Gene Tenace went deep twice as Birmingham pulled away late in a 9-2 victory over Philadelphia. Albert Belle hit his first homer of the year as he and Bob Nieman each had 3 RBI’s, supporting a strong start from Alejandro Peña.
Eddie Mathews went deep twice and Greg Maddux and Jim Whitney combined on a 6-hitter as the Black Barons blanked the Stars, 7-0.
#Indianapolis ABCs
The ABC’s pounded out 17 hits and 10 walks (4 to Joey Votto) in a 15-9 win over Birmingham. Joe Morgan, Denis Menke, and Oscar Charleston had 3 hits each, and Johnny Bench drove in 4.
The ABC’s pitched the first shutout of the season, a combined 8-hitter as they topped Houston 2-0 despite managing only 4 hits themselves. Johnny Cueto threw 6 innings for the win, followed by Dick Tidrow, Jack Billingham, and Clay Carroll, who picked up his 2nd save of the season.
Carroll will happily return to his setup duties as Indianapolis welcomed Rob Dibble back from injury. Billingham was sent to AAA very briefly, being recalled after only a day when Ewell Blackwell was diagnosed with bone chips in his elbow, putting him on the shelf for about 7 months.
#Kansas City Monarchs
C Ted Simmons launched a 507 ft bomb in a 9-5 loss to Birmingham.
It took a great start from Smokey Joe Wood to deal Indianapolis their first loss of the season. Robinson Canó and Ozzie Smith had 2 hits each and Dale Murphy hit an inside-the-park homerun as the Monarchs beat the ABC’s 3-0. Wood allowed 4 hits in over 7 innings, and Eddie Guardado and Jeff Pfeffer closed it out without allowing a baserunner.
Willie McGee had 4 hits (including 2 triples), drove in 4 and scored 4, leading the Monarchs to a 9-3 win over Indianapolis.
#Wandering House of David
Ryne Sandberg had 2 homeruns (one a grand slam) and drove in 6 as the House of David pummeled Houston, 10-1 behind a good start from Bob Rush.
Promising teenager Ad Gumbert strained his shoulder and was placed on the DL with Kyle Peterson being recalled from AAA. Peterson’s stay was brief, however, as Bruce Sutter was activated from the DL the following day.
Sandberg and Sammy Sosa hit 2 homeruns apiece as the House of David destroyed the Gothams 10-1. Perhaps most importantly, Jack Taylor put in a good shift, allowing 1 run in just over 5 innings. Sandberg’s start to the year is absolutely ridiculous, hitting .455 with 6 homeruns and 15 RBIs in his opening 5 games.
Playing .500 ball would be a nice step; doing so while nurturing some talent for the future would begin to raise hopes in Indianapolis.
Best Case
Some starting pitching comes out of nowhere to support the continued development of Doc White and Willie Mitchell, Johnny Bench and Oscar Charleston anchor the offense, and some of the MI talent finally emerges fully onto the scene. The 6 man rotation turns out to be a thing of beauty, allowing the ABC’s to maximize their talent on the mound.
Worst Case
Only Bench remains as a real offensive force and the pitching stays totally muddled, with the 6 man rotation confusing fans, pundits, and players alike.
Key Questions
Who starts, and does the team retain its experimentation with a 6-man rotation?
How do the uncertainties at SS/3B resolve?
Trade Bait
Not enough talent to really be active.
Davey Concepción was sent to the Gothams in exchange for Sad Sam Jones, adding another arm to the pile and clearing one person from the MI crowd.
Roster Evaluation
POS
Elite
Strong
Solid
Meh
Weak
Unknown
C
Bench
Ritter
1B
Votto
2B
Morgan
3B
Charles
SS
Menke
Larkin
LF/ RF
Bescher Charleston
Dunn Foster Padrón
CF
Stenzel
Henderson
SP
Cueto
White Mitchell Faber
Foster Jones
Padrón
End
Dibble
Carroll
James
RP
Tidrow
Bellingham Blackwell Nolan
New Addition | Injured
That is a lot of new arms on the staff, and a lot of unknowns. But performance last year was so bad, you would think anything would be an improvement.
Some interesting things here, though: the continued use of the 6 man rotation, the emergence of Luis Padrón as a 2-way threat, the promise of some of the young talent, especially Oscar Charleston.
Talent Ratings
WBL
Minors
Raw Power
C Johnny Bench
OF Wally Post
Batting Eye
IF Joe Morgan 1B Joey Votto
IF Edwin Encarnación
Contact
IF Joe Morgan
CF Edd Roush
Running Speed
OF Bob Bescher
IF Pokey Reese
Base Stealing
OF Bob Bescher
1B Doc Hoblitzell
IF Defense
IF Barry Larkin
3B Robin Ventura
OF Defense
OF Oscar Charleston
OF Curt Walker
Stuff
P The Only Nolan
P George Pipgras
Control
SP Johnny Cueto
SP Eppa Rixey
Velocity
RP Ewell Blackwell
RP Tyler Clippard
Best In The Minors
Rank
Age
POS
Name
1 (24)
19
P
Edward Nolan
2 (28)
19
P
Jim Maloney
3 (42)
22
3B
Oliver Marcell
4 (59)
24
3B
Robin Ventura
5 (101)
22
OF
George Foster
6 (105)
20
2B
Dario Lodigiani
7 (123)
19
P
Tom Glavine
8 (144)
23
1B
Sean Casey
9 (153)
25
P
Bob Ewing
10 (182)
25
P
Chris Hammond
Others: None.
Nolan and Foster start the year with the WBL club. There’s decent help on the mound working through the system, but little else, especially if Ventura ends up being a bust.
Most
Least
Age
OF Harold Baines, 39
3B Bob Aspromonte, 18
Height
P Ewell Blackwell, 6’6″ OF Adam Dunn, 6’6″
SS Donie Bush, 5’6″
OPS
C Johnny Bench, .951 (WBL)
SS Walt Weiss, .441 (—)
HR
OF Adam Dunn, 35 (WBL/AAA/AA)
SS Walt Weiss, 0 (—)
SB
OF Bob Bescher, 37 (WBL)
Many with 0
WAR
C Johnny Bench, 6.0 (WBL)
SS Walt Weiss, -3.9 (—)
W
Eppa Rixey, 16 (WBL/AAA)
Joe Moeller, 3 (—) Teddy Higuera, 3 (—)
SV
Rob Dibble, 30 (WBL)
ERA
Jack Powell, 2.83 (—)
Joe Moeller, 7.11 (—)
WAR
Virgil Trucks, 7.0 (WBL/AAA)
Brad Radke, -1.1 (—)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.
All the focus will be on the pitching staff, with the reserve positions also taking some attention.
Injuries
CF Edd Roush is doubtful for opening day with a back injury.
Hal White saw his slim hopes of making the ABC’s roster dashed as a torn labrum will keep him out of action for around 4 months.
First Cuts
Some of the pitching clarified: Tom Glavine, Paul Derringer, and Chris Hammond were each sent down to the minors. That leaves a lot of arms in camp, but the next week should sort out quite a few of them.
Cs Larry Pratt and Admiral Schlei were sent down as well, along with corner IFs Hal Morris, Edwin Encarnación, and Dan Driessen, clearing up a lot of the logjam at 1B. Tommy Helms and Buddy Myer were also moved out of camp.
In the middle infield, Dario Lodigiani and Davey Concepción have both been turning heads at 2B and SS respectively, while Lonny Frey, hitless over 6 games, was sent down.
Joe Keough has been quite impressive, but the other longshot OFers (Emil Frisk, Charlie Hemphill, and Curt Walker) were all sent down after the first week.
Second Cuts
Tony Mullane and Eppa Rixey were sent to AAA.
The ABC’s still believe in Robin Ventura, preferring to keep him in camp over teenager Bob Aspromonte, despite the latter having a slight edge in performance.
Nobody is hitting at 2B, with Joe Morgan and Denis Menke combining to go zero for 30. Their performance last year keeps them around, but Craig Counsell, lacking that pedigree, cannot overcome his sub .400 OPS.
The OF remains overcrowded, with 10 players still in camp. The bottom performers–Danny Hoffman, Jake Stenzel, and the injured Edd Roush–did enough last year, and the newcomers–Adam Dunn, George Foster, Pete Rose, and Joe Keough–are all hitting well.
Third Cuts
The pitching staff is very slowly coming into focus, with Virgil Trucks‘ and Jim Maloney‘s demotion. Maloney pitched well but at 19 needs some more seasoning–especially to master his control issues–before joining the WBL club.
Bo Díaz, Sean Casey, and Pete Rose were sent to AAA.
It was assumed that Denis Menke would be the opening day SS–and he likely will be–but his inability to hit combined with decent performances from both Barry Larkin and Davey Concepción are pushing him.
Three presumed OF contributors–Jake Stenzel, Edd Roush, and Danny Hoffman–are all struggling, while George Foster and Joe Keough are playing very well, throwing the ABC’s reserve OF situation into some chaos (Oscar Charleston, Dave Henderson, and Bob Bescher are all solid as starters).
Final Cuts
Tony Mullane was returned to AAA to clear some space in the rotation. Mullane refused to head to the minors, and ended up being released–making him immediately perhaps the best arm in the FA market.
The battle to carry Johnny Bench‘s glove is reduced by one, as Bo Díaz heads to the minors. Robin Ventura continues to fumble every opportunity, and with Ed Charles mashing the ball, Ventura will start this season at AAA.
Edd Roush started excellently last season but faded mightily at the end of the year. An injury in Spring Training has limited Roush’s time and effectiveness. Essentially, the ABC’s were looking to retain only one of Roush and Danny Hoffman at the big league level: it’ll be Hoffman as Roush heads to AAA.
RP Octavio Dotel, C/1B Patsy Gharrity, 1B Dick Hoblitzell, and 2B Dario Lodigiani were all sent to AAA to bring the ABC’s to 30.
The next decisions were easy, with both Red Faber and Rob Dibble going on the 10 Day DL, with Faber likely to miss 4 months of time with a knee issue. Additionally Dolf Luque was moved to AAA, as was OF Joe Keough. With the ABC’s planning to keep George Foster with the team, that meant one more OF had to go and, after much deliberation, Danny Hoffman was deemed the odd man out.
73 - 81, .474 pct.
3rd in Effa Manley Division, 13 games behind.
Overall
Just a very average performance. There are some good pieces here, and the organization as a whole is quite young, but until the pitching is sorted, nothing else is going to really matter.
What Went Right
Most of all, Johnny Bench. Bench is a superstar C, giving Indianapolis an edge in a difficult position to fill.
Beyond that there were a few surprises–neither Jake Stenzel or Dennis Menke were on many preseason lists to be strong offensive players, and Joey Votto was excellent in limited action after being recalled from the minors–and there was some promise for the future, most of all in Joe Morgan and Oscar Charleston, who were fine this year, but were also quite young (Charleston began the season as a teenager).
Dave Henderson, Bob Bescher, and Danny Hoffman were all perfectly acceptable in the OF.
Robin Ventura finally showed some promise after arriving via trade.
Willie Mitchell and Doc White, both of whom started the season in the bullpen, were the ABC’s best pitchers by the end of the season. Johnny Cueto was fine as a starter as well.
Rob Dibble was a first rate closer for Indianapolis.
ALL STARS
C Johnny Bench
What Went Wrong
1B was a right mess until Votto showed up; 3B Ed Charles faded badly after promising starts. Barry Larkin and Davey Concepción–one of whom is supposed to be the SS of the future–were awful.
But most of what went wrong was on the mound. The trio of Red Faber, Rube Foster, and Dolf Luque were thoroughly mediocre as starters, and Rob Murphy and Lefty James the same out of the pen.
Transactions
March
IF Miller Huggins & OF Willie Montañez to Baltimore for P Rube Foster
Foster wasn’t great, but he was a WBL player all season, so this seems fine.
June
C Ernie Lombardi to Detroit for IF Donie Bush, IF Jorge Orta, P Brandon League, OF Gene Martin & 2nd Round Pick {Matt Chapman}
It looks like more than it is, but with Lombardi blocked by Bench in Indianapolis, moving him is fine.
July
P David Price and IF Jorge Orta to Chicago for 3B Robin Ventura, P Tyler Clippard, 4th Round Pick & 5th Round Pick {Pete O'Brien}
It all hinges on whether the Ventura who showed up for Indianapolis in September is a mirage or not.
Looking Forward
SP
Such a random assortment of good-but-not-great here. Luis Padrón, Eppa Rixey, and Dolf Luque should be the long term front of rotation guys, but that doesn’t exactly strike terror in the hearts of the opposing team. An area of need.
RP
Solid, with Rob Dibble at closer and some mix of Clay Carroll, Rob Murphy, Octavio Dotel, and Norm Charlton behind him.
C
For as long as he’s healthy, it’s all about Johnny Bench.
1B
Joey Votto did well, but he’s 31 and unlikely to improve making this an area of need long term.
2B
Joe Morgan should be here for quite some time.
3B
Unknown. If Robin Ventura shows up, it’s his; if not, this is a bit of a black hole.
SS
Right now, it’s Dennis Menke; longer term, this should be either Barry Larkin or Davey Concepción, with the other being expendable. My bet would be on Larkin, despite his struggles this year.
LF
Some mixture of Bob Bescher and Adam Dunn are keeping this spot warm for George Foster.
CF
This should be Oscar Charleston‘s home for a long time.
RF
Unknown, although many in the organization see Pete Rose stepping up here.
The Rookie Draft
Rounds 1-4
There are a few pitchers who look to be only a year or two from helping their WBL franchise, with Tom Glavine probably the best of them. That made the ABC’s pick in the first round pretty easy. In the 2nd round, franchise arm Jim Maloney was still available, who projects as a rotation starter, maybe.
Looking for some insurance in case Ventura doesn’t pan out, the ABC’s picked up 20 year old 3B Matt Chapman at the end of the 2nd round.
In the 3rd round, they took Maloney, version 2: another franchise arm with an outside shot at being useful, Bob Ewing; and in the 4th, slick fielding MI Leo Cardenas.
Rounds 5-8
These rounds should focus on position players: in the 5th round, 3B Oliver Marcelle and OF Pete O’Brien; in the 6th, OF Chris Dickerson and C Admiral Schlei; OF Adam Duvall in the 7th, and IF Pokey Reese in the 8th.
Rounds 9-12
P Jack Billingham; Pete Schourek; C Patsy Gharrity; and P The Only Nolan.
The first of a 2-parter reflecting on Year I of the WBL.
Overall Statistical Model
Somewhat arbitrarily, I used 2000 as the base year for Year I. MLB produced its 2nd highest ever OPS that season, slashing a cumulative 270/345/437. Year I of the WBL ended at 268/339/433.
That’s pretty darn close.
Year I was actually an almost perfect match for 2006’s 269/337/432.
So, yeah, offense heavy, but not more than asked for.
All Around Player Performance
Tomorrow I’ll publish what didn’t go so well, and the biggest thing is a couple specific outlier performances. But, so much about the league felt right. Babe Ruth did Babe Ruth things, sure.
But the all-around players were also dominant in a great way: Eddie Collins may have been the best player in the league, Willie Mays‘ impact was irresistible. Players who had “career years” (Tom Herr, Doug Rader, even Eric Davis) did so well within the overall shape of their MLB careers.
Pitching was weird as always. But the list of those at the front of the “best starter in the league” ranking was a great list: Walter Johnson, Gerrit Cole, Jack Taylor, Andy Pettitte, Christy Mathewson? Sure. Pettitte and Taylor overperformed, but pitching–and especially of course W/L records–are weird. Ron Guidry had a great year according to the deep stats, but struggled in the traditional evaluations.
And lots of pitchers struggled, which, again, feels about right.
NeL Players
The all-time greats may feel a little under-represented, but that’s largely because of the career perspective of the WBL. Cristóbal Torriente, Pete Hill, Oscar Charleston, and Louis Santop were each everyday starters by the end of the season despite being teenagers. Martín Dihigo and John Beckwith struggled a bit, but again, teenagers.
Here’s an overview of how the NeL entries did.
Name
Team
Age
Pos
Notes
John Beckwith
SFS
18
IF
237/306/384. Sent to AAA midseason. Showed WBL power, but struggled at AAA. Likely another year at AAA.
Ray Brown
HOM
23
P
7-7, 5.80. Struggled in WBL, but in the running for Year 2 rotation spot.
Bill Byrd
BAL
26
P
14-3, 3.33. An all-star and a front of rotation starter for the best team in the league.
Oscar Charleston
IND
19
OF
277/313/438. Not many HR, but good power, great defense. A solid start.
Ray Dandridge
BRK
21
IF
256/323/359. Sparkplug for Brooklyn when healthy. A solid enough offensive start.
Leon Day
HOU
18
P
1-1, 4.91. Day was promising across 14 games (2 starts) before struggling with injuries and then being knocked out in June for the rest of the season. Expected to compete for swing role in Year 2.
Martín Dihigo
MCG
18
U
195/235/319; 0-2, 12.15. Overwhelmed as a hitter, purely mop up on the mound. But perhaps the greatest defensive talent the league has ever seen, and adds so much roster flexibility that, if the OPS can just get over .600, a valuable piece.
Bunny Downs
HOD
25
U
216/256/351. 40 PAs of mediocre utility. Defensive flexibility helps.
Josh Gibson
HOM
20
C
289/386/448. An all star behind the plate at 20? Yes, please. Power will come, a great start.
Frank Grant
HOD
21
IF
200/263/200. A rough first 100 PA for the promising IF. AAA likely next year.
Pete Hill
HOU
17
OF
287/323/440. A starter for about half the year. What a start for a 17 year old.
HR Johnson
HOU
24
IF
252/310/357. A bit disappointing, honestly. Defensive flexibility is nice, but the Colt 45’s need more from him offensively.
Dick Lundy
SFS
21
IF
268/284/377. Total sparkplug when healthy. good defense, 30 SB. Should be a starter next year.
Carlos Morán
MCG
21
OF
221/369/262. Great defense and an OBP machine. Certainly in the mix to start in Year 2.
José Méndez
MCG
22
P
4-6, 4.56. Good secondary numbers and, by the end of the year, looked like a front of the rotation starter.
Joséito Muñoz
POR
19
P
5-5, 2.57. Fantastic when healthy. But now out until a few months into next year.
Alejandro Oms
MCG
20
OF
259/313/410. Solid. more power and better zone control would help. But, solid.
Eustaquio Pedroso
MCG
22
OF/P
278/316/444; 9-6, 4.81. Someone who performs around league average both in the field and on the mound has value.
Dick Redding
BRK
20
P
0-5, 4.57. Not good enough to stay with Brooklyn all year, but not horrible. Showed enough at AAA at the plate (106 OPS+) to warrant a look as a two-way player.
Louis Santop
CLE
19
C
293/322/447. Doesn’t get on base enough, but he’s a C with solid D and still a teen. Future star.
Sam Streeter
BBB
24
P
7-6, 4.91. Very solid, pushed to bullpen at end of year.
Cristóbal Torriente
CAG
17
OF
289/347/392. Excellent defense, solid–if low on power–offense. Likely to be a mainstay for the American Giants for a long time.
Smoky Joe Williams
BRK
20
P
4-1, 3.47. Sent down to spend most of the year at AAA, returned very strong down the stretch.
There are, of course, some others in the minor leagues–A. Rube Foster (9-2, 4.60 ERA across 5 minor league teams), Cool Papa Bell (252/304/339 with 39 SB, mostly at AA), some others.
Continuity
I started the first season of the WBL something like 40/45 years ago. The third season was completed over 20 years ago. This season–the first on OOTP, the fourth overall–was completed in about 3 years.
Across all of that–from handheld Strat-O-Matic play through SOM on a half-dozen different computers (beginning on a Commodore 64, natch) through 3 versions of OOTP–it feels similar. Storylines emerge that I enjoy, frustrations emerge at players underperforming, personalities of teams and franchises begin to appear.
I love all that.
I have no idea what to do with the first 3 years–the teams were totally different, some players occur in this version as well, many do not. If I can find an easy way to incorporate that history, I may do so, but I don’t see it yet. Shock of shocks, Babe Ruth would be the career HR leader …
Both Tommy Helms and Oscar Charleston were activated from the DL.
2 homeruns from Johnny Bench–his 29th and 30th of the year–led the ABC’s to a 5-4 victory over Miami.
#New York Black Yankees
The Black Yankees used 5 homeruns (Eric Davis, Mike Schmidt, Albert Belle, and 2 from Mickey Mantle) to power over San Francisco 11-7. Belle had 4 hits and AJ Burnett improved to 5-2 with 3 perfect innings in relief of an ineffective Red Ruffing.
Ron Blomberg went deep twice, giving him 36 on the year (tying him for 2nd in the league) and his 4 RBIs eclipsed the century mark, giving him 101 on the season. It wasn’t enough, as Mel Harder, the disappointing trade acquisition Ron Reed, and Chuck Porter were all hammered in a 13-6 loss to Baltimore.
#Indianapolis ABCs
Oscar Charleston will miss close to a week with a foot injury, prompting the ABC’s to place the teenage outfielder on the DL. Doc Hoblitzell was recalled.
#New York Black Yankees
Red Rolfe‘s offensive struggles forced him back to AAA, with Pee Wee Reese being recalled. Reese struggled mightily for Brooklyn, was released, and has performed well at AAA since signing with New York.
#Philadelphia Stars
Pete Alexander returned (again) from injury (again) and J.M Ward was demoted to AAA–at some point, being able to pinch hit doesn’t warrant carrying an ERA over 6.00. Mickey Doolin was waived and Roger Peckinpaugh returns to Philadelphia, likely to step into a platoon at SS with Pinky Whitney.
Babe Adams was recalled to take Stan Bahnsen‘s spot on the roster as the commissioner’s office finally approved his trade to Cleveland.
Homestead couldn’t decide between Ray Brown, Adams, and Carlos Zambrano for the start of the opening game against the House of David … so they found a way to use all three of them. Brown was highly ineffectual in the start, not making it out of the 3rd inning; Adams came in briefly and had to leave with pain in his elbow; and Zambrano managed to walk 5 batters in 2 innings. Grays pitchers walked 12 in the game, and the team was drubbed 11-0.
Adams was put on the DL, with Cliff P. Lee being recalled. Michael Jackson and Josh Lindblom swapped roles once again, with Lindblom taking over as closer for the time being.
#Indianapolis ABC’s
The ABC’s cranked out 19 hits in a 12-4 drubbing of Portland. Ed Charles, Denis Menke, Jake Stenzel, and Hal Morris each had 3 RBIs and Dave Henderson drove in 3 on his 9th homerun of the year.
Oscar Charleston had 4 hits, Tommy Helms drove in the winning run in the 10th inning and Edd Roush added a 3-run homer for good measure in an 8-5 victory for the ABCs.
#New York Black Yankees
Ron Guidry‘s struggles may have a cause, as the long left hander was forced out of his start with a sore shoulder and will miss at least his next 2 starts. AJ Burnett–fantastic at AAA since an early season demotion–was recalled.
Lou Gehrig went deep twice, driving in 4, and Babe Ruth and Mike Schmidt added homeruns in an 8-6 victory over Miami. Jack Scott improved to 12-5 and once again the revamped New York bullpen held up as Dick Tidrow, Rheal Cormier, and Goose Gossage allowed 1 run in 3 innings to preserve the victory with Gossage picking up his 2nd save of the season.
#Philadelphia Stars
Willie Davis and Chase Utley each had 4 hits, with Utley and Bobby Abreu each driving in 3 in the Stars’ 12-4 victory over Detroit. 7 runs in the bottom of the 8th blew what had been a close game wide open.
Mel Harder moves into the rotation, replacing the injured Whit Wyatt, a move which is sure to disappoint the fan base that was hoping for a major pitching acquisition at the deadline. They’ll have to be satisfied with the recall of Bob Feller, who is far, far too good for AAA, with Ken Schrom being returned.
The fan base may be appeased by the arrival of SS Arky Vaughan from Homestead, who may give the Spiders the best top-to-bottom lineup in the league. Vaughan’s arrival sent Bill Knickerbocker to AAA and moved Bill Dahlen to the role of defensive replacement.
Sudden Sam McDowell was returned to AAA as Yordano Ventura was recalled from a rehab assignment after missing a couple months through injury.
#Homestead Grays
John Candelaria and Ray Brown were recalled from AAA, with Candelaria sliding into the rotation. More dramatically, Arky Vaughan‘s departure means the team is committing to the idea that Honus Wagner can make the transition to SS, which also opens the door for Andy Van Slyke and Chief Wilson to see more time, given how well they have hit over recent weeks (Van Slyke is currently slashing 404/436/649, Wilson 392/395/747–clearly neither is sustainable).
Tom Brown was sent to AAA, as the Grays needed another SS (Jack Wilson).
Rick Reichardt had 2 homeruns and 5 RBIs in a topsy-turvey, 8-6 win over Indianapolis. Mike Epstein and Wagner also went deep in the contest.
#Indianapolis ABC’s
Doc Hoblitzell was returned to AAA with Virgil Trucks, Francisco Cordero, and Octavio Dotel heading up to AAA. The ABC’s have quite a few pitchers who have struggled in Indianapolis and dominated in Cincinnati, so we’ll see how that goes.
Oscar Charleston had 3 hits, 2 of which were triples, but the ABC’s were unable to hold on to several leads, losing 8-6 to Homestead.
#New York Black Yankees
Well, we’ll see. They certainly added some bullpen arms, whether it’s enough quality is yet to be determined. Lady Baldwin and Dave Righetti were returned to AAA, clearing the room for Aroldis Chapman (who slides directly into the closer slot), Dick Tidrow, and Rheal Cormier. Jamie Moyer slides into the back of the rotation.
Waite Hoyt broke out of a slump in a big way, with a complete game victory over the Gothams, allowing 4 hits and 1 run while striking out 3 and not walking a batter. Mickey Mantle and Eric Davis went deep for the Black Yankees as Hoyt improved to 9-6.
#Philadelphia Stars
As important as any trade, the Stars will get Pete Alexander back from injury at some point in the next week after a quick rehab assignment. In the meantime, Hardie Henderson was brought up to deepen the bullpen and Tim Belcher may get another start or two until Alexander returns.
Slugging OF Aaron Judge was recalled from AAA. Wayne Gomes was sent to AAA, with Alexander making his long awaited return.
While the rest of the league is buzzing with trade talk, let’s take a look at what the game tells us about flashing the leather. We’ll go by position, trying to get a sense of the best fielders in the league so far.
C (500 IP min)
Thurman Munson of the New York Black Yankees has over 150 more total chances than Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, having started 86 games behind the plate. That has to count for something. Of starting catchers, Baltimore‘s Curt Blefary leads in cERA with 4.08, and Cleveland‘s Louis Santop–yet to turn 20–leads the league in framing runs–1.2 ahead of Gibson. In terms of gunning down base runners, everyone is clustered around 33% or so–Emil Gross (Ottawa) was way up at 46%, but couldn’t hit enough to stay in the league and Alan Ashby (Miami) has been excellent at 36% since taking over for Miami. Looking at all of that, it’s got to be Munson, Gibson, Blefary, or Santop, with apologies to Indianapolis‘ Johnny Bench and the House of David‘s Elrod Hendricks.
IP
TC
E
RTO%
cERA
FRM
C. Blefary (BAL)
599
401
11
29.4
4.08
-1.2
J. Gibson (HOM)
718
559
14
27.2
5.77
1.5
T. Munson (NYY)
765
719
5
33.0
4.72
-1.3
L. Santop (CLE)
624
542
2
32.6
4.20
2.7
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; RTO% = Runners Thrown Out %; cERA = Catching ERA; FRM = Framing Runs Saved
I think Santop takes it, but I would be OK if Munson’s higher usage swung it to him.
1B (600 IP min)
Philadelphia‘s Ted Kluszewski has the best fielding percentage (.996), having committed only 3 errors, but trails well behind Dan McGann (BAL)’s league leading 10.20 Range Factor. Will Clark of the Miami Cuban Giants leads in Zone Rating at 3.3. So McGann makes the most plays overall, but Clark makes the most plays that other 1B miss.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Will Clark (MCG)
791
818
5
.994
9.25
3.3
Ted Kluszewski (PHI)
676
711
3
.996
9.43
1.0
Dan McGann (BAL)
749
854
5
.994
10.20
2.5
Bill White (MEM)
788
814
4
.995
9.25
1.8
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
It comes down to whether you think McGann’s RNG is more a product of his glovework or the superior Black Sox pitching staff. For me, Clark making plays nobody else in the league makes takes it.
2B (600 IP min)
Cleveland‘s Chuck Knoblauch and San Francisco‘s Jimmy Bloodworth each sport a .993 Fielding Percentage with only 3 errors each. The House of David’s Ryne Sandberg has, by a fair bit, played the most at 2B, making his leading the league in Range Factor more impressive. The New York Gotham‘s Cookie Rojas leads in ZR, trailed by Chicago‘s Eddie Collins. Those are the contenders.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Jimmy Bloodworth (SFS)
753
423
3
.993
5.02
3.7
Eddie Collins (CAG)
715
390
5
.987
4.85
5.5
Chuck Knoblauch (CLE)
801
426
3
.993
4.75
-1.8
Cookie Rojas (NYG)
703
369
3
.992
4.68
6.5
Ryne Sandberg (HOD)
850
524
7
.987
5.48
0.8
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
I can’t get away from Rojas. Behind him it’s rough: Collins makes some great plays, but Sandberg’s greater usage may give him the edge.
3B (600 IP min)
Mike Schmidt of the Black Yankees has the highest fielding percentage, Ottawa’s Anthony Rendon leads in Range Factor, and Philadelphia’s Scott Rolen has a massive edge in Zone Rating. It’s hard to put together.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Ron Cey (BRK)
808
221
6
.973
2.39
5.4
Anthony Rendon (OTT)
853
266
7
.974
2.73
1.8
Scott Rolen (PHI)
813
240
5
.979
2.60
8.5
Mike Schmidt (NYY)
677
193
3
.984
2.53
6.3
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
Rendon’s ZR confirms that his other stats are really a product of being on the field a lot. I think that leaves Rolen and Schmidt pretty much neck and neck.
SS (550 IP min)
The lower requirement is basically to allow Philadelphia’s Mickey Doolin to be listed. Homstead’s Arky Vaughan has played the most at SS, giving him roughly 20% more chances than the next few shortstops. Couple that with only 5 errors for a .990 PCT and Vaughan has to be in the argument. George Wright (Los Angeles) has a .995 PCT with only 2 errors, which is remarkable. Vaughan also leads in RNG, and is one of 3 SS with a ZR over 10, along with Detroit‘s George Davis and Kansas City‘s Ozzie Smith.
IP
TC
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
George Davis (DET)
855
479
12
.975
4.91
13.0
Mickey Doolin (PHI)
597
343
5
.985
5.10
8.0
Ozzie Smith (KCM)
868
467
5
.989
4.79
12.5
Arky Vaughan (HOM)
884
520
5
.990
5.24
10.1
George Wright (LAA)
754
411
2
.995
4.88
9.8
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
You gotta’ give it to Wright, right? But after that, how do you figure out the difference between Smith and Vaughan? Smith is more spectacular, Vaughan more steady … I’ve always been a sucker for the spectacular.
LF (500 IP min)
Homestead’s Rick Reichardt has spent the most time out there, has the best RNG among qualifiers, and leads LFers with 10 OF Kills. Los Angeles’ Don Buford and Ottawa’s Phil Bradley are second with 6, so that’s quite a gap. There are six–SIX–LFers who qualify who are yet to make an error. Of those, only Brooklyn‘s Roy White and Detroit’s Oscar Gamble have positive supporting metrics as well. White has routinely pulled of the spectacular, making roughly 4 additional plays in LF than the Gotham’s Jimmy Sheckard and San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson.
IP
TC
A
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Phil Bradley (OTT)
552
121
6
0
1.000
1.97
-1.9
Don Buford (LAA)
629
144
6
3
.979
2.02
1.0
Oscar Gamble (DET)
535
118
2
0
1.000
1.99
1.5
Rickey Henderson (SFS)
689
173
5
3
.983
2.22
2.7
Rick Reichardt (HOM)
799
211
10
2
.991
2.35
-1.2
Jimmy Sheckard (NYG)
865
207
5
4
.981
2.11
2.6
Roy White (BRK)
865
204
2
0
1.000
2.12
6.7
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
I think White has to get the nod here, and behind him it’s a bit f a jumble. Reichardt is far from spectacular, but he’s added twice as many cold, hard outs than the next contenders without many miscues, so he gets a nod despite the negative ZR.
CF (600 IP min)
The Gothams’ Willie Mays has 15 OF kills to lead the way, but of note is Ottawa’s Ken Griffey, Jr., who has 13 in half the games. Griffey, currently at AAA, doesn’t qualify here, but what an arm! Baltimore’s Paul Blair has yet to make an error. Mays and Philadelphia’s Willie Davis make the most plays, with Blair, Mays, and Birmingham‘s Curtis Granderson leading in ZR.
There are others having strong years–Kansas City’s Willie McGee, Memphis’ Reggie Smith, and Detroit’s Chili Davis spring to mind–but it’s really between those initial four names.
IP
TC
A
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Paul Blair (BAL)
801
303
8
0
1.000
3.40
9.0
Willie Davis (PHI)
781
323
7
2
.994
3.70
5.2
Curtis Granderson (BBB)
631
247
10
3
.988
3.48
6.4
Willie Mays (NYG)
899
381
15
2
.995
3.79
7.7
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
Mays and Blair seem the easy choices here.
RF (500 IP min)
RF is probably the most difficult of the OF spots to evaluate. The Gothams’ Johnny Callison leads in OF Kills, but with only 8. Callison is tied with Homestead’s Roberto Clemente in ZR, far, far ahead of the next cluster. Jeff Burroughs (POR) has yet to make an error, but the rest of his numbers aren’t terribly impressive. The House of David’s Dan Ford leads in RNG and is solid enough elsewhere.
The challenge is that several of the best in RF–Miami’s Alejandro Oms, Indianapolis’ Oscar Charleston, and Ottawa’s Larry Walker–don’t qualify here. Walker especially draws the eye, with 7 Kills and great peripheral numbers. But all of them are under 400 innings.
IP
TC
A
E
PCT
RNG
ZR
Johnny Callison (NYG)
671
181
8
1
.994
2.41
6.2
Roberto Clemente (HOM)
747
194
4
2
.990
2.31
6.2
Dan Ford (HOD)
542
160
5
4
.975
2.59
1.2
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; A = Assists; E = Errors; PCT = Fielding %; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating
I think it’s pretty clear that Ford is in third place here and I think it’s hard to push Clemente above Callison.
SP (100 IP min)
Sample size is clearly an issue here, but the Gothams’ Gaylord Perry had handled the most chances and leads in RNG. Jack Taylor (HOD) and Dutch Leonard (BRK) lead in ZR. Unwinding a pitcher’s responsibility for controlling stolen bases is hard, but since we know that, on the whole, the league runs about 33% in terms of cutting them down, we can look for who is far above that: Leonard shows up, but if we look at those with at least 10 attempts against them, we are looking at San Francisco’s Eddie Plank, Taylor, and Portland‘s Jerry Koosman.
IP
TC
RNG
ZR
RTO%
Jerry Koosman (POR)
119
12
0.83
2.2
46
Dutch Leonard (BRK)
139
18
1.17
2.4
67
Gaylord Perry (NYG)
117
27
1.92
-0.5
21
Eddie Plank (SFS)
116
13
0.93
1.8
64
Jack Taylor (HOD)
142
21
1.26
2.5
56
IP = Innings Played; TC = Total Chances; RNG = Range Factor; ZR = Zone Rating; RTO% = Runners Thrown Out %
I think this ends up going to Taylor and Leonard, but there will probably be more churn here than in other fielding evaluations between now and the end of the season.
Final Analysis
Gold Glove
Silver Glove
C
Louis Santop (CLE)
Thurman Munson (NYY)
1B
Will Clark (MCG)
Dan McGann (BAL)
2B
Cookie Rojas (NYG)
Ryne Sandberg (HOD)
3B
Scott Rolen (PHI)
Mike Schmidt (NYY)
SS
George Wright (LAA)
Ozzie Smith (KCM)
LF
Roy White (BRK)
Rick Reichardt (HOM)
CF
Willie Mays (NYG)
Paul Blair (BAL)
RF
Johnny Callison (NYG)
Roberto Clemente (HOM)
SP
Jack Taylor (HOD)
Dutch Leonard (BRK)
Defense is so hard to evaluate, right? Despite being the only team with 3 players listed here, the Gothams aren’t at the top of any of the team fielding ratings.
Looking at overall mentions may be more interesting–here is the list of players considered above, by team.
5 – New York Gothams 4 – Homestead; Philadelphia 3 – Baltimore; Brooklyn; House of David; San Francisco 2 – Cleveland; Detroit; Los Angeles; New York Black Yankees; Ottawa 1 – Birmingham; Chicago; Kansas City; Memphis; Miami; Portland 0 – Houston
Yeah, not any better actually. The Gothams are among the best teams in the league, but both Homestead and Philadelphia are most decidedly not.
Defense. Shrug.
Performance
Batters
Top 2 in each stat, leader in bold.
Dick Allen (CAG). 310/380/544. 10 3B. Johnny Bench (IND). 314/421/608. 5.2 WAR. Ron Blomberg (CLE). 338/407/649. 31 HR. Rico Carty (PHI). 285/356/460. 35 2B. Ty Cobb (DET). 350/390/572. 134 H. Eric Davis (NYY). 278/353/539. 81 R. Bobby Grich (LAA). 284/370/474. 35 2B. Rickey Henderson (SFS). 252/383/335. 76 BB, 72 SB. Kent Hrbek (POR). 303/376/591. 31 HR. Joe Jackson (CAG). 334/419/592. 81 R. Reggie Jackson (SFS). 331/445/610. Stan Musial (KCM). 332/391/594. 37 2B. Doug Rader (LAA). 335/391/546. 135 H, 100 RBI. Tim Raines (OTT). 299/371/449. 72 SB. Babe Ruth (NYY). 312/429/643. 32 HR, 96 RBI, 85 R, 79 BB, 5.6 WAR. Louis Santop (CLE). 304/336/468. 10 3B.
Pitchers
Starters
Top 2 in each stat (top 4 in ERA and WHIP), leader in bold.
17 pitchers have at least 10 wins, accounting for why we went deeper in ERA and WHIP this time. Have also included FIP (Fielding Independent Pitching) for the first time, helping to unravel some of the mystery of Alejandro Peña.
Bill Byrd (BAL). 11-2, 3.09. 1.17 WHIP. Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-5, 4.07. Don Drysedale (BRK). 7-4, 3.37. 1.15 WHIP. Ned Garvin (BAL). 9-4, 2.80. 1.18 WHIP. Lefty Grove (SFS). 11-7, 3.75. 160 K. Ron Guidry (NYY). 6-9, 4.41. 155 K, 3.5 WAR. Frank Knauss (BRK). 10-4, 3.07. Alejandro Peña (BBB). 9-7, 3.54. 3.24 FIP, 4.2 WAR. Gaylord Perry (NYG). 8-7, 3.92. 3.54 FIP. Stephen Strasburg (HOU). 6-6, 3.27. Jack Taylor (HOD). 10-8, 3.35. 1.18 WHIP.
Relievers
Top 2 in each stat (top 4 in ERA and WHIP), leader in bold. 25 IP for rate stats.
Terry Adams (CLE). 2-5, 3.09. 24 Sv. Elmer Brown (POR). 3-4, 1.65. 7 Sv, 9 H. Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.94. 28 Sv. Trevor Hildenberger (BRK). 3-0, 2.45. 1 Sv, 3 H, 0.94 WHIP. Ken Howell (SFS). 3-4, 2.17. 4 Sv, 7 H, 1.01 WHIP. AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.81. 19 Sv, 0.97 WHIP. Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.62. 3 Sv, 10 H. Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-5, 3.73. 16 H. Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-3, 3.80. 14 H. Carson Smith (NYG). 2-0, 1.80. 1 Sv, 8 H. Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.11. 21 Sv, 1.02 WHIP.
Series Results
Series XXVII Sweeps
Baltimore over Philadelphia
Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXVII
Detroit over Miami Kansas City over Los Angeles Portland over Memphis New York Gothams over San Francisco
Series XXVII Splits
House of David @ Birmingham Houston @ Brooklyn New York Black Yankees @ Chicago Homestead @ Cleveland Ottawa @ Indianapolis
