The Whirled League

Baseball The Way It Never Was

Tag: Al Oliver

TWIWBL 68.1: Year 2, Week 11

By

On October 28, 2024

In TWIWBL

June 11th

Only a few weeks to All Star selections!

#Awards

Ottawa‘s Roberto Alomar won the NL Player of the Week, hitting .625 with 4 homeruns, while scoring and driving in 9.

Manny Ramírez of the Memphis Red Sox is already approaching his production from last season, and hitting .368 with 3 homers and 10 RBI’s earned him the AL Player of the Week.

#Team Performance

I am likely to regret writing this as the season unfolds, but three of the divisions really seem to be settling down. The New York Black Yankees continue to have the best record in the WBL, leading Cleveland by 7 games in the Bill James Division. In the Cum Posey Division, San Francisco has pulled away from Miami and Chicago, leading the former by 6.5 games and the latter by 7. And, over in the Marvin Miller Division, Indianapolis and Kansas City are tied for the top spot, 7 games ahead of the House of David.

That leaves the Effa Manley Division, where nobody really wants to take control, with Homestead currently in first and Philadelphia in last place, only 4.5 games back

The New York Gothams have ridden an 8-2 streak to move within 1 game of Homestead and the Birmingham Black Barons may finally be showing some life, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. It’s too early to really get excited in Birmingham, though: that run of success leaves them with still having the worst record in the league, 11 games out of first place.

Cleveland, Homestead, the Brooklyn Royal Giants, and the House of David have all struggled a bit, sporting 3-7 records over their last 10 games.

Some differences in style are emerging across the league, with all teams playing between 62 and 65 games.

Ottawa continues to have by far the most terrifying offense in the league, sporting a team OPS over .900 and leading the way with 160 homeruns. They are also the only team to have scored 400+ runs at this point.

San Francisco and Baltimore are the most patient teams in the WBL, each with over 260 walks, over 100 more than Brooklyn and Miami at the other end of the list. San Francisco and the Black Yankees strike out the most while Kansas City and Philadelphia are the hardest to whiff by a long shot.

Finally, Indianapolis and San Francisco are neck and neck in SB with 138 and 137 respectively. Only Ottawa and Chicago are also over 100, while the New York Gothams have only swiped 45 bases.

#Player Performance

Batters

This may be the first time in the history of the WBL that Babe Ruth only leads in 2 categories and those 2–runs and walks–are arguably the least important metrics being tracked.

José Canseco and Larry Walker have each reached the 30 HR mark and Walker’s amazing streak has vaulted him over Ruth for the RBI lead.

Tony Gwynn–at a blinding .420–is the only hitter over .400, although Homestead’s Josh Gibson is edging into that territory at .399.

Roberto Alomar (OTT). 324/407/616. 56 R.
José Canseco (MCG). 289/400/821. 30 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 325/382/582. 7 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 396/446/806. 86 H, 4.1 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 399/467/759. 3.9 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 420/457/656. 96 H, 31 2B.
Pete Hill (HOU). 288/368/498. 8 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 376/424/615. 31 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 319/384/552. 32 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 292/410/712. 27 HR, 69 RBI, 58 R, 47 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 324/395/781. 30 HR, 71 RBI.
Ted Williams (MEM). 311/432/612. 45 BB.

Pitchers

Starters

Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón was the first hurler to 10 wins, leading the league at 10-1, and Houston‘s Toad Ramsey is the only player with 9. We’ve included the 3 starters with 8 wins and 2 or fewer losses below and everyone with an ERA below 3.00, as well as the usual statistical leaders.

It paints an odd picture, as Ramsey has actually faded a bit over the past few weeks, but retains his spot as the best pitcher in the WBL right now.

Frank Castillo (KCM). 8-1, 4.03.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 8-2, 3.38.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 7-4, 3.26. 99 IP, 2.9 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-2, 3.65, 109 SO.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 8-4, 4.15. 3.39 FIP.
Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-4, 2.98.
Luis Padrón (IND). 10-1, 3.61.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-3, 2.68. 117 SO, 0.93 WHIP, 2.78 FIP, 3.9 WAR.
Ed Walsh (CAG). 5-2, 2.95. 1 Sv.
JM Ward (PHI). 3-2, 3.56. 1.00 WHIP.

Relievers

All three relievers with 9 holds are included, as well as all 3 with ERA’s below 1.50.

15 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 4.60. 15 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-1, 3.12. 9 H.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.23. 4 H.
Bob Howry (PHI). 3-1, 3.60. 10 Sv, 0.75 WHIP.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-2, 2.66. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 1.04. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-2, 3.86. 17 Sv.
Tug McGraw (HOU). 2-2, 1.04. 4 Sv.
Lee Smith (HOD). 4-1, 3.55. 1 Sv, 5 H, 0.79 WHIP.

#Injury Report

Baltimore may receive a big boost to its bullpen with both John Wetteland and, more importantly, Sean Marshall due to begin rehab assignments this week. Marshall was among the most dominant relievers in the league last season before being injured.

Indianapolis’ 3B Ed Charles and Miami’s OF Al Oliver should both begin a rehab assignment late in the week

#Oddities

Thought we would check in on some of the odder performances in the league so far.

We’ll start with Homestead’s Mike Epstein and San Francisco’s Jimmie Foxx, each of which are hitting under .240 with OPS’ over .900. Epstein’s slash line is 236/369/577 while Foxx’s is 222/326/593. Half of Foxx’s 42 hits have been homeruns (Birmingham’s Curtis Granderson has 38 hits and 20 homers).

14 players who have seen a decent amount of playing time are sporting batting averages below .200. Only 2 of them have an OPS over .800. If you’re a diehard fan of the WBL, you may guess that one of them is Chicago’s eternal dilemma, Mike Fiore. Fiore is hitting .194. But 33 walks gives him a respectable .344 OBP, and 11 homers up his SLG to .472, giving him an OPS of .816. The other is Birmingham’s Eddie Mathews, who is doing it all with power. His OBP is barely over .300, but 19 homeruns gives him a .519 SLG to go with it.

On the mound, in the won-loss record is a bad stat department, I’ll offer up Bert Blyleven of the Portland Sea Dogs and Philadelphia’s John Montgomery Ward. Blyleven has 14 starts and is 6th in the league in IP, but sports only a 2-4 record while Ward has pitched excellently, holding a 3.56 ERA over 13 starts and the second best WHIP in the league at 1.00, but only managing a 3-2 record.

At the other end of the scale, 2 hurlers with at least 7 wins also have ERAs over 5.00: Ottawa’s Old Hoss Radbourn at 8-4, 5.79 and the New York Gothams’ Don Sutton at 7-3, 5.40.

TWIWBL 63.4: Cum Posey Division

By

On July 15, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Chicago American Giants

5 hits from Joe Jackson weren’t enough as the American Giants fell to Detroit, 8-6. Mark Buehrle had his first rough outing of the year, failing to become the league’s first 6 game winner and falling to 5-1.

Paul Konerko went deep twice, the 2nd shot a walkoff job in the bottom of the 10th to give the American Giants a 5-4 win over Detroit.

Akinori Otsuka will miss about 2 weeks with an elbow issue, weakening Chicago’s bullpen significantly. Tom Williams was recalled.

#Los Angeles Angels

The Angels recalled Elmer “Mike” Smith from his rehab assignments. Not wanting to be without a lefty, Los Angeles retained Noah Lowry while demoting Anthony DeSclafani despite DeSclafani’s better performance.

With George Wright being recalled from his rehab assignment, Eddie Joost is waived with the Angels hoping to retain him in AAA.

Mike Trout had himself a day: 5 hits, 3 homeruns (and 2 doubles), including a game-tying shot in the 9th and a game-winning walkoff in the bottom of the 13th.

Doc Gooden improved to 4-2 on the year with a 4 hit shutout of the Black Yankees. 4 RBI’s from Steve Garvey–including his 3rd homerun of the season–accounted for all of the Angels’ runs, more than enough to support Gooden, who whiffed 7 and walked none.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Freddie Fitzsimmons horrific start to the year (2-4, 8.17) has cost him his rotation spot, with Ed Brandt being named Miami’s #4 starter. Their 5th rotation slot remains open.

Julio Rodríguez was recalled from his rehab assignment, with the Cuban Giants (finally?) deciding that Minnie Miñoso would be better served with time at AAA. Rodríguez’ return (and Miñoso’s departure) resulted in a bunch of lineup juggling for Miami, as their OF remains quite crowded.

Rodríguez went 2 for 4 in his return as the Cuban Giants fell to Baltimore, 4-3.

The Cuban Giants came back from a 9-1 deficit in the 8th inning to beat Baltimore, 9-8. José Canseco went deep in the 8th and the 9th and Rodríguez in the 9th. Throw in a pinch-hit 2-run double from Gary Sheffield and you have a massive comeback for a shocking victory.

Needing a starter, Fitzsimmons’ continued battering led to his being sent to AAA with Lou Fette being recalled.

Al Oliver fractured his foot, and will miss about 5 weeks, with Carlos Morán recalled from AAA.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Jeff Cirillo headed back to AAA with Rogers Hornsby‘s return from a rehab assignment.

Walter Johnson was magnificent, allowing only a homerun through 8 innings before being chased by a single in the 9th in a 3-1 victory. Johnson evened his record at 3-3 with a 13 strikeout performance, walking none and lowering his ERA to 2.79.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

It was bullpen rejigger week for the Sea Lions, with San Francisco sending Bobby Seay, Steve Ontiveros, and Nick Altrock to AAA, with Tom Brewer, Mel Stottlemyre Sr, and Jim Devlin all being promoted. With both Bump Hadley and Watty Clark struggling, those 3, along with Dennis Eckersley, have to all be considered as auditioning for rotation slots.

Helped by Reggie Jackson‘s 13th homerun, Hadley, Devlin, Ken Howell, and Rod Beck combined on a 4 hit shutout, leading the Sea Lions to a 2-0 win over Chicago.

With Jimmy Bloodworth due to miss over a month, the Sea Lions recalled Denny Walling from AAA.

Year II Season Preview: Miami Cuban Giants

By

On March 27, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

To no longer be considered one of the absolute worst teams in the league would be a nice start.

Best Case

Camilo Pascual, Freddie Fitzsimmons, and José Méndez form a strong front of the rotation and Cole Hamels joins them, fulfilling the promise he showed early in the season with the Black Yankees. Offensively, José Canseco repeats, but is joined by … someone–Paul Molitor or Gary Sheffield or Alejandro Oms or even Yasiel Puig–as a formidable offensive force, with Cookie Rojas recovering the form he showed with the Gothams, and and and … you get the idea. Everyone improves in every way.

Worst Case

Ouch. Everyone with high expectations becomes Martín Dihigo from last year, a continual disappointment showing just enough promise to keep from being jettisoned. One issue here is that a significant amount of the talent on the roster is very, very young and therefore several years away from really showing their true potential (for example, Dihigo is 18, Oms 20)

Key Questions

  • How does the rest of the staff fill out?
  • Can the continued development of Eustaquio Pedroso and Dihigo as two way players bear enough fruit to warrant continuing the experiment?

Trade Bait

I mean … maybe? The problem is that a team building for the future whose best assets are its young talent will often find it difficult to locate a good trading partner.

Yeah … so … that happened. It’s hard to boil the trade down: the Cuban Giants gave up Molitor, top draft pick Vladimir Guerrero, and some stuff, getting back Iván Rodríguez and a few useful possibilities (Al Oliver, Jon Matlack, Adolis García). So, this year, it’s Molitor for Pudge. But losing Guerrero is a potential big deal.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CRodríguezBurgess
1BThomeMiñoso
2BDihigo
Rojas
3BSheffield
SSYount
LF/
RF		CansecoPuigBraunOliver
Rodríguez
CFOms
SPPascualSmithHamels
Martínez
Méndez		Fitzsimmons
EndConsuegraNolasco
Terry
RPLooper
Pedroso		Latman
New Addition | Injured

Doesn’t look like a playoff contender to me. Pudge really does help, though, and .500 might–might–be within reach.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerIF Jim Thome1B Willie McCovey
Batting EyeIF Jim ThomeU Carlos Morán
ContactU Cookie Rojas2B Nellie Fox
Running SpeedOF Alejandro OmsIF Charlie Briggs
OF Bert Campaneris
IF Luis Castillo
OF Marquis Grissom
OF Eddie Milner
Base StealingOF Alejandro OmsIF Jiggs Donahue
OF Marquis Grissom
IF DefenseU Martín Dihigo3B Willie Kamm
OF DefenseOF Yasiel PuigOF Tony González
StuffP Adonis TerryP Gary Gentry
ControlP Freddie FitzsimmonsP Dale Murray
VelocitySP Cole HamelsP Brad Brach

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (22)20PJosh Beckett
2 (103)20CFJulio Rodríguez
3 (111)18PJon Matlack
4 (142)24PFreddie Fitzsimmons
5 (159)23CSmoky Burgess
6 (184)23UBert Campaneris
Others: None

On the one hand, the cupboard is pretty bare; on the other hand, the Cuban Giants are among the youngest teams in the league, so many of their “prospects” are already in Miami, joined this year by Rodríguez, Burgess, and Fitzsimmons.

MostLeast
AgeC Clyde Sukeforth, 37P Ed Seward, 17
Height1B Richie Sexson, 6’8″P Phenomenal Smith, 5’6″
U Carlos Morán, 5’6″
OPSOF Carlos Quentin, 1.381 (—)1B Julio Becquer, .504 (AA)
HROF Carlos Quentin, 81 (—)OF José Tartabull, 0 (AAA/AA)
OF Carlos Morán, 0 (WBL)
IF Luis Castillo, 0 (AA)
SBOF José Canseco, 29 (WBL)
OF Marquis Grissom, 29 (—)		Many with 0
WAROF Carlos Quentin, 6.7 (—)IF Russell Branyan, -2.2 (—)
WCamilo Pascual, 12 (WBL)
Ed Brandt, 12 (—-)
Denny Lemaster, 12 (—-)
Marcus Stroman, 12 (—-)		Johnny Murphy, 3 (AAA/AA)
SVBob Gillespie, 19 (—)
Jim Roland, 19 (—)
ERAJohn Boozer, 2.26 (—)Mike Morgan, 6.67 (AAA/AA)
WARMarcus Stroman, 5.1 (—)Nick Strincevich, -0.6 (AAA/AA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.14: Spring Training Notes – Miami Cuban Giants

By

On March 2, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

There are a lot of open competitions this Spring: will Alan Ashby or Smoky Burgess seize the C position? Where, if anywhere, will Minnie Miñoso play? How does the OF resolve, without a true CF on the roster at the moment.

Speaking of CF … last year’s primary starter, Carlos Morán, has been working out at 3B, clearing the way for 3rd round pick, Roy Thomas, to have a shot at the starting job out there.

First Cuts

Marcus Stroman, Gary Gentry, and Scott Linebrink all exited camp while Barry Latman, Sandy Consuegra, Ed Brandt, and Josh Beckett all improved their chances of making the opening day roster.

Behind the plate, Alan Ashby‘s performance last season keeps him in camp while Joe Oliver heads back to the minors. Oliver is the only departure, as Harry Danning, and especially Clyde Sukeforth, are hitting too well so far to be sent down.

The Cuban Giants are going to wait before making decisions at 1B, as they still hope that either Richie Sexson or veteran Willie McCovey can provide some much-needed power. But right now, the only 1B who is hitting is the one nobody expected, Ramón Webster. 3B Joe Dugan was sent down.

Miami is ecstatic over what Cookie Rojas and Martín Dihigo have shown so far, especially Dihigo who may have been the worst hitting regular in the WBL last season. Luis Castillo has done enough to warrant some more opportunities, but Nellie Fox will head back to minor league camp along with SS Zoilo Versalles and Alexei Ramírez. Bert Campaneris has hit worse than either of those two, but will be given a few more shots to make the roster.

In the OF, neither Vladimir Guerrero nor Julio Rodríguez were given much chance to make the team, and while Guerrero will head back to the minors, Rodríguez has shown more than enough to stick around for a little while. Jason Bay, José Tartabull, Mike Brown, Tommie Agee, Hideki Matsui, and Marquis Grissom join Guerrero in minor league camp, but that still leaves Miami with over a dozen OFers in camp, with the pressure especially high on José Cardenal and Roy Thomas to show more than they have so far.

Tony González, Sandy Amorós, and Bob Loane join Rodríguez as early surprises.

Second Cuts

Adonis Terry is the only arm sent to minor league camp as the Cuban Giants hope the quartet of Chris Resop, Freddie Fitzsimmons, Eustaquio Pedroso, and Camilo Pascual can recapture their form from last season.

Alan Ashby and Chris Hoiles were assumed to be set for roster spots, but both need to step up their game, especially Ashby, who has started Spring Training hitless in 12 at-bats.

Richie Sexson was the odd man out at 1B, heading to minor league camp. He was joined by Bert Campaneris and Eddie Milner, but the Cuban Giants really need some of their offensive talent to sort itself out, with a dozen OFers and 10 IFers still in camp.

Third Cuts

Chris Resop and Marcelino López were sent to AAA as the staff starts to round into shape for Miami. Adonis Terry, who was sent to minor league camp, hid in a locker for a couple days, and is still around.

Harry Danning‘s departure still leaves four catchers in camp (five if you count Eustaquio Pedroso, who can fill in there as well). Smoky Burgess has clearly claimed the starting spot, but last year’s contributors–Chris Hoiles and Alan Ashby–are struggling to hit while dark horse Clyde Sukeforth is doing OK with the stick.

Nellie Fox, Sandy Amorós, Tony González, and Bob Loane were all sent to AAA.

This pattern repeats throughout the roster: Willie McCovey and Ramón Webster are knocking the cover off the ball while the more established players at 1B (Jim Thome and Minnie Miñoso) continue to struggle, although Thome’s clear moon-shot power does give him a leg up.

On the IF, both Robin Yount and Paul Molitor are struggling mightily, while Martín Dihigo is absolutely ripping the cover off the ball. With Cookie Rojas, Gary Sheffield, and Ryan Braun also in the mix, something needs to give for Miami.

In the OF, Miami had anticipated coming out of camp with a new starting CF, but they thought it would be Roy Thomas, whose eye is impressive, but has shown little else. With Julio Rodríguez hitting everything in sight, the CF competition remains fierce.

Final Cuts

Newly acquired Adolis Garcia was the first to be sent down and the acquisition of Pudge allowed the Cuban Giants to move Clyde Sukeforth to the minors.

Carlos Morán is learning a new position at 3B, a spot quite crowded for Miami. Morán will start the season at AAA learning the hot corner. Likewise, Ramón Webster, despite a nice showing this Spring, heads to AAA, leaving only 5 players in camp capable of playing first.

The Cuban Giants demoted three players to get to 30: C Chris Hoiles, 1B Willie McCovey, and 2B Luis Castillo. Pudge and Al Oliver‘s arrival allows the first two moves, Castillo’s poor Spring the final one.

The Cuban Giants are desperate for pitching so Spring performances may be more impactful than they should. Ps Ed Brandt and Roenis Elías were easy choices, along with OF José Cardenal.

Roy Thomas was drafted with the hope he could potentially take over in CF, providing a high OBP option at the top of Miami’s lineup. Julio Rodríguez was brought to Spring Training as a way to give the 20 year old a taste of big league pitching. Instead, Thomas heads to AAA and Rodríguez is breaking camp with the team.

That leaves one, and the choice is between Yasiel Puig and his horrible Spring after an electric debut with Miami last fall and the wildness and potential of young Josh Beckett. The Cuban Giants think Beckett will benefit from regular starts, and send him to AAA, keeping Puig.

TWIWBL 56.1: Spring Training Notes – Portland Sea Dogs

By

On February 16, 2024

In TWIWBL

{ These are in no particular order–or, more exactly, they are in the order in which teams wrap up their Spring Training games. }

Spring Training Questions

The competition between Ruben Sierra and first round pick Chuck Klein for a corner OF spot should be fierce; similarly, while Buddy Bell excelled at 3B for Portland last year, he continues to be pushed by Adrián Beltré.

First Cuts

With the roster expected to be essentially set, much of this is pro forma for the Sea Dogs. But still there are some surprises–on the negative side, the relative struggles of many of the more established arms. Two pitchers who were seen as contenders for bullpen spots–Atlee Hammaker and Harry Harper–were returned to minor league camp, along with José Berríos.

That leaves 19 pitchers still in camp, something that will have to be sorted out over the next week or so.

Cliff Lee and Ernie Krueger have been fantastic so far in camp, which is just what a team with Iván Rodríguez and Joe Mauer behind the plate needs. Carlos Ruiz was returned to the minors.

At the corners, things have cleared up a little: Mickey Vernon, Don Baylor, Miguel Sanó, Jeff Cirillo, and Freddie Freeman were all sent down with very strong starts from Al Oliver, Eddie Yost and Buck Jordan keeping their hopes alive. And, at least so far, Beltré is dominating Bell in the contest to be the Sea Dogs’ starting 3B.

Wayne Garrett hits minor league camp while Greg Litton is only around due to the lack of other options at 2B behind Rogers Hornsby and Fred Dunlap (but that was how he stayed on the roster most of last season, so …). Strong starts from Hughie Jennings, Howdy Caton, and Elvis Andrus keeps the field crowded at SS.

The OF remains crowded as well, even with five departures (Charlie Jamieson, Gene Stephens, Wes Parker, Hugh Duffy, and Kiki Cuyler). Oliver has played here, and Chuck Klein has been fantastic at the plate, as has last year’s fourth OF, Jeff Burroughs. With Bobby Murcer seeming a bit slow in CF, the competition for the corner spots is pretty fierce.

Second Cuts

The Sea Dogs staff remains a puzzle, with only Ray Fontenot heading out of camp right now. The other four pitchers who are struggling (Elmer Brown, Mark Melancon, Mike Cuellar, and Bob Porterfield) all performed well last season, but do need to turn it around over the next week or two.

The long national nightmare is over for now, as Greg Litton was jettisoned to the minors, along with Eddie Yost. Tom Satriano was recalled for some 2B depth.

And … that’s it. Chuck Klein, Jeff Burroughs, Al Oliver, and Gary Pettis are hammering the ball and even the worst hitting players (Riggs Stephenson, Ruben Sierra) are doing fine. So that needs to be sorted out.

Third Cuts

Mike Cuellar won 13 games for Portland last year, but has lost all command so far this season and fins himself headed to AAA, along with fellow pitcher Bill Dietrich.

Neither Cliff Lee nor Ernie Krueger has much of a shot at making the team, but with both Iván Rodríguez and Joe Mauer struggling mightily and those two sporting OPS’ over 1.100, they stick around for a while. That performance also may make the Sea Dogs open to astounding offers for either of their top tier backstops.

1B Buck Jordan, SS Elvis Andrus, and OF Riggs Stephenson all head to AAA.

Final Cuts

Tom Satriano heads to the minors as does Ruben Sierra.

It was assumed that Alan Ashby–brought over in the trade with Miami that sent Pudge Rodríguez to the Cuban Giants–would backup Joe Mauer for the Sea Dogs. But Ashby heads to AAA, leaving the reserve C spot still up for grabs between Cliff Lee and Ernie Krueger.

The trade also brought over Paul Molitor, whose presence makes Fred Dunlap a bit redundant, sending him to AAA.

Four cuts were needed to get to 30: P Kris Medlen (who performed quite well this Spring), SS Howdy Caton (who also performed well, but not as well as Hughie Jennings), RP Bob Porterfield (who has struggled mightily, but is a bit of a surprise after his excellent performance last season), and C Ernie Krueger (who has been perhaps the Sea Dogs’ best hitter all Spring, and has rocketed up their prospect charts). This means the much lauded Cliff Lee will slide into the reserve C spot.

Veteran 1B Rafael Palmeiro had an outside chance to make the roster, but a late slump, combined with his being blocked by Gil Hodges and Kent Hrbek, moves Palmeiro to AAA.

Marc Hall and Cliff Markle had marvelous Springs, but in the end the Sea Dogs’ pitching staff was basically set: there was one open spot, and draft pick Walter Ball cemented that.

Draft pick Chuck Klein finished the Spring with a 1.101 OPS … and it wasn’t enough, as incumbent reserve OF Jeff Burroughs ended at 1.142. Klein heads to AAA in search of regular at-bats, with clear expectations of being back in Portland very soon.

The final cut was Hughie Jennings, who had as good a Spring as can be imagined, hitting .459 with 5 steals. But incumbent SS Jim Fregosi is an all star and a Silver Stick winner, and Paul Molitor–part of the high-profile trade of Pudge Rodríguez–can backup Fregosi (as well as 2B and CF).

TWIWBL 55.5: Spring Training Trades

By

On January 25, 2024

In TWIWBL

The first of three trading periods for the WBL is usually marked by teams trying to find the final piece of a championship puzzle.

About half the league decided to stand pat, preferring to wait until the next trading period at the All Star break to see how the season unfolds.

MAJOR TRADES

#The Black Yankees Go For It

That was certainly the case here, as the Black Yankees pulled off a shock blockbuster, obtaining league ERA champion Andy Pettitte from Birmingham. New York sends slugging (but non-starting) OF Albert Belle and two quality arms in Lefty Gomez and young Frank Viola. To make it all work, the Black Barons are adding CF Mickey Rivers and a 3rd Round Draft Pick and the Blank Yankees U Jess Barbour.

Why Birmingham Made The Deal

At 31, Belle has a few years left and immediately goes from a bench role to being a starter and a likely cleanup. Pettitte was magnificent for Birmingham, but with both Jim Whitney and Warren Spahn looking good, the Black Barons believe they have enough pitching depth to absorb his loss and while Gomez may see WBL time this year, the organization is really excited about the long term potential of Viola.

Why New York Made the Deal

Pettitte immediately joins Jack Scott and Ron Guidry to form a leading top of rotation group, and while losing Gomez may hurt, with Dave Righetti, Whitey Ford, AJ Burnett, and Noah Syndergaard all still in camp, the Black Yankees believed they could cover the back end of their rotation.

Belle was never going to start for New York, and this move clears the way for Lou Gehrig and Don Mattingly to be in the lineup every day.

#The Kid Is On the Move

Ottawa sends prized CF prospect Ken Griffey Jr. and a 4th Round Pick to Portland for 3B Adrián Beltré, a 2nd Round Pick, and a trio of prospects (CF Denard Span, and P’s Atlee Hammaker and Pedro Ramos).

Why Ottawa Made the Deal

Simply, Carlos Beltrán, who has grabbed the starting CF job. Combine that with Griffey’s in ability to hit in multiple opportunities with Ottawa and Rick Monday looking like a capable reserve, and suddenly, for all his clear talent, the Kid became expendable. Beltré instantly steps into the starting role at 3B, and the rest of the talent could be useful at some point. This deal also resolves Álex Rodríguez‘ position for the Mounties, keeping him at SS for the time being.

Why Portland Made the Deal

Buddy Bell has 3B locked down, and the team isn’t convinced that Gary Pettis is really set to be an everyday CF. This allows a pseudo-platoon to emerge in CF, and frees Bobby Murcer to play one of the corner slots. For a team looking to win now, the rest of the deal is pretty insignificant.

#Portland Does It Again

The Sea Dogs had been looking to resolve their C situation for a while, knowing they couldn’t hold on to both Joe Mauer and Iván Rodríguez. Preliminary talks with Miami sort of spiraled out of control and ended up with Portland sending Pudge, 3 prospects (OFs Adolis García and Al Oliver and P Jon Matlack), and 2 picks (a 1st and a 4th) to the Cuban Giants for IF Paul Molitor, overall #2 pick Vladimir Guerrero, C Alan Ashby, and a 2nd Round Pick.

Why Portland Made the Deal

The Sea Dogs pick up immediate offense in Molitor, a solid C option to backup Mauer in Ashby, and a top 5 prospect in Guerrero. What’s not to like?

Why Miami Made the Deal

Rodríguez is a long term solve at a needed position (although it may complicate Smoky Burgess‘ future with the club), Oliver looks set for WBL action, and both Matlack and García are decent enough prospects. Add in an overall increase in draft picks for a team that is still rebuilding, and it makes sense. Molitor’s departure also clears up some roster challenges: Martín Dihigo probably takes over at 2B, and it opens up some room for both Cookie Rojas and Bert Campaneris.

OTHER TRANSACTIONS

#Gehringer Goes Home

After being cut by San Francisco last year, Charlie Gehringer almost dropped out of the game. Instead he signed with the House of David and re-established himself as a top IF prospect; prompting Detroit to make a move for the Michigan native. The Wolverines send Claude Osteen and a 1st Round Pick to the House of David for Gehringer and a 3rd.

#Sosa, Too

Sammy Sosa struggled mightily with the House of David, but blossomed after being traded to Memphis. But with Memphis’ OF incredibly crowded, the House of David decided the speedy young OFer was worth another try, sending C Gabby Hartnett, young RP Rollie Fingers, and a 4th Round Pick to the Red Sox for him. Hartnett should solidify one of the weak spots in Memphis’ lineup, while Sosa steps back into a crowded situation with the House of David, presumably pushing Dan Ford into a 4th OF role.

#Turkey Effects

First round draft pick Turkey Stearnes has locked up the CF job for San Francisco suddenly making the Sea Lions’ OF over-crowded. They addressed this by shipping Pedro Guerrero to Brooklyn for Watty Clark. Clark was one of the best closers in the league last season, but seems destined for the rotation at some point while Guerrero immediately becomes one of the better bats in the Royal Giants’ lineup. Brooklyn threw in reserve OFer Matt Holliday to make the deal work.

#Minor Swaps

Memphis sent veteran OF David Justice, prospect Ozzie Albies, and a 2nd Round Pick to Birmingham for 2 prospects, Bill Buckner and Joe Rudi.

Two players blocked in their organizations got new opportunities, with Indianapolis sending SS Dave Concepción (blocked by Denis Menke and Barry Larkin) to the New York Gothams for SP Sad Sam Jones, who looked unlikely to make the Gothams’ roster, but may vie for a spot in the ABC’s 6 man circus. Indianapolis sent a 3rd Round Pick with the Gothams sending back a 4th to make it all work.

TWIWBL 14.0: May 17th Indy League Update – High Indy

By

On August 19, 2021

In TWIWBL, WBL Minor Leagues

{ On the 17th of each month, we’ll take a look at the Independent Leagues, a three-tier system with promotion and relegation. Transactions are allowed between the Independent Leagues and the WBL teams. }

The Low and Mid Indy Leagues have barely started their seasons, but the High Indy League is about 40 games in. The High Indy is a 16 team league, where the bottom 4 teams are relegated each year.

The standings are a remarkable mess, with a very clear cause: the Durham Bulls are 2-38 on the season.

Two wins. And thirty-eight losses.

That allows four teams to have either 26 or 27 wins, with the Tampa Bay Tarpons, at 27-13, the best of the lot.

Durham has struggled through with a highly compromised pitching staff, including two hurlers–Dustin Hermanson and Euel Moore–who have been thrown out almost every day, and allowed to rack up ERA’s over 25. Hermanson is 1-12, Moore 0-9. Clearly, the league needs to intervene with the management here.

The team has had some decent offensive performers, especially in the OF from Mike A. Marshall and Whitey Witt, but also from the two-way wonder that is Kevin Seitzer. Seitzer is slashing 294/328/514 as a 3B, and is also 0-1 with a save (remember, they have 2 wins all year) as the Bulls’ closer.

Durham’s woes may be addressed, as the WBL’s New York Gothams have sent them five players–four pitchers and SS Davy Force–in exchange for young Freddie Fitzsimmons. As part of the resulting roster juggling, the Gotham’s waived Ken Boyer.

#Top Performers

Curt Motton of the Minneapolis Millers has been far and away the best player in the High Indy League, slashing along at 379/485/793 with 16 homeruns. Motton has created 2.9 WAR, better than the next-best batters by 0.7. In fact, only 3 other players–Al Oliver, Jim Landis, and Heinie Wagner–are over 2.0 WAR.

Oliver, only 23 years old, is attracting some interest from WBL teams with his 356/409/671 line, as is 22 year old 1B Freddie Freeman (351/471/623).

An all league team might look something like this:

C: Darrin Fletcher (Tampa Bay). 374/429/661.
1B: Freddie Freeman (Calgary). 351/471/623.
2B: Heinie Wagner (Lexington). 370/424/580.
3B: Matt Williams (Venice). 342/390/639.
SS: Kristopher Negron (Toledo). 303/357/620.
LF: Curt Motton (Minneapolis). 379/485/793.
CF: Al Oliver (Dallas). 356/409/671.
RF: Gene Woodling (Denver). 368/472/618.

SP: Jack Powell (Tampa Bay). 5-1, 2.04; Vito Tamulis (Venice) 2-1, 2.30; Jerry Reuss (Jacksonville) 6-1, 2.32; Jack Harshman (Denver) 6-2, 3.15.
RP: Bruce Dal Canton (Toledo) 0-1, 11 Sv, 2.08; Mike Harkey (Dallas) 0-1, 2 Sv, 1.53; Bobby Seay (Oakland) 0-1, 1 Sv, 1.77 ERA.

If limited to true prospects for WBL teams–say, players 25 and under–it would look like this (age in parens):

C: Fletcher (22).
1B: Freeman (22).
2B: Bill Doran (Boston, 24). 353/421/520.
3B: Williams (25).
SS: Don Buddin (24, Lexington). 233/350/451.
LF: Dick Wakefield (22, Calgaray). 313/386/607.
CF: Oliver (23).
RF: Nelson Cruz (24, Tampa Bay). 288/393/568.

#Boomer Report

George Scott is 4-for-8 with 3 homeruns since being traded to the Boston Pilgrims.

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