Tag: Ned Garvin Page 1 of 5

TWIWBL 69.3: Bill James Division

On December 4, 2024

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	45-26	.634	—
Cleveland Spiders	38-30	.559	5.5
Memphis Red Sox	33-35	.485	10.5
Detroit Wolverines	33-37	.471	11.5
Baltimore Black Sox	28-44	.389	17.5

Bill James Division | 18 June

#Baltimore Black Sox

Time for some changes. Bobby Wallace, Sean Marshall, and John Wetteland were all recalled from rehab assignments, with Mark Baldwin, Gregg Olson, and–yes–Larry Gardner heading to AAA. This means Miller Huggins will see most of the time at 2B, and while Wallace is the starter, Cal Ripken, Jr. will rotate through SS, 3B, and occasionally 2B in a quest for playing time.

Baltimore continues with only 3 named starters (Dennis Martínez, Ned Garvin, and Mike Mussina).

#Cleveland Spiders

Bill Steen returned to the Spiders’ rotation.

Both Sammy Strang and Victor Martinez were moved to AAA as Cleveland’s patience for them to turn around horrible starts to their season ran thin. John Ellis‘ recent mini-revival means Cleveland doesn’t necessarily need to recall a C; instead they brought IFs Steve Sax and Chico Walker up from AA.

Mel Harder‘s injury status remains unknown, but needing a starter, the Spiders placed him on the DL, recalling Hank Gastright. Gastright was OK, and Ron Blomberg went deep twice, but the Spiders couldn’t keep Memphis’ bats quiet, losing 8-4 to the Cuban Giants.

Al Smith, decent in a very small sample size as a lefty in the pen, will miss about a week, earning him a trip to the DL. Joe Smith (no relation) was promoted from AAA.

The Spiders finally got a diagnosis on Harder, who will miss the rest of the season with a fractured elbow.

A strong start from Steen combined with 2 homers from Evan Longoria carried Cleveland to a 4-1 win over Memphis.

#Detroit Wolverines

Bill Carrigan was sent to AAA to see if he could break out of his season-long slump. The Wolverines recalled Jack Wilson from his rehab assignment to help out their beleaguered staff.

Charlie Gehringer continued to impress with his 9th and 10th homeruns of the year as the Wolverines topped Chicago, 5-2. Charlie Root was excellent, allowing 1 run in 7 plus innings to level his record at 6-6.

The Wolverines finally had seen enough of Gene Conley‘s struggles, sending the former pro basketball player to AAA along with Claude Passeau and activating Billy Hoeft and Pete Conway being recalled. With Hal Newhouser starting a rehab assignment, look for more changes in the Detroit mound corps in the days to come.

#Memphis Red Sox

Ted Williams reached 20 homeruns on the season, going deep twice in an 8-6 loss to Los Angeles.

#New York Black Yankees

Hank Bauer did well in his time in the WBL, with 6 homers in under 30 games. But he’s no Eric Davis, and with Davis ready to return from his rehab assignment, Bauer moves back to AAA and the Black Yankees become, if anything, more formidable.

Mickey Mantle went deep twice and Waite Hoyt improved to 5-0 as the Black Yankees beat Portland, 9-4.

Dave Righetti will miss a couple weeks with a strained shoulder, prompting the Black Yankees to recall Roy Evans from AAA Newark. Evans isn’t very heralded as a prospect, but he led AA in IP in 2000, and was 6-3 with a 3.20 ERA so far at AAA.

TWIWBL 69.2 Spotlight on the Baltimore Black Sox

By mknn

On December 3, 2024

In TWIWBL

What a collapse. From Whirled Series champions to last place in their division, Baltimore is finding out what happens when your pitching staff goes from being among the best in the league to something very far away from that.

Baltimore inherits players from the St. Louis Browns and the Baltimore Orioles, as well as NeL players closely aligned with either the Baltimore Black Sox or the Baltimore Elite Giants.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Baltimore is floundering in last place, 17.5 games behind the Black Yankees, with the worst record in the league. It’s just pretty miserable.

THE OFFENSE

The offense hasn’t been great, but it’s not really been the dominant issue for the Black Sox.

#What’s Going Right

Frank Robinson continues to argue for a spot among the truly elite of the league, slashing 300/389/623. But he doesn’t lead the Black Sox in HRs or RBIs: that falls to Gavvy Cravath, who is coming through as the largest free agent acquisition of the off season. Cravath has 21 homeruns and 54 RBIs, shading ahead of Robinson in both counts.

Cal Ripken, Jr. is tearing the cover off the ball in about 20 games, arguing for a lot more playing time.

Bryce Harper and Dan McGann continue to be well above-average with only a low BA for Harper and not enough power for McGann keeping them out of superstar status.

Miller Huggins has been surprisingly good, getting on base at a near .400 clip.

#What’s Not Going Right

Larry Gardner, excellent last year, has almost played himself out of a job at this point, struggling to get his OPS over .550. His lack of productivity and Bobby Wallace‘s injury are what opened the door for Ripken, Jr. and Huggins.

Baby Doll Jacobson has been quite average.

Paul Blair cannot hit, but we knew that, and he does continue to play stellar defense in CF.

THE PITCHING

The rotation is in total disarray and the bullpen isn’t much better.

#What’s Going Right

Um.

Ned Garvin is on the mound again.

Justin Hampson has been effective as an option versus lefties from the bullpen.

Mike Mussina has pitched well, far better than his 3-4, 5.11 numbers would indicate.

#What’s Not Going Right

Everything else.

Let’s start with the staff ace, Dennis Martínez, who has a decent 7-4 record, but has been hit pretty hard, with a 5.19 ERA and poor peripherals.

The rest of the starters have been so bad that the Black Sox refuse to name a #4 and #5 starter. Nobody else has an ERA under 5.00, and while Connie Johnson and Bill Byrd have decent analytics, the results have been relatively miserable.

Joe Beggs has 11 saves, but has also started 2 games, and looks betwixt and between no matter what his role.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

Not great.

Ripken, Jr. started the year in the minors, and he and Eddie Murray are clearly the future of the org. But there isn’t much beyond them–Bruce Bochte and Steve Brodie have some talent in the OF; Gunnar Henderson, Mark Belanger, and Asdrúbal Cabrera could offer some help on the IF; and … who knows, maybe Joe Dobson, maybe Jack Kramer on the mound?

WHAT’S NEEDED

A miracle. I mean, just not finishing in the basement would be something at this point. My guess is this team is a seller at the deadline, which may mean McGann moves on, clearing room for Murray.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Not many: the twelve arms are–pending injury or spring training collapse–pretty much set, as is most of the lineup with only a single roster spot currently available, which would be filled by a reserve 2B? Ah, such arrogance …

FEATURED SERIES

Baltimore closes the week with 3 games at Detroit, which will be our focus.

Projected Starters

Baltimore starter listed first.

Dennis Martínez (7-4, 5.19) @ Johnny Marcum (5-2, 3.78)
Ned Garvin (3-3, 5.33) @ Justin Verlander (2-8, 66.06)
Mike Mussina (4-4, 5.31) @ Charlie Root (6-6, 4.89)

Game One

Dennis Martínez‘ struggles have been a major issue for Baltimore so far this year. El Presidente won 14 games with an ERA under 4.00 in their championship run. This year, his ERA is about a run-and-a-half higher, although he does have 7 wins.

Martínez struggled here, giving up 5 runs in 5 innings on 4 homers. But Cal Ripken Jr., Curt Blefary, and Manny Machado all hit one out for Baltimore, and both starters left after 5 innings, with the Black Sox up, 6-5.

The surprising Juan Beníquez drove in the go-ahead run for Detroit in the bottom of the 7th, setting up a great situation for the Wolverines, with Chad Bradford pitching the 8th and Mike Henneman the 9th. Bradford did his job, but Henneman gave up a pinch-hit homer to Ken Singleton giving Baltimore an edge that Joe Beggs–not terribly dependable so far this season–was able to preserve.

Both Ripken and Detroit’s Ed Bailey had 2 homers on the day.

BAL 8 (Sain 1-2; Beggs 12 Sv; Hampson 7 H; Dickey 1 Bsv) @ DET 7 (Henneman 4-2, 3 B Sv; Bradford 6 H)
HRs: BAL – Ripken, Jr. 2 (10), Machado (24), Blefary (15), Singleton (9); DET – C. Davis (18), E. Bailey 2 (16), Gamble (11).
Box Score

Detroit got some bad news after the game, with Henneman out for just over a month. Joakim Soria was recalled from AAA.

Game Two

With Ned Garvin not yet rested, the Black Sox turned to Jim Palmer for the matchup against Detroit’s struggling Justin Verlander.

Detroit took the lead in the bottom of the first, but both Palmer and Verlander were doing well early. Verlander gave up a lot of base runners, but it took a an RBI single from Miller Huggins for Baltimore to go ahead, 2-1, in the top of the 4th.

A solo shot from Oscar Gamble tied the game, but the Black Sox greeted Verlander’s replacement, Jack Wilson, for 4 runs, led by Frank Robinson‘s bases-clearing, 2-out double.

A double from Ty Cobb in the bottom of the 8th finally chased Palmer, who made a decent argument for a return to Baltimore’s rotation. His numbers won’t reflect that, as John Wetteland came in, walked a batter, and gave up a grand slam to Gamble followed by a solo shot to Chili Davis, tying the game.

More bad news for Detroit’s staff, as Billy Hoeft will miss a couple weeks.

With Chad Bradford and Sean Marshall each doing their jobs, we head into extra innings in this one.

In the 10th, Cal Ripken Jr. singled and was replaced by Baby Doll Jacobson, who stole second. Bobby Wallace delivered an RBI single for the lead, and Baltimore turned the game over to Joe Beggs. Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, and Gamble? No problem, and Baltimore holds on for the victory.

Most importantly, Marshall looked like his old self with 1.2 scoreless innings.

Gamble ended with 5 RBIs and Bobby Wallace had 3 hits on the day.

BAL 8 (Marshall 1-0; Beggs 13 Sv) @ DET 7 (Bradford 2-4) [10 Innings]
HRs: BAL – none; DET – Gamble 2 (13), C. Davis (19).
Box Score

Hoeft hit the DL, and Detroit recalled Mike Griffin.

Game Three

Last year, Baltimore’s Ned Garvin and Detroit’s Charlie Root were among the best hurlers in the league. This season … not so much. But both of shown flashes of their past ability, so we’ll see if Garvin can nail down the sweep or Root can salvage a game for the Wolverines.

Gavvy Cravath put Baltimore in front 1-0 in the 2nd with his 22nd homer of the season. That wasn’t terribly surprising, but Paul Blair‘s 8th of the year, a 3 run shot, was, giving the Black Sox a 4-0 edge.

Garvin was unable to hold it, though, as a series of walks and singles brought Detroit back to within 1 at 4-3. Garvin loaded the bases in the 3rd as well, including his 6th walk of the game. For the second time on the day, George Davis came through with an RBI single, this time tying the game and chasing Garvin, who was replaced by Connie Johnson, who promptly walked in a run, putting Detroit up, 5-4.

Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg hit back-to-back shots in the 4th, but Frank Robinson and Bryce Harper tied it up in the 5th with longballs of their own. That, and a short rain delay, chased Root.

In the top of the 7th, Cravath sent out his 2nd of the game, this one with the bases loaded. RBI’s from Blair and Miller Huggins made it 13-7. In this contest, it just might be enough …

Cravath hit his 3rd of the day and Justin Hampson and Johnny Sain were able to close it out. Cravath finished with 4 runs scored and 6 RBIs for Baltimore while Kaline was 4 for 4 for Detroit.

BAL 14 (Byrd 4-3) @ DET 7 (Bechtel 1-2)
HRs: BAL – Cravath 3 (24), Blair (8), Robinson (22), Harper (15); DET – Greenberg (26), Cobb (23).
Box Score

The game was a little rough, as Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace and Detroit’s Mike Griffin (on his WBL debut) had to leave via injury. Wallace was sent to the DL with light hitting IF Dave Anderson being recalled.

This gives Baltimore a 5 game winning streak, during which they are giving up over 7 runs a contest. So, yeah, it’s really been all about the offense. But if they can get some pitching, they can at least claw their way out of the basement. After that, who knows?

TWIWBL 69.1: Year 2, Week 12

By mknn

On December 2, 2024

In TWIWBL

June 18th

We’re rounding the corner towards the selection of this year’s All-Star teams. Today, we’ll check in on last year’s all stars from the AL.

#Awards

Duke Snider hit .444 with 5 homeruns last week, earning the Brooklyn OFer the NL Player of the Week Award. In the other league, Detroit‘s irrepressible Ty Cobb was named AL Player of the Week. Cobb moved his average back over .400, finishing the week at .411 after hitting .579 with 5 homers.

#Team Performance

Pretty much status quo here.

The New York Black Yankees lead Cleveland in the Bill James Division by 5.5 games; San Francisco has extended their lead in the Cum Posey Division to 9.5 over Chicago; and Indianapolis and Kansas City remain tied atop the Marvin Miller Division.

And, over in the Effa Manley Division, 5.5 games separate Brooklyn in first and Ottawa at the bottom.

Memphis and Brooklyn have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, while Miami has done the inverse, finishing 2-8 over their last week and a half.

#Player Performance

Batters

Someone poked Babe Ruth, insinuating that the Black Yankees’ OF might not be the dominant player in the league. Since then, he has been on fire, retaking the league lead in his usual categories.

Three batters sit over .400: Houston‘s Tony Gwynn at .427, Ty Cobb at .411, and Homestead‘s Josh Gibson at .402. Gwynn, predictably, is the only batter with over 100 hits so far in the season.

Oscar Charleston (IND). 328/380/626. 9 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 411/462/864. 97 H; 34 2B; 4.9 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 402/480/776. 4.5 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 427/460/668. 108 H.
Joe Jackson (CHI). 368/417/611. 35 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 329/394/573. 35 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 297/420/768. 34 HR; 81 RBI; 67 R; 55 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 321/390/782. 32 HR; 73 RBI.
Ted Williams (MEM). 306/425/624. 60 R; 48 BB.

San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson continues to lead the league in steals with 51, but Ottawa’s Tim Raines has recovered a bit offensively, and being on base more has allowed him to close the gap a bit, now sitting with 44 on the year.

Pitchers

Starters

Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón and San Francisco’s Bump Hadley are the only hurlers in double digits for wins. The three pitchers with 9 victories are also included below, as well as the usual statistical leaders. Of note is the appearance of Kansas City’s A. Rube Foster, who now has (barely) enough IP to qualify here.

The dominance of Kansas City and San Francisco is worth mentioning as well.

Frank Castillo (KCM). 9-1, 4.01.
A. Rube Foster (KCM). 4-0, 2.44. 0.86 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 8-4, 3.19. 107 IP; 3.1 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-3, 3.68. 116 K.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 10-4, 3.81. 3.29 FIP.
Luis Padrón (IND). 10-2, 3.90.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 9-3, 3.65.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-4, 3.03. 107 IP; 134 K; 0.94 WHIP; 2.72 FIP; 4.6 WAR.

Relievers

Five relievers have 9 Holds at this point, and all of them are listed, making this a bit of a larger group than usual.

16 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 3.79. 19 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-1, 3.72. 9 H.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.46. 3 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-3, 3.55. 1 Sv; 9 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 0.92. 2 Sv; 9 H; 0.71 WHIP; 2.07 FIP.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-2, 4.01. 18 Sv.
Rob Murphy (IND). 1-1, 2.70. 1 Sv; 9 H.
Ross Reynolds (LAA). 2-0, 1.93. 1 Sv; 1 H; 2.02 FIP.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 1-2, 4.85. 1 Sv; 9 H.
Lee Smith (HOD). 4-1, 2.97. 3 Sv; 6 H; 0.73 WHIP.

#2 Way Players

It’s been a while, so figured we should check back in on these guys. Here’s the list:

Name	Team	Batting	Pitching	Total WAR
Charles Rogan	PHI	311/356/605. 1.8 WAR.	4-5, 4.55. 1.8 WAR.	3.6
Luis Padrón	IND	252/331/390. 0.1 WAR.	11-2, 3.90. 2.9 WAR.	3.0
Smokey Joe Wood	KCM	263/364/526. 0.1 WAR.	8-3, 3.41. 2.1 WAR.	2.2
JM Ward	PHI	158/186/246. -0.7 WAR.	3-2, 3.68. 1.8 WAR.	1.1
Jim Whitney	BBB	140/178/256. -0.4 WAR.	2-2, 4.00. 1.1 WAR.	0.7
Elmer Smith	LAA	323/462/387. 0.2 WAR.	0-1, 6.46. -0.1 WAR.	0.1
Eustaquio Pedroso	MIA	210/312/296. -0.3 WAR.	2-1, 6.11. -0.2 WAR.	-0.5

Wood has received very little time in the field, so we’ll see how he does as that expands. It looks like Ward should stay on the mound, and that really, it’s only Rogan and Padrón as truly valuable 2-way talents.

#Injury Report

Cleveland’s Mel Harder, Detroit’s Hal Newhouser, Miami’s Kenshin Kawakami and perhaps most importantly, Portland’s Joséito Muñoz should all start injury rehabs later this week. Should those go well, all four teams should receive rotation boosts in the near future.

#Last Year’s All-Stars

As we ramp up to this year’s all-star game, seemed a good time to check in on last year’s designees. This week, we’ll take a look at (what was last year) the AL.

#OBV

Bob Bailey (3B, DET). Just a dependable offensive machine at the hot corner.

Rod Beck (RP, SFS). Still racking up the saves, and doing better than last season otherwise.

Hank Greenberg (1B, DET). Keeps pounding the ball.

Mike Henneman (RP, DET). Remains dominant from the bullpen.

Rogers Hornsby (2B, POR). Keeps rolling along with better numbers than last season.

Joe Jackson (OF, CAG). This year’s version is a doubles machine without nearly the homerun power, but still maintaining on OPS over 1.000.

Craig Kimbrel (RP, KCM). Dominant, and really making the argument to be moved into the closer slot for Kansas City.

Willie Mays (OF, NYG). Somehow underappreciated despite his stellar performance.

Andy Pettitte (SP, NYY). Just keeps rolling. Like the whole league, his ERA is a little higher, but his peripheral numbers are strong.

Buster Posey (C, NYG). More power than last year, a little less of everything else, but still elite.

Frank Thomas (1B, CAG). Significantly better offensively across the board, which is a truly frightening statement.

Ted Williams (OF, MEM). A borderline selection last year, he’s upped his game significantly this season, with an OPS of 1.049.

#Mebbe

Curt Blefary (C, BAL). Nowhere near as good as last season, but still a good offensive player, showing both power and control of the strike zone.

Eddie Collins (2B, CAG). Power output has fallen off, and while he’s still a top performer, is not the MVP candidate of last season.

Mike Epstein (1B, HOM). The shape of his production has changed, as his BA has dropped 80 points. But he’s slugging .570 and his OPS is virtually the same as last season.

Dan McGann (1B, BAL). At 37, he’s performing better than last season, but remains under the radar for some reason.

Stan Musial (OF, KCM). He’s hitting almost exactly the same as he did last year, but has struggled with the longball. That may be enough to nudge him off the team, unfair as that may be.

#Meh

Dick Allen (3B, CAB). Not doing badly, but clearly a long wasy from an all star at this point.

Gerrit Cole (SP, LAA). May be pitching better than last season, but without the dominant W/L record, should fall far short of the all-star game.

Mark Melancon (RP, POR). Perhaps a stretch choice last year due to a ridiculous number of wins for a reliever, is doing fine this year, but far from all-star levels.

AJ Minter (RP, CAG). Still the American Giants’ closer, but no longer among the best in the league.

Reggie Smith (OF, MEM). Other than a boost in power, struggling a bit across the board.

Bobby Wallace (SS, BAL). Injured and not performing nearly as well regardless, Wallace is still an on base machine, and clearly has value.

Brian Wilson (RP, NYG). Injured and limited to 13 games so far, but dominant in those appearances, so there’s a chance.

#What Happened?

Bill Byrd (SP, BAL). Well below average so far this season.

Elrod Hendricks (C, HOD). Last year’s magnificent performance looks more and more like a mirage. Hendricks still has power, but is no longer elite among league backstops.

Duffy Lewis (OF, CHI). Struggling, especially in the power department.

Tricky Nichols (SP, CAG). An ERA over 6.00 and a ton of HR’s allowed.

Freddy Parent (SS, CAG). Parent rode his All Star selection–deserved at the time–to a trade to a contender, and then lost the ability to hit for power at all. Without that, he’s a mediocre SS.

Doug Rader (3B, LAA). A stunningly productive 2000 has been followed with … very little.

George Stone (OF, HOD). Significantly worse across the board. Stone looked like a budding star last year, now he looks like a decent 4th OFer.

#Other

Ned Garvin (SP, BAL). Garvin was the dominant pitcher in the league last year when he got injured. He’s been fine since his return, but has yet to find the same level.

Sean Marshall (RP, BAL). Hit by a long-term injury, Marshall is due to return to Baltimore’s bullpen by the all-star game.

TWIWBL 68.2 Spotlight on the San Francisco Sea Lions

By mknn

On October 29, 2024

In TWIWBL

There is some optimism building by the Bay.

The Sea Lions were pretty disappointing last season, and it wasn’t really clear what to expect from them. Right now, things are going just about as well as could be hoped.

San Francisco inherits players from all the Athletics: Philadelphia, Kansas City, and Oakland.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

San Francisco is pulling away from the Cum Posey Division, playing .615 ball and holding a 6-7 game lead over Miami and Chicago. At this point, expectations have been raised to certainly making the playoffs and even making some noise once there.

THE OFFENSE

A balanced offense, with a lot of power and a ton of speed. There are some holes, but more has gone well than not.

#What’s Going Right

Almost everything.

Let’s start with the surprises. C Mickey Cochrane has exploded in a big way, slashing 318/408/581 after a very difficult rookie season. Turkey Stearnes, the 7th pick in last season’s draft, has exceeded all expectations, locking down the CF job and posting an OPS over .950. And, finally, Jimmie Foxx, while still a bit of an enigma, is showing he has at least one spectacular skillset, leading the team with 21 homeruns.

One strength of San Francisco last season was the OF trio of Bobby Bonds, Jack Clark, and Reggie Jackson. Two of them continue to deliver: while Jackson isn’t contending for the triple crown as he did for a lot of last season, he is second on the team in homeruns with 18 and first in RBI with 52. And Clark is just consistent: 259/382/569 with 17 homeruns.

The emergence of Stearnes and Foxx has triggered some changes here, as Clark has shifted to play mostly at 1B with Bonds seeing his playing time drop slightly.

The combination of Rickey Henderson and Dick Lundy put a ton of pressure on the other team: the 2 have combined for 74 steals (against 20 CS), with each of them having an OBP over .350.

#What’s Not Going Right

Bobby Bonds has regressed slightly (although his OPS is still around .875).

And then there is the rest of the IF. Jimmy Bloodworth started the season as the incumbent at 2B, but struggled before being shelved with an injury (Bloodworth may be back within a week or two) while at 3B Sal Bando is adequate at best (he’s hitting for more power than last year, but his other stats are down). The other options so far have struggled: Phil Garner has been downright bad, Roy Hartzell demoted, and the jury is still out on the latest to be given opportunities, Denny Walling and Royce Clayton. Lundy’s flexibility gives the Sea Lions a lot of options here, but a MI seems to be a strong need for the team, assuming Foxx is given more and more time at 3B.

THE PITCHING

Last week, this would be described as going perfectly, but Ron Robinson‘s injury has a shot at disrupting what has been an excellent staff, top to bottom.

#What’s Going Right

Lefty Grove (7-4, 3.26) and Eddie Plank (8-3, 3.51) are as good a top two as any staff in the league can claim. Both are likely all-stars.

After them, nobody has excelled, but nobody has really struggled either, with Bump Hadley, Watty Clark (now a fulltime starter), and Tommy Bridges all pitching quite well in the rotation, with Jim Devlin, Mel Stottlemyre Sr, and the surprising Tom Brewer all filling in quite admirably when needed.

And the back of the pen–Rod Beck, Ken Howell and the now-missing Robinson–has been lights out, with Beck recording 15 saves and Howell sporting a 1.23 ERA.

#What’s Not Going Right

It’s more an issue of the question marks: Dennis Eckersley continues to tempt with potential, but really be quite average, and asking Huston Street and Brewer to step in for Robinson might be far too much of a reach.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

It’s really hard to complain about a system that added Stearnes.

But there’s not a lot behind him. John Beckwith–currently sidelined with injury–is starting to show his offensive strength, but at 19 may be a year or two away. Beckwith is also blocked, as his defensive skills are really somewhat identical to Foxx’s.

Red Ehret is heralded as a pitcher, but doesn’t really pass the eye test. Dario Lodigiani may be a long term solution at 2B, but he’s a ways away. OF Jules Thomas and P Steve Ontiveros look good, but are also a few years away.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The pitching needs to continue to excel, with the largest challenge being how to cover for Robinson in the bullpen. If the IF can be resolved, the lineup will be truly scary 1 through 9, always a goal.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

On a team full of logjams, who steps forward? Strikes me as a pretty lame question, honestly. The issue was really solved with the trade of Pedro Guerrero to Brooklyn, with Watty Clark being the key piece coming back. That, and Foxx really jumping Bando in the pecking order at 3B.

FEATURED SERIES

The Sea Lions open with 4 games hosting Baltimore; given that the Black Sox are beginning to show signs of life, seemed a good series to focus on.

Projected Starters

Baltimore starter listed first.

John Tudor (2-3, 4.75) @ Bump Hadley (8-4, 4.15)
Dennis Martínez (6-3, 4.55) @ Watty Clark (3-2, 4.50)
Ned Garvin (3-2, 5.03) @ Lefty Grove (7-4, 3.26)
Mike Mussina (3-3, 4.83) @ Tommy Bridges (1-2, 5.59)

Game One

Baltimore’s John Tudor had to leave early via injury, and Phil Garner, whose struggles were mentioned above, took Tudor’s relief, Connie Johnson, deep in the 3rd for a 1-0 lead for the Sea Lions. Turkey Stearnes went deep in the 4th and Johnson was chased as San Francisco added another in the the 5th for a 3-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Bump Hadley had a shutout through 6, allowing the Black Sox only 2 hits. A pair of 2 out walks led to Hadley exiting the game in the 8th, but Ken Howell closed the inning out and Rod Beck pitched a perfect 9th for the combined shutout.

BAL 0 (Johnson 4-5) @ SFS 3 (Hadley 9-4; Beck 16 Sv; Howell 3 H)
HRs: BAL – none; SFS- Garner (2); Stearnes (16).
Box Score

Game Two

The Sea Lions took the early 3-0 lead on Reggie Jackson‘s 19th homer of the year and a an RBI single from Phil Garner. But Baltimore came back in similar fashion–a solo shot from Manny Machado and a 2 run single from Paul Blair. Both Dennis Martínez for Baltimore and Watty Clark for San Francisco looked strong, and the game remained 3-3 until the top of the 8th.

And here we see the potential impact of Ron Robinson‘s absence. Instead, San Francisco turned to Tom Brewer–who has been excellent so far, but has nowhere near the track record of Robinson. Brewer gave up a hit and a walk and a runner reached on an error, loading the bases and summoning Ken Howell from the Sea Lions’ bullpen. Curt Blefary singled in 2 and a 3rd scored on a sacrifice fly from Cal Ripken, Jr. giving Baltimore a 3 run lead heading to the bottom of the 8th.

Gregg Olson gave up a leadoff walk to Rickey Henderson and a double to Dick Lundy, bringing in Justin Hampson from the Black Sox bullpen to face a couple of lefties. Both Mickey Cochrane and Jackson delivered sacrifice flies, making it a 6-5 game.

Machado’s 2nd of the game and 20th of the year pushed the cushion back up to 2. Joe Beggs closed it out in what felt like a bit of a disappointing loss that evened the series.

BAL 7 (Martínez 7-3; Beggs 11 Sv; Hampson 5 H) @ SFS 5 (Brewer 0-1)
HRs: BAL – Machado 2 (20); SFS – Jackson (19).
Box Score

Game Three

Baltimore’s Ned Garvin was solid, allowing only a 2 run HR to Reggie Jackson in the bottom of the first over his 6 innings of work. But Lefty Grove was better, striking out 10 in his 8 innings of work. Grove was chased leading 3-1 after a pinch-hit homerun from Gavvy Cravath, but Baltimore could get no closer, with Rod Beck tossing a perfect 9th for the save, his second of the series.

BAL 2 (Garvin 3-3) @ SFS 3 (Grove 8-4; Beck 17 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Blefary (14), Cravath (20); SFS – Jackson (20).
Box Score

Game Four

Tommy Bridges has been a bit rough since his return from injury, but he was magnificent today, with 7 shutout innings before giving up a longball to Manny Machado in the 8th. Meanwhile, the heart of the Sea Lions’ order (Dick Lundy, Reggie Jackson, and Turkey Stearnes) went 8-for-12 including Stearnes’ 17th homer of the year, building a 5 run lead.

After Bridges’ departure, the mystery that is Dennis Eckersley surrendered a shot to Bryce Harper, making it a 1 run game, but again Rod Beck closed out the victory.

BAL 4 (Byrd 3-3) @ SFS 5 (Bridges 2-2; Beck 18 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Machado (21), Harper (14); SFS – Stearnes (17).
Box Score

A strong series for the Sea Lions, as they took 3 out of 4 from the defending champs. The wins encapsulated San Francisco’s success so far this year: excellent starting pitching, Rod Beck closing out each of the 3 victories, and a highly productive offense with Stearnes and Jackson each hitting 2 out in the 4 games.

TWIWBL 66.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On September 20, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
New York Black Yankees	33-18	.647	—
Cleveland Spiders	28-21	.571	4
Detroit Wolverines	23-28	.451	10
Memphis Red Sox	21-30	.412	12
Baltimore Black Sox	20-32	.385	13.5

Bill James Division | 28 May

#Baltimore Black Sox

Mike Mussina returns to the Black Sox rotation, but the severe underperformance of its back end has left Baltimore in a quandary. For now, they are going with Dennis Martínez, Ned Garvin, and Mussina as regular options, with the final spots pretty much up for grabs, with even current closer Joe Beggs in the mix.

Baltimore hit 7 homeruns, including 2 from Bryce Harper, as the Black Sox ran rampant over Chicago, 12-3.

#Cleveland Spiders

Tris Speaker went deep twice, leading the Spiders to a 10-6 win over Los Angeles.

#Detroit Wolverines

With George Davis ready to return from injury, the Wolverines pulled a surprise move, sending veteran Tony Phillips–a key sparkplug for last year’s success–to AAA. This move frees up room for more time for Juan Beníquez in LF and cements the platoon between Charlie Gehringer and Joe Wood at 2B. It also leaves the Wolverines without a true backup CF behind Chili Davis, so we’ll see how that works out.

Needing a starter, the Wolverines exchanged Claude Passeau for Si Johnson. Johnson’s stay was short, as Johnny Marcum was recalled from his rehab assignment after Johnson put in a mediocre start where Hank Greenberg went deep twice, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Wolverines from dropping their 6th straight, 7-5 to the Black Yankees.

Bob Bailey went deep twice and Pete Conway pitched a complete game in an 11-4 win over Portland. Bailey drove in 6 and Greenberg went deep as well for the Wolverines.

Billy Hoeft will miss the better part of a week, earning himself a trip to the DL with Felipe Vázquez being recalled to maintain a left-handed weapon in the pen. George Bechtel was returned to AAA with Si Johnson being recalled once more for a spot start. The hits kept coming for the Wolverines: Johnson’s performance was fine, but with Jack Wilson heading to the DL, not only does Johnson retain his spot, but Bechtel was recalled immediately to Detroit.

#Memphis Red Sox

The merry-go-round continues: Nixey Callahan and Eddie Cicotte head to AAA with Skel Roach and Shane Bieber being recalled from their rehab assignments. Joe Rudi was sent down as well, with OF Jack McAleese being recalled.

Travis Shaw went deep twice, driving the Red Sox to a 10-7 win over Miami. Later in the week, Reggie Smith did the same, homering twice in an 11-3 win over Baltimore.

#New York Black Yankees

The Black Yankees recalled Red Ruffing from a rehab assignment, with Noah Syndergaard heading to AAA.

Ruffing had a scoreless debut in relief of a dominant Ron Guidry as the Black Yankees beat Detroit, 11-1. Guidry improved to 8-1 on the year and Hank Bauer went deep twice for New York.

Mickey Mantle went deep twice and the Black Yankees beat Detroit 7-5 behind an excellent 8 innings from Andy Pettitte, who improved to 6-2.

TWIWBL 63.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On July 12, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Baby Doll Jacobson was activated from the IL, with Cal Ripken, Jr. shuttling back to AAA. Connie Johnson‘s recent hot streak keeps him in the rotation, but Jim Palmer moves to the bullpen with the surprising John Tudor taking Palmer’s spot. Johnson is still on the edge, sitting with an ERA over 7.00 at the moment, but the real question for Baltimore is how Ned Garvin‘s return impacts their overall performance.

Don Bessent was sent to AAA to get his stuff back together, with Justin Hampson being recalled.

Garvin’s first start was a little rough, but it got the job done as the Black Sox beat Miami 4-3. Garvin gave up 8 hits and 3 runs in 6+ innings, but Gregg Olsen, Buddy Groom, and Joe Beggs allowed only 1 hit in relief with Beggs notching his 5th save of the season.

The Black Sox imploded, given up an 8-1 lead over the final 2 innings of a 9-8 loss to Miami. This wasted 2 homeruns from Manny Machado and a grand slam by Gavvy Cravath and, perhaps more concerning, saw Beggs depart with an undiagnosed injury.

#Cleveland Spiders

Mel Harder and Yordano Ventura were named to the Spiders’ rotation, with Bob Feller retaining his spot in the bullpen for now.

Lance Berkman went deep twice, leading the Spiders to a 9-4 victory over the Black Yankees. With 14 homeruns, Berkman now leads the WBL in dingers.

Tris Speaker had 4 hits (including 2 homeruns), scored 5 runs, and drove in 4 and Berkman added 5 ribbies as Cleveland topped Memphis in a roller coaster affair. The Spiders had 17 hits in the 17-11 win, which went to Firpo Marberry, who improved to 2-0.

Berkman continued to absolutely mash the ball with 3 homeruns in a 12-4 win over Memphis, giving him 17 on the year, and the league lead. Chuck Knoblauch had 5 hits, scored 5 runs, and drove in 3 with a WBL record 4 doubles.

Ron Blomberg took over for Berkman, homering twice in a 7-5 win over Memphis.

#Detroit Wolverines

Vernon Wilshere was sent to AAA, with Buddy Napier recalled from his rehab assignment.

Al Kaline went deep twice as the Wolverines downed Chicago, 8-6.

Staff ace Hal Newhouser will miss about 6 weeks with elbow discomfort with George Bechtel being recalled once again. Things got worse as Johnny Marcum was also sent to the DL, expected to miss at least 2 starts. Jack Wilson was recalled from AAA.

#Memphis Red Sox

Dean Chance was recalled from his injury rehab, with Sadie McMahon heading back to AAA. The Red Sox have still refused to name a 5th starter to their rotation.

It was an unearned run, but it was all they needed, as Travis Shaw–pinch running for Wade Boggs–scored on a single to CF by Ted Williams in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Red Sox a 1-0 win over Portland. Len Barker, David Bush, and Andrew Miller combined to allow the Sea Dogs only 5 hits, with Miller evening his record at 2-2.

#New York Black Yankees

Eric Davis–11 homeruns, 24 RBI, 30 R–will miss 5-6 weeks with a torn abdominal muscle. The Black Yankees recalled veteran OF Hank Bauer to take his place on the roster, with Héctor López expected to get more time (some in CF, some in LF with Babe Ruth shifting to CF) in Davis’ absence.

The Black Yankees struck out 16 Angels in a 4-2 victory, although a poor outing by Aroldis Chapman eliminated the chance at a combined shutout. Ron Guidry improved to 5-1, allowing 2 hits in 7 plus innings while fanning 13, and Ruth launched his league leading (for the moment) 17th homerun of the year.

TWIWBL 63.2: Spotlight on the Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On July 11, 2024

In Team News, TWIWBL

For the very first TWIWBL Spotlight, we’ll be looking at the Detroit Wolverines.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Last year, the Wolverines won their division with the 2nd best record in baseball and lost to Baltimore in the Whirled Series in 7 games, so there are some expectations at play here.

So far, they’re underperforming, sitting 1 game under .500 at 16-17, 6.5 games behind the surging New York Black Yankees in the Bill James Division. At the most zoomed out, their pitching staff has been average, and while the offense has some significant bright spots, there are some issues to address.

THE OFFENSE

It’s a decent offense overall, with some power (but nobody in double figures in HR yet) and overall excellent OBP numbers (Detroit is 3rd in the league in walks). There is not much speed, outside of Ty Cobb, who has 13 steals.

#What’s Going Right

Ty Cobb. Remember, he’s still only 21 years old. And he’s slashing 398/462/858, leading the league in all 3 categories, and tied for the team league in HR with 9. 3B Bob Bailey also has 9 and has been the Wolverines’ 2nd best hitter amongst their starters.

Hank Greenberg and Al Kaline have been solid, if not spectacular, and Charlie Gehringer and Joe Wood have done better than expected in carrying large loads in the IF as rookies.

Professional hitter Juan Beníquez has professionally hit, slashing 395/511/526 in limited appearances as the club tries to open up more playing time for him. The challenge is that he plays the same positions as Cobb, Greenberg, and Bailey. But there are some ways to juggle the pieces to get his bat in the lineup a bit more often.

#What’s Not Going Right

The Wolverines are on the verge of abandoning their 3 catcher strategy. Ed Bailey and Ernie Lombardi are doing fine–not much more than that, but fine–but Bill Carrigan, who hit over .300 last year, is wallowing away with a .087/125/130 slash line. Mix that with the clear needs for more depth at either SS or CF or both, and Carrigan’s time with the big league club may be limited.

Tony Phillips may be showing his age, with the 39 year old–last year’s sparkplug–managing only a 168/267/287 slash line. Another key to last year’s team, Oscar Gamble, is doing only slightly better at 207/349/276. Gamble is still looking for his first homerun of the year, and while that OBP is nice, it’s not what the Wolverines really need from him.

THE PITCHING

#What’s Going Right

The bullpen has been excellent, with Mike Henneman producing saves at the same rate as last year, but this time being dominating as he’s done so, with an ERA and WHIP both under 1.00. Henneman has 9 saves, tied for the league lead, and both Chad Bradford and the surprising Billy Hoeft have been excellent getting to him.

Pete Conway has been a pleasant surprise since being called up, and there is talk of him moving into the rotation as, across 16 appearances, he’s arguably been the Wolverines’ best pitcher.

#What’s Not Going Right

The rotation is a hot mess. Nobody has more than 2 wins and only Charlie Root (2-3, 3.96) is really pitching well. Hal Newhouser has been OK, but Justin Verlander, Johnny Marcum, and especially Gene Conley have all struggled mightily. And it’s not an illusion: the more advanced stats (FIP, SIERA) tell the same story of Root being alright and the rest being pretty poor.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

There’s not a lot of immediate help at AAA on the mound. George Bechtel is off to a decent start, and is probably next in line to get a look.

Wally Moses, Brady Clark, Wes Covington, and Tony Lazzeri have all been looked at as options, depending on what happens with Phillips. And, veteran gloveman George Davis should be back from injury this month.

There’s not a lot here, honestly. Logan Hensley is the highest rated arm in the system, and he’s not great and teenage phenom Wander Franco is still a few years away, especially if Gehringer continues to develop.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The pitching to right itself and either Greenberg or Kaline to up their game, giving the team another top tier offensive threat to complement Cobb.

Storylines To Watch

Certainly Cobb and his assault on the triple crown. It’s doubtful he can maintain the SLG that is required, but if you hit .400, all things are possible.

Key Questions from Spring Training

In their Season Preview, there were 3 Key Questions for Detroit. Here’s an update on each.

Who is the 5th Starter? Unfortunately, with the current spate of injuries, this is now who are the 4th and 5th starters, and the answers seem to be Pete Conway and unknown, which is not a great answer.
Can they continue to carry 3 catchers? Not if Bill Carrigan continues to hit under .100.
The MI is a concern. Yeah, it is, but Billy Nash and Joe Wood have done well, although the team is looking forward to the return of George Davis’ glove later this month.

FEATURED SERIES

We’re looking at 3 game set at the end of the week against the Baltimore Black Sox where the Wolverines will welcome the (now struggling) defending champs to Tiger Stadium for a 3 game set.

Game One

Johnny Marcum left the game with a back injury in the 3rd inning, allowing only a single hit. The bullpen struggled, with Ray Sadecki, George Bechtel, Pete Conway, and Billy Hoeft giving up 7 runs in just over 5 innings.

Luckily, the Wolverines’ offense pounded out 17 hits and 12 runs, including 7 tallies in the bottom of the 7th en route to a 12-7 victory. Ty Cobb and Ernie Lombardi had 3 hits each and Charlie Gehringer 4 RBIs.

Chalk one up for the offense. This is sort of the peak of how Detroit can perform with the bat: a lot of hits spread up and down the lineup, a consistent ability to turn over multiple innings. It’s also an example of how fragile their staff is. Sadecki debuted well, but neither he nor Bechtel look likely to stick around, and Buddy Napier–expected to be key in late innings–only lowered his ERA to 7.00 with his scoreless inning at the end.

Marcum hit the DL after the game, with Conway likely to take his next start.

BAL 7 (Wetteland 0-5, 2 B Sv; Hampson 1 H) @ DET 12 (Hoeft 1-0)
HRs: BAL – Jacobson (1), Machado (9), Harper (5), Wallace (2); DET – Gehringer (6).
Box Score

Game Two

Justin Verlander turned in the best start of his career, allowing only 1 hit over 8 innings while striking out 11 and walking 3, but the victory went to Mike Henneman as a sacrifice fly from Charlie Gehringer in the bottom of the 9th gave the Wolverines a 1-0 win over Baltimore. Henneman showed flashes of his old self, walking 2 in the 9th before getting out of a jam of his own creation.

For the Black Sox, the game was worth more than the loss as Ned Garvin seemed to return to form with 6 shutout innings.

This game was needed after the bullpen was stretched thin yesterday. Most of all, though, Verlander has always showed this talent, but never really put it together. He still needs to show he can do it consistently (his ERA fell to 4.64 with his 8 shutout innings here, which is fine, but not great), but it’s a start.

BAL 0 (Olson 0-1) @ DET 1 (Henneman 3-0)
HRs: None.
Box Score

Game Three

The Wolverines went for the sweep with Charlie Root facing off against Baltimore’s Dennis Martínez. Neither ace was very good, with Detroit eventually building a 13-6 lead before the bullpen struggled to an eventual 13-10 win (and the series sweep).

Al Kaline had 3 hits and Hank Greenberg, Oscar Gamble, Tony Phillips, and both Ed and Bob Bailey went deep for Detroit who overcame 3 hits from Frank Robinson and 5 RBI’s from Dan McGann in the victory.

See the comments from the first game: another excellent day offensively, with contributions up and down the lineup and 5 SB’s to boot (from Joe Wood, Billy Nash, and Juan Beníquez, along with 2 from Ty Cobb). But Root’s problems continue, and George Bechtel had another bad outing, giving up a bases loaded triple to McGann and creating the save situation for Chad Bradford.

Still, a sweep is a sweep.

BAL 10 (Martínez 3-2) @ DET 13 (Wilson 1-0; Bradford 1 Sv)
HRs: BAL – McGann (4), Robinson (10), Cravath (11); DET – Gamble (3), Greenberg (10), Phillips (3), E. Bailey (3), B. Bailey (10).
Box Score

TWIWBL 62.2: Bill James Division

By mknn

On June 21, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Something was clearly wrong with Mike Mussina all season. Turns out an elbow problem wen unnoticed until it forced him from the game in a 6-5 victory over Chicago. Mussina hit the DL and is expected to miss a few weeks, with the Black Sox finally, and excitedly, recalling Ned Garvin to take his place.

#Cleveland Spiders

Ron Blomberg went deep 3 times (including a 530 ft moon shot) and drove in 7 as the Spiders rolled over Baltimore, 8-4. Cy Young struggled a bit, but only allowed 1 earned run in 6 innings, improving to 3-1.

Lance Berkman matched Blomberg, going deep twice (including his own 550 ft. moon shot), but it wasn’t enough as the Spiders fell to Baltimore, 5-3.

Stan Coveleski hit the 10 day DL, with Hank Gastright being recalled from AAA.

The Spiders exploded for 16 runs and 21 hits in a 16-8 doubling of Detroit. Johnny Bates and Joe Sewell had 4 hits each, Bates and John Ellis drove in 4 runs, Bates scored 4 times and Bates and Ellis each went deep twice (with one of Bates’ shots being a nearly 540 ft. bomb). Gastright picked up the win in relief of a very ineffective Pat Malone, who couldn’t make it through 5 innings despite being staked to a 13-2 lead.

#Detroit Wolverines

Ty Cobb‘s 2 homeruns and 5 RBIs will grab the headlines, but the Wolverines don’t beat Portland 7-3 in 11 innings without Ed Bailey throwing out 6 runners trying to steal over the course of the ballgame. Mike Henneman threw 2 scoreless innings for the win, improving to 2-0 on the year.

#Memphis Red Sox

The Red Sox clubbed 6 homeruns, with both Billy Bryan and Bill White going yard twice, in a 15 to 8 romp over San Francisco. White drove in 4 and Ted Williams, White, and Dobie Moore had 4 hits each.

In what is likely a single-game maneuver, the Red Sox demoted Alex Johnson and recalled Carl Mays from AA for a start. Mays pitched well enough for the win, but not well enough to stick around, as the Red Sox beat the Sea Lions, 10-6 with Manny Ramírez going deep twice. David Ortiz and Wade Boggs had 3 hits each, and Williams also went deep in the victory.

Johnson was left at AAA, with Joe Rudi being recalled.

A 6-5 loss to the Black Yankees was especially costly, as both Skel Roach and Shane Bieber hit the DL. Roach is likely to be out a few weeks, while Bieber may miss only 1 or 2 starts at the most. Derek Lowe and Sadie McMahon were recalled from AAA New Orleans.

#New York Black Yankees

Babe Ruth hit 2 homeruns with the 2nd being a walkoff shot in the bottom of the 11th as the Black Yankees topped Chicago, 5-4. That gives New York 3 players tied for the league lead in homers with 11 in Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle.

Mike Schmidt went deep twice as the Black Yankees built a lead, and then held on for a 9-5 win over the American Giants. Schmidt drove in 6 and Manny Sanguillén had 3 hits, while Ron Guidry improved to 3-1 with 11 strikeouts in just over 6 innings of work.

This team keeps hitting longballs: this time it was Mantle’s turn to go deep twice as the Black Yankees beat Memphis 6-3. Elliott Maddox had 3 hits and Jack Scott pitched a strong 8 innings in improving to 3-2.

Waite Hoyt was placed on the 10 day DL, with veteran AJ Burnett recalled from AAA.

TWIWBL 61.2: Bill James Division

By mknn

On June 11, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Ned Garvin should start a rehab assignment some time this week, which is great news for a struggling Baltimore staff. The team won’t make any changes for now, but both Johnny Sain and the surprising John Tudor are pushing to replace Connie Johnson and/or Jim Palmer in the rotation. Garvin did indeed begin a stint at AAA, with many in the organization paying very close attention.

Frank Robinson might be emerging from his early season doldrums, going 3 for 4 with 2 homeruns in a 4-1 victory over Los Angeles. Dennis Martínez continued his strong start, improving to 3-1 with 7 strong innings, allowing 6 hits and a single run for the Black Sox, with Joe Beggs picking up his 2nd save of the year.

Baby Doll Jacobsen hit the DL with a sprained knee, with Cal Ripken, Jr. being recalled.

Gavvy Cravath had 2 hits, including a walkoff grand slam as the Black Sox came back to win 8-6 over the Black Yankees.

#Cleveland Spiders

Yordano Ventura was pressed into emergency duty as a starter and performed magnificently, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings, but he was not involved in the decision as the Spiders came from behind for a 3-2 win over Miami. Lance Berkman went deep twice for Cleveland.

#Detroit Wolverines

The Wolverines put on the largest beatdown of the WBL season so far, a 23 to 5 thrashing of Portland. Charlie Gehringer drove in 7 and Bob Bailey 4 while Bailey, Billy Nash, and Ed Bailey each scored 4 times. Bob Bailey and Juan Beníquez each had 3 hits for Detroit. Ed Bailey walked 4 times and Gehringer, Bob Bailey, and Hank Greenberg each went deep. Gene Conley wasn’t great, but he didn’t have to be as he improved to 1-2 with an 8 inning effort.

Ty Cobb went deep twice as the Wolverines pulverized Memphis, 15-3. Gehringer and Chili Davis had 3 hits each, with Cobb and Davis driving in 3 runs as part of a 16 hit attack. Charlie Root threw a strong 8 innings, earning his first win of the year.

Ernie Lombardi and Greenberg had 3 hits each (with Greenberg smacking 3 doubles), and Bob Bailey and Al Kaline had 3 RBI’s each as Detroit trounced the Red Sox, 13-6.

#Memphis Red Sox

The Red Sox clearly need to find more playing time for Travis Shaw and David Ortiz, who combined to go 5 for 8 with 7 RBIs and 3 homeruns (2 for Shaw) in a 10-7 win over the Black Yankees. Memphis roared out to a 10-1 lead then had to survive a bad outing from Andrew Miller for the win, which went to David Bush who threw 4 plus hitless innings in relief of an injured Shane Bieber.

#New York Black Yankees

After a rough start, Thurman Munson is starting to come around. The Black Yankee backstop had 3 hits, including 2 homeruns, and drove in 5 as New York topped Memphis, 9-2. Andy Pettitte had a solid outing, improving to 2-1.

Lou Gehrig went deep twice, leading the Black Yankees to a 4-3 win over Baltimore. Jack Scott improved to 2-2 with a solid outing and Goose Gossage picked up his 2nd save of the season.

TWIWBL 60.1: Year 2 – Week 3

By mknn

On May 29, 2024

In TWIWBL

April 16

#Team News

The best record in the league falls to the Kansas City Monarchs, who have won 9 in a row and sit atop the Marvin Miller Division at 10-2. The Chicago American Giants are 9-3.

At the other end, the Portland Sea Dogs are off to a rough start at 4-10, and Birmingham and defending Whirled Champion Baltimore are barely better at 4-9. Very early days, of course.

#Player News

Kansas City’s Albert Pujols was the NL Player of the Week, hitting .500 (10 for 20) with 2 homers over the span. Miami‘s Jim Thome took home the honors in the AL, hitting .458 with 6 homeruns and 12 RBI for the week.

Some fun stat lines from the early going:

Gary Carter (OTT). 412/500/941. 5 HR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 510/527/804. 26 H; 1.2 WAR.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 510/547/878. 12 2B; 17 R; 1.2 WAR.
Ryne Sandberg (HOD). 465/478/1.093. 8 HR. 18 RBI.
Frank Thomas (CAG). 435/527/739.
Jim Thome (MCG). 372/500/884.

In case you missed it there, Sandberg’s SLG is over 1.000 at the moment.

On the mound, Smokey Joe Wood (KCM) hasn’t allowed an earned run and Memphis‘ Jon Lester has an ERA of 0.75. Kansas City’s Luke Hamlin, Waite Hoyt of the New York Black Yankees, and Jack Taylor of the House of David each have 3 wins, and San Francisco‘s Rod Beck and Detroit‘s Mike Henneman have 5 saves each.

#Injury Watch

A few important ones over the first couple weeks (only considering injuries that will last a couple of weeks at minimum):

Once more the House of David is without their offensive leader, as Pete Browning will miss about a month.
San Francisco’s Tim Hudson may have suffered a career-threatening shoulder injury; at a minimum he’ll miss about 4 months.
Miami’s Julio Rodríguez is out for 2 more weeks, as is Portland’s 2B Rogers Hornsby.
Joe Morgan of the Indianapolis ABC’s will miss about a month with a badly sprained ankle.

Some players are, of course, healing, with Baltimore’s Ned Garvin–the most dominant pitcher in the league when he went down last year–likely to begin a rehabilitation assignment sometime this week. Philadelphia‘s promising stud Aaron Judge should return this week, as will Portland’s young hurler, Walter Ball.

#Featured Series

This time we’re going to go with a 3 game set between the 6-5 Ottawa Mounties visiting the 10-2 Kansas City Monarchs.

We picked this series because the Monarchs have won 9 in a row and Ottawa is a shock in the young season, carrying a team OPS of 1.001–their overall slash line as a unit is 343/406/595, figures that easily lead the league (it’s not like the Monarchs are struggling at the plate, posting a 329/370/566 line as a team).

Ottawa was horrible on the mound last year, and really haven’t been much better so far, with a 6.14 team ERA while Kansas City’s hurlers have been, as you may guess from their record, excellent as a unit, one of only 2 teams with a sub-4.00 ERA at 3.83.

Probable Matchups:

Ottawa hurler listed first.

Bob Moose (1-0, 6.52) @ José Rijo (1-1, 8.68)
Randy Johnson (1-0, 7.71) @ Smokey Joe Wood (2-0, 0.00)
Old Hoss Radbourn (2-1, 2.61) @ Frank Castillo (2-0, 3.38)

Game One

The one game that seemed least likely to be a pitching duel was, in fact, a pitching duel. Both Ottawa’s Bob Moose (2 hits and 1 earned run in 6 innings) and Kansas City’s José Rijo (4 hits and 2 earned runs in 6 innings) were excellent, but Ted Simmons‘ second 500 foot plus moon shot of the year was a 2-run walkoff blast, propelling the Monarchs to victory in the opening game of the series.

OTT 2 (Hammaker 0-2) @ KCM 4 (DiPino 1-0)
HRs: OTT – Carter (6); KCM – Murphy (3), Simmons (4).
Box Score

Game Two

It didn’t take long for Ottawa to score off Smokey Joe Wood: Tim Raines doubled to lead off the game, stole third, and scored on a sac fly from Roberto Alomar, events made noteworthy as it was the first run off Wood all season. Ottawa would add 2 more in the inning, and then 3 more in the top of the 3rd behind a double from Larry Walker, a triple from Carlos Beltrán, and an inside the park homerun from Sam Thompson.

Randy Johnson was slated to start the game for the Mounties, but when he was unable to go, Ottawa turned to Clark Griffith. Griffith gave up a 3 run shot to Boog Powell in the bottom of the 3rd, halving Ottawa’s lead. Griffith didn’t pitch poorly, allowing only 5 hits in 5 innings, but the Monarchs have been masters of timely offense so far, converting those 4 hits into 5 runs.

Dupee Shaw relieved Griffith, giving up a long RBI double to Robinson Canó to tie the game.

An Adrian Beltré homerun off Bob Shawkey put Ottawa back in front, 8-6.

There was some more scoring–a solo shot from Walker in the 9th and Powell’s second of the game in the bottom of the frame–but Ottawa held on for the 10-7 win, evening the series.

Walker went 4 for 4 and scored 3 times and Thompson finished with 3 RBIs for Ottawa while Powell drove in 5 on 3 hits for the Monarchs.

OTT 10 (Shaw 1-1, 1 B Sv; Ryan 1 H; Dempster 2 Sv) – KCM 7 (Shawkey 1-1)
HRs: OTT – Thompson (3), Beltré (3), Walker (5); KCM – Powell 2 (4), Smith (1).
Box Score

Game Three

This is what Ottawa hoped for from Randy Johnson: 6 fairly dominant innings with 6 strikeouts and only 2 runs allowed. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough as some timely hitting from the Monarchs–a 2 run double from Willie McGee, a homerun from Ducky Medwick, and Lou Brock and Ozzie Smith scoring 3 runs from the bottom of the lineup as Kansas City took the rubber match, 4-2.

Frank Castillo was even better than Johnson, allowing only 3 hits in almost 7 innings, with Dustin Hermanson, Craig Kimbrel, and Jeff Pfeffer combining to allow a single hit in 2.1 innings of relief.

OTT 2 (Gregg 0-1) @ KCM 4 (Hermanson 1-0; Pfeffer 5 Sv; Kimbrel 4 H)
HRs: KCM – Medwick (1).
Box Score