The Whirled League

Baseball The Way It Never Was

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TWIWBL 63.4: Cum Posey Division

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On July 15, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Chicago American Giants

5 hits from Joe Jackson weren’t enough as the American Giants fell to Detroit, 8-6. Mark Buehrle had his first rough outing of the year, failing to become the league’s first 6 game winner and falling to 5-1.

Paul Konerko went deep twice, the 2nd shot a walkoff job in the bottom of the 10th to give the American Giants a 5-4 win over Detroit.

Akinori Otsuka will miss about 2 weeks with an elbow issue, weakening Chicago’s bullpen significantly. Tom Williams was recalled.

#Los Angeles Angels

The Angels recalled Elmer “Mike” Smith from his rehab assignments. Not wanting to be without a lefty, Los Angeles retained Noah Lowry while demoting Anthony DeSclafani despite DeSclafani’s better performance.

With George Wright being recalled from his rehab assignment, Eddie Joost is waived with the Angels hoping to retain him in AAA.

Mike Trout had himself a day: 5 hits, 3 homeruns (and 2 doubles), including a game-tying shot in the 9th and a game-winning walkoff in the bottom of the 13th.

Doc Gooden improved to 4-2 on the year with a 4 hit shutout of the Black Yankees. 4 RBI’s from Steve Garvey–including his 3rd homerun of the season–accounted for all of the Angels’ runs, more than enough to support Gooden, who whiffed 7 and walked none.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Freddie Fitzsimmons horrific start to the year (2-4, 8.17) has cost him his rotation spot, with Ed Brandt being named Miami’s #4 starter. Their 5th rotation slot remains open.

Julio Rodríguez was recalled from his rehab assignment, with the Cuban Giants (finally?) deciding that Minnie Miñoso would be better served with time at AAA. Rodríguez’ return (and Miñoso’s departure) resulted in a bunch of lineup juggling for Miami, as their OF remains quite crowded.

Rodríguez went 2 for 4 in his return as the Cuban Giants fell to Baltimore, 4-3.

The Cuban Giants came back from a 9-1 deficit in the 8th inning to beat Baltimore, 9-8. José Canseco went deep in the 8th and the 9th and Rodríguez in the 9th. Throw in a pinch-hit 2-run double from Gary Sheffield and you have a massive comeback for a shocking victory.

Needing a starter, Fitzsimmons’ continued battering led to his being sent to AAA with Lou Fette being recalled.

Al Oliver fractured his foot, and will miss about 5 weeks, with Carlos Morán recalled from AAA.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Jeff Cirillo headed back to AAA with Rogers Hornsby‘s return from a rehab assignment.

Walter Johnson was magnificent, allowing only a homerun through 8 innings before being chased by a single in the 9th in a 3-1 victory. Johnson evened his record at 3-3 with a 13 strikeout performance, walking none and lowering his ERA to 2.79.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

It was bullpen rejigger week for the Sea Lions, with San Francisco sending Bobby Seay, Steve Ontiveros, and Nick Altrock to AAA, with Tom Brewer, Mel Stottlemyre Sr, and Jim Devlin all being promoted. With both Bump Hadley and Watty Clark struggling, those 3, along with Dennis Eckersley, have to all be considered as auditioning for rotation slots.

Helped by Reggie Jackson‘s 13th homerun, Hadley, Devlin, Ken Howell, and Rod Beck combined on a 4 hit shutout, leading the Sea Lions to a 2-0 win over Chicago.

With Jimmy Bloodworth due to miss over a month, the Sea Lions recalled Denny Walling from AAA.

Year II Season Preview: Miami Cuban Giants

By

On March 27, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

To no longer be considered one of the absolute worst teams in the league would be a nice start.

Best Case

Camilo Pascual, Freddie Fitzsimmons, and José Méndez form a strong front of the rotation and Cole Hamels joins them, fulfilling the promise he showed early in the season with the Black Yankees. Offensively, José Canseco repeats, but is joined by … someone–Paul Molitor or Gary Sheffield or Alejandro Oms or even Yasiel Puig–as a formidable offensive force, with Cookie Rojas recovering the form he showed with the Gothams, and and and … you get the idea. Everyone improves in every way.

Worst Case

Ouch. Everyone with high expectations becomes Martín Dihigo from last year, a continual disappointment showing just enough promise to keep from being jettisoned. One issue here is that a significant amount of the talent on the roster is very, very young and therefore several years away from really showing their true potential (for example, Dihigo is 18, Oms 20)

Key Questions

  • How does the rest of the staff fill out?
  • Can the continued development of Eustaquio Pedroso and Dihigo as two way players bear enough fruit to warrant continuing the experiment?

Trade Bait

I mean … maybe? The problem is that a team building for the future whose best assets are its young talent will often find it difficult to locate a good trading partner.

Yeah … so … that happened. It’s hard to boil the trade down: the Cuban Giants gave up Molitor, top draft pick Vladimir Guerrero, and some stuff, getting back Iván Rodríguez and a few useful possibilities (Al Oliver, Jon Matlack, Adolis García). So, this year, it’s Molitor for Pudge. But losing Guerrero is a potential big deal.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CRodríguezBurgess
1BThomeMiñoso
2BDihigo
Rojas
3BSheffield
SSYount
LF/
RF		CansecoPuigBraunOliver
Rodríguez
CFOms
SPPascualSmithHamels
Martínez
Méndez		Fitzsimmons
EndConsuegraNolasco
Terry
RPLooper
Pedroso		Latman
New Addition | Injured

Doesn’t look like a playoff contender to me. Pudge really does help, though, and .500 might–might–be within reach.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerIF Jim Thome1B Willie McCovey
Batting EyeIF Jim ThomeU Carlos Morán
ContactU Cookie Rojas2B Nellie Fox
Running SpeedOF Alejandro OmsIF Charlie Briggs
OF Bert Campaneris
IF Luis Castillo
OF Marquis Grissom
OF Eddie Milner
Base StealingOF Alejandro OmsIF Jiggs Donahue
OF Marquis Grissom
IF DefenseU Martín Dihigo3B Willie Kamm
OF DefenseOF Yasiel PuigOF Tony González
StuffP Adonis TerryP Gary Gentry
ControlP Freddie FitzsimmonsP Dale Murray
VelocitySP Cole HamelsP Brad Brach

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (22)20PJosh Beckett
2 (103)20CFJulio Rodríguez
3 (111)18PJon Matlack
4 (142)24PFreddie Fitzsimmons
5 (159)23CSmoky Burgess
6 (184)23UBert Campaneris
Others: None

On the one hand, the cupboard is pretty bare; on the other hand, the Cuban Giants are among the youngest teams in the league, so many of their “prospects” are already in Miami, joined this year by Rodríguez, Burgess, and Fitzsimmons.

MostLeast
AgeC Clyde Sukeforth, 37P Ed Seward, 17
Height1B Richie Sexson, 6’8″P Phenomenal Smith, 5’6″
U Carlos Morán, 5’6″
OPSOF Carlos Quentin, 1.381 (—)1B Julio Becquer, .504 (AA)
HROF Carlos Quentin, 81 (—)OF José Tartabull, 0 (AAA/AA)
OF Carlos Morán, 0 (WBL)
IF Luis Castillo, 0 (AA)
SBOF José Canseco, 29 (WBL)
OF Marquis Grissom, 29 (—)		Many with 0
WAROF Carlos Quentin, 6.7 (—)IF Russell Branyan, -2.2 (—)
WCamilo Pascual, 12 (WBL)
Ed Brandt, 12 (—-)
Denny Lemaster, 12 (—-)
Marcus Stroman, 12 (—-)		Johnny Murphy, 3 (AAA/AA)
SVBob Gillespie, 19 (—)
Jim Roland, 19 (—)
ERAJohn Boozer, 2.26 (—)Mike Morgan, 6.67 (AAA/AA)
WARMarcus Stroman, 5.1 (—)Nick Strincevich, -0.6 (AAA/AA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.14: Spring Training Notes – Miami Cuban Giants

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On March 2, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

There are a lot of open competitions this Spring: will Alan Ashby or Smoky Burgess seize the C position? Where, if anywhere, will Minnie Miñoso play? How does the OF resolve, without a true CF on the roster at the moment.

Speaking of CF … last year’s primary starter, Carlos Morán, has been working out at 3B, clearing the way for 3rd round pick, Roy Thomas, to have a shot at the starting job out there.

First Cuts

Marcus Stroman, Gary Gentry, and Scott Linebrink all exited camp while Barry Latman, Sandy Consuegra, Ed Brandt, and Josh Beckett all improved their chances of making the opening day roster.

Behind the plate, Alan Ashby‘s performance last season keeps him in camp while Joe Oliver heads back to the minors. Oliver is the only departure, as Harry Danning, and especially Clyde Sukeforth, are hitting too well so far to be sent down.

The Cuban Giants are going to wait before making decisions at 1B, as they still hope that either Richie Sexson or veteran Willie McCovey can provide some much-needed power. But right now, the only 1B who is hitting is the one nobody expected, Ramón Webster. 3B Joe Dugan was sent down.

Miami is ecstatic over what Cookie Rojas and Martín Dihigo have shown so far, especially Dihigo who may have been the worst hitting regular in the WBL last season. Luis Castillo has done enough to warrant some more opportunities, but Nellie Fox will head back to minor league camp along with SS Zoilo Versalles and Alexei Ramírez. Bert Campaneris has hit worse than either of those two, but will be given a few more shots to make the roster.

In the OF, neither Vladimir Guerrero nor Julio Rodríguez were given much chance to make the team, and while Guerrero will head back to the minors, Rodríguez has shown more than enough to stick around for a little while. Jason Bay, José Tartabull, Mike Brown, Tommie Agee, Hideki Matsui, and Marquis Grissom join Guerrero in minor league camp, but that still leaves Miami with over a dozen OFers in camp, with the pressure especially high on José Cardenal and Roy Thomas to show more than they have so far.

Tony González, Sandy Amorós, and Bob Loane join Rodríguez as early surprises.

Second Cuts

Adonis Terry is the only arm sent to minor league camp as the Cuban Giants hope the quartet of Chris Resop, Freddie Fitzsimmons, Eustaquio Pedroso, and Camilo Pascual can recapture their form from last season.

Alan Ashby and Chris Hoiles were assumed to be set for roster spots, but both need to step up their game, especially Ashby, who has started Spring Training hitless in 12 at-bats.

Richie Sexson was the odd man out at 1B, heading to minor league camp. He was joined by Bert Campaneris and Eddie Milner, but the Cuban Giants really need some of their offensive talent to sort itself out, with a dozen OFers and 10 IFers still in camp.

Third Cuts

Chris Resop and Marcelino López were sent to AAA as the staff starts to round into shape for Miami. Adonis Terry, who was sent to minor league camp, hid in a locker for a couple days, and is still around.

Harry Danning‘s departure still leaves four catchers in camp (five if you count Eustaquio Pedroso, who can fill in there as well). Smoky Burgess has clearly claimed the starting spot, but last year’s contributors–Chris Hoiles and Alan Ashby–are struggling to hit while dark horse Clyde Sukeforth is doing OK with the stick.

Nellie Fox, Sandy Amorós, Tony González, and Bob Loane were all sent to AAA.

This pattern repeats throughout the roster: Willie McCovey and Ramón Webster are knocking the cover off the ball while the more established players at 1B (Jim Thome and Minnie Miñoso) continue to struggle, although Thome’s clear moon-shot power does give him a leg up.

On the IF, both Robin Yount and Paul Molitor are struggling mightily, while Martín Dihigo is absolutely ripping the cover off the ball. With Cookie Rojas, Gary Sheffield, and Ryan Braun also in the mix, something needs to give for Miami.

In the OF, Miami had anticipated coming out of camp with a new starting CF, but they thought it would be Roy Thomas, whose eye is impressive, but has shown little else. With Julio Rodríguez hitting everything in sight, the CF competition remains fierce.

Final Cuts

Newly acquired Adolis Garcia was the first to be sent down and the acquisition of Pudge allowed the Cuban Giants to move Clyde Sukeforth to the minors.

Carlos Morán is learning a new position at 3B, a spot quite crowded for Miami. Morán will start the season at AAA learning the hot corner. Likewise, Ramón Webster, despite a nice showing this Spring, heads to AAA, leaving only 5 players in camp capable of playing first.

The Cuban Giants demoted three players to get to 30: C Chris Hoiles, 1B Willie McCovey, and 2B Luis Castillo. Pudge and Al Oliver‘s arrival allows the first two moves, Castillo’s poor Spring the final one.

The Cuban Giants are desperate for pitching so Spring performances may be more impactful than they should. Ps Ed Brandt and Roenis Elías were easy choices, along with OF José Cardenal.

Roy Thomas was drafted with the hope he could potentially take over in CF, providing a high OBP option at the top of Miami’s lineup. Julio Rodríguez was brought to Spring Training as a way to give the 20 year old a taste of big league pitching. Instead, Thomas heads to AAA and Rodríguez is breaking camp with the team.

That leaves one, and the choice is between Yasiel Puig and his horrible Spring after an electric debut with Miami last fall and the wildness and potential of young Josh Beckett. The Cuban Giants think Beckett will benefit from regular starts, and send him to AAA, keeping Puig.

Season Review: New York Gothams

By

On January 1, 2024

In Season Reviews, Team News

87 - 67, .564 pct.
3rd in Bill James Division, 3 games behind.
Lost to Detroit in Division Round

Overall

The Gothams were one of the more pleasant surprises of the year. Just goes to show how far you can go with a single ace (Christy Mathewson), two elite bats (Willie Mays and Buster Posey), and the best bullpen in the league (Brian Wilson as closer, but also spectacular seasons from Mike Norris and Carson Smith).

This is a team that, despite their talent this year, is a little bereft of talent. With very few draft picks this season, they have a challenge in front of them to remain competitive. This is compounded by the Gothams being built … unusually. They hit for average, but not power; they get batters out, but don’t strike out many. Those are not recipes for long term success, but there’s no arguing with what it accomplished this season.

What Went Right

Willie Mays and Buster Posey, yes; but the contributions of Johnny Callison and Joe Adcock should not be underestimated.

Jimmy Sheckard and Pinky Higgins were solid, and Pete Runnels was fantastic down the stretch.

Wes Westrum quickly established himself as fan favorite, providing some pop as the backup C.

Benny Kauff was dominant in a September call up, and the question of how much more he has in the tank could be key to the Gothams’ success next season. He certainly has nothing left to prove at AAA, having won the MVP award there at age 27.

Christy Mathewson established himself as a true ace in the WBL, and Gaylord Perry‘s peripheral numbers were almost as good, although his results trailed far behind Matty’s.

Don Sutton, Juan Marichal, and Rube Waddell were all thoroughly meh. It’s not exactly something that went right, but that’s almost 400 not bad innings.

Oh, the bullpen … Brian Wilson was perhaps the most effective closer in the league, and he was the 3rd best performer in the Gothams’ bullpen, behind Carson Smith and the magnificent Mike Norris. Robb Nen was quite good and while Steve Howe was fine during the regular season, he found another gear entirely in the postseason.

ALL STARS
OF Willie Mays; C Buster Posey; RP Brian Wilson

What Went Wrong

The left side of the infield was a mess aside from Pinky Higgins as Brandon Crawford, Eugenio Suárez, Mark Loretta, and Johan Camargo all fumbled chances to claim starting roles.

Will Clark was poor after being (re)acquired from Miami. Offensively, that’s about it.

On the mound, even less: injuries to Carl Hubbell, Al Mays, and Pete Donohue probably count. Beyond that, the worse of the Gothams’ starters (Mickey Welch, Sad Sam Jones, and Vean Gregg) were still not horrid. It was about as good a year on the mound as a team can have, all things considered.

Transactions

March

1B Will Clark, C Harry Danning & OF Carlos Morán to Miami for OF Yasiel Puig, 2B Cookie Rojas, 1B Joe Adcock & P Liván Hernández

Half of these players came back later, so we’ll evaluate the deal as a whole below.

June

OF Don Mueller, P Ray Lamb, P Gil Heredia, P Lew Krawusse, Jr, 1st Round Pick & 8th Round Pick to Brooklyn for P Don Sutton

This is a lot to give up. But Sutton showed flashes of front of rotation potential. Call it a push.

July

P Travis Bowyer, OF Mike Shannon & 4th Round Pick to Homestead for P Vean Gregg & 5th Round Pick {Tom Burns}

Gregg wasn’t much, but not much was lost, either.

P Freddie Fitzsimmons, 2B Cookie Rojas, OF Yasiel Puig & 2nd Round Pick to Miami for P Rube Waddell, 2B Pete Runnels & 1B Will Clark

OK, so at the end of the day, this is Danning, Morán, Fitzsimmons, and a 2nd rounder for Adcock, Hernández, and Runnels. New York also got a solid half season from Rojas fwiw. Given Adock and Runnels’ late season heroics, it seems like a decent deal for the Gothams.

P Jeremy Affeldt, OF George Burns, 3B Art Devlin, P Bob Moose & 3rd Round Pick to Ottawa for RP Steve Howe, OF George Van Haltren & 5th Round Pick {Kyle Tucker}

Probably overpaid slightly, but Howe and Van Haltren were excellent down the stretch, and getting Tucker with the pick helps a lot.

Looking Forward

SP

Christy Mathewson, Gaylord Perry, and Carl Hubbell should be good, and the odds are at least a few of the other arms will come good. But some depth would be useful.

RP

Norris is aging but the rest of the bullpen should be around for a while.

C

Buster Posey‘s position to lose.

1B

While Will Clark looks good, long term the Gothams believe Bill Terry will eventually take over from him.

2B

Who knows? Pete Runnels has this right now, but this is an area of need.

3B

Who knows? Pinky Higgins has this right now, but this is an area of need.

SS

Who knows? Eugenio Suárez has this right now, but this is an area of need.

LF

Who kno–no, really, this is Jimmy Sheckard, with some pressure from both Steve Kemp and Ben Oglive. George Van Haltren should help here and in RF as well.

CF

Willie Mays is the one true offensive superstar the Gothams have (depending on how susceptible you think backstops are to injury). Benny Kauff will be here some next year as well.

RF

Johnny Callison and Carl Furillo, with perhaps some pressure from Mike Tiernan.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

None. Yep, a team that needs to stock a fairly empty system will add zero high ceiling talent this off season through drafts.

Rounds 5-8

They do have 3 picks in the 5th round, the first two being the 4th and 5th picks of the round. They used these on IF Tom Burns and OF Kyle Tucker. Tucker clearly has the higher ceiling while Burns fills some holes in a system devoid of MI talent. Their final pick is used on 2B David Eckstein.

In the 6th round they unearthed one of the few remaining arms capable of immediately contributing at the WBL level, Masahiro Tanaka and then an arm that is a few years away in Logan Webb. Round 7 brought C depth with Dick Buckley.

Rounds 9-12

P Ferdie Schupp; P Jordan Montgomery; P Bugs Raymond; P William VanLandingham.

Season Review: Miami Cuban Giants

By

On December 18, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

65 - 89, .422 pct.
5th in Marvin Miller Division, 19.5 games behind.

Overall

It was considered an accomplishment that Miami didn’t end up with the worst record in the WBL: that’s how low expectations were. As such, finding anything to cheer–José Canseco, Robin Yount, Camilo Pascual–makes it a successful season.

It’s all about the future, and while it isn’t exactly bright yet, there are some glimmers of hope in South Beach.

What Went Right

Not a helluva lot.

The Cuban Giants were bad. But they were supposed to be bad. The surprise was they didn’t end up with the worst record in the league: there is hope here, even if it is a few years away.

José Canseco had a nice season, with 35 homeruns and an .889 OPS, leading the team in most statistical categories.

Yasiel Puig and Smoky Burgess showed enough at the end of the season for some optimism about their roles next year, and Robin Yount did enough to lock down the SS position.

Martín Dihigo may be the best defensive prospect in the history of the game.

Eustaquio Pedroso and Alejandro Oms did enough to be intriguing (while Pedroso may never be much above average in the field or on the mound, he does both serviceably; Oms has star power).

Camilo Pascual looks like a front of the rotation starter and both José Méndez and Ramón Martínez showed flashes of that as well. Freddie Fitzsimmons and Phenomenal Smith were strong in brief showings, although Smith’s recovery from injury bears watching.

ALL STAR SELECTIONS
OF José Canseco

What Went Wrong

Nobody could really take the C, 1B, 3B, or LF spot and claim it, although Jim Thome‘s tendency to launch 500 foot homeruns on the rare occasions he makes contact has certainly made him a fan favorite.

Martín Dihigo was the worst offensive performer in the league, perhaps.

Cole Hamels sort of imploded after his arrival. Hopefully, he bounces back.

Most everyone else who took the mound for Miami stunk up the joint.

Trade Evaluations

March

OF Yasiel Puig, 2B Cookie Rojas, 1B Joe Adcock, SP Liván Hernández to New York Gothams for 1B Will Clark, C Harry Danning, OF Carlos Morán

Half these guys came back, so we’ll net it out below. Morán did well enough, and looks like a keeper.

June

3B Manny Machado to Baltimore for P Mike Morgan, 1B Richie Sexson, C Chris Hoiles, 3B Joe Dugan

Machado was their second best player at this point, but there also was a logjam of talent on the left side of the infield. Sexson has potential, and Hoiles should be on the roster next year. Still, a bit of a loss here overall.

P Tommy Bridges to San Francisco for P Shawn Estes, P Turk Wendell & 5th Round Pick

Meh all around. Bridges was expendable, so getting anything is fine.

P Don Newcombe, P Clay Condrey & 4th Round Pick to Chicago for OF Minnie Miñoso

Newcombe can’t keep the ball in the park, and it doesn’t feel like you can get Miñoso’s potential in the 4th round. Would feel better about it if he hadn’t struggled so mightily after coming to Miami.

July

P Ed Bauta, 6th Round Pick & 7th Round Pick to House of David for IF Bert Campaneris, P Jeff Heathcock & 3rd Round Pick {Roy Thomas}

Feels like a steal.

P Rube Waddell, 2B Pete Runnels, 1B Will Clark to New York Gothams for P Freddie Fitzsimmons, 2B Cookie Rojas, OF Yasiel Puig & 2nd Round Pick {Josh Beckett}

OK, so you net this out and the deal is Adcock, Hernández, Runnels, and Waddell for Fitzsimmons, Danning, Morán, and a pick, which turned into Josh Beckett. Feels fine if Fitzsimmons or Beckett pan out.

Looking Forward

SP

Pascual, Méndez, and Hamels should be solid. But it drops pretty quickly after that. An area of need.

RP

Please, anybody. Pedroso and Dihigo will help out here occasionally.

C

Burgess and Andy Ashby should handle this next year, but unless Burgess takes control, this is an area of long term need.

1B

Some mixture of Thome, an aging Willie McCovey, and a young Richie Sexson should be OK here, although there could be an upgrade for sure.

2B

Cookie Rojas for now, with some spells from Paul Molitor (although Rojas may end up seeing more time in CF than anticipated). Long term, this is probably Martín Dihigo‘s most played spot.

3B

Carlos Móran‘s surprising shift here highlights how unsettled the position is. Gary Sheffield and Minnie Miñoso will both get time as well, although neither is a long term solve here. Willie Kamm has shown some promise, but again a long-term solve here would be good.

SS

Robin Yount, with some help eventually from Bert Campaneris. But basically Yount.

LF

Ryan Braun for now.

CF

This was a position of strength for the team last season, but seems like there has been regression across the board. Guessing Alejandro Oms sees a lot of time here, although Rojas can play here as well.

RF

Canseco and Puig.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

This is a franchise that needs long term, top end talent. Given that, 19 year old Vladimir Guerrero was a no-brainer at #2 in the first round. Another teenager, CF Julio Rodríguez, was taken in round 2, which feels like the right kind of risk for the Cuban Giants. With the 17th pick of that round, they took their first pitcher, franchise selection Josh Beckett.

In the 3rd round, the Cuban Giants were pretty shocked that CF Roy Thomas–who could step right into their starting lineup–was still available.

Rounds 5-8

With the second pick of the 5th round, Miami exhausted their franchise exemptions with the choice of OF Jason Bay. They followed that with OF Mark Kotsay and P Jim Colborn.

Rounds 9-12

OF Randy Arozarena; P Luis Tiant, Sr; P José Lima; and 1B José López.

TWIWBL 52.1: End of Season Review – What Went Right

By

On November 8, 2023

In TWIWBL

The first of a 2-parter reflecting on Year I of the WBL.

Overall Statistical Model

Somewhat arbitrarily, I used 2000 as the base year for Year I. MLB produced its 2nd highest ever OPS that season, slashing a cumulative 270/345/437. Year I of the WBL ended at 268/339/433.

That’s pretty darn close.

Year I was actually an almost perfect match for 2006’s 269/337/432.

So, yeah, offense heavy, but not more than asked for.

All Around Player Performance

Tomorrow I’ll publish what didn’t go so well, and the biggest thing is a couple specific outlier performances. But, so much about the league felt right. Babe Ruth did Babe Ruth things, sure.

But the all-around players were also dominant in a great way: Eddie Collins may have been the best player in the league, Willie Mays‘ impact was irresistible. Players who had “career years” (Tom Herr, Doug Rader, even Eric Davis) did so well within the overall shape of their MLB careers.

Pitching was weird as always. But the list of those at the front of the “best starter in the league” ranking was a great list: Walter Johnson, Gerrit Cole, Jack Taylor, Andy Pettitte, Christy Mathewson? Sure. Pettitte and Taylor overperformed, but pitching–and especially of course W/L records–are weird. Ron Guidry had a great year according to the deep stats, but struggled in the traditional evaluations.

And lots of pitchers struggled, which, again, feels about right.

NeL Players

The all-time greats may feel a little under-represented, but that’s largely because of the career perspective of the WBL. Cristóbal Torriente, Pete Hill, Oscar Charleston, and Louis Santop were each everyday starters by the end of the season despite being teenagers. Martín Dihigo and John Beckwith struggled a bit, but again, teenagers.

Here’s an overview of how the NeL entries did.

NameTeamAgePosNotes
John BeckwithSFS18IF237/306/384. Sent to AAA midseason. Showed WBL power, but struggled at AAA. Likely another year at AAA.
Ray BrownHOM23P7-7, 5.80. Struggled in WBL, but in the running for Year 2 rotation spot.
Bill ByrdBAL26P14-3, 3.33. An all-star and a front of rotation starter for the best team in the league.
Oscar CharlestonIND19OF277/313/438. Not many HR, but good power, great defense. A solid start.
Ray DandridgeBRK21IF256/323/359. Sparkplug for Brooklyn when healthy. A solid enough offensive start.
Leon DayHOU18P1-1, 4.91. Day was promising across 14 games (2 starts) before struggling with injuries and then being knocked out in June for the rest of the season. Expected to compete for swing role in Year 2.
Martín DihigoMCG18U195/235/319; 0-2, 12.15. Overwhelmed as a hitter, purely mop up on the mound. But perhaps the greatest defensive talent the league has ever seen, and adds so much roster flexibility that, if the OPS can just get over .600, a valuable piece.
Bunny DownsHOD25U216/256/351. 40 PAs of mediocre utility. Defensive flexibility helps.
Josh GibsonHOM20C289/386/448. An all star behind the plate at 20? Yes, please. Power will come, a great start.
Frank GrantHOD21IF200/263/200. A rough first 100 PA for the promising IF. AAA likely next year.
Pete HillHOU17OF287/323/440. A starter for about half the year. What a start for a 17 year old.
HR JohnsonHOU24IF252/310/357. A bit disappointing, honestly. Defensive flexibility is nice, but the Colt 45’s need more from him offensively.
Dick LundySFS21IF268/284/377. Total sparkplug when healthy. good defense, 30 SB. Should be a starter next year.
Carlos MoránMCG21OF221/369/262. Great defense and an OBP machine. Certainly in the mix to start in Year 2.
José MéndezMCG22P4-6, 4.56. Good secondary numbers and, by the end of the year, looked like a front of the rotation starter.
Joséito MuñozPOR19P5-5, 2.57. Fantastic when healthy. But now out until a few months into next year.
Alejandro OmsMCG20OF259/313/410. Solid. more power and better zone control would help. But, solid.
Eustaquio PedrosoMCG22OF/P278/316/444; 9-6, 4.81. Someone who performs around league average both in the field and on the mound has value.
Dick ReddingBRK20P0-5, 4.57. Not good enough to stay with Brooklyn all year, but not horrible. Showed enough at AAA at the plate (106 OPS+) to warrant a look as a two-way player.
Louis SantopCLE19C293/322/447. Doesn’t get on base enough, but he’s a C with solid D and still a teen. Future star.
Sam StreeterBBB24P7-6, 4.91. Very solid, pushed to bullpen at end of year.
Cristóbal TorrienteCAG17OF289/347/392. Excellent defense, solid–if low on power–offense. Likely to be a mainstay for the American Giants for a long time.
Smoky Joe WilliamsBRK20P4-1, 3.47. Sent down to spend most of the year at AAA, returned very strong down the stretch.

There are, of course, some others in the minor leagues–A. Rube Foster (9-2, 4.60 ERA across 5 minor league teams), Cool Papa Bell (252/304/339 with 39 SB, mostly at AA), some others.

Continuity

I started the first season of the WBL something like 40/45 years ago. The third season was completed over 20 years ago. This season–the first on OOTP, the fourth overall–was completed in about 3 years.

Across all of that–from handheld Strat-O-Matic play through SOM on a half-dozen different computers (beginning on a Commodore 64, natch) through 3 versions of OOTP–it feels similar. Storylines emerge that I enjoy, frustrations emerge at players underperforming, personalities of teams and franchises begin to appear.

I love all that.

I have no idea what to do with the first 3 years–the teams were totally different, some players occur in this version as well, many do not. If I can find an easy way to incorporate that history, I may do so, but I don’t see it yet. Shock of shocks, Babe Ruth would be the career HR leader …

Series XXVII Featured Matchup: Detroit Wolverines @ Miami Cuban Giants

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On February 24, 2023

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Series preview here.

Game 1: Gene Conley @ Roenis Elias

Detroit scored first after loading the bases in the 2nd, but only managed a single tally on an RBI groundout by Robby Thompson. Will Clark tied it in the bottom of the frame with his 18th homerun of the season.

Roenis Elias has been on a hot streak, and it continued here, as he settled down, allowing 3 hits while striking out 8 over 6 innings. Detroit’s Gene Conley has matched him frame for frame, allowing only 1 run on 2 hits in the same stretch.

In the bottom of the 6th, things took an unlikely turn: Martín Dihigo, he of the .170 average, launched a pitch from Conley nearly 450 feet into leftfield for his first homerun and a 2-1 lead for Miami. Gary Sheffield tripled home a run to make it 3-1, ending Conley’s day in favor of Mickey Lolich.

With 2 outs in the 7th, Elias gave up a solo shot to Al Kaline–the first of his WBL career. That brought in Chris Resop, who closed it out preserving the one run lead for Miami.

Alan Ashby led off the bottom of the 7th with a single, and Paul Molitor came on to run. Two outs later, and Dihigo was up again, this time against Detroit’s reliever Kevin Hart. With the lead, the Cuban Giants kept Dihigo in the game for his glove. He delivered a much more typical response, grounding out weakly to second to end the inning.

It all worked out: Resop and Ed Bauta passed the baton to Aroldis Chapman, who shut the door in the 9th.

DET 2 (Conley 10-3) @ MCG 3 (Elias 5-3; Chapman 19 Sv; Resop 1 H; Bauta 11 H)
HRs: DET – Kaline (1); MCG – Clark (18), Dihigo (1).
Box Score

Game 2: Si Johnson @ Rube Waddell

Detroit comes into the game with a bit of an infield crisis: Sparky Adams is carrying a knock, and both Bob Bailey and George Davis are showing signs of wear and tear. Since they all back each other up at 3B and SS, two of the three are going to forced into action: today, it’s Davis and Bailey.

Will Clark‘s 19th homerun of the year put Miami up 3-0 in the bottom of the first. And that was it through 5 innings. Si Johnson had settled down after Clark’s blast, and Miami’s starter, Rube Waddell had yet to give up a hit.

Geoff Jenkins broke up the no-no with a single to lead off the 6th for Detroit, and singles from Bailey and Hank Greenberg put the Wolverines on the board.

In the bottom of the frame, Johnson issued a walk to load the bases, bringing in Mickey Lolich, who promptly forced in a run with a walk to Carlos Morán, increasing Miami’s lead to 4-1.

Waddell got one out on the 7th, but a hit from Davis and a walk to Robby Thompson turned the game over the Cuban Giants’ bullpen. Phenomenal Smith whiffed Jenkins, but immediately grabbed his left shoulder, and had to leave the game.

José Méndez replaced Smith, and shut down Detroit. He gave up a hit in the 9th, giving way to Ed Bauta, who completed the victory, giving Miami a surprising 2-0 lead in the series.

DET 1 (Johnson 4-7) @ MCG 4 (Waddell 4-6; Bauta 1 Sv; Smith 4 H; Méndez 2 H)
HRs: Det – none; MCG – Clark (19).
Box Score

Game 3: Hal Newhouser @ Eustaquio Pedroso

The matchup certainly favors the Wolverines to get back into the series, with Hal Newhouser and his sub-3.00 ERA going against Eustaquio Pedroso, who is in real danger of losing his rotation spot.

And, you know, just because … Pedroso gets through the top of the first without damage, and Newhouser walks Pete Runnels, Minnie Miñoso, and Gary Sheffield to start the bottom of the frame. But José Canseco whiffed and Ryan Braun grounded into a double play, so we stay scoreless.

Geoff Jenkins took Pedroso deep for a 1-0 Detroit lead in the second, but Sheffield sent a Newhouser pitch in the 3rd deep into the night, putting Miami up 2-1.

Martín Dihigo was forced out of the game with a back injury in the 6th after a hard slide into second and Paul Molitor, who replaced him, scored on a single by Runnels. Miami loaded the bases again, but again Canseco and Braun failed to deliver, so we headed to the 6th with the Cuban Giants ahead, 3-1.

That was it for Pedroso, who had pitched gamely in one of his better outings of the year. His reliever, Braden Looper, gave up a leadoff double to Chili Davis, but escaped with only 1 run scoring, making it a 1 run game at 3-2.

Newhouser didn’t finish the 6th, but Justin Verlander escaped without giving up a run. Looper, on the other hand, gave up a double to Robby Thompson and a single to Bob Bailey to lead off the 7th. Looper was relieved by Chris Resop who gave up a single to Ty Cobb to tie the game at 3. An RBI double from Hank Greenberg and a sacrifice fly by Davis put the Wolverines up, 5-3.

Cobb took Aroldis Chapman deep in the top of the 9th, giving Mike Henneman the ball with a 3-run lead, 6-3. Which seemed plenty for the WBL’s save leader, but Canseco and Robin Yount each hit solo homeruns, closing it to 6-5. Alan Ashby‘s soft line was speared by Thompson, though, to end the game.

Cobb ended the day with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBI’s, raising his league-leading average to .351.

After the game, Dihigo was placed on the DL, with Tony Taylor being recalled.

DET 6 (Verlander 8-3; Henneman 28 Sv; Napier 6 H) @ MCG 5 (Looper 1-1; Resop 1 BSv)
HRs: DET – Jenkins (9), Cobb (16); MCG – Sheffield (6), Canseco (26), Yount (9).
Box Score

Game 4: Johnny Marcum @ Camilo Pascual

Before the game, Miami continued to get bad news from their medical staff as Phenomenal Smith–excellent in his early time with the Cuban Giants–will miss about a year with an elbow injury. That prompted the recall of Ricky Nolasco from AAA.

The pitching matchup of the series finale was the best of the four games, with Johnny Marcum (10-2, 3.38) taking on Camilo Pascual, Miami’s most consistent starter all season.

Detroit pushed across a run in the opening inning on a wild pitch, but Miami tied it up in the bottom of the second with Alan Ashby‘s 7th homerun of the year. The Wolverines regained the lead on a deep sacrifice fly from Hank Greenberg, scoring George Davis. But again Miami would reply in the next inning, tying the game on a triple from José Cardenal, scoring Will Clark. Cardenal would score on a single from Robin Yount, giving the Cuban Giants their first lead of the day, 3-2.

Each team would score a run on a sacrifice fly in the 5th, making it 4-3 in favor of Miami.

Marcum was the first starter to be chased from the game, giving way to Matt Anderson in the bottom of the 6th, but Anderson was able to close the door with runners on base, keeping the score 4-3.

José Méndez relieved Pascual in the top of the 8th and retired Cobb, Greenberg, and Oscar Gamble–no mean feat. Chili Davis led off the 9th against Méndez with a single, but Detroit was unable to bring him around, and Miami emerged with the victory and the very surprising series win.

DET 3 (Marcum 10-3) @ MCG 4 (Pascual 7-10; Méndez 1 Sv)
HRs: DET – none; MCG – Ashby (7).
Box Score

Series XXVI Best Games

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On February 10, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

In Series XXVI, we’re going to look at a game that allowed some individual storylines to play out and then two series that featured a couple of great contests each.

Portland Sea Dogs @ New York Black Yankees, Game 2

The game itself isn’t so interesting: Portland exploded for 8 runs in the top of the 5th inning, blowing it open en route to an 11-5 victory. But some of the details may have some impact on the rest of the season:

  • Portland’s Hal Griggs, recalled for the start, was battered, giving up all 5 runs in 3 innings of work and seeing his MLB ERA balloon over 10. The challenge is that injuries are beginning to take their toll on the Sea Dogs’ staff, and with Pascual Pérez injured later in the game, maybe Griggs sticks around? Atlee Hammaker‘s scoreless 3 plus innings of relief put him in a position to get a look as a spot starter from here on out.
  • Kent Hrbek had 2 hits and drove in 3, and tied New York’s Babe Ruth for the WBL homerun lead with 30. Could Ruth be surpassed?
  • Rogers Hornsby has, despite hitting for good power, struggled since being acquired from Kansas City. But he’s turning it around, scoring twice and driving in 2 in this game, and edging his numbers up. New York’s Tommy Herr is in a similar position, but his 3-for-4 performance here is also part of a resurgence, having found some footing with his new team.
  • New York’s bullpen just continues to struggle, but today actually had some decent innings, especially 2 hitless frames from Goose Gossage.

POR 11 (Hammaker 2-1) @ NYY 5 (Hoyt 8-5)
HRs: POR – Murcer (16), Hrbek (30), Hornsby (6); NYY – none.
Box Score

Baltimore Black Sox @ Detroit Wolverines, Games 1 and 3

This series was a matchup of league heavyweights and 2 of the games lived up to the billing.

In the series opener, Mike Mussina was dominant for Baltimore … until he wasn’t, and then the Black Sox’ bullpen just collapsed, with Joe Beggs, Bob Miller, and Don Bessent combining to give up 5 runs in 1.1 innings, with Miller forced onto the DL with injury (a move that effectively ends the closer-by-committee for a while).

Detroit’s pitching wasn’t much better, but Si Johnson held it together for 5 plus, and Mike Henneman is quite a weapon in the bullpen, as the WBL leader in saves picked up his 26th of the season.

Detroit hit four homeruns in the game, with Bob Bailey‘s 3 run shot in the bottom of the 8th off Bessent being the deciding moment.

BAL 6 (Miller 3-2; Bessent 3 B Sv; Beggs 5 H) @ DET 8 (Lolich 1-1; Henneman 26 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Jacobson (6), Machado (3); DET – Greenberg (20), Jenkins (8), C. Davis (17), B. Bailey (16).
Box Score

Hal Newhouser would dominate in the 2nd game, leading Detroit to a 6-1 win. The most important note from that contest was Ned Garvin‘s injury, which turned out to be disastrous, sidelining the Brock Rutherford Award favorite for close to a year. But we’re here to talk about Game 3, which pitted each team’s current ace against each other–Baltimore’s Dennis Martínez and Detroit’s Johnny Marcum.

Both were excellent through 4, but Martínez lost the game in the 5th to the most unlikely of foes: Detroit’s light hitting utility infielder, Sparky Adams, took him deep for his first longball of the year, giving the Wolverines a 3-2 lead. Each team would add one more, but again it was Henneman closing the door, despite surrendering a run on an RBI double from Bobby Wallace.

A nice, taut game.

BAL 3 (Martínez 10-7) @ DET 4 (Marcum 10-2; Henneman 27 Sv; Hiller 11 H)
HRs: BAL – none; DET – Adams (1).
Box Score

FWIW, Baltimore did win the final game to avoid the sweep.

Miami Cuban Giants @ Houston Colt 45’s, Games 1 and 4

These teams split the series, but the more interesting games were the 2 victories by the Cuban Giants.

The story of game 1, at least early on, was missed opportunities. Miami’s 2-way OF/P Eustaquio Pedroso, gave up 9 baserunners in the first 4 innings, but the Colt 45’s managed only 1 run. Pedroso was tagged with a 3-run HR from Tony Gwynn in the 5th, but the score should have been much worse than 4-0.

Meanwhile, Houston’s Stephen Strasburg was magnificent, twirling a 3 hit shutout through 7. In the 8th, Robin Yount led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly from Alan Ashby, chasing Strasburg from the game with a still comfortable 4-1 lead.

You can tell what’s coming.

Houston’s closer, Billy Wagner came in and gave up a game-tying 3-run moon shot to José Canseco. Miami’s bullpen was excellent, with José Méndez, Ed Bauta, and Aroldis Chapman combining for 5.2 innings of 1-hit relief. Chapman was already gassed, so after he retired a batter, the Cuban Giants turned to Braden Looper as we headed to the 12th.

In the top of the frame, Houston’s Scott Erickson could not get the final out, giving up a walk and 2 hits, the last being a 2-run single from Chris Hoiles to give Miami a 2 run lead. Looper gave up 4 hits in the bottom of the 12th, all singles, but escaped with the victory when José Cardenal gunned down George Brett at the plate to end the game.

Houston ended the game with 13 runners left on base, to Miami’s 4. Offensive efficiency matters.

Thrilling.

MCG 6 (Looper 1-0) @ HOU 5 (Gregerson 0-1; Hoffman 6 H; Wagner 6 B Sv) [12 Innings]
HRS: MCG – Canseco (25); HOU – Gwynn (6).
Box Score

The series finale was somewhat similar. Here, though, both starters had excellent outings, with Miami’s Ramón Martinez and Houston’s Toad Ramsey essentially matching efforts, each surrendering only 2 runs.

When Jim Wynn took Braden Looper deep in the 8th for a 3-2 lead for Houston, the script seemed written: Mark Melancon has been a victory vulture all year, with a 9-2 record out of the bullpen. Again, though, Trevor Hoffman and Billy Wagner were unable to hold it–this time with more dire consequences, as both pitchers left with injuries (Wagner will only miss a few days, Hoffman is looking at a trip to the DL).

The late innings were highly tactical: Miami tied it because Carlos Morán, pinch hitting for Pete Runnels, scored from 1st on a José Canseco double.

Brad Lidge, who started the year as Houston’s closer and was just recently recalled from AAA, matched Miami’s Phenomenal Smith with great relief efforts (Lidge pitched 2 perfect frames, Smith allowed a single hit in 3.1 innings), but Houston turned to Dock Ellis, highly mediocre all year, in the 12th.

It didn’t work well: Gary Sheffield doubled and, after Ellis was able to get 2 outs, Alan Ashby singled him home for the lead. Alejandro Oms pinch ran for Ashby, and scored on a single from Ryan Braun for a 5-3 lead for the Cuban Giants.

Aroldis Chapman shut the door, cementing the series split for Miami.

Hoffman’s injury opened the door for Tug McGraw to be recalled from AAA for Houston.

MCG 5 (Smith 1-1; Chapman 18 Sv) @ HOU 3 (Ellis 0-5; Hoffman 1 B Sv)
HRs: MCG – Yount (8); HOU – Wynn (14)
Box Score

TWIWBL 32.4: Series XXV Notes – Marvin Miller Division

By

On February 7, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

Bob Nieman and Pie Traynor combined to go 6-for-9, driving in 5 runs and scoring the same as the Black Barons beat Indianapolis 9-1.

Billy Southworth led off the final game of their series with a double, but twisted his knee going into second base, and had to be removed from the game. Birmingham won the game despite 3 errors from Herman Long at SS, with Hank Aaron driving in 2 and Greg Maddux, Kent Mercker, Harley Young, and Bruce Chen combining to only allow 2 unearned runs over 8 innings.

After the game, Southworth–who will miss 2 weeks–was put on the DL with young phenom Nate Colbert being recalled for his first taste of big league action.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Heralded prospect Minnie Miñoso made his long-anticipated debut in the opening game of a doubleheader … and promptly got hit by a pitch, being forced out of the game. It looks like Miñoso will only miss a few days, luckily. The Cuban Giants came back to beat Brooklyn 3-2 behind a 2-RBI single from Alejandro Oms and strong pitching from Camilo Pascual, Phenomenal Smith, and Aroldis Chapman, who picked up his 17th save.

Alexei Ramírez was moved to AAA and Carlos Peña was waived as Miami activated both Paul Molitor and Carlos Morán from the DL.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Walter Johnson took a no-hitter into the 9th inning against San Francisco, but Bobby Bonds led off the frame with a pinch-hit homerun, and Pedro Guerrero added another, chasing the Big Train from the game. Still, the Sea Dogs cruised to a 10-3 victory, led by 4 hits from Gil Hodges, 3 from Rogers Hornsby, and 4 RBI’s from Jeff Burroughs. Burroughs, Hornsby, and Kent Hrbek all went deep for Portland.

The miracle of Wade Miller finally came to a close, as he lost his first game of the year, falling to 9-1 despite a decent outing on the mound. Iván Rodríguez had 4 hits and went deep twice in the 10-5 loss to San Francisco.

Hal Griggs was returned to AAA as Bob Porterfield came off the DL.

TWIWBL 31.4: Series XXIV Notes – Marvin Miller Division

By

On January 23, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

The Black Barons just keep on doing their thing since the All-Star break. against Cleveland, 3 hits from Adrián González and a key homerun from Eddie Mathews sparked a comeback from a 5-0 deficit. Bruce Chen got the win and Juan Rincón picked up his 15th save in the 6-5 victory.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Ralph Branca was recalled from AAA to start in Brooklyn’s doubleheader with Dick Redding being sent down, most likely just for the one day. Indeed, after giving up 5 runs in 4 innings, Branca was immediately sent back down to AAA. Jermaine Dye was waived, and Nap Rucker and Michael Brantley joined the big leagues.

Beals Becker tied the WBL record with 5 hits (all singles) in a 6-3 win over Indianapolis. Roy White had 3 hits and 4 RBIs in the game, but not all the news was good for the Royal Giants, as Ray Dandridge headed back to the DL after spraining his knee in the first inning. Davey Lopes was waived and Todd Walker promoted to the big leagues.

Both Dye and Lopes cleared waivers, rejoining the franchise with AAA Queens. Tommy Hansen has earned a shot at the #5 spot in the Royal Giants’ rotation.

#Miami Cuban Giants

José Canseco almost brought the Cuban Giants back single-handedly, hitting a pinch-hit homerun in the 7th and another in the 9th to give him 5 RBI’s on the day. It wasn’t quite enough, as Miami fell to Baltimore, 6-5.

The Cuban Giants did salvage the final game of the series, as Roenis Elías, Phenomenal Smith, Ed Bauta, and Aroldis Chapman combined on a 5-hit shoutout. Gary Sheffield went deep and Miami won, 2-0, with Elías improving to 4-3 on the year and Chapman picking up his 15th save.

Prize acquisition Minnie Miñoso came off the DL, and was sent to AAA on a short rehab assignment before being recalled to the big league club, along with infielder Alexei Ramírez. Sandy Amorós moved to AAA, along with struggling slugger Jim Thome with more moves expected as Paul Molitor and Carlos Morán return from the DL this week.

On the mound, Steve Brown–hammered in his WBL stay–moved to AAA, along with once-WBL-darling Marcelino López. Ramón Martínez was brought back from a rehab assignment, nudging José Méndez out of the rotation with his return. Braden Looper will be brought up once space is cleared on the 40-man roster.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Joe Mauer will be out a couple weeks, but the Sea Dogs have a stellar replacement as Pudge Rodríguez takes over slashing 347/364/533. Cliff W. Lee, one of the best young catchers in the minor leagues, was recalled for a taste of the show.

Somehow, against all odds, Greg Litton still has a roster spot: playing 6 positions, no matter how badly you hit, has its benefits. But his offensive woes do continue to lessen his projected playing time.

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