Tag: Detroit Wolverines Page 2 of 14

TWIWBL 83.3: The Final Week!

On December 28, 2025

Some notes as we move through the final week of the season.

#Monday

Miami moved in front of Detroit by a half game in the AL Wild Card race behind a great start from Phenomenal Smith, whose return may be a difference maker for the Cuban Giants. Smith gave up 1 run in 7 innings, moving to 4-0. Hal Newhouser was good for Detroit, but an early homer from Gary Sheffield and a late one from Joe Adcock sealed the game for Miami.

Miami Cuban Giants	77-79	—
Detroit Wolverines	77-80	0.5

AL Wild Card

Cleveland was supposed to have an easy time of it, hosting the lowly Memphis Red Sox. But the Spiders’ bullpen collapsed, and they dropped a 9-8 decision to the visitors, who were powered by homers from Lefty O’Doul, Hack Wilson, and David Ortiz.

New York Black Yankees	89-67	—
Cleveland Spiders	87-69	2

Bill James Division

In a series that means more for Indianapolis than Philadelphia, the ABC’s opened with a decisive win, 15-8 over the Stars. Johnny Bench hit 2 out, and the game wasn’t as close as the score (Philadelphia tallied 5 in the 9th to make it more respectable).

Houston Colt 45s	81-75	—
Indianapolis ABC’s	78-79	3.5
Kansas City Monarchs	77-80	4.5

Marvin Miller Division

Indianapolis ABC’s	78-79	—
Kansas City Monarchs	77-80	1
Wandering House of David	76-81	2

NL Wild Card

#Tuesday

Detroit pulled back into a dead heat with Miami, pounding out 6 homeruns (2 from JD Martinez) in an 11-5 win. Ernie Lombardi, Tony Lazzeri, Oscar Gamble, and Ty Cobb also went deep for the Wolverines in an easy win for the visitors.

Detroit Wolverines	78-80	—
Miami Cuban Giants	77-80	0.5

AL Wild Card

Memphis did it again, beating Cleveland 4-2, and dropping the Spiders 2.5 games behind the Black Yankees. Homers from Reggie Smith and Wade Boggs backed a strong showing from Stubby Overmire, who moved to 13-9 on the year. The Spiders, however, remained only 2 games behind the Black Yankees as New York fell to San Francisco, 9-0, as Bump Hadley improved to 18-6 with a masterful 1-hitter.

New York Black Yankees	89-68	—
Cleveland Spiders	87-70	2

Bill James Division

Philadelphia stormed back from a 7-1 deficit, beating the ABC’s 8-7 on a pinch-hit walkoff shot from Aaron Judge–his 60th of the year–in a game that saw 2 grandslams, one from Indianapolis’ Ed Swartwood, the other from the Stars’ Charles Rogan. This was good news for Houston, who dropped a 9-8 decision to the New York Gothams, who were powered by 2 homeruns from Willie Mays. Houston remains 3.5 games ahead in the Marvin Miller Division.

Riding an excellent start from Rick Reuschel, the House of David pulled into a tie with Kansas City by defeating the Monarchs 3-1. Reuschel was supported by Ryne Sandberg‘s 40th homer of the year, and the win leaves both teams 1 game behind Indianapolis in the Wild Card race.

Houston Colt 45s	81-75	—
Indianapolis ABC’s	78-79	3.5
Kansas City Monarchs	77-80	4.5

Marvin Miller Division

Indianapolis ABC’s	78-80	—
Kansas City Monarchs	77-81	1
Wandering House of David	77-81	1

NL Wild Card

#Wednesday

What you see depends on where you stand: Miami fans will be miserable at their bullpen’s performance, as the Cuban Giants’ relievers surrendered 11 runs over the final 4 innings n an 11-8 loss to Detroit. Wolverines fans, of course, will be applauding the clutch performance of their team, led by Juan Beníquez‘ 4 hits and 3 RBI’s from Charlie Gehringer and Bob Bailey. The win moves Detroit 1.5 games up in the Wild Card chase.

Detroit Wolverines	79-80	—
Miami Cuban Giants	77-81	1.5

AL Wild Card

The Spiders are struggling, but they refuse to give up: a Larry Doby homerun and walkoff RBI single from John Ellis gave Cleveland a 9-8 win over Memphis, keeping them at least within touch of the Black Yankees for the Bill James Division crown. Willie McCovey hit his 15th homerun in 35 games, and Paul O’Neill (the first of his WBL career) and Ron Blomberg also went deep.

The Black Yankees fell to San Francisco, as Eddie Plank earned his 20th win of the season with 6 strong innings for the Sea Lions. San Francisco’s bullpen–Ken Howell, Joe Nathan, and closer Rod Beck–fanned 7 of the 9 batters they retired, with Beck earning his 40th save of the season.

New York Black Yankees	89-69	—
Cleveland Spiders	88-70	1

Bill James Division

Houston bounced back in a big way, using a phenomenal start from Ice Box Chamberlain and 7 homeruns to beat the Gothams, 9-2. Chamberlain allowed 1 hit in just under 8 innings, fanning 12 and 2 of the important cogs in the Colt 45’s late season surge–OF Gorman Thomas and C Will Smith–carried the team, twice launching back-to-back homeruns. Jim Wynn led off the game with a dinger, and Paul Goldschmidt and Jim O’Rourke also went deep.

The victory sealed the pennant for Houston, setting off raucous celebrations in the home dugout. It also meant all of the attention in the NL is now focused on the final Wild Card Spot, currently owned by Indianapolis, but with Kansas City and the House of David hot on their heels (and Homestead still hanging around with at least a mathematical chance).

After fighting back from a 6-1 deficit, Indianapolis suffered a gut-wrenching loss, falling to Philadelphia, 12-8. The Stars were led by homeruns from Sherm Lollar, Harmon Killebrew, Jung Ho Kang, and Sherry Magee.

Ryne Sandberg had 4 hits including a go-ahead solo homer in the bottom of the 8th as the House of David topped Kansas City, 6-5. Jack Taylor continued a late-season rebound with a solid start, but both bullpens struggled in this one. The victory moves the House of David into a dead heat with Indianapolis in the Wild Card chase, with Kansas City 1 game back.

Indianapolis ABC’s	78-81	—
Wandering House of David	78-81	—
Kansas City Monarchs	77-82	1
Homestead Grays	76-83	2

NL Wild Card

#Thursday

Miami just refuses to lose: Cleveland had taken the lead, 5-4 in the 6th inning, but the Cuban Giants scored 8 runs in their final 2 frames in a 12-6 victory. Miami pounded out 17 hits, led by 3 each from Jim Thome and Martín Dihigo. The game was never sure: Cuban Giants pitchers gave up 8 walks, so the Spiders had constant traffic on the basepaths. But they did just enough, with homeruns from Julio Rodríguez, Dihigo, Alejandro Oms, and Thome.

With the result, the Spiders drop to 1.5 games behind the Black Yankees and the Cuban Giants move to 1 game behind Detroit in the Wild Card race.

Detroit Wolverines	79-80	—
Miami Cuban Giants	78-81	1

AL Wild Card

Speaking of the Black Yankees … their bullpen continues to be their Achilles’ heel, with 4 relievers giving up 9 runs in 2.1 innings. Ouch. The big blows were homeruns from Jimmie Foxx and Bobby Bonds as San Francisco defeated New York, 13-10.

New York Black Yankees	89-70	—
Cleveland Spiders	88-71	1

Bill James Division

#Friday

The Black Yankees continue not to grab the Bill James Division by the throat, falling to lowly Baltimore 5-4 in the opening game of the final series of the season. Homers from Eddie Murray, Manny Machado, and a final go-ahead blast from Earl Averill gave the Black Sox the edge in another game that saw less than stellar performances from New York’s bullpen.

Two homers from Gary Sheffield carried Miami to a 5-4 win over Cleveland, preserving New York’s 1 game advantage, and keeping the pressure on Detroit. The Cuban Giants got another strong outing from Jim Whitney, and were able to fade a 9th inning comeback from the Spiders for the victory.

So what will Detroit do with their opportunity?

Play a game for the ages where they held leads of 3-1, 4-2, 9-5, and 10-6. And it was never enough as, after closer Mike Henneman was forced from the game with a back injury, Troy Percival came in and gave up a grand slam to Manny Ramírez and a walkoff shot to Gabby Hartnett. Both Ramírez and Hartnett had 2 homers in the game, while Al Kaline had 2 for Detroit. Kaline had 3 hits and 7 RBIs while Hartnett had 4 hits for Memphis. A true thriller of a game that leaves everything pretty much undecided.

New York Black Yankees	89-71	—
Cleveland Spiders	88-72	1

Bill James Division

Detroit Wolverines	79-81	—
Miami Cuban Giants	79-81	—

AL Wild Card

The House of David fell to Houston 8-2, as all eyes turned to the 4 game series between Indianapolis and Kansas City.

Kansas City’s Smokey Joe Wood and the ABC’s’ Luis Padrón squared off in the series opener and while each pitched well, neither were involved in the decision. Instead, after a 2 run shot from Ducky Medwick tied the game, Kansas City won it on a sacrifice fly from Dale Murphy in the bottom of the 9th. So Padrón fails in his attempt to win his 24th game of the year and, more importantly, Kansas City forces a 3 way dead heat for the final Wild Card spot.

Indianapolis ABC’s	78-82	—
Wandering House of David	78-82	—
Kansas City Monarchs	77-82	—
Homestead Grays	76-84	2

NL Wild Card

#Saturday

Memphis keeps embracing their role as spoiler while relying on a handful of late season call ups. In this case, Bucky Walters gave a good starting performance, Lefty O’Doul had 3 hits, and Wayne Causey drove in 2 with an 8th inning single for a 5-3 victory over Detroit.

It sure looks like Miami has found a key part of their rotation: Phenomenal Smith improved to 5-0, combining with Ricky Nolasco on a 3 hit shutout of Cleveland. Smith struck out 10 before yielding to Nolasco, for the last 2 outs. Martín Dihigo drove in 2 runs, continuing his second half surge.

Miami moves a full game ahead of Detroit for the Wild Card slot, and Cleveland falls 1.5 games behind the Black Yankees for the Bill James Division title, with New York’s magic number reduce to 1.

And then it was none. New York topped Baltimore 11-7 behind homers from Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, and Roger Maris, giving the Black Yankees their first Bill James Division title.

Miami Cuban Giants	80-81	—
Detroit Wolverines	79-82	1

AL Wild Card

Oh boy … Indianapolis has nobody to blame but themselves.

Behind a great start from Johnny Cueto and 3 RBI’s from Oscar Charleston, the ABC’s took a 6-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th, with their closer, Rob Dibble, on the mound. Dibble got one out, and then 16 of his next 20 pitches missed the strike zone, resulting in 4 consecutive walks, scoring a run. Rob Murphy relieved Dibble, and an RBI groundout and 2 wild pitches later, the game was tied at 6.

Cool Papa Bell walked in the bottom of the 10th, stole second, and scored on a hit from Ozzie Smith, moving Kansas City a game ahead in the Wild Card race.

#Sunday

The final day of the season leaves both final Wild Card spots up for grabs: in the AL, Miami has a 1 game lead over Detroit and in the NL, Kansas City has the edge over both Indianapolis and the House of David.

Miami was unable to clinch it: Larry Doby became the 2nd player in WBL history (and the first in the AL) to hit 4 homeruns in a game, driving in 7 as Cleveland topped the Cuban Giants, 13-7. That leaves Miami’s fate in the hands of Detroit later in the day.

Detroit used a mix of the old reliable–2 homeruns from Al Kaline and 1 from Ty Cobb–and the newly acquired (a strong start from Connie Johnson and key innings from Steve Howe and Troy Percival) to beat Memphis, 8-4.

And so, we finish in a dead heat.

Miami Cuban Giants	80-82	—
Detroit Wolverines	80-82	—

AL Wild Card

Eppa Rixey combined with 4 relievers (including an important 1.2 innings from Doc Mitchell), leading the ABC’s to a 7-3 win over Kansas City, meaning Indianapolis and the Monarchs finish with identical 79-83 records. The only question is if the House of David will join them in a 3-way tie for the final playoff spot.

Nope.

The House of David tried valiantly, and even outhit Houston, 10-8, but they fell to the Colt 45’s, 10-9 in a game that saw Tony Gwynn rap out 3 hits, reaching 200 on the season. Richie Hebner, Ryne Sandberg, and Anthony Rizzo each had 2 hits, but they didn’t get enough support as the House of David season ends, falling just short of the postseason.

#Monday

So, two playoff games, winner makes the postseason.

#AL

First up, we have Miami visiting Detroit.

The Cuban Giants will turn to Hugh McQuillan who, despite being roughed up in his last start, has been solid for Miami. If he struggles early, look for Jim Whitney to try to give the team some innings on short rest. For Detroit, Pete Conway will take the mound, also on a pretty short leash.

Ty Cobb may be almost universally disliked, but his baseball talent cannot be denied: he launched a 3 run homer in the top of the first and a grand slam in the 2nd, helping Detroit to a 9-0 lead after 2 innings.

Conway, meanwhile, had allowed a single run on 3 hits through 5, and left after 6 with the score 13-2.

Miami scored 3 in the 9th, but fell well short, 14-5. In the end, a just result, as Detroit really feels like the better team. Still, the Cuban Giants went from being the worst team in the league to being this close to the playoffs: a good year for them.

Cobb finished with 2 homers and 7 RBIs, and Al Kaline, Charlie Gehringer, Ernie Lombardi, and Hank Greenberg each also went deep. There was some bad news on Greenberg, who will be out of action for a few days with a leg injury.

#NL

Indianapolis would turn to Doc White while Kansas City gave the start to young Matt Morris.

Kansas City took an early lead on Albert Pujols‘ second homerun of the game, pulling ahead 6-3 after 3 innings, with the ABC’s runs coming on longballs from George Foster and Chris Sabo.

Morris was OK–not great, but not bad–until Tommy Helms singled and scored on a double from Barry Larkin in the top of the 4th. A Bob Bescher walk put runners on the corner, and fetched Frank Castillo from the bullpen. The move backfired as Sabo and Oscar Charleston singled and, after a couple of outs, Johnny Bench brought home 2 with a single of his own, giving Indianapolis an 8-7 lead. Foster followed with his 2nd dinger of the game, extending the lead to 10-7 and chasing Castillo. His successor, Bob Shawkey, gave upa solo shot to Helms and when all of the dust settled, the ABC’s had scored 8 and were up 11-7.

The ABC’s coasted from there, riding additional homeruns by Ed Charles and Sabo to a 15-8 win, powering Indianapolis into the postseason. Sabo drove in 5 and Foster 4, with each of them notching 3 hits on the day.

Kansas City had ridden its pitching staff all year; here their arms betrayed them, surrendering 14 hits and 15 runs.

TWIWBL 82.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On December 14, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	83-65	.561	—
New York Black Yankees	84-66	.560	—
Detroit Wolverines	75-74	.503	8.5
Baltimore Black Sox	69-80	.463	14.5
Memphis Red Sox	65-84	.436	18.5

Bill James Division | 17 September

#Baltimore Black Sox

Justin Hampson and, perhaps more importantly, Gavvy Cravath have been recalled from rehab assignments. Without much to play for, Baltimore may limit Cravath’s appearances as they look to next season. Rafael Betancourt and Ken Griffey Sr were returned to the minors.

With RA Dickey‘s retirement, Baltimore decided to take a look at Dick Ellsworth, removing Dickey from the roster, although they have allowed him to remain with the team as he decides whether or not he has a career in coaching.

Dennis Martínez will get 2 more starts over the final 2 weeks of the season, and Ned Garvin will, as he continues his return from injury, take his regular turn: aside from that, it’s a bit of a free for all, although Kevin Tapani‘s strong debut guarantees him a few starts as well.

Ellsworth’s debut was fantastic: 6 plus innings and only a single run in a 4-2 victory over Los Angeles. Hampson also made his return with a scoreless 8th inning.

Sean Marshall was recalled from the DL with Joe Cascarella heading back to AAA.

#Cleveland Spiders

Lance Berkman and Ron Blomberg each went deep twice as the Spiders dominated Chicago, 13-6. The win (along with a victory in the resumption of a suspended game) pulled Cleveland, at least temporarily, 1/2 game ahead of New York.

#Detroit Wolverines

Wes Covington–coming off a 50 HR season at AAA–was recalled, along with IF Damion Easley and lefty Wilson Álvarez. Logan Hensley was returned, clearing room for Hank Aguirre‘s return from the DL.

JD Martinez went deep twice and the Wolverines edged in front of Miami for the final Wild Card spot with a 5-4 win over San Francisco.

#New York Black Yankees

Jorge Orta did nothing wrong to be sure, but with Grant Johnson due back from a rehab assignment, he was the odd man out, heading back to AAA. Ultimately, Johnson’s return means a reduction in time for quite a few players, most notably Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, and Nick Etten.

Mattingly and Lou Gehrig had 2 homers each, and Johnson had 4 hits, including 3 doubles, as the Black Yankees overcame a poor start from Ron Guidry to beat Detroit, 11-8 in 10 innings.

The Black Yankees clinched their expected playoff spot in dramatic fashion, scoring 6 in the top of the 9th to top Detroit, 9-6. The win puts New York in a dead heat with Cleveland atop the Bill James Division and, as importantly, drops Detroit into a tie with Miami for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Gehrig hit 2 more out, reaching 62 for the season, and Babe Ruth added his WBL record 70th, as the Black Yankees beat Cleveland, 7-2. The win means New York will go into the final week of the season with a 1.5 game lead over the Spiders.

TWIWBL 81.4: Bill James Division

By mknn

On November 1, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	80-64	.556	—
Cleveland Spiders	78-64	.549	1
Detroit Wolverines	74-69	.517	5.5
Baltimore Black Sox	64-78	.451	15
Memphis Red Sox	63-80	.441	16.5

Bill James Division | 9 September

#Baltimore Black Sox

Manny Machado and Cal Ripken, Jr. each hit 2 out and the Black Sox held on for dear life in a 16-13 win over Detroit.

In the minor leagues, P George Blaeholder and OF Mike Devereaux retired, as did major league arm RA Dickey. Dickey’s time in Baltimore wasn’t great–to date it encompasses 33 innings, a 1-2 record, and an ERA approaching 9.00. Even for a knuckleballer, though, 42 is a ripe old age in the grand old game.

#Cleveland Spiders

Closer Terry Adams began a rehab stint and should rejoin the Spiders by the end of the week. Claude Passeau was returned to AAA in exchange for Chuck Porter, who seems to have successfully transitioned to a long relief/starting role.

A key arm in the Spiders’ bullpen, Cory Gearrin, will miss about a week, prompting Adams’ recall. Another arm hit the DL, but Willis Hudlin–who tore his rotator cuff–is less likely to be missed, having pitched only a handful of innings after a solid season at AAA. Passeau was called back up to take Hudlin’s spot.

Joe Sewell continues to make a name for himself, as the young backup had 5 hits in a 10-4 victory over Chicago. With the win, Cleveland pulls into a tie with the New York Black Yankees for first place in the Bill James Division.

The dead heat with New York continued as Larry Doby hit 3 homeruns leading the Spiders to an 8-5 come from behind victory over Detroit.

Lance Berkman drove in 6 with 2 homeruns as the Spiders beat Detroit, 13-2. Bob Feller improved to 12-3 with a strong 6 innings, and Arky Vaughan had 4 hits, scored 4 times, and drove in 3.

#Detroit Wolverines

Tony Lazzeri hit the rehab circuit as he tries to make it back to Detroit in time for the playoffs.

Pete Conway was named to the Wolverines’ rotation.

Hank Greenberg had 2 homeruns, but despite that and 4 hits and 4 RBIs from Bob Bailey, the Wolverines fell to Baltimore, 16-13.

OFs Wally Moses and Bill Bruton announced their retirement.

Joe Wood has done fine as a utility player for Detroit, but as they push towards the postseason, Ray Chapman‘s incandescent start to his WBL career has led to the Wolverines sending Wood to AAA as they recall Lazzeri.

#Memphis Red Sox

Gabby Hartnett hit 2 homeruns and the Red Sox topped San Francisco, 8-7.

#New York Black Yankees

Roy Evans was returned to AAA, with Art Ditmar being recalled from AA as the Black Yankees continue to try to tweak their staff.

Three decent bats retired from the Black Yankees’ minor league system, with Red Rolfe, Hal Chase, and Sam Rice all hanging up the cleats, with Rolfe and Chase planning to throw their hats into the ring as coaches.

Babe Ruth hit 2 out, but the Black Yankees’ bullpen couldn’t hold onto a lead late, despite another solid outing from Tony Brizzolara, as they fell to Los Angeles, 11-6. Ruth did it again, taking back the WBL homerun lead, but once more the bullpen collapsed and the Black Yankees fell to Memphis, 7-6.

Mike Schmidt launched 2 deep shots of his own and Eric Davis, Thurman Munson, and Mickey Mantle joined him with homeruns as the Black Yankees beat Memphis in the series finale, 11-7.

TWIWBL 80.4: Bill James Division

By mknn

On October 13, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	76-59	.563	—
New York Black Yankees	76-62	.551	1.5
Detroit Wolverines	69-68	.504	8
Memphis Red Sox	62-74	.456	14.5
Baltimore Black Sox	60-76	.441	16.5

Bill James Division | 2 September

#Baltimore Black Sox

Curt Blefary hit 2 out and threw out 4 runners, leading Baltimore to a 6-5 win over Cleveland in 13 innings as the Black Sox continued to play the spoiler role.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado each hit 2 out as the Black Sox routed Cleveland, 14-5.

#Cleveland Spiders

Lance Berkman hit 2 homeruns, reaching 50 on the year, as the Spiders lost a lead, then regained it in a 7-6 victory over Baltimore. Superstar OF Tris Speaker had to leave the game, but is only expected to miss a few games.

Ron Reed had been pitching better of late, playing a key role in the Spiders’ bullpen. Now the Spiders will have to fend off (or catch) the Black Yankees without him, as Reed will miss the next 4 months or so. Billy Muffett, the closer at AAA for much of the season, was recalled.

#Detroit Wolverines

George Bechtel and Johnny Marcum were recalled from rehab assignments, while gold-glove winning SS George Davis started one.

Juan Beníquez, perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all for Detroit this season, made his 18th homer a walk off job as the Wolverines came from behind to beat Los Angeles 8-6.The game saw Ty Cobb set a new WBL record for hits with 192, and, less pleasantly, recently acquired IF Bobby Wallace had to leave the game with a leg injury.

Wallace is likely to miss the rest of the regular season with a quad injury, opening the door for Davis’ return from his long term injury and rehab assignment.

Hank Greenberg hit 2 out, including a grandslam in the top of the 9th as the Wolverines beat the Black Yankees, 9-5. Greenberg drove in 7, and Cobb added 3 hits for Detroit.

Al Kaline hit 2 out, but the Wolverines fell to the Black Yankees, 9-3.

#New York Black Yankees

Pascual Pérez was recalled from a rehab assignment, with Ron Bryant heading back to AAA. Pérez returns to the rotation, with Red Ruffing moving to the bullpen and the surprising Tony Brizzolara maintaining his rotation slot.

The Black Yankees had hoped to avoid this, but an ill-advised pinch running appearance landed Grant Johnson on the DL for about a week. Josh Harrison was recalled from AAA.

Rogers Hornsby torched his previous club for 2 homers in a 4-2 win over Portland that saw Brizzolara turn in another solid start for the Black Yankees.

TWIWBL 80.1: Year 2, Week 23

By mknn

On October 10, 2025

In TWIWBL

September 2nd

Pennant race intrigue galore as we enter the final month of the season!

#Awards

#August Awards

Brooklyn‘s emerging stud Fernando Valenzuela went 5- 1 in August, earning the NL Rookie of the Month for August; in the AL, San Francsico‘s rookie superstar Turkey Stearnes hit .389 with 10 homers and 24 RBI’s during the month, taking home the AL Award.

Valenzuela was eclipsed by Indianapolis‘ Luis Padrón for the overall monthly award. Padrón went 5-0 in the month with a 3.09 ERA as he solidified his status as the best hurler in the WBL this season, winning the NL Pitcher of the Month for August. The AL Pitcher of the Month went to Andy Pettitte of the New York Black Yankees, who rode a 5-1 record to the Award.

Ernie Banks of the House of David had a torrid August, slugging 14–FOURTEEN–homeruns and hitting .370 as he was named the Batter of the Month in the AL. Over in the NL, the Batter of the Month Award went to Detroit‘s Ty Cobb, who hit .452 in August, reclaiming a shot at a .400 average for the season.

#Weekly Awards

Stearnes hit .435 with 4 homers over the final week of August, earning the rookie CF the AL Player of the Week while Brooklyn’s 3B Ron Cey hit .455 with 5 homers, earning him the NL Player of the Week Award.

#Team Performance

Here is where we are.

In the American League, The San Francisco Sea Lions are going to win the Cum Posey Division, and either the Cleveland Spiders or New York Black Yankees are going to win the Bill James Division (right now, the Spiders hold a 1.5 game edge). Whoever loses the Bill James will take one Wild Card spot, and either Detroit (8 gams back in the Bill James) or Miami (1.5 games behind Detroit) will take the other.

Over in the National League, it’s a lot more complicated. Brooklyn is running away with the Effa Manley Division, and right now Philadelphia–13 games behind the Royal Giants–is leading the Wild Card chase. The Marvin Miller Division is still tightly packed, with the Houston Colt 45’s holding a 2 game edge over Kansas City. However, 7 teams are within 5 games of the final Wild Card slot, so essentially, other than the Effa Manley crown, everything is left to play for in the NL.

#Player Performance

#Batters

This week, we have the story of 2 slumps. Josh Gibson has dipped below .400 for the first time in months and Babe Ruth has gone 10 games without a homerun (and only has 2 in his last 17 games). While Gibson has retained the BA lead, Ruth has surrendered the HR edge and is in fact closer, with 57, to Ernie Banks in 3rd place with 54 than José Canseco in 1st with 62.

Top 2 in most categories.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 283/347/657. 126 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 261/367/749. 62 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 338/382/619. 174 H.
Ty Cobb (DET). 388/443/846. 189 H, 58 2B, 15 3B, 130 R, 8.6 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 396/497/775. 9.1 WAR.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 251/382/439. 93 BB, 103 SB.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 363/415/623. 64 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 266/400/689. 57 HR, 134 RBI, 121 R, 101 BB.

#Pitchers

#Starters

All 5 players with at least 16 wins are listed, as well as the top 2 in other categories.

A. Rube Foster (KCM). 10-6, 3.09. .205 BABIP, 0.98 WHIP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-7, 4.40. 222 K.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 16-5, 4.06.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 17-5, 3.94.
Luis Padrón (IND). 19-3, 3.49. 5.9 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 16-7, 4.68.
Andy Pettitte (NYY). 16-8, 4.28.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 15-9, 3.25. 240 K, 0.98 WHIP, 3.34 FIP, 7.1 WAR.
Fernando Valenzuela (BRK). 12-5, 3.56. 1 Sv, 4 H, .218 BABIP.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 11-11, 3.93. 3.70 FIP.

#Relievers

Top 2 in most stats, top 3 in saves and holds.

28 Min IP.

Rod Beck (SFS). 4-4, 5.22. 33 Sv, 1 H.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-3, 5.34. 15 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-3, 2.68. 31 Sv.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-1, 1.99. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Bob Howry (PHI). 4-1, 3.27. 21 Sv. 0.85 WHIP.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-7, 5.05. 1 Sv, 20 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 7-4, 3.62. 32 Sv.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 2-3, 4.80. 1 Sv, 16 H.
Lee Smith (KCM). 4-2, 2.81. 6 Sv, 12 H. 0.77 WHIP.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 2-2, 2.51. 17 Sv.

#Streaks

Been a while since I checked in on these … and there is very little going on in terms of active streaks. George Gore of the House of David has reached base in his last 8 consecutive at bats, but that’s about it.

Houston’s Carlos Correa had a 29 game hitting streak earlier this season, and San Francisco’s Lefty Grove went 34 innings without allowing a run.

TWIWBL 79.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On September 27, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	73-55	.570	—
New York Black Yankees	72-59	.550	2.5
Detroit Wolverines	66-65	.504	8.5
Memphis Red Sox	59-70	.457	14.5
Baltimore Black Sox	57-73	.438	17

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 mknn

On September 15, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	71-51	.582	—
New York Black Yankees	69-55	.556	3
Detroit Wolverines	61-63	.492	11
Memphis Red Sox	56-67	.455	15.5
Baltimore Black Sox	52-71	.423	19.5

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 78.3: August Trades

By mknn

On September 14, 2025

In TWIWBL

A run through of the trading deadline, in no particular order. Over 50 players and almost 20 draft picks changed hands in the frenzy.

Hoyt There it Is!

P Waite Hoyt, 5th round pick from NYY to CAG for P Hoyt Wilhelm, IF Jorge Orta, 4th round pick.

The New York Black Yankees address a bullpen need by acquiring Hoyt Wilhelm from the Chicago American Giants, in exchange for young starter Waite Hoyt. Chicago will also send young IF Jorge Orta to New York, and the 2 teams exchanged draft picks, with New York getting a 4th and Chicago a 5th rounder.

It’s an odd trade for New York, as it’s not clear that Hoyt (Wilhelm) adds more to their bottom line of wins more than Hoyt (Waite). Chicago probably wins this one, just on the SP > RP evaluation. Orta should have a WBL career, but is not enough to balance the deal.

Now & Later

IF Paul Konerko, P Akinori Otsuka, OF Lenny Dykstra, 3rd round pick from CAG to BBB for P Sam Streeter, IF Trea Turner, 5th round pick.

Chicago officially closed the door on their performance for this season, sending 1B Paul Konerko and his .988 OPS along with Akinori Otsuka and his 1.07 WHIP to Birmingham, receiving P Sam Streeter and prospect Trea Turner in return. Chicago will also send OF Lenny Dykstra and a 3rd round pick, with Birmingham surrendering a 5th rounder to make it all work.

Konerko and Otsuka being on the wrong side of 30 makes this acceptable, and Chicago probably got peak value for them in a long-term starter and the talent of Turner. Birmingham is thrilled, as this addresses two of their most pressing needs for a playoff push: 1B and bullpen help.

The Wolverines Commit

P Gene Conley, P Bill Drake, P Emil Yde, OF Hub Collins from DET to BAL for SS Bobby Wallace, P Connie Johnson.

Detroit addressed two needs in a deal with Baltimore, sending struggling P Gene Conley (who is in search of a reboot to their career after an amazing start last season), promising young Ps Bill Drake and Emil Yde along with OF Hub Collins to Baltimore in exchange for SS Bobby Wallace and P Connie Johnson.

I mean … Detroit loves this for the immediate future. The key here is whether Yde, and especially Drake, ever amount to anything. This does remove any question about the infield of the future for the Black Barons, with Eddie Murray, Miller Huggins, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Manny Machado all but assured of starting roles.

Stars and Sea Dogs move a lot of Bodies

SS Jim Fregosi, P Mark Melancon, OF Harry Hooper, IF Rafael Palmiero from POR to PHI for OF Bobby Abreau, P Dave Stieb, P Jaret Wright, P LaTroy Hawkins, SS Pat Meares, 2nd round pick.

Philadelphia, eyeing a potential playoff run, went shopping in Portland. They added a long-term solution at SS (Jim Fregosi), a much-needed bullpen arm (Mark Melancon), and some OF depth in the struggling Harry Hooper. That haul cost them 3 pitching prospects in Dave Stieb, Jaret Wright, and LaTroy Hawkins, as well as SS Pat Meares, and a 2nd round pick. The teams also swapped high-ceiling-but-blocked prospects, with Portland receiving Bobby Abreu and Philadelphia Rafael Palmiero.

Abreau for Palmiero is a wash. Of the rest, it’s sort of a classic now/later proposition. Fregosi and Melancon step directly into key roles for the Stars, but Hawkins, and especially Stieb, do look like excellent long term prospects.

The American Giants Do Some (More) Things

OF Jake Stenzel from IND to CAG for P Joe Lake.

IF Freddie Lindstrom, 2nd round pick from HOM to CAG for P David Price.

Chicago believes they can solve their pitching woes from within, sending 2 members of their rotation packing. First, they received CF Jake Stenzel from Indianapolis for Joe Lake; then they sent David Price to Homestead for Freddie Lindstrom and a 2nd round pick.

Stenzel steps into a crowded outfield, but should get a lot of play the rest of the season while the American Giants’ commitment to the struggling teen Cristóbal Torriente is tested. This basically decimates the American Giants’ rotation, leaving them with Ed Walsh and a lot of questions, but Lake and Price (who himself only arrived via trade earlier last season) were questions themselves. Lindstrom may step into a WBL role behind Dick Allen at 3B.

A Closer for Some Future

P Jonathan Papelbon, 4th round pick from MEM to MCG for P Josh Beckett, OF Roy Thomas, 3rd round pick.

Memphis sent Jonathan Papelbon to Miami, receiving minor leaguers Josh Beckett and Roy Thomas in return. The team also exchange draft picks, with Memphis surrendering a 4th in exchange for Miami’s 3rd round selection.

Fair enough. Miami desperately needed a dependable arm to join Ricky Nolasco in their pen, and Beckett has a ton of upside.

The Black Barons Upgrade

IF Bobby Grich, 3rd round pick from LAA to BBB for P Vic Willis, C Gene Tenace, 1st round pick.

Birmingham came into this trade period looking for a SS; they left with a 2B (who can play SS). In a bit of a surprise move, they convinced LA to part with Bobby Grich, sending Vic Willis, Gene Tenace, and a 1st rounder to the Angels, who also sent a 3rd round pick back their way.

Grich is a huge pickup for the Black Barons–an all star caliber who can get on base and play both middle infield positions is exactly what the doctor ordered in Birmingham. They gave up a lot–Tenace is excellent, some think Willis will eventually be a number one starter, and of course, the #1 pick is a lot. But it seems Birmingham is convinced they have a shot in the playoffs this year, and you can’t fault the ambition.

First Round Picks On the Move, or Freeman at Last, Freeman at Last

P Joe Beggs, 2nd round pick from BAL to KCM for OF Earl Averill.

IF Freddie Freeman, IF Eddie Miller from SFS to LAA for P Joe Nathan, IF Wally Joyner, 1st round pick.

Baltimore found a potential CF for the future in Earl Averill, who came over from Kansas City for a Joe Beggs and a 2nd round pick.

One of the more promising talents in the WBL may have found a home, as Los Angeles sent a 1st Round Pick, closer Joe Nathan, and Wally Joyner to San Francisco for Freddie Freeman and minor league SS Eddie Miller.

Both of these make some sense, as both Freeman and Averill were totally blocked where they were (Freeman by Jimmie Foxx and others, Averill by Willie McGee and Cool Papa Bell). Freeman should immediately see playing time in LA, while Averill looks to be in the mix for next season.

Gothams Going Gone

P Juan Marichal, P Robb Nen from NYG to HOM for IF Davey Johnson, IF Howard Johnson, 3rd round pick.

P Steve Howe, P Troy Percival from NYG to DET for IF Robby Thompson, P Dellin Betances, 3rd round pick.

The Gothams moved a few pieces around, sending Juan Marichal and Robb Nen to Homestead for 2B Davey Johnson, Howard Johnson, and a 3rd round pick. Then, they moved Steve Howe and Troy Percival to Detroit for 2B Robby Thompson, P Dellin Betances, and a 3rd round pick.

The Gothams will need to totally redo their staff, but each move makes some sense. Between Johnson (Davey) and Thompson, they should now have a post-Larry Doyle plan at 2B.

The Black Yankees Find their SS of the Future?

P Sparky Lyle, IF Elliott Maddox, P Carlos Rodón, 2nd round pick, 4th round pick from NYY to HOU for IF Grant Johnson.

They hope so, sending Sparky Lyle, Elliott Maddox, pitching prospect Carlos Rodón, and a 2nd and a 4th round pick to Houston for Grant Johnson, who will rotate in with both Derek Jeter and Rogers Hornsby for now.

It’s a lot to give up, for sure. But Johnson is only 25, and an established WBL performer who will solve the Black Yankees’ long term needs at either 2B or SS. Lyle is solid, and fills a very strong need for Houston, but the rest of what they gave up was future potential, which is cheap for a team whose goal is to win now.

Other Deals

OF George Hendrick from PHI to BRK for 3rd round pick.

IF Joe Adcock from NYG to MCG for 5th round pick, cash.

Philadelphia sent OF George Hendrick to Brooklyn for a 3rd Round Pick.

Miami picked up Joe Adcock from the New York Gothams essentially for free: they sent the Gothams a 5th round pick, and the Gothams are covering Adcock’s salary for the rest of the year.

Each of these were essentially curtesy trades: having picked up Harry Hooper, Philadelphia had no place for Hendrick and Adcock, at 38, desperately wanted a chance to swing the bat for a contender in what may be his final season.

Summary

Minor Leaguers in italics.

Team	Coming	Going
Baltimore Black Sox	Earl Averill Gene Conley Hub Collins Bill Drake Emil Yde 2nd Round Pick	Joe Beggs Connie Johnson Bobby Wallace 1st Round Pick 2nd Round Pick
Birmingham Black Barons	Lenny Dykstra Bobby Grich Paul Konerko Akinori Otsuko 3rd Round Pick 4th Round Pick	Sam Streeter Gene Tenace Trea Turner Vic Willis 1st Round Pick 5th Round Pick
Brooklyn Royal Giants	George Hendrick	3rd Round Pick
Chicago American Giants	Waite Hoyt Freddie Lindstrom Jake Stenzel Sam Streeter Trea Turner 2nd Round Pick 5th Round Pick 5th Round Pick	Lenny Dykstra Paul Konerko Joe Lake Akinori Otsuko David Price Hoyt Wilhelm Jorge Orta 3rd Round Pick 4th Round Pick
Cleveland Spiders
Detroit Wolverines	Steve Howe Connie Johnson Troy Percival Bobby Wallace	Dellin Betances Gene Conley Hub Collins Bill Drake Robby Thompson Emil Yde 2nd Round Pick 3rd Round Pick
Homestead Grays	Juan Marichal Robb Nen David Price	Davey Johnson Howard Johnson Freddie Lindstrom 2nd Round Pick 3rd Round Pick
Houston Colt 45’s	Sparky Lyle Elliott Maddox Carlos Ródon 2nd Round Pick 4th Round Pick	Grant Johnson
Indianapolis ABC’s	Joe Lake	Jake Stenzel
Kansas City Monarchs	Joe Beggs 2nd Round Pick	Earl Averill
Los Angeles Angels	Freddie Freeman Eddie Miller Gene Tenace Vic Willis 1st Round Pick	Bobby Grich Wally Joyner Joe Nathan 1st Round Pick 3rd Round Pick
Memphis Red Sox	Josh Beckett Roy Thomas 3rd Round Pick	Jonathan Papelbon 4th Round Pick
Miami Cuban Giants	Joe Adcock Jonathan Papelbon 4th Round Pick	Josh Beckett Roy Thomas 3rd Round Pick 5th Round Pick
New York Black Yankees	Grant Johnson Jorge Orta Hoyt Wilhelm 4th Round Pick	Waite Hoyt Sparky Lyle Elliott Maddox Carlos Rodón 2nd Round Pick 4th Round Pick
New York Gothams	Dellin Betances Davey Johnson Howard Johnson Robby Thompson 3rd Round Pick 3rd Round Pick 5th Round Pick	Joe Adcock Steve Howe Juan Marichal Robb Nen Troy Percival
Ottawa Mounties
Philadelphia Stars	Jim Fregosi Harry Hooper Mark Melancon Rafael Palmiero 3rd Round Pick	Bobby Abreu LaTroy Hawkins George Hendrick Pat Meares Dave Stieb Jaret Wright 2nd Round Pick
Portland Sea Dogs	Bobby Abreu LaTroy Hawkins Pat Meares Dave Stieb Jaret Wright 2nd Round Pick	Jim Fregosi Harry Hooper Mark Melancon Rafael Palmiero
San Francisco Sea Lions	Wally Joyner Joe Nathan 1st Round Pick	Freddie Freeman Eddie Miller
Wandering House of David

TWIWBL 78.1: Year 2, Week 21

By mknn

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 mknn

On August 30, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	67-48	.583	—
New York Black Yankees	65-54	.546	4
Detroit Wolverines	57-60	.487	11
Memphis Red Sox	55-63	.466	13.5
Baltimore Black Sox	50-67	.427	18

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.