Baseball The Way It Never Was

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TWIWBL 68.5: Effa Manley Division

TeamW/LPctGB
Homestead Grays35-29.547
New York Gothams34-30.5311
Brooklyn Royal Giants33-30.5241.5
Ottawa Mounties32-31.5082.5
Philadelphia Stars31-34.4774.5
Effa Manley Division | 11 June

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Duke Snider went deep twice, but Brooklyn needed a single from John Briggs in the bottom of the 9th to best Birmingham, 7-6.

Mike Piazza hit 2 out to reach 23 on the year as Brooklyn topped the Gothams 9-3.

#Homestead Grays

Andrew McCutchen had 4 hits, scored twice, and hit 2 homeruns as the Grays beat Birmingham, 13-7. Perhaps more importantly, Cliff Lee was solid on the mound in a spot start, earning his first victory of the year.

#New York Gothams

Benny Kauff hit a walkoff dinger in the bottom of the 10th to give the Gothams a 10-9 win over the House of David.

Needing a starter, the highly ineffective Tony Mullane was sent to AAA, with Rube Waddell being recalled for the outing. Waddell was injured in his outing, placed on the DL, and Guy Hecker was recalled in the Gothams never-ending search for reliable arms.

Johnny Callison went deep twice and the Gothams poured on runs throughout in a 10-3 defeat of the House of David.

#Ottawa Mounties

Gary Carter went deep twice but it wasn’t enough as the Mounties fell to Homestead, 8-5.

#Philadelphia Stars

Ray Collins took Larry Jackson‘s place in the Stars’ rotation and Art Fletcher took over from Jimmy Rollins as the everyday shortstop.

Aaron Judge went deep twice, leading the Stars to an 8-2 win over Houston.

This lineup is so much more dangerous if Ted Kluszewski gets his bat working. Klu went deep twice, as did Chase Utley, and the Stars weathered some rough pitching to beat Houston 11-9 in 12 innings.

TWIWBL 65.5: Effa Manley Division

TeamW/LPctGB
Homestead Grays26-19.578
Brooklyn Royal Giants24-19.5581
New York Gothams23-22.5113
Ottawa Mounties22-22.5003.5
Philadelphia Stars21-24.4675
Effa Manley Division | 21 May

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

What a comeback! Led by 2 homeruns from Roy White (one of which tied the game in the bottom of the 9th), Brooklyn beat Homestead in 12 innings on a walkoff homer from Duke Snider. White had 4 hits and drove in 6 on the day.

#Homestead Grays

Rick Reichardt and Honus Wagner had 4 hits each, with Reichardt tying the WBL record with 3 homeruns and Wagner pounding out 3 doubles as the Grays beat Philadelphia, 12-5.

Chris Sabo hit 2 out, but the Grays fell to Brooklyn despite taking a 2 run lead to the bottom of the 9th, Josh Lindblom–solid all year to date–imploded, and took his first loss of the season, dropping his record to 3-1.

Corey Kluber will be out over a year with a partially torn UCL. At 33, and having struggle than success in his WBL career, it’s not clear he’ll make it all the way back.

The Grays’ bullpen struggles continue … Willie Stargell hit 2 homeruns, but the bullpen collapsed as Homestead fell to Brooklyn, 10-9 in 12 innings.

#New York Gothams

Trying to change their luck, the Gothams have decided to send C Wes Westrum, OFs Carl Furillo and Jimmy Sheckard, and IF Eugenio Suárez to AAA. None of the four had managed an OPS over .600, but any of them may be back very quickly if they can sort out their swings in the minors. C Dick Dietz, IF Terry Turner, and OFs Jo-Jo Moore and Steve Kemp were recalled.

Johnny Callison was 4-for-4 with 2 homeruns and 2 doubles and Gaylord Perry carried a 4-hit shutout until the final out of the game–he gave up back to back dingers, but still got the win in a 5-2 victory over Ottawa.

#Ottawa Mounties

Larry Walker hit 3 homeruns, moving him into sole possession of the league lead with 23, and Roberto Alomar added 4 hits as the Mounties beat the House of David, 9-7. Roy Halladay improved to 6-2 on the year and Ottawa survived shaky outings from the bullpen to preserve the victory.

Ottawa has reached a breaking point: Randy Johnson‘s talent and slider are there for all to see, but his lack of command is on display each time he takes the mound as well. His latest outing–9 earned runs and 6 walks in under 4 innings–cost him his spot in the starting rotation, and word is the team is on the verge of returning him to AAA. For now, though, it’s the bullpen, with Johnny Podgajny taking his rotation spot.

Álex Rodríguez continues to frustrate with potential: he hit 3 homeruns in a 13-8 win over the House of David, but that effort only raised his average to .189. Gary Carter, Tim Raines, Adrián Beltré, Alomar, and Carlos Beltrán all went deep as well for the Mounties with Alomar pounding out 4 hits on the day.

And another one: this time, Beltrán hit 3 homeruns in an 8-4 win over the House of David. Sam Thompson and Beltré hit 2 each as Old Hoss Radbourn improved to 6-4 on the season.

Walker hit two more, ending the week with a league leading 26 homeruns, as Ottawa beat the Gothams 12-6. Walker drove in 5, and Rodríguez, Alomar, and Carter each went deep as well in support of a solid 8 innings from Podgajny.

#Philadelphia Stars

Sherm Lollar has lost the fulltime C job to Mike Scioscia, although Lollar remains on the WBL roster for now. José Ramírez was sent to AAA, a product of him not getting playing time and doing virtually nothing with the opportunities he did receive. César Hernández was recalled, sliding into the backup IF role for the Stars.

TWIWBL 62.4: Effa Manley Division

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Frank Isbell‘s struggles finally earned him a trip to AAA with the Royal Giants needing a starter. Frank Miller was recalled from AAA to make the start, and returned afterwards with, ultimately, Dan Brouthers taking Isbell’s roster spot.

2 homeruns from Jackie Robinson and a strong start from Orel Hershiser led Brooklyn over Philadelphia 6-1. Hershiser improved to 3-1, allowing 4 hits and 1 run over 8 innings.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays moved Carlos Zambrano–0-4 with an ERA over 9.00–into the bullpen, with Doug Drabek taking his spot in the rotation. Drabek has been excellent so far in a relief role, with a 2.45 ERA over 9 games.

#New York Gothams

The Gothams welcomed back closer Brian Wilson. They hadn’t really missed him, as Mike Norris and Robb Nen combined for 9 saves, but it does extend what might be the best bullpen in the league. Guy Hecker was returned to AAA.

Buster Posey and Johnny Callison hit monstrous homeruns, backing a 3 hit shutout from Carl Hubbell as the Gothams topped the Monarchs, 7-0. Posey had 3 hits and Hubbell improved to 4-2 with the win.

Callison had another 2 homeruns, but the Gothams gave up an 8-3 lead before losing to Ottawa, 9-8.

#Ottawa Mounties

Larry Walker went deep twice and Bill Smith excelled in a spot start as the Mounties topped Houston 6-3.

Cannonball Sam Thompson homered twice leading the Mounties to a come from behind, 9-8 win over the Gothams. Mike Dorgan had 3 hits and 5 relievers (Smith, Dave Gregg, BJ Ryan, Clark Griffith, and Ryan Dempster) combined to allow only 1 hit in over 5 innings of relief of a terribly ineffective Roy Halladay. Smith got the win, strengthening his case to be moved into a full time rotation spot for Ottawa.

#Philadelphia Stars

Scott Rolen went deep twice as the Stars triumphed over Brooklyn, 8-5. Hardie Henderson won his 5th game of the year with 6 decent innings and 5 Stars hurlers combined to close out the victory.

TWIWBL 60.4: Effa Manley Division

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Germany Smith was recalled from his injury rehab, with Maury Wills heading to AAA. For now, Smith will split time at SS with Ray Dandridge, but his power my force his name onto the lineup sheet more often.

#Homestead Grays

Willie Stargell‘s 4th homerun was a walkoff job in the bottom of the 11th, giving the Grays a 3-2 win over Brooklyn. Bob Friend–long gone when Pops struck–pitched excellently for Homestead, striking out 10 in just over 6 innings.

#New York Gothams

Will Clark went deep twice and drove in 6 runs as the Gothams built an early lead and held on, topping the Black Barons 12-8. Buster Posey had 3 hits and Juan Marichal evened up his record at 1-1 with a good outing.

Johnny Callison (3 hits and 6 RBIs) and Pete Runnels (4 hits) had great days, but a very poor outing from Christy Mathewson led to an 11-8 defeat at the hands of the Grays.

#Ottawa Mounties

Gary Carter continued his scorching start with 2 homeruns, giving him 8 on the year. Carter had 3 hits and 3 RBIs and Tim Raines, Larry Walker, and Roberto Alomar also went deep in a 9-5 win over Birmingham. After Old Hoss Radbourn struggled a bit, Bob Brown, Atlee Hammaker, the newly recalled Bill Smith, and BJ Ryan combined to allow only one hit in almost 5 innings of relief.

Carlos Beltrán went deep twice, but it wasn’t enough as the Mounties fell to Birmingham, 12-10. Dupee Shaw was pounded in his first career start, giving up 5 homeruns (4 consecutive) and while Ottawa tied the game after that, despite a strong outing from Smith, the bullpen just couldn’t hold it together.

#Philadelphia Stars

The Stars recalled Aaron Judge from his rehab assignment, sending Harmon Killebrew to AAA for regular playing time. Judge’s first at bat resulted in his 2nd homerun of the season, a welcome sight for Stars fans. Ted Kluszewski and Art Fletcher drove in 2 in the come from behind win over Houston as Larry Jackson, Ted Kennedy, and Bob Howry allowed only 1 hit in 3.2 innings of relief for an ineffective Steve Carlton. Kluszewski tied the game in the 8th and Fletcher drove in the winning run in the 9th, with Kennedy getting the win and Howry his 3rd save of the year.

WBL Year II Statistics

I needed a place to hold statistics that aren’t easily displayed in OOTP. Most of these are game-level performances.

For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.

Batting Statistics

2+ 3B Games

2. Bob Bescher (IND); Craig Biggio (HOU), Ty Cobb (DET); Willie McGee (KCM); Tim Raines (OTT).

3+ 2B Games

4. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE).
3. Craig Biggio (HOU); Ron Cey (BRK); Cupid Childs (BBB); Ty Cobb (DET); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Josh Gibson (HOM); Hank Greenberg (DET); Joe Jackson (CAG); Joe Morgan (IND); Frank Robinson (BAL); Pete Runnels (NYG); Reggie Smith (MEM); Mike Trout (LAA).

3+ HBP Games

3. Jack Doyle (CAG).

3+ HR Games

3. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ed Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Carlos Beltrán (OTT); Lance Berkman (CLE); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Ryan Braun (MCG); José Canseco (MCG); George Gore (HOD); Stan Musial (KCM); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Álex Rodríguez (OTT); Babe Ruth (NYY); Sammy Sosa (HOD); Mike Trout (LAA); Larry Walker (OTT).

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4. Ed Bailey (DET); Eddie Collins (CAG); Mike Epstein (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Andrew McCutchen (HOM), Joey Votto (IND).

4+ CS Games

4. Johnny Bench (IND); Gabby Hartnett (MEM); Jorge Posada (HOU).

4+ Run Games

5. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Tris Speaker (CLE).
4. Roberto Alomar x2 (OTT); Jeff Bagwell x2 (HOU); Bob Bailey (DET); Ed Bailey (DET); Johnny Bates x2 (CLE); Albert Belle (BBB); Curt Blefary x2 (BAL); Dan Brouthers (BRK); Ron Cey (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Benny Kauff (NYG); Willie McGee (KCM); Billy Nash (DET); Babe Ruth (NYY); Gary Sheffield (MCG); Jim Wynn (HOU).

4+ SB Games

6. Rickey Henderson (SFS).
4. Frank Chance (HOD); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Dick Lundy (SFS).

5+ Hit Games

5. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Don Buford (LAA); Joe Jackson (CAG); Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Mike Trout (LAA).

5+ SO Games

5. Beals Becker (BRK); Bobby Bonds (SFS); Ron Cey (BRK); Larry Doby (CLE); Héctor López (NYY); Dale Murphy (KCM).

6+ RBI Games

7. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Carlton Fisk (CAG); Charlie Gehringer (DET); Manny Machado (BAL); Gary Sheffield (MCG).
6. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Johnny Callison (NYG); Chili Davis (DET); Josh Gibson (HOM); Mickey Mantle (NYY); Mike Piazza (BRK); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Babe Ruth x3 (NYY); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Mike Schmidt (NYY); Roy White (BRK).

Longest HRs

{Note: OOTP clearly has something weird happening with overpowered HRs. It’s getting better, and, at some point, I’m going to reduce these by roughly 10%, which would leave the list at only 3 at 500 ft+ for the season so far, which seems much more realistic to me, but am waiting to see if I get any additional info/guidance from the game dev’s.}

595 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM).
558 ft. Aaron Judge (PHA).
555 ft. Albert Pujols (KCM).
551 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
550 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE).
544 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
542 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Evan Longoria (CLE).
539 ft. Johnny Bates (CLE); Craig Biggio (HOU).
538 ft. Josh Gibson (HOM), Pete Hill (HOU); Buster Posey (NYG).
535 ft. Buster Posey (NYG).
534 ft. Robinson Canó (KCM).
530 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM).
528 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Willie Mays (NYG).
527 ft. Joe Adcock (NYG).
525 ft. Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI).
522 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE).
519 ft. Babe Ruth (NYY).
518 ft. Willie Mays (NYG).
516 ft. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Nieman (BBB).
514 ft. Ron Cey (BRK); Oscar Gamble (DET).
512 ft. Tony Gwynn (HOU).
511 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE); Dan Brouthers (BRK).
510 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE).
509 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Jack Clark (SFS); Bryce Harper (BAL); Ted Simmons (KCM).
508 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Boog Powell (KCM); Travis Shaw (MEM).
507 ft. Ted Simmons (KCM).
505 ft. Lou Gehrig (NYA).
503 ft. Larry Doyle (NYG); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Oscar Gamble (DET).
502 ft. Ernie Banks (HOD); Albert Belle (BBB); Robinson Canó (KCM); Ray Dandridge (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM).
501 ft. Derek Jeter (NYA).
500 ft. Andrew McCutchen (HOM).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

99. José Rijo (KCM).
97. JM Ward (PHI).
93. Frank Castillo (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
92. Bump Hadley (SFS).
91. Frank Knauss (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU)
90. Brian Anderson (LAA); A. Rube Foster (KCM); Alejandro Peña (BBB); Joe Rogan (PHI).
89. Smokey Joe Wood (KCM).
88. Luis Padrón (IND); Bill Steen (CLE); Justin Verlander (DET).
87. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Jim Whitney (BBB).
86. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Doc Gooden (LAA).
85. Roger Clemens (HOU); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Eddie Plank (SFS); Jameson Taillon (MEM); Ed Walsh (CAG).
84. Frank Castillo (KCM); Ron Guidry (NYY); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Ed Walsh (CAG).
83. Bob Friend (HOM); Mike Mussina (BAL).
82. Mark Buehrle (CAG); Bill Doak (MEM); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
80. Walter Johnson (POR); Andy Pettitte (NYY); Toad Ramsey (HOU).

10+ Strikeout Games

14. Frank Castillo (KCM); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
13. Brian Anderson (LAA); Ron Guidry (NYY); Charlie Root (DET).
12. Johnny Cueto (IND); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Mike Mussina (BAL); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); José Rijo (KCM); Bill Steen (CLE); JM Ward (PHI).
11. Johnny Cueto (IND); Ron Guidry (NYY); Connie Johnson (BAL); Walter Johnson (POR); Frank Knauss (BRG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Justin Verlander (DET); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
10. Steve Carlton (PHI); Frank Castillo (KCM); Watty Clark (SFS); Bob Friend (HOM); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Frank Knauss (BRK); Ramón Martínez (MCG); Billy Pierce (HOM); Don Sutton (NYG).

8+ Walk Games

8. Ed Brandt (MCG); Hardie Henderson (PHI).
9. Randy Johnson (OTT).

Shutouts

NO HITS. José Rijo (IND).
1 Hit. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Luis Padrón (IND); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
2 Hits. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Frank Knauss (BRK); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Joe Rogan (PHI).
3 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Eddie Plank (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
4 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Jim Whitney (BBB).

Shutouts (Combined)

1 Hit. Justin Verlander / Mike Henneman (DET); Bill Steen / Terry Adams (CLE).
2 Hits. Jameson Taillon / Skel Roach / Andrew Miller (MEM); Ed Walsh / Tom Williams (CAG).
3 Hits. Hardie Henderson / Robin Roberts (PHI); Orel Hershiser / Eric Gagne (BRK).
4 Hits. Toad Ramsey / Bones Ely (HOU); Hardie Henderson / Brad Kilby / Tim Belcher / Ted Kennedy (PHI); Dwight Gooden / Francisco Rodríguez (LAA); Bump Hadley / Jim Devlin / Ken Howell / Rod Beck (SFS); Greg Maddux / John Malarkey / Bruce Chen / Juan Rincón (BBB).
5 Hits. Kenshin Kawakami / Barry Latman / Ed Brandt / Sandy Consuegra (MCG); Len Barker / David Bush / Andrew Miller (MEM); Johnny Cueto / Sad Sam Jones / Rob Murphy / Rob Dibble (IND); Smoky Joe Wood / Mike Kume (KCM).

Year II Season Preview: New York Gothams

Expectations

A deep playoff run, much like last year.

The Gothams could also benefit from additional depth throughout the organization and, perhaps, by not trading away all their damn picks this year.

Best Case

Either Gaylord Perry or Juan Marichal (or both) step forward, joining Christy Mathewson among the league’s elite; the bullpen continues to dominate; and the offensive pieces that clicked last season–Pete Runnels, Pinky Higgins, Jimmy Sheckard, Johnny Callison–continue to do so (or are covered through increased performance/playing time for George Van Haltren or Carl Furillo in the OF).

Worst Case

The bullpen falters, and only Matty remains viable as a starter while everyone not named Willie Mays and Buster Posey struggles offensively.

Key Questions

  • Like so many other teams, the rotation is key.
  • The infield feels fragile, so how that plays out will bear watching.
  • How will the Gothams get PA’s for Benny Kauff?

Trade Bait

The Gothams do have a lot of OFers lying around, but it’s not clear who is actually surplus to requirements. With Kauff’s emergense, perhaps one of the Sheckard / Callison / Van Haltren group, or maybe last year’s 4th OF, Carl Furillo?

Instead, in an attempt to solve their MI issue, the Gothams obtained Davey Concepción, who promptly disappointed and was jettisoned to the minors.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CPoseyWestrum
1BAdcockClark
2BRunnelsDoyle
3BHigginsSuárez
SSCrawford
LF/
RF
CallisonVan Haltren
Sheckard
Furillo
CFMaysKauff
SPMathewsonPerryMarichal
Waddell
EndNorris
Wilson
Nen
Smith
Percival
RPHowe
Sutton
Hubbell
New Addition | Injured

There’s a chance, right? A few improvements, and the Gothams could be in the mix.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerCF Willie MaysOF Wally Berger
IF Jim Ray Hart
Batting EyeC Wes WestrumC Dick Dietz
ContactIF Pete Runnels1B Bill Terry
Running SpeedOF Jimmy SheckardOF Charlie Hamburg
IF Pat Listach
IF Freddie Patek
IF Tim Shinnick
OF Kyle Tucker
Base StealingOF George Van HaltrenIF Hap Myers
IF Tim Shinnick
IF DefenseIF Eugenio SuárezIF Neifi Pérez
OF DefenseCF Willie MaysOF Jo-Jo Moore
StuffSP Christy MathewsonP William VanLandingham
ControlP Juan MarichalP Al Spalding
VelocityRP Robb Nen
RP Troy Percival
P Rick Helling

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (53)24PMasahiro Tanaka
2 (56)19OFKyle Tucker
3 (60)22PWilliam VanLandingham
4 (86)25PAl Spalding
5 (104)22SSJoe Sullivan
6 (112)23PJordan Montgomery
7 (155)21IFTom Burns
Others: None.

A very weak system in need of some serious replenishment, although Tucker and a couple of the arms should come good eventually.

MostLeast
Age1B Joe Adcock, 391B Bill White, 19
OF Kyle Tucker, 19
HeightP Mat Latos, 6’6″
P Jordan Montgomery, 6’6″
P Carson Smith, 6’6″
IF Freddie Patek, 5’5″
OPSOF Carl Warwick, 1.025 (—)IF Adam Everett, .381 (—)
HRIF Chick Fulmer, 48 (—)C Steve O’Neill, 1 (AAA/AA)
SBOF Jimmy Sheckard, 37 (WBL)Many with 0
WARIF Jim Ray Hart, 5.6 (—)
CF Willie Mays, 5.6 (WBL)
IF Frank Malzone, -5.6 (—)
WChristy Mathewson, 17 (WBL)Lefty Hoerst, 2 (—/AA)
SVBrian Wilson, 29 (WBL)
ERAJoe Bush, 2.86 (—)Matt Cain, 7.68 (AAA)
WARChristy Mathewson, 4.4 (WBL)
Wei-Yin Chen, 4.4 (—)
Lefty Hoerst, 6.20 (—/AA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.12: Spring Training Notes – New York Gothams

Spring Training Questions

The offseason signing of Troy Percival means the pitching staff really only has 2 open slots, both likely to go to players that can serve as spot starters, with one of those likely to go to 6th round steal Masahiro Tanaka.

For the rest of the roster, it’s really the infield that has to be settled–whether Will Clark and Joe Adcock will exist in a platoon or some other arrangement and who the reserves will be.

Injuries

The Gothams received some bad news as stalwart reliever Carson Smith will miss most of the season with a torn muscle in his back.

First Cuts

Things are not going as planned: Juan Marichal, Don Sutton, Brian Wilson, Gaylord Perry, Steve Howe, and Robb Nen have all struggled early while most of the long shots to make the club have pitched quite well. Vean Gregg and Jordan Montgomery were both moved to minor league camp, but the Gothams are looking to the next week to help sort out their staff.

C Kirt Manwaring was moved out of camp, along with 1Bs Justin Morneau and (not that) Bill White and 3B Pinky Whitney. The corner spots need some clarity, as players the Gothams’ are depending on–Joe Adcock, Will Clark, and Pete Runnels–are all struggling. 3B Matt Williams remains in camp, but if he doesn’t shoe some of his power potential, he won’t be here very long.

Neifi Pérez and Larry Doyle have impressed, with Brian Dozier and David Eckstein both heading out.

In the OF, Fred Lewis, Jo-Jo Moore, John Reccius, and Kyle Tucker were all sent to the minors, with Steve Kemp and Mike Tiernan both making an argument to stick around a while longer.

Second Cuts

Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry are struggling, but will make the opening day roster no matter what. There were high hopes for Masahiro Tanaka, but he joins Vean Gregg and Jordan Montgomery in minor league camp.

The IF is still totally muddled. Youngsters Neifi Pérez and Freddie Patek and longshot Larry Doyle are all tearing the cover off the ball, and predicted starters Pinky Higgins and Pete Runnels are struggling mightily. Matt Williams was the odd man out here, being sent down just to clear some space despite a decent performance so far.

The OF is similar: AAA MVP Benny Kauff is demanding a rosters spot, but Steve Kemp and Ben Oglive are hitting well enough to make an argument, while presumed opening-day players Willie Mays, Johnny Callison, Wally Berger, and Jimmy Sheckard have all yet to find their stroke.

Third Cuts

Everyone in camp is pitching decently, except Juan Marichal, who gets a roster spot based on a decent season last year. So these cuts are rough: Luis Avilán, William VanLandingham, and Henry Rodríguez all pitched well enough to stick around, but it’s a numbers game at some point.

Dick Dietz, Mark Loretta and Ben Oglive were sent down.

SS is very cloudy. Freddie Patek and Neifi Pérez are playing very well, as is Brandon Crawford (who has to be considered the favorite).

Some good players are going to miss making the roster in the OF. Willie Mays, Johnny Callison, and Jimmy Sheckard are the starters, with George Van Haltren established as a backup. The problem is that Wally Berger, Benny Kauff, Carl Furillo, Steve Kemp, and Mike Tiernan are all hitting excellently. Kauff is probably the starting DH, but that still leaves 8 active OFers.

Last Cuts

These are nigh impossible. Pinky Higgins, Pete Runnels, and Will Clark are all struggling mightily, but their performance last season keeps them in camp and, indeed, probably keeps them in the starting lineup. That makes the Gothams’ first cut 1B Bill Terry.

Terry’s hope to make the WBL roster was to take Joe Adcock‘s spot but, for now, the 39 year old Adcock remains projected to play a key role of New York’s bench.

Newly acquired Dave Concepción will start the season at AAA, as will utility IF Johan Camargo, who had an outside shot at the opening day roster. They are joined by C Steve O’Neill, who was always a long shot to make the team.

The Gothams need to clear 5 roster spots to get to 30, a process started by placing closer Brian Wilson on the DL. Neifi Pérez had a good Spring, but Larry Doyle‘s was significantly better, sending Pérez down to AAA and handing the reserve 2B spot to Doyle. Joining them are SS Freddie Patek and OF Steve Kemp, as well as SP Al Spalding, who has to be wondering what more he needed to do after posting a sub 2.00 ERA for the Spring.

Guy Hecker and Pete Donohue were demoted and Mickey Welch released, but that only opened the door for the truly hard decisions.

George Van Haltren, Jimmy Sheckard, and Johnny Callison were all great for New York last season. None have an OPS over .600 this Spring. Wally Berger and Mike Tiernan were longshots to make the roster. And both have OPS’ over .890. Berger and Tiernan were sent down, but may find their way back quite quickly.

The final cut was veteran IF Larry Doyle, who had an excellent Spring, but was a victim of too much competition across the infield, and of Pete Runnels‘ fantastic contributions last year.

Season Review: New York Gothams

87 - 67, .564 pct.
3rd in Bill James Division, 3 games behind.
Lost to Detroit in Division Round

Overall

The Gothams were one of the more pleasant surprises of the year. Just goes to show how far you can go with a single ace (Christy Mathewson), two elite bats (Willie Mays and Buster Posey), and the best bullpen in the league (Brian Wilson as closer, but also spectacular seasons from Mike Norris and Carson Smith).

This is a team that, despite their talent this year, is a little bereft of talent. With very few draft picks this season, they have a challenge in front of them to remain competitive. This is compounded by the Gothams being built … unusually. They hit for average, but not power; they get batters out, but don’t strike out many. Those are not recipes for long term success, but there’s no arguing with what it accomplished this season.

What Went Right

Willie Mays and Buster Posey, yes; but the contributions of Johnny Callison and Joe Adcock should not be underestimated.

Jimmy Sheckard and Pinky Higgins were solid, and Pete Runnels was fantastic down the stretch.

Wes Westrum quickly established himself as fan favorite, providing some pop as the backup C.

Benny Kauff was dominant in a September call up, and the question of how much more he has in the tank could be key to the Gothams’ success next season. He certainly has nothing left to prove at AAA, having won the MVP award there at age 27.

Christy Mathewson established himself as a true ace in the WBL, and Gaylord Perry‘s peripheral numbers were almost as good, although his results trailed far behind Matty’s.

Don Sutton, Juan Marichal, and Rube Waddell were all thoroughly meh. It’s not exactly something that went right, but that’s almost 400 not bad innings.

Oh, the bullpen … Brian Wilson was perhaps the most effective closer in the league, and he was the 3rd best performer in the Gothams’ bullpen, behind Carson Smith and the magnificent Mike Norris. Robb Nen was quite good and while Steve Howe was fine during the regular season, he found another gear entirely in the postseason.

ALL STARS
OF Willie Mays; C Buster Posey; RP Brian Wilson

What Went Wrong

The left side of the infield was a mess aside from Pinky Higgins as Brandon Crawford, Eugenio Suárez, Mark Loretta, and Johan Camargo all fumbled chances to claim starting roles.

Will Clark was poor after being (re)acquired from Miami. Offensively, that’s about it.

On the mound, even less: injuries to Carl Hubbell, Al Mays, and Pete Donohue probably count. Beyond that, the worse of the Gothams’ starters (Mickey Welch, Sad Sam Jones, and Vean Gregg) were still not horrid. It was about as good a year on the mound as a team can have, all things considered.

Transactions

March

1B Will Clark, C Harry Danning & OF Carlos Morán to Miami for OF Yasiel Puig, 2B Cookie Rojas, 1B Joe Adcock & P Liván Hernández

Half of these players came back later, so we’ll evaluate the deal as a whole below.

June

OF Don Mueller, P Ray Lamb, P Gil Heredia, P Lew Krawusse, Jr, 1st Round Pick & 8th Round Pick to Brooklyn for P Don Sutton

This is a lot to give up. But Sutton showed flashes of front of rotation potential. Call it a push.

July

P Travis Bowyer, OF Mike Shannon & 4th Round Pick to Homestead for P Vean Gregg & 5th Round Pick {Tom Burns}

Gregg wasn’t much, but not much was lost, either.

P Freddie Fitzsimmons, 2B Cookie Rojas, OF Yasiel Puig & 2nd Round Pick to Miami for P Rube Waddell, 2B Pete Runnels & 1B Will Clark

OK, so at the end of the day, this is Danning, Morán, Fitzsimmons, and a 2nd rounder for Adcock, Hernández, and Runnels. New York also got a solid half season from Rojas fwiw. Given Adock and Runnels’ late season heroics, it seems like a decent deal for the Gothams.

P Jeremy Affeldt, OF George Burns, 3B Art Devlin, P Bob Moose & 3rd Round Pick to Ottawa for RP Steve Howe, OF George Van Haltren & 5th Round Pick {Kyle Tucker}

Probably overpaid slightly, but Howe and Van Haltren were excellent down the stretch, and getting Tucker with the pick helps a lot.

Looking Forward

SP

Christy Mathewson, Gaylord Perry, and Carl Hubbell should be good, and the odds are at least a few of the other arms will come good. But some depth would be useful.

RP

Norris is aging but the rest of the bullpen should be around for a while.

C

Buster Posey‘s position to lose.

1B

While Will Clark looks good, long term the Gothams believe Bill Terry will eventually take over from him.

2B

Who knows? Pete Runnels has this right now, but this is an area of need.

3B

Who knows? Pinky Higgins has this right now, but this is an area of need.

SS

Who knows? Eugenio Suárez has this right now, but this is an area of need.

LF

Who kno–no, really, this is Jimmy Sheckard, with some pressure from both Steve Kemp and Ben Oglive. George Van Haltren should help here and in RF as well.

CF

Willie Mays is the one true offensive superstar the Gothams have (depending on how susceptible you think backstops are to injury). Benny Kauff will be here some next year as well.

RF

Johnny Callison and Carl Furillo, with perhaps some pressure from Mike Tiernan.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

None. Yep, a team that needs to stock a fairly empty system will add zero high ceiling talent this off season through drafts.

Rounds 5-8

They do have 3 picks in the 5th round, the first two being the 4th and 5th picks of the round. They used these on IF Tom Burns and OF Kyle Tucker. Tucker clearly has the higher ceiling while Burns fills some holes in a system devoid of MI talent. Their final pick is used on 2B David Eckstein.

In the 6th round they unearthed one of the few remaining arms capable of immediately contributing at the WBL level, Masahiro Tanaka and then an arm that is a few years away in Logan Webb. Round 7 brought C depth with Dick Buckley.

Rounds 9-12

P Ferdie Schupp; P Jordan Montgomery; P Bugs Raymond; P William VanLandingham.

TWIWBL 51.1: The Awards – Gold Gloves

In addition to the winners, wanted to track the 2 next runner ups, for posterity and what-not.

We’ll go in order of how the awards are announced, beginning with the Gold Gloves. I’ve used 600 innings as a rough qualification minimum.

One thing that jumps out at me here is just how phenomenal the New York Gothams were defensively: two Gold Glove winners, 3 others mentioned.

#P

It’s a challenge because pitchers overall get so few chances. At the end of the day, you have to go with who makes the most plays.

NameTmInnZRTCEA
Jack TaylorHOD2052.932115
Ray CollinsPHI1940.739221
Old Hoss RadbournOTT1983.927021
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / TC = Total Chances / E = Errors / A = Assists

#C

Catchers are so hard … do you value cERA, which gives an unfair advantage to backstops blessed with better staffs? What about throwing out runners, where virtually everyone is within a few percentage points of each other? Are errors worse than passed balls or vice-versa?

Who knows. It’s clear that Cleveland’s Louis Santop dominates the numbers here (even if his FRM is some lucky fluke), and that Indianapolis’ Johnny Bench is damn good. Also, Brooklyn’s Duke Farrell, Portland’s Iván Rodríguez, and Miami’s Alan Ashby all look like real contenders if they were to ever earn enough playing time.

NameTmInnZRERTO%PBcERAFRM
Louis SantopCLE9213.4332.634.235.4
Johnny BenchIND9713.4834.654.491.8
Thurman MunsonNYY10712.4532.054.711.2
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / E = Errors / RTO% = Runners Thrown Out % / PB = Passed Balls / cERA = Catchers’ ERA / FRM = Runs Gained through Pitch Framing

#1B

While the Gothams’ Will Clark and Baltimore’s Dan McGann are pretty indistinguishable, Clark covered more ground. Note that for 1B we’ve listed assists over double plays, as they are a more reliable indicator for the position.

NameTmInnZRTCEA
Will ClarkMCG/NYG10713.81082678
Dan McGannBAL10511.61160666
Mike EpsteinHOM10101.610881177
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / TC = Total Chances / E = Errors / A = Assists

#2B

This is incredibly close, and in addition to these three, San Francisco’s Jimmy Bloodworth and Los Angeles’ Bobby Grich could be listed quite easily.

NameTmInnZRTCEDP
Eddie CollinsCAG10496.657310106
Cookie RojasNYG/MCG9287.1477571
Rogers HornsbyKCM/POR11564.86241092
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / TC = Total Chances / E = Errors / DP = Double Plays

#3B

It’s a bit of a toss up in a traditional defensive choice between the top 2: Philadelphia’s Scott Rolen covered more ground, but Ottawa’s Anthony Rendon made more plays. At the end of the day, it’s the plays that count.

NameTmInnZRTCEDP
Anthony RendonOTT11515.3366736
Scott RolenPHI11168.03291032
Mike SchmidtNYY9847.7264419
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / TC = Total Chances / E = Errors / DP = Double Plays

#SS

Detroit’s George Davis was absolutely dominant here, despite registering 13 errors. He got to more balls, turned more double plays, and was simply the best defensive SS in the league.

NameTmInnZRTCEDP
George DavisDET119921.96771397
George WrightLAA106714.5562287
Ozzie SmithKCM115915.0586588
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / TC = Total Chances / E = Errors / DP = Double Plays

#LF

In LF, we have a victory for slow and steady: Brooklyn’s Roy White is far from flashy, and his arm is fair-to-middling at best. But he covers ground, and over nearly 300 chances and 1200 innings, made zero errors.

NameTmInnZRKEDP
Roy WhiteBRK11637.4300
Jimmy SheckardNYG11664.1744
Rickey HendersonSFS9463.4941
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / K = Kills (Assists) / E = Errors / DP = Double Plays

#CF

The choice between the New York Gothams’ Willie Mays and the Baltimore Black Sox’ Paul Blair is very, very rough. Their ZR’s are essentially identical, Mays has both 2 more kills and 2 more errors over about 200 more innings, as well as a slightly better range rating. Blair’s arm has actually been more effective overall. In the end, it’s Blair by a hair.

NameTmInnZRKEDP
Paul BlairBAL10449.61522
Willie MaysNYG12599.61752
Curtis GrandersonBBB9827.91433
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / K = Kills (Assists) / E = Errors / DP = Double Plays

Mention should be made of Ottawa’s Ken Griffey, Jr., who registered 16 kills in 649 innings, a pretty stunning rate of eliminating baserunners.

#RF

The New York Gothams’ Johnny Callison has, in slightly less than a full-time role, put up spectacular defensive numbers. Perhaps most impressive are the 4 double-plays. Here are the top three:

NameTmInnZRKEDP
Johnny CallisonNYG9108.71124
Roberto ClementeHOM10348.2661
Larry WalkerOTT6413.51131
Inn = Innings Played at Position / ZR = Zone Rating / K = Kills (Assists) / E = Errors / DP = Double Plays

Your Gold Glovers for year 2000 of the WBL:

P: Jack Taylor (HOD)
C: Louis Santop (CLE)
1B: Will Clark (MCG/NYG)
2B: Eddie Collins (CAG)
3B: Anthony Rendon (OTT)
SS: George Davis (DET)
LF: Roy White (BRK)
CF: Paul Blair (BAL)
RF: Johnny Callison (NYG)

TWIWBL 49.4: The Playoffs! Division Round, Day IV– September 27

From the obvious department: game four’s are important. Detroit and Portland have a chance to take commanding leads; New York and Baltimore look to overcome a 2-1 deficit and reset their series to best of 3’s.

#Detroit Wolverines v New York Gothams, Game 4

Detroit leads, 2-1.

Detroit didn’t announce their starter until the last minute, finally settling on Hank Aguirre over Justin Verlander. Part of the reason is a desire to neutralize the Gothams’ left-handed bats–the trio of Jimmy Sheckard, Geroge Van Haltren, and Johnny Callison are all far more effective against righties, and only Sheckard will be in the starting lineup, as will Johan Camargo, replacing the struggling Pinky Higgins at 3B.

New York is coming back with Christy Mathewson on shortish rest–if they can get 4 or 5 good innings out of Matty, it will be a success.

Pete Runnels and Willie Mays doubled in the first inning, giving the Gothams a 1-0 lead.

Mathewson was his worst enemy and then his savior in the third: George Davis singled and Tony Phillips was safe on a sacrifice bunt attempt putting runners at first and second with no outs. Bob Bailey tapped it back to the mound and Mathewson’s throw was wild, allowing Davis to score. Mathewson was visibly upset, and responded by striking out Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, and Oscar Gamble in order. Matty did what he was asked to do: 5 innings, 5 hits, 1 run.

Buster Posey doubled home Runnels in the bottom of the 5th giving New York a 2-1 lead which increased to 3-1 on a Benny Kauff pinch-hit single in the 6th. RBI’s from Mays and Wes Westrum made it 5-1.

The Gothams bullpen continues to be magnificent: Steve Howe, Carson Smith, Mike Norris, and Brian Wilson each pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Mathewson.

Cobb had 3 hits, but the rest of the the Wolverines’ offense struggled. Runnels had 3 hits for the Gothams as he, Posey, and Mays combined for 7 hits, 4 runs, and 3 RBIs from the first 3 positions of their order.

DET 1 (Aguirre 1-1) @ NYG 5 (Mathewson 2-1; Howe 1 H; Smith 1 H)
HRs: None.
Box Score

There was some bad news after the game for the Gothams: Howe, who has been quite effective in the postseason, strained his hamstring and will be out for the rest of the playoffs, meaning a roster change will be needed before game 5.

#Baltimore Black Sox v Portland Sea Dogs

Portland leads, 2-1.

A matchup of two hurlers who have struggled mightily in the postseason: Portland’s Bert Blyleven and Baltimore’s Mike Mussina.

Blyleven didn’t look very good initially, surrendering 4 hits and 2 runs in the top of the first (Bobby Wallace scored on a Curt Blefary sacrifice fly and Bryce Harper singled home the second run). Mussina was equally rough, though: Bobby Murcer, Rogers Hornsby, Buddy Bell, and Joe Mauer all had RBI doubles in an inning helped by two Baltimore errors. By the end of it, 12 Sea Dogs had come to the plate, and Portland had an 8-2 lead.

Blefary–in a massive slump all postseason–took Blyleven deep in the 3rd, cutting the lead to 8-4 and Larry Gardner hit a solo shot just inside the right field foul pole in the 5th to make it 8-5. Meanwhile, Mussina was literally perfect until a Gavvy Cravath double in the bottom of the 5th. Jim Fregosi took him deep two batters later, ending Mussina’s day and restoring a 5 run edge for Portland.

Homeruns from Paul Blair and Harper brought Baltimore closer, but Portland’s Elmer Brown was efficient and able to shut the door. Portland was now 1 game away from the Whirled Series!

Frank Robinson had 3 hits for Baltimore in the loss.

BAL 7 (Mussina 0-2) @ POR 10 (Blyleven 2-0; Brown 1 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Blefary (1), Gardner (1), Blair (1), Harper (3); POR – Fregosi (3).
Box Score

With Howe out, the Gothams were caught between needing a lefty from the pen and an additional starting pitcher. The settled on Vean Gregg, despite his struggles since his arrival from Homestead in a midseason trade.

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