Time Warp Baseball

[jdw]

> Nice story. I would probably hire Helbig
> next season, if he's still available for
> coaching/managing.

Cy's ego is WAY too big for Coaching, or managing in the minors. Cy will take no job unless it's as a manager of a Big Club.


John

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by jdw

Cy's ego is WAY too big for Coaching, or managing in the minors. Cy will take no job unless it's as a manager of a Big Club.

He'd likely agree to be a hitting coach. But I agree he might frown upon the minors.

[m0ng00se]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

Don "Karaoke" Adams, SP, Baltimore Orioles

Did they have Karaoke in the 50s? A bit off topic maybe, but I was just curious.

[tward13]

Doubt it. That is an odd one.

[marc]

Don Adams is my great uncle, not sure if Karaoke was around in the 50's but every family reunion that I can remember he brings his stereo and plays various show tunes and sings them, lol. It's actually quite a spectacle.

[pat]

Nice. I got both of your ancestors (Karaoke and String Bean). Hopefully, they'll pan out well.

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by m0ng00se

Did they have Karaoke in the 50s? A bit off topic maybe, but I was just curious.

I wondered the same thing but said, what the heck. It could be one of those nicknames he actually gets in the 60s or 70s, late in his career.

[Matt from TN]

WEB PAGES UPDATED... INCLUDING PLAYER PAGES


1955 Season Preview

American League

Last year was the first time ever that two teams won 100 games in the same league. At the same time, the White Sox tied the major league record of 108 losses, set by the Senators one year earlier, and finished a ML record 60 games out of first. The AL is a classic case of the have's and have not's. The Tigers, Yanks and A's will battle all year. Last season Detroit opened with a huge lead only to see it evaporate in the summer thanks to a smoking hot Yankees club. The Red Sox do not seem to be able to put a winning formula on the field, the Indians seem content to stay young and Baltimore is on the rise. Both Washington and Chicago will once again battle for last and one of them is bound to loose 100 games again.


1. Tigers (106-48, 1st) - Detroit cemented their legacy as one of the greatest teams of all-time with a third straight world championship. This year they are out to tie the major league record with four straight. They may be aging, but they are certainly not old. At least not yet. With an amazing assortment of talent, they are still kings until knocked off their perch.

2. Yankees (100-54, 2nd) - The Yanks showed their mettle with a late season charge of near-epic proportions last season. With an exciting core of players in their mid-to-late 20's, they look like the heir apparent to the Tigers' throne. Could this be their year to move on top?

3. Athletics (85-69, 3rd) - The move to Kansas City was almost inevitable as the team continued to struggle at the box office despite successful rosters over the years. As one local sports writer said recently, "Philadelphia has always been a one team town." The folks in Kansas City should be thrilled with the product they will be getting on the field. It will be the smallest market in the majors, but fans will get their money's worth. Their pitching staff is younger than New York's but the A's have a veteran presence in the lineup with Peaches Badeau, Hershel Cooley and Hershel Lee. This team could be a big surprise.

4. Indians (74-80, 5th) - They continue to stay young which gives them longevity but does little to improve their chances of winning a pennant this season. They should be a fun team to watch, but they are still outclassed by the major players in the league.

5. Red Sox (79-75, 4th) - The Red Sox have fallen a long way since their last world title a decade ago. Their top performers are all over 30, and the farm system is thin. They will struggle to stay over .500 this year, and their is no immediate help on the way.

6. Orioles (66-88, 6th) - New manager Carmack Alford will have his hands full getting this team above .500 this season, but he should be salivating over the exciting prospects coming through the system. He is a well-respected hitting guru, and young batters like Doug Williams, Boris Zimyanin, Ken Whitt and Chet Pardue can only benefit from his presence. The team is lacking in the pitching department, but there are signs of life there too with Sid Metcalf and Alter Sennelnekoff plus highly touted Bill Lovely at AAA Toronto. This system is loaded with top prospects, so it's only a matter of time until they contend.

7. Senators (60-94, 7th) - People within the organization do not believe Robert Gelder and Van Melbourn will pitch as poorly as they did last year. If that is true, they could form a solid rotation behind young stars Lukas Dietrich and Bob Netsky. The lineup is just plain ugly, but perhaps some young guys like Sam Kreitenberg and Leo Emig could get some major league experience.

8. White Sox (46-108, 8th) - The White Sox should not lose 108 games again this year, but 100 is not out of the question. Little has changed from last year, but they are hoping for improvement from youngsters Ernest Cohen, Champagne Allen, Robbie Rael and Henry Thomas.

[Matt from TN]

National League

With a flurry of trades over the winter, the NL has been shaken up. The Cardinals surprised a lot of people and even angered many fans by trading away most of the stars from their pennant winning club. After the retirement of Herman Dunkel and Junior Nunez, the team's management felt it was their best coarse of action. Many locals disagreed. "It a coward's way out," said one local radio broadcaster. "Instead of looking for the players they needed to win another pennant, they tucked their tails between their legs and shipped off their best players to their top rivals. [GM] Chuck Harris should be run out of town on a rail."


1. Reds (86-68, 2nd) - After finishing second last year, manager Ron Bennarivo moved from the dugout to the front office as the team's new GM. He swung a masterful deal in his first month on the job, landing two Cardinals stars, two-time POY Grady Ingram and perennial stolen base leader "Bullet" Ben Cook. Ingram adds legitimacy to the Reds rotation and should provide leadership for the young starters on the staff - Hank Makris (28), Leon Conley (26) and Jerry Pegues (25). Ingram should also benefit from pitching half his games at Crosley Field and in front of an impeccable infield defense. However, the move of Cook to 3rd displaces perhaps the best defensive third baseman in the majors, James Jones.

2. Phillies (77-77, 4th) - The Phillies became instant contenders when they acquired pitchers Garland Sisk and Loren Cost along with slugging shortstop Mike Fellner from St. Louis. That deal overshadowed another key move where the Phils reacquired James Lewis from Boston. Lewis will begin his 3rd stint with the Phils, moving to RF. He and Fellner should be excited about hitting at Shibe, and this team could have the best offense in the league.

3. Cubs (82-72, 3rd) - This is a good team that should be in the race all year. Pitching will be a strength, but there will be some concern over catcher Chuck Rauch playing a full season at age 40, and the rest of their offensive stars are over 30. Their window of opportunity could be closing.

4. Pirates (74-80, 5th) - Cotton Simson is back for another season at age 39. He will be the team's 4th starter, but there is a chance he could finish the season in the bullpen if his iffy spring is a sign of things to come. The offense will be their strength, and the acquisition of pitchers Daniel Blisit and Jack Schoonover from the Giants will help keep them competitive. Whether they have enough to win the pennant is a big question.

5. Dodgers (65-89, 8th) - After his first season with the team, manager Harry Finley believes this is the year the Dodgers make their move. Joe Helton is looking more and more like an ace, but the rest of the rotation is a bit shaky. The offense may not be spectacular, but it has potential. A run at .500 is certainly a possibility.

6. Braves (67-87, 7th) - This team is unlikely to contend, but they upgraded the rotation with trades for Mike Walker (Phillies) and Edgar Weingarten (Cubs). Ken Chaucer had his best season in Milwaukee last year, and Buck Tomlinson had a solid year as a full time third baseman. The key to their season could be how Abe Arsenault follows up his ROY season.

7. Cardinals (94-60, 1st) - Times have changed in St. Louis and changed quickly. All the trades created obvious holes on the major league roster, but the team certainly made major strides in rebuilding one of the thinnest farm systems in the league. There is potential for a solid pitching rotation, although the bullpen could be a mess. The offense will be a big question mark, but they should still be a tough opponent.

8. Giants (71-83, 6th) - This team is another year older and most of their key players are one year closer to retirement. Plus a brawl between 1B Ervin Thompson and P Lauren Slayton could be a sign of disfunction in the clubhouse. Ron Fleischmann returns to the rotation, and that could provide some fireworks. He allowed 21 HR in 170 IP last year, so a full season of regular starts could see him coughing up 40-50 HR thanks mostly to the Polo Grounds. This veteran-heavy team will fight hard to keep from losing 90 games. The good news for Giants fans is that the farm system is improving, however, most of their top prospects are down at Single-A.

[ifspuds]

I think your NL predictions are pretty solid. The top three could all flip-flop, as could the 4-5-6 spots. Ought to be another interesting season.

[canadiancreed]

I live for these predictions. I thin this is the first time the Reds have been rated frist since 1946, and the highest ranking since 1948.

wait, we sucked in 1946 and 1948. uh oh

[Vris]

The Dodgers? Better than the Braves? Ugh.

[tward13]

Giants won't finish last. No reason why, we just won't.

I hope John appreaciates the annual beatings I'm taking to leave him with a solid farm system in a couple of years.

[jdw]

I was very disappointed with the *lack* of beatings you took last year.

Blist, Schoon and Gardner were amazing last year when one factors in the park. If Jeff can get that same type of year from Blist and Schoon, the Pirates will be extremely tough. I'm not sure they can, but they will be very interesting to watch. Someone probably should pick off Gardner cheap (given his age) for BP help and emergency starting help. He could be like Emberling in the 1950 race - an old vet who has those 3-4 gem performances left in the holster at a key time when a starter has gone down to injury.


John

[canadiancreed]

The Dodgers? Better than the Braves? Ugh.

painful isnt it

serisouly though I think you'll finish ahead of them, mainly due to the pickups that you gathered for your rotation.

granted it wont be by much, but you'll do it

[Vris]

Probably not. This club never hits expectations. If they are supposed to succeed, they don't. And when they are supposed to tank, it's usually the opposite. Quite an enigma.

[canadiancreed]

Originally Posted by Vris

Probably not. This club never hits expectations. If they are supposed to succeed, they don't. And when they are supposed to tank, it's usually the opposite. Quite an enigma.

sounds like the Reds

[haggis007]

I know everyone has been talking about this already, but dang, those Reds look good!

And, sadly, so do the Tigers . . . .

[canadiancreed]

personally i'll beleive ti when I see it, but it is intresting that barring a few trades this was the team that was picked to finish 5th last year

[fhomess]

Originally Posted by canadiancreed

personally i'll beleive ti when I see it, but it is intresting that barring a few trades this was the team that was picked to finish 5th last year

It's not like they were minor trades, though. You picked up a 29 game Pitcher of the Year winner among other upgrades.