Tommy Bond – The Whirled League https://wbl.dmlco.com/wp Baseball The Way It Never Was Fri, 23 Jul 2021 01:38:30 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 178681366 Spring Training Preview: Birmingham https://wbl.dmlco.com/wp/2020/06/20/spring-training-preview-birmingham/ Sun, 21 Jun 2020 04:56:49 +0000 https://wbl.dmlco.com/wp/?p=317
  • The final 2 rotation spots are being fought over by Vic Willis, John Clarkson, and Warren Spahn.
    • Other than Alejandro Pena, the starters have been mediocre (Spahn) at best and very poor (Jim Whitney) at worst. More starts and IPs are needed here with Scott Baker having pushed his way into the mix as well.
      • Pena, Spahn, and Whitney have been confirmed in the rotation, with Clarkson, John Malarkey, Baker, Greg Maddux, and Tim Hudson fighting over the last 2 spots.
  • The bullpen has no clear leader, however: this looks like a bullpen by committee situation, unless Carlos Diaz or Juan Rincon can take hold of the closer spot.
    • The back end has clarified some: Ron Perranoski‘s Spring performance has been bad enough to move him to AAA, while Jack Wisner, Fred Fussell, and Hoyt Wilhelm are holding on to their roster spots by threads.
      • Wisner and Jay Howell were sent back to AAA (with Tommy Bond coming back as a reserve arm), but the bullpen is still unsettled. Harley Young has been the best of the bunch so far, but he really doesn’t look like closer material. Rincon has struggled, so Diaz looks most likely to be the closer on opening day.
  • 1B is up for grabs between Frank McCormick and Jake Beckley.
  • While Emil Frisk is the highest rated OF, the rest is up for grabs between Bob Nieman, Billy Southworth, Ginger Beaumont, Andy Pafko, Hank Aaron, and Al Schweitzer.
    • Curtis Granderson has forced himself into the conversation as well, with Pafko, Southworth, and Schweitzer all struggling mightily and Ken Griffey, Sr. earning a trip back to AAA.
      • Pafko is also back in AAA, with Woody English, Omar Infante, and Alfonso Soriano coming the other way.
  • Dale Murphy has hit best at C, leaving Del Crandall struggling as the 3rd option and perhaps threatening Gene Tenace‘s starting role.
  • The competition at 3B between Chipper Jones and Eddie Mathews is closer than expected, with Jones having the better Spring so far.
  • While 2B is still unclear–Tom Herr is out-performing Frank Isbell—Cupid Childs is heading to AAA.
    • Near DefiniteLikelyPossibleLong Shot
    Starting PitchersAlejandro Pena
    Jim Whitney
    Warren Spahn    		John Malarkey
    John Clarkson
    Scott Baker
    Tim Hudson
    Greg Maddux
    Middle RelieversHoyt Wilhelm
    Vic Willis
    Fred Fussell
    Sam Streeter    		Tommy Bond
    SetupHarley YoungJuan Rincon
    CloserCarlos Diaz
    CGene TenaceDale MurphyDel Crandall
    1BFrank McCormick
    Jake Beckley
    2BFrank Isbell
    Tom Herr    		Omar Infante
    3BEddie MathewsChipper Jones
    SSHerman LongGeorge McBride
    Troy Tulowitzki    		Woody English
    OFEmil FriskGinger Beaumont
    Hank Aaron
    Curtis Granderson    		Bob Nieman
    Billy Southworth    		Al Schweitzer
    Alfonso Soriano
    ]]>     317