TWB: Pittsburgh Pirates, A New Era

[ifspuds]

A Midseason Report

We've arrived at the All-Star break (well, July 15th, so just after the break), and it's time to take a look at the good and the bad and the future of the team.

First off, your 1968 Pittsburgh All-Stars:
SP George Adkison

Adkison leads both leagues in strikeouts, is tied for 5th in the NL in wins (11), is 5th in the NL in ERA (2.02), 2nd in opponent's average (.192) and 3rd in WHIP (0.90). No question he's an All-Star, though Chicago's M.C. McCarter got the nod as the starter in the game. Adkison makes his 3rd All-Star team.

CF Asa Booker

Booker makes his 8th All-Star game appearance, though he came in fairly cold. His batting average is down rather significantly from last season, but averages are down all over the league. The worry is his stolen base rate: he's been caught over 50 percent of the time, and he's not getting the green light nearly as often of late.

SP Hipolito Castillo

Despite giving up the most hits of any pitcher in the NL, Castillo has posted a gaudy 16-3 record and leads both leagues in wins. Castillo is an amazing pitcher. While he doesn't strike out many guys, and always gives up a lot of hits, he's won at least 17 games in every season he's gotten at least 27 starts (all but one: he was 12-9 in 1965, when he missed 6 weeks with a torn tricep muscle). Castillo makes his 5th All-Star squad.

SS Tim Crusher

Crusher is having his best season, and is putting aside a dismal June with a blazing hot July. He leads the Pirates in OPS, and his 10 homers on the season have pushed him over 100 for his career. This is his first All-Star team.

The Good (Non-All Stars Edition)

The Pirates continue to sit in first place. The Astros suffered through a miserable stretch in July, and Pittsburgh widened the gap between 1st and 2nd (now held by the Reds) to 3.5 games. This despite losing 3 of 4 to the Mets before the break and 2 of 3 to the Phillies after. It helped to go 5 for 6 against the Cubs, though. 4 games with Cincinnati are coming up in the second half of the month and five more in August.

Jack Hassery finally seems to be putting it together a little bit. After he went 21-14, 2.87 in 1963, everyone was sure he was going to be one of the top pitchers in the league for years. It never panned out that way, and he's never posted an ERA under 3 since. This season, he's 9-3, 2.26 with nearly a strikeout an inning.

The team ranks first in batting average (.261) and 4th overall in runs scored (381), but the 3 teams in front of them have 386 (Atlanta), 385 (Minnesota) and 383 (Los Angeles), so that particular race is awfully tight.

The Bad

I'm considering feeding Alberto Val to a pack of hungry lions. After a brilliant 1965 and 1966 (OPS of .831 and .853), he sank back into mediocrity in 1967 (OPS of .711), but he's determined to make last season look like a gem. He's lost all power, for one thing. He was never a big home run hitter, but he was usually good for 30 doubles. So far this season? 6. Here's a man with a contact rating of 8, hitting .247. At least he's still drawing walks (57 so far), but that's all he's doing: his OPS is .671.

Henry Cruz, where have you gone? Expected to fill that final offensive hole at catcher, Cruz is following a rotten season with one even worse. While playing primarily for Baltimore, the cannon-armed Cruz hit at least .302 (and as high as .352) in every season between 1960 and 1966, when he came over to the Pirates. Last season, he hit .233 with minimal power and few walks (.599 OPS), and this season, he's hitting for even less power: .588 OPS.

The Future

August looks like a tough month on the schedule. Series against Cincinnati (5 games), Los Angeles (7 games), and Houston (4 games) ought to make a major impact on the pennant race. There's still a good chance we can make it three straight pennants, something I'd never even dared to dream could happen. The Pirates seem to be the favorite to win it all again, but if you believe in jinxes, that's not a good thing.

A trade with St. Louis brought a potential replacement for Alberto "Lion Food" Val in Butch Watson, the Cardinals' first round pick in this season's amateur draft. Watson is a slick-fielding second baseman with good gap power and smarts on the basepaths. He's only in A ball right now, but the team hopes he'll be able to rise quickly through the ranks. And yeah, he's my father, which is at least half the reason I traded for him.

The oldest regular player on the squad is Levi Sellers, at 34 years old. Everyone else is 32 or younger, which suggests that even if this season doesn't end in a pennant, there's a good chance they'll be able to put another couple seasons on the board that have them challenging for other pennants.

[ifspuds]

Drive for Third Pennant Hits High Gear
by Langford Thomason
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Back in 1965, when the dark days of the Pittsburgh Pirates still hung about like the most ominous storm clouds, did anyone think that come September of 1968, this squad would have an excellent chance to win their third straight National League pennant? Even the most optimistic of Pirates believers surely could not have imagined this. Yet here they are, sitting on a five and a half game lead over the Cincinnati Reds with a month left in the season. Both halves of the team are firing on all cylinders, and with a relatively favorable schedule in comparison to the rival Reds, the future looks bright for the formerly downtrodden franchise.

The month of August was particularly kind to the Pirates, who went from a 2-game lead over the Los Angeles Dodgers to this more comfortable cushion over the Reds. Two members of the team earned league-wide accolades, as Hipolito Castillo took home Pitcher of the Month honors, while Asa Booker won his second Batter of the Month award of the season. Castillo in particular is making a strong case to take the Murphy Award in the National League, leading the senior circuit in wins with 23, 6 more than Atlanta's Joe Cardinan, and his 2.38 ERA ranks 6th in the league. His August performance was particularly amazing, going 5-0 with a 1.04 ERA including 3 shutouts.

The race, however, is far from over. The Pirates face the Braves today, having lost the first 2 games of the series, then welcome the Houston Astros, a team they have struggled against this season. The middle of the month ought to provide a bit of a breather, with 6 games each against the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates would be wise to build the lead through that part of the schedule, as they finish up with home and away series against the Cubs sandwiching a 3-game set with the Reds in Forbes Field.

Can the Pirates make it three straight pennants and face the Minnesota Twins in the World Series with a shot to win their third straight World Series? Don't bother pinching yourself. It just might happen.

-----
September 1, 1968
Overall Record: 87-50, 1st place, 5.5 games in front of CIN

Top Hitter: Asa Booker won Batter of the Month for August, hitting .369/.413/.595 with 5 homers. He also moved into 15th place All-Time on the stolen base chart with his 602nd career steal. It's maybe a bit of a stretch, but he has a reasonable chance at another Batter of the Year award as well, 3rd in average (.301), 3rd in OPS (.832), 2nd in steals (29), 8th in RBI (67) and 2nd in runs scored (82). With a good September, he could really build a strong case.

Top Pitcher: Hipolito Castillo. His numbers are shown above. Since August 2nd, he's done this: 44 innings, 25 hits, 2 runs, 2 walks and 31 strikeouts. Not too shabby.

Injury News: Nothing to report.

Development News: Asa Booker (who will turn 33 this January), lost a point of speed (down to 8) and a point of range in left and right field, down to a 6/6/8 mark from left to right.

High Points: I'll give you three guesses and the first two don't count.

Low Points: Can't think of any. Prospects are doing well, the team's doing well, I have no complaints.

[ifspuds]

It's been a long time since I've updated this thread, and it's been weighing on my mind. When last we spoke, the Pirates were approaching their third straight National League pennant. They did go on to win that pennant, but the heartbreak came in the World Series. Ahead of the Minnesota Twins 3 games to 1 with George Adkison, Levi Sellers and Hipolito Castillo set to pitch in the last three games, the Pirates went on to lose all three games and fall to the Twins in 7.

It took a little while for that shock to wear off, and the Pirates started 1969 a little slowly. The advent of division play took a little getting used to, but as the weather warmed up, so did the Pirates and now they sit on September 1st a comfortable 10 games ahead of second place Chicago for the first-ever National League East title. The Pirates currently own the best record in the league, at 94-40, and will almost certainly win 100 games for the 4th straight season.

How has the team reached this lofty perch? It's hard to point to just one thing. The offense is riding a league-best .281 batting average and the pitching staff boasts the league's top ERA (3.01). Let's look at some of the individual performances that have been the stories of the season:

You have to start with Levi Sellers. The return of offense has hardly fazed the 35-year old veteran, who leads the NL in wins (21) and strikeouts (235) and is 2nd in ERA at 2.36. Until two back-to-back poor starts at the end of August in which he allowed 8 and 6 runs, Sellers hadn't given up more than 3 runs in a game since an April 19th loss to the Phillies. Between April 29th and August 3rd, Sellers had a 16-game winning streak. He stands as one of the favorites for the Murphy Award, which would be the first of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. George Adkison (18-6, 2.67) and last season's Murphy Award winner Hipolito Castillo (20-4, 2.55) are also having terrific seasons, but Sellers stands above both this year. Let's give some notice to fireballing reliever Lynn "Wild Man" Willmon, who's followed three straight outstanding seasons of relief with the best one yet: 4-2, 16 saves, 1.40 ERA in 57.2 IP, notching 49 Ks in that time and allowing just a single home run.

It's hard to pick just one hitter to talk about, but here are some of the big names contributing to the offense:

Catcher Henry Cruz has been a disappointment to Pirates fans since coming to the team in 1966, failing to hit .300 even once and suffering through two straight miserable seasons in 1967 and 1968. He's turned it around dramatically this season, posting a .363 average that would be tops in either league if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. The Pirates are trying to get him into more games to see if he can nab the 502 appearances needed for the batting title.

Third baseman Ben Trome, a Pittsburgh favorite, hasn't been terrible the last few years when you consider the drop in league-wide offense, but he's put up numbers rivalling his best seasons this year, hitting .330 and popping 20 homers, 3 short of his career high set in his best year of 1962.

Two-time defending Batter of the Year Asa Booker probably won't win a third straight award, but it's not because he's gone in the tank. Booker has hit .319/.386/.520 with 31 doubles, 13 triples and 16 homers, adding 32 steals in what has become a typical year for the player once considered something of a disappointment. He's passed 1000 RBI and 1200 runs scored for his career and stands 21 triples short of 200 for his career.

Cap Marcrum and Al "Bash" Mahoney are tied for the club lead in homers at 22 apiece, with both men having fine all-around seasons. Chucho Cifuentes won't qualify for Rookie of the Year, since he got 100 AB last year, but he'd be a candidate otherwise. The 26-year old centerfielder had a lot of weight put on his shoulders after the Pirates let Fletcher Jones go in the expansion draft to move Mahoney to first, but he's played very well (.258/.356/.448, 14 HR).

Look for the return of Pirates beat writer Lang Thomason in the coming days and weeks as the once-woeful Bucs look to write their names in the record books as one of the greatest Time Warp teams ever.

[ifspuds]

1970 National League Championship Series Preview
by Langford Thomason
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Another season has reached its regular conclusion, and the Pirates have become the first team in the 70-year history of the league to reach the postseason five straight seasons. We're ignoring, of course, the fact that the abominable contrivance known as division play instituted last season has loused up what truly qualifies as a "postseason appearance", but even had division play not existed in the past two seasons, the Pirates still had the best regular season record in baseball.

Still, after a heartbreaking loss to Cincinnati in the first-ever National League Championship Series in 1969, the Pirates come in to this matchup with the upstart expansion Houston Astros with something to prove to themselves, their fans, and the world. The Astros, you ask? The same Houston Astros that came into being for the 1962 season? Yes, those Houston Astros, who posted a thrilling comeback win in a one-game playoff for the National League West title. Let's run through the lineups and see how the two teams match up head-to-head.

The Astros feature a high-octane offense that doesn't rely so much on hitting home runs and stealing bases as it does flooding the basepaths with runners. It's worked effectively for the squad, who scored more runs than any team in baseball except the California Angels, and it should be familiar to Pirates fans: it's exactly the same way the Bucs work. The Pirates, perhaps not surprisingly, are the Astros' closest competitor in the plating of runners, with just 10 fewer runs scored on the season.

The Catchers:
Bo Shepard vs. Henry Cruz

The Astros' Shepard is one of the most talented young catchers in the league. He's got power, he can hit for average, and has a cannon arm behind the plate. Just 24 years old, this is already his 4th full season, and his emergence as an offensive force was a significant contributor to Houston's success this season, as he hit .281, a 34-point improvement over 1969.

Henry Cruz was the 1969 Comeback Player of the Year in the National League, as he hit .351 and made his first NL All-Star team. He's still a wizard behind the plate, but the 35-year old is slowly declining at the plate, hitting just .268.

ADVANTAGE: Astros

The First Basemen:
Pasqual Nava vs. Al Mahoney

Nava, the Astros' leadoff hitter, isn't your stereotypical slugging first baseman or your stereotypical leadoff man, but he gets the job done nonetheless. Another big reason the Astros jumped into the division title, Nava hit .317 this year, after managing just .258 in 1969. He seems to always be on base, but when he gets there, it's strictly station-to-station. The man is slower than me, and that's saying a lot.

Al Mahoney broke onto the Pittsburgh scene with his dramatic performance in the 1966 World Series, and has done nothing but improve since. This year, however, was a major jump forward for the 29-year old, as he pushed to the forefront of the NL Batter of the Year race, breaking Fletcher Jones' team record for RBIs and winning three Batter of the Month awards this season. He tailed off as the season came to a close, with his power stroke losing a bit in September. The Pirates are hoping he snaps out of what, for him, is a bit of a slump.

ADVANTAGE: Pirates

The Second Basemen:
Leon Gamble vs. Alberto Val

Gamble is another young, talented hitter in the Astros' lineup. The 25-year old is a brilliant defensive second baseman and can hit just about any pitch he wants while being extremely selective at the plate. Hitting second in the lineup, Gamble might be a more apt choice for the leadoff spot, as he stole 21 bases and got caught just 9 times. One of the bright stars of the National League.

Alberto Val has confounded Pirates fans for years, flashing seasons of near-brilliance interspersed with disastrous years that have the faithful clamoring for his head. This season was one of the former, his best campaign since way back in 1966 when it looked like he was finally going to break out. He set career highs for runs scored, walks and stolen bases, no mean feat for a 35-year old man.

ADVANTAGE: Even

The Third Basemen:
Buster Kerney vs. Ben Trome

The similarities between these two players are remarkable, as they have very similar skills. The 28-year old Kerney is a bit more selective at the plate and might have a little more power, but Pirates fans might be excused for looking at the Astros' hot corner man and smiling fondly. Both men can pick it with the best at third base, and both can hit for batting-title averages. Kerney's 1970 campaign, however, has been undeniably better than Trome's. After a 1969 that ranked among Trome's best seasons, he hit just .296 and barely reached double digits in homers. He did set career highs for runs scored and doubles, so all was not lost.

ADVANTAGE: It hurts to say it, but Astros

The Shortstops:
Omar Ruano vs. Tim Crusher

23-year old Ruano came over to the Astros in the deal of the year, though not many paid attention at the time, considering that the other part of the deal was Twins' ace Perry Wanklen. The Venezuelan shortstop is still growing into himself at the plate, and isn't overly impressive with a bat in his hand, but he's got incredible range at shortstop and is a future Gold Glover.

Tim Crusher suffered an offseason injury in 1969 that kept him out nearly the entire season, and when he came back it was clear that he wasn't back in game shape. The Pirates weren't sure what they were going to get from Crusher in 1970. He put any doubts to rest with arguably the best season of his career, hitting .279, popping 19 homers and slugging nearly .500. If this is the Crusher that we're going to see for another 3 or 4 years, then the Pirates will be absolutely thrilled.

ADVANTAGE: Pirates

The Left Fielders:
Cliff Barnum vs. Cap Marcrum

Barnum is a rarity among the Astros: a player over 30. Until the recent crop of youngsters burst onto the scene, Barnum was one of the few bright spots in a dismal Astros lineup. He's turned into a quality hitter, and had his best season ever in 1970, hitting a career-high .329 and popping 17 homers.

When the Pirates signed Cap Marcrum way back in 1962, they -- and most observers outside the team -- thought they'd landed a Hall of Fame-caliber talent. He spent one season in the minors and burst onto the scene in 1963 and 1964 by hitting .301 and .311, before suffering through four seasons that could only be considered disappointments. 1969 saw him rebound, hitting a career-best 26 homers, driving in 100 runs for the first time, and hitting .295. Then 1970 hit, and the Pirates finally got a glimpse of the kid they thought they were getting 9 years ago: 30 doubles, 21 homers, 104 RBI, 89 runs scored and a .300 average.

ADVANTAGE: Pirates

The Center Fielders:
Alan Strong vs. Melchior Cifuentes

The 26-year old Strong is one of the few Astros that didn't post career-best numbers in 1970. Last season, Strong hit .276 and anchored center field for the Houston squad, but despite 19 homers in 1970, his game went south. He struck out 30 more times and walked 13 fewer times, and often looked lost at the plate as he struggled to a .241 average.

Cifuentes may always have the stigma of being "the guy they let Fletcher Jones go for", but that does the Cuban center fielder a disservice. A solid, if unspectacular, center fielder, Cifuentes had 59 extra-base hits, stole eleven bags in twelve attempts, though he hit just .256 on the season. So what's the difference between Cifuentes and Strong? 45 more walks for the Pirates outfielder.

ADVANTAGE: Pirates

The Right Fielders:
Leroy Darling vs. Asa Booker

Darling is one of those players that has taken more time than expected to break out. Part of a 7-player package the Astros got for Joe McMichael in 1963, Leroy Darling had his best season as a professional in 1970, hitting a career-best .270, driving in 117 runs on 32 homers and scoring nearly 100 runs. Far and away the Astros' power leader.

Asa Booker needs little introduction. Booker, the three-time Batter of the Year in the National League, picked up his 2500th career hit this season, and silenced doubts that he was starting to decline with a brilliant season that ranks behind only his Batter of the Year campaigns. Let the numbers do the talking: .313 average, 21 homers as part of 66 extra-base hits, 113 RBI and 114 runs scored, both marks the best of his career since his phenomenal 1962 season. Oh, and 26 steals for the 34-year old veteran as well.

ADVANTAGE: Pirates

[ifspuds]

Phillips Looks to Make Impact
by Langford Thomason
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Before Melchior Cifuentes broke into the Pirates outfield in 1969, winning National League rookie of the year honors, no rookie had made significant contributions to the Pirates since Al Mahoney took a full-time job in 1964. Now two years after Cifuentes made his mark, another rookie is looking to join the ranks of successful newcomers. Drafted in the second round in 1968, Terrell Phillips has done nothing but impress his minor league instructors, skyrocketing through the Pirates system and gaining mention among the upper echelon of youngsters in the league. Now, after a stellar spring training, the Pirates are finding it hard to come up with reasons to keep the 24-year old keystoner down on the farm.

Phillips knows he faces some roadblocks to a full-time stint in Pittsburgh. The primary obstacle is the long-time incumbent at second base, Alberto Val. "You come through this organization as a second baseman," says Phillips in a lazy Texas drawl, "you know you got some work cut out for you. Ain't just in the bigs. I played with Butch (Watson, fellow Pirates prospect) and that guy ain't seen a ball he can't pick, and now there's this new guy Reyes that's got plenty of game."

But Phillips is nothing if not confident. "I ain't letting a chance get away," he says. "If I get that call to go to Pittsburgh for Opening Day, I ain't goin' there to sit on the bench." Some around the team are suggesting Phillips might start against left-handers, who have been tough on Val in the past. Some have even suggested that Phillips start full-time and the 35-year old Val spell shortstop Tim Crusher and third baseman Ben Trome. Val had one of his best seasons in 1970, so talk of making him an all-purpose utility man might be premature. The always enigmatic and fiery Val isn't saying much, surprisingly, but he doesn't appear ready to give up his job without the fight that's characterized his entire career.

Pirates manager Vic Gorin isn't saying what the team plans to do. When asked about Phillips, Gorin said, "The kid can flat out hit. There's no doubt he's going to be one terrific offensive player. He's working on his defense, but when it comes to the glove, he's still a project in the works." Pirates AAA manager Pip Hawk had Phillips seeing some time in left field toward the end of the 1970 season, to mixed reviews. "We're just exploring all our options, and versatility is never a bad thing," said Hawk last fall after the close of the minor league season.

Wherever he plays, Phillips is going to be hard to dislodge once he gets into the game. He's drawn accolades from even veterans on the big league squad for his focus and hard-nosed play. No less an authority than Asa Booker says, "He's got a bright future. He's a tough kid, doesn't back down from anything." Including a battle to break into the bigs.

[canadiancreed]

it's back! W00t!

[ifspuds]

Milepost 250: Sellers Wins In Style
by Langford Thomason
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The names on the fronts of the uniforms were familiar, even if those on the back were not. The San Francisco Giants, a young team hungry to continue their surprising early season play, came into Three Rivers on this day to try their collective hand against one of the most accomplished pitchers of this generation. This was not your typical early May tussle, however, at least not for that accomplished right-hander: on this day, Levi Sellers would seek his 250th career win. Written off as washed up as recently as last season, Sellers brought a 3-0 record into the matchup with a fine 2.79 ERA. Against these upstarts, descendants of the mighty Giants the hometown nine have battled for 70 seasons, Sellers showed why his ticket to the Hall of Fame is already being printed, twirling a masterful four-hit shutout that ranks among some of his finest efforts.

Flashing the pinpoint control that has graced his career, Sellers did not walk a batter -- in fact, in his last four starts, he has walked just a single man -- and struck out five. After a one-out single in the first to Dion Pinelo, the Giants didn't reach base at all until back-to-back singles to start off the 7th, with the Pirates already ahead 8-0. With a runner at third and nobody out, the veteran hurler showed just how tough he can be, retiring the next three in order. "That first out was huge," said catcher Henry Cruz. "Out on the mound, I thought he was starting to tire a little, but you could see in his eyes that you'd need a team of horses to pull him out of that game."

And a team of horses to get him to talk about the milestone. Reluctant to talk about himself as always, Sellers finally admitted some pride in the accomplishment. "I love my teammates," he said, "but they've supported me enough through the years and I let them down last year. I wasn't going to hang around and be a lead weight just so I could get some number of wins. I wanted to do it on my terms, I wanted to do it right." You wouldn't get argument from the Giants. Manager Tom Howard, who Pirates fans can attest knows a little bit about hitting, had praise for the Pittsburgh veteran. "He controlled every aspect of that game. He needed a popup, he got a popup. He needed a strikeout, he got it. I told our pitchers before the game to watch how he worked. If our staff learns anything from him, we're going to be in good shape."

Howard may well be right about the future of his young Giants, but that future ran up against one powerful present today. As the Pirates chase their sixth straight postseason appearance, Sellers is showing that he means to win not just number 250 on his terms, but as many as he can muster.

-----

May 16, 1971
Overall Record: 18-15, 3rd place, 2 games behind NYM

It's been a long time since I've done one of these.... let's see if I can remember how.

Top Hitter: Ben Trome noses out Asa Booker, but they're the only two candidates for any kind of honors. Trome leads the team with an .864 OPS, and his 6 homers lead the team. Those 6 homers have him already over halfway to last season's anemic 11 longballs. A bounceback season from Trome would be nice to see.

Top Pitcher: Sellers really is mowing down the league in style. Since April 20th (5 starts), he's pitched at least 8 innings every outing, walking just 2 batters and striking out 44. Not a bad ratio, huh?

Injury News: The man we hoped would be our 5th starter, Harry Cutshall, has been out all season so far with shoulder issues, but he's due to come off the DL in 5 days. The back end of the rotation's been an issue as expected this year, so some extra help would be a good thing.

Development News: Asa Booker took a hit to plate discipline, moving him down to a 4 rating over a 3 talent (even though he's on pace for a career high 74 walks). He hasn't lost contact talent yet, so he's still got a great shot at 3000 hits (he needs 404 more, and he's 35 years old)

High Points: I'm pretty tickled to see Sellers doing well after a disappointing 1970. I think you can easily make the case that he's the greatest pitcher in Pirates history, his longevity with the team (all 15 of his seasons in the majors have been spent with us) trumping Martin Gwaltney's dominance during his Pittsburgh tenure.

Low Points: The offense is struggling and Hipolito Castillo (1-7, 5.24) is getting beaten like a rented mule. The fact that we're only 2 games out with the team playing this unevenly is encouraging, but we're going to have to step it up soon.

[ifspuds]

In a departure from my usual narrative, I was chatting with a friend about Time Warp today and I got to looking into how long the Pirates have been together.

The Pirates "got good" in 1962, but the team's been together mostly since 1963. I got to looking at who's been around since 1963 and it's pretty amazing. These are the starters since 1963 with their total years of Pirates service (full seasons only, not counting injuries), with current starters listed in bold.

SP: Levi Sellers (1958-current)
SP: George Adkison (1962-current)
SP: Hipolito Castillo (1962-current)
SP: Jack Hassery (1963-current)

RP: Lynn Willmon (1963-current)

C: Henry Cruz (1967-current), Joey Rustin (1964-1966), Doug Provenzano (1963)
1B: Al Mahoney (1965-current), Charlton Brown (1963-1964), Fletcher Jones (1965-1968)
2B: Alberto Val (1960-current)
3B: Ben Trome (1961-current)
SS: Tim Crusher (1963-current)

OF: Cap Marcrum (1963-current)
OF: Asa Booker (1960-current)
OF: Melchior Cifuentes (1969-current), Al Mahoney (1965-current), Linwood Felice (1963-1970)

So the top 4 SPs, the top RP, 3 of the 4 IFs and 2 of the 3 OFs have been together continuously (barring injury) since 1963. Mahoney joined the crowd in 1965 and Cifuentes in 1969. When TWB sportswriters of the modern era start whining about how there's no loyalty in baseball any more and free agency has ruined team continuity, they're going to point to the Pirates as what the "good old days" looked like.

I thought I'd also look at how many of these players are "homegrown" (shown in bold). My definition of homegrown is someone who spent the significant majority of their minor league career in the organization or made their major developmental leaps while a Pirate. So, for example, George Adkison is counted as homegrown. Even though he was good coming out of the draft, he was not the player he eventually became. Feel free to argue with my "methodology", such as it is.

SP: Levi Sellers - drafted in 1957 (CIN, 1/12), traded to PIT 7/1/57. Took major developmental leaps as a Red.
SP: George Adkison - drafted in 1961 (KCA, 1/9), traded to PIT 4/10/61.
SP: Hipolito Castillo - drafted in 1960 (PIT, 2/1, 17th overall)
SP: Jack Hassery - drafted in 1960 (PIT, 1/1)

RP: Lynn Willmon - drafted in 1959 (NYA, 2/9, 25th overall), traded to PIT 3/2/59.

C: Henry Cruz - drafted in 1956 (BAL, 1/8)
1B: Al Mahoney - drafted in 1959 (MIL, 1/8), traded to PIT 4/10/61.
2B: Alberto Val - drafted in 1957 (CLE, 2/7, 23rd overall), traded to PIT 3/2/1959
3B: Ben Trome - drafted in 1958 (PIT, 2/9, 25th overall)
SS: Tim Crusher - drafted in 1961 (PIT, 1/6)

OF: Cap Marcrum - drafted in 1962 (PIT, 1/1)
OF: Asa Booker - drafted in 1954 (MIL, 1/3), traded to PIT 4/1/60.
OF: Melchior Cifuentes - drafted in 1961 (CLE, 1/11), traded to PIT 6/1/64.

8 of 13 players homegrown, 5 of them drafted by Pittsburgh. I'm going to go out on a limb and guess that, for an online league especially, it's pretty unusual to have a team built in this fashion that's become this successful. Would any readers care to comment on that assertion?

[ifspuds]

Time Warp has been on hiatus for several months, but Christmas brought a new sim and the hope of more to come in the new year ahead. Nostalgia brought me back to this thread and my favorite OOTP team of all time...

Through With Fooling Around: Pirates Run Roughshod Over NL West
by Langford Thomason

The Pirates have found themselves in an unfamiliar position for much of the 1971 season: looking up in the standings at the New York Mets, a young and hungry squad of upstarts that manager Nick Pursell has molded into a tightly-knit unit. As the All-Star break hit, the pride of Pittsburgh found themselves a game back and facing nothing but west coast teams when the festivities came to a close. Despite a 2-game sweep at the hands of those young Mets to start the month of July, the Pirates went into the break hot, sweeping four from the Cubs and three from the Reds, longtime nemeses both, then took two of three from the Braves to end the season's first half. Still, they were a game behind and some wondered if this team of aging veterans had the legs for a second-half sprint. The Pirates put those questions to rest in a hurry.

The San Diego Padres were the first victims, a three-game sweep at Three Rivers by a combined score of 21-7. The Dodgers and Giants then visited, and went home without a victory. The Pirates followed those same three teams back to the west coast, where they whipped them all again, with only a 6-3 loss to the Dodgers marring what was otherwise a perfect second half of the month. In fact, had it not been for an epic and uncharacteristic meltdown by Lynn Willmon against Atlanta on July 10th, the Pirates would have taken an unheard of 24-game win streak into that contest with the Dodgers. As it was, they won 26 games and lost just 3 in what might be the greatest month ever put together by a Pirates squad. What did it earn them? A 72-35 record and a 7.5 game lead over the Cubs -- who are playing .600 ball -- and 10 games over the Mets, who have to be wondering what whirlwind hit them.

Cap Marcrum, who won July Batter of the Month honors on the strength of a .385 average with 6 homers and 19 RBI, shook his head after the most recent contest, a classic 8-1 gem anchored by the resurgent Levi Sellers. "We're playing better ball than I've seen in a long time," said Marcrum. "Book's smacking the ball all over the field, Levi and George (Adkison) have lightning in their arms, nearly everybody's getting into the act." Ben Trome, who picked up his 2000th career hit during the hot streak, added, "The season's far from over. We've got the top half of the West next month, but it sure takes a load off, knowing that we've got a cushion to play with."

The Pirates have one more game at San Francisco before they fly off to Montreal for three with the Expos before returning home to host the Phillies, Cubs, Cardinals and Astros. That three game set against the Astros will end the homestand and send the Pirates off to face the top three teams in the NL West on the road, a road trip that could very well determine the fate of the division race in both halves of the senior circuit.

[Renner]

Happy to see this back ! Keep up the great work, Jeff !

[ifspuds]

Originally Posted by Renner

Happy to see this back ! Keep up the great work, Jeff !

I'm happy to hear that you've enjoyed it, Renner. I don't often hear from the non-TWB crowd on these threads.

I only wish I had some assurances that it would be able to continue. The status of TWB as a league is very much up in the air, but I continue to hope that there's still a future for it.

[ifspuds]

Author's Note: With Time Warp still on hiatus, I don't have any new news on this team. However, since I've been thinking a lot about the league lately, I thought I'd bring over the 50 or so seasons of historical rambling I've done on the Time Warp forums. One post a season through the 1951 season, at which point I'll think about whether or not I want to condense 1951-1970 in the same fashion.

If there are non-Time Warp regulars reading the thread, I hope you enjoy, at least in part, reliving the mostly miserable history of the Pirates franchise.

1901: A Slow Start

Top Hitter: RF Scott Podlasek (.317, 10 HR, 82 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Sam Covallini (17-15, 3.58)
Top Prospect: C Jonathan Clark

Team Record: 67-72, 7th place
Awards: Gold Glove, P Sam Covallini
Trades: P Kareem Roth, P Ryan Wahlen and P Brad Bush to BOS for LF Harris Lambertini.

There were some good moments in the first season for the Pirates, and while a 67-72 record isn’t terrible, they finished 15 games back of the Phillies. Only two teams in the NL finished above .500 in 1901, so the Pirates had plenty of company. Scott Podlasek, the first draft choice of the Pittsburgh franchise, started off on the right foot, hitting .317/.401/.455 with 10 homers, one of 6 times in his career he would hit in double digits. Sam Covallini, Pittsburgh’s second draft choice, turned in a solid season (17-15, 3.58), a pattern he would follow until his retirement in 1911.

[metsgeek]

Originally Posted by ifspuds

Trades: P Kareem Roth, P Ryan Wahlen and P Brad Bush to BOS for LF Harris Lambertini.

A bit anachronistic there....not to mention a weird combo of names

[ifspuds]

You know, I'd never noticed that before. Bad name file! No cookie!

[ifspuds]

A double dose, since these two years are pretty short...

1902: A Step Back

Top Hitter: RF Scott Podlasek (.280, 6 HR, 51 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Randall Trownsell (14-19, 2.73)
Top Prospect: SP Bill Rabbitt

Team Record: 65-75, 7th place
Awards: Gold Glove, C Scott Dotts
Trades: LF William Chien and P Mohammed Ahearn to BKN for 2B P.J. Carlson (clearly, the name file hadn't been fixed just yet...)

The Phillies were once again the class of the National League, and their Pennsylvania rivals were just happy to stay out of last place. This just wasn’t a good team. 12th in runs scored and 12th in runs allowed, and once again finished 15 games back.

1903: Mired at the Bottom

Top Hitter: RF Scott Podlasek (.293, 13 HR, 71 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Sam Covallini (13-12, 2.88)
Top Prospect: SP Bill Rabbitt

Team Record: 64-76, 7th place
Awards: Gold Gloves, SP Sam Covallini (his 2nd), CF Henry Wigg
Trades: None

There is no truth to the rumor that the National League was considering renaming 7th place to “Pirate Place”. Still, for the 3rd season in a row, the Pittsburgh team ended up just one place out of last, with a worse record than the season before. Sam Covallini continued to lead the rotation, but despite a 2.88 ERA, he finished just 13-12. Scott Podlasek got a little help from 2B Mark Arendt (.332, 2 HR) and 1B Arnold Hourihan (.325, 1 HR) but the team still finished 11th in runs scored.

[ifspuds]

Another double dose day...

1904: Same Place, Different Season

Top Hitter: RF Scott Podlasek (.344, 12 HR, 82 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Bill Rabbitt (22-12, 3.48)
Top Prospect: LF Michael Borkholder

Team Record: 72-82, 7th place
Awards: Gold Glove, 1B Arnold Houlihan
Trades: P Victor Gauer and 3B Ozzy Benning to NYG for SS Travis Hunt. 2B Fabian White to SLA for P Ray Esser and P Bren Ozaki. P Joe Roy to SLA for 1B Edward Brantsag.

Scott Podlasek turned in his best season, Bill Rabbitt fulfilled his promise as the team’s top prospect, and a talented left fielder in Michael Borkholder joined the team... and they still finished in 7th, despite 14 more games in the schedule. Travis Hunt joined the team in a trade with the New York Giants, and while his first action with the team (.268, 29 RBI) wasn’t special, he’d make his mark at shortstop in years to come.

1905: At Least We’re Not in Seventh Anymore...

Top Hitter: RF Scott Podlasek (.320, 6 HR, 65 RBI)
Top Pitcher: Ron Theroux (18-19, 3.58)
Top Prospect: SP Caleb Kieselhorst

Team Record: 64-90, 8th place
Awards: Gold Glove, SS Travis Hunt
Trades: P Richard Caruth, 3B Calvin Paige and P James Mark to WSH for 1B Paul Batt. P Bill Rabbitt to CHA for P Ron Theroux and LF Raymond Campbell.

After cementing their hold on 7th place for the first 4 seasons, the Pirates finally broke through in 1905 and dove into the cellar. Travis Hunt, who came over in a 1904 trade with the New York Giants, won the first of what would be 5 straight Gold Gloves (6 total) at shortstop, which was about the only bright spot in a