Tag: Trevor Hoffman Page 2 of 3

The Brooklyn Royal Giants were the last team in the WBL to only be featured twice (Series II and XVII). They head to Portland for Series XXXVI 5 games out of the final wild card spot and on their last legs with fewer than 15 games to play. Portland should be more familiar, having been featured in Series IV, XVII, and XXXI.

Close readers will notice that this is a repeat match up: In Series XVII: Brooklyn took 3 out of 4 from the Sea Dogs. A repeat would keep their postseason hopes alive.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Brooklyn has an outside shot at the postseason, but it’s going to take something special for them to get there. They are 7 games back in the Marvin Miller Division, and 5 games out of the final wild card spot.

They are only 2 games over .500, so they aren’t a great team by any stretch. But, man can they pitch.

The staff is led by Frank Knauss (11-5, 3.40) and Don Drysedale, whose solid performances and 3.91 ERA deserve better than his 8-9 record. Dutch Leonard is solid in the #3 slot and the mercurial Sandy Koufax (who has a 1-hitter, but also a 4.75 ERA).

But that’s only part of the story, as Watty Clark (24 saves) has been among the most effective closers in the league, and Darren Dreifort and Trevor Hildenberger have been fantastic in getting him the ball.

So that’s the good news.

The best regular has been Beals Becker (304/373/505), with OFs Duke Snider and Roy White and 3B Ron Cey providing solid production. Snider, who leads the team with 81 RBIs, has 28 homeruns, with Becker adding 24 and Cey 20.

There are a few other stories here: 20 year old John Briggs was promoted to the WBL to much consternation after dominating the lower leagues. He’s proven himself more than capable, slashing 365/455/612 over his first 100 PAs. Germany Smith, a fantastic fielder, has also provided some surprising power from SS. And, finally, there’s Jackie Robinson, whose stat line (239/324/399) is nothing special, but seems to be in the middle of most positive offensive moments for the Royal Giants.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Portland has a 2 game edge in the Marvin Miller Division, and look like a good bet for the postseason.

They’re a solid team top to bottom, but also one that has navigated quite a few key injuries and has made some brilliant acquisitions on the trade market.

Their staff is led by Walter Johnson (14-4, 3.36) and Bert Blyleven (10-11, 4.25), but Mike Cuellar (12-7, 4.52) and Wade Miller (10-5, 4.56) both have reached double digits as well. Cuellar has 48 appearances out of the bullpen and only 4 starts, but seems for now to be entrenched in the rotation.

Johan Santana was the best closer in the league before losing the season to injury. Since then, that role has been passed between Elmer Brown and Bob Porterfield, with Porterfield currently getting most of the save opportunities. Trevor Hoffman and Mark Melancon, obtained from Houston at the All-Star break, have been solid, with Hoffman also edging into the closer conversation.

Speaking of trade acquisitions …

2B Rogers Hornsby was brought in in the first trading period and has solidified the infield for Portland. While his numbers are slightly down from his time with Kansas City, Hornsby is still slashing 285/356/469 with 80 RBIs on the year. And then there is OF Gavvy Cravath, picked up from Philadelphia at the break. Cravath is slashing 367/484/776 with 11 homeruns since arriving in Portland and 306/387/554 overall.

They join Kent Hrbek (301/370/572 with 36 homeruns and 102 RBIs), Bobby Murcer (313/390/534), and Joe Mauer (310/380/507) in a lineup that is dangerous top to bottom. No fewer than 11 players are in double digits for homeruns with 4 (Hrbek, Cravath, Murcer, and Gil Hodges) over 20. Murcer’s performance keeps Gary Pettis (351/434/485) on the bench, and while Iván Rodríguez has cooled off slightly to 299/324/459, he and Mauer form one of the most formidable catching pairs in the league.

#Projected Starters

Brooklyn starter listed first.

Frank Knauss (11-5, 3.40) @ Mike Cuellar (12-7, 4.52)
Sandy Koufax (5-8, 4.75) @ Wade Miller (10-5, 4.56)
Dutch Leonard (11-11, 4.19) @ Dizzy Trout (6-5, 4.53)
Tommy Hanson (4-4, 4.22) @ Walter Johnson (14-4, 3.36)

#Prediction

I like this Portland team, but just for the way it would tighten the wild card race, I’ve got to be rooting for a Brooklyn sweep.

TWIWBL 43.4: Series XXXV Notes – Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On July 31, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

Birmingham welcomed back reliever Harley Young from the DL.

Curtis Granderson and Pie Traynor had 2 hits each, leading the Black Barons to a 7-6 victory over Miami. Alejandro Peña was sailing along until things fell off the rails in the 7th, but still emerged with the victory, improving his record to 12-9. Juan Rincón picked up his 24th save for Birmingham.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

5 RBI’s including a grand slam from Germany Smith led the Royal Giants to a 9-2 victory over the Black Yankees. Sandy Koufax threw 5 strong innings to improve to 5-8 on the year.

Dave Von Ohlen will miss the rest of the season with a herniated disk. The Royal Giants promoted Smokey Joe Williams in his absence, something that was sure to annoy their AAA club who was looking for Williams to contribute to their playoff run.

Matt Holliday had 3 hits, including a walk-off homerun as Brooklyn won 7-6 over the Black Yankees in 10 innings.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Eustaquio Pedroso turned in a great start, allowing only 1 run in just shy of 8 innings as the Cuban Giants topped Birmingham 7-1. Paul Molitor and Robin Yount had 3 hits, with Yount driving in 3 in the win, which improved Pedroso’s record to 9-6.

Jim Thome had 2 hits including a grand slam (his 13th homerun of the year), but Miami’s comeback fell short as they were unable to overcome a disastrous start by Martín Dihigo in a 7-6 loss to Birmingham.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Gavvy Cravath–slugging around .800 since joining Portland–hit another 2 homeruns as the Sea Dogs topped Kansas City, 6-5.

3 hits from Harry Hooper helped Walter Johnson improve his record to 14-4 as Portland edged the Monarchs 2-1. Johnson allowed 1 run in just over 7 IP, with Trevor Hoffman picking up his first save since joining the Sea Dogs.

Series XXXI Featured Matchup: Portland Sea Dogs @ Birmingham Black Barons

By mknn

On June 7, 2023

In Featured Series, Game Recaps

{ Whoops … somehow this never got published … }

Series preview here.

#Game One: Bert Blyleven @ Alejandro Peña

There is a statistical argument that Birmingham’s Alejandro Peña has been the best starting pitcher in the WBL this season, but today he was totally out classed by Portland’s Bert Blyleven.

Blyleven was perfect through 5 2/3, had a no-hitter through 7 1/3, and ended up giving up 3 hits and 1 run through 9 2/3 innings, striking out 7 while walking none (he did hit 2 batters, and clearly was tiring towards the end). Still, it was a great performance, lowering Blyleven’s ERA to 4.46 and improving his record to 9-9 on the year.

Peña, on the other hand, lasted only 3 innings, surrendering 9 hits and 6 runs, including homeruns from Bobby Murcer and Kent Hrbek (his 35th of the year). Murcer, Jim Fregosi, and Joe Mauer ended the day with 3 hits each as the Sea Dogs cruised to the 7-1 victory, retaking 1st place in the Marvin Miller Division.

POR 7 (Blyleven 9-9) @ BBB 1 (Peña 10-8)
HRs: POR – Murcer (22), Hrbek (35); BBB – none.
Box Score

After the game, Portland announced that Joséito Muñoz would be out 3-4 weeks. He was placed on the DL with Frank Williams recalled from AAA.

#Game 2: Dizzy Trout @ Vic Willis

Birmingham seemed to bounce back, scoring in the two opening innings on sacrifice flies while Vic Willis quieted the Portland bats. Willis exited after 6 innings with Birmingham up 3-1, and suddenly the game got far more interesting. Kent Mercker gave up 2 homeruns–a 2 run shot by Kent Hrbek and a solo drive by Jim Fregosi–to put the Sea Dogs up by one.

Portland’s starter, Dizzy Trout, was long-gone by this point, with Ray Fontenot providing solid relief until Herman Long tripled with one out in the bottom of the inning. Mike Cuellar relieved Fontenot, and allowed a sacrifice fly to Adrián González, tying the game at 4.

In the bottom of the 8th, an RBI double from Cupid Childs scored Bob Nieman, giving the Black Barons a 1 run lead, and turning the game over to their closer, Juan Rincón.

Rincón couldn’t reclaim first place, giving up RBI singles to Hrbek and Buddy Bell before being replaced by Bruce Chen, who gave up one more run on a base hit from Rogers Hornsby, putting Portland in front 7-5.

Elmer Brown walked 2, but induced a double play from Frank McCormick to end the game. Could Birmingham’s magical run be ending?

POR 7 (Porterfield 3-0; Brown 10 Sv; Cueller 2 B Sv) @ BBB 5 (Rincón 2-4, 5 Sv; Mercker 1 B Sv)
HRs: POR – Hrbek (36), Fregosi (16); BBB – none.
Box Score

Game 3: Wade Miller v Andy Pettitte

Victories in the first two games of the series have moved Portland 1.5 games ahead of Birmingham, who will turn to Andy Pettitte to stop their slide. Pettitte is 3-0 with a 1.29 ERA since arriving in Birmingham.

Another trade acquisition, Portland’s Gavvy Cravath, put the Sea Dogs on top 1-0 with a solo shot in the top of the 2nd. 2 walks and a weak infield hit loaded the bases with 2 outs, and Jim Pagliaroni touched Wade Miller for a 2-run single to give the Black Barons a 2-1 edge. But Pettitte gave it back on a double to Bobby Murcer, knotting the contest at 2.

The Black Barons began to gain some separation with a double by Eddie Mathews in the 3rd and a homerun from Adrián González in the 4th.

Pettitte had settled right down by then, and left the game allowing only 5 hits and the 2 runs over 8 innings. Juan Rincón came in and struck out the first two batters, but singles from Rogers Hornsby, Buddy Bell, and Jeff Burroughs loaded the bases with 2 outs with Harry Hooper at the plate. Rincón got him looking for the save, pulling Birminghan back within 1/2 game of Portland.

POR 2 (Miller 9-5) @ BBB 4 (Pettitte 4-0; Rincón 20 Sv)
HRs: POR – Cravath (4); BBB – González (6).
Box Score

Game 4: Atlee Hammaker v Greg Maddux

Trying to edge back into first place, Birmingham turned to perhaps the hottest arm in the league in Greg Maddux.

In the 2nd, a triple by Gavvy Cravath and a homerun from Rogers Hornsby put Portland ahead 2-0, a lead cut in half when Gene Tenace took Atlee Hammaker into the seats in the bottom of the frame.

It remained that way into the 5th, when Bobby Murcer doubled and scored on a single from Kent Hrbek. Maddux would last one more inning, departing with the Sea Dogs ahead, 3-1. Portland touched his relief for 3 runs in the top of the 7th, the key hit being a 2 run homerun by Joe Mauer.

Hammaker at this point was cruising, allowing only 5 hits through 6 innings, but hits from Curtis Granderson and Pie Traynor chased him with 2 outs in the 7th. Trevor Hoffman relived him, and Birmingham countered by pinch-hitting Eddie Matthews, who delivered a 3-run shot to close the score to 6-4.

There would be more baserunners after, but neither team could score, setting up Elmer Brown‘s entrance for Portland in the bottom of the 9th for the save. Adrián González led off the inning with a double down the left field line, and Brown followed with a walk to Jim Pagliaroni. Brown would allow the game to be tied in the most unlikely fashion: on consecutive wild pitches. That setup a 2-out single from Cupid Childs, winning the game and putting Birmingham back on top of the division, although just barely.

After the game, Mathews referred to himself as, “the straw that stirs the drink.” Wonder where he got that from?

POR 6 (Brown 3-6, 3 B Sv; Porterfield 3 H) @ BBB 7 (Baker 7-3)
HRs: POR – Hornsby (10), Mauer (11); BBB – Tenace (11), Mathews (21).
Box Score

TWIWBL 36.4: Series XXVIII Notes – Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On March 23, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Birmingham Black Barons

The arrival of Jim Pagliaroni sent Del Crandall packing (he refused a demotion to AAA), with Gene Tenace being relegated to reserve duty.

Nate Colbert was the odd man out with Andy Pettitte‘s arrival prompting Birmingham to carry 12 pitchers. Colbert will be back when rosters expand if not sooner. Pettitte slides into the rotation, with Larry Benton heading to the bullpen. Optimistically, the trio of Alejandro Peña, Pettitte, and Greg Maddux are on par with any trio of starters in the league, but that depends on Maddux maintaining his current form and all three staying healthy.

Pettitte’s first start was a success: 6 shutout innings, and combining with Steve Bedrosian and Kent Mercker on a 10 hit blanking of Ottawa. The Black Barons turned a league record 6 double plays in the game, and Frank McCormick, Hank Aaron, and Bob Nieman all went deep.

Harley Young will miss about a month, a pretty big blow to the Black Barons bullpen. Jim Whitney was recalled to take Young’s place.

#Brooklyn Royal Giants

Art Griggs will miss about 2 weeks of action with an oblique strain. The Royal Giants recalled OF Matt Holliday from AAA.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Lots of roster juggling here …

Cole Hamels and Freddie Fitzsimmons join the big league roster, with Hamels sliding right into the rotation. José Méndez takes over the final rotation spot, pushing Eustaquio Pedroso back to the bullpen. Once Ozzie Canseco clears waivers, Sandy Consuegra will be recalled from AAA.

The departure of Ed Bauta and Aroldis Chapman leave the Cuban Giants pretty weak at the back end of the pen, so they’re hoping some mix of Brown, Braden Looper, and Ricky Nolasco can handle closing games out.

Willie Kamm was promoted all the way from AA, and Jim Thome recalled from AAA to replace the departed Will Clark.

Fitzsimmons pitched in 2 games and then hit the DL with a hamstring problem, prompting Miami to recall Marcelino López to fill out the bullpen.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Hal Griggs and Frank Williams were sent to AAA to clear room for Trevor Hoffman and Mark Melancon and Dizzy Trout took the final spot in their rotation. Gavvy Cravath‘s arrival sent Ruben Sierra back as well. Cravath slides into RF, most likely reducing both Jeff Burroughs‘ and Greg Litton‘s playing time.

The Sea Dogs hit 6 homeruns in an 11-5 thrashing of Los Angeles, with Harry Hooper (a grandslam), Kent Hrbek (twice), Buddy Bell, Iván Rodriguez, and Rogers Hornsby all sending balls over the fence. Hrbek once again tied for the league lead with his 33rd of the season. Despite extreme wildness, Joséito Muñoz surrendered only 1 run in just over 5 innings, leveling his record at 5-5 on the season.

Walter Johnson will miss about a week, requiring a quick trip to the DL. The Sea Dogs recalled Ray Fontenot from AAA, but Atlee Hammaker is likely to get the nod for Johnson’s next start. Both Pascual Pérez and, more interestingly, Joe Mauer, began rehab assignments at AAA.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Billy Taylor and Nick Altrock were promoted to San Francisco, with Altrock sliding right into the back of the rotation as the Sea Lions try to figure out just what they have in the 28 year old hurler.

Gene Oliver was brought up to platoon with Mickey Cochrane behind the plate, with Cy Perkins being let go. There may be more moves ahead, depending on the status of Dick Lundy‘s injury. San Francisco would really like to move Miguel Cairo down, but it’s not clear who is ready for big league minutes at SS, especially if Lundy is out for any length of time.

Lundy will miss about 2 weeks, prompting the Sea Lions to recall Roy Hartzell from AAA.

Hartzell started his WBL career with a bang, hitting a homerun in his first at-bat. Bobby Bonds and Bob Cerv also went deep, and Tim Hudson seems to have turned the corner in his time in San Francisco as the Sea Lions beat Baltimore, 6-2.

Two homeruns from Pedro Guerrero led the Sea Lions to a 6-5 victory over the Black Sox. Guerrero drove in 5, helping Eddie Plank move to 8-5 on the year with Rod Beck picking up his 22nd save.

Taylor appeared in one game and tore his rotator cuff, putting him out for about 10 months. Bump Hadley was recalled from AAA.

TWIWBL 35.1: The Final Trading Window!

By mknn

On March 14, 2023

In TWIWBL

Welcome to the wild final day of trading for the season! We’re going to present these from the point of view of the contenders, with teams examined in order of their winning percentage so far this season.

Look for roster moves and implications in the next installments of TWIWBL. With 3/4 of the league making at least one deal, the impacts should be felt for a while …

Baltimore Black Sox

Baltimore got their hands on one of the best arms available, bringing in Connie Johnson from Kansas City. The Monarchs added a 5th round pick, receiving 2 prospects (OF Merv Rettenmund and RP Gene Garber) and a 2nd round pick for the 33 year-old hurler.

Grade: A. Johnson looks to be the real deal and should help the Black Sox withstand the recent rash of injuries.

Portland Sea Dogs

The Sea Dogs keep tweaking, sending 3 prospects–CF Kirby Puckett, RP Jim Kern, and SP Rick Wise–to Houston, with Trevor Hoffman and Mark Melancon coming back. Hoffman may compete with Elmer Brown for the closer role for Portland. The teams also traded some draft picks, with Houston sending a 4th to Portland in exchange for a 3rd and a 5th.

They also picked up perhaps the best OF available, as highly touted prospect Harmon Killebrew and a 1st round pick netted Gavvy Cravath and a 2nd round pick from Philadelphia, with the Stars also picking up most of Cravath’s salary for the rest of the season.

Grade: B. If they make the playoffs, sure, it makes sense. But Cravath is old, and Killebrew and Puckett are a lot of talent to give up (although both are pretty blocked by existing WBL talent).

New York Gothams

The Gothams were clearly trying to bolster their pitching, and pulled off a minor deal, sending prospects Travis Bowyer and Mike Shannon along with a 4th round pick to Homestead for Vean Gregg and a 5th rounder. They also added Steve Howe to their bullpen, sending the disgruntled Jeremy Affeldt and prospect Bob Moose to Ottawa.

And then they pulled off a bit of a blockbuster, as discussions with Miami surrounding Rube Waddell quickly spiraled out of control, with heavy drink most likely being involved. The Gothams sent Freddie Fitzsimmons, Cookie Rojas, Yasiel Puig, and a 2nd round pick to the Cuban Giants, receiving Waddell, Pete Runnels, and Will Clark in return.

Finally, as they now needed more depth they hit redial on their rotary phone and got in touch with Ottawa again, sending prospects George Burns and Art Devlin along with a 3rd round pick to the Mounties for George Van Haltren and two mid round picks (a 5th and a 6th).

Grade: C. It just seems like a lot of wheel-spinning. Is having Waddell and Gregg in the rotation really all that different than Moose and Fitzsimmons? Clark has been mediocre at best with Miami, and Rojas is a real loss.

Chicago American Giants

Chicago bolstered their pitching, picking up David Price from Indianapolis. Jorge Orta also goes to Chicago, with the American Giants sending prize prospect Robin Ventura, RP Tyler Clippard, and 2 draft picks (a 4th and a 5th) to the ABC’s.

Grade: A. Price may help compensate for the deeply flawed acquisition of Don Newcombe earlier in the summer.

Cleveland Spiders

The Spiders paid pretty dearly to upgrade the one slot in their lineup crying out for it, sending prized prospect Nap Lajoie, RP Arodys Vizcaíno, and a 1st round pick to Homestead for SS Arky Vaughan, SP Stan Bahnsen, and a 3rd rounder.

Grade: B. It all makes sense: Vaughan fills a need, Bahnsen has been solid at the WBL level and while Lajoie clearly is talented, for a team that has a shot at a championship this year, it works.

Detroit Wolverines

Especially with the loss of Whit Wyatt to injury, if Detroit is to make a move this year, they need pitching. So they sent quite a package of potential–2B Charlie Gehringer, 3B Bill Sweeney, SP Red Ehret, and a 4th Round Pick–to San Francisco for Charlie Root and Chad Bradford. It’s a lot, and the loss of Gehringer may hurt, but Detroit is really in win-now mode.

Grade: B. Root is excellent, and while they paid a little dearly, this year really looks to be the Wolverines’ best chance.

Birmingham Black Barons

Birmingham is unsure if its streak can continue, but an upgrade at C can’t hurt, so the Black Barons sent 2 IF prospects (SS Woody English and 3B Candy Jim Taylor) to Memphis for Jim Pagliaroni and a 4th round pick.

Then, late in the day, the pulled the trigger on a bit of a blockbuster, adding Andy Pettitte from Kansas City to their rotation. It cost quite a bit: C Dale Murphy (still a prospect despite his miserable WBL debut earlier in the season), P A. Rube Foster, a 2nd round pick and a 4th round pick. It was quite a declaration of intent by the Black Barons, we’ll see if it pans out.

Grade: A. Suddenly, Birmingham has a shot at the playoffs. Pettitte immediately becomes their #2 starter, and while they gave up some good talent, neither Murphy nor Foster look like world-burners at this point.

Wandering House of David

The House of David can still get lucky this year, so it moved to shore up a weak spot, sending prospects Bert Campaneris and Jeff Heathcock and a 3rd round pick to Miami for Ed Bauta and 2 later round picks (a 6th and a 7th).

Grade: C. Meh.

New York Black Yankees

The Black Yankees are desperate for bullpen help. They started to address the need picking up Aroldis Chapman from Miami, sending back Cole Hamels and Smoky Burgess, with Miami adding a 3rd round pick. With Bauta and Hoffman off the market, New York was forced to look at names further down their list.

They brought in Dick Tidrow from the House of David (who also threw in a 7th round pick), giving up a 2nd rounder and 2 prospects: SP Jim Clinton and 3B Chris Brown and then sent a similar package (LaTroy Hawkins, Fritz Coumbe, Mike Bordick, and a 3rd round pick) to Philadelphia for Rheal Cormier and a 4th rounder.

Grade: C. Overpaid on all fronts. Understandable, given the totally shambolic nature of the Black Yankees’ bullpen, but the loss of Hamels may hurt for many years, and Tidrow is little more than a fill-in.

Series XXV Featured Matchup: Houston Colt 45s @ Baltimore Black Sox

By mknn

On January 31, 2023

In Featured Series, Series Previews

Series preview here.

#Game 1: Roger Clemens @ Ned Garvin

Ned Garvin–probably the best hurler in the league so far–opens the series for Baltimore, with Houston countering with All Star break acquisition Roger Clemens.

Ken Singleton would take Clemens deep for a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 2nd for an early Black Sox lead, but Houston got one back on an RBI double from Jim Wynn, scoring Lance Blankenship, in the top of the 3rd.

Singleton and Bryce Harper would add RBI singles, but again Wynn would get something back for the Colt 45s with another double. An error by Bobby Wallace allowed Wynn to score, leaving Baltimore with a 1 run lead, 4-3.

Clemens wouldn’t make it out of the 5th as a double by Larry Gardner was followed by a balk and walks to Curt Blefary and Dan McGann, bringing Mark Melancon into the game with the bases loaded and 1 out. Manny Machado would deliver a double, extending the lead to 7-3 before Melancon could get out of the inning.

Frank Robinson would add 2 homeruns and, although Wynn would tie the league record with 3 doubles, Houston would never really threaten.

HOU 5 (Clemens 2-8) @ BAL 10 (Garvin 9-3; Beggs 11 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Singleton (11), Robinson 2 (22).
Box Score

Game #2: Roy Oswalt @ Dennis Martínez

Houston would score first, as an RBI groundout by Tony Gwynn scored Andrés Galarraga in the top of the 2nd. Dennis Martínez would load the bases (with one coming on a strikeout victim reaching on a passed ball) and give up a sacrifice fly, but that was it as the Colt 45s moved ahead, 2-0.

An RBI groundout by Carlos Correa would up it to 3-0. Meanwhile, Houston’s ace, Roy Oswalt, was sailing along with a 1-hit shutout through 5 innings. The shutout would be broken up by an RBI single from Curt Blefary in the 6th, but young phenom Pete Hill made a magnificent catch in deep CF to end the threat, leaving the score 3-1.

A double by Baby Doll Jacobson chased Oswalt from the mound in the bottom of the 6th. Luke Gregerson walked 2 and let a run score on a wild pitch, but still left with the lead, 3-2 in favor of Houston.

Correa took Jim Palmer deep with a 3 run shot in the top of the 8th, giving Houston a little additional cushion at 6-2. Jacobson would drive in a run int he 8th, but Houston’s closer, Billy Wagner, would come on to shut the door in the 9th.

HOU 6 (Oswalt 8-6; Wagner 13 Sv; Gregerson 3 H) @ BAL 3 (Martínez 10-6)
HRs: HOU – Correa (7).
Box Score

#Game 3: Toad Ramsey @ Bill Byrd

This one was a pitchers’ duel early, with Toad Ramsey and Bill Byrd essentially matching each other frame for frame. Baltimore scored twice in the bottom of the 4th on two walks, a wild pitch by Ramsey, and a 2-run single from Manny Machado, but that was it for either team until the top of the 7th.

Byrd entered the inning having allowed no runs and only 2 hits, but surrendered a leadoff single to Jeff Bagwell. George Brett reached on an error, and Andrés Galarraga scored Houston’s first run with a double. Byrd walked Carlos Correa, and the Black Sox went to their bullpen for Sean Marshall who promptly struck out Gentleman Jim O’Rourke and Craig Biggio. But Jim Wynn was able to–just barely–beat out an infield single, scoring Brett and tying the game at 2.

A leadoff single by Bobby Wallace in the bottom of the 8th chased Ramsey from the game. Trevor Hoffman was unable to preserve his good work, surrendering a 2-run shot to Ken Singleton, giving Baltimore the lead, 4-2, heading to the top of the 9th.

Bob Miller of the Black Sox pitched a perfect 9th for the save, with Marshall getting the win. Ramsey was the hard luck loser, despite only allowing 3 hits in 7 innings.

After the game, Houston placed Andrew Chafin on the 60-Day DL with a torn labrum, recalling Brad Lidge, who was strong at AAA after a horrible start in the WBL earlier in the season.

HOU 2 (Ramsey 8-10) @ BAL 4 (Marshall 4-0, 2 BSv; Miller 7 Sv)
HRs: BAL – Singleton (12).
Box Score

#Game 4: Bones Ely @ Johnny Sain

Houston will try to escape with a split by sending Bones Ely–a new addition to their staff–up against the weakest arm in Baltimore’s impressive rotation, Johnny Sain. Sain is pitching for his rotation spot, as Jim Palmer is making a strong argument to replace him.

Pete Hill put the Colt 45’s in front 1-0 in the top of the 5th with his 3rd homerun of the year. Jorge Posada added a 2-run shot, making it 3-0 in favor of Houston. Baltimore would finally get on the board in the bottom of the 6th when Larry Gardner–who tripled to lead off the inning–scored on a groundout by Baby Doll Jacobson.

A triple by Bryce Harper and a walk to Frank Robinson chased Ely from the game, bringing in Mark Melancon, who promptly surrendered an RBI single to Curt Blefary. Posada let a ball skip through his legs, scoring Robinson and tying the game at 4.

The lead was short-lived: Andrés Galarraga greeted Joe Beggs with a moonshot into the left field seats and a 5-4 edge for Houston. Houston would score another run on a Tony Gwynn sacrifice fly, giving the Colt 45s a 6-4 edge heading to the bottom of the 8th.

Houston brought in Brad Lidge, who delivered a scoreless inning, something he was unable to do when he started the year as Houston’s closer. His replacement in that role, Billy Wagner, pitched a perfect ninth, giving us a series split. Melancon continued his life as a vulture, improving to 9-2 out of the pen on the season.

HOU 4 (Melancon 9-2, 2 BSv; Wagner 14 Sv; Lidge 1 H) @ BAL 2 (Beggs 1-3)
HRs: HOU – Hill (3), Posada (5), Galarraga (3).
Box Score

TWIWBL 25.2: Series XIX Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On June 8, 2022

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Despite a stellar showing, Bob Welch is sent to AA A to clear room on the roster for the arrival of Joe Beggs. Manny Machado steps into the starting lineup at 3B, sending Brooks Robinson back to AAA.

#Chicago American Giants

The pitching staff was overhauled in a big way, with Frank Smith, Ken Sanders, and Joe Horlen heading to AAA to clear room for newcomers Don Newcombe, Dick Rudolph, Clay Condrey, and Hoyt Wilhelm, with Newcombe and Rudolph joining the rotation. Freddy Parent steps right into the SS role, sending Luis Aparicio to AAA and clearing space on the roster for José Abreu, who looks to see a fair bit of time at 1B against lefties.

The new guys were good in their first game: Parent hit a homerun and Wilhelm was effective in relief. But it was the old guard who won the game, with Frank Thomas hitting a homerun and Dick Allen getting 3 hits in a 7-2 victory over Brooklyn to start the second half for the American Giants. After the game, Tom Brookens was promoted to Chicago as Jack Doyle was placed on the DL.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Everyone can play everywhere … which isn’t as big a deal as you might think. But, 17 year old Pete Hill, Paul Goldschmidt, and Lance Blankenship all move to Houston to fill out the roster. Roger Clemens slides directly into the rotation with Brad Lidge heading to AAA.

Hill hit a go-ahead homerun in his first start, helping Houston to a 4-3 win over Ottawa. Trevor Hoffman moved to 5-0, and Billy Wagner picked up his 5th save of the year.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Steve Evans and Frankie Frisch join the big league club. The pitching situation is a bit more interesting: Bob Gibson remains at AAA due to the arrival of Smoky Joe Wood and the return of Andy Pettitte from the DL.

#Ottawa Mounties

The Mounties have essentially tossed in the towel, looking to sort through some of their young talent with an eye towards next year. This means a return to the rotation for Johnny Podgajny, a return to Ottawa for Randy Johnson, and a debut for RP Bobby Castillo.

A similar bunch of changes offensively: Jim Stephens takes over for Emil Gross as the backup catcher, Rusty Staub moves into a platoon at 1B, Álex Rodríguez gets another shot as the full time SS, and Carlos Beltrán tries to solve the ongoing woes at CF for Ottawa.

Roberto Alomar had 4 hits and 5 RBIs and Rodriguez scored 4 times with 3 hits and 3 RBIs leading the Mounties in a 14-5 rout of Houston in the first game of a doubleheader. Rodriguez and Roy Sievers went deep and Clayton Richard put in a strong 7 innings for his second win.

TWIWBL 20.2: Series XVII Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On January 6, 2022

In TWIWBL

#Chicago American Giants

Frank Thomas hit 2 homeruns and drove in 4 runs supporting Mark Buehrle in a 9-1 victory over Kansas City. Buehrle allowed 1 run in over 7 innings, evening his record at 5-5 and Eddie Collins had 2 hits and scored 3 times for Chicago.

Recent call-ups Rocky Colavito and Magglio Ordóñez hit their first homeruns of the year, with Colavito going deep twice, leading the American Giants in a 7-3 victory over Kansas City. Tricky Nichols moved to 8-2 on the year with the complete game victory.

Fernando Rodney was returned to AAA to clear room for Cristóbal Torriente‘s activation from the DL.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Jim O’Rourke doubled home a run in the bottom of the 13th, giving Houston a 2-1 victory over Birmingham. Bret Saberhagen pitched fantastically over 8.2 innings, allowing only 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 8. The win went to Trevor Hoffman, who improved to 4-0 with 3 innings of perfect relief.

Dock Ellis was sent to AAA as Leon Day returned to Houston from the Disabled List.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Adam Wainwright was placed on the DL as a precautionary measure, with Joe Blong joining the Monarchs’ staff from AAA.

#Ottawa Mounties

Needing a starter, the Mounties returned Johnny Podgajny to AAA and recalled Gary Peters.

Thirty-five year old Jamie Moyer continued to impress, tossing a 5-hit, complete game shutout against Baltimore , improving his record to 4-3 and lowering his ERA under 4.00. Anthony Rendon and Gary Carter each homered and drove in 2 runs with 2 hits, leading the Mounties to the 6-0 win.

TWIWBL 18.2: Series XV Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On November 8, 2021

In TWIWBL

#Baltimore Black Sox

Bill Byrd allowed 3 hits (2 by Tom Herr, who continues to impress) in a complete-game shutout of Birmingham. The 7-0 win moved Byrd to 5-2 and lowered his ERA to a sparkling 3.16. Curt Blefary, Larry Gardner, and Dan McGann had 2 hits each in support of Byrd, with McGann and Bryce Harper driving in 2 each.

The Black Sox finally ran out of patience with Miller Huggins, sending the struggling 2B to AAA in favor of OF Baby Doll Jacobson, who had been absolutely demolishing minor league pitching.

#Chicago American Giants

Shoeless Joe Jackson took Jimmy Key‘s first ever pitch in the WBL out of the ballpark for the first of his 2 homeruns on the day, setting the tone for a blowout victory for the American Giants over Ottawa. Damian Jackson–who started the day hitting .165–went 4-for-5 and six–yes, six–Chicago batters had 3 hits (Shoeless Joe, Frank Thomas, Eddie Collins, Duffy Lewis, Dick Allen, and Carlton Fisk). Thomas drove in 4, and Tricky Nichols improved to 6-2 with 7 solid innings on the mound.

Not all news was good for Chicago, as Cristobal Torriente had to leave the game with a leg injury that landed him on the DL. Rocky Colavito was recalled from AAA in his place.

As the American Giants try to solve their bullpen, Frank Smith was returned to AAA, with Joe Lake coming up to Chicago to compete with Joe Horlen for the final rotation spot. Despite his good day detailed above, The Damian Jackson experiment is clearly on its way out. While Jackson stays with the big league club–someone has to play 2B when Collins is out–Jack Doyle, way down in AA, provides the same defensive flexibility, and cannot hit any worse. Avisail Garcia was also sent down, with Magglio Ordonez coming up to the big leagues. Jim Davenport and Nellie Fox were both released to make room on the 40-man roster.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Mark Melancon picked up his 5th victory from the bullpen when Lance Berkman won the ballgame with a walk-off homerun against Cleveland. Jorge Posada also went deep and Jeff Bagwell and HR Johnson added 2 hits in the 4-3 victory.

Melancon did it again, moving to 6-1 when Jim O’Rourke provided a walk-off hit in the bottom of the 10th. Felipe Alou–perhaps playing to remain in the league–had 3 hits and 2 RBIs and Melancon, Dock Ellis, and Trevor Hoffman combined for 3.2 innings of 2-hit, shutout relief of an effective Stephen Strasbourg.

#Ottawa Mounties

Just another day for Tim Raines: 2 hits, 3 runs scored, 3 stolen bases to lead Ottawa to a 7-2 win over Chicago. Freddy Parent added his 9th homerun of the year and Jim Clancy pitched well, allowing 5 hits and 2 runs in just over 5 innings, moving to 3-2 on the season.

Jimmy Key was waived and Clark Griffiths returned to AAA to make room for Ted Bowsfield and Steve Howe‘s return from injury. More dramatically, the Mounties sent down Steve Garvey, Ken Griffey, Jr., and Alex Rodriguez to AAA in an effort to jump start their offense. Rick Monday, Larry Parrish, and–surprisingly, all the way from AA–Harry Easterday were recalled, with Felix Hernandez being waived. The end result of all this is that Jackie Jensen and Roy Sievers will get a lot of at-bats for a while.

Series XV Featured Game: Baltimore Black Sox @ Birmingham Black Barons

By mknn

On October 29, 2021

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

The opening and closing matches between the Baltimore Black Sox and the Birmingham Black Barons were both worthy of consideration as the Game of the Series.

The first game started with Birmingham taking it to the best team in the league, with the legend that is Tom Herr and Dale Murphy both going deep. Earlier in the season, Murphy was sent to AAA after an absolutely horrific start to the season, and while he’s not exactly setting the world on fire, he has been doing better since his recall.

A Frank Isbell homerun extended Birmingham’s lead to 4-3, but the Black Sox tied it up in the top of the 5th when Ken Singleton drove in 2 with a single.

And there it stayed until the bottom of the 7th, when there goes that man again as Herr doubled and scored on a single by Bob Nieman. But Bobby Wallace took Hoyt Wilhelm deep for a 2-run shot and for a brief moment, the world was normal once more, with Baltimore on top, 6-5.

I did say briefly. Hank Aaron led off the bottom of the inning against Mike Mussina with a solo shot of his own, knotting the contest at 6.

And there we stayed, until the top of the 13th, when Bryce Harper singled home Curt Blefary for a 7-6 lead for Baltimore. And with Don Bessent heading out for the bottom of the frame, Black Sox fans began to pack up … but Aaron would lead off with a single, moving to 3rd on a base-hit from Pie Traynor. He would score on a groundout by Del Crandall, which moved Traynor to third … and Curtis Granderson would deliver the walk-off base-hit for an improbable victory for The Black Barons.

But the series wasn’t done delivering the goods. Baltimore’s Bill Byrd threw a 3-hit shutout in game 2, and Birmingham rode big days from Aaron and Isbell to win game 3.

That brought us to what could be a great pitching matchup, with Baltimore’s Ned Garvin taking on Birmingham’s Tim Hudson. Neither pitcher were in their team’s rotations at the start of the year (Hudson was in AAA), and both were doing fantastically well.

Garvin came into the game at 5-2 with a 2.47 ERA and Hudson at 5-0 with a 2.70 ERA.

And, for once, the matchup held! Hudson had a shutout through 6 innings while Garvin’s line was only marred by a 2-run homerun from Granderson.

The 7th was definitive for the game: Hudson gave up a homerun to Blefary and an RBI single to tie the game in the top of the frame, but Garvin was touched for an RBI double from Murphy and a run-scoring single from Frank McCormick, extending the lead to 4-2.

Neither starter would make it out of the 8th, as a solo shot from Frank Robinson chased Hudson. His replacement, Steve Bedrosian, was greeted by Blefary’s second homerun of the game, with the back-to-back jacks tying the game at 4.

Buddy Groom came in for Baltimore to start the bottom of the 8th, and gave up an RBI double to Aaron and a 2-run shot to Troy Tulowitzki, putting the Black Barons back in front, and their closer, Juan Rincon came on to shut the door on the 7-4 victory.

So, a great series with an especially thrilling two games.

BAL 7 (Bessent 1-2, 1 B Sv) @ BBB 8 (Benton 1-1; Wilhelm 1 B Sv) [13 Innings]
HRs: BAL – Wallace (4); BBB – Murphy (1), Herr (2), Aaron (8), Isbell (1)
Box Score

BAL 4 (Groom 1-1) @ BBB 7 (Bedrosian 1-0, 1 BSv)
HRs: BAL – Blefary 2 (18), Robinson (14); BBB – Granderson (7), Tulowitzki (7)
Box Score

Other Games of Note

That’s more like it. After struggling in his first start, Sandy Koufax delivered perhaps the finest start in the league so far, a 1-hit shutout of Kansas City. Koufax walked 2 and struck out 8 in the 3-0 victory. Brooklyn took the lead on a solo homerun from Roy White, and was helped out by2 hits from Duke Snider. Luke Hamlin pitched quite well, but still took the loss and Kansas City’s only hit was a double by Stan Musial in the top of the first.

KCM 0 (Hamlin 3-5) @ BRK 3 (Koufax 2-2)
HRs: BRK – White (7)
Box Score

The opening game of the Cleveland Spiders’ visit to Houston was an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel. For the Colt 45’s, Roy Oswalt‘s only error in 8 innings was a first inning homerun by Ron Blomberg as the Houston starter only allowed 5 hits and 2 walks in that span. But Cleveland’s Bob Feller was even better, throwing a 6-hit shutout with 9 whiffs over 7.2 innings. Trevor Hoffman came on in the top of the 9th, and Blomberg took him deep for his 2nd of the day, and the Spiders’ closer, Terry Adams, made it stand up.

CLE 3 (Feller 5-4; Gearrin 4 H; Adams 14 Sv) @ HOU 0 (Oswalt 5-4)
HRs: CLE – Blomberg 2 (15)
Box Score

The series closer between Indianapolis and Miami was notable for a few reasons. First, Miami’s Dontrelle Willis was making his first career start. It did not go well, as Willis was touched for 5 runs (4 earned) in 4 innings. But Indianapolis’ Red Faber fared little better, surrendering 7 runs in only 5 innings of work. The Cuban Giants’ Eustaquio Pedroso delivered 3 solid innings of relief en route to the victory for Miami, which also saw Alejandro Oms hit for the first cycle in WBL history. Jim Thome added 3 hits and 2 homeruns for Miami, and Oscar Charleston and Ed Charles had strong days at the plate for the ABC’s. Finally, Aroldis Chapman did indeed record his 11th save, but he did it in Chapman style, giving up 2 walks while walking his tightrope.

IND 6 (Faber 4-4) @ MCG 9 (Pedroso 3-4; Condrey 2 H; Bauta 8 H; Chapman 11 Sv)
HRs: MCG – Oms (2), Thome 2 (9)
Box Score