{"id":941,"date":"2009-01-28T20:17:20","date_gmt":"2009-01-29T03:17:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/01\/28\/shl-american-midwest-pale-hose-putting-big-hurt-on-rivals\/"},"modified":"2009-01-28T20:33:45","modified_gmt":"2009-01-29T03:33:45","slug":"shl-american-midwest-pale-hose-putting-big-hurt-on-rivals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/2009\/01\/28\/shl-american-midwest-pale-hose-putting-big-hurt-on-rivals\/","title":{"rendered":"SHL American Midwest: Pale Hose Putting “Big Hurt” on Rivals"},"content":{"rendered":"

White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas and pitchers Ed Walsh and Eddie Cicotte have the White Sox off to a rousing 9-2 start.<\/em><\/p>\n

Chicago White Sox (9-2, 1st place, 0 GB)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

With a league leading .332 team average and 78 runs through 11 games, the White Sox offense is the class of the SHL so far.\u00c2\u00a0 Frank Thomas<\/a> is fourth in the league in hitting at .457, second in OBA (.548), slugging (.971) and home runs (5), and first in OPS (1.519).\u00c2\u00a0 But he’s not carrying the offense by himself\u00e2\u20ac\u201dCarlton Fisk<\/a> is hitting .438 and has 10 RBIs in nine games; Tommie Agee <\/a>is batting .395 with four homers, all of which have come in his last six games; Joe Jackson<\/a> is batting .386, and Magglio Ordonez<\/a> is hitting .351 with seven runs scored.<\/p>\n

The pitching, though not the league’s best, has been outstanding as well, especially at the top of the rotation.\u00c2\u00a0 Ed Walsh<\/a> is 3-0 with a 0.69 ERA and tossed a three-hit shutout at the Mariners in his second start<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 Eddie Cicotte<\/a> is also 3-0 and boasts a 1.96 ERA, and combined with Hoyt Wilhelm<\/a> to shut out the Orioles in the team’s second game<\/a> of the season.\u00c2\u00a0 Early Wynn<\/a> has been solid (1-0, 3.68 ERA in two starts), but Billy Pierce<\/a> and Wilbur Wood<\/a> have struggled, combining for a 5.31 ERA, and Pierce is having trouble keeping the ball in the yard, allowing five home runs in only 12 innings.\u00c2\u00a0 In Pierce’s defense, he’s surrendered long balls to three of the best power hitters in baseball\u00e2\u20ac\u201dJohnny Bench, Ted Kluszewski, and Frank Robinson, who’s taken the southpaw deep twice already.\u00c2\u00a0 That could prove problematic, as the Orioles look to be Chicago’s prime competition in the early going.<\/p>\n

The White Sox’s bullpen is also struggling (with the exception of Wilhlem) and has a 7.71 ERA in 15 appearances.\u00c2\u00a0 Wilhelm is 4-for-4 in save opportunities and hasn’t allowed a run; the rest of the pen\u00e2\u20ac\u201dRed Faber<\/a>, La Marr Hoyt<\/a>, and Gary Peters<\/a>\u00e2\u20ac\u201dhas an ERA of 11.17.<\/p>\n

Who’s Hot<\/strong>: Frank Thomas, Ed Walsh, Eddie Cicotte, and Hoyt Wilhelm.<\/p>\n

Who’s Not<\/strong>: The aforementioned relievers.\u00c2\u00a0 If I was going to pick a batter it would be Buck Weaver<\/a>, who’s batting “only” .277 with an anemic OBA of .292, and a weak .383 SLG.\u00c2\u00a0 But that would be a little unfair to the third sacker (certainly not the first time Weaver has dealt with inequity), as he’s currently on an eight-game hitting streak, leads the team with five doubles, and is third with eight runs scored.<\/p>\n

On the Farm<\/strong>: Robin Ventura<\/a> is hitting .368 with three homers and 14 RBIs and Jack McDowell<\/a> is 4-0 with a 2.20 ERA.<\/p>\n

On the Horizon<\/strong>: Thursday, April 17 at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.\u00c2\u00a0 The Sox will face either lefty Jim Abbott, who will be making his first major league start after going 1-1 with a 2.63 ERA for Salt Lake, or Frank Tanana, who’s 0-2 with a 6.00 ERA in two starts.<\/p>\n

St. Louis Browns\/Baltimore Orioles (8-3, 2nd place, 1 GB)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

Offensively, the Orioles are the antithesis of the White Sox\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey’re last in the division in AVG with a .278 mark and in steals (11), and third in just about everything else.\u00c2\u00a0 Their pitching is solid at 3.90, but not spectacular, and their glove work is good (.982), but not among the league’s best.\u00c2\u00a0 So how is it that they boast one of the SHL’s best records?\u00c2\u00a0 Timely hitting and just enough runs to beat the other guys\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey have two wins by one run, one by two runs, and two by three runs, and one of their wins was a stirring come-from-behind effort in which they plated two runs in the bottom of the ninth and three in the bottom of the 10th inning to beat the Marlins\/Rays on April 10<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Among the regulars, only Eddie Murray<\/a> (.432), Ken Singleton<\/a> (.320), and Don Baylor<\/a> (.300) are hitting .300 or better.\u00c2\u00a0 Frank Robinson<\/a> is hitting only .256, but he’s pacing the team in homers with four and RBIs with 11 and is slugging .558.\u00c2\u00a0 Paul Blair<\/a> (.333) and Boog Powell <\/a>(.375) are doing well in reserve roles.<\/p>\n

Not surprisingly, the starting pitching has been very good for the Orioles.\u00c2\u00a0 Mike Flanagan<\/a> paces the staff with two wins and a 1.80 ERA; Robin Roberts<\/a> is also 2-0 with a 2.81 ERA and has yet to walk a batter, and Mike Mussina<\/a> is 1-1 with a 3.66 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 Jim Palmer<\/a> has been shaky, going 0-2 with a 4.91 ERA, but he leads the staff in strikeouts with 19, and Milt Pappas<\/a> was shelled in his only start so far, allowing five runs in five innings to the Marlins\/Rays.<\/p>\n

The bullpen has been a crap shoot so far\u00e2\u20ac\u201dDick Hall<\/a>, Tippy Martinez<\/a>, and Hoyt Wilhelm<\/a> have a combined 2.77 ERA in eight appearances; Stu Miller<\/a> is 3-for-3 in save opportunities, but has a 5.40 ERA, and Randy Myers<\/a> earned a win on April 16<\/a> despite allowing two runs in 1 1\/3 innings (13.50 ERA).<\/p>\n

Who’s Hot<\/strong>: Murray is hitting .432, is leading the team in OBA (.468), SLG (.568), hits (19), and total bases (25), and has a nine-game hitting streak.<\/p>\n

Who’s Not<\/strong>: Roberto Alomar<\/a> is hitting only .213 and slugging .298 and has yet to steal a base.\u00c2\u00a0 Chris Hoiles<\/a> is hitting .211 and all eight of his hits have been singles, so he’s also slugging .211.<\/p>\n

On the Farm<\/strong>: Jim Gentile<\/a> is hitting .255 with three homers and 11 RBIs and Scott McGregor<\/a> is 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA.<\/p>\n

On the Mend<\/strong>: Mike Mussina suffered back spasms in his start against the Reds on April 16 and is expected to be out for one to two weeks.<\/p>\n

On the Horizon<\/strong>: Thursday, April 17 vs. the Braves.\u00c2\u00a0 John Clarkson (0-1, 9.00 ERA) is due to start soon, but the O’s may get Greg Maddux instead, which would not be in their best interests as Maddux is 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and a shutout.<\/p>\n

Cleveland Indians (6-5, 3rd place, 3 GB)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

The Tribe fits neatly in between the top two teams in the division in terms of statistics\u00e2\u20ac\u201dthey have a better AVG and OPS than the Orioles, but haven’t scored as many runs, and their team ERA (4.15) is slightly higher.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re the best fielding team in the SHL, though, boasting a fielding percentage of .993 after committing only three errors in 11 games (one of those was by pitcher Addie Joss).<\/p>\n

Except for Nap Lajoie<\/a> who is hitting .386\/.438\/.568, the Indians don’t have anyone with eye-popping numbers, but they have batters with very good numbers.\u00c2\u00a0 Hal Trosky<\/a> is hitting .320 with a .520 SLG, Joe Sewell<\/a> is hitting .310, and Tris Speaker<\/a> is hitting .304 with a team-leading five doubles.\u00c2\u00a0 Johnny Romano’s<\/a> numbers are off the charts (1.611 OPS), but he’s splitting time behind the plate with Sandy Alomar<\/a> (although probably not for long).<\/p>\n

The top of the rotation has been outstanding.\u00c2\u00a0 Stan Coveleski<\/a> (2-0, 2.12), Joss<\/a> (2-0, 2.67), and Bob Feller<\/a> (2-1, 3.60) are a combined 6-1 with a 2.87 ERA, four complete games, and five quality starts in eight trips to the hill.\u00c2\u00a0 The back end of the rotation, however, has been awful, as has most of the bullpen.\u00c2\u00a0 Doug Jones<\/a> is 3-for-3 in save opportunities and has a 0.00 ERA, as does Don Mossi<\/a>, but the rest of the bullpen has allowed nine runs in 11 innings (7.36 ERA).<\/p>\n

Who’s Hot<\/strong>: Lajoie has recorded a hit in every game this season and drove in seven runs in the team’s first five games, knocking in at least one run in five straight to start the season.\u00c2\u00a0 He’s also played two different positions (2B and 1B) and has yet to record an error.<\/p>\n

Who’s Not<\/strong>: The pitching staff has a K\/BB ratio of 1.02, and three of the starters have more walks than strikeouts, including Feller who’s walked 14 while fanning eight.\u00c2\u00a0 Offensively, Lou Boudreau<\/a> is 0-for-12 in seven games.<\/p>\n

On the Farm<\/strong>: Buddy Bell is hitting .404 with three homers and 12 RBIs and Luis Tiant is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA.<\/p>\n

On the Horizon<\/strong>: Thursday, April 17 at the New York Mets.\u00c2\u00a0 Johan Santana is the Mets’ scheduled starter, which, oddly enough, could bode well for the Indians.\u00c2\u00a0 Santana was lambasted by the Red Sox on April 11 and lasted only two innings in a 12-1 loss, putting him at 0-1 with a 22.50 ERA.<\/p>\n

Detroit Tigers (5-6, 4th place, 4 GB)<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

The Tigers don’t have much going for them right now and they could be in trouble.\u00c2\u00a0 They’re hitting .298 as a team, but have only two home runs, the fewest in the SHL, the lowest OPS in the division (.748), the highest ERA (5.56), and the worst fielding percentage (.972).\u00c2\u00a0 They’re also 1-4 at home.<\/p>\n

Their starting lineup is one of the more formidable in the league and some of Detroit’s batters have impressive numbers\u00e2\u20ac\u201dHarry Heilmann<\/a> is hitting .404 and reaching base at a .453 clip; Charlie Gehringer <\/a>is hitting .362 with 12 runs, four doubles, three triples, and a .574 slugging percentage; Ty Cobb<\/a> is hitting .333 and is 4-for-4 in stolen base attempts; Alan Trammell<\/a> is at .324 and Al Kaline<\/a> .300.\u00c2\u00a0 But Mickey Tettleton<\/a> has both of the team’s home runs and, though Hank Greenberg<\/a> is leading the squad with 13 RBIs, he’s not providing the power the team expects from him.<\/p>\n

The pitching has been somewhat problematic, especially in the rotation where ace Hal Newhouser<\/a> has been battered around to the tune of a 9.60 ERA in three starts (how he’s 2-1 is anyone’s guess), and Tommy Bridges<\/a> who’s 0-2 with an 8.44 ERA.\u00c2\u00a0 Joel Zumaya <\/a>and John Hiller<\/a> have each recorded saves (Zumaya has two to Hiller’s one), and neither has allowed a run in 11 2\/3 innings.\u00c2\u00a0 Dick Radatz has been solid (3.68 ERA and averaging almost a strikeout per inning), but Willie Hernandez<\/a> and Firpo Marberry<\/a> have been terrible, posting a 12.00 ERA in 12 innings of work.\u00c2\u00a0 Marberry has already allowed three home runs in four appearances, including to Albert Belle and Earl Averill of the rival Indians.<\/p>\n

Who’s Hot<\/strong>: With a bat in his hands, few are hotter than Heilmann.\u00c2\u00a0 He has six multi-hit games and has reached base in every game except one (and in that game he drove in a run).\u00c2\u00a0 He’s been especially good on the road, going 14-for-26 in away games.<\/p>\n

Who’s Not<\/strong>: With a glove on his hand, few are colder than Heilmann, who already has three errors and is fielding at an .850 clip.\u00c2\u00a0 His range factor is also a sluglike 1.55 (hence the nickname).\u00c2\u00a0 Of the starters, the only one not hitting his weight is George Kell<\/a>, who is hitting .238\/.319\/.262).<\/p>\n

On the Mend<\/strong>: Cobb suffered a bruised hip while diving for a ball in the outfield, but is listed as day-to-day.\u00c2\u00a0 Zumaya strained a muscle in his back and is also listed as day-to-day, although he’s not expected to be back to full health for another week or two.<\/p>\n

On the Farm<\/strong>: Bobby Veach<\/a> is hitting .475 and Kirk Gibson<\/a> is hitting .403 with a homer and 12 RBIs; Schoolboy Rowe<\/a> is 1-0 with a 2.20 ERA.<\/p>\n

On the Horizon<\/strong>: Thursday, April 17 at the Washington\/Texas Rangers.\u00c2\u00a0 It looks like the Tigers will get Fergie Jenkins on Thursday, which is too bad.\u00c2\u00a0 Jenkins is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA and a complete game against the Giants.\u00c2\u00a0 The rest of the Rangers rotation is 1-6 with a 7.97 ERA.<\/p>\n

Note: The photos on the player pages aren’t completely done yet, so not all players look the way they should or are wearing the correct uniforms.\u00c2\u00a0 I hope to have those done by the end of the weekend. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

White Sox first baseman Frank Thomas and pitchers Ed Walsh and Eddie Cicotte have the White Sox off to a rousing 9-2 start.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/941\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/seamheads.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}