#Awards

Al Kaline is the AL Player of the Week for Detroit, on a .400 week with 6 doubles, 2 homeruns and 10 RBI — powered by a 3-double game followed by a 2-homer, 5-RBI day. He is hitting .326 with 7 homeruns.

The NL Player of the Week is the New York Gothams‘ HR Johnson, who hit .400 with 4 homeruns and 9 RBI over 6 games, slugging .960. Johnson is fast becoming a fan favorite for the Gothams, for obvious reasons, but also for confirmation that perhaps they pulled a fast one on the Black Yankees in the offseason with his acquistion.

In the minors: Josh Harrison (New York Black Yankees) took the award at AAA Newark on a 14-for-28 week, and continues to make an argument for a longer trial at the WBL level; Steve Henderson (Los Angeles) took the AA Player of the Week, and Bob Cerv (Houston) won it at A-ball.

#Three Games

{A new section: when I can’t think of better topic for the front page, we’ll highlight 3 games of note from the week that was.}

Cleveland @ Ottawa, 24 April

Two pitchers with lightning in their arms and massive question marks on their futures faced off in Ottawa, with Cleveland’s Bob Feller taking the mound against the Mounties’ Big Question Mark, Randy Johnson. Both did well, allowing only a single run each. Feller’s day was better, with 11 strikeouts in over 6 innings, while Johnson did his usual thing, walking as many as he whiffed (5 of each).

Neither were around for the exciting parts of the game.

First, in the top of the 7th, RBI’s by Tris Speaker and Larry Doby gave Cleveland a 3-1 lead. Then, the Spiders turned the game over to Aroldis Chapman–their key offseason acquisition, who has been even more important with closer Terry Adams hurt for about a week. Chapman has been … awful. Which continued here.

First, he hit Gary Carter, then gave up singles to Álex Rodríguez and Adrián Beltré, loading the bases. And then Ottawa’s manager got creative, first sending pitcher Bill Smith in to pinch run for Beltré and then sending Old Hoss Radbourn, another pitcher, up to hit for the struggling John Olerud. While the fans were scratching their heads–Olerud is obviously better at the plate than Radbourn–Radbourn simply delivered, driving in 2 with a sharply hit single to left.

Chapman got to 2 outs, but no further, as a single from Roberto Alomar plated Radbourn with the winning run.

CLE 3 (Chapman 0-2, 3 BSv) @ OTT 4 (Holland 2-0)
HRs: none.
Box Score

Chicago @ San Francisco, 28 April

After a rough start, San Francisco has begun to right the ship while Chicago has been surprisingly good in the early going. This game felt like the Sea Lions continuing to reassert their dominance … until ….

Hits from Reggie Jackson and Jack Clark were the big blows, each driving in 2, and San Francisco led 5-0 behind easily the best start of the year so far from Tom Brewer. With the strength of the Sea Lions’ bullpen a well known commodity, some fans had even begun to eye the exits.

And then came the 8th.

Charlie Ferguson allowed a single to Jack Doyle before being relieved by Ken Howell. Howell got two outs–strikeouts of Chino Smith and Mickey Vernon–but allowed 2 singles and 2 doubles before giving way to Trevor Hoffman. Cristóbal Torriente doubled in 2, Kevin Mitchell and Travis Jackson had RBIs, and Eddie Collins greeted Hoffman with a double of his own and suddenly the American Giants were, somehow, ahead, 6-5.

They didn’t need it, but Chicago wasn’t done: Smith hit a 2 run shot in the 9th and Jackson drove in 2 more with a double. With Alex Reyes shutting down San Francisco in the 8th and 9th, that was it and the American Giants emerged with a 10-5 victory.

Allen, Collins, and Jackson each had 3 hits for Chicago on the day.

CAG 10 (Reyes 1-0) @ SFS 5 (Howell 1-1; Hoffman 1 BSv)
HRs: CAG – C. Smith (9); SFS – none.
Box Score

Birmingham @ the House of David, 28 April

It was the last game of the week. We were all just tired.

So nobody thought much about it when Paul Konerko blasted a solo shot off Bob Shaw to tie the game 5-5 in the top of the 8th. Given how well the offenses performed earlier, it seemed obvious that more runs were coming (Birmingham’s John Malarkey had surrendered 11 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings, including a 3 run shot by Ernie Banks; Jack Taylor was barely better for the House of David, giving up 4 runs in his 5 innings of work).

But the bullpens decided to change the script. For Birmingham, Al Javery, Akinori Otsuka, Harley Young, and Kerry Ligtenberg combined to allow 3 hits and zero runs over 9 innings of work, while for the home team, Scott Downs, Ed Bauta, Dellin Betances, Fergie Jenkins, and Karl Spooner gave up more hits (6), but were equally effective over 8 combined frames.

So, what happened?

Birmingham turned to Slim Embrey in the bottom of the 16th. And Embrey can’t really be blamed for what happened: he retired Ryne Sandberg, then saw Pete Browning and Ernie Banks reach on errors before Ron Santo singled to load the bases. Embrey then grooved one to Anthony Rizzo, who deposited in the seats for a walkoff grandslam homerun.

Cap Anson, Sandberg, and Santo had 3 hits each for the House of David, and Bobby Grich and Melky Cabrera had 3 for the Black Barons.

BBB 5 (Embrey 0-1) @ HOD 9 (Spooner 2-0; Shaw 1 BSv)
HRs: BBB – Konerko (5); HOD – Banks (6), Rizzo (4).
Box Score

#Player Performance

Four weeks in, the lists are starting to hold their shape. Qualifying is 3.1 plate appearances or 1 inning per team game — about 80 PA and 26 innings.

#Batters

The Ted Williams problem has not gone away. He leads the WBL in batting average, on-base, slugging, runs, RBI, walks and WAR outright, and shares the homerun lead with Indianapolis’ Oscar Charleston at 12. Williams is hitting .434 with a .952 slugging percentage.

As usual, top 2-3 in most all stats below.

Cool Papa Bell (KAN). .203/.292/.291. 8 SB.
John Briggs (MEM). .247/.306/.438. 12 2B.
Pete Browning (HOD). .337/.393/.525. 9 SB.
Rico Carty (PHI). .375/.446/.694.
Oscar Charleston (IND). .304/.345/.676. 12 HR, 29 RBI, 1.8 WAR.
Ty Cobb (DET). .348/.402/.685. 1.5 WAR.
Lou Gehrig (NYY). .311/.398/.711. 24 RBI.
Hank Greenberg (DET). .241/.327/.448. 3 3B.
HR Johnson (NYG). .372/.400/.691. 12 2B.
Willie Mays (NYG). .283/.343/.641. 21 R.
Joe Morgan (IND). .230/.396/.297. 20 BB.
Jackie Robinson (BRK). .323/.368/.515. 13 2B.
Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). .344/.385/.885. 9 HR.
Babe Ruth (NYY). .228/.384/.608. 9 HR, 19 BB.
Chino Smith (CAG). .277/.307/.699. 9 HR, 22 R.
Turkey Stearnes (SFS). .259/.300/.635. 9 HR.
Roy White (BRK). .303/.402/.487.
Ted Williams (MEM). .434/.542/.952. 12 HR, 28 R, 32 RBI, 22 BB, 2.4 WAR.

At the other end, Los Angeles’s Dobie Moore has now struck out 55 times, 9 clear of anyone else. Moore has shown some signs of life lately, but it’s a deep hole to crawl out of.

#Pitchers

Christy Mathewson of the New York Gothams is the league’s only 5-game winner, sitting at 5-0.

#Starters

Steve Carlton (PHI). 4-1, 1.89.
Whitey Ford (NYY). 3-2, 2.25. .195 BABIP.
Dwight Gooden (LAA). 2-2, 4.41. 1.90 FIP, 1.5 WAR.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 3-1, 3.63. 54 K.
Waite Hoyt (CAG). 4-1, 2.45.
Walter Johnson (POR). 3-1, 2.37. 45 K, 0.82 WHIP, 1.74 FIP, 1.3 WAR.
Dennis Martínez (BAL). 3-1, 3.45. .178 BABIP.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 5-0, 2.50. 48 K.
Charles Radbourn (OTT). 2-0, 1.38.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 2-3, 3.28. 1.4 WAR.
Tom Seaver (MEM). 1-1, 1.95.
Smokey Joe Wood (KAN). 2-0, 2.78. 0.77 WHIP.

#Relievers

One more week until we actually have some decent insight into the relievers–for now, here are the 4 closers tied atop the league with 6 saves each.

Rod Beck (SFS). 1-1, 3.00. 6 Sv.
Jack Billingham (POR). 0-1, 4.00. 6 Sv.
Jonathan Papelbon (MCG). 0-0, 3.00. 6 Sv.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 0-1, 2.35. 6 Sv.

#Hardest Shots

Josh Gibson owned the week: a 124 mph solo homerun off Indianapolis‘s Luis Padrón on Saturday was the hardest ball struck by anyone, and he also had a 120 mph double and a 119 mph homerun. Gibson’s overall stats aren’t showing it yet, but the thunder in the bat is clearly still there.

The hardest out was Ted Williams‘s — a 122 mph fly ball to right.

#Injuries

The big one is Bullet Joe Rogan, out about 2 weeks — Philadelphia loses a rotation turn and a bat with 9 homeruns in one move, and he is the fourth Stars pitcher on the disabled list in 10 days. The Gothams lose Dave Righetti for about the same stretch.

Memphis swingman Len Barker and Los Angeles OF Dwight Evans both hit the DL this week as well.

Birmingham Black Barons

Paul Konerko went 4-for-5 with 2 homeruns and 5 RBI in a 6-5 comeback victory at Homestead.

Four Black Barons hit the DL inside a week: Bruce Chen, Alejandro Peña, Rube Melton and Asdrúbal Cabrera will all miss at least a week, but none of them are expected to be out much longer than that. The slots were filled by Akinori Otsuka (returning from his own rehab assignment), Bill Phyle, Jess Barbour and Don Cardwell.

Eddie Mathews, hitting .192 at the time, hit 2 homeruns off Dolf Luque in a 5-1 win at Indianapolis.

Houston Colt .45’s

Tony Gwynn will miss 3 about weeks; with a very deep roster, the Colt 45’s opted to deepen their bullpen by recalling Jim Kern.

George Brett hit 2 homeruns as Houston beat Indianapolis 3-0 behind a combined 4-hitter from Toad Ramsey, Kern, Billy Wagner and Tug McGraw.

Kansas City Monarchs

Mickey Welch threw a 2-hit shutout of Brooklyn, 4-0, with 8 strikeouts and a game score of 89 — the highest in the WBL this season. All the offence came in the 2nd on a Merv Rettenmund grand slam.

Wandering House of David

John Beckwith is out about a week. The House of David have enough depth to absorb the PAs (Mark McGwire will see most of the time at DH in the meantime). Jim Clinton was recalled, and slotted straight into the rotation.

Kyle Peterson will miss just over a month, and with Clinton already recalled, the club brought up utility IF Dave Malarcher.

Birmingham Black Barons

Akinori Otsuka began his rehab assignment, and should be back with the big league team in about a week.

Wandering House of David

Some roster notes for the House of David staff: Bob Rush is out for about 3 months, with Fergie Jenkins sliding into his rotation spot. It’s a short-term move, as Jim Clinton is currently rehabbing at AAA, and is expected back soon. Claude Osteen was recalled to take Rush’s roster spot in the meantime.

Newly acquired Brett Anderson combined with Jimmy Key, Dellin Betances, Karl Spooner, and Ed Bauta on a 4 hit shutout in a 3-0 victory.

Mark McGwire launched his first 2 homeruns of the year in an 8-5 win over Indianapolis.

Houston Colt .45’s

Toad Ramsey, still looking to recapture last year’s form, whiffed 10 in just over 6 innings in a 14-4 win over Birmingham. The game may have carried some other good omens for Houston: Pete Hill, mired in a deep slump, had 2 doubles, drove in 3, and scored 3 times.

Indianapolis ABC’s

Oscar Charleston hit 3 homeruns in a 19-5 drubbing of the Gothams, driving in 5 and scoring 4.

Ed Swartwood started a rehab assignment–in about a week, the ABC’s will have some choices to make on their reserve OF, with Pete Rose having about that long to make an impression.

Kansas City Monarchs

A lot of pitching staff churn: the biggest impact is losing closer Craig Kimbrel for about 3 weeks, although Lee Smith certainly looks up for the interim role. Joe Thatcher heads to AAA on a rehab assignment, as does Earl Hamilton, with Jeff Reardon coming back from his to take one WBL spot and Matt Thornton being recalled for another.

Jock Menefee, Reardon, and Smith combined on a 3-hit shutout in a 2-0 win over the House of David.

Birmingham Black Barons

The Black Barons opened the year by shutting out the defending champions. Greg Maddux started with 6 scoreless and Kerry Ligtenberg, Bruce Chen and Akinori Otsuka finished a 5-hit combined shutout, 1-0 over Brooklyn.

Otsuka was injured and will spend some time on the DL, with Steve Bedrosian activated in his place.

Indianapolis ABCs

Ed Swartwood was hit by a pitch and is on the disabled list, with Pete Rose recalled from AAA Cincinnati.

Kansas City Monarchs

Smokey Joe Wood struck out 10 over 7 innings in a 7-3 win over Houston, improving to 2-0.

Joe Thatcher was injured while pitching and is on the disabled list; Jeff Reardon was recalled.

The Black Barons say they want to pick a direction and hold it. The transaction log says otherwise. Two games out in July and they buy; one bad month and they tear it down. So far, that’s only produced a mushy pile of dissatisfaction, and the fans are beginning to grumble.

2001 was worse than 2000: 5th in the Marvin Miller Division and seemingly exiled to the borders of the standings. Hence the line the front office has now drawn: Birmingham, they say, is aiming for a championship between 2003 and 2005.

Though, you know, if they’re 4 games out in August …

The pressing problem is simple: nobody here gets outs. Birmingham took a wild card in 2000 on the strength of its arms. Last year Greg Maddux and Alejandro Peña gave up 109 home runs between them. One-effing-hundred-and-nine. The lineup put 5 men over 40 homers and the team finished last.

2001 Revisited

A year ago the read on Birmingham was blunt: they were strong on the mound, couldn’t score, and held a roster that didn’t look like a strong playoff contender. So they fixed the offense — emphatically. They shipped their own ace, Andy Pettitte, to New York for Albert Belle (a deal Birmingham still tells itself it won, never mind that Pettitte became a Bronx ace), imported Paul Konerko and Ryan Braun (for the NL All-Star arm of Jim Whitney), then Bobby Grich, and turned the box score into a fireworks show. Hank Aaron hit 51 home runs, Belle 46, Eddie Mathews 46, Jim Pagliaroni 45, Curtis Granderson 41.

And they finished dead last, 75-87, 10 out. The power was a mirage in an exploding offensive year: Belle’s 46 came with negative WAR, Aaron’s 51 with 16 walks all season, Mathews’ 46 on a .224 average, Granderson’s 41 on .206. Nobody got on base, and solo home runs are … nice?

Underneath it, the pitching everyone had worried about collapsed — Peña’s ace season evaporated, Maddux gave up 59 home runs all by himself, and the bullpen was a struggle all season (excepting the pleasant surprise of closer Harley Young). The club’s own review said it plainest: they scored way too few runs, despite hitting the ball out of the park with shocking regularity.

Key Changes

In: Bill Byrd (BAL); Asdrúbal Cabrera (BAL)
Out: Curt Flood (BAL)

Opening Day Rookies: Asdrúbal Cabrera; Melky Cabrera; Slim Embrey; Kerry Ligtenberg; Joe Torre

Best Case for 2002

They hold still. Maddux fronts a rotation for a full year, Bill Byrd takes the ball every 5th day behind him, Lefty Gomez does the same behind Byrd, and the staff ERA comes down without anyone new arriving. Asdrúbal Cabrera‘s glove holds at short, stilling a long-standing revolving door. Granderson’s platoon with Melky Cabrera covers center well enough, and the young starters — Rube Melton, Al Javery, John Malarkey — get their turns. That isn’t a juggernaut: the goal is a year that ends with more pitching than it started with, and clarity about how the offense adapts to a less HR-rich environment.

Worst Case for 2002

The same movie runs again. One Cabrera can’t play short, the other Cabrera flops in CF, and the drop in homers across the league leaves the Black Barons a team that doesn’t get on base and doesn’t do anything else, either. Then, one hot week in August makes the team sniff the playoffs, and another knee-jerk deal is done that changes the overall direction again.

Or, simply, Maddux implodes.

Key Questions

• Will Birmingham keep an arm? Pettitte is the loud example, but Whitney is really no different. All-Star arms, traded for perceived value, but leaving a vacuum behind that is always filled with slightly lesser arms (no knock on Lefty Gomez and John Malarkey, but nobody would say they prefer them to Pettitte and Whitney).
• Is the power real? Aaron, Konerko, Belle, Braun, Pagliaroni: 5 right-handed bats of consequence. But the league has changed, and Rickwood Field is projected to dampen right-handed power. This is really 2 questions: does the power maintain and, if so, do they keep it or move it on?
• Who plays shortstop? The softest spot on the roster, with no clean internal answer (not new — last year’s semi-platoon of Herman Long and Troy Tulowitzki wasn’t very good in the end). Can Cabrera seize the position? If not, is Dick Groat the answer? Or do Long or Tulo force their way back into the conversation — a likely sign of failure if it happens.

Roster Evaluation

Tier = the player’s 2001 positional grade (S best → F worst; color coded S A B C D F). Bold names carry a substantive WBL track; italic names are pure projection — a hope, not a grade — with no qualifying track to anchor them.

Look at all that gold … the lineup could be quite good.

For all the ruthlessness in the market, Birmingham is stubbornly loyal inside its own clubhouse — veterans get ridden a beat past their expiration, and Bruce Chen, the 37-year-old lefty being handed soft, low-leverage innings rather than a cold release, is the gentlest version of it.

The 9th inning is its own question. Juan Rincón saved 26 games in 2000, then came apart in 2001 — an 8.47 ERA across 34 innings — and the job now belongs to Young, who answered with a 2.29 ERA and 15 saves on results rather than stuff. 2003 shouldn’t bank on him until the command proves it holds.

Talent Ratings

Best In The Minors

Others: IF Cupid Childs, IF Nate Colbert, IF Ozzie Albies, IF Richie Sexson, OF Ron Gant.

Graduated to the active roster since the ranked list: Joe Torre (14), Kerry Ligtenberg (58).

A year ago this list was headed by Whitney, the arm flipped to Miami for Braun, and Torre, who has since graduated into the backup-catcher job. The new man at the top, Lenny Dykstra, is himself a trade acquisition — part of the Konerko haul from Chicago. What’s left is thin but useful: Dykstra and Gary Matthews in the outfield, Jess Barbour‘s utility glove, and Bill James, clinging to the back of the top hundred. Note what isn’t there. James is the only arm in the system worth ranking (maybe Cozy Dolan, but …), and the 5 unranked names behind him — Cupid Childs, Nate Colbert, Ozzie Albies, Richie Sexson, Ron Gant — are 5 more bats.

Superlatives

Stats across all levels, 2001 season. 200 PA / 75 IP minimum. Non-WBL levels tagged in parentheses.

For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.

Batting Statistics

2+ 3B Games

3+ 2B Games

3. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Grant Johnson (NYG); Al Kaline (DET); JD Martinez (DET); Jackie Robinson (BRK); Robin Yount (MCG).

3+ HBP Games

3. Melky Cabrera (BBB).

3+ HR Games

3. Gary Carter (OTT); Oscar Charleston (IND); Lou Gehrig (NYY); Rogers Hornsby (NYY).

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4+ CS Games

4+ Run Games

4. Oscar Charleston (IND); Roy White (BKR); Ted Williams (MEM).

4+ SB Games

5+ Hit Games

6. Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
5. Dan Brouthers (BRK); Charles Rogan (PHI).

5+ SO Games

5. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Evan Longoria (CLE).

6+ RBI Games

8. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
6. Gary Carter (OTT).

Cycles

Longest HRs

{ OOTP has, for a long time had a problem with surreally long HR distances. So we threw math at it–these distances are modified based on the game’s projected exit velocity, which puts a cap on how far the ball could actually travel. Far more realistic. }

510. Chuck Klein (POR).
497. Willie Mays (NYG).
495. Duke Snider (BRK); Willie Stargell (HOM).
490. Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
485. Buster Posey (NYG); Anthony Rizzo (HOD); Ted Williams (MEM).
484. Don Buford (NYG).
481. Andrew Payne (PHI).
480. Ted Williams (MEM).
475. Jim Ray Hart (NYG).
472. Eric Davis (NYY).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

90. Whitey Ford (NYY).
89. Waite Hoyt (CAG); Mickey Welch (KAN).
88. Christy Mathewson (NYG).
87. Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT).
85. Smokey Joe Wood (KAN).
84. Steve Carlton (PHI); José Méndez (MCG).
83. Walter Johnson (POR).
82. Walter Johnson (POR); JM Ward (PHI).
81. Bill Byrd (BBB).
80. Watty Clark (SFS).

10+ Strikeout Games

16. Sid Fernandez (DET).
13. Bob Feller (CLE); Lefty Grove (SFS); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Walter Johnson (POR).
12. Lefty Gomez (BBB); Lefty Grove (SFS); Ron Guidry (NYY); Waite Hoyt (CAG); Pat Malone (CLE); Dick Redding (BRK); Jim Whitney (MCG); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
11. Steve Carlton (PHI); Bob Feller (CLE); Ned Garvin (BAL); Bump Hadley (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Walter Johnson (PR); Joseíto Muñoz (POR); Luis Padrón (IND); Charlie Root (DET); Bob Shawkey (KAN); Bill Steen (CLE); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
10. Don Drysedale (MEM); Ned Garvin (BAL); Cole Hamels (MCG); Connie Johnson (DET); Walter Johnson x2 (POR); Pat Malone (CLE); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Sam Streeter x2 (CAG); Fernando Valenzuela (BRK); Justin Verlander (DET); Jim Whitney x2 (MCG); Smokey Joe Wood x2 (KAN); Cy Young (CLE).

8+ Walk Games

8. Hardie Henderson (PHI).

Shutouts

1 Hit. Mark Buehrle (CAG, 6 IP); Whitey Ford (NYY).
2 Hit. Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Mickey Welch (KAN).

Shutouts (Combined)

1 Hit. Old Hoss Radbourn / Kevin Gross / Ryan Dempster / Billy Koch (OTT).
3 Hits. David Price / Babe Adams (HOM, 7 IP); Charlie Root / Dick Donovan / Jason Frasor / Troy Percival (DET); Dave Righetti / George Jeffcoat / Vito Tamulis / Brian Wilson (NYG); Whitey Ford / Hoyt Wilhelm / Goose Gossage (NYY); Jock Menefee / Jeff Reardon / Lee Smith (KAN); Pete Donohue / Masahiro Tanaka / Kent Tekulve / Brian Wilson (NYG; 10 IP); Bump Hadley / Charlie Ferguson (SFS); Watty Clark / Joe Nathan (SFS); Waite Hoyt / AJ Minter (CAG).
4 Hits. Mel Harder / Whit Wyatt / Ron Reed / Aroldis Chapman / Terry Adams (CLE); Brett Anderson / Jimmy Key / Dellin Betances / Karl Spooner / Ed Bauta (HOD); Toad Ramsey / Jim Kern / Billy Wagner / Tug McGraw (HOU); Smokey Joe Wood / Lee Smith (KAN); Randy Johnson / Kevin Gross / BJ Ryan (OTT); Tony Brizzolara / Tony Mullane / Rheal Cormier / Goose Gossage (NYY).
5 Hits. Cy Young / Ron Reed / Cory Gearrin (CLE); Greg Maddux / Kerry Ligtenberg / Bruce Chen / Akinori Otuska / Harley Young (BBB); Waite Hoyt / Wilbur Wood / Will Smith (CAG); Joseíto Muñoez / John Wetteland (POR); Gaylord Perry / Hoyt Wilhelm (NYY).

Overall

Absolutely miserable year. Just awful, culminating in a bad injury to franchise stalwart Frank Thomas, who won’t be back until near midseason next year.

Some offensive highlights remain, but not enough, and the pitching staff was not only poor, but the organization’s roster moves rarely seemed coherent throughout the season. There are significant organizational concerns at SS, 3B, CF, and RF and everywhere on the mound except, perhaps, closer.

Even with all that, though, the team isn’t very far away from the playoff contender of last season, and the foursome of Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson, Dick Allen, and Thomas have the potential to be as good as any in the league.

But what a disappointing year.

What Went Right

Joe Jackson had another great year, slashing 355/410/608 with 68 doubles and 55 steals. He can just flat out hit.

Frank Thomas was doing Frank Thomas things before the injury, slashing 296/411/580 in 130ish games.

Dick Allen continues to be an excellent offensive force–a little below the other 2, but still, an OPS over .900 and a team leading 41 homeruns is nothing to sneeze at. Allen and Thomas led the team with 98 RBIs.

Eddie Collins fell off a bit from last year’s dizzying heights, but was stil excellent, posting an .800 OPS with 73 steals and 104 runs scored.

Kevin Mitchell emerged as an offensive force, delivering a 1.086 OPS in 250ish PAs. Rocky Colavito was less good, but still solid, about half that time. And Freddie Lindstrom was magnificent to the tune of a 1.114 OPS in even less time.

On the mound, last year’s Rookie of the Year, Ed Walsh, was excellent–far better than his 10-11 record–with a 3.94 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. And that ends our positive news from the pitching staff.

ALL STARS

Eddie Collins
Frank Thomas
Ed Walsh

MAJOR AWARDS

Eddie Collins, All AL First Team
Frank Thomas, AL 1B Silver Slugger

RECOGNITIONS

Rocky Colavito, AL All Rookie 2nd Team
Joe Jackson, All AL Second Team
Freddie Lindstrom, AL 21 & Under Team; AL All Rookie 2nd Team
Ed Walsh, All AL Third Team
Tom Williams, AL 21 & Under Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Joe Jackson, MVP
Ed Walsh, Pitcher of the Year
Eddie Collins, Heart & Soul
Dick Allen, Fan Favorite

Bill Husted, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Bill Wilson, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Cristóbal Torriente was perhaps the worst regular offensive player in the WBL. posting a .485 OPS. That’s … horrible. Torriente is only 19, is a defensive whiz, and even had a solid few appearances on the mound. But that OPS is miserable.

Freddy Parent was barely better, and even gold glove level defense doesn’t make up for a 229/272/292 slash line.

Duffy Lewis lost all of the power he showed last year, slugging .331.

And, none of the initial replacements for these players–Mike Cameron, Vernon Wells, Luke Appling–did much either.

And then the pitching … last year’s ace, Tricky Nichols, was miserable until derailed via injury. But a 7.27 ERA over just over 100 IP is not only not good enough for a front of rotation starter, it’s not enough to stay in the WBL.

None of the other starters–Mark Buehrle, Jamie Moyer, Sam Streeter, and Ben Sheets–approached an average level of performance. And the relievers–especially Fernando Rodney, Herb Pennock, and Billy Loes, were equally poor.

Transactions

March

None. Optimism reigned supreme.

July

None. They were too shell shocked to make any moves.

August

At this point it was clear that the season was lost, so a bit of panic set in: starting pitching and future talent, our country for starting pitching and future talent!

IF Jorge Orta, P Hoyt Wilhelm, & 4th Round Pick to NYY for P Waite Hoyt & 5th Round Pick.

Sure. Waite Hoyt looks like a solid WBL starter, making him more valuable than the occasionally unreliable Hoyt Wilhelm.

P Akinori Otsuka, IF Paul Konerko, OF Lenny Dykstra & 3rd Round Pick to BBB for P Sam Streeter, IF Trea Turner & 5th Round Pick.

Very understandable: Streeter and, especially, Turner, hold immense promise and while Konerko and Otsuka were fantastic, they are more likely to decline than improve.

P Joe Lake to IND for OF Jake Stenzel.

CF was such a black hole that this act of desperation makes some sense.

P David Price to HOM for IF Freddie Lindstrom & 2nd Round Pick.

This could be a huge win: a somewhat inconsistent veteran arm for what looks like a fantastic IF prospect plus the pick.

Positional Overview

C

Carlton Fisk is above average here, and likely to remain the backstop for a while.

However, Dave Nilsson was pretty bad as his backup, so look for that to be a bit of an open competition. Michael McKenry hit extremely well in the minors this year, but flopped in a late season callup, Bennie Tate offers a defensive minded option, and the organization still has hopes for the versatility of young Jack Doyle.

1B

This is a challenge. Thomas is supposed to be back around the All Star Break, and clearly takes over here once again. But what do the American Giants do between now and then?

There are a number of 1B who could be available in trade as short-term solutions, so there’s that.

Internally, Chicago signed Dick Wakefield pretty much for this eventuality, but Carlos May, Mike Fiore, and perhaps even Bibb Falk or Walter Davis may offer alternatives.

They could also slide Joe Jackson here–he’s no worse than Thomas defensively–opening an OF spot, specifically RF for Chino Smith.

2B

Eddie Collins all day, even with the dip in performance.

Chino Smith may see some time here, and both Doyle and Turner could fill in as wide-ranging utility players.

Damian Jackson is the best glove in the system, but has struggled in the WBL.

SS

Who knows.

Freddy Parent has been a massive disappointment, despite excellent glove work. But it’s unclear what to do.

My guess is Parent, Joe Sullivan, Danny Murtaugh, and Luke Appling fight it out in the Spring, with Trea Turner a bit of dark horse.

A trade could also be attractive here.

3B

Dick Allen is the incumbent, but Freddie Lindstrom‘s showing last fall could push Allen to either DH or LF.

Joe Crede is a reasonable alternative for depth here as well.

LF/RF

This could be pretty unstable. The contenders are clear: Jackson and Allen and Kevin Mitchell and Chino Smith, as well as Rocky Colavito, with Duffy Lewis still sticking around.

For the first half of the season, assuming Jackson plays a bit at 1B, this is probably Mitchell and Smith, although the better Freddie Lindstrom plays, the more complicated this gets.

Those are the best players in the system, but Bibb Falk, Carson Bigbee, Walter Davis, and Magglio Ordóñez each have some promise.

CF

Long term, perhaps for inexplicable reasons, the American Giants are still committed to Cristóbal Torriente. But they need some help until the teenager is ready. That’s why they brought in Jake Stenzel. But Stenzel was pretty awful in his 30 games, managing only a 240/296/394 slash line.

So if he falters, one of the corner OFers could slide over or Chicago could turn to Lance Johnson, Mike Cameron, or Henry Cotto.

DH

Whichever OFer isn’t on the field, most likely.

SP

Hoo boy.

We have Ed Walsh, and then we have an abyss of question marks.

Waite Hoyt and Ben Sheets are likely to make the rotation. Beyond that, both Mark Buehrle and Sam Streeter have talent but a horrid track record, and Herb Pennock and Joel Horlen are untested. Throw Tricky Nichols, Tom Williams, and Jacob deGrom into the mix as well, and we’ll see what happens during the Spring.

That covers most of the organization, although Harry “Green River” Buckner and the ageless Jamie Moyer may get some looks as well.

RP

AJ Minter should come back as the closer, and Fernando Rodney did enough to hold onto a spot. Beyond that, it’s all a bit jumbled. Clearly the long relievers will come from the list above, but for the rest … Raisel Iglesias, Will Smith, Paul Assenmacher, and Bob Locker could all see some time. None of those four have seen WBL time, so we’ll see.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 1
2nd Round: 2
3rd Round: 0
4th Round: 0
5th Round: 3

It could be a decent draft, or this capital could be spent plugging some of the roster holes. It’s not clear which way Chicago will go.

Overall

This was such a weird year for Birmingham. They were absolute horrid out of the gate, very strong from June through August, and then faded at the end. During all of that, they (once again) traded away an all star, found some surprising talent on their own roster, and scored way too few runs, despite hitting the ball out of the park with shocking regularity.

Once more it feels like the Black Barons are a couple strokes of luck away from either championship contention or being the worst team in the league. It all centers around making the offense more effective overall, and realizing some of the immense potential in their starting rotation.

What Went Right

Jim Pagliaroni exceeds all expectations, hitting for geometrically more power than anyone could have expected. His .958 OPS made him an elite catcher in the WBL. At 32, it may not last, but it was quite a shock, for sure.

Hank Aaron is right on the verge of superstardom, leading the team in HR (51) and RBI (105). He only drew 16 walks, emblematic of some of Birmingham’s team-wide struggles.

Two players brought in via trade excelled–or, more accurately, performed pretty much as expected. Paul Konerko and Ryan Braun each showed extraordinary power, and Konerko’s plate discipline is desperately needed in Birmingham.

At 23, Eddie Mathews’46 homeruns, 90 RBIs, 99 runs, and 80 walks sure seem like things that went right. But a .224 average and only 12 non-homerun extra base hits are not great.

Harley Young emerged as an excellent option at the back of the bullpen, finishing the year with 15 saves and a 2.29 ERA.

Akinori Otsuka, another trade acquisition, immediately steps into the setup role to get Young the ball.

Fred Fussell was excellent in limited work, laying claim to a role in the bullpen next year.

ALL STARS
Harley Young.
Jim Whitney was selected, but later traded.

MAJOR AWARDS

Ryan Braun, NL 2nd Team of the Year
Paul Konerko, NL Team of the Year

RECOGNITIONS

JP Arencibia, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Fred Fussell, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Albert Belle, NL Over 30 Team
Paul Konerko, NL Over 30 Team
Jim Pagliaroni, NL Over 30 Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Jim Pagliaroni, MVP
Harley Young, Pitcher of the Year
Hank Aaron, Heart & Soul
JP Arencibia, Fan Favorite

Gio González, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Melky Cabrera, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Despite decent speed and walk rate, Cupid Childs‘s offense was so weak, the Black Barons decided to move on, trading for Bobby Grich. Grich belongs here, too, as while the overall shape of his offense is very strong, the level of performance is distressingly low.

SS was weak all year, eventually devolving into a platoon between Herman Long and Troy Tulowitzki. An upgrade here would be quite a boon.

It’s not clear what to do with Curtis Granderson: 41 homers is good, but a .206 average is most certainly not and, when you think of it, 41 homers with a SLG below .500 is pretty worrisome.

Adrián González continues to be a disappointment, hitting just enough to keep squandering his opportunities. His platoon split was pretty profound, so that may be the solution here next season.

And then there’s the pitching. All the pitching.

We can start with Greg Maddux (10-14, 5.35) and Alejandro Peña (8-11, 5.59), who allowed 109 homeruns between them. Maddux has great stuff, but cannot seem to harness it and Peña looks little more than innings eater at this point.

Bruce Chen had 12 holds, but was rocked more often then not, posting a 6.85 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP.

Warren Spahn continues to be terrible in the WBL, posting an ERA over 8 across 56 innings.

Transactions

March

P Andy Pettitte, OF Mickey Rivers, 3rd Round Pick to NYY for OF Albert Belle, P Frank Viola, P Lefty Gomez, IF Jess Barbour.

A win for both teams, and a trade that still may work out for Birmingham: Belle has been as advertised, Gomez looks a mid-rotation WBL starter, and both Viola and Barbour hold promise.

OF Bill Buckner, OF Joe Rudi to MEM for OF David Justice, IF Ozzie Albies, 2nd Round Pick.

Who knows? Only Rudi has seen the WBL, but they all have some potential, although time is running out for the 32-year old Justice.

July

Birmingham still felt they had a shot at this point, and decided to make some noise, trading Whitney–a clear all-star having a great season–to try to bring their offense up a notch.

P Jim Whitney, OF Andy Pafko, OF José Cruz, 2nd Round Pick to MCG for OF Ryan Braun, IF Richie Sexson, 7th Round Pick.

Whitney is a rare gem on the mound, and ultimately Birmingham may regret this deal, especially with how well Pafko performed for Miami. But Braun is a great talent, and will only see more time as Belle and Konerko age.

August

And now, an even more desperate play for offense.

P Sam Streeter, IF Trea Turner, 5th Round Pick to CAG for P Akinori Otsuka, IF Paul Konerko, OF Lenny Dykstra, 3rd Round Pick.

Chicago was tanking at this point. Trade feels fine–Otskuka and Konerko’s present value for Turner’s future, and whatever the American Giants can get from Streeter.

C Gene Tenace, P Vic Wilis, 1st Round Pick to LAA for IF Bobby Grich, 3rd Round Pick.

This one came out of nowhere. Grich may be a solve at 2B for Birmingham for years to come, but the price was steep: Willis has a very live arm and a first round pick is a first round pick (Tenace is good, but was pretty blocked here, so his loss is more acceptable).

Positional Overview

C

An interesting challenge for Birmingham here. Pagliaroni clearly is the incumbent, and the fan base fell in love with Arencibia, who also can help out at 1B.

But Joe Torre slashed 282/362/584 at AAA as a 21 year old, and his WBL arrival has to be imminent.

Beyond that, only Earl Battey looks to have a WBL future at some point down the road.

1B

This will be Konerko for a while: his core skillset (power and walks) ages well.

If Adrián González doesn’t impress in Spring Training, look for young Nate Colbert to get a chance, although Colbert probably needs another year in the minors.

There’s some depth here: Frank McCormick, Hal Trosky, Ron Fairly, and Jake Beckley all have some WBL talent.

2B

We’ll see. The Black Barons traded Tom Herr, were shocked by how effective Cupid Childs was, then decided to move on, anointing Bobby Grich as their future. Grich does seem to be the real deal, even if his production this year was lower than hoped.

Ray Durham will get a chance in the Spring to be Grich’s backup.

Beyond that, there is some decent youth: Ozzie Albies, Marcus Giles, Jess Barbour, and Reddy Mack all have some talent and all are under 22.

SS

This is an issue throughout the system.

Right now, it looks like the platoon between Long and Tulowitzki will continue, with George McBride available at AAA if a purely defensive situation were desired.

3B

It’s still Eddie Mathews, and there is hope his overall offensive performance will nudge upwards.

If he falters, the most likely help would come from Pie Traynor.

LF/RF

This is set, with Braun in one corner and Aaron on the other.

Tommy Davis was spectacular in September, but the 23 year old would probably be better served by starting at AAA as opposed to warming the bench.

Gary Matthews is probably the best talent here, but he’s several years off.

CF

This is Granderson’s role for now, but there are rumors that Curt Flood may be given a strong look, and the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year, Melky Cabrera, is coming behind Flood.

DH

Albert Belle is going to see most of the time here, although there are emerging concerns about his bat speed.

SP

It’s probably one more year of hoping that Peña, Maddux, and Lefty Gomez can turn it around, with John Malarkey and Rube Melton the most likely to round out the rotation, although Warren Spahn and Bill Phyle will get looks in Spring Training as well.

There are some voices advocating that Peña move to the bullpen, which would open up another rotation spot.

There’s some likely help at AAA in Pretzels Getzien, Alex Malloy, and Charlie Morton, but the highest ceilings in the organization are probably teenager Steve Avery and Gio González at AA.

RP

Harley Young is the presumed closer, with Otsuka and Fussell assured of spots as well. As long as Chen doesn’t retire or totally bomb out in Spring Training, he should be there as well.

There’s a lot of moderately useful talent in the minors, but only Carlos Diaz and, perhaps, Steve Bedrosian, have arms that truly impress.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 0
2nd Round: 1
3rd Round: 2
4th Round: 1
5th Round: 0

This is not the year the system gets replenished. SS and 3B may be the areas of greatest need.

Here we have everyone with at least 30 IP, and no more than 2 games started or 5 saves: essentially, pitchers who got some usage, but were not used as swing-starters or closers. A few other relievers who were clearly not closers were added despite having more than 5 saves.

This is an incredibly volatile populations, and success in one year should not be seen as a predictor for future seasons. Ron Reed, I’m looking at you. It’s also hard to find good bullpen arms: there are a ton more names in Tiers C and D than above.

Our usual practices prevail: bold for top 3 and italics for bottom 3.

#S Tier

Lee Smith was probably the best overall reliever in the game, obviously good enough to be a closer, but a devastating arm in the late innings. His teammate, Eddie Guardado, was just quietly undeniable all season.

#A Tier

Terry Forster may have an argument to be nudged up, but that ERA is distracting. Andrew Chafin was steady all season in an otherwise tumultuous Houston pen, while Fred Cambria just ran under the radar end to end.

#B Tier

Of this group, Mike Kume looks like the most likely to be a fluke–it’s hard to sustain that kind of success with that low of a K rate. Al Smith‘s debut was fantastic, but he may be more suited to be a lefty specialist. Ross Reynolds was strong all season, and should see an expanded role next season.

We should also mention Mike Norris, who followed last year’s stellar season with a very solid one and the eternally dependable Ken Howell.

#C Tier

This group gets a little more interesting: Michael Jackson had a few horrible outings, but was otherwise quite steady for Homestead while Brad Kilby was only a few homeruns from moving up a level or 2.

And then there is Skel Roach. Unhittable. Dominant strikeout pitcher. And can’t find the strike zone ever, allowing over a walk per inning. That means there’s huge potential there, but how often does someone who throws this hard master their command?

#D Tier

Mark “The Vulture” Melancon continues to win at a rate his statistics don’t support while Rheal Cormier was another victim of a few poor outings in an otherwise solid season. You also see all of Detroit’s struggles here: while both Troy Percival and Steve Howe pitched better after their arrival, their pen remained weaker than hoped for even with the changes.

#F Tier

Why Portland kept trotting John Wetteland out there is a mystery that may remain forever unsolved. He was awful, despite an obviously live arm.

Huston Street pitched far better for San Francisco than Cleveland, and David Robertson‘s arm is clearly better than his initial WBL performance.

And then there was one … week to go.

#Awards

Houston‘s Jim O’Rourke continues a great recovery from a disappointing performance last season with a National League Player of the Week Award. O’Rourke hit .550 in the penultimate week of the season as the Colt 45’s try to clinch their first Marvin Miller Division title.

In the AL, the often-overlooked Lou Gehrig picked up the Award with the Black Yankee‘s 1B hitting .400 with 6 homeruns.

#Team Performance

#AL

The Black Yankees had a good week in the Bill James Division, moving from a virtual tie with Cleveland into a 1.5 game lead. The Detroit Wolverines, however, have picked a bad time to struggle, and they now hold only a half-game lead over Miami for the final Wild Card spot.

It’s an interesting final week on the schedule: the Black Yankees visit San Francisco in a likely playoff series preview, and then close out the year against the much-improved of late Baltimore Black Sox. Cleveland probably has the easiest schedule, hosting the lowly Memphis Red Sox, and then ending the year at Miami, who play Detroit before that series with the Spiders.

Miami not only has their future in their own hands, they also could decide the Black Yankees / Spiders race.

#NL

With 96 victories in the Effa Manley Division, the Brooklyn Royal Giants have an outside shot at 100 and, with a 5 game lead, Philadelphia looks to have locked up a Wild Card spot.

Houston has a clear path to the Marvin Miller Division crown on paper, with a 4 game lead and series left against the New York Gothams and the Wandering House of David. The final Wild Card spot is likely to come down to the final series of the year, with Kansas City hosting Indianapolis, although the House of David are technically still in the race.

#Player Performance

#Batters

An overpowered year on offense comes to a close. This list has been fairly constant for a while, I’ve added a 2nd list with less desirable stats as well.

Top 2 in most categories.

Lance Berkman (CLE). 279/369/645. 141 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 256/357/716. 66 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 336/377/618. 196 H.
Ty Cobb (DET). 384/438/828. 214 H, 65 2B, 16 3B, 148 R, 9.4 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 395/492/798. 10.7 WAR.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 248/378/421. 103 BB, 121 SB.
Pete Hill (HOU). 270/345/449. 14 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 355/410/607. 67 2B.
Tim Raines (OTT). 250/353/438. 111 SB.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 282/416/745. 70 HR, 162 RBI, 142 R, 117 BB.

Here are some of the less positive performances. Only the leader is listed (although Dunn is 2nd in SO and Lajoie 2nd in negative WAR).

Cupid Childs (BBB). 222/343/327.
Adam Dunn (IND). 207/341/468. 190 SO.
Ted Kluszewski (PHI). 248/291/442. -1.5 WAR.
Nap Lajoie (HOM). 232/254/407. -1.4 WAR.
Manny Machado (BAL). 240/284/518. 24 GIDP.
Mickey Mantle (NYY). 254/367/588. 214 SO.
Doug Rader (LAA). 242/299/455. 24 GIDP.

This list is interesting, honestly. Childs’ OBP and Dunn’s power hide other clear faults, and it’s surprising that WAR sees Kluszewksi as that bad. Mantle is obviously the best of this group.

#Pitchers

#Starters

As it has been for most of the seasion, this list continues to be dominated by 3 names: A. Rube Foster, Luis Padrón, and Toad Ramsey. I’ve added some usage stats (GS, IP) to help fill out the picture as the season winds down, and, as with the batters, a 2nd list for some less desirable leaders (Hardie Henderson could be on both, given 18 wins and his league-leading walks number).

Top 2 in most categories.

A. Rube Foster (KCM). 11-7, 3.27. .187 BA, .217 BABIP, 1.01 WHIP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 11-7, 4.51. 251 K.
Hardie Henderson (IND). 18-12, 3.78. 98 BB.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 18-5, 3.76.
José Méndez (MCG). 13-5, 4.47. 35 GS.
Luis Padrón (IND). 23-3, 3.20. 228 IP, 7.0 WAR.
Andy Pettitte (NYY). 18-8, 4.26.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 19-7, 4.46.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 16-10, 3.23. 223 IP, 282 K, .182 BA, 0.97 WHIP, 3.39 FIP, 7.9 WAR.
Ed Walsh (CAG). 9-10, 3.84. .222 BABIP.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 12-12, 3.87. 3.58 FIP.

Gerrit Cole (LAA). 7-15, 6.45.
Walter Johnson (POR). 13-11, 4.10. 91 BB.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 7-15, 5.58. 36 GS.

#Relievers

Top 2 in most stats, top 3 in saves. 35 Min IP for rate stats.

Rod Beck (SFS). 4-4, 5.09. 39 Sv, 1 H.
Bruce Chen (BBB). 2-4, 6.71. 4 Sv, 11 H, 67 G.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 1-3, 4.93. 17 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 3-3, 3.12. 37 Sv.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-3, 2.27. 2 Sv, 10 H.
Bob Howry (PHI). 4-1, 3.32. 24 Sv, 0.89 WHIP.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-7, 5.81. 1 Sv, 20 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 8-4, 3.52. 33 Sv.
Andrew Miller (MEM). 7-8, 4.42. 4 Sv, 12 H, 71 G.
Akinori Otsuka (CAG/BBB). 8-3, 2.26. 7 Sv, 5 H.
Lee Smith (KCM/HOD). 4-2, 2.75. 6 Sv, 12 H, 0.76 WHIP.