Overall

All hail the champs!

And, it must be said, the surprising champs. Surprising that they pulled away in the Effa Manley Division, surprising they navigated the first 2 playoff rounds so easily, and most of all, surprising they dominated the best team in the regular season in the Whirled Series.

Brooklyn rode a great pitching staff and a solid offense all season, but things really took off when they finalized on a 5 man rotation, replacing Sandy Koufax with Fernando Valenzuela (Don Drysedale‘s improved 2nd half form certainly helped as well).

The postseason also confirmed Mike Piazza‘s status as a superstar capable of carrying his team.

This is a team looking to capitalize on their success, with most of their key parts either just entering or firmly in their prime. Additionally, there are a lot of players who overperformed this season–it would be rational to expect some regression from Jackie Robinson, Ron Cey, John Briggs, Beals Becker, and Duke Snider; Roy White isn’t getting any younger; and pitching is never truly dependable. As such, there is some pressure to make the right moves this offseason.

What Went Right

Ron Cey was, shockingly, perhaps the best 3B in the WBL, slugging 47 homeruns and driving in 105 while slashing 291/381/656. It would be surprising if Cey could replicate this level of performance, but anything close would be more than enough for Brooklyn.

And then there’s Piazza, who took a year to grow accustomed to the WBL. He led the team with 117 RBIs with 48 homeruns (and was still only the 3rd best offensive catcher in the NL). Back to back MVP Awards in the postseason proved the cherry atop his season’s accomplishments.

Dan Brouthers gets little respect, either in Brooklyn or nationally, but he deserves it, posting a .950 OPS as he settled the 1B question for the Royal Giants.

Speaking of little respect … John Briggs was the most common name on pundit’s lips when asked what rookies were most likely to struggle in their initial WBL season. Instead, Briggs posted a .934 OPS with 34 homers in CF, far outpacing predictions and expectations.

Jackie Robinson remains the heart and soul of the team, leading the Royal Giants with 52 steals and 94 runs scored and hitting with surprising power.

Beals Becker, Duke Snider, and Roy White were all good enough, with Snider leading the team with 51 homers, Becker providing both power (39 homeruns) and speed (44 steals), and White a decent bat to go along with gold glove quality defense.

Vern Stephens was excellent after coming over from Memphis, slashing 248/302/503 in a Royal Giants uniform.

And then there was the strength of the team …

Orel Hershiser went 19-5 with a 3.69 ERA. Fernando Valenzuela was dominant out of the pen and then moved into the rotation for 17 starts. Overall, he went 14-5, also with a 3.69 ERA. Don Drysedale bounced back from a rough first half to amass an 11-8 record with decent peripherals despite a 5.66 ERA, and Frank Knauss was as good a 5th starter as there was in the league.

And then there was Smokey Joe Williams, who had to be the unluckiest pitcher in the NL, managing only a 12-13 record despite supporting numbers equal to, if not better than, Hershiser’s.

Sandy Koufax–who Valenzuela replaced–embraced his new role, providing an excellent middle innings arm in the bullpen.

And at the end of the game, Trevor Hildenberger (7 saves and 11 holds) and Terry Forster (2 saves and 16 holds) were dominant getting the ball to the best closer in the league, Eric Gagné.

ALL STARS

Ron Cey
Eric Gagné
Mike Piazza
Fernando Valenzuela

MAJOR AWARDS

Ron Cey: All NL Team; NL 3B Gold Glove; NL 3B Silver Slugger; NL All Star
Eric Gagné: NL Phineas Flint Award; All NL Team; NL All Star
Mike Piazza: NL All Star
Fernando Valenzuela: NL All Star
Roy White: NL LF Gold Glove

RECOGNITIONS

John Briggs: NL All Rookie Team
Terry Forster: All NL 2nd Team; NL 25 & Under Team; NL 23 & Under Team
Jackie Robinson: NL All-Rounder Award, 2nd Place
Orel Hershiser: All NL 3rd Team
Sandy Koufax: NL 21 & Under Team
Mike Piazza: All NL 3rd Team
Smokey Joe Williams: All NL 2nd Team; NL Rookie of the Year, 3rd Place; NL All Rookie Team
Fernando Valenzuela: All NL 2nd Team; NL All Rookie Team

ORGANIZATIONAL AWARDS

Ron Cey, MVP
Orel Hershiser, Pitcher of the Year
Jackie Robinson, Heart & Soul
Roy White, Fan Favorite

Dick Redding, Minor League Pitcher of the Year
Jim Gentile, Minor League Player of the Year

What Went Wrong

There was a lot of hope around Pedro Guerrero that fizzled as he struggled to find a position and, more importantly, struggled to get his OPS over .750.

SS was a mess until Stephens’ acquisition, with Germany Smith and Ray Dandridge each struggling. Dandridge came alive in the postseason, and at 22, his talent is undeniable.

Dick Bertell won’t be back as Piazza’s backup.

There were a few bad showings on the mound, most notably the attempts to use Dutch Leonard, Darren Dreifort, and Juan Mateo in middle inning roles, but really very little went bad on the mound for Brooklyn.

Transactions

March

P Watty Clark, OF Matt Holliday to SFS for OF Pedro Guerrero.

Right now, nobody won, although perhaps Clark has shown a bit more promise?

July

4th Round Pick to MEM for IF Vern Stephens.

Turned out far better than anticipated, as Stephens’ performance over the last couple months of the season alone is probably worth the pick.

August

3rd Round Pick to PHI for OF George Hendrick.

Similar to the Stephens trade, Hendrick pounded the ball down the stretch, and should see a reserve role next season.

Positional Overview

C

Piazza should be here for a while, as he’s just entering his prime.

Beyond him, though, it’s not great. Look for veteran Al López to be favored for the backup role, with some pressure from Kelly Shoppach.

1B

I have no idea why Brooklyn refuses to just hand this over to Dan Brouthers, who posted a .950 OPS as a 25 year old. I think this is his spot, and he has a big year.

Jim Gentile had a monster year in the minors this season and Eric Karros was excellent in a brief WBL stint, so look for those two to get a look in the Spring as well.

2B

There really aren’t any natural 2B here. Jackie Robinson can play wherever he wants, Dandridge is more suited to the left side of the infield, and even young Ed Delahanty looks more like an eventual OFer. Maybe young Tim Foli at A ball evolves enough to take over at some point.

None of that really matters as long as Robinson is around, though, and next year looks like more of Jackie, with Dandridge filling in.

SS

Vern Stephens really seized this, although Dandridge’s performance in the postseason may open it back up as a competition.

There is some talent behind them in case either falter: Sonny Jackson is still too young, but Dickie Thon and Maury Wills are both available.

3B

I don’t think anyone believes Ron Cey will be a perennial S-Tier 3B, but it was a great ride, and Cey is certainly good enough to hold on here. This may be Dandridge’s best position as well, and while there aren’t many pure 3B in the system, Jim Delahanty and the ageless Tony Fernandez are both available, along with Guerrero.

LF/RF

Roy White and Beals Becker keep chugging along here, and neither are under a lot of pressure, although the Royal Giants would love Guerrero or Raúl Mondesi to make some noise.

Mondesi is out of options, and is hence likely to make the WBL roster or move on. Chicken Wolf and George Selkirk keep pressing for a shot as well, but Al Simmons may have the highest ceiling of this group.

CF

John Briggs has this locked down after proving his doubters very, very wrong and George Hendrick‘s performance after coming over late in the season makes him the favorite for the backup spot.

It is possible that Duke Snider sees more time in the field this year–his arm is stronger than Briggs’ for sure.

DH

If Briggs continues to develop, he and Becker may share a lot of time here; otherwise, some mixture of Snider and Guerrero seems likely.

SP

I don’t think there’s another team in the WBL as set in the rotation and swing starters as Brooklyn: Drysdale, Hershiser, Williams, Valenzuela, and Frank Knauss are the top 5, with Sandy Koufax and young phenom Dick Redding also getting occasional starting opportunities.

With Jim Bunning, John Denny, Jordan Zimmerman, and Walker Buehler all in the minors, the Royal Giants are one of the few teams with enough surplus starting to make a splash.

RP

There may be an open spot in the bullpen, with Zach Britton likely to get a long look in the Spring.

Otherwise, it’s Trevor Hildenberger, Terry Forster, and Dave Von Ohlen getting the ball to Eric Gagné.

Rick Aguilera and Ron Perranoski are the most likely support candidates.

Draft Outlook

DRAFT PICKS

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

We’ll see if anything changes before the draft, but if not, some offensive talent would be welcome.