Boston Cardinals Review - June 2020

After a second consecutive month playing mediocre ball in terms of wins and losses (12-14 for the month of June), the Cardinals found ourselves still in second place in the Earl Weaver Division and still in the lead in the race for the TML Wild Card berth. Life in the ABL could be better, but it could be much, much worse. Bright spots were many for the faithful fans following their favorite ABL franchise.

Bob Hayes (CF) pounded opposing pitchers throughout the entire month. In 22 games and 80 at bats, Hayes clubbed nine big flies and drove in an amazing 33 teammates. He batted .400, reached base at a .442 clip, generated a .762 slugging average, and registered a 1.204 OPS!! When the dust settled, Hayes was awarded the TML Batter of the Month, quite an honor in a league loaded with talented batters.

John Kelly (3B), in what could be a breakout season, rebounded from a poor performance at bat in May by performing extremely well in June. For the month Kelly recorded 7 HR and 23 RBI while generating a slash line of .378/.441/.678/1.119. While doing so he raised his 2020 batting average to .284 and his OPS to .792. At the hot corner, Kelly has committed a measly three errors and registered a .982 fielding average for the season. His +5.8 ZR and 1.060 EFF marks illustrate his defensive value to the team. Unfortunately, Kelly sustained a quadriceps strain near the end of the month and is expected to be sidelined for the month of July.

Jose Escobar (1B) equalled the HR and RBI numbers Kelly generated with 7 and 23, respectively. Jose also batted .369 and ended the month with a .432 OBP, a .738 SLG, and a 1.171 OPS.

In addition to the three top performers, a cast that included Nick Holmes (8 HR, .951 OPS), Pat Thompson (.315), and a host of others provided solid support.

If this team has holes, and it has a few, one must consider our pitching staff a huge one. Outstanding performances worthy of recognition are harder to come by.

One pitcher who pitched extremely well in June was Mark Huber. In 11 games and 20 innings pitched, Huber walked one batter and whiffed 25! He also earned two wins, compiled a 1.80 ERA and registered an outstanding WHIP of 0.75. His performance earned promotion to the closer role to replace Colby Hoffman, a pitcher who continued to exhibit an inability to hit his spots on a consistent basis.

Brad Dixon earned two victories without a loss in five starts. Inserted into the rotation at the beginning of June, Dixon responded with a 3.52 ERA and a 1.17 WHIP. If he continues to perform at this level, he will be welcomed as a long-term addition to the rotation, one who could improve the overall quality of our sorry staff.

During the month the Cardinals promoted Millard Wilson to replace Leon Smith, the young, promising shortstop who suffered a career-ending injury mid-way through the month. Wilson logged significant playing time for the duration of the month batting .273 and fielding well.

On June 28, after John Kelly sustained an injury, the Cards called up Erik Lynch (.261 BA, 14 SB with AAA Springfield). Lynch is expected to provide back-up support until Kelly returns to the lineup.

The Cardinals management team would like to balance skill sets among position players by, if possible, exchanging OF talent for a stronger catcher and/or infielders. It goes without question that the team needs to improve the quality and depth of the pitching rotation, but no one on the front office team is attempting to hold his breath until that happens. 

Go, Cardinals! Let's have an excellent July!