Tag: Johnny Cueto Page 2 of 4

TWIWBL 58.6: Marvin Miller Division

On May 2, 2024

#Birmingham Black Barons

Gene Tenace went deep twice as Birmingham pulled away late in a 9-2 victory over Philadelphia. Albert Belle hit his first homer of the year as he and Bob Nieman each had 3 RBI’s, supporting a strong start from Alejandro Peña.

Eddie Mathews went deep twice and Greg Maddux and Jim Whitney combined on a 6-hitter as the Black Barons blanked the Stars, 7-0.

#Indianapolis ABCs

The ABC’s pounded out 17 hits and 10 walks (4 to Joey Votto) in a 15-9 win over Birmingham. Joe Morgan, Denis Menke, and Oscar Charleston had 3 hits each, and Johnny Bench drove in 4.

The ABC’s pitched the first shutout of the season, a combined 8-hitter as they topped Houston 2-0 despite managing only 4 hits themselves. Johnny Cueto threw 6 innings for the win, followed by Dick Tidrow, Jack Billingham, and Clay Carroll, who picked up his 2nd save of the season.

Carroll will happily return to his setup duties as Indianapolis welcomed Rob Dibble back from injury. Billingham was sent to AAA very briefly, being recalled after only a day when Ewell Blackwell was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow, putting him on the shelf for about 7 months.

#Kansas City Monarchs

C Ted Simmons launched a 507 ft bomb in a 9-5 loss to Birmingham.

It took a great start from Smokey Joe Wood to deal Indianapolis their first loss of the season. Robinson Canó and Ozzie Smith had 2 hits each and Dale Murphy hit an inside-the-park homerun as the Monarchs beat the ABC’s 3-0. Wood allowed 4 hits in over 7 innings, and Eddie Guardado and Jeff Pfeffer closed it out without allowing a baserunner.

Willie McGee had 4 hits (including 2 triples), drove in 4 and scored 4, leading the Monarchs to a 9-3 win over Indianapolis.

#Wandering House of David

Ryne Sandberg had 2 homeruns (one a grand slam) and drove in 6 as the House of David pummeled Houston, 10-1 behind a good start from Bob Rush.

Promising teenager Ad Gumbert strained his shoulder and was placed on the DL with Kyle Peterson being recalled from AAA. Peterson’s stay was brief, however, as Bruce Sutter was activated from the DL the following day.

Sandberg and Sammy Sosa hit 2 homeruns apiece as the House of David destroyed the Gothams 10-1. Perhaps most importantly, Jack Taylor put in a good shift, allowing 1 run in just over 5 innings. Sandberg’s start to the year is absolutely ridiculous, hitting .455 with 6 homeruns and 15 RBIs in his opening 5 games.

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

10+ Strikeout Games

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

8+ Walk Games

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

Shutouts

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

Shutouts (Combined)

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

Year II Season Preview: Indianapolis ABC’s

By mknn

On April 7, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

Playing .500 ball would be a nice step; doing so while nurturing some talent for the future would begin to raise hopes in Indianapolis.

Best Case

Some starting pitching comes out of nowhere to support the continued development of Doc White and Willie Mitchell, Johnny Bench and Oscar Charleston anchor the offense, and some of the MI talent finally emerges fully onto the scene. The 6 man rotation turns out to be a thing of beauty, allowing the ABC’s to maximize their talent on the mound.

Worst Case

Only Bench remains as a real offensive force and the pitching stays totally muddled, with the 6 man rotation confusing fans, pundits, and players alike.

Key Questions

Who starts, and does the team retain its experimentation with a 6-man rotation?
How do the uncertainties at SS/3B resolve?

Trade Bait

Not enough talent to really be active.

Davey Concepción was sent to the Gothams in exchange for Sad Sam Jones, adding another arm to the pile and clearing one person from the MI crowd.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C	Bench					Ritter
1B			Votto
2B			Morgan
3B				Charles
SS			Menke		Larkin
LF/ RF			Bescher Charleston			Dunn Foster Padrón
CF		Stenzel	Henderson
SP			Cueto	White Mitchell ~~Faber~~	Foster Jones	Padrón
End		~~Dibble~~	Carroll		James
RP				Tidrow		Bellingham Blackwell Nolan

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

That is a lot of new arms on the staff, and a lot of unknowns. But performance last year was so bad, you would think anything would be an improvement.

Some interesting things here, though: the continued use of the 6 man rotation, the emergence of Luis Padrón as a 2-way threat, the promise of some of the young talent, especially Oscar Charleston.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	C Johnny Bench	OF Wally Post
Batting Eye	IF Joe Morgan 1B Joey Votto	IF Edwin Encarnación
Contact	IF Joe Morgan	CF Edd Roush
Running Speed	OF Bob Bescher	IF Pokey Reese
Base Stealing	OF Bob Bescher	1B Doc Hoblitzell
IF Defense	IF Barry Larkin	3B Robin Ventura
OF Defense	OF Oscar Charleston	OF Curt Walker
Stuff	P The Only Nolan	P George Pipgras
Control	SP Johnny Cueto	SP Eppa Rixey
Velocity	RP Ewell Blackwell	RP Tyler Clippard

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (24)	19	P	Edward Nolan
2 (28)	19	P	Jim Maloney
3 (42)	22	3B	Oliver Marcell
4 (59)	24	3B	Robin Ventura
5 (101)	22	OF	George Foster
6 (105)	20	2B	Dario Lodigiani
7 (123)	19	P	Tom Glavine
8 (144)	23	1B	Sean Casey
9 (153)	25	P	Bob Ewing
10 (182)	25	P	Chris Hammond

Others: None.

Nolan and Foster start the year with the WBL club. There’s decent help on the mound working through the system, but little else, especially if Ventura ends up being a bust.

	Most	Least
Age	OF Harold Baines, 39	3B Bob Aspromonte, 18
Height	P Ewell Blackwell, 6’6″ OF Adam Dunn, 6’6″	SS Donie Bush, 5’6″
OPS	C Johnny Bench, .951 (WBL)	SS Walt Weiss, .441 (—)
HR	OF Adam Dunn, 35 (WBL/AAA/AA)	SS Walt Weiss, 0 (—)
SB	OF Bob Bescher, 37 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	C Johnny Bench, 6.0 (WBL)	SS Walt Weiss, -3.9 (—)
W	Eppa Rixey, 16 (WBL/AAA)	Joe Moeller, 3 (—) Teddy Higuera, 3 (—)
SV	Rob Dibble, 30 (WBL)
ERA	Jack Powell, 2.83 (—)	Joe Moeller, 7.11 (—)
WAR	Virgil Trucks, 7.0 (WBL/AAA)	Brad Radke, -1.1 (—)

Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

Season Review: Indianapolis ABC’s

By mknn

On December 20, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

73 - 81, .474 pct.
3rd in Effa Manley Division, 13 games behind.

Overall

Just a very average performance. There are some good pieces here, and the organization as a whole is quite young, but until the pitching is sorted, nothing else is going to really matter.

What Went Right

Most of all, Johnny Bench. Bench is a superstar C, giving Indianapolis an edge in a difficult position to fill.

Beyond that there were a few surprises–neither Jake Stenzel or Dennis Menke were on many preseason lists to be strong offensive players, and Joey Votto was excellent in limited action after being recalled from the minors–and there was some promise for the future, most of all in Joe Morgan and Oscar Charleston, who were fine this year, but were also quite young (Charleston began the season as a teenager).

Dave Henderson, Bob Bescher, and Danny Hoffman were all perfectly acceptable in the OF.

Robin Ventura finally showed some promise after arriving via trade.

Willie Mitchell and Doc White, both of whom started the season in the bullpen, were the ABC’s best pitchers by the end of the season. Johnny Cueto was fine as a starter as well.

Rob Dibble was a first rate closer for Indianapolis.

ALL STARS
C Johnny Bench

What Went Wrong

1B was a right mess until Votto showed up; 3B Ed Charles faded badly after promising starts. Barry Larkin and Davey Concepción–one of whom is supposed to be the SS of the future–were awful.

But most of what went wrong was on the mound. The trio of Red Faber, Rube Foster, and Dolf Luque were thoroughly mediocre as starters, and Rob Murphy and Lefty James the same out of the pen.

Transactions

March

IF Miller Huggins & OF Willie Montañez to Baltimore for P Rube Foster

Foster wasn’t great, but he was a WBL player all season, so this seems fine.

June

C Ernie Lombardi to Detroit for IF Donie Bush, IF Jorge Orta, P Brandon League, OF Gene Martin & 2nd Round Pick {Matt Chapman}

It looks like more than it is, but with Lombardi blocked by Bench in Indianapolis, moving him is fine.

July

P David Price and IF Jorge Orta to Chicago for 3B Robin Ventura, P Tyler Clippard, 4th Round Pick & 5th Round Pick {Pete O'Brien}

It all hinges on whether the Ventura who showed up for Indianapolis in September is a mirage or not.

Looking Forward

SP

Such a random assortment of good-but-not-great here. Luis Padrón, Eppa Rixey, and Dolf Luque should be the long term front of rotation guys, but that doesn’t exactly strike terror in the hearts of the opposing team. An area of need.

RP

Solid, with Rob Dibble at closer and some mix of Clay Carroll, Rob Murphy, Octavio Dotel, and Norm Charlton behind him.

C

For as long as he’s healthy, it’s all about Johnny Bench.

1B

Joey Votto did well, but he’s 31 and unlikely to improve making this an area of need long term.

2B

Joe Morgan should be here for quite some time.

3B

Unknown. If Robin Ventura shows up, it’s his; if not, this is a bit of a black hole.

SS

Right now, it’s Dennis Menke; longer term, this should be either Barry Larkin or Davey Concepción, with the other being expendable. My bet would be on Larkin, despite his struggles this year.

LF

Some mixture of Bob Bescher and Adam Dunn are keeping this spot warm for George Foster.

CF

This should be Oscar Charleston‘s home for a long time.

RF

Unknown, although many in the organization see Pete Rose stepping up here.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

There are a few pitchers who look to be only a year or two from helping their WBL franchise, with Tom Glavine probably the best of them. That made the ABC’s pick in the first round pretty easy. In the 2nd round, franchise arm Jim Maloney was still available, who projects as a rotation starter, maybe.

Looking for some insurance in case Ventura doesn’t pan out, the ABC’s picked up 20 year old 3B Matt Chapman at the end of the 2nd round.

In the 3rd round, they took Maloney, version 2: another franchise arm with an outside shot at being useful, Bob Ewing; and in the 4th, slick fielding MI Leo Cardenas.

Rounds 5-8

These rounds should focus on position players: in the 5th round, 3B Oliver Marcelle and OF Pete O’Brien; in the 6th, OF Chris Dickerson and C Admiral Schlei; OF Adam Duvall in the 7th, and IF Pokey Reese in the 8th.

Rounds 9-12

P Jack Billingham; Pete Schourek; C Patsy Gharrity; and P The Only Nolan.

Series XXXIV Best Games

By mknn

On July 3, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

A good collection of games overall … a few pitching duels, a few intriguing games.

We’ll start with two games from the series between San Francisco and the New York Black Yankees–first a great pitching matchup, then a bit of a see-saw.

#San Francisco Sea Lions @ New York Black Yankees, Games 2 and 4

The opening game of the series saw a great pitching matchup where, honestly, the better performance lost. Ron Guidry continued a bit of a hard-luck season, falling to 7-11 on the year despite allowing only 2 hits in 7 innings while striking out 9. But an error by Eric Davis (1 of 2 on the day by the Black Yankees’ CF) led to a run in the 6th and a solo shot by Sal Bando in the 7th put the Sea Lions up, 2-0. That was all San Francisco’s starter, Eddie Plank, needed, as San Francisco’s starter allowed 4 hits and 0 runs in his time. Plank improved to 11-6 on the season with Rod Beck picking up his 29th save.

SFS 2 (Plank 11-6; Beck 29 Sv) @ NYY 0 (Guidry 7-11)
HRs: None.
Box Score

San Francisco, powered by key hits from Bob Cerv and Pedro Guerrero, held a 5-3 edge going into the bottom of the 7th inning (Babe Ruth‘s 43rd and 44th homeruns of the year, both off Lefty Grove, had kept the Black Yankees in the game). Late season call-up Roger Maris started New York off with a pinch hit single. Maris was replaced at first by Tommy Herr, who, along with Thurman Munson, scored on a single by Mickey Mantle to tie the game. Mike Schmidt followed with a 2-run shot to put New York up, 8-5.

The Black Yankees bullpen continues to be weak, with Ralph Citarella giving up 2 runs (one one on a solo shot by Gene Oliver, the other on an RBI from Jack Clark) in the 8th. Aroldis Chapman had a rough 9th, but did survive to earn his 10th save with the Black Yankees and 30th overall.

Mantle had 3 hits on the day, Ruth scored 3 times, and Schmidt drove in 3.

After the game, San Francisco’s Mickey Cochrane hit the DL, with the Sea Lions recalling Brian Downing.

SFS 8 (Howell 4-5, 4 B Sv; Shields 2 H) @ NYY 9 (Lavelle 1-3; Chapman 10 Sv; Citarella 11 H; Cormier 3 H)
HRs: SFS – Oliver (2); NYY – Ruth 2 (44), Mantle (24), Schmidt (21).
Box Score

Let’s look at a few other games with fantastic efforts by the starting pitchers, starting with Miami‘s visit to Indianapolis then heading to Kansas City, where the Monarchs, and one of the most mercurial arms in the league, hosted Brooklyn.

#Miami Cuban Giants @ Indianapolis ABC’s, Game 2

Johnny Cueto and José Méndez each delivered their best start of the year, with Cueto’s 7 scoreless innings topped by Méndez’ 8 innings of 3-hit, shutout ball. Neither would figure in the decision. Cookie Rojas put Miami ahead with a solo shot in the top of the 9th, but Indianapolis tied it on an Ed Charles single in the bottom of the frame. The ABC’s walked off in the bottom of the 10th on a Jake Stenzel single, with Octavio Dotel earning the victory with an inning of scoreless relief.

MCG 1 (López 3-2; Looper 2 B Sv) @ IND 2 (Dotel 2-1) [10 Innings]
HRs: MCG – Rojas (2); IND – none.
Box Score

Brooklyn Royal Giants @ Kansas City Monarchs, Game 4

Kansas City’s Luke Hamlin is one of the more frustrating pitchers in the league. He turned in his 3rd start with a Game Score over 80 in this one, allowing only 3 hits over 9 innings. But he also has four starts this year with a Game Score below 30. And it’s hard to build a rotation around someone that mercurial: the 87 pitch gem he threw today merely improved his record to 9-12 with an above-league-average 4.80 ERA.

Brooklyn’s Frank Knauss was the hard-luck loser here, giving up a single to Stan Musial to lead off the bottom of the 9th. Knauss was replaced by Trevor Hildenberger, who surrendered a deep fly to Ducky Medwick, scoring Jack Rowe, who had pinch-run for Musial.

BRK 0 (Knauss 11-5) @ KCM 1 (Hamlin 9-12)
HRs: none.
Box Score

Two more season finales of note.

#Philadelphia Stars @ Memphis Red Sox, Game 4

Memphis‘ Bill Doak turned in a strong start, but Philadelphia used a late comeback to force extra innings in this one. The game entered the 9th inning tied at 2, but a homerun by one of the few bright spots for Philadelphia, young RF Aaron Judge, gave the Stars a 1 run lead.

It wouldn’t last, as Memphis’ Claude Ritchey followed up a Vern Stephens sacrifice fly with a 2-run triple, putting the Red Sox up, 5-3 with their closer, Jonathan Papelbon taking the mound in the top of the 9th. Papelbon was hit hard: a single by Juan Samuel was followed by a triple from Willie Davis and a double from Bobby Abreu, tying the contest at 5.

Sammy Sosa–who is playing fantastically for Memphis after being brought over from the House of David–singled to lead off the bottom of the 10th and eventually scored the winning run on a Manny Ramírez double.

PHI 5 (Howry 3-7; Rojas 2 B Sv) @ MEM 6 (Farrell 3-4; Papelbon 5 B Sv) [10 Innings]
HRs: PHI – Freeman (17), Judge (4); MEM – none.
Box Score

#Detroit Wolverines @ Los Angeles Angels, Game 4

Homeruns by Mike Trout and Steve Garvey helped the Angels to a 4-1 lead in the bottom of the 5th, but a 2-out rally fueled by 2 walks, a wild pitch, and a 2 run single by Ty Cobb pulled Detroit back into the lead, 5-4. A sacrifice fly from Los Angeles’ Elmer Valo tied the game in the 8th, and the bullpens took over from there.

The 11th was eventful, as Oscar Gamble touched Francisco Rodríguez for a solo shot, giving Detroit a 1 run lead. The Wolverines turned to the league leader in saves, Mike Henneman, who promptly blew the game, allowing a single and 2 walks to load the bases, followed by a sharp single from Trout that allowed the winning run to score when Chili Davis‘ throw was wildly errant.

Gamble and Cobb had 3 hits each for Detroit; Trout and John Stearns had 3 hits for the Angels, with Trout driving in 4.

DET 6 (Henneman 1-6, 5 B Sv; Anderson 2 B Sv) @ LAA 7 (Venters 5-3; Smith 2 B Sv) [11 Innings]
HRs: DET – Gamble (26); LAA – Trout (18), Garvey (3).
Box Score

TWIWBL 41.3: Series XXXIII Notes – Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On June 20, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Homestead Grays

The Grays continue to try to figure out their middle infield of the future, recalling Rennie Stennett from AA and Nap Lajoie–their prize acquisition from the final trading period–from AAA, sending Bill Mazeroski and Jack Wilson back down.

Chief Wilson had 4 hits–2 doubles and a triple–leading the Grays to a 5-4 win over Kansas City. John Candelaria improved to 3-1 with a solid start and Josh Lindblom picked up his 13th save.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Johnny Cueto had one of his best starts of the year–7 innings, 3 hits, and only 1 run–but the ABC’s needed a pinch-hit, walkoff double from Hal Morris to win the game after a very rough outing from Clay Carroll let Baltimore back into the contest.

#New York Black Yankees

Ron Guidry‘s return from the DL pushes AJ Burnett back to AAA, although probably only until rosters expand next week.

Guidry’s return was triumphant: 6 innings of 1 run ball in a blowout, 17-2 win over Philadelphia. Eric Davis, Babe Ruth, and Albert Belle each had 3 hits and Lou Gehrig drove in 5 runs. Belle and Mickey Mantle went deep in the romp which, most importantly of all, moved the Black Yankees into a tie for first place in the Effa Manley Division.

In a rain-shortened game, Waite Hoyt improved to 10-6 on the year with a 7-inning, 2-hit shutout as the Black Yankees topped the Stars 3-0.

Ruth hit 2 homeruns–his league-leading 40th and 41st of the year–as the Black Yankees continued their run, beating Philadelphia 5-3 behind a good start from Jamie Moyer and another save from Aroldis Chapman.

#Philadelphia Stars

3 hits from Willie Davis and another 3 from George Hendrick (who added 4 RBIs) weren’t enough, as the Stars fell to the Black Yankees 8-5. The game might have thrown Philadelphia’s rotation into a bit of chaos as starter Jaret Wright was injured, forcing both Don Carman (who gave up 3 runs in a single inning to take the loss) and Pete Alexander into relief duty.

Wright will miss the rest of the season, heading to the DL with a torn meniscus. Robin Roberts was recalled from AAA for the Stars.

Series XXIX Best Games

By mknn

On March 29, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Detroit‘s trip to Brooklyn and Kansas City‘s visit to Indianapolis each provided 3 games worth recapping.

We’ll take a look at the Wolverines matchup with the Royal Giants first.

#Detroit Wolverines @ Brooklyn Royal Giants

Detroit’s Charlie Root and Brooklyn’s Frank Knauss hooked up in a pitcher’s duel. Ty Cobb‘s 17th homerun of the year–a 3 run shot–gave the Wolverines a 3-1 lead in the top of the 8th, but John Briggs sent one over the fence to tie it in the bottom of the frame. Bill Carrigan doubled in Hank Greenberg in the top of the 10th, and Detroit turned to the league leader in saves, Mike Henneman, to close it out. Ron Cey greeted Henneman with a double, but was thrown out, inexplicably trying to stretch the hit into a triple. That ended the threat, and Henneman ended the game.

DET 4 (Hiller 3-1, 2 B Sv; Henneman 31 Sv) @ BRK 3 (Von Ohlen 5-2) [10 Innings]
HRs: DET – Cobb (17); BRK – Becker (18), Briggs (4).
Box Score

Detroit won game 2, taking the lead on a 3-run homer from Oscar Gamble in the top of the first and never looking back. That put the Wolverines up 2-0 in the series, setting the stage for game 3.

Gene Conley continues to be a rare find for Detroit, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) and 3 hits in 7 innings. But the usually reliable Wolverines bullpen wasn’t able to hold a lead, giving up 4 runs in the final 3 innings with Duke Farrell doubling in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th.

John Hiller blew his second save of the series, falling to 3-2 on the season, with the victory going to Trevor Hildenberger who pitched a scoreless final 2 innings.

DET 3 (Hiller 3-2; 3 B Sv) @ BRK 4 (Hildenberger 4-1)
HRs: DET – Greenberg (22); BRK – Briggs (5).
Box Score

Whoops he did it again … Just like in Series XXV, Beals Becker ended a game with a walk-off grandslam. Again it was the Detroit bullpen that collapsed, this time–shockingly–it was Mike Henneman who gave up a walk and 3 hits (including Becker’s blast) to the 4 batters he faced.

Tony Phillips–who has sparkled since his return from injury–had 4 hits for Detroit, and Frank Isbell went 3-for-3 for Brooklyn.

DET 5 (Henneman 1-5, 4 B Sv; Lolich 3 H; Anderson 6 H) @ BRK 7 (Dreifort 1-3)
HRs: DET – Bailey (17), Kaline (2), Phillips (7); BRK – Farrell (6), Snider (27), Becker (21).
Box Score

#Kansas City Monarchs @ Indianapolis ABC’s

Indianapolis won all four games against Kansas City. A bases-clearing double by Joe Morgan was the key hit in game 1. The other 3 games were all close contests.

In the 2nd game, Kansas City out hit the ABC’s 17-7, but 4 RBIs (3 on his 25th homerun of the year) by Johnny Bench keyed an 8-6 Indianapolis victory. Ted Simmons had 4 hits for the Monarchs and Ducky Medwick 3, but Kansas City left 11 runners on base.

KCM 6 (Blong 3-2, 1 B Sv) @ IND 8 (Murphy 2-4; Dibble 24 Sv; Carroll 8 H)
HRs: KCM – Pujols (18), Medwick (12); IND – Votto (5), Bench (25).
Box Score

Game 3 saw Kansas City’s Trevor Rosenthal and Frank DiPino implode as the ABC’s scored 6 runs in the 7th, coming back from a 7-2 deficit. The ABC’s Dolf Luque logged only 2 innings, but Johnny Cueto had his best appearance in a while, allowing a single run in 5 strong innings of relief work.

KCM 7 (DiPino 1-5) @ IND 8 (Cueto 8-6; Carroll 2 Sv; James 5 H)
HRs: KCM – Medwick (13); IND – none.
Box Score

It took 12 innings for Indianapolis to secure the sweep in a see-saw game. The ABC’s were wasteful throughout, leaving 19–nineteen–runners on base in the contest. Joey Votto and Jake Stenzel had 4 hits each, with Votto driving in 3. Kansas City’s Boog Powell tied the game in the top of the 9th with his 14th homerun of the season.

Both bullpens were exhausted, so an unexpectedly strong performance from Octavio Dotel was desperately needed by Indianapolis.

KCM 8 (Rosenthal 5-2; Kimbrel 4 B Sv; Russell 1 B Sv) – IND 9 (Dotel 1-1; James 6 H; Murphy 2 B Sv) [12 Innings]
HRs: KCM – Powell (14); IND – Stenzel (8).
Box Score

Series XXVI Featured Matchup: Indianapolis ABC’s @ Wandering House of David

By mknn

On February 13, 2023

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Series preview here.

Game One: Doc White @ Frank Sullivan

This one was all about the House of David’s Frank Sullivan, who had a no-hitter going through 5 innings. By that point, he had a 5-0 lead to work with, as Pete Browning and Anthony Rizzo went back-to-back with solo shots in the 4th, and Browning homered again in the 5th, this one a 2-run shot.

Indianapolis finally got a hit in the 6th, and scored a run, but it wasn’t until the 8th that the game showed some life: a one-out single by Indianapolis’ Barry Larkin and a walk to Denis Menke chased Sullivan. The House of David brought in Scott Downs, who got Edd Roush to ground towards shortstop, but Ernie Banks fumbled the ball, loading the bases on the error. Jake Stenzel singled, making the score 5-2.

Lee Smith relieved Downs, and with the infield in, induced a weak groundball from Dave Henderson. Ryne Sandberg was able to cut down the runner at home., and Oscar Charleston grounded out to end the threat.

A 2-run shot by Jim Edmonds put the game out of reach, making Bob Bescher‘s solo drive in the 9th merely window dressing.

IND 3 (White 5-2) @ HOD 7 (Sullivan 7-7; Smith 2 Sv)
HRs: IND – Bescher (12); HOD – Rizzo (8), Browning 2 (16), Edmonds (5)
Box Score

Game 2: Johnny Cueto @ Jack Taylor

Indianapolis got some good news before the game, as 2B Joe Morgan started a rehab assignment at AAA, and should be back with the ABC’s in time for their next series.

The House of David surged ahead in the bottom of the first, with a leadoff homerun from Ryne Sandberg and a 2-run shot from Elrod Hendricks. The two of them did it again in the third, chasing Johnny Cueto from the game. Meanwhile, Jack Taylor was mowing them down, tossing a shutout through 6 innings.

Johnny Bench broke up the shutout with his 21st homerun of the year in the top of the 7th, and when Joey Votto went deep two batters later, that was it for Taylor.

Pete Browning and Jim Edmonds added homeruns for the final spread.

IND 2 (Cueto 7-6) @ HOD 8 (Taylor 9-8)
HRs: IND – Bench (21), Votto (3); HOD – Sandberg 2 (14), Hendricks 2 (23), Browning (17), Edmonds (6).
Box Score

Game 3: Rube Foster @ CC Sabathia

Perhaps the biggest news of the day was the House of David’s George Stone being unavailable, and likely to miss the next few days with a fever.

Elrod Hendricks started the scoring in the bottom of the 1st with a 2 run shot off Rube Foster for an early 2-0 lead for the House of David. In the second, Anthony Rizzo doubled, moved to 3rd on an error by Indianapolis 2B, Barry Larkin, and scored on a deep sacrifice fly from Ron Santo.

The ABC’s would get on the board in the 4th, as Jake Stenzel singled and scored on a double by Ed Charles. Hal Morris would double in Charles, and the score would narrow to 3-2. Hendricks hit his second homerun of the day, and a following single by Dan Ford chased Foster from the game. Ford would score when, on a Jim Edmonds double, Oscar Charleston‘s throw sailed over Johnny Bench‘s head for Charleston’s first error of the year. Indianapolis’ Rob Murphy got out of the inning without further damage, leaving the House of David ahead, 5-2.

After 7 strong innings, CC Sabathia turned the game over to his bullpen. That looked to be a mistake, as Scott Downs was greeted by an Edd Roush single and a walk to Denis Menke. Charleston brought them both home with a double down the rightfield line. Downs escaped further damage, leaving the House of David clinging to their lead, 5-4.

Lee Smith took care of Indianapolis in the 8th, with the House of David closer, Bruce Sutter, taking the mound in the top of the 9th. Roush led off with a double, but Sutter whiffed Menke and got Charleston to popout to center. Bench tied the game, scoring Roush with a double, but Dave Henderson flew out to Edmonds to end the inning.

On to extra innings … in the bottom of the 10th, Hendricks singled with 2 outs and went to 3rd on a hit by Ford. Clay Carroll came into the game to face Rizzo … who quietly grounded out, sending us to the 11th.

Roush walked, and scored on a double by Menke, who scored on a single by Bench. That put the ABC’s on top, 7-5. Edmonds greeted Carroll in the bottom of the frame with his 7th homerun of the season, pulling the score back to 7-6. Pinch-hitter George Gore flew out to center, and Ernie Banks to left, but Sandberg sent a pitch into the LF seats on a line to tie the game once again.

Menke went deep in the top of the 13th, scoring Tommy Helms and, with 2 outs, Bench took Eddie Rommel deep and then, after a single by Henderson, Stenzel joined the party with a shot to right. The hits kept coming: Helms drove in 2 with a double, scoring on a single by Roush, and at the end of it all, Indianapolis had scored 8 times, taking a 15-7 lead.

The House of David would score in the bottom of the 13th on Edmonds 2nd homerun of the day and a 2-run double from Pete Browning, but Hendricks fanned to end the game, with the ABC’s coming back for a 15-10 victory in 13 innings.

IND 15 (Mitchell 6-4) @ HOD 10 (Tidrow 4-5; Downs 4 H; Smith 8 H; Sutter 3 BSv) [13 Innings]
HRs: IND – Menke (4), Stenzel (7), Bench (22); HOD – Hendricks 2 (25), Edmonds 2 (8), Sandberg 15.
Box Score

Game Four: Chris Hammond @ Bob Rush

This six man rotation thing keeps leaving the ABC’s in a lurch for an actual starter. They sent Virgil Trucks down, bringing up Chris Hammond for the start against the House of David’s Bob Rush.

It wasn’t needed in the end, as the game was rained out, rescheduled for July 27th.

Series XXVI Preview: Indianapolis ABC’s @ Wandering House of David

By mknn

On February 8, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

We looked at Indianapolis Series XVIII and Series X and saw the House of David in action in Series XVI and Series V.

Indianapolis ABC’s

The ABC’s have struggled all year, sitting 6 games under .500 and 9.5 off the pace in the Effa Manley Division. There have been some bright spots, especially offensively, where Johnny Bench continues to be among the best backstops in the league, slashing 295/411/564 and leading the team in HRs (20) and RBIs (64). The problem is Bench has been virtually the only power source for the ABC’s, with only 3 other players in double digits in homeruns (Danny Hoffman and Bob Bescher with 11 and Hal Morris with 10). SS Denis Menke (305/394/431) has been a bit of a pleasant surprise, but the team is really hoping the return of Oscar Charleston and Joe Morgan from the DL can jump start a pretty anemic attack.

Quite controversially, Indianapolis has adopted a 6 man rotation, choosing almost at random between Dolf Luque, Rube Foster, Doc White, Johnny Cueto, David Price, and Willie Mitchell. White has been excellent, both in the bullpen and across 8 starts, but the rest are fairly identical, sporting ERA’s in the 4’s with decent secondary numbers. Rob Dibble has been excellent as a closer, with 20 saves.

Wandering House of David

The House of David are also 3rd in their division, but they sit 4 games over .500 and only 4 games back in the Bill James Division.

It’s not clear how they’re doing it, honestly. There is a lot of power here, with both George Stone (23) and Elrod Hendricks (21) having hit over 20 homeruns. Ernie Banks–3rd on the team with 17–leads the way with 63 RBIs. Stone has been superb, slashing 301/391/555, but that only puts him 3rd among the starters in OPS, with Pete Browning (341/380/584) and the blistering Anthony Rizzo (329/440/700) in front of him. Rizzo has to cool off at some point, with 7 homeruns in his first 25 games, but the success of the House of David may rest on Browning staying healthy, something that has been a bit of a struggle for him all year. Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, and the surprising Dan Ford fill out a lineup that is pretty solid top to bottom.

Jack Taylor and Bob Rush have led a mediocre group of starters, although both Eddie Rommel and Kerry Wood have shown great promise in their first few big league appearances. Bruce Sutter is the closer, with Dick Tidrow and Lee Smith being the most effective arms out of the pen.

Projected Starters

Indianapolis pitcher listed first.

Doc White (5-1, 3.38) @ Frank Sullivan (6-7, 5.20)
Johnny Cueto (7-5, 4.94) @ Jack Taylor (8-8, 3.54)
David Price (4-5, 4.84) @ CC Sabathia (9-9, 4.81)
Dolf Luque (8-8, 4.68) @ Bob Rush (8-5, 4.41)

Prediction

Meh. I like Indianapolis in the first game behind White, but the rest is pretty much a toss-up. Let’s say the House of David gets hot, and wins the final 3 to take the series, 3-1.

TWIWBL 31.3: Series XXIV Notes – Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On January 19, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Cleveland Spiders

Pat Malone improved to 10-5 on the year, allowing 3 runs in just over 7 innings in a 4-3 win over Birmingham. Terry Adams earned his 23rd save in a game where Lance Berkman and Evan Longoria had 2 hits.

Longoria plays reasonable defense, but his struggles at the plate earned him a trip back to AAA, with Tris Speaker–injured since Spring Training, but slashing 295/392/636 at AAA on a rehab assignment–being recalled to backup Kenny Lofton in CF. There’s more help at AAA, with both Larry Doby and Nap Lajoie blossoming since their early-season major league struggles.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays roared out to a 9-0 lead over the Black Yankees, then held on for dear life for a 12-9 victory. Andrew McCutcheon had 3 hits, including his 12th homerun of the year, and scored 4 runs. Rick Reichardt had 3 RBI’s and Josh Gibson 3 hits in support of Vean Gregg, who pitched 6 solid innings for his 8th win of the year.

Hal Carlson and Frank Linzy combined to allow only 3 hits and 1 run in a 5-1 victory over the Black Yankees. Andy Van Slyke and Willie Stargell had 3 hits each, with Stargell and Chief Wilson driving in two in the Grays’ victory.

Earl Hamilton was placed on the DL, and isn’t expected back until late August. Bob Friend will move into the rotation as the Grays shake up a lot of their pitching, with Ray Brown and Linzy heading to AAA, replaced by Billy Pierce, Dave Giusti, and–after some waiver wire activity–Rick Ownbey.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Red Faber was sent down to AAA, with Virgil Trucks being recalled to the WBL. Trucks’ stay lasted one poor start, replaced by Eppa Rixey, who was also immediately returned to AA with Paul Derringer coming up for a start.

Even with all that, the ABC’s stick with a 6-man rotation–which boils down to a search each day for the most rested arm out of Dolf Luque, Rube Foster, Doc White, Johnny Cueto, David Price, and Willie Mitchell.

While Barry Larkin and Pete Rose are both struggling–neither have an OPS over .600–for now they both retain their MLB spots, although that should change when Oscar Charleston and Joe Morgan return from the injured list.

#New York Black Yankees

Babe Ruth closed out the series against Homestead with his league-leading 30th homerun of the year, as the Black Yankees hammered the Grays, 13-3. Ruth, Mickey Mantle, and Mike Schmidt had 3 hits each as Jack Scott improved to 10-4 with 7 solid innings of work.

The Black Yankees continue to struggle with their middle infield. Derek Jeter and Tom Herr are established as the starters, but the experiment of the two Reds seems over, as Red Schoendienst, hitless in 10 ABs at the WBL level, was returned to AAA, giving Hardy Richardson a crack at the backup role. Red Rolfe remains with the Black Yankees. For now: Pee Wee Reese, picked up after being cut by Brooklyn, has been playing decently at AAA, and may replace Rolfe soon.

#Philadelphia Stars

Scott Rolen went 4-for-5, tying the WBL record for a single game with 3 doubles, but it wasn’t enough as the Stars fell to the Sea Dogs, 3-2 in extra innings as closer Bobby Howry was unable to hold a late lead.

Needing a spot starter, the Stars sent 1B Cecil Cooper back to AAA in exchange for Bill Laskey. Laskey was pretty rough, and sent back after the start, with Bobby Abreu being recalled. In the game itself, Willie Davis (who led off the game with his 16th homerun), Gavvy Cravath, and Rolen combined to go 8-for-11 in the game itself, scoring 7 runs and driving in 6 as the Stars prevailed, 9 to 7.

The shuttle got busier after their series, as, in search of some relief on the mound, Fred Talbot was sent to AAA and Don Carman was placed on waivers with an eye toward doing the same. Larry Jackson was recalled, as was, once Carman cleared waivers, Tom Sturdivant.