American Association - Wolff Cup Final Set: Ten Things to Know in the American Association This Week

Winnipeg Goldeyes to Battle Kane County Cougars Beginning Saturday

罢丑别听扣扣传媒听(@AA_Baseball)听reaches the culmination of the season. After 100 regular season games and two spirited playoff rounds, the听Miles Wolff Cup Final begins Saturday with Kane County and Winnipeg听squaring off in a five-game series, with the first two games set for Northwestern Medicine Field in Geneva, Ill., before shifting to Blue Cross Park. All Miles Wolff Cup Final games are available for free live viewing at听.

Here are听10 (or so) Things to Know听about the AAPB this week:

West Division regular season champion听Winnipeg defeated visiting Fargo-Moorhead, 3-1, on Thursday night听to win the Division Championship. The Goldeyes got a big lift from 2019 AAPB Pitcher of the Year听Mitch Lambson听(Scottsdale, Ariz.), who made only four starts during the regular season (2-0, 4.74) but two in the postseason, winning both. 罢丑别听听in the series wrapup piece yesterday.
Kane County advanced with听two straight wins in the East Division Championship, winning 3-2 at home over Chicago on Wednesday on a听听(Newnan, Ga.) for the sweep of its arch rival.
Miles Wolff Cup Final Notebook:听
- Winnipeg (56-43, 1st West) had one more victory than Kane County (55-45, t-2nd, East) during the regular season.
- First-year Goldeyes skipper听Logan Watkins听was named AAPB Manager of the Year Tuesday.听听about his approach with the team and how it has translated to success.
- The series marks听Kane County鈥檚 first appearance in the Final听since joining the league in 2021, and the听third trip for Winnipeg, which has three titles听in 2012, 2016 and 2017.
- 罢丑别听Goldeyes won the season series with the Cougars, four games to two,听taking two of three in both parks.
- Landon Bourassa听(Lethbridge, Alberta), the Goldeyes鈥� leader with 20 starts during the regular season,听threw two complete games in the span of a week vs. Kane County听on June 4 and June 10.
- Outfielder听Max Murphy听(Pillager, Minn.) went 9-for-25 (.360) vs. the Cougars with three doubles and a homer, while infielder听Jake McMurray听(Tulsa, Okla.) hit .389.
- Infielders听Josh Allen听(Fort Meade, Fla.) (5-for-15, 4 RBI) and听Claudio Finol听(Waynesville, Ohio) (4-for-13, 2 HR, 1 2B)听have been hot for Kane County in the playoffs, but Winnipeg mostly听shut them down in the regular season, when Allen went just 3-for-20 vs. WPG, while Finol was 2-for-10.
- On the pitching front,听Winnipeg was the league’s best regular-season pitching staff听(3.74 team ERA) while听Kane County was second听but almost a full run higher (4.55). The Cougars, though, have been lockdown in the playoffs, allowing just five runs (four earned) in four games, with the bullpen permitting just one tally in 13 frames of work.
We noted the on-field awards last week, but we鈥檇 be remiss not to mention听, as the AAPB听named Sioux City Explorers Clubhouse Manager Austin Jankowiak the Clubhouse Manager of the year.听The New York native is in his first season with the Explorers after spending the last several years working in Buffalo with the Toronto Blue Jays affiliate.
Sioux City Explorers pitcher and Iowa legislator听JD Scholten听gained national acclaim for his storybook return to the mound this season. On Wednesday, Scholten will听personally deliver the jersey he wore during the season to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., where Hall President听Josh Rawitch听will give the 44-year old righthander a personal tour of the Museum. Scholten is on his way to the annual Farm Aid music festival in Saratoga Springs N.Y. on Sept. 21.
It wasn鈥檛 the finish to the season that the East Division champion Cleburne Railroaders had hoped for, but the听, who was named to the AAPB All-Star team at second base.
Even after their respective seasons concluded,听AAPB teams are fixtures in their local communities.听听Sept. 20224 at WBC Park in Oconomowoc, Wis. The festival will include carnival rides, live music and diverse food vendor options.
Speaking of the Dockhounds, the听听(Hyde Park, Mass.) about his mental approach to the game, which helped him听lead the league with 29 home runs听despite a mid-season trade from the Cleburne Railroaders.
Former Milwaukee Milkmen standout听Bryan Torres听was听. Torres is slashing .334/.419/.421 in 118 games with three games left in the regular season as the team preps for the Texas League Division Series next week vs. Arkansas. He hit .371 with 11 home runs, 67 RBI, 94 runs scored and 71 stolen bases for the Milkmen in 2023.
Chicago听Dogs ironic mascot Ketchup听, the long-running Midwest blog run by veteran scribe听John Wroblewski. Instead of booing the condiment that no self-respecting Chicagoan would put on a hot dog, Johngy praised Ketchup, even posing for a photo.