The W.P. Kinsella League random update thread

[BirdWatcher]

When Brett Taranto signed a 1-year extension on his contract with the Brewers last year he became the second highest paid player in the game, after Aaron McNally of the Detroit Falcons, for the 1982 season at just a bit under a million dollars a year (985K to McNally's 990K).




But next season, when McNally was slated to become the first million dollar a season player in the WPK, Taranto will be joining him, with each of them under contract for 1983 at 1.1 million. It was announced yesterday that the 31-year old first baseman for the Brewers, who could have tested the free agency waters at the end of this season, had reached agreement on a 6-year extension with the team with whom he has won three batting titles, the MGL Rookie of the Year award in 1976, and the MGL MVP award in 1978.

This season Taranto not only leads all qualified batters with a .436 batting average- on August 3rd- but also has the best WAR so far this season in the WPK at 7.0. He is durable, a sparkplug, an excellent defensive first baseman who won a Gold Glove award in 1977, and an extremely popular player not only in Denver but around the league (he was the top vote getter for the All-Star team among MGL players this year). Although he's fast he is a very poor baserunner and he doesn't walk often. Still, all things considered, he's worth every penny of his million plus a season extension.

Denver fans are ecstatic that they now know they won't have to worry about losing him as a free agent at the end of the season.

[BirdWatcher]

Houston outfielder Chris Heisler gets his second cycle in less than a month and becomes just the 3rd player in WPK history with 2 cycles in a career (the others: Greg Koenig, who retired in 1980, and L.A. center fielder Heath Zweig).

[BirdWatcher]

(Sorry for the delay in posting the second part of this.)

Having looked at retired players and their chances of making the WPK Hall of Fame, let's now turn to active (or at least not yet retired) players and do the same.
As a reminder, these projections are broken into 4 categories:
1) Probable First Ballot Hall of Famers,
2) Likely Hall of Famers,
3) Possible Hall of Famers, and
4) Borderline Hall of Famers- Hall of the Very Good Players.

And in parenthesis, after the players name, position, and primary team, the numbers represent their scores in these categories: JAWS/HOF Monitor/HOF Standards/Black Ink/Gray Ink.

Something I forgot to look at with the first part of this was player similarity scores, which can also be revealing. I will discuss these a bit in this part and will link back to some of the players discussed in the first part as appropriate and useful.


1) Probable First Ballot Hall of Famers (by current age):

--Felix Lopez, CF, (Brooklyn)- 79.2/214/58/68/185
The All-Time WPK hits leader with 3,147 base knocks, the highest Hall of Fame Monitor score of any player, active or retired, second highest JAWS score, HOF Standards score, Black Ink score, and 7th highest Gray Ink score. Two time league MVP, 11-time All-Star, 6-time Silver Slugger. Career stolen base leader with 656. Felix turns 40 in mid-October of this year and this season is likely his last hurrah. But if there is a sure first ballot Hall of Famer, and one player with the greatest chance of getting 100% of the vote on his first ballot, this is the guy. Most comparable players are Lazaro Lowndes (940) and Josh Jenkins (751).



--Josh Jenkins, 2B, (San Francisco)- 56.7/150/47/25/142
Probably the guy in this category most likely to fall just short on his first ballot, but if so almost surely a second ballot HOF'er. Jenkins turned 39 earlier this summer and is currently a free agent looking for a landing spot even as the season heads towards conclusion. Last year he played most of the season in the Denver system at AAA before getting a late season call up. That may have been his last taste of the WPK. But he certainly has the HOF Monitor score that makes him look like a sure thing inductee, he is second in career stolen bases with 654, is a 6-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glover and Silver Slugger award winner, has 3 championship rings, and has been considered one of the best clubhouse and on-field leaders in the game for nearly two decades. Most comparable to Lazaro Lowndes (761) and Felix Lopez (751), two sure Hall of Famers.




--Lazaro Lowndes, CF, (Washington)- 67.6/142/56/29/152
Lowndes is the only other member of the 3,000 hit club along with the aforementioned Felix Lopez. He is a former Rookie of the Year (1967), league MVP (1972), Kinsella Classic Series MVP (1971), a 6-time All-Star, 5-time Silver Slugger, 1-time Gold Glove award winner, and has 2 championship rings. And, naturally, his two most comparable cohorts are Felix Lopez (940) and Josh Jenkins (761). He is 35, under contract through the end of next season, and remains a solid performer.



--Justin Vargas, CF, (Boston)- 66.0/164/51/24/195
Vargas is a 2-time league MVP, 10-time All-Star, 3-time Silver Slugger, and 1-time Gold Glove award winner. At age 34, he now plays right field for the Portland Wild Things and is on pace for 3 WAR season. He has one of the best speed/power combinations of his generation with 289 career homers and 366 career stolen bases. He is durable and signed through 1986 and should add to his credentials over the next few years, but he's already a sure Hall of Famer. His most comparable players are Cody Kane (817) and David Beane (807), but this misleading as great players like Vargas often don't have many peers and these scores indicate that nobody in WPK history is all that similar to Vargas.




--Bud Lindsay, SS, (San Antonio)- 74.6/175/52/19/127
Like Justin Vargas, and probably even more so, Lindsay is a generational talent who stands out and doesn't really have any truly similar peers (most comparable: teammate Jared Hancock (833) and slugging right fielder Bill Winchester (822)). The only question with Lindsay is how long his injury ravaged body can keep going (Wrecked), but at age 34 he is putting up another MVP caliber season (on pace for 6.9 WAR). He won 4 straight SJL MVP awards (1976-1979), is an 11-time All-Star, a 6-time Gold Glover, 7-time Silver Slugger, was the 1972 SJL Rookie of the Year, has 1 championship ring and was the SJL LCS MVP in 1981. Oh, and he's been the captain of his very successful team since a very young age (he was 21 in his first full season- a 9.0 WAR campaign). His creaky body is the only thing likely to stand between him and WPK best career numbers. But make no mistake about it- this guy is the best player of his generation in the WPK.



2) Likely Hall of Famers:

--Chris Tobin, SS, (Portland)- 54.1/105/54/12/138
Tobin isn't one of the most admired players in the WPK (he is considered selfish) but there is no questioning his talent. He is a 2-time league MVP, a 10-time All-Star, 9-time Silver Slugger, and has led the league in hits twice and doubles once. And having now switched over to third base, having lost his range at shortstop, he is having a career resurgence at age 35 and is a legitimate MVP candidate again this season. He is durable and if he keeps playing at his current level for just a few more season, or even close to it, it would be hard to imagine him not making the Hall. His most comparable player is Mike Robinette (841), a borderline HOF candidate himself.

--Aaron McNally, SP, (Brooklyn)- 67.6/148/39/75/163
McNally, who has twice won the Pitching Triple Crown and is a 3-time Pitcher of the Year, is almost surely a Hall of Famer even if he retired tomorrow. The only question is whether he will maintain productivity now that he is in his 30's (31) in order to ensure first ballot induction. He is considered durable but did just recently return from missing 2 months of this season with acute elbow soreness, so that could be a warning sign. His best similarity scores are retired pitchers Chris Hernandez (917) and Jose Santos (913), each potential Hall of Famers but who will likely fall short, but given a few more strong seasons McNally should be a shoe-in candidate.

--Matt Van der Heyden, RF, (Pittsburgh)- 48.9/96/50/39/92
In the earlier first part of this look at HOF projections, I talked about the cautionary tale of Jesse Cibula and how a player can look like a sure HOF'er in their 20's only to drop off a cliff and never make it. We are now entering the portion of this category with Cibula Caution signs. Van der Heyden is coming off two seasons where he was clearly the best player in the game, winning back-to-back SJL MVP awards with WAR seasons of 12.3 and 12.8. He is just 28 years old and suddenly seemed to be emerging as one of the all-time greats in his prime. And then he got off to a relatively slow start in the 1982 season and earlier this month suffered a torn groin to end his season. He plays the game hard (Sparkplug) and is one of the best all-around hitters of his generation. Depending upon how he comes back from this serious injury next season, he remains a likely Hall of Famer. But there is danger here. (Most comparable player is John Freeman (896).)

--John Mussaw, 2B, (San Antonio)- 43.5/60/39/2/58
Mussaw is a long way from having full HOF credentials yet and the Cibula Caution is strong here. He is considered one of the most talented players in the game and profiles very similarly to teammate Bud Lindsay but he now also seems to following in Bud's footsteps in terms of injury proneness (fragile). Mussaw is a natural shortstop but because of Lindsay's presence on the same team has mostly played second base, where he has won 4 Gold Gloves. He was the KCS MVP when his team won the championship in 1980 and he is the current front-runner for the SJL MVP award this season. If, like teammate Lindsay, his body holds up long enough he will probably earn HOF induction. But there is still a great deal of risk that he might not make it.

3) Possible Hall of Famers:
(The list starts getting pretty long, so we will try to move a bit more quickly through the rest of this post.)

--Curtis Horah, LF, (Boston)- 73.5/87/28/4/89
Largely due to being the greatest defensive force of his generation (career ZR as a left fielder of 326.1), he has the JAWS score that says Hall of Famer. And no other real HOF credentials. He is a 13-time Gold Glove award winner and a 9-time All-Star. Will his outlier defensive skills be enough to earn him HOF entry? Possibly. (Think Ozzie Smith or Bill Mazeroski, except, well, in left field.)

--Sadahige Kawasaki, SP, (Denver)- 57.7/102/37/16/102
Kawasaki was already 27 years old when he joined the Brewers as a free agent out of Japan. So the real question is whether he can pitch long enough to qualify for the Hall but he certainly is getting close to having the credentials. This season, at age 34, his is legit Pitcher of the Year candidate (he already has 2 such awards) with his 15-3 record and 2.68 ERA.

--Luis Ramirez, SP, (Columbus)- 54.9/132/36/42/149
His HOF Monitor score alone would indicate that Ramirez will likely make the Hall eventually. He is just 30 years old, is an Iron Man, and remains one of the best left-handed starting pitchers in the game. He has a losing record this season simply because the Whalers have turned into a bad team. But we are betting here that this 3-time Pitcher of the Year award winner ends up in the WPK Hall of Fame and might end up a first ballot pick.

--Ju-ao Ju, RF, (Phoenix)- 47.6/160/38/43/170
I'm not quite sure what to make of slugger Ju, whose HOF Monitor score says sure Hall of Famer, but who otherwise doesn't really look like one to me. (He is sort of the opposite of Curtis Horah.) He did win a league MVP award, 7 Silver Slugger awards, and is an 8-time All-Star. And he's 7 homers away from 400 in his career. He is also 40, fragile, considered unmotivated, and was never a very good fielder (career ZR of -83.3). I've never thought of him as a Hall of Famer, but who knows?

--Brett Taranto, 1B, (Denver)- 38.6/119/33/24/90
Brett is in the midst of one of the most remarkable seasons in WPK history, still leading the league with a .430 batting average as we head into late August. He is easily the front-runner for the MGL MVP award and has won one earlier in his career (1978), along with a ROY award in 1976, 2 Silver Slugger awards and 1 Gold Glove award. He is a 6-time All-Star and has 2 championship rings. He doesn't quite have HOF credentials yet, but he's getting there fast and at age 31 he is considered durable and is one of the best players in the game. His chances aren't bad.

--Xiao-mei Mah, 2B, (Philadelphia)- 49.2/111/45/8/120
See Sadahige Kawasaki above. Except that Mah was 28 when he entered the WPK, is now 35 and fragile, and after putting up a 7 WAR season last year he is on pace for just over 2 WAR this season. He is a borderline candidate as it stands but he is also just in his 8th season in the WPK so he might not make it.

--Tim Shore, RP, (Denver)- 33.4/87/47/3/67
Denver's veteran closer is the All-Time WPK saves leader with 360, is a 9-time All-Star, 1-time Reliever of the Year, and has 4 championship rings. He is 36 and currently on the IL with a sprained ankle but his pitching arm has proven to be durable over the years and he is in the midst of another strong season (21 saves, 2.20 ERA). After the great Jamel McNeil, he might be the most likely next reliever to make the Hall.

--John Hemmah, CF, (Detroit)- 29.0/74/42/13/57
Another strong Cibula Caution player, but after having a disastrous 1981 season (-0.8 WAR) he is back to being one of the best pure hitters in the game and is on pace for a near 5 WAR season. Way too early to make a safe projection- he is only 27- but he has the talent to get there and is considered durable and a very hard worker. (He does probably need a move to left field soon though as he is only an average center fielder at best now.)

--Jason Ott, C, (Los Angeles)- 30.4/24/41/0/6
Ott is 29 and a catcher so it is hard to say what his career path will look like once he enters his 30's. But he is considered an Iron Man, is a great defensive catcher who also has a very strong bat. Among WPK catchers, probably the best bet to make the HOF eventually. But he's going to have to keep doing what he's doing for several more years before that will come true.

--Jose Casillas, SP, (Washington)- 48.9/66/40/24/177
Casillas, having a career year at age 35 having returned to his original club- the Washington Night Train- might yet make it to the Hall as a borderline candidate. His HOF credentials aren't great, but longevity and consistent quality have given him strong counting numbers and he is a fan favorite. If he makes it it will likely be after being on the ballot for at least a handful of years. But I'm rooting for him.

--Pete Wiederkehr, CF, (El Paso)- 42.4/49/40/2/44
The 1976 SJL Rookie of the Year has often flown under the radar since then but at age 30 he has quietly put up a very solid and largely consistent career since and is on pace for 4.6 WAR this season. He's a great contact hitter with plus plus running skills and a sparkplug mentality. He's got a long ways to go to be a Hall of Famer, but I wouldn't be surprised if he sneaks in eventually.

--Steve Whitehead, 3B, (St. Louis)- 22.0/46/40/9/37
Steve Whitehead has Hall of Fame talent, a good head on his shoulders, and was off to a possible MVP season this year. But he has a body that isn't likely to get him to the HOF finish line and has missed much of the middle of the season with a torn rib cage muscle. He is expected back for September but what the rest of this season looks like for him, not to mention the rest of his career, is a big question. My guess, no Hall entry in the end for this slugging third sacker.

--Antonio Acuna, RF, (Denver)- 28.7/84/39/18/67
Almost out of nowhere, Denver outfielder Antonio Acuna emerged as a back-to-back-to-back MGL MVP between 1979 and 1981. While this season has been less impressive, a strong second half has put him on pace for a 5.3 WAR season in 1982 and he has a good chance to win his 2nd straight Gold Glove award in right field. He is also on pace for 30 stolen bases with just 5 times caught stealing to go with 27 home runs. He is 29, durable, and signed through 1991. His MVP caliber years may be behind him (then again, they may not) but if he just basically keeps doing what he is doing induction into the Hall of Fame doesn't seem like a reach. Plus, how many 3-time league MVP's are likely to not be inducted into the Hall?

--Jim Atwell, SP, (Denver)- 31.8/55/33/19/71
By most advanced metrics the 29-year old Denver workhorse right handed pitcher remains one of the best starters in the game even though his raw numbers are somewhat less impressive this season than teammates Sadahige Kawasaki and Eric Maisch (18-3, 2.65, but currently on the 10-day IL with a strained back). Atwell won the MGL Pitcher of the Year award in 1980. He is a durable, innings-eating, groundball-inducing pitcher with an elite curveball and a sinker that often reaches 98 to 100 mph. Assuming he continues at his current pace at least a good handful more seasons the Hall seems a decent likelihood, with first ballot status still a possibility too.

4) Borderline Hall of Famers/ Hall of the Very Good Players:

This list is pretty long so I'm just going to list them first and then say a few things about at least a few of them.

They are Nick Haran, Jim Norris, Trevor Leach, Mike Stagner, Bill Winchester, Cody Kane, Jared Hancock, Joel Travino, Zach McClelland, Joe Hall, Manny Alvarado, and Danny Salvador.

They can be separated out into about three categories: 1) the near the end of their careers and probably falling a bit short grouping, 2) the still young and too early to call grouping, and the 3) what might have been grouping.

So, starting with category 1, a few notes:
--Nick Haran, CF, (San Antonio)- 54.9/47/46/13/120
Haran is 40 and has a career WAR of 68.8 with 351 career homers and 265 stolen bases. He is old and wrecked and not playing much but still on pace for 1.2 WAR this year as a part-time player. He is a classic Hall of the Very Good candidate.

--Trevor Leach, 3B, (Pittsburgh)- 53.0/79/38/2/84
Currently an unsigned free agent at age 38, the former team captain and 10-time All-Star might still make the Hall on the basis of his great popularity and solid career numbers. But he's also most likely a Hall of the Very Good guy.

--Cody Kane, LF, (Baltimore)- 44.1/100/41/17/187
Pretty much Trevor Leach but in the outfield. Team captain, long successful career with 10 All-Star roster inclusions, and a HOF Monitor score that is almost good enough for inclusion. He is 36, fragile, and on pace for a -0.1 WAR season with the Chicago Fire this season and there is little reason to believe that he will add to his HOF credentials before he retires. Great guy, very good player, not really a Hall of Famer.

Others in this grouping are 38-year 1973 SJL Pitcher of the Year Mike Stagner, 39-year old 2-time All-Star starting pitcher Manny Alvarado (wrecked and a seemingly unwanted free agent), 34-year old first baseman Danny Salvador (still playing at a high level but fragile and likely to fall a bit short of HOF credentials),

Category 2 (still young, too early to say) includes:

--Zach McClelland, CF, (San Antonio)- 41.9/78/30/29/72
The 30-year old 3-time All-Star is a fine player and has had a couple of 7plus WAR seasons in his career but he doesn't look likely to have a late career push towards Hall status.

--Bill Winchester, RF, (Pittsburgh)- 37.9/101/36/22/116
At one time the slugging outfielder looked like a likely future Hall of Famer, but he is now fragile, 32, an average fielder at best, and on pace for 0.7 WAR on a now bad team (Los Angeles Spinners). He's a good guy and at one time was a great player. Might actually also qualify for the what might have been category.

--Joe Hall, RP, (San Francisco)- 19.3/32/14/21/53
A case of way too early to predict, but the 28-year old Golden, Colorado native is one of the best closers in the game and has already won 2 Reliever of the Year awards. He is considered durable and smart and might end up being another Tim Shore and at least a possible HOF candidate.

Also in this category is strikeout specialist pitcher Joel Travino, who is 33 and trending in the wrong direction.

And, finally, 3) the what might have been grouping:

-Jared Hancock, 2B, (San Antonio)- 47.6/80/40/4/98
Hancock is a classic case of right place at the wrong time. There is every reason to believe that the 8-time All-Star was on a Hall of Fame path until he saw two of the most talented middle infielders (Bud Lindsay and John Mussaw) in the game come up as younger players on his team and rob him of his regular playing time.

--Jim Norris, SP, (Columbus)- 53.2/99/32/32/126
Norris career path is emblematic of what has happened to his team, the Columbus Whalers. Once a WPK powerhouse and the best pitching team in baseball, the Whalers have seen their stock diminish the past few seasons and now they are a poor team with an underperforming pitching staff. Norris, once one of the dominant left-handed starters in the game, won 2-straight SJL Pitcher of the Year awards (1976-1977) only to find himself, at age 31, pitching mostly out of the bullpen this year and with a 4.04 ERA. He still has great control and is considered an Iron Man, but as a flyball pitcher with poor movement and just slightly above average stuff, what once looked like a sure Hall of Fame career has turned into a what-might-have-been career.

[BirdWatcher]

The Washington Night Train veteran right handed starting pitcher Jose Casillas was well on his way, at age 35, to likely the best season of his long and largely quite successful big league career when disaster struck a couple of days ago and he was forced to leave his latest start against the Chicago Fire in the 4th inning. It turned out that he will need elbow reconstructions ligament surgery and won't be able to pitch again for at least 13 months.



It is a terrible blow for the first place Night Train as they try to hold off the reigning SJL East champs Pittsburgh down the stretch.
And it is also a possible blow for the Hall of Fame chances for Casillas, a very well-liked and nationally popular player who is considered a borderline candidate for the WPK Hall of Fame and now may not have enough time left in his career to pad his HOF credentials.

[BirdWatcher]

Matt Enders, the Denver Brewers third round pick in this year's amateur draft, is off to a good start in his professional career, with a .327/.360/.486 slash line with the short season A club, the Jersey City Judges, and yesterday extended his current consecutive games hitting streak to 25.



The 19-year old out of Silver Lake Regional High School in Kingston, Massachusetts, isn't considered a top prospect but he does profile as a future big leaguer, at least in a utility role. Although he is currently primarily a shortstop he is likely to switch to third or second base as a big leaguer, with a great arm and just good, but far from spectacular, range. He is fast and a good baserunner but the primary question is whether he will hit well enough to make it at the WPK level. But certainly his early returns with the bat are encouraging.

[BirdWatcher]

The 19-year middle infield (or third base) prospect Matt Enders just keeps hitting.

[BirdWatcher]

So as anyone who has followed along here at all closely realizes, the San Antonio Keys 31-year old shortstop Bud Lindsay is the greatest player of this generation in the WPK (think Mike Trout but at shortstop).
The 4 MVP's are on record, as well as the 6 Gold Glove awards, 11 All-Star appearances, etc.

But a lesser noted aspect of Lindsay's career statistically is his very fine walk to strikeout ratio.

Here are his basic career batting stats: (blue highlighting added by me to aid in illustrating my point.)




So while his career 513 walks to 436 strikeouts is good it isn't exactly astounding by any means. For comparison, Ryan Rodgers, formerly of the Denver Brewers, retired with a WPK record 1540 walks while only striking out 420 times in his 17-season career.

But look at what Lindsay did in his 9 WAR Rookie of the Year season of 1972: 128 strikeouts with just 38 bases on balls. Sure, he was only 21 years old but again, he put up 9 WAR, so it's not like he was over-matched in any way. He then had 2 injury shortened seasons in which his ratio got a bit better but also in which he still struck out more times than he walked. But starting in the 1975 season- his age 24 campaign- he has never had a season where his walks didn't exceed his strikeouts, and often by a good amount, with the best being his second of four consecutive MVP seasons in 1977, when he walked 73 times and struck out only 23 times. Talk about a young star player maturing and adjusting.
Just another way in which Bud Lindsay is some kind of special player.

[BirdWatcher]

As we enter the final month of the 1982 regular season I thought it would be a good time to stop and not only update the standings and basic leaderboards and spend a bit of time analyzing the pennant race possibilities (and maybe looking towards the future of some of the also ran teams).
(And in the next post I believe I will discuss the primary candidates for the league MVP and Pitcher of the Year awards.)

So, first, here are the standings as of September 1st:




And the SJL individual statistical leaders:





Now the same for the MGL:





Now, going division by division let's discuss the pennant races:


The Shoeless Joe League West:

As was the case since pretty early in the season, this is a 2-team race between the teams with the best record in the WPK- the reigning SJL champs the San Antonio Keys and the El Paso Dawgs, who last won the pennant in 1978, the year they won their only WPK championship.

Although San Antonio has led the division most of the summer, the Dawgs closed the gap over time and then moved into a tie with the Keys on August 29th. San Antonio does maintain the edge in run differential at +156 while El Paso's run differential is +137.

San Antonio is driven by a murderer's row of a lineup, featuring 4-time MVP and future first ballot Hall of Famer Bud Lindsay, one of the frontrunners for this years SJL MVP, John Mussaw, slugging first baseman John Freeman, speedy lead off hitter Zach McClelland, dangerous plus contact and plus power hitting right fielder Mike Shervey hitting cleanup, and breakout star third baseman Ryan Campell (hitting .351/.440/.577 since being promoted from AAA in early July.) There is no weak spot in this lineup. On the other hand, though, their defense is poor (in spite of having Gold Glove winning middle infielders) and their pitching staff is merely average. While their top 3 starting pitchers are good, the rotation isn't deep. The bullpen is anchored by one of the most successful closers- and bigger jerks- in the game in Pat Bergeron. It also features a few younger pitchers with good potential so the future doesn't look bad at all. The teams top prospect is a pitcher who is at AAA, so pitching reinforcement is on the way. But for this season it is the offense that will likely dictate how far this team goes.

El Paso, on the other hand, is the stingiest team in the SJL in terms of runs allowed. Their starting rotation has been very good but is also old and injury prone though they have a bit of insurance with talented 22-year old lefty Brandon Walker, a future starter, in their bullpen. (He is talented, durable, and has great stamina, though reportedly his baseball smarts are a bit lacking.) The Dawgs also have much better team defense than the Keys and are second in the league in team ZR. They also have great infield defense up the middle even if not the superstar caliber shortstop and second baseman that the Keys have. And it can't be said that El Paso's offense is weak this year either as they are 2nd in the league in runs scored (after San Antonio, of course), 1st in batting average, and in the top 3 (mostly 2nd) in almost every other offensive category. Their lineup is older than San Antonio's and without the star power, but veteran outfielder Jose Gutierrez, a free agent signing in the off season, is a legitimate league MVP candidate and great team captain, and 36-year old right fielder Jim Decker, after many undistinguished years in the league, broke out by leading the league in homers last season and is on pace for a 4.3 WAR season this year. El Paso has two fine infield prospects at single A and a pretty strong starting pitching prospect on that same team, so some injection of younger talent is coming. But given the age and lack of durability in their starting rotation, there is some urgency for them to win this year or it might be a few more years before they have another good chance.

Now for the also-rans.
Milwaukee has several good young pitchers now in their rotation and in the 'pen who haven't been helped out by their poor offense and porous defense. They have a few more promising pitchers on the way up through the system and if they can develop, or acquire, some better position players they have a chance to start rising in the standings in the next few seasons. They have seen the emergence of team captain Jon Ehrhardt, a 26-year old right fielder, this season and Ehrhardt is competing for the SJL batting title with a slash line of .350/.380/.529.

The Chicago Fire, in spite of playing in one of the best pitchers' parks in the league, are 10th in the SJL in runs allowed. Veteran right hander Daniel Riha (10-5, 2.69), their top starter, is having a career year and is an SJL Pitcher of the Year candidate. They have the #2 overall best WPK prospect Mike Low in their bullpen and he should be moving into the rotation next season. And 26-year old center fielder Jose Flores (.296/.392/.466) has emerged as an unheralded star in the league. But mostly Chicago still seems far from contending soon.

The Seattle Alligators, much like Milwaukee, have some really talented young pitchers, led by left handed starter Steve Rosales, who was the #2 top prospect before graduating to the big leagues. With righty Jake Webb, these two could present the opposition with a formidable 1-2 combination to face. And John Stone, the #9 top prospect, is waiting in the wings at AAA and also has top of the rotation potential. But this team has the worst offense in the league. The lineup is mostly young and has some potential, and they have an exciting young centerfielder (Rodrigo de la Torre) on his way up (currently performing very well at single A), so the future isn't necessarily bleak.

And finally, the Houston Cavaliers. They are the only team to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention this year (and that just happened yesterday.) Their biggest weakness has been that they have allowed the most runs of any team in the SJL. Which is a bit odd, given that they play in a great pitchers' park and have some great young arms at the top of their rotation in Jacob Whittemore and Jack Hettinger. But they are a poor defensive team and their pitching staff is thin. On the other hand, they have some really talented young position players and 21-year old left fielder Alex Raymos looks like a future league MVP. Their top prospects are all position players though, so this team is going to have to find a way to build their pitching staff if they are going to compete anytime soon.

The Shoeless Joe League East:

The Washington Night Train have led the way most of the season, which was not expected (in preseason predictions, they were picked to finish 4th). Granted the SJL East has been a weaker division and their win differential is just +69. Still, it should be noted that the Night Train have been in a good team in nearly every facet of the game, other than base running. Their pitching rotation has been keyed by a few very talented young arms (Eric Bisbey and Dusty Swarthout) with some solid veterans rounding out the rotation. The loss of veteran Jose Casillas recently though will leave them potentially vulnerable down the stretch. On the offensive side, 35-year old veteran first baseman Luis Gonzales (.338/.386/.543) is having a possible MVP season. They have been without center fielder Rick Downey, also in the midst of a great season, since mid-August (torn ankle ligaments) and he isn't expected back until the very end of the regular season, but should they make the post-season he is an important piece of this offense.

The Philadelphia Mud Hens are the team in the best position to take advantage of any slump on the part of Washington. Philly's pitching has been their strength and veteran lefty Parker Rayfield (11-8, 2.89) is a candidate to win his first SJL Pitcher of the Year award. Young left-hander Ron Carmouche (11-6, 3.05) has also been very good but is considered a serious injury risk. The bullpen has been suspect but it does include a future possible starting pitching star in 21-year old Bill Hritz (another lefty). On the offensive side, 26-year old Mike Florack (.333/.408/.522), a fan favorite, is an MVP candidate. And veteran star Xiao-mei Mah (.318/.399/.444), having now moved from second base to first base, is no longer at the top of his game but remains a very fine hitter. Philly is injury free at this time and had the best month of their season in August (17-11) so they might be primed to make a run at the pennant down the stretch.


The Pittsburgh Roadrunners, the reigning SJL East champs, are now without the services of their superstar, 2-time league MVP, right fielder Matt Van der Heyden. But it doesn't stop there. They also have been missing their fine young center fielder Brendan Beaver for most of the season with serious shoulder inflammation, and 3-time All-Star left fielder Larry Leshane who was lost for the season when he broke a bone in his elbow in Spring Training. Not to mention several injuries to less important players, including losing 25-year old starting pitching prospect J.J. Stambach to a torn labrum in mid-August. On the bright side, 26-year old catcher Kevin Broadbent (.323/.412/.542) should be in the league MVP finalists discussion and 27-year old first baseman Nick Johnson (.361/.424/.459) remains one of the best pure hitters in the game. While Pittsburgh cannot be totally counted out yet, it is starting to look like a wait 'til next year situation for the Roadrunners.

The Jacksonville Wolf Pack[/I] have a pretty fine offense and poor pitching, although veteran southpaw starting pitcher Edgar Lira (17-3, 2.40), not considered one of the games good guys (Disruptive) is likely the leading candidate for the SJL Pitcher of the Year award. Their 25-year old first baseman Paul Lewis (.311/.384/.516) is leading the way offensively and has hit 32 doubles to go with his 20 homers. Their two top prospects are good hitting position players so the pitching staff may suffer for awhile.

The Boston Berserkers statistically look like a better team than their record indicates (and indeed, at -6 run differential, they are -6 in terms of expected wins as well.) Not much stand out about Boston- they are a middle of the road team with middle of the road talent. Kyle Adams (.298/.380/.512), their 25 year old first baseman, is an exception and has potential future MVP talent. And they have the 8th ranked farm system in the WPK, so better days might be ahead. But not anytime soon likely.

And finally, the Columbus Whalers. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. For the first decade plus of WPK history, the Whalers were the class of the SJL, and in particular a factory producing great pitcher after great pitcher. They still have at least two great pitchers- lefthanded starter Luis Ramirez (9-13, 2.83), a perennial Pitcher of the Year candidate, and closer Jamar Clay (10-2, 18 saves, 2.41). But they are 8th in runs against in the SJL so it is hardly the dominant staff it once was. And they have poor offense and bad defense behind them. Can't blame their demise on veteran right fielder John Kantlehner (.341/.379/.478) or fan favorite 26-year old first baseman Luis Hernandez (.332/.369/.506) but other than that they have little to be proud of. Their top 3 prospects are all pitchers, but they aren't all that impressive, and the farm system ranks 16th out of 24. So it may be some time before the Whalers are mighty again.


Now on to the Moonlight Graham League West:

I don't think we need to spend much time talking about the Denver Brewers here, as that is mostly what is talked about in this thread. But suffice it to say that while San Antonio and El Paso have better records thus far, Denver leads the way in all of the WPK in run differential at +183. They are first in the MGL in runs scored as well as runs allowed, not to mention a host of other categories. They have underachieved just a bit and taking back the MGL West pennant is not a sure thing by any means.

The Portland Wild Things, the reigning WPK champs, are making their move after a slow start to the season, and they went 20-8 in August to get to within 3 games of Denver. Portland is a well rounded team with a strong offense, fine pitching, and elite defense. They have two of the best young defenders in the game at key positions, with shortstop Willie Romero the best glove in the game (30.8 ZR) and 21-year old center fielder Quincy Schultz (14.1 ZR, 14 outfield assists). Both of these players also have good bats and are MGL MVP candidates. Starting pitching ace Joe Barbour (9-11, 2.93) is also the team captain and 23-year old #2 starter Ruben Ramirez (8-7, 2.91) is unheralded but should start to get noticed soon. Don't count out the reigning champs. This is a good team.

The San Francisco Velocity surged in July with an 18-9 record but took a step back again in August when they went 16-11. They are talented but tend to underachieve, possibly because some of their biggest stars, like left fielder and MVP candidate Cameron Olsen (.317/.378/.531), do not promote harmony in the clubhouse. (They have 2 disruptive players, including Olsen, 3 unmotivated players, including their talented center fielder Matt Christensen, 1 selfish player, 2 outspoken players, and no real leader.) Staff ace Jon Harrington (15-9, 2.79) is a Pitcher of the Year candidate. They are 2nd in the league in runs scored and 3rd in runs against, and given that they play in the best pitchers park in the MGL, their offense is probably underrated (this is a dangerous lineup!) while the pitching staff may have a slightly inflated reputation. But if they fall short again it may be mostly because this isn't a group that pulls in the same direction.

The Los Angeles Spinners are the fat cats of the WPK, with a huge market and the most money to spend. And they aren't very good. They are 7th in runs scored and 10th in runs against in the MGL. They do have a couple of very good young players in 22-year old left fielder Chris Corley (.325/.367/.510) and 25-year old starting pitcher Mike McLaughlin (9-12, 4.19, but has been a bit unlucky). And they have the 6th ranked farm system in the WPK. With their resources they should be able to parlay these strengths into a winning club again before long. But 1982 is a lost season for the Spinners.

The [I]St. Louis Redbirds weren't a very good team before they lost their superstar third baseman Steve Whitehead to injury (torn rib cage muscle) in early June, but that was certainly a factor that kept them from being even respectable this season. Whitehead is currently rehabbing in AAA so he'll be back before long, but for the Redbirds the season is essentially over already. Slugging left fielder J.J. Hebert (.350/.431/.606) has flourished in Whitehead's absence and is an MVP candidate, but there is little else to be excited about in St. Louis. And with the 15th ranked farm system, it might be some time before the expansion Redbirds are legitimate contenders.

The Phoenix Speed Devils. Are the Phoenix Speed Devils. They have lost over 100 games in 3 of the past 5 seasons. And the 2 where they didn't, they lost 97 games in. That is about the pace they are on this season. They do have the 3rd best farm system in the game. So maybe better days are coming? (Center field prospect Dan Johnson is the #1 prospect in the WPK, but he is only 19 and currently playing in short season single A.) Let's move along.


The Moonlight Graham League East:

The Brooklyn Aces enter September at the top of the weakest division in the WPK. Hurray for them. After an 18-8 July they went 11-16 in August. And still hold onto first. Because, you know, bad division. They do have a couple of veteran Jose's (Hernandes and Mendoza) at the top of their rotation who are having nice seasons. And veteran first baseman Danny Salvador (.311/.403/.511) keeps rolling at age 34. They aren't a bad team. They aren't a great team. They will likely win the MGL East. Hurray for them.

Then again, maybe the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings, who came out of nowhere with a 20-7 August, are a team of destiny in the MGL East. They are 11th in the MGL in runs scored, so that doesn't bode well. But they have a strong pitching staff with youngsters like Mike Piles (14-8, 2.96, but fragile) and All-Star David Martin (13-12, 3.28) starting to come into their own. Second baseman Justin Banks (.307/.350/.455) is a fine player at age 26. But their bullpen is weak and their lineup underpowered. It would be a nice story if their surge continued in September. But probably not likely to happen.

The Detroit Falcons, having been the doormat of the MGL for the first decade plus of the league's existence, were starting to look like a team on the rise a few seasons ago. And then it just sort of fizzled. They have had bounce-back years from center fielder John Hemmah (.313/.397/.392) and first baseman Byron Whitehead (.329/.341/.418) but overall the offensive is poor and has the least over the fence power in the league and, having lost ace Aaron McNally (9-4, 2.51) for 2 months, the pitching is mediocre at best. McNally is back, but it might be too late for the Falcons to contend. Maybe next year.

The Baltimore Lords have had an up and down season, with an excellent record in April (17-6), a good record in July (15-10) and losing records in all of the other months, including a disastrous 9-19 August. There is really no area of the game where they stink and no area where they are very good. They are a mediocre team by definition. Now, to be fair, 21-year old left handed starter Julio Michelena (15-8, 3.33) is a guy who stands out as one to watch. And 27-year old left fielder John Tobiason (.323/.379/.573) has hit 26 bombs, which puts him among the league leaders in that category. But with a middle of the pack farm system and not much else to get excited about, these two might be playing on a losing team for the foreseeable future.

The Charlotte Sting are last in the MGL in runs scored in spite of having some good team power (110 home runs, 6th in the league.) Former Brewer Eric Hammock (.319/.388/.545) has led the way on offense and leads the WPK in home runs with 29. Their bullpen, led by arguably the best reliever in the game, Vinny Arreola (30 saves, 1.13 ERA), has been pretty great. The starting rotation is just okay, though 23-year old Roman Palmer (12-13, 4.72) certainly has potential to become very good in time. Yeah, not much else to say about the sting-less Sting.

And, finally, the Montreal Royals. The Royals went to the Kinsella Classic Series in their first year of existence (1980) with an 82-80 record. Because, again, bad division. And since then they have performed more like an expansion club is expected to. Veteran first baseman Chase Moeller (.293/.343/.480) is having another fine season. And closer Edgar Cruz (26 saves, 2.19 ERA) is one of the best in the game. But there is no reason to expect much out of this team in the near future.


EDIT: Apologies- these massive posts can get pretty tricky and take me a very long time to complete. And somehow in the midst of this a good bit of this got unintentionally italicized. In an effort to fix it, I have just made it worse. So, I'm leaving it as it is because I don't want to destroy the hours of work I put into this. Please just ignore the silly italicization where it doesn't seem to make sense.

[BirdWatcher]

The SJL West looks like it will likely be the source of the most intense pennant race in the WPK this season as the San Antonio Keys and El Paso Dawgs find themselves in a dead heat with 26 remaining for each club.





It is at a time like this that any injury becomes magnified in importance and for the El Paso Dawgs it is very concerning news that their sparkplug veteran 3-time All-Star left fielder Pete Wiederkehr is dealing with a bruised knee that is expected to take at least a week or two to fully heal, and that is assuming he isn't called on to try to play through the pain (he isn't on the IL) and it gets exacerbated. Wiederkehr (.319/.394/.434) hits second in the lineup and is on pace for a 5 WAR season.

[BirdWatcher]

As we head into the stretch run of the 1982 WPK season let's take a look at the players most likely to be competing for the end-of-season MVP and Pitcher of the Year awards.

Starting with:

Shoeless Joe League, Pitcher of the Year award candidates:

1- Jose Casillas, Washington Night Train. Had Casillas not suffered a season-ending injury (requiring him to undergo elbow ligament reconstruction surgery) he would have been a top candidate to win his first career Pitcher of the Year award at age 35. Casillas was 14-8, 3.83 with a 1.15 WHIP and 3.05 FIP. His best season prior to this was 1975 when he went 18-8, 3.19 (or alternatively, 1973, 19-7, 3.29). With a career record of 211-152 and 3.36 career ERA, he is at least a borderline Hall of Fame candidate. But a POtY award could have helped his credentials.

2- Parker Rayfield, Philadelphia Mud Hens. The durable 32-year old left-hander has gone 11-8, 2.83 and leads SJL pitchers in WAR at 6.1, quality starts (23), and is 3rd in rWAR (also 6.1). His ERA ranks 4th in the league and his 2.98 FIP is an SJL best. Twice in his career he has won 16 games in a season but this is really the closest he has come to being a legitimate POtY candidate.

3- Daniel Riha, Chicago Fire. This veteran righty had a career year in 1981 when he was 17-9, 2.53. And he's following that up with a similar season, currently 11-5 and his 2.55 ERA is 2nd best in the SJL. He does pitch in one of the best pitcher's parks in the league but his SJL 3rd best 3.0 K/BB ratio speaks to more than just a favorable home park. He is one of the best control pitchers in the SJL, his 1.6 BB/9 just a tick below his teammate Steven Kretzer, who is 1st in the league at 1.5.

4- Michael Noland, San Antonio Keys. Noland, 14-10, 4.01 has the built in advantage of having the league's best offense supporting him. His candidacy has taken a hit here late in the season as he has lost 5 of his last 7 starts without a win. Still, he is among the league leaders in wins, his 10 complete games is an SJL best, and his 19 quality starts is tied for 6th. He'll need a great last 3 weeks of the season to get back into this race though.

5- Luis Ramirez, Columbus Whalers: The only guy on this list who already has a Pitcher of the Year award, and he has 3 of them. At age 30 and an Iron Man, he is already pretty much a shoe-in for WPK Hall of Fame. This year his record is an unimpressive 10-13, but chalk that up to playing on a last-place team. He is 3rd in ERA (2.74), 4th in WAR (4.9), 2nd in K's (145) and K/9 (6.4), 4th in FIP (3.18), 2nd in rWAR (6.2) and quality starts (22).

6- Edgar Lira, Jacksonville Wolf Pack. If Luis Ramirez doesn't get his 4th Pitcher of the Year award, it will probably be because the almost universally disliked 33-year old lefty Edgar Lira took it away from him and got the first such honor of his long career. Lira is 17-4, 2.48, which means he is on pace to win two thirds of the triple crown categories. Granted, his league lowest (by far!) BABIP against of .220 likely has a lot to do with his success. But his FIP is also good (3.27) and it's hard to argue against those raw numbers, no matter how much they might not be fully deserved.




Moonlight Graham League, Pitcher of the Year Candidates:

1- Dan Knauff, San Francisco Velocity. Knauff, 11-12, 2.86, has been a bit unlucky but his ERA places him at 6th best in the MGL, his 1.17 WHIP is 7th best, his 3.32 FIP is 6th, and his BB/9 of 1.9 is 5th best in the MGL. He led the league in ERA last season, is a 4-time All-Star, and has a solid 110-81 career record with a 3.38 ERA.

2- Jon Harrington, San Francisco Velocity. But Knauff is less likely than his 28-year old staff-mate Jon Harrington to earn the award this season. The durable right-handed groundball specialist is 16-9, 2.77 thus far. Harrington is 3rd in ERA, 4th in wins, tied for 2nd in WAR, tied for 5th in K's (151), 2nd in K/BB (3.6), 1st in WHIP (1.06) and FIP (2.68), 4th in rWAR (5.9), and 1st in quality starts with 22.

3- Mike Piles, Oklahoma City Diamond Kings. Mike Piles is just 22 years old and in his 3rd season in the WPK, having worked in 30 games out of the bullpen in 1980 (2-1, 5, 2.29) and 19 more relief appearances last season (0-2, 9, 3.44) before finally getting a chance to break into the starting rotation this year. He has proven up to the task, going 14-9, 2.93. He is 7th in WAR (4.1), tied for 1st in shutouts (4), 3rd in K/9 (7.1), 8th in WHIP (1.19), 5th in rWAR (5.6), and 4th in quality starts with 20. There are some concerns about his durability (or lack thereof).

4- Jim Atwell, Denver Brewers. The workhorse of the Denver staff, Atwell won the MGL Pitcher of the Year award in 1980 and is perennially in contention. This year he is 14-7, 3.06. Many of his deeper stats indicate he is better than that even. He is 3rd in WAR (6.7), tied for 2nd in complete games (8), tied for 1st in shutouts (4), 3rd in K's (167), 4th in K/9 (7.0), 6th in WHIP (1.15), 3rd in FIP (2.82) and rWAR (6.4).

5- Eric Maisch, Denver Brewers. Yes, the Denver Brewers have a pretty good starting rotation. Maisch, at age 22, leads the league in wins with 19 while only having lost 3 games, is 2nd in ERA (2.61), 4th in WAR (4.8), 1st in K's (182) and K/9 (8.8) and K/BB (4.3), 2nd in WHIP (1.09), 5th in FIP (3.19), 2nd in rWAR (6.8), and 4th in quality starts (20). Pretty good start to his career for the Brewers 1978 1st round pick (#22 overall).

6- Sadahige Kawasaki, Denver Brewers. Most likely, if the youngest (budding) ace in the Denver rotation doesn't get this award, it will have gone to the oldest ace in the staff, the 34-year old right-hander out of Hitachinaka, Japan, Sadahige Kawasaki. Kawasaki (17-4, 2.47) leads the league in ERA, is 2nd to teammate Maisch in wins, 1st in WAR (6.9), 3rd in K/BB (3.6), 1st in BB/9 (1.3), 3rd in WHIP (1.10), 2nd in FIP (2.69), 1st in rWAR (7.5), 6th in quality starts (19), etc. If Kawasaki wins the MGL Pitcher of the Year award, and at this stage it looks like he will, it will be his 3rd time to do so. On the way, possibly, to the WPK Hall of Fame in Dubuque, Iowa.




What about the Shoeless Joe League MVP candidates:

1- Chris Tobin, Boston Berserkers. Tobin has won 2 league MVP awards in his career, both while in the MGL (with Portland in 1973 and Baltimore in 1977). This year he is hitting .296/.372/.478 with 16 homers, 32 doubles, 78 RBI, and 31 stolen bases. Having started his career at shortstop, and having seen his skills there erode, he is now at third base and having defensive resurgence, helping him to 5.6 WAR at this stage of the season.

2- Jose Gutierrez, El Paso Dawgs. The veteran left fielder is the team captain and is having a great year at age 30, having moved to El Paso in the offseason as a free agent after playing his entire career in Charlotte up until now. Gutierrez has a slash line of .348/.411/.518 with 26 doubles, 8 triples, 16 homers, and 41 stolen bases. He was the 1974 MGL Rookie of the Year and is a 4-time All-Star but has yet to win a league MVP award.

3- Bud Lindsay, San Antonio Keys. Just the greatest player of his generation and one of the most heralded and beloved players in the WPK. Lindsay, at age 31 and very injury prone (Wrecked), is just having another MVP caliber season with a slash line of .306/.351/.507, 36 doubles, 20 home runs, 89 RBI, 15 stolen bases, a 14.5 ZR at shortstop, and as always his great leadership as the team captain of one of the best teams in the WPK. He has 4 MVP awards already. He probably will fall short of number 5, but the season's not over. Don't count him out yet.

4- Mike Florack, Philadelphia Mud Hens. After having quietly put up 5.2 WAR in 1981, the Philly fan favorite center fielder is hitting .335/.410/.524 with 28 doubles, 7 triples, 19 homers, 84 RBI, 68 walks with just 31 strikeouts, and 33 stolen bases this year and is 2nd in the SJL in WAR at 7.4. He is a solid defender in center field and has great speed.

5- Kevin Broadbent, Pittsburgh Roadrunners. Can Broadbent become the first catcher to win a league MVP award in WPK history? He might and he should certainly be one of the finalists for the award. Broadbent has a slash line of .321/.409/.533 with 32 doubles, 19 home runs, 90 RBI, the 2nd best CERA in the SJL (3.56) and the 3rd best defensive efficiency (1.098). The 26-year old 2-time All-Star is reportedly a likeable teammate (though not a leader), and he has really taken up the slack with the loss of several hitting leaders on the team to injury in this his second full season in the WPK.

6. John Mussaw, San Antonio Keys. Mussaw, the other half of the WPK-best keystone combination along with Bud Lindsay, is certainly the frontrunner to earn the SJL MVP award at the end of the season. Mussaw is hitting .336/.391/.589, has hit 22 doubles to go with 14 triples and is tied for the most home runs in the SJL at 25. He has driven in 96 runs and scored 90 also. He has stolen 39 bases. He has a 10.8 ZR at second base. His WAR of 8.5 is currently the best in all of the WPK. He has never won an MVP award but it looks like this is his year. He could win many more, as he is only 28, but like Lindsay, he is injury prone (Fragile).




Finally, the Moonlight Graham League MVP candidates:

1- Quincy Schultz, Portland Wild Things. Schultz, the 21-year old center fielder for the Wild Things, is the younger brother of WPK veteran Josh Schultz, who at age 34 is in the waning years of his career, but was very good when he was younger, having been the 1971 SJL Rookie of the Year, a 7-time All-Star, and 2-time Gold Glove award winner as a first baseman. Quincy will likely win many more Gold Glove awards than his older brother before his career is done, having already won his first last year as a rookie. His ZR this season is a league best 14.2 and he has 15 outfield assists. He can hit a bit too, with a slash line of .319/.338/.523 and 25 doubles, 7 triples, 18 home runs, 77 RBI, and 27 stolen bases. His WAR of 5.7 is 3rd best in the MGL.

2- Willie Romero, Portland Wild Things. When it comes to fielding though, Schultz teammate Willie Romero, the Wild Things shortstop, has no peers. He has a phenomenal ZR this season of 32.1 and that follows an unbelievable 51.5 ZR 1981 season (his ZR was 36.8 in 1980, when he was just 21). Romero is not a great contact hitter but his bat has pop. He is hitting .278/.298/.412 with 24 doubles and 13 homers and he hit 20 homers in each of the past two seasons. He's not fast, and has just 2 stolen bases this year. And his OPS+ is a subpar 95. But he is such a defensive force that his WAR is 5.7.

3- Eric Hammock, Charlotte Sting. Hammock was traded to the Sting by the Denver Brewers in the offseason between the 1980 and 1981 seasons. He missed most of the '81 season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, but he has stayed healthy this year and provides most of the punch in the middle of a rather punch-less Sting lineup. He is hitting .315/.383/.535, leads all of the WPK with 29 home runs, has driven in 70 runs and scored 76, has hit 21 doubles, and walks (52) more often than he strikes out (35). He is a below average fielder and a slow runner, but he reportedly has a high baseball I.Q. and he can hit with the best of them, when healthy.

4- J.J. Hebert, St. Louis Redbirds. Hebert is basically Hammock but with a worse personality, poorer defensive skills, and less plate discipline. Still, he's hit .350/.433/.607 this year, so the man can clearly rake. He has collected 25 doubles to go with 28 home runs, has driven in 88 runs and scored 76. He has been the most feared hitter in the Redbirds lineup, particularly with superstar third baseman Steve Whitehead having missed a couple of months to injury in the middle of the season.

5- Cameron Olsen, San Francisco Velocity. Speaking of guys with poor personalities, Olsen is considered a real turd of a guy. But boy can he play baseball. His .318/.381/.526 doesn't really do him justice given that he plays his home games in the best pitcher's park in the MGL.
He is a fine defensive left fielder (10.4 ZR), a strong runner and base stealer (20 SB, 2 CS) and he has an OPS+ of 151. He has 22 doubles and 19 home runs and has driven in 71 runs while scoring 76. His WAR of 6.1 is the second best in the MGL.

6- Brett Taranto, Denver Brewers. The best WAR in the MGL, though, belongs to the guy flirting with hitting .400 for the season. Taranto, the 1978 MGL MVP and 1976 MGL Rookie of the Year, is currently hitting .418/.448/.629 with 26 games left to play in the 1982 regular season. He has stroked 27 doubles and 11 triples (a category he has led the league in twice) while also muscling out 17 home runs (his career single season best is 20, which he has done twice.) He has great speed and has stolen 18 bases (though also been caught 11 times trying) but he is a poor baserunner. He did win a Gold Glove award at first base in 1977 and should be a candidate for one this year as well but likely will fall short. Still, all of these numbers add up to an MGL best 7.8 WAR and that is a sizeable margin over his nearest competitor.

[BirdWatcher]

The Denver Brewers are off to a terrific start in September, having now won 8 straight games and undefeated on the month. They stretch their lead in the MGL West to 6 1/2 games over both Portland and San Francisco.



And in yesterday's win over the St. Louis Redbirds at the Ballpark of the Gateway in St. Louis, Jim Atwell threw a complete game, 4-hit shutout while striking out 9 batters and walking just 2. It seems as though the Brewers top 3 of the rotation are having a friendly but fierce internal competition for the MGL Pitcher of the Year award, and it isn't time to count out the 29-year old workhorse of the staff just yet.

Also noteworthy in this game is Brett Taranto going 2 for 4 to lift his batting average back up to .422 while also clubbing his 18th home run and driving in 4 runs to lift his season total to 84. And the ever-steady and reliable Val Guzman (probably my favorite Brewer) went 3 for 4 in the leadoff slot, hitting his 17th homer, scoring twice to get to 87 runs scored on the season and driving in a pair to get to 59 (hitting mostly at the top of the lineup).

[BirdWatcher]

Sadahige Kawasaki wasn't as dominant as Jim Atwell in shutting out the Redbirds the day after Atwell's 9 K, 4 hits allowed performance, but the veteran righty did manage to keep the home club off the board while scattering 9 hits, striking out 3 and walking 1. With the win Kawasaki moves to 18-4 with a league best 2.37 ERA. But maybe more impressive is that Kawasaki went 3 for 4 at the plate in this game, including hitting his 6th double of the 1982 season. While Kawasaki isn't the worst hitting pitcher in the game, his career slash line is just .208/.225/.252 with an OPS+ of 26. This season, in 84 plate appearances, Sadahige has a slash line of .294/.310/.382 with an OPS+ of 76.




Antonio Acuna (.289/.335/.488) was 2 for 5 in the win and hit his 4th triple of '82.
And Russell Fleming (.353/.386/.498 in 220 plate appearances) collected his 13th double, going 1 for 1, scoring once, driving in a run, and walking twice. He also took one for the team (HBP). We will talk more about Fleming soon as he is playing himself into a greater role with the club. (He has a 1.8 WAR in that part-time gig.)

[BirdWatcher]

Eric Maisch, the Brewers 22-year old starting pitcher in his second full season in the WPK (well, actually 1981 saw him playing at both AAA and in Denver with 19 games started at the big league level), was not long ago the #2 prospect in the game. And it seems the hype may have been well deserved as yesterday he picked up his 20th win, the first WPK pitcher to get to this mark in '82, with only 3 losses on his record. He improved his ERA to 2.56, second best in the MGL only behind veteran teammate Sadahige Kawasaki. He also struck out 8 more batters, getting his season total to 190, most in the game.



Catcher Willie Ortega (.277/.312/.451) has done a good job in his first season with the club and led the way in this one with a 3 for 4 game, scoring twice, driving in 3 runs, and hitting his 17th double of the season. He also has the second best CERA in the MGL at 3.28, trailing only the San Francisco star backstop Andrew Litteral (3.20), whose team plays their home games in a run suppressing environment. He also ranks in the top 5 in Range, ZR, and defensive efficiency, while being 6th in caught stealing percentage at 39.2%. With top catching prospect Jesse Cooper seemingly big league ready and having been called up again when rosters expanded at the beginning of the month, the feeling in Brewer nation is that veteran long-time backup catcher Kirk Patnode is not likely to be returning for the 1983 season. (He is eligible to be a free agent.)

And on the subject of first-year Brewers having a nice season, 4th outfielder Eric Dougherty, who was acquired in a trade with Charlotte this past offseason, after tearing up both AA and AAA earlier this year has now hit .348/.353/.544 in 167 plate appearances as a Brewer, putting up 1.6 WAR, playing a strong left field and an acceptable center field. While there isn't an opening for a starting job next season in the Brewers outfield, he should be on the big league roster on opening day and likely to be there the full season, giving regular breaks especially to the aging and injury-prone Joe McPhillips. In yesterday's game, Dougherty went 2 for 5, driving in 2 runs and picking up his 5th stolen base (he has been caught 3 times, and this was on the back end of Val Guzman's steal of third base, which was Val's team-best 27th stolen base).

The Brewers have really opened up a good lead in the MGL West with not that much season left, though it would be even more comfortable if the San Francisco Velocity weren't 9 and 1 in their last 10 games, staying 6 1/2 games behind Denver. Three teams in the division have now been mathematically eliminated, with Phoenix being joined by St. Louis and Los Angeles. Four teams have also been eliminated in the SJL West- with Houston being joined by the Seattle Alligators, the Chicago Fire, and the Milwaukee Cadets, leaving, as was inevitable, just the San Antonio Keys and El Paso Dawgs to battle it out. (San Antonio has now taken a 3 game lead in this race, having won 6 in a row while El Paso has gone 5-5 in their last 10.)

[BirdWatcher]

The Denver Brewers end the week with a back-and-forth and extremely narrow victory over the Redbirds in St. Louis, with 3-time MGL MVP Antonio Acuna (.292/.336/.486) getting what proved to be the game winning hit in the top of the 8th as part of a 2 for 5 game.
Middle infielder Dustin Moore (.321/.365/.476), yet another newcomer to the team this year who has played very well, also went 2 for 5, scoring once and hitting his 7th triple of the season.




Val Guzman (.306/.389/.496) only had 1 hit in this one, but it was a 2-run double (32). Guzman was capping off a great week which saw him named the MGL Player of the Week as he has been a big part of the current 11-game winning streak for the club.



In bittersweet news, 40-year old Chris Pollack, in his second stint with Brewers having been signed to a minor league contract earlier this season and promoted when rosters expanded on September 1st, has announced that he will step away from the game at the end of this campaign. Pollack is an unassuming good guy who early in his career mostly pitched as a starter, and with decent success (he had double-digit wins in his first six seasons, from 1965 through 1970) and still holds the single-season WPK record for lowest ERA for a qualified pitcher with his 1.54 in the 1968 season. He has mostly pitched out of bullpens since then (though he did start 20 games in 1980 with Baltimore but went 7-10 with a 5.91 ERA). His first stint with the Brewers was 13 games out of the bullpen in 1978 and it didn't go well, as his 7.00 ERA and 2.56 WHIP will attest (his BABIP was an insanely high .457), but this September he has given the Brewers 3 1/3rd innings of scoreless baseball. He will be missed.

[BirdWatcher]

Only one time prior to yesterday in the history of the WPK did a player hit four home runs in a single game, and that was in the inaugural season of 1965 and was accomplished by this guy:




Denver's star second baseman and fan favorite Tanner Yurek at least still holds the distinction of being the only player to accomplish this in the MGL.



But yesterday was the first time it happened in the SJL, as Boston's young star first baseman Kyle Adams hit four bombs against the Chicago Fire, helping his team to a 9-7 victory and pushing himself into the lead in home runs in the SJL with 31. Adams is only 25 years old and while we didn't discuss him in our earlier look at the league MVP candidates, Adams is certainly in the mix as well and there is a very good chance that at some point in his career, if not this year, he will win at least one of MVP trophy.

[BirdWatcher]

We talked a bit about 4th outfielder Eric Dougherty recently and he continues to impress, playing a huge part in leading his team to their 12th straight win and keeping the Brewers perfect for the month of September, yesterday.




Dougherty (.364/.376/.556) not only went 3 for 3 with a walk, scoring 3 times and driving in another run, but he stole 3 bases without being caught once and on his middle steal he took third on a throwing error by the catcher. It should be noted that Dougherty does have pretty good speed but he is considered only slightly above average in terms of his base stealing ability. But his aggressiveness in this one paid off.
Hitting just above him in the lineup, in the leadoff slot, our man Val Guzman (.307/.389/.501) had a 2 for 5 day, hitting his 33rd double and 5th triple, scoring twice.

[BirdWatcher]

Having reached the middle of the final month of the season let's take a look at the WPK standings:





And here are the pennant chase odds for each division at this time:






As you can see, the San Antonio Keys, having finished in 1st in the SJL West for the past two seasons, and having also won the SJL pennant in 1979, prior to divisional play, look like they may be on the way to retaining their status as the best of the west. They do have one final 3-game series against the main competitor, the El Paso Dawgs starting on September 24th, but other than that they are mostly playing second division clubs, including a 4-game series starting tomorrow against the SJL East last place Columbus Whalers on the road and finishing the season with a 3-game set at home versus the Chicago Fire.


We have a race heating up in the SJL East, with Washington finally feeling pressure from the reigning champs, the Pittsburgh Roadrunners, and Philadelphia still having a shot as well. Washington and Pittsburgh have finished their season series but the Night Train do face up against Philadelphia one more time in a 3-game series in Philly starting on the 24th. Philly and Pittsburgh also face off one more time in what will be the penultimate series of the regular season for each team, with the Mud Hens playing host.

The one division that seems to be essentially wrapped up is the MGL West, but don't tell anyone in the Denver Brewers front office or dugout that as they don't want to hear it until the division has been clinched. And even then, it means little without a KCS championship title. The reigning WPK champs, Portland, have been flat down the stretch, while the San Francisco Velocity have played quite well in a case of likely too little too late. But watch for them in 1983.

And in the MGL East, Oklahoma City recently drew even with Brooklyn, though they are now again a game and a half back. Both teams are not playing great at this moment but Oklahoma City had been on a real hot streak for a time to move back into contention. This one could end with some drama as the last series of the season sees these two meeting head-to-head in Brooklyn. Detroit is still hoping to sneak into contention, but they have seemingly the hardest schedule ahead, starting with a 4-game series in Denver starting tomorrow. After that, and an off day, they return home to face the Oklahoma City Diamond Kings, so at least they can help themselves there but they have no games remaining against the Aces and they end the season on the road against the still dangerous Baltimore Lords.

[Palaaemon]

Bird,

As usual I love and appreciate all the blood, sweat and tears that you put into your work on the WPK. It is definitely a labor of love . I have been lax in my duties of whatever it is that I do, whether it is to comment, critique or some other such things. I will rectify this soon.

Keep the faith.

Palaaemon.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by Palaaemon

Bird,

As usual I love and appreciate all the blood, sweat and tears that you put into your work on the WPK. It is definitely a labor of love . I have been lax in my duties of whatever it is that I do, whether it is to comment, critique or some other such things. I will rectify this soon.

Keep the faith.

Palaaemon.

Thanks for checking in, my old friend.
The WPK is certainly a labor of love for me, with the emphasis more on the love than the labor.

Always happy to answer any questions you or anyone might have about the WPK or engage with any comments.

[BirdWatcher]

This seems like a good time to introduce a new feature where we take a bit of a closer look at a relatively unknown current member of the Denver Brewers team who is emerging as someone we might be hearing more from in the future.

Today we will look at corner infielder/outfielder Russell Fleming, who has not only done very well for the Brewers in a backup role (roles?) this season but has been a big part of the team's September surge.

For instance, here is what he did yesterday:




For the month of September Fleming has hit .500/.536/.792. Okay, sure, this is in just 28 plate appearances. Still, it's a good time to go on a hot streak and twice this month he has been named the Player of the Game.

And check out some of his splits, particularly his runners in scoring position stats, his close/late stats, his gaudy bases loaded numbers (yes, yes, very small sample size).




So, let's actually get a look at the young man and his skills:




And that doesn't capture his defensive versatility completely:




Or his solid makeup:



Fleming was the Brewers 2nd round draft pick (#57 overall) in the 1978 draft and while his minor league numbers have at times been pretty good since then, it can't be said that he has torn it up in his professional career at any level. And he's never come close to sniffing a place on the top 100 prospects list. And yes, his BABIP this year has been an unsustainable .371. But it can't be denied that he has performed well for the team this year, with very nearly a 2 WAR season in spite of only collecting 232 plate appearances. He was on the team part of the time last season too and in 1981 had a slash line of .298/.326/.440 in 178 plate appearances. His WAR was just 0.3, but that likely has a great deal to do with some very poor fielding at third base (-5.2 ZR). He has improved a bit in that category this year (-3.8, though admittedly in few games at this position) but more importantly he is a pretty decent right fielder and has been getting more innings there as the season wears on.
How sustainable these numbers are is debatable (and surely there will be regression next season) but what isn't debatable is whether he has earned playing time and the right to at least make a case for an increased role in 1983. Fleming is no star in the making, surely, but as a multi-positional role player, he should have a place on the roster for at least the next few seasons if not longer.