Harry Lyerly and the Denver Brewers of the WPK

[BirdWatcher]

Infielders: If there is a breakout prospect in the minor leagues for the Brewers in 1972, it is probably second baseman David Bennett. Although currently on the IL with a fractured thumb, Bennett has put up great offensive numbers at single A Bainbridge, including hitting 30 doubles and 14 HR's in 490 plate appearances. He is a gifted defender at second and while he isn't yet a polished base-runner, he does have natural plus speed and some base-stealing ability. Should Jonathan Koch not turn into the solid starter management thinks he will, Bennett could certainly challenge him for the position in the next few years.
Shortstop Kevin Flieder, the Brewers first round draft pick in last year's amateur draft, is considered one of the Brewers top prospects (not already in the WPK). Flieder put up consistently solid numbers at both single A Bainbridge and AA Nashville this season. Nothing spectacular, but steady development. He is an extremely gifted defender and has the potential to be an acceptable hitter at the big league level. He is also speedy and a polished base-runner and base-stealer. The very intelligent Flieder is likely aware that his chances of taking over shortstop for the Brewers anytime in the near future- what with Chad Brown having established himself as one of the best overall players at the position in the league and having signed a long-term contract extension- are slim. With his defensive skills he could certainly transition to second or third base as well but the reality is that he might just end up being very valuable trade bait.
The Brewers have a number of first base prospects who have at least moderate big league potential but they are all trapped behind Bobby Erbakan and it's hard to say whether any of them will ever be likely to put on Brewers purple. (Trade bait, again?)
Second-base, even after Koch and Bennett, is an area of great strength for the Brewers organization. From the AA defensive specialist Joe Willemse (most likely to become the next Oscar Vargas, more defensive backup than starter) to the suprising class A surprise Fabricio Lafet, a hard working sparkplug of a player putting up excellent numbers in 1972, to short season A ball Jersey City's 19-year old Tim Leinen, who has plus speed, potential plus plate approach with decent contact skills, and above average defensive skills, potential big league second baseman are numerous.
Third base likely belongs to Mike Foster for the foreseeable future, but if something unforeseen occurs, long-time prospect Jose Careaga still waits in the wings, continuing to perform very well at AAA Chester.
Shortstop is a relatively weak position after Chad Brown and Kevin Flieder. But that's probably not a problem.


Outfield: The top outfield prospect, according to the Brewers scouting staff, is right fielder Josh Schaeffer. Schaeffer has spent much of 1972 on the Injured List, recovering from torn ankle ligaments much of the summer and now getting ready to return from a short bout of knee tendinitis. When he has played he has put up decent offensive numbers, displaying, as expected, a world class eye at the plate. Schaeffer is fast, an above average defender with a strong arm, and could be an acceptable big league hitter. There are doubts though about his level of motivation.
19-year old Jorge Gonzalez got off to a tough start this season at single A Bainbridge but has progressed as the season has gone along. He has a long way to go still before he is fully developed, but he has the ceiling of a plus hitter with a good power/speed combination and plus defense in left field. He may never get there, but the potential is intriguing.
At 20 years old, Marty Hodge found himself spending a second season at short season A Jersey City, and he put up offensive numbers pretty consistent with his 1971 season. He's likely bound for 4th outfielder status at best, but he's a hard worker, a smart guy, a good character all around. With his strong arm and solid overall defensive skills, and with his plate approach which projects to be above average and the potential to become at least an above average power hitter, given time Hodge could still eventually find himself playing right in a Brewers uniform.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers wrap up a 7-game home series with 3 games against the San Francisco Velocity.

In game 1, the Brewers give up 3 1st inning runs but respond with 4 of their own in the bottom of the frame. Things calmed down significantly after that and though things got a bit dicey in the 9th the Brewers held on for a 5-4 victory. Cheol-han Lee, though not at his sharpest, gets the win after working 8 innings, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits, striking out 6 while walking none. He improves to 14-7 with a 2.16 ERA. Andrew Kennedy (.306/.336/.401), who has been among the hottest of hitters lately, went 3 for 4 in the game, scoring 1 run and driving in another.

The Saturday game between the two clubs was postponed due to inclement weather and made up as part of a Sunday double-header.
Having won 6 straight the Brewers likely were anxious to keep things going and were disappointed by the weather-dictated interruption.

And, as it turned out, the weather did seem to dampen their hot streak.
In the opening game of the double-header the Velocity broke a 2-2 tie by scoring 4 runs in the 5th inning. They extended their lead to 7-2 with a run in the top of the 9th. The Brewers plated 3 runs in the bottom of the 9th but the rally fell short and they lost 7-5. Harry Lyerly, who has been uncharacteristically stingy with the long ball this season, wasn't in this game. He gave up 3 HR's among his 7 hits allowed, and took the loss, having allowed 6 runs while striking out 7 and walking 3. Lyerly falls to 12-7 with an ERA of 2.78. Kevin Curtis (.187/.332/.309) went 2 for 4 and hit his 17th double in the loss.
In the night-cap the teams fought to a 3-3 draw going into the 9th. But then the bullpen, which has been so solid most of the season, faltered, with Miguel Solis giving up a 2-run HR and the Velocity held on to win 5-3. Solis took the loss, falling to 4-5 with a 1.85 ERA. Steve Herzog (.226/.284/.306, WPK numbers for 1972), goes 2 for 4 in each game of the doubleheader and hits 2 doubles in this game.

[stevem810]

Bennett will be interesting to watch as he moves up the ladder of the organization. He wants to know when you are going to bump him up. :- ). Would you 'dare' skip a level and try him at AAA? Or, the safer route at AA?

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by stevem810

Bennett will be interesting to watch as he moves up the ladder of the organization. He wants to know when you are going to bump him up. :- ). Would you 'dare' skip a level and try him at AAA? Or, the safer route at AA?

My usual approach is to promote the most advanced/promising prospects at each level up a level when the WPK expansion happens on September 1st. A domino effect, if you will.
So if he wasn't on the IL Bennett would surely be playing at AA Nashville right now. Then, depending upon how well he adjusted to the promotion, I could see him playing just part of the 1973 season at AA and then either being promoted to AAA Chester, or, especially if Koch struggles or is once again injured, jumping straight up to Denver.

Of course, so much depends upon how Koch develops with the Brewers. His overall offensive numbers haven't been great this season (certainly not as good as fellow rookie Mike Foster) but he's a tremendous fielder who hits the ball hard into the gaps and has good over-the-fence power potential.
What's intriguing about Bennett this year is how much both his power and speed (stolen bases, at least) numbers suddenly spiked. Was this just a one-season anomaly or a sign of things to come?

As I've alluded to here, while the outfield might be where we have the greatest depth of prospects who could play in the WPK, second base is probably where we have the best crop of potential WPK starters, and maybe even a few stars. Koch gets first shot at the title of Brewers starter, but if he fails Bennett could push him soon. And there are several others who could contend for anything from the starting 2B job to a back-up, utility role.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers begin a 10-game road trip with a 4-game series in Brooklyn against the 3rd place Aces.

In a devastating quirk of the schedule the Brewers find themselves travelling to Brooklyn after dropping both ends of a double-header in Denver only to face another double-header to start the series against the Aces.
It would be hard to fault the Brewers if they came out a bit flat and lost at least one, if not both, of the first two games in Brooklyn.
But while it took 12 innings, the Brewers proved their grittiness with a 6-5 victory in the series opener. Veteran 4th outfielder Pat Rondeau was a big contributor to the win. Rondeau (.284/.313/.353), hitting in the lead off slot, went 3 for 6, scoring 3 runs and stealing 2 bases to get to 19 on the season. Daniel Torres did not pitch well in the start for the Brewers, allowing 4 runs on 6 hits in 4 1/3rd innings pitched, also walking 4 batters. yet when he left the game the Brewers were clinging to a 4-3 lead. Unfortunately, Eric Singer allowed one of the two runners he inherited and the game was tied 4-4. Singer did settle down and pitch 3 scoreless innings after getting out of the 5th and 4 more Brewers relievers combined to allow no more runs after that, with Dave Duncan getting his 4th save (2.23 ERA).
And then, having played 30 innings in the past 24 hours, the Brewers somehow summoned up the energy to get a convincing 8-4 victory in the night-cap. Although starter Erik Sloan wasn't at his best- allowing 4 runs on 6 hits in 7 innings pitched, including giving up 2 HR's to the Aces leftfielder Adam Pester- the offense stepped up and got him the win. Sloan improves to 14-6 with a 2.09 ERA. Pat Rondeau again was terrific, going 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 1 RBI, hitting his 12th double. Andrew Kennedy (.307/.338/.404) went 2 for 5 with 2 doubles, which gives him 33 for the season, second best in the MGL after Brooklyn's superstar center fielder Felix Lopez.

In game 3 of the series the Brewers get a fantastic performance from young lefty Matt Helm, certainly his best start of the season and likely the best of his career. Over the course of 8 innings, Helm gave up just a single hit while striking out 7 and walking 1. The Brewers won 2-0 with Helm improving to 6-5 with a 2.35 ERA. Jose de los Santos pitched the 9th for his 17th save (1.81 ERA.) Bobby Erbakan (.277/.345/.401) led the offense with a 3 for 4 game, hitting his 24th double.

Sensing a 4-game series sweep with ace starter Cheol-han Lee on the mound, they instead found themselves shut out by the unheralded (and frankly generally unimpressive Chris Steele) and drop game 4 by a score of 3-0. Cheol-han Lee gave up 3 runs, though none earned, on 6 hits in 6 1/3rd innings pitched. He falls to 14-8 with a 2.10 ERA.


With the 3-1 series win against Brooklyn, the Brewers solidify their hold on 2nd place. But they gain very little ground on the Charlotte Sting. With 21 games left in the season, there is nearly no chance the Brewers will catch Charlotte. But the chances are very good that they will finish in 2nd place for the 3rd time in franchise history.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers then travel down to Oklahoma City for three games against the 8th place Diamond Kings, clinging to hopes for a late season surge to catch up with the 1st place Sting.

And in game 1 they get a narrow 2-1 victory thanks to another big hit by rookie Mike Foster. Foster (.300/.325/.420), who had hit a double in the 4th inning, came up with the run scoring single in the 9th that turned out to be the game winner. Harry Lyerly scattered 8 hits over 6 innings pitched, giving up just 1 unearned run while striking out 4 and walking 3 in the no-decision. Miguel Solis got the win in relief, improving to 5-5 with a 1.79 ERA. Jose de los Santos picked up his 18 save (1.78 ERA.)

Brewers hitters were largely shut down by veteran ace starter Reece Vaughan in the second game and Denver loses 3-1. Erik Sloan takes the loss, dropping to 14-7 with a 2.10 ERA.

In the rubber match of the series, the Brewers snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. With a good performance by Steve Green (7 IP, 2 R, 8 H, 9 K, 1 BB), the Brewers took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th. And then the bullpen imploded, with 3 Brewers relievers giving up 3 runs, culminating in a bases-loaded walk-off walk as the Brewers lose 5-4.

With the series loss, the Brewers are now 10 1/2 games behind Charlotte with 18 games remaining. Although not officially mathematically eliminated from contention, the reality is that for all intents and purposes the MGL pennant race is over and the Charlotte Sting will win their first MGL title.

[BirdWatcher]

With the Charlotte Sting on the cusp of claiming their first MGL pennant, now seems like a good time to take a look at this franchise.

History/Overview: Until this season the highest the Sting ever finished in the MGL standings was 6th place, and that was last season. They have finished in last place twice, in 9th place three times, and 8th place once. They have the worst overall winning percentage of any team in the MGL historically, and only one SJL team- the El Paso Dawgs- has a lower winning percentage over the course of their history in the WPK than the Sting.
But now that is all changing. One reason is that the Sting have done a good job of taking advantage of their draft pick positioning. Their pitching, which is a primary reason for their success this season, features first round draft picks like Jalen Cotton (3rd overall in 1968), who is 16-7 with a 2.08 ERA, Mike Hiatt (15th overall in 1967), who is 13-12 with a 2.83 ERA and threw his second no-hitter (perfect game) this season, and now knuckleballer Lienhart Brown (1st overall in 1969), who has pitched in the bullpen most of this season and has a 4-2 win-loss record with 9 saves and an ERA of 2.85.
Their bullpen also features homegrown pitchers like Jeff Goodson (15th overall in 1966, 3-1, 2 saves, 3.48 ERA), lefty Ricky James (13th overall in 1965, 1-0, 4 saves, 2.45 ERA), Cory Glover (22nd overall in 1967, 0.96 ERA in 7 games at the WPK level this season), and Dean Olson (27th overall in 1966, 3-2, 1 save, 2.71 ERA.)
They have also leveraged other high round draft picks in trades to get valuable members of their current team, including trading Matt Helm (#6 overall in 1966) to the Brewers for Adam Getchell (#3 overall in 1966 by Pittsburgh), who is 12-10 with a 2.62 ERA this season for the Sting.
The Sting also have developed some good position players through their system- notably gold glove shortstop David Flesh (4th round pick in 1965), gold glove center fielder Bill Adams (5th round pick in 1965), and the speedy fan favorite outfielder Blake Reese (#11 overall in 1968)- who play key roles on the team.
And with the 5th best farm system in the WPK it appears that the Sting are a team built for success going forward in the foreseeable future.

The Park: The Sting play at lovely BB&T Ballpark, which plays as a good hitters park and seats up to 34,800 fans.

The Face of the Franchise: In the off-season the Sting signed free agent left fielder Cody Kane and he has had a huge positive impact on the club, becoming not only the team captain but also their most productive hitter, easily leading the team in HR's with 23 and having an OPS+ of 151. Kane had spent his entire career with the Baltimore Lords until this season and while he has never led the league in any category he has been a consistently excellent player throughout his career. At only 26 years of age he should have many great years ahead of him but the Sting will need to consider extending his contract soon as he is only signed through the 1973 season.

One to Watch for the Future: Normally this is where I would highlight the greatest former player on a team but with the Sting being a very future-oriented team now with little past success I thought it would be more appropriate to take a glance at a probable future star.
(Having said that, the Sting have had some standout players in the past, including starting pitcher Jaime Schardein, who was with the club from 1965-1967, and slugging outfielder Rigby Muckenfuss, who still leads the club in most career offensive categories after having starred for the Sting from 1965-1970.)
While the Sting have many promising prospects, the most dynamic among them, the most likely to turn into a superstar in the WPK, is 20-year old center fielder Jose Gutierrez, who was the 1st overall pick in the 1970 draft. Gutierrez looks like the next Felix Lopez- a gifted defensive outfielder (though weak armed) with the potential to lead the league in batting average while hitting a good number of extra base hits, an average number of HR's (better power than Lopez) and showing great plate discipline. And, like Lopez, Gutierrez showed be very dangerous on the base paths. He's still a few years away from the bigs but he should help to keep the Sting in contention for years to come.

In summation, after years of futility, the future looks mighty bright indeed for the Charlotte Sting.

[BirdWatcher]

In a match-up of the two pre-season favorites in the MGL, the Brewers travel to Phoenix to take on the Speed Devils in a 3-game series.
While the Brewers have had a somewhat disappointing season, the Speed Devils, mathematically eliminated from contention and just trying to get back to .500 and maybe salvage a winning season at least, have been a huge disappointment.

In game 1 the Brewers add to Phoenix's misery with a 4-0 shutout win. Brewers ace Cheol-han Lee gets the complete game shutout, allowing just 4 hits with no walks and 4 strikeouts. He improves to 15-8 with a 2.02 ERA. Pat Rondeau (.290/.315/.362) leads the offense with a 3 for 5 game, driving in 3 runs while hitting his 13th double and 1st HR of the season.

Game 2 is nearly identical to the first game, only with Phoenix's Lee- Ji-hyun Lee- combining with dominant reliever Pat Brooks for a 3-hit shutout in the 4-0 Phoenix win. Daniel Torres took the loss for Denver, pitching 7 innings, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks. Torres drops to 6-7 with a 3.54 ERA.

Mike Foster- Brewers hero! Game 3 ended with a 5-3 Brewers victory and Mike Foster had a lot to do with the outcome, going 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, 2 RBI, and hitting his 11th double and 6th HR. Foster (.292/.315/.421) also went 2 for 5 in the first game of the series and continues to be clearly the Brewers Rookie-of-the-Year. Matt Helm got the win, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits in 5 1/3rd innings. He improves to 7-5 with a 2.47 ERA. Helm also hit a huge 3-run HR in the 4th inning. Four relievers provided nearly flawless pitching to preserve the victory with Jose de los Santos getting the save, his 19th (1.75 ERA.)

With the series victory over Phoenix the Brewers maintain a firm grasp of 2nd place. But Charlotte is finishing the season strong and any chance of catching them has nearly vanished. The Brewers next face Charlotte in a 4-game series in Denver and then face them again in the last 3 games of the season in Charlotte. At 10 1/2 games behind the Brewers pretty much would need to win every game against Charlotte to hope to catch them. Thus far this season Charlotte has taken 9 of 11 from Denver. So that's pretty unlikely.

[BirdWatcher]

We have reached that time of the year when we step into the WPK Time Machine to find out what current players will have relatives who also end up playing pro ball at some point in the future.

And what we find out this time is that San Antonio center fielder Omar Mallari's son Moses, who was born on September 8th of 1970 (happy belated 2nd birthday, little Mo), will eventually grow up to be a professional pitcher. Our visit to the future (a few random stops in the late 80's and into the 90's, at the least) tells us that Moses will likely become what is referred to as a Lifer (archetype identified in created relative player process). A few of the characteristics found in a Lifer are high leadership qualities, high loyalty, high adaptability, good intelligence and work ethic. In terms of talent, a Lifer tends towards the average to somewhat above average area of the spectrum. Moses will be available to be drafted in 1989 and after that only time will tell what might become of him. (An earlier trip in the time machine told us that in that same draft class, Oklahoma City second baseman Ricky Alfonso's son Santino will be another available pitcher- of the Workhorse variety.)

Twenty-six year old backup left fielder, Josh Boggs, of the Phoenix Speed Devils, isn't a father yet, but our journeys in the time machine tell us that he will have a son named Dominick, born on August 1st of 1978, and like his father Dominick will become a speedy outfielder (Speedster archetype). Dominick will be draft eligible in 1996.

[BirdWatcher]

Well, the Brewers are at least making it interesting if nothing else.
They nearly get the 4-game sweep of the Sting though they fall just short in the final game.

Game 1, Harry Lyerly outduels Jalen Cotton (16-8, 2.01) and the Brewers win 4-2. Lyerly took a shutout into the 7th inning when he allowed 2 runs but then he shut the Sting down again and finished with 8 innings pitched, allowing just 3 hits while striking out 7 and walking 4. Lyerly improves to 13-7 with a 2.68 ERA. Ryan Rodgers (.305/.424/.358), having recently returned from the IL, went 3 for 4 in the game, hitting his 8th double of the season. Liann-wei Hua gets the save, his 3rd, and sees his ERA improve to 0.91.

Saturday's game is postponed by rain and therefore Sunday turns into a double-header.
In the first game of the twin bill, the Brewers get another great start, this time from Steve Green, who works 7 innings giving up just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 5 and walking none. The Brewers win 3-1 and Green improves to 9-6 with a 2.94 ERA. Kevin Curtis (.189/.332/.303) provides a good deal of the offense, going 2 for 3 with 2 RBI. Miguel Solis gets his 10th save (1.93 ERA.)
In the night-cap the Brewers bats come alive and the pitching remains sharp and they win 7-2. Erik Sloan gets the win and improves to 15-7, 2.11, after giving up 2 runs on 8 hits in 8 1/3rd innings pitched. He was hurling a shutout going into the 9th inning but then got in a bit of trouble and needed some bailing out, which was provided by Sam Pruiett who got the final 2 outs on just 3 pitches. Bobby Erbakan (.282/.351/.400) was 3 for 3 with 2 runs scored in the game. Andrew Kennedy (.301/.331/.396) , third in the MGL in batting average, went 3 for 4, driving in 2 runs and hitting his 2nd triple of the season.

In the final game of the series the Brewers, on the strength of a 5-run 5th inning, carried a 5-1 lead into the 6th inning with staff ace Cheol-han Lee on the mound. It felt like an inevitable win. But then Lee couldn't get out of the 6th inning, giving up 4 runs. The game remained tied 5-5 after 9 innings played. Eric Singer, probably the most disappointing member of the Brewers 'pen this season (while simultaneously being the highest paid reliever and 4th highest paid player on the team), gave up 2 runs in the top of the 11th before Sam Pruiett once again came in to put out the fire. The Brewers went meekly in the bottom of the inning (other than a Pat Rondeau single) and lost 7-5. Singer falls to 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA. Ian Dube (.267/.278/.320), who has done a fine job filling in during the absence of Jonathan Koch (who has just returned from the IL), went 3 for 5 in the game, hitting his 4th double (though also committing his 4th error.) Chad Brown (.285/.314/.374), who has been scuffling at the plate for the last few weeks, went 2 for 5 with 3 RBI in the lead-off slot, having driving in the 3 with a bases loaded triple in the 5-run 5th, his 7th triple of the season.

Having taken 3 of 4 from Charlotte the Brewers remain the only team other than Charlotte not now mathematically eliminated from contention in the MGL, but at 8 1/2 games back with only 11 to play they have nearly no chance to over-take the Sting. The Sting's magic number is down to 4.

[BirdWatcher]

In the SJL, the Columbus Whalers appear to be on the verge of claiming their 3rd league pennant, though the Jacksonville Wolf Pack and San Antonio Keys are still hanging in there (all other teams having now been mathematically eliminated from contention.) The Keys should be toast soon, but it might take a bit longer for the Whalers to knock out Jacksonville (if, indeed, they do) and Columbus' magic number is 7.
As is true in the MGL, the second place team has the run differential advantage and has seemingly under-achieved a bit. Admittedly, at this point the run differential lead for the Brewers over the Sting is small (4 runs) but the Sting appear to have over-achieved by a bit and one would expect the race to be a bit tighter then it is.

Still, run differential means nothing in the standings and Charlotte does have the best record in the WPK and will likely get to 100 wins this season, which would exceed their previous high total by 25 wins. The Sting deserve all the credit for the amazing, and surprising, success they have achieved this year.

[BirdWatcher]

In game 1 of a 3-game series against the Diamond Kings in Denver, the Brewers battle back from an early deficit to win 4-3. Joe McPhillips (.223/.332/.354), who has struggled making contact at the plate with far too many strikeouts in his first full season in the WPK, once again showed his tantalizing promise with a 2 for 3, 2 RBI game, walking once and hitting his 16th double of the season. McPhillips also wowed the Denver faithful by making a difficult catch on a Kevin Reed line drive then turning and firing a strike to third base to gun down the speedy Aaron Stiffler to end the Oklahoma City 4th inning. Josh Schaeffer, in his first ever big league start, went 1 for 2 with 2 runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base, though he had to leave the game early with a minor league injury. (With the AAA season having ended, both Schaeffer and third baseman Jose Careaga were brought up to finish the season with the big league club.) Matt Helm got the start for the Brewers but had to leave with a sore elbow (sidelined for about a week, but might not pitch again with the season winding down) after facing only 3 batters. Daniel Torres came on and struggled to start out, allowing the one runner he inherited to score. But then he and the bullpen combined to largely shut down the Diamond Kings after that. Jaden Francis was credited with the win and improves to 5-2 with a 2.80 ERA and Jose de los Santos picked up his 20th save (1.73 ERA.)

Harry Lyerly, who historically finishes seasons strongly, hurled a complete game 2-hit shutout in the second game of the series and the Brewers win 5-0. Lyerly, who improves to 14-7 with a 2.56 ERA, struck out 7 and walked 2. He also contributed a big 2-out, 2-RBI single in the bottom of the 6th inning. Josh Schaeffer continued his strong big league start with a 2 for 3, 3 runs scored, 1 walk game.

With an exhausted and slightly depleted Brewers rotation with Matt Helm nursing a sore elbow, the Brewers promoted AAA starter Eric Johnson for a first taste of the bigs. (It would likely have been the more experienced Justin Peacock instead but he is currently out with an oblique muscle strain.) Johnson performed well, carrying a 2-1 lead into the 6th inning. Johnson got in a bit of trouble in the 6th and gave way to the bullpen. Instead of putting out the fire they threw some gasoline on top and by the time the inning was over the Diamond Kings had scored 5 times to take a 6-2 lead which they would not relinquish. Johnson took a not entirely deserved loss, having allowed 3 runs on 6 hits over 5 innings pitched. He also picked up his first big league hit and run scored in his very first at-bat. (Like many of the younger Brewers pitchers, including Harry Lyerly and Steve Green, Johnson is not inept with the bat in his hands.) Ryan Rodgers (.315/.431/.371) went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI and hit his 9th double of the season. Chad Brown (.289/.317/.379), who has been in a prolonged slump here late in the season saw his bat come alive again in this series as he went 3 for 5 in this game, hitting his 32nd double, and was 2 for 4 in the previous game.

The first place Charlotte Sting have now lost 3 games in a row so with the 2 out of 3 series victory for the Brewers they are still mathematically alive at 6 1/2 games behind with 8 to play (Charlotte has 9 games left.) In the SJL, the Columbus Whalers still hold a 2 game lead over Jacksonville. Both teams have 7 games left, including a short 2-game series in which they face each other in Jacksonville. This one isn't over folks!

[BirdWatcher]

Earlier in the season I reported on the surprising start to Pittsburgh Roadrunners starting pitcher Jonathan "Wild Man" Edwards rookie season.
Now that the season is nearly over I thought it might be good to take a look at how things have gone for Edwards since we last looked in on him.

And the short answer is- quite well, indeed, thank you.
While Edwards record is an unimpressive 13-11 this is largely a product of pitching for a last place team. He is second in the SJL in ERA and is sixth in rWAR (5.1). He has a fine FIP (2.88) and a FIP- of 97. His BABIP is not that much lower than the league BABIP (.262 to .273) and opponents are only hitting .230 against him (okay, admittedly the league average is just a few ticks above that at .235).

All things considered he is probably due for some reversion in 1973 but it is still an impressive rookie campaign for the unheralded 15th round draft pick, and he has been a bright spot for a very bad team.

[BirdWatcher]

The Brewers conclude the home portion of this season's schedule with a 3-game series against arch-rival Phoenix.

In game 1, the Brewers are being shut-out 5-0 going into the bottom of the 9th and then stage a rally that falls just short as they lose 5-4. Steve Green got the start for the Rockies and was saddled with the loss. While he struck out 9 batters while walking only 1, he also gave up 3 runs on 10 hits over 6 1/3rd innings pitched. Green drops to 9-7 with a 2.98 ERA. Joe McPhillilps (.227/.333/.358) was 2 for 4 with 1 run scored and Ian Dube (.284/.310/.333) also went 2 for 4 with 1 run scored and 1 RBI in the loss. (Dube has far exceeded any expectations for him.)

The Brewers bounce back in game 2, scoring 5 runs in the 1st inning and holding on to win 5-3. The big hit in the 5-run 1st? Well, naturally, it was off the bat of Mike "Brewer Hero" Foster- a 2-out, bases-loaded, Grand Slam. The HR is Foster's 7th of the season. Erik Sloan wasn't at his best in this game- giving up 3 runs on 8 hits over 6 2/3rd innings pitched- but he gets the win to improve to 16-7 with a 2.16 ERA. Jordan Stephens pitches wonderfully in the final 2 innings to get his 3rd save while his ERA improves to a terrific 0.84. Stephens started the 1972 season as a borderline, peripheral member of the bullpen, bouncing at first between Denver and AAA Chester, but has emerged as someone expected to play a key role on the club in 1973, especially when you factor in his ability to play third base and provide the club with another power right-handed bat.

The Brewers get a gutsy start from Cheol-han Lee, who labored a bit early but then really settled down and worked 7 1/3rd scoreless innings, and good support from the bullpen, as they win the rubber match 4-0. Lee improves to 16-8 with a 2.10 ERA. Josh Schaeffer (.556/.667/.556) continues his great introduction to the WPK, getting 2 hits in 3 at-bats, scoring 1 run and drawing 1 base on balls. Schaeffer has a reputation of being unmotivated, but he sure seems to be motivated to prove he belongs at the big league level and it appears that Brewers management has taken note. Rumor is that Schaeffer will be given every opportunity to compete for the right field job in 1973 (with Antonio Puente likely to be traded in the off-season.) Andrew Kennedy (.298/.329/.389) contributed a 2 for 3 day with 1 walk.

[BirdWatcher]

In spite of some great play by the Brewers the last few weeks- they have won their last 4 series- it proved to be a little too little and a lot too late.

The Charlotte Sting have been scuffling a bit of late but with a pair of wins in a row they have clinched the MGL and our Denver Brewers have been officially eliminated from contention. The Brewers almost surely will finish in 2nd place and currently have the 3rd best record in the WPK.

The Columbus Whalers magic number to win the SJL is down to 3 as they continue to lead the Jacksonville Wolf Pack by 2 1/2 games.

[BirdWatcher]

The penultimate series of the season for the Brewers is a 2-game set at Los Angeles against the 4th place Spinners.

The Brewers once again get a glimpse of what a force Joe McPhillips (.230/.335/.369) can potentially be, as the 23-year old center fielder leads the team to victory with a 3 for 5, 1 run, 3 RBI game, hitting his 18th double and his 7th HR in the game. McPhillips also stole his 11th base of the season. (The Brewers were running like crazy in this game as Pat Rondeau stole 2 bases to get to 21, and Josh Schaeffer got his 2nd stolen base. On the other hand, the team's top base stealer, Chad Brown, was caught attempting to steal for the 9th time.) Harry Lyerly got the start and allowed 3 runs on 6 hits, including giving up 2 HR's, before having to leave with what turned out to be finger blister after getting 2 outs in the 5th inning. He left with his team down 3-1 but the Brewers scored 4 runs in the top of the 9th to win 5-3. Jaden Francis pitched 2 strong innings to get the win and he improves to 6-2 with a 2.68 ERA. Jose de los Santos gets his 21st save and has an ERA of 1.68. Ian Dube (.295/.326/.341) continues his hot hitting going 2 for 4 and scoring 1 run.

It was nip and tuck, but the Brewers prevail in the second game by a score of 3-2. Steve Green pitched a fine game, lasting 8 innings and giving up just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 4 and walking 1. Green finishes the season with a record of 10-7 and an ERA of 2.86. Miguel Solis got into trouble in the 9th and gave way to Liann-wei Hua who got a pair of outs but also issued a walk and allowed an inherited runner to score. Dave Duncan entered with runners on the corners and induced a harmless fly ball to left to end the game. Duncan earns the save, his 5th, and sports a 2.22 ERA.
And hey, what the heck is with rookie Josh Schaeffer? Schaeffer (.500/.591/.611) went 3 for 5 and hit his first 2 doubles as a big leaguer. Yes, it's an extremely small sample size as he only has 22 plate appearances, but it is hard to remember any player in Brewers history who has been this hot at the start of his career.

[BirdWatcher]

In game 2 of the series in L.A. former Brewer favorite Ruben Souffront got a rare start in right field. He went 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Sadly, this season in L.A. has not gone well for poor Ruben. He has been sitting on the bench much of the time though he also did have a stint at AAA Benton, where, as he always does at AAA, he put up very good numbers.
But in his 75 games in a Spinners uniform, only 16 of which saw him in a starting role, his slash line is .198/.274/.291. He has a WAR of -0.6. Maybe most surprising, for a player with his incredible speed and base stealing and base running talent, he has just 1 stolen base and has been caught 3 times. This for a man who had 43 stolen bases in 1967 and another 38 in 1969.
Ruben will be a free agent at the end of the season and will not likely be playing in a Spinners uniform next season. We can only hope he finds a landing spot where his career can be resurrected.

[BirdWatcher]

With only a few days remaining in the WPK regular season schedule for the 1972 season, we now know which two teams will be facing off in the 1972 WPK World Series.

The Columbus Whalers, SJL champs for the third time in their history, will take on the MGL newcomer champion Charlotte Sting.

Columbus has won both World Series they have competed in, defeating the Portland Wild Things in a 4-game sweep in 1968 and defeating your Denver Brewers, again in a sweep, the following year.

Of the seven World Series played thus far in WPK history, all but one of them has been won by an SJL team. (The exception being 1970, when the Brewers defeated the Jacksonville Wolf Pack in 5 games.)

Can Charlotte give Columbus their first World Series loss? (Game and/or series.) We shall soon find out.

[pauwoo]

I really like the 10x10 setup with one playoff qualifier per season. One of the problems I have with my setup is that 50% of the teams from each league get post season bids. I get some “undeserving” champions sometimes. Enjoying this one - I think I’ll put my support behind Charlotte by virtue of not wanting Columbus to get another sweep.

Incidentally, I had a 10x10 setup that ran a 54g/3h/3a schedule that was a lot of fun - I just couldn’t dial in the modifiers to reduce the # of .400 hitters I got each season.

Looking forward to Denver’s retooled club taking it over next season.

[BirdWatcher]

Originally Posted by pauwoo

I really like the 10x10 setup with one playoff qualifier per season. One of the problems I have with my setup is that 50% of the teams from each league get post season bids. I get some “undeserving” champions sometimes. Enjoying this one - I think I’ll put my support behind Charlotte by virtue of not wanting Columbus to get another sweep.

Incidentally, I had a 10x10 setup that ran a 54g/3h/3a schedule that was a lot of fun - I just couldn’t dial in the modifiers to reduce the # of .400 hitters I got each season.

Looking forward to Denver’s retooled club to take it over next season.

Thanks for following along!
Yes, I set this up to mimic MLB circa 1965 to start and I'm enjoying the non-divisional playoff/World Series format as well. Although I'm also totally open to the league eventually evolving through expansion and shifting to divisional play just as the MLB did. Time will tell.
I'm rooting for the Sting also- if for no other reason that it will be great to see a team that has had so little success in their history thus far win it all. Plus, our MGL needs to do better in the championship trophy collection.

I'm pretty excited about what the 1973 version of the team will look like too. I'll report on this probably tomorrow but the latest scouting report sees ratings boosts for some of our most important young players- particularly Joe McPhillips and Josh Schaeffer, Mike Foster seems to be getting a bit more love from the scouting staff too, well deserved after the fine rookie season he put together. And Bobby Erbakan, after having a solid but not as spectacular as hoped 1972 season still looks like he's just expected to keep getting better.

I try not to hurry through the post-season and off-season too much- wanting to stay immersed in the WPK universe throughout the fictional calendar year- but I will be eager to get to Spring Training 1973 before too long.