The first of three trading periods for the WBL is usually marked by teams trying to find the final piece of a championship puzzle.
About half the league decided to stand pat, preferring to wait until the next trading period at the All Star break to see how the season unfolds.
MAJOR TRADES
#The Black Yankees Go For It
That was certainly the case here, as the Black Yankees pulled off a shock blockbuster, obtaining league ERA champion Andy Pettitte from Birmingham. New York sends slugging (but non-starting) OF Albert Belle and two quality arms in Lefty Gomez and young Frank Viola. To make it all work, the Black Barons are adding CF Mickey Rivers and a 3rd Round Draft Pick and the Blank Yankees U Jess Barbour.
Why Birmingham Made The Deal
At 31, Belle has a few years left and immediately goes from a bench role to being a starter and a likely cleanup. Pettitte was magnificent for Birmingham, but with both Jim Whitney and Warren Spahn looking good, the Black Barons believe they have enough pitching depth to absorb his loss and while Gomez may see WBL time this year, the organization is really excited about the long term potential of Viola.
Why New York Made the Deal
Pettitte immediately joins Jack Scott and Ron Guidry to form a leading top of rotation group, and while losing Gomez may hurt, with Dave Righetti, Whitey Ford, AJ Burnett, and Noah Syndergaard all still in camp, the Black Yankees believed they could cover the back end of their rotation.
Belle was never going to start for New York, and this move clears the way for Lou Gehrig and Don Mattingly to be in the lineup every day.
#The Kid Is On the Move
Ottawa sends prized CF prospect Ken Griffey Jr. and a 4th Round Pick to Portland for 3B Adrián Beltré, a 2nd Round Pick, and a trio of prospects (CF Denard Span, and P’s Atlee Hammaker and Pedro Ramos).
Why Ottawa Made the Deal
Simply, Carlos Beltrán, who has grabbed the starting CF job. Combine that with Griffey’s in ability to hit in multiple opportunities with Ottawa and Rick Monday looking like a capable reserve, and suddenly, for all his clear talent, the Kid became expendable. Beltré instantly steps into the starting role at 3B, and the rest of the talent could be useful at some point. This deal also resolves Álex Rodríguez‘ position for the Mounties, keeping him at SS for the time being.
Why Portland Made the Deal
Buddy Bell has 3B locked down, and the team isn’t convinced that Gary Pettis is really set to be an everyday CF. This allows a pseudo-platoon to emerge in CF, and frees Bobby Murcer to play one of the corner slots. For a team looking to win now, the rest of the deal is pretty insignificant.
#Portland Does It Again
The Sea Dogs had been looking to resolve their C situation for a while, knowing they couldn’t hold on to both Joe Mauer and Iván Rodríguez. Preliminary talks with Miami sort of spiraled out of control and ended up with Portland sending Pudge, 3 prospects (OFs Adolis García and Al Oliver and P Jon Matlack), and 2 picks (a 1st and a 4th) to the Cuban Giants for IF Paul Molitor, overall #2 pick Vladimir Guerrero, C Alan Ashby, and a 2nd Round Pick.
Why Portland Made the Deal
The Sea Dogs pick up immediate offense in Molitor, a solid C option to backup Mauer in Ashby, and a top 5 prospect in Guerrero. What’s not to like?
Why Miami Made the Deal
Rodríguez is a long term solve at a needed position (although it may complicate Smoky Burgess‘ future with the club), Oliver looks set for WBL action, and both Matlack and García are decent enough prospects. Add in an overall increase in draft picks for a team that is still rebuilding, and it makes sense. Molitor’s departure also clears up some roster challenges: Martín Dihigo probably takes over at 2B, and it opens up some room for both Cookie Rojas and Bert Campaneris.
OTHER TRANSACTIONS
#Gehringer Goes Home
After being cut by San Francisco last year, Charlie Gehringer almost dropped out of the game. Instead he signed with the House of David and re-established himself as a top IF prospect; prompting Detroit to make a move for the Michigan native. The Wolverines send Claude Osteen and a 1st Round Pick to the House of David for Gehringer and a 3rd.
#Sosa, Too
Sammy Sosa struggled mightily with the House of David, but blossomed after being traded to Memphis. But with Memphis’ OF incredibly crowded, the House of David decided the speedy young OFer was worth another try, sending C Gabby Hartnett, young RP Rollie Fingers, and a 4th Round Pick to the Red Sox for him. Hartnett should solidify one of the weak spots in Memphis’ lineup, while Sosa steps back into a crowded situation with the House of David, presumably pushing Dan Ford into a 4th OF role.
#Turkey Effects
First round draft pick Turkey Stearnes has locked up the CF job for San Francisco suddenly making the Sea Lions’ OF over-crowded. They addressed this by shipping Pedro Guerrero to Brooklyn for Watty Clark. Clark was one of the best closers in the league last season, but seems destined for the rotation at some point while Guerrero immediately becomes one of the better bats in the Royal Giants’ lineup. Brooklyn threw in reserve OFer Matt Holliday to make the deal work.
#Minor Swaps
Memphis sent veteran OF David Justice, prospect Ozzie Albies, and a 2nd Round Pick to Birmingham for 2 prospects, Bill Buckner and Joe Rudi.
Two players blocked in their organizations got new opportunities, with Indianapolis sending SS Dave Concepción (blocked by Denis Menke and Barry Larkin) to the New York Gothams for SP Sad Sam Jones, who looked unlikely to make the Gothams’ roster, but may vie for a spot in the ABC’s 6 man circus. Indianapolis sent a 3rd Round Pick with the Gothams sending back a 4th to make it all work.
69 - 85, .448 pct.
4th in Cum Posey Division, 22 games behind.
Overall
With low expectations come limited success, or some such.
Ottawa has some interesting pieces, a ton of raw talent, and very little to show for it all. Future success hinges on the development of that talent–Ken Griffey, Jr, Álex Rodríguez, and Randy Johnson, I’m looking at you.
As is often the case with teams that struggle, there were some decent high spots on offense but a bit of a mess on the mound.
What Went Right
Not a lot.
Larry Walker, Tim Raines, and Gary Carter each established themselves as legitimate WBL players, although each of them are just outside the upper tier at their position in the league (Walker only through seemingly being injury prone).
Carlos Beltrán did enough to put himself on the roster next year, and Rusty Staub hit well for Ottawa after being acquired in trade.
Old Hoss Radbourn and, before getting injured, Roy Halladay both look like front of rotation arms for Ottawa. Ryan Dempster stepped into the absence created by Tom Henke‘s injury quite well. Some other starters–Bob Moose, Bob Brown, and Clayton Richard especially–flashed some potential in limited innings, going 14-6 over a combined 30 starts.
The Mounties are an incredibly young organization: in one sense, merely surviving went right if 7 of your starters are 23 or under.
ALL STARS
SS Freddy Parent
What Went Wrong
Roberto Alomar faded and neither Álex Rodríguez nor Ken Griffey, Jr. did anything to live up to their massive potential. Across the board, it seemed like the best players could do was meh offensively.
Most of the pitching was horrible, and when not poor, greatly inconsistent (with Randy Johnson being the best example). Jim Clancy–whose 0.0 WAR was an accurate representation of his quality–was the only pitcher other than Radbourn and Halladay with over 100 IP.
Overall, there was just an absence of quality for the Mounties.
Trade Evaluations
March
None
June
IF Steve Garvey, OF Spud Johnson, 1B Carlos Delgado to Los Angeles for OF Rusty Staub, P Dave Bennett, OF Carlos Beltrán, C Jim Stephens & P Sean O'Sullivan
Seems fine–Delgado’s loss this year hurt, but Staub (a franchise player) and Beltrán offer a lot of future value.
IF Freddy Parent to Chicago for IF Sibby Sisti, OF Bob Watson, and IF Rickie Weeks
Parent was Ottawa’s only all star, so the drop in quality hurt. But it does clear the way for Á-Rod (which may or may not be a good thing if his performance doesn’t pick up), and Watson looks promising.
RP Gary Lavelle & P Jamie Moyer to Black Yankees for IF Dick Bartell, OF Sam Thompson & 4th Round Pick {Mark Eichhorn}
Seems fine, maybe a little light if neither Bartell nor Thompson see WBL time.
July
P Steve Howe, OF George Van Haltren, 5th Round Pick & 6th Round Pick to New York Gothams for P Jeremy Affeldt, P Bob Moose, OF George Burns, IF Art Devlin & 3rd Round Pick
All reasonable, as both Moose and Burns have some promise.
Looking Forward
SP
Radbourn and Halladay should be solid for years to come, and there is great excitement over the potential of Randy Johnson. Beyond that, it’s a lot of question marks.
RP
If Henke can bounce back from injury, he and Dempster should be solid here, and there are some decent arms behind them.
C
Carter should have this locked up for quite a while.
1B
Long term, a mixture of John Olerud and John Mayberry should handle this, but there are no great immediate options, unless Staub and Bob Watson can handle it.
2B
Even with his late season fade, this should be Roberto Alomar‘s position, especially as Raines shifts permanently to the outfield.
3B
An area of need, as neither Anthony Rendon nor Larry Parrish impressed.
SS
It’s assumed that Rodríguez will hold this down.
LF
Raines should play here more and more.
CF
This gets more interesting, as either Betrán or Griffey, Jr. could be here long term, with the other moving to a corner OF position.
RF
Walker as long as he’s healthy, with others, including Staub, filling in.
The Rookie Draft
Rounds 1-4
There are some tempting choices out there, but Max Scherzer being a franchise selection who looks almost ready for the majors makes him the choice. The 2nd round was a much harder selection, but the Mounties eventually settled on Al Orth, partially because he should be able to help out at the major league level somewhat immediately.
1B is a bit unsettled for the franchise, so Elbie Fletcher made sense in the 3rd round. Fletcher is a ways away from helping at the WBL level, but he could be in the mix eventually. In the last part of that round, they took another arm: 22 year old Dan Haren.
In the 4th round, the Mounties took 2B Jimmy Dykes with their final franchise exemption and rubber armed reliever Mark Eichhorn with their other pick that round.
Rounds 5-8
Ottawa needs quality across the board, but being limited to franchise selections may make that challenging. They start in the 7th round with OF Warren Cromartie and follow that in the 8th with SP Dupee Shaw.
Rounds 9-12
IF Joey Cora; OF Leon Roberts; P Billy Koch; and P Chuck Taylor.
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
TC
E
A
Jack Taylor
HOD
205
2.9
32
1
15
Ray Collins
PHI
194
0.7
39
2
21
Old Hoss Radbourn
OTT
198
3.9
27
0
21
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
E
RTO%
PB
cERA
FRM
Louis Santop
CLE
921
3.4
3
32.6
3
4.23
5.4
Johnny Bench
IND
971
3.4
8
34.6
5
4.49
1.8
Thurman Munson
NYY
1071
2.4
5
32.0
5
4.71
1.2
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
TC
E
A
Will Clark
MCG/NYG
1071
3.8
1082
6
78
Dan McGann
BAL
1051
1.6
1160
6
66
Mike Epstein
HOM
1010
1.6
1088
11
77
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
TC
E
DP
Eddie Collins
CAG
1049
6.6
573
10
106
Cookie Rojas
NYG/MCG
928
7.1
477
5
71
Rogers Hornsby
KCM/POR
1156
4.8
624
10
92
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
TC
E
DP
Anthony Rendon
OTT
1151
5.3
366
7
36
Scott Rolen
PHI
1116
8.0
329
10
32
Mike Schmidt
NYY
984
7.7
264
4
19
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
TC
E
DP
George Davis
DET
1199
21.9
677
13
97
George Wright
LAA
1067
14.5
562
2
87
Ozzie Smith
KCM
1159
15.0
586
5
88
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
K
E
DP
Roy White
BRK
1163
7.4
3
0
0
Jimmy Sheckard
NYG
1166
4.1
7
4
4
Rickey Henderson
SFS
946
3.4
9
4
1
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.
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
K
E
DP
Paul Blair
BAL
1044
9.6
15
2
2
Willie Mays
NYG
1259
9.6
17
5
2
Curtis Granderson
BBB
982
7.9
14
3
3
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:
Name
Tm
Inn
ZR
K
E
DP
Johnny Callison
NYG
910
8.7
11
2
4
Roberto Clemente
HOM
1034
8.2
6
6
1
Larry Walker
OTT
641
3.5
11
3
1
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)
Don Bessent has lost his role as closer for the Black Sox, with that honor now being split between Joe Beggs and Buddy Groom.
Paul Blair threw out a runner at home and launched a grandslam for his 10th homerun of the season, leading the Black Sox to a 6-3 win over Cleveland. Larry Gardner had 3 hits and 2 RBIs and Connie Johnson pitched into the 9th for his first win with Baltimore and Groom got the final 2 outs to pick up his 3rd save of the season.
Dennis Martínez had a solid start, earning his 14th victory of the year in a game where Curt Blefary and Brooks Robinson went deep in a 7-2 win over Cleveland.
The Black Sox kept rolling, pounding out 19 hits in a 13-6 victory in the last game of the series with Cleveland. Bobby Wallace and Baby Doll Jacobson had 3 hits each and Dan McGann and Manny Machado each drove in 3 in a game that saw Bill Byrd improve to 13-3 despite giving up 5 runs in under 6 innings.
#Houston Colt 45’s
Holding onto a slim shot at the playoffs, the Colt 45’s made some changes, abandoning some of their flexibility for some more offensive pop. Jim O’Rourke heads to AAA as Pete Hill is activated from a short stint on the DL.
After another blown save by Brad Lidge–his 7th of the year–Houston decided enough is enough, returning Lidge to AAA and recalling Jay Howell.
Harry Stovey had 4 hits and scored 3 times, but it wasn’t enough as the Colt 45’s fell to Memphis in 12 innings.
#Kansas City Monarchs
Lou Brock‘s year keeps getting better: 3 hits lifted his average to .308, and 4 RBIs led the Monarchs to a 10-2 victory over Ottawa. Ted Simmons drove in 3 runs and a solid start from Luke Hamlin improved his record to 8-11. Brock’s OBP edged over .350, and his OPS is nearing .800, proving he is more than just a set of wheels (although his 45 steals ranks 6th in the league).
#Ottawa Mounties
Clayton Richard pitched 6 strong innings, but left injured after 6 innings of 1 run ball. Chris Leroux, Ryan Dempster, and Gary Peters combined for 5 innings of scoreless relief, and the Mounties eked out 1 2-1 win in 11 innings over Kansas City, with Ken Griffey, Jr. driving in the winning run. Richard hit the DL after the game, with Clark Griffith being recalled.
Sam Thompson will miss the next month–meaning perhaps the rest of the season. Young Julio Gotay was recalled to help out defensively.
In need of a starter, the Monarchs sent Joe Blong to the minors, recalling 20 year old Bill Singer for his WBL debut.
#Ottawa Mounties
Ottawa keeps flirting with being a good team. Old Hoss Radbourn had a no-hitter into the 7th inning, but he and Johnny Podgajny got touched for 5 runs in the 7th and 8th in a 5-3 loss to Brooklyn. The CF rotation continues to show signs of life, as Ken Griffey, Jr. hit his 3rd homerun of the season to account for all 3 of the Mounties’ runs.
With Álex Rodríguez out for a couple weeks with an eye injury, Ottawa recalled Bernie Allen from AAA. Roberto Alomar will get most of the starts at SS for the Mounties.
Newcomer Connie Johnson steps into the rotation, with Johnny Sain moving to the bullpen and Jim Palmer taking the final spot in the rotation. Lindy McDaniel was returned to AAA.
#Chicago American Giants
While Sonny Dixon‘s injury is still being diagnosed, David Price‘s arrival pushed Chicago to place Dixon on the DL. Clay Condrey‘s 9.00 plus ERA earned a trip to AAA as Hoyt Wilhelm returned from his injury. Price replaced Don Newcombe in the rotation, but the bullpen remains in a bit of disarray as the American Giants await AJ Minter‘s return from shoulder soreness.
While neither have impressed, José Abreu‘s continued struggles at the plate have opened the door for Magglio Ordóñez to receive more playing time down the stretch.
Dixon will miss about 8 months, so the early trip to the DL worked out, from that perspective …
Turns out it’s really hard to overcome 4 errors. Price’s first start was brilliant: 4 hits in just under 6 innings, no earned runs … but 5 runs allowed on miscues by Eddie Collins, Jack Doyle (2), and Jackie Hayes. Ed Walsh and Scott Radinsky were solid in relief, but Wilhelm gave up some key hits and took the loss. Doyle had 4 hits in the game.
Cristóbal Torriente will miss about 2 weeks, prompting Chicago to recall Kevin Mitchell from AAA.
#Houston Colt 45’s
Chad Qualls was recalled from AAA. Other than that, there’s not much change in Houston, other than the continued attempt to spread out plate appearances. This time, Pete Hill seeing more game time means George Brett seeing less.
#Kansas City Monarchs
Adam Russell and Rube Marquard were recalled from AAA, but the Monarchs did little else to reflect their build for the future outlook.
#Ottawa Mounties
Bob Moose and Kirk Reuter moved into the rotation with Clark Griffith heading back to AAA and Greg Holland joining the big league club as the merry-go-round of the Mounties’ staff continues.
Nineteen year old Ken Griffey, Jr. has done everything Ottawa has asked since his demotion, performing well at both AAA and AA. He’s been brought back up to the WBL club as Ottawa retools to see how its youth will progress. Griffey, Jr. will split time with Carlos Beltrán in CF. Trade acquisition George Burns also lands in Ottawa with both Terry Puhl and Phil Bradley heading to AAA in a major reset of the big league OF.
Things looked bleak for Ottawa as Birmingham had the lead 3-0 in the bottom of the 8th when Larry Parrish stepped up and launched his 3rd homerun of the year to tie the game. Randy Johnson and Greg Holland both pitched well in relief, and Beltrán won the game in the 12th with a walkoff grandslam. Tim Raines (who was caught stealing twice) and Anthony Rendon had 3 hits each in the 8-4 victory.
Jeremy Affeldt, a bit of a throw-in at the trade deadline, has been horrible for Ottawa: an ERA over 20 level horrible. So when he refused a demotion to AAA, the Mounties made the sensible move: they released him. Gary Peters was recalled from his injury rehab to take Affeldt’s place.
While the rest of the league is buzzing with trade talk, let’s take a look at what the game tells us about flashing the leather. We’ll go by position, trying to get a sense of the best fielders in the league so far.
C (500 IP min)
Thurman Munson of the New York Black Yankees has over 150 more total chances than Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, having started 86 games behind the plate. That has to count for something. Of starting catchers, Baltimore‘s Curt Blefary leads in cERA with 4.08, and Cleveland‘s Louis Santop–yet to turn 20–leads the league in framing runs–1.2 ahead of Gibson. In terms of gunning down base runners, everyone is clustered around 33% or so–Emil Gross (Ottawa) was way up at 46%, but couldn’t hit enough to stay in the league and Alan Ashby (Miami) has been excellent at 36% since taking over for Miami. Looking at all of that, it’s got to be Munson, Gibson, Blefary, or Santop, with apologies to Indianapolis‘ Johnny Bench and the House of David‘s Elrod Hendricks.
IP
TC
E
RTO%
cERA
FRM
C. Blefary (BAL)
599
401
11
29.4
4.08
-1.2
J. Gibson (HOM)
718
559
14
27.2
5.77
1.5
T. Munson (NYY)
765
719
5
33.0
4.72
-1.3
L. Santop (CLE)
624
542
2
32.6
4.20
2.7
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; RTO% = Runners Thrown Out %; cERA = Catching ERA; FRM = Framing Runs Saved
I think Santop takes it, but I would be OK if Munson’s higher usage swung it to him.
1B (600 IP min)
Philadelphia‘s Ted Kluszewski has the best fielding percentage (.996), having committed only 3 errors, but trails well behind Dan McGann (BAL)’s league leading 10.20 Range Factor. Will Clark of the Miami Cuban Giants leads in Zone Rating at 3.3. So McGann makes the most plays overall, but Clark makes the most plays that other 1B miss.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Will Clark (MCG)
791
818
5
.994
9.25
3.3
Ted Kluszewski (PHI)
676
711
3
.996
9.43
1.0
Dan McGann (BAL)
749
854
5
.994
10.20
2.5
Bill White (MEM)
788
814
4
.995
9.25
1.8
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
It comes down to whether you think McGann’s RNG is more a product of his glovework or the superior Black Sox pitching staff. For me, Clark making plays nobody else in the league makes takes it.
2B (600 IP min)
Cleveland‘s Chuck Knoblauch and San Francisco‘s Jimmy Bloodworth each sport a .993 Fielding Percentage with only 3 errors each. The House of David’s Ryne Sandberg has, by a fair bit, played the most at 2B, making his leading the league in Range Factor more impressive. The New York Gotham‘s Cookie Rojas leads in ZR, trailed by Chicago‘s Eddie Collins. Those are the contenders.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Jimmy Bloodworth (SFS)
753
423
3
.993
5.02
3.7
Eddie Collins (CAG)
715
390
5
.987
4.85
5.5
Chuck Knoblauch (CLE)
801
426
3
.993
4.75
-1.8
Cookie Rojas (NYG)
703
369
3
.992
4.68
6.5
Ryne Sandberg (HOD)
850
524
7
.987
5.48
0.8
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
I can’t get away from Rojas. Behind him it’s rough: Collins makes some great plays, but Sandberg’s greater usage may give him the edge.
3B (600 IP min)
Mike Schmidt of the Black Yankees has the highest fielding percentage, Ottawa’s Anthony Rendon leads in Range Factor, and Philadelphia’s Scott Rolen has a massive edge in Zone Rating. It’s hard to put together.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Ron Cey (BRK)
808
221
6
.973
2.39
5.4
Anthony Rendon (OTT)
853
266
7
.974
2.73
1.8
Scott Rolen (PHI)
813
240
5
.979
2.60
8.5
Mike Schmidt (NYY)
677
193
3
.984
2.53
6.3
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
Rendon’s ZR confirms that his other stats are really a product of being on the field a lot. I think that leaves Rolen and Schmidt pretty much neck and neck.
SS (550 IP min)
The lower requirement is basically to allow Philadelphia’s Mickey Doolin to be listed. Homstead’s Arky Vaughan has played the most at SS, giving him roughly 20% more chances than the next few shortstops. Couple that with only 5 errors for a .990 PCT and Vaughan has to be in the argument. George Wright (Los Angeles) has a .995 PCT with only 2 errors, which is remarkable. Vaughan also leads in RNG, and is one of 3 SS with a ZR over 10, along with Detroit‘s George Davis and Kansas City‘s Ozzie Smith.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
George Davis (DET)
855
479
12
.975
4.91
13.0
Mickey Doolin (PHI)
597
343
5
.985
5.10
8.0
Ozzie Smith (KCM)
868
467
5
.989
4.79
12.5
Arky Vaughan (HOM)
884
520
5
.990
5.24
10.1
George Wright (LAA)
754
411
2
.995
4.88
9.8
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
You gotta’ give it to Wright, right? But after that, how do you figure out the difference between Smith and Vaughan? Smith is more spectacular, Vaughan more steady … I’ve always been a sucker for the spectacular.
LF (500 IP min)
Homestead’s Rick Reichardt has spent the most time out there, has the best RNG among qualifiers, and leads LFers with 10 OF Kills. Los Angeles’ Don Buford and Ottawa’s Phil Bradley are second with 6, so that’s quite a gap. There are six–SIX–LFers who qualify who are yet to make an error. Of those, only Brooklyn‘s Roy White and Detroit’s Oscar Gamble have positive supporting metrics as well. White has routinely pulled of the spectacular, making roughly 4 additional plays in LF than the Gotham’s Jimmy Sheckard and San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson.
IP
TC
A
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Phil Bradley (OTT)
552
121
6
0
1.000
1.97
-1.9
Don Buford (LAA)
629
144
6
3
.979
2.02
1.0
Oscar Gamble (DET)
535
118
2
0
1.000
1.99
1.5
Rickey Henderson (SFS)
689
173
5
3
.983
2.22
2.7
Rick Reichardt (HOM)
799
211
10
2
.991
2.35
-1.2
Jimmy Sheckard (NYG)
865
207
5
4
.981
2.11
2.6
Roy White (BRK)
865
204
2
0
1.000
2.12
6.7
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
I think White has to get the nod here, and behind him it’s a bit f a jumble. Reichardt is far from spectacular, but he’s added twice as many cold, hard outs than the next contenders without many miscues, so he gets a nod despite the negative ZR.
CF (600 IP min)
The Gothams’ Willie Mays has 15 OF kills to lead the way, but of note is Ottawa’s Ken Griffey, Jr., who has 13 in half the games. Griffey, currently at AAA, doesn’t qualify here, but what an arm! Baltimore’s Paul Blair has yet to make an error. Mays and Philadelphia’s Willie Davis make the most plays, with Blair, Mays, and Birmingham‘s Curtis Granderson leading in ZR.
There are others having strong years–Kansas City’s Willie McGee, Memphis’ Reggie Smith, and Detroit’s Chili Davis spring to mind–but it’s really between those initial four names.
IP
TC
A
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Paul Blair (BAL)
801
303
8
0
1.000
3.40
9.0
Willie Davis (PHI)
781
323
7
2
.994
3.70
5.2
Curtis Granderson (BBB)
631
247
10
3
.988
3.48
6.4
Willie Mays (NYG)
899
381
15
2
.995
3.79
7.7
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
Mays and Blair seem the easy choices here.
RF (500 IP min)
RF is probably the most difficult of the OF spots to evaluate. The Gothams’ Johnny Callison leads in OF Kills, but with only 8. Callison is tied with Homestead’s Roberto Clemente in ZR, far, far ahead of the next cluster. Jeff Burroughs (POR) has yet to make an error, but the rest of his numbers aren’t terribly impressive. The House of David’s Dan Ford leads in RNG and is solid enough elsewhere.
The challenge is that several of the best in RF–Miami’s Alejandro Oms, Indianapolis’ Oscar Charleston, and Ottawa’s Larry Walker–don’t qualify here. Walker especially draws the eye, with 7 Kills and great peripheral numbers. But all of them are under 400 innings.
IP
TC
A
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Johnny Callison (NYG)
671
181
8
1
.994
2.41
6.2
Roberto Clemente (HOM)
747
194
4
2
.990
2.31
6.2
Dan Ford (HOD)
542
160
5
4
.975
2.59
1.2
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
I think it’s pretty clear that Ford is in third place here and I think it’s hard to push Clemente above Callison.
SP (100 IP min)
Sample size is clearly an issue here, but the Gothams’ Gaylord Perry had handled the most chances and leads in RNG. Jack Taylor (HOD) and Dutch Leonard (BRK) lead in ZR. Unwinding a pitcher’s responsibility for controlling stolen bases is hard, but since we know that, on the whole, the league runs about 33% in terms of cutting them down, we can look for who is far above that: Leonard shows up, but if we look at those with at least 10 attempts against them, we are looking at San Francisco’s Eddie Plank, Taylor, and Portland‘s Jerry Koosman.
IP
TC
RNG
ZR
RTO%
Jerry Koosman (POR)
119
12
0.83
2.2
46
Dutch Leonard (BRK)
139
18
1.17
2.4
67
Gaylord Perry (NYG)
117
27
1.92
-0.5
21
Eddie Plank (SFS)
116
13
0.93
1.8
64
Jack Taylor (HOD)
142
21
1.26
2.5
56
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; RTO% = Runners Thrown Out %
I think this ends up going to Taylor and Leonard, but there will probably be more churn here than in other fielding evaluations between now and the end of the season.
Final Analysis
Gold Glove
Silver Glove
C
Louis Santop (CLE)
Thurman Munson (NYY)
1B
Will Clark (MCG)
Dan McGann (BAL)
2B
Cookie Rojas (NYG)
Ryne Sandberg (HOD)
3B
Scott Rolen (PHI)
Mike Schmidt (NYY)
SS
George Wright (LAA)
Ozzie Smith (KCM)
LF
Roy White (BRK)
Rick Reichardt (HOM)
CF
Willie Mays (NYG)
Paul Blair (BAL)
RF
Johnny Callison (NYG)
Roberto Clemente (HOM)
SP
Jack Taylor (HOD)
Dutch Leonard (BRK)
Defense is so hard to evaluate, right? Despite being the only team with 3 players listed here, the Gothams aren’t at the top of any of the team fielding ratings.
Looking at overall mentions may be more interesting–here is the list of players considered above, by team.
5 – New York Gothams 4 – Homestead; Philadelphia 3 – Baltimore; Brooklyn; House of David; San Francisco 2 – Cleveland; Detroit; Los Angeles; New York Black Yankees; Ottawa 1 – Birmingham; Chicago; Kansas City; Memphis; Miami; Portland 0 – Houston
Yeah, not any better actually. The Gothams are among the best teams in the league, but both Homestead and Philadelphia are most decidedly not.
Defense. Shrug.
Performance
Batters
Top 2 in each stat, leader in bold.
Dick Allen (CAG). 310/380/544. 10 3B. Johnny Bench (IND). 314/421/608. 5.2 WAR. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 338/407/649. 31 HR. Rico Carty (PHI). 285/356/460. 35 2B. Ty Cobb (DET). 350/390/572. 134 H. Eric Davis (NYY). 278/353/539. 81 R. Bobby Grich (LAA). 284/370/474. 35 2B. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 252/383/335. 76 BB, 72 SB. Kent Hrbek (POR). 303/376/591. 31 HR. Joe Jackson (CAG). 334/419/592. 81 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 331/445/610. Stan Musial (KCM). 332/391/594. 37 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 335/391/546. 135 H, 100 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 299/371/449. 72 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 312/429/643. 32 HR, 96 RBI, 85 R, 79 BB, 5.6 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 304/336/468. 10 3B.
Pitchers
Starters
Top 2 in each stat (top 4 in ERA and WHIP), leader in bold.
17 pitchers have at least 10 wins, accounting for why we went deeper in ERA and WHIP this time. Have also included FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) for the first time, helping to unravel some of the mystery of Alejandro Peña.
Bill Byrd (BAL). 11-2, 3.09. 1.17 WHIP. Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-5, 4.07. Don Drysedale (BRK). 7-4, 3.37. 1.15 WHIP. Ned Garvin (BAL). 9-4, 2.80. 1.18 WHIP. Lefty Grove (SFS). 11-7, 3.75. 160 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 6-9, 4.41. 155 K, 3.5 WAR. Frank Knauss (BRK). 10-4, 3.07. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 9-7, 3.54. 3.24 FIP, 4.2 WAR. Gaylord Perry (NYG). 8-7, 3.92. 3.54 FIP. Stephen Strasburg (HOU). 6-6, 3.27. Jack Taylor (HOD). 10-8, 3.35. 1.18 WHIP.
Relievers
Top 2 in each stat (top 4 in ERA and WHIP), leader in bold. 25 IP for rate stats.
Terry Adams (CLE). 2-5, 3.09. 24 Sv. Elmer Brown (POR). 3-4, 1.65. 7 Sv, 9 H. Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.94. 28 Sv. Trevor Hildenberger (BRK). 3-0, 2.45. 1 Sv, 3 H, 0.94 WHIP. Ken Howell (SFS). 3-4, 2.17. 4 Sv, 7 H, 1.01 WHIP. AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.81. 19 Sv, 0.97 WHIP. Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.62. 3 Sv, 10 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-5, 3.73. 16 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-3, 3.80. 14 H. Carson Smith (NYG). 2-0, 1.80. 1 Sv, 8 H. Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.11. 21 Sv, 1.02 WHIP.
Series Results
Series XXVII Sweeps
Baltimore over Philadelphia
Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXVII
Detroit over Miami Kansas City over Los Angeles Portland over Memphis New York Gothams over San Francisco
Series XXVII Splits
House of David @ Birmingham Houston @ Brooklyn New York Black Yankees @ Chicago Homestead @ Cleveland Ottawa @ Indianapolis
Things are tightening up around the league, with the most shocking news being that the New York Black Yankees are now in 2nd place in the Effa Manley Division, 1.5 games behind the Cleveland Spiders.
Thought it might be interesting to take a look at some of the less important stats going on the WBL.
Sacrifice Hits are a big deal for some WBL teams, and 5 players are tied for the league lead with 12 each. They tend to make sense–players like Detroit’s George Davis or Baltimore’s Dan McGann. But then two names jump out: Chicago’s Duffy Lewis and the New York Black Yankees’ Lou Gehrig (Lewis has 12, Gehrig 10). What are those teams thinking? These are elite sluggers who are being told to “just move the runner over” far too often.
Wade Boggs of the Memphis Red Sox leads the WBL in GiDP, with 17, followed by Gil Hodges (Portland) and Ken Singleton (Baltimore) with 14. That all feels appropriate, although Willie Mays (New York Gothams) being next with 13 seems a little off.
Speaking of Mays, he leads all OFers with 14–FOURTEEN–OF assists. Ken Griffey, Jr–despite spending significant time in the minors for the Ottawa Mounties–is second with 12.
On the mound, let’s take a look at Meltdowns and Shutdowns, and specifically the mystery of the Kansas City Monarch‘s Trevor Rosenthal, who has 9 of the former and 10 of the latter. Roger Clemens, now of the Houston Colt 45’s, has allowed the most stolen bases in the league, as 30 players have successfully swiped bases against the Rocket.
Performance
Batters
Usual stuff: top 2 in various stats (plus all 1.000+ OPS), league leader in bold.
It’s still a widely diverse list, and it’s still dominated by Babe Ruth. The San Francisco Sea Lions‘ Reggie Jackson has fallen from leading the league in all 3 categories to “only” leading in OBP.
Dick Allen (CAG). 296/365/550. 9 3B. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 328/403/621. Rico Carty (PHI). 295/364/481. 31 2B. Eddie Collins (CAG). 307/408/530. 4.0 WAR. Ty Cobb (DET). 341/385/532. Mike Epstein (HOM). 337/443/523. Mike Fiore (CAG). 245/400/391. 65 BB. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 258/388/348. 63 BB, 61 SB. Kent Hrbek (POR). 309/376/599. 26 HR. Joe Jackson (CAG). 331/412/583. 68 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 338/448/618. Stan Musial (KAN). 333/392/595. 111 H, 30 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 318/371/535. 85 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 300/378/457. 65 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 311/418/664. 29 HR, 87 RBI, 69 R, 4.9 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 316/351/470. 8 3B. Frank Thomas (CAG). 328/433/575. Mike Trout (LAA). 322/396/466. 108 H.
Starting Pitchers
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-3, 3.66. 128 IP. Ray Collins (PHI). 7-6, 3.96. 127.1 IP. Ned Garvin (BAL). 7-3, 2.82. 1.13 WHIP. Lefty Grove (SFS). 8-6, 3.96. 128 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-8, 4.32. 127 K. Dennis Martínez (BAL). 8-5, 3.23. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 8-6, 3.81. 3.4 WAR. Red Ruffing (NYY). 10-3. 3.63. Cy Young (CLE). 8-4, 3.48. 1.14 WHIP, 3.4 WAR.
Relievers
25 IP for rate stats.
Tommy Hanson (BRK). 0-0, 3.16. 0.86 WHIP. Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.96. 22 Sv. Ken Howell (SFS). 3-3, 1.23. Chuck Porter (CLE). 4-3, 2.16. 0.84 WHIP. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-2, 2.42. 15 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-1, 3.44. 11 H. Johan Santana (POR). 1-1, 2.78. 23 Sv. Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.37.
Streaks
Hank Aaron has an 18 game hitting streak, the only active streak that makes the league leaders. Aaron has hit homeruns in his last 3 games, as has Babe Ruth, but the leader in that category, surprisingly, is the Brooklyn Royal Giant‘s Beals Becker, who has gone deep in 5 consecutive games.
That gives Becker a stunning 1.300 SLG over those 5 games. Carlos Delgado, on fire since his trade to LA, is hitting .542 over his last 6 games.
Ottawa is a team in constant struggle without enough talent to maintain much optimism for the second half.
What’s Gone Right
When It Raines. Tim Raines was probably the most egregious omission from the all-star game, hitting over .300 and leading the league in steals.
The Corners. Carlos Delgado and Anthony Rendon have been quite solid at the corners, even with a slump from Rendon towards the end of the first half.
Top Two, Eventually. Roy Halladay has been consistent from the get-go, but it took a while for the Mounties to realize what they had in veteran Jamie Moyer. Now, the two of them form a solid top of the rotation for a pitching staff that has struggled otherwise.
What’s Gone Wrong
Larry Walker. The fantastically talented outfielder has been a one man wrecking crew, with an OPS around 150 points above the next best on the team (see below). So why is Larry Walker listed here? He’s hit the DL twice, only appearing in 16 games for the Mounties so far.
Backstops. Gary Carter has improved lately, but still the backstop duo of him and Emil Gross has struggled all season.
Cutting Losses. The raw talent of Álex Rodríguez and Ken Griffey, Jr. is obvious to anyone that watches them. But they just aren’t ready for the WBL yet and it took Ottawa a long time to decide to send them to AAA. CF remains an issue for the team, although Freddy Parent has done well at SS.
Key Storylines
Tom Henke‘s injury has opened up the door for Gary Lavelle to serve as a closer for Ottawa–or for someone else.
Two players–Raines and Halladay–are on the verge of establishing themselves as true stars in the league, and with little on the line for the team, individual stories will dominate the second half for Ottawa.
Trading Outlook
SELLING. Selling, selling, selling.
The fire sale is on as the Mounties look to the future. Moyer, Lavelle, and Delgado are the biggest chips they have to cash in, but there are some others, including perhaps all-star shortstop Parent.
AAA Shuttle
Not great. Jackie Jensen did well, but this is a team with revolving doors at a lot of positions.
Midseason Changes
Gary Peters goes back to AAA as Monk Dubiel returns from the injured list.
Roy Sievers, George Cutshaw, and Rick Monday all head to AAA with John Olerud, George Van Haltren, and Roberto Alomar coming up to the big leagues.
Awards
All Stars: Freddy Parent (SS).
Offensive MVP: Tim Raines (2B) Pitching MVP: Roy Halladay (SP)
Down on the Farm
AAA: Montréal Expos
Next to the Show: OFs Jackie Jensen, George Van Haltren, and Jesse Burkett.
Prospects: 3B Steve Garvey (20), OF Rick Monday (23).
Projects: OF George Van Haltren (26), SS Álex Rodríguez (20), OF Ken Griffey, Jr. (19), OF Jackie Jensen (31), P Randy Johnson (25).
Suspects: C Brad Ausmus (35), OF Spud Johnson (33), C Jeff Reed (21), P Kirk McCaskill (31), RP Juan Cruz (33).
AA: Edmonton Trappers
Prospects: OF Lloyd Moseby (20), 1B John Mayberry (19)
Projects: OF Otto Briggs (26), 1B Tino Martinez (24), RP Joel Hanrahan (30).
Suspects: P Chuck Crim (29), 3B Glenn Williams (27), P Andy Lapihuska (19), RP Doug Henry (28).
Bill Byrd allowed 3 hits (2 by Tom Herr, who continues to impress) in a complete-game shutout of Birmingham. The 7-0 win moved Byrd to 5-2 and lowered his ERA to a sparkling 3.16. Curt Blefary, Larry Gardner, and Dan McGann had 2 hits each in support of Byrd, with McGann and Bryce Harper driving in 2 each.
The Black Sox finally ran out of patience with Miller Huggins, sending the struggling 2B to AAA in favor of OF Baby Doll Jacobson, who had been absolutely demolishing minor league pitching.
#Chicago American Giants
Shoeless Joe Jackson took Jimmy Key‘s first ever pitch in the WBL out of the ballpark for the first of his 2 homeruns on the day, setting the tone for a blowout victory for the American Giants over Ottawa. Damian Jackson–who started the day hitting .165–went 4-for-5 and six–yes, six–Chicago batters had 3 hits (Shoeless Joe, Frank Thomas, Eddie Collins, Duffy Lewis, Dick Allen, and Carlton Fisk). Thomas drove in 4, and Tricky Nichols improved to 6-2 with 7 solid innings on the mound.
Not all news was good for Chicago, as Cristobal Torriente had to leave the game with a leg injury that landed him on the DL. Rocky Colavito was recalled from AAA in his place.
As the American Giants try to solve their bullpen, Frank Smith was returned to AAA, with Joe Lake coming up to Chicago to compete with Joe Horlen for the final rotation spot. Despite his good day detailed above, The Damian Jackson experiment is clearly on its way out. While Jackson stays with the big league club–someone has to play 2B when Collins is out–Jack Doyle, way down in AA, provides the same defensive flexibility, and cannot hit any worse. Avisail Garcia was also sent down, with Magglio Ordonez coming up to the big leagues. Jim Davenport and Nellie Fox were both released to make room on the 40-man roster.
#Houston Colt 45’s
Mark Melancon picked up his 5th victory from the bullpen when Lance Berkman won the ballgame with a walk-off homerun against Cleveland. Jorge Posada also went deep and Jeff Bagwell and HR Johnson added 2 hits in the 4-3 victory.
Melancon did it again, moving to 6-1 when Jim O’Rourke provided a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th. Felipe Alou–perhaps playing to remain in the league–had 3 hits and 2 RBIs and Melancon, Dock Ellis, and Trevor Hoffman combined for 3.2 innings of 2-hit, shutout relief of an effective Stephen Strasbourg.
#Ottawa Mounties
Just another day for Tim Raines: 2 hits, 3 runs scored, 3 stolen bases to lead Ottawa to a 7-2 win over Chicago. Freddy Parent added his 9th homerun of the year and Jim Clancy pitched well, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs in just over 5 innings, moving to 3-2 on the season.
Jimmy Key was waived and Clark Griffiths returned to AAA to make room for Ted Bowsfield and Steve Howe‘s return from injury. More dramatically, the Mounties sent down Steve Garvey, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Alex Rodriguez to AAA in an effort to jump start their offense. Rick Monday, Larry Parrish, and–surprisingly, all the way from AA–Harry Easterday were recalled, with Felix Hernandez being waived. The end result of all this is that Jackie Jensen and Roy Sievers will get a lot of at-bats for a while.
