Tag: Kal Daniels Page 3 of 4

TWIWBL 15.1: Series XII Notes – Bill James Division

On August 23, 2021

#Detroit Wolverines

Hal Newhouser allowed 1 hit and 1 run in 6 innings … along with a WLB record-tying 8 walks. But it was enough for a win, improving his record to 2-1 and lowering his ERA to 1.67. Gene Conley, Buddy Napier, John Hiller, and Mike Henneman combined to allow only 1 more hit over the rest of the ballgame, with Henneman picking up his 9th save in a 2-1 victory for Detroit over San Francisco.

Doyle Alexander was moved into the starting rotation, which may last only as long as Si Johnson‘s rehab assignment (by which point, the Wolverines are hoping the mix of Napier, Matt Anderson, and Mickey Lolich have worked themselves out in terms of who belongs at the big league level).

#Los Angeles Angels

Pud Galvin and Harry Howell have been replaced in the Angels’ starting rotation by Nolan Ryan and Chuck Finley; really the only surprise here is that Doc Gooden has retained his starting spot despite continuing to struggle. The Angels also made a shock move, replacing their entire catching corps by sending Jim Stephens and Brian Downing to AAA and promoting Ron Hassey and John Stearns, who are expected to platoon for the big league club. As part of this, the club recalled Rusty Staub to help fill in at RF, and waived Armando Benitez and his 8.00+ ERA. These moves also mean that Elmer Valo and Kal Daniels find spots in the lineup every day (Valo in RF, Daniels as the DH).

#Memphis Red Sox

Nomar Garciaparra‘s demotion to AAA from the disabled list was no surprise, but the choice to also send both Bob Brenly and Dustin Pedroia to New Orleans may have been. Billy Bryan was recalled from AAA, but Brenly’s demotion means Jim Pagliaroni becomes an everyday catcher. Iván de Jesus was recalled as well, mostly due to his defensive versatility.

#New York Gothams

Led by 3 hits apiece from Yasiel Puig and Pinky Higgins, the Gothams destroyed Cleveland 10-3. Juan Marichal improved to 5-1 with the victory.

Buck O’Brien‘s time in the WBL was very brief, as after being left as sacrificial arm in a blowout game, absorbing 11 hits in just over 2 innings pitched, O’Brien was returned to AAA with Carl Hubbell making his long awaited return from injury.

#Wandering House of David

In a see-saw game, the House of David relied on 4 hits from George Stone and Ryne Sandberg and 3 RBIs from Ron Santo in a 15-9 triumph over Kansas City. The Monarchs hit 4 homeruns, but the House of David responded by outhitting them, 22 to 13. After Wade Miley was hit hard, Bob Rush continued his great season with 4 innings, allowing only 1 run and improving his record to 4-1.

Rush has replaced Ferguson Jenkins in the House of David’s rotation and Bruce Sutter has been named the closer, with Tom Niedenfeuer out for several months. Jerry Mumphrey, Jung Ho Kang, and Bunny Downs were all sent down to AAA (essentially giving Sammy Sosa the job in CF for the time being). Dave Altizer was waived to make room for Craig Reynolds on the 40-man roster, and Jim Edmonds and Anthony Rizzo were recalled as well.

All of that results in Dan Ford parlaying his strong showing with the House of David into a starting job in RF.

TWIWBL 12.1: Series X Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On July 21, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Johnny Marcum‘s return to the rotation was a good sign for Detroit fans. Marcum combined with Mickey Lolich, Kevin Hart, and Mike Henneman, allowing 6 hits and 1 run in a 2-1 victory over Brooklyn. Marcum improved to 3-1, with Henneman picking up his 7th save.

All 7 of the Wolverines’ hits came from Tony Phillips (3) and Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg (2 each).

Hank Aguirre will be on the DL for at least a 10 days, forcing the Wolverines into another change in their starting rotation. Buddy Napier was recalled from AAA to take Aguirre’s roster spot.

#Los Angeles Angels

Doc Gooden, Nolan Ryan, Jonny Venters, and Joe Nathan combined on a 5-hit shutout and Derrek Lee broke open a scoreless game with a 2-run double as the Angels triumphed over Chicago, 3-0. Gooden allowed only 2 hits in 4 innings before a rain delay forced him out of the game, a very positive sign for the struggling, young righthander.

Gerrit Cole joined the WBL’s group of 6 game winners with 7 innings of 4-hit, 1-run pitching against Chicago. Chuck Finley and Nathan finished the game off, with Cole’s record now 6-2 and Nathan picking up his 5th save. The difference in the game was Kal Daniels‘ 3rd homerun.

#Memphis Red Sox

During an 11-3 loss to the Gothams, Nomar Garciaparra was injured in a collision at home plate, and will miss at least a week. Wayne Causey was recalled from AA for infield depth.

#New York Gothams

4 hits from Willie Mays and 4 RBIs from Carl Furillo led the Gothams to an 11-3 win over Memphis, with a strong start from Juan Marichal moving the right-hander to 3-1 on the year.

Helped by back-to-back homeruns from Mays and Johnny Callison and 5 double plays, the Gothams rolled to a 9-2 victory in the second game of the series. Mickey Welch pitched 6 solid innings to improve to 4-1 and Al Mays earned his first save with 3 scoreless innings in relief.

Gaylord Perry‘s first start didn’t go so well. Then, Christy Mathewson was called into the game to replace an injured Carson Smith, who was put on the DL. All of that made the Gothams look for an SP to recall from AAA, and they settled on Buck O’Brien. Pete Donohue looks better right now, but after a recent start, Donohue would be unavailable for use for a few days, a luxury New York cannot afford.

#Wandering House of David

Closer Tom Niedenfuer, who’s been excellent all season, will miss about 3 months with shoulder inflammation. Bruce Sutter is likely to take over as closer with Phil Regan being recalled from AAA.

TWIWBL 11.0: Series IX Notes

By mknn

On July 11, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 8th

Awards

Duffy Lewis of the Chicago American Giants won the Player of the Week Award, hitting .448 with 5 homeruns–doubling his HR total on the year.

Performance

Given that we’re in early May, standings still don’t mean a whole lot. Portland and the New York Black Yankees have the best record in the league at 25-13, with the Chicago American Giants close behind as 23-15.

Homestead has the worst record at 12-26, already 13 games behind the Black Yankees.

League Standings | League Statistics

Walter Johnson moved to 6-0, becoming the only six-game winner in the league during Series IX. Babe Ruth slugged his 13th homerun of the year–a game-winner to boot–to regain the league lead.

More interestingly, the leaderboards are beginning to diversify. The lists below contain the top 2 performers in most categories, and while Ruth and Johnson still dominate, there a lot of different players there.

Leading SP: Walter Johnson (POR) 6-0, 3.07 ERA, 2.89 FIP, 1.9 WAR; Ron Guidry (NYY) 4-2, 3.23 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 65 Ks; CC Sabathia (HOD) 5-2, 2.79 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 3.13 FIP, 1.8 WAR; Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-1, 1.80 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, Gerrit Cole (LAA) 5-2, 4.45 ERA; Lefty Grove (SFS) 4-1, 3.30 ERA, 54 K; Camilo Pascual (MCG) 4-1, 2.36 ERA.

Leading RP: Johan Santana (POR) 0-1, 3.48 ERA, 13 Sv; Bob Howry (PHI) 0-2, 6.59 ERA, 10 Sv; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-1, 2.37 ERA, 2 Sv, 8 H; Joe Beggs 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 Sv; Tom Niedenfuer 0-0, 9.90 ERA, 7 Sv, 1 H; Craig Kimbrel (KAN) 0-1, 2.65 ERA, 6 H.

Leading Batters: Buster Posey (NYG) 394/463/685, 2.4 WAR; Reggie Jackson (SFS) 384/503/670; Babe Ruth (NYY) 371/461/734, 13 HR, 40 R, 2.6 WAR; Willie Mays (SFS) 352/394/509 56 H; Stan Musial (KAN) 380/448/570, 54 H; Rico Carty (PHI) 347/404/562, 14 2B, Kal Daniels (LAA) 289/413/485, 13 2B, Terry Puhl (OTT) 264/311/438, 5 3B; Curt Blefary (BAL) 295/420/676, 12 HR; Eric Davis (NYY) 306/342/571, 46 RBI; Doug Rader (LAA) 331/373/536, 45 RBI; Shoeless Joe Jackson (CAG) 370/458/688, 31 R, 2.5 WAR; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 286/442/397, 34 BB, 32 SB; Mickey Mantle (NYY) 293/414/444, 28 BB.

Streaks

Streaks are hard.

Chicago’s Luke Appling has the longest active hitting streak at 14 games, and Appling, Rico Carty (PHI), and Albert Pujols (KAN) have reached base in 16 straight.

San Francisco‘s Rickey Henderson has stolen 21 straight bases.

Sad Sam Jones of the New York Gothams and Houston‘s Toad Ramsey have each tossed 15 straight scoreless innings, and Baltimore‘s Ned Garvin hasn’t allowed a hit in 9 innings.

The hottest hitters in the league are Baltimore’s Curt Blefary (343/489/829 over 13 games), Cleveland‘s Ron Blomberg (486/488/838 over 11 games), and Indianapolis‘ Johnny Bench (382/493/764 over 16 games). Portland’s Kent Hrbek and Chicago’s Duffy Lewis each have 5 homeruns over their past 7 games.

Baltimore needs to make a choice soon, as Paul Blair continues to be totally overmatched, hitting 113/203/155 over 23 games.

Series Results

Series IX Sweeps

Cleveland over Kansas City

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series IX

Baltimore over San Francisco
Ottawa over Birmingham
Brooklyn over House of David
Houston over Detroit

Series Splits in Series IX

Chicago v Memphis
Homestead v Indianapolis
Los Angeles v Portland
Miami v Philadelphia
NY Black Yankees v NY Gothams

TWIWBL 10.0: Series VIII Notes

By mknn

On July 1, 2021

In TWIWBL

{I forgot to finish this out, so a few teams played their first Series IX games before doing so.}

May 4th

Awards

The first monthly awards brought no surprises, as the Brooklyn Royal Giants‘ Don Drysedale won the inaugural Pitcher of the Month in the WBL, notching a 4-0 record and a 1.26 ERA and the New York Black Yankeess‘ Babe Ruth was the Player of the Month, hitting .404 with 10 homeruns, 27 RBIs, and 32 runs scored.

Ron Blomberg of the Cleveland Spiders was the Player of the Week, posting a.688 average over the past 7 days.

Performance

League Standings | League Statistics

The league saw its first two five game winners in Series VIII in Los Angeles‘ Gerrit Cole (5-1) and Portland‘s Walter Johnson (5-0).

Perhaps more noteworthy, a slight slump from the Black Yankees’ Babe Ruth (he was dominant enough in early April that he was still, easily, the strongest offensive force in the league) has reduced his grip on the offensive categories. Ruth still leads the league in SLG, R, and WAR, but is only tied for the HR league at 12 (with Baltimore‘s Curt Blefary).

Leading SP: Walter Johnson (POR) 5-0, 3.21 ERA, 1.6 WAR; Gerrit Cole (LAA) 5-1, 4.12 ERA; Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-0, 1.26 ERA, 1.09 WHIP; Ron Guidry (NYY) 4-2, 3.31 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, 60 K.
Leading RP: Johan Santana (POR) 0-1, 3.48 ERA, 13 Sv; Bob Howry (PHI) 0-2, 9 Sv, 6.92 ERA; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-0, 2.16 ERA, 2 Sv, 8 H; Tom Niedenfuer (HOD) 0-0, 0.90 ERA, 7 Sv, 1 H; Joe Beggs (MEM) 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 3 Sv, 0.90 WHIP; Jonathan Papelbon (MEM) 0-1, 0.96 ERA, 3 Sv, 2 H, 0.70 WHIP.

Leading Batters: Buster Posey (NYG) 407/471/720, 2.3 WAR; Reggie Jackson (SFS) 392/508/686; Babe Ruth (NYY) 373/462/731, 12 HR, 36 RBI, 38 R, 2.5 WAR; Joe Jackson (CAG) 368/459/692, 37 RBI, 2.4 WAR; Rico Carty (PHI) 330/389/554, 13 2B; Kal Daniels (LAA) 314/413/535, 13 2B; Terry Puhl (OTT) 246/315/412, 5 3B; Louis Santop (CLE) 305/348/475, 5 3B; Curt Blefary (BAL) 297/421/714, 12 HR; Eric Davis (NYY) 292/331/533, 42 RBI; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 292/456/416, 33 BB, 28 SB.

We’re getting to the point where projections begin to return to the world of possibility–Blefary and Ruth are on pace to clear 50 HR; Davis and Doug Rader (LAA) are on pace for over 180 RBI, and Henderson for over 125 SBs. All great marks, for sure, but none that are world-breaking.

Streaks

Memphis‘ Eddie Rosario has a 14 game hitting streak going into Series IX. Brooklyn‘s Beals Becker and Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace have reached base in 16 consecutive games.

San Francisco is just running amok on the base paths, with Henderson stealing 17 straight bases and Bobby Bonds and Dick Lundy successful on their last ten attempts.

Camilo Pascual saw his scoreless streak end at 19 innings, but Houston‘s Toad Ramsey now has a 15 inning streak going.

Detroit‘s Bob Bailey has the most impressive hot streak in the league right now, hitting 403/469/778 over his last 18 games with 7 HRs. Brooklyn’s Duke Snider has 6 HRs in his last 10 games, hitting at a 439/477/878 clip over that span.

Cleveland‘s Cy Young has a 1.89 ERA over his last 5 starts, but has come out of that with only a 2-1 record.

At the other end of the scale, Baltimore is struggling with three of the coldest hitters in the league: Paul Blair is hitting 102/197/136 over 19 games, Miller Huggins is hitless in his last 27 ABs, and Brooks Robinson is at 138/194/138 over 15 games.

Ottawa finally gave up on the Randy Johnson experiment after the Big Unit posted a 9.61 ERA over his last 4 starts. Hopefully some time at AAA might help the big left hander turn it around.

Series Results

Series VIII Sweeps

Houston over Brooklyn

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series VIII

House of David over Birmingham
Detroit over Miami
Indianapolis over Ottawa
San Francisco over New York Gothams

Series Splits in Series VIII

Baltimore v Philadelphia
Chicago v New York Black Yankees
Cleveland v Homestead
Kansas City v Los Angeles
Memphis v Portland

Series VIII Featured Series: Los Angeles Angels @ Kansas City Monarchs

By mknn

On June 28, 2021

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Series preview here.

#Game 1: Doc Gooden @ Andy Pettitte

Things started well for Los Angeles, as Don Buford led off the game with a homerun to left off Andy Pettitte.

But that was about all that went well for him, as Pettite quickly settled down, allowing 5 hits over 8 innings, with Buford’s blast the only run he allowed.

The Angels’ starter, Doc Gooden, was nowhere near as good, allowing 8 runs–5 earned–in just under 3 innings to the potent Monarchs‘ offense. Albert Pujols had 3 RBIs and Lou Brock, Willie McGee, Gene Freese, and Ozzie Smith each chipped in with 2 hits for Kansas City as they cruised to a 10-1 win in the opening game of the series.

Gooden fell to 1-5 on the year, and his immediate future in the WBL has to be coming into question. Nolan Ryan and Armando Benitez combined for just over 5 innings of decent relief (1 earned run and a dozen strikeouts between them). Pettitte’s win improved his record to 3-2.

LAA 1 (Gooden 1-5) @ KCM 10 (Pettitte 3-2)
HRs: LAA – Buford (3)
Box Score

#Game 2: Gerrit Cole @ Frank Castillo

Gerrit Cole succeeded where so many others failed, becoming the WBL’s first 5-game winner, despite a rough outing against Kansas City in the second game of their series. Cole allowed 7 hits in 5.2 innings, with 4 runs scoring against him (1 unearned).

Los Angeles took the lead in the top of the 3rd on a triple by Don Buford that scored Jim Stephens and a single from Mike Trout, giving the Angels a 2-1 lead. Albert Pujols tied the game in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single.

The top of the 4th would see the Angels strike again against Frank Castillo, with an RBI single from Buford and a sacrifice fly from Kal Daniels giving them a 4-2 edge.

Cole would be chased from the game in the bottom of the 6th when, after giving up an RBI single to Gene Freese, he walked Ozzie Smith with the bases loaded. Aaron Heilman relieved Cole, and got out of the inning with the Angels ahead, 5-4.

Los Angeles would gain some buffer in the top of the 7th, with Derrek Lee leading the inning off with a homerun, and Doug Rader hitting a bases-loaded triple, putting the Angels up, 9-4.

The Monarchs scored 4 times in the bottom of the 8th, with RBIs from Fielder Jones, Smith, Boog Powell, and Pujols, but Jeurys Familia was able to close the door, and Los Angeles evened the series with the 1-run victory.

Buford had 3 hits for Los Angeles, and Pujols and Freese had 3 for Kansas City.

Cole moved to 5-1 on the year, with Familia picking up his first save. Castillo took the loss, falling to 2-3, and Connie Johnson got hit hard, giving up 5 runs in 1 innings. Adam Wainwright closed out the game for Kansas City with 3 hitless innings.

LAA 9 (Cole 5-1; Heilman 2 H; Familia 1 Sv) – KCM 8 (Castillo 2-3)
HRs: LAA – Lee (2)
Box Score

#Game 3: Brett Anderson @ Rube Marquard

Fresh off a shutout, Los Angeles’ Brett Anderson is hoping to keep improving on his year. He sits at 2-3 with an ERA just under 4 while his opposition, Rube Marquard, comes in with a 2-2 record and an ERA 2 runs higher.

It didn’t really work out for either of them. Both starters lasted 5 innings, with Anderson giving up 4 runs and Marquard 5. Kansas City beat up Armando Benitez, who followed Anderson, for 5 runs in under an inning, then tagged Chuck Finley for 3 more on the way to an 11-5 victory.

The Monarchs’ relievers–Trevor Rosenthal, Craig Kimbrel, and Frank DiPino–combined for 4 inning of scoreless, 2-hit relief, with Rosenthal getting the win.

Willie McGee, newly promoted Ducky Medwick, and Gene Freese each had 3 hits for Kansas City, with Medwick (who is now 6-for-11 in his WBL career) driving in 3.

For the Angels, Don Buford was 3-for-3, raising his average to .325.

LAA 5 (Benitez 0-1) @ KCM 11 (Rosenthal 3-0; Kimbrel 5 H)
HRs: None
Box Score

#Game 4: Pud Galvin @ Luke Hamlin

Luke Hamlin has had some great starts and some rough ones, but overall he’s been solid for Kansas City, coming into the game with a 2-3 record and a 4.28 ERA. Pud Galvin has similar underlying numbers, sitting with a record of 1-1 and a 4.23 ERA.

Galvin struggled more, leaving the game after 5 innings, having given up 8 hits and 4 runs (3 earned), including a solo homerun to Lou Brock.

Hamlin lasted longer, but with similar results: 6.2 innings, 4 runs (3 earned), and a homerun to Brian Downing. Connie Johnson struggled again in relief, and after the top of the 7th, Los Angeles was in front, 5-4.

It was a sloppy game up to that point, with errors by Mike Trout and Bobby Grich for the Angels and two by Albert Pujols for Kansas City.

The score held, and when Joe Nathan retired the first two batters in the bottom of the 9th, all looked good for Los Angeles. But Stan Musial and Pujols singled, and Ducky Medwick scored Musial with a double. Nathan fanned Ted Simmons to end the inning, but we were tied at 5, and headed to extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, Kansas City’s Frank DiPino walked Tim Wallach. Don Buford was inserted as a pinch runner, and, after Jim Stephens bunted him to second, George Wright singled him home as a pinch-hitter. Wright would score on a single by Kal Daniels, giving Los Angeles a 2-run cushion at 7-5.

Despite giving up two walks in the bottom of the 10th, Jonny Venters managed to get Robinson Cano to ground into a game-ending double play to preserve the victory.

Elmer Valo, Trout, and Doug Rader each had 2 hits for Los Angeles. Pujols had 4 hits and 2 RBIs for Kansas City.

Nolan Ryan was the most effective pitcher all day, but his 3 innings of 1-hit relief resulted in a no-decision, with the victory going to Nathan, who improves to 3-1, and Venters picking up his 2nd save of the season. Dipino took the loss for Kansas City.

LAA 7 (Nathan 3-1, 1 BS; Venters 2 Sv) – KCM 5 (DiPino 0-2; Johnson 1 BS)
HRs: LAA – Downing (2); KCM – Brock (3)
Box Score

#Series Notes

A series split, with the two teams alternating victories.

For Kansas City, Gene Freese went 8-15 with 4 RBIs; Ducky Medwick was 5-for-11 with 4 RBIs; and Albert Pujols was 9-for-17 with 8 RBIs. Medwick’s start is demanding more playing time for the recently recalled rookie.

Los Angeles was led by Don Buford, who was 7-for-9 with 2 triples, 4 runs and 4 RBIs and Mike Trout, who had 7 hits in the 4 games. Trout’s emergence is probably the most important event for Los Angeles, as the infinitely talented CF is key to their success.

Previewing Series VIII: Los Angeles Angels @ Kansas City Monarchs

By mknn

On June 23, 2021

In Series Previews

This is the second featured series for Los Angeles, the first team to come through for a second round. The Angels come into the series with a 17-13 record, tied atop the Bill James Division with the Wandering House of David. They have won their last 4 games, a series sweep over the Homestead Grays.

Kansas City has an identical record, 17-13, but trail Chicago by 1 game in the Cum Posey Division. They split their 4 games with Memphis, and are struggling a little, only 4-6 over their last 10 games.

Anticipated pitching matchups are (LA first) Doc Gooden (1-4, 6.06) v. Andy Pettite (2-2, 4.30); Gerrit Cole (4-1, 4.04) v. Frank Castillo (2-2, 2.95); Brett Anderson (2-3, 3.93) v. Rube Marquard (2-2, 5.91); Pud Galvin (1-1, 4.23) v. Luke Hamlin (2-3, 4.28).

The Cole – Castillo is easily the most anticipated, as both have been quite good so far.

The Angels are led by SS George Wright (345/398/607) and the OF pair of Kal Daniels (329/441/579) and Elmer Valo (337/440/469). Daniels and Valo are a little susceptible to left-handed pitchers. Wright has 6 HRs and Doug Rader 5, but the team lacks power overall–partially because Mike Trout has struggled to hit for power, slashing 289/387/404. Rader has been their MVP so far, hitting 333/365/533 with 34 RBIs (which is tied for 2nd in the league).

Both Chuck Finley (1-0, 3H, 2.35 ERA, 1.04 WHIP) and Nolan Ryan (4.80 ERA, 1.00 WHIP) have been fantastic out of the bullpen, and are in line for a spot start at some point. Closer Joe Nathan has been busy, with a record of 2-1 with 3 saves and a hold.

The Monarchs still feel like they are figuring themselves out offensively, but they are a solid ballclub top to bottom, ranked in the top half of the league in almost every category other than HRs (they do lack some in the power department). Stan Musial leads the way at 381/449/585, but Boog Powell, Albert Pujols, and Rogers Hornsby all have an OPS over .800 and the catcher platoon of Ted Simmons (356/408/578) and Salvador Perez (310/322/460) has been very productive. Musial has 5 HRs, with Powell, Pujols, and Perez adding 4 each.

TWIWBL 8.0: Series VII Notes

By mknn

On June 17, 2021

In TWIWBL

April 30th

Perhaps shockingly, given the nature of the featured game of Series VII, the real theme of the 40 games was quality pitching.

Game 3 of the series between the Wandering House of David and the Indianapolis ABCs saw the ABC’s Johnny Cueto improve to 3-2 with 8.2 innings of 6-hit, 1-run ball. Jack Taylor (2-2) took the loss, despite only giving up 2 earned runs himself. The final game saw 2 great performances as well, with the House of David’s Frank Sullivan and the ABC’s David Price each only allowing 1 run in 8 innings (Indianapolis would win the game in 11 innings).
The series between the Houston Colt 45’s and the Miami Cuban Giants saw Houston’s Stephen Strasburg throw 6 strong innings, giving up only 1 run in the opening game. The hottest pitcher in the WBL, the Cuban Giants’ Camilo Pascual dealt 6 innings of 1-run ball in game 3, and then Houston’s Toad Ramsey outdid them all with a complete game, 4-hit shutout in game 4.
The Birmingham Black Barons‘ Dick Rudolph opened their series against the Brooklyn Royal Giants with 8.1 innings giving up only 5 hits and 2 runs.
The Detroit Wolverine‘s Si Johnson improved to 2-2 with 5 shutout innings against the Baltimore Black Sox in their series opener. Baltimore only managed 3 hits in game 2, with Detroit’s Hal Newhouser (moving to 1-0 on his return from the DL), Gene Conley, and Kevin Hart combining on the 3-hit shutout. The Wolverines kept up their dominance in game 3 as Whitey Wilshere moved to 4-1 with 6-plus innings of shutout ball.
The Philadelphia Stars won their series opener against the New York Gothams behind 5.1 innings from Robin Roberts, who gave up only 1 earned run on 5 hits. Roberts improved to 3-1 with the effort. The Stars’ Ray Collins allowed 1 run in 8 innings in the series finale, but was not involved in the decision.
Frank Castillo of the Kansas City Monarchs allowed 5 hits and 1 run against the Memphis Red Sox, improving his record to 2-2. Memphis took game 2, as Kansas City could only manage 2 hits and 1 run against Nixey Callahan, who got his first victory. Jon Lester continued the Red Sox’s success on the mound in game 3, leveling his record at 2-2 with a 7 inning, 1-run, 7-hit effort.
Cy Falkenberg moved to 2-0 on the year, allowing 1 run in just over 5 innings as the San Francisco Sea Lions took the opening game from the Chicago American Giants.
Los Angeles‘ Brett Anderson threw a complete game, 3-hit shutout against the Homestead Grays.

The other big news of the series was the Portland Sea Dogs‘ statement series against the New York Black Yankees. Portland took 3 out of 4 from New York, and now has the 2nd best record in the league.

Also, Baltimore’s Curt Blefary took over the league HR lead from New York’s Babe Ruth with 12.

League Standings | League Statistics

Leading SP: Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-0, 1.00 ERA, 1.11 WHIP; Walter Johnson (POR) 4-0, 2.55 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 2.85 FIP; Ron Guidry (NYY) 4-1, 2.32 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, 51 K.

Leading RP: Johan Santana (POR) 0-1, 12 Sv, 3.72 ERA; Tom Henke (OTT) 0-0, 8 Sv, 0.84 ERA; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-0, 2 Sv, 8 H; 2.40 ERA; Frank DiPino (KCM) 0-1, 1 Sv, 1 H, 0.69 ERA.

Leading Batters: Babe Ruth (NYY) 421/504/807, 1.311 OPS, 11 HR, 32 RBI, 36 R; Kal Daniels (LAA) 329/441/579, 13 2B; Eric Davis (NYY) 288/323/517, 37 RBI; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 273/434/404, 27 BB, 20 SB; Shoeless Joe Jackson (CAG) 389/478/743, 1.221 OPS; Buster Posey (SFS) 416/470/733, 1.202 OPS; Curt Blefary (BAL) 289/408/747, 12 HR, 25 RBI.

Boldface indicates league leading mark.

Streaks

The House of David’s Ernie Banks‘ hitting streak ended at 20 games, leaving Ty Cobb‘s 14 game streak as the longest active. Banks has reached base in 14 straight contests. Cleveland’s Ron Blomberg has scored a run in 8 straight games and has an extra-base hit in 6. Baltimore’s Sean Marshall hasn’t allowed a hit in 6.1 innings.

Series VII Results

Series VII Sweeps

Detroit over Baltimore
Los Angeles over Homestead

Taking 3 of 4 in Series VII

Chicago over San Francisco
Cleveland over Ottawa
Portland over New York Black Yankees

Series VII Splits

Birmingham at Brooklyn
Houston @ Miami
House of David @ Indianapolis
Kansas City @ Memphis
Philadelphia @ New York Gothams

Series VII Featured Game: Homestead Grays @ Los Angeles Angels, Game 3

By mknn

On June 16, 2021

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Buckle up, y’all.

This game saw 35 runs, 42 hits, an injury, a WBL debut, and each team spending at least 2 innings with a 90% likelihood of winning.

We join the game in the bottomof the 2nd, when Homestead’s Francisco Liriano was injured and unable to take the mound after a scoreless first. He was relieved by Cliff Lee, who promptly gave up 3 homeruns, with Bobby Grich and George Wright going deep back-to-back and Jim Stephens adding a 2 run shot. That gave the Angels a 4-0 lead.

Homestead would tie the game in the top of the 4th against Pud Galvin, scoring 4 times with 2 outs, 2 runs coming home on a double by Tom Brown, 2 more on a 2-run HR from Honus Wagner.

Stephens hit his second of the game in the bottom of the frame, a 3-run shot that chased Lee from the mound, to be replaced by Hal Carlson, who loaded the bases before giving up a run-scoring single to Doug Rader, making the score 8-4 in favor of Los Angeles.

Again, though, the Grays would strike back with 2 outs with a double from Davey Johnson scoring Rick Reichardt followed by a 2-run double by Arky Vaughan. That closed Los Angeles’ lead to 8-7.

The Angels extended it to 9-7 on a solo homerun from Don Buford in the bottom of the 6th.

Then things got exciting.

Aaron Heilman had pitched a scoreless 6th, but he would only last 2 batters in the 7th, giving up hits to Mike Epstein and Johnson. Jonny Venters would relieve him, and walk Vaughn to load the bases, and then hit Brown to force in a run. Los Angeles would turn to Jeurys Familia, who gave up a 2-run single to Wagner before registering the first 2 outs of the inning.

But the Grays again struck with 2 outs, with Willie Stargell doubling in Brown and Josh Gibson walking to load the bases. Los Angeles would again turn to its bullpen, bringing in Chuck Finley, who promptly walked Roberto Clemente to force in a run and gave up a 2-run single to Johnson.

By the time the inning ended, the Grays had scored 7 runs, taking the lead 14-9.

RBI doubles from Stephens and Kal Daniels would score 3 runs, so after 7 full innings, the score was 14-12.

Reichardt would add a 2-run HR in the top of the 8th. 16-12.

The Angels would rough up Kent Tekulve in the bottom of the frame, with a Mark Ellis double scoring 1 and a single by Stephens scoring 2 more. That made it a 1-run game, with Homestead ahead, 16-15.

After Stephens hit, Homestead turned to Stan Bahnsen, just called up from AAA. Bahnsen got out of the inning with no further damage.

The top of the 9th would see Homestead score another run with 2 outs, this one coming on a single from Chris Sabo, sending us to the end of the game with the Grays ahead by 2, 17-15.

The Grays closer, Josh Lindblom, took the mound and got 2 outs quickly, sandwiched around a single from Mike Trout. But Grich took Lindblom deep to tie the game, and then 3 consecutive hits ended it: a single by Wright, a double from Ellis, and a game-winning, walk-off RBI by, who else, Stephens.

Lots of records were touched in the game, led by Stephens 2 HRs and 9 RBIs. The Los Angeles catcher went 5-for-6 and scored 4 times. Ellis also went 5-for-6, and Grich had 3 RBIs. Ellis and Wright each scored 4 runs.

For the Grays, Johnson had 4 hits and 3 RBIs, Wagner had 4 RBIs, and Brown 3.

The real story, of course, was the implosion of both pitching staffs. Only Liriano, Bahnsen, and Joe Nathan held the opposing team’s scoreless, and they only combined for 2 innings.

Lee gave up 7 runs in 2 innings, Galvin 7 runs in 5, and Carlson 5 runs in 3.1.

HOM 17 (Lindblom 0-1, 1 BS; Tekulve 1H; Bahnsen 1H) @ LAA 18 (Nathan 2-1; Heilman 1H; Familia 2 Bs)
HRs: HOM – Reichardt (2), Wagner (1); LAA – Grich 2 (3), Stephens 2 (2), Wright (6), Buford (2)
Box Score

Series V Featured Matchup – Wandering House of David @ Los Angeles Angels

By mknn

On May 20, 2021

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Four games pitting the Wandering House of David against the Los Angeles Angels in a series between two of the better teams from the Bill James Division. See here for the series preview.

Game One: Jack W. Taylor v. Pud Galvin

Game one was dominated by Pud Galvin, who pitched 7 innings giving up only 1 run on 6 hits to lead the Angels to a 5-1 victory. Galvin’s opposite number, Jack W. Taylor, gave up 5 runs in 6 innings.

Both bullpens were stellar: Rollie Fingers threw 2 innings of scoreless relief for the House of David and Jeurys Familia, Larry Anderson, and Joe Nathan allowed only one hit behind Galvin.

Mike Trout and Doug Rader combined for 6 hits and all 5 RBIs for Los Angeles, with Trout hitting his second HR of the year. Don Buford added 2 hits and scored twice.

HOD 1 (Taylor 2-1) @ LAA 5 (Galvin 1-1)
HRs: Trout (LAA, 2)
Box Score

Game Two: Frank Sullivan v Harry Howell

The game itself was overshadowed by an injury to Pete Browning, who was put on the DL by the House of David, and is expected to miss between one and two weeks. Dan Ford was recalled from AAA after the game to take Browning’s spot on the roster.

That compounded a bad day, as Los Angeles moved to a 2-0 lead in the series with a walk-off victory. The House of David scored 4 times in the first two innings to take an early lead, led by HRs from Browning and Sammy Sosa, but a 3-run 6th inning keyed by a 2-run 2B from George Wright, tied the game at 5.

The score would stay that way until the bottom of the 9th, when Wright led off with a single against Joakim Soria. Kal Daniels followed with a single, with Wright heading to third, and Elmer Valo scored him with a hard single through the right side, sending the home crowd happy with a 6-5 walk-off win for Los Angeles.

Daniels and Wright had 3 hits each, with Wright scoring 3 times and driving in 2, and Derrek Lee looked to break out of his slump, going 2-for-2. For the House of David, both Ryne Sandberg and Mark Grace went 2 for 4.

Chuck Finley continued his strong start to the year for Los Angeles, with 3 innings of scoreless relief, while Aaron Heilman pitched a scoreless ninth for the victory, his first of the year. For the House of David, Dick Tidrow, who had been fantastic to date, was roughed up for 2 earned runs in 1.2 innings, earning his second blown save of the year.

HOD 5 (Soria 0-1) @ LAA 6 (Heilman 1-0)
HRs: Browning (HOD, 4); Sosa (HOD, 2)
Box Score

Game Three: CC Sabathia v Doc Gooden

The House of David look to get back into the series without their leading hitter, Pete Browning, who was placed on the DL.

Both CC Sabathia and Doc Gooden struggled early, but Sabathia got on track, allowing four hits over 7.1 innings to lead the House of David to a 4-1 victory. Gooden was not nearly as good, walking 5 and allowing 6 hits in 4.1 innings, giving up four runs in the process.

Both bullpens excelled: Nolan Ryan followed Gooden with 3.2 hitless innings while striking out four, while for the House of David, Bruce Sutter got his second hold of the year and Tom Niedenfuer pitched a scoreless 9th for his 4th save.

Richie Hebner drove in 2 runs with a bases loaded single in the top of the 2nd, and Mark McGwire and Mark Grace drove in runs with walks in the top of the 5th.

For Los Angeles, the offense was highly concentrated in two batters: Mike Trout went 3-for-4 and Bobby Grich 2-for-4.

HOD 4 (Sabathia 3-2; Niedenfuer 4 Sv) – LAA 1 (Gooden 1-3)
HRs – None.
Box Score

Game Four: Fergie Jenkins v Gerrit Cole

Sabathia and Gooden were a good matchup, but this one was even better. Fergie Jenkins comes into the game with a 2-1 record and a 4.50 ERA and Cole with an identical record and a 3.90 ERA. Both have shown flashes of brilliance, however, Cole especially, whose year started with 3 consecutive solid starts before being roughed up by Kansas City his last time out. Jenkins was masterful his last time out, allowing only 3 hits and 1 run over 7 innings in a victory over Memphis.

Sometimes, though, a game just comes down to a single swing. With the House of David up 2-0 in the bottom of the 5th, singles by George Wright and Don Buford scored the Angels’ first runs. Mike Trout walked to load the bases, and Doug Rader deposited a Jenkins fastball into the left field seats for a grand slam. That put the Angels up, 6-2.

The House of David closed the gap to 6-5, but the Angels’ Joe Nathan pitched a perfect 9th for his 3rd save, preserving the win for Cole, who struck out 10 in 7 strong innings.

HOD 5 (Jenkins 2-2) – LAA 6 (Cole 3-1; Nathan 3 Sv)
HRs: Rader (LAA, 3)
Box Score

Series Notes

Rader had 6 RBIs in the 4 games, but the hitting star was Trout, who went 8 for 14 in the four games, effectively breaking out of his early season slump. Richie Hebner and George Stone had 5 hits each for the House of David.

The Angels took 3 of the 4 games, but they still trail the House of David by 1 game in the Bill James Division.

The key storylines were Browning’s injury and Trout’s emergence–the former a significant challenge for a suddenly struggling House of David; the latter a ray of hope for the Angels.

Previewing Series V – Wandering House of David @ Los Angeles Angels

By mknn

On May 17, 2021

In Series Previews

For Series V, we’ll take a closer look at the Wandering House of David‘s four game road trip to the left coast to face the Los Angeles Angels in a matchup of the top two teams in the Bill James Division. At 12-6, The House of David, fresh off a four game sweep in Series IV, lead the Angels, who sit at .500 with nine wins and nine losses by three games.

The matchups of the series are (House of David SP first) Jack W. Taylor (2-0, 3.54 ERA) v. Pud Galvin (0-1, 4.34); Frank Sullivan (2-1, 5.31) v. Harry Howell (1-1, 3.18); CC Sabathia (2-2, 4.23) v. Doc Gooden (1-2, 5.92); and Fergie Jenkins (2-1, 4.50) v. Gerrit Cole (2-1, 3.90).

As those numbers suggest, the SP for each of these teams has been solid, but not spectacular. The same cannot be said of the House of David’s bullpen, which leads the WBL with a 1.36 ERA. Bruce Sutter has yet to give up a run, and Rollie Fingers, Joakim Soria, Dick Tidrow, and Tom Niedenfuer have each allowed only a single earned run on the season. Niedenfuer leads the team with three saves, with Sutter adding two.

The Angels’ bullpen has been less spectacular but still quite solid, led by Larry Anderson–yet to give up a run–and Joe Nathan‘s 2 saves. Chuck Finley looks to get a shot at starting soon, giving up only 2 runs in over 9 IP with 15 strikeouts.

Kal Daniels has been the best hitter for the Angels in the early going, slashing a 348/474/652 line. Don Buford (308/410/415) and Doug Rader (289/333/461 with 16 RBIs) have been their other key producers, with both Mike Trout and Derrek Lee mired in significant slumps. Lee, Rusty Staub, and Brian Downing all have OPS below .600, meaning they are likely to see a trip to AAA if they don’t pick up the pace soon.

For the House of David, it’s all been about reigning WBL Player of the Week Pete Browning, who is hitting at a 467/484/717 clip to go with 15 runs scored and 9 SBs. George Stone has been their second best hitter at 373/429/627, but the whole offense has been solid. Five players have three HRs each: Browning, Stone, Ryne Sandberg, Mark McGwire, and Ernie Banks. At the other end, Ron Santo, Sammy Sosa, and Frank Grant have all struggled mightily out of the gate, with BAs hovering around .200 and OPS under .600 each.