Tag: Roger Clemens Page 1 of 3

WBL Year II Statistics

I needed a place to hold statistics that aren’t easily displayed in OOTP. Most of these are game-level performances.

For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.

Batting Statistics

2+ 3B Games

2. Craig Biggio (HOU), Ty Cobb (DET); Willie McGee (KCM); Tim Raines (OTT).

3+ 2B Games

3. Ty Cobb (DET); Pete Runnels (NYG).

3+ HR Games

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4. Willie McGee (KCM); Andrew McCutchen (HOM), Joey Votto (IND).

4+ Run Games

4+ SB Games

5+ Hit Games

5+ SO Games

5. Beals Becker (BRK).

6+ RBI Games

6. Johnny Callison (NYG); Babe Ruth x2 (NYY); Ryne Sandberg (HOD).

Longest HRs

558 ft. Aaron Judge (PHA).
551 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
544 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
538 ft. Josh Gibson (HOM), Pete Hill (HOU); Buster Posey (NYG).
527 ft. Joe Adcock (NYG).
525 ft. Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI).
512 ft. Tony Gwynn (HOU).
509 ft. Ted Simmons (KCM).
507 ft. Ted Simmons (KCM).
505 ft. Lou Gehrig (NYA).
502 ft. Albert Belle (BBB); Mike Epstein (HOM).
501 ft. Derek Jeter (NYA).
500 ft. Andrew McCutchen (HOM).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

87. Dennis Martínez (BAL).
85. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Jameson Taillon (MEM).
80. Toad Ramsey (HOU).

10+ Strikeout Games

12. Johnny Cueto (IND).
11. Connie Johnson (BAL); Frank Knauss (BRG); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
10. Bob Friend (HOM); Hardie Henderson (PHI).

8+ Walk Games

Shutouts

2 Hits. Dennis Martínez (BAL).
3 Hits. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS).

Shutouts (Combined)

2 Hits. Jameson Taillon / Skel Roach / Andrew Miller (MEM).
3 Hits. Hardie Henderson / Robin Roberts (PHI).
4 Hits. Toad Ramsey / Bones Ely (HOU).

TWIWBL 56.19: Spring Training Notes – Houston Colt 45’s

By mknn

On March 7, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

Exactly how the roster shapes up, from C to MI to the reserve spots, all have to be answered.

Injuries

George Brett will miss the first few weeks of the season with a knee injury.

First Cuts

Of the starters, only Leon Day has struggled, but the teenager holds onto his position for now on the strength of his work last season. But some clarity has emerged among the relievers, where Óscar Tuero, Scott Bankhead, and Roberto Osuna were all sent down.

That leaves 22 pitchers in camp, so there will be more movement here over the next week.

Cs Bob Boone and Cy Perkins were sent down, along with Felipe Alou and, in Paul Goldschmidt, Aramis Ramírez, and Carney Lansford, three players who continue to show incredible promise at the plate until an actual game starts, when they can no longer make any contact.

3B remains a bit up in the air, as nobody has really hit–teen phenom Edgar Martínez has shown excellent plate discipline, but has yet to get a hit and Russ Adams has probably been the best of the group, with an OPS of .500.But, in all likelihood, the Colt 45’s are really just looking for someone to backup George Brett occasionally.

Bama Rowell‘s strong start at 2B keeps that position a bit crowded, while Shawon Dunstan heads to the minors, clearing a little room at SS.

In the OF, César Cedeño and Derek Bell have impressed, while Ken Henderson, Kirby Puckett, Shin-Soo Choo, and Hunter Pence have all been returned to minor league camp.

Which leaves the frustrating case of Jim O’Rourke, who refuses to show any potential at the plate, but has so much defensive flexibility that he retains a spot in camp. For the time being.

Second Cuts

Chad Qualls has imploded, giving up 12 hits in just over 2 innings of work, and earning a ticket to the minors along with Bill Harper, Harry Staley, and Wade Davis.

Jim O’Rourke and Rick Cerone were also sent down.

Of the 2B/SS/3B in camp, only Bama Rowell and Craig Biggio are hitting over .200, with only Edgar Martínez‘ eye for the strike zone joining them in having an OPS over .500. Someone has to catch fire here, but until then, they all remain.

The OFers also remain, as the worst performers–Jim Wynn and Casey Stengel–did enough last season to be virtually guaranteed roster spots.

Third Cuts

The bullpen is coming into focus, ending Chris Saenz‘ time in camp. Dock Ellis sticks around, but only as a hedge against Vida Blue‘s injury diagnosis, which should be forthcoming shortly.

Young draftee Edgar Martínez was sent to the minors, leaving only 2 players capable of playing 3B in camp in Russ Adams and the presumed starter until George Brett returns from injury, Grant Johnson.

The battle between Jason Castro and Will Smith to backup Jorge Posada at C is fierce, and Kevin Young, Bama Rowell, and César Cedeño are all making strong arguments for roster spots.

Final Cuts

SS Travis Jackson heads to AAA, along with MI partner, 2B Bama Rowell.

Leon Day will start the year at AAA as the teenager seeks a little more consistency before assuming a fulltime WBL spot.

Harry Stovey impressed in a brief showing last season, but is both blocked positionally and was unable to get anything going this Spring, leading to his starting the year at AAA.

Houston still has a ton of open questions, from the final 2-3 pitchers to be sent down to the backup C slot. But they got to 30 by demoting two OFers, Derek Bell and Gorman Thomas.

RP Andrew Chafin was placed on the DL.

The Colt 45’s rotation was always set in Roy Oswalt, Stephen Strasburg, Toad Ramsey, Roger Clemens, and Bret Saberhagen, so even Oswalt and Strasburg’s rough Springs haven’t changed that. The question, then, is which of the arms that remain would benefit more from regular starts at AAA and which could contribute from the WBL bullpen. Ice Box Chamberlain–who, it has to be remembered, is only 19–was moved out of camp.

Will Smith turned a number of heads all Spring, but the Colt 45’s believe regular playing time at AAA would serve him better than backing up Jorge Posada; a task that will fall to Jason Castro to open the season. This logic is clearly not absolute, though, as 18 year old César Cedeño will start the season on the Colt 45’s bench (assumedly only until George Brett recovers), making Kevin Young the final cut from camp.

Season Review: Memphis Red Sox

By mknn

On December 14, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

71 - 83, .461 pct.
5th in Bill James Division, 18 games behind.

Overall

Memphis had a rough year: the pitching was never very good, and there were a ton of disappointments on the offensive side as well. If they can find some pitching, however, there may be no team in the league better positioned for a bounce back, and they ended the year on a 17-4 record, perhaps indicating better times are coming.

What Went Right

There were some things. OF Reggie Smith and Ted Williams look like elite players, despite Williams’ late season slide. Smith is 23, Williams 21, so that should lock up 2 of the Red Sox’s OF slots for a while.

Billy Bryan hit very well in limited action, and both Bill White and Wade Boggs looked solid as well.

Sammy Sosa did very well after being obtained in a mid-season trade, posting a SLG of .551 with Memphis.

Stubby Overmire was a pleasant surprise after arriving from Houston, finishing 3rd in the WBL in ERA. He, Dean Chance and, when healthy, Bill Doak looked solid as starters and Jonathan Papelbon and Heath Bell were each fantastic in the bullpen.

ALL STARS
RP Craig Kimbrel; OF Reggie Smith; OF Ted Williams

What Went Wrong

Neither Mookie Betts nor Manny Ramírez did enough, both being surpassed by Sosa on the depth chart (and with even more OF talent in the minors, it’s not clear if their futures lie with Memphis).

The MI was a mess all year, although Claude Ritchey did well enough at the end of the season to lay a claim for next year. Francisco Lindor and Dustin Pedroia were especially disappointing, leaving the Red Sox far too reliant on Iván De Jesús throughout the season (a fine utility part, not a starter).

The rest of the starting staff was a mess, either far too inconsistent (Jon Lester and Tim Wakefield) or just plain bad (Nixey Callahan especially).

Trade Evaluations

March

None

June

P Roger Clemens to Houston for OF Hack Wilson, P Jim Kaat, 2B DJ LeMahieu, P Stubby Overmire & 5th Round Pick {Nathan Eovaldi}

Clemens was struggling mightily in Memphis, and this is a nice haul of talent in return.

P Joe Beggs to Baltimore for P Willie Sudhoff, OF Alex Johnson & 4th Round Pick {Bill Lee}

Beggs’ age (33) makes this OK, I guess.

OF Tony Conigliaro, OF Fred Lynn & 2nd Round Pick to House of David for OF Sammy Sosa & 5th Round Pick

Seemed quite questionable at the time, but Sosa’s performance since has made this look like a win for the Red Sox.

July

C Jim Pagliaroni & 4th Round Pick to Birmingham for IF Woody English & 3B Candy Jim Taylor

Taylor is the best player in the deal, which usually would mean Memphis wins this one.

Looking Forward

SP

There is just so little talent here long term. Derek Lowe? I guess. A real weakness.

RP

Not bad. Papelbon and Bell for now, along with help from Joe Kelly and the continued effectiveness of Tim Wakefield as a swingman.

C

An area of need, especially if Billy Bryan stumbles. Jason Varitek has some promise and Kurt Suzuki showed outstanding defensive potential in a short trial (although he couldn’t hit a lick).

1B

Bill White did fine here, but he’s really just warming the spot for prospect David Ortiz.

2B

The Red Sox would love to see either DJ LeMahieu or Dustin Pedroia make this position theirs long term.

3B

Wade Boggs should be good here for a long time, although room will eventually need to be made for Candy Jim Taylor.

SS

Vern Stephens was supposed to be the answer, and if not Stephens, Francisco Lindor. Neither showed much, so there is some concern here.

LF

Ted Williams for at least a decade.

CF

Reggie Smith has this locked down, although Hack Wilson looks intriguing down the road.

RF

OK, this just gets messy. Somehow, between RF and DH, the Red Sox need to find playing time for Sammy Sosa, Mookie Betts, and Manny Ramírez, with Dwight Evans coming right behind them.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

The most confounding spot in the draft so far is Memphis at #6. The Red Sox don’t have a 2nd round pick, and Carl Yastrzemski is unlikely to be around by the 3rd round. But the team is so deep at 1B/OF right now … there are two options here: take Yaz and make it tomorrow’s problem, capitalizing on his franchise status or take one of the young pitchers who will help them sooner, likely either Tom Glavine or Zack Greinke.

At the end of the day, the team decided to draft on talent over need, selecting Yastremski.

The Red Sox were thrilled that Dobie Moore was still around in the 3rd round, and hope the 25 year old can step right into the starting role at SS.

They took Bill Lee with the final pick of the 4th round.

Rounds 5-8

While more arms are never a bad thing, the Red Sox system is fairly sparse in 1B and OFers. So their 5th round picks are 1B Joe Cunningham, P Nathan Eovaldi, and P Dick Drago. With Eovaldi and Drago being franchise picks, it’s not clear what will compel Memphis to use its remaining exceptions.

One was spent on OF George Case in the 6th round, but franchise pitcher Mickey McDermott was the best arm available in the 7th round. While it’s not clear where he’ll actually play, it is obvious that Charlie Smith can hit, making him a potential steal in the 8th round with their final franchise exception.

Rounds 9-12

P Allen Russell; OF Troy O’Leary; P Dale Mohorcic; and P Connor Seabold.

Season Review: Houston Colt 45’s

By mknn

On December 7, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

77 - 77, .500 pct.
3rd in Cum Posey Division, 14 games behind.

Overall

I mean, given how poorly Houston performed offensively, .500 is an achievement; but given how well they pitched, perhaps it was a missed opportunity.

This is one of the youngest teams in the league, and has the potential to be a force in the WBL in a few years if players develop as expected.

What Went Right

Jim Wynn had a fine season–which is hard to do when you hit .259. But he has some power, gets on base, plays good defense–probably the most valuable offensive performer on the team. Three players (Casey Stengel, Harry Stovey, and Andrés Galarraga) forced themselves into the lineup on a regular basis, mostly due to flashes of power which is a much-needed commodity for Houston.

Pete Hill held his own as an 18 year old.

The starters were quite good, led by Roy Oswalt and Stephen Strasburg and, before missing half the year with injury, Bret Saberhagen. But Toad Ramsey was dependable and Roger Clemens improved immediately on his arrival, even if his overall numbers aren’t great given how much he struggled with Memphis.

In the bullpen, Tug McGraw was fantastic in a brief debut, and both Kyle Kendrick and Bones Ely did well enough to lock down a spot for next season.

ALL STARS
P Mark Melancon

What Went Wrong

Nobody hit for power. Wynn led the team with 20 homeruns and only two players (Stengel and Jeff Bagwell) were in double digits. None of the full time players had a SLG over .450, let alone .500.

Carlos Correa and HR Johnson both struggled, leaving the SS position up in the air, as did Jim O’Rourke, which was a shame, as O’Rourke’s defensive flexibility is really useful in roster construction. But not worth a .660 OPS.

The bullpen was just weird all year. Brad Lidge was a hot mess, Jim Kern (acquired in trade) awful, Billy Wagner good for a time and then very much not good.

Transactions

March

None

June

OF Hack Wilson, P Jim Kaat, IF DJ LeMahieu, P Stubby Overmire & 5th Round Pick to Memphis for P Roger Clemens

A risk: Clemens’ talent is undeniable, but Houston could regret this deal in 4 years, or could see it as a cornerstone of the franchise.

OF Lance Berkman to Cleveland for OF Harry Stovey, 1B Charlie Grimm, P Chad Qualls & 3rd Round Pick {Garry Templeton}

Berkman was struggling mightily in Houston, but a team with no power trading a hitter with power is hard. Still, Stovey looks good and Qualls did quite well in a brief trial.

July

RP Trevor Hoffman, RP Mark Melancon & 4th Round Pick to Portland for OF Kirby Puckett, P Jim Kern, P Rick Wise, 3rd Round Pick {Harry Staley} & 5th Round Pick

Hmmm. A lot depends both on Puckett developing and the Colt 45’s having a spot for him.

Looking Forward

SP

Pitchers are hard to predict and harder to keep healthy, but this is as good a group of young arms as any: a future rotation of Roy Oswalt, Steven Strasburg, Roger Clemens, Bret Saberhagen, and Leon Day sounds pretty good, and that doesn’t account for the development of Dock Ellis, Scott Erickson, or Vida Blue.

RP

A lot is riding on Tug McGraw to claim the closer spot. If he can do that, with support from Chad Qalls, Billy Wagner, and the emerging Dan Quisenberry, this group could be quite good.

C

An area of need. Jorge Posada was fine, but is aging out.

1B

This is Jeff Bagwell‘s spot to lose, with Andrés Galarraga helping out, which means Houston may have to figure something else out for Paul Goldschmidt and Charlie Grimm.

2B

The middle infield is all a bit confusing. Some think Craig Biggio ends up here, and HR Johnson really needs to show some pop to fill in. But if both of those things happen, there may be an issue.

3B

The organization is convinced that George Brett will improve here.

SS

Sorting out Carlos Correa and Johnson is the key here. Either Houston will have a surplus of quality in the middle infield, or way too much mediocrity.

LF

Tony Gwynn and Pete Hill.

CF

This is Jimmy Wynn for now, with Kirby Puckett sitting in the wings.

RF

Pete Hill and Tony Gwynn.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

They need offense, but the challenge is to fit it around pieces that are pretty much set. Zack Greinke as a franchise pick is tempting, but a coals to Newcastle comment would be in order. Houston has been aggressive on the trade market, so a “best available talent” approach seems warranted.

They found a middle ground of sorts, selecting an offensive force that is still a few years away, taking 3B Edgar Martinez with the 11th pick. The thinking wasn’t much different in the 2nd round, as teenage franchise OFer César Cedeño should be able to be in the mix within a year or two.

With the first of three picks in rapid succession in the second half of the 3rd round, Houston selected C Will Smith, who immediately slots in as Posada’s long term replacement behind the plate. They followed Smith with Harry Staley, a bit of a gamble on the mound, and Garry Templeton, a franchise pick that may provide some insurance at SS.

Rounds 5-8

At this point, the Colt 45’s need SP and depth throughout the IF. They start with a bit of a long term project in SP Larry Jansen and follow that with the mercurial Robbie Ray and then Jon Gray and Collin McHugh: that’s four consecutive arms, so look for some position players in the final rounds.

Rounds 9-12

P Dave Dravecky; P Lance McCullers; 1B Ryan McMahon; and P Scott Bankhead.

The Colt 45’s will have some extra picks next year, as 3rd round selection Garry Templeton and 6th round pick Robbie Ray both walked away from the negotiating table.

TWIWBL 42.0: Series XXXIV Notes

By mknn

On July 7, 2023

In TWIWBL

August 27th

Playoffs

The more things change, the more things stay the same …

On the whole, the playoff teams took care of business, with Cleveland sweeping Houston and Baltimore, Chicago, Portland, and the New York Black Yankees all winning 3 of 4 games.

As such, Baltimore still has the best record in the lead, and still leads the Chicago American Giants by 4 games in the Cum Posey Division. Chicago leads the wild card race, and both teams seem certain to make the postseason.

Each of the other divisions are tight as tight can be. In the Bill James Division, the Detroit Wolverines and the New York Gothams are tied for first place, with the Wandering House of David 1 game back. Over in the Effa Manley Division, the Black Yankees have maintained their lead, but it’s down to 1 game over the Cleveland Spiders and in the Marvin Miller Division, the Portland Sea Dogs lead the Birmingham Black Barons by a single game, helped by Baltimore’s 3 wins coming against the Black Barons.

Right now, Cleveland and Birmingham are tied for the final wild card slot. The Houston Colt 45’s–five games back–still have an outside shot, but getting swept essentially took them out of the race. Realistically it looks like 1 of the 9 teams vying for the divisional leads won’t make the postseason.

Performance

Going into a little more depth this time, providing some insight into players who are not performing well, but have still, for a variety of reasons, amassed enough PA or IP to qualify for the leaderboards.

Batters

The list is longer, but not really. With Babe Ruth taking over the OBP lead from San Francisco‘s Reggie Jackson, if you ignore some of the outliers (the SB leaders, the 3B, etc), the offensive leaders of the WBL boil down to Ron Blomberg and Babe Ruth, with Pete Browning, Stan Musial, and Doug Rader in a second group, with apologies to Johnny Bench of the Indianapolis ABC’s, who is putting up outrageous numbers for a backstop. Bench, Musial (Kansas City) and Rader (Los Angeles) are out of the playoff picture, but the rest should be around for the postseason.

Johnny Bench (IND). 286/390/575. 5.7 WAR.
Ron Blomberg (CLE). 339/410/655. 168 H, 40 HR, 101 R.
Pete Browning (HOD). 353/390/629.
Ty Cobb (DET). 348/391/557. 169 H.
Eric Davis (NYY). 277/352/517. 5.7 WAR.
Willie Davis (PHI). 301/350/498. 11 3B.
Mike Fiore (CAG). 238/402/396. 100 BB.
Hank Greenberg (DET). 317/376/589. 41 2B.
Bobby Grich (LAA). 292/381/483. 41 2B.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 268/398/356. 86 SB.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 316/430/598.
Stan Musial (KCM). 326/389/574. 44 2B.
Alejandro Oms (MCG). 255/308/398. 11 3B.
Doug Rader (LAA). 335/395/542. 122 RBI.
Tim Raines (OTT). 288/367/426. 89 SB.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 318/435/673. 43 HR, 121 RBI, 113 R, 100 BB, 7.4 WAR.
Louis Santop (CLE). 304/336/464. 13 3B.

Anti-Batters

Looking at the pool of hitters who qualify for rate stats only. 17 of them haven’t hit a triple, so those are omitted.

Hank Aaron (BBB). 263/302/498. 21 GIDP.
Ernie Banks (HOD). 262/287/459. 16 BB.
Wade Boggs (MEM). 286/364/412. 25 GIDP.
José Canseco (MCG). 291/352/525. 159 SO.
Rico Carty (PHI). 264/340/421. 48 R.
George Davis (DET). 258/334/326. 1 HR.
Mike Fiore (CAG). 238/402/396. 89 H.
Tom Herr (BBB/NYY). 288/357/390. 2 HR, 25 RBI.
Gil Hodges (POR). 222/297/423. -0.4 WAR.
Frank Isbell (BBB/BRK). 310/341/401. 2 HR, 14 BB.
Derek Jeter (NYY). 262/311/369. -0.6 WAR.
Ted Kluszewski (PHI). 249/327/478. 48 R.
Freddy Parent (OTT/CAG). 257/305/431. 9 2B.
Ozzie Smith (KCM). 221/309/292. 86 H, 2HR, 25 RBI.
Pops Stargell (HOM). 243/327/427. 179 SO.
George Stone (HOD). 289/380/512. 12 2B.
Arky Vaughan (HOM/CLE). 235/348/335. 12 2B.
George Wright (LAA). 240/296/396.

This is an interesting list. There are some players considered stars on their teams–Aaron for Birmingham and Canseco for the Miami Cuban Giants especially (although GIDP and SO aren’t such awful things to lead the league in). Others are having decent seasons overall–Boggs, Banks, Hodges, Stone.

And then there is Ozzie Smith, hands down the weakest overall offensive player in the WBL. He’s been good defensively, but that’s a lot of negative output at the plate to overcome.

Mike Fiore offers the interesting case of being the only player to make both lists, leading the league in walks and having the second fewest hits of anybody qualifying for the leaderboards (behind Smith, of course).

Pitchers

Starters

A shorter list this time: 6 players have 14 wins, but since they would be 3rd in the league behind Christy Mathewson and Jack Taylor, they aren’t listed unless they qualify under another stat.

One thing to note: the presence of two starters from the San Francisco Sea Lions underscores how disappointing the season has been for them.

Lefty Grove (SFS). 13-7, 3.55. 191 K.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 7-11, 4.42. 175 K.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 16-7, 3.50.
Roy Oswalt (HOU). 12-8, 3.63. 188.1 IP.
Alejandro Peña (BBB). 11-9, 3.72. 4.8 WAR, 3.45 FIP.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 11-6, 3.87. 3.29 FIP.
Andy Pettitte (KCM/BBB). 14-4, 3.05. 1.18 WHIP.
Jack Taylor (HOD). 15-9, 3.13. 1.12 WHIP.
Cy Young (CLE). 10-9, 4.64. 188.1 IP, 4.4 WAR.

Anti-Starters

Bert Blyleven (POR). 10-10, 4.17. 30 HRA.
Roger Clemens (MEM/HOU). 11-8, 5.31.
Vean Gregg (HOM). 9-8, 4.78. 97 BB, 1.59 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 13-7, 3.55. 98 BB.
Luke Hamlin (KCM). 9-12, 4.80.
Jon Lester (MEM). 9-12, 4.68.
Dolf Luque (IND). 8-10, 5.29. 5.67 FIP.
Juan Marichal (NYG). 11-8, 5.64. 1.56 WHIP.
Wade Miley (HOD). 7-5, 5.05. 5.50 WHIP.
Don Newcombe (MCG/CAG). 4-13, 6.44. 34 HRA.
Jack Scott (NYY). 14-5, 4.41. 30 HRA.

Lefty Grove is on both lists: if he ever masters his control, he could be the best starter in the league (and if he loses an edge to his pitches, he could quickly be out of the league).

Blyleven and Scott are front of rotation starters for playoff bound teams, and Clemens has pitched far better since arriving in Houston, but his earlier performance for the Memphis Red Sox was so, so poor.

Newcombe is an conundrum: he doesn’t give up many hits or many walks, but when he does get hit, he gets hit hard.

Relievers

The best of the lot are probably Baltimore’s Buddy Groom and a duo from the Gothams, closer Brian Wilson and do-everything Mike Norris.

35 IP for rate stats.

Terry Adams (CLE). 2-6, 2.84. 33 Sv. 1 H.
Buddy Groom (BAL). 2-2, 1.93. 6 Sv, 13 H, 0.99 WHIP.
Mike Henneman (DET). 1-6, 4.83. 35 Sv.
* Sean Marshall (BAL). 5-0, 1.79. 1 Sv, 8 H, 0.98 WHIP.
Mike Norris (NYG). 4-3, 1.34. 8 Sv, 13 H.
Ron Reed (PHI/CLE). 0-6, 4.58. 3 Sv, 17 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 6-4, 3.92. 1 Sv, 17 H.
Ed Walsh (CAG). 8-6, 2.73. 5 H, 3.00 FIP.
Brian Wilson (NYG). 1-0, 1.00. 24 Sv, 1 H, 2.58 FIP.

Streaks

Very little going on here.

Los Angeles’ Bobby Grich–who should come of the DL soon–has reached base in 32 consecutive games, good for the 4th best streak in the league.

Brian Wilson has converted 22 consecutive saves and Andy Pettitte, between his time with Kansas City and Baltimore, has won his last 9 decisions, and is undefeated in his last 12 appearances.

Series Results

Series XXXV Sweeps

Cleveland over Houston
Memphis over Philadelphia Stars

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXXV

Baltimore over Birmingham
Chicago over Ottawa Mounties
Portland over Homestead Grays
Indianapolis over Miami
New York Black Yankees over San Francisco

Series Splits in Series XXXV

Brooklyn Royal Giants @ Kansas City
Detroit @ Los Angeles
House of David @ New York Gothams

Series XXV Featured Matchup: Houston Colt 45s @ Baltimore Black Sox

By mknn

On January 31, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

Series preview here.

#Game 1: Roger Clemens @ Ned Garvin

Ned Garvin–probably the best hurler in the league so far–opens the series for Baltimore, with Houston countering with All Star break acquisition Roger Clemens.

Ken Singleton would take Clemens deep for a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 2nd for an early Black Sox lead, but Houston got one back on an RBI double from Jim Wynn, scoring Lance Blankenship, in the top of the 3rd.

Singleton and Bryce Harper would add RBI singles, but again Wynn would get something back for the Colt 45s with another double. An error by Bobby Wallace allowed Wynn to score, leaving Baltimore with a 1 run lead, 4-3.

Clemens wouldn’t make it out of the 5th as a double by Larry Gardner was followed by a balk and walks to Curt Blefary and Dan McGann, bringing Mark Melancon into the game with the bases loaded and 1 out. Manny Machado would deliver a double, extending the lead to 7-3 before Melancon could get out of the inning.

Frank Robinson would add 2 homeruns and, although Wynn would tie the league record with 3 doubles, Houston would never really threaten.

HOU 5 (Clemens 2-8) @ BAL 10 (Garvin 9-3; Beggs 11 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Singleton (11), Robinson 2 (22).
Box Score

Game #2: Roy Oswalt @ Dennis Martínez

Houston would score first, as an RBI groundout by Tony Gwynn scored Andrés Galarraga in the top of the 2nd. Dennis Martínez would load the bases (with one coming on a strikeout victim reaching on a passed ball) and give up a sacrifice fly, but that was it as the Colt 45s moved ahead, 2-0.

An RBI groundout by Carlos Correa would up it to 3-0. Meanwhile, Houston’s ace, Roy Oswalt, was sailing along with a 1-hit shutout through 5 innings. The shutout would be broken up by an RBI single from Curt Blefary in the 6th, but young phenom Pete Hill made a magnificent catch in deep CF to end the threat, leaving the score 3-1.

A double by Baby Doll Jacobson chased Oswalt from the mound in the bottom of the 6th. Luke Gregerson walked 2 and let a run score on a wild pitch, but still left with the lead, 3-2 in favor of Houston.

Correa took Jim Palmer deep with a 3 run shot in the top of the 8th, giving Houston a little additional cushion at 6-2. Jacobson would drive in a run int he 8th, but Houston’s closer, Billy Wagner, would come on to shut the door in the 9th.

HOU 6 (Oswalt 8-6; Wagner 13 Sv; Gregerson 3 H) @ BAL 3 (Martínez 10-6)
HRs: HOU – Correa (7).
Box Score

#Game 3: Toad Ramsey @ Bill Byrd

This one was a pitchers’ duel early, with Toad Ramsey and Bill Byrd essentially matching each other frame for frame. Baltimore scored twice in the bottom of the 4th on two walks, a wild pitch by Ramsey, and a 2-run single from Manny Machado, but that was it for either team until the top of the 7th.

Byrd entered the inning having allowed no runs and only 2 hits, but surrendered a leadoff single to Jeff Bagwell. George Brett reached on an error, and Andrés Galarraga scored Houston’s first run with a double. Byrd walked Carlos Correa, and the Black Sox went to their bullpen for Sean Marshall who promptly struck out Gentleman Jim O’Rourke and Craig Biggio. But Jim Wynn was able to–just barely–beat out an infield single, scoring Brett and tying the game at 2.

A leadoff single by Bobby Wallace in the bottom of the 8th chased Ramsey from the game. Trevor Hoffman was unable to preserve his good work, surrendering a 2-run shot to Ken Singleton, giving Baltimore the lead, 4-2, heading to the top of the 9th.

Bob Miller of the Black Sox pitched a perfect 9th for the save, with Marshall getting the win. Ramsey was the hard luck loser, despite only allowing 3 hits in 7 innings.

After the game, Houston placed Andrew Chafin on the 60-Day DL with a torn labrum, recalling Brad Lidge, who was strong at AAA after a horrible start in the WBL earlier in the season.

HOU 2 (Ramsey 8-10) @ BAL 4 (Marshall 4-0, 2 BSv; Miller 7 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Singleton (12).
Box Score

#Game 4: Bones Ely @ Johnny Sain

Houston will try to escape with a split by sending Bones Ely–a new addition to their staff–up against the weakest arm in Baltimore’s impressive rotation, Johnny Sain. Sain is pitching for his rotation spot, as Jim Palmer is making a strong argument to replace him.

Pete Hill put the Colt 45’s in front 1-0 in the top of the 5th with his 3rd homerun of the year. Jorge Posada added a 2-run shot, making it 3-0 in favor of Houston. Baltimore would finally get on the board in the bottom of the 6th when Larry Gardner–who tripled to lead off the inning–scored on a groundout by Baby Doll Jacobson.

A triple by Bryce Harper and a walk to Frank Robinson chased Ely from the game, bringing in Mark Melancon, who promptly surrendered an RBI single to Curt Blefary. Posada let a ball skip through his legs, scoring Robinson and tying the game at 4.

The lead was short-lived: Andrés Galarraga greeted Joe Beggs with a moonshot into the left field seats and a 5-4 edge for Houston. Houston would score another run on a Tony Gwynn sacrifice fly, giving the Colt 45s a 6-4 edge heading to the bottom of the 8th.

Houston brought in Brad Lidge, who delivered a scoreless inning, something he was unable to do when he started the year as Houston’s closer. His replacement in that role, Billy Wagner, pitched a perfect ninth, giving us a series split. Melancon continued his life as a vulture, improving to 9-2 out of the pen on the season.

HOU 4 (Melancon 9-2, 2 BSv; Wagner 14 Sv; Lidge 1 H) @ BAL 2 (Beggs 1-3)
HRs: HOU – Hill (3), Posada (5), Galarraga (3).
Box Score

Series XXV Preview: Houston Colt 45’s @ Baltimore Black Sox

By mknn

On January 24, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

Two teams in the same division make for an intriguing mid-season matchup.

The Baltimore Black Sox, who we saw in Series IX and XVI, have the best record in the league, led by a stellar pitching staff and a solid top-to-bottom offense, and lead the Cum Posey Division by 5 games. The Houston Colt’45‘s sit in 3rd place, 9 games back and 2 games over .500. We kicked the season off with Houston in Series I and saw them again in Series XIII.

#Baltimore Black Sox

The dominant story for the Black Sox is on the mound, where Ned Garvin (8-3 with a league leading 2.64 ERA), Bill Byrd (10-2, 3.20), and Dennis Martínez (10-5, 3.52) form the best trio in the league. Add in the emergence of Mike Mussina (3-1, 2.97) and the Black Sox starting rotation is unrivaled int he WBL. The Don Bessent / Bob Miller closer duo remains in place, with the 2 combining for 20 saves, but the key is the trio of Sean Marshall, all-star acquisition Joe Beggs, and Buddy Groom getting them the ball.

Offensively, the team is just solid top to bottom. Curt Blefary (265/383/541) leads the team with 21 HR and a 925 OPS, but the offense really revolves around Frank Robinson (298/367/501) who trails Blefary by 1 HR and whose 67 RBIs leads him by 7. Larry Gardner and Bobby Wallace both sport OBPs over .400, and Dan McGann, Ken Singleton, and Manny Machado (picked up via a midseason trade) each are in double digits in HRs.

#Houston Colt 45’s

The Colt 45’s are intriguing. They have a lot of talent, are the most flexible team in the league (in terms of players able to handle multiple defensive positions), and can’t hit homeruns to save their life.

Their starting pitching has been good, if a bit uneven, a situation exacerbated with Bret Saberhagen out for the rest of the year and Stephen Strasburg unavailable for at least a start. The back of the rotation is improving, as mid-season acquisition Roger Clemens has pitched better for Houston than he did for Memphis, and Bones Ely looks to have staked claim to the final rotation spot.

Offensively there are a lot of nice pieces, but, across the board, not enough power. Jim Wynn leads the team in HR and SLG (13 and .453) and Jeff Bagwell (272/364/418) is the only other regular in double digit homeruns with 10. Andrés Galarraga and teen phenom Pete Hill have shown more pop in limited appearances.

#Predictions

I have a soft spot for this Houston team, but facts is facts: Baltimore is better. I’d love to see a Colt 45’s sweep to tighten up the playoff race, but I think the Black Sox take 3 out of 4.

TWIWBL 30.0: Series XXIII Notes

By mknn

On December 12, 2022

In TWIWBL

July 10th

Looking Back at the All Star Trades

We’re a month(ish) on from the all-star break, seemed a good time to look back at the trades and see how they are working out in the early days.

Boom Shaka Laka

The Los Angeles Angels and the Ottawa Mounties swapped 8 players, with early returns making the Angels–by far–the winner in the exchange as veteran 1B Carlos Delgado is slashing 344/400/547 since the trade, providing what may be the final piece to the Angels’ puzzle. While Rusty Staub has done OK for Ottawa, none of the rest of the pieces have shown much at all. Wally Moon, who the Angels picked up from San Francisco, has been impressive as well, slashing 354/458/458 since the break. Two of the pieces the Angels gave up for Moon–C Brian Downing and P Dave LaRoche–have done well for San Francisco (Downing at AAA, LaRoche with the Sea Lions themselves), so this deal may work out for both sides.

Encouraging

The New York Gothams gave up a haul for Don Sutton, and so far it looks OK: Sutton looks to join the Gothams’ rotation shortly, posting a 2.70 ERA in 8 relief appearances. For Brooklyn, two of the prospects received are doing quite well: OF Don Mueller is slashing 387/395/653 and P Lew Krausse, Jr. has started his career with his new organization with some strong outings on the mound.

All-Star Ron Reed has just continued his strong year having moved from Philadelphia to Cleveland, with an ERA of 0.75 over his first half-dozen games with the Spiders. Even more importantly for Cleveland’s playoff push, OF Lance Berkman looks to have blossomed with the change in scenery, slashing 276/417/500 with 4 HRs since coming over from Houston–a jump of of over 200 points to his OPS. The Spiders gave up 7 players across those 2 deals, none of which have earned significant playing time with their new clubs, although both Jap Payne (sent to Philadelphia) and Harry Stovey (to Houston as part of the Berkman deal) have hit well in limited appearances).

The Chicago American Giants brought in 4 pitchers, with encouraging returns from Dick Rudolph (acquired from Miami) and Hoyt Wilhelm (from Birmingham). The best prospect the American Giants gave up–Minnie Miñoso to the Cuban Giants–has been injured, so the jury is still out on this deal in general, but it looks alright so far, even if Don Newcombe has struggled mightily, and may have been overvalued at the trade deadline. Perhaps as importantly, the American Giants seem to have solved their SS question, as all-star Freddy Parent has continued his strong form since joining them from Ottawa.

Birmingham’s fire sale went well. We’ll cover some of those below, but both Curt Flood and Manny Trillo–picked up in the trade of Frank Isbell (who has been alright) to Brooklyn–are both tearing up AAA.

Meh

The Baltimore Black Sox have to be pleased with Manny Machado‘s performance so far, as he’s slotted quite comfortably as their everyday 3B. But the Miami Cuban Giants can’t really complain, as they aren’t going to compete for a while and Joe Dugan is tearing up AAA while Chris Hoiles has established himself as a C at the big league level. The Black Sox also brought in Joe Beggs from Memphis to solidify the end of their bullpen. Results have been mixed so far.

Memphis’ fan base was quite critical of a few of their moves, and Roger Clemens‘ short-term success in Houston has only increased their fury. But Stubby Overmire has added some depth to their staff and perhaps more importantly, 2B DJ LeMahieu and P Jim Kaat look to be strong prospects for Memphis’ future.

Disappointing

Portland hoped picking up Rogers Hornsby from Kansas City would spark their offense for a playoff push, and while he’s better than Greg Litton, his .648 OPS is actually pretty Littonish, and a far cry from his .853 mark over the first half of the season.

Tim Hudson was supposed to solidify San Francisco’s rotation, but was roughed up in his first few starts. While he’s shown signs of coming around, the 36 year old is only 1-3 with an ERA north of 5 since his move to the Left Coast. Rube Melton, one of the pieces the Sea Lions gave up for Hudson, has excelled at AAA for Birmingham, and looks to be a nice pickup for the Black Barons.

Another one who took a bit to find his footing, Tom Herr, is finally showing some life for the New York Black Yankees. Still, a 228/267/298 slash is not what the New York faithful had hoped to see from their All-Star acquisition. The Black Yankees’ other significant acquisitions–Jamie Moyer and Gary Lavelle–have struggled as well, although Lavelle has been installed as their closer, which is more a comment on the other options than a compliment to him. Several of the prospects they gave up–Bill Buckner and Charlie Keller for Birmingham and Dick Bartell and Sam Thompson for Ottawa–are performing very well for their new organizations, so these trades may come back to haunt New York.

Performance

As usual, top 2 performers in all categories, with the WBL leader in bold.

Batters

Reggie Jackson‘s triple crown hunt is back on! And Babe Ruth‘s dominance just continues unabated.

Dick Allen (CAG). 298/368/550. 9 3B.
Ron Blomberg (CLE). 335/410/646. 1.056 OPS. 26 HR.
Rico Carty (PHI). 295/362/480. 34 2B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 336/379/533.
Eric Davis (NYY). 277/337/528. 4.1 WAR.
Mike Epstein (HOM). 336/441/539.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 253/389/342. 67 BB, 64SB.
Kent Hrbek (POR). 301/370/582. 26 HR.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 337/449/610. 1.059 OPS.
Willie Mays (NYG). 316/373/523. 112 H.
Stan Musial (KCM). 331/390/585. 115 H, 31 2B.
Doug Rader (LAA). 316/373/523. 112 H, 88 RBI.
Tim Raines (OTT). 298/373/454. 66 SB.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 314/424/656. 1.080 OPS. 29 HR, 88 RBI, 73 R, 66 BB, 5.0 WAR.
Mike Trout (LAA). 318/390/455. 112 H.

Pitchers

It’s just all over the place, once you move past the dominant performances by Ned Garvin (BAL) and Gerrit Cole (LAA).

Starters

Bill Byrd (BAL). 9-2, 3.29.
Gerrit Cole (LAA). 12-3, 3.66. 128 IP.
Gene Conley (CLE). 10-2, 3.17.
Ned Garvin (BAL). 8-3, 2.64. 1.14 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 9-6, 3.84. 135 K.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-8, 4.15. 135 K.
Waite Hoyt (NYY). 8-2, 3.29. 1.15 WHIP.
Walter Johnson (POR). 8-3, 3.60. 3.2 WAR.
Christy Mathewson (NYG). 10-6, 3.96.
Alejandro Peña (BBB). 8-6, 3.77. 3.5 WAR.
Red Ruffing (NYY). 10-4, 3.55.
Cy Young (CLE). 8-4, 3.84. 129 IP.

Relievers

20 IP minimum for rate stats.

Watty Clark (BRK). 3-1, 1.23. 17 Sv.
Mike Henneman (DET). 1-4, 3.67. 23 Sv.
Ken Howell (SFS). 3-3, 1.14. 3 Sv, 7 H.
AJ Minter (CAG). 1-0, 2.08. 16 Sv, 0.88 WHIP.
Ron Reed (CLE). 0-2, 2.26. 3 Sv, 16 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 4-2, 3.58. 12 H.
Johan Santana (POR). 1-1, 2.78. 23 Sv.
Jonny Venters (LAA). 3-3, 3.24. 4 Sv, 12 H.
Billy Wagner (HOU). 0-2, 3.63. 11 Sv, 2 H, 0.90 WHIP.

Streaks

Not a lot of interesting active streaks. Brooklyn’s Beals Becker–who has the league record for consecutive games with a HR with 5–has a 25 game streak of getting on base. It’s no Thurman Munson, but it’s something. Becker is slashing 382/432/853 over his last 10 games. Gary Pettis, once considered a liability at the plate, is slashing 600/667/1050 over his last 15 games (because of Pettis’ utility as a defensive replacement, those 15 games cover only 24 ABs).

Christy Mathewson (NYG) hasn’t allowed a hit in over 8 innings.

Baltimore’s entire staff is on fire: Bill Byrd, Ned Garvin, Sean Marshall, Mike Mussina, and Jim Palmer are all on hot streaks on the mound. The most impressive is Byrd, who has a 1.07 WHIP and 2.38 ERA over his last 10 games.

Series Results

Series XXIII Sweeps

Cleveland over Indianapolis

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XXIII

Baltimore over Brooklyn
Birmingham over Los Angeles
Houston over Chicago
Detroit over Portland
Kansas City over Philadelphia
New York Black Yankees over Ottawa

Splitting Series XXIII

Homestead @ San Francisco
House of David @ Memphis
Miami @ New York Gothams

Series XXIII: Best Games

By mknn

On December 7, 2022

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

For Series XXIII, we’re going to look at 3 series, each of which had 2 compelling games to visit more closely.

#Baltimore Black Sox @ Brooklyn Royal Giants, Games 1 and 3

The opening game of the series between Baltimore and Brooklyn was a bit of a surprise as the pitching matchup–Dennis Martínez and Don Drysedale–hinted at a pitcher’s duel. Instead, it was a see-saw affair, with the Black Sox taking an early lead, and then surrendering 6 runs in the bottom of the 6th. The key hit was Germany Smith‘s 2nd homerun of the year which, along with another run the following inning, gave the Royal Giants a 7-4 lead. Baltimore came back with a run in the 7th and 4 more in the 8th behind Larry Gardner‘s second homerun of the day en route to a 9-7 victory. Gardner finished with 3 hits and 5 RBIs for the Black Sox, whose bullpen delivered 5 innings of 1-hit relief.

BAL 9 (Palmer 7-7; Bessent 12 Sv; Beggs 3 H) @ BRK 7 (Dreifort 0-2, 1 B Sv; Hanson 4 H)
HRs: BAL – Gardner 2 (8), Robinson (19); BRK – Smith (2), Snider (20).
Box Score

The 3rd game of the series went to extra innings, but we should start with the great starts put in by Baltimore’s Mike Mussina (4 IP, 1 run) and Brooklyn’s Sandy Koufax (5 shutout innings allowing only 2 hits). Both of their days were cut short by a long rain delay, turning the game over to a pair of already thin bullpens. They got by–at the end of the 6th, the game was tied at 2, and it stayed that way into the 11th.

In the top of the frame, Baltimore’s Baby Doll Jacobson put down a great bunt to score Brian Roberts from 3B, and later came around on a single from Bobby Wallace to give the Black Sox a 4-2 lead.

The Royal Giants wouldn’t go down without a fight, however: Ron Cey doubled home Jackie Robinson to cut the lead to 1 run, and a 2-out single from Dickie Thon loaded the bases … but Don Bessent got the Royal Giants’ John Briggs to popout to 3B to end the game.

BAL 4 (Miller 3-1; Bessent 13 Sv) @ BRK 3 (Hanson 0-1; Gagne 5 B Sv)
HRs: BRK – Thon (4)
Box Score

#Miami Cuban Giants @ New York Gothams, Games 2 and 3

Miami‘s pitching–and especially their bullpen–has been pretty woeful all year, so when the Gothams scored 4 in the bottom of the 2nd to take a 4-3 lead, you could be excused for thinking the game was over. But the Cuban Giants fought back behind 2 homeruns from José Canseco and effective innings from Ed Bauta and Aroldis Chapman, not to mention a key OF kill from Alejandro Oms, who gunned down Willie Mays trying to score in the bottom of the 8th.

MCG 10 (Elias 3-3; Chapman 14 Sv; Brown 1 H; Bauta 9 H) @ NYG 7 (Marichal 7-6)
HRs: MCG – Canseco 2 (21); NYG – Adcock (3), Kerins (3), Higgins (7)
Box Score

José Méndez turned in one of his better performances of the year for Miami in game 3: 5 innings, 2 earned runs. A quality start. And nobody was talking about it, as New York’s Christy Mathewson won his 10th game of the year with a masterful 1-hit complete game shutout, striking out 7 and walking only one. Indeed, it was one of the best starts in the WBL all season, and Mark Loretta‘s 2 hits and 3 RBIs were more than enough for the Gothams.

MCG 0 (Méndez 2-4) @ NYG 3 (Mathewson 10-6)
HRs: n/a.
Box Score

#Houston Colt 45s @ Chicago American Giants, Games 2 & 4

Finally, we have two games from the Houston Colt 45s visit to Chicago. Game 2 was a pitcher’s duel between Houston’s Bones Ely and Chicago’s Mark Buehrle. Ely was better, allowing 1 run in over 7 innings of 3-hit ball, but Buehrle was quite good, allowing only an unearned run on an error by Dick Allen over 6 innings of work.

Chicago would score its first run in the bottom of the 8th on a wild pitch by Andrew Chafin, and win the game on a walkoff homerun from Allen, atoning for his earlier miscue. Mid-season acquisition Hoyt Wilhelm got the win with 3innings of 1-hit relief.

HOU 1 (Melancon 8-2; Chafin 2 B Sv) @ CAG 2 (Wilhelm 2-0)
HRs: CAG – Allen (15).
Box Score

The series finale was a fun one.

Houston jumped out to a 6-0 lead behind homeruns from Jimmy Wynn and Jeff Bagwell, but also left nine batters on base through the first 4 innings, which is actually hard to do. But with Roger Clemens giving his best work since joining the Colt 45’s, it seemed OK. Clemens reached 100 pitches after 6 innings of work, and left with leading, 6-3.

But Chicago rocked Luke Gregerson and Scott Erickson, torching Houston’s relievers for 5 runs in the bottom of the 7th to take the lead, 8-6. Recently recalled Andrés Galarraga sent a moon shot into the RF stands in the top of the 8th to swing the lead back to Houston, 9-8, and with Houston’s closer, Billy Wagner, taking the mound in the bottom of the 9th, all looked safe.

But Carlton Fisk reached on an error by SS Carlos Correa and José Abreu walked, setting the stage for a double from Magglio Ordóñez to tie the game and a single from Eddie Collins (who finished the day with 3 hits and 5 RBIs) to win it.

HOU 9 (Wagner 0-2, 4 B Sv; Gregerson 2 H; Melancon 8 H; Erickson 1 B Sv) @ CAG 10 (Newcombe 1-2, 1 B Sv)
HRs: HOU – Wynn (13), Bagwell (10), Galarraga (2).
Box Score

TWIWBL 29.2: Series XXII Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On August 29, 2022

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Mike Mussina was dominant, striking out 10 in almost 8 innings of 5 hit work, but it wasn’t enough as Baltimore fell to the Gothams 3-1 in 10 innings.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Bret Saberhagen had to leave injured in the 3rd inning, but Roger Clemens gave his best performance as a Colt 45–if not his best on the season–tossing over 5 innings of shutout ball in relief. Billy Wagner picked up his 10th save, and Jimmie Wynn added 3 hits and 2 RBIs in the 6-3 win over Portland.

The Colt 45’s won the season finale in dramatic fashion, as Carlos Correa singled home Casey Stengel, who tripled to lead off the bottom of the 9th. The win went to–who else–Mark Melancon, who improved to 8-1 from the bullpen.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Stan Musial hit 2 homeruns, but it wasn’t enough as Detroit beat the Monarchs, 5-2.

#Ottawa Mounties

The good news for Ottawa is that they only allowed 6 hits in beating San Francisco 3-1. The bad news is starter Roy Halladay lasted only 3 innings before leaving with a a strained hamstring that will cause him to miss most of the rest of the season. Joe Mays relieved Halladay and through 5 shutout innings and Ryan Dempster closed it out for his 3rd save. Monk Dubiel was recalled from AAA, although Ottawa made no comment as to who would take Halladay’s next turn in the rotation.