The Whirled League

Baseball The Way It Never Was

Tag: Fernando Valenzuela

TWIWBL 67.1: Year 2, Week 10

By

On October 8, 2024

In TWIWBL

June 4th

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.

Pos
CLew Brown (22, KCM). 331/369/633.Tom Egan (20, PHI). 279/353/545.
1BBabe Herman (21, LAA). 246/325/515.Aubrey Huff (22, CLE). 254/330/443.
2BTim Shinnick (21, NYG). 316/416/424.Ron Jackson (23, NYG). 240/352/473.
SSAlfredo Griffin (19, DET). 333/389/454.Dick Schofield (22, HOM). 260/395/360.
3BSteve Hertz (20, HOM). 276/350/579.Bob Aspromonte (18, IND). 263/351/444.
LFBill Buckner (20, MEM). 415/443/694.Pip Koehler (24, HOD). 286/385/519.
CFOdúbel Herrera (22, PHI). 319/394/610.Clyde Milan (22, NYY). 316/445/480.
RFHugh Duffy (20, POR). 283/231/530.Marquis Grissom (23, MCG). 279/376/430.
SPSean Newcomb (24, NYY). 4-1, 2.54.
Clayton Kershaw (19, HOM). 4-2, 2.48.		Frank Dwyer (21, HOD). 6-1, 1.58.
Jim McElroy (21, PHI). 4-1, 1.65.
RPJoe 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.

TWIWBL 65.1: Year 2, Week 8

By

On August 26, 2024

In TWIWBL

May 21st

We are roughly 1/4 through the season!

#Awards

Miami Cuban Giants OF Ryan Braun, who hit 6 homeruns with a .417 average, was the AL Player of the Week and Mike Epstein of the Homestead Grays took home the NL Player of the Week. Epstein hit .556 with 5 homeruns.

#Team Performance

It’s still far too early, of course, but there is a sliver of daylight emerging in 3 of the 4 divisions.

In the Bill James Division, the New York Black Yankees lead the Cleveland Spiders by 4 games; in the Cum Posey Division, the San Francisco Sea Lions have ridden an 8-2 streak to a 3 game lead over the Chicago American Giants, and in the Marvin Miller Division, the Kansas City Monarchs have opened up a 4.5 game edge over the Indianapolis ABC’s.

So that leaves the Effa Manley Division, where all 5 teams are separated by only 5 games from the Grays on top to the Philadelphia Stars at the bottom. Here’s how it stacks up:

TeamW/LPCTGB
Homestead Grays26-19.578–
Brooklyn Royal Giants24-19.5581
New York Gothams23-22.5113
Ottawa Mounties22-22.5003.5
Philadelphia Stars21-24.4675
Marvin Miller Division Standings

#Player Performance

Batters

Returning to normalcy: all the bold next to Babe Ruth.

But there are a ton of new storylines here as well: is Ty Cobb for real? Just how many doubles can he hit? Ruth tied for the league lead in homeruns isn’t news, but being joined by Ryan Braun and Larry Walker is (similarly, Ruth leading with 50 RBI’s is familiar; Walker joining him is not).

Also, Tony Gwynn hitting .421 is fun.

League leaders in bold, top 2 for most categories listed.

Ryan Braun (MCG). 320/366/765. 20 HR.
Ty Cobb (DET). 404/462/861. 61 H; 25 2B; 3.2 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 421/456/679. 67 H; 40 R.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 271/377/484. 34 SB.
Pete Hill (HOU). 286/356/539. 8 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 365/416/591. 22 2B.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 312/398/659. 40 R.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 316/443/770. 20 HR; 50 RBI; 43 R; 37 BB; 3.2 WAR.
Joey Votto (IND). 295/442/508. 31 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 342/423/770. 20 HR; 50 RBI.
Bobby Wallace (BAL). 250/387/342. 31 BB.

Pitchers

Starters

6 pitchers have 6 wins, but only 2 have 7 and of those only Kansas City’s Frank Castillo is undefeated.

Houston‘s Toad Ramsey has come back to the pack some, but all that bold shows just how far ahead of them he had gone. It’s no longer clear who the best starter in the league is at the moment, although Castillo certainly has a decent argument. But Ramsey’s teammate Roger Clemens is in there, as is Indianapolis’ Johnny Cueto, and it’s hard to ignore the ERA leader, Chicago’s Mark Buehrle.

League leaders in bold, top 2 for most categories listed.

Mark Buehrle (CAG). 5-2, 2.42.
Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-0, 2.85.
Watty Clark (SFS). 2-0, 5.21. 3.24 FIP.
Roger Clemens (HOU). 6-0, 3.47. 0.98 WHIP.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.51.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 4-3, 2.60.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 5-4, 3.49. 67 IP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 6-1, 3.52. 75 K; 2.0 WAR.
Walter Johnson (POR). 4-4, 2.94. 67.1 IP; 2.0 WAR.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 6-2, 2.60. 81 K; 2.9 WAR; 0.88 WHIP; 2.52 FIP.

Relievers

Brooklyn‘s Trevor Hildenberger is probably the hottest reliever in the league, but really nobody is truly dominant from the pen so far, other than his teammate, Fernando Valenzuela, whose future is almost certainly as a starter.

12 IP minimum; league leaders in bold, top 2 for most categories listed.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 5.40. 12 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 3.38. 7 H.
Trevor Hildenberger 1-0, 1.20. 1 Sv, 5 H; 0.60 WHIP.
Ted Kennedy (PHI). 2-2, 3.48. 2 Sv, 7 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-0, 2.55. 12 Sv.
Lee Smith (HOD). 1-0, 2.04. 1 Sv; 5 H; 0.57 WHIP.
Fernando Valenzuela (BRK). 2-0, 1.16. 4 H.

#Injury Report

Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson is expected back this week, as is Detroit‘s SS George Davis.

The New York Black Yankees hope to send Red Ruffing–out for nearly a year–on a rehab assignment later in the week.

#AAA Check In

We’ll take a little look at AAA, both in terms of the best performers and the best prospects (24 and under) roughly 1/4 of the way through the season.

Pos25+< 25
CJohn Stearns (26, LAA). 266/380/587.Darrin Fletcher (23, NYY). 383/408/742.
1BFred Luderus (32, PHI). 336/375/734.Eddie Murray (22, BAL). 321/389/629).
2BDJ LeMahieu (28, MEM). 377/417/521.Jorge Orta (23, CAG). 216/250/405.
SSBill Dahlen (34, CLE). 250/325/519.Travis Jackson (22, HOU). 331/358/559.
3BJung Ho Kang (29, HOD). 313/361/701.Chris Brown (23, HOD). 346/452/731.
LFLefty O’Doul (26, MEM). 385/416/644.Starling Marte (24, HOM). 341/410/609.
CFKenny Lofton (26, CLE). 354/424/599.Jack Gleason (23, LAA). 257/361/478.
RFElmer Valo (35, LAA). 397/484/733.Tony Conigliaro (23, HOD). 299/361/649.
SPCliff Lee (29, HOM). 3-2, 1.67. 1.8 WAR.
George Bechtel (28, DET). 402, 2.38. 2.2 WAR.		Dick Redding (21, BRK). 6-2, 2.93. 2.6 WAR.
Kyle Peterson (22, HOD). 4-3, 3.38. 1.8 WAR.
RPRoberto Osuna (22, HOU). 1-1, 3.86. 8 Sv.George Jeffcoat (26, NYG). 0-1, 2.57. 9 Sv.

For the batters, the dominance of players from Las Vegas (Los Angeles‘ AAA franchise) and Columbus (the AAA home for the House of David) is striking. Of these, Stearns may get a look soon given the Angels’ current struggles behind the plate and Valo’s performance may force himself back to the WBL. With both Kang and Brown blocked by Ron Cey–having a great season with the House of David–perhaps those 2 end up as trade bait?

Pitchers are highly unpredictable, of course. Redding and Peterson are doing excellently and seem destined for great things; at the same time, both Lee and Bechtel have struggled with their big league clubs.

Year II Season Preview: Brooklyn Royal Giants

By

On April 6, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

Improvement, meaning again being in the playoff hunt at the end, but perhaps it being far less of a longshot/surprise.

Best Case

The juggling of the pitching staff works perfectly, with Smokey Joe Williams and Watty Clark Orel Hershiser joining Don Drysedale and Frank Knauss to provide a dependable, top of the league rotation helped by a continually improving Sandy Koufax. This implies that Eric Gagne‘s conversion to closer goes well.

The offense finds its soul, helped by the acquisition of Pedro Guerrero.

Worst Case

Knauss, Clark, and Koufax regress and Williams doesn’t step up, leaving only Drysedale as a dependable starter and the offense continues to just meander along without any real oomph. The acquisition of Guerrero fails to deliver.

Key Questions

  • In addition to the pitching staff changes mentioned above, the rest of the roster is very much in flux.
  • Can John Briggs continue to set the world on fire?
  • Will Mike Piazza finally take hold of the starting C role?

Trade Bait

Unsure? There is a bit of a logjam in the OF right now, maybe that could be solved.

Instead, the Royal Giants doubled down on the logjam, adding Guerrero to the mix. It’s unlikely Clark’s value is ever higher than it is right now, so it’s not a bad moment to make the move.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CPiazzaBertell
1BRobinson
2BIsbell
3BCey
SSSmithDandridgeWills
LF/
RF		Becker
Guerrero
CFBriggs
Snider
White		Griggs
SPDrysedaleKnaussHershiser
Koufax		Williams
EndGagne
Hildenberger		Dreifort
Von Ohlen
RPForster
Grimes
Mateo
Valenzuela
New Addition | Injured

Very middle of the road imo. There is a lot of uncertainty on the mound, with a bunch of new faces and others whose ability to replicate their success from last season remains firmly in doubt.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerOF Duke Snider1B Jim Gentile
Batting EyeOF John BriggsC Jim French
ContactOF Pedro Guerrero1B Dan Brouthers
Running SpeedSS Maury WillsSS Sonny Jackson
Base Stealing2B Frank Isbell2B Davey Lopes
IF DefenseIF Jackie Robinson1B Eric Karros
OF DefenseOF Roy WhiteOF Chicken Wolf
StuffSP Sandy KoufaxRP Lefty Thomas
ControlCL Eric GagneRP Trevor Hildenberger
VelocityCL Eric GagneSP Walker Buehler

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (3)202BEd Delahanty
2 (5)23PSmokey Joe Williams
3 (15)21PDoc Newton
4 (51)22PWalker Buehler
5 (84)21OFJohn Briggs
6 (108)22PDazzy Vance
7 (125)24OFTerry Moore
8 (147)24PFernando Valenzuela
9 (162)24PDustin McGowan
10 (165)20OFAl Simmons
Others: RP Jesús Colome, P Chris Short.

Williams, Briggs, and Valenzuela all break camp with the WBL team. Given the scarcity of offense in the system, both Delahanty and Simmons may see time this season.

MostLeast
Age2B Julio Franco, 39P Odalis Pérez, 19
P Hilly Flitcroft
HeightP Don Drysedale, 6’6″
P Tommy Hanson, 6’6″		P Bobby Shantz, 5’6″
OPS1B Justin Smoak, 1.101 (—)SS César Izturis, .527 (AAA/AA)
HR1B Justin Smoak, 64 (—)SS César Izturis, 0 (AAA/AA)
OF Art Griggs, 0 (WBL/AAA)
SBOF Beals Becker, 49 (WBL)
WAR1B Jim Gentile, 5.0 (—)SS Germany Smith, -1.0 (WBL/AAA)
WJosh Outman, 14 (—)
Jordan Zimmerman, 14 (AAA)		Tom Phoebus, 2 (—)
Dick Redding, 2 (WBL/AAA)
SVRed Evans, 23 (—)
ERADarren Dreifort, 2.03 (WBL/AAA)Tom Sullivan, 8.09 (—)
WARBobby Shantz, 5.9 (—)Tom Sullivan, -2.0 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.16: Spring Training Notes – Brooklyn Royal Giants

By

On March 4, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

A couple spots in the bullpen are open, but most of the attention will be on the position players, where in addition to the bench, starting roles at C and 1B are unsettled.

Ed Delahanty and Al Simmons (Brooklyn’s first and second round draft picks) are probably a year away, but either could make a strong push in Spring Training.

Injuries

Trevor Hildenberger is likely to miss the start of the season with a back injury, opening up another spot in the Royal Giants’ bullpen and SS Germany Smith–the early favorite to start at that position–will be out until very close to opening day with a broken bone in his foot.

First Cuts

Both Doc Newton and Tom Sullivan were longshots to make the team, and neither showed enough to stay in camp past the first round of reassignments; nor did Ted Blankenship, Lew Krausse Jr., Nap Rucker, or Dustin McGowan. Dave Van Ohlen has pitched as poorly as the rest of them, but being an established WBL arm has its privileges.

Likewise, Al López and Mike Piazza have both struggled, but it’s Al Todd and Jeff Torborg who are reassigned. The axe also fell for Tommy Everidge, Marco Hernández, Hank Majeski, and Ken McMullen. These moves preserve spots for Ray Dandridge and Ed Delahanty, despite their mighty struggles so far.

The OF remains an incredibly tangled puzzle. Assumed starters Duke Snider and Beals Becker have combined for only 2 hits, while Matt Holliday, Ron Fairly, George Selkirk, and Jermaine Dye–all considered relative long shots to make the team–are pounding the ball with OPS’ over 1.000. Even Morrie Arnovich and Raúl Mondesi, who have not hit well, remain in camp, largely based on their performances in the minors last year.

Clearly, figuring out the OF spots is the major concern of the next week or so for Brooklyn.

Second Cuts

Walker Buehler and Jordan Zimmerman head to minor league camp, as do Ron Fairly and Dan Brouthers. Phenom Ed Delahanty heads to minor league camp for at least a year of seasoning while only Germany Smith‘s injury keeps Tim Foli in camp. In the OF, Raúl Mondesi heads down along with veteran Jermaine Dye.

Third Cuts

Rick Aguilera, Tim Foli, George Selkirk, Davey Lopes, and, perhaps most surprisingly, Al López were all sent down.

This means that the catching duties will fall to some mixture of Mike Piazza and Duke Farrell (assuming Dick Bertell cools off at some point), and indicates that the Royal Giants are looking to play Ray Dandridge at 2B with Maury Wills earning a strong look at SS in Germany Smith‘s absence.

Final Cuts

The Royal Giants have some very hard decisions. Their first cut comes from the outfield, where 20 year old Al Simmons has hit well, but clearly needs to spend some time as a fulltime player, something he’ll be able to do at AA. Morrie Arnovich follows Simmons, clearing up some space in the OF.

Part of Duke Farrell‘s value was his ability to fill in at 3B as well; with Pedro Guerrero‘s arrival, that means a bit less. Combine that with Farrell’s struggles and Dick Bertell‘s excellent Spring, and Farrell becomes expendable, off to start the year at AAA. Some see this as a clear sign that the Royal Giants are going to go with Mike Piazza behind the plate; others insist that Bertell still has a shot to seize the starting role.

Jim Gentile is the only true 1B on the roster. And he’s posted an OPS over .800 this Spring. But roster space is scarce, and Gentile only plays 1B, so off he goes to AAA.

Trevor Hildenberger had struggled mightily before being shut down with back spasms. The Royal Giants got to 30 players by placing Hildenberger on the DL–he may be off by opening day, but a rehab stint in the minors to regain his form is needed regardless.

This is so hard at the end. Two or three more arms have to be sent down from Burleigh Grimes, Orel Hershiser, Juan Mateo, Dick Redding, Fernando Valenzuela, and Dutch Leonard. The problem is none of them have pitched badly. Leonard has struggled the most, so he’s the first, followed by young Dick Redding, who was solid last year, but gave up a lot of hits this Spring.

Germany Smith was placed on the DL.

Everybody else hit really well all Spring, making these final two choices very difficult. The Royal Giants sort of fell in love with Maury Wills and in the end, despite almost equal production, Dickie Thon‘s in ability to play other positions sends Thon to AAA. Finally, Matty Alou had a strong Spring, but it’s all just too crowded, to the veteran heads to the minors.

TWIWBL 45.4: Series XXXVII Notes – Marvin Miller Divison

By

On August 23, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

The Black Barons recalled P John Malarkey, 1B Nate Colbert, and OFs Andy Pafko and Curt Flood to help in their final playoff push.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Lefty Fernando Valenzuela, IF Dickie Thon, and OF Raúl Mondesi were all recalled as Brooklyn chases the final wildcard spot.

3 hits from John Briggs, including his 6th homer of the year weren’t enough as the Royal Giants fell to Memphis, 9-3. The loss officially eliminated Brooklyn from post-season contention, ending a nice late-season surge.

#Miami Cuban Giants

The Cuban Giants went back-to-back twice in a win over Ottawa. First, Yasiel Puig and José Canseco did it in the 8th inning, giving Miami a come from behind lead, then Canseco and Jim Thome did it in the 9th to put the game on ice. Dontrelle Willis, Sandy Consuegra, and Ramón Martínez didn’t allow a run in relief in the 10-4 victory.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Joseíto Muñoz was activated from the DL, with both Atlee Hammaker and Ray Fontenot being sent to AAA. Muñoz takes Mike Cuellar‘s spot in the rotation, and Jerry Blevins was recalled from AAA.

Muñoz was shut down immediately, and will miss time well into next season with elbow surgery. Hammaker was recalled to the active roster.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

With the San Jose Bees season winding down, the Sea Lions made a flurry of moves for the final week or so of the season, promoting Ps Red Ehret, Tommy Bridges and Dennis Eckersley, and IFs Don Money, Keith Ginter and Denny Hocking and activating C Mickey Cochrane from the DL.

Lefty Grove, James Shields, Ron Robinson, and Rod Beck combined on a 2-0 shutout victory for San Francisco. The victory went to Shields, with Robinson picking up his 18th hold and Beck his 31st save.

Series XXXVII Best Games

By

On August 15, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Playoffs, playoffs, playoffs. Every game here featured at least one team bound for the postseason or one desperately trying to force their way in.

#Birmingham Black Barons @ Detroit Wolverines, Game 1

The matchup between Birmingham’s Alejandro Peña and Detroit’s Hal Newhouser was supposed to be a pitching duel, and while it started that way, things got out of hand in the bottom of the 4th when Detroit rocked Peña for 6 runs on an RBI single from Hank Greenberg, a 3-run shot from Oscar Gamble, and a 2-run homer from Ed Bailey. But the Black Barons made a comeback, keyed by a 3-run dinger from Curtis Granderson and a 2-run double from Eddie Mathews. That gave Birmingham a 7-6 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th.

Bruce Chen has been quite reliable for Birmingham all season, but Detroit touched him for 2 runs on a single from Al Kaline to take the lead. But Mike Henneman, the league leader in saves, couldn’t hold the 8-7 advantage, giving up a 2-run shot to Mathews in the top of the 9th. Birmingham’s closer, Juan Rincón held it down in the bottom of the inning, keeping Birmingham’s postseason drive alive.

BBB 9 (Bedrosian 4-2; Rincón 26 Sv; Merkcer 3 H; Chen 1 B Sv) @ DET 8 (Henneman 2-7, 6 B Sv; Lolich H 7; Schmidt 1 B Sv)
HRs: BBB – Granderson (18), Mathews (25); DET – Gamble (28), E. Bailey (9).
Box Score

#Houston Colt 45’s @ Wandering House of David, Game 1

George Gore hit 2 homeruns, including a walk-off blast in the bottom of the 12th inning to secure a 10-8 victory for the House of David. Gore finished the day with 3 hits and 5 RBIs. Houston was unable to pull out the victory, despite out-hitting the House of David, 17-10, led by 3 hits each from Jimmy Wynn and George Brett.

Houston took the lead with 4 runs in the 8th, keyed by a 2-run triple from Pete Hill and RBI doubles from Andrés Galarraga and Brett, but Ernie Banks tied it up in the bottom of the inning with a 2-run single. Each team scored in the 11th (Houston on a double from Tony Gwynn, the House of David on Elrod Hendricks‘ 36th homerun of the season), setting the stage for Gore’s heroics in the 12th.

HOU 8 (Hartley 1-2; Howell H 4; Wagner 9 B Sv) @ HOD 10 (Jenkins 4-6) [12 Innings]
HRs: HOU – Brett (7); HOD – Rizzo (14), Edmonds (18), Gore 2 (5), Hendricks (36).
Box Score

#Memphis Red Sox @ Brooklyn Royal Giants, Game 2

Brooklyn left it late, but preserved their slim post-season hopes by scoring 2 in the bottom of the 9th to beat Memphis, 4-3. The Red Sox tallied a run in the 2nd, 3rd, and 5th to take a 3-0 lead, including the resurgent Sammy Sosa‘s 7th homerun for his new team. Memphis’ Len Barker was sailing along until the bottom of the 5th when Brooklyn’s Germany Smith–a surprising source of power for the Royal Giants–went deep with Al López on base to make it a 1-run game.

Both bullpens were solid into the 9th, with Tim Wakefield and Jon Lester for Memphis and Orel Hershiser and Fernando Valenzuela for Brooklyn each keeping the score 3-2 Memphis. Then, in the bottom of the 9th, Roy White greeted Memphis’ Heath Bell with a homerun to tie the game. White’s blast was followed by singles from Ron Cey, Frank Isbell, and pinch-hitting Matt Holliday, giving Brooklyn a walk-off victory.

MEM 3 (Bell 9-5, 3 B Sv; Wakefield 4 H; Lester 2 H) @ BRK 4 (Gagne 6-5)
HRs: MEM – Sosa (7); BRK – Smith (6), White (17).
Box Score

#Chicago American Giants @ Portland Sea Dogs, Game 4

This game featured 2 playoff teams, and held some storylines to keep a watch on as we move into the postseason.

For Portland, who scored 6 runs in their final 2 innings, Gavvy Cravath shows no sign of slowing down since his mid-season acquisition. In this game, Cravath had 3 hits and 3 RBIs. The key here is the efficiency of the Sea Dogs, who scored 7 times on 12 singles (a bit of an oddity for a team that is 3rd in the league in homeruns and top-half in extra base hits overall). For Chicago, the bullpen continues to be a bit of a worry, as neither Hoyt Wilhelm nor Ken Sanders were effective in this one after a decent start from David Price.

CAG 4 (Wilhelm 5-5, 2 B Sv) @ POR 7 (Miller 11-6; Porterfield 7 Sv)
HRs: none.
Box Score

TWIWBL 24.2: Mid-Season Reviews – Brooklyn Royal Giants

By

On February 17, 2022

In Team News, TWIWBL

Summary

Brooklyn sits in 2nd place in the Marvin Miller Division, only 3.5 games behind Portland, despite a general sense they’ve underperformed on the season. So, I guess that’s good?

What’s Gone Right

The pitching. Don Drysedale has been among the better starters in the league, and Frank Knauss has emerged as a quality #2 starter. Don Sutton, Dutch Leonard, and Sandy Koufax have been solid behind them with Koufax occasionally spectacular (including the only 1-hitter in the league). Add to that a back-end trio in the bullpen of Dave Von Ohlen and Trevor Hildenberger setting up Watty Clark, and the Royal Giants have everything they need on the mound.

The AAA Shuttle. The Royal Giants have been quite successful in their call-ups.

  • Orel Hershiser and Smokey Joe Williams started the year in the WBL, but struggled. Their replacements–Tommy Hanson, Knauss, and Von Ohlen–have been excellent.
  • The original duo behind the plate–Mike Piazza and Steve Yeager–were horrible. Their replacements, Al López and Duke Farrell, look OK so far.
  • Raúl Mondesí, who earned a spot on the roster out of spring training, struggled, but Jermaine Dye looks to be the real deal as his replacement.

The Running Game. Five players (Duke Snider, Beals Becker, Jackie Robinson, Davey Lopes, and Dickie Thon) have more than 10 steals each.

What’s Gone Wrong

Power. Only Snider and Ron Cey have more than 10 homeruns (although, to be fair, both Becker and Robinson have 9). Still, some more pop would be a welcome addition.

Catching. As referenced above, Piazza was especially a disappointment, as he was expected to add some power to a lineup that really needs it.

The Infield. Cey is set at 3B, and Robinson clearly has a role. But the rest has been … unsettled at best. Dan Brouthers has been miserable at 1B, and may be on his way out of town, and neither Lopes (2B) nor Thon (SS) have really convinced. Ray Dandridge has been excellent in a limited opportunity, and should be an everyday starter from here on out.

Key Storylines

The Royal Giants have managed their AAA movement very well, as detailed above. Probably the key storyline here is their ability to remain competitive while still searching for their identity.

Koufax is a bit of an enigma, and his continued development bears watching–and the thought of what he and Smokey Joe Williams could be is quite enticing.

What to do with Robinson remains a challenge: he doesn’t field well enough to play 2B a ton, and doesn’t hit well enough to play 1B.

Trading Outlook

BUYING.

OFs Dye, Hi Myers, and Matt Holliday have some value. If the right opportunity came along, some of their SP surplus could be on the trading block: Hershiser, Leonard, Knauss.

AAA Shuttle

Piazza and Yeager have both done well at AAA, and may be due for a recall if López or Farrell falter. Likewise, Hershiser has been dominant in the minors and he, along with Darren Dreifort, are ready should they be needed.

Midseason Changes

Infield changes a-plenty. Robinson becomes the everyday 1B, with Brouthers being sent to AAA (Eric Karros was recalled to backup Robinson). 2B/SS is trickier: Dandridge becomes the starter at one of those, but there’s just nobody in the system arguing for playing time. So Dandridge will start, with a bit of rotation between Thon and Lopes, if no other moves are made.

Hildenberger moves into the setup role, demoting Eric Gagne.

Awards

All Stars: Don Drysedale (P).

Pitcher of the Month: Don Drysedale (April)

Offensive MVP: Duke Snider (CF)
Pitching MVP: Don Drysedale (SP)

Down on the Farm

AAA: Queens Kings

Next to the Show: OFs Matt Holliday & Curt Flood, RP Darren Dreifort.

Prospects: P Ralph Branca (22), P Tim Stauffer (26).

Projects: There are a ton, but let’s just focus on the 24 year-olds: P Smokey Joe Williams, C Mike Piazza, OF Raúl Mondesí, OF Curt Flood, and 1B Dan Brouthers.

Suspects: Ron Perranoski (25), Jordan Zimmerman (26), IFs Todd Walker and Manny Trillo (both 33), SS Germany Smith (28).

AA: Jersey City Skeeters

Prospects: CF John Briggs (20), P Lou Marone (23), 3B Hank Majeski (23).

Projects: P Chris Short (21), P Fernando Valenzuela (23), P Dustin McGowan (23), OF Morrie Arnovich (25), C Phil Lombardi (23), SS Sonny Jackson (19).

Suspects: P Ben Hendrickson (23), 1B Kevin Maas (30), IFs Don Heffner (33) and César Izturis (27). P Johnny Ryan (22).

TWIWBL 23.0: All-Star Weekend – The Futures Game

By

On February 8, 2022

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

This game looks to be a bit of a mismatch: the sheer volume of talent on team USA is a bit overwhelming.

Tony Solaita of the World Team led off the inaugural Futures Game with a single up the middle off Bob Gibson, but a popout and a double play would end the inning without damage.

Fernando Valenzuela‘s opening frame didn’t go as well: Art Devlin singled and stole second, and then attempted to score on a base hit from Charlie Gehringer, but César Hernández‘ throw home was strong enough to nail him at the plate. Gehringer would score on a base-hit from Jimmie Foxx to put the USA up, 1-0.

Foxx was at it again in the bottom of the 3rd, scoring Devlin with a mammoth shot to left field, increasing the lead to 3-0.

Roberto Alomar greeted A. Rube Foster in the top of the 4th with a leadoff double. Alomar moved to third on a flyball to center by Shin-Soo Choo, and scored on a soft single from Sammy Sosa. Despite loading the bases, however, that was all the World team could muster, leaving the score 3-1.

Gehringer would drive in 2 more in the bottom of the frame upping the lead to 5-1.

And that would be it.

For the USA, Terry Forster, Frank Smith, Smokey Joe Williams, Jake Peavy, and Mike Adams combined for 5.1 innings of scoreless relief, while for the World, Steve Chitren, Jesse Crain, Moe Drabowsky, Arodys Vizcaíno, and Luiz Gohara closed the game without allowing a hit over the final 4 innings.

Foxx’s homerun and 3 RBIs were enough to walk away with the MVP Award, although Gehringer (2-for-4 with a run and 2 RBIs) and Devlin (2-for-2 with a run scored) each had an argument.

For the World, Tip O’Neill reached base 4 times, with 2 hits and 2 walks. It was a much worse day at the plate for Sosa and Hernández, each of whom struck out 3 times.

The idiotic choice by the AI to not select a catcher was impactful, as Abreu split time behind the plate with Jorge Orta, combining for 5 passed balls.

World 1 (Valenzuela 0-1) @ USA 5 (Maddux 1-0)
HRs: USA – Foxx (1).
Box Score

Roster Notes

The Wandering House of David and the Brooklyn Royal Giants each have 7 representatives in the game, and the Chicago American Giants have 5. Time will tell if that is an indicator of a strong talent pipeline or not.

Two of the players–the House of David’s Sosa and Los Angeles’ Carlos Beltrán–were traded over the all-star break. Both of them, along with San Francisco’s Sal Bando, Ottawa’s Alex Rodríguez and Roberto Alomar, and Birmingham’s Greg Maddux were recalled to the big leagues over the break.

Here are the full rosters, listing the level and WBL organization. Starters are listed in bold.

World Team Roster

Abreu was drafted in to catch, O’Neill as the DH, and López at 3B.

C: None. Whoops.

1B: Tip O’Neill (AA, Ottawa); Tony Solaita (AAA, Cleveland)

2B: Roberto Alomar (AAA, Ottawa); Jorge Orta (AA, Detroit)

3B: None, but both López and Hernández can play here.

SS: Luis Aparicio (AA, House of David); Bert Campaneris (AA, House of David, suspended); Jhonny Peralta (AAA, Indianapolis)

LF: Shin-Soo Choo (AAA, Houston)

CF: Carlos Beltrán (AA, Los Angeles); Héctor López (AA, New York Black Yankees); César A. Hernández (AA, Philadelphia)

RF: Bobby Abreu (AAA, Philadelphia); Willie Montañez (AA, Baltimore); Sammy Sosa (AAA, House of David)

P: José Capellán (AA, Memphis); Steve Chitrin (AAA, Brooklyn); Jesse Crain (AA, Ottawa); Víctor Cruz (AA, Chicago); Moe Drabowsky (AA, New York Gothams); Luiz Gohara (AAA, Memphis); Tom Harrison (AA, House of David); Fergie Jenkins (AAA, House of David); Sergio Valdéz (AA, Homestead); Fernando Valenzuela (AAA, Brooklyn); Arodys Vizcaíno (AA, Cleveland)

Team USA Roster

C: Cliff Lee (AAA, Portland); Mike Piazza (AAA, Brooklyn)

1B: Cap Anson (AA, House of David); Jimmie Foxx (AA, San Francisco)

2B: Charlie Gehringer (AAA, Detroit)

3B: Sal Bando (AAA, San Francisco); Art Devlin (AAA, New York Gothams)

SS: Ray Chapman (AA, Detroit); Alex Rodríguez (AAA, Ottawa)

LF: Bob Watson (AAA, Chicago)

CF: John Briggs (AA, Brooklyn); Kirby Puckett (AA, Portland)

RF: Dwight Evans (AAA, Memphis); Al Kaline (AAA, Detroit); Merv Rettenmund (AAA, Baltimore)

P: Mike Adams (AAA, Chicago); Terry Forster (AAA, Brooklyn); A. Rube Foster (AAA, Chicago); Bob Gibson (AAA, Kansas City); Greg Maddux (AAA, Birmingham); Jake Peavy (AAA, New York Black Yankees); Chris Short (AA, Brooklyn); Frank Smith (AAA, Chicago); Karl Spooner (AA, House of David); Smokey Joe Williams (AAA, Brooklyn).

Spring Training Preview: Brooklyn

By

On June 20, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

  • The back end of the rotation is up for grabs, with Frank Knauss and Fernando Valenzuela having the inside track on the #3 and #4 spots, with 1 out of Don Sutton, Jordan Zimmerman, and Smokey Joe Williams likely to hold the final slot.
    • Only Dutch Leonard and perhaps Orel Hershiser have been solid as SP, with Knauss and Valenzuela being downright horrible. It’s early, but look for Sutton, Dick Redding, and Brickyard Kennedy to get looks as well.
      • Four slots are set, with Sutton, Don Drysdale, Leonard, and Hershiser earning starting slots. Kennedy, Redding, and Williams are vying for the last spot, with Valenzuela heading to AAA.
  • Dave Von Ohlen, Trevor Hildenberger, Darren Dreifort, and Terry Forster are battling for the middle of the bullpen.
    • The bullpen has been very strong through 10 games, with only Watty Clark‘s role as closer settled.
  • There’s no question Jackie Robinson can contribute, the question is at what position. 1B is blocked by Dan Brouthers, leaving the challenge of Hobe Ferris at 2B.
    • Robinson has performed well, for sure. Davey Lopes, called up when Sandy Koufax went down injured, hasn’t done much to change the situation at 2B, where Ferris’ glove still probably gives him the edge.
      • Lopes–and Tommy Corcoran–have hit better than any other middle infielders, so it’s pretty unsettled up the middle, especially since neither Dickie Thon nor Pee Wee Reese have been able to crack the Mendoza line..
  • It’s possible that 1 of Michael Brantley, Matt Holliday, Jeffrey Leonard, Curt Flood, and Art Griggs forces their way onto the roster.
    • Flood, Brantley, Hi Myers, and Griggs have been totally overmatched in the early going, with Holliday and the surprising Jermaine Dye moving up the roster.
      • Griggs, Flood, Myers, and Brantley have all headed down to AAA (along with C Hank Gowdy). Todd Walker, Morrie Arnovich, and Raul Mondesi have been recalled for some OF flexibility.
Near DefiniteLikelyPossibleLong Shot
Starting Pitchers
Dutch Leonard
Orel Hershiser
Don Sutton
Don Drysedale		Dick Redding
Smokey Joe Williams
Brickyard Kennedy		Sandy Koufax
Frank Knauss
Jordan Zimmerman
Middle RelieversDave Von Ohlen
Darren Dreifort		Kyle McPherson
SetupErig Gagne
Trevor Hildenberger
Terry Forster
CloserWatty Clark
CMike PiazzaSteve Yeager
Duke Farrell
1BDan BrouthersJackie RobinsonTodd Walker
2BHobe FerrisDavey Lopes
3BRon CeyJim Delahanty
SSDickie Thon
Pee Wee Reese
Tommy Corcoran
OFRoy White
Duke Snider
Matt Holliday		Jermaine Dye
John Briggs
Beals Becker
Jeffrey Leonard		Morrie Arnovich
Raul Mondesi

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