Tag: Honus Wagner Page 1 of 3

TWIWBL 92.1: Off Season Review – Homestead Grays

On April 21, 2026

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 87.6: The Shortstops

By mknn

On February 3, 2026

In TWIWBL

The first position fairly evenly distributed between the two leagues, we also have the largest discrepancies so far–there is some excellence here along with some truly miserable performances.

Los Angeles is the only team not represented (Bobby Grich is listed with the 2B, nobody else played enough at SS for the Angels).

#S Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
NL	HOD	Ernie Banks	25	290/314/653	59 HR 126 RBI	-10.9 ZR .930 dEff

WAR would put Carlos Correa and Arky Vaughan here, perhaps even above Ernie Banks. But WAR ain’t everything, and getting the kind of power Banks provides from a SS is very special, even if his defense is not. For me, it’s Banks, and then a cluster of quality in the A Tier.

#A Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
NL	HOU	Carlos Correa	23	318/399/556	25 HR	4.18 RF
AL	BAL	Cal Ripken, Jr	23	279/326/584	32 HR	4.80 RF
AL	CLE	Arky Vaughan	27	294/380/493	31 SB	13.4 ZR 1.091 dEff

These are all surprises: Carlos Correa to be here at all (and only a late season slump kept him from giving Banks a run for his money), Cal Ripken, Jr to be here this quickly, and Arky Vaughan to have blossomed both with the glove and the bat.

Of the three, I would expect Ripken to have the best shot at moving up.

#B Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
AL	SFS	Dick Lundy	22	291/338/450	57 SB	.987 fPct
NL	OTT	Álex Rodríguez	22	252/314/559	46 HR 32 SB
AL	MCG	Robin Yount	26	266/303/505	28 HR 32 SB

This gets a little more complicated. Does Álex Rodríguez‘ offense warrant a nudge up? How about Dick Lundy‘s combination of speed and defense? In the end, they stay here with Robin Yount, who is just as solid as they come across the board. All three of these could move up merely by adding 25 walks a season, but they’re all pretty free swingers.

#C Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
—	POR/ PHI	Jim Fregosi	25	265/344/446	21 SB	4.12 RF -12.3 ZR
NL	HOM	Judy Johnson	18	271/408/454		1.078 dEff
AL	MEM	Dobie Moore	20	291/352/427	26 SB
AL	BAL/ DET	Bobby Wallace	34	282/410/377		.986 fPct 4.73 RF

There is an argument that Dobie Moore and/or Judy Johnson should move up a level, given their offensive output and their age. At the same time, neither played a full season, so it seems prudent to leave them here.

Had Bobby Wallace been healthy all season, he certainly would have warranted a spot in the B Tier for his mix of OBP and defense, while Jim Fregosi seems to barely warrant a slot here, especially considering his shaky defense. But these are all legit starting SS’s in the league, so the C Tier seems about right (although Homestead’s decision about how to structure their infield may move Johnson away from SS).

#D Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
NL	IND	Barry Larkin	23	230/308/404	27 SB	1.074 dEff
NL	BBB	Herman Long	27	243/271/445	24 SB	.962 fPct
NL	KCM	Ozzie Smith	30	235/317/343	64 SB	.992 fPct 12.2 ZR
—	MEM/ BRK	Vern Stephens	29	210/259/414
NL	HOM	Honus Wagner	25	230/285/415	37 SB	.957 fPct .906 dEff

Speaking of Homestead, Honus Wagner may in fact deserve to be knocked down. But he has power, a fair bit of speed, and just so much athleticism. But whether he ends up at 2B, SS, or 3B is yet to be seen.

Ozzie Smith is a hard one to evaluate, as it’s not clear if his defense and speed should move him here, or all the way up to C Tier. In the end, we decided to be conservative in our evaluation of defensive contributions.

#F Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Def
NL	NYG	Brandon Crawford	30	221/268/381	.966 fPct
AL	NYY	Derek Jeter	33	248/305/439	4.10 RF -19.8 ZR .917 dEff
AL	CAG	Freddy Parent	29	229/270/292	5.01 RF 13.6 ZR

Derek Jeter‘s offense is probably D Tier, but those defensive numbers are quite bad, nudging him down a category. Brandon Crawford may be done entirely, and Freddy Parent, even considering his glovework, is just a massive bust since being obtained by Chicago.

#Rookies

Cal Ripken, Jr. (A Tier), Judy Johnson (C Tier), and Dobie Moore (C Tier).

#Fielding Notes

We have our standard defensive stats here, with the leaders in bold and the worst performers in italics. Range Factor (RF) measures the number of plays made per game–the higher the better. Zone Rating (ZR) 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 (dEff) 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. Finally, Fielding Percentage (fPct) reflects the percentage of times a chance was handled without a mistake–if someone made no errors, their fPct would be 1.000.

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.

TWIWBL 80.2 Spotlight on the Wandering House of David

By mknn

On October 11, 2025

In TWIWBL

While theoretically based in Chicago, the House of David travel the backroads of the country with a portable stadium used for their home games. It’s a life.

On the field, it’s an example of how important upper end performance is to a team, and how painful it can be when it falls off.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

While they are still within 2 games of the final NL Wild Card spot, it’s been a disappointing year for the House of David. The offense has been decent enough–and there are some clear positive indications for next year–but the pitching has been a struggle. Overall, a lot can be placed at the feet of Pete Browning and Jack Taylor, superstars last year who have failed to deliver this season.

THE OFFENSE

It’s a good offense. The BA and OBP are perhaps a little low, but there’s enough power to compensate, and ultimately, this ain’t the issue with the team.

#What’s Going Right

Ernie Banks has exploded into superstardom, with a 1.031 OPS and 117 RBI’s heading into September. Banks is 3rd in the league in homers with 54, and is clearly the dominant cog in the House of David offense, and perhaps the dominant offensive SS in the league.

Richie Hebner, not projected as a starter, also has an OPS over 1.000, and has edged into an everyday role, slashing 296/387/636 in just under 300 PAs.

The House of David as found 2 standout 1Bs this year in Anthony Rizzo and Mark McGwire. McGwire has played in just under 40 games, but is managing to maintain an OPS around .950 with a BA barely over .200: that’s a lot of walks and a lot of homeruns (17 of each in 140 PAs). Rizzo is slashing 276/389/581.

Ryne Sandberg continues to deliver at 2B, with 35 homers and a .930 OPS.

Ron Santo, has been mired in a slump recently, but still has an OPS around .850.

George Stone, George Gore, and Jim Edmonds all cluster around an .800 OPS in the OF, with Gore the most effective of the 3, taking most of the CF time from Edmonds.

Sammy Sosa has 37 homers, 2nd on the team.

#What’s Not Going Right

Pete Browning has been hurt, limiting his availability to about 75 games. More importantly, when healthy, last year’s superstar has struggled, with an OPS under .750.

Sammy Sosa‘s 37 homeruns are part of a .750 OPS as the immensely talented OF struggles constantly to put good wood on the ball.

Combine this with the above and the OF picture is just horribly confused. Gore, Stone, Edmonds, Sosa, and Browning (and the supernova debut of Tony Conigliaro) all result in none of the OF spots having a clear claimant.

Elrod Hendricks has been … not terrible, but not at all good. 22 homeruns is nice from a catcher, but a sub .700 OPS is not.

Frank Chance–given every, um, chance, to supplant Hendricks–has an even lower OPS, although he has shown a decent ability to get on base.

THE PITCHING

The House of David entered the season concerned about how they would fill out the rotation behind Jack Taylor. Now they’re worried about all of the staff, including Taylor. It’s not pretty.

#What’s Going Right

Bob Rush, who leads the team in wins with 10, has been quite solid, and CC Sabathia has pitched far better than his 5-11 record would indicate.

Youngster Kyle Peterson has been a revelation, with a 3.51 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 11 starts.

Veteran lefty Jimmy Key has done well out of the pen. But well in this context is an ERA just over 5.00 and a WHIP hovering in the 1.20 range. So … not great.

Having traded away or demoted all of their closers, Karl Spooner has quite unexpectedly stepped into the spotlight and pitched quite well at the end of games.

#What’s Not Going Right

Taylor has been awful for much of the year, with an ERA well over 6.00 most of the season. Now, it must be said, he’s pitched significantly better of late, winning his last 5 decisions and dropping his ERA by roughly a run.

They’ve run a lot of arms through the rotation, with Frank Sullivan, Kerry Wood, Ferguson Jenkins, and Rick Reuschel all getting at least 5 starts. Of those, only Reuschel has been passable.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

It’s a very high ranked system and, honestly, it’s not hard to see why.

There is star potential in the OF in Cody Bellinger and Heliodoro Hidalgo, on the IF with Darren Daulton, Cap Anson and Dave Malarcher. On the mound, it seems like some arms will come through from the group of Larry Dierker, Bill Lee, Eddie Rommel, Ad Gumbert, and Joe Nuxhall.

Danny Green, Tip O’Neill, Frank Dwyer, Bunny Downs, and Chris Brown may all see some WBL time as well. So there is some help on the way in terms of talent.

The challenge is that much of the talent is positionally blocked: the OF just gets more crowded, 3B is pretty much set, etc. Daulton has the clearest path, but is still a year or two away.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Probably a blockbuster trade or two to obtain some pitching and clear out some of the positional redundancy.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

How does the team integrate its considerable young talent into the roster as the season progresses? As many as 8 spots on the pitching staff are available, as are the backup C and IF jobs. This is probably the first of these that is totally off base. So much optimism in the Spring, crashed on the rocks of the pitching mound. That said, Santo, Hebner, Chance, Rizzo, Sosa, and Banks are all 25 or younger, so in that sense, the focus on the development of the young talent was correct.

FEATURED SERIES

We’ll focus on the 3 game matchup with Homestead. Currently, the two teams are 4th and 5th in the Wild Card race, separated by only .5 of a game. A sweep here either way would solidify the postseason claim of either side.

Projected Starters

House of David starter listed first.

Kyle Peterson (7-2, 3.51) @ Francisco Liriano (8-11, 5.18)
Jack Taylor (9-10, 6.02) @ Doug Drabek (4-6, 4.98)
Bob Rush (10-7, 5.42) @ Cliff Lee (6-3, 5.44)

If the projected starters hold, it looks as good as it can for the House of David, giving them a decent shot to take 2 out of 3 … but a sweep would be better.

Game One

On the one hand, this is a September matchup between 2 disappointing teams, both sitting a few games below .500. But. Homestead is only 1.5 games off the Wild Card pace, and the House of David is merely .5 a game behind them.

So here we go, with something to play for.

The impressive Kyle Peterson takes the mound for the House of David, while the Grays counter with their erstwhile #1 starter, Francisco Liriano.

The House of David took an early lead when, after a double by Craig Reynolds, Frank Chance legged out an infield hit to plate a run. Chance was thrown out trying to steal, but Pete Browning followed a Richie Hebner double with an RBI single for the 2-0 lead.

Rick Reichardt got one back with his 37th homer of the year in the bottom of the 4th and then, an inning later, Honus Wagner and Andy Van Slyke each doubled, tying the game. Mike Epstein hit a dribbler that found its way to dead space, plating Van Slyke so, after 5 innings, Homestead led, 3-2.

But, no worries for the House of David: after all, they have Tony Conigliaro. The supernova like debut for the young OF continued, as he ripped his 6th homerun 1n 17 at bats off Liriano in the 7th, tying the game. And then, a familiar disaster for the House of David: Pete Browning being helped off the field with an injury. This time, it was legging out a double, plating Chance with the go-ahead run.

Van Slyke tied it up in the bottom of the 9th with a double off Ed Bauta. That setup intentional walks to load the bases, with Bauta facing Reichardt with the game on the line. Reichardt did his job, lifting a decent pitch far enough into LF to score the tagging Van Slyke, giving Homestead the first game of the series.

Browning had 3 hits before his injury, and Wagner rapped out 3 hits for the Grays.

HOD 4 (Bauta 4-5, BSv 6; Downs H 1; Spooner H 3) @ HOM 5 (Lindblom 8-4)
HRs: HOD – Conigliaro (6); HOM – Reichardt (37).
Box Score

Browning headed to the DL after the game, hopefully to return before the season closes out, with the House of David recalling young IF Dave Malarcher.

Game Two

With Jack Taylor not quite rested, the House of David will go with Jimmy Key, giving the veteran lefty his 2nd start of the season against Homestead’s Doug Drabek.

Key struggled off the bat, surrendering back to back homeruns to Josh Gibson and Willie Stargell in the bottom of the 1st for an early 3-0 lead for the Grays. An Andrew McCutchen homerun, a Judy Johnson triple, and Stargell’s 2nd shot of the game chased Key in the 2nd inning, but the runs kept coming via a 2 run single from Napoleon Lajoie, making it 10-0 after 2 innings.

More runs scored, which really made the game a chance for each team to empty their benches, including a WBL debut for the recently recalled Dave Malarcher.

The House of David avoided a shutout on a 2-run double from Tony Conigliaro in the 9th, but that was cold comfort in a 16-2 loss.

McCutchen, Lajoie, Honus Wagner, and Johnson each had 3 hits for Homestead, with McCutchen driving in 4 and Gibson 3.

HOD 2 (Key 3-1) @ HOM 16 (Drabek 5-6)
HRs: HOD – none; HOM – Stargell 2 (47), Gibson (38), McCutchen (21).
Box Score

Game Three

This was not a good time for the House of David to not show up … they head into the third game of the series having dropped to 3.5 games off the Wild Card pace (while Homestead has moved to only a single game back of Kansas City).

The House of David will send Jack Taylor to the hill, with Homestead countering with Hal Carlson, making his 2nd start of the season.

It started well for the House of David: Carlson loaded the bases, then gave up a 3-run double to Sammy Sosa. Richie Hebner added a solo shot–his 23rd homer of the year–in the 2nd, upping the lead to 4-0.

Honus Wagner cut the lead to 4-1 with an RBI double in the bottom of the 2nd, then Willie Stargell closed the game to 4-3 with his 48th homerun of the year.

The House of David touched Carlson for one more run in the 5th on an RBI double from Anthony Rizzo, but again Taylor gave it back, this time on a 2-run double from Josh Gibson, tying the game at 5.

Carlson was replaced by David Price, who promptly gave up a moon shot to Sosa: 6-5, House of David. Ron Santo‘s 28th of the year gave the House of David a 2 run edge heading into the bottom of the 9th, when they turned to Ed Bauta, who easily closed it out.

HOD 7 (Taylor 10-10; Bauta 5 Sv; Sullivan 1 H; Spooner 4 H) @ HOM 5 (Price 1-1)
HRs: HOD – Hebner (23), Sosa (38), Santo (27); HOM – Stargell (48).
Box Score

So … by salvaging the final game, the House of David maintain touch with the Wild Card race, but just barely.

TWIWBL 78.2 Spotlight on the Houston Colt 45’s

By mknn

On September 13, 2025

In TWIWBL

This team still feels a year or two away, but there is a bright future in Houston.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Houston is just an odd team right now. Solid starting pitching, good speed, a strong ability to get on base … but very little power, a horrendous bullpen, and some very unsettled positions, at least at present.

THE OFFENSE

The most important thing is how young this team is. Only Jorge Posada (36) and Jim O’Rourke (29) are on the far side of the magic age of 27, and and George Brett and Jim Wynn (23), Carlos Correa (22), and Pete Hill (19) are well under it.

#What’s Going Right

Jeff Bagwell, Carlos Correa, and Tony Gwynn all have OPS over .900, although Gwynn’s has fallen since an earlier flirtation with a .400 BA. Bagwell looks to be on the very edge of stardom, but it is Correa, who is slashing 326/404/553, who may be the biggest surprise.

Jim Wynn has 27 HRs, second on the team to Bagwell’s 28.

Jim O’Rourke has bounced back from a disappointing first season, slashing 258/362/500 in a super-utility role.

Mention must be made of Paul Goldschmidt, who has 8 homers in under 100 PAs, making the most of his limited chances.

#What’s Not Going Right

Jorge Posada struggles offensively, with an OPS under .750. Not horrific for a backstop, but not good.

Pete Hill continue to show power, but his .765 OPS won’t cut it in a WBL OF. BUT, Hill is 19, so you could also see this as part of what’s going right.

George Brett and Craig Biggio both continue to show flashes of great talent, along with long periods of low production. But with the departure of HR Johnson, the team seems committed to each of them for the future.

Andrés Galarraga bounced down from an excellent first season, earning himself a trip to AAA.

THE PITCHING

A real challenge: there are some truly top end performances here in Ramsey and Clemens, and then a lot of potential. And lets not even discuss the bullpen.

Some of the same comments as with the position players: Oswalt is the aged veteran of the crew at 27, so this is a very young staff (and that doesn’t even account for teenage phenom Leon Day at AAA).

#What’s Going Right

Toad Ramsey is putting together one of the best seasons in WBL history, sitting at 13-9 with a a3.19 ERA and 217 strikeouts. The knuckleballer has been absolutely dominant, with a 6.6 WAR on the mound so far.

Roger Clemens has been excellent, matching Ramsey in wins with a very impressive 3.60 ERA of his own.

Andrew Chafin has been excellent in the bullpen, as have (in very limited action so far) Jim Kern and Roberto Osuna (Kern is a special surprise, after being torched last season).

Ice Box Chamberlain seems to have recovered from injury, posting a 3.41 ERA over his 7 starts.

#What’s Not Going Right

Roy Oswalt and Stephen Strasbourg are just frustrating, mixing good outings with horrible one, with both of them posting ERA’s over 6.00.

The bullpen has been quite poor, especially since Tug McGraw–fairly effective as a closer–hit the DL.

John Franco and Chafin are the only arms left from the start of the year, with Brad Lidge, Kent Tekulve, and Billy Wagner all having moved back to AAA (and, in Tekulve’s case, out of the system entirely).

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

This is a strong system, at least on the field. In the OF, César Cedeño (who was OK in the WBL earlier in the season), Kirby Puckett (who wasn’t), Shin-Soo Choo, and Von Joshua all have some promise.

3B Edgar Martínez may be the best bat in the system, and SS Travis Jackson clearly has WBL talent. Add to that C Will Smith–who may replace Posada as soon as next season–and you have a decent amount of talent.

On the mound, it’s a little more spare, but Vida Blue and Leon Day are still teenagers as is Ice Box Chamberlain. Additionally, at least a couple from the group of Bret Saberhagen, Bill Harper, Carlos Rodón (part of the HR Johnson trade), and Rick Wise should emerge as WBL rotation starters.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The Colt 45’s just need to continue to develop, especially on the mound.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Can the bullpen perform? Some indications (McGraw, Chad Qualls, and Andrew Chafin‘s performance last year in small samples) are positive; others not so much (the size of those samples, Kent Tekulve‘s challenges). In a word, no. Although, McGraw should be back soon, and he, Chafin, and the newly-acquired Sparky Lyle do give Houston as good a trio of lefties as you can want.
Who emerges at C? Evidently, nobody. Currently, it rotates between Posada, Craig Biggio, and O’Rourke, but the latter two are really not catchers. Look for Will Smith here next season.

FEATURED SERIES

Houston heads to Homestead to start the week for a four game series.

Projected Starters

Houston’s starter listed first.

Ice Box Chamberlain (2-3, 3.41) @ David Price (3-6, 5.33)
Toad Ramsey (13-9, 3.19) @ Doug Drabek (4-5, 5.04)
Roger Clemens (13-8, 3.60) @ Billy Pierce (9-7, 5.07)
Roy Oswalt (6-8, 6.44) @ Juan Marichal (8-11, 6.10)

I mean, a sweep is not out of the question. But both of these teams are just so inconsistent, I would say a series split is the most likely outcome.

Game One

David Price‘s debut start for Homestead gets to wait a little while, as Doug Drabek gets the nod for the Grays against Ice Box Chamberlain.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in a run with a single in the top of the first but Willie Stargell tied it up in the bottom of the frame. Chamberlain struggled with his command, surrendering a solo shot to Rick Reichardt, then hitting both Owen Wilson and Honus Wagner. But he settled down and got out of the inning without further damage.

The bottom of the 5th saw Josh Gibson–already with 2 doubles on the day–go deep for his 35th homerun, extending the lead to 5-1.

The Colt 45’s closed to 5-3 in the 6th, chasing Drabek from the mound with 2 outs on an RBI groundout from Carlos Correa and a seeing eye single through the left side from Goldschmidt.

Tony Gwynn brought the Colt 45’s within 1, and then, in the top of the 9th and facing the newly-aquired Robb Nen, Jim Wynn launched one out of the park to tie the game. Then Gorman Thomas hit his 4th homerun in 15 at-bats and, out of nowhere, Houston had a 7-5 lead. Nen couldn’t make it out of the inning, and when the smoke cleared, the Colt 45’s had a 4 run lead, 9-5.

Craig Biggio, Gwynn, and Goldschmidt each had 3 hits for Houston while Gibson had 4 hits and 3 RBI’s for the Grays in a losing effort.

HOU 9 (Osuna 2-1) @ HOM 5 (Nen 1-1, 1 BSv; Price 1 H; Friend 1 H)
HRs: HOU – Wynn (28), Thomas (4); HOM – Reichardt (34), Gibson (35).
Box Score

Game Two

Game two will see the stellar Toad Ramsey face off against Homestead’s Billy Pierce.

After a Tony Gwynn double, Jeff Bagwell drove in his 90th run of the year with a single in the top of the first. Jim Wynn followed with his 29th homer of the year, and the Colt 45’s staked Ramsey to a 3-0 lead.

But this Grays team is hard to put away: Rick Reichardt hit a 2 run shot, making it a 1 run game.

Houston seemed to have Pierce’s number, though: Pete Hill and Jorge Posada hit back to back homers in the 2nd, and Jim O’Rourke singled in another run in the 4th, extending the lead to 6-2.

Back to back doubles from Andrew McCutcheon and Judy Johnson made it 6-3, but that was really it. Houston scored some more, notably on Posada’s second drive of the game, but the outcome had already been secured for Houston.

HOU 10 (Ramsey 14-9) @ HOM 3 (Pierce 9-8)
HRs: HOU – Wynn (29), Posada 2 (11), Hill (8); HOM – Reichardt (35).
Box Score

Game Three

Bartolo Colón will take the ball for the Grays in game 3, opposed by Houston’s Roger Clemens as the Colt 45’s look to take the first 3 of the series.

Josh Gibson took Clemens deep in the bottom of the 1st, and Roberto Clemente did the same in the 2nd for an early Grays lead. Meanwhile, Colón was dealing, allowing no runs and 3 hits over 5 innings.

Clemens had to exit with back pain after 5, relieved by Dock Ellis.

Homestead added 2 more on an Andy Van Slyke bomb in the 8th, but the story was Colón, who took the mound in the 9th with a 3 hit shutout. He walked Craig Biggio with 2 outs, but got Tony Gwynn to fly out to LF to preserve the shutout and, more importantly, the victory.

With the shutout, Colón lowered his ERA on the year to 0.45 over 20 innings.

HOU 0 (Oswalt 6-8; Blue 1 H; Kern 1 H) @ HOM 4 (Williams 10-11)
HRs: HOU – none; HOM – Gibson (36), Clemente (21), Van Slyke (24).
Box Score

It was good news for Houston after the game, as Clemens is expected to make his next start.

Game Four

Roy Oswalt will try to get the Colt 45’s the series win, but Cliff Lee, making his first start since his injury, will try to even it up for Homestead. Both teams have minor league franchises deep in the thick of it and hence have not yet benefitted from the full roster expansion.

Oswalt has struggled all year, laboring to a 6-8 record and an ERA in the mid 6.00’s.

Paul Goldschmidt drove in a run in the top of the first, but the score was evened at 1 when Judy Johnson scored on a passed ball. The Grays surged ahead, 4-1, on a 2 run shot from Goose Goslin and a solo homer from Andrew McCutcheon in the 2nd.

A bad throw from McCutcheon allowed a run to score for Houston in the 5th, halving the lead to 4-2, Homestead.

Oswalt couldn’t make it out of the 5th, as a walk to Willie Stargell and a single by Mike Epstein prompted Houston to turn to young Vida Blue out of the pen.

Goldschmidt chased Lee with a game-tying shot into the right field stands in the 6th, and his relief, Bob Friend, allowed a deep shot to George Brett, giving the 1 run lead back to Houston at 5-4. Johnson went yard in the 6th, and we were all tied once more, 5-5.

McCutcheon’s second error of the day allowed Ice Box Chamberlain (on as a pinch runner) to score the go-ahead run in the 7th as Casey Stengel celebrated his return from a rehab assignment with a slow bouncer up the middle that the Grays’ CF let go under his glove.

Jim Wynn added a homerun, and–perhaps more importantly–Tug McGraw and Sparky Lyle closed the game out, offering hope for some stability at the back end of the Colt 45’s bullpen.

HOU 7 (Blue 1-0; Lyle 1 Sv; McGraw 1 H; Osuna 4 H) @ HOM 5 (Friend 5-10)
HRs: HOU – Goldschmidt (9), Brett (14), Wynn (30); HOM – Goslin (7), McCutcheon (19), Johnson (6).
Box Score

Houston took the series, putting themselves in prime position to overtake Kansas City for the Division lead. It was a strong performance: power, starting pitching, and most importantly, a bullpen that may be finally coming together at the most important time of the year.

TWIWBL 74.2 Spotlight on the Ottawa Mounties

By mknn

On March 28, 2025

In TWIWBL

The Mounties were awful last season. At 4 games under .500, they’re unlikely to make the playoffs, but they are a far better team this year, easily one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the league … but still with one of the worst staffs around. So there’s that.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Odd how much optimism can be generated by a team whose record isn’t very good.

THE OFFENSE

It’s all good here, end to end. When the only offensive black hole is your backup catcher, your offense is doing OK. Ten–TEN–Mounties are in double digit homeruns, from Tim Raines at 14 to Larry Walker‘s 38.

#What’s Going Right

Gary Carter and Larry Walker are among the best in the league at their positions, with Walker leading the team in HR and RBI.

Roberto Alomar has blossomed, and leas the team in H with an OPS in the .950s, which is incredibly strong for a middle infielder. His partner at SS, Álex Rodríguez, has finally begun to deliver on his promise, validating Ottawa’s decision to retain him last season.

The rest of the lineup is solid, with everyone delivering OPS’ between .800 and .850. It’s a fairly consistent model–mediocre BAs, a decent OBP, and a ton of power. Tim Raines–2nd in the WBL in SB by 1 at 68–is the exception to the model, but his value remains clear.

Special mention has to be made of Rick Monday. Not really thought of as a significant prospect, Monday has flourished, slashing 302/385/755 closing in on 200 PAs. A CF by trade, Monday’s future is uncertain as his current performance clearly exceeds a role as Carlos Beltrán‘s backup, but with Walker in RF and Raines in LF, it’s not clear where he can move to.

#What’s Not Going Right

Brad Ausmus has already announced his retirement at the end of the season. He’s being kept around for his, um, veteran leadership at this point.

I mean … that’s about it. Bob Watson struggled and was sent to AAA, and Mike Dorgan is back to being a useful utility player instead of a world-beater.

It’s been a good year at the plate in Ottawa so far. However …

THE PITCHING

Yoikes. Yoikes, yoikes, and yoikes.

#What’s Going Right

Roy Halladay continues to tantalize, showing flashes of ace-ish potential. Halladay sits at 10-6 with an ERA under 5.00, and has yet to put it all together for an extended length of time, but the potential is there.

Bill Smith has pitched excellently when healthy, sitting at 8-2 with a 3.225 ERA.

Atlee Hammaker struggled initially, but has pitched very well out of the bullpen, far better than his 6+ ERA would indicate.

Old Hoss Radbourn continues to oscillate between excellence and … other things. At worst, he’s a solid innings eater.

#What’s Not Going Right

Nobody else has succeeded as a starter, and the back 3 spots in the rotation have essentially been a revolving door, a situation that has surely been hurt by Bob Brown, Bob Moose, and Gary Peters all being on the DL for extended lengths of time (Moose and Peters are out well into next year). The whole staff has been mediocre at best, but there are some lowlights …

Randy Johnson is … perhaps the most frustrating bundle of talent in the WBL? Johnson has been sent to the minors after struggling mightily, but the Mounties hope he returns soon. Ish.

Tom Henke came back from a long term injury to provide an ERA over 7.00 in the closer role.

Jesse Crain, who looked promising initially, is on the verge of being sent back down as his ERA has ballooned over 7.00.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

There might be help here, but there isn’t much high end talent. As an example, Otto Briggs, Warren Cromartie, Willie Upshaw, Leon Roberts, and Denard Span could all see time, but all are in A ball. Wee Willie Keeler is closer, and perhaps likely to make an impact.

But the Mounties need arms … and there’s just not a ton there. Dan Haren, Mark Eichhorn, Max Scherzer, and Billy Koch all have live arms, but are all at A ball.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The bottom of the lineup to step forward, and the pitching overall to improve a shade across the board.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Can the staff both deliver and stay healthy? No.
Who is the bullpen? Who the hell knows.
How the young talent sorts itself out. This one is working out OK. Walker, Carter, Raines, Staub, and Rodríguez are all 23 or younger.

FEATURED SERIES

The Mounties host Homestead for 3 to start the week.

Projected Starters

Homestead’s starter listed first.

Francisco Liriano (6-7, 5.24) @ Roy Halladay (10-6, 4.60)
Doug Drabek (4-5, 4.89) @ Bill Smith (8-2, 3.25)
Cliff Lee (5-2, 6.00) @ Johnny Podgagny (3-3, 4.61)

If the starters take their spots as planned, this may be the rare chance for the Mounties to rely on their mound work. If that happens, I think they take 2 out of 3.

Before this series began, the Mounties named Atlee Hammaker to the 5th spot in their rotation, although it’s not clear when his turn will come around.

Game One

Turns out Atlee Hammaker‘s turn is immediately available, with Roy Halladay not quite recovered from his prior outing. He’ll face Homestead’s Francisco Liriano, who has pitched very well of late, in this one.

The legend of Josh Gibson just continues … Homestead’s offensive juggernaut took Hammaker deep in the first with Judy Johnson on to give the Grays an early 2-0 lead. Tim Raines started the game for Ottawa with a solo shot, halving the deficit and then Larry Walker launched his 39th of the year, tying the game at 2.

Hammaker allows 2 baserunners in the 2nd, but he got out of it, having gotten 5 of the 6 outs in the game so far via the strikeout. Liriano is faring worse: Adrián Beltré launched a solo shot in the 2nd, and the Mounties scored another on a hit from Sam Thompson.

But Gibson and Rick Reichardt launched back to back shots in the 3rd, tying the game once again until, in the 4th, Willie Stargell hit his 29th, giving the Grays a 5-4 lead. That was it for Hammaker–4 innings and 7 K’s, but also 4 homeruns allowed.

Bryn Smith allowed a hit to Johnson, and then Gibson did it once again–his 3rd homerun of the game, launched to deep center.

Liriano made it into the 6th, but hits from Thompson and Mike Dorgan chased him.

Gibson had a chance to become the first player in WBL history to hit 4 out in a game, but had to settle for a double off the CF wall.

But there was one more twist in the game: with 2 runners on in the bottom of the 9th, Ottawa turned to Rick Monday who continued his shocking campaign with a 3-run shot off Michael Jackson to tie the game at 7. That was followed by Dorgan’s 2nd homer of the game, and Ottawa had seized the lead, which they doubled on a an RBI double from Beltrán.

So, the top of the 9th was set, with Ottawa’s closer Tom Henke destined to face Gibson. Homestead is hard to close out: Andy Van Slyke led off the inning with a homerun. Johnson may have shown his youth, getting thrown out at send trying to stretch a single into a double–an especially poor choice, given Gibson being the next batter.

Henke was very careful, and while it won’t go down as an intentional walk, it was as close as can be. Henke wrapped 2 strikeouts around a hit batsman, closing out the game for a surprising win for Ottawa.

Gibson was clearly magnificent, but Johnson and Stargell added 3 hits each, while Mike Epstein whiffed 5 times for the Grays. 11 homeruns in the game highlighted the challenge both teams have with their staffs.

HOM 8 (Jackson 1-5, 5 B Sv; Kemmerer 2 H) @ OTT 9 (Crain 1-2; Henke 9 Sv)
HRs: HOM – Gibson 3 (29), Reichardt (26), Stargell (20), Van Slyke (12); OTT – Raines (15), Walker (39), Beltré (24), Monday (22), Dorgan (2).
Box Score

Game Two

Game 2 will see Roy Halladay face off against Homestead’s Doug Drabek.

These teams cannot stop hitting the ball out of the park. Homestead’s Mike Epstein and Rick Reichardt went back-to-back in the top of the first.

Drabek had to leave the game in the 3rd with back tightness, bringing in newly promoted Bartolo Colón for his WBL debut. Colón gave up a seeing-eye 2 run single to Gary Carter that tied the game at 3, but Owen Wilson launched his 2nd of the year to put the Grays back on top, 5-3.

Both bullpens locked in at that point: Colón was followed by Rick Ownbey and Ricardo Rincón, turning the ball over to closer Josh Lindblom for the bottom of the 9th. But this Ottawa team is tough: Carter greeted Lindblom with his 35th homer of the year, making it a 1 run game.

Rusty Staub managed a bloop hit, and was replaced at first by Tim Raines, representing the tying run. Raines stole 2nd (his 70th of the year, giving him, at least for the moment, the league lead) and moved to 3rd on a groundout from Carlos Beltrán. A single from Adrián Beltré tied the game, and off to extra innings we went.

Andy Van Slyke walked, stole second, and move to 3rd on a single form Judy Johnson. Josh Gibson was plunked by Clark Griffith to load the bases. Griffith walked in a run, but that was it, and Homestead stuck with Lindblom for the bottom of the 10th. Despite an error in the frame, Lindblom closed out the game.

HOM 6 (Lindblom 5-3, 3 B Sv; Ownbey 5 H; Rincón 2 H) @ OTT 5 (Gregg 0-3)
HRs: HOM – Reichardt (27), Epstein (27), Wilson (2); OTT – Carter (35).
Box Score

After the game, Homestead moved Drabek to the DL, recalling Brickyard Kennedy from AAA.

Game Three

So, 2 one-run games and an even split.

The rubber match would see Homestead’s Cliff Lee take on Ottawa’s Bill Smith–which should be a fairly significant edge for the Mounties.

And yet … Andy Van Slyke led the game off with homer against Smith for an early 1-0 lead for the Grays. In the 4th, a double from Honus Wagner, a homer from Napoleon Lajoie, and RBI singles from Josh Gibson and Rick Reichardt made it 6-0 and chased Smith.

The Mounties finally got on the board when Tim Raines stole home (!) for his 72nd swipe of the season.

But Lee was dealing until he was forced from the game in the 7th through injury. At that point, he had a -1 lead, having surrendered only 2 hits. Ray Brown replaced Lee and gave up 2 runs, but the Grays were still up, 7-3 heading into the final 2 frames.

In the bottom of the 9th, Sam Thompson knocked in 2, closing the game to 7-5. The Mounties sent up Rick Monday as a pinch-hitter–could the legend grow? Temporarily, at least! Monday greeted Michael Jackson with a double, making it a 1-run game, 7-6.

Jackson walked Raines … and gave up a walk-off, 3 run shot to Roberto Alomar, as Ottawa once again rode their offense to a win, both for the game and the series.

HOM 7 (Jackson 1-6, 6 B Sv) @ OTT 9 (Smith, Bry 1-1)
HRs: HOM – Van Slyke (13), Lajoie (8); OTT – Alomar (22).
Box Score

In many ways, this is who Ottawa is: can they hold on by their fingernails on the mound until they find a way to score more runs than you. They hit 7 homers in the 5 games, and Tim Raines swiped 5 bases.

Some recognition does need to go to Josh Gibson, who finished the 3 game series with 3 homers, 7 RBI’s and 6 hits in 10 ABs.

TWIWBL 72.7: Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On February 20, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Brooklyn Royal Giants	51-37	.580	—
Homestead Grays	47-40	.540	3.5
New York Gothams	44-46	.489	8
Philadelphia Stars	44-46	.489	8
Ottawa Mounties	40-48	.455	11

Effa Manley Division | 9 July

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Rick Aguilera was sent to AAA with Dave Von Ohlen returning from injury. Newly acquired Vern Stephens will get a chance to take over at SS, although expect Germany Smith to continue to see a fair bit of time there, with Matty Alou heading back to AAA.

John Briggs had 2 homeruns, the 2nd a walk-off job in the bottom of the 12th as Brooklyn topped the Gothams, 7-6.

#Homestead Grays

Owen Wilson was recalled from his rehab assignment, taking the traded Chris Sabo‘s roster slot. Sabo’s absence means impressive teenager Judy Johnson will move into a platoon at 3B with Andy Van Slyke. Wilson was recalled largely in light of his performance last season, but he’ll need to step it up to keep the roster spot, as Van Slyke and Goose Goslin cover the same positions (and, in Van Slyke’s case, more).

Goslin hit for the cycle–joining teammate Roberto Clemente as the only players to do so this year–as Homestead beat the House of David, 10-3.

Van Slyke hit the ball over the fence twice, leading the Grays to a 9-5 win over the House of David. Mike Epstein added 3 hits, including a homerun, and Napoleon Lajoie and Honus Wagner also went deep.

#New York Gothams

The Gothams sent Steve Kemp and Pinky Higgins to AAA, with Terry Turner remaining with them solely because of his glove. The Gothams recalled Ryan Zimmerman, who is likely to step directly into the starting lineup at the hot corner.

Don Sutton was named to the Gothams’ rotation, and the arrival of Don Buford moves J0-J0 Moore, who has performed quite well, onto the bench.

This roster still doesn’t really make sense: they don’t have anyone who can competently play RF behind Johnny Callison, and have far too many 1B. The most likely next move is for Pete Runnels to head to the minors with an OF coming back up.

#Ottawa Mounties

Clayton Richard and Chris Bosio moved to AAA with Dave Gregg being recalled from his rehab assignment and Bill Crouch the latest minor league arm recalled for a shot at WBL glory.

#Philadelphias Stars

John Burkett was recalled to take the role of the now-departed Larry Jackson in the Stars’ bullpen. Butch Wynegar‘s time in the WBL was limited, as he was demoted to AAA to clear the way for Bill Dickey, who will take over the bulk of the catching duties.

That is the largest immediate change, although both César Hernández and George Hendrick will see more playing time as Philadelphia tries to overcome their struggles in CF and the middle infield.

Pete Alexander began a rehab assignment.

TWIWBL 69.5: Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On December 6, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Brooklyn Royal Giants	39-30	.565	—
Homestead Grays	37-33	.529	2.5
New York Gothams	37-34	.521	3
Philadelphia Stars	37-35	.514	3.5
Ottawa Mounties	33-35	.485	5.5

Effa Manley Division | 18 June

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Darren Dreifort‘s struggles proved too much, with Brooklyn sending him to AAA in exchange for Rick Aguilera.

Mike Piazza, Dan Brouthers, and John Briggs each hit 2 out as the Royal Giants bowled over the Mounties, 17-8. Brouthers scored 4 times and Piazza drove in 6 in the win.

#Homestead Grays

Brickyard Kennedy failed his WBL audition, heading back to AAA in exchange for Moose Haas. The Grays also stabilized their rotation for the time being, naming Cliff Lee and Billy Pierce to the final 2 spots.

Mike Epstein reached 20 homers on the year with 2 longballs in a 10-2 win over Kansas City.

Honus Wagner had 4 hits including 2 homeruns as the Grays moved past the Stars, 7-4.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Oscar Charleston went deep twice, leading the ABC’s to a 6-2 win over the Gothams behind a strong outing from Doc White.

#New York Gothams

Last season’s AAA MVP Benny Kauff hit 2 out, giving him 18 on the year, as the Gothams beat Philadelphia, 9-2.

Needing a starter, the Gothams exchanged Guy Hecker for Vean Gregg, who will make his WBL debut. It did not go well, as Gregg surrendered 7 runs in under 4 IP in an 8-2 loss to Indianapolis.

#Ottawa Mounties

Bill Smith moved into the rotation for Ottawa, while Clark Griffith was sent t0 AAA with Clayton Richard being recalled for his first shot at WBL action this season.

Rick Monday continues to press for playing time, hitting 2 out in a 6-3 win over Brooklyn. Monday now has 14 on the year, and Sam Thompson, Roberto Alomar, and Gary Carter also went deep for Ottawa. Bob Brown was hurt in the game, and will miss about 6 weeks, with Chris Bosio rejoining the Mounties.

#Philadelphia Stars

John Burkett, who did fine in his time in the WBL, was sent down as closer Bob Howry was ready to return from injury.

TWIWBL 66.2 Spotlight on the Homestead Grays

By mknn

On September 19, 2024

In TWIWBL

Homestead may be the surprise of the league so far. They continue to struggle on the mound, but this team can hit, and there is some profound talent developing on the banks of the Allegheny.

The Grays inherit players from the Pirates, as well as a smattering of NeL players generally associated with the Grays.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Homestead is in a virtual tie with Brooklyn atop the Effa Manley Division.

There is a long way to go, but a playoff appearance would be a heck of an accomplishment for what was one of the truly weaker sides in the league last season.

THE OFFENSE

It’s an offense that is evolving into one of the most dangerous lineups in the league top to bottom, with most of the talent under 25 years of age.

#What’s Going Right

Josh Gibson is emerging as a generational talent. OF Rick Reichardt is actually hitting better than Gibson with a 1.166 OPS to Gibson’s 1.155. But Gibson is 21 and a C and–assuming health–has a long career as one of, if not the, best backstop in the league ahead of him. But it’s about more than the two of them: veteran presence Willie Stargell is tied with Reichardt in homeruns and Mike Epstein gives them 4 batters in double digits.

3B Chris Sabo has a SLG over .700, arguing for more playing time, but both Nap Lajoie and Honus Wagner seem to be learning how to use their immense talents. Wagner, Andy Van Slyke, and Andrew McCutchen have combined for 46 SBs, led by McCutchen’s 20.

#What’s Not Going Right

Neither Van Slyke nor McCutchen are hitting much (Van Slyke’s OPS has edged over .700, which isn’t bad, but McCutchen is stuck in the .650s). Roberto Clemente is struggling to match his production from last season, and the other reserves–Rey Sánchez and Del Crandell are doing virtually nothing in their limited opportunities).

Stargell strikes out too much, and Wagner’s offense at this point is merely decent for a young SS, not actually decent. That’s about it.

THE PITCHING

It’s better than last year. But all that means is that it’s not miserable.

#What’s Going Right

Josh Lindblom has emerged–perhaps a little surprisingly–as an elite closer, with 12 saves and 3 wins in his 19 appearances, and the lowest WHIP on the staff.

Francisco Liriano is still the “ace” of the staff, but the quotes are very well deserved: he’s 3-4 with a 4.48 ERA, numbers that are pretty much indistinguishable from those of Billy Pierce and Bob Friend. Doug Drabek won a job on the staff with a strong Spring Training, and has been excellent, but is just recovering from injury. His successful return to form would go a long way to solidifying the mound corps.

Michael Jackson has recovered from a rough 2000 to be a solid bullpen contributor this year.

#What’s Not Going Right

Finding the back end of the rotation has been a struggle. Ray Brown has been hit hard, but retains his spot in the rotation for now, while the final rotation spot has become a bit of a free-for-all, currently distributed between Carlos Zambrano, Brickyard Kennedy, and Cliff Lee. But none of those are having much luck.

Rick Ownbey and Dave Giusti, so effective last year, have been, at best, thoroughly mediocre this year.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

The Grays have a strong system. In the OF, Ralph Kiner (still a teenager) and the Waner brother, Lloyd and Paul, look to have WBL ceilings, and in the IF, there are a wealth of options in Judy Johnson, Freddie Lindstrom, Howard Johnson, and Khalil Greene.

Throw in Clayton Kershaw (currently dominating A ball), Nip Winters, Pink Hawley, and Tim Lincecum and there is enough talent to sort out the Grays’ mound woes, although the exact path to do so is far from clear.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Pitching. And then, more pitching.

Beyond that, when the Grays traded for Lajoie last year, they had visions of a Lajoie/Wagner infield developing into a truly elite pairing. They need to keep building towards that, with the hope they, Gibson, and a few others can all peak at the same time.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Who pitches? Absolutely still the key question. There’s Liriano, a hopefully healthy Drabek, and then …. a whole lot of question marks.
For a team without top end talent, there are a surprising number of logjams (Davey Johnson and Lajoie and even the ageless Jeff Kent at 2B; Rick Reichardt and Willie Stargell at LF; Roberto Clemente, Andy Van Slyke, and Owen “Don’t Call Me Chief” Wilson in RF). Some things have clarified. Johnson and Kent are at AAA (and struggling), and Wilson is trying to come back from a shoulder injury. The Grays seem to have committed to Wagner and Lajoie in the MI, and are happy to let the OF play out over time.

FEATURED SERIES

The Grays open up the week with 3 games in New York to take on the division rival Gothams.

Projected Starters

Homestead starter listed first.

Francisco Liriano (3-4, 4.48) @ Christy Mathewson (2-5, 4.71)
Bob Friend (3-2, 5.43) @ Juan Marichal (4-3, 4.68)
Ray Brown (3-4, 6.21) @ Gaylord Perry (5-4, 5.15)

Game One

It’s not like Francisco Liriano was bad–it’s just that Christy Mathewson was better, as Liriano gave up 2 runs in just over 6 innings while Matty held the Grays scoreless through 7. A single to Mike Epstein and a double from Napoleon Lajoie chased Mathewson.

It got a little weird form there: Robb Nen‘s first pitch hit Honus Wagner on the elbow, forcing him out of the ballgame; Chris Sabo brought home one run on a sac fly, Andy Van Slyke reached on an error by Brandon Crawford, and an infield hit from Rick Reichardt tied the game at 2. Josh Gibson hit a sharp single to LF, scoring 1, but Jo-Jo Moore threw out Van Slyke at home. Willie Stargell drove in another, and Roberto Clemente beat out an infield single, meaning the Grays had run through their entire lineup in the inning. It looked like Nen had gotten out of it when Andrew McCutchen (who had pinch run for Epstein way back when) whiffed, but the ball got past the Gothams’ C, Dick Dietz, and McCutchen beat the throw to first, scoring another run.

So, Homestead now held a 5-2 lead heading to the bottom of the 8th. Dietz would try to redeem himself, hitting his first career homerun after a pinch double from Willie Mays, closing the lead to 5-4.

Josh Lindblom was perfect in the 9th, sealing the come from behind victory for the Grays.

HOM 5 (Ownbey 3-1; Lindblom 13 Sv; Giusti 4 H) @ NYG 4 (Nen 1-1, 2 B Sv)
HRs: HOM – none; NYG – Posey (13), Dietz (1).
Box Score

Good news for Homestead, as Wagner will only miss a day with a bruised elbow.

Game Two

With Bob Friend still out with some wrist issues, Cliff Lee got the start for Homestead against Tony Mullane, who wasn’t expected to last more than 3 or 4 innings in a sort of bullpen game for New York.

Perhaps to be expected with a couple spot starters, there were some longballs early: Rick Reichardt, Josh Gibson, and Andrew McCutchen for Homestead and Willie Mays for New York, leading to a 3-2 lead for the Grays after 3. Mullane gave up another one in the 5th, but overall his start wasn’t bad.

Lee’s was even better, until a Jo-Jo Moore double closed the gap to 4-3 and chased him from the game. Johnny Callison gave New York the lead later in the inning with a double off Brickyard Kennedy. It was short lived: Mike Epstein took the usually unhittable Mike Norris deep in the top of the 8th for a 2 run shot, swinging the game back to Homestead, 6-5. Norris hit 2 batters, but got out of the inning without further damage.

Gibson hit his 2nd of the game in the top of the 9th, which grew in importance when Larry Doyle hit a pinch hit dinger off closer Josh Lindblom to leadoff the bottom of the frame. Lindblom was able to close it out, giving the Grays the first 2 games of the series.

HOM 7 (Kennedy 2-0, 1 B Sv; Lindblom 13 Sv; Jackson 7 H) @ NYG 6 (Norris 2-3, 1 B Sv)
HRs: HOM – Reichardt (18), Gibson 2 (16), McCutchen (3), Epstein (14); NYG – Mays (19), Doyle (2).
Box Score

Game Three

When the Grays’ offense clicks, it clicks. 14 hits, 9 runs, and (finally) a strong outing from Ray Brown later, and Homestead had the series sweep. They did it with 6 runs in the top of the 4th, sending 4 balls over the outfield walls. An inning later, Andy Van Slyke joined Andrew McCutchen, Goose Goslin, Josh Gibson, and Mike Epstein in the homerun parade.

Brown loaded the bases to start the 8th, but Dave Giusti came in to get out of the jam without allowing a run. Giusti was forced from the game, but is likely to be available in a day or 2.

HOM 9 (Brown 4-4) @ NYG 1 (Marichal 4-4)
HRs: HOM – McCutchen (4), Goslin (2), Gibson (17), Van Slyke (3), Epstein (15); NYG – Crawford (7).
Box Score

This is what the Grays dream of: an irrepressible offense, enough pitching to get by, and a stream of victories.

TWIWBL 65.5: Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On August 30, 2024

In TWIWBL

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

Effa Manley Division | 21 May

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

What a comeback! Led by 2 homeruns from Roy White (one of which tied the game in the bottom of the 9th), Brooklyn beat Homestead in 12 innings on a walkoff homer from Duke Snider. White had 4 hits and drove in 6 on the day.

#Homestead Grays

Rick Reichardt and Honus Wagner had 4 hits each, with Reichardt tying the WBL record with 3 homeruns and Wagner pounding out 3 doubles as the Grays beat Philadelphia, 12-5.

Chris Sabo hit 2 out, but the Grays fell to Brooklyn despite taking a 2 run lead to the bottom of the 9th, Josh Lindblom–solid all year to date–imploded, and took his first loss of the season, dropping his record to 3-1.

Corey Kluber will be out over a year with a partially torn UCL. At 33, and having struggle than success in his WBL career, it’s not clear he’ll make it all the way back.

The Grays’ bullpen struggles continue … Willie Stargell hit 2 homeruns, but the bullpen collapsed as Homestead fell to Brooklyn, 10-9 in 12 innings.

#New York Gothams

Trying to change their luck, the Gothams have decided to send C Wes Westrum, OFs Carl Furillo and Jimmy Sheckard, and IF Eugenio Suárez to AAA. None of the four had managed an OPS over .600, but any of them may be back very quickly if they can sort out their swings in the minors. C Dick Dietz, IF Terry Turner, and OFs Jo-Jo Moore and Steve Kemp were recalled.

Johnny Callison was 4-for-4 with 2 homeruns and 2 doubles and Gaylord Perry carried a 4-hit shutout until the final out of the game–he gave up back to back dingers, but still got the win in a 5-2 victory over Ottawa.

#Ottawa Mounties

Larry Walker hit 3 homeruns, moving him into sole possession of the league lead with 23, and Roberto Alomar added 4 hits as the Mounties beat the House of David, 9-7. Roy Halladay improved to 6-2 on the year and Ottawa survived shaky outings from the bullpen to preserve the victory.

Ottawa has reached a breaking point: Randy Johnson‘s talent and slider are there for all to see, but his lack of command is on display each time he takes the mound as well. His latest outing–9 earned runs and 6 walks in under 4 innings–cost him his spot in the starting rotation, and word is the team is on the verge of returning him to AAA. For now, though, it’s the bullpen, with Johnny Podgajny taking his rotation spot.

Álex Rodríguez continues to frustrate with potential: he hit 3 homeruns in a 13-8 win over the House of David, but that effort only raised his average to .189. Gary Carter, Tim Raines, Adrián Beltré, Alomar, and Carlos Beltrán all went deep as well for the Mounties with Alomar pounding out 4 hits on the day.

And another one: this time, Beltrán hit 3 homeruns in an 8-4 win over the House of David. Sam Thompson and Beltré hit 2 each as Old Hoss Radbourn improved to 6-4 on the season.

Walker hit two more, ending the week with a league leading 26 homeruns, as Ottawa beat the Gothams 12-6. Walker drove in 5, and Rodríguez, Alomar, and Carter each went deep as well in support of a solid 8 innings from Podgajny.

#Philadelphia Stars

Sherm Lollar has lost the fulltime C job to Mike Scioscia, although Lollar remains on the WBL roster for now. José Ramírez was sent to AAA, a product of him not getting playing time and doing virtually nothing with the opportunities he did receive. César Hernández was recalled, sliding into the backup IF role for the Stars.

TWIWBL 58.5: Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On May 1, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

It was not good news for the Royal Giant as as Dave Von Ohlen, a bullpen stalwart for them last season, was diagnosed with a herniated disc and will miss about 3 months. Dutch Leonard was recalled.

In slightly better news, both Germany Smith and Trevor Hildenberger were sent to AAA on rehab assignments as they make their way back from their injuries.

Hildenberger was recalled as Terry Forster was placed on the 10 day DL.

#Homestead Grays

Chris Sabo hit a pinch-hit, walk-off 3-run homerun to lead the Grays to a wild 12-11 victory over Ottawa. Honus Wagner had 4 hits and Rick Reichardt and Andy Van Slyke 3 each in a game where the Grays pounded out 4 homeruns, with Willie Stargell, Reichardt, and Del Crandall joining Sabo.

Josh Gibson‘s first homerun of the season was a doozy: a grand slam to give the Grays another walk-off win over Ottawa, this one 8-5. Roberto Clemente had 3 hits and rookie Doug Drabek continued his strong start to the season with a couple 1-hit innings in relief.

#Ottawa Mounties

Old Hoss Radbourn started the Mounties’ season off strong, allowing only 2 hits and 1 run over 7 innings in a 10-1 drubbing of Philadelphia. Larry Walker drove in 4 and Bob Watson had 3 hits for Ottawa.

The Mounties pounded out 25 hits, scored 11 runs, and held leads in the 8th, 9th, and 10th innings. And, lost 12-11 in 10 innings to Homestead. Walker had 4 hits and Gary Carter drove in 3 in a game where Ottawa’s hurlers gave up 4 homeruns, including a walk-off shot.

Gary Peters will miss about a year with an elbow injury. Bob Brown was recalled from AAA, although for now at least it’s not clear who will take Peters’ spot in the rotation.

#Philadelphia Stars

The Stars may not win many games this year, but there is some talent on this team that should be fun to watch. To wit, OF Aaron Judge obliterated the record for the longest homerun in the history of the WBL, launching a pitch from Homestead’s Bob Friend 558 feet for his first dinger of the year.

Ray Collins lasted 2 innings in his debut before having to be removed with back spasms. Collins will be out a couple of weeks, and the Stars have once again turned to veteran Robin Roberts, giving the 33 year old what may be his final chance at the WBL. The next day, Judge went down with a strained muscle, and the Stars decided to continue to try to reinforce their mounds corps, recalling hard throwing Brad Kilby.