The Whirled League

Baseball The Way It Never Was

Tag: Ross Reynolds

TWIWBL 69.1: Year 2, Week 12

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On December 2, 2024

In TWIWBL

June 18th

We’re rounding the corner towards the selection of this year’s All-Star teams. Today, we’ll check in on last year’s all stars from the AL.

#Awards

Duke Snider hit .444 with 5 homeruns last week, earning the Brooklyn OFer the NL Player of the Week Award. In the other league, Detroit‘s irrepressible Ty Cobb was named AL Player of the Week. Cobb moved his average back over .400, finishing the week at .411 after hitting .579 with 5 homers.

#Team Performance

Pretty much status quo here.

The New York Black Yankees lead Cleveland in the Bill James Division by 5.5 games; San Francisco has extended their lead in the Cum Posey Division to 9.5 over Chicago; and Indianapolis and Kansas City remain tied atop the Marvin Miller Division.

And, over in the Effa Manley Division, 5.5 games separate Brooklyn in first and Ottawa at the bottom.

Memphis and Brooklyn have gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, while Miami has done the inverse, finishing 2-8 over their last week and a half.

#Player Performance

Batters

Someone poked Babe Ruth, insinuating that the Black Yankees’ OF might not be the dominant player in the league. Since then, he has been on fire, retaking the league lead in his usual categories.

Three batters sit over .400: Houston‘s Tony Gwynn at .427, Ty Cobb at .411, and Homestead‘s Josh Gibson at .402. Gwynn, predictably, is the only batter with over 100 hits so far in the season.

Oscar Charleston (IND). 328/380/626. 9 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 411/462/864. 97 H; 34 2B; 4.9 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 402/480/776. 4.5 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 427/460/668. 108 H.
Joe Jackson (CHI). 368/417/611. 35 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 329/394/573. 35 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 297/420/768. 34 HR; 81 RBI; 67 R; 55 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 321/390/782. 32 HR; 73 RBI.
Ted Williams (MEM). 306/425/624. 60 R; 48 BB.

San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson continues to lead the league in steals with 51, but Ottawa’s Tim Raines has recovered a bit offensively, and being on base more has allowed him to close the gap a bit, now sitting with 44 on the year.

Pitchers

Starters

Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón and San Francisco’s Bump Hadley are the only hurlers in double digits for wins. The three pitchers with 9 victories are also included below, as well as the usual statistical leaders. Of note is the appearance of Kansas City’s A. Rube Foster, who now has (barely) enough IP to qualify here.

The dominance of Kansas City and San Francisco is worth mentioning as well.

Frank Castillo (KCM). 9-1, 4.01.
A. Rube Foster (KCM). 4-0, 2.44. 0.86 WHIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 8-4, 3.19. 107 IP; 3.1 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-3, 3.68. 116 K.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 10-4, 3.81. 3.29 FIP.
Luis Padrón (IND). 10-2, 3.90.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 9-3, 3.65.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-4, 3.03. 107 IP; 134 K; 0.94 WHIP; 2.72 FIP; 4.6 WAR.

Relievers

Five relievers have 9 Holds at this point, and all of them are listed, making this a bit of a larger group than usual.

16 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 3.79. 19 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-1, 3.72. 9 H.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.46. 3 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-3, 3.55. 1 Sv; 9 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 0.92. 2 Sv; 9 H; 0.71 WHIP; 2.07 FIP.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-2, 4.01. 18 Sv.
Rob Murphy (IND). 1-1, 2.70. 1 Sv; 9 H.
Ross Reynolds (LAA). 2-0, 1.93. 1 Sv; 1 H; 2.02 FIP.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 1-2, 4.85. 1 Sv; 9 H.
Lee Smith (HOD). 4-1, 2.97. 3 Sv; 6 H; 0.73 WHIP.

#2 Way Players

It’s been a while, so figured we should check back in on these guys. Here’s the list:

NameTeamBattingPitchingTotal
WAR
Charles RoganPHI311/356/605.
1.8 WAR.		4-5, 4.55.
1.8 WAR.		3.6
Luis PadrónIND252/331/390.
0.1 WAR.		11-2, 3.90.
2.9 WAR.		3.0
Smokey Joe WoodKCM263/364/526.
0.1 WAR.		8-3, 3.41.
2.1 WAR.		2.2
JM WardPHI158/186/246.
-0.7 WAR.		3-2, 3.68.
1.8 WAR.		1.1
Jim WhitneyBBB140/178/256.
-0.4 WAR.		2-2, 4.00.
1.1 WAR.		0.7
Elmer SmithLAA323/462/387.
0.2 WAR.		0-1, 6.46.
-0.1 WAR.		0.1
Eustaquio PedrosoMIA210/312/296.
-0.3 WAR.		2-1, 6.11.
-0.2 WAR.		-0.5

Wood has received very little time in the field, so we’ll see how he does as that expands. It looks like Ward should stay on the mound, and that really, it’s only Rogan and Padrón as truly valuable 2-way talents.

#Injury Report

Cleveland’s Mel Harder, Detroit’s Hal Newhouser, Miami’s Kenshin Kawakami and perhaps most importantly, Portland’s Joséito Muñoz should all start injury rehabs later this week. Should those go well, all four teams should receive rotation boosts in the near future.

#Last Year’s All-Stars

As we ramp up to this year’s all-star game, seemed a good time to check in on last year’s designees. This week, we’ll take a look at (what was last year) the AL.

#OBV

Bob Bailey (3B, DET). Just a dependable offensive machine at the hot corner.

Rod Beck (RP, SFS). Still racking up the saves, and doing better than last season otherwise.

Hank Greenberg (1B, DET). Keeps pounding the ball.

Mike Henneman (RP, DET). Remains dominant from the bullpen.

Rogers Hornsby (2B, POR). Keeps rolling along with better numbers than last season.

Joe Jackson (OF, CAG). This year’s version is a doubles machine without nearly the homerun power, but still maintaining on OPS over 1.000.

Craig Kimbrel (RP, KCM). Dominant, and really making the argument to be moved into the closer slot for Kansas City.

Willie Mays (OF, NYG). Somehow underappreciated despite his stellar performance.

Andy Pettitte (SP, NYY). Just keeps rolling. Like the whole league, his ERA is a little higher, but his peripheral numbers are strong.

Buster Posey (C, NYG). More power than last year, a little less of everything else, but still elite.

Frank Thomas (1B, CAG). Significantly better offensively across the board, which is a truly frightening statement.

Ted Williams (OF, MEM). A borderline selection last year, he’s upped his game significantly this season, with an OPS of 1.049.

#Mebbe

Curt Blefary (C, BAL). Nowhere near as good as last season, but still a good offensive player, showing both power and control of the strike zone.

Eddie Collins (2B, CAG). Power output has fallen off, and while he’s still a top performer, is not the MVP candidate of last season.

Mike Epstein (1B, HOM). The shape of his production has changed, as his BA has dropped 80 points. But he’s slugging .570 and his OPS is virtually the same as last season.

Dan McGann (1B, BAL). At 37, he’s performing better than last season, but remains under the radar for some reason.

Stan Musial (OF, KCM). He’s hitting almost exactly the same as he did last year, but has struggled with the longball. That may be enough to nudge him off the team, unfair as that may be.

#Meh

Dick Allen (3B, CAB). Not doing badly, but clearly a long wasy from an all star at this point.

Gerrit Cole (SP, LAA). May be pitching better than last season, but without the dominant W/L record, should fall far short of the all-star game.

Mark Melancon (RP, POR). Perhaps a stretch choice last year due to a ridiculous number of wins for a reliever, is doing fine this year, but far from all-star levels.

AJ Minter (RP, CAG). Still the American Giants’ closer, but no longer among the best in the league.

Reggie Smith (OF, MEM). Other than a boost in power, struggling a bit across the board.

Bobby Wallace (SS, BAL). Injured and not performing nearly as well regardless, Wallace is still an on base machine, and clearly has value.

Brian Wilson (RP, NYG). Injured and limited to 13 games so far, but dominant in those appearances, so there’s a chance.

#What Happened?

Bill Byrd (SP, BAL). Well below average so far this season.

Elrod Hendricks (C, HOD). Last year’s magnificent performance looks more and more like a mirage. Hendricks still has power, but is no longer elite among league backstops.

Duffy Lewis (OF, CHI). Struggling, especially in the power department.

Tricky Nichols (SP, CAG). An ERA over 6.00 and a ton of HR’s allowed.

Freddy Parent (SS, CAG). Parent rode his All Star selection–deserved at the time–to a trade to a contender, and then lost the ability to hit for power at all. Without that, he’s a mediocre SS.

Doug Rader (3B, LAA). A stunningly productive 2000 has been followed with … very little.

George Stone (OF, HOD). Significantly worse across the board. Stone looked like a budding star last year, now he looks like a decent 4th OFer.

#Other

Ned Garvin (SP, BAL). Garvin was the dominant pitcher in the league last year when he got injured. He’s been fine since his return, but has yet to find the same level.

Sean Marshall (RP, BAL). Hit by a long-term injury, Marshall is due to return to Baltimore’s bullpen by the all-star game.

TWIWBL 68.4: Cum Posey Division

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On October 31, 2024

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
San Francisco Sea Lions40-25.615—
Miami Cuban Giants33-31.5166.5
Chicago American Giants32-31.5087
Los Angeles Angels29-33.4689.5
Portland Sea Dogs26-38.40613.5
Cum Posey Division | 11 June

#Chicago American Giants

Jamie Moyer replaced David Price in the American Giants’ rotation.

Paul Konerko went deep twice, leading the American Giants to a 10-4 win over Portland.

The time finally came, with Jack Doyle heading to AAA and Damian Jackson being activated from his rehab assignment. Doyle’s saga made him a fan favorite, but even the most diehard of supporters had to agree that a 107/153/107 slash line needed replacing.

Chicago roared out to a 10-0 lead, then held on for dear life in an eventual 11-10 win over Portland. The American Giants hit 6 homeruns in the game, with Joe Jackson, Eddie Collins, Dick Allen, Konerko, Duffy Lewis, and Carlton Fisk all reaching the seats. Starter Tricky Nichols improved to 4-6 with a decent effort, but the bullpen was roughed up. Still, a win’s a win.

#Los Angeles Angels

Noah Lowry‘s struggles–along with the presence of Elmer Smith and Scott Rice as lefthanded options in the pen–earned him a trip to AAA, with Mike Krukow being called up for his WBL debut.

Doc Gooden struck out 12, improving to 6-4 in a 7-3 win over Miami. Don Buford had 5 hits and 4 Angels–Buford, Kal Daniels, AJ Pierzynski, and Carlos Delgado–went deep in the victory.

Krukow did well enough over 3 appearances, but Ross Reynolds was healthy again, and was recalled from his rehab assignment with Krukow returning to AAA. The MI question is more challenging, and George Wright has been left rehabbing at AAA as the Angels need a few more days to sort out the future roles of him, Mark Ellis, and Eddie Joost.

Brian Anderson struck out 13 in a dominant performance as the Angels topped the Sea Lions, 7-1. Anderson allowed 3 hits and walked none in the complete game effort, improving his record to 6-2.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Ramón Martínez finally got his first win of the year with a strong 7 innings against Los Angeles. José Canseco hit his 30th homer of the year (the first to that milestone) and Martínez fanned 10 as his record improved to 1-7.

Gary Sheffield went deep twice and drove in 5, but the Cuban Giants bullpen couldn’t protect a strong start from Steven Wright as Miami fell 6-5 to Detroit.

#Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs have overhauled their bullpen, sending Johan Santana to AAA in an attempt to sort out his horrific performance since major surgery along with Elmer Brown who has been, if anything, even worse, as well as Wade Miller. They’ll recall Art Fowler, Tom Zachary, and Scott Terry from AAA, with Trevor Hoffman sliding into the closer role.

Buddy Bell may finally be showing signs of life as the struggling 3B went deep twice in a 9-6 loss to San Francisco.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Tommy Bridges was recalled from a rehab assignment, with Huston Street being waived.

Bump Hadley twirled a masterpiece, striking out 12 in a 2-hit shutout of the New York Black Yankees. Homeruns by Sal Bando and Mickey Cochrane carried the offense to the 6-0 victory.

Turkey Stearnes went deep twice, giving the rookie 15 on the year, as San Francisco triumphed over Portland, 9-6.

Ron Robinson, a key part of the Sea Lions’ bullpen, will miss nearly a year with elbow surgery. San Francisco recalled Street (who had grudgingly accepted his waiver demotion earlier in the week), a major dropoff on past WBL performance from Robinson.

Eddie Plank improved to 8-3 with a 3 hit shutout of Portland. Reggie Jackson and Gene Oliver went deep in support of Plank who struck out 8.

TWIWBL 65.2 Spotlight on the Los Angeles Angels

By

On August 27, 2024

In TWIWBL

A team still in search of identity, but you can see some reason for optimism. I mean, if you squint.

The Angels inherit players from their namesake and from the New York Mets.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

The Angels sit at exactly .500, closer to last than to first in the Cum Posey Division (5 games behind division leaders San Francisco, 3.5 games out ahead of last place Portland).

Honestly, a .500 finish is probably the goal for the year, so as far as that goes, they’re on track. It’s just hard to get all that excited about that. But you can see things happening for this team, both offensively and, if you look at the talent scattered throughout their minor league system, on the mound.

THE OFFENSE

There’s a budding superstar here, surrounded by a fair number of question marks. That’s not quite fair: Mike Trout is a budding superstar, but Bobby Grich and Doug Rader are both solid, Kal Daniels continues to demonstrate all the tools, and rookie OF Ichiro Suzuki looks set for a long WBL career.

Currently, though, this offense is just about the definition of league average, sitting 9th or 10th in almost all statistical categories.

#What’s Going Right

Trout is still not an elite power hitter, but every other part of his game is on point and Grich, who leads the team in HR with 10, produces far above the norm offensively for 2B. Veteran Carlos Delgado continues to deliver, and may end up being a pretty attractive trade piece if Los Angeles loses contact with the division leaders.

George Wright‘s return from injury has helped to settle the situation at SS, but Wright will always struggle to add much with the bat.

#What’s Not Going Right

Steve Garvey‘s continued struggles may send him down to the minors, and more and more it looks like his future will be at 1B, not 3B. C is a mess, with the platoon of AJ Pierzynski and Jeff Torborg struggling enough that the team plans to recall John Stearns from AAA this week.

With Suzuki, Wright, Garvey, and Mark Ellis all seeing at least semi-regular playing time, the Angels have a lot of players who are pretty allergic to taking a walk.

THE PITCHING

Los Angeles has somehow put together a top end pitching staff. It’s not likely to last top to bottom, but the higher end talent is very encouraging.

#What’s Going Right

Doc Gooden has been spectacular, with the 22 year old sporting a 2.60 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, but only a 4-3 record across 8 starts. Last year’s ace, Gerrit Cole, has struggled a bit, but the contributions of Tom Seaver (3-2, 3.88) and Brett Anderson (3-2, 4.60), along with the steady innings eating ability of Pud Galvin, has given Los Angeles a very strong rotation. And Cole, at 25, is the veteran of the bunch.

Roy Patterson, Ross Reynolds, and Mike Smith have been excellent in the middle innings, and Joe Nathan has 8 saves.

Perhaps most of all, the Angels decision to send Nolan Ryan and Chuck Finley to the minors seems to have paid off, with each of them performing well at AA.

#What’s Not Going Right

Not a lot, although the back end of the bullpen has been a little weak, with Francisco Rodríguez and Julio Teheran struggling and Nathan’s peripheral numbers being far rougher than his record may indicate.

Lefty Noah Lowry has been very ineffective, and his holding on to his roster spot by his fingernails.

Derrek Lee has struggled, and is in danger of losing his job to Wally Joyner, although that would leave the Angels with 2 lefties at 1B.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

This is not a great system, although if you count Ryan and Finley (who passed their rookie limits last season) it looks much better. IF Xander Bogaerts and closer Bryan Harvey are probably the highest ceiling prospects, followed by IF Marcus Semien, professional hitter Babe Herman, and OFs Dwayne Murphy, Brian Nimmo, and Billy Hamilton.

Of those, only Bogaerts is doing well.

Veteran help is available at AAA in the form of OF Elmer Valo, Stearns, 1Bs Wally Joyner and Jack Hannifin, and 3B Pedro Álvarez.

WHAT’S NEEDED

The offense has to improve faster than the offense reverts to the mean.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

  • Who is going to fill out the rotation and the bullpen? This has been resoundingly answered so far, with the pitching staff performing as well as any in the league.
  • Will anyone step up at C? Not yet, no. We’ll see if Stearns, who will replace Torborg, improves the situation here.

FEATURED SERIES

The Angels head to Memphis for 4 games to start the week; we’ll follow those games as it will give us a chance to see the bulk of their rotation.

Projected Starters

Los Angeles starter listed first.

Brett Anderson (3-2, 4.60) @ Jon Lester (2-1, 5.53)
Tom Seaver (3-2, 3.88) @ Bill Doak (3-3, 4.53)
Gerrit Cole (1-4, 5.37) @ Len Barker (1-6, 4.63)
Dwight Gooden (4-3, 2.60) @ Stubby Overmire (2-4, 4.9-2)

Game One

This is what happens when your bullpen is toast. With Joe Nathan and Francisco Rodríguez needing rest, the Angels were forced to turn to Noah Lowry in a high leverage situation … and it did not go well.

Brett Anderson was strong over 6 plus innings, and the Angels held a 7-3 lead heading into the bottom of the 8th. But Roy Patterson and Lowry collapsed, giving up 5 runs, including a go-ahead 3 run shot by Manny Ramírez as Memphis claimed a come from behind victory.

LAA 7 (Lowry 2-1, 3 B Sv) @ MEM 8 (Miller 3-; Papelbon 4 Sv)
HRs: LAA – Trout (9), Daniels (6); MEM – Williams (9), Smith (11), Ramírez (9).
Box Score

Game Two

More of the same. Los Angeles roared out of the gate, with back-to-back homeruns to lead off the game from Don Buford and Kal Daniels. Bobby Grich added a 2 run shot later in the inning, and the Angels were up 4-0. They touched Bill Doak for another run, leading 5-0 after 3.5.

And then Tom Seaver began to struggle, giving up homeruns to Manny Ramírez in consecutive innings, tying up the ballgame at 5. After Ross Reynolds was forced from the game with a forearm issue, David Ortíz greeted Roy Patterson with a solo shot to give the Red Sox a 6-5 lead.

Bobby Grich hit his second of the game, taking Jonathan Papelbon deep in the 9th to tie it, but the Angels bullpen wasn’t up to the task, eventually surrendering a bases loaded single to Mookie Betts for the walkoff win for Memphis.

LAA 6 (Patterson 1-1) @ MEM 7 (Papelbon 2-2, 3 B Sv; Bell 3 H; Miller 4 H)
HRs: LAA – Daniels (7), Buford (9), Grich 2 (12); MEM – Ramírez 2 (11), Ortíz (6).
Box Score

The game was costly for each team, as Memphis’ Dobie Moore also left with an injury. Reynolds will miss about a week, landing him on the DL, with the Angels recalling Scott Rice from AAA. Rice has a shot at taking Noah Lowry‘s role as the pen lefty, depending on how his initial WBL outings go.

Moore’s status is still unknown.

Game Three

Don Buford led off the game with a homerun for the second consecutive game, staking Gerrit Cole to an early 1-0 lead. Cole wasn’t up for the task, giving up 1 in the bottom of the first and a whopping 6 in the 2nd before being chased from the game by a Mookie Betts blast in the 4th.

The Angels offense did well against Len Barker, touching him for 6 runs in 6 innings, and staying close enough that a George Wright homerun (!) in the 8th could make it a 1 run game, 11-10 Memphis. They put two runners on base against Heath Bell in the 9th, but were unable to break through, and the Red Sox take the first 3 games of the series.

Wade Boggs had 3 doubles for Memphis and scored 4 times.

LAA 10 (Cole 1-5) @ MEM 11 (Barker 2-6; Callahan 1 H; Bell 2 Sv)
HRs: LAA – Buford (10), Wright (3); MEM – Ramírez (12), Betts (5).
Box Score

Angels 3B Doug Rader had to leave the game, but isn’t likely to require a trip to the DL. There was great news for Memphis as well, as Dobie Moore will only miss about a day with his bruised shin.

Game Four

Don Buford didn’t lead off this one with a homer: he waited until the 5th inning to launch a 3 run shot, putting the Angels up, 3-2. Steve Garvey and Ichiro Suzuki added 2 RBIs each in the 6th, increasing the lead to 7-2.

Doc Gooden had given up a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 1st to David Ortíz, but had shut Memphis down after that, lasting 7 innings in a very strong outing. Scott Rice relieved Gooden for his WBL debut … and it did not go well, with Rice giving up 3 runs, allowing the Red Sox to close the gap to 9-5.

With a 4 run lead, the Angels turned to Francisco Rodríguez … who promptly loaded the bases to start the bottom of the 9th. A walk to Ted Williams made it 9-6, and brought in Los Angeles’ closer, Joe Nathan. Nathan whiffed two … and then gave up a walkoff grand slam homerun to Billy Bryan, giving the Red Sox the series sweep.

Buford–who had a great series–finished the game with 5 RBIs, giving him 3 homers and 7 RBIs over the 4 games.

LAA 9 (Nathan 3-2, 1 B Sv) @ MEM 10 (Callahan 1-1)
HRs: LAA – Buford (11); MEM – Ortíz (7), Bryan (4).
Box Score

What a miserable series … 4 winnable games, 4 collapses from the Angels’ bullpen, 4 different ways to steal defeat from the jars of victory leading to 4 straight 1 run losses.

TWIWBL 64.1: Year 2, Week 7

By

On August 2, 2024

In TWIWBL

May 14th

The season is beginning to hit its stride, very rapidly approaching the quarter-pole. Clearly, the time from now through the all-star break is vital in defining how things fall out.

#Awards

Albert Pujols of the Kansas City Monarchs hit .650 for the week, winning the NL Player of the Week Award while Babe Ruth took home the AL Player of the Week, hitting .522 with 5 homeruns.

Pujols beat out the House of David‘s Ernie Banks, who had 7 homeruns and drove in 14, and Scott Rolen of the Philadelphia Stars who posted a 1.997 OPS, hitting .474 with 6 dingers and 8 RBIs.

#Team Performance

The New York Black Yankees (Bill James Division) and the Kansas City Monarchs (Marvin Miller Division) continue to be the only teams above .600, while Birmingham (in the basement of the Marvin Miller Division) and defending champs Baltimore are both at 13-26, tied for the worst record in the league, and a 1-9 record in their last 10 games has seen the Memphis Red Sox (in the Bill James Division along with Baltimore) plummet to a .378 percentage.

The other 2 divisions are much tighter, with the San Francisco Seals leading the Chicago American Giants by .5 games in the Cum Posey Division and Brooklyn and Homestead in a dead heat for first in the Effa Manley Division, where the Ottawa Mounties, in last place, is only 3 games back.

#Player Performance

Batters

Usual stuff here–top 2 in most categories, league leaders in bold. Ruth’s performance is expected, but Detroit‘s young star, Ty Cobb, is far exceeding expectations at this point.

Lance Berkman (CLE). 326/393/803. 17 HR.
Ty Cobb (DET). 400/463/846. 22 2B; 2.8 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 402/441/621. 53 H.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 294/386/515. 31 SB.
Pete Hill (HOU). 273/356/531. 7 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 386/427/636. 54 H; 21 2B.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 308/386/664. 38 RBI; 34 R.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 326/440/770. 17 HR; 42 RBI; 37 R; 28 BB; 2.7 WAR.
Larry Walker (OTT). 357/431/754. 38 RBI.
Bobby Wallace (BAL). 233/385/341. 30 BB.

Pitchers

Starters

Just look at that Toad go! Ramsey has been magnificent for the Houston Colt 45’s, although he’s struggled a little in his most recent starts. There are a few more pitchers with 6 wins, I’ve only included the two sitting at 6-1, plus Ramsey.

Johnny Cueto (IND). 6-1, 2.85. 0.91 WHIP.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 4-2, 1.72. 2.80 FIP; 1.8 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-1, 3.79. 66 K.
Walter Johnson (POR). 4-3, 2.82. 60.2 IP; 1.8 WAR.
Frank Knauss (BRK). 6-1, 2.19.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 6-2, 1.63. 60.2 IP; 74 K; 0.77 WHIP; 2.31 FIP; 2.9 WAR.

Relievers

12 IP Minimum.

None of the closers have really been dominant–Gagne had been, but his ERA has risen over the past few weeks.

Rod Beck (SFS). 1-2, 5.84. 12 Sv.
Jack Billingham (IND). 0-1, 2.25. 2 H; 0.62 WHIP.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 3.29. 6 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 0-0, 2.51. 12 Sv.
Bob Howry (PHI). 2-1, 3.29. 8 Sv; 0.51 WHIP.
Kenshin Kawakami (MCG). 2-0, 1.02.
Tim Lincecum (HOM). 0-0, 9.00. 1 H; 1.19 FIP.
Ross Reynolds (LAA). 1-0, 0.75. 1 Sv; 1 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 1-0, 1.38. 1 Sv; 3 H; 1.96 FIP.

2 Way Players

Not a ton of change here. Most of these guys are clearly contributing significantly more one side or the other, with only Luis Padrón of the Indianapolis ABC‘s and Philadelphia’s Joe Rogan really manifesting as 2-way contributors (indeed, those are the only players with positive WARs each way). Chicago’s Cristóbal Torriente saw his first time on the mound in a blowout, but has a ways to go before being listed here.

PlayerPitchingBattingpWARbWARWAR
Luis Padrón
(IND)		5-1, 4.04
(42 IP, 6 GS)		365/441/596
(59 PA)		1.20.61.8
Joe Rogan
(PHI)		3-3, 4.50
(46 IP, 7 GS)		288/328/504
(134 PA)		0.40.50.9
J.M. Ward
(PHI)		0-1, 3.43
(42 IP, 7 GS)		207/233/379
(30 PA)		0.7-0.20.5
Jim Whitney
(BBB)		1-0, 2.19
(37 IP, 16 G)		100/143/150
(21 PA)		0.8-0.40.4
Eustaquio Pedroso
(MCG)		0-0, 4.24
(23 IP, 13 G)		222/344/222
(32 PA)		0.1-0.10.0

#Injury Report

Chicago’s Akinori Otsuka is out for about 2 weeks, weakening the American Giants’ bullpen significantly.

Detroit lost both Hal Newhouser and Johnny Marcum from their rotation this week.

Memphis may get some help on the mound this week, as both Shane Bieber and Skel Roach may return from injury.

Jimmy Bloodworth is out for over a month for San Francisco, which is not all bad news for the Sea Lions as it opens more playing time for the irrepressible Dick Lundy.

TWIWBL 61.1: Year 2, Week 4

By

On June 10, 2024

In TWIWBL

April 23

With 3 weeks in the books, teams will have their first real overhaul this week, so expect some changes to lineups, rotations, etc. to be covered in the TWIWBL’s, making them a little longer than usual.

#NO NO and Near No No

José Rijo of the Kansas City Monarchs tossed the very first no-hitter in WBL history, blanking the House of David 7-0. Rijo didn’t walk a batter and struck out 12 in the 114 pitch masterpiece, supported by a 15 hit attack (including 9 doubles). Ozzie Smith had 4 hits, Albert Pujols drove in 2, and Boog Powell scored twice to lead the offense, but it was really all about Rijo, who improved to 2-1 on the year and dropped his ERA by roughly 2.5 points. It still stands a shade over 5 at 5.08, making the historic performance even more surprising.

Box Score

{In real life, Rijo had 2 1-hitters, but never threw a no-no.}

Christy Mathewson and John Montgomery Ward combined for one of the best pitched games in WBL history as the Matty’s New York Gothams bested the Philadelphia Stars 1-0 in 10 innings. Mathewson threw over 7 shutout innings, allowing only 2 hits and was–by far–the inferior hurler, as Ward allowed a single hit over 9 innings while striking out 12. Buster Posey took Ward’s relief–Bob Howry–deep to lead off the 10th for the only score of the day.

Box Score

#Awards

Miami‘s Gary Sheffield was the AL Player of the Week, hitting .500 with 2 homeruns. In the NL, Ottawa‘s Larry Walker took the award, hitting .444 with 4 homers and 6 RBIs.

#Team Performance

Three teams have exploded out of the gate: the Chicago American Giants and Kansas City lead the WBL in winning percentage, with both teams at .722 (13-5). The New York Black Yankees are at .700, starting the season at 14-6.

At the other end, the Detroit Wolverines have the worst record in the league at 6-14 (.300) while the Baltimore Black Sox and the Portland Sea Dogs are barely better at 6-13 (.316).

For those of you who remember Year I, the theme here is parity–or inconsistency, depending on your streetcorner. Baltimore are the defending champions, Detroit and Portland both made the playoffs, Kansas City was among the worst teams in the league last season, and the Black Yankees were a major disappointment, missing the postseason entirely.

We’re only 20 games in, so take it all with a grain of salt, but it’s fun to see.

#Player Performance

Batters

20 games seems plenty to look at some leaderboards, at least for hitters in a limited way. This list is the top 2 in most offensive categories, leaders in bold.

Ty Cobb (DET). 400/452/769. 15 2B.
Carlos Correa (HOU). 437/481/648. 31 H.
Eric Davis (NYY). 368/430/763. 9 HR, 26 R, 10 SB.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 452/474/658. 33 H.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 306/398/597. 11 SB.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 425/462/671. 31 H, 12 2B.
Grant Johnson (HOU). 319/373/609. 23 RBI.
Dick Lundy (SFS). 384/451/685. 4 3B, 1.8 WAR.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 362/471/812. 9 HR, 27 RBI, 20 R, 1.7 WAR.
Ryne Sandberg (HOD). 383/406/900. 9 HR.
Joey Votto (IND). 360/484/500.
Larry Walker (OTT). 435/474/826.
Bobby Wallace (BAL). 22 BB. 279/476/377.

There are some surprises here for sure: Correa and Johnson in Houston finally coming good, same with San Francisco‘s Lundy. But it still looks like it’s Babe Ruth’s league, assuming Sandberg’s performance falls back to mere excellence.

Pitchers

Still not enough to really get into stats: 13 starters have 3 wins, nobody has over 30 IP, etc. But some things to note:

  • It seems like there is always a single starting pitcher head and shoulders above the rest at any given time in the WBL. Right now, it’s Portland’s Smokey Joe Wood, who is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA.
  • Houston’s Toad Ramsey is the ERA leader at an impressive 1.57, just ahead of Wood. Chicago’s Mark Buehrle is the only other starter with an ERA beneath 2.00 at 1.86.

Relievers have yet to really separate as well, as 5 of them have 5 saves on the season so far.

#Featured Series

This time we’ll focus on a four game set as the Los Angeles Angels visit Chicago to take on the American Giants. The Angels come into the game at 10-9 which is essentially “as expected,” while Chicago has roared out of the gate, sitting 1t 15-6.

Scheduled Starters

Los Angeles hurler listed first.

Tom Seaver (1-0, 3.00) @ David Price (2-2, 5.40)
Dwight Gooden (1-2, 3.24) @ Ed Walsh (1-0, 3.80)
Pud Galvin (0-2, 4.85) @ Mark Buehrle (4-0, 1.32)
Brett Anderson (2-1, 4.76) @ Ben Sheets (0-1, 7.71)

Game One

It was a rough start for David Price, as he gave up 2 runs in the top of the first on an RBI single by Mike Trout and a sacrifice fly from Doug Rader. But Price settled right down, and was virtually perfect the rest of the way before being relieved by Hoyt Wilhelm in the 7th. Tom Seaver was as good, leaving in the 6th inning having given up only 1 run.

The American Giants would score again in the 7th, but that would be it until the bottom of the 10th. Mike Fiore led off being hit by a pitch from Julio Teheran, Joe Jackson doubled him to 3rd and, after Ross Reynolds took over on the mound and issued an intentional walk to Frank Thomas, Dick Allen lifted a ball deep to center, where it was caught by Don Buford, but he had no chance to catch Fiore before he crossed the plate with the winning run.

LAA 2 (Teheran 1-2; Patterson 1 H; Lowry 2 BSv) @ CAG 3 (Wilhelm 1-0) [10 Innings]
HRs: None.
Box Score

Game Two

The story for most of the game was Los Angeles’ Doc Gooden, who was spectacular through 8 innings, allowing only 3 hits while fanning 10. The only blemish on Gooden’s day was a solo shot to Duffy Lewis, which tied the game at 1 in the 8th.

We were headed to extra innings once again, but there was less drama this time as the Angels used 3 homeruns in the top of the 10th (Doug Rader, Bobby Grich, and AJ Pierzynski) to ease to the 5-1 win.

LAA 5 (Rodríguez 1-0) @ CAG 1 (Twitchell 2-1) [10 Innings]
HRs: LAA – Rader (2), Grich (6), Pierzynski (4); CAG – Lewis (1).
Box Score

Game Three

Mark Buehrle just keeps rolling along, allowing 5 hits and 1 run over 9 innings and improving to 5-0 on the year. But the Angels’ pitchers were almost as good, and the only tallies in the game came from solo shots from Chicago’s Dave Nilsson and the Angels’ Mike Trout, who seems to be waking from an early season slumber. The game came down to a walkoff single from Joe Jackson in the bottom of the 9th. Jackson, Eddie Collins, and Paul Konerko had 2 hits each for Chicago.

LAA 1 (DeSclafani 0-1) @ CAG 2 (Buehrle 5-0)
HRs: LAA – Trout (3); CAG – Nilsson (1).
Box Score

Game Four

Another great pair of efforts from the starting pitchers, as Los Angeles’ Brett Anderson and Chicago’s Ben Sheets each went 7 innings allowing only a single hit each, and no earned runs (errors had allowed runs to score for each team). A key hit from rookie Ichiro Suzuki drove in 2, providing the margin the Angels needed for a 4-1 victory, splitting the series 2 games apiece. Neither team had an extra base hit, and they combined for only 6 singles (4 for Los Angeles and 2 for the American Giants).

LAA 4 (Anderson 3-1; Reynolds 1 Sv) @ CAG 1 (Sheets 0-2; Otsuka 1 B Sv)
HRs: None.
Box Score

TWIWBL 59.3: Cum Posey Division

By

On May 17, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Chicago American Giants

Eddie Collins had 4 hits and scored 3 times as Chicago topped Detroit 9-2. David Price improved to 2-0 with 5+ scoreless innings, and Ed Walsh closed it out for the rare 3-inning save for the American Giants.

Joe Jackson had 4 hits and 3 doubles helping the American Giants to a 6-4 victory over Detroit. Frank Thomas had 3 hits and Mark Buehrle threw 6 strong innings, improving to 2-0.

Needing a starter, the American Giants moved Ted Lilly to the minors, bringing up veteran Jamie Moyer. Moyer delivered a solid 5 innings, and Thomas had 4 hits as Chicago beat Miami 8-3. Moyer’s performance–and his left-handedness–will keep him in the WBL for a little while longer.

Mike Fiore had struggled quite a bit in the early going for Chicago, but given some at-bats in a blowout, he delivered with his first 2 homeruns of the season. That was about all the good news as the American Giants fell to Miami, 13-5.

#Los Angeles Angels

Elmer “Mike” Smith went to the DL with a dead arm with Ross Reynolds being recalled from AAA.

Don Buford went deep twice to give the Angels an early lead, and then they piled it on in a 12-2 thrashing of Portland. Steve Garvey drove in 4 and Bobby Grich 3 in support of a nice start from Doc Gooden, who allowed 3 hits and 1 run in 7 innings.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Back to back homeruns in the bottom of the 9th by Robin Yount and Ryan Braun rescued the Cuban Giants against the Sea Lions. Leading 10-5 at the start of the 9th, Miami saw Adonis Terry get hammered for 7 runs before Yount tied the game and Braun provided the walkoff in the bottom of the frame.

Jim Thome had 3 hits, including 2 homeruns, but it wasn’t enough as the Cuban Giants fell to the American Giants, 7-5. Thome went deep twice again in a game against Chicago, and this time it was enough, as every starter had at least 1 hit and José Canseco, Yount, and Gary Sheffield also went deep in a 13-5 walkover for the Cuban Giants.

#Portland Sea Dogs

After the opening game of their series against Cleveland, Johan Santana has now pitched in 4 games, giving up 7 hits in 1.1 IP, including 5 homeruns. His record is 0-4 with 4 blown saves and an ERA of 60.75: that’s right, he threw 2/3 of an inning, gave up 2 runs, and saw his ERA go down.

Ken Griffy, Jr. is still finding his footing in Portland, but hitting 2 homeruns in a 9-2 win over Cleveland is a good sign. As important for the Sea Dogs, Pascual Pérez improved his record to 2-0 with 6 shutout innings and has yet to allow a run over his 2 starts.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Jack Clark hit 2 homeruns and Rickey Henderson, Jimmie Foxx, and Mickey Cochrane also went deep as the Sea Lions defeated the Cuban Giants 10-8.

The Sea Lions scored 7 runs in the 9th to take a 12-10 lead over Miami, but lost when Rod Beck blew his first save of the year in the bottom of the frame. Turkey Stearnes had 4 hits and Jimmy Bloodworth drove in 3 in the loss.

Tim Hudson will be out about 4 months with a forearm injury that has to put the 37 year old’s career in jeopardy as well. Watty Clark will complete his transition to starter by taking Hudson’s spot in the rotation initially, with Bobby Seay being recalled to take Clark’s spot in the bullpen.

The Sea Lions lost a 6-1 lead before scoring 5 times in the top of the 9th to top the Black Yankees 11-9. San Francisco hit 6 homeruns in the game, with Stearnes going yard twice and Reggie Jackson, Henderson, Foxx, and Cochrane each going deep as well. Beck pitched a scoreless 9th for his 5th save of the year.

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

3+ 2B Games

4. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE).
3. Craig Biggio (HOU); Ron Cey (BRK); Cupid Childs (BBB); Ty Cobb (DET); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Josh Gibson (HOM); Hank Greenberg (DET); Joe Jackson (CAG); Joe Morgan (IND); Frank Robinson (BAL); Cookie Rojas (MCG); Pete Runnels (NYG); Reggie Smith (MEM); Mike Trout (LAA).

3+ HBP Games

3. Jack Doyle (CAG).

3+ HR Games

3. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ed Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Carlos Beltrán (OTT); Lance Berkman (CLE); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Ryan Braun (MCG); José Canseco (MCG); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); George Gore (HOD); Stan Musial (KCM); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Álex Rodríguez (OTT); Babe Ruth (NYY); Sammy Sosa (HOD); Mike Trout (LAA); Larry Walker (OTT).

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4. Ed Bailey (DET); Eddie Collins (CAG); Mike Epstein (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Andrew McCutchen (HOM), Joey Votto (IND).

4+ CS Games

4. Johnny Bench (IND); Gabby Hartnett (MEM); Jorge Posada (HOU).

4+ Run Games

5. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Tris Speaker (CLE).
4. Roberto Alomar x2 (OTT); Jeff Bagwell x2 (HOU); Bob Bailey (DET); Ed Bailey (DET); Johnny Bates x2 (CLE); Albert Belle (BBB); Curt Blefary x2 (BAL); Dan Brouthers (BRK); Ron Cey (BRK); Roberto Clemente (HOM); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Mike Epstein (HOM); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Benny Kauff (NYG); Willie McGee (KCM); Billy Nash (DET); Yasiel Puig (MCG); Babe Ruth (NYY); Gary Sheffield (MCG); Jim Wynn (HOU).

4+ SB Games

6. Rickey Henderson (SFS).
4. Frank Chance (HOD); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Dick Lundy (SFS).

5+ Hit Games

5. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Don Buford (LAA); Joe Jackson (CAG); Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Mike Trout (LAA).

5+ SO Games

5. Beals Becker (BRK); Bobby Bonds (SFS); Ron Cey (BRK); Larry Doby (CLE); Héctor López (NYY); Dale Murphy (KCM).

6+ RBI Games

7. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Carlton Fisk (CAG); Charlie Gehringer (DET); Manny Machado (BAL); Yasiel Puig (MCG); Gary Sheffield (MCG).
6. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Johnny Callison (NYG); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Chili Davis (DET); Josh Gibson (HOM); Mickey Mantle (NYY); Mike Piazza (BRK); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Babe Ruth x3 (NYY); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Mike Schmidt (NYY); Roy White (BRK).

Cycles

Roberto Clemente (HOM; 4-5, 4R, 3 RBI).

Longest HRs

{Note: OOTP clearly has something weird happening with overpowered HRs. It’s getting better, and, at some point, I’m going to reduce these by roughly 10%, which would leave the list at only 3 at 500 ft+ for the season so far, which seems much more realistic to me, but am waiting to see if I get any additional info/guidance from the game dev’s.}

595 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM).
558 ft. Aaron Judge (PHA).
555 ft. Albert Pujols (KCM).
551 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
550 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE).
544 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
542 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Evan Longoria (CLE).
539 ft. Johnny Bates (CLE); Craig Biggio (HOU).
538 ft. Josh Gibson (HOM), Pete Hill (HOU); Buster Posey (NYG).
535 ft. Buster Posey (NYG).
534 ft. Robinson Canó (KCM).
530 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM).
528 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Willie Mays (NYG).
527 ft. Joe Adcock (NYG).
525 ft. Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI).
522 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE).
519 ft. Babe Ruth (NYY).
518 ft. Willie Mays (NYG).
516 ft. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Nieman (BBB).
514 ft. Ron Cey (BRK); Oscar Gamble (DET).
512 ft. Tony Gwynn (HOU).
511 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE); Dan Brouthers (BRK).
510 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE).
509 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Jack Clark (SFS); Bryce Harper (BAL); Ted Simmons (KCM).
508 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Boog Powell (KCM); Travis Shaw (MEM).
507 ft. Ducky Medwick (KCM); Ted Simmons (KCM).
505 ft. Lou Gehrig (NYA).
503 ft. Larry Doyle (NYG); Joe Rogan (PHI); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Oscar Gamble (DET).
502 ft. Ernie Banks (HOD); Albert Belle (BBB); Robinson Canó (KCM); Ray Dandridge (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM).
501 ft. Derek Jeter (NYA).
500 ft. Andrew McCutchen (HOM).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

99. José Rijo (KCM).
97. JM Ward (PHI).
93. Frank Castillo (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
92. Bump Hadley (SFS).
91. Frank Knauss (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU)
90. Brian Anderson (LAA); A. Rube Foster (KCM); Alejandro Peña (BBB); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Joe Rogan (PHI).
89. Smokey Joe Wood (KCM).
88. Luis Padrón (IND); Bill Steen (CLE); Justin Verlander (DET).
87. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Jim Whitney (BBB).
86. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Doc Gooden (LAA).
85. Roger Clemens (HOU); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Eddie Plank (SFS); Jameson Taillon (MEM); Ed Walsh (CAG); Cy Young (CLE).
84. Frank Castillo (KCM); Ron Guidry (NYY); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Ed Walsh (CAG).
83. Bob Friend (HOM); Mike Mussina (BAL).
82. Mark Buehrle (CAG); Bill Doak (MEM); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
80. Walter Johnson (POR); The Only Nolan (IND); Andy Pettitte (NYY); Toad Ramsey (HOU).

10+ Strikeout Games

14. Frank Castillo (KCM); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
13. Brian Anderson (LAA); Ron Guidry (NYY); Charlie Root (DET).
12. Johnny Cueto (IND); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Mike Mussina (BAL); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); José Rijo (KCM); Bill Steen (CLE); JM Ward (PHI).
11. Johnny Cueto (IND); Ron Guidry (NYY); Connie Johnson (BAL); Walter Johnson (POR); Frank Knauss (BRG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); The Only Nolan (IND); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Justin Verlander (DET); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
10. Steve Carlton (PHI); Frank Castillo (KCM); Watty Clark (SFS); Bob Friend (HOM); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Frank Knauss (BRK); Ramón Martínez (MCG); Billy Pierce (HOM); Don Sutton (NYG); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).

8+ Walk Games

8. Ed Brandt (MCG); Hardie Henderson (PHI).
9. Randy Johnson (OTT).

Shutouts

NO HITS. José Rijo (IND).
1 Hit. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Luis Padrón (IND); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
2 Hits. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Frank Knauss (BRK); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Joe Rogan (PHI).
3 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Eddie Plank (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
4 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Jim Whitney (BBB); Cy Young (CLE).

Shutouts (Combined)

1 Hit. Justin Verlander / Mike Henneman (DET); Bill Steen / Terry Adams (CLE).
2 Hits. Jameson Taillon / Skel Roach / Andrew Miller (MEM); Ed Walsh / Tom Williams (CAG); Pud Galvin / Francisco Rodríguez / Joe Nathan (LAA); Brett Anderson / Ross Reynolds (LAA).
3 Hits. Hardie Henderson / Robin Roberts (PHI); Orel Hershiser / Eric Gagne (BRK).
4 Hits. Toad Ramsey / Bones Ely (HOU); Hardie Henderson / Brad Kilby / Tim Belcher / Ted Kennedy (PHI); Dwight Gooden / Francisco Rodríguez (LAA); Bump Hadley / Jim Devlin / Ken Howell / Rod Beck (SFS); Greg Maddux / John Malarkey / Bruce Chen / Juan Rincón (BBB); Johnny Podgajny / Tom Henke (OTT).
5 Hits. Kenshin Kawakami / Barry Latman / Ed Brandt / Sandy Consuegra (MCG); Len Barker / David Bush / Andrew Miller (MEM); Johnny Cueto / Sad Sam Jones / Rob Murphy / Rob Dibble (IND); Smoky Joe Wood / Mike Kume (KCM).

Year II Season Preview: Los Angeles Angels

By

On March 27, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

Playoff contention.

Best Case

Gerrit Cole and Pud Galvin pitch as they have and someone, or actually a few someone’s, from the group of Doc Gooden, Elmer Smith, Chuck Finley, Nolan Ryan, Tom Seaver, and Sid Fernandez make good on their immense potential while Mike Trout develops into a true superstar, Carlos Delgado holds off age for another year, and 1st round pick Ichiro Suzuki comes good.

Worst Case

The pitching remains a hot mess, Doug Rader reverts to form, and Delgado, Don Buford, and George Wright all feel the effects of age.

Key Questions

  • Who is going to fill out the rotation and the bullpen?
  • Will anyone step up at C?

In addition to Suzuki, draft picks Babe Herman, John Lackey, and Bryan Harvey all have a shot at making the team.

Trade Bait

Nothing immediately, but the team could do a rebuild at some point and there are some that could be valuable.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CPierzynski
Torborg
1BDelgadoLee
2BGrichEllis
3BRaderGarvey
SSWright
LF/
RF		Buford
Daniels		Suzuki
CFTrout
SPColeAnderson
Galvin		GoodenSeaver
EndNathan
Rodríguez		Teheran
RPVentersDeSclafani
Lowry
Patterson
Smith
New Addition | Injured

That’s a lot in the unknown column, and with Rader and Delgado both likely to regress … it could be a long California summer.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw Power1B Carlos Delgado1B Jack Hannifin
Batting Eye2B Bobby GrichOF Jack Gleason
ContactOF Ichiro SuzukiOF Elmer Valo
Running SpeedOF Ichiro SuzukiOF Billy Hamilton
Base StealingOF Mike TroutOF Billy Hamilton
IF Defense3B Doug Rader3B Pedro Álvarez
OF DefenseOF Ichiro SuzukiOF Ender Inciarte
StuffP Elmer SmithP Nolan Ryan
ControlSP Pud GalvinP Brian Anderson
VelocityRP Joe Nathan
RP Francisco Rodríguez		P Nolan Ryan

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (19)25P/OFElmer Smith
2 (85)22PJohn Lackey
3 (90)21PRandy Tate
4 (92)21IFMarcus Semien
5 (95)23PJoey Lucchesi
6 (141)23PTom Seaver
7 (154)22PEsteban Loaiza
8 (157)25PRoss Reynolds
9 (178)25PBrian Anderson
10 (187)22OFBrandon Nimmo
Others: RP Bryan Harvey.

The lack of top end talent is a serious issue, but the presence of quite a bit of decent pitching is a very significant advantage, especially when considering how underrated some of the prospects are–Mr. Seaver, we’re looking at you.

MostLeast
AgeP Jose Contreras, 38P Blue Moon Odom, 19
HeightP Chuck Finley, 6’6″
P John Lackey, 6’6″
P John O’Donoghue, 6’6″		OF Albie Pearson, 5’5″
OPSOF Ned Harris, 1.230(—)OF Jack Gleason, .545 (—)
HROF Ned Harris, 58 (—)OF Albie Pearson, 1 (—)
SBOF Mike Trout, 37 (WBL)Many with 0
WAROF Mike Trout, 6.0 (WBL)OF Jack Gleason, -2.0 (—)
WGerrit Cole, 16 (WBL)Carl Willis, 1 (—)
SVJoe Nathan, 22 (WBL)
ERAJose Contreras, 3.04 (—)Jesse Tannehill, 6.72 (—)
WARJose Contreras, 6.5 (—)Brian Anderson, -0.9 (AAA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.8: Spring Training Notes – Los Angeles Angels

By

On February 25, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

Half the rotation and half the bullpen are undecided, as are C and, ultimately, how to sort out roles for Steve Garvey, Elmer Valo, and Kal Daniels.

Injuries

Damage to Julio Teheran‘s rotator cuff probably took him out of the running for a spot in the Angels’ bullpen to start the season. Of more concern, Jonny Venters, one of the most effective relievers in the league last season, will miss the entire year with an injury to his rotator cuff.

First Cuts

Despite Nolan Ryan and Harry Howell‘s early struggles, John Lackey and John Harshman were the only starters sent to the minors, along with bullpen arms Joey Lucchesi and Bryan Harvey.

None of the catchers in camp have done much of note, but only Gus Triandos was demoted, although Mark Salas has certainly plummeted in the pecking order. Mike Jorgensen, Wally Pipp, and Pedro Álvarez were also sent to the minors, with Wally Joyner looking likely to follow.

Marcus Semien was returned to the minors along with Xander Bogaerts as the Angels are clearly focused on going with their veteran talent on the IF.

In the OF, early struggles by Kal Daniels, Mike Trout, and rookie Ichiro Suzuki keep the situation a bit muddled, although Billy Hamilton, Curt Motton, and Brian Giles were all moved out. Nobody has hit very well, although Jack Gleason has been the best of the bunch.

Second Cuts

Harry Howell and Carlos Mármol were sent down, and while Nolan Ryan has struggled, the young flamethrower will be given some more opportunities in WBL camp.

Gus Triandos and Mark Salas were sent down, with John Stearns staying in camp by the thinnest of margins. Wally Joyner and Marcus Semien joined them.

But that was it, and the Angels still face a dilemma in the OF, where Ichiro Suzuki has yet to really show his talent and everybody else is essentially indistinguishable.

Third Cuts

Julio Teheran came back from injury and pitched well, keeping all 15 arms in camp for the time being.

C continues to be a mess. John Stearns is struggling mightily, but his performance last year keeps him in the conversation. Jeff Torborg–the longest of shots when camp opened–is tearing the cover off the ball. So the Angels are one of the few teams retaining 4 catchers at this point in camp.

Late season star Wally Backman was sent down, as was Bill Doran and young SS Xander Bogaerts.

The OF situation cleared up a bit as Ichiro Suzuki caught fire and Frank Catalanotto, Albie Pearson and Ender Inciarte were all sent down.

Final Cuts

RP Ross Reynolds was the first to see the door. He is likely to be followed very soon by Nolan Ryan, whose talent is only matched by his wildness at this point. But for now, Ryan is safe as the Angels remain more committed to Steve Garvey than Wally Moon, sending down the 31 year old Moon.

Los Angeles is a bit of a mess behind the plate, but they’ve decided to trust John Stearns‘ potential over Ron Hassey‘s, sending Hassey to AAA to start the season. A few days later, they even jettisoned Stearns, preferring to go with two rookies behind the plate in Jeff Torborg and AJ Pierzynski.

Ichiro Suzuki has looked excellent, stepping directly from the draft into the starting RF spot and costing Jeromy Burnitz his spot on the WBL roster.

Bobby Grich‘s ability to backup George Wright at SS means Andrelton Simmons needed a fantastic Spring to make the opening day roster. He didn’t have one, so he’s off to AAA.

Neither Cookie Lavagetto nor David Wright are particularly likely to see much time at 3B for the Angels. Lavagetto has hit slightly better in the Spring, while Wright seems to have more strike zone control. In the end, Los Angeles retained Lavagetto at least for a few more days with Wright heading to AAA.

Randy Tate was a pretty easy choice, bringing the staff down to a dozen. If they need to jettison more arms, the decisions will become much harder.

Especially with Elmer Smith being used both ways and able to fill in at the corner OF spots, veteran Elmer Valo was moved to the minors, as was CF Jack Gleason, despite his solid Spring performance, along with Cookie Lavagetto. That leaves the Angels without a reserve RF, but an assumption that Mike Trout can fill in there occasionally.

That leaves another pitcher needing to be sent down. The challenge is Nolan Ryan was a hot mess all Spring, with 13 walks and 15 hits–and 4 homeruns allowed–in 15 innings. Anthony DeScalafani, Roy Patterson, and Noah Lowry were all significantly better than Ryan, but lack the fireballer’s ceiling for sure. In the end, the Angels moved Ryan to AAA, hoping that regular starts helped him find his form.

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