Not So 'Even Steven'

So I was messing around my 2008 APBA Baseball Card Set, and forgot that I put my BBW (Baseball for Windows) WABL Atlanta Braves team into a ready-to-play APBA Card set. My WABL (World APBA Baseball League) Braves were 5-time World Champions (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 & 2009 -- yes, we call them the "Every Other-Year Champs" dynasty).

The 2009 WABL Champions (2008 MLB Season) was one of my most impressive teams, having the lineup and pitching on top of their game --- but it was funny how it all came together, since it does have a few one-year wonder power-years by Milton Bradley, Carlos Quentin & starting pitcher Edinson Volquez that usually weren't in the mix to previous teams. Bradley usually was an occasional starter, DH, bench-guy for me.

Two big early career moves that paid dividends.

My usual lineup that season (and their OPS's)

1. Brian Roberts - 2B     (.828)

2. Nick Markakis - CF     (.897)

3. Albert Pujols -1B     (1.115)

4. Alex Rodriguez - 3B     (.965)

5. Milton Bradley - DH     (.999)

6. Carlos Quentin - RF     (.965)

7. Corey Hart - LF     (.759)

8. Yunel Escobar - SS     (.767)

9. Ivan Rodriguez - C     (.713)

The funny thing is that this was the first year in quite a few years that Carl Crawford didn't regularly start for me, his OPS was only .719, he was banged up for Tampa during their A.L. Championship campaign, and only had 25 steals & 8 HR's in 443 at-bats. He would start occasional with Adam Jones, Jones was sent to the minors in support for another arm from the bullpen in the playoffs -- plus he didn't even play up to his .711 OPS. He might have got just a little over 100 at-bats even.

Bench

Yorvit Torrealba - C

Adam LaRoche - 1B

Alberto Callaspo - IF

Ramon Santiago - SS

Carl Crawford - OF

Really not one of my best benches in recent years here, Mark Kotsay was a guy that usually made the roster, Alberto Callaspo emerged for this season & was really valuable & versatile; Torrealba is my career back-up Braves' catcher, the guy does what I ask him to do & that's give my #1's a break from time to time. Mark Reynolds was an occasional DH, backup 3B for A-Rod & pinch-hitter from time to time during the season -- he hit 28 HR's for the D-Backs in 2008. Edgar Renteria's bad 08' knocked him out of his usual place in the lineup & roster all together.

Rotation

1. Roy Halladay     B-XZ

2. Tim Lincecum     A-XY

3. Ben Sheets     B-YZ

4. Edinson Volquez     A-XYW

5. Ricky Nolasco     B-XZ

Joe Saunders     B-Z

Roy Halladay has now been my ace for a few years, Ben Sheets was the one while the rotation was in transition years back, and Randy Johnson was the ace from 1998-2004. Tim Lincecum was a 2nd-round steal for me, I used to tout Edinson Volquez as one of my biggest draft steals (2006 WABL Draft - 7th Round, 85th overall) -- turns out that 2008 was as good as it will get. There was also Shaun Marcum, Adam Wainwright & Dustin McGowan in the minors for me as well. 

Bullpen

Keiichi Yabu     B*

Brian Fuentes     B*-K

Jonathan Broxton     B*-K

Jim Johnson     A*

Brad Lidge     A&C*-KW

Not one of my best bullpens actually, and I also used a young Sergio Romo B*-XYZ, Michael Wuertz B*, Andrew Brown B*-YW & the once-promising Joel Zumaya B*-XW.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bingo DeMoss - One of the better 2B's in Negro League history.

So I decided to play them, in a dice-game exhibition against the Negro League "Stripes" team as part of my Negro League barnstorming tour experiment to see if I should throw these teams into a GTOP scenario or what not, after this... these All-Star Negro teams probably won't be used like this, and only in this form for this exhibition tour.

WHY?

Because they demolished the 2008 WABL Braves, the Stripes would get their first 9 batters all on base, and rack up 7 runs against "Doc" Halladay! It was Halladay (B-XZ) vs. Lefty McKinnis (B-Z), their #4 starter. Plus Cool Papa Bell had the day off, sure the Stripes had 7 Hall of Famers in their starting nine, but I felt the teams were quite "Even Steven"... 

Not so much.

The Braves would get outscored 16-0, while being outhit 20-4, Albert Pujols had 2 singles. Willard Brown went 4-for-5 against the Braves, with a 2B & 3 RBI & Bingo DeMoss went 3-for-5 with a HR, Steal & 4 RBI. Pete Hill added a 2-run blast as well. The Stripes scored 7 in the first & 6 runs in the 6th, while McKinnis pitched a complete-game shutout.

And I thought it would be a good, back & forth match-up -- Boy, was I wrong!

For more about my WABL Braves history, I am currently working on another post.

STARS & STRIPES - The Games so far...

I'm doing some exhibitions with the two All-Star Negro League teams I've constructed, the Negro "Stars" & Negro "Stripes" team. They are doing a bit of a barnstorming tour in which they will play each other, and other MLB teams of the past.

At this point, the Stripes are undefeated at 3-0, and the Stars are 3-1 (only losing to the Stripes) -- in which both teams are a combined 5-0 against MLB teams, and outscoring those teams a combined 44 runs.

Keeping it cool: Cool Papa Bell.

The tour started with both teams playing each other in a see-saw battle between Negro League greats, I plan to do a game recap of this at some point -- it was a really good game, the Stripes edged the Stars 7-6. Both starting pitchers Satchel Paige (Stars) and "Smokey" Joe Williams (Stripes) were not factors as they both allowed plenty of runs in short outings. Paige did strikeout 6 however in his 4 IP (5 ER's allowed). Willard Brown and Cool Papa Bell were the stars from that game, each getting 3 RBI for the Stripes in their victory debut. Brown went 2-for-4, HR, 3B & scored twice; Bell 2-for-5, 3B, SB.

Game #2/ Stripes @ 25' Washington (A)
The Stripes get to be the first to face an MLB team, and their first challenger are the 1925 Washington Senators, both teams #2 SP's face off against one another; Willie Foster (Stripes) A-XYZ against aging Walter Johnson (Senators) B-X.

The game was scoreless until the top of the 3rd, when Josh Gibson slammed a 3-run HR off the "Big Train" Johnson. Judy Johnson added to the mix with a 2-run double in the 6th Inning. The Senators only run came off an RBI single in the bottom of the third, all 5 of Washington's hits were singles off Foster; Foster pitched 7 Innings of 0 ER/1 R, 4-hit ball with 6 strike outs & one walk allowed.

Game #2/ Stars vs. 46' Boston (A)
A close game through it's entirety, Ray Brown (Stars) allowed 2 ER & 5 hits in 8 innings, without a strikeout against the Ted Williams & the American League Champion Boston Red Sox. Tex Hughson for Boston, pitched 7 Innings, allowing only 5 hits & 2 ER's. Turkey Stearnes broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth, with a 2-run HR off of Boston reliever Clem Dreisewerd. Stripes' closer Jose Mendez came in for the save, including a strike out of Williams.

Stars' Bullet Joe Rogan.

Game #3/ Stars @ 98' Atlanta
This game belonged to the Stars' Bullet Joe Rogan (A-Y) who was pitching a no-hitter into the 7th Inning against the 1998 Atlanta Braves, which was broken up by Javy Lopez with a single to right. Rogan would go on to shutout the Braves in a complete one-hit gem against the Braves' John Smoltz (B-XYZ), allowing 3 walks while striking out three. Not only Rogan pitched a gem, he would be one of the offensive forces for the Stars, knocking in a 3-run HR off of Smoltz in the top of the 6th (ending his night). Cuban star OF-Christobal  Torriente (2-for-4, 3B, RBI, SB & 2 runs) and 1B-Mule Suttles (2-for-4, 3B, RBI & run) were factors as well.

Game #3/ Stripes vs. 86' New York (N)
I was curious to see how this scrappy Mets team would do against the Stripes, they swept the 1984 Detroit Tigers in a 4-game exhibition series -- which I felt was pretty impressive. They were far from impressive against the Stripes though, the Stripes exploded out of the gate and had a 7-run lead (after 2 innings), 15-run lead (after 4 innings), losing the game in a 20-0 shutout to the Stripes' Leon Day, who allowed only 2 hits & 4 walks, while striking out 8 Mets. The Mets allowed a ridiculous 22 hits!

Judy Johnson: The best Negro 3B ever.

LF-Pete Hill had a big day, who went 3-for-6, 2 HR's, 5 RBI, 3 runs & a steal; while 3B-Judy Johnson had a even bigger day, going 5-for-6, 2 HR's, 6 RBI, 2B and 2 runs. Catcher Josh Gibson added a 3-run HR, 1B-Jud Wilson went 2-for-6, 2-run HR & 3 runs, while Day (the star pitcher) went 2-for-4, with a ribbie and run. Each player in the starting lineup contributed with at least a hit, plus Bruce Petway (C) and Spot Poles (OF) contributed off the bench as well.

Mets' #3 starter Bobby Ojeda (A-YZ) allowed 7 hits, 7 ER & 2 BB's after only two innings; while Rick Aguilera came out for relief and allowed the same in hits & ER's in 2 innings as well.






Game #4/ Stars vs. 25' Washington (A)
The 1925 Washington Senators produced more better with the bat against the Stars, but this game was nowhere as close, as the Stars prevailed 14-5. Leadoff hitter Ossie Bluege (3B) was the Senators' star, going 2-for-5 with a HR, 2 RBI & double.First Baseman Joe Judge added a triple & 2 RBI.

The Stars' Rube Foster coasted through his first 5 innings with no runs allowed, until he ran into a mess and allowed 3 runs in the top of the 6th, to close the gap 4-3 Stars.

Firpo Marberry of the Senators allowed the game to get out of hand, including a Grand Slam by third baseman Biz Mackey (2-for-4, HR, 5 RBI) in the bottom of the 7th. Turkey Stearnes added a 2-run HR & Grant Johnson came off the bench to hit two RBI doubles in two at-bats. Buck Leonard finally broke out of his slump, hitting 5th, with 2 singles (including an RBI) in 4 at-bats.

Negro League Stripes

NEGRO LEAGUE - STRIPES Team
(Inducted in Baseball's Hall of Fame - Indicated in Orange)

Gibson: Considered the black Babe Ruth.

C / OF / 3B - Josh Gibson

C / 1B / OF - "Buddy" Petway

1B / 3B - Jud Wilson

1B - Ben Taylor

2B / SS - Bingo DeMoss

SS / 3B - Willie Wells

SS - Dobie Moore

3B - Judy Johnson

3B / 2B - Newt Allen

LF - Cool Papa Bell

CF - Willard Brown

RF - Preston "Pete" Hill

OF - Frog Redus

OF - Spot Poles

OF / 2B / 1B / SS- Lorenzo "Piper" Davis

SP / OF - Joe "Cyclone" Williams   (A&C-XZ)

SP - Willie Foster   (A-XYZ)

SP / 2B/ OF - Leon Day   (A-X)

SP - Nip Winters   (A-YZ)

P - Lefty McKinnis   (B-Z)

P - Ted "High Pockets" Trent   (B-Y)

P / RP - Hilton Smith   (C / B*-Y)

Current Record: 4 - 0     (+42 Scoring)

SCHEDULED EXHIBITIONS                W/L                   Score     

Game #1 - vs. Negro Stars                        W                        7 - 6

Game #2 - @ 25' Washington (A)             W                        6 - 1
Game #3 - vs. 86' New York (N)               W                       20 - 0

Game #4 - vs. 08' WABL Braves              W                       16 - 0
Game #5 - @ 46' Boston (A)

***More Information in time.***