Jamie Moyer replaced David Price in the American Giants’ rotation.
Paul Konerko went deep twice, leading the American Giants to a 10-4 win over Portland.
The time finally came, with Jack Doyle heading to AAA and Damian Jackson being activated from his rehab assignment. Doyle’s saga made him a fan favorite, but even the most diehard of supporters had to agree that a 107/153/107 slash line needed replacing.
Chicago roared out to a 10-0 lead, then held on for dear life in an eventual 11-10 win over Portland. The American Giants hit 6 homeruns in the game, with Joe Jackson, Eddie Collins, Dick Allen, Konerko, Duffy Lewis, and Carlton Fisk all reaching the seats. Starter Tricky Nichols improved to 4-6 with a decent effort, but the bullpen was roughed up. Still, a win’s a win.
#Los Angeles Angels
Noah Lowry‘s struggles–along with the presence of Elmer Smith and Scott Rice as lefthanded options in the pen–earned him a trip to AAA, with Mike Krukow being called up for his WBL debut.
Doc Gooden struck out 12, improving to 6-4 in a 7-3 win over Miami. Don Buford had 5 hits and 4 Angels–Buford, Kal Daniels, AJ Pierzynski, and Carlos Delgado–went deep in the victory.
Krukow did well enough over 3 appearances, but Ross Reynolds was healthy again, and was recalled from his rehab assignment with Krukow returning to AAA. The MI question is more challenging, and George Wright has been left rehabbing at AAA as the Angels need a few more days to sort out the future roles of him, Mark Ellis, and Eddie Joost.
Brian Anderson struck out 13 in a dominant performance as the Angels topped the Sea Lions, 7-1. Anderson allowed 3 hits and walked none in the complete game effort, improving his record to 6-2.
#Miami Cuban Giants
Ramón Martínez finally got his first win of the year with a strong 7 innings against Los Angeles. José Canseco hit his 30th homer of the year (the first to that milestone) and Martínez fanned 10 as his record improved to 1-7.
Gary Sheffield went deep twice and drove in 5, but the Cuban Giants bullpen couldn’t protect a strong start from Steven Wright as Miami fell 6-5 to Detroit.
#Portland Sea Dogs
The Sea Dogs have overhauled their bullpen, sending Johan Santana to AAA in an attempt to sort out his horrific performance since major surgery along with Elmer Brown who has been, if anything, even worse, as well as Wade Miller. They’ll recall Art Fowler, Tom Zachary, and Scott Terry from AAA, with Trevor Hoffman sliding into the closer role.
Buddy Bell may finally be showing signs of life as the struggling 3B went deep twice in a 9-6 loss to San Francisco.
#San Francisco Sea Lions
Tommy Bridges was recalled from a rehab assignment, with Huston Street being waived.
Bump Hadley twirled a masterpiece, striking out 12 in a 2-hit shutout of the New York Black Yankees. Homeruns by Sal Bando and Mickey Cochrane carried the offense to the 6-0 victory.
Turkey Stearnes went deep twice, giving the rookie 15 on the year, as San Francisco triumphed over Portland, 9-6.
Ron Robinson, a key part of the Sea Lions’ bullpen, will miss nearly a year with elbow surgery. San Francisco recalled Street (who had grudgingly accepted his waiver demotion earlier in the week), a major dropoff on past WBL performance from Robinson.
Eddie Plank improved to 8-3 with a 3 hit shutout of Portland. Reggie Jackson and Gene Oliver went deep in support of Plank who struck out 8.
We’ve entered June, so we’re clearly heading towards our midseason stride.
#Awards
Since we cross into June we have a bevy of awards.
In the AL, the New York Black Yankees‘ Babe Ruth was named the Batter of the Month, hitting .347 with 15 homers in May, driving in 34 and scoring 30 times. And look, that’s impressive. But Ruth’s reputation certainly helped him with the honor, given that he had the 3rd best OPS in the AL for the month, trailing behind Miami‘s José Canseco (1.430) and Detroit‘s Ty Cobb (1.429). Canseco also had more homeruns, leading the WBL for the month with 18. Ruth’s RBI and R numbers did lead the league, and it is hard to argue against his numbers.
In the NL, the award went to Ottawa‘s Larry Walker for the second consecutive month. Walker hit .273 with 17 dingers and a whopping 38 RBI, but his selection wasn’t unanimous. Looking at just the major slash stats, his BA was eclipsed by Houston‘s Tony Gwynn, who hit .441 for the month; his OBP by Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, who led the NL with a .480 mark; and Gibson’s teammate Mike Epstein SLG mark of .833 SLG eclipsed Walker’s .818. But Walker’s HR and RBI numbers led the league by a lot, and 38 RBI in 26 games is just remarkable.
The Black Yankees doubled it up, with Ron Guidry winning the AL Pitcher of the Month, going 6-0 with a 1.73 ERA in May while in the NL, Rob Dibble of the Indianapolis ABC‘s was a bit of a surprise selection. Dibble went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 8 saves, certainly a strong performance. You really can’t quibble with Guidry’s selection, but Dibble was selected over San Francisco‘s Lefty Grove (5-1, 1.18) and Brooklyn‘s Smokey Joe Williams (4-1, 2.16). Homestead’s Josh Lindblom had more saves than Dibble (11 to 8), but Lindblom’s other numbers weren’t nearly as impressive. Still, if it were up to me, the award would have gone to Grove.
There’s just not a lot to say about Julio Rodríguez other than wow. Miami’s surprise starter in CF leaving Spring Training hit .397 with 13 homeruns in the month, earning the AL Rookie of the Month. Over in the NL, the award went to Smokey Joe Williams, who, as mentioned above, was in the running for the overall award, let alone the rookie honor.
Player of the Week Awards were given out as well, although overshadowed by the larger honors for May.
Philadelphia‘s Aaron Judge has continued to develop from his impressive showing last season, and a recent hot streak where he hit .444 with 3 homeruns earned him the NL Player of the Week. Canseco was significantly hotter, hitting .636 with 5 homeruns to earn the AL award for the second consecutive week, perhaps some comfort against being snubbed for the monthly honor for May.
#Team Performance
Last week I wrote The New York Black Yankees and the Indianapolis ABC’s have each gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. This week, it’s still true. New York now leads Cleveland in the Bill James Division by 6.5 games, while Indianapolis has moved into 1st place in the Marvin Miller Division, leading Kansas City by .5 games.
San Francisco has a little more breathing room in the Cum Posey Division, leading Chicago by 5.5 games and the surprising Miami Cuban Giants by 6. The Effa Manley Division is still tight, with all 5 teams separated by only 4.5 games, from Homestead in 1st to Philadelphia and Ottawa in a virtual tie for 5th.
Detroit continues to flounder, going 2-8 in their last 10 games and plummeting to 13.5 games behind the Black Yankees.
#Player Performance
Batters
A shorter list: Ty Cobb is first or second in each of the slash categories, and he, Larry Walker, and José Canseco are all challenging Babe Ruth‘s historical dominance of the league.
Cobb and Tony Gwynn are still well over .400 as the calendar turns to June.
José Canseco (MCG). 304/421/881. 29 HR. Oscar Charleston (IND). 333/390/611. 7 3B. Ty Cobb (DET). 420/471/862. 79 H, 28 2B, 4.0 WAR. Josh Gibson (HOM). 382/447/742. 48 R. Tony Gwynn (HOU). 427/463/683. 85 H. Pete Hill (HOU). 282/366/505. 8 3B. Stan Musial (KCM). 312/382/540. 29 2B. Babe Ruth (NYY). 307/426/743. 66 RBI, 55 R, 44 BB, 3.7 WAR. Larry Walker (OTT). 318/394/764. 26 HR, 61 RBI.
It often feels like the SB leaders should be handled separately: San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson leads the WBL with 42 steals. Indianapolis’ Bob Bescher has moved into 2nd place with 32 (and only 6 CS) while Ottawa’s Tim Raines has 30. Raines’ struggles at the plate are clearly contributing to his not challenging Henderson this year: while Rickey’s has an OBP just under .400 at .392, Raines is way down at .332.
Pitchers
Starters
Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón leads the league at 9-1, with Houston’s Toad Ramsey (9-2) and the Black Yankees’ Ron Guidry (8-1) close behind. Six pitchers have 7 wins, we’ve only included below the 3 that have only 1 or 2 losses. Also included are all 3 starters with sub-3.00 ERA’s (Ramsey, Philadelphia’s Hardie Henderson, and Los Angeles‘ Doc Gooden).
Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-1, 3.88. Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.43. Doc Gooden (LAA). 5-4, 2.92. Lefty Grove (SFS). 7-4, 3.13. 92 IP, 2.7 WAR. Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-1, 3.17. 99 K, 3.39 FIP, 2.7 WAR. Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-3, 2.83. Luis Padrón (IND). 9-1, 3.66. Eddie Plank (SFS). 7-2, 3.94. Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-2. 2.69. 87 IP, 108 K, 0.93 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 3.8 WAR. JM Ward (PHI). 2-1, 3.46. 1.00 WHIP.
Relievers
There really isn’t a dominant closer in the WBL this season–the league leaders in saves have given up a bunch of runs; the dominant performers haven’t been racking up the saves. Indianapolis’ Rob Dibble is probably the best of the group. Kansas City’s Craig Kimbrel, tied with the Black Yankees’ Rheal Cormier for the league lead in Holds, has probably been the best bullpen performer overall so far, and is pushing teammate Jeff Pfeffer for a shot at the closer spot.
13 IP minimum.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 2.84. 9 H. Rob Dibble (IND). 2-1, 3.06. 12 Sv. Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 4.91. 14 Sv. Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 1.10. 1 Sv, 9 H. Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-1, 3.80. 15 Sv. Tug McGraw (HOU). 2-2, 1.26. 1 Sv. Jeff Pfeffer (KCM). 1-2, 6.16. 12 Sv.
Some mention somewhere should be made of Brooklyn’s Fernando Valenzuela, who is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 4 Holds in over 40 innings. The Royal Giants have a very strong rotation, and Valenzuela is still looking for his first opportunity to step into a starting role.
#Injury Report
Will this week be the long awaited reckoning for Chicago’s Jack Doyle? The return of SS Damian Jackson, expected at the end of the week, may be the final nail in Doyle’s WBL service time.
#A Ball Check In
Wrapping up our 3 week trip through the minors, we’ll examine A ball this week. Given A ball’s focus on youth, we won’t have an age division, instead just presenting the top 2 performers at each position. 100 A PA minimum for batters.
Frank Dwyer (21, HOD). 6-1, 1.58. Jim McElroy (21, PHI). 4-1, 1.65.
RP
Joe Edelin (24, NYY). 1-0, 1.77. 14 Sv.
Mélido Pérez (20, NYY). 3-1, 2.05. 9 Sv, 4 H.
Griffin and Kershaw standout as the only teenagers listed. The Gothams have two 2B listed, although Washington is really spending more time at SS. And, Memphis’ Bill Buckner, although currently out for a couple of weeks through injury, is just dominating the league in most categories. Of this group, he, Kershaw, and Herman are probably the best long term prospects.
IF Damian Jackson will miss a couple weeks with a knee contusion. George Grantham was recalled, a move that once again preserves offensive black hole Jack Doyle on the roster due to his defensive versatility.
Cristóbal Torriente‘s offensive woes have opened the door for, at least temporarily, Vernon Wells to see more playing time.
With Billy Loes out for over a month (strained oblique), the American Giants recalled Joe Lake, and with Akinori Otsuka ready for recall from his rehab assignment, Larry Twitchell was sent down.
#Los Angeles Angels
Doug Rader and Gerrit Cole were near the best in the league last year. This season, not so much. But today they put it together: Rader hit 2 out and Cole spun a 4-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Cleveland. Cole’s record improved to 2-5 and Rader, an RBI machine last year, only upped his total to 25 with 6 homeruns. But it was a start.
George Wright will miss a couple of weeks, with the Angels recalling Eddie Joost from AAA. This is Joost’s 6th team and 2nd tour with Los Angeles–we’ll see if this round is any more successful than a 10 game stint earlier this season.
Kal Daniels reached double-digits in homeruns with 2 in a 12-3 rout of Chicago. Doc Gooden pitched 8 strong innings, lowering his ERA below 3.00 and improving his record to 5-4.
#Miami Cuban Giants
José Canseco did it again, sending 3 balls out of the yard in a 7-4 win over Memphis. That gave Canseco 27 for the year, at least temporarily leading the league.
Gary Sheffield went deep twice, but the Cuban Giants couldn’t hold a lead and Miami fell to San Francisco, 5-4.
#Portland Sea Dogs
Ken Griffey, Jr. went deep twice and the Sea Dogs rode 8 strong innings from Walter Johnson for a 6-4 win over Detroit.
#San Francisco Sea Lions
Eddie Plank carried a 1-hitter into the 9th, but in the end needed a little help to close out a 3-0 victory over Portland. Plank loaded the bases, but Rod Beck got the final out for his 13th save, with Plank improving to 7-2. Jimmie Foxx hit his 19th homer of the year for San Francisco.
Ed Walsh allowed only 2 hits through 8 innings–both to Miami’s Julio Rodríguez as the American Giants blanked the Cuban Giants, 6-0. A rain delay forced Walsh, who improved to 3-1, out of the game in the 8th, but Tom Williams pitched a perfect 9th to preserve the shutout. Much ridiculed Jack Doyle was hit by a pitch 3 times in the game, which is, you know, something.
#Miami Cuban Giants
Lou Fette headed back to AAA with Braden Looper‘s activation from the DL. The promising Kenshin Kawakami will miss over a month with a sprained ankle, with Steven Wright recalled from AAA.
Ryan Braun went deep twice–giving him 20 on the year–as the Cuban Giants came from behind to beat Chicago, 4-3. José Méndez was fantastic, but didn’t figure in the decision while Sandy Consuegra was roughed up, but got the win with Ricky Nolasco earning his 7th save of the season.
#Portland Sea Dogs
Two homeruns from Gil Hodges and an excellent start from Walter Ball led Portland to an 11-1 win over the Black Yankees.
Last year’s reserve darling, Gary Pettis, was sent to AAA. No matter your speed and no matter your glove, a .400 OPS can do that. Jeff Burroughs was recalled from a rehab stint.
Rogers Hornsby and Bobby Murcer went deep twice as the Sea Dogs trounced the Angels, 11-4. Ken Griffey, Jr., Jim Fregosi, Kent Hrbek, and Joe Mauer also went deep for the Sea Dogs as Bert Blyleven improved to 2-1 on the year despite being roughed up for 9 hits and 4 runs in 6 innings.
#San Francisco Sea Lions
Reggie Jackson hit 2 homeruns and Denny Walling went 4 for 5 with a dinger in his WBL debut as the Sea Lions pounded out a 15-4 victory over the Wolverines. San Francisco had 6 homeruns among their 21 hits, with Jimmie Foxx, Mickey Cochrane, and Turkey Stearnes joining Walling and Jackson.
Not to be outdone, Jack Clark went deep 3 times, but it wasn’t enough as the Sea Lions fell to Detroit, 7-6.
Lefty Grove put it all together with a complete game, 4 hit shutout of Memphis, striking out 9 and improving his record to 5-4. The Sea Lions also only managed 4 hits, but managed to score twice, once on a 2-out RBI from Clark and once on a solo shot from Bobby Bonds to win the game, 2-0.
I needed a place to hold statistics that aren’t easily displayed in OOTP. Most of these are game-level performances.
For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.
Batting Statistics
2+ 3B Games
2. Bob Bescher (IND); Craig Biggio (HOU), Ty Cobb (DET); Willie McGee (KCM); Tim Raines (OTT).
3+ 2B Games
4. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE). 3. Craig Biggio (HOU); Ron Cey (BRK); Cupid Childs (BBB); Ty Cobb (DET); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Josh Gibson (HOM); Hank Greenberg (DET); Joe Jackson (CAG); Joe Morgan (IND); Frank Robinson (BAL); Pete Runnels (NYG); Reggie Smith (MEM); Mike Trout (LAA).
3+ HBP Games
3. Jack Doyle (CAG).
3+ HR Games
3. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ed Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Carlos Beltrán (OTT); Lance Berkman (CLE); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Ryan Braun (MCG); José Canseco (MCG); George Gore (HOD); Stan Musial (KCM); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Álex Rodríguez (OTT); Babe Ruth (NYY); Sammy Sosa (HOD); Mike Trout (LAA); Larry Walker (OTT).
3+ OF Assists
4+ BB Games
4. Ed Bailey (DET); Eddie Collins (CAG); Mike Epstein (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Andrew McCutchen (HOM), Joey Votto (IND).
4+ CS Games
4. Johnny Bench (IND); Gabby Hartnett (MEM); Jorge Posada (HOU).
4+ Run Games
5. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Tris Speaker (CLE). 4. Roberto Alomar x2 (OTT); Jeff Bagwell x2 (HOU); Bob Bailey (DET); Ed Bailey (DET); Johnny Bates x2 (CLE); Albert Belle (BBB); Curt Blefary x2 (BAL); Dan Brouthers (BRK); Ron Cey (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Benny Kauff (NYG); Willie McGee (KCM); Billy Nash (DET); Babe Ruth (NYY); Gary Sheffield (MCG); Jim Wynn (HOU).
4+ SB Games
6. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 4. Frank Chance (HOD); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Dick Lundy (SFS).
5+ Hit Games
5. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Don Buford (LAA); Joe Jackson (CAG); Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Mike Trout (LAA).
5+ SO Games
5. Beals Becker (BRK); Bobby Bonds (SFS); Ron Cey (BRK); Larry Doby (CLE); Héctor López (NYY); Dale Murphy (KCM).
6+ RBI Games
7. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Carlton Fisk (CAG); Charlie Gehringer (DET); Manny Machado (BAL); Gary Sheffield (MCG). 6. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Johnny Callison (NYG); Chili Davis (DET); Josh Gibson (HOM); Mickey Mantle (NYY); Mike Piazza (BRK); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Babe Ruth x3 (NYY); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Mike Schmidt (NYY); Roy White (BRK).
Longest HRs
{Note: OOTP clearly has something weird happening with overpowered HRs. It’s getting better, and, at some point, I’m going to reduce these by roughly 10%, which would leave the list at only 3 at 500 ft+ for the season so far, which seems much more realistic to me, but am waiting to see if I get any additional info/guidance from the game dev’s.}
595 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM). 558 ft. Aaron Judge (PHA). 555 ft. Albert Pujols (KCM). 551 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB). 550 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE). 544 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB). 542 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Evan Longoria (CLE). 539 ft. Johnny Bates (CLE); Craig Biggio (HOU). 538 ft. Josh Gibson (HOM), Pete Hill (HOU); Buster Posey (NYG). 535 ft. Buster Posey (NYG). 534 ft. Robinson Canó (KCM). 530 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM). 528 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Willie Mays (NYG). 527 ft. Joe Adcock (NYG). 525 ft. Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 522 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 519 ft. Babe Ruth (NYY). 518 ft. Willie Mays (NYG). 516 ft. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Nieman (BBB). 514 ft. Ron Cey (BRK); Oscar Gamble (DET). 512 ft. Tony Gwynn (HOU). 511 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE); Dan Brouthers (BRK). 510 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 509 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Jack Clark (SFS); Bryce Harper (BAL); Ted Simmons (KCM). 508 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Boog Powell (KCM); Travis Shaw (MEM). 507 ft. Ted Simmons (KCM). 505 ft. Lou Gehrig (NYA). 503 ft. Larry Doyle (NYG); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Oscar Gamble (DET). 502 ft. Ernie Banks (HOD); Albert Belle (BBB); Robinson Canó (KCM); Ray Dandridge (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM). 501 ft. Derek Jeter (NYA). 500 ft. Andrew McCutchen (HOM).
Pitching Statistics
80+ Game Scores
99. José Rijo (KCM). 97. JM Ward (PHI). 93. Frank Castillo (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 92. Bump Hadley (SFS). 91. Frank Knauss (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU) 90. Brian Anderson (LAA); A. Rube Foster (KCM); Alejandro Peña (BBB); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Joe Rogan (PHI). 89. Smokey Joe Wood (KCM). 88. Luis Padrón (IND); Bill Steen (CLE); Justin Verlander (DET). 87. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Jim Whitney (BBB). 86. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Doc Gooden (LAA). 85. Roger Clemens (HOU); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Eddie Plank (SFS); Jameson Taillon (MEM); Ed Walsh (CAG). 84. Frank Castillo (KCM); Ron Guidry (NYY); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Ed Walsh (CAG). 83. Bob Friend (HOM); Mike Mussina (BAL). 82. Mark Buehrle (CAG); Bill Doak (MEM); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 80. Walter Johnson (POR); Andy Pettitte (NYY); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
10+ Strikeout Games
14. Frank Castillo (KCM); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13. Brian Anderson (LAA); Ron Guidry (NYY); Charlie Root (DET). 12. Johnny Cueto (IND); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Mike Mussina (BAL); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); José Rijo (KCM); Bill Steen (CLE); JM Ward (PHI). 11. Johnny Cueto (IND); Ron Guidry (NYY); Connie Johnson (BAL); Walter Johnson (POR); Frank Knauss (BRG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Justin Verlander (DET); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 10. Steve Carlton (PHI); Frank Castillo (KCM); Watty Clark (SFS); Bob Friend (HOM); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Frank Knauss (BRK); Ramón Martínez (MCG); Billy Pierce (HOM); Don Sutton (NYG).
8+ Walk Games
8. Ed Brandt (MCG); Hardie Henderson (PHI). 9. Randy Johnson (OTT).
Shutouts
NO HITS. José Rijo (IND). 1 Hit. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Luis Padrón (IND); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 2 Hits. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Frank Knauss (BRK); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Joe Rogan (PHI). 3 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Eddie Plank (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU). 4 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Jim Whitney (BBB).
Shutouts (Combined)
1 Hit. Justin Verlander / Mike Henneman (DET); Bill Steen / Terry Adams (CLE). 2 Hits. Jameson Taillon / Skel Roach / Andrew Miller (MEM); Ed Walsh / Tom Williams (CAG). 3 Hits. Hardie Henderson / Robin Roberts (PHI); Orel Hershiser / Eric Gagne (BRK). 4 Hits. Toad Ramsey / Bones Ely (HOU); Hardie Henderson / Brad Kilby / Tim Belcher / Ted Kennedy (PHI); Dwight Gooden / Francisco Rodríguez (LAA); Bump Hadley / Jim Devlin / Ken Howell / Rod Beck (SFS); Greg Maddux / John Malarkey / Bruce Chen / Juan Rincón (BBB). 5 Hits. Kenshin Kawakami / Barry Latman / Ed Brandt / Sandy Consuegra (MCG); Len Barker / David Bush / Andrew Miller (MEM); Johnny Cueto / Sad Sam Jones / Rob Murphy / Rob Dibble (IND); Smoky Joe Wood / Mike Kume (KCM).
Championship contention. The offense is just too good not to warrant it, even if moves need to be made in the pitching corps.
Best Case
The offense continues as one of the very best in the league, and enough pitching is found to navigate the postseason.
Worst Case
The fringe of the offense–Freddy Parent, Mike Fiore, whomever is run out there in LF–reverts and the pitching collapses.
Key Questions
How is the rotation going to fall out? Can Ed Walsh handle a fulltime starting role, and can Mark Buehrle and Ben Sheets handle the back end of the rotation?
How long do the American Giants stick with Parent–he’s fine, but his level of play over the second half of the season (after the American Giants picked him up from Ottawa) was below championship.
Trade Bait
There are some pieces in the minors, and this is a team that needs pitching, so there is some potential here.
Roster Evaluation
POS
Elite
Strong
Solid
Meh
Weak
Unknown
C
Fisk
Nilsson
1B
Thomas
Konerko
2B
Collins
3B
Allen
SS
Parent
Jackson
LF/ RF
Jackson
Lewis
Mitchell
Doyle
CF
Fiore
Torriente
Wells
SP
Nichols Price Walsh
Sheets
Buehrle
End
Minter
Wilhelm
Otsuka
Loes
RP
Lilly
Twitchell
New Addition | Injured
Table says it all: if the pitching comes through, this is a championship contender.
Talent Ratings
WBL
Minors
Raw Power
1B Frank Thomas
OF Rocky Colavito
Batting Eye
2B Eddie Collins
3B Paul Schaal
Contact
OF Joe Jackson
OF Bibb Falk
Running Speed
2B Eddie Collins IF Damian Jackson
OF Mike Cameron
Base Stealing
U Jack Doyle
OF Jack McGeachey
IF Defense
1B Paul Konerko
1B Ruben Amaro Sr
OF Defense
CF Vernon Wells
CF Lance Johnson
Stuff
SP Ed Walsh
RP Bob Ferguson
Control
SP Ben Sheets
RP Bob Bruce
Velocity
RP Akinori Otsuka
RP Alex Reyes
Best In The Minors
Rank
Age
POS
Name
1 (29)
22
OF
Walter Davis
2 (69)
21
OF
Lenny Dykstra
3 (87)
24
P
Jacob deGrom
4 (110)
22
P
Doc Sykes
5 (146)
23
P
Ted Lyons
6 (158)
24
P
Harry Buckner
7 (175)
23
IF
Jorge Orta
Others: None.
The table says it all: this is a weak farm system in need of replenishment.
Most
Least
Age
OF Steve Braun, 36 P Jamie Moyer, 36
OF Cristóbal Torriente, 18
Height
P David Price, 6’6″
OF Ned Cuthbert, 5’6″
OPS
OF Carson Bigbee, 1.028 (—)
C Tubby Spencer, .499 (—)
HR
OF Carson Bigbee, 42 (—)
2B Danny Murtaugh, 0 (AAA/AA)
SB
2B Eddie Collins, 61 (WBL)
Many with 0
WAR
2B Eddie Collins, 6.5 (WBL)
C Tubby Spencer, -3.2 (—)
W
Tricky Nichols, 15 (WBL)
Lee Meadows, 2 (WBL/AAA/AA)
SV
Rich Garces, 35 (WBL)
ERA
Frank Smith, 3.01 (WBL/AAA)
Lee Meadows, 7.48 (WBL/AAA/AA)
WAR
Joe Lake, 5.7 (WBL/AAA)
Will Smith, -0.9 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.
Four to five bullpen spots are up for grabs, essentially every role outside of closer (AJ Minter) and everyman (Hoyt Wilhelm). On the other side, some questions persist about the OF, and especially how Mike Fiore, who lead the WBL in walks but seems to offer little else and seems to be shying away from CF, fits in.
First round pick Jacob deGrom may push for a rotation spot, which would be, honestly, great for Chicago.
First Cuts
Doc Sykes didn’t survive the first round of cuts, as the American Giants want a few more innings in their evaluation of Jacob deGrom and Joe Lake. But the real logjam for Chicago is in the bullpen candidates. That thinned out some, as the team saw enough of Skip Pitlock, Larry White, and Brett Myers to know they weren’t in their immediate plans. Nor is Don Newcombe, who continues to confound everyone by seeming to have great stuff, but also getting rocked every time he takes the mound: perhaps a stint at AAA is what Newk actually needs.
That still leaves 20 pitchers in camp, so more sifting will be needed over the next week.
Jack Doyle is hitless this Spring, but his defensive versatility keesp him in camp, with Hal King the only C being reassigned given the hot starts from both Michael McKenry and Glenn Borgmann.
1B was already overly crowded, so the inability of Earl Sheely or Ruben Amaro Sr. to hit helps reduce the logjam there. Danny Murtaugh was cut at 2B, while Jorge Orta‘s upside keeps him in camp despite his early struggles. Ozzie Guillén was also reassigned with Luke Appling‘s strong showing keeping him in the running for a roster spot.
In the OF, both Vernon Wells and Lance Johnson have impressed at CF, with the trio of Bibb Falk, Steve Braun, and Ned Cuthbert all heading to minor league camp along with–in a bit of a surprise–Avisaíl García.
Second Cuts
Rich Garces (deservedly) and Joe Lake (perhaps not so deservedly) are moved into the American Giants’ minor league camp.
C Michael McKenry was sent down as Chicago clearly believes Dave Nilsson will somehow regain his stroke as Carlton Fisk‘s backup.
Both Paul Schaal and Joe Crede were sent down, with Ray Jablonski being recalled to help fill out the position. 2B Jorge Orta also heads down to the minors, as do Magglio Ordóñez and Rocky Colavito.
Special mention has to be made of Jack Doyle, who has an OPS of .111, but stays in camp solely due to his defensive versatility. Tom McCreery was recalled to help fill in defensively as well, but neither of them are good bets to make the final roster, although Doyle being a serviceable C does carry some weight.
Third Cuts
Jacon deGrom, Gavin Floyd, Don Wilson, and Joe Horlen all were sent down, essentially clarifying the American Giants’ starting rotation.
José Abreu and Lance Johnson were also sent to minor league camp.
Doyle sticks around, but Chicago should actively be in the market for someone to help out at across the infield who can hit more than Doyle. The standout performances from Vernon Wells and Lenny Dykstra are putting Kevin Mitchell‘s job as the 4th OFer at risk, but Mitchell hit enough last season to most likely prevail.
Final Cuts
Alex Reyes and Ray Jablonski were demoted, and Tom McCreery‘s brief shot at being a utility player ended with his being sent to AAA.
All of that means that Jack Doyle–he of the .400 Spring OPS–is likely to make the team as the reserve 3B (among other positions–Doyle’s flexibility is useful, even if his bat is not).
20 year old Glenn Borgmann was excellent all Spring–a .300 average, 3 homeruns, and decent play behind the plate. But Dave Nilsson retains his spot with Borgmann heading to the minors. The American Giants ducked more difficult choices by placing OF Kevin Mitchell on the DL to get down to 30 players.
The final cuts on the mound were pretty hard: Herb Pennock, Frank Smith, and Mike Adams were the choices, but there was very little to choose from between them, Larry Tiwtchell, and Billy Loes.
Luke Appling had a great Spring, but in the end was moved to AAA. Appling has established himself as the likely successor to Freddy Parent at SS, though.
Lenny Dykstra and Vernon Wells had a great battle all Spring. Wells edged out Dykstra, making the initial roster.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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)
