Tag: John Wetteland Page 1 of 3

TWIWBL 90.4: Off Season Review – Baltimore Black Sox

On March 27, 2026

77 - 85, .475 pct.
4th in Bill James Division, 13 GB

Overall

Quite a fall from winning the championship the previous season, with most of the fault being in (what else?) a faltering pitching staff.

Baltimore finally began to play well in August, but by then it was too late to do much other than play spoiler.

Most of the off-season focus in on the staff. There is a young core of position players, led by the emergence of Cal Ripken Jr and the continued brilliance of Frank Robinson, and with the right side of the infield being retooled, things seem OK offensively (although there is some skepticism that the turn to Eddie Murray over the aging-yet-still-productive Dan McGann may be being rushed).

But on the mound, a massive amount of improvement is needed, led by figuring out exactly who the starting pitchers are here.

What Went Right

Everything revolves around Frank Robinson, who at 22 is one of the elite talents in the game, slashing 308/394/674 and leading the team in HR, RBI, and runs scored.

Cal Ripken Jr really elevated his game, making an argument to join the elite shortstops in the WBL, showing power (32 homers) and decent bat control and defense.

Gavvy Cravath delivered, with 44 homeruns and 111 RBIs, making his free agent signing a success despite his sub .250 BA.

Bryce Harper continues to show up with an OPS just over .900 and good speed, even if his ultimate OF position seems to still be evolving.

This was supposed to be 1B Dan McGann‘s last year, but the 38 year old posted a .400 OBP with a little power to boot, complicating the Black Sox’s desire to turn the position over to Eddie Murray.

Miller Huggins took over at 2B, showing great defensive skills and an insane ability to get on base–Huggins ended up with the Gold Glove in the AL, a testament to just how good he was with the glove despite missing a fair chunk of the year in the minors.

Speaking of Gold Gloves, Paul Blair won his 2nd in CF. Still can’t hit.

Finally on the offensive side, Curt Blefary continues to be decently above average behind the plate, even with an overall slip in performance from last year’s heights.

So, that’s a decent amount, and certainly a strong enough list to warrant being in the playoff hunt. Until you get to the pitching. What went well … hmm …

Justin Hampson came out of nowhere to make the All Star team out of the pen. He got injured, so it was only 27 appearances, but they were pertty spectacular.

And … yeah … that’s about it. I mean, Buddy Groom was serviceable as a closer when called upon. Jim Palmer was never given a steady rotation spot, but was probably the best starter they had. Meh.

ALL STARS

Justin Hampson
Frank Robinson

MAJOR AWARDS

Paul Blair, AL CF Gold Glove
Miller Huggins, AL 2B Gold Glove
Cal Ripken Jr, AL SS Silver Slugger

RECOGNITIONS

Curt Blefary, All AL 3rd Team
Gavvy Cravath, AL Over 30 Team
Buddy Groom, AL Over 30 Team
Tom Haller, AL All Rookie Team
Bryce Harper, AL 21 & Under Team
Miller Huggins, All AL 3rd Team
Cal Ripken Jr, All AL 2nd Team; AL Rookie of the Year 2nd Place; AL 25 & Under Team; AL 23 & Under Team; AL All Rookie Team
Frank Robinson, All AL 3rd Team; AL 23 & Under Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Frank Robinson, MVP
Justin Hampson, Pitcher of the Year
Curt Blefary, Heart & Soul
Miller Huggins, Fan Favorite

Dick Ellsworth, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Asdrúbal Cabrera, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Larry Gardner and Bobby Wallace–key components of the championship season–were either hurt or injured. That opened the door for Ripken Jr and Huggins, but still.

And then there’s the pitching.

Injuries and indecision kept Baltimore from, aside from Dennis Martínez, settling on a rotation. Martínez was mediocre at best (12-8, 5.12), but he did provide steady consumption of innings.

Ned Garvin was worse then El Presidente, but looked to still be suffering the effects of his long-term injury.

Beyond that … misery. Johnny Sain, Bill Byrd, and Gene Conley were downright bad as spot starters and Gregg Olson and Sean Marshall were rocked coming out of the bullpen.

Baltimore needs bounce-back seasons from nearly everyone.

Transactions

March

None, and hopes were high.

July

P John Wetteland & 4th Round Pick to POR for P Mike Cuellar.

Cuellar was decent and Wetteland has been awful, so consider this a small win.

August

IF Bobby Wallace & P Connie Johnson to DET for P Gene Conley, P Bill Drake, P Emil Yde, OF Hub Collins, & 2nd Round Pick.

Interesting trade for sure. It all hinges on how well Drake and Yde develop, but the contours of the deal make sense for Baltimore.

P Joe Beggs & 2nd Round Pick to KCM for OF Earl Averill.

Averill looks poised to displace Blair in CF, so this one looks OK as well.

Positional Overview

C

Curt Blefary is the answer here for a while, with Tom Haller behind him.

Should Haller falter, there are some options, most notably Ramón Hernández and Billy Earle.

1B

The plan was for Eddie Murray to take over here and Dan McGann to … well, do something. But McGann continues to offer significant offensive performance, and Murray struggled a bit in adjusting to WBL pitching. But the Black Sox are likely to stick with the plan, either using McGann as a high volume backup or finding a trade partner for him.

There is some talent in the system, from veteran Jim Bottomley to youngsters Willie Montañez and Bruce Bochte.

2B

Miller Huggins has made this spot his own, but that’s what Baltimore thought about Larry Gardner last year. Still Huggins’ defense and ability to get on base seems likely to stick.

Asdrúbal Cabrera, the organizational minor league player of the year, is likely to serve as the reserve infielder next year.

SS

Cal Ripken Jr looks to have this sewn up.

There is an intriguing choice for a backup in Mark Belanger, who cannot hit, but is a defensive wizard. It’s more likely the Black Sox keep using Machado and perhaps Cabrera behind Ripken Jr.

3B

Manny Machado has his detractors, but he really is quite solid, delivering 44 homeruns and 99 RBIs.

Brooks Robinson at AAA is better defensively, and the future may belong to either Frank Ward (still only 17) or Gunnar Henderson, but for now, this is Machado’s spot.

LF/RF

If we assume better options exist in CF, this looks to be Frank Robinson and Bryce Harper, with support from Ken Singleton, Phil Bradley, and perhaps occasionally Gavvy Cravath.

Baby Doll Jacobson has been solid when given the chance, and Steve Brodie, Ron Northey, and Larry Sheets all look like they could help out if needed.

CF

It’s the offense of Earl Averill against the defense of Paul Blair here. As is often the case in these situations, look for Averill to get the nod, with Blair’s playing time expanding if he struggles at the plate.

At 18, Paul Hines is well regarded, and either Gene Clines or Homer Smoot may still grow into something useful.

DH

This should be Gavvy Cravath‘s primary position.

SP

The Black Sox seem committed to Dennis Martínez and Ned Garvin, and Jim Palmer has done enough to warrant a more extended time here. So that leaves two open slots, with the competition between Bill Byrd, Mike Mussina, Mike Cuellar and a host of new names, led by John Tudor, Emil Yde, and Dick Ellsworth.

Mark Baldwin and Bob Welch should be useful at the WBL level, while the brightest lights lower in the system are probably Bill Drake, Joe Decker, and Milt Pappas.

RP

Buddy Groom will hold onto his role as closer, but his grip on that is tentative at best.

Look for the Black Sox to give Justin Hampson more time, Sean Marshall a chance to recover his form from last year, and Gregg Olson another chance, just because. Some of the players that miss out on the rotation will be here, and the trio of DJ Carrasco, Frank Linzy, and Mike Munoz will get a peek as well.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

The system needs talent, top to bottom, with only perhaps SS and the corner OF spots considered blocked.

TWIWBL 89.3: Off Season Review – Portland Sea Dogs

By mknn

On March 15, 2026

In Team News, TWIWBL

71 - 91, .438 pct.
5th in Cum Posey Division, 32 GB

Overall

Wow. From first place to a very, very distant last place in a single season.

Portland is a young team with a lot of good talent, but they remain a few years away from really coming together. There are some pieces that are good enough that, if they take leaps forward, could carry the entire team (Walter Johnson and Ken Griffey, Jr come to mind), but the most likely thing is another year of slogging as they figure it out.

Johnson, Griffey, Jr, Joseíto Muñoz, Bert Blyleven, Joe Mauer, and Johan Santana are all 23 or younger, so there is some real hope here.

Most of the issues are on the offensive side, where the Sea Dogs were dead last in most measures and where it was a challenge to find much optimism beyond Kent Hrbek, Mauer, and Griffey Jr.

What Went Right

Those three. Hrbek hit for power and led the team with 96 RBIs; Griffey, Jr had as good a year as good have been hoped for, slashing 292/326/568; and Mauer posted an .823 OPS as an everyday catcher.

The acquisition of Bobby Abreu looks solid, as the young OFer slashed 257/389/527 in a late season callup.

And that’s about it on the offensive side.

The rotation has all the potential in the world, with a front four of Walter Johnson, Walter Ball, Joseíto Muñoz, and Bert Blyleven. Of those, however, only Ball had an actually solid year, and he missed half the season with injuries.

And … yeah … that’s about it.

ALL STARS

Rogers Hornsby (Subsequently traded)
Joe Mauer

MAJOR AWARDS

Buddy Bell: AL 3B Gold Glove
Bert Blyleven: AL P Gold Glove

RECOGNITIONS

Kiki Cuyler: AL Over 30 Team
Ken Griffey, Jr: AL 21 & Under Team
Walter Johnson: AL 21 & Under Team
Joseíto Muñoz: AL 21 & Under Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Joe Mauer, MVP
Walter Ball, Pitcher of the Year
Walter Johnson, Heart & Soul
Joseíto Muñoz, Fan Favorite

Joe Coleman, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Chuck Klein, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Bobby Murcer, Gil Hodges, Kiki Cuyler, and Cliff Lee each posted negative WAR’s in over 125 PAs. Hodges managed that while leading the team in homers with 38, which means he did, essentially, nothing else.

The middle infield was a mess for most of the year, with Paul Molitor–who clearly doesn’t belong at 2B–leading a weak group. Hughie Jennings, Eddie Yost, Elvis Andrus, and Willie Randolph all struggled mightily after being given a shot, and it’s all pretty wide open.

The bullpen was a mess all year, with Trevor Hoffman struggling as the closer, John Wetteland being horrible after his acquisition, and a rotating crew of Frank Williams, Elmer Brown, Dick Jones, and a few others being unable to hold their spot.

Dizzy Trout and Jerry Koosman both struggled a bit as starters.

Transactions

March

IF Adrian Beltré, OF Denard Span, P Atlee Hammaker, P Pedro Ramos & 2nd Round Pick to OTT for OF Ken Griffey, Jr. & 4th Round Pick.

It’s a lot to give up, but Griffey, Jr delivered this year. Ultimately, the deal will be judged by the pick and Beltré, but you can’t argue too much against it.

C Iván Rodríguez, P Jon Matlack, OF Adolis García, OF Al Oliver, 1st Round Pick, & 4th Round Pick to MCG for IF Paul Molitor, OF Vladimir Guerrero, C Alan Ashby, & 2nd Round Pick.

This was a blockbuster, but it makes sense: the Sea Dogs were committed to Mauer and the rest was about equaling out potential value. A lot hinges on whether Molitor is able to find a position. With Guerrero still a year or 2 away and the picks involved, it will take a while to evaluate this one.

July

P Mike Cuellar to BAL for P John Wetteland & 4th Round Pick.

Wetteland was so bad after his arrival that this has to be considered a loss at this point.

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

Assuming Peavy stays healthy and the Sea Dogs don’t fumble the pick, this is a win given how far away from contention Portland is and Hornsby’s advancing age.

August

IF Rafael Palmiero, P Mark Melancon, IF Jim Fregosi, & OF Harry Hooper to PHI for P LaTroy Hawkins, P Dave Stieb, IF Pat Meares, P Jaret Wright, OF Bobby Abreu, & 2nd Round Pick.

This trade kept getting bigger and bigger, and ended up doing a lot of things at once. Palmiero and Abreu were each blocked in their organizations, so that part makes sense; the rest was a fire sale as Philadelphia cemented their playoff drive. If Stieb and/or Hawkins can deliver at the WBL level, this is probably a win for Portland.

Positional Overview

C

Joe Mauer had better not get hurt … last year it felt like Cliff Lee would be a solid backup, but Lee flopped, and the backup job is up for grabs, with Ernie Krueger having the inside track on it, although Alan Ashby will also be given a look in Spring Training.

1B

Kent Hrbek has this locked down, and while the Sea Dogs wish the big guy would take that slight step forward, he remains a solid choice.

Gil Hodges will be Hrbek’s primary backup unless Portland moves on from him, in which case Mickey Vernon or veteran Don Baylor seem the most likely call-ups.

2B

The question is how long can Portland accept Paul Molitor‘s defensive deficiencies. Assuming it’s a while more, Portland is likely to keep a glove-first option as a backup infielder, likely Wayne Garrett or Tom Satriano or, if they are still just looking for memes, Greg Litton.

SS

The Sea Dogs really wanted Hughie Jennings to make a claim here, but he didn’t, not really. So that opens up some competition with Cobe Jones and Elvis Andrus.

3B

Buddy Bell was quite bad over the first few months, but rebounded well, and remains the favorite here, although Eddie Yost has his supporters in the organization, as does, despite his significant WBL struggles, Miguel Sanó.

LF/RF

Bobby Murcer struggled a bit this year, but remains the incumbent. At the other corner, it’s far more open: Bobby Abreu will get a long look, but Ruben Sierra and the massively disappointing Kiki Cuyler also have a shot, as does, perhaps, young Chuck Klein.

Two 20 year olds are the future here: Vladimir Guerrero and Hugh Duffy need some more time, but are both slated as WBL starters.

CF

This is Ken Griffey, Jr‘s spot. Heck, this is essentially Griffey, Jr’s team, given fellow youngster Walter Johnson‘s comparative reticence.

Gary Pettis will always make an argument as a defensive option, and Lloyd Moseby has some legitimate WBL talent.

DH

I guess this is Gil Hodges, but he really was poor this season. Don Baylor and Ruben Sierra have a chance to make the team here, and maybe it’s actually just where Molitor ends up?

SP

Nothing is more promising or more likely to disappoint than young pitchers, right?

Joseíto Muñoz is 20, Walter Johnson and Bert Blyleven 21, and rookie Walter Ball the old man of the staff at 26. But there is so much talent in those 4, and if either Jake Peavy or Johan Santana can step forward, it has the potential to be as good a rotation as there is in the WBL.

It also has the potential to be profoundly average with long stints on the DL. So.

Dizzy Trout and Joe Coleman are worthwhile as long-term projects as well.

RP

This is ugly. Trevor Hoffman cannot find a decent performance level, John Wetteland was miserable, and the people pulled in for trials–Frank Williams, Elmer Brown, Dick Jones–were equally bad.

Hoffman and Wetteland have elite stuff, but just seem overmatched at this point, They’ll get another year to try, though.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

A big draft for the Sea Dogs, with 6 picks in the first 3 rounds. There are a few WBL ready arms, aside from that, the lower end of the farm system could just be upgraded across the board.

TWIWBL 87.12: The Relievers & the Setups

By mknn

On February 9, 2026

In TWIWBL

On to the pitchers! Same Tier system.

Here we have everyone with at least 30 IP, and no more than 2 games started or 5 saves: essentially, pitchers who got some usage, but were not used as swing-starters or closers. A few other relievers who were clearly not closers were added despite having more than 5 saves.

This is an incredibly volatile populations, and success in one year should not be seen as a predictor for future seasons. Ron Reed, I’m looking at you. It’s also hard to find good bullpen arms: there are a ton more names in Tiers C and D than above.

Our usual practices prevail: bold for top 3 and italics for bottom 3.

#S Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	G	WHIP	Other
NL	KCM	Eddie Guardado	26	2-3	2.53	47	0.99	2 Sv; 10 H 1.7 BB/9 4.7 K/BB
NL	HOD/ KCM	Lee Smith	34	5-2	2.65	50	0.75	6 Sv; 12 H 2.78 FIP

Lee Smith was probably the best overall reliever in the game, obviously good enough to be a closer, but a devastating arm in the late innings. His teammate, Eddie Guardado, was just quietly undeniable all season.

#A Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	G	WHIP	Other
NL	PHI	Fred Cambria	23	5-1	3.04	39	1.14	2 Sv; 7 H 5.5 K/9
NL	HOU	Andrew Chafin	25	2-3	3.77	47	1.10	4 Sv; 7 H
NL	BRK	Terry Forster	22	1-2	4.25	47	1.21	2 Sv; 16 H 2.92 FIP
NL	NYG/ HOM	Robb Nen	32	4-5	3.32	55	1.02	10 Sv; 13 H

Terry Forster may have an argument to be nudged up, but that ERA is distracting. Andrew Chafin was steady all season in an otherwise tumultuous Houston pen, while Fred Cambria just ran under the radar end to end.

#B Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	G	WHIP	Other
NL	PHI	Pedro Feliciano	33	0-2	4.66	41	1.04	9 H .200 BA 5.6 K/9
NL	BRK	Trevor Hildenberger	27	6-3	5.03	53	1.01	11 Sv; 7 H
AL	SFS	Ken Howell	24	5-1	2.79	52	1.26	6 Sv; 15 H
NL	PHI	Ted Kennedy	22	6-4	4.05	60	1.17	5 Sv; 15 H
NL	KCM	Mike Kume	30	4-1	1.95	22	1.08	.187 BA 0.3 HR/9 1.5 K/BB
NL	NYG	Mike Norris	36	4-5	4.34	52	1.24	6 Sv; 12 H
AL	MEM	Andrew Miller	23	8-8	4.21	74	1.29	6 Sv; 12 H
—	CAG/ BBB	Akinori Otsuka	33	8-3	2.50	45	1.25	7 Sv; 7 H
AL	LAA	Ross Reynolds	26	2-1	3.56	33	1.30	1 Sv; 6 H 0.2 HR/9 2.92 FIP
AL	CLE	Al Smith	26	0-0	2.87	33	1.47	6 H 0.3 HR/9 5.5 BB/9 3.07 FIP
NL	HOD	Karl Spooner	24	3-3	5.01	37	1.04	6 Sv; 6 H

Of this group, Mike Kume looks like the most likely to be a fluke–it’s hard to sustain that kind of success with that low of a K rate. Al Smith‘s debut was fantastic, but he may be more suited to be a lefty specialist. Ross Reynolds was strong all season, and should see an expanded role next season.

We should also mention Mike Norris, who followed last year’s stellar season with a very solid one and the eternally dependable Ken Howell.

#C Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	G	WHIP	Other
NL	IND	Jack Billingham	24	5-2	5.15	52	1.38	2 Sv; 9 H
AL	MEM	Tommy de la Cruz	34	1-5	6.12	36	1.22	5 Sv; 3 H
NL	KCM	Frank DiPino	26	3-1	3.81	48	1.34	2 Sv; 9 H
NL	HOU	John Franco	27	3-3	4.83	56	1.37	1 Sv; 15 H
AL	CLE	Cory Gearrin	27	5-1	3.22	46	1.35	8 Sv; 10 H
NL	HOM	Michael Jackson	33	1-7	5.67	56	1.43	1 Sv; 21 H 2.0 BB/9
NL	PHI	Brad Kilby	27	3-3	6.20	49	1.24	2 Sv; 14 H 3.4 HR/9 1.2 BB/9 7.7 K/BB
AL	CLE	Firpo Marberry	28	7-0	4.83	51	1.33	3 Sv; 13 H
AL	DET	Buddy Napier	32	2-3	5.04	38	1.32	2 Sv; 8 H 6.0 K/9
AL	CLE	Ron Reed	34	4-6	4.71	44	1.26	2 Sv; 6 H
AL	MEM	Skel Roach	29	2-1	4.31	41	1.49	3 Sv; 12 H .143 BA 0 HR/9 9.1 BB/9 10 K/9 1.1 K/BB
NL	OTT	BJ Ryan	28	2-3	4.61	56	1.39	2 Sv; 16 H 10.2 K/9
AL	CAG/ NYY	Hoyt Wilhelm	31	4-4	4.72	59	1.35	3 Sv; 12 H

This group gets a little more interesting: Michael Jackson had a few horrible outings, but was otherwise quite steady for Homestead while Brad Kilby was only a few homeruns from moving up a level or 2.

And then there is Skel Roach. Unhittable. Dominant strikeout pitcher. And can’t find the strike zone ever, allowing over a walk per inning. That means there’s huge potential there, but how often does someone who throws this hard master their command?

#D Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	G	WHIP	Other
NL	HOD	Ed Bauta	28	4-5	3.41	55	1.45	8 Sv; 8 H
AL	DET	Chad Bradford	30	8-7	5.32	64	1.40	10 Sv; 10 H
NL	IND	Clay Carroll	31	1-3	4.66	53	1.41	2 Sv; 10 H
AL	NYY	Rheal Cormier	35	1-4	5.40	55	1.56	18 H
—	NYG/ DET	Steve Howe	27	2-1	6.02	64	1.39	9 H 4.4 K/BB
—	POR/ PHI	Mark Melancon	31	7-2	5.16	59	1.49	3 Sv; 7 H .310 BA .361 BABIP
AL	BAL	Gregg Olsen	24	3-4	5.44	41	1.72	4 Sv; 8 H .313 BA .379 BABIP
NL	HOM	Rick Ownbey	28	3-1	4.33	44	1.37	7 H
—	NYG/ DET	Troy Percival	32	3-4	5.99	64	1.40	1 Sv; 11 H 3.9 HR/9 7.74 FIP
AL	DET	Jack Wilson	23	6-1	5.43	38	1.57	5 H 5.6 BB/9 1.7 K/BB

Mark “The Vulture” Melancon continues to win at a rate his statistics don’t support while Rheal Cormier was another victim of a few poor outings in an otherwise solid season. You also see all of Detroit’s struggles here: while both Troy Percival and Steve Howe pitched better after their arrival, their pen remained weaker than hoped for even with the changes.

#F Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	G	WHIP	Other
AL	MEM	Heath Bell	32	3-5	6.53	58	1.53	2 Sv; 8 H
NL	HOU	Brad Lidge	28	4-3	6.26	43	1.57	6 H
AL	MCG	Braden Looper	26	2-2	5.90	47	1.55	3 Sv; 10 H
NL	IND	Rob Murphy	27	3-8	5.66	50	1.62	2 Sv; 13 H 7.49 FIP
AL	NYY	David Robertson	25	3-3	6.94	44	1.73	5 H .311 BA .348 BABIP 9.4 K/9
AL	CLE/ SFS	Huston Street	24	6-3	6.27	44	1.50	1 Sv; 9 H
AL	BAL/ POR	John Wetteland	24	1-10	7.96	53	1.50	5 Sv; 9 H 3.5 HR/9 7.82 FIP

Why Portland kept trotting John Wetteland out there is a mystery that may remain forever unsolved. He was awful, despite an obviously live arm.

Huston Street pitched far better for San Francisco than Cleveland, and David Robertson‘s arm is clearly better than his initial WBL performance.

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 71.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On January 29, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	52-32	.619	—
Cleveland Spiders	45-35	.563	5
Memphis Red Sox	40-42	.488	11
Detroit Wolverines	36-45	.444	14.5
Baltimore Black Sox	35-48	.422	16.5

Bill James Division | 2 July

#Baltimore Black Sox

Buddy Groom started a rehab assignment, and should be joined at AAA by Bobby Wallace later in the week. Once Groom is ready, look for him to replace the struggling John Wetteland in the Black Sox bullpen.

Connie Johnson and Justin Hampson combined on a 2-hit shutout, blanking Portland 7-0. Johnson’s record improved to 5-6 and, perhaps more importantly, he made a strong argument for some more opportunities as a starter.

As expected, Wallace was able to start a rehab assignment at AAA, joining Groom, who still needs some time there before being recalled.

#Cleveland Spiders

Hank Gastright was returned to AAA, with Firpo Marberry being recalled from his rehab assignment.

Tris Speaker went deep twice, but Cleveland couldn’t hold off Miami, falling 11-7 to the Cuban Giants.

Needing a starter, the Spiders returned Sergio Romo to AAA, recalling Wilbur Cooper. Faced in the same situation later in the week, Cooper went back down with Steve Gromek recalled to make his WBL debut.

The Spiders had themselves a day, battering Miami 21-0. Cy Young threw the complete game shutout, allowing 7 hits while fanning 9. But the story really was the offense, led by Ron Blomberg, who had 4 hits (including his 30th and 31st homeruns), drove in 6, and scored a WBL record 6 times. Evan Longoria drove in 7, and Longoria and Larry Doby each also had 4 hits. In addition to Blomberg’s 2, Longoria, Doby, and Louis Santop also hit homeruns.

Lance Berkman slammed 3 homeruns for the second time this season, but the Spiders couldn’t preserve a lead in the top of the 9th, losing to Los Angeles, 8-7.

Berkman may be the hottest hitter in the league right now, as he hit another 2 out in a game Cleveland won in the bottom of the 12th on a solo shot from Johnny Bates, triumphing over Los Angeles, 6-5.

#Detroit Wolverines

Pete Conway will miss over a month with a strained oblique muscle. Claude Passeau returned to the Wolverines’ bullpen from AAA.

Both Billy Hoeft and Mike Griffin began rehab assignments, looking to return next week. Later in the week, Buddy Napier returned to the injured list, expected to miss about a month, opening a spot for Hoeft’s return.

Justin Verlander closed the first half out strong, combining with Hoeft and Chad Bradford on a 3-hit shutout of Memphis. Al Kaline and Bob Bailey went deep for the Wolverines, and Ty Cobb had 2 hits to nudge his average back over .400 in the 7-0 victory.

#Memphis Red Sox

Derek Lowe returned to AAA with Skel Roach‘s recall from a rehab assignment.

Gabby Hartnett went deep twice, leading Memphis to a 10-5 victory over the Black Yankees. Manny Ramírez did the same, homering twice in a 7-3 win over New York with Len Barker improving to 6-9 with a solid outing.

#New York Black Yankees

That was fast. There was a lot of optimism around Roy Evans‘ promotion to the Black Yankees. 3 games, 4 IP, and a 27.00 ERA later, he’s back in AAA with AJ Burnett returning to the fold.

Could the answer to the back end of the Black Yankees’ rotation be … Herm Wehmeier? Wehmeier combined with Goose Gossage on a 4-hit shutout of Memphis, improving to 4-0 on the year with Gossage picking up his 10th save in the 9-0 whitewashing.

Eric Davis hit 2 out and Babe Ruth added his league-leading 41st as the Black Yankees rode a strong outing from Andy Pettitte to beat Baltimore, 12-2. Pettitte improved to 10-5 on the year. However, Ruth was plunked on the hip in the game, and will miss some time–thankfully, it looks like only a few days.

Mike Schmidt went deep twice and Thurman Munson and Derek Jeter joined Schmidt with 3 hits each as the Black Yankees defeated Baltimore in 10 innings.

Don Mattingly will miss about a week, prompting the Black Yankees to place him on the DL and recall Josh Harrison from AAA.

TWIWBL 70.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On January 6, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	47-30	.610	—
Cleveland Spiders	42-33	.560	4
Memphis Red Sox	37-38	.493	9
Detroit Wolverines	35-41	.461	11.5
Baltimore Black Sox	33-44	.429	14

Bill James Division | 25 June

#Baltimore Black Sox

The Black Sox would love for someone–John Wetteland, Sean Marshall, even the surprising Justin Hampson–to step into the closer role, allowing Joe Beggs to join the host of arms vying for rotation spots for Baltimore. But for now, the back end of the rotation remains an open competition.

Gavvy Cravath went deep twice, but Baltimore couldn’t overcome a rough start from Beggs in a 6-4 loss to Chicago. Maybe he should stay as the closer?

The bad news was the Black Sox fell to Cleveland, 1-0. The good news was that Ned Garvin threw a great game, allowing only 2 hits and the single run over 8 innings.

#Cleveland Spiders

Cy Young was masterful, leading the Spiders to a 1-0 win over Baltimore with a 4-hit shutout. Young whiffed 8 and improved to 8-3 on the year.

#Detroit Wolverines

Mike Griffin was sent to the DL despite a lack of clarity on his exact injury, and Hal Newhouser was recalled from his short rehab stint. Newhouser will slot into the rotation, which is looking pretty patchwork at this point. With Mike Henneman and Billy Hoeft out for a while, Chad Bradford will serve as closer, with a very makeshift bullpen trying to get to him.

#Memphis Red Sox

Reggie Smith hit his 20th and 21st homeruns of the year, leading Memphis to a 10-2 victory over Chicago.

#New York Black Yankees

Mike Schmidt, Babe Ruth, and Mickey Mantle hit back-to-back-to-back homers, and the Black Yankees rode a good start from Andy Pettitte to a 10-2 win over Miami. Mantle went deep twice in the game, and Pettitte improved to 8-5 with 7 strong innings.

Héctor López hit 2 out and Ruth hit his 38th as the Black Yankees topped Miami, 10-7. Waite Hoyt improved to 6-0 on the year despite giving up 11 hits in 5 innings, and Aroldis Chapman picked up his 13th save.

Lou Gehrig hit his 24th and 25th dingers of the year, but it was far from enough as the Black Yankees were trounced by Miami, 17-5.

Schmidt and Eric Davis went deep twice, and Gehrig launched a walk-off shot in the bottom of the 9th, carrying the Black Yankees to a 7-6 win over Detroit.

Schmidt did it again–2 more dingers giving him 23 for the season–and New York again topped Detroit, this time 7-5.

TWIWBL 69.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On December 4, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	45-26	.634	—
Cleveland Spiders	38-30	.559	5.5
Memphis Red Sox	33-35	.485	10.5
Detroit Wolverines	33-37	.471	11.5
Baltimore Black Sox	28-44	.389	17.5

Bill James Division | 18 June

#Baltimore Black Sox

Time for some changes. Bobby Wallace, Sean Marshall, and John Wetteland were all recalled from rehab assignments, with Mark Baldwin, Gregg Olson, and–yes–Larry Gardner heading to AAA. This means Miller Huggins will see most of the time at 2B, and while Wallace is the starter, Cal Ripken, Jr. will rotate through SS, 3B, and occasionally 2B in a quest for playing time.

Baltimore continues with only 3 named starters (Dennis Martínez, Ned Garvin, and Mike Mussina).

#Cleveland Spiders

Bill Steen returned to the Spiders’ rotation.

Both Sammy Strang and Victor Martinez were moved to AAA as Cleveland’s patience for them to turn around horrible starts to their season ran thin. John Ellis‘ recent mini-revival means Cleveland doesn’t necessarily need to recall a C; instead they brought IFs Steve Sax and Chico Walker up from AA.

Mel Harder‘s injury status remains unknown, but needing a starter, the Spiders placed him on the DL, recalling Hank Gastright. Gastright was OK, and Ron Blomberg went deep twice, but the Spiders couldn’t keep Memphis’ bats quiet, losing 8-4 to the Cuban Giants.

Al Smith, decent in a very small sample size as a lefty in the pen, will miss about a week, earning him a trip to the DL. Joe Smith (no relation) was promoted from AAA.

The Spiders finally got a diagnosis on Harder, who will miss the rest of the season with a fractured elbow.

A strong start from Steen combined with 2 homers from Evan Longoria carried Cleveland to a 4-1 win over Memphis.

#Detroit Wolverines

Bill Carrigan was sent to AAA to see if he could break out of his season-long slump. The Wolverines recalled Jack Wilson from his rehab assignment to help out their beleaguered staff.

Charlie Gehringer continued to impress with his 9th and 10th homeruns of the year as the Wolverines topped Chicago, 5-2. Charlie Root was excellent, allowing 1 run in 7 plus innings to level his record at 6-6.

The Wolverines finally had seen enough of Gene Conley‘s struggles, sending the former pro basketball player to AAA along with Claude Passeau and activating Billy Hoeft and Pete Conway being recalled. With Hal Newhouser starting a rehab assignment, look for more changes in the Detroit mound corps in the days to come.

#Memphis Red Sox

Ted Williams reached 20 homeruns on the season, going deep twice in an 8-6 loss to Los Angeles.

#New York Black Yankees

Hank Bauer did well in his time in the WBL, with 6 homers in under 30 games. But he’s no Eric Davis, and with Davis ready to return from his rehab assignment, Bauer moves back to AAA and the Black Yankees become, if anything, more formidable.

Mickey Mantle went deep twice and Waite Hoyt improved to 5-0 as the Black Yankees beat Portland, 9-4.

Dave Righetti will miss a couple weeks with a strained shoulder, prompting the Black Yankees to recall Roy Evans from AAA Newark. Evans isn’t very heralded as a prospect, but he led AA in IP in 2000, and was 6-3 with a 3.20 ERA so far at AAA.

TWIWBL 69.2 Spotlight on the Baltimore Black Sox

By mknn

On December 3, 2024

In TWIWBL

What a collapse. From Whirled Series champions to last place in their division, Baltimore is finding out what happens when your pitching staff goes from being among the best in the league to something very far away from that.

Baltimore inherits players from the St. Louis Browns and the Baltimore Orioles, as well as NeL players closely aligned with either the Baltimore Black Sox or the Baltimore Elite Giants.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Baltimore is floundering in last place, 17.5 games behind the Black Yankees, with the worst record in the league. It’s just pretty miserable.

THE OFFENSE

The offense hasn’t been great, but it’s not really been the dominant issue for the Black Sox.

#What’s Going Right

Frank Robinson continues to argue for a spot among the truly elite of the league, slashing 300/389/623. But he doesn’t lead the Black Sox in HRs or RBIs: that falls to Gavvy Cravath, who is coming through as the largest free agent acquisition of the off season. Cravath has 21 homeruns and 54 RBIs, shading ahead of Robinson in both counts.

Cal Ripken, Jr. is tearing the cover off the ball in about 20 games, arguing for a lot more playing time.

Bryce Harper and Dan McGann continue to be well above-average with only a low BA for Harper and not enough power for McGann keeping them out of superstar status.

Miller Huggins has been surprisingly good, getting on base at a near .400 clip.

#What’s Not Going Right

Larry Gardner, excellent last year, has almost played himself out of a job at this point, struggling to get his OPS over .550. His lack of productivity and Bobby Wallace‘s injury are what opened the door for Ripken, Jr. and Huggins.

Baby Doll Jacobson has been quite average.

Paul Blair cannot hit, but we knew that, and he does continue to play stellar defense in CF.

THE PITCHING

The rotation is in total disarray and the bullpen isn’t much better.

#What’s Going Right

Um.

Ned Garvin is on the mound again.

Justin Hampson has been effective as an option versus lefties from the bullpen.

Mike Mussina has pitched well, far better than his 3-4, 5.11 numbers would indicate.

#What’s Not Going Right

Everything else.

Let’s start with the staff ace, Dennis Martínez, who has a decent 7-4 record, but has been hit pretty hard, with a 5.19 ERA and poor peripherals.

The rest of the starters have been so bad that the Black Sox refuse to name a #4 and #5 starter. Nobody else has an ERA under 5.00, and while Connie Johnson and Bill Byrd have decent analytics, the results have been relatively miserable.

Joe Beggs has 11 saves, but has also started 2 games, and looks betwixt and between no matter what his role.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

Not great.

Ripken, Jr. started the year in the minors, and he and Eddie Murray are clearly the future of the org. But there isn’t much beyond them–Bruce Bochte and Steve Brodie have some talent in the OF; Gunnar Henderson, Mark Belanger, and Asdrúbal Cabrera could offer some help on the IF; and … who knows, maybe Joe Dobson, maybe Jack Kramer on the mound?

WHAT’S NEEDED

A miracle. I mean, just not finishing in the basement would be something at this point. My guess is this team is a seller at the deadline, which may mean McGann moves on, clearing room for Murray.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Not many: the twelve arms are–pending injury or spring training collapse–pretty much set, as is most of the lineup with only a single roster spot currently available, which would be filled by a reserve 2B? Ah, such arrogance …

FEATURED SERIES

Baltimore closes the week with 3 games at Detroit, which will be our focus.

Projected Starters

Baltimore starter listed first.

Dennis Martínez (7-4, 5.19) @ Johnny Marcum (5-2, 3.78)
Ned Garvin (3-3, 5.33) @ Justin Verlander (2-8, 66.06)
Mike Mussina (4-4, 5.31) @ Charlie Root (6-6, 4.89)

Game One

Dennis Martínez‘ struggles have been a major issue for Baltimore so far this year. El Presidente won 14 games with an ERA under 4.00 in their championship run. This year, his ERA is about a run-and-a-half higher, although he does have 7 wins.

Martínez struggled here, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings on 4 homers. But Cal Ripken Jr., Curt Blefary, and Manny Machado all hit one out for Baltimore, and both starters left after 5 innings, with the Black Sox up, 6-5.

The surprising Juan Beníquez drove in the go-ahead run for Detroit in the bottom of the 7th, setting up a great situation for the Wolverines, with Chad Bradford pitching the 8th and Mike Henneman the 9th. Bradford did his job, but Henneman gave up a pinch-hit homer to Ken Singleton giving Baltimore an edge that Joe Beggs–not terribly dependable so far this season–was able to preserve.

Both Ripken and Detroit’s Ed Bailey had 2 homers on the day.

BAL 8 (Sain 1-2; Beggs 12 Sv; Hampson 7 H; Dickey 1 Bsv) @ DET 7 (Henneman 4-2, 3 B Sv; Bradford 6 H)
HRs: BAL – Ripken, Jr. 2 (10), Machado (24), Blefary (15), Singleton (9); DET – C. Davis (18), E. Bailey 2 (16), Gamble (11).
Box Score

Detroit got some bad news after the game, with Henneman out for just over a month. Joakim Soria was recalled from AAA.

Game Two

With Ned Garvin not yet rested, the Black Sox turned to Jim Palmer for the matchup against Detroit’s struggling Justin Verlander.

Detroit took the lead in the bottom of the first, but both Palmer and Verlander were doing well early. Verlander gave up a lot of base runners, but it took a an RBI single from Miller Huggins for Baltimore to go ahead, 2-1, in the top of the 4th.

A solo shot from Oscar Gamble tied the game, but the Black Sox greeted Verlander’s replacement, Jack Wilson, for 4 runs, led by Frank Robinson‘s bases-clearing, 2-out double.

A double from Ty Cobb in the bottom of the 8th finally chased Palmer, who made a decent argument for a return to Baltimore’s rotation. His numbers won’t reflect that, as John Wetteland came in, walked a batter, and gave up a grand slam to Gamble followed by a solo shot to Chili Davis, tying the game.

More bad news for Detroit’s staff, as Billy Hoeft will miss a couple weeks.

With Chad Bradford and Sean Marshall each doing their jobs, we head into extra innings in this one.

In the 10th, Cal Ripken Jr. singled and was replaced by Baby Doll Jacobson, who stole second. Bobby Wallace delivered an RBI single for the lead, and Baltimore turned the game over to Joe Beggs. Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, and Gamble? No problem, and Baltimore holds on for the victory.

Most importantly, Marshall looked like his old self with 1.2 scoreless innings.

Gamble ended with 5 RBIs and Bobby Wallace had 3 hits on the day.

BAL 8 (Marshall 1-0; Beggs 13 Sv) @ DET 7 (Bradford 2-4) [10 Innings]
HRs: BAL – none; DET – Gamble 2 (13), C. Davis (19).
Box Score

Hoeft hit the DL, and Detroit recalled Mike Griffin.

Game Three

Last year, Baltimore’s Ned Garvin and Detroit’s Charlie Root were among the best hurlers in the league. This season … not so much. But both of shown flashes of their past ability, so we’ll see if Garvin can nail down the sweep or Root can salvage a game for the Wolverines.

Gavvy Cravath put Baltimore in front 1-0 in the 2nd with his 22nd homer of the season. That wasn’t terribly surprising, but Paul Blair‘s 8th of the year, a 3 run shot, was, giving the Black Sox a 4-0 edge.

Garvin was unable to hold it, though, as a series of walks and singles brought Detroit back to within 1 at 4-3. Garvin loaded the bases in the 3rd as well, including his 6th walk of the game. For the second time on the day, George Davis came through with an RBI single, this time tying the game and chasing Garvin, who was replaced by Connie Johnson, who promptly walked in a run, putting Detroit up, 5-4.

Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg hit back-to-back shots in the 4th, but Frank Robinson and Bryce Harper tied it up in the 5th with longballs of their own. That, and a short rain delay, chased Root.

In the top of the 7th, Cravath sent out his 2nd of the game, this one with the bases loaded. RBI’s from Blair and Miller Huggins made it 13-7. In this contest, it just might be enough …

Cravath hit his 3rd of the day and Justin Hampson and Johnny Sain were able to close it out. Cravath finished with 4 runs scored and 6 RBIs for Baltimore while Kaline was 4 for 4 for Detroit.

BAL 14 (Byrd 4-3) @ DET 7 (Bechtel 1-2)
HRs: BAL – Cravath 3 (24), Blair (8), Robinson (22), Harper (15); DET – Greenberg (26), Cobb (23).
Box Score

The game was a little rough, as Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace and Detroit’s Mike Griffin (on his WBL debut) had to leave via injury. Wallace was sent to the DL with light hitting IF Dave Anderson being recalled.

This gives Baltimore a 5 game winning streak, during which they are giving up over 7 runs a contest. So, yeah, it’s really been all about the offense. But if they can get some pitching, they can at least claw their way out of the basement. After that, who knows?

TWIWBL 68.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On October 30, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	41-23	.641	—
Cleveland Spiders	33-29	.532	7
Memphis Red Sox	29-34	.460	11.5
Detroit Wolverines	28-36	.438	13
Baltimore Black Sox	27-38	.415	14.5

Bill James Division | 11 June

#Baltimore Black Sox

The Black Sox got some good news as Sean Marshall and John Wetteland both began rehab assignments in their journeys back from injury. This was followed by bad news, as John Tudor will miss a couple months with a shoulder issue. Veteran knuckleballer RA Dickey was recalled for his WBL debut.

Frank Robinson hit his 18th and 19th homeruns of the year, but Baltimore fell to Memphis, 5-4.

#Cleveland Spiders

Bill Steen was called into an emergency start. 8 1/3 innings, 12 strikeouts, and 139 pitches later, he had only allowed 1 hit. But 139 pitches and 2 walks in the top of the 9th, and the Spiders summoned Terry Adams from the bullpen. 2 pitches later, the Spiders had a 4-0 lead and a joint 1-hitter.

Stan Coveleski will be out into next season. Sergio Romo was added from AAA.

#Detroit Wolverines

Ed Bailey and Ty Cobb had 3 hits each, with Bailey going yard twice and Cobb moving his average back over .400 to .403 in a 7-2 win over Memphis.

Hank Greenberg went deep twice and Detroit pulled off a come from behind win over Miami, 6-5.

Pressed into a spot start, Si Johnson delivered 4 plus innings of 1 hit ball, then exited with an oblique strain. Claude Passeau, Chad Bradford, and Mike Henneman allowed only a single walk over the rest of the game, giving the Wolverines a 1 hitter by committee. Juan Beníquez and Greenberg went deep in the 6th for the only runs in the 3-0 blanking of Miami.

Ed Bailey hit 3 out and Cobb went deep twice as the Wolverines beat Miami, 6-3.

#Memphis Red Sox

David Bush and Jameson Taillon have moved into the rotation, taking the spot of the injured Shane Bieber and Bill Doak. Derek Lowe was promoted to take Bieber’s roster spot.

Ted Williams went deep twice and the Red Sox beat Baltimore, 9-3.

Manny Ramírez hit 3 homeruns, reaching 19 on the year, as the Red Sox beat Baltimore, 10-7. Skel Roach had to come out of the game with a blister, and will miss about a week, warranting a trip to the DL. Tommy De La Cruz was added to the big league bullpen.

#New York Black Yankees

Mike Schmidt went deep to tie the game in the 8th, and then powered the Black Yankees to a 9-5 win over Los Angeles with a walkoff grand slam in the bottom of the 9th. Schmidt had 6 RBIs on the day.

Schmidt did it again the next day, going deep twice in a 10 inning, 8-7 win over the Angels.

And then it was Babe Ruth‘s turn to hit 2 out, but this time it wasn’t enough as the Angels topped the Black Yankees, 6-3.

Clearly annoyed at people questioning his dominance, Ruth took over the WBL lead in homers, hitting another 3 out in a 15-3 shellacking of Cleveland. For the 3rd time this year, Ruth drove in 6, increasing his RBI total to 79. Héctor López, Nick Etten, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle also went deep, and Dave Righetti improved to 6-3 on the year with a strong showing.