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TWIWBL 98.4: Year 3, Week 1 – Effa Manley Division

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On August 19, 2026

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Homestead Grays5-2.714—
Philadelphia Stars5-2.714—
Brooklyn Royal Giants4-3.5711
New York Gothams3-3.5001.5
Ottawa Mounties3-4.4292
Effa Manley Division | 8 April

Brooklyn Royal Giants

The defending champions won 2 games in walk-off fashion inside 3 days, but both took a while. Duke Snider ended a 12-inning affair with Ottawa with a 2-run homer, 10-8, and Ray Dandridge — last October’s Whirled Series MVP — finished a 13-inning game with a solo shot, giving the Royal Giants a 4-3 win over Ottawa.

Pedro Guerrero had 4 hits and 4 RBIs, including 2 homeruns, in a 12-5 rout of Kansas City. Jackie Robinson drove in 4 in the victory.

Homestead Grays

Josh Gibson seems poised to resist the sophomore slump. He hit a 3-run homer and drove in 5 in a 9-1 win over Indianapolis, then, in the second game of a doubleheader 2 days later, came off the bench to hit a pinch-hit 3-run homer that won it 4-3 — 444 feet, and off the bat at 115 mph, the hardest ball anyone in the division struck all week.

New York Gothams

Christy Mathewson threw the best game of the week: 8 innings, 1 hit, 1 walk, 13 strikeouts, a game score of 88, and a 4-1 win over Philadelphia. The single hit was a Rico Carty home run which travelled a monstrous 465 ft, which is one way to spoil a no-hitter.

Jim Ray Hart outdid Carty, sending a ball 475 ft off the Stars’ Charlie E Smith in a 9-6 win.

Ottawa Mounties

Carlos Beltrán hit 2 home runs, scored 3 and drove in 3 in a 9-4 win at Brooklyn with Gary Carter adding a 2-run shot of 455 feet and Roy Halladay working 7 innings for the win.

Rick Monday keeps being Rick Monday, hitting 2 out in a 12-inning loss to Brooklyn.

Philadelphia Stars

Charles Rogan continued his brilliance: first, as the DH, he went 5-for-5 — tying the NL single-game record for hits — scoring 3 and driving in 4 in a 10-2 win at the House of David. Then he pitched: 7 innings, 6 hits, no runs, 9 strikeouts, and a 4-0 win over Indianapolis. Chase Utley supplied all 4 runs with a grand slam in that one.

J.M. Ward was nearly as good — 8 innings, 2 hits, no runs, a game score of 82 in a 3-1 win over Indianapolis.

We mentioned Rico Carty’s blast above; Mike Scioscia matched his distance with his own 465 ft shot in a 3-2 win over the Gothams.

Jim Fregosi is back, his 5-game suspension — carried over from spring training for bumping an umpire — now served.

98.1: Welcome to Week 1 & Opening Day Games

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On August 16, 2026

In TWIWBL

8 April, 2002

Welcome to Year III! Woot woot!

The Whirled Baseball League opened its third season on the first of April, 2002, but the weather proved a mightier force than the ump crying Play Ball! Four of the ten scheduled openers were impacted by the wet — Houston at Homestead, Birmingham at Brooklyn, Chicago at Baltimore and Los Angeles at Cleveland all went to the tarp, and all four were made up as day-night doubleheaders the following afternoon. Of the six games that did get played, three were interrupted by rain anyway.

After the first week, The Detroit Wolverines sit alone at 6-1. Nobody else in the league has more than five wins. But Detroit is doing it with mirrors: they have scored 43 and allowed 39, which should put them at about 4-3. So we’ll see what holds.

Awards

American League Player of the Week: Dick Allen, Chicago American Giants.

The 24-year-old third baseman opened the year 11-for-27 with three home runs, nine runs batted in and nine runs scored, a .407/.467/.963 line across thirty plate appearances.

National League Player of the Week: Roberto Alomar, Ottawa Mounties.

Fifteen hits in thirty-one at-bats, with two home runs earned Alomar the Award. In one of those early season oddities, he didn’t draw a walk or reach base any other way, so both BA and OBP sit at .484.

Opening Day Games

Kansas City 5, Ottawa 4.

Not a single home run was hit in this one, and it was still the best game of the day. It opened messily on both sides: Kansas City scored twice in the first, one of the runs on a passed ball, and Ottawa gave one straight back in the bottom half on a wild pitch. The Mounties drew level in the third, and there it sat.

Then the sky opened. A thirty-eight minute delay in the fifth ended both starters’ afternoons — Roy Halladay had kept Ottawa in it to that point — and Kansas City came out of the break with two runs in the sixth to lead 4-2.

Ottawa’s answer in the eighth was what lifted the game above the level of the mundane: Eddie Guardado came on for the Monarchs and Roberto Alomar greeted him with a line-drive double. Gary Carter followed with a double of his own — an absolute rocket that left the bat at 111 miles per hour — and Carlos Beltrán scored Carter on a single to center. Tie game, and Kansas City called on Lee Smith to stop the bleeding (which he did).

The winning hit travelled about ninety feet in the air. Doug Rader walked to open the ninth and, after Ted Simmons grounded into a force play, Kolten Wong singled Simmons to second. Frankie Frisch came on to pinch-run from there, tagged up to third on an Ozzie Smith fly ball to right, and scored when Cool Papa Bell beat out a weakly hit infield chopper that left the bat roughly 50 mph slower than Carter’s smash.

Craig Kimbrel set Ottawa down in order in the ninth for the save; the win went to Lee Smith for the eighth.

Benny Kauff finished the day with three hits for the Monarchs.

KAN 5 (Smith 1-0; Kimbrel 1 Sv; Guardado 1 BSv) @ OTT 4 (Dempster 0-1)
HRs: none.
Box Score

San Francisco 5, New York Black Yankees 2.

For six innings this was the pitchers’ duel the marquee promised: Lefty Grove struck out twelve over six and a third — tying the Sea Lions’ franchise record for a single game — and Andy Pettitte matched him nearly stride for stride with six shutout innings and eight strikeouts of his own. Through four the scoreboard was blank in both directions.

Lou Gehrig broke the tie in the bottom of the fourth, taking Grove over the wall with one out for the season’s first run at Yankee Stadium. That held until the seventh, when New York summoned Hoyt Wilhelm to protect the one-run lead.

Whoops. Turkey Stearnes led off the seventh and tied the game on the spot with his opening dinger of the season, and although New York handed Wilhelm a fresh lead in the bottom half — Don Mattingly driving in the go-ahead run for 2-1 — he gave that one back too, and then some. San Francisco put up three in the eighth. Reggie Jackson added a solo shot off David Robertson in the ninth for good measure.

So: blown save, loss, and four earned runs across two innings for Wilhelm, and even on opening day the questions start being asked about the Black Yankees’ bullpen. Trevor Hoffman got the win in relief, Joe Nathan handled the 8th, and Rod Beck finished it off — the Sea Lions’ pen had no such queries asked.

SFS 5 (Hoffman 1-0; Beck 1 Sv) @ NYY 2 (Wilhelm 0-1, 1 BSv)
HRs: SFS – Stearnes (1), Jackson (1); NYY – Gehrig (1).
Box Score

New York Gothams 9, Indianapolis 6.

The week’s largest crowd — 54,814 — was treated to seven home runs (1 by a starting pitcher) and four lead changes. Don Buford led off the bottom of the first by putting a Luis Padrón offering into the seats, and Brandon Crawford did the same in the third.

Indianapolis finally solved Christy Mathewson in the fourth: Johnny Bench went deep with two out, and moments later, with a man aboard, Buddy Bell turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. It lasted one inning. HR Johnson answered with a two-run homer in the fifth, and the Gothams tacked on a couple more in the sixth to lead 6-3 with nine outs to go.

Which is where it got strange. Luis Padrón, still in at the DH for the ABC’s, led off the seventh by homering off Masahiro Tanaka, and two batters later Oscar Charleston hit a two-run shot to tie it at six. Tanaka had blown the save and, in the way these things sometimes go, was about to be rewarded for it: New York retook the lead in the bottom half, and Buford’s second home run of the day, a two-run drive in the eighth, put it out of reach.

Mathewson struck out ten but walked five and got no decision. Tanaka got the win. Nobody got much peace, but the fans got a good show to start the season.

IND 6 (Mitchell 0-1) @ NYG 9 (Tanaka 1-0, 1 BSv; Wilson 1 Sv)
HRs: IND – Charleston (1), Bench (1), Bell (1); NYG – Buford (2), HR Johnson (1), Crawford (1).
Box Score

Detroit 7, Miami 5.

Charlie Root was the story at first — five and two thirds innings, no runs, no walks, and eleven strikeouts. Detroit’s lineup took its time with Miami starter José Méndez, opening with doubles from Bobby Wallace and Charlie Gehringer before Oscar Gamble finally got one out of the park in the fifth. Eustaquio Pedroso came on in relief of Méndez and it went no better — Al Kaline took him deep for two in the seventh, Gehringer in the eighth.

Miami got a two-run shot from Alejandro Oms and three hits from Gary Sheffield, but never was able to overtake the Wolverines.

MCG 5 (Méndez 0-1) @ DET 7 (Root 1-0; Henneman 1 Sv)
HRs: MCG – Oms (1); DET – Gamble (1), Kaline (1), Gehringer (1).
Box Score

Portland 7, Memphis 3.

Walter Johnson started, went three and a third (departing after a rain delay in the 4th), and hit a home run. Paul Molitor added a two-run shot of his own and Ken Griffey Jr had three hits and two runs batted in. Memphis answered through David Ortiz, who drove in three with a homer, and Johnny Briggs, who had three hits, but Portland held the lead throughout.

POR 7 (Trout 1-0) @ MEM 3 (Overmire 0-1)
HRs: POR – Molitor (1), Griffey Jr (1), Johnson (1); MEM – Ortiz (1).
Box Score

Philadelphia 9, Wandering House of David 5.

The ageless wonder that is Rico Carty opened the season by going 4-for-4 with a home run and Roger Peckinpaugh (sitting in at SS for Philadelphia for the suspended Jim Fregosi) drove in three, and Philadelphia was never really threatened once Hardie Henderson got through six. The House of David did get 2 homers from young John Beckwith and another from Anthony Rizzo. Jack Taylor gave up eleven hits in the loss.

PHI 9 (Henderson 1-0) @ HOD 5 (Taylor 0-1)
HRs: PHI – Carty (1), Peckinpaugh (1); HOD – Beckwith (2), Rizzo (1).
Box Score

Bits & Bobs

You Always Remember Your First
Houston’s Pete Hill is 0-for-17 with eight strikeouts. He posted a .800 OPS over 594 plate appearances last season, which makes him the furthest any regular has fallen from his own track. Memphis’s Herman Long is 0-for-10 since being signed to solve shortstop for the Red Sox, and Chicago’s Jay Bell and Birmingham’s Ron Fairly are also hitless.

The Root of Things
Nine and a third innings, seventeen strikeouts — the league lead — and not one walk for Detroit’s Charlie Root.

Singles? We Don’t Need No Stinking Singles.
Baltimore’s Gavy Cravath has six hits this season — three doubles and three home runs. Josh Gibson (Homestead), Manny Ramírez (Memphis), Oscar Gamble (Detroit) and Jack Clark (San Francisco) are also yet to hit a single this season.

Swing, miss, duck.
The Sea Lions’ Lefty Grove has sixteen strikeouts in eleven and a third innings — and a 6.35 earned run average and 0-1 record to show for it.

Who Needs the DH?
Five homeruns came from pitchers during the opening week. 2 came from Charles Rogan (Philadelphia), which isn’t terribly surprising, but Walter Johnson (Portland), Luis Padrón (Indianapolis), and Jim Whitney (Miami) all joined in as well.

Year III Season Preview: Homestead Grays

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On July 30, 2026

In 2002 Season Previews, Team News

▌ State of the Franchise

team logo

2 straight losing seasons will get a club overlooked. But the Grays are used to it — Pittsburgh to the core. But 2001 was the year Homestead stopped being a project for the future and started making noise in the present, hanging around the playoff race into the stretch run. Nobody was more surprised than the hometown Yinzers.

Most of the credit goes to a 22-year-old catcher. Josh Gibson hit 400/494/818 with 49 homers and a 12.1 WAR — the first .400 season in WBL history, and a declaration of what is possible in the years to come.

This is a blue-collar club with one commandment, the field is the arbiter. That’s led to a fanbase that lives and dies on offense while holding its breath through every start. The lineup mashes. The pitching is a pile of arms eternally waiting to be sorted. Around Gibson sits a genuinely young core — Willie Stargell the ageless exception, but everyone else in their twenties. Pair that with the 6th-best farm system in the league, and there is something brewing here that demands notice.

▌ 2001 Revisited

We told you last spring to expect a step over .500 and, above all, some clarity — on the young infield, on the pile of arms, on who this team actually is. We got 1 of the 3, emphatically.

They finished 77-85, 3rd in the Effa Manley Division, under .500 for a 2nd straight year. So not so much on the first goal. But some questions were indeed answered: Gibson is real. He took the NL Mel Trench Award, a Silver Slugger, and the organizational MVP, at an age when most catchers are still riding buses in the low minors.

He wasn’t alone. Stargell, at 31, declined to acknowledge the calendar — 56 homers and a 1.001 OPS. Rick Reichardt kept grinding (284/355/586 with 39 of his own), Andy Van Slyke played 4 positions, stole 64 bases and led the club in both, and an 18-year-old named Judy Johnson posted a .408 on-base while bouncing around the infield. 5 Grays made the NL All-Star team.

The pitching was something else. 26 arms cycled through the staff. Only Bartolo Colón, who climbed from Double-A to the big club and put up a 2.36 ERA across 50 innings, and the wholly unforeseen Doug Drabek inspired any confidence at all. The deadline help was worse than no help: Juan Marichal posted an 11.40 ERA in a Grays uniform and David Price a 9.00, and neither had been pitching well when Homestead bought them. Which begs the question of why bring them in at all?

The one lasting dividend from that summer was Robb Nen, who turned a thin bullpen into something like a strength. Nen’s contributions weren’t enough to keep them in the Wild Card hunt — but they were enough to raise some hopes for 2002.

▌ Key Changes

In: Logan Hensley (FA); Sherm Lollar (FA)
Out: Nip Winters (FA)

Opening Day Rookies: Babe Adams; Logan Hensley; Brook Jacoby; Ricardo Rincón; Rennie Stennett

▌ Best Case for 2002

Colón keeps it up over a full season, Drabek proves last year was no accident, and 1 of the arms buried in the churn does something. That’s all this team needs — not an ace, just a rotation that holds, because the offense will do the rest.

Squint and you can see Gibson being Gibson, Honus Wagner and/or Nap Lajoie finally hitting (and, in doing so, cementing the middle infield for years to come), Stargell aging like wine for 1 more year, and the less heralded bats — Reichardt, Mike Epstein — putting up the numbers nobody outside Pittsburgh believes can continue.

And if that isn’t enough, help may be a phone call away. The clock may start on the crown jewel of their system, SP Clayton Kershaw, sooner than anticipated. Currently the 10th-ranked prospect in all of baseball, Kershaw spent last year striking out 119 in 134 innings of A-ball, and starts 2002 at AAA — skipping AA entirely.

If all of it lands, the Grays contend well ahead of schedule.

▌ Worst Case for 2002

The pitching remains a black box full of fear and pain, and the Grays panic, buying more “veteran arms” to help, whether or not they’re any good. Wagner and Lajoie’s long evaluation returns another year of maybe, but probably not, and Stargell remembers he’s 32.

▌ Key Questions

  • Which arms? WHICH arms? WHICH ARMS? This is the franchise’s defining problem, and it is not an evaluation failure: Homestead projects pitching as well as anyone, drafted Kershaw, and recognized Drabek and Colón the moment they produced. What it won’t do is settle a rotation structure in advance, so the pile gets re-auditioned every spring instead of sorted once. Seen from an angle, Francisco Liriano‘s season-ending injury is a gift — it opens a slot with no name attached to it. The challenge comes due later, when Liriano, Corey Kluber, and Tim Lincecum all come back to a staff that may, suddenly, be overly full — it would be a good problem to have.
  • Do Wagner and Lajoie hit — and can they hold a glove? Homestead spent a good, ready shortstop in Arky Vaughan to get Lajoie, and 2 years on neither he nor Wagner has delivered: OPS of 664 and 701, doubles power and nothing else, no walks, no average. Wagner is the ache — a genuine freak athlete the fans are pulling for. But. Patience is fraying.
  • Does Stargell keep beating the calendar? At 32 he’s old only by the standard of a 2-year-old league, and everyone else is busy shedding bats his age. Homestead is doing the opposite and betting Pops ages well. He earned that with 56 homers, a number he put up in a yard that isn’t supposed to give them away. But, you know, regression is a thing.

▌ Roster Evaluation

Tier = the player’s 2001 positional grade (S best → F worst; color coded S A B C D F). Bold names carry a substantive WBL track; italic names are pure projection — a hope, not a grade — with no qualifying track to anchor them.

PosPlayers
CGibson S · Lollar
1BEpstein D · Van Slyke B
2BLajoie F · Stennett
SSWagner D
3BJohnson C · Jacoby
LFReichardt B
CFMcCutchen D
RFClemente C · Van Slyke B · Wilson
DHStargell A
SPColón · Drabek C · Pierce D · Lee F · Adams · Brown · Liriano D (IL) · Kluber (IL) · Lincecum (IL)
RPLindblom A (CL) · Nen A · Jackson C · Rincón · Hensley

2 of those 5 NL All-Stars were Epstein and Reichardt, who between them have 3 selections and roughly no league-wide recognition — nobody scouted either of them, they simply produce, and in this city that is the highest compliment available. The other thing worth noticing is the bottom 2 rows: 9 names listed as starters, 3 of them hurt, and not one of them necessarily reliable.

▌ Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerC Josh GibsonLF Goose Goslin
Batting Eye3B Judy JohnsonCF Max Carey
Contact2B Nap LajoieCF Lloyd Waner
Running SpeedRF Andy Van SlykeLF Starling Marte; SP Barney Pelty
Base StealingRF Andy Van Slyke; SS Honus WagnerCF Max Carey
IF Defense2B Rennie StennettSS Rey Sánchez
OF DefenseRF Andy Van SlykeCF Jimmy Ripple
StuffSP Tim LincecumRP Justin Grimm
ControlSP Babe AdamsRP Vern Law
VelocityRP Robb NenRP Carson Smith

▌ Best In The Minors

RankAgePosName
1 (10)20SPClayton Kershaw
2 (11)22SPTim Lincecum
3 (32)24RFPaul Waner
4 (52)242BLew Fonseca
5 (66)25CFJimmy Ripple
6 (93)20SPCatfish Hunter

Others: P John Candelaria, P David Cone, P Daniel Hudson, P Jeff Wallace, OF Lloyd Waner.

Graduated to the active roster since the ranked list: Logan Hensley (51).

The 6th-best system in the league and — for a club whose entire problem is pitching — mercifully full of it. A year ago this list produced the lineup’s newest everyday piece (Johnson, then the No. 3 prospect, now the do-everything IF) and the rotation’s best hope in Colón, who graduated by climbing 3 levels in a single season.

Clayton Kershaw is the headline and has moved again: the reigning organizational Minor League Pitcher of the Year is now at Triple-A. Behind him, 20-year-old Catfish Hunter.

The depth is the quiet part. The un-ranked layer is arms too — John Candelaria, Daniel Hudson, Jeff Wallace, 20-year-old David Cone — and the one bat in the group is Lloyd Waner, who hit .336 at Triple-A in the same outfield as his brother Paul, ranked 32nd in baseball. More good problems to have.

▌ Superlatives

MostLeast
AgeJeff Kent, 38 (AAA)Judy Johnson, 19
HeightJohn Candelaria, 6’7″ (AAA)Eric McNair, 5’8″ (AAA)
OPSJosh Gibson, 1.312Rey Sánchez, .612 (A)
HRWillie Stargell, 56Darren Lewis, 2 (AA)
SBMax Carey, 64 (AAA)–
WAR (bat)Josh Gibson, 12.1Nap Lajoie, −0.9
WPing Gardner, 15 (AA)–
SVJosh Lindblom, 35–
ERAClayton Kershaw, 2.21 (A)Dave Giusti, 6.55
WAR (pit)Gary Lucas, 4.3 (AA)Carlos Zambrano, −0.8

Stats across all levels, 2001 season. 200 PA / 75 IP minimum. Non-WBL levels tagged in parentheses.

TWIWBL 97.1: Early Spring Training

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On July 17, 2026

In TWIWBL, Uncategorized

We’ll have a team by team season preview as Spring Training runs down, but here are some newsworthy tidbits from the early days.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays have lost their staff ace–or what has passed for a staff ace–as Francisco Liriano suffered a torn labrum, and will miss 5-6 months, putting him on the shelf for effectively the whole season.

#Memphis Red Sox

The Red Sox execute the very first waiver claim in WBL history (this is part of what Claude’s involvement enables), grabbing veteran P Paul Derringer from Indianapolis.

TWIWBL 95.1 – The Winter Meetings

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On June 10, 2026

In TWIWBL

December 10th

Welcome to the true beginning of Year III of the WBL! We start with the Winter Meetings, and will continue through the Rookie Draft and the Rule V Draft, on our way to Spring Training.

I want to take a moment here to pull the curtain back a little. I’m sure everyone that does these kind of extended, solo play projects has, from time to time, wished they had a partner, a co-commissioner of sorts that could help make judgement calls, look for patterns, initiate trades, etc.

So I’ve tried to build one in Claude. I know some of you may peace out of this thread at this point, but I also wanted to disclose its use. Note that all of the writing and all of the decision making in the WBL remains mine.

This has been, perhaps, the most frustrating thing I’ve ever done with AI. There are two primary obstacles: first, limiting Claude’s view to the OOTP universe and second, overriding Claude’s deeply rooted programming to always agree and to instantly change it’s mind at the faintest whiff of pushback.

CoPilot totally failed on the former, but Claude–with a lot of work on guideline files and the like–does well there. But the second thing … oh my effing god … we’re still trying to find ways to address this.

Anyhow, it’s been an interesting project, and I assume that, as both I get better at the structural architecture beneath the hood and Anthropic continues to improve the product, it will eventually be a stable, pleasant thing.

Onto some team by team notes from the Winter Meetings.

#Baltimore Black Sox

Looking to shore up their bullpen, the Black Sox splashed on a 3 year contract for Jeff Montgomery.

#Chicago American Giants

Chicago signed Hank Aguirre on a 2-year deal for a little less than $600,000–a reasonable flier to take on a starter who was good in 2000, then injured.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays signed Brook Jacoby for some veteran insurance at 3B.

#New York Gothams

In their eternal search for starting pitchers, the Gothams agreed to a 1 year deal with Vic Raschi worth just under $1M.

#Wandering House of David

The House of David signed Dellin Betances, hoping to bolster their bullpen. The 28 year old inked a 3 year, $2.1M contract–pretty reasonable.

TWIWBL 92.1: Off Season Review – Homestead Grays

By

On April 21, 2026

In TWIWBL

77 - 85, .475 pct.
3rd in Effa Manley Division, 22 GB

Overall

It was an entertaining season in Pittsburgh, for sure.

A season for the ages by the young phenom Josh Gibson, a declaration of timelessness from Willie Stargell, continued contributions from a surprising cast of supporting characters, and no pitching whatsoever.

Entertaining may not always be a good goal.

The Grays may be the most WBL team of them all: no complaints about the offense and a desperate need for better performances on the mound. This feels like a team building towards something special, with a lot of weight on whether the middle infield can finally come good.

What Went Right

WBL world, meet Josh Gibson. Gibson was good last year, but this year was in an entirely different stratosphere, managing a .400 average on the final day of the season, drawing a good number of walks, and adding over 100 extra base hits (including 49 homers) for a 1.312 OPS. Throw in 145 RBIs and 131 runs scored for those of you who like such things, and you have a Mel Trench Award winning season at 21 years old.

Willie Stargell is a decade older, but chipped in with 56 homers and a 1.001 OPS, refusing to give any quarter to age, although he is more of a DH type than anything else right now.

Rick Reichardt continues to surprise people, slashing 284/355/586 and holding down the LF job.

Andy Van Slyke hits wherever the Grays play him–1B, 3B, LF, even CF, which some see as his ultimate destination. Van Slyke led the team with 64 steals as well.

Judy Johnson impressed as a teenager, posting an OBP over .400 while playing all 3 infield positions.

After this, we hit a series of perfectly adequate performers–Goose Goslin in limited time, Roberto Clemente, Andrew McCutchen. Nothing great, but nothing bad either.

And then the pitching … Um. Yeah.

Doug Drabek was excellent as a starter, posting a 4.76 ERA and 1.17 WHIP across 23 starts and Bartolo Colón even better, posting a remarkable 2.36 ERA over 50 innings.

In the bullpen, the addition of Robb Nen gives the Grays a good backend, paired with Josh Lindblom and his 35 saves.

And … that’s about it. Rick Ownbey was serviceable in the pen, and Gary Lucas did enough to warrant a looksee in the Spring.

ALL STARS

Mike Epstein
Josh Gibson
Josh Lindblom
Rick Reichardt
Willie Stargell
MAJOR AWARDS

Roberto Clemente, NL RF Gold Glove
Josh Gibson, NL Mel Trench Award; NL Team of the Year; NL C Silver Slugger
Willie Stargell, NL Team of the Year; NL DH Silver Slugger
RECOGNITIONS

Josh Gibson, NL 25 & Under Team; NL 23 & Under Team; NL 21 & Under Team
Judy Johnson, NL All Rookie Team; NL 21 & Under Team
Cliff Lee, NL Over 30 Team
Josh Lindblom, All NL 2nd Team; NL Over 30 Team
Robb Nen, All NL 2nd Team
Rick Reichardt, All NL 3rd Team
ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Josh Gibson, MVP
Josh Lindblom, Pitcher of the Year
Willie Stargell, Heart & Soul
Bartolo Cólon, Fan Favorite

Clayton Kershaw, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Paul Waner, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

After the names above, Cliff Lee (8-4, 5.30 in an injury plagued year) was the best starter. By far. Billy Pierce, Ray Brown, and Francisco Liriano were all below average, and David Price and Juan Marichal, brought over late in the season, were horrific.

And the middle bullpen was an issue all year, with poor showings from Brickyard Kennedy, Daniel Hudson, Dave Giusti, and Carlos Zambrano. Promising youngsters like Tim Lincecum and Nip Winters were equally bad … it was just a mess, leading to the Grays having close to 30 arms see action throughout the season.

Offensively, the biggest question is whether the duo of Honus Wagner and Napoleon Lajoie will ever deliver. Both showed the beginnings of promise, with 46 and 55 doubles respectively, but neither hit or drew walks, and Wagner still looks overmatched at SS. They’ll get another year to figure it out, but patience is wearing thin.

Rick Ferrell was awful as Gibson’s backup, but, I mean, whatever.

Transactions

March

None.

July

IF Chris Sabo to IND for 4th Round Pick.

The smallest of small deals. Sabo did well, so the ABC’s probably won this one, but it’s fine.

August

IF Freddie Lindstrom & 2nd Round Pick to CAG for P David Price.

Ouch. Price was awful for Homestead, and Lindstrom looks like Chicago’s 3B of the future. If Price doesn’t bounce back, this is a very bad deal.

IF Howard Johnson, IF Davey Johnson & 3rd Round Pick to NYG for P Juan Marichal & P Robb Nen.

Like Price, Marichal was horrible. But Nen is a quality bullpen arm, and both Johnson’s were blocked here, so this is probably OK. Probably.

Positional Overview

C

It’s Josh Gibson‘s world and we’re just living in it.

With Rick Ferrell‘s horrible showing, look for Cam Carreón to have the inside track to serve as Gibson’s backup next season.

1B

Mike Epstein had a bit of a down year, but this is still his position, with support from Stargell, Van Slyke, and some others.

Ken Harrelson and Ed Kranepool offer a little depth in the system, but there are always options at other positions as well that could move here.

2B

The Grays really want Napoleon Lajoie to take over here.

If he falters, Judy Johnson is an option, as are both Jeff Kent and Bill Mazeroski, with Rennie Stennett a reasonable alternative at some point as well.

SS

The Grays really want Honus Wagner to take over here.

If he falters, Judy Johnson is an option, as are both Omar Vizquel and Dick Groat, with JJ Hardy and, perhaps even moreso, Khalil Greene, providing reasonable alternatives at some point as well.

3B

The Grays really want … wait. OK, this looks like Judy Johnson for a while.

That said, it’s quite possible Johnson shifts to SS, and Wagner moves here. But Wagner will need to improve even more offensively to make that happen.

LF/RF

It’s a bit of a challenge. On the one hand, Rick Reichardt and Roberto Clemente are quite solid. On the other, they may not be good enough for a team trying to eventually win a championship.

Goose Goslin and Owen Wilson offer decent bench support, and perhaps either Starling Marte or Mike Shannon could do that as well.

This may be a more serious issue in a few years as Lloyd Waner, Paul Waner, and Ralph Kiner move through the system.

CF

Andrew McCutchen is …. fine. With the potential to be more than that. But right now, fine. The Waner brothers can play here as well, and Max Carey has some ability as a reserve.

DH

This is Willie Stargell‘s domain, with some support from Goslin and Wilson.

SP

So, so unsettled.

Bartolo Colón and Doug Drabek are in the rotation for sure, but beyond that? The Spring will have a fierce competition between Cliff Lee, Billy Pierce, Francisco Liriano, Nip Winters, Bob Friend, Ray Brown, Tim Lincecum, Juan Marichal, David Price, and (if he recovers in time), Corey Kluber.

That’s a lot of names: look for some to end up at AAA, some in the bullpen as long relievers.

Clayton Kershaw is perhaps the best starting prospect in the game: look for him to start the year at AA, but the 19 year old may get his shot this year. While his ceiling is probably lower, Catfish Hunter is also an elite talent, and John Candelaria still has time to establish himself at the WBL level.

RP

There is reason for optimism. A bullpen of Michael Jackson, Robb Nen, and Josh Lindblom has a chance to be very strong, and if Rick Ownbey or Gary Lucas can contribute, there’s a chance here.

There’s some talent deeper in the system: Mychal Givens, Ricardo Rincón, even Sarge Connally.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 1
2nd Round: 0
3rd Round: 0
4th Round: 2
5th Round: 1

It’s a strong system, so the paucity of early picks should be navigated alright.

TWIWBL 83.6: Effa Manley Division

By

On December 31, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Brooklyn Royal Giants96-59.619—
Philadelphia Stars82-74.52614.5
Homestead Grays74-82.47422.5
New York Gothams73-83.46823.5
Ottawa Mounties72-84.46224.5
Effa Manley Division | 23 September

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

With the division locked up, look for Dickie Thon to see time this final week as he makes his way back from injury and Dick Redding to get some ABs as well as a start or 2.

George Hendrick hit 2 out, but Brooklyn fell to Ottawa, 10-7. Hendrick has been tearing the cover off the ball since he came over from Philadelphia, and is making a very strong case for a role in the postseason for the Royal Giants.

The Royal Giants hit four consecutive homeruns, but it wasn’t enough as they fell to Birmingham, 11-9. Ray Dandridge, John Briggs, Jackie Robinson, and Beals Becker all went deep in the 7th, part of an 8 run explosion that gave Brooklyn a 9-5 lead. The usually dependable Trevor Hildenberger imploded, however, leading to the surprising defeat.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays recalled Paul Waner, Sterling Marte, Moose Haas, and Ray Brown for the final few games of the season.

Josh Gibson hit 2 out and nudged his BA back up to .396 as he chases .400 over the last few games of the season, but Homestead fell to Birmingham, 6-5. 2 more hits from Gibson nudged his average back to exactly .400 with 2 games to play as the Grays fell to Ottawa, 10-3.

#Ottawa Mounties

Chris Bosio and Mike Sharperson were sent to AAA to clear room for Dave Gregg and Mike Dorgan‘s return from their rehab assignments.

Bill Crouch will miss the last few games of the season, with Mike Minor being recalled.

Josh Donaldson hit 2 out as the Mounties rolled over the Grays, 10-3.

#Philadelphia Stars

Harmon Killebrew hit 2 homeruns, but the Stars faltered, falling 15-8 to Indianapolis.

Sherry Magee and Charles Rogan each drove in 5 (Rogan on 4 hits) and Odúbel Herrera scored 4 times as the Stars put an old fashioned whupping on the Gothams, 16-1. Rogan and Herrera doubled twice and Bill Dickey, Aaron Judge, and Killebrew each went deep in support of an excellent start from Ray Collins, who pitched 7 shutout innings allowing only 3 hits.

Both Scott Rolen and Judge hit 2 homeruns on the final day of the season, leading the Stars to an 8-4 win over the New York Gothams.

TWIWBL 82.5: Effa Manley Division

By

On December 16, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Brooklyn Royal Giants91-58.611—
Philadelphia Stars76-73.51015
Homestead Grays71-78.47720
New York Gothams71-79.47320.5
Ottawa Mounties69-80.46322
Effa Manley Division | 17 September

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Dickie Thon was recalled from a rehab assignment, along with Dick Redding, Eric Karros, and Raúl Mondesi. With Brooklyn having clinched the pennant, look for Karros and Jim Gentile to platoon at 1B, and for Redding to get a few starts in the final 2 weeks of the season.

Redding pitched well in his first start, but wasn’t around for the decision in a 5-4, 12 inning win over Kansas City. Ron Cey went deep twice, as the victory went to Trevor Hildenberger, who improved to 6-2 on the year.

With Dan Brouthers‘ return from injury, Karros was returned to the minors.

John Briggs hit 2 out, giving him 30 on the year, as the Royal Giants beat the Gothams, 7-6 in 10 innings.

#Homestead Grays

David Price will miss most of the reset of the season with young Tim Lincecum being recalled for a few more WBL innings.

#New York Gothams

Despite a decent showing in his last outing, the Gothams sent Guy Hecker down to take a look at young Masahiro Tanaka, who impressed all season at AA.

While Christy Mathewson and Gaylord Perry may each get a start or 2 as the year winds down, the Gothams are looking at the last 2 weeks as a time to audition arms for next year. With that in mind, OFs George Van Haltren and Ben Oglivie were traded out for Wally Berger and Fred Lewis.

Benny Kauff hit 2 out and Tanaka had a solid debut as the Gothams edged Homestead, 8-7.

#Ottawa Mounties

Clark Griffith was sent back to the minors, allowing the Mounties to take a look at Billy Koch, who has a chance at a bullpen role next year.

Larry Walker‘s magnificent season may be over, as the OF/1B with a near 1.000 OPS heads to the DL. Mike Sharperson was recalled from AAA for the final 10 days of the season.

Max Scherzer strained a hamstring, landing the young right-hander on the 60 Day DL. Chris Bosio was recalled for the final week.

#Philadelphia Stars

With AAA club Norfolk being knocked out of the playoffs, the Stars recalled Ps Don Newcombe and John Burkett, IFs Jung Ho Kang and Harmon Killebrew, C Sherm Lollar, and OF Odúbel Herrera.

Harry Hooper–who has struggled since joining the Stars–will miss the rest of the season with a foot injury. Rafael Palmiero was recalled, creating even more of a logjam at 1B for the Stars.

With Bill Gatewood‘s return from injury, Burkett was returned to the minors.

Newcombe made a statement in his first start of the year, twirling a 3-hit, complete game shutout of Ottawa. Powered by a grandslam from Scott Rolen as well as homeruns from Aaron Judge and Chase Utley, the Stars rolled to a 7-0 win. Newcombe fanned 7 and didn’t walk anyone, showing the promise that made him so highly rated before a disastrous season last year when he led the WBL in losses. Perhaps now, on his 3rd franchise, the 31 year old is finally set to deliver.

TWIWBL 81.6: Effa Manley Division

By

On November 3, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Brooklyn Royal Giants88-55.615—
Philadelphia Stars72-70.50715.5
Homestead Grays69-74.48319
New York Gothams68-76.47220.5
Ottawa Mounties66-77.46222
Effa Manley Division | 9 September

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Dickie Thon began a rehab assignment, marking a return from a long term injury.

Two relievers, Jeff Montgomery and Dick Tidrow, announced their retirement. Tidrow amassed 70 somewhat mediocre appearances over his career with the House of David, the New York Black Yankees, and Indianapolis.

Ron Cey hit 2 out, but the Royal Giants were downed by a late inning bullpen collapse, falling to Homestead, 13-4.

#Homestead Grays

Gary Lucas and Nip Winters were recalled from AA champions Syracuse.

#New York Gothams

37 year old minor league 1B Dan Johnson unsurprisingly announced his retirement.

#Ottawa Mounties

Dave Gregg and Mike Dorgan began rehab assignments as they try to make it back to Ottawa before the end of the year.

P Kirk McCaskill retired.

Emerging superstar Roberto Alomar tied a league record with 5 steals in a 9-6 win over the New York Gothams. Alomar had 2 hits and 3 RBIs, giving him 99 on the year, in a game that saw Rusty Staub, Sam Thompson, Gary Carter, and Josh Donaldson all go deep for Ottawa.

#Philadelphia Stars

Minor league pitcher Shane Greene announced his retirement.

Aaron Judge went deep twice and the Stars topped Homestead, 8-3. Charles Rogan improved to 12-9 with 7 shutout innings.

TWIWBL 80.6: Effa Manley Division

By

On October 15, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Brooklyn Royal Giants82-54.603—
Philadelphia Stars69-67.50713
Homestead Grays67-70.48915.5
Ottawa Mounties64-72.47118
New York Gothams64-74.46419
Effa Manley Division | 2 September

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Brooklyn recalled reliever Juan Mateo from his rehab assignment and pulled C Kelly Shoppach up from AA for the rest of the stretch drive.

Dan Brouthers will miss about a week, heading to the DL with Brooklyn recalling Jim Gentile from AAA.

Duke Snider hit 2 homeruns as the Royal Giants doubled up the Stars, 8-4.

#Homestead Grays

Bartolo Colón–virtually unhittable over his first 25 innings in the WBL–has been named to Homestead’s rotation for the final weeks of the season. He turned heads immediately, fanning 10 in 6 shutout innings against the Gothams in a game the Grays would eventually lose in 11 innings, 4-2.

#New York Gothams

Minor league OF Hosken Powell retired.

Willie Mays hit 2 out including a go ahead grandslam as the Gothams came from behind to top Homestead, 7-5.

#Ottawa Mounties

Bryn Smith‘s year is likely done as the righty heads to the DL with a strained forearm. The Mounties recalled Bill Crouch from his rehab assignment to take Smith’s place on the roster.

Emil Gross hit 2 homeruns, one of which a grand slam, but Ottawa fell to the House of David, 10-7.

#Philadelphia Stars

Closer Bob Howry began a rehab assignment, likely to return to Philadelphia over the weekend. When promising hurler Bill Gatewood hit the DL with an oblique strain, the Stars went ahead and recalled Howry after a single AAA appearance.

Brad Kilby, reasonably effective all year as a late inning lefty, will miss a couple of weeks through injury. Pedro Feliciano will take Kilby’s role, with Tommy Hunter being promoted from AAA.

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