Kansas City Monarchs RP Charlie Comiskey was called for 3 balks in a recent appearance. Clearly unhappy with a perceived inconsistency on how the rule is applied, Comiskey was heard muttering to himself, To hell with them. Someday I’ll own my own team, and then I’ll be the one calling the shots. Balks! Bah! And if they don’t like, we’ll burn things in the ballparks! Round things! Things good people dislike! Dislike … discord … disco …
After Ottawa’s latest victory, it seemed like the last thing anyone wanted to talk about was the game itself. Instead, the focus was on a cat that somehow wandered onto the field at Briggs Stadium in the top of the third inning. The tiny tabby scampered from near the visitors’ dugout all the way to the left field wall, stopping the action for a good ten minutes. Outfielder Phil Bradley stood motionless as the cat darted past. “I’m not going to try to catch that thing,” he said later, “he was moving pretty fast. And I’m more of a dog person myself.”
College intern Josh Wall was given the unenviable task of capturing the frenzied feline, and the fans were transfixed as they watched the thrilling chase unfold before them. Josh finally caught up to the cat and grabbed it on the warning track, but getting the scrappy stray off the field proved to be tricky. “He wasn’t very cooperative,” the 20-year-old explained, “and I have the scars to prove it. But we made it eventually.”
The cat’s mad dash, meanwhile, was replayed later on the stadium’s video screens, which pumped up the crowd and maybe even the players, as they went on to victory. Fans immediately flooded social media offering to adopt the cat and nominating him as the team’s official “meows-cot.” Reportedly, the cat is now at the Ottawa Humane Society, where he will be kept for observation. If no owner can be identified, then the cat will be placed for adoption. “Sure, we’d like to keep him,” said Mounties spokesman Sam Barrows. “If he can bring us some more victories, we’ll even give him a spot on the roster!”
https://wbl.dmlco.com/00tp/wbl/repor…news_1299.html
I think Phil Bradley will adopt the cat and train it to ring a bell in the dugout during Ottawa rallies.
This time up, we’re heading for a Subway Series between the Brooklyn Royal Giants (4-1) and the New York Gothams (3-2).
Brooklyn may be better built for the future than this year. A lot of their success will depend on how a pair of youngsters, 21 year old Dutch Leonard and 20 year old Don Drysedale, do in the starting rotation. Roy White and Duke Snider look solid offensively, but any team with 2 Spring Training insertions in the regular lineup (2B Davey Lopes and RF Raul Mondesi) is taking a lot of risk.
The Gothams, on the other hand, could be contenders this year. Christy Mathewson anchors what should be a deep pitching staff, and especially if Buster Posey continues to produce at an all-league level, a lineup with the 2 Willie‘s–Mays and McCovey–should score some runs.
The first game matched up the aces, as Leonard faced off against Mathewson. Leonard was fantastic in his first start; in this one, not so much as New York rocked him for 9 runs in 5.2 IP. Mays paced a 17 hit attack for the Gothams, going 4 for 5. Most of the damage was in the 3rd, when the Gothams scored 5 runs with Art Fletcher driving in 2 runs with a 1-out double. Newly acquired 2B Cookie Rojas chipped in with 3 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBI’s, allowing New York to overcome a mediocre start by Mathewson that saw him surrender 4 runs in 6 IP. Still, it was enough: New York got the win 12-5 and both pitchers leveled their records at 1-1.
New York was on the verge of taking a 2-0 lead in the series, taking a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the 8th on 4 consecutive singles from Rojas, Eugenio Suarez, Mark Loretta, and Posey. Ron Cey singled to lead off the 9th for Brooklyn, bringing in Gotham’s closer, Brian Wilson. After a walk to Jim Delahanty, Wilson gave up a 2 run double to White, sending us into extra innings. It remained scoreless until the 15th inning, when Cey and Dickie Thon managed to drive in runs. Brooklyn closer Watty Clark pitched the final 4 innings, giving up only 1 hit and earning the victory, 7-5. The loss went to New York’s Mike Norris, who was tagged for those final 2 runs in 3.2 IP of relief.
With the series tied 1-1, game 3 saw Brooklyn’s Don Sutton taking the mound against New York’s Sad Sam Jones. A solo HR in the top of the 5th by Brooklyn’s Beals Becker increased the Royal Giants’ lead to 3-1, but the Gothams would tie the game in the bottom of the 6th and put it away in the bottom of the 8th behind a 3-run HR from Wally Berger. Robb Nen got the 7-3 win with Marcel Lachemann picking up the save and Smokey Joe Williams was tagged with the loss.
Brooklyn rode a great start from Drysedale to even the series at 2-2. He gave up 8 hits and only 1 run in 8 IP, which was plenty as the Brooklyn offense tallied 9 runs against losing pitcher Juan Marichal and reliever Gaylord Perry. Drysdale moved to 2-0 on the year with the 9-1 victory, and White led the way for Brooklyn, with 4 hits in 5 at-bats, totaling 3 2Bs, 2 runs, and 2 RBIs. Dan Brouthers added his 2nd HR of the year, and Becker continued his hot streak with 3 hits.
So, a split series, which has to be more encouraging for Brooklyn than the Gothams. White was the key for the Royal Giants, amassing 12 hits–8 of which were doubles–in the series and raising his BA to .425 on the young season.
It’s only 5 games, but here’s a quick look at whether or not Spring Training means anything.
Spring? We’re So Cold, It’s More Like Winter, amirite?
These are the players who tore the cover off the ball (or were lights out on the mound) during the Spring who have struggled now that the season has started.
#Baltimore Black Sox
Baltimore’s 19 year old OF Bryce Harper forced his way onto the roster with a torrid Spring. He’s hitting .238 so far, but his .429 SLG does hint at the talent there. Of more concern to Baltimore is Curt Blefary, who was supposed to be the slugging C in the middle of the order for the Black Sox, but has started the season with a 154/313/154 line.
#Brooklyn Royal Giants
2B Davey Lopes–another player who became a starter in Spring Training–opened the season at 188/316/188.
#Cleveland Spiders
Rowland Office is struggling with a 150/190/200 start. That may not surprise many people, but Larry Doby‘s struggling to a 136/200/136 start is a bit of a shock.
#Indianapolis ABCs
Johnny Bench is struggling to a 053/182/211 start and surprise platoon starter at 3B Chase Headley has started out 083/083/333. Both Bench and Headley have a single hit: a HR each.
I Yam Who I Yam
Players who have performed over the first few games much like they did in the Spring.
#Chicago American Giants
Ben Sheets was fantastic in the Spring, and continued with 8 strong IP in his opening day win. Likewise, Shoeless Joe Jackson finished the Spring with an OPS around 1.2 and finished his 1st 5 games at 1.226.
#New York Black Yankees
And then there’s Mike Schmidt, who played himself out of a job in Philadelphia, was the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade, and has now started the season hitless for the Black Yankees.
#New York Gothams
Buster Posey continues to be a torrid offensive force, starting the season at 350/350/750.
It Was Just Spring, What Do You Want?
These are the Iverson’s, those for whom Spring Training is a meaningless flurry of sun and windsprints.
#Detroit Wolverines
1B Hank Greenberg had shown signs of life towards the end of Spring Training, and he continued the hot streak right into the games that matter, putting up a 444/522/778 line.
#Memphis Red Sox
After a poor Spring, Reggie Smith performed as soon as the bell rang, starting the year with a 348/423/609 line.
#New York Black Yankees
Lou Gehrig struggled so much in Spring Training there was talk of him starting the year at AAA. Instead, he’s opened the season leading the league with a 538 AVG a 1.154 SLG.
For each set of games played, we’ll go in-depth for one series, and then have an issue of TWIWBL with news and notes from around the league.
For the opening round of games, it’s the Houston Colt 45’s visiting Pittsburgh to play the Homestead Grays.
Houston is a dark horse pick to make some noise in the league, but like so many teams, there are questions on the mound. Roy Oswalt was virtually unhittable in Spring Training, but the names Toad Ramsey and Ice Box Chamberlain don’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of many. But they should score some runs with Jim Wynn, Tony Gwynn, and George Brett setting the stage for Lance Berkman, Paul Goldschmidt, and Jeff Bagwell.
But Homestead may be one of the favorites with a lineup anchored by Pops Stargell and wunderkid Josh Gibson. The question is if Mike Epstein and Rick Reichardt–both of whom hit well in the Spring–can continue to contribute. The rotation looks good, with Corey Kluber, Carlos Zambrano, and Vean Gregg leading the way.
And then they actually play the games …
Andrew McCutchen opened the season for the Grays by taking Oswalt 388 feet to left for a HR in his first at-bat. Houston would tie it up in the top of the 3rd on a bloop single to right by Gwynn, but at that point it was clear both pitchers were on their game.
The top of the 5th saw back-to-back doubles by Grant “HR” Johnson and Jorge Posada, giving the Colt 45’s a 2-1 lead, but an inning later Epstein would tie the game with a groundout, scoring Stargell from 3rd.
A Kluber wild pitch would prove decisive, scoring Johnson from 3rd. That was it: Gwynn would score Craig Biggio, but Michael Jackson would slam the door in the 8th and Brad Lidge would earn the save, giving Houston an opening day 4-2 win.
Game 2 was close for 7 innings, as Ramsey and Gregg traded zeros, each allowing only 1 run. But Daniel Hudson relieved Gregg and was torched for 4 runs in 1 inning, The big blow was a 3 run HR from Berkman that traveled nearly 500 feet, and Houston went on to win 7-1.
Zambrano struggled through 3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, with doubles by Goldschmidt and Wynn knocking in the runs. Stephen Strasburg had no such issues, throwing 6 shutout innings. Each team would add a run in the 8th, but Houston won again, 4-1.
At this point, the home fans were getting restless. At the least, they wanted to see the Grays score more than 1 run. Which they did–9 of them, in fact. The question is, would it be enough?
It didn’t seem so early on, as Houston scored 3 in the 1st and another Berkman HR in the 3rd put the Colt 45’s up 4-0. But in the bottom of the 4th, back-to-back doubles by Stargell and Roberto Clemente scored the Grays’ 1st run, and consecutive sacrifice flies brought the score to 4-3.
It stayed that way to the 7th, when Houston finally knocked Homestead starter Francisco Liriano out of the game, and a Wynn double made the score 5-3. Houston would add 6 more in the 8th, with a 3 run double by Bagwell and a 2 run HR by Wynn accounting for most of the damage.
The Grays would score 2 in the 8th and 4 on the 9th, with a bases-loaded triple by Davey Johnson the big hit, but it wasn’t enough, and Houston held on for the 11-9 win.
The Grays would finally get their 1st victory of the year in the series finale, winning 10-5 behind a strong start from Ray Brown. Stargell and Reichardt each hit HRs, and Clemente chipped in with 3 hits and 3 RBIs.
The strong start from Oswalt was expected, but those from Ramsey and Strasburg were a pleasant surprise for Houston, who were led by Berkman and Wynn, who combined for 11 RBI and 3 HRs. Wynn also stole 5 bases in the 5 games.
Clemente started the year red-hot with 9 hits and 5 RBI in the series, but really their issues were on the mound. The starters were mediocre, but the bullpen finished the 5 games with a 9.89 ERA.
Both teams emerged largely unscathed in the opening series: Houston’s game 5 starter, Bret Saberhagen, will miss about a week, with Dock Ellis or Scott Erickson likely to get the start when his turn in the rotation comes up again.