Tag: Whitey Ford Page 1 of 2

TWIWBL 99.2: Year 3, Week 2 – Bill James Division

On August 25, 2026

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Detroit Wolverines	8-5	.615	—
New York Black Yankees	7-6	.538	1
Memphis Red Sox	6-6	.500	1.5
Baltimore Black Sox	5-7	.417	2.5
Cleveland Spiders	3-10	.231	5

Bill James Division | 15 April

Baltimore Black Sox

John Tudor begins a MiL rehab assignment–at 37, these can be tricky, but he’ll likely get a WBL recall when healthy.

Cleveland Spiders

The Spiders’ closer, Terry Adams, will miss about a week. This makes the acquisition of Aroldis Chapman look even smarter, as Chapman logically steps right into the role. In a bit of a surprising move, Stew Cliburn was recalled from AAA Buffalo.

The injury bug continued to bite: starter Pat Malone will join Adams on the DL, also for about a week, with reliever Andrew Bailey recalled from AAA. It’s not clear who takes Malone’s starts in the meantime, but it will likely call to either Whit Wyatt or Chuck Porter.

Detroit Wolverines

Twenty year old Wander Franco began his rehab assignment.

New York Black Yankees

Lou Gehrig had himself a day: 4-for-5, 3 R, 8 RBI, 3 HR including a grand slam, and 14 total bases in an 11-9 victory over Cleveland. It was a nice turnaround, as Gehrig had whiffed 5 times a few games earlier, tying the American League mark for futility in a single game.

Don Mattingly, Gehrig’s 1B/DH partner, launched 2 of his own a couple days later, including a walkoff shot in an 8-6 win. That game saw Rogers Hornsby hit his first of the year and Mickey Mantle and Eric Davis go back-to-back as the Black Yankees keep searching for their swagger in the early season.

Whitey Ford, Hoyt Wilhelm, and Goose Gossage combined on a 3 hit, 3-0 blanking of Baltimore. It was Ford’s 2nd win and Gossage’s 1st save of the season.

TWIWBL 98.2: Year 3, Week 1 – Bill James Division

By mknn

On August 17, 2026

In TWIWBL

Team	W/L	Pct	GB
Detroit Wolverines	6-1	.857	—
Baltimore Black Sox	3-4	.429	3
Cleveland Spiders	3-4	.429	3
Memphis Red Sox	3-4	.429	3
New York Black Yankees	2-5	.286	4

Bill James Division | 8 April

Baltimore Black Sox

Ned Garvin deserved better. Finishing the suspended opener, he gave up one hit in five innings and struck out 10 — and lost. The hit was a Carlton Fisk home run leading off the second, Chino Smith got to John Tudor for a 3-run shot in the sixth, and Chicago took it 6-2. Still, an encouraging start to the season for Garvin.

The nightcap went the other way. Gavy Cravath hit a two-run shot off Waite Hoyt, Miller Huggins drove in three, and Dennis Martínez was good enough for a 5-3 win.

Tudor was injured later in the week, with Mike Mussina recalled from AAA Washington to take over Tudor’s swing role for the short-term.

Cleveland Spiders

Cy Young opened Cleveland’s season — a day late — with 6.2 innings, three hits, no runs and ten strikeouts, and Ryan Reed and Cody Gearrin finished off a five-hit shutout, 8-0 over Los Angeles. Lance Berkman hit a two-run homer.

Despite 14 hits, Cleveland fell 5-4 to San Francisco in 11 innings. Evan Longoria struck out 5 times, tying the American League record.

Another combined shutout came later in the week against Miami, as 5 arms combined on a 4-hit shutout with 17 (!) strikeouts: Mel Harder started, Whit Wyatt took over after a rain delay, and Reed, Aroldis Chapman and Terry Adams closed it out. Longoria — a better day this time — hit a two-run homer and Tris Speaker had three hits in the 4-0 win.

Adams was hurt in the series finale, but it’s not clear what the diagnosis is yet — a potentially impactful bit of news for the Spiders, although if he does go down, the recently-acquired Chapman would, assumedly, take over at closer.

Detroit Wolverines

The Wolverines are off to a WBL best 6-1 start to the season.

J. D. Martinez continues to impress, hitting a HR and 3 doubles in a 20 hit barrage against Chicago. The last was vital, as it scored Bobby Wallace with the winning run in the 9-8 victory over the American Giants.

Oscar Gamble closed the week with two home runs in a 5-2 win that saw Hal Newhouser improve to 2-0.

Wander Franco was hurt, with Damion Easley being recalled in his place.

Memphis Red Sox

FA Herman Long has been signed, presumably to take over at SS (Xander Bogaerts stays on the roster, but glove-man Adam Everett heads to AAA). Long was a platoon option for Birmingham, with Memphis hoping he can step into a larger role for them.

Ted Williams tied the franchise single-game record for runs, scoring 4 times, adding 4 hits (including a 2-run homer) as the Red Sox put fifteen hits on Los Angeles in a 10-5 win. David Ortiz had three hits and five RBIs, and Red Ruffing got the win despite giving up 5 earned in 5 innings.

Manny Ramírez hit 2 out in a 5-4 win over Baltimore. John Briggs also went deep, and, after blowing a lead, Armando Benitez claimed the victory.

Williams also launched the longest homer of the young season, a 480 ft. shot off Los Angeles’ Pud Galvin.

New York Black Yankees

The Black Yankees exploded in a 15-3 demolition of Detroit: 19 hits, 2 grand slams — Don Mattingly in the first, Mickey Rivers in the eighth — and home runs from Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in between. Rivers finished with 3 hits, 3 runs and 5 driven in, Manny Sanguillén had 3 hits and Ed Charles 4, with promising rookie Whitey Ford getting the win.

Eric Davis hit one of the hardest balls of the opening week: a 472 ft. bomb that left the bat at 115 mph off Miami’s Phenomenal Smith.

Year III Season Preview: New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On August 9, 2026

In 2002 Season Previews, Team News

State of the Franchise

There is exactly one acceptable outcome in the Bronx, and it hasn’t changed since the day Babe Ruth first pulled on the pinstripes: a Whirled Championship. Year II delivered neither the parade nor the collapse — 90-72, a Bill James Division title, and a quick playoff exit. Progress on paper; but nothing meaningful in the trophy case.

What keeps the win-now posture from being empty bluster is the age of the core. Ruth is 26. Lou Gehrig is 24. Mickey Mantle 22. Of the offensive core, only Mike Schmidt (29) and Rogers Hornsby (34) have crossed the far side of 25 (!). This is the rare club that can demand a title this year and still expect to be great for a decade — which is exactly why the front office has never once flinched at trading the future to reinforce the present. There is no future, the board sneers, there is only now.

Welcome to my supervillain origin story …

2001 Revisited

We spent last spring insisting it was all about the bullpen, and that Ron Guidry would seize the ace role in front of a revived pen fronted by Aroldis Chapman. The universe, as it does, laughed: the bullpen remained the same slow-motion catastrophe it has been for multiple years, and Guidry never made the traditional leap either: he was excellent by every advanced metric and thoroughly ordinary by the ones on the scoreboard (11-7, 4.51, but second in the league with 251 K).

Two things made up for it. Andy Pettitte, acquired for the departed Albert Belle, quietly became the ace we’d wished onto Guidry (18-9, AL All-Star). And Ruth authored maybe the best offensive season in league history (hush you voices in Detroit and Pittsburgh) — 73 homers, 167 RBI, a 1.156 OPS, runner-up for the Mel Trench Award. We had fretted about regression from Munson, Davis, and Mantle; the regression that actually arrived came from the man we’d listed as trade bait, Derek Jeter, who, at 33, slid all the way to the bottom of the SS lists in the AL.

The eternal lesson for the Black Yankees: the stars carry you, the margins betray you, and the bullpen is simply a tax you pay every year.

Key Changes

In: Ed Charles (IND); Ted Lilly (FA); Tony Mullane (FA); Gaylord Perry (NYG); Joe Sewell (CLE); Robby Thompson (NYG)

Out: Aroldis Chapman (CLE); Grant Johnson (NYG); Dave Righetti (NYG); Jeff D Robinson (IND); Red Ruffing (FA)

Opening Day Rookies: Whitey Ford

Best Case for 2002

The back of the rotation finally coheres — Gaylord Perry, the winter import, gives them a genuine third starter, one of Whitey Ford or Tony Brizzolara steps forward, and Guidry’s peripherals at last catch up to his ERA. Gehrig and Mantle keep climbing, Ruth keeps being Ruth, and — dare we dream — the bullpen merely stops actively losing games rather than winning them (a burden that weighs heavy on designated closer Goose Gossage). That team runs away with the division and, for once, keeps winning past September.

Worst Case for 2002

Jeter’s collapse turns out to be contagious. The 33-year-old shortstop and the 34-year-old Hornsby both give out up the middle, Eric Davis misses another 50 games, and the rotation behind Pettitte and Guidry is a mishmash of below-average auditions. The pen does what the pen does. 90 wins becomes 78, and the only now mandate starts ringing increasingly hollow, as the rest of the universe cheers the decline.

Key Questions

Who, exactly, plays shortstop? Jeter isn’t giving them enough to hold the job. Chapman was unloaded for Joe Sewell and Robby Thompson came over in the Perry trade, so look for a 3-man rotation for a while. This is the question most likely to shove New York back into the market the instant the trade window opens at the break.
Is there a back of the rotation? Pettitte and Guidry are locks, and Perry was brought in to solidify behind them. After that it’s an untried rookie in Ford, the only slightly tried Brizzolara, and arms with nothing actually proven (Ted Lilly, Tony Mullane).
Is Mattingly still a WBL first baseman? An .800-ish OPS doesn’t play at 1B, and Gehrig is standing right there. It’s not clear how long these 2 split the DH/1B role, but it’s also not clear who would take over.

Roster Evaluation

Tier = the player’s 2001 positional grade (S best → F worst; color coded S A B C D F). Bold names carry a substantive WBL track; italic names are pure projection — a hope, not a grade — with no qualifying track to anchor them.

Pos	Players
C	Munson C · Sanguillén
1B	Mattingly D · Gehrig S
2B	Hornsby B
3B	Schmidt A · Charles
SS	Jeter F · Sewell · Thompson
LF	Ruth S
CF	Davis B · Rivers
RF	Mantle A
DH	Gehrig S
SP	Pettitte B · Guidry C · Perry C · Ford · Brizzolara
RP	Gossage B (CL) · Wilhelm C · Cormier D · Robertson F · Shuey

4 bats as good as any in the league — Ruth, Gehrig, Mantle, Schmidt — and not much of anything else. And the quiet standout may be the one nobody talks about: Schmidt hit 45 homers with a .914 OPS and plays a real third base, the connoisseur’s Yankee the sharper fans prize precisely because the box-score crowd looks past him.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	LF Babe Ruth	LF Jackie Warner
Batting Eye	LF Babe Ruth	1B Nick Etten
Contact	C Manny Sanguillén; 1B Don Mattingly	RF Rich Coggins
Running Speed	CF Eric Davis	CF Cecil Espy
Base Stealing	CF Eric Davis	CF Cecil Espy
IF Defense	3B Mike Schmidt	1B J C Martin
OF Defense	LF Babe Ruth	RF Nick Swisher
Stuff	RP David Robertson	RP Jesse Orosco
Control	SP Gaylord Perry	SP Noah Syndergaard
Velocity	RP David Robertson	RP Dan Plesac

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	Pos	Name
1 (67)	24	SS	Charlie Irwin

Others: OF Rich Coggins, IF John Kruk, P Noah Syndergaard, OF Jackie Warner.

Meh, who cares.

A year ago, this list ran 7 deep, almost all arms. Where did they go? Whitey Ford and Tony Brizzolara graduated into the back of the rotation; Jake Peavy, last spring’s No. 2, was the centerpiece headed to Portland for Rogers Hornsby; Carlos Rodón and Elliott Maddox were shipped out in other deals; and last year’s No. 1, Noah Syndergaard, has slid off the national board entirely (still only 22, throwing at AAA). What’s left is Charlie Irwin, a 24-year-old vaguely mediocre looking shortstop.

New York still owns the worst farm system in the league by a distance.

Superlatives

	Most	Least
Age	Jesse Orosco, 36	John Ryan Murphy, 18
Height	Noah Syndergaard, 6’6″	Joe Sewell, 5’6″
OPS	Babe Ruth, 1.156	Heinie Groh, .540 (AAA)
HR	Babe Ruth, 73	Heinie Groh, 2 (AAA)
SB	Eric Davis, 64	–
WAR (bat)	Babe Ruth, 7.7	Derek Jeter, −1.5
W	Andy Pettitte, 18	–
SV	Goose Gossage, 20	–
ERA	Art Ditmar, 2.94 (AA)	Herm Wehmeier, 6.54
WAR (pit)	Ron Guidry, 4.8	Cal Eldred, −1.5 (A)

Stats across all levels, 2001 season. 200 PA / 75 IP minimum. Non-WBL levels tagged in parentheses.

WBL Year III 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

3+ 2B Games

3. Grant Johnson (NYG); JD Martinez (DET); Jackie Robinson (BRK).

3+ HBP Games

3+ HR Games

3. Gary Carter (OTT); Oscar Charleston (IND); Lou Gehrig (NYY).

3+ OF Assists

4+ BB Games

4+ CS Games

4+ Run Games

4. Oscar Charleston (IND); Ted Williams (MEM).

4+ SB Games

5+ Hit Games

5. Charles Rogan (PHI).

5+ SO Games

5. Lou Gehrig (NYY); Evan Longoria (CLE).

6+ RBI Games

8. Lou Gehrig (NYY).
6. Gary Carter (OTT).

Cycles

Longest HRs

{ OOTP has, for a long time had a problem with surreally long HR distances. So we threw math at it–these distances are modified based on the game’s projected exit velocity, which puts a cap on how far the ball could actually travel. Far more realistic. }

495. Duke Snider (BRK); Willie Stargell (HOM).
481. Andrew Payne (PHI).
480. Ted Williams (MEM).
475. Jim Ray Hart (NYG).
472. Eric Davis (NYY).
471. Eric Davis (NYY); Mickey Mantle (NYY).
465. Rico Carty (PHI); Mike Scioscia (PHI).

Pitching Statistics

80+ Game Scores

89. Mickey Welch (KAN).
88. Christy Mathewson (NYG).
83. Walter Johnson (POR).
82. Walter Johnson (POR); JM Ward (PHI).

10+ Strikeout Games

13. Bob Feller (CLE); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Walter Johnson (POR).
12. Lefty Grove (SFS).
11. Ned Garvin (BAL); Hardie Henderson (PHI); Walter Johnson (PR); Charlie Root (DET).
10. Ned Garvin (BAL); Walter Johnson (POR); Pat Malone (CLE); Christy Mathewson (NYG); Toad Ramsey (HOU); Sam Streeter x2 (CAG); Jim Whitney (MCG); Smokey Joe Wood (KAN); Cy Young (CLE).

8+ Walk Games

Shutouts

1 Hit. Mark Buehrle (CAG, 6 IP).
2 Hit. Mickey Welch (KAN).

Shutouts (Combined)

1 Hit. Old Hoss Radbourn / Kevin Gross / Ryan Dempster / Billy Koch (OTT).
3 Hits. David Price / Babe Adams (HOM, 7 IP); Charlie Root / Dick Donovan / Jason Frasor / Troy Percival (DET); Dave Righetti / George Jeffcoat / Vito Tamulis / Brian Wilson (NYG); Whitey Ford / Hoyt Wilhelm / Goose Gossage (NYY); Jock Menefee / Jeff Reardon / Lee Smith (KAN); Pete Donohue / Masahiro Tanaka / Kent Tekulve / Brian Wilson (NYG; 10 IP); Bump Hadley / Charlie Ferguson (SFS).
4 Hits. Mel Harder / Whit Wyatt / Ron Reed / Aroldis Chapman / Terry Adams (CLE); Brett Anderson / Jimmy Key / Dellin Betances / Karl Spooner / Ed Bauta (HOD).
5 Hits. Cy Young / Ron Reed / Cory Gearrin (CLE); Greg Maddux / Kerry Ligtenberg / Bruce Chen / Akinori Otuska / Harley Young (BBB); Waite Hoyt / Wilbur Wood / Will Smith (CAG).

TWIWBL 91.2: Off Season Review – New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On April 15, 2026

In TWIWBL

90 - 72, .497 pct.
1st in Bill James Division
Lost to CLE 4-1 v PHI in AL Wild Card

Overall

This franchise will never be satisfied without a championship. So … they’re not satisfied.

This team will always score runs, and they have decently reasonable expectations for their rotation (even with the odd departure of Red Ruffing). So, once again, the question is how do they shore up the back end of their staff and the ongoing misery that is the Black Yankees’ bullpen.

But the core of this team is so magnificent: Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Mickey Mantle, Mike Schmidt, Rogers Hornsby, and now Grant Johnson. Of those, only Schmidt (29) and Hornsby (34) are over 25. So it should be good for a while yet.

But they’ve never been wary of blowing things up, so it could be another busy offseason in the Bronx.

What Went Right

The team revolves around the Bambino. 73 homeruns (a record expected to stand for a while) and 167 RBIs will do that, along with a slash line of 280/412/744. And, honestly, he’s more likely to repeat at that level than Ty Cobb at his, so another Mel Trench Award may be in the future.

On any other team, Lou Gehrig would be the focal point (63 homeruns, 132 RBIs, 292/399/721). Here, Gehrig seems happy to be more in the shadows despite the superlative performance. Gehrig may move to 1B next season–it depends on what the decide to do with Don Mattingly.

And then there’s Mickey Mantle, the youngest of the three, posting a .969 OPS. Yeah, he strikes out too much (219 times), but the power and ability to get on base is amazing. If Eric Davis‘ injury woes continue, Mantle will see more and more time in CF.

Speaking of Davis, he was a great performer (.882 OPS with 61 SB) in the 111 games he played in. So that’s both sides of his coin.

Mike Schmidt doesn’t hit for average, but he hits for power and gets on base while playing fantastically at the hot corner.

Rogers Hornsby is 34, but he’s still arguably the best 2B in the league. His playing time may continue to reduce, especially if Grant Johnson, who slashed 280/330/538 after his arrival from Houston, continues at that pace (Johnson will play both 2B & SS, maybe even some 3B).

On the mound, last season’s big acquisition, Andy Pettitte, delivered in spades, leading the staff with an 18-9 record and a 4.43 ERA (not close to leading the league, as he did last year, but still quite respectable).

Yet again, Ron Guidry has a great year by advanced analytics … and a less than stellar one by traditional ones. Guidry finished 11-7 with a 4.51 ERA, 2nd in the league with 251 strikeouts. But his SIERA, WAR, and FIP were significantly better than Pettitte’s. So, we’ll see if Louisiana Lightning can put it together on both sides at some point.

And then the starters fade dramatically. Pascual Pérez was mediocre after coming over from Portland, Dave Righetti was .. fine, and the noise around Tony Brizzolara is more because of how much better he was than, say, Jack Scott‘s 7.34 ERA.

In the bullpen, Goose Gossage was usually excellent, but often horrid, taking over at closer and posting 20 saves to go along with 8 holds and an ERA barely over 4. And Hoyt Wilhelm was quite good after coming over in trade.

But … beyond that … Rheal Cormier had 18 holds with horrible numbers.

ALL STARS

Lou Gehrig
Goose Gossage
Andy Pettitte
Babe Ruth
Mike Schmidt

MAJOR AWARDS

Rogers Hornsby, AL 2B Silver Slugger
Mickey Mantle, All AL Team
Babe Ruth, All AL Team; AL OF Silver Slugger

RECOGNITIONS

Tony Brizzolara, AL All Rookie 2nd Team
Lou Gehrig, All AL 2nd Team
Goose Gossage, All AL 2nd Team; AL 23 & Under Team; Phineas Flint Award 3rd Place
Ron Guidry, All AL 3rd Team
Rogers Hornsby, AL Over 30 Team
Grant Johnson, AL 25 & Under Team
Mickey Mantle, AL 25 & Under Team; AL 23 & Under Team
Andy Pettitte, All AL 2nd Team; AL Over 30 Team
Babe Ruth, AL 25 & Under Team; Mel Trench Award, 2nd Place
Mike Schmidt, All AL 2nd Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Babe Ruth, MVP
Andy Pettitte, Pitcher of the Year
Lou Gehrig, Heart & Soul
Eric Davis, Fan Favorite

Noah Syndergaard, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Mickey Rivers, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

The IF was rough for much of the year, with Tom Herr playing himself out of the WBL, Héctor López struggling in a reserve role, and Derek Jeter‘s offensive struggles. Jeter is slowing in the field at 33, and his .744 OPS isn’t going to cut it.

Don Mattingly hits OK, but an .800ish OPS won’t cut it at 1B.

And then there’s the pitching.

The issue was really that nobody stepped into the void after the good performers. Jack Scott was miserable as a starter as was Minor League Pitcher of the Year Noah Syndergaard who thoroughly failed his WBL audition, and David Robertson, Roy Evans, Gary Lavelle and a host of others were even worse out of the pen.

Aroldis Chapman continues to have lightning in his left arm and no real sense of how to use it.

Transactions

March

OF Albert Belle, P Frank Viola, P Lefty Gomez, IF Jess Barbour to BBB for P Andy Pettitte, OF Mickey Rivers, 3rd Round Pick.

Seems like a clear win: Pettitte became the staff ace, Rivers, while thoroughly blocked, was the Minor League Player of the Year, and they still have the pick.

July

IF Willie Randolph, P Jake Peavy, P Bill Monbouquette, 1st Round Pick to POR for IF Rogers Hornsby, P Pascual Pérez.

Depending on the pick and how Peavy develops, this could be seen as a colossal error, but the Black Yankees are a win-now organization, and Hornsby delivered as promised.

August

P Waite Hoyt & 5th Round Pick to CAG for IF Jorge Orta, P Hoyt Wilhelm, & 4th Round Pick.

On the one hand, (Waite) Hoyt is exactly the kind of mid-rotation starter New York now needs; on the other, Hoyt (Wilhelm) should settle some of the bullpen for quite some time. So, shrug?

P Sparky Lyle, IF Elliott Maddox, P Carlos Rodón, 2nd Round Pick, & 4th Round Pick to HOU for IF Grant Johnson.

The price was high, but HR Johnson is a fantastic talent, and has a clear role with the Black Yankees. Still, the cupboard is getting bare for the future (future? what is this future? there is only now sneers the Black Yankees’ board).

Positional Overview

C

Thurman Munson slid a bit this year, but he’s still quite solid and Manny Sanguillén is one of the better backups in the league. Both will return.

If they falter, Darrin Fletcher, Eric MacKenzie, or Ron Pruitt look most likely to be able to help out.

1B

For now, this is Don Mattingly, but he either needs to step it up or Gehrig may see more time here, with Nick Etten in reserve.

In terms of pure 1B, only Fred Whitfield has much promise, although Anthony Volpe has his supporters. Roger Maris may get some reps here occasionally as well.

2B

Rogers Hornsby is here, with a lot of support from Grant Johnson. Veteran Hardy Richardson is still at AAA, and could fill in if needed, while Tom Herr is always around.

More interesting is Jorge Orta, who had a brilliant debut, but seems a bit positionally blocked in the system.

SS

The Black Yankees will trot out Derek Jeter again, but he really isn’t providing enough to hold his starting role indefinitely. Should Jeter continue to struggle, look for Grant Johnson to see time here as well.

There is some talent in the system, from the defensive prowess of Alcides Escobar and Dansby Swanson to the overall talents of Charlie Irwin and Mark Grudzielanek.

3B

Mike Schmidt is under appreciated pretty universally, but he’s a spectacular talent. Look for Josh Harrison to push Héctor López for the reserve role, with Heinie Groh offering a strong defensive option.

LF/RF

Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle are an impressive duo, to say the least.

Roger Maris did enough in limited action to warrant a long look as a the reserve OFer.

Should they be needed, a quartet of minor league veterans could be useful: Hank Bauer, Gene Moore Jr, Nick Swisher, and Jayson Werth.

CF

Eric Davis will be here as long as he’s healthy, with Mantle sliding over as well.

The minors have some talent as well, led by young Clyde Milan, but also Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Minor League Player of the Year Mickey Rivers.

DH

If Mattingly stays, this is Gehrig, but if not, it offers a well to work some of the additional OF talent into the mix.

SP

Andy Pettitte and Ron Guidry are set, and Dave Righetti and Tony Brizzolara are likely assured of spots as well. That leaves an open spot for Pascual Pérez, Whitey Ford, Noah Syndergaard, and Art Ditmar to fight over.

Vic Raschi, Jack Scott, and Roy Evans each have shown some promise lower in the system as well.

RP

Gossage and Wilhelm will be welcomed back; Cormier and Chapman accepted with a little less enthusiasm.

Beyond that, it’s pretty open. Herm Wehmeier faltered after a promising start, but he, Jeff Nelson, and Anthony Varvaro will get a close look in the Spring, as will minor league closer Paul Shuey.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

1st Round: 1
2nd Round: 0
3rd Round: 2
4th Round: 1
5th Round: 0

It’s honestly surprising the Black Yankees have this many picks left. Some of these may be used to bolster the bullpen, others would be aimed at replenishing a somewhat depleted system.

TWIWBL 79.2 Spotlight on the New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On September 26, 2025

In TWIWBL

Nothing is ever good enough for this ownership group, so despite top tier talent (especially on offense) and a fairly clear route to the postseason, there are rumblings of discontent in the Bronx.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

The Black Yankees are permanently in a win-now mentality, and this year is no different. They have a frighteningly good offense, but can struggle a lot on the mound, especially in the middle innings.

THE OFFENSE

The Black Yankees can rake. They are, of course, led by the irresistible Babe Ruth, but there really isn’t an easy out in the group (and, due to a slight slump from Ruth and a surge from him, Lou Gehrig has actually overtaken the Babe in many of the key offensive measures). They are second in the league in homeruns, six everyday players have SLG over .500, six have OBP’s over .350. They just have the ability to score a ton of runs.

#What’s Going Right

Babe Ruth doing Babe Ruth things. The Bambino has an OPS of 1.118, 57 homeruns, 133 RBI, and 117 runs scored. His performance is even more remarkable when you consider that his BA has hovered around .275 most of the year–that’s a lot of walks and a lot of power.

Lou Gehrig continues his role as Babe Jr, trailing the Bambino by about 50 points of OPS.

The Black Yankees have four players with over 40 homers: Ruth, Gehrig with 48, Mickey Mantle with 44, and Mike Schmidt with 40.

Eric Davis, who still struggles to play everyday, joins that group, giving New York 5 players with OPS over .900.

#What’s Not Going Right

The quintet featured above have struck out over 800 times between them, led by Mantle’s 179, but both Ruth and Gehrig are well north of 150 as well.

More meh than not going right, veteran Rogers Hornsby, brought in to solve the struggles for the Black Yankees at 2B, has been fine, but is hitting at a slightly lower level than he did for Portland.

Derek Jeter continues to be the weakest point in the lineup. But a SS with an OPS over .725 and solid defense is certainly nothing to be overly concerned with (and, the acquisition of HR Johnson at the trading break gives New York a young player to eventually take over from Hornsby or Jeter down the road).

THE PITCHING

The pitching isn’t bad, but it isn’t great. The back end of the rotation and the middle of the bullpen are especially concerning.

#What’s Going Right

Andy Pettitte has been a great acquisition, sitting at 15-8 with a decent ERA.

Ron Guidry continues to pitch better than his surface numbers, but there are whispers that he is beginning to decline. Guidry continues to strike ’em out at a prodigious rate, but his record sits at only 8-7.

Goose Gossage has seized the closer role, with 15 saves and a WHIP barely over 1.00.

Hoyt Wilhelm, an expensive purchase at the trading break, has started well, perhaps offering a solve to the middle innings for New York.

#What’s Not Going Right

The most likely candidate for the 3rd starter spot in the postseason is Dave Righetti who (a) makes it 3 lefties in a row behind Pettitte and Guidry, and (b) was injured for much of the summer.

Tony Brizzolara, Herm Wehmeier, and (based on minor league performance) Roy Evans have all shown initial promise to fill the back end of the rotation. They’ve all flamed out, and Red Ruffing has fared no better.

Aroldis Chapman lost the closer role to Gossage, despite amassing 18 saves. He has adopted well to an earlier role from the pen, so perhaps this is in the wrong section? But his initial performance was very rough.

THE FARM SYSTEM

TOP PROSPECTS | MINOR LEAGUE SYSTEM

It’s not a great system, but there is some important talent in areas of need, so maybe that’s what really matters. On the mound, both Noah Syndergaard and Whitey Ford (injured for much of the year, delaying his WBL appearance) have clear promise, and you have to think someone out of OFs Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks, and Clyde Milan or IFs Josh Harrison, Harry Bauchman, or Mark Grudzielanek will have WBL careers.

WHAT’S NEEDED

Just win, baby. A league championship will forgive all things.

Storylines to Watch

Key Questions from Spring Training

It’s all about the bullpen, according to the media. Not a bad take, and one that has caused a ton of consternation throughout the season.
There will be a lot of attention on last year’s ERA champion, Andy Pettitte–with some of that focused on what the loss of Albert Belle means for what was truly a fearsome bench last year. Yeah, this one has worked out. The offense hasn’t really struggled, the bench continues to produce, and Pettitte is probably the de facto staff ace.

FEATURED SERIES

This one was easy: if the Black Yankees sweep these 3 games at Cleveland, they take over first place in the Bill James Division.

Projected Starters

New York’s starter listed first.

Ron Guidry (8-7, 4.41) @ Bill Steen (11-7, 5.02)
Dave Righetti (7-4, 5.15) @ Bob Feller (9-3, 4.62)
Andy Pettitte (15-8, 4.32) @ Cy Young (13-6, 5.16)

The rotation setup as well as it could for New York, but this Cleveland team is tough. Should be a good series.

Game One

Game one is a matchup of hard throwers, with the matchup staying as advertised: New York’s Ron Guidry against Cleveland’s Bob Feller, as the Spiders delayed Bill Steen‘s start by a day.

Eric Davis scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first, but the Black Yankees had to wait until the top of the 3rd for their first hit, a solo homerun from Derek Jeter. Through four innings, we had a very Bob Feller start: only 1 hit and 7 strikeouts, but 4 walks and 2 runs.

Meanwhile, Guidry gave up a 2 run shot to Evan Longoria in the bottom of the 4th to tie the game. Feller went 6, fanning 10 and leaving with the game still tied. His relief, Al Smith, gave up a 2-run double to Grant Johnson, but again Guidry was hurt by the long ball, giving up a tying 2 run shot to Ed Bailey.

In the bottom of the 9th, Larry Doby doubled to right off Aroldis Chapman. One out later, Goose Gossage was summoned from New York’s bullpen, and promptly plunked both John Ellis and Chuck Knoblauch to load the bases with meaningless runners … or not … as he walked Arky Vaughan to force in the winning run.

Not the start New York wanted, by a long shot, and they drop to 3.5 games behind Cleveland in the standings.

The Spiders struckout 17 on the day: 10 from Feller, 3 from Smith (all 3 of the outs he recorded), and another 4 in Gearrin’s 2 innings of work.

NYY 4 (Chapman 4-3) @ CLE 5 (Gearrin 4-1)
HRs: NYY – Jeter (18); CLE – Doby (27), Bailey (35).
Box Score

Game Two

Dave Righetti will take the mound for New York, opposed by Cleveland’s Bill Steen.

Steen opened the game by walking Eric Davis and HR Johnson … and then striking out Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and Mickey Mantle. Easy. He then gave up a 3 run shot to Derek Jeter in the 2nd for an early 3-0 New York lead. Another run scored in the 3rd on a groundout after an error and 2 more walks.

Meanwhile, Righetti had pitched a scoreless 5 innings, allowing only 3 hits.

Steen ended up getting 2 outs in the 6th before Jeter’s 3rd hit chased him from the game having fanned 8 while walking 5.

A solo shot from Lou Gehrig seemed to seal the deal, but the Black Yankees’ relievers imploded, with Evan Longoria hitting a grandslam in the 8th, closing the game to a 5-4 lead for New York. However, after a couple of new recalled arms allowed the Spiders back in (Jim Corsi and Roy Evans), Aroldis Chapman and Goose Gossage were able to shut the door, evening the series at 1.

NYY 5 (Righetti 8-4; Gossage 16 Sv; Chapman 5 H) @ CLE 4 (Steen 11-8)
HRs: NYY – Jeter (19), Gehrig (49); CLE – Longoria (31).
Box Score

Game Three

A pretty important game, this: a win will pull the Black Yankees within 1.5 games of Cleveland, and the race will be on in the Bill James Division. A loss, and the gap grows to 3.5 games, with the Spiders having taken 2 out of 3 in the head to head matchup. It will be a matchup of aces, or at least potential aces, as New York’s Andy Pettitte squares off against Cleveland’s Cy Young.

Young hasn’t quite been ace material this year, and that pattern continued as Eric Davis opened the game with homerun, his 27th of the year, and HR Johnson followed with a double down the left field line. But sometimes, Cy Young has been quite strong, and here he struck out Lou Gehrig, Mike Schmidt, and Mickey Mantle to close out the first, holding the Black Yankees to a single tally.

We stayed at 1-0 until the top of the 4th, when Rogers Hornsby doubled in a run and scored himself on a Don Mattingly single. Manny Sanguillén plated Mattingly and, in the following inning, Gehrig hit his 50th of the season. Johnny Bates put the Spiders on the board in the bottom of the 5th with a solo shot.

So, after 5 innings, 5-1 in favor of the Black Yankees.

Ron Blomberg hit one out in the 6th, and Cleveland chased Pettitte from the game with 2 outs and 2 on. The Spiders’ best player, Tris Speaker, would be called upon to pinch hit against Pettitte’s replacement, Noah Syndergaard. A run scored on a passed ball, but Syndergaard whiffed Speaker, leaving the score 5-3.

Davis’ second shot of the day made it 6-3, but Speaker threw out Schmidt at 2nd to end the top of the 7th.

Davis’ shot was important as Lance Berkman‘s 45th of the season, hit with a runner on, closed it to 6-5.

The bullpen has been a struggle for New York all season, but the acquisition of Hoyt Wilhelm has been promising. Here, with both Goose Gossage and Aroldis Chapman unavailable, he was asked to do more than merely bridge the last few innings. Wilhelm came through, ending the game with 2 and a third scoreless for his first save as a Black Yankee.

NYY 6 (Pettitte 16-8; Wilhelm 1 Sv; Syndergaard 1 H; Cormier 15 H) @ CLE 5 (Young 13-7)
HRs: NYY – Davis 2 (28), Gehrig (50); CLE – Bates (14), Blomberg (46), Berkman (45).
Box Score

Cleveland’s closer, Terry Adams, will miss about a week with a strained elbow.

So, a sweep would have been nice, but cutting a game off the Spiders’ lead was what was needed. Doing so without any homeruns from Babe Ruth is a good sign, as there is little doubt Ruth will again catch fire.

TWIWBL 66.1: Year 2, Week 9

By mknn

On September 18, 2024

In TWIWBL

May 28th

We are roughly 1/4 through the season!

#Awards

Roberto Alomar hit .500 on the week with 4 homeruns, earning the Ottawa 2B the National League Player of the Week. Over in the American League, Miami‘s José Canseco had 7 homeruns to go with a .417 average, earning the American League award.

#Team Performance

The New York Black Yankees and the Indianapolis ABC‘s have each gone 8-2 over their last 10 games. For New York, this has helped them extend their lead over Cleveland in the Bill James Division to 4 games, while Indianapolis has roared int 2nd place in the Marvin Miller Division, sitting 1.5 games behind Kansas City.

Birmingham and Detroit have each gone 2-8 over their last 10, with the Black Barons now 13 games behind Kansas City and the Wolverines falling to 10 games behind the Black Yankees.

#Player Performance

Batters

The changing of the guard continues: Ty Cobb leads the league in most things, and Larry Walker is ahead of Babe Ruth (and Canseco) in homers.

A sign that it’s still early in the season: 2 batters are still hitting over .400 (Cobb and Houston‘s Tony Gwynn); 2 have OBPs over .450 (Cobb and Ruth), and 4–FOUR–are still slugging over .800 (Cobb, Walker, Ruth, and Canseco).

José Canseco (MCG). 280/392/803. 24 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 314/361/581. 7 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 420/471/882. 71 H, 28 2B, 3.6 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 417/447/669. 73 H.
Rickey Henderson (SFS). 269/374/491. 39 SB.
Pete Hill (HOU). 272/344/503. 8 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 366/411/579. 25 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 339/457/814. 24 HR, 62 RBI, 52 R, 41 BB, 3.8 WAR.
Joey Votto (IND). 287/439/507. 36 BB.
Larry Walker (OTT). 339/416/819. 26 HR, 61 RBI, 45 R.

Seems like a good time to check on the underperformers as well. Clearly a player who leads the league in whiffs can certainly have more value than someone who leads the league in worst OPS while still qualifying for the leaderboards.

Cupid Childs (BBB). 241/371/350. 6 RBI, 13 CS.
Adam Dunn (IND). 242/349/571. 64 SO.
Andrés Galarraga (HOU). 190/222/393. -1.1 WAR.
Oscar Gamble (DET). 234/376/422. 10 GIDP.
Mickey Mantle (NYY). 278/385/650. 65 SO.
Tony Phillips (DET). 174/266/304. -1.2 WAR.
Doug Rader (LAA). 249/305/379. 10 GIDP.
Cristóbal Torriente (CAG). 187/228/253. 7 RBI.

It’s an interesting group, with only Galarraga, Phillips, and Torriente really in danger of losing their spots. Dunn and Mantle are clearly excellent players, they just strike out a lot. Childs’ OBP keeps him vital to the top of Birmingham’s lineup, and Gamble and Rader are clearly everyday players.

Pitchers

Starters

With a rain-shortened CG on Sunday, Houston’s Toad Ramsey became the first 8 game winner in the league. I’ve also included the four 7-game winners in the list, as well as the two other hurlers with sub 3.00 ERAs.

If you go by black ink, it remains Ramsey’s season.

Mark Buehrle (CAG). 5-3, 2.86.
Frank Castillo (KCM). 7-1, 3.62.
Roger Clemens (HOU). 6-1, 3.63. 1.01 WHIP.
Johnny Cueto (IND). 7-1, 3.73.
Doc Gooden (LAA). 4-3, 2.59.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 6-4, 3.08. 3.36 FIP, 2.5 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 7-1, 3.52. 82 K.
Hardie Henderson (PHI). 6-3, 2.78.
Luis Padrón (IND). 7-1, 3.45.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 8-2, 2.73. 94 K; 0.97 WHIP; 2.76 FIP; 3.4 WAR.

Relievers

Homestead‘s Josh Lindblom and San Francisco‘s Rod Beck continue to lead the league in saves with a dozen each, although Brooklyn‘s Eric Gagne (11 saves) has probably been more effective overall.

12 IP minimum.

Rod Beck (SFS). 2-2, 5.40. 12 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-0, 2.70. 8 H.
Trevor Hildenberger (BRK). 1-0, 1.06. 1 Sv, 5 H, 0.65 WHIP.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 1-1, 3.18. 11 Sv.
Mike Henneman (DET). 4-0, 1.02. 8 Sv.
Lefty James (IND). 1-0, 3.55. 1 Sv, 7 H.
Ted Kennedy (PHI). 2-2, 3.18. 2 Sv, 7 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 3-1, 4.00. 12 Sv.
Lee Smith (HOD). 1-0, 1.80. 1 Sv, 5 H, 0.60 WHIP.

#Injury Report

Kansas City’s Bob Gibson should start a rehab assignment later this week, as should Philadelphia‘s Jack Meyer, who has missed over a year of action.

#AA Check In

This week, it’s a look at AA, looking at both the best performers and the best prospects (24 and under) roughly 1/4 of the way through the season. 100 AA PA minimum for batters.

Pos	25+	< 25
C	Kelly Shoppach (28, BRK). 305/362/537.	Bill Dickey (22, PHI). 387/416/639.
1B	Del Bissonette (27, BBB). 337/456/675.	John Mayberry (20, OTT). 349/476/771).
2B	Steve Sax (25, CLE). 398/438/508.	Dario Lodigiani (20, SFS). 363/471/516.
SS	Jhonny Peralta (26, IND). 244/338/472.	Xander Bogaerts (23, LAA). 359/432/538.
3B	Brook Jacoby (29, CLE). 319/393/553.	Ryon Healy (20, OTT). 330/365/637.
LF	Earl Webb (28, POR). 322/386/644.	Andrew Benintendi (22, MEM). 340/447/551.
CF	Keon Broxton (26, CAG). 291/413/563.	Cool Papa Bell (21, KAN). 368/429/747.
RF	Roger Maris (27, NYY). 312/425/720.	Chuck Klein (22, POR). 282/339/602.
SP	Whitey Ford (25, NYY). 5-2, 2.92. 1.6 WAR. George Winter (27, HOU). 5-0, 2.34. 1.4 WAR.	Gary Lucas (24, HOM). 3-2, 3.42. 1.6 WAR. Masahiro Tanaka (24, NYG), 6-4, 4.40. 1.4 WAR.
RP	Rob Wooten (26, MEM). 2-2, 3.00. 11 Sv.	Oad Swigert (23, IND). 0-2, 3.45. 10 Sv.

Lots and lots of talent here, as to be expected. Dickey–part of the haul Philadelphia got for Mike Schmidt–may be recalled shortly, but most of the rest of these hitters are either blocked positionally (trade bait?) or need a year or 2 more in the minors before making their case for WBL time. Dickey, Bell, Klein, and Ford are probably the best long-term prospects.

Year II Season Preview: New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On March 20, 2024

In Team News

Expectations

Same as it ever was: despite not making the playoffs last year, the Black Yankees will be expected to contend for the Whirled Championship. That’s what happens when you have Babe Ruth, and, if you had him, you wouldn’t want it any other way.

Best Case

Everything that was supposed to happen last year does: Ron Guidry establishes himself as an elite ace with Waite Hoyt and Jack Scott close behind; the bullpen’s revival, led by Aroldis Chapman, proves real; Lou Gehrig and/or Mike Schmidt move from good to excellent; and Ruth keeps doing Ruth things.

Worst Case

Not only does the pitching fail to come through, but Thurman Munson, Eric Davis, and Mickey Mantle all regress and nobody else truly steps up.

Key Questions

It’s all about the bullpen, according to the media.
There will be a lot of attention on last year’s ERA champion, Andy Pettitte–with some of that focused on what the loss of Albert Belle means for what was truly a fearsome bench last year.

Trade Bait

Sure. The most useful pieces would be OF Albert Belle, SS Derek Jeter, and 2B Tom Herr, any of whom could potentially move on.

You can’t accuse New York of not making moves: Belle is gone, along with some other good talent, in exchange for Andy Pettitte, further deepening what could be–could be–a great pitching staff.

Roster Evaluation

POS	Elite	Strong	Solid	Meh	Weak	Unknown
C		Munson	Sanguillén
1B		Gehrig Mattingly				Etten
2B				Herr
3B			Schmidt			López Maddox
SS					Jeter
LF/ RF	Ruth Mantle
CF		Davis
SP	Pettitte	Scott Guidry Hoyt	~~Ruffing~~
End	Chapman	Cormier	Gossage
RP				Lavelle	Lyle Righetti	Robertson

New Addition | ~~Injured~~

That sure looks like a contending team, especially when you see the potential for some of the players to take steps leftward.

Talent Ratings

	WBL	Minors
Raw Power	OF Babe Ruth	1B Fred Whitfield
Batting Eye	OF Babe Ruth	IF Jack Crooks
Contact	C Manny Sanguillén	OF Mickey Rivers
Running Speed	OF Eric Davis	IF Hal Chase
Base Stealing	OF Eric Davis	IF Hal Chase
IF Defense	3B Mike Schmidt	IF Aaron Hill
OF Defense	OF Babe Ruth	OF Bill Lange
Stuff	P Dave Righetti	P Dewey Adkins
Control	P Andy Pettitte	P Carlos Silva
Velocity	RP David Robertson	P AJ Burnett P Mike Fetters

Best In The Minors

Rank	Age	POS	Name
1 (26)	21	P	Noah Syndergaard
2 (37)	23	P	Jake Peavy
3 (66)	25	P	Whitey Ford
4 (98)	21	P	Carlos Rodón
5 (119)	21	P	Tony Brizzolara
6 (140)	22	OF	Clyde Milan
7 (168)	21	U	Elliott Maddox

Others: None.

This is an old system (there isn’t a single teenager in it), and one that is lacking in talent beyond the top 3. But those top 3 are pretty strong, so perhaps that won’t matter. Maddox breaks camp with the Black Yankees.

	Most	Least
Age	OF Ollie Pickering, 38	1B Anthony Volpe, 20
Height	P Jeff Nelson, 6’8″	C Eddie Fusselback, 5’6″
OPS	OF Babe Ruth, 1.091 (WBL)	OF Ron Pruitt, .487 (—)
HR	OF Babe Ruth, 48 (WBL)	OF Wally Rehg, 2 (—) IF Tom Herr, 2 (WBL) IF Jerry Freeman, 2 (AAA/AA) IF Harry Bauchman, 2 (AA)
SB	OF Eric Davis, 64 (WBL)	Many with 0
WAR	OF Babe Ruth, 8.1 (WBL)	IF Devon Travis, -3.4 (—)
W	AJ Burnett, 15 (WBL/AAA) Andy Pettitte, 15 (WBL)	Sean Newcomb, 1 (—)
SV	Aroldis Chapman, 32 (WBL)
ERA	Mike Fornieles, 2.72 (—)	Hooks Dauss, 6.70 (AAA/AA)
WAR	Ron Bryant, 4.9 (—)	Lady Baldwin, -0.5 (WBL/AAA)

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

TWIWBL 56.2: Spring Training Notes – New York Black Yankees

By mknn

On February 19, 2024

In TWIWBL

Spring Training Questions

The pitching staff will be under great scrutiny, with 5th round pick Noah Syndergaard having an outside shot at the rotation.

Last season the Black Yankees were hampered by limited MI flexibility, which will be a concern they want to address.

First Cuts

Things on the mound went much as expected for New York, as Cal Eldred, Don Liddle, Paul Shuey, Frank Viola, Bill Monbouquette, and John Danks all moved on to the minor leagues. Dave Righetti remains in camp, but his control continues to be a concern. On the other side, Lefty Gomez, Noah Syndergaard, and Whitey Ford have all impressed out of the gate.

Darrin Fletcher and Benny Bengough were both reassigned, with the Black Yankees planning to take a look at Ron Pruitt behind the plate as a 4th option. Fred Whitfield and Nick Etten have impressed at 1B, with Ryan Garko being sent to the minors while at 3B Aaron Hill and Elliott Maddox have been stellar (and Héctor López quite good), while Josh Harrison and Red Rolfe were both moved to the minors.

The 2B/SS situation was quite convoluted but poor starts from Mark Grudzielanek, Jess Barbour, Charlie Irwin, and Alcides Escobar have helped clear some space as all four of those IFers were reassigned, with Willie Randolph barely hanging on to a spot in camp.

In the OF, despite there not being much room on the eventual roster, only Bill Lange was moved from the major league camp, although there are doubts as to how long Clyde Milan and Nick Swisher will stick around.

Second Cuts

Other than Jeff Nelson, the pitching has been excellent for the Black Yankees, with nobody else posting an ERA over 3.00. Nelson heads to the minors while New York tries to sort out the rest.

C Gary Alexander was recalled for some depth, and to see if his impressive power holds up against better pitching.

Nick Swisher, Willie Randolph, and Ron Pruitt were sent down as well.

Third Cuts

Lady Baldwin and Vic Raschi were sent down, clearing up the back end of the staff a bit. Whitey Ford and Sparky Lyle are next on the chopping block, depending on what they do over the next week or so.

Eric MacKenzie, Pee Wee Reese, Red Rolfe, and Roger Maris were all sent to AAA. MacKenzie’s demotion keeps Gary Alexander in camp for a while, as much for his defensive flexibility as anything else.

While the IF starters–Tom Herr, Derek Jeter, and Mike Schmidt–are pretty much set, it’s unclear how the reserves will sort out, with Aaron Hill, Héctor López, and Elliott Maddux all making cases for roster spots. Veteran Doug DeCinces looks like he may be done, but he’ll be given another week to turn it around.

Final Cuts

SS Alex Arias was the first to go, in a move that would seem to indicate that Aaron Hill will break camp as the backup infielder for the Black Yankees. That was followed by the demotion of P Dewey Adkins, always considered a long shot to make the opening day roster.

1B Fred Whitfield had a good Spring, but there’s just too much blocking him at 1B, moving him to AAA for the time being.

Gary Alexander was pulled into camp to take some of the load behind the plate. He showed some pop, but little else, and was moved back to AAA as was Hardy Richardson, who was outperformed throughout the Spring by several lesser regarded prospects.

Whitey Ford clearly has the arm to have a future in the WBL, but his time is yet to come as the young lefty will start the season at AAA. He’ll be joined by veteran AJ Burnett, who had a spectacular Spring but was edged out by rookie Noah Syndergaard for the last spot on New York’s staff.

Aaron Hill was sent to AAA, cementing roster spots for Héctor López and Elliott Maddox and, perhaps surprisingly, sending veteran 3B Doug DeCinces (who was adequate as Mike Schmidt‘s backup last season) down as well. Maddox and López were retained partially for their defensive flexibility, pushing both Clyde Milan and recent acquisition Mickey Rivers to the minors.

All of that meant that Spring surprise Nick Etten starts the season with the Black Yankees.

Oh yeah … Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig made the team …

TWIWBL 55.5: Spring Training Trades

By mknn

On January 25, 2024

In TWIWBL

The first of three trading periods for the WBL is usually marked by teams trying to find the final piece of a championship puzzle.

About half the league decided to stand pat, preferring to wait until the next trading period at the All Star break to see how the season unfolds.

MAJOR TRADES

#The Black Yankees Go For It

That was certainly the case here, as the Black Yankees pulled off a shock blockbuster, obtaining league ERA champion Andy Pettitte from Birmingham. New York sends slugging (but non-starting) OF Albert Belle and two quality arms in Lefty Gomez and young Frank Viola. To make it all work, the Black Barons are adding CF Mickey Rivers and a 3rd Round Draft Pick and the Blank Yankees U Jess Barbour.

Why Birmingham Made The Deal

At 31, Belle has a few years left and immediately goes from a bench role to being a starter and a likely cleanup. Pettitte was magnificent for Birmingham, but with both Jim Whitney and Warren Spahn looking good, the Black Barons believe they have enough pitching depth to absorb his loss and while Gomez may see WBL time this year, the organization is really excited about the long term potential of Viola.

Why New York Made the Deal

Pettitte immediately joins Jack Scott and Ron Guidry to form a leading top of rotation group, and while losing Gomez may hurt, with Dave Righetti, Whitey Ford, AJ Burnett, and Noah Syndergaard all still in camp, the Black Yankees believed they could cover the back end of their rotation.

Belle was never going to start for New York, and this move clears the way for Lou Gehrig and Don Mattingly to be in the lineup every day.

#The Kid Is On the Move

Ottawa sends prized CF prospect Ken Griffey Jr. and a 4th Round Pick to Portland for 3B Adrián Beltré, a 2nd Round Pick, and a trio of prospects (CF Denard Span, and P’s Atlee Hammaker and Pedro Ramos).

Why Ottawa Made the Deal

Simply, Carlos Beltrán, who has grabbed the starting CF job. Combine that with Griffey’s in ability to hit in multiple opportunities with Ottawa and Rick Monday looking like a capable reserve, and suddenly, for all his clear talent, the Kid became expendable. Beltré instantly steps into the starting role at 3B, and the rest of the talent could be useful at some point. This deal also resolves Álex Rodríguez‘ position for the Mounties, keeping him at SS for the time being.

Why Portland Made the Deal

Buddy Bell has 3B locked down, and the team isn’t convinced that Gary Pettis is really set to be an everyday CF. This allows a pseudo-platoon to emerge in CF, and frees Bobby Murcer to play one of the corner slots. For a team looking to win now, the rest of the deal is pretty insignificant.

#Portland Does It Again

The Sea Dogs had been looking to resolve their C situation for a while, knowing they couldn’t hold on to both Joe Mauer and Iván Rodríguez. Preliminary talks with Miami sort of spiraled out of control and ended up with Portland sending Pudge, 3 prospects (OFs Adolis García and Al Oliver and P Jon Matlack), and 2 picks (a 1st and a 4th) to the Cuban Giants for IF Paul Molitor, overall #2 pick Vladimir Guerrero, C Alan Ashby, and a 2nd Round Pick.

Why Portland Made the Deal

The Sea Dogs pick up immediate offense in Molitor, a solid C option to backup Mauer in Ashby, and a top 5 prospect in Guerrero. What’s not to like?

Why Miami Made the Deal

Rodríguez is a long term solve at a needed position (although it may complicate Smoky Burgess‘ future with the club), Oliver looks set for WBL action, and both Matlack and García are decent enough prospects. Add in an overall increase in draft picks for a team that is still rebuilding, and it makes sense. Molitor’s departure also clears up some roster challenges: Martín Dihigo probably takes over at 2B, and it opens up some room for both Cookie Rojas and Bert Campaneris.

OTHER TRANSACTIONS

#Gehringer Goes Home

After being cut by San Francisco last year, Charlie Gehringer almost dropped out of the game. Instead he signed with the House of David and re-established himself as a top IF prospect; prompting Detroit to make a move for the Michigan native. The Wolverines send Claude Osteen and a 1st Round Pick to the House of David for Gehringer and a 3rd.

#Sosa, Too

Sammy Sosa struggled mightily with the House of David, but blossomed after being traded to Memphis. But with Memphis’ OF incredibly crowded, the House of David decided the speedy young OFer was worth another try, sending C Gabby Hartnett, young RP Rollie Fingers, and a 4th Round Pick to the Red Sox for him. Hartnett should solidify one of the weak spots in Memphis’ lineup, while Sosa steps back into a crowded situation with the House of David, presumably pushing Dan Ford into a 4th OF role.

#Turkey Effects

First round draft pick Turkey Stearnes has locked up the CF job for San Francisco suddenly making the Sea Lions’ OF over-crowded. They addressed this by shipping Pedro Guerrero to Brooklyn for Watty Clark. Clark was one of the best closers in the league last season, but seems destined for the rotation at some point while Guerrero immediately becomes one of the better bats in the Royal Giants’ lineup. Brooklyn threw in reserve OFer Matt Holliday to make the deal work.

#Minor Swaps

Memphis sent veteran OF David Justice, prospect Ozzie Albies, and a 2nd Round Pick to Birmingham for 2 prospects, Bill Buckner and Joe Rudi.

Two players blocked in their organizations got new opportunities, with Indianapolis sending SS Dave Concepción (blocked by Denis Menke and Barry Larkin) to the New York Gothams for SP Sad Sam Jones, who looked unlikely to make the Gothams’ roster, but may vie for a spot in the ABC’s 6 man circus. Indianapolis sent a 3rd Round Pick with the Gothams sending back a 4th to make it all work.