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Year II Season Preview: Kansas City Monarchs

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On April 7, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

This team was so lost last season, that anything could feel like progress. But a .500 finish would be a start.

Best Case

Bob Gibson explodes onto the scene and additional quality arms are found somewhere while the offense continues to build around the core of Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Willie McGee, and Boog Powell.

Worst Case

This turns into the worst pitching staff in the league and the offense just can’t compensate enough, especially if Pujols doesn’t make a step forward.

Key Questions

  • Who is going to fill out the rotation and the bullpen?
  • 3B looks unsettled.
  • How does the competition between Ducky Medwick and Steve Evans pan out?

Trade Bait

Not enough talent to really be active.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CSimmonsRuel
1BPowellMurphy
2BCanóFrisch
3BPujols
SSSmith
LF/
RF		MusialBrock
Evans
Medwick		Rettenmund
CFMcGee
SPHamlinCastilloRijo
Wood		Gibson
Morris
EndKimbrelPfefferDiPino
RPA.R. Foster
Guardado
Hermanson
Shawkey
New Addition | Injured

It’s all pretty much apparent there: the offense, especially Albert Pujols, needs to shift left and the need for something positive to happen on the mound for the Monarchs to take a step forward. Gibson and A. Rube Foster becoming at least solid would be a huge boon.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerU Dale Murphy1B Andre Thornton
Batting EyeC Muddy RuelOF Fielder Jones
ContactOF Stan MusialIF Dave Cash
Running SpeedOF Lou Brock
CF Willie McGee		OF Cool Papa Bell
OF Jarrod Dyson
U Rex Hudler
CF Omar Moreno
Base StealingOF Lou BrockOF Jarrod Dyson
IF DefenseIF Albert PujolsIF Sam Mongin
OF DefenseOF Stan MusialOF Fielder Jones
StuffP Smokey Joe WoodP Larry French
ControlSP Luke HamlinP Jimmy Key
VelocityRP Craig KimbrelP Giovanny Gallegos
P Darren O’Day
P Trevor Rosenthal

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (1)21OFWade Johnston
2 (6)23PA. Rube Foster
3 (7)20OFCool Papa Bell
4 (11)25PJock Menefee
5 (35)18IFCarlos Baerga
6 (41)21PMatt Morris
7 (83)22IFSam Mongin
8 (97)22IFDink Mothel
9 (100)25OFMerv Rettenmund
10 (116)18CJohnny Bassler
Others: OFs Heliodoro Hidalgo, Earl Averill; IFs Dave Cash, Kolten Wong; Ps Bill Singer, Larry French.

Clearly one of the deeper systems in the league, but one that has some complications: Bell and Johnston are blocked, Morris is injured, and only Foster will start the season with the Monarchs. But the scouts are drooling over all these guys, and 9 in the top 100 is pretty incredible–and that doesn’t even include top draft pick Hilton Smith.

MostLeast
AgeIF Jim Davenport, 37C Johnny Bassler, 18
IF Carlos Baerga, 18
HeightP Adam Russell, 6’8″OF Heliodoro Hidalgo, 5’6″
OPSOF Stan Musial, .972 (WBL)C Salvador Pérez, .572 (WBL)
HROF Merv Rettenmund, 28 (WBL/AAA)C Muddy Ruel, 0 (—)
SBOF Lou Brock, 49 (WBL)Many with 0
WAROF Merv Rettenmund, 5.4 (WBL/AAA)IF Ivy Olson, -1.4 (—)
WSheriff Blake, 16 (—)AJ Schugel, 1 (—)
Félix Hernández, 1 (WBL/AAA/AA)
SVAdam Russell, 25 (WBL/AAA)
ERASheriff Blake, 2.27 (—)Dustin Hermanson, 15.35 (—)
WARSheriff Blake, 5.2 (—)AJ Schugel, -3.9 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.11: Spring Training Notes – Kansas City Monarchs

By

On February 28, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

Figuring out the staff is challenge number one. 2 second round picks–Matt Morris and Jack Quinn–have a shot at making the staff depending on their performance this Spring.

Injuries

Jim Bibby‘s hopes of making the team were dashed by a trip to the DL. Merv Rettenmund will miss about a month with a back injury, which is a shame, as he was making a strong case for a reserve OF spot.

First Cuts

Well … the pitching staff remains a bit of a mystery. Jim Bibby is hurt and Rube Marquard and Sheriff Blake were sent down, but other than that the competition for the starting slots remains tough: Bill Singer and Bob Shawkey have yet to give up a run and Félix Hernández and Rube Foster are better than their numbers may indicate. Larry French, Boone Logan, and Matt Thornton were also returned to minor league camp, at least reducing some of the bullpen congestion.

With that many pitchers still in camp, the Monarchs only moved one C to their minor leagues, Johnny Bassler. 1Bs Daryl Sconiers and Andre Thornton have forced their way into the conversation at 1B, especially as the two incumbents–Boog Powell and Albert Pujols–are struggling mightily to start camp. Over at the hot corner, though, a small handful of players have played their way out of camp: Heliodoro Hidalgo, Ken Boyer, Bill Bradley, and Gene Freese were all sent down, with Carlos Baerga barely holding on.

In the middle infield, the competition has been fierce with Dave Cash, Keston Hiura, and Frankie Frisch all hitting well and only Kolten Wong not showing enough to stick around.

Earl Averill‘s talent is undeniable, but his performance sent him back to the minors for a time. Neither Fielder Jones nor Cool Papa Bell have hit a lick so far, so the backup CF spot is still up for grabs. The surprises of the Spring so far have been Jim King and Merv Rettenmund, who are making strong arguments for a roster spot.

Second Cuts

Trevor Rosenthal has pitched as well as someone who has given up 12 hits in under 4 innings can, and remains in camp despite an ERA over 12.00. Félix Hernández and Jock Menefee weren’t as lucky, being reassigned to the minors.

C John Bateman was reassigned, and Salvador Pérez is in danger of losing his backup position with an OPS of .220 so far. Teenager Carlos Baerga and Sam Mongin were both demoted, leaving the Monarchs without a true 3B in camp.

OFers Fielder Jones and Tommy McCarthy were sent down as well, clearing the way for Cool Papa Bell to make the team as Willie McGee‘s backup in CF.

3rd Cuts

Even before the day off, the Monarchs had seen enough: something is wrong with Trevor Rosenthal. After a solid season last year, Rosenthal has been absolutely torched so far this Spring, giving up 15 hits in 4.1 innings and an ERA over 16. Rosenthal should figure it out, but he’ll start in minor league camp.

Muddy Ruel is really pushing to break camp ahead of Salvador Pérez as Ted Simmons‘ backup at C.

The rest of the roster remains a bit muddled, other than Cool Papa Bell and Keston Hiura being sent to AAA. The challenge is not unusual: presumed starters are struggling (Albert Pujols, Robinson Canó) and longshots to make the team are hammering the ball (Daryl Sconiers, Edgar Rentería, Jim King). Add Dale Murphy starting to come good on his promise, and there are still significant cuts to be made.

Final Cuts

Bill Singer must be wondering what he has to do to get an extended shot in the WBL. He’s only 20, so he’ll have some more chances, but for now he’ll ply his trade at AAA after a solid showing this Spring.

In a bit of a surprise, Muddy Ruel has beaten incumbent Salvador Pérez for the backup C job with the Monarchs, at least for now, with Pérez being moved to AAA.

The Monarchs are delaying some harder choices by sending RP Andrew Bailey to AAA. One of those is at 1B where young Daryl Sconiers refuses to stop pounding the ball in Spring Training. This has sent Andre Thornton to AAA, despite the veteran showing some nice pop at the plate. Sconiers is still likely to join him, but for now he’s remaining in big league camp.

Jack Rowe had a solid year last season behind Ozzie Smith, but he’ll have to work his way back from AAA this year, with Edgar Rentería looking likely to be Smith’s backup. OF Merv Rettenmund was placed on the DL.

The choice with Sconiers is mirrored by the choice with Jim King. Both have torn the cover off the ball all Spring, but both are really vying for a fringe roster spot with the Monarchs. Here, Sconiers’ age worked against him, as the Monarchs moved him to AAA for more regular playing time.

The Monarchs ducked one decision by placing Matt Morris on the DL. Bob Shawkey beat out Adam Wainwright for one spot on the staff.

The final 3 cuts were pretty brutal. Jim King, Edgar Rentería, and Dave Cash did absolutely everything asked of them all Spring, leading the team in most offensive measures and showing decent defensive versatility. In the end, Frankie Frisch‘s ability to play SS and the desire of the Monarchs to see if Dale Murphy can deliver on his Spring performance sent all three to the minors.

Season Review: Kansas City Monarchs

By

On December 8, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

66 - 88, .428 pct.
5th in Cum Posey Division, 25 games behind.

Overall

What a miserable year for the Monarchs. They were expected to contend, and just collapsed, despite the presence of some elite offensive players (most notably, of course, Stan Musial).

They converted some key veteran talent into a lot of pieces, so perhaps the franchise can bounce back quickly, but for now they rival the Black Yankees for the biggest disappointment in the league.

What Went Right

The offensive core of this team is very solid. At 22, Stan Musial spent most of the season on the fringes of the MVP discussion and at 21, Albert Pujols showed the kind of potential that could put him there. Even though both hit late season slumps, Boog Powell and Ducky Medwick were both solid, and Lou Brock and Willie McGee were virtually interchangeable, each with OPS’ around .810 and over 40 steals. Add in Ted Simmons‘ above-average production as a C, and the Monarchs should continue to score runs for a while.

Steve Evans never stopped hitting, demanding a closer look with the team next year.

Luke Hamlin had some of the most dominant starts in the league. Bob Gibson and Adam Wainwright both showed some serious potential and Jeff Pfeffer impressed as a closer–a challenge on a team that was very rarely close at the end of games. Craig Kimbrel and Trevor Rosenthal were good out of the pen as well.

ALL STAR SELECTIONS
2B Rogers Hornsby; OF Stan Musial; SP Andy Pettitte

What Went Wrong

Robinson Canó cooled off after seeming to step directly into Rogers Hornsby‘s shoes. Ozzie Smith was the worst offensive performer in the league to qualify for the batting crown (although, it must be said, he was in the argument for the gold glove at SS).

Ultimately, the team lacked pop. They hit for average, but at the end of the day, there was a bit too much of the McGee / Brock, base-at-a-time model.

Luke Hamlin had some of the worst starts in the league, and the rest of the staff ranged from inconsistent to horrible.

A lot of top tier talent–most notably Hornsby and Andy Pettitte–was traded away.

Trade Evaluations

March

OF Jim Edmonds to House of David for IF Robinson Canó

Sure.

June

2B Rogers Hornsby, OF Vince Coleman & 4th Round Pick to Portland for P Smoky Joe Wood and C Devin Mesoraco

Troubling. Wood struggled a lot, although he is only 20, and Mesoraco is likely never more than a backup backstop.

July

P Connie Johnson & 5th Round Pick to Baltimore for OF Merv Rettenmund, P Gene Garber & 2nd Round Pick {Jack Quinn}

Johnson has a world championship ring, so we’re happy for him for that. Maybe Garber turns into something?

P Andy Pettitte to Birmingham for C Dale Murphy, P A. Rube Foster, 2nd Round Pick {Matt Morris}, 5th Round Pick {Heliodoro Hidalgo}

Absolute steal, just about makes up for the rest. Pettitte was fantastic for Birmingham, and won the ERA crown, but Murphy has the scouts drooling, even if C is unlikely to be his final home, and A. Rube Foster has a great arm.

Looking Forward

SP

The future holds Bob Gibson, Adam Wainwright, and A. Rube Foster, which could be excellent. Pair that with José Rijo and a resurgent Smoky Joe Wood and the rotation could be quite strong. Could be.

RP

Craig Kimbrel and Jeff Pfeffer are strong, and there is some talent–Gene Garber, Jeff Reardon–behind them.

C

Ted Simmons has this locked for a while, and between Devin Mesocoro and Salvador Pérez, there is some depth as well.

1B

On the one hand there is no real claim here; on the other Albert Pujols, Dale Murphy, and even Stan Musial will probably drift towards this as well.

2B

Canó is possible, but there is hope that he gets some competition from the group of Kolten Wong, Dave Cash, and Frankie Frisch.

3B

Albert Pujols for now, but this may be an area of need down the road.

SS

Ozzie Smith for a while, at least as long as his defense compensates for his weak bat.

LF

Lou Brock looks solid here.

CF

Willie McGee was great this year, and there are hopes that Cool Papa Bell emerges here eventually–but can a team really succeed with both Brock and Bell?

RF

Stan Musial forever.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

A difficult choice. With the #3 overall pick, the Monarchs took a player who was a bit of a surprise, but also counts as a franchise selection, SP Hilton Smith. Smith sort of fit just right: he’ll help sooner than, say, Clayton Kershaw, but has a higher ceiling than most other pitching prospects.

With 3 picks in the 2nd round, the Monarchs started with the player least likely to stick around for a while, CF Earl Averill. It’s not clear how Averill fits into Kansas City’s plans, but his talent is undeniable. They followed that with 22 year old P Matt Morris, who (a) is a franchise pick and (b) may fight for a rotation spot this season. Finally, they added 25 year old Jack Quinn, who may join Morris at the WBL next season.

In the 3rd round, the Monarchs picked up IF Carlos Baerga, clearly believing that by the time he is ready for the majors, their 2B/3B situation will be clearer.

Rounds 5-8

Kansas City is looking to add some specific positional depth, specifically at 1B, SS, and CF.

With their final franchise exception, they take Heliodoro Hidalgo, who should help at CF. That begins to limit their options, making OF Wade Johnston a reasonable choice in round 6 and IF Polly Mongin a good fit in round 7. OF Ray Blades joins in the 8th round for some more OF depth.

Rounds 9-12

IF Dink Mothel; P Doug Bair; P Giovanny Gallegos; and P Larry French.

TWIWBL 46.3: Series XXXVIII Notes – September 12th (Day 4 of 4)

By

On August 30, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

The only thing left to play for is the final seeding of the Marvin Miller Division, where Birmingham–having clinched their playoff spot the day prior–is a game behind the Portland Sea Dogs.

Other than that, look for a final chance for late season call ups to make their impressions.

#Playoff Seeding

4 hits and 2 homeruns from Bob Nieman helped Birmingham take care of business, beating Philadelphia 7-2. The victory leaves the Black Barons 1/2 game behind Portland in the Marvin Miller Division, making the Sea Dogs final game of the season against the New York Gothams a meaningful one.

While Portland took an early 2-0 lead, they were unable to hold on, and their regular season ended in the oddest way: a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th to Carl Furillo plated the winning run for the Gothams. Carson Smith, Mike Norris, and Steve Howe combine for 4 scoreless innings after a strong start from Don Sutton, with Smith improving to 3-0.

Which means Portland and Birmingham will meet in a 1-game playoff to determine the winner of the Marvin Miller Division.

#Everything Else

Miami’s Jim Thome hit the longest homerun in WBL history–526 feet and 1 foot longer than the prior record, held by Kansas City’s Albert Pujols–to lead the Cuban Giants to a 7-2 win over Homestead. Homestead’s Babe Adams got another few swings at DH and made the most of them, hitting his first career dinger. The win went to an effective José Méndez, and Miami’s Bert Campaneris made his pitching debut with 2 innings of 1-hit relief.

Rickey Henderson‘s quest for 100 steals fell one short, as he stole 2 and was caught once in the Sea Lions final game, a 4-3 defeat by Indianapolis, who used a walk off single from Joe Morgan to earn their 73rd and final victory of the season.

Like Baltimore needed more pitching: the Black Sox gave the ball to Milt Pappas for their final regular season game more to rest the rest of their staff than anything else. Pappas responded with a 5 hit shutout of Kansas City. Ken Singleton had 2 hits and 2 RBIs in the 3-0 victory.

The American Giants didn’t really mind the 9-1 loss to Brooklyn to close out their season; they were, however, hoping to escape with their playoff roster unscathed. Instead, teenage OF Cristóbal Torriente pulled up lame with a sore hamstring, and will miss about 3 weeks of action.

Mike Trout had 2 hits and reached the 100 RBI plateau, but Los Angeles fell to Memphis, 8-4. Mookie Betts had 3 hits and 2 RBI for the Red Sox, who overcame a substandard outing from Stubby Overmire in the win.

Series XXVIII Featured Series: Cleveland Spiders @ Kansas City Monarchs

By

On March 10, 2023

In Featured Games, Featured Series

Series preview here.

#Game 1: Pat Malone @ Bob Gibson

Early on, it didn’t look good for either Cleveland’s Pat Malone‘s attempt at his 12th win of the year or for Kansas City’s Bob Gibson looking to establish himself in the Monarchs’ rotation.

Louis Santop tripled in Jake Stahl and scored on a groundout from Chuck Knoblauch to give the Spiders a lead in the top of the 2nd, but the game would be tight for a while as Lou Brock doubled in Robinson Canó and scored on a sacrifice fly from Frankie Frisch to tie it up.

Cleveland would retake the lead with a leadoff double from Johnny Bates and an RBI single from John Ellis, but again Kansas City would respond as an error in RF by Ron Blomberg allowed Boog Powell to score, and an RBI single from Canó gave the Monarchs their first lead, at 4-3.

Gibson would be chased in the 5th, surrendering 3 doubles and a walk to the first four batters, with Ellis driving in 1 and Stahl 2. Trevor Rosenthal came in and promptly gave away the store: 4 walks and an HBP and by the end of the inning, the Spiders were ahead, 9-4.

Malone had settled down at this point, and with the Monarchs’ getting a nice effort from Rube Marquard, the game stayed the same until the top of the 9th, when Marquard’s stuff ran out with Sammy Strang driving in 2 and Kenny Lofton 1. That made it 12-4, which was the final tally.

Malone is now tied for the league lead in victories. Ted Simmons had 3 hits for the Monarchs in a losing cause.

CLE 12 (Malone 12-5) @ KCM 4 (Gibson 0-2)
HRs: none.
Box Score

#Game 2: Bill Steen @ Luke Hamlin

A wild pitch by Cleveland’s Bill Steen allowed Ted Simmons (who had tripled) to score in the bottom of the 2nd. Steen walked 3 in the inning, but got Boog Powell to ground out, limiting the Monarchs to a single run.

Steen continued to struggle with his control, but made it through 5 innings only surrendering the 1 run.

You never know which Luke Hamlin will show up for Kansas City. This was the good one, as he spun a 2-hit shutout through 5 innings. The Monarchs do know which Louis Santop shows up, though, as the 19 year old continues to make a name for himself. Here, in the bottom of the 6th, his snap throw to first picked off Ozzie Smith, who had walked.

John Ellis led off the 7th with a double, and moved to 3rd on a single from Lance Berkman, chasing Hamlin from the mound. Santop tied the game with a sacrifice fly, but Frank DiPino was able to get out of the inning without further damage.

Cleveland fans love to disparage Sammy Strang, but the 3B has had a decent year, especially in terms of getting on base. Power has been an issue, but here he led off the 8th with his 2nd homerun of the year, putting the Spiders up, 2-1. The lead was short-lived, as consecutive pinch-hits by Steve Evans and Jack Rowe tied it up in the bottom of the 8th. Ron Reed, who was shaky all inning, got Stan Musial to fly out with 2 on, leaving the game tied heading into the 9th.

And it stayed that way, sending us to extra innings.

In the top of the 11th, Berkman chipped a one-out single into RF, and was replaced by Bill Dahlen. Dahlen moved to second on the 2nd out of the inning and scored on a single by Chuck Knoblauch.

The Monarchs tried to duplicate the pattern: Musial opened the inning with a hit, and was replaced by the pinch-running Frankie Frisch. Terry Adams walked Albert Pujols, prompting Cleveland to go to their bullpen for Bob Feller. Feller could not do it: Ducky Medwick, who had 3 hits on the day, drove home a run with a single, and Willie McGee won the game with a sacrifice fly to deep LF.

CLE 3 (Adams 2-6; Feller 1 B Sv) @ KCM 4 (Pfeffer 5-2; DiPino 2 B Sv) [11 Innings]
HRs: CLE – Strang (2); KCM – none.
Box Score

#Game 3: Stan Coveleski @ Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright has been struggling of late, and it continued, although he escaped damage until the 3rd, when Ron Blomberg singled in a run. John Ellis drove in a 2nd with a sacrifice fly giving the Spiders an early 2-0 lead. Wainwright settled down until Blomberg took him deep in the top of the 6th, increasing Cleveland’s lead to 3-0 and forcing Kansas City to bring in Joe Blong from the pen.

That didn’t work so well: Blong gave up a walk and 5 consecutive hits, pushing the lead to 6-0 and bringing in Adam Russell in relief, who gave up a sacrifice fly before bringing the inning to a close.

Stan Coveleski, on the other hand, went to the bottom of the 6th with the 7-0 lead nursing a 4-hit shutout. The shutout lasted into the 7th, when Lou Brock took Coveleski deep.

Each team added a run, but the outcome was never really in doubt. Blomberg ended with 4 hits for Cleveland while Willie McGee and Brock had 3 hits each for Kansas City in the losing cause.

CLE 8 (Coveleski 11-2) @ KCM 4 (Wainwright 1-5)
HRs: CLE – Blomberg (32); KCM – Brock (9).
Box Score

#Game 4: Cy Young @ Frank Castillo

Neither Cy Young nor Frank Castillo were very good, with each team scoring in the first frame. Cleveland used doubles from Ron Blomberg and Kenny Lofton and Kansas City RBI singles from Stan Musial and Robinson Canó, and we came out of the first inning with the Spiders leading, 3-2.

But, despite allowing a lot of traffic, only one more run crossed the plate until a 3-run shot by Lance Berkman made it 7-2 in favor of Cleveland in the top of the 7th.

Kansas City made it close with a 2 run single from Albert Pujols and a 2 run jack from Ducky Medwick making it a 1-run game at 7-6, but the Spiders’ Terry Adams pitched a perfect 9th for his 25th save giving Cleveland the 3-1 edge in the series.

CLE 7 (Young 9-7; Adams 25 Sv; Porter 11 H) @ KCM 6 (Castillo 6-9)
HRs: CLE – Berkman (8); KCM – Medwick (11).
Box Score

Series XXVIII Preview: Cleveland Spiders @ Kansas City Monarchs

By

On March 7, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

We focused on the Cleveland Spiders in Series VII and Series XIX and on the Kansas City Monarchs way back when in Series VIII and Series X. Since then, a lot has changed: Cleveland sits atop the Effa Manley Division and Kansas City has, effectively, given up on the early promise of their season.

Cleveland Spiders

The Spiders have a 4.5 game lead heading into August, and have gone from “a decent enough team” to a favorite to make the post-season. They’ve retooled their infield, bringing in Arky Vaughan, but will continue to depend on excellent starting pitching and a balanced offense to carry them through.

On the mound, they’ve lost Whit Wyatt, which will hurt, but the trio of Cy Young (8-7, 4.68), Pat Malone (11-5, 3.84), and Stan Coveleski (10-2, 3.55) has been excellent (if, in Young’s case, a bit erratic), and the back of the bullpen–closer Terry Adams (24 saves) and the duo of Cory Gearrin and Chuck Porter–is as good as there is. Ron Reed has struggled some since being brought in at the all-star break, which is something to watch, as is the progress of Bob Feller, recently recalled from AAA.

Offensively, it’s all about Ron Blomberg, who leads the team across the board with a 338/407/649 slash line, 31 homeruns, 80 runs scored, and 87 RBIs. Jake Stahl and John Ellis have been spectacular, and Johnny Bates, Chuck Knoblauch, Louis Santop, and Lance Berkman (slashing 287/439/500 since arriving in Cleveland) excellent. If Vaughan can have a similar impact to Berkman, the Spiders may be spinning a web towards a championship.

Kansas City Monarchs

The Monarchs may have a huge impact on the postseason through the talent they’ve let go: Rogers Hornsby (Portland), Andy Pettitte (Birmingham), and Connie Johnson (Baltimore) all have shot at dramatically impacting their new homes fortune in the postseason.

The team that remains is still solid. The occasionally-brilliant Luke Hamlin leads the starters with 7 wins, and there is literally no ceiling on what Bob Gibson may do now that he’s part of the rotation. Jeff Pfeffer has 15 saves, and the bullpen has been strong getting him the ball.

Stan Musial leads the offense, slashing 332/391/594 with 21 homeruns. Albert Pujols is tied with Musial in RBIs with 77, and second in homeruns with 17. Boog Powell has been quietly spectacular, with an OBP over 400. Throw in Ducky Medwick, Robinson Canó, and Willie McGee, and this offense will continue to score runs.

Projected Starters

Cleveland’s starter listed first.

Pat Malone (11-5, 3.84) @ Bob Gibson (0-1, 3.68)
Bill Steen (8-2, 3.83) @ Luke Hamlin (7-9, 5.04)
Mel Harder (3-1, 3.95) @ Rube Marquard (4-9, 6.12)
Stan Coveleski (10-2, 3.55) @ Adam Wainwright (1-4, 5.70)

Prediction

The strengths of each team collide head-on: Cleveland’s starting pitching against the Monarchs’ bats. But Cleveland can hit a bit, too, so I think they take 3 out of 4.

Series XXV Best Games

By

On January 25, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Some very nice see-saw rides in series XXV.

San Francisco Sea Lions @ Portland Sea Dogs, Game 4

The conclusion of the clash of the sea creatures did not disappoint …

The Sea Lions scored in the first in typical fashion: Rickey Henderson bunted for a base hit, stole 2nd, moved to 3rd on a single by Bobby Bonds, and scored on a sacrifice fly from Pedro Guerrero. The 1-0 lead held until the bottom of the fifth, when Rogers Hornsby scored Kent Hrbek with a double into the gap.

Guerrero scored Bonds for a 2-1 lead, but it was short-lived, as a Bobby Murcer triple scored Harry Hooper and Iván Rodríguez, putting Portland up, 3-2. Portland looked in good shape at that point, good enough that Gary Pettis replaced Murcer in CF for better defense. Well, perhaps not only defense: after a horrid start to the year, Pettis has pushed his average well over .300.

San Francisco would tie the game in the top of the 9th in a decidedly unexpected way. With one out, John Beckwith, who is barely retaining his spot on the roster, pinch hit for Jimmy Bloodworth and singled. Phil Garner pinch ran for Beckwith and, after a walk to Sal Bando, light-hitting Miguel Cairo, forced to remain in the game for defensive purposes, doubled home the tying run off Portland’s Elmer Brown.

And there it stayed, until the 15th inning. San Francisco had turned the game over to Charlie Root, Portland to José Muñoz, and each were excellent. Mickey Cochrane–much maligned and in danger of losing his job–singled to lead off the 15th. Portland had nobody on the bench to pinch-run–or catch in the bottom of the frame–so Cochrane stayed in the game, moving to 2nd on a wild pitch by Muñoz and to third on a groundout. He scored on a single from Garner, and Root closed it out.

SFS 4 (Root 5-4) @ POR 3 (Muñoz 3-5; Brown 1 BSv; Cuellar 8 H) [15 Innings]
HRs: none.
Box Score

Homestead Grays @ Memphis Red Sox, Game 1

Willie Stargell led off the top of the 2nd with a solo homerun to kick off the scoring and while a 2-RBI double from Billy Bryan put Memphis ahead briefly, Stargell would do the same in the 4th, leading off with a homerun which, combined with an RBI groundout from Arky Vaughan that scored Chief Wilson, tied the game at 3. The teams would trade runs until, in th ebottom of the 5th, Ted Williams sent one deep to put Memphis up by 2, 6-4.

And then the Grays exploded, with a bases-clearing double from Stargell and a 2-run shot from Wilson putting Homestead up, 10-6. Each team would add a run, and Homestead would head to the bottom of the 9th, up 11-7. Should be safe, right? Especially with their closer, Michael Jackson, on the mound.

Wade Boggs doubled to start the inning, Williams walked, and Bill White doubled, scoring Boggs. Josh Lindblom promptly uncorked a wild pitch, scoring Williams and, when David Justice reached on an error from Homestead’s CF, Andrew McCutcheon, scoring White, the score was 11-10 with no outs. Manny Ramírez singled, but a fantastic throw from Rick Reichardt nailed Justice at the plate. Lindblom retired Bryan and Reggie Smith on flyouts, and the Grays squeaked through with a game that looked well in hand.

Boggs, Stargell, and Wilson each had 4 hits, with Pops driving in 5 and scoring 4.

HOM 11 (Pierce 1-2; Giusti 1 H) @ MEM 10 (Gibson 0-1; Callahan 1 BSv)
HRs: HOM – Stargell 2 (18), Wilson (8); MEM – Williams (19)
Box Score

Kansas City Monarchs @ New York Black Yankees, Game 2

New York’s Ron Guidry keeps putting in good performances to little results: in this one, he went 7 innings, giving up only 1 run. He was matched by a trio of Monarchs’ arms as Smokey Joe Wood (injured in the 4th), Joe Blong, and Trevor Rosenthal combined to also allow 1 run through 7.

And then the bullpens collapsed–expected for the Black Yankees, but a surprise for Kansas City. First, New York’s Goose Gossage and Gary Lavelle combine to give up 3 runs in the top of the 8th, with the key hits being 2-out RBI’s from Stan Musial and Ducky Medwick. But Craig Kimbrel was equally weak for the Monarchs, giving up back-to-back doubles to Eric Davis and Thurman Munson to start the frame, and a 2-run homerun to Don Mattingly to give the Black Yankees a 5-4 lead.

But no lead is safe for New York: Lavelle gave up a single, a walk, and an error to tie the game, and Ralph Citarella gave up a go-ahead single to Albert Pujols. Kansas City’s Jeff Pfeffer had no such struggles, picking up his 12th save in closing the game out.

KCM 6 (Kimbrel 3-2, 2 BSv; Pfeffer 12 Sv) @ NYY 5 (Lavelle 0-3)
HRs: KCM – none; NYY – Mattingly (20).
Box Score

Ottawa Mounties @ Los Angeles Angels, Game 3

A successful suicide squeeze from Jim Stephens scored Anthony Rendon for Ottawa, tying the game at 1 in the top of the 4th. In the next inning, Rendon would single in a run before Larry Parrish went deep with a 3-run blast to put the Mounties up, 5-1. The Angels would roar back, taking a 7-5 lead behind RBI hits from Don Buford, Bobby Grich, Mike Trout, and Carlos Delgado.

But Ottawa doesn’t fold as easily as they did earlier in the season, with George Van Haltren sending Francisco Rodríguez‘ 4th pitch of the ballgame into the bleachers for a 3-run homerun, putting the Mounties back on top, 8-7. Ted Bowsfield, Steve Howe, and Ryan Dempster closed the game out with 3.1 hitless innings.

OTT 8 (Bowsfield 5-2; Dempster 4 Sv; Dubiel 2 BSv; Howe 4 H) @ LAA 7 (Rodríguez 3-2, 1 BSv)
HRs: OTT – Parrish (2), Van Haltren (2); LAA – none.
Box Score

Miami Cuban Giants @ Brooklyn Royal Giants, Game 4

Brooklyn’s Frank Knauss has been great all year. Miami’s Roenis Eliás less so. But they matched frame for frame in this one, each tossing 7.1 IP while allowing only 3 hits and 1 run. The game remained tied at 1 into the 10th, when Miami’s closer Aroldis Chapman was left in to pitch a second inning. He gave up a walk to Art Griggs, a single to Duke Farrell, and a walk to Al López. That brought José Méndez in from the pen for the Cuban Giants … who promptly gave up a walkoff, grand slam shot to Beals Becker.

MCG 1 (Chapman 4-3) @ BRG 5 (Gagne 4-4) [10 Innings]
HRs: MCG – Canseco (24); BRG – Becker (16).
Box Score

TWIWBL 24.9: Mid-Season Reviews – Kansas City Monarchs

By

On March 4, 2022

In Team News, TWIWBL

Summary

What a disappointment. And, perhaps more due to luck than anything else, as the Monarchs have underperformed their Pythagorean projection by a whopping 7 games. They are currently 8 games under .500 and 12 games off the pace.

What’s Gone Right

M&M&M. Stan Musial is only 21, and is leading the team offensively. ‘Nuff said. Willie McGee is one of the better CFs in the league, and Ducky Medwick has been fantastic since his callup from AAA.

The Bullpen. Closer Jeff Pfeffer, setup man Craig Kimbrel, and long reliever Connie Johnson have been among the best in the league. Johnson will move into the rotation after the break.

The Corners. Boog Powell and Albert Pujols have been excellent at 1B and 3B.

What’s Gone Wrong

Consistency. Especially from Luke Hamlin, who has some of the most dominant performances in the league, yet overall has an ERA over 5.00 and a losing record, but also more is needed from Frank Castillo and Rube Marquard.

Health. Both Andy Pettitte and Adam Wainwright are out at the moment, although Pettitte–arguably their best SP on the year–should be back after the break.

Gene Freese. Gene Freese was expected to solidify the IF, instead he’s basically blocked playing time for better players while hitting poorly.

Key Storylines

There is some great offense here, the challenge is for the pitching to come through. They are so far behind, however, that the Monarchs may decide to cash in some of their veterans–Rogers Hornsby most notably, but perhaps also Johnson and Pettitte and Medwick.

Trading Outlook

SELLING.

The question is how deep does it go. Hornsby may be the most valuable player available in the league, but Matt Kemp, Jack Rowe, and Medwick could all be useful as well.

AAA Shuttle

Medwick has been great since his recall, as has Robinson Canó–which may even open the door for Hornsby (33) to be traded away.

Midseason Changes

Johnson joins the rotation and Bob Gibson is recalled from AAA–once again–for the #5 spot.

Freese is likely to head to AAA in favor of Frankie Frisch.

Awards

All Stars: Rogers Hornsby (2B); Stan Musial (RF); Andy Pettitte (P).

Player of the Week: Robinson Cano (6/5)

Offensive MVP: Stan Musial (OF)
Pitching MVP: Andy Pettitte (SP)

Down on the Farm

AAA: St. Louis Blues

Next to the Show: OFs Matt Kemp & Steve Evans, IF Frankie Frisch, Ps Steve Hamilton & Jock Menefee.

Prospects: OF Steve Evans (25); IF Frankie Frisch (26).

Projects: C Johnny Bassler (18).

Suspects: SS Marty Marion (32), OF Omar Moreno (30), 1B Andre Thornton (29), SP Félix Hernández (31), RP Luis Vizcaíno (), RP Jesse Haines (41).

AA: Oklahoma City Redhawks

Prospects: 1B Greg Norton (24); 2B Kolten Wong (23), IF Dave Cash (22).

Projects: IF Edgar Rentería (22), OF Cool Papa Bell (20).

Suspects: OF Terry Moore (24).

TWIWBL 21.0: AL All Star Selections

By

On January 25, 2022

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

Here we go! It is the 14th of June, time to finalize the inaugural All-Star rosters!

We’ll start with the AL.

The bottom line is that the Baltimore Black Sox and the Chicago American Giants lead the way with seven players each. Chicago has four starters, while the Black Sox have four pitchers going to the midseason classic.

Both the Ottawa Mounties and the Houston Colt 45’s are sending a lone player to the game. For Ottawa, this is no surprise, but for Houston–who have been hovering around .500 most of the season–it highlights the limits of a team of solid contributors, but no stars.

Ottawa’s Tim Raines was easily the hardest omission, and one that may, in the end, prove indefensible.

In the list in each section, players in bold are the selections.

Catchers

The top three are pretty easy here. The House of David‘s Elrod Hendricks is the clear starter, with over half his hits going for extra bases. There’s not a lot to choose from between the New York Gotham‘s Buster Posey and Baltimore’s Curt Blefary–Posey is hitting .348, but Blefary has been among the power leaders in the league all season–but they are head and shoulders above the other candidates, the best of which is probably Chicago’s Carlton Fisk.

Blefary has handled a strong pitching staff well, putting up a CERA just over 4.00 while Posey has thrown out 30% of would-be base stealers, leading this group. Ottawa’s Emil Gross has been the best defensive catcher in the AL, but has neither hit well enough nor played enough to really merit consideration.

Curt Blefary (BAL). 265/379/578; 19 HR; 47 RBI.
Carlton Fisk (CAG). 288/401/440.
Emil Gross (OTT). 218/290/370.
Elrod Hendricks (HOD). 314/363/628; 15 HR; 18 2B.
Buster Posey (NYG). 348/440/535; 16 2B.

First Base

Hank Greenberg of the Detroit Wolverines is the best of the pure first basemen, and will start at the position. But Chicago’s Frank Thomas has been the best hitter at the position, putting together a monstrous 355/445/596 slash line. Thomas will start for the AL at DH, having played roughly half the innings in the field as Greenberg.

There’s really not a lot between Baltimore’s Dan McGann and the Memphis Red Sox‘s Bill White–McGann has an OBP over .400, while White has hit for solid power for the Red Sox. McGann has been among the better defensive 1B in the league, so that may tip the scales in his favor.

Hank Greenberg (DET). 306/367/589; 15 HR; 19 2B; 56 RBI.
Dan McGann (BAL). 303/405/488.
Frank Thomas (CAG). 355/445/596; 15 HR; 17 2B; 65 RBI.
Bill White (MEM). 296/367/532.

Second Base

This gets difficult. Well, after Chicago’s Eddie Collins, the obvious starter, that is.

The Kansas City Monarch‘s Rogers Hornsby, Baltimore’s Larry Gardner, and Ottawa’s Tim Raines all deserve consideration. Hornsby is the best hitter of the trio, but Raines has probably been the Mounties best player all season, while his offensive numbers are really indistinguishable from Gardner’s (Gardner gets on base more, Raines has 50 SBs already).

Mention should be made of Bobby Grich (Los Angeles) and HR Johnson (Houston), who are making strong offensive contributions from the middle infield. Defensively, Johnson has been the best of this group overall, although the House of David’s Ryne Sandberg has probably been the best defensive second baseman overall.

Eddie Collins (CAG). 309/422/549; 51 R; 34 SB.
Larry Gardner (BAL). 293/405/435.
Bobby Grich (LAA). 277/351/453; 24 2B.
Rogers Hornsby (KAN). 311/390/477; 15 2B.
HR Johnson (HOU). 308/366/425.
Tim Raines (OTT). 301/377/462; 16 2B; 52 R; 50 SB.
Ryne Sandberg (HOD). 274/355/437; 16 2B.

Third Base

Chicago’s Dick Allen has been critiqued throughout the season, but his OPS is virtually identical to Doug Rader‘s, who has received acclaim for his clutch hitting all season. Both make the team, but Rader’s 73 RBI do warrant some attention for sure.

Note that if Detroit’s Bob Bailey had played more in the field, there’d be little discussion here, as he has hit better than either Allen or Rader. He’ll make the team as a DH.

The odd man out is likely Kansas City’s Albert Pujols.

None of these have fielded very well, but the best with the leather–Baltimore’s Harlond Clift–just hasn’t hit a lick.

Dick Allen (CAG). 287/348/555; 52 RBI.
Bob Bailey (DET). 309/394/533.
Harlond Clift (BAL). 202/303/369.
Albert Pujols (KAN). 291/349/486; 17 2B; 51 RBI.
Doug Rader (LAA). 317/372/532; 16 2B; 73 RBI.

Shortstop

While the starter is pretty clear, it gets difficult after that.

Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace has been pounding the ball, and has been the best shortstop of the group all season.

After Wallace, Ottawa’s Freddy Parent has been excellent since being given the starting position, and deserves a spot from his offensive contributions even with a little less playing time than the others.

After Parent, the trio of George Wright (Los Angeles), Ernie Banks (House of David), and Vern Stephens (Memphis) are pretty indistinguishable, and while they have been solid, it’s not clear that any of them are really deserving of being all-stars. That trio is very similar defensively, something neither Wallace nor Parent have shown much skill at.

Ernie Banks (HOD). 265/285/423; 46 RBI.
Freddy Parent (OTT). 278/327/493.
Vern Stephens (MEM). 254/311/388.
Bobby Wallace (BAL). 328/423/472; 24 2B; 45 R.
George Wright (LAA). 250/299/426.

Left Fielders

Chicago’s Duffy Lewis will start, as his consistency has nudged him ahead of Baltimore’s Frank Robinson and the House of David’s George Stone. Jimmy Sheckard has been key to the New York Gothams’ attack all season, but may fall just beneath the level of an all star, and a similar argument can be made against Oscar Gamble, despite his 57 RBIs for Detroit.

Oscar Gamble (DET). 260/380/500; 16 HR; 57 RBI; 40 R.
Duffy Lewis (CAG). 306/351/603; 19 HR; 15 2B; 47 RBI.
Frank Robinson (BAL). 302/383/521; 16 HR; 47 RBI; 44 R.
Jimmy Sheckard (NYG). 295/401/475; 16 2B; 50 R; 25 SB.
George Stone (HOD). 298/382/545; 15 HR; 45 R.

Center Fielders

New York’s Willie Mays is the clear starter in center. Not only has he been best with the bat, he also has 13 assists and has been among the better defensive centerfielders.

Reggie Smith of the Memphis Red Sox and Kansas City’s Willie McGee have been solid all season with Smith providing more power and McGee a bit more speed. An argument can be made against McGee as he has played in fewer games, but if Parent makes it at shortstop, you really can’t argue against McGee.

But that leaves the Pete Browning question unanswered. The House of David’s star has played in only 39 games, having been injured for almost half of the season to date. But when he’s played, Browning has hit an MVP level.

Only a late collapse by Houston’s Jimmy Wynn has kept him out of the discussion, but the Toy Cannon has dropped well behind McGee at this point.

Pete Browning (HOD). 359/389/614; 20 SB.
Willie Mays (NYG). 345/401/585; 18 2B; 54 RBI; 53 R.
Willie McGee (KAN). 329/378/486.
Reggie Smith (MEM). 297/366/506; 18 2B; 50 R.
Jim Wynn (HOU). 259/376/438; 50 R; 28 SB.

Right Field

Shoeless Joe Jackson of the Chicago American Giants is in the MVP conversation at this point, and will start in RF. He’s closely trailed by Kansas City’s Stan Musial.

Memphis’ Ted Williams has trailed off significantly over the past few weeks, but he is still in the conversation; as is Detroit’s Ty Cobb.

Ty Cobb (DET). 324/364/534; 18 2B; 42 RBI; 21 SB.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 333/416/602; 16 HR; 20 2B; 53 RBI; 57 R; 21 SB.
Stan Musial (KAN). 336/399/568; 21 2B; 50 RBI; 46 R.
Ted Williams (MEM). 283/374/543; 16 HR; 15 2B; 53 RBI; 47 R.

Starting Pitchers

Two members of Baltimore’s rotation make the team, with Dennis Martínez getting the honor of the start over teammate Ned Garvin due to Garvin only recently being added to the Black Sox rotation. Gerrit Cole may not have the supporting numbers, but an 11-3 record is enough to make the team (no other pitcher in the AL has more than 8 wins).

After those three, it all gets difficult. Andy Pettitte of Kansas City probably has the best argument, but only sports a 5-3 record while Chicago’s Tricky Nichols sits at 8-2, but with worse numbers across the board than Pettitte. A stronger argument could probably be made for a third Black Sox, as Bill Byrd has better numbers than Pettitte, and his 6-2 record matches Garvin’s.

Bill Byrd (BAL). 6-2; 3.09; 1.11 WHIP.
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 11-3; 4.02; 1.33 WHIP.
Ned Garvin (BAL). 6-2; 2.90; 2 H; 1.04 WHIP.
Dennis Martínez (BAL). 8-4; 3.04; 1.19 WHIP.
Tricky Nichols (CAG). 8-2; 3.38; 1.31 WHIP.
Andy Pettitte (KAN). 5-3; 3.12; 1.19 WHIP.

Relief Pitchers

Detroit’s Mike Henneman has been the best closer in the AL, with 15 saves. New York’s Brian Wilson and Memphis’ Joe Beggs have been virtually unhittable, but Beggs just hasn’t put in enough innings to warrant inclusion. Chicago’s AJ Minter has a stronger case, while Los Angeles’ Joe Nathan‘s ERA (over 5.00) keeps him off the roster.

John Hiller (Detroit), Jonny Venters (LA), and Craig Kimbrel are tied for the league lead in Holds with 8 each, but only Kimbrel has better overall numbers.

Mark Melancon (Houston) and Gene Conley (Detroit) are each 7-1 out of their bullpens, while Sean Marshall and Mike Mussina (both with Baltimore) have both been virtually unhittable in a decent number of innings.

Joe Beggs (MEM). 1-0; 9 Sv; 1.06; 1.06 WHIP.
Gene Conley (DET). 7-1; 3.96; 4 H; 1.22 WHIP.
Mike Henneman (DET). 1-3; 15 Sv; 3.06; 1.36 WHIP.
John Hiller (DET). 0-1; 1 Sv; 4.66; 8 H; 1.31 WHIP.
Craig Kimbrel (MEM). 2-2; 3.34; 8 H; 1.21 WHIP.
Sean Marshall (BAL). 3-0; 2.10; 4 H; 1.03 WHIP.
Mark Melancon (HOU). 7-1; 1 Sv; 3.20; 7 H; 1.42 WHIP.
AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0; 11 Sv; 2.35; 0.98 WHIP.
Mike Mussina (BAL). 2-0; 1 Sv; 2.20; 1 H; 0.94 WHIP.
Joe Nathan (LAA). 3-4; 10 Sv; 1 H; 5.23; 1.35 WHIP.
Jonny Venters (LAA). 2-2; 3 Sv; 4.30; 1.43 WHIP.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0; 10 Sv; 1.77; 0.89 WHIP.

Selections by Team

Listed alphabetically, Italic indicates a starter.

Baltimore Black Sox: Bill Byrd (P); Curt Blefary (C); Ned Garvin (P); Sean Marshall (P); Dennis Martínez (P); Dan McGann (1B); Bobby Wallace (SS)
Chicago American Giants: Dick Allen (3B); Eddie Collins (2B); Joe Jackson (RF); Duffy Lewis (LF); AJ Minter (P); Tricky Nichols (P); Frank Thomas (DH)
Detroit Wolverines: Bob Bailey (DH); Hank Greenberg (1B); Mike Henneman (P).
Houston Colt 45’s: Mark Melancon (P)
Kansas City Monarchs: Rogers Hornsby (2B); Stan Musial (RF); Andy Pettitte (P)
Los Angeles Angels: Gerrit Cole (P); Doug Rader (3B)
Memphis Red Sox: Craig Kimbrel (P); Reggie Smith (CF); Ted Williams (RF)
New York Gothams: Willie Mays (CF); Buster Posey (C); Brian Wilson (P)
Ottawa Mounties: Freddy Parent (SS)
Wandering House of David: Elrod Hendricks (C); George Stone (LF)

TWIWBL 19.0: Series XVI Notes

By

On November 23, 2021

In TWIWBL

June 8th

Awards

Robinson Canó of the Kansas City Monarchs won the WBL Player of the Week. It’s unusual to win the award with only 7 at-bats over the week … but Canó went 6-for-7 with 3 homeruns and 6 RBIs to take the honor.

Performance

Let’s do a look at the youngest players in the WBL before the usual lists.

Only one true teenager has enough plate appearances to make the leaderboards, and that is Bryce Harper of the Baltimore Black Sox. Harper, 19, who struggled for the opening month or so, has begun to come around, now sporting an OPS just over .700.

But four players under 21 years of age are sporting OPS’ over .900, led by the Monarchs’ Stan Musial (21, 343/406/593) and the Memphis Red Sox‘s Ted Williams (20, 293/380/573).

You could actually put together a great hitting team from the qualifying youngsters, although you would need to juggle some positions:

C: Josh Gibson, 20, Homestead Grays.
1B: Frank Robinson, 20, Baltimore.
2B: Tim Raines, 21, Ottawa Mounties.
SS: Carlos Correa, 21, Houston Colt 45s.
3B: Albert Pujols, 21, Kansas City.
LF: Stan Musial, 21, Kansas City.
CF: Mickey Mantle, 20, New York Black Yankees.
RF: Ty Cobb, 20, Detroit Wolverines.
DH: Ted Williams, 20, Memphis.

On the mound, the true teenage starting pitchers are the Portland Sea Dogs‘ Walter Johnson, who is among the best in the business, and the Cleveland Spider‘s Bob Feller, who has certainly shown some flashes. Johnson (7-2, 3.61) and the Brooklyn Royal Giants‘ Don Drysedale (20, 4-3, 3.32) would lead the staff.

Two 18 year-olds are more than holding their own, albeit in limited action: Portland’s Joseito Muñoz has been essentially unhittable, posting a 0.70 ERA in 26 innings and Houston’s Leon Day has a 2.57 ERA in 10 games.

Leading Performers

The top 2 (ish) performers in each category are included, league leaders in bold.

Best Batters

It’s a wide ranging list, with–still–only Babe Ruth really appearing across the board.

Rico Carty, Philadelphia Stars. 312/378/500; 24 2B.
Eric Davis, Black Yankees. 278/330/532; 19 HR.
Bobby Grich, Los Angeles Angels. 294/366/481, 23 2B.
Rickey Henderson, San Francisco Sea Lions. 271/411/369; 51 BB; 48 SB.
Joe Jackson, Chicago American Giants. 350/437/637; 54 R.
Reggie Jackson, San Francisco. 375/475/661.
Duffy Lewis, Chicago. 318/358/632. 19 HR.
Willie Mays, New York Gothams. 350/406/577; 86 H.
Stan Musial, Kansas City. 343/406/593; 85 H.
Doug Rader, Los Angeles. 310/370/506; 60 RBI.
Babe Ruth, Black Yankees. 316/427/684; 3.8 WAR; 23 HR; 64 RBI; 55 R; 47 BB.
Louis Santop, Cleveland. 309/341/474; 8 3B.
Frank Thomas, Chicago. 356/440/590.

Best Starting Pitchers

We’re beginning to see some volume, with Cleveland’s Cy Young being the first hurler to top 100 innings and the Black Yankees’ Ron Guidry over 100 strikeouts.

Bill Byrd, Baltimore. 5-2; 3.14 ERA.
Gerrit Cole, Los Angeles. 10-3; 4.20 ERA.
Lefty Grove, San Francisco. 7-2; 3.31 ERA; 89 Ks.
Ron Guidry, Black Yankees. 5-5; 3.90 ERA; 105 Ks.
Roy Halladay, Ottawa. 3-5; 3.75 ERA; 1.12 WHIP.
Walter Jonson, Portland. 7-2; 3.61 ERA; 2.9 WAR.
Dennis Martínez, Baltimore. 8-2; 3.07 ERA.
Andy Pettitte, Kansas City. 5-3; 3.12 ERA.
Red Ruffing, Black Yankees. 8-1; 3.81 ERA.
Cy Young, Cleveland. 6-2; 3.40 ERA; 1.15 ERA; 2.6 WAR.

Best Relievers

20 IP minimum for the rate stats. Notice that the list is dominated by bullpens (San Francisco, Portland, Philadelphia), not individuals.

Rod Beck, San Francisco. 0-1; 1.69 ERA; 16 Sv.
Elmer Brown, Portland. 2-3; 2.28 ERA; 3 Sv; 9 H.
Ken Howell, San Francisco. 3-2; 1.32 ERA; 0.91 WHIP; 3 Sv; 3 H.
Bob Howry, Philadelphia. 1-2; 4.15 ERA; 16 Sv.
Mark Melancon, Houston. 6-1; 2.86 ERA; 1 Sv; 5 H.
Joseito Muñoz, Portland. 2-1; 0.70 ERA; 3 Sv; 2 H.
Ron Reed, Philadelphia. 0-2; 2.83 ERA; 3 Sv; 11 H.
Ron Robinson, San Francisco. 3-1; 2.30 ERA; 9 H.
Johan Santana, Portland. 1-1; 2.95 ERA; 21 Sv.
Doc White, Indianapolis ABCs. 2-1; 2.35 ERA; 0.83 WHIP; 1 Sv; 2 H.

Streaks

We’re getting to the point where active streaks are more and more rare because, math.

Some exceptions, though: in one of the more surprising developments, the Black Yankees’ Thurman Munson has reached base in 36 straight games. The Gothams’ Willie Mays has an active streak of 25 games.

Baltimore’s Elrod Hendricks has gotten a hit in 8 consecutive at-bats, the longest streak in the league so far.

Cy Young deserves some attention: 6 consecutive wins, and undefeated over his last 11 starts. After a rocky start to the season, Chicago’s AJ Minter hasn’t been scored on in his last 15 outings.

Minter’s teammate Joe Jackson is on a tear, hitting 462/509/885 over his last 12 games. At the other end, Houston’s Jimmy Wynn is hitless in his last 25 at-bats, managing only 2 walks in that time to see his overall numbers plummet.

Series XVI Results

Series XVI Sweeps

Birmingham over Miami Cuban Giants

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XVI

Brooklyn over Black Yankees
Chicago over Homestead
Indianapolis over Houston
Portland over Kansas City
Gothams over Ottawa

Series XVI Splits

Wandering House of David @ Baltimore
Detroit @ Cleveland
Philadelphia @ Los Angeles
San Francisco @ Memphis

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