W E S T   D I V I S I O N

E A S T   D I V I S I O N

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Haunted by the Ghosts of Superbas Past
   It's said that Rome wasn't built in a day. Nor were the Black and Blue cobbled together overnight, but through season after season of meticulous trading. But if you really believe that the best trades make both teams better, then you can't act surprised when your former players turn trouble for you later on. That's the story of '58 in a nutshell, when former 'Bas Porterfield, Antonell, and Brissie turned in spectacular performances. Porterfield in particular realized the dominant performance so long expected of him on the mound of Frank Thomas Memorial Stadium, only he did it for LOU to seal the 'Bas' World Series fate.
 
Arms race
   On the mound in 1958, the Screaming Bats silenced the oppostion behind two 20-game winners and a sometimes-brilliant Burdette. We hope to have found a fourth-starter in the form of Dick Donovan (who returned home five years after being traded with Antonelli for Ashburn), who has supplanted the prematurely old Tom Gorman, now a denizen of the 'pen. The ageless Hoyt Wilhelm has been brought back for another go 'round after tallying thirty saves or more five of the last seven seasons. The rest of a mostly young, talented, but uninspiring bullpen will have to realize their potential sometime between now and the twilight of Hoyt's brilliant career.

The Limpest of Sticks
   Get 'em on, get 'em over, and get 'em in worked fine until it really mattered--sticks went limp all around Brook-town come World Series time. Even the great Ralph Kiner, arguably the best offensive player in UL history, turned impotent when it counted. That said, all I ever ask is to just get to the postseason. Speaking of extra frames, 1959 is likely the last, best chance for Kiner and Ashburn to capture a Series crown, as these two carry massive contracts that expire at the end of the season. Fingers are crossed all around Flatbush in hopes of ending the decade--and careers of so many big-name 'Bas--on a winning note.
  

Washington Monuments
Steven Giovanelli
95-59, .617  4  2nd

High Rollin' & Low Ballin'
Much like Bill Murray in Groundhog’s Day, it’s beginning to seem like the Colts are destined to repeat the same mediocre season over and over and over and…well, you get the picture. A ’58 summary seems pointless, read any of the summaries from the last few seasons and you’ll know what’s up in Chi-town. What is new is the end of big spending. The high rolling days of the Colts are a thing of the past. The team has hemorrhaged money for three seasons and is now seeing red on the ledger, so much so that we’re forced to cut all of our expiring contracts AND forgo the Reentry draft. So the Ponies will be putting the past out of their minds, tightening their purse strings and prepping to load up the moving vans for the trip across town at the end of the ’59 season. But hey, at least Whitey, Ernie and The Mick will be around…that’s a pretty nice place to start…or restart…wouldn’t you say?
 

"Well we didn't win it all, but I don't have to much to complain about.  Willie won the MVP, and Carl won the Cy-Young, and both deservedly so.  Willie had an exceptional year he hit .325 with 190 hits, 45 dingers, 133 RBI, and 122 runs.  What a year!  Carl did his part with a 26-3 record and 2.11 ERA.  Couldn't ask for two better players.  We just need to go out this off season and get some more help, that way we can get back to the top.  The loss of "The Silver Fox" hurt, but he should be back next year and should be in great shape.  With the return of him and with the addition of some rising stars we should be better.  With in the next few months I will be crunching the numbers and trying to either build a new stadium or do some overdue renovations to the Griff."

Boston Beacons
Charlie Qualls
84-70, .545  15  3rd

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The Bridesmaid’s Friend
   The Third Place (overall) Beacons showed Boston a glimpse of what they might be missing in the future.  The focus before the season was on creating a more balanced offense.  This met with some success, and the Beeks’ O put together an above average campaign, despite the trading of Franchise Man Mickey Mantle.  The Cleveland Barons will be seeking power and speed via re-entry draft and trades.
   But it was the pitchers who got the lead out, sharpened up, and are currently penciled in as the UL’s #2 staff.  “What Did You Do?” Lou Brissie stunned everyone by emerging as the staff Ace, winning a franchise high 22 games.  The best may be yet to come, as end-of-the-year surprises Billy O’Dell and Bud Daley gear up for full seasons, and Uber-Prospects Don Drysdale and Turk Farrell are still basting in the minors.  The new-look bullpen was the most dependable in Beacon’s history, and hopes to improve on that.  Throw a pitcher friendly park into the mix, and things are definitely looking up.
   

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Swimming in Mediocrity
   Despite the team’s new name and ferocious looking mascot, the Griffins were less than the fearsome beast purported to be by their logo.  Although hopes were high, teams helmed by Glen “I’ll kick your ass and ignore your phone calls” Reed, Steven “My minor league starters are better than your pros” Giovanelli, and Charlie “I’ll just trade up” Qualls simply overmatched Manager Sean Holloway and his efforts to balance managing a team and getting his MBA.  On that note, the Griffins finished the year 73-81 in 4th place in the UL’s “Division of Death.”
   “I thought I could do a better job, but things started falling apart about midway through the season” stated Holloway.  “And then, just as we faced some difficult times, players began getting hurt left and right.  Hell, we couldn’t even get them dressed without pulling muscles or tearing ligaments.”  To wit, Earl Battey and Art Ceccarelli both broke elbows by engaging in the relatively simple act of throwing a baseball.
   Brutal it was for the team, as Gordon Jones, Tom Brewer, Sandy Koufax, Joey Jay, Cal McLish, and seemingly any other remaining Griffins’ pitcher found themselves riding pine due to injury.  After working hard to shore up the rotation in the off season, Holloway was forced to plug in anyone capable of throwing a ball and not hurting themselves – onetime even using the Griffins’ famed throwing peanut vendor who normally roams the bleacher seats selling concessions.
   Despite the Griffins’ improved team batting average of .270 (4th in the UL), the team lacked enough power to really provide the support the patched-together pitching staff needed.  Pedro Ramos anchored the rotation, having a stellar first half only to be doomed by a lack of run support in the second, finishing 16-11.   Johnny Podres turned in another solid year at 14-12, but the obvious surprise was Joey Jay’s 9-8 and 3.93 ERA.  If – and this is a big “IF” – Detroit pitchers can stay healthy and actually get in a groove, the team may compete better against the league’s big guns.  Ramos, Podres, and Jay should be solid 1-3 starters, and the Griffins have a plethora of relievers in the likes of Koufax, Sisler, Meyer, Jones, Clevenger, Grim and McDaniel.  The question is whether they will perform or not.  Up to now, maximum suckage has been most often heard when describing the Griffins’ reliever corps.
   Offensively, the Griffins bid farewell to long-time stalwart Ralph Kiner, being unable to pay the all-star the salary he deserved or give him a shot at a WS.  In return, Minnie Minoso continued producing in Kiner’s place, but his status is uncertain as the new season approaches, with Minnie reportedly heard to state “I’m afraid to do anything for fear of getting hurt.”
   There were some bright spots, so Holloway may be moving the team in the right direction.  CF Dusty Rhodes had a monster year (.347-13-86) and finished second in MVP balloting.  Tom Umphlett gave the Griffins some much-needed range and a golden glove in RF.  Finally 3B Frank Malzone showed he had a glove and a stick, while 2B Bobby Richardson and SS Tony Kubek completed the Griffins’ infield rejuvenation by winning golden gloves in their rookie seasons.
   1959 is full of question marks, but Holloway remains convinced that he at least has the team on the right path, and that with the addition of 2-3 key players, the Griffins should continue to improve.  Another item to note is that the Griffins have seen an almost Bill Veeck-like improvement in attendance, attracting 600,000 more fans in 1958.  The team’s balance sheet is also rock-solid, with the Griffins ranking last in payroll and flush with cash.  Might this mean the team steps into the free agent market or is willing to wheel and deal?  Holloway only would mumble something about discounted cash flow models while giggling uncontrollably.
  

New York Gothams
Shawn Martin
64-90, .416  35  5th

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Year of Transition
   The 1958 New York Gothams can be best described with one word: transition.  After years of mismanagement by several owners, Gothams’ second-year GM Shawn Martin set out to change this team in character, personnel, and luck.  He’s done well so far with the character portion of his mission, but the other two categories still need some work.  The 1958 Gothams finished 64-90 (worst in team history), but Martin made several key trades during the year in order to bring a more financially responsible NY team to the table in 1959.  SPs Vern Bickford, Billy O’Dell, Bill Fischer, Roger Craig, Bubba Church, and Frank Baumann were all traded during the year, in addition to such favorites as 3B Al Rosen and 2B Ted Lepcio.  In return, the Gothams received a couple of good young players in OF Roberto Clemente and SP Curt Simmons.  New York will also have 7 picks in the 1959 Rookie draft due to their trades, and with the retirement of longtime financial albatross Jackie Robinson, they will have a positive cash flow for the first time in years.

MASHER:  Hector Lopez – Hit a career best .312/.367/.437 in his 1st season as a Gotham
MAULER:  Orlando Cepeda – ROY in 1958, finished with 85 RBI along with 31 2B, 8 3B and 14 HR.
MACHINE:  Bob Friend – Career high 311.1 IP, finished 15-17 4.48 ERA
MISSES:  Larry Doby – Hit 36 HR -- in AAA.  Hit just 2 in the bigs with a solid .195 BA.  Making $9.4M.
MINTY:  Russ Nixon – Rookie catcher hit .295 with 8 HR in 369 AB.

   The outlook for 1959 is promising, yet limited by the quality of the other teams in the league.  The Gothams will not contend for anything but 3rd place, but it will be a young, exciting team to watch out for.