1917
It is the fall of 1916. The press was assembled in outside the home of The Skipper in south Kansas City—a home that would soon be on the market. That's the reason the press was crowded on the front lawn: the man who had built the greatest dynasty in American baseball history would be announcing his next destination.
Teams from coast-to-coast had lined up to try to secure The Skipper's services. One reportedly was willing to offer a staggering $50,000 per season (he made $23,000 in his final deal with KC). Another openly said he would sign over a large ownership stake to him. But Skip held his cards close to his chest.
"Thank you all for coming out today," he said as he addressed the throng from his front porch. Seeing the growing number of clear non-press that had wandered over from around the city, he spoke again, "that goes for everybody here." After some light chuckling he continued.
"I am about to embark on the greatest challenge of my life. I took over an organization here that was a losing team and now I feel I have nothing left to accomplish here. I am ready to embark on a task that may stun many of you here."
"I will be the next manager and general manager of the Los Angeles Angels"
For a moment, there was stunned silence, save for a few gasps. Then the chatter began. The questions came pouring in as the reporters collected themselves. But The Skipper merely raised his hand to quiet the mob.
"I will not be taking any questions as to why I am making this move. I will end by saying this: Los Angeles may be the worst team in America and I get to manage it. However, I intend to change that fact very quickly."
With that, The Skipper turned and walked back inside the house as the crowd that had swelled to a few hundred continued to buzz with bemusement outside...
The Skipper was no longer in Kansas City, but his players still were, and the Blues returned to the top of the Western League. In the Midwest Association, Cleveland stayed at the top, winning their second straight MWA title with 101 wins—the same amount Brooklyn won in their fourth straight New England League title. Baltimore ended Jersey City's four-year reign atop the Eastern League, finishing three games ahead of the Giants.
On the flip side, the Rochester Stars set a new USBF record for futility, going just 42-114. The bottom had fallen out on one of the smallest markets in the Federation just four years after winning an NEL pennant. They would recover somewhat in the coming years, but rumors about their end in Rochester never quite went away...
After three straight frustrating postseason exits, Dem Bums finally got the job done. Brooklyn knocked off Baltimore in six games, then face the defending champion Cleveland Buckeyes, who had also needed six games to knock off Kansas City. There would be no repeat as the Dodgers downed the Buckeyes in six games for Brooklyn's first National Championship
How does a Japanese man make it Cleveland, Ohio in the early 20th century? No one's quite sure, but
Kichizo Ito did the year prior, signing with the Buckeyes. After serving as a backup the year prior, Ito moved into the starting lineup and the results were better than anyone could've imagined. Ito batted .318 with 193 hits, 34 triples, and 89 RBI. He was arguably even better the following season, but this was the high point of a career that flamed out due to rapidly deteriorating defense that kept his bat out of the everyday lineup after his 31st birthday, despite a career .333 average.
By 1917, Cleveland right-hander
Nicky Croucher was already an established star, winning 31 games in 1913, and posting a 1.57 ERA and winning MVP honors in both playoff rounds the previous season. This season saw Croucher lead the league with a miniscule 1.20 ERA, going 26-7 and spinning a USBF-best 10 shutouts. Croucher's ERA is still the second-lowest for a season in USBF history.
That mark helped Croucher edge Boston hurler
Angelo Diaz. The 25-year-old turned in an outstanding second season, going 31-8 with a 2.11 ERA, leading the Federation in starts (40), complete games (36), innings (358.2), and strikeouts (211). He also led the USBF in wins, as he became the last Eastern pitcher to win 30 games, though PCL pitchers continued to pull off the feat periodically due to the longer schedules.
Still kicking around, 45-year-old
Josh Scott won 22 games for Cleveland, and his last one of the year was a big one, as on September 30 he became the second USBF pitcher to win 300 games.
Minor League Champions
Pacific Coast League: San Francisco Seals, 125-75, defeats Sacramento (5th straight)
Southeastern League: Nashville Vols, 82-58, defeats Atlanta (2nd straight)
Colonial League: Albany Adirondacks, 76-50, defeats Worcester
Texas League: El Paso Texans, 75-51, defeats Austin
River Valley League: Peoria Distillers, 80-60, defeats Fort Wayne
Rocky Mountain League: Salt Lake City Bees, 84-42, defeats Ogden (2nd straight)
Coastal League: Mobile Marines, 79-62, defeats Miami
Northern League: Lincoln Lions, 78-48, defeats La Crosse
The Southeastern League played their first postseason playoff this year, giving every minor league a playoff system. Jockeying for Southern supremacy, the Coastal League and Southeastern League agreed to play an annual Dixie Association series, with Nashville sweeping Mobile in four games.
Meanwhile, out on the West Coast, The Skipper took the reigns in LA and immediately undersaw a shocking turnaround. Taking over a squad that that went 48-152 in 1916, Skip wheeled, dealed, scouted, and signed his way to a 67-game improvement, as the Angels went 115-85, finishing fourth for the first winning season and first-division placing for the Angels since 1904. His declaration of a quick turnaround appears to be right on track...