The Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League

[BirdWatcher]

A new year has begun, as the calendar turns to 1977, and the organizations in the W.P. Kinsella League are starting to look forward to pitchers and catchers reporting in about a month and a new season not long after.

The Denver Brewers find themselves coming off a 104 win season that ended in disappointment against the mighty Columbus Whalers in the Kinsella Classic Series.

But with young emerging stars like Joe McPhillips and Brett Taranto, a deep rotation anchored by ace Sadahige Kawasaki, great defense up the middle, and good leadership, especially from long-time team captain Matt Helm, the Brewers enter 1977 once again confident of their ability to contend.

We will dispense with any WPK history lessons here as all has been well documented (and can be found by clicking on the links in my signature below).

Instead let's begin the next leg of our journey into the unknown but promising future of the WPK. Hope you enjoy the ride. I know I will!

[BirdWatcher]

Yesterday the results of this year's WPK Hall of Fame voting were released, and once again no players are bound for Dubuque. (The WPK Hall of Fame was established a number of years ago along the banks of the Mississippi in Dubuque, Iowa.)


In fact, only three players were eligible and none gained enough votes to remain on the ballot next year. The player who got the most votes was former L.A. great, Miguel Chavez, who led the MGL in wins in 1967 at the age of 35. Chavez was not only a great pitcher but one of the more well-liked players around the league and one can only imagine what might have been if the league had started when he was a bit younger, but as it is he just didn't have enough time to put up the kind of career that is Hall worthy. Still, he will be fondly remembered far into the future.



Former Brewer slugger Mark Compton, who spent the majority of his career in L.A. also, finished a distant second in the voting.

[BirdWatcher]

The Philadelphia Mud Hens of the Shoeless Joe League (SJL) believe they have solidified the middle of their infield by signing free agent Mineto Kato out of Japan to play shortstop. Kato joins Taiwanese second baseman Xiao Mei-Mah, who has emerged as one of the finest players in the WPK these past two seasons.




With the earlier signing of slugging first baseman Luis Gonzales joining an already potent lineup the real question mark for the Mud Hens, who finished in 8th place (out of 12) in 1976 with a disappointing 78-84 record, is whether their talented but often injured starting rotation can stay healthy and allow them to contend in 1977.

[BirdWatcher]

We are a few days into the 1977 exhibition season and have received word of the first significant injury of the pre-season. The Milwaukee Cadets will be without the services of mid-rotation starting pitcher Javier Torres until at least next Spring as he suffered a torn flexor tendon. Torres had his best big league season in 1976 and was arguably the top starter on the club. With lack of depth in their rotation and the two pitchers expected to front the rotation both having a history of injury issues, the loss of Torres is a serious blow to any chances of Milwaukee, who had their first winning season (82-80) since 1971 last year.

[BirdWatcher]

And the first seriously complicating factor for the Brewers heading into the 1977 season is star center fielder Joe McPhillips going down likely at least until opening day with an oblique strain.


Second year outfielder Val Guzman will likely get the majority of the starts in center until McPhillips- who will almost certainly start the regular season on a rehab stint- is ready to return. Back up rightfielder Jon Williams, who is very speedy and a fine defender but has little experience is center, will likely also be given plenty of chances this exhibition season to play the position.

[BirdWatcher]

Denver Brewers back-up catcher Kirk Patnode is one of the good guys of the game and the wonderful charity work he and his wife have been spearheading to help the neediest of Denver's residents has inspired the team to get more fully invested in these efforts as an organization.


The Denver community has supported the Brewers with great enthusiasm and loyalty these past twelve years with the team consistently leading all of the WPK in attendance through thick and thin, and Brewers management is thrilled to take a big step forward in giving back.

[BirdWatcher]

Kyle Newsome, who was the first overall pick in the 1972 draft, is already at the age of 23 a real fan favorite in the El Paso area. As the Dawgs closer in 1976 he finished 5th in the SJL Reliever of the Year voting and 6th in the Rookie of the Year voting.
And it was beginning to look like this might be the year that he might begin his transition into the starting rotation. But now, having suffered a torn UCL, it will likely be at least a year before he is ready to pitch again. Not only is it a devastating setback for a young budding star pitcher but it is a real blow to a Dawgs team that after years of futility finally found themselves in contention in 1976 and broke the 90-win mark for the first time in team history.

[BirdWatcher]

Mexican right-handed starting pitcher Eduardo Obando took L.A., and really all of the WPK, by storm last season and ended up with the MGL Pitcher of the Year award in his first WPK season.

But Obandomania for the upcoming season has been dealt a bit of a blow today as it was announced that the talented staff ace will start the season on the IL as he suffers with bone chips in his throwing elbow.

[BirdWatcher]

Left handed set up man Jason Gottula, one of the key members of the 1976 Brewers bullpen, suffered a torn back muscle yesterday and is expected to miss at least 5 months of action.

[BirdWatcher]

The great, but despised, relief pitcher Jamel McNeil yesterday signed a 1-year contract with the Los Angeles Spinners, which returns him- after 9 seasons elsewhere- to his original WPK team.



McNeil joins a bullpen that also features 26-year old Shouta Hori, who was the only MGL pitcher last year to win 20 games, in spite of starting not a single game, and great sinker-baller Yu-Bao Tong. Though it is also a bullpen that includes veteran Jason Bowman, who is considered nearly as disruptive a clubhouse influence as McNeil.

The Spinners remain a very talented team but with an aging and injury prone rotation and some of their biggest stars- Jesus Hernandez, Nate Bennett, David Beane- on the wrong side of their 30's (Beane, in fact, is 40), how well the team will survive two of the worst clubhouse chemistry guys in the game in one bullpen will be an interesting story to follow this upcoming season.

[BirdWatcher]

Having earlier lost one of our finest left-handed relievers, Jason Gottula, for an extended period of time, the Denver Brewers yesterday found out they will have to start the season without the services of their best lefty starter, Erik Sloan. Sloan, who suffered an oblique strain, is expected to be back mid-to-late April.

[BirdWatcher]

We have reached Opening Day of the 1977 season and as is customary the prognosticators have spoken and released the pre-season predictions for this WPK season.





The expectation by the WPK experts is that the Columbus Whalers will continue their stranglehold on the SJL , largely due to dominant pitching. It is interesting that their nearest competitor is thought to be the San Antonio Keys and that the two teams are expected to be a tale of contrasts, with the Keys offense expected to be the most high powered in the league while the team also simultaneously allows the most runs. While Columbus is expected to be just an average team in terms of runs scored, they are expected to be the stingiest allowing runs. While the thought is that the El Paso Dawgs, who surprised by contending in 1976, might fall back a bit they will still remain a winning team and could fight their way into contention again.
Not many surprises in terms of expected top performers in the SJL, although rookie Pittsburgh outfielder Larry Leshane might surprise with the bat (he is a poor fielder and a low runner) and 25-year old Houston third baseman Sean Brunson is a player many expect might have a breakout season.
Among SJL pitchers, it is thought that veteran Nick Baldwin, who spend all of 1976 pitching for the Brewers AAA club in Chester, might have a career year pitching in Houston, in what is admittedly a good pitcher's park.



For several seasons now the Brooklyn Aces have been predicted to win the MGL, and for each of those seasons they have fallen short of that expectation. Will 1977 change their fortunes? The prognosticators aren't budging and once again say the Aces will win. They do also predict the same three teams to compete who have the past three seasons- the Brewers, who they see coming in 2nd, and the L.A. Spinners.
Chris Tobin, who signed as a free agent with Baltimore in the off-season, is expected to have a bounce-back season after a sub-par campaign in his last year with Portland. Denver second-baseman Bobby Erbakan is also expected to have a better season in 1977 than he did in '76. The Brewers rookie first baseman (expected to platoon with Brett Taranto) is predicted to have a big year. (More on this in the next post, as it seems to contradict his place in the top prospects list and the latest scouting trends regarding Lovett.)
Sadahige Kawasaki is expected to be not only the top Brewer pitcher but a strong candidate for MGL Pitcher of the Year. Jaime Schardein, the 41-year old great now pitching in L.A. is expected to continue to be among the best in the game. The big question with Schardein is whether he can stay healthy a full season. Joel Travino, who pitched out of the Brooklyn bullpen last season, is now a member of the rotation and it is thought he will join the Aces two aces- Aaron McNally and Chris Justice- among the best pitchers in the league.

[BirdWatcher]

For the second year in a row, the Denver Brewers top prospect, starting pitcher Jim Atwell, is named the top prospect in all of the WPK.



Atwell is one of three hard-throwing right-handed starters at the top of the latest prospects list, all of whom profile as being durable and with good overall makeup. These three could well make a lasting impact on the WPK starting in the next few seasons.
Certainly the thought in Denver is that Atwell will likely make an appearance in a Brewers uniform this September (he did quite well in his Spring Training exhibition appearances) provided he doesn't totally struggle in his first stint in AAA.





The top position player prospect is outfielder Matt Van Der Heyden in the Pittsburgh organization. The Roadrunners have already produced the 1973 SJL Rookie of the Year in right fielder Bill Winchester and left fielder Larry Leshane is expected to compete for that honor this season, so they are quickly getting a reputation for drafting and developing superb outfielders. And Van Der Heyden may be the best of the lot yet as a possible true 5-tool star.

[BirdWatcher]

The Denver Brewers organization enters the 1977 season with the 10th (out of 22) ranked farm system, largely on the strength of having the top rated player (Jim Atwell) and four players in the top 100.


In addition to hopeful future ace Atwell, the next top prospect in the Denver organization is another right-handed pitcher- Bryant Cox- who is rated #47 among WPK prospects. While Cox does not have the ace potential of Atwell, he profiles as durable, should have three plus pitches, and could be a solid mid-rotation arm. The real question with Cox, a 7th-round pick in 1975 (the same draft in which Atwell was chosen in the 5th round), is whether he will have the stamina to remain a starter.


Next, at #72 overall, comes slugging first baseman Mike Lovett. As mentioned earlier, many prognosticators believe that Lovett will be among the better hitters in the MGL this season, but scouts aren't as high on him as they once were and see him as well below the superstar potential they once saw in him. This is likely due to his lack of well-rounded tools- he is slow and a poor fielder- and in spite of the fact that his hit tool and power remain fairly elite.


Finally, at #84, is third baseman Jose Figueroa, the Brewers 1st round draft pick in 1973. At age 22, Figueroa has been moving a bit slowly up the system and new head of scouting Ulrik Berthelsen doesn't seem to be as high on him as was now retired long-time Brewer scout Nick Meskil. But many in the Brewers front office still consider Figueroa their future third baseman, with his strong contact hitting profile and above average defensive skills, and perhaps most importantly his great makeup (he is a fan favorite!) He could begin pushing Rodrigo "RodRod" Rodriguez for the starting job as early as next season.


Just a little outside the top 100 is the Brewers 2nd round draft pick from last year, lefty starting pitcher Eric Seidel. Seidel, who turns 19 in May, is a long way from being a developed prospect and it would be dangerous to count on him reaching his full potential, but as a left-hander he will certainly be valuable should he develop into a useful arm.

[BirdWatcher]

The Los Angeles Spinners great 36-year old third baseman Jesus Hernandez, a possible future WPK Hall of Famer, today collected his 2,000th hit, just the 9th player in league history to do so.



This accomplishment, paired with his 300+ home runs, his 1,046 RBI, his 7 Gold Glove awards, 9 All-Star nominations, 1969 batting title, 1966 MGL MVP award, and a career with the same club with a reputation for a great work ethic, makes Hernandez one of the most renowned players in the league.

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 2-4 (week and season), 9th place (tie), MGL

April 11-13, versus Charlotte: 5-1, 3-4, 18-3

April 14-16, at Portland: 5-8, 1-2, 5-7.

The Brewers take 2 of 3 in their first home stand of the 1977 season, getting a fine complete game performance from ace Sadahige Kawasaki in game 1, dropping a heart-breaker in a back-and-forth game in the middle match, and blowing out the Sting in the rubber match. Among the many fine hitting performances for the Brewers in game 3, RodRod went 5 for 5 (see below), Bobby Erbakan went 4 for 5, hitting 2 doubles and driving in 3 runs, and rookie Mike Lovett went 4 for 4 with 3 runs scored, 7 RBI, and hit his 2nd double of the young season.



The Brewers then go on the road and get swept by the team many consider most likely to finish in last place in the MGL. Needing just one win to get to 200 for his career, Cheol-han Lee's struggles continue from the last month of the 1976 season. In the first game of the series against Portland, Cheol-han lasts just 4 1/3rd innings, giving up 7 runs on 12 hits. Matt Helm gives the Brewers an excellent 7 innings in the second game, allowing just 1 unearned run on 3 hits, but the Brewers bats go silent and reliever Ben Flynn is tagged with his first loss of the season. And in the final game of the week, Sadahige Kawasaki, having been so sharp on Opening Day, gives up 6 runs on 13 hits over 6 1/3rd innings to fall to 1-1. Former Brewer Ruben Souffront was the POTG with his 4 for 5, 3 runs scored, 2 doubles, and 1 stolen base performance from the lead-off slot for the Wild Things.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:


In the midst of a tough start for the back-to-back reigning WPK champs, the Columbus Whalers (1-5), they did get a wonderful performance from their ace, Jim Norris, the SJL Pitcher of the Year in 1976. Norris was matched up on Tuesday against the often overlooked Washington Night Train ace Jose Casillas in a tremendous pitching duel, and with the help of the Whalers talented young closer Jamar Clay (pitched the final 2 innings) got the lone win for the Whalers in the first week. (Casillas, it should be noted, is 126-82 with a 3.06 ERA in his slightly more than 8 seasons as a big leaguer and is a fan favorite but has never won a Pitcher of the Year award and has only twice been named to the All-Star game in spite of having two 19-win season, two 18-win seasons, and two 16-win seasons in his career thus far.)

MGL:


The ageless Jaime Schardein, in his first start for the L.A. Spinners in this his second go-round with the club, at age 41, hurled a complete game victory against the Brooklyn Aces, allowing just 3 hits.
The Spinners are off to a 4-2 start while the Aces sit at 3-3.

[BirdWatcher]

Well, so much for Mike Lovett's rookie season. Off to a good start, though still inexplicably looking for his first big league homer, the power hitting first baseman suffers a broken bone in his elbow while breaking up a potential double play sliding in hard at second base in yesterday's victory against L.A.


Best case scenario is that he could possibly return to action towards the very end of the season but for all intents and purposes he is likely lost to the team for the rest of the 1977 campaign.

With Lovett headed to the 60-day IL, center fielder Joe McPhillips, having spent some time at AAA Chester on a rehab assignment, returns to the club.

[BirdWatcher]

Brewers record: 5-1 (week), 7-5, 4th place, 2 gb (season)

April 17-19, versus Phoenix: 7-5, 10-1, 9-0

April 20-22, versus Los Angeles: 7-5, 0-1, 17-7

This would probably be a good time to talk about the baseball in the WPK.
There was much talk last season of a dead ball and when the season ended with only a single WPK player (the great Jesus Hernandez) having recorded as many as 20 home runs, the talk seemed quite justified.
While WPK league officials have refused to comment, two weeks into the 1977 season it certainly seems that the balls in play have a lot more jump. In fact, the leading home run hitter thus far- Phoenix' Devin Schwisow- has hit 8 in 12 games and is on pace for a 108 HR season (okay, it's early and small sample size, so nobody is seriously worried about that holding up.)

The first week of the season though you wouldn't have known it by the Brewers hitters as the team had just a single long ball- hit by Bobby Erbakan. Well, that changed a bit in week two.

And oddly it was probably relief pitcher Ben Flynn who got the trend jump-started with his huge homer to end the first game of the series against Phoenix. (Well, okay, maybe not so odd. Flynn is one of the best hitting pitchers in the game, a frequent pinch-hitter for the Brewers, and perhaps the best power hitter on the club.) The Brewers found themselves trailing 5-2 going into the bottom of the 9th in that game. Flynn had entered the game in the top of the 9th and pitched a clean inning. But more importantly he came up with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and the bases loaded, with the Brewers having scored one run but still trailing 5-3. He watched the first pitch pass by for a ball. The next one he watched caught the strike zone. He finally swung at the third pitch, hitting it on a line drive to left field. A line drive that traveled 404 feet. Walk-off, grand salami style!


After that the series was completely downhill for the visiting Speed Devils. Sekien Hamasaki (2-0, 2.25), the best Brewer starter thus far, lasted 8 innings in game 2, giving up a run on 8 hits while striking out 8 and walking just 2. Among the Brewers 12 hits were the first homers of the season for Josh Schaeffer, Rich White, and RodRod.
Given his recent struggles, the Brewers decided to pass over veteran Cheol-han Lee for the start in game 3 in favor of swing-man John Weaver. Good choice. Weaver just hurled a 5-hit complete-game shutout. Bobby Erbakan hit his 2nd HR of the season and Zacarias Martell his first- the second grand slam for the Brewers in the series.

The L.A. Spinners came into Denver one of the hottest teams in the early going with a 7-2 record. The Brewers cooled them off a bit.
The game 1 win was another walk off for the Brewers, this time thanks to a 2-run HR off the bat of RodRod to break a 5-5 tie. Captain Matt Helm had to leave the game in the 4th inning, having allowed 2 runs on 2 hits, and Cheol-han Lee came in to try to carry a 5-2 for at least a few innings. He failed- giving up 3 runs on 4 hits in an inning and a third pitched (he also issued 3 walks.) Fortunately the team rallied for the win. (As is the fragile Matty Helm's history, his injury is minor- a mid calf strain- and did not require him heading to the IL.)

A tremendous performance by Spinners veteran star Jason Wilson in game 2 spoiled a terrific start by Sadahige Kawasaki (1-2, 3.09.)


But the Brewers bats exploded again in the rubber match- to the tune of 17 runs on 20 hits, including RodRod's team best 3rd HR and Josh Schaeffer's 2nd. Steve Green (1-0, 4.91) wasn't sharp- giving up 6 runs (4 earned) on 9 hits over 8 innings- but with all of the run support he got his first victory of the season.

[BirdWatcher]

SJL:



There weren't many stand out games to choose from in the SJL this week, but let's look at the final game of the week for the Boston Berserkers, who are off to fine 8-4 start and tied with the Jacksonville Wolf Pack and Washington Night Train to first place. In their Friday evening game against El Paso, they got their second excellent start of the week from staff ace Adrian McLeod (staff ace is a relative term and it's not a strong staff). On Sunday afternoon he had hurled a complete game shutout against the Seattle Alligators. And 24-year old catcher Elvis Iniguez, now largely considered the best backstop in the business, was the hitting star when he not only hit his 2nd homer of the year in the 2nd inning but then hit the 9th inning double that broke a 3-3 tie and scored from second when Kasey O'Neil followed with a single.

MLG:





For the second week in a row the MGL game of the week featured the ageless two-time Pitcher of the Year Jaime Schardein. In Tuesday's 17-inning victory over Detroit, the 41-year old Schardein lasted 11 innings, scattering 9 hits, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) while striking out 7 and walking one batter. His marathon effort allowed L.A. to not deplete their bullpen and have fresh arms to the end of this 4 hour and 45 minute game. In the end the Spinners got the walk-off win when another veteran star, Jesus Hernandez, led off the bottom of the 17th with a single, moved to second on a Greg Foster sac bunt, and scored from second (the 36-year old third baseman is slow but is still one of the smartest base-runners in the game) on a Heath Zweig line drive singe to left-center.

Although L.A. was slowed down a bit by the Brewers later in the week, they still finish the week at 8-4, tied for 2nd place with Oklahoma City, and just behind the first place Baltimore Lords at 9-3.