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TWIWBL 39.0: Series XXXI Notes

On May 5, 2023

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

Series XXXI Preview: Portland Sea Dogs @ Birmingham Black Barons

By mknn

On April 28, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

Ohhhh … what timing!

The Birmingham Black Barons (who we saw in Series III, XIV, and XXIII) have clawed their way to take the lead in the Marvin Miller Division, ahead of the Portland Sea Dogs (who were featured in Series IV and XVII, and XXIX) by 1/2 game.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Portland has stalled in the past week or so, but over the course of the season has been one of the top few teams in the WBL.

Offensively, they are excellent top-to-bottom, to the point where there are several spots in the lineup where they struggle to find enough at-bats. Most notably, both Joe Mauer (302/380/488) and Iván Rodríguez (324/343/502) are stars at C and Gary Pettis (376/460/518) refuses to slump as their reserve CF. Pettis is now over 100 ABs, but remains stuck behind Bobby Murcer (309/395/542).

Kent Hrbek (305/378/594) leads the team in HR (34) and RBI (89) with 7 other Sea Dogs hitting at least 15 homeruns and two–Murcer with 21 and Gil Hodges with 25–over 20.

Two trade acquisitions will be key to Portland’s stretch run. 2B Rogers Hornsby hasn’t hit as well with the Sea Dogs as they did in Kansas City, with an OPS over 120 points lower. Gavvy Cravath, however, has hit the ground running, slashing 286/422/571 in Portland compared to 289/358/493 in Philadelphia.

Portland’s best 2 pitchers–Walter Johnson and Joséito Muñoz (5-5, 2.50)–are currently injured (Johnson for only a few more days while Muñoz’ injury is still being diagnosed). Their closer–and the best in the league for a while–Johan Santana is out for the rest of the year, and Pascual Pérez, a solid rotation starter, is on a rehab assignment. That’s a lot to overcome on the mound.

Wade Miller‘s performance (9-4, 4.33) has helped a lot, and the trio of Atlee Hammaker, Dizzy Trout, and Bert Blyleven seem well poised to bridge the gap. Add in Mike Cuellar, who is 11-6 with almost all of his work coming in relief, and the combination of Elmer Brown and Bob Porterfield in the pen, and Portland’s pitching staff remains dangerous.

#Birmingham Black Barons

Their transformation into a playoff contender has been a shock, as Birmingham was a big seller at the first trading deadline, unloading 2 all-stars in 2B Tom Herr and SP Tim Hudson. Somehow, they’ve improved dramatically, to the point where they were significant buyers at the final deadline, where they added Andy Pettitte to their rotation.

They’ve done it with pitching and defense and an offense that is improving–which means it is approaching roughly league average. The loss of Herr has been outweighed by the emergence of Cupid Childs, who is slashing 321/446/491 in the very early going of his WBL career. The offense centers around the trio of SS Herman Long (287/336/528), Hank Aaron (266/304/498) and the resurgent Eddie Mathews (246/332/489). Aaron leads the team in HRs (23) and RBIs (78).

Jim Pagliaroni–picked up at the deadline–has solidified the C position, Curtis Granderson has been a solid, consistent contributor in CF, and Adrían González, after sporting an OPS under .500 with Chicago, is slashing 287/326/456 with Birmingham.

But the real story is on the mound, where the trio of Alejandro Peña (10-7, 3.28), Pettitte (12-4, 3.22 overall), and Greg Maddux (4-4, 2.88) are pitching as well as any threesome in the league. Juan Rincón has 19 saves since being elevated to closer, and the duo of Bruce Chen and Steve Bedrosian have been fantastic in late relief.

#Scheduled Matchups

Portland’s starter listed first.

Bert Blyleven (8-9, 4.67) @ Alejandro Peña (10-7, 3.28)
Atlee Hammaker (2-2, 5.46) @ Vic Willis (3-2, 3.56)
Dizzy Trout (6-3, 4.15) @ Sam Streeter (6-6, 4.84)
Wade Miller (9-4, 4.33) @ Andy Pettitte (12-4, 3.22)

Portland’s starters are likely to change, as Johnson may return and Muñoz seems headed to the DL.

#Prediction

A split, of course: want to keep the race as tight as possible.

TWIWBL 37.4: Series XXIX Notes – Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On April 11, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

The newcomers just keep delivering. Adrián González went deep twice and is sporting an OPS nearly 300 points higher than his time with Chicago and the newly acquired Andy Pettite moved to 2-0 with Birmingham with 7 strong innings as the Black Barons defeated Homestead 8-2.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Beals Becker hit 2 homeruns, putting him in the 40/20 club (20 homers, 41 steals), but it wasn’t enough as the Royal Giants fell 6-4 to Detroit.

#Portland Sea Dogs

It took an injury to stop the force known as Greg Litton. As the utility player hit the DL, Portland recalled Fred Dunlap from AAA. Dunlap, who started the year at 2B for the Sea Dogs, hit even less than Litton in that stretch, as inconceivable as that seems. Litton went out with a bang, getting 3 hits in the game where he was injured. Gil Hodges also had 3 hits, including his 24th homerun of the year, in a come-from-behind 8-6 victory over Cleveland.

Portland’s 6-2 victory in the 3rd game was notable for a few things: 5 runs in the last 2 innings; another strong performance by Joséito Muñoz; a key homerun by Gavvy Cravath (his first as a Sea Dog); more hits from Gary Pettis, who moved his average back over .400; and a decent showing by Dunlap, looking to stay in the bigs this time. Mike Cuellar moved to 11-6, despite only 1 start.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

With Reggie Jackson‘s return from the DL, the Sea Lions chose to send 18 year old John Beckwith to AAA in hopes of more regular at-bats, keeping Jimmie Foxx at the WBL level.

Tim Hudson put in another strong start in Jackson’s first game back, allowing 1 earned run in 7 innings. Six Sea Lions–including Jackson–had 2 hits in the 9-2 victory.

TWIWBL 36.4: Series XXVIII Notes – Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On March 23, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

The arrival of Jim Pagliaroni sent Del Crandall packing (he refused a demotion to AAA), with Gene Tenace being relegated to reserve duty.

Nate Colbert was the odd man out with Andy Pettitte‘s arrival prompting Birmingham to carry 12 pitchers. Colbert will be back when rosters expand if not sooner. Pettitte slides into the rotation, with Larry Benton heading to the bullpen. Optimistically, the trio of Alejandro Peña, Pettitte, and Greg Maddux are on par with any trio of starters in the league, but that depends on Maddux maintaining his current form and all three staying healthy.

Pettitte’s first start was a success: 6 shutout innings, and combining with Steve Bedrosian and Kent Mercker on a 10 hit blanking of Ottawa. The Black Barons turned a league record 6 double plays in the game, and Frank McCormick, Hank Aaron, and Bob Nieman all went deep.

Harley Young will miss about a month, a pretty big blow to the Black Barons bullpen. Jim Whitney was recalled to take Young’s place.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Art Griggs will miss about 2 weeks of action with an oblique strain. The Royal Giants recalled OF Matt Holliday from AAA.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Lots of roster juggling here …

Cole Hamels and Freddie Fitzsimmons join the big league roster, with Hamels sliding right into the rotation. José Méndez takes over the final rotation spot, pushing Eustaquio Pedroso back to the bullpen. Once Ozzie Canseco clears waivers, Sandy Consuegra will be recalled from AAA.

The departure of Ed Bauta and Aroldis Chapman leave the Cuban Giants pretty weak at the back end of the pen, so they’re hoping some mix of Brown, Braden Looper, and Ricky Nolasco can handle closing games out.

Willie Kamm was promoted all the way from AA, and Jim Thome recalled from AAA to replace the departed Will Clark.

Fitzsimmons pitched in 2 games and then hit the DL with a hamstring problem, prompting Miami to recall Marcelino López to fill out the bullpen.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Hal Griggs and Frank Williams were sent to AAA to clear room for Trevor Hoffman and Mark Melancon and Dizzy Trout took the final spot in their rotation. Gavvy Cravath‘s arrival sent Ruben Sierra back as well. Cravath slides into RF, most likely reducing both Jeff Burroughs‘ and Greg Litton‘s playing time.

The Sea Dogs hit 6 homeruns in an 11-5 thrashing of Los Angeles, with Harry Hooper (a grandslam), Kent Hrbek (twice), Buddy Bell, Iván Rodriguez, and Rogers Hornsby all sending balls over the fence. Hrbek once again tied for the league lead with his 33rd of the season. Despite extreme wildness, Joséito Muñoz surrendered only 1 run in just over 5 innings, leveling his record at 5-5 on the season.

Walter Johnson will miss about a week, requiring a quick trip to the DL. The Sea Dogs recalled Ray Fontenot from AAA, but Atlee Hammaker is likely to get the nod for Johnson’s next start. Both Pascual Pérez and, more interestingly, Joe Mauer, began rehab assignments at AAA.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Billy Taylor and Nick Altrock were promoted to San Francisco, with Altrock sliding right into the back of the rotation as the Sea Lions try to figure out just what they have in the 28 year old hurler.

Gene Oliver was brought up to platoon with Mickey Cochrane behind the plate, with Cy Perkins being let go. There may be more moves ahead, depending on the status of Dick Lundy‘s injury. San Francisco would really like to move Miguel Cairo down, but it’s not clear who is ready for big league minutes at SS, especially if Lundy is out for any length of time.

Lundy will miss about 2 weeks, prompting the Sea Lions to recall Roy Hartzell from AAA.

Hartzell started his WBL career with a bang, hitting a homerun in his first at-bat. Bobby Bonds and Bob Cerv also went deep, and Tim Hudson seems to have turned the corner in his time in San Francisco as the Sea Lions beat Baltimore, 6-2.

Two homeruns from Pedro Guerrero led the Sea Lions to a 6-5 victory over the Black Sox. Guerrero drove in 5, helping Eddie Plank move to 8-5 on the year with Rod Beck picking up his 22nd save.

Taylor appeared in one game and tore his rotator cuff, putting him out for about 10 months. Bump Hadley was recalled from AAA.

TWIWBL 35.1: The Final Trading Window!

By mknn

On March 14, 2023

In TWIWBL

Welcome to the wild final day of trading for the season! We’re going to present these from the point of view of the contenders, with teams examined in order of their winning percentage so far this season.

Look for roster moves and implications in the next installments of TWIWBL. With 3/4 of the league making at least one deal, the impacts should be felt for a while …

Baltimore Black Sox

Baltimore got their hands on one of the best arms available, bringing in Connie Johnson from Kansas City. The Monarchs added a 5th round pick, receiving 2 prospects (OF Merv Rettenmund and RP Gene Garber) and a 2nd round pick for the 33 year-old hurler.

Grade: A. Johnson looks to be the real deal and should help the Black Sox withstand the recent rash of injuries.

Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs keep tweaking, sending 3 prospects–CF Kirby Puckett, RP Jim Kern, and SP Rick Wise–to Houston, with Trevor Hoffman and Mark Melancon coming back. Hoffman may compete with Elmer Brown for the closer role for Portland. The teams also traded some draft picks, with Houston sending a 4th to Portland in exchange for a 3rd and a 5th.

They also picked up perhaps the best OF available, as highly touted prospect Harmon Killebrew and a 1st round pick netted Gavvy Cravath and a 2nd round pick from Philadelphia, with the Stars also picking up most of Cravath’s salary for the rest of the season.

Grade: B. If they make the playoffs, sure, it makes sense. But Cravath is old, and Killebrew and Puckett are a lot of talent to give up (although both are pretty blocked by existing WBL talent).

New York Gothams

The Gothams were clearly trying to bolster their pitching, and pulled off a minor deal, sending prospects Travis Bowyer and Mike Shannon along with a 4th round pick to Homestead for Vean Gregg and a 5th rounder. They also added Steve Howe to their bullpen, sending the disgruntled Jeremy Affeldt and prospect Bob Moose to Ottawa.

And then they pulled off a bit of a blockbuster, as discussions with Miami surrounding Rube Waddell quickly spiraled out of control, with heavy drink most likely being involved. The Gothams sent Freddie Fitzsimmons, Cookie Rojas, Yasiel Puig, and a 2nd round pick to the Cuban Giants, receiving Waddell, Pete Runnels, and Will Clark in return.

Finally, as they now needed more depth they hit redial on their rotary phone and got in touch with Ottawa again, sending prospects George Burns and Art Devlin along with a 3rd round pick to the Mounties for George Van Haltren and two mid round picks (a 5th and a 6th).

Grade: C. It just seems like a lot of wheel-spinning. Is having Waddell and Gregg in the rotation really all that different than Moose and Fitzsimmons? Clark has been mediocre at best with Miami, and Rojas is a real loss.

Chicago American Giants

Chicago bolstered their pitching, picking up David Price from Indianapolis. Jorge Orta also goes to Chicago, with the American Giants sending prize prospect Robin Ventura, RP Tyler Clippard, and 2 draft picks (a 4th and a 5th) to the ABC’s.

Grade: A. Price may help compensate for the deeply flawed acquisition of Don Newcombe earlier in the summer.

Cleveland Spiders

The Spiders paid pretty dearly to upgrade the one slot in their lineup crying out for it, sending prized prospect Nap Lajoie, RP Arodys Vizcaíno, and a 1st round pick to Homestead for SS Arky Vaughan, SP Stan Bahnsen, and a 3rd rounder.

Grade: B. It all makes sense: Vaughan fills a need, Bahnsen has been solid at the WBL level and while Lajoie clearly is talented, for a team that has a shot at a championship this year, it works.

Detroit Wolverines

Especially with the loss of Whit Wyatt to injury, if Detroit is to make a move this year, they need pitching. So they sent quite a package of potential–2B Charlie Gehringer, 3B Bill Sweeney, SP Red Ehret, and a 4th Round Pick–to San Francisco for Charlie Root and Chad Bradford. It’s a lot, and the loss of Gehringer may hurt, but Detroit is really in win-now mode.

Grade: B. Root is excellent, and while they paid a little dearly, this year really looks to be the Wolverines’ best chance.

Birmingham Black Barons

Birmingham is unsure if its streak can continue, but an upgrade at C can’t hurt, so the Black Barons sent 2 IF prospects (SS Woody English and 3B Candy Jim Taylor) to Memphis for Jim Pagliaroni and a 4th round pick.

Then, late in the day, the pulled the trigger on a bit of a blockbuster, adding Andy Pettitte from Kansas City to their rotation. It cost quite a bit: C Dale Murphy (still a prospect despite his miserable WBL debut earlier in the season), P A. Rube Foster, a 2nd round pick and a 4th round pick. It was quite a declaration of intent by the Black Barons, we’ll see if it pans out.

Grade: A. Suddenly, Birmingham has a shot at the playoffs. Pettitte immediately becomes their #2 starter, and while they gave up some good talent, neither Murphy nor Foster look like world-burners at this point.

Wandering House of David

The House of David can still get lucky this year, so it moved to shore up a weak spot, sending prospects Bert Campaneris and Jeff Heathcock and a 3rd round pick to Miami for Ed Bauta and 2 later round picks (a 6th and a 7th).

Grade: C. Meh.

New York Black Yankees

The Black Yankees are desperate for bullpen help. They started to address the need picking up Aroldis Chapman from Miami, sending back Cole Hamels and Smoky Burgess, with Miami adding a 3rd round pick. With Bauta and Hoffman off the market, New York was forced to look at names further down their list.

They brought in Dick Tidrow from the House of David (who also threw in a 7th round pick), giving up a 2nd rounder and 2 prospects: SP Jim Clinton and 3B Chris Brown and then sent a similar package (LaTroy Hawkins, Fritz Coumbe, Mike Bordick, and a 3rd round pick) to Philadelphia for Rheal Cormier and a 4th rounder.

Grade: C. Overpaid on all fronts. Understandable, given the totally shambolic nature of the Black Yankees’ bullpen, but the loss of Hamels may hurt for many years, and Tidrow is little more than a fill-in.

Series XXVIII Preview: Cleveland Spiders @ Kansas City Monarchs

By mknn

On March 7, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

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

Cleveland Spiders

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

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

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

Kansas City Monarchs

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

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

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

Projected Starters

Cleveland’s starter listed first.

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

Prediction

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

TWIWBL 33.0: Series XXVI Notes

By mknn

On February 14, 2023

In TWIWBL

July 22

We are one series away from the trading deadline, so it seemed a good moment to check in on what teams may be doing what on the 27th.

Sellers

You never know what deals may emerge, but here are some veterans and/or players not looking to resign with their current teams that may be on the move. Probably the biggest change here are the Philadelphia Stars and the Kansas City Monarchs both seeming now to fall firmly in this category.

IF: Jose Reyes (LAA), Claude Ritchey (MEM)
OF: Rico Carty (PHI), Gavvy Cravath (PHI), Buck Freeman (PHI), Dave Henderson (IND)
SP: Luke Hamlin (KCM), Connie Johnson (KCM), Andy Pettitte (KCM).
RP: Rheal Cormier (PHI), Bob Howry (PHI), Michael Jackson (HOM), Josh Lindblom (HOM), Mike Norris (SFS), Jonathan Papelbon (MEM)

Buyers

Each of the four divisions can be seen as a two-team race at this point, so we’ll look at each in turn, looking at both the teams we’re assuming are selling and those that are looking to offload some talent.

Bill James Division

The Detroit Wolverines and the New York Gothams are neck and neck. Detroit could use help in the bullpen, while New York is (like many teams) looking for rotation help, and perhaps an infield upgrade.

Cum Posey Division

The Baltimore Black Sox retain the best record in the league, but it’s getting closer. The Chicago American Giants are only 2 games back, and with Baltimore’s Brock Rutherford Award favorite Ned Garvin out for the year, there does seem to be an opportunity to reel the Black Sox back to the pack. In addition to a replacement for Garvin, Baltimore could use a little more depth, especially on the IF. Chicago’s offense is pretty much set but could also be in the market for rotation help.

Effa Manley Divison

The surprise continues: the Cleveland Spiders are starting to show some distance between them and the second place New York Black Yankees. The Spiders could use an upgrade on the left side of the infield while the Black Yankees are clearly in desperate need of bullpen help–to the point where they are almost certain to be willing to overpay.

Marvin Miller Division

The shocking rise of the Birmingham Black Barons continue, with the Portland Sea Dogs only 3.5 games ahead at this point. Birmingham needs to be careful: they were never supposed to be here and need to be aware of disturbing their current balance. Still, they could use offensive help, especially at C and SS. Portland would love to improve its bench.

Performance

Some things of note:

Los Angeles‘ Doug Rader is the first to triple digits, surpassing 100 RBI’s on the year this series.
Stan Musial (Kansas City) and Babe Ruth (NYY) remain the only batters leading the league in more than a single category.

Batters

Top 2, league leaders bold as usual.

Dick Allen (CAG). 308/374/547. 10 3B.
Rico Carty (PHI). 285/356/453. 34 2B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 351/393/572.
Eric Davis (NYY). 278/348/542. 4.7 WAR.
Mike Epstein (HOM). 330/4334/532.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 251/386/338. 75 BB, 70 SB.
Kent Hrbek (POR). 311/380/609. 31 HR.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 337/419/587. 78 R.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 331/445/610.
Stan Musial (KCM). 338/394/601. 132 H, 37 2B.
Doug Rader (LAA). 332/389/545. 130 H, 100 RBI.
Tim Raines (OTT). 293/365/440. 71 SB.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 314/428/643. 31 HR, 93 RBI, 83 R, 75 BB, 5.5 WAR.
Louis Santop (CLE). 306/337/466. 10 3B.

Some of the less positive leaders:

SO: Willie Stargell (HOM), 146.
GIDP: Wade Boggs (MEM), 20.
CS: Reggie Jackson (SFS), 23.

Pitchers

Top 2 in each category, other than wins. There are 5 pitchers with 11 wins behind Gerrit Cole (LAA), but only Bill Byrd (BAL) is listed here, due to his WHIP.

Garvin does not have enough IP to hold onto the ERA crown as the season progresses.

Starters

Bill Byrd (BAL). 11-2, 3.09. 1.17 WHIP.
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-4, 4.24.
Don Drysedale (7-3), 1.15 WHIP.
Ned Garvin (BAL). 9-4, 2.80.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 10-7, 3.83, 158 K.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-9, 4.38. 149 K.
Walter Johnson (POR). 10-3, 3.65. 3.3 WAR.
Frank Knauss (BRK). 10-4, 3.07.
Alejandro Peña (BBB). 9-6, 3.45. 3.9 WAR.

Relievers

25 IP minimum for rate stats.

Terry Adams (CLE). 1-5, 3.24. 23 Sv, 1 H.
Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.48. 27 Sv.
Ken Howell (SFS). 3-4, 2.06. 4 Sv, 7 H, 0.98 WHIP.
AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.13. 19 Sv, 0.83 WHIP.
Mike Norris (SFS). 3-3, 1.71. 3 Sv, 10 H.
Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-4, 2.90. 3 Sv, 16 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-3, 3.86. 13 H.
Jonny Venters (LAA). 3-3, 3.32. 5 Sv, 13 H.
Brian Wilson (SFS). 1-0, 1.11. 21 Sv.

Series Results

Series XXVI Sweeps

Homestead Grays over Los Angeles

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXVI

Detroit over Baltimore
Chicago over San Francisco Sea Lions
Kansas City over Memphis
Portland over New York Black Yankees

Splitting Series XXVI

Brooklyn Royal Giants @ Birmingham
Cleveland @ Ottawa Mounties
Miami Cuban Giants @ Houston Colt 45’s

Incomplete Series

Indianapolis ABC’s took 2 of 3 from the Wandering House of David
New York Gothams took 2 of 3 from the Philadelphia Stars

In both cases, the final game was rescheduled due to rainouts for 7/27.

TWIWBL 30.2: Series XXIII Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On December 14, 2022

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Ned Garvin continues to be essentially unhittable, allowing 1 unearned run in over 6 innings of work, increasing his record to 8-3 on a 4-1 win over Brooklyn. Manny Machado had 3 hits and Don Bessent picked up his 14th save.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Casey Stengel heads to the DL after spraining his elbow diving for a ball in the series opener against Chicago. Hunter Pence was recalled from AAA San Antonio to take his place on the roster.

It was worse news for Bret Saberhagen, as a partially torn labrum will end the RHPs season. Dock Ellis will return to Houston, attempting to improve on his rough showing earlier in the season.

Andrés Galarraga delivered the first 3 hits of his WBL career including a 3-run homerun to help the Colt 45’s to an 11-5 win in game 3 of their series against Chicago. HR Johnson, George Brett, and Pete Hill also chipped in 3 hits and Stephen Strasburg tossed 6 strong innings to improve his record to 6-5.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Willie McGee and Boog Powell combined for 6 hits, 6 runs, and 7 RBIs in a 16-7 win for the Monarchs over Philadelphia. The win went to Andy Pettitte, who moved to 6-4 with 6 strong innings.

#Ottawa Mounties

Gary Peters will miss about 2 weeks, prompting the Mounties to recall P Clark Griffith from Ottawa while Peters heads to the DL.

There is some cause for hope on the year-long project that is Randy Johnson. The Big Unit put in his best performance of the year with 5 shutout innings against the Black Yankees. Unfortunately, the Mounties’ bullpen couldn’t hold an early 1-0 lead, and Ottawa dropped the game, 5-3.

TWIWBL 25.2: Series XIX Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On June 8, 2022

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Despite a stellar showing, Bob Welch is sent to AA A to clear room on the roster for the arrival of Joe Beggs. Manny Machado steps into the starting lineup at 3B, sending Brooks Robinson back to AAA.

#Chicago American Giants

The pitching staff was overhauled in a big way, with Frank Smith, Ken Sanders, and Joe Horlen heading to AAA to clear room for newcomers Don Newcombe, Dick Rudolph, Clay Condrey, and Hoyt Wilhelm, with Newcombe and Rudolph joining the rotation. Freddy Parent steps right into the SS role, sending Luis Aparicio to AAA and clearing space on the roster for José Abreu, who looks to see a fair bit of time at 1B against lefties.

The new guys were good in their first game: Parent hit a homerun and Wilhelm was effective in relief. But it was the old guard who won the game, with Frank Thomas hitting a homerun and Dick Allen getting 3 hits in a 7-2 victory over Brooklyn to start the second half for the American Giants. After the game, Tom Brookens was promoted to Chicago as Jack Doyle was placed on the DL.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Everyone can play everywhere … which isn’t as big a deal as you might think. But, 17 year old Pete Hill, Paul Goldschmidt, and Lance Blankenship all move to Houston to fill out the roster. Roger Clemens slides directly into the rotation with Brad Lidge heading to AAA.

Hill hit a go-ahead homerun in his first start, helping Houston to a 4-3 win over Ottawa. Trevor Hoffman moved to 5-0, and Billy Wagner picked up his 5th save of the year.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Steve Evans and Frankie Frisch join the big league club. The pitching situation is a bit more interesting: Bob Gibson remains at AAA due to the arrival of Smoky Joe Wood and the return of Andy Pettitte from the DL.

#Ottawa Mounties

The Mounties have essentially tossed in the towel, looking to sort through some of their young talent with an eye towards next year. This means a return to the rotation for Johnny Podgajny, a return to Ottawa for Randy Johnson, and a debut for RP Bobby Castillo.

A similar bunch of changes offensively: Jim Stephens takes over for Emil Gross as the backup catcher, Rusty Staub moves into a platoon at 1B, Álex Rodríguez gets another shot as the full time SS, and Carlos Beltrán tries to solve the ongoing woes at CF for Ottawa.

Roberto Alomar had 4 hits and 5 RBIs and Rodriguez scored 4 times with 3 hits and 3 RBIs leading the Mounties in a 14-5 rout of Houston in the first game of a doubleheader. Rodriguez and Roy Sievers went deep and Clayton Richard put in a strong 7 innings for his second win.

TWIWBL 24.9: Mid-Season Reviews – Kansas City Monarchs

By mknn

On March 4, 2022

In Team News, TWIWBL

Summary

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

What’s Gone Right

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

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

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

What’s Gone Wrong

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

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

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

Key Storylines

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

Trading Outlook

SELLING.

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

AAA Shuttle

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

Midseason Changes

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

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

Awards

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

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

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

Down on the Farm

AAA: St. Louis Blues

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

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

Projects: C Johnny Bassler (18).

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

AA: Oklahoma City Redhawks

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

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

Suspects: OF Terry Moore (24).