Tag: Mookie Betts Page 2 of 3

Two teams struggling to impress … we last saw Memphis in Series XIII and Series III while Ottawa was featured in Series XII and Series VII.

#Memphis Red Sox

Memphis is 20 games below .500, languishing in last place in the Bill James Division, 15 games behind the leaders. So, yeah, this year is pretty much done.

As a team, Memphis does nothing well. Well, other than run the bases. They do that well. For all it matters. Individually, however, there are at least some signs of life.

The class of the team is clearly Reggie Smith, who is slashing 310/379/537 and playing strong defense in CF. Ted Williams (259/345/500) has slumped over the past few months, but leads the team in HR (18) and RBI (65). And … that’s it. Claude Ritchey and Wade Boggs get on base a bit, Bill White has some power … but, yeah. If there are some disappointments here, they are OFs Mookie Betts and Manny Ramírez, both of whom are stuck with OPS’ in the low 700s.

Jon Lester (8-8, 4.04) has been their best starter, although Len Barker‘s return from injury is encouraging. Barker has a 3.31 ERA, but is still looking to establish himself as a starter. The bullpen is suspect, with closer Jonathan Papelbon struggling of late although he still leads the team in saves with 7.

#Ottawa Mounties

The Mounties are 14 games behind in the Cum Posey Division, so while they have a better record than Memphis (43 wins to 37), they are really in similar positions. But, somehow, Ottawa is just a little more intriguing–perhaps due to a near constant player churn that is generating some interesting questions. First, though, an overview.

The Mounties’ best players, by some distance, are Tim Raines (298/373/454 with a league-leading 66 SB) and Larry Walker (287/373/581). Walker has struggled to stay healthy, playing in only 34 games so far, but he is still tied for the team league in homeruns with 10 (along with Raines and Gary Carter, who also leads in RBIs with 40).

Carter has been on a tear recently, validating the Mounties’ choice to make him their everyday catcher. The team has a challenge with what to do with Roberto Alomar, who has started his WBL career at a 308/357/442 clip, and may push Raines into LF fulltime. Finally, while not as impressive as Carter’s run, SS Álex Rodriguez has raised his OPS about 100 points over the last few weeks.

The Mounties’ pitching corps seems to be in continual disarray, but one constant has been Old Hoss Radbourn, who is 7.7 with a 3.99 ERA. Jim Clancy and Monk Dubiel have been solid as well, and Clayton Richard‘s return from the DL could even give them an adequate top 4 hurlers. The challenge is, and then what? Ryan Dempster seems to be moving into the role of closer, but getting to him is a challenge. Greg Holland was absolutely torched earlier in the season, but is doing better having been recalled.

And then there is Randy Johnson, whose overall numbers are still pretty ugly, but has dropped his ERA by 2 1/2 runs since returning to the WBL in late June.

#Pitching Matchups (Memphis starter listed first)

Tim Wakefield (3-6, 5.44) @ Jim Clancy (5-4, 4.52)
Jon Lester (8-8, 4.04) @ Johnny Podgajny (1-2, 4.68)
Stubby Overmire (3-5, 3.79) @ Old Hoss Radbourn (7-7, 3.99)
Dean Chance (6-7, 4.24) @ Joe Mays (1-1, 5.52)

#Series Predictions

A split. I would root for Ottawa, but there’s so little to choose from between these two, gotta’ go for the split. The Overmire – Radbourn matchup is the most interesting.

Series XXI Best Games

By mknn

On June 29, 2022

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Five games made the list for Series XXI. We’ll give the detailed treatment to a great comeback, but the others all have some noteworthy moments.

#Indianapolis @ Memphis, Game 2

Just another see-saw …

A solo homerun by Mookie Betts and a 2 run shot by Ted Williams were the key hits as the Red Sox jumped out to a 7-0 lead. A 2-run homerun by Danny Hoffman and a triple from Oscar Charleston made it 7-3, and then, in the 7th inning, another homerun from Hoffman and a key, 2-0ut, 2-run shot from Johnny Bench brought the ABC’s within 1 run at 7-6. Reggie Smith added a solo shot off Lefty James, making it 8-6 heading to the top of the 9th.

Memphis brought in Jonathan Papelbon to close it out, which was certainly a reasonable choice. Tommy Helms led off the inning with a single, but a groundout by Hoffman seemed to set Memphis on the road to victory.

And then, Edd Roush and Charleston singled to load the bases and Bench cleared them with a double. A single by Dave Henderson scored Bench, and another by Denis Menke chased Papelbon from the game with Indianapolis having come all the way back to take the lead 10-8. Rob Dibble dominated the bottom of the frame, and the ABC’s had a great comeback win under their belt.

IND 10 (James 5-1, Dibble 16 Sv) @ MEM 8 (Papelbon 0-4, 2 BSv; Cicotte 1 H; Farrell 3 H)
HRs: IND – Hoffman 2 (11), Bench (17); MEM – Betts (6), Williams (18), Smith (11).
Box Score

#Ottawa @ Philadelphia, Game 2

A mismatch on paper as a tough Philadelphia lineup faces Joe Mays in his WBL debut. Tim Raines opened the game with homerun for Ottawa, but after that it went pretty much according to form, with Mays surrendering back-to-back-to-back homeruns in the 1st (José Ramírez, Rico Carty, and Scott Rolen) and then being chased from the game by back-to-back doubles in the 4th. Ottawa turned to Randy Johnson in relief, and the Big Unit delivered with a couple effective innings. Ottawa scored 7 runs in 2 innings to take the lead in a game with decimated bullpens. It was dicey throughout–Greg Holland, just recalled from AAA, had been hammered at the WBL level earlier in the year. But he gave the Mounties a good inning, and was followed by Ryan Dempster, asked to close the game. Dempster did so, but only when Raines threw out J.M. Ward at home for the final out. Larry Walker finished with 3 hits including his 8th homerun for the Mounties.

OTT 8 (Johnson 2-4; Dempster 2 Sv; Holland 3 H) @ PHI 7 (Cormier 4-1, 3 BSv; Laskey 1 H)
HRs: OTT – Raines (10), Walker (8); Ramírez (4), Carty (9), Kluszewski (14), Davis (14).
Box Score

#New York Gothams @ Brooklyn, Game 2

A tight pitching duel: Brooklyn’s Dick Redding was as good as the Gotham’s Christy Mathewson, but New York managed a sacrifice fly and a well-timed single by Eugenio Suárez to lead, 2-0. It was enough: Mathewson allowed 7 hits through 7 innings, but was dominant, fanning 11 and allowing only a solo shot from Duke Snider. Robb Nen and Brian Wilson slammed the door in relief to preserve the narrow victory.

NYG 2 (Mathewson 9-6; Wilson 13 Sv; Nen 4 H) @ BRK 1 (Redding 0-3)
HRs: BRK – Snider (19).
Box Score

#Miami @ Portland, Game 2

Portland only managed 2 hits, but leveraged 3 Miami errors and 10 walks by Cuban Giant hurlers to score 5 runs. Four of the runs scored off a chain of 2 walks, a double by Rogers Hornsby, and then 2 more walks and a wild pitch. The winning run in the bottom of the 9th was scored on a sacrifice fly from Joe Mauer after Adrián Beltré delivered a pinch-hit single. Eustaquio Pedroso‘ pitching line wasn’t pretty, but he was really let down by Phenomenal Smith‘s wildness, and Pedroso’s start was actually a source of some encouragement for Miami.

MCG 4 (Bauta 1-4; Smith 1 BSv) @ POR 5 (Williams 2-1)
HRs: MCG – Braun (11), Sheffield (3).
Box Score

#Birmingham @ New York Black Yankees, Game 4

We had to put something in here for the shocking performance of the Black Yankees in this series, who came into the final game desperately trying to avoid a sweep by the Black Barons having only scored 3 runs total over the first 3 games.

New York took the lead in the bottom of the 1st on a 2-run shot by Don Mattingly and extended it to 3-0 on a solo shot by Manny Sanguillén in the 5th. And that seemed plenty as Ron Guidry was dominant in his best start since early in the season, allowing only 3 hits and 1 walk through 7 innings while striking out 7.

But then came the 8th. Guidry gave up back to back walks and a single to load the bases and was clearly out of gas, relieved by Ralph Citarella, who let the wheels fall of: an error and a wild pitch scored runs, and then RBI singles from Curtis Granderson, Bob Nieman, and Pie Traynor chased Citarella with Birmingham holding a 6-3 lead.

Granderson added a 2-run inside-the-park-homerun in the 9th, giving plenty of cushion even when Albert Belle got 2 runs back in the final frame with his 10th homerun of the year. Vic Willis continued the strong start to his career, striking out 9 in 6 innings despite not factoring in the decision and Bruce Chen was nearly perfect over 2 innings in relief for the win, sealing the most surprising series sweep of the season.

BBB 8 (Chen 1-0) @ NYY 5 (Citarella 1-4; 3 BSv)
HRs: BBB – Granderson (10); NYY – Mattingly (17), Sanguillén (2), Belle (10).
Box Score

TWIWBL 17.1: Series XIV Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On September 16, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Johnny Marcum combined with Matt Anderson on a 7-hit shutout as the Wolverines topped the Red Sox 7-0. Hank Greenberg had 2 hits and 3 RBI, giving him 51 on the season as Marcum improved to 6-1 and lowered his ERA to 2.41.

Ty Cobb and Bob Bailey each had 3 hits, with Cobb adding 3 RBIs, but the stars for Detroit were really Justin Verlander, Gene Conley, John Hiller, and Mike Henneman, who combined for over 5 innings of scoreless relief after starting pitcher Doyle Alexander couldn’t make it out of the 3rd inning as the Wolverines came from behind for a 7-6 win.

Alexander was sent to AAA to make way for the return of Hank Aguirre from his rehab assignment.

#Los Angeles Angels

Despite a mediocre outing, Gerrit Cole improved to 8-3 on the year, becoming the WBL’s first 8-game winner. Cole allowed 4 runs in under 6 innings, and was bailed out with excellent relief from Francisco Rodriguez and Jonny Venters, who earned his 3rd save in the 9-4 victory for the Angels. Bobby Grich had 3 hits, and Doug Rader and Elmer Valo drove in 2 runs apiece.

#Memphis Red Sox

In a seesaw game, the Red Sox were rewarded with a walkoff victory when Mookie Betts singled in the bottom of the 10th. Bill White had 3 hits including a homerun, and Joe Beggs got his first win of the year.

#Wandering House of David

Phil Regan heads to the DL for a couple weeks with elbow inflammation, prompting the House of David to recall hard-throwing, thirty-three year old, Lee Smith from AAA.

A 5-run 7th inning propelled the House of David to a come-from-behind, 8-7 win over Chicago. Elrod Hendricks had 2 hits, including his 10th homerun of the year, and Ryne Sandberg added 3 hits as well as Rollie Fingers moved to 3-0 on the year and Bruce Sutter picked up his 3rd save.

Series XIII Featured Matchup: Memphis Red Sox @ Houston Colt 45’s

By mknn

On August 30, 2021

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Preview here.

#Game One: Nixey Callahan @ Stubby Overmire

Ah, the Nixey v Stubby matchup we’ve all been waiting for …

The Red Sox got to Stubby Overmire in the top of the first as Jim Pagliaroni singled home Ted Williams for an early 1-0 lead. It was short-lived, as an RBI from Jeff Bagwell tied it up in the bottom of the inning.

But from there the pitchers took over until the bottom of the 4th, when Houston loaded the bases against Callahan. They scored one run on a groundout from Jimmy Wynn to take the lead, 2-1, but that was it.

Stubby gave up his 2nd run in the top of the 6th on a double by Vern Stephens, who then scored on a double by Eddie Rosario. That gave the Red Sox a 3-2 edge, with Nixey Callahan near the end of his tether, having thrown 98 pitches in 5 innings. The Memphis bench may have waited too long: Callahan’s 100th pitch was sent deep into right-center field by Tony Gwynn to tie the game back up at 3.

Stubby walked Claude Ritchey to start the 7th inning, and was relieved by Leon Day, while Turk Farrell took over from Nixey in the bottom of the frame.

The relievers were great for both teams: Andrew Chafin took over from Day, and we were still tied at 3 at the end of 9 innings.

Jonathan Papelbon is struggling a bit right now: he walked two before inducing a double play from Carlos Correa to get out of the 10th, then in the bottom of the 11th, gave up a single to Gwynn before getting Jorge Posada to hit into another double play. But, with two outs, Wynn walked, stole second, a scored on a softly hit single into LF by HR Johnson, sending the home crowd happy with the Houston victory.

Mark Melancon got the win, moving to 4-1 on the year, while Papelbon fell to 0-3. Gwynn went 4-for-5, and has brought his batting average up to over .280.

MEM 3 (Papelbon 0-3) @ HOU 4 (Melancon 4-1)
HRs: HOU – Gwynn (4)
Box Score

#Game Two: Tim Wakefield @ Stephen Strasburg

Ted Williams‘ 11th homerun of the year gave Memphis a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. It lasted until the bottom of the 3rd, when DJ LeMahieu led off with a double against Tim Wakefield, moved to 3rd on a sacrifice fly, and scored on a wild pitch. HR Johnson took Wakefield into the short left field porch for a 2-1 lead for Houston.

Stephen Strasburg looked rough all day, and an RBI single from Vern Stephens tied the game in the top of the 4th. By the end of the inning, Strasburg had given up 5 hits and walked 2 and had thrown 84 pitches, leading to some activity in the Colt 45’s bullpen. After striking out Reggie Smith to start the 5th, Strasburg walked Wade Boggs and Williams, bringing Dock Ellis into the game with runners on 1st and 2nd.

Mookie Betts greeted Ellis with a shot to right field, scoring Boggs and sending Williams to third on the RBI double. But Ellis got a popout from Bill White and fanned Jim Pagliaroni ending the inning with the Red Sox up, 3-2.

Ellis may have punched his ticket back to AAA with another ineffectual outing, allowing 4 hits in 1 inning and seeing the Red Sox lead increase to 5-2. Meanwhile, Wakefield was solid, but allowed Houston a 3rd run in the bottom of the 6th on an RBI single from Jorge Posada.

Wakefield’s final line was 7 innings pitched, 6 hits, and 3 earned runs: a decent enough start from the knuckleballer. He was relieved by Len Barker, with much of the Memphis bullpen fatigued. It didn’t go well: George Brett singled and Carlos Correa took Barker deep to tie the game at 5. Barker got an out, but after back-to-back walks to Jim O’Rourke and Wynn, Memphis turned to Heath Bell.

Making his WBL debut, Carney Lansford hit a hard ground ball to 3B that was misplayed by Boggs for an error, loading the bases with one out. Craig Biggio singled in 2 runs, putting Houston up 7-5 as we moved to the top of the 9th.

Boggs atoned, leading off the inning with a solo homerun against Houston’s new closer, Billy Wagner. But Wagner recovered, and even after an error by Correa put the tying run on second, he was able to fan Pagliaroni to end the ballgame. The win went to Houston’s old closer, Brad Lidge, who threw a scoreless frame in relief of Trevor Hoffman.

MEM 6 (Barker 0-1, 1 BSv) @ HOU 7 (Lidge 1-3; Wagner 2 Sv)
HRs: MEM – Williams (11), Boggs (1); HOU – Johnson (5), Correa (3)
Box Score

#Game Three: Roger Clemens @ Bret Saberhagen

Jimmy Wynn led off the bottom of the first with a homerun to give Houston a 1-0 lead. It went downhill from there, as Wynn committed two errors in centerfield that helped Memphis get out to a big lead.

Fred Lynn started it with the first homerun of his career, a 2-run shot in the top of the second. They added 3 more in the 3rd, the first on Wynn’s first error, the other 2 on a single from Claude Ritchey. Then, in the top of the 5th, another run scored on Wynn’s second miscue, and and a single from Iván de Jesus plated 2 more, extending the lead to 7-1.

Clemens gave up 2 more runs in the bottom of the 5th on a triple from HR Johnson and a single from George Brett. An RBI single from Jeff Bagwell made it 7-4 in the bottom of the 7th, and Carlos Correa took Turk Farrell deep in the bottom of the 8th to close it to a one run game, 8-7.

Memphis would add two more in the top of the 9th, helped by another Houston error, this one by Craig Biggio at C. Lynn sacrificed one run home, and Manny Ramirez plated the other with a pinch-hit single.

With 2 outs and 2 on in the bottom of the 9th, Biggio had a chance to redeem himself against Memphis’ closer, Joe Beggs. He couldn’t: Beggs induced a groundball to shortstop to end the game.

Bagwell had 4 hits for Houston while Lynn and Ritchey combined for 5 RBIs for Memphis.

Clemens finally got his first victory of the year, and Beggs’ work was good for his 8th save while Bret Saberhagen took the loss, although he was let down more by his defense than his arm.

MEM 9 (Clemens 1-4; Papelbon 4 H; Beggs 8 Sv) @ HOU 6 (Saberhagen 3-4)
HRs: MEM – Lynn (1); HOU – Correa (4); Wynn (6)
Box Score

#Game Four: Jon Lester @ Roy Oswalt

Reggie Smith led off the game with his 7th homerun of the year, taking Roy Oswalt deep down the right field line for an early 1-0 lead for Memphis. Jim Pagliaroni doubled the lead with homerun in the 2nd.

That was all for the Red Sox through 5 innings, but Jon Lester was out-pitching Oswalt, allowing no runs and only 2 hits.

The Cole 45’s got on the scoreboard in the 6th, as HR Johnson walked, stole second, took third on a throwing error by Pagliaroni, and scored on an single by Lance Berkman.

Pagliaroni went deep for his 2nd homerun of the game in the top of the 7th with a 2-run shot to extend the Red Sox lead to 4-1. In the 8th, Ted Williams and Bill White went back-to-back against Trevor Hoffman, extending the lead to 7-1.

Given the state of the Red Sox bullpen, those runs were important, as it allowed Memphis to leave Lester in, with only Len Barker warming up in the bullpen. Both teams scored again, and Barker was pulled into action … but it didn’t really matter.

Williams and Smith had 3 hits each for Memphis, and Pagliaroni drove in 3 runs. Tony Gwynn had 3 hits for Houston as his average edges towards .300, sitting at .292.

MEM 8 (Lester 6-3) @ HOU (Oswalt 5-3)
HRs: MEM – Smith (7), Pagliaroni 2 (4), White (7), Williams (12)
Box Score

Series Summary

The series ended an even split, which is a better result for Memphis than for Houston.

Jeff Bagwell went 6-for-16 and Tony Gwynn 8-for-12 for Houston.

Reggie Smith, Jim Pagliaroni, and Eddie Rosario had 5 hits each for Memphis (with Smith and Pagliaroni each hitting 2 homeruns), and Ted Williams went 7-for-17 with 2 homeruns, bringing his average back over .300 for the season.

Series XIII Preview: Memphis Red Sox @ Houston Colt 45’s

By mknn

On August 29, 2021

In Series Previews

We haven’t touched on these two clubs since the very start of the season, when Houston visited Homestead in Series I and Memphis hosted Birmingham in Series III.

#Memphis Red Sox

Memphis is struggling. They come into series XII 10 games below .500 at 20-30, but only 6 games out in the Bill James Division.

They have really had issues across the board, with some recent hiccups in the bullpen calling what had been a strength all season into question.

There are some bright spots: Ted Williams is a likely all-star, slashing 291/381/542 and Reggie Smith has been on a tear, bringing his line up to 307/368/513. Those two, along with Mookie Betts and Bill White have been quite dependable all season.

The biggest concern offensively is probably Wade Boggs, who has been removed from the 2-spot in the lineup given his 244/362/327 slash line. Still, the OBP is solid and the Memphis faithful are convinced he’ll bounce back. The bigger question is how the sextet of recently promoted players, especially infielders Claude Ritchey and Wayne Causey, will perform at the WBL level.

On the mound Jon Lester leads the staff in wins at 5-3 with a quite solid 3.91 ERA. Roger Clemens, who has shown real flashes of brilliance, has little to show for it, at 0-4 with a 5.56 ERA to date. The other starters–Dean Chance, Tim Wakefield and Nixey Callahan–have been perfectly fine, but little more.

Joe Beggs has 7 saves and is yet to allow a run over 13 innings, and Jonathan Papelbon has been fantastic setting him up. Getting to Papelbon via Turk Farrell and Heath Bell has been bumpy at times, but overall the bullpen has been solid for the Red Sox.

So, it’s a team in need of better starting pitching and hoping the changes they have made offensively might all click.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Houston is who they are: currently 25-25 and 7 games back in the Cum Posey Division. They’re a solid team across the board, lacking power and suffering a bit in their bullpen, but just … solid. Which is almost a compliment.

Jim Wynn, Jeff Bagwell, and HR Johnson have been their best players offensively. Wynn, slashing 293/402/467, leads the team in OBP and SLG, and Johnson at .324 in BA. Wynn and Johnson have combined to steal 33 bases in 42 attempts, making the top of their lineup dangerous on the basepaths. Bagwell has 7 homeruns to lead the Colt 45’s and his 27 RBIs trail George Brett by 1.

The most obvious need is for one or more of Tony Gwynn, Craig Biggio, or Carlos Correa to break out of OPS’ hovering roughly around .700.

The starting pitching has been anchored, as expected, by Roy Oswalt at 5-2, 4.21. But the contributions of Toad Ramsey and Stubby Overmire have been totally unexpected, and if Bret Saberhagen‘s recent starts are indicative of him getting back on track, the rotation could be significantly better than average.

In the bullpen, Brad Lidge leads with 6 saves, but his 9.35 ERA has moved him out of the closer role, which now falls to Billy Wagner, who has impressed with a team low 2.38 ERA and 0.79 WHIP. It’s not clear how much longer the team will stick with Leon Day, Dock Ellis, or Bones Ely at the deep end of the bullpen.

#Series Matchups

Memphis’ starter listed first. Nixey Callahan (3-5, 4.91) @ Stubby Overmire (0-2, 3.58); Tim Wakefield (2-3, 4.33) @ Stephen Strasburg (2-3, 3.81); Roger Clemens (0-4, 5.56) @ Bret Saberhagen (3-3, 5.29); Jon Lester (5-3, 3.91) @ Roy Oswalt (5-2, 4.21).

It’s hard to argue that Memphis has the edge in any of the matchups: maybe, if Clemens puts together all the parts of his best starts and maybe Lester over Oswalt.

TWIWBL 11.1: Series IX Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On July 11, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Hank Aguirre had pitched well all season, but had only a 1-3 record to show for it. Here, he combined with Mike Henneman on a 3-hit shutout of Houston, figuring the only way to win was to ensure the opposition didn’t score. Hank Greenberg was 1-for-3 with 2 RBIs in the 3-0 victory.

Si Johnson lasted less than 2 innings before leaving his start injured, but it was long enough to give up 5 runs and take the loss in a game the Wolverines dropped to Houston, 6-3. Johnson was put on the 10 day DL after the game, with Mickey Lolich called up to Detroit to take his place and Johnny Marcum taking Johnson’s place in the rotation.

Tom Brookens‘ stay in Detroit was short, but going hitless in 15 ABs will do that. The 33-year old veteran was out of options, so the Wolverines waived him, freeing up a spot on their 40-man roster as well. 1B Greg Brock was recalled, adding some power to their bench.

#Los Angeles Angels

Armando Benitez made 4 appearances for the Angels, none of them good. He’ll be given another 12 games to see if there’s anything worth salvaging–having made it clear he’s unwilling to go to the minors, the Angels will then be faced with the choice of releasing or trading Benitez.

#Memphis Red Sox

Where did that come from? Nothing Eddie Cicotte had done yet indicated ha had this in him: 7.1 innings of shutout, 6-hit ball against Chicago, easily the hottest offense in the league. Mookie Betts, Ted Williams, Vern Stephens, and Bill White all went deep as the Red Sox eased to a 10-0 win. Williams was 3-for-4 with 3 runs and Betts was 3-for-4 with 4 RBIs.

Pete Runnels was moved to AAA, with Claude Richey being recalled. 1B George Scott would have joined Runnels, but refused the demotion, potentially signaling the end of Boomer’s time with the Red Sox.

#New York Gothams

Despite walking 3 in the top of the 9th, Sad Sam Jones tossed a complete game, 4-hit shutout against the mighty Black Yankees. Jones moved to 2-3 on the year, with the key hit being a 2-run homerun by Eugenio Suarez. Willie Mays added 3 hits for the Gothams.

Al Mays‘ recent struggle cost him his rotation spot, with Gaylord Perry taking his place.

#Wandering House of David

C.C. Sabathia spun a 5-hit shutout against Brooklyn to raise his record to 5-2. The Royal Giants’ Don Drysedale–who gave up a grand slam to Ernie Banks in the first inning before delivering a very Drysedalesque performance–lost his first game of the year. Banks, George Stone, Pete Browning, and Mark McGwire each had 2 hits for the House of David.

Gabby Hartnett and Frank Grant were both sent to AAA (sub .500 OPS will do that), with Frank Chance being promoted to serve as Elrod Hendricks‘ backup at catcher. The House of David reached down to AA for Grant’s replacement, recalling Bunny Downs, who had been hitting 360/436/472 for Albuquerque.

TWIWBL 6.1: Series V Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On May 23, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Bob Bailey hit 2 HRs and drove in 5 to lead the Wolverines to a 7-2 victory over Chicago. The win went to Johnny Marcum, who threw 4 hitless innings in relief of Hank Aguirre. Marcum moved to 2-1 on the season.

Hal Newhouser began his road back to Detroit with a rehab assignment at AAA.

#Memphis Red Sox

Trailing 6-2 after four innings, the Red Sox looked unlikely to end their 8 game losing streak. But, behind two HRs and 5 RBIs from Manny Ramirez and 4 hits from Mookie Betts, Memphis came back against Ottawa, scoring 9 unanswered runs en route to an 11-6 victory.

Ted Williams kept the streak going, leading off the bottom of the 15th inning with a HR to RF off Monk Dubiel, giving Memphis a 6-5 win likely to decimate both bullpens for a while.

The Red Sox will need more bullpen help before their next series, though, as the 15 inning game was followed by an even longer one as they were pushed to 18 innings in the season finale against Ottawa. Heath Bell, Eddie Cicotte, and Tim Wakefield combined for 9.1 scoreless innings, with Wakefield being particularly impressive. But Turk Farrell gave up 2 runs, and Memphis dropped the marathon game, 5-4.

Afterwards, Sadie McMahon and Cicotte were sent to AAA, with Mel Parnell and Joe Borowski joining the major league club.

TWIWBL 4.0: Series III – Birmingham Black Barons @ Memphis Red Sox

By mknn

On September 29, 2020

In TWIWBL

Between them, Birmingham and Memphis had only managed 4 wins on the young season. Something had to give as they faced off for 5 games.

Behind a good start from Roger Clemens, Memphis carried a 5-2 lead into the 7th inning, but then it fell apart as the Black Barons put a crooked number on the scoreboard: Eddie Mathews led it off with a solo HR, and after 3 walks from Clemens, Billy Southworth sent a pitch deep into the night for a grand slam. Mookie Betts and George Scott hit HRs in the bottom of the 9th, but it wasn’t enough, and Birmingham held on for the 8-7 victory.

Dean Chance won game 2 for Memphis to tie the series at 1 game each, throwing 6.2 IP without allowing an earned run (Birmingham scored 3 times, helped by an error by Memphis SS Vern Stephens). Tim Wakefield and Jon Papelbon completed the game without allowing a hit. The final score was 4-3, with Chance moving to 2-0 on the year.

Game 3 was another 1 run affair, this one going to Birmingham by a score of 3-2. Alejandro Pena got his first win of the year, moving to 1-2 and hanging a tough loss on Memphis’ Nixey Callahan, who pitched well enough to win. Mathews’ 2nd HR of the series–a solo shot in the top of the 7th inning–proved the decider.

Birmingham’s Scott Baker allowed only 4 hits in 7 IP, and the Black Barons’ bats woke up in the 4th game of the series as they eased to a 9-2 win. Frank Isbell went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI’s and Chipper Jones and Hank Aaron went deep as both Sadie McMahon and Wakefield got hit hard, giving Birmingham a 3-1 edge in the series.

Warren Spahn came into the 5th and final game of the series with an ERA over 20. After allowing no runs over 7 inning of 5 hit ball, it had been cut nearly in half: still an embarrassing double-digit number, but a good sign for Birmingham fans. Memphis’ Jon Lester was nearly as good, allowing only 1 run in his 7 innings, but it was all the Black Barons needed, as Spahn was followed by Juan Rincon and Carlos Diaz in near-perfect relief. Birmingham won the game 1-0, taking 4 of 5 games in the series as well.

There wasn’t a ton of offense in the series: in fact, only 2 players really performed well at the plate across the 5 games. For Birmingham, Isbell was on fire, going 8-for-19 with 4 RBIs in his 4 games. Betts had 5 hits for Memphis, including 2 HRs, making an argument for additional playing time.

The result leaves both teams at 4-10, tied for the worst record in the league.

Season Preview: Memphis Red Sox

By mknn

On August 23, 2020

In Team News

Memphis, like many teams, will go as far as their SP can carry them. There is great potential here, especially with 23 year old Roger Clemens at the back of the rotation. But all of their starters are under 25, and its not clear that Sadie McMahon, David Bush, or Nixey Callahan are really cut out for the WBL. The offense features 20 year old emerging star Ted Williams along with a host of talent in the OF. The key may be if Reggie Smith can produce enough to be respectable in CF, and if Dustin Pedroia and Vern Stephens can become a reliable combination in the middle infield.

Final Roster

SP: Sadie McMahon, David Bush, Jon Lester, Nixey Callahan, Roger Clemens.
RP: Dean Chance; Turk Farrell & Heath Bell; Jonathan Papelbon & Derek Lowe; Joe Beggs.

C: Bob Brenly; Jim Pagliaroni
1B: Bill White & George Scott
2B: Dustin Pedroia; Pete Runnels
3B: Wade Boggs
SS: Vern Stephens; Nomar Garciaparra
LF: Eddie Rosario
CF: Reggie Smith
RF: Ted Williams; Mookie Betts
DH: Manny Ramirez

Notes

The biggest news from the final week of Spring Training is a devastating injury to closer Eddie Watt that will cause him to miss the entire season. Joe Beggs slides into the closer role, with Jonathan Papelbon and Derek Lowe setting him up … the battle of young OFs between Manny Ramirez (24), Tony Conigliaro (21) and Mookie Betts (22) ended with Ramirez out-hitting the other 2 and Betts’ defensive versatility preserving his position and sending Conigliaro to AAA … the final cut is risky for Memphis, as the struggling Eddie Cicotte was sent down, leaving them with only 11 arms on the pitching staff … Boomer Scott and Bill White form a platoon at 1B, and essentially Eddie Rosario and Betts are platooning, although they are rotating with Ted Williams and Ramirez in LF, RF, and DH … Look for the Red Sox to find lots of ways to get Pete Runnels into the lineup v RHP and Nomar Garciaparra against LHP.

At 35, Nomar Garciaparra is the veteran of the roster, while 20 year old Ted Williams is the youngest of the Red Sox.

The scouts still hold high hopes for 20 year old RP Luiz Gohara, who flamed out during the Spring. 2B Claude Richey is also at AAA if reinforcements are needed. 17 year old OF Willie Crawford and 20 year old 2B Ozzie Albies are the most heralded prospects at AA.

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.