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Year III Season Preview: New York Black Yankees

On August 9, 2026

In 2002 Season Previews, Team News

State of the Franchise

There is exactly one acceptable outcome in the Bronx, and it hasn’t changed since the day Babe Ruth first pulled on the pinstripes: a Whirled Championship. Year II delivered neither the parade nor the collapse — 90-72, a Bill James Division title, and a quick playoff exit. Progress on paper; but nothing meaningful in the trophy case.

What keeps the win-now posture from being empty bluster is the age of the core. Ruth is 26. Lou Gehrig is 24. Mickey Mantle 22. Of the offensive core, only Mike Schmidt (29) and Rogers Hornsby (34) have crossed the far side of 25 (!). This is the rare club that can demand a title this year and still expect to be great for a decade — which is exactly why the front office has never once flinched at trading the future to reinforce the present. There is no future, the board sneers, there is only now.

Welcome to my supervillain origin story …

2001 Revisited

We spent last spring insisting it was all about the bullpen, and that Ron Guidry would seize the ace role in front of a revived pen fronted by Aroldis Chapman. The universe, as it does, laughed: the bullpen remained the same slow-motion catastrophe it has been for multiple years, and Guidry never made the traditional leap either: he was excellent by every advanced metric and thoroughly ordinary by the ones on the scoreboard (11-7, 4.51, but second in the league with 251 K).

Two things made up for it. Andy Pettitte, acquired for the departed Albert Belle, quietly became the ace we’d wished onto Guidry (18-9, AL All-Star). And Ruth authored maybe the best offensive season in league history (hush you voices in Detroit and Pittsburgh) — 73 homers, 167 RBI, a 1.156 OPS, runner-up for the Mel Trench Award. We had fretted about regression from Munson, Davis, and Mantle; the regression that actually arrived came from the man we’d listed as trade bait, Derek Jeter, who, at 33, slid all the way to the bottom of the SS lists in the AL.

The eternal lesson for the Black Yankees: the stars carry you, the margins betray you, and the bullpen is simply a tax you pay every year.

Key Changes

In: Ed Charles (IND); Ted Lilly (FA); Tony Mullane (FA); Gaylord Perry (NYG); Joe Sewell (CLE); Robby Thompson (NYG)

Out: Aroldis Chapman (CLE); Grant Johnson (NYG); Dave Righetti (NYG); Jeff D Robinson (IND); Red Ruffing (FA)

Opening Day Rookies: Whitey Ford

Best Case for 2002

The back of the rotation finally coheres — Gaylord Perry, the winter import, gives them a genuine third starter, one of Whitey Ford or Tony Brizzolara steps forward, and Guidry’s peripherals at last catch up to his ERA. Gehrig and Mantle keep climbing, Ruth keeps being Ruth, and — dare we dream — the bullpen merely stops actively losing games rather than winning them (a burden that weighs heavy on designated closer Goose Gossage). That team runs away with the division and, for once, keeps winning past September.

Worst Case for 2002

Jeter’s collapse turns out to be contagious. The 33-year-old shortstop and the 34-year-old Hornsby both give out up the middle, Eric Davis misses another 50 games, and the rotation behind Pettitte and Guidry is a mishmash of below-average auditions. The pen does what the pen does. 90 wins becomes 78, and the only now mandate starts ringing increasingly hollow, as the rest of the universe cheers the decline.

Key Questions

Who, exactly, plays shortstop? Jeter isn’t giving them enough to hold the job. Chapman was unloaded for Joe Sewell and Robby Thompson came over in the Perry trade, so look for a 3-man rotation for a while. This is the question most likely to shove New York back into the market the instant the trade window opens at the break.
Is there a back of the rotation? Pettitte and Guidry are locks, and Perry was brought in to solidify behind them. After that it’s an untried rookie in Ford, the only slightly tried Brizzolara, and arms with nothing actually proven (Ted Lilly, Tony Mullane).
Is Mattingly still a WBL first baseman? An .800-ish OPS doesn’t play at 1B, and Gehrig is standing right there. It’s not clear how long these 2 split the DH/1B role, but it’s also not clear who would take over.

Roster Evaluation

Tier = the player’s 2001 positional grade (S best → F worst; color coded S A B C D F). Bold names carry a substantive WBL track; italic names are pure projection — a hope, not a grade — with no qualifying track to anchor them.

Pos	Players
C	Munson C · Sanguillén
1B	Mattingly D · Gehrig S
2B	Hornsby B
3B	Schmidt A · Charles
SS	Jeter F · Sewell · Thompson
LF	Ruth S
CF	Davis B · Rivers
RF	Mantle A
DH	Gehrig S
SP	Pettitte B · Guidry C · Perry C · Ford · Brizzolara
RP	Gossage B (CL) · Wilhelm C · Cormier D · Robertson F · Shuey

4 bats as good as any in the league — Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Schmidt — and not much of anything else. And the quiet standout may be the one nobody talks about: Schmidt hit 45 homers with a .914 OPS and plays a real third base, the connoisseur’s Yankee the sharper fans prize precisely because the box-score crowd looks past him.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	LF Babe Ruth	LF Jackie Warner
Batting Eye	LF Babe Ruth	1B Nick Etten
Contact	C Manny Sanguillén; 1B Don Mattingly	RF Rich Coggins
Running Speed	CF Eric Davis	CF Cecil Espy
Base Stealing	CF Eric Davis	CF Cecil Espy
IF Defense	3B Mike Schmidt	1B J C Martin
OF Defense	LF Babe Ruth	RF Nick Swisher
Stuff	RP David Robertson	RP Jesse Orosco
Control	SP Gaylord Perry	SP Noah Syndergaard
Velocity	RP David Robertson	RP Dan Plesac

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	Pos	Name
1 (67)	24	SS	Charlie Irwin

Others: OF Rich Coggins, IF John Kruk, P Noah Syndergaard, OF Jackie Warner.

Meh, who cares.

A year ago, this list ran 7 deep, almost all arms. Where did they go? Whitey Ford and Tony Brizzolara graduated into the back of the rotation; Jake Peavy, last spring’s No. 2, was the centerpiece headed to Portland for Rogers Hornsby; Carlos Rodón and Elliott Maddox were shipped out in other deals; and last year’s No. 1, Noah Syndergaard, has slid off the national board entirely (still only 22, throwing at AAA). What’s left is Charlie Irwin, a 24-year-old vaguely mediocre looking shortstop.

New York still owns the worst farm system in the league by a distance.

Superlatives

	Most	Least
Age	Jesse Orosco, 36	John Ryan Murphy, 18
Height	Noah Syndergaard, 6’6″	Joe Sewell, 5’6″
OPS	Babe Ruth, 1.156	Heinie Groh, .540 (AAA)
HR	Babe Ruth, 73	Heinie Groh, 2 (AAA)
SB	Eric Davis, 64	–
WAR (bat)	Babe Ruth, 7.7	Derek Jeter, −1.5
W	Andy Pettitte, 18	–
SV	Goose Gossage, 20	–
ERA	Art Ditmar, 2.94 (AA)	Herm Wehmeier, 6.54
WAR (pit)	Ron Guidry, 4.8	Cal Eldred, −1.5 (A)

Stats across all levels, 2001 season. 200 PA / 75 IP minimum. Non-WBL levels tagged in parentheses.

Year III Season Preview: New York Gothams

By mknn

On August 8, 2026

In 2002 Season Previews, Team News

▌ State of the Franchise

The Gothams are the 3rd team in their own city, behind a Brooklyn club that just won it all and the rich/arrogant Yankees up the road. 2001 was a wake-up call — after winning 87 games, they plummeted to 75-87 and last in the Effa Manley Division, 24 games back.

The top of the roster is not the problem. Willie Mays hit 49 home runs at 24 and was worth 4.4 wins. Buster Posey hit 39 from behind the plate and was worth 4.2. Will Clark put up a .952 OPS, Johnny Callison hit 39 more, and all 4 are 24 to 29 years old.

The problem is … well … everything else. Shortstop gave New York 442 plate appearances of 221/268/381. Third base needed 7 different men before Jim Ray Hart claimed it in the 2nd half, and it’s not like he set the world on fire. Left field was a hole until Don Buford was bought at the deadline, and Jimmy Sheckard, a 4-WAR outfielder in 2000, hit .172 in the WBL and finished the year at Triple-A.

And the rotation wasn’t much better — Christy Mathewson keeps giving both ace potential and thoroughly average performances, and the bullpen — the pride of the club in 2000 — was showing its age. So the Gothams tore it all down (which may mean, panicked uncontrollably, or may mean made a smart investment in their future).

Juan Marichal, Robb Nen, Troy Percival and Steve Howe all went out at the deadline; then, in January, the Gothams sent Gaylord Perry — its own 2001 WAR leader — up the road to the Yankees for HR Johnson, Dave Righetti, a 1st-round pick and a 3rd. Johnson is an infielder, and may offer some long-sought-after stability there.

▌ 2001 Revisited

We asked for a deep playoff run, much like last year, and added a note about the Gothams’ habit of trading away all their damn picks. They went 75-87.

The worst case we sketched was that the bullpen falters, and only Matty remains viable as a starter while everyone not named Mays and Posey struggles offensively. That was close, and still too kind. The bullpen didn’t falter so much as get sold for parts. Mays and Posey did carry the offense. And Mathewson was the one who faltered.

Which is where 2001 gets strange. Mathewson went 7-16 with a 5.61 ERA, and he was the best pitcher on the staff: 210 innings, 207 strikeouts, 4.0 WAR at 22, a figure that actually rose from the year he led the league in wins. Don Sutton went 17-8 with a 5.23 and was worth 1.9. Same rotation, same season, 2 records that just add to the lack of internal clarity.

The best case wanted Perry or Marichal to step forward and join Mathewson among the league’s elite. Perry did have a decent year — a 1.13 WHIP across 211 innings, but went packing when the Black Yankees came knocking. Benny Kauff, who the preview wondered how they’d find at-bats for, found them, made the All-NL 2nd Team, and was traded in March.

A lot of churn. But it’s not clear the Gothams are any better.

▌ Key Changes

In: Grant Johnson (NYY); Dale Murphy (KAN); Dave Righetti (NYY)

Out: Dellin Betances (FA); Benny Kauff (KAN); Tony Mullane (FA); Gaylord Perry (NYY); Robby Thompson (NYY)

Opening Day Rookies: Santiago Casilla; Dick Dietz; George Jeffcoat; Doggie Miller; Buck O’Brien; Vito Tamulis; Masahiro Tanaka

▌ Best Case for 2002

The middle fills in. HR Johnson, 26, takes second base and hits the way he did in Houston; Hart holds third; Brandon Crawford finds enough of a bat to go with the glove, or somebody takes the job from him. That alone is worth several wins, because the 4 men at the top are already producing at a playoff standard.

Mathewson’s record catches up to his arm. Righetti, 24 and coming off a 2.5-WAR season in the Bronx, gives the rotation a 2nd real starter, and Pete Donohue — 22, a 3.61 across 120 innings at Triple-A and a NL 21 & Under Team pick — turns his September look into a rotation spot.

And the bullpen rebuilds itself from inside. Brian Wilson is still an elite closer when healthy, George Jeffcoat saved 32 games at Hartford, Santiago Casilla was untouchable there. So perhaps the identity returns.

▌ Worst Case for 2002

Johnson is the latest name on a long list. New York has spent 3 years betting on the undervalued bat — Pinky Higgins, John Kerins, Matt Williams, Pete Runnels, Carl Furillo, Wes Westrum — and the bets keep landing in the same unremarkable middle. If Johnson doesn’t hit, the club will have sold its best pitcher to the richest team in its own city for another meh return.

Mathewson doesn’t take the step, Sutton’s ERA finally catches his record, and the rotation behind them is a 26-year-old with a 5.75 and a set of Triple-A arms. Dale Murphy hit .193 in Kansas City last year and is the insurance in center. Crawford keeps the shortstop job by default. A 75-win team wins 75 games again.

▌ Key Questions

Does HR Johnson hit? He is 26, he plays the position New York has needed for 3 years, and he cost the club a pitcher who had just led it in WAR. Johnson produces and the trade is the cleverest thing the Gothams have done. Get him wrong and it is an all-too-familiar mistake.
Will the real Matty please stand up? He has now led the league in wins and, a year later, in losses, with his WAR going up in between. Read that again. At 22 with 207 strikeouts he has every ingredient of a front-line starter and a 5.61 to explain away. The org has never been sure whether it has an ace or a very good innings-eater. It would be nice to know.
Can the left side of the infield be fixed from inside? Shortstop and third combined for less production than most clubs get from a single player. Johnson will swing across these positions, but someone else needs to contribute here as well.

▌ Roster Evaluation

Pos	Players
C	Posey A · Dietz
1B	Clark B
2B	Johnson · Doyle B
SS	Crawford F
3B	Hart
LF	Buford D · Sheckard
CF	Mays A · Murphy F
RF	Callison C
DH	Doyle B · Dietz
SP	Mathewson D · Sutton C · Hubbell F · Righetti · Donohue · Tanaka
RP	Wilson B (CL) · Norris B · Casilla · Tamulis · Tekulve · Jeffcoat

Dick Dietz was among the better backup bats in the league, which on most rosters is a luxury and on this one is a way to get a real hitter into a lineup that runs out of them by the 6th spot. And Mike Norris, 37 and the club’s Fan Favorite, is almost certainly taking his last lap — which may be cut off early, as age catches up with the 2000 Reliever of the Year in the WBL.

▌ Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	2B HR Johnson	CF Dwayne Murphy
Batting Eye	C Dick Dietz	CF Dwayne Murphy
Contact	LF Tip O’Neill	CF Fred M Lewis
Running Speed	CF Willie Mays	CF George Van Haltren
Base Stealing	LF Jimmy Sheckard; 2B HR Johnson	SP Al Spalding; CF George Van Haltren
IF Defense	SS Brandon Crawford	2B Whitey Wietelmann
OF Defense	CF Willie Mays	RF Mike Tiernan
Stuff	RP Grant Balfour	RP Henry Rodríguez
Control	SP Pete Donohue	SP Al Spalding
Velocity	RP Grant Balfour	RP Derrick Turnbow

▌ Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	Pos	Name
1 (27)	18	SP	Amos Rusie
2 (61)	26	CF	Dwayne Murphy
3 (76)	23	SP	William VanLandingham

Graduated to the active roster since the ranked list: Masahiro Tanaka (77).

Others: IF Carlos Baerga, IF Alvin Davis, IF Howard Johnson, OF Tully Hartsel.

3 names on the ranked list, and the Gothams know exactly how it got that way — last year’s preview asked them to stop trading away all their damn picks, and they spent 2001 trading more of them. Amos Rusie is the exception and a real one: 18 years old and 27th in all of baseball.

Underneath, the system is infielders the club is hoping into relevance. Carlos Baerga, 19, came from Kansas City in the Kauff deal; Howard Johnson and Davey Johnson arrived from Homestead for Marichal and Nen. At least the January trade brought back picks instead of spending them.

▌ Superlatives

	Most	Least
Age	Mike Norris, 37	Amos Rusie, 18
Height	Ron H Jackson, 6’7″	Tully Hartsel, 5’5″
OPS	Will Clark, .952	Cliff Bolton, .534 (A)
HR	Willie Mays, 49	George Van Haltren, 0 (AA)
SB	Tim Shinnick, 72 (A)	–
WAR (bat)	Willie Mays, 4.4	George Van Haltren, −1.2 (AA)
W	Don Sutton, 17	–
SV	George Jeffcoat, 32 (AAA)	–
ERA	Willie Banks, 3.37 (A)	Tully Sparks, 6.10 (AAA)
WAR (pit)	Pete Donohue, 4.5 (AAA)	Wandy Rodríguez, 0.3 (A)

Stats across all levels, 2001 season. 200 PA / 75 IP minimum. Non-WBL levels tagged in parentheses.

TWIWBL 97.2: The Spring Training Trades

By mknn

On July 18, 2026

In TWIWBL

With just over a week left in Spring Training, we get to see how panicked some teams are, and how much they want to shake things up before opening day.

Unsurprisingly, we start with the Black Yankees and their perennial win-now mentality.

#The Black Yankees Add MI

NYY sends RP Aroldis Chapman, IF Mark Grudzielanek, 2nd Round Pick to CLE for IF Joe Sewell, IF Bill Phillips.

This is more fallout from the Grant Johnson trade in some ways: Sewell will have every shot at displacing Derek Jeter at SS for New York, and the team looks set to juggle their middle infield between those two, Robby Thompson, and Rogers Hornsby.

For Cleveland, they took a blocked talent–Sewell was never displacing Arky Vaughan–and converted it into a great bullpen arm and a valuable pick.

#The Red Sox Have a Rotation

Unsatisfied with just adding Don Drysdale and Red Ruffing, Memphis went shopping on the West coast.

MEM sends IF Dobie Moore, OF Dwight Evans, P Mike Witt to LAA for P Tom Seaver, IF Xander Bogaerts, IF Andrelton Simmons, C Mark Salas.

Clearly, the spine of the deal is Seaver for Moore, but this one has a lot of repercussions: Memphis continues to weed out some of its OF talent, and takes a gamble on Seaver continuing to develop at the WBL level. SS for Memphis is now a scramble between the two new bodies, Adam Everett, and Bud Harrelson; while for Los Angeles, this settles at least half of their middle infield question, and opens the door for some more arms to prove themselves in the rotation as they look to the future.

#CAG Settles at SS. Maybe.

CAG sends U Trea Turner & IF Yoán Moncada to HOU for IF Travis Jackson.

Jackson is clearly ready for WBL time–here he may actually get it; in return HOU gets a prospect in search of a position and one of the ST surprises in Moncada.

#Monarchs Make Moves

KAN sends OF Dale Murphy & IF Carlos Baerga to NYG for OF Benny Kauff.

A classic now v later move. Murphy is desperately in need of a change of scenery, and Baerga remains 4-5 years away, while Kauff should help deepen a lineup in need of power.

But Kansas City wasn’t done.

KAN sends P José Rijo, P Jeff Pfeffer & 1st Round Pick to LAA for 3B Doug Rader.

The Albert Pujols at 3B experiment looks to be officially over, with Los Angeles clearly reacting to the loss of Seaver. Expect David Wright and/or Pedro Álvarez to inherit the hot corner for the Angels.

And this led to another move for Los Angeles.

LAA sends P Brett Anderson & 3rd Round Pick to HOD for IF Richie Hebner, OF Cy Williams & 2nd Round Pick

Los Angeles has now gotten rid of their 2 best pitchers from last season: this is either great faith in their stockpiled arms or pure madness.

#Easy as A-B-C

IND sends P Tom Glavine, P George Medich, P Jack Billingham & IF Robin Ventura to POR for IF Buddy Bell.

Indianapolis gets an all star and former gold glove winner to take over at the hot corner, while Portland lands a lot of future potential, headlined by the 19 year old Glavine.

This deal set the stage for the next one.

IND sends IF Ed Charles & P Dan Plesac to NYY for P Jeff D. Robinson & P Jack Armstrong.

The Black Yankees get a decent bench piece for the price of a Rule V selection–which seems fair to all. The other two arms are essentially fliers–Armstrong back to his seed franchise, Plesac as a veteran LHP hedge.

#Memphis Not Done Yet

MEM sends IF Candy Jim Taylor, P Nathan Eovaldi & 1st Round Pick to BRK for OF John Briggs & 3rd Round Pick.

This one has some heads shaking. Memphis and Brooklyn team up again, with the Red Sox landing what they hope is the CF of the future, and Brooklyn adding some minor league talent and a coveted #1 pick.

Briggs has been doubted every step of his career–this is just another chance for him to prove the haters wrong. For Brooklyn, it clears CF for Duke Snider, and also means their OF glut can now route into the DH for the year.

#BB to BBB

BAL sends IF Asdrúbal Cabrera, P Bill Byrd, IF Roy Smalley Jr. & 3rd Round Pick to BBB for P Steve Avery, P Gio González, P Warren Spahn, OF Curt Flood & 1st Round Pick.

An interesting deal.

In 7 years, Baltimore may see this as a massive win–if Avery develops, if González becomes a rotation starter, if the 1st Round Pick pans out and, perhaps most of all, if a change of scenery reboots Spahn’s career.

That’s a lot of if’s. In the meantime, Birmingham gets a potential answer to their SS woes and a front of rotation arm that excels in limiting homeruns, the Black Barons’ current Achilles’ heel.

TWIWBL 90.5: Off Season Review – Detroit Wolverines

By mknn

On March 28, 2026

In TWIWBL

81 - 82, .497 pct.
3rd in Bill James Division, 9.5 GB
Lost to SFS 4-3 in AL Wild Card

Overall

One of 2 teams to make the playoffs in each of the 2 WBL seasons, the Wolverines still seem like they are a team under construction. Like so many other franchises, it feels like it all comes down to the pitching, and whether they can put together a rotation that delivers consistently.

On offense, it’s all about Ty Cobb: as long as the 21 year old phenom is healthy, Detroit will score runs. Cobb’s not alone, and this year his supporting cast took a leap forward, as the excellence of Hank Greenberg, Oscar Gamble, and Al Kaline was supported by an overall solid group.

But the issue is really in the rotation where something between the dependable mediocrity of Charlie Root and the occasional brilliance of Hal Newhouser needs to emerge.

What Went Right

Ty Cobb, the nearly unanimous AL Brock Rutherford Award winner, was utterly ridiculous, slashing 386/440/841, hitting 72 doubles and 54 homeruns, driving in 140, and scoring 157 times. And, oh yeah, 82 steals. Just ridiculous.

Hank Greenberg raised his game, posting a 1.024 OPS with numbers that would have led most teams (59 homeruns and a 266/352/672 slash line).

Al Kaline laid a strong claim to being Detroit’s RF for years to come, with a .957 OPS and solid defense.

JD Martinez forced his way into the lineup again and again, managing (in 41 games) an OPS even higher than Cobb’s via a 321/389/902 slash line–that’s right, a .902 SLG curtesy of 19 homeruns in 126 PAs.

Oscar Gamble continued to be surprisingly effective, with an OBP nearly .400 and 35 homeruns. Perhaps even more surprising, 35 year old Juan Beníquez refused to give up his starting spot, posting an .888 OPS as a late career rookie.

Ernie Lombardi and Bob Bailey were quite solid at C and 3B respectively, combining for 53 homeruns and 142 RBIs.

In limited action, Tony Lazzeri and Ray Chapman each hit well, providing a short term solution to the middle infield. The long term solutions–Charlie Gehringer at 2B and Bobby Wallace at SS–were solid enough to settle the positions heading into the Spring.

What, you want a positive from the pitching staff? I’m looking, I really am.

Ah! Pete Conway. Conway was totally unheralded coming into the season, and finished 9-3, albeit with pedestrian looking WHIP and ERA (1.38 and 5.18, respectively).

I guess Hal Newhouser was a bright spot as well as the only starter with an ERA under 5.00, and the occasional bursts of brilliance. If Newhouser’s control can improve slightly, he could develop into a deserved front of rotation starter.

Mike Henneman was solid at closer after returning from injury.

That’s about it.

ALL STARS

Ed Bailey (subsequently traded)
Ty Cobb

MAJOR AWARDS

Ty Cobb, AL Mel Trench Award; AL All Rounder Award; All AL Team; AL DH Silver Slugger
Hank Greenberg, AL 1B Gold Glove

RECOGNITIONS

Juan Beníquez, AL All Rookie Team
Ty Cobb, AL 25 & Under Team; AL 23 & Under Team; AL 21 & Under Team
Pete Conway, AL 21 & Under Team
Oscar Gamble, AL Over 30 Team
Charlie Gehringer, AL All Rookie Team
Hank Greenberg, AL 25 & Under Team
Billy Hoeft, AL All Rookie 2nd Team; AL 21 & Under Team
Connie Johnson, AL Over 30 Team
Al Kaline, AL All Rookie Team
Charlie Root, AL Over 30 Team
Bobby Wallace, AL Over 30 Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Ty Cobb, MVP
Hal Newhouser, Pitcher of the Year
Oscar Gamble, Heart & Soul
Ernie Lombardi, Fan Favorite

Mickey Lolich, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Wes Covington, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Offensively, what went wrong was largely solved by season’s end: the middle infield was a bit of a mess, as Billy Nash, Joe Wood, and George Davis all struggled. But Charlie Gehringer was acceptable at 2B and the trade for Bobby Wallace should solve SS, especially with the promising play of Ray Chapman and Tony Lazzeri at both positions.

Likewise, catching could have been an issue after Detroit traded away all star Ed Bailey, but Ernie Lombardi stepped into a nearly full time role as smoothly as the Wolverines could have hoped.

Roughly 25 pitchers made their way through Detroit, so that’s an indication that quite a bit went wrong.

We can start with Johnny Marcum, Si Johnson, and Justin Verlander, each given at least a half-dozen starts over the course of the season and each getting hammered, although Verlander ate up enough innings to accumulate some useful WAR.

Only 2 pitchers (nominal ace Hal Newhouser and closer Mike Henneman) managed ERA’s under 5.00 and nobody–nobody–had a WHIP under 1.3. The staff was just not good, with Joakim Soria, Vernon Wilshire, George Bechtel, Billy Hoeft, and Ray Sadecki earning particularly poor marks.

’nuff said.

Transactions

March

P Claude Osteen & 1st Round Pick to HOD for 2B Charlie Gehringer & 3rd Round Pick.

Sure. I mean the 1st is a lot to give up, but Gehringer played well enough to look like a long-term solve at 2B for Detroit.

July

C Ed Bailey & P Claude Passeau to CLE for C Victor Martinez, P Bill Drake, & 3rd Round Pick.

An odd one: they traded arguably the best catcher in the league to a division rival, but got decent value in return, as Martinez–despite his struggles this year–could supplant Lombardi and Drake looks to have a WBL future.

August

P Gene Conley, P Bill Drake, P Emil Yde, OF Hub Collins, & 2nd Round Pick to BAL for IF Bobby Wallace & P Connie Johnson.

Drake’s stay was very brief in the end, as Detroit kept trying to balance future and present needs. They may have overpaid here, but Conley had totally imploded, Johnson retains some value and if they can get a few productive years out of Wallace, it will be fine.

P Dellin Betances, IF Robby Thompson, & 3rd Round Pick to NYG for P Steve Howe & P Troy Percival.

Thompson was pretty blocked, so this seems fine, especially if Percival sticks around for a bit.

Positional Overview

C

Next year should be a mixture of Ernie Lombardi and Victor Martinez, but they’re really just holding space until 18 year old Bill Freehan develops a bit more.

Bill Carrigan and Johnny Gooch are available if reinforcements are needed, although Derek Norris and Johnny Romano project to have more upside.

1B

Hank Greenberg is just entering his prime, and should have this locked down for a while. Juan Beníquez can fill in here, and veteran minor leaguer Wes Covington will get a look as well.

2B

Feels like Charlie Gehringer has seized this, but there are options, with Ray Chapman, George Davis, Tony Lazzeri, Billy Nash, and Damion Easley all able to play here. Chapman, at 23, is the only option younger than Gehringer, who is 25.

SS

The Wolverines gave up a bunch of talent for Bobby Wallace, with clear expectations that, at 35, he has at least a few years left. We’ll see.

It’s essentially the same crew behind him as at 2nd base, with the addition of the somewhat troubled, yet immensely talented, Wander Franco.

3B

Wallace can play here as well, but a mixture of Bob Bailey and Juan Beníquez are likely to see the bulk of the time.

Minor League vet Jimmy Collins may get a look as well, but that’s more a reward for time served than anything else.

LF/RF

For now, Oscar Gamble and Al Kaline, although a desire to get Ty Cobb on the field may cut into Gamble’s time a bit.

There are some useful pieces if needed: Bob Fothergill, Chuck Hinton, Geoff Jenkins, even Ron Swoboda.

CF

Detroit will still trot out Chili Davis here. He’s good enough at the plate, and they can live with the defense for a while. If they need help from the minors, it’s probably Adolfo Phillips or Johnny Mostil, although Kaline may be able to play here as well (which would solve the Cobb dilemma nicely).

DH

It’s Ty Cobb most days, but the Wolverines are committed to getting JD Martinez in the lineup as much as possible, so some of the OF variant mentioned above may be needed.

SP

This is the question.

Right now, this looks like Hal Newhouser, Connie Johnson, Charlie Root, Pete Conway, and an open competition with Justin Verlander and Johnny Marcum most likely to take the 5th spot.

And if you squint, maybe, just maybe, that could be a solid rotation. But the Wolverines are concerned.

George Mullin, George Bechtel, and Logan Hensley will get a look during the Spring as well, as will Mickey Lolich.

RP

The bullpen should be good, with a shot at being excellent. Mike Henneman has a shot at being among the best in the league if he can stay healthy, and the setup crew of Buddy Napier and Chad Bradford has been strongly bolstered through the arrival of Steve Howe and Troy Percival.

So, pretty settled. Hence all the focus on the starters.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 0
2nd Round: 0
3rd Round: 2
4th Round: 1
5th Round: 1

This doesn’t look like the year the Wolverines replenish their farm system–perhaps more importantly, they don’t really have the draft capital to use for starting pitching.

TWIWBL 88.4: Off Season Review – New York Gothams

By mknn

On March 3, 2026

In Season Reviews, TWIWBL

{ Welcome to the first of these! We’re doing a quick overview for each of the 20 teams, more to clarify where they are before the Winter Meetings and the Rookie Draft in December. }

75 - 87, .463 pct.
5th in Effa Manley Division, 24 GB

Overall

A miserable year, and a particularly horrid back half of the season. This marked quite a fall for a team that won 87 games last season, finishing only 2 games out in their division and making the playoffs.

There is some talent here to build around, but the on-field product has not gelled, leaving the top half of the lineup with far too little support. And the less said about the pitching–especially the rotation–the better. The leading batters–Buster Posey and Willie Mays, especially, but well supported by Will Clark, Johnny Bates, and Benny Kauff–form a good core, and should all be entering or in their prime for the next few years.

There’s just so little to highlight with the Gothams–they ran the bases well and played solid defense? Their 3 leading starters (Christy Mathewson, Gaylord Perry, and Don Sutton) ate a lot of innings, albeit with limited effectiveness?

What Went Right

Willie Mays is spectacular, leading the team with 48 homeruns, 112 RBIs and 107 runs scored (the only Gotham who reached the century mark in either stat). Will Clark had a slightly better year by the numbers, but Mays plays CF. Still, Clark’s .952 OPS makes him a fixture at first for the foreseeable.

Buster Posey is a top-tier catcher and Kauff (DH) and Callison (RF) are more than adequate for a playoff team.

Dick Dietz was one of the better backup catchers in the WBL, hitting with impressive power behind Posey.

Larry Doyle came on during the season, eventually laying sole claim to 2B. If Doyle can hit as well as he did this year across a full season, it will go a long way towards improving the Gothams’ chances. Similarly, of several candidates, Jim Ray Hart (a .958 OPS over 45 games) looks most likely to seize the role at 3B. However, Doyle is 35 and Hart 30, so neither looks like a particularly long-term solve.

Don Buford was acquired at the trade deadline, and did what was expected: get on base, steal a few bases, show a little power. The Gothams have very little speed, so Buford was a welcome addition, despite his being on the wrong side of 30 at 32.

Fred Lewis and Bill Terry were very impressive in late season cameos, but both are pretty blocked in the organization.

Gaylord Perry and Don Sutton were actually quite good, with Sutton leading the team with a 17-8 record and Perry maintaining a fantastic WHIP of 1.13 over 211 innings.

Brian Wilson remains an elite closer, managing 22 saves in 36 games with solid peripherals (he missed quite a bit of time through injury early in the season).

While not at the Phineas Flint Award winning levels of last season, Mike Norris keeps chugging along as an excellent bullpen arm, contributing 6 saves and 12 holds over 52 games. At 36, however, it’s not clear how much more Norris has in the tank.

Pete Donohue was impressive in limited opportunities, and may be a rotation contender next season.

ALL STARS
Will Clark; Willie Mays; Robb Nen.

MAJOR AWARDS

The lack of entries above just about sums up the season for the Gothams …

RECOGNITIONS

Don Buford, NL Over 30 Team
Will Clark, All NL 2nd Team
Dick Dietz, NL All Rookie 2nd Team
Pete Donohue, NL 21 & Under Team
Benny Kauff, All NL, 2nd Team
Willie Mays, All NL, 2nd Team
Gaylord Perry, NL Over 30 Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Willie Mays, MVP
Don Sutton, Pitcher of the Year
Buster Posey, Heart & Soul
Mike Norris, Fan Favorite

George Jeffcoat, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Tim Shinnick, Minor League Player of the Year

Jeffcoat had 32 saves and a sub 3.00 ERA at AAA, and should be a strong contender for the Gothams’ bullpen next year.

Shinnick is a bit of an odd choice, but it was, as they say, slim pickens down there. He gets on base very well (.404 OBP) and is fast (72 steals). OK.

What Went Wrong

The left side of the infield was a mess all season. Brandon Crawford played nearly full time at SS, and while his defense was fine, his offense was pretty miserable.

And then there was 3B. Pinky Higgins, Jim Ray Hart, Terry Turner, George Kell, Ryan Zimmerman, Matt Williams, and Eugenio Suárez each saw time there (mostly in the 2nd half, after Higgins was moved to the minors with an OPS barely over .600). Hart hit quite well, Williams and Kell were acceptable, and the rest even worse than Higgins, so while hart may have the inside track on the job moving forward, overall this was washout of a year at the hot corner.

LF was similarly rough until Buford’s arrival, with Jimmy Sheckard a huge disappointment and only Jo-Jo Moore showing any promise among about a half-dozen possible replacements.

Carl Furillo continues to be useless at the WBL level, slashing 135/169/230 across 30 games.

There’s almost too much to go through on the mound. Let’s start with Christy Mathewson, who finished the year 7-16 with a 5.61 ERA, a far cry from last year when Matty seemed on the verge of moving into the elite starters in the league. Mathewson still eats up innings–210 over 36 starts this year–but he needs to live up to his potential for the Gothams to go anywhere. At 22, there is still plenty of time.

Carl Hubbell (6-10, 5.75) was thoroughly mediocre as the 4th starter, and nobody could hold onto the fifth rotation slot (Rube Waddell was miserable in 6 starts, Vean Gregg even worse in 3).

The rest of the bullpen was pretty awful as well, with perhaps Carson Smith‘s struggles (after a very solid season last year) the most disappointing.

Transactions

March

P Sad Sam Jones, 4th Round Pick to IND for IF Davey Concepción, 3rd Round Pick.

Jones looks like he may never establish himself in the WBL, making this a pretty significant win for the Gothams, as Concepción will get a shot at the starting SS job this Spring.

July

This was an attempt to fix a glaring weakness and salvage the season.

IF Freddie Patek, 2nd Round Pick, 5th Round Pick to LAA for OF Don Buford.

This was a lot to give up–especially the 2nd Rounder–but if Buford solidifies the leadoff spot for a year or 2, it will be fine.

August

It didn’t work, so the Gothams tried to parlay current talent into future infield solutions.

P Juan Marichal, P Robb Nen to HOM for IF Howard Johnson, IF Davey 
Johnson, 3rd Round Pick.

Hmm. Marichal seems destined to marginal mediocrity in the WBL, but Nen is an excellent bullpen option. Still, if either Johnson has a career (and both could), this will be a win.

P Steve Howe, P Troy Percival to DET for P Dellin Betances, IF Robby Thompson, 3rd Round Pick.

Seems fine, perhaps a slight win. But these 2 deals essentially emptied the Gothams bullpen, and if they cannot fill those slots from within the organization, these trades could look pretty ugly.

IF Joe Adcock to MCG for 5th Round Pick.

This was a courtesy trade, as Adcock wanted to end his career on a contender, but settled for Miami.

Positional Overview

C

Very set, with Buster Posey backed up by Dick Dietz.

Last year’s darling, Wes Westrum, struggled a bit at AAA. but is still waiting in the wings should the need arise. Westrum is expensive, having turned his success last year into a 3 year deal that, at this points, he looks unlikely to prove out.

Beyond that, probably the only actual prospect is 23 year old Steve O’Neill, but he slates more as an eventual replacement for Dietz than anything else.

1B

Will Clark has this locked down for a while.

35 year old Casey Blake could provide some offense at some point, but is not, of course, a long-term solution.

More challenging is what to do with Bill Terry, who has hit well everywhere, but seems blocked organizationally. Beyond Terry, Justin Morneau and Dominic Smith hold some promise, and John Kerins looks to bounce back to his form from last year (which would make him a useful bench piece, nothing more).

2B

Larry Doyle started the season as half a platoon here, but he hit well against lefties, and looks like he’ll be the starter heading into next season. However, at 35, the question of when his skills slip will loom large over Spring Training.

Robby Thompson and Davey Johnson were brought in via trade to shore up this position. Both of them have had some WBL success in the past, and either could take over from Doyle.

At A ball, Joe Gerhardt and Tim Shinnick both have some potential. Shinnick managed an OBP over .400 and over 70 SB en route to being named the Gothams’ Minor League Player of the Year, but Gerhardt may have a higher ceiling.

SS

Brandon Crawford is the incumbent, but he was one of the weaker regulars in the league last year. Look for young Davey Concepción to give him a decent battle this Spring, with veteran defensive whiz Neifi Pérez a dark horse as well.

3B

This is Jim Ray Hart‘s position to lose right now, as his power is needed in this lineup. Should he falter, there are plenty of contenders, but no real standouts. Casey Blake and George Kell may be short term solutions, given their age, with Matt Williams and Eugenio Suárez sporting better long term prospects.

Teenager Howard Johnson is still several years away from showing his full potential, but the Gothams’ hopes remain high.

LF/RF

Johnny Callison remains a solid WBL corner outfielder, and Don Buford looks to be the LFer for at least a few years.

Beyond those 2, there just isn’t a ton here: Steve Kemp, Ben Oglivie, and Carl Furillo have stumbled at every opportunity, and of the rest, perhaps only Mike Tiernan shows real promise.

Teenager Kyle Tucker–who does look to have a decent WBL ceiling–may end up here as well, as he is blocked at CF by Mays.

CF

Willie Mays forever.

There’s actually a bit of talent here behind Mays–Wally Berger, Fred Lewis, George Van Haltren, Rick Manning, and Tully Hartsel all look like they would be decent backup CFers at some point. But for now, it’s Mays, with Kauff behind.

DH

The Gothams may use Kauff in LF more often this season, but for now, he’s going to once again be slotted in at DH.

SP

Right now, the rotation projects as Mathewson, Perry, and Sutton, with Carl Hubbell and Pete Donohue taking the final two slots. However, Buck O’Brien will be given a long look in Spring Training, and a cluster of arms at AAA, led by Tony Mullane and Guy Hecker, may get a shot as well.

William VanLandingham, Jordan Montgomery, and Logan Webb are probably the most promising young starters in the organization.

RP

Brian Wilson and Mike Norris return, and the Gothams are optimistic that Kent Tekulve–who may finally have found a WBL home–will sign a multi-year contract. Aaron Loup is penciled into the bullpen as well, and George Jeffcoat will be given a chance to translate his minor league success to the Gothams.

Beyond that, there’s a lot of mediocrity, with perhaps only Dellin Betances clearly possessing an arm likely to lead to WBL success.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 1
2nd Round: 0
3rd Round: 4
4th Round: 0
5th Round: 1

The Gothams need talent, and are likely to draft the best available prospects, avoiding C/1B/CF.

TWIWBL 81.2 Spotlight on the New York Gothams

By mknn

On October 30, 2025

In TWIWBL

This team really should be better than this. But if you really look at the talent on the roster, their struggles make sense.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

This is what happens when you struggle to hit with mediocre pitching. While a monstrous close to the season could maybe possibly see the Gothams edging into the playoffs, really, this year is toast for them.

THE OFFENSE

There are a few very high end highlights, and a couple feel-good stories. But … it needs to get better across the board.

#What’s Going Right

Willie Mays is a spectacular talent: power, speed, defense, and at 24, coming into his prime. He leads the Gothams in homeruns, RBI, R, and (for batting qualifiers) OPS.

Buster Posey‘s raw numbers trail Mays, but he’s a catcher, and an OPS over .900 from a solid backstop is remarkable. He’s backed up by Dick Dietz, who may be the best offensively performing backup catcher in the league.

Last years AAA MVP, Benny Kauff, has stepped right into a WBL role, sitting 2nd on the team in most offensive rates.

Will Clark has emerged as an excellent 1B, with an OPS around .950.

Larry Doyle has exploded this year, outpacing even Mays with most of his rate stats. Doyle is 35, so he may not be a long-term solve there, but he’s been a revelation.

3B has been an issue for the Gothams all year, but it feels like Jim Ray Hart may have claimed it moving forward.

#What’s Not Going Right

The rest of the lineup is essentially a mess. LF and SS are weak, and the people that have been run through those, plus 2B and 3B before the emergence of Doyle and Hart, have been ridiculously bad. Jo-Jo Moore, Terry Turner, Pete Runnels, Eugenio Suárez, George Van Haltren, Ryan Zimmerman, Steve Kemp, Carl Furillo … none of them could stick with the WBL club.

THE PITCHING

There was such potential here. You have the rotation anchored by Christy Mathewson, Gaylord Perry, and Don Sutton, and one of the best bullpens in the league, led by Brian Wilson, but also featuring Mike Norris.

It didn’t work out: Mathewson has been shockingly mediocre, Perry and Sutton merely good, Norris is showing signs of age, and Wilson spent a fair bit of time on the DL.

#What’s Going Right

Brian Wilson is excellent, a true shutdown closer at the end of the bullpen, and he looks fully recovered from his earlier injury.

Mike Norris, while not as incandescent as last year, has been excellent behind Wilson.

Gaylord Perry has excellent peripheral numbers despite a mediocre win/loss record and ERA.

#What’s Not Going Right

Mathewson hasn’t been outright bad, and, as always, he chews up innings. But a 7-14 record and an ERA in the mid 5.00’s is not what the Gothams expect from him.

The back end of the rotation has been a mess, with Rube Waddell, Carl Hubbell, and others all sort of stumbling through their opportunities.

The much traveled Kent Tekulve has done well with the Gothams, but is insisting on pursuing free agency, so his signing ends up not mattering much for the team overall.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

The system is ranked dead last, but may not actually be that bad. There is some high level talent, especially in OF Kyle Tucker and 3B Howard Johnson and Sean Burroughs. On the mound, William VanLandingham and Masahiro Tanaka have some upside as well.

OK, maybe it is that bad.

WHAT’S NEEDED

A general upgrade of talent to surround the stars and the stars–especially Mathewson–stepping forward.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

Like so many other teams, the rotation is key. Yes.
The infield feels fragile, so how that plays out will bear watching. Yes. Fragile is an interesting word–they certainly broke apart.
How will the Gothams get PA’s for Benny Kauff? Quite easily as the fulltime DH became the answer.

FEATURED SERIES

We’ll focus on the 3 game matchup with the House of David, only becuase, if the Gothams can sweep this series, they may actually have some Wild Card hopes.

Projected Starters

House of David starter listed first.

Jack Taylor (10-10, 6.07) @ Christy Mathewson (7-14, 5.36)
Bob Rush (10-7, 5.28) @ Gaylord Perry (11-12, 4.99)
CC Sabathia (5-11, 5.77) @ Don Sutton (15-7, 5.01)

These are unlikely to be the actual starters as both teams are auditioning rotation candidates as the season winds down.

Game One

Game 1 of this series which may determine the fate of the House of David this year. Both teams trot out their struggling aces–Jack Taylor for the House of David and Christy Mathewson for the Gothams.

Anthony Rizzo gave the House of David the lead in the first with his 24th homer of the year. Ernie Banks tripled and scored on a single from Ryne Sandberg, doubling the lead to 2-0. After Jim Edmonds scored on a passed ball, Rizzo did it again, this time with a 3 run shot. Banks followed with a solo shot of his own, making it 7-0.

Davey Johnson plated a run in the bottom of the 2nd, but there was still a long way to go.

Matty didn’t make it out of the 3rd, chased from the mound by Jim Edmonds‘ 18th of the year, replaced by Guy Hecker.

More runs were scored, but this was a rout. The only real drama was if Rizzo–who launched his 3rd of the game earlier–would become the 2nd player in WBL history to hit 4 in a game. He had 2 chances, but neither resulted in a homerun. Still, Rizzo had himself a day: 5 hits, 5 RBIs, and 4 runs scored. Sandberg added 4 hits and 4 RBIs.

Bob Shaw and Karl Spooner were solid in relief of Taylor, while the less said about the Gothams’ efforts from the mound, the better.

HOD 15 (Taylor 11-10) @ NYG 6 (Mathewson 7-15)
HRs: HOD – Rizzo 3(26), Banks (55), Edmonds (18), Sandberg (38), Stone (13); NYG – Thompson (2), Buford (8), Terry (4).
Box Score

Game Two

Bob Rush will take on Gaylord Perry in game 2.

Johnny Callison‘s 32nd homerun of the year put the Gothams in front 1-0 in the bottom of the 2nd, and his 33rd doubled the lead in the 4th.

Perry was sailing into the 5th, until a couple hit batters loaded the bases and Anthony Rizzo delivered a 2 run single to right, tying the game.

New York pulled into the lead again via a 2 run homerun from Buster Posey. A double from Willie Mays chased Rush. His relief, Ferguson Jenkins, got 2 quick outs, but gave up a double to Bill Terry, plating Mays and making it a 5-2 game.

Perry got 2 outs in the 7th before walking Richie Hebner. He had a good outing, fanning 10 and allowing only the 2 runs.

Ben Oglive, mired in one of the worst starts to a WBL career we’ve seen, went deep for his first career homerun for the final margin of victory. So, a split to the series, with a deciding game 3 on tap.

HOD 2 (Rush 10-8) @ NYG 6 (Perry 12-12; Waddell 3 H)
HRs: HOD – none; NYG – Callison 2 (33), Posey (35), Oglivie (1).
Box Score

Game Three

A win for the Gothams would pull them to within 3 games of the Wild Card spot, so there is still a bit to play for here.

CC Sabathia will take the mound for the House of David while New York will turn to Pete Donohue, giving him his 4th start of the season.

Buster Posey, Willie Mays, and Will Clark each took Sabathia deep in the home first, giving New York an early 3-0 lead. Mark McGwire got one back in the 2nd, but Donohue worked out of a jam, escaping with the 3-1 lead.

Robby Thompson launched one in the 2nd with a runner on, extending the edge to 5-1.

Sabathia settled down, but the damage was done. Donohue lasted into the 7th, and the combination of Aaron Loup, Santiago Casilla, and Brian Wilson kept the House of David under wraps.

HOD 2 (Sabathia 5-12) @ NYG 5 (Donohue 3-1; Wilson 19 Sv; Loup 1 H)
HRs: HOD – McGwire (21); NYG – Posey (36), Mays (45), Clark (30), Thompson (3).
Box Score

While a sweep would have been nice, taking 2 out of 3 keeps New York in the running for the Wild Card, leaving that position no clearer than before.

TWIWBL 78.3: August Trades

By mknn

On September 14, 2025

In TWIWBL

A run through of the trading deadline, in no particular order. Over 50 players and almost 20 draft picks changed hands in the frenzy.

Hoyt There it Is!

P Waite Hoyt, 5th round pick from NYY to CAG for P Hoyt Wilhelm, IF Jorge Orta, 4th round pick.

The New York Black Yankees address a bullpen need by acquiring Hoyt Wilhelm from the Chicago American Giants, in exchange for young starter Waite Hoyt. Chicago will also send young IF Jorge Orta to New York, and the 2 teams exchanged draft picks, with New York getting a 4th and Chicago a 5th rounder.

It’s an odd trade for New York, as it’s not clear that Hoyt (Wilhelm) adds more to their bottom line of wins more than Hoyt (Waite). Chicago probably wins this one, just on the SP > RP evaluation. Orta should have a WBL career, but is not enough to balance the deal.

Now & Later

IF Paul Konerko, P Akinori Otsuka, OF Lenny Dykstra, 3rd round pick from CAG to BBB for P Sam Streeter, IF Trea Turner, 5th round pick.

Chicago officially closed the door on their performance for this season, sending 1B Paul Konerko and his .988 OPS along with Akinori Otsuka and his 1.07 WHIP to Birmingham, receiving P Sam Streeter and prospect Trea Turner in return. Chicago will also send OF Lenny Dykstra and a 3rd round pick, with Birmingham surrendering a 5th rounder to make it all work.

Konerko and Otsuka being on the wrong side of 30 makes this acceptable, and Chicago probably got peak value for them in a long-term starter and the talent of Turner. Birmingham is thrilled, as this addresses two of their most pressing needs for a playoff push: 1B and bullpen help.

The Wolverines Commit

P Gene Conley, P Bill Drake, P Emil Yde, OF Hub Collins from DET to BAL for SS Bobby Wallace, P Connie Johnson.

Detroit addressed two needs in a deal with Baltimore, sending struggling P Gene Conley (who is in search of a reboot to their career after an amazing start last season), promising young Ps Bill Drake and Emil Yde along with OF Hub Collins to Baltimore in exchange for SS Bobby Wallace and P Connie Johnson.

I mean … Detroit loves this for the immediate future. The key here is whether Yde, and especially Drake, ever amount to anything. This does remove any question about the infield of the future for the Black Barons, with Eddie Murray, Miller Huggins, Cal Ripken, Jr. and Manny Machado all but assured of starting roles.

Stars and Sea Dogs move a lot of Bodies

SS Jim Fregosi, P Mark Melancon, OF Harry Hooper, IF Rafael Palmiero from POR to PHI for OF Bobby Abreau, P Dave Stieb, P Jaret Wright, P LaTroy Hawkins, SS Pat Meares, 2nd round pick.

Philadelphia, eyeing a potential playoff run, went shopping in Portland. They added a long-term solution at SS (Jim Fregosi), a much-needed bullpen arm (Mark Melancon), and some OF depth in the struggling Harry Hooper. That haul cost them 3 pitching prospects in Dave Stieb, Jaret Wright, and LaTroy Hawkins, as well as SS Pat Meares, and a 2nd round pick. The teams also swapped high-ceiling-but-blocked prospects, with Portland receiving Bobby Abreu and Philadelphia Rafael Palmiero.

Abreau for Palmiero is a wash. Of the rest, it’s sort of a classic now/later proposition. Fregosi and Melancon step directly into key roles for the Stars, but Hawkins, and especially Stieb, do look like excellent long term prospects.

The American Giants Do Some (More) Things

OF Jake Stenzel from IND to CAG for P Joe Lake.

IF Freddie Lindstrom, 2nd round pick from HOM to CAG for P David Price.

Chicago believes they can solve their pitching woes from within, sending 2 members of their rotation packing. First, they received CF Jake Stenzel from Indianapolis for Joe Lake; then they sent David Price to Homestead for Freddie Lindstrom and a 2nd round pick.

Stenzel steps into a crowded outfield, but should get a lot of play the rest of the season while the American Giants’ commitment to the struggling teen Cristóbal Torriente is tested. This basically decimates the American Giants’ rotation, leaving them with Ed Walsh and a lot of questions, but Lake and Price (who himself only arrived via trade earlier last season) were questions themselves. Lindstrom may step into a WBL role behind Dick Allen at 3B.

A Closer for Some Future

P Jonathan Papelbon, 4th round pick from MEM to MCG for P Josh Beckett, OF Roy Thomas, 3rd round pick.

Memphis sent Jonathan Papelbon to Miami, receiving minor leaguers Josh Beckett and Roy Thomas in return. The team also exchange draft picks, with Memphis surrendering a 4th in exchange for Miami’s 3rd round selection.

Fair enough. Miami desperately needed a dependable arm to join Ricky Nolasco in their pen, and Beckett has a ton of upside.

The Black Barons Upgrade

IF Bobby Grich, 3rd round pick from LAA to BBB for P Vic Willis, C Gene Tenace, 1st round pick.

Birmingham came into this trade period looking for a SS; they left with a 2B (who can play SS). In a bit of a surprise move, they convinced LA to part with Bobby Grich, sending Vic Willis, Gene Tenace, and a 1st rounder to the Angels, who also sent a 3rd round pick back their way.

Grich is a huge pickup for the Black Barons–an all star caliber who can get on base and play both middle infield positions is exactly what the doctor ordered in Birmingham. They gave up a lot–Tenace is excellent, some think Willis will eventually be a number one starter, and of course, the #1 pick is a lot. But it seems Birmingham is convinced they have a shot in the playoffs this year, and you can’t fault the ambition.

First Round Picks On the Move, or Freeman at Last, Freeman at Last

P Joe Beggs, 2nd round pick from BAL to KCM for OF Earl Averill.

IF Freddie Freeman, IF Eddie Miller from SFS to LAA for P Joe Nathan, IF Wally Joyner, 1st round pick.

Baltimore found a potential CF for the future in Earl Averill, who came over from Kansas City for a Joe Beggs and a 2nd round pick.

One of the more promising talents in the WBL may have found a home, as Los Angeles sent a 1st Round Pick, closer Joe Nathan, and Wally Joyner to San Francisco for Freddie Freeman and minor league SS Eddie Miller.

Both of these make some sense, as both Freeman and Averill were totally blocked where they were (Freeman by Jimmie Foxx and others, Averill by Willie McGee and Cool Papa Bell). Freeman should immediately see playing time in LA, while Averill looks to be in the mix for next season.

Gothams Going Gone

P Juan Marichal, P Robb Nen from NYG to HOM for IF Davey Johnson, IF Howard Johnson, 3rd round pick.

P Steve Howe, P Troy Percival from NYG to DET for IF Robby Thompson, P Dellin Betances, 3rd round pick.

The Gothams moved a few pieces around, sending Juan Marichal and Robb Nen to Homestead for 2B Davey Johnson, Howard Johnson, and a 3rd round pick. Then, they moved Steve Howe and Troy Percival to Detroit for 2B Robby Thompson, P Dellin Betances, and a 3rd round pick.

The Gothams will need to totally redo their staff, but each move makes some sense. Between Johnson (Davey) and Thompson, they should now have a post-Larry Doyle plan at 2B.

The Black Yankees Find their SS of the Future?

P Sparky Lyle, IF Elliott Maddox, P Carlos Rodón, 2nd round pick, 4th round pick from NYY to HOU for IF Grant Johnson.

They hope so, sending Sparky Lyle, Elliott Maddox, pitching prospect Carlos Rodón, and a 2nd and a 4th round pick to Houston for Grant Johnson, who will rotate in with both Derek Jeter and Rogers Hornsby for now.

It’s a lot to give up, for sure. But Johnson is only 25, and an established WBL performer who will solve the Black Yankees’ long term needs at either 2B or SS. Lyle is solid, and fills a very strong need for Houston, but the rest of what they gave up was future potential, which is cheap for a team whose goal is to win now.

Other Deals

OF George Hendrick from PHI to BRK for 3rd round pick.

IF Joe Adcock from NYG to MCG for 5th round pick, cash.

Philadelphia sent OF George Hendrick to Brooklyn for a 3rd Round Pick.

Miami picked up Joe Adcock from the New York Gothams essentially for free: they sent the Gothams a 5th round pick, and the Gothams are covering Adcock’s salary for the rest of the year.

Each of these were essentially curtesy trades: having picked up Harry Hooper, Philadelphia had no place for Hendrick and Adcock, at 38, desperately wanted a chance to swing the bat for a contender in what may be his final season.

Summary

Minor Leaguers in italics.

Team	Coming	Going
Baltimore Black Sox	Earl Averill Gene Conley Hub Collins Bill Drake Emil Yde 2nd Round Pick	Joe Beggs Connie Johnson Bobby Wallace 1st Round Pick 2nd Round Pick
Birmingham Black Barons	Lenny Dykstra Bobby Grich Paul Konerko Akinori Otsuko 3rd Round Pick 4th Round Pick	Sam Streeter Gene Tenace Trea Turner Vic Willis 1st Round Pick 5th Round Pick
Brooklyn Royal Giants	George Hendrick	3rd Round Pick
Chicago American Giants	Waite Hoyt Freddie Lindstrom Jake Stenzel Sam Streeter Trea Turner 2nd Round Pick 5th Round Pick 5th Round Pick	Lenny Dykstra Paul Konerko Joe Lake Akinori Otsuko David Price Hoyt Wilhelm Jorge Orta 3rd Round Pick 4th Round Pick
Cleveland Spiders
Detroit Wolverines	Steve Howe Connie Johnson Troy Percival Bobby Wallace	Dellin Betances Gene Conley Hub Collins Bill Drake Robby Thompson Emil Yde 2nd Round Pick 3rd Round Pick
Homestead Grays	Juan Marichal Robb Nen David Price	Davey Johnson Howard Johnson Freddie Lindstrom 2nd Round Pick 3rd Round Pick
Houston Colt 45’s	Sparky Lyle Elliott Maddox Carlos Ródon 2nd Round Pick 4th Round Pick	Grant Johnson
Indianapolis ABC’s	Joe Lake	Jake Stenzel
Kansas City Monarchs	Joe Beggs 2nd Round Pick	Earl Averill
Los Angeles Angels	Freddie Freeman Eddie Miller Gene Tenace Vic Willis 1st Round Pick	Bobby Grich Wally Joyner Joe Nathan 1st Round Pick 3rd Round Pick
Memphis Red Sox	Josh Beckett Roy Thomas 3rd Round Pick	Jonathan Papelbon 4th Round Pick
Miami Cuban Giants	Joe Adcock Jonathan Papelbon 4th Round Pick	Josh Beckett Roy Thomas 3rd Round Pick 5th Round Pick
New York Black Yankees	Grant Johnson Jorge Orta Hoyt Wilhelm 4th Round Pick	Waite Hoyt Sparky Lyle Elliott Maddox Carlos Rodón 2nd Round Pick 4th Round Pick
New York Gothams	Dellin Betances Davey Johnson Howard Johnson Robby Thompson 3rd Round Pick 3rd Round Pick 5th Round Pick	Joe Adcock Steve Howe Juan Marichal Robb Nen Troy Percival
Ottawa Mounties
Philadelphia Stars	Jim Fregosi Harry Hooper Mark Melancon Rafael Palmiero 3rd Round Pick	Bobby Abreu LaTroy Hawkins George Hendrick Pat Meares Dave Stieb Jaret Wright 2nd Round Pick
Portland Sea Dogs	Bobby Abreu LaTroy Hawkins Pat Meares Dave Stieb Jaret Wright 2nd Round Pick	Jim Fregosi Harry Hooper Mark Melancon Rafael Palmiero
San Francisco Sea Lions	Wally Joyner Joe Nathan 1st Round Pick	Freddie Freeman Eddie Miller
Wandering House of David

TWIWBL 77.6: Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On September 1, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Brooklyn Royal Giants	70-46	.603	—
Homestead Grays	60-57	.513	10.5
Ottawa Mounties	58-60	.492	13
Philadelphia Stars	57-60	.487	13.5
New York Gothams	57-62	.479	14.5

Effa Manley Division | 12 August

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Frank Knauss fanned 12, combining with Trevor Hildenberger on a 4 hit shutout of Indianapolis, with Brooklyn winning 4-0.

The Royal Giants had a very quiet trade deadline, but they did commit to Vern Stephens at SS, sending Germany Smith to AAA to make room for OF George Hendrick, who came over from Philadelphia.

#Homestead Grays

Doug Drabek was recalled from his rehab assignment as Cliff Lee started one. Drabek regained his spot in the rotation, with Moose Haas heading back to AAA.

Andy Van Slyke homered twice in a losing cause, as the Grays fell to Birmingham, 8-5, then Nap Lajoie duplicated the feat as the Grays fell to the Black Barons again, this time 6-5.

Finally, Rick Reichardt broke the pattern, hitting his 2 homeruns in a Homestead win, 10-6 over Ottawa.

Gary Lucas, Rick Ownbey, and Ray Brown were all sent to AAA to make room for newcomers Juan Marichal, Robb Nen, and David Price.

Marichal’s first start was a disaster, but the Grays fought back, and Nen got the win with 2 scoreless innings in an 11-10 victory over Ottawa.

#New York Gothams

Pete Donohue was returned to AAA, clearing the way for Carson Smith‘s return from injury. The Gothams moved a lot of their staff at the trade deadline, replacing them with FA Kent Tekulve and promoting Donohue, Rube Waddell, and newly acquired Dellin Betances.

They were nearly as active with their field players, sending Terry Turner and J0-Jo Moore down and making room for Robby Thompson and Davey Johnson while promoting Matt Williams and George Van Haltren to the big league club.

#Ottawa Mounties

Carlos Beltrán hit 2 out, reaching 30 on the year, but Ottawa fell to the New York Gothams, 14-8. This staff is so awful in some games: Álex Rodríguez hit 2 out in another loss as the bullpen gave up a 9 run lead with the Mounties falling to Homestead 11-10 in 11 innings.

#Philadelphia Stars

Aaron Judge hit 2 out of the park, reaching 40 dingers on the season, as the Stars topped the House of David, 5-2.

Young Pete Alexander was sent to AAA to make room for newcomer Mark Melancon in the Stars’ bullpen.

Scott Rolen reached 30 dingers on the year, hitting 2 out in a 12-5 win over the New York Gothams. Bill Dickey duplicated Rolen’s feat, but this time the Stars fell to the Gothams, 5-4.

TWIWBL 76.3: Bill James Division

By mknn

On August 6, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Cleveland Spiders	62-47	.569	—
New York Black Yankees	63-50	.558	1
Detroit Wolverines	53-58	.477	10
Memphis Red Sox	52-59	.468	11
Baltimore Black Sox	49-62	.441	14

Bill James Division | 5 August

#Baltimore Black Sox

Needing to shake things up, Baltimore has moved into full “let’s see what we have for next year” mode. Johnny Sain and Bill Byrd were sent to AAA with Mark Baldwin and Rafael Betancourt being recalled. Betancourt will hit the bullpen, with Joe Beggs being moved from closer to starter for the Black Sox. Buddy Groom–Baltimore’s best reliever this year–will move into the closer spot.

Perhaps more importantly, wunderkind Eddie Murray was recalled, with Baby Doll Jacobson, who has struggled all season, being sent down. This likely puts Dan McGann on the trade market, as Murray isn’t being recalled to ride the pines.

Gavvy Cravath went deep twice, and Baltimore held on to an impressive 6-5 win over San Francisco.

Betancourt’s stay was short, as a sore elbow will move him to the DL, with Gregg Olson being recalled to the Black Sox bullpen.

#Cleveland Spiders

Evan Longoria hit 2 out and drove in 5, leading the Spiders to a 12-4 win over Baltimore. It wasn’t all good news for Cleveland, though, as Ron Blomberg sprained his ankle in the game, earning Boomer a trip to the DL. Cleveland recalled 33 year old Willie McCovey, one of the dominant AAA power hitters of the season, to see if he can add to their power for the stretch run.

McCovey had a nice debut, homering in his first WBL at bat and adding a single as the Spiders topped Baltimore, 10-4.

#Detroit Wolverines

Hank Greenberg went deep twice and drove in 5 as Detroit rode a strong outing from Pete Conway in a 14-2 victory over the Black Yankees. It wasn’t all good news for Detroit: Tony Lazzeri, who had essentially laid claim to the SS job, had to leave the game with a yet-to-be diagnosed injury.

It got worse in the middle infield as the Wolverines, still waiting to hear about the severity of Lazzeri’s ailment, lost George Davis for a few weeks. Davis hits the DL with Ray Chapman earning the promotion to Detroit.

It turns out Lazzeri has a fractured rib and will miss about a month, so he heads to the DL with Robby Thompson being recalled.

#Memphis Red Sox

Ted Williams hit 2 homeruns, but the Red Sox bullpen couldn’t hold a lead, and Memphis fell to Chicago, 8-6 in 11 innings.

#New York Black Yankees

Dave Righetti was recalled from a rehab assignment, with David Robertson heading to AAA. For now, Righetti will work out of the Black Yankees’ bullpen. But the back end of their rotation is pretty unsettled, with Red Ruffing and Pascual Pérez far from solid in their roles.

Don Mattingly went deep twice and Babe Ruth added his league-leading 52nd of the year as the Black Yankees came from behind to trounce Miami, 14-7. Eric Davis, who also homered, had 4 hits, as did Mattingly and Ruth drove in 5 in the win.

The Black Yankees hit 6 homeruns, 2 from Lou Gehrig, as they topped Miami, 14-5.

Rogers Hornsby began a rehab assignment, which will most likely be quite brief.

The Black Yankees’ staff is in a bit of upheaval, as both Pérez and Rheal Cormier left games with injuries. Pérez will miss a couple weeks, while Cormier’s injury is still under investigation. Roy Evans was promoted to take Pérez’ place on the active roster.

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.