Tag: Billy Pierce

TWIWBL 12.3: Series X Notes – Effa Manley Division

On July 24, 2021

#Cleveland Spiders

Whit Wyatt was on the verge of WBL history, having allowed 1 hit through 8 innings against Portland. He struck out Jeff Burroughs for the first out, his 9th of the game, and then retired pinch-hitter Ivan Rodriguez on a popout to Jake Stahl at first base. But back-to-back singles by Harry Hooper and Joe Mauer were followed by a walk to Bobby Murcer to load the bases, chasing Wyatt from the mound. Terry Adams relived him and gave up an RBI single to Buddy Bell, making the score 3-1. But Adams earned the save, his 10th, by inducing another popout to Stahl to end the game, this one by Gil Hodges.

Johnny Bates hit a homerun and Stahl had 2 hits in support of Wyatt’s great outing, which improved his record to 3-1.

#Homestead Grays

The 19 inning marathon with Birmingham decimated the Grays’ pitching, a situation that worsened when Corey Kluber had to leave after just 2 innings, and was placed on the DL after the game. The Grays used 9 pitchers, necessitating additional roster moves, complicated by the previously struggling Carlos Zambrano and Kent Tekulve pitched better lately, leaving Billy Pierce the odd man out for the time being. Bartolo Colon and Cliff Lee were recalled back to Homestead, despite their earlier struggles at the big league level.

Birmingham’s Harley Young had a horrible 9th inning, giving up a double, 3 walks (driving in the tying run), and a game-winning single to Rick Reichardt as the Grays stole a 5-4 victory from the jaws of defeat. Honus Wagner, Roberto Clemente, and Mike Epstein had 2 hits each for Homestead, with Wagner adding his 2nd homerun of the year and Clemente his 3rd.

#New York Black Yankees

Babe Ruth hit 2 homeruns, and Lou Gehrig and Derek Jeter also went deep for New York, but it wasn’t enough, as Sparky Lyle gave up 2 runs in the 9th and Baltimore came from behind for an 8-7 victory over the Black Yankees.

Series X Featured Game: Birmingham Black Barons @ Homestead Grays

By mknn

On July 18, 2021

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

This one is a little different …

Birmingham‘s Alejandro Pena came into the game on a bit of a roll, having improved his numbers to a record of 3-3 and an ERA of 3.35. Homestead‘s Corey Kluber was just trying to stay in the league, with a record of 0-6 and an ERA over 6.

Kluber lasted only 2 innings before injury forced him from the game. He had given up one unearned run when, in the top of the first, an error by Mike Epstein allowed Tom Herr to score. Carlos Zambrano who, if anything, has been hit harder than Kluber, relieved him.

Pena allowed a run in the bottom of the 3rd and the bottom of the 4th on a sacrifice fly from Andrew McCutcheon and a bases-loaded walk to Honus Wagner that scored Josh Gibson.

So, 2-1 Homestead after 4 innings.

And then … that was it.

Pena put in 8 innings, allowing 6 hits and the 2 runs (only 1 was earned), and the combination of Kluber, Zambrano, Billy Pierce, and Michael Jackson had kept Birmingham from scoring again.

Homestead’s closer, Josh Lindblom, came into the game in the top of the 9th to close out the impressive win … and, after getting the first out, gave up a single to Billy Southworth, a walk to Troy Tulowitzki, a single to Herr, and a sacrifice fly to Frank McCormick, tying the game.

And then … that was it. For a long time, that was it.

For Birmingham, Wilhelm added 2 more innings, closer Carlos Diaz followed with 2 more, and Larry Benton added 3. For Homestead, Kent Tekulve added 2.2 and then Hal Carlson stepped in with the bullpen deeply depleted and delivered 4 crucial innings.

All scoreless. Through the 12th, scoreless. Through the 16th, scoreless. Through the 18th, scoreless.

And then … that was it.

Earl Hamilton had followed Carlson, and held Birmingham scoreless for 1.2 innings. He took the mound in the top of the 19th, and induced a groundout from Hank Aaron.

But then the floodgates opened: Omar Infante doubled, Southworth singled, and Tulowitzki broke the tie with an RBI single. Herr singled to load the bases, and McCormick walked. Then the Black Barons really took control, with Frank Isbell doubling home 2 more runs.

With Hamilton clearly gassed, the Grays called on Ray Brown, who got out of the inning, but not before allowing RBI singles to Gene Tenace, Eddie Mathews, and Infante.

So, inning after inning of no offense and then, in the top of the 19th, 7 runs for Birmingham.

It was enough: Warren Spahn retired the side in order and the Black Barons left with the win, 9-2. Honestly, Birmingham deserved to win much earlier: they banged out 28 hits during the 19 innings, with Herr and Isbell each going 5-for-10, Aaron adding 4 hits, and Infante and Southworth 3 hits apiece. But 24 of their 28 hits were singles: the Black Barons left a whopping 23 batters on base in the game.

Homestead had only 10 hits on the day, with 3 of them coming off the bat of Rick Reichardt. All 10 were singles, and the Grays had their own struggles with timing base knocks, leaving 14 runners on base.

A remarkable, and totally unexpected pitching performance from Birmingham. Even with that, both teams bullpens are likely to suffer for a few games from this one.

BBB 9 (Spahn 2-4) @ HOM 2 (Hamilton 0-1; Jackson 2 H; Lindblom 2 BS) [19 Innings]
HRs: none
Box Score

Spring Training Preview: Homestead

By mknn

On June 19, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

The rotation is pretty much set: it would take a stellar spring for the most likely candidates of Carlos Zambrano, John Candelaria, or Bartolo Colon to break through.
- Best laid plans and all that. Billy Pierce and Babe Adams have both been hit hard, with Pierce especially ineffective. So more SPs are being looked at. Zambrano, Carlson, and Francisco Liriano look to be firmly in the mix.
  - Pierce is off to AAA. Carlson has moved into the starting rotation, joining Zambrano, Corey Kluber, Vean Gregg, and Liriano. Barring a collapse, that’s the starting rotation right there. The question for them then becomes whether Brown, Adams, Colon, and Candelaria are better served in long relief in MLB or starting at AAA.
That said, that trio along with Hal Carlson and Ray Brown have a decent shot at a bullpen role, especially if Frank Linzy or Kent Tekulve struggle.
- Linzy has, but Tekulve–along with closer Josh Lindblom and Michael Jackson–have been excellent.
  - Bill Fischer and Will Thompson are struggling at the back end of the bullpen.
The backup 2B job is up for grabs between Jeff Kent and Phil Garner, as is the starter at 3B, between Chris Sabo and Pedro Feliz.
- At 2B, Kent is pushing Davey Johnson for the starting role, while Garner has yet to show anything of note, although his defensive flexibility is useful.
  - Kent has the clear edge at 2B, while Sabo has moved ahead of Feliz.
The biggest mess is in the OF, where Roberto Clemente and Paul Waner are both guaranteed slots and both strongest at RF. How that plays out, with Rick Reichardt, Tom Brown, Pops Stargell, Andrew McCutcheon, and Max Carey all vying for 3 roster spots, will go a long way to determining the opening day lineups.
- While Waner has done well, Clemente has hit poorly enough to throw his starting position in doubt. Brown, Stargell, and McCutcheon are all excelling.
Josh Gibson is out for a few weeks, prompting Homestead to add Hobie Landrith and Blake Swihart to the roster to support Peaches Graham at C.
- Swihart and Graham would make the roster at this point.
Jay Bell hasn’t shown enough to lock down the backup SS role, so Khalil Greene has been recalled from AAA as a possibility.
- Perhaps most surprisingly, right now Honus Wagner and Andy Van Slyke are likely to start at AAA.

	Near Definite	Likely	Possible	Long Shot
Starting Pitchers		Corey Kluber Carlos Zambrano Vean Gregg Francisco Liriano Hal Carlson		John Candelaria Ray Brown Bartolo Colon Babe Adams
Middle Relievers		Daniel Hudson	Bill Fischer Will Thompson	Frank Linzy
Setup		Michael Jackson Kent Tekulve
Closer		Josh Lindblom
C	~~Josh Gibson~~	Peaches Graham	Blake Swihart	Hobie Landrith
1B	Mike Epstein			Honus Wagner
2B		Davey Johnson	Jeff Kent	Phil Garner
3B		Chris Sabo	Pedro Feliz	Andy Van Slyke
SS	Arky Vaughan		Jay Bell Khalil Greene
OF	~~Goose Goslin~~	Pops Stargell Andrew McCutcheon Tom Brown	Rick Reichardt Paul Waner Roberto Clemente	Max Carey Jack Cust