Baseball The Way It Never Was

Tag: Bump Hadley Page 1 of 6

TWIWBL 100.3: Year 3, Week 3 – Cum Posey Division

TeamW/LPctGB
San Francisco Sea Lions12-7.632
Los Angeles Angels11-8.5791
Portland Sea Dogs11-8.5791
Chicago American Giants10-8.5561.5
Miami Cuban Giants9-10.4743
Cum Posey Division | 22 April

Chicago American Giants

Sam Streeter struck out 10 for the second time this year, but you wouldn’t know it from his ERA, which tops 7.00.

Los Angeles Angels

Richie Hebner hit 2 homeruns and drove in 4 in a 10-7 win at Portland.

Miami Cuban Giants

Robin Yount hit 2 out of the park in an 8-3 win over Los Angeles. It was a costly win for Miami, as Iván Rodríguez was hurt running the bases and will miss 5-6 weeks. Smoky Burgess was recalled from AAA to back up Chris Hoiles behind the plate.

A few days later Alejandro Oms joined the Cuban Giants on the DL, with Miami recalling reliver Aaron Barrett in hopes of lengthening their bullpen.

Portland Sea Dogs

Sure, Walter Johnson is the best SP in the league right now, but he’s hitting this year, too, sporting a .368 average on the young season.

Joseíto Muñoz struck out 11 in a 7-1 win over Los Angeles, with the Sea Dogs leaving the youngster in there for 142 pitches. That can’t be a great long term plan.

Chuck Klein had a hand in all 4 runs of a 4-3, 11-inning win over Baltimore: 2 solo homeruns, a 2-out single to tie it in the 8th, and scoring the winning run in the 11th. Klein is slugging over .500 as he adjusts to life in the WBL.

Jerry Blevins–hurt since well into last season–has begun a rehab assignment.

San Francisco Sea Lions

Some good pitching has brought San Francisco’s overall performance back towards expectations. Bump Hadley allowed 1 hit in 6 innings with 11 strikeouts, and then Lefty Grove struck out 13 in a 4-1 win over the Black Yankees.

Veteran Tim Hudson was injured while pitching and will miss about 2 weeks. The timing sped up Ron Robinson‘s return, with the reliever being welcomed back after an absence of close to a year.

TWIWBL 99.3: Year 3, Week 2 – Cum Posey Division

TeamW/LPctGB
Chicago American Giants7-6.538
Los Angeles Angels7-6.538
Miami Cuban Giants7-6.538
Portland Sea Dogs7-6.538
San Francisco Sea Lions7-6.538
Cum Posey Division | 15 April

Chicago American Giants

Mark Buehrle threw a 1-hitter! But … rain ended the game after 6 innings. So, yay him, but not quite the usual celebration. Travis Jackson carried the offense with 2 homeruns.

The American Giants got a combined shutout, also weather shortened, as Waite Hoyt, Wilbur Wood, and Will Smith held Los Angeles to 5 hits in just under 8 innings, with Chicago winning 2-0.

Miami Cuban Giants

Some meh news from the medical staff: there is still no clear date for Julio Rodríguez‘ return from injury.

Jim Whitney, still really trying to find his groove, whiffed 10 in a no decision against San Francisco.

San Francisco Sea Lions

Bump Hadley and Charlie Ferguson split each side of a rain delay, combining on a 3 hit, 11-0 romp over Miami. Ferguson’s 4 hitless innings gave him that odd statistical achievement of a save in a blowout.

Portland Sea Dogs

Walter Johnson (2-0) delivered one of the finest starts of the year in a 2-1 victory over Detroit. Johnson whiffed 13 in 8 innings, allowing only 4 hits and 1 run (a solo shot to Ty Cobb), for a game score of 83 on the day. The Big Train DHs when he pitches (and is hitting .385 with a dinger), and he was key here, doubling in the 8th with 1 out to move the winning run to 3rd.

TWIWBL 99.1: Year 3, Week 2 — The Rains of April

15 April, 2002

Awards

WBL Players of the Week

Manny Ramírez takes the American League award for Memphis, Oscar Charleston the National League for Indianapolis. Charleston’s case was essentially made in a single afternoon, as he launched 3 homeruns in a 19-5 win over the New York Gothams. Those were 3 of the his 4 homeruns on the week, during which he hit .385 with 11 RBIs.

Ramírez didn’t show Charleston’s power, but he did hit .524 for the week.

MiL Players of the Week

The Minor League seasons have begun!

So they have their own Player of the Week awards: Roger Maris (New York Black Yankees) took AAA at Newark, Mike Benjamin (Birmingham Black Barons) at AA, and Bill Hallman (Homestead Grays) at A-ball. Of those, only Maris seems to be knocking on the WBL door, but he’s likely shutout unless injury hits the Black Yankees.

Behind the Curtain

I wanted to highlight some things that I’ve been doing in the OOTP engine itself, mostly as information that might be useful for other folks running their own leagues.

In the offseason, I updated the ballparks to actual precipitation rates.

Turns out that’s not great. Here’s why:

Precipitation in OOTP really impacts the game; as such, the question is not how much did it rain, the question is how often did enough rain fall that it impacted play?

The higher precipitation rates–in effect for the first two weeks of the season–were highly, highly impactful. Just under half the games saw rain, just under 10% of the games were postponed, and, in something new to OOTP 27, it seems like rain now pushes error rates up in a noticeable way.

Note that I like rain delays and rainouts–I like anything that stresses roster construction, things that force teams to make roster moves, etc. But this was ridiculous.

A quick sample of impacted games:

  • Chicago threw shutouts on consecutive days and neither was 9 innings. The 4/13 win over Los Angeles was called in the 8th for bad weather (Waite Hoyt, 6 innings, 8 strikeouts); Mark Buehrle‘s 1-hitter the next afternoon was called in the 6th.
  • Ottawa‘s Roy Halladay got 2 innings and 20 pitches on 4/12 before a 36-minute delay ended his night.
  • The Gothams’ 1-0, 10-inning combined 3-hitter at Kansas City on 4/13 was shaped entirely by weather: a 38-minute delay in the 5th ended Pete Donohue at 55 pitches and Masahiro Tanaka piggybacked the rest.
  • San Francisco‘s 11-0 on 4/14: a 33-minute delay in the 5th ended Bump Hadley at 5 innings, and Charlie Ferguson threw the last 4 without giving up another hit.

So what changed?

Essentially, if you go by real-world precipitation rates, you will see a lot of 30s in the weather table.

I just cut each number in half, rounding up. That was it–I left the driest months in LA and San Francisco alone so those summers are still bone dry, and I left Houston alone because of the roof.

We’ll be tracking these numbers and will report back at the end of the month.

The Stats

… will debut next week. Wanted to wait for 3 weeks of data.

Hardest-Hit Balls

Welcome to a new feature, enabled by Claude, who can parse through the game logs quickly and accurately!

So we can now present each week the hardest hits and the hardest outs.

This week, two men tied at the top, each launching bombs at 121 mph. Willie Stargell of Homestead got the better end of it — his solo shot off Houston’s Stephen Strasburg travelled 495 feet, which ties it for the longest home run struck in the league this season. Rogers Hornsby of the New York Black Yankees matched the exit velocity three days later, a 2-run drive off Cleveland‘s Ron Reed.

The hardest out belongs to Portland‘s Paul Molitor, who hit a 119 mph groundball out. Molitor had homered earlier in the game, on a ball hit 16 mph softer. That’s baseball.

Year III Season Preview: San Francisco Sea Lions

State of the Franchise

team logo

San Francisco won 103 games, the best record in baseball, took the Cum Posey Division, beat Detroit in the Wild Card round, swept Cleveland in the AL Championship, and then … lost the Whirled Series to Brooklyn 4-1. All of it was a surprise — the success, the expectations the success brought, and the loss to the Royal Giants.

Two years ago they were 72-82. The 31-win leap was a combination of arrivals: Turkey Stearnes stepped from the draft into the starting lineup, hitting 357/400/751 with 51 home runs and an 8.0 WAR at 22. Jimmie Foxx, also 22, brought 49 homers, Mickey Cochrane became a 3.8-WAR catcher, and Dick Lundy went from a bench body to 617 plate appearances, 57 steals and a 4.2 WAR. All of that on top of the dependable returns from Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, and Jack Clark.

All of them are back. So are Lefty Grove and Eddie Plank, 28 and 27, who threw 209 and 210 innings — a strikeout ace and a horse who never misses a turn, as well as perhaps the most effective bullpen in the league.

Which leaves San Francisco in an unusual spot for a club that just lost. Nothing is broken. There’s no hole to dig out of, no veteran to move on from, no position that needs solving. They were the best team in baseball and it wasn’t enough. The only available response is to run it back and see.

2001 Revisited

We said last spring that the pitching might prove too mediocre to depend on and that the club would spend the summer tangled in its own logjams, with everything stays really confused as the worst case. That aged badly.

Grove struck out 230 in 208 innings with a 1.15 WHIP and took the AL Brock Rutherford Award. Plank won 20. Bump Hadley, a rookie, posted the staff’s best ERA at 4.10 over 188 innings and finished 2nd for the Brock Rutherford. Those 3 went a combined 54-19. Against a league that gave up 5.38 runs a game, a rotation fronted by 4.40, 4.42 and 4.10 is not mediocre — it’s the best in the league, and the raw numbers only look ordinary if you forget what year it was.

The logjam question resolved itself by everyone hitting. Jack Clark put up 51 homers and 101 walks. Jackson hit 283/394/574. Foxx hit his 49. Royce Clayton posted a .919 OPS in 146 plate appearances filling in around the infield, and Henderson did his thing — 107 walks, 126 SB.

The one thing we asked — on a team full of logjams, who steps forward? — got an unexpected answer: Stearnes arrived, and carried the franchise forward.

Key Changes

In: Trevor Hoffman (POR)
Out: Royce Clayton (POR)

Opening Day Rookies: Charlie Ferguson; Bill Russell

Best Case for 2002

They finish it, starting a dynasty.

That requires health, Stearnes avoiding the sophomore slump, and 2 positional moves panning out: Frank Grant solves 2B for good, and Foxx, no longer to pretend he can serve as a 3B, hits well enough to warrant the DH spot.

That’s it.

Worst Case for 2002

Not a collapse. This roster is too good and too young to collapse. The crueler shape is 90+ wins and another early flight home.

The 2001 environment was inflated — the league gave up 5.38 a game and homers came at a rate nobody had seen — and if it cools, some of the spectacle goes with it.

Then there’s the part nobody can plan around. San Francisco was the overwhelming favorite last October and lost 4 games in 5. A short series doesn’t care that you won 103. Lose another and the question stops being whether this club is good and starts being whether it’s built for the months that matter.

Key Questions

  • Can Stearnes avoid the sophomore slump? 357/400/751, 51 homers, 8.0 WAR, AL Rookie of the Year and the AL CF Silver Slugger, at 22, in a park that suppresses left-handed power. There is no precedent here to reason from and no reason to expect a repeat except that nothing in the line looks lucky.
  • Where does everyone stand up? Foxx’s 3B glove has slipped past usable, which pushes him to 1B and DH, where Jack Clark already lives. Sal Bando takes 3B on a 247/355/503 line that plays fine. That leaves Bobby Bonds — 36 home runs, 47 steals, a real everyday outfielder — with nowhere to start, behind Henderson in LF and Jackson in RF. He is the most valuable spare part in the league and the obvious piece to move if this roster ever discovers it needs something.
  • Is Rod Beck actually the answer? He led the WBL with 41 saves and ran a 1.00 WHIP, and he also posted a 4.88 ERA, because when he gets hit he gets hit hard. Ken Howell was the better pitcher in front of him at 2.79 over 58 innings, and Joe Nathan and Trevor Hoffman are both here now on reputations their recent work hasn’t matched. For a club whose season will come down to 3 or 4 close games in October, the back of this bullpen may matter even more.

Roster Evaluation

Tier = the player’s 2001 positional grade (S best → F worst; color coded S A B C D F). Bold names carry a substantive WBL track; italic names are pure projection — a hope, not a grade — with no qualifying track to anchor them.

PosPlayers
CCochrane B · Downing
1BJ. Clark A · Foxx A
2BGrant C
SSLundy B · Russell
3BBando C · Garner
LFHenderson B
CFStearnes S
RFJackson A · Bonds C
DHFoxx A · Bonds C
SPGrove A · Plank B · Hadley B · W. Clark D · Brewer
RPBeck S (CL) · Howell B · Nathan D · Hoffman F · Heilman

One firm note on Jackson: he is the WBL’s career leader in times caught stealing, and he ran himself into 27 outs last year against 36 steals. That is 2 straight seasons under the break-even rate, on a club that scores plenty without him trying. Let’s pull the plug on Run, Reggie Run.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerCF Turkey StearnesRF Frank Howard
Batting Eye1B Jack Clark3B Wayne Gross
Contact2B Frank Grant2B Ted Sizemore
Running SpeedLF Rickey HendersonCF Mookie Wilson; CF Andres Torres
Base StealingLF Rickey Henderson; 2B Frank GrantSP Dick McBride
IF Defense3B Dick Lundy2B Jack A Farrell
OF DefenseRF Bobby BondsCF Mookie Wilson
StuffSP Lefty GroveRP Drew Steckenrider
ControlSP Bob FriendRP Don Dennis
VelocityRP Trevor Hoffman; RP Joe NathanRP Jonathan Broxton

Best In The Minors

RankAgePosName
1 (30)24SSBill Sweeney
2 (95)19SPJohn Smoltz

Others: IF Jack A Farrell, IF Jed Lowrie, OF Jay Kirke, P Pete Harnisch.

Graduated to the active roster since the ranked list: Charlie Ferguson (20).

This is the bill for the 103 wins. 2 ranked names, one a 24-year-old shortstop behind Lundy and the other a 19-year-old arm a long way off, on a club whose Minor League Pitcher of the Year (Red Ehret) and Minor League Player of the Year (Josh Reddick) are both fighting for WBL auditions.

Superlatives

MostLeast
AgeTommy Bridges, 38John Smoltz, 19
HeightFrank Howard, 6’7″Walt Williams, 5’6″
OPSTurkey Stearnes, 1.151Charlie Ferguson, 0.504 (A)
HRJack Clark, 51Charlie Ferguson, 1 (A)
SBRickey Henderson, 126
WAR (bat)Turkey Stearnes, 8.0Charlie Ferguson, -1.7 (A)
WEddie Plank, 20
SVRod Beck, 41
ERARick Waits, 3.36 (AA)Bob Friend, 7.24
WAR (pit)Lefty Grove, 4.6Tommy Bridges, -0.7

Stats across all levels, 2001. 200 PA / 75 IP min (SV: all pitchers). Non-WBL levels tagged.

WBL Year III Statistics

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

3+ 2B Games

3. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Grant Johnson (NYG); Al Kaline (DET); JD Martinez (DET); Jackie Robinson (BRK); Robin Yount (MCG).

3+ HBP Games

3. Melky Cabrera (BBB).

3+ HR Games

3. Gary Carter (OTT); Oscar Charleston (IND); Lou Gehrig (NYY); Rogers Hornsby (NYY).

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4+ CS Games

4+ Run Games

4. Oscar Charleston (IND); Roy White (BKR); Ted Williams (MEM).

4+ SB Games

5+ Hit Games

6. Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
5. Dan Brouthers (BRK); Charles Rogan (PHI).

5+ SO Games

5. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Evan Longoria (CLE).

6+ RBI Games

8. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
6. Gary Carter (OTT).

Cycles

Longest HRs

{ OOTP has, for a long time had a problem with surreally long HR distances. So we threw math at it–these distances are modified based on the game’s projected exit velocity, which puts a cap on how far the ball could actually travel. Far more realistic. }

495. Duke Snider (BRK); Willie Stargell (HOM).
481. Andrew Payne (PHI).
480. Ted Williams (MEM).
475. Jim Ray Hart (NYG).
472. Eric Davis (NYY).
471. Eric Davis (NYY); Mickey Mantle (NYY).
465. Rico Carty (PHI); Mike Scioscia (PHI).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

90. Whitey Ford (NYY).
89. Waite Hoyt (CAG); Mickey Welch (KAN).
88. Christy Mathewson (NYG).
87. Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT).
84. Steve Carlton (PHI); José Méndez (MCG).
83. Walter Johnson (POR).
82. Walter Johnson (POR); JM Ward (PHI).
80. Watty Clark (SFS).

10+ Strikeout Games

13. Bob Feller (CLE); Lefty Grove (SFS); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Walter Johnson (POR).
12. Lefty Grove (SFS); Waite Hoyt (CAG); Pat Malone (CLE).
11. Steve Carlton (PHI); Ned Garvin (BAL); Bump Hadley (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Walter Johnson (PR); Joseíto Muñoz (POR); Luis Padrón (IND); Charlie Root (DET); Bob Shawkey (KAN); Bill Steen (CLE).
10. Ned Garvin (BAL); Walter Johnson (POR); Pat Malone (CLE); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Sam Streeter x2 (CAG); Fernando Valenzuela (BRK); Justin Verlander (DET); Jim Whitney (MCG); Smokey Joe Wood x2 (KAN); Cy Young (CLE).

8+ Walk Games

Shutouts

1 Hit. Mark Buehrle (CAG, 6 IP); Whitey Ford (NYY).
2 Hit. Mickey Welch (KAN).

Shutouts (Combined)

1 Hit. Old Hoss Radbourn / Kevin Gross / Ryan Dempster / Billy Koch (OTT).
2 Hits. Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT).
3 Hits. David Price / Babe Adams (HOM, 7 IP); Charlie Root / Dick Donovan / Jason Frasor / Troy Percival (DET); Dave Righetti / George Jeffcoat / Vito Tamulis / Brian Wilson (NYG); Whitey Ford / Hoyt Wilhelm / Goose Gossage (NYY); Jock Menefee / Jeff Reardon / Lee Smith (KAN); Pete Donohue / Masahiro Tanaka / Kent Tekulve / Brian Wilson (NYG; 10 IP); Bump Hadley / Charlie Ferguson (SFS); Watty Clark / Joe Nathan (SFS); Waite Hoyt / AJ Minter (CAG).
4 Hits. Mel Harder / Whit Wyatt / Ron Reed / Aroldis Chapman / Terry Adams (CLE); Brett Anderson / Jimmy Key / Dellin Betances / Karl Spooner / Ed Bauta (HOD); Toad Ramsey / Jim Kern / Billy Wagner / Tug McGraw (HOU).
5 Hits. Cy Young / Ron Reed / Cory Gearrin (CLE); Greg Maddux / Kerry Ligtenberg / Bruce Chen / Akinori Otuska / Harley Young (BBB); Waite Hoyt / Wilbur Wood / Will Smith (CAG).

TWIWBL 90.3: Off Season Review – San Francisco Sea Lions

103 - 59, .636 pct.
1st in Cum Posey Division
Beat DET 4-3 in AL Wild Card Round
Beat CLE 4-0 in AL Championship
Lost to BRK 1-4 in Whirled Series

Overall

The best record in baseball, 3 dominant rookies, the AL Brock Rutherford Award winner, the electric leader in steals, the best closer in the league … and a crushing defeat in the Whirled Series.

Welcome to San Francisco, where the question is, how to continue with the success and bring home the ultimate prize of the championship.

The Sea Lions, it must be said, are in good shape: there is so much talent here, and so much of it is young, that even some regression to the mean would leave them a very strong club.

What Went Right

Let’s start with the incandescent talent of Norman “Turkey” Stearnes, who burst onto the scene with a 1.151 OPS, 51 homeruns, and 125 RBIs while playing a very solid CF. Just exquisite.

Jack Clark is one of the more underrated players in the league, but he has a great eye (101 BB on the year) and impressive power (51 homers).

Reggie Jackson was a little better last year, but a 283/394/574 slash line is nothing to sneeze at (although you really do wish he would attempt to run a little less often: Jackson sits as the WBL career leader in caught stealing).

So, those are the big three, with each of them both scoring and driving in 100 runs and combining for 143 homers.

Jimmie Foxx‘s obvious power blossomed this season as the burly corner infielder launched 49 homeruns. He could benefit from more contact, but the walk rate is there and at 22, that may come.

Mickey Cochrane took over at catcher and, even before his electric defensive performance in the postseason, was among the better backstops in the league, slashing 289/371/513. Brian Downing hit even better in limited time as his backup, but probably will serve in that capacity next season.

Royce Clayton posted a .919 OPS filling in around the infield and Sal Bando, displaced by Foxx at 3B, performed well as a reserve.

Rickey Henderson stole 126 bases and, as importantly, filled out soem of his offensive game, posting an .839 OPS with a .385 OBP. Dick Lundy added 57 steals while showing some decent offensive skills.

And then we have the pitching, led by their own big three in Lefty Grove, Eddie Plank, and rookie Bump Hadley. Plank led the way with 20 wins, Hadley had the best ERA at 4.10, and Grove walked away with all the hardware in the postseason awards. A 1.15 WHIP and230 strikeouts in 209 innings will do that. The three combined for a 54-19 record on the season.

Watty Clark came over midseason and was excellent over 37 appearances including 17 starts.

Rod Beck led the WBL with 41 saves, despite occasionally being hit quite hard. Ken Howell was excellent setting him up, finishing with a 5-1 record, 6 saves, and 15 holds.

Tim Hudson came back very strong from a long term injury, posting an ERA just over 4 with excellent peripherals over 12 games, and earning a few postseason starts. At 38, it’s not clear how much Hudson has left in the tank, but this was a pleasant surprise for sure.

ALL STARS

Rod Beck
Mickey Cochrane
Lefty Grove
Bump Hadley
Ken Howell
Reggie Jackson
Eddie Plank
Turkey Stearnes
MAJOR AWARDS

Rod Beck All AL First Team; AL Phineas Flint Award
Lefty Grove All AL First Team; AL Brock Rutherford Award
Ken Howell All AL First Team
Turkey Stearnes All AL First Team; AL CF Silver Slugger; AL Rookie of the Year
RECOGNITIONS

Rod Beck AL 25 & Under Team
Jack Clark, All AL 3rd Team
Mickey Cochrane, All AL 2nd Team; AL 25 & Under Team
Jimmie Foxx, All AL 3rd Team; AL All Rookie 1st Team; AL 23 & Under Team
Frank Grant, AL All Rookie 2nd Team; AL 23 & Under Team
Bump Hadley, All AL 2nd Team; AL Rookie of the Year 3rd Place; AL Brock Rutherford Award 2nd Place; AL All Rookie 1st Team; AL 25 & Under Team; AL 23 & Under Team
Ken Howell, AL 25 & Under Team
Reggie Jackson, All AL 3rd Team
Dick Lundy, All AL 3rd Team
Joe Nathan, AL Phineas Flint Award 2nd Place
Eddie Plank, All AL 2nd Team
Turkey Stearnes, AL All Rookie 1st Team; AL 25 & Under Team; ; AL 23 & Under Team
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Turkey Stearnes, MVP
Eddie Plank, Pitcher of the Year
Jack Clark, Heart & Soul
Rickey Henderson, Fan Favorite

Red Ehret, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Josh Reddick, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

2B was a bit of a mess for most of the year: Jimmy Bloodworth was awful, Phil Garner is a decent utility player, but not much more than that, and Frank Grant struggled to adopt to life in San Francisco after his trade, although he is clearly the future here.

The middle of the bullpen was a bit of a slog, with Huston Street and, especially, Dennis Eckersley struggling more than succeeding, although Street seemed to pick it up after Nathan’s arrival shifted him down the pecking order.

And … yeah … that’s about it. Best record in baseball and all that.

Transactions

March

OF Pedro Guerrero to BRK for P Watty Clark & OF Matt Holliday.

Looks good for San Francisco, as Guerrero has struggled and Clark should be with the WBL team next year.

July

IF John Beckwith to HOD for IF Frank Grant.

They may regret this one, as, at only 19, Beckwith hits the ball as hard as anyone in baseball. But Grant is only 21 and fills a clear and present need, so it seems fine.

August

IF Eddie Miller & IF Freddie Freeman to LAA for P Joe Nathan, IF Wally Joyner, & 1st Round Pick.

It seems solid enough: Nathan makes the Sea Lions’ bullpen stronger, and Freeman for the 1st rounder feels equitable enough long term. Helps both teams, for sure.

Positional Overview

C

This should be Mickey Cochrane for a while, with Brian Downing being brought in as the backup next season. There’s not a lot of talent in the system, so hopefully those two can stay healthy.

1B

At some point, this may become an issue, as Jimmie Foxx really is better suited for 1B than 3B, but for now, Jack Clark reigns, with Foxx filling in.

Wally Joyner and Sid Bream are available as needed as well.

2B

The Sea Lions gave up a lot for Frank Grant, now he needs to produce. The team is pretty confident he will, with Phil Garner on hand as a reserve infielder.

There is some talent in the system here: Jack Farrell, Ron Hunt, and Dario Lodigiani all have some talent, and last year’s incumbent, Jimmy Bloodworth, is still bouncing around.

SS

Dick Lundy has this locked down, offering a rare mixture of speed, defense, and occasional power.

Royce Clayton‘s performance has earned him a hard look, although his lack of versatility is a thing. Bill Sweeney and Jed Lowrie are options as well if needed.

3B

The Sea Lions have a lot of talent here. The starting role is obviously Foxx’s, but Sal Bando is an excellent option. Bando is expendable if the right offer came along as others, including Wayne Gross, Denny Walling, and Don Money could also serve as Foxx’s backup.

LF/RF

With CF settled, the corner spots are a bit congested between Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, and Bobby Bonds. Henderson has a firm lock on LF, and Jackson and Bonds will probably share RF and DH duties, as neither of them are spectacular defensively.

The Sea Lions’ Minor League Player of the Year, Josh Reddick, could figure in here, as could Matt Holliday, Eddie Murphy, or the slugging behemoth that is Frank Howard.

CF

Assuming Turkey Stearnes doesn’t succumb to the sophomore slump, the job is his for a long time.

Lots of players can fill in here, but in terms of true CFers, only Del Unser and Mookie Wilson catch the eye in the system.

DH

A mix of Foxx, Jackson, and Bonds should be more than sufficient here.

SP

This is pretty much set, certainly with the trio of Lefty Grove, Eddie Plank, and Bump Hadley leading the way. Watty Clark showed enough to be projected as the 4th starter, leaving some competition between Tom Brewer, Tim Hudson, Tommy Bridges, and Mel Stottlemyre Sr. Veterans Nick Altrock and Cy Falkenberg and the Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Red Ehret may be given a look as well.

At lower levels, Charlie Ferguson and Jair Jurrjens have both showed some promise.

RP

The back end has the potential to be devastating, with Joe Nathan and Ken Howell setting up Rod Beck. That only gets better if Ron Robinson is able to make a clean return form injury or if Huston Street can develop a bit more consistency.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

What do you get the team that has everything? That’s right, 2 first round picks. Especially with the sudden departure of Jules Thomas, the cupboard is a bit bare, so this will be a restocking exercise for the Sea Lions.

TWIWBL 88.3: Rookie Teams of the Year

Two teams per league, with preference given to more playing time this year over future potential. No DH.

#WBL All Rookie First Team

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CTom Haller (BAL)Bill Dickey (PHI)
1BJimmie Foxx (SFS)Joe Harris (KCM)
2BCharlie Gehringer (DET)César Hernández (PHI)
SSCal Ripken Jr (BAL)Judy Johnson (HOM)
3BAndy Pafko (BBB/MCG)Chris Sabo (IND)
LFJuan Beníquez (DET)Adam Dunn (IND)
CFTurkey Stearnes (SFS)John Briggs (BRK)
RFAl Kaline (DET)George Foster (IND)
SPJim Whitney (BBB/MCG)
Bump Hadley (SFS)
Walter Ball (POR)
A. Rube Foster (KCM)
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK)
Fernando Valenzuela (BRK)
RPAndrew Miller (MEM)
Ross Reynolds (LAA)
Elmer Smith (LAA)
Eddie Guardado (KCM)
Karl Spooner (HOD)
Mike Kume (KCM)

Rookies are interesting.

We run the full gamut here, from the MVP possibilities of Turkey Stearnes to players who ended the year in the minors, or, like César Hernández, project as fringe players at best. Tom Haller, Juan Beníquez, and Joe Harris are all on the wrong side of 30.

The spread of talent makes some comparisons misleading: you would much rather be San Francisco with Jimmie Foxx, Stearnes, and Bump Hadley than Indianapolis with Chris Sabo, Adam Dunn, and George Foster.

#WBL All Rookie Second Team

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CAJ Pierzynski (LAA)Dick Dietz (NYG)
1BDavid Ortiz (MEM)JP Arencibia (BBB)
2BFrank Grant (HOD/SFS)Craig Reynolds (HOD)
SSDobie Moore (MEM)Jimmy Rollins (PHI)
3BFreddie Lindstrom (CAG)Josh Donaldson (OTT)
LFRocky Colavito (CAG)Elliott Maddox (NYY/HOU)
CFJulio Rodríguez (MCG)Charles Rogan (PHI)
RFIchiro Suzuki (LAA)Sam Thompson (OTT)
SPTony Brizzolara (NYY)
Tom Seaver (LAA)
Kenshin Kawakami (MCG)
Charles Rogan (PHI)
Ice Box Chamberlain (HOU)
Kyle Peterson (HOD)
RPFirpo Marberry (CLE)
Skel Roach (MEM)
Billy Hoeft (DET)
Brad Kilby (PHI)
Mike LaCoss (IND)
Fred Fussell (BBB)

Note Bullet Joe Rogan‘s well warranted appearance at 2 positions.

David Ortiz, Julio Rodríguez, Rogan, and Ice Box Chamberlain were the class of this group. Those 4, Frank Grant, Dobie Moore, Freddie Lindstrom, Ichiro Suzuki, and Tom Seaver are the most likely to be future stars–that’s a lot of potential over there in the American League.

TWIWBL 88.2: Teams of the Year By Age

The overall All-WBL Teams can be found here.

In this post, we’ll slowly carve people off those lists as we get younger, beginning with the under 25’s. As we get younger, future potential will begin to be more of a thing.

A full lineup, with DH, plus 3 starters and 3 relievers for each. We’ll start by relisting the overall selections, then new entries for each group will be bolded.

#WBL Teams of the Year

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CEd Bailey (36, DET/CLE)Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1BJim Thome (28, MCG)Paul Konerko (34, CAG/BBB)
2BEddie Collins (28, CAG)Roberto Alomar (24, OTT)
SSArky Vaughan (27, CLE)Ernie Banks (25, HOD)
3BEvan Longoria (24, CLE)Ron Cey (27, BRK)
LFBabe Ruth (25, NYY)Jim Wynn (23, HOU)
CFTurkey Stearnes (22, SFS)Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RFMickey Mantle (22, NYY)Aaron Judge (27, PHI)
DHTy Cobb (21, DET)Willie Stargell (31, HOM)
SPLefty Grove (27, SFS)
José Méndez (23, MCG)
Jim Whitney (24, BBB/MCG)
Luis Padrón (22, IND)
Toad Ramsey (23, HOU)
A. Rube Foster (24, KCM)
RPKen Howell (24, SFS)
Andrew Miller (23, MEM)
Rod Beck (24, SFS)
Lee Smith (34, HOD/KCM)
Eddie Guardado (26, KCM)
Eric Gagne (27, BRK)

#WBL 25 & Under Teams

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CMickey Cochrane (25, SFS)Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1BHank Greenberg (24, DET)Jeff Bagwell (24, HOU)
2BGrant Johnson (25, HOU/NYY)Roberto Alomar (24, OTT)
SSCal Ripken, Jr (23, BAL)Ernie Banks (25, HOD)
3BEvan Longoria (24, CLE)Albert Pujols (22, KCM)
LFBabe Ruth (25, NYY)Jim Wynn (23, HOU)
CFTurkey Stearnes (22, SFS)Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RFMickey Mantle (22, NYY)Larry Walker (23, OTT)
DHTy Cobb (21, DET)Rick Monday (24, OTT)
SPJosé Méndez (23, MCG)
Jim Whitney (24, BBB/MCG)
Bump Hadley (23, SFS)
Luis Padrón (22, IND)
Toad Ramsey (23, HOU)
A. Rube Foster (24, KCM)
RPKen Howell (24, SFS)
Andrew Miller (23, MEM)
Rod Beck (24, SFS)
Terry Forster (22, BRK)
Andrew Chafin (25, HOU)
Fred Cambria (23, PHI)

#WBL 23 & Under Teams

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CIván Rodríguez (21, MCG)Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1BEddie Murray (22, BAL)Rusty Staub (21, OTT)
2BFrank Grant (22, HOD/SFS)Joe Morgan (22, IND)
SSCal Ripken, Jr (23, BAL)Carlos Correa (23, HOU)
3BJimmie Foxx (22, SFS)Albert Pujols (22, KCM)
LFFrank Robinson (22, BAL)Jim Wynn (23, HOU)
CFTurkey Stearnes (22, SFS)Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RFMickey Mantle (22, NYY)Larry Walker (23, OTT)
DHTy Cobb (21, DET)Richie Hebner (23, HOD)
SPJosé Méndez (23, MCG)
Bump Hadley (23, SFS)
Brett Anderson (22, LAA)
Luis Padrón (22, IND)
Toad Ramsey (23, HOU)
Smokey Joe Wood (22, KCM)
RPAndrew Miller (23, MEM)
Goose Gossage (23, NYY)
Julio Teheran (22, LAA)
Terry Forster (22, BRK)
Fred Cambria (23, PHI)
Ted Kennedy (22, PHI)

300 PA Minimums for batters, with 1 exception: Murray only had 145 PAs–1B in the AL just did not have a lot of youth.

#WBL 21 & Under

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CIván Rodríguez (21, MCG)Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1BRusty Staub (21, OTT)
2BMartín Dihigo (19, MCG)
SSDobie Moore (20, MEM)Judy Johnson (18, HOM)
3BFreddie Lindstrom (20, CAG)Ron Santo (21, HOD)
LFAlejandro Oms (21, MCG)Sherry Magee (21, PHI)
CFKen Griffey Jr (20, POR)Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RFBryce Harper (20, BAL)
DHTy Cobb (21, DET)
SPWalter Johnson (20, POR)
Bob Feller (20, CLE)
Joseíto Muñoz (20, POR)
Ice Box Chamberlain (19, HOU)
JM Ward (20, PHI)
Sandy Koufax (21, BRK)
RPPete Conway (21, DET)
Tom Williams (20, CAG)
Billy Hoeft (19, DET)
Pete Donohue (21, NYG)
Edward Nolan (19, IND)
Vida Blue (21, HOU)

All praises to Ty Cobb, Josh Gibson, and Oscar Charleston for remaining on the list this far. The relievers dip into some rarely used arms, but of the rest, only Freddie Lindstrom was a late-season callup.

There really isn’t an all-teenager team: the only change from the teens above would be the addition of Chicago’s Cristóbal Torriente, perhaps the worst offensive player in the league this year in CF, but surprisingly effective in a few mound appearances.

One more, largely for fun

#WBL Over 30 Team

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CEd Bailey (36, DET/CLE)Jim Pagliaroni (32, MEM/BBB)
1BCarlos Delgado (32, LAA)Paul Konerko (34, CAG/BBB)
2BRogers Hornsby (34, NYY)Ryne Sandberg (33, HOD)
SSBobby Wallace (34, BAL/DET)Ozzie Smith (30, KCM)
3BJim Ray Hart (30, NYG)
LFOscar Gamble (32, DET)Don Buford (32, LAA/NYG)
CFDave Henderson (33, IND)
RFKiki Cuyler (32, POR)Albert Belle (32, BBB)
DHGavvy Cravath (36, BAL)Joey Votto (32, IND)
SPAndy Pettitte (33, NYY)
Connie Johnson (34, BAL/DET)
Charlie Root (31, DET)
Gaylord Perry (33, NYG)
Eppa Rixey (31, IND)
Cliff Lee (30, HOM)
RPJonathan Papelbon (31, MEM/MCG)
Joe Nathan (31, LAA/SFS)
Buddy Groom (37, BAL)
Lee Smith (34, HOD/KCM)
Bob Howry (34, PHI)
Josh Lindblom (31, HOM)

Only 3 names from the All-League Teams (Baily, Konerko, and Lee Smith), reflecting on just how young the league is. This is a very wide range from some very strong performers who are expected to keep it up for a while (those 3, Pettitte, Hornsby, some others) to folks like Dave Henderson and Kiki Cuyler, who are just barely hanging onto their roster spots.

TWIWBL 87.17: The Awards

We’ll do this Award Show style, ending with the MVP.

#Silver Sticks

The guideline here is the best offensive performance at each position, with a slightly relaxed PA requirement and combining LF and RF. Players qualify for their team at season’s end, much to Paul Konerko‘s delight.

PosAmerican LeagueNational League
CEd Bailey (DET/CLE)Josh Gibson (HOM)
1BFrank Thomas (CAG)Paul Konerko (CAG/BBB)
2BRogers Hornsby (NYY)Roberto Alomar (OTT)
3BEvan Longoria (CLE)Ron Cey (BRK)
SSCal Ripken, Jr (BAL)Ernie Banks (HOD)
OFBabe Ruth (NYY)Larry Walker (OTT)
CFTurkey Stearnes (SFS)Oscar Charleston (IND)
OFKal Daniels (LAA)Aaron Judge (PHI)
DHTy Cobb (DET)Willie Stargell (HOM)

Joe Morgan was better offensively than Alomar, but Alomar had 200 more plate appearances and was no slouch himself.

#Rookie Of the Year

This was pretty easy in terms of the overall awards, but the second and third place finishers were far more heavily contested.

RankAmerican LeagueNational League
1Turkey Stearnes (CF, SFS, 22)Charles Rogan (P/Util, PHI, 27)
2Cal Ripken, Jr (SS, BAL, 23)A. Rube Foster (P, KCM, 24)
3Bump Hadley (P, SFS, 23)Smokey Joe Williams (P, BRK, 24)

Al Kaline (DET), David Ortiz (MEM), and Jim Whitney (MCG) in the AL, and John Briggs (BRK), Judy Johnson (HOM), and George Foster (IND) in the NL were the next names on the lists, but these selections feel pretty solid.

#All Rounder Award

This one is given to the player whose offense was most well-rounded–walks, power, speed, all of it.

RankAmerican LeagueNational League
1Ty Cobb (DET)Roberto Alomar (OTT)
2Kal Daniels (LAA)Jackie Robinson (BRK)
3Tris Speaker (CLE)Oscar Charleston (IND)

#Phineas Flint Award

This goes to the best reliever in each league–not necessarily a closer, but often.

RankAmerican LeagueNational League
1Rod Beck (SFS)Eric Gagné (BRK)
2Joe Nathan (LAA/SFS)Lee Smith (KCM)
3Goose Gossage (NYY)Craig Kimbrel (KCM)

#Brock Rutherford Award

This goes to the dominant pitcher in each league, usually a starter.

RankAmerican LeagueNational League
1Lefty Grove (SFS)Luis Padrón (IND)
2Bump Hadley (SFS)Toad Ramsey (HOU)
3José Méndez (MCG)A. Rube Foster (KCM)

#Mel Trench Award

And, the biggie, the MVP. A slight prejudice towards batters here, but it’s possible for a pitcher to enter the building.

RankAmerican LeagueNational League
1Ty Cobb (DET)Josh Gibson (HOM)
2Babe Ruth (NYY)Oscar Charleston (IND)
3Mike Trout (LAA)Gary Carter (OTT)

As has been constant in much of this Award season, the top spots are clear, and beyond that it’s a little bit of a mess.

Trout’s numbers weren’t as good as Turkey Steranes or Tris Speaker, but he carried Los Angeles all season. That said, this could have been a 3 way tie for AL CF’s. In the NL, you can argue that Ron Cey was more important to Brooklyn than Carter was to Ottawa, and certainly Brooklyn’s Whirled Championship counts for something. But Carter did all that … as a catcher (which underscores Gibson’s edge on the field).

TWIWBL 87.15: Teams of the Year

We’re doing 3 teams for each league, with players color coded by their Tier Level (S Tier, A Tier, B Tier, C Tier), with selections for each position, 3 starters, 2 bullpen arms, and a closer.

Just a glance shows the differences in the leagues: you want offense, look at the AL, you want pitching, the NL. That’s a generality, and like all such, not fully accurate: the NL actually has more S Tier bats, but the AL is overall more top heavy offensively.

San Francisco, predictably, leads the way with 12 selections while the rivalry between the Black Yankees and Cleveland continues, with the Bill James Division heavyweights having 8 each.

#AL

PosFirst TeamSecond TeamThird Team
CEd Bailey (DET/CLE)Mickey Cochrane (SFS)Curt Blefary (BAL)
1BJim Thome (MCG)Lance Berkman (CLE)Jack Clark (SFS)
2BEddie Collins (CAG)Rogers Hornsby (NYY)Miller Huggins (BAL)
SSArky Vaughan (CLE)Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL)Dick Lundy (SFS)
3BEvan Longoria (CLE)Mike Schmidt (NYY)Jimmie Foxx (SFS)
LFBabe Ruth (NYY)Kal Daniels (LAA)Frank Robinson (BAL)
CFTurkey Stearnes (SFS)Tris Speaker (CLE)Mike Trout (LAA)
RFMickey Mantle (NYY)Joe Jackson (CAG)Yasiel Puig (MCG)
DHTy Cobb (DET)Lou Gehrig (NYY)Reggie Jackson (SFS)
SPLefty Grove (SFS)
José Méndez (MCG)
Jim Whitney (BBB/MCG)
Bump Hadley (SFS)
Andy Pettitte (NYY)
Eddie Plank (SFS)
Ed Walsh (CAG)
Brett Anderson (LAA)
Ron Guidry (NYY)
RPKen Howell (SFS)
Andrew Miller (MEM)
Ross Reynolds (LAA)
Al Smith (CLE)
Firpo Marberry (CLE)
Ron Reed (CLE)
CLRod Beck (SFS)Goose Gossage (NYY)Jonathan Papelbon (MEM/MCG)

I do wonder if this points to how fragile Cleveland is. The Spiders are one of only 2 teams to make the playoffs in both WBL seasons, but if you were to pick names likely to fade off this list, Arky Vaughan, Evan Longoria, Al Smith, and Firpo Marberry would jump out.

It also shows just how top heavy Los Angeles is: 2 S-Tier players (plus Brett Anderson and Ross Reynolds) with nothing to show for it. At the other end, there’s Detroit–the other team to make the playoffs each year–with only a single player (the incomparable Ty Cobb) listed, further reinforcing the Wolverines as having done it with a true team effort (although this was also quite close: Terry Adams, Al Kaline, and Hank Greenberg were all in contention for 3rd Team honors).

And the less said about Memphis, the better.

#NL

PosFirst TeamSecond TeamThird Team
CJosh Gibson (HOM)Gary Carter (OTT)Mike Piazza (BRK)
1BPaul Konerko (CAG/BBB)Will Clark (NYG)Jeff Bagwell (HOU)
2BRoberto Alomar (OTT)Joe Morgan (IND)Ryne Sandberg (HOD)
SSErnie Banks (HOD)Carlos Correa (HOU)Alex Rodríguez (OTT)
3BRon Cey (BRK)Albert Pujols (KCM)Scott Rolen (PHI)
LFJim Wynn (HOU)Ryan Braun (BBB)Rick Reichardt (HOM)
CFOscar Charleston (IND)Willie Mays (NYG)Charles Rogan (PHI)
RFAaron Judge (PHI)Larry Walker (OTT)Tony Gwynn (HOU)
DHWillie Stargell (HOM)Benny Kauff (NYG)Rick Monday (OTT)
SPLuis Padrón (IND)
Toad Ramsey (HOU)
A. Rube Foster (KCM)
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK)
Smokey Joe Wood (KCM)
Fernando Valenzuela (BRK)
Roger Clemens (HOU)
Hardie Henderson (PHI)
Orel Hershiser (BRK)
RPLee Smith (HOD/KCM)
Eddie Guardado (KCM)
Robb Nen (NYG/HOM)
Terry Forster (BRK)
Andrew Chafin (HOU)
Fred Cambria (PHI)
CLEric Gagné (BRK)Josh Lindblom (HOM)Bob Howry (PHI)

Brooklyn and Kansas City’s pitching is so strong. And imagine just how bad Ottawa’s pitching had to be, given their offensive representation.

Indianapolis has 3 S Tier players, giving them perhaps the most dominant nucleus in the league to build around. Kansas City has 4 S Tier players, but 2 of them are relievers, so most GM’s would prefer the ABC’s group.

And there are some league-wide deficiencies, especially at 1B and LF. Jim Wynn is a nice player, but the best in the league?

Both of Birmingham’s entrants were brought over in trade … but they also lost Jim Whtiney in those deals.

#Team by Team

Portland had nobody–nobody–who was deemed top 3 in the AL at their position. Ouch.

Baltimore. 4: Curt Blefary, Miller Huggins, Cal Ripken, Jr, Frank Robinson.
Birmingham, 2: Ryan Braun, Paul Konerko.
Brooklyn. 7: Ron Cey, Terry Forster, Eric Gagne, Orel Hershiser, Mike Piazza, Fernando Valenzuela, Smokey Joe Williams
Chicago. 3: Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson, Ed Walsh.
Cleveland. 8: Ed Bailey, Lance Berkman, Evan Longoria, Firpo Marberry, Ron Reed, Al Smith, Tris Speaker, Arky Vaughan.
Detroit. 1: Ty Cobb.
Homestead. 5: Josh Gibson, Josh Lindblom, Robb Nen, Rick Reichardt , Willie Stargell.
Houston. 7: Jeff Bagwell, Andrew Chafin, Roger Clemens, Carlos Correa, Tony Gwynn, Toad Ramsey, Jim Wynn.
Indianapolis. 3: Oscar Charleston, Joe Morgan, Luis Padrón.
Kansas City. 5: A. Rube Foster, Eddie Guardado, Albert Pujols, Lee Smith, Smokey Joe Wood.
Los Angeles. 4: Brett Anderson, Kal Daniels, Ross Reynolds, Mike Trout.
Memphis. 1: Andrew Miller.
Miami. 5: José Méndez, Jonathan Papelbon, Yasiel Puig, Jim Thome, Jim Whitney.
New York Black Yankees. 8: Lou Gehrig, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry, Rogers Hornsby, Mickey Mantle, Andy Pettitte, Babe Ruth, Mike Schmidt.
New York Gothams. 3: Will Clark, Benny Kauff , Willie Mays.
Ottawa. 5: Roberto Alomar , Gary Carter, Rick Monday, Alex Rodríguez, Larry Walker.
Philadelphia. 7: Fred Cambria, Hardie Henderson, Bob Howry, Aaron Judge, Charles Rogan, Scott Rolen.
Portland. 0.
San Francisco. 12: Rod Beck, Jack Clark, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Bump Hadley, Ken Howell, Reggie Jackson, Dick Lundy, Eddie Plank, Turkey Stearnes.
Wandering House of David. 2: Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg.

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