Tag: Jim Whitney Page 2 of 5

TWIWBL 77.1: Year 2, Week 20

On August 27, 2025

August 12th

The trading deadline is only a week away, so that becomes a bit of the focus for both this week and next.

#Awards

Ottawa‘s Gary Carter had 6 homeruns and a .450 average last week, earning him the National League Player of the Week honors while over in the AL, Player of the Week accolades went to Los Angeles‘ Kal Daniels. Daniels, who is having a borderline MVP candidate season, went 14-for-25 on the week, raising his overall batting average to .353.

#Team Performance

Cleveland and Brooklyn have both put some distance between themselves and their chase packs: in the Bill James Division, Cleveland (9-1 over their last 10 games) leads the New York Black Yankees by 4 games while in the Effa Manley Division, Brooklyn is now up by a whopping 10.5 over Homestead.

With the San Francisco Sea Lions running away with the Cum Posey Division (with the best record in baseball, they currently hold an 18.5 game lead), that leaves the Marvin Miller Division as the only currently close race, with the Kansas City Monarchs in first and Birmingham in last, with only 4.5 games separating the 5 teams in the division.

We’ll start to pay more attention to the Wild Card standings soon, for now, the Black Yankees and the Detroit Wolverines would make it in the AL, with Homestead and the surprising Ottawa Mounties in the NL. However, those races are all still very close.

With 5 losses in a row, Baltimore has recovered the worst record in the league with a .427 winning percentage (they briefly ceded this dubious honor to the Chicago American Giants, who have improved just enough to move ahead of the Black Barons).

#Player Performance

#Batters

What jumps out at me most is how widespread the talent is. This list has the top 2 performers in all categories, yet each team is only represented once.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 295/361/688. 125 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 260/369/740. 52 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 348/388/650. 157 H, 12 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 370/426/788. 154 H, 47 2B, 104 R, 6.4 WAR.
Kal Daniels (LAA). 353/444/660.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 408/507/790. 8.1 WAR.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 352/406/586. 51 2B.
Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI). 287/341/610. 12 3B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 280/411/730. 53 HR,126 RBI, 106 R, 87 BB.
Ted Williams (MEM). 308/427/653. 80 BB.

#Pitchers

#Starters

All 5 players with at least 14 wins are listed, as well as the top 2 in other categories.

A. Rube Foster (KCM). 8-4, 3.01. 0.98 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 14-4, 4.12.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-7, 4.40. 197 K.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 15-5, 3.79.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 16-5, 4.11.
Luis Padrón (IND). 16-3, 3.36.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 15-5, 4.32.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13-8, 3.13. 207 K, 0.98 WHIP, 3.19 FIP, 6.4 WAR.
Jim Whitney (MCG). 8-3, 2.86. 0.98 WHIP.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 10-9, 3.82. 3.58 WHIP, 5.1 WAR.

#Relievers

3 closers have 25+ saves, including Brooklyn’s Eric Gagne, who may be the most dominant fireman in the league at the moment. If it’s not Gagne, it’s one of the relievers who have recently taken over the closer role for their teams: Chicago’s Akinori Otsuka or Kansas City’s Craig Kimbrel.

25 Min IP.

Rod Beck (SFS). 4-3, 5.23. 27 Sv, 1 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-1, 2.52. 25 Sv.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-1, 2.11. 1 Sv, 8 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-6, 5.36. 1 Sv, 17 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 3-4, 2.23. 7 Sv, 11 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 7-3, 3.56. 27 Sv.
Akinori Otsuka (CAG). 5-1, 1.85. 6 Sv, 5 H.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 2-3, 4.95. 1 Sv, 14 H.

#Game of the Week

So so close to the no no.

Pitching on short rest, Indianapolis‘ Johnny Cueto delivered 5 hitless innings in a start against Ottawa … then Clay Carroll added 2 more, and Rob Murphy another. Which meant Rob Dibble came in for the bottom of the 9th with the ABC’s leading 7-0 and throwing a combined no-hitter. Dibble got Roberto Alomar to groundout, Larry Walker to whiff … and then gave up a long fly ball to Gary Carter that just barely cleared the outfield fence, ruining the shutout and the no-no.

IND 7 (Carroll 1-2) @ OTT 1 (Radbourn 11-10)
HRs: IND – Dunn (33), Charleston (30), Votto (26); OTT – Carter (44).
Box Score

#Injury Report

Not a lot of impact here right now: names that might see a rehab stint this week include John Tudor (BAL), Bob Brown (OTT), Ross Reynolds (LAA), and Casey Stengel (HOU).

TWIWBL 76.4: Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On August 7, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
San Francisco Sea Lions	72-39	.649	—
Miami Cuban Giants	54-58	.482	18.5
Portland Sea Dogs	52-60	.464	20.5
Los Angeles Angels	51-61	.455	21.5
Chicago American Giants	49-63	.438	23.5

Cum Posey Division | 5 August

#Chicago American Giants

Chicago’s season is done at this point, so they have turned their focus to next year. The immensely talented Chino Smith was recalled from AAA. While Smith won’t unseat Eddie Collins at 2B, it’s hoped that, by shifting Joe Jackson to LF, the American Giants can see what they have in Smith in RF.

Despite his obvious power, Rocky Colavito was sent to AAA to clear room for Smith.

Chicago also recalled Danny Murtaugh from AA, sending Damian Jackson down, giving them a chance to see what the young IF can do, both at SS and as Dick Allen‘s backup at 3B.

Jackson tied the game with a 2 run pinch-hit shot in the 9th and won it with another 2 run homerun in the 11th as the American Giants beat Memphis, 8-6 in 11 innings.

The American Giants exploded for 15 runs over the last 3 innings, turning a 5-5 tie into a 20-6 rout of Los Angeles. Kevin Mitchell had 3 homeruns and Paul Konerko and Duffy Lewis each hit grandslams in the game, with Konerko driving in 8–the most in the WBL this season–and Mitchell 6. Collins, Konerko, and Mitchell each scored 4 times.

#Los Angeles Angels

John Stearns was sent to AAA with AJ Pierzynski returning from his rehab assignment. With Ron Hassey‘s strong showing, look for Pierzynski to be more in a backup role than a platoon.

Doug Rader and Carlos Delgado each hit 2 homeruns and Doc Gooden put in a solid start as the Angels trounced Portland, 11-2.

Kal Daniels is having himself a season. Los Angeles, unfortunately, isn’t, and his 5 hits weren’t enough as the Angels fell to the Sea Dogs, 10-6 in 10 innings. Things got a little worse for the Angels after the game as Ross Reynolds–perhaps the most dependable arm in their bullpen all year–will miss about a week with a stiff back. John Lackey was recalled from AAA.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Julio Rodríguez hit two homeruns, giving him 30 on the year, but the Cuban Giants’ bullpen imploded in a 14-7 loss to the Black Yankees. The next day, Rodríguez did it again: 2 homeruns in another loss to New York, this one by a 14-5 tally.

Jim Whitney continued to shine as a trade acquisition for the Cuban Giants, twirling a 2-hitter against the Black Yankees in a 4-0 victory. Helped by homeruns from Yasiel Puig and Gary Sheffield, Whitney improved to 3-1 for Miami, whiffing a dozen and walking 2 in the complete game effort.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Art Fowler was sent to AAA with Tom Zachary being recalled from his rehab assignment. The next day, Walter Ball was forced from his start and will miss about a week with inflammation. Ball hits the DL with Fowler being immediately recalled. And then Fowler was injured; however, as he will miss about 3 months, the yo-yo stops here. Bill Monbouquette was recalled for his WBL debut.

Gil Hodges hit 2 out of the park, giving him 30 on the year, as the Sea Dogs held on for a 10-7 win over Memphis.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Watty Clark was recalled from his rehab assignment, with Bobby Seay being returned to AAA. With Tom Brewer‘s impressive start, for now, Clark will work out of the bullpen.

Turkey Stearnes launched 2 out of the ballpark, but Miami prevailed over the Sea Lions, 6-4. Different day, same song: Jack Clark hit 2 out but again Miami triumphed over the Sea Lions, this time 9-7.

TWIWBL 76.1: Year 2, Week 19

By mknn

On August 4, 2025

In TWIWBL

August 5th

We enter the dog days …

In addition to the natural clarification of the playoff races, August has 2 very important dates: 8/17 is the trading deadline and 8/23 marks the day rosters can be expanded.

#Awards

#July Awards

All hail Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, who hit .487 with 11 homeruns and 36 RBIs in July to win the NL Batter of the Month. For good measure, Gibson added 19 walks, giving him an OBP for the month approaching .600 (.598).

Los Angeles‘ Kal Daniels continues to deliver on his talent, hitting .371 with 12 homers and 30 RBI’s to take home the AL Batter of the Month.

Don Drysedale was in what could most generously be called a funk until July hit, with some even calling for Brooklyn‘s ace to be moved to the bullpen. Instead, he went 5-0 in the month with a 1.81 ERA to take home the NL Pitcher of the Month Award.

Memphis‘ Stubby Overmire was named the AL Pitcher of the Month, going 3-0 with a 1.36 ERA in the year, finding some of the form that led to his ERA crown last year.

Drysedale’s teammate John Briggs just keeps proving his doubters wrong. The 21 year old CF took home the July Rookie of the Month Award in the NL, hitting .366 for the month with 8 homeruns, 17 RBI’s, and 20 runs scored. Another CF–Detroit‘s budding superstar Turkey Stearnes–took home the honors in the AL, hitting .337 with 9 homeruns and 25 RBI’s in the month.

For once, there wasn’t much controversy with the awards. Gibson, whose 1.651 OPS led the league for the month, was a clear choice, meaning Houston‘s Jeff Bagwell–second at 1.375–could understand the decision not going his way.

Birmingham‘s Hank Aaron, and Cleveland‘s Lance Berkman and Ron Blomberg each had 13 homers on the month, with Blomberg driving in a ridiculous 39 runners. But Daniels had the higher OPS, and certainly was a defensible choice.

Drysedale was the only hurler with 5 wins in July, and Overmire and he were 1-2 in ERA. So, overall, solid selections across the board.

#Weekly Awards

Stearnes’ hot streak also earned him the AL Player of the Week Award, as he hit .500 with 5 homers in the first week of August. In the NL, a .536 average with 3 homers earned Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson the Player of the Week Award.

#Team Performance

In the Bill James Division, it looks like a 2-team race, with Cleveland now leading the New York Black Yankees by a single game. That makes it and the Marvin Miller Division the ones worth watching–the Marvin Miller is a 3 team race currently, with Kansas City leading Indianapolis by 1.5 and Houston by 3. But Birmingham and the House of David are only 5.5 games back, so nobody is truly out of the picture.

Not so in the Cum Posey Division: with the best record in baseball, San Francisco is the only team in the division over .500 and leads second place Miami by 18.5 games.

The Effa Manley Division is edging closer to being settled, as Brooklyn, now with the 2nd best record in the league, leads Homesteads by 7.5.

Chicago–yes, last year’s playoff contender Chicago–has the worst record in baseball, at 49-63.

#Player Performance

#Batters

I mean … Josh Gibson, ladies and gentlemen. Ty Cobb has regained the SLG lead by .003, but Gibson is having himself a year for the ages at this point.

Top 2 across all categories.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 291/358/668. 117 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 259/370/741. 50 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 342/384/637. 145 H, 12 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 369/423/799. 145 H, 44 2B, 96 R, 6.2 WAR.
Kal Daniels (LAA). 339/432/656.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 406/505/794. 7.7 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 348/386/558. 141 H.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 355/408/580. 50 2B.
Charles Rogan (PHI). 287/339/614. 12 3B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 280/413/739. 51 HR,117 RBI,102 R, 5.9 WAR.
Ted Williams (MEM). 313/432/651.

#Pitchers

#Starters

7 players have 13 or more wins, led by San Francisco’s Bump Hadley with 16; we’ve included all of those as well as the top 2 in other categories.

The list has settled somewhat–only the Black Yankee’s Ron Guidry doesn’t really belong on a list of the best starters in the WBL (those strikeouts tho …).

Roger Clemens (HOU). 13-6, 3.43.
A. Rube Foster (KCM). 7-3, 2.89. 0.98 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 14-4, 3.93. 167 IP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-7, 4.14. 191 K.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 14-5, 3.92.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 16-5, 4.05.
José Méndez (MCG). 9-5, 4.34. 164 IP. 0.98 WHIP.
Luis Padrón (IND). 15-3, 3.40. 3.65 FIP, 5.0 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 15-5, 4.14.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13-8, 3.13. 197 K, 0.97 WHIP, 3.17 FIP, 6.2 WAR.
Jim Whitney (MCG). 7-3, 3.05.

#Relievers

All 5 closers with 20 or more saves are listed, as well as top 2 in relevant stats. Relievers are weird–Rod Beck and Michael Jackson have had strong years, but have also had a couple disastrous outings each, leading to ERA’s over 5.00 despite leading the league in saves and holds, respectively.

24 Min IP.

Terry Adams (CLE). 1-4, 3.82. 20 Sv, 2 H.
Rod Beck (SFS). 3-3, 5.17. 27 Sv, 1 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-1, 2.76. 23 Sv.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 2.09. 4 Sv, 6 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-6, 5.73. 1 Sv, 15 H.
Ted Kennedy (PHI). 2-2, 3.64. 4 Sv, 13 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 7-3, 3.60. 26 Sv.
Joe Nathan (LAA). 5-4, 3.57. 20 Sv.
Akinori Otsuka (CAG). 4-1, 1.99. 5 Sv, 5 H.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 2-3, 3.43. 1 Sv, 13 H.

#Looking Back at Preseason Predictions

Some good/some bad, as usual.

In the AL, The San Francisco Sea Lions were the clear preseason favorite, and they’ve delivered; but the experts also had the New York Black Yankees running away with their division, which has certainly not been the case. And nobody saw Chicago’s collapse–the experts saw the American Giants in 2nd place behind the Sea Lions, led by an MVP quality season from Frank Thomas. The Big Hurt has been good, but not that good, and the American Giants have floundered for most of the season.

Over in the NL, the prediction was for Brooklyn and Homestead to be tied for first place, which is not far off. But the Marvin Miller Division is a bit mixed up, with Houston being predicted to coast to a 7 game lead with Kansas City and Indianapolis (currently 1-2) foundering at the bottom of the table.

#Injury Report

Memphis’ Dobie Moore should start a rehab assignment this week, as will the New York Gothams‘ Carson Smith and Ottawa’s Bill Smith.

TWIWBL 75.2 Spotlight on the Birmingham Black Barons

By mknn

On July 4, 2025

In TWIWBL

Birmingham was a bit of an expert’s favorite last season, selling hard at the all star break, and then making great moves in late August to slide into the playoffs. They were pretty active in the off-season, and while the jury is out on some of the moves, the Black Barons’ front office has earned some benefit of the doubt.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

That said, they are 7.5 games behind, and struggling a bit for sure, and it’s not clear that trading away a an all-star arm in Jim Whitney was the right move at the midseason break.

THE OFFENSE

It’s a bit weird. The Black Barons have a ton of power, with over 250 homers, second in the NL in that department. But that’s about it. They struggle to get on base, struggle to hit singles and doubles, and, at the end of the day, are only meh at what matters for an offense, scoring runs.

#What’s Going Right

Hank Aaron continues to position himself right on the edge of superstar level, leading the team in OPS (.953), homeruns (39), and RBIs (77).

Behind Aaron, Eddie Mathews continues to be an offensive force despite struggling to hit over .230.

Newly acquired Ryan Braun is a monster at the plate given Birmingham a truly impressive top 3 in the lineup..

While not at the same level as those three, Jim Pagliaroni is among the better offensive backstops in the league and Albert Belle, brought in during the offseason to hit for power, has done exactly that.

A shade of last year: Richie Sexson was brought in over the all star break as a throw-in to the Braun trade. Sexson has 4 homeruns in his first 10 games with Birmingham.

Gene Tenace is demanding more playing time now that he’s back from injury, with an OBP over .400 and SLG over .500 in pretty limited action.

#What’s Not Going Right

Even with 31 homers, Curtis Granderson is somewhat exemplary of what’s wrong with Birmingham’s offense overall: he’s hitting under .200 despite all those homeruns, with only 7 other extra base hits. Likewise, fan favorite JP Arencibia keeps hitting them out–12 dingers in 127 PAs–but doing little else at the plate.

Despite being given every opportunity to lock down the 1B job, Adrián González is not doing much. He’s performing better than last year, but an OPS under .800 is rough from a 1B in this league.

Similarly, despite Troy Tulowitzki‘s recent improvement, neither he nor Herman Long have been able to hold onto the SS job for long.

Cupid Childs is flashy, leading the team with 28 homers and the same number of steals. But closer examination reveals some weaknesses, with his OPS hovering barely over .700 and 19 caught stealings reducing the impact of those stolen bases.

THE PITCHING

The offense is better than last year, but the record is worse: an indication that not all is great on the mound for Birmingham.

#What’s Going Right

Harley Young has moved into the closer role, and the first-time all-star has continued his dominance, with 6 saves, 6 holds, and an ERA under 3.00.

Alejandro Peña and Greg Maddux are both pitching better than their raw numbers might suggest. While both have losing records and ERA’s around 5.00, their WHIPs remain solid.

#What’s Not Going Right

Even the above has caveats: Peña and Maddux have surrendered 68 homeruns combined, which is nearly unfathomable.

Juan Rincón has 12 saves, but has been pretty awful, losing his closer role and perhaps in danger of a trip to AAA–an ERA around 8.50 will do that.

While Bruce Chen has been better of late, he still sports an ERA near 6.00, and he and Rincón are both surrendering dingers at a Peña and Maddux like rate.

Nobody else has stood up in the rotation, with John Malarkey and Lefty Gomez being thoroughly meh to date.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

There is talent here, but it’s not clear how it all fits together. As an example, Joe Torre looks for real behind the plate, but unlikely to unseat Pagliaroni, and it’s not clear what Curt Flood offers that Granderson does not.

That said, Jess Barbour, Marcus Giles, Trea Turner, Ozzie Albies, and Gary Matthews all have some significant upside. But right now Giles, Turner, and Albies all play the same position, and Braun’s acquisitions further crowds the OF situation.

On the mound, the best arms–Cozy Dolan and Steve Avery–are still a few years away, with little help likely from the upper levels.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Fewer solo homers, more overall offensive production, and the pitching to improve across the board.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

How will some key pieces for last season–Pettitte, Rincón, González, Childs, Pagliaroni–perform over the course of a full year. Mixed. Pettitte, of course, was traded, Pagliaroni has excelled and González has been acceptable.
With Andy Pettitte traded, how does the rotation respond and does Albert Belle perform at a level that makes it worthwhile. Belle has been good, but Birmingham would rather have Pettitte, given the rest of their roster right now. This is not in small part due to Lefty Gomez (part of the Pettitte trade) being unable to keep up his early strong performance.
Who will fill out the roster. Still a question …

FEATURED SERIES

The Black Barons travel to New York at the end of the week for a 3 game set against the Gothams.

Projected Starters

Birmingham’s starter listed first.

Lefty Gomez @ Christy Mathewson
Alejandro Peña (5-6, 4.91) @ Juan Marichal (8-9, 4.92)
Charlie Morton (4-3, 5.01) @ Gaylord Perry (8-10, 4.88)
Greg Maddux (8-9, 5.10) @ Don Sutton (11-4, 4.75)

(Forgot to grab stats for Gomez and Mathewson before playing the game.)

I mean … who knows? These are two teams still searching for an identity, let alone a .500 record.

Game One

Birmingham took the lead in the 2nd on a 2-run double from Herman Long, and then made it 4-0 on a 2-run shot from Ryan Braun in the 3rd. But Lefty Gomez gave it back in the bottom of the frame on an RBI single by Willie Mays and a 3-run pop fly that curled just inside the short left field pole from Will Clark.

RBI’s from Curtis Granderson and Albert Belle gave the Black Barons a 2-run lead, later halved by a solo shot from Mays. And that’s where we stood in the bottom of the 7th, 6-5 in favor of Birmingham. Clark then took Bill Phyle deep for his second homerun of the game, tying us up at 6.

On this day, though, Birmingham would prevail: Gene Tenace homered off Robb Nen in the top of the 9th and Harley Young pitched a perfect frame in the bottom for his 7th save of the season.

BBB 7 (Jackson 1-5, 5 B Sv; Kemmerer 2 H) @ NYG 6 (Crain 1-2; Henke 9 Sv)
HRs: BBB – Braun (38), Tenace (9); NYG – Clark 2 (24), Mays (37).
Box Score

Game Two

Alejandro Peña and Juan Marichal would face off in game two.

Marichal struggled immediately: a single, 2 walks, and an HBP gave Birmingham a 1-0 lead, Ryan Braun delivered a grandslam, and Curtis Granderson a 2-run shot to make it 7-0. Then it got comical: a hit, 2 errors, and a walk led to another run. So, 8-0 good guys after half an inning.

By the end of the 3rd, the Gothams had clawed their way back into it with a solo shot from Jim Ray Hart and a homerun and double from Willie Mays, closing the score to 8-5.

A rain delay of just over half an hour removed both starters in the 4th inning. Peña’s replacement, Joe Orrell, only lasted a few pitches before having to leave via injury. Birmingham brought in Charlie Morton, scrambling their rotation for the rest of the series.

A double from Benny Kauff brought the Gothams back to within a single run, 8-7, but the Black Barons remembered how to score in the 7th when Cupid Childs plated 2 with a single and Hank Aaron drove in another, for an 11-7 lead.

But New York wasn’t done: Larry Doyle took Bruce Chen deep, making it a 2 run game at 12-10. Again, though, Harley Young was up to it, giving Birmingham a 2-0 lead in the series.

BBB 12 (Morton 5-3; Young 8 Sv; Malloy 2 H) @ NYG 10 (Marichal 8-10)
HRs: BBB – Braun (39), Granderson (33); NYG – Hart (2), Mays (38), Doyle (14).
Box Score

Game Three

Before the game, even though it wasn’t clear what the exact nature of his injury was, the Black Barons needed a starter, so Joe Orrell headed to the DL with Warren Spahn being recalled for the start. He’d be opposed by Gaylord Perry for the Gothams.

Spahn was roughed up, giving up 5 homeruns in under 5 innings, with Larry Doyle going deep twice and Will Clark, Jim Ray Hart, and Buster Posey each sending one over the fence as well. After 5 innings, the Gothams led 7-0, with Perry surrendering neither a hit nor a walk in that span.

Perry walked Bob Nieman to lose the perfecto, but held onto the no-no until the 7th, when a single from Eddie Mathews gave Birmingham their first hit. At that point, it was 9-0, and the result was unlikely to come into doubt.

Perry ended with a 3-hitter, whiffing 10 in the complete game effort. Doyle and Hart had 4 hits each, and Doyle and Clark drove in 3.

BBB 0 (Spahn 2-3) @ NYG 10 (Perry 9-10)
HRs: BBB – none; NYG – Clark (25), Hart (3), Posey (29), Doyle 2 (16).
Box Score

Game Four

So, will Birmingham take the series 3-1, or will the Gothams come back and earn a series split? The Black Barons turn to Greg Maddux, while New York will counter by giving Rube Waddell the spot start.

Waddell struggled out of the gate, allowing an RBI single to Hank Aaron, walking Albert Belle with the bases loaded, and giving up a third run on a groundout while Brooklyn batted around in the top of the first.

Recently acquired Don Buford led off the bottom of the inning with his 21st homer of the year, closing it to 3-1 in favor of Birmingham.

Waddell settled down, and we were still 3-1 after 6 innings. Waddell was unlikely to come out for the 7th, but an elbow injury forced the Gothams’ hand, with Mike Norris taking the ball in the top of the 7th.

Maddux gave up a leadoff homer to Benny Kauff in the bottom of the frame, closing the gap to 3-2, and a single from Will Clark raised action in the Birmingham bullpen. Jim Ray Hart launched his 4th of the year, chasing Maddux with the Gothams having suddenly taken the lead, 4-3. Buford added an RBI with his 3rd hit of the day, and New York’s bullpen took over with a 2 run edge.

Robb Nen had a poor inning, but Jo-Jo Moore nailed Aaron at the plate to end the frame, preserving the 2 run lead. Brian Wilson had no such issues, walking 1 and whiffing 3 in picking up his 15th save of the year.

BBB 3 (Maddux 8-10) @ NYG 5 (Norris 4-4; Wilson 15 Sv; Nen 11 H)
HRs: BBB – none; NYG – Buford (5), Kauff (26), Hart (4).
Box Score

Waddell will miss a couple weeks, earning the oft-injured lefty a trip to the DL with Pete Donohue being recalled from AAA.

So, a series split. Birmingham’s bats fell off dramatically over the final 2 games, pointing to the inconsistency the Black Barons need to overcome if they are to escape the bottom few slots in the league.

Homeruns continue to plague Birmingham’s staff: the Gothams hit 15 out in the 4 games, with Jim Ray Hart launching his first 4 of the season and Will Clark and Larry Doyle hitting 3 each.

TWIWBL 75.1: Year 2, Week 18

By mknn

On July 3, 2025

In TWIWBL

July 30th

Coming off a short week for most teams.

#Awards

Josh Gibson of the Homestead Grays hit .409 last week–which barely moved his overall batting average of .408. That, along with 5 homers and 12 RBIs earned him the NL Player of the Week Award. In the AL, one of the surprising cogs in the Detroit Wolverines‘ machine, Juan Beníquez, earned the Award, hitting .423 with 3 homers.

#Team Performance

More of the same.

San Francisco is riding a 9-1 streak, improving their winning percentage to .648, easily the best in the WBL. They lead the Cum Posey Division by 17 games over Miami.

In the Effa Manley Division, the surprising Brooklyn Royal Giants are extending their edge over Homestead, now leading the Grays by 5.5 games.

But the other 2 divisions are building to be close races: in the Bill James Division, the New York Black Yankees continue to struggle, falling to the 3rd best record in the league and only leading Cleveland by a single game. And, in the Marvin Miller Division, while the Kansas City Monarchs are in first, both Indianapolis and Houston sit only 1.5 games back.

Baltimore, despite better showings as of late, continue to hold the worst record in the league at .429.

#Player Performance

#Batters

Remember when we were talking about Tony Gwynn and Ty Cobb competing to hit .400? They now sit roughly 40 points behind Josh Gibson, leading the universe with a .408 average. Offensively, the league revolves around three players: Gibson, Cobb, and Babe Ruth. And Ruth’s exploits are even more impressive when you consider his .285 average.

But, for now, Gibson stands alone, leading in all 3 slash categories.

As always, top 3 in most stats with the leaders in bold.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 255/370/668. 40 HR, 105 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 255/370/717. 44 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 342/385/641. 136 H, 12 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 369/421/794. 136 H, 41 2B, 86 R, 5.8 WAR.
Kal Daniels (LAA). 332/431/640.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 408/503/809. 102 RBI, 88 R, 7.2 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 360/398/574. 138 H.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 358/409/587. 47 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 319/388/569. 40 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 285/420/751. 49 HR, 113 RBI, 98 R, 81 BB, 6.0 WAR.
Ted Williams (MEM). 312/429/656. 770 BB.

Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson are in a see-saw battle for the SB lead, with Raines currently on top , 78-73. See below for some more on speed in the league …

#Pitchers

#Starters

San Francisco’s big three is just humming along. Bump Hadley and Eddie Plank are the only hurlers with 15 wins, and Lefty Grove has 13. Only Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón (14) and Houston’s Toad Ramsey (13) have that many.

Ramsey or Kansas City’s A. Rube Foster are probably the best overall starters in the league right now, but we’ll see how August plays out.

A. Rube Foster (KCM). 7-3, 2.66. 0.96 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 13-4, 3.92. 170 K.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-7, 4.16. 187 K.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 15-4, 3.64.
José Méndez (MCG). 9-5, 4.38. 0.99 WHIP.
Luis Padrón (IND). 14-3, 3.58. 3.60 FIP, 4.6 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 15-5, 4.02.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13-7, 3.04. 190 K, 0.96 WHIP, 3.07 FIP, 6.1 WAR.
Jim Whitney (MCG). 6-3, 3.10. 1 Sv, 2 H.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 9-9, 3.62. 3.59 FIP, 4.5 WAR.

#Relievers

Brooklyn’s Eric Gagne is probably the league’s dominant closer, but some of the hurlers whose role has been more fluid–notably the Gothams’ Robb Nen and the Black Yankees’ Goose Gossage–have perhaps been more valuable.

23 IP Min.

Rod Beck (SFS). 3-2, 3.72. 26 Sv.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-1, 2.93. 21 Sv.
Goose Gossage (NYY). 3-3, 2.02. 122 Sv, 8 H.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-1, 2.02. 1 Sv, 7 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-6, 5.35. 1 Sv, 14 H.
Ted Kennedy (PHI). 2-2, 3.83. 4 Sv, 12 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 6-3, 3.65. 25 Sv.
Robb Nen (NYG). 3-2, 1.88. 10 Sv, 9 H.

#Steals and Speed

Seemed a good time to check in on some oddities in running the bases.

Let’s start with some players who perhaps should be running a bit less, led by the New York Gothams‘ recently acquired Don Buford, who has 21 steals, but has been caught 20 times. Houston’s Craig Biggio has been even worse, with only 10 steals in 26 attempts. Chicago‘s Eddie Collins has been gunned down 23 times, but has 45 swipes: not a great success rate, but far ahead of Buford and Biggio.

San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson has been caught the most times in the league, but with 73 steals against 25 caught stealings, his success rate remains decent.

On the other end of the scale, Indianapolis’ Bob Bescher has only been caught 10 times in 53 attempts; Kansas City’s Ozzie Smith is doing even better, with an 84% success rate (42 for 50 so far); and the Black Yankees’ Eric Davis has gone 37 for 42.

Ottawa‘s Carlos Beltrán has been thrown out only once in 26 tries but, interestingly, nobody with at least 5 steals has a perfect record on the basepaths.

#Injury Report

A big week, led by Chicago perhaps finally getting some insight into Tricky Nichols‘ year-long struggles, as last year’s ace will miss 4 or 5 months with a shoulder ailment.

Detroit and Homestead both may have some help for their pitching staffs on the way, as Buddy Napier and Joakim Soria should start rehab assignments this week for the Wolverines while Cliff Lee and Doug Drabek should do so for the Grays.

Memphis‘ Dobie Moore, the Black Yankees’ Dave Righetti, and the House of David‘s Anthony Rizzo should also find their way back this week.

TWIWBL 74.1: Year 2, Week 17

By mknn

On March 27, 2025

In TWIWBL

July 23rd

Coming off a short week for most teams.

#Awards

A .500 average and 3 homeruns was enough for Jeff Bagwell of the Houston Colt 45’s to win the NL Player of the Week Award while, in the AL, Portland‘s resurgent Buddy Bell took home the Award, doing even better over the span by hitting .522 with 4 dingers.

#Team Performance

The yawner is the Cum Posey Division, where San Francisco continues to coast with the best record in the league, leading the division by 15 games and going 8-22 over their last 10 contests.

In the Bill James Division, where the New York Black Yankees once looked as comfortable as San Francisco, the Cleveland Spiders have closed to within 2.5 games of New York. That’s the same margin the Brooklyn Royal Giants hold over Homestead in the Effa Manley Division while, over in the Marvin Miller Division, it’s a 3 team race between Kansas City, Indianapolis, and Houston with only 2.55 games separating those 3 franchises.

Baltimore continues to flounder with the worst record in the WBL at 41-58.

#Player Performance

#Batters

Returning to this, a few things stand out: Detroit‘s Ty Cobb has hit a little bit of a lull, pulling his average well below .400 while Babe Ruth keeps doing Babe Ruth things, but isn’t as dominant as he has been in past moments. All of this has allowed the exploits of Homestead’s Josh Gibson to come to the forefront.

Gibson was an all-star, but he was overshadowed by Cobb and Ruth until now. But he’s slashing 407/500/781, which may make the young backstop the most dangerous bat in the league at the moment.

As always, top 3 in most stats with the leaders in bold.

It’s an odd list, as the gap between the truly elite performers–essentially Gibson, Cobb, and Ruth and, maybe, Cleveland’s Tris Speaker–and the next group is pretty wide.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 286/355/681. 38 HR, 101 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 252/370/709. 42 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 345/390/639. 130 H, 11 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 381/432/818. 130 H, 41 2B, 5.8 WAR.
Kal Daniels (LAA). 331/434/626.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 407/500/781. 1221 H, 6.5 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 366/406/563. 130 H.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 260/386/482. 63 BB, 69 SB.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 362/407/592. 124 H, 44 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 325/390/573. 40 2B.
Mike Piazza (BRK). 313/350/709. 38 HR.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 291/428/769. 47 HR, 108 RBI, 94 R, 78 BB, 6.0 WAR.
Tris Speaker (CLE). 343/423/692. 81 R.
Larry Walker (OTT). 274/355/669. 38 HR, 93 RBI.
Ted Williams (MEM). 306/419/636. 81 R, 63 BB.

#Pitchers

#Starters

All 6 players with 12 or more wins are listed.

A. Rube Foster (KCM). 6-2, 2.48. 0.93 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 12-4, 3.86. 156 K.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-6, 4.24. 169 K.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 14-4, 3.62. 3.55 FIP.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 12-5, 3.76.
José Méndez (MCG). 9-5, 4.12. 3.9 WAR.
Luis Padrón (IND). 13-3, 3.70. 3.57 FIP, 4.4 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 14-4, 3.90.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 13-5, 2.82. 175 K, 0.93 WHIP, 2.81 FIP, 6.1 WAR.
Jim Whitney (MCG). 5-2, 2.88. 1 Sv, 2 H. 0.98 WHIP.

#Relievers

22 IP Min.

Rod Beck (SFS). 3-2, 3.58. 25 Sv, 1 H. 0.76 WHIP.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-2, 5.48. 12 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-1, 3.14. 20 Sv.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-1, 1.87. 1 Sv, 6 H.
Bob Howry (PHI). 3-1, 3.91. 13 Sv. 0.78 WHIP.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-4, 3.48. 1 Sv, 14 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 4-3, 3.44. 25 Sv.
Robb Nen (NYG). 3-2, 1.72. 10 Sv, 9 H.
Lee Smith (KCM). 4-1, 2.37. 6 Sv, 6 H. 0.82 WHIP.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.19. 14 Sv.

#Injury Report

Detroit’s Mike Henneman may start a rehab assignment later in the week.

TWIWBL 72.6: Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On February 19, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
San Francisco Sea Lions	55-34	.618	—
Miami Cuban Giants	44-46	.489	11.5
Chicago American Giants	42-47	.472	13
Los Angeles Angels	39-49	.443	15.5
Portland Sea Dogs	39-51	.433	16.5

Cum Posey Division | 9 July

#Los Angeles Angels

Jack Gleason was recalled to take Don Buford‘s roster spot. Buford’s absence means Kal Daniels becomes the Angels’ everyday LF with Elmer Smith entering a platoon with Steve Garvey at DH.

Mike Trout and Carlos Delgado hit back-to-back homeruns in the bottom of the 11th as the Angels beat Detroit, 9-8. Delgado’s was his 2nd of the day and the blasts left both him and Trout with 21 dingers each on the season.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Steven Wright was sent to AAA, clearing room for Jim Whitney, who moved directly into Miami’s rotation.

Whitney made a solid debut with just over 6 scoreless innings, but it took a walkoff homer from Iván Rodríguez in the bottom of the 10th for the Cuban Giants to triumph over Portland, 5-4. Jim Thome went deep twice in the game, giving him 34 on the year.

#Portland Sea Dogs

John Wetteland–despite his struggles with Baltimore–will join Portland’s bullpen with Bobby Witt returning to AAA. Additionally, Joseíto Muñoz was named to the rotation, with Jerry Koosman, who is returning from a rehab assignment, taking up the role of the departed Mike Cuellar in the Sea Dogs’ bullpen.

Rogers Hornsby‘s departure is a little more complicated: Paul Molitor will take over most of the time at 2B, with Willie Randolph as his backup and Eddie Yost was recalled from the minors to provide some depth at 3B.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Jimmy Bloodworth has gone from fan favorite to AAA as he was sent down to clear room for Frank Grant, who will take over as the everyday 2B.

Bump Hadley‘s first start of the second half was more of the same excellence: a 4-hit shutout of Chicago. Hadley, who improved to 13-4, fanned 10 in the 8-0 win, and Jack Clark went deep twice in support of the right-hander.

TWIWBL 72.4: The All Star Trades

By mknn

On February 17, 2025

In TWIWBL

Welcome to the mid-season merry-go-round! These deals tend to be a little less desperate than those at the end of August, but we have some significant movement below for sure as teams make declarations about their intentions over the final months of the season.

Rogers Hornsby and Richie Sexson were traded for the 2nd time at the All-Star Break, each changing teams last season as well.

Baltimore sends John Wetteland & a 4th Round Pick to Portland for Mike Cuellar.

Wetteland’s struggles this year don’t eliminate his immense upside, and this trade reunites Cuellar with his historical team. It also reinforces Baltimore’s belief that the Black Sox are closer to competing than Portland may be.

Miami sends Ryan Braun, Richie Sexson & a 7th Round Pick to Birmingham for Jim Whitney, Andy Pafko, José Cruz, and a 2nd Round Pick.

This one is tricky. Miami is in the unfamiliar position of potentially competing for a playoff spot, and are in desperate need of pitching. Whitney is a first-time all-star, so he is being sold at what is most likely his peak value. Braun is clearly a force, but moving him allows Miami to clearly define roles for Jim Thome and Gary Sheffield and to expand playing time for Yasiel Puig and Al Oliver (Pafko’s acquisition is seen as relatively short-term, with his versatility aiding in the Cuban Giants’ playoff push). From Birmingham’s perspective, Braun immediately becomes a significant lineup addition, and Sexson has a much clearer road to the WBL with the Black Barons.

San Francisco sends John Beckwith & a 3rd Round Pick to the House of David for Frank Grant.

A straight up future talent deal. The Sea Lions think they have their 2B issue solved with this deal, and since Grant is already in the WBL, they had to throw in the pick. It’s not clear where Beckwith plays for the House of David–or when he arrives–but a bat like his will eventually not be denied.

Los Angeles sends Don Buford to the New York Gothams for Freddie Patek and a 2nd and a 5th Round Pick

LA is rebuilding, at least slightly, and Buford has struggled this year, while the Gothams need help both in LF and at 2B. Patek has a future, but the 22 draft picks are the meat of the deal.

Philadelphia sends Larry Jackson to the House of David for Jung Ho Kang, Luis Aparicio, and a 7th Round Pick.

The House of David wanted pitching; given how established in the WBL Jackson is, they would have to pay relatively dearly for it. Aparicio has a massive amount of upside at a position the Stars lack, the rest is to make it all acceptable.

Cleveland send Victor Martinez, Bill Drake, and a 1st Round Pick to Detroit for Ed Bailey and Claude Passeau.

Bailey started the all-star game, but at 37, may be close to done. With Detroit looking to the future and Cleveland trying to make a late push for the playoffs, the Wolverines got to essentially name their price: a C for the future, a strong SP prospect, and a pick seems about right.

Kansas City sent Heliodoro Hidalgo, Jimmy Key, and a 3rd Round Pick to the House of David for Joe Harris and Lee Smith.

The Monarchs addressed 2 significant needs as they try to make a 2nd half push, adding 2 players who were in consideration for the all star game. Both are well into their 30s, but still Kansas City’s price was steep, as Hidalgo is an excellent prospect and Key still has some life in his arm.

The Black Yankees sent Willie Randolph, Jake Peavy, Bill Monbouquette, and a 1st Round Pick to Portland for Rogers Hornsby and Pascual Pérez.

Trying to avoid a repeat of last-season’s collapse, the Black Yankees did the same thing, perhaps overpaying for an all-star 2B. This time, it’s Hornsby, who certainly seems less likely to fade than Tom Herr did last year. Portland was willing to include the immediate value of Pérez for Monbouquette and the currently injured Peavy. If he returns to his potential, this could be a steal for the Sea Dogs, who also get some insurance at 2B in the form of Randolph.

Indianapolis sent a 4th Round Pick to Homestead for Chris Sabo.

The ABC’s needed some depth at 3B. Shrug.

Brooklyn sends a 4th Round Pick to Memphis for Vern Stephens.

Stephens carries a hefty salary (which Memphis will help offset) and has been awful this year. But the Royal Giants are desperate for help at SS.

TWIWBL 72.3: The All Star Festivities

By mknn

On February 14, 2025

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

We start with the HR Derby.

#2001 HR Derby

The most disappointing news is Babe Ruth‘s absence, as the Black Yankees’ slugger is still recovering form a hip injury–hopefully Ruth will be available for the game itself.

Ruth was replaced by his teammate, Mickey Mantle, with the opening round matchups being Miami’s José Canseco and Birmingham’s Hank Aaron, the House of David’s Ernie Banks and Brooklyn’s Mike Piazza, Mantle and Cleveland’s Ron Blomberg, and the Gotham’s Willie Mays and Ottawa’s Larry Walker.

The match of the opening round was Canseco and Aaron, with Miami’s slugger winning, 11-10. Willie Mays had the most bombs in the opening round, beating walker 12-6. The other two matchups were close, but less thrilling: Banks beat Piazza 9-8 and Blomberg edged Mantle, 5-4.

Canseco did himself one better in the second round, leaving Banks with quite a challenge. The House of David shortstop could only manage 7, so Canseco advanced to the final, where he will face off with Mays, who edged Blomberg, 8-7.

Mays hit 9 out in the final round, quite a reachable target for Canseco. Canseco delivered his worst result of the day … but it was enough, and he took home the crown, 10-9, earning himself a hug from his pop star girlfriend.

#The 2001 All Star Game

The only bad news for the day: the Black Yankees’ superstar Babe Ruth will be sitting this one out as he’s still recovering from a bruised hip.

The NL will, as expected, start Toad Ramsey, planning to run the Houston starter for 2 innings. For the AL, San Francisco’s Lefty Grove insisted on taking the ball despite being a little short on rest; as such the Sea Lions’ hurler is likely to only throw 1 inning. He was followed by his teammate, Bump Hadley.

Hadley ran into trouble, with walks to Larry Walker (OTT) and Ernie Banks (HOD) sandwiched around an error by Mike Schmidt (NYY) at third. But Hadley struck out Willie Stargell (HOM) and induced a popup from Will Clark (NYG) to end the threat.

Kansas City’s A. Rube Foster‘s turn on the mound was a bit rougher: Arky Vaughan (CLE) greeted the WBL ERA leader with a double, followed by a single to Vaughan’s teammate, Tris Speaker. Vaughan scored on a double-play from Rogers Hornsby (POR), putting the AL up, 1-0.

In the bottom of the frame, Doc Gooden (LAA) got 2 quick outs before walking Josh Gibson (HOM). Charles Rogan (PHI) pinch-ran for Gibson, stole 2nd, and scored on a single from Walker. Rogan’s use meant we would not see the 2-way player on the mound during the contest.

Ron Blomberg (CLE) put the AL back on top, greeting Hardie Henderson (PHI) with a homer to left, but Stargell justified his inclusion in the game by taking Chicago’s Ed Walsh out to tie the score at 2.

The pattern continued: Evan Longoria (CLE) took Frank Castillo (KCM) deep, and the AL was back up, 3-2, but Rogan greeted Andy Pettitte (NYY) with a moonshot to center, tying us up again at 3. But this time, something different: Walker followed Rogan with a homerun of his own, and the NL led for the first time, 4-3.

It wasn’t to last. After a single by Blomberg, Boston’s Ted Williams took Jim Whitney (BBB) out of the park, and the AL was back on top, 5-4. A single from Aaron Judge and Longoria went deep for the 2nd time in the game, putting the AL up 7-4. Turkey Stearnes (SFS) added a 2 run shot, Ty Cobb (DET) a solo dinger, and Frank Thomas (CAG) a 3 run shot, and by the time the dust cleared, the AL had a 13-4 lead.

The NL scored a few more times–an RBI double from Judge, another homer from Rogan being the big hits–but it was never actually close.

ELEVEN homeruns. That’s a fun game, for sure.

Longoria was named the MVP, although Rogan’s performance–2 for 3 with 3 runs scored and 2 homers–certainly drew raves.

AL 13 (Pettitte W) @ NL 8 (Whitney L, B Sv)
HRs: AL – Blomberg, Longoria 2, Williams, Thomas, Stearnes, Cobb; NL – Stargell, Walker, Rogan 2.
Box Score

TWIWBL 71.8: The NL All Stars

By mknn

On February 5, 2025

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

For each section, if a player doesn’t qualify for batting stats (roughly 270 PA), their G and PA are listed. Bold indicates a leader at that position for the stat; top 3 listed for most stats.

If you compare this with the prior post discussing the AL, the gap in offensive talent and pitching depth becomes apparent.

#C

Name	OPS	Slash	Reg Stats	Other
Josh Gibson (HOM)	1.234	390/481/754	27 2B; 23 HR; 79 RBI; 5.3 WAR	3.4 FRM
Gary Carter (OTT)	1.102	324/387/715	31 HR; 663 RBI; 3.9 WAR	48% RTO
Mike Piazza (BRK)	1.027	311/348/679	31 HR; 70 RBI; 2.9 WAR
Jim Pagliaroni (BBB)	.898	248/355/543
Buster Posey (NYG)	.894	291/344/550
Ted Simmons (KCM)	.880	285/314/565	25 2B	4.08 CERA

FRM = Framing Runs | RTO% = Runners Thrown Out | CERA = Catcher ERA

The only question here is whether the NL dips below the big 3. 21 Year old Josh Gibson will start, of course, with Gary Carter and Mike Piazza in reserve.