Tag: George Davis Page 1 of 4

TWIWBL 80.4: Bill James Division

On October 13, 2025

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 80.3: A Preliminary Look at the Gold Gloves

By mknn

On October 12, 2025

In TWIWBL

{Every year towards the end of the season, I do some legwork so when the awards roll around, it’s not as burdensome. This week, the fielders, next week, the rookies.}

We’re going to do this position by position, mixing the leagues, with the candidates listed alphabetically. 600 IP minimum, unless otherwise noted.

Last year, only 1 set of awards were given; this year, with the creation of the NL, there will be 2 at each position.

Some of the positions have their own things, but a note about some of the standard fielding statistics. Range Factor measures the number of plays made per game–the higher the better. Zone Rating attempts to credit players for plays other fielders missed and ding them for plays other fielders made–the higher the better, and it has the benefit of being comparative across the position. Defensive Efficiency measures the rate at which an individual fielder contributes to outs being made on balls put into play, with any score over 1.000 being a net positive impact.

Of these, Range Factor is the most susceptible to the impact of the pitching staff and the ballpark, although none of these defensive ratings are perfect.

#C

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	A	E	PB	ZR	RTO%	cERA	FRM
Johnny Bench	IND	NL	967	112	4	10	3.5	40%	5.26	7.6
Curt Blefary	BAL	AL	937	103	2	4	2.0	38%	5.68	1.6
Gary Carter	OTT	NL	900	114	5	9	4.3	42%	6.15	4.9
Josh Gibson	HOM	NL	973	102	3	6	-1.5	30%	5.98	7.7
Elrod Hendricks	HOD	NL	825	104	4	7	4.6	41%	5.47	3.9
Joe Mauer	POR	AL	974	129	5	6	2.7	37%	5.36	4.9
Thurman Munson	NYY	AL	957	91	6	2	3.0	36%	5.29	3.0
Mike Piazza	BRK	NL	966	88	2	12	-2.8	31%	4.62	4.5
Buster Posey	NYG	NL	933	100	4	9	2.6	39%	5.43	8.0
Iván Rodríguez	MCG	AL	917	116	2	14	5.3	47%	5.61	1.8
Ted Simmons	KCM	NL	907	108	5	5	2.4	37%	4.31	-2.3

IP = Innings Played; A = Assists; E = Errors; PB = Passed Balls; ZR = Zone Rating; RTO% = Runners Thrown Out%; cERA = Catcher’s ERA; FRM = Framing Runs Saved

Catcher’s stats are just all over the place.

It’s hard to take cERA and FRM all that seriously when they fall so far outside the bounds of the rest of the information at our disposal–although, to be fair, cERA is clearly tied to the quality of the staff and, as such, perhaps is best viewed as a net difference from the overall team ERA. Perhaps I’ll look at that for the actual awards.

Regardless, it feels like, if you look at a catcher’s primary job of making plays and keeping the opposition running game under control, Carter in the NL and Pudge in the AL are the frontrunners. The argument against each, if there is one, would have to focus on their league-leading (in the wrong way) PB numbers.

But this one doesn’t really feel close at this point.

Last year’s winner, Cleveland’s Louis Santop, has struggled so much offensively this year that his playing time has really dropped him out of contention, although his defensive performance remains top-notch.

#1B

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	A	DP	E	RNG	ZR	Eff
Mike Epstein	HOM	NL	957	952	56	80	4	8.93	3.0	1.016
Hank Greenberg	DET	AL	973	891	58	74	4	8.20	2.7	1.022
Kent Hrbek	POR	AL	884	846	45	79	5	8.57	1.8	1.028
Don Mattingly	NYY	AL	710	642	40	54	5	8.07	1.8	1.031
Dan McGann	BAL	AL	879	887	66	69	6	9.02	-1.9	.978
Boog Powell	KCM	NL	978	998	56	80	4	9.15	3.0	1.016
Joey Votto	IND	NL	942	863	62	76	0	8.25	4.5	1.040
Bill White	MEM	AL	793	812	35	66	6	9.15	0.4	1.007

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; DP = Double Plays; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency

The 2 best defensive 1Bs in the league–Kansas City’s Boog Powell and Indianapolis’ Joey Votto–are both in the NL. So the competition there is clear, as is, ultimately, the current frontrunner in Powell. Votto’s edge in the digital measures–ZR and Efficiency–may make this a more challenging choice at the end of the year.

In the AL, it’s far more confusing, but it feels like the discussion is between Detroit’s Hank Greenberg and the Black Yankees’ Don Mattingly. Mattingly hasn’t played a ton, so perhaps Greenberg edges him? Portland’s Kent Hrbek could probably edge into the discussion as well.

Will Clark of the New York Gothams, who won it last year, has been fine, but falls just short of contention.

#2B

Five 2B had only 3 errors, but 2 of them–Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson and Boston’s DJ LeMahieu–have under 700 innings at the position. LeMahieu is the leader in Defensive Efficiency, so he made the list, but Robinson did not.

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	DP	E	RNG	ZR	Eff
Roberto Alomar	OTT	NL	1035	511	62	10	4.36	-3.1	.978
Robinson Canó	KCM	NL	994	524	76	5	4.70	9.7	1.060
Eddie Collins	CAG	AL	995	528	77	11	4.67	-7.6	.943
Miller Huggins	BAL	AL	796	383	50	5	4.27	9.1	1.097
Chuck Knoblauch	CLE	AL	951	443	64	3	4.16	-9.6	.926
Nap Lajoie	HOM	NL	876	485	66	4	4.94	7.3	1.049
DJ LeMahieu	MEM	AL	644	345	53	3	4.78	7.7	1.110
Cookie Rojas	MCG	AL	738	363	62	3	4.39	-3.6	.965
Ryne Sandberg	HOD	NL	863	489	60	3	5.07	5.4	1.035
Chase Utley	PHI	NL	988	538	61	2	4.88	13.8	1.081

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; DP = Double Plays; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency

Ryne Sandberg and Napoleon Lajoie have had fine years at 2B, but Philadelphia’s Chase Utley has been fairly spectacular, leading the world in Zone Rating with excellent numbers across the board.

The AL is more confusing, as the best fielders–Miller Huggins and DJ LeMahieu–have yet to hit 800 innings in the field. But there really aren’t a lot of other contenders: Eddie Collins, who won it last year, has amassed a ton of time at 2B, and hence is among the leaders in the counting stats, but his other numbers are surprisingly bad.

#SS

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	DP	E	RNG	ZR	Eff
Jim Fregosi	POR/PHI	AL/NL	1077	497	60	8	4.09	-10.6	.940
Derek Jeter	NYY	AL	1061	504	67	16	4.14	-19.0	.911
Barry Larkin	IND	NL	705	380	49	9	4.74	8.3	1.085
Dick Lundy	SFS	AL	838	411	46	6	4.35	8.2	1.057
Freddy Parent	CAG	AL	888	508	56	11	5.04	13.2	1.058
Ozzie Smith	KCM	NL	1019	543	67	5	4.75	11.0	1.068
Arky Vaughan	CLE	AL	940	444	53	8	4.17	10.4	1.085
Robin Yount	MCG	AL	952	473	59	6	4.41	8.3	1.052

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; DP = Double Plays; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency

It feels like the choices here are pretty clear: Ozzie Smith in the NL and Freddy Parent in the AL. Smith should be uncontroversial, but Parent is subject to some discussion, as he is getting less and less playing time for the American Giants. If it’s not Parent, it is probably Arky Vaughan or Robin Yount, with the question being whether Yount’s surer hands outweigh Vaughan’s greater range.

George Davis, who won it last year, logged just under 50 games with Detroit before being sent to AAA and suffering a significant injury.

#3B

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	DP	E	RNG	ZR	Eff
Dick Allen	CAG	AL	1046	260	24	15	2.11	0.5	1.010
Buddy Bell	POR	AL	1045	296	23	8	2.48	7.9	1.054
Adrián Beltré	OTT	NL	936	272	6	7	2.55	0.3	1.007
Ron Cey	BRK	NL	956	278	24	7	2.55	4.7	1.035
Manny Machado	BAL	AL	857	259	14	10	2.61	0.9	1.013
Eddie Mathews	BBB	NL	1014	291	29	8	2.51	-2.6	.986
Doug Rader	LAA	AL	1047	287	26	13	2.35	0.9	1.021
Scott Rolen	PHI	NL	973	265	16	7	2.39	4.0	1.050

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; DP = Double Plays; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency

Portland’s Buddy Bell has probably been the best 3B in the WBL this season, so he should take the award in the AL. In the NL, it currently comes down to Scott Rolen and Ron Cey, whose numbers are pretty indistinguishable at this point, perhaps with a slight edge to Cey.

#LF

For the OF, DP is replaced by Outfield Kills, and we introduce ARM, a measurement of how many runs have resulted from runners taking extra bases on balls hit to the that fielder. Note that positive ARM ratings are relatively rare: runners do tag up.

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	K	E	RNG	ZR	Eff	ARM
Johnny Bates	CLE	AL	1006	205	4	2	2.09	7.0	1.053	-1.0
Bob Bescher	IND	NL	681	149	1	2	1.94	-4.3	.950	-2.1
Don Buford	LAA/NYG	AL/NL	705	127	0	1	1.61	-2.8	.957	-0.6
Rickey Henderson	SFS	AL	1040	199	3	4	1.69	10.0	1.104	-2.8
Sherry Magee	PHI	NL	658	127	1	0	1.74	3.7	1.046	-1.9
Bob Nieman	BBB	NL	720	145	4	2	1.79	-1.0	.961	-1.6
Frank Robinson	BAL	AL	897	184	4	2	1.83	0.3	.998	-1.8
Babe Ruth	NYY	AL	627	128	1	2	1.81	5.7	1.084	-1.3
Roy White	BRK	NL	1006	213	5	2	1.89	9.3	1.075	-1.2
Jim Wynn	HOU	NL	755	140	0	2	1.64	-4.4	.955	3.3

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; K = Outfield Kills; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency

It feels like Roy White has a shot at being the first repeat winner as he has once again proven incredibly dependable in LF for Brooklyn, while adding more Kills and excellent supporting numbers.

In the AL, It feels like it’s the range of Rickey Henderson against the overall dependability of Johnny Bates–who actually makes more plays the Rickey, but some of that is down to staff effects.

Have to call out the nutty ARM rating for Jim Wynn, which is as flukish as fluke can be.

#CF

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	K	E	RNG	ZR	Eff	ARM
Paul Blair	BAL	AL	838	251	3	2	2.73	10.4	1.084	-2.3
Chili Davis	DET	AL	979	283	13	8	2.53	-12.5	.928	1.5
Willie Davis	PHI	NL	898	287	4	3	2.85	15.2	1.109	-2.0
Curtis Granderson	BBB	NL	974	317	1	5	2.88	4.8	1.030	-4.6
Pete Hill	HOU	NL	800	222	2	2	2.47	0.7	.997	-2.8
Willie Mays	NYG	NL	1065	327	3	4	2.73	11.3	1.046	-4.2
Willie McGee	KCM	NL	845	261	10	7	2.71	-5.9	.963	-1.4
Mike Trout	LAA	AL	940	282	2	1	2.69	-0.2	1.006	-3.3
Vernon Wells	CAG	AL	624	209	2	3	2.97	-5.2	.968	-2.6

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; K = Outfield Kills; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency

Not a lot to pick from in the AL, which increases Paul Blair‘s chance at a repeat selection. It probably comes down to Blair’s overall excellence against the spectacular highlight reel nature of Chili Davis‘ year: Davis hasn’t made all the plays, but has thrown out 13 runners. Mike Trout is in the conversation, but Blair edges him across the board, and is the likely frontrunner.

In the NL, things are much deeper, and we run into the question of how to weigh playing time. Willie Mays has similar numbers to Willie Davis, but over 200 more innings in the field, which I think is enough to give him the edge. Some mention should be made of the steady Curtis Granderson and the surprising 10 kills from Kansas City’s Willie McGee.

#RF

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	K	E	RNG	ZR	Eff	ARM
Beals Becker	BRK	NL	1022	233	7	3	2.03	3.0	1.007	0.7
Mookie Betts	MEM	AL	775	166	1	0	1.93	6.8	1.076	-3.7
Roberto Clemente	HOM	NL	973	243	8	6	2.19	5.6	1.050	-3.1
Larry Doby	CLE	AL	768	186	1	7	2.10	5.0	1.064	-4.2
Stan Musial	KCM	NL	801	157	2	4	1.72	7.0	1.072	0.8
Ichiro Suzuki	LAA	AL	1035	227	5	0	1.97	5.4	1.036	-2.4

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; K = Outfield Kills; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency

This is very close in both leagues.

In the NL, you could make an argument for all 3 of the contenders: Brooklyn’s Beals Becker has been steady across the board; Stan Musial covers a huge amount of ground for Kansas City and has a higher ARM than Becker; and Roberto Clemente makes the most plays and has the most Kills. I think it’s Clemente or Musial, with Musial slightly in front, maybe?

Over in the AL, it’s between Mookie Betts and Ichiro Suzuki, neither of whom have made an error in RF this season. Betts has been slightly better with the glove, Suzuki slightly better with the arm. Perhaps Suzuki, partially because he has played more innings in RF than anyone.

Last year’s winner, Johnny Callison, has done well this season, but is just out of the conversation. Mention should be made of Ottawa’s Larry Walker as well: Walker doesn’t cover a ton of ground, but has only made a single error in RF this season.

#P

125 IP minimum.

A few additional stat for hurlers, including the number of steal attempts and the % thrown out as well as the number of runs gained through their catcher’s ability to frame strikes. Obviously, both of these are highly dependent on the quality of backstop, but they also do impact the evaluation of the pitcher.

We’ve also taking out E and DP as stats, as odd as that may seem, as there is just not enough variance to really make much of them.

Name	Tm	Lg	IP	TC	RNG	ZR	Eff	SBA	RTO%	FRM
Roger Clemens	HOU	NL	183	13	0.64	-3.0	1.659	61	25	-0.4
Gerrit Cole	LAA	AL	155	21	1.22	0.5	1.438	44	32	0.4
Pud Galvin	LAA	AL	130	24	1.66	1.3	1.149	31	39	-0.7
Bump Hadley	SFS	AL	164	30	1.65	-0.3	.996	62	34	0.5
Walter Johnson	POR	AL	189	19	0.91	4.8	1.217	28	61	0.3
José Méndez	MCG	AL	200	20	0.90	4.4	1.086	43	56	-0.7
Stubby Overmire	MEM	AL	175	21	1.08	2.2	.853	16	63	-0.0
Gaylord Perry	NYG	NL	185	31	1.51	-0.3	.996	35	29	0.7
Toad Ramsey	HOU	NL	196	18	0.78	1.0	.913	42	41	-0.5
Bob Rush	HOD	NL	156	26	1.44	3.3	.996	19	63	0.0
Jack Taylor	HOD	NL	163	19	1.05	5.6	.996	41	63	0.0
Doc White	IND	NL	130	8	0.55	1.8	.996	18	50	1.9

IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; DP = Double Plays; E = Errors; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; Eff = Defensive Efficiency; SBA = Stolen Bases Attempted; RTO% = Runners Thrown Out%; FRM = Framing Runs

Who knows? Small sample sizes are rough, although it is nice to see last year’s winner, Jack Taylor, make a return appearance.

Taylor makes a lot of plays, and is very hard to run on, both of which count for quite a bit. I think an argument could be made for Pud Galvin, as well as for Taylor’s teammate, Bob Rush, but I would expect a fair bit of this to change over the final month of the season.

TWIWBL 76.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On August 6, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	62-47	.569	—
New York Black Yankees	63-50	.558	1
Detroit Wolverines	53-58	.477	10
Memphis Red Sox	52-59	.468	11
Baltimore Black Sox	49-62	.441	14

Bill James Division | 5 August

#Baltimore Black Sox

Needing to shake things up, Baltimore has moved into full “let’s see what we have for next year” mode. Johnny Sain and Bill Byrd were sent to AAA with Mark Baldwin and Rafael Betancourt being recalled. Betancourt will hit the bullpen, with Joe Beggs being moved from closer to starter for the Black Sox. Buddy Groom–Baltimore’s best reliever this year–will move into the closer spot.

Perhaps more importantly, wunderkind Eddie Murray was recalled, with Baby Doll Jacobson, who has struggled all season, being sent down. This likely puts Dan McGann on the trade market, as Murray isn’t being recalled to ride the pines.

Gavvy Cravath went deep twice, and Baltimore held on to an impressive 6-5 win over San Francisco.

Betancourt’s stay was short, as a sore elbow will move him to the DL, with Gregg Olson being recalled to the Black Sox bullpen.

#Cleveland Spiders

Evan Longoria hit 2 out and drove in 5, leading the Spiders to a 12-4 win over Baltimore. It wasn’t all good news for Cleveland, though, as Ron Blomberg sprained his ankle in the game, earning Boomer a trip to the DL. Cleveland recalled 33 year old Willie McCovey, one of the dominant AAA power hitters of the season, to see if he can add to their power for the stretch run.

McCovey had a nice debut, homering in his first WBL at bat and adding a single as the Spiders topped Baltimore, 10-4.

#Detroit Wolverines

Hank Greenberg went deep twice and drove in 5 as Detroit rode a strong outing from Pete Conway in a 14-2 victory over the Black Yankees. It wasn’t all good news for Detroit: Tony Lazzeri, who had essentially laid claim to the SS job, had to leave the game with a yet-to-be diagnosed injury.

It got worse in the middle infield as the Wolverines, still waiting to hear about the severity of Lazzeri’s ailment, lost George Davis for a few weeks. Davis hits the DL with Ray Chapman earning the promotion to Detroit.

It turns out Lazzeri has a fractured rib and will miss about a month, so he heads to the DL with Robby Thompson being recalled.

#Memphis Red Sox

Ted Williams hit 2 homeruns, but the Red Sox bullpen couldn’t hold a lead, and Memphis fell to Chicago, 8-6 in 11 innings.

#New York Black Yankees

Dave Righetti was recalled from a rehab assignment, with David Robertson heading to AAA. For now, Righetti will work out of the Black Yankees’ bullpen. But the back end of their rotation is pretty unsettled, with Red Ruffing and Pascual Pérez far from solid in their roles.

Don Mattingly went deep twice and Babe Ruth added his league-leading 52nd of the year as the Black Yankees came from behind to trounce Miami, 14-7. Eric Davis, who also homered, had 4 hits, as did Mattingly and Ruth drove in 5 in the win.

The Black Yankees hit 6 homeruns, 2 from Lou Gehrig, as they topped Miami, 14-5.

Rogers Hornsby began a rehab assignment, which will most likely be quite brief.

The Black Yankees’ staff is in a bit of upheaval, as both Pérez and Rheal Cormier left games with injuries. Pérez will miss a couple weeks, while Cormier’s injury is still under investigation. Roy Evans was promoted to take Pérez’ place on the active roster.

TWIWBL 76.2 Spotlight on the Cleveland Spiders

By mknn

On August 5, 2025

In TWIWBL

Things seem to be breaking well in Cleveland, which is riding a well-balanced team to a narrow lead in the Bill James Division.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

The Spiders don’t lead the league in anything, but they are also top 6 or 7 in everything. Add some very bright lights–Tris Speaker, Ron Blomberg, and Lance Berkman especially–and you have a hard team to beat. The question is if they can maintain it–they also feel like a team that could be broken by the wrong injury.

THE OFFENSE

It’s a bit uneven, but there is plenty of firepower here.

#What’s Going Right

It really all revolves around the big 3, with Tris Speaker, Ron Blomberg, and Lance Berkman each sporting an OPS over 1.000. Speaker leads in all the slash stats, while Blomberg has 41 homers and 117 RBIs. Berkman has chipped in with 38 dingers and 95 RBIs, more than enough to lead most teams.

Ed Bailey, brought in via trade during the all star break, remains a top end offensive catcher, slashing 258/344/617.

Evan Longoria, who struggled most of last season, has seized the 3B role, and is one of 5 batters with over 20 homers (3 more–Arky Vaughan, Larry Doby, and Chuck Knoblauch–are in double digits).

Johnny Bates has 41 SB, despite some struggles otherwise offensively.

#What’s Not Going Right

C Louis Santop, an all star and media darling last season, is slashing 207/252/375. He’s only 20 and remains the franchise’s future behind the plate, but the drop in impact is noticeable. This, of course, was the primary motivation for the decision to bring in Ed Bailey.

John Ellis and Chuck Knoblauch–both key players last season–are struggling to push their OPS over .700 this season.

THE PITCHING

It’s … solid. There is a lot of talent here, but not a lot of star power, something that could prove an obstacle in the postseason.

#What’s Going Right

Bill Steen (10-6, 5.02)and Cy Young (10-6, 5.16) both hold identical records, and seem very dependable in a eat up some innings and get the ball to the bullpen sort of way. Young clearly has the talent to do more than that, but has yet to put it together.

Speaking of talent … Bob Feller (7-3, 4.82) keeps flashing it, averaging nearly 12 strikeouts per 9 innings and forcing himself into the starting rotation.

Terry Adams (20 saves) is excellent at closer, and Cory Gearrin (3-0, 2.41) is one of the better setup arms in the league.

Al Smith (1.88 in 11 appearances) has had a very impressive start to his career, and is a potential impact left handed arm in the pen.

#What’s Not Going Right

Of the starters, only Feller has an ERA under 5.00, and that’s only over 6 starts. Yordano Ventura (5-6, 5.59) and Pat Malone (5-8, 5.45) have each struggled to find their form.

Ron Reed continues to not live up to his billing, although he seems to have stabilized as of late.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

Cleveland has the worst rated system in the league … and it may be accurate. Aubrey Huff, Justin Turner, and Bill Phillips could all contribute at some point, and teenage IF Johnny Hodapp can hit, but … there’s just not much here.

There is some talent in the upper levels of the system, most notably OFers Paul O’Neill and Kenny Lofton, but both are stuck behind established players.

WHAT’S NEEDED

If the Spiders are to make a deep postseason push, they need the big 3 to keep producing and a few players–preferably starters–to step forward over the final few months.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Who plays 3B? This is a question of scarcity: nobody has seemed able to step up. Longoria has pretty much taken over here.
What happens in the OF? Both Speaker and Kenny Lofton offer strong defense, is it possible to move one of them to LF or RF effectively? Not on this team, no: Lofton didn’t even make the club out of Spring Training, and Speaker is an upper echelon player so far this year, even if he’s a terribly unpopular figure in the clubhouse.

FEATURED SERIES

The Spiders head to Detroit for 3 games against the Wolverines, an in-division rival.

Projected Starters

Cleveland’s starter listed first.

Pat Malone (5-8, 5.45) @ Charlie Root (8-8, 5.60)
Bob Feller (7-3, 4.82) @ Hal Newhouser (5-3, 4.77)
Cy Young (10-6, 5.16) @ Johnny Marcum (6-4, 5.46)

I like this Cleveland team, and especially if Feller shows up, see a sweep as a distinct possibility.

Game One

Bob Feller was moved up to pitch in game one for Cleveland, with Detroit countering with Charlie Root as anticipated.

One of the more pleasant surprises for Detroit, veteran Juan Beníquez, took Feller deep in the 2nd for an early 1-0 Wolverines lead. In the 3rd, another similarly surprising performer–Tony Lazzeri–did the same, making it 2-0.

The Spiders finally broke through against Root in the 6th: Chuck Knoblauch singled to open the inning, was moved to second through a sacrifice bunt from Louis Santop, and scored on a double from Arky Vaughan.

In the bottom of the 6th, after a walk to Oscar Gamble, Beníquez chased Feller from the game with a double in the gap. Al Smith gave up two RBI singles (one to Victor Martínez, the other to Lazzeri) before getting out of the inning, putting the Spiders in a 4-1 hole.

It was short-lived: Ron Blomberg and Lance Berkman went deep back-to-back to lead off the 7th and chase Root from the mound, making it a 1 run one game once more at 4-3.

Chili Davis added an insurance run for Detroit with a solo shot, but Cleveland would not be stopped: Vaughan hit one out in the 8th, then Blomberg hit his 43rd of the year and 2nd of the game with Tris Speaker on board to give the Spiders their first lead of the day, 6-5.

Ron Reed and Terry Adams did their job (although Adams did load the bases in the 9th), and Cleveland took game one.

CLE 6 (Marberry 6-0; Adams 21 Sv; Reed 5 H) @ DET 5 (Hoeft 2-3, 3 BSv; Bechtel 2 H)
HRs: CLE – Blomberg 2 (43), Berkman (39), Vaughan (11); DET – Beníquez (13), Lazzeri (7), C. Davis (27).
Box Score

Game Two

Pat Malone would take his turn for Cleveland in game 2, with Hal Newhouser on the mound for Detroit.

Malone may have needed even more rest–he gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the first, 1 on a single from Ty Cobb, the rest on Al Kaline‘s 22nd round-tripper of the season.

Luckily, Cleveland has some power too, and took the lead in the top of the 2nd behind a pair of 2 run shots, one from Larry Doby and the other from Johnny Bates.

Hank Greenberg tied it up with a solo shot in the 3rd and then, in the 5th, the most unlikely power source of all–Detroit’s George Davis–sent a ball scooting into the gap for an inside-the-park-homerun to give Detroit a 5-4 lead.

Newhouser was done after 5 innings, giving up 4 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks while whiffing 9–sort of a thumbnail of his year to date.

Ron Blomberg did it again, tying the game at 5 with a solo shot to lead off the 8th, but Detroit took it back with an RBI single from Chili Davis in the bottom of the frame.

Detroit’s closer, Mike Henneman, would see his first action since returning form injury. Unfortunately for Cleveland, he looked fully rested, and easily retired the heart of the Spiders’ lineup for his 15th save of the season.

CLE 5 (Morton 5-3; Young 8 Sv; Malloy 2 H) @ DET 6 (Marichal 8-10)
HRs: CLE – Doby (20), Bates (10), Blomberg (44); DET – Kaline (22), Greenberg (36), G. Davis (3).
Box Score

Game Three

Before the game, Detroit sent Joakim Soria out on a rehab assignment.

The starters for game 3 remain unchanged: Cleveland’s Cy Young taking on Detroit’s Johnny Marcum.

Cleveland would score in each of the opening 3 frames: an RBI single from Ron Blomberg, 2 solo shots from Larry Doby, and a 2-run homerun from Ed Bailey. Meanwhile, Young was having a pretty typical start for him: he looked good, but every hit led to a run, with the RBI’s for Detroit coming from Oscar Gamble, Ty Cobb, and Ernie Lombardi. So, 5-3 in favor of Cleveland after 3 innings.

And then, as sometimes happens, both hurlers remembered how to do it, keeping us scoreless until Doby roped his 3rd of the game, chasing Marcum and giving the Spiders a 6-3 edge.

Al Kaline took Young deep in the 6th, closing the edge to 6-4. In the next inning, after a Bob Bailey single chased Young, Al Smith was brought in to face the 2 lefties, Gamble and Cobb. Smith walked Gamble, but got a groundout from Cobb, and Firpo Marberry closed out the inning, preserving the 2 run lead.

Billy Hoeft and Jack Wilson were roughed up in the top of the 9th, with Tris Speaker, Blomberg, and Joe Sewell each going deep and providing the final margin of 10-4 in favor of Cleveland.

Doby had 2 more chances, but could not become the first player in the WBL to hit 4 out in a game.

CLE 10 (Young 11-6; Smith 1 H; Marberry 1 Sv) @ DET 4 (Marcum 6-5)
HRs: CLE – Doby 3 (23), Bailey (9), Sewell (2), Speaker (26), Blomberg (45); DET – Kaline (23).
Box Score

So, the Spiders take the series, showing a lot of who they are: more offense than pitching, and usually enough to get the job done.

TWIWBL 72.5: Bill James Division

By mknn

On February 18, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	55-35	.611	—
Cleveland Spiders	49-38	.563	4.5
Memphis Red Sox	43-45	.489	11
Detroit Wolverines	40-47	.460	13.5
Baltimore Black Sox	38-52	.422	17

Bill James Division | 9 July

#Baltimore Black Sox

The Black Sox recalled Buddy Groom and Bobby Wallace from rehab assignments, sending RA Dickey and Dave Anderson to AAA. They also named Johnny Sain and newly-acquired Mike Cuellar to fill out the rotation.

Wallace’s return is complicated–honestly, the Black Sox had hoped to deal the veteran, but found the market wanting, especially given his recent injury. Wallace returns to a backup role behind Cal Ripken, Jr., although he will see some time at 3B as well.

Frank Robinson homered twice and drove in 5 as the Black Sox won a slugfest over Memphis, 12-11.

#Cleveland Spiders

Cleveland’s trades led to some roster shuffling. Joe Smith and Chico Walker were sent to AAA to clear room for Claude Passeau and Ed Bailey. Bob Feller and Pat Malone were named to the rotation for the Spiders with Passeau starting off in Cleveland’s bullpen for the time being.

Evan Longoria won a see-saw game with a walkoff homer in the bottom of the 10th against the Black Yankees. John Ellis, Larry Doby, Ron Blomberg, and Bailey also went deep for the Spiders in the 9-7 victory.

#Detroit Wolverines

Recently acquired Victor Martinez steps into the reserve catching role for Detroit, who have also decided to juggle their middle infield, with Tony Lazzeri being recalled from AAA to take over at SS. JD Martinez was also recalled to add some power from the bench, with Billy Nash heading down to AAA.

George Bechtel was added to the rotation while Felipe Vásquez was sent to AAA in exchange for Mike Griffin.

It’s not quite the wholesale commitment to youth some have been asking for (Lazzeri is 36, replacing George Davis who is 35), but it’s something. I guess.

The Martinez boys came through, with JD hitting a homerun in his first WBL at-bat and Victor adding 3 hits in a 3-2, 10 inning win over Los Angeles. Ty Cobb hit one out in the top of the 10th for the go-ahead run.

#Memphis Red Sox

The Red Sox recalled Iván De Jesús to fill a utility role. One impact of this is allowing Dobie Moore to focus more exclusively on SS.

David Ortiz went deep twice and Manny Ramírez homered a record-tying 3 times (the second time this year he’s done that), driving in 7 … but the Red Sox failed to hold several leads, falling to Baltimore, 12-11.

#New York Black Yankees

Dave Righetti started a rehab assignment. AJ Burnett and Josh Harrison were sent to AAA, with newcomers Pascual Pérez and Rogers Hornsby stepping right into the rotation and the starting lineup, respectively.

Babe Ruth went deep twice in a 12 inning, 8-4 win over Cleveland. Lou Gehrig did the same the next day, but once again Aroldis Chapman couldn’t hold a lead, and the Spiders won in extra innings, 9-7. This latest meltdown may trigger a shakeup in the Black Yankees’ bullpen, with Goose Gossage taking over the closer role.

TWIWBL 66.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On September 20, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	33-18	.647	—
Cleveland Spiders	28-21	.571	4
Detroit Wolverines	23-28	.451	10
Memphis Red Sox	21-30	.412	12
Baltimore Black Sox	20-32	.385	13.5

Bill James Division | 28 May

#Baltimore Black Sox

Mike Mussina returns to the Black Sox rotation, but the severe underperformance of its back end has left Baltimore in a quandary. For now, they are going with Dennis Martínez, Ned Garvin, and Mussina as regular options, with the final spots pretty much up for grabs, with even current closer Joe Beggs in the mix.

Baltimore hit 7 homeruns, including 2 from Bryce Harper, as the Black Sox ran rampant over Chicago, 12-3.

#Cleveland Spiders

Tris Speaker went deep twice, leading the Spiders to a 10-6 win over Los Angeles.

#Detroit Wolverines

With George Davis ready to return from injury, the Wolverines pulled a surprise move, sending veteran Tony Phillips–a key sparkplug for last year’s success–to AAA. This move frees up room for more time for Juan Beníquez in LF and cements the platoon between Charlie Gehringer and Joe Wood at 2B. It also leaves the Wolverines without a true backup CF behind Chili Davis, so we’ll see how that works out.

Needing a starter, the Wolverines exchanged Claude Passeau for Si Johnson. Johnson’s stay was short, as Johnny Marcum was recalled from his rehab assignment after Johnson put in a mediocre start where Hank Greenberg went deep twice, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Wolverines from dropping their 6th straight, 7-5 to the Black Yankees.

Bob Bailey went deep twice and Pete Conway pitched a complete game in an 11-4 win over Portland. Bailey drove in 6 and Greenberg went deep as well for the Wolverines.

Billy Hoeft will miss the better part of a week, earning himself a trip to the DL with Felipe Vázquez being recalled to maintain a left-handed weapon in the pen. George Bechtel was returned to AAA with Si Johnson being recalled once more for a spot start. The hits kept coming for the Wolverines: Johnson’s performance was fine, but with Jack Wilson heading to the DL, not only does Johnson retain his spot, but Bechtel was recalled immediately to Detroit.

#Memphis Red Sox

The merry-go-round continues: Nixey Callahan and Eddie Cicotte head to AAA with Skel Roach and Shane Bieber being recalled from their rehab assignments. Joe Rudi was sent down as well, with OF Jack McAleese being recalled.

Travis Shaw went deep twice, driving the Red Sox to a 10-7 win over Miami. Later in the week, Reggie Smith did the same, homering twice in an 11-3 win over Baltimore.

#New York Black Yankees

The Black Yankees recalled Red Ruffing from a rehab assignment, with Noah Syndergaard heading to AAA.

Ruffing had a scoreless debut in relief of a dominant Ron Guidry as the Black Yankees beat Detroit, 11-1. Guidry improved to 8-1 on the year and Hank Bauer went deep twice for New York.

Mickey Mantle went deep twice and the Black Yankees beat Detroit 7-5 behind an excellent 8 innings from Andy Pettitte, who improved to 6-2.

TWIWBL 65.1: Year 2, Week 8

By mknn

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:

Team	W/L	PCT	GB
Homestead Grays	26-19	.578	–
Brooklyn Royal Giants	24-19	.558	1
New York Gothams	23-22	.511	3
Ottawa Mounties	22-22	.500	3.5
Philadelphia Stars	21-24	.467	5

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.

Pos	25+	< 25
C	John Stearns (26, LAA). 266/380/587.	Darrin Fletcher (23, NYY). 383/408/742.
1B	Fred Luderus (32, PHI). 336/375/734.	Eddie Murray (22, BAL). 321/389/629).
2B	DJ LeMahieu (28, MEM). 377/417/521.	Jorge Orta (23, CAG). 216/250/405.
SS	Bill Dahlen (34, CLE). 250/325/519.	Travis Jackson (22, HOU). 331/358/559.
3B	Jung Ho Kang (29, HOD). 313/361/701.	Chris Brown (23, HOD). 346/452/731.
LF	Lefty O’Doul (26, MEM). 385/416/644.	Starling Marte (24, HOM). 341/410/609.
CF	Kenny Lofton (26, CLE). 354/424/599.	Jack Gleason (23, LAA). 257/361/478.
RF	Elmer Valo (35, LAA). 397/484/733.	Tony Conigliaro (23, HOD). 299/361/649.
SP	Cliff 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.
RP	Roberto 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.

TWIWBL 63.2: Spotlight on the Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On July 11, 2024

In Team News, TWIWBL

For the very first TWIWBL Spotlight, we’ll be looking at the Detroit Wolverines.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Last year, the Wolverines won their division with the 2nd best record in baseball and lost to Baltimore in the Whirled Series in 7 games, so there are some expectations at play here.

So far, they’re underperforming, sitting 1 game under .500 at 16-17, 6.5 games behind the surging New York Black Yankees in the Bill James Division. At the most zoomed out, their pitching staff has been average, and while the offense has some significant bright spots, there are some issues to address.

THE OFFENSE

It’s a decent offense overall, with some power (but nobody in double figures in HR yet) and overall excellent OBP numbers (Detroit is 3rd in the league in walks). There is not much speed, outside of Ty Cobb, who has 13 steals.

#What’s Going Right

Ty Cobb. Remember, he’s still only 21 years old. And he’s slashing 398/462/858, leading the league in all 3 categories, and tied for the team league in HR with 9. 3B Bob Bailey also has 9 and has been the Wolverines’ 2nd best hitter amongst their starters.

Hank Greenberg and Al Kaline have been solid, if not spectacular, and Charlie Gehringer and Joe Wood have done better than expected in carrying large loads in the IF as rookies.

Professional hitter Juan Beníquez has professionally hit, slashing 395/511/526 in limited appearances as the club tries to open up more playing time for him. The challenge is that he plays the same positions as Cobb, Greenberg, and Bailey. But there are some ways to juggle the pieces to get his bat in the lineup a bit more often.

#What’s Not Going Right

The Wolverines are on the verge of abandoning their 3 catcher strategy. Ed Bailey and Ernie Lombardi are doing fine–not much more than that, but fine–but Bill Carrigan, who hit over .300 last year, is wallowing away with a .087/125/130 slash line. Mix that with the clear needs for more depth at either SS or CF or both, and Carrigan’s time with the big league club may be limited.

Tony Phillips may be showing his age, with the 39 year old–last year’s sparkplug–managing only a 168/267/287 slash line. Another key to last year’s team, Oscar Gamble, is doing only slightly better at 207/349/276. Gamble is still looking for his first homerun of the year, and while that OBP is nice, it’s not what the Wolverines really need from him.

THE PITCHING

#What’s Going Right

The bullpen has been excellent, with Mike Henneman producing saves at the same rate as last year, but this time being dominating as he’s done so, with an ERA and WHIP both under 1.00. Henneman has 9 saves, tied for the league lead, and both Chad Bradford and the surprising Billy Hoeft have been excellent getting to him.

Pete Conway has been a pleasant surprise since being called up, and there is talk of him moving into the rotation as, across 16 appearances, he’s arguably been the Wolverines’ best pitcher.

#What’s Not Going Right

The rotation is a hot mess. Nobody has more than 2 wins and only Charlie Root (2-3, 3.96) is really pitching well. Hal Newhouser has been OK, but Justin Verlander, Johnny Marcum, and especially Gene Conley have all struggled mightily. And it’s not an illusion: the more advanced stats (FIP, SIERA) tell the same story of Root being alright and the rest being pretty poor.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

There’s not a lot of immediate help at AAA on the mound. George Bechtel is off to a decent start, and is probably next in line to get a look.

Wally Moses, Brady Clark, Wes Covington, and Tony Lazzeri have all been looked at as options, depending on what happens with Phillips. And, veteran gloveman George Davis should be back from injury this month.

There’s not a lot here, honestly. Logan Hensley is the highest rated arm in the system, and he’s not great and teenage phenom Wander Franco is still a few years away, especially if Gehringer continues to develop.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The pitching to right itself and either Greenberg or Kaline to up their game, giving the team another top tier offensive threat to complement Cobb.

Storylines To Watch

Certainly Cobb and his assault on the triple crown. It’s doubtful he can maintain the SLG that is required, but if you hit .400, all things are possible.

Key Questions from Spring Training

In their Season Preview, there were 3 Key Questions for Detroit. Here’s an update on each.

Who is the 5th Starter? Unfortunately, with the current spate of injuries, this is now who are the 4th and 5th starters, and the answers seem to be Pete Conway and unknown, which is not a great answer.
Can they continue to carry 3 catchers? Not if Bill Carrigan continues to hit under .100.
The MI is a concern. Yeah, it is, but Billy Nash and Joe Wood have done well, although the team is looking forward to the return of George Davis’ glove later this month.

FEATURED SERIES

We’re looking at 3 game set at the end of the week against the Baltimore Black Sox where the Wolverines will welcome the (now struggling) defending champs to Tiger Stadium for a 3 game set.

Game One

Johnny Marcum left the game with a back injury in the 3rd inning, allowing only a single hit. The bullpen struggled, with Ray Sadecki, George Bechtel, Pete Conway, and Billy Hoeft giving up 7 runs in just over 5 innings.

Luckily, the Wolverines’ offense pounded out 17 hits and 12 runs, including 7 tallies in the bottom of the 7th en route to a 12-7 victory. Ty Cobb and Ernie Lombardi had 3 hits each and Charlie Gehringer 4 RBIs.

Chalk one up for the offense. This is sort of the peak of how Detroit can perform with the bat: a lot of hits spread up and down the lineup, a consistent ability to turn over multiple innings. It’s also an example of how fragile their staff is. Sadecki debuted well, but neither he nor Bechtel look likely to stick around, and Buddy Napier–expected to be key in late innings–only lowered his ERA to 7.00 with his scoreless inning at the end.

Marcum hit the DL after the game, with Conway likely to take his next start.

BAL 7 (Wetteland 0-5, 2 B Sv; Hampson 1 H) @ DET 12 (Hoeft 1-0)
HRs: BAL – Jacobson (1), Machado (9), Harper (5), Wallace (2); DET – Gehringer (6).
Box Score

Game Two

Justin Verlander turned in the best start of his career, allowing only 1 hit over 8 innings while striking out 11 and walking 3, but the victory went to Mike Henneman as a sacrifice fly from Charlie Gehringer in the bottom of the 9th gave the Wolverines a 1-0 win over Baltimore. Henneman showed flashes of his old self, walking 2 in the 9th before getting out of a jam of his own creation.

For the Black Sox, the game was worth more than the loss as Ned Garvin seemed to return to form with 6 shutout innings.

This game was needed after the bullpen was stretched thin yesterday. Most of all, though, Verlander has always showed this talent, but never really put it together. He still needs to show he can do it consistently (his ERA fell to 4.64 with his 8 shutout innings here, which is fine, but not great), but it’s a start.

BAL 0 (Olson 0-1) @ DET 1 (Henneman 3-0)
HRs: None.
Box Score

Game Three

The Wolverines went for the sweep with Charlie Root facing off against Baltimore’s Dennis Martínez. Neither ace was very good, with Detroit eventually building a 13-6 lead before the bullpen struggled to an eventual 13-10 win (and the series sweep).

Al Kaline had 3 hits and Hank Greenberg, Oscar Gamble, Tony Phillips, and both Ed and Bob Bailey went deep for Detroit who overcame 3 hits from Frank Robinson and 5 RBI’s from Dan McGann in the victory.

See the comments from the first game: another excellent day offensively, with contributions up and down the lineup and 5 SB’s to boot (from Joe Wood, Billy Nash, and Juan Beníquez, along with 2 from Ty Cobb). But Root’s problems continue, and George Bechtel had another bad outing, giving up a bases loaded triple to McGann and creating the save situation for Chad Bradford.

Still, a sweep is a sweep.

BAL 10 (Martínez 3-2) @ DET 13 (Wilson 1-0; Bradford 1 Sv)
HRs: BAL – McGann (4), Robinson (10), Cravath (11); DET – Gamble (3), Greenberg (10), Phillips (3), E. Bailey (3), B. Bailey (10).
Box Score

Year II Season Preview: Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On March 20, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

You finish as the runner-up, you’re supposed to get back there next year. Championship competition for sure. This is just a very well-balanced team: none of the pitchers are really superstars, but Charlie Root, Hal Newhouser, and Gene Conley could hang with any trio in the league. Likewise, the offense revolves around two stars (Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg) and a solid supporting cast.

Best Case

It all keeps humming, with especially both Root and Conley being able to maintain their level of performance on the mound while supporting talent–the Bailey Boys (3B Bill and C Ed) and the Davis Duo (OF Chili and SS George) especially–keep on keeping on and youngster Al Kaline continues to deliver on his promise.

Worst Case

The pitching seems like it could collapse at any time–especially the bullpen, where Mike Henneman (despite tying for the league lead in saves) feels somewhat precarious. Four key players (Ed Bailey, George Davis, Tony Phillips, and Oscar Gamble) are on the wrong side of 30, so falling off a cliff is always a concern.

Key Questions

Who is the 5th starter?
Can the 3 catchers continue to be an effective approach (meaning, worth sacrificing the roster spot to carry both Bill Carrigan and Ernie Lombardi behind Ed Bailey)?
The MI is a concern: George Davis is a wizard with the glove, but cannot hit and 2B clearly needs a long term solution given Phillips’ age.

Trade Bait

No obvious opportunities.

Or so we thought until it became clear that Charlie Gehringer, offering a long term solution at 2B, could be available.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C		Carrigan	Bailey, E	Lombardi
1B	Greenberg					Beníquez
2B			Phillips			Gehringer Wood
3B			Bailey, B			Nash
SS			~~Davis, G~~
LF/ RF	Cobb		Gamble Kaline
CF			Davis, C
SP		Conley Root	~~Aguirre~~ Newhouser	Verlander	Marcum
End		Napier	Bradford Henneman
RP					Wilshere	Hoeft Conway

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

Al Kaline gets moved down a little due to low usage, but he certainly looks like the real deal.

That’s a lot of unknowns for a contender. But none of them are really in key spots, although Billy Nash, who isn’t truly a SS, will have to fill in there until George Davis‘ return.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	OF Oscar Gamble	DH JD Martinez
Batting Eye	U Tony Phillips	OF Floyd Robinson
Contact	OF Ty Cobb	OF Ron Swoboda
Running Speed	OF Ty Cobb	OF Dan Gladden
Base Stealing	OF Ty Cobb	SS Ray Chapman
IF Defense	1B Hank Greenberg	3B Jimmy Collins
OF Defense	RF Al Kaline	CF Jim Piersall
Stuff	P Vernon Wilshire	P Wilson Álvarez
Control	RP Chad Bradford	RP Dick Donovan
Velocity	RP Mike Henneman	P Delin Betances

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (17)	21	OF	Al Kaline
2 (68)	19	SS	Wander Franco
3 (73)	23	P	Emil Yde
4 (113)	24	2B	Charlie Gehringer
5 (121)	23	P	George Mullin
6 (175)	18	P	Billy Hoeft
7 (198)	20	3B	Billy Nash

Others: None.

Hoeft and Franco were a surprise this Spring, with Hoeft, Nash, Gehringer, and Kaline all breaking camp with the Wolverines. That’s the good news. The bad news is the cupboard is bare at this point.

	Most	Least
Age	U Tony Phillips, 38	RP Billy Hoeft, 18 C Bill Freehan, 18
Height	P Gene Conley, 6’8″	SS Bill McClellan, 5’5″ SS Earl Adams, 5’5″
OPS	OF Hi Myers, 1.019 (WBL/AAA)	1B Eric Hosmer, .509 (WBL)
HR	3B Joe Werrick, 51 (WBL)	OF Wally Moses, 1 (AAA/AA) SS George Davis, 1 (AAA/AA) 2B Earl Adams, 1 (WBL)
SB	OF Ty Cobb, 52 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	OF Al Kaline, 4.9 (WBL)	1B Eric Hosmer, -3.0 (WBL)
W	Ray Washburn, 17 (—)	Doyle Alexander, 1 (WBL/AAA/AA)
SV	Mike Henneman, 38 (WBL)
ERA	Ray Washburn, 2.44 (—)	Dennis Rasmussen, 6.75 (—)
WAR	Ray Washburn, 5.6 (—)	Vernon Wilshire, -0.7 (WBL/AAA)

Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.6: Spring Training Notes – Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On February 23, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

4 bullpen slots are open, and overall roster depth needs to be settled, especially on the infield.

Injuries

Defensive whiz George Davis will miss the first few months of the season after fracturing a finger on his right hand. This opens up some interesting possibilities, where either camp newcomer Tony Lazzeri or rookie Wander Franco may make the opening day roster.

Hank Aguirre–a key part of the Wolverines’ staff last season–will miss most of the season, if not all of it, with an injured labrum.

First Cuts

George Mullin, Emil Yde, Joakim Soria, and Wilson Álvarez were all sent down as Detroit’s pitching staff continued to come into focus. Of those, only Álvarez could be considered a surprise, but the lefty was just torched in his 3 spring outings.

Andy Allanson, Eric Hosmer, and Cecil Fielder were all returned to minor league camp while Billy Nash has done nothing but impress as the 20 year old tries to force his way onto the roster.

George Davis has yet to get a hit this Spring, but remains the presumed starter at SS as Ed Brinkman and Ray Chapman have also struggled at the plate, with neither remaining in the Wolverines’ camp, joining 2B Hobe Ferris in the minors. It remains a bit of a mess: Robby Thompson really hasn’t hit enough to make a claim for a job, but the Wolverine’s brass isn’t yet convinced by Joe Wood‘s early success. This has opened the door for Wander Franco, who at 19 had been assumed to be a courtesy inclusion in camp. All of this has led to Detroit calling Tony Lazzeri up, with a real chance at taking control of the reserve IF role.

In the OF, Dom Demeter, Phillip Ervin, and Tommy Thompson have all been cut, with Floyd Robinson and Dick Wakefield being particularly impressive so far this Spring.

Second Cuts

Hank Aguirre has struggled, but the team chalks that up to injury and plan to re-evaluate him when he can pitch again in a few days. Other than that, the only hurlers who are struggling are ones pretty likely to make the roster: John Hiller, Johnny Marcum, and Hal Newhouser.

Last year’s darling, Olmedo Sáenz, has an OPS under .500, but will be given a little more time to show his stroke.

The IF really has been thrown into chaos by George Davis‘ injury: Tony Lazzeri has done well since his recall, and while neither Sparky Adams nor Robby Thompson has hit much, both will stay in camp as the Wolverines try to work out exactly what the path forward is at 2B and SS.

The OF is still far too full as well as Bob Fothergill is the only player sent to the minors. Geoff Jenkins has struggled mightily, but his performance last year keeps him around for the time being, although Floyd Robinson, Dick Wakefield, and J.D. Martinez are all threatening to take his spot as Detroit’s 4th or 5th OFer.

That leaves Detroit with a whopping 47 players still in camp, increasing the importance of the next week or so.

Third Cuts

Ps Felipe Vásquez and Roger Craig were sent to AAA, as were C Ramón Cabrera, and last year’s late season darling Olmedo Sáenz,

Saenz’ departure was hastened by the impressive springs from both Juan Beníquez and Greg Brock.

2B continues to be a source of confusion: veteran Tony Phillips is the likely starter, and Joe Wood seems to be emerging as a decent backup. But the rest of the contenders–late Spring addition Tony Lazzeri, consummate utility infielder Sparky Adams, and the promising talent of Robby Thompson–are struggling mightily at the plate.

A similar situation exists at 3B: Bob Bailey is the clear incumbent, but Beníquez, Wood, and 20 year old AA MVP Billy Nash are all hitting far better. The only clarity is gloveman supreme Jimmy Collins heading to AAA.

George Davis‘ injury clears some space here, as all of these players–and youngster Wander Franco–can fill in at SS as well. None of them play it well, however, and Davis’ glove will be sorely missed.

The more Ty Cobb can adjust to LF, the clearer the OF situation gets for the Wolverines. But the players are set–Cobb, Chili Davis, Oscar Gamble, and Al Kaline should cover both OF and DH. Jody Gerut was sent to AAA, leaving the Wolverines with only Ron LeFlore on the roster as a true CF. LeFlore has struggled offensively, but his glove and speed maintain his spot.

The real challenge is to see how Dick Wakefield, Floyd Robinson, and J.D. Martinez sort out. Right now, all three of them are hitting too well to be jettisoned to the point where Geoff Jenkins–a solid 4th OFer last season–may not make the opening day roster.

Final Cuts

The acquisition of Charlie Gehringer combined with Robby Thompson‘s horrible Spring performance meant Thompson heads to AAA. Tony Lazzeri homered in his first Spring Training appearance, but it was all downhill from there and Lazzeri will start the year in the minors.

Ron LeFlore was next to head to AAA, with the Wolverines deciding that Tony Phillips still had enough spring in his step to cover for Chili Davis in CF.

Wander Franco was intriguing, but at 19 seems not ready for the WBL quite yet. He was the best fielding SS in camp, but the Wolverines evidently are happy enough with Sparky Adams or perhaps young Billy Nash there until George Davis’ return.

Six players were moved on to get down to 30. Some were pretty easy: Greg Brock, Floyd Robinson, Jason Schmidt. Some were surprising: John Hiller‘s inability to do anything well this Spring sends him to AAA to get himself sorted out. The Old Man’s Glove—Sparky Adams–was also sent down as the performance of Joe Wood has been impressive. That seems to mean the Wolverines have given the starting SS role to … Billy Nash? At least until George Davis returns. That may not last long.

Finally, JD Martinez heads down. Martinez had a chance to make the roster, but Dick Wakefield has out performed him by quite some distance, and Detroit’s OF is already overly crowded.

In unsurprising moves, Claude Passeau and Brandon Beachy were sent to AAA. The final 3 cuts were more difficult. First, Geoff Jenkins–a solid contributor last season–was sent down after a terribly lackluster Spring, as was Dick Wakefield, who performed far better.

The final cut was RP Roberto Hernández, who was excellent in the Spring and likely will return quickly to Detroit.

This means Billy Hoeft, Pete Conway, and Juan Beníquez all make the opening day roster, in addition to Wood and Nash.