Jack Taylor of the House of David was the WBL Pitcher of the Month for July, going 5-0 with a 1.51 ERA.
The WBL Batter of the Month award went to the New York Black Yankees‘ Babe Ruth, who hit .363 for the month with 7 HRs.
The Dog Days
Not much has changed, but in the most wonderful of ways: all four divisions are tight, with multiple teams in the hunt for playoff spots.
In the Bill James Division, the New York Gothams and the Detroit Wolverines are tied for first place, with the Wandering House of David (a scalding 29-14 since the all-star break) only 2.5 games back. All 3 teams are outperforming their Pythagorean projections by 2-3 games.
Baltimore continues to have the best record in the league (technically, tied with Portland), but also continue to be unable to shake Chicago in the Cum Posey Division, 2 games back in second place. Chicago is +3 against their Pythagorean, while Baltimore is dead even with it, so the numbers at least would indicate that the Black Sox are safe with their lead.
In the Effa Manley Division, Cleveland has the largest lead in the league, at 4.5 games ahead of the New York Black Yankees. But the underlying numbers pull them even closer–the Spiders have the edge in run differential, but at only 10 runs, it’s pretty close to even. And if you trust the Pythagorean, their records should be identical. Especially with the Black Yankees (Seemingly? Perhaps? Maybe?) addressing their bullpen weakness, there is still a lot of baseball to be played here.
As mentioned, in the Marvin Miller Division, being tied with Baltimore for the best record in the league keeps Portland in first place. But Birmingham, who are 31-13 since the all star break, seems unstoppable, having pulled to within 2.5 games of the Sea Dogs.
All races to watch!
Performance
Batters
Just last series, Ruth was in danger of leading his league lead in HRs. He’s gone deep in 4 straight games, creating some distance between himself and the rest of the crowd.
I keep waiting for this list to condense, but it keeps not cooperating.
Top 2 in all categories, league leader in bold.
Dick Allen (CAG). 309/378/543. 10 3B. Ty Cobb (DET). 346/391/569. Johnny Bench (IND). 306/414/602. 5.3 WAR. Mike Fiore (CAG). 240/400/400. 84 BB. Bobby Grich (LAA). 285/375/484. 38 2B. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 252/385/339. 84 BB, 78 SB. Elrod Hendricks (HOD). 300/360/648. Kent Hrbek (POR). 303/379/592. 33 HR. Joe Jackson (CAG). 333/420/584. 89 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 332/446/610. Stan Musial (KCM). 337/398/597. 144 H, 40 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 339/392/553. 147 H, 109 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 295/370/442. 74 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 317/432/663. 37 HR, 105 RBI, 95 R, 84 BB, 6.3 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 303/332/466. 11 3B.
Pitchers
Same as with the batters, top 2 in all categories, league leaders in bold.
Starters
For now the logjam of wins has begun to break a little as the league has its first 3 13-game winners, with 2 others at 12. I’ve included all 5 in the listings, making it a little longer than before. That said, Guidry is really the only one not having an excellent season–he’s striking a lot of batters out, but that’s about it.
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 13-6, 4.40. Don Drysdale (BRK). 7-5, 3.48. 1.16 WHIP. Lefty Grove (SFS). 11-7, 3.84. 162 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 6-9, 4.56. 159 K. Pat Malone (CLE). 13-5, 3.83. Christy Mathewson (NYG). 13-6, 3.55. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 10-7, 3.28. 3.14 FIP, 4.9 WAR. Eddie Plank (SFS). 9-5, 3.90. 1 Sv, 3.31 FIP. Stephen Strasburg (HOU). 7-6, 3.21. 3.8 WAR. Jack Taylor (HOD). 11-8, 3.15, 1.15 WHIP.
Relievers
Walsh is the outlier here and is next in line to be moved into the starting lineup for Chicago.
33 IP for rate stats.
Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 3.35. 26 Sv., 1 H. Mike Henneman (DET). 1-5, 4.50. 32 Sv. Ken Howell (SFS). 4-4, 2.10. 4 Sv, 8 H. 0.99 WHIP. Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 1 Sv, 8 H, 0.98 WHIP. Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.50. 4 Sv, 11 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-5, 4.18. 3 Sv, 16 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-3, 3.40. 1 Sv, 16 H. Ed Walsh (CAG). 6-3, 3.05. 4 H, 3.01 FIP. Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.05. 23 Sv, 2.59 FIP.
Streaks
The House of David’s Ryne Sandberg kept his hitting streak alive, extending it to 22 games–only 1 behind Ruth’s league record. He’s also scored in 14 straight games, setting a new record in the process.
We’ll take a look at the Wolverines matchup with the Royal Giants first.
#Detroit Wolverines @ Brooklyn Royal Giants
Detroit’s Charlie Root and Brooklyn’s Frank Knauss hooked up in a pitcher’s duel. Ty Cobb‘s 17th homerun of the year–a 3 run shot–gave the Wolverines a 3-1 lead in the top of the 8th, but John Briggs sent one over the fence to tie it in the bottom of the frame. Bill Carrigan doubled in Hank Greenberg in the top of the 10th, and Detroit turned to the league leader in saves, Mike Henneman, to close it out. Ron Cey greeted Henneman with a double, but was thrown out, inexplicably trying to stretch the hit into a triple. That ended the threat, and Henneman ended the game.
Detroit won game 2, taking the lead on a 3-run homer from Oscar Gamble in the top of the first and never looking back. That put the Wolverines up 2-0 in the series, setting the stage for game 3.
Gene Conley continues to be a rare find for Detroit, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) and 3 hits in 7 innings. But the usually reliable Wolverines bullpen wasn’t able to hold a lead, giving up 4 runs in the final 3 innings with Duke Farrell doubling in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th.
John Hiller blew his second save of the series, falling to 3-2 on the season, with the victory going to Trevor Hildenberger who pitched a scoreless final 2 innings.
DET 3 (Hiller 3-2; 3 B Sv) @ BRK 4 (Hildenberger 4-1) HRs: DET – Greenberg (22); BRK – Briggs (5). Box Score
Whoops he did it again … Just like in Series XXV, Beals Becker ended a game with a walk-off grandslam. Again it was the Detroit bullpen that collapsed, this time–shockingly–it was Mike Henneman who gave up a walk and 3 hits (including Becker’s blast) to the 4 batters he faced.
Tony Phillips–who has sparkled since his return from injury–had 4 hits for Detroit, and Frank Isbell went 3-for-3 for Brooklyn.
DET 5 (Henneman 1-5, 4 B Sv; Lolich 3 H; Anderson 6 H) @ BRK 7 (Dreifort 1-3) HRs: DET – Bailey (17), Kaline (2), Phillips (7); BRK – Farrell (6), Snider (27), Becker (21). Box Score
#Kansas City Monarchs @ Indianapolis ABC’s
Indianapolis won all four games against Kansas City. A bases-clearing double by Joe Morgan was the key hit in game 1. The other 3 games were all close contests.
In the 2nd game, Kansas City out hit the ABC’s 17-7, but 4 RBIs (3 on his 25th homerun of the year) by Johnny Bench keyed an 8-6 Indianapolis victory. Ted Simmons had 4 hits for the Monarchs and Ducky Medwick 3, but Kansas City left 11 runners on base.
Game 3 saw Kansas City’s Trevor Rosenthal and Frank DiPino implode as the ABC’s scored 6 runs in the 7th, coming back from a 7-2 deficit. The ABC’s Dolf Luque logged only 2 innings, but Johnny Cueto had his best appearance in a while, allowing a single run in 5 strong innings of relief work.
KCM 7 (DiPino 1-5) @ IND 8 (Cueto 8-6; Carroll 2 Sv; James 5 H) HRs: KCM – Medwick (13); IND – none. Box Score
It took 12 innings for Indianapolis to secure the sweep in a see-saw game. The ABC’s were wasteful throughout, leaving 19–nineteen–runners on base in the contest. Joey Votto and Jake Stenzel had 4 hits each, with Votto driving in 3. Kansas City’s Boog Powell tied the game in the top of the 9th with his 14th homerun of the season.
Both bullpens were exhausted, so an unexpectedly strong performance from Octavio Dotel was desperately needed by Indianapolis.
KCM 8 (Rosenthal 5-2; Kimbrel 4 B Sv; Russell 1 B Sv) – IND 9 (Dotel 1-1; James 6 H; Murphy 2 B Sv) [12 Innings] HRs: KCM – Powell (14); IND – Stenzel (8). Box Score
The Wolverines welcome Charlie Root and Chad Bradford to their staff, but perhaps the return of Tony Phillips is even more important for Detroit’s push down the stretch. Mickey Lolich and Si Johnson were sent to AAA, although both pitched decently. Robby Thompson was sent down on Phillips’ return.
Mike Henneman was the first in the league to notch 30 saves, reaching the milestone in a 7-6 victory over Houston. Sparky Adams and Ed Bailey each had 2 doubles in the contest.
An injury to Buddy Napier forced Detroit to put the effective reliever on the DL for 10 days, recalling Jason Schmidt.
#Los Angeles Angels
Pud Galvin and Harry Howell moved into the Angels’ rotation.
#Memphis Red Sox
Jim Paglioroni‘s departure cleared the way for young Kurt Suzuki‘s promotion to Memphis, where he’ll platoon with Billy Bryan behind the plate. Nixey Callahan was returned to AAA to make room for Turk Farrell‘s return from a rehab assignment.
#New York Gothams
Vean Gregg and Steve Howe lengthen the Gothams’ bullpen, and Rube Waddell replaces Don Sutton in the rotation. But the real changes have occurred offensively. 38 year old Joe Adcock is pounding the ball, and will become the full-time DH. Pete Runnels and Will Clark step right into the lineup. Overall, New York is worse off defensively, but may generate more consistent offense. A lot depends on whether Adcock and fan favorite Wes Westrum can continue their levels of production. George Van Haltren will lose playing time coming to the Gothams to serve as a reserve OFer, but he is now in the midst of a pennant race instead of languishing in Ottawa, so there’s that.
Christy Mathewson, helped by a perfect 1.2 IP of relief from Mike Norris, improved to 12-6 on the season in an 8-4 victory over their crosstown rivals. Norris picked up his 4th save, and Jimmy Sheckard, Johnny Callison, and Willie Mays each went deep for the Gothams.
#Wandering House of David
Tweak, tweak, tweak.
Bunny Downs can’t hit any worse than Craig Reynolds and Jung Ho Kang have, and by adding him to the roster, the House of David could also promote veteran Joe Harris as a bat off the bench.
Jack Taylor twirled a 3-hit, complete game shutout as the House of David beat Brooklyn 6-0. Elrod Hendricks went deep twice and drove in 5 in support of Taylor, who improved to 11-8 on the season while lowering his ERA to 3.15, good for tops in the WBL.
We’re at the end of July, so let’s take a look at the front-runners for the major awards.
The Mel Trench Award (MVP)
I mean … look, Cleveland‘s Ron Blomberg (341/410/649; 32 HR) is a great story and the key to the Spiders’ offense. And Chicago‘s Eddie Collins (311/402/513; 43 SB) may be the best all-around player in the game–it’s him or his teammate Joe Jackson (337/423/585). And some of you will create convoluted definitions of “valuable” in support of Los Angeles‘ Doug Rader, the league RBI leader and (as of right now) the only player in triple digits or Portland‘s Kent Hrbek, who is now tied for the league league in HR with 33.
But it’s really all about the guy he’s tied with. Barring something quite surprising, the New York Black Yankees‘ Babe Ruth should take the inaugural Mel Trench Award. Ruth has led the league in HRs all season, in OPS most of the year, and is in the top few in almost every offensive category. He is, simply, the most devastating offensive force in the league.
The Brock Rutherford Award (Pitcher of the Year)
Portland’s Walter Johnson began the year as the favorite here, and was then overtaken by Los Angeles’ Gerrit Cole. But Cole has stalled a bit after rattling off 5 straight victories to improve his record to 11-3, going 1-3 over his last 9 starts, allowing the rest of the league to catch up.
And then there’s Baltimore‘s Ned Garvin, who looked to be the front-runner, posting a 9-4 record and an ERA well under 3. But Garvin is out for the rest of the season.
Cleveland’s Pat Malone and the New York Gotham‘s Christy Mathewson join Cole with 12 wins, and 7 pitchers have 11. So if one of those go on a streak, they have to be considered favorites. But I would put forth three other names: Birmingham‘s Alejandro Peña has been the statistical front-runner, with an over 1 point of WAR edge on Johnson and leads the league in FIP. Peña was considered a bit of a joke when the Black Barons were buried in the standings; now that they are challenging for a playoff spot, he merits serious consideration. Jack Taylor of the House of David is posting an actual ERA at about the same level as Peña’s FIP, leading the league in both that and WHIP.
And if I had to vote, I would vote for Baltimore’s Bill Byrd, who has sat on the leaderboards all season, quietly and consistently anchoring the best staff in the league. Byrd is 11-3, with a 3.29 ERA, not league-leading, but among the leaders.
The Phineas Flint Award (Reliver of the Year)
Another award that has been greatly impacted by injury, as Portland’s Johan Santana was the clear leader here. But he’s been surpassed, and the award probably has to go to Detroit’s Mike Henneman, the league leader in saves with 30, 5 more than Cleveland’s Terry Adams.
The only other argument right now is, I think, the Gothams’ Brian Wilson, who has 22 saves and a microscopic 1.08 ERA.
Ron Reed was making a case as an all-purpose reliever, but while he still leads the league in holds, he has struggled enough since his trade to Cleveland to fall out of contention. If anyone in that category should be in the conversation at this point, it’s the Gothams’ Mike Norris.
Silver Sticks
C: Johnny Bench (IND). 308/414/602. 1B: Kent Hrbek (POR). 304/378/598. 2B: Eddie Collins (CAG). 311/402/513. 3B: Dick Allen (CAG). 315/381/548. SS: Bobby Wallace (BAL). 309/408/441. OF: Babe Ruth (NYY). 315/433/645. OF: Eric Davis (NYY). 277/354/539. OF: Willie Mays (NYG). 324/387526.
Predictably, the OF spots are the most contentious, with Joe Jackson, Reggie Jackson, and a half-dozen others not sharing the same last name all making arguments as well.
Performance
Batters
Usual stuff: top 2 in each category, leaders in bold.
Dick Allen (CAG). 315/381/548. 10 3B. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 341/410/649. 138 H. Rico Carty (PHI). 289/359/469. 37 2B. Ty Cobb (DET). 345/390/562. Eric Davis (NYY). 277/354/539. 5.3 WAR. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 257/390/338. 81 BB, 77 SB. Kent Hrbek (POR). 304/378/598. 33 HR. Joe Jackson (CAG). 337/423/585. 85 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 331/445/610. Stan Musial (KCM). 333/395/595. 39 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 333/387/544. 139 H, 104 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 299/373/451. 72 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 315/433/645. 33 HR, 99 RBI, 90 R, 83 BB, 5.8 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 305/337/473. 11 3B.
Pitchers
Starters
Top 2 in each category, leaders in bold.
Bill Byrd (BAL). 11-3, 3.29. Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-6, 4.39. Don Drysedale (BRK). 7-5, 3.48. 1.16 WHIP. Lefty Grove (SFS). 11-7, 3.84. 162 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 6-9, 4.56. 159 K. Walter Johnson (POR). 10-4, 3.79. 3.4 WAR. Pat Malone (CLE). 12-5, 3.84. Christy Mathewson (NYG). 12-6, 3.70. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 9-7, 3.44. 4.5 WAR, 3.17 FIP. Eddie Plank (SFS). 8-5, 4.06. 3.41 FIP. Jack Taylor (HOD). 11-8, 3.15, 1.15 WHIP.
Relievers
30 IP for rate stats.
Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 3.44. 25 Sv, 1H. Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.71. 30 Sv. Ken Howell (SFS). 3-4, 2.15. 4 Sv, 8 H. 0.99 WHIP. Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.81. 1 Sv, 7 H. 0.95 WHIP. Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.57. 4 Sv, 10 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-5, 3.82. 3 Sv, 16 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-3, 3.54. 1 Sv, 15 H. Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.08. 22 Sv.
Awards
The Gothams’ Joe Adcock showed that 38 year olds can still hit, winning the Batsman of the Week Award by going 12-for-27 with 4 homeruns.
Streaks
Ryne Sandberg of the House of David has an 18 game hitting streak, and has scored in 10 straight games (1 off the league record).
Kansas City‘s Boog Powell is now only 2 games behind Thurman Munson‘s record 43 game on-base streak.
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
Detroit scored first after loading the bases in the 2nd, but only managed a single tally on an RBI groundout by Robby Thompson. Will Clark tied it in the bottom of the frame with his 18th homerun of the season.
Roenis Elias has been on a hot streak, and it continued here, as he settled down, allowing 3 hits while striking out 8 over 6 innings. Detroit’s Gene Conley has matched him frame for frame, allowing only 1 run on 2 hits in the same stretch.
In the bottom of the 6th, things took an unlikely turn: Martín Dihigo, he of the .170 average, launched a pitch from Conley nearly 450 feet into leftfield for his first homerun and a 2-1 lead for Miami. Gary Sheffield tripled home a run to make it 3-1, ending Conley’s day in favor of Mickey Lolich.
With 2 outs in the 7th, Elias gave up a solo shot to Al Kaline–the first of his WBL career. That brought in Chris Resop, who closed it out preserving the one run lead for Miami.
Alan Ashby led off the bottom of the 7th with a single, and Paul Molitor came on to run. Two outs later, and Dihigo was up again, this time against Detroit’s reliever Kevin Hart. With the lead, the Cuban Giants kept Dihigo in the game for his glove. He delivered a much more typical response, grounding out weakly to second to end the inning.
It all worked out: Resop and Ed Bauta passed the baton to Aroldis Chapman, who shut the door in the 9th.
DET 2 (Conley 10-3) @ MCG 3 (Elias 5-3; Chapman 19 Sv; Resop 1 H; Bauta 11 H) HRs: DET – Kaline (1); MCG – Clark (18), Dihigo (1). Box Score
Game 2: Si Johnson @ Rube Waddell
Detroit comes into the game with a bit of an infield crisis: Sparky Adams is carrying a knock, and both Bob Bailey and George Davis are showing signs of wear and tear. Since they all back each other up at 3B and SS, two of the three are going to forced into action: today, it’s Davis and Bailey.
Will Clark‘s 19th homerun of the year put Miami up 3-0 in the bottom of the first. And that was it through 5 innings. Si Johnson had settled down after Clark’s blast, and Miami’s starter, Rube Waddell had yet to give up a hit.
Geoff Jenkins broke up the no-no with a single to lead off the 6th for Detroit, and singles from Bailey and Hank Greenberg put the Wolverines on the board.
In the bottom of the frame, Johnson issued a walk to load the bases, bringing in Mickey Lolich, who promptly forced in a run with a walk to Carlos Morán, increasing Miami’s lead to 4-1.
Waddell got one out on the 7th, but a hit from Davis and a walk to Robby Thompson turned the game over the Cuban Giants’ bullpen. Phenomenal Smith whiffed Jenkins, but immediately grabbed his left shoulder, and had to leave the game.
José Méndez replaced Smith, and shut down Detroit. He gave up a hit in the 9th, giving way to Ed Bauta, who completed the victory, giving Miami a surprising 2-0 lead in the series.
DET 1 (Johnson 4-7) @ MCG 4 (Waddell 4-6; Bauta 1 Sv; Smith 4 H; Méndez 2 H) HRs: Det – none; MCG – Clark (19). Box Score
Game 3: Hal Newhouser @ Eustaquio Pedroso
The matchup certainly favors the Wolverines to get back into the series, with Hal Newhouser and his sub-3.00 ERA going against Eustaquio Pedroso, who is in real danger of losing his rotation spot.
And, you know, just because … Pedroso gets through the top of the first without damage, and Newhouser walks Pete Runnels, Minnie Miñoso, and Gary Sheffield to start the bottom of the frame. But José Canseco whiffed and Ryan Braun grounded into a double play, so we stay scoreless.
Geoff Jenkins took Pedroso deep for a 1-0 Detroit lead in the second, but Sheffield sent a Newhouser pitch in the 3rd deep into the night, putting Miami up 2-1.
Martín Dihigo was forced out of the game with a back injury in the 6th after a hard slide into second and Paul Molitor, who replaced him, scored on a single by Runnels. Miami loaded the bases again, but again Canseco and Braun failed to deliver, so we headed to the 6th with the Cuban Giants ahead, 3-1.
That was it for Pedroso, who had pitched gamely in one of his better outings of the year. His reliever, Braden Looper, gave up a leadoff double to Chili Davis, but escaped with only 1 run scoring, making it a 1 run game at 3-2.
Newhouser didn’t finish the 6th, but Justin Verlander escaped without giving up a run. Looper, on the other hand, gave up a double to Robby Thompson and a single to Bob Bailey to lead off the 7th. Looper was relieved by Chris Resop who gave up a single to Ty Cobb to tie the game at 3. An RBI double from Hank Greenberg and a sacrifice fly by Davis put the Wolverines up, 5-3.
Cobb took Aroldis Chapman deep in the top of the 9th, giving Mike Henneman the ball with a 3-run lead, 6-3. Which seemed plenty for the WBL’s save leader, but Canseco and Robin Yount each hit solo homeruns, closing it to 6-5. Alan Ashby‘s soft line was speared by Thompson, though, to end the game.
Cobb ended the day with 4 hits, 2 runs, and 2 RBI’s, raising his league-leading average to .351.
After the game, Dihigo was placed on the DL, with Tony Taylor being recalled.
DET 6 (Verlander 8-3; Henneman 28 Sv; Napier 6 H) @ MCG 5 (Looper 1-1; Resop 1 BSv) HRs: DET – Jenkins (9), Cobb (16); MCG – Sheffield (6), Canseco (26), Yount (9). Box Score
Game 4: Johnny Marcum @ Camilo Pascual
Before the game, Miami continued to get bad news from their medical staff as Phenomenal Smith–excellent in his early time with the Cuban Giants–will miss about a year with an elbow injury. That prompted the recall of Ricky Nolasco from AAA.
The pitching matchup of the series finale was the best of the four games, with Johnny Marcum (10-2, 3.38) taking on Camilo Pascual, Miami’s most consistent starter all season.
Detroit pushed across a run in the opening inning on a wild pitch, but Miami tied it up in the bottom of the second with Alan Ashby‘s 7th homerun of the year. The Wolverines regained the lead on a deep sacrifice fly from Hank Greenberg, scoring George Davis. But again Miami would reply in the next inning, tying the game on a triple from José Cardenal, scoring Will Clark. Cardenal would score on a single from Robin Yount, giving the Cuban Giants their first lead of the day, 3-2.
Each team would score a run on a sacrifice fly in the 5th, making it 4-3 in favor of Miami.
Marcum was the first starter to be chased from the game, giving way to Matt Anderson in the bottom of the 6th, but Anderson was able to close the door with runners on base, keeping the score 4-3.
José Méndez relieved Pascual in the top of the 8th and retired Cobb, Greenberg, and Oscar Gamble–no mean feat. Chili Davis led off the 9th against Méndez with a single, but Detroit was unable to bring him around, and Miami emerged with the victory and the very surprising series win.
DET 3 (Marcum 10-3) @ MCG 4 (Pascual 7-10; Méndez 1 Sv) HRs: DET – none; MCG – Ashby (7). Box Score
The Wolverines lead the Bill James Division by 1.5 games, and sit 14 games above .500, tied with Portland for the second best record in the WBL (behind Baltimore). Miami, on the other hand, is tied with Memphis for the worst record in the league, languishing at 22 games under .500.
#Detroit Wolverines
They’re just a solid team. Not best in the league at anything, but top 5 in almost everything, just lacking a bit of team speed. OF Ty Cobb not only leads the team, but the entire league, in batting at .351, and his OPS of .965 leads the Wolverines. But 1B Hank Greenberg is an equally important cog in their machine, slashing 306/372/586 and leading Detroit in RBIs (74). Greenberg is tied with OF Oscar Gamble for the team lead in HRs with 21, but Cobb (15), 3B Bob Bailey (16) and OF Chili Davis (17) are also all in double digits. SS George Davis at .694 is the only regular with an OPS under .700. Like I said, solid.
The rotation is led by Johnny Marcum, 10-2 with a 3.38 ERA, followed by two hurlers who did not start the year in their current roles: Hal Newhouser (7-3, 2.91) has been brilliant since his recall and Gene Conley (10-2, 3.27) was just too good to leave in the bullpen. Mike Henneman leads the WBL in saves with 27, and John Hiller has been quite effective getting the ball to him.
Solid.
#Miami Cuban Giants
José Canseco has been brilliant: leading the team in all 3 slash categories at 289/358/530 for an OPS just shy of .900 and a team-high 25 homeruns and 61 RBIs.
Beyond that … Gary Sheffield has shown some signs of life lately, and Will Clark is second on the team in both HR (17) and RBI (56). 2B Pete Runnels has done well since being picked up from Memphis, And … hey, have I mentioned José Canseco?
There are some other storylines here: how long can Martín Dihigo‘s defense–stunning as it is–preserve a roster spot for the eighteen year old who is slashing 169/210/208? Will Minnie Miñoso–the key acquisition over the all-star break for the Cuban Giants–get a chance to prove himself?
Camilo Pascual leads the staff in victories with 6, but also in losses with 10. Several pitchers have shown flashes of promise–Roenis Elías, Phenomenal Smith, José Méndez–but none have lasted. Closer Aroldis Chapman (18 saves and a 2.32 ERA) has been excellent, as has Ed Bauta (10 holds, 2.12 ERA).
And there’s always Canseco …
Projected Starters
Detroit listed first.
Gene Conley (10-2, 3.27) @ Roenis Elías (4-3, 4.97) Si Johnson (4-6, 4.85) @ Rube Waddell (3-6, 4.20) Hal Newhouser (7-3, 2.91) @ Eustaquio Pedroso (6-5, 5.73) Johnny Marcum (10-2, 3.38) @ Camilo Pascual (6-10, 4.06)
Prediction
3-1 Detroit. It would be fun if Miami made it a series.
We are one series away from the trading deadline, so it seemed a good moment to check in on what teams may be doing what on the 27th.
Sellers
You never know what deals may emerge, but here are some veterans and/or players not looking to resign with their current teams that may be on the move. Probably the biggest change here are the Philadelphia Stars and the Kansas City Monarchs both seeming now to fall firmly in this category.
SP: Luke Hamlin (KCM), Connie Johnson (KCM), Andy Pettitte (KCM).
RP: Rheal Cormier (PHI), Bob Howry (PHI), Michael Jackson (HOM), Josh Lindblom (HOM), Mike Norris (SFS), Jonathan Papelbon (MEM)
Buyers
Each of the four divisions can be seen as a two-team race at this point, so we’ll look at each in turn, looking at both the teams we’re assuming are selling and those that are looking to offload some talent.
Bill James Division
The Detroit Wolverines and the New York Gothams are neck and neck. Detroit could use help in the bullpen, while New York is (like many teams) looking for rotation help, and perhaps an infield upgrade.
Cum Posey Division
The Baltimore Black Sox retain the best record in the league, but it’s getting closer. The Chicago American Giants are only 2 games back, and with Baltimore’s Brock Rutherford Award favorite Ned Garvin out for the year, there does seem to be an opportunity to reel the Black Sox back to the pack. In addition to a replacement for Garvin, Baltimore could use a little more depth, especially on the IF. Chicago’s offense is pretty much set but could also be in the market for rotation help.
Effa Manley Divison
The surprise continues: the Cleveland Spiders are starting to show some distance between them and the second place New York Black Yankees. The Spiders could use an upgrade on the left side of the infield while the Black Yankees are clearly in desperate need of bullpen help–to the point where they are almost certain to be willing to overpay.
Marvin Miller Division
The shocking rise of the Birmingham Black Barons continue, with the Portland Sea Dogs only 3.5 games ahead at this point. Birmingham needs to be careful: they were never supposed to be here and need to be aware of disturbing their current balance. Still, they could use offensive help, especially at C and SS. Portland would love to improve its bench.
Performance
Some things of note:
Los Angeles‘ Doug Rader is the first to triple digits, surpassing 100 RBI’s on the year this series.
Stan Musial (Kansas City) and Babe Ruth (NYY) remain the only batters leading the league in more than a single category.
Batters
Top 2, league leaders bold as usual.
Dick Allen (CAG). 308/374/547. 10 3B. Rico Carty (PHI). 285/356/453. 34 2B. Ty Cobb (DET). 351/393/572. Eric Davis (NYY). 278/348/542. 4.7 WAR. Mike Epstein (HOM). 330/4334/532. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 251/386/338. 75 BB, 70 SB. Kent Hrbek (POR). 311/380/609. 31 HR. Joe Jackson (CAG). 337/419/587. 78 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 331/445/610. Stan Musial (KCM). 338/394/601. 132 H, 37 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 332/389/545. 130 H, 100 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 293/365/440. 71 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 314/428/643. 31 HR, 93 RBI, 83 R, 75 BB, 5.5 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 306/337/466. 10 3B.
Some of the less positive leaders:
SO: Willie Stargell (HOM), 146. GIDP: Wade Boggs (MEM), 20. CS: Reggie Jackson (SFS), 23.
Pitchers
Top 2 in each category, other than wins. There are 5 pitchers with 11 wins behind Gerrit Cole (LAA), but only Bill Byrd (BAL) is listed here, due to his WHIP.
Garvin does not have enough IP to hold onto the ERA crown as the season progresses.
Starters
Bill Byrd (BAL). 11-2, 3.09. 1.17 WHIP. Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-4, 4.24. Don Drysedale (7-3), 1.15 WHIP. Ned Garvin (BAL). 9-4, 2.80. Lefty Grove (SFS). 10-7, 3.83, 158 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-9, 4.38. 149 K. Walter Johnson (POR). 10-3, 3.65. 3.3 WAR. Frank Knauss (BRK). 10-4, 3.07. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 9-6, 3.45. 3.9 WAR.
Relievers
25 IP minimum for rate stats.
Terry Adams (CLE). 1-5, 3.24. 23 Sv, 1 H. Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.48. 27 Sv. Ken Howell (SFS). 3-4, 2.06. 4 Sv, 7 H, 0.98 WHIP. AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.13. 19 Sv, 0.83 WHIP. Mike Norris (SFS). 3-3, 1.71. 3 Sv, 10 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-4, 2.90. 3 Sv, 16 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-3, 3.86. 13 H. Jonny Venters (LAA). 3-3, 3.32. 5 Sv, 13 H. Brian Wilson (SFS). 1-0, 1.11. 21 Sv.
For this TWIWBL we’re going to look at two of my favorite emerging plotlines.
Biggest Surprise
Right now, it’s got to be the Birmingham Black Barons. At the end of May, they were 10 games back, a .400 team, and battling Miami for last place in the Marvin Miller Division. Today, they are 7 games over .500, and only 2.5 games behind division-leading Portland. So, what happened?
Birmingham began to turn it around in late May, but their high level of activity at the all-star break has to be mentioned as well. Ultimately, they lost 2 SPs (Dick Rudolph to Chicago and all-star Tim Hudson to San Francisco), a key bullpen piece (Hoyt Wilhelm in the same trade as Rudolph), and two infielders (all-star 2B Tom Herr to the Black Yankees and U Frank Isbell to Brooklyn). They received 10 players and 4 draft picks in return, with only 1B Adrián González making the big leagues immediately.
González’ OPS with the Black Barons has been in the high 600’s, which isn’t great, but is almost 200 points higher than his struggles with Chicago. He is splitting time at 1B with Frank McCormick, and the combo is outperforming Isbell. Hank Aaron is playing more at 2B with Herr gone, allowing Bob Nieman and Curtis Granderson to be joined by a rotating cast of OFers, but overall strengthening the lineup (even if Aaron isn’t exactly good defensively at 2B). Additionally, Eddie Mathews and Pie Traynor are in the lineup most days, with Mathews becoming the primary DH.
It’s worked: the quartet of Granderson, McCormick, Mathews, and Aaron have all come to life, combining for 27 HRs and 103 RBIs since June 1st. All in all, a team that struggled to score at all is now slowly, very slowly, edging away from the bottom of the pack offensively.
But the real success has been on the mound where, quite surprisingly, the loss of Hudson, Rudolph, and Wilhelm hasn’t really been felt. Alejandro Peña has been solid all year, Greg Maddux is finally living up to his hype, and Vic Willis continues to impress in the rotation. Closer Juan Ríncón has 17 saves despite starting the season buried in the bullpen, and the trio of Bruce Chen, Harley Young, and Steve Bedrosian have been fantastic in getting the ball to Rincón.
Rincón got his 2nd, 3rd, and 4th save of the season in consecutive games in late May, about the same time Bedrosian and Willis joined the big league club, with Chen being recalled from AAA in late June.
Look, the Black Barons are still a longshot to make the playoffs–but just being in the conversation has been an unlikely triumph for Birmingham. And it’s not all luck: yes, they are outperforming their Pythagorean projection by 2 wins, but that would still leave them above .500 even if they weren’t.
Second Biggest Surprise
The New York Black Yankees were supposed to run away and hide atop the Effa Manley Division. But the Cleveland Spiders have other ideas, and currently sit 3.5 games above New York in the standings, with the second best record in baseball.
Cy Young and Pat Malone have led the rotation all year, with ERA’s right around 4.00 and excellent peripheral numbers, and the bullpen trio of Chuck Porter, Cory Gearrin, and Ron Reed (who has continued to excel since being acquired from Philadelphia) have been able to consistently get the ball to Terry Adams in good situations. Adams has delivered with 23 saves, despite an 0-5 record.
Offensively, Ron Blomberg is in the argument for the MVP, slashing 334/402/638 with 28 homeruns and 76 RBIs, but the key to the team may have been finding a way to get John Ellis in the lineup almost every day, as the C/1B/DH has an OPS over .900, ranking second to Blomberg in most offensive stats. Add in a great season from Louis Santop behind the plate, solid contributions from Jake Stahl, Chuck Knoblauch, and Johnny Bates and the surprising turnaround from midseason acquisition Lance Berkman (whose OPS is over 300 points above where it was for Houston), and the Spiders have a dangerous lineup, top to bottom.
Can they hold off the Black Yankees? If New York’s bullpen continues to be absolutely porous, yes, yes they can. Will they? That’s another question entirely.
Performance
Awards
I feel like I’ve missed these for a little while, so I’m going to list the last few Players of the Week as well as June’s Players of the Month.
Player of the Month
In an unusual occurence for a reliever, Willie Mitchell of the Indianapolis ABC’s was the Pitcher of the Month for June. Mitchell was 4-0 with a 0.95 ERA out of the bullpen, prompting him to be added to the ABC’s rotation.
The Los Angeles Angels‘ Mike Trout took the Batter of the Month award, by hitting .381 for June. Trout is still looking to add some power to his results, but it moved him firmly into the conversation of elite hitters in the game.
Player of the Week
Willie Stargell of the Homestead Grays was the PotW for the week ending 7/17, hitting .565 with 3 HRs and 9RBIs in the span.
Babe Ruth has recovered from a mini-slump with a vengeance, taking home the PotW award for the week ending 7/10, hitting .500 with 3 homeruns and 12 RBI’s.
Before Ruth, the award went to Brooklyn’s Beals Becker, who raised his season average to a cool .300 with a .478, 3 HR showing during the week.
Batters
Top 2 in all categories, with the WBL leader in bold.
It’s been the Babe Ruth show since Reggie Jackson‘s triple crown run fell apart, but we’re seeing some others, most notably Kansas City‘s Stan Musial, edge into the MVP discussion.
Dick Allen (CAG). 307/375/553. 10 3B. Johnny Bench (IND). 295/411/564. 4.4 WAR. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 334/402/638. 28 HR. Rico Carty (PHI). 287/360/461. 34 2B. Ty Cobb (DET). 350/392/559. 124 H. Mike Epstein (HOM). 332/432/535. Mike Fiore (CAG). 249/405/415. 70 BB. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 252/388/341. 74 BB; 69 SB. Kent Hrbek (POR). 309/379/591. 28 HR. Joe Jackson (CAG). 340/422/593. 76 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 327/439/587. Stan Musial (KCM). 340/396/602. 129 H; 36 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 324/382/532. 94 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 290/365/433. 71 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 313/421/643. 30 HR; 91 RBI; 80 R; 5.3 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 312/344/470. 10 3B.
Pitchers
Starters
Top 3 in each category, with the league leader in bold. No fewer than nine hurlers have 10 victories each, so only the top two in wins–Cole and Mathewson–are listed.
Bill Byrd (BAL). 10-2, 3.12. 1.18 WHIP. Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-4, 4.10. Don Drysedale (BRK). 6-3, 3.49. 1 H; 1.17 WHIP. Ned Garvin (BAL). 9-3, 2.66. 2 H; 1.15 WHIP. Lefty Grove (SFS). 10-6, 3.72. 150 Ks. Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-8, 3.99. 144 Ks; 3.4 WAR. Walter Johnson (POR). 9-3, 3.54. 3.3 WAR. Frank Knauss (BRK). 10-4, 3.19. 1 Sv. Christy Mathewson (NYG). 11-6, 3.78. 123 Ks. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 8-6, 3.65. 3.6 WAR.
Relievers
Detroit‘s Mike Henneman has finally passed theinjured Johan Santana for the league lead in saves.
22 IP for rate stats; top 2, leader in bold.
Terry Adams (CLE). 0-5, 3.48. 23 Sv; 1 H. Watty Clark (BRK). 3-1, 1.20. 17 Sv. Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.41. 25 Sv. AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.22. 18 Sv, 0.86 WHIP. Chuck Porter (CLE). 4-3, 2.04. 1 Sv; 10 H; 0.86 WHIP. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-3, 2.59. 3 Sv; 16 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-2, 3.35. 13 H. Johan Santana (POR). 1-1, 2.78. 23 Sv; 1 H. Jonny Venters (LAA). 3-3, 3.35. 5 Sv; 13 H. Brian Wilson (SFS). 1-0, 1.15. 20 Sv.
Streaks
Beals Becker‘s on-bas streak ended at 32 games, but Boog Powell‘s is still alive at 29 and counting. Other active streaks of note include Brian Wilson‘s 18 consecutive saves and Bill Byrd‘s 14 starts without a loss, as well as Harley Young‘s 12 scoreless innings in relief.
Series Results
Series XXV Sweeps
Birmingham over Indianapolis
Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXV
Chicago over Philadelphia House of David over Cleveland Kansas City over New York Black Yankees San Francisco over Portland
{ Yes, this is out of order–31.2 got published before 31.1 for those keeping score at home. }
#Detroit Wolverines
Six strong innings from Hal Newhouser led Detroit to a narrow 3-2 win over Chicago. 3 hits from Ty Cobb, including his 12th homerun of the year, helped Newhouser improve to 5-3, with John Hiller earning his 10th hold and Mike Henneman his 24th save.
Whitey Wilshire will miss a couple weeks with a shoulder injury. Mickey Lolich was recalled from AAA to take Wilshire’s place, while 20 year old Al Kaline will get his first taste of the big leagues as the Wolverines sent Greg Brock to AAA.
#Los Angeles Angels
Five RBIs on two doubles and a homerun from Bobby Grich weren’t enough, as the Angels fell to the House of David.
#New York Gothams
Don Sutton, impressive since his acquisition from Brooklyn at the all-star break, replaces the struggling Sad Sam Jones in the Gothams’ rotation.
#Wandering House of David
Jack Taylor evened his record at 8-8 with 7 innings of shutout ball, combining with Scott Downs and Kerry Wood on the 5-hit shutout of Los Angeles. George Stone drove in 3 with 2 hits, including his 22nd homerun of the year and Richie Hebner went deep for the 8th time this season in the 8-0 victory.
Anthony Rizzo continues to impress: 3 hits raised his average to .340 in a 9-7 victory over Los Angeles. Rizzo is now officially the fulltime 1B, with Mark Grace being sent to AAA and Jung Ho Kang being recalled for another stint with the big league club.
