Tag: Roberto Clemente Page 3 of 4

Series preview here.

#Game One: Si Johnson @ Earl Hamilton

A sacrifice fly by Jimmy Collins in the top of the 2nd opened the scoring, and a 2-run HR from Tony Phillips in the top of the 5th made it 3-0.

But Detroit’s Si Johnson didn’t make it out of the bottom of the frame, giving way to Justin Verlander with the bases loaded and no outs. Verlander fanned 2, escaping the danger with no runs scoring, on his way to delivering 3 innings of 1-hit relief, fanning 3.

An Arky Vaughan error plated the 4th run, followed by an RBI single from George Davis, putting the Wolverines up 5-0 heading to the bottom of the 8th.

A Chief Wilson homerun ended the shutout, but Detroit would add one more run on a Ty Cobb triple and Hank Greenberg double in the top of the 9th, making it 6-1.

The Grays would not go without at least a semblance of a fight, with a Roberto Clemente pinch-hit homerun closing the gap to 6-3 and forcing Detroit to turn to its closer, Mike Henneman. Henneman would hit Andrew McCutcheon and give up a triple to Andy Van Slyke and an RBI single to Rick Reichardt (who finished with 3 hits), but would preserve the victory, 6-5.

DET 6 (Verlander 5-2; Henneman 20 Sv) @ HOM 5 (Hamilton 1-3)
HRs: DET – Phillips (6); HOM – Wilson (3), Clemente (10)
Box Score

#Game Two: Gene Conley @ Francisco Liriano

This one was a pitcher’s duel early, with Gene Conley showing why Detroit moved him from the bullpen into the rotation, fanning 5 of the first 6 batters he faced. Francisco Liriano matched him frame for frame, and the game was scoreless going into the bottom of the 6th. Roberto Clemente led off the inning with a triple and scored on Mike Epstein‘s single to right to give Homestead a 1-0 lead.

Detroit would tie it up in the top of the 7th when Ernie Lombardi singled home Ty Cobb, who had doubled with 1 out.

Conley was sent back out for the bottom of the 7th, and Honus Wagner greeted him with a long shot to left-center field for his 8th homerun of the year and a 2-1 Grays lead.

Josh Lindblom relieved Liriano and retired the side in order, including pinch-hitters Oscar Gamble and Hank Greenberg. Those moves led to Detroit forfeiting the DH for the rest of the game.

Homestead added to their lead with RBI’s from Andy Van Slyke and Wagner, and then tried to seal the game with a 2-run shot from Arky Vaughan which sent them to the bottom of the inning leading 6-1.

Bob Bailey walked and Cobb followed with an infield single, bringing in Michael Jackson, who was greeted by Chili Davis‘ 13th homerun of the year to make it a 2-run game, 6-4. Jackson hit Lombardi, but whiffed George Davis before Geoff Jenkins doubled, putting runners at 2nd and 3rd. Greg Brock–pinch-hitting for the pitcher’s spot–struck out, bringing up Greenberg as the winning run.

The ball was sent deep to left, but not deep enough, and Homestead evened the series at 1 game apiece.

DET 4 (Conley 8-2) @ HOM 6 (Liriano 4-3; Lindblom 6 H)
HRs: DET – C. Davis (13); HOM – Wagner (8), Johnson (8).
Box Score

#Game 3: Hal Newhouser @ Vean Gregg

This one could be the best pitching matchup of the series, with Detroit’s Hal Newhouser facing Homestead’s Vean Gregg.

Detroit would strike first on a 2-run homerun by Geoff Jenkins in the top of the 2nd. But Newhouser wasn’t especially sharp, and Homestead scored once in the 2nd and once in the 3rd to tie it up. The first run was driven in by Pops Stargell, the second by Rick Reichardt.

But it’s not like Gregg was was shutting them down, and Detroit started off the 4th with a single by Oscar Gamble and consecutive doubles from Jenkins and Ed Baily, giving the Wolverines a 4-2 lead. Sparky Adams would add an RBI single, and a walk to Tony Phillips and double from Ty Cobb would chase Gregg from the game with Detroit up, 6-2.

Bob Friend relieved Gregg, fanning Hank Greenberg and Chili Davis to get out of the inning without any further damage being done.

Honus Wagner doubled to right in the bottom of the frame, scoring Stargell from 1st–which is quite a sight as Pops rounded third, huffing and puffing. But Newhouser settled a little, allowing only the single run, keeping the lead at 6-3.

Newhouser wouldn’t get through the 5th, as Reichardt and Josh Gibson opened the inning with singles. Doyle Alexander relieved Prince Hal, and induced a double play, but then gave up a 2-run shot into the left field bleachers from Davey Johnson, making it a 1-run game at 6-5. In the next inning, Alexander would balk home the tying run.

Wagner would give the Grays the lead in the bottom of the 7th, doubling in a run with a shot down the left field line off Kevin Hart.

Detroit would empty the bench in an attempt to tie it in the top of the 8th. Jenkins led off with a single, and George Davis pinch-ran for him. Ernie Lombardi and Bob Bailey–both pinch-hitting–delivered singles, loading the bases with no outs and chasing Billy Pierce from the game.

Adams greeted Frank Linzy with a sacrifice fly to LF to tie the game, and Phillips followed with a double, scoring Lombardi and Bailey. Phillips was injured on the play and will miss a few weeks. That brought Detroit’s final bench player, Greg Brock, to the field, which will make their defensive arrangement interesting, to say the least.

Greenberg ended up at 3B for the final 2 innings, and Mike Henneman was able to shut the door, earning the save in a hard-fought win for Detroit.

Phillips was put on the Disabled List following the game, with Robby Thompson being recalled to the WBL.

DET 9 (Hart 2-3; Henneman 21 Sv) @ HOM 7 (Pierce 0-2; Linzy 1 BSv)
HRs: DET – Jenkins (6); HOM – Johnson (9).
Box Score

#Game 4: Johnny Marcum @ Stan Bahnsen

Detroit took the lead in the 3rd when Bob Bailey took Stan Bahnsen deep after a George Davis single for an early 2-0 lead.

Bill Mazeroski would hit the first homerun of his WBL career in the bottom of the frame off Johnny Marcum, cutting the lead in half.

Another 2-run shot, this one off the bat of Chili Davis, extended the Wolverine’s advantage to 4-1. And that seemed likely to be plenty, as Marcum was throwing well.

The Grays would cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 6th with a solo shot form Rick Reichardt. Josh Gibson and Arky Vaughan singled, chasing Marcum from the game, but Whitey Wilshere would escape without further damage.

Mike Henneman came in to close the game in the bottom of the 9th, but surrendered back-to-back doubles to pinch-hitter Chief Wilson and Andrew McCutcheon, pulling the Grays within 1 run. A deep fly to center moved McCutcheon to third, and Henneman plunked Reichardt to put the winning run on first. Tom Brown ran for Reichardt, giving Homestead some speed on the basepaths. Josh Gibson doubled, tying the game, and bringing Vaughan up with the winning run 90 feet away.

Vaughan walked, loading the bases somewhat inconsequentially, and bringing up Pops Stargell. Henneman tried to work the veteran inside, and got too far inside, plunking Stargell to drive in the winning run.

DET 4 (Henneman 1-4, 3 BSv; Wilshire 1 H; Verlander 3 H) @ HOM 5 (Zambrano 2-5)
HRs: DET – Bailey (15), Davis (14); HOM – Mazeroski (1), Reichardt (12).
Box Score

Series Review

A surprising split–certainly encouraging for Homestead, but a missed opportunity for Detroit, locked in a dogfight with the Gothams for the lead in the Bill James Division.

For Detroit, Ty Cobb was 7-for-19, but did most of his damage in the first 2 games. Oscar Gamble had 6 hits and Geoff Jenkins and Ernie Lombardi each went 4-for-9 in the 3 games they played.

Homestead was led by Rick Reichardt, who went 7-for-13. Andrew McCutcheon, Honus Wagner, Arky Vaughan, and Davey Johnson each had 5 hits.

Series XXI Preview: Detroit Wolverines @ Homestead Grays

By mknn

On June 27, 2022

In Featured Series, Series Previews

This is only the 2nd featured series for the Detroit Wolverines, something that is a little unfair given they are in first place in the Bill James Division. Homestead has been featured twice before, despite languishing in last place in the Effa Manley Division, one of only two teams with a winning percentage under .400.

#Detroit Wolverines

Detroit is solid, top to bottom. They are a bit better offensively and defensively than on the mound, but they’ve earned their place atop the division. The heart and soul of the team is Oscar Gamble, who leads the group in HR (18) and RBI (63), although the trio of Hank Greenberg, Ty Cobb, and Bob Bailey have produced better numbers. Cobb is hitting .341, Baily has a .384 OBP, and Greenberg a .587 SLG. All four of them–plus OF Chili Davis–carry an OPS over .830.

The pitching staff is a work in progress, even at this stage of the season. Johnny Marcum (7-2) has been the best of the starters, but Hal Newhouser is quickly taking over as the ace of the staff. The wildcard here is Gene Conley, who was 8-1 out of the bullpen before being moved into the rotation at the all-star break. Mike Henneman has been spectacular as the closer, with 19 saves. There are a few pitchers–Justin Verlander, Kevin Hart, Buddy Napier–who have shown moments of greatness. If any of them take a big step forward, it could make all the difference for the Wolverines.

Detroit only made one move at the all-star break, bringing in Ernie Lombardi to platoon with Ed Bailey behind the plate. Lombardi has only played in 4 games for the Wolverines, with 1 HR.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays can hit a little, but they can’t pitch at all, ranking dead last in the league in runs against and starters’ ERA, and 19th out of 20 in bullpen ERA. It’s not pretty.

Vean Gregg (7-6, 3.95) has easily been the most reliable starter. Beyond that … Earl Hamilton, Stan Banhnsen, and Francisco Liriano have shown flashes of goodness, but none have managed an ERA under 4.60. The less said about the bullpen, the better.

Mike Epstein (335/439/530) and Josh Gibson (304/390/464) were both all-stars, and deservedly so. And, the OF trio of Roberto Clemente, Rick Reichardt, and Andrew McCutcheon have been solid. Add in Pops Stargell‘s 14 HRs and the occasional promise showed by Honus Wagner, and the Grays score enough to be a .500 team, which would be a huge improvement from their current state.

#Series Matchups

Detroit starter listed first

Si Johnson (3-4, 4.48) @ Earl Hamilton (1-2, 4.65)
Gene Conley (8-1, 3.59) @ Francisco Liriano (3-3, 5.08)
Hal Newhouser (4-3, 2.83) @ Vean Gregg (7-6, 3.95)
Johnny Marcum (7-2, 3.77) @ Stan Bahnsen (3-2, 4.64)

#Prediction

I mean … Detroit is just so much better, and the matchups line up well for them as well. I’m going to go ahead and predict a sweep for the Wolverines, prolonging the Grays’ misery.

TWIWBL 25.3: Series XIX Notes – Effa Manley Division

By mknn

On June 9, 2022

In TWIWBL

#Cleveland Spiders

The Spiders’ two main acquisitions at the break should both see quite a bit of action, Ron Reed out of the bullpen and Lance Berkman at 1B, LF, and DH. Whether Berkman can shake the offensive slump that plagued him in Houston is another question altogether.

#Homestead Grays

Bill Mazeroski moves up to the WBL to provide depth at second base.

Four Grays–Roberto Clemente, Josh Gibson, Arky Vaughan, and Chief Wilson–drove in 3 runs each with Wilson and Andy Van Slyke rapping out 3 hits apiece in a 17-6 drubbing of Miami.

#New York Black Yankees

After refusing a demotion to AAA, SP Jack Chesbro was released. Newcomer Jamie Moyer moves into the starting rotation, and Gary Lavelle heads to the back of the bullpen with Dellin Betances heading to the minors. Sparky Lyle retains his closing role, but that may be in jeopardy rather quickly in the second half of the season.

With Tom Herr‘s arrival, Willie Randolph is the odd man out, heading back to AAA, and–somehow–preserving Craig Counsell‘s role on the team. Veteran OF Joe Harris comes up as a reserve OF.

#Philadelphia Stars

Claude Jonnard comes up to Philadelphia to replace Ron Reed‘s very large shoes, and Cecil Cooper is brought up to add another bat from the bench.

Willie Davis went 0-for-4, ending his 17-game hitting streak as the Stars lost their first game of the second half, 7-3 to Birmingham.

Ray Collins and Rheal Cormier combined on a 5-hit shutout of Birmingham. José Ramírez and Davis went deep in the 7-0 Stars’ victory.

Scott Rolen capped a come-from-behind victory with a 2-run walk-off homerun as the Stars took the third game of the series with Birmingham, 9-7. Rico Carty had 4 hits including 3 doubles, and Rolen drove in 3.

Looking to break out of a brutal slump, Chase Utley delivered a walk-off single to win the final game of the series with Birmingham. Buck Freeman and George Hendrick had 2 hits each, and perhaps more importantly, John Montgomery Ward threw a strong 7 innings, although he didn’t figure in the decision, with the win going to Bill Laskey.

TWIWBL 24.6: Mid-Season Reviews – Homestead Grays

By mknn

On February 28, 2022

In Team News, TWIWBL

Summary

Almost nothing has gone right by the three rivers: Homestead wasn’t expected to compete, but they weren’t supposed to be this bad.

What’s Gone Right

Superjew. What do you want, it was the 70s. Mike Epstein has an OPS in the mid .900s, and has easily been the Grays’ best offensive player.

The Kids. Josh Gibson (19), Andrew McCutcheon (22), and Rick Reichardt (23) have all been good, and Gibson especially looks to be a keeper.

Clemente’s Heating Up. Roberto Clemente has raised his OPS about 120 points in the last month.

What’s Gone Wrong

The Pitching: All Of It. Nothing has gone right on the mound for the Grays. It’s been a total disaster, from the starters to an unreliable bullpen and everything in between.

Stargell, Sort Of. Pops Stargell leads the team in homeruns with 13, but has struck out 113 times (!) with an OPS barely over .700. For a player expected to be the main power threat in the lineup, it’s just not enough.

The Pitching: No Help Coming. The failure of various short-term tryouts (Cliff Lee with an ERA approaching 9.00; Frank Linzy over 7.00; each with over 20 innings along with a handful of others even worse in fewer innings) has been exasperating. It’s left the Grays constantly turning to Carlos Zambrano and his 6.50+ ERA.

Key Storylines

Can anything be salvaged of the season?

Trading Outlook

SELLING.

Oh dear god, please, let us get some talent in these doors. The problem is there aren’t any obvious targets. The Grays are carrying a lot of veterans, but none of them are terribly attractive. Maybe minor leaguer Kevin Young? IF Phil Garner? C Peaches Graham? Even the iconic veteran Stargell could go.

This is just an exceptionally young organization, and may require patience.

AAA Shuttle

Chief Wilson and Phil Garner have been solid.

Midseason Changes

Billy Pierce has done enough at AAA to get another shot at the rotation.

Awards

All Stars: Mike Epstein (1B); Josh Gibson (C).

Offensive MVP: Mike Epstein (1B)
Pitching MVP: Vean Gregg (SP)

Down on the Farm

AAA: Louisville Redbirds

Next to the Show: Andy Van Slyke , Kevin Young, Paul Waner, Max Carey (29).

Prospects: OFs Andy Van Slyke & Paul Waner (both 23).

Projects: Ps Cliff Lee (28), Bartolo Colón (24), Babe Adams (27), Bob Friend (27), Mychal Givens (25), 1B Kevin Young (30).

Suspects: Bill Madlock (34), Daryle Ward (32), Miguel Tejada (39), Jeff Cirillo (34), P Rip Sewell (42), 3B Pedro Feliz (29).

AA: Syracuse Sky Chiefs

Prospects: 1B Tim Harkness (23), P Chris Zachary (20).

Projects: OF José Guillén (23), OF Lloyd Waner (22), P Catfish Hunter (19), P Fred Beene (25), SS Jack Wilson (25).

Suspects: C George Gibson (24), P Bob Malloy (26), OF Cliff Heathcoate (31).

TWIWBL 21.1: NL All Star Selections

By mknn

On January 26, 2022

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

AL All Stars here.

The final choice was the hardest, as the NL decided to go with only 11 pitchers, electing to select both Rickey Henderson and Josh Gibson over Joseíto Muñoz‘ arm in the bullpen.

Predictably, the New York Black Yankees have the most players going with seven, but the Portland Sea Dogs will supply four of the starters for the NL.

The Indianapolis ABC’s and the Miami Cuban Giants will have a single representative each.

Catchers

Portland’s Joe Mauer is the starting backstop. The question here is whether Thurman Munson (Black Yankees) has done enough to overtake Indianapolis’ Johnny Bench behind him. Munson’s OPS is .001 higher, and he’s spent a little more time behind the plate. But Bench has played more overall, and leads Munson in all counting stats other than doubles. It’s a bit of a moot point, as all three make the team.

That potentially leaves two deserving players off the roster: the Homestead Grays‘ Josh Gibson is putting up incredible numbers for a teenager and Mauer’s teammate, Iván Rodríguez, would easily make the team if he had more playing time (it’s a pretty good problem for the Sea Dogs to have).

Johnny Bench (IND). 278/394/542.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 315/406/472.
Joe Mauer (POR). 317/401/545.
Thurman Munson (NYY). 330/392/544; 20 2B.
Iván Rodríguez (POR). 352/370/555.

First Base

Three players have an OPS over 1.000 but only one will make the roster as a first baseman. The Cleveland Spiders‘ Ron Blomberg will start for the NL, but at DH, while Portland’s Kent Hrbek will take the field at first. The third player, Blomberg’s teammate John Ellis, just hasn’t played enough, with under 200 plate appearances. Still, those numbers are a little hard to ignore.

New York’s Lou Gehrig deserves a selection, but like Blomberg, he’s seen the field very rarely, so he’ll also make the roster as a DH. Finally, both Homestead’s Mike Epstein and Indianapolis’ Jake Stahl deserve a very close look for a roster spot, but with both Blomberg and Gehrig ahead of them, it’s not clear they’ll make it. In the end, Epstein is the strongest candidate from the Grays, so he does make the roster.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 335/405/618; 18 HR; 18 2B; 49 RBI; 48 R.
John Ellis (CLE). 311/351/659; 16 HR.
Mike Epstein (HOM). 336/438/521.
Lou Gehrig (NYY). 284/382/591; 16 HR.
Kent Hrbek (POR). 322/393/617; 22 HR; 54 RBI; 53 R.
Jake Stahl (IND). 277/337/564.

Second Base

Despite Tom Herr‘s recent slump, the Birmingham Black Barons‘ second baseman remains a media darling, and was anointed as the all star starter many moons ago. It’s a little unfair to Cleveland’s Chuck Knoblauch, who really has surpassed Herr by a hair. Herr has been the superior fielder by quite a bit, so perhaps that justifies his getting the starting nod.

After those two, it’s hard. Indianapolis’ Joe Morgan deserves it, but has played in barely over half the ABC’s games. The other two candidates–the San Francisco Sea Lion‘s Jimmy Bloodworth and the Brooklyn Royal Giant‘s Jackie Robinson–come with their own concerns. In Robinson’s case, he’s really played much more at 1B, where his offensive contribution is decidedly mediocre; Bloodworth’s numbers are just a tad weaker across the board than the others.

Jimmy Bloodworth (SFS). 282/320/467.
Tom Herr (BBB). 310/355/440. 16 2B.
Chuck Knoblauch (CLE). 300/353/451. 16 2B.
Joe Morgan (IND). 301/385/412.
Jackie Robinson (BRK). 273/338/485.

Third Base

The hot corner is a little weak in the NL. The Philadelphia Star‘s Scott Rolen is among the better hitters and has been–by far–the flashiest with the leather, so he gets the starting nod.

Portland’s Buddy Bell has hit better than Rolen, but is both mired in a slump and has been weaker defensively. Still, it’s enough to make the team. After those two … who knows? Brooklyn’s Ron Cey has been fine, and if there is a need for a third player, he’s likely it. San Francisco’s Pedro Guerrero has neither played enough in general, nor enough at 3B to warrant inclusion, but he has been a force offensively.

Buddy Bell (POR). 290/354/506; 44 RBI.
Ron Cey (BRK). 242/350/465.
Pedro Guerrero (SFS). 298/367/530.
Scott Rolen (PHI). 284/353/491. 19 2B.

Shortstop

Offensively, there are really only two contenders: Portland’s Jim Fregosi and New York’s Derek Jeter. Both have been below average defensively, but Fregosi has been better than Jeter: between that and his better offensive output, he gets the starting nod.

Homestead’s Arky Vaughan has been spectacular defensively, but it’s not clear it’s been enough to offset a very poor offensive showing, while San Francisco’s Dick Lundy was making a good argument before he got injured.

Jim Fregosi (POR). 286/356/435; 16 2B.
Derek Jeter (NYY). 278/325/393; 17 2B.
Dick Lundy (SFS). 278/292/421.
Arky Vaughan (HOM). 223/340/327.

Left Fielders

Even with his numbers dropping over the past few weeks, Babe Ruth of the New York Black Yankees is the dominant player here. There is a bit of a drop after Ruth, with possible arguments being made for Philadelphia’s Rico Carty and Portland’s Harry Hooper. None of those three players bring much defensively, and taking that into consideration, Brooklyn’s Roy White and Homestead’s Rick Reichardt, and perhaps San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson enter the conversation.

Finally, there is the Albert Belle conundrum: his numbers are beyond impressive, but he’s not played a lot of innings.

Albert Belle (NYY). 315/377/558; 18 2B.
Rico Carty (PHI). 287/354/470; 25 2B.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 261/398/370; 52 R; 50 SB.
Harry Hooper (POR). 297/399/418; 45 R.
Rick Reichardt (HOM). 284/372/436; 42 RBI.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 305/413/649; 24 HR; 16 2B; 67 RBI; 58 R.
Roy White (BRK). 284/352/451; 17 2B.

Center Fielders

Now things get a little more interesting.

Bobby Murcer (Portland) is the clear starter, but an argument can be made for another four players behind him: San Francisco’s Bobby Bonds, Brooklyn’s Duke Snider, and the Davis twins–New York’s Eric Davis and Philadelphia’s Willie Davis–are all fairly indistinguishable. Eric was once considered the lock starter, but has slumped recently, but he is still certain to make the squad.

Eric Davis and Snider have been among the better defenders, bolstering each of their arguments as well.

Bobby Bonds (SFS). 314/364/531; 26 SB.
Eric Davis (NYY). 286/337/557; 22 HR; 66 RBI; 55 R; 35 SB.
Willie Davis (PHI). 299/358/537.
Bobby Murcer (POR). 327/402/567; 15 2B; 48 RBI; 46 R.
Duke Snider (BRK). 327/363/548; 16 HR; 44 RBI.

Right Field

The starter is the most obvious selection of all: triple-crown threat Reggie Jackson of the San Francisco Seals earns the honor. Behind Jackson, New York’s Mickey Mantle and Miami’s José Canseco are the clear choices, with Homestead’s Roberto Clemente forcing himself into the conversation over the last few weeks.

José Canseco (MCG). 295/365/502; 41 R.
Roberto Clemente (HOM). 309/336/486; 15 2B; 40 RBI.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 356/453/648; 16 2B; 16 HR; 44 R.
Mickey Mantle (NYY). 292/399/456; 48 R.

Starting Pitchers

Red Ruffing of the New York Black Yankees has come out of nowhere to be in the conversation for the starting slot for the AL with a 9-2 record. San Francisco’s Lefty Grove is close behind at 8-2, and several pitchers have 7 wins. Brooklyn’s Don Drysedale leads the AL in ERA among starters, and Cleveland’s workhorse Cy Young leads in WHIP. So those four feel pretty solid. Two more Black Yankees–Waite Hoyt and WBL strikeout leader Ron Guidry (whose last few starts have probably moved him off the roster)–are in the conversation, as is Miami’s Camilo Pascual and Portland’s Walter Johnson.

Pascual and Guidry have losing records, making their selection harder to justify, although Pascual plays for a bad team, making that less of an issue for him.

Finally, Tim Hudson of the Birmingham Black Barons has forced his way onto the roster, despite being a few inning short of qualifying as a starting pitcher. Going 5-0 with an ERA under 3.00 and a WHIP under 1.00 will do that.

Don Drysedale (BRK). 5-3; 3.23; 1.19 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 8-2; 3.49; 1.30 WHIP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-6; 4.27; 1.25 WHIP.
Waite Hoyt (NYY). 5-1; 3.51; 1.22 WHIP.
Tim Hudson (BBB). 5-0; 2.73; 0.93 WHIP.
Walter Johnson (POR). 7-3; 3.83 ERA; 1.30 WHIP.
Camilo Pascual (MCG). 4-6; 3.42; 1.27 WHIP.
Red Ruffing (NYY). 9-2; 3.79; 1.32 WHIP.
Cy Young (CLE). 6-3; 3.54; 1.17 WHIP.

Relief Pitchers

For the closers, WBL save leader Johan Santana of Portland is an automatic choice, as are Cleveland’s Terry Adams and San Francisco’s Rod Beck. And then it becomes a matter of tradeoffs: Philadelphia’s Bob Howry‘s other numbers are great, but his ERA is over 5.00 while Brooklyn’s Watty Clark and Miami’s Aroldis Chapman have a decent number of saves, but probably fall short.

Portland’s Elmer Brown and San Francisco’s Ron Robinson have 9 Holds each, trailing Philadelphia’s Ron Reed, who has 12.

Indianapolis’ Willie Mitchell has been absolutely dominant, with an ERA barely over 1.00, but it’s hard to really choose between him, San Francisco’s Ken Howell and Charlie Root, and Portland’s Joseíto Muñoz.

Terry Adams (CLE). 0-3; 17 Sv; 2.91; 1.66 WHIP.
Rod Beck (SFS). 1-1; 16 Sv; 2.65; 1 H; 0.76 WHIP.
Elmer Brown (POR). 2-4; 4 Sv; 2.35; 9 H; 1.14 WHIP.
Aroldis Chapman (MCG). 201; 12 Sv; 1.59 ERA; 2.06 WHIP.
Watty Clark (BRK). 3-1; 13 Sv; 1.66; 1.11 WHIP.
Ken Howell (SFS). 3-3; 3 Sv; 1.45; 3 H; 0.97 WHIP.
Bob Howry (PHI). 2-3; 16 Sv; 5.04; 1.66 WHIP.
Willie Mitchell (IND). 2-2; 1 Sv; 1.08; 1 H; 1.16 WHIP.
Joseíto Muñoz (POR). 3-1; 3 Sv; 1.19; 2 H; 1.02 WHIP.
Ron Reed (PHI). 0-2; 3 Sv; 2.72; 12 H; 1.13 WHIP.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-1; 3.45; 9 H; 1.36 WHIP.
Charlie Root (SFS). 4-1; 2.98; 0.99 WHIP.
Johan Santana (POR). 1-1; 22 Sv; 2.57; 1 H; 1.48 WHIP.

Selections by Team

Listed alphabetically, Italic indicates a starter.

Birmingham Black Barons: Tom Herr (2B); Tim Hudson (P).
Brooklyn Royal Giants: Don Drysedale (P).
Cleveland Spiders: Terry Adams (P); Ron Blomberg (DH); Chuck Knoblauch (2B); Cy Young (P).
Homestead Grays: Mike Epstein (1B); Josh Gibson (C).
Indianapolis ABC’s: Johnny Bench (C)
Miami Cuban Giants: José Canseco (RF)
New York Black Yankees. Eric Davis (CF); Lou Gehrig (1B); Derek Jeter (SS); Mickey Mantle (RF); Thurman Munson (C); Red Ruffing (P); Babe Ruth (LF).
Philadelphia Stars: Ron Reed (P); Scott Rolen (3B).
Portland Sea Dogs: Buddy Bell (3B); Jim Fregosi (SS); Kent Hrbek (1B); Joe Mauer (C); Bobby Murcer (CF); Johan Santana (P).
San Francisco Sea Lions: Rod Beck (P); Lefty Grove (P); Rickey Henderson (LF); Ken Howell (P); Reggie Jackson (RF); Charlie Root (P).

TWIWBL 17.0: Series XIV Notes

By mknn

On September 14, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 30

As May comes to a close, the Los Angeles Angels, Baltimore Black Sox, New York Black Yankees, and Portland Sea Dogs sit atop their respective divisions. Only LA is below .600, with Baltimore–yes, Baltimore–continuing to be the best team in the WBL at 37-21.

That said, the divisions continue to tighten: the four division leaders went 8-8 for the series.

Awards

The Houston Colt 45’s Tony Gwynn was selected as the Player of the Week, going 14-for-25 (.560), raising his average over .300.

Performances

Dennis Martinez remains, probably, the best starting pitcher in the league, but his teammate Ned Garvin is quietly having a spectacular year, as is the unheralded Johnny Marcum of the Detroit Wolverines.

The San Francisco Sea Lions‘ Reggie Jackson has surpassed the Black Yankees’ Babe Ruth as the best hitter in the league, leading in batting average, on base percentage, and OPS. Ruth’s teammate, Eric Davis, has led the league in RBI since week one, and has now tied Ruth for the homerun crown. But the New York Gothams‘ Willie Mays may be the league MVP: spectacular offense and a league-leading 10 assists from the outfield (he’s actually tied in that category with Ken Griffey, Jr. of the Ottawa Mounties).

Best Starting Pitchers.

Gerrit Cole (LAA): 8 – 3; 4.20 ERA; 2.0 WAR
Dennis Martinez (BAL): 7-2; 3.15 ERA; 1.11 WHIP
Red Ruffing (NYY): 7-1; 4.12 ERA
Johnny Marcum (DET): 6-1; 2.41 ERA; 1.09 WHIP
Ned Garvin (BAL): 5-2; 2.47 ERA; 0.93 WHIP
Ron Guidry (NYY): 5-5; 3.67 ERA; 89 Ks
Lefty Grove (SFS): 5-2; 3.23 ERA; 77 Ks
Walter Johnson (POR): 6-2; 3.75 ERA; 2.6 WAR
Cy Young (CLE): 5-2; 3.63 ERA; 2.1 WAR
Luke Hamlin (KCM): 3-4; 3.92 ERA; 2.1 WAR

Best Relievers.

Johan Santana (POR): 1-1; 18 Sv; 2.93 ERA
Rod Beck (SFS): 0-0; 14 Sv; 1 H; 0.66 ERA; 0.51 WHIP
Bob Howry (PHI): 1-2; 14 Sv; 4.58 ERA
Ron Reed (PHI): 0-2; 2 Sv; 11 H; 2.50 ERA
Craig Kimbrel (KCM): 2-1; 8 H; 2.88 ERA
Joe Beggs (MEM): 1-0; 8 Sv; 0.00 ERA
Aroldis Chapman (MCG): 2-0; 10 Sv; 0.63 ERA
Doc White (IND): 1-1; 1 Sv; 2 H; 1.76 ERA; 0.65 WHIP

Best Batters.

Reggie Jackson (SFS): 379/483/651
Willie Mays (NYG): 359/412/578; 80 H; 3.1 WAR
Eddie Collins (CAG): 327/446/569
Babe Ruth (NYY): 330/433/689; 19 HR; 51 R; 54 RBI; 3,3 WAR
Frank Thomas (CAG): 355/433/593; 76 H
Rico Carty (PHI): 328/392/520; 20 2B
Bobby Grich (LAA): 299/372/485; 20 2B
Louis Santop (CLE): 315/343/500; 8 3B
Eric Davis (NYY): 290/347/581; 19 HR; 59 RBI
Joe Jackson (CAG): 345/433/621; 46 R
Doug Rader (LAA): 309/364/505; 54 RBI
Rickey Henderson (SFS): 241/391/314; 47 BB; 41SB
Bryce Harper (BAL): 219/355/339; 40 BB
Tim Raines (OTT): 283/365/442; 39 SB

Streaks

The Chicago American Giants‘ Duffy Lewis has 6 homeruns in his last 8 games and his teammate, Joe Jackson, is slashing an insane 542/560/1042 over his last 25 at-bats. The House of David‘s Elrod Hendricks has 14 RBIs in his last 8 games, over which he’s hitting 448/469/1172.

Baltimore’s Ned Garvin is 5-1 with a 1.71 ERA over his last 11 games, including 5 starts: his time in the bullpen is clearly over.

Roberto Clemente of the Homestead Grays has a 16 game hitting streak while both Thurman Munson of the Black Yankees and Buster Posey of the Gothams have maintained their consecutive games reaching base (29 games for Munson, 23 for Posey).

San Francisco have won five in a row while the Grays have lost 6 straight, and have won only 2 of their last 10.

Series XIV Results

Series Sweeps

San Francisco over Brooklyn Royal Giants
Kansas City Monarchs over Homestead

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XIV

Chicago over the House of David
Ottawa over Portland
Black Yankees over Philadelphia Stars
Cleveland Spiders over Miami Cuban Giants

Taking 2 out of 3 in Series XIV

Birmingham Black Barons over Gothams (1 game rained out)

Series Splits

Detroit @ Memphis Red Sox
Houston Colt 45’s @ Los Angeles
Indianapolis ABC’s @ Baltimore

Series XIV Featured Game: Brooklyn Royal Giants @ San Francisco Sea Lions

By mknn

On September 13, 2021

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

Brooklyn had already lost the first 2 games of the series against San Francisco when they sent Dutch Leonard to the mound to face Diego Segui. The two pitchers were on dramatically different trajectories: Leonard, at 3-7 with an ERA approaching 5.00, was trying desperately to hold on to his place in the Royal Giants’ rotation; Segui, on the other hand, had performed well enough since being recalled in mid-April to earn his 5th start of the season. His record was only 2-2, but his ERA was a sparkling 2.36.

Roy White would take Segui deep in the top of the first, but that would be the only run he allowed in 7 sparkling innings where he actually lowered his ERA to 2.18 before departing.

Leonard matched him frame-for-frame, though, only giving up a run in the 4th, when a leadoff single by Ricky Henderson was followed by a double from Jack Clark and a sacrifice fly from Pedro Guerrero to tie the game at 1.

So, after 7 innings, we had a 1-1 deadlock, with the game now in the hands of the two bullpens.

They were not up to the task.

Huston Street relieved Segui and gave up a 2-out, 2-run homerun to Duke Snider, scoring White and putting Brooklyn on top, 3-1.

But Eric Gagne–who had been lights out for the Royal Giants all season–gave up a leadoff homerun to San Francisco’s Cy Perkins, and then a triple to Dick Lundy. Lundy would score on a sacrifice fly by Henderson, and after 8 innings, we were tied at 3.

Ken Howell set Brooklyn down in order in the top of the 9th, setting the stage for the bottom of the frame. Gagne got two outs, but then allowed a double to Wally Moon, prompting Brooklyn to bring in Trevor Hildenberger.

Out came Reggie Jackson–triple crown and early season MVP candidate–to pinch hit. The crowd rose as one, the ever-present chant of REG-GIE, REG-GIE filling the air …

… Jackson delivered, lifting an RBI single into right field that easily scored Moon for the walkoff victory for the Sea Lions.

BRK 3 (Gagne 1-2, 3 B Sv) @ SFS 4 (Howell 2-2)
HRs: BRK – Snider (13), White (6); SFS – Perkins (2)
Box Score

Other Notable Games

Homestead suffered from an overly tired bullpen, as the Grays really had nobody to pick up the slack once starter Carlos Zambrano ran out of steam. Instead, Kansas City was able to chip away until scoring 3 in the bottom of the 9th, with Rogers Hornsby delivering the winning, walk-off single. Hornsby and Ted Simmons had 3 hits each and Ducky Medwick went 4-for-4 with 3 RBIs. Roberto Clemente had a strong game for the Grays in a losing effort, with 3 hits and 2 RBIs.

HOM 8 (Lindblom 0-3, 3 B Sv; Linzy 1 H) @ KCM 9 (Kimbrel 2-1)
HRs: n/a
Box Score

It was a wild night in Portland as the Sea Dogs held off a furious rally by Ottawa to hold on for an 11-10 victory. Freddy Parent hit 2 homeruns and Alex Rodriguez 1 for the Mounties while Jeff Burroughs, Bobby Murcer, and Harry Hooper all went deep for Portland. Murcer drove in 5 on 3 hits and Burroughs added 3 RBIs.

OTT 10 (Griffith 1-5) @ POR 11 (Miller 3-0; Santana 18 Sv; Kern 5 H)
HRs: OTT – Parent 2 (8), Rodriguez (4); POR – Burroughs (6), Murcer (9), Hooper (5)
Box Score

Despite a shaky outing that saw him surrender his first earned runs of the year, Aroldis Chapman did enough to earn his 10th save as Miami defeated Cleveland 7-6. The Cuban Giants got 2 hits each from Gary Sheffield and Carlos Moran and 2 RBIs from Jim Thome, while Jake Stahl had 3 hits and 3 RBIs (including a solo homerun off Chapman) for the Spiders.

MCG 7 (Bridges 4-1; Chapman 10 Sv; Willis 1 H; Bauta 6 H) @ CLE 6 (Coveleski 3-1)
HRs: CLE – Stahl (11)
Box Score

TWIWBL 16.0: Series XIII Notes

By mknn

On September 2, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 26

There were no series sweeps in Series XIII, and half the matchups resulted in 2 game splits, leading most of the divisions to drawing closer together.

The best teams in the WBL continue to surprise, with only two teams playing over .600 ball: the Baltimore Black Sox lead the way at 35-19 and the Portland Sea Dogs are at 34-20. Baltimore leads the Cumberland Posey Division by 6 games; Portland is atop the Marvin Miller Division by 5.5. The other two divisions are much closer, with the Los Angeles Angels, New York Gothams, and Detroit Wolverines all within 1 game in the Bill James Division (the Angels lead the way at 29-25) and the New York Black Yankees ahead of the Philadelphia Stars by 3 in the Effa Manley Division.

Only 1 team–the Miami Cuban Giants–is playing under .400 ball, with Florida’s team managing only 21 wins so far on the season.

After a few weeks of trying, the WBL has its first two 7 game winners, with Los Angeles’ Gerrit Cole and Baltimore’s Dennis Martinez both reaching that mark.

Martinez has probably surpassed Walter Johnson as the best pitcher in the league right now, and the Black Yankees’ Ron Guidry is the only starter ranking 1st or 2nd in four major statistical categories.

Two closers, Aroldis Chapman of Miami and Joe Beggs of the Memphis Red Sox, have yet to give up a run in roughly 13 innings each.

Reggie Jackson‘s run at the triple crown continues: he leads the league in BA and OBP and is fifth in SLG. Jackson’s performance may be the most surprising, but catcher Louis Santop leading the league in triples has to be close, as is the continued excellence from Curt Blefary.

All that said, the Black Yankees’ Babe Ruth continues to be the most valuable offensive player in the league, followed closely by the centerfielder for the cross-town Gothams, Willie Mays.

Performances

Top Starting Pitchers.

Name	Tm	W-L	ERA	Other
Dennis Martinez	BAL	7-1	3.16	1.11 WHIP
Gerrit Cole	LAA	7-3	4.04
Don Drysedale	BRK	4-2	2.71
Ron Guidry	NYY	5-4	3.23	1.13 WHIP; *86 K*
Walter Johnson	POR	6-1	3.58	*2.5 WAR*
Luke Hamlin	KAN	3-4	3.92	2.1 WAR
Lefty Grove	SFS	5-2	3.23	77 K

Top Relievers.

Name	Tm	W-L	ERA	Sv	Hld	WHIP
Johan Santana	POR	1-1	3.00	17
Bob Howry	PHI	1-2	4.58	14
Aroldis Chapman	MIA	0-2	*0.00*	9
Joe Beggs	MEM	0-0	*0.00*	8
Ron Reed	PHI	0-2	2.83	2	11
Craig Kimbrel	KAN	1-1	3.09		8
Ned Garvin	BAL	5-1	2.09		2	*0.87*

Top Batters.

Name	Tm	Slash	Other
Reggie Jackson	SFS	*376/485*/643
Willie Mays	NYG	354/408/561	*75 H*; 2.8 WAR
Mike Epstein	HOM	333/437/549
Babe Ruth	NYY	325/427/*685*	*19 HR; 48 R; 52 RBI; 3.0 WAR*
Curt Blefary	BAL	288/402/660	16 HR
Frank Thomas	CAG	353/430/607	71 H
Rico Carty	PHI	352/415/560	*20 2B*
Louis Santop	CLE	316/346/513	*8 3B*
Eric Davis	NYY	284/339/552	*54 RBI*
Jimmy Sheckard	NYG	309/418/470	41 R
Rickey Henderson	SFS	236/392/315	*45 BB; 39 SB*
Tim Raines	OTT	292/377/458	37 SB

Streaks

The Homestead Gray‘s Roberto Clemente has hit in 14 straight games, Baltimore’s Dan McGann has scored in 9 straight, and Detroit’s Oscar Gamble as hit a homerun in his last 3 games.

While there aren’t many hitting streaks of note, the Black Yankees’ Thurman Munson has reached base in 26 straight games, the Ottawa Mounties‘ Terry Puhl in 23, and the Gothams’ Jimmy Sheckard in 22.

Baltimore’s Ned Garvin hasn’t allowed a run in 15 innings, and his teammate Dennis Martinez has had 5 consecutive quality starts, as has the Kansas City Monarchs‘ Andy Pettite.

The Brooklyn Royal Giants‘ Raul Mondesi was an early season surprise, but the bloom is off the rose: he’s struggling at 115/164/135 over his last 14 games. Baltimore’s Brooks Robinson–122/170/134 over 35 games–is easily the coldest hitter in the WBL, to the point he’s no longer in the WBL, having been optioned to AAA.

Series XIII Results

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XIII

Baltimore over Cleveland Spiders
Brooklyn over Homestead
New York Gothams over Indianapolis ABCs
Los Angeles over Miami
Portland over Wandering House of David

Splitting Series XIII 2-2

Chicago @ Birmingham
New York Black Yankees @ Detroit
Kansas City @ Ottawa
Memphis @ Houston
San Francisco @ Philadelphia

Series XII Featured Matchup: Ottawa Mounties @ Homestead Grays

By mknn

On August 18, 2021

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Preview here.

Rain, rain, go away, give us a doubleheader another day. The opening game in this series was rained out, setting up a twinbill the following day.

#Game 1: Jamie Moyer @ Ray Brown

Both pitchers struggled early, and both turned it around, somewhat.

Jamie Moyer gave up 5 runs in 3 innings, including a solo homerun to Andrew McCutcheon and a 2 run shot to Willie Stargell. But with the bullpen on constant alert, Moyer settled down, making it through 6 innings, trailing 5-2.

Homestead’s Ray Brown gave up 7 hits, but only the 2 runs in 5 innings of work, and the Grays bullpen basically held down the fort, with John Candelaria, Kent Tekulve, Bartolo Colon, and Josh Lindblom combining for 4 solid innings. Lindblom picked up his 6th save.

Chris Leroux followed Moyer with a scoreless inning, but hopes of an Ottawa comeback were really dashed when Steve Howe allowed 2 runs, including a homerun to Honus Wagner.

McCutcheon had 3 hits and 3 RBIs for the Grays, while–in what really could be an important turnaround for Ottawa–Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey, Jr. combined to go 5-for-8 with 4 runs scored.

It was a solid win for Homestead, but one that could have implications for their bullpen in game 2.

OTT 4 (Moyer 1-2) @ HOM 7 (Brown 4-2; Candelaria 1 H; Tekulve 3 H; Colon 1 H; Lindblom 6 Sv)
HRs: OTT – none; HOM – Stargell (7), McCutcheon (7), Wagner (3)
Box Score

#Game 2: Jim Clancy @ Hal Carlson

Ottawa opened up the scoring in this one, relying on their two best performers of the season, as Tim Raines doubled and stole a base and scored on an RBI double from Carlos Delgado in the top of the first against Hal Carlson.

But Homestead began to hit Jim Clancy pretty hard in the 2nd: Josh Gibson led the inning off with a double, Rick Reichardt walked, and a single from Willie Stargell loaded the bases, setting the stage for two consecutive sacrifice flies, one from Tom Brown and one from Arky Vaughan. Chris Sabo added an RBI double, and the Grays emerged with a 3-1 lead.

Rick Monday, given a rare start, doubled to lead off the 3rd for Ottawa, and eventually scored on a wild pitch, cutting the lead to 3-2. But, Clancy was still struggling, again loading the bases to open the bottom of the 3rd. The Grays would score twice, once on a double play and once on an RBI single from Stargell, extending their lead to 5-2.

The wheels fell off for Carlson in the top of the 5th. Emil Gross led off with a double for the Mounties, Monday walked, and Raines and Anthony Rendon delivered RBI hits. A walk to Delgado loaded the bases, and the Grays brought in Earl Hamilton … who immediately walked in a run, giving Ottawa a 6-5 lead.

Given the lead, Clancy suddenly excelled, retiring 11 straight batters between a walk to Vaughan in the 4th and a 2-out single by Davey Johnson in the 7th. Greg Holland relieved Clancy and got out of the inning without allowing anything else.

Holland gave up a leadoff double to Gibson in the bottom of the 8th, and an RBI single to Brown to tie the game.

Hamilton’s work should not go unmentioned–he allowed only 2 hits in 5 innings in what is probably his best outing of the season. But he wouldn’t feature in the decision, as the offenses were unable to do much, sending the game into extra innings.

Ottawa’s closer, Tom Henke, gave up hits to Roberto Clemente and Andrew McCutcheon to open the bottom of the 11th, and after an out, a single to Mike Epstein to load the bases. The Mounties brought in Ted Bowsfield, who retired Honus Wagner, but gave up a walk-off grand slam to Reichardt to win the game for Homestead. Henke took the loss, as the winning run was his responsibility, and the win went to Michael Jackson, who threw a hitless 1.2 innings in relief of Hamilton.

Gibson had 4 hits for the Grays and scored twice, while Raines and Rendon had 2 hits each for Ottawa.

OTT 6 (Henke 0-3; Holland 3 BSv) @ HOM 10 (Jackson 2-1)
HRs: Reichardt (5)
Box Score

#Game 3: Old Hoss Radbourn @ Carlos Zambrano

With Vean Gregg not ready to go, Homestead turned to Carlos Zambrano to make the start against Old Hoss Radbourn. Zambrano’s performance–especially since losing his spot in the rotation–has been far better than his 1-2 record and 6.28 ERA might indicate. Radbourn sits at 3-3, 4.94.

The first inning had a couple of minor baseball moments: In the top of the first, Tim Raines was thrown out stealing by Josh Gibson, something that has only happened 4 times in 37 attempts this season. Then, in the bottom of the frame, Radbourn loaded the bases with no outs, but got out of the inning unscathed.

Gary Carter gave Ottawa a 2-0 lead with a homerun in the top of the 2nd.

In the top of the 3rd, Gibson did it again, ending the inning with a strike-em-out, throw-em-out double play by nailing Raines at second base once more. A few innings later, Pops Stargell tied the game with a solo shot down the rightfield line. They would take the lead when an RBI single from Andrew McCutcheon scored Roberto Clemente.

It was a see-saw game for a bit: in the top of the 5th, a solo homerun from Ken Griffey, Jr. would tie the game at 3; in the bottom of the inning, another hit from Stargell, this one an RBI double, would return the lead to the Grays; in the top of the 6th, Terry Puhl would go yard to again tie the game, 4-4.

Cliff Lee-considered for the start originally–relieved Zambrano in the top of the 5th, and Greg Holland took over from Radbourn in the bottom of the inning.

Holland was greeted by a Clemente homerun, and gave up 3 walks and another hit before being relieved managing to record only a single out. Ottawa’s bullpen was already stretched, and it got worse: Steve Howe surrendered a run on a sacrifice fly, but was forced from the ballgame with an apparent back injury. Chris Leroux–already a bit overworked–replaced him, and when the inning ended, Homestead was up, 7-4.

Rick Reichardt added a 2-run homerun, and Kent Tekulve slammed the door with 2 scoreless innings as the Grays won, 9-4. McCutcheon, Stargell, and Clemente had 3 hits each, with Reichardt driving in 3.

After the game, Howe was put on the DL, with Ottawa recalling the impressive Johnny Podgajny from AAA.

OTT 4 (Holland 2-1) @ HOM 9 (Lee 3-0; Tekulve 1 Sv)
HRs: OTT – Carter (4), Griffey Jr (2), Puhl (4); HOM – Reichardt (6), Stargell (8), Clemente (6)
Box Score

#Game 4: Bob Brown @ Vean Gregg

Vean Gregg was ready to take the ball for game four, hoping to lead Homestead to the sweep over Ottawa and Bob Brown.

Brown and Gregg matched zero’s through five innings, each allowing only 3 hits.

It remained scoreless until the top of the 8th, when with two outs Carlos Delgado doubled in Tim Raines for a 1-0 Ottawa lead. After an error by Honus Wagner, Ottawa added another run, making it 2-0.

Brown couldn’t come out to take the mound in the 8th, so the Mounties turned to one of the hottest pitchers in the WBL, Gary Lavelle.

It got interesting in the bottom of the 9th. Lavelle got the first out before giving way to closer Tom Henke, who has struggled in his last few appearances. Henke gave up 3 consecutive hits to load the bases with one out. But he struck out Phil Garner and got Andrew McCutcheon to fly out to Ken Griffey, Jr. in centerfield to end the game, salvaging a win in the series for Ottawa.

Arky Vaughan had 3 hits for Homestead, who outhit the Mounties, 7-6 but were unable to put a run on the board.

OTT 2 (Brown 3-3; Lavelle 4 H; Henke 11 Sv) @ HOM 0 (Gregg 3-5)
HRs: none
Box Score

#Series Notes

The story of the series was the collapse of Ottawa’s bullpen–a strength up to now. But Tom Henke, Steve Howe, and Greg Holland all struggled quite a bit in the series.

The extent of Bob Brown‘s injury is unknown at this time, which could be quite a blow for Ottawa, as his 3.43 ERA is quite respectable.

Carlos Delgado was 6-for-12 and Phil Bradley 4-for-10 in a series where the Mounties struggled to do much offensively.

For Homestead, Roberto Clemente was 7-for-12, Josh Gibson was 5-for-12, Arky Vaughan was 5-for-10, Andrew McCutcheon 8-for-19, Rick Reichardt 5-for-17 with 2 homeruns, and Pops Stargell 6-for-17 with 2 homeruns, 2 doubles, and 5 RBIs. Yeah, they feasted a bit on Ottawa pitching.

TWIWBL Special Edition: All Star Preview – Right Fielders

By mknn

On August 5, 2021

In All Star Games, TWIWBL

{ The All-Star game is about a month away. We’ll post occasional articles about the contenders for participation in the mid-season classic. These are written “as of now,” so the final selections may vary dramatically, but hopefully these will add to the ongoing flavor of the league. }

#AL Right Fielders – Bill James & Cum Posey Divisions

The problem in the AL is there are four must-haves.

It took a little while for Detroit’s 20-year old wunderkind Ty Cobb to force his way into the starting lineup, but he’s slashing 348/385/607 and clearly deserves consideration here.

Memphis’ Ted Williams has been rock solid for the Red Sox at 304/391/567 with 10 homeruns and 34 RBI.

Shoeless Joe Jackson is slashing 343/440/614 with 11 homeruns and 38 RBI for Chicago.

And, Kansas City’s Stan Musial is at 361/422/600 with 9 homeruns and 35 RBI.

You can really stop the discussion there.

If I were limited to three, I would drop Cobb due to his having significantly less playing time. But he’s an everyday player now, and I would gladly sacrifice elsewhere to include all four of them.

The AI agrees, picking all four to the summer classic.

#NL Right Fielders – Effa Manley & Marvin Miller Divisions

One of the surprises of the league has been the superlative performance of Cleveland’s Ron Blomberg, who is hitting 335/411/615 with 11 homeruns and 35 RBIs. The starting RF is either Blomberg or San Francisco’s Reggie Jackson, who is chugging along at 362/483/623 without showing any signs of a slump.

There is a gap, then, to the Black Yankees’ Mickey Mantle (who has seen more time in RF than CF so far) at 297/421/436 and Miami’s Jose Canseco (296/370/456).

It’s a bit of a conundrum. Roberto Clemente of the Grays has been the best defensive RF, maybe, but at 276/300/411 just hasn’t produced enough.

So, Blomberg and Jackson are shoo-ins, and if I had to pick someone after them, it would be Mantle, unless Canseco ends up being Miami’s only representative?

The AI cheats, picking Jackson’s teammate, Bobby Bonds, who is really a CF, as the 3rd right fielder.