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TWIWBL 71.1: Year 2, Week 14

On January 27, 2025

July 2nd

We’ll preview the All Star selections, so this will be a bit of a longer entry.

#Awards

Lots of awards, as we moved into a new month!

First, the smaller ones. Houston‘s Jeff Bagwell was the National League Player of the Week, hitting .409 with 5 homeruns while Eric Davis of the juggernaut New York Black Yankees was the American League Player of the Week, hitting .481 with 5 homers in the same span.

In the monthly awards, the American League Rookie of the Month for June was San Francisco‘s Turkey Stearnes, who hit .378 with 11 homeruns in the month.

Kansas City‘s A. Rube Foster was both the National League Rookie of the Month and the NL Pitcher of the Month, going 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA, as the young hurler announced himself as, at least so far, a premier WBL starter. The American League Pitcher of the Month was Bump Hadley, Stearnes’ teammate in San Francisco. Hadley was 5-0 in June with a 2.66 ERA.

Ottawa‘s star backstop, Gary Carter, was the National League Batter of the Month, hitting .397 with 14 homeruns in June while in the American League, unsurprisingly, the award went to the stellar Ty Cobb. The Detroit OF hit .408 with 11 homers in June, which actually brought his overall average down in that span (Cobb is leading the WBL in BA at .418).

#Team Performance

Yawn.

The Black Yankees and the Sea Lions continue to be the 2 best teams in the league, leading their divisions by 5 and 11 games respectively.

The Effa Manley Division might offer some excitement in the second half, as Brooklyn still leads Homestead by 4 and the New York Gothams by 5.5. But the only true race is in the Marvin Miller Division, where Kansas City has overtaken Indianapolis, now leading the ABC’s by 2.5 games.

The Houston Colt 45’s are 8-2 over their last 10 games, but still sit 5 games under .500. Detroit and Philadelphia are moving in the other direction, with each team managing only 2 wins in their last 10 contests.

Birmingham still has the worst record in the league, but they have moved over .400, sitting at .410 (34-49).

#Player Performance

Batters

It’s still Ty Cobb’s world, although Babe Ruth is doing Babe Ruth things, and reached the 40 homerun plateau during the last week.

José Canseco (MCG). 254/375/734. 36 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 336/386/642. 103 H, 9 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 416/464/885. 116 H, 37 2B, 8 3B, 5.8 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 392/481/748. 5.1 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 389/425/601. 116 H.
Pete Hill (HOU). 291/371/487. 10 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 356/398/588. 103 H, 39 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 329/392/573. 37 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 292/426/775. 40 HR, 90 RBI, 82 R, 68 BB, 5.0 WAR.
Larry Walker (OTT). 293/369/721. 36 HR, 85 RBI.

Rickey Henderson (San Francisco) and Tim Raines (Ottawa) continue to be 1-2 in the league in steals, but it’s getting closer, with Henderson’s edge now 60 to 53.

Pitchers

Starters

While his performance has been somewhat below par, the New York Gothams’ Christy Mathewson continues to be definition of workhorse, leading the WBL with 20 starts, 2 ahead of a bevy of hurlers with 18.

7 pitchers have reached double-digits in wins, with Luis Padrón (Indianapolis) leading the way at 11-2. All 7 are included below. Houston’s Toad Ramsey was so dominant for so long, he is still the top starter in the league despite a recent dip in form, but I would probably choose Lefty Grove of San Francisco or the emergent A. Rube Foster.

Frank Castillo (KCM). 10-1, 4.22.
A. Rube Foster (KCM). 5-1, 2.30. .203 BABIP, 0.98 WHIP, 3.70 FIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 10-4, 3.71. 126 IP, 132 K, 3.1 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-4, 3.86. 143 K, 3.80 FIP, 3.2 WAR.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 11-4, 4.21, 3.50 FIP, 3.0 WAR.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 10-4, 3.87.
Luis Padrón (IND). 11-2, 4.21. 3.57 FIP, 3.3 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 11-3, 3.54.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 11-4, 2.77. 124 IP, 152 K, 0.89 WHIP, 2.80 FIP, 5.2 WAR.
Ed Walsh (CAG). 6-3, 3.41. 1 Sv, .201 BABIP.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 7-7, 3.41. 3.66 FIP, 3.4 WAR.

Relievers

We’ve listed the top 3 leaders in saves, all 5 of the relievers who have reached double digits in Holds, as well as all 5 with an ERA below 2.00.

18 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 3-2, 3.47. 21 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-2, 6.03. 11 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 1-1, 2.92. 19 Sv.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.72. 1 Sv, 4 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-4, 4.13. 1 Sv, 10 H.
Brad Kilby (PHI). 1-2, 4.39. 2 Sv, 10 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 2-1, 1.14. 2 Sv, 11 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 4-2, 3.45. 20 Sv.
Rob Murphy (IND). 1-3, 3.75. 1 Sv, 11 H.
Robb Nen (NYG). 3-2, 1.95. 9 Sv, 6 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 1-0, 1.64. 3 Sv, 3 H.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 1-2, 4.15. 1 Sv, 10 H.
Harley Young (BBB). 1-0, 1.23. 3 Sv, 5 H.

#Injury Report

Portland lost half of their backstop platoon as AJ Pierzynski will be out for close to a month. News was worse for Ottawa, as SP Bob Moose is out for close to a year.

Houston’s Casey Stengel and Kansas City’s Lou Brock are awaiting diagnosis on their current injuries.

Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace, Detroit’s Billy Hoeft, and the Black Yankees’ Dave Righetti should all begin rehab assignments this week.

#The All Star Candidates

We’ll look at these by position, mixing the two leagues for the time being.

For each position, we’ve included as many players as it takes to have at least 3-4 candidates from each league, highlighting some pretty severe disparities in talent between the AL and the NL.

If players don’t qualify for the batting stats, their playing time is noted, as are some other potentially influencing factors. This indicates a leader at that position among the players listed (but not necessarily overall).

Each league can only select 32 players for the All Star Game itself (usually 20 or 21 position players and 11 or 12 pitchers), so quite a few of the players listed here will be left on the outside looking in.

#C

The NL dominates here, with 3 catchers with an OPS over 1.000. That means some worthy candidates–most notably NYG’s Buster Posey –are likely to miss out.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Josh Gibson	HOM / NL	1.229	5.1 WAR; 67 RBI	3.1 FRM
Gary Carter	OTT /NL	1.073	28 HR	47.1 RTO%
Mike Piazza	BRK / NL	1.042	29 HR; 65 RBI	4.87 CERA
Ed Bailey	DET / AL	.972		57 G/216 PA; 43.6 RTO%
Jim Pagliaroni	BBB / NL	.925		61 G/231 PA
Mickey Cochrane	SFS / AL	.917		10 SB; 4.39 CERA
Ted Simmons	KCM / NL	.900		63 G/256 PA; 4.15 CERA
Buster Posey	NYG / NL	.870		3.8 FRM
Joe Mauer	POR / AL	.856		14 SB
Curt Blefary	BAL /AL	.826
Carlton Fisk	CAG / AL	.800		67 G/254 PA; 11 SB

FRM = Framing Runs | RTO% = Runners Thrown Out | CERA = Catcher ERA

The other stalwart defensive catchers–Miami‘s Iván Rodríguez and Indianapolis’ Johnny Bench–just haven’t hit enough, although a late surge by Bench has moved him up these lists.

I don’t think there is any question in the NL, where it’s Gibson, Carter, and Piazza. Cochrane and Mauer should be in for the AL, with a question of whether you go with Bailey’s bat in more limited appearances or Blefary. Should the NL decide to carry 4 backstops, the choice between Pagliaroni and Simmons (and, perhaps, Posey) is close.

Gibson and Cochrane should be the starters.

#1B

The AL has a slight edge here, but there’s a lot of talent throughout.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Lou Gehrig	NYY / AL	1.057	28 HR; 21 2B; 65 RBI	.995 Fldg
Will Clark	NYG / NL	1.006
Frank Thomas	CAG / AL	1.004
Hank Greenberg	DET / AL	.991	26 HR	.998 Fldg; 3.1 ZR
Mike Epstein	HOM / NL	.965
Anthony Rizzo	HOD / NL	.964
Lance Berkman	CLE / AL	.957
Jim Thome	MCG / AL	.927	28 HR; 64 RBI
Jeff Bagwell	HOU / NL	.923	66 RBI	.995 Fldg
Boog Powell	KCM / NL	.920		.995 Fldg; 9.23 RF; 2.9 ZR

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

Gehrig and Clark are almost certainly the starters, and the AL will likely take Thomas and Greenberg as well. In the NL, it gets a little trickier, as Powell (along with Greenberg) is one of the better 1B defensively. Epstein’s offense will carry him, but after that my guess is Rizzo gets the selection (but cannot participate via injury), and is replaced by Powell, with Bagwell having a legitimate complaint.

#2B

The NL is ridiculously stacked in terms of offensive-minded 2B.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Joe Morgan	IND / NL	1.088		47 G/199 PA
Roberto Alomar	OTT/ NL	1.008	21 2B; 18 HR; 64 RBI; 31 SB; 3.5 WAR
Ryne Sandberg	HOD / NL	.995	28 HR; 60 RBI; 2.9 WAR	.997 Fldg; 5.00 RF
Jackie Robinson	BRK / NL	.938
Rogers Hornsby	POR / AL	.919		53 G/234 PA
Charlie Gehringer	DET / AL	.876		57 G/225 PA; .989 Fldg; 5.09 RF
Eddie Collins	CAG / AL	.850	36 SB
Bobby Grich	LAA / AL	.845	15 HR
Craig Biggio	HOU / NL	.841
Chase Utley	PHI / NL	.781		4.92 RF; 9.3 ZR
Cookie Rojas	MCG / AL	.766	27 2B	.987 Fldg

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

Joe Morgan is included just for interest–he missed too much time to injury to warrant serious consideration. Detroit’s Charlie Gehringer, on the other hand, probably makes the cut, despite starting the season in the minors.

In the NL, it’s pretty clear: Alomar, Sandberg, and Robinson, with the starter being decided between Sandberg and Alomar over the next week. The AL is trickier, but I think it ends up going according to form: Eddie Collins to start, with Gehringer and Hornsby behind him.

#SS

It’s pretty impressive there are this many shortstops that can hit, and Ernie Banks‘ production is incredible.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Ernie Banks	HOD/ NL	.978	30 HR; 71 RBI
Cal Ripken, Jr.	BAL / AL	.967		39 G/140 PA; .993 Fldg; 4.90 RF
Carlos Correa	HOU/ NL	.929	18 2B; 2.8 WAR
Arky Vaughan	CLE / AL	.887	19 2B; 2.4 WAR	6.3 ZR
Álex Rodríguez	OTT / NL	.885	23 HR
Robin Yount	MCG / AL	.845	15 HR	5.8 ZR
Jim Fregosi	POR / AL	.793
Dick Lundy	SFS / AL	.783	7 3B; 2.1 WAR; 33 SB
Derek Jeter	NYY / AL	.762
Dobie Moore	MEM / AL	.750	22 SB	.983 Fldg
Ozzie Smith	KCM / NL	.672	19 2B; 25 SB	.994 Fldg; 6.3 ZR

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

Ripken, Jr. is really not a serious contender, but he has been impressive in the 40 G’s he’s played. That gives us Banks, Correa, and Rodríguez in the NL and Vaughan, Yount, and either Fregosi or Lundy in the AL.

Smith is included because of his superlative defense, but doesn’t probably make the cut.

This is an interesting position: Vaughan and Rodríguez changed teams in the off season, and Correa’s performance has been a bit of a shock.

#3B

The top 5 are locks, beyond that, it gets much trickier, especially in the NL.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Albert Pujols	KCM / NL	1.046	32 2B; 60 RBI; 2.8 WAR
Ron Cey	BRK / NL	.967	2.4 WAR	.976 Fldg; 3.3 ZR
Gary Sheffield	MCG/ AL	.929	22 HR; 55 RBI; 15 SB
Evan Longoria	CLE / AL	.926		2.2 ZR
Mike Schmidt	NYY / AL	.926	23 HR; 55 RBI	2.59 RF
Scott Rolen	PHI / NL	.922	2.1 WAR	.974 Fldg; 2.7 ZR
Ron Santo	HOD /NL	.906		52 G/192 PA
Eddie Mathews	BBB / NL	.904	24 HR	.978 Fldg; 2.66 RF
Wade Boggs	MEM / AL	.896	26 2B

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

After Pujols and Cey, it’s hard in the NL. Matthews and Rolen edge ahead of Santo due to defense and Santo’s relative low usage, but picking between the two of them is very challenging, to the point the NL may go with 4 players at the hot corner.

#OF

All of the OF spots are a bit combined in the end, but we’re keeping them separate for the sake of comparison.

#LF

When Detroit’s Ty Cobb plays the OF, he plays here as well, making the AL selections pretty simple.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Babe Ruth	NYY / AL	1.201	40 HR; 90 RBI; 5.0 WAR	.988 Fldg; 5.1 ZR
Ted Williams	MEM / AL	1.063	23 2B; 65 RBI
Frank Robinson	BAL / AL	1.035	24 HR; 64 RBI; 2.3 WAR	1.000 Fldg
Adam Dunn	IND / NL	.906	24 HR	.989 Fldg; 3.41 RF
Roy White	BRK / NL	.866
Oscar Gamble	DET / AL	.852
Rickey Henderson	SFS / AL	.840	2.8 WAR; 60 SB	7.2 ZR
Tim Raines	OTT / NL	.773	7 3B; 53 SB

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

So, Ruth, Williams, and Robinson are in, and perhaps Henderson’s 60+ SB warrant a spot. In the NL, it’s more challenging. Dunn seems to be a lock, and White is a bit of a sentimental choice. It may be just those 2 from this group.

#CF

Tris Speaker, as despicable of a human being as he is, is the best in the AL right now, especially considering the defensive contribution. Over in the NL, Willie Mays probably edges Oscar Charleston as the starter.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Rick Monday	OTT /NL	1.172		41 G/136 PA
Tris Speaker	CLE / AL	1.088	31 2B; 4.0 WAR	2.68 RF; 5.1 ZR; 6 Kills
Turkey Stearnes	SFS / AL	1.065	7 3B; 24 HR
Eric Davis	NYY / AL	1.058	26 SB	41 G/188 PA; 1.000 Fldg
Julio Rodríguez	MCG / AL	1.052		39 G/177 PA
Oscar Charleston	IND / NL	1.027	9 3B; 60 RBI; 24 SB
Willie Mays	NYG / NL	.977	31 HR; 62 RBI; 2.9 WAR	.990 Fldg; 2.70 RF; 7.7 ZR
Mike Trout	LAA / AL	.965	24 2B; 2.8 WAR; 21 SB	1.000 Fldg
Carlos Beltrán	OTT / NL	.916	63 RBI; 21 SB
Alejandro Oms	MCG / AL	.883	5 3B	6.3 ZR
Curtis Granderson	BBB / NL	.876	26 HR	3.01 RF

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

Monday, Davis, and Rodríguez aren’t really in contention, but their performances in limited action have been pretty spectacular.

Speaker, Stearnes, and Trout are pretty much locks in the AL, with Oms being a hard luck case. Beltrán deserves the spot behind Mays and Charleston.

#RF

A deep, deep group, probably 4 deep in each league.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
José Canseco	MCG / AL	1.109	36 HR
Larry Walker	OTT / NL	1.090	36 HR; 85 RBI; 22.4 WAR	3.89 RF
Reggie Jackson	SFS / AL	1.027	63 RBI; 2.8 WAR; 24 SB
Tony Gwynn	HOU / NL	1.026	6 3B; 24 2B; 2.8 WAR
Aaron Judge	PHI / NL	.994		.992 Fldg
Mickey Mantle	NYY / AL	.993	30 HR; 76 RBI
Joe Jackson	CAG /AL	.986	39 2B; 27 SB
Stan Musial	KCM / NL	.964	37 2B	5.5 ZR
Johnny Callison	NYG / NL	.945		.993 Fldg
Mookie Betts	MEM / AL	.865	24 2B	1.000 Fldg

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

Canseco, Mantle, and the 2 Jacksons seem locks in the AL, with Walker, Gwynn, and Judge in the NL. It’s possible Musial misses the cut, as ridiculous as that sounds.

#DH

The pressure here is immense, given the competition for the other OF spots.

Name	Tm / Lg	OPS	Reg Stats	Other
Ty Cobb	DET / AL	1.350	37 2B; 8 3B; 26 HR; 73 RBI; 5.8 WAR; 31 SB
Kal Daniels	LAA / AL	1.023	21 2B; 2.3 WAR; 30 SB
Manny Ramírez	MEM / AL	.986		56 G/224 PA
Ryan Braun	MCG/ AL	.982	31 HR
Willie Stargell	HOM / NL	.980	27 HR
Gavvy Cravath	BAL / AL	.926	22 2B; 69 RBI
Benny Kauff	NYG / NL	.909

Fldg = Fielding % | RF = Range Factor | ZR = Zone Rating

Cobb is, of course, a lock, and it would be hard to keep Daniels off the roster. Beyond that, though, it gets difficult to justify a pure DH, although Braun, Stargell, and Cravath all have decent arguments.

#P

Pitching is, of course, a constant crapshoot, and a lot could change in the outings this week.

All pitchers are sorted by ERA.

#SP

This list has everyone with an ERA under 4.00 or 10 or more wins.

Name	Tm / Lg	W-L; ERA	Reg Stats	Other
Toad Ramsey	HOU / NL	11-4, 2.77	152 K; 0.89 WHIP; 5.2 WAR; 2.80 FIP	71% QS; 5 CG; 2 SHO; 2.34 SIERA; 1.7 WPA
Doc Gooden	LAA / AL	7-5, 3.17
Hardie Henderson	PHI/ NL	9-6, 3.18
Smokey Joe Williams	BRK / NL	7-7, 3.41	3.4 WAR
Ed Walsh	CAG / AL	6-3, 3.41	1.06 WHIP
Eddie Plank	SFS / AL	11-3, 3.54
Roger Clemens	HOU / NL	9-4, 3.71		65% QS
Lefty Grove	SFS / AL	10-4, 3.71	132 K	4 CG; 3 SHO; 2.87 SIERA
Johnny Cueto	IND / NL	8-4, 3.75		67% QS
Rube Foster	IND / NL	6-4, 3.80
Ron Guidry	NYY / AL	8-4, 3.86	143 K	2.58 SIERA
Orel Hershiser	BRK / NL	10-4, 3.87
Brett Anderson	LAA / AL	7-2, 3.91	1.06 WHIP
Andy Pettitte	NYY / AL	9-5, 4.05
Bump Hadley	SFS / AL	11-4, 4.21	3.50 FIP
Luis Padrón	IND / NL	11-2, 4.21	3.3 WA; 3.57 FIP
Frank Castillo	KCM / NL	10-1, 4.22		3 CG; 2 SHO
José Méndez	MCG / AL	6-4, 4.45

FIP = Fielding Independent Pitching | QS = Quality Starts | SIERA = Skill Interactive ERA | WPA = Win Probability Added

Right now, I would guess the starting matchup is Toad Ramsey for the NL and Eddie Plank for the AL.

Beyond that, in the AL, I see Gooden, Walsh, and Grove as easy picks. Guidry is likely in as well, leaving Anderson and Hadley on the bubble.

The NL is much harder to figure out. Henderson, Hershiser, Padrón, and Castillo feel like they deserve selections, with Williams having a very strong case as well. That would leave some excellent performances–Clemens and Cueto especially–on the outside looking in.

#Swingmen / Long Relivers

These are players who are either swing starters or have seen more innings than the finishers below. As is often the case, there are a few folks here who, for whatever the reason, took a while to be inserted into the rotation.

Name	Tm / Lg	W-L; ERA	Reg Stats	Other
A. Rube Foster	KCM/ NL	5-1, 2.30	0.98 WHIP	7 GS; 90 IP; 86% QS; 2 SHO; 1.0 WPA
Jim Whitney	BBB / NL	4-2, 3.26	1 Sv; 2 H; 1.03 WHIP	11 GS; 94 IP; 73% QS; 1.9 WPA
Tom Brewer	SFS / AL	0-1, 2.33	1 Sv; 2 H	2 GS; 27 IP
Fernando Valenzuela	BRK / NL	5-0, 2.37	1 Sv; 4 H; 0.96 WHIP	1 GS; 60 IP; 1.0 WPA
Rheal Cormier	NYY / AL	0-2, 6.03	11 H

FIP = Fielding Independent Pitching | QS = Quality Starts | SIERA = Skill Interactive ERA | WPA = Win Probability Added

Foster and Valenzuela seem clear selections, with Brewer and Cormier missing the cut and Whitney being on the bubble.

#Closers & Setups

20 IP Minimum, with a possible exception for Brian Wilson of the New York Gothams.

Name	Tm / Lg	W-L; ERA	Reg Stats	Other
Brian Wilson	NYG/ NL	1-0, 1.08	11 Sv	17 IP
Craig Kimbrel	KCM / NL	2-1, 1.14	2 Sv; 11 H; 0.89 WHIP	15 SD; 5.6 IRS%; 2.90 SIERA; 2.0 WPA
Harley Young	BBB / NL	1-0, 1.23	3 Sv; 5 H
Ron Robinson	SFS / AL	1-0, 1.64	3 Sv; 3 H
Ken Howell	SFS / AL	4-1, 1.72	1 Sv; 4 H
Robb Nen	NYG / NL	3-2, 1.95	9 Sv; 6 H
Eddie Guardado	KCM / NL	2-1, 2.08	1 Sv; 5 H	2.92 SIERA
Tug McGraw	HOU / NL	3-3, 2.16	7 Sv
Ross Reynolds	LAA / AL	2-0, 2.19	1 Sv; 1 H
Goose Gossage	NYY / AL	2-3, 2.32	9 Sv; 8 H	.90 Sv%
Lee Smith	HOD / NL	4-1, 2.73	5 Sv; 6 H; 0.73 WHIP
Eric Gagne	BRK / NL	1-1, 2.92	19 Sv	17 SD
Justin Hampson	BAL / AL	0-0, 3.00	7 H; 0.95 WHIP
Terry Adams	CLE / AL	1-2, 3.18	15 Sv; 2 H	.94 Sv%
Josh Lindblom	HOM / NL	4-2, 3.45	20 Sv	.95 Sv%; 16 SD; 1.3 WPA
Rod Beck	SFS / AL	3-2, 3.47	21 Sv; 0.73 WHIP	15 SD
Rob Murphy	IND / NL	1-3, 3.75	1 Sv; 11 H
Michael Jackson	HOM / NL	1-4, 4.13	1 Sv; 10 H
BJ Ryan	OTT / NL	1-2, 4.15	1 Sv; 10 H
Brad Kilby	PHI / NL	1-2, 4.39	2 Sv; 10 H	2.73 SIERA
Rob Dibble	IND / NL	2-2, 5.25	16 Sv
Jeff Pfeffer	KCM / NL	1-3, 5.61	16 Sv

FIP = Fielding Independent Pitching | QS = Quality Starts | SIERA = Skill Interactive ERA | WPA = Win Probability Added

A difficult set of choices for sure. Of the true closers, Gagne, Lindblom, and Beck seem locks, with Kimbrel, Young, Howell, Nen, McGraw, Gossage, and Smith deserving nods as well.

That would give the NL 7 selections, likely keeping Wilson from making the team. It would also give the AL only 3, opening the door for Adams and even Reynolds or Hampson.

TWIWBL 70.6: Marvin Miller Division

By mknn

On January 10, 2025

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Indianapolis ABC’s	43-34	.558	—
Kansas City Monarchs	43-34	.558	—
Wandering House of David	35-41	.461	7.5
Houston Colt 45s	34-43	.442	9
Birmingham Black Barons	30-46	.395	12.5

Marvin Miller Division | 25 June

#Birmingham Black Barons

Jim Pagliaroni went deep twice and Birmingham got a good start from Lefty Gomez in a 6-4 win over the Gothams.

Troy Tulowitzki drove in 6 runs in a 9–2 win over the Gothams where Greg Maddux was solid for 7 innings, improving his record to 6-8.

Albert Belle hit 2 homeruns, but Birmingham’s bullpen struggled–again–and the Black Barons dropped to the House of David, 5-4.

#Houston Colt 45’s

Needing a starter, the Colt 45’s sent struggling flamethrower Billy Wagner to AAA, recalling Rick Wise from AA. Wise came through with a solid outing, and Jeff Bagwell went deep twice as Houston walked over Ottawa, 13-3.

Craig Biggio reached double digits in homeruns on the season with 2 deep shots and Houston blew away Indianapolis, 19-1. Carlos Correa drove in 6 and Biggio 5 in the rout, and Pete Hill scored 4 times. Roger Clemens improved to 9-4 with a solid 6 innings.

Stephen Strasbourg finally got his first win of the season, combining with John Franco and Tug McGraw on a 3-hit blanking of Indianapolis. Strasbourg fanned 10 in 7 innings of work and Bagwell hit his 18th homer of the year in the 2-0 victory.

#Indianapolis ABC’s

Gorham Leverett was returned to the minors, with the ABC’s preferring a long reliever who can also start if needs be. They promoted Eppa Rixey, who fits the bill.

With Bob Bescher ready for recall from a rehab assignment, Emil Frisk‘s increased comfort at the WBL level was enough for the ABC’s to send Dave Henderson to AAA in an attempt to revive the veteran’s swing.

#Kansas City Monarchs

Albert Pujols hit 2 out, leading the Monarchs to a 4-3 win over Philadelphia.

Ted Simmons did Pujols 1 better, blasting 3 in an 11 inning, 12-6 win over Ottawa. Simmons drove in 6, with the win going to Craig Kimbrel who improved his record to 2-1 and lowered his ERA to a blistering 1.14.

Simmons hit another 2 (giving him 14 on the season) and Kansas City again beat the Mounties, this time 6-4.

#Wandering House of David

George Gore hit 2 out and the House of David came from behind to beat Indianapolis, 5-4.

Ryne Sandberg went deep twice, reaching 28 on the year, and carried the House of David to a 2-1 win over Birmingham. Kyle Peterson was excellent in his first start, but wasn’t involved in the decision, with the win going to Karl Spooner and Lee Smith picking up his 5th save.

Anthony Rizzo will miss about a month with a fractured finger, prompting the House of David to recall Jung Ho Kang from AAA.

TWIWBL 68.1: Year 2, Week 11

By mknn

On October 28, 2024

In TWIWBL

June 11th

Only a few weeks to All Star selections!

#Awards

Ottawa‘s Roberto Alomar won the NL Player of the Week, hitting .625 with 4 homeruns, while scoring and driving in 9.

Manny Ramírez of the Memphis Red Sox is already approaching his production from last season, and hitting .368 with 3 homers and 10 RBI’s earned him the AL Player of the Week.

#Team Performance

I am likely to regret writing this as the season unfolds, but three of the divisions really seem to be settling down. The New York Black Yankees continue to have the best record in the WBL, leading Cleveland by 7 games in the Bill James Division. In the Cum Posey Division, San Francisco has pulled away from Miami and Chicago, leading the former by 6.5 games and the latter by 7. And, over in the Marvin Miller Division, Indianapolis and Kansas City are tied for the top spot, 7 games ahead of the House of David.

That leaves the Effa Manley Division, where nobody really wants to take control, with Homestead currently in first and Philadelphia in last place, only 4.5 games back

The New York Gothams have ridden an 8-2 streak to move within 1 game of Homestead and the Birmingham Black Barons may finally be showing some life, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. It’s too early to really get excited in Birmingham, though: that run of success leaves them with still having the worst record in the league, 11 games out of first place.

Cleveland, Homestead, the Brooklyn Royal Giants, and the House of David have all struggled a bit, sporting 3-7 records over their last 10 games.

Some differences in style are emerging across the league, with all teams playing between 62 and 65 games.

Ottawa continues to have by far the most terrifying offense in the league, sporting a team OPS over .900 and leading the way with 160 homeruns. They are also the only team to have scored 400+ runs at this point.

San Francisco and Baltimore are the most patient teams in the WBL, each with over 260 walks, over 100 more than Brooklyn and Miami at the other end of the list. San Francisco and the Black Yankees strike out the most while Kansas City and Philadelphia are the hardest to whiff by a long shot.

Finally, Indianapolis and San Francisco are neck and neck in SB with 138 and 137 respectively. Only Ottawa and Chicago are also over 100, while the New York Gothams have only swiped 45 bases.

#Player Performance

Batters

This may be the first time in the history of the WBL that Babe Ruth only leads in 2 categories and those 2–runs and walks–are arguably the least important metrics being tracked.

José Canseco and Larry Walker have each reached the 30 HR mark and Walker’s amazing streak has vaulted him over Ruth for the RBI lead.

Tony Gwynn–at a blinding .420–is the only hitter over .400, although Homestead’s Josh Gibson is edging into that territory at .399.

Roberto Alomar (OTT). 324/407/616. 56 R.
José Canseco (MCG). 289/400/821. 30 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 325/382/582. 7 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 396/446/806. 86 H, 4.1 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 399/467/759. 3.9 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 420/457/656. 96 H, 31 2B.
Pete Hill (HOU). 288/368/498. 8 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 376/424/615. 31 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 319/384/552. 32 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 292/410/712. 27 HR, 69 RBI, 58 R, 47 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 324/395/781. 30 HR, 71 RBI.
Ted Williams (MEM). 311/432/612. 45 BB.

Pitchers

Starters

Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón was the first hurler to 10 wins, leading the league at 10-1, and Houston‘s Toad Ramsey is the only player with 9. We’ve included the 3 starters with 8 wins and 2 or fewer losses below and everyone with an ERA below 3.00, as well as the usual statistical leaders.

It paints an odd picture, as Ramsey has actually faded a bit over the past few weeks, but retains his spot as the best pitcher in the WBL right now.

Frank Castillo (KCM). 8-1, 4.03.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 8-2, 3.38.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 7-4, 3.26. 99 IP, 2.9 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-2, 3.65, 109 SO.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 8-4, 4.15. 3.39 FIP.
Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-4, 2.98.
Luis Padrón (IND). 10-1, 3.61.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-3, 2.68. 117 SO, 0.93 WHIP, 2.78 FIP, 3.9 WAR.
Ed Walsh (CAG). 5-2, 2.95. 1 Sv.
JM Ward (PHI). 3-2, 3.56. 1.00 WHIP.

Relievers

All three relievers with 9 holds are included, as well as all 3 with ERA’s below 1.50.

15 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 4.60. 15 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-1, 3.12. 9 H.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.23. 4 H.
Bob Howry (PHI). 3-1, 3.60. 10 Sv, 0.75 WHIP.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-2, 2.66. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 1.04. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-2, 3.86. 17 Sv.
Tug McGraw (HOU). 2-2, 1.04. 4 Sv.
Lee Smith (HOD). 4-1, 3.55. 1 Sv, 5 H, 0.79 WHIP.

#Injury Report

Baltimore may receive a big boost to its bullpen with both John Wetteland and, more importantly, Sean Marshall due to begin rehab assignments this week. Marshall was among the most dominant relievers in the league last season before being injured.

Indianapolis’ 3B Ed Charles and Miami’s OF Al Oliver should both begin a rehab assignment late in the week

#Oddities

Thought we would check in on some of the odder performances in the league so far.

We’ll start with Homestead’s Mike Epstein and San Francisco’s Jimmie Foxx, each of which are hitting under .240 with OPS’ over .900. Epstein’s slash line is 236/369/577 while Foxx’s is 222/326/593. Half of Foxx’s 42 hits have been homeruns (Birmingham’s Curtis Granderson has 38 hits and 20 homers).

14 players who have seen a decent amount of playing time are sporting batting averages below .200. Only 2 of them have an OPS over .800. If you’re a diehard fan of the WBL, you may guess that one of them is Chicago’s eternal dilemma, Mike Fiore. Fiore is hitting .194. But 33 walks gives him a respectable .344 OBP, and 11 homers up his SLG to .472, giving him an OPS of .816. The other is Birmingham’s Eddie Mathews, who is doing it all with power. His OBP is barely over .300, but 19 homeruns gives him a .519 SLG to go with it.

On the mound, in the won-loss record is a bad stat department, I’ll offer up Bert Blyleven of the Portland Sea Dogs and Philadelphia’s John Montgomery Ward. Blyleven has 14 starts and is 6th in the league in IP, but sports only a 2-4 record while Ward has pitched excellently, holding a 3.56 ERA over 13 starts and the second best WHIP in the league at 1.00, but only managing a 3-2 record.

At the other end of the scale, 2 hurlers with at least 7 wins also have ERAs over 5.00: Ottawa’s Old Hoss Radbourn at 8-4, 5.79 and the New York Gothams’ Don Sutton at 7-3, 5.40.

TWIWBL 67.1: Year 2, Week 10

By mknn

On October 8, 2024

In TWIWBL

June 4th

We’ve entered June, so we’re clearly heading towards our midseason stride.

#Awards

Since we cross into June we have a bevy of awards.

In the AL, the New York Black Yankees‘ Babe Ruth was named the Batter of the Month, hitting .347 with 15 homers in May, driving in 34 and scoring 30 times. And look, that’s impressive. But Ruth’s reputation certainly helped him with the honor, given that he had the 3rd best OPS in the AL for the month, trailing behind Miami‘s José Canseco (1.430) and Detroit‘s Ty Cobb (1.429). Canseco also had more homeruns, leading the WBL for the month with 18. Ruth’s RBI and R numbers did lead the league, and it is hard to argue against his numbers.

In the NL, the award went to Ottawa‘s Larry Walker for the second consecutive month. Walker hit .273 with 17 dingers and a whopping 38 RBI, but his selection wasn’t unanimous. Looking at just the major slash stats, his BA was eclipsed by Houston‘s Tony Gwynn, who hit .441 for the month; his OBP by Homestead‘s Josh Gibson, who led the NL with a .480 mark; and Gibson’s teammate Mike Epstein SLG mark of .833 SLG eclipsed Walker’s .818. But Walker’s HR and RBI numbers led the league by a lot, and 38 RBI in 26 games is just remarkable.

The Black Yankees doubled it up, with Ron Guidry winning the AL Pitcher of the Month, going 6-0 with a 1.73 ERA in May while in the NL, Rob Dibble of the Indianapolis ABC‘s was a bit of a surprise selection. Dibble went 2-0 with a 1.64 ERA and 8 saves, certainly a strong performance. You really can’t quibble with Guidry’s selection, but Dibble was selected over San Francisco‘s Lefty Grove (5-1, 1.18) and Brooklyn‘s Smokey Joe Williams (4-1, 2.16). Homestead’s Josh Lindblom had more saves than Dibble (11 to 8), but Lindblom’s other numbers weren’t nearly as impressive. Still, if it were up to me, the award would have gone to Grove.

There’s just not a lot to say about Julio Rodríguez other than wow. Miami’s surprise starter in CF leaving Spring Training hit .397 with 13 homeruns in the month, earning the AL Rookie of the Month. Over in the NL, the award went to Smokey Joe Williams, who, as mentioned above, was in the running for the overall award, let alone the rookie honor.

Player of the Week Awards were given out as well, although overshadowed by the larger honors for May.

Philadelphia‘s Aaron Judge has continued to develop from his impressive showing last season, and a recent hot streak where he hit .444 with 3 homeruns earned him the NL Player of the Week. Canseco was significantly hotter, hitting .636 with 5 homeruns to earn the AL award for the second consecutive week, perhaps some comfort against being snubbed for the monthly honor for May.

#Team Performance

Last week I wrote The New York Black Yankees and the Indianapolis ABC’s have each gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. This week, it’s still true. New York now leads Cleveland in the Bill James Division by 6.5 games, while Indianapolis has moved into 1st place in the Marvin Miller Division, leading Kansas City by .5 games.

San Francisco has a little more breathing room in the Cum Posey Division, leading Chicago by 5.5 games and the surprising Miami Cuban Giants by 6. The Effa Manley Division is still tight, with all 5 teams separated by only 4.5 games, from Homestead in 1st to Philadelphia and Ottawa in a virtual tie for 5th.

Detroit continues to flounder, going 2-8 in their last 10 games and plummeting to 13.5 games behind the Black Yankees.

#Player Performance

Batters

A shorter list: Ty Cobb is first or second in each of the slash categories, and he, Larry Walker, and José Canseco are all challenging Babe Ruth‘s historical dominance of the league.

Cobb and Tony Gwynn are still well over .400 as the calendar turns to June.

José Canseco (MCG). 304/421/881. 29 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 333/390/611. 7 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 420/471/862. 79 H, 28 2B, 4.0 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 382/447/742. 48 R.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 427/463/683. 85 H.
Pete Hill (HOU). 282/366/505. 8 3B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 312/382/540. 29 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 307/426/743. 66 RBI, 55 R, 44 BB, 3.7 WAR.
Larry Walker (OTT). 318/394/764. 26 HR, 61 RBI.

It often feels like the SB leaders should be handled separately: San Francisco’s Rickey Henderson leads the WBL with 42 steals. Indianapolis’ Bob Bescher has moved into 2nd place with 32 (and only 6 CS) while Ottawa’s Tim Raines has 30. Raines’ struggles at the plate are clearly contributing to his not challenging Henderson this year: while Rickey’s has an OBP just under .400 at .392, Raines is way down at .332.

Pitchers

Starters

Indianapolis’ Luis Padrón leads the league at 9-1, with Houston’s Toad Ramsey (9-2) and the Black Yankees’ Ron Guidry (8-1) close behind. Six pitchers have 7 wins, we’ve only included below the 3 that have only 1 or 2 losses. Also included are all 3 starters with sub-3.00 ERA’s (Ramsey, Philadelphia’s Hardie Henderson, and Los Angeles‘ Doc Gooden).

Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-1, 3.88.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.43.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 5-4, 2.92.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 7-4, 3.13. 92 IP, 2.7 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-1, 3.17. 99 K, 3.39 FIP, 2.7 WAR.
Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-3, 2.83.
Luis Padrón (IND). 9-1, 3.66.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 7-2, 3.94.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 9-2. 2.69. 87 IP, 108 K, 0.93 WHIP, 2.66 FIP, 3.8 WAR.
JM Ward (PHI). 2-1, 3.46. 1.00 WHIP.

Relievers

There really isn’t a dominant closer in the WBL this season–the league leaders in saves have given up a bunch of runs; the dominant performers haven’t been racking up the saves. Indianapolis’ Rob Dibble is probably the best of the group. Kansas City’s Craig Kimbrel, tied with the Black Yankees’ Rheal Cormier for the league lead in Holds, has probably been the best bullpen performer overall so far, and is pushing teammate Jeff Pfeffer for a shot at the closer spot.

13 IP minimum.

Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 2.84. 9 H.
Rob Dibble (IND). 2-1, 3.06. 12 Sv.
Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 4.91. 14 Sv.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 1-0, 1.10. 1 Sv, 9 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-1, 3.80. 15 Sv.
Tug McGraw (HOU). 2-2, 1.26. 1 Sv.
Jeff Pfeffer (KCM). 1-2, 6.16. 12 Sv.

Some mention somewhere should be made of Brooklyn’s Fernando Valenzuela, who is 3-0 with a 1.98 ERA and 4 Holds in over 40 innings. The Royal Giants have a very strong rotation, and Valenzuela is still looking for his first opportunity to step into a starting role.

#Injury Report

Will this week be the long awaited reckoning for Chicago’s Jack Doyle? The return of SS Damian Jackson, expected at the end of the week, may be the final nail in Doyle’s WBL service time.

#A Ball Check In

Wrapping up our 3 week trip through the minors, we’ll examine A ball this week. Given A ball’s focus on youth, we won’t have an age division, instead just presenting the top 2 performers at each position. 100 A PA minimum for batters.

Pos
C	Lew Brown (22, KCM). 331/369/633.	Tom Egan (20, PHI). 279/353/545.
1B	Babe Herman (21, LAA). 246/325/515.	Aubrey Huff (22, CLE). 254/330/443.
2B	Tim Shinnick (21, NYG). 316/416/424.	Ron Jackson (23, NYG). 240/352/473.
SS	Alfredo Griffin (19, DET). 333/389/454.	Dick Schofield (22, HOM). 260/395/360.
3B	Steve Hertz (20, HOM). 276/350/579.	Bob Aspromonte (18, IND). 263/351/444.
LF	Bill Buckner (20, MEM). 415/443/694.	Pip Koehler (24, HOD). 286/385/519.
CF	Odúbel Herrera (22, PHI). 319/394/610.	Clyde Milan (22, NYY). 316/445/480.
RF	Hugh Duffy (20, POR). 283/231/530.	Marquis Grissom (23, MCG). 279/376/430.
SP	Sean Newcomb (24, NYY). 4-1, 2.54. Clayton Kershaw (19, HOM). 4-2, 2.48.	Frank Dwyer (21, HOD). 6-1, 1.58. Jim McElroy (21, PHI). 4-1, 1.65.
RP	Joe Edelin (24, NYY). 1-0, 1.77. 14 Sv.	Mélido Pérez (20, NYY). 3-1, 2.05. 9 Sv, 4 H.

Griffin and Kershaw standout as the only teenagers listed. The Gothams have two 2B listed, although Washington is really spending more time at SS. And, Memphis’ Bill Buckner, although currently out for a couple of weeks through injury, is just dominating the league in most categories. Of this group, he, Kershaw, and Herman are probably the best long term prospects.

Year II Season Preview: Houston Colt 45’s

By mknn

On April 7, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

Playoff contention. Houston was close this year, but at the end of the day, the offense was just too weak across the board, especially in their ability to hit for power.

Best Case

The raw offensive talent takes a massive step forward: George Brett, Tony Gwynn, Jeff Bagwell, Craig Biggio, Andrés Galarraga, and Pete Hill each have a shot at being superstars; at least a few of them need to do so. The pitching feels like a safer bet: there is enough talent here to weather some underperformance and some injuries and still be among the league’s best, especially if someone–newcomer Tug McGraw or incumbent Billy Wagner–steps up at closer.

Worst Case

The offence just trundles along being incredibly mediocre and the pitching regresses as well.

Key Questions

Can the bullpen perform? Some indications (McGraw, Chad Qualls, and Andrew Chafin‘s performance last year in small samples) are positive; others not so much (the size of those samples, Kent Tekulve‘s challenges).
Who emerges at C?

Trade Bait

There’s a lot of excess here, especially at 1B, but there’s also not a lot of clarity over what to do with it. This is one of the rare franchises with a lot of pitching depth, so that’s pretty valuable right there.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C				Posada		Castro
1B				Bagwell Galaragga
2B					Biggio Johnson	Adams
3B				~~Brett~~
SS					Correa
LF/ RF			Stengel	Hill	Gwynn
CF			Wynn			Cedeño
SP		Oswalt Strasburg	Ely Saberhagen Ramsey	Clemens
End			Wagner			McGraw
RP				~~Chafin~~ Lidge	Ellis Tekulve	~~Blue~~ ~~Clyde~~ Franco

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

This is a really unusual model, where the pitching is outperforming the offense. But it’s also a team without a lot of options: other than behind the plate, everyone–even the horribly underperforming HR Johnson–is projected to improve somewhat dramatically over the next few seasons.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	OF Pete Hill	OF Gorman Thomas
Batting Eye	C Jorge Posada	IF Lance Blankenship
Contact	OF Tony Gwynn	U Jim O’Rourke
Running Speed	IF HR Johnson	OF Wily Taveras
Base Stealing	OF César Cedeño	OF Walt Devoy OF Wily Taveras
IF Defense	U Russ Adams	SS Roy McMillan
OF Defense	OF Jim Wynn	CF Wily Taveras
Stuff	P Bones Ely P Toad Ramsey	P Bill Harper
Control	SP Bret Saberhagen	RP Roberto Osuna
Velocity	SP Stephen Strasburg	P Wade Davis P Chris Saenz

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (10)	19	P	Ice Box Chamberlain
2 (27)	21	3B	Edgar Martínez
3 (48)	20	P	Vida Blue
4 (55)	23	C	Will Smith
5 (65)	21	P	Collin McHugh
6 (72)	20	P	Larry Jansen
7 (82)	18	CF	César Cedeño
8 (89)	20	P	Harry Staley
9 (91)	21	P	Scott Bankhead
10 (161)	25	CF	Kirby Puckett

Others: 1B Charlie Grimm; P Bill Harper; P Kyle Kendrick.

And this doesn’t even include Pete Hill or Leon Day, both still teenagers as well. It’s a deep system, with some star potential scattered throughout.

	Most	Least
Age	OF Gene Woodling, 40	OF César Cedeño, 18
Height	P Ryan Thompson, 6’6″	P George Winter, 5’8″ OF Kirby Puckett, 5’8″ U Jim O’Rourke, 5’8″
OPS	1B Harry Stovey, 1.042 (WBL/AAA/AA)	SS Roy McMillan, .352 (—)
HR	1B Harry Stovey, 31 (WBL/AAA/AA) OF Gorman Thomas, 31 (AAA)	IF Cristian Guzmán, 2 (AAA/AA)
SB	OF Jim Wynn, 45 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	1B Harry Stovey, 4.8 (WBL/AAA/AA)	SS Roy McMillan, -5.9 (—)
W	Guy Bush, 15 (—)	Ian Kennedy, 1 (—)
SV	John Franco, 34 (A)
ERA	Guy Bush, 3.27 (—)	George Winter, 9.13 (—)
WAR	George Kahler, 4.5 (—)	George Winter, -1.0 (—)

Stats are across all levels. 200 PA / 75 IP min. Non WBL leagues indicated by —.

Season Review: Houston Colt 45’s

By mknn

On December 7, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

77 - 77, .500 pct.
3rd in Cum Posey Division, 14 games behind.

Overall

I mean, given how poorly Houston performed offensively, .500 is an achievement; but given how well they pitched, perhaps it was a missed opportunity.

This is one of the youngest teams in the league, and has the potential to be a force in the WBL in a few years if players develop as expected.

What Went Right

Jim Wynn had a fine season–which is hard to do when you hit .259. But he has some power, gets on base, plays good defense–probably the most valuable offensive performer on the team. Three players (Casey Stengel, Harry Stovey, and Andrés Galarraga) forced themselves into the lineup on a regular basis, mostly due to flashes of power which is a much-needed commodity for Houston.

Pete Hill held his own as an 18 year old.

The starters were quite good, led by Roy Oswalt and Stephen Strasburg and, before missing half the year with injury, Bret Saberhagen. But Toad Ramsey was dependable and Roger Clemens improved immediately on his arrival, even if his overall numbers aren’t great given how much he struggled with Memphis.

In the bullpen, Tug McGraw was fantastic in a brief debut, and both Kyle Kendrick and Bones Ely did well enough to lock down a spot for next season.

ALL STARS
P Mark Melancon

What Went Wrong

Nobody hit for power. Wynn led the team with 20 homeruns and only two players (Stengel and Jeff Bagwell) were in double digits. None of the full time players had a SLG over .450, let alone .500.

Carlos Correa and HR Johnson both struggled, leaving the SS position up in the air, as did Jim O’Rourke, which was a shame, as O’Rourke’s defensive flexibility is really useful in roster construction. But not worth a .660 OPS.

The bullpen was just weird all year. Brad Lidge was a hot mess, Jim Kern (acquired in trade) awful, Billy Wagner good for a time and then very much not good.

Transactions

March

None

June

OF Hack Wilson, P Jim Kaat, IF DJ LeMahieu, P Stubby Overmire & 5th Round Pick to Memphis for P Roger Clemens

A risk: Clemens’ talent is undeniable, but Houston could regret this deal in 4 years, or could see it as a cornerstone of the franchise.

OF Lance Berkman to Cleveland for OF Harry Stovey, 1B Charlie Grimm, P Chad Qualls & 3rd Round Pick {Garry Templeton}

Berkman was struggling mightily in Houston, but a team with no power trading a hitter with power is hard. Still, Stovey looks good and Qualls did quite well in a brief trial.

July

RP Trevor Hoffman, RP Mark Melancon & 4th Round Pick to Portland for OF Kirby Puckett, P Jim Kern, P Rick Wise, 3rd Round Pick {Harry Staley} & 5th Round Pick

Hmmm. A lot depends both on Puckett developing and the Colt 45’s having a spot for him.

Looking Forward

SP

Pitchers are hard to predict and harder to keep healthy, but this is as good a group of young arms as any: a future rotation of Roy Oswalt, Steven Strasburg, Roger Clemens, Bret Saberhagen, and Leon Day sounds pretty good, and that doesn’t account for the development of Dock Ellis, Scott Erickson, or Vida Blue.

RP

A lot is riding on Tug McGraw to claim the closer spot. If he can do that, with support from Chad Qalls, Billy Wagner, and the emerging Dan Quisenberry, this group could be quite good.

C

An area of need. Jorge Posada was fine, but is aging out.

1B

This is Jeff Bagwell‘s spot to lose, with Andrés Galarraga helping out, which means Houston may have to figure something else out for Paul Goldschmidt and Charlie Grimm.

2B

The middle infield is all a bit confusing. Some think Craig Biggio ends up here, and HR Johnson really needs to show some pop to fill in. But if both of those things happen, there may be an issue.

3B

The organization is convinced that George Brett will improve here.

SS

Sorting out Carlos Correa and Johnson is the key here. Either Houston will have a surplus of quality in the middle infield, or way too much mediocrity.

LF

Tony Gwynn and Pete Hill.

CF

This is Jimmy Wynn for now, with Kirby Puckett sitting in the wings.

RF

Pete Hill and Tony Gwynn.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

They need offense, but the challenge is to fit it around pieces that are pretty much set. Zack Greinke as a franchise pick is tempting, but a coals to Newcastle comment would be in order. Houston has been aggressive on the trade market, so a “best available talent” approach seems warranted.

They found a middle ground of sorts, selecting an offensive force that is still a few years away, taking 3B Edgar Martinez with the 11th pick. The thinking wasn’t much different in the 2nd round, as teenage franchise OFer César Cedeño should be able to be in the mix within a year or two.

With the first of three picks in rapid succession in the second half of the 3rd round, Houston selected C Will Smith, who immediately slots in as Posada’s long term replacement behind the plate. They followed Smith with Harry Staley, a bit of a gamble on the mound, and Garry Templeton, a franchise pick that may provide some insurance at SS.

Rounds 5-8

At this point, the Colt 45’s need SP and depth throughout the IF. They start with a bit of a long term project in SP Larry Jansen and follow that with the mercurial Robbie Ray and then Jon Gray and Collin McHugh: that’s four consecutive arms, so look for some position players in the final rounds.

Rounds 9-12

P Dave Dravecky; P Lance McCullers; 1B Ryan McMahon; and P Scott Bankhead.

The Colt 45’s will have some extra picks next year, as 3rd round selection Garry Templeton and 6th round pick Robbie Ray both walked away from the negotiating table.

TWIWBL 41.2: Series XXXIII Notes – Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On June 19, 2023

In TWIWBL

#Houston Colt 45’s

A rare poor start by Stephen Strasburg and an all-too-common blown save from Billy Wagner usually mean a defeat for Houston. But over 8 innings of hitless relief (with multiple innings from Kyle Kendrick and Luke Gregerson) proved enough combined with 5 RBI’s from Jorge Posada, including a walk-off homerun into the Crawford Boxes in the bottom of the 13th. Pete Hill had 3 hits for Houston and Craig Biggio scored 3 times in the 10-8 victory.

Ice Box Chamberlain was returned to AAA as the Colt 45’s needed a starter. Bones Ely was called up and did OK, but had to leave injured–leading to Chamberlain’s recall immediately after the game. More problematically, Tug McGraw–who was about to be named Houston’s closer–had to leave the game in extra innings with a strained forearm. All in a day’s work … for more on this game–which wound up a 14 inning classic, see here.

After the game, Jim Kern was returned to AAA with Boots Poffenberger recalled for an emergency start. Poffenberger did all that was asked, allowing 1 run in 4 innings, and Kendrick combined with an ineffective Chamberlain to hold on for the 8-3 victory. George Brett had 4 hits and Casey Stengel had 3, including his 10th homerun of the season.

McGraw is done for the year with a strained triceps. What a debut, though, as he finished the year with a 0.67 ERA over 14 appearances, putting himself in the conversation for a closer role next season. The Colt 45’s recalled Kern in his place.

#Ottawa Mounties

Johnny Podgajny rejoins the Mounties’ rotation for the time being.

Series XXXIII Best Games

By mknn

On June 13, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

We have more good pitching than usual in the best games of Series XXXIII.

We’ll start with the opening and closing game from a series with potentially massive playoff implications.

#Birmingham Black Barons @ New York Gothams, Games 1 and 5

Birmingham’s Greg Maddux wasn’t bad: just over 6 innings and only 2 runs allowed. The problem was the Gothams’ Christy Mathewson was stellar, picking up his league-leading 16th win of the season by throwing a 3-hit shutout over 7 innings. Maddux left the game after allowing an RBI single to Will Clark, replaced by Kent Mercker who gave up a deep flyball to the pinch-hitting Carl Furillo, scoring another run.

Hank Aaron took Robb Nen deep in the 8th to cut the lead in half, but Mike Norris (pushed into service due to Brian Wilson‘s injury) picked up his 6th save of the year, allowing only a walk in the 9th.

BBB 1 (Maddux 4-5) @ NYG 2 (Mathewson 16-7; Norris 6 Sv; Nen 11 H)
HRs: BBB – Aaron (25); NYG – none.
Box Score

The Gothams turned to Don Sutton for a spot start, and the 24 year old was simply brilliant … but it wasn’t enough. Sutton gave up 1 run–a solo shot by Aaron–through 7 innings, and while New York’s bullpen beckoned, Sutton was still well under 90 pitches. But with 2 outs in the 8th, Cupid Childs took him deep and Aaron launched his second of the game, edging Birmingham in front, 3-2.

Birmingham’s closer, Juan Rincón, allowed only 1 hit in the 9th, closing out the victory for the Black Barons.

NYG 2 (Sutton 2-4) @ BBB 3 (Whitney 1-2; Rincón 22 Sv)
HRs: NYG – Higgins (13); BBB – Aaron 2 (27), Childs (4).
Box Score

Two more good games with good pitching!

#Memphis Red Sox @ Detroit Wolverines, Game 1

Through six innings, the only score was a solo shot from Memphis’ Manny Ramírez. That was one of only 2 hits allowed by Detroit’s Gene Conley over his 7 innings, further cementing Conley’s adaptation from reliever to starter over the season. Buddy Napier gave up an unearned run in the top of the 8th, putting the Red Sox in front, 2-0.

Memphis’ Stubby Overmire was nearly as good: a shutout through 6, a single run in the 7th on an RBI single from Chili Davis, and finally being chased in the 8th after giving up 2 hits and a walk. Overmire’s relief, Tim Wakefield, gave up a sacrifice fly to Hank Greenberg tying the game at 2.

It stayed that way until the top of the 10th, when Memphis’ Claude Ritchey took John Hiller deep. Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect inning in the bottom of the frame, fanning Greenberg to end the game.

MEM 3 (Wakefield 6-7, 2 B Sv; Papelbon 13 Sv) @ DET 2 (Hiller 3-3) [10 Innings]
HRs: MEM – Ramírez (15), Ritchey (8); DET – none.
Box Score

Baltimore Black Sox @ Indianapolis ABC’s, Game 3

Baltimore’s pitching is just hard to gain traction against: Connie Johnson, John Wetteland, and the suddenly resurgent Buddy Groom limited Indianapolis to 5 hits, 2 of which were solo homers by the ABC’s Danny Hoffman. Indianapolis got a good start from Willie Mitchell (2 runs in 6.2 innings), but in the end superstars gonna’ superstar: Frank Robinson took Rob Dibble deep in the top of the 9th with a 2-run shot, his 33rd of the year, to provide the winning margin for Baltimore.

BBB 4 (Wetteland 3-0, 2 B Sv; Groom 5 Sv) @ IND 2 (Mullane 1-1)
HRs: Robinson (33); Hoffman 2 (15).
Box Score

And now back to our usual see-saw slugfests.

#Portland Sea Dogs @ Ottawa Mounties, Game 1

The scoring started fairly innocuously: Ottawa’s Tim Raines led off the bottom of the first with a single, was bunted to second, then scored on a Roy Sievers single (helped along by an error).

Portland took the lead in the 3rd on a 2-run shot by Gavvy Cravath, then Ottawa took it back, scoring twice on back-to-back doubles from Rusty Staub and Sievers, giving the Mounties a 3-2 edge. A George Burns double drove in 2, extending it to 5-2 in the bottom of the 4th.

But, Portland roared back: a 2 run single from Jeff Burroughs chased Ottawa’s starter, Kirk Reuter, from the game, and Jim Fregosi drove in 2 more later in the inning, putting the Sea Dogs back on top, 6-5. The lead would reach 9-5 on Cravath’s 2nd homerun of the day and RBI’s from Buddy Bell (a bases loaded walk) and Gil Hodges (a sacrifice fly).

But Ottawa had also caught on to the utility of the long ball: Larry Parrish and Roberto Alomar both went deep in the bottom of the 6th, cutting the gap to 9-8.

Portland added 2 in the following inning via 2 hits and a walk, but Ottawa was unleashed: Sievers scored on an unlikely triple by Gary Carter and a 2-run shot from Carlos Beltrán. Suddenly, we were tied at 11.

Tired of running, Carter ended the game with a walkoff homerun leading off the bottom of the 9th.

Burroughs had 4 hits and he and Cravath drove in 3 each for Portland. Burns had 4 hits for Portland, and Sievers added 3.

POR 11 (Porterfield 3-1; Hammaker 2 B Sv) @ OTT 12 (Holland 6-2)
HRs: POR – Cravath 2 (6); OTT – Parrish (6), Alomar (3), Beltrán (10), Carter (17).
Box Score

#Los Angeles Angels @ Houston Colt 45’s, Game 2

With Harry Howell sailing along on the mound, the Angels had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 6th, with the key hit being a solo homerun by Mike Trout. Houston scored 1 in the inning, but Tom Seaver and Jonny Venters were excellent in relief of Howell, allowing Los Angeles to send out their closer, Joe Nathan, for the bottom of the 9th.

Nathan was rough: Casey Stengel walked as a pinch-hitter, Tony Gwynn singled, Jim Wynn doubled in a run, and Jeff Bagwell tied the game with a sacrifice fly, sending us to extra innings.

José Reyes drove in a run in the top of the 11th, but Pete Hill singled in Gwynn, who had doubled, in the bottom of the frame to keep the game going. Which it did, until the 14th, when Bagwell was hit by a pitch. HR Johnson pinch-ran, stole second, and scored on a walk-off single by George Brett.

Trout, Gwynn, and Wynn each had 3 hits in the game, which was rough for Houston’s staff, as both Bones Ely and Tug McGraw were forced to leave with injuries. McGraw’s was especially unfortunate, as the young lefthander was on the brink of being named the Colt 45’s closer for the rest of the season.

The game also saw Los Angeles’ Wally Backman get a hit in his first WBL at-bat.

LAA 4 (Vargas 1-2; Seaver 1 H; Venters 15 H; Nathan 8 B Sv; Anderson 2 B Sv) @ HOU 5 (Clemens 4-1) [14 Innings]
HRs: LAA – Trout (17); HOU – none.
Box Score

Series XXXII Best Games

By mknn

On May 22, 2023

In Featured Games

This series we have a few more well-pitched games than usual, a contest between 2 imploding bullpens, and a few walk-offs.

Indianapolis ABCs @ New York Gothams, Game 2

The ABC’s were held scoreless by the Gothams for 14 innings, with Christy Mathewson combining with 3 relievers on a 10-hit shutout in Game 1 and Gaylord Perry holding Indianapolis scoreless through 5 innings in Game 2.

The ABC’s starter, Willie Mitchell, gave up 4 runs in the 1st, including a 2 run homerun by Willie Mays, but he settled down well from there. Indianapolis finally scored in the top of the 6th on a 3 run shot from Jake Stenzel. Another New York run made it 5-3 heading into the 9th when Dave Henderson and Edd Roush delivered RBI hits to tie the game.

But Indianapolis’ Francisco Cordero couldn’t hold on, surrendering a double to the red hot Pete Runnels and a walk-off single to Buster Posey.

IND 5 (Cordero 0-2) @ NYG 6 (Nen 3-4, 2 B Sv; Gregg 1 H)
HRs: IND – Stenzel (10); NYG – Mays (21).
Box Score

Detroit Wolverines @ New York Black Yankees, Game 2

This is a key series, as the Black Yankees try to make a late season pennant charge.

New York’s bullpen collapsing is old news; Detroit’s imploding is not.

Both starters–New York’s Waite Hoyt and Detroit’s Hal Newhouser–did well enough. But the Black Yankees’ Dick Tidrow gave up RBI knocks to Hank Greenberg and Chili Davis in the 7th, putting the Wolverines up, 4-2. But Chad Bradford gave it right back as Tom Herr drove in 2 to tie the game.

The 8th inning was more of the same: Goose Gossage gave up an RBI to Ty Cobb to send Detroit in front, but Mickey Lolich and Matt Anderson gave up 2 runs in the bottom of the frame, the first on a solo shot from Mike Schmidt, the second on an RBI double from Manny Sanguillén.

And then we hit the one, and perhaps the most important, bright spot in the Black Yankees’ bullpen: recent acquisition Aroldis Chapman has been essentially lights out, and here, despite putting the tying run on base, he closed out the game for a victory for the Black Yankees.

Detroit lost Tony Phillips for a few days, and were forced to put him on the DL to keep some infield flexibility with Jimmy Collins being recalled from AAA.

DET 5 (Anderson 1-3; Bradford 1 B Sv) @ NYY 6 (Citarella 4-6; Chapman 6 Sv)
HRs: DET – none; NYY – Schmidt (19).
Box Score

Brooklyn Royal Giants @ Homestead Grays, Game 2 & 3

These two games followed similar arcs. Both featured a great 7 innings by Homestead’s starter (Francisco Liriano in the first game, Bob Friend in the second). In the first game, powered by a Josh Gibson homerun, the Grays took a 5-1 lead into the 9th inning; in the second, backed by a grand slam from Chief Wilson, the Grays led 6-1 heading into the 9th.

But, oh those 9th innings.

In game 1, Brooklyn torched Josh Lindblom for a 2-run double from Beals Becker and a 3-run homer from Matt Holliday (the first of his WBL career) to take a 6-5 lead. Homestead responded in this one, with Rick Reichardt sending a walkoff shot into the stands with Andy Van Slyke on base for the Grays to pull out a victory.

The second game was far weirder.

Carlos Zambrano got 2 quick outs to start the 9th and then … Holliday reached on an error by Homestead’s SS, Frank Taveras. Frank Isbell walked and Zambrano plunked Ray Dandridge to load the bases, bringing in Cliff Lee. Lee walked Becker to force in a run, then hit Duke Snider to force in another. Lee was replaced by Michael Jackson, who threw grease on the fire the old fashioned way, by giving up a bases-clearing double to Ron Cey. All told, and all with 2 outs, the Royal Giants scored 5 times on 1 hit, 3 walks, 2 HBPs, and an error.

Becker would single in the winning run in the top of the 10th.

Willie Stargell had 5 hits across the 2 games.

BRK 6 (Clark 3-4, 7 B Sv) @ HOM 7 (Jackson 3-2; Lindblom 5 B Sv)
HRs: BRK – Holliday (1); HOM – Gibson (7), Reichardt (24).
Box Score

BRK 7 (Gagne 5-5; Hildenberger 2 Sv) @ HOM 6 (Jackson 3-3, 3 B Sv) [10 Innings]
HRs: BRK – none; HOM – Wilson (9), Reichardt (25).
Box Score

Houston Colt 45’s @ Memphis Red Sox, Game 4

Memphis’ Dean Chance had a great start, allowing 1 run in just under 7 innings. But it was nothing like Toad Ramsey‘s effort for Houston. Ramsey had his knuckleball dancing, carrying a 2-hit shutout into the 9th inning, but Memphis managed to touch him for a game-tying run when Ted Williams doubled home Reggie Smith with 2 outs.

Ramsey allowed the 1 run on 3 hits through 9 innings, but wasn’t part of the decision. Four hits in the 11th gave Houston a 4-1 lead, and Tug McGraw–who is still sporting an ERA of 0.00 in his WBL career–closed it out. Craig Biggio had 3 hits and Jeff Bagwell and Tony Gwynn 2 each for Houston.

HOU 4 (Qualls 1-1) @ MEM 1 (Farrell 2-4) [11 Innings]
HRs: none.
Box Score

Series XXXI Best Games

By mknn

On May 2, 2023

In Featured Games, Game Recaps

This time, we have two see-saw games and two series that deserve a little focus.

Let’s do the one-offs first.

#Homestead Grays @ Ottawa Mounties, Game 1

This one got wild. Ottawa took the lead on Larry Walker‘s 18th homerun of the year, a 2-run shot in the bottom of the first. Hits from Davey Johnson and Roberto Clemente got a run back for Homestead, but Ottawa scored 2 on a single from Roberto Alomar to increase their lead to 4-1. Homestead’s Rick Reichardt sent a pitch from Clayton Richard into the stands to tie the game in the top of the 3rd, so, we’re back to all square at 4-4.

The game continued to swing back and forth: a sacrifice fly from Johnson offset a solo shot from Roy Sievers, but an RBI double from Andy Van Slyke put Homestead back on top momentarily: a 2-run double from Sievers and a single from Bernie Allen gave Ottawa a 2-run lead, 8-6.

And then the 9th. Ted Bowsfield started the inning for Ottawa, walking Mike Epstein and giving up a single to Van Slyke. Bowsfield grabbed his elbow after the hit, and the Mounties brought in their closer, Ryan Dempster. Dempster retired 2 and walked one, loading the bases with Johnson at the plate. He singled to right, driving in 2. Perhaps more importantly for Ottawa, their star RF, Walker, was forced out of the game after the throw. But, the game was tied.

Tied, that is, until a single from Rusty Staub scored Carlos Beltrán to give the Mounties a walk off victory.

Nobody pitched particularly well, but Ottawa’s Monk Dubiel and Dempster did manage to escape without being scored on.

Both Bowsfield and Walker were sent to the DL after the game, with Chris Leroux and Sam Thompson being recalled from AAA.

HOM 8 (Ownbey 1-3; Brown 1 B Sv) @ OTT 9 (Dempster 4-1, 2 B Sv; Bowsfield 7 H)
HRs: HOM – Reichardt (21); OTT – Walker (18), Sievers (7).
Box Score

#San Francisco Sea Lions @ Detroit Wolverines, Game 2

This one had everything except good pitching (Mickey Lolich‘s 2 innings of clean relief for Detroit notwithstanding).

San Francisco kicked off the game with a bang: a leadoff homerun from Rickey Henderson, a 2 run shot from Reggie Jackson, and an RBI groundout from Phil Garner made it 4-0 Sea Lions before Diego Seguí threw his first pitch.

But the Bailey Boys got to him the following inning: Ed Bailey launched a 3 run shot and Bob Bailey added an RBI groundout to score Sparky Adams, who had doubled, tying the game at 4. Momentarily: Garner went deep and another run scored on a Sal Bando single, putting San Francisco back on top, 7-4. A solo shot from Hank Greenberg clawed one back, but a 2-run single from San Francisco’s Pedro Guerrero made it 9-5 heading into the 6th, when Detroit chased Seguí and hammered his replacement, James Shields, who only lasted 4 batters. Al Kaline singled home one run and Tony Phillips brought in another with a double. By the time it was all done, San Francisco’s lead was slashed to a single run, 9-8. Kaline would put the Wolverines in front with a 3-run shot in the 7th, and a Bob Bailey triple scored Phillips, who was hit by a pitch. Suddenly, Detroit was up, 12-9.

Their closer (and the WBL leader in saves), Mike Henneman, struggled in the 9th, facing 8 batters and giving up 2 runs (one on a solo shot by Jimmie Foxx, the other on a single by Guerrero). But he got Jack Clark to ground out with 2 batters on to preserve the victory.

SFS 11 (LaRoche 1-1, 1 B Sv; Hadley 2 H) @ DET 13 (Bradford 2-0)
HRs: SFS – Jackson (25), Henderson (6), Foxx (2); DET – E. Bailey (6), Greenberg 2 (24), Kaline (5).
Box Score

#Memphis Red Sox @ Miami Cuban Giants, Games 1 & 3

This series is a battle of basement teams, but that doesn’t keep the games from being entertaining.

The Red Sox scored 4 runs early with the RBIs coming on a sacrifice fly, a fielder’s choice, a bases-loaded walk, and an error by Miami’s shortstop, Robin Yount. Miami took a more conventional route back: a walk and 4 singles scored 3 runs in the 4th. But they followed Memphis’ lead to tie the game, as a sacrifice fly from José Cardenal plated Ryan Braun. The Cuban Giants then took the lead on a solo shot from their best player, José Canseco.

Wade Boggs finally brought home a conventional run for Memphis in the 8th with a single, but the Red Sox immediately reverted to form, with a bases-loaded walk and another sacrifice fly giving them a 7-5 lead. Three perfect relief innings from Turk Farrell, Heath Bell, and Jonathan Papelbon, closed the game out.

Ted Williams and Bill White finished the game with 3 hits each for Memphis; Cookie Rojas had 3 for Miami.

MEM 7 (Farrell 2-3; Papelbon 11 Sv; Bell 5 H; Callahan 4 B Sv) @ MCG 5 (Consuegra 0-4)
HRs: MEM – none; MCG – Canseco (30).
Box Score

In Game 3, Memphis was up 6-0, and then 8-5, powered by a grandslam from David Justice and 2 homers from Billy Bryan. It wasn’t enough: Minnie Miñoso broke out of his funk with 3 hits and 3 RBIs and Cookie Rojas, Gary Sheffield, and Chris Hoiles each drove in 2. As importantly for Miami, Eustaquio Pedroso, Sandy Consuegra, Ricky Nolasco, and Braden Looper combined for 4 innings of 1-hit relief of an ineffective Ramón Martínez.

MEM 8 (Callahan 5-10) @ MCG 11 (Pedroso 7-6; Looper 3 Sv; Consuegra 2 H; Nolasco 2 H)
HRs: none.
Box Score

New York Black Yankees @ Houston Colt 45’s, Games 2 and 4

In Game 2, Houston had a 6-3 lead heading to the 9th inning. The Colt 45’s got 2-run shots from Jim O’Rourke and Tony Gwynn and a solo dinger from Jorge Posada to take the lead.

The problem was their closer, Billy Wagner, was tired, leaving them turning to Brad Lidge, who had been solid since his recall, but here reverted to his old form: an RBI groundout from Tom Herr and a 3-run shot from Don Mattingly put the Black Yankees up 7-6.

Andrés Galarraga singled home a run in the bottom of the 9th, sending us to extra innings. Mattingly and Eric Davis homered in the 10th to put New York up 11-7, which seemed safe until you remembered the fragility of the Black Yankees’ bullpen. Here, Ralph Citarella and Rheal Cormier gave up RBI’s to Jim Wynn and Craig Biggio, but Cormier fanned Galarraga with the tying run on third base to close it out.

NYY 11 (Chapman 1-0, 1 B Sv; Cormier 1 Sv) @ HOU 10 (Kern 0-2; Chamberlain 1 H; McGraw 7 H; Lidge 4 B Sv) [10 Innings]
HRs: Mattingly 2 (26), Davis (31); HOU – O’Rourke (6), Gwynn (8), Posada (7).
Box Score

Game 4 of the series was a similar story: a Houston comeback that just fell short. Mattingly had 3 hits and 3 RBIs and Mike Schmidt hit his 17th homerun for the Black Yankees, who also got 3 brilliant innings from Goose Gossage. They did have to withstand a horrible outing from the heretofore solid Dick Tidrow, who surrendered 4 hits (2 to pinch hitters Jim O’Rourke and Harry Stovey) and 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Andrés Galarraga had 4 hits and Casey Stengel and Jorge Posada had 3 each for Houston. Tug McGraw closed the game for the Colt 45’s, and has yet to surrender a run in his first 10 innings at the WBL level.

NYY 8 (Gossage 5-4; Chapman 5 Sv; Citarella 10 H) @ HOU 7 (Strasburg 7-7)
HRs: NYY – Schmidt (17); HOU – Stengel (9), Biggio (7).
Box Score