Tag: Olmedo Sáenz

Spring Training Questions

4 bullpen slots are open, and overall roster depth needs to be settled, especially on the infield.

Injuries

Defensive whiz George Davis will miss the first few months of the season after fracturing a finger on his right hand. This opens up some interesting possibilities, where either camp newcomer Tony Lazzeri or rookie Wander Franco may make the opening day roster.

Hank Aguirre–a key part of the Wolverines’ staff last season–will miss most of the season, if not all of it, with an injured labrum.

First Cuts

George Mullin, Emil Yde, Joakim Soria, and Wilson Álvarez were all sent down as Detroit’s pitching staff continued to come into focus. Of those, only Álvarez could be considered a surprise, but the lefty was just torched in his 3 spring outings.

Andy Allanson, Eric Hosmer, and Cecil Fielder were all returned to minor league camp while Billy Nash has done nothing but impress as the 20 year old tries to force his way onto the roster.

George Davis has yet to get a hit this Spring, but remains the presumed starter at SS as Ed Brinkman and Ray Chapman have also struggled at the plate, with neither remaining in the Wolverines’ camp, joining 2B Hobe Ferris in the minors. It remains a bit of a mess: Robby Thompson really hasn’t hit enough to make a claim for a job, but the Wolverine’s brass isn’t yet convinced by Joe Wood‘s early success. This has opened the door for Wander Franco, who at 19 had been assumed to be a courtesy inclusion in camp. All of this has led to Detroit calling Tony Lazzeri up, with a real chance at taking control of the reserve IF role.

In the OF, Dom Demeter, Phillip Ervin, and Tommy Thompson have all been cut, with Floyd Robinson and Dick Wakefield being particularly impressive so far this Spring.

Second Cuts

Hank Aguirre has struggled, but the team chalks that up to injury and plan to re-evaluate him when he can pitch again in a few days. Other than that, the only hurlers who are struggling are ones pretty likely to make the roster: John Hiller, Johnny Marcum, and Hal Newhouser.

Last year’s darling, Olmedo Sáenz, has an OPS under .500, but will be given a little more time to show his stroke.

The IF really has been thrown into chaos by George Davis‘ injury: Tony Lazzeri has done well since his recall, and while neither Sparky Adams nor Robby Thompson has hit much, both will stay in camp as the Wolverines try to work out exactly what the path forward is at 2B and SS.

The OF is still far too full as well as Bob Fothergill is the only player sent to the minors. Geoff Jenkins has struggled mightily, but his performance last year keeps him around for the time being, although Floyd Robinson, Dick Wakefield, and J.D. Martinez are all threatening to take his spot as Detroit’s 4th or 5th OFer.

That leaves Detroit with a whopping 47 players still in camp, increasing the importance of the next week or so.

Third Cuts

Ps Felipe Vásquez and Roger Craig were sent to AAA, as were C Ramón Cabrera, and last year’s late season darling Olmedo Sáenz,

Saenz’ departure was hastened by the impressive springs from both Juan Beníquez and Greg Brock.

2B continues to be a source of confusion: veteran Tony Phillips is the likely starter, and Joe Wood seems to be emerging as a decent backup. But the rest of the contenders–late Spring addition Tony Lazzeri, consummate utility infielder Sparky Adams, and the promising talent of Robby Thompson–are struggling mightily at the plate.

A similar situation exists at 3B: Bob Bailey is the clear incumbent, but Beníquez, Wood, and 20 year old AA MVP Billy Nash are all hitting far better. The only clarity is gloveman supreme Jimmy Collins heading to AAA.

George Davis‘ injury clears some space here, as all of these players–and youngster Wander Franco–can fill in at SS as well. None of them play it well, however, and Davis’ glove will be sorely missed.

The more Ty Cobb can adjust to LF, the clearer the OF situation gets for the Wolverines. But the players are set–Cobb, Chili Davis, Oscar Gamble, and Al Kaline should cover both OF and DH. Jody Gerut was sent to AAA, leaving the Wolverines with only Ron LeFlore on the roster as a true CF. LeFlore has struggled offensively, but his glove and speed maintain his spot.

The real challenge is to see how Dick Wakefield, Floyd Robinson, and J.D. Martinez sort out. Right now, all three of them are hitting too well to be jettisoned to the point where Geoff Jenkins–a solid 4th OFer last season–may not make the opening day roster.

Final Cuts

The acquisition of Charlie Gehringer combined with Robby Thompson‘s horrible Spring performance meant Thompson heads to AAA. Tony Lazzeri homered in his first Spring Training appearance, but it was all downhill from there and Lazzeri will start the year in the minors.

Ron LeFlore was next to head to AAA, with the Wolverines deciding that Tony Phillips still had enough spring in his step to cover for Chili Davis in CF.

Wander Franco was intriguing, but at 19 seems not ready for the WBL quite yet. He was the best fielding SS in camp, but the Wolverines evidently are happy enough with Sparky Adams or perhaps young Billy Nash there until George Davis’ return.

Six players were moved on to get down to 30. Some were pretty easy: Greg Brock, Floyd Robinson, Jason Schmidt. Some were surprising: John Hiller‘s inability to do anything well this Spring sends him to AAA to get himself sorted out. The Old Man’s Glove—Sparky Adams–was also sent down as the performance of Joe Wood has been impressive. That seems to mean the Wolverines have given the starting SS role to … Billy Nash? At least until George Davis returns. That may not last long.

Finally, JD Martinez heads down. Martinez had a chance to make the roster, but Dick Wakefield has out performed him by quite some distance, and Detroit’s OF is already overly crowded.

In unsurprising moves, Claude Passeau and Brandon Beachy were sent to AAA. The final 3 cuts were more difficult. First, Geoff Jenkins–a solid contributor last season–was sent down after a terribly lackluster Spring, as was Dick Wakefield, who performed far better.

The final cut was RP Roberto Hernández, who was excellent in the Spring and likely will return quickly to Detroit.

This means Billy Hoeft, Pete Conway, and Juan Beníquez all make the opening day roster, in addition to Wood and Nash.

Season Review: Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On January 3, 2024

In Season Reviews, Team News

89 - 65, .577 pct.
1st in Bill James Division, 3 games behind.
Lost to Baltimore in Whirled Series

Overall

Finishing runner up to the best team in the league made last year a success in Detroit, but it also leaves a bit of a sour taste: what did they need to get over that final hurdle, and how quickly is the window closing? That last is more of a concern for the Wolverines than most WBL teams with sparkplug Tony Phillips, C Ed Bailey, and SS George Davis all on the wrong side of 35.

On the other hand, none of their three top starters were in Detroit’s rotation at the start of the season (Hal Newhouser was at AAA, Gene Conley was in the bullpen, and Charlie Root was pitching for San Francisco), so a full season of them should help. And on the third hand, this is a team that did it with only two stars–Hank Greenberg and Ty Cobb–and, even if you add phenom Al Kaline to that group, could really use some additional high end offense.

What Went Right

Greenberg and Cobb, for sure. Both are young, Cobb won the batting title and hit for power with speed and Greenberg was on the fringes of the MVP discussion all season.

Kaline had an OPS nearing .950 over 34 games. So, that went very right, but is also not a proven commodity at this point.

Chili Davis, Oscar Gamble, and Bob Bailey all hit better than expected, combining for 68 homers and 242 RBI.

George Davis managed 2.7 WAR despite a .662 OPS–that’s how good he was with the glove at shortstop.

Tony Phillips was an ageless wonder, posting an OBP near .400 at the top of the lineup.

The catching trio–Ed Bailey, Bill Carrigan, and Ernie Lombardi–was effective, although as you would guess, finding enough at bats for them all was a challenge.

Once Newhouser, Conley, and Root settled in, this was as good a top 3 as there was last year. Conley led the trio–and the team–with 12 victories, but it was Newhouser who really provided consistent greatness on the mound for Detroit.

Mike Henneman tied for the league lead in saves with 38 and Chad Bradford and Buddy Napier were among the best in the business in bridging to the closer.

Hank Aguirre and Johnny Marcum were solid, especially once they moved to the back half of the rotation.

ALL STARS
3B Bob Bailey; 1B Hank Greenberg; RP Mike Henneman

What Went Wrong

Sparky Adams was never meant to be more than a utility infielder … but wow did he not hit well. It was only his defensive flexibility that kept him around over Robby Thompson–clearly a better option at 2B–and Jimmy Collins, who despite being great with the glove at 3B, barely hit more than Adams.

Tony Phillips was fragile, and it’s not clear, at 38, if he has any full seasons left in him.

Justin Verlander never really established himself despite a lot of opportunities. He wasn’t bad, for sure, as evidenced by his 10-4 record, but he wasn’t consistent and couldn’t hold a rotation spot.

Vernon “Whitey” Wilshere and Si Johnson were both downright bad as starters.

Transactions

March

1B Nate Colbert to Birmingham for P Ron Perranoski and 3B Billy Nash

Sure, whatever.

June

SS Donie Bush, 2B Jorge Orta, P Brandon League, OF Gene Martin & 2nd Round Pick to Indianapolis for C Ernie Lombardi

Unsure. Lombardi was OK for Detroit, and more will be asked of him, but that’s a lot to give up for a part-time catcher.

July

2B Charlie Gehringer, P Red Ehret, 3B Bill Sweeney & 4th Round Pick to San Francisco for P Charlie Root & P Chad Bradford

A clear win, even if Gehringer eventually finds his footing.

Looking Forward

SP

This should be solid, with an eventual combination of Hal Newhouser, Charlie Root, Gene Conley, Mickey Lolich, and Justin Verlander.

RP

It’s a strong trio now with Buddy Napier, Chad Bradford, and Mike Henneman, and Matt Anderson and Delin Betances offer some depth in the system.

C

Could be an area of need, but for now Bill Carrigan and Ernie Lombardi will see more of the time here, with the aging Ed Bailey being phased out.

1B

Hank Greenberg.

2B

Another area of need, unless Robby Thompson takes a major step forward.

3B

Bob Bailey looks good here, as did Olmedo Saénz in a brief audition.

SS

George Davis has this for now, but after that it’s not really clear: it’s possible Alfredo Griffin, Ray Chapman, or even Ed Brinkman develop; it’s possible they need to bring some more talent in.

LF

Oscar Gamble should have this for a while.

CF

Some mixture of Ty Cobb and Chili Davis, although each of them may be more suited to a corner OF spot. There is some talent behind them in Jody Gerut and Ron LeFlore.

RF

The Wolverines are banking a lot on Al Kaline‘s performance not being a mirage, although Geoff Jenkins will continue to push for more time as well.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

The first round pick is pretty easy: with Joe Torre taken, the C talent is pretty thin, add in the fact that Bill Freehan is a franchise choice, and Detroit has–it hopes–its backstop of the future.

Another franchise pick, Frank Lary, was picked up in the 3rd round.

Rounds 5-8

With all of their exceptions still available, the Wolverines can cherry pick–of mediocre talent, but still. They can use depth across the board: every position, plus arms, so it truly is a “best player available” moment.

It started with another franchise selection, P Billy Hoeft and was followed in the 6th round by C Johnny Romano who is so much better than the other remaining talent behind the plate his selection felt pretty mandatory. They picked up P Logan Hensley in the 7th and OF Bob Fothergill in the 8th.

Rounds 9-12

IF Wander Franco (final exemption); OF Riley Greene; OF Kerry Carpenter; C Derek Norris.

10th round pick Riley Greene refused Detroit’s offer.

TWIWBL 50.0: THE WHIRLED SERIES, Preview Edition

By mknn

On October 9, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Series Previews, TWIWBL

We have our matchup for the very first WHIRLED SERIES, the Detroit Wolverines against the Baltimore Black Sox. This was the matchup the numbers wanted from the beginning: Baltimore had the best record in the league during the regular season, finishing with 91 wins and a .591 winning percentage, but Detroit was right behind them with 89 wins and a .578 percentage.

As you would expect, both teams were solid all around, but the general theme is that the Black Sox rode a superior pitching staff while the Wolverines do a little more offensively.

Today we’ll do things a little differently, comparing the teams position by position as we get ready for the fall classic.

#Starting Pitching

The Wolverines starters have been excellent, led by Hal Newhouser. Their rotation has been transformed since opening day, with Gene Conley joining the staff from the bullpen and Charlie Root being obtained via midseason trade. Behind those three, Justin Verlander and lefty Hank Aguirre are most likely to get starts, with the struggling Johnny Marcum being moved to the bullpen.

Some questions have emerged during the postseason for Baltimore’s rotation. During the regular season, the trio of Bill Byrd, Dennis Martínez, and Connie Johnson (a mid-season acquisition) were spectacular, but in the postseason, only Martínez has really lived up to his billing, with Byrd alternating dominant starts with being hit pretty hard. Behind them, there is a bit of a logjam: Mike Mussina is struggling, as is Jim Palmer, so if a 4th starter is needed, look for Johnny Sain to get the opportunity.

Edge: I’ve got to go with Baltimore, with an expectation that their top three bounce back to their level of performance during the regular season. But Newhouser has been the most dominant pitcher left in the postseason, which can always count for something.

#Relief Pitching

This gets interesting. Baltimore’s bullpen has suffered injuries all year, and has just kept rolling along. Ned Garvin was here before spending a few weeks as the best starter in the league, before getting injured. Don Bessent and Bob Miller were co-closers for a time, before getting injured. Sean Marshall was among the most dominant bullpen arms in the league, before getting injured. Sense a theme?

Now, midseason acquisition Joe Beggs and Buddy Groom form the back end. Groom has been especially dominant, with a 1.96 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP over 51 games. John Wetteland has been excellent since being recalled from the minors, and Bessent and Miller join him in handling the middle innnings.

For the Wolverines, the bullpen has been a bit of an oddity. Mike Henneman ended the season tied for the season league in saves, but he certainly had his struggles, exemplified by his 4.60 ERA and 6 blown saves. John Hiller and Buddy Napier were excellent getting the ball to Henneman, but Hiller is out injured, meaning Detroit will be leaning heavily on Matt Anderson and Chad Bradford, both of whom were solid in the regular season. Either Aguirre or Mickey Lolich may be called on for key outs against lefties in Hiller’s absence. Finally, there is Verlander, who was on the verge of moving into the rotation all season, but never quite made it. He is the most reliable option in the early or middle innings, if needed.

Edge: Solidly in favor of Baltimore. That said, Verlander, Henneman, Napier, and Anderson have combined to allow 3 runs in 17 innings this postseason, so the gap may be narrower than it appears from the regular season performances.

#C

In the regular season, Detroit split its duties behind the plate between Bill Carrigan, Ed Bailey, and Ernie Lombardi with Carrigan and Bailey in a rough platoon until Lombardi came over from Indianapolis. Bailey is one of the hottest hitters around these days, so look for him to get most of the starts, but Carrigan was the best of them in the regular season, slashing 316/369/477.

Curt Blefary had a spectacular year for Baltimore, with a 280/392/549 slash line and 29 homeruns. He has struggled mightily in the postseason, but showed signs of coming out of it against Portland.

Edge: Even with Detroit’s far greater depth, you have to give the edge here to Baltimore and Blefary.

#1B

Baltimore’s Dan McGann may be 37, but sure plays like he has a lot left in the tank, racking up a 282/388/445 slash line for the Black Sox.

It’s all about Hank Greenberg for Detroit, one of the Wolverines’ two elite players. Greenberg finished the regular season at 317/374/595 with 31 homeruns and 113 RBI’s.

Edge: McGann had a great year. Greenberg is in the second tier of the MVP conversation. Edge, Detroit.

#2B

Detroit is thrilled to have their 38 year old sparkplug, Tony Phillips, back from injury. Phillips is a nuisance at the top of the batting order, with an OBP just shy of .400. He is not very good defensively, as Sparky Adams will often replace him late in the game, earning him the nickname The Old Man’s Glove.

Larry Gardner‘s 318/393/471 slash line is fantastic for anywhere, let alone a middle infielder. Gardner looks like he is fully recovered from a chest contusion suffered in the first round of the playoffs.

Edge: Baltimore.

#SS

Bobby Wallace is one of the better offensive shortstops in the WBL, slashing 302/396/418, drawing lots of walks and hitting 40 doubles in the regular season. He’s not bad defensively.

Detroit’s George Davis is a whiz defensively, and his .662 OPS, while well under league average, isn’t awful for a middle infielder.

Edge: Baltimore, although Davis’ defense does close the gap a bit.

#3B

When Bob Bailey was injured, Olmedo Sáenz filled in admirably, earning a spot on the playoff roster over Jimmy Collins, by far the better fielder. But he was no replacement for Bailey, who slashed 277/364/462 in the regular season. Sáenz remains a threat off the bench.

Manny Machado hit better for Baltimore than he did for Miami at the start of the year, but is still seen as a bit of a disappointment overall, with a .729 OPS for the year. Brooks Robinson hasn’t shown anything offensively, but is a whiz defensively, providing essentially the same role at 3B as Adams does for Detroit at 2B, but without the cool nickname.

Edge: Detroit

#LF

Frank Robinson is the most feared hitter on the Black Sox, with 37 homeruns, 111 RBIs, and a 302/383/539 slash line. Truly elite.

For Detroit, this is usually the provenance of Oscar Gamble, whose 28 homeruns were second on the team. Gamble was the emotional heart of the Wolverines, and should stay out there despite some late season struggles. Gamble is the best fielder of the group here.

Edge: I love Gamble, too, but the edge here goes clearly to Baltimore.

#CF

Detroit’s Chili Davis is fairly significantly under appreciated, both in Detroit and across the WBL. But Davis is a solid performer out there, slashing 273/328/443 while playing solid defense. The Wolverines are a bit thin here, with Cobb the presumed backup should Davis go down.

Paul Blair could barely make contact for the first third of the season. The fact that he got his OPS to .700 is a strong accomplishment, and, combined with his elite level defense, makes Blair a solid contributor for Baltimore. Baby Doll Jacobsen, who has a fair bit of pop, is the usual reserve here, although Harper can slide over as well.

Edge: Detroit

#RF

The Black Sox stuck with Bryce Harper through his early season struggles, and it paid off as the nineteen year old settled into the league. He has a great eye, a bit of power, and ended up slashing 259/360/403 on the year.

The other legitimate elite player for the Wolverines is the batting champion, Ty Cobb, whose 352/391/557 slash line and 52 SB’s combine to form a truly fantastic offensive player.

Edge: Detroit.

#DH

Al Klaine has 34 games under his belt at the WBL, and has slashed 301/374/573 in that span. That performance has generally left Detroit without a spot for Geoff Jenkins, who was the usual DH, especially against right-handers.

As both Harper and Jacobson established themselves throughout the season, DH duties for Baltimore fell more and more often to Ken Singleton, who was … fine. Singleton was almost the picture of a useful hitter, slashing 266/352/407 with 17 homeruns and 88 RBIs. Nothing to complain about, but nothing to love, either. He’s been excellent so far in the postseason.

Edge: Toss up, although if Kaline maintains his level of performance, slides to Detroit.

#Overall

Quantitatively, 6-4 in favor of Baltimore, with one tie. So, very close.

I have to go with Baltimore: they are so good at getting on base, and their pitching is just better. But Detroit really has no weak spots offensively (maybe SS with Davis), and if they can get enough from their pitching staff, they certainly have a shot.

Prediction: Black Sox in 6.

TWIWBL 49.0: The Playoffs! Division Round Series Previews

By mknn

On September 22, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Featured Series, TWIWBL

Detroit finished 2 games ahead of the New York Gothams in the Bill James Division: not enough to really say the Wolverines have an edge in the matchup of two teams that each swept their opening rounds.

The other series sees the best record in the league–the Baltimore Black Sox–taking on the team with the worst record of the four remaining: Portland won only 85 games in the regular season, 2 fewer than the Gothams.

For general overviews of the teams, I would refer you to the previews of their opening rounds: Detroit, New York, Baltimore, and Portland. Here, we’ll focus on more specific changes coming out of those matchups.

#Detroit Wolverines

The Wolverines staff seems set after their opening round sweep: Hal Newhouser, Gene Conley, and Charlie Root will take the first three starts.

The question is what to do with the rest of their bench, where neither Ernie Lombardi nor Olmedo Sáenz made an appearance in the first series. Ultimately, the Wolverines decided against making changes.

#New York Gothams

With only backup-catcher-cum-folk-hero Wes Westrum not seeing any action in the opening series, the Gothams also decided to not make any changes, although the temptation to recall Brandon Crawford for late inning defensive help was strong.

The Gothams are in the same situation as they were in the opening round: Christy Mathewson to start, then probably Gaylord Perry and then … well, we’ll see. The Gothams’ bullpen has yet to give up a run in the postseason: if that continues, the Wolverines are probably in deep trouble.

#Baltimore Black Sox

Bill Byrd‘s been magnificent, but won’t be available for at least the first 2 games, so the Black Sox will turn to Dennis Martínez and Connie Johnson in the opening 2 games.

Larry Gardner‘s continued struggles to return from injury mean Brian Roberts will get at least a couple starts at 2B for the Black Sox.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Portland–having secured passage into the next round only yesterday–is the team scrambling most for pitching. Dizzy Trout will get the call in the opening game, with everything beyond that yet to be determined.

TWIWBL 48.1: Playoff Previews – Birmingham Black Barons @ Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On September 7, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, Series Previews, TWIWBL

Detroit had the second best record in baseball, so they get a matchup with the #7 seed, the Cinderalla story Birmingham Black Barons.

#Detroit Wolverines

The Wolverines are significantly better than they were when the year started, as the conversion of Gene Conley (12-6, 3.28) into a full time starter and the acquisition of Charlie Root (10-6, 3.53 overall and 5-1, 2.62 with Detroit) has moved their starting from passable to dominant, led by Hal Newhouser (8-4, 3.06) and Hank Aguirre (9-10, 4.34) and possibly leaving Johnny Marcum (11-4, 4.40) out of the playoff rotation.

Chad Bradford and Buddy Napier have been fantastic out of the bullpen, getting the ball to Mike Henneman, who has been … um … yeah. Henneman ended the season tied for the league lead in saves with 38. But also with an ERA of 4.60 and 6 blown saves. So the Wolverines will still turn to him, but they’ll also still hold their breath occasionally.

The other addition of note for the Wolverines is young Al Kaline, who has just over 100 ABs under his belt. In that span, he’s slashing 301/374/573, and forcing his way into an already crowded OF.

Detroit is led by Ty Cobb (352/391/557 and 52 SBs) and Hank Greenberg (317/374/595 and a team leading 31 HR and 113 RBI). But there’s really not a weak spot here: Bob Bailey, Oscar Gamble, and Tony Phillips all have OPS over .800, and their weakest hitter–SS George Davis–compensates with spectacular glovework.

The final playoff spot fell to a choice between the fielding prowess of Jimmy Collins and the hot start to Olmedo Sáenz‘ career. Sáenz is slashing 292/378/415 over his first 20 games, and in the end the Wolverines thought that overcame Collins’ glove (Collins only managed a 225/266/360 slash line over 300 PAs).

#Birmingham Black Barons

Just … wow. From out of the race and clear sellers at the trade deadline to a one-game playoff for the division title.

Birmingham’s strength is its pitching, with 2 clear #1 starters in Alejandro Peña (12-9, 3.79) and Andy Pettitte (15-5, 3.20, and 6-1, 2.54 with Birmingham). Vic Willis (4-6, 3.57) will get the 3rd start, and beyond that the Black Barons will have to figure it out. The options are strong, there’s just not a lot to differentiate Scott Baker, Greg Maddux, Larry Benton and Sam Streeter.

Juan Rincón was moved into the closer’s role in late May, and has been solid with 26 saves and an ERA just over 3.00, and Harley Young‘s return from injury helps out the duo of Bruce Chen and Steve Bedrosian in the later innings.

Offensively, there is a sense of smoke and mirrors here. Hank Aaron led the team in HR and RBI (28 and 93, respectively) and Curtis Granderson carried them for some of the middle months, but both cooled off dramatically towards the end, with their OPS’ dipping below .800. Eddie Mathews (243/335/490) and Bob Nieman (296/368/475) picked up the slack, but its still a bit patchwork.

Newcomers Cupid Childs and Jim Pagliaroni have settled down the 2B and C positions, and Adrián González has provided some much-needed power, slugging over 200 points higher than he did with Chicago.

So far, enough people have been hot at different times–SS Herman Long, 1B Frank McCormick, Nieman–to keep scoring runs. But it’s precarious.

#Prediction

Detroit in 5. The fairy tale ends unless Aaron suddenly remembers to roll his wrists.

TWIWBL 46.0: Series XXXVIII Notes – September 9th (Day 1 of 4)

By mknn

On August 24, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

We’re doing it a bit differently for the final series of the season–TWIWBL will come out each day, focusing on three things:

The battle between the Birmingham Black Sox and the New York Black Yankees for the final playoff spot.
Other games between playoff contenders that might determine final seedings for the postseason.
Any other games or performances of note.

#The Battle for the Final Spot

Philadelphia exploded for 6 runs in the 5th, then held on for dear life to defeat Birmingham, 8-5 for the Black Barons 4th consecutive loss (and the Stars’ first win in 11 games). Scott Rolen, Bobby Abreu, and Aaron Judge delivered RBI singles, then Buck Freeman put the icing on top with his 20th homerun of the year, a 3 run shot to put Philadelphia ahead, 7-0. Bob Nieman and Adrián González went deep late to make it close, but it wasn’t enough.

PHI 8 (Collins 9-12; Howry 25 Sv) @ BBB 5 (Baker 7-6)
HRs: PHI – Freeman (20); BBB – Nieman (15), González (10).
Box Score

The Black Yankees were unable to take advantage, however, as a pinch hit homerun from Tris Speaker gave the Spiders a lead they preserved with solid relief efforts from Stan Bahnsen and Cory Gearrin, including Terry Adams picking up his 37th save. This one hurt, as New York scored 4 in the opening inning, and held a 6-4 lead before Speaker’s shot.

NYY 7 (Citarella 4-8, 6 B Sv) @ CLE 8 (Bahnsen 1-0; Adams 37 Sv; Gearrin 14 H)
HRs: NYY – Belle 16; Gehrig 26; CLE – Stahl (26), Speaker (4).
Box Score

#Playoff Seeding

The New York Gothams sealed their wild card spot with a walk-off, 4-3 victory over Portland. Buster Posey delivered the run scoring single in the bottom of the 9th. Jimmy Sheckard (who led off the game with his 20th homerun), Pinky Higgins, and Brian Dozier each had 2 hits for New York. The game also marked Christy Mathewson‘s final start of the regular season–despite a solid 5 plus innings, Mathewson was not around for the decision, leaving him on 17 wins for the season.

Detroit scored 10 runs in the 7th and 8th inning on their way to an 11-6 victory over the House of David. Ty Cobb extended his lead in the batting average race with a 4 hit day, Ed Bailey and Olmedo Sáenz added 3 hits each, and Cecil Fielder hit the first homerun of his career and drove in 4 in the route.

#Other Games

San Francisco eked out a win in 10 innings over Indianapolis, who wasted a strong 7 innings from Dolf Luque (4 hits, only 1 unearned run). Despite giving up 2 runs in the bottom of the 10th, Rod Beck picked up his 33rd save. The Sea Lions’ Rickey Henderson stole his 96th base, keeping the chase for 100 alive.

Jimmy Wynn hit his 19th homerun of the year, a walk-off blast into the Crawford Boxes as Houston edged Ottawa, 2-1. But the real story of the game was the two starting pitchers, each of whom are coming back from injury. For Houston, Bones Ely pitched 7 shutout innings, allowing only 3 hits while Ottawa saw the long anticipated return of Roy Halladay, who allowed only 4 hits and 0 runs in 6 innings. Neither were around for the decision, with the win going to Jay Howell while Sean O’Sullivan took the loss for the Mounties.

Baltimore went back-to-back-to-back in the 3rd inning with homeruns from Bryce Harper, Frank Robinson, and Curt Blefary in their victory over Kansas City. No real impact on the playoff race, but notable nonetheless.

So we end the day with Baltimore’s magic number down to 1 to clinch the Cum Posey Division and Birmingham’s down to 2 for the final playoff spot.

TWIWBL 43.1: Series XXXV Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On July 26, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Roberto Hernández‘ stay was brief, as he returns to AAA with Bob Bailey‘s return from the DL. Bailey will step back into the starting role, but Olmedo Sáenz’ hot start will force him into the lineup from time to time as well.

#Los Angeles Angels

Jeromy Burnitz was recalled from AAA to provide some depth in RF.

The Angels pounded out 22 hits and 15 runs, beating Philadelphia 15-8. Doug Rader had 4 hits, Wally Backman 3 (maintaining his .500 average), and Mike Trout scored 4 times. Jason Vargas picked up the first save of his career, dropping his ERA to 3.21 with 3 scoreless innings of relief.

The offense rolled on with 16 hits and 9 runs, led by a 4-hit day from Kal Daniels and 3 from Don Buford. Trout added his 19th homerun of the year as Gerrit Cole improved to 15-9 with a solid outing.

#Memphis Red Sox

Vern Stephens drove in 5 and Bill White had 3 hits as the Red Sox survived a poor 9th inning to beat San Francisco, 10-7. Stephens, Ted Williams, and Manny Ramírez all went deep with the win going to Stubby Overmire and Heath Bell picking up his 2nd save of the year.

With C Billy Bryan out for–most likely–the rest of the year, the Red Sox recalled Bob Brenly from AAA.

#Wandering House of David

Pete Browning hit a grand slam for his 25th homerun of the year, keying a comeback 8-6 victory over Baltimore. Ernie Banks added 3 hits for the House of David in a game where Rick Reuschel picked up his first career win and Bruce Sutter his 23rd save of the season.

Series XXXV Preview: Cleveland Spiders @ Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On July 18, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

We roll into Series XXXV with its two teams barely making the playoffs. So, this could be a big one.

We saw the Cleveland Spiders–currently 1 game behind the New York Black Yankees in the Effa Manley Division–in Series VII, XIX, XXVIII, and XXX. The Detroit Wolverines, featured in Series IV, XXI, and XXVII, are tied with the New York Gothams for first place in the Bill James Division.

#Cleveland Spiders

Cleveland’s offense revolves around the odds-on favorite to finish runner-up in the MPV race, Ron Blomberg. Blomberg is slashing 339/410/655 with 36 2B, 40 HR, 111 RBI, and 101 R, all of which lead the team’s regulars (late season call-up Tris Speaker is slashing 386/426/523 in just under 50 PA’s, and is clearly arguing for more playing time–to the point where he is seeing time at the corner OF positions).

But there is more here than Blomberg. John Ellis and Jake Stahl each have over 20 HRs, over 70 RBI’s, and OPS’ in the .800’s. Add to that excellent production from 2B (Chuck Knoblauch) and C (Louis Santop) and, as importantly, no real weak links, and it’s a strong offense, top to bottom.

4 starters have double-digit wins, led by Pat Malone (14-8, 4.06). Bill Steen (10-3) has the best ERA in that group, but arguably Stan Coveleski (13-5, 3.93) has been better. The rotation is rounded out by Cy Young (10-9, 4.64), whose analytics are better than his raw numbers. Terry Adams has been excellent at closer (33 saves, 2.84), and the combination of Chuck Porter and Cory Gearrin have been great getting him the ball.

Some midseason acquisitions have been question marks: OF/1B Lance Berkman is still hitting far better with the Spiders than he did in Houston, but has hit a cold streak after an incredible start to his time in Cleveland. Reliever Ron Reed was an all-star with Philadelphia; he’s 0-4 with an ERA around 6.50 with Cleveland while SS Arky Vaughan, obtained from Homestead to cement the SS position, has hit so poorly that the team continues to experiment with other options.

#Detroit Wolverines

Detroit has two elite players on offense: Ty Cobb is slashing 348/391/557 with 20 HR and 45 SB and Hank Greenberg is at 317/376/589 with 27 HR and 102 RBI. Oscar Gamble has 26 HR and 3 other players are in double digits (Chili Davis has 18, Geoff Jenkins 13, and Ernie Lombardi 10, 4 coming since his mid-season acquisition from Indianapolis).

That’s enough for a solid offense. To become elite, Detroit needs 38 year old Tony Phillips–just back from injury–to pick up where he left off, getting on base and generally being a pest at the leadoff spot. Additionally, while both Al Kaline (302/362/667) and Olmedo Sáenz (350/395/525) are likely to revert to form at some point, the longer they can impersonate superstars, the better for the Wolverines.

After some juggling, Detroit’s rotation seems to be coming into shape at the right time. Hal Newhouser has a 3.06 ERA, and has an outside chance at accumulating enough innings to qualify for the ERA lead and Johnny Marcum is 11-3 with a sub 4.00 ERA. Add to them Gene Conley, whose first 28 appearances were from the bullpen but has been fantastic throughout (11-5, 3.63), and Charlie Root, 3-1 with a 2.29 ERA since being acquired at the all-star break.

None of the starters go very deep in games, which makes the performance of Chad Bradford, Buddy Napier, and Justin Verlander in the middle innings quite important to their success. Mike Henneman leads the league in saves with 35, but has been touched for an ERA just under 5.00.

TWIWBL 41.1: Series XXXIII Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On June 16, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Olmedo Sáenz now has 10 hits in first 20 at-bats in the WBL for a cool .500 average. Clearly unsustainable, but it has been useful for the Wolverines as they push towards the pennant. Saenz had 3 hits, Ty Cobb launched his 19th homerun of the year, and Hal Newhouser put in another solid outing as Detroit topped Memphis, 4-3. Newhouser is now 8-3, and Mike Henneman picked up his 34th save in the victory.

#Los Angeles Angels

Needing a spot starter, the Angels sent Larry Anderson to AAA, recalling Mike Smith, who might also be able to help with his bat.

#New York Gothams

The late season surge of the Gothams should get some help, as both Carl Hubbell and Carson Smith started rehab assignments this week. Smith–sporting a sub-2.00 ERA before his injury–will especially be welcomed back.

Rube Waddell was placed on the DL as the Gothams needed a starter. Various roster complications prevented them from recalling more preferable options, so the start fell to Mickey Welch who was already on the 40 man roster. It worked well as Welch pitched 7 strong in a 5-2 victory.

Two homeruns from Joe Adcock and 3 hits from Pete Runnels weren’t enough as Pete Donohue couldn’t make it out of the first inning (and was injured to boot) in a 12-8 loss to Birmingham.

TWIWBL 40.1: Series XXXII Notes – Bill James Division

By mknn

On June 2, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Detroit Wolverines

Bob Bailey hit the 10 Day DL with a hamstring issue, prompting the Wolverines to reach all the way down to AA to recall Olmedo Sáenz, mostly for his ability to play both infield corner spots.

#Los Angeles Angels

Wally Moon was recalled from a rehab assignment, with Spud Johnson heading back to the minors.

Harry Howell tossed a 5-hit shutout as the Angels beat Miami 5-0. After the 140 pitch, 9 strikeout performance, Howell’s record improves to 5-6 on the season. Bobby Grich was injured in the game, sending him to the DL for at least 2-3 weeks. 22 year old Wally Backman has been tearing up both AA and AAA, and now gets his chance with the big league club.

José Reyes and Steve Garvey had 3 hits each and Mike Trout drove in 4, leading the Angels to an 8-2 win over Miami. Pud Galvin improved to 5-7, allowing 4 hits and 1 earned run over 7 innings.

#New York Gothams

Johan Camargo was promoted to the WBL with Mark Loretta being sent down in an exchange of bench pieces for the Gothams.

Christy Mathewson continued his run of form, becoming the first 15 game winner in the league as he and 3 relievers combined to shutout Indianapolis despite allowing 10 hits. Pete Runnels had 3 hits and Wes Westrum hit a key homerun to give the Gothams the win.

The pitching continued to dominate as Pete Donohue improved to 6-2 with a 3-hit blanking of the ABC’s, walking 2 and fanning 8. Light-hitting Brandon Crawford had 3 hits and Will Clark, George Van Haltren, and Johnny Callison drove in 2 rusn each in the 7-0 victory.

#Wandering House of David

Jack Taylor continues to roll, allowing only 1 run and 5 hits over 7 innings en route to his 14th victory of the season. Taylor lowered his ERA to a league-leading 2.99, and Bruce Sutter picked up his 19th save with a perfect 9th. George Stone hit his 25th homerun in the 8th, giving the House of David the 2-1 victory over Portland. Sutter was hurt in his outing, but looks likely to only be out for a few days.

Pete Browning and Frank Chance had 3 hits each and Ryne Sandberg hit his 20th homerun of the year, leading the House of David to a 6-2 win over Portland. CF Jim Edmonds had 3 kills on the day, throwing out a runner at each base (other than first).