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TWIWBL 67.2 Spotlight on the Birmingham Black Barons

By

On October 9, 2024

In TWIWBL

Ouch.

The Black Barons were the darlings of the league last season, using a late season charge to edge into the playoffs. They were masters of the in-season trade periods, and then claimed to won the off-season as well, trading ace Andy Pettitte (because they had a surplus of arms) to add some power in the form of Albert Belle.

And nothing has worked since as Birmingham has plummeted towards a WBL worst record.

Birmingham inherits players from all the Braves (Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta).

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Sitting 13 games behind in the Marvin Miller Division, anything that brought them within shouting distance of .500 would be a miracle. For some, this year is proof that last year was a mirage, for others, this year is just a long parade of poor fortune: how far the Black Barons recover will help the final evaluation of which is more accurate.

THE OFFENSE

Birmingham’s weakness last year was a total lack of power. They’ve addressed that with 6 players in double digits, led by Hank Aaron with 19 and Curtis Granderson and Eddie Mathews with 17 each. But everything else has plummeted: both Granderson and Mathews are hitting below .200, only 3 players have OBPs over .350.

#What’s Going Right

Jim Pagliaroni has blossomed into one of the better offensive catchers in the league, at least over the first few months, leading Birmingham in OPS at .927, powered by 14 dingers. Aaron is sporting an OPS just over .900, leading the team in runs and RBI’s as well. Mathews has seized the 3B spot, and Bob Nieman continues to be a solid contributor in the OF.

Then, at a lower pitch, JP Arencibia–while he’s fallen off significantly from his blistering start–is still hitting with a ton of power; Cupid Childs is getting on base at a good clip at the top of the order, and Belle, while currently mired in a bit of a slump, has produced some power, with 14 homeruns of his own.

#What’s Not Going Right

It’s homers or nothing for this team: only Nieman, Childs, Herman Long, and Aaron are in double digits in doubles, and there are some very odd distributions elsewhere (Pagliaroni has 1 double, Mathews 4, and Granderson 2 despite all having at least 14 homers).

Only two players (Aaron and Troy Tulowitzki, who has supplanted Long at SS) are hitting over .260.

Adrián González has seen his role reduced essentially to a platoon at 1B with Arencibia.

The team does not run well, with Childs having a whopping 15 CS to go along with 17 steals.

THE PITCHING

There are a few bright spots here, but, overall, more disappointments than pleasant surprises.

#What’s Going Right

Greg Maddux (5-5, 4.97) and Alejandro Peña (2-4, 5.23) have both pitched better than their ERA’s might suggest, and both continue to show front of rotation ability. They’ve been joined by Jim Whitney (1-1, 2.41), who has been a fantastic surprise, forcing his way into the rotation.

Harley Young (1-0, 1.80, 1 Sv, 3 H) seems to have made a full recovery from injury, and is pushing himself into the conversation at closer. Some other arms–notably Charlie Morton and John Malarkey–have done well in limited appearances.

#What’s Not Going Right

Lefty Gomez (3-6, 5.80) and Sam Streeter (1-7, 5.80–yes they both have the same poor ERA), who looked strong coming out of Spring Training, have struggled, and are in danger of losing their rotation spots.

Juan Ríncón has 6 saves, but he and Bruce Chen have both been hit very hard. Those two, along with Young, were a key trio in last year’s success, and the weakening of the back end of the bullpen has certainly been noticeable.

None of the other young talent on the mound–most notably Vic Willis, Warren Spahn, and Frank Viola–have come through.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

The future does look bright, with 7 prospects listed in the WBL top 50 in OFs Jess Barbour and Curt Flood, IF Marcus Giles and Trea Turner, C Joe Torre, and Ps Rube Melton and Alex Malloy. There’s a fair bit of talent off the WBL rankings radar as well, from P Steve Avery to the power of Nate Colbert and Gary Matthews to the OF skills of Ron Fairly, Melky Cabrera, and José Cruz.

So there are some options.

Of that group, Melton, Torre and Fairly are doing well at AAA while Flood is struggling a bit at that level.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Birmingham is underperforming, winning 2 fewer games than their runs scored/runs allowed numbers would indicate. But that’s only 2 games. So there are some deep underlying needs.

Most of all, the offense needs to become more than a threat of solo homeruns, which are just not enough to carry the team. The bullpen needs to settle, which may require some roster movement if Rincón and Chen can’t recover their form.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

  • How will some key pieces for last season–Pettitte, Rincón, Adrián González, Cupid Childs, Jim Pagliaroni–perform over the course of a full year? Overall, the answers here revealing: Pettitte is gone, Rincón and González are struggling, Childs is doing OK, and of that group, only Pagliaroni is excelling.
  • With Andy Pettitte traded, how does the rotation respond and does Albert Belle perform at a level that makes it worthwhile? Meh. The rotation has not really responded, and the Black Barons certainly feel the lack of a clear ace at the front of the rotation. Belle has hit a slump, but is still contributing with power. Meh.
  • Who will fill out the roster? Still a bit of a concern, although Arencibia’s ultra hot start was a great plus and Andy Pafko has been quite solid.

FEATURED SERIES

The Black Barons start the week with 3 games in Pittsburgh to take on Homestead and since we just talked about the Grays, it seemed like a good focus series.

Projected Starters

Birmingham starter listed first.

Jim Whitney (1-1, 2.41) @ Bob Friend (3-2, 4.75)
Alejandro Peña (2-4, 5.23) @ Doug Drabek (2-1, 3.50)
Greg Maddux (5-5, 4.97) @ Francisco Liriano (3-5, 5.12)

Game One

With Bob Friend still fatigued, Homestead went with Ray Brown. Jim Whitney struggled early, giving up 4 runs in the bottom of the first including back to back longballs to Rick Reichardt and Willie Stargell.

And then the rains came …

After the tarps were on, the game was called, to be completed the following day with the Grays up 4-0, and guaranteeing impact on the two team’s bullpens.

The following day, Fred Fussell would take the ball for Birmingham for the bottom of the 3rd while Brickyard Kennedy took over for Homestead in the top of the 4th. Whitney stayed in the game as the DH, and doubled in the 5th, scoring on a homerun from Herman Long that closed the game to 4-2.

That was effectively it as the bullpens were excellent. The Grays would add one more run as Birmingham was held to 5 hits on the day.

BBB 2 (Whitney 1-2) @ HOM 5 (Kennedy 3-0; Lindblom 16 Sv; Lee 3 H; Jackson 8 H)
HRs: BBB – Long (4); HOM- Stargell (18), Reichardt (20).
Box Score

Game Two

Homestead’s Bob Friend gets his chance here, facing off against Alejandro Peña.

The game was scoreless until the top of the 5th when a double by Albert Belle drove in Curtis Granderson. After a walk to Gene Tenace, Troy Tulowitzki hit his first homer of the season, and it was 4-0 Birmingham, with Peña yet to allow a hit.

Nap Lajoie broke up the no-no in the bottom of the frame, but that was all the drama for a while–Belle and Cupid Childs went deep, and the Black Barons were sailing along 7-0 until Roberto Clemente touched Peña for a long 3 run shot in the bottom of the 7th.

The Grays made it close enough for Juan Ríncón to earn a save, but that was it as the Black Barons evened up the series.

BBB 8 (Peña 3-4; Rincón 7) @ HOM 5 (Friend 3-3)
HRs: BBB – Tulowitzki (1), Belle (15), Childs (2); HOM – Clemente (6).
Box Score

Game Three

An intriguing pitching matchup: Greg Maddux seems perpetually on the verge of becoming a front of the rotation guy for Birmingham, while Doug Drabek is trying to solidify a claim to a rotation spot for the Grays.

Both hurlers were good through three, and then the wheels fell off. Birmingham exploded for 7 runs in the top of the 4th, led by homeruns from Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and JP Arencibia; but Maddux collapsed as well, allowing 7 runs to Homestead in the bottom of the frame.

So, tied until Mathews went deep for the 2nd time in the following inning, and Herman Long added a 2 run shot to give Birmingham a 10-7 lead. They added 2 more in the top of the 8th, making it 12-8 and then survived Stargell’s second of the game as Juan Ríncón closed it out for a 12-11 victory.

Cupid Childs had 4 hits and 3 doubles in the victory and Long and Arencibia drove in 3 each.

BBB 12 (Malarkey 2-1; Rincón 9 Sv) @ HOM 11 (Pierce 4-4)
HRs: BBB – Aaron (20), Mathews 2 (19), Arencibia (6), Long (5); HOM – Stargell 2 (20).
Box Score

A series win is a series win, and this one showed the offense doing more for sure. But there is something a bit unconvincing in the bullpen–especially when called upon in the middle of the game, and the questions remain.

TWIWBL 67.1: Year 2, Week 10

By

On October 8, 2024

In TWIWBL

June 4th

We’ve entered June, so we’re clearly heading towards our midseason stride.

#Awards

Since we cross into June we have a bevy of awards.

In the AL, the New York Black Yankees‘ Babe Ruth was named the Batter of the Month, hitting .347 with 15 homers in May, driving in 34 and scoring 30 times. And look, that’s impressive. But Ruth’s reputation certainly helped him with the honor, given that he had the 3rd best OPS in the AL for the month, trailing behind Miami‘s José Canseco (1.430) and Detroit‘s Ty Cobb (1.429). Canseco also had more homeruns, leading the WBL for the month with 18. Ruth’s RBI and R numbers did lead the league, and it is hard to argue against his numbers.

In the NL, the award went to Ottawa‘s Larry Walker for the second consecutive month. Walker hit .273 with 17 dingers and a whopping 38 RBI, but his selection wasn’t unanimous. Looking at just the major slash stats, his BA was eclipsed by Houston‘s Tony Gwynn, who hit .441 for the month; his OBP by Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, who led the NL with a .480 mark; and Gibson’s teammate Mike Epstein SLG mark of .833 SLG eclipsed Walker’s .818. But Walker’s HR and RBI numbers led the league by a lot, and 38 RBI in 26 games is just remarkable.

The Black Yankees doubled it up, with Ron Guidry winning the AL Pitcher of the Month, going 6-0 with a 1.73 ERA in May while in the NL, Rob Dibble of the Indianapolis ABC‘s was a bit of a surprise selection. Dibble went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 8 saves, certainly a strong performance. You really can’t quibble with Guidry’s selection, but Dibble was selected over San Francisco‘s Lefty Grove (5-1, 1.18) and Brooklyn‘s Smokey Joe Williams (4-1, 2.16). Homestead’s Josh Lindblom had more saves than Dibble (11 to 8), but Lindblom’s other numbers weren’t nearly as impressive. Still, if it were up to me, the award would have gone to Grove.

There’s just not a lot to say about Julio Rodríguez other than wow. Miami’s surprise starter in CF leaving Spring Training hit .397 with 13 homeruns in the month, earning the AL Rookie of the Month. Over in the NL, the award went to Smokey Joe Williams, who, as mentioned above, was in the running for the overall award, let alone the rookie honor.

Player of the Week Awards were given out as well, although overshadowed by the larger honors for May.

Philadelphia‘s Aaron Judge has continued to develop from his impressive showing last season, and a recent hot streak where he hit .444 with 3 homeruns earned him the NL Player of the Week. Canseco was significantly hotter, hitting .636 with 5 homeruns to earn the AL award for the second consecutive week, perhaps some comfort against being snubbed for the monthly honor for May.

#Team Performance

Last week I wrote The New York Black Yankees and the Indianapolis ABC’s have each gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. This week, it’s still true. New York now leads Cleveland in the Bill James Division by 6.5 games, while Indianapolis has moved into 1st place in the Marvin Miller Division, leading Kansas City by .5 games.

San Francisco has a little more breathing room in the Cum Posey Division, leading Chicago by 5.5 games and the surprising Miami Cuban Giants by 6. The Effa Manley Division is still tight, with all 5 teams separated by only 4.5 games, from Homestead in 1st to Philadelphia and Ottawa in a virtual tie for 5th.

Detroit continues to flounder, going 2-8 in their last 10 games and plummeting to 13.5 games behind the Black Yankees.

#Player Performance

Batters

A shorter list: Ty Cobb is first or second in each of the slash categories, and he, Larry Walker, and José Canseco are all challenging Babe Ruth‘s historical dominance of the league.

Cobb and Tony Gwynn are still well over .400 as the calendar turns to June.

José Canseco (MCG). 304/421/881. 29 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 333/390/611. 7 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 420/471/862. 79 H, 28 2B, 4.0 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 382/447/742. 48 R.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 427/463/683. 85 H.
Pete Hill (HOU). 282/366/505. 8 3B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 312/382/540. 29 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 307/426/743. 66 RBI, 55 R, 44 BB, 3.7 WAR.
Larry Walker (OTT). 318/394/764. 26 HR, 61 RBI.

It often feels like the SB leaders should be handled separately: San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson leads the WBL with 42 steals. Indianapolis’ Bob Bescher has moved into 2nd place with 32 (and only 6 CS) while Ottawa’s Tim Raines has 30. Raines’ struggles at the plate are clearly contributing to his not challenging Henderson this year: while Rickey’s has an OBP just under .400 at .392, Raines is way down at .332.

Pitchers

Starters

Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón leads the league at 9-1, with Houston’s Toad Ramsey (9-2) and the Black Yankees’ Ron Guidry (8-1) close behind. Six pitchers have 7 wins, we’ve only included below the 3 that have only 1 or 2 losses. Also included are all 3 starters with sub-3.00 ERA’s (Ramsey, Philadelphia’s Hardie Henderson, and Los Angeles‘ Doc Gooden).

Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-1, 3.88.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.43.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 5-4, 2.92.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 7-4, 3.13. 92 IP, 2.7 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-1, 3.17. 99 K, 3.39 FIP, 2.7 WAR.
Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-3, 2.83.
Luis Padrón (IND). 9-1, 3.66.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 7-2, 3.94.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-2. 2.69. 87 IP, 108 K, 0.93 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 3.8 WAR.
JM Ward (PHI). 2-1, 3.46. 1.00 WHIP.

Relievers

There really isn’t a dominant closer in the WBL this season–the league leaders in saves have given up a bunch of runs; the dominant performers haven’t been racking up the saves. Indianapolis’ Rob Dibble is probably the best of the group. Kansas City’s Craig Kimbrel, tied with the Black Yankees’ Rheal Cormier for the league lead in Holds, has probably been the best bullpen performer overall so far, and is pushing teammate Jeff Pfeffer for a shot at the closer spot.

13 IP minimum.

Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 2.84. 9 H.
Rob Dibble (IND). 2-1, 3.06. 12 Sv.
Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 4.91. 14 Sv.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 1.10. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-1, 3.80. 15 Sv.
Tug McGraw (HOU). 2-2, 1.26. 1 Sv.
Jeff Pfeffer (KCM). 1-2, 6.16. 12 Sv.

Some mention somewhere should be made of Brooklyn’s Fernando Valenzuela, who is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 4 Holds in over 40 innings. The Royal Giants have a very strong rotation, and Valenzuela is still looking for his first opportunity to step into a starting role.

#Injury Report

Will this week be the long awaited reckoning for Chicago’s Jack Doyle? The return of SS Damian Jackson, expected at the end of the week, may be the final nail in Doyle’s WBL service time.

#A Ball Check In

Wrapping up our 3 week trip through the minors, we’ll examine A ball this week. Given A ball’s focus on youth, we won’t have an age division, instead just presenting the top 2 performers at each position. 100 A PA minimum for batters.

Pos
CLew Brown (22, KCM). 331/369/633.Tom Egan (20, PHI). 279/353/545.
1BBabe Herman (21, LAA). 246/325/515.Aubrey Huff (22, CLE). 254/330/443.
2BTim Shinnick (21, NYG). 316/416/424.Ron Jackson (23, NYG). 240/352/473.
SSAlfredo Griffin (19, DET). 333/389/454.Dick Schofield (22, HOM). 260/395/360.
3BSteve Hertz (20, HOM). 276/350/579.Bob Aspromonte (18, IND). 263/351/444.
LFBill Buckner (20, MEM). 415/443/694.Pip Koehler (24, HOD). 286/385/519.
CFOdúbel Herrera (22, PHI). 319/394/610.Clyde Milan (22, NYY). 316/445/480.
RFHugh Duffy (20, POR). 283/231/530.Marquis Grissom (23, MCG). 279/376/430.
SPSean Newcomb (24, NYY). 4-1, 2.54.
Clayton Kershaw (19, HOM). 4-2, 2.48.		Frank Dwyer (21, HOD). 6-1, 1.58.
Jim McElroy (21, PHI). 4-1, 1.65.
RPJoe Edelin (24, NYY). 1-0, 1.77. 14 Sv.Mélido Pérez (20, NYY). 3-1, 2.05. 9 Sv, 4 H.

Griffin and Kershaw standout as the only teenagers listed. The Gothams have two 2B listed, although Washington is really spending more time at SS. And, Memphis’ Bill Buckner, although currently out for a couple of weeks through injury, is just dominating the league in most categories. Of this group, he, Kershaw, and Herman are probably the best long term prospects.

TWIWBL 66.6: Marvin Miller Division

By

On September 25, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Kansas City Monarchs29-21.580—
Indianapolis ABC’s28-23.5491.5
Wandering House of David23-26.4695.5
Houston Colt 45s23-29.4427
Birmingham Black Barons17-35.32713
Marvin Miller Division | 28 May

#Houston Colt 45s

Something is just not right with young Bret Saberhagen. The Colt 45s moved him down to AAA, hoping he can recover his command there. Needing a starter, they promoted teenage phenom Leon Day for his first taste of WBL action since last season.

Jim O’Rourke‘s strong performance since his recall meant that, when George Brett was available for recall from a rehab assignment, Russ Adams was the odd man out, heading to AAA.

Toad Ramsey improved to 9-2, allowing only 2 hits and 2 runs over 8 innings while striking out 14 in a 6-2 win over Birmingham. Ramsey became the first hurler in the WBL to eclipse 100 K’s on the season.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Johnny Bench‘s poor start has finally impacted the ABC’s lineup construction, with the all-star catcher from last season dropping to 6th. It didn’t help, as Bench whiffed in all 4 of his at-bats, but Indianapolis used a solo homer from Oscar Charleston to edge Homestead 1-0 despite managing only 3 hits. Johnny Cueto, Sad Sam Jones, Rob Murphy, and Rob Dibble combined on the shutout, striking out 16.

Luis Padrón is dominating on the mound right now: the ABC’s scored 11 runs in the 3rd inning, but the story of the game was Padrón, who took a no-hitter into the 9th against the Grays, retired the first batter, gave up a single to Andrew McCutchen, and promptly induced a double-play for the 1-hitter. In doing so, Padrón dropped his ERA to 3.66 and improved his record to 9-1. Dave Henderson, Joey Votto, and Barry Larkin each drove in 3 while Larkin, Charleston, and George Foster each had 3 hits.

It wasn’t all good news for Indianapolis, however: Ed Charles headed to the DL, expected to miss a couple weeks with Robin Ventura being recalled from AAA.

#Kansas City Monarchs

A. Rube Foster moved into the Monarch’s rotation.

Despite a shaky outing, Smoky Joe Wood helped himself with his first homerun of the year, improving his record to 6-3 in a 14-6 win over the House of David. Stan Musial had 3 homeruns–one an inside the park job– and Willie McGee and Ted Simmons also went deep for the Monarchs. Musial has hit well this year, but without much power, having only one dinger coming into today’s game.

Two homeruns from Albert Pujols were enough to force extra innings, but not enough to win as the Monarchs fell to the House of David in 11 innings, 6-5.

#Wandering House of David

CC Sabathia replaced Frank Sullivan in the starting rotation for the House of David; one consequence of this is preserving Wade Miley as the sole lefty in their bullpen despite his recent struggles.

Sabathia rewarded the choice immediately, twirling a 5 hit shutout over Brooklyn in his first start. Sabathia walked 2 and fanned 3, leveling his record at 2-2 and supported by homeruns from Elrod Hendricks and Richie Hebner.

Ryne Sandberg went deep twice, but it wasn’t enough as the House of David fell to Brooklyn, 11-5. Hebner, recently installed as the House of David’s leadoff batter, did the same, going deep twice in a 9-4 loss to the Royal Giants.

Jim Edmonds went deep twice and Sammy Sosa, who entered the game as a pinch-runner, delivered a walkoff shot in the bottom of the 10th in a 4-2 win over Kansas City.

TWIWBL 66.5: Effa Manley Division

By

On September 24, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Brooklyn Royal Giants28-21.571—
Homestead Grays29-22.569—
New York Gothams26-25.5103
Ottawa Mounties26-25.5103
Philadelphia Stars25-27.4814.5
Effa Manley Division | 28 May

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

While the Royal Giants wait for Jackie Robinson‘s return, they swap out a couple of bench pieces, sending Frank Isbell to AAA in exchange for Matty Alou, a move facilitated by Germany Smith‘s slight uptick in offensive output (from miserable to merely below average). When Robinson was recalled from his brief rehab assignment, Art Griggs was sent to AAA.

#Homestead Grays

Daniel Hudson was sent to AAA as Doug Drabek was recalled from his rehab assignment, and slotted directly into the 3rd spot of the rotation.

#New York Gothams

Willie Mays hit 2 out, leading the Gothams to a 7-4 win over Brooklyn. Larry Doyle did the same (1 a 503 ft. bomb) in a 4-2 win over the Royal Giants.

#Ottawa Mounties

Bill Smith will spend a stint on the DL, with the Mounties recalling Chris Bosio for a look at the big league level.

Dave Gregg will miss about a month with a sore shoulder, with the Mounties recalling Jesse Crain from AA for a look in their bullpen.

Adrián Beltré went deep twice as Ottawa topped Philadelphia 10-8 in extra innings.

#Philadelphia Stars

With Bob Howry heading to the DL for about a week, the Stars recalled Pedro Feliciano from AAA.

TWIWBL 66.4: Cum Posey Division

By

On September 23, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
San Francisco Sea Lions31-21.596—
Chicago American Giants27-23.5403
Miami Cuban Giants27-25.5194
Los Angeles Angels23-26.4696.5
Portland Sea Dogs21-30.4129.5
Cum Posey Division | 28 May

#Chicago American Giants

IF Damian Jackson will miss a couple weeks with a knee contusion. George Grantham was recalled, a move that once again preserves offensive black hole Jack Doyle on the roster due to his defensive versatility.

Cristóbal Torriente‘s offensive woes have opened the door for, at least temporarily, Vernon Wells to see more playing time.

With Billy Loes out for over a month (strained oblique), the American Giants recalled Joe Lake, and with Akinori Otsuka ready for recall from his rehab assignment, Larry Twitchell was sent down.

#Los Angeles Angels

Doug Rader and Gerrit Cole were near the best in the league last year. This season, not so much. But today they put it together: Rader hit 2 out and Cole spun a 4-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Cleveland. Cole’s record improved to 2-5 and Rader, an RBI machine last year, only upped his total to 25 with 6 homeruns. But it was a start.

George Wright will miss a couple of weeks, with the Angels recalling Eddie Joost from AAA. This is Joost’s 6th team and 2nd tour with Los Angeles–we’ll see if this round is any more successful than a 10 game stint earlier this season.

Kal Daniels reached double-digits in homeruns with 2 in a 12-3 rout of Chicago. Doc Gooden pitched 8 strong innings, lowering his ERA below 3.00 and improving his record to 5-4.

#Miami Cuban Giants

José Canseco did it again, sending 3 balls out of the yard in a 7-4 win over Memphis. That gave Canseco 27 for the year, at least temporarily leading the league.

Gary Sheffield went deep twice, but the Cuban Giants couldn’t hold a lead and Miami fell to San Francisco, 5-4.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Ken Griffey, Jr. went deep twice and the Sea Dogs rode 8 strong innings from Walter Johnson for a 6-4 win over Detroit.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Eddie Plank carried a 1-hitter into the 9th, but in the end needed a little help to close out a 3-0 victory over Portland. Plank loaded the bases, but Rod Beck got the final out for his 13th save, with Plank improving to 7-2. Jimmie Foxx hit his 19th homer of the year for San Francisco.

TWIWBL 66.3: Bill James Division

By

On September 20, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
New York Black Yankees33-18.647—
Cleveland Spiders28-21.5714
Detroit Wolverines23-28.45110
Memphis Red Sox21-30.41212
Baltimore Black Sox20-32.38513.5
Bill James Division | 28 May

#Baltimore Black Sox

Mike Mussina returns to the Black Sox rotation, but the severe underperformance of its back end has left Baltimore in a quandary. For now, they are going with Dennis Martínez, Ned Garvin, and Mussina as regular options, with the final spots pretty much up for grabs, with even current closer Joe Beggs in the mix.

Baltimore hit 7 homeruns, including 2 from Bryce Harper, as the Black Sox ran rampant over Chicago, 12-3.

#Cleveland Spiders

Tris Speaker went deep twice, leading the Spiders to a 10-6 win over Los Angeles.

#Detroit Wolverines

With George Davis ready to return from injury, the Wolverines pulled a surprise move, sending veteran Tony Phillips–a key sparkplug for last year’s success–to AAA. This move frees up room for more time for Juan Beníquez in LF and cements the platoon between Charlie Gehringer and Joe Wood at 2B. It also leaves the Wolverines without a true backup CF behind Chili Davis, so we’ll see how that works out.

Needing a starter, the Wolverines exchanged Claude Passeau for Si Johnson. Johnson’s stay was short, as Johnny Marcum was recalled from his rehab assignment after Johnson put in a mediocre start where Hank Greenberg went deep twice, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Wolverines from dropping their 6th straight, 7-5 to the Black Yankees.

Bob Bailey went deep twice and Pete Conway pitched a complete game in an 11-4 win over Portland. Bailey drove in 6 and Greenberg went deep as well for the Wolverines.

Billy Hoeft will miss the better part of a week, earning himself a trip to the DL with Felipe Vázquez being recalled to maintain a left-handed weapon in the pen. George Bechtel was returned to AAA with Si Johnson being recalled once more for a spot start. The hits kept coming for the Wolverines: Johnson’s performance was fine, but with Jack Wilson heading to the DL, not only does Johnson retain his spot, but Bechtel was recalled immediately to Detroit.

#Memphis Red Sox

The merry-go-round continues: Nixey Callahan and Eddie Cicotte head to AAA with Skel Roach and Shane Bieber being recalled from their rehab assignments. Joe Rudi was sent down as well, with OF Jack McAleese being recalled.

Travis Shaw went deep twice, driving the Red Sox to a 10-7 win over Miami. Later in the week, Reggie Smith did the same, homering twice in an 11-3 win over Baltimore.

#New York Black Yankees

The Black Yankees recalled Red Ruffing from a rehab assignment, with Noah Syndergaard heading to AAA.

Ruffing had a scoreless debut in relief of a dominant Ron Guidry as the Black Yankees beat Detroit, 11-1. Guidry improved to 8-1 on the year and Hank Bauer went deep twice for New York.

Mickey Mantle went deep twice and the Black Yankees beat Detroit 7-5 behind an excellent 8 innings from Andy Pettitte, who improved to 6-2.

TWIWBL 66.2 Spotlight on the Homestead Grays

By

On September 19, 2024

In TWIWBL

Homestead may be the surprise of the league so far. They continue to struggle on the mound, but this team can hit, and there is some profound talent developing on the banks of the Allegheny.

The Grays inherit players from the Pirates, as well as a smattering of NeL players generally associated with the Grays.

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Homestead is in a virtual tie with Brooklyn atop the Effa Manley Division.

There is a long way to go, but a playoff appearance would be a heck of an accomplishment for what was one of the truly weaker sides in the league last season.

THE OFFENSE

It’s an offense that is evolving into one of the most dangerous lineups in the league top to bottom, with most of the talent under 25 years of age.

#What’s Going Right

Josh Gibson is emerging as a generational talent. OF Rick Reichardt is actually hitting better than Gibson with a 1.166 OPS to Gibson’s 1.155. But Gibson is 21 and a C and–assuming health–has a long career as one of, if not the, best backstop in the league ahead of him. But it’s about more than the two of them: veteran presence Willie Stargell is tied with Reichardt in homeruns and Mike Epstein gives them 4 batters in double digits.

3B Chris Sabo has a SLG over .700, arguing for more playing time, but both Nap Lajoie and Honus Wagner seem to be learning how to use their immense talents. Wagner, Andy Van Slyke, and Andrew McCutchen have combined for 46 SBs, led by McCutchen’s 20.

#What’s Not Going Right

Neither Van Slyke nor McCutchen are hitting much (Van Slyke’s OPS has edged over .700, which isn’t bad, but McCutchen is stuck in the .650s). Roberto Clemente is struggling to match his production from last season, and the other reserves–Rey Sánchez and Del Crandell are doing virtually nothing in their limited opportunities).

Stargell strikes out too much, and Wagner’s offense at this point is merely decent for a young SS, not actually decent. That’s about it.

THE PITCHING

It’s better than last year. But all that means is that it’s not miserable.

#What’s Going Right

Josh Lindblom has emerged–perhaps a little surprisingly–as an elite closer, with 12 saves and 3 wins in his 19 appearances, and the lowest WHIP on the staff.

Francisco Liriano is still the “ace” of the staff, but the quotes are very well deserved: he’s 3-4 with a 4.48 ERA, numbers that are pretty much indistinguishable from those of Billy Pierce and Bob Friend. Doug Drabek won a job on the staff with a strong Spring Training, and has been excellent, but is just recovering from injury. His successful return to form would go a long way to solidifying the mound corps.

Michael Jackson has recovered from a rough 2000 to be a solid bullpen contributor this year.

#What’s Not Going Right

Finding the back end of the rotation has been a struggle. Ray Brown has been hit hard, but retains his spot in the rotation for now, while the final rotation spot has become a bit of a free-for-all, currently distributed between Carlos Zambrano, Brickyard Kennedy, and Cliff Lee. But none of those are having much luck.

Rick Ownbey and Dave Giusti, so effective last year, have been, at best, thoroughly mediocre this year.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

The Grays have a strong system. In the OF, Ralph Kiner (still a teenager) and the Waner brother, Lloyd and Paul, look to have WBL ceilings, and in the IF, there are a wealth of options in Judy Johnson, Freddie Lindstrom, Howard Johnson, and Khalil Greene.

Throw in Clayton Kershaw (currently dominating A ball), Nip Winters, Pink Hawley, and Tim Lincecum and there is enough talent to sort out the Grays’ mound woes, although the exact path to do so is far from clear.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Pitching. And then, more pitching.

Beyond that, when the Grays traded for Lajoie last year, they had visions of a Lajoie/Wagner infield developing into a truly elite pairing. They need to keep building towards that, with the hope they, Gibson, and a few others can all peak at the same time.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

  • Who pitches? Absolutely still the key question. There’s Liriano, a hopefully healthy Drabek, and then …. a whole lot of question marks.
  • For a team without top end talent, there are a surprising number of logjams (Davey Johnson and Lajoie and even the ageless Jeff Kent at 2B; Rick Reichardt and Willie Stargell at LF; Roberto Clemente, Andy Van Slyke, and Owen “Don’t Call Me Chief” Wilson in RF). Some things have clarified. Johnson and Kent are at AAA (and struggling), and Wilson is trying to come back from a shoulder injury. The Grays seem to have committed to Wagner and Lajoie in the MI, and are happy to let the OF play out over time.

FEATURED SERIES

The Grays open up the week with 3 games in New York to take on the division rival Gothams.

Projected Starters

Homestead starter listed first.

Francisco Liriano (3-4, 4.48) @ Christy Mathewson (2-5, 4.71)
Bob Friend (3-2, 5.43) @ Juan Marichal (4-3, 4.68)
Ray Brown (3-4, 6.21) @ Gaylord Perry (5-4, 5.15)

Game One

It’s not like Francisco Liriano was bad–it’s just that Christy Mathewson was better, as Liriano gave up 2 runs in just over 6 innings while Matty held the Grays scoreless through 7. A single to Mike Epstein and a double from Napoleon Lajoie chased Mathewson.

It got a little weird form there: Robb Nen‘s first pitch hit Honus Wagner on the elbow, forcing him out of the ballgame; Chris Sabo brought home one run on a sac fly, Andy Van Slyke reached on an error by Brandon Crawford, and an infield hit from Rick Reichardt tied the game at 2. Josh Gibson hit a sharp single to LF, scoring 1, but Jo-Jo Moore threw out Van Slyke at home. Willie Stargell drove in another, and Roberto Clemente beat out an infield single, meaning the Grays had run through their entire lineup in the inning. It looked like Nen had gotten out of it when Andrew McCutchen (who had pinch run for Epstein way back when) whiffed, but the ball got past the Gothams’ C, Dick Dietz, and McCutchen beat the throw to first, scoring another run.

So, Homestead now held a 5-2 lead heading to the bottom of the 8th. Dietz would try to redeem himself, hitting his first career homerun after a pinch double from Willie Mays, closing the lead to 5-4.

Josh Lindblom was perfect in the 9th, sealing the come from behind victory for the Grays.

HOM 5 (Ownbey 3-1; Lindblom 13 Sv; Giusti 4 H) @ NYG 4 (Nen 1-1, 2 B Sv)
HRs: HOM – none; NYG – Posey (13), Dietz (1).
Box Score

Good news for Homestead, as Wagner will only miss a day with a bruised elbow.

Game Two

With Bob Friend still out with some wrist issues, Cliff Lee got the start for Homestead against Tony Mullane, who wasn’t expected to last more than 3 or 4 innings in a sort of bullpen game for New York.

Perhaps to be expected with a couple spot starters, there were some longballs early: Rick Reichardt, Josh Gibson, and Andrew McCutchen for Homestead and Willie Mays for New York, leading to a 3-2 lead for the Grays after 3. Mullane gave up another one in the 5th, but overall his start wasn’t bad.

Lee’s was even better, until a Jo-Jo Moore double closed the gap to 4-3 and chased him from the game. Johnny Callison gave New York the lead later in the inning with a double off Brickyard Kennedy. It was short lived: Mike Epstein took the usually unhittable Mike Norris deep in the top of the 8th for a 2 run shot, swinging the game back to Homestead, 6-5. Norris hit 2 batters, but got out of the inning without further damage.

Gibson hit his 2nd of the game in the top of the 9th, which grew in importance when Larry Doyle hit a pinch hit dinger off closer Josh Lindblom to leadoff the bottom of the frame. Lindblom was able to close it out, giving the Grays the first 2 games of the series.

HOM 7 (Kennedy 2-0, 1 B Sv; Lindblom 13 Sv; Jackson 7 H) @ NYG 6 (Norris 2-3, 1 B Sv)
HRs: HOM – Reichardt (18), Gibson 2 (16), McCutchen (3), Epstein (14); NYG – Mays (19), Doyle (2).
Box Score

Game Three

When the Grays’ offense clicks, it clicks. 14 hits, 9 runs, and (finally) a strong outing from Ray Brown later, and Homestead had the series sweep. They did it with 6 runs in the top of the 4th, sending 4 balls over the outfield walls. An inning later, Andy Van Slyke joined Andrew McCutchen, Goose Goslin, Josh Gibson, and Mike Epstein in the homerun parade.

Brown loaded the bases to start the 8th, but Dave Giusti came in to get out of the jam without allowing a run. Giusti was forced from the game, but is likely to be available in a day or 2.

HOM 9 (Brown 4-4) @ NYG 1 (Marichal 4-4)
HRs: HOM – McCutchen (4), Goslin (2), Gibson (17), Van Slyke (3), Epstein (15); NYG – Crawford (7).
Box Score

This is what the Grays dream of: an irrepressible offense, enough pitching to get by, and a stream of victories.

TWIWBL 66.1: Year 2, Week 9

By

On September 18, 2024

In TWIWBL

May 28th

We are roughly 1/4 through the season!

#Awards

Roberto Alomar hit .500 on the week with 4 homeruns, earning the Ottawa 2B the National League Player of the Week. Over in the American League, Miami‘s José Canseco had 7 homeruns to go with a .417 average, earning the American League award.

#Team Performance

The New York Black Yankees and the Indianapolis ABC‘s have each gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. For New York, this has helped them extend their lead over Cleveland in the Bill James Division to 4 games, while Indianapolis has roared int 2nd place in the Marvin Miller Division, sitting 1.5 games behind Kansas City.

Birmingham and Detroit have each gone 2-8 over their last 10, with the Black Barons now 13 games behind Kansas City and the Wolverines falling to 10 games behind the Black Yankees.

#Player Performance

Batters

The changing of the guard continues: Ty Cobb leads the league in most things, and Larry Walker is ahead of Babe Ruth (and Canseco) in homers.

A sign that it’s still early in the season: 2 batters are still hitting over .400 (Cobb and Houston‘s Tony Gwynn); 2 have OBPs over .450 (Cobb and Ruth), and 4–FOUR–are still slugging over .800 (Cobb, Walker, Ruth, and Canseco).

José Canseco (MCG). 280/392/803. 24 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 314/361/581. 7 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 420/471/882. 71 H, 28 2B, 3.6 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 417/447/669. 73 H.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 269/374/491. 39 SB.
Pete Hill (HOU). 272/344/503. 8 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 366/411/579. 25 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 339/457/814. 24 HR, 62 RBI, 52 R, 41 BB, 3.8 WAR.
Joey Votto (IND). 287/439/507. 36 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 339/416/819. 26 HR, 61 RBI, 45 R.

Seems like a good time to check on the underperformers as well. Clearly a player who leads the league in whiffs can certainly have more value than someone who leads the league in worst OPS while still qualifying for the leaderboards.

Cupid Childs (BBB). 241/371/350. 6 RBI, 13 CS.
Adam Dunn (IND). 242/349/571. 64 SO.
Andrés Galarraga (HOU). 190/222/393. -1.1 WAR.
Oscar Gamble (DET). 234/376/422. 10 GIDP.
Mickey Mantle (NYY). 278/385/650. 65 SO.
Tony Phillips (DET). 174/266/304. -1.2 WAR.
Doug Rader (LAA). 249/305/379. 10 GIDP.
Cristóbal Torriente (CAG). 187/228/253. 7 RBI.

It’s an interesting group, with only Galarraga, Phillips, and Torriente really in danger of losing their spots. Dunn and Mantle are clearly excellent players, they just strike out a lot. Childs’ OBP keeps him vital to the top of Birmingham’s lineup, and Gamble and Rader are clearly everyday players.

Pitchers

Starters

With a rain-shortened CG on Sunday, Houston’s Toad Ramsey became the first 8 game winner in the league. I’ve also included the four 7-game winners in the list, as well as the two other hurlers with sub 3.00 ERAs.

If you go by black ink, it remains Ramsey’s season.

Mark Buehrle (CAG). 5-3, 2.86.
Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-1, 3.62.
Roger Clemens (HOU). 6-1, 3.63. 1.01 WHIP.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.73.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 4-3, 2.59.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 6-4, 3.08. 3.36 FIP, 2.5 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 7-1, 3.52. 82 K.
Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-3, 2.78.
Luis Padrón (IND). 7-1, 3.45.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 8-2, 2.73. 94 K; 0.97 WHIP; 2.76 FIP; 3.4 WAR.

Relievers

Homestead‘s Josh Lindblom and San Francisco‘s Rod Beck continue to lead the league in saves with a dozen each, although Brooklyn‘s Eric Gagne (11 saves) has probably been more effective overall.

12 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 5.40. 12 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 2.70. 8 H.
Trevor Hildenberger (BRK). 1-0, 1.06. 1 Sv, 5 H, 0.65 WHIP.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 1-1, 3.18. 11 Sv.
Mike Henneman (DET). 4-0, 1.02. 8 Sv.
Lefty James (IND). 1-0, 3.55. 1 Sv, 7 H.
Ted Kennedy (PHI). 2-2, 3.18. 2 Sv, 7 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-1, 4.00. 12 Sv.
Lee Smith (HOD). 1-0, 1.80. 1 Sv, 5 H, 0.60 WHIP.

#Injury Report

Kansas City’s Bob Gibson should start a rehab assignment later this week, as should Philadelphia‘s Jack Meyer, who has missed over a year of action.

#AA Check In

This week, it’s a look at AA, looking at both the best performers and the best prospects (24 and under) roughly 1/4 of the way through the season. 100 AA PA minimum for batters.

Pos25+< 25
CKelly Shoppach (28, BRK). 305/362/537.Bill Dickey (22, PHI). 387/416/639.
1BDel Bissonette (27, BBB). 337/456/675.John Mayberry (20, OTT). 349/476/771).
2BSteve Sax (25, CLE). 398/438/508.Dario Lodigiani (20, SFS). 363/471/516.
SSJhonny Peralta (26, IND). 244/338/472.Xander Bogaerts (23, LAA). 359/432/538.
3BBrook Jacoby (29, CLE). 319/393/553.Ryon Healy (20, OTT). 330/365/637.
LFEarl Webb (28, POR). 322/386/644.Andrew Benintendi (22, MEM). 340/447/551.
CFKeon Broxton (26, CAG). 291/413/563.Cool Papa Bell (21, KAN). 368/429/747.
RFRoger Maris (27, NYY). 312/425/720.Chuck Klein (22, POR). 282/339/602.
SPWhitey Ford (25, NYY). 5-2, 2.92. 1.6 WAR.
George Winter (27, HOU). 5-0, 2.34. 1.4 WAR.		Gary Lucas (24, HOM). 3-2, 3.42. 1.6 WAR.
Masahiro Tanaka (24, NYG), 6-4, 4.40. 1.4 WAR.
RPRob Wooten (26, MEM). 2-2, 3.00. 11 Sv.Oad Swigert (23, IND). 0-2, 3.45. 10 Sv.

Lots and lots of talent here, as to be expected. Dickey–part of the haul Philadelphia got for Mike Schmidt–may be recalled shortly, but most of the rest of these hitters are either blocked positionally (trade bait?) or need a year or 2 more in the minors before making their case for WBL time. Dickey, Bell, Klein, and Ford are probably the best long-term prospects.

TWIWBL 65.6: Marvin Miller Division

By

On August 31, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Kansas City Monarchs27-17.614—
Indianapolis ABC’s23-22.5114.5
Wandering House of David20-22.4766
Houston Colt 45s21-25.4577
Birmingham Black Barons15-30.33312.5
Marvin Miller Division | 21 May

#Birmingham Black Barons

Hank Aaron went deep twice and Greg Maddux improved to 4-4 with a solid outing as the Black Barons went up early and held on for dear life, topping the ABC’s 7-6. Jim Pagliaroni, Andy Pafko, and Eddie Mathews also went deep for Birmingham.

#Houston Colt 45s

Bret Saberhagen‘s disastrous start in an 8-2 loss to Brooklyn removed him from the starting rotation for Houston, who will use a starter-by-committee to round out their staff.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Joe Morgan went deep twice, leading the ABCs to a 12-3 walkover of Kansas City. Rube Foster improved to 2-3, but faded in the 9th, losing a shot at the complete game. Still, a fine outing for Foster in a game that saw Morgan drive in 4 and Oscar Charleston and Jake Stenzel 3 each.

#Kansas City Monarchs

With Bob Gibson out for a week or so with back issues, the Monarchs placed the struggling youngster on the DL and recalled Jock Menefee from AAA.

#Wandering House of David

Bob Robertson was excellent in his time with the House of David, but Pete Browning‘s return from injury sends Robertson back to AAA.

Ryne Sandberg went deep twice as the House of David hit 6 homeruns in a 12-6 win over Ottawa that wasn’t even that close. Sandberg had 4 hits and scored 4 runs and Bob Rush improved to 5-4 with a solid 7 innings.

Ernie Banks hit 3 homeruns and drove in 6 as the House of David beat Houston 10-3. He wasn’t done, as Banks hit 2 more including a walkoff blast in another victory over Houston, this one 10-8. Ron Santo, Sandberg, and Anthony Rizzo also went deep, but the victory had a downside, as Browning will be sidelined for most of the next week with tightness in his back.

TWIWBL 65.5: Effa Manley Division

By

On August 30, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Homestead Grays26-19.578—
Brooklyn Royal Giants24-19.5581
New York Gothams23-22.5113
Ottawa Mounties22-22.5003.5
Philadelphia Stars21-24.4675
Effa Manley Division | 21 May

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

What a comeback! Led by 2 homeruns from Roy White (one of which tied the game in the bottom of the 9th), Brooklyn beat Homestead in 12 innings on a walkoff homer from Duke Snider. White had 4 hits and drove in 6 on the day.

#Homestead Grays

Rick Reichardt and Honus Wagner had 4 hits each, with Reichardt tying the WBL record with 3 homeruns and Wagner pounding out 3 doubles as the Grays beat Philadelphia, 12-5.

Chris Sabo hit 2 out, but the Grays fell to Brooklyn despite taking a 2 run lead to the bottom of the 9th, Josh Lindblom–solid all year to date–imploded, and took his first loss of the season, dropping his record to 3-1.

Corey Kluber will be out over a year with a partially torn UCL. At 33, and having struggle than success in his WBL career, it’s not clear he’ll make it all the way back.

The Grays’ bullpen struggles continue … Willie Stargell hit 2 homeruns, but the bullpen collapsed as Homestead fell to Brooklyn, 10-9 in 12 innings.

#New York Gothams

Trying to change their luck, the Gothams have decided to send C Wes Westrum, OFs Carl Furillo and Jimmy Sheckard, and IF Eugenio Suárez to AAA. None of the four had managed an OPS over .600, but any of them may be back very quickly if they can sort out their swings in the minors. C Dick Dietz, IF Terry Turner, and OFs Jo-Jo Moore and Steve Kemp were recalled.

Johnny Callison was 4-for-4 with 2 homeruns and 2 doubles and Gaylord Perry carried a 4-hit shutout until the final out of the game–he gave up back to back dingers, but still got the win in a 5-2 victory over Ottawa.

#Ottawa Mounties

Larry Walker hit 3 homeruns, moving him into sole possession of the league lead with 23, and Roberto Alomar added 4 hits as the Mounties beat the House of David, 9-7. Roy Halladay improved to 6-2 on the year and Ottawa survived shaky outings from the bullpen to preserve the victory.

Ottawa has reached a breaking point: Randy Johnson‘s talent and slider are there for all to see, but his lack of command is on display each time he takes the mound as well. His latest outing–9 earned runs and 6 walks in under 4 innings–cost him his spot in the starting rotation, and word is the team is on the verge of returning him to AAA. For now, though, it’s the bullpen, with Johnny Podgajny taking his rotation spot.

Álex Rodríguez continues to frustrate with potential: he hit 3 homeruns in a 13-8 win over the House of David, but that effort only raised his average to .189. Gary Carter, Tim Raines, Adrián Beltré, Alomar, and Carlos Beltrán all went deep as well for the Mounties with Alomar pounding out 4 hits on the day.

And another one: this time, Beltrán hit 3 homeruns in an 8-4 win over the House of David. Sam Thompson and Beltré hit 2 each as Old Hoss Radbourn improved to 6-4 on the season.

Walker hit two more, ending the week with a league leading 26 homeruns, as Ottawa beat the Gothams 12-6. Walker drove in 5, and Rodríguez, Alomar, and Carter each went deep as well in support of a solid 8 innings from Podgajny.

#Philadelphia Stars

Sherm Lollar has lost the fulltime C job to Mike Scioscia, although Lollar remains on the WBL roster for now. José Ramírez was sent to AAA, a product of him not getting playing time and doing virtually nothing with the opportunities he did receive. César Hernández was recalled, sliding into the backup IF role for the Stars.

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