Tag: CC Sabathia Page 3 of 4

It’s been a long time since we checked in on the House of David, who were featured way back in Series V when they visited Los Angeles. The Baltimore Black Sox–currently tied for the best record in baseball–were featured in Series IX.

Wandering House of David

The House of David are struggling towards .500, sitting 6 games below that mark, and 5 games behind Detroit in the Bill James Division. Honestly, even that may be outperforming their metrics (they are, in fact, 2 games above their Pythagorean projection at this point).

The pitching has been an issue all season. C.C. Sabathia started the year quite well, and if the House of David have an ace, he’s it. But he’s only 5-5 on the year, with a 4.29 ERA (his WHIP of 1.33 is more respectable), and some would look at Jack Taylor (4-5, 3.57 ERA) as having been more dependable. Probably their best pitcher has been Bob Rush, who sparkled out of the pen, and has just recently moved into the rotation. Rush is 4-3, with a 3.07 ERA, and both he and Taylor have identical 1.18 WHIPs.

The bullpen has been fairly mediocre: Joakim Soria started the year as the closer, lost that role to Bruce Sutter, and was just released. Sutter has been fine, and recently promoted Lee Smith has some potential, but neither he nor Rollie Fingers seem terribly reliable at the moment.

The House of David’s best offensive player has, hands down, been Pete Browning, who is slashing 385/419/606, The problem is Browning has only been healthy for about 28 games. He’s back now, and hopefully can spark a struggling offense.

The bright spots of the offense are clear: OF George Stone (318/407/552 and a team-high 12 homeruns), C Elrod Hendricks (291/344/581), and–in one of the shocks of the league–OF Dan Ford (375/396/557 in about half their games) have led the team along with SS Ernie Banks who tops the team with 44 RBIs. And … that’s about it. Ron Santo and Mark Grace have been fine, and Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire have been miserable (Sosa was just sent to AAA to work it out).

Optimism for the House of David centers around Browning’s health and Ford not collapsing. We’ll see.

Baltimore Black Sox

The Black Sox have ridden strong starting pitching and a solid offense to the best record in the league, even after a shocking series against Birmingham, where they lost 3-out-of-4. They’ll be looking to right the ship immediately, with their ace, Dennis Martinez taking the mound for the first game. Martinez is 7-2 with a 3.15 ERA, but calling him their ace may be a little misleading: Bill Byrd has essentially the same ERA at 3.16 and Ned Garvin may be the best pitcher in the league at the moment, with an ERA well under 3.00.

Don Bessent and Bob Miller have combined for 11 saves, with neither actually being declared the official closer, and Sean Marshall and Buddy Groom continue to pitch really well out of the pen.

Offensively, Curt Blefary has slowed down slightly, but is still mashing the ball at a 289/392/639 clip to lead the way, and he and Frank Robinson (313/394/537) are among the better duos in the league. Three regulars–SS Bobby Wallace, 1B Dan McGann, and 2B Larry Gardner have OBPs over .400, ensuring plenty of traffic on the basepaths, and the Black Sox’ patience with Bryce Harper has really paid off as, after a month of struggle, the young outfielder is starting to contribute more and more offensively.

Recently recalled Baby Doll Jacobsen was perhaps the most dominant hitter in AAA, so the club is eager to see if he can contribute.

Starting Pitchers

House of David starter listed first.

Wade Miley (2-2, 6.12 ERA) @ Dennis Martinez (7-2, 3.15 ERA)
Jack Taylor (4-5, 3.57 ERA) @ Jim Palmer (4-5, 4.85 ERA)
Frank Sullivan (4-6, 4.90 ERA) @ Bill Byrd (5-2, 3.16 ERA)
CC Sabathia (5-5, 4.29 ERA) @ Johnny Sain (5-4, 5.42 ERA)

Series Prediction

I mean … Baltimore is clearly the superior team. And they’ll be looking to bounce back after a disappointing series with Birmingham. I think they will, and the House of David will only win one game, either for Taylor or Sabathia.

TWIWBL Special Edition: All Star Preview II – AL Starting Pitchers

By mknn

On September 24, 2021

In All Star Games

{ With under three weeks until the All Star Teams are announced, we’re looking at what’s changed since our original previews. }

Initial preview here, selecting Gerrit Cole, CC Sabathia, Tricky Nichols, Ed Walsh, and Dennis Martinez.

It doesn’t look terribly different at this point. Los Angeles’ Cole (7-3) and Baltimore’s Martinez (7-1) are the only 7 game winners in the league, so you have to assume they make it, although Cole’s 4.04 ERA will lead to some arguments. There can be little disagreement about Martinez, though, as El Presidente has a 3.16 ERA and a 1.11 WHIP for the best team in baseball.

Behind them, Kansas City’s Andy Petitte (4-3, 3.31 ERA) and Sabathia (5-4, 3.65 ERA) deserve some consideration, as do the House of David’s Jack Taylor (only a 3-5 record, but a sub-4 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP) and Chicago’s Ben Sheets (5-3, 3.95 ERA, 1.21 WHIP).

Nichols has fallen out of the conversation, and Walsh is on the DL for about a month, so they’re no longer in the running.

The AI does some interesting things, selecting Baltimore’s Ned Garvin, Detroit’s Johnny Marcum and Hal Newhouser, and the House of David’s Bob Rush along with Martinez and Petitte. Garvin, Marcum, and Rush have just recently moved into their team’s starting rotations. All three are strong choices, especially Garvin, who is 5-1 with a 2.09 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP in 8 relief appearances and 4 starts, but I’m still considering them as relievers at the moment.

Newhouser is a decent possibility. He’s made 7 starts, so it could all fall apart, but so far he looks like a potential ace, with only a 2-1 record, but a microscopic 1.93 ERA. Clearly, if he keeps that up over his next 3 or 4 starts, he’ll warrant very strong consideration.

So at this point I would go with Martinez as the starter, with Cole, Sabathia, Pettite and … let’s say the Gothams’ Juan Marichal, who is 6-1, with a high ERA that is likely to drop (I have a fear that Newhouser will implode, or be injured over the next few weeks).

TWIWBL 15.0: Series XII Notes

By mknn

On August 20, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 21

We’re 50 games into the season, and the standings are beginning to matter a little. And, they’re tightening up.

Los Angeles and Detroit are tied at 26-24 in the Bill James Division, with the New York Gothams 1/2 game back and the House of David only 2 behind. And, the New York Black Yankees have been reeled back in over in the Effa Manley Division, with both Cleveland and Philadelphia within 3 games.

In the other 2 divisions, the leads are slightly larger. The surprising Baltimore Black Sox, with a league leading 32-18 record, are 5 games up on the Chicago American Giants in the Cum Posey Division and Portland leads Brooklyn by 5.5 in the Marvin Miller Division.

Most believe Baltimore is overperforming meaning only Portland–maybe–is building a dependable lead.

The league’s emerging parity is underscored by the longest winning and losing streak being 3 games right now (Portland having won 3 in a row, Birmingham having lost).

Baltimore and the Homestead Grays are 8-2 over their last 10 games (Homestead’s streak leaves them only at 21-29, but still is encouraging) while the House of David, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Miami have all only won 3 of their last 10 games).

#Awards

Baltimore’s 36-year old 1B, Dan McGann, took home the Player of the Week award, hitting .588 with 2 homeruns, 4 RBIs, and 9 runs scored, lifting his overall batting average to .314.

#Performance

The batter leading the league in 2 of the 3 slash categories? Not Babe Ruth, but San Francisco‘s Reggie Jackson (who is second to Ruth in SLG as well).

Top Batters: Reggie Jackson (SFS) 378/489/649; Stan Musial (KAN) 360/425/602, 67 H; Babe Ruth (NYY) 339/445/699, 17 HR, 45 R, 3.0 WAR; Willie Mays (NYG) 352/405/531, 69 H; Rico Carty (PHI) 347/410/569, 19 2B; Louis Santop (CLE) 314/348/495, 7 3B; Terry Puhl (OTT) 255/318/422, 5 3B; Eric Davis (NYY) 284/333/553, 15 HR, 53 RBI; Doug Rader (LAA) 314/364/503, 49 RBI; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 240/399/323, 43 BB, 37 SB.

Top Starters: Walter Johnson (POR) 6-1, 3.65, 2.3 WAR; Dennis Martinez (BAL) 6-1, 3.07, 1.08 WHIP; Ron Guidry (NYY) 5-3, 3.10, 83 K, 1,06 WHIP; Lefty Grove (SFS) 4-3, 3.45, 71 K; Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-2, 2.60; Camilo Pascual (MIA) 4-3, 2.90; CC Sabathia (HOD) 5-3, 3.01, 1.9 WAR.

Top Relievers: Johan Santana 1-1, 3.00, 17 Sv; Terry Adams (CLE) 0-1, 1.69, 12 Sv; Bob Howry (PHI) 1-2, 5.09, 12 Sv; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-2, 2.96, 2 Sv, 9 H; Aroldis Chapman (MIA) 0-2, 0.00, 9 Sv; Joe Beggs (MEM) 0-0, 0.00, 7 Sv; Brian Wilson (NYG) 0-0, 1.93, 5 Sv, 0.79 WHIP; Jonathan Papelbon (MEM) 0-2, 2.01, 3 Sv, 3 H, 0.90 WHIP.

#Streaks

With Thurman Munson‘s hitting streak being stopped at 22 games (1 behind Ruth’s 23 earlier this year), there are no active hitting streaks above 13 games. However, Indianapolis‘ Oscar Charleston has reached base in 24 straight games (a league high), Munson in 23, and Terry Puhl in 19.

In oddities, Rickey Henderson has stolen 26 straight bases and Johnny Bench of the ABC’s has 3 consecutive pinch hits.

On the mound, Baltimore’s Bill Byrd hasn’t given up a run in 14 innings and Cleveland’s Terry Adams and San Francisco’s Rod Beck have each converted their last 11 save opportunities.

Not coincidental to Baltimore’s rise in the standings, Frank Robinson has been on a 14 game tear where he’s hitting 453/525/755. Damian Jackson remains probably the coldest hitter in the WBL, managing only 068/212/068 over 20 games.

On the mound, CC Sabathia is 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over his last 7 starts (51 innings) and the Gothams’ Sad Sam Jones has a 2.57 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over his last 42 innings. At the other end, Miami’s Ramon Martinez is 0-3 with a 9.45 ERA over his last 4 starts and San Francisco’s Dennis Eckersley truly earned his demotion to AAA, going 1-3 with a 9.74 ERA over 5 starts.

Series XII Results

Taking 3 of 4 in Series XII

Baltimore over Los Angeles
Portland over Birmingham
Philadelphia over Brooklyn
Chicago over Indianapolis
Detroit over San Francisco
Homestead over Ottawa
Memphis over Miami

Taking 2 out of 3

New York Gothams over Cleveland (one rainout)

Series Splits

Houston @ New York Black Yankees
House of David @ Kansas City

TWIWBL 13.0: Series XI Notes

By mknn

On August 4, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 17th

Performance

The best team in the WBL is … the Baltimore Black Sox? Surprising, but with 29 wins, they have one more than either the New York Black Yankees or the Portland Sea Dogs. Baltimore is led by C Curt Blefary and OF Frank Robinson offensively, with Dennis Martinez and Johnny Sain each having 5 wins on the year. Key to their recent performance has been a bit of resurgence by OF Bryce Harper, who has pushed his OPS up over .700 (a jump of about 100 points in just over a week).

The league is pretty well clustered, with only four teams (Memphis, Homestead, Miami, and Birmingham) yet to reach 20 wins.

Individual performances are still pretty spread out, as the lists below demonstrate. Babe Ruth leads in 4 categories, but he’s really the only player dominating across the board that way.

Leading SP: Walter Johnson (POR) 6-0, 3.21 ERA, 2.1 WAR; Gerrit Cole (LAA) 6-2, 4.09 ERA; Ron Guidry (NYY) 5-3, 3.10 ERA, 83 Ks, 1.06 WHIP; Lefty Grove (SFS) 4-1, 3.14 ERA; Camilo Pascual (MCG) 4-2, 2.45 ERA; Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-2, 2.60 ERA; Whit Wyatt (CLE) 3-1, 2.66 ERA, 1.12 WHIP; CC Sabathia 5-3, 3.01 ERA, 2.0 WAR.

Leading RP: Johan Santana (POR) 0-1, 3.65 ERA, 15 Sv; Terry Adams (CLE) 0-1, 1.69 ERA, 12 Sv; Bob Howry (PHI) 0-2, 5.74 ERA, 12 Sv; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-2, 2.92 ERA, 2 Sv, 9 H; Ralph Citarella (NYY) 1-2, 3.71 ERA, 1 Sv, 7 H; Craig Kimbrel (KAN) 1-1, 2.75 ERA, 7 H; Aroldis Chapman (MCG) 0-2, 0.00 ERA, 9 Sv; Joe Beggs (MEM) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 5 Sv; Brian Wilson (NYG) 0-0, 2.08 ERA, 4 Sv, 0.77 WHIP; Bob Rush (HOD) 3-1, 1.50 ERA, 0.92 WHIP.

Leading Batters: Buster Posey (NYG) 377/451/623, 35 R, 2.6 WAR; Reggie Jackson (SFS) 370/488/637; Babe Ruth (NYY) 337/441/703, 16 HR, 44 R, 2.8 WAR; Lou Gehrig (NYY) 338/440/654; Willie Mays (NYG) 353/403/538, 65 H; Stan Musial (KAN) 354/417/566, 62 H; Rico Carty (PHI) 353/416/569, 18 2B; Terry Puhl (OTT) 248/313/409, 5 3B; Eric Davis (NYY) 301/349/578, 14 HR, 52 RBI; Doug Rader (LAA) 322/367/519, 49 RBI; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 244/402/333, 40 BB, 36 SB.

League Standings | League Statistics

Streaks

Cleveland‘s Jake Stahl is hitting 353/450/912 over his last 10 games, with 5 homeruns. At the other end, Philadelphia‘s Gene Demontreville is challenging the value of the good field/no hit shortstop, managing only a 128/128/154 line over his las 23 games (Demontreville was actually demoted to AAA this week, understandably). Damian Jackson has been even worse for Chicago: 075/213/075 over 18 games, but with more at-bats than Demontreville.

Sad Sam Jones is 2-1 with a 2.04 ERA over his last 5 starts while CC Sabathia is 4-1, 2.47 over his last 7.

Thurman Munson of the Black Yankees has the only active hitting streak of length, at 20 games and counting. Don Buford has reached base in 23 straight games, with Carlos Delgado, Oscar Charleston, and Munson each also having streaks of 20 games or more.

Hal Carlson hasn’t allowed a run in 14 innings.

The House of David is 1-9 over their last 10 games while Baltimore and Cleveland have one 8 of their last 10. Chicago has lost their last 7 games in a row.

Series Results

Series Sweeps

Cleveland over Chicago
Homestead over House of David

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XI

Baltimore over Memphis
Kansas City over Birmingham
Brooklyn over Ottawa
Philadelphia over Detroit
San Francisco over Houston
Portland over Indianapolis
New York Black Yankees over Miami

Series Splits

Los Angeles @ New York Gothams

TWIWBL 12.0: Series X Notes

By mknn

On July 20, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 13th

Performance

Baltimore pulled off a very impressive sweep of the New York Black Yankees, moving into first place in the Cum Posey Division. It leaves the Black Yankees–who at one point seemed likely to run away from the league–with the 3rd best record in the league, behind both Baltimore (26-16) and Portland (27-15).

Reggie Jackson may be the most surprising offensive performer so far, leading the league in both BA and OBP. Babe Ruth is still the most impressive single performer, and his teammate Lou Gehrig is now second in the league in SLG behind Ruth.

The WBL is not a pitcher’s league at this point: the potent offenses reduce the number of decisions earned by starting pitchers (only 2 have won 6 games despite most starters having 8 or 9 starts) and an ERA below 3.50 or so is quite exceptional.

Leading SP: Walter Johnson (POR) 6-0, 3.21 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2.0 WAR; Gerrit Cole (LAA) 6-2, 4.09 ERA; Camilo Pascual (MCG) 4-1, 2.26 ERA; Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-1, 2.41 ERA; Ron Guidry (NYY) 4-3, 3.41 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, 76 K; Lefty Grove (SFS) 4-1, 3.33 ERA, 64 K; CC Sabathia 5-2, 2.73 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 1.9 WAR.

Leading RP: Johan Santana (POR) 0-1, 3.18 ERA, 14 Sv; Terry Adams (CLE) 0-1, 1.98 ERA, 10 Sv; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-2, 3.05 ERA, 2 Sv, 8 H; Craig Kimbrel (KAN) 1-1, 2.37 ERA, 7 H; Aroldis Chapman (MCG) 0-2, 0.00 ERA, 9 Sv; Joe Beggs (MEM) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 4 Sv; Jonathan Papelbon (MEM) 0-1, 1.37 ERA, 3 Sv, 2 H, 0.76 WHIP; Brian Wilson (NYG) 0-0, 2.25 ERA, 3 Sv, 0.83 WHIP.

Leading Batters: Reggie Jackson (SFS) 387/506/664; Buster Posey (NYG) 382/452/639, 33 R, 2.5 WAR; Lou Gehrig (NYY) 358/462/692; Babe Ruth (NYY) 357/451/732, 15 HR, 43 R, 2.7 WAR; Rico Carty (PHI) 358/419/562, 16 2B; Johnny Callison (NYG) 277/331/540, 13 2B; Terry Puhl 252/324/412, 5 3B; Louis Santop (CLE) 293/337/439, 5 3B; Curt Blefary (BAL) 299/410/675, 13 HR; Eric Davis (NYY) 296/337/537, 48 RBI; Doug Rader (LAA) 313/360/506, 45 RBI; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 275/442/377, 40 BB, 36 SB.

League Standings | League Statistics

Streaks

The Black Yankees’ Thurman Munson has the longest active hitting streak at 16 games.

Getting on base is, evidently, much easier than getting a hit: there are four active on-base streaks, led by Philadelphia‘s Rico Carty (20 games), Los Angeles‘ Don Buford (19 games), Ottawa‘s Carlos Delgado (18 games), and Indianapolis‘ Oscar Charleston (17 games).

Rickey Henderson has swiped his last 25 bases. Some notable pinch-hitting streaks are alive as well: Indianapolis’ Johnny Bench has come up with a hit in his last 3 pinch-hit appearances, and both Cleveland‘s Ron Blomberg and Philadelphia’s George Hendrick have hit homeruns in their last 2 pinch-hitting appearances.

Bench has been on fire, hitting 365/468/769 over his last 16 games.

On the mound, Baltimore’s Ned Garvin‘s hitless inning streak ended at 9.1 and Camilo Pascual‘s scoreless streak at 19 innings. Whit Wyatt (CLE) hasn’t allowed a run in his last 16 innings.

At the team level, Houston is 8-2 over their last 10 games and Birmingham has managed only 3 victories in their last 10. Baltimore has won 4 straight, and both Chicago and Indianapolis have lost 3 in a row.

Series Results

Series Sweeps

Baltimore over New York Black Yankees

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series X

Detroit over Brooklyn
Los Angeles over Chicago
Houston over Philadelphia
Kansas City over Indianapolis
New York Gothams over Memphis
House of David over Ottawa

Series Splits

Birmingham v Homestead
Cleveland v Portland
Miami v San Francisco

TWIWBL Special Edition: All Star Preview – AL Starting Pitchers

By mknn

On July 13, 2021

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

{ The All-Star game is about a month away. We’ll post occasional articles about the contenders for participation in the mid-season classic. These are written “as of now,” so the final selections may vary dramatically, but hopefully these will add to the ongoing flavor of the league. }

We’ll start with the starting pitchers. Note that the AL is actually the Bill James & Cum Posey Divisions.

As the only 6-game winner in these divisions, Gerrit Cole (LAA) has the inside track on a spot, even if his performance may not strictly warrant it. Still, 6-2 with a WHIP under 1.3 and 1.8 WAR is pretty good, even if his ERA is slightly over 4.

CC Sabathia (HOD) has better numbers (2.73 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 1.9 WAR) and at 5-2 a very similar record. Chicago’s Tricky Nichols sits at 4-1 with a 3.93 ERA, and could certainly be selected if the wins keep piling up.

From there, it’s pretty wide open.

Baltimore’s Johnny Sain and Dennis Martinez are both at 4-1. Martinez has better numbers–a 3.42 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP–but the challenge is whether they can keep those levels up for the next month or so. Kansas City’s Andy Petite is 3-2, but with a 3.66 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP and is certainly in the conversation, as is Ben Sheets (CAG), whose 1.18 WHIP and 4-2 record are more impressive than his 3.98 ERA.

If you look past identical 2-3 records, Sad Sam Jones (NYG), Jack Taylor (HOD), and Hank Aguirre (DET) have good numbers. They sit second through fourth in ERA (from 3.15 for Jones to 3.44 for Aguirre) and WHIPs all at roughly 1.2. Aguirre is injured, but it’s currently unknown how much time–if any–he’ll miss.

Two Memphis hurlers, Roger Clemens and Nixey Callahan, have a shot as well, but you have to look pretty deep at the numbers. Clemens is 0-4 on the season with an ERA approaching 6, but his WHIP is under 1.4 and he has the 3rd lowest FIP at 3.63. Callahan is 3-4 with a far more acceptable 3.68 ERA and is holding opposition batters to a .230 BA.

Similarly, Kansas City’s Frank Castillo‘s record is only 2-4, and his ERA is pushing 4.00. But his FIP is 3.20 and he’s racked up 1.7 WAR, so a few wins could move him to the center of the contenders.

Two more long shots: Chicago’s Ed Walsh leads these divisions in strikeouts with 55, and the Gothams’ Christy Mathewson is third with 47. Walsh sits at 3-3 with a 4.00 ERA and Mathewson is 4-4 with a 4.62 ERA. Both have been hit hard, but if they can improve would have a strong argument.

The AI would select Jones, Martinez, Sabathia, Taylor, and, in a surprise, Stubby Overmire of Houston. Two things led to Overmire’s inclusion: first, the AI thinks he is Houston’s only player; second, he has pitched well: a 2.35 ERA and a 1.22 WHIP, but it’s only over 3 starts and an 0-1 record. So I doubt that happens.

My prediction would be … Cole, Sabathia, Nichols, Walsh, and Martinez.

TWIWBL 11.1: Series IX Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On July 11, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Hank Aguirre had pitched well all season, but had only a 1-3 record to show for it. Here, he combined with Mike Henneman on a 3-hit shutout of Houston, figuring the only way to win was to ensure the opposition didn’t score. Hank Greenberg was 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs in the 3-0 victory.

Si Johnson lasted less than 2 innings before leaving his start injured, but it was long enough to give up 5 runs and take the loss in a game the Wolverines dropped to Houston, 6-3. Johnson was put on the 10 day DL after the game, with Mickey Lolich called up to Detroit to take his place and Johnny Marcum taking Johnson’s place in the rotation.

Tom Brookens‘ stay in Detroit was short, but going hitless in 15 ABs will do that. The 33-year old veteran was out of options, so the Wolverines waived him, freeing up a spot on their 40-man roster as well. 1B Greg Brock was recalled, adding some power to their bench.

#Los Angeles Angels

Armando Benitez made 4 appearances for the Angels, none of them good. He’ll be given another 12 games to see if there’s anything worth salvaging–having made it clear he’s unwilling to go to the minors, the Angels will then be faced with the choice of releasing or trading Benitez.

#Memphis Red Sox

Where did that come from? Nothing Eddie Cicotte had done yet indicated ha had this in him: 7.1 innings of shutout, 6-hit ball against Chicago, easily the hottest offense in the league. Mookie Betts, Ted Williams, Vern Stephens, and Bill White all went deep as the Red Sox eased to a 10-0 win. Williams was 3-for-4 with 3 runs and Betts was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs.

Pete Runnels was moved to AAA, with Claude Richey being recalled. 1B George Scott would have joined Runnels, but refused the demotion, potentially signaling the end of Boomer’s time with the Red Sox.

#New York Gothams

Despite walking 3 in the top of the 9th, Sad Sam Jones tossed a complete game, 4-hit shutout against the mighty Black Yankees. Jones moved to 2-3 on the year, with the key hit being a 2-run homerun by Eugenio Suarez. Willie Mays added 3 hits for the Gothams.

Al Mays‘ recent struggle cost him his rotation spot, with Gaylord Perry taking his place.

#Wandering House of David

C.C. Sabathia spun a 5-hit shutout against Brooklyn to raise his record to 5-2. The Royal Giants’ Don Drysedale–who gave up a grand slam to Ernie Banks in the first inning before delivering a very Drysedalesque performance–lost his first game of the year. Banks, George Stone, Pete Browning, and Mark McGwire each had 2 hits for the House of David.

Gabby Hartnett and Frank Grant were both sent to AAA (sub .500 OPS will do that), with Frank Chance being promoted to serve as Elrod Hendricks‘ backup at catcher. The House of David reached down to AA for Grant’s replacement, recalling Bunny Downs, who had been hitting 360/436/472 for Albuquerque.

TWIWBL 11.0: Series IX Notes

By mknn

On July 11, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 8th

Awards

Duffy Lewis of the Chicago American Giants won the Player of the Week Award, hitting .448 with 5 homeruns–doubling his HR total on the year.

Performance

Given that we’re in early May, standings still don’t mean a whole lot. Portland and the New York Black Yankees have the best record in the league at 25-13, with the Chicago American Giants close behind as 23-15.

Homestead has the worst record at 12-26, already 13 games behind the Black Yankees.

League Standings | League Statistics

Walter Johnson moved to 6-0, becoming the only six-game winner in the league during Series IX. Babe Ruth slugged his 13th homerun of the year–a game-winner to boot–to regain the league lead.

More interestingly, the leaderboards are beginning to diversify. The lists below contain the top 2 performers in most categories, and while Ruth and Johnson still dominate, there a lot of different players there.

Leading SP: Walter Johnson (POR) 6-0, 3.07 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.9 WAR; Ron Guidry (NYY) 4-2, 3.23 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 65 Ks; CC Sabathia (HOD) 5-2, 2.79 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 3.13 FIP, 1.8 WAR; Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-1, 1.80 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, Gerrit Cole (LAA) 5-2, 4.45 ERA; Lefty Grove (SFS) 4-1, 3.30 ERA, 54 K; Camilo Pascual (MCG) 4-1, 2.36 ERA.

Leading RP: Johan Santana (POR) 0-1, 3.48 ERA, 13 Sv; Bob Howry (PHI) 0-2, 6.59 ERA, 10 Sv; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-1, 2.37 ERA, 2 Sv, 8 H; Joe Beggs 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 Sv; Tom Niedenfuer 0-0, 9.90 ERA, 7 Sv, 1 H; Craig Kimbrel (KAN) 0-1, 2.65 ERA, 6 H.

Leading Batters: Buster Posey (NYG) 394/463/685, 2.4 WAR; Reggie Jackson (SFS) 384/503/670; Babe Ruth (NYY) 371/461/734, 13 HR, 40 R, 2.6 WAR; Willie Mays (SFS) 352/394/509 56 H; Stan Musial (KAN) 380/448/570, 54 H; Rico Carty (PHI) 347/404/562, 14 2B, Kal Daniels (LAA) 289/413/485, 13 2B, Terry Puhl (OTT) 264/311/438, 5 3B; Curt Blefary (BAL) 295/420/676, 12 HR; Eric Davis (NYY) 306/342/571, 46 RBI; Doug Rader (LAA) 331/373/536, 45 RBI; Shoeless Joe Jackson (CAG) 370/458/688, 31 R, 2.5 WAR; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 286/442/397, 34 BB, 32 SB; Mickey Mantle (NYY) 293/414/444, 28 BB.

Streaks

Streaks are hard.

Chicago’s Luke Appling has the longest active hitting streak at 14 games, and Appling, Rico Carty (PHI), and Albert Pujols (KAN) have reached base in 16 straight.

San Francisco‘s Rickey Henderson has stolen 21 straight bases.

Sad Sam Jones of the New York Gothams and Houston‘s Toad Ramsey have each tossed 15 straight scoreless innings, and Baltimore‘s Ned Garvin hasn’t allowed a hit in 9 innings.

The hottest hitters in the league are Baltimore’s Curt Blefary (343/489/829 over 13 games), Cleveland‘s Ron Blomberg (486/488/838 over 11 games), and Indianapolis‘ Johnny Bench (382/493/764 over 16 games). Portland’s Kent Hrbek and Chicago’s Duffy Lewis each have 5 homeruns over their past 7 games.

Baltimore needs to make a choice soon, as Paul Blair continues to be totally overmatched, hitting 113/203/155 over 23 games.

Series Results

Series IX Sweeps

Cleveland over Kansas City

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series IX

Baltimore over San Francisco
Ottawa over Birmingham
Brooklyn over House of David
Houston over Detroit

Series Splits in Series IX

Chicago v Memphis
Homestead v Indianapolis
Los Angeles v Portland
Miami v Philadelphia
NY Black Yankees v NY Gothams

WBL Year I Statistics

I needed a place to hold statistics that aren’t easily displayed in OOTP. Most of these are game-level performances.

For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.

Batting Statistics

2+ 3B Games

2. Oscar Charleston (HOM); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Pete Hill (HOU); Gary Pettis (POR); Rick Reichardt (HOM); Manny Sanguillen (NYY); Billy Southworth (BBB); George Stone (HOD)

3+ 2B Games

4. Stan Musial (KCM)
3. Bob Bailey (DET); Curt Blefary (BAL); Pete Browning (HOD); Rico Carty (PHI) x2, Rick Ferrell (HOM); Pinky Higgins (NYG); Baby Doll Jacobson (BAL); Davey Johnson (HOM); Scott Rolen (PHI); Jimmy Sheckard (NYG); Ozzie Smith (KCM); Roy White (BRK)

3+ HR Games

3. Joe Adcock (NYG); Gil Hodges (POR); Reggie Jackson (SFS); Yasiel Puig (NYG); Chase Utley (PHI)

3+ OF Assists

3. Jim Edmonds (HOD); Curtis Granderson (BBB)

4+ BB Games

4. Eddie Collins (CAG); Gavvy Cravath (PHI); Mickey Mantle (NYY); Joe Morgan (IND); Babe Ruth (NYY) x2; Reggie Jackson (SFS); Reggie Smith (MEM); Elmer Valo (LAA); Joe Votto (IND)

4+ Run Games

5. Don Mattingly (NYA)

4. John Briggs (BRK); Johnny Callison (NYG); Robinson Cano (KCM); Cupid Childs (BBB); Will Clark (MIA); Mark Ellis (LAA); Carlton Fisk (CAG); Dan Ford (HOD); Bryce Harper (BAL); Kent Hrbek (POR); Frank Isbell (BBB/BRK) x2; Joe Jackson (CAG); Reggie Jackson (SFS); Geoff Jenkins (DET); Eddie Mathews (BBB); Willie Mays (NYG); Andrew McCutcheon (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Boog Powell (KCM); Edd Roush (IND); Pops Stargell (HOM); Mike Trout (LAA) x2; George Wright (LAA)

4+ SB Games

4. Bobby Bonds (SFS); Lou Brock (KCM); Eddie Collins (CAG); Billy Southworth (BBB)

5+ Hit Games

5. Pete Browning (HOD); Robinson Cano (KCM); Ty Cobb (DET); Chili Davis (DET); Mark Ellis (LAA); Tom Herr (BBB); Frank Isbell (BBB); Stan Musial (KCM); Ken Singleton (BAL); Jim Stephens (LAA); Mike Trout (LAA); Andy Van Slyke (HOM); Jim Wynn (HOU)

5+ SO Games

5. Phil Bradley (OTT); Mike Piazza (BRK); Bobby Wallace (BAL)

6+ RBI Games

9. Jim Stephens (LAA)
7. Mickey Cochrane (SFS); Eric Davis (NYY) x2; Reggie Jackson (SFS); Doug Rader (LAA); Pete Runnels (MCG)
6. Bob Bailey (DET); Carlos Delgado (LAA); Rogers Hornsby (KCM); Jim Pagliaroni (MEM); Yasiel Puig (NYG); Honus Wagner (HOM)

Longest HRs

526 ft. Jim Thome (MCG)
525 ft. Albert Pujols (KCM)
524 ft. Frank McCormick (BBB)
515 ft. Carlos Correa (HOU)
514 ft. Casey Stengel (HOU)
511 ft. Boog Powell (KCM)
504 ft. Curt Blefary (BAL); Eugenio Suárez (NYG)
503 ft. Ernie Banks (HOD)
502 ft. Wally Moon (SFS)
501 ft. Curt Blefary (BAL)

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

91. Sandy Koufax (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG)
89. Dave Righetti (NYY)
88. Bert Blyleven (POR); Bob Gibson (KCM); Ron Guidry (NYY); Bill Steen (CLE)
87. Pete Donohue (NYG); Jack Taylor (HOD); Jim Whitney (BBB).
86. Luke Hamlin (KCM); Mel Harder (CLE); José Rijo (KCM); Jack Taylor (HOD)
85. Freddie Fitzsimmons (MCG); Waite Hoyt (NYY)
84. Bert Blyleven (POR); Gene Conley (DET); Freddie Fitzsimmons (MCG); Ned Garvin (BAL); Lefty Grove (POR); Luke Hamlin (KCM); Harry Howell (LAA); Greg Maddux (BBB); Stubby Overmire (MEM); David Price (CAG); Frank Smith (CAG).
83. Jamie Moyer (OTT); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
82. Ned Garvin (BAL); Luke Hamlin (KCM); Walter Johnson (POR); Dutch Leonard (BRK); Tricky Nichols (CAG); Bob Rush (HOD); Stephen Strasburg (HOU); Jack Taylor (HOD); Jim Whitney (BBB); Cy Young (HOM)
81. Brett Anderson (LAA); Bert Blyleven (POR); Walter Johnson (POR); Tricky Nichols (CAG); Camilo Pascual (MCG); Whit Wyatt (CLE)
80. Brett Anderson (LAA); Bob Brown (OTT); Steve Carlton (PHI); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Lefty Grove (POR); Waite Hoyt (NYY), Ramón Martínez (MCG); Wade Miley (HOD); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Charlie Root (DET)

10+ Strikeout Games

14. Bert Blyleven (POR)
12. Ed Walsh (CAG)
11. Bob Brown (OTT); Lefty Grove (POR) x2; Ron Guidry (NYY); Luke Hamlin (KCM); Tommy Hanson (BRK); Ramón Martínez (MCG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Tricky Nichols (CAG); Dave Righetti (NYY); Bret Saberhagen (HOU); Ed Walsh (CAG)
10. Bob Feller (CLE); Lefty Grove (POR); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY) x2; Walter Johnson (POR); Mike Mussina (BAL); Frank Knauss (BRK).

8+ Walk Games

8. Ramon Martínez (MCG); Nolan Ryan (LAA); Carlos Zambrano (HOM)

Shutouts

1 H. Sandy Koufax (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG)
2 H. Luke Hamlin (KCM); Waite Hoyt (NYY) [7 Inn]; David Price (CAG); José Rijo (KCM); Frank Smith (CAG); Jack Taylor (HOD)
3 H. Brett Anderson (LAA); Pete Donohue (NYG); Freddie Fitzsimmons (MCG); Ned Garvin (BAL): Bob Gibson (KCM); Luke Hamlin (KCM); Mel Harder (CLE); Ron Guidry (NYY); Greg Maddux (BBB); Tricky Nichols (CAG); Stubby Overmire (MEM); Dave Righetti (NY); Bob Rush (HOD); Jack Taylor (HOD).
4 H. Brett Anderson (LAA); Bert Blyleven (POR); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Gene Conley (DET); Ned Garvin (BAL); Waite Hoyt (NYY); Wade Miley (HOD); Tricky Nichols (CAG); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Bill Steen (CLE); Jack Taylor (HOD); Cy Young (CLE)
5 H. Bert Blyleven (POR); Steve Carlton (PHI); Harry Howell (LAA); Walter Johnson (POR); Dutch Leonard (BRK); Ramon Martinez (MCG); Jamie Moyer (OTT); Milt Pappas (BAL); José Rijo (KCM); CC Sabathia (HOD); Sam Streeter (BBB)

Shutouts (Combined)

1 H. Luke Hamlin / Frank DiPino / Jeff Pfeffer (KCM)
3 H. Whit Wyatt / Chad Qualls / Chuck Porter (CLE); H. Newhouser / Gene Conley / Kevin Hart (DET); Stephen Strasburg / Billy Wagner (HOU); Mel Harder / Chuck Porter (CLE)
4 H. Hank Aguirre / Mike Henneman (DET); Dizzy Trout / Elmer Brown (POR); Vic Willis / John Malarkey (BBB); Doc Gooden / Mike Smith (LAA); Stubby Overmire / Lance Broadway / Heath Bell / Jonathan Papelbon (MEM); Willie Mitchell / Clay Carroll / Rob Dibble (IND)
5 H. Ray Collins / Rheal Cormier (PHI); Vean Gregg / Stan Bahnsen (HOM); Connie Johnson / Smokey Joe Wood / Jeff Pfeffer (KAN); Bob Rush / Rollie Fingers / Scott Downs / Lee Smith / Bruce Sutter (HOD); Francisco Liriano / Frank Linzy (HOM); Gene Conley / Buddy Napier / John Hiller; Jack Taylor / Scott Downs / Kerry Wood (HOD); Roenis Elías / Phenomenal Smith / Ed Bauta / Aroldis Chapman (MCG); Stephen Strasburg / Chad Qualls / Brad Lidge (HOU) / Eddie Plank / Dave LaRoche / Rob Beck (SFS); Jack Scott / Aroldis Chapman (NYY); Pat Malone / Chuck Porter / Cory Gearrin / Terry Adams (DET)

Series V Featured Matchup – Wandering House of David @ Los Angeles Angels

By mknn

On May 20, 2021

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Four games pitting the Wandering House of David against the Los Angeles Angels in a series between two of the better teams from the Bill James Division. See here for the series preview.

Game One: Jack W. Taylor v. Pud Galvin

Game one was dominated by Pud Galvin, who pitched 7 innings giving up only 1 run on 6 hits to lead the Angels to a 5-1 victory. Galvin’s opposite number, Jack W. Taylor, gave up 5 runs in 6 innings.

Both bullpens were stellar: Rollie Fingers threw 2 innings of scoreless relief for the House of David and Jeurys Familia, Larry Anderson, and Joe Nathan allowed only one hit behind Galvin.

Mike Trout and Doug Rader combined for 6 hits and all 5 RBIs for Los Angeles, with Trout hitting his second HR of the year. Don Buford added 2 hits and scored twice.

HOD 1 (Taylor 2-1) @ LAA 5 (Galvin 1-1)
HRs: Trout (LAA, 2)
Box Score

Game Two: Frank Sullivan v Harry Howell

The game itself was overshadowed by an injury to Pete Browning, who was put on the DL by the House of David, and is expected to miss between one and two weeks. Dan Ford was recalled from AAA after the game to take Browning’s spot on the roster.

That compounded a bad day, as Los Angeles moved to a 2-0 lead in the series with a walk-off victory. The House of David scored 4 times in the first two innings to take an early lead, led by HRs from Browning and Sammy Sosa, but a 3-run 6th inning keyed by a 2-run 2B from George Wright, tied the game at 5.

The score would stay that way until the bottom of the 9th, when Wright led off with a single against Joakim Soria. Kal Daniels followed with a single, with Wright heading to third, and Elmer Valo scored him with a hard single through the right side, sending the home crowd happy with a 6-5 walk-off win for Los Angeles.

Daniels and Wright had 3 hits each, with Wright scoring 3 times and driving in 2, and Derrek Lee looked to break out of his slump, going 2-for-2. For the House of David, both Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace went 2 for 4.

Chuck Finley continued his strong start to the year for Los Angeles, with 3 innings of scoreless relief, while Aaron Heilman pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory, his first of the year. For the House of David, Dick Tidrow, who had been fantastic to date, was roughed up for 2 earned runs in 1.2 innings, earning his second blown save of the year.

HOD 5 (Soria 0-1) @ LAA 6 (Heilman 1-0)
HRs: Browning (HOD, 4); Sosa (HOD, 2)
Box Score

Game Three: CC Sabathia v Doc Gooden

The House of David look to get back into the series without their leading hitter, Pete Browning, who was placed on the DL.

Both CC Sabathia and Doc Gooden struggled early, but Sabathia got on track, allowing four hits over 7.1 innings to lead the House of David to a 4-1 victory. Gooden was not nearly as good, walking 5 and allowing 6 hits in 4.1 innings, giving up four runs in the process.

Both bullpens excelled: Nolan Ryan followed Gooden with 3.2 hitless innings while striking out four, while for the House of David, Bruce Sutter got his second hold of the year and Tom Niedenfuer pitched a scoreless 9th for his 4th save.

Richie Hebner drove in 2 runs with a bases loaded single in the top of the 2nd, and Mark McGwire and Mark Grace drove in runs with walks in the top of the 5th.

For Los Angeles, the offense was highly concentrated in two batters: Mike Trout went 3-for-4 and Bobby Grich 2-for-4.

HOD 4 (Sabathia 3-2; Niedenfuer 4 Sv) – LAA 1 (Gooden 1-3)
HRs – None.
Box Score

Game Four: Fergie Jenkins v Gerrit Cole

Sabathia and Gooden were a good matchup, but this one was even better. Fergie Jenkins comes into the game with a 2-1 record and a 4.50 ERA and Cole with an identical record and a 3.90 ERA. Both have shown flashes of brilliance, however, Cole especially, whose year started with 3 consecutive solid starts before being roughed up by Kansas City his last time out. Jenkins was masterful his last time out, allowing only 3 hits and 1 run over 7 innings in a victory over Memphis.

Sometimes, though, a game just comes down to a single swing. With the House of David up 2-0 in the bottom of the 5th, singles by George Wright and Don Buford scored the Angels’ first runs. Mike Trout walked to load the bases, and Doug Rader deposited a Jenkins fastball into the left field seats for a grand slam. That put the Angels up, 6-2.

The House of David closed the gap to 6-5, but the Angels’ Joe Nathan pitched a perfect 9th for his 3rd save, preserving the win for Cole, who struck out 10 in 7 strong innings.

HOD 5 (Jenkins 2-2) – LAA 6 (Cole 3-1; Nathan 3 Sv)
HRs: Rader (LAA, 3)
Box Score

Series Notes

Rader had 6 RBIs in the 4 games, but the hitting star was Trout, who went 8 for 14 in the four games, effectively breaking out of his early season slump. Richie Hebner and George Stone had 5 hits each for the House of David.

The Angels took 3 of the 4 games, but they still trail the House of David by 1 game in the Bill James Division.

The key storylines were Browning’s injury and Trout’s emergence–the former a significant challenge for a suddenly struggling House of David; the latter a ray of hope for the Angels.