Tag: Hoyt Wilhelm Page 2 of 4

Season Review: Chicago American Giants

On January 2, 2024

88 - 66, .571 pct.
3rd in Cum Posey Division, 3 games behind.
Lost to Portland in Wild Card Round

Overall

An amazing offense, a solid pitching staff. But ultimately not enough: which means a solid pitching staff is insufficient for a team with championship aspirations.

The offense was a joy, though: Eddie Collins is a virtually perfect baseball specimen, and Frank Thomas, Joe Jackson, and Dick Allen are spectacular hitters.

What Went Right

All the offense all the time.

The top four batters each had OPS’ over .900 and between the four of them hit 102 homeruns, drove in 386 runs and scored 394. They even stole 100 bases, but really that was entirely Collins (61) and Jackson (34). Collins is the oldest at 27 with the other three 24 or under, so the future is bright here.

And it’s not like the offense drops much behind them: Duffy Lewis had a SLG over .500, Mike Fiore had an OBP over .400, Carlton Fisk‘s OPS near .800 makes him a pretty elite hitter for a catcher, and Cristóbal Torriente had a solid year overall and a great one considering he’s still a teenager.

On the mound, AJ Minter was among the best closers in the league and David Price was spectacular after being brought over from Indianapolis. Ben Sheets and Tricky Nichols were good, perhaps a little better than good and Ed Walsh showed flashes of excellence.

Hoyt Wilhelm and Ken Sanders were good out of the pen.

Note how tepid the praise is getting …

ALL STARS
3B Dick Allen; 2B Eddie Collins; OF Joe Jackson; OF Duffy Lewis; RP AJ Minter; P Tricky Nichols; 1B Frank Thomas

What Went Wrong

The American Giants brought in Freddy Parent at the all star break to solidify the SS position. The revolving door there stopped, but Parent wasn’t very good–certainly not as good as he was in the first half of the season for Ottawa.

Five players (Magglio Ordoñez, Jack Doyle, José Abreu, Luke Appling, and most of all Damian Jackson) were given 100+ PAs to lay claim to jobs, and they each failed somewhat spectacularly.

But really the focus here has to be on the mound. Chicago had its share of hurlers who were given a chance and weren’t up to it–every team does. But they had a much larger group of pitchers who were just far too mediocre for a championship team. This includes Dick Rudolph, who was no worse than he was for Birmingham but also no better; Akinori Otsuka, Mark Buehrle, Herb Pennock … the list goes on. Special mention has to be made of Don Newcombe, whose raw numbers are good until you encounter his home run rate. Not giving up a lot of hits doesn’t mean a lot if the ones you give up continually leave the yard.

Transactions

March

None

June

OF Melky Cabrera, P A. Rube Foster, 1B Adrián González & 2nd Round Pick to Birmingham for P Hoyt Wilhelm & P Dick Rudolph

Regret may set in, especially around Foster, but the move made sense at the time, and Wilhelm is almost a unique reliever, which makes up for a little bit of the lost value.

OF Minnie Miñoso to Miami for P Don Newcombe, P Clay Condrey & 4th Round Pick {José Quintana}

If Necombe turns it around, maybe this was worth it. Maybe.

3B Sibby Sisti; OF Bob Watson; 2B Rickie Weeks to Ottawa for SS Freddy Parent

Another one that seemed quite reasonable at the time, but Watson especially may be missed (at the same time, he was pretty completely blocked positionally at Chicago).

July

3B Robin Ventura, P Tyler Clippard, 4th Round Pick & 5th Round Pick to Indianapolis for P David Price & 2B Jorge Orta

Ventura was a bust in Chicago, and especially in light of Price’s stellar performance, this feels fine.

Looking Forward

SP

This is a need. For now, the American Giants are fine, but the long term trio of Ed Walsh, Mark Buehrle, and Harry Buckner is solid, but not spectacular.

RP

Minter and Wilhelm are good and there is some talent behind them, notably Scott Radinksy (despite his struggles this season) and Hector Neris.

C

Carlton Fisk is expected to be here for quite some time.

1B

Frank Thomas. Simply, Frank Thomas.

2B

Eddie Collins. Simply, Eddie Collins.

3B

Dick Allen. Simply, Dick Allen.

SS

This is likely an issue–and soon if Freddy Parent doesn’t turn it around. Luke Appling and Tim Anderson are waiting in the wings if that comes to pass.

LF

Duffy Lewis was surprisingly effective, and has the claim on the position for a while.

CF

The American Giants were as surprised as anyone that Mike Fiore led the league in walks.

RF

Joe Jackson. Simply, Joe Jackson.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

The American Giants were thrilled that Jacob DeGrom was still on the board with the 18th pick. Whether he shows up in Chicago next year or the year after, he should arrive very soon to help out their rotation.

In the third round, they picked up CF Lenny Dykstra in a “best player available” move and in the 4th, SP José Quintana, because you can never have too much young pitching and OF/1B Walter “Steel Arm” Davis, because you can never have too many cool nicknames.

Rounds 5-8

With no picks in the 5th or 6th rounds, Chicago’s franchise exceptions dropped significantly in value. They need a few 1B, some help at 3B, arms, and some OF depth. Still, they were able to grab Freddy Sánchez in round 7 and Cass Michaels in round 8, each of which have a shot at WBL time at some point (Michaels as soon as this season as a utility IF).

Rounds 9-12

P Josh Hader (final exemption); P Tom Williams; P Vern Kennedy; OF Craig Gentry.

4th round pick José Quintana and and 9th round selection Josh Hader both refused to come to terms for Chicago, who will receive compensation in next year’s draft for Quintana.

Season Review: Birmingham Black Barons

By mknn

On December 27, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

84 - 71, .541 pct.
2nd in Marvin Miller Division, 1 game behind.
Lost in Wild Card Round to Detroit

Overall

The media darling of the year: from a dozen games below .500 and clearly selling top end talent to a one game playoff with Portland to determine the division title. Birmingham navigated the trade periods with a skill unmatched in the league, adding and removing talent in a way that seemed to always hit the right balance, leaving the team both better and better positioned for the future.

Still, unless some serious issues with the offense are resolved, it’s not clear how far the superlative pitching can actually carry them next season.

What Went Right

Honestly, not a lot in terms of offense. Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron showed the potential to be stars, but at the end of the day, had fairly pedestrian seasons, especially for their positions. Bob Nieman was a pleasant surprise, and Cupid Childs and Jim Pagliaroni both came in late in the season (Childs from the minors, Paglioaroni via trade) and did well at 2B and C respectively.

The Black Barons seemed to survive on always having someone who was hot enough to carry them: 3B Pie Traynor started off mashing the ball before fading dramatically at the end of the season; both Herman Long and Curtis Granderson took their turns, and Adrián González, whose overall numbers look pretty anemic, was actually quite good for Birmingham after a horrid start to the season with Chicago.

Most of what went right for Birmingham happened on the mound, where Alejandro Peña and mid-season acquisition Andy Pettitte were magnificent, combining with Scott Baker, Vic Willis, and Greg Maddux to form a very impressive rotation, rivalling Baltimore’s in quality top to bottom.

After being named the closer, Juan Rincón did an excellent job, and Harley Young, Steve Bedrosian, and Bruce Chen were solid getting to Rincón.

But you really can’t say enough about Peña and Pettitte, who accounted for nearly 400 quality innings over the course of the season.

Finally, see the Transactions section: somehow Birmingham got rid of their two all-stars as well as some other top end talent, and got better.

ALL STARS
2B Tom Herr; SP Tim Hudson

What Went Wrong

In summary: nobody was great, and few were good.

Lots of players were given plenty of opportunity: Traynor, Al Schweitzer, Troy Tulowitzki, Omar Infante, and Ginger Beaumont all had at least 30 games to show their stuff, and none did anything of note, leaving the MI and one OF position up in the air for far too long.

Hmmm … not much went wrong on the mound. Carlos Diaz only lasted 14 games as closer and Warren Spahn did quite poorly in about 60 innings, indicating that for all his talent, another year in the minors may be needed.

Transactions

March

None

June

P Tim Hudson to San Francisco for P Rube Melton, OF Derrick May & 3rd Round Pick {Gary Matthews}

Given Hudson’s immediate implosion, seems fine, although given Birmingham’s resurgence, perhaps he would have been “the difference.”

P Hoyt Wilhelm & P Dick Rudolph to Chicago for OF Melky Cabrera, P A. Rube Foster, 1B Adrián González & 2nd Round Pick {Trea Turner}

Seems like a win long term for sure, and even this year, González was key for the Black Sox.

2B Tom Herr to New York Black Yankees for IF Reddy Mack, OF Bill Buckner, P Heathcliff Slocumb, OF Charlie Keller, 1B Moose Skowron & 10th Round Pick

It’s a lot of bodies for sure, but it’s also not clear any of them have a better year than Herr did, and usually the team that gets the best player wins the trade. So, unknown.

IF Frank Isbell to Brooklyn for OF Curt Flood, IF Manny Trillo & 6th Round Pick {Steve Avery}

All depends on how Flood develops, but seems fine, especially with the González deal earlier.

July

SS Woody English & 3B Candy Jim Taylor to Memphis for C Jim Pagliaroni & 4th Round Pick {Adam Kennedy}

Pagliaroni was great for Birmingham; even with that, Taylor may end up being a star, so they may have overpaid here.

C Dale Murphy, P A. Rube Foster, 4th Round Pick & 2nd Round Pick to Kansas City for P Andy Pettitte

It would be a shock of Birmingham didn’t regret this in a few years. It was still a good trade, as without Pettitte, they never make the postseason.

Looking Forward

SP

Pitching should continue to be the hallmark of this club. Even with Peña and Pettitte aging out at some point, a future rotation of Greg Maddux, Vic Willis, Sam Streeter, Jim Whitney, and Warren Spahn looks quite impressive.

RP

Juan Rincón is the presumed closer, and even if both Bruce Chen and Harley Young prove to be short-term solutions, both Steve Bedrosian and minor leaguer Rick Camp look capable of anchoring a deep bullpen into the future.

C

Right now this is Jim Pagliaroni and Gene Tenace, but it’s an area of long term need.

1B

There is a transition here from Frank McCormick to Adrián González to the potential of Nate Colbert. None of those project as stars, so an upgrade could be in order.

2B

Cupid Childs filled in well for Tom Herr, but there really isn’t a long term solution here.

3B

The question is if Eddie Mathews is solid, or if he develops into a star, but this is Mathews’ position.

SS

Herman Long was impressive, but hit a very deep slump at the end of the season. For now, he will continue with Troy Tulowitzki as his backup.

LF

This is all very patchwork: Bob Nieman for now with some constant mixture of Joe Rudi, Billy Southworth, and perhaps eventually, Alfonso Soriano.

CF

Curtis Granderson is good enough for now, but eventually they will have to figure out what to do with him and Curt Flood.

RF

See the comment about Mathews, but there is more optimism that Hank Aaron becomes a star.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

With 6 selections in the first four rounds, Birmingham hopes to restock its system with offensive production. They start with a franchise pick that may fill an areas of need long term, drafting C Joe Torre. Their 2nd round pick’s future is less clear, but whether Trea Turner ends up on the infield or CF, he should help in a year or two. Gary Matthews, their first of two picks in the 3rd round, should arrive earlier, but doesn’t have Turner’s ceiling.

At some point, long term potential just starts to overshadow concerns about fit: that was the case with José Cruz, with the 22 year old joining Birmingham with their 2nd pick in the 3rd round. Cruz may never develop enough power to be a star, but he has a pure stroke and has been on the board far longer then he should have.

The Black Barons used their final franchise exception on MI Adam Kennedy with their first pick in the fourth round and picked up a late bloomer, 27 year old SP Bob Smith, later in the round.

Rounds 5-8

The Black Barons have decent depth, so they can really take the best available talent. At some point, they need to pickup a 1B and a C, but in the 6th round it was lefty Steve Avery followed by 2B Marcus Giles–Giles is just too much better than the rest of their franchise selections to risk losing. George H. Stone was their 7th round selection and C Greg Olson their 8th.

Rounds 9-12

P Bill James, P Kerry Ligtenberg; P Eddie Solomon; P Kid Madden; 1B Del Bissonette.

TWIWBL 48.5: The Playoffs! Wild Card Round, Day II – September 16

By mknn

On September 14, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Featured Games, TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons v Detroit Wolverines, Game II

Game two would see Birmingham send its second ace–Alejandro Peña–to the mound against perhaps Detroit’s most effective pitcher all season, Gene Conley, who started out in the bullpen, but has made 16 starts since moving into the rotation.

Peña seemed to have a hard time settling, and in the bottom of the 3rd, Detroit finally broke through: a single from Tony Phillips, who moved to second on Bob Bailey‘s sacrifice bunt, and came around to score on a single from Hank Greenberg. It continued in the 4th: 4 more hits brought in 2 more runs (one on a single from Ed Bailey and the other on a sacrifice fly from Bob), making it 3-0 in favor of the Wolverines.

Meanwhile, Conley had allowed 2 hits through 7 innings, but was showing signs of fatigue, prompting the Wolverines to bring in Matt Anderson for the 8th. Anderson got 2 outs, then had to leave with some sort of leg injury.

The Wolverines added a run in the bottom of the 8th, which looked like it could be important when Cupid Childs greeted Mike Henneman with a leadoff triple. Henneman got two quick outs, but Curtis Granderson brought home Childs, and when Adrián González walked, Herman Long stepped up as the potential tying run. Long singled to load the bases, but Henneman got Jim Pagliaroni to fly out to end the game. So, a typical Mike Henneman save.

Phillips had 3 hits for Detroit, but the star was Conley, who struck out 8 in his 7 scoreless innings.

Two close games, but 2 wins for Detroit to open the series at home.

BBB 1 (Peña 0-1) @ DET 4 (Conley 1-0; Anderson 1 H; Hiller 1 H)
HRs: None.
Box Score

#Chicago American Giants v Portland Sea Dogs, Game 2

Chicago decided to go with the hot hand to try to even up the series, sending out David Price to face Bert Blyleven. Price is 4-0 with a 2.44 ERA since coming over from Indianapolis, making him preferred over Dick Rudolph and Ed Walsh (the likely game 3 starter).

Chicago came out firing after their game one loss: Eddie Collins and Frank Thomas walked, both scored on Duffy Lewis‘ double, and Lewis came home on a groundout by Dick Allen. But a shot from Bobby Murcer with 2 on board in the bottom of the inning reset us in a tie. Game one hero Gil Hodges–the 9th Sea Dog to bat in the inning–hit a 2-run single before Price could finally get the final out in an inning that saw 2 Chicago errors, a walk, and 4 hits.

Portland scored again in the 2nd, but the lead was short lived as Carlton Fisk took Blyleven deep in the 3rd with the bases loaded, putting Chicago back in front, 7-6.

Price didn’t make it out of the 4th, as a leadoff single from Kent Hrbek brought in Ben Sheets from the Chicago bullpen. Likewise, Blyleven was relieved by Wade Miller to start the 5th.

And suddenly the offenses were held in check: Chicago preserved its one run lead through the 5th, through the 6th, through the 7th. But in the 8th, Hoyt Wilhelm surrendered an RBI single to Hrbek and then, after Thomas dropped a throw for the American Giants’ 3rd error of the day, Rogers Hornsby laced a 2-run double down the left field line. A single from Buddy Bell scored Hornsby and chased Wilhelm.

That gave the Sea Dogs a 10-7 lead heading to the 9th. Singles from Thomas and Lewis brought the tying run to the plate, but Bob Porterfield induced a double play from Allen, leaving Chicago’s hopes up to Mike Fiore … who grounded out weakly to first, giving Portland a 2-0 edge in the series.

It’s hard to overcome 3 errors, even harder in the post season.

Thomas had 3 hits for Chicago, and Hrbek 3 for Portland, who got 3 RBIs each from Murcer and Hornsby.

CAG 7 (Wilhelm 0-1, 1 B Sv) @ POR 10 (Hoffman 1-0; Porterfield 1 Sv)
HRs: CAG – Fisk (1); POR – Murcer (1).
Box Score

#New York Gothams v Cleveland Spiders, Game 2

Cleveland would send out Bill Steen to face the Gothams’ Gaylord Perry.

Cleveland sat Johnny Bates in favor of getting both Kenny Lofton and Tris Speaker in the lineup, and it paid dividends early against Perry. Lofton singled, stole second, and scored on a homerun from Speaker that curled just around the right field foul pole. Cleveland would bat around, but score only one more run, on an RBI single by Chuck Knoblauch, giving the Spiders a 3-0 lead after one inning.

New York clawed one back in the 3rd on an RBI single from Pete Runnels. But that was really it, as Steen allowed only 3 hits through 6 innings.

Sergio Romo relieved Perry, but had to leave with injury after the first two outs.

New York had a chance in the bottom of the 8th, as Pinky Higgins led off the inning with a walk and moved to second on Jimmy Sheckard‘s single. That brought in Chuck Porter, who got Runnels to hit into a double play, ending the threat and the inning, and preserving the Spider’s 3-1 lead.

Terry Adams came in for Cleveland to close it out, but promptly gave up singles to Buster Posey and Willie Mays and, after an out, a game-tying single from Johnny Callison. Carl Furillo delivered a pinch-hit single, plating Callison and giving the Gothams a 4-3 lead.

That brought Brian Wilson in to seal the deal, with the unusual move of Posey playing third. Kenny Lofton singled, setting up a 2-out confrontation with Ron Blomberg. Wilson got him to fly out to center, giving the Gothams a dramatic victory and a 2-0 series lead.

This one will hurt: the Spiders out-hit the Gothams 10-8 and left 9 runners on base. The victory went to Mike Norris, who pitched 1.1 scoreless innings despite giving up 2 hits.

NYG 4 (Norris 1-0; Wilson 2 Sv) @ CLE 3 (Adams 0-1, 1 B Sv; Porter H 1)
HRs: NYG – none; CLE – Speaker (1).
Box Score

The news was encouraging on Romo, who will only miss a day or two of action with a stiff back.

#Wandering House of David v Baltimore Black Sox, Game 2

The House of David will try to even the series behind Bob Rush while Baltimore will counter with Dennis Martínez.

A solo shot by Ernie Banks put the House of David in front in the top of the 3rd. That was all the offense through five innings, with Martínez actually pitching better than Rush, despite the 1-0 deficit for Baltimore.

In the bottom of the 6th, Bryce Harper tied the game with a solo shot that barely cleared the right field wall. Two hits in the top of the 7th chased Martínez, but John Wetteland caught George Stone looking to end the inning, leaving the game tied, 1-1.

This is the kind of situation for which the House of David brought Ed Bauta over from. Here, the reliever gave up a leadoff single to Paul Blair, who stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Bobby Wallace. But Ryne Sandberg cut down Blair at the plate on a slow ground ball, and Bauta got a groundout from Frank Robinson to end the threat. So, onto the 8th, still tied.

Pete Browning‘s end of season struggles have been well documented, but he had two sharply hit singles today before facing Wetteland in the 8th, when he drove a pitch deep to straight away center for his first post-season homerun, and a 2-1 edge for the House of David.

Harper would strike again with a triple, scoring Brian Roberts (who had pinch run for Curt Blefary, who singled to lead off the frame) to tie the game. Ken Singleton followed with a soft single to right for a 3-2 lead. Lee Smith struggled some more, and the House of David had to turn to Wade Miley to get the final out of the inning. But, he did, sending us to the top of the 9th with Baltimore having seized a 1 run edge.

Buddy Groom gave up a leadoff single to Dan Ford, but Banks bounced into a tailor made 6-4-3 double play, leaving the House of David’s hopes on pinch hitter Ron Santo, who lined a ball hard to the left side, caught by Bobby Wallace, putting the Black Sox up in the series, 2-0.

Browning had 3 hits–a welcome sign for House of David fans, and a requirement if they are to make a comeback. For Baltimore, 3 players–Harper, Singleton, and Manny Machado–had 2 hits each, with Harper the clear hitting star.

HOD 2 (Smith 0-1, 1 B Sv) @ BAL 3 (Miller 1-0; Groom 1 Sv)
HRs: HOD – Banks (1), Browning (1); BAL – Harper (1).
Box Score

Series XXXVII Best Games

By mknn

On August 15, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

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

#Birmingham Black Barons @ Detroit Wolverines, Game 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#Memphis Red Sox @ Brooklyn Royal Giants, Game 2

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

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

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

#Chicago American Giants @ Portland Sea Dogs, Game 4

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

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

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

Series XXXIII Featured Matchup: Chicago American Giants @ Wandering House of David

By mknn

On June 14, 2023

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Series preview here.

#Game 1: David Price @ Wade Miley

Chicago’s David Price was masterful, allowing only 1 run and 3 hits in just shy of 8 innings, leading the American Giants to a 5-1 victory. Dick Allen hit his 21st homerun and Kevin Mitchell his 2nd for Chicago, who also got 2 hits from Frank Thomas and Duffy Lewis.

The American Giants got a bit of a scare in the 7th as a Scott Downs fastball slammed into Mike Fiore‘s face. The American Giants CF got up from the ground with blood streaming from their nose, and had to be replaced by Jack Doyle.

CAG 5 (Price 2-0) @ HOD 1 (Miley 7-5)
HRs: CAG – Allen (21), Mitchell (2); HOD – Edmonds (15).
Box Score

News after the game was good for Chicago: Fiore would only miss a few days with a broken nose and, perhaps, a new profile.

More importantly, Pete Browning has, at long last, accumulated enough plate appearances to qualify for the the league leader lists. Browning leads the league in BA at .354 and is 3rd in SLG at .636.

#Game 2: Mark Buehrle @ Frank Sullivan

The House of David got one back with a sterling starting performance of their own as Frank Sullivan pitched into the 9th inning having allowed only 1 run and 5 hits. Despite some recent struggles, Bruce Sutter was solid in relief, picking up his 20th save of the year.

Elrod Hendricks gave the House of David an early lead with his 33rd homerun of the year, a 2-run shot in the bottom of the first. They would double their lead in the 5th, first on an RBI double from Skeeter Barnes and then when Barnes pulled off a steal of home with 2 outs.

Chicago’s Mark Buehrle was the hard luck loser, allowing 7 hits in what turned out to be a complete game 8 innings.

CAG 1 (Buehrle 10-9) @ HOD 4 (Sullivan 9-8; Sutter 20 Sv)
HRs: CAG – Collins (18); HOD – Hendricks (33).
Box Score

#Game 3: Ben Sheets @ Jack Taylor

While Chicago considered sending Ed Walsh out instead of the struggling Ben Sheets, the American Giants decided in the end to keep their rotation intact, hoping Sheets can match up against the league’s best pitcher, Jack Taylor.

Homeruns from Frank Thomas and Cristóbal Torriente gave Chicago an early 3-0 lead, but Taylor settled down after that. Surprisingly, Sheets was even better, tossing a 3-hit shutout through 5 innings.

The 6th was decisive: a double by Duffy Lewis made it 4-0, and Dick Allen‘s 22nd homerun (and 99th RBI) chased Taylor with the score 6-0 Chicago. 3 more runs in the 7th made it 9-0, and the game seemed out of reach.

Seemed.

2 runs in the bottom of the inning put the House of David on the board, and then they exploded in the bottom of the 8th, fueled by a 2-run double by Pete Browning and a bases clearing double from Richie Hebner. Suddenly, it was 9-7 with Hebner on 3rd and 1 out. A single from Ron Santo–his 4th hit of the day–made it 9-8 and chased Don Newcombe from the mound. Hoyt Wilhelm got out of the inning, but suddenly we had a ballgame.

But AJ Minter closed it out for his 23rd save, and Chicago won a game that was far closer than it should have been. The win put Chicago ahead 2-1 in the series.

CAG 9 (Sheets 9-8; Minter 23 Sv; Wilhelm 3 H) @ HOD 8 (Taylor 14-9)
HRs: CAG – Thomas (24), Torriente (1), Allen (22); HOD – none.
Box Score

#Game 4: Tricky Nichols @ CC Sabathia

George Stone led off the bottom of the 1st with his 26th homerun, but Chicago answered with a bases-loaded double from Freddy Parent. Chicago’s Tricky Nichols never really settled down, giving up dingers to Jim Edmonds and Ernie Banks in the 3rd before another homerun, this one to Anthony Rizzo, chased him in the 4th.

CC Sabathia, meanwhile, was cruising, not allowing a run since Parent’s double through 6 innings. His relief didn’t do so well: a Dick Allen homerun started their 8th inning, and a flurry of singles brought in 3 more runs. That closed the gap to 8-7 in favor of the House of David.

But, much like the prior game, the closer came through: Bruce Sutter struck out 2 in a perfect 9th to give the House of David a series split.

CAG 7 (Nichols 14-8) @ HOD 8 (Sabathia 11-11; Sutter 21 Sv; Smith 13 H)
HRs: CAG – Allen (23); HOD – Stone (26), Edmonds (16), Banks (23), Rizzo (13).
Box Score

Series XXXIII Preview: Chicago American Giants @ Wandering House of David

By mknn

On June 9, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

In Series XXXIII, we’ll focus in on the wild card race, where the Chicago American Giants lead the Wandering House of David by 1 game. We focused on Chicago (our first team to be highlighted in 5 separate series) in Series VI, XX, XXII, and XXX and on the House of David in Series V, XVI, and XXVI.

#Chicago American Giants

We just saw the American Giants, and not a lot has changed: the offense is still fearsome; the bench is still suspect; and the pitching is still a bit irregular.

Eddie Collins (310/406/510) leads the team in WAR, but is behind both Joe Jackson (1.014) and Frank Thomas (.950) in OPS. Those 3, plus Mike Fiore have OBPs over .400 and Dick Allen and Duffy Lewis join Collins, Jackson, and Thomas with SLG over .500.

Cristóbal Torriente should be back at full strength during the series, and Kevin Mitchell has solidified a claim on the other reserve OF spot. The weak spots here are Jack Doyle and Jackie Hayes on the IF, but Doyle’s flexibility keeps him an attractive roster option, while Hayes is just passing time until rosters expand in a few days.

Tricky Nichols at 14-7 leads the rotation, with both Dick Rudolph and Mark Buehrle having 10 wins apiece. One of the questions for Chicago is what to do with Ed Walsh, who has been excellent as a swing starter/long reliever–to the point where he may be preferred as a starter in the playoffs over Buehrle or Ben Sheets. The bullpen trio of Hoyt Wilhelm, Ken Sanders, and AJ Minter continues to impress.

#Wandering House of David

Pete Browning (358/394/642) should emerge onto WBL leaderboards either this series or next. When that happens, he will immediately take over the lead in BA and be 3rd in SLG. Another injury to Browning feels like virtually the only thing that could derail the House of David’s playoff push.

While Elrod Hendricks has been excellent since the year began–even with a recent slump, Hendricks is slashing 287/348/605 with 32 homeruns and 81 RBIs–the House of David has retooled their lineup with spectacular success all season. First it was Dan Ford (.833 OPS) taking over in RF, then it was Anthony Rizzo (.884 OPS) at 1B and Jim Edmonds in CF (1.011 OPS).

Jack Taylor has emerged as the dominant starter in the league, sitting at 14-8 with a 2.99 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP. There is a significant gap between Taylor and the rest of the staff, but none of them are bad, they just don’t live up to Taylor’s standards. The back of the bullpen is developing nicely, with the trio of Ed Bauta (obtained mid-season), Lee Smith, and Tom Niedenfuer reliably bridging the gap to Bruce Sutter, who should be back to full strength in a day or two.

#Predicted Starters

Chicago starter listed first.

David Price (5-5, 4.46) @ Wade Miley (7-4, 5.11)
Mark Buehrle (10-8, 4.23) @ Frank Sullivan (8-8, 4.84)
Ben Sheets (8-8, 4.77) @ Jack Taylor (14-8, 2.99)
Tricky Nichols (14-7, 3.68) @ CC Sabathia (10-11, 4.86)

Series XXX Featured Matchup: Cleveland Spiders @ Chicago American Giants

By mknn

On April 19, 2023

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Series preview here.

#Game 1: Cy Young @ Dick Rudolph

A win would pull Chicago to within a game of Baltimore, who lost in surprising fashion earlier in the day. It certainly looks like a possibility as Dick Rudolph, one of the hottest pitchers in the league, takes on Cleveland’s Cy Young, who has cooled off noticeably in recent starts.

Early, Young regained his form and Rudolph maintained his: both hurlers had shutouts through 4 innings.

That lasted until the bottom of the 6th, when a double from Joe Jackson and a triple–a TRIPLE–from Frank Thomas put Chicago up, 1-0. The American Giants bench then lost their collective mind, putting on a suicide squeeze (when Duffy Lewis missed the bunt, Thomas was, predictably, dead meat at the plate).

Rudolph lasted until one out in the 8th, when he was relieved by Hoyt Wilhelm. Tris Speaker delivered a pinch-hit single, but a wild pitch plated Chuck Knoblauch to tie the game. A third run scored on an error, putting Cleveland ahead 3-1, and making Rudolph’s fine performance all for naught.

John Ellis took Wilhelm deep in the top of the 9th, putting Cleveland ahead, 2-1. Terry Adams made it interesting, walking three in the bottom of the frame, but Jack Doyle grounded into a double play with the bases loaded to end the game.

CLE 3 (Gearrin 2-8; Adams 27 Sv) @ CHA 1 (Wilhelm 3-4, 1 B Sv)
HRs: CLE – Ellis (20); CHA – none.
Box Score

#Game 2: Mel Harder @ Tricky Nichols

Each team had a good chance to score in the opening frame, but Joe Jackson nailed a runner at the plate for the 3rd out in the top of the frame and Mel Harder got a nice play from Arky Vaughan at SS with two on base to close out the bottom half.

Cleveland would take the lead in the top of the 4th when Tricky Nichols walked Ron Blomberg and gave up doubles to John Ellis and Jake Stahl, giving the Spiders a 2-0 lead. Johnny Bates added an RBI single in the 5th while Harder was superb, tossing a 2-hit shutout through 5 innings.

Nichols was chased in the 6th, but his replacement, Ken Sanders, plunked Sammy Strang to bring in Cleveland’s 4th run.

Harder was running on fumes, but had still only given up 2 hits through 7. With 1 out in the 9th–and having thrown 130 pitches–Harder gave up a double to Duffy Lewis and was replaced by Chuck Porter, who completed the combined 3-hit shutout.

CLE 4 (Harder 4-1) @ CAG 0 (Nichols 12-7)
HRs: none.
Box Score

#Game 3: Pat Malone @ David Price

Pat Malone–who???–tries to become the first pitcher in the league to reach 14 wins as Cleveland looks to cement a series win.

Malone will have to wait, as the game was canceled due to rain, to be made up as part of a doubleheader the following day, but the opening game featured the same matchup, with Malone taking on Chicago’s David Price.

Price struggled in the first, giving up a run on a double by Lance Berkman, but induced an inning ending double play from Louis Santop to escape with the score 1-0 Cleveland. Price settled down after that, allowing only the 1 run on 3 hits through 5; Malone was sailing along with a 2-hit shutout as well.

That lasted until the 6th, when Duffy Lewis singled in 2 with a 2 out knock. Dick Allen followed with his 19th homerun of the year, pushing the American Giants lead to 4-1. Both pitchers made it through 7 full innings, with the score unchanged.

Akinori Otsuka was greeted by a single by Jake Stahl, and another by Ron Blomberg. Chicago’s LF, Duffy Lewis, had Stahl dead for rights at 3B, but his throw was high for his first error of the year, scoring Stahl and putting Blomberg at second with no outs. Otsuka settled down, however, and the Spiders could only manage the single run, cutting the lead to 4-2.

AJ Minter pitched a perfect 9th for his 20th save, giving Chicago a chance to even the series in the second half of the doubleheader.

CLE 2 (Malone 13-6) @ CAG 4 (Price 1-0; Minter 20 Sv; Otsuka 3 H)
HRs: CLE – none; CAG – Allen (19).
Box Score

#Game 4: Bill Steen @ Mark Buehrle

Chicago’s Mark Buehrle will take on the Spiders’ Bill Steen in the nightcap as the American Giants try to earn a series split by sweeping the twinbill.

Steen gave up Joe Jackson‘s 25th homerun in the bottom of the first for an early 2-0 lead for Chicago. Duffy Lewis and Mike Fiore would add RBI singles, increasing the lead to 4-0 while Buehrle was spinning a 4-hit shutout through 6 innings, despite 2 errors in the field behind him.

Buehrle was relieved by Ed Walsh with 2 outs in the 7th. Despite being greeted by a pinch-hit double by Johnny Bates, Walsh got out of the inning with the shutout preserved, and proceeded to close out the game as an 8-hit combined shutout.

Chicago added 2 more runs–the first on an error by Lance Berkman, the second on a solo shot by Carlton Fisk. Jackson ended the game with 3 hits, as did José Abreu, who had been mired in a horrible slump.

CLE 0 (Steen 8-3) @ CAG 7 (Buehrle 9-8)
HRs: CLE – none; CAG – Jackson (25), Fisk (10).
Box Score

TWIWBL 36.2: Series XXVIII Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On March 21, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Newcomer Connie Johnson steps into the rotation, with Johnny Sain moving to the bullpen and Jim Palmer taking the final spot in the rotation. Lindy McDaniel was returned to AAA.

#Chicago American Giants

While Sonny Dixon‘s injury is still being diagnosed, David Price‘s arrival pushed Chicago to place Dixon on the DL. Clay Condrey‘s 9.00 plus ERA earned a trip to AAA as Hoyt Wilhelm returned from his injury. Price replaced Don Newcombe in the rotation, but the bullpen remains in a bit of disarray as the American Giants await AJ Minter‘s return from shoulder soreness.

While neither have impressed, José Abreu‘s continued struggles at the plate have opened the door for Magglio Ordóñez to receive more playing time down the stretch.

Dixon will miss about 8 months, so the early trip to the DL worked out, from that perspective …

Turns out it’s really hard to overcome 4 errors. Price’s first start was brilliant: 4 hits in just under 6 innings, no earned runs … but 5 runs allowed on miscues by Eddie Collins, Jack Doyle (2), and Jackie Hayes. Ed Walsh and Scott Radinsky were solid in relief, but Wilhelm gave up some key hits and took the loss. Doyle had 4 hits in the game.

Cristóbal Torriente will miss about 2 weeks, prompting Chicago to recall Kevin Mitchell from AAA.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Chad Qualls was recalled from AAA. Other than that, there’s not much change in Houston, other than the continued attempt to spread out plate appearances. This time, Pete Hill seeing more game time means George Brett seeing less.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Adam Russell and Rube Marquard were recalled from AAA, but the Monarchs did little else to reflect their build for the future outlook.

#Ottawa Mounties

Bob Moose and Kirk Reuter moved into the rotation with Clark Griffith heading back to AAA and Greg Holland joining the big league club as the merry-go-round of the Mounties’ staff continues.

Nineteen year old Ken Griffey, Jr. has done everything Ottawa has asked since his demotion, performing well at both AAA and AA. He’s been brought back up to the WBL club as Ottawa retools to see how its youth will progress. Griffey, Jr. will split time with Carlos Beltrán in CF. Trade acquisition George Burns also lands in Ottawa with both Terry Puhl and Phil Bradley heading to AAA in a major reset of the big league OF.

Things looked bleak for Ottawa as Birmingham had the lead 3-0 in the bottom of the 8th when Larry Parrish stepped up and launched his 3rd homerun of the year to tie the game. Randy Johnson and Greg Holland both pitched well in relief, and Beltrán won the game in the 12th with a walkoff grandslam. Tim Raines (who was caught stealing twice) and Anthony Rendon had 3 hits each in the 8-4 victory.

Jeremy Affeldt, a bit of a throw-in at the trade deadline, has been horrible for Ottawa: an ERA over 20 level horrible. So when he refused a demotion to AAA, the Mounties made the sensible move: they released him. Gary Peters was recalled from his injury rehab to take Affeldt’s place.

TWIWBL 32.0: Series XXV Notes

By mknn

On February 1, 2023

In TWIWBL

July 19th

For this TWIWBL we’re going to look at two of my favorite emerging plotlines.

Biggest Surprise

Right now, it’s got to be the Birmingham Black Barons. At the end of May, they were 10 games back, a .400 team, and battling Miami for last place in the Marvin Miller Division. Today, they are 7 games over .500, and only 2.5 games behind division-leading Portland. So, what happened?

Birmingham began to turn it around in late May, but their high level of activity at the all-star break has to be mentioned as well. Ultimately, they lost 2 SPs (Dick Rudolph to Chicago and all-star Tim Hudson to San Francisco), a key bullpen piece (Hoyt Wilhelm in the same trade as Rudolph), and two infielders (all-star 2B Tom Herr to the Black Yankees and U Frank Isbell to Brooklyn). They received 10 players and 4 draft picks in return, with only 1B Adrián González making the big leagues immediately.

González’ OPS with the Black Barons has been in the high 600’s, which isn’t great, but is almost 200 points higher than his struggles with Chicago. He is splitting time at 1B with Frank McCormick, and the combo is outperforming Isbell. Hank Aaron is playing more at 2B with Herr gone, allowing Bob Nieman and Curtis Granderson to be joined by a rotating cast of OFers, but overall strengthening the lineup (even if Aaron isn’t exactly good defensively at 2B). Additionally, Eddie Mathews and Pie Traynor are in the lineup most days, with Mathews becoming the primary DH.

It’s worked: the quartet of Granderson, McCormick, Mathews, and Aaron have all come to life, combining for 27 HRs and 103 RBIs since June 1st. All in all, a team that struggled to score at all is now slowly, very slowly, edging away from the bottom of the pack offensively.

But the real success has been on the mound where, quite surprisingly, the loss of Hudson, Rudolph, and Wilhelm hasn’t really been felt. Alejandro Peña has been solid all year, Greg Maddux is finally living up to his hype, and Vic Willis continues to impress in the rotation. Closer Juan Ríncón has 17 saves despite starting the season buried in the bullpen, and the trio of Bruce Chen, Harley Young, and Steve Bedrosian have been fantastic in getting the ball to Rincón.

Rincón got his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th save of the season in consecutive games in late May, about the same time Bedrosian and Willis joined the big league club, with Chen being recalled from AAA in late June.

Look, the Black Barons are still a longshot to make the playoffs–but just being in the conversation has been an unlikely triumph for Birmingham. And it’s not all luck: yes, they are outperforming their Pythagorean projection by 2 wins, but that would still leave them above .500 even if they weren’t.

Second Biggest Surprise

The New York Black Yankees were supposed to run away and hide atop the Effa Manley Division. But the Cleveland Spiders have other ideas, and currently sit 3.5 games above New York in the standings, with the second best record in baseball.

Cy Young and Pat Malone have led the rotation all year, with ERA’s right around 4.00 and excellent peripheral numbers, and the bullpen trio of Chuck Porter, Cory Gearrin, and Ron Reed (who has continued to excel since being acquired from Philadelphia) have been able to consistently get the ball to Terry Adams in good situations. Adams has delivered with 23 saves, despite an 0-5 record.

Offensively, Ron Blomberg is in the argument for the MVP, slashing 334/402/638 with 28 homeruns and 76 RBIs, but the key to the team may have been finding a way to get John Ellis in the lineup almost every day, as the C/1B/DH has an OPS over .900, ranking second to Blomberg in most offensive stats. Add in a great season from Louis Santop behind the plate, solid contributions from Jake Stahl, Chuck Knoblauch, and Johnny Bates and the surprising turnaround from midseason acquisition Lance Berkman (whose OPS is over 300 points above where it was for Houston), and the Spiders have a dangerous lineup, top to bottom.

Can they hold off the Black Yankees? If New York’s bullpen continues to be absolutely porous, yes, yes they can. Will they? That’s another question entirely.

Performance

Awards

I feel like I’ve missed these for a little while, so I’m going to list the last few Players of the Week as well as June’s Players of the Month.

Player of the Month

In an unusual occurence for a reliever, Willie Mitchell of the Indianapolis ABC’s was the Pitcher of the Month for June. Mitchell was 4-0 with a 0.95 ERA out of the bullpen, prompting him to be added to the ABC’s rotation.

The Los Angeles Angels‘ Mike Trout took the Batter of the Month award, by hitting .381 for June. Trout is still looking to add some power to his results, but it moved him firmly into the conversation of elite hitters in the game.

Player of the Week

Willie Stargell of the Homestead Grays was the PotW for the week ending 7/17, hitting .565 with 3 HRs and 9RBIs in the span.

Babe Ruth has recovered from a mini-slump with a vengeance, taking home the PotW award for the week ending 7/10, hitting .500 with 3 homeruns and 12 RBI’s.

Before Ruth, the award went to Brooklyn’s Beals Becker, who raised his season average to a cool .300 with a .478, 3 HR showing during the week.

Batters

Top 2 in all categories, with the WBL leader in bold.

It’s been the Babe Ruth show since Reggie Jackson‘s triple crown run fell apart, but we’re seeing some others, most notably Kansas City‘s Stan Musial, edge into the MVP discussion.

Dick Allen (CAG). 307/375/553. 10 3B.
Johnny Bench (IND). 295/411/564. 4.4 WAR.
Ron Blomberg (CLE). 334/402/638. 28 HR.
Rico Carty (PHI). 287/360/461. 34 2B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 350/392/559. 124 H.
Mike Epstein (HOM). 332/432/535.
Mike Fiore (CAG). 249/405/415. 70 BB.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 252/388/341. 74 BB; 69 SB.
Kent Hrbek (POR). 309/379/591. 28 HR.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 340/422/593. 76 R.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 327/439/587.
Stan Musial (KCM). 340/396/602. 129 H; 36 2B.
Doug Rader (LAA). 324/382/532. 94 RBI.
Tim Raines (OTT). 290/365/433. 71 SB.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 313/421/643. 30 HR; 91 RBI; 80 R; 5.3 WAR.
Louis Santop (CLE). 312/344/470. 10 3B.

Pitchers

Starters

Top 3 in each category, with the league leader in bold. No fewer than nine hurlers have 10 victories each, so only the top two in wins–Cole and Mathewson–are listed.

Bill Byrd (BAL). 10-2, 3.12. 1.18 WHIP.
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-4, 4.10.
Don Drysedale (BRK). 6-3, 3.49. 1 H; 1.17 WHIP.
Ned Garvin (BAL). 9-3, 2.66. 2 H; 1.15 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 10-6, 3.72. 150 Ks.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-8, 3.99. 144 Ks; 3.4 WAR.
Walter Johnson (POR). 9-3, 3.54. 3.3 WAR.
Frank Knauss (BRK). 10-4, 3.19. 1 Sv.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 11-6, 3.78. 123 Ks.
Alejandro Peña (BBB). 8-6, 3.65. 3.6 WAR.

Relievers

Detroit‘s Mike Henneman has finally passed the injured Johan Santana for the league lead in saves.

22 IP for rate stats; top 2, leader in bold.

Terry Adams (CLE). 0-5, 3.48. 23 Sv; 1 H.
Watty Clark (BRK). 3-1, 1.20. 17 Sv.
Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.41. 25 Sv.
AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.22. 18 Sv, 0.86 WHIP.
Chuck Porter (CLE). 4-3, 2.04. 1 Sv; 10 H; 0.86 WHIP.
Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-3, 2.59. 3 Sv; 16 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-2, 3.35. 13 H.
Johan Santana (POR). 1-1, 2.78. 23 Sv; 1 H.
Jonny Venters (LAA). 3-3, 3.35. 5 Sv; 13 H.
Brian Wilson (SFS). 1-0, 1.15. 20 Sv.

Streaks

Beals Becker‘s on-bas streak ended at 32 games, but Boog Powell‘s is still alive at 29 and counting. Other active streaks of note include Brian Wilson‘s 18 consecutive saves and Bill Byrd‘s 14 starts without a loss, as well as Harley Young‘s 12 scoreless innings in relief.

Series Results

Series XXV Sweeps

Birmingham over Indianapolis

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXV

Chicago over Philadelphia
House of David over Cleveland
Kansas City over New York Black Yankees
San Francisco over Portland

Series XXV Splits

Houston Colt 45’s @ Baltimore Black Sox
Miami Cuban Giants @ Brooklyn
Detroit Wolverines @ New York Gothams
Homestead @ Memphis Red Sox
Ottawa Mounties @ Los Angeles

TWIWBL 31.2: Series XXIV Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On January 17, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Bill Byrd improved to 10-2 on the year, allowing 1 run in 6 innings in a 6-5 win over Miami. Bryce Harper had 3 hits for Baltimore, and the bullpen did barely enough to hold onto the victory.

Dennis Martínez joined Byrd as a 10 game winner, carrying a no-hitter through 6 innings in an 8-2 victory. Bobby Wallace had 3 hits and Frank Robinson drove in 3 runs for the Black Sox.

Looking to strengthen their bench, the Black Sox recalled Brooks Robinson from AAA, where he seems to have found his stroke, sending Cal Ripken, Jr. down.

#Chicago American Giants

Chicago pounded out 20 hits and 15 runs in demolishing Detroit, 15-1. Dick Allen, Duffy Lewis, Magglio Ordóñez, and Cristóbal Torriente each had 3 hits, with Ordóñez scoring 3 times and Allen driving in 5 (4 coming on a grandslam). Mike Fiore had 2 homeruns, and Jack Doyle went deep as well. Dick Rudolph went to 3-1 on the year with a strong 6 innings before exiting the game after a short rain delay.

Hoyt Wilhelm hurt his thumb and will be out for at least 10 days, with Scott Radinsky recalled to take his place.

#Houston Colt 45’s

With Bret Saberhagen out for the year, Bones Ely moves into the starting rotation for Houston.

#Kansas City Monarchs

With their season plummeting, the Monarchs sent Rube Marquard to AAA. Bob Gibson–11 years Marquard’s junior–comes up from St. Louis and replaces him in the rotation.

#Ottawa Mounties

The struggle continues … Greg Holland and Clark Griffith head to AAA, with Clayton Richard coming back from a rehab assignment and Steve Howe returning from Montréal. Richard rejoins the rotation, which remains a bit of a mess overall. Ryan Dempster has been officially named the Mounties’ closer.