Tag: Sammy Sosa Page 1 of 4

TWIWBL 91.4: Off Season Review – Memphis Red Sox

On April 17, 2026

73 - 89, .451 pct.
5th in Bill James Division, 17 GB

Overall

With low expectations come … well … another poor season in Memphis.

There are some decent pieces to build around here, but there is some ways to go. There is also a bit of a surplus of talent, especially in the OF, so some trade possibilities to hang in the air. Like so many WBL teams, the Red Sox struggle on the mound–I mean, they struggle everywhere, but it’s much easier to see the pieces coming together offensively than, especially, in their rotation.

Everything in Memphis revolves around Ted Williams, and how to build the franchise around the infinitely talented 22 year old.

What Went Right

Ted Williams had what felt like might qualify as an off-year by the time his career is over and done with. That still meant slashing 303/423/616, revealing a rare mixture of power and strike zone control.

Manny Ramírez improved on a rough initial year, leading the team with 46 homeruns and 110 RBIs with an OPS of 1.024. At 26, Ramírez should be entering his true prime, and while his lack of defensive skill pushes him towards a full time DH role, if he can maintain that level of performance, he’s a rare talent. The only caution is that he only saw 450ish PAs this season.

David Ortiz saw even less time, but hit even better: a 1.047 OPS and 34 homeruns in 100 games, displacing Bill White at 1B.

And while we’re on the topic of great performances in limited appearances, mention must be made of Lefty O’Doul (1.059 OPS) and Hack Wilson (1.036), each of whom have a shot at making the team out of Spring Training.

Billy Bryan was one of the best offensive backup catchers in the league, slashing 257/327/621 in support of Gabby Hartnett, who was pretty solid himself, posting an .879 OPS with good power.

And then we get pretty thin offensively: Reggie Smith and Mookie Betts were good enough, with mid .800s OPS numbers, but one or both of them need to improve, especially with the performance of the late season call ups. Betts, especially, may have value on the trade market.

On the mound, both Stubby Overmire and Len Barker racked up enough innings to generate decent WAR numbers, but were honestly not that great. That may be a little cruel on Overmire, who is clearly the best the Red Sox have to offer.

Andrew Miller was solid in a WBL leading 74 games, so there is value just in being rubber armed with a live arm, even if his walk rate is too high for comfort.

Tommy de la Cruz and Jameson Taillon were relatively effective in limited work. Taillon blew out his elbow, and won’t be back for about a year, effectively missing all of next season.

And then there is Skel Roach. 44 strikeouts in 40 innings and only 19 hits allowed … but 40 walks. So that can’t survive very long.

ALL STARS

Ted Williams

MAJOR AWARDS

Andrew Miller, AL Team of the Year

RECOGNITIONS

Andrew Miller, AL All Rookie Team; AL 25 & Under Team; AL 23 & Under Team
Dobie Moore, AL All Rookie 2nd Team; AL 21 & Under Team
David Ortiz, AL All Rookie 2nd Team
Skel Roach, AL All Rookie 2nd Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Ted Williams, MVP
Andrew Miller, Pitcher of the Year
David Ortiz, Heart & Soul
Skel Roach, Fan Favorite

Pete Richert, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Lefty O'Doul, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Dobie Moore struggled a bit in his rookie year, but at 20 he has a lot of room to improve. There’s really not a lot else that went wrong, just a range of players who were fine: Wade Boggs, Bill White, and DJ LeMahieu leap to mind.

Whereas on the mound … Jon Lester and David Bush were pretty bad as starters, especially Lester. And major free agent signing Shane Bieber made only 8 poor starts before a long-term injury. Bieber should be back early in the season.

The Red Sox keep giving Sadie McMahon, Eddie Cicotte, Nixey Callahan, and Derek Lowe opportunities. And they keep fumbling, combining for a 4-8 record and ERA’s well over 6.00.

Heath Bell stumbled badly over the season, ending with a 3-5 record and an ERA in the mid 6’s.

Transactions

March

OF Sammy Sosa for C Gabby Hartnett, P Rollie Fingers & 4th Round Pick.

A massive, massive win. Sosa struggled mightily in Memphis, went back to the House of David … and struggled mightily. On the other hand, Hartnett looks like the Red Sox catcher for the foreseeable future.

OF David Justice, IF Ozzie Albies, 2nd Round Pick to BBB for IF Bill Buckner & OF Joe Rudi.

Sure. I mean, we can’t evaluate this one for a few years.

July

The season was over for Memphis at this point, but there weren’t any real buyers, so there wasn’t much activity.

IF Vern Stephens to BRG for 4th Round Pick.

This seemed to make sense: Stephens was having a miserable season, and the Red Sox had already decided that Dobie Moore was their future SS.

August

P Jonathan Papelbon & 4th Round Pick to MCG for P Josh Beckett, OF Roy Thomas & 3rd Round Pick.

Makes sense. Papelbon was excellent, and netted a strong return from the Cuban Giants.

Positional Overview

C

Gabby Hartnett came over and seems to have seized the position, which is quite good news for Memphis. Look for Billy Bryan to back him up again, with Rick Wilkins pressing for time from below.

There are some options: Brian McCann and Jason Varitek have some talent, and Dobie Moore can even play here in a pinch.

1B

David Ortiz‘ explosion really leaves Bill White flapping in the wind, which is a shame: White has been a quality contributor, and really deserves better. Best bet is the Red Sox shop White, and Ortiz holds this down until either Bill Buckner or Joe Cunningham are ready.

There are a ton of other options as well, most notably George Scott, Travis Shaw, and even young phenom Carl Yastrzemski.

2B

It seems that DJ LeMahieu may have taken this role for his own–LeMahieu clearly outperformed Dustin Pedroia, and really his only competition is Dobie Moore, who is probably headed for shortstop.

SS

The problem with Dobie Moore is his youth and his glove. Everything else looks incredible.

If he falters, we’re likely to see Woody English or Francisco Lindor given a chance.

So, there is optimism, but you could also see this as a very large question mark.

3B

Wade Boggs was … mediocre this year, but he will still be the 3B at the end of the day.

It’s not clear what happens next here, although young Candy Jim Taylor certainly shows promise.

LF/RF

LF is Ted Williams, period.

RF is a little less settled, but is likely Mookie Betts, with occasional support from Manny Ramírez. The complications here are the youth, with Lefty O’Doul, Dwight Evans, Joe Kelley, and most importantly Carl Yastrzemski, all pushing for playing time.

CF

Reggie Smith is far better than he gets credit for. That may not be enough as Hack Wilson is breathing down his neck pushing for playing time.

DH

Manny Ramírez most of the time. But, again, there is the Lefty O’Doul issue.

SP

Stubby Overmire leads, and then … well … then it is mostly question marks, although Len Barker and Dean Chance are favored.

The scouts keep pushing Eddie Cicotte, Sadie McMahon, and Nixey Callahan, but the fans don’t appreciate their results to date. If the Red Sox decide to give youth a chance, Josh Beckett, Nathan Eovaldi, or Jim Kaat could get a look.

RP

More uncertainty.

Heath Bell, Armando Benitez, and the incomprehensible Skel Roach may get first opportunities, along with the impressive Tommy de la Cruz. Rollie Fingers may get a look in the Spring as well.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

Pitching, pitching, pitching. Maybe a middle infielder. Then, more pitching.

TWIWBL 89.2: Off Season Review – Wandering House of David

By mknn

On March 14, 2026

In Season Reviews, TWIWBL

78 - 84, .481 pct.
4th in Marvin Miller Division, 7 GB

Overall

The House of David are just not very good. Last year, they edged into the playoffs, this year, they were a bit off that pace, but really there wasn’t a ton of difference. Which means there wasn’t much improvement.

It’s a team with some decent offensive pieces and some pitching potential, but also with enough obvious holes that it’s hard to see quite where the path to contention may lead. There are some cornerstones: offensively, Ernie Banks entered the superstar realm this year, Ryne Sandberg shows no signs of slowing down, Anthony Rizzo looks like the real deal, and Tony Conigliaro had one of the best debuts possible for a September callup.

Note the lack of discussion of pitchers …

What Went Right

Ernie Banks went very, very right: a .968 OPS, 59 homers, and 126 RBIs from SS puts Banks on the fringes of the MVP conversation. The House of David sport a brilliant keystone combination, with Banks and Ryne Sandberg. At 33, Sandberg continues to be one of the best 2B in the WBL, slashing 292/351/592 with solid defense.

Rizzo was a bit of a surprise, showing a rare mix of patience and power and laying claim to the 1B job, which was pretty much up in the air.

Richie Hebner slashed 284/373/594, demanding more and more playing time as the season progressed.

One of 2 notable reclamation projects, Mark McGwire, while not quite putting it all together, did impress. His slash line reveals a lot: 205/315/608 shows his patience, his world-class power, and his inability to do much else. Still, 22 homeruns in 56 games will turn some heads.

Kyle Peterson made 17 starts, going 8-3 with a 3.80 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. His success came out of nowhere, but those are excellent numbers, and he’ll be expected to hold down a rotation spot next season.

Karl Spooner was quite effective from the pen, proving very hard to hit and compensating for marginal control with a high strikeout rate.

Rick Reuschel was steady all season, and while he may not be more than a rotation starter over time, the dependability means a lot for an otherwise beleaguered rotation.

ALL STARS

Ernie Banks
Lee Smith (Subsequently traded)

MAJOR AWARDS

Ernie Banks, All NL First Team, NL Silver Slugger SS
Elrod Hendricks, NL Gold Glove C
Bob Rush, NL Gold Glove P
Karl Spooner, All NL Rookie Team

RECOGNITIONS

Ernie Banks, NL 25 & Under Team
Richie Hebner, NL 23 & Under Team
Kyle Peterson, All NL Rookie 2nd Team
Craig Reynolds, All NL Rookie 2nd Team
Ryne Sandberg, ALL NL Third Team; NL Over 30 Team
Ron Santo, NL 21 & Under Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Ernie Banks, MVP
Kyle Peterson, Pitcher of the Year
Ryne Sandberg, Heart & Soul
Richie Hebner, Fan Favorite

Frank Dwyer, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Tony Conigliaro, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

Jack Taylor got a lot of the blame for the House of David’s showing this year, but much of that was unfair. Yes, Taylor’s performance was a far cry from his dominant year 1, but (a) he recovered a bit as the season wore on and (b) 200 innings and a 12-10 record still holds some value. The real issue is that nobody other than Peterson was actually good, with Ferguson Jenkins, CC Sabathia, and Bob Rush all struggling (Rush was the best of this trio, Sabathia the worst).

Bruce Sutter couldn’t hold on to a WBL slot, ending the season in the minors after a disastrous 25 appearances resulting in an ERA over 8.00. As problematically, especially after Lee Smith‘s departure, nobody (other than Spooner) had provided any stability from the bullpen.

Elrod Hendricks provided gold glove level defense, but nothing else, eventually falling into a platoon with Frank Chance who, despite his speed (he lead the team with 43 steals), performed even worse offensively than Hendricks. So C in general was pretty much a black hole.

Craig Reynolds, Billy Williams, and Cap Anson were all given a chance and none could muster an OPS over .700.

The other reclamation project, Sammy Sosa was just eternally frustrating. Sosa walloped 41 homers, but unlike McGwire, couldn’t take a walk, leaging him with only power and some speed / defense on offer.

Once more, Pete Browning spent more time on the DL than on the field, but whereas he was incandescent last year when healthy, this year, he was merely adequate.

Transactions

March

IF Charlie Gehringer & 3rd Round Pick to DET for P Claude Osteen & 1st Round Pick

A clear win: Gehringer was solid for Detroit, but blocked here, and the 1st rounder has quite a bit of value.

C Gabby Hartnett, P Rollie Fingers & 4th Round Pick to MEM for OF Sammy Sosa.

Ugh. Sosa’s return was much heralded, but given how bad the House of David’s catchers were, this feels like being robbed.

July

IF Frank Grant to SFS for IF John Beckwith & 3rd Round Pick.

Interesting, and a deal that won’t be able to be judged for a few years. Grant was either blocked by Sandberg or his successor, but had little immediate value for the House of David.

IF Luis Aparicio, IF Jung Ho Kang, & 7th Round Pick to PHI for P Larry Jackson.

Jackson is solid and Kang looks to be the quintessential AAAA player, so this seems fine.

IF Joe Harris & P Lee Smith to KCM for OF Heliodoro Hidalgo, P Jimmy Key, & 3rd Round Pick.

A clear sign the House of David were giving up on the season. Given that, it seems fine–both Harris and Smith are well past 30.

August

None–all useful pieces had, I guess, already been moved.

Positional Overview

C

Who knows? Elrod Hendricks‘ glove has some value, but he looked completely overmatched at the plate. None of the youngsters seem ready yet, but Cap Anson, Frank Chance, and Darren Daulton all look good–and even Beckwith has seen some time behind the plate.

A strong Spring Training from Anson could earn him a roster spot, but it looks most likely that, without a trade, they head into next season hoping that Hendricks and Chance just somehow get better.

1B

Even with Anthony Rizzo‘s performance, there are some questions here. Rizzo has earned his spot, but there is a lot of other talent at first base: McGwire, Richie Hebner, even Cap Anson and, especially, Mark Grace, who slashed 324/395/613, from the minors.

2B

At 33, Ryne Sandberg still has a few years in the tank; behind him, the best talent is probably Billy Herman, who has looked overmatched in the WBL so far. This is also a possible position for Heliodoro Hidalgo and Dave Malarcher, but they may end up elsewhere.

SS

At 25, we would assume this is Ernie Banks for quite some time.

Behind him, though, it’s not terribly clear. Malarcher could play here, but veteran Craig Reynolds feels like the more likely option, with both José Uribe and John Peters also available as defense-first options.

3B

As the season went on, Hebner played here a bit, but the future really looks to belong to 21 year old Ron Santo, although this is also the most likely position for Beckwith and Malarcher, but that is tomorrow’s problem.

LF/RF

These spots are pretty wide open, and I would expect strong Spring Training competition between Pete Browning, Sammy Sosa, George Stone, Tony Conigliaro, Billy Williams, Cy Williams, and Tip O’Neill. Of those, Stone has the inside track on the LF job, which probably pushes O’Neill to the minors once more.

Cy and Billy Williams and Conigliaro were the best performers this season, but Billy struggled mightily in September with the big league club, and Cy has yet to face WBL pitching.

CF

Another bit of a logjam, with George Gore, Jim Edmonds, and Pete Browning all being happiest at this position. Gore and Edmonds are very, very similar, with Gore having produced just a bit more season over season, but if Browning can get back to his Year One levels, he’s the starter here.

At 30, Jerry Mumphrey keeps arguing for an opportunity, but he’s probably forced out once more.

The future looks good here, with either Hidalgo or Cody Bellinger likely to emerge as the most likely candidate to take over in a few years.

DH

Look for a mixture of McGwire, Hebner, and whoever loses the OF competition to get the at bats here.

SP

It’s a mess of question marks right now.

Can Taylor bounce back? Is Kyle Peterson for real? Can Jim Clinton, Bob Shaw, or, most likely, Rick Reuschel prove to be a reliable third starter?

Say Taylor and Peterson are set in the rotation, the Spring will see a strong competition between the others, as well as Bob Rush, Larry Jackson, Fergie Jenkins, Jimmy Key, and, depending on his recovery from injury, Kerry Wood.

There is some good talent in the system, led by teenagers Larry Dierker and Joe Nuxhall (still only 17).

RP

The only set spots are Karl Spooner and Ed Bauta, so there should be some competition here, starting with Bruce Sutter who, for the 3rd year running, will be given a shot at becoming the closer.

Beyond that, Scott Downs will get some time, and the team is open to Ad Brennan, Tom Dukes, Brian Holman, or George Gilpatrick showing they can handle life in the WBL.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

A big draft for the House of David, with 6 picks in the first 3 rounds. There are a few WBL ready arms, aside from that, the lower end of the farm system could just be upgraded across the board.

TWIWBL 87.10: The Right Fielders

By mknn

On February 7, 2026

In TWIWBL

Once more, be sure to check the DH page if you don’t see an expected name here.

We have a new defensive metric for outfielders: ARM, which is an estimate of the number of runs saved (or allowed) from their throwing arms.

#S Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
NL	PHI	Aaron Judge	27	278/382/699	63 HR 133 RBI 108 R	-3.4 ARM

Since being a bit of an add on in the Mike Schmidt trade, Aaron Judge has made himself the heart of the Stars’ offense, and fully deserves this ranking.

#A Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
AL	CAG	Joe Jackson	25	355/410/608	107 R 55 SB	-5.7 ZR
AL	NYY	Mickey Mantle	22	255/368/601	56 HR 127 RBI 120 R 101 BB 21 SB	.972 fPct 3.8 ARM
NL	OTT	Larry Walker	23	268/349/649	54 HR 126 RBI 101 R	.993 fPct

Larry Walker continues to struggle with injury, but this a solid group. Joe Jackson was probably S-Tier last season, and Mickey Mantle may shift to CF at some point.

#B Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
NL	BBB	Hank Aaron	22	294/316/603	51 HR 105 RBI
AL	CLE	Larry Doby	25	263/359/583	41 HR	.968 fPct -4.8 ARM
NL	HOU	Tony Gwynn	25	341/376/538	104 R 27 SB	7 A 1.70 RF -5.5 ZR .960 dEff
AL	BAL	Bryce Harper	21	256/358/550	41 HR 22 SB	1.61 RF .956 dEff
AL	DET	Al Kaline	21	286/356/602	36 HR	2.08 RF
AL	MCG	Yasiel Puig	23	298/388/658	30 HR	1.60 RF -5.4 ZR 0.8 ARM

Yasiel Puig‘s raw offense would actually move him up, but he didn’t play a full season, and that plus his defensive shortcomings are enough to keep him here. Each of these are key to their team, but each needs to improve to move up–Hank Aaron needs better strike zone control, Tony Gwynn more power, and Larry Doby and Bryce Harper just a shade more production somewhere.

#C Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
NL	BRK	Beals Becker	23	283/330/566	39 HR 44 SB	8 A
AL	MEM	Mookie Betts	24	280/335/530	35 SB	1.000 fPct 7.6 RF 1.067 dEff -3.8 ARM
AL	SFS	Bobby Bonds	25	248/319/527	36 HR 47 SB
NL	NYG	Johnny Callison	26	262/328/571	39 HR
NL	HOM	Roberto Clemente	27	275/305/500		11 A 2.22 RF 7.1 ZR
NL	IND	George Foster	22	259/309/563	38 HR	.993 fPct 2.12 RF 1.064 dEff 1.5 ARM
NL	KCM	Stan Musial	22	300/371/519	33 SB	8.4 ZR 1.067 dEff

Interestingly, here is where all the defense rests. Roberto Clemente, and perhaps even Stan Musial, are only here because of their gloves–both can and should do more offensively in the future. George Foster was a very pleasant surprise for Indianapolis, and Mookie Betts may be the best pure baseball athlete not named Honus Wagner or Martín Dihigo in the game.

All very solid, with Musial and Betts the most likely to continue to develop.

#D Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
AL	POR	Bobby Murcer	27	250/311/489	33 HR
AL	BAL	Ken Singleton	24	256/363/481		.967 fPct .925 dEff
NL	OTT	Sam Thompson	27	265/297/508		1.000 fPct

A hard group. Sam Thompson wasn’t really a full time player, but did qualify, and his power is clearly quite useful, as is Ken Singleton‘s ability to get on base. But all 3 of these are on the fringes of their teams’ plans for next year.

#F Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	Slash	Other	Def
NL	HOD	Sammy Sosa	25	195/240/478	41 HR 20 SB
AL	LAA	Ichiro Suzuki	29	280/294/394	32 SB	7 A 1.000 fPct 5.7 RF

It’s such a rough league.

Sammy Sosa‘s 41 HR and Ichiro Suzuki‘s speed and defense are just not enough on their own: Sosa needs to do more than hit homeruns, and Suzuki needs to add offense across the board. Perhaps surprisingly given his age, the Angels remain committed to Suzuki’s upside, but it’s not clear if Sosa will get another change next season.

#Rookies

Foster (C Tier), Thompson (D Tier), and Suzuki (F Tier).

#Fielding Notes

We have our standard defensive stats here, with the leaders in bold and the worst performers in italics. Assists (A), more romantically referred to as Outfield Kills are runners eliminated on the bases. Range Factor (RF) measures the number of plays made per game–the higher the better. Zone Rating (ZR) attempts to credit players for plays other fielders missed and ding them for plays other fielders made–the higher the better, and it has the benefit of being comparative across the position. Defensive Efficiency (dEff) measures the rate at which an individual fielder contributes to outs being made on balls put into play, with any score over 1.000 being a net positive impact. Finally, Fielding Percentage (fPct) reflects the percentage of times a chance was handled without a mistake–if someone made no errors, their fPct would be 1.000.

Of these, Range Factor is the most susceptible to the impact of the pitching staff and the ballpark, although none of these defensive ratings are perfect.

TWIWBL 80.2 Spotlight on the Wandering House of David

By mknn

On October 11, 2025

In TWIWBL

While theoretically based in Chicago, the House of David travel the backroads of the country with a portable stadium used for their home games. It’s a life.

On the field, it’s an example of how important upper end performance is to a team, and how painful it can be when it falls off.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

While they are still within 2 games of the final NL Wild Card spot, it’s been a disappointing year for the House of David. The offense has been decent enough–and there are some clear positive indications for next year–but the pitching has been a struggle. Overall, a lot can be placed at the feet of Pete Browning and Jack Taylor, superstars last year who have failed to deliver this season.

THE OFFENSE

It’s a good offense. The BA and OBP are perhaps a little low, but there’s enough power to compensate, and ultimately, this ain’t the issue with the team.

#What’s Going Right

Ernie Banks has exploded into superstardom, with a 1.031 OPS and 117 RBI’s heading into September. Banks is 3rd in the league in homers with 54, and is clearly the dominant cog in the House of David offense, and perhaps the dominant offensive SS in the league.

Richie Hebner, not projected as a starter, also has an OPS over 1.000, and has edged into an everyday role, slashing 296/387/636 in just under 300 PAs.

The House of David as found 2 standout 1Bs this year in Anthony Rizzo and Mark McGwire. McGwire has played in just under 40 games, but is managing to maintain an OPS around .950 with a BA barely over .200: that’s a lot of walks and a lot of homeruns (17 of each in 140 PAs). Rizzo is slashing 276/389/581.

Ryne Sandberg continues to deliver at 2B, with 35 homers and a .930 OPS.

Ron Santo, has been mired in a slump recently, but still has an OPS around .850.

George Stone, George Gore, and Jim Edmonds all cluster around an .800 OPS in the OF, with Gore the most effective of the 3, taking most of the CF time from Edmonds.

Sammy Sosa has 37 homers, 2nd on the team.

#What’s Not Going Right

Pete Browning has been hurt, limiting his availability to about 75 games. More importantly, when healthy, last year’s superstar has struggled, with an OPS under .750.

Sammy Sosa‘s 37 homeruns are part of a .750 OPS as the immensely talented OF struggles constantly to put good wood on the ball.

Combine this with the above and the OF picture is just horribly confused. Gore, Stone, Edmonds, Sosa, and Browning (and the supernova debut of Tony Conigliaro) all result in none of the OF spots having a clear claimant.

Elrod Hendricks has been … not terrible, but not at all good. 22 homeruns is nice from a catcher, but a sub .700 OPS is not.

Frank Chance–given every, um, chance, to supplant Hendricks–has an even lower OPS, although he has shown a decent ability to get on base.

THE PITCHING

The House of David entered the season concerned about how they would fill out the rotation behind Jack Taylor. Now they’re worried about all of the staff, including Taylor. It’s not pretty.

#What’s Going Right

Bob Rush, who leads the team in wins with 10, has been quite solid, and CC Sabathia has pitched far better than his 5-11 record would indicate.

Youngster Kyle Peterson has been a revelation, with a 3.51 ERA and 1.13 WHIP over 11 starts.

Veteran lefty Jimmy Key has done well out of the pen. But well in this context is an ERA just over 5.00 and a WHIP hovering in the 1.20 range. So … not great.

Having traded away or demoted all of their closers, Karl Spooner has quite unexpectedly stepped into the spotlight and pitched quite well at the end of games.

#What’s Not Going Right

Taylor has been awful for much of the year, with an ERA well over 6.00 most of the season. Now, it must be said, he’s pitched significantly better of late, winning his last 5 decisions and dropping his ERA by roughly a run.

They’ve run a lot of arms through the rotation, with Frank Sullivan, Kerry Wood, Ferguson Jenkins, and Rick Reuschel all getting at least 5 starts. Of those, only Reuschel has been passable.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

It’s a very high ranked system and, honestly, it’s not hard to see why.

There is star potential in the OF in Cody Bellinger and Heliodoro Hidalgo, on the IF with Darren Daulton, Cap Anson and Dave Malarcher. On the mound, it seems like some arms will come through from the group of Larry Dierker, Bill Lee, Eddie Rommel, Ad Gumbert, and Joe Nuxhall.

Danny Green, Tip O’Neill, Frank Dwyer, Bunny Downs, and Chris Brown may all see some WBL time as well. So there is some help on the way in terms of talent.

The challenge is that much of the talent is positionally blocked: the OF just gets more crowded, 3B is pretty much set, etc. Daulton has the clearest path, but is still a year or two away.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Probably a blockbuster trade or two to obtain some pitching and clear out some of the positional redundancy.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

How does the team integrate its considerable young talent into the roster as the season progresses? As many as 8 spots on the pitching staff are available, as are the backup C and IF jobs. This is probably the first of these that is totally off base. So much optimism in the Spring, crashed on the rocks of the pitching mound. That said, Santo, Hebner, Chance, Rizzo, Sosa, and Banks are all 25 or younger, so in that sense, the focus on the development of the young talent was correct.

FEATURED SERIES

We’ll focus on the 3 game matchup with Homestead. Currently, the two teams are 4th and 5th in the Wild Card race, separated by only .5 of a game. A sweep here either way would solidify the postseason claim of either side.

Projected Starters

House of David starter listed first.

Kyle Peterson (7-2, 3.51) @ Francisco Liriano (8-11, 5.18)
Jack Taylor (9-10, 6.02) @ Doug Drabek (4-6, 4.98)
Bob Rush (10-7, 5.42) @ Cliff Lee (6-3, 5.44)

If the projected starters hold, it looks as good as it can for the House of David, giving them a decent shot to take 2 out of 3 … but a sweep would be better.

Game One

On the one hand, this is a September matchup between 2 disappointing teams, both sitting a few games below .500. But. Homestead is only 1.5 games off the Wild Card pace, and the House of David is merely .5 a game behind them.

So here we go, with something to play for.

The impressive Kyle Peterson takes the mound for the House of David, while the Grays counter with their erstwhile #1 starter, Francisco Liriano.

The House of David took an early lead when, after a double by Craig Reynolds, Frank Chance legged out an infield hit to plate a run. Chance was thrown out trying to steal, but Pete Browning followed a Richie Hebner double with an RBI single for the 2-0 lead.

Rick Reichardt got one back with his 37th homer of the year in the bottom of the 4th and then, an inning later, Honus Wagner and Andy Van Slyke each doubled, tying the game. Mike Epstein hit a dribbler that found its way to dead space, plating Van Slyke so, after 5 innings, Homestead led, 3-2.

But, no worries for the House of David: after all, they have Tony Conigliaro. The supernova like debut for the young OF continued, as he ripped his 6th homerun 1n 17 at bats off Liriano in the 7th, tying the game. And then, a familiar disaster for the House of David: Pete Browning being helped off the field with an injury. This time, it was legging out a double, plating Chance with the go-ahead run.

Van Slyke tied it up in the bottom of the 9th with a double off Ed Bauta. That setup intentional walks to load the bases, with Bauta facing Reichardt with the game on the line. Reichardt did his job, lifting a decent pitch far enough into LF to score the tagging Van Slyke, giving Homestead the first game of the series.

Browning had 3 hits before his injury, and Wagner rapped out 3 hits for the Grays.

HOD 4 (Bauta 4-5, BSv 6; Downs H 1; Spooner H 3) @ HOM 5 (Lindblom 8-4)
HRs: HOD – Conigliaro (6); HOM – Reichardt (37).
Box Score

Browning headed to the DL after the game, hopefully to return before the season closes out, with the House of David recalling young IF Dave Malarcher.

Game Two

With Jack Taylor not quite rested, the House of David will go with Jimmy Key, giving the veteran lefty his 2nd start of the season against Homestead’s Doug Drabek.

Key struggled off the bat, surrendering back to back homeruns to Josh Gibson and Willie Stargell in the bottom of the 1st for an early 3-0 lead for the Grays. An Andrew McCutchen homerun, a Judy Johnson triple, and Stargell’s 2nd shot of the game chased Key in the 2nd inning, but the runs kept coming via a 2 run single from Napoleon Lajoie, making it 10-0 after 2 innings.

More runs scored, which really made the game a chance for each team to empty their benches, including a WBL debut for the recently recalled Dave Malarcher.

The House of David avoided a shutout on a 2-run double from Tony Conigliaro in the 9th, but that was cold comfort in a 16-2 loss.

McCutchen, Lajoie, Honus Wagner, and Johnson each had 3 hits for Homestead, with McCutchen driving in 4 and Gibson 3.

HOD 2 (Key 3-1) @ HOM 16 (Drabek 5-6)
HRs: HOD – none; HOM – Stargell 2 (47), Gibson (38), McCutchen (21).
Box Score

Game Three

This was not a good time for the House of David to not show up … they head into the third game of the series having dropped to 3.5 games off the Wild Card pace (while Homestead has moved to only a single game back of Kansas City).

The House of David will send Jack Taylor to the hill, with Homestead countering with Hal Carlson, making his 2nd start of the season.

It started well for the House of David: Carlson loaded the bases, then gave up a 3-run double to Sammy Sosa. Richie Hebner added a solo shot–his 23rd homer of the year–in the 2nd, upping the lead to 4-0.

Honus Wagner cut the lead to 4-1 with an RBI double in the bottom of the 2nd, then Willie Stargell closed the game to 4-3 with his 48th homerun of the year.

The House of David touched Carlson for one more run in the 5th on an RBI double from Anthony Rizzo, but again Taylor gave it back, this time on a 2-run double from Josh Gibson, tying the game at 5.

Carlson was replaced by David Price, who promptly gave up a moon shot to Sosa: 6-5, House of David. Ron Santo‘s 28th of the year gave the House of David a 2 run edge heading into the bottom of the 9th, when they turned to Ed Bauta, who easily closed it out.

HOD 7 (Taylor 10-10; Bauta 5 Sv; Sullivan 1 H; Spooner 4 H) @ HOM 5 (Price 1-1)
HRs: HOD – Hebner (23), Sosa (38), Santo (27); HOM – Stargell (48).
Box Score

So … by salvaging the final game, the House of David maintain touch with the Wild Card race, but just barely.

TWIWBL 79.1: Year 2, Week 22

By mknn

On September 25, 2025

In TWIWBL

August 27th

As August closes down, we have roster expansion and a bevy of trades.

#Awards

The House of David‘s Ernie Banks hit .483 with a half-dozen homeruns, taking home the NL Player of the Week Award. Another stellar week from Detroit‘s Ty Cobb netted him another AL Player of the Week Award, his 4th of the season. Cobb hit .500 with 6 homeruns over the week.

#Team Performance

Same old: San Francisco (despite going 3-7 over their last 10 games) has the Cum Posey Division sewn up, and Brooklyn has the Effa Manley Division all but so–the Sea Lions have a 17 game edge, and the Royal Giants are up by 11.

The Bill James Division is a 2 horse race, as the Cleveland Spiders now lead the New York Black Yankees by only 2.5 games.

And then we have the Marvin Miller Division, where the Houston Colt 45’s have surged ahead of Kansas City by 1/2 game, but Indianapolis is only 2.5 back, with the House of David 3 and the Black Barons 4.

The Wildcards are all up for grabs, as 8 teams in the NL are within 4 games of making the postseason that way. It’s more settled in the AL, with Miami leading Los Angeles for the 2nd wildcard spot by 4 games.

#Player Performance

#Batters

As usual, top 2 in most categories are listed, with Detroit’s Turkey Stearnes and Los Angeles’ Kal Daniels listed so we have all 6 batters with OPS’ over 1.100.

Ron Blomberg (CLE). 295/361/688. 125 RBI.
José Canseco (MCG). 264/373/759. 60 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 342/384/624. 170 H.
Ty Cobb (DET). 388/443/844. 181 H, 54 2B, 15 3B, 125 R, 8.3 WAR.
Kal Daniels (LAA). 357/444/670.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 406/501/798. 9.0 WAR.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 361/414/621. 60 2B.
Joe Rogan (PHI). 288/343/605. 13 3B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 273/405/713. 57 HR, 133 RBI, 117 R.
Turkey Stearnes (DET). 340/381/722.

#Pitchers

#Starters

All 7 players with at least 15 wins are listed, as well as the top 2 in other categories.

A. Rube Foster (KCM). 10-5, 2.79. .200 BABIP, 0.95 WHIP, 3.60 FIP.
Roger Clemens (HOU). 13-9, 3.60. .218 BABIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 15-5, 4.37.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-7, 4.41. 211 K.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 16-5, 4.09
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 16-5, 4.04.
José Méndez (MCG). 11-5, 4.29. 195 IP.
Luis Padrón (IND). 18-3, 3.55. 5.5 WAR.
Andy Pettitte (NYY). 15-8, 4.32.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 15-7, 4.73.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 15-9, 3.13. 190 IP, 230 K, 0.96 WHIP, 3.26 FIP, 7.1 WAR.

#Relievers

The top 3 in the league remain Josh Lindblom, Rod Beck, and Eric Gagne, who have 30, 29, and 26 saves respectively. Of those, Gagne has been the most dominant, and is probably only challenged by Kansas City’s Craig Kimbrel, who had 11 holds before being named their closer, and has posted 9 saves since. The other 3 relievers with 20-plus saves are listed as well.

26 Min IP.

Terry Adams (CLE), 1-6, 4.93. 21 Sv, 2H.
Rod Beck (SFS). 4-4, 5.65. 30 Sv, 1H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 2-3, 2.88. 28 Sv.
Eddie Guardado (KCM). 2-1, 2.01. 1 Sv, 8 H.
Bob Howry (PHI). 4-1, 3.27. 21 Sv. 0.85 WHIP.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-7, 5.09. 1 Sv, 20 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 3-4, 1.95. 12 Sv, 11 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 7-4, 3.70. 31 Sv.
Joe Nathan (LAA/SFS). 5-5, 4.64. 20 Sv, 2 H.
Jonathan Papelbon (MEM/MCG). 3-5, 4.80. 20 Sv.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 2-3, 5.03. 1 Sv, 15 H.
Lee Smith (KCM/HOD). 4-2, 2.78. 6 Sv, 10 H. 0.77 WHIP.

#Debuts

Tony Conigliaro isn’t a bad prospect. But he had one of the best days, let alone debuts, in WBL history, going 4 for 4 with a record 4 homeruns in an 11-9 win. The 22 year old was obtained at the all star break last season in the deal that initially sent Sammy Sosa to Memphis (Sosa would return after flopping for the Red Sox).

At least Jorge Orta is listed among the top 100 WBL prospects, coming in 87th. Orta had a great debut for his new club, the New York Black Yankees, going 4 for 5 with 4 doubles.

Memphis’ Dustin Pedroia and the New York Gothams‘ Bill Terry have also turned heads, each with 2 homers in their first few games at the WBL level.

TWIWBL 73.6: Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On March 5, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Kansas City Monarchs	50-43	.538	—
Indianapolis ABC’s	49-44	.527	1
Houston Colt 45s	45-477	.489	4.5
Wandering House of David	41-51	.446	8.5
Birmingham Black Barons	40-53	.430	10

Marvin Miller Division | 16 July

#Birmingham Black Barons

Sam Streeter will miss a few starts with shoulder inflammation. Rube Melton was recalled from AAA to take his place in the interim.

Jim Pagliaroni went deep twice and Birmingham topped Kansas City, 7-4.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Teenager Leon Day was returned to AAA with 20 year old Vida Blue being recalled to make his WBL debut.

Craig Biggio hit 2 out but Houston fell to Philadelphia, 9-5.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Emil Frisk, who has done quite well since being recalled, will miss about a month with an abdominal strain. Jake Stenzel–who started the season with Indianapolis, but was injured himself–was recalled.

George Foster hit 2 homeruns as the ABC’s beat the House of David, 9-4.

#Wandering House of David

Sammy Sosa and Ernie Banks each went deep twice as the House of David beat Indianapolis, 13-5. Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, and Mark McGwire also hit homeruns, with McGwire’s being his 5th in only 8 games.

TWIWBL 72.1: Year 2, Week 15: All Star Week!

By mknn

On February 12, 2025

In TWIWBL

July 9th

It’s All-Star Week! That means that, not only do we cover those festivities, we have our first wave of midseason trades, followed by the usual divisional notes on a shorter slate of games.

#Awards

Brooklyn‘s Beals Becker picked up the NL Player of the Week, hitting .538 with 4 homers in the span. Over in the AL, perhaps peeved by his omission from the All Star Game, Cleveland‘s Lance Berkman hit .360 with 9–NINE–homeruns in the week, taking down the AL Player of the Week.

#Team Performance

No significant changes, but some teams are making moves. San Francisco remains the only team truly running away with their division, leading the Cum Posey Division by 11.5 games over Miami, who have taken over 2nd place from Chicago.

The New York Black Yankees have the 2nd best record in baseball and a 4.5 game lead over Cleveland in the Bill James Division.

That leaves the Effa Manley Division and Marvin Miller Division. In the former, Brooklyn leads Homestead by 3.5, with the New York Gothams fading a bit, sitting tied with Philadelphia at 8 games back. In the Marvin Miller, Kansas City still leads, but not only is Indianapolis only 2 games back, Houston, 8-2 over their last 10 games, has moved to within 5.5.

Last years champions, Baltimore, continue to have the worst record in the league, with a 38-52 record so far.

#Player Performance

With all the numbers and discussion surrounding the All Star Game, we’re going to skip the Performance section this time, instead revisiting last year’s mid-season trades.

#Looking Back: Last Year’s Mid-Season Trades

I’ve somewhat quickly and arbitrarily given weights to the trades. The winning team is in italics. Overall, here is how everyone ranked out from last year.

Clear Winners: Birmingham, Baltimore, Ottawa
Did OK: Philadelphia, Detroit
Meh: Cleveland, Homestead, Memphis, Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Gothams
Not Great: San Francisco, Indianapolis, Miami, Black Yankees
Clear Losers: Houston, Chicago

The details:

Big Wins

Birmingham sends Hoyt Wilhelm and Dick Rudolph to Chicago for Melky Cabrera, A. Rube Foster, Adrián González, & a 2nd (Trea Turner)

Foster is no longer with Birmingham, having been part of a later trade for Andy Pettitte, but that he had enough value to land the ERA champ alone makes this a win for the Black Barons. González has frustrated, but he’s still been a solid WBL 1B in the interim, and both Cabrera and Turner look to have some upside, especially Turner. Wilhelm has been average in Chicago’s pen and Rudolph has downright struggled.

Cleveland fleece Houston for Lance Berkman, sending Harry Stovey, Charlie Grimm, Chad Qualls and a 3rd (Garry Templeton) to the Colt 45's.

Berkman was struggling, but he has hit 39 homers and driven in 104 since the trade. Templeton refused to sign, and while the rest have some talent, it’s unclear they will ever push past the talent in front of them in Houston.

Baltimore sent Mike Morgan, Richie Sexson, Chris Hoiles and Joe Dugan to Miami for Manny Machado.

Machado was a World Series hero and remains the Black Sox’ starting 3B. Hoiles and Sexson both have some offensive pop, but both are pretty buried in Miami’s farm system.

Cleveland sent Andrew Payne, Hardie Henderson, Darrell Miller, and Gibby Brack to Philadelphia for Ron Reed.

This seemed to make sense at the time, as Reed looked like the missing piece for the Spiders’ bullpen. But Henderson has developed into an all-star with the Stars, and Reed, while not bad, hasn’t been great for Cleveland. Of the rest, only Payne is still with the Stars, and he may never see the WBL.

Small Wins

The Black Yankees send Sam Thompson, Dick Bartell, and a 4th (Mark Eichhorn) to Ottawa for Gary Lavelle and Jamie Moyer.

Lavelle and Moyer were both bad for New York. Lavelle is out with a long term injury, and Moyer was later traded to Chicago; given that the purpose of the trade was to shore up the Black Yankees for the post-season–which they missed–this has to be a win for Ottawa. Thompson is doing well for them, and Eichhorn has some future utility.

San Francisco sent Rube Melton, Derrick May, and a 3rd (Gary Matthews) to Birmingham for Tim Hudson.

Hudson was an all-star, then imploded, and now is on the DL for so long his career may be toast. Given that, the fact that all 3 prospects are doing alright make this a win for Birmingham.

The New York Gothams receive Don Sutton from Brooklyn in exchange for Ray Lamb, Gil Heredia, Lew Krause Jr, Don Mueller, a 1st (Al Simmons), and an 8th (Vic Lombardi).

Sutton’s been solid for New York, on the fringes of their rotation and providing good bullpen work. Krause and Simmons seem to have the highest ceiling of what they received (Mueller and Lombardi look fine, and neither Lamb nor Heredia are still with Brooklyn).

Ottawa sends Freddy Parent to Chicago for Sibby Sisti, Bob Watson, and Rickie Weeks.

Ottawa only wins this because it cleared room for Álex Rodríguez, who has blossomed this year. Watson–theoretically the centerpiece of the deal–was recently sent down to AAA, Sisti was released, and Weeks looks unlikely to make an impact. Still, the less said about Parent’s time in Chicago, the better.

Brooklyn sends Curt Flood, Manny Trillo, and a 6th (Steve Avery) to Birmingham for Frank Isbell.

Isbell is at AAA after a horrible start to the season. Flood and Avery each have some upside, so this is a small win for Birmingham.

Birmingham sends Tom Herr to the Black Yankees for Reddy Mack, Bill Buckner, Heathcliff Slocumb, Charlie Keller, Moose Skowron, & a 10th (Eddie Solomon)

Herr was sold at his absolute peak, and the Black Yankees are already casting around for a replacement. As importantly, the trade cleared the way for Cupid Childs to take over at 2B, a clear win for Birmingham. None of the prospects look like much (Buckner was traded on, Keller retired, and the rest look like filler at best).

Indianapolis sent Ernie Lombardi to Detroit for Donie Bush, Jorge Orta, Brandon League, Gene Martin and a 2nd (Matt Chapman).

Detroit wins this one, as Lombardi has been quite good for them, as only Chapman and Bush are still with the ABC’s, and neither looks like much at this point.

Miami got fixated on the potential of Minnie Miñoso, sending Don Newcombe, Clay Condrey, and a 4th (José Quintana) to Chicago for him.

Miñoso has finally begun to show some potential at AAA after some miserable time with the Cuban Giants, while none of the other players are with Chicago (Newcombe was traded, Condrey released, and Quintana refused to sign a rookie contract).

Ottawa sends Steve Garvey and Spud Johnson to Los Angeles for Rusty Staub.

Staub has outperformed Garvey, but both have held down WBL roster spots. Johnson is a free agent at this point.

Ottawa and Los Angeles made a second deal, with the Angels receiving Carlos Delgado in exchange for Dave Bennett, Carlos Beltrán, Jim Stephens, and Sean O'Sullivan.

This one also favors Ottawa. Delgado has been excellent for the Angels, hitting 28 homeruns since the trade. But Beltrán is a borderline all-star for the Mounties. Bennett and Stephens have a little potential, O’Sullivan is currently a free agent.

Here's much ado about nothing: Los Angeles sent Brian Downing, Kurt Stillwell, and Dave LaRoche to San Francisco for Wally Moon, Dwayne Murphy, a 4th (John Lackey) and a 6th (Omar Olivares).

Downing is young enough to do something, as are Moon, Murphy, and Lackey. The trade failed to help San Francisco in the immediate (its ostensible purpose). Slight edge to Los Angeles.

San Francisco picks up Tommy Bridges from Miami for Shawn Estes, Turk Wendell, and a 5th (Mark Kotsay).

Only Kotsay remains with Miami, as such, even though Bridges has been unable to hold down a WBL spot, he has been there, giving the Sea Lions the edge.

San Francisco sent Steve Hertz and a 2nd (Judy Johnson) to Homestead for Phil Garner.

Scrap Iron Garner has been fine as utility IF for the Sea Lions, especially recently, but Johnson may be something special, recently joining Homestead as a 19 year old.

Houston gives up Hack Wilson, Jim Kaat, DJ LeMahieu, Stubby Overmire and a 5th (Nathan Eovaldi) for Memphis' Roger Clemens.

Clemens is doing well in Houston, falling just short of an all star selection. But that’s quite a haul: LeMahieu is pushing for a full time role with Memphis, Overmire is at the front of their rotation, Wilson is doing well at AAA and both Kaat and Eovaldi have some long term potential. If Clemens does become an all-star, and none of the others develop, this would swing towards Houston, but right now it feels like an overall win for the Red Sox.

Memphis sent Joe Beggs to Baltimore for Willie Sudhoff, Alex Johnson, and a 4th (Bill "Spaceman" Lee).

Beggs did what Baltimore needed in their Whirled Series run, but has struggled this year. Sudhoff was released, and Johnson and Lee look marginal at best right now.

Even Steven

Portland send Smokey Joe Wood & Devin Mesoraco to Kansas City for Rogers Hornsby, Vince Coleman, and a 4th Round Pick (Lee May).

Wood is a borderline all-star for the Monarchs while Hornsby both fueled Portland’s playoff run last season and is an all-star this year. Portland released Coleman, neither Mesoraco nor May are doing much.

The House of David sent Sammy Sosa to Memphis for Tony Conigliaro, Fred Lynn, and a 2nd ("Big" Bill Lee).

An odd one to evaluate, as Sosa did well enough for Memphis for the House of David to trade for him back in the off season. Still, at this point, he was a black hole of a roster spot. Conigliaro and Lynn each show good power, so call it a wash.

#Injury Report

The Black Yankees’ Don Mattingly should begin his rehab assignment around the end of the week as should, perhaps, the House of David’s Jim Clinton.

TWIWBL 71.6: Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On February 3, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Kansas City Monarchs	47-37	.560	—
Indianapolis ABC’s	44-39	.530	2.5
Wandering House of David	39-43	.476	7
Houston Colt 45s	39-44	.470	7.5
Birmingham Black Barons	34-49	.410	12.5

Marvin Miller Division | 2 July

#Birmingham Black Barons

JP Arencibia continued to grow in Black Barons’ folklore, tying the league record with 3 homeruns in a 13-5 victory over Brooklyn. Albert Belle went deep twice and Bob Nieman, Gene Tenace, and Adrían González each homered once for Birmingham. John Malarkey was decent, improving to 5-2 on the season.

#Houston Colt 45’s

With Casey Stengel set to miss over a month, the Colt 45’s made 2 moves, first sending struggling 1B/DH Andrés Galarraga to AAA in exchange for Paul Goldschmidt, who will slide into the same role and then also recalling closer Roberto Osuna to help out in the bullpen.

George Brett had 3 doubles and Tony Gwynn added 3 hits of his own as the Colt 45’s topped Kansas City, 10-7. After a(nother) poor start from Roy Oswalt, Houston’s bullpen finally delivered up to expectations, with Dock Ellis getting the win and John Franco, Brad Lidge, and Tug McGraw closing out the contest.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

The ABC’s finally ran out of patience with Dick Tidrow, and when the veteran refused to be demoted, Indianapolis released him. The ABC’s recalled Mike LaCoss from AAA.

OF Jake Stenzel started a rehab assignment, although it’s not clear where Stenzel fits in once he’s recalled to the WBL.

Joe Morgan went deep twice, but a late comeback was thwarted as the ABC’s fell to Birmingham, 9-8.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Bad news for the Monarchs, as Lou Brock will miss 6-7 months with a broken bone. With Kansas City struggling, the Monarchs decided to reach down to AA and give the awfully impressive Cool Papa Bell a chance. Bell–perhaps even faster than Brock–was slashing 376/428/656 at Oklahoma City before his recall. It’s a bold move, but one that perhaps overlooks what Merv Rettenmund has done at AAA.

José Rijo continues to run hot and cold in the extreme: the owner of the WBL’s only no-hitter combined with Jeff Pfeffer on a 4 hit shutout of Houston. Rijo whiffed 10 and Ducky Medwick tripled and homered in the 3-0 victory.

The Monarchs demolished Houston behind a complete game effort from Smokey Joe Wood, who improved his record to 10-6. Both Ted Simmons and Willie McGee had 3 doubles and Medwick drove in 5 as Kansas City pounded out 19 hits in the 14-1 win.

#Wandering House of David

Sammy Sosa went deep 3 times (for the 2nd time this season) and Ernie Banks twice as the House of David overcame a rough start to beat Homestead, 12-6. Banks and Sosa drove in 4 runs each, and Ron Santo added 3 RBI’s, with the win going to Bob Rush, who improved to 7-6 despite giving up 6 runs in 5 innings.

Ferguson Jenkins put on what was easily his best outing of the year, allowing 3 hits in 7 shutout innings while fanning 11 in a 5-2 win over Homestead.

TWIWBL 68.6: Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On November 4, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Indianapolis ABC’s	36-28	.563	—
Kansas City Monarchs	36-28	.563	—
Wandering House of David	28-34	.452	7
Houston Colt 45s	29-36	.446	7.5
Birmingham Black Barons	25-39	.391	11

Marvin Miller Division | 11 June

#Birmingham Black Barons

Andy Pafko went deep twice, reaching 11 on the year, but those were the only runs Birmingham could manage as they fell, 3-2 to Brooklyn in 14 innings.

Hank Aaron hit 2 out, giving him 24 on the year, and the Black Barons beat Homestead 9-4. Aaron drove in 5, and Curtis Granderson and Eddie Mathews each hit their 22nd dinger of the year in support of Sam Streeter.

#Houston Colt 45s

Tony Gwynn went had 3 hits, pushing his season total over 100 and raising his average to .429 in a 7-2 victory over Philadelphia. Roger Clemens improved to 8-2 with a strong 7 plus innings.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

The ABC’s will be without their sparkplug, as Bob Bescher heads to the DL with a bruised knee. Emil Frisk was recalled from AAA. They also exchanged the struggling Sad Sam Jones for the return of Gorham Leverett from a rehab assignment.

Oscar Charleston went deep twice, leading the ABC’s to a 7-5 win over Kansas City.

Luis Padrón increased his win total to a league-leading 11 in an 8-2 victory over Kansas City. Padrón was solid through 7-plus, moving to 11-2 on the year and lowering his ERA to 3.90 while Joey Votto went deep twice for the ABC’s.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Jock Menefee, who had pitched well over a half-dozen appearances, will miss 3-4 months with a shoulder injury. Mike Kume was recalled from AAA.

Dale Murphy went deep twice as the Monarchs pounded out 20 hits in a 17-3 win over Indianapolis. Frank Castillo improved to 9-1, striking out 10 in 7 solid innings of work.

#Wandering House of David

The House of David shook up their staff, sending Wade Miley and Kerry Wood to AAA, and moving Rick Reuschel out of the rotation. Kyle Peterson and Jim Clinton were recalled from the minors.

George Gore would not be who you would have picked: he entered the day with only 3 homeruns and ended it having doubled his total to 6. It was not enough, however, as the House of David fell to the Gothams 10-9 in extra frames.

Sammy Sosa hit 3 solo homers, giving him 17 on the season. The last one gave the House of David the lead in the top of 9th, with Lee Smith earning his 2nd save in a 4-3 victory over the Gothams.

Needing a starter, the House of David sent the mightily struggling Frank Sullivan to AAA with Karl Spooner being recalled.

Clinton’s time in the WBL only lasted 2 appearances. He was effective across his 6 innings of work, but came down with a sore shoulder. Bob Shaw was recalled.

TWIWBL 66.6: Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On September 25, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Kansas City Monarchs	29-21	.580	—
Indianapolis ABC’s	28-23	.549	1.5
Wandering House of David	23-26	.469	5.5
Houston Colt 45s	23-29	.442	7
Birmingham Black Barons	17-35	.327	13

Marvin Miller Division | 28 May

#Houston Colt 45s

Something is just not right with young Bret Saberhagen. The Colt 45s moved him down to AAA, hoping he can recover his command there. Needing a starter, they promoted teenage phenom Leon Day for his first taste of WBL action since last season.

Jim O’Rourke‘s strong performance since his recall meant that, when George Brett was available for recall from a rehab assignment, Russ Adams was the odd man out, heading to AAA.

Toad Ramsey improved to 9-2, allowing only 2 hits and 2 runs over 8 innings while striking out 14 in a 6-2 win over Birmingham. Ramsey became the first hurler in the WBL to eclipse 100 K’s on the season.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Johnny Bench‘s poor start has finally impacted the ABC’s lineup construction, with the all-star catcher from last season dropping to 6th. It didn’t help, as Bench whiffed in all 4 of his at-bats, but Indianapolis used a solo homer from Oscar Charleston to edge Homestead 1-0 despite managing only 3 hits. Johnny Cueto, Sad Sam Jones, Rob Murphy, and Rob Dibble combined on the shutout, striking out 16.

Luis Padrón is dominating on the mound right now: the ABC’s scored 11 runs in the 3rd inning, but the story of the game was Padrón, who took a no-hitter into the 9th against the Grays, retired the first batter, gave up a single to Andrew McCutchen, and promptly induced a double-play for the 1-hitter. In doing so, Padrón dropped his ERA to 3.66 and improved his record to 9-1. Dave Henderson, Joey Votto, and Barry Larkin each drove in 3 while Larkin, Charleston, and George Foster each had 3 hits.

It wasn’t all good news for Indianapolis, however: Ed Charles headed to the DL, expected to miss a couple weeks with Robin Ventura being recalled from AAA.

#Kansas City Monarchs

A. Rube Foster moved into the Monarch’s rotation.

Despite a shaky outing, Smoky Joe Wood helped himself with his first homerun of the year, improving his record to 6-3 in a 14-6 win over the House of David. Stan Musial had 3 homeruns–one an inside the park job– and Willie McGee and Ted Simmons also went deep for the Monarchs. Musial has hit well this year, but without much power, having only one dinger coming into today’s game.

Two homeruns from Albert Pujols were enough to force extra innings, but not enough to win as the Monarchs fell to the House of David in 11 innings, 6-5.

#Wandering House of David

CC Sabathia replaced Frank Sullivan in the starting rotation for the House of David; one consequence of this is preserving Wade Miley as the sole lefty in their bullpen despite his recent struggles.

Sabathia rewarded the choice immediately, twirling a 5 hit shutout over Brooklyn in his first start. Sabathia walked 2 and fanned 3, leveling his record at 2-2 and supported by homeruns from Elrod Hendricks and Richie Hebner.

Ryne Sandberg went deep twice, but it wasn’t enough as the House of David fell to Brooklyn, 11-5. Hebner, recently installed as the House of David’s leadoff batter, did the same, going deep twice in a 9-4 loss to the Royal Giants.

Jim Edmonds went deep twice and Sammy Sosa, who entered the game as a pinch-runner, delivered a walkoff shot in the bottom of the 10th in a 4-2 win over Kansas City.