{"id":9842,"date":"2026-11-04T15:27:49","date_gmt":"2026-11-04T21:27:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/?p=9842"},"modified":"2026-11-03T15:34:06","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T21:34:06","slug":"twiwbl-103-1-year-3-week-6-all-about-the-moundsmen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/2026\/11\/04\/twiwbl-103-1-year-3-week-6-all-about-the-moundsmen\/","title":{"rendered":"TWIWBL 103.1: Year 3, Week 6 – All About the Moundsmen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

13 May, 2002<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the offensive explosion of 2001, the pendulum may have swung too far the other way, as the WBL saw 14 shutouts in 66 games this week. The incessant rain contributed, as a few were shortened games, but still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most impressively, Kansas City<\/a>‘s Jock Menefee<\/strong> came within a single out of the first perfect game in WBL history. More detail on that, and the overall pitching dominance, below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Awards<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Memphis<\/a>‘s Ted Williams<\/strong> is the AL Player of the Week<\/em> for the second time this season: 9-for-22 with 5 homeruns, 11 runs, 11 RBI and 7 walks in 6 games, slugging 1.091. He also pitched 2 innings. On the year he’s at 417\/537\/945 with 20 homeruns and 50 RBI, and is threatening to obliterate all sorts of records.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The NL Player of the Week<\/em> is Birmingham<\/a>‘s Eddie Mathews<\/strong>, who went 12-for-23 with 5 homeruns, 9 RBI and 8 runs, slugging 1.217. He came into the week hitting .188 and leaves it at .252, with 12 homeruns. Mathews has never hit for average–if he can maintain even something around .250, he’ll be among the best 3B in the league.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the minors: Bill Doran<\/strong> (Los Angeles<\/a>) took the award at AAA Las Vegas, going 13-for-25 with 2 homeruns and 10 RBI; Mike Tiernan<\/strong> (New York Gothams<\/a>) won at AA Troy, going 7-for-10 with 3 doubles and 2 homeruns; and Kevin Young<\/strong> (Memphis) won at A-ball Pine Bluff, where the 31-year-old first baseman drove in 12 runs in 6 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that none of them are pitchers. So what’s the big deal on the mound?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#The Big Deal On the Mound<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

#One Out Away<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Jock Menefee<\/strong>, Kansas City’s fifth starter, started against Houston<\/a> and retired the first 26 batters, striking out 11 on the way and doing it so efficiently that he entered the 9th having thrown only 95 pitches. Carlos Correa<\/strong> grounded out weakly back to the mound and George Brett<\/strong> was Menefee’s 12th strikeout victim, bringing the 40,962 fans in attendance to their feet, holding their collective breath. Jim O’Rourke<\/strong> absolutely smoked the first pitch dealt to him, sending it back the other way at 115 mph and into the outfield for a clean single, releasing a collective moan from the crowd.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That brought Craig Biggio<\/strong> to the plate as the tying run, but he flew out to left to end it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Menefee’s final line: 9 innings, 1 hit, no walks, 12 strikeouts, 111 pitches. Both Kansas City runs came in the 5th off Stephen Strasburg<\/strong> on a single by Boog Powell<\/strong> and a bases-loaded walk to Albert Pujols<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOU 0<\/em><\/strong> (Strasburg 3-1<\/em>) @ KAN 2<\/em><\/strong> (Menefee 2-2<\/em>)
HRs<\/strong>: none.
Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#The Next Day …<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

… Roger Clemens<\/strong> and Smokey Joe Wood<\/strong> would face off, and neither team could touch either ace. Clemens and Wood each survived a near-hour-long rain delay to throw 8 scoreless innings (Clemens 4 hits and 6 strikeouts, Wood 3 and 7), and the bullpens took over from there, keeping the game scoreless through the 15th, meaning Houston had now gone 24 innings without scoring against the Monarchs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 16th, pinch-hitter Craig Biggio<\/strong> walked, Jeff Bagwell<\/strong> singled him to third, and Paul Goldschmidt<\/strong> singled him home. That was enough: Houston’s Sparky Lyle<\/strong> closed the game out for his 6th save of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

HOU 1<\/em><\/strong> (Kern 1-0; Lyle 6 Sv<\/em>) @ KAN 0<\/em><\/strong> (Thatcher 0-1<\/em>) [16 Innings]<\/em><\/strong>
HRs<\/strong>: none.
Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

#The Stars At Night<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No, not more about Houston. Instead, we take a glance at the emergent juggernaut of the Philadelphia Stars<\/a>‘ staff. The New York Gothams came into the week leading the WBL in scoring at 5.24 runs a game. They left Philadelphia managing only 13 hits over 3 games. And no–zero, nada, zilch–runs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philadelphia right now is a staff missing its ace due to Charles Rogan<\/strong>‘s injury. Steve Carlton<\/strong> has stepped right into a leading role, with 5 victories and a sub-3.00 ERA coming into the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The opener saw Ray Collins<\/strong> (7 innings, 3 hits) beat New York’s Christy Mathewson<\/strong>, who had been 6-0. Chase Utley<\/strong>‘s RBI triple in the 3rd and Harmon Killebrew<\/strong>‘s 2-run homer (his 12th) in the 6th were all Philadelphia needed, and Ryan Madson<\/strong> and Mark Melancon<\/strong> (his 5th save as he deputizes for the injured Bob Howry<\/strong>) finished the 3-0 win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next day Hardie Henderson<\/strong> went the distance: 5 hits, 2 walks, 9 strikeouts, 137 pitches, and no runs allowed in a 6-0 victory. Bill Dickey<\/strong> drove in 4, with a 2-run homer in the 2nd and a 2-run single in a 4-run 7th that Willie Davis<\/strong> capped with his first homerun of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the finale Carl Hubbell<\/strong> matched Carlton through 6 scoreless innings, but we’ve already revealed how it ends. Utley broke it open with a 2-run homer (his 3rd) in the 7th. Carlton went 8.1 innings (4 hits, no walks, 11 strikeouts, 130 pitches) and joined Mathewson atop the WBL with 6 wins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NYG 0<\/em><\/strong> (Mathewson 6-1<\/em>) @ PHI 3<\/em><\/strong> (Collins 2-2; Melancon 5 Sv<\/em>)
HRs<\/strong>: NYG \u2013 none; PHI \u2013 Killebrew (12).
Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NYG 0<\/em><\/strong> (Sutton 2-3<\/em>) @ PHI 6<\/em><\/strong> (Henderson 2-3<\/em>)
HRs<\/strong>: NYG \u2013 none; PHI \u2013 Dickey (4), Davis (1).
Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

NYG 0<\/em><\/strong> (Raschi 1-2<\/em>) @ PHI 3<\/em><\/strong> (Carlton 6-1; Melancon 6 Sv<\/em>)
HRs<\/strong>: NYG \u2013 none; PHI \u2013 Utley (3).
Box Score<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Philadelphia has the best record in the NL, and leads the Effa Manley Division<\/em> by 2.5 games.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Performance<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

#Team Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Figured it was time to glance at how the stats were building up at the team level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, in a sentence nobody saw coming, Memphis has the best record in the WBL (25-13). They are not<\/em> doing it with mirrors, sporting the best run differential (+68), leading the league in runs per game (5.71), and in OPS (.813). AND<\/em>, they lead the league in overall ERA (3.22) and bullpen ERA (2.49). Dominance. Totally unexpected, and, if it holds, a significant message about just how thoroughly a team can be transformed in a single offseason.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the mound, they are joined by Kansas City, who lead the league in WHIP (1.09) and in BA allowed (a minuscule .210), Houston (2nd-best ERA at 3.25, a full .40 in front of the #3 team) and, perhaps surprisingly, Ottawa<\/a> (pedestrian-looking numbers, but the second-best FIP in the WBL, behind Kansas City).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memphis is 2nd in the WBL in homers, trailing–who else–the New York Black Yankees<\/a>, who have 68 to the Red Sox’s 62. The Big Apple’s 3 teams sit 2-4 in the league in OPS, with the Black Yankees, the Gothams, and the Brooklyn Royal Giants<\/a> all between .779 and .789.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then we have the other end of the lists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kansas City has hit only 25 homeruns on the year, with Houston and the Birmingham Black Barons the only other teams with under 40. Baltimore<\/a> is pretty miserable offensively across the board, last in the league in BA (.206, .019 worse than Houston) and OPS (.628, .025 worse than, yes, Houston). Unlike Houston, Baltimore is just bad, last in the league in WHIP (1.45, with Detroit<\/a> and Birmingham at 1.39 and 1.40), tied with the House of David<\/a> for last in BA allowed (.264), and last in ERA at 5.42, with only Detroit joining them over 5.00.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Player Performance<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Six weeks in, qualifying is 3.1 plate appearances or 1 inning per team game: about 115 PA and 37 innings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Batters<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ted Williams<\/strong> leads the WBL in batting average, on-base, slugging, homeruns, runs, RBI, walks, hits and WAR. Doubles, triples and steals belong to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Briggs<\/strong> (MEM). 238\/315\/462. 15 2B.
Dan Brouthers<\/strong> (BRK). 374\/422\/634.
Pete Browning<\/strong> (HOD). 369\/420\/553. 52 H, 11 SB.
Oscar Charleston<\/strong> (IND). 303\/342\/690. 16 HR, 38 RBI, 2.4 WAR.
Eric Davis<\/strong> (NYY). 262\/373\/438. 30 R, 12 SB<\/strong>.
Hank Greenberg<\/strong> (DET). 269\/346\/504. 4 3B<\/strong>.
Rickey Henderson<\/strong> (SFS). 226\/331\/339. 12 SB<\/strong>.
Grant Johnson<\/strong> (NYG). 348\/381\/674. 48 H, 10 HR, 15 2B.
Joe Morgan<\/strong> (IND). 252\/426\/411. 32 BB.
Jackie Robinson<\/strong> (BRK). 341\/388\/541. 16 2B<\/strong>.
Babe Ruth<\/strong> (NYY). 237\/387\/605. 12 HR, 26 BB.
Chino Smith<\/strong> (CAG). 290\/331\/718. 15 HR, 35 R, 37 RBI, 2.2 WAR.
Ted Williams<\/strong> (MEM). 417<\/strong>\/537<\/strong>\/945<\/strong>. 20 HR<\/strong>, 44 R<\/strong>, 50 RBI<\/strong>, 34 BB<\/strong>, 53 H<\/strong>, 3.5 WAR<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Pitchers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

#Starters<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Christy Mathewson<\/strong> lost for the first time this year, and Steve Carlton<\/strong> joins him at 6 wins. Charles Radbourn<\/strong>‘s 1.43 ERA leads the league; Dwight Gooden<\/strong> leads in FIP and WAR, despite a 3.80 ERA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brett Anderson<\/strong> (HOD). 5-2, 2.49.
Ray Brown<\/strong> (HOM). 2-1, 2.15.
Steve Carlton<\/strong> (PHI). 6-1<\/strong>, 2.50. 61 K.
Dwight Gooden<\/strong> (LAA). 2-2, 3.80. 1.90 FIP<\/strong>, 2.0 WAR<\/strong>.
Lefty Grove<\/strong> (SFS). 5-1, 2.87. 76 K<\/strong>, 59 IP<\/strong>.
Walter Johnson<\/strong> (POR). 3-3, 2.55. 72 K, 0.91 WHIP.
Christy Mathewson<\/strong> (NYG). 6-1<\/strong>, 2.93. 70 K, 55 IP.
Jock Menefee<\/strong> (KAN). 2-2, 2.51. 0.81 WHIP, 2.22 FIP.
Charles Radbourn<\/strong> (OTT). 3-1, 1.43<\/strong>. 0.91 WHIP, 2.27 FIP, 1.7 WAR.
Toad Ramsey<\/strong> (HOU). 2-3, 3.33. 2.80 FIP, 1.6 WAR.
Tom Seaver<\/strong> (MEM). 3-1, 1.54.
Smokey Joe Wood<\/strong> (KAN). 3-1, 2.32. 54 IP, 0.77 WHIP<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Relievers<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Brian Wilson<\/strong> and Eric Gagn\u00e9<\/strong> lead with 10 saves each. Detroit’s Mike Henneman<\/strong> has 8, with a 9.82 ERA. Several relievers, led by Memphis’ Tommy de la Cruz<\/strong> (4-0, 1.23), have 4 wins, but aren’t listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rate stats below require 10 IP, meaning Ottawa’s Billy Koch<\/strong> qualifies without allowing a run so far this year. Both Chicago<\/a>‘s Joe Horlen<\/strong> (now in the rotation) and Birmingham’s Kerry Ligtenberg<\/strong> were touched for their first runs this past week, but both remain dominant so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rod Beck<\/strong> (SFS). 1-2, 3.75. 8 Sv.
Jack Billingham<\/strong> (POR). 1-2, 3.46. 8 Sv.
Chad Bradford<\/strong> (DET). 3-2, 3.18. 6 Hld<\/strong>.
Jeurys Familia<\/strong> (LAA). 2-0, 2.45. 6 Hld<\/strong>.
Eric Gagn\u00e9<\/strong> (BRK). 1-0, 0.64. 10 Sv<\/strong>, 45.5% K.
Mike Henneman<\/strong> (DET). 0-2, 9.82. 8 Sv.
Joe Horlen<\/strong> (CAG). 1-1, 0.34.
Billy Koch<\/strong> (OTT). 1-0, 0.00<\/strong>. 1 Sv, 2 Hld.
Kerry Ligtenberg<\/strong> (BBB). 1-0, 0.47. 1 Sv, 5 Hld.
Ryan Madson<\/strong> (PHI). 2-1, 1.02. 1.02 FIP.
Jeff Pfeffer<\/strong> (LAA). 0-1, 1.47. 8 Sv.
Johan Santana<\/strong> (POR). 1-1, 0.83. 31 K in 21.2 innings.
Vito Tamulis<\/strong> (NYG). 1-1, 5.40. 6 Hld<\/strong>.
Brian Wilson<\/strong> (NYG). 1-1, 1.46. 10 Sv<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Hardest Shots<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Three balls left the bat at 121 mph this week, all solo homeruns: Mike Schmidt<\/strong> (New York Black Yankees), Paul Molitor<\/strong> (Portland<\/a>) and Hank Aaron<\/strong> (Birmingham).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hardest out was Ted Williams<\/strong>‘ 121-mph ground ball to second.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Longest Homeruns<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Kansas City’s Doug Rader<\/strong> hit the second-longest homerun of the season, a 505-foot 2-run shot. Willie McCovey<\/strong> (Cleveland<\/a>) hit one 485 feet, and Rico Carty<\/strong>‘s grand slam against Memphis went 484.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

#Injuries<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The Wandering House of David lost Jim Clinton<\/strong> (2.88 ERA over his first 4 starts) for about a year. The Gothams’ Mike Norris<\/strong>, 37 and the 2000 Reliever of the Year, is out 4-5 months. Birmingham lost two relievers for about 3 months each: setup man Akinori Otsuka<\/strong>, and Alejandro Pe\u00f1a<\/strong>, who tore a finger tendon on a rehab assignment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See the team notes for details and related roster moves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

13 May, 2002 After the offensive explosion of 2001, the pendulum may have swung too far the other way, as the WBL saw 14 shutouts in 66 games this week. The incessant rain contributed, as a few were shortened games, but still. Most impressively, Kansas City‘s Jock Menefee came within a single out of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[416],"tags":[661,626,793,547,828,1047,1583,150,847,53,897,409,169,385,1476,155,2041,403,173,278,699,269,61,436,550,799,175,298,476,360,590,174,1642,277,171,506,700,233,584,830,690,1054,121,2381,585,800,1679,1105,805,167,471,819,564,1705,763,129,170,223,616,17,138,399,574,386,524,2761,580,543,678,140,625,681,517,1865,1075,1041,578,576,259],"class_list":["post-9842","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-twiwbl","tag-akinori-otsuka","tag-albert-pujols","tag-alejandro-pena","tag-babe-ruth","tag-bill-dickey","tag-bill-doran","tag-billy-koch","tag-bob-howry","tag-boog-powell","tag-brett-anderson","tag-brian-wilson","tag-carl-hubbell","tag-carlos-correa","tag-chad-bradford","tag-charles-rogan","tag-chase-utley","tag-chino-smith","tag-christy-mathewson","tag-craig-biggio","tag-dan-brouthers","tag-doc-gooden","tag-don-sutton","tag-doug-rader","tag-eddie-mathews","tag-eric-davis","tag-eric-gagne","tag-george-brett","tag-hank-aaron","tag-hank-greenberg","tag-hardie-henderson","tag-harmon-killebrew","tag-hr-johnson","tag-jack-billingham","tag-jackie-robinson","tag-jeff-bagwell","tag-jeff-pfeffer","tag-jeurys-familia","tag-jim-clinton","tag-jim-kern","tag-jim-orourke","tag-jock-menefee","tag-joe-horlen","tag-joe-morgan","tag-joe-thatcher","tag-johan-santana","tag-john-briggs","tag-kerry-ligtenberg","tag-kevin-young","tag-lefty-grove","tag-mark-melancon","tag-mike-henneman","tag-mike-norris","tag-mike-schmidt","tag-mike-tiernan","tag-old-hoss-radbourn","tag-oscar-charleston","tag-paul-goldschmidt","tag-paul-molitor","tag-pete-browning","tag-ray-brown","tag-ray-collins","tag-rickey-henderson","tag-rico-carty","tag-rod-beck","tag-roger-clemens","tag-ryan-madson","tag-smokey-joe-wood","tag-sparky-lyle","tag-stephen-strasburg","tag-steve-carlton","tag-ted-williams","tag-toad-ramsey","tag-tom-seaver","tag-tommy-de-la-cruz","tag-vic-raschi","tag-vito-tamulis","tag-walter-johnson","tag-willie-davis","tag-willie-mccovey"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9842","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9842"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9842\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10021,"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9842\/revisions\/10021"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9842"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9842"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wbl.dmlco.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9842"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}