89 - 65, .577 pct. 1st in Bill James Division, 3 games behind. Lost to Baltimore in Whirled Series
Overall
Finishing runner up to the best team in the league made last year a success in Detroit, but it also leaves a bit of a sour taste: what did they need to get over that final hurdle, and how quickly is the window closing? That last is more of a concern for the Wolverines than most WBL teams with sparkplug Tony Phillips, C Ed Bailey, and SS George Davis all on the wrong side of 35.
On the other hand, none of their three top starters were in Detroit’s rotation at the start of the season (Hal Newhouser was at AAA, Gene Conley was in the bullpen, and Charlie Root was pitching for San Francisco), so a full season of them should help. And on the third hand, this is a team that did it with only two stars–Hank Greenberg and Ty Cobb–and, even if you add phenom Al Kaline to that group, could really use some additional high end offense.
What Went Right
Greenberg and Cobb, for sure. Both are young, Cobb won the batting title and hit for power with speed and Greenberg was on the fringes of the MVP discussion all season.
Kaline had an OPS nearing .950 over 34 games. So, that went very right, but is also not a proven commodity at this point.
Chili Davis, Oscar Gamble, and Bob Bailey all hit better than expected, combining for 68 homers and 242 RBI.
George Davis managed 2.7 WAR despite a .662 OPS–that’s how good he was with the glove at shortstop.
Tony Phillips was an ageless wonder, posting an OBP near .400 at the top of the lineup.
The catching trio–Ed Bailey, Bill Carrigan, and Ernie Lombardi–was effective, although as you would guess, finding enough at bats for them all was a challenge.
Once Newhouser, Conley, and Root settled in, this was as good a top 3 as there was last year. Conley led the trio–and the team–with 12 victories, but it was Newhouser who really provided consistent greatness on the mound for Detroit.
Mike Henneman tied for the league lead in saves with 38 and Chad Bradford and Buddy Napier were among the best in the business in bridging to the closer.
Hank Aguirre and Johnny Marcum were solid, especially once they moved to the back half of the rotation.
ALL STARS 3B Bob Bailey; 1B Hank Greenberg; RP Mike Henneman
What Went Wrong
Sparky Adams was never meant to be more than a utility infielder … but wow did he not hit well. It was only his defensive flexibility that kept him around over Robby Thompson–clearly a better option at 2B–and Jimmy Collins, who despite being great with the glove at 3B, barely hit more than Adams.
Tony Phillips was fragile, and it’s not clear, at 38, if he has any full seasons left in him.
Justin Verlander never really established himself despite a lot of opportunities. He wasn’t bad, for sure, as evidenced by his 10-4 record, but he wasn’t consistent and couldn’t hold a rotation spot.
Vernon “Whitey” Wilshere and Si Johnson were both downright bad as starters.
Transactions
March
1B Nate Colbert to Birmingham for P Ron Perranoski and 3B Billy Nash
Sure, whatever.
June
SS Donie Bush, 2B Jorge Orta, P Brandon League, OF Gene Martin & 2nd Round Pick to Indianapolis for C Ernie Lombardi
Unsure. Lombardi was OK for Detroit, and more will be asked of him, but that’s a lot to give up for a part-time catcher.
July
2B Charlie Gehringer, P Red Ehret, 3B Bill Sweeney & 4th Round Pick to San Francisco for P Charlie Root & P Chad Bradford
A clear win, even if Gehringer eventually finds his footing.
Looking Forward
SP
This should be solid, with an eventual combination of Hal Newhouser, Charlie Root, Gene Conley, Mickey Lolich, and Justin Verlander.
RP
It’s a strong trio now with Buddy Napier, Chad Bradford, and Mike Henneman, and Matt Anderson and Delin Betances offer some depth in the system.
C
Could be an area of need, but for now Bill Carrigan and Ernie Lombardi will see more of the time here, with the aging Ed Bailey being phased out.
1B
Hank Greenberg.
2B
Another area of need, unless Robby Thompson takes a major step forward.
3B
Bob Bailey looks good here, as did Olmedo Saénz in a brief audition.
SS
George Davis has this for now, but after that it’s not really clear: it’s possible Alfredo Griffin, Ray Chapman, or even Ed Brinkman develop; it’s possible they need to bring some more talent in.
LF
Oscar Gamble should have this for a while.
CF
Some mixture of Ty Cobb and Chili Davis, although each of them may be more suited to a corner OF spot. There is some talent behind them in Jody Gerut and Ron LeFlore.
RF
The Wolverines are banking a lot on Al Kaline‘s performance not being a mirage, although Geoff Jenkins will continue to push for more time as well.
The Rookie Draft
Rounds 1-4
The first round pick is pretty easy: with Joe Torre taken, the C talent is pretty thin, add in the fact that Bill Freehan is a franchise choice, and Detroit has–it hopes–its backstop of the future.
Another franchise pick, Frank Lary, was picked up in the 3rd round.
Rounds 5-8
With all of their exceptions still available, the Wolverines can cherry pick–of mediocre talent, but still. They can use depth across the board: every position, plus arms, so it truly is a “best player available” moment.
It started with another franchise selection, P Billy Hoeft and was followed in the 6th round by C Johnny Romano who is so much better than the other remaining talent behind the plate his selection felt pretty mandatory. They picked up P Logan Hensley in the 7th and OF Bob Fothergill in the 8th.
Rounds 9-12
IF Wander Franco (final exemption); OF Riley Greene; OF Kerry Carpenter; C Derek Norris.
10th round pick Riley Greene refused Detroit’s offer.