch of innings and I needed bullpen.
It’s okay. So far, I’m happy with the pick. He’s doing well for the Dodgers in 2019.
The Thunderchickens next have to get through the tough Moline Upperdeckers and reigning Manager of the Year Marcus Bunch. After that, the whole gang gets back together again in July.
