By Hamish Campbell
The Edinburgh News
July 8, 2029
A 5-1 week leading up to the All-Star Break put the Scottish in a solid position for a second half playoff drive. The Claymores are 50-36, in second place in the Trans-Atlantic Division and 3.5 games up in the race for the first Imperial League Wild Card spot.
Given Havana’s strength, the division title is not likely a realistic goal – but the Wild Card is certainly possible.
By way of comparison with last season – when the Scottish came within 2 games of winning the Trans Atlantic and made a nice playoff run – the Claymores were 47-40 at the All-Star Break, 7 games behind Havana and 3 out of the Wild Card.
The major difference this season, of course, is that there’s no Don Mercer to come walking through the clubhouse door and put the team on his back for the final months of the season.
But Claymores brass hope those kinds of heroics won’t be necessary, anyway. They point to three developments that have proven to be difference makers so far:
- Francisco Robles has returned from a serious shoulder injury to turn in a remarkable first-half performance at age 38. At the break, he’s 8-2 in 82.2 IP with a 3.48 ERA, 40 Ks and just 11 walks. He’s a strong candidate for comeback player of the year.
- The trade with Bakersfield for Sadakuno Nakagawa and Bob O’Higgins, who have elevated Scotland’s bullpen from an all-out Dumpster fire to a team strength. Since arriving, Nakagawa has yet to allow a run in 10.1 innings of work, and O’Higgins has allowed just one in 11.0 IP. Together, they have formed an effective setup bridge to get to closer Ken Fisher, who is enjoying another excellent season.
- Behind closed doors, front office officials say the hamstring injury to LF José Guillén has turned out to have a silver lining. Although Guillén was having a productive season (.258/.323/.480, with 15 HRs and 50 RBIs), his injury cleared the way for more playing time for DH/OF Vincent Powell and DH/C Yosuke Imai. Powell has earned his first All-Star nod (.271/.384/.579), while Imai has been his usual self at the plate (.287/.355/.396).
So, while nothing is guaranteed, things have been looking up since the struggles of June, when the Claymores had to battle just to play .500 ball and looked to be slipping out of the playoff picture.
The major question still to be answered is whether they are strong enough now to compete against the likes of Havana, West Virginia, and Florida. In the early going, the answer has been “no.” Scotland is 1-5 against Havana, 5-7 against Florida, and 2-4 against West Virginia.
Will the upgraded bullpen make any difference? August and September series against the Leones and Alleghenies will tell the tale.
Stay tuned!
Top Hitter
(July 2-6)
Naomi Honma, SS: .333/.379/.778, 3 HRs, 6 RBIs, 9 Runs
Top Pitcher
(July 2-6)
Bob O’Higgins, RP: 2 G, 4.0 IP, 0 Rs, 0 HA, 1 W, 1 Sv, 0.00 ERA
News and Notes
Four Claymores were named to the Imperial League All-Star team this week: SS Naomi Honma, who was an All-Star last year; DH/OF Vincent Powell, who will make his first All-Star appearance; CL Ken Fisher, who also made the All-Star squad last season; and 1B Orlando Barrón, who has made the first All-Star squad in his 9-year career … With impeccable timing, the Claymores signed Barrón last week to a 6-year, $93 million contract extension that will keep the talented infielder in Edinburgh through 2035 … Scotland also signed RP Bob O’Higgins to an extension: 2 years at $6.5 million per season … Sources say extension talks are on-going with RP Sadakuno Nakagawa and SP Allen Guthrie.
IL Trans Atlantic Division Standings
As of the morning of July 7, 2029
|Team...........|W | L | W % |GB |RD |
|Havana|.......|57|31|.648| -- |+94|
|Scotland|.....|50|36|.581| 6.0|+71|
|San Juan......|45|42|.517|11.5|-09|
|Amsterdam..|44|43|.506|12.5|-19|
|London........|37|49|.430|19.0|-34|
Fresh From the Farm
AAA Aberdeen went 4-2 last week, raising their record to 44-42 on the year. The Golden Sands are in first place in the AML Europe and Islands Division, with a 1.5 game lead over second place Eindhoven … RP Andrew Blowey continues his hot streak. In his last 9 appearances, he’s thrown 17.1 innings with a 0.52 ERA and 16 Ks … AA Inverness went 4-1 last week, improving to 51-33 on the season. The Highlanders are in first place in the hotly-contested ATAL Euro-Caribbean Division, with a 0.5 game lead over second place Port-au-Prince … CL Keiji Honda has looked strong since returning from 6 weeks on the IL nursing a sore shoulder. In his last 8 appearances, he’s thrown 18.0 innings while notching 2 saves, allowing 0 runs, and striking out 10 … A-level affiliate Govan went 2-3 last week, slipping to a 34-39 record on the season. The Shipbuilders are in 4th place in the AWL Intercontinental Division, 15.5 games behind 1st place Utrecht … SP Myun-gu Hong has been one of the few bright spots. In his last 5 games, he’s thrown 35 innings with a 2-1 record, a 0.77 ERA and 29 Ks … Short Season A affiliate Maui went 2-3 last week, bringing its season record to 9-13. The Mahi-Mahi are 4th in the HL Archipelago Division, 10.5 games behind the leader, Lana’i City … CF Jiro Murase has been swinging a hot bat. In his last 8 games, he’s 13-33 with a .394 BA, 2 HRs and 8 RBIs.
