Tag: Walter Johnson Page 1 of 8

TWIWBL 70.2 Spotlight on the Portland Sea Dogs

On January 3, 2025

Portland was a playoff team last year. This year, they are 14 games behind and 11 games under .500. So we gotta’ figure out what happened.

Portland features players from the Washington Senators, Minnesota Twins, and Texas Rangers.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

Feels like virtually everyone on the roster is underperforming compared to last year. Not great.

THE OFFENSE

Lots of struggle here.

#What’s Going Right

Rogers Hornsby, last year’s prize trade acquisition, continues to star at age 34, leading the team in BA and OBP, with a .536 SLG to boot.

C Joe Mauer continues to be an elite backstop, slashing 302/383/502.

Gil Hodges leads the team in HR with 21 and RBI with 52 despite an OPS under .800. This actually probably belongs below: only 4 other hitters are in double digits in homeruns for a team having a hard time with power.

The Sea Dogs gave up a lot for Ken Griffey, Jr., whose talent remains undeniable. After struggling mightily with Ottawa last season, The Kid is doing significantly better, with a 278/332/546 slash line. So it’s not exactly setting the world on fire, but at 20 years old, it’s something.

Kiki Cuyler and Jeff Burroughs have been quite good as reserves, pushing hard for more playing time.

#What’s Not Going Right

Buddy Bell has been mired in a major slump, with a recent rebound leaving him still slashing 245/268/401, which is pretty miserable.

Bobby Murcer and Jim Fregosi have been thoroughly meh after each being among the best in the league at their positions last season.

Paul Molitor has been tantalizing but ultimately not very effective.

Harry Hooper has been among the worst OFers in the league, falling far, far short of last year’s solid contributions.

Cliff Lee–perhaps the best C prospect in the minors last year–has been horrible as Mauer’s backup this season, probably warranting a return to AAA in the near future.

THE PITCHING

The bullpen–a strength of the Sea Dogs last year–has been anything but this time around.

#What’s Going Right

Walter Johnson is Walter Johnson. He’s not as dominant as he was for periods last year, but he still leads the staff in wins and the starters in ERA.

Trevor Hoffman has excelled since being named the team’s closer.

Rookie Walter Ball has been quite good, with the best WHIP on the staff. For a 2nd round pick, that’s exceeding reasonable expectations.

Mike Cuellar continues to be among the best long relievers in the league.

#What’s Not Going Right

Johan Santana came back from long term injury and stepped back into his closer role–remember, he made the All-Star game last year leading the league in saves before getting hurt. So he came back and … something was dramatically wrong. So wrong that Santana is now in the minors being converted into a starter.

Dizzy Trout and Pascual Pérez have been mediocre at best, which is far from an indictment but also far from their performance last year.

But probably the biggest issue has been the rest of the bullpen. Mark Melancon–and his 5.00+ ERA–has been the best of them, and the rest of the relievers have had a full turnover, with the current bunch–Scott Terry, Tom Zachary, and Art Fowler–not looking any better.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

There is some talent here, especially in the OF, where Vladimir Guerrero, Hugh Duffy and Chuck Klein all look like WBL talents. It gets a little thinner after that: Hughie Jennings at SS seems good, but on the mound there’s not a ton. Maybe Harry Harper, maybe Joaquin Benoit, maybe Willard Schmidt?

WHAT’S NEEDED

The offense to recover a little bit and the pitching staff to recover a lot.

That pretty much sums it up.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

How will the Sea Dogs compensate for the loss of Cravath? The hope was that Hooper and Murcer would keep producing, and that, combined with Ken Griffey, Jr. would provide enough to make up for the loss of Cravath. Not so much.
Who joins the OF? Griffey, Jr. But … yeah, see above.

Notice that pitching wasn’t mentioned in the questions … so this was quite a shock for the Sea Dogs.

FEATURED SERIES

Portland is visiting its West Coast neighbors this week, and we’ll feature their opening series, 3 games against the Los Angeles Angels.

Projected Starters

Portland starter listed first.

Bert Blyleven (3-5, 4.73) @ Pud Galvin (1-9, 5.10)
Dizzy Trout (5-5, 4.44) @ Tom Seaver (3-5, 4.76)
Walter Johnson (8-4, 4.13) @ Brett Anderson (6-2, 4.28)

Game One

Kent Hrbek singled home a run in the top of the first and Bobby Murcer hit his first of the game (foreshadowing confirmed) in the top of the 4th, putting the Sea Dogs up, 2-0. Bert Blyleven looked solid, but a 2-run shot from LA’s Ichiro Suzuki tied up the game.

But the Sea Dogs looked more like their old selves from then on out, with Murcer hitting a grandslam in the fifth, making it 7-3. The game was over at that point, despite a 3 run homer from Mike Trout in the 9th.

The two homeruns gave Murcer 18 on the year and, as importantly for Portland, Hrbek added 3 hits as he showed more signs of rebounding towards last year’s performance. Blyleven was good enough, and Tom Zachary added a scoreless 1.2 innings in relief.

POR 8 (Blyleven 4-5) @ LAA 6 (Seaver 3-6)
HRs: POR – Murcer 2 (18); LAA – Suzuki (5), Trout (15).
Box Score

Game Two

A day off before this series has shifted the matchups some, with game two now featuring Walter Johnson for the Sea Dogs and the Angels keeping with their originally scheduled hurler, Pud Galvin.

LA took the lead in the 4th as Mike Trout doubled, stole 3rd, and scored on a groundout from Doug Rader. Carlos Delgado added his 13th of the year, and the Angels had a 2-0 lead.

The Angels are never sure which version of Galvin they’ll get: today, unfortunately for the Sea Dogs, it’s the one twirling a perfect game through 5 innings. That was spoiled by a couple of walks, and then the no-no went away when Rogers Hornsby singled in the top of the 7th.

A single from Paul Molitor and a walk to Gil Hodges chased Galvin in the top of the 8th, but Francisco Rodríguez and Joe Nathan were perfect in relief, completing the 2-hit shutout and evening the series at 1 game each.

POR 0 (Johnson 8-6) @ LAA 2 (Galvin 2-9; Nathan 11 Sv; Rodríguez 6 H)
HRs: POR – none; LAA – Delgado (13).
Box Score

Game Three

Portland’s Dizzy Trout and Los Angeles’ Brett Anderson are both pitching excellently at the moment, making the rubber game matchup pretty appealing.

Don Buford and Kal Daniels hit back-to-back homers to leadoff the bottom of the first, giving the home team an early 2-0 lead. Carlos Delgado added his 14th of the year, a 2-run shot, doubling the lead. Trout didn’t make it out of the 5th, leaving after loading the bases.

Meanwhile, Anderson was sailing along, allowing only 2 hits through 6 shutout frames.

The Angels would add some more–2 in the 6th and 4 in the 8th–but the story was Anderson, who was pulled after allowing 2 hits in the 9th, combining with Ross Reynolds on the 4-hit shutout.

Delgado had 4 hits on the day and drove in 3.

POR 0 (Trout 5-6) @ LAA 10 (Anderson 7-2)
HRs: POR – none; LAA – Daniels (14), Buford (16), Delgado (14).
Box Score

So, back to back shutouts ain’t great. There is much to be done in Portland this season, but it would seem the immediate challenge is to successfully participate in the midseason trade market as a seller.

TWIWBL 69.4: Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On December 5, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
San Francisco Sea Lions	45-27	.625	—
Chicago American Giants	34-35	.493	9.5
Miami Cuban Giants	33-38	.465	11.5
Los Angeles Angels	31-38	.449	12.5
Portland Sea Dogs	30-40	.429	14

Cum Posey Division | 18 June

#Chicago American Giants

Carlton Fisk went deep twice (one a grand slam) and drove in 7 as the American Giants beat Detroit 11-7 in 11 innings. Eddie Collins had 4 hits for Chicago as well.

#Los Angeles Angels

Bobby Grich hit his 14th homerun in the bottom of the 9th, giving the Angels an 8-6 walkoff victory over Memphis.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Ryan Braun hit 2 homeruns, but, despite several comebacks, the Cuban Giants fell to San Francisco in 10 innings.

José Méndez had a no-hitter through 7 and Gary Sheffield hit 2 out as the Cuban Giants beat the Sea Lions, 8-4.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Harry Hooper‘s struggles have led to Kiki Cuyler getting more and more playing time, essentially moving the two into a platoon in LF. More importantly, Joseíto Muñoz began his rehab from a long term injury, something that offers significant help to the Sea Dogs’ rotation.

Gil Hodges went deep twice, but the Sea Dogs fell to Cleveland, 11-6, in 13 innings. Jerry Koosman was forced from the game with a shoulder injury, earning himself a trip to the DL. Bobby Witt was recalled to take his place.

Hodges did it again, giving him 21 on the year, and Portland beat the New York Black Yankees despite an off day from Walter Johnson, who moved to 8-5 barely making 5 innings. Hooper, Paul Molitor, and Joe Mauer also went yard for the Sea Dogs in the win.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Jimmy Bloodworth started his injury rehab, perhaps offering some help to the MI challenges faced by San Francisco.

Jack Clark hit out 2, reaching 20 on the year, and the Sea Lions edged Miami in 10 innings. Clark drove in 5 and Rickey Henderson scored 4 times for San Francisco.

TWIWBL 66.4: Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On September 23, 2024

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
San Francisco Sea Lions	31-21	.596	—
Chicago American Giants	27-23	.540	3
Miami Cuban Giants	27-25	.519	4
Los Angeles Angels	23-26	.469	6.5
Portland Sea Dogs	21-30	.412	9.5

Cum Posey Division | 28 May

#Chicago American Giants

IF Damian Jackson will miss a couple weeks with a knee contusion. George Grantham was recalled, a move that once again preserves offensive black hole Jack Doyle on the roster due to his defensive versatility.

Cristóbal Torriente‘s offensive woes have opened the door for, at least temporarily, Vernon Wells to see more playing time.

With Billy Loes out for over a month (strained oblique), the American Giants recalled Joe Lake, and with Akinori Otsuka ready for recall from his rehab assignment, Larry Twitchell was sent down.

#Los Angeles Angels

Doug Rader and Gerrit Cole were near the best in the league last year. This season, not so much. But today they put it together: Rader hit 2 out and Cole spun a 4-hit shutout in a 7-0 win over Cleveland. Cole’s record improved to 2-5 and Rader, an RBI machine last year, only upped his total to 25 with 6 homeruns. But it was a start.

George Wright will miss a couple of weeks, with the Angels recalling Eddie Joost from AAA. This is Joost’s 6th team and 2nd tour with Los Angeles–we’ll see if this round is any more successful than a 10 game stint earlier this season.

Kal Daniels reached double-digits in homeruns with 2 in a 12-3 rout of Chicago. Doc Gooden pitched 8 strong innings, lowering his ERA below 3.00 and improving his record to 5-4.

#Miami Cuban Giants

José Canseco did it again, sending 3 balls out of the yard in a 7-4 win over Memphis. That gave Canseco 27 for the year, at least temporarily leading the league.

Gary Sheffield went deep twice, but the Cuban Giants couldn’t hold a lead and Miami fell to San Francisco, 5-4.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Ken Griffey, Jr. went deep twice and the Sea Dogs rode 8 strong innings from Walter Johnson for a 6-4 win over Detroit.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Eddie Plank carried a 1-hitter into the 9th, but in the end needed a little help to close out a 3-0 victory over Portland. Plank loaded the bases, but Rod Beck got the final out for his 13th save, with Plank improving to 7-2. Jimmie Foxx hit his 19th homer of the year for San Francisco.

TWIWBL 65.1: Year 2, Week 8

By mknn

On August 26, 2024

In TWIWBL

May 21st

We are roughly 1/4 through the season!

#Awards

Miami Cuban Giants OF Ryan Braun, who hit 6 homeruns with a .417 average, was the AL Player of the Week and Mike Epstein of the Homestead Grays took home the NL Player of the Week. Epstein hit .556 with 5 homeruns.

#Team Performance

It’s still far too early, of course, but there is a sliver of daylight emerging in 3 of the 4 divisions.

In the Bill James Division, the New York Black Yankees lead the Cleveland Spiders by 4 games; in the Cum Posey Division, the San Francisco Sea Lions have ridden an 8-2 streak to a 3 game lead over the Chicago American Giants, and in the Marvin Miller Division, the Kansas City Monarchs have opened up a 4.5 game edge over the Indianapolis ABC’s.

So that leaves the Effa Manley Division, where all 5 teams are separated by only 5 games from the Grays on top to the Philadelphia Stars at the bottom. Here’s how it stacks up:

Team	W/L	PCT	GB
Homestead Grays	26-19	.578	–
Brooklyn Royal Giants	24-19	.558	1
New York Gothams	23-22	.511	3
Ottawa Mounties	22-22	.500	3.5
Philadelphia Stars	21-24	.467	5

Marvin Miller Division Standings

#Player Performance

Batters

Returning to normalcy: all the bold next to Babe Ruth.

But there are a ton of new storylines here as well: is Ty Cobb for real? Just how many doubles can he hit? Ruth tied for the league lead in homeruns isn’t news, but being joined by Ryan Braun and Larry Walker is (similarly, Ruth leading with 50 RBI’s is familiar; Walker joining him is not).

Also, Tony Gwynn hitting .421 is fun.

League leaders in bold, top 2 for most categories listed.

Ryan Braun (MCG). 320/366/765. 20 HR.
Ty Cobb (DET). 404/462/861. 61 H; 25 2B; 3.2 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 421/456/679. 67 H; 40 R.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 271/377/484. 34 SB.
Pete Hill (HOU). 286/356/539. 8 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 365/416/591. 22 2B.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 312/398/659. 40 R.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 316/443/770. 20 HR; 50 RBI; 43 R; 37 BB; 3.2 WAR.
Joey Votto (IND). 295/442/508. 31 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 342/423/770. 20 HR; 50 RBI.
Bobby Wallace (BAL). 250/387/342. 31 BB.

Pitchers

Starters

6 pitchers have 6 wins, but only 2 have 7 and of those only Kansas City’s Frank Castillo is undefeated.

Houston‘s Toad Ramsey has come back to the pack some, but all that bold shows just how far ahead of them he had gone. It’s no longer clear who the best starter in the league is at the moment, although Castillo certainly has a decent argument. But Ramsey’s teammate Roger Clemens is in there, as is Indianapolis’ Johnny Cueto, and it’s hard to ignore the ERA leader, Chicago’s Mark Buehrle.

League leaders in bold, top 2 for most categories listed.

Mark Buehrle (CAG). 5-2, 2.42.
Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-0, 2.85.
Watty Clark (SFS). 2-0, 5.21. 3.24 FIP.
Roger Clemens (HOU). 6-0, 3.47. 0.98 WHIP.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.51.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 4-3, 2.60.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 5-4, 3.49. 67 IP.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 6-1, 3.52. 75 K; 2.0 WAR.
Walter Johnson (POR). 4-4, 2.94. 67.1 IP; 2.0 WAR.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 6-2, 2.60. 81 K; 2.9 WAR; 0.88 WHIP; 2.52 FIP.

Relievers

Brooklyn‘s Trevor Hildenberger is probably the hottest reliever in the league, but really nobody is truly dominant from the pen so far, other than his teammate, Fernando Valenzuela, whose future is almost certainly as a starter.

12 IP minimum; league leaders in bold, top 2 for most categories listed.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 5.40. 12 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 3.38. 7 H.
Trevor Hildenberger 1-0, 1.20. 1 Sv, 5 H; 0.60 WHIP.
Ted Kennedy (PHI). 2-2, 3.48. 2 Sv, 7 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-0, 2.55. 12 Sv.
Lee Smith (HOD). 1-0, 2.04. 1 Sv; 5 H; 0.57 WHIP.
Fernando Valenzuela (BRK). 2-0, 1.16. 4 H.

#Injury Report

Brooklyn’s Jackie Robinson is expected back this week, as is Detroit‘s SS George Davis.

The New York Black Yankees hope to send Red Ruffing–out for nearly a year–on a rehab assignment later in the week.

#AAA Check In

We’ll take a little look at AAA, both in terms of the best performers and the best prospects (24 and under) roughly 1/4 of the way through the season.

Pos	25+	< 25
C	John Stearns (26, LAA). 266/380/587.	Darrin Fletcher (23, NYY). 383/408/742.
1B	Fred Luderus (32, PHI). 336/375/734.	Eddie Murray (22, BAL). 321/389/629).
2B	DJ LeMahieu (28, MEM). 377/417/521.	Jorge Orta (23, CAG). 216/250/405.
SS	Bill Dahlen (34, CLE). 250/325/519.	Travis Jackson (22, HOU). 331/358/559.
3B	Jung Ho Kang (29, HOD). 313/361/701.	Chris Brown (23, HOD). 346/452/731.
LF	Lefty O’Doul (26, MEM). 385/416/644.	Starling Marte (24, HOM). 341/410/609.
CF	Kenny Lofton (26, CLE). 354/424/599.	Jack Gleason (23, LAA). 257/361/478.
RF	Elmer Valo (35, LAA). 397/484/733.	Tony Conigliaro (23, HOD). 299/361/649.
SP	Cliff Lee (29, HOM). 3-2, 1.67. 1.8 WAR. George Bechtel (28, DET). 402, 2.38. 2.2 WAR.	Dick Redding (21, BRK). 6-2, 2.93. 2.6 WAR. Kyle Peterson (22, HOD). 4-3, 3.38. 1.8 WAR.
RP	Roberto Osuna (22, HOU). 1-1, 3.86. 8 Sv.	George Jeffcoat (26, NYG). 0-1, 2.57. 9 Sv.

For the batters, the dominance of players from Las Vegas (Los Angeles‘ AAA franchise) and Columbus (the AAA home for the House of David) is striking. Of these, Stearns may get a look soon given the Angels’ current struggles behind the plate and Valo’s performance may force himself back to the WBL. With both Kang and Brown blocked by Ron Cey–having a great season with the House of David–perhaps those 2 end up as trade bait?

Pitchers are highly unpredictable, of course. Redding and Peterson are doing excellently and seem destined for great things; at the same time, both Lee and Bechtel have struggled with their big league clubs.

TWIWBL 64.1: Year 2, Week 7

By mknn

On August 2, 2024

In TWIWBL

May 14th

The season is beginning to hit its stride, very rapidly approaching the quarter-pole. Clearly, the time from now through the all-star break is vital in defining how things fall out.

#Awards

Albert Pujols of the Kansas City Monarchs hit .650 for the week, winning the NL Player of the Week Award while Babe Ruth took home the AL Player of the Week, hitting .522 with 5 homeruns.

Pujols beat out the House of David‘s Ernie Banks, who had 7 homeruns and drove in 14, and Scott Rolen of the Philadelphia Stars who posted a 1.997 OPS, hitting .474 with 6 dingers and 8 RBIs.

#Team Performance

The New York Black Yankees (Bill James Division) and the Kansas City Monarchs (Marvin Miller Division) continue to be the only teams above .600, while Birmingham (in the basement of the Marvin Miller Division) and defending champs Baltimore are both at 13-26, tied for the worst record in the league, and a 1-9 record in their last 10 games has seen the Memphis Red Sox (in the Bill James Division along with Baltimore) plummet to a .378 percentage.

The other 2 divisions are much tighter, with the San Francisco Seals leading the Chicago American Giants by .5 games in the Cum Posey Division and Brooklyn and Homestead in a dead heat for first in the Effa Manley Division, where the Ottawa Mounties, in last place, is only 3 games back.

#Player Performance

Batters

Usual stuff here–top 2 in most categories, league leaders in bold. Ruth’s performance is expected, but Detroit‘s young star, Ty Cobb, is far exceeding expectations at this point.

Lance Berkman (CLE). 326/393/803. 17 HR.
Ty Cobb (DET). 400/463/846. 22 2B; 2.8 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 402/441/621. 53 H.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 294/386/515. 31 SB.
Pete Hill (HOU). 273/356/531. 7 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 386/427/636. 54 H; 21 2B.
Reggie Jackson (SFS). 308/386/664. 38 RBI; 34 R.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 326/440/770. 17 HR; 42 RBI; 37 R; 28 BB; 2.7 WAR.
Larry Walker (OTT). 357/431/754. 38 RBI.
Bobby Wallace (BAL). 233/385/341. 30 BB.

Pitchers

Starters

Just look at that Toad go! Ramsey has been magnificent for the Houston Colt 45’s, although he’s struggled a little in his most recent starts. There are a few more pitchers with 6 wins, I’ve only included the two sitting at 6-1, plus Ramsey.

Johnny Cueto (IND). 6-1, 2.85. 0.91 WHIP.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 4-2, 1.72. 2.80 FIP; 1.8 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 5-1, 3.79. 66 K.
Walter Johnson (POR). 4-3, 2.82. 60.2 IP; 1.8 WAR.
Frank Knauss (BRK). 6-1, 2.19.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 6-2, 1.63. 60.2 IP; 74 K; 0.77 WHIP; 2.31 FIP; 2.9 WAR.

Relievers

12 IP Minimum.

None of the closers have really been dominant–Gagne had been, but his ERA has risen over the past few weeks.

Rod Beck (SFS). 1-2, 5.84. 12 Sv.
Jack Billingham (IND). 0-1, 2.25. 2 H; 0.62 WHIP.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 3.29. 6 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 0-0, 2.51. 12 Sv.
Bob Howry (PHI). 2-1, 3.29. 8 Sv; 0.51 WHIP.
Kenshin Kawakami (MCG). 2-0, 1.02.
Tim Lincecum (HOM). 0-0, 9.00. 1 H; 1.19 FIP.
Ross Reynolds (LAA). 1-0, 0.75. 1 Sv; 1 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 1-0, 1.38. 1 Sv; 3 H; 1.96 FIP.

2 Way Players

Not a ton of change here. Most of these guys are clearly contributing significantly more one side or the other, with only Luis Padrón of the Indianapolis ABC‘s and Philadelphia’s Joe Rogan really manifesting as 2-way contributors (indeed, those are the only players with positive WARs each way). Chicago’s Cristóbal Torriente saw his first time on the mound in a blowout, but has a ways to go before being listed here.

Player	Pitching	Batting	pWAR	bWAR	WAR
Luis Padrón (IND)	5-1, 4.04 (42 IP, 6 GS)	365/441/596 (59 PA)	1.2	0.6	1.8
Joe Rogan (PHI)	3-3, 4.50 (46 IP, 7 GS)	288/328/504 (134 PA)	0.4	0.5	0.9
J.M. Ward (PHI)	0-1, 3.43 (42 IP, 7 GS)	207/233/379 (30 PA)	0.7	-0.2	0.5
Jim Whitney (BBB)	1-0, 2.19 (37 IP, 16 G)	100/143/150 (21 PA)	0.8	-0.4	0.4
Eustaquio Pedroso (MCG)	0-0, 4.24 (23 IP, 13 G)	222/344/222 (32 PA)	0.1	-0.1	0.0

#Injury Report

Chicago’s Akinori Otsuka is out for about 2 weeks, weakening the American Giants’ bullpen significantly.

Detroit lost both Hal Newhouser and Johnny Marcum from their rotation this week.

Memphis may get some help on the mound this week, as both Shane Bieber and Skel Roach may return from injury.

Jimmy Bloodworth is out for over a month for San Francisco, which is not all bad news for the Sea Lions as it opens more playing time for the irrepressible Dick Lundy.

TWIWBL 63.4: Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On July 15, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Chicago American Giants

5 hits from Joe Jackson weren’t enough as the American Giants fell to Detroit, 8-6. Mark Buehrle had his first rough outing of the year, failing to become the league’s first 6 game winner and falling to 5-1.

Paul Konerko went deep twice, the 2nd shot a walkoff job in the bottom of the 10th to give the American Giants a 5-4 win over Detroit.

Akinori Otsuka will miss about 2 weeks with an elbow issue, weakening Chicago’s bullpen significantly. Tom Williams was recalled.

#Los Angeles Angels

The Angels recalled Elmer “Mike” Smith from his rehab assignments. Not wanting to be without a lefty, Los Angeles retained Noah Lowry while demoting Anthony DeSclafani despite DeSclafani’s better performance.

With George Wright being recalled from his rehab assignment, Eddie Joost is waived with the Angels hoping to retain him in AAA.

Mike Trout had himself a day: 5 hits, 3 homeruns (and 2 doubles), including a game-tying shot in the 9th and a game-winning walkoff in the bottom of the 13th.

Doc Gooden improved to 4-2 on the year with a 4 hit shutout of the Black Yankees. 4 RBI’s from Steve Garvey–including his 3rd homerun of the season–accounted for all of the Angels’ runs, more than enough to support Gooden, who whiffed 7 and walked none.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Freddie Fitzsimmons horrific start to the year (2-4, 8.17) has cost him his rotation spot, with Ed Brandt being named Miami’s #4 starter. Their 5th rotation slot remains open.

Julio Rodríguez was recalled from his rehab assignment, with the Cuban Giants (finally?) deciding that Minnie Miñoso would be better served with time at AAA. Rodríguez’ return (and Miñoso’s departure) resulted in a bunch of lineup juggling for Miami, as their OF remains quite crowded.

Rodríguez went 2 for 4 in his return as the Cuban Giants fell to Baltimore, 4-3.

The Cuban Giants came back from a 9-1 deficit in the 8th inning to beat Baltimore, 9-8. José Canseco went deep in the 8th and the 9th and Rodríguez in the 9th. Throw in a pinch-hit 2-run double from Gary Sheffield and you have a massive comeback for a shocking victory.

Needing a starter, Fitzsimmons’ continued battering led to his being sent to AAA with Lou Fette being recalled.

Al Oliver fractured his foot, and will miss about 5 weeks, with Carlos Morán recalled from AAA.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Jeff Cirillo headed back to AAA with Rogers Hornsby‘s return from a rehab assignment.

Walter Johnson was magnificent, allowing only a homerun through 8 innings before being chased by a single in the 9th in a 3-1 victory. Johnson evened his record at 3-3 with a 13 strikeout performance, walking none and lowering his ERA to 2.79.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

It was bullpen rejigger week for the Sea Lions, with San Francisco sending Bobby Seay, Steve Ontiveros, and Nick Altrock to AAA, with Tom Brewer, Mel Stottlemyre Sr, and Jim Devlin all being promoted. With both Bump Hadley and Watty Clark struggling, those 3, along with Dennis Eckersley, have to all be considered as auditioning for rotation slots.

Helped by Reggie Jackson‘s 13th homerun, Hadley, Devlin, Ken Howell, and Rod Beck combined on a 4 hit shutout, leading the Sea Lions to a 2-0 win over Chicago.

With Jimmy Bloodworth due to miss over a month, the Sea Lions recalled Denny Walling from AAA.

TWIWBL 61.3: Cum Posey Division

By mknn

On June 12, 2024

In TWIWBL

#Chicago American Giants

The mystery of Mike Fiore continues. Fiore led the WBL in walks last year, and his on base/power combination made him a useful part for Chicago. But the American Giants looked poised to move on, until Duffy Lewis was injured, opening up playing time for Fiore … who is posting a .963 OPS despite a batting average in the .220’s.

Now that Lewis has started a rehab assignment, Chicago will need to figure out what to do with an overly crowded OF.

Mark Buehrle threw 8 scoreless innings and Paul Konerko homered twice as the American Giants trounced the Sea Dogs, 12-0. Buehrle became the league’s first 4 game winner, lowering his ERA to 1.32 in the process while Konerko had 3 hits and drove in 5.

Sometimes it’s not the stars: Kevin Mitchell and Vernon Wells delivered consecutive singles in the bottom of the 9th, with Mitchell’s tying the game and Wells’ giving Chicago a walkoff 4-3 victory over San Francisco.

It wasn’t enough to save Mitchell’s job, however: with Lewis getting a few AB’s in at AAA, it was time to recall him to the big league club, with Mitchell heading the other way. Lewis’ return is complicated: Fiore and Konerko, the most likely players to lose playing time to Lewis, are performing fantastically.

#Miami Cuban Giants

Ryan Braun went deep twice leading the Cuban Giants to a 9-1 win over Cleveland. José Méndez allowed 1 run in 6 innings, improving to 2-0. Iván Rodríguez and Minnie Miñoso both went deep, perhaps signaling their emergence from offensive slumps to start the season.

Horrible news for the Cuban Giants, as staff ace Camilo Pascual will miss most if not all of the rest of the year with a knee injury. Miami recalled Kenshin Kawakami to join their bullpen, but declined to name a 5th starter for their rotation to take Pascual’s place.

José Canseco was the first person this season to hit 3 homeruns in a game, but it wasn’t enough as the Cuban Giants fell to Cleveland, 9-6.

#Portland Sea Dogs

Needing a starter, the Sea Dogs moved struggling Frank Williams to AAA, recalling Mike Cuellar. Cuellar pitched well enough, but took the defeat in a 6-2 loss to Detroit.

Walter Johnson, Wade Miller, and Trevor Hoffman combined on a 2 hit shutout in a 9-0 drubbing of Cleveland. Johnson was sailing along for 5 innings, and it’s not quite clear why he didn’t come out for the 6th. By that time, it was 6-0 in favor of Portland, who got 4 RBIs from Jim Fregosi and 3 hits from Bobby Murcer.

Jeff Burroughs will miss about 2 weeks with a sprained elbow, with Kiki Cuyler called up from AAA.

Gil Hodges went deep twice and drove in 3 and, perhaps more importantly for Portland, Johan Santana got his first save of the year in relief of a solid outing from Bert Blyleven, who picked up his first victory in a 6-3 win over Cleveland.

#San Francisco Sea Lions

Tommy Bridges replaces Nick Altrock in the Sea Lions’ rotation.

WBL Year II Statistics

I needed a place to hold statistics that aren’t easily displayed in OOTP. Most of these are game-level performances.

For complete statistics, poke around on the WBL Stats Page.

Batting Statistics

2+ 3B Games

2. Bob Bescher (IND); Craig Biggio (HOU), Ty Cobb (DET); Willie McGee (KCM); Tim Raines (OTT).

3+ 2B Games

4. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE).
3. Craig Biggio (HOU); George Brett (HOU); Ron Cey (BRK); Cupid Childs (BBB); Ty Cobb (DET); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Josh Gibson (HOM); Hank Greenberg (DET); Joe Jackson (CAG); Reggie Jackson (SFS); Joe Morgan (IND); Frank Robinson (BAL); Cookie Rojas (MCG); Pete Runnels (NYG); Reggie Smith (MEM); Mike Trout (LAA).

3+ HBP Games

3. Jack Doyle (CAG).

3+ HR Games

3. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ed Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Carlos Beltrán (OTT); Lance Berkman x2 (CLE); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Ryan Braun (MCG); José Canseco (MCG); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); George Gore (HOD); Stan Musial (KCM); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Álex Rodríguez (OTT); Babe Ruth (NYY); Ted Simmons (KCM); Sammy Sosa x2 (HOD); Mike Trout (LAA); Larry Walker (OTT).

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4. Ed Bailey (DET); Eddie Collins (CAG); Mike Epstein (HOM); Willie McGee (KCM); Andrew McCutchen (HOM), Joey Votto (IND).

4+ CS Games

4. Johnny Bench (IND); Gabby Hartnett (MEM); Jorge Posada (HOU); Ted Simmons (KCM).

4+ Run Games

6. Ron Blomberg (CLE).
5. Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Tris Speaker (CLE).
4. Roberto Alomar x2 (OTT); Jeff Bagwell x2 (HOU); Bob Bailey (DET); Ed Bailey (DET); Johnny Bates x2 (CLE); Albert Belle (BBB); Curt Blefary x2 (BAL); Dan Brouthers (BRK); Ron Cey (BRK); Roberto Clemente (HOM); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Mike Epstein (HOM); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Pete Hill (HOU); Benny Kauff (NYG); Evan Longoria (CLE); Willie McGee (KCM); Billy Nash (DET); Yasiel Puig (MCG); Babe Ruth (NYY); Gary Sheffield (MCG); Jim Wynn (HOU).

4+ SB Games

6. Rickey Henderson (SFS).
4. Frank Chance (HOD); Rickey Henderson (SFS); Dick Lundy (SFS).

5+ Hit Games

5. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Don Buford (LAA); Joe Jackson (CAG); Chuck Knoblauch (CLE); Mike Trout (LAA).

5+ SO Games

6. Dale Murphy (KCM).
5. Beals Becker (BRK); Bobby Bonds (SFS); Ron Cey (BRK); Larry Doby (CLE); Héctor López (NYY); Dale Murphy (KCM).

6+ RBI Games

7. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Carlton Fisk (CAG); Charlie Gehringer (DET); Evan Longoria (CLE); Manny Machado (BAL); Yasiel Puig (MCG); Gary Sheffield (MCG).
6. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Bailey (DET); Ernie Banks (HOD); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Johnny Callison (NYG); Carlos Correa (HOU); Gavvy Cravath (BAL); Chili Davis (DET); Josh Gibson (HOM); Mickey Mantle (NYY); Mike Piazza (BRK); Manny Ramírez (MEM); Babe Ruth x3 (NYY); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Mike Schmidt (NYY); Ted Simmons (KCM); Roy White (BRK).

Cycles

Roberto Clemente (HOM; 4-5, 4R, 3 RBI).

Longest HRs

{Note: OOTP clearly has something weird happening with overpowered HRs. It’s getting better, and, at some point, I’m going to reduce these by roughly 10%, which would leave the list at only 3 at 500 ft+ for the season so far, which seems much more realistic to me, but am waiting to see if I get any additional info/guidance from the game dev’s.}

595 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM).
558 ft. Aaron Judge (PHA).
555 ft. Albert Pujols (KCM).
551 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
550 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE).
544 ft. Eddie Mathews (BBB).
542 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE); Evan Longoria (CLE).
539 ft. Johnny Bates (CLE); Craig Biggio (HOU).
538 ft. Josh Gibson (HOM), Pete Hill (HOU); Buster Posey (NYG).
535 ft. Buster Posey (NYG).
534 ft. Robinson Canó (KCM).
530 ft. Dale Murphy (KCM).
528 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Willie Mays (NYG).
527 ft. Joe Adcock (NYG).
525 ft. Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI).
522 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE).
519 ft. Babe Ruth (NYY).
518 ft. Willie Mays (NYG).
516 ft. Hank Aaron (BBB); Bob Nieman (BBB).
514 ft. Ron Cey (BRK); Oscar Gamble (DET).
512 ft. Tony Gwynn (HOU).
511 ft. Lance Berkman (CLE); Dan Brouthers (BRK).
510 ft. Ron Blomberg (CLE).
509 ft. Johnny Callison (NYG); Jack Clark (SFS); Bryce Harper (BAL); Ted Simmons (KCM).
508 ft. Jeff Bagwell (HOU); Ron Blomberg (CLE); Boog Powell (KCM); Travis Shaw (MEM).
507 ft. Ducky Medwick (KCM); Ted Simmons (KCM).
505 ft. Lou Gehrig (NYA).
503 ft. Larry Doyle (NYG); Joe Rogan (PHI); Ryne Sandberg (HOD); Oscar Gamble (DET).
502 ft. Ernie Banks (HOD); Albert Belle (BBB); Robinson Canó (KCM); Ray Dandridge (BRK); Mike Epstein (HOM).
501 ft. Derek Jeter (NYA).
500 ft. Andrew McCutchen (HOM).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

99. José Rijo (KCM).
97. JM Ward (PHI).
93. Frank Castillo (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
92. Bump Hadley (SFS); Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI).
91. Frank Knauss (BRK); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU)
90. Brian Anderson (LAA); A. Rube Foster (KCM); Alejandro Peña (BBB); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Joe Rogan (PHI).
89. Fernando Valenzuela (BRG); Smokey Joe Wood (KCM).
88. Luis Padrón x2 (IND); Bill Steen (CLE); Justin Verlander (DET).
87. Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Jim Whitney (BBB).
86. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Doc Gooden (LAA).
85. Roger Clemens (HOU); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Eddie Plank (SFS); Jameson Taillon (MEM); Ed Walsh (CAG); Cy Young (CLE).
84. Frank Castillo (KCM); Ron Guidry (NYY); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Ed Walsh (CAG).
83. Bob Friend (HOM); Mike Mussina (BAL).
82. Mark Buehrle (CAG); Bill Doak (MEM); Connie Johnson (BAL); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
81. Ferguson Jenkins (HOD); Stephen Strasbourg (HOU); Cy Young (CLE).
80. Walter Johnson (POR); The Only Nolan (IND); Andy Pettitte (NYY); Toad Ramsey (HOU).

10+ Strikeout Games

14. Frank Castillo (KCM); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
13. Brian Anderson (LAA); Ron Guidry (NYY); Charlie Root (DET).
12. Johnny Cueto (IND); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Mike Mussina (BAL); Toad Ramsey x2 (HOU); José Rijo (KCM); Bill Steen (CLE); JM Ward (PHI).
11. Johnny Cueto (IND); Ron Guidry (NYY); Ferguson Jenkins (HOD); Connie Johnson (BAL); Walter Johnson (POR); Frank Knauss (BRG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); The Only Nolan (IND); Old Hoss Radbourn (OTT); Toad Ramsey x3 (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Justin Verlander (DET); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).
10. Steve Carlton (PHI); Frank Castillo (KCM); Watty Clark (SFS); Bob Friend (HOM); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Ron Guidry x2 (NYY); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Orel Hershiser (BRK); Frank Knauss (BRK); Ramón Martínez (MCG); Billy Pierce (HOM); Tom Seaver (LAA); Stephen Strasbourg (HOU); Don Sutton (NYG); Fernando Valenzuela (BRK); Smokey Joe Williams (BRK).

8+ Walk Games

8. Ed Brandt (MCG); Hardie Henderson (PHI).
9. Randy Johnson (OTT).

Shutouts

NO HITS. José Rijo (IND).
1 Hit. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Stubby Overmire (MEM) [5 inn]; Luis Padrón (IND); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Bullet Joe Rogan (PHI).
2 Hits. A. Rube Foster (KCM); Lefty Grove (SFS); Bump Hadley (SFS); Frank Knauss (BRK); Francisco Liriano (HOM); Dennis Martínez (BAL); Luis Padrón (IND); Joe Rogan (PHI).
3 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Roger Clemens (HOU); Lefty Grove (SFS); Carl Hubbell (NYG); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Eddie Plank (SFS); Toad Ramsey (HOU).
4 Hits. Frank Castillo (KCM); Gerrit Cole (LAA); Doc Gooden (LAA); Lefty Grove (SFS); Jim Whitney (BBB); Cy Young (CLE).

Shutouts (Combined)

1 Hit. Justin Verlander / Mike Henneman (DET); Bill Steen / Terry Adams (CLE).
2 Hits. Jameson Taillon / Skel Roach / Andrew Miller (MEM); Ed Walsh / Tom Williams (CAG); Pud Galvin / Francisco Rodríguez / Joe Nathan (LAA); Brett Anderson / Ross Reynolds (LAA); Connie Johnson / Justin Hampson (BAL).
3 Hits. Hardie Henderson / Robin Roberts (PHI); Orel Hershiser / Eric Gagne (BRK); Stephen Strasbourg / John Franco / Tug McGraw (HOU); Vean Gregg / Mike Norris / Brian Wilson (NYG).
4 Hits. Toad Ramsey / Bones Ely (HOU); Hardie Henderson / Brad Kilby / Tim Belcher / Ted Kennedy (PHI); Dwight Gooden / Francisco Rodríguez (LAA); Bump Hadley / Jim Devlin / Ken Howell / Rod Beck (SFS); Greg Maddux / John Malarkey / Bruce Chen / Juan Rincón (BBB); Johnny Podgajny / Tom Henke (OTT); Herm Wehmeier / Goose Gossage (NYY).
5 Hits. Kenshin Kawakami / Barry Latman / Ed Brandt / Sandy Consuegra (MCG); Len Barker / David Bush / Andrew Miller (MEM); Johnny Cueto / Sad Sam Jones / Rob Murphy / Rob Dibble (IND); Smoky Joe Wood / Mike Kume (KCM).

Year II Season Preview: Portland Sea Dogs

By mknn

On March 27, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

A deep playoff run once again, with championship contention.

Best Case

Everyone behind Walter Johnson in the rotation takes a step forward: Bert Blyleven becomes a legitimate #2, Dizzy Trout becomes more consistent, Elmer Brown makes the transition from the bullpen successfully, and first round pick Walter Ball steps right in, making the choice when Joséito Muñoz returns from injury a difficult one. Even without Gavvy Cravath (lost to free agency), the Sea Dogs should score quite a few runs, especially if Rogers Hornsby can prove a permanent solution (at least for a couple of years) at 2B.

Worst Case

None of that happens in the rotation, Hornsby and Gil Hodges show the effects of age, and the OF ends up regressing towards absolute mediocrity (which really comes down to how much you think Bobby Murcer, Harry Hooper, and supersub Gary Pettis overperformed last season).

Key Questions

How will the Sea Dogs compensate for the loss of Cravath?
Who joins the OF?

Trade Bait

Yes: the Sea Dogs still need to resolve the situation behind the plate, and trading either Joe Mauer or (more likely) Iván Rodríguez seems likely. Moving people on could also resolve the Buddy Bell/Adrián Beltré situation as well as provide Pettis an everyday opportunity elsewhere.

Well that was interesting. The Sea Dogs essentially turned Beltré, Rodríguez, and some useful prospects into Paul Molitor, Vladimir Guerrero, and Ken Griffey, Jr.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C	Mauer					Lee
1B	Hrbek			Hodges
2B		Hornsby		Molitor
3B				Bell
SS		Fregosi
LF/ RF	Murcer		Hooper	Burroughs
CF			Pettis		Griffey, Jr
SP	Johnson	Blyleven ~~Muñoz~~	Trout Pérez	Koosman	Miller	Ball
End		Hoffman	Brown	Melancon		Santana
RP					Williams

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

There’s clearly potential here–the players likely to regress (Murcer, Kent Hrbek, Hornsby) are balanced by newcomers Griffey, Jr and Molitor, both of whom are strong favorites to improve. But, like so many teams, they’ll go as far as the pitching will take them.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	IF Rogers Hornsby	IF Miguel Sanó
Batting Eye	IF Rogers Hornsby	IF Eddie Yost
Contact	OF Ken Griffey, Jr	OF Bubba Morton
Running Speed	OF Gary Pettis	OF Alex Diaz OF Hugh Duffy OF Otis Nixon OF Howie Shanks
Base Stealing	OF Gary Pettis	OF Otis Nixon
IF Defense	3B Buddy Bell	IF Lee Tannehill
OF Defense	OF Gary Pettis	OF Charlie Jamieson
Stuff	SP Walter Johnson	P Harry Harper
Control	SP Bert Blyleven	P Bob Porterfield
Velocity	RP Trevor Hoffman	P Heath Hembree

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (16)	20	OF	Vladimir Guerrero
2 (20)	20	OF	Hugh Duffy
3 (23)	22	OF	Chuck Klein
4 (40)	26	IF	Hughie Jennings
5 (124)	25	P	Walter Ball
6 (137)	23	P	Dylan Bundy
7 (138)	18	P	Harry Harper

Others: None.

What a weird system. Their top end is probably the strongest quartet in the game, Ball is in the opening day rotation, and then the entire system falls off the cliff.

	Most	Least
Age	IF Jeff Cirillo, 35 OF Bubba Morton, 35 P Bob Porterfield, 35	P Harry Harper, 18
Height	OF Walt Bond, 6’7″	OF Nemo Leibold, 5’6″ IF Howdy Caton, 5’6″
OPS	IF Freddie Freeman, 1.130 (—)	IF Elvis Andrus, .558 (AAA/AA)
HR	IF Freddie Freeman, 47 (—)	IF Elvis Andrus, 1 (AAA/AA)
SB	OF Harry Hooper, 38 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	IF Freddie Freeman, 6.2 (—)	IF Bobby Wine, -1.6 (—)
W	Walter Johnson, 14 (WBL)	Pascual Pérez, 3 (WBL/AAA) Colby Lewis, 3 (AAA)
SV	Johan Santana, 23 (WBL)
ERA	Joseito Muñoz, 2.80 (WBL/AAA)	Mike Trombley, 6.56 (—)
WAR	Walter Johnson, 4.7 (WBL)	Mike Trombley, -0.5 (—)

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

Season Review: Portland Sea Dogs

By mknn

On December 28, 2023

In Season Reviews, Team News

85 - 70, .548 pct.
1st in Marvin Miller Division
Lost to Baltimore in Division Round

Overall

Portland’s year was, if we’re being honest, a bit of a surprise, even though they led the Marvin Miller Division virtually wire to wire. Their offense was excellent all year, they made very impactful acquisitions via trade in Rogers Hornsby and Gavvy Cravath, and their top end pitching was among the league’s best.

Things are unlikely to go as well offensively next year, so it may take some talent acquisition for the Sea Dogs to maintain their place.

What Went Right

Let’s get the acquisitions out of the way first: 2B was an issue for the Sea Dogs all season until they brought in Rogers Hornsby from Kansas City. Hornsby was excellent and looks likely to remain with Portland for a while. Then, even knowing it was likely a rental for the last few months of the season, the Sea Dogs brought in Gavvy Cravath from Philadelphia who was spectacular, slugging .750 over 40 games. Cravath has moved on to Baltimore, proving the old rich get richer thing.

This was a team already hitting at an elite level: CF Bobby Murcer, 1B Kent Hrbek, C Joe Mauer, and SS Jim Fregosi all hit about as well as anyone in the league at their position. 3B Buddy Bell and OF Harry Hooper were solid as well.

Two reserves were magnificent: each was behind an all star talent, but each kept pushing even them for playing time. Both C Iván Rodríguez and CF Gary Pettis faded a bit at the end of the year, but still posted OPS’ of .827 (Pettis) and .780 (Pudge).

It’s hard to figure out if Gil Hodges‘ year went right or not: on the good side, he was 2nd on the team with 29 homers.

Walter Johnson was fantastic, clearly one of the best starting pitchers in the league at the tender age of 20. Joseíto Muñoz was even better, even younger, and coming on strong when he was injured.

Bert Blyleven and Dizzy Trout were solid enough.

Johan Santana was leading the league in saves before his injury: there are hopes he will be fully recovered by Spring Training. In his absence, the rest of the bullpen stepped up with Portland getting very strong performances from Bob Porterfield, Trevor Hoffman (acquired at midseason), Pascual Pérez, and Elmer Brown.

ALL STARS
3B Buddy Bell; SS Jim Fregosi; 1B Kent Hrbek; C Joe Mauer; OF Bobby Murcer; P Johan Santana

What Went Wrong

Somehow Greg Litton became a fan favorite despite struggling to get his OPS over .600. Neither he nor Fred Dunlap showed anything at all at the plate, although they were useful enough as utility players.

It’s hard to figure out if Gil Hodges‘ year went right or not: on the bad side, he hit .223 with an OPS under .750.

Muñoz and Santana’s injuries sucked. Muñoz may miss most of next season as well.

Not a lot went wrong in the Pacific northwest.

Transactions

March

None

June

P Smokey Joe Wood, C Devin Mesoraco to Kansas City for 2B Rogers Hornsby, OF Vince Coleman & 4th Round Pick

A clear win. Wood is likely to have the best career, given Hornsby’s age, but Hornsby was key to Portland’s postseason push.

July

OF Kirby Puckett, P Jim Kern, P Rick Wise, 3rd Round Pick & 5th Round Pick to Houston for P Trevor Hoffman, P Mark Melancon & 4th Round Pick {Denard Span}

We’ll see. Hoffman was quite strong, and may challenge Santana for the closer’s job next year. It was a clear win for this year, it was also a lot of value to give up.

3B Harmon Killebrew & 1st Round Pick to Philadelphia for OF Gavvy Cravath & 2nd Round Pick {Hugh Duffy}

For this year, totally worth it. Down the road … not so much.

Looking Forward

SP

Walter Johnson is elite. Bert Blyleven and Jerry Koosman should be solid, and while Joseíto Muñoz is unlikely to be as good as his debut, he should be a good rotation starter for many years. So … solid, but another top arm would be welcome. Some believe Johan Santana will come back as a starter, which may help.

RP

This group is solid, but there aren’t many likely reinforcements coming. Still, Trevor Hoffman should be the closer for a few years.

C

As if having Joe Mauer and Iván Rodríguez weren’t enough, the Sea Dogs have the best C prospect at AAA, Cliff Lee, as well. Someone will be traded.

1B

Kent Hrbek for a while, but Rafael Palmiero is pushing him long term. Gil Hodges also plays here, and is an interesting piece: Hodges’ power is undeniable, but he really doesn’t hit well enough to hold down an everyday job.

2B

Rogers Hornsby probably has a few years left, but not much more than that. There is nothing behind him, so this is an area of need.

3B

Another position where someone is going to be moved on: Buddy Bell was excellent this year, but Adrián Beltré probably has the ability to be his equal.

SS

Jim Fregosi was excellent for Portland. Hughie Jennings looks promising for the future as well.

LF

Riggs Stephenson has this for now, but this may be an area the Sea Dogs look to upgrade.

CF

Bobby Murcer was Portland’s most dangerous hitter all year, even if Hrbek had more power. It’s not clear how many years Pettis will accept being a reserve.

RF

This coming year, this is likely to be a mix of Harry Hooper and Ruben Sierra. If they don’t work out, Candy Maldanado and Tom Brunansky have shown some promise.

The Rookie Draft

Rounds 1-4

With the pick to compensate for the loss of Cravath, Portland had three consecutive picks to close out the first round and start the second. With two of them, they took the closest things to Cravath they could find: OFs Chuck Klein and Hugh Duffy. With the other, they took a franchise arm that is several years away in 18 year old Jon Matlack. They balanced out Matlack with the 15th pick of the 2nd round by selecting Walter Ball, who, at twenty-seven, looks ready for WBL action right now.

Portland has 3 4th round picks and only a single franchise exception remaining. That final choice went to Lee May, who projects to have WBL level power, maybe. The other two 4th round picks were OF Denard Span and reliever Joaquin Benoit.

Rounds 5-8

Portland needs arms. At some point, a SS would be nice, but essentially, arms. They start in the 6th with CJ Wilson, in the 7th with Harry Harper, and in the 8th with Lee Stange.

Rounds 9-12

OF Adolis García; IF Josh Jung; OF Howie Shanks; OF Billy Lush.

12th round Billy Lush decided to not sign with the Sea Dogs.