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TWIWBL 88.4: Off Season Review – New York Gothams

On March 3, 2026

{ Welcome to the first of these! We’re doing a quick overview for each of the 20 teams, more to clarify where they are before the Winter Meetings and the Rookie Draft in December. }

75 - 87, .463 pct.
5th in Effa Manley Division, 24 GB

Overall

A miserable year, and a particularly horrid back half of the season. This marked quite a fall for a team that won 87 games last season, finishing only 2 games out in their division and making the playoffs.

There is some talent here to build around, but the on-field product has not gelled, leaving the top half of the lineup with far too little support. And the less said about the pitching–especially the rotation–the better. The leading batters–Buster Posey and Willie Mays, especially, but well supported by Will Clark, Johnny Bates, and Benny Kauff–form a good core, and should all be entering or in their prime for the next few years.

There’s just so little to highlight with the Gothams–they ran the bases well and played solid defense? Their 3 leading starters (Christy Mathewson, Gaylord Perry, and Don Sutton) ate a lot of innings, albeit with limited effectiveness?

What Went Right

Willie Mays is spectacular, leading the team with 48 homeruns, 112 RBIs and 107 runs scored (the only Gotham who reached the century mark in either stat). Will Clark had a slightly better year by the numbers, but Mays plays CF. Still, Clark’s .952 OPS makes him a fixture at first for the foreseeable.

Buster Posey is a top-tier catcher and Kauff (DH) and Callison (RF) are more than adequate for a playoff team.

Dick Dietz was one of the better backup catchers in the WBL, hitting with impressive power behind Posey.

Larry Doyle came on during the season, eventually laying sole claim to 2B. If Doyle can hit as well as he did this year across a full season, it will go a long way towards improving the Gothams’ chances. Similarly, of several candidates, Jim Ray Hart (a .958 OPS over 45 games) looks most likely to seize the role at 3B. However, Doyle is 35 and Hart 30, so neither looks like a particularly long-term solve.

Don Buford was acquired at the trade deadline, and did what was expected: get on base, steal a few bases, show a little power. The Gothams have very little speed, so Buford was a welcome addition, despite his being on the wrong side of 30 at 32.

Fred Lewis and Bill Terry were very impressive in late season cameos, but both are pretty blocked in the organization.

Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton were actually quite good, with Sutton leading the team with a 17-8 record and Perry maintaining a fantastic WHIP of 1.13 over 211 innings.

Brian Wilson remains an elite closer, managing 22 saves in 36 games with solid peripherals (he missed quite a bit of time through injury early in the season).

While not at the Phineas Flint Award winning levels of last season, Mike Norris keeps chugging along as an excellent bullpen arm, contributing 6 saves and 12 holds over 52 games. At 36, however, it’s not clear how much more Norris has in the tank.

Pete Donohue was impressive in limited opportunities, and may be a rotation contender next season.

ALL STARS
Will Clark; Willie Mays; Robb Nen.

MAJOR AWARDS

The lack of entries above just about sums up the season for the Gothams …

RECOGNITIONS

Don Buford, NL Over 30 Team
Will Clark, All NL 2nd Team
Dick Dietz, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Pete Donohue, NL 21 & Under Team
Benny Kauff, All NL, 2nd Team
Willie Mays, All NL, 2nd Team
Gaylord Perry, NL Over 30 Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Willie Mays, MVP
Don Sutton, Pitcher of the Year
Buster Posey, Heart & Soul
Mike Norris, Fan Favorite

George Jeffcoat, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Tim Shinnick, Minor League Player of the Year

Jeffcoat had 32 saves and a sub 3.00 ERA at AAA, and should be a strong contender for the Gothams’ bullpen next year.

Shinnick is a bit of an odd choice, but it was, as they say, slim pickens down there. He gets on base very well (.404 OBP) and is fast (72 steals). OK.

What Went Wrong

The left side of the infield was a mess all season. Brandon Crawford played nearly full time at SS, and while his defense was fine, his offense was pretty miserable.

And then there was 3B. Pinky Higgins, Jim Ray Hart, Terry Turner, George Kell, Ryan Zimmerman, Matt Williams, and Eugenio Suárez each saw time there (mostly in the 2nd half, after Higgins was moved to the minors with an OPS barely over .600). Hart hit quite well, Williams and Kell were acceptable, and the rest even worse than Higgins, so while hart may have the inside track on the job moving forward, overall this was washout of a year at the hot corner.

LF was similarly rough until Buford’s arrival, with Jimmy Sheckard a huge disappointment and only Jo-Jo Moore showing any promise among about a half-dozen possible replacements.

Carl Furillo continues to be useless at the WBL level, slashing 135/169/230 across 30 games.

There’s almost too much to go through on the mound. Let’s start with Christy Mathewson, who finished the year 7-16 with a 5.61 ERA, a far cry from last year when Matty seemed on the verge of moving into the elite starters in the league. Mathewson still eats up innings–210 over 36 starts this year–but he needs to live up to his potential for the Gothams to go anywhere. At 22, there is still plenty of time.

Carl Hubbell (6-10, 5.75) was thoroughly mediocre as the 4th starter, and nobody could hold onto the fifth rotation slot (Rube Waddell was miserable in 6 starts, Vean Gregg even worse in 3).

The rest of the bullpen was pretty awful as well, with perhaps Carson Smith‘s struggles (after a very solid season last year) the most disappointing.

Transactions

March

P Sad Sam Jones, 4th Round Pick to IND for IF Davey Concepción, 3rd Round Pick.

Jones looks like he may never establish himself in the WBL, making this a pretty significant win for the Gothams, as Concepción will get a shot at the starting SS job this Spring.

July

This was an attempt to fix a glaring weakness and salvage the season.

IF Freddie Patek, 2nd Round Pick, 5th Round Pick to LAA for OF Don Buford.

This was a lot to give up–especially the 2nd Rounder–but if Buford solidifies the leadoff spot for a year or 2, it will be fine.

August

It didn’t work, so the Gothams tried to parlay current talent into future infield solutions.

P Juan Marichal, P Robb Nen to HOM for IF Howard Johnson, IF Davey 
Johnson, 3rd Round Pick.

Hmm. Marichal seems destined to marginal mediocrity in the WBL, but Nen is an excellent bullpen option. Still, if either Johnson has a career (and both could), this will be a win.

P Steve Howe, P Troy Percival to DET for P Dellin Betances, IF Robby Thompson, 3rd Round Pick.

Seems fine, perhaps a slight win. But these 2 deals essentially emptied the Gothams bullpen, and if they cannot fill those slots from within the organization, these trades could look pretty ugly.

IF Joe Adcock to MCG for 5th Round Pick.

This was a courtesy trade, as Adcock wanted to end his career on a contender, but settled for Miami.

Positional Overview

C

Very set, with Buster Posey backed up by Dick Dietz.

Last year’s darling, Wes Westrum, struggled a bit at AAA. but is still waiting in the wings should the need arise. Westrum is expensive, having turned his success last year into a 3 year deal that, at this points, he looks unlikely to prove out.

Beyond that, probably the only actual prospect is 23 year old Steve O’Neill, but he slates more as an eventual replacement for Dietz than anything else.

1B

Will Clark has this locked down for a while.

35 year old Casey Blake could provide some offense at some point, but is not, of course, a long-term solution.

More challenging is what to do with Bill Terry, who has hit well everywhere, but seems blocked organizationally. Beyond Terry, Justin Morneau and Dominic Smith hold some promise, and John Kerins looks to bounce back to his form from last year (which would make him a useful bench piece, nothing more).

2B

Larry Doyle started the season as half a platoon here, but he hit well against lefties, and looks like he’ll be the starter heading into next season. However, at 35, the question of when his skills slip will loom large over Spring Training.

Robby Thompson and Davey Johnson were brought in via trade to shore up this position. Both of them have had some WBL success in the past, and either could take over from Doyle.

At A ball, Joe Gerhardt and Tim Shinnick both have some potential. Shinnick managed an OBP over .400 and over 70 SB en route to being named the Gothams’ Minor League Player of the Year, but Gerhardt may have a higher ceiling.

SS

Brandon Crawford is the incumbent, but he was one of the weaker regulars in the league last year. Look for young Davey Concepción to give him a decent battle this Spring, with veteran defensive whiz Neifi Pérez a dark horse as well.

3B

This is Jim Ray Hart‘s position to lose right now, as his power is needed in this lineup. Should he falter, there are plenty of contenders, but no real standouts. Casey Blake and George Kell may be short term solutions, given their age, with Matt Williams and Eugenio Suárez sporting better long term prospects.

Teenager Howard Johnson is still several years away from showing his full potential, but the Gothams’ hopes remain high.

LF/RF

Johnny Callison remains a solid WBL corner outfielder, and Don Buford looks to be the LFer for at least a few years.

Beyond those 2, there just isn’t a ton here: Steve Kemp, Ben Oglivie, and Carl Furillo have stumbled at every opportunity, and of the rest, perhaps only Mike Tiernan shows real promise.

Teenager Kyle Tucker–who does look to have a decent WBL ceiling–may end up here as well, as he is blocked at CF by Mays.

CF

Willie Mays forever.

There’s actually a bit of talent here behind Mays–Wally Berger, Fred Lewis, George Van Haltren, Rick Manning, and Tully Hartsel all look like they would be decent backup CFers at some point. But for now, it’s Mays, with Kauff behind.

DH

The Gothams may use Kauff in LF more often this season, but for now, he’s going to once again be slotted in at DH.

SP

Right now, the rotation projects as Mathewson, Perry, and Sutton, with Carl Hubbell and Pete Donohue taking the final two slots. However, Buck O’Brien will be given a long look in Spring Training, and a cluster of arms at AAA, led by Tony Mullane and Guy Hecker, may get a shot as well.

William VanLandingham, Jordan Montgomery, and Logan Webb are probably the most promising young starters in the organization.

RP

Brian Wilson and Mike Norris return, and the Gothams are optimistic that Kent Tekulve–who may finally have found a WBL home–will sign a multi-year contract. Aaron Loup is penciled into the bullpen as well, and George Jeffcoat will be given a chance to translate his minor league success to the Gothams.

Beyond that, there’s a lot of mediocrity, with perhaps only Dellin Betances clearly possessing an arm likely to lead to WBL success.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

The Gothams need talent, and are likely to draft the best available prospects, avoiding C/1B/CF.

TWIWBL 77.6: Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On September 1, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Brooklyn Royal Giants	70-46	.603	—
Homestead Grays	60-57	.513	10.5
Ottawa Mounties	58-60	.492	13
Philadelphia Stars	57-60	.487	13.5
New York Gothams	57-62	.479	14.5

Effa Manley Division | 12 August

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Frank Knauss fanned 12, combining with Trevor Hildenberger on a 4 hit shutout of Indianapolis, with Brooklyn winning 4-0.

The Royal Giants had a very quiet trade deadline, but they did commit to Vern Stephens at SS, sending Germany Smith to AAA to make room for OF George Hendrick, who came over from Philadelphia.

#Homestead Grays

Doug Drabek was recalled from his rehab assignment as Cliff Lee started one. Drabek regained his spot in the rotation, with Moose Haas heading back to AAA.

Andy Van Slyke homered twice in a losing cause, as the Grays fell to Birmingham, 8-5, then Nap Lajoie duplicated the feat as the Grays fell to the Black Barons again, this time 6-5.

Finally, Rick Reichardt broke the pattern, hitting his 2 homeruns in a Homestead win, 10-6 over Ottawa.

Gary Lucas, Rick Ownbey, and Ray Brown were all sent to AAA to make room for newcomers Juan Marichal, Robb Nen, and David Price.

Marichal’s first start was a disaster, but the Grays fought back, and Nen got the win with 2 scoreless innings in an 11-10 victory over Ottawa.

#New York Gothams

Pete Donohue was returned to AAA, clearing the way for Carson Smith‘s return from injury. The Gothams moved a lot of their staff at the trade deadline, replacing them with FA Kent Tekulve and promoting Donohue, Rube Waddell, and newly acquired Dellin Betances.

They were nearly as active with their field players, sending Terry Turner and J0-Jo Moore down and making room for Robby Thompson and Davey Johnson while promoting Matt Williams and George Van Haltren to the big league club.

#Ottawa Mounties

Carlos Beltrán hit 2 out, reaching 30 on the year, but Ottawa fell to the New York Gothams, 14-8. This staff is so awful in some games: Álex Rodríguez hit 2 out in another loss as the bullpen gave up a 9 run lead with the Mounties falling to Homestead 11-10 in 11 innings.

#Philadelphia Stars

Aaron Judge hit 2 out of the park, reaching 40 dingers on the season, as the Stars topped the House of David, 5-2.

Young Pete Alexander was sent to AAA to make room for newcomer Mark Melancon in the Stars’ bullpen.

Scott Rolen reached 30 dingers on the year, hitting 2 out in a 12-5 win over the New York Gothams. Bill Dickey duplicated Rolen’s feat, but this time the Stars fell to the Gothams, 5-4.

TWIWBL 76.1: Year 2, Week 19

By mknn

On August 4, 2025

In TWIWBL

August 5th

We enter the dog days …

In addition to the natural clarification of the playoff races, August has 2 very important dates: 8/17 is the trading deadline and 8/23 marks the day rosters can be expanded.

#Awards

#July Awards

All hail Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, who hit .487 with 11 homeruns and 36 RBIs in July to win the NL Batter of the Month. For good measure, Gibson added 19 walks, giving him an OBP for the month approaching .600 (.598).

Los Angeles‘ Kal Daniels continues to deliver on his talent, hitting .371 with 12 homers and 30 RBI’s to take home the AL Batter of the Month.

Don Drysedale was in what could most generously be called a funk until July hit, with some even calling for Brooklyn‘s ace to be moved to the bullpen. Instead, he went 5-0 in the month with a 1.81 ERA to take home the NL Pitcher of the Month Award.

Memphis‘ Stubby Overmire was named the AL Pitcher of the Month, going 3-0 with a 1.36 ERA in the year, finding some of the form that led to his ERA crown last year.

Drysedale’s teammate John Briggs just keeps proving his doubters wrong. The 21 year old CF took home the July Rookie of the Month Award in the NL, hitting .366 for the month with 8 homeruns, 17 RBI’s, and 20 runs scored. Another CF–Detroit‘s budding superstar Turkey Stearnes–took home the honors in the AL, hitting .337 with 9 homeruns and 25 RBI’s in the month.

For once, there wasn’t much controversy with the awards. Gibson, whose 1.651 OPS led the league for the month, was a clear choice, meaning Houston‘s Jeff Bagwell–second at 1.375–could understand the decision not going his way.

Birmingham‘s Hank Aaron, and Cleveland‘s Lance Berkman and Ron Blomberg each had 13 homers on the month, with Blomberg driving in a ridiculous 39 runners. But Daniels had the higher OPS, and certainly was a defensible choice.

Drysedale was the only hurler with 5 wins in July, and Overmire and he were 1-2 in ERA. So, overall, solid selections across the board.

#Weekly Awards

Stearnes’ hot streak also earned him the AL Player of the Week Award, as he hit .500 with 5 homers in the first week of August. In the NL, a .536 average with 3 homers earned Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson the Player of the Week Award.

#Team Performance

In the Bill James Division, it looks like a 2-team race, with Cleveland now leading the New York Black Yankees by a single game. That makes it and the Marvin Miller Division the ones worth watching–the Marvin Miller is a 3 team race currently, with Kansas City leading Indianapolis by 1.5 and Houston by 3. But Birmingham and the House of David are only 5.5 games back, so nobody is truly out of the picture.

Not so in the Cum Posey Division: with the best record in baseball, San Francisco is the only team in the division over .500 and leads second place Miami by 18.5 games.

The Effa Manley Division is edging closer to being settled, as Brooklyn, now with the 2nd best record in the league, leads Homesteads by 7.5.

Chicago–yes, last year’s playoff contender Chicago–has the worst record in baseball, at 49-63.

#Player Performance

#Batters

I mean … Josh Gibson, ladies and gentlemen. Ty Cobb has regained the SLG lead by .003, but Gibson is having himself a year for the ages at this point.

Top 2 across all categories.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 291/358/668. 117 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 259/370/741. 50 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 342/384/637. 145 H, 12 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 369/423/799. 145 H, 44 2B, 96 R, 6.2 WAR.
Kal Daniels (LAA). 339/432/656.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 406/505/794. 7.7 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 348/386/558. 141 H.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 355/408/580. 50 2B.
Charles Rogan (PHI). 287/339/614. 12 3B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 280/413/739. 51 HR,117 RBI,102 R, 5.9 WAR.
Ted Williams (MEM). 313/432/651.

#Pitchers

#Starters

7 players have 13 or more wins, led by San Francisco’s Bump Hadley with 16; we’ve included all of those as well as the top 2 in other categories.

The list has settled somewhat–only the Black Yankee’s Ron Guidry doesn’t really belong on a list of the best starters in the WBL (those strikeouts tho …).

Roger Clemens (HOU). 13-6, 3.43.
A. Rube Foster (KCM). 7-3, 2.89. 0.98 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 14-4, 3.93. 167 IP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-7, 4.14. 191 K.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 14-5, 3.92.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 16-5, 4.05.
José Méndez (MCG). 9-5, 4.34. 164 IP. 0.98 WHIP.
Luis Padrón (IND). 15-3, 3.40. 3.65 FIP, 5.0 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 15-5, 4.14.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13-8, 3.13. 197 K, 0.97 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 6.2 WAR.
Jim Whitney (MCG). 7-3, 3.05.

#Relievers

All 5 closers with 20 or more saves are listed, as well as top 2 in relevant stats. Relievers are weird–Rod Beck and Michael Jackson have had strong years, but have also had a couple disastrous outings each, leading to ERA’s over 5.00 despite leading the league in saves and holds, respectively.

24 Min IP.

Terry Adams (CLE). 1-4, 3.82. 20 Sv, 2 H.
Rod Beck (SFS). 3-3, 5.17. 27 Sv, 1 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-1, 2.76. 23 Sv.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 2.09. 4 Sv, 6 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-6, 5.73. 1 Sv, 15 H.
Ted Kennedy (PHI). 2-2, 3.64. 4 Sv, 13 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 7-3, 3.60. 26 Sv.
Joe Nathan (LAA). 5-4, 3.57. 20 Sv.
Akinori Otsuka (CAG). 4-1, 1.99. 5 Sv, 5 H.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 2-3, 3.43. 1 Sv, 13 H.

#Looking Back at Preseason Predictions

Some good/some bad, as usual.

In the AL, The San Francisco Sea Lions were the clear preseason favorite, and they’ve delivered; but the experts also had the New York Black Yankees running away with their division, which has certainly not been the case. And nobody saw Chicago’s collapse–the experts saw the American Giants in 2nd place behind the Sea Lions, led by an MVP quality season from Frank Thomas. The Big Hurt has been good, but not that good, and the American Giants have floundered for most of the season.

Over in the NL, the prediction was for Brooklyn and Homestead to be tied for first place, which is not far off. But the Marvin Miller Division is a bit mixed up, with Houston being predicted to coast to a 7 game lead with Kansas City and Indianapolis (currently 1-2) foundering at the bottom of the table.

#Injury Report

Memphis’ Dobie Moore should start a rehab assignment this week, as will the New York Gothams‘ Carson Smith and Ottawa’s Bill Smith.

Year II Season Preview: New York Gothams

By mknn

On April 6, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

A deep playoff run, much like last year.

The Gothams could also benefit from additional depth throughout the organization and, perhaps, by not trading away all their damn picks this year.

Best Case

Either Gaylord Perry or Juan Marichal (or both) step forward, joining Christy Mathewson among the league’s elite; the bullpen continues to dominate; and the offensive pieces that clicked last season–Pete Runnels, Pinky Higgins, Jimmy Sheckard, Johnny Callison–continue to do so (or are covered through increased performance/playing time for George Van Haltren or Carl Furillo in the OF).

Worst Case

The bullpen falters, and only Matty remains viable as a starter while everyone not named Willie Mays and Buster Posey struggles offensively.

Key Questions

Like so many other teams, the rotation is key.
The infield feels fragile, so how that plays out will bear watching.
How will the Gothams get PA’s for Benny Kauff?

Trade Bait

The Gothams do have a lot of OFers lying around, but it’s not clear who is actually surplus to requirements. With Kauff’s emergense, perhaps one of the Sheckard / Callison / Van Haltren group, or maybe last year’s 4th OF, Carl Furillo?

Instead, in an attempt to solve their MI issue, the Gothams obtained Davey Concepción, who promptly disappointed and was jettisoned to the minors.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C		Posey	Westrum
1B		Adcock		Clark
2B			Runnels			Doyle
3B			Higgins		Suárez
SS					Crawford
LF/ RF		Callison	Van Haltren Sheckard	Furillo
CF	Mays					Kauff
SP	Mathewson	Perry		Marichal Waddell
End	Norris ~~Wilson~~	Nen ~~Smith~~				Percival
RP			Howe Sutton			Hubbell

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

There’s a chance, right? A few improvements, and the Gothams could be in the mix.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	CF Willie Mays	OF Wally Berger IF Jim Ray Hart
Batting Eye	C Wes Westrum	C Dick Dietz
Contact	IF Pete Runnels	1B Bill Terry
Running Speed	OF Jimmy Sheckard	OF Charlie Hamburg IF Pat Listach IF Freddie Patek IF Tim Shinnick OF Kyle Tucker
Base Stealing	OF George Van Haltren	IF Hap Myers IF Tim Shinnick
IF Defense	IF Eugenio Suárez	IF Neifi Pérez
OF Defense	CF Willie Mays	OF Jo-Jo Moore
Stuff	SP Christy Mathewson	P William VanLandingham
Control	P Juan Marichal	P Al Spalding
Velocity	RP Robb Nen RP Troy Percival	P Rick Helling

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (53)	24	P	Masahiro Tanaka
2 (56)	19	OF	Kyle Tucker
3 (60)	22	P	William VanLandingham
4 (86)	25	P	Al Spalding
5 (104)	22	SS	Joe Sullivan
6 (112)	23	P	Jordan Montgomery
7 (155)	21	IF	Tom Burns

Others: None.

A very weak system in need of some serious replenishment, although Tucker and a couple of the arms should come good eventually.

	Most	Least
Age	1B Joe Adcock, 39	1B Bill White, 19 OF Kyle Tucker, 19
Height	P Mat Latos, 6’6″ P Jordan Montgomery, 6’6″ P Carson Smith, 6’6″	IF Freddie Patek, 5’5″
OPS	OF Carl Warwick, 1.025 (—)	IF Adam Everett, .381 (—)
HR	IF Chick Fulmer, 48 (—)	C Steve O’Neill, 1 (AAA/AA)
SB	OF Jimmy Sheckard, 37 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	IF Jim Ray Hart, 5.6 (—) CF Willie Mays, 5.6 (WBL)	IF Frank Malzone, -5.6 (—)
W	Christy Mathewson, 17 (WBL)	Lefty Hoerst, 2 (—/AA)
SV	Brian Wilson, 29 (WBL)
ERA	Joe Bush, 2.86 (—)	Matt Cain, 7.68 (AAA)
WAR	Christy Mathewson, 4.4 (WBL) Wei-Yin Chen, 4.4 (—)	Lefty Hoerst, 6.20 (—/AA)

Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.12: Spring Training Notes – New York Gothams

By mknn

On February 29, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

The offseason signing of Troy Percival means the pitching staff really only has 2 open slots, both likely to go to players that can serve as spot starters, with one of those likely to go to 6th round steal Masahiro Tanaka.

For the rest of the roster, it’s really the infield that has to be settled–whether Will Clark and Joe Adcock will exist in a platoon or some other arrangement and who the reserves will be.

Injuries

The Gothams received some bad news as stalwart reliever Carson Smith will miss most of the season with a torn muscle in his back.

First Cuts

Things are not going as planned: Juan Marichal, Don Sutton, Brian Wilson, Gaylord Perry, Steve Howe, and Robb Nen have all struggled early while most of the long shots to make the club have pitched quite well. Vean Gregg and Jordan Montgomery were both moved to minor league camp, but the Gothams are looking to the next week to help sort out their staff.

C Kirt Manwaring was moved out of camp, along with 1Bs Justin Morneau and (not that) Bill White and 3B Pinky Whitney. The corner spots need some clarity, as players the Gothams’ are depending on–Joe Adcock, Will Clark, and Pete Runnels–are all struggling. 3B Matt Williams remains in camp, but if he doesn’t shoe some of his power potential, he won’t be here very long.

Neifi Pérez and Larry Doyle have impressed, with Brian Dozier and David Eckstein both heading out.

In the OF, Fred Lewis, Jo-Jo Moore, John Reccius, and Kyle Tucker were all sent to the minors, with Steve Kemp and Mike Tiernan both making an argument to stick around a while longer.

Second Cuts

Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry are struggling, but will make the opening day roster no matter what. There were high hopes for Masahiro Tanaka, but he joins Vean Gregg and Jordan Montgomery in minor league camp.

The IF is still totally muddled. Youngsters Neifi Pérez and Freddie Patek and longshot Larry Doyle are all tearing the cover off the ball, and predicted starters Pinky Higgins and Pete Runnels are struggling mightily. Matt Williams was the odd man out here, being sent down just to clear some space despite a decent performance so far.

The OF is similar: AAA MVP Benny Kauff is demanding a rosters spot, but Steve Kemp and Ben Oglive are hitting well enough to make an argument, while presumed opening-day players Willie Mays, Johnny Callison, Wally Berger, and Jimmy Sheckard have all yet to find their stroke.

Third Cuts

Everyone in camp is pitching decently, except Juan Marichal, who gets a roster spot based on a decent season last year. So these cuts are rough: Luis Avilán, William VanLandingham, and Henry Rodríguez all pitched well enough to stick around, but it’s a numbers game at some point.

Dick Dietz, Mark Loretta and Ben Oglive were sent down.

SS is very cloudy. Freddie Patek and Neifi Pérez are playing very well, as is Brandon Crawford (who has to be considered the favorite).

Some good players are going to miss making the roster in the OF. Willie Mays, Johnny Callison, and Jimmy Sheckard are the starters, with George Van Haltren established as a backup. The problem is that Wally Berger, Benny Kauff, Carl Furillo, Steve Kemp, and Mike Tiernan are all hitting excellently. Kauff is probably the starting DH, but that still leaves 8 active OFers.

Last Cuts

These are nigh impossible. Pinky Higgins, Pete Runnels, and Will Clark are all struggling mightily, but their performance last season keeps them in camp and, indeed, probably keeps them in the starting lineup. That makes the Gothams’ first cut 1B Bill Terry.

Terry’s hope to make the WBL roster was to take Joe Adcock‘s spot but, for now, the 39 year old Adcock remains projected to play a key role of New York’s bench.

Newly acquired Dave Concepción will start the season at AAA, as will utility IF Johan Camargo, who had an outside shot at the opening day roster. They are joined by C Steve O’Neill, who was always a long shot to make the team.

The Gothams need to clear 5 roster spots to get to 30, a process started by placing closer Brian Wilson on the DL. Neifi Pérez had a good Spring, but Larry Doyle‘s was significantly better, sending Pérez down to AAA and handing the reserve 2B spot to Doyle. Joining them are SS Freddie Patek and OF Steve Kemp, as well as SP Al Spalding, who has to be wondering what more he needed to do after posting a sub 2.00 ERA for the Spring.

Guy Hecker and Pete Donohue were demoted and Mickey Welch released, but that only opened the door for the truly hard decisions.

George Van Haltren, Jimmy Sheckard, and Johnny Callison were all great for New York last season. None have an OPS over .600 this Spring. Wally Berger and Mike Tiernan were longshots to make the roster. And both have OPS’ over .890. Berger and Tiernan were sent down, but may find their way back quite quickly.

The final cut was veteran IF Larry Doyle, who had an excellent Spring, but was a victim of too much competition across the infield, and of Pete Runnels‘ fantastic contributions last year.

Season Review: New York Gothams

By mknn

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.

TWIWBL 49.4: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day IV– September 27

By mknn

On September 29, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

From the obvious department: game four’s are important. Detroit and Portland have a chance to take commanding leads; New York and Baltimore look to overcome a 2-1 deficit and reset their series to best of 3’s.

#Detroit Wolverines v New York Gothams, Game 4

Detroit leads, 2-1.

Detroit didn’t announce their starter until the last minute, finally settling on Hank Aguirre over Justin Verlander. Part of the reason is a desire to neutralize the Gothams’ left-handed bats–the trio of Jimmy Sheckard, Geroge Van Haltren, and Johnny Callison are all far more effective against righties, and only Sheckard will be in the starting lineup, as will Johan Camargo, replacing the struggling Pinky Higgins at 3B.

New York is coming back with Christy Mathewson on shortish rest–if they can get 4 or 5 good innings out of Matty, it will be a success.

Pete Runnels and Willie Mays doubled in the first inning, giving the Gothams a 1-0 lead.

Mathewson was his worst enemy and then his savior in the third: George Davis singled and Tony Phillips was safe on a sacrifice bunt attempt putting runners at first and second with no outs. Bob Bailey tapped it back to the mound and Mathewson’s throw was wild, allowing Davis to score. Mathewson was visibly upset, and responded by striking out Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, and Oscar Gamble in order. Matty did what he was asked to do: 5 innings, 5 hits, 1 run.

Buster Posey doubled home Runnels in the bottom of the 5th giving New York a 2-1 lead which increased to 3-1 on a Benny Kauff pinch-hit single in the 6th. RBI’s from Mays and Wes Westrum made it 5-1.

The Gothams bullpen continues to be magnificent: Steve Howe, Carson Smith, Mike Norris, and Brian Wilson each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Mathewson.

Cobb had 3 hits, but the rest of the the Wolverines’ offense struggled. Runnels had 3 hits for the Gothams as he, Posey, and Mays combined for 7 hits, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs from the first 3 positions of their order.

DET 1 (Aguirre 1-1) @ NYG 5 (Mathewson 2-1; Howe 1 H; Smith 1 H)
HRs: None.
Box Score

There was some bad news after the game for the Gothams: Howe, who has been quite effective in the postseason, strained his hamstring and will be out for the rest of the playoffs, meaning a roster change will be needed before game 5.

#Baltimore Black Sox v Portland Sea Dogs

Portland leads, 2-1.

A matchup of two hurlers who have struggled mightily in the postseason: Portland’s Bert Blyleven and Baltimore’s Mike Mussina.

Blyleven didn’t look very good initially, surrendering 4 hits and 2 runs in the top of the first (Bobby Wallace scored on a Curt Blefary sacrifice fly and Bryce Harper singled home the second run). Mussina was equally rough, though: Bobby Murcer, Rogers Hornsby, Buddy Bell, and Joe Mauer all had RBI doubles in an inning helped by two Baltimore errors. By the end of it, 12 Sea Dogs had come to the plate, and Portland had an 8-2 lead.

Blefary–in a massive slump all postseason–took Blyleven deep in the 3rd, cutting the lead to 8-4 and Larry Gardner hit a solo shot just inside the right field foul pole in the 5th to make it 8-5. Meanwhile, Mussina was literally perfect until a Gavvy Cravath double in the bottom of the 5th. Jim Fregosi took him deep two batters later, ending Mussina’s day and restoring a 5 run edge for Portland.

Homeruns from Paul Blair and Harper brought Baltimore closer, but Portland’s Elmer Brown was efficient and able to shut the door. Portland was now 1 game away from the Whirled Series!

Frank Robinson had 3 hits for Baltimore in the loss.

BAL 7 (Mussina 0-2) @ POR 10 (Blyleven 2-0; Brown 1 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Blefary (1), Gardner (1), Blair (1), Harper (3); POR – Fregosi (3).
Box Score

With Howe out, the Gothams were caught between needing a lefty from the pen and an additional starting pitcher. The settled on Vean Gregg, despite his struggles since his arrival from Homestead in a midseason trade.

TWIWBL 48.3: Playoff Previews – New York Gothams @ Cleveland Spiders

By mknn

On September 11, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Series Previews, TWIWBL

The final matchup features two teams that got no respect during the season. Everyone focused on the New York Black Yankees, but the Spiders won that division by 5 games (the largest gap of any division); the Gothams were always sort of an afterthought, but won one more game than Cleveland.

#New York Gothams

We’ve got a true #1 starter and the best bullpen in the league. Seems like a good recipe for the playoffs, right?

Christy Mathewson (17-8, 3.50) will pitch as many games as he can, and the Gothams will turn to Carson Smith (3-0, 2.05) and the superlative Mike Norris (4-4, 1.47) to get the ball to Brian Wilson (2-0, 2.13 with 29 saves). Beyond Matty, Gaylord Perry (9-10, 4.27) has been solid and they’ll try to find some mix of Don Sutton, Juan Marichal, and Rube Waddell for the rest.

Two additions (veteran Joe Adcock and OF George Van Haltren) have rounded out New York’s offense, adding some support for Willie Mays (322/384/516), Buster Posey (319/397/462), and Johnny Callison (304/352/543). It’s an offense that gets a lot of hits, but lacks power: Mays and Will Clark led the team with 24 homeruns, but most of Clark’s came with Miami. Callison and Jimmy Sheckard hit 20 each, but really that’s it.

Still, there aren’t really any bad hitters until you get all the way down to SS Eugenio Suárez, and his OPS is just under .700. Pete Runnels has been out of his mind since coming to the Gothams, with an OPS over .900, and could really be the key to their postseason success.

Callison’s return from injury as well as Benny Kauff‘s fantastic WBL debut at the end of the season (a 1.2o2 OPS over 20+ AB) forces LHP Vean Gregg off the playoff roster, and left the Gothams with an interesting tactical choice between defensive SS sub Brandon Crawford and IF Johan Camargo, who can play both 2B and SS, albeit mediocrely. They ended up going with Camargo for the first series.

#Cleveland Spiders

The Spiders are a good team, and Tris Speaker‘s explosion on the scene makes them better. But they are also a pretty thin team all around.

Pat Malone (17-8, 3.84), Bill Steen (13-3, 2.93), and Cy Young (11-10, 4.36) are a solid opening trio, and either Mel Harder or Stan Coveleski will cover behind them. The trio of Chuck Porter, Cory Gearrin, and Terry Adams (38 saves) has been great on the back end. But Ron Reed–an all-star with Philadelphia–has been a large disappointment with the Spiders, and the rest of the bullpen is very unknown.

The offense has been carried all year by Ron Blomberg, with strong support from Jake Stahl, John Ellis, Johnny Bates and Louis Santop. Bates, Ellis, and Stahl all have OPS in the .800s. Blomberg leads the team with 44 homeruns, 125 RBIs, and 109 runs. But only Stahl (26) and Ellis (21) have over 20 dingers, and Stahl, with 85 RBI and 83 R shows just how far behind Blomberg the rest of the offense has been.

Enter Speaker, who was injured for most of the year, and then stuck behind Kenny Lofton in CF. In just under 100 PA, Speaker is slashing 372/443/616, giving the Spiders a true second offensive threat. Also of note, while Lance Berkman‘s overall .744 OPS isn’t much to look at, his OPS with Cleveland is at .800, a significant difference.

The left side of the IF continues to be a challenge: Arky Vaughan has brought his glove with him since the trade that brought him over from Homestead, but his bat remains missing and Sammy Strang does little more at third than get on base (his .370 OBP is 4th on the team, but his .705 OPS is well towards the bottom of the list).

#Prediction

Gothams in 6. Their bullpen carries it for me.

TWIWBL 47.0: End Of Season Review

By mknn

On September 1, 2023

In TWIWBL

September 14

Just a quick look through the performances at the end of the season. Look for both award posts and more in-depth reviews of the season over the offseason. BUT FIRST … are you ready for some playoffs?

Awards

Portland‘s Jim Fregosi won the final Player of the Week Award, hitting .588 down the final week of the season.

Performance

Batters

Babe Ruth finished the season on fire, taking over the league lead in RBIs and walks and maintaining his edge in … almost everything else. At the end of the season, it looks like he should indeed walk away with the MVP.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 336/412/649. 44 HR, 109 R.
Eddie Collins (CAG). 315/409/513. 6.5 WAR.
Ty Cobb (DET). 352/391/557. 192 H.
Mike Fiore (CAG). 240/405/390. 109 BB.
Hank Greenberg (DET). 317/374/595. 45 2B.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 279/400/371. 99 SB.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 317/424/589.
Willie Mays (NYG). 322/384/516. 186 H.
Stan Musial (KAN). 329/395/577. 49 2B.
Alejandro Oms (MCG). 259/313/410. 13 3B.
Doug Rader (LAA). 330/391/529. 134 RBI.
Tim Raines (OTT). 282/362/414. 92 SB.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 312/427/663. 48 HR, 136 RBI, 127 R, 110 BB, 8.1 WAR.
Louis Santop (CLE). 293/322/447. 14 3B.

Pitchers

Starters

For context, included all 15 game winners, as well as the league leaders in BA against, BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play), HR/9, and BB/9.

Bill Byrd (BAL). 14-3, 3.33.
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 16-9, 4.16.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 14-7, 3.46. 207 K.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-12, 4.35. 188 K.
Walter Johnson (POR). 14-5, 3.50. .211 Avg.
Pat Malone (CLE). 17-8, 3.84. 5.0 WAR.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 17-8, 3.50. 211 IP.
Tricky Nichols (CAG). 15-9, 4.14.
Roy Oswalt (HOU). 14-8, 3.70. 207 IP.
Alejandro Peña (BBB). 12-9, 3.79. 5.1 WAR, 3.52 FIP.
Andy Pettitte (KAN/BBB). 15-5, 3.20.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 12-7, 3.87. 1 Sv, 3.47 FIP, 0.5 HR/9.
Charlie Root (SFS/DET). 10-6, 3.53. 1.06 WHIP, .239 BABIP.
Jack Taylor (HOD). 15-9, 3.42. 1.14 WHIP.
Cy Young (CLE). 11-10, 4.36. 1.7 BB/IP.

Relievers

35 IP for rate stats.

Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 2.65. 38 Sv. 0.0 HR/9.
Rod Beck (SFS). 2-7, 5.23. 33 Sv.
Mike Henneman (DET). 2-7, 4.60. 38 Sv.
Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 1 Sv, 8 H. 0.98 WHIP, .182 Avg.
AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.61. 30 Sv. 2.88 FIP.
Buddy Napier (DET). 2-1, 2.81. 2 Sv, 9 H. 0.94 WHIP, .198 BABIP.
Don Newcombe (MCG/CAG). 4-15, 6.29. 2 H. 1.3 BB/9.
Mike Norris (NYG). 4-4, 1.47. 8 Sv, 15 H.
Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 1-6, 4.61. 3 Sv, 17 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 7-5, 3.86. 1 Sv, 18 H.
Carson Smith (NYG). 3-0, 2.05. 1 Sv, 10 H. 0.0 HR/9.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 2-0, 2.13. 29 Sv, 1 H. 0.0 HR/9, 2.58 FIP.

Final Series Results

TWIWBL 46.3: Series XXXVIII Notes – September 12th (Day 4 of 4)

By mknn

On August 30, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

The only thing left to play for is the final seeding of the Marvin Miller Division, where Birmingham–having clinched their playoff spot the day prior–is a game behind the Portland Sea Dogs.

Other than that, look for a final chance for late season call ups to make their impressions.

#Playoff Seeding

4 hits and 2 homeruns from Bob Nieman helped Birmingham take care of business, beating Philadelphia 7-2. The victory leaves the Black Barons 1/2 game behind Portland in the Marvin Miller Division, making the Sea Dogs final game of the season against the New York Gothams a meaningful one.

While Portland took an early 2-0 lead, they were unable to hold on, and their regular season ended in the oddest way: a bases loaded walk in the bottom of the 10th to Carl Furillo plated the winning run for the Gothams. Carson Smith, Mike Norris, and Steve Howe combine for 4 scoreless innings after a strong start from Don Sutton, with Smith improving to 3-0.

Which means Portland and Birmingham will meet in a 1-game playoff to determine the winner of the Marvin Miller Division.

#Everything Else

Miami’s Jim Thome hit the longest homerun in WBL history–526 feet and 1 foot longer than the prior record, held by Kansas City’s Albert Pujols–to lead the Cuban Giants to a 7-2 win over Homestead. Homestead’s Babe Adams got another few swings at DH and made the most of them, hitting his first career dinger. The win went to an effective José Méndez, and Miami’s Bert Campaneris made his pitching debut with 2 innings of 1-hit relief.

Rickey Henderson‘s quest for 100 steals fell one short, as he stole 2 and was caught once in the Sea Lions final game, a 4-3 defeat by Indianapolis, who used a walk off single from Joe Morgan to earn their 73rd and final victory of the season.

Like Baltimore needed more pitching: the Black Sox gave the ball to Milt Pappas for their final regular season game more to rest the rest of their staff than anything else. Pappas responded with a 5 hit shutout of Kansas City. Ken Singleton had 2 hits and 2 RBIs in the 3-0 victory.

The American Giants didn’t really mind the 9-1 loss to Brooklyn to close out their season; they were, however, hoping to escape with their playoff roster unscathed. Instead, teenage OF Cristóbal Torriente pulled up lame with a sore hamstring, and will miss about 3 weeks of action.

Mike Trout had 2 hits and reached the 100 RBI plateau, but Los Angeles fell to Memphis, 8-4. Mookie Betts had 3 hits and 2 RBI for the Red Sox, who overcame a substandard outing from Stubby Overmire in the win.