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Tag: Andrés Galarraga Page 1 of 2

TWIWBL 66.1: Year 2, Week 9

By

On September 18, 2024

In TWIWBL

May 28th

We are roughly 1/4 through the season!

#Awards

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

#Team Performance

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

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

#Player Performance

Batters

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pitchers

Starters

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

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

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

Relievers

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

12 IP minimum.

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

#Injury Report

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

#AA Check In

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

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

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

TWIWBL 64.6: Marvin Miller Division

By

On August 9, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

Desperate to address a disaster zone of a bullpen, the Black Barons sent Vic Willis and Warren Spahn to AAA, hoping they can get on track and/or their replacements, Fred Fussell and Charlie Morton, can step in with more effectiveness.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Jason Castro‘s horrid start to the season has led to Houston swapping out backup catchers, with the much-maligned Jim O’Rourke being recalled from AAA. O’Rourke’s first longball of the year was a walkoff job, as 2 homeruns from Tony Gwynn helped the Colt45’s complete the comeback before O’Rourke finished the job in a 10-8 victory over Ottawa.

Roger Clemens twirled a complete game gem as Houston topped Ottawa 7-1. Clemens improved his record to 6-0, allowing only 2 hits and a single unearned run and Andrés Galarraga delivered a key homerun. Pete Hill had 3 hits in the game, which also saw George Brett return to the DL with a hamstring issue.

OF Johnny Damon was recalled from AAA.

Damon delivered with 2 hits and a homerun in his WBL debut, but the game was carried by Jeff Bagwell, who went deep twice, scored 4 times, and drove in 5 as Houston demolished Ottawa 14-5.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Lefty James and Joe Morgan were recalled from their injury rehab assignments, with Lynn Breton and Denis Menke heading to AAA. The last was a bit of a surprise, but forced by Tommy Helms‘ fantastic performance with the ABC’s.

Despite a rough outing, Johnny Cueto became the first 7 game winner in the league, improving to 7-1 in a 9-8 victory over the Gothams. The Only Nolan, James, Jack Billingham, and Rob Murphy did enough in relief to preserve the win as Bob Bescher, Morgan, Joey Votto, and Jake Stenzel each went yard.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Boog Powell and Ducky Medwick each went yard twice as the Monarchs used a 6 run 8th to power an 11-4 win over Birmingham. Frank Castillo wasn’t very good, but he was good enough to hold on for the victory, improving to 6-0 on the season.

Later in the week, Castillo improved to 7-0 with a 4 hit shutout, striking out 14 (the most in the WBL this season) and walking none in a brilliant performance. Ozzie Smith and Medwick went deep in support of Castillo.

TWIWBL 60.5: Marvin Miller Division

By

On June 4, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

Eddie Mathews smashed a ball 544 feet for his 5th homerun of the year, but it wasn’t enough as the Black Barons fell to the Gothams, 3-2. Matthews continued to mash, sending a ball 551 feet the next day, again in a losing effort. Bob Nieman and Jim Pagliaroni went deep twice each, but disastrous outings from both John Malarkey and Warren Spahn were too much to overcome as the Black Barons fell to the Gothams, 12-8.

Curtis Granderson and Albert Belle each had 3 hits and each went deep twice and Hank Aaron added a longball of his own as the Black Barons beat the Gothams 11-6. Jim Whitney continued his brilliant start to the season with 2 perfect innings, picking up his first victory of the year.

Gene Tenace, off to a great start at the plate, will miss about 2 weeks, with JP Arencibia being recalled from AAA to backup Pagliaroni. With Arencibia able to play 1B, the Black Barons demoted the mightily struggling Jake Beckley and brought up Frank Viola from AA to make a start. Viola was absolutely torched, giving up 4 homeruns in 2 innings, and heading back to AA after the game with Bill Phyle taking his roster spot.

Granderson went deep twice in a 6-2 victory over Ottawa, the second shot giving the Black Barons the lead in the top of the 12th. Perhaps as importantly, Sam Streeter, Lefty Gomez, Juan Rincón, Larry Benton, and Bruce Chen all put in strong shifts on the mound, holding the Mounties to only 5 hits.

Birmingham hit 5 homeruns in an inning, including four in a row, and still needed some late inning heroics to pull out a 12-10 win over Ottawa. Recently recalled Arencibia was the star of the show, going 4 for 4 with 2 homeruns in his first WBL game. Arencibia’s first followed consecutive homers from Mathews, Andy Pafko, and Adrián González. Pafko had 3 hits and Belle also went deep for the Black Barons.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Tony Gwynn and HR Johnson had 4 hits each and combined for 7 RBIs as Houston put a beating on Philadelphia, 13-4. Bret Saberhagen was a little shaky, but evened his record at 1-1 in a game where the Colt 45’s pounded out 19 hits and saw Johnson and Carlos Correa each go deep. Gwynn ended the day batting .536 on the year.

Andrés Galarraga hit his first 2 homeruns of the year, but it wasn’t enough as a poor showing by Billy Wagner led to a 6-5 loss to Philadelphia.

Russ Adams was a bit of an afterthought coming out of spring training, but he’s making a case for more playing time. Adams had 4 hits in a 12-6 victory over the House of David. Johnson and Galarraga each drove in 3 in the win, with Roger Clemens improving to 3-0 with a decent outing.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Both Lefty James and Dick Tidrow were forced out of the game via injury in an 8-4 win over Kansas City. James was immediately placed on the DL, anticipated to miss about 2 weeks while Tidrow’s injury was less clear. Rob Murphy was recalled to take James’ spot in the pen.

Ed Charles broke out of a slump in a big way with 4 hits and his first homerun of the season, but the real star of the game was Luis Padrón, who drove in 4 and got the win with 6 solid innings on the mound. Johnny Bench drove in 3 and Padrón, Bench, Denis Menke, and Oscar Charleston all joined Charles in going yard in the 13-5 win over the Monarchs.

After the game, the ABC’s put Tidrow, who is expected to be out for just over a month, on the DL. Gorham Leverett was recalled from AAA to take Tidrow’s place.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Albert Pujols hit 2 solo shots, but it couldn’t overcome a poor start from Bob Gibson–who couldn’t make it out of the first inning–in a 13-5 loss to Indianapolis.

Smokey Joe Wood is the best pitcher in the WBL right now. He improved to 3-0 with a 2 hit shutout of the ABC’s. Dale Murphy went deep twice for the Monarchs in the game.

TWIWBL 59.5: Marvin Miller Division

By

On May 21, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

Both Steve Bedrosian and John Malarkey were injured on the mound, forcing Birmingham to turn to 1B Jake Beckley to close out the 17-7 drubbing at Houston’s hands. Neither Malarkey nor Bedrosian are expected to miss more than a week or so, but the team really can’t afford to carry both for that duration. Bedrosian was pushed to the DL, with Warren Spahn being recalled from AAA.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Craig Biggio had 2 triples, Andrés Galarraga 3 hits, and Grant Johnson 3 RBI’s as the Colt 45’s blew out Birmingham, 12-2. Toad Ramsey went the distance for Houston, improving to 1-1.

The Colt 45’s offense kept rolling as Tony Gwynn, Johnson, and Russ Adams had 3 hits each to lead Houston to a 17-7 win over Birmingham. Gwynn went 3-for-6, and say his BA go down, a testament to how strong his start to the year has been.

Two amazing performances from an 11-0 thrashing of the Gothams: Gwynn had 3 hits including 2 homeruns and drove in 5 and Ramsey was the first WBL hurler to notch double digit strikeouts in a game, ending with 11 whiffs in just over 7 innings of work. Ramsey had the knuckler working, but only walked 1 and Bones Ely finished the game by striking out 3 of the 5 batters he faced. HR Johnson, Biggio, Pete Hill, and Galarraga each went deep for the Colt 45’s. Perhaps most surprising of all, both Gwynn and Hill hit absolute bombs, Gwynn’s going 512 ft and Hill’s a whopping 538.

Roger Clemens delivered a complete game, 3-hit shutout as Houston beat the Gothams, 2-0. Jeff Bagwell showed signs of emerging from his slump with 3 hits and his first homerun of the year, and Clemens walked one and whiffed 5 in moving to 2-0 on the year.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Joe Morgan will miss about a month with a sprained ankle. Tommy Helms was recalled from AAA.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Albert Pujols went deep twice, and he and Ducky Medwick drove in 4 runs each as the Monarchs topped the Grays, 10-6.

Boog Powell hit his first 2 homeruns of the year in a 12-6 victory over Birmingham. Stan Musial and Robinson Canó had 3 hits each for the Monarchs.

Smokey Joe Wood improved to 2-0 and has yet to allow an earned run as he delivered 8 innings of 2-hit ball in a 6-1 triumph over Homestead. Pujols had 4 hits and Willie McGee 3 hits and 2 RBIs for Kansas City.

#Wandering House of David

Just when things were looking up for the House of David: Pete Browning has once again hit the DL, this time for about a month with an oblique issue. 1B/OF Bob Robertson was promoted to take Browning’s roster spot.

George Stone had 3 hits and Bob Rush carried a shutout into the 9th inning as the House of David beat the ABC’s 6-2. Stone went deep, as did Ernie Banks, whose grand slam in the 4th was his first dinger of the year. Rush improved to 2-1.

Year II Season Preview: Houston Colt 45’s

By

On April 7, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

Playoff contention. Houston was close this year, but at the end of the day, the offense was just too weak across the board, especially in their ability to hit for power.

Best Case

The raw offensive talent takes a massive step forward: George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Andrés Galarraga, and Pete Hill each have a shot at being superstars; at least a few of them need to do so. The pitching feels like a safer bet: there is enough talent here to weather some underperformance and some injuries and still be among the league’s best, especially if someone–newcomer Tug McGraw or incumbent Billy Wagner–steps up at closer.

Worst Case

The offence just trundles along being incredibly mediocre and the pitching regresses as well.

Key Questions

  • Can the bullpen perform? Some indications (McGraw, Chad Qualls, and Andrew Chafin‘s performance last year in small samples) are positive; others not so much (the size of those samples, Kent Tekulve‘s challenges).
  • Who emerges at C?

Trade Bait

There’s a lot of excess here, especially at 1B, but there’s also not a lot of clarity over what to do with it. This is one of the rare franchises with a lot of pitching depth, so that’s pretty valuable right there.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CPosadaCastro
1BBagwell
Galaragga
2BBiggio
Johnson		Adams
3BBrett
SSCorrea
LF/
RF		StengelHillGwynn
CFWynnCedeño
SPOswalt
Strasburg		Ely
Saberhagen
Ramsey		Clemens
EndWagnerMcGraw
RPChafin
Lidge		Ellis
Tekulve		Blue
Clyde
Franco
New Addition | Injured

This is a really unusual model, where the pitching is outperforming the offense. But it’s also a team without a lot of options: other than behind the plate, everyone–even the horribly underperforming HR Johnson–is projected to improve somewhat dramatically over the next few seasons.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerOF Pete HillOF Gorman Thomas
Batting EyeC Jorge PosadaIF Lance Blankenship
ContactOF Tony GwynnU Jim O’Rourke
Running SpeedIF HR JohnsonOF Wily Taveras
Base StealingOF César CedeñoOF Walt Devoy
OF Wily Taveras
IF DefenseU Russ AdamsSS Roy McMillan
OF DefenseOF Jim WynnCF Wily Taveras
StuffP Bones Ely
P Toad Ramsey		P Bill Harper
ControlSP Bret SaberhagenRP Roberto Osuna
VelocitySP Stephen StrasburgP Wade Davis
P Chris Saenz

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (10)19PIce Box Chamberlain
2 (27)213BEdgar Martínez
3 (48)20PVida Blue
4 (55)23CWill Smith
5 (65)21PCollin McHugh
6 (72)20PLarry Jansen
7 (82)18CFCésar Cedeño
8 (89)20PHarry Staley
9 (91)21PScott Bankhead
10 (161)25CFKirby Puckett
Others: 1B Charlie Grimm; P Bill Harper; P Kyle Kendrick.

And this doesn’t even include Pete Hill or Leon Day, both still teenagers as well. It’s a deep system, with some star potential scattered throughout.

MostLeast
AgeOF Gene Woodling, 40OF César Cedeño, 18
HeightP Ryan Thompson, 6’6″P George Winter, 5’8″
OF Kirby Puckett, 5’8″
U Jim O’Rourke, 5’8″
OPS1B Harry Stovey, 1.042 (WBL/AAA/AA)SS Roy McMillan, .352 (—)
HR1B Harry Stovey, 31 (WBL/AAA/AA)
OF Gorman Thomas, 31 (AAA)		IF Cristian Guzmán, 2 (AAA/AA)
SBOF Jim Wynn, 45 (WBL)Many with 0
WAR1B Harry Stovey, 4.8 (WBL/AAA/AA)SS Roy McMillan, -5.9 (—)
WGuy Bush, 15 (—)Ian Kennedy, 1 (—)
SVJohn Franco, 34 (A)
ERAGuy Bush, 3.27 (—)George Winter, 9.13 (—)
WARGeorge Kahler, 4.5 (—)George Winter, -1.0 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

Season Review: Houston Colt 45’s

By

On December 7, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

77 - 77, .500 pct.
3rd in Cum Posey Division, 14 games behind.

Overall

I mean, given how poorly Houston performed offensively, .500 is an achievement; but given how well they pitched, perhaps it was a missed opportunity.

This is one of the youngest teams in the league, and has the potential to be a force in the WBL in a few years if players develop as expected.

What Went Right

Jim Wynn had a fine season–which is hard to do when you hit .259. But he has some power, gets on base, plays good defense–probably the most valuable offensive performer on the team. Three players (Casey Stengel, Harry Stovey, and Andrés Galarraga) forced themselves into the lineup on a regular basis, mostly due to flashes of power which is a much-needed commodity for Houston.

Pete Hill held his own as an 18 year old.

The starters were quite good, led by Roy Oswalt and Stephen Strasburg and, before missing half the year with injury, Bret Saberhagen. But Toad Ramsey was dependable and Roger Clemens improved immediately on his arrival, even if his overall numbers aren’t great given how much he struggled with Memphis.

In the bullpen, Tug McGraw was fantastic in a brief debut, and both Kyle Kendrick and Bones Ely did well enough to lock down a spot for next season.

ALL STARS
P Mark Melancon

What Went Wrong

Nobody hit for power. Wynn led the team with 20 homeruns and only two players (Stengel and Jeff Bagwell) were in double digits. None of the full time players had a SLG over .450, let alone .500.

Carlos Correa and HR Johnson both struggled, leaving the SS position up in the air, as did Jim O’Rourke, which was a shame, as O’Rourke’s defensive flexibility is really useful in roster construction. But not worth a .660 OPS.

The bullpen was just weird all year. Brad Lidge was a hot mess, Jim Kern (acquired in trade) awful, Billy Wagner good for a time and then very much not good.

Transactions

March

None

June

OF Hack Wilson, P Jim Kaat, IF DJ LeMahieu, P Stubby Overmire & 5th Round Pick to Memphis for P Roger Clemens

A risk: Clemens’ talent is undeniable, but Houston could regret this deal in 4 years, or could see it as a cornerstone of the franchise.

OF Lance Berkman to Cleveland for OF Harry Stovey, 1B Charlie Grimm, P Chad Qualls & 3rd Round Pick {Garry Templeton}

Berkman was struggling mightily in Houston, but a team with no power trading a hitter with power is hard. Still, Stovey looks good and Qualls did quite well in a brief trial.

July

RP Trevor Hoffman, RP Mark Melancon & 4th Round Pick to Portland for OF Kirby Puckett, P Jim Kern, P Rick Wise, 3rd Round Pick {Harry Staley} & 5th Round Pick

Hmmm. A lot depends both on Puckett developing and the Colt 45’s having a spot for him.

Looking Forward

SP

Pitchers are hard to predict and harder to keep healthy, but this is as good a group of young arms as any: a future rotation of Roy Oswalt, Steven Strasburg, Roger Clemens, Bret Saberhagen, and Leon Day sounds pretty good, and that doesn’t account for the development of Dock Ellis, Scott Erickson, or Vida Blue.

RP

A lot is riding on Tug McGraw to claim the closer spot. If he can do that, with support from Chad Qalls, Billy Wagner, and the emerging Dan Quisenberry, this group could be quite good.

C

An area of need. Jorge Posada was fine, but is aging out.

1B

This is Jeff Bagwell‘s spot to lose, with Andrés Galarraga helping out, which means Houston may have to figure something else out for Paul Goldschmidt and Charlie Grimm.

2B

The middle infield is all a bit confusing. Some think Craig Biggio ends up here, and HR Johnson really needs to show some pop to fill in. But if both of those things happen, there may be an issue.

3B

The organization is convinced that George Brett will improve here.

SS

Sorting out Carlos Correa and Johnson is the key here. Either Houston will have a surplus of quality in the middle infield, or way too much mediocrity.

LF

Tony Gwynn and Pete Hill.

CF

This is Jimmy Wynn for now, with Kirby Puckett sitting in the wings.

RF

Pete Hill and Tony Gwynn.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

They need offense, but the challenge is to fit it around pieces that are pretty much set. Zack Greinke as a franchise pick is tempting, but a coals to Newcastle comment would be in order. Houston has been aggressive on the trade market, so a “best available talent” approach seems warranted.

They found a middle ground of sorts, selecting an offensive force that is still a few years away, taking 3B Edgar Martinez with the 11th pick. The thinking wasn’t much different in the 2nd round, as teenage franchise OFer César Cedeño should be able to be in the mix within a year or two.

With the first of three picks in rapid succession in the second half of the 3rd round, Houston selected C Will Smith, who immediately slots in as Posada’s long term replacement behind the plate. They followed Smith with Harry Staley, a bit of a gamble on the mound, and Garry Templeton, a franchise pick that may provide some insurance at SS.

Rounds 5-8

At this point, the Colt 45’s need SP and depth throughout the IF. They start with a bit of a long term project in SP Larry Jansen and follow that with the mercurial Robbie Ray and then Jon Gray and Collin McHugh: that’s four consecutive arms, so look for some position players in the final rounds.

Rounds 9-12

P Dave Dravecky; P Lance McCullers; 1B Ryan McMahon; and P Scott Bankhead.

The Colt 45’s will have some extra picks next year, as 3rd round selection Garry Templeton and 6th round pick Robbie Ray both walked away from the negotiating table.

TWIWBL 45.2: Series XXXVII Notes – Cum Posey Division

By

On August 21, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Houston Colt 45’s

Andrés Galarraga was shut down for the rest of the season with a back injury with Jim O’Rourke rejoining Houston for their final series of the season.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Jim Bottomley, Devin Mesoraco and Merv Rettenmund were all recalled for the final week of the season.

Bob Gibson finally got his first WBL victory, and what a performance it was: a complete game, 7 strikeout shutout of the Gothams. Ted Simmons had 3 hits and scored twice in support of Gibson, whose record improved to 1-6.

#Ottawa Mounties

Rick Monday and Bob Watson were recalled from AAA.

4 hits from Carlos Beltrán and 2 from Watson–giving him 5 in his first 6 WBL at bats–led the Mounties to a 5-2 win over Miami. Bob Moose got the win and Ryan Dempster picked up his 14th save–both of them have a good shot at key roles with Ottawa next season.

Watson’s debut, during which he went 7-14, was cut short with an oblique injury, prompting Ottawa to recall Roy Halladay, ostensibly for a single start to mark his return from significant injury.

Series XXXVII Best Games

By

On August 15, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs. Every game here featured at least one team bound for the postseason or one desperately trying to force their way in.

#Birmingham Black Barons @ Detroit Wolverines, Game 1

The matchup between Birmingham’s Alejandro Peña and Detroit’s Hal Newhouser was supposed to be a pitching duel, and while it started that way, things got out of hand in the bottom of the 4th when Detroit rocked Peña for 6 runs on an RBI single from Hank Greenberg, a 3-run shot from Oscar Gamble, and a 2-run homer from Ed Bailey. But the Black Barons made a comeback, keyed by a 3-run dinger from Curtis Granderson and a 2-run double from Eddie Mathews. That gave Birmingham a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th.

Bruce Chen has been quite reliable for Birmingham all season, but Detroit touched him for 2 runs on a single from Al Kaline to take the lead. But Mike Henneman, the league leader in saves, couldn’t hold the 8-7 advantage, giving up a 2-run shot to Mathews in the top of the 9th. Birmingham’s closer, Juan Rincón held it down in the bottom of the inning, keeping Birmingham’s postseason drive alive.

BBB 9 (Bedrosian 4-2; Rincón 26 Sv; Merkcer 3 H; Chen 1 B Sv) @ DET 8 (Henneman 2-7, 6 B Sv; Lolich H 7; Schmidt 1 B Sv)
HRs: BBB – Granderson (18), Mathews (25); DET – Gamble (28), E. Bailey (9).
Box Score

#Houston Colt 45’s @ Wandering House of David, Game 1

George Gore hit 2 homeruns, including a walk-off blast in the bottom of the 12th inning to secure a 10-8 victory for the House of David. Gore finished the day with 3 hits and 5 RBIs. Houston was unable to pull out the victory, despite out-hitting the House of David, 17-10, led by 3 hits each from Jimmy Wynn and George Brett.

Houston took the lead with 4 runs in the 8th, keyed by a 2-run triple from Pete Hill and RBI doubles from Andrés Galarraga and Brett, but Ernie Banks tied it up in the bottom of the inning with a 2-run single. Each team scored in the 11th (Houston on a double from Tony Gwynn, the House of David on Elrod Hendricks‘ 36th homerun of the season), setting the stage for Gore’s heroics in the 12th.

HOU 8 (Hartley 1-2; Howell H 4; Wagner 9 B Sv) @ HOD 10 (Jenkins 4-6) [12 Innings]
HRs: HOU – Brett (7); HOD – Rizzo (14), Edmonds (18), Gore 2 (5), Hendricks (36).
Box Score

#Memphis Red Sox @ Brooklyn Royal Giants, Game 2

Brooklyn left it late, but preserved their slim post-season hopes by scoring 2 in the bottom of the 9th to beat Memphis, 4-3. The Red Sox tallied a run in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th to take a 3-0 lead, including the resurgent Sammy Sosa‘s 7th homerun for his new team. Memphis’ Len Barker was sailing along until the bottom of the 5th when Brooklyn’s Germany Smith–a surprising source of power for the Royal Giants–went deep with Al López on base to make it a 1-run game.

Both bullpens were solid into the 9th, with Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester for Memphis and Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela for Brooklyn each keeping the score 3-2 Memphis. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Roy White greeted Memphis’ Heath Bell with a homerun to tie the game. White’s blast was followed by singles from Ron Cey, Frank Isbell, and pinch-hitting Matt Holliday, giving Brooklyn a walk-off victory.

MEM 3 (Bell 9-5, 3 B Sv; Wakefield 4 H; Lester 2 H) @ BRK 4 (Gagne 6-5)
HRs: MEM – Sosa (7); BRK – Smith (6), White (17).
Box Score

#Chicago American Giants @ Portland Sea Dogs, Game 4

This game featured 2 playoff teams, and held some storylines to keep a watch on as we move into the postseason.

For Portland, who scored 6 runs in their final 2 innings, Gavvy Cravath shows no sign of slowing down since his mid-season acquisition. In this game, Cravath had 3 hits and 3 RBIs. The key here is the efficiency of the Sea Dogs, who scored 7 times on 12 singles (a bit of an oddity for a team that is 3rd in the league in homeruns and top-half in extra base hits overall). For Chicago, the bullpen continues to be a bit of a worry, as neither Hoyt Wilhelm nor Ken Sanders were effective in this one after a decent start from David Price.

CAG 4 (Wilhelm 5-5, 2 B Sv) @ POR 7 (Miller 11-6; Porterfield 7 Sv)
HRs: none.
Box Score

TWIWBL 39.2: Series XXXI Notes – Cum Posey Division

By

On May 9, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Chicago American Giants

Joe Jackson reached base 6 times in 7 late appearances with 3 walks and 3 hits to lead the American Giants to a 7-5 victory of Indianapolis in 12 innings. A rare poor outing by AJ Minter allowed the ABC’s to tie the game, but Akinori Otsuka pitched well in the extra frames to improve to 4-5 on the year.

José Abreu‘s continued struggles netted him a return to AAA with Cristóbal Torriente coming of the DL.

#Houston Colt 45’s

3 hits from George Brett, including a go-ahead triple in the 8th inning, powered Houston to a 6-4 victory over the Black Yankees. Luke Gregerson pitched 2 scoreless innings for the victory and Billy Wagner notched his 19th save despite a shaky 9th inning.

With their bullpen greatly fatigued, Toad Ramsey put in a masterful performance, allowing only 1 unearned run in a 2-1 victory over the Black Yankees. Andrés Galarraga had 3 hits, raising his average to .336 in the game which saw Ramsey even his record at 11-11 with his league leading 4th complete game of the season.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Stan Musial had 2 homeruns giving him 23 on the year. He and Willie McGee had 3 hits each, but it wasn’t enough as the Monarchs fell to the House of David, 8-4.

José Rijo threw a 5-hit complete game shutout, and four Monarchs–Steve Evans, Ducky Medwick, Frankie Frisch, and Robinson Canó–went deep as Kansas City beat the House of David 7-0.

Bill Singer, quite effective since being recalled, was injured in the opening game. It took a couple days, but it looks like Singer will miss about a month, prompting the Monarchs to recall Jock Menefee from AAA.

#Ottawa Mounties

Roy Sievers went deep twice and the newly recalled Sam Thompson hit his first career dinger, but it wasn’t enough as the Mounties fell to Homestead 8-6.

TWIWBL 39.0: Series XXXI Notes

By

On May 5, 2023

In TWIWBL

August 14th

There’s less than a month left in the first season of the WBL. Well, the first season on OOTP, the first season in this form. Whatever.

One month to go and we still have pennant races in each of the four divisions. The playoffs have 3 rounds, with 8 teams making the post-season (the four division winners, and 4 wild cards).

Baltimore, who has the best record in the league at 74-52, also has the biggest lead, ahead of the Chicago American Giants by 4 games in the Cum Posey Division. But Chicago leads the wild card race, so both teams look likely to mkae the playoffs.

The Cleveland Spiders are ahead of the New York Black Yankees by 3 games in the Effa Manley Division. However, the Black Yankees are currently out of the playoffs entirely, also 3 games out of the wildcard race. The two teams meet in the final 4 games of the season, so if the Black Yankees can stay close, they’ll have a chance.

The Bill James Division is the tightest, with 3 teams currently slated to make the postseason, led by the Detroit Wolverines, who are 1.5 games ahead of the New York Gothams. The Wandering House of David are currently in the final wild card spot, only 1/2 game behind the Gothams. The House of David have a series left against each of the other two, so there is still plenty of opportunity for churn here.

Finally, over in the Marvin Miller Division, the shocking Birmingham Black Barons hold a narrow 1/2 lead over the Portland Sea Dogs. The race is close, but with Portland tied with Chicago for the lead in the wild card race, both teams seem likely to make the playoffs. The challenge here is for Birmingham, who have remaining series against Chicago, the Gothams, Baltimore, and Detroit.

Performance

Batters

Top 2 for each stat, leader in bold.

A 3-way tie for second place in the league in triples puts Houston‘s George Brett and Miami‘s Alejandro Oms on this list for the first time all season. On the one hand, neat-0, on the other hand, it dilutes from the overall excellence.

You know there are some classic old-school arguments going on: Los Angeles‘ 3B Doug Rader is leading the league in hits and RBIs and, you know, is just so valuable. But the argument just pales when faced with the overall dominance of the Black Yankees’ Babe Ruth.

Dick Allen (CAG). 308/378/538. 10 3B.
Ron Blomberg (CLE). 336/405/629. 152 H.
Ty Cobb (DET). 341/387/551.
Eric Davis (NYY). 278/353/530. 5.6 WAR.
George Brett (HOU). 278/305/411. 10 3B.
Mike Fiore (CAG). 238/404/390. 95 BB.
Bobby Grich (LAA). 292/380/483. 41 2B.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 257/391/346. 81 SB.
Kent Hrbek (POR). 311/384/605. 36 HR.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 336/421/590. 95 R.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 322/441/596.
Willie Mays (NYG). 323/388/530. 152 H.
Stan Musial (KCM). 330/391/588. 40 2B.
Alejandro Oms (MCG). 267/316/415/ 10 3B.
Doug Rader (LAA). 338/395/552. 157 H, 118 RBI.
Tim Raines (OTT). 297/373/445. 80 SB.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 317/435/669. 39 HR, 109 RBI, 103 R, 92 BB, 6.7 WAR.
Louis Santop (CLE). 299/329/459. 12 3B.

Pitching

Starters

6 pitchers have 13 wins each, but only the Gothams’ Christy Mathewson has reached 14. Mainly for depth, all six are listed. The House of David’s Jack Taylor is emerging as the best starter in the league.

Gerrit Cole (LAA). 13-7, 4.33.
Don Drysedale (BRK). 7-7, 3.74. 1.18 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 12-7, 3.62, 174 Ks.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 6-10, 4.67. 162 Ks.
Pat Malone (CLE). 13-7, 3.99.
Dennis Martínez (BAL). 13-7, 3.65.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 14-7, 3.73.
Alejandro Peña (BBB). 10-8, 3.56, 3.31 FIP, 4.6 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 10-5, 3.95. 3.30 FIP, 4.1 WAR.
Tricky Nichols (CAG). 12-7, 3.82.
Andy Pettitte (KCM/BBB). 13-4, 3.17.
Jack Taylor (HOD). 13-8, 3.07, 1.14 WHIP.

Relievers

There is an argument that the Gothams’ Mike Norris has been the most valuable reliever in the league, filling in impeccably in any role asked while getting the ball to closer Brian Wilson, who has proven virtually unhittable.

35 IP for rate stats.

Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 3.12. 29 Sv.
Mike Henneman (DET). 1-5, 4.86. 32 Sv, 1 H.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-4, 2.44. 4 Sv, 9 H, 1.03 WHIP.
Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 1 Sv, 8 H, 0.98 WHIP.
Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.43. 5 Sv, 13 H.
Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-6, 4.29. 3 Sv, 16 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 5-3, 3.58. 1 Sv, 16 H.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.00. 24 Sv, 1 H.

Streaks

Lots of streaks ended last series, but the Boog lives on! Kansas City‘s Boog Powell has reached base in 51 straight games, extending his league record.

Houston’s Andrés Galarraga has a hit in his last 7 at-bats and has reached base 8 consecutive plate appearances: both marks are 1 shy of the league record.

Results

Series Sweeps in Series XXXI

None

Taking 3 out of 5 in Series XXXI

New York Gothams over Cleveland (1 makeup game from prior rainout)

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXXI

Baltimore over Los Angeles
House of David over Kansas City
Memphis Red Sox over Miami

Series Splits

Portland @ Birmingham
Philadelphia Stars @ Brooklyn Royal Giants
Chicago @ Indianapolis ABCs
San Francisco @ Detroit
Homestead Grays @ Ottawa Mounties
New York Black Yankees @ Houston

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