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TWIWBL 58.2: OPENING DAY!

On April 24, 2024

Welcome to the opening day of games in Year 2 of the WBL!

We’ll start with last year’s victors from the Whirled Series, as the Detroit Wolverines visit the champs, the Baltimore Black Sox, with the Wolverines’ Hal Newhouser opening their season against the Black Sox’s Dennis Martínez.

New Wolverine Charlie Gehringer opened the scoring with the first homerun of the season, a 3 run shot in the top of the 3rd, and Bob Bailey added an RBI single in the following frame to give Detroit a 4-0 lead.

El Presidente lurched through his 5 innings, giving up 7 hits and 4 runs while Newhouser was far better, allowing only 1 score in his 6 innings. Newhouser did walk 6 Black Sox, so there is some concern there.

Larry Gardner got one back with an RBI single for Baltimore in the bottom of the 5th, and then the Black Sox came all the way back against Chad Bradford in the bottom of the 8th, with singles from Curt Blefary and Ken Singleton driving in the runs to tie the game at 4.

So, opening day brought us extra innings!

Detroit would use a single from Hank Greenberg, a double from Al Kaline, and a sacrifice fly from Oscar Gamble to take a 5-4 lead in the 10th, and Mike Henneman–far from dependable last season–would shut down Baltimore on 5 pitches for his first save of the year and Detroit’s first win, 5-4.

The win went to Buddy Napier while Buddy Groom took the loss.

This was a great opening day for Detroit: the newcomers (Gehringer, Billy Hoeft) delivered and Henneman made the end look easy.

DET 5 (Napier 1-0; Henneman 1 Sv; Hoeft 1 H; Bradford 1 BSv) – BAL 4 (Groom 0-1) [10 Innings]
HRs: DET – Gehringer (1).

#Other Games

Jim Thome delivered a walkoff game winner against Portland’s closer, Johan Santana, as Miami came from behind to beat the Sea Dogs, 5-4.

POR 4 (Santana 0-1, 1 B Sv; Brown 1 B Sv) – MCG 5 (Terry 1-0)
HRs: POR – Hooper (1), Bell (1); MCG – Thome (1).

Homestead rode homeruns from Chris Sabo and Rick Reichardt and three hits from Josh Gibson (along with 3 errors by Philadelphia) in a 13-4 drubbing of the Stars. Francisco Liriano got the win with 5 decent innings and, perhaps more encouragingly, both Grays’ rookie arms–Doug Drabek and Tim Lincecum–were strong in relief.

HOM 13 (Liriano 1-0) – PHI 4 (Carlton 0-1)
HRs: HOM – Sabo (1), Reichardt (1).

Duke Snider went deep twice and John Briggs and Roy White added 3 hits apiece as Brooklyn gave Don Drysedale plenty of support in an 8-3 win over the New York Gothams. The only concern for the Royal Giants was reliever Dave Von Ohlen‘s departure in the 9th through injury.

NYG 3 (Mathewson 0-1) – BRK 8 (Drysedale 1-0; Von Ohlen 1 H)
HRs: NYG – Kauff (1); BRK – Snider 2 (2), Cey (1).

The House of David torched Roy Oswalt for 9 runs (5 earned) in the first 2 innings, and then held on for a 12 to 6 victory over Houston. Pete Browning had 3 hits, Ryne Sandberg drove in 3, and every starter had a hit in support of a mediocre start from Jack Taylor. Tony Gwynn had 3 hits for Houston.

HOU 6 (Oswalt 0-1) – HOD 12 (Taylor 1-0; Sabathia 1 Sv; Bauta 1 H)
HRs: HOU – Wynn (1); HOD – Sandberg (1).

Year II Season Preview: Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On March 20, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

You finish as the runner-up, you’re supposed to get back there next year. Championship competition for sure. This is just a very well-balanced team: none of the pitchers are really superstars, but Charlie Root, Hal Newhouser, and Gene Conley could hang with any trio in the league. Likewise, the offense revolves around two stars (Ty Cobb and Hank Greenberg) and a solid supporting cast.

Best Case

It all keeps humming, with especially both Root and Conley being able to maintain their level of performance on the mound while supporting talent–the Bailey Boys (3B Bill and C Ed) and the Davis Duo (OF Chili and SS George) especially–keep on keeping on and youngster Al Kaline continues to deliver on his promise.

Worst Case

The pitching seems like it could collapse at any time–especially the bullpen, where Mike Henneman (despite tying for the league lead in saves) feels somewhat precarious. Four key players (Ed Bailey, George Davis, Tony Phillips, and Oscar Gamble) are on the wrong side of 30, so falling off a cliff is always a concern.

Key Questions

Who is the 5th starter?
Can the 3 catchers continue to be an effective approach (meaning, worth sacrificing the roster spot to carry both Bill Carrigan and Ernie Lombardi behind Ed Bailey)?
The MI is a concern: George Davis is a wizard with the glove, but cannot hit and 2B clearly needs a long term solution given Phillips’ age.

Trade Bait

No obvious opportunities.

Or so we thought until it became clear that Charlie Gehringer, offering a long term solution at 2B, could be available.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C		Carrigan	Bailey, E	Lombardi
1B	Greenberg					Beníquez
2B			Phillips			Gehringer Wood
3B			Bailey, B			Nash
SS			~~Davis, G~~
LF/ RF	Cobb		Gamble Kaline
CF			Davis, C
SP		Conley Root	~~Aguirre~~ Newhouser	Verlander	Marcum
End		Napier	Bradford Henneman
RP					Wilshere	Hoeft Conway

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

Al Kaline gets moved down a little due to low usage, but he certainly looks like the real deal.

That’s a lot of unknowns for a contender. But none of them are really in key spots, although Billy Nash, who isn’t truly a SS, will have to fill in there until George Davis‘ return.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	OF Oscar Gamble	DH JD Martinez
Batting Eye	U Tony Phillips	OF Floyd Robinson
Contact	OF Ty Cobb	OF Ron Swoboda
Running Speed	OF Ty Cobb	OF Dan Gladden
Base Stealing	OF Ty Cobb	SS Ray Chapman
IF Defense	1B Hank Greenberg	3B Jimmy Collins
OF Defense	RF Al Kaline	CF Jim Piersall
Stuff	P Vernon Wilshire	P Wilson Álvarez
Control	RP Chad Bradford	RP Dick Donovan
Velocity	RP Mike Henneman	P Delin Betances

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (17)	21	OF	Al Kaline
2 (68)	19	SS	Wander Franco
3 (73)	23	P	Emil Yde
4 (113)	24	2B	Charlie Gehringer
5 (121)	23	P	George Mullin
6 (175)	18	P	Billy Hoeft
7 (198)	20	3B	Billy Nash

Others: None.

Hoeft and Franco were a surprise this Spring, with Hoeft, Nash, Gehringer, and Kaline all breaking camp with the Wolverines. That’s the good news. The bad news is the cupboard is bare at this point.

	Most	Least
Age	U Tony Phillips, 38	RP Billy Hoeft, 18 C Bill Freehan, 18
Height	P Gene Conley, 6’8″	SS Bill McClellan, 5’5″ SS Earl Adams, 5’5″
OPS	OF Hi Myers, 1.019 (WBL/AAA)	1B Eric Hosmer, .509 (WBL)
HR	3B Joe Werrick, 51 (WBL)	OF Wally Moses, 1 (AAA/AA) SS George Davis, 1 (AAA/AA) 2B Earl Adams, 1 (WBL)
SB	OF Ty Cobb, 52 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	OF Al Kaline, 4.9 (WBL)	1B Eric Hosmer, -3.0 (WBL)
W	Ray Washburn, 17 (—)	Doyle Alexander, 1 (WBL/AAA/AA)
SV	Mike Henneman, 38 (WBL)
ERA	Ray Washburn, 2.44 (—)	Dennis Rasmussen, 6.75 (—)
WAR	Ray Washburn, 5.6 (—)	Vernon Wilshire, -0.7 (WBL/AAA)

Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.6: Spring Training Notes – Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On February 23, 2024

In TWIWBL

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 50.7: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game VII – October 11th

By mknn

On October 19, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

And it all, as they say, comes down to this …

#Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game 7

Detroit will turn to Gene Conley, although they’ll have him on a short leash. Conley is a great story in the season: in mid June, Conley was 7-1 with an ERA just under 4.00, having made 28 relief appearances. At that point, he was moved into the starting rotation, going 5-5, but finishing the year with a 3.28 ERA, which would have placed him 2nd in the league if he had thrown 8 more innings. His postseason starts have been up and down: two starts of 7 scoreless innings, two others where he was hit hard.

Baltimore has a clearer choice: Bill Byrd was 14-3 with a 3.33 ERA in the regular season and 3-1 since the playoffs started, although his most recent outings have been a little rougher.

Hank Greenberg opened the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the second, and Byrd and Conley were excellent throughout. Bryce Harper sent a pitch from Conley deep in the 5th to tie the game. After one out, a walk to Manny Machado and a single by Paul Blair chased Conley. But Johnny Marcum was able to get out of the inning, meaning Detroit was now in the bullpen dance from here on out.

Byrd gave up a hit to Bob Bailey to leadoff the 6th but whiffed Ty Cobb and induced a fielders choice groundout from Greenberg. But another walk, this one to Oscar Gamble, brought in Connie Johnson from the bullpen. Chili Davis lifted a bloop into left that dropped between Machado, Bobby Wallace, and Frank Robinson for the cheapest of hits. It was effective enough: Greenberg scored for a 2-1 lead for the Wolverines.

Robinson may have felt at fault: he launched a pitch from Marcum into the night to start off the Baltimore half of the 6th, tying the game at 2. Detroit’s bullpen struggled immediately: Chad Bradford gave up a double to Harper scoring Blefary, and walked Ken Singleton. He got out of the inning without further damage and Baltimore having reclaimed the lead, 3-2.

Detroit decided the 7th was the inning to go for it: Ed Bailey walked and Bill Carrigan was sent in as a pinch runner with Geoff Jenkins heading to the plate to hit for George Davis. Jenkins whiffed, Carrigan was caught trying to steal second and, after a Tony Phillips single, Bob Bailey grounded out to third for the final out.

Baltimore has refused to use a traditional closer throughout the season, and today they turned to Buddy Groom–the closest they’ve come–in the 8th, maximizing the number of lefties he’ll face. It worked: Groom retired Cobb, Greenberg, and Gamble without incident.

Detroit was far less fortunate in the bottom of the 8th, as Baltimore plated 3 insurance runs on RBI singles from Machado, Wallace, and Gardner. That made it 6-2 Baltimore, with only 3 outs between them and the Whirled Series trophy.

Joe Beggs came on to seal the deal, and seal it he did: the Baltimore Black Sox win the inaugural Whirled Series, taking game seven at home, 6-2. Harper had 3 hits and drove in 2 for Baltimore.

DET 2 (Marcum 0-1) @ BAL 6 (Johnson 3-0; Miller 2 H; Groom 3 H)
HRs: DET – Greenberg (5); BAL – Harper (4), Robinson (5).
Box Score

Larry Gardner took home the MVP trophy–a reasonable choice as the Black Sox’ 2B slashed 400/406/500 with 7 RBI’s. Paul Blair–PAUL freaking BLAIR–who hit 381/458/619 would have been a reasonable choice as well.

TWIWBL 50.4: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game IV – October 7th

By mknn

On October 16, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

This is such a critical game: either Detroit takes a commanding 3-1 lead, or Baltimore roars back to setup a best two out of three finish.

#Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game IV

Detroit will ask red-hot lefty Hank Aguirre to cement their lead in the series while Baltimore will counter with Connie Johnson. With Ed Bailey struggling a little, Detroit moves Bill Carrigan behind the plate, while Baltimore’s Bryce Harper gets his usual rest facing a lefty with Baby Doll Jacobsen taking his place in rightfield.

Detroit opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Hank Greenberg doubled home Bob Bailey. But Jacobsen repaid his manager’s faith in him, driving home two with a triple in the top of the second. Jacobsen would trot home on a long fly ball to center by Manny Machado, making it 3-1 Baltimore.

Aguirre struggled, and a two-out hit by Dan McGann in the third chased him from the game with Mickey Lolich being summoned from the bullpen for a potentially long relief outing.

Bob Bailey cut Baltimore’s lead in half in the 3rd with his fifth homerun of the postseason, making it 4-2, and then Carrigan took Johnson deep in the 5th, cutting it to 4-3. Johnson seemed shook, walking the next three batters. That brought in Mike Mussina to face Ty Cobb with the bases loaded and no outs. Mussina answered emphatically, striking out Cobb, getting Greenberg to pop out, and retiring Oscar Gamble on a lazy fly to left.

Baltimore added to their lead in the 7th on consecutive doubles by Bobby Wallace and Larry Gardner and an RBI single from Ken Singleton.

That meant we headed eventually to the bottom of the 9th with the Black Sox ahead, 6-3. With one out, Al Kaline singled and Carrigan followed with a double, bringing the tying run to the plate in the form of pinch-hitter Geoff Jenkins. Jenkins flew out, Tony Phillips grounded out, and that was that: the Whirled Series was now tied at 2 games apiece.

Both Lolich and Mussina were excellent in relief, with each pitching 3 innings without allowing a hit.

BAL 6 (Mussina 1-2; Beggs 2 Sv; Groom 2 H) @ DET 3 (Aguirre 1-2)
HRs: BAL – none; DET – B. Bailey (5); Carrigan (1).
Box Score

TWIWBL 50.3: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game III – October 6th

By mknn

On October 12, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

As the series shifts to Detroit, Baltimore was down 3 games to 1 against Portland in the Division Series, so they know they can come back. But they need to be better in all phases: they need to score more than 2 runs a game, they need to allow fewer than 7, and they need to do so immediately.

#Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game III

Bill Byrd will take the mound for Baltimore in what is essentially a must-win game, while Detroit will turn to Gene Conley.

Baltimore scored first on an RBI single by Manny Machado and then a bases-loaded, 2 out double from Larry Gardner. Frank Robinson followed with a 2-run homerun and suddenly Baltimore had rediscovered its offense, leading 6-0. Conley didn’t make it out of the 3rd, when a Ken Singleton bloop increased the lead to 7-0. Singleton would add a 2-run shot in the 5th, extending the lead to 10-2.

Byrd was effective, but not great, giving up a solo shot to Al Kaline in the 3rd and RBI singles to Hank Greenberg and Tony Phillips in the 4th and 5th, and a solo shot to Oscar Gamble in the 6th. A solo shot by Paul Blair provided the final margin, as Baltimore strolled to an 11-4 victory, marking the third straight win for the visiting team.

Blair had 3 hits and Gardner drove in 4 for Baltimore.

BAL 11 (Byrd 3-1; Palmer 1 Sv) @ DET 4 (Conley 2-2)
HRs: BAL – Robinson (4), Singleton (3), Blair (2); DET – Kaline (3), Gamble (3).
Box Score

TWIWBL 50.2: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game II – October 4th

By mknn

On October 11, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

Detroit leads 1-0 after a convincing victory in the opening game.

#Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game II

With Mike Mussina having thrown an effective 2 innings in game one, Baltimore will turn to Johnny Sain in the second game of the series, giving the 30 year old righty his first postseason start. Detroit will counter with Charlie Root, and will give Geoff Jenkins a start at DH, with Al Kaline likely the first bat off the bench for the Wolverines.

The Black Sox wasted no time in taking their first lead of the series, with Bobby Wallace leading off the bottom of the first with a double and scoring on a single from Larry Gardner. The 1-0 lead lasted until the fifth, when Sain surrendered only his second hit of the day, a homerun to Oscar Gamble to tie the game.

Two walks in the 6th brought in Jim Palmer in relief of Sain. Palmer whiffed Hank Greenberg, but gave up RBI singles to Gamble and Chili Davis, and then Paul Blair dropped the ball on a difficult catch for an error. At the end of it, the score was 4-1 in favor of Detroit.

Palmer gave up a 2-run homerun to Bob Bailey in the top of the 7th, making it 6-1. A solo shot from Dan McGann and a single by Bryce Harper chased Root in the bottom of the inning, but Buddy Napier was able to get out of a bit of a jam–two on with no outs–without allowing another run, taking us to the 8th inning with the Wolverines up, 6-2.

Kaline registered his displeasure at being benched by launching a pinch-hit homerun in the 8th with a runner on base, providing the final score of 8-2, and giving Detroit a 2-0 edge in the series.

Both teams had 8 hits in the contest, but Detroit made the most of their opportunities, hit 3 homers, and the 5 walks surrendered by Sain didn’t help.

DET 8 (Root 3-0) @ BAL 2 (Sain 0-1)
HRs: DET – Gamble (2), B. Bailey (4), Kaline (2); BAL – McGann (4).
Box Score

TWIWBL 50.1: THE WHIRLED SERIES! Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game I – October 3rd

By mknn

On October 10, 2023

In 2000 Playoffs, 2000 Whirled Series, Game Recaps, TWIWBL

And away we go!

#Detroit Wolverines v Baltimore Black Sox, Game I

Hal Newhouser, 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA in the postseason, gets the ball for Detroit with Dennis Martínez taking the mound for Baltimore. El Presidente has only 1 post season win, but has pitched well across his 3 starts, as his 2.55 ERA will attest.

Sometimes it feels like Detroit almost has a script for their opening innings: Tony Phillips walks, Bob Bailey bunts him to second, and Ty Cobb singles him home. Which is exactly how they opened the ballgame. A walk to Hank Greenberg and a soft single by Oscar Gamble loaded the bases for the Wolverines, but Baltimore turned a nifty 4-2-3 double play on a hard hit ball from Chili Davis to end the inning.

Phillips led off the 3rd with a single, but this time Bailey’s bunt was poor and Martínez whirled to catch the lead runner at second. Cobb singled and a 2-out error by Larry Gardner loaded the bases with 2 outs, bringing up Chili Davis again with the bases loaded. This time, he hit the ball far more weakly, and far more effectively, beating out an infield single that scored the Wolverines’ second run. Ed Bailey would single home 2, putting Detroit on top, 4-0.

Martínez recovered well, allowing only the single earned run through 5 innings. Meanwhile, Newhouser was absolutely dominant allowing only 1 hit (a Gardner double) and fanning 6 into the 5th. Back-to-back walks to Bryce Harper and Ken Singleton gave Baltimore their first real threat. Manny Machado blooped a single to right to load the bases, and Newhouser walked Paul Blair, putting Baltimore on the board and raising activity in the Wolverines’ bullpen. Newhouser struck out Bobby Wallace and got Gardner to groundout, ending the threat and leaving the score 4-1, Detroit.

Mike Mussina relieved Martínez and got 2 quick outs, but then surrendered 3 consecutive singles to George Davis, Phillips, and Bob Bailey, the last of which scored another run. The 5-1 lead gave Detroit some room to maneuver, and they brought in the struggling Johnny Marcum in relief, who promptly struggled, loading the bases with 1 out, but did not surrender a run.

Detroit added 2 in the top of the 9th, and Baltimore went gently in their half, giving the Wolverines a 1-0 leas in the series.

Cobb had 3 hits for Detroit and Chili Davis and Ed Bailey each drove in 2.

DET 7 (Newhouser 3-0) @ BAL 1 (Martínez 1-1)
HRs: None
Box Score

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.