Both teams will go back to the same pitchers that opened the first series, Toad Ramsey for Houston and Orel Hershiser for Brooklyn.

Houston opted for Jim O’Rourke behind the plate over Jorge Posada, while Brooklyn opts to keep the hot hand in the lineup, keeping Ray Dandridge at SS over Vern Stephens. It’s a hard choice–Ron Cey could be benched, allowing both Dandridge and Stephens to play, but Cey was an offensive juggernaut during the season, so despite his struggles in the series against Indianapolis, Cey retains his cleanup position.

Jim Wynn led off the game with a homerun off Hershiser, but Cey must have heard the muttering, as he touched Ramsey with a 3 run shot in the bottom of the frame (John Briggs and Jackie Robinson had singled). As is so often the case, you anticipate a pitching duel, you get homeruns: Paul Goldschmidt hit the 3rd of the game to cut the lead to 1 and Wynn hit his 2nd of the game to tie it at 3 in the top of the 3rd. Then Piazza hit a solo shot in the bottom of the 4th and Robinson a 2 run shot in the 5th, followed by Cey’s 2nd of the game.

So, yeah, 11 hits in the game with 7 of them being homeruns.

Ramsey picked a horrible time for his worst outing of the season, as the Colt 45’s now trailed, 7-3.

Hershiser was relieved by Burleigh Grimes–solid in the postseason so far, but not today. Doubles from Goldschmidt and George Brett narrowed the score to 7-5.

Grimes was relieved by Dave Von Ohlen, who promptly loaded the bases, bringing in Sandy Koufax, who walked Goldschmidt, but got out of the inning without further damage. It was now a 1 run game, 7-6 Royal Giants, which is how it stood in the 9th, with Eric Gagne coming in to face the heart of Houston’s lineup.

Three up, three down, and Brooklyn leads the series, 1-0.

Robinson, Cey, and Piazza had 2 hits each for Brooklyn with Cey driving in 4 with his pair of homers. Wynn, Gwynn, and Goldschmidt had 2 hits for Houston. Hershiser improved to 3-0 in the postseason, but the real story was Ramsey’s ineffectiveness: always a risk for a knuckler.

HOU 6 (Ramsey 2-1) @ BRK 7 (Hershiser 3-0; Van Ohlen 1 H; Koufax 1 H; Hildenberger 3 H)
HRs: HOU – Wynn 2 (3), Goldschmidt (4); BRK – Cey 2 (3), Piazza (6), Robinson (1).
Box Score

#Game 2, Sun Oct 14

Two pitchers of similar molds will face off, Brooklyn’s Don Drysedale and Houston’s Roger Clemens, with the Colt 45’s trying to steal an away game early in the series.

At long last, Dickie Thon is available for Brooklyn, but Ray Dandridge and Vern Stephens are playing so well, he’ll start his postseason from the bench.

Drysedale walked the first 2 batters, but looked to get out of the inning after striking out Carlos Correa and retiring Jeff Bagwell on a brilliant catch by gold glove candidate Roy White in LF. But then Paul Goldschmidt launched a pitch into the LF seats. George Brett followed with a shot to right and it was 4-0 Houston aver a half inning.

John Briggs singled and stole 2nd and scored on a single from Jackie Robinson in the 4th, putting Brooklyn on the board at 4-1. White scored the following inning on a groundout, cutting the lead in half to 4-2.

Bagwell hit a solo shot in the 6th, and a Brett double chased Drysedale. Frank Knauss came in for his first action of the postseason. Pete Hill singled in Brett, and scored on a hit from Jorge Posada, making it 7-2.

Clemens gave up 2 walks in the 6th, and gave way to Jim Kern. Kern got 2 groundouts, 1 scoring a run, making it 7-3, Houston after 6. Some more runs were scored–3 for Houston and a solo shot by Mike Piazza for Brooklyn–but the outcome was never really threatened.

Goldschmidt and Brett had 2 hits each and Goldschmidt drove in 4 for Houston, but the story was really a solid start from Clemens followed by scoreless relief from Kern, Andrew Chafin, and Tug McGraw.

We are now in a best-of-5, with the action swinging back to Houston.

HOU 10 (Clemens 2-0) @ BRK 4 (Drysedale 1-1)
HRs: HOU – Goldschmidt (5), Brett (2), Bagwell (5); BRK – Piazza (7).
Box Score

#Game 3, Tue Oct 16

Game 3 will see Brooklyn’s Smokey Joe Williams face Houston’s Ice Box Chamberlain, in a matchup of pretty cool nicknames.

Gorman Thomas gets the start in CF for Houston, with Ray Dandridge playing SS for Brooklyn.

After Chamberlain struck out the side in the top of the first, Carlos Correa doubled home Tony Gwynn in the bottom of the inning for a 1-0 Houston lead.

Both pitchers ran into some trouble–Williams had runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs and Chamberlain the bases loaded with 1–but both worked out of the jams without giving up a run. The Colt 45’s added a run in the 4th on a wild pitch, and 4 more on a 2 run homers in the 5th, 1 from Jim Wynn, the other from Correa.

That chased Williams–who honestly hadn’t pitched that badly, despite the 6 runs allowed.

Meanwhile, Chamberlain had a 4 hit shutout until Mike Piazza hit a solo homerun in the 6th. Bagwell added one of his own, and Houston’s bullpen did the rest as the Colt 45’s took a 2-1 lead in the series.

BRK 1 (Williams 0-1) @ HOU 7 (Chamberlain 1-1)
HRs: BRK – Piazza (8); HOU – Wynn (4), Correa (2), Bagwell (6).
Box Score

#Game 4, Wed Oct 17

Fernando Valenzuela will try to tie the series for Brooklyn, opposed by game 1 starter Toad Ramsey, who will try to get his postseason performance on track.

It didn’t start great for Ramsey: Ron Cey went deep after a walk to Jackie Robinson for a 2-0 Brooklyn lead that held until the 4th, when a triple from Dan Brouthers made it 3-0.

Valenzuela was dominant here early: 0 hits, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts through 3 innings. Houston touched him for a run in the 5th on a single by George Brett, but that was it.

Duke Snider greeted Jim Kern with a solo shot in the 7th, making it 4-1. In the bottom of the frame, Valenzuela hit Jeff Bagwell and gave up a single to Paul Goldschmidt, which ended his day. Dave Von Ohlen eventually loaded the bases, but escaped the inning unscathed, preserving Brooklyn’s 3 run lead.

Trevor Hildenberger had been effective all year setting up Eric Gagne, but he’s struggled this postseason. Here, he gave up a run when Tony Gwynn doubled in Craig Biggio and allowed the tying runs to score on a 2-run double from Goldschmidt.

So we were tied at 4 heading to the 9th. Tug McGraw set Brooklyn down in the top of the frame and a 1-out double by Jim O’Rourke brought Gagne in from the pen. He did his job, and we were off to extra innings.

Beals Becker led off the 10th with a solo shot off Sparky Lyle. Gagne gave up a leadoff single to Gwynn, but induced a double play from Carlos Correa and whiffed Bagwell, ending the game and tying the series at 2.

BRK 5 (Gagne 1-0; Von Ohlen 2 H; Hildenberger 1 B Sv) @ HOU 4 (Lyle 0-1) [10 Innings]
HRs: BRK – Cey (4), Snider (2), Becker (2); HOU – none.
Box Score

#Game 5, Thu Oct 18

With the series tied at 5, we are looking at a best-of-three at this point. Orel Hershiser will get the ball for Brooklyn while Houston, needing to bridge to its primary starters, will go with Stephen Strasburg over Dock Ellis, although Ellis is at the ready should Strasburg falter.

For the first time in the postseason, Houston will start Craig Biggio behind the plate, giving Bama Rowell a chance to make a difference at 2B.

Dan Brouthers walked and stole 2nd and 3rd before scoring on a groundout from Jackie Robinson, but Biggio did gun down Ron Cey at 2nd to end the inning. Still, it put the Royal Giants up, 1-0.

Mike Piazza and Roy White went back-to-back in the top of the 4th, increasing the lead to 3-0, and generating activity in the Houston bullpen.

The Colt 45’s generated traffic each inning, but Hershiser escaped any real danger until the bottom of the 5th, when Pete Hill singled and Rowell walked, putting runners at 1st and 2nd with no outs. Biggio grounded into a double play, but this time Houston at least got a run, as Hill scored on a passed ball, making it 3-1.

Cey took Strasburg deep, making it 4-1 and summoning Ellis from the pen. An errant throw by George Brett brought in Brooklyn’s 5th run and Robinson forced in a run by getting nicked by a Roberto Osuna pitch. So, 6-1 Brooklyn.

Houston wasn’t done, but it’s a long way back. Biggio went deep in the bottom of the 8th and Brett led off the bottom of the 9th with a solo shot of his own. A single from Hill summoned a somewhat fatigued Eric Gagne from the Royal Giants’ pen.

Gagne struck out the side, retiring Jim O’Rourke, Biggio, and Jim Wynn. No problem.

Hershiser was dominant in a crafty way, improving to 4-0 on the postseason, and Brouthers, Piazza, and Becker each had 2 hits pulling Brooklyn to within 1 win of the Whirled Series.

BRK 6 (Hershiser 4-0; Gagne 4 Sv) @ HOU 3 (Strasburg 1-1)
HRs: BRK – White (2), Piazza (9), Cey (5); HOU – Biggio (1), Brett (3).
Box Score

#Game 6, Sat Oct 20

So, will Brooklyn advance to the Whirled Series, or will Houston force a deciding game 7? It will be a rematch of the hurlers from game 2, with Houston’s Roger Clemens taking on Brooklyn’s Don Drysedale.

Houston took the lead in the top of the first, when Jeff Bagwell doubled in Jimmy Wynn, but a Duke Snider dinger in the 2nd tied the game at 1. Tony Gwynn and Carlos Correa went deep back to back in the 3rd, and George Brett scored Bagwell with a double. When Pete Hill doubled home Brett, Drysedale’s day was done, with Houston now leading 5-1 after 3 innings.

Houston added another, but Clemens was dealing until John Briggs took him deep with a runner on in the 5th, making it 6-3, Houston. Jackie Robinson singled to open up the 6th, prompting Clemens’ removal, much to his dismay. Roy Oswalt entered the game for Houston and promptly got a double play from Ron Cey to lower the threat and an inning-ending groundout from Roy White.

We were 9 outs from a Game 7.

Beals Becker got one back in the 7th with a homerun. 6-4, 6 outs to go for Houston to extend their season.

In the bottom of the 8th, Tug McGraw came on for Houston and gave up an RBI single to Cey and a 2 run homer to Piazza. Brooklyn came all the way back, and now lead 7-6.

Once again they turned to Eric Gagne, looking to close the series. With 2 outs, Goldschmidt took a pitch from Gagne and launched it to deep right … where it was caught at the base of the wall by Becker, sending Brooklyn to the Whirled Series.

As they have all year, Piazza and Robinson were the heart of Brooklyn’s offense, but the real story was on the mound, where Frank Knauss–passed over for postseason starts–gave 3 innings of 1-hit relief, earning the victory.

HOU 6 (McGraw 0-1, 1 B Sv; Oswalt 1 H) @ BRK 7 (Knauss 1-0; Gagne 5 Sv)
HRs: HOU – Gwynn (1), Correa (3); BRK – Snider (3), Briggs (1), Becker (3), Piazza (10).
Box Score

The Stars opted to start Hardie Henderson over Steve Carlton for game 1; for the Colt 45’s there was no question they would turn to Toad Ramsey and his mighty knuckleball.

Sherry Magee continues to be effective as the Stars’ leadoff hitter: here he coaxed a walk from Ramsey, stole 2nd and 3rd, and scored on Jim Fregosi‘s grounder for an early 1-0 lead. It may have been wasted effort, as Aaron Judge hit one into the Crawford Boxes, giving Philadelphia a 2-0 advantage.

It was short-lived: Jim Wynn doubled and scored on a triple from Tony Gwynn. Henderson got 2 outs, but left a sinker up to Paul Goldschmidt, who sent it deep into the seats for a 3-2 edge to Houston after 1 inning.

Ramsey seemed to settle down, but Houston continued its onslaught against Henderson, with George Brett going deep in the 2nd and Goldschmidt, after an error by Scott Rolen put Jeff Bagwell on base, hit his 2nd of the day, making it 6-2.

A single from Pete Hill leading off the 4th chased Henderson, but Robin Roberts escaped the inning without additional damage.

The Stars put runners on 2nd and 3rd (a walk to Chase Utley and a Magee double) with 1 out in the 5th. Ramsey walked in a run, but Philadelphia would be sad not to take greater advantage of the situation. Roberts continued to be effective, and we ended 5 with Houston ahead, 6-3.

Houston got some insurance in the bottom of the 8th as Hill laced a 2 run double, scoring 2 and increasing the score to 8-3.

Philadelphia had their chances, leaving 10 runners on base in the contest, but in the end–in what can only be seen as a good sign for the Colt 45’s–Andrew Chafin, Roberto Osuna, Tug McGraw, and Sparky Lyle combined for 4 scoreless innings in relief of Ramsey.

Goldschmidt was the clear star for Houston, driving in 4, but Carlos Correa and Hill chipped in 2 hits apiece. Magee and Rogan had 2 hits for the Stars.

Houston up, 1-0.

PHI 3 (Henderson 0-1) @ HOU 8 (Ramsey 1-0; Chafin 1 H; Osuna 1 H; McGraw 1 H)
HRs: PHI – Judge (1); Goldschmidt 2 (2), Brett (1).
Box Score

#Game 2, Thu 4 Oct

Philadelphia would turn to Steve Carlton, trying to even out the series against Houston’s Roger Clemens.

Once again Aaron Judge went deep in the opening frame, this time with a solo shot. The Stars scored a second on an RBI single from Rico Carty, meaning, for the 2nd consecutive game, Philadelphia leads 2-0 before Houston comes to bat.

The script diverged there, however briefly: the Colt 45’s cut the deficit in half on a solo shot from Jeff Bagwell in the 2nd. In the 3rd, a leadoff walk to Craig Biggio was followed by a double in the right field corner by Jim Wynn. Tony Gwynn launched a ball to left, forcing a nice diving catch from Sherry Magee, but it was more than enough for Biggio to trot home. But the Colt 45’s weren’t done: Carlos Correa hit an RBI single and then Bagwell launched his 2nd of the game, giving Houston a 5-2 lead.

Carlton lasted 5, Clemens 6, with neither pitching particularly well, turning the game over to the shakiest parts of each bullpen.

Houston seemed to blink first, as John Franco gave up singles to Ted Kluszewski and Bill Dickey to start the 7th. But a pop to short center and a good throw by Jorge Posada to nail Dickey’s attempt to steal second seemed to offer an avenue out. But Franco allowed singles to Magee and Chase Utley, narrowing the lead to 5-4 and fetching Jim Kern from Houston’s bullpen. Kern induced a flyout from Charles Rogan, maintaining the single run advantage for the Colt 45’s.

And this is what Houston had envisioned: Tug McGraw shut it down before yielding to Sparky Lyle to close it out, giving the Colt 45’s a 2-0 edge in the series.

Bagwell’s 2 homeruns were key, of course, but so were Posada’s erasing 2 runners attempting to steal.

It was another game of missed opportunities for Philadelphia, who outhit Houston 11-5 in the contest. 3 of those came from Judge, who is 4-for-8 across the 2 games. The Stars’ bullpen did well, with Brad Kilby, Fred Cambria, and Ted Kennedy combining for 3 frames without giving up a hit.

PHI 4 (Carlton 0-1) @ HOU 5 (Clemens 1-0; Lyle 1 Sv; McGraw 2 H; Kern 1 H; Franco 1 H)
HRs: PHI – Judge (2); Bagwell 2 (2).
Box Score

#Game 3, Sat Oct 6

We head to Philadelphia with something of a must-win game for the Stars, who will turn to the magnificent Charles Rogan, while Houston will counter with Ice Box Chamberlain.

Rogan balked in a run in the top of the first, but escaped a flurry of baserunners without further damage.

Aaron Judge did not hit a homerun in the opening frame, but he did drive in a run with a single, and later scored on a 3-run opposite drive by Jim Fregosi, putting the Stars up 4-1 after 1.

Then both hurlers settled down, and the score was unchanged through 5 innings. Jeff Bagwell took Rogan deep in the 6th, and when that was followed by a walk to Paul Goldschmidt, JM Ward was summoned from the Philadelphia bullpen. Ward retired Pete Hill, and the Stars still led, 4-2.

Judge was not to be denied, hitting one out of the park after Rogan was hit by a pitch. Fregosi followed with his 2nd of the day, chasing Chamberlain who gave up only 4 hits, but 8 runs.

Judge would add another, and Bill Dickey would go deep as well in what turned out to be a bit of walkover, 10-2 in favor of the Stars. Judge drove in 4 and Fregosi 5 on the day as Philadelphia corrected their errors of the first 2 games scoring 10 runs on 6 hits and leaving only a single runner on base.

HOU 2 (Chamberlain 0-1) @ PHI 10 (Rogan 1-0; Ward 1 H)
HRs: HOU – Bagwell (3); PHI – Fregosi 2 (2), Judge 2 (4), Dickey (1).
Box Score

#Game 4, Sun Oct 7

Game 4 presents challenges for each team’s pitching staffs.

For Houston, Stephen Strasburg‘s solid performances down the stretch earned him the start, while Philadelphia will counter with their ace, Hardie Henderson, fully rested after a very short appearance in game 1.

Henderson started well, but walked 3 batters to start the top of the 2nd. George Brett doubled home 2 runs and another scored on a groundout from Jim O’Rourke. Pete Hill tripled home another run and scored on a sacrifice fly from Paul Goldschmidt, making it 5-0.

Chase Utley took Strasburg deep with Willie Davis on 2nd in the 3rd, closing the gap to 5-2.

A leadoff single from Craig Biggio chased Henderson, bringing in Robin Roberts. Bill Dickey whipped Roberts first strike to first, catching Biggio leaning the wrong way–something that may matter, as Jim Wynn followed with a homerun. Houston now led, 6-2–we’ll see if that extra run comes back to haunt them.

Scott Rolen went deep in the bottom of the 4th. 6-3. Doubles from Dickey and Sherry Magee plated another run in the 5th. 6-4.

But Tony Gwynn singled in 2 runs in the 6th to restore the cushion, making it 8-4, Houston.

A 1 out walk to Rolen in the 6th chased Strasburg after a decent enough effort, but Andrew Chafin was able to escape unscathed. The 7th did not go as well for Chafin, who gave up opening singles to Davis and Utley. In came Jim Kern, who induced a double play from Magee and a sharp grounder to short from Charles Rogan, preserving the lead.

But in the 8th, Jim Fregosi came through with a 2-run shot, cutting the lead in half, 8-6.

Philadelphia’s bullpen sort of imploded in the 9th: Bagwell doubled and scored on a single by Hill, who scored on a double by Goldschmidt. Wynn then drew a bases loaded walk, and Gwynn singled in 2 more runs. The 5 run explosion made it 13-6, Houston.

Philadelphia had some baserunners, but it came to naught, and Houston took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Brett and Gwynn had 3 hits each with Gwynn, now hitting .353 in the series, driving in 4 runs on the day.

The bottom of the Stars’ order came to play, with Dickey, Davis, and Utley each having 2 hits.

HOU 13 (Strasburg 1-0, Kern 2 H, McGraw 3 H) @ PHI 6 (Henderson 0-2)
HRs: HOU – Wynn (1); PHI – Utley (1), Rolen (1), Fregosi (3).
Box Score

#Game 5, Mon Oct 8

Perhaps surprisingly, the first team with a chance to clinch their spot in the Division Series is the Houston Colt 45’s. The stellar Toad Ramsey gets the ball for Houston, while the Stars will turn to Ray Collins.

Jeff Bagwell singled in a run in the top of the first, and then Paul Goldschmidt launched a ball deep into the OF. An odd bounce and a poor throw later, and Goldschmidt had an inside-the-park homerun and Houston had a 3-0 edge.

Ramsey started a bit rough giving up singles to Sherry Magee, Aaron Judge, and Scott Rolen to score 1 and a 2-out double to Charles Rogan, resetting the game in a tie. Houston nudged ahead again when George Brett, who had tripled, scored on an RBI groundout from Jorge Posada.

And then both pitchers remembered how to pitch: the score remained 4-3, Houston, through 6 innings, which marked the end of Collins’ day.

Bagwell greeted Brad Kilby with a solo shot in the top of the 8th, extending the lead to 5-3. Houston brought in Jim Kern for the 8th, and he struck out 2, preserving the 2 run advantage, and then they padded it, scoring 3 in the top of the 9th (2 on Carlos Correa‘s first homerun of the series).

The Colt 45’s brought in Sparky Lyle with a 5 run edge, leading 8-3. Rico Carty and Rogan whiffed, bringing Philadelphia to their last batter, catcher Bill Dickey … a hard groundball, fielded by Correa, rifled to first. And Houston is through to the Division Series!

Bagwell, Gwynn, Brett, and Posada each had 2 hits for the Colt 45’s.

HOU 8 (Ramsey 2-0) @ PHI 3 (Collins 0-1)
HRs: HOU – Goldschmidt (3), Bagwell (4), Correa (1); PHI – none.
Box Score

Bagwell, who hit .300 with 4 homeruns, was named Series MVP, but Goldschmidt and Gwynn deserved consideration as well. And, perhaps most importantly for Houston, Tug McGraw, Sparky Lyle, Jim Kern, and Andrew Chafin combined for over 10 innings of scoreless work out of the bullpen.

Aaron Judge (.421 with 4 homeruns and 6 RBIs) also deserved at least cursory MVP consideration.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Sailing under the radar for most of the season, Brooklyn still managed 99 victories, led by a ridiculously strong pitching staff.

The Royal Giants are one of the a very few teams with a legitimate top 4, and it’s unclear if Don Drysedale‘s 2nd half resurgence earns him a start in the opening game, given that Orel Hershiser (19-5, 3.69), Smokey Joe Williams (12-13, 3.93), and Fernando Valenzuela (14-5, 3.69) each had better seasons than Drysedale’s 11-8, 5.66 record.

The bullpen sports 2 of the dominant relievers of the league, with closer Eric Gagne and setup man Trevor Hildenberger, and Burleigh Grimes and Sandy Koufax provide excellent middle inning help when needed.

The offense is a notch below the pitching: Ron Cey and Mike Piazza are stars, and Dan Brouthers, John Briggs, Jackie Robinson, Beals Becker, and Duke Snider are all quite good. Vern Stephens and Dickie Thon seem to be sufficient at SS, and the versatility of Ray Dandridge helps around the IF, despite his lackluster offense.

George Hendrick has been lights out since being brought over in a trade, and makes the playoff roster ahead of swing starter Jim Bunning.

#Philadelphia Stars

Quite a turnaround for Philly, who were horrible last year, mediocre much of this year, and then turned it on the final few months to finish in 2nd place in the Effa Manley Division.

It’s an odd team in many ways. Clearly, Charles Rogan and his unique combination of a 308/362/620 slash line and legitimate #2 starter mound performances count for a lot, as does Aaron Judge breaking out with an OPS over 1.000, 63 homers, 133 RBI’s, and 108 runs scored. Scott Rolen is excellent at 3B, and Rico Carty held off the demons of age for another productive season.

And then the question marks start … Bill Dickey seems to be the answer behind the plate, but is untested, Sherry Magee could be useful, and the newly acquired Jim Fregosi might finally provide some stability at SS. Seems, could be, might …

The rotation is … odd. Hardie Henderson (18-12, 3.78) is probably the #1, but Steve Carlton‘s stuff is electric, despite a 12-13 record and a 5.05 ERA. Then, Rogan. Behind those, JM Ward has been far, far, far better than his 6-10 record would indicate and lefty Ray Collins is dependable.

Bob Howry, Ted Kennedy, Fred Cambria, and Pedro Feliciano form a solid, no-name bullpen (with trade acquisition Mark Melancon‘s selection to the postseason roster in doubt).

In the end, Melancon made it, as did the disappointing Harry Hooper, but that was more a function of a lack of relevant alternatives than anything else.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Most saw this Houston team as being a year or 2 away, but they kept winning through the Summer, and ended up topping the Marvin Miller Division by a comfortable margin.

The pitching staff is not structured as it was to start the season, as both Stephen Strasburg and Roy Oswalt have struggled mightily all season. Still, it’s a strong opening trio, led by the dominant Toad Ramsey (16-10, 3.23) and Roger Clemens (17-10, 3.71) and the now-healthy Ice Box Chamberlain (4-4, 3.56).

The bullpen has been poor all season, with Sparky Lyle (brought over to be the closer) struggling and Tug McGraw having his issues as well. Jim Kern has been a surprising bright spot, and Andrew Chafin and Roberto Osuna have been solid enough.

The offense is an intriguing mix. Carlos Correa, Jeff Bagwell, and Tony Gwynn are a solid core and Paul Goldschmidt has forced his way into the conversation in about 1/3 of a season’s work. Gentleman Jim O’Rourke has bounced back from a poor first season, and the rest of the pieces–mostly Jim Wynn and teenage phenom Pete Hill–are solid enough.

The worst news for Houston is that C Will Smith, who has absolutely destroyed WBL pitching since his recall, is not eligible for the postseason, putting the onus behind the plate on Jorge Posada, who has struggled. Given the presence of Gorman Thomas–who has also been on fire in limited action–we may see O’Rourke catching more than anticipated.

Thomas’ performance forced Casey Stengel off the playoff roster, as, especially with Dock Ellis injured for a few days, both Strasbourg and Oswalt made it.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

It came down to a playoff, but baseball fans are happy to see the ABC’s make the playoffs, as it extends the season for the best pitcher in baseball, Luis Padrón, and the emerging superstar Oscar Charleston.

The postseason likely brings an end to Indianapolis’ 6 man rotation, as the team will try to maximize the starts for Padrón (23-3, 3.22) and Johnny Cueto (12-14, 4.62). Eppa Rixey, Guy White, and Joe Lake are the most likely candidates behind those 2.

The back end of the bullpen was supposed to be a strength, but both Rob Dibble and Rob Murphy have struggle of late, leaving Jack Billingham and the surprising Mike LaCoss as the strongest performers at the moment.

Offensively, this is Charleston’s team, with the young CF slashing 337/381/619 with 38 homers, 130 RBIs, and 101 runs scored. Joey Votto and George Foster have been excellent and while Johnny Bench fell short of last year’s heights, 46 homers and 116 RBIs from behind the plate is nothing to sneeze at.

Chris Sabo has mostly displaced Ed Charles at 3B, but the biggest issue is the absence of Joe Morgan, who will miss the postseason through injury. Morgan was among the best in the game, and without him, the middle infield becomes pretty mediocre, relying on Tommy Helms and Barry Larkin.

#Predictions

Brooklyn is just that much better than Indianapolis across the board, so I think the Royal Giants take that one, 4-2.

The Houston/Philadelphia series is even harder to predict, and I think it is either very close, going the full 7 games, or Houston’s offense clicks on all cylinders and the Colt 45’s win in 5. Let’s say the former, with Houston edging it in a final contest.

Pennant race intrigue galore as we enter the final month of the season!

#Awards

#August Awards

Brooklyn‘s emerging stud Fernando Valenzuela went 5- 1 in August, earning the NL Rookie of the Month for August; in the AL, San Francsico‘s rookie superstar Turkey Stearnes hit .389 with 10 homers and 24 RBI’s during the month, taking home the AL Award.

Valenzuela was eclipsed by Indianapolis‘ Luis Padrón for the overall monthly award. Padrón went 5-0 in the month with a 3.09 ERA as he solidified his status as the best hurler in the WBL this season, winning the NL Pitcher of the Month for August. The AL Pitcher of the Month went to Andy Pettitte of the New York Black Yankees, who rode a 5-1 record to the Award.

Ernie Banks of the House of David had a torrid August, slugging 14–FOURTEEN–homeruns and hitting .370 as he was named the Batter of the Month in the AL. Over in the NL, the Batter of the Month Award went to Detroit‘s Ty Cobb, who hit .452 in August, reclaiming a shot at a .400 average for the season.

#Weekly Awards

Stearnes hit .435 with 4 homers over the final week of August, earning the rookie CF the AL Player of the Week while Brooklyn’s 3B Ron Cey hit .455 with 5 homers, earning him the NL Player of the Week Award.

#Team Performance

Here is where we are.

In the American League, The San Francisco Sea Lions are going to win the Cum Posey Division, and either the Cleveland Spiders or New York Black Yankees are going to win the Bill James Division (right now, the Spiders hold a 1.5 game edge). Whoever loses the Bill James will take one Wild Card spot, and either Detroit (8 gams back in the Bill James) or Miami (1.5 games behind Detroit) will take the other.

Over in the National League, it’s a lot more complicated. Brooklyn is running away with the Effa Manley Division, and right now Philadelphia–13 games behind the Royal Giants–is leading the Wild Card chase. The Marvin Miller Division is still tightly packed, with the Houston Colt 45’s holding a 2 game edge over Kansas City. However, 7 teams are within 5 games of the final Wild Card slot, so essentially, other than the Effa Manley crown, everything is left to play for in the NL.

#Player Performance

#Batters

This week, we have the story of 2 slumps. Josh Gibson has dipped below .400 for the first time in months and Babe Ruth has gone 10 games without a homerun (and only has 2 in his last 17 games). While Gibson has retained the BA lead, Ruth has surrendered the HR edge and is in fact closer, with 57, to Ernie Banks in 3rd place with 54 than José Canseco in 1st with 62.

Top 2 in most categories.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 283/347/657. 126 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 261/367/749. 62 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 338/382/619. 174 H.
Ty Cobb (DET). 388/443/846. 189 H, 58 2B, 15 3B, 130 R, 8.6 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 396/497/775. 9.1 WAR.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 251/382/439. 93 BB, 103 SB.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 363/415/623. 64 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 266/400/689. 57 HR, 134 RBI, 121 R, 101 BB.

#Pitchers

#Starters

All 5 players with at least 16 wins are listed, as well as the top 2 in other categories.

A. Rube Foster (KCM). 10-6, 3.09. .205 BABIP, 0.98 WHIP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-7, 4.40. 222 K.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 16-5, 4.06.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 17-5, 3.94.
Luis Padrón (IND). 19-3, 3.49. 5.9 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 16-7, 4.68.
Andy Pettitte (NYY). 16-8, 4.28.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 15-9, 3.25. 240 K, 0.98 WHIP, 3.34 FIP, 7.1 WAR.
Fernando Valenzuela (BRK). 12-5, 3.56. 1 Sv, 4 H, .218 BABIP.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 11-11, 3.93. 3.70 FIP.

#Relievers

Top 2 in most stats, top 3 in saves and holds.

28 Min IP.

Rod Beck (SFS). 4-4, 5.22. 33 Sv, 1 H.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-3, 5.34. 15 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-3, 2.68. 31 Sv.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-1, 1.99. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Bob Howry (PHI). 4-1, 3.27. 21 Sv. 0.85 WHIP.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-7, 5.05. 1 Sv, 20 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 7-4, 3.62. 32 Sv.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 2-3, 4.80. 1 Sv, 16 H.
Lee Smith (KCM). 4-2, 2.81. 6 Sv, 12 H. 0.77 WHIP.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 2-2, 2.51. 17 Sv.

#Streaks

Been a while since I checked in on these … and there is very little going on in terms of active streaks. George Gore of the House of David has reached base in his last 8 consecutive at bats, but that’s about it.

Houston’s Carlos Correa had a 29 game hitting streak earlier this season, and San Francisco’s Lefty Grove went 34 innings without allowing a run.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Houston is just an odd team right now. Solid starting pitching, good speed, a strong ability to get on base … but very little power, a horrendous bullpen, and some very unsettled positions, at least at present.

THE OFFENSE

The most important thing is how young this team is. Only Jorge Posada (36) and Jim O’Rourke (29) are on the far side of the magic age of 27, and and George Brett and Jim Wynn (23), Carlos Correa (22), and Pete Hill (19) are well under it.

#What’s Going Right

Jeff Bagwell, Carlos Correa, and Tony Gwynn all have OPS over .900, although Gwynn’s has fallen since an earlier flirtation with a .400 BA. Bagwell looks to be on the very edge of stardom, but it is Correa, who is slashing 326/404/553, who may be the biggest surprise.

Jim Wynn has 27 HRs, second on the team to Bagwell’s 28.

Jim O’Rourke has bounced back from a disappointing first season, slashing 258/362/500 in a super-utility role.

Mention must be made of Paul Goldschmidt, who has 8 homers in under 100 PAs, making the most of his limited chances.

#What’s Not Going Right

Jorge Posada struggles offensively, with an OPS under .750. Not horrific for a backstop, but not good.

Pete Hill continue to show power, but his .765 OPS won’t cut it in a WBL OF. BUT, Hill is 19, so you could also see this as part of what’s going right.

George Brett and Craig Biggio both continue to show flashes of great talent, along with long periods of low production. But with the departure of HR Johnson, the team seems committed to each of them for the future.

Andrés Galarraga bounced down from an excellent first season, earning himself a trip to AAA.

THE PITCHING

A real challenge: there are some truly top end performances here in Ramsey and Clemens, and then a lot of potential. And lets not even discuss the bullpen.

Some of the same comments as with the position players: Oswalt is the aged veteran of the crew at 27, so this is a very young staff (and that doesn’t even account for teenage phenom Leon Day at AAA).

#What’s Going Right

Toad Ramsey is putting together one of the best seasons in WBL history, sitting at 13-9 with a a3.19 ERA and 217 strikeouts. The knuckleballer has been absolutely dominant, with a 6.6 WAR on the mound so far.

Roger Clemens has been excellent, matching Ramsey in wins with a very impressive 3.60 ERA of his own.

Andrew Chafin has been excellent in the bullpen, as have (in very limited action so far) Jim Kern and Roberto Osuna (Kern is a special surprise, after being torched last season).

Ice Box Chamberlain seems to have recovered from injury, posting a 3.41 ERA over his 7 starts.

#What’s Not Going Right

Roy Oswalt and Stephen Strasbourg are just frustrating, mixing good outings with horrible one, with both of them posting ERA’s over 6.00.

The bullpen has been quite poor, especially since Tug McGraw–fairly effective as a closer–hit the DL.

John Franco and Chafin are the only arms left from the start of the year, with Brad Lidge, Kent Tekulve, and Billy Wagner all having moved back to AAA (and, in Tekulve’s case, out of the system entirely).

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

This is a strong system, at least on the field. In the OF, César Cedeño (who was OK in the WBL earlier in the season), Kirby Puckett (who wasn’t), Shin-Soo Choo, and Von Joshua all have some promise.

3B Edgar Martínez may be the best bat in the system, and SS Travis Jackson clearly has WBL talent. Add to that C Will Smith–who may replace Posada as soon as next season–and you have a decent amount of talent.

On the mound, it’s a little more spare, but Vida Blue and Leon Day are still teenagers as is Ice Box Chamberlain. Additionally, at least a couple from the group of Bret Saberhagen, Bill Harper, Carlos Rodón (part of the HR Johnson trade), and Rick Wise should emerge as WBL rotation starters.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The Colt 45’s just need to continue to develop, especially on the mound.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

• Can the bullpen perform? Some indications (McGraw, Chad Qualls, and Andrew Chafin‘s performance last year in small samples) are positive; others not so much (the size of those samples, Kent Tekulve‘s challenges). In a word, no. Although, McGraw should be back soon, and he, Chafin, and the newly-acquired Sparky Lyle do give Houston as good a trio of lefties as you can want.
• Who emerges at C? Evidently, nobody. Currently, it rotates between Posada, Craig Biggio, and O’Rourke, but the latter two are really not catchers. Look for Will Smith here next season.

FEATURED SERIES

Houston heads to Homestead to start the week for a four game series.

Projected Starters

Houston’s starter listed first.

Ice Box Chamberlain (2-3, 3.41) @ David Price (3-6, 5.33)
Toad Ramsey (13-9, 3.19) @ Doug Drabek (4-5, 5.04)
Roger Clemens (13-8, 3.60) @ Billy Pierce (9-7, 5.07)
Roy Oswalt (6-8, 6.44) @ Juan Marichal (8-11, 6.10)

I mean, a sweep is not out of the question. But both of these teams are just so inconsistent, I would say a series split is the most likely outcome.

Game One

David Price‘s debut start for Homestead gets to wait a little while, as Doug Drabek gets the nod for the Grays against Ice Box Chamberlain.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in a run with a single in the top of the first but Willie Stargell tied it up in the bottom of the frame. Chamberlain struggled with his command, surrendering a solo shot to Rick Reichardt, then hitting both Owen Wilson and Honus Wagner. But he settled down and got out of the inning without further damage.

The bottom of the 5th saw Josh Gibson–already with 2 doubles on the day–go deep for his 35th homerun, extending the lead to 5-1.

The Colt 45’s closed to 5-3 in the 6th, chasing Drabek from the mound with 2 outs on an RBI groundout from Carlos Correa and a seeing eye single through the left side from Goldschmidt.

Tony Gwynn brought the Colt 45’s within 1, and then, in the top of the 9th and facing the newly-aquired Robb Nen, Jim Wynn launched one out of the park to tie the game. Then Gorman Thomas hit his 4th homerun in 15 at-bats and, out of nowhere, Houston had a 7-5 lead. Nen couldn’t make it out of the inning, and when the smoke cleared, the Colt 45’s had a 4 run lead, 9-5.

Craig Biggio, Gwynn, and Goldschmidt each had 3 hits for Houston while Gibson had 4 hits and 3 RBI’s for the Grays in a losing effort.

HOU 9 (Osuna 2-1) @ HOM 5 (Nen 1-1, 1 BSv; Price 1 H; Friend 1 H)
HRs: HOU – Wynn (28), Thomas (4); HOM – Reichardt (34), Gibson (35).
Box Score

Game Two

Game two will see the stellar Toad Ramsey face off against Homestead’s Billy Pierce.

After a Tony Gwynn double, Jeff Bagwell drove in his 90th run of the year with a single in the top of the first. Jim Wynn followed with his 29th homer of the year, and the Colt 45’s staked Ramsey to a 3-0 lead.

But this Grays team is hard to put away: Rick Reichardt hit a 2 run shot, making it a 1 run game.

Houston seemed to have Pierce’s number, though: Pete Hill and Jorge Posada hit back to back homers in the 2nd, and Jim O’Rourke singled in another run in the 4th, extending the lead to 6-2.

Back to back doubles from Andrew McCutcheon and Judy Johnson made it 6-3, but that was really it. Houston scored some more, notably on Posada’s second drive of the game, but the outcome had already been secured for Houston.

HOU 10 (Ramsey 14-9) @ HOM 3 (Pierce 9-8)
HRs: HOU – Wynn (29), Posada 2 (11), Hill (8); HOM – Reichardt (35).
Box Score

Game Three

Bartolo Colón will take the ball for the Grays in game 3, opposed by Houston’s Roger Clemens as the Colt 45’s look to take the first 3 of the series.

Josh Gibson took Clemens deep in the bottom of the 1st, and Roberto Clemente did the same in the 2nd for an early Grays lead. Meanwhile, Colón was dealing, allowing no runs and 3 hits over 5 innings.

Clemens had to exit with back pain after 5, relieved by Dock Ellis.

Homestead added 2 more on an Andy Van Slyke bomb in the 8th, but the story was Colón, who took the mound in the 9th with a 3 hit shutout. He walked Craig Biggio with 2 outs, but got Tony Gwynn to fly out to LF to preserve the shutout and, more importantly, the victory.

With the shutout, Colón lowered his ERA on the year to 0.45 over 20 innings.

HOU 0 (Oswalt 6-8; Blue 1 H; Kern 1 H) @ HOM 4 (Williams 10-11)
HRs: HOU – none; HOM – Gibson (36), Clemente (21), Van Slyke (24).
Box Score

It was good news for Houston after the game, as Clemens is expected to make his next start.

Game Four

Roy Oswalt will try to get the Colt 45’s the series win, but Cliff Lee, making his first start since his injury, will try to even it up for Homestead. Both teams have minor league franchises deep in the thick of it and hence have not yet benefitted from the full roster expansion.

Oswalt has struggled all year, laboring to a 6-8 record and an ERA in the mid 6.00’s.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in a run in the top of the first, but the score was evened at 1 when Judy Johnson scored on a passed ball. The Grays surged ahead, 4-1, on a 2 run shot from Goose Goslin and a solo homer from Andrew McCutcheon in the 2nd.

A bad throw from McCutcheon allowed a run to score for Houston in the 5th, halving the lead to 4-2, Homestead.

Oswalt couldn’t make it out of the 5th, as a walk to Willie Stargell and a single by Mike Epstein prompted Houston to turn to young Vida Blue out of the pen.

Goldschmidt chased Lee with a game-tying shot into the right field stands in the 6th, and his relief, Bob Friend, allowed a deep shot to George Brett, giving the 1 run lead back to Houston at 5-4. Johnson went yard in the 6th, and we were all tied once more, 5-5.

McCutcheon’s second error of the day allowed Ice Box Chamberlain (on as a pinch runner) to score the go-ahead run in the 7th as Casey Stengel celebrated his return from a rehab assignment with a slow bouncer up the middle that the Grays’ CF let go under his glove.

Jim Wynn added a homerun, and–perhaps more importantly–Tug McGraw and Sparky Lyle closed the game out, offering hope for some stability at the back end of the Colt 45’s bullpen.

HOU 7 (Blue 1-0; Lyle 1 Sv; McGraw 1 H; Osuna 4 H) @ HOM 5 (Friend 5-10)
HRs: HOU – Goldschmidt (9), Brett (14), Wynn (30); HOM – Goslin (7), McCutcheon (19), Johnson (6).
Box Score

Houston took the series, putting themselves in prime position to overtake Kansas City for the Division lead. It was a strong performance: power, starting pitching, and most importantly, a bullpen that may be finally coming together at the most important time of the year.

If you compare this with the prior post discussing the AL, the gap in offensive talent and pitching depth becomes apparent.

#C

The only question here is whether the NL dips below the big 3. 21 Year old Josh Gibson will start, of course, with Gary Carter and Mike Piazza in reserve.

#1B

The NL has a totally different challenge to the AL: here, it is whether any of the natural 1B really deserve to make the team. Will Clark will start, with Mike Epstein on the bench. Joe Harris split his time between 1B and the OF, and may be selected in that role.

#2B

Roberto Alomar and Ryne Sandberg are locks, with Alomar getting the nod as the starter. Beyond them, it gets interesting: Joe Morgan has been phenomenal, but missed a significant chunk of time while Jackie Robinson may deserve a spot, but has split his time between 2B and 1B. While Robinson is invaluable to Brooklyn, his offensive production is excellent for a 2B, but only solid for a 1B.

#SS

While some may suggest that Kansas City’s Ozzie Smith deserves to be listed here due to his defensive prowess (he leads all SS in Fldg, RF, and ZR), it’s a bit too much to imagine a sub-.700 OPS warranting an all star spot. Ernie Banks and Carlos Correa are in, with Álex Rodríguez on the bubble for a while.

#3B

Albert Pujols is named the starter here (although he may end up shifting over to 1B in the game itself), with Ron Cey behind him. Eddie Mathews‘ best hope of making the cut is if he ends up being the leading candidate for Birmingham, but my guess is they find representation on the pitching staff first.

#LF/RF

As with the AL, we’ll treat the corner OF’s together.

Certainly Larry Walker, Rick Reichardt, and Tony Gwynn make it, with Gwynn and Walker earning the starting nods. It seems like Aaron Judge and Stan Musial should make the cut as well, and Rogan gets a roster spot for his combined effort on the mound and at the plate.

#CF

Rick Monday can’t be a serious candidate, given his playing time, but wow are those numbers eye-popping.

Oscar Charleston gets the start at age 20, with Willie Mays also being named to the team. Carlos Beltrán is listed partially to show the gap between Mays and the next group of CFers. Rogan could also have been listed here.

#DH

Willie Stargell will start, but it’s not clear any of the rest of these make it: Mathews is a better selection for Birmingham if one is needed, and Benny Kauff and Duke Snider–while doing well–just aren’t quite all star material this year.

#SP

Now things get a lot tighter in the NL. Here is everyone with a sub 4.00 ERA and/or 10 or more wins, plus a few others.

Toad Ramsey is the starter, with Luis Padrón and A. Rube Foster close behind. Hardie Henderson seems to be another required choice, with his ERA barely eclipsing 3.00.

After that choices, have to be made: Jim Whitney has been brilliant, but just barely qualifies for the ERA title. Fernando Valenzuela has been even better, but was used out of the bullpen for most of the season. And how do you ignore a starting pitcher with a 10-1 record? I don’t think you can, so we’ll add Valenzuela and Castillo, snubbing Brooklyn’s very strong duo of Orel Hershiser and Smokey Joe Williams.

#RP

More hard choices. Harley Young and Craig Kimbrel have been essentially unhittable and Eric Gagne and Josh Lindblom have been the most effective closers. So those 4 for sure. Robb Nen has done everything the Gothams have asked, covering as closer while Brian Wilson was injured, and continuing to dominate after Wilson’s return (Wilson only misses the team through a lack of IP after his injury).

The real omission here seems to be Lee Smith, who has stepped into the closers role for the House of David with aplomb, reflected in his overall statistical performance.

#NL All Stars

It came down to Scott Rolen, Buster Posey, Smokey Joe Williams, and Jim Whitney for the NL’s final spot. We decided to honor their dominant pitching as a league, removing Rolen and Posey from consideration.

Williams has only pitched roughly a dozen innings more than Whitney, who has better numbers across the board. That leaves Smokey Joe on the outside looking in this year.

As with the AL, here are the highest ranked performers in various categories who missed the cut.

Hank Aaron (BBB). #4 in H (96); #6 in HR (29); #16 in SLG (.588).
Joe Harris (HOD). #13 in BA (.295); #3 in OBP (.410); #18 in OPS (.956).
Jeff Bagwell (HOU). #4 in RBI (71).
Buster Posey (NYG). #13 in WAR (2.2).
Nap Lajoie (HOM). #3 in 2B (28).
Pete Hill (HOU). #1 in 3B (10).
Tim Raines (OTT). #1 in SB (59).

Orel Hershiser (BRK). #3 in W (11).
Christy Mathewson (NYG). #2 in IP (128); #2 in K (124).
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). #3 in WAR (3.4); #4 in FIP (3.73).
Roger Clemens (HOU). #5 in ERA (3.64).
J.M. Ward (PHI). #4 in WHIP (1.02).
Rob Dibble (IND) and Jeff Pfeffer (KCM) are tied for #3 in Saves with 16, but neither have an ERA under 5.00.

The offensive players look fine. Mathewson and especially Smokey Joe have a right to feel aggrieved about this one.

Starters in bold.

C: Gary Carter (OTT), Josh Gibson (HOM); Mike Piazza (BRK).
1B: Will Clark (NYG), Mike Epstein (HOM).
2B: Roberto Alomar (OTT), Ryne Sandberg (HOD).
SS: Ernie Banks (HOD), Carlos Correa (HOU).
3B: Ron Cey (BRK), Albert Pujols (KCM).
LF: Tony Gwynn (HOU); Rick Reichardt (HOM).
CF: Oscar Charleston (IND), Joe Rogan (PHI), Willie Mays (NYG).
RF: Aaron Judge (PHI), Stan Musial (KCM), Larry Walker (OTT).
DH: Willie Stargell (HOM).
SP: Frank Castillo (KCM), A. Rube Foster (KCM), Hardie Henderson (PHI), Luis Padrón (IND), Toad Ramsey (HOU), Fernando Valenzuela (BRK), Jim Whitney (BBB).
RP: Eric Gagne (BRK), Craig Kimbrel (KCM), Josh Lindblom (HOM), Robb Nen (NYG), Harley Young (BBB).

Selections are more consistently spread across the NL, with Homestead and Kansas City leading the way with 5 players each. All teams saw at least 2 players selected for the midsummer classic.

Brooklyn, with the best record in the league, may feel a bit hard done by, as both Smokey Joe Williams and Jackie Robinson are left off the squad. Indianapolis has a similar argument, with only 2 representatives despite being only a game out of 1st with a record over .500, but the omission of Joe Morgan due to playing time is more understandable.

Here they are by team

Homestead Grays (.535). Mike Epstein (1B), Josh Gibson (C), Josh Lindblom (P), Rick Reichardt (OF), Willie Stargell (DH).
Kansas City Monarchs (.534). Frank Castillo (P), A. Rube Foster (P), Craig Kimbrel (P), Stan Musial (OF), Albert Pujols (3B).
Brooklyn Royal Giants (.575). Ron Cey (3B), Eric Gagne (P), Mike Piazza (C), Fernando Valenzuela (P).
New York Gothams (.494). Will Clark (1B), Willie Mays (OF), Robb Nen (P).
Houston Colt 45’s (.494). Carlos Correa (SS), Tony Gwynn (OF), Toad Ramsey (P).
Philadelphia Stars (.483). Hardie Henderson (P), Aaron Judge (OF), Joe Rogan (U/P).
Ottawa Mounties (.460). Roberto Alomar (2B), Álex Rodríguez (SS), Larry Walker (OF).
Indianapolis ABC’s (.523). Oscar Charleston (OF), Luis Padrón (P).
Wandering House of David (.471). Ernie Banks (SS), Lee Smith (P).
Birmingham Black Barons (.432). Harley Young (P), Jim Whitney (P).

The NL sees only 4 repeat all-stars: Mike Epstein, Josh Gibson, Willie Mays, and Stan Musial

We’ll preview the All Star selections, so this will be a bit of a longer entry.

#Awards

Lots of awards, as we moved into a new month!

First, the smaller ones. Houston‘s Jeff Bagwell was the National League Player of the Week, hitting .409 with 5 homeruns while Eric Davis of the juggernaut New York Black Yankees was the American League Player of the Week, hitting .481 with 5 homers in the same span.

In the monthly awards, the American League Rookie of the Month for June was San Francisco‘s Turkey Stearnes, who hit .378 with 11 homeruns in the month.

Kansas City‘s A. Rube Foster was both the National League Rookie of the Month and the NL Pitcher of the Month, going 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA, as the young hurler announced himself as, at least so far, a premier WBL starter. The American League Pitcher of the Month was Bump Hadley, Stearnes’ teammate in San Francisco. Hadley was 5-0 in June with a 2.66 ERA.

Ottawa‘s star backstop, Gary Carter, was the National League Batter of the Month, hitting .397 with 14 homeruns in June while in the American League, unsurprisingly, the award went to the stellar Ty Cobb. The Detroit OF hit .408 with 11 homers in June, which actually brought his overall average down in that span (Cobb is leading the WBL in BA at .418).

#Team Performance

Yawn.

The Black Yankees and the Sea Lions continue to be the 2 best teams in the league, leading their divisions by 5 and 11 games respectively.

The Effa Manley Division might offer some excitement in the second half, as Brooklyn still leads Homestead by 4 and the New York Gothams by 5.5. But the only true race is in the Marvin Miller Division, where Kansas City has overtaken Indianapolis, now leading the ABC’s by 2.5 games.

The Houston Colt 45’s are 8-2 over their last 10 games, but still sit 5 games under .500. Detroit and Philadelphia are moving in the other direction, with each team managing only 2 wins in their last 10 contests.

Birmingham still has the worst record in the league, but they have moved over .400, sitting at .410 (34-49).

#Player Performance

Batters

It’s still Ty Cobb’s world, although Babe Ruth is doing Babe Ruth things, and reached the 40 homerun plateau during the last week.

José Canseco (MCG). 254/375/734. 36 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 336/386/642. 103 H, 9 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 416/464/885. 116 H, 37 2B, 8 3B, 5.8 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 392/481/748. 5.1 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 389/425/601. 116 H.
Pete Hill (HOU). 291/371/487. 10 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 356/398/588. 103 H, 39 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 329/392/573. 37 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 292/426/775. 40 HR, 90 RBI, 82 R, 68 BB, 5.0 WAR.
Larry Walker (OTT). 293/369/721. 36 HR, 85 RBI.

Rickey Henderson (San Francisco) and Tim Raines (Ottawa) continue to be 1-2 in the league in steals, but it’s getting closer, with Henderson’s edge now 60 to 53.

Pitchers

Starters

While his performance has been somewhat below par, the New York Gothams’ Christy Mathewson continues to be definition of workhorse, leading the WBL with 20 starts, 2 ahead of a bevy of hurlers with 18.

7 pitchers have reached double-digits in wins, with Luis Padrón (Indianapolis) leading the way at 11-2. All 7 are included below. Houston’s Toad Ramsey was so dominant for so long, he is still the top starter in the league despite a recent dip in form, but I would probably choose Lefty Grove of San Francisco or the emergent A. Rube Foster.

Frank Castillo (KCM). 10-1, 4.22.
A. Rube Foster (KCM). 5-1, 2.30. .203 BABIP, 0.98 WHIP, 3.70 FIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 10-4, 3.71. 126 IP, 132 K, 3.1 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-4, 3.86. 143 K, 3.80 FIP, 3.2 WAR.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 11-4, 4.21, 3.50 FIP, 3.0 WAR.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 10-4, 3.87.
Luis Padrón (IND). 11-2, 4.21. 3.57 FIP, 3.3 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 11-3, 3.54.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 11-4, 2.77. 124 IP, 152 K, 0.89 WHIP, 2.80 FIP, 5.2 WAR.
Ed Walsh (CAG). 6-3, 3.41. 1 Sv, .201 BABIP.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 7-7, 3.41. 3.66 FIP, 3.4 WAR.

Relievers

We’ve listed the top 3 leaders in saves, all 5 of the relievers who have reached double digits in Holds, as well as all 5 with an ERA below 2.00.

18 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 3-2, 3.47. 21 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-2, 6.03. 11 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 1-1, 2.92. 19 Sv.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.72. 1 Sv, 4 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-4, 4.13. 1 Sv, 10 H.
Brad Kilby (PHI). 1-2, 4.39. 2 Sv, 10 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 2-1, 1.14. 2 Sv, 11 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 4-2, 3.45. 20 Sv.
Rob Murphy (IND). 1-3, 3.75. 1 Sv, 11 H.
Robb Nen (NYG). 3-2, 1.95. 9 Sv, 6 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 1-0, 1.64. 3 Sv, 3 H.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 1-2, 4.15. 1 Sv, 10 H.
Harley Young (BBB). 1-0, 1.23. 3 Sv, 5 H.

#Injury Report

Portland lost half of their backstop platoon as AJ Pierzynski will be out for close to a month. News was worse for Ottawa, as SP Bob Moose is out for close to a year.

Houston’s Casey Stengel and Kansas City’s Lou Brock are awaiting diagnosis on their current injuries.

Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace, Detroit’s Billy Hoeft, and the Black Yankees’ Dave Righetti should all begin rehab assignments this week.

#The All Star Candidates

We’ll look at these by position, mixing the two leagues for the time being.

For each position, we’ve included as many players as it takes to have at least 3-4 candidates from each league, highlighting some pretty severe disparities in talent between the AL and the NL.

If players don’t qualify for the batting stats, their playing time is noted, as are some other potentially influencing factors. This indicates a leader at that position among the players listed (but not necessarily overall).

Each league can only select 32 players for the All Star Game itself (usually 20 or 21 position players and 11 or 12 pitchers), so quite a few of the players listed here will be left on the outside looking in.

#C

The NL dominates here, with 3 catchers with an OPS over 1.000. That means some worthy candidates–most notably NYG’s Buster Posey –are likely to miss out.

The other stalwart defensive catchers–Miami‘s Iván Rodríguez and Indianapolis’ Johnny Bench–just haven’t hit enough, although a late surge by Bench has moved him up these lists.

I don’t think there is any question in the NL, where it’s Gibson, Carter, and Piazza. Cochrane and Mauer should be in for the AL, with a question of whether you go with Bailey’s bat in more limited appearances or Blefary. Should the NL decide to carry 4 backstops, the choice between Pagliaroni and Simmons (and, perhaps, Posey) is close.

Gibson and Cochrane should be the starters.

#1B

The AL has a slight edge here, but there’s a lot of talent throughout.

Gehrig and Clark are almost certainly the starters, and the AL will likely take Thomas and Greenberg as well. In the NL, it gets a little trickier, as Powell (along with Greenberg) is one of the better 1B defensively. Epstein’s offense will carry him, but after that my guess is Rizzo gets the selection (but cannot participate via injury), and is replaced by Powell, with Bagwell having a legitimate complaint.

#2B

The NL is ridiculously stacked in terms of offensive-minded 2B.

Joe Morgan is included just for interest–he missed too much time to injury to warrant serious consideration. Detroit’s Charlie Gehringer, on the other hand, probably makes the cut, despite starting the season in the minors.

In the NL, it’s pretty clear: Alomar, Sandberg, and Robinson, with the starter being decided between Sandberg and Alomar over the next week. The AL is trickier, but I think it ends up going according to form: Eddie Collins to start, with Gehringer and Hornsby behind him.

#SS

It’s pretty impressive there are this many shortstops that can hit, and Ernie Banks‘ production is incredible.

Ripken, Jr. is really not a serious contender, but he has been impressive in the 40 G’s he’s played. That gives us Banks, Correa, and Rodríguez in the NL and Vaughan, Yount, and either Fregosi or Lundy in the AL.

Smith is included because of his superlative defense, but doesn’t probably make the cut.

This is an interesting position: Vaughan and Rodríguez changed teams in the off season, and Correa’s performance has been a bit of a shock.

#3B

The top 5 are locks, beyond that, it gets much trickier, especially in the NL.

After Pujols and Cey, it’s hard in the NL. Matthews and Rolen edge ahead of Santo due to defense and Santo’s relative low usage, but picking between the two of them is very challenging, to the point the NL may go with 4 players at the hot corner.

#OF

All of the OF spots are a bit combined in the end, but we’re keeping them separate for the sake of comparison.

#LF

When Detroit’s Ty Cobb plays the OF, he plays here as well, making the AL selections pretty simple.

So, Ruth, Williams, and Robinson are in, and perhaps Henderson’s 60+ SB warrant a spot. In the NL, it’s more challenging. Dunn seems to be a lock, and White is a bit of a sentimental choice. It may be just those 2 from this group.

#CF

Tris Speaker, as despicable of a human being as he is, is the best in the AL right now, especially considering the defensive contribution. Over in the NL, Willie Mays probably edges Oscar Charleston as the starter.

Monday, Davis, and Rodríguez aren’t really in contention, but their performances in limited action have been pretty spectacular.

Speaker, Stearnes, and Trout are pretty much locks in the AL, with Oms being a hard luck case. Beltrán deserves the spot behind Mays and Charleston.

#RF

A deep, deep group, probably 4 deep in each league.

Canseco, Mantle, and the 2 Jacksons seem locks in the AL, with Walker, Gwynn, and Judge in the NL. It’s possible Musial misses the cut, as ridiculous as that sounds.

#DH

The pressure here is immense, given the competition for the other OF spots.

Cobb is, of course, a lock, and it would be hard to keep Daniels off the roster. Beyond that, though, it gets difficult to justify a pure DH, although Braun, Stargell, and Cravath all have decent arguments.

#P

Pitching is, of course, a constant crapshoot, and a lot could change in the outings this week.

All pitchers are sorted by ERA.

#SP

This list has everyone with an ERA under 4.00 or 10 or more wins.

Right now, I would guess the starting matchup is Toad Ramsey for the NL and Eddie Plank for the AL.

Beyond that, in the AL, I see Gooden, Walsh, and Grove as easy picks. Guidry is likely in as well, leaving Anderson and Hadley on the bubble.

The NL is much harder to figure out. Henderson, Hershiser, Padrón, and Castillo feel like they deserve selections, with Williams having a very strong case as well. That would leave some excellent performances–Clemens and Cueto especially–on the outside looking in.

#Swingmen / Long Relivers

These are players who are either swing starters or have seen more innings than the finishers below. As is often the case, there are a few folks here who, for whatever the reason, took a while to be inserted into the rotation.

Foster and Valenzuela seem clear selections, with Brewer and Cormier missing the cut and Whitney being on the bubble.

#Closers & Setups

20 IP Minimum, with a possible exception for Brian Wilson of the New York Gothams.

A difficult set of choices for sure. Of the true closers, Gagne, Lindblom, and Beck seem locks, with Kimbrel, Young, Howell, Nen, McGraw, Gossage, and Smith deserving nods as well.

That would give the NL 7 selections, likely keeping Wilson from making the team. It would also give the AL only 3, opening the door for Adams and even Reynolds or Hampson.

#Birmingham Black Barons

Jim Pagliaroni went deep twice and Birmingham got a good start from Lefty Gomez in a 6-4 win over the Gothams.

Troy Tulowitzki drove in 6 runs in a 9–2 win over the Gothams where Greg Maddux was solid for 7 innings, improving his record to 6-8.

Albert Belle hit 2 homeruns, but Birmingham’s bullpen struggled–again–and the Black Barons dropped to the House of David, 5-4.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Needing a starter, the Colt 45’s sent struggling flamethrower Billy Wagner to AAA, recalling Rick Wise from AA. Wise came through with a solid outing, and Jeff Bagwell went deep twice as Houston walked over Ottawa, 13-3.

Craig Biggio reached double digits in homeruns on the season with 2 deep shots and Houston blew away Indianapolis, 19-1. Carlos Correa drove in 6 and Biggio 5 in the rout, and Pete Hill scored 4 times. Roger Clemens improved to 9-4 with a solid 6 innings.

Stephen Strasbourg finally got his first win of the season, combining with John Franco and Tug McGraw on a 3-hit blanking of Indianapolis. Strasbourg fanned 10 in 7 innings of work and Bagwell hit his 18th homer of the year in the 2-0 victory.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Gorham Leverett was returned to the minors, with the ABC’s preferring a long reliever who can also start if needs be. They promoted Eppa Rixey, who fits the bill.

With Bob Bescher ready for recall from a rehab assignment, Emil Frisk‘s increased comfort at the WBL level was enough for the ABC’s to send Dave Henderson to AAA in an attempt to revive the veteran’s swing.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Albert Pujols hit 2 out, leading the Monarchs to a 4-3 win over Philadelphia.

Ted Simmons did Pujols 1 better, blasting 3 in an 11 inning, 12-6 win over Ottawa. Simmons drove in 6, with the win going to Craig Kimbrel who improved his record to 2-1 and lowered his ERA to a blistering 1.14.

Simmons hit another 2 (giving him 14 on the season) and Kansas City again beat the Mounties, this time 6-4.

#Wandering House of David

George Gore hit 2 out and the House of David came from behind to beat Indianapolis, 5-4.

Ryne Sandberg went deep twice, reaching 28 on the year, and carried the House of David to a 2-1 win over Birmingham. Kyle Peterson was excellent in his first start, but wasn’t involved in the decision, with the win going to Karl Spooner and Lee Smith picking up his 5th save.

Anthony Rizzo will miss about a month with a fractured finger, prompting the House of David to recall Jung Ho Kang from AAA.

#Awards

Willie Mays (RIP IRL) of the New York Gothams was the NL Player of the Week after hitting .417 with 3 home runs. Over in the AL, the AL Player of the Week Award went to Miami‘s Ryan Braun, who hit .471 with 5 dingers.

As the calendar flipped from April to May, we also have the first player of the month awards.

#Team Performance

Look, it’s way too early for any of this to matter. But, currently, only 3 games separate the best team in the Effa Manley Division (the Brooklyn Royal Giants at 14-11) and the worst (the Philadelphia Stars mirroring them at 11-14). The Homestead Grays are 1/2 game behind Brooklyn, and the New York Gothams and Ottawa Mounties sit at .500.

Brooklyn, Homestead, and the San Francisco Sea Lions have all gone 7-3 over their last 10 games, while the House of David are in the roughest patch of any team in the league, at 2-8 over their last 10.

#Player Performance

Batters

Some things that jump out: the House of David’s Ryne Sandberg is having an incredible start, the first player in the league to 11 homeruns. Led by Sandberg, 5 players have SLG over .700 but “only” 2 have BA over .400.

Ty Cobb (DET). 389/451/756. 18 2B, 1.8 WAR.
Carlos Correa (HOU). 420/474/659.
Eric Davis (NYY). 306/373/612. 27 R.
Lou Gehrig (NYY). 247/358/634. 10 HR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 379/426/793.
Curtis Granderson (BBB). 256/330/654. 10 HR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 416/442/629.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 396/426/635. 38 H, 15 2B.
Dick Lundy (SFS). 394/467/681. 4 3B, 15 SB, 2.3 WAR.
Mickey Mantle (NYY). 274/361/621. 10 HR.
Boog Powell (KCM). 268/344/622. 26 RBI.
Tim Raines (OTT). 293/381/576. 5 3B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 308/430/659. 28 RBI, 24 R, 21 BB.
Ryne Sandberg (HOD). 365/409/824. 11 HR.
Bobby Wallace (BAL). 50/405/364. 22 BB.

Pitchers

Starters

Mark Buehrle (CAG). 5-0, 1.24.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 4-1, 2.38. 0.88 WHIP.
Bill Doak (MEM). 3-1, 2.76. 1.5 WAR.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 2-3, 5.03. 39.1 IP.
Frank Knauss (BRK). 5-1, 2.62.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 1-4, 4.15. 43.1 IP, 39 K.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 4-1, 1.19. 0.74 WHIP, 45 K, 1.7 WAR.

Relivers

Rod Beck (SFS). 1-2, 6.75. 7 Sv.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 0-0, 1.74. 10 Sv.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 0.00. 1 Sv, 5 H.
Troy Percival (NYG). 0-0, 5.40. 5 H.
Jeff Pfeffer (KCM). 0-0, 4.32. 7 Sv.

#Featured Series

We’ll check in on a team that looks much improved over last season, the Homestead Grays. The Grays are hitting better than expected, but more importantly, are finally hitting enough to overcome their usual rough performances on the mound. They are visiting Indianapolis for a 4-game set, and are hoping to keep a recent slide by the ABC’s going.

Scheduled Starters

Homestead’s hurler listed first.

Billy Pierce (2-1, 6.55) @ Johnny Cueto (4-1, 2.38)
Carlos Zambrano (0-4, 9.15) @ Luis Padrón (3-0, 2.38)
Ray Brown (1-2, 6.28) @ Doc White (1-3, 4.93)
Francisco Liriano (1-2, 4.36) @ Rube Foster (1-1, 3.86)

Cueto has performed fantastically so far this year, and Padrón, while no Joe Rogan, has been a decent 2-way threat all season.

Game One

With the announcement that the Grays have moved Zambrano out of the rotation, their starters for the series are all a bit up in the air. They’ll lead it off with Doug Drabek, who is taking Zambrano’s spot and will be making his first start of the year.

Drabek was fantastic, allowing 2 hits and 1 run in 7 innings, but Rick Ownbey couldn’t hold the lead, giving up Barry Larkin‘s first homer of the year, a 2 run shot to tie the game in the 8th. Luckily for the Grays, Willie Stargell‘s 2nd homerun of the game gave them the lead in the 10th, and Josh Lindblom was able to hold on for the 4-3 win in extra innings.

HOM 4 (Lindblom 3-0; Ownbey 3 B Sv) @ IND 3 (Murphy 0-1)
HRs: HOM – Stargell 2 (10); Epstein (3); IND – Larkin (1).
Box Score

Game Two

The Grays turned to Billy Pierce in game 2, putting their rotation back on its expected schedule. His mound opponent, Luis Padrón, tossed a masterful 8 innings in a 14-3 walkover, allowing 5 hits and 1 run while fanning 8. Padrón improved to 4-0 and Tommy Helms had 3 hits and 4 RBI and Helms and Jake Stenzel each scored 3 runs in the rout.

Helms, Stenzel, George Foster, Adam Dunn (fresh off being named Rookie of the Month for April), and Johnny Bench each went yard for Indianapolis as they evened the series at 1 game each.

HOM 3 (Pierce 2-2) @ IND 14 (Padrón 4-0)
HRs: HOM – Clemente (3); IND – Helms (3), Foster (2), Stenzel (3), Dunn (6), Bench (7).
Box Score

Game Three

Chris Sabo went deep twice, driving in 3, and the Grays held on to take the series lead with a 5-4 win. Ray Brown pitched very well, but the trio of Corey Kluber, Michael Jackson, and Josh Lindblom were all a bit shaky in relief. Still, they got the job done. Tommy Helms and Bob Bescher had 2 hits for the ABC’s and Joey Votto went deep in the losing effort.

Kluber–fresh off an injury–had to leave the game with an elbow issue, and headed to the DL afterwards. Cliff Lee was recalled.

HOM 5 (Brown 2-2; Lindblom 4 Sv; Jackson 2 H) @ IND 4 (White 1-4)
HRs: HOM – Sabo 2 (5), Lajoie (2); IND – Votto (3).
Box Score

Game Four

Homestead’s bullpen did the job, with Dave Giusti, Rick Ownbey, and Josh Lindblom combining for 3+ innings of 1 hit relief of an effective Francisco Liriano. Mike Epstein went deep for the Grays and Andy Van Slyke showed signs of breaking out of an early season slump with 3 hits. All the ABC’s could muster on the day was a 2 run shot from Adam Dunn to tie the game early.

Homestead takes the series, 3-1, continuing their surprising start to the season.

HOM 4 (Liriano 2-2; Lindblom 5 Sv; Giusti 3 H; Ownbey 2 H) @ IND 2 (Foster 1-2)
HRs: HOM – Epstein (4); IND – Dunn (7).
Box Score

Bill Phyle‘s time at with the big league club was minimal, as Steve Bedrosian‘s return from the DL sent Phyle back to AAA. Harley Young began a rehab assignment, signaling more good news for the Black Barons’ bullpen.

The starting rotation was supposed to be a strength for Birmingham. Instead, it’s in shambles and, even though it’s early, some changes are in store, most notably Lefty Gomez replacing Vic Willis in the rotation. Jim Whitney is also pushing for a spot, with some pressure on Sam Streeter and John Malarkey to step it up in their next starts.

Jess Barbour‘s miserable start to the year will result in some reduced playing time, but his defensive flexibility keeps him on the roster.

Alejandro Peña was ridiculously good, allowing only 1 hit in over 8 innings, but he wasn’t around when Herman Long drove in the winning run with a 2 out single in the bottom of the 9th, giving Birmingham a 1-0 walkoff win over Brooklyn.

Curtis Granderson went deep twice as the Black Barons lost to Brooklyn, 5-4. Greg Maddux had an encouraging start for Birmingham, but Bedrosian imploded, giving up 2 homeruns in the 8th.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Toad Ramsey was magnificent, striking out 12 and allowing only a single hit in a 1-0 win over Kansas City. Carlos Correa extended his 28 game hitting streak with 2 doubles and Craig Biggio drove in HR Johnson for the game’s sole tally.

Correa’s hitting streak ended at 29 games, but 2 homeruns from Casey Stengel, along with solo shots from Tony Gwynn and Jeff Bagwell carried Houston to an 8-6 win over Birmingham. Stengel drove in 4 and Gwynn had 3 hits.

Correa bounced right back, sending a ball into the Crawford Seats for a walkoff 3 run homer in a 5-2 win over Birmingham.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

2 homers from Johnny Bench and 3 hits from Oscar Charleston weren’t enough as the ABC’s fell to Homestead, 5-4.

Gorham Leverett‘s spell with the ABC’s was awfully short, as an oblique injury forced him to the DL. Lynn Brenton was recalled from AAA to take Leverett’s spot.