OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post

Makonnen · 11-13-2025, 01:13 PM

September 9th

Full TWIWBL is here.

This week we have more playoff updates, and a look at the best rookies so far this year.

#Awards

Freddie Freeman is immediately showing he belongs at this level for Los Angeles, with the recent acquisition earning the AL Player of the Week Award, hitting .579 for the week with 4 homeruns. Over in the NL, Brooklyn's Duke Snider took home the Player of the Week with a .600 (!) average and 5 homers.

With 3 weeks left in the season, here's how we sit heading down the homestretch.

#AL

The San Francisco Sea Lions have clinched the Cum Posey Division.

The New York Black Yankees have taken a 1 game lead over the Cleveland Spiders in the Bill James Division. Both of these teams will make the postseason, with the 3rd place team in the Bill James, the Detroit Wolverines, leading the Miami Cuban Giants by 4.5 games for the final AL playoff spot.

So, barring some real drama, the only race here is between the Spiders and the Black Yankees for playoff seeding.

#NL

The Effa Manley is a bit of a mirror of the Cum Posey, with the Brooklyn Royal Giants playing out the string, riding a 15.5 game lead over second place Philadelphia, with the Stars currently the highest ranked Wild Card team as well.

And then it gets messy.

Houston has surged in front of the Kansas City Monarchs, with the Colt 45's leading the Marvin Miller Division by 2.5 games now. However, 3 more teams (Indianapolis, Homestead, and the House of David) are within 2.5 games of the final Wild Card spot, with Birmingham and the New York Gothams only 4 games back. All of that means that only the Ottawa Mounties (5.5 games off the Wild Card, but having 5 teams in the way) have really given up on the season.

#Injuries

A huge one: Chicago's Frank Thomas is out for 8-9 months with a knee injury. The Big Hurt is expected to make a full recovery, but this really will impact the American Giants' offseason plans, as they will need a 1B for the first half of next season.

TEAM SPOTLIGHT: NEW YORK GOTHAMS

This week, we take a closer look at the disappointing New York Gothams. Full writeup is here.

This team really should be better than this. But if you really look at the talent on the roster, their struggles make sense.

HOME PAGE | ROSTER | POSITIONAL STRENGTH | LEADERS

This is what happens when you struggle to hit with mediocre pitching. While a monstrous close to the season could maybe possibly see the Gothams edging into the playoffs, really, this year is toast for them.

THE OFFENSE

There are a few very high end highlights, and a couple feel-good stories. But ... it needs to get better across the board.

#What's Going Right

Willie Mays is a spectacular talent: power, speed, defense, and at 24, coming into his prime. He leads the Gothams in homeruns, RBI, R, and (for batting qualifiers) OPS.

Buster Posey's raw numbers trail Mays, but he's a catcher, and an OPS over .900 from a solid backstop is remarkable. He's backed up by Dick Dietz, who may be the best offensively performing backup catcher in the league.

Last years AAA MVP, Benny Kauff, has stepped right into a WBL role, sitting 2nd on the team in most offensive rates.

Will Clark has emerged as an excellent 1B, with an OPS around .950.

Larry Doyle has exploded this year, outpacing even Mays with most of his rate stats. Doyle is 35, so he may not be a long-term solve there, but he's been a revelation.

3B has been an issue for the Gothams all year, but it feels like Jim Ray Hart may have claimed it moving forward.

#What's Not Going Right

The rest of the lineup is essentially a mess. LF and SS are weak, and the people that have been run through those, plus 2B and 3B before the emergence of Doyle and Hart, have been ridiculously bad. Jo-Jo Moore, Terry Turner, Pete Runnels, Eugenio Suárez, George Van Haltren, Ryan Zimmerman, Steve Kemp, Carl Furillo ... none of them could stick with the WBL club.

THE PITCHING

There was such potential here. You have the rotation anchored by Christy Mathewson, Gaylord Perry, and Don Sutton, and one of the best bullpens in the league, led by Brian Wilson, but also featuring Mike Norris.

It didn't work out: Mathewson has been shockingly mediocre, Perry and Sutton merely good, Norris is showing signs of age, and Wilson spent a fair bit of time on the DL.

#What's Going Right

Brian Wilson is excellent, a true shutdown closer at the end of the bullpen, and he looks fully recovered from his earlier injury.

Mike Norris, while not as incandescent as last year, has been excellent behind Wilson.

Gaylord Perry has excellent peripheral numbers despite a mediocre win/loss record and ERA.

#What's Not Going Right

Mathewson hasn't been outright bad, and, as always, he chews up innings. But a 7-14 record and an ERA in the mid 5.00's is not what the Gothams expect from him.

The back end of the rotation has been a mess, with Rube Waddell, Carl Hubbell, and others all sort of stumbling through their opportunities.

The much traveled Kent Tekulve has done well with the Gothams, but is insisting on pursuing free agency, so his signing ends up not mattering much for the team overall.

#ROOKIE PREVIEW

A position-by-position review of the rookies is here.

Only 6 players are officially full time (that is, they qualify for the batting stats): IF Jimmie Foxx, OFs Turkey Stearnes, John Briggs, Adam Dunn, and Ichiro Suzuki, and everywhere playing Charles Rogan. That group probably forms the core of the shortlist for the final Rookie of the Year Award: if you're able to hold down a fulltime starting spot as a rookie in the WBL ...

Honestly, though, this is Turkey Stearnes' world. 22 Years old, a 1.134 OPS with 47 HR and 115 RBIs will do that,

DIVISION NOTES

Bill James Division
Cum Posey Division
Effa Manley Division
Marvin Miller Division

11-13-2025, 01:13 PM	#570
Makonnen All Star Reserve Join Date: May 2020 Posts: 933	TWIWBL 81.1: Year 2, Week 24 *September 9th* Full TWIWBL is here. This week we have more playoff updates, and a look at the best rookies so far this year. #Awards Freddie Freeman is immediately showing he belongs at this level for Los Angeles, with the recent acquisition earning the AL Player of the Week Award, hitting .579 for the week with 4 homeruns. Over in the NL, Brooklyn's Duke Snider took home the Player of the Week with a .600 (!) average and 5 homers. With 3 weeks left in the season, here's how we sit heading down the homestretch. #AL The San Francisco Sea Lions have clinched the Cum Posey Division. The New York Black Yankees have taken a 1 game lead over the Cleveland Spiders in the Bill James Division. Both of these teams will make the postseason, with the 3rd place team in the Bill James, the Detroit Wolverines, leading the Miami Cuban Giants by 4.5 games for the final AL playoff spot. So, barring some real drama, the only race here is between the Spiders and the Black Yankees for playoff seeding. #NL The Effa Manley is a bit of a mirror of the Cum Posey, with the Brooklyn Royal Giants playing out the string, riding a 15.5 game lead over second place Philadelphia, with the Stars currently the highest ranked Wild Card team as well. And then it gets messy. Houston has surged in front of the Kansas City Monarchs, with the Colt 45's leading the Marvin Miller Division by 2.5 games now. However, 3 more teams (Indianapolis, Homestead, and the House of David) are within 2.5 games of the final Wild Card spot, with Birmingham and the New York Gothams only 4 games back. All of that means that only the Ottawa Mounties (5.5 games off the Wild Card, but having 5 teams in the way) have really given up on the season. #Injuries A huge one: Chicago's Frank Thomas is out for 8-9 months with a knee injury. The Big Hurt is expected to make a full recovery, but this really will impact the American Giants' offseason plans, as they will need a 1B for the first half of next season. TEAM SPOTLIGHT: NEW YORK GOTHAMS This week, we take a closer look at the disappointing New York Gothams. Full writeup is here. This team really should be better than this. But if you really look at the talent on the roster, their struggles make sense. HOME PAGE \| ROSTER \| POSITIONAL STRENGTH \| LEADERS This is what happens when you struggle to hit with mediocre pitching. While a monstrous close to the season could maybe possibly see the Gothams edging into the playoffs, really, this year is toast for them. THE OFFENSE There are a few very high end highlights, and a couple feel-good stories. But ... it needs to get better across the board. #What's Going Right Willie Mays is a spectacular talent: power, speed, defense, and at 24, coming into his prime. He leads the Gothams in homeruns, RBI, R, and (for batting qualifiers) OPS. Buster Posey's raw numbers trail Mays, but he's a catcher, and an OPS over .900 from a solid backstop is remarkable. He's backed up by Dick Dietz, who may be the best offensively performing backup catcher in the league. Last years AAA MVP, Benny Kauff, has stepped right into a WBL role, sitting 2nd on the team in most offensive rates. Will Clark has emerged as an excellent 1B, with an OPS around .950. Larry Doyle has exploded this year, outpacing even Mays with most of his rate stats. Doyle is 35, so he may not be a long-term solve there, but he's been a revelation. 3B has been an issue for the Gothams all year, but it feels like Jim Ray Hart may have claimed it moving forward. #What's Not Going Right The rest of the lineup is essentially a mess. LF and SS are weak, and the people that have been run through those, plus 2B and 3B before the emergence of Doyle and Hart, have been ridiculously bad. Jo-Jo Moore, Terry Turner, Pete Runnels, Eugenio Suárez, George Van Haltren, Ryan Zimmerman, Steve Kemp, Carl Furillo ... none of them could stick with the WBL club. THE PITCHING There was such potential here. You have the rotation anchored by Christy Mathewson, Gaylord Perry, and Don Sutton, and one of the best bullpens in the league, led by Brian Wilson, but also featuring Mike Norris. It didn't work out: Mathewson has been shockingly mediocre, Perry and Sutton merely good, Norris is showing signs of age, and Wilson spent a fair bit of time on the DL. #What's Going Right Brian Wilson is excellent, a true shutdown closer at the end of the bullpen, and he looks fully recovered from his earlier injury. Mike Norris, while not as incandescent as last year, has been excellent behind Wilson. Gaylord Perry has excellent peripheral numbers despite a mediocre win/loss record and ERA. #What's Not Going Right Mathewson hasn't been outright bad, and, as always, he chews up innings. But a 7-14 record and an ERA in the mid 5.00's is not what the Gothams expect from him. The back end of the rotation has been a mess, with Rube Waddell, Carl Hubbell, and others all sort of stumbling through their opportunities. The much traveled Kent Tekulve has done well with the Gothams, but is insisting on pursuing free agency, so his signing ends up not mattering much for the team overall. #ROOKIE PREVIEW A position-by-position review of the rookies is here. Only 6 players are officially full time (that is, they qualify for the batting stats): IF Jimmie Foxx, OFs Turkey Stearnes, John Briggs, Adam Dunn, and Ichiro Suzuki, and everywhere playing Charles Rogan. That group probably forms the core of the shortlist for the final Rookie of the Year Award: if you're able to hold down a fulltime starting spot as a rookie in the WBL ... Honestly, though, this is Turkey Stearnes' world. 22 Years old, a 1.134 OPS with 47 HR and 115 RBIs will do that, DIVISION NOTES Bill James Division Cum Posey Division Effa Manley Division Marvin Miller Division __________________ Year II of the WBL on the Forums STARTS HERE. Baseball The Way It Never Was https://wbl.dmlco.com/ i9s: Curated, Bespoke MLE's for NeL Players. https://www.i9s.org/