Tag: Mark Ellis

TWIWBL 27.1: Series XXI Notes – Bill James Division

On July 6, 2022

{ There is no TWIWBL 27.0–the series overview post–so we’ll just dive into the Division by Division notes. }

#Detroit Wolverines

Jimmy Collins‘ two month slump has landed him in AAA, with Bill Carrigan‘s return from the DL. This means the Wolverines are carrying 3 catchers (Carrigan, Ed Bailey, and Ernie Lombardi), which is always a bit of a challenge.

#Los Angeles Angels

Mike Trout picked up his 100th hit of the season in a 12-2 mauling of Cleveland. Kal Daniels went 4-for-5 with 5 RBI’s and Trout scored 4 times in support of Chuck Finley, who evened his record at 4-4 with the victory.

Brett Anderson will be out for over a month, causing some shuffling in the Angels’ staff and a bunch of churn elsewhere. Harry Howell, OF Kole Calhoun, and 2B Mark Ellis head to AAA, Larry Anderson is recalled from his rehab assignment and both Pud Galvin and Tom Seaver join the staff, with the 22 year old Seaver moving into the rotation. IF Steve Garvey, who has torn up AAA since being acquired from Ottawa, is recalled to Los Angeles as well.

#Memphis Red Sox

Eddie Cicotte was sent to AAA with the Red Sox in need of a starter. IF Glenn Williams was released to make room for Norwood Gibson on the 40-man roster. Gibson was excellent, allowing only 2 runs on 4 hits in over 5 innings of work, and earning himself a bit of a stay at the big leagues, especially with Turk Farrell heading to the DL, with Cicotte making a quick return.

Len Barker replaces Nixey Callahan in the rotation.

#New York Gothams

The Gothams have finally pulled the plug on Willie McCovey, waiving the 32 year-old 1B and promoting 38 year-old Joe Adcock back to the WBL.

#Wandering House of David

Ernie Banks and Pete Browning had 3 hits each, with Banks driving in 5 runs with 2 homeruns, including a grand slam, giving him 14 on the season. Wade Miley pitched well to go to 5-2, and the bullpen did enough to hold off the Sea Lions for an 8-5 victory.

CC Sabathia took a 2-hitter into the 9th inning in the series finale, but Reggie Jackson led off the frame with a homerun to make the score 4-1 in favor of the House of David. Bruce Sutter relieved Sabathia and retired the side in order for his 11th save, while Sabathia improved to 8-7 on the season.

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

Getting to 30: Bill James Division

By mknn

On August 6, 2020

In 2000 Spring Training, Team News

#Detroit Wolverines

The starting rotation looks set, with Justin Verlander and Jason Schmidt both being relegated to the bullpen for the time being. John Hiller was brought into camp to add a left hander to the bullpen, as Hal Newhouser, Whitey Wilshere, and Hank Aguirre all made the rotation. If Hiller sticks around, it will be most likely at the expense of Kevin Hart.

Promising youngsters Al Kaline and Charlie Gehringer failed to hold on to a spot in camp. Jorge Orta raised some eyebrows with his performance, but not enough to force his way into a crowded infield. The final cut at this point was Wes Covington, who was displaced from the roster by a fantastic showing from Tony Phillips.

20 year old Ty Cobb will need to impress to make the final 25, and the Wolverines would like to sort out the competition between Ray Chapman and George Davis at SS.

#Los Angeles Angels

Only two of Mike Smith, Chuck Finley, and Nolan Ryan should make the opening day roster. Similarly, the Angels will most likely break camp with only two arms in middle relief, meaning Darren Holmes and Jeurys Familia are battling for the final bullpen slot.

Andrelton Simmons beat out Kevin Elster as the reserve SS.

The other choices to get down to 30 are far more difficult. It was assumed Tim Wallach‘s power and High Pockets Kelly‘s versatility would earn them a roster spot, instead they are off to AAA, with both Mark Ellis and Doug Rader perhaps surprising many to still be in big league camp.

It has left them with fairly weak defense at 3B.

The organization is pretty thin at C, and is scouring for some depth.

#Memphis Red Sox

Luiz Gohara‘s implosion continued, and landed him in AAA. There are still a few spots up for grabs on the pitching staff, with Dean Chance and Eddie Cicotte fighting for the final long relief slot. Roger Clemens slipped into the #5 starting spot, settling the rotation, at least for now.

Closer Eddie Watt‘s injury is yet to be diagnosed, and could throw the bullpen into disarray, although both Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Beggs look capable of stepping into the role.

Truly poor performances from Claude Ritchey, Francisco Lindor, David Justice, and Dwight Evans made some decisions easy; a glut of players at 3B sent Bill Melton packing. But the final decisions were more difficult, with the failure of either Reggie Smith or Joe Kelley showing enough to claim the CF spot leading to an essential coin-flip that saw Smith stick with the big league team.

Bill White and George Scott will platoon at 1B. There is a battle in the OF between Mookie Betts and Tony Conigliaro for a final roster spot, with Betts holding the edge at this point.

#New York Gothams

Carl Hubbell‘s return from injury should setup a competition with Al Spalding for the final place in the starting rotation. Both should make the roster in what looks like a very deep pitching staff.

There are probably only 2 roster slots available for Buck O’Brien, Gaylord Perry, and Marcel Lachemann. The challenge is that all of them are pitching quite well. Matt Thornton and Aaron Loup pitched decently, but are headed to AAA. This leaves New York without a lefthanded arm on the staff aside from Hubbell, which may be an argument for him to land in the bullpen.

Bill Terry lost the battle at 1B and was sent to AAA.

The Gothams struggle from a real lack of defensive versatility, which constrains many of their roster decisions. If Benny Kauff, Art Devlin, or Brandon Crawford could play a 2nd position, they would probably still be on the roster.

#Wandering House of David

The initial cuts from the pitching staff were obvious, as 15 year old Joe Nuxhall‘s first exposure to big league camp was a disaster, and neither Kerry Wood nor Jeff Heathcock showed enough to stick around.

Tom Niedenfuer is the closer, but both Joakim Soria and especially Bruce Sutter have shown enough to handle that role as well. Veteran Dick Tidrow is getting a longer look than expected for the bullpen, and Arnold Carter may stick around as the only lefty in the pen, especially with the struggling Hector Rondon heading to AAA.

19 year old Cap Anson never found anything resembling a stride in Spring Training, and will be heading to AAA, along with Patsy Dougherty and Dave Altizer. All 3 of those had expectations of roles at the WBL level; they’ve been supplanted by Mark Grace and Anthony Rizzo at 1B, George Stone at LF, and George Gore and Jerry Mumphrey in CF.

Elrod Hendricks has seized a platoon role at C, with Frank Chance and Gabby Hartnett still fighting for their lives. They could keep both, but that would likely mean 1 of the pair of talented 20 year olds of Dick Lundy and Frank Grant would start the season at AAA.