Tag: Curt Blefary Page 2 of 6

Season Review: Baltimore Black Sox

On January 4, 2024

91 - 63, .590 pct.
1st in Cum Posey Division.
WHIRLED CHAMPIONS!

Overall

Best record in the league for most of the season, plus a thrilling postseason that included two Game 7 victories. It was a great year for the Black Sox who were led by a dominant pitching staff and an especially strong top half of the lineup.

The watchword of the year for Baltimore was resiliency. They lost two all stars to long term injury, including Ned Garvin, who was at the time the most dominant pitcher in the league. But they kept rolling, bringing in some talent and developing some others to not miss a beat. It applied to non-injury situations as well: Baby Doll Jacobson stepped right into the WBL to provide OF depth when needed and the bullpen, while in flux all year, was never less than excellent.

What Went Right

Frank Robinson established himself as a budding superstar, Curt Blefary far exceeded expectations and the trio of Dan McGann, Bobby Wallace, and Larry Gardner were constant thorns in the side of opposing pitchers.

Nobody really struggled. Paul Blair doesn’t hit a lot in CF, but he has some pop and provides elite defense; Jacobson was a revelation in about a half-season of work, making the competition between him, Bryce Harper, and Ken Singleton quite fierce for the final OF spots, especially given that the Black Sox signed the best free agent on the market in Gavvy Cravath.

Garvin, Bill Byrd, Dennis Martínez, Connie Johnson (brought over via trade) and, increasingly as the season wore on, Mike Mussina, combined for as good a rotation as found in the league. That left Jim Palmer and Johnny Sain vying for time from the bullpen: this is a deep staff, and looks to be so for at least a few years.

The duo of Don Bessent and Bob Miller handed closing duties well for the first half of the season, and when they faltered, Joe Beggs, John Wetteland, and Buddy Groom stepped in and performed even better. Groom especially was virtually unhittable.

ALL STARS
P Bill Byrd; C Curt Blefary; P Ned Garvin; RP Sean Marshall; P Dennis Martínez; 1B Dan McGann; SS Bobby Wallace

What Went Wrong

3B was an issue until the arrival of Manny Machado, with none of those given a chance–most notably Brooks Robinson and Harlond Clift, but also Cal Ripken, Jr–doing anything to lay a claim on the hot corner.

I mean … that’s really about it. That and the injuries, which they overcame. I guess that’s how you win a championship.

Transactions

March

P Rube Foster to Indianapolis for 2B Miller Huggins & OF Willie Montañez

Given the overall pitching depth, a nice move.

June

P Mike Morgan, 1B Richie Sexson, C Chris Hoiles & IF Joe Dugan to Miami for IF Manny Machado

Machado is likely to have the best career of this group, so it’s a win.

P Willie Sudhoff, OF Alex Johnson & 4th Round Pick to Memphis for P Joe Beggs

Beggs was great, so this worked out well.

July

OF Merv Rettenmund, P Gene Garber & 2nd Round Pick to Kansas City for P Connie Johnson & 5th Round Pick {Stan Spence}

A clear win.

Looking Forward

SP

Very solid in the immediate, and the long-term foursome of Dennis Martínez, Bill Byrd, Mike Mussina, and Jim Palmer looks formidable. Could use some more depth here, but who couldn’t? Ned Garvin‘s recovery from injury will be key.

RP

Very strong, although there is a chance of an overall regression, which could be concerning.

C

Blefary looks solid, but there is very little behind him if he falters.

1B

Dan McGann was great this year, but young Eddie Murray is pushing from the wings.

2B

Larry Gardner has this locked down for now, although Miller Huggins may argue for some time as well.

3B

It would be nice if Manny Machado, Brooks Robinson, or even Harlond Clift would just perform well enough to settle this spot.

SS

Bobby Wallace for now, but Cal Ripken, Jr. will probably take over at some point.

LF

Frank Robinson.

CF

This is Paul Blair‘s spot, which means there will always be questions about upgrading for better offense. For now, Baby Doll Jacobson and Bryce Harper are likely to see at least occasional time here.

RF

Gavvy Cravath steps right in here, but longer term this is going to be a battle between Jacobson and Ken Singleton.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

The Black Sox didn’t have a pick until the final selection of the 3rd round, so this year’s draft is really more about picking up talent where they can than anything else. They’ll start stocking their system with 24 year old OF Topsy Hartsel, as the Black Sox know the worth of a hitter that can draw a walk.

Rounds 5-8

Look for a focus on 3B, OF, and pitching in these rounds, beginning with OF Stan Spence who was added with the 3rd pick of the 5th round. With the final pick of that round, Baltimore added franchise selection Steve Brodie. In the 6th they picked up OF Bruce Bochte and in the 7th P Joe Dobson with their final franchise exception.

IF Gunnar Henderson has shown some upside, making him their 8th round pick.

Rounds 9-12

P Jack Kramer; OF Homer Smoot; P Allen Sothoron; P Jeff Ballard.

Baltimore was unable to reach agreement with 11th round pick, P Allen Sothoron with no compensation.

TWIWBL 51.4: The Awards – Silver Sticks

By mknn

On November 1, 2023

In TWIWBL

With no regard for defense, here are the best hitters at each position.

#C

Catching is hard. Only 5 full-time catchers qualified (plus Houston’s Craig Biggio, who only played a couple hundred innings behind the plate). And while Thurman Munson and Buster Posey had fantastic seasons, with OPS’ over .850, the top three are obvious

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Johnny Bench	IND	31	2	32	82	90	287	385	566	0	8.0
Curt Blefary	BAL	23	3	29	84	90	280	392	549	3	8.1
Elrod Hendricks	HOD	27	1	41	79	94	283	342	619	1	7.7

Blefary is clearly third best. Imma go with Bench here as the more dangerous offensive force despite Hendricks‘ edge in homeruns.

#1B

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Mike Epstein	HOM	22	0	24	80	79	316	420	528	0	8.8
Hank Greenberg	DET	45	4	31	93	113	317	374	595	1	8.3
Kent Hrbek	POR	36	0	36	91	106	297	365	556	0	7.5

You could spend a lot of time arguing about Epstein and Hrbek, but it wouldn’t change the fact that Greenberg was the best.

#2B

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Eddie Collins	CAG	28	4	20	106	70	315	409	513	61	8.6
Larry Gardner	BAL	26	5	12	84	72	318	393	471	16	6.8
Bobby Grich	LAA	42	5	12	77	76	288	378	476	12	6.7
Rogers Hornsby	KCM/POR	35	3	19	75	88	294	365	487	2	6.4

There is so little to separate Gardner, Grich, and Hornsby that I had to list all three of them. But they are all far, far behind the force of nature that is Eddie Collins.

#3B

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	WAR
Dick Allen	CAG	30	10	26	86	109	311	383	559	5	7.9
Bob Bailey	DET	22	3	21	76	70	277	364	462	5	6.1
Doug Rader	LAA	43	7	18	85	134	330	391	529	0	7.8

I like RBI’s too. Really, I do. And BA. But I’ll take Dick Allen over Doug Rader every day. I hadn’t realized how thin the pickings got at 3B after those two.

#SS

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Jim Fregosi	POR	32	3	17	78	61	300	373	472	16	6.1
Bobby Wallace	BAL	40	4	5	99	60	302	396	418	18	6.1
Robin Yount	MCG	30	5	14	24	68	276	314	454	16	5.0

The choice between Wallace and Fregosi is close, but Fregosi is slightly the better offensive player, even if Wallace is the better shortstop if you add defense into the equation.

#OF

The outfielders include all fulltime players with an OPS over .900 or with a runs created per 27 outs over 7.0.

#LF

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Rick Reichardt	HOM	23	8	27	83	98	301	378	531	1	7.2
Frank Robinson	BAL	17	2	37	101	111	302	383	539	2	7.3
Babe Ruth	NYY	35	3	48	127	136	312	427	663	14	10.8

The easiest choice of all …

#CF

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Pete Browning	HOD	34	4	26	82	82	331	370	591	38	8.4
Bobby Murcer	POR	29	8	24	95	87	314	388	542	11	8.2
Willie Mays	NYG	30	5	24	99	97	322	384	516	11	7.1
Reggie Smith	MEM	39	5	22	100	72	304	381	522	20	6.8
Mike Trout	LAA	27	6	21	102	100	321	390	498	37	7.7

Browning‘s year has to be discounted from the amount of time he missed, which really leaves this to Bobby Murcer.

#RF

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Ron Blomberg	CLE	39	0	44	110	127	336	412	649	0	10.2
Ty Cobb	DET	41	4	21	92	89	352	391	557	52	8.7
Joe Jackson	CAG	33	3	31	109	102	330	412	588	34	9.5
Reggie Jackson	SFS	29	1	30	75	105	317	424	589	23	8.4
Mickey Mantle	NYY	34	2	27	101	85	319	420	552	3	9.1
Stan Musial	KCM	49	4	25	94	98	329	395	577	6	8.4

The quality in RF rolls deep … Ron Blomberg takes this, with Joe Jackson very close behind. The deepest position in the league.

#DH

Name	Tm	2B	3B	HR	R	RBI	BA	OBP	SLG	SB	RC/27
Gavvy Cravath	PHI/POR	36	3	27	86	85	310	385	560	5	7.9
Lou Gehrig	NYY	25	4	27	74	79	275	379	526	3	7.1
Frank Thomas	CAG	33	3	25	93	105	297	405	505	3	7.4

Gavvy Cravath spent a lot of time in RF, both with Philadelphia and Portland, but we’re still going to count him here, where he edges out both Thomas, who slumped late in the season, and Gehrig, who got red-hot as the Black Yankees failed in their attempt to make the playoffs.

#The Silver Sticks

C: Johnny Bench (IND)
1B: Hank Greenberg (DET)
2B: Eddie Collins (CAG)
3B: Dick Allen (CAG)
SS: Jim Fregosi (POR)
LF: Babe Ruth (NYY)
CF: Bobby Murcer (POR)
RF: Ron Blomberg (CLE)
DH: Gavvy Cravath (PHI/POR)

TWIWBL 50.6: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game VI – October 10th

By mknn

On October 18, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

And here we are, a Baltimore victory away from crowning the first WBL champion.

#Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game 6

Both teams are a little betwixt and between with their rotations. Detroit will send out Charlie Root, hoping they get the chance to benefit from an extra day’s rest for Gene Conley while the Black Sox will counter with Johnny Sain. Sain, Mike Mussina, and Jim Palmer have each at different times held down the number four slot; Sain seems to be the strongest at the moment.

Detroit clearly knows what’s at stake: Tony Phillips led off the game with a homerun and Hank Greenberg added a 2 run shot for an early 3-0 lead and lots of second guessing for the Black Sox’s choice of starting pitcher.

Baltimore got one back right away: Bobby Wallace doubled and consecutive sacrifice flies brought him home.

Sain only lasted 3 innings, departing having given up 5 hits and 4 runs. Palmer was magnificent in relief: 3 scoreless innings, 1 hit, and 5 strikeouts.

Frank Robinson singled and Curt Blefary walked to start the 6th, chasing Root and bringing the home crowd to its feet. Justin Verlander fanned Dan McGann and Bryce Harper, but walked Ken Singleton to load the bases. Up stepped Manny Machado, who reprised his role as playoff hero with a grand slam into the left field bleachers. Baltimore was now up, 5-4.

Bob Miller retired Detroit in order in the 7th.

The 8th was much more difficult: Gregg Olsen gave up 2 singles and a walk to load the bases with one out, bringing in Don Bessent to face Al Kaline … who promptly tripled, swinging the score back in favor of the Wolverines. Kaline would score on a sacrifice fly from George Davis, putting Detroit up 8-5.

Matt Anderson retired Baltimore in order in the 8th.

Mike Henneman did his usual thing in the 9th: one out, then a walk and a single to make it interesting, bringing up Robinson as the tying run. Robinson singled to load the bases, but Henneman struck out Blefary. Two outs, with McGann up … and then Henneman uncorked a wild pitch making it 8-6. Eventually, Henneman came through as McGann flew out to center, ending the game and giving us a game 7.

Gardner and Robinson had 3 hits for Baltimore; Cobb had 3 for Detroit.

The drama was fantastic: the much-maligned Machado’s grand slam, and then the hot rookie Kaline’s triple.

DET 8 (Verlander 1-0, 1 B Sv; Henneman 3 Sv; Anderson 3 H) @ BAL 6 (Olson 0-1; Bessent 1 B Sv; Miller 1 H)
HRs: DET – Phillips (1), Greenberg (4); BAL – Machado (3).
Box Score

TWIWBL 50.0: THE WHIRLED SERIES, Preview Edition

By mknn

On October 9, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Series Previews, TWIWBL

We have our matchup for the very first WHIRLED SERIES, the Detroit Wolverines against the Baltimore Black Sox. This was the matchup the numbers wanted from the beginning: Baltimore had the best record in the league during the regular season, finishing with 91 wins and a .591 winning percentage, but Detroit was right behind them with 89 wins and a .578 percentage.

As you would expect, both teams were solid all around, but the general theme is that the Black Sox rode a superior pitching staff while the Wolverines do a little more offensively.

Today we’ll do things a little differently, comparing the teams position by position as we get ready for the fall classic.

#Starting Pitching

The Wolverines starters have been excellent, led by Hal Newhouser. Their rotation has been transformed since opening day, with Gene Conley joining the staff from the bullpen and Charlie Root being obtained via midseason trade. Behind those three, Justin Verlander and lefty Hank Aguirre are most likely to get starts, with the struggling Johnny Marcum being moved to the bullpen.

Some questions have emerged during the postseason for Baltimore’s rotation. During the regular season, the trio of Bill Byrd, Dennis Martínez, and Connie Johnson (a mid-season acquisition) were spectacular, but in the postseason, only Martínez has really lived up to his billing, with Byrd alternating dominant starts with being hit pretty hard. Behind them, there is a bit of a logjam: Mike Mussina is struggling, as is Jim Palmer, so if a 4th starter is needed, look for Johnny Sain to get the opportunity.

Edge: I’ve got to go with Baltimore, with an expectation that their top three bounce back to their level of performance during the regular season. But Newhouser has been the most dominant pitcher left in the postseason, which can always count for something.

#Relief Pitching

This gets interesting. Baltimore’s bullpen has suffered injuries all year, and has just kept rolling along. Ned Garvin was here before spending a few weeks as the best starter in the league, before getting injured. Don Bessent and Bob Miller were co-closers for a time, before getting injured. Sean Marshall was among the most dominant bullpen arms in the league, before getting injured. Sense a theme?

Now, midseason acquisition Joe Beggs and Buddy Groom form the back end. Groom has been especially dominant, with a 1.96 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP over 51 games. John Wetteland has been excellent since being recalled from the minors, and Bessent and Miller join him in handling the middle innnings.

For the Wolverines, the bullpen has been a bit of an oddity. Mike Henneman ended the season tied for the season league in saves, but he certainly had his struggles, exemplified by his 4.60 ERA and 6 blown saves. John Hiller and Buddy Napier were excellent getting the ball to Henneman, but Hiller is out injured, meaning Detroit will be leaning heavily on Matt Anderson and Chad Bradford, both of whom were solid in the regular season. Either Aguirre or Mickey Lolich may be called on for key outs against lefties in Hiller’s absence. Finally, there is Verlander, who was on the verge of moving into the rotation all season, but never quite made it. He is the most reliable option in the early or middle innings, if needed.

Edge: Solidly in favor of Baltimore. That said, Verlander, Henneman, Napier, and Anderson have combined to allow 3 runs in 17 innings this postseason, so the gap may be narrower than it appears from the regular season performances.

#C

In the regular season, Detroit split its duties behind the plate between Bill Carrigan, Ed Bailey, and Ernie Lombardi with Carrigan and Bailey in a rough platoon until Lombardi came over from Indianapolis. Bailey is one of the hottest hitters around these days, so look for him to get most of the starts, but Carrigan was the best of them in the regular season, slashing 316/369/477.

Curt Blefary had a spectacular year for Baltimore, with a 280/392/549 slash line and 29 homeruns. He has struggled mightily in the postseason, but showed signs of coming out of it against Portland.

Edge: Even with Detroit’s far greater depth, you have to give the edge here to Baltimore and Blefary.

#1B

Baltimore’s Dan McGann may be 37, but sure plays like he has a lot left in the tank, racking up a 282/388/445 slash line for the Black Sox.

It’s all about Hank Greenberg for Detroit, one of the Wolverines’ two elite players. Greenberg finished the regular season at 317/374/595 with 31 homeruns and 113 RBI’s.

Edge: McGann had a great year. Greenberg is in the second tier of the MVP conversation. Edge, Detroit.

#2B

Detroit is thrilled to have their 38 year old sparkplug, Tony Phillips, back from injury. Phillips is a nuisance at the top of the batting order, with an OBP just shy of .400. He is not very good defensively, as Sparky Adams will often replace him late in the game, earning him the nickname The Old Man’s Glove.

Larry Gardner‘s 318/393/471 slash line is fantastic for anywhere, let alone a middle infielder. Gardner looks like he is fully recovered from a chest contusion suffered in the first round of the playoffs.

Edge: Baltimore.

#SS

Bobby Wallace is one of the better offensive shortstops in the WBL, slashing 302/396/418, drawing lots of walks and hitting 40 doubles in the regular season. He’s not bad defensively.

Detroit’s George Davis is a whiz defensively, and his .662 OPS, while well under league average, isn’t awful for a middle infielder.

Edge: Baltimore, although Davis’ defense does close the gap a bit.

#3B

When Bob Bailey was injured, Olmedo Sáenz filled in admirably, earning a spot on the playoff roster over Jimmy Collins, by far the better fielder. But he was no replacement for Bailey, who slashed 277/364/462 in the regular season. Sáenz remains a threat off the bench.

Manny Machado hit better for Baltimore than he did for Miami at the start of the year, but is still seen as a bit of a disappointment overall, with a .729 OPS for the year. Brooks Robinson hasn’t shown anything offensively, but is a whiz defensively, providing essentially the same role at 3B as Adams does for Detroit at 2B, but without the cool nickname.

Edge: Detroit

#LF

Frank Robinson is the most feared hitter on the Black Sox, with 37 homeruns, 111 RBIs, and a 302/383/539 slash line. Truly elite.

For Detroit, this is usually the provenance of Oscar Gamble, whose 28 homeruns were second on the team. Gamble was the emotional heart of the Wolverines, and should stay out there despite some late season struggles. Gamble is the best fielder of the group here.

Edge: I love Gamble, too, but the edge here goes clearly to Baltimore.

#CF

Detroit’s Chili Davis is fairly significantly under appreciated, both in Detroit and across the WBL. But Davis is a solid performer out there, slashing 273/328/443 while playing solid defense. The Wolverines are a bit thin here, with Cobb the presumed backup should Davis go down.

Paul Blair could barely make contact for the first third of the season. The fact that he got his OPS to .700 is a strong accomplishment, and, combined with his elite level defense, makes Blair a solid contributor for Baltimore. Baby Doll Jacobsen, who has a fair bit of pop, is the usual reserve here, although Harper can slide over as well.

Edge: Detroit

#RF

The Black Sox stuck with Bryce Harper through his early season struggles, and it paid off as the nineteen year old settled into the league. He has a great eye, a bit of power, and ended up slashing 259/360/403 on the year.

The other legitimate elite player for the Wolverines is the batting champion, Ty Cobb, whose 352/391/557 slash line and 52 SB’s combine to form a truly fantastic offensive player.

Edge: Detroit.

#DH

Al Klaine has 34 games under his belt at the WBL, and has slashed 301/374/573 in that span. That performance has generally left Detroit without a spot for Geoff Jenkins, who was the usual DH, especially against right-handers.

As both Harper and Jacobson established themselves throughout the season, DH duties for Baltimore fell more and more often to Ken Singleton, who was … fine. Singleton was almost the picture of a useful hitter, slashing 266/352/407 with 17 homeruns and 88 RBIs. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to love, either. He’s been excellent so far in the postseason.

Edge: Toss up, although if Kaline maintains his level of performance, slides to Detroit.

#Overall

Quantitatively, 6-4 in favor of Baltimore, with one tie. So, very close.

I have to go with Baltimore: they are so good at getting on base, and their pitching is just better. But Detroit really has no weak spots offensively (maybe SS with Davis), and if they can get enough from their pitching staff, they certainly have a shot.

Prediction: Black Sox in 6.

TWIWBL 49.7: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day VII– October 1

By mknn

On October 5, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Featured Games, TWIWBL

Our first game seven!

#Portland Sea Dogs v Baltimore Black Sox, Game 7

Baltimore is 4-1 at home in the postseason, but they’ll be up against Walter Johnson, 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA so far. The Black Sox’s Bill Byrd had been no slouch (2-1, 1.50), but you have to give the Sea Dogs the edge on the mound. Portland makes one change to its lineup with Adrián Beltré coming in for the slumping Buddy Bell at 3B.

Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace led off the bottom of the first with a double and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt from Larry Gardner. But Big Train gonna’ roll, striking out both Frank Robinson and Curt Blefary to end the threat.

Beltré took his first at-bat with runners on first and third (singles from Rogers Hornsby and Jim Fregosi) and 2 outs … and beat out a slow hopper to second for the infield hit, driving in Hornsby. Portland would leave the bases loaded, but with a 1-0 lead.

Ken Singleton would tie the game with an RBI double in the bottom of the second, but Portland would bounce back immediately, again using hits from Hornsby and Fregosi to take a 3-1 lead. Byrd didn’t make it out of the 4th, and Jim Palmer was greeted in relief by a long blast from Kent Hrbek, increasing their lead to 6-1.

Johnson wasn’t dominant, but he was solid; still, a leadoff walk to Blefary, followed by a triple from Dan McGann got Portland’s bullpen busy in the 6th. Singleton doubled in McGann to close the lead to 7-3, and that was it for Johnson. Mark Melancon came in and gave up two soft singles before ending the inning, scoring 1.

Through six, Portland led, 7-4. 9 outs to go.

Through seven, Portland led, 7-4. 6 outs to go.

In the top of the 8th, Joe Mauer pulled up lame legging out a double and had to be replaced. In the bottom of the frame, Bryce Harper lead things off with a double down the right field line and moved to third on a single from Singleton. Manny Machado sent a flyball to left, and Harry Hooper fired an absolute strike to nail Harper trying to score form third.

Through eight, Portland led, 7-4. 3 outs to go.

Wallace ledoff the bottom of the 9th with a double. Gardner followed with a single, putting runners at first and third and prompting Portland to replace Elmer Brown with Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman surrendered an RBI single to Robinson, making the score 7-5, but Blefary grounded into a fielders choice. McGann tagged a Hoffman slider to dead center field, driving in 2 to tie the game, and going to third on the throw home.

A three run comeback to tie the game, with one out in the bottom of the 9th of game 7! What else could you ask for?

Hoffman got Harper to lift a flyball to center, where Gary Pettis sat. He caught it, launched a throw home … and McGann beat the throw! The Black Sox score 4 in the bottom of the 9th to come back from a 3-1 series deficit, and are headed to the Whirled Series!

Wallace had 4 hits and Singleton 3 and McGann drove in 3 runs for Baltimore in the clincher, while Mauer had 3 hits for Portland in the losing effort. The focus really needs to be on the bullpens, though: Brown and Hoffman gave up 4 runs while Buddy Groom, Gregg Olson, and John Wetteland combined for 4 innings of scoreless work to close out the game.

POR 7 (Hoffman 1-2, 2 B Sv; Porterfield 1 H; Brown 1 H) @ BAL 8 (Wetteland 1-1)
HRs: POR – Hrbek (1); BAL – none.
Box Score

Frank Robinson was named series MVP in a puzzling decision. Robbie slashed 345/406/621 and led the Black Sox with 8 RBI, but Larry Gardner‘s 412/474/824 performance sure seemed a better choice.

TWIWBL 49.6: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day VI– September 30

By mknn

On October 4, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Featured Games, TWIWBL

Two game six’s on tap …

#Detroit Wolverines v New York Gothams, Game 6

Detroit leads, 3-2.

The news on John Hiller was not good, as he will be sidelined for about 5 months with a torn pectoral muscle. Mickey Lolich was added to the playoff roster as Hiller’s replacement.

New York would turn to Gaylord Perry for this must-win contest while Detroit would counter with Gene Conley in their attempt to clinch.

Hank Greenberg would open up the scoring for Detroit in the bottom of the 3rd, singling home Tony Phillips, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Perry would lose the strike zone, walking in not one, but two runs before getting out of the inning. Detroit was up 3-0, one-third of the way through the game.

Perry would last into the 4th, when a 2-out double by Ty Cobb would bring in Juan Marichal from the Gothams bullpen, who was able to end the inning without any damage.

The problem for New York was Conley, who was in full control, scattering 5 hits over 6 innings of work. Conley was relieved after the 7th, and the game remained 3-0 Wolverines as we entered the top of the 9th, with Mike Henneman on the mound to close it out.

Benny Kauff–2-for-3 today and hitting .500 in the postseason–led it off, but whiffed on a pitch on the inside corner. Will Clark foulded out to Oscar Gamble in left. Which meant the Gothams’ season was down to Carl Furillo. A lazy fly ball to Cobb in right later, and we knew the first team to the Whirled Series, the Detroit Wolverines!

Cobb went 4-for-4, but the plaudits need to go to Conley, Lolich, Buddy Napier, and Henneman, who combined on a 6 hit shutout to clinch the series. Mention should also be made of the Gotham’s Marichal, who was roughed up in his first start, but delivered 3 scoreless innings here to keep the game seemingly within reach.

NYG 0 (Perry 0-1) @ DET 3 (Conley 2-1; Henneman 2 Sv; Lolich 1 H; Napier 2 H)
HRs: None.
Box Score

Cobb’s .538 average earned him the MVP award, although a strong argument could made for Hal Newhouser, who finished the series 2-0 with a 0.57 ERA.

#Portland Sea Dogs v Baltimore Black Sox, Game 6

Pascual Pérez‘ recent struggles led Portland to offer Mike Cuellar his first start of the playoffs as they try to finish off Baltimore, whose season rests on the capable right arm of Connie Johnson, 2-0 so far in the postseason.

A bloop single, a walk, a wild pitch, and a sacrifice fly from Kent Hrbek led to Portland’s first run and an RBI double from Gavvy Cravath doubled their lead. Rogers Hornsby singled home Cravath, and the Sea Dogs had staked Cuellar to a 3-0 lead before his first pitch.

Baltimore would come back in the bottom of the 3rd, on RBI singles by Larry Gardner and Curt Blefary and a sacrifice fly from Dan McGann. That tied the game at 3, and got the Sea Dogs’ bullpen up and working. A leadoff double from Bryce Harper chased Cuellar, but Pérez was able to close out the inning cleanly.

Gardner took Pérez deep in the 5th to give the Black Sox a one run lead, but Hornsby sent a pitch from Johnny Sain deep into the night with a runner on, putting Portland back on top.

Mark Melancon came in for the bottom of the 7th and walked pinch-hitter Baby Doll Jacobson and, after a Bobby Wallace sacrifice bunt, retired Gardner. Frank Robinson singled home Jacobson to tie the game and bring in Atlee Hammaker to face Blefary, who fanned. Wade Miller relieved Hammaker and got McGann to ground out to Hornsby at second.

So: 7 innings played, and we are tied at 5 runs each with Baltimore’s season on the line.

Manny Machado has struggled all postseason, but he now has a chance to go down as Black Sox hero, as his homerun in the bottom of the 8th off Miller gave Baltimore a slim advantage.

Joe Beggs was perfect in the 9th, and we were heading to a game seven!

Machado, Gardner, Robinson, and Blefary each had 2 hits for Baltimore, but it will be Machado’s key blast that is most remembered.

POR 5 (Miller 0-1; Melancon 1 B Sv) @ BAL 6 (Beggs 1-0; Sain 1 B Sv)
HRs: POR – Hornsby (3); BAL – Gardner (2), Machado (2).
Box Score

TWIWBL 49.5: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day V– September 28

By mknn

On October 3, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

One series could end today, the other will swing to one of the teams having a strong advantage.

#Detroit Wolverines v New York Gothams, Game 5

Series tied, 2-2.

After Christy Mathewson kept them in the series, the Gothams turn to the newly recalled Vean Gregg for easily the most important start of his year, if not his career. It wasn’t an easy choice for the Gothams: they could have promoted lefty closer Aaron Loup, who had not pitched at the WBL level all season, or Mat Latos, who, while more effective than Gregg, had far less experience. So, Gregg.

Detroit counters with its ace, Hal Newhouser, 1-0 with an ERA under 2.00 in the postseason so far.

Gregg showed his nerves, walking in a run and then surrendering a 2-run single to Al Kaline in the top of the first for a 3-0 Detroit lead–but he calmed down after that and New York loaded the bases with 2 outs against Newhouser in the 3rd. Willie Mays beat out an infield hit to plate a run, closing the gap to 3-1.

Gregg was lifted after his 6th walk of the day, but getting into the 5th after his start was certainly a decent accomplishment. Sergio Romo gave up two more runs on a sacrifice fly from Tony Phillips and an RBI single from Ty Cobb, making it 5-1 as we headed to the Gothams’ half of the sixth.

Newhouser lasted into the 7th with another strong start, and about the most troubling thing for Detroit the rest of the way was an injury to John Hiller. Cobb finished the day with 3 hits for Detroit, Buster Posey likewise for New York, who now face an uphill climb, down 3-2 in the series.

DET 6 (Newhouser 2-0; Anderson 2 H) @ NYG 2 (Gregg 0-1)
HRs: None.
Box Score Unavailable

#Baltimore Black Sox v Portland Sea Dogs, Game 5

Portland is looking to clinch behind Dizzy Trout, who has done well in the postseason so far. Baltimore will turn to one of their two 14 game winners, Dennis Martínez, to extend their season. The Black Sox benched the slumping Manny Machado, moving Larry Gardner to third and giving Brian Roberts another start at 2B.

Curt Blefary doubled home Bobby Wallace in the top of the first for an early 1-0 lead for Baltimore, and hit a 2-run shot for his second homerun in as many games in the 3rd: 3-0 Black Sox. Blefary’s third hit–a double in the fifth–chased Trout from the game.

Martínez was sailing along until Rogers Hornsby took him deep with a runner on in the bottom of the fifth, making it a one run game, 3-2. But Ken Singleton drove in run and Blair doubled home 2 in the top of the 7th, pushing the lead to 6-2.

Back-to-back singles to start the 7th by Bobby Murcer and Kent Hrbek prompted the Black Sox to reach into their bullpen for John Wetteland, who gave up one run on a groundout, but that was all. Buddy Groom and Joe Beggs closed it out for Baltimore, who kept their season alive with the 6-3 victory.

BAL 6 (Martínez 1-0; Beggs 1 Sv; Wetteland 1 H; Groom 1 H) @ POR 3 (Trout 0-1)
HRs: BAL – Blefary (2); POR – Hornsby (2).
Box Score Unavailable

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

By mknn

On September 29, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

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

#Detroit Wolverines v New York Gothams, Game 4

Detroit leads, 2-1.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#Baltimore Black Sox v Portland Sea Dogs

Portland leads, 2-1.

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

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

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

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

Frank Robinson had 3 hits for Baltimore in the loss.

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

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

TWIWBL 49.2: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day II– September 24

By mknn

On September 26, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Featured Games, TWIWBL

#New York Gothams v Detroit Wolverines

Detroit leads, 1-0.

New York will have to solve the mystery of Gene Conley to get their offense back on track, something few teams have been able to do, especially of late. Gaylord Perry will get the start for the Gothams, at least on paper a much less daunting hurler for the Wolverines to attack.

Oscar Gamble was almost benched in favor of Al Kaline; instead, he delivered a 2-out hit in the bottom of the first, scoring the game’s first run for Detroit. Ed Bailey doubled their lead in the 2nd with a solo shot, his 2nd of the post-season.

The Gothams ended Conley’s scoreless streak with a run in the 3rd, but have to wonder if they shouldn’t have gotten more: Pete Runnels delivered a 2-out hit to right, but Ty Cobb threw out Pinky Higgins at the plate to end the inning, leaving the score 2-1, Detroit. But the Gothams were onto something: Buster Posey singled and Willie Mays followed with a double to start hte 4th, then Benny Kauff touched Conley for a 2-run single, giving New York their first lead of the series. Kauff would score on a triple from George Van Haltren, who would come home on a sacrifice fly. When the dust settled, the Gothams had seized the lead, 5-2.

Conley was chased in the top of the 5th, giving up a single to Runnels, a walk to Posey, and a single to Mays. Justin Verlander got out of the inning with only a run scoring on a sacrifice fly.

Geoff Jenkins–the other player Kaline almost replaced–went deep in the 5th, cutting the lead to 6-3.

Perry didn’t allow another baserunner until the 8th, when he was relieved by Mike Norris, who did Mike Norris things: a groundball double play to end the inning. An error by Runnels made it interesting in the 9th, but Brian Wilson pitched through it, and we had a series tied at 1!

Runnels had 3 hits on the day, outweighing the error for sure. But the star for New York was Perry, who settled down and ended up with 9 strikeouts in just over 7 innings of work.

NYG 6 (Perry 1-0; Wilson 3 Sv; Norris 1 H) @ DET 3 (Conley 1-1)
HRs: NYG – none; DET – E. Bailey (2), Jenkins (1).
Box Score

#Portland Sea Dogs v Baltimore Black Sox

After eking out a victory in game one, Portland will turn to Pascual Pérez in game two. With Walter Johnson looming in game three, this one is important for Baltimore to take, and they’ll turn to Connie Johnson, dominant in his initial playoff start.

Frank Robinson put Baltimore in front in the bottom of the first with his second bomb of the postseason. Portland loaded the bases in the top of the 2nd, and Johnson walked Gil Hodges to tie it up. The struggling Harry Hooper laced a single scoring 2, and the Sea Dogs took a 3-1 lead. Hooper added a kill in the bottom of the inning, throwing out Bryce Harper as he tried to score.

Brian Roberts–given the start as Larry Gardner continues to recover–singled to lead off the 3rd for Baltimore, stole second, and moved to third on soft single from Bobby Wallace. Pérez plunked Dan McGann to load the bases, and get the Sea Dogs’ bullpen up. It was too late: Pérez gave up a grand slam to Robinson for his second dinger of the day, and a 5-3 Black Sox lead. Curt Blefary was nicked by a fastball that tailed too far inside and Harper singled, and that was all for Pérez, with Wade Miller coming in from the pen. Miller allowed a sacrifice fly, but that was it: after 3, the Black Sox were up, 6-3.

There were a bunch of runs, including homeruns by Wallace, Harper, and Rogers Hornsby, but after a solo shot from Gil Hodges to lead off Portland’s 9th, we were back at the same point: Baltimore up by 3, this time 10-7.

The Sea Dogs got closer for the first time: Hooper launched a pitch from Buddy Groom into the seats for his 4th hit of the game, making it 10-8. But that was it, and the series was tied at 1 game each.

Bobby Murcer finished with 3 hits for Portland; Harper did the same for Baltimore in a game that saw 8 homeruns (5 by the Black Sox).

The Sea Dogs’ bullpen was a bit stretched in this one–we’ll see how that plays out in game three and beyond. On the other side, this was by far the best showing by Jim Palmer, a key piece of Baltimore’s pen.

POR 8 (Pérez 0-2) @ BAL 10 (Johnson 2-0; Groom 4 Sv; Palmer 1 H)
HRs: POR – Hornsby (1), Hooper (1), Hodges (4); BAL – Robinson 2 (3), Wallace (1), Harper (2), McGann (3).
Box Score

TWIWBL 49.1: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day I– September 23

By mknn

On September 25, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Series Previews, TWIWBL

And away we go with the Divisional Round!

#New York Gothams v Detroit Wolverines, Game One

A very different start for Christy Mathewson in this one: Tony Phillips led off with a double and Bob Bailey followed with a homerun, giving Detroit an early 2-0 lead. Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg followed with singles, but Matty recovered, retiring the next 3 batters. He gave up 2 more hits–but no runs–in the second, but his pitch count was skyrocketing.

He never settled down: a hit and a walk in the third were followed by a 3-run homerun by Chili Davis, extending Detroit’s lead to 5-0.

Meanwhile, Hal Newhouser was perfect through 3 innings.

Matty didn’t make it through the 4th, having thrown 91 pitches, and surrendered 9 hits and 3 walks. Sergio Romo put in a yeoman’s effort: 1 hit in over 2 innings in relief of Matty, helping prevent the Gothams’ bullpen from becoming too worn.

Newhouser surrendered his first hit in the top of the 6th, a leadoff single by Carl Furillo, and took a 2-hit shutout into the top of the 9th. And that’s all he allowed: what a performance! 2 hits, 7 strikeouts, and no runs allowed.

Look, you can blame Matty all you want for this one, but the Gothams weren’t touching Newhouser today.

NYG 0 (Mathewson 1-1) @ DET 5 (Newhouser 1-0)
HRs: NYG – none; DET – B. Bailey (2), C. Davis (2).
Box Score

#Portland Sea Dogs v Baltimore Black Sox, Game One

Neither team are set for their optimal rotations here, but Baltimore has an edge, sending Dennis Martínez against Portland’s Dizzy Trout.

Both pitchers were strong early, throwing shutouts through 3 innings. Baltimore struck first, with Frank Robinson doubling home Dan McGann in the top of the 4th. Bobby Murcer cut down Robinson trying to score on a fly to deep center to end the inning, leaving the score 1-0, Baltimore.

The throw fired Murcer up: he led off the Portland 6th with a homerun to tie the game. Martínez walked Kent Hrbek, and that was it, with El Presidente being pulled despite only throwing 75 pitches. It looked smart in the immediate: Johnny Sain came in and retired the side in order to end the inning.

Trout was removed with one out in the 7th, with Portland turning to a surprise reliever: Atlee Hammaker, despite his struggles during the regular season, was called in to face a string of lefties. Hammaker gave up a double to Curt Blefary, but got out of the inning unscathed, preserving the 1-1 tie.

Rogers Hornsby led off the top of the 9th with a double. He was replaced on the basepaths by Gary Pettis, who moved to third on a bunt by Buddy Bell and scored on a single from Jim Fregosi.

That gave Portland a chance to steal a game in Baltimore, taking a 2-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th. The Sea Dogs’ two acquisitions from Houston–Mark Melancon and Trevor Hoffman–combined to finish it off, as the Black Sox were unable to score, giving Portland a 1-0 lead in the series.

Murcer had 3 hits for Portland.

POR 2 (Melancon 1-0; Hoffman 1 Sv) @ BAL 1 (Wetteland 0-1)
HRs: POR – Murcer (4); BAL – none.
Box Score