The W.P Kinsella League Random Update Thread

[BirdWatcher]

Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.

Jesting aside, largely because of the kind and encouraging words of folks like stevem810, pauwoo, and Sizeman21 over in the most recent thread where I recently concluded my rather detailed reporting on the Denver Brewers of the W.P. Kinsella League, I have decided to offer up at least occasional updates and tidbits of information from the WPK as the league moves forward into the 1980's.

For anyone not familiar with the background, please see the links in the signature below (if you wish). For anyone who has followed along in the past, I hope that this less frequent and much more abbreviated coverage of the league (and in particular, the Brewers) still offers some enjoyment and edification.

I had put together a framework for this first post, with specific categories of discussion, but hey, in the spirit of this more casual approach, I'm going to skip that for the moment and go straight to this:


Antonio Acuna continues consecutive game hitting streak, now 2nd longest in WPK history!




As anyone who has followed along here no doubt recalls, the Denver Brewers veteran star second baseman Bobby Erbakan put together a 45-game hitting streak in the early summer of 1977, to easily shatter the previous mark of 34 straight games set by Nick Haran of Phoenix in 1969. (As an aside, the 38-year old Haran, who is very injury prone- Wrecked- and who has had a series of sub-par seasons since reaching his mid-30's, is experiencing a renaissance this season as a member of the Washington Night Train, hitting .312/.455/.605 and being on pace for 6.6 WAR, which would be his best since his career peak of 8.6 set at age 27. The question is how long he can stay healthy.) Well, now Erbakan's teammate Antonio Acuna, the reigning MGL MVP, has passed Haran to move into second place and isn't done yet. He still has a long way to go to get to Bobby's mark. But there can be no doubt that Acuna has become the biggest star on the Brewers club.
It should be noted that while the Brewers liked the tools profile of Acuna when they traded away the 1975 MGL Rookie of the Year Rodrigo "RodRod" Rodriguez and capable outfielder John Flores (who has been a mainstay of the Wild Things lineup since) to acquire him from Portland, he was hardly a hot prospect. Having been selected in the 5th round of the 1974 draft out of Paradise College, Acuna was a late bloomer. As recently as early last season, he was considered a 4th outfielder by the club. But at this point Acuna has proven himself to be one of the finest players in the game and a true 5-tool talent. (In addition to leading the league in home runs with 15 and sitting in 2nd place in RBI with 56, he has also stolen 18 bases while being caught trying only 3 times.)


Current WPK Standings:




Whalers Thompson hurls first WPK No-Hitter of 1980:



As has been well documented elsewhere, the Columbus Whalers are the pitching powerhouse of the first decade and a half of WPK history (think Maddux, Glavine, Smoltz era Braves). Last season they had four 20-game winners on their staff and one of their top pitching prospects, Bill Thompson, found himself languishing in the bullpen most of the season. With young Kevin DeRouen, who was 20-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 1979, out for the season after elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, the fan favorite Thompson is finally getting his crack at the rotation. And in his most recent start he hurled the first no-hitter of the 1980 season, and against one of the better lineups in the SJL in Philadelphia. (The Whalers starting staff, although still formidable, is not performing as well this year as they did the past several seasons. Although some of that might be attributed to an uptick in offense around the league, some also theorize that bringing in coveted free agent catcher Greg Foster, who is one of the finer hitters at his position but considered merely average defensively, may have been detrimental to the staff.)

Brewers Banter:

As you can see from the standings the Brewers remain a strong team this season although they have found themselves looking up at the upstart San Francisco Velocity pretty much from the earliest days of the 1980 campaign. The Brewers do still have the best run differential in all of the WPK and have under-achieved somewhat thus far and there is a great deal of season left.

I won't go into great detail at this moment, but will talk about a few developments with the club.

The aforementioned Bobby Erbakan, in the first year of his new lucrative contract extension, got off to a horrible start at the plate (.230/.271/.411, and that marks an upswing from his even more anemic start) before being sidelined with a herniated disc in his back. He is currently on the IL, where he has been since May 20th, and isn't expected to be able to return to action for at least another 3 weeks. Oh, and reports are that his work habits have taken a nosedive now that he has been locked up to one of the more generous contracts in the league. At age 33, and combined with his propensity for injury, this does not bode well for the remainder of his contract and his career.

On a brighter note, young left-handed starting pitcher Austin Bond, who has mostly moved his way up the minor league system with a minimum of fanfare, has emerged as a valuable 5th starter for the club this year, and after a fine start yesterday against the Baltimore Lords he is 7-3 with a respectable 3.94 ERA. (His BABIP is .309, his FIP is 3.94 and his FIP- is 92, indicating that his numbers seem like solid reflections of his reality at this stage of his career, and with more development still expected for the 23-year old sparkplug.)

I need to run now (well, not literally, but my father awaits a regularly scheduled phone call from me) so I'll end this here.
But I'll try to check in with updates and will certainly keep you all posted regarding Antonio Acuna's hitting streak.

[BirdWatcher]

Not that there was ever any doubt about Felix Lopez being a first ballot WPK Hall of Famer but if there had been yesterday's news would have erased it, as the great 2-time league MVP, 10-time All-Star, 6-time Silver Slugger, and 1-time Gold Glove center fielder collected the 3,000th hit of his illustrious career, the first player in WPK history thus far to reach that mark.
The 37-year old has lost a few steps over the last several years and is injury prone, but after seeing considerable declines in performance following his most recent MVP season of 1976, when he put up 7.5 WAR while playing for Brooklyn, Lopez is having a renaissance year with Washington in 1980, and is on pace for a 6.8 WAR campaign. The hard-working veteran also recently passed the 1,000 RBI career mark (is now at 1,003), has a career slash line of .331/.374/.437, is the WPK career leader in triples with 194, is second in career stolen bases (behind Josh Jenkins, who has 648) with 639 (while having been caught stealing 228 times, also 2nd all-time, behind Lazaro Lowndes at 341), and is 2nd only to Jesus Hernandez (102.3) in career WAR at 97.0.

Acuna's hit streak ends at 35 games:



It was previously reported that the Brewers Antonio Acuna had surpassed Nick Haran with the second longest consecutive game hitting streak at 35 straight games, trailing only teammate Bobby Erbakan's incredible 45-game streak from 1977. As it turned out, that was as far as the streak would go. Still, if anything Acuna has been hitting a bit better, with the pressure lifted off his shoulders, since then, and he currently leads all of the WPK in home runs with 19, is 2nd in the MGL in RBI at 67, 3rd in batting average in the MGL at .355, now leads the league in WAR among position players at 4.4, has stolen 19 bases while being caught stealing just 3 times, has 6 outfield assists, has more walks (22) than strikeouts (15) and is on pace for a 9.5 WAR season.

San Antonio's Mussaw to IL:



The San Antonio Keys, in a battle with the El Paso Dawgs for dominance in the SJL West, saw their superstar 4-time SJL MVP (each of the past 4 seasons) shortstop Bud Lindsay go down with a hip injury early in the current month of June and aren't expecting him to be able to return until sometime around the All-Star break. Fortunately for the Keys their younger superstar second baseman, John Mussaw, is a natural shortstop who has been pushed to second by the presence of Lindsay on the team. (Also fortunately for them, they have a veteran star in Jared Hancock to take over at second base.) Unfortunately for San Antonio though, Mussaw himself has now been felled by injury, a separated shoulder which will sideline him for at least 3 weeks. The Keys offense remains potent and they do have a defense-first shortstop who can fill in temporarily in Mark Bocek, but anytime you take arguably the two best middle infielders in the game off the field, well, that has to hurt.

David Freeman of Charlotte Sting out for rest of season!:



Speaking of injuries that really hurt a team, the Charlotte Sting saw their best player, 23-year old right fielder David Freeman, who was leading the MGL in WAR at the time of his injury, suffer a torn flexor tendon in his arm while making a throw from the outfield against the Denver Brewers recently, and he is lost for the rest of the 1980 season. The speedy and defensively gifted young man was hitting .328/.378/.518 in the early going and on pace for a possible MVP year in just his second full season (he had matched his WAR total of 1979 at 4.1.)

Brewers Banter:



The Denver Brewers announced recently that they had locked up 2-time MGL Pitcher of the Year Sadahige Kawasaki to a 6-year extension. Kawasaki, who the Brewers signed as an international free agent out of Japan back in the Fall of 1974, was in the last year of his contract, though the team did have one more year of control as he was arbitration eligible at the end of this season. Rumor has it that the 32-year old hurler was looking for a 10-year deal but eventually he and the team agreed on a 6-year pact that was a bit more lucrative on an annual basis. The big question mark with Kawasaki is whether he will remain healthy as he moves into his mid-and-late 30's. He profiles as having average durability and yet the reality is that in his 5 plus seasons with the club he suffered just one injury, and that was a minor, non-arm related one (a bruised left foot that hampered him for just 6 days back in August of 1975.)
Although the indications this year are that Jim Atwell is emerging as the true ace of the Brewers staff, Kawasaki remains one of the better starting pitchers in the game, and with his great intelligence and strong work ethic, most observers feel it is a good bet that he will continue to perform at a high level for most, if not all, of the duration of the contract.

The Brewers also reached agreement with left fielder Val Guzman on a contract for next year, avoiding arbitration at the end of the season. Val will see his salary rise from the league minimum of $41,600 this season to a more robust $220,000 next season. He will have two more years of arbitration eligibility after that before he would be free to test the free agency market, though many believe the team will get the popular, toolsy team-leader under contract more long-term before that time comes.

[Sizeman21]

Good update BirdWatcher. The snippets are well written and easy to follow along with. Nice post.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Sizeman21

Good update BirdWatcher. The snippets are well written and easy to follow along with. Nice post.

Thanks once again for your kind words.
I will hope that these less frequent snapshots of the league can still capture the flavor of the WPK and as time permits and the spirit moves me I will try to go more in depth on certain aspects of this fictional universe and the Brewers club in particular, in lieu of the game-by-game approach that I took in the past.

In many ways I think I'm feeling a bit rejuvenated by taking the pressure off myself to provide more extensive and consistent coverage.

(So one teaser for a later post- 4th starter Bryant Cox, in his first full season in the rotation, has shown a greater propensity to get hitters to swing and miss than his ratings would have seemed to indicate previously, though admittedly his minor league K/9 numbers were pretty impressive. His numbers this year are a bit inflated by a 13 K game, including a run of 8 straight strikeouts which ended when he allowed a solo home run, but given that he hasn't pitched that deep into games thus far, his K totals have been rather higher than expected. And sure enough, the latest development update indicates an increased perceived current and potential stuff rating. He is one of several young pitchers whose development trends are encouraging as the Brewers system is currently pitching rich (at all levels) and position player poor (except at the highest levels).)

[BirdWatcher]

The Current Standings:



There is a strong two-team race shaping up in the SJL West between two of the three Texas-based teams in the division, the reigning SJL champs San Antonio and the team that won the SJL pennant in 1978, the El Paso Dawgs. San Antonio has at times been without the services of their two superstar middle infielders, the often injured (Wrecked) all-world shortstop Bud Lindsay (who was out for six weeks with a hip strain) and John Mussaw (who suffered a separated shoulder in late June that sidelined him for 3 weeks), but still have a potent offense with leftfielder John Freeman (.317/.441/.560) leading the league in home runs with 24, and lead-off man and fine center fielder Zach McClelland hitting .310/.374/.427 with 19 doubles, 11 triples, and 42 stolen bases. Young left-handed starting pitcher Michael Noland got off to a terrific start this season but has experienced some set-backs recently and is now 8-9 with a 4.21 ERA. The Keys recently acquired veteran left-handed starter, and former Brewer, Erik Sloan from St. Louis to shore up their very average rotation.
Much different story in El Paso, where an under-powered offense is counterbalanced by a strong pitching staff and the best defense in the league. The danger is that the mostly veteran rotation is led by two very injury prone starters in Dan Bottom and Vincent Medina (who also plays first base and leads the team in homers with 14 and RBI with 67).
The rest of the SJL West is so weak that even after having suffered through a 15-game losing streak to start the month (technically the first loss came in June) the Seattle Alligators somehow still end July in 3rd place.

The SJL East is led by the Pittsburgh Roadrunners and while part of the story is the pitching of their two veterans at the top of the rotation- Eric Johnson (15-2, 3.44), the former Brewer who had his first 20-win season last year, and the ultra-durable 28-year old Tony Rangel (12-5, 3.59)- and the play of their young almost sure SJL Rookie of the Year first baseman Nick Johnson (.382/.443/.471), who leads the league in batting average and is 3rd in WAR among position players- this is where we finally report on the spectacular break-through season the 26-year old right fielder Matt Van der Heyden is having.
Well, here, see for yourself:




At this fairly advanced stage of the season, Van der Heyden is on pace to set WPK records in runs scored, runs batted in, walks (breaking his own record in this one), and possibly WAR. Not that he wasn't already one of the best players in the league, but this year he is the best baseball player in the WPK universe and particularly with the injuries to Lindsay and Mussaw, he is hands down the most likely player to be named SJL MVP.
Washington is somehow managing to stay in contention in spite of a rather mediocre offense and a poor pitching staff. Top starter Art Ferrante is having a fine season- 11-9, 3.57- but the 31 year old righty always seems to be walking a tightrope with the frigid lake of career ending injury waiting below to envelope him should he lose his balance. And they do have one of the finest closers in the game in Jeff Chaffee (though he's also reportedly a bit of a selfish jerk). Basically they are over-achieving and it isn't likely to continue the entire season. But don't count on Philly or Columbus as this division will probably tighten up down the stretch. (No surprise that Jacksonville, who got off to a hot start, have fallen towards the bottom of the standings, where they belong.)

In the MGL West, San Francisco remains strong but have been overtaken by our Brewers. (More about Denver below.) This looks like a 2-team race and the Velocity should make it interesting down the stretch with a number of good young hitters, including arguably the best overall catcher in the game in Andrew Litteral (L.A.'s Jason Ott would certainly argue this point) and a deep rotation led by veterans Mike Stagner, Dan Knauff, and Jim Anast but with talented 26-year old Jon Harrington at the top of the pile, currently with a 12-7 record and a 2.96 ERA.

The MGL East should be a dogfight but the real question is whether the eventual division winner will even have a winning record. Brooklyn's veteran first baseman Danny Salvador continues to belt home runs (22) and remains a feared hitter, Montreal has gotten a great season from their 27-year old first baseman Chase Moeller (.351/.404/.563) though he has been showing some signs of regressing as the season progresses, Oklahoma City is under-achieving a bit but in spite of having some very talented players (second baseman Justin Banks, right fielder Jaime Benjamin, in particular) their offense shrinks to nearly nothing after the top three slots in the lineup and their pitching is mediocre at best. And really mediocre at best should be the slogan for the MGL East. It should at least make for an interesting pennant race, if you enjoy battles for the the right to claim to be the least bad of an unpromising bunch. (Hard to say what happened to Detroit this year, but I keep expecting them to come to life soon. Hasn't happened yet.)

Brewers Banter:

The Denver Brewers had a strong month of July, including putting together a 10-game winning streak mid-month, to take over first place, overtaking the San Francisco Velocity just a few days after the All-Star break.

These three certainly helped:






Sadahige Kawasaki's primary competition in his quest to win a third straight MGL Pitcher of the Year award might be teammate Jim Atwell (11-7, 3.10). Although Atwell's basic numbers don't look that impressive, he leads the MGL among pitchers in WAR (5.2), K/BB (4.3), FIP (2.73), and is 2nd in WHIP (1.14) and K/9 (7.3). The biggest change in Atwell's game this season is his much improved control, as he is third in BB/9 at 1.7, just behind teammate Kawasaki (1.6) and Chris Justice (1.5), who recently was traded away by Brooklyn to Milwaukee in the SJL.

Antonio Acuna once again is in competition with Detroit's John Hemmah for the MGL MVP, or so it would seem at this point of the season. Acuna has already exceeded his home run total from his MVP 1979 season, has stolen 25 bases while being caught trying only 3 times, is on pace for 30 doubles and 38 home runs with 148 RBI while walking more times than he strikes out and scoring 127 runs.

And young left-handed starting pitcher Austin Bond started Spring Training this year as a borderline prospect not likely to make the Opening Day roster. But he quickly got the attention of the scouting and coaching staffs who saw him blossoming into a legitimate back-of-the-rotation arm with maybe even mid-rotation potential. He has not disappointed, and even hurled an impressive 6-hit shutout of Portland early in the month while ending the month with a complete game victory over Brooklyn in which he allowed just 1 run on 4 hits. He's durable and a hard-working sparkplug of a player and he's becoming a favorite of management quickly. As the lone left-hander in the rotation the kid has earned a role in the rotation for the foreseeable future.

[BirdWatcher]

Yeah, I really need a new laptop.

I just noticed that this thread title is missing the . after the P in W.P. Kinsella.
That button on my laptop keyboard isn't very responsive these days and I often have to make sure to click on it several times before it takes. So I wouldn't be surprised if there are times here where you will see multiple period punctuation marks but I hadn't noticed until now that there was a missing one- a glaring omission (to me, at least) right there smack dab in the middle of the thread title.

Oh well.

[Sizeman21]

Good read BirdWatcher. Ugh, I want Van Der Heyden on every team I manage. You might see him in the World Series if Pittsburgh gets that far in the playoffs. San Francisco is not making it easy for your team this season, they are keeping a close pace with you. Can't slip up now.

Keep up the good work BW!

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Sizeman21

Good read BirdWatcher. Ugh, I want Van Der Heyden on every team I manage. You might see him in the World Series if Pittsburgh gets that far in the playoffs. San Francisco is not making it easy for your team this season, they are keeping a close pace with you. Can't slip up now.

Keep up the good work BW!

Van der Heyden has been a stud in the making for several years now but boy has he put it all together this year. One thing I have not yet noted is that the great Bud Lindsay, who is nearing 30 and considered wrecked in terms of his injury proneness, has returned from his latest stint on the IL with several of his batting ratings having taken a bit of a hit. He is still a great player and a Gold Glove shortstop, but his days as the Mike Trout of the WPK may be over.

As for the San Francisco Velocity, I had taken a rather deep dive look at all of the teams in the WPK near the end of the 1979 season (not something I reported on) and my feeling at that time was that San Francisco was likely on the verge of being a much better team, possibly the 1980 version of the 1979 Detroit Falcons club. And that has proven to be true. The biggest factor, other than the fact that their best young starting pitcher has another year of development behind him and that they added a few solid veteran arms, was that they are finally letting some of their talented young outfielders play regularly- Cameron Olsen in center field and especially Brian Paul in right- though they still have two other young outfielders at AAA who should probably be on the squad now and instead they keep sending out 32-year old, fragile, and offensively mediocre (though he is a fine fielder) Adam Pester to left field and in the leadoff slot (he is a good OBP guy). They have been slow to embrace the youth movement, and while they have taken some steps forward in that regard, there is room for growth. In some ways an injury to Pester might be the thing they need to force them to bring up Greg Dohman or their top prospect Matt Christensen which would give them an even more potent lineup. (Admittedly, both of these guys have makeup issues, but also enough talent to make them worth the risk.)
I fully expect a good pennant race between our Brewers and San Francisco- with L.A. always having a chance to get back in it too- down the stretch, even if we have opened up a bit of a lead right now.

[BirdWatcher]

Juan Olguin spent the first ten seasons of his career with the pitching-rich Columbus Whalers, first in the bullpen primarily and eventually settling into the back end of that great rotation. As a result, he largely labored in anonymity in spite of putting together an 85-50 career won-lost record with a fine 3.48 ERA and 1.21 WHIP. The durable veteran lefty pitched for Boston last season and matched his finest previous season (1976) by WAR with a 3.7 campaign. This year he is with Philly and on pace for pretty much the same and recently he tossed the first no-hitter of his career.
It is something of a testament to how good that pitching program is in Columbus that even their castoffs are among the better pitchers in the game.




Having not long ago reached the career 3,000 hit milestone and in the midst of one of his strongest seasons in years, Felix Lopez has been lost for what will likely be the rest of the regular season due to a severely strained hip muscle. At 37, Lopez is a sure first ballot Hall of Famer but has shown a great propensity for getting injured with a variety of ailments over the past several seasons and one wonders just how much longer he will choose to battle through the pain. He signed just a 1-year contract with Pittsburgh in the offseason as a free agent and it will be interesting to see if he comes back to try again in 1981. The one thing Felix has never been able to experience in his storied career is the post-season and with Pittsburgh leading the SJL East one wonders if he will find his way back to the roster for the playoffs this year, if his team makes it. One can imagine that if his club did manage to win it all and finally get him that championship ring it might be fortuitous time to hang up the spikes.


One other quick note, in case you haven't noticed it, is that several teams in the WPK got some nifty uniform upgrades to start the 1980's. I particularly like that Philadelphia uni that Olguin is sporting above.

[BirdWatcher]

This kid is gutsy!



Austin Bond is becoming a favorite of mine. Yesterday he hurled a 5-hit shutout (striking out 8 batters) of the dangerous Baltimore Lords lineup while getting very little run support from his teammates. Bond himself got one of the seven Brewer hits in the game and with a slim lead going in to the 9th inning he finished things up by getting Baltimore third baseman Luis Rodriguez to hit a harmless grounder to short, and then struck out the Lords best hitter, Robert Mustard (.336/.374/.517) and finally potential future Hall of Famer and 2-time MGL MVP Chris Tobin (.291/.354/.488), watched the first pitch of his at-bat swoosh by for strike one, fouled off the second pitch, and was called out on strikes on the third pitch to end the game.

Antonio Acuna saw a 19-game hit streak end in this one and Val Guzman led off the game with his 9th home run, which would turn out to be all that young Mr. Bond would need to earn his 12th victory of the season (and, indeed, of his big league career.)

At some point in the near future I really do need to talk a bit about the growing stable of home-grown starting pitching prospects in the Brewers organization. Recently Eric Maisch was upgraded by the experts to #6 on the WPK Top Prospects list and at age 20 he has been pitching at the AAA level and although his 9-10 win-loss mark might not indicate domination, he has a good 3.07 ERA, a very good 1.11 WHIP, 11.2 K/9 rate combined with a 2.8 BB/9, a FIP of 3.32 with a FIP- of 77, and a very reasonable BABIP of .290 (actually a bit high compared to his professional average in this category). In other words, he is another ace in waiting in the WPK organization and should be on the big league club in less than a month.

And I won't go into too many more details but suffice it to say that 1979 2nd round pick Jose Corpeno has moved up to AA Nashville and is profiling as potentially a solid #2 rotation arm, Stephen Brooks, who was the 1st round pick in '79 is faring a bit less well and after starting the season at single A he was demoted to short-season A Jersey City, but is considered the 44th best prospect in the WPK and profiles as at least a quality mid-rotation pitcher, and among the 4 pitchers the Brewers selected in the most recent draft in the first 2 rounds, 19-year old Ryan Kim with his already advanced changeup and groundball profile is off to the best start and is seen as another strong #2 or #3 arm in the system. (And it seems very possible that between Eric Fehrenbacher- the 1st round pick this year- 19-year old Jim Evans- taken in the supplemental 1st round and off to a great start in Rookie ball- and durable 21-year old 5-pitch collegiate hurler Jim McKnight- the other 2nd round pick this year- at least one, if not more than one, will end up being solid big league starters.)

When you combine that with Jim Atwell (selected by the Brewers in the 5th round of the 1975 draft), Bryant Cox (7th round of that same draft), and Austin Bond (2nd round pick in 1977), it is starting to look like the Brewers could have a completely home-grown rotation of great quality in just a few short seasons from now.

[BirdWatcher]

The current standings as we start the last full month of the 1980 regular season:



In posts the next few days I will go into a bit more depth about each team and look forward to the potential pennant races.


Richard Escamilla MGL Rookie of the Month:



Richard Escamilla was the Denver Brewers second round pick in the 1973 draft but had found himself blocked by Brett Taranto in spite of putting up impressive numbers the past several seasons in the minors, including hitting .348/.435/.663 with 21 doubles and 28 home runs over the course of 97 games with the Brewers AAA affiliate the Chester Big Stick this season (good for 5.4 WAR) before being traded to Charlotte a few days before the non-waiver trading deadline in exchange for right-handed starting pitcher Gary McLaughlin (who looks like another potential middle-of-the-rotation big league arm, and profiles as a team captain, because just what the Brewers organization needs is another starting pitching prospect )
While the trade may end of being advantageous to the Brewers in the future, it certainly has paid off in the short run for both Escamilla himself and his new team, as he is off to a great start as the new starting first baseman for the Sting, and is even now regularly their cleanup hitter. And given that there just wasn't a place for him on the Denver club, we are happy for his success.
(Someday I might need to talk a bit more about how many former Brewer first base prospects are now either regulars or role players, and a few even stars, on other teams. Short list for now- Mike Lovett of Philadelphia, experiencing a bit of a down season after his near MVP 1979 campaign, but still on pace for a 4.5 WAR season- Jacob Kieft, who was the starting first baseman for Oklahoma City last year, hitting 20 homers and putting up 1.8 WAR- Billy Ferguson, a long-time Denver minor league outfielder, who is getting his first taste of the big leagues with Philadelphia and off to a good start at the plate- Geoff Bartholomew, playing both shortstop and first base as a valuable bench role player- Sepi Koller, who has played parts of four seasons with Philadelphia though most of his playing time came in 1975-1976 and he has not played at the big league level this year yet, but did just get a September 1st call-up- and Brad McManus, who has had three cups of coffee with Columbus and has just been called up for his fourth. Oh, and I almost forgot Bobby Stewart, who has played 5 games for the L.A. Spinners this season and just returned to the active roster today. I guess this is what happens when an organization has Bobby Erbakan manning first base for 7 straight seasons followed by Brett Taranto the next 5 (including this season). )

[BirdWatcher]

As I alluded to earlier, I decided to pause momentarily and take a deeper dive as the WPK calendar turns to September 1st of 1980.

So going division by division I will check in on each team and provide a bit of a preview of what the upcoming pennant races might look like and some of the players that could affect the outcomes.

Most of this should be self-explanatory, but so that I can simplify things a bit below, I'll lay out a few basics first. As I go team by team I will list (though you can also find this in the post above) their current record and place in the standings, how their record compares to their pythagorean expected wins total, their ratings in the league for runs scored (RS) and runs against (RA).

I will then list the best position player and best pitcher for each team, based mostly upon their WAR this season, though when those numbers are very close I will use my best judgement. I will also indicate a player who is on the rise as well as one who is looking to be in the decline phase of their career (occasionally these categories might feature comeback players or players having disappointing seasons instead, but that will be noted.) And looking at the stretch run I will isolate one or more players who are roster expansion additions who might have some impact and also will identify which significant players are currently on the IL and will be for part or all of the rest of the season.
Finally, I'll give a little summary overview for each team as we head into the final full month of the regular season.



Shoeless Joe League, West Division

the El Paso Dawgs: , 79-51, 1st place, +3 (over pythag expected wins), RS: 6th, RA: 1st.

Best position player: Pete Wierderkehr, CF, 28 years old- .321/.389/.498, 6.2 WAR.

Best pitcher: Phil Satterfield, RHP, 30- 12-7, 2.66, 1.16 WHIP, 4.1 WAR (started season with Seattle.)

On the Rise: Rich Davis, CL, 24- 6-3, 27 svs, 3.47, 1.28 WHIP, 1.0 WAR.

In Decline: Jeremy Nickerson, RF, 29- .225/.273/.318, -0.8 WAR.

Key September call-up: Arturo Uscanga, SS, 22- 6.2 WAR at AA this season. Great defense and speed!

Out of commission: Malachi Person, SS, 26- .284/.305/.387, 3.1 WAR- has fractured hip and is out 7 to 8 months.

Pennant Race Summary: The Dawgs, having finally completed their rise from being the weakest team in the WPK for the first decade of the league's existence, not only won the SJL in 1978 but in fact they also earned their first WPK championship title by defeating the Denver Brewers 4 games to 2 in the Kinsella Classic Series. But 1979 was a reversal of fortunes for the Dawgs as they finished in a distant 7th place. Behind a deep if unheralded starting pitching rotation and with the league's best defense the Dawgs have bounced back in 1980. They are under-powered offensively (10th in HR's) and they are relying on a few starting pitchers (Dan Bottom and Vincent Medina) who are considered wrecked in terms of injury proneness so there are some possible perils ahead but at the moment they are the favorite to win the SJL West, with a bit over a 71% chance of taking the division.


the San Antonio Keys: 76-54, 2nd place, +3, RS: 2nd, RA: 8th

Best position player: John Mussaw, 2b, 26- .292/.368/.499, 6.4 WAR.

Best pitcher: Michael Noland, LHP, 25- 13-9, 3.63, 1.34 WHIP, 4.6 WAR

On the rise: Mike Shervey, RF, 25- .305/.344/.515, 2.6 WAR in 381 plate appearances.

In decline: Erik Sloan, LHP, 37- 7-15, 4.85, 1.45 WHIP (between 2 teams.)

Key September call-up: None (meaning nobody significant.)

Out of commission: Tommy Egli, RP, 25- torn rotator cuff, out 5 weeks. Not a significant contributor to the team when healthy.

Pennant race summary: The reigning SJL pennant winners remain a potent offensive powerhouse with players like center fielder Zach McClelland, shortstop Bud Lindsay (when he's healthy), and left fielder John Freeman, along with the aforementioned Mussaw and Shervey, presenting a scary sight for opposing pitchers. Their starting rotation isn't bad, their bullpen is though. And they have been disappointing defensively this year. Don't count them out yet- they are given a bit less than a 30% chance of winning the division- but they need to keep Lindsay healthy and they need to field their positions better and perhaps try to limit their bullpen usage.

the Seattle Alligators: 61-68, 3rd place, +3, RS: 7th, RA: 10th.

Best position player: Fred Reinhardt, 1B, 29- .325/.377/.469, 4.4 WAR.

Best pitcher: Eduardo Carillo, RHP, 27- 12-8, 3.62, 1.32 WHIP, 3.0 WAR.

On the rise: Justin Pauly, 2B, 25- .290/.358/.452, 4.4 WAR.

In decline: Bubba Houston, RP, 29- 3-4, 2 svs, 3.59, 1.55 WHIP, -0.1 WAR (injury prone and once was very promising pitcher.)

Key September call-up: Chris Pate, LF, 23- 4 WAR between A and AA this season.

Out of commission: Steve Rosales, LHP, 23- 9-8, 4.62, 1.57 WHIP, 1.8 WAR (torn meniscus, 3-4 months)- Rosales is one of the most promising young starting pitchers in the WPK but was probably rushed to the big leagues a bit too soon.

Pennant race summary: This is truly a 2-team race and it is a testament to how significantly the talent level in this division drops off after El Paso and San Antonio that a team this weak has managed to stay in 3rd place nearly the entire season. Nothing to see here folks.

the Chicago Fire: 52-78, 4th place, -1, RS: 11th, RA: 5th

Best position player: Jose Flores, CF, 24- .271/.357/.406, 3.3 WAR.

Best pitcher: Daniel Riha, RHP, 28- 12-8, 3.39, 1.32 WHIP, 3.8 WAR.

On the rise: John Miller, 3B, 24- .255/.310/.378, 2.3 WAR.

In decline: Jalen Cotton, RHP, 34- 9-16, 4.37, 1.51 WHIP, 1.6 WAR. One of the most underrated pitchers in the game due to pitching for poor teams most of his career. He has had WAR's of at least 5 for the past 4 seasons. But time seems to be running out on Cotton as for once he likely deserves his poor win-loss record.

Key September call-up: Pat Corral, SP, 23- a 2-way player who is also a decent left fielder. Not a great talent, but could be useful.

Out of commission: Alfredo Sanchez, CL, 28- shoulder inflammation, out for 3-4 more months.

Pennant race summary: After a 100-loss season in 1979, this actually marks some improvement for this original expansion team in its 6th season. No chance to contend yet, and probably not anytime soon. But their minor league system is ranked 4th best and talent is on the way. Better days should be coming eventually.

the Houston Cavaliers: 52-79, 5th place, +2, RS: 12th, RA: 9th.

Best position player: Carlos Lopez, C, 31- .239/.294/.373, 1.9 WAR.

Best pitcher: Adrian Moreno, RHP, 30- 8-15, 4.38, 1.54, 3.0 WAR.

On the rise: Matt Harris, CL, 24- 9-3, 20 svs, 1.71, 1.31 WHIP, 2.1 WAR.

In decline: Trevor Leach, 3B, 36- .248/.283/.367, 1.2 WAR.

Key September call-up: Eric Huch, RP, 22- possible future starting pitcher, but profiles as fragile.

Out of commission: None

Pennant race summary: See Chicago Fire above, except Houston's farm system is #2 and in 19 year old outfield prospect Alex Raymos they have a guy who looks like a possible generational talent.

the Milwaukee Cadets: 46-84, 6th place, -8, RS: 10th, RA: 6th.

Best position player: Josh Schultz, 1B, 32- .259/.345/.377, 2.3 WAR.

Best pitcher: Rich Serrrano, RHP, 25- 6-11, 3.76, 1.29 WHIP, 3.5 WAR.

On the rise: Bobby Olsen, LF, 24- .305/.429/.450, 1.4 WAR in 163 plate appearances

In decline: Matt Kinney, LF, 29- .265/.297/.418, 0.8 WAR.

Key September call-up: Jon Ehrhardt, RF, 24- .340/.370/.528 at AA, 3.7 WAR between AA and AAA, a Captain and has a plus hit tool.

Out of commission: Curtis Robey, SP, 23- torn labrum- out another 4-5 months- great potential pitcher and fan favorite- profiles as durable.

Pennant race summary: The Cadets have under-achieved this season but even if they hadn't they are a middle-of-the-road team at best. They do have some good young talent but not much coming after the current crop as their farm system is ranked 15th. They were hit with an abnormal number of injuries and at least some improvement next season is likely- but they have already been mathematically eliminated from contention this season.

Next up: the SJL East.

[BirdWatcher]

The Shoeless Joe League, East Division

the Pittsburgh Roadrunners: 74-55, 1st place, +1, RS: 1st, RA: 12th

Best position player: Matt Van der Heyden, RF, 26- .372/.491/.626, 10.1 WAR.

Best pitcher: Eric Johnson, RHP, 33- 16-5, 3.68, 1.20 WHIP, 2.6 WAR.

On the rise: Nick Johnson, 1B, 25- .386/.450/.472, 6.4 WAR.

In decline: Bill Lechner, 1B, 33- .207/.258/.276, 0.0 WAR (career .285/.326/.417, 25.1 WAR, 4 WAR 162-game average player).

Key September call-up: Toby Noguchi, 1B, 23- plus plus power tool- 48 home runs this season at AA, 199 in his minor league career already. Pretty much a 1-tool guy but it is an elite one.

Out of commission: Felix Lopez, CF, 37- .375/.409/.452, 4.4 WAR. Severe hip strain, out another 4 weeks.

Pennant race summary: Matt Van der Heyden is more than just the best position player for the Roadrunners- he is the best position player in the WPK period. And rookie Nick Johnson is on his way to winning the batting title and is pretty much a lock for SJL Rookie of the Year (he is also a fan favorite and a decent defensive first baseman). Pittsburgh is a speedy team that isn't all that defensively talented with a deep but unspectacular rotation and a mediocre bullpen. This is a very competitive division with four teams still very much in contention. If Pittsburgh is going to win it they will likely need their offense to just keep crushing opponents. Being without the services of veteran future first ballot Hall of Famer Felix Lopez, who was having a great season, hurts.

the Washington Night Train: 73-56, 2nd place, +2, RS: 3rd, RA: 4th

Best position player: Luis Gonzales, 1B, 33- .312/.367/.504, 3.7 WAR.

Best pitcher: Art Ferrante, RHP, 31- 15-11, 3.29, 1.22 WHIP, 4.2 WAR (Wrecked!)

On the rise: Ki-Moon Kym, 2B, 24- .364/.440/.534, 1.7 WAR in 134 PA.

In decline: Josh Connelly, 3B, 32- .207/.278/.336, 0.2 WAR (3.0 WAR career 162-game average.)

Key September call-up: Matt Wright, RF, 23- 7.9 WAR between AA and AAA this season, good hit tool, smart, speedy.

Out of commission: Rick Downey, CF, 23- .271/.342/.526, 3.5 WAR (strained triceps, 24 days left on IL) and Nick Haran, RF, 38- .264/.398/.521, 3.6 WAR (fractured hand, 9 days left on injury time).

Pennant race summary: Washington wasn't expected to contend this year coming off consecutive 9th place finishes. And while nothing really stands out about this club they also have done most everything pretty well. They don't field well however with a team ZR of -25.9, which probably hasn't helped a starting rotation of proven veterans arms. The bullpen is very good, led by closer Jeff Chaffee. They are currently without two of their best power hitting outfielders though both are expected back before the end of the regular season. Of the three teams at the top of the standings in this division, Washington is given the least chance of winning (25.4% chance) but they have bucked conventional wisdom thus far, so who's to say they won't continue that trend?

the Philadelphia Mud Hens: 74-57, 3rd place, -1, RS: 4th, RA: 3rd.

Best position player: Xiao-mei Mah, 2B, 33- .342/.415/.508, 5.4 WAR.

Best pitcher: Rino Aguillon, RHP, 30- 14-9, 2.94, 1.16 WHIP, 5.3 WAR (fragile).

On the rise: Curt Mickelson, LF, 26- .286/.338/.470, 3.6 WAR, and Ron Carmouche, RP/SP, 22- 3-4, 17 svs, 2.50, 1.22 WHIP, 1.0 WAR (fragile but great potential)

In decline: Ryan Rodgers, RF, 41- .254/.380/.285, 0.5 WAR over 361 PA (hey, the former Brewer is Hall of Fame bound, but he is 41 years old after all.)

Key September call-up: Paul Lewis, 1B, 23- 6.8 WAR at AAA with 38 homers, can also play left field.

Out of commission: Tristan Russell, LHP, 29- 11-5, 3.46, 1.40 WHIP, 1.7 WAR (shoulder inflammation, out 4-5 months.)

Pennant race summary: I've been saying it for a few years now- this team is going to contend eventually, but they better do it while their ultra-talented Taiwanese second sacker Mah, who is fragile, is still playing at a high level. Since joining the WPK as an international free agent prior to the 1975 season Mah has been a perennial MVP candidate and has a WPK career slash line of .337/.422/.503 and just under 40 WAR and the question is just whether he will accumulate enough quality and healthy seasons to make the WPK Hall of Fame or not. It will be a shame if he doesn't, as he is HOF material. Philly is calculated as having a 32% chance of winning the division (Pittsburgh is most likely at just under 40%). I'd like to see Mah get his shot at a ring before it is too late. (I should have added that he is a highly respected teammate, with smarts, a great work ethic, and flexible, team-first attitude.)

the Columbus Whalers: 71-59, 4th place, -5, RS: 5th, RA: 2nd

Best position player: John Kantlehner, RF, 31- .362/.422/.514, 5.8 WAR.

Best pitcher: Luis Ramirez, LHP, 28- 17-8, 2.82, 1.13 WHIP, 6.3 WAR (winner of last 2 SJL Pitcher of the Year awards and a main contender again this season).

On the rise: Bill Thompson, RHP, 24- 11-8, 2.97, 1.17 WHIP, 5.3 WAR.

In decline: Cody Barnhart, LHP, 31- 7-4, 3.75, 1.24 WHIP, 1.7 WAR (still not a bad pitcher, but fragile and aging and headed towards a career cliff potentially).

Key September call-up: None (nobody significant).

Out of commission: Kevin DeRouen, RHP, 24- has been out all season after elbow ligament reconstruction surgery, still needs 3-4 more months of recovery. Was 20-6 with a 2.70 ERA in 1979.

Pennant race summary: The Columbus Whalers pitching staff is still quite good, it just isn't up to the dominant standards it has set over the years. Even their 27-year old team captain and normally light's out closer Jamar Clay, who set a WPK record for saves with 51 last season, is having a disappointing 1980 (7-7, 19 saves, 3.66 ERA, 1.37 WHIP). Their offense isn't bad, with veteran right fielder John Kantlehner, who has mostly flown under the radar in spite of 4 straight seasons with WAR's of 3.8 to 5.5 (1979), having a career year at age 31. This is a good team. But not a great one anymore, at least not at the moment. And likely an also-ran in the pennant race.

the Jacksonville Wolf Pack: 64-65, 5th place, +4, RS: 8th, RA: 7th.

Best position player: Eric Allman, C, 26- .365/.409/.504, 3.2 WAR in 269 plate appearances (and team Captain!).

Best pitcher: Joe Cassidy, RHP, 28- 10-8, 4.37, 1.38 WHIP, 2.1 WAR (seriously, this is their best pitcher in 1980- crazy, I know.)

On the rise: Mike Florack, CF, 24- .321/.391/.513, 2.7 WAR in 257 PA. 5-tool skills and the #48 top prospect in the WPK.

In decline: Juan Maldonado, LHP, 30- 4-13, 3.92, 1.28 WHIP, 1.7 WAR. I feel bad picking on Maldonado here as the 2-time 20- game winner hasn't really pitched that bad but he is fragile and now on the wrong side of 30 (in baseball terms ) and has been trending in the wrong direction the past few seasons.

Key September call-up: Waylon Park, CF, 29- 3.2 WAR at AAA this season, career minor leaguer but plus defense and speed and big league capable as a role player. Plus, I just really like the name (perfect grind it out name combining Country music great Waylon Jennings and trailer park imagery. He's kind of got the face for it too- though he needs to grow a beard.)

Out of commission: Bruce Heath, SS, 29- .282/.311/.409, 2.4 WAR (herniated disc,back- out 3-4 more weeks), and Randy Cali, LHP, 34- 12-5, 4.04, 1.28 WHIP, 1.4 WAR (torn rotator cuff- expected to be out at least 14 months), and Jose Becerra, RHP, 25- 7-13, 4.45, 1.19 WHIP, 1.1 WAR (shoulder inflammation, 4-5 months recovery time)- had 4.9 WAR season in 1979.

Pennant race summary: Jacksonville got off to an unexpectedly strong start this season but it was inevitable that they would eventually tumble down the standings and they have, though they still are only 1 game below .500 and some of their struggles can be chalked up to a number of serious injuries to key players. Still, they have over-achieved any way you cut it and with the 20th ranked farm system better days may still be in the distance some ways ahead. They have played solid defense (+20.6 WAR, 2nd best in SJL)- that might be the nicest thing that can be said about them.

the Boston Berserkers: 52-73, 6th place, 0, RS: 9th, RA: 11th

Best position player: Chase DiMascio, CF, 30- 311/.369/.520, 3.9 WAR.

Best pitcher: Lancarote Serr, LHP, 30- 7-6, 3.29, 1.25 WHIP, 3.3 WAR (started season with Columbus, but 2.9 of his WAR comes while pitching for Boston).

On the rise: Kyle Adams, 1B, 23- .306/.341/.507, 2.1 WAR in 405 PA. Along with Pittsburgh's Nick Johnson, this kid is at the top of a crop of fine young first basemen and like Johnson will almost surely contend for batting titles and league MVP awards for many years into the future. Incredible hit tool package with plus plus contact and home run power still developing. Slow but not a bad defender at first either. (Could probably even play an acceptable third base if he got some experience there.)

In decline: Cody Kane, LF, 34- .259/.305/.430, 0.5 WAR in 377 PA. Great leader- team captain- and possible Hall of Famer but fragile and at this stage of his career a poor fielder and has been pushed out of a starting role by 22-year old rookie 2-way player Jason Walkinshaw. Justin Vargas has also had a disappointing season (.289/.351/.462, 2.4 WAR) but he's 32 and durable and still appears to have strong tools so we are going to call it too early to declare it a career in decline.

Key September call-up: Mario Fernandez, CF, 23- Gold Glove caliber defender, elite speed, average hit tool (and some indications that he could become a disruptive force in the clubhouse)- put up 2.9 WAR at AA this season.

Out of commission: None (well, DiMascio is day-to-day with a sore elbow for an expected 6 more days, but that's it.)

Pennant race summary: One would expect a team with at least a few potential future Hall of Fame players (Vargas is likely a lock, Kane a bit less so), the best defensive catcher in the game (Elvis Iniguez), and one of the most promising young hitters in Adams (not to mention 6-time All-Star third baseman Kasey O'Neil, still a very solid player at 32 and considered an Iron Man) would be a bit better than this. Granted, right now they can lay claim to the title of best last place team (barely ahead of the Detroit Falcons of the MGL East). But that isn't much to brag about. A pitching staff that is almost the worst in the league and a porous defense (-27.7 team ZR) doesn't help, of course. They have the 7th best rated farm system but they also have key players who aren't getting any younger. The future is cloudy for the Berserkers. It's hard to tell right now when the sun might emerge again.

Next up: the MGL East

[BirdWatcher]

Moonlight Graham League, East Division

the Montreal Royals: 64-66, 1st place, +2, RS: 11th, RA: 7th

Best position player: Chase Moeller, 1B, 27- .338/.389/.544, 5.2 WAR.

Best pitcher: Bobby Martinez, LHP, 27- 9-15, 3.86, 1.20 WHIP, 3.3 WAR.

On the rise: Eric Goerg, LHP, 25- 9-7, 3.56, 1.20 WHIP, 2.9 WAR.

In decline: Omar Trujillo, CF, 31- .156/.219/.230, -0.7 WAR (career 162-game average of 3.0 WAR).

Key September call-up: Josh Smithers, 3B, 27- 3.2 WAR at AAA with 18 homers and 26 stolen bases- should be starting 3B of future for Royals.

Out of commission: John Belch, SP, 29- 5-9, 4.60, 1.51 WHIP, 0.3 WAR- torn flexor tendon, out another 17-18 months.

Pennant race summary: The Montreal Royals could make history as the first expansion club to make the post-season in their first year in existence. Less positively, they have the chance to make history as the first team in WPK history to make the post-season with a losing record. Obviously this is the first year of divisional play and an expanded post-season, the first year of a round of playoffs prior to the Kinsella Classic Series. They are currently calculated to have just under a 52% chance to winning the MLG East. The Royals have a decent stable of pitching prospects who are not that far away from the big leagues, having selected a few older prospects in the expansion draft and then grabbing some more advanced collegiate arms in their first amateur draft. They do have a mix of younger position players and grizzled veterans and if they are going to continue to contend the next few years they will likely need to identify some younger potential positional starters. But then again, if the MGL East continues to be so weak they might not need to try that hard.

the Brooklyn Aces: 61-67, 2nd place, -2, RS: 10th, RA: 6th.

Best position player: Robert Marinko, 2B, 26- .290/.341/.462, 4.4 WAR.

Best pitcher: Jose Hernandes, RHP, 28- 12-11, 3.14, 1.33 WHIP, 4.4 WAR- a fan favorite and an Iron Man.

On the rise: Chris Caldwell, LF, 25- .306/.337/.475, 2.9 WAR.

In decline: Chris Blackmore, SS, 31- .235/.278/.320, -0.2 WAR- career 4 WAR per 162 game average.

Key September call-up: Armando Roca, C, 24- 3.5 WAR between AA clubs in Phoenix and Brooklyn organizations this year- excellent defense, average bat- possible future back-up catcher.

Out of commission: Danny Salvador, 1B, 32- .284/.382/.473, 3.7 WAR, fractured thumb- out 3 more weeks.
and Taylor Mannarino, RHP, 34- 10 games, none started, 5.96 ERA and 1.76 WHIP this season before suffering torn elbow ligament, out 7 months. Normally a pretty solid pitcher, was a 16 game winner with Seattle in 1975.

Pennant race summary: Ah, the ever under-achieving Aces. Having lost their pitching ace, Aaron McNally, in free agency, they still have a decent rotation, led by young Jose Hernandes and veteran swing-and-miss specialist Joel Travino. But their bullpen is weak (they lost their best young reliever, Edgar Cruz, in the expansion draft), their defense below average, and their offense anemic. With their farm system ranked 23rd out of 24, the future does not look bright in Brooklyn. This might be their last best chance for some time to get to the post-season. They are given about a 13% chance of doing so.

the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings: 61-68, 3rd place, -1, RS: 12th, RA: 5th.

Best position player: Justin Banks, 2B, 24- .323/.355/.448, 4.7 WAR
and Jaime Benjamin, RF, 29- .305/.371/.491, 4.6 WAR.

Best pitcher: Parker Rayfield, LHP, 30- 10-12, 3.38, 1.34 WHIP, 5.4 WAR.

On the rise: Frank Ortega, CF, 25- .300/.362/.459, 3.3 WAR- fragile but great hit tool and plus plus speed.

In decline: Kevin Reed, 3B, 33- .231/.277/.293, 0.3 WAR- career 3 WAR 162 game average, team leader.

Key September call-up: None

Out of commission: Steve Meehan, RHP, 26- 4-6, 3.57, 1.25 WHIP, 1.9 WAR, torn back muscle, out for 3 months, great potential but fragile.

Pennant race summary: The Diamond Kings look like a team with some of the pieces in place to build a core that can contend soon and their farm system is ranked the 5th best in the WPK, largely on the strength of what appears to be the best international scouting program in the game (current left fielder Xu-gang Chan was a scouting discovery out of Venezuela with Taiwanese ancestry, top prospect Antonio Briones is a shortstop out of Curacao- and he looks like a future great- and their 3rd best prospect is second baseman Edgar Lopez, also out of Venezuela). They are given a 17% chance of winning the division this year, but whether they do or not they look like one of the stronger teams in the MGL East going forward.


the Charlotte Sting: 61-69, 4th place, +3, RS: 9th, RA: 10th.


Best position player: Eddie Evans, LF, 27- .253/.333/.468, 4.3 WAR, started the season with St. Louis.

Best pitcher: Justin Matthews, LHP, 25- 14-8, 4.01, 1.24 WHIP, 3.0 WAR, team captain but also fragile.

On the rise: Rich Allen, RHP, 24- 3-3, 4.95, 1.37 WHIP, 0.4 WAR- the #14 top prospect in the WPK, durable, a future rotation anchor.

In decline: Drew Johnson, 1B, 35- .269/.328/.454, -0.3 WAR in 443 PA. Still a dangerous power hitter, with 20 homers this season, but no speed, no defense, and has lost his starting job to former Brewer Richard Escamilla.

Key September call-up: None

Out of commission: David Freeman, RF, 23- .328/.378/.518, 4.1 WAR, torn flexor tendon, out 4-5 more months. Freeman is the actual best position player on the team, but not available the rest of this season.

Pennant race summary: The Sting are given a slightly over 9% chance of winning the division. And that might even be generous. Without their young star right fielder David Freeman the offense is mostly dismal (though Escamilla has provided some punch at clean-up), and although the pitching staff has some legitimate arms (closer Vinny Arreola is one of the best, former Brewer Justin Peacock is a proven veteran at the top of the rotation, though he is fragile) the defense doesn't do them any favors. The farm system is pretty good (9th), particularly stocked with pitching prospects. But for Sting fans the most likely refrain at this point is wait 'til next year.

the Baltimore Lords: 60-68, 5th place, -1, RS: 5th, RA: 8th.

Best position player: Robert Mustard, RF, 28- .350/.386/.557, 4.6 WAR- team leader, beloved, having a bounce-back season after a rather disappointing 1979.

Best pitcher: Sako Zakian, RHP, 29- 12-11, 3.20, 1.29 WHIP, 4.4 WAR. Durable and one of the best names in the game.

On the rise: Juan Beldevez, RHP, 27- 13-13, 3.99, 1.34 WHIP, 3.2 WAR- A durable arm and steadily improving with age, possesses great control.

In decline: Devin Schwisow, 1B, 33- .253/.337/.466, 1.4 WAR. The power hitting veteran has 21 bombs this season but that's about it. He's old, slow, fragile, and has a reputation for not caring. I wouldn't want him on my team.

Key September call-up: Jose Gandara, 3B, 24- 5.7 WAR at AAA this season, future starting third baseman, a leader with an excellent all-around hit tool (I would want this guy on my team!).

Out of commission: Matt Vaughan, RHP, 26- 4-6, 5.89, 1.65 WHIP, 0.1 WAR- shoulder inflammation, out 3 months- fragile.

Pennant race summary: Baltimore plays in a good hitter's park so it's not a surprise that they score a lot of runs year after year. They do have a few under-rated pitchers (see above) and their top prospect, 19-year old Julio Michelena is already at AA and looks like he could turn into a legitimate top of the rotation arm, but they need to play better defense to take advantage of this. Having potential future Hall of Famer Chris Tobin at shortstop doesn't help much. He remains one of the more feared hitters in the game but has a ZR of -21.5 this season. Baltimore is given about a 13% chance of winning the East this year.

the Detroit Falcons: 56-73, 6th place, -3, RS: 8th, RA: 9th.

Best position player: John Hemmah, CF, 25- .361/.440/.521, 6.6 WAR. Along with Denver's Antonio Acuna and Portland's Justin Ficklin, one of the top candidates for the MGL MVP award.

Best pitcher: Aaron McNally, RHP, 29- 14-9, 3.37, 1.28 WHIP, 5.1 WAR.

On the rise: Ryan Rystrom, RHP (CL), 24- 7-11, 25 saves, 3.58, 1.56 WHIP, 0.3 WAR. Rystrom has great potential but will need to develop a third pitch (he has a poor slider with no growth potential and a barely developed changeup with good potential, likely never to be reached) to be a member of the starting rotation. In the meantime he is the closer, a role he has handled not terribly for a young man still gaining experience.

In decline: Byron Whitehead, 1B, 29- .281/.291/.354, 0.9 WAR. A normally great hitter and always an excellent defender, perhaps just having an off year?

Key September call-up: Dave McGraw, LF, 23- mostly at A-ball this year but future potential with plus power, plus plus eye, and elite speed.

Out of commission: Matt Regan, RHP, 26- 7-12, 4.12, 1.38 WHIP, 3.7 WAR, torn labrum, out for 4 more months.

Pennant race summary: Oh, what a difference a year makes. Detroit, having risen from the depths of the MGL standings last year to become a contender, finds themselves back at the bottom once again in 1980. And this after having signed the top free agent starting pitcher- 3-time MGL Pitcher of the Year Aaron McNally- in the off-season, with top young pitching prospects Matt Regan and Ryan Rystrom in their second full seasons in the big leagues, young center fielder John Hemmah emerging as one of the best players in the game, and 27-year old Zach D'Amico one of the best catchers. In a weak division, the Falcons should have been a front-runner. But it was not to be. Perhaps 1981 will treat them better. With the now lowest ranked farm system in the game now is the time for this club. If not, their reputation as the worst team in the MGL might continue for years to come.

And finally, next up, the MGL West, the division of your Denver Brewers.

[Sizeman21]

I like these division / team summaries, keeps things entertaining! Good info for each blerb.

[BirdWatcher]

the Moonlight Graham League, West Division

the Denver Brewers: 89-40, 1st place, +1, RS: 1st, RA: 1st.

Best position player: Antonio Acuna, RF, 27- .345/.379/.599, 6.7 WAR.

Best pitcher: Jim Atwell, RHP, 27- 12-9, 2.69, 1.14 WHIP, 6.8 WAR.

On the rise: Bryant Cox, RHP, 26- 16-5, 3.61, 1.32 WHIP, 3.8 WAR.

In decline: Rich White, SS, 30- .259/.334/.360, 1.2 WAR
and Bobby Erbakan, 2B, 33- .269/.307/.426, 1.5 WAR.

Key September call-up: Eric Maisch, RHP, 20- 4.7 WAR at AAA, #6 overall prospect in the WPK, all indications are that he continues to develop into a future ace, potential future MGL Pitcher of the Year.

Out of commission: None! The Brewers have had plenty of injured players this year, but enter September with everyone healthy finally. Maisch is serving out the last few days of a suspension from a recent brawl down at AAA Chester, but other than that everyone is available.

Pennant race summary: After finding themselves looking up at San Francisco the first half of the season, the reigning WPK champs moved into first place just a few days after the All-Star break and haven't left that spot since. At this point they are given just under a 99% chance of winning the division and have won 7 straight games. The farm system ranks just above the middle of the pack, but at this point we have very few good position player prospects and with an aging infield where 3 of the 4 starters are fragile (first baseman Brett Taranto is considered an Iron Man), this could become a problem before too long. But pitching is a strength and, as has been well documented, the Brewers have a veritable plethora of likely future big league arms. The starting rotation, in particular, and the outfield look like they will remain the strongest elements of a very strong and deep team.

the San Francisco Velocity: 81-50, 2nd place, -1, RS: 3rd, RA: 2nd.

Best position player: Cameron Olsen, CF, 25- .286/.355/.478, 6.0 WAR.

Best pitcher: Jon Harrington, RHP, 26- 13-10, 3.30, 1.25 WHIP, 4.9 WAR

On the rise: Brian Paul, RF, 24- .330/.389/.441, 3.2 WAR in 414 PA, a sparkplug!

In decline: Howard Turnbull, 3B, 31- .244/.289/.341, 0.9 WAR.

Key September call-up: None

Out of commission: Andrew Litteral, C, 27- .343/.371/.435, 3.8 WAR- sprained knee, out 4 more weeks.

Pennant race summary: First off, it needs to be noted that the Velocity play in the most extreme pitcher's park in the MGL, so their hitters are probably even a bit better than they look and the pitchers perhaps not quite as good. But all-in-all, this a talented team, with a mix of proven and durable veteran arms in the rotation supporting 26-year old top starter Jon Harrington, 26-year old 2-time Reliver of the Year Joe Hall anchoring a strong bullpen, some of the most talented young outfielders in the game, and arguably the game's best catcher in Andrew Litteral. And if there is any reason to completely give up on this team's ability to catch the Brewers with a bit more than a month left in the season it is that Litteral won't be playing during that time due to his badly sprained knee. San Francisco is exactly in the middle of the pack as far as farm system rankings (just below Denver) but they have enough young stars, a strong enough core, that they should remain competitive for the foreseeable future.

the Los Angeles Spinners: 73-56, 3rd place, +3, RS: 4th, RA: 3rd.

Best position player: Jason Ott, C, 27- .339/.393/.513, 5.5 WAR.

Best pitcher: Kyle Bidwell, RHP, 33- 18-4, 3.04, 1.23 WHIP, 4.8 WAR.

On the rise: Mike Sudbrink, 3B, 27- .297/.324/.453, 3.4 WAR, in his first season as the starter following the departure of future HOF'er Jesus Hernandez, this solid defender with a plus power tool and strong work ethic has helped ease the pain of the loss of an L.A. legend.

In decline: Bill Winchester, RF, 30- .279/.354/.397, 0.8 WAR. Winchester was the big free agency signing for the Spinners in the off-season and they were probably hoping a change of scenery might help him return to his earlier form as a potential future Hall of Famer. It hasn't. The big, slow, fragile outfielder with limited range isn't aging well and likely his glory years are behind him. He's a good guy, reportedly, and he still has a mostly strong approach at the plate even if just average contact abilities. But that lucrative 5-year contract he signed in the off-season is looking like it might end up being an albatross deal for the team. Then again, this is the richest club in the MGL with a huge fan base, extreme fan loyalty, and a generous owner. So while this looks like a team headed in the wrong direction, don't underestimate their ability and inclination to throw money at the problem. (Okay, admittedly, some of that was meant for the summary below.)

Key September call-up: Yoo-hyun Yon, RHP, 24- this uber-talented side-arming reliever returned not long ago from a torn UCL which sidelined him for a year and pitched in 14 AAA games. He is fragile so it remains to be seen if he can ever live up to his tremendous potential.

Out of commission: Heath Zweig, CF, 29- out all season with post-concussion syndrome, needs 2 more months of recovery, and Riichi Nemoto, SS, 25- .221/.351/.322- suffered torn PCL, needs 6-7 months of recovery- one of the top prospects for the Spinners- a great defender with promising offensive potential.

Pennant race summary: As discussed above in the in decline section, L.A. looks to be a team heading in the wrong direction and in addition to having an aging starting rotation (granted, some of these veterans are durable and still quite talented), an under-powered offense, and a mediocre defense, their farm system is ranked #19. They do have one of the best bullpens in the game, made even better if young Mr. Yon can stay healthy. And, also as discussed above, they are made of money and don't mind throwing it around profusely. Now, if they just spend it a bit more wisely, they certainly have a chance to remain a competitive team going forward. But if not, they could just be a very expensive also-ran.

the Portland Wild Things: 64-67, 4th place, -5, RS: 7th, RA: 4th.

Best position player: Justin Ficklin, 2B, 28- .336/.427/.492, 7.4 WAR.

Best pitcher: Brad Evans, LHP, 32- 11-4, 2.64, 1.32 WHIP, 3.4 WAR.

On the rise: Willie Romero, SS, 22- .252/.289/.426, 6.1 WAR- almost surely the best defensive player, at any position, in the game today- as his easily best WPK ZR of +31.7 will attest. Not a great hit tool, but plus power. Oddly, for an infielder with elite range (well, elite everything when it comes to defense- 10's all around on the 1-10 scale), he is one of the slowest players in the game. Apparently he makes up for a lack of raw foot speed with good instincts and quickness (elite fast-twitch?) as he is a decent base-stealer and base-runner with a UBR of 4.2 and BsR of 4.7 and 4 stolen bases while being caught once. But he is also just 22 so one wonders if this lack of speed might catch up with him as he ages.

In decline: Ruben "Streak" Souffront, RF, 35- .217/.258/.285, -0.8 WAR in 250 PA. Now our old friend Ruben, on the other hand, remains quite fast and is an Iron Man with plus defense. But boy he can't hit a lick anymore. Pretty much done, it would seem. And he's a free agent at the end of this season.

Key September call-up: None

Out of commission: Jamil Morales, RHP, 27- 7-11, 3.60, 1.26 WHIP, 1.9 WAR, fractured elbow, out 3 more months.

Pennant race summary: The Wild Things have been under-achievers this year and you have to wonder if some of that might be that their best player- Justin Ficklin- is also one of the bigger jerks in the game and makes for a toxic clubhouse. They also have another disruptive force in starting pitcher Matt Toone and it is likely hard for their young captain, Joe Barbour, to keep peace when the team is losing and far out of first place. They have a fast offense, leading the league in stolen bases and 3rd in base running, but lack punch and also struggle to get on base. With Romero leading the way, their defense is strong. Their farm system, however, is not. They have a few young players who should keep the team from collapsing entirely but overall this looks like a team that will remain middle of the pack, at best.

the St. Louis Redbirds: 60-70, 5th place, -1, RS: 2nd, RA: 11th.

Best position player: Steve Whitehead, 3B, 26- .332/.401/.549, 5.7 WAR (but fragile).

Best pitcher: Jean Auge, RHP, 25- 12-9, 4.09, 1.46 WHIP, 3.0 WAR- Auge is a 2-way player ho also plays second base for the team and has put up 2.5 WAR in that capacity.

On the rise: J. J. Hebert, LF, 27- .337/412/.631, 3.8 WAR- the former Jacksonville 1st round pick (1972) is finally getting his chance to be a starter. He's slow, he's fragile, he can't field his position (though he has a strong arm). On the other hand, the kid just rakes at the plate and has a chance to lead the league in home runs if he can stay healthy and on the field. Oh- and I haven't even mentioned the most interesting thing about Hebert. He came into professional baseball as a 2-way player and primarily was a pitcher early on, putting up some good numbers but suffering a series of injuries until he finally was converted full-time to the outfield. He hasn't pitched an inning since the 1975 season.

In decline: Travis Johnson, 1B, 41- .237/.335/.313, -0.5 WAR. Like Ryan Rodgers, who was discussed above in the Philadelphia section of the SJL East post, Johnson is going into the Hall of Fame as one of the premiere outfielders of his generation. Unlike Rodgers, Johnson not only cannot play the outfield any longer but he can't field any position on a baseball diamond without being a severe liability to his team. And what's worse, apparently he can't really hit much anymore either. It's time to step away Travis and wait on your induction into the Hall.

Key September call-up: None.

Out of commission: Alvaro Hernandez, RHP, 32- 5 games in relief, 8 1/3rd innings, and then suffered torn labrum, out 6 months.

Pennant race summary: The expansion Redbirds got off to a decent start this year but have been fading as we head into the stretch run. They play in a good hitter's park so their offensive numbers may be a bit inflated, but they do have some talented and mostly young hitters. Their starting rotation isn't so much bad as it is shallow so they will need to add some quality arms if they are to compete next season. The good news is that they have some very fine and durable young pitchers currently down at AA Topeka so help is coming. True contention for a divisional crown is likely still years off, but they should be respectable for an expansion team the next few seasons.

the Phoenix Speed Devils: 47-83, 6th place, +1, RS: 6th, RA: 12th.

Best prospect: Larry Carnell, 1B, 29- .290/.366/.521, 4.1 WAR.

Best pitcher: Kevin Azevedo, RHP, 24- 9-10, 4.54, 1.46 WHIP, 1.3 WAR (and fragile).

On the rise: Chris Addison, CF, 27- .268/.342/.435, 3.3 WAR, great speed, good power, poor work ethic but smart.

In decline: Ruben Torres, LHP, 34- 8-18, 5.68, 1.58 WHIP, 1.0 WAR. Iron Man but average, at best, stuff, movement, and control and would need to get out of Phoenix to be anything but horrible.

Key September call-up: Chris Becker, C, 26- good defensive backstop, humble, likeable guy, has a good eye at the plate but otherwise not much of a hit tool package. But hey, maybe he could help the Phoenix pitchers from going absolutely crazy with his calming influence and strong catching ability. Every little bit helps when you pitch in Phoenix.

Out of commission: Ricardo Becerra, LHP, 22- 4-3, 4.86, 1.39 WHIP, 0.4 WAR, herniated disc (back), 4 weeks. Young lefty with great potential but fragile. And, well, he pitches for the Speed Devils. So this will not end well.

Pennant race summary: I've made several oblique references to this above, but in case you are new to the WPK or just have forgotten this fact, the Phoenix Speed Devils play their home games in by far the most extreme hitter's park in the WPK. Or to put it another way, this is where pitching careers go to die. And the fact that the Speed Devils are middle of the pack in runs scored this year tells you pretty much everything you need to know. Playing in this park, there is no way this team will ever win without being at, or at least very near, the top in every offensive category. Phoenix was the first team eliminated from post-season contention in 1980. And that is pretty much how this goes down every season. With the top ranked farm system in the WPK perhaps it doesn't always have to be this way in the future. On the other hand, their 10 prospects who are in the top 100 in the WPK are all pitchers. Every single one of them. So we'll see how that goes.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Sizeman21

I like these division / team summaries, keeps things entertaining! Good info for each blerb.

Thanks, friend!

[BirdWatcher]

Talk about kicking a team when they are down, adding injury to insult, etc., etc.
The Detroit Falcons watched their ace starting pitcher and big-name free agent signing Aaron McNally walk gingerly off the field after throwing his 50th pitch in yesterday's loss to the Charlotte Sting and later learned that he wouldn't return to the mound again this season.

[BirdWatcher]

Remember what I said in a previous post about Phoenix being where pitching careers go to die.

Case in point: Ross Welch. Now let's be clear, Ross Welch is not a talented big league pitcher. At age 32, he has pitched far more games in the minors than in the WPK, and his record over 8 WPK seasons is just 21-38 with a 5.25 ERA. His best season came in 1975 for the expansion Chicago Fire in their first season in the league when he went 12-11 with a 4.36 ERA and 1.49 WHIP (pitching his home games in a good pitcher's park).



Still, starting this season 0-16 with a 7.51 ERA is a bit extreme. And because baseball is a crazy game, he hurled a 4-hit shutout yesterday. Granted it probably helped that it was a road game. But good on Welch, finding a way to not go winless for the season.

[Sizeman21]

Boy, Welch's career is a head scratcher for sure. Looks like he could be a better NASCAR driver than a pitcher. Git er' dunnn!