Overall

Cleveland had made the playoffs both WBL seasons, but is still in search of that elusive championship.

And, it’s not clear what’s next: unlike Detroit or the Black Yankees, they lack a young superstar to build around; unlike Brooklyn, they lack the pitching to nonchalantly ignore other concerns. They have talent, for sure, but they also seem at risk of imminent collapse.

So some tinkering is in order, or, at least, some good luck to ensure that some of the young talent continues to develop.

What Went Right

Tris Speaker recovered from injury in a major way, emerging as an elite force at CF, slashing 312/397/631 and scoring 124 runs. Nobody likes him, but he doesn’t care.

Lance Berkman is comfortably home in Cleveland, leading the team with 57 homeruns and finishing with a 1.002 OPS in his first full season with the Spiders. I mean, maybe Berkman and Speaker get along.

Ron Blomberg continues to frustrate his critics, slashing 276/348/640 despite a growing platoon split. Blomberg and Berkman tied for the team lead with 143 RBIs.

At 36, Ed Bailey performed as hoped for after coming over from Detroit. It’s unknown how long that lasts, but a .950 OPS from a catcher is a rare thing.

Larry Doby arrived at last, hitting 41 homeruns and providing a solid presence in RF.

Evan Longoria seized the 3B job, settling an open question for the Spiders with 36 homeruns and 96 RBIs.

Arky Vaughan proved the Spiders were right to trade for him last season, providing an .873 OPS and superlative defense at SS.

And then there’s Willie McCovey. Abandoned by most critics to being a AAA veteran, McCovey seized his WBL chance by the scruff, belting 17 homeruns in 140 PAs and refusing to be kept out of the lineup. How that plays out next season is unknown, and at 33 it’s not clear if this is a single season’s good story or the start of a late career blossoming.

The staff is far less comprehensible.

Bill Steen led the way in WAR, with a 13-10 record and a 4.71 ERA. So perhaps he should be considered the staff ace?

Cy Young led the way in wins with a 15-9 record, but a disappointing 5.38 ERA. So perhaps he should be considered the staff ace?

Bob Feller has the best stuff of the trio, leading to a 13-3 record with a 4.30 ERA in 17 starts, to go along with some impressive bullpen appearances. So perhaps he should be considered the staff ace?

Whomever claims that role, they’ll have decent support form the bullpen, with Terry Adams (23 saves), Cory Gearrin, the impressive debut of Al Smith, Firpo Marberry, and the predicted return of Ron Reed from injury.

Mention should be made of Mel Harder, who posted a 10-4 record and a 4.12 ERA in 10 starts before being injured. Harder should be fully recovered for Spring Training.

ALL STARS

Terry Adams
Ron Blomberg
Evan Longoria
Tris Speaker
Arky Vaughan

MAJOR AWARDS

Ed Bailey, All AL Team
Johnny Bates, AL LF Gold Glove
Evan Longoria, All AL Team
Arky Vaughan, All AL Team; AL SS Gold Glove

RECOGNITIONS

Ed Bailey, AL Over 30 Team
Lance Berkman, All AL 2nd Team
Bob Feller, AL 21 & Under Team
Evan Longoria, AL 25 & Under Team
Firpo Marberry, All AL 3rd Team; AL All Rookie 2nd Team
Ron Reed, All AL 3rd Team
Al Smith, All AL 2nd Team
Tris Speaker, All AL 2nd Team; AL All Rounder 3rd Place

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Tris Speaker, MVP
Bill Steen, Pitcher of the Year
Lance Berkman, Heart & Soul
Evan Longoria, Fan Favorite

Balor Moore, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Kenny Lofton, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Probably the biggest disappointment on the offensive end was Louis Santop. Santop is only 20, so he has time to recover from his sophomore slump, but what a slump it is: slashing 195/238/348 will never cut it. Still, Santop’s slump is what prompted the acquisition of Ed Bailey, so that worked out.

Chuck Knoblauch had a hard year, managing only a .700 OPS with very, very little power.

About 200 PAs were wasted on Jake Stahl and Sammy Strang, neither of which could even hit as poorly as Santop.

Pat Malone was thoroughly mediocre on the mound, and while his 28 starts were somewhat useful, his 5.81 ERA was not.

Really, that’s about it–there were other mediocrities on the roster, and some of the usual poor performances across a few dozen innings, but it was a good year by the Lake.

Transactions

March

None.

July

C Victor Martínez, P Bill Drake & 3rd Round Pick to DET for C Ed Bailey & P Claude Passeau.

It was a lot to give up, especially if Drake develops as expected, but Bailey was great and Passeau has some talent, so it probably works out for both teams.

August

None.

Positional Overview

C

Next season will open with the same arrangement as this one closed: Ed Bailey as the regular, with Louis Santop coming in for defense and for his own development. John Ellis can also play here occasionally.

Tucker Barnhart and Andy Etchebarren offer attractive defensive-minded alternatives in the minors.

1B

Willie McCovey has forced himself into this conversation, which has some domino effects, as it moves Lance Berkman from an everyday 1B, to someone splitting their time between 1B, LF, and DH. Ron Blomberg will be here some times, and young Paul O’Neill could be here as well if he makes the roster.

Further down in the system, Bill Phillips and Earl Torgeson have some talent, and Jake Stahl is still at AAA if needed.

2B

The Spring may determine this: Chuck Knoblauch is still the favorite, but both Steve Sax and Sammy Strang will get at least brief looks.

Brandon Drury may be the best in the system.

SS

This is Jim Fregosi‘s job given his arrival via trade.

There were high hopes for Jimmy Rollins, but it feels like both he and Peckinpaugh have been supplanted by Aparicio in the pecking order. Much is open to be determined this Spring.

3B

This was a mess last year, but Evan Longoria has claimed it as his own. This is really useful, as other than Bob Elliott, the talent that is here (Johnny Hodapp, Aubrey Huff, Justin Turner) is all pretty young.

LF/RF

Johnny Bates won the Gold Glove in LF, and probably hits well enough to stay there, but Berkman will eat into some of his time. Larry Doby seems to have the RF spot locked up.

Paul O’Neill will get a long look in the Spring, and both Alexis Rios and Craig Wilson have some talent as well.

CF

An interesting position: Tris Speaker is the CF, no questions there, but Kenny Lofton may be the best trading chip the Spiders have. Doby and Bates can play here as well, and Gus Bell and Jackie Bradley have some talent behind them.

Lower in the system, both Luis Olmo and Randy Winn may have WBL potential as well.

DH

Berkman and Ron Blomberg, with some help from Willie McCovey.

SP

If everything went well, Cy Young, Bill Steen, and Bob Feller would make a strong front 3, with Firpo Marberry, Mel Harder, and Pat Malone providing whatever support is necessary, along with contributions from Stan Coveleski and Yordano Ventura.

But that all feels very, very optimistic: Young and Feller have the talent to take those roles, the rest are a little more suspect.

There is depth in the system, but little high end talent other than perhaps newcomer Claude Passeau. But the group of Wilbur Cooper, Howard Ehmke, Sudden Sam McDowell, Balor Moore, and Whit Wyatt should offer some support at some point.

RP

Terry Adams is a solid closer, and the trio of Ron Reed, Corey Gearrin, and Al Smith look great (there are questions: Reed is recovering from injury and Smith has to avoid that famed sophomore slump). Beyond that, Billy Muffett may get a look in the Spring.

Toby Borland and Andrew Bailey may be needed here at some point.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

So that’s not great. Especially for a thoroughly mediocre system.

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.