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TWIWBL 78.6: Effa Manley Division

By

On September 17, 2025

In TWIWBL

TeamW/LPctGB
Brooklyn Royal Giants73-50.593—
Homestead Grays64-60.5169.5
Philadelphia Stars61-62.49612
Ottawa Mounties59-64.48014
New York Gothams59-65.47614.5
Effa Manley Division | 19 August

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

The Royal Giants exploded for 23 hits in a 21-4 demolishing of Homestead. Dan Brouthers had 4 hits, Beals Becker and Duke Snider drove in 4 apiece, and Mike Piazza scored 4 times for the Royal Giants. Snider hit 2 out, and Piazza, Becker, and Pedro Guerrero each had homeruns as well, backing a decent outing from Smokey Joe Williams, who improved to 11-11 on the season.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays–finally–found themselves with some hard decisions to make on the mound, as both Cliff Lee and Bartolo Colón were recalled from their rehab assignments. Bob Knepper and Russ Kemmerer were sent down, and Ricardo Rincón started a rehab assignment of his own.

The net effect of this is that the Grays move Lee back into the starting rotation, and vacate their fifth spot, allowing it to be split between Bob Friend, Colón, Hal Carlson, and the newly acquired David Price and Juan Marichal.

#New York Gothams

Aaron Loup, Santiago Casilla, and Guy Hecker were recalled from AAA to fill out the Gothams’ staff and Ben Oglivie, George Kell, Carl Furillo, and Bill Terry were added to the bench.

Benny Kauff crushed 2 homers, Buster Posey added a grandslam, and Kell hit one out in his first WBL at bat as the Gothams doubled up the Mounties, 12-6.

#Ottawa Mounties

Bill Crouch will miss about a week, earning a trip to the DL. Bob Brown was recalled from his rehab assignment in his place.

Larry Walker hit 2 out as the Mounties topped Indianapolis, 7-4. Despite earning his 3rd victory of the season, the Mounties removed Atlee Hammaker from the rotation after the game, preferring a committee approach to their 5th (and, depending on how Al Orth fares in his next outing, even the 4th) spot on their staff.

Bill Smith was recalled from his rehab assignment, along with Ps Clark Griffith and Max Scherzer and field players John Olerud, Terry Puhl, Emil Gross, and Bob Watson.

Utility man Mike Dorgan will miss about a week with a strained back, earning himself a trip to the DL with Ottawa recalling Josh Donaldson from AAA.

Rick Monday will play regularly somewhere next season. Somewhere. He had 4 hits, scored 4 times, and drove in 6 with 3 homers in a 17-3 drubbing of the Gothams. Donaldson, Walker, Rusty Staub, and Roberto Alomar also went deep and Roy Halladay improved to 14-7 on the year.

#Philadelphia Stars

Aaron Judge hit 2 out, but the Stars fell to the House of David 11-10 in 13 innings. Joe Rogan and Bob Howry were both injured on the day, with Rogan only expected to miss a few games, but Howry out for about a week. The Stars recalled Luke Weaver from AAA.

TWIWBL 77.3: The Trade Market

By

On August 29, 2025

In TWIWBL

With the August trade deadline just around the corner, seemed to be a good time to take a look at the likely sellers and buyers, and some players that are likely to find new homes by the end of next week.

Some notes on these:

  • Needs reflect places where the minor league systems are thin on talent and the general shape of WBL level talent needed.
  • The second three bullets (Prospects, AAA Help, WBL Help) are possible players that could be available in the right context..

#BUYERS

These are teams looking to solidify their talent or make a push for the post-season. In a perfect world, they have some young talent to spare as well.

#Birmingham Black Barons

Yeah, they’re in 5th place, but they’re also only 4 games back, so there’s hope. The Black Barons have been ingenious at past deadlines, we’ll see if they can continue the trend.

Needs: IF, P, Minor League SS/3B

Prospects: OF Melky Cabrera, Curt Flood, Gary Matthews; IF Nate Colbert, Hal Trosky
AAA Help: P Tommy Bond; IF Pie Traynor
MLB Help: OF Bob Nieman

#Cleveland Spiders

Could use another SP, as well as a help in the middle infield–Chuck Knoblauch is skating along on last year’s performance, and there isn’t any depth to speak of at 2B/SS despite Steve Sax‘s excellent first 50 PA’s.

Needs: Minor League 2B/SS.

Prospects: OF Paul O’Neill, Kenny Lofton; IF Johnny Hodapp
AAA Help: P Chuck Porter, Claude Passeau; IF Bob Elliott, Brook Jacoby
MLB Help: IF Willie McCovey

#Homestead Grays

A Wild Card spot is likely for the Grays, who have a powerhouse offense and a desperate need for pitching. With some young talent blocked, they may be able to make some moves.

Needs: Bullpen is aging

Prospects: OF Max Carey, Paul Waner; IF Freddie Lindstrom
AAA Help: OF Starling Marte; IF Jeff Kent, P Brickyard Kennedy
MLB Help: OF Goose Goslin

#Houston Colt 45’s

Another team caught between a wild card chase and building for the future, the Colt 45’s would love to address their one ongoing need, which is a catcher to take over from the aging Jorge Posada, as some in the organization are not yet sold on Will Smith as the longterm solve behind the plate. There is a crunch at 1B/DH as well, as there really aren’t enough AB’s to go around for both Paul Goldschmidt and the recently demoted Andrés Galaragga.

Needs: Minor League C, SS.

Prospects: IF Bucky Dent, Travis Jackson, Wes Helms; OF César Cedeño, Hunter Pence, Shin-Soo Choo
AAA Help: P Mike Sirotka, Óscar Tuero; IF Carney Lansford, Aramis Ramírez, OF Gorman Thomas, Johnny Damon
MLB Help: Various bullpen pieces may be possible

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Another team riding the wild card roller coaster. The ABC’s are solid offensively, but struggle some behind their top end starters. There are some blocked players–perhaps most notably Jake Stenzel–so there are some pieces available.

Needs: Minor League OF

Prospects: OF Jim Eisenreich, IF Pokey Reese, Sean Casey, Hal Morris
AAA Help: P Johnny Vandeer Meer; OF Jody Gerut, Dave Henderson, Ed Swartwood; IF Dan Driessen
MLB Help: OF Jake Stenzel, Bob Bescher, IF Ed Charles

#Kansas City Monarchs

This Monarchs team will make the playoffs a year or two ahead of schedule so the choice of how much to surrender for immediate success is a bit challenging. At some point, some of the positional logjams need to be sorted out (Albert Pujols, Dale Murphy, and Ducky Medwick; Willie McGee and Cool Papa Bell), but it’s not clear that now is that time.

Needs: Minor League C; WBL Offense

Prospects: OF Wade Johnston, Earl Averill; IF Keston Hiura, Pat Burrell
AAA Help: P Adam Wainwright, Jack Quinn; IF Ken Boyer, Andre Thornton; OF Merv Rettenmund, Jim King
MLB Help: P Matt Morris, Luke Hamlin

#New York Black Yankees

Once again the Black Yankees are trying to find the right piece to extend their postseason run. At some point, they’ll need to solve their post Derek Jeter needs at SS, but this is probably not that time.

Needs: Minor League OF; P; future SS.

Prospects: OF Rob Deer, Clyde Milan
AAA Help: OF Roger Maris; IF Tom Herr, Red Rolfe; P AJ Burnett
MLB Help: P Rheal Cormier, Red Ruffing, Waite Hoyt

#MEH

A mix of teams doing well enough not need anything (San Francisco) and those not willing to give up much because they like their current talent composition moving into Year 3. Never say never, as these teams do have some pieces, but they are far less motivated to get something done at the deadline.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

This team is just beginning to gel, but they could use some offense and they are one of the few franchises with arms to spare.

Needs: SS if unconvinced by Vern Stephens; Minor League 1B

Prospects: OF Matty Alou, Raúl Mondesi, Don Mueller; IF Sonny Jackson, Ken McMullen, Maury Wills; P Doc Newton, Zach Britton
MLB Help: IF Germany Smith, Dick Bertell
AAA Help: IF Jim Gentile, Eric Karros; C Kelly Shoppach; P Ron Perranoski

#Detroit Wolverines

They’re in an odd spot: on the one hand, they are likely to be in the wild card chase; on the other, this is a team well positioned for the future, and eager to cement that status. There are a lot of pieces that are over 30, but none–other than perhaps Oscar Gamble–are key cogs in the Wolverines’ machine.

Needs: Minor League 3B; IF, esp SS; P.

Prospects: IF Wander Franco
MLB Help: OF Oscar Gamble
AAA Help: OF Brady Clark, Wes Covington; IF Jimmy Collins; P Dennis Rasmussen

#Miami Cuban Giants

The Cuban Giants have an outside shot at a wildcard slot, but this is a team building for the future. As such, I would expect them to stand pat, or perhaps move some end of roster pieces for minor league depth.

Needs: Minor League OF, 3B, 1B; WBL P.

Prospects: OF Roy Thomas, Carlos Morán
MLB Help: P Sandy Consuegra, Kenshin Kawakami; OF Andy Pafko
AAA Help: IF Nellie Fox

#Ottawa Mounties

Even though the Mounties have a shot at the playoffs, this is a team trying to position itself for the future, which basically means begging everyone and anyone for pitching.

Needs: Minor League SS, 3B, C. SP.

Prospects: OF Warren Cromartie, Willie Upshaw, Willie Keeler, Leon Roberts
MLB Help: P Bryn Smith; IF Roy Sievers; OF Rick Monday
AAA Help: IF John Olerud; OF Terry Puhl, Bob Allison; C Emil Gross; P Chris Bosio

#Philadelphia Stars

The Stars are on the fringe of the playoffs, but really this is a team aiming at cementing and building around its emerging nucleus. As such, some of its useful veterans may be available; at the same time, Philadelphia would love to add some pitching and address its issues in the middle infield.

Needs: MI, P, WBL Offense.

Prospects: ???
MLB Help: OF Rico Carty; P Bob Howry, Robin Roberts, Pedro Feliciano; IF Art Fletcher, Ted Kluszewski
AAA Help: OF Bobby Abreu; IF Jung Ho Kang, Dolph Camilli, Cecil Cooper; C Sherm Lollar

#San Francisco Sea Lions

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. That said, if an easy piece comes available, it’s unlikely the Sea Lions ignore the opportunity.

Needs: Minor League 1B

Prospects: OF Jules Thomas, Matt Holliday; IF Freddie Freeman; P Jair Jurrjens
MLB Help:
AAA Help: IF Dick Green, Denny Walling; OF Josh Reddick; P Rube Walberg

#Wandering House of David

Even the House of David isn’t convinced their playoff chances are real. Still … they might be. So it’s a bit of a quandary in terms of whether they should move some of their young talent or not. The challenge is the roster really doesn’t make a ton of sense: CF is overly crowded, 1B/DH as well, and there is an abundance of talent at 2B.

Needs: P

Prospects: OF Tony Conigliaro; IF Billy Herman
MLB Help: OF Jim Edmonds, George Gore; IF Mark McGwire, Richie Hebner
AAA Help: P Joaquín Andújar; IF Tom Hutton, Mark Grace; OF Tracy Jones

#SELLERS

Teams with either an excess of talent, or who have thrown in the towel on the season and have some veteran pieces that may be attractive.

#Baltimore Black Sox

Last year’s champs, this year’s dunces. Baltimore believes in its young core, a belief that may see them retain FA acquisition Gavvy Cravath, but even he may be had for the right price.

Needs: all P, Minor League OF.

MLB Help: IF Bobby Wallace, Dan McGann; P Buddy Groom, Connie Johnson, Joe Beggs
AAA Help: P Ken Johnson, Kevin Tapani, Christhian Martínez; OF Ken Griffey, Sr; IF Brian Roberts

#Chicago American Giants

The season cannot end soon enough. Chicago has talent to be a contender, but nothing has gone right for them this season. They are willing to blow up their pitching staff, from a how much worse could it be perspective.

Needs: Minor League OF, C; prime P

Prospects: IF Jorge Orta; OF Walter Davis, Lenny Dykstra
MLB Help: P Akinori Otsuka, Joe Lake, Mark Buehrle, Hoyt Wilhelm, David Price; IF Paul Konerko, Freddy Parent; OF Vernon Wells
AAA Help: OF Rocky Colavito, Magglio Ordóñez; C Michael McKenry

#Los Angeles Angels

It hasn’t been a bad year for the Angels, but they are still a player or three away. There is a lot of mound talent in the organization, but they could use some long term solutions at SS, 3B, and C.

Needs: Minor League OF, C, 2B; WBL Offense.

Prospects: OF Norm Miller
MLB Help: IF Eddie Joost
AAA Help: OF Elmer Valo; IF Mark Ellis; P Rich Hill

#Memphis Red Sox

There is hope in Beantown. Just not for this year. There also are some pieces that may hold attraction for contenders, most notably 1B Bill White (with the Red Sox happy to turn 1B over to David Ortiz) and closer Jonathan Papelbon. There is a lot of congestion at various positions that needs to clarify over time.

Needs: Minor League C, SS; SP; 2B/SS

Prospects: IF Dustin Pedroia, OF Joe Rudi, Dwight Evans, Lefty O’Doul, Candy Jim Taylor, P Jim Kaat
MLB Help: P Tommy de la Cruz, Jonathan Papelbon; IF Bill White, DJ LeMahieu, Iván De Jesús, Nomar Garciaparra
AAA Help: IF George Scott, Dustin Pedroia

#New York Gothams

With this season pretty much scrapped, the Gothams are looking to the future. Which puts them in an interesting spot, as they have a fair number of useful parts on the wrong side of 30. But it’s not a total fire sale, as the team isn’t that far away from competing.

Needs: Minor League SS, C, 2B; SS

Prospects: OF Rick Manning
MLB Help: P Mike Norris, Juan Marichal, Troy Percival, Gaylord Perry; IF Joe Adcock, Larry Doyle, Terry Turner
AAA Help: OF Carl Furillo, Steve Kemp, Charlie Hamburg; IF George Kell; P Liván Hernández, Wei-Yin Chen, Tony Mullane, Guy Hecker

#Portland Sea Dogs

In some sense, the Sea Dogs did their selling already, both during the offseason and the all star break. But this year is still a wash for Portland, so anything they can do to help build for the future will be worthwhile.

Needs: 2B/SS, overall WBL Offense.

Prospects: ???
MLB Help: OF Kiki Cuyler, Harry Hooper; IF Gil Hodges; P Mark Melancon
AAA Help: IF Don Baylor, Rafael Palmeiro; OF Walt Bond, Jerald Clark

Year II Season Preview: Ottawa Mounties

By

On April 6, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

To not suck.

Beyond that, sorting through some of the young talent and making commitments around how is part of the long-term project and who is not would go a long way towards clarifying Ottawa’s future. Staying healthy would go a ways towards this, especially on the mound.

Best Case

Bob Moose, Bob Brown, and Roy Halladay all return strong from injuries, joining Old Hoss Radbourn in a decent pitching staff and the core talent sorts itself out, especially in the OF.

Worst Case

The pitching continues to be among the worst in the league and none of the massive potential of Randy Johnson, Ken Griffey Jr or Álex Rodríguez comes to the surface.

Key Questions

  • Can the staff both deliver and stay healthy?
  • Who is the bullpen?
  • How the young talent sorts itself out.

Trade Bait

Not really. Radbourn has some value, but he also was the only quasi reliable arm for the Mounties last season.

Well, that was interesting: Griffey, Jr. was moved on, netting Adrián Beltré plus.

Roster Evaluation

POSEliteStrongSolidMehWeakUnknown
CCarterAusmus
1BStaubWatson
2BAlomar
3BBeltré
SSRodríguezDorgan
LF/
RF		WalkerRainesThompson
CFBeltránMonday
SPHalladayRadbournMoosePeters
Griffith
Johnson
Podgajny		Hammaker
EndHenkeDempsterRyan
RPGregg
Shaw
Collins
New Addition | Injured

Over half the roster is either unknown or was pretty horrible last year. Hence the goal being merely not to suck.

Talent Ratings

WBLMinors
Raw PowerC Gary CarterOF Jim Lemon
Batting EyeIF Roberto Alomar1B Nick Johnson
ContactIF Álex RodríguezOF Terry Puhl
Running SpeedU Tim RainesOF George Burns
Base StealingU Tim RainesOF George Burns
IF Defense3B Adrián BeltréIF Dick Bertell
OF DefenseOF Sam ThompsonOF Jason Heyward
StuffP Charles RadbournP Reggie Richter
ControlSP Roy HalladayP Curt Davis
VelocityRP Ryan Dempster
RP Tom Henke		RP Greg Holland

Best In The Minors

RankAgePOSName
1 (4)23PAl Orth
2 (30)21PDan Haren
3 (50)23PMax Scherzer
4 (70)221BBob Watson
5 (80)201BJohn Mayberry
6 (102)202BJimmy Dykes
7 (106)19PMark Eichhorn
8 (181)20CMilt May
9 (183)22PDupee Shaw
Others: None.

It’s not a bad system, but it lacks–beyond the top arms–top end potential. Watson and Shaw both start the season with the Mounties.

MostLeast
AgeP Ken Forsch, 38IF Elbie Fletcher, 19
P Mark Eichhorn, 19
OF Warren Cromartie, 19
P Dave Bennett
HeightP Randy Johnson, 6’10”OF Wee Willie Keeler, 5’4″
OPS1B Dale Long, 1.236 (—)IF Mike Sharperson, .526 (—)
HR1B Dale Long, 66 (—)IF Larry Kopf, 0 (—)
IF Mike Dorgan, 0 (—)
SBU Tim Raines, 92 (WBL)Many with 0
WAR1B Vic Saier, 5.0 (—)IF Mike Sharperson, -2.3 (—)
WDanny Cox, 16 (—)Jesse Crain, 1 (AAA/AA)
SVRyan Dempster, 16 (WBL/AAA)
Pedro Ramos, 16 (—)
ERAMark Grant, 2.31 (—)Randy Johnson, 6.60 (WBL/AAA)
WARCharles Radbourn, 4.4 (WBL)Monk Dubiel, -1.6 (WBL/AAA)
Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

TWIWBL 56.17: Spring Training Notes – Ottawa Mounties

By

On March 5, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

1st and 2nd round picks Max Scherzer and Al Orth will be given the opportunity to make the opening day staff, and the bullpen behind presumed closer Ryan Dempster is wide open.

While Carlos Beltrán goes in as the presumed starter in CF, Ken Griffey Jr will again be given a long look.

First Cuts

Ottawa’s pitching staff is a bit clearer, as there have been some horrible performances. Jesse Crain, Max Scherzer, Kid Camp, Dan Haren, Mike Minor, and Al Orth have all moved to the minors. That leaves only 15 arms in camp, so look for some recalls if others in camp struggle or face injuries. Chuck Taylor, Dupee Shaw, and Dave Gregg have all been pleasant surprises so far.

The starting C job belongs to Gary Carter. But Emil Gross and Brad Ausmus are pushing Jim Stephens for the backup role, with Milt May and Einar Díaz both leaving camp.

1B and 3B are wide open, with Bob Watson‘s fast start (combined with his solid debut last season) making him an early favorite at 1B and Art Devlin and Ryon Healy making arguments at the hot corner. 3B Josh Donaldson and 1Bs John Mayberry, Tino Martinez, and Nick Johnson all hit the minors.

In the middle of the infield, the Mounties have gone with a very aggressive approach, sending Julio Gotay, Everett Scott, Jose Vidro, Bernie Allen, and Dick Bartell all to the minors. That leaves them with only 6 2B/SS, making this another position where later recalls are possible. Jimmy Dykes, Henry Easterday, and Mike Dorgan have all impressed, although this moves seems to indicate more than anything else that Álex Rodríguez will be the opening day SS, even though some believe his eventual position will be at third.

Rick Monday and Sam Thompson have impressed in the OF, with Wee Willie Keeler and Jackie Jensen the only early casualties. This will be a clear focus for Ottawa, as a leading priority for them is sorting through their options in the OF and, perhaps most of all, figuring out what to do with Ken Griffey Jr, who continues to struggle mightily in CF.

Second Cuts

The Mounties had made such deep cuts earlier that only one arm was moved this time, with Rick Honeycutt heading to the minors. That’s not to say the rest have done well: Bob Brown and Bob Moose–both of whom were supposed to contend for rotation spots–have struggled, as has presumed closer Ryan Dempster.

The competition at 1B is thick, prompting Ottawa to send Roy Sievers, who spent most of last season in the WBL, to their minor league camp.

Third Cuts

With only 14 arms in camp, the pitching staff remains unchanged. There is concern over Bob Brown and Old Hoss Radbourn, two of last year’s bright spots, who are struggling mightily this Spring.

John Olerud, Henry Easterday, and Jason Heyward head to AAA. Easterday’s demotion leaves only two SS in camp: Álex Rodríguez and the surprising Mike Dorgan.

Gary Carter is the starting C for sure, but the battle to back him up is running tight between Jim Stephens, Brad Ausmus, and Emil Gross.

The OF is a total mess, with rumors emerging that the Mounties are shopping the immense talent of Ken Griffey, Jr in the hope that a change of scenery might unlock his bat. George Burns is only in camp due to a strong season last year, but he’s on the edge for sure. Rick Monday, Jesse Burkett, Terry Puhl, Sam Thompson, and Bill O’Neill are all hitting well enough to warrant consideration for 2 or 3 reserve spots.

Final Cuts

3B Ryon Healy was tearing up Spring Training for a while, but has since come back to earth. With the arrival of Adrián Beltré, Healy’s future for the start of the season is in the minors, as is CF Bill O’Neill‘s. They are joined by Tino Martinez: 1B was always pretty blocked for the Mounties and Martinez hasn’t shown enough to add his name to the list.

Pedro Ramos had a brief stint with the big league team before heading off to AAA. Dan Collins was placed on IR and Chuck Taylor (also injured) was sent to AAA, preserving the spot on the 40 man roster. That left the Mounties with 3 players to go to get to 30. One was Emil Gross, leaving 3 catchers in camp (4 if you count Mike Dorgan), the second was 2B Jimmy Dykes, who turned a lot of heads with his Spring performance, and the last was veteran OF Jesse Burkett.

Bob Moose, Bob Brown, Ryan Dempster, and Hoss Radbourn were among the few bright spots on the mound for Ottawa last season. They are among the worst performers this Spring, making all of the roster choices all that much more difficult. Brown’s wildness was inescapable, and he was moved to AAA to see if he could work it out. That left a dozen arms in camp, but with so many of them–Atlee Hammaker, Dupee Shaw, Dave Gregg, BJ Ryan–being essentially unproven, the Mounties would like to open the season with a larger staff than most teams will carry.

Gary Carter remains the starting catcher, but Brad Ausmus‘ fantastic Spring moved him ahead of Jim Stephens as Carter’s backup with Stephens heading to the minors along with OFs George Burns and Terry Puhl. The final cut was a hard one, as Art Devlin was among the most impressive Spring performers. But Devlin was likely blocked at Ottawa, so he heads down to AAA to start the season, keeping both Bob Watson and Sam Thompson on the WBL roster to open the season.

TWIWBL 36.2: Series XXVIII Notes – Cum Posey Division

By

On March 21, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Newcomer Connie Johnson steps into the rotation, with Johnny Sain moving to the bullpen and Jim Palmer taking the final spot in the rotation. Lindy McDaniel was returned to AAA.

#Chicago American Giants

While Sonny Dixon‘s injury is still being diagnosed, David Price‘s arrival pushed Chicago to place Dixon on the DL. Clay Condrey‘s 9.00 plus ERA earned a trip to AAA as Hoyt Wilhelm returned from his injury. Price replaced Don Newcombe in the rotation, but the bullpen remains in a bit of disarray as the American Giants await AJ Minter‘s return from shoulder soreness.

While neither have impressed, José Abreu‘s continued struggles at the plate have opened the door for Magglio Ordóñez to receive more playing time down the stretch.

Dixon will miss about 8 months, so the early trip to the DL worked out, from that perspective …

Turns out it’s really hard to overcome 4 errors. Price’s first start was brilliant: 4 hits in just under 6 innings, no earned runs … but 5 runs allowed on miscues by Eddie Collins, Jack Doyle (2), and Jackie Hayes. Ed Walsh and Scott Radinsky were solid in relief, but Wilhelm gave up some key hits and took the loss. Doyle had 4 hits in the game.

Cristóbal Torriente will miss about 2 weeks, prompting Chicago to recall Kevin Mitchell from AAA.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Chad Qualls was recalled from AAA. Other than that, there’s not much change in Houston, other than the continued attempt to spread out plate appearances. This time, Pete Hill seeing more game time means George Brett seeing less.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Adam Russell and Rube Marquard were recalled from AAA, but the Monarchs did little else to reflect their build for the future outlook.

#Ottawa Mounties

Bob Moose and Kirk Reuter moved into the rotation with Clark Griffith heading back to AAA and Greg Holland joining the big league club as the merry-go-round of the Mounties’ staff continues.

Nineteen year old Ken Griffey, Jr. has done everything Ottawa has asked since his demotion, performing well at both AAA and AA. He’s been brought back up to the WBL club as Ottawa retools to see how its youth will progress. Griffey, Jr. will split time with Carlos Beltrán in CF. Trade acquisition George Burns also lands in Ottawa with both Terry Puhl and Phil Bradley heading to AAA in a major reset of the big league OF.

Things looked bleak for Ottawa as Birmingham had the lead 3-0 in the bottom of the 8th when Larry Parrish stepped up and launched his 3rd homerun of the year to tie the game. Randy Johnson and Greg Holland both pitched well in relief, and Beltrán won the game in the 12th with a walkoff grandslam. Tim Raines (who was caught stealing twice) and Anthony Rendon had 3 hits each in the 8-4 victory.

Jeremy Affeldt, a bit of a throw-in at the trade deadline, has been horrible for Ottawa: an ERA over 20 level horrible. So when he refused a demotion to AAA, the Mounties made the sensible move: they released him. Gary Peters was recalled from his injury rehab to take Affeldt’s place.

TWIWBL 32.2: Series XV Notes – Cum Posey Division

By

On February 3, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Kansas City Monarchs

Smoky Joe Wood was placed on the DL, with Adam Wainwright being recalled from his rehab assignment at AAA.

#Ottawa Mounties

Gary Carter had 3 hits–including a grand slam homerun–and drove in 5, leading Ottawa to a 10-8 victory over Los Angeles. Larry Walker, Tim Raines, Terry Puhl, and Phil Bradley each had 2 hits, and the victory went to Randy Johnson who, despite a subpar appearance, moved to 3-4 on the season.

TWIWBL 16.0: Series XIII Notes

By

On September 2, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 26

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Performances

Top Starting Pitchers.

NameTmW-LERAOther
Dennis MartinezBAL7-13.161.11 WHIP
Gerrit ColeLAA7-34.04
Don DrysedaleBRK4-22.71
Ron GuidryNYY5-43.231.13 WHIP; 86 K
Walter JohnsonPOR6-13.582.5 WAR
Luke HamlinKAN3-43.922.1 WAR
Lefty GroveSFS5-23.2377 K

Top Relievers.

NameTmW-LERASvHldWHIP
Johan SantanaPOR1-13.0017
Bob HowryPHI1-24.5814
Aroldis ChapmanMIA0-20.009
Joe BeggsMEM0-00.008
Ron ReedPHI0-22.83211
Craig KimbrelKAN1-13.098
Ned GarvinBAL5-12.0920.87

Top Batters.

NameTmSlashOther
Reggie JacksonSFS376/485/643
Willie MaysNYG354/408/56175 H; 2.8 WAR
Mike EpsteinHOM333/437/549
Babe RuthNYY325/427/68519 HR; 48 R;
52 RBI; 3.0 WAR
Curt BlefaryBAL288/402/66016 HR
Frank ThomasCAG353/430/60771 H
Rico CartyPHI352/415/56020 2B
Louis SantopCLE316/346/5138 3B
Eric DavisNYY284/339/55254 RBI
Jimmy SheckardNYG309/418/47041 R
Rickey HendersonSFS236/392/31545 BB; 39 SB
Tim RainesOTT292/377/45837 SB

Streaks

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

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

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

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

Series XIII Results

Taking 3 out of 4 in Series XIII

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

Splitting Series XIII 2-2

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

TWIWBL 15.0: Series XII Notes

By

On August 20, 2021

In TWIWBL

May 21

We’re 50 games into the season, and the standings are beginning to matter a little. And, they’re tightening up.

Los Angeles and Detroit are tied at 26-24 in the Bill James Division, with the New York Gothams 1/2 game back and the House of David only 2 behind. And, the New York Black Yankees have been reeled back in over in the Effa Manley Division, with both Cleveland and Philadelphia within 3 games.

In the other 2 divisions, the leads are slightly larger. The surprising Baltimore Black Sox, with a league leading 32-18 record, are 5 games up on the Chicago American Giants in the Cum Posey Division and Portland leads Brooklyn by 5.5 in the Marvin Miller Division.

Most believe Baltimore is overperforming meaning only Portland–maybe–is building a dependable lead.

The league’s emerging parity is underscored by the longest winning and losing streak being 3 games right now (Portland having won 3 in a row, Birmingham having lost).

Baltimore and the Homestead Grays are 8-2 over their last 10 games (Homestead’s streak leaves them only at 21-29, but still is encouraging) while the House of David, Chicago, Brooklyn, and Miami have all only won 3 of their last 10 games).

#Awards

Baltimore’s 36-year old 1B, Dan McGann, took home the Player of the Week award, hitting .588 with 2 homeruns, 4 RBIs, and 9 runs scored, lifting his overall batting average to .314.

#Performance

The batter leading the league in 2 of the 3 slash categories? Not Babe Ruth, but San Francisco‘s Reggie Jackson (who is second to Ruth in SLG as well).

Top Batters: Reggie Jackson (SFS) 378/489/649; Stan Musial (KAN) 360/425/602, 67 H; Babe Ruth (NYY) 339/445/699, 17 HR, 45 R, 3.0 WAR; Willie Mays (NYG) 352/405/531, 69 H; Rico Carty (PHI) 347/410/569, 19 2B; Louis Santop (CLE) 314/348/495, 7 3B; Terry Puhl (OTT) 255/318/422, 5 3B; Eric Davis (NYY) 284/333/553, 15 HR, 53 RBI; Doug Rader (LAA) 314/364/503, 49 RBI; Rickey Henderson (SFS) 240/399/323, 43 BB, 37 SB.

Top Starters: Walter Johnson (POR) 6-1, 3.65, 2.3 WAR; Dennis Martinez (BAL) 6-1, 3.07, 1.08 WHIP; Ron Guidry (NYY) 5-3, 3.10, 83 K, 1,06 WHIP; Lefty Grove (SFS) 4-3, 3.45, 71 K; Don Drysedale (BRK) 4-2, 2.60; Camilo Pascual (MIA) 4-3, 2.90; CC Sabathia (HOD) 5-3, 3.01, 1.9 WAR.

Top Relievers: Johan Santana 1-1, 3.00, 17 Sv; Terry Adams (CLE) 0-1, 1.69, 12 Sv; Bob Howry (PHI) 1-2, 5.09, 12 Sv; Ron Reed (PHI) 0-2, 2.96, 2 Sv, 9 H; Aroldis Chapman (MIA) 0-2, 0.00, 9 Sv; Joe Beggs (MEM) 0-0, 0.00, 7 Sv; Brian Wilson (NYG) 0-0, 1.93, 5 Sv, 0.79 WHIP; Jonathan Papelbon (MEM) 0-2, 2.01, 3 Sv, 3 H, 0.90 WHIP.

#Streaks

With Thurman Munson‘s hitting streak being stopped at 22 games (1 behind Ruth’s 23 earlier this year), there are no active hitting streaks above 13 games. However, Indianapolis‘ Oscar Charleston has reached base in 24 straight games (a league high), Munson in 23, and Terry Puhl in 19.

In oddities, Rickey Henderson has stolen 26 straight bases and Johnny Bench of the ABC’s has 3 consecutive pinch hits.

On the mound, Baltimore’s Bill Byrd hasn’t given up a run in 14 innings and Cleveland’s Terry Adams and San Francisco’s Rod Beck have each converted their last 11 save opportunities.

Not coincidental to Baltimore’s rise in the standings, Frank Robinson has been on a 14 game tear where he’s hitting 453/525/755. Damian Jackson remains probably the coldest hitter in the WBL, managing only 068/212/068 over 20 games.

On the mound, CC Sabathia is 4-1 with a 2.47 ERA and a 1.08 WHIP over his last 7 starts (51 innings) and the Gothams’ Sad Sam Jones has a 2.57 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP over his last 42 innings. At the other end, Miami’s Ramon Martinez is 0-3 with a 9.45 ERA over his last 4 starts and San Francisco’s Dennis Eckersley truly earned his demotion to AAA, going 1-3 with a 9.74 ERA over 5 starts.

Series XII Results

Taking 3 of 4 in Series XII

Baltimore over Los Angeles
Portland over Birmingham
Philadelphia over Brooklyn
Chicago over Indianapolis
Detroit over San Francisco
Homestead over Ottawa
Memphis over Miami

Taking 2 out of 3

New York Gothams over Cleveland (one rainout)

Series Splits

Houston @ New York Black Yankees
House of David @ Kansas City

Series XII Featured Matchup: Ottawa Mounties @ Homestead Grays

By

On August 18, 2021

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

Preview here.

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

#Game 1: Jamie Moyer @ Ray Brown

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#Game 2: Jim Clancy @ Hal Carlson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#Game 3: Old Hoss Radbourn @ Carlos Zambrano

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#Game 4: Bob Brown @ Vean Gregg

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#Series Notes

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

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

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

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


Series XII Preview: Ottawa Mounties @ Homestead Grays

By

On August 14, 2021

In Featured Series, Series Previews

Series XII brings us back to two struggling teams we haven’t looked at for a while: the Ottawa Mounties, in last place in the Cum Posey Division at 20-26, 9 games behind Baltimore; and the Homestead Grays, who at 18-28 have the second-worst record in the league.

So the key question here is … what has gone wrong for these two teams?

#Ottawa Mounties

Here’s what’s gone right for Ottawa: they don’t make many errors and Tim Raines steals a lot of bases.

That’s a little harsh. Raines has been excellent, slashing 293/384/475 with 32 steals at 2B and Carlos Delgado (259/385/469 with 9 homeruns) has been pretty consistent in the middle of the lineup. But the Mounties are quite reliant on those two and, after them, there isn’t much: Delgado (9) and Raines (7) lead the team in homeruns, with nobody else having more than 5; they also lead the team in RBIs, 2Bs, BBs, and runs.

The challenges for Ottawa are summarized by their reliance on the quartet of Anthony Rendon, Freddy Parent, Phil Bradley, and Terry Puhl, all of whom have an OPS in the .700s.

If you want to point fingers, clearly both Alex Rodriguez (who has lost his starting job at SS to Parent with a slash line of 214/253/314) and Ken Griffey, Jr. (216/260/259) have been massive disappointments. Both have shown some sign of recovery over the past week or two, but it may be time for a trip to the minors.

Roy Sievers has done well in his two weeks in the WBL, and deserves some more playing time. George Cutshaw has also done well, but he plays the same positions as Raines and, as such, has struggled to force his way into the lineup.

The bullpen has been solid for Ottawa, led by closer Tom Henke (10 saves, 1.02 ERA) and the duo of Ted Bowsfield and Gary Lavelle, who have combined to go 4-1 with a save and 7 holds. But the starting pitching has been rough, exemplified by the long saga leading to Randy Johnson‘s demotion.

Old Hoss Radbourn (3-3, 4.94 ERA) and Roy Halladay (2-3, 4.52 ERA) have been the best of the group, and newcomers Jim Clancy (1-1, 4.44 ERA) and Jamie Moyer (1-1, 4.71 ERA) have both been useful, but this is clearly an area of need for the Mounties.

#Homestead Grays

The Grays may not have been projected to be contenders, but they weren’t supposed to be this bad.

Offensively, the team is solid, with a trio of very strong performers in Mike Epstein (360/448/596), Andrew McCutchen (304/379/494) and Josh Gibson (316/404/463). Sure, they could do with a little more power (Epstein leads the team with 8 homeruns, and McCutcheon and Pops Stargell have 6), but who couldn’t?

Of the regulars, only Arky Vaughan (192/330/322) is in danger of losing his job, but ultimately he probably draws enough walks to remain useful, especially when his defense is taken into consideration.

Which brings us to the pitching … which has been rough at best. Ray Brown, Hal Carlson, and Vean Gregg have 3 victories each, with Carlson (3.20 ERA, 1.24 WHIP) being the most dependable. Stan Bahnsen (1-0, 2 saves, 2 holds, 3.12 ERA) has been very impressive since being recalled, and has earned his place in the rotation.

The best arm out of the bullpen has a 5.79 ERA, which just about sums it up: Kent Tekulve has a team-leading 1.18 WHIP, but has been hit hard at times. Josh Lindblom remains the closer, with 5 saves, but he has a WHIP of 1.86 and has struggled at times.

#Series Matchups

Ottawa’s hurler listed first: Jamie Moyer (1-1, 4.71) @ Ray Brown (3-2, 5.21); Jim Clancy (1-1, 4.44) @ Hal Carlson (3-2, 3.20); Old Hoss Radbourn (3-3, 4.94) @ Vean Gregg (3-4, 4.81); Bob Brown (2-3, 3.91) @ Stan Bahnsen (1-0, 3.12).

None of the matchups are terribly compelling, although there are active questions–can Moyer, Clancy, and Bahnsen continue to contribute? Can Radbourn and Carlson cement their spots at the front of their respective rotations?

And, of course, will anyone show up in the stands?

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