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Year III Season Preview: Houston Colt .45’s

On July 31, 2026

In 2002 Season Previews, Team News

▌ State of the Franchise

Houston has the coldest front office in the league: a compliment.

The Colt .45’s were surprise contenders in 2001 (85-77, a first Marvin Miller Division title, and a playoff round won before Brooklyn ended their season). This team was built without sentiment. Surplus value is currency; names don’t matter, they’ve moved out Lance Berkman, HR Johnson, and Stubby Overmire in major deals, each one built around the notion that they brought more talent in than they surrendered.

The engine underneath is young. The everyday core runs 20 to 25 — Carlos Correa at short, Jeff Bagwell at first, Jim Wynn in center, 20-year-old Pete Hill in left — with a farm system stuffed with arms. The weak point over each of the past 2 seasons has been the bullpen, which has stumbled at every opportunity despite a wealth of good-looking arms — pointing to a challenge either in evaluation or a long string of poor fortune.

And all of it is watched by the most analytics-literate crowd in the league — a fanbase that reads value correctly and whose standing grievance is that nobody outside the 713 appreciates what they’re building.

▌ 2001 Revisited

A year ago the diagnosis was the offense — too weak across the board, especially in its ability to hit for power — and the prescription was for the established bats to break out: some combination of George Brett, Craig Biggio, and Andrés Galarraga.

They didn’t — those 3 in particular. Biggio hit 234/333/398. Brett scuffled to .227 in 357 plate appearances. Galarraga hit his way to a demotion.

Houston won the division anyway, which is the whole point of this franchise. Correa erupted for 318/399/556 and settled the shortstop question to the point Houston was willing to deal Johnson. Tony Gwynn flirted with .400 before tailing off a bit after the All-Star break. Toad Ramsey knuckleballed his way to 282 strikeouts and an 8.2 WAR, arguably the best pitching season anyone had. Clemens won 17. Wynn hit 37 homers and added 38 steals with a .359 OBP and, as usual, was noticed by almost nobody.

The power never really arrived — which is an ongoing concern, and largely responsible for Gorman Thomas making the Opening Day roster (Thomas had a strong showing at the end of last season, and the team is anticipating that Bagwell and Paul Goldschmidt add to their longball numbers as well).

The one thing that went exactly as feared was the bullpen — it didn’t seem to matter who they used, they all got hammered. Sparky Lyle, the arm they sold Johnson to get, had a 3.86 ERA in New York and a 10.12 in Houston.

And yet: division title, Wild Card series win, and clear-eyed optimism for the future.

▌ Key Changes

In: Trea Turner (CAG)
Out: Travis Jackson (CAG)

Opening Day Rookies: Vida Blue; Shanty Hogan; Roberto Osuna; Aramis Ramírez; Will Smith; Gorman Thomas; Trea Turner

▌ Best Case for 2002

The young core steps forward instead of back. Correa’s breakout proves real, and behind Ramsey and Clemens the reclamation arms bounce the way the org keeps insisting they will — Roy Oswalt and Stephen Strasburg were both 4-WAR aces once, and Oswalt’s spring (a 0.69 ERA, the command back) confirms Houston’s faith in them.

Hill and the kids keep climbing, and more power develops throughout the lineup. And the perennial if finally lands: 1 of the electric bullpen arms converts, and Houston has an 8th and 9th inning to go with everything else.

And, with all that, the team confirms that it’s built to be good for a long time.

▌ Worst Case for 2002

The pen stays exactly what it has been. Correa’s 2001 turns out to have been the career year rather than the launching pad. Brett’s swing stays both pretty and empty. And perhaps most concerning, Oswalt and Strasburg stay frustratingly promising, but without impact. Ramsey proves to have been a fluke, leaving the rotation bereft of much beyond Clemens.

▌ Key Questions

Will the bullpen ever convert? A maddening question, because it’s not a blind spot — the org sees it perfectly. The pen is stocked with electric arms that don’t get outs: Billy Wagner‘s stuff grades near the top of the league and he posted an 8.20 ERA. The relievers who actually work are the soft-tossers, Tug McGraw and Andrew Chafin. A large share of Houston’s churn is nothing more than repeated attempts to fix this one thing.
Which Correa is real? The franchise committed hard after the breakout, clearing the middle infield to hand him shortstop outright, and the spring keeps agreeing (a 1.105 OPS). But a .955 season from a 23-year-old could very well be a mirage.
How far does trusting young arms go? Further than anywhere else in the league, for sure: Elton Chamberlain threw 108 innings of 3.56 ball with 100 strikeouts at 19. The next test case is Leon Day, 20, whom the org holds as a future front-of-rotation starter on conviction alone — his 2001 was an 8.49 ERA in a WBL look and 8.34 at Triple-A.

▌ Roster Evaluation

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

Pos	Players
C	Smith · Hogan
1B	Bagwell B · Goldschmidt
2B	Biggio D · Turner
SS	Correa A
3B	Brett F · Ramírez
LF	Hill C
CF	Wynn B · O’Rourke B
RF	Gwynn B
DH	Goldschmidt · Bagwell B
SP	Ramsey S · Clemens B · Chamberlain · Oswalt F · Strasburg D
RP	Lyle D (CL) · McGraw D · Chafin A · Wagner · Osuna

What the cells won’t tell you: Jim Wynn may be the best player on the roster.

▌ Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	CF Jim Wynn	1B Harry Stovey
Batting Eye	1B Paul Goldschmidt	3B Morgan Ensberg
Contact	RF Tony Gwynn	CF Kirby Puckett
Running Speed	2B Trea Turner	CF Willy Taveras
Base Stealing	SP Elton Chamberlain; CF Jim O’Rourke	SP Ed Morris
IF Defense	3B George Brett	SS Roy McMillan
OF Defense	RF Pete Hill	CF Willy Taveras
Stuff	RP Billy Wagner	RP Brad Lidge
Control	RP Roberto Osuna	RP Dan Quisenberry; RP Tim Crews
Velocity	RP Billy Wagner	RP Brad Lidge

▌ Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	Pos	Name
1 (2)	20	SP	Ed Morris
2 (33)	22	SP	Carlos Rodón
3 (40)	19	CF	César Cedeño
4 (53)	22	2B	Yoán Moncada
5 (62)	26	CF	Kirby Puckett
6 (69)	20	2B	Tommy Harper
7 (87)	22	SP	Scott Bankhead
8 (89)	20	SP	Rick Wise

Others: P Leon Day, P Bill Harper, P Lance McCullers, P Bret Saberhagen.

Graduated to the active roster since the ranked list: Trea Turner (21), Will Smith (42).

The deepest, most pitching-rich system in the league. Recent draftee Ed Morris ranks 2nd in all of baseball. Carlos Rodón — pried out of New York in the HR Johnson sale — threw 137 innings at a 2.29 ERA with 121 strikeouts, and with Scott Bankhead and Rick Wise that makes 4 ranked starters. César Cedeño, Kirby Puckett and Tommy Harper feed the outfield behind them.

A year ago this list was topped by Chamberlain, who has since graduated into the rotation, and by catcher Will Smith, who is now the everyday backstop.

Then there’s the layer nobody ranks, which is also arms: Bret Saberhagen is 21 and put up a 3.03 at AA. Lance McCullers is 21 and saved 33 games in the minors, and there is, of course, Day.

▌ Superlatives

	Most	Least
Age	Gorman Thomas, 32	Mike Hedlund, 18
Height	John O’Donoghue, 6’6″	Ed Morris, 5’7″
OPS	Ken Henderson, 1.125 (AA)	Jorge Polanco, .480 (A)
HR	Gorman Thomas, 50 (AAA)	Roy McMillan, 1 (AA)
SB	Jim Wynn, 38	–
WAR (bat)	Ken Henderson, 5.4 (AA)	Victor Reyes, −2.2 (A)
W	Roger Clemens, 17	–
SV	Lance McCullers, 33 (AA)	–
ERA	Carlos Rodón, 2.18 (A)	Leon Day, 6.79 (AA)
WAR (pit)	Toad Ramsey, 8.2	Dock Ellis, 0.2

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

TWIWBL 97.2: The Spring Training Trades

By mknn

On July 18, 2026

In TWIWBL

With just over a week left in Spring Training, we get to see how panicked some teams are, and how much they want to shake things up before opening day.

Unsurprisingly, we start with the Black Yankees and their perennial win-now mentality.

#The Black Yankees Add MI

NYY sends RP Aroldis Chapman, IF Mark Grudzielanek, 2nd Round Pick to CLE for IF Joe Sewell, IF Bill Phillips.

This is more fallout from the Grant Johnson trade in some ways: Sewell will have every shot at displacing Derek Jeter at SS for New York, and the team looks set to juggle their middle infield between those two, Robby Thompson, and Rogers Hornsby.

For Cleveland, they took a blocked talent–Sewell was never displacing Arky Vaughan–and converted it into a great bullpen arm and a valuable pick.

#The Red Sox Have a Rotation

Unsatisfied with just adding Don Drysdale and Red Ruffing, Memphis went shopping on the West coast.

MEM sends IF Dobie Moore, OF Dwight Evans, P Mike Witt to LAA for P Tom Seaver, IF Xander Bogaerts, IF Andrelton Simmons, C Mark Salas.

Clearly, the spine of the deal is Seaver for Moore, but this one has a lot of repercussions: Memphis continues to weed out some of its OF talent, and takes a gamble on Seaver continuing to develop at the WBL level. SS for Memphis is now a scramble between the two new bodies, Adam Everett, and Bud Harrelson; while for Los Angeles, this settles at least half of their middle infield question, and opens the door for some more arms to prove themselves in the rotation as they look to the future.

#CAG Settles at SS. Maybe.

CAG sends U Trea Turner & IF Yoán Moncada to HOU for IF Travis Jackson.

Jackson is clearly ready for WBL time–here he may actually get it; in return HOU gets a prospect in search of a position and one of the ST surprises in Moncada.

#Monarchs Make Moves

KAN sends OF Dale Murphy & IF Carlos Baerga to NYG for OF Benny Kauff.

A classic now v later move. Murphy is desperately in need of a change of scenery, and Baerga remains 4-5 years away, while Kauff should help deepen a lineup in need of power.

But Kansas City wasn’t done.

KAN sends P José Rijo, P Jeff Pfeffer & 1st Round Pick to LAA for 3B Doug Rader.

The Albert Pujols at 3B experiment looks to be officially over, with Los Angeles clearly reacting to the loss of Seaver. Expect David Wright and/or Pedro Álvarez to inherit the hot corner for the Angels.

And this led to another move for Los Angeles.

LAA sends P Brett Anderson & 3rd Round Pick to HOD for IF Richie Hebner, OF Cy Williams & 2nd Round Pick

Los Angeles has now gotten rid of their 2 best pitchers from last season: this is either great faith in their stockpiled arms or pure madness.

#Easy as A-B-C

IND sends P Tom Glavine, P George Medich, P Jack Billingham & IF Robin Ventura to POR for IF Buddy Bell.

Indianapolis gets an all star and former gold glove winner to take over at the hot corner, while Portland lands a lot of future potential, headlined by the 19 year old Glavine.

This deal set the stage for the next one.

IND sends IF Ed Charles & P Dan Plesac to NYY for P Jeff D. Robinson & P Jack Armstrong.

The Black Yankees get a decent bench piece for the price of a Rule V selection–which seems fair to all. The other two arms are essentially fliers–Armstrong back to his seed franchise, Plesac as a veteran LHP hedge.

#Memphis Not Done Yet

MEM sends IF Candy Jim Taylor, P Nathan Eovaldi & 1st Round Pick to BRK for OF John Briggs & 3rd Round Pick.

This one has some heads shaking. Memphis and Brooklyn team up again, with the Red Sox landing what they hope is the CF of the future, and Brooklyn adding some minor league talent and a coveted #1 pick.

Briggs has been doubted every step of his career–this is just another chance for him to prove the haters wrong. For Brooklyn, it clears CF for Duke Snider, and also means their OF glut can now route into the DH for the year.

#BB to BBB

BAL sends IF Asdrúbal Cabrera, P Bill Byrd, IF Roy Smalley Jr. & 3rd Round Pick to BBB for P Steve Avery, P Gio González, P Warren Spahn, OF Curt Flood & 1st Round Pick.

An interesting deal.

In 7 years, Baltimore may see this as a massive win–if Avery develops, if González becomes a rotation starter, if the 1st Round Pick pans out and, perhaps most of all, if a change of scenery reboots Spahn’s career.

That’s a lot of if’s. In the meantime, Birmingham gets a potential answer to their SS woes and a front of rotation arm that excels in limiting homeruns, the Black Barons’ current Achilles’ heel.

TWIWBL 96.1 – January’s Activity

By mknn

On July 16, 2026

In TWIWBL

31 December through mid January

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#Chicago American Giants

Looking to bolster their competition at SS, Chicago signed Jay Bell to a one year deal.

More importantly, in late February, the American Giants got some good news on Frank Thomas, with the medical staff now saying he could be looking at a May return.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Signed Jeff Reardon to help in their bullpen.

Draft pick Chris Carpenter refused to sign with the Monarchs, so back into the draft pool he goes, and Kansas City will get a compensation pick.

#New York Black Yankees

Giancarlo Stanton refused to sign, so the Yankees will get a compensation pick. More importantly, this potentially scuttles a deal with the Gothams to obtain Gaylord Perry. We’ll see what the two sides can work out.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Added FA IF Lonny Frey to the MI mix–at $550k for 1 year, this is a low-risk move to try to find some stability at 2B.

Trades

These are all fallout from the Rookie Draft that were contingent on draft picks signing. The blockbuster here is how NYY’s win-now posture led to what could be a major reshaping of their roster.

The Big One

NYG sends P Gaylord Perry, IF Robbie Thompson to NYY for P Dave Righetti, IF Grant Johnson, 1st Round Pick, and 3rd Round Pick.

It’s a lot to give up. But the Black Yankees get a solid #3 starter, clear room for Hardy Richardson to play, and, as they are wont to do, further mortgage their future.

A Three Way

This was really just to resolve some errors in the draft itself. All low level noise.

KAN sends P Tex Pruitt, P Fred Holdsworth to DET for P Jakie May.
DET sends P Tex Pruitt, P Fred Holdsworth to MEM for C Billy Sullivan, P John Healy.

Gant Comes Home

BBB sends OF Yoenis Céspedes, P Ed Hanyzewski to HOD for SS Ron Gant.

Interesting deal. Gant, of course, doesn’t stay at SS, and Céspedes may impact HOD immediately.

More Noise

MCG sends P Jing Johnson to SFS for 2B Joe Dunand, P Kevin Kobel.

Housekeeping.

TWIWBL 91.2: Off Season Review – New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On April 15, 2026

In TWIWBL

90 - 72, .497 pct.
1st in Bill James Division
Lost to CLE 4-1 v PHI in AL Wild Card

Overall

This franchise will never be satisfied without a championship. So … they’re not satisfied.

This team will always score runs, and they have decently reasonable expectations for their rotation (even with the odd departure of Red Ruffing). So, once again, the question is how do they shore up the back end of their staff and the ongoing misery that is the Black Yankees’ bullpen.

But the core of this team is so magnificent: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Rogers Hornsby, and now Grant Johnson. Of those, only Schmidt (29) and Hornsby (34) are over 25. So it should be good for a while yet.

But they’ve never been wary of blowing things up, so it could be another busy offseason in the Bronx.

What Went Right

The team revolves around the Bambino. 73 homeruns (a record expected to stand for a while) and 167 RBIs will do that, along with a slash line of 280/412/744. And, honestly, he’s more likely to repeat at that level than Ty Cobb at his, so another Mel Trench Award may be in the future.

On any other team, Lou Gehrig would be the focal point (63 homeruns, 132 RBIs, 292/399/721). Here, Gehrig seems happy to be more in the shadows despite the superlative performance. Gehrig may move to 1B next season–it depends on what the decide to do with Don Mattingly.

And then there’s Mickey Mantle, the youngest of the three, posting a .969 OPS. Yeah, he strikes out too much (219 times), but the power and ability to get on base is amazing. If Eric Davis‘ injury woes continue, Mantle will see more and more time in CF.

Speaking of Davis, he was a great performer (.882 OPS with 61 SB) in the 111 games he played in. So that’s both sides of his coin.

Mike Schmidt doesn’t hit for average, but he hits for power and gets on base while playing fantastically at the hot corner.

Rogers Hornsby is 34, but he’s still arguably the best 2B in the league. His playing time may continue to reduce, especially if Grant Johnson, who slashed 280/330/538 after his arrival from Houston, continues at that pace (Johnson will play both 2B & SS, maybe even some 3B).

On the mound, last season’s big acquisition, Andy Pettitte, delivered in spades, leading the staff with an 18-9 record and a 4.43 ERA (not close to leading the league, as he did last year, but still quite respectable).

Yet again, Ron Guidry has a great year by advanced analytics … and a less than stellar one by traditional ones. Guidry finished 11-7 with a 4.51 ERA, 2nd in the league with 251 strikeouts. But his SIERA, WAR, and FIP were significantly better than Pettitte’s. So, we’ll see if Louisiana Lightning can put it together on both sides at some point.

And then the starters fade dramatically. Pascual Pérez was mediocre after coming over from Portland, Dave Righetti was .. fine, and the noise around Tony Brizzolara is more because of how much better he was than, say, Jack Scott‘s 7.34 ERA.

In the bullpen, Goose Gossage was usually excellent, but often horrid, taking over at closer and posting 20 saves to go along with 8 holds and an ERA barely over 4. And Hoyt Wilhelm was quite good after coming over in trade.

But … beyond that … Rheal Cormier had 18 holds with horrible numbers.

ALL STARS

Lou Gehrig
Goose Gossage
Andy Pettitte
Babe Ruth
Mike Schmidt

MAJOR AWARDS

Rogers Hornsby, AL 2B Silver Slugger
Mickey Mantle, All AL Team
Babe Ruth, All AL Team; AL OF Silver Slugger

RECOGNITIONS

Tony Brizzolara, AL All Rookie 2nd Team
Lou Gehrig, All AL 2nd Team
Goose Gossage, All AL 2nd Team; AL 23 & Under Team; Phineas Flint Award 3rd Place
Ron Guidry, All AL 3rd Team
Rogers Hornsby, AL Over 30 Team
Grant Johnson, AL 25 & Under Team
Mickey Mantle, AL 25 & Under Team; AL 23 & Under Team
Andy Pettitte, All AL 2nd Team; AL Over 30 Team
Babe Ruth, AL 25 & Under Team; Mel Trench Award, 2nd Place
Mike Schmidt, All AL 2nd Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Babe Ruth, MVP
Andy Pettitte, Pitcher of the Year
Lou Gehrig, Heart & Soul
Eric Davis, Fan Favorite

Noah Syndergaard, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Mickey Rivers, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

The IF was rough for much of the year, with Tom Herr playing himself out of the WBL, Héctor López struggling in a reserve role, and Derek Jeter‘s offensive struggles. Jeter is slowing in the field at 33, and his .744 OPS isn’t going to cut it.

Don Mattingly hits OK, but an .800ish OPS won’t cut it at 1B.

And then there’s the pitching.

The issue was really that nobody stepped into the void after the good performers. Jack Scott was miserable as a starter as was Minor League Pitcher of the Year Noah Syndergaard who thoroughly failed his WBL audition, and David Robertson, Roy Evans, Gary Lavelle and a host of others were even worse out of the pen.

Aroldis Chapman continues to have lightning in his left arm and no real sense of how to use it.

Transactions

March

OF Albert Belle, P Frank Viola, P Lefty Gomez, IF Jess Barbour to BBB for P Andy Pettitte, OF Mickey Rivers, 3rd Round Pick.

Seems like a clear win: Pettitte became the staff ace, Rivers, while thoroughly blocked, was the Minor League Player of the Year, and they still have the pick.

July

IF Willie Randolph, P Jake Peavy, P Bill Monbouquette, 1st Round Pick to POR for IF Rogers Hornsby, P Pascual Pérez.

Depending on the pick and how Peavy develops, this could be seen as a colossal error, but the Black Yankees are a win-now organization, and Hornsby delivered as promised.

August

P Waite Hoyt & 5th Round Pick to CAG for IF Jorge Orta, P Hoyt Wilhelm, & 4th Round Pick.

On the one hand, (Waite) Hoyt is exactly the kind of mid-rotation starter New York now needs; on the other, Hoyt (Wilhelm) should settle some of the bullpen for quite some time. So, shrug?

P Sparky Lyle, IF Elliott Maddox, P Carlos Rodón, 2nd Round Pick, & 4th Round Pick to HOU for IF Grant Johnson.

The price was high, but HR Johnson is a fantastic talent, and has a clear role with the Black Yankees. Still, the cupboard is getting bare for the future (future? what is this future? there is only now sneers the Black Yankees’ board).

Positional Overview

C

Thurman Munson slid a bit this year, but he’s still quite solid and Manny Sanguillén is one of the better backups in the league. Both will return.

If they falter, Darrin Fletcher, Eric MacKenzie, or Ron Pruitt look most likely to be able to help out.

1B

For now, this is Don Mattingly, but he either needs to step it up or Gehrig may see more time here, with Nick Etten in reserve.

In terms of pure 1B, only Fred Whitfield has much promise, although Anthony Volpe has his supporters. Roger Maris may get some reps here occasionally as well.

2B

Rogers Hornsby is here, with a lot of support from Grant Johnson. Veteran Hardy Richardson is still at AAA, and could fill in if needed, while Tom Herr is always around.

More interesting is Jorge Orta, who had a brilliant debut, but seems a bit positionally blocked in the system.

SS

The Black Yankees will trot out Derek Jeter again, but he really isn’t providing enough to hold his starting role indefinitely. Should Jeter continue to struggle, look for Grant Johnson to see time here as well.

There is some talent in the system, from the defensive prowess of Alcides Escobar and Dansby Swanson to the overall talents of Charlie Irwin and Mark Grudzielanek.

3B

Mike Schmidt is under appreciated pretty universally, but he’s a spectacular talent. Look for Josh Harrison to push Héctor López for the reserve role, with Heinie Groh offering a strong defensive option.

LF/RF

Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle are an impressive duo, to say the least.

Roger Maris did enough in limited action to warrant a long look as a the reserve OFer.

Should they be needed, a quartet of minor league veterans could be useful: Hank Bauer, Gene Moore Jr, Nick Swisher, and Jayson Werth.

CF

Eric Davis will be here as long as he’s healthy, with Mantle sliding over as well.

The minors have some talent as well, led by young Clyde Milan, but also Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Minor League Player of the Year Mickey Rivers.

DH

If Mattingly stays, this is Gehrig, but if not, it offers a well to work some of the additional OF talent into the mix.

SP

Andy Pettitte and Ron Guidry are set, and Dave Righetti and Tony Brizzolara are likely assured of spots as well. That leaves an open spot for Pascual Pérez, Whitey Ford, Noah Syndergaard, and Art Ditmar to fight over.

Vic Raschi, Jack Scott, and Roy Evans each have shown some promise lower in the system as well.

RP

Gossage and Wilhelm will be welcomed back; Cormier and Chapman accepted with a little less enthusiasm.

Beyond that, it’s pretty open. Herm Wehmeier faltered after a promising start, but he, Jeff Nelson, and Anthony Varvaro will get a close look in the Spring, as will minor league closer Paul Shuey.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

It’s honestly surprising the Black Yankees have this many picks left. Some of these may be used to bolster the bullpen, others would be aimed at replenishing a somewhat depleted system.

TWIWBL 91.1: Off Season Review – Houston Colt 45s

By mknn

On April 14, 2026

In TWIWBL

85 - 77, .525 pct.
1st in Marvin Miller Division
Won 4-1 v PHI in NL Wild Card
Lost to BRK 4-2 in NL Championship

Overall

Houston was quite a surprise this year, taking home their first division title with a team that came together a year or three earlier than expected. The question is can they maintain this level of play?

A lot depends on how the pitching plays out: Toad Ramsey was among the best in the WBL this year and Roger Clemens wasn’t far behind. If the rest of the rotation can come around, and if the bullpen can just manage to be OK, the Colt 45’s could be back in the playoffs next year.

The distant future is quite bright: this is a very young team with some strong talent working through the system as well.

What Went Right

We’ll start with the pitching this time.

Above all else, we have knuckleballer Toad Ramsey, who was probably the best pitcher in the WBL by any analysis of the metrics, but whose 16-10 record prevented him winning all the awards. Ramsey was nearly impossible to hit, and struck out over 11 per 9 innings, and will be looked to as a staff ace once more next season.

Roger Clemens delivered in his first full season in Houston, going 17-10 with a 3.71 ERA and joining Ramsey in pitching over 200 innings.

Ice Box Chamberlain was hurt for most of the season, but came back very strong, with a 3.56 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP over 15 starts.

Andrew Chafin was good in the bullpen all year, and Jim Kern and Roberto Osuna good over the home stretch.

We’ll start on the offensive side with a couple late season additions. Gorman Thomas rode a 276/415/752 slash line over 34 games to a spot on the playoff roster, and a guaranteed deep look in Spring Training for the 31 year old. Will Smith was even better, pounding out a Ty Cobb like 1.422 OPS in 22 games, creating a virtual lock on the C job going into next year.

Paul Goldschmidt took about half the season to get going, but he was probably the most dangerous hitter on the team once he did, slashing 279/379/663 in 56 games and settling the question of DH (or 1B, depending on how the team evaluates his glovework v Jeff Bagwell‘s).

Speaking of Bagwell, he came good on his talent, leading the team with 112 RBIs and spanking 35 homeruns while showing great patience at the plate.

Carlos Correa was the surprise of the team, flirting with .400 for a while early in the season and finishing at 318/399/556 while playing quite well at SS. If Correa can keep this level of production up, it would both be an extreme boon for Houston and a bit of a surprise.

Speaking of surprises, Jim O’Rourke, a significant disappointment last year, posted an .889 OPS while providing his usual defensive flexibility.

And, speaking of flirting with .400, Tony Gwynn finished at .341, with exactly 200 hits.

Finally, Jim Wynn continues to somehow go underappreciated as a top corner outfielder. He led the team with 37 homeruns and 116 runs scored while posting an .881 OPS.

Oh, one more: Pete Hill‘s .800 OPS doesn’t seem like much until you realize he’s only 20 years old.

ALL STARS

Carlos Correa
Tony Gwynn
Toad Ramsey

MAJOR AWARDS

Toad Ramsey, All NL 1st Team
Jim Wynn, All NL 1st Team

RECOGNITIONS

Jeff Bagwell, All NL 3rd Team; NL 25 & Under Team
Vida Blue, NL 21 & Under Team
Andrew Chafin, All NL 3rd Team; NL 25 & Under Team
Ice Box Chamberlain, NL 21 & Under Team; All NL Rookie 2nd Team
Roger CLemens, All NL 3rd Team
Carlos Correa, All NL 2nd Team; NL 23 & Under Team
Tony Gwynn, All NL 3rd Team
Elliott Maddox, All NL Rookie 2nd Team
Toad Ramsey, NL Brock Rutherford Award, 2nd Place; NL 25 & Under Team; NL 23 & Under Team
Jim Wynn, NL 25 & Under Team; NL 23 & Under Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Toad Ramsey, MVP
Toad Ramsey, Pitcher of the Year
Jim Wynn, Heart & Soul
Pete Hill, Fan Favorite

Lance McCullers, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Gorman Thomas, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

First, the bullpen. It didn’t seem to matter who the Colt 45’s used, from Billy Wagner to Brad Lidge to John Franco to Fred Ely to young Leon Day. They all got hammered. And, at closer, Tug McGraw (and, later, Sparky Lyle) were OK, but not more than that.

More importantly, though, Roy Oswalt and Stephen Strasburg (not to mention an early season trial for Bret Saberhagen) were miserable, and while each ate up innings, instead of anchoring the staff, they were anchors on the team.

There were 3 significant holes in the offense: C, 2B, and 3B.

Behind the plate, Jorge Posada was below average, even for a catcher; at 2B, Craig Biggio was largely miserable, slashing 234/333/398; and at 3B, it took a late season hot streak for George Brett to improve his numbers to 227.272/469. Biggio and Brett are young enough to rebound, and see above for Will Smith‘s ouster of Posada, who is likely to spend next season as the backup catcher.

Goldschmidt’s success lessens its impact, but Andrés Galarraga‘s miserable start must be mentioned. The Big Cat slashed 187/223/373 over 56 games before being sent to the minors.

Transactions

March

None.

July

Also, none. Not for lack of trying, but the Colt 45’s found themselves in a pretty optimistic state of mind these days.

August

IF Grant Johnson to NYY for P Sparky Lyle, IF Eliott Maddox, P Carlos Rodón, 2nd Round Pick, 4th Round Pick.

This was a big one. HR Johnson is an elite talent, and Houston made the Black Yankees overpay, hoping to solve both their closer issues (Lyle was mediocre at best) and gathering the draft picks. This deal settled the Colt 45’s infield, committing them to Biggio, Correa, and Brett and, hence, increasing the pressure on the latter 2 to rebound next year.

Positional Overview

C

The Colt 45’s are turning this over to Will Smith with Jorge Posada as the backup. If either falter, they do have the option of Jim O’Rourke and even Craig Biggio filling in.

Walter Schmidt is probably the best defensive option in the minors, for whatever that’s worth.

1B

Jeff Bagwell and Paul Goldschmidt have this locked up, with whoever isn’t on the field at DH.

Harry Stovey has some upside, as does Charlie Grimm, but Bagwell and Goldschmidt should be here for quite some time.

2B

Craig Biggio will get another shot at this, but a performance like this year will move him to a reserve role pretty quickly.

Bama Rowell would have the first crack at the job, although the Colt 45’s would be likely to try Travis Jackson as well, despite SS being his more natural position.

SS

It’s not quite clear that Carlos Correa belongs in the upper echelon of WBL shortstops, but another season like this one would certainly place him there. Should Correa falter, Travis Jackson is most likely to get a chance, although there is other talent to choose from: Shawon Dunston can hit, and both Bucky Dent and Cristian Guzmán have WBL quality gloves.

3B

George Brett is in a similar position to Biggio: there is great promise, but it’s not clear he can deliver fast enough to hold his role.

This one is more competitive: it’s O’Rourke’s natural position, and both Aramis Ramírez and Wes Helms are serviceable alternatives while Edgar Martínez–only 21–develops.

LF/RF

This is more settled: Jim Wynn in LF and Tony Gwynn in RF with support from Casey Stengel and, occasionally, Pete Hill.

Buddy Bradford, Shin-Soo Choo, Ken Henderson, and Hunter Pence are also available, should Stengel either falter or be injured again.

CF

Pete Hill keeps getting better, and Houston anticipates another step forward this year. Gorman Thomas has earned a shot at the backup spot.

At some point, César Cedeño or Kirby Puckett may demand more time, and if backup is needed before then, Lorenzo Cain looks almost ready.

DH

Goldschmidt and/or Bagwell; Bagwell or/and Goldschmidt.

SP

Toad Ramsey, Roger Clemens, and Ice Box Chamberlain to open. The final 2 spots will come down to Stephen Strasburg, Roy Oswalt, Vida Blue, and Dock Ellis.

At 20, Leon Day is still probably a year or two away, but he may have the highest ceiling in the system–he or Blue.

Dave Dravecky, Bill Harper, Bret Saberhagen, Rick Wise, and Carlos Rodón should also be in the mix down the line.

RP

And now we come to the crux of the matter.

Houston has a huge amount of talent here, but the performance has been pretty miserable. They’ll again look for Tug McGraw and Sparky Lyle to close games, and turn to the best performers from this season to set them up (Andrew Chafin, Roberto Osuna, Jim Kern, and John Franco).

Beyond that … unsure. Brad Lidge and Billy Wagner have immense talent, but have struggled mightily over multiple opportunities.

Dan Quisenberry should get a look, as should their Minor League Pitcher of the Year, Lance McCullers.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

It’s a good opportunity for Houston to build their system although the temptation to find WBL level bullpen help with some of the early round picks is pretty strong.

TWIWBL 88.2: Teams of the Year By Age

By mknn

On March 1, 2026

In TWIWBL

The overall All-WBL Teams can be found here.

In this post, we’ll slowly carve people off those lists as we get younger, beginning with the under 25’s. As we get younger, future potential will begin to be more of a thing.

A full lineup, with DH, plus 3 starters and 3 relievers for each. We’ll start by relisting the overall selections, then new entries for each group will be bolded.

#WBL Teams of the Year

Pos	American League	National League
C	Ed Bailey (36, DET/CLE)	Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1B	Jim Thome (28, MCG)	Paul Konerko (34, CAG/BBB)
2B	Eddie Collins (28, CAG)	Roberto Alomar (24, OTT)
SS	Arky Vaughan (27, CLE)	Ernie Banks (25, HOD)
3B	Evan Longoria (24, CLE)	Ron Cey (27, BRK)
LF	Babe Ruth (25, NYY)	Jim Wynn (23, HOU)
CF	Turkey Stearnes (22, SFS)	Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RF	Mickey Mantle (22, NYY)	Aaron Judge (27, PHI)
DH	Ty Cobb (21, DET)	Willie Stargell (31, HOM)
SP	Lefty Grove (27, SFS) José Méndez (23, MCG) Jim Whitney (24, BBB/MCG)	Luis Padrón (22, IND) Toad Ramsey (23, HOU) A. Rube Foster (24, KCM)
RP	Ken Howell (24, SFS) Andrew Miller (23, MEM) Rod Beck (24, SFS)	Lee Smith (34, HOD/KCM) Eddie Guardado (26, KCM) Eric Gagne (27, BRK)

#WBL 25 & Under Teams

Pos	American League	National League
C	Mickey Cochrane (25, SFS)	Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1B	Hank Greenberg (24, DET)	Jeff Bagwell (24, HOU)
2B	Grant Johnson (25, HOU/NYY)	Roberto Alomar (24, OTT)
SS	Cal Ripken, Jr (23, BAL)	Ernie Banks (25, HOD)
3B	Evan Longoria (24, CLE)	Albert Pujols (22, KCM)
LF	Babe Ruth (25, NYY)	Jim Wynn (23, HOU)
CF	Turkey Stearnes (22, SFS)	Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RF	Mickey Mantle (22, NYY)	Larry Walker (23, OTT)
DH	Ty Cobb (21, DET)	Rick Monday (24, OTT)
SP	José Méndez (23, MCG) Jim Whitney (24, BBB/MCG) Bump Hadley (23, SFS)	Luis Padrón (22, IND) Toad Ramsey (23, HOU) A. Rube Foster (24, KCM)
RP	Ken Howell (24, SFS) Andrew Miller (23, MEM) Rod Beck (24, SFS)	Terry Forster (22, BRK) Andrew Chafin (25, HOU) Fred Cambria (23, PHI)

#WBL 23 & Under Teams

Pos	American League	National League
C	Iván Rodríguez (21, MCG)	Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1B	Eddie Murray (22, BAL)	Rusty Staub (21, OTT)
2B	Frank Grant (22, HOD/SFS)	Joe Morgan (22, IND)
SS	Cal Ripken, Jr (23, BAL)	Carlos Correa (23, HOU)
3B	Jimmie Foxx (22, SFS)	Albert Pujols (22, KCM)
LF	Frank Robinson (22, BAL)	Jim Wynn (23, HOU)
CF	Turkey Stearnes (22, SFS)	Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RF	Mickey Mantle (22, NYY)	Larry Walker (23, OTT)
DH	Ty Cobb (21, DET)	Richie Hebner (23, HOD)
SP	José Méndez (23, MCG) Bump Hadley (23, SFS) Brett Anderson (22, LAA)	Luis Padrón (22, IND) Toad Ramsey (23, HOU) Smokey Joe Wood (22, KCM)
RP	Andrew Miller (23, MEM) Goose Gossage (23, NYY) Julio Teheran (22, LAA)	Terry Forster (22, BRK) Fred Cambria (23, PHI) Ted Kennedy (22, PHI)

300 PA Minimums for batters, with 1 exception: Murray only had 145 PAs–1B in the AL just did not have a lot of youth.

#WBL 21 & Under

Pos	American League	National League
C	Iván Rodríguez (21, MCG)	Josh Gibson (21, HOM)
1B	—	Rusty Staub (21, OTT)
2B	Martín Dihigo (19, MCG)	—
SS	Dobie Moore (20, MEM)	Judy Johnson (18, HOM)
3B	Freddie Lindstrom (20, CAG)	Ron Santo (21, HOD)
LF	Alejandro Oms (21, MCG)	Sherry Magee (21, PHI)
CF	Ken Griffey Jr (20, POR)	Oscar Charleston (21, IND)
RF	Bryce Harper (20, BAL)	—
DH	Ty Cobb (21, DET)	—
SP	Walter Johnson (20, POR) Bob Feller (20, CLE) Joseíto Muñoz (20, POR)	Ice Box Chamberlain (19, HOU) JM Ward (20, PHI) Sandy Koufax (21, BRK)
RP	Pete Conway (21, DET) Tom Williams (20, CAG) Billy Hoeft (19, DET)	Pete Donohue (21, NYG) Edward Nolan (19, IND) Vida Blue (21, HOU)

All praises to Ty Cobb, Josh Gibson, and Oscar Charleston for remaining on the list this far. The relievers dip into some rarely used arms, but of the rest, only Freddie Lindstrom was a late-season callup.

There really isn’t an all-teenager team: the only change from the teens above would be the addition of Chicago’s Cristóbal Torriente, perhaps the worst offensive player in the league this year in CF, but surprisingly effective in a few mound appearances.

One more, largely for fun

#WBL Over 30 Team

Pos	American League	National League
C	Ed Bailey (36, DET/CLE)	Jim Pagliaroni (32, MEM/BBB)
1B	Carlos Delgado (32, LAA)	Paul Konerko (34, CAG/BBB)
2B	Rogers Hornsby (34, NYY)	Ryne Sandberg (33, HOD)
SS	Bobby Wallace (34, BAL/DET)	Ozzie Smith (30, KCM)
3B	—	Jim Ray Hart (30, NYG)
LF	Oscar Gamble (32, DET)	Don Buford (32, LAA/NYG)
CF	—	Dave Henderson (33, IND)
RF	Kiki Cuyler (32, POR)	Albert Belle (32, BBB)
DH	Gavvy Cravath (36, BAL)	Joey Votto (32, IND)
SP	Andy Pettitte (33, NYY) Connie Johnson (34, BAL/DET) Charlie Root (31, DET)	Gaylord Perry (33, NYG) Eppa Rixey (31, IND) Cliff Lee (30, HOM)
RP	Jonathan Papelbon (31, MEM/MCG) Joe Nathan (31, LAA/SFS) Buddy Groom (37, BAL)	Lee Smith (34, HOD/KCM) Bob Howry (34, PHI) Josh Lindblom (31, HOM)

Only 3 names from the All-League Teams (Baily, Konerko, and Lee Smith), reflecting on just how young the league is. This is a very wide range from some very strong performers who are expected to keep it up for a while (those 3, Pettitte, Hornsby, some others) to folks like Dave Henderson and Kiki Cuyler, who are just barely hanging onto their roster spots.

TWIWBL 84.5: AL Wild Card Series – Cleveland Spiders v New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On January 10, 2026

In 2001 Playoffs, TWIWBL

#Game 1, Thu Oct 4

Cy Young of the Spiders will take on Andy Pettitte of the Black Yankees in the opening game of the series.

Johnny Bates greeted Pettitte’s 2nd pitch with a drive into the left field bleachers for a 1-0 lead for Cleveland. An RBI double from John Ellis in the 2nd doubled the lead, and a sacrifice fly from Chuck Knoblauch made it 3-0.

But it’s hard to get separation from New York: a homerun from Lou Gehrig put the Black Yankees on the board, and then Mike Schmidt doubled, Rogers Hornsby singled, and Thurman Munson walked to load the bases. Singles from Don Mattingly, HR Johnson, and Eric Davis put New York on top, 4-3, with the bases still loaded and nobody out. Young proceeded to walk Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth before being lifted from the game with the score 6-3. Whit Wyatt allowed a 2 run single to Schmidt, and by the time the inning was over, the Black Yankees led 8-3.

Ruth hit a 3 run shot in the 6th, making it 11-3.

Having the lead seemed to settle Pettitte down, with the lefty twirling 4 scoreless before Evan Longoria took him out of the park in the 7th. Larry Doby followed with a longball of his own, chasing Pettitte. Cleveland roughed up Herm Wehmeier and Rheal Cormier and by the time the inning was over, they had batted around, scoring 4 times and closing the gap to 11-7. Bates and Lance Berkman drove in runs and Ron Blomberg was walked with the bases loaded for the final tally.

Johnson reinstated New York’s cushion with a 2 run shot in the 7th, and the Black Yankees took the 13-7 lead into the top of the 9th.

Arky Vaughn walked and Tris Speaker singled, which brought Goose Gossage in from New York’s bullpen. The Goose was good, and New York rode that big inning early in the game to a victory and a 1-0 series lead.

Schmidt and Johnson had 3 hits each for New York; Doby had 3 for Cleveland.

CLE 7 (Young 0-1) @ NYY 13 (Pettitte 1-0)
HRs: CLE – Bates (1), Longoria (1), Doby (1); NYY – Gehrig (1), Ruth (1), Johnson (1).
Box Score

#Game 2, Fri Oct 5

Cleveland will turn to young Bob Feller, coming off a 13-3 season, to try to even the series. Feller will be opposed by the Black Yankees’ stalwart, Ron Guidry.

Cleveland’s John Ellis has had a bit of a disappointing season, but he can atone for that with a strong postseason performance. Today, that meant a 2 run shot off Guidry in the 2nd. Lance Berkman added an RBI single in the 3rd, but in the bottom of the frame, Eric Davis took Feller deep, making the score 3-1. Chuck Knoblauch would regain the 3 run advantage for Cleveland in the 4th with a shot to right that barely cleared the wall, but they all count the same. 4-1, Spiders.

Guidry fanned 10 in 6 innings of work, but the 4 runs loomed larger. The Black Yankees turned to Red Ruffing–an all-star last year, but pretty rough this–and it did not go well: Ruffing walked the first 2 batters he faced, and then gave up a 2-run double to Arky Vaughan. Dave Righetti relieved Ruffing, and got out of the inning without further damage, leaving the score 6-1 in favor of Cleveland.

Feller was gassed at this point, but he was also overpowering the impressive Black Yankees lineup. He was left in the game until Grant Johnson‘s 2 out single in the bottom of the 7th. Feller left with 11 strikeouts, having allowed only 5 hits and the single run. His relief, Yordano Ventura, walked Eric Davis and gave up an RBI single to Mickey Mantle.

That brought in Al Smith to face Babe Ruth, lefty on lefty. Smith got the Babe to pop out to left, leaving the score 6-2.

Terry Adams came in to close it out for Cleveland, but gave up Davis’ 2nd homer of the game, a 2 run shot to left. Then, with 2 outs, Ruth singled, bringing up Gehrig as the tying run. But Adams induced a weak groundout to second, ending the game and tying up the series.

Davis had 3 hits for New York, but didn’t get enough support, with Ruth and Thurman Munson leaving 4 on base each. Vaughan and Knoblauch each had 2 hits for the Spiders, but this was really Feller’s game.

CLE 6 (Feller 1-0; Smith 1 H) @ NYY 4 (Guidry 0-1)
HRs: CLE – Ellis (1), Knoblauch (1); NYY – Davis 2 (2).
Box Score

#Game 3, Sun Oct 7

With the series tied at 1, the Black Yankees would call on the unproven Tony Brizzolara, certainly impressive, but only over 50 innings of work. Detroit would counter with Bill Steen, 13-10 on the year with solid supporting numbers to go along with a 4.71 ERA.

Both teams generated some traffic, but nobody could push a run across the plate. In the bottom of the third, Johnny Bates led off with a triple, and then the skies opened up, creating a rain delay of over an hour. That would mark the end of the day for both starters, with Pascual Pérez coming in for New York. Pérez stranded Bates at third, keeping the game scoreless.

Cleveland turned it over to Pat Malone to start the 4th.

Both Pérez and Malone were fantastic, and we remained scoreless into the 7th, when a single by Evan Longoria chased Pérez. Larry Doby greeted Rheal Cormier with a homerun to right, putting the Spders on top, 2-0.

And that’s how it ended, with 4 Spiders hurlers combining on the 4-hit shutout. Malone got the deserved win, but Al Smith and Terry Adams deserve credit for a hitless inning each. You can’t really fault Pérez: he only gave up 1 hit in his four plus innings.

The Black Yankees now trail in the series, 2-1, and desperately need Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig to wake up (Ruth is hitting .167 in the series so far, Gehrig .083).

NYY 0 (Pérez 0-1) @ CLE 2 (Malone 1-0; Adams 1 Sv; Smith 2 H)
HRs: NYY – none; CLE – Doby (2).
Box Score

#Game 3, Mon Oct 8

This may not technically be a must win for New York, but, you know, it’s a must win for New York, who really need their superstars to step up. More importantly, the prior games dug into the Black Yankees bullpen, leaving them with a choice of Herm Wehmeier–decent this year, but having faded a bit down the stretch–or Red Ruffing, who was stellar last season and horrid this one.

They opted for Ruffing, with Cleveland bringing back Cy Young after his ugly Game 1 start. The Spiders will also give Willie McCovey the start at DH in place of the struggling Ron Blomberg.

Ruffing gave up a homerun to Arky Vaughan in the first and third and Larry Doby in the second, making it 3-0 after 3 innings. Not insurmountable, but not what the Black Yankees needed. A single by Johnny Bates chased Ruffing in the bottom of the 5th, bringing in Hoyt Wilhelm, who gave up a 3-run shot to Lance Berkman in the 5th and an RBI single to Bates in the 7th, increasing the lead to 7-1.

Lou Gehrig had gotten one back in the top of the 4th, but Young was (finally, from the Spiders’ perspective) pitching well, lasting 6 innings and even getting Gehrig ejected for arguing a strike call. Hank Gastright and Firpo Marberry finished it off for Cleveland, giving the Spiders a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Offensively, Vaughan had 3 hits and Bates and Berkman added 2 each for Cleveland.

Yeah, their pitching could have been better, but only Eric Davis, Mike Schmidt, and Grant Johnson have batting averages above .200 so far in the series for New York.

NYY 1 (Ruffing 0-1) @ CLE 8 (Young 1-1)
HRs: NYY – Gehrig (2); CLE – Vaughan 2 (2), Doby (3), Berkman (1).
Box Score

#Game 5, Tue Oct 9

The Black Yankees find themselves needing to reel off 3 consecutive wins, so everyone in the bullpen is available today. And tomorrow. And the next day. Andy Pettitte who struggled a bit in the opening game, will take the ball for New York, opposed by Cleveland’s Yordano Ventura.

Pettitte continued to struggle: 3 hits and a walk led to 2 runs for Cleveland in the bottom of the first, with RBIs from Lance Berkman and Evan Longoria. Don Mattingly got 1 back with a solo shot in the top of the 3rd. Pettitte gave up 3 more hits and another walk in the bottom of the frame, this time only surrendering a single run. A 2 out double by Johnny Bates marked the end of Pettitte’s day, with the Black Yankees turning to Dave Righetti.

Meanwhile, Ventura was in total control through 5, keeping the Yankees to the lone run, preserving the 3-1 edge for the Spiders.

Eric Davis took Ventura deep in the 6th, cutting the deficit to 3-2 and chasing Ventura. Whit Wyatt entered and walked Mickey Mantle, but fanned Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Chuck Knoblauch tripled in a run in the bottom of the 6th; an important moment as, in the top of the 8th, Mantle doubled home Davis. That once again gave Ruth–hitting .211 in the series–a chance to deliver for the Black Yankees, facing Al Smith. Smith induced a groundout to 2B, ending the threat, and continuing Ruth’s struggles.

That brought us to the top of the 9th, with Cleveland’s closer, Terry Adams, in to try to win the series. Gehrig whiffed and Mike Schmidt grounded out, but Rogers Hornsby lined a double into left, bringing up Mattingly … who grounded out to short, ending the Black Yankees’ season.

The star of the series was the Spiders’ pitching–the question mark coming in, who held the vaunted Black Yankees offense firmly in check.

NYY 3 (Pettitte 1-1) @ CLE 4 (Ventura 1-0; Adams 2 Sv; Smith 3 H; Gearrin 1 H; Wyatt 1 H)
HRs: NYY – Mattingly (1), Davis (3); CLE – none.
Box Score

Arky Vaughan (.400 average, 2 homers, 5 RBIs) took home the MVP award, with consideration being given to both Larry Doby‘s 3 homeruns and Al Smith‘s impressive 3 appearances.

TWIWBL 82.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On December 14, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	83-65	.561	—
New York Black Yankees	84-66	.560	—
Detroit Wolverines	75-74	.503	8.5
Baltimore Black Sox	69-80	.463	14.5
Memphis Red Sox	65-84	.436	18.5

Bill James Division | 17 September

#Baltimore Black Sox

Justin Hampson and, perhaps more importantly, Gavvy Cravath have been recalled from rehab assignments. Without much to play for, Baltimore may limit Cravath’s appearances as they look to next season. Rafael Betancourt and Ken Griffey Sr were returned to the minors.

With RA Dickey‘s retirement, Baltimore decided to take a look at Dick Ellsworth, removing Dickey from the roster, although they have allowed him to remain with the team as he decides whether or not he has a career in coaching.

Dennis Martínez will get 2 more starts over the final 2 weeks of the season, and Ned Garvin will, as he continues his return from injury, take his regular turn: aside from that, it’s a bit of a free for all, although Kevin Tapani‘s strong debut guarantees him a few starts as well.

Ellsworth’s debut was fantastic: 6 plus innings and only a single run in a 4-2 victory over Los Angeles. Hampson also made his return with a scoreless 8th inning.

Sean Marshall was recalled from the DL with Joe Cascarella heading back to AAA.

#Cleveland Spiders

Lance Berkman and Ron Blomberg each went deep twice as the Spiders dominated Chicago, 13-6. The win (along with a victory in the resumption of a suspended game) pulled Cleveland, at least temporarily, 1/2 game ahead of New York.

#Detroit Wolverines

Wes Covington–coming off a 50 HR season at AAA–was recalled, along with IF Damion Easley and lefty Wilson Álvarez. Logan Hensley was returned, clearing room for Hank Aguirre‘s return from the DL.

JD Martinez went deep twice and the Wolverines edged in front of Miami for the final Wild Card spot with a 5-4 win over San Francisco.

#New York Black Yankees

Jorge Orta did nothing wrong to be sure, but with Grant Johnson due back from a rehab assignment, he was the odd man out, heading back to AAA. Ultimately, Johnson’s return means a reduction in time for quite a few players, most notably Derek Jeter, Don Mattingly, and Nick Etten.

Mattingly and Lou Gehrig had 2 homers each, and Johnson had 4 hits, including 3 doubles, as the Black Yankees overcame a poor start from Ron Guidry to beat Detroit, 11-8 in 10 innings.

The Black Yankees clinched their expected playoff spot in dramatic fashion, scoring 6 in the top of the 9th to top Detroit, 9-6. The win puts New York in a dead heat with Cleveland atop the Bill James Division and, as importantly, drops Detroit into a tie with Miami for the final AL Wild Card spot.

Gehrig hit 2 more out, reaching 62 for the season, and Babe Ruth added his WBL record 70th, as the Black Yankees beat Cleveland, 7-2. The win means New York will go into the final week of the season with a 1.5 game lead over the Spiders.

TWIWBL 80.4: Bill James Division

By mknn

On October 13, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	76-59	.563	—
New York Black Yankees	76-62	.551	1.5
Detroit Wolverines	69-68	.504	8
Memphis Red Sox	62-74	.456	14.5
Baltimore Black Sox	60-76	.441	16.5

Bill James Division | 2 September

#Baltimore Black Sox

Curt Blefary hit 2 out and threw out 4 runners, leading Baltimore to a 6-5 win over Cleveland in 13 innings as the Black Sox continued to play the spoiler role.

Bryce Harper and Manny Machado each hit 2 out as the Black Sox routed Cleveland, 14-5.

#Cleveland Spiders

Lance Berkman hit 2 homeruns, reaching 50 on the year, as the Spiders lost a lead, then regained it in a 7-6 victory over Baltimore. Superstar OF Tris Speaker had to leave the game, but is only expected to miss a few games.

Ron Reed had been pitching better of late, playing a key role in the Spiders’ bullpen. Now the Spiders will have to fend off (or catch) the Black Yankees without him, as Reed will miss the next 4 months or so. Billy Muffett, the closer at AAA for much of the season, was recalled.

#Detroit Wolverines

George Bechtel and Johnny Marcum were recalled from rehab assignments, while gold-glove winning SS George Davis started one.

Juan Beníquez, perhaps the most pleasant surprise of all for Detroit this season, made his 18th homer a walk off job as the Wolverines came from behind to beat Los Angeles 8-6.The game saw Ty Cobb set a new WBL record for hits with 192, and, less pleasantly, recently acquired IF Bobby Wallace had to leave the game with a leg injury.

Wallace is likely to miss the rest of the regular season with a quad injury, opening the door for Davis’ return from his long term injury and rehab assignment.

Hank Greenberg hit 2 out, including a grandslam in the top of the 9th as the Wolverines beat the Black Yankees, 9-5. Greenberg drove in 7, and Cobb added 3 hits for Detroit.

Al Kaline hit 2 out, but the Wolverines fell to the Black Yankees, 9-3.

#New York Black Yankees

Pascual Pérez was recalled from a rehab assignment, with Ron Bryant heading back to AAA. Pérez returns to the rotation, with Red Ruffing moving to the bullpen and the surprising Tony Brizzolara maintaining his rotation slot.

The Black Yankees had hoped to avoid this, but an ill-advised pinch running appearance landed Grant Johnson on the DL for about a week. Josh Harrison was recalled from AAA.

Rogers Hornsby torched his previous club for 2 homers in a 4-2 win over Portland that saw Brizzolara turn in another solid start for the Black Yankees.

TWIWBL 79.2 Spotlight on the New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On September 26, 2025

In TWIWBL

Nothing is ever good enough for this ownership group, so despite top tier talent (especially on offense) and a fairly clear route to the postseason, there are rumblings of discontent in the Bronx.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

The Black Yankees are permanently in a win-now mentality, and this year is no different. They have a frighteningly good offense, but can struggle a lot on the mound, especially in the middle innings.

THE OFFENSE

The Black Yankees can rake. They are, of course, led by the irresistible Babe Ruth, but there really isn’t an easy out in the group (and, due to a slight slump from Ruth and a surge from him, Lou Gehrig has actually overtaken the Babe in many of the key offensive measures). They are second in the league in homeruns, six everyday players have SLG over .500, six have OBP’s over .350. They just have the ability to score a ton of runs.

#What’s Going Right

Babe Ruth doing Babe Ruth things. The Bambino has an OPS of 1.118, 57 homeruns, 133 RBI, and 117 runs scored. His performance is even more remarkable when you consider that his BA has hovered around .275 most of the year–that’s a lot of walks and a lot of power.

Lou Gehrig continues his role as Babe Jr, trailing the Bambino by about 50 points of OPS.

The Black Yankees have four players with over 40 homers: Ruth, Gehrig with 48, Mickey Mantle with 44, and Mike Schmidt with 40.

Eric Davis, who still struggles to play everyday, joins that group, giving New York 5 players with OPS over .900.

#What’s Not Going Right

The quintet featured above have struck out over 800 times between them, led by Mantle’s 179, but both Ruth and Gehrig are well north of 150 as well.

More meh than not going right, veteran Rogers Hornsby, brought in to solve the struggles for the Black Yankees at 2B, has been fine, but is hitting at a slightly lower level than he did for Portland.

Derek Jeter continues to be the weakest point in the lineup. But a SS with an OPS over .725 and solid defense is certainly nothing to be overly concerned with (and, the acquisition of HR Johnson at the trading break gives New York a young player to eventually take over from Hornsby or Jeter down the road).

THE PITCHING

The pitching isn’t bad, but it isn’t great. The back end of the rotation and the middle of the bullpen are especially concerning.

#What’s Going Right

Andy Pettitte has been a great acquisition, sitting at 15-8 with a decent ERA.

Ron Guidry continues to pitch better than his surface numbers, but there are whispers that he is beginning to decline. Guidry continues to strike ’em out at a prodigious rate, but his record sits at only 8-7.

Goose Gossage has seized the closer role, with 15 saves and a WHIP barely over 1.00.

Hoyt Wilhelm, an expensive purchase at the trading break, has started well, perhaps offering a solve to the middle innings for New York.

#What’s Not Going Right

The most likely candidate for the 3rd starter spot in the postseason is Dave Righetti who (a) makes it 3 lefties in a row behind Pettitte and Guidry, and (b) was injured for much of the summer.

Tony Brizzolara, Herm Wehmeier, and (based on minor league performance) Roy Evans have all shown initial promise to fill the back end of the rotation. They’ve all flamed out, and Red Ruffing has fared no better.

Aroldis Chapman lost the closer role to Gossage, despite amassing 18 saves. He has adopted well to an earlier role from the pen, so perhaps this is in the wrong section? But his initial performance was very rough.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

It’s not a great system, but there is some important talent in areas of need, so maybe that’s what really matters. On the mound, both Noah Syndergaard and Whitey Ford (injured for much of the year, delaying his WBL appearance) have clear promise, and you have to think someone out of OFs Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Clyde Milan or IFs Josh Harrison, Harry Bauchman, or Mark Grudzielanek will have WBL careers.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Just win, baby. A league championship will forgive all things.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

It’s all about the bullpen, according to the media. Not a bad take, and one that has caused a ton of consternation throughout the season.
There will be a lot of attention on last year’s ERA champion, Andy Pettitte–with some of that focused on what the loss of Albert Belle means for what was truly a fearsome bench last year. Yeah, this one has worked out. The offense hasn’t really struggled, the bench continues to produce, and Pettitte is probably the de facto staff ace.

FEATURED SERIES

This one was easy: if the Black Yankees sweep these 3 games at Cleveland, they take over first place in the Bill James Division.

Projected Starters

New York’s starter listed first.

Ron Guidry (8-7, 4.41) @ Bill Steen (11-7, 5.02)
Dave Righetti (7-4, 5.15) @ Bob Feller (9-3, 4.62)
Andy Pettitte (15-8, 4.32) @ Cy Young (13-6, 5.16)

The rotation setup as well as it could for New York, but this Cleveland team is tough. Should be a good series.

Game One

Game one is a matchup of hard throwers, with the matchup staying as advertised: New York’s Ron Guidry against Cleveland’s Bob Feller, as the Spiders delayed Bill Steen‘s start by a day.

Eric Davis scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first, but the Black Yankees had to wait until the top of the 3rd for their first hit, a solo homerun from Derek Jeter. Through four innings, we had a very Bob Feller start: only 1 hit and 7 strikeouts, but 4 walks and 2 runs.

Meanwhile, Guidry gave up a 2 run shot to Evan Longoria in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game. Feller went 6, fanning 10 and leaving with the game still tied. His relief, Al Smith, gave up a 2-run double to Grant Johnson, but again Guidry was hurt by the long ball, giving up a tying 2 run shot to Ed Bailey.

In the bottom of the 9th, Larry Doby doubled to right off Aroldis Chapman. One out later, Goose Gossage was summoned from New York’s bullpen, and promptly plunked both John Ellis and Chuck Knoblauch to load the bases with meaningless runners … or not … as he walked Arky Vaughan to force in the winning run.

Not the start New York wanted, by a long shot, and they drop to 3.5 games behind Cleveland in the standings.

The Spiders struckout 17 on the day: 10 from Feller, 3 from Smith (all 3 of the outs he recorded), and another 4 in Gearrin’s 2 innings of work.

NYY 4 (Chapman 4-3) @ CLE 5 (Gearrin 4-1)
HRs: NYY – Jeter (18); CLE – Doby (27), Bailey (35).
Box Score

Game Two

Dave Righetti will take the mound for New York, opposed by Cleveland’s Bill Steen.

Steen opened the game by walking Eric Davis and HR Johnson … and then striking out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle. Easy. He then gave up a 3 run shot to Derek Jeter in the 2nd for an early 3-0 New York lead. Another run scored in the 3rd on a groundout after an error and 2 more walks.

Meanwhile, Righetti had pitched a scoreless 5 innings, allowing only 3 hits.

Steen ended up getting 2 outs in the 6th before Jeter’s 3rd hit chased him from the game having fanned 8 while walking 5.

A solo shot from Lou Gehrig seemed to seal the deal, but the Black Yankees’ relievers imploded, with Evan Longoria hitting a grandslam in the 8th, closing the game to a 5-4 lead for New York. However, after a couple of new recalled arms allowed the Spiders back in (Jim Corsi and Roy Evans), Aroldis Chapman and Goose Gossage were able to shut the door, evening the series at 1.

NYY 5 (Righetti 8-4; Gossage 16 Sv; Chapman 5 H) @ CLE 4 (Steen 11-8)
HRs: NYY – Jeter (19), Gehrig (49); CLE – Longoria (31).
Box Score

Game Three

A pretty important game, this: a win will pull the Black Yankees within 1.5 games of Cleveland, and the race will be on in the Bill James Division. A loss, and the gap grows to 3.5 games, with the Spiders having taken 2 out of 3 in the head to head matchup. It will be a matchup of aces, or at least potential aces, as New York’s Andy Pettitte squares off against Cleveland’s Cy Young.

Young hasn’t quite been ace material this year, and that pattern continued as Eric Davis opened the game with homerun, his 27th of the year, and HR Johnson followed with a double down the left field line. But sometimes, Cy Young has been quite strong, and here he struck out Lou Gehrig, Mike Schmidt, and Mickey Mantle to close out the first, holding the Black Yankees to a single tally.

We stayed at 1-0 until the top of the 4th, when Rogers Hornsby doubled in a run and scored himself on a Don Mattingly single. Manny Sanguillén plated Mattingly and, in the following inning, Gehrig hit his 50th of the season. Johnny Bates put the Spiders on the board in the bottom of the 5th with a solo shot.

So, after 5 innings, 5-1 in favor of the Black Yankees.

Ron Blomberg hit one out in the 6th, and Cleveland chased Pettitte from the game with 2 outs and 2 on. The Spiders’ best player, Tris Speaker, would be called upon to pinch hit against Pettitte’s replacement, Noah Syndergaard. A run scored on a passed ball, but Syndergaard whiffed Speaker, leaving the score 5-3.

Davis’ second shot of the day made it 6-3, but Speaker threw out Schmidt at 2nd to end the top of the 7th.

Davis’ shot was important as Lance Berkman‘s 45th of the season, hit with a runner on, closed it to 6-5.

The bullpen has been a struggle for New York all season, but the acquisition of Hoyt Wilhelm has been promising. Here, with both Goose Gossage and Aroldis Chapman unavailable, he was asked to do more than merely bridge the last few innings. Wilhelm came through, ending the game with 2 and a third scoreless for his first save as a Black Yankee.

NYY 6 (Pettitte 16-8; Wilhelm 1 Sv; Syndergaard 1 H; Cormier 15 H) @ CLE 5 (Young 13-7)
HRs: NYY – Davis 2 (28), Gehrig (50); CLE – Bates (14), Blomberg (46), Berkman (45).
Box Score

Cleveland’s closer, Terry Adams, will miss about a week with a strained elbow.

So, a sweep would have been nice, but cutting a game off the Spiders’ lead was what was needed. Doing so without any homeruns from Babe Ruth is a good sign, as there is little doubt Ruth will again catch fire.