Tag: Smokey Joe Williams Page 1 of 5

TWIWBL 101.5: Year 3, Week 4 – Effa Manley Division

On September 21, 2026

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Ottawa Mounties	16-8	.667	—
Philadelphia Stars	16-10	.615	1
Homestead Grays	13-11	.542	3
New York Gothams	13-11	.542	3
Brooklyn Royal Giants	13-12	.520	3.5

Effa Manley Division | 29 April

Brooklyn Royal Giants

A 12-run fifth inning carried Brooklyn past Baltimore 18-6. The game was tied 4-4 when the inning started and it was 16-4 when it ended: Brooklyn scored 12 runs on 11 hits in the frame. In that game, Dan Brouthers went 5-for-6 with a homerun and 2 doubles and Roy White reached 5 times and scored 4 runs.

Ron Cey hit 2 homeruns and drove in 5 in the second game of a doubleheader, an 8-6 win over Philadelphia. Smokey Joe Williams struck out 12 in the game, but gave up all 6 runs (3 of them on homeruns, which are plaguing the young right-hander). Williams was 2-for-4 with a double as the DH, and did manage to get the victory, thanks to Cey’s heroics.

Homestead Grays

Andrew McCutchen hit 2 homeruns and drove in 3 against San Francisco in a game the Grays took 10 innings to win, 5-3.

New York Gothams

Christy Mathewson struck out 10 in 6 innings to beat Detroit 3-2 at the Polo Grounds, which was (foreshadowing here) his 4th win without a loss. The next day, HR Johnson hit 2 homeruns and drove in 5 in a 9-8 win over the Wolverines.

Don Buford hit 2 homeruns and a double the next afternoon in a 6-2 win over Baltimore. Mathewson took that one too, moving to 5-0.

Dave Righetti is out about 2 weeks. This may hurt, as Righetti posted a 2.84 ERA over his 4 starts, making an argument that he was more than a throw-in in the Gaylord Perry for HR Johnson trade. Vic Raschi was recalled to cover it.

Ottawa Mounties

Charles Radbourn threw a 2-hit shutout of Cleveland, for a game score of 87. The 2-0 win improved Radbourn’s record to 2-0 with a microscopic 1.38 ERA.

Dupee Shaw has begun a rehab assignment.

Philadelphia Stars

The injuries keep being the news in Philadelphia, with a couple big ones.

Charles Rogan is out about 2 weeks–a massive loss, but it is only 2 weeks. Obviously, nobody replaces both halves of Rogan, with the Stars opting to recall an arm in the form of John Burkett.

Closer Bob Howry is being shut down for about a month after a rocky start. Mark Melancon becomes the Stars’ closer, although expect Philadelphia to use Ryan Madson in that role as well.

But wait, there’s more: Ted Kennedy, recalled only a few days prior, hits the DL for a week and Bill Gatewood is out for a little more than that. All of this results in, in addition to Burkett, John Clarkson and Tommy Hunter being recalled.

On the other side of the seesaw, Jack Kralick has begun a rehab assignment.

Steve Carlton threw a complete game against the Black Yankees, holding them to a single run and striking out 11 for a game score of 84. With the 6-1 victory, Carlton improves to 4-1 with a 2.01 ERA.

TWIWBL 101.2: Year 3, Week 4 – Spotlight on The Brooklyn Royal Giants

By mknn

On September 18, 2026

In TWIWBL

{Each week, we pick one club at random and give them a bit more depth–how they thought the season would go, how it’s going, and what the future might hold. In a nice bit of luck, defending champion Brooklyn is up first.}

The defending champions are 13–12, sitting fifth in the Effa Manley Division but only 3.5 games behind Ottawa. They have scored 124 runs and allowed 117.

	BRK	WBL rank
—	—	—	—
Batting average	.260	4th	5th
On-base	.323	5th	15th
Slugging	.433	9th	5th
OPS	.756	7th	10th
Runs scored	124	8th	10th
Homeruns	31	13th	4th
ERA	4.38	12th	2nd
WHIP	1.25	8th	1st
Strikeouts per 9	9.6	5th	6th
Walks per 9	3.6	16th	7th
Homeruns per 9	1.64	16th	3rd

Brooklyn Royal Giants | 29 April

Such a hard league. The offense has improved, even with some significantly poor performances from key people. But the pitching … yeah, they’re still striking people out, but that’s about it when compared to last season.

#How We Thought it Would Go

Brooklyn’s season preview called the job “not to defend a title, but to turn a surprise into a dynasty.” A decent summary: Brooklyn was lightly regarded going into 2001; 2002 sees them wearing Whirled Series rings.

They did not stay still, with pouting ace Don Drysdale and continual surprise John Briggs being the biggest names sent on their way, while Mookie Betts is the most significant new addition to the lineup.

With Drysdale gone, they are betting big on the trio of Orel Hershiser, Fernando Valenzuela, and, perhaps especially, Smokey Joe Williams to provide a rotation core, and for the bullpen to continue to dominate. There is also pressure on Duke Snider to justify Briggs’ departure, and general concern over offensive regression–especially Mike Piazza and Ron Cey have to land closer to their 2001 levels than what they did in 2000.

#How It’s Going

It’s … OK. Not great, but not an implosion for sure; or, at least, not yet. Here are the current answers to the questions asked in the season preview:

Can the rotation hold? Maybe? The peripherals are good, but the staff has caught a case of homeritis: young Dick Redding has given up 3 per 9 innings, Williams 2.7, and, of the starters, only Hershiser (1-2, 3.74) is doing a decent job of keeping the ball in the park. Still, WHIPs are solid across the board, and 5 starts isn’t enough to get too concerned about. But the overall ERA is high enough for there being some rumbles of complaint.

It doesn’t help that Drysdale is doing very well for Memphis (a 2.82 ERA with 12.9 strikeouts per 9).

How much of Duke Snider is real? This is a concern. Snider is slashing 202/253/404 with 4 homeruns and 30 strikeouts in 95 plate appearances. That’s … not great.

Where does the Whirled Series MVP play? The answer might be AAA. Ray Dandridge has 45 plate appearances as the roving infielder and is slashing 162/244/297. The plan was to find him a near-everyday load without a fixed position; now, he’s struggling to find time anywhere.

That all sounds pretty dire, but the Royal Giants are being carried by the core of Jackie Robinson (323/368/515), Roy White (303/402/487), and Dan Brouthers (337/398/584), with Vern Stephens (270/316/483, 17 RBI) continuing to mash at SS.

In the bullpen, Terry Forster (11.57 in 7 innings) has struggled and Trevor Hildenberger is just recently returned from injury, but Darren Dreifort (1.10 in 16.1) and Ralph Branca (2-1, 3.86) have made up for it, and Eric Gagné (1.00, 5 saves, 16 strikeouts per 9) continues to be a truly elite closer.

The concern is really that Betts (205/261/301)–the return for Drysdale–is struggling mightily, Piazza (257/288/405) has regressed, and Brooklyn’s best player last season, Cey (198/275/383, 24 strikeouts in 91 PA), is yet to really find his bearings.

#The Crystal Ball

Nobody is reaching for the panic button. But …

The focus is on the offense–there is enough signal that the pitching will stabilize. But if the team isn’t able to find more runs in May, look for Dandridge’s time to continue to be reduced, and George Hendrick (200/256/225) to get some of Beals Becker‘s PAs as the team tries to find something new.

#Buy or Sell?

Who knows? The team is committed to contending this year, but not willing to break the bank: they passed on FA Sudden Sam McDowell due to the size of contract he demanded. It was an understandable move, but it also points to Brooklyn not being willing to do anything to improve their chances.

#Stories

CF

The door is open. Snider is at .202 with a strikeout every third trip, and the obvious tactical fallback — sit him against lefties, slide Betts to center, Hendrick to right — isn’t really on the table with Hendrick hitting .200 and Betts .205. The three men who can play center for Brooklyn are hitting a combined .203 with 7 homers. Al Simmons, 21, is hitting .340 at AA and plays all three outfield spots. He may not wait.

Going Gentile Into the Night

Jim Gentile came up to cover Pedro Guerrero and is 5-for-8. Ten plate appearances is nothing — but the DH slot was supposed to be a rotation built on Becker (195/298/341 in 47 PA) and Guerrero. Guerrero started the year very hot, but is on the disabled list. Gentile is a left-handed power bat, not the best fit for Ebbets Field. Still, if he keeps hitting, he’s a DH even after Guerrero’s return.

The Staff

Redding (0-1, 5.57) was the question coming into the year, but Valenzuela (1-1, 5.16) has struggled and those two, along with Smokey Joe (2-1, 5.13), all sport an ERA over 5.00. All 3 are also averaging more than a strikeout per inning, so it’s not clear this is anything more than noise.

The Royal Giants would be in much worse shape if Dutch Leonard (3-0, 3.71) hadn’t shown up somewhat surprisingly.

#Down on the Farm

The preview called this “the best farm system in baseball — it isn’t close.” The names that matter are mostly at AA.

Al Simmons (CF, 21, AA): 340/386/415 in 57 plate appearances, after .262 with 9 homers at A-ball last year. The clock is ticking a bit faster.

Ed Delahanty (2B, 21, AA): 312/380/453 with 2 homers, after .262 and 15 homers at A. He’s a year away, and may end up in LF.

Sonny Jackson (SS, 21, AAA): 316/355/421 in 62 PA, on .341 and .302 at A and AA last year. There’s not any pressure on him due to Stephens’ performance, but he still looks like the long-term solution at shortstop.

Note that none of those are pitchers: there is some good veteran depth, but the promising arms are still a few years away.

#One Number

10. Homeruns allowed by Smokey Joe Williams in 33.1 innings. He is striking out 11 men per 9 and carrying a 5.13 ERA. As The Cyclone goes, so go the Royal Giants.

Year III Season Preview: Brooklyn Royal Giants

By mknn

On July 27, 2026

In 2002 Season Previews, Team News

State of the Franchise

Brooklyn won the whole thing, in a year where nobody saw them coming. But they’re Brooklyn — nobody ever does. The Royal Giants were a surprise division winner and a bigger surprise in October, running through the bracket and then handling the heavily favored San Francisco Sea Lions in the Whirled Series. From a .500 team in 2000 to a 99-63 champion.

And then … they spent the winter trading 2 of the key pieces of the championship run.

Brooklyn is New York’s third team, forever looked down on by the Yankees and the Gothams, and its edge seems to be first, to feel no sentiment, and, second, to care for the clubhouse. A ring didn’t change that. Within months of the parade the champions dealt Don Drysdale and John Briggs, the former for pouting when he was passed over to start the opening game of the Whirled Series and the latter because the Royal Giants believe they could get more value in return.

Brooklyn is convinced their offense will survive the passing of the home-run-friendly era, with Ron Cey at third, Jackie Robinson and Roy White as the heart and soul of the club, Mike Piazza behind the plate, and Smokey Joe Williams and Orel Hershiser at the front of the rotation.

The job now isn’t to defend a title. It’s to turn a surprise into a dynasty.

2001 Revisited

Our preview a year ago called this roster very middle of the road, penciled in a modest playoff hunt, and hung the whole thing on 2 names: Drysdale, the supposed lone dependable starter, and Briggs, the outfielder we swore would keep setting the world on fire.

Not wrong. Also not the story.

Cey slugged 47 homers with a 291/381/656 line and took the club MVP. Piazza finally arrived, mashing 48. Dan Brouthers settled first base with a .950 OPS. And the arms the org supposedly couldn’t trust carried it: Hershiser went 19-5, a converted Fernando Valenzuela 14-5, and Eric Gagné slammed the door 39 times. Williams was the best of them and had the least to show for it — a 7-WAR performance stuck with a 12-13 record.

Then the champions got to work dismantling the edges of their own title team. Drysdale — who threw a public fit about ceding the top of the rotation spot to Hershiser — went to Memphis with Red Ruffing (signed as a FA the previous week) in a package essentially for Mookie Betts, giving Brooklyn the marquee OF they had always lacked. Briggs, exactly the doubted-kid-makes-good story this fanbase adores, followed him to Memphis a few weeks later, bringing back a first-round pick and a pair of prospects.

Key Changes

In: Mookie Betts (MEM); Billy Bryan (MEM); Joe Smith (FA)
Out: John Briggs (MEM); Don Drysdale (MEM)

Opening Day Rookies: None

Best Case for 2002

The core doesn’t regress and the luck evens out. Cey, Piazza, Robinson, and Brouthers are all in their primes. Williams gets the record his WAR deserves, Hershiser is Hershiser, and Gagné closes. Behind the top 2, one of the other arms holds up well enough to carry them into October again. And, if someone does go down, the best farm system in baseball — it isn’t close — starts feeding the big club: for example, Ed Delahanty or Al Simmons arriving to turn the outfield into an embarrassment of riches. All of that, and Brooklyn goes back-to-back, and the surprise becomes a dynasty.

Worst Case for 2002

The pitching falls short. Behind Williams and Hershiser, Valenzuela regresses, Dick Redding fails to develop, and the rest turn out to be merely average at best. The bullpen — excellent in 2001 — collapses, leaving no reliable bridge to Gagné. Pedro Guerrero keeps flailing, and the lineup that looked fearsome in a juiced year looks ordinary in a normal one. All of that, and the champion drifts back toward the .500 club it was in 2000, relegated to be a curious footnote of WBL history.

Oh yeah, and Drysdale wins the Brock Rutherford Award in the AL.

Key Questions

Can the rotation hold? Yeah, Brooklyn had excess pitching. But trading Drysdale is a massive bet on … well, who exactly? Valenzuela? Redding? Ralph Branca? Nap Rucker? You can’t say you would prefer any of them over Drysdale without giggling. The answer may be young lefty Sandy Koufax, but he’s likely a bullpen arm this season as he works on building up the endurance to handle a starter’s load.
Can a champion still be the underdog? What happens when Brooklyn wins, again? It sort of breaks reality, yes?
How much of Duke Snider is real? Center field is now his with Briggs’ departure. Snider led the club with 51 homers — and was worth 0.2 WAR doing it, a .259 average and a .295 on-base underneath the power. Brooklyn traded the productive outfielder in Briggs and kept the other one in center, betting his ceiling was higher. It’s not clear.
Where does the Whirled Series MVP play? Lost in Piazza’s October is the man who won the round that mattered most: Ray Dandridge, a 22-year-old infielder who caught fire in the Series and has no position to call his own. Cey owns third, Robinson owns second, and Vern Stephens sparkled since being brought in at SS. Dandridge takes his reps everywhere, but at some point will force some hard questions.

Roster Evaluation

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

Pos	Players
C	Piazza A · Bryan
1B	Brouthers B
2B	Robinson A
SS	Stephens D
3B	Cey S
LF	White C
CF	Snider C
RF	Betts C
DH	Becker C · Guerrero F
SP	Williams A · Hershiser B · Valenzuela A · Redding · Leonard · Dreifort
RP	Gagné S (CL) · Forster A · Koufax C · Knauss D · Hildenberger B (IL)

A core of genuine stars — Cey, Piazza, Robinson, Williams, Valenzuela — deep enough to win a title and young enough to win several.

The bullpen is where the grid hides something. Gagné is an S-tier closer and Terry Forster an A-tier setup man, but the bridge to them leans hard left, and Trevor Hildenberger — the one right-handed answer with a real track — opens the year on the IL. Until he’s back, it’s all lefties all the time for Brooklyn.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	C Mike Piazza	1B Justin Smoak; 1B Jim Gentile
Batting Eye	3B Ron Cey	1B Justin Smoak
Contact	1B Dan Brouthers	RF Matty Alou
Running Speed	RF Mookie Betts	SS Sonny Jackson
Base Stealing	RF Beals Becker; 1B Dan Brouthers	2B Davey Lopes; RF Chicken Wolf
IF Defense	2B Jackie Robinson	SS Tim Foli
OF Defense	RF Mookie Betts	RF Chicken Wolf
Stuff	RP Eric Gagné	SP Jim Bunning; SP Allen Russell
Control	SP Smokey Joe Williams	SP Jordan Zimmermann
Velocity	RP Eric Gagné	RP Steve Chitren

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	Pos	Name
1 (1)	21	2B	Ed Delahanty
2 (13)	25	RF	Chicken Wolf
3 (17)	23	SP	Walker Buehler
4 (24)	22	SP	Jim Kaat
5 (25)	21	CF	Al Simmons
6 (34)	22	SP	Eustace Newton
7 (47)	23	RF	Don Mueller
8 (56)	25	SP	Dustin McGowan
9 (79)	26	RF	George Selkirk

Others: OF Brett Butler, OF Jay Johnstone, P Victor González, P Odalis Pérez.

The best farm system in baseball, and it isn’t close — 9 ranked names headed by Ed Delahanty, the No. 1 prospect in the sport, a 21-year-old second baseman with the small problem that Robinson already owns the position. He is taking reps in left field.

A year ago this list graduated Smokey Joe Williams and Valenzuela straight into a championship rotation, and produced Briggs at #5. What remains is an arms-and-outfielders wave — Al Simmons, Jim Kaat, Walker Buehler — pressing up from below.

Superlatives

	Most	Least
Age	Burleigh Grimes, 36	Odalis Pérez, 20
Height	Luke Farrell, 6’6″	Candy Jim Taylor, 5’5″
OPS	Jim Gentile, 1.053 (AAA)	Rollie Hemsley, 0.550 (A)
HR	Duke Snider, 51	Rollie Hemsley, 1 (A)
SB	Jackie Robinson, 53	–
WAR (bat)	Ron Cey, 5.0	Pedro Guerrero, -1.1
W	Orel Hershiser, 19	–
SV	Eric Gagné, 39	–
ERA	Art H Johnson, 3.20 (AA)	Jordan Zimmermann, 5.80 (AAA)
WAR (pit)	Smokey Joe Williams, 7.1	Dazzy Vance, -0.1 (A)

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

WBL Year III 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

3+ 2B Games

3. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Grant Johnson (NYG); Al Kaline (DET); JD Martinez (DET); Jackie Robinson (BRK); Robin Yount (MCG).

3+ HBP Games

3. Melky Cabrera (BBB).

3+ HR Games

3. Gary Carter (OTT); Oscar Charleston (IND); Lou Gehrig (NYY); Rogers Hornsby (NYY).

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4+ CS Games

4+ Run Games

4. Oscar Charleston (IND); Roy White (BKR); Ted Williams (MEM).

4+ SB Games

5+ Hit Games

6. Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
5. Dan Brouthers (BRK); Charles Rogan (PHI).

5+ SO Games

5. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Evan Longoria (CLE).

6+ RBI Games

8. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
6. Gary Carter (OTT).

Cycles

Longest HRs

{ OOTP has, for a long time had a problem with surreally long HR distances. So we threw math at it–these distances are modified based on the game’s projected exit velocity, which puts a cap on how far the ball could actually travel. Far more realistic. }

510. Chuck Klein (POR).
497. Willie Mays (NYG).
495. Duke Snider (BRK); Willie Stargell (HOM).
490. Rogers Hornsby (NYY).
485. Buster Posey (NYG); Anthony Rizzo (HOD); Ted Williams (MEM).
484. Don Buford (NYG).
481. Andrew Payne (PHI).
480. Ted Williams (MEM).
475. Jim Ray Hart (NYG).
472. Eric Davis (NYY).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

90. Whitey Ford (NYY).
89. Waite Hoyt (CAG); Mickey Welch (KAN).
88. Christy Mathewson (NYG).
87. Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT).
85. Smokey Joe Wood (KAN).
84. Steve Carlton (PHI); José Méndez (MCG).
83. Walter Johnson (POR).
82. Walter Johnson (POR); JM Ward (PHI).
81. Bill Byrd (BBB).
80. Watty Clark (SFS).

10+ Strikeout Games

16. Sid Fernandez (DET).
13. Bob Feller (CLE); Lefty Grove (SFS); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Walter Johnson (POR).
12. Lefty Gomez (BBB); Lefty Grove (SFS); Ron Guidry (NYY); Waite Hoyt (CAG); Pat Malone (CLE); Dick Redding (BRK); Jim Whitney (MCG); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
11. Steve Carlton (PHI); Bob Feller (CLE); Ned Garvin (BAL); Bump Hadley (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Walter Johnson (PR); Joseíto Muñoz (POR); Luis Padrón (IND); Charlie Root (DET); Bob Shawkey (KAN); Bill Steen (CLE); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
10. Don Drysedale (MEM); Ned Garvin (BAL); Cole Hamels (MCG); Connie Johnson (DET); Walter Johnson x2 (POR); Pat Malone (CLE); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Sam Streeter x2 (CAG); Fernando Valenzuela (BRK); Justin Verlander (DET); Jim Whitney x2 (MCG); Smokey Joe Wood x2 (KAN); Cy Young (CLE).

8+ Walk Games

8. Hardie Henderson (PHI).

Shutouts

1 Hit. Mark Buehrle (CAG, 6 IP); Whitey Ford (NYY).
2 Hit. Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Mickey Welch (KAN).

Shutouts (Combined)

1 Hit. Old Hoss Radbourn / Kevin Gross / Ryan Dempster / Billy Koch (OTT).
3 Hits. David Price / Babe Adams (HOM, 7 IP); Charlie Root / Dick Donovan / Jason Frasor / Troy Percival (DET); Dave Righetti / George Jeffcoat / Vito Tamulis / Brian Wilson (NYG); Whitey Ford / Hoyt Wilhelm / Goose Gossage (NYY); Jock Menefee / Jeff Reardon / Lee Smith (KAN); Pete Donohue / Masahiro Tanaka / Kent Tekulve / Brian Wilson (NYG; 10 IP); Bump Hadley / Charlie Ferguson (SFS); Watty Clark / Joe Nathan (SFS); Waite Hoyt / AJ Minter (CAG).
4 Hits. Mel Harder / Whit Wyatt / Ron Reed / Aroldis Chapman / Terry Adams (CLE); Brett Anderson / Jimmy Key / Dellin Betances / Karl Spooner / Ed Bauta (HOD); Toad Ramsey / Jim Kern / Billy Wagner / Tug McGraw (HOU); Smokey Joe Wood / Lee Smith (KAN); Randy Johnson / Kevin Gross / BJ Ryan (OTT); Tony Brizzolara / Tony Mullane / Rheal Cormier / Goose Gossage (NYY).
5 Hits. Cy Young / Ron Reed / Cory Gearrin (CLE); Greg Maddux / Kerry Ligtenberg / Bruce Chen / Akinori Otuska / Harley Young (BBB); Waite Hoyt / Wilbur Wood / Will Smith (CAG); Joseíto Muñoez / John Wetteland (POR); Gaylord Perry / Hoyt Wilhelm (NYY).

TWIWBL 89.4: Off Season Review – Brooklyn Royal Giants

By mknn

On March 16, 2026

In Season Reviews, TWIWBL

99 - 63, .611 pct.
1st in Effa Manley Division
Defeated IND 4-1 in Wild Card Round
Defeated HOU 4-2 in NL Championship
Defeated SFS 4-1 in Whirled Series
Year 2 WBL CHAMPIONS

Overall

All hail the champs!

And, it must be said, the surprising champs. Surprising that they pulled away in the Effa Manley Division, surprising they navigated the first 2 playoff rounds so easily, and most of all, surprising they dominated the best team in the regular season in the Whirled Series.

Brooklyn rode a great pitching staff and a solid offense all season, but things really took off when they finalized on a 5 man rotation, replacing Sandy Koufax with Fernando Valenzuela (Don Drysdale‘s improved 2nd half form certainly helped as well).

The postseason also confirmed Mike Piazza‘s status as a superstar capable of carrying his team.

This is a team looking to capitalize on their success, with most of their key parts either just entering or firmly in their prime. Additionally, there are a lot of players who overperformed this season–it would be rational to expect some regression from Jackie Robinson, Ron Cey, John Briggs, Beals Becker, and Duke Snider; Roy White isn’t getting any younger; and pitching is never truly dependable. As such, there is some pressure to make the right moves this offseason.

What Went Right

Ron Cey was, shockingly, perhaps the best 3B in the WBL, slugging 47 homeruns and driving in 105 while slashing 291/381/656. It would be surprising if Cey could replicate this level of performance, but anything close would be more than enough for Brooklyn.

And then there’s Piazza, who took a year to grow accustomed to the WBL. He led the team with 117 RBIs with 48 homeruns (and was still only the 3rd best offensive catcher in the NL). Back to back MVP Awards in the postseason proved the cherry atop his season’s accomplishments.

Dan Brouthers gets little respect, either in Brooklyn or nationally, but he deserves it, posting a .950 OPS as he settled the 1B question for the Royal Giants.

Speaking of little respect … John Briggs was the most common name on pundit’s lips when asked what rookies were most likely to struggle in their initial WBL season. Instead, Briggs posted a .934 OPS with 34 homers in CF, far outpacing predictions and expectations.

Jackie Robinson remains the heart and soul of the team, leading the Royal Giants with 52 steals and 94 runs scored and hitting with surprising power.

Beals Becker, Duke Snider, and Roy White were all good enough, with Snider leading the team with 51 homers, Becker providing both power (39 homeruns) and speed (44 steals), and White a decent bat to go along with gold glove quality defense.

Vern Stephens was excellent after coming over from Memphis, slashing 248/302/503 in a Royal Giants uniform.

And then there was the strength of the team …

Orel Hershiser went 19-5 with a 3.69 ERA. Fernando Valenzuela was dominant out of the pen and then moved into the rotation for 17 starts. Overall, he went 14-5, also with a 3.69 ERA. Don Drysdale bounced back from a rough first half to amass an 11-8 record with decent peripherals despite a 5.66 ERA, and Frank Knauss was as good a 5th starter as there was in the league.

And then there was Smokey Joe Williams, who had to be the unluckiest pitcher in the NL, managing only a 12-13 record despite supporting numbers equal to, if not better than, Hershiser’s.

Sandy Koufax–who Valenzuela replaced–embraced his new role, providing an excellent middle innings arm in the bullpen.

And at the end of the game, Trevor Hildenberger (7 saves and 11 holds) and Terry Forster (2 saves and 16 holds) were dominant getting the ball to the best closer in the league, Eric Gagné.

ALL STARS

Ron Cey
Eric Gagné
Mike Piazza
Fernando Valenzuela

MAJOR AWARDS

Ron Cey: All NL Team; NL 3B Gold Glove; NL 3B Silver Slugger; NL All Star
Eric Gagné: NL Phineas Flint Award; All NL Team; NL All Star
Mike Piazza: NL All Star
Fernando Valenzuela: NL All Star
Roy White: NL LF Gold Glove

RECOGNITIONS

John Briggs: NL All Rookie Team
Terry Forster: All NL 2nd Team; NL 25 & Under Team; NL 23 & Under Team
Jackie Robinson: NL All-Rounder Award, 2nd Place
Orel Hershiser: All NL 3rd Team
Sandy Koufax: NL 21 & Under Team
Mike Piazza: All NL 3rd Team
Smokey Joe Williams: All NL 2nd Team; NL Rookie of the Year, 3rd Place; NL All Rookie Team
Fernando Valenzuela: All NL 2nd Team; NL All Rookie Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Ron Cey, MVP
Orel Hershiser, Pitcher of the Year
Jackie Robinson, Heart & Soul
Roy White, Fan Favorite

Dick Redding, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Jim Gentile, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

There was a lot of hope around Pedro Guerrero that fizzled as he struggled to find a position and, more importantly, struggled to get his OPS over .750.

SS was a mess until Stephens’ acquisition, with Germany Smith and Ray Dandridge each struggling. Dandridge came alive in the postseason, and at 22, his talent is undeniable.

Dick Bertell won’t be back as Piazza’s backup.

There were a few bad showings on the mound, most notably the attempts to use Dutch Leonard, Darren Dreifort, and Juan Mateo in middle inning roles, but really very little went bad on the mound for Brooklyn.

Transactions

March

P Watty Clark, OF Matt Holliday to SFS for OF Pedro Guerrero.

Right now, nobody won, although perhaps Clark has shown a bit more promise?

July

4th Round Pick to MEM for IF Vern Stephens.

Turned out far better than anticipated, as Stephens’ performance over the last couple months of the season alone is probably worth the pick.

August

3rd Round Pick to PHI for OF George Hendrick.

Similar to the Stephens trade, Hendrick pounded the ball down the stretch, and should see a reserve role next season.

Positional Overview

C

Piazza should be here for a while, as he’s just entering his prime.

Beyond him, though, it’s not great. Look for veteran Al López to be favored for the backup role, with some pressure from Kelly Shoppach.

1B

I have no idea why Brooklyn refuses to just hand this over to Dan Brouthers, who posted a .950 OPS as a 25 year old. I think this is his spot, and he has a big year.

Jim Gentile had a monster year in the minors this season and Eric Karros was excellent in a brief WBL stint, so look for those two to get a look in the Spring as well.

2B

There really aren’t any natural 2B here. Jackie Robinson can play wherever he wants, Dandridge is more suited to the left side of the infield, and even young Ed Delahanty looks more like an eventual OFer. Maybe young Tim Foli at A ball evolves enough to take over at some point.

None of that really matters as long as Robinson is around, though, and next year looks like more of Jackie, with Dandridge filling in.

SS

Vern Stephens really seized this, although Dandridge’s performance in the postseason may open it back up as a competition.

There is some talent behind them in case either falter: Sonny Jackson is still too young, but Dickie Thon and Maury Wills are both available.

3B

I don’t think anyone believes Ron Cey will be a perennial S-Tier 3B, but it was a great ride, and Cey is certainly good enough to hold on here. This may be Dandridge’s best position as well, and while there aren’t many pure 3B in the system, Jim Delahanty and the ageless Tony Fernandez are both available, along with Guerrero.

LF/RF

Roy White and Beals Becker keep chugging along here, and neither are under a lot of pressure, although the Royal Giants would love Guerrero or Raúl Mondesi to make some noise.

Mondesi is out of options, and is hence likely to make the WBL roster or move on. Chicken Wolf and George Selkirk keep pressing for a shot as well, but Al Simmons may have the highest ceiling of this group.

CF

John Briggs has this locked down after proving his doubters very, very wrong and George Hendrick‘s performance after coming over late in the season makes him the favorite for the backup spot.

It is possible that Duke Snider sees more time in the field this year–his arm is stronger than Briggs’ for sure.

DH

If Briggs continues to develop, he and Becker may share a lot of time here; otherwise, some mixture of Snider and Guerrero seems likely.

SP

I don’t think there’s another team in the WBL as set in the rotation and swing starters as Brooklyn: Drysdale, Hershiser, Williams, Valenzuela, and Frank Knauss are the top 5, with Sandy Koufax and young phenom Dick Redding also getting occasional starting opportunities.

With Jim Bunning, John Denny, Jordan Zimmerman, and Walker Buehler all in the minors, the Royal Giants are one of the few teams with enough surplus starting to make a splash.

RP

There may be an open spot in the bullpen, with Zach Britton likely to get a long look in the Spring.

Otherwise, it’s Trevor Hildenberger, Terry Forster, and Dave Von Ohlen getting the ball to Eric Gagné.

Rick Aguilera and Ron Perranoski are the most likely support candidates.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

We’ll see if anything changes before the draft, but if not, some offensive talent would be welcome.

TWIWBL 88.3: Rookie Teams of the Year

By mknn

On March 2, 2026

In TWIWBL

Two teams per league, with preference given to more playing time this year over future potential. No DH.

#WBL All Rookie First Team

Pos	American League	National League
C	Tom Haller (BAL)	Bill Dickey (PHI)
1B	Jimmie Foxx (SFS)	Joe Harris (KCM)
2B	Charlie Gehringer (DET)	César Hernández (PHI)
SS	Cal Ripken Jr (BAL)	Judy Johnson (HOM)
3B	Andy Pafko (BBB/MCG)	Chris Sabo (IND)
LF	Juan Beníquez (DET)	Adam Dunn (IND)
CF	Turkey Stearnes (SFS)	John Briggs (BRK)
RF	Al Kaline (DET)	George Foster (IND)
SP	Jim Whitney (BBB/MCG) Bump Hadley (SFS) Walter Ball (POR)	A. Rube Foster (KCM) Smokey Joe Williams (BRK) Fernando Valenzuela (BRK)
RP	Andrew Miller (MEM) Ross Reynolds (LAA) Elmer Smith (LAA)	Eddie Guardado (KCM) Karl Spooner (HOD) Mike Kume (KCM)

Rookies are interesting.

We run the full gamut here, from the MVP possibilities of Turkey Stearnes to players who ended the year in the minors, or, like César Hernández, project as fringe players at best. Tom Haller, Juan Beníquez, and Joe Harris are all on the wrong side of 30.

The spread of talent makes some comparisons misleading: you would much rather be San Francisco with Jimmie Foxx, Stearnes, and Bump Hadley than Indianapolis with Chris Sabo, Adam Dunn, and George Foster.

#WBL All Rookie Second Team

Pos	American League	National League
C	AJ Pierzynski (LAA)	Dick Dietz (NYG)
1B	David Ortiz (MEM)	JP Arencibia (BBB)
2B	Frank Grant (HOD/SFS)	Craig Reynolds (HOD)
SS	Dobie Moore (MEM)	Jimmy Rollins (PHI)
3B	Freddie Lindstrom (CAG)	Josh Donaldson (OTT)
LF	Rocky Colavito (CAG)	Elliott Maddox (NYY/HOU)
CF	Julio Rodríguez (MCG)	Charles Rogan (PHI)
RF	Ichiro Suzuki (LAA)	Sam Thompson (OTT)
SP	Tony Brizzolara (NYY) Tom Seaver (LAA) Kenshin Kawakami (MCG)	Charles Rogan (PHI) Ice Box Chamberlain (HOU) Kyle Peterson (HOD)
RP	Firpo Marberry (CLE) Skel Roach (MEM) Billy Hoeft (DET)	Brad Kilby (PHI) Mike LaCoss (IND) Fred Fussell (BBB)

Note Bullet Joe Rogan‘s well warranted appearance at 2 positions.

David Ortiz, Julio Rodríguez, Rogan, and Ice Box Chamberlain were the class of this group. Those 4, Frank Grant, Dobie Moore, Freddie Lindstrom, Ichiro Suzuki, and Tom Seaver are the most likely to be future stars–that’s a lot of potential over there in the American League.

TWIWBL 87.17: The Awards

By mknn

On February 25, 2026

In TWIWBL

We’ll do this Award Show style, ending with the MVP.

#Silver Sticks

The guideline here is the best offensive performance at each position, with a slightly relaxed PA requirement and combining LF and RF. Players qualify for their team at season’s end, much to Paul Konerko‘s delight.

Pos	American League	National League
C	Ed Bailey (DET/CLE)	Josh Gibson (HOM)
1B	Frank Thomas (CAG)	Paul Konerko (CAG/BBB)
2B	Rogers Hornsby (NYY)	Roberto Alomar (OTT)
3B	Evan Longoria (CLE)	Ron Cey (BRK)
SS	Cal Ripken, Jr (BAL)	Ernie Banks (HOD)
OF	Babe Ruth (NYY)	Larry Walker (OTT)
CF	Turkey Stearnes (SFS)	Oscar Charleston (IND)
OF	Kal Daniels (LAA)	Aaron Judge (PHI)
DH	Ty Cobb (DET)	Willie Stargell (HOM)

Joe Morgan was better offensively than Alomar, but Alomar had 200 more plate appearances and was no slouch himself.

#Rookie Of the Year

This was pretty easy in terms of the overall awards, but the second and third place finishers were far more heavily contested.

Rank	American League	National League
1	Turkey Stearnes (CF, SFS, 22)	Charles Rogan (P/Util, PHI, 27)
2	Cal Ripken, Jr (SS, BAL, 23)	A. Rube Foster (P, KCM, 24)
3	Bump Hadley (P, SFS, 23)	Smokey Joe Williams (P, BRK, 24)

Al Kaline (DET), David Ortiz (MEM), and Jim Whitney (MCG) in the AL, and John Briggs (BRK), Judy Johnson (HOM), and George Foster (IND) in the NL were the next names on the lists, but these selections feel pretty solid.

#All Rounder Award

This one is given to the player whose offense was most well-rounded–walks, power, speed, all of it.

Rank	American League	National League
1	Ty Cobb (DET)	Roberto Alomar (OTT)
2	Kal Daniels (LAA)	Jackie Robinson (BRK)
3	Tris Speaker (CLE)	Oscar Charleston (IND)

#Phineas Flint Award

This goes to the best reliever in each league–not necessarily a closer, but often.

Rank	American League	National League
1	Rod Beck (SFS)	Eric Gagné (BRK)
2	Joe Nathan (LAA/SFS)	Lee Smith (KCM)
3	Goose Gossage (NYY)	Craig Kimbrel (KCM)

#Brock Rutherford Award

This goes to the dominant pitcher in each league, usually a starter.

Rank	American League	National League
1	Lefty Grove (SFS)	Luis Padrón (IND)
2	Bump Hadley (SFS)	Toad Ramsey (HOU)
3	José Méndez (MCG)	A. Rube Foster (KCM)

#Mel Trench Award

And, the biggie, the MVP. A slight prejudice towards batters here, but it’s possible for a pitcher to enter the building.

Rank	American League	National League
1	Ty Cobb (DET)	Josh Gibson (HOM)
2	Babe Ruth (NYY)	Oscar Charleston (IND)
3	Mike Trout (LAA)	Gary Carter (OTT)

As has been constant in much of this Award season, the top spots are clear, and beyond that it’s a little bit of a mess.

Trout’s numbers weren’t as good as Turkey Steranes or Tris Speaker, but he carried Los Angeles all season. That said, this could have been a 3 way tie for AL CF’s. In the NL, you can argue that Ron Cey was more important to Brooklyn than Carter was to Ottawa, and certainly Brooklyn’s Whirled Championship counts for something. But Carter did all that … as a catcher (which underscores Gibson’s edge on the field).

TWIWBL 87.15: Teams of the Year

By mknn

On February 23, 2026

In TWIWBL

We’re doing 3 teams for each league, with players color coded by their Tier Level (S Tier, A Tier, B Tier, C Tier), with selections for each position, 3 starters, 2 bullpen arms, and a closer.

Just a glance shows the differences in the leagues: you want offense, look at the AL, you want pitching, the NL. That’s a generality, and like all such, not fully accurate: the NL actually has more S Tier bats, but the AL is overall more top heavy offensively.

San Francisco, predictably, leads the way with 12 selections while the rivalry between the Black Yankees and Cleveland continues, with the Bill James Division heavyweights having 8 each.

#AL

Pos	First Team	Second Team	Third Team
C	Ed Bailey (DET/CLE)	Mickey Cochrane (SFS)	Curt Blefary (BAL)
1B	Jim Thome (MCG)	Lance Berkman (CLE)	Jack Clark (SFS)
2B	Eddie Collins (CAG)	Rogers Hornsby (NYY)	Miller Huggins (BAL)
SS	Arky Vaughan (CLE)	Cal Ripken, Jr. (BAL)	Dick Lundy (SFS)
3B	Evan Longoria (CLE)	Mike Schmidt (NYY)	Jimmie Foxx (SFS)
LF	Babe Ruth (NYY)	Kal Daniels (LAA)	Frank Robinson (BAL)
CF	Turkey Stearnes (SFS)	Tris Speaker (CLE)	Mike Trout (LAA)
RF	Mickey Mantle (NYY)	Joe Jackson (CAG)	Yasiel Puig (MCG)
DH	Ty Cobb (DET)	Lou Gehrig (NYY)	Reggie Jackson (SFS)
SP	Lefty Grove (SFS) José Méndez (MCG) Jim Whitney (BBB/MCG)	Bump Hadley (SFS) Andy Pettitte (NYY) Eddie Plank (SFS)	Ed Walsh (CAG) Brett Anderson (LAA) Ron Guidry (NYY)
RP	Ken Howell (SFS) Andrew Miller (MEM)	Ross Reynolds (LAA) Al Smith (CLE)	Firpo Marberry (CLE) Ron Reed (CLE)
CL	Rod Beck (SFS)	Goose Gossage (NYY)	Jonathan Papelbon (MEM/MCG)

I do wonder if this points to how fragile Cleveland is. The Spiders are one of only 2 teams to make the playoffs in both WBL seasons, but if you were to pick names likely to fade off this list, Arky Vaughan, Evan Longoria, Al Smith, and Firpo Marberry would jump out.

It also shows just how top heavy Los Angeles is: 2 S-Tier players (plus Brett Anderson and Ross Reynolds) with nothing to show for it. At the other end, there’s Detroit–the other team to make the playoffs each year–with only a single player (the incomparable Ty Cobb) listed, further reinforcing the Wolverines as having done it with a true team effort (although this was also quite close: Terry Adams, Al Kaline, and Hank Greenberg were all in contention for 3rd Team honors).

And the less said about Memphis, the better.

#NL

Pos	First Team	Second Team	Third Team
C	Josh Gibson (HOM)	Gary Carter (OTT)	Mike Piazza (BRK)
1B	Paul Konerko (CAG/BBB)	Will Clark (NYG)	Jeff Bagwell (HOU)
2B	Roberto Alomar (OTT)	Joe Morgan (IND)	Ryne Sandberg (HOD)
SS	Ernie Banks (HOD)	Carlos Correa (HOU)	Alex Rodríguez (OTT)
3B	Ron Cey (BRK)	Albert Pujols (KCM)	Scott Rolen (PHI)
LF	Jim Wynn (HOU)	Ryan Braun (BBB)	Rick Reichardt (HOM)
CF	Oscar Charleston (IND)	Willie Mays (NYG)	Charles Rogan (PHI)
RF	Aaron Judge (PHI)	Larry Walker (OTT)	Tony Gwynn (HOU)
DH	Willie Stargell (HOM)	Benny Kauff (NYG)	Rick Monday (OTT)
SP	Luis Padrón (IND) Toad Ramsey (HOU) A. Rube Foster (KCM)	Smokey Joe Williams (BRK) Smokey Joe Wood (KCM) Fernando Valenzuela (BRK)	Roger Clemens (HOU) Hardie Henderson (PHI) Orel Hershiser (BRK)
RP	Lee Smith (HOD/KCM) Eddie Guardado (KCM)	Robb Nen (NYG/HOM) Terry Forster (BRK)	Andrew Chafin (HOU) Fred Cambria (PHI)
CL	Eric Gagné (BRK)	Josh Lindblom (HOM)	Bob Howry (PHI)

Brooklyn and Kansas City’s pitching is so strong. And imagine just how bad Ottawa’s pitching had to be, given their offensive representation.

Indianapolis has 3 S Tier players, giving them perhaps the most dominant nucleus in the league to build around. Kansas City has 4 S Tier players, but 2 of them are relievers, so most GM’s would prefer the ABC’s group.

And there are some league-wide deficiencies, especially at 1B and LF. Jim Wynn is a nice player, but the best in the league?

Both of Birmingham’s entrants were brought over in trade … but they also lost Jim Whtiney in those deals.

#Team by Team

Portland had nobody–nobody–who was deemed top 3 in the AL at their position. Ouch.

Baltimore. 4: Curt Blefary, Miller Huggins, Cal Ripken, Jr, Frank Robinson.
Birmingham, 2: Ryan Braun, Paul Konerko.
Brooklyn. 7: Ron Cey, Terry Forster, Eric Gagne, Orel Hershiser, Mike Piazza, Fernando Valenzuela, Smokey Joe Williams
Chicago. 3: Eddie Collins, Joe Jackson, Ed Walsh.
Cleveland. 8: Ed Bailey, Lance Berkman, Evan Longoria, Firpo Marberry, Ron Reed, Al Smith, Tris Speaker, Arky Vaughan.
Detroit. 1: Ty Cobb.
Homestead. 5: Josh Gibson, Josh Lindblom, Robb Nen, Rick Reichardt , Willie Stargell.
Houston. 7: Jeff Bagwell, Andrew Chafin, Roger Clemens, Carlos Correa, Tony Gwynn, Toad Ramsey, Jim Wynn.
Indianapolis. 3: Oscar Charleston, Joe Morgan, Luis Padrón.
Kansas City. 5: A. Rube Foster, Eddie Guardado, Albert Pujols, Lee Smith, Smokey Joe Wood.
Los Angeles. 4: Brett Anderson, Kal Daniels, Ross Reynolds, Mike Trout.
Memphis. 1: Andrew Miller.
Miami. 5: José Méndez, Jonathan Papelbon, Yasiel Puig, Jim Thome, Jim Whitney.
New York Black Yankees. 8: Lou Gehrig, Goose Gossage, Ron Guidry, Rogers Hornsby, Mickey Mantle, Andy Pettitte, Babe Ruth, Mike Schmidt.
New York Gothams. 3: Will Clark, Benny Kauff , Willie Mays.
Ottawa. 5: Roberto Alomar , Gary Carter, Rick Monday, Alex Rodríguez, Larry Walker.
Philadelphia. 7: Fred Cambria, Hardie Henderson, Bob Howry, Aaron Judge, Charles Rogan, Scott Rolen.
Portland. 0.
San Francisco. 12: Rod Beck, Jack Clark, Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Grove, Bump Hadley, Ken Howell, Reggie Jackson, Dick Lundy, Eddie Plank, Turkey Stearnes.
Wandering House of David. 2: Ernie Banks, Ryne Sandberg.

TWIWBL 87.13: The Starters

By mknn

On February 10, 2026

In TWIWBL

On to the starters! Same Tier system.

This is everyone who qualified for the ERA crown, plus a heaping handful of others who made at least 10 starts during the season. If a player had less than 162 innings, they are (a) probably knocked down a tier and (b) their name is prefaced by a * and italicized.

We’ve leaned on valuing IP in these rankings, perhaps a bit too much. But these are your starters, and they need to show up, game after game. It also means the Tiers are a little different: there are D-Tier pitchers here that you would welcome at the back end of your rotation, and it’s really only some of them, and the F Tier, that are truly an issue.

Our usual practices prevail: bold for top 3 and italics for bottom 3. Pitchers with below 162 IP aren’t included in the top/bottom markers.

#S Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	IP	WHIP	Other
NL	KCM	A. Rube Foster	24	11-8	3.30	204	1.02	.189 BA .219 BABIP 0.7 HR/9 3.63 FIP
NL	IND	Luis Padrón	22	23-3	3.22	235	1.04	220 K .192 BA .225 BABIP
NL	HOU	Toad Ramsey	23	16-10	3.23	223	0.97	282 K .182 BA 11.4 K/9 3.8 K/BB 3.40 FIP

Just look at all that bold.

It’s been these 3 all year, and there’s a hair’s breadth between them. The analytics like Toad Ramsey, but Luis Padrón‘s record is stunning and while his ERA crown came by the absolute thinnest of margins, it did come.

Knuckleballers are always a bit unpredictable season-to-season, and it may very well be that A. Rube Foster has the best career of these three. But great things are expected of each of them.

#A Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	IP	WHIP	Other
AL	SFS	Lefty Grove	27	16-6	4.40	209	1.15	230 K 2.2 BB/9 9.9 K/9 4.4 K/BB
AL	MCG	José Méndez	23	13-6	4.53	233	1.11	201 K 2.2 BB/9
NL	BRK	Fernando Valenzuela	24	14-5	3.69	163	1.08	1 Sv; 4 H
—	BBB/ MCG	Jim Whitney	24	10-7	3.83	202	1.10	1 Sv; 2 H
NL	BRK	Smokey Joe Williams	24	12-13	3.93	202	1.23	0.8 HR/9 3.55 FIP
NL	KCM	Smokey Joe Wood	22	15-12	4.11	191	1.13

Lefty Grove and Smokey Joe Williams each have an argument to move up a tier, but are held back, Grove’s instance by his ERA, in Williams’ by his record. Still, they are the class of this group.

If José Méndez hadn’t led the league in innings, he would probably drop down a level, but we’re nitpicking: these are staff aces on most teams. Note that Miami, Brooklyn, and Kansas City already have 2 pitchers each on this list.

#B Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	IP	WHIP	Other
AL	LAA	Brett Anderson	22	11-6	4.34	189	1.12
NL	HOU	* Ice Box Chamberlain	19	4-4	3.56	109	1.13	1 Sv; 1 H
NL	HOU	Roger Clemens	25	17-10	3.71	211	1.13
AL	SFS	Bump Hadley	23	18-6	4.10	189	1.18	0.9 HR/9 4.2 BB/9
NL	PHI	Hardie Henderson	21	18-12	3.78	209	1.23	4.2 BB/9 1.7 KK/B
NL	BRK	Orel Hershiser	27	19-5	3.69	185	1.21
NL	HOD	* Kyle Peterson	22	8-3	3.80	107	1.16
AL	NYY	Andy Pettitte	33	18-9	4.43	201	1.21
AL	SFS	Eddie Plank	27	20-7	4.42	210	1.31
AL	CAG	Ed Walsh	25	10-11	3.94	205	1.15	1 Sv 201 K .225 BABIP

Hardie Henderson, Roger Clemens, and perhaps Eddie Plank (but that would be giving an awful lot of weight on 20 victories) could all be nudged up, but I’m comfortable with this. These are all front of rotation hurlers, with the only real surprise being Brett Anderson, who quietly excelled in a difficult year for Los Angeles. Ed Walsh, last year’s Rookie of the Year, avoided the sophomore slump entirely.

If you’re looking for skepticism, both Ice Box Chamberlain (due to age) and Kyle Peterson (due to coming out of nowhere) are decent bets to regress.

#C Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	IP	WHIP	Other
AL	POR	Walter Ball	26	8-7	4.26	142	1.20
NL	PHI	Steve Carlton	25	12-13	5.05	187	1.24
NL	IND	Johnny Cueto	29	12-14	4.62	212	1.14
NL	HOM	* Doug Drabek	25	6-8	4.76	147	1.17	1 H
NL	BRK	Don Drysdale	22	11-8	5.66	186	1.28
AL	LAA	Dwight Gooden	22	11-11	4.36	194	1.29
AL	NYY	Ron Guidry	28	11-7	4.51	208	1.24	251 K 10.9 K/9
NL	OTT	Roy Halladay	29	15-9	5.17	195	1.26	2.2 BB/9
AL	POR	Walter Johnson	20	13-12	4.28	214	1.28
NL	BRK	* Sandy Koufax	21	6-3	4.93	119	1.16	2 H
AL	MEM	Stubby Overmire	25	13-10	4.72	212	1.26	6.1 K/9
NL	NYG	Gaylord Perry	22	12-15	4.34	189	1.12
NL	KCM	José Rijo	26	8-12	5.09	179	1.26
NL	PHI	Charles Rogan	27	12-9	4.51	188	1.24
AL	CLE	Bill Steen	26	13-10	4.71	193	1.33	1.9 K/BB
NL	NYG	Don Sutton	25	17-8	5.23	174	1.25
NL	PHI	JM Ward	20	6-10	5.01	196	1.16

Gaylord Perry and JM Ward were perhaps the unluckiest pitchers in the league this year: a bit of good fortune, and either could be several tiers above. If anyone is ranked too highly, it’s probably Bill Steen. There are a lot of names here that could easily take a step forward–Steve Carlton, Don Drysdale, and Walter Johnson especially.

Sandy Koufax blossomed in the bullpen after losing his rotation spot, but Brooklyn is likely to try him again as a starter next season.

Joe Rogan is just a remarkable talent. Everyone else here has great value solely from being on the mound: add Rogan’s bat and … yoikes.

#D Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	IP	WHIP	Other
AL	MEM	Len Barker	25	11-12	4.99	180	1.44
AL	SFS	* Tommy Bridges	37	6-7	5.38	146	1.21
AL	POR	Bert Blyleven	21	10-11	5.03	204	1.32
NL	KCM	Frank Castillo	23	12-7	5.21	193	1.32
AL	SFS	* Watty Clark	26	6-4	4.02	134	1.30	2 H
NL	PHI	* Ray Collins	24	4-7	4.62	121	1.27	1 H
AL	CLE	* Bob Feller	20	13-3	4.30	153	1.34
NL	BBB	* Lefty Gomez	27	9-9	4.90	154	1.30	2 H
AL	NYY/ CAG	Waite Hoyt	24	11-4	4.89	169	1.44	4.1 BB/9
NL	BRK	Frank Knauss	23	12-6	4.55	180	1.34
NL	HOM	Francisco Liriano	23	10-12	5.03	181	1.38
NL	BBB	Greg Maddux	23	10-14	5.35	195	1.28	59 HRA .225 BABIP 6.50 FIP
AL	BAL	Dennis Martínez	24	12-8	5.12	202	1.42
NL	NYG	Christy Mathewson	22	7-16	5.61	210	1.40	207 K
AL	POR	* Joseíto Muñoz	20	4-4	4.56	101	1.37	1 Sv; 2 H
AL	BAL	* Jim Palmer	25	8-8	4.88	138	1.37	1 H
NL	BBB	Alejandro Peña	26	8-11	5.59	180	1.31
NL	HOM	Billy Pierce	30	10-11	5.77	173	1.36
NL	HOD	* Rick Reuschel	30	8-8	4.61	135	1.31	1 Sv; 1 H
NL	HOD	Bob Rush	24	11-9	5.28	186	1.32	2 H
NL	HOD	CC Sabathia	28	5-15	5.89	202	1.35	1 Sv; 1 H 64 HRA 3.2 HR/9 6.90 FIP
AL	CAG	Ben Sheets	27	6-12	5.88	165	1.32	1 H
NL	OTT	* Bill Smith	26	10-3	3.77	124	1.35	1 H
NL	HOU	Stephen Strasburg	25	9-10	5.87	169	1.37
NL	HOD	Jack Taylor	26	12-10	5.90	192	1.42	.291 BA 6.4 K/9
AL	CLE	Cy Young	25	15-9	5.38	199	1.39	.307 BABIP

There are some absolute conundrums here. Greg Maddux‘s issues are obvious in the final column: his BABIP is top-3 in the league, showing just how good his stuff is. But he has to keep the ball in the ballpark. At least once in a while.

Christy Mathewson and Cy Young seem like they could do more than be massive inning eaters, but they need to be harder to hit to make the jump forward. But pitching is weird: Jack Taylor and Gerrit Cole (see below) were among the best on the mound last season, and struggled mightily this.

Bob Feller would warrant a bump as well with a few more solid starts.

#F Tier

Lg	Tm	Name	Age	W-L	ERA	IP	WHIP	Other
AL	CAG	Mark Buehrle	31	8-12	5.11	185	1.38	6.3 K/9
AL	MEM	* David Bush	26	9-9	6.58	149	1.32
AL	LAA	Gerrit Cole	26	7-15	6.36	166	1.43	2.9 HR/9 6.52 FIP
AL	MCG	Cole Hamels	25	11-12	6.18	178	1.42	63 HRA .293 BA 3.2 HR/9 3.7 K/BB
NL	NYG	* Carl Hubbell	26	6-10	5.75	160	1.29	1 H
NL	HOM	* Cliff Lee	30	8-4	5.30	114	1.32	3 H
NL	HOU	Roy Oswalt	28	7-11	6.53	181	1.49	.295 BA .305 BABIP
NL	OTT	Charles Radbourn	27	12-13	5.89	202	1.35
AL	DET	Charlie Root	31	11-10	6.15	199	1.42	59 HRA
AL	LAA	Tom Seaver	23	7-8	5.81	164	1.44
—	BBB/ CAG	* Sam Streeter	25	3-11	5.63	123	1.34
AL	POR	Dizzy Trout	29	5-12	5.93	162	1.50	4.1 BB/9 1.8 K/BB
AL	DET	Justin Verlander	25	5-12	6.48	169	1.52	.310 BABIP
NL	IND	* Doc White	27	5-12	6.55	143	1.34	1 Sv; 3 H

Most of these issues are clear: too many homeruns, too many walks, way too many runners on the basepaths. Maybe Old Hoss Radbourn could argue to be one tier up. Maybe.

Other than that, it must be said there is a ton of talent here: Roy Oswalt, Tom Seaver, and Justin Verlander jump out as most likely to bounce back next year.

It must be said there are probably 2 dozen more names that could be listed in the F Tier. Check out the individual team maps as they are published for those, but suffice to say that, when a pitcher goes down in flames in the WBL, they burn awfully bright.

TWIWBL 86.4: Year 2 Whirled Series, Games 3, 4 & 5

By mknn

On January 26, 2026

In 2001 Playoffs, 2001 Whirled Series, TWIWBL

Well that was quite a surprise … Brooklyn heads to San Francisco, and wins 2 games against the best team in baseball. Now they have a chance to shock the world and clinch the Whirled Series on their home turf.

They’ve had a day off, but we’ll see how the 12 inning affair in game 2 affects both of these staffs.

#Game 3, Tue Oct 25.

18 game winner Bump Hadley will take the mound for San Francisco, while Don Drysdale will get the start in front of the home team.

Jimmie Foxx continued a solid postseason with a solo shot in the 2nd inning, which was all the scoring through 3. If anyone had dominated the game, it was San Francisco’s Mickey Cochrane, who had gunned down 3 runners on the basepaths, keeping Brooklyn from mounting a threat.

Two walks, 2 steals, and a single loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 4th, but Drysdale essentially escaped: one run scored on a sacrifice fly from Turkey Stearnes, but Foxx grounded into a hard double play, leaving the score 2-0, Sea Lions.

Hadley ran into a similar situation in the bottom of the 5th: 2 walks and a hit batsmen loaded the bases with no outs for Duke Snider. Brooklyn took advantage, however: a sacrifice fly scored the first run, a bases loaded walk to John Briggs the second, and then a Dan Brouthers double scored 3 more, sending the home crowd into a frenzy: the Royal Giants led 5-2 at the end of 5.

A solo shot from Reggie Jackson chased Drysdale and narrowed the gap to 2 runs at 5-3. Brooklyn restored the 3 run edge on a solo shot from Roy White in the 6th.

Cochrane continued to put on a clinic, erasing six–SIX–runners on the basepaths and even inspiring Mike Piazza to throw someone out.

Frank Knauss has taken being pulled out of the rotation in the offseason as a challenge: here, he struck out the first 5 batters he faced in relief of Drysdale before giving up a single to Dick Lundy leading off the 8th. That summoned Trevor Hildenberger from the pen, who was brilliant during the season, but had been battered in the postseason so far. But here, he was effective, keeping San Francisco off the board, and reducing the Royal Giants’ focus to 3 remaining outs.

Brooklyn extended their lead, flexing their longball muscles: Piazza and White went deep back-to-back in the bottom of the 8th. So the Royal Giants took a 9-3 edge to the top of the 9th. The extra runs had an added importance, as they may allow Brooklyn to rest Eric Gagne, with Terry Forster being brought in for the top of the frame.

And Forster closed it out, putting San Francisco in the hardest of spots, down 3-0.

Brouthers had 3 hits, driving in 3, and both Piazza and White 2 hits and 2 RBIs each. But the real story was a solid start from Drysdale and superlative work from the bullpen: Knauss recorded 5 outs, all strikeouts, and Hildenberger and Forster closed it out allowing only a walk between them.

And, without Cochrane’s heroics, it would have been worse: he finished the game with a WBL record 8 assists.

SFS 3 (Hadley 2-1) @ BRK 9 (Drysdale 201; Knauss 1 H; Hildenberger 5 H)
HRs: SFS – Foxx (7), Jackson (8); BRK – White 2 (5), Piazza (12).
Box Score

#Game 4, Fri Oct 26

This is just so shocking … Brooklyn, at home, with a 3-0 lead in the Whirled Series. Here we go.

The Royal Giants would turn to Fernando Valenzuela, holding to their 4 man rotation, while the Sea Lions would start Tommy Bridges, with everyone available in their bullpen.

Once again the Sea Lions struck first, when doubles from Turkey Stearnes and Jimmie Foxx were followed by a homerun from Bobby Bonds. When the dust settled, San Francisco held a 4-0 early lead. Jack Clark would double home another in the 3rd, and the Sea Lions would plate their 6th run on a sac fly.

A solo shot from Reggie Jackson in the 5th would chase Valenzuela, and the Sea Lions would add 2 more in the 6th against recently recalled Dick Redding.

Meanwhile, Bridges was rolling, only losing the shutout in the bottom of the 6th on solo homers from John Briggs and Ron Cey. A single by Mike Piazza chased Bridges with a 9-2 lead.

Each team scored some more, but the game was settled. So San Francisco only needs to do this 3 more times.

Bonds, Foxx, Clark, and Rickey Henderson all had 2 hits in a balanced attack for the Sea Lions. As importantly, none of their main starters had to work out of the bullpen, setting them up decently for the next (and hopefully later) games.

SFS 13 (Bridges 1-0) @ BRK 4 (Valenzuela 0-1)
HRs: SFS – Bonds (6), Jackson (9); BRK – Briggs (2), Cey (6).
Box Score

#Game 5, Sat Oct 27

Smokey Joe Williams, so impressive in game one, will take the hill for Brooklyn, with San Francisco’s ace, Lefty Grove, trying to keep the series alive.

Pedro Guerrero will get a rare start for the game for Brooklyn, adding another right handed bat to their mix as they try to clinch the title.

Jackie Robinson took Grove deep in the bottom of the first for a 1-0 lead for the home team. San Francisco would tie it in the 3rd on a single by Bobby Bonds, who then stole 2nd and 3rd before scoring on a sac fly from Dick Lundy, but the Royal Giants regained the lead immediately on a solo shot from Beals Becker. Another sacrifice fly, this one from Turkey Stearnes, would tie the game in the 4th, 2-2.

Guerrero came through in the bottom of the frame with a 2 out single, scoring Piazza. Another run scored on a wild pitch, and another on a single by Ray Dandridge, taking Grove out of the game. After 4 innings, Brooklyn was up, 5-2.

Reggie Jackson drove in 1 in the top of the 5th.

A single and a walk in the top of the 6th led to Williams’ departure, with Frank Knauss coming in for the final out of the inning, preserving Brooklyn’s 2 run edge, 5-3. Knauss was touched for a solo shot by Rickey Henderson in the 7th, but that was it: we had a 1 run game with Brooklyn needing 6 more outs.

Terry Forster retired 3 straight in the top of the 8th. 3 outs.

And in comes Eric Gagne. Frank Grant lined to first, but a Dick Lundy single put the tying run on base with the top of the order coming up for San Francisco in the form of Henderson. Lundy swiped second, but Rickey struck out. So here we are, the Sea Lions’ catcher, Mickey Cochrane, defensively dominant all series, against Gagne.

It’s a hard ball to the right side that slides under Robinson’s glove, with Lundy coming home to tie the game! Gagne would whiff Jackson, but the damage had been done, and we were, for the second time this series, headed to extra innings.

Trevor Hildenberger took over for Brooklyn in the top of the 10th and walked Jack Clark. Jim Devlin replaced Clark at first, but was cut down trying to steal with 2 outs.

John Briggs led off the bottom of the 10th with a double, and was replaced by the speedier George Hendrick. Cochrane would do it again, however, nailing Hendrick as he tried to swipe 3rd.

It didn’t matter: Jackie Robinson would take Rod Beck deep for his 2nd homerun of the day, and a walkoff, Whirled Series clinching shot over the right-centerfield wall!

And the Royal Giants have shocked the baseball world, taking the Whirled Series from the heavily favored San Francisco Sea Lions, 6-5 in 10 innings!

Robinson had 2 hits–the 2 homers–and Guerrero paid back the trust shown him with 2 hits as well but again this was mostly a story of the Royal Giants’ bullpen as, despite the run allowed by Gagne, they brought the series home.

SFS 5 (Beck 0-2) @ BRK 6 (Hildenberger 1-0; Gagne 2 B Sv; Forster 4 H; Knauss 2 H) [10 Innings]
HRs: SFS – Henderson (3); BRK – Robinson 2 (3), Becker (5).
Box Score

Roy White‘s 3 homeruns and sentimental value earned him the series MVP, over Smokey Joe Williams (1-0, 1.98 and 17 strikeouts in just under 14 innings) and Mike Piazza, who was bidding to win the MVP for the 3rd consecutive postseason series. Piazza hit well–2 homeruns and 6 RBI’s, but ultimately White’s 1.476 OPS and 3 homeruns took home the honors.

For the Sea Lions, it was more about who didn’t show up than who did: Bobby Bonds, Dick Lundy, Turkey Stearnes, Rickey Henderson, and Frank Grant all finished with OPS’ below–and in some cases well below–.700 for the series, with only Jimmie Foxx and Reggie Jackson really putting in decent showings offensively.

Whirled Series II is in the books!