Baseball The Way It Never Was

Tag: Chino Smith

TWIWBL 73.2 Spotlight on the Chicago American Giants

The American Giants were a strong playoff team last year. At the halfway mark this season, they find themselves 14 games back in the Cum Posey Division, but only 2.5 games back in the Wild Card race.

But, it’s not enough: this team should be doing better.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

The problems are clear: an offense that falls off dramatically after its top half, struggles on the mound, and issues at a couple key positions (CF and SS). The solutions aren’t so obvious, and if things aren’t better by mid-August, the American Giants are a candidate to mortgage their future to address those shortcomings.

THE OFFENSE

The top end–Frank Thomas, Joe Jackson, Eddie Collins, and the surprising Paul Konerko are all excellent and, especially if Dick Allen regains his stroke, may be enough to carry Chicago in a playoff run. But Chicago regularly trots out 5 starters with OPS’ below .750, leaving too many holes.

#What’s Going Right

The big 4 are stunning. Thomas and Shoeless Joe are virtually tied in OPS around .975, with Konerko not too far behind.

Carlton Fisk lags behind in OPS, but as a C, he’s well above average, and leads the American Giants with 21 homers. Thomas leads in RBIs and Jackson has an incredible 41 2Bs.

Collins isn’t the all around leader of last season, but 309/406/418 with 41 SBs from a middle infielder is nothing to sneeze at.

#What’s Not Going Right

The 2 obvious problems are SS and CF. Freddy Parent, picked up at last year’s All-Star break, has been thoroughly disappointing, with an OPS under .550 (although he has flashed some decent leather). Damian Jackson has been given some opportunities, but has fared even worse offensively.

In CF, 18 year old Cristóbal Torriente is clearly still a large part of Chicago’s future. But he may not be part of their present: 188/235/245 won’t cut it, no matter how fast you are or how good you are in the field. This issue has gotten better: Vernon Wells has taken over for Torriente, and is doing alright.

I have no idea how to evaluate Mike Fiore. He’s hitting .181, but his OBP is .340, and he has 12 homers. Is that going right? Going wrong? No idea, but I think going wrong.

Duffy Lewis was injured at the start of the year, and hasn’t clicked since, and is increasingly losing time to Kevin Mitchell in LF.

THE PITCHING

It’s not bad. And some of it–Ed Walsh, Akinori Otsuka–is downright excellent. But everything else needs to step forward.

#What’s Going Right

Last year’s Rookie of the Year, Ed Walsh, is pitching fantastically, despite a modest 6-4 record, sporting a 3.55 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP.

Akinori Otsuka, Tom Williams, and Hoyt Wilhelm are a very solid trio in the bullpen, especially Otsuka and Williams.

#What’s Not Going Right

Last year’s ace, Tricky Nichols, has struggled mightily, with an ERA approaching 7.00, and is in danger of losing his spot in the rotation.

The trio of Jamie Moyer, Ben Sheets, and Mark Buehrle have been … thoroughly meh. Just meh. Meh not’s good enough for the playoffs.

AJ Minter has a dozen saves, but also an ERA of roughly 6.50.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

The jewel of the system is the much-traveled Chino Smith. What’s not clear is if Smith will be used as trade bait at the deadline or be asked to move to SS–he’s not going to unseat Collins at 2B.

There is some decent OF talent here: Lenny Dykstra, Walter Davis, Henry Cotto, and Jorge Orta has the bat, if not the glove, to help a WBL team.

On the mound, Jacob deGrom, Harry Buckner, Scott Radinsky, and Ted Lyons all have some ceiling.

So, yeah, some help here.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The bottom of the lineup to step forward, and the pitching overall to improve a shade across the board.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

  • How is the rotation going to fall out? Can Ed Walsh handle a fulltime starting role, and can Mark Buehrle and Ben Sheets handle the back end of the rotation? Still a question, with Walsh, Buehrle, and Sheets now being asked to move up in the rotation.
  • How long do the American Giants stick with Parent–he’s fine, but his level of play over the second half of the season (after the American Giants picked him up from Ottawa) was below championship. How long, indeed.

FEATURED SERIES

The American Giants start the week hosting Memphis for 4 games, so we’ll look at those.

Projected Starters

Memphis’ starter listed first.

David Bush (5-3, 5.98) @ Tricky Nichols (4-8, 6.89)
Jameson Taillon (2-3, 5.12) @ Ben Sheets (4-9, 5.69)
Stubby Overmire (8-6, 4.70) @ Ed Walsh (6-4, 3.55)
Jon Lester (5-4, 5.61) @ Mark Buehrle (6-8, 4.61)

So. Much. Mediocrity. Although the Overmire-Walsh tilt should be a good one. Both teams can score a lot of runs, so let’s say this one goes 2-2.

Before the first game, the American Giants made a move, promoting Rocky Colavito to the big leagues to take the place of Mike Fiore. Colavito and Mitchell will split time in LF, with Duffy Lewis taking on an unfamiliar bench role.

Game One

Carlton Fisk put the American Giants up 1-0 in the 2nd with a solo shot to left. Joe Jackson added to the lead the next inning with a sacrifice fly to deep center, scoring Freddy Parent. Fisk would add a 3rd run in the most unlikely of ways: a walk, a stolen base, and then crossing the plate on a single from Vernon Wells, and Dick Allen would go deep in the 4th, increasing the lead to 4-0.

Tricky Nichols recaptured some of his form from last year, holding the Red Sox scoreless until Gabby Hartnett hit a 2-run shot in the top of the 7th, closing gap to 4-2 and chasing Nichols from the mound in favor of Hoyt Wilhelm. Wilhelm got through the inning without further damage, other than a double from Dobie Moore.

A homer from Wells was offset by a sacrifice fly from Ted Williams, so the lead was still 2, at 5-3 in favor of Chicago.

The American Giants added a couple in the 8th with the key hits being a triple from Jackson and another RBI hit form Fisk. It turned out to matter, as David Ortiz took AJ Minter deep with 2 on and 2 out in the top of the 9th, bringing Memphis within 1 run at 7-6. Minter was able to induce a groundout from Wade Boggs, bringing home the victory for Chicago.

MEM 6 (Feliciano 0-1; Kennedy 6 BSv; Kilby 2 BSv) @ CAG 7 (Ryan 2-2)
HRs: MEM – Hartnett (18), Ortiz (20); CAG – Fisk (22), Allen (17), Wells (8).
Box Score

Game Two

Game 2 will pit Memphis’ Jameson Taillon against Chicago’s Ben Sheets in a matchup of end-of-rotation starters.

Memphis took the lead in the 3rd, scoring 1 on a Wade Boggs double and 2 more on a two-bagger from Bill White. Dobie Moore added a solo shot in the 4th, making it 4-0.

Taillon was sailing along, holding Chicago scoreless through 6. But Joe Jackson singled and Frank Thomas went deep, halving the deficit and chasing Taillon. Sheets, who calmed down after Moore’s shot, lasted until 1 out in the 7th, when a double from Reggie Smith sent him to the showers.

Joe Lake, Sheets’ replacement, gave up an RBI single to Ted Williams, increasing Memphis’ lead to 5-2, cut to 5-3 when Jackson tripled home Eddie Collins. Dave Nilsson singled in one in the 8th, but Andrew Miller got Collins to groundout with the bases loaded, keeping the Red Sox up by 1, 5-4.

An RBI from Smith sent us to the bottom of the 9th with the Red Sox up, 6-4, with their closer, Jonathan Papelbon, coming in from the bullpen.

Papelbon whiffed 2, and the series was tied at a game apiece.

Moore and Smith had 3 hits each for the Red Sox.

MEM 6 (Taillon 3-3; Papelbon 14 Sv; de la Cruz 1 H; Roach 9 H; Miller 8 H) @ CAG 4 (Sheets 4-10)
HRs: MEM – Moore (8); CAG – Thomas (20).
Box Score

Game Three

Tied at one, we get the premier pitching matchup of the series, with Memphis’ Stubby Overmire taking on Chicago’s Ed Walsh. It’s a bit of an odd game for the American Giants, with several regulars getting the day off, resulting in a bit of a patchwork lineup. So, we’ll see.

Walsh gave up 2 in the 2nd on 2-out RBI’s from DJ LeMahieu and Billy Bryan. Reggie Smith hit his 23rd homer of the year in the 5th, extending the lead to 3-0. Meanwhile, Overmire was dealing, holding Chicago scoreless through 5 on only 2 hits. despite loading the bases in the 2nd.

Overmire departed in the 7th after surrendering his 6th walk, to Rocky Colavito, and an infield hit to Freddy Parent. Heath Bell loaded the bases, but escaped without damage.

That was it, really: Bell pitched well in the 8th and Jonathan Papelbon shut the door in the 9th on a combined 3 hit shutout.

MEM 3 (Overmire 9-6; Papelbon 15 Sv; Bell 5 H) @ CAG 0 (Walsh 6-5)
HRs: MEM – Smith (23); CAG – none.
Box Score

Game Four

The American Giants will try to salvage a split behind Mark Buehrle who will be opposed by Memphis’ Jon Lester.

The full strength lineup for the American Giants came through immediately, as Frank Thomas launched a 3 run homerun in the bottom of the 1st. But Jack McAleese–who seems to have locked down the utility OF spot for the Red Sox–drove home 2 in the 2nd and scored on a base hit from Dobie Moore, tying the game at 3.

Ted Williams launched his 25th of the year in the 3rd, giving Memphis a 1 run lead. Chicago evened the score the following inning on a sacrifice fly from Paul Konerko. That lasted into the top of the 5th, when Williams went deep again, this time with a man on. 6-4 Memphis. Buehrle made it into the 6th but a DJ LeMahieu double chased him from the game. His relief, David Price, allowed 2 more runs, making the edge 8-4, Red Sox.

Lester got through the 5th, but by that point he had given up 7 walks and was clearly fatigued. Then, suddenly and surprisingly, the relievers figured out how to pitch, keeping it scoreless until Memphis added a few more in the top of the 9th.

Just about the only bad news for Memphis was Moore having to leave the game after being hit on the hand with a pitch: his ultimate injury status is yet to be known.

MEM 11 (Lester 6-4; Roach 1 Sv) @ CAG 4 (Buehrle 6-9)
HRs: MEM – Williams 2 (26); CAG – Thomas (21).
Box Score

This is emblematic of everything disappointing about Chicago’s year so far: loss after loss and question after question of what if and what’s next. This team needs some help: immediately, they are looking at sending AJ Minter down to AAA and installing Akinori Otsuku as the closer, but it’s going to take more than that.

TWIWBL 58.1: Draft Pick Updates

With opening day just around the corner, we thought it would be interesting to see how the draft worked out …

#Love ‘Em (Draft Picks Making Opening Day Rosters)

1st Round

Charles “Bullet Joe” Rogan, the overall #1 pick in the draft, makes Philadelphia’s opening day roster, expected to be their 4th OF and provide bullpen support. The Stars’ other first-rounder, Dave Stieb, made their opening day rotation.

Two outfielders were taken with the 7th and 8th picks, and both should be in their team’s opening day lineups, as San Francisco took CF Turkey Stearnes at 7 and Los Angeles RF Ichiro Suzuki at 8.

2nd Round

Miami took Julio Rodríguez with the 2nd pick in round 2 thinking the 19 year old would be a project for the future; instead he breaks camp as their starting CF.

Homestead’s Tim Lincecum makes the opening day roster in their bullpen, and Houston’s César Cedeño will start the season as their reserve OF (although this is expected to only last until George Brett‘s return from injury, but you never know).

Portland drafted 26 year old Walter Ball expecting him to be ready for the WBL, and he delivered, starting the season in their rotation.

Some mention should be made of Kansas City’s Matt Morris, who was expected to make their rotation before tearing his labrum.

3rd Round

Dobie Moore exploded on the scene for Memphis and should see essentially full time usage alternating between SS and 2B.

Philadelphia breaks camp with Bill Gatewood in the bullpen.

5th Round

The New York Black Yankees didn’t expect Noah Syndergaard to make the opening day roster, but he did.

Detroit is even more surprised at the performance and poise from 18 year old Billy Hoeft, who will start the season in their bullpen.

6th Round

Jess Barbour was a throw-in in the Albert Belle/Andy Pettitte trade, but his defensive flexibility and speed kept him around for Birmingham.

8th Round

Ottawa’s staff was essentially open going into Spring Training, so while Dupee Shaw making the team was a surprise, it wasn’t a shock.

The Black Yankees’ bench received a complete overhaul, with Elliot Maddox earning a spot out of the gate.

9th Round

Jack Billingham starts the season in Indianapolis’ bullpen.

12th Round

Indianapolis took Edward “The Only” Nolan with their final pick of the draft. Nolan starts the year on their staff as the WBL’s version if Mister Irrelevant.

#Leave ‘Em (Draft Picks No Longer With Original Organization)

Other than the inexplicable treatment of Chino Smith, this all looks fine. Topsy Hartsel should find a home somewhere, the rest may or may not.

1st Round: Vladimir Guerrero, OF (traded from MCG to POR)

2nd Round: Jon Matlack, P (traded from POR to MCG)

3rd Round: Topsy Hartsel, OF (BAL)

4th Round: Leo Cardenas, IF (IND); Bob Smith, P (BBB); Denard Span (traded from POR to OTT)

7th Round: Cass Michaels, IF (CAG)

8th Round: Ray Blades, OF (KCM); Chino Smith, IF (MEM, now with BAL); Lee Stange, P (POR, now with HOM)

9th Round: Justin Steel, P (HOD)

10th Round: Doug Bair, P (KCM); Greg Pryor, IF (BRK)

11th Round: Nick Allen, IF (SFS); Vern Kennedy, P (CAG); Eddie Solomon, P (BBB)

12th Round: Jeff Ballard, P (BBB); Craig Gentry, OF (CAG); Dave Lemanczyk, P (SFS); José Lopéz, 1B (MCG); Hal Mauck, P (HOD); Connor Seabold, P (MEM)

Year II Season Preview: Memphis Red Sox

Expectations

There is growing optimism in Memphis, even though it is, based on last year’s overall performance, totally unwarranted. But a strong end to the season, landing the best FA arm on the market in Shane Bieber, and a potentially high-impact draft class leaves the Red Sox with dreams of the postseason in their heads.

Best Case

Bieber joins Stubby Overmire, Dean Chance, and Bill Doak to form a solid rotation with the bullpen solidifying behind Heath Bell and Jonathan Papelbon while the trio of Mookie Betts, Manny Ramírez, and Sammy Sosa all reach their potential. Dobie Moore unseating Vern Stephens at SS would help, too.

Worst Case

Overmire’s finishing the year as runner-up in the ERA race proves a mirage, and the pitching remains too large of an obstacle for the offense to overcome, especially when Betts and Ramírez remain tantalizingly mediocre.

Key Questions

  • Who is going to fill out the rotation and the bullpen?
  • Memphis’ scouts are agog over Dobie Moore, but scouts don’t play the game: is Moore the real thing and, if so, what happens to Vern Stephens?
  • Sosa was moved out, essentially for Gabby Hartnett, putting more pressure on the OF the step up.

Trade Bait

There is, potentially, OF and SS talent to spare, making the Red Sox one of the few teams potentially active on the Spring Training trading block.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CBryanHartnett
1BWhiteOrtiz
2BRitchey
3BBoggsShaw
SSStephensMoore
LF/
RF
WilliamsRamírez
Betts
Johnson
CFSmith
SPChance
Overmire
Barker
Doak
LesterBieber
EndBellPapelbon
RPBush
Miller
Roach

Watt
New Addition | Injured

There is so much upside here. But the mix of poor historical performance and a whopping nine unknown players make it pretty much a crapshoot.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerOF Manny RamírezOF Hack Wilson
Batting EyeOF Ted WilliamsC Charlie Bennett
Contact3B Wade BoggsOF Lefty O’Doul
Running SpeedCF Reggie Smith2B Jim Canavan
Base Stealing3B Travis ShawOF Sam Mertes
IF Defense3B Travis ShawIF Gary Gaetti
OF DefenseOF Mookie BettsOF Dwight Evans
StuffRP Skel RoachP Bill Hogg
ControlP Stubby OvermireP Dale Mohorcic
VelocityRP Heath BellP Joba Chamberlain

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (18)20IFDobie Moore
2 (33)23PShane Bieber
3 (49)23PSadie McMahon
4 (77)22IFCandy Jim Taylor
5 (94)21PJim Kaat
6 (107)22PAndrew Miller
7 (129)20UCarl Yastrzemski
8 (132)201BBill Buckner
9 (136)211BJoe Cunningham
10 (143)22PBill Hogg
Others: OFs Alex Johnson, Dwight Evans; P Dick Drago.

A lot of talent, but it’s unclear how much of it can make a WBL impact. We’ll find out a lot this year, as Moore, Bieber, and Miller are all breaking camp with the Red Sox.

Also, WTF? The Red Sox let Chino Smith go for some reason, seeing him immediately snapped up by Baltimore.

MostLeast
Age1B Joe Cronin, 37
P Russ Springer, 37
P Mickey McDermott, 16
HeightP Mike Witt, 6’7″IF Candy Jim Taylor, 5’5″
OPSIF Wayne Belardi, 1.207 (—)IF Bud Harrelson, .505 (—)
HRIF Wayne Belardi, 75 (—)IF Candy Jim Taylor, 1 (AAA/AA)
OF Jack McAleese, 1 (—)
IF Bud Harrelson, 1 (—)
SBCF Reggie Smith, 20 (WBL)Many with 0
WAROF Joe Kelley, 4.8 (AAA/AA)IF Bud Harrelson, -2.6 (—)
WJoe Kelly, 13 (WBL/AAA)
Jim McAndrew, 13 (—)
Mike Witt, 13 (—)
Turk Farrell, 4 (WBL/AAA)
Len Barker, 4 (WBL/AAA)
SVJonathan Papelbon, 18 (WBL)
ERAJameson Taillon, 2.81 (—)Sadie McMahon, 7.12 (WBL/AAA/AA)
WARJameson Taillon, 5.5 (—)Carl Mays, -1.4 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

Year II Season Preview: Baltimore Black Sox

Expectations

Best team in the league adds the best free agent? Anything short of competing for a second consecutive championship would be a disappointment.

Best Case

The pitching is even better, supported by the return of the injured arms (most of all, Ned Garvin and Sean Marshall) and the offense runs even deeper with the addition of Gavvy Cravath.

Worst Case

The pitching reverts to mediocre and both Cravath and Dan McGann show their age while other key parts of the offense–Curt Blefary especially–regress.

Key Changes

  • Cravath, clearly.
  • Closer Joe Beggs may be converted into a starter, with Buddy Groom and John Wetteland taking over the end of games. At the end of Spring Training, he was still in the bullpen, but the move looms.

This is part of why they start the season as the favorites: the only changes have been a clear improvement in talent with Cravath and a few changes at the end of the roster (Tom Haller beating out Ramón Hernández behind Blefary, Miller Huggins beating out Brian Roberts as a reserve infielder, John Tudor making the team, stuff like that). The team has some flaws, but those same flaws existed last season, and that ended with a championship.

Trade Bait

Not a lot. There is a little excess in the OF and some spare SP, but the team also doesn’t have a lot of glaring need.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CBlefaryHaller
1BMcGann
2BGardnerHuggins
3BMachado
SSWallace
LF/
RF
Cravath
Robinson
Harper
Singleton
CFBlairJacobsen
SPByrd
Garvin
Martínez
JohnsonMussinaPalmer
Sain
EndBeggs
Groom
Wetteland
RPMarshallBessentOlsonTudor
New Addition | Injured

Seems about right: most of the roster is firmly towards the left side of the scale, with more unknowns with upside than actual weaknesses.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerOF Gavvy Cravath1B Eddie Murray
Batting EyeIF Miller HugginsIF Piggy Ward
Contact1B Dan McGannOF Steve Brodie
Running SpeedIF Miller HugginsOF Billy Hulen
Base Stealing2B Larry GardnerOF Dave Altizer
IF DefenseIF Miller Huggins3B Brooks Robinson
OF DefenseCF Paul BlairCF Sam West
StuffSP Ned GarvinSP Mark Baldwin
ControlSP Mike MussinaSP Ken Johnson
VelocityRP John WettelandRP Rafael Betancourt

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (12)222BChino Smith
2 (34)221BEddie Murray
3 (44)22SSCal Ripken, Jr
4 (52)19PJack Kramer
5 (67)20OFSteve Brodie
6 (78)163BPiggy Ward
7 (88)21PJoe Dobson
8 (115)191BWillie Montañez
9 (149)22OFBruce Bochte
10 (172)23PFrank Francisco
Others: None in top 200.

Chino Smith was drafted in the 8th round by Memphis, then inexplicably released. The Black Sox snapped him up, hoping he may be part of the answer to what comes after Wallace and Gardner in the middle infield. Murray and Ripken are expected in the WBL this season, although when Murray takes over for McGann remains unclear.

MostLeast
AgeP RA Dickey, 423B Piggy Ward, 16
HeightP Kameron Loe, 6’8″P Bobby Mathews, 5’5″
OPSOF Chick Stahl, .958 (AAA/WBL)C George Gibson, .597 (AAA/AA)
HROF Frank Robinson, 37 (WBL)OF Phil Bradley, 1 (WBL/AAA)
OF Burt Shotton, 1 (AAA/AA)
SBSS Cliff Pennington, 22 (—)Many with 0
WARC Curt Blefary, 4.7 (WBL)OF Gene Clines, -1.0 (—)
WBill Byrd, 14 (WBL)
Dennis Martínez, 14 (WBL)
Phil Ortega, 2 (AA)
SVCraig Stammen, 21 (—)
ERANed Garvin, 2.80 (WBL)Cristhian Martínez, 8.34 (—)
WARKen Johnson, 4.8 (—)RA Dickey, -1.7 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

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