The Black Sox would love for someone–John Wetteland, Sean Marshall, even the surprising Justin Hampson–to step into the closer role, allowing Joe Beggs to join the host of arms vying for rotation spots for Baltimore. But for now, the back end of the rotation remains an open competition.
Gavvy Cravath went deep twice, but Baltimore couldn’t overcome a rough start from Beggs in a 6-4 loss to Chicago. Maybe he should stay as the closer?
The bad news was the Black Sox fell to Cleveland, 1-0. The good news was that Ned Garvin threw a great game, allowing only 2 hits and the single run over 8 innings.
#Cleveland Spiders
Cy Young was masterful, leading the Spiders to a 1-0 win over Baltimore with a 4-hit shutout. Young whiffed 8 and improved to 8-3 on the year.
#Detroit Wolverines
Mike Griffin was sent to the DL despite a lack of clarity on his exact injury, and Hal Newhouser was recalled from his short rehab stint. Newhouser will slot into the rotation, which is looking pretty patchwork at this point. With Mike Henneman and Billy Hoeft out for a while, Chad Bradford will serve as closer, with a very makeshift bullpen trying to get to him.
#Memphis Red Sox
Reggie Smith hit his 20th and 21st homeruns of the year, leading Memphis to a 10-2 victory over Chicago.
#New York Black Yankees
Mike Schmidt, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle hit back-to-back-to-back homers, and the Black Yankees rode a good start from Andy Pettitte to a 10-2 win over Miami. Mantle went deep twice in the game, and Pettitte improved to 8-5 with 7 strong innings.
Héctor López hit 2 out and Ruth hit his 38th as the Black Yankees topped Miami, 10-7. Waite Hoyt improved to 6-0 on the year despite giving up 11 hits in 5 innings, and Aroldis Chapman picked up his 13th save.
Lou Gehrig hit his 24th and 25th dingers of the year, but it was far from enough as the Black Yankees were trounced by Miami, 17-5.
Schmidt and Eric Davis went deep twice, and Gehrig launched a walk-off shot in the bottom of the 9th, carrying the Black Yankees to a 7-6 win over Detroit.
Schmidt did it again–2 more dingers giving him 23 for the season–and New York again topped Detroit, this time 7-5.
We’re rounding the corner towards the selection of this year’s All-Star teams. Today, we’ll check in on last year’s all stars from the AL.
#Awards
Duke Snider hit .444 with 5 homeruns last week, earning the Brooklyn OFer the NL Player of the Week Award. In the other league, Detroit‘s irrepressible Ty Cobb was named AL Player of the Week. Cobb moved his average back over .400, finishing the week at .411 after hitting .579 with 5 homers.
And, over in the Effa Manley Division, 5.5 games separate Brooklyn in first and Ottawa at the bottom.
Memphis and Brooklyn have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, while Miami has done the inverse, finishing 2-8 over their last week and a half.
#Player Performance
Batters
Someone poked Babe Ruth, insinuating that the Black Yankees’ OF might not be the dominant player in the league. Since then, he has been on fire, retaking the league lead in his usual categories.
Three batters sit over .400: Houston‘s Tony Gwynn at .427, Ty Cobb at .411, and Homestead‘s Josh Gibson at .402. Gwynn, predictably, is the only batter with over 100 hits so far in the season.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 328/380/626. 9 3B. Ty Cobb (DET). 411/462/864. 97 H; 34 2B; 4.9 WAR. Josh Gibson (HOM). 402/480/776. 4.5 WAR. Tony Gwynn (HOU). 427/460/668. 108 H. Joe Jackson (CHI). 368/417/611. 35 2B. Stan Musial (KCM). 329/394/573. 35 2B. Babe Ruth (NYY). 297/420/768. 34 HR; 81 RBI; 67 R; 55 BB. Larry Walker (OTT). 321/390/782. 32 HR; 73 RBI. Ted Williams (MEM). 306/425/624. 60 R; 48 BB.
San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson continues to lead the league in steals with 51, but Ottawa’s Tim Raines has recovered a bit offensively, and being on base more has allowed him to close the gap a bit, now sitting with 44 on the year.
Pitchers
Starters
Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón and San Francisco’s Bump Hadley are the only hurlers in double digits for wins. The three pitchers with 9 victories are also included below, as well as the usual statistical leaders. Of note is the appearance of Kansas City’s A. Rube Foster, who now has (barely) enough IP to qualify here.
The dominance of Kansas City and San Francisco is worth mentioning as well.
Frank Castillo (KCM). 9-1, 4.01. A. Rube Foster (KCM). 4-0, 2.44. 0.86 WHIP. Lefty Grove (SFS). 8-4, 3.19. 107 IP; 3.1 WAR. Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-3, 3.68. 116 K. Bump Hadley (SFS). 10-4, 3.81. 3.29 FIP. Luis Padrón (IND). 10-2, 3.90. Eddie Plank (SFS). 9-3, 3.65. Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-4, 3.03. 107 IP; 134 K; 0.94 WHIP; 2.72 FIP; 4.6 WAR.
Relievers
Five relievers have 9 Holds at this point, and all of them are listed, making this a bit of a larger group than usual.
16 IP minimum.
Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 3.79. 19 Sv. Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-1, 3.72. 9 H. Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.46. 3 H. Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-3, 3.55. 1 Sv; 9 H. Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 0.92. 2 Sv; 9 H; 0.71 WHIP; 2.07 FIP. Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-2, 4.01. 18 Sv. Rob Murphy (IND). 1-1, 2.70. 1 Sv; 9 H. Ross Reynolds (LAA). 2-0, 1.93. 1 Sv; 1 H; 2.02 FIP. BJ Ryan (OTT). 1-2, 4.85. 1 Sv; 9 H. Lee Smith (HOD). 4-1, 2.97. 3 Sv; 6 H; 0.73 WHIP.
#2 Way Players
It’s been a while, so figured we should check back in on these guys. Here’s the list:
Name
Team
Batting
Pitching
Total WAR
Charles Rogan
PHI
311/356/605. 1.8 WAR.
4-5, 4.55. 1.8 WAR.
3.6
Luis Padrón
IND
252/331/390. 0.1 WAR.
11-2, 3.90. 2.9 WAR.
3.0
Smokey Joe Wood
KCM
263/364/526. 0.1 WAR.
8-3, 3.41. 2.1 WAR.
2.2
JM Ward
PHI
158/186/246. -0.7 WAR.
3-2, 3.68. 1.8 WAR.
1.1
Jim Whitney
BBB
140/178/256. -0.4 WAR.
2-2, 4.00. 1.1 WAR.
0.7
Elmer Smith
LAA
323/462/387. 0.2 WAR.
0-1, 6.46. -0.1 WAR.
0.1
Eustaquio Pedroso
MIA
210/312/296. -0.3 WAR.
2-1, 6.11. -0.2 WAR.
-0.5
Wood has received very little time in the field, so we’ll see how he does as that expands. It looks like Ward should stay on the mound, and that really, it’s only Rogan and Padrón as truly valuable 2-way talents.
#Injury Report
Cleveland’s Mel Harder, Detroit’s Hal Newhouser, Miami’s Kenshin Kawakami and perhaps most importantly, Portland’s Joséito Muñoz should all start injury rehabs later this week. Should those go well, all four teams should receive rotation boosts in the near future.
#Last Year’s All-Stars
As we ramp up to this year’s all-star game, seemed a good time to check in on last year’s designees. This week, we’ll take a look at (what was last year) the AL.
#OBV
Bob Bailey (3B, DET). Just a dependable offensive machine at the hot corner.
Rod Beck (RP, SFS). Still racking up the saves, and doing better than last season otherwise.
Hank Greenberg (1B, DET). Keeps pounding the ball.
Mike Henneman (RP, DET). Remains dominant from the bullpen.
Rogers Hornsby (2B, POR). Keeps rolling along with better numbers than last season.
Joe Jackson (OF, CAG). This year’s version is a doubles machine without nearly the homerun power, but still maintaining on OPS over 1.000.
Craig Kimbrel (RP, KCM). Dominant, and really making the argument to be moved into the closer slot for Kansas City.
Willie Mays (OF, NYG). Somehow underappreciated despite his stellar performance.
Andy Pettitte (SP, NYY). Just keeps rolling. Like the whole league, his ERA is a little higher, but his peripheral numbers are strong.
Buster Posey (C, NYG). More power than last year, a little less of everything else, but still elite.
Frank Thomas (1B, CAG). Significantly better offensively across the board, which is a truly frightening statement.
Ted Williams (OF, MEM). A borderline selection last year, he’s upped his game significantly this season, with an OPS of 1.049.
#Mebbe
Curt Blefary (C, BAL). Nowhere near as good as last season, but still a good offensive player, showing both power and control of the strike zone.
Eddie Collins (2B, CAG). Power output has fallen off, and while he’s still a top performer, is not the MVP candidate of last season.
Mike Epstein (1B, HOM). The shape of his production has changed, as his BA has dropped 80 points. But he’s slugging .570 and his OPS is virtually the same as last season.
Dan McGann (1B, BAL). At 37, he’s performing better than last season, but remains under the radar for some reason.
Stan Musial (OF, KCM). He’s hitting almost exactly the same as he did last year, but has struggled with the longball. That may be enough to nudge him off the team, unfair as that may be.
#Meh
Dick Allen (3B, CAB). Not doing badly, but clearly a long wasy from an all star at this point.
Gerrit Cole (SP, LAA). May be pitching better than last season, but without the dominant W/L record, should fall far short of the all-star game.
Mark Melancon (RP, POR). Perhaps a stretch choice last year due to a ridiculous number of wins for a reliever, is doing fine this year, but far from all-star levels.
AJ Minter (RP, CAG). Still the American Giants’ closer, but no longer among the best in the league.
Reggie Smith (OF, MEM). Other than a boost in power, struggling a bit across the board.
Bobby Wallace (SS, BAL). Injured and not performing nearly as well regardless, Wallace is still an on base machine, and clearly has value.
Brian Wilson (RP, NYG). Injured and limited to 13 games so far, but dominant in those appearances, so there’s a chance.
#What Happened?
Bill Byrd (SP, BAL). Well below average so far this season.
Elrod Hendricks (C, HOD). Last year’s magnificent performance looks more and more like a mirage. Hendricks still has power, but is no longer elite among league backstops.
Duffy Lewis (OF, CHI). Struggling, especially in the power department.
Tricky Nichols (SP, CAG). An ERA over 6.00 and a ton of HR’s allowed.
Freddy Parent (SS, CAG). Parent rode his All Star selection–deserved at the time–to a trade to a contender, and then lost the ability to hit for power at all. Without that, he’s a mediocre SS.
Doug Rader (3B, LAA). A stunningly productive 2000 has been followed with … very little.
George Stone (OF, HOD). Significantly worse across the board. Stone looked like a budding star last year, now he looks like a decent 4th OFer.
#Other
Ned Garvin (SP, BAL). Garvin was the dominant pitcher in the league last year when he got injured. He’s been fine since his return, but has yet to find the same level.
Sean Marshall (RP, BAL). Hit by a long-term injury, Marshall is due to return to Baltimore’s bullpen by the all-star game.
The Black Barons were the darlings of the league last season, using a late season charge to edge into the playoffs. They were masters of the in-season trade periods, and then claimed to won the off-season as well, trading ace Andy Pettitte (because they had a surplus of arms) to add some power in the form of Albert Belle.
And nothing has worked since as Birmingham has plummeted towards a WBL worst record.
Birmingham inherits players from all the Braves (Boston, Milwaukee, and Atlanta).
Sitting 13 games behind in the Marvin Miller Division, anything that brought them within shouting distance of .500 would be a miracle. For some, this year is proof that last year was a mirage, for others, this year is just a long parade of poor fortune: how far the Black Barons recover will help the final evaluation of which is more accurate.
THE OFFENSE
Birmingham’s weakness last year was a total lack of power. They’ve addressed that with 6 players in double digits, led by Hank Aaron with 19 and Curtis Granderson and Eddie Mathews with 17 each. But everything else has plummeted: both Granderson and Mathews are hitting below .200, only 3 players have OBPs over .350.
#What’s Going Right
Jim Pagliaroni has blossomed into one of the better offensive catchers in the league, at least over the first few months, leading Birmingham in OPS at .927, powered by 14 dingers. Aaron is sporting an OPS just over .900, leading the team in runs and RBI’s as well. Mathews has seized the 3B spot, and Bob Nieman continues to be a solid contributor in the OF.
Then, at a lower pitch, JP Arencibia–while he’s fallen off significantly from his blistering start–is still hitting with a ton of power; Cupid Childs is getting on base at a good clip at the top of the order, and Belle, while currently mired in a bit of a slump, has produced some power, with 14 homeruns of his own.
#What’s Not Going Right
It’s homers or nothing for this team: only Nieman, Childs, Herman Long, and Aaron are in double digits in doubles, and there are some very odd distributions elsewhere (Pagliaroni has 1 double, Mathews 4, and Granderson 2 despite all having at least 14 homers).
Only two players (Aaron and Troy Tulowitzki, who has supplanted Long at SS) are hitting over .260.
Adrián González has seen his role reduced essentially to a platoon at 1B with Arencibia.
The team does not run well, with Childs having a whopping 15 CS to go along with 17 steals.
THE PITCHING
There are a few bright spots here, but, overall, more disappointments than pleasant surprises.
#What’s Going Right
Greg Maddux (5-5, 4.97) and Alejandro Peña (2-4, 5.23) have both pitched better than their ERA’s might suggest, and both continue to show front of rotation ability. They’ve been joined by Jim Whitney (1-1, 2.41), who has been a fantastic surprise, forcing his way into the rotation.
Harley Young (1-0, 1.80, 1 Sv, 3 H) seems to have made a full recovery from injury, and is pushing himself into the conversation at closer. Some other arms–notably Charlie Morton and John Malarkey–have done well in limited appearances.
#What’s Not Going Right
Lefty Gomez (3-6, 5.80) and Sam Streeter (1-7, 5.80–yes they both have the same poor ERA), who looked strong coming out of Spring Training, have struggled, and are in danger of losing their rotation spots.
Juan Ríncón has 6 saves, but he and Bruce Chen have both been hit very hard. Those two, along with Young, were a key trio in last year’s success, and the weakening of the back end of the bullpen has certainly been noticeable.
None of the other young talent on the mound–most notably Vic Willis, Warren Spahn, and Frank Viola–have come through.
The future does look bright, with 7 prospects listed in the WBL top 50 in OFs Jess Barbour and Curt Flood, IF Marcus Giles and Trea Turner, C Joe Torre, and Ps Rube Melton and Alex Malloy. There’s a fair bit of talent off the WBL rankings radar as well, from P Steve Avery to the power of Nate Colbert and Gary Matthews to the OF skills of Ron Fairly, Melky Cabrera, and José Cruz.
So there are some options.
Of that group, Melton, Torre and Fairly are doing well at AAA while Flood is struggling a bit at that level.
WHAT’S NEEDED
Birmingham is underperforming, winning 2 fewer games than their runs scored/runs allowed numbers would indicate. But that’s only 2 games. So there are some deep underlying needs.
Most of all, the offense needs to become more than a threat of solo homeruns, which are just not enough to carry the team. The bullpen needs to settle, which may require some roster movement if Rincón and Chen can’t recover their form.
Storylines to Watch
Key Questions from Spring Training
How will some key pieces for last season–Pettitte, Rincón, Adrián González, Cupid Childs, Jim Pagliaroni–perform over the course of a full year? Overall, the answers here revealing: Pettitte is gone, Rincón and González are struggling, Childs is doing OK, and of that group, only Pagliaroni is excelling.
With Andy Pettitte traded, how does the rotation respond and does Albert Belle perform at a level that makes it worthwhile? Meh. The rotation has not really responded, and the Black Barons certainly feel the lack of a clear ace at the front of the rotation. Belle has hit a slump, but is still contributing with power. Meh.
Who will fill out the roster? Still a bit of a concern, although Arencibia’s ultra hot start was a great plus and Andy Pafko has been quite solid.
FEATURED SERIES
The Black Barons start the week with 3 games in Pittsburgh to take on Homestead and since we just talked about the Grays, it seemed like a good focus series.
Projected Starters
Birmingham starter listed first.
Jim Whitney (1-1, 2.41) @ Bob Friend (3-2, 4.75) Alejandro Peña (2-4, 5.23) @ Doug Drabek (2-1, 3.50) Greg Maddux (5-5, 4.97) @ Francisco Liriano (3-5, 5.12)
Game One
With Bob Friend still fatigued, Homestead went with Ray Brown. Jim Whitney struggled early, giving up 4 runs in the bottom of the first including back to back longballs to Rick Reichardt and Willie Stargell.
And then the rains came …
After the tarps were on, the game was called, to be completed the following day with the Grays up 4-0, and guaranteeing impact on the two team’s bullpens.
The following day, Fred Fussell would take the ball for Birmingham for the bottom of the 3rd while Brickyard Kennedy took over for Homestead in the top of the 4th. Whitney stayed in the game as the DH, and doubled in the 5th, scoring on a homerun from Herman Long that closed the game to 4-2.
That was effectively it as the bullpens were excellent. The Grays would add one more run as Birmingham was held to 5 hits on the day.
BBB 2 (Whitney 1-2) @ HOM 5 (Kennedy 3-0; Lindblom 16 Sv; Lee 3 H; Jackson 8 H) HRs: BBB – Long (4); HOM- Stargell (18), Reichardt (20). Box Score
Game Two
Homestead’s Bob Friend gets his chance here, facing off against Alejandro Peña.
The game was scoreless until the top of the 5th when a double by Albert Belle drove in Curtis Granderson. After a walk to Gene Tenace, Troy Tulowitzki hit his first homer of the season, and it was 4-0 Birmingham, with Peña yet to allow a hit.
Nap Lajoie broke up the no-no in the bottom of the frame, but that was all the drama for a while–Belle and Cupid Childs went deep, and the Black Barons were sailing along 7-0 until Roberto Clemente touched Peña for a long 3 run shot in the bottom of the 7th.
The Grays made it close enough for Juan Ríncón to earn a save, but that was it as the Black Barons evened up the series.
BBB 8 (Peña 3-4; Rincón 7) @ HOM 5 (Friend 3-3) HRs: BBB – Tulowitzki (1), Belle (15), Childs (2); HOM – Clemente (6). Box Score
Game Three
An intriguing pitching matchup: Greg Maddux seems perpetually on the verge of becoming a front of the rotation guy for Birmingham, while Doug Drabek is trying to solidify a claim to a rotation spot for the Grays.
Both hurlers were good through three, and then the wheels fell off. Birmingham exploded for 7 runs in the top of the 4th, led by homeruns from Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, and JP Arencibia; but Maddux collapsed as well, allowing 7 runs to Homestead in the bottom of the frame.
So, tied until Mathews went deep for the 2nd time in the following inning, and Herman Long added a 2 run shot to give Birmingham a 10-7 lead. They added 2 more in the top of the 8th, making it 12-8 and then survived Stargell’s second of the game as Juan Ríncón closed it out for a 12-11 victory.
Cupid Childs had 4 hits and 3 doubles in the victory and Long and Arencibia drove in 3 each.
A series win is a series win, and this one showed the offense doing more for sure. But there is something a bit unconvincing in the bullpen–especially when called upon in the middle of the game, and the questions remain.
Mike Mussina returns to the Black Sox rotation, but the severe underperformance of its back end has left Baltimore in a quandary. For now, they are going with Dennis Martínez, Ned Garvin, and Mussina as regular options, with the final spots pretty much up for grabs, with even current closer Joe Beggs in the mix.
Baltimore hit 7 homeruns, including 2 from Bryce Harper, as the Black Sox ran rampant over Chicago, 12-3.
#Cleveland Spiders
Tris Speaker went deep twice, leading the Spiders to a 10-6 win over Los Angeles.
#Detroit Wolverines
With George Davis ready to return from injury, the Wolverines pulled a surprise move, sending veteran Tony Phillips–a key sparkplug for last year’s success–to AAA. This move frees up room for more time for Juan Beníquez in LF and cements the platoon between Charlie Gehringer and Joe Wood at 2B. It also leaves the Wolverines without a true backup CF behind Chili Davis, so we’ll see how that works out.
Needing a starter, the Wolverines exchanged Claude Passeau for Si Johnson. Johnson’s stay was short, as Johnny Marcum was recalled from his rehab assignment after Johnson put in a mediocre start where Hank Greenberg went deep twice, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Wolverines from dropping their 6th straight, 7-5 to the Black Yankees.
Bob Bailey went deep twice and Pete Conway pitched a complete game in an 11-4 win over Portland. Bailey drove in 6 and Greenberg went deep as well for the Wolverines.
Billy Hoeft will miss the better part of a week, earning himself a trip to the DL with Felipe Vázquez being recalled to maintain a left-handed weapon in the pen. George Bechtel was returned to AAA with Si Johnson being recalled once more for a spot start. The hits kept coming for the Wolverines: Johnson’s performance was fine, but with Jack Wilson heading to the DL, not only does Johnson retain his spot, but Bechtel was recalled immediately to Detroit.
#Memphis Red Sox
The merry-go-round continues: Nixey Callahan and Eddie Cicotte head to AAA with Skel Roach and Shane Bieber being recalled from their rehab assignments. Joe Rudi was sent down as well, with OF Jack McAleese being recalled.
Travis Shaw went deep twice, driving the Red Sox to a 10-7 win over Miami. Later in the week, Reggie Smith did the same, homering twice in an 11-3 win over Baltimore.
#New York Black Yankees
The Black Yankees recalled Red Ruffing from a rehab assignment, with Noah Syndergaard heading to AAA.
Ruffing had a scoreless debut in relief of a dominant Ron Guidry as the Black Yankees beat Detroit, 11-1. Guidry improved to 8-1 on the year and Hank Bauer went deep twice for New York.
Mickey Mantle went deep twice and the Black Yankees beat Detroit 7-5 behind an excellent 8 innings from Andy Pettitte, who improved to 6-2.
Bryce Harper went deep twice–one just over 500 ft.–as the Black Sox triumphed over Memphis, 12-2. As encouraging for the Black Sox was the effort from Connie Johnson, who pitched 6 scoreless innings in the victory.
The Black Sox pounded out 16 hits, including 2 homeruns from Manny Machado, in an easy 13-4 win over Cleveland.
#Cleveland Spiders
Jake Stahl–he of 26 homeruns last year–was sent to AAA to work out his swing, with the Spiders recalling C Victor Martinez, who is expected to pressure Louis Santop and John Ellis for playing time.
#Detroit Wolverines
With a staff beset by injuries, the Wolverines have moved Pete Conway into the rotation, while keeping the 5th slot undecided for the time being. They also sent George Bechtel and Ray Sadecki to the minors, recalling Mickey Lolich and Wilson Álvarez from AA.
Al Kaline went deep twice, but it was far from enough as the Wolverines fell to the Black Yankees, 15-9. Chili Davis did the same the next day, hitting 2 out in an 8-6 loss to New York.
#Memphis Red Sox
Vern Stephens‘ rough start to the year has cost him his starting job, ceding the SS role for Memphis to Dobie Moore. Dean Chance was returned to AAA in exchange for Nixey Callahan as the Red Sox found themselves short on rested starters.
#New York Black Yankees
Gary Lavelle was put on the DL, with Herm Wehmeier being recalled from AAA for a spot start.
Mickey Mantle drove in 6 and 5 Black Yankees went deep in a 15-9 win over Detroit. Hank Bauer, Tom Herr, Mike Schmidt, Don Mattingly, and Derek Jeter joined Mantle in hitting homeruns, with Herr and Bauer each scoring 3 times as New York pounded out 18 hits.
Mantle went deep twice and Babe Ruth hit his 20th of the year as the Black Yankees beat Detroit 8-6, with Andy Pettitte improving to 4-2.
We’re slightly changing how TWIWBL works. Each week, we’ll focus on a new randomly chosen team in detail, and the featured series will be covered there, leaving this entry to focus on awards and individual performances.
#Awards
Houston‘s Jeff Bagwell used his 3 homerun game to take down the NL Player of the Week Award, hitting .381 with 11 RBI over the week. Over in the AL, Detroit‘s Ty Cobb, who is putting together a pretty special campaign so far, earned the AL Player of the Week with a .435 average and 6–SIX–homers and 14 RBI’s.
#Team Performance
The New York Black Yankees are clearly focused on erasing the poor memories of last season’s disappointments, leading the WBL with a .688 winning percentage and currently on a 6 game winning streak. Chicago and the surprising Kansas City Monarchs are the only other teams over .600, and each lead their divisions.
New York and the Detroit Wolverines are each 7-3 over their last 10 games.
At the other end, 3 teams are under .400, including the defending champion Baltimore Black Sox, along with Portland and the Birmingham Black Barons. Baltimore sits 11 games behind the Black Yankees, facing a significant uphill climb to get back into playoff position. It is, however, early May, so it’s certainly doable.
#Player Performance
Batters
Through the first month of the season, the WBL feels a little less like Babe Ruth‘s league offensively, as both Detroit’s Ty Cobb and Ottawa‘s Larry Walker are putting up numbers to rival the Babe, who doesn’t even lead the league in homeruns, sitting 1 behind teammate Mickey Mantle, Walker, and the House of David‘s Ryne Sandberg who all have 13. In addition to Ruth, another Black Yankee, Lou Gehrig, San Francisco‘s Jimmie Foxx, and Cleveland‘s Lance Berkman also have 12 dingers so far.
In fact, with his Player of the Week performance, it’s feeling a bit like Ty Cobb‘s world: Cobb leads the WBL in all 3 slash categories, as well as doubles and overall WAR, and is 2nd in hits and RBI.
Standard stuff: top 2 in most categories, leader in bold.
Ty Cobb (DET). 398/462/858. 45 H, 19 2B, 32 RBI, 2.6 WAR. Mickey Cochrane (SFS). 368/452/667. Eddie Collins (CAG). 311/438/485. 23 BB. Eric Davis (NYY). 274/358/581. 30 R. Tony Gwynn (HOU). 393/430/598. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 295/389/562. 23 SB. Pete Hill (HOU). 290/374/561. 5 3B. Joe Jackson (CAG). 383/422/617. 46 H, 17 2B. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 306/374/621. 32 RBI. Dick Lundy (SFS). 356/430/593. 2.3 WAR, 18 SB. Mickey Mantle (NYY). 313/406/704. 13 HR. Tim Raines (OTT). 286/385/545. 5 3B. Babe Ruth (NYY). 286/406/661. 33 RBI, 32 RBI, 29 R, 23 BB. Ryne Sandberg (HOD). 336/383/755. 13 HR. Turkey Stearnes (SFS). 312/359/667. 5 3B. Larry Walker (OTT). 374/433/776. 13 HR. Bobby Wallace (BAL). 243/391/336. 24 BB.
One thing obvious from this list: the Black Yankees and the San Francisco Sea Lions are both on fire offensively, at least in the top halves of their lineups.
Pitchers
Year 2 is a bit more pitcher friendly than last season, to the point where I would expect to end the year with a handful of sub 3.00 ERAs (last season, there Andy Pettitte, then with Birmingham, led the league with a 3.20 mark).
Starters
Eight pitchers are tied for the league lead in wins with 5 each; we’ve only included the 4 who are undefeated in the list below.
Houston’s rubber-armed Toad Ramsey is having quite a moment, but it’s unlikely the knuckleballer can maintain this level of performance.
Mark Buehrle (CAG). 5-0, 1.49. Frank Castillo (KCM). 5-0, 2.41. Roger Clemens (HOU). 5-0, 3.48. Johnny Cueto (IND). 5-1, 2.66. 0.93 WHIP. Hardie Henderson (PHI). 5-1, 2.17. 1.6 WAR. Christy Mathewson (NYG). 1-5, 4.47. 48 IP, 47 K. Luis Padrón (IND). 5-0, 2.35. Toad Ramsey (HOU). 5-2, 1.53. 53 IP, 65 K, 0.75 WHIP, 2.5 WAR.
Relievers
10 IP Minimum.
Rod Beck (SFS). 1-2, 7.20. 9 Sv. Sandy Consuegra (MCG). 1-1, 0.66. 3 Sv, 1 H, 0.59 WHIP. Mike Henneman (DET). 0-2, 0.77. 6 Sv. Bob Howry (PHI). 2-1, 3.75. 7 Sv, 0.58 WHIP. Eric Gagne (BRK). 0-0, 1.59. 9 Sv. Eddie Guardado (KCM). 1-0, 0.77. 1 H. Robb Nen (NYG). 1-0, 0.90. 8 Sv. Jeff Pfeffer (KCM). 0-0, 3.86. 8 Sv.
2 Way Players
A new section for the opening TWIWBL is a check in on the players doing it both on the mound and at the plate led, perhaps surprisingly, by Indianapolis‘ Luis Padrón.
Player
Pitching
Batting
pWAR
bWAR
WAR
Luis Padrón (IND)
5-0, 2.35 (38 IP, 5 GS)
400/455/625 (44 PA)
1.3
0.5
1.8
Joe Rogan (PHI)
1-3, 5.81 (31 IP, 5 GS)
297/343/515 (108 PA)
0.0
0.6
0.6
J.M. Ward (PHI)
0-1, 3.00 (36 IP, 6 GS)
192/192/385 (26 PA)
0.7
-0.1
0.6
Jim Whitney (BBB)
0-1, 1.88 (24 IP, 12 G)
143/200/214 (15 PA)
0.5
-0.1
0.4
Eustaquio Pedroso (MCG)
0-0, 4.26 (19 IP, 10 G)
208/345/208 (29 PA)
0.3
-0.1
0.2
Ted Williams (Memphis), Cristóbal Torriente (CAG), Martín Dihigo (Miami Cuban Giants), and Smokey Joe Wood (KCM) (among others) have yet to really be used in a 2-way capacity.
#INJURY REPORT
Indianapolis’ Joe Morgan should start a rehab assignment mid-week, as should Miami’s José Méndez.
Ned Garvin should start a rehab assignment some time this week, which is great news for a struggling Baltimore staff. The team won’t make any changes for now, but both Johnny Sain and the surprising John Tudor are pushing to replace Connie Johnson and/or Jim Palmer in the rotation. Garvin did indeed begin a stint at AAA, with many in the organization paying very close attention.
Frank Robinson might be emerging from his early season doldrums, going 3 for 4 with 2 homeruns in a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles. Dennis Martínez continued his strong start, improving to 3-1 with 7 strong innings, allowing 6 hits and a single run for the Black Sox, with Joe Beggs picking up his 2nd save of the year.
Baby Doll Jacobsen hit the DL with a sprained knee, with Cal Ripken, Jr. being recalled.
Gavvy Cravath had 2 hits, including a walkoff grand slam as the Black Sox came back to win 8-6 over the Black Yankees.
#Cleveland Spiders
Yordano Ventura was pressed into emergency duty as a starter and performed magnificently, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings, but he was not involved in the decision as the Spiders came from behind for a 3-2 win over Miami. Lance Berkman went deep twice for Cleveland.
#Detroit Wolverines
The Wolverines put on the largest beatdown of the WBL season so far, a 23 to 5 thrashing of Portland. Charlie Gehringer drove in 7 and Bob Bailey 4 while Bailey, Billy Nash, and Ed Bailey each scored 4 times. Bob Bailey and Juan Beníquez each had 3 hits for Detroit. Ed Bailey walked 4 times and Gehringer, Bob Bailey, and Hank Greenberg each went deep. Gene Conley wasn’t great, but he didn’t have to be as he improved to 1-2 with an 8 inning effort.
Ty Cobb went deep twice as the Wolverines pulverized Memphis, 15-3. Gehringer and Chili Davis had 3 hits each, with Cobb and Davis driving in 3 runs as part of a 16 hit attack. Charlie Root threw a strong 8 innings, earning his first win of the year.
Ernie Lombardi and Greenberg had 3 hits each (with Greenberg smacking 3 doubles), and Bob Bailey and Al Kaline had 3 RBI’s each as Detroit trounced the Red Sox, 13-6.
#Memphis Red Sox
The Red Sox clearly need to find more playing time for Travis Shaw and David Ortiz, who combined to go 5 for 8 with 7 RBIs and 3 homeruns (2 for Shaw) in a 10-7 win over the Black Yankees. Memphis roared out to a 10-1 lead then had to survive a bad outing from Andrew Miller for the win, which went to David Bush who threw 4 plus hitless innings in relief of an injured Shane Bieber.
#New York Black Yankees
After a rough start, Thurman Munson is starting to come around. The Black Yankee backstop had 3 hits, including 2 homeruns, and drove in 5 as New York topped Memphis, 9-2. Andy Pettitte had a solid outing, improving to 2-1.
Lou Gehrig went deep twice, leading the Black Yankees to a 4-3 win over Baltimore. Jack Scott improved to 2-2 with a solid outing and Goose Gossage picked up his 2nd save of the season.
I needed a place to hold statistics that aren’t easily displayed in OOTP. Most of these are game-level performances.
For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.
Batting Statistics
2+ 3B Games
2. Bob Bescher (IND); Craig Biggio (HOU), Ty Cobb (DET); Willie McGee (KCM); Tim Raines (OTT).
3+ 2B Games
4. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE). 3. Craig Biggio (HOU); George Brett (HOU); Ron Cey (BRK); Cupid Childs (BBB); Ty Cobb (DET); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Josh Gibson (HOM); Hank Greenberg (DET); Joe Jackson (CAG); Reggie Jackson (SFS); Joe Morgan (IND); Frank Robinson (BAL); Cookie Rojas (MCG); Pete Runnels (NYG); Reggie Smith (MEM); Mike Trout (LAA).
3+ HBP Games
3. Jack Doyle (CAG).
3+ HR Games
3. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ed Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Carlos Beltrán (OTT); Lance Berkman x2 (CLE); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Ryan Braun (MCG); José Canseco (MCG); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); George Gore (HOD); Stan Musial (KCM); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Álex Rodríguez (OTT); Babe Ruth (NYY); Ted Simmons (KCM); Sammy Sosa x2 (HOD); Mike Trout (LAA); Larry Walker (OTT).
3+ OF Assists
4+ BB Games
4. Ed Bailey (DET); Eddie Collins (CAG); Mike Epstein (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Andrew McCutchen (HOM), Joey Votto (IND).
6. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 5. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Tris Speaker (CLE). 4. Roberto Alomar x2 (OTT); Jeff Bagwell x2 (HOU); Bob Bailey (DET); Ed Bailey (DET); Johnny Bates x2 (CLE); Albert Belle (BBB); Curt Blefary x2 (BAL); Dan Brouthers (BRK); Ron Cey (BRK); Roberto Clemente (HOM); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Mike Epstein (HOM); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Pete Hill (HOU); Benny Kauff (NYG); Evan Longoria (CLE); Willie McGee (KCM); Billy Nash (DET); Yasiel Puig (MCG); Babe Ruth (NYY); Gary Sheffield (MCG); Jim Wynn (HOU).
4+ SB Games
6. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 4. Frank Chance (HOD); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Dick Lundy (SFS).
5+ Hit Games
5. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Don Buford (LAA); Joe Jackson (CAG); Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Mike Trout (LAA).
5+ SO Games
6. Dale Murphy (KCM). 5. Beals Becker (BRK); Bobby Bonds (SFS); Ron Cey (BRK); Larry Doby (CLE); Héctor López (NYY); Dale Murphy (KCM).
6+ RBI Games
7. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Carlton Fisk (CAG); Charlie Gehringer (DET); Evan Longoria (CLE); Manny Machado (BAL); Yasiel Puig (MCG); Gary Sheffield (MCG). 6. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Johnny Callison (NYG); Carlos Correa (HOU); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Chili Davis (DET); Josh Gibson (HOM); Mickey Mantle (NYY); Mike Piazza (BRK); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Babe Ruth x3 (NYY); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Mike Schmidt (NYY); Ted Simmons (KCM); Roy White (BRK).
Cycles
Roberto Clemente (HOM; 4-5, 4R, 3 RBI).
Longest HRs
{Note: OOTP clearly has something weird happening with overpowered HRs. It’s getting better, and, at some point, I’m going to reduce these by roughly 10%, which would leave the list at only 3 at 500 ft+ for the season so far, which seems much more realistic to me, but am waiting to see if I get any additional info/guidance from the game dev’s.}
595 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM). 558 ft. Aaron Judge (PHA). 555 ft. Albert Pujols (KCM). 551 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB). 550 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE). 544 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB). 542 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Evan Longoria (CLE). 539 ft. Johnny Bates (CLE); Craig Biggio (HOU). 538 ft. Josh Gibson (HOM), Pete Hill (HOU); Buster Posey (NYG). 535 ft. Buster Posey (NYG). 534 ft. Robinson Canó (KCM). 530 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM). 528 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Willie Mays (NYG). 527 ft. Joe Adcock (NYG). 525 ft. Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 522 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 519 ft. Babe Ruth (NYY). 518 ft. Willie Mays (NYG). 516 ft. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Nieman (BBB). 514 ft. Ron Cey (BRK); Oscar Gamble (DET). 512 ft. Tony Gwynn (HOU). 511 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE); Dan Brouthers (BRK). 510 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 509 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Jack Clark (SFS); Bryce Harper (BAL); Ted Simmons (KCM). 508 ft. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Boog Powell (KCM); Travis Shaw (MEM). 507 ft. Ducky Medwick (KCM); Ted Simmons (KCM). 505 ft. Lou Gehrig (NYA). 503 ft. Larry Doyle (NYG); Joe Rogan (PHI); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Oscar Gamble (DET). 502 ft. Ernie Banks (HOD); Albert Belle (BBB); Robinson Canó (KCM); Ray Dandridge (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM). 501 ft. Derek Jeter (NYA). 500 ft. Andrew McCutchen (HOM).
Pitching Statistics
80+ Game Scores
99. José Rijo (KCM). 97. JM Ward (PHI). 93. Frank Castillo (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 92. Bump Hadley (SFS); Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 91. Frank Knauss (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU) 90. Brian Anderson (LAA); A. Rube Foster (KCM); Alejandro Peña (BBB); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Joe Rogan (PHI). 89. Fernando Valenzuela (BRG); Smokey Joe Wood (KCM). 88. Luis Padrón x2 (IND); Bill Steen (CLE); Justin Verlander (DET). 87. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Jim Whitney (BBB). 86. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Doc Gooden (LAA). 85. Roger Clemens (HOU); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Eddie Plank (SFS); Jameson Taillon (MEM); Ed Walsh (CAG); Cy Young (CLE). 84. Frank Castillo (KCM); Ron Guidry (NYY); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Ed Walsh (CAG). 83. Bob Friend (HOM); Mike Mussina (BAL). 82. Mark Buehrle (CAG); Bill Doak (MEM); Connie Johnson (BAL); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 81. Ferguson Jenkins (HOD); Stephen Strasbourg (HOU); Cy Young (CLE). 80. Walter Johnson (POR); The Only Nolan (IND); Andy Pettitte (NYY); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
10+ Strikeout Games
14. Frank Castillo (KCM); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13. Brian Anderson (LAA); Ron Guidry (NYY); Charlie Root (DET). 12. Johnny Cueto (IND); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Mike Mussina (BAL); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); José Rijo (KCM); Bill Steen (CLE); JM Ward (PHI). 11. Johnny Cueto (IND); Ron Guidry (NYY); Ferguson Jenkins (HOD); Connie Johnson (BAL); Walter Johnson (POR); Frank Knauss (BRG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); The Only Nolan (IND); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Toad Ramsey x3 (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Justin Verlander (DET); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 10. Steve Carlton (PHI); Frank Castillo (KCM); Watty Clark (SFS); Bob Friend (HOM); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Frank Knauss (BRK); Ramón Martínez (MCG); Billy Pierce (HOM); Tom Seaver (LAA); Stephen Strasbourg (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Fernando Valenzuela (BRK); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
8+ Walk Games
8. Ed Brandt (MCG); Hardie Henderson (PHI). 9. Randy Johnson (OTT).
Shutouts
NO HITS. José Rijo (IND). 1 Hit. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Stubby Overmire (MEM) [5 inn]; Luis Padrón (IND); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 2 Hits. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Frank Knauss (BRK); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Luis Padrón (IND); Joe Rogan (PHI). 3 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Eddie Plank (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 4 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Jim Whitney (BBB); Cy Young (CLE).
Shutouts (Combined)
1 Hit. Justin Verlander / Mike Henneman (DET); Bill Steen / Terry Adams (CLE). 2 Hits. Jameson Taillon / Skel Roach / Andrew Miller (MEM); Ed Walsh / Tom Williams (CAG); Pud Galvin / Francisco Rodríguez / Joe Nathan (LAA); Brett Anderson / Ross Reynolds (LAA); Connie Johnson / Justin Hampson (BAL). 3 Hits. Hardie Henderson / Robin Roberts (PHI); Orel Hershiser / Eric Gagne (BRK); Stephen Strasbourg / John Franco / Tug McGraw (HOU); Vean Gregg / Mike Norris / Brian Wilson (NYG). 4 Hits. Toad Ramsey / Bones Ely (HOU); Hardie Henderson / Brad Kilby / Tim Belcher / Ted Kennedy (PHI); Dwight Gooden / Francisco Rodríguez (LAA); Bump Hadley / Jim Devlin / Ken Howell / Rod Beck (SFS); Greg Maddux / John Malarkey / Bruce Chen / Juan Rincón (BBB); Johnny Podgajny / Tom Henke (OTT); Herm Wehmeier / Goose Gossage (NYY). 5 Hits. Kenshin Kawakami / Barry Latman / Ed Brandt / Sandy Consuegra (MCG); Len Barker / David Bush / Andrew Miller (MEM); Johnny Cueto / Sad Sam Jones / Rob Murphy / Rob Dibble (IND); Smoky Joe Wood / Mike Kume (KCM).
With opening day just around the corner, we thought it would be interesting to see how the draft worked out …
#Love ‘Em (Draft Picks Making Opening Day Rosters)
1st Round
Charles “Bullet Joe” Rogan, the overall #1 pick in the draft, makes Philadelphia’s opening day roster, expected to be their 4th OF and provide bullpen support. The Stars’ other first-rounder, Dave Stieb, made their opening day rotation.
Two outfielders were taken with the 7th and 8th picks, and both should be in their team’s opening day lineups, as San Francisco took CF Turkey Stearnes at 7 and Los Angeles RF Ichiro Suzuki at 8.
2nd Round
Miami took Julio Rodríguez with the 2nd pick in round 2 thinking the 19 year old would be a project for the future; instead he breaks camp as their starting CF.
Homestead’s Tim Lincecum makes the opening day roster in their bullpen, and Houston’s César Cedeño will start the season as their reserve OF (although this is expected to only last until George Brett‘s return from injury, but you never know).
Portland drafted 26 year old Walter Ball expecting him to be ready for the WBL, and he delivered, starting the season in their rotation.
Some mention should be made of Kansas City’s Matt Morris, who was expected to make their rotation before tearing his labrum.
3rd Round
Dobie Moore exploded on the scene for Memphis and should see essentially full time usage alternating between SS and 2B.
Philadelphia breaks camp with Bill Gatewood in the bullpen.
5th Round
The New York Black Yankees didn’t expect Noah Syndergaard to make the opening day roster, but he did.
Detroit is even more surprised at the performance and poise from 18 year old Billy Hoeft, who will start the season in their bullpen.
6th Round
Jess Barbour was a throw-in in the Albert Belle/Andy Pettitte trade, but his defensive flexibility and speed kept him around for Birmingham.
8th Round
Ottawa’s staff was essentially open going into Spring Training, so while Dupee Shaw making the team was a surprise, it wasn’t a shock.
The Black Yankees’ bench received a complete overhaul, with Elliot Maddox earning a spot out of the gate.
9th Round
Jack Billingham starts the season in Indianapolis’ bullpen.
12th Round
Indianapolis took Edward “The Only” Nolan with their final pick of the draft. Nolan starts the year on their staff as the WBL’s version if Mister Irrelevant.
#Leave ‘Em (Draft Picks No Longer With Original Organization)
Other than the inexplicable treatment of Chino Smith, this all looks fine. Topsy Hartsel should find a home somewhere, the rest may or may not.
1st Round: Vladimir Guerrero, OF (traded from MCG to POR)
2nd Round: Jon Matlack, P (traded from POR to MCG)
3rd Round: Topsy Hartsel, OF (BAL)
4th Round: Leo Cardenas, IF (IND); Bob Smith, P (BBB); Denard Span (traded from POR to OTT)
7th Round: Cass Michaels, IF (CAG)
8th Round: Ray Blades, OF (KCM); Chino Smith, IF (MEM, now with BAL); Lee Stange, P (POR, now with HOM)
9th Round: Justin Steel, P (HOD)
10th Round: Doug Bair, P (KCM); Greg Pryor, IF (BRK)
11th Round: Nick Allen, IF (SFS); Vern Kennedy, P (CAG); Eddie Solomon, P (BBB)
12th Round: Jeff Ballard, P (BBB); Craig Gentry, OF (CAG); Dave Lemanczyk, P (SFS); José Lopéz, 1B (MCG); Hal Mauck, P (HOD); Connor Seabold, P (MEM)
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
POS
Elite
Strong
Solid
Meh
Weak
Unknown
C
Pagliaroni Tenace
1B
González
McCormick
Beckley
2B
Childs
3B
Mathews
SS
Long
Tulowitzki
LF/ RF
Aaron Belle
Nieman
Barbour Pafko
CF
Granderson
SP
Peña
Maddux Willis
Streeter
Malarkey
End
Bedrosian Rincón
RP
Benton 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
WBL
Minors
Raw Power
3B Eddie Mathews
1B Nate Colbert
Batting Eye
3B Eddie Mathews
OF John Titus
Contact
OF Hank Aaron
3B Pie Traynor
Running Speed
SS Herman Long
OF Rajai Davis
Base Stealing
SS Herman Long
OF Rajai Davis
IF Defense
SS Herman Long
3B Pie Traynor
OF Defense
OF Andy Pafko
OF Billy Southworth
Stuff
SP Sam Streeter
RP Bill James
Control
SP Jim Whitney
RP Johnny Ryan
Velocity
RP Juan Rincón
RP Kerry Ligtenberg
Best In The Minors
Rank
Age
POS
Name
1 (32)
24
P
Jim Whitney
2 (36)
20
C
Joe Torre
3 (43)
20
U
Jess Barbour
4 (54)
20
2B
Trea Turner
5 (58)
25
OF
Curt Flood
6 (62)
21
P
Cozy Dolan
7 (63)
26
P
Rube Melton
8 (151)
22
P
Alex Malloy
9 (156)
19
2B
Marcus Giles
10 (173)
21
P
Jonathan 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.
Most
Least
Age
OF Sam Rice, 37
SP Steve Avery, 18
Height
P Dustin Nippert, 6’8″
OF Al Schweitzer, 5’6″
OPS
OF Max Kepler, 1.233 (—)
IF Gerry Jestadt, .604 (—)
HR
OF Max Kepler, 61 (—)
IF George McBride, 1 (AAA) OF Rajai Davis, 1 (AAA/AA) OF Brock Davis 1 (AA)
SB
OF Billy Southworth, 26 (WBL/AAA)
Many with 0
WAR
1B Nate Colbert, 4.4 (WBL/AAA/AA)
IF Gerry Jestadt, -2.0 (—)
W
Bill Phyle, 17 (—)
Harry Matuzak, 1 (—)
SV
Juan Rincón, 26 (WBL)
ERA
Aaron Sanchez, 1.98 (—)
Johnny Ryan, 6.90 (AA)
WAR
Aaron Sanchez, 7.3 (—)
Fred Fussell, -0.8 (WBL/AAA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.
