Jamie Moyer replaced David Price in the American Giants’ rotation.
#Los Angeles Angels
Noah Lowry‘s struggles–along with the presence of Elmer Smith and Scott Rice as lefthanded options in the pen–earned him a trip to AAA, with Mike Krukow being called up for his WBL debut.
Doc Gooden struck out 12, improving to 6-4 in a 7-3 win over Miami. Don Buford had 5 hits and 4 Angels–Buford, Kal Daniels, AJ Pierzynski, and Carlos Delgado–went deep in the victory.
#Miami Cuban Giants
Ramón Martínez finally got his first win of the year with a strong 7 innings against Los Angeles. José Canseco hit his 30th homer of the year (the first to that milestone) and Martínez fanned 10 as his record improved to 1-7.
#Portland Sea Dogs
The Sea Dogs have overhauled their bullpen, sending Johan Santana to AAA in an attempt to sort out his horrific performance since major surgery along with Elmer Brown who has been, if anything, even worse, and Wade Miller. They’ll recall Art Fowler, Tom Zachary, and Scott Terry from AAA, with Trevor Hoffman sliding into the closer role.
Buddy Bell may finally be showing signs of life as the struggling 3B went deep twice in a 9-6 loss to San Francisco.
#San Francisco Sea Lions
Tommy Bridges was recalled from a rehab assignment, with Huston Street being waived.
Bump Hadley twirled a masterpiece, striking out 12 in a 2-hit shutout of the New York Black Yankees. Homeruns by Sal Bando and Mickey Cochrane carried the offense to the 6-0 victory.
Turkey Stearnes went deep twice, giving the rookie 15 on the year, as San Francisco triumphed over Portland, 9-6.
Ron Robinson, a key part of the Sea Lions’ bullpen, will miss nearly a year with elbow surgery. San Francisco recalled Huston Street (who had finally accepted what ended up being a very quick demotion to AAA), a major dropoff on past WBL performance from Robinson.
Eddie Plank improved to 8-3 with a 3 hit shutout of Portland. Reggie Jackson and Gene Oliver went deep in support of Plank who struck out 8.
We’ve entered June, so we’re clearly heading towards our midseason stride.
#Awards
Since we cross into June we have a bevy of awards.
In the AL, the New York Black Yankees‘ Babe Ruth was named the Batter of the Month, hitting .347 with 15 homers in May, driving in 34 and scoring 30 times. And look, that’s impressive. But Ruth’s reputation certainly helped him with the honor, given that he had the 3rd best OPS in the AL for the month, trailing behind Miami‘s José Canseco (1.430) and Detroit‘s Ty Cobb (1.429). Canseco also had more homeruns, leading the WBL for the month with 18. Ruth’s RBI and R numbers did lead the league, and it is hard to argue against his numbers.
In the NL, the award went to Ottawa‘s Larry Walker for the second consecutive month. Walker hit .273 with 17 dingers and a whopping 38 RBI, but his selection wasn’t unanimous. Looking at just the major slash stats, his BA was eclipsed by Houston‘s Tony Gwynn, who hit .441 for the month; his OBP by Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, who led the NL with a .480 mark; and Gibson’s teammate Mike Epstein SLG mark of .833 SLG eclipsed Walker’s .818. But Walker’s HR and RBI numbers led the league by a lot, and 38 RBI in 26 games is just remarkable.
The Black Yankees doubled it up, with Ron Guidry winning the AL Pitcher of the Month, going 6-0 with a 1.73 ERA in May while in the NL, Rob Dibble of the Indianapolis ABC‘s was a bit of a surprise selection. Dibble went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 8 saves, certainly a strong performance. You really can’t quibble with Guidry’s selection, but Dibble was selected over San Francisco‘s Lefty Grove (5-1, 1.18) and Brooklyn‘s Smokey Joe Williams (4-1, 2.16). Homestead’s Josh Lindblom had more saves than Dibble (11 to 8), but Lindblom’s other numbers weren’t nearly as impressive. Still, if it were up to me, the award would have gone to Grove.
There’s just not a lot to say about Julio Rodríguez other than wow. Miami’s surprise starter in CF leaving Spring Training hit .397 with 13 homeruns in the month, earning the AL Rookie of the Month. Over in the NL, the award went to Smokey Joe Williams, who, as mentioned above, was in the running for the overall award, let alone the rookie honor.
Player of the Week Awards were given out as well, although overshadowed by the larger honors for May.
Philadelphia‘s Aaron Judge has continued to develop from his impressive showing last season, and a recent hot streak where he hit .444 with 3 homeruns earned him the NL Player of the Week. Canseco was significantly hotter, hitting .636 with 5 homeruns to earn the AL award for the second consecutive week, perhaps some comfort against being snubbed for the monthly honor for May.
#Team Performance
Last week I wrote The New York Black Yankees and the Indianapolis ABC’s have each gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. This week, it’s still true. New York now leads Cleveland in the Bill James Division by 6.5 games, while Indianapolis has moved into 1st place in the Marvin Miller Division, leading Kansas City by .5 games.
San Francisco has a little more breathing room in the Cum Posey Division, leading Chicago by 5.5 games and the surprising Miami Cuban Giants by 6. The Effa Manley Division is still tight, with all 5 teams separated by only 4.5 games, from Homestead in 1st to Philadelphia and Ottawa in a virtual tie for 5th.
Detroit continues to flounder, going 2-8 in their last 10 games and plummeting to 13.5 games behind the Black Yankees.
#Player Performance
Batters
A shorter list: Ty Cobb is first or second in each of the slash categories, and he, Larry Walker, and José Canseco are all challenging Babe Ruth‘s historical dominance of the league.
Cobb and Tony Gwynn are still well over .400 as the calendar turns to June.
José Canseco (MCG). 304/421/881. 29 HR. Oscar Charleston (IND). 333/390/611. 7 3B. Ty Cobb (DET). 420/471/862. 79 H, 28 2B, 4.0 WAR. Josh Gibson (HOM). 382/447/742. 48 R. Tony Gwynn (HOU). 427/463/683. 85 H. Pete Hill (HOU). 282/366/505. 8 3B. Stan Musial (KCM). 312/382/540. 29 2B. Babe Ruth (NYY). 307/426/743. 66 RBI, 55 R, 44 BB, 3.7 WAR. Larry Walker (OTT). 318/394/764. 26 HR, 61 RBI.
It often feels like the SB leaders should be handled separately: San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson leads the WBL with 42 steals. Indianapolis’ Bob Bescher has moved into 2nd place with 32 (and only 6 CS) while Ottawa’s Tim Raines has 30. Raines’ struggles at the plate are clearly contributing to his not challenging Henderson this year: while Rickey’s has an OBP just under .400 at .392, Raines is way down at .332.
Pitchers
Starters
Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón leads the league at 9-1, with Houston’s Toad Ramsey (9-2) and the Black Yankees’ Ron Guidry (8-1) close behind. Six pitchers have 7 wins, we’ve only included below the 3 that have only 1 or 2 losses. Also included are all 3 starters with sub-3.00 ERA’s (Ramsey, Philadelphia’s Hardie Henderson, and Los Angeles‘ Doc Gooden).
Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-1, 3.88. Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.43. Doc Gooden (LAA). 5-4, 2.92. Lefty Grove (SFS). 7-4, 3.13. 92 IP, 2.7 WAR. Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-1, 3.17. 99 K, 3.39 FIP, 2.7 WAR. Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-3, 2.83. Luis Padrón (IND). 9-1, 3.66. Eddie Plank (SFS). 7-2, 3.94. Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-2. 2.69. 87 IP, 108 K, 0.93 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 3.8 WAR. JM Ward (PHI). 2-1, 3.46. 1.00 WHIP.
Relievers
There really isn’t a dominant closer in the WBL this season–the league leaders in saves have given up a bunch of runs; the dominant performers haven’t been racking up the saves. Indianapolis’ Rob Dibble is probably the best of the group. Kansas City’s Craig Kimbrel, tied with the Black Yankees’ Rheal Cormier for the league lead in Holds, has probably been the best bullpen performer overall so far, and is pushing teammate Jeff Pfeffer for a shot at the closer spot.
13 IP minimum.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 2.84. 9 H. Rob Dibble (IND). 2-1, 3.06. 12 Sv. Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 4.91. 14 Sv. Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 1.10. 1 Sv, 9 H. Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-1, 3.80. 15 Sv. Tug McGraw (HOU). 2-2, 1.26. 1 Sv. Jeff Pfeffer (KCM). 1-2, 6.16. 12 Sv.
Some mention somewhere should be made of Brooklyn’s Fernando Valenzuela, who is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 4 Holds in over 40 innings. The Royal Giants have a very strong rotation, and Valenzuela is still looking for his first opportunity to step into a starting role.
#Injury Report
Will this week be the long awaited reckoning for Chicago’s Jack Doyle? The return of SS Damian Jackson, expected at the end of the week, may be the final nail in Doyle’s WBL service time.
#A Ball Check In
Wrapping up our 3 week trip through the minors, we’ll examine A ball this week. Given A ball’s focus on youth, we won’t have an age division, instead just presenting the top 2 performers at each position. 100 A PA minimum for batters.
Frank Dwyer (21, HOD). 6-1, 1.58. Jim McElroy (21, PHI). 4-1, 1.65.
RP
Joe Edelin (24, NYY). 1-0, 1.77. 14 Sv.
Mélido Pérez (20, NYY). 3-1, 2.05. 9 Sv, 4 H.
Griffin and Kershaw standout as the only teenagers listed. The Gothams have two 2B listed, although Washington is really spending more time at SS. And, Memphis’ Bill Buckner, although currently out for a couple of weeks through injury, is just dominating the league in most categories. Of this group, he, Kershaw, and Herman are probably the best long term prospects.
IF Damian Jackson will miss a couple weeks with a knee contusion. George Grantham was recalled, a move that once again preserves offensive black hole Jack Doyle on the roster due to his defensive versatility.
Cristóbal Torriente‘s offensive woes have opened the door for, at least temporarily, Vernon Wells to see more playing time.
With Billy Loes out for over a month (strained oblique), the American Giants recalled Joe Lake, and with Akinori Otsuka ready for recall from his rehab assignment, Larry Twitchell was sent down.
#Los Angeles Angels
Doug Rader and Gerrit Cole were near the best in the league last year. This season, not so much. But today they put it together: Rader hit 2 out and Cole spun a 4-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Cleveland. Cole’s record improved to 2-5 and Rader, an RBI machine last year, only upped his total to 25 with 6 homeruns. But it was a start.
George Wright will miss a couple of weeks, with the Angels recalling Eddie Joost from AAA. This is Joost’s 6th team and 2nd tour with Los Angeles–we’ll see if this round is any more successful than a 10 game stint earlier this season.
Kal Daniels reached double-digits in homeruns with 2 in a 12-3 rout of Chicago. Doc Gooden pitched 8 strong innings, lowering his ERA below 3.00 and improving his record to 5-4.
#Miami Cuban Giants
José Canseco did it again, sending 3 balls out of the yard in a 7-4 win over Memphis. That gave Canseco 27 for the year, at least temporarily leading the league.
Gary Sheffield went deep twice, but the Cuban Giants couldn’t hold a lead and Miami fell to San Francisco, 5-4.
#Portland Sea Dogs
Ken Griffey, Jr. went deep twice and the Sea Dogs rode 8 strong innings from Walter Johnson for a 6-4 win over Detroit.
#San Francisco Sea Lions
Eddie Plank carried a 1-hitter into the 9th, but in the end needed a little help to close out a 3-0 victory over Portland. Plank loaded the bases, but Rod Beck got the final out for his 13th save, with Plank improving to 7-2. Jimmie Foxx hit his 19th homer of the year for San Francisco.
I needed a place to hold statistics that aren’t easily displayed in OOTP. Most of these are game-level performances.
For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.
Batting Statistics
2+ 3B Games
2. Bob Bescher (IND); Craig Biggio (HOU), Ty Cobb (DET); Willie McGee (KCM); Tim Raines (OTT).
3+ 2B Games
4. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE). 3. Craig Biggio (HOU); Curt Blefary (BAL); George Brett (HOU); Ron Cey (BRK); Cupid Childs (BBB); Ty Cobb (DET); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Josh Gibson (HOM); Hank Greenberg (DET); Joe Jackson (CAG); Reggie Jackson (SFS); Napoleon Lajoie (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Joe Morgan (IND); Frank Robinson (BAL); Cookie Rojas (MCG); Pete Runnels (NYG); Ted Simmons (KCM); Reggie Smith (MEM); Mike Trout (LAA).
3+ HBP Games
3. Jack Doyle (CAG).
3+ HR Games
3. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ed Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Buddy Bell (POR); Carlos Beltrán (OTT); Lance Berkman x2 (CLE); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Ryan Braun (MCG); José Canseco x2 (MCG); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Josh Gibson (HOM); George Gore (HOD); Stan Musial (KCM); Manny Ramírez x2 (MEM); Álex Rodríguez (OTT); Babe Ruth (NYY); Ted Simmons (KCM); Sammy Sosa x2 (HOD); Mike Trout (LAA); Larry Walker (OTT).
3+ OF Assists
4+ BB Games
4. Ed Bailey (DET); Eddie Collins (CAG); Mike Epstein (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Andrew McCutchen (HOM), Joey Votto (IND).
{Note: OOTP clearly has something weird happening with overpowered HRs. It’s getting better, and, at some point, I’m going to reduce these by roughly 10%, which would leave the list at only 3 at 500 ft+ for the season so far, which seems much more realistic to me, but am waiting to see if I get any additional info/guidance from the game dev’s.}
595 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM). 558 ft. Aaron Judge (PHA). 555 ft. Albert Pujols (KCM). 551 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB). 550 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE). 544 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB). 542 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Evan Longoria (CLE). 539 ft. Johnny Bates (CLE); Craig Biggio (HOU). 538 ft. Josh Gibson (HOM), Pete Hill (HOU); Buster Posey (NYG). 535 ft. Buster Posey (NYG). 534 ft. Robinson Canó (KCM). 533 ft. Oscar Charleston (IND). 530 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM). 528 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Willie Mays (NYG). 527 ft. Joe Adcock (NYG). 525 ft. Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 522 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 519 ft. Babe Ruth (NYY). 518 ft. Willie Mays (NYG). 516 ft. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Nieman (BBB). 514 ft. Ron Cey (BRK); Oscar Gamble (DET). 512 ft. Tony Gwynn (HOU). 511 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE); Dan Brouthers (BRK). 510 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Joe Harris (KCM). 509 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Jack Clark (SFS); Bryce Harper (BAL); Ted Simmons (KCM). 508 ft. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Boog Powell (KCM); Travis Shaw (MEM). 507 ft. Ducky Medwick (KCM); Ted Simmons (KCM). 505 ft. Lou Gehrig (NYA). 503 ft. Larry Doyle (NYG); Joe Rogan (PHI); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Oscar Gamble (DET). 502 ft. Ernie Banks (HOD); Albert Belle (BBB); Robinson Canó (KCM); Ray Dandridge (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM). 501 ft. Gary Carter (OTT); Derek Jeter (NYA). 500 ft. Andrew McCutchen (HOM).
Pitching Statistics
80+ Game Scores
99. José Rijo (KCM). 97. JM Ward (PHI). 94. Steve Carlton (PHI). 93. Frank Castillo (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 92. Bump Hadley (SFS); Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 91. Frank Knauss (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU) 90. Brett Anderson (LAA); A. Rube Foster (KCM); Alejandro Peña (BBB); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Joe Rogan (PHI). 89. Bump Hadley (SFS); Gaylord Perry (NYG); Fernando Valenzuela (BRG); Smokey Joe Wood (KCM). 88. Luis Padrón x2 (IND); Bill Steen (CLE); Justin Verlander (DET). 87. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); José Méndez (MCG); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Jim Whitney (BBB). 86. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Doc Gooden (LAA). 85. Roger Clemens (HOU); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Eddie Plank (SFS); Jameson Taillon (MEM); Ed Walsh (CAG); Cy Young (CLE). 84. Frank Castillo (KCM); Johnny Cueto (IND); Ron Guidry (NYY); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Ed Walsh (CAG). 83. Bob Friend (HOM); Mike Mussina (BAL). 82. Mark Buehrle (CAG); Bill Doak (MEM); Connie Johnson (BAL); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 81. Bert Blyleven (POR); Ferguson Jenkins (HOD); Stephen Strasbourg (HOU); Cy Young (CLE). 80. Frank Castillo (KCM); Walter Johnson (POR); The Only Nolan (IND); Andy Pettitte (NYY); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
10+ Strikeout Games
14. Frank Castillo (KCM); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13. Brett Anderson (LAA); Bob Feller (CLE); Ron Guidry (NYY); Charlie Root (DET). 12. Johnny Cueto (IND); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Mike Mussina (BAL); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); José Rijo (KCM); Bill Steen (CLE); JM Ward (PHI). 11. Johnny Cueto (IND); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY); Ferguson Jenkins (HOD); Connie Johnson (BAL); Walter Johnson x2 (POR); Frank Knauss (BRG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Joseíto Muñoz (MCG); The Only Nolan (IND); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Toad Ramsey x3 (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Justin Verlander (DET); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK); Cy Young (CLE). 10. Steve Carlton (PHI); Frank Castillo x2 (KCM); Watty Clark (SFS); Don Drysedale (BRK); Bob Friend (HOM); Ned Garvin x2 (BAL); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove x2 (SFS); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY); Bump Hadley (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Frank Knauss (BRK); Ramón Martínez (MCG); Gaylord Perry x2 (NYG); Billy Pierce (HOM); Toad Ramsey (HOU); José Rijo (KCM); Charlie Root (DET); Tom Seaver (LAA); Bill Steen (CLE); Stephen Strasbourg (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Fernando Valenzuela (BRK); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK); Smokey Joe Wood (KCM).
8+ Walk Games
8. Ed Brandt (MCG); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 9. Randy Johnson (OTT).
Shutouts
NO HITS. Steve Carlton (PHI); José Rijo (IND). 1 Hit. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Stubby Overmire (MEM) [5 inn]; Luis Padrón (IND); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 2 Hits. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Frank Knauss (BRK); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); José Méndez (MCG); Luis Padrón (IND); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Joe Rogan (PHI). 3 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Gaylord Perry (NYG); Eddie Plank (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 4 Hits. Bert Blyleven (POR); Frank Castillo (KCM); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Johnny Cueto (IND); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Jim Whitney (BBB); Cy Young (CLE).
Shutouts (Combined)
1 Hit. Justin Verlander / Mike Henneman (DET); Bill Steen / Terry Adams (CLE). 2 Hits. Jameson Taillon / Skel Roach / Andrew Miller (MEM); Ed Walsh / Tom Williams (CAG); Pud Galvin / Francisco Rodríguez / Joe Nathan (LAA); Brett Anderson / Ross Reynolds (LAA); Connie Johnson / Justin Hampson (BAL); Bob Feller / Ron Reed (CLE). 3 Hits. Hardie Henderson / Robin Roberts (PHI); Orel Hershiser / Eric Gagne (BRK); Stephen Strasbourg / John Franco / Tug McGraw (HOU); Vean Gregg / Mike Norris / Brian Wilson (NYG); Justin Verlander / Billy Hoeft / Chad Bradford (DET); Stubby Overmire / Heath Bell / Jonathan Papelbon (MEM); Brett Anderson / Ross Reynolds / Joe Nathan (LAA). 4 Hits. Toad Ramsey / Bones Ely (HOU); Hardie Henderson / Brad Kilby / Tim Belcher / Ted Kennedy (PHI); Dwight Gooden / Francisco Rodríguez (LAA); Bump Hadley / Jim Devlin / Ken Howell / Rod Beck (SFS); Greg Maddux / John Malarkey / Bruce Chen / Juan Rincón (BBB); Johnny Podgajny / Tom Henke (OTT); Herm Wehmeier / Goose Gossage (NYY); José Rijo / Jeff Pfeffer (KCM); Smokey Joe Williams / Trevor Hildenberger (BRK). 5 Hits. Kenshin Kawakami / Barry Latman / Ed Brandt / Sandy Consuegra (MCG); Len Barker / David Bush / Andrew Miller (MEM); Johnny Cueto / Sad Sam Jones / Rob Murphy / Rob Dibble (IND); Smoky Joe Wood / Mike Kume (KCM).
Playoff contention. Last year was such a disappointment, but there is too much talent here not to be at least in the run for the postseason.
Best Case
Tim Hudson finds a full season like his time with Birmingham last year, joining Lefty Grove and Eddie Plank in a top tier rotation and 1st round pick Turkey Stearnes steps right into the CF job while Dick Lundy improves in a full season in a lineup centered around Rickey Henderson, Reggie Jackson, and Bobby Bonds.
Worst Case
Everything stays really confused, with the pitching proving too mediocre to depend on and the offense never really sorting out playing time at 1B (Jack Clark and Jimmie Foxx) or 3B (Sal Bando and Pedro Guerrero), leaving everyone slightly underused and underperforming.
Key Questions
On a team full of logjams, who steps forward?
Trade Bait
Possibly. If Foxx explodes, Jack Clark may be expendable, depending on how the OF/DH situation looks.
The decision to trade Guerrero makes some sense, given the OF depth, although a lot is riding on Watty Clark successfully converting to being a starter at a high level to make it a decent deal.
Roster Evaluation
POS
Elite
Strong
Solid
Meh
Weak
Unknown
C
Cochrane Oliver
1B
Clark
Foxx
2B
Bloodworth
3B
Garner
Bando
SS
Hartzell
Lundy
LF/ RF
Jackson
Henderson
CF
Bonds
Stearnes
SP
Grove Plank
Altrock Hudson
Hadley
End
Howell Clark
Beck Robinson
Ontiveros
RP
Bridges
Eckersley
Taylor
New Addition | Injured
The OF is so strong, it just needs a little help–if that happens and the pitching repeats, it could be a good year by the bay.
Talent Ratings
WBL
Minors
Raw Power
OF Bobby Bonds
OF Frank Howard
Batting Eye
3B Sal Bando
C Brian Downing
Contact
C Mickey Cochrane IF Dick Lundy
OF Buddy Ryan
Running Speed
OF Rickey Henderson IF Dick Lundy
OF Alex Cole OF Mookie Wilson
Base Stealing
OF Rickey Henderson
OF Cameron Maybin
IF Defense
IF Dick Lundy
IF Charlie Reilly
OF Defense
OF Rickey Henderson
OF Bill Virdon
Stuff
SP Lefty Grove
RP Ed Kelly
Control
RP Rod Beck
RP Don Dennis
Velocity
RP Rod Beck
RP Drew Steckenrider
Best In The Minors
Rank
Age
POS
Name
1 (8)
21
OF
Turkey Stearnes
2 (25)
24
P
Red Ehret
3 (31)
22
P
Bump Hadley
4 (71)
22
P
Dennis Eckersley
5 (120)
19
P
Charlie Ferguson
6 (126)
20
P
Bob Hendley
7 (145)
25
3B
Mike Moustakas
8 (164)
23
P
Steve Ontiveros
9 (188)
23
IF
Bill Sweeney
Others: None.
An odd system, for sure, as neither Jimmie Foxx nor John Beckwith make the top 200 list, which ends up being a bit weak, with a lot riding on the development of the young arms. Stearnes, Hadley, Eckersley, and Ontiveros all start the year in the WBL.
Most
Least
Age
C Mike González, 39
OF Leonidas Lee, 17
Height
P Billy Taylor, 6’8″
OF Walt Williams, 5’6″ IF Matt Broderick, 5’6″
OPS
1B Sid Bream, 1.125 (—)
IF Bob Johnson, .415 (—)
HR
1B Sid Bream, 41 (—)
IF Bill Sweeney, 0 (AAA/AA) IF Miguel Cairo, 0 (WBL/AAA/AA)
SB
OF Rickey Henderson, 99 (WBL)
Many with 0
WAR
1B Sid Bream, 8.0 (—)
IF Bob Johnson, -5.1 (—)
W
Dallas Braden, 17 (—)
Diego Seguí, 3 (WBL/AAA) Jim Buchanan, 3 (—)
SV
Rod Beck, 33 (WBL)
ERA
Tommy Hughes, 2.61 (—)
JA Happ, 5.77 (—)
WAR
Dallas Braden, 5.8 (—)
Diego Seguí, -0.9 (WBL/AAA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.
72 - 82, .467 pct.
4th in Marvin Miller Division, 12.5 games behind.
Overall
What a disappointing season. There is talent here, they were in the mix at the all-star break, and then just totally collapsed throughout all of July. Much more is expected in Year II.
What Went Right
Reggie Jackson was an elite offensive force, finishing the year with an OPS over 1.000 and while there was a gap between him and the Sea Lions’ next best hitters, Bobby Bonds, Pedro Guerrero, and Rickey Henderson all look like they are set for quite some time.
Similarly, the top end of the rotation–Eddie Plank and Lefty Grove–look quite good, and both Nick Altrock and Bump Hadley impressed in limited starts. Ken Howell, Ron Robinson, and Rod Beck were excellent at the back of the bullpen.
ALL STARS
RP Rod Beck; P Lefty Grove; OF Rickey Henderson; RP Ken Howell; OF Reggie Jackson, P Charlie Root
What Went Wrong
The MI was never really settled. Jimmy Bloodworth was fine at 2B, Dick Lundy spent as much time injured as showing flashes of potential, and the SS job was eventually claimed by Roy Hartzell.
Gene Oliver ended up the primary backstop, which speaks to just how much Mickey Cochrane and Brian Downing struggled. John Beckwith couldn’t stick with the big league club, but at 18 he can be forgiven.
Tim Hudson imploded after being acquired from Birmingham, although he recovered a bit towards the end of the season. Nobody else really stepped up on the mound, with Dennis Eckersley and Dave LaRoche being especially disappointing.
Trade Evaluations
March
OF Pete Browning, P Rollie Fingers, SS Bert Campaneris, P Eddie Rommel & IF Mark McGwire to House of David for IF Dick Lundy, OF Bobby Bonds & P Nick Altrock
A true blockbuster with impact on both sides. As San Francisco got 3 players who spent most of the year as WBL contributors, they have to be happy with the deal, even with Browning’s performance.
June
P Rube Melton, OF Derrick May & 3rd Round Pick to Birmingham for P Tim Hudson
Hudson’s struggles make this look bad, but it still feels like a worthwhile gamble to have taken.
IF Steve Hertz & 2nd Round Pick to Homestead for IF Phil Garner
They wish they had the pick now.
OF Wally Moon, OF Dwayne Murphy, 4th Round Pick & 6th Round Pick to Los Angeles for C Brian Downing, IF Kurt Stillwell & P Dave LaRoche
Downing was supposed to solve the issues at C for San Francisco. He didn’t.
P Shawn Estes, P Turk Wendell & 5th Round Pick to Miami for P Tommy Bridges
Meh. I mean at this point the Sea Lions were still in playoff contention, and Bridges looked solid. Still. Meh.
July
P Charlie Root & P Chad Bradford to Detroit for IF Charlie Gehringer, P Red Ehret, IF Bill Sweeney & 4th Round Pick {Charlie Ferguson}
Oof. Root and Bradford helped Detroit to the Whirled Series, Gehringer was eventually released. A clear loss for San Francisco in this one.
Looking Forward
SP
Grove, Plank, and Eckersley are a solid top 3. One of the few teams with a decent amount of mound talent.
RP
Set for now, and this may be where Eckersley ends up, long term.
C
Mickey Cochrane is supposed to be the answer here, but he has to hit over .200. Some good young talent (Dave Duncan, John Mizerock), so there are options.
1B
Jack Clark will play here, but he’s really just waiting on Jimmie Foxx to come into his own. John Beckwith will factor in eventually, and newcomer Sid Bream looks impressive as well.
2B
Who knows. Keith Ginter was great at AAA, Dick Green has shown some talent, and Dick Lundy can play here when healthy.
3B
For now, Pedro Guerrero will see some time here, but it really looks like Sal Bando is the answer for a while.
SS
If Lundy can stay in the lineup, he should be here.
LF
When Rickey Henderson was hitting .230 he had some value; as he raised his average to .270, he locked this position down long-term.
CF
There really aren’t any natural CF’s here, so look for Bobby Bonds to continue to cover best he can.
RF
Everyone ends up here: Reggie Jackson for now, but it’s also the more natural position for both Bonds and Guerrero.
The Rookie Draft
Rounds 1-4
The Sea Lions only have 8 picks in the draft, and in the early rounds only 3 in the first 7 rounds (a 1st, a 4th, and a 7th). So there is a ton of pressure on their initial pick.
They reached deep for it, taking unheralded CF Turkey Stearnes. The pick thrilled many experts, even if it meant bypassing more highly touted CFers (Al Simmons, Earl Averill).
And then the Sea Lions did … nothing … until the 19th pick of the 4th round, where they picked up a project in SP Charlie Ferguson.
Rounds 5-8
And then nothing until the 7th round. The Sea Lions will be focusing on 1B, OF, and pitching, pitching, pitching from here on out, beginning with Pete Harnisch. Franchise pick Jed Lowrie proved too tempting in the 8th, even though IF isn’t an area of need, strictly speaking.
Rounds 9-12
OF Jules Thomas (final exemption); P Steve Ontiveros; P Dave Lemanczyk; and IF Nick Allen.
Given to the best pitcher in the league each year, here are your contenders for the Brock Rutherford Award this season.
This includes every starter with at least 15 wins, as well as the top 5 in WAR, ERA, FIP (a measurement that tries to eliminate the impact of fielding on pitching stats), and SIERA (a measurement that tries to eliminate factors out of control of the pitcher).
Name
Tm
Record
BB/9
K/9
WHIP
WAR
FIP
SIERA
Bert Blyleven
POR
11-11, 4.30
2.4
7.6
1.27
2.7
4.43
3.81
Bill Byrd
BAL
14-3, 3.33
2.3
4.5
1.20
3.2
4.25
4.87
Gerrit Cole
LAA
16-9, 4.16
3.3
6.1
1.34
4.0
4.14
4.64
Lefty Grove
SFS
14-7, 3.46
4.8
9.2
1.34
3.9
4.08
3.96
Ron Guidry
NYY
8-12, 4.35
2.7
9.0
1.25
4.2
3.85
3.36
Walter Johnson
POR
14-5, 3.50
3.9
7.0
1.19
4.7
3.75
4.41
Frank Knauss
BRK
12-6, 3.41
3.4
7.2
1.21
3.3
4.06
4.19
Pat Malone
CLE
17-8, 3.84
2.8
7.7
1.27
5.0
3.64
3.82
Christy Mathewson
NYG
17-8, 3.50
4.2
7.7
1.40
4.4
4.02
4.29
Tricky Nichols
CAG
15-9, 4.14
3.6
6.3
1.38
3.0
4.46
4.65
Stubby Overmire
HOU/ MEM
10-7, 3.43
2.8
3.9
1.36
3.1
4.03
5.28
Alejandro Peña
BBB
12-9, 3.79
2.5
6.3
1.31
5.1
3.52
4.34
Andy Pettitte
KCM/ BBB
15-5, 3.20
2.3
5.1
1.18
4.6
3.77
4.65
Eddie Plank
SFS
12-7, 3.87
3.4
7.1
1.41
4.5
3.47
4.32
Charlie Root
SFS/ DET
10-6, 3.53
2.4
6.9
1.35
3.3
4.26
3.93
Red Ruffing
NYY
14-9, 4.05
3.4
8.1
1.35
3.3
4.26
3.92
Jack Taylor
HOD
15-9, 3.42
2.3
5.8
1.14
2.9
4.46
4.42
Cy Young
CLE
11-10, 4.36
1.7
4.2
1.23
5.0
3.72
4.88
OK, I get it. That’s a lot of numbers. And, SIERA always complicates things, since it is precisely designed to show who is pitching far better than the other numbers would show.
Christy Mathewson and Pat Malone were the league’s only 17 game winners. Andy Pettitte won the ERA crown and carried Birmingham into the playoffs after being acquired from Kansas City. Charlie Root and Jack Taylor (followed by Pettitte) allowed the fewest baserunners.
So let’s call this Pettitte, Mathewson, Malone from the perspective of the traditional stats.
FIP likes Malone (3rd in the league, but Pettitte isn’t far behind). If you then turn to SIERA, Malone is 3rd and Root 5th in the metric, with Matty a bit further behind.
I think evaluating pitchers remains the most elusive of quarry, and at such times, the known terrain is the safest. Call it Pettitte, Malone, Matty, with Andy Pettitte‘s clear contribution to a playoff drive sealing the inaugural Brock Rutherford Award for the lefty.
Just a quick look through the performances at the end of the season. Look for both award posts and more in-depth reviews of the season over the offseason. BUT FIRST … are you ready for some playoffs?
Awards
Portland‘s Jim Fregosi won the final Player of the Week Award, hitting .588 down the final week of the season.
Performance
Batters
Babe Ruth finished the season on fire, taking over the league lead in RBIs and walks and maintaining his edge in … almost everything else. At the end of the season, it looks like he should indeed walk away with the MVP.
Ron Blomberg (CLE). 336/412/649. 44 HR, 109 R. Eddie Collins (CAG). 315/409/513. 6.5 WAR. Ty Cobb (DET). 352/391/557. 192 H. Mike Fiore (CAG). 240/405/390. 109 BB. Hank Greenberg (DET). 317/374/595. 45 2B. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 279/400/371. 99 SB. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 317/424/589. Willie Mays (NYG). 322/384/516. 186 H. Stan Musial (KAN). 329/395/577. 49 2B. Alejandro Oms (MCG). 259/313/410. 13 3B. Doug Rader (LAA). 330/391/529. 134 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 282/362/414. 92 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 312/427/663. 48 HR, 136 RBI, 127 R, 110 BB, 8.1 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 293/322/447. 14 3B.
Pitchers
Starters
For context, included all 15 game winners, as well as the league leaders in BA against, BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play), HR/9, and BB/9.
Bill Byrd (BAL). 14-3, 3.33. Gerrit Cole (LAA). 16-9, 4.16. Lefty Grove (SFS). 14-7, 3.46. 207 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-12, 4.35. 188 K. Walter Johnson (POR). 14-5, 3.50. .211 Avg. Pat Malone (CLE). 17-8, 3.84. 5.0 WAR. Christy Mathewson (NYG). 17-8, 3.50. 211 IP. Tricky Nichols (CAG). 15-9, 4.14. Roy Oswalt (HOU). 14-8, 3.70. 207 IP. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 12-9, 3.79. 5.1 WAR, 3.52 FIP. Andy Pettitte (KAN/BBB). 15-5, 3.20. Eddie Plank (SFS). 12-7, 3.87. 1 Sv, 3.47 FIP, 0.5 HR/9. Charlie Root (SFS/DET). 10-6, 3.53. 1.06 WHIP, .239 BABIP. Jack Taylor (HOD). 15-9, 3.42. 1.14 WHIP. Cy Young (CLE). 11-10, 4.36. 1.7 BB/IP.
Relievers
35 IP for rate stats.
Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 2.65. 38 Sv. 0.0 HR/9. Rod Beck (SFS). 2-7, 5.23. 33 Sv. Mike Henneman (DET). 2-7, 4.60. 38 Sv. Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 1 Sv, 8 H. 0.98 WHIP, .182 Avg. AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.61. 30 Sv. 2.88 FIP. Buddy Napier (DET). 2-1, 2.81. 2 Sv, 9 H. 0.94 WHIP, .198 BABIP. Don Newcombe (MCG/CAG). 4-15, 6.29. 2 H. 1.3 BB/9. Mike Norris (NYG). 4-4, 1.47. 8 Sv, 15 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 1-6, 4.61. 3 Sv, 17 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 7-5, 3.86. 1 Sv, 18 H. Carson Smith (NYG). 3-0, 2.05. 1 Sv, 10 H. 0.0 HR/9. Brian Wilson (NYG). 2-0, 2.13. 29 Sv, 1 H. 0.0 HR/9, 2.58 FIP.
Only one division has been won–the surprise Cleveland Spiders win the Effa Manley Division–but only one postseason spot remains undecided.
That comes down to the Cinderella Birmingham Black Barons and the disappointing New York Black Yankees. Birmingham’s magic number is 3–meaning any combination of 3 wins by the Black Barons or losses by the Black Yankees will seal their improbable run to the playoffs.
The exact order of finish is up in the air, but here are your nine playoff contenders (numbers in bold & italics are that team’s magic number):
Team
Pct
Division
Notes
Baltimore Black Sox
.587
Cum Posey
Clinched playoff; 2
Detroit Wolverines
.567
Bill James
Clinched playoff; 4
Chicago American Giants
.567
Cum Posey
Clinched playoff
Cleveland Spiders
.560
Effa Manley
Clinched division
New York Gothams
.560
Bill James
Clinched playoff
Portland Sea Dogs
.553
Marvin Miller
Clinched playoff; 3
Wandering House of David
.553
Bill James
1 to clinch playoff
Birmingham Black Barons
.540
Marvin Miller
3 to clinch playoff
New York Black Yankees
.527
Effa Manley
The Black Yankees visit Cleveland to end the season. The Spiders will be focused on getting their roster ready for the post season, so that may open the door for New York. But Birmingham hosts the worst team in the WBL, the Philadelphia Stars, so it seems like that would make them the safe bet to progress.
Four more games, so these are very close to final numbers.
Batters
With the Black Yankees possibly missing the playoffs, the noise for Ron Blomberg‘s MVP campaign just gets louder.
Remember when it looked like Pete Browning would swoop in from injury and win the batting crown? Yeah, Ty Cobb had something to say about that.
Omitted below are Josh Gibson of the Homestead Grays and Alejandro Oms of the Miami Cuban Giants (tied for 2nd in the league in triples with 12) and Tim Raines of the Ottawa Mounties (2nd in steals with 91).
Ron Blomberg (CLE). 337/412/648. 43 HR, 107 R. Ty Cobb (DET). 349/389/558. 187 H. Eddie Collins (CAG). 312/408/512. 6.4 WAR. Mike Fiore (CAG). 240/405/390. 109 BB. Hank Greenberg (DET). 317/374/591. 45 2B. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 269/394/357. 95 SB. Joe Jackson (CAG). 330/412/579. 107 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 319/426/591. Willie Mays (NYG). 326/389/523. 183 H. Stan Musial (KCM). 328/393/574. 49 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 336/395/539. 183 H, 133 RBI. Babe Ruth (NYY). 312/428/658. 46 HR, 132 RBI, 122 R, 106 BB, 7.8 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 299/329/457. 14 3B.
Some milestones possible in the final series:
Musial needs one double to reach 50; Elrod Hendricks (HOD) needs two homeruns to join Ruth and Blomberg in the 40+ club; Rick Reichardt and Mike Trout (Homestead and the Los Angeles Angels, respectively) sit at 98 RBIs; six players have between 96 and 99 runs scored; and Frank Thomas (CAG) needs one walk to reach triple digits.
Pitchers
Starters
It’s unclear if Cleveland’s Pat Malone or the Gothams’ Christy Mathewson will get another start in the regular season: if they do, they’ll be aiming to become the WBL’s first 18 game winners.
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 16-9, 4.33. Lefty Grove (SFS). 13-7, 3.55. 199 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-12, 4.35. 188 K. Pat Malone (CLE). 17-8, 3.84. 5.0 WAR. Christy Mathewson (NYG). 17-8, 3.51. 205 IP. Stubby Overmire (HOU/MEM). 9-7, 3.31. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 12-9, 3.86. 3.52 FIP. Andy Pettitte (KCM/BBB). 15-5, 3.20. Eddie Plank (SFS). 12-7, 3.87. 3.47 FIP. Charlie Root (SFS/DET). 10-6, 3.53. 1.06 WHIP. Jack Taylor (HOD). 15-9, 3.38. 1.14 WHIP. Cy Young (CLE). 11-10, 4.36. 204 IP, 5.0 WAR.
Overmire needs a few more innings to finish the year qualifying for the ERA title. Cleveland’s Stan Coveleski and Detroit’s Hal Newhouser are the other starters with ERAs under 4.00 who could qualify with 1 more start, although in Newhouser’s case, it would take a complete game. Detroit’s Gene Conley (3.28) and Cleveland’s Bill Steen (a potentially league-leading 2.93) will miss the cutoff, although each are likely to see starts in the postseason.
Relievers
Check out the trio from the New York Gothams bullpen.
Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 2.76. 36 Sv, 1 H. Clay Carroll (IND). 2-6, 4.14. 3 Sv, 11 H. 64 G. Mike Henneman (DET). 2-7, 4.70. 37 Sv. Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 2 Sv, 8 H, 0.98 WHIP. AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.72. 29 Sv. 2.90 FIP. Buddy Napier (DET). 101, 2.75. 2 Sv, 8 H, 0.97 WHIP. Mike Norris (NYG). 4-4, 1.52. 8 Sv, 15 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-6, 4.56. 3 Sv, 17 H. 64 G. Carson Smith (NYG). 2-0, 1.77. 1 Sv, 10 H. Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.96. 29 Sv, 1 H. 2.63 FIP.
Streaks
Not a lot going on here, other than Mike Trout‘s 33 game streak of reaching base.
Gavvy Cravath won the WBL Batter of the Month for August, marking a stunning debut month for the Portland Sea Dogs after being acquired from the Philadelphia Stars. Cravath hit .370 with 11 homers and 19 RBIs during the month.
The Pitcher of the Month was Andy Pettite, 4-0 with his new club after being obtained from the Kansas City Monarchs. Pettitte put up a 2.00 ERA for the Birmingham Black Barons in August.
Baltimore’s Curt Blefary was named the WBL Player of the Week, hitting .588 with 4 homeruns and 10 RBI’s.
Playoff Picture
And then there were eight … only eight games remain in the opening season of the WBL.
And only a single playoff spot is secured, that going to the Baltimore Black Sox, who lead the Chicago American Giants by 2 games in the Cum Posey Division, but whose .589 winning percentage is the best in the league. Chicago–with the second best record in the league–is all but guaranteed a spot in the postseason as well.
Over in the Marvin Miller Division, Portland and the Cinderalla-story Birmingham Black Barons are tied for first, with both in playoff spots now as well.
And that leaves the shocker, where in the Cum Posey Division, the Cleveland Spiders have ridden a 9-1 record in their last 10 games to extend their lead over the New York Black Yankees to 5 games … leaving the Black Yankees–and presumptive league MVP Babe Ruth–out of the postseason picture. This is of their own doing, as the Black Yankees were swept by the lowly Memphis Red Sox in Series XXXVI.
The Brooklyn Royal Giants have overtaken the Houston Colt 45’s, but the Royal Giants are 4 games out of the playoffs and essentially have to win out to have a shot. They host Memphis in Series XXXVII, so there’s hope (but see above for Memphis’ sudden discovery of how to win ball games).
The Spiders and the Black Yankees both face potentially weaker opponents in this series, with Cleveland visiting the San Francisco Sea Lions and the Los Angeles Angels making the cross-country trip to ply the Black Yankees.
Many of the rest of these teams will beat up each other: Detroit hosts Birmingham, the House of David host the Colt 45’s and Chicago will visit Portland.
Performance
Batters
Only four players have an OPS above the magic 1.000 line: Babe Ruth (1.095), Ron Blomberg (1.065), Reggie Jackson (1.022), and Joe Jackson (1.005).
Again we’re omitting the two players tied for second with 12 triples, Alejandro Oms of the Miami Cuban Giants and Josh Gibson of the Homestead Grays, but we’re also not including the Ottawa Mounties‘ Tim Raines, second in the league in SB with 91.
Ty Cobb has regained the lead in BA as Pete Browning has hit a bit of a–for him–cold streak. The batting crown should come down to those 2, with Cleveland’s Ron Blomberg having a shot as well. Ruth looks to have the other 2 legs of the Triple Crown pretty well nailed down.
Ron Blomberg (CLE). 341/416/649. 41 HR. Pete Browning (HOD). 342/379/614. Ty Cobb (DET). 344/384/551. 179 H. Eddie Collins (CAG). 310/409/507. 6.2 WAR. Mike Fiore (CAG). 235/395/385. 102 BB. Hank Greenberg (DET). 320/378/601. 44 2B. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 272/400/357. 102 BB, 93 SB. Joe Jackson (CAG). 335/416/588. 106 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 318/428/594. Willie Mays (NYG). 330/393/534. 180 H. Stan Musial (KCM). 325/389/573. 47 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 333/395/535. 128 RBI. Babe Ruth (NYY). 317/433/663. 44 HR, 127 RBI, 119 R, 104 BB, 7.7 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 306/336/468. 14 3B.
Pitchers
Starters
We’re looking at, in all likelihood, a maximum of 2 starts left for the starters, so it feels like 17 or 18 wins will lead the league this year.
Andy Pettitte‘s second half of the season has been stunning. Not only does he look to have the ERA crown wrapped up, his ERA is now sub-3.00, an incredible accomplishment in this league. Only five starters have ERA’s below 3.50: in addition to Jack Taylor, whose stats are below, Baltimore’s Bill Byrd (3.33), Brooklyn’s Frank Knauss (3.39), and Portland’s Walter Johnson (3.44).
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 15-9, 4.30. Lefty Grove (SFS). 13-7, 3.68. 196 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 7-12, 4.51. 182 K. Pat Malone (CLE). 16-8, 3.96. Christy Mathewson (NYG). 16-8, 3.54. 198 IP. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 12-9, 3.69. 5.0 WAR, 3.41 FIP. Andy Pettitte (KAN/BBB). 15-4, 2.95. Eddie Plank (SFS). 12-7, 3.96. 3.45 FIP. Charlie Root (SFS/DET). 9-6, 3.57. 1.08 WHIP. Jack Taylor (HOD). 15-9, 3.22. 1.13 WHIP. Cy Young (CLE). 11-9, 4.47. 197 IP, 4.7 WAR.
Relievers
35 IP for rate stats.
Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 2.81. 35 Sv. Mike Henneman (DET). 2-6, 4.40. 37 Sv. * Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 1 Sv, 8 H. AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.75. 28 Sv. 0.97 WHIP, 2.90 FIP. Buddy Napier (DET). 1-1, 2.75. 2 Sv, 8 H. 0.97 WHIP. Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.44. 8 Sv, 14 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-6, 4.50. 3 Sv, 17 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 6-5, 4.03. 1 Sv, 17 H. Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.83. 27 S, 1 H. 2.53 FIP.
*On Disabled List.
Streaks
Baltimore’s Larry Gardner heads into the final 8 games with a 19 game hitting streak (the league record is Babe Ruth’s 23). His teammate, Baby Doll Jacobson, has driven in a run in 7 straight games. While Mike Trout‘s teammate, Bobby Grich, had his consecutive games on base streak ended at 32, Trout has a 29 game run of his own.
Brian Wilson of the New York Gothams has 27 saves on the season, having converted 25 straight. More impressively to me, Cleveland’s Bill Steen hasn’t allowed a run in 19 innings, putting him only 5 behind the league record.
Series XXVI Results
Series XXVI Sweeps
Chicago over Kansas City Cleveland over Philadelphia Detroit over Indianapolis Memphis over New York Black Yankees
Taking Three Out of Four in Series XXVI
Birmingham over Houston Brooklyn over Portland New York Gothams over Homestead Miami over House of David
