The Whirled Baseball League

Baseball The Way It Never Was

Tag: Cleveland Spiders Page 2 of 10

TWIWBL 79.3: Bill James Division

By

On September 27, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Cleveland Spiders73-55.570—
New York Black Yankees72-59.5502.5
Detroit Wolverines66-65.5048.5
Memphis Red Sox59-70.45714.5
Baltimore Black Sox57-73.43817
Bill James Division | 27 August

#Baltimore Black Sox

Cal Ripken Jr went deep twice and drove in 5 in a 14-11 win over Chicago. Moody slugger Gavvy Cravath will miss about 3 weeks with a quadriceps injury, with the Black Sox recalling OF Ken Griffey Sr, a stalwart AAA performer, for a complimentary cup of WBL coffee.

Curt Blefary had quite an unexpected day. His 9th inning homer to break up a shutout wasn’t so surprising, but his throwing out six runners trying to steal was quite a shock for a catcher not exactly known for his defensive prowess. Baltimore wasted a fine outing from Dennis Martínez in a 2-1 loss to Chicago.

Bryce Harper hit 2 homeruns and he and Asdrúbal Cabrera each had 4 hits as Baltimore topped Chicago, 9-1.

#Cleveland Spiders

Ron Blomberg was recalled from his rehab assignment which leaves the Spiders in the envious position of having to find at bats for the shockingly good Willie McCovey, who was recalled when Blomberg went down. McCovey has a .952 SLG over a tiny 50 AB sample, but still. .952 SLG.

The Spiders recalled Joe Smith to take the place of the injured Terry Adams and then, as part of roster expansion, recalled Ps Claude Passeau, Willis Hudlin, and Sergio Romo and position players Bob Elliott, Kenny Lofton, and Paul O’Neil.

Johnny Bates went deep twice, but that was about all the Spiders could manage in a 13-4 loss to Memphis.

Evan Longoria and Lance Berkman each went deep twice and the Spiders bullpen held on for dear life as Cleveland topped Memphis, 11-10.

#Detroit Wolverines

Johnny Marcum and George Bechtel started rehab assignments. Logan Hensley was promoted from AA for the stretch run.

Juan Beníquez scored 4 times and hit his 17th homerun in a taut, 8-7 win over Baltimore. The victory went to Jack Wilson, who improved to 6-0 on the season.

#Memphis Red Sox

Skel Roach will miss about a month with an elbow issue, meaning his season is most likely over. Nixey Callahan was recalled.

Not a great day for the Red Sox: they fell 8-6 to Miami, and lost Dobie Moore for 2-3 weeks. They recalled Wayne Causey to help out at SS.

Ted Williams and David Ortiz went back-to-back twice as the Red Sox dominated Cleveland, 13-4 behind a decent effort from Len Barker, who evened his record at 10-10.

#New York Black Yankees

Pascual Pérez started a rehab assignment.

TWIWBL 78.4: Bill James Division

By

On September 15, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Cleveland Spiders71-51.582—
New York Black Yankees69-55.5563
Detroit Wolverines61-63.49211
Memphis Red Sox56-67.45515.5
Baltimore Black Sox52-71.42319.5
Bill James Division | 19 August

#Baltimore Black Sox

John Tudor was recalled from his rehab assignment, with Mark Baldwin heading back to AAA.

Sean Marshall will miss about a month with a strained bicep with the Black Sox recalling Rafael Betancourt from his rehab assignment.

The Black Sox recalled Ps Baldwin, Joe Cascarella, Kevin Tapani, and Emil Yde, IF Asdrúbal Cabrera, and OFs Phil Bradley and Earl Averill. With the season basically over, the Black Sox moved Mike Mussina out of the rotation, hoping to get a look at some arms for the future.

Dennis Martínez put in one of his best starts of the year, blanking Los Angeles 8-0 with a 4 hitter, striking out 10 and walking none. Ken Singleton, Manny Machado, Tom Haller, and Averill (in his first WBL game) went deep for Baltimore.

#Cleveland Spiders

Bob Feller‘s outing was shortened by a rain delay, but he still earned the victory with 5 scoreless innings, combining with Whit Wyatt, Al Smith, and Ron Reed on a 4 hit shutout of Baltimore. Ed Bailey drove in 5 and Lance Berkman had 3 hits in the 9-0 win for the Spiders.

Ron Blomberg started a rehab assignment for the Spiders.

Evan Longoria hit 2 homeruns to give him 30 on the season as the Spiders beat Detroit, 13-8.

#Detroit Wolverines

Hank Greenberg‘s second homer of the day was a walkoff shot as the Wolverines came from behind to beat San Francisco, 9-7.

Joakim Soria was recalled from a rehab assignment.

Ty Cobb had himself a day–5 hits, 3 homeruns–and the Wolverines topped San Francisco, 9-5.

#Memphis Red Sox

Bad news for Memphis, as Jameson Taillon will be out for over a year as he faces elbow reconstruction surgery. The Red Sox recalled Dean Chance from AAA.

As roster expansion hit, the Red Sox recalled Bob Stanley, Bucky Walters, Armando Benitez, Lefty O’Doul, Dustin Pedroia, Joe Rudi, and Hack Wilson.

Billy Bryan hit 2 homers and the Red Sox topped the Black Yankees, 8-6.

Len Barker ran out of gas in the 9th, but still had enough to fan 11 Black Yankees in a 13-1 pounding of New York. Barker improved his record to 9-10, supported by the first 2 homeruns of Pedroia’s WBL career and 3 hits each from DJ LeMahieu and Ted Williams.

#New York Black Yankees

The Black Yankees recalled Ps Ryne Duren, Jim Corsi, Anthony Varvaro, Noah Syndergaard, and Ron Bryant along with position players Roger Maris and Jorge Orta.

Orta had a debut for the ages, hitting 4 doubles in 5 at bats in his first WBL game as the Black Yankees pummeled Memphis, 15-7. Orta has been somewhat underrated as a prospect historically, but this was quite a showing.

TWIWBL 78.1: Year 2, Week 21

By

On September 12, 2025

In TWIWBL

August 19th

The trade deadline is the biggest news, but the league rolls on into the pennant races.

#Awards

Homestead‘s Andy Van Slyke hit .500 with 7 homeruns over the past week, earning him the NL Batter of the Week Award. Over in the AL, it’s a familiar name, as Detroit‘s Ty Cobb rode a .556 average and 8 RBIs to the AL Player of the Week Award.

#Team Performance

Very little has changed.

San Francisco still dominates the league, with 80 wins, a .650 winning percentage, and a 21 game lead in the Cum Posey Division. The Sea Lions have a decent chance at clinching the division before the end of August.

Cleveland still leads the New York Black Yankees in the Bill James Division, now by 3 games, with both teams exceedingly likely to make the postseason.

The surprising Brooklyn Royal Giants lead Homestead by 9.5 games in the Effa Manley Division, with Philadelphia still within touch.

And then there is the Marvin Miller Division, where last-place Birmingham is only 3.5 games behind first place Kansas City, with everything to play for over the last month-plus of the season.

#Player Performance

#Batters

Some fascinating changes here, led by Babe Ruth ceding the HR lead, at least temporarily (this happened last year as well before Ruth pulled away). Josh Gibson‘s attempt to stay over .400 is in danger, but he’s still the most formidable offensive force in the league, with Ty Cobb and Ruth close behind.

Only 4 players have a BA over .350: Gibson, Cobb, Daniels, and Chicago‘s Joe Jackson.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 295/361/688. 125 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 264/370/759. 58 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 340/381/634. 162 H, 12 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 381/436/813. 169 H, 52 2B, 14 3B, 114 R, 7.3 WAR.
Kal Daniels (LAA). 358/447/674.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 401/500/781. 8.3 WAR.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 248/379/433. 84 BB.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 351/402/598. 54 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 279/408/736. 56 HR, 132 RBI, 111 R, 89 BB.

#Pitchers

#Starters

All 5 players with at least 15 wins are listed, as well as the top 2 in other categories.

A. Rube Foster (IND). 8-5, 2.93. 0.97 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 15-5, 4.37.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 16-5, 4.07.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 16-5, 3.82.
José Méndez (MCG). 10-5, 4.36.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13-9, 3.19. 217 K, 6.6 WAR, 0.97 WHIP.
Luis Padrón (IND). 17-3, 3.57. 5.1 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 15-5, 4.38.

#Relievers

The top 3 in the league remain Josh Lindblom, Rod Beck, and Eric Gagne, who have 30, 29, and 26 saves respectively. Of those, Gagne has been the most dominant, and is probably only challenged by Kansas City’s Craig Kimbrel, who had 11 holds before being named their closer, and has posted 9 saves since. The other 3 relievers with 20-plus saves are listed as well.

28 Min IP.

Terry Adams (CLE), 1-5, 4.28. 21 Sv, 2H.
Rod Beck (SFS). 4-3, 5.05. 29 Sv, 1H.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-2, 5.07. 14 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-2, 2.39. 26 Sv.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-1, 2.06. 1 Sv, 8 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-7, 5.15. 1 Sv, 19 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 3-4, 2.10. 9 Sv, 11 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 7-4, 3.86. 30 Sv.
Joe Nathan (LAA/SFS). 5-5, 4.31. 20 Sv, 1H.
Jonathan Papelbon (MEM/MCG). 3-5, 4.71. 20 Sv.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 2-3, 5.24. 1 Sv, 14 H.

#Down On the Farm

As roster expansion looms, a look at the best AAA and AA performers of the year so far. We’re listing the slash, homerun, and stolen base leaders for hitters, wins, ERA, and saves for pitchers, and WAR for both.

#AAA Batters

Jack Hannifin (26, LVA / LAA). 267/327/706. 54 HR.
Kenny Lofton (27, BUF / CLE). 277/345/482. 72 SB.
Jerry Mumphrey (29, CBB / HOD). 321/377/564. 4.0 WAR.
Elmer Valo (35, LVA / LAA). 343/430/583.

AAA Pitchers

Mark Baldwin (29, WAS / BAL). 10-8, 3.58. 4.5 WAR.
Al Brazle (28, CBB / HOD). 10-2, 3.54.
John Denny (34, QUE / BRK). 13-6, 4.32.
Red Ehret (24, SJB / SFS). 13-10, 4.54.
George Jeffcoat (26, HRT / NYG). 4-7, 3.23. 28 Sv.
Dick Redding (21, QUE / BRK). 13-6, 3.71.

#AA Batters

Andrew Benintendi (23, TUL / MEM). 343/450/572.
Lorenzo Cain (28, ABS / HOU). 333/382/554. 4.3 WAR.
Rajai Davis (29, ASN / BBB). 278/315/396. 34 SB.
Cy Williams (26, ALI / HOD). 306/361/716. 44 HR.

#AA Pitchers

Ping Gardner (24, SYR / HOM). 10-1, 2.67.
Art Johnson (22, JCS / BRK). 10-4, 3.45.
Lew Krausse, Jr. (22, JCS / BRK). 8-6, 3.99. 3.6 WAR.
Doc Newton (21, JCS / BRK). 10-0, 2.86. 3.6 WAR.
Lance McCullers (20, CCH / HOU). 3-5, 3.50. 24 Sv.
Mike Minor (25, 6-4, 2.58.
Masahiro Tanka (24, TRO / NYG). 10-12. 4.28.

TWIWBL 77.4: Bill James Division

By

On August 30, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Cleveland Spiders67-48.583—
New York Black Yankees65-54.5464
Detroit Wolverines57-60.48711
Memphis Red Sox55-63.46613.5
Baltimore Black Sox50-67.42718
Bill James Division | 12 August

#Baltimore Black Sox

Two homeruns from Frank Robinson weren’t enough as the Black Sox fell to Los Angeles, 5-2. There was a positive: Ned Garvin pitched very much like the Ned Garvin of last year despite taking the loss.

After a few trades, the Black Sox welcomed Gene Conley and recalled Bill Byrd to their bullpen, and recalled Larry Gardner to backup Miller Huggins at 2B.

#Cleveland Spiders

Ed Bailey went deep twice, giving him a dozen with Cleveland and 32 on the season, as the Spiders topped Portland, 13-4.

#Detroit Wolverines

Superstar Ty Cobb hit for the cycle, but it wasn’t enough, as the Wolverines fell to Miami in a slugfest, 16-11.

The next day, Oscar Gamble hit 2 homeruns and this time the Wolverines prevailed, 11-5. However, starter Johnny Marcum had to leave the game, and is headed to the DL nursing an oblique injury. Gene Conley was recalled, having improved a bit during his stint at AAA.

Needing a starter, the Wolverines exchanged Billy Hoeft (who has struggled mightily after a promising start to the season) for Ray Sadecki. Sadecki did alright–2 earned in over 5 innings–but still got tagged with the loss as Detroit fell 10-1 to Miami. George Bechtel, who had pitched well of late, was injured, and will spend about a week on the DL, with Detroit recalling Buddy Napier from his rehab stint after the game.

Ernie Lombardi had 2 round trippers, leading the Wolverines to an 8-6 win over Miami. Chili Davis did the same: 2 homeruns, reaching 30 on the year, in a 10-6 victory over Memphis.

To make room for trade acquisitions, Dick Donovan and Sadecki were both shipped to AAA. Connie Johnson steps into the rotation, while Troy Percival and Steve Howe hit the Wolverines’ bullpen and Bobby Wallace steps into the starting role at SS.

#Memphis Red Sox

At some point, you gotta’ produce … veteran IF Nomar Garciaparra was released, with Dobie Moore being recalled from his rehab assignment.

Sadie McMahon was recalled from AAA leaving the Red Sox bullpen full of arms, but not terribly clear on roles.

Stubby Overmire tossed a complete game 3-hitter as Memphis topped Detroit, 5-0. With the win, Overmire improved to 11-9 and lowered his ERA to 4.27.

#New York Black Yankees

Rogers Hornsby was recalled from his rehab assignment, with Tom Herr heading back to AAA.

Dave Righetti returned to the Black Yankees’ rotation.

Babe Ruth hit his 53rd and 54th homers of the year, leading New York to a 7-1 win over Memphis.

With Waite Hoyt‘s departure, the Black Yankees named the surprising Tony Brizzolara to their rotation for the time being and promoted reliever Jeff Nelson from AAA.

Mike Schmidt and Hornsby went back-to-back twice, but it wasn’t enough as New York’s bullpen couldn’t close it out in an 11-10 loss to Baltimore. The next day, it was Lou Gehrig‘s turn to hit 2 out of the park, giving him 47 on the year and leading New York to a 5-2 win over Baltimore.

TWIWBL 76.3: Bill James Division

By

On August 6, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Cleveland Spiders62-47.569—
New York Black Yankees63-50.5581
Detroit Wolverines53-58.47710
Memphis Red Sox52-59.46811
Baltimore Black Sox49-62.44114
Bill James Division | 5 August

#Baltimore Black Sox

Needing to shake things up, Baltimore has moved into full “let’s see what we have for next year” mode. Johnny Sain and Bill Byrd were sent to AAA with Mark Baldwin and Rafael Betancourt being recalled. Betancourt will hit the bullpen, with Joe Beggs being moved from closer to starter for the Black Sox. Buddy Groom–Baltimore’s best reliever this year–will move into the closer spot.

Perhaps more importantly, wunderkind Eddie Murray was recalled, with Baby Doll Jacobson, who has struggled all season, being sent down. This likely puts Dan McGann on the trade market, as Murray isn’t being recalled to ride the pines.

Gavvy Cravath went deep twice, and Baltimore held on to an impressive 6-5 win over San Francisco.

Betancourt’s stay was short, as a sore elbow will move him to the DL, with Gregg Olson being recalled to the Black Sox bullpen.

#Cleveland Spiders

Evan Longoria hit 2 out and drove in 5, leading the Spiders to a 12-4 win over Baltimore. It wasn’t all good news for Cleveland, though, as Ron Blomberg sprained his ankle in the game, earning Boomer a trip to the DL. Cleveland recalled 33 year old Willie McCovey, one of the dominant AAA power hitters of the season, to see if he can add to their power for the stretch run.

McCovey had a nice debut, homering in his first WBL at bat and adding a single as the Spiders topped Baltimore, 10-4.

#Detroit Wolverines

Hank Greenberg went deep twice and drove in 5 as Detroit rode a strong outing from Pete Conway in a 14-2 victory over the Black Yankees. It wasn’t all good news for Detroit: Tony Lazzeri, who had essentially laid claim to the SS job, had to leave the game with a yet-to-be diagnosed injury.

It got worse in the middle infield as the Wolverines, still waiting to hear about the severity of Lazzeri’s ailment, lost George Davis for a few weeks. Davis hits the DL with Ray Chapman earning the promotion to Detroit.

It turns out Lazzeri has a fractured rib and will miss about a month, so he heads to the DL with Robby Thompson being recalled.

#Memphis Red Sox

Ted Williams hit 2 homeruns, but the Red Sox bullpen couldn’t hold a lead, and Memphis fell to Chicago, 8-6 in 11 innings.

#New York Black Yankees

Dave Righetti was recalled from a rehab assignment, with David Robertson heading to AAA. For now, Righetti will work out of the Black Yankees’ bullpen. But the back end of their rotation is pretty unsettled, with Red Ruffing and Pascual Pérez far from solid in their roles.

Don Mattingly went deep twice and Babe Ruth added his league-leading 52nd of the year as the Black Yankees came from behind to trounce Miami, 14-7. Eric Davis, who also homered, had 4 hits, as did Mattingly and Ruth drove in 5 in the win.

The Black Yankees hit 6 homeruns, 2 from Lou Gehrig, as they topped Miami, 14-5.

Rogers Hornsby began a rehab assignment, which will most likely be quite brief.

The Black Yankees’ staff is in a bit of upheaval, as both Pérez and Rheal Cormier left games with injuries. Pérez will miss a couple weeks, while Cormier’s injury is still under investigation. Roy Evans was promoted to take Pérez’ place on the active roster.

TWIWBL 76.2 Spotlight on the Cleveland Spiders

By

On August 5, 2025

In TWIWBL

Things seem to be breaking well in Cleveland, which is riding a well-balanced team to a narrow lead in the Bill James Division.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

The Spiders don’t lead the league in anything, but they are also top 6 or 7 in everything. Add some very bright lights–Tris Speaker, Ron Blomberg, and Lance Berkman especially–and you have a hard team to beat. The question is if they can maintain it–they also feel like a team that could be broken by the wrong injury.

THE OFFENSE

It’s a bit uneven, but there is plenty of firepower here.

#What’s Going Right

It really all revolves around the big 3, with Tris Speaker, Ron Blomberg, and Lance Berkman each sporting an OPS over 1.000. Speaker leads in all the slash stats, while Blomberg has 41 homers and 117 RBIs. Berkman has chipped in with 38 dingers and 95 RBIs, more than enough to lead most teams.

Ed Bailey, brought in via trade during the all star break, remains a top end offensive catcher, slashing 258/344/617.

Evan Longoria, who struggled most of last season, has seized the 3B role, and is one of 5 batters with over 20 homers (3 more–Arky Vaughan, Larry Doby, and Chuck Knoblauch–are in double digits).

Johnny Bates has 41 SB, despite some struggles otherwise offensively.

#What’s Not Going Right

C Louis Santop, an all star and media darling last season, is slashing 207/252/375. He’s only 20 and remains the franchise’s future behind the plate, but the drop in impact is noticeable. This, of course, was the primary motivation for the decision to bring in Ed Bailey.

John Ellis and Chuck Knoblauch–both key players last season–are struggling to push their OPS over .700 this season.

THE PITCHING

It’s … solid. There is a lot of talent here, but not a lot of star power, something that could prove an obstacle in the postseason.

#What’s Going Right

Bill Steen (10-6, 5.02)and Cy Young (10-6, 5.16) both hold identical records, and seem very dependable in a eat up some innings and get the ball to the bullpen sort of way. Young clearly has the talent to do more than that, but has yet to put it together.

Speaking of talent … Bob Feller (7-3, 4.82) keeps flashing it, averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per 9 innings and forcing himself into the starting rotation.

Terry Adams (20 saves) is excellent at closer, and Cory Gearrin (3-0, 2.41) is one of the better setup arms in the league.

Al Smith (1.88 in 11 appearances) has had a very impressive start to his career, and is a potential impact left handed arm in the pen.

#What’s Not Going Right

Of the starters, only Feller has an ERA under 5.00, and that’s only over 6 starts. Yordano Ventura (5-6, 5.59) and Pat Malone (5-8, 5.45) have each struggled to find their form.

Ron Reed continues to not live up to his billing, although he seems to have stabilized as of late.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

Cleveland has the worst rated system in the league … and it may be accurate. Aubrey Huff, Justin Turner, and Bill Phillips could all contribute at some point, and teenage IF Johnny Hodapp can hit, but … there’s just not much here.

There is some talent in the upper levels of the system, most notably OFers Paul O’Neill and Kenny Lofton, but both are stuck behind established players.

WHAT’S NEEDED

If the Spiders are to make a deep postseason push, they need the big 3 to keep producing and a few players–preferably starters–to step forward over the final few months.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

  • Who plays 3B? This is a question of scarcity: nobody has seemed able to step up. Longoria has pretty much taken over here.
  • What happens in the OF? Both Speaker and Kenny Lofton offer strong defense, is it possible to move one of them to LF or RF effectively? Not on this team, no: Lofton didn’t even make the club out of Spring Training, and Speaker is an upper echelon player so far this year, even if he’s a terribly unpopular figure in the clubhouse.

FEATURED SERIES

The Spiders head to Detroit for 3 games against the Wolverines, an in-division rival.

Projected Starters

Cleveland’s starter listed first.

Pat Malone (5-8, 5.45) @ Charlie Root (8-8, 5.60)
Bob Feller (7-3, 4.82) @ Hal Newhouser (5-3, 4.77)
Cy Young (10-6, 5.16) @ Johnny Marcum (6-4, 5.46)

I like this Cleveland team, and especially if Feller shows up, see a sweep as a distinct possibility.

Game One

Bob Feller was moved up to pitch in game one for Cleveland, with Detroit countering with Charlie Root as anticipated.

One of the more pleasant surprises for Detroit, veteran Juan Beníquez, took Feller deep in the 2nd for an early 1-0 Wolverines lead. In the 3rd, another similarly surprising performer–Tony Lazzeri–did the same, making it 2-0.

The Spiders finally broke through against Root in the 6th: Chuck Knoblauch singled to open the inning, was moved to second through a sacrifice bunt from Louis Santop, and scored on a double from Arky Vaughan.

In the bottom of the 6th, after a walk to Oscar Gamble, Beníquez chased Feller from the game with a double in the gap. Al Smith gave up two RBI singles (one to Victor Martínez, the other to Lazzeri) before getting out of the inning, putting the Spiders in a 4-1 hole.

It was short-lived: Ron Blomberg and Lance Berkman went deep back-to-back to lead off the 7th and chase Root from the mound, making it a 1 run one game once more at 4-3.

Chili Davis added an insurance run for Detroit with a solo shot, but Cleveland would not be stopped: Vaughan hit one out in the 8th, then Blomberg hit his 43rd of the year and 2nd of the game with Tris Speaker on board to give the Spiders their first lead of the day, 6-5.

Ron Reed and Terry Adams did their job (although Adams did load the bases in the 9th), and Cleveland took game one.

CLE 6 (Marberry 6-0; Adams 21 Sv; Reed 5 H) @ DET 5 (Hoeft 2-3, 3 BSv; Bechtel 2 H)
HRs: CLE – Blomberg 2 (43), Berkman (39), Vaughan (11); DET – Beníquez (13), Lazzeri (7), C. Davis (27).
Box Score

Game Two

Pat Malone would take his turn for Cleveland in game 2, with Hal Newhouser on the mound for Detroit.

Malone may have needed even more rest–he gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the first, 1 on a single from Ty Cobb, the rest on Al Kaline‘s 22nd round-tripper of the season.

Luckily, Cleveland has some power too, and took the lead in the top of the 2nd behind a pair of 2 run shots, one from Larry Doby and the other from Johnny Bates.

Hank Greenberg tied it up with a solo shot in the 3rd and then, in the 5th, the most unlikely power source of all–Detroit’s George Davis–sent a ball scooting into the gap for an inside-the-park-homerun to give Detroit a 5-4 lead.

Newhouser was done after 5 innings, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks while whiffing 9–sort of a thumbnail of his year to date.

Ron Blomberg did it again, tying the game at 5 with a solo shot to lead off the 8th, but Detroit took it back with an RBI single from Chili Davis in the bottom of the frame.

Detroit’s closer, Mike Henneman, would see his first action since returning form injury. Unfortunately for Cleveland, he looked fully rested, and easily retired the heart of the Spiders’ lineup for his 15th save of the season.

CLE 5 (Morton 5-3; Young 8 Sv; Malloy 2 H) @ DET 6 (Marichal 8-10)
HRs: CLE – Doby (20), Bates (10), Blomberg (44); DET – Kaline (22), Greenberg (36), G. Davis (3).
Box Score

Game Three

Before the game, Detroit sent Joakim Soria out on a rehab assignment.

The starters for game 3 remain unchanged: Cleveland’s Cy Young taking on Detroit’s Johnny Marcum.

Cleveland would score in each of the opening 3 frames: an RBI single from Ron Blomberg, 2 solo shots from Larry Doby, and a 2-run homerun from Ed Bailey. Meanwhile, Young was having a pretty typical start for him: he looked good, but every hit led to a run, with the RBI’s for Detroit coming from Oscar Gamble, Ty Cobb, and Ernie Lombardi. So, 5-3 in favor of Cleveland after 3 innings.

And then, as sometimes happens, both hurlers remembered how to do it, keeping us scoreless until Doby roped his 3rd of the game, chasing Marcum and giving the Spiders a 6-3 edge.

Al Kaline took Young deep in the 6th, closing the edge to 6-4. In the next inning, after a Bob Bailey single chased Young, Al Smith was brought in to face the 2 lefties, Gamble and Cobb. Smith walked Gamble, but got a groundout from Cobb, and Firpo Marberry closed out the inning, preserving the 2 run lead.

Billy Hoeft and Jack Wilson were roughed up in the top of the 9th, with Tris Speaker, Blomberg, and Joe Sewell each going deep and providing the final margin of 10-4 in favor of Cleveland.

Doby had 2 more chances, but could not become the first player in the WBL to hit 4 out in a game.

CLE 10 (Young 11-6; Smith 1 H; Marberry 1 Sv) @ DET 4 (Marcum 6-5)
HRs: CLE – Doby 3 (23), Bailey (9), Sewell (2), Speaker (26), Blomberg (45); DET – Kaline (23).
Box Score

So, the Spiders take the series, showing a lot of who they are: more offense than pitching, and usually enough to get the job done.

TWIWBL 75.3: Bill James Division

By

On July 5, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
New York Black Yankees60-46.566—
Cleveland Spiders57-45.5591
Detroit Wolverines50-54.4819
Memphis Red Sox50-54.4819
Baltimore Black Sox45-60.42914.5
Bill James Division | 30 July

#Baltimore Black Sox

Cal Ripken went deep twice as the Black Sox put a beating on the Black Yankees, 11-2.

#Cleveland Spiders

Lance Berkman went deep twice and Bob Feller fanned 13 as the Spiders topped Chicago, 6-4. Feller improved to 7-3 and Berkman now has 37 dingers on the season.

Ed Bailey–not exactly lighting the world on fire since arriving via trade–capped an unlikely comeback with a walkoff grand slam as the Spiders topped Memphis, 12-9. Bailey finished the day with 6 RBI’s.

#Detroit Wolverines

A trio or Wolverine arms–George Bechtel, Pete Conway, and, most importantly, closer Mike Henneman–all began rehab assignments this week.

Hank Greenberg hit 2 out, but the Wolverines’ bullpen couldn’t hold the lead, and Detroit fell to Los Angeles, 7-6.

Then, Bob Bailey went deep twice as Detroit rolled over Los Angeles, 12-3. In some bad news, though, Charlie Root–having one of his best starts of the year–was forced from the game with injury.

The trio of arms on rehab were all recalled, with Si Johnson, Gene Conley, and Mike Griffin all heading down to AAA.

JD Martinez went deep twice–giving him 6 in 11 games–but it wasn’t enough as the Wolverines fell to Los Angeles, 12-11.

With all of their arms tired, the Wolverines sent Dick Donovan down to AAA, recalling Fred Frankhouse for his WBL debut. It did not go well, as Detroit fell heavily to Baltimore, 13-5. So down went Funkhouse, in exchange for Donovan once more.

#Memphis Red Sox

Even though his last 2 outings have shown some promise, needing a starter, it was once again Nixey Callahan off to AAA, with Eddie Cicotte being recalled.

#New York Black Yankees

Rogers Hornsby will miss about a week with a sprained elbow, warranting a trip to the DL and prompting the recall of Tom Herr from AAA.

Lou Gehrig hit 2 out, but, despite 2 comebacks, the Black Yankees fell 10-8 to Miami in 12 innings.

TWIWBL 74.3: Bill James Division

By

On March 31, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
New York Black Yankees59-41.590—
Cleveland Spiders54-41.5682.5
Memphis Red Sox48-50.49010
Detroit Wolverines43-54.44314.5
Baltimore Black Sox41-58.41417.5
Bill James Division | 23 July

#Cleveland Spiders

The surprising Steve Gromek headed to the DL, prompting the Spiders to recall the to-date ineffective Hank Gastright once more.

Ed Bailey hit 2 out, but a late comeback fell short as the Spiders fell to Los Angeles, 11-8.

#Detroit Wolverines

Al Kaline hit out 2, reaching 20 for the year, as the Wolverines topped Chicago, 7-5 behind a strong outing from Charlie Root, who evened his record at 8-8.

Joakim Soria will miss a few weeks, prompting Detroit to recall Dick Donovan from AAA.

#Memphis Red Sox

Both Billy Bryan and Ted Williams hit 2 homeruns in an insane game that saw the Red Sox lose, 17-15 to Baltimore in 10 innings. The two teams combined for 19 runs in the final 3 innings in the see-saw affair.

TWIWBL 73.3: Bill James Division

By

On February 28, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
New York Black Yankees56-37.602—
Cleveland Spiders51-39.5633.5
Memphis Red Sox44-47.48411
Detroit Wolverines41-50.45114
Baltimore Black Sox40-53.43016
Bill James Division | 16 July

#Baltimore Black Sox

A rough year gets rougher, as surprise all-star Justin Hampson will miss most of the rest of the season. RA Dickey, who was decently effective in an earlier run with the Black Sox, was recalled.

Manny Machado hit 2 out giving him 29 for the year, but the Black Sox bullpen couldn’t hold a lead and Baltimore fell to San Francisco, 11-9.

#Cleveland Spiders

Al Smith was recalled from a rehab assignment, with Claude Passeau heading back to AAA.

Bob Feller and Ron Reed combined on a 2-hit shutout of Baltimore, with the Spiders taking the contest 5-0. Feller, who improved to 5-3, allowed 2 hits (but 7 walks) in 7 innings, and Reed was perfect in relief.

Recent acquisition Ed Bailey went deep twice, giving him 4 in his short tenure with the Spiders, as Cleveland topped Detroit, 7-4. Bill Steen was solid, improving to 8-5, and Reed and Cory Gearrin did their job, getting the ball to Terry Adams who picked up his 16th save.

#Detroit Wolverines

George Bechtel hit the DL, with Detroit recalling Gene Conley, who may have gotten himself straightened out at AAA after a miserable start to the year.

#Memphis Red Sox

Dobie Moore will miss a couple of weeks, prompting the Red Sox to recall veteran IF Nomar Garciaparra. Garciaparra had 2 hits in his first game, but was overshadowed by Travis Shaw‘s 2 homeruns as the Red Sox beat the Black Yankees, 8-7 in 12 innings.

In need of a starter, the Red Sox moved Bill Doak to AAA, recalling Nixey Callahan.

#New York Black Yankees

Jack Scott was sent to AAA to make room for Dave Righetti‘s return from the DL. Righetti will move to the bullpen for the time being. It was expected that Nick Etten would head down when Don Mattingly returned, but Etten just continues to mash the ball, leaving Tom Herr the odd man out.

Righetti’s return lasted one appearance, as a strained back will put him on the shelf for up to 22 weeks. Needing a starter, the Black Yankees recalled Tony Brizzolara, the only rested arm at AAA.

TWIWBL 72.5: Bill James Division

By

On February 18, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
New York Black Yankees55-35.611—
Cleveland Spiders49-38.5634.5
Memphis Red Sox43-45.48911
Detroit Wolverines40-47.46013.5
Baltimore Black Sox38-52.42217
Bill James Division | 9 July

#Baltimore Black Sox

The Black Sox recalled Buddy Groom and Bobby Wallace from rehab assignments, sending RA Dickey and Dave Anderson to AAA. They also named Johnny Sain and newly-acquired Mike Cuellar to fill out the rotation.

Wallace’s return is complicated–honestly, the Black Sox had hoped to deal the veteran, but found the market wanting, especially given his recent injury. Wallace returns to a backup role behind Cal Ripken, Jr., although he will see some time at 3B as well.

Frank Robinson homered twice and drove in 5 as the Black Sox won a slugfest over Memphis, 12-11.

#Cleveland Spiders

Cleveland’s trades led to some roster shuffling. Joe Smith and Chico Walker were sent to AAA to clear room for Claude Passeau and Ed Bailey. Bob Feller and Pat Malone were named to the rotation for the Spiders with Passeau starting off in Cleveland’s bullpen for the time being.

Evan Longoria won a see-saw game with a walkoff homer in the bottom of the 10th against the Black Yankees. John Ellis, Larry Doby, Ron Blomberg, and Bailey also went deep for the Spiders in the 9-7 victory.

#Detroit Wolverines

Recently acquired Victor Martinez steps into the reserve catching role for Detroit, who have also decided to juggle their middle infield, with Tony Lazzeri being recalled from AAA to take over at SS. JD Martinez was also recalled to add some power from the bench, with Billy Nash heading down to AAA.

George Bechtel was added to the rotation while Felipe Vásquez was sent to AAA in exchange for Mike Griffin.

It’s not quite the wholesale commitment to youth some have been asking for (Lazzeri is 36, replacing George Davis who is 35), but it’s something. I guess.

The Martinez boys came through, with JD hitting a homerun in his first WBL at-bat and Victor adding 3 hits in a 3-2, 10 inning win over Los Angeles. Ty Cobb hit one out in the top of the 10th for the go-ahead run.

#Memphis Red Sox

The Red Sox recalled Iván De Jesús to fill a utility role. One impact of this is allowing Dobie Moore to focus more exclusively on SS.

David Ortiz went deep twice and Manny Ramírez homered a record-tying 3 times (the second time this year he’s done that), driving in 7 … but the Red Sox failed to hold several leads, falling to Baltimore, 12-11.

#New York Black Yankees

Dave Righetti started a rehab assignment. AJ Burnett and Josh Harrison were sent to AAA, with newcomers Pascual Pérez and Rogers Hornsby stepping right into the rotation and the starting lineup, respectively.

Babe Ruth went deep twice in a 12 inning, 8-4 win over Cleveland. Lou Gehrig did the same the next day, but once again Aroldis Chapman couldn’t hold a lead, and the Spiders won in extra innings, 9-7. This latest meltdown may trigger a shakeup in the Black Yankees’ bullpen, with Goose Gossage taking over the closer role.

Page 2 of 10

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén