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Tag: Andy Pafko

TWIWBL 65.6: Marvin Miller Division

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On August 31, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Kansas City Monarchs27-17.614—
Indianapolis ABC’s23-22.5114.5
Wandering House of David20-22.4766
Houston Colt 45s21-25.4577
Birmingham Black Barons15-30.33312.5
Marvin Miller Division | 21 May

#Birmingham Black Barons

Hank Aaron went deep twice and Greg Maddux improved to 4-4 with a solid outing as the Black Barons went up early and held on for dear life, topping the ABC’s 7-6. Jim Pagliaroni, Andy Pafko, and Eddie Mathews also went deep for Birmingham.

#Houston Colt 45s

Bret Saberhagen‘s disastrous start in an 8-2 loss to Brooklyn removed him from the starting rotation for Houston, who will use a starter-by-committee to round out their staff.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Joe Morgan went deep twice, leading the ABCs to a 12-3 walkover of Kansas City. Rube Foster improved to 2-3, but faded in the 9th, losing a shot at the complete game. Still, a fine outing for Foster in a game that saw Morgan drive in 4 and Oscar Charleston and Jake Stenzel 3 each.

#Kansas City Monarchs

With Bob Gibson out for a week or so with back issues, the Monarchs placed the struggling youngster on the DL and recalled Jock Menefee from AAA.

#Wandering House of David

Bob Robertson was excellent in his time with the House of David, but Pete Browning‘s return from injury sends Robertson back to AAA.

Ryne Sandberg went deep twice as the House of David hit 6 homeruns in a 12-6 win over Ottawa that wasn’t even that close. Sandberg had 4 hits and scored 4 runs and Bob Rush improved to 5-4 with a solid 7 innings.

Ernie Banks hit 3 homeruns and drove in 6 as the House of David beat Houston 10-3. He wasn’t done, as Banks hit 2 more including a walkoff blast in another victory over Houston, this one 10-8. Ron Santo, Sandberg, and Anthony Rizzo also went deep, but the victory had a downside, as Browning will be sidelined for most of the next week with tightness in his back.

TWIWBL 60.5: Marvin Miller Division

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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.

Year II Season Preview: Birmingham Black Barons

By

On April 7, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

Pretty hard question: nobody expected a playoff run last season, now the fans will demand a repeat, but if the Black Barons can’t address some core offensive issues, that may be unlikely.

Best Case

The pitching continues to dominate, Juan Rincón holds down the closer spot, and either Sam Streeter or Warren Spahn step up to seize the 5th starting spot. On the other side, Hank Aaron and Eddie Mathews move into the elite of the league and someone–anyone–steps up to support them.

Worst Case

The pitching falls apart, with Andy Pettitte and Alejandro Peña becoming solid, but no longer world-beaters and the bullpen collapses while the offense continues to be far too slapdash to be dependable.

Key Questions

  • How will some key pieces for last season–Pettitte, Rincón, Adrián González, Cupid Childs, Jim Pagliaroni–perform over the course of a full year.
  • With Andy Pettitte traded, how does the rotation respond and does Albert Belle perform at a level that makes it worthwhile.
  • Who will fill out the roster.

Trade Bait

The Black Barons would happily welcome an offensive star, but would have to mortgage their farm system to get one. Or, mortgage their best starter … which in a bit of a shock, is exactly what they ended up doing. It’s an interesting gambit: a true top of rotation star gone in exchange for a “win-now” bat (but Belle is aging) and a few arms for the future in Lefty Gomez and Frank Viola. We’ll see.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CPagliaroni
Tenace
1BGonzálezMcCormickBeckley
2BChilds
3BMathews
SSLongTulowitzki
LF/
RF		Aaron
Belle		NiemanBarbour
Pafko
CFGranderson
SPPeñaMaddux
Willis		StreeterMalarkey
EndBedrosian
Rincón
RPBenton
Chen
Young		Gomez
Malloy
Whitney
New Addition | Injured

Doesn’t look like a strong playoff contender to me. Now, if 3 to 4 players shift left one column … there’s just so much uncertainty. Six new faces, plus Belle, and while most of them are in reserve roles, it feels like a lot to ask for the Black Barons to repeat last year’s success.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw Power3B Eddie Mathews1B Nate Colbert
Batting Eye3B Eddie MathewsOF John Titus
ContactOF Hank Aaron3B Pie Traynor
Running SpeedSS Herman LongOF Rajai Davis
Base StealingSS Herman LongOF Rajai Davis
IF DefenseSS Herman Long3B Pie Traynor
OF DefenseOF Andy PafkoOF Billy Southworth
StuffSP Sam StreeterRP Bill James
ControlSP Jim WhitneyRP Johnny Ryan
VelocityRP Juan RincónRP Kerry Ligtenberg

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (32)24PJim Whitney
2 (36)20CJoe Torre
3 (43)20UJess Barbour
4 (54)202BTrea Turner
5 (58)25OFCurt Flood
6 (62)21PCozy Dolan
7 (63)26PRube Melton
8 (151)22PAlex Malloy
9 (156)192BMarcus Giles
10 (173)21PJonathan Pettibone
Others: OF Melky Cabrera; P Steve Avery.

Whitney, Dolan, Malloy, and Barbour start the season in the WBL (Malloy on the DL, but still). This is very much a make or break year for Flood.

MostLeast
AgeOF Sam Rice, 37SP Steve Avery, 18
HeightP Dustin Nippert, 6’8″OF Al Schweitzer, 5’6″
OPSOF Max Kepler, 1.233 (—)IF Gerry Jestadt, .604 (—)
HROF Max Kepler, 61 (—)IF George McBride, 1 (AAA)
OF Rajai Davis, 1 (AAA/AA)
OF Brock Davis 1 (AA)
SBOF Billy Southworth, 26 (WBL/AAA)Many with 0
WAR1B Nate Colbert, 4.4 (WBL/AAA/AA)IF Gerry Jestadt, -2.0 (—)
WBill Phyle, 17 (—)Harry Matuzak, 1 (—)
SVJuan Rincón, 26 (WBL)
ERAAaron Sanchez, 1.98 (—)Johnny Ryan, 6.90 (AA)
WARAaron Sanchez, 7.3 (—)Fred Fussell, -0.8 (WBL/AAA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.9: Spring Training Notes – Birmingham Black Barons

By

On February 26, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

As many as 7 roster spots are up for grabs: 3 bullpen arms (and, conceivably, someone could force their way into the rotation) and every reserve position is up for grabs.

First round pick Joe Torre and 3rd round selection Gary Matthews will both be given a solid shot at making the opening day roster.

Injuries

Bruce Chen will miss the last two weeks of Spring Training with back spasms, but should still make the opening day roster. Last season, Carlos Diaz started the year as the Black Barons’ closer, but promptly pitched his way out of the WBL. His attempt to make the club this season has been thwarted by a ruptured tendon in his pitching hand which will put him on the shelf until after the all-star break.

First Cuts

Aaron Sanchez, Pretzels Getzien, and Rube Melton were all sent down after their early struggles, while Larry Benton has been clearly lowered in the pecking order in camp after his. Slim Embrey, Bruce Ruffin, and Fred Fussell were also returned to the minor league camp.

Those moves allowed two arms–Charlie Morton and Alex Malloy–to remain, despite some roughness in their early outings. Everyone else–other than Andy Pettitte, who has already been named the opening day starter–has thrown well.

Despite a pretty rough start, Joe Torre stays in camp–the privilege of being a high draft pick–with Josh Bard and Earl Battey both heading to the minors, while JP Arencibia is forcing himself into the conversation as well as he and Gene Tenace have hit the ball very well.

Young Trea Turner stays in camp, but the story at 2B has been the performance of Reddy Mack and Marcus Giles, making the next week key for all three of them. Similarly, Andy Pafko and Tommy Davis are on the verge of reversing the franchise’s belief in Pie Traynor, who has struggled not just in Spring Training, but really since about the all star break of last season.

Erick Aybar and slick-fielding George McBride both remain in camp, although neither has hit enough yet to force their way into serious consideration for the reserve SS spot.

Pafko and Davis also play the OF, and their strong starts combined with decent showings from Derrick May and Tommy Holmes continue to make that a crowded position for the Black Barons. Most of the presumed starters have struggled, as has Curt Flood, but for now the only departure from camp is Joe Rudi.

Also being sent down: Shea Hillenbrand, Mike Lamb, Bill Buckner, and Ray Durham.

Frank McCormick is struggling, and could be pushed for his role, but is probably safely assured of a roster spot, as both Jake Beckley and Nate Colbert are smashing the ball so far.

Second Cuts

The pitching staff has been remarkable, with Andy Pettitte‘s 3.86 being the worst ERA posted so far this Spring. Eight hurlers (the injured Bruce Chen along with Cozy Dolan, Greg Maddux, John Malarkey, Alex Malloy, Juan Rincón, Jim Whitney, and Vic Willis) have yet to give up a run. For now, the 19 arms in camp all remain.

Joe Torre clearly needs some time in the minors, so the Black Barons recalled Manny Piña for a look while Torre tries to get back on track.

Frank McCormick is barely hanging on, as the trio of Adrián González, Jake Beckley, and Nate Colbert are pounding the ball while McCormick has an OPS below .400.

Ray Durham and Trea Turner both head down, along with defensive whiz George McBride.

The OF continues to be a mess, as Tommy Davis and Andy Pafko are hitting very well while projected starters Billy Southworth, Curtis Granderson, and Hank Aaron are in deep slumps.

Third Cuts

Ps Charlie Morton and Bill Phyle were demoted despite decent performances–but when 11 of your pitchers have ERA’s below 2.00, someone has to go.

They were joined by C Manny Piña, 1B Nate Colbert, 2B Reddy Mack, SS Erick Aybar, and OF Derrick May.

With 19 year old Marcus Giles clearly not ready for the WBL, Mack’s demotion leaves the Black Barons without a suitable reserve 2B. Both Omar Infante–who can play 5 positions–and veteran Manny Trillo were recalled, but this also may be addressed by a trade.

Birmingham still has 9 OFers in camp. The only one performing well is Andy Pafko, but Bob Nieman, Curtis Granderson, and Hank Aaron are pretty much guaranteed roster spots.

Final Cuts

The various trades did little to clarify the roster, and the Black Barons will be releasing some players who have performed quite well in camp, starting with OF Tommy Holmes.

The 2B situation is weird. Cupid Childs is the starter, but they need more than Hank Aaron behind him. Marcus Giles remains a longshot to break camp, leaving the Black Barons with recently acquired Jess Barbour, who is sort of a super utility type, Omar Infante, or Manny Trillo. So there are a lot of folks who play 2B, just none that do it very competently. Infante’s WBL experience, as well as his ability to help out in CF, keeps him in camp for now with Trillo heading down.

Veteran OF David Justice, brought over as part of the Albert Belle trade, will start the year in AAA as will CF Curt Flood, who was unable to do enough during the Spring despite the team’s desire for him to supplant Curtis Granderson.

The team placed Harley Young on the DL to start the season, but is still waiting for the medical staff to assess Alex Malloy, Sam Streeter, and Bruce Chen (John Malarkey is due back from his injury tomorrow). As such they’ll be given some grace on the goal of getting down to 30. In fact, if all of the injuries are even somewhat serious, they’ll be recalling some arms from the minors to supplement.

Despite a strong Spring, JP Arencibia fell short in a bid to take Jim Pagliaroni‘s roster spot. The Black Barons have decided to go without a decent glove at 2B, deciding that Omar Infante‘s offensive shortcomings are too much to overcome. This does keep–surprisingly for both–Marcus Giles and Jess Barbour in camp for the time being. Tommy Davis and Ginger Beaumont were also sent down.

The Black Barons staff has been so strong all Spring that the final cuts were bound to be somewhat controversial. Warren Spahn was the first to head to AAA. John Clarkson refused to head to AAA, leading to his release. Cozy Dolan went down as well, although the 21 year old should be among the first recalls should Birmingham need him.

Frank McCormick was sent down, in something of a surprise, as was Marcus Giles, who really impressed in Spring Training but really needs regular playing time to develop. Jess Barbour‘s spectacular Spring makes a lot of choices a little easier, as his defensive versatility counts for a lot.

Barbour and Albert Belle‘s arrive, combined with the performance of Andy Pafko, also allowed Birmingham to let both Pie Traynor and Billy Southworth head to the minors.

TWIWBL 45.4: Series XXXVII Notes – Marvin Miller Divison

By

On August 23, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

The Black Barons recalled P John Malarkey, 1B Nate Colbert, and OFs Andy Pafko and Curt Flood to help in their final playoff push.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Lefty Fernando Valenzuela, IF Dickie Thon, and OF Raúl Mondesi were all recalled as Brooklyn chases the final wildcard spot.

3 hits from John Briggs, including his 6th homer of the year weren’t enough as the Royal Giants fell to Memphis, 9-3. The loss officially eliminated Brooklyn from post-season contention, ending a nice late-season surge.

#Miami Cuban Giants

The Cuban Giants went back-to-back twice in a win over Ottawa. First, Yasiel Puig and José Canseco did it in the 8th inning, giving Miami a come from behind lead, then Canseco and Jim Thome did it in the 9th to put the game on ice. Dontrelle Willis, Sandy Consuegra, and Ramón Martínez didn’t allow a run in relief in the 10-4 victory.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Joseíto Muñoz was activated from the DL, with both Atlee Hammaker and Ray Fontenot being sent to AAA. Muñoz takes Mike Cuellar‘s spot in the rotation, and Jerry Blevins was recalled from AAA.

Muñoz was shut down immediately, and will miss time well into next season with elbow surgery. Hammaker was recalled to the active roster.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

With the San Jose Bees season winding down, the Sea Lions made a flurry of moves for the final week or so of the season, promoting Ps Red Ehret, Tommy Bridges and Dennis Eckersley, and IFs Don Money, Keith Ginter and Denny Hocking and activating C Mickey Cochrane from the DL.

Lefty Grove, James Shields, Ron Robinson, and Rod Beck combined on a 2-0 shutout victory for San Francisco. The victory went to Shields, with Robinson picking up his 18th hold and Beck his 31st save.

TWIWBL 23.1: AA & AAA All-Star Rosters

By

On February 9, 2022

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

Because they deserve some love, too …

Note that these are all AI selections, so some may be weird (like Joe Harris playing 2B at AAA). The first time an affiliate is listed, I’ve also listed their WBL organization. All-Star Game starters are bold.

AAA All-Star Rosters

In a rich-get-richer moment, the New York Black Yankees lead the way, with 6 selections for the visitors coming from the Newark Eagles. For the Home team, the Memphis Red Sox affiliate, the New Orleans Pelicans, send 6 players and the Cincinnati Tigers (Indianapolis ABC’s) have 5.

Visiting Team

C: Smoky Burgess (Newark/New York Black Yankees); Andy Etchebarren (Buffalo/Cleveland Spiders); Butch Wynegar (Norfolk/Philadelphia Stars).
1B: Cecil Cooper (Norfolk); Carlos Peña (Orlando/Miami Cuban Giants).
2B: Bobby Knoop (Buffalo).
3B: Chris Brown (Newark); Art Devlin (Hartford/New York Gothams).
LF: Matt Holliday (Queens/Brooklyn Royal Giants); Joe Rudi (Atlanta); George Van Haltren (Montréal).
CF: Curt Flood (Queens); Benny Kauff (Hartford); Andy Pafko (Atlanta/Birmingham Black Barons); Chick Stahl (Washington/Baltimore Black Sox).
RF: Joe Harris (Newark); Jackie Jensen (Montréal/Ottawa Mounties); Aaron Judge (Norfolk); Al Kaline (Toronto/Detroit Wolverines); Merv Rettenmund (Washington).

SP: George Blaeholder (Washington); AJ Burnett (Newark); Jim Clinton (Newark); Bill Laskey (Norfolk); George Mullin (Toronto); Johnny Podgajny (Montréal).
RP: Darren Dreifort (Queens); Mike Griffin (Toronto); Bryan Hickerson (Newark); Mickey Lolich (Toronto).

Home Team

C: Gabby Hartnett (Columbus/Wandering House of David); Hal King (Milwaukee/Chicago American Giants); Cliff W. Lee (Seattle/Portland).
1B: Wally Joyner (Las Vegas/Los Angeles Angels); Anthony Rizzo (Columbus); Joey Votto (Cincinnati/Indianapolis ABC’s); Kevin Young (Louisville/Homestead Grays).
2B: Ron Hunt (San Jose/San Francisco Sea Lions); DJ LeMahieu (San Antonio/Houston Colt 45’s).
3B: Sal Bando (San Jose); Jung Ho Kang (Columbus)
SS: Francisco Lindor (New Orleans/Memphis Red Sox)
LF: Bob Watson (Milwaukee)
CF: Charlie Hemphill (Cincinnati)
RF: Dwight Evans (New Orleans); Pete Rose (Cincinnati); Paul Waner (Louisiville).

SP: Nick Altrock (San Jose); Joe Blong (St. Louis/Kansas City Monarchs); Bob Friend (Louisville); Joe Kelly (New Orleans); Jock Menefee (St. Louis); Billy Pierce (Louisville); Eppa Rixey (Cincinnati); Frank Smith (Milwaukee); Virgil Trucks (Cincinnati).
RP: Bill Doak (New Orleans); Luke Gregerson (San Antonio); Tug McGraw (San Antonio); Mike Timlin (New Orleans).

Joe Rudi would lead the visitors to a 6-2 victory with a 3-run homerun.

Visitors 6 (Lolich 1-0; Blaeholder 1 H) @ Home 2 (Timilin 0-1, 1 BSv)
HRs: Home – Rudi (1); Visitors – Lee (1)
Box Score

AA All-Star Rosters

The Sacramento Solons (San Francisco Sea Lions) dominate the AA team for the visitors, with 7 players, while the Albuquerque Isotopes (Wandering House of David) have 6 and the Jersey City Skeeters (Brooklyn Royal Giants) 5. For the home team, both the Oklahoma City Redhawks (Kansas City Monarchs) and Montgomery Biscuits (Birmingham Black Barons) have 7 players in the game and the Austin Black Senators (Houston Colt 45’s) 5.

Visiting Team

C: Frankie Hayes (Vancouver/Portland Sea Dogs); Phil Lombardi (Jersey City/Brooklyn Royal Giants); Steve O’Neill (Troy/New York Gothams); Mark Salas (San Diego/Los Angeles Angels).
1B: Jimmie Foxx (Sacramento/San Francisco Sea Lions); Charlie Grimm (Rochester/Cleveland Spiders); Tim Harkness (Syracuse/Homestead Grays); Buck Jordan (Vancouver).
2B: Wally Backman (San Diego); Dick Green (Sacramento); Cookie Lavagetto (San Diego); Tyler Pastornicky (San Diego); Ed Romero (Jersey City).
3B: Xander Bogaerts (San Diego); Ken Keltner (Rochester); Hank Majeski (Jersey City); Mike Moustakas (Sacramento).
SS: Luis Aparicio (Albuquerque/Wandering House of David); Bert Campaneris (Albuquerque); Jack Wilson (Syracuse).
LF: Morrie Arnovich (Jersey City).
CF: John Briggs (Jersey City); Otto Briggs (Edmonton); Kevin Pillar (Hudson Valley).
RF: Danny Green (Albuquerque); Don Mueller (Troy).

SP: Dwight Bernard (Hudson Valley); Larry Dierker (Albuquerque); Matt Guerrier (Vancouver); Don Hood (Hudson Valley); Lew Krausse, Jr. (Troy); Jack Neagle (Rochester); Joe Nuxhall (Albuqueque); Al Spalding (Troy).
RP: Matt Barnes (Sacramento); Chad Gaudin (Sacramento); Joe Klink (Sacramento); Marty Kutyna (Jersey City); James Russell (Albuquerque); Turk Wendell (Sacramento).

Home Team

C: Josh Billings (Madison/Chicago American Giants); Rick Cerone (Austin/Houston Colt 45’s); Phil Masi (Charlotte/Baltimore Black Sox); Abe Wolstenholme (Nashville/Indianapolis ABC’s).
1B: Prince Fielder (Atlantic City/Philadelphia Stars); Greg Norton (Oklahoma City/Kansas City Monarchs); David Ortiz (Tulsa/Memphis Red Sox).
2B: Ken Boswell (Tulsa); Dave Cash (Oklahoma City); Charlie Gehringer (Fort Wayne/Detroit Wolverines); Jorge Orta (Fort Wayne); Kolten Wong (Oklahoma City).
3B: Joe Crede (Madison); Butch Hobson (Tulsa); Billy Nash (Fort Wayne); Candy Jim Taylor (Montgomery/Birmingham Black Barons).
SS: Woody English (Montgomery); Zoilo Versalles (Havana/Miami Cuban Giants).
LF: George Foster (Nashville); Pete Hill (Austin); Johnny Jeter (Fort Wayne).
CF: Richie Ashburn (Atlantic City); Bama Rowell (Austin).
RF: Adam Dunn (Nashville); Tommy McCarthy (Oklahoma City); Larry Sheets (Charlotte).

SP: Frank Bertaina (Charlotte); Lefty Clarke (Montgomery); Dick Jones (Montgomery); Jim Kaat (Austin); Kyle Kendrick (Austin); Andrew Miller (Tulsa); Bill Singer (Oklahoma City); Jeremy Sowers (Fort Wayne).
RP: John Anderson (Montgomery); Dick Coffman (Montgomery); Al Hrabosky (Oklahoma City); Ben Johnson (Montgomery); Mike Kume (Oklahoma City); Dave Smith (Charlotte).

Bama Rowell drove in 3 runs with a bases-loaded triple, leading the home team to a 10-2 victory in the All-Star Game. Richie Ashburn had 2 hits as well.

Visitors 2 (Nuxhall 0-1) @ Home 10 (Kendrick 1-0)
HRs: Visitors – Danny Green (1), Foxx (1); Home – Boswell (1)
Box Score

Spring Training Preview: Birmingham

By

On June 20, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

  • The final 2 rotation spots are being fought over by Vic Willis, John Clarkson, and Warren Spahn.
    • Other than Alejandro Pena, the starters have been mediocre (Spahn) at best and very poor (Jim Whitney) at worst. More starts and IPs are needed here with Scott Baker having pushed his way into the mix as well.
      • Pena, Spahn, and Whitney have been confirmed in the rotation, with Clarkson, John Malarkey, Baker, Greg Maddux, and Tim Hudson fighting over the last 2 spots.
  • The bullpen has no clear leader, however: this looks like a bullpen by committee situation, unless Carlos Diaz or Juan Rincon can take hold of the closer spot.
    • The back end has clarified some: Ron Perranoski‘s Spring performance has been bad enough to move him to AAA, while Jack Wisner, Fred Fussell, and Hoyt Wilhelm are holding on to their roster spots by threads.
      • Wisner and Jay Howell were sent back to AAA (with Tommy Bond coming back as a reserve arm), but the bullpen is still unsettled. Harley Young has been the best of the bunch so far, but he really doesn’t look like closer material. Rincon has struggled, so Diaz looks most likely to be the closer on opening day.
  • 1B is up for grabs between Frank McCormick and Jake Beckley.
  • While Emil Frisk is the highest rated OF, the rest is up for grabs between Bob Nieman, Billy Southworth, Ginger Beaumont, Andy Pafko, Hank Aaron, and Al Schweitzer.
    • Curtis Granderson has forced himself into the conversation as well, with Pafko, Southworth, and Schweitzer all struggling mightily and Ken Griffey, Sr. earning a trip back to AAA.
      • Pafko is also back in AAA, with Woody English, Omar Infante, and Alfonso Soriano coming the other way.
  • Dale Murphy has hit best at C, leaving Del Crandall struggling as the 3rd option and perhaps threatening Gene Tenace‘s starting role.
  • The competition at 3B between Chipper Jones and Eddie Mathews is closer than expected, with Jones having the better Spring so far.
  • While 2B is still unclear–Tom Herr is out-performing Frank Isbell—Cupid Childs is heading to AAA.
Near DefiniteLikelyPossibleLong Shot
Starting PitchersAlejandro Pena
Jim Whitney
Warren Spahn		John Malarkey
John Clarkson
Scott Baker
Tim Hudson
Greg Maddux
Middle RelieversHoyt Wilhelm
Vic Willis
Fred Fussell
Sam Streeter		Tommy Bond
SetupHarley YoungJuan Rincon
CloserCarlos Diaz
CGene TenaceDale MurphyDel Crandall
1BFrank McCormick
Jake Beckley
2BFrank Isbell
Tom Herr		Omar Infante
3BEddie MathewsChipper Jones
SSHerman LongGeorge McBride
Troy Tulowitzki		Woody English
OFEmil FriskGinger Beaumont
Hank Aaron
Curtis Granderson		Bob Nieman
Billy Southworth		Al Schweitzer
Alfonso Soriano

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