The World Series League

[abell1198]

As we move into the 1970's, we see a change in leads in both divisions from May. We'll start with the American League. Two teams are actually tied for the lead at 49-33. The first team is the 1972 Oakland A's. The '72 A's are led at the plate by RF Matty Alou, who is hitting .304. SP Catfish Hunter (9-3, 3.76 ERA) leads a below average starting rotation. However, if the team can keep it close, CL Bob Locker (0-1, 1.42 ERA, 26 Saves) is slamming the door shut on opponents. Locker is 2nd in the AL in saves. The 1972 A's won their first eight games of June and lost only one series, finishing the month of June with an 18-7 record. The second team in first place is the 1974 Oakland A's. The '74 squad is led at the dish by RF Reggie Jackson (.299, 23 HR, 61 RBI) and 1B Joe Rudi (.297, 13 HR, 58 RBI). The starting pitching is ranked 6th in the AL with a 3.15 combined ERA. SP Ken Holtzman (10-5, 3.08 ERA), SP Vida Blue (8-6, 2.86 ERA) and SP Glenn Abbott (9-2, 2.36 ERA) are having great years so far. Two players made headlines for the '74 club this month. LF Claudell Washington (.276, 1 HR, 34 RBI) made the news on June 1 with a 5 for 5 performance in a 10-1 win over the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers (23-35). On June 16, Vida Blue threw a 7-0 shutout win over the 1937 New York Yankees (34-38) in which he allowed only four hits, struck out seven and walked three.

In third place at 48-34, 1 GB, are the 1979 Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles are led by RF Ken Singleton (.291, 18 HR, 56 RBI) at the plate and SP Dennis Martinez (10-4, 2.61 ERA) on the mound. Two players made news for Baltimore in June. On June 19, C Rick Dempsey (.259, 2 HR, 27 RBI) went 5 for 6 against the 1949 New York Yankees (33-41). While the Orioles lost the game 6-5 in 12 innings, Dempsey hit three singles, a double and a triple. On June 29, SP Mike Flanagan (8-5, 2.97 ERA) threw a 4-0 shutout win over the 1915 Boston Red Sox (44-37). Flanagan held Boston to one hit, struck out ten and walked none.

The 1971 Baltimore Orioles are in fourth place at 47-35, 2 GB. CF Paul Blair leads the team with his .297 batting average. SP Jim Palmer and SP Pat Dobson lead the team in pitching and both made the headlines in June. On June 24, Dobson (10-5, 2.90 ERA) threw a 6-0 win over the 1931 Philadelphia A's (39-37). Dobson allowed four hits, struck out four and walked one. Not to be outdone by his teammate, Palmer (12-5, 2.61 ERA) threw a 11-0 shutout over the same '31 A's (39-38) on June 25. Palmer allowed five hits, struck out five and walked two. Palmer is currently 2nd in the AL in wins.

In fifth place in the division are the 1970 Baltimore Orioles at 46-36, 3 GB. The 1970 Orioles are tied for 6th in the AL in runs scored with 433 and tied for 10th in the AL in home runs with 93. Four players have hit well in the first half of the year:

LF Merv Rettenmund .342, 13 HR, 50 RBI
1B Boog Powell .325, 22 HR, 79 RBI
RF Frank Robinson .301, 14 HR, 60 RBI
3B Brooks Robinson .299, 13 HR, 54 RBI

Powell is tied for 3rd in the AL in RBI. SP Dave McNally (9-4, 3.85 ERA) leads the pitchers and made news for the club on June 26. McNally threw a 4-0 shutout over the 2006 Detroit Tigers (24-54), holding them to four hits, striking out six and walking two.

The 1978 New York Yankees are in sixth place at 40-42, 9 GB. The Yankees have the AL's 5th best defense. There are no .300 hitters on the team and SP Dick Tidrow (8-4, 2.81 ERA) leads an above average pitching staff. SP Jim Beattie (7-5, 3.70 ERA) made headlines for the team on June 7 with a 4-0 shutout over the 1965 Minnesota Twins (25-38). Beattie held the Twins to five hits, struck out five and walked one.

In seventh place are the 1973 Oakland A's at 38-44, 11 GB. The A's are an offensive nightmare...or their hitting could be considered offensive to some. Oakland is dead last (108th) in the AL in runs scored (256) and batting average (.222). The A's are 106th in OBP (.297). Needless to say, no one is hitting .300. SP Vida Blue (8-7, 3.66 ERA) and SP Dave Hamilton (8-6, 3.83 ERA) are doing what they can to keep the team competitive. Blue made headlines on June 30 with a 7-0 win over the 1999 New York Yankees (46-36). Blue allowed only three hits, struck out eight and walked one.

Three teams are fighting for eighth place...or fighting to stay out of the division basement at 35-47, 14 GB. The first team are the 1975 Boston Red Sox. Boston is great offensively, but their pitching has been offensive to most. The Red Sox are 8th in the AL in runs scored (432), but have also allowed 469 runs against (106th). They are also 9th in the AL with 95 home runs. RF Dwight Evans (.323, 13 HR, 54 RBI) leads a lineup with six players in double digit home runs. Boston's pitching is currently ranked 103rd in the AL with a 5.39 combined ERA. The second team in the tie are the 1976 New York Yankees. The Yankees are 102nd in OBP at .304. There are no .300 hitters and the pitching staff is average. SP Catfish Hunter, however, was not average on June 16. Hunter (6-6, 4.07 ERA) threw a no-hitter against the 1942 New York Yankees (34-38), striking out 12 and walking four. The final team is the 1977 New York Yankees. The '77 Yankees are led by CF Mickey Rivers .312 average at the plate, while SP Ron Guidry is 9-6 with a 2.08 ERA to lead the pitching staff.

In the National League, the team in the lead is the 1976 Cincinnati Reds at 53-29. The '76 Reds are 1st in the NL in OBP (.365) and 2nd in the NL in average (.290) and runs scored (454). RF Ken Griffey Jr. (.362, 2 HR, 46 RBI) and LF George Foster (.348, 17 HR, 70 RBI) lead the team in hitting. Griffey is 5th in the NL in batting average and 3rd in hits. SP Pat Zachary (7-3, 2.56 ERA) leads the club on the mound. SP Don Gullett, however, made news for the team on June 7. Gullett (8-3, 4.24 ERA) threw an 8-0 shutout over the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers, allowing only three hits, striking out four and walking none. The Reds put together an 18-7 month, moving from third place into first place.

Two teams are tied for second place at 52-30, 1 GB. The first are the 1975 Cincinnati Reds. The '75 team lost the lead with a 13-12 June record. The Reds are 5th in the NL in runs scored (436), 7th in OBP (.349), 8th in average (.279) and tied for 10th in home runs (87). SS Dave Concepcion (.334, 3 HR, 31 RBI) leads the team for average, while C Johnny Bench (.306, 18 HR, 65 RBI) and LF George Foster (.297, 19 HR, 64 RBI) add the power punch. SP Gary Nolan leads the pitching staff with a 10-2 record and 2.99 ERA. SP Fred Norman (5-4, 5.11 ERA) made headlines for the team on June 2 with a 10-0 win over the 1922 New York Giants (26-33). Norman allowed only four hits, struck out five and walked none in the game. The second team in the tie is the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. Pittsburgh is 1st in the NL in average (.307), 4th in OBP (.356) and 4th in runs scored (448). The Pirates are led by none other than RF Roberto Clemente (.399, 6 HR, 57 RBI) and LF Willie Stargell (.325, 39 HR, 80 RBI). Clemente is 2nd in the NL in average and 1st in the Majors in hits with 140. Stargell is 1st in the Majors in HR and 1st in the NL in RBI. Stargell was also named NL Player of the Week on June 3 after going .440 with 4 HR and 9 RBI. Six players in the Pirates lineup are hitting .300 or higher. SP Dock Ellis (9-4, 2.81 ERA) leads the Pittsburgh pitching staff.

In fourth place, with a record of 50-32, 3 GB, are the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates. The '79 Pirates are led by RF Dave Parker, who is hitting .307 with 12 HR and 60 RBI. SP Bruce Kison (8-5, 1.99 ERA) leads a staff ranked 10th in the NL with a 3.15 combined ERA. SP John Candelaria (5-4, 3.87 ERA) made news for the club on June 14 with a 6-0 win over the 1990 Cincinnati Reds (35-35). Candelaria held the Reds to six hits, struck out five and walked one.

Two teams are tied for fifth place at 46-36, 7 GB. The first team is the 1972 Cincinnati Reds. CF Bobby Tolan leads the team with a .313 batting average. SP Jim McGlothlin (8-3, 2.36 ERA) leads a pitching staff ranked 8th in the NL with a 2.96 ERA. C Johnny Bench made headlines for the team on June 6 in a 10-6 win over the 1923 New York Giants (28-34). Bench (.282, 19 HR, 60 RBI) hit for the cycle against the Giants, going 5 for 5 with a single, a double, a triple, two home runs and eight runs batted in. The second team in this tie are the 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are 4th in the NL in home runs with 101. RF Reggie Smith (.327, 21 HR, 66 RBI) is the team's best hitter, while SP Burt Hooton (12-4, 2.69 ERA) leads the pitching staff. Smith and CF Rick Monday made news for the team on June 16 in a 24-4 beat down win over the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies (27-45). Both players hit three home runs in the game. Smith finished 4 for 6 with 8 RBI, while Monday was 3 for 3 with 6 RBI and 2 walks.

The 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers are in seventh place with a record of 43-39, 10 GB. The Dodgers are 106th in the NL in average at .232. RF Reggie Smith (.289, 18 HR, 51 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Burt Hooton (10-5, 1.96 ERA) and SP Tommy John (10-6, 3.14 ERA) lead the team on the mound. John made headlines on June 6 with a 8-0 shutout over the 1959 Los Angeles Dodgers (18-44). John allowed five hits, struck out six and walked none in the win. The '77 Dodgers had their first winning month this season, going 17-8.

In eighth place are the 1970 Cincinnati Reds at 41-41, 12 GB. LF Bernie Carbo (.301, 13 HR, 45 RBI) and RF Pete Rose, Sr. (.301, 8 HR, 38 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Wayne Simpson (8-6, 3.34 ERA) is the team's best pitcher.

The 1974 Los Angeles Dodgers are in ninth place at 39-43, 14 GB. The Dodgers are 101st in the NL in average at .236. RF Willie Crawford (.320, 11 HR, 41 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP Don Sutton (10-2, 2.40 ERA) leads the pitching staff. SP Tommy John (7-5, 2.94 ERA) made headlines on June 11 with a 2-0 win over the 1940 Cincinnati Reds (39-28). John allowed five hits, struck out four and walked three in the contest.

Sorry Met lovers, but the 1973 New York Mets are in last place at 35-47, 18 GB. The Mets have no .300 hitters. They are 100th in the NL in runs scored (277) and average (.236), 103rd in OBP (.293) and are tied for 105th in stolen bases (6). 2B Felix Millan (.272, 0 HR, 15 RBI) made news for the team on June 11 in a 2-1 win in 13 innings over the 1968 St. Louis Cardinals (30-37). Millan went 5 for 7 in the game, all singles. SP Jerry Koosman (7-5, 2.33 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. Koosman made headlines for the club on June 12 with a 4-0 win over the '68 Cardinals (30-38). Koosman allowed only five hits, struck out eight and walked none. On June 25, SP Jon Matlack (4-5, 3.18 ERA) threw a 5-0 shutout win over the 1999 Atlanta Braves (47-30). Matlack held Atlanta to one hit, struck out nine and walked none.

[abell1198]

The 1980's divisions had some big gains for some teams in the American League and some big losses for some teams in the National League. The American League race is heating up, while the National League race is looking like a runaway train at the halfway point of the season.

Let's start with the American League 1980's Division. Leading the division (still) are the 1988 Oakland A's at 49-33. RF Jose Canseco has been a steroid juiced monster at the plate, hitting .328 with 36 home runs and 78 RBI. Canseco is 1st in the AL in homers, 2nd in slugging pct. (.734) and 5th in RBI. Canseco made news for the club on June 2nd after going 5 for 6 in a 6-4 loss to the 2012 Detroit Tigers (27-32). Canseco had three singles and two doubles in the game. On June 3rd, Canseco was named AL Player of the Week after hitting .515 (17-33) with five home runs and 13 RBI. SP Dave Stewart (9-5, 2.58 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. The starting pitching is ranked 7th in the AL with a 3.26 ERA and the staff ranks 10th overall with a combined ERA of 3.34. Stewart also made headlines in June. On June 15th, Stewart pitched a 4-0 shutout over the 1971 Baltimore Orioles (40-31). Stewart allowed only three hits, struck out five and walked two.

In second place are the 1989 Oakland A's at 48-34, 1 GB. The '89 club gained three games on their 1988 counterparts, posting a 16-9 record in June. LF Luis Polonia is hitting .303 to lead all batters on the team. SP Dave Stewart (10-5, 2.52 ERA) and SP Mike Moore (9-5, 2.67 ERA) lead the pitching staff. The '89 A's bullpen is ranked 4th in the AL with a 2.91 ERA. Stewart made news for the team on June 1st with a 6-0 win over the 1991 Minnesota Twins (22-36). Stewart allowed four hits, struck out nine and walked none in the contest.

The 1986 Boston Red Sox are in third place at 47-35, 2 GB. Boston is ranked 102nd in the AL with nine stolen bases. 3B Wade Boggs leads the team in hitting with a .358 batting average. SP Roger Clemens is 10-5 with a 3.72 ERA, leading a below average pitching staff. CF Dave Henderson (.289, 11 HR, 52 RBI) is currently on a 21 game hitting streak.

In fourth place are the 1984 Detroit Tigers at 45-37, 4 GB. The Tigers gained seven games on the division lead, posting a 20-5 record in June and winning every series. SS Alan Trammell (.291, 8 HR, 40 RBI) and C Lance Parrish (.285, 18 HR, 54 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Dan Petry (8-6, 3.08 ERA) and SP Jack Morris (8-5, 3.97 ERA) lead the pitching staff.

The 1981 New York Yankees are in fifth place at 44-38, 5 GB. LF Dave Winfield (.313, 11 HR, 54 RBI) and SS Bucky Dent (.310, 11 HR, 39 RBI) lead a team with three other players with 10+ home runs. SP Rick Reushcel is 11-6 with a 2.65 ERA to lead the pitching staff. RF Reggie Jackson made headlines on June 1st with a 5 for 5 performance in an 11-10 win over the 1942 New York Yankees (28-30). Jackson (.270, 16 HR, 65 RBI) hit three singles, a double and a home run in the game.

In sixth place are the 1985 Kansas City Royals at 37-45, 12 GB. CF Willie Wilson (.311, 2 HR, 33 RBI) and 3B George Brett (.302, 10 HR, 57 RBI) lead the team in hitting. Wilson is currently 2nd in the AL with nine triples. SP Charlie Leibrandt is 11-2 with a 3.09 ERA to lead the pitchers. Leibrandt made headlines on June 8th with a 7-0 win over the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays (33-31). Leibrandt held the Rays to four hits, while striking out four and walking one.

Two teams are tied for seventh place at 34-48, 15 GB. The first team is the 1983 Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles have no .300 hitters and their pitching staff is below average. The 2-3-4 part of their lineup is producing, but not enough to help their poor pitching.

2. LF John Lowenstein .280, 11 HR, 42 RBI
3. SS Cal Ripken, .282, 13 HR, 54 RBI
4. 1B Eddie Murray, .277, 18 HR, 46 RBI

SP Storm Davis (6-8, 4.17 ERA) made news for the team on June 11th with a 4-0 shutout of the 2007 Boston Red Sox (37-30). Davis allowed five hits, struck out five and walked three in the game. The second team in the tie is the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers. DH Paul Molitor (.321, 10 HR, 36 RBI) and 2B Jim Gantner (.315, 3 HR, 37 RBI) lead the team in hitting. The starting pitching is ranked 103rd in the AL with a 5.43 ERA, while the staff overall is ranked 92nd with a combined ERA of 4.97.

In ninth place are the 1980 Kansas City Royals at 33-49, 16 GB. 3B George Brett leads the team in hitting with a .363 batting average. Brett also has 14 home runs and 74 RBI. Brett is currently 4th in the AL in average. CF Willie Wilson (.329, 0 HR, 27 RBI) is also hitting well and is currently tied for 3rd in the AL with 31 stolen bases. LF Hal McRae (.301, 15 HR, 68 RBI) is currently 1st in the AL with 36 doubles. The Royals starting pitching is ranked 100th in the AL with a 5.39 ERA, while the staff as a whole is ranked 94th with a 5.01 combined ERA.

The 1987 Minnesota Twins are in last place at 32-50, 17 GB. The Twins are 106th in the AL in defense. CF Kirby Puckett is hitting .293 for the team. Minnesota's starting pitching is dead last (108th) with a whopping 6.17 ERA, while the staff overall is ranked 107th with a combined ERA of 5.79.

In the National League, the 1986 New York Mets are starting to pull away from the rest of the division, padding their lead by five games this month while posting a record of 17-8. The Mets are in first place at 52-30. SS Kevin Mitchell (.315, 15 HR, 60 RBI) and 1B Keith Hernandez (.313, 6 HR, 42 RBI) lead the team at the plate. SP Ron Darling (9-3, 2.18 ERA) leads a starting pitching staff ranked 18th in the NL with an ERA of 3.10. The staff as a whole is ranked 20th with an ERA of 3.31.

In second place are the 1985 St. Louis Cardinals at 45-37, 7 GB. The Cardinals are 3rd in the NL with 126 stolen bases. CF Willie McGee leads the team with his .358 batting average. McGee is also tied for 2nd in the NL with ten triples. SP John Tudor (9-6, 2.48 ERA) and SP Danny Cox (8-6, 2.87 ERA) lead the pitchers.

The 1980 Philadelphia Phillies are in third place at 44-38, 8 GB. LF Lonnie Smith leads the team with a .310 batting average. SP Steve Carlton (6-7, 2.66 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. Carlton is currently 2nd in the NL in strikeouts with 171. The Phillies went 16-9 in June, losing only one series.

In fourth place, and completely falling apart in the month of June, are the 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers at 41-41, 11 GB. The Dodgers went a miserable 8-17 in June, dropping nine games off the division lead. L.A. is 99th in the NL in runs scored (279), 98th in average (.239) and 102nd in OBP (.294). On the bright side, the Dodgers bullpen is ranked 6th with a 2.70 ERA. The team has no .300 hitters. SP Tim Belcher (5-5, 2.45 ERA) leads the pitching staff. The Dodgers suffered through a six game and eight game losing streaks this month.

The 1989 San Francisco Giants are in fifth place at 38-44, 14 GB. The Giants are 104th in the NL in average (.234) and 106th in OBP (.292). Like the Dodgers, the San Francisco bullpen is doing well and is currently ranked 9th in the NL with a 2.93 ERA. The Giants have no .300 hitters and their starting pitching is average at best.

In sixth place are the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals at 37-45, 15 GB. LF Lonnie Smith leads the hitters with a .302 batting average. SP Joaquin Andujar is 7-5 with a 2.45 ERA to lead the pitchers.

The 1987 St. Louis Cardinals are in seventh places at 35-47, 17 GB. The '87 squad is led by Willie McGee's .302 average, while SP Danny Cox is 7-5 with a 3.65 ERA to lead a below average staff.

In eighth place are the 1984 San Diego Padres at 33-49, 19 GB. RF Tony Gwynn is hitting .347 and SP Andy Hawkins is 7-5 with a 3.17 ERA.

The 1983 Philadelphia Phillies hold down ninth place with a record of 30-52, 22 GB. The Phillies are 107th in the NL in average at .231. Needless to say, there are no .300 hitters. SP Steve Carlton is pitching well with a 2.37 ERA, although his 3-6 record doesn't show it.

In last place are the 1981 Los Angeles Dodgers at 27-55, 25 GB. The Dodgers are 100th in the NL in OBP at .294. The team has no .300 hitters and SP Bob Welch (5-9, 2.77 ERA) is their best pitcher.

[abell1198]

In the 1990's Divisions, the American League is starting to look like it's already been decided, while the National League still has a race on their hands. Let's start in the American League, where the 1995 Cleveland Indians have a ten game lead in the division. The Indians are 56-26, pulling ahead six more games in June, as they went 17-8 this month. The Indians are 1st in the AL in runs scored (480), 1st in batting average (.293), 3rd in home runs (104) and 8th in OBP (.359). 3B Jim Thome (.359, 16 HR, 61 RBI) leads the team in hitting. Five other players have double digit HR's. CF Kenny Lofton (.306, 2 HR, 37 RBI) is currently tied for 1st in the Majors with 12 triples. SP Dennis Martinez leads the pitchers at 10-4, 3.37 ERA. CL Jose Mesa is 0-0 with a 1.85 ERA and 29 saves. Mesa leads the Majors in Saves.

In second place are the 1999 New York Yankees at 46-36, 10 GB. SS Derek Jeter (.320, 8 HR, 37 RBI) and CF Bernie Williams (.314, 8 HR, 39 RBI) lead the team at the dish. SP Orlando Hernandez is the team's best pitcher, with an 8-4 record and 3.16 ERA. Hernandez made headlines for the club on June 2nd with a 6-0 win over the 1987 Minnesota Twins (24-35). Hernandez allowed four hits, struck out four and walked one. Other players making headlines this month for the Yankees were 1B Tino Martinez (.237, 11 HR, 55 RBI), RF Paul O'Neill (.291, 9 HR, 61 RBI) and SP David Cone (7-6, 3.97 ERA). On June 24th, Martinez hit three homers in an 18-6 beat down of the 1903 Boston Americans (21-55). Martinez was 4 for 4 with 8 RBI. On June 26th, O'Neill victimized the same Americans team (21-57) by hitting 5 for 6, with five singles, in a 15-5 win. On June 29th, Cone picked up a 4-3 win against the 2008 Tampa Rays (41-40). Cone allowed five hits, struck out 15 and walked two in the game.

The 1997 Cleveland Indians are in third place at 44-38, 12 GB. RF Manny Ramirez is hitting .304 and is the only .300 hitter in the lineup. 1B Jim Thome (.260, 15 HR, 49 RBI) currently leads the Majors with 88 walks. The Indians starting pitching is ranked 102nd in the AL with a 5.41 ERA. The bullpen is ranked 15th at 3.41.

In fourth place are the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays at 43-39, 13 GB. The Blue Jays are 5th in the AL in runs scored with 435 and 10th in batting average at .279. 1B John Olerud (.356, 10 HR, 63 RBI) leads the team in hitting. Toronto's starting pitching is 104th in the AL with a 5.56 ERA and their defense is ranked 102nd. DH Paul Molitor (.320, 12 HR, 71 RBI) made news for the club on June 5th in a 10-6 win over the 1963 New York Yankees (36-25). Molitor went 5 for 5 with three singles and two doubles in the contest.

The 1996 New York Yankees are in fifth place with a record of 42-40, 14 GB. The Yankees are 8th in the AL with a .280 batting average. 2B Mariano Duncan leads the team with a .327 average. New York's starting pitching is 92nd in the AL with a 5.03 ERA, while the bullpen is 9th with a 3.20 ERA. The Yankee's defense is ranked 95th in the AL. Duncan made headlines for the team on June 13th with a 5 for 5 performance during a 7-5 win over the 1933 Washington Senators (34-35). Duncan fell short of hitting for the cycle, finishing with three singles, a double and a triple. Duncan is currently 2nd in the AL with 35 doubles.

In sixth place are the 1990 Oakland A's at 39-43, 17 GB. The A's were the preseason favorites, but they've fallen too far behind to this level of competition to make a run at the playoffs. The A's haven't been able to hit this season, ranking 101st in runs scored (295), 104th in average (.232) and 99th in OBP (.307). Needless to say, there are no .300 hitters on the team. SP Dave Stewart (5-6, 2.90 ERA) and Bob Welch (7-7, 2.92 ERA) are doing what they can to keep this ship afloat.

The 1998 New York Yankees find themselves in seventh place at 38-44, 18 GB. The Yankees are 9th in the AL in runs scored with 430, but their starting pitching is 97th with a 5.29 ERA. 1B Tino Martinez (.332, 8 HR, 46 RBI) is the team's best hitter.

In eighth place are the 1991 Minnesota Twins at 36-46, 20 GB. The Twins are 106th in the AL in runs scored (278), 100th in average (.239) and 105th in OBP (.298). 1B Kent Hrbek (.294, 15 HR, 45 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Scott Erickson (9-7, 3.36 ERA) leads the pitchers. SP Kevin Tapani (8-7, 3.52 ERA) made news for the team on June 25th after a 3-0 win over the 1916 Boston Red Sox (39-38). Tapani held the Red Sox to two hits, while striking out three and walking none.

The 1992 Toronto Blue Jays are in last place at 35-47, 21 GB. The team has no .300 hitters. SP Juan Guzman (6-7, 3.48 ERA) is the team's best starting pitcher. Toronto's bullpen is ranked 8th in the AL with a 3.19 ERA, led by CL Duane Ward, who is 4-0, with a 0.57 ERA and 16 saves.

In the National League, the 1990's Division has a new leader, the 1999 Atlanta Braves, who are at 50-32 and have a slim, two game lead. The Braves don't hit well, ranking 95th in the NL in average (.241) and 99th in OBP (.298), but they always did rely on their pitching to win games. The Braves starters are ranked 3rd in the NL with a combined ERA of 2.75!!!! Check these guys out:

John Smoltz 5-5, 3.49 ERA
Kevin Millwood 9-5, 2.11 ERA
Greg Maddux 7-5, 2.95 ERA
Tom Glavine 9-5, 2.94 ERA
Terry Mulholland 11-4, 2.32 ERA

CL John Rocker leads the bullpen at 3-1, 1.19 ERA, 23 saves. 1B Ryan Klesko leads the team in hitting at .301, 11 HR, 44 RBI. Two pitchers made headlines for the club this month. On June 8th, Glavine defeated the 1975 Cincinnati Reds (44-20) with an 8-0 win. Glavine held the Reds to five hits, while striking out four and walking three. On June 11th, Millwood posted a 4-0 win over the 1933 New York Giants (26-41). Millwood allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked one.

In second place are the 1992 Atlanta Braves at 48-34, 2 GB. 3B Terry Pendleton (.293, 9 HR, 52 RBI) leads the team is hitting, but who I find surprising is SS Jeff Blauser. Blauser is hitting .267, with 18 HR and 44 RBI. Blauser never hit 18 homers in a SEASON in real life, yet he has it in half a season against supposedly better competition. It'll be interesting to see where his numbers end up. All of the Braves starters have ERA's below 4.00. CL Mark Wohlers is 5-2, with a 0.88 ERA and 19 saves. The Braves were 16-9 this month, spurred on by a seven game win streak in the middle of the month where the team swept the 2004 and 1926 St. Louis Cardinals.

Dropping to third place are the 1997 Florida Marlins at 47-35, 3 GB. 3B Bobby Bonilla (.313, 7 HR, 53 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while LF Moises Alou (.284, 16 HR, 46 RBI) adds the power to the lineup. SP Kevin Brown (11-2, 2.19 ERA) is tied for 2nd in the NL in wins.

The 1990 Cincinnati Reds are in fourth place at 42-40, 8 GB. The Reds are 7th in the NL in average at .282. 1B Hal Morris (.350, 8 HR, 56 RBI) is one of three .300 hitters in the lineup. Cincinnati's starting pitching has been below average, but their bullpen is 8th in the NL with a 2.91 ERA. CL Rob Dibble is 2-3, with a 0.98 ERA and 18 saves. The Reds had losing streaks of four and five games in June.

Two teams are tied for fifth place at 41-41, 9 GB. The first team is the 1991 Atlanta Braves. 3B Terry Pendleton (.328, 10 HR, 53 RBI) and 2B Jeff Treadway (.319, 4 HR, 44 RBI) lead the way at the plate for Atlanta. The Braves starting pitching is ranked 92nd in the NL with a 4.24 ERA, while the team's defense is ranked 96th. The second team in the tie is the 1998 San Diego Padres. The Padres are led by 1B Wally Joyner (.332, 6 HR, 30 RBI) and RF Tony Gwynn (.326, 6 HR, 46 RBI) at the plate. SP Kevin Brown leads the pitchers with a 9-3 record and 1.93 ERA. The bullpen is ranked 10th in the NL with a 3.01 ERA. CL Trevor Hoffman is 0-0, with a 0.00 ERA and 17 saves. Hoffman has pitched 33 innings in 31 games, allowing 19 hits.

The 1993 Philadelphia Phillies are in seventh place at 40-42, 10 GB. RF Jim Eisenreich is hitting .334, with 6 HR and 31 RBI. Eisenreich is one of three .300 hitters on the team. Philadelphia's starting pitching is 94th in the NL with a 4.27 ERA. SP Curt Schilling (6-7, 2.90 ERA) is the lone highlight. The Phillies defense is 105th in the NL.

In eighth place are the 1995 Atlanta Braves at 38-44, 12 GB. CF Mike Devereaux (.329, 5 HR, 32 RBI) leads the team in average, while LF Ryan Klesko (.265, 22 HR, 67 RBI) leads the team in power. SP Greg Maddux (7-5, 2.47 ERA) leads the pitching staff. C Javy Lopez (.299, 14 HR, 48 RBI) made headlines for the team on June 9th with a 5 for 5 performance against the 1965 Los Angeles Dodgers (36-29). Although the Braves lost, 10-7, Lopez hit three singles, a triple and a home run in the game.

In last place are the 1996 Atlanta Braves at 37-45, 13 GB. The '96 squad has no .300 hitters and are ranked 105th in the NL in average at .232. Their starting pitching is ranked 9th in the NL with a 2.97 ERA. SP Tom Glavine (5-4, 1.68 ERA), Greg Maddux (7-8, 2.17 ERA) and John Smoltz (4-8, 2.26 ERA) are all pitching well for the team.

[abell1198]

The 2000's Divisions are fairly competitive still, with many teams in both leagues able to win the division or capture a wild card berth. Let's look at the American League.

Leading the division at the midway point of the season with a record of 46-36 are the 2004 Boston Red Sox. 1B David Ortiz (.319, 16 HR, 60 RBI) and DH Manny Ramirez (.307, 20 HR, 79 RBI) lead the team at the plate. Ramirez is currently tied for 3rd in the AL in RBI. SP Curt Schilling is 10-6 with a 3.43 ERA, which is tops for the club. The Red Sox suffered through a miserable 9-16 record in June, reducing their six game lead down to a one game lead.

In second place are the 2002 Anaheim Angels at 45-37, 1 GB. The Angels were 17-8 in June, which catapulted them eight games up the standings. CF Garrett Anderson (.330 avg.) and SS David Eckstein (.318 avg.) are hitting well at the middle of the season to lead their team. SP Kevin Appier is the Angel's best pitcher with a 10-5 record and 2.95 ERA.

The 2007 Boston Red Sox are in third place at 44-38, 2 GB. 2B Dustin Pedroia leads the team in average at .315, while DH David Ortiz leads the team in overall hitting at .304, 15 HR, 64 RBI. SP Josh Beckett is the leading of the starting staff with a 5-4 record and 3.08 ERA. Boston's bullpen is ranked 3rd in the AL with a 2.91 ERA, led by CL Jonathan Papelbon, who is 4-1 with a 1.59 ERA and 20 saves.

In fourth place are the 2009 New York Yankees at 43-39, 3 GB. The Yankees put together a 17-8 record in June to launch themselves up the standings into competition. SS Derek Jeter (.333, 10 HR, 41 RBI) is the team's best hitter, while SP C.C. Sabathia (11-4, 2.88 ERA) leads the pitchers. Sabathia made headlines for the club on June 10th with a 3-0 win over the 1959 Chicago White Sox (21-45). Sabathia held Chicago to four hits, while striking out four and walking one. 2B Robinson Cano also made news for the team on June 15th, going 5 for 5 with four singles and a grand slam in a 9-1 victory over the 1983 Baltimore Orioles (28-43).

Two teams are tied for fifth place at 41-41, 5 GB. The 2003 New York Yankees are the first team. SS Derek Jeter is hitting .311, while SP Roger Clemens leads the team on the mound with an 8-4 record and 3.14 ERA. SP Andy Pettitte was in the news on June 6th after a 14-0 pasting of the 1930 Philadelphia Athletics (35-27). Pettitte allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked two in the game. The second team in the tie are the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays have no .300 hitters, as their team batting average is a mere .232, ranking them 105th in the AL. Their OBP of .305 places them 101st in the AL. SP Edwin Jackson leads the pitching staff with a 9-6 record and 3.40 ERA. Tampa's bullpen, however, is ranked 1st in the AL with a 2.17 ERA, led by CL Grant Balfour, who is 3-1 with a 1.08 ERA and 18 saves.

In seventh place are the 2001 New York Yankees at 36-46, 10 GB. It doesn't sound good on the surface, but the Yankees put together a winning record in June (14-11) and moved up five games in the standings. SS Derek Jeter (.318, 10 HR, 47 RBI) is the teams only .300 hitter. The hitting overall has been below average, as has the pitching. SP Roger Clemens leads the team with a 7-5 record and 3.63 ERA. SP Mike Mussina (5-8, 3.92 ERA) made news for the team on June 10th with a 6-0 win over the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers (27-39). Mussina allowed only two hits, striking out eight and walking two in the contest.

The 2000 New York Yankees are in eight place at 35-47, 11 GB. The 2000 Yankees had a horrid month, posting an 8-17 record in June. SS Derek Jeter leads a group of below average hitters with his .308 average. The starting pitching is ranked 101st with a 5.40 ERA, while the team's defense is currently ranked 100th in the AL. C Jorge Posada (.270, 6 HR, 30 RBI) made news for the club on June 25th when he went 5 for 7. Although Posada hit five singles, his team fell to the 1986 Boston Red Sox (44-33) by a score of 6-5 in 14 innings.

In ninth place are the 2005 Chicago White Sox at 31-51, 15 GB. The team has no .300 hitters. The White Sox are 103rd in runs scored (289), 99th in average (.243) and 104th in OBP (.302). Their pitching has been average thus far.

The 2006 Detroit Tigers hold down last place in the division at 27-55, 19 GB. SS Carlos Guillen (.332) is the team's only .300 hitter. The Tigers are 107th in runs scored (270) and OBP (.293). Detroit's starting pitching has been below average. Regardless, the Tigers made news twice this month. CF Curtis Granderson (.206, 4 HR, 22 RBI) made the press on June 16th while going 5 for 5 during a 9-4 win over the 1979 Baltimore Orioles (43-29). Granderson hit four singles and a double in the game. SP Jeremy Bonderman (3-9, 3.47 ERA) made headlines on June 24th with a 7-0 win over the 1970 Baltimore Orioles (43-33). Bonderman held the O's to three hits, striking out seven and walking none.

In the National League, the 2000's Division is led by the 2003 Florida Marlins at 48-34. The Marlins don't have any .300 hitters, but three players are hitting over .290. SP Brad Penny is 11-0 with a 2.37 ERA. Florida's pitching staff is ranked 2nd in the NL with a 2.89 ERA, while the bullpen is ranked 1st in the NL with a 2.28 ERA. CL Tim Spooneybarger is 2-2 with a 1.63 ERA and 17 saves.

The 2002 San Francisco Giants are in second place at 46-36, 2 GB. LF Barry Bonds leads the team in hitting with a .360 average, 24 home runs and 61 RBI. Bonds is currently 2nd in the NL in Slg at .723 and 1st in the NL in OBP at .494. SP Livan Hernandez leads the starters at 9-3 with a 2.87 ERA. CL Robb Nen (1-1, 1.13 ERA, 26 Saves) is tied for 2nd in the NL in saves. SP Kirk Rueter (6-8, 4.76 ERA) made news for the team on June 28th after a 6-0 win over the 1950 Philadelphia Phillies (26-54). Rueter allowed six hits, struck out one and walked three.

Two teams are tied for third place at 44-38, 4 GB. The first are the 2005 Houston Astros. The Astros have no .300 hitters, relying on their pitching to win games. SP Roger Clemens (9-5, 2.70 ERA), SP Andy Pettitte (8-6, 2.30 ERA) and SP Roy Oswalt (9-7, 2.51 ERA) lead a starting staff ranked 14th in the NL with a 3.04 ERA. The pitching staff is ranked 19th overall. The second team in the tie are the 2000 New York Mets. 2B Edgardo Alfonzo leads the team in hitting at .303, but C Mike Piazza is the best overall hitter at .290, 14 HR, 41 RBI. SP Al Leiter leads the pitchers with an 8-4 record and 2.59 ERA.

The 2007 Colorado Rockies are in fifth place at 43-39, 5 GB. Not surprisingly, the Rockies are 6th in the NL in runs scored (427), 3rd in average (.288), 9th in OBP (.348) and 15th in home runs (81). Colorado's starting pitching, however, is 105th in the NL with a 4.79 ERA. The bullpen is ranked 13th with a 3.12 ERA. CL Manuel Corpas leads the pen at 1-0, 1.60 ERA, 17 Saves. 1B Todd Helton (.355, 12 HR, 53 RBI), CF Willy Taveras (.354, 2 HR, 36 RBI) and RF Brad Hawpe (.346, 13 HR, 57 RBI) lead the team at the plate. Taveras is currently 2nd in the NL in stolen bases with 38.

In sixth place are the 2004 St. Louis Cardinals at 42-40, 6 GB. The Cardinals are led by 1B Albert Pujols (.321, 17 HR, 51 RBI) and SP Chris Carpenter (9-6, 2.86 ERA).

The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks are in seventh place at 38-44, 10 GB. LF Luis Gonzalez (.332, 20 HR, 52 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP Randy Johnson continues to dominate. The Big Unit is 6-5 with a 1.15 ERA, which is 1st in the NL. Johnson also leads the NL in strikeouts with 198. He is currently tied for 1st in the Majors in strikeouts. LF David Dellucci (.309, 2 HR, 12 RBI) made news for the club. Making the most of his part time help (46 games, 12 games started), Dellucci went 5 for 5 on June 3rd in an 8-4 win over the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals (30-30), hitting four singles and a double. Johnson also made headlines for the team on June 26th in a 3-1 win over the 1930 St. Louis Cardinals (35-43). Johnson allowed four hits, struck out 15 and walked two in the game.

Eighth place is held by the 2006 St. Louis Cardinals at 33-49, 15 GB. The Cards have no .300 hitters and are led by 1B Albert Pujols (.292, 18 HR, 57 RBI). SP Chris Carpenter is tops on the mound at 5-9, 2.50 ERA. SP Jeff Suppan (2-9, 5.90 ERA) made news for the club on June 11th, defeating the 1930 St. Louis Cardinals (33-34) by a score of 6-0. Suppan allowed three hits, struck out eight and walked two.

The 2008 Philadelphia Phillies are in ninth place at 32-50, 16 GB. The good news for the team is that they are 5th in the NL in home runs with 98. The bad news is they are dead last (108th) in the NL in runs against (477), starting pitcher ERA (5.65) and defense. CF Shane Victorino is hitting .318. SS Jimmy Rollins (.287, 2 HR, 30 RBI) is tied for 1st in the Majors with 12 triples. All starting pitchers for the Phils have over a 4.00 ERA.

Holding down last place are the 2009 Philadelphia Phillies at 30-52, 18 GB. The Phillies have no .300 hitters and are 99th in the NL in starting pitcher ERA (4.40). The bullpen is ranked 96th with a 5.29 ERA and their defense is ranked 102nd.

[abell1198]

A change at the top of the American League has occurred, although all of the teams still have losing records. Guess this most recent decade hasn't put out many great teams. The National League remains the same as last month.

The American League is now led by the 2011 Texas Rangers at 37-45. Texas put together a nice 15-10 record in June to take over 1st place. The Rangers are 13th in the AL in batting average at .276. 3B Adrian Beltre (.330, 16 HR, 58 RBI), 1B Michael Young (.323, 5 HR, 43 RBI) and C Mike Napoli (.323, 21 HR, 59 RBI) are all having great seasons. Texas' pitching and defense, however, have been horrible. The Rangers are 103rd in runs against (464), 107 in SP ERA (5.69) and 107th in defense.

The 2012 Detroit Tigers find themselves in 2nd place in the division at 34-48, 3 GB. Detroit was a horrendous 8-17 in June. DH Miguel Cabrera (.325, 17 HR, 52 RBI) is the only player having a decent season. He is the only .300 hitter in a lineup with three players hitting under .200. Needless to say, Detroit is 104th in runs scored (288), 103 in average (.235) and 98th in the AL in OBP (.308). The Tiger defense is ranked 101st as well.

The 2010 Texas Rangers bring up the rear at 33-49, 4 GB. Texas was 14-11 in June. They are ranked 6th in the AL in batting average at .283. Unfortunately, they have no defense (108th) and their starting pitching is below average. LF Josh Hamilton (.353, 10 HR, 50 RBI) was named AL Batter of the Month for hitting .421 in June, with 5 home runs and 22 runs batted in. 3B Michael Young is hitting well at .321, 12 HR, 46 RBI. SP C.J. Wilson (5-6, 2.88 ERA) is the team's best pitcher.

In the National League, the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals still have the lead at 44-38. RF Lance Berkman (.328, 18 HR, 54 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Edwin Jackson (7-2, 3.54 ERA) is the team's best pitcher thus far. The bullpen is ranked 4th in the NL with a 2.64 ERA. CL Jason Motte is 6-4 with a 2.25 ERA and 19 saves.

The 2012 San Francisco Giants failed to gain any ground on the Cardinals and are still 8 GB at 36-46. LF Melky Cabrera is hitting .343, while 3B Pablo Sandoval is hitting .304 with 10 HR and 38 RBI. The Giant's starting pitching has been below average so far.

The 2010 San Francisco Giants had another horrible month, going 8-17 in June, and now find themselves 16 GB at 28-54. San Francisco has no .300 hitters and are 108th in the NL in runs scored (227), average (.231) and OBP (.284). Their defense is ranked 99th in the NL. SP Tim Lincecum is the lone shining star on the team, posting an 8-6 record with a 2.95 ERA.

[abell1198]

The World Series League All-Star Game was played on June 22nd, and like most All-Star games, it wasn't exactly competitive, with the American League bashing the National League, 13-2. Here were the starting lineups:

American League:

2B Eddie Collins, 1914 Philadelphia Athletics--.371, 2 HR, 42 RBI
3B George Brett, 1980 Kansas City Royals--.366, 11 HR, 69 RBI
RF Ty Cobb, 1909 Detroit Tigers--.357, 14 HR, 52 RBI
1B Lou Gehrig, 1927 New York Yankees--.326, 20 HR, 60 RBI
LF Babe Ruth, 1926 New York Yankees--.333, 31 HR, 77 RBI
CF Tris Speaker, 1912 Boston Red Sox--.375, 10 HR, 50 RBI
SS Derek Jeter, 1999 New York Yankees--.313, 6 HR, 31 RBI
C Elston Howard, 1961 New York Yankees--.361, 6 HR, 37 RBI
P Lefty Grove, 1930 Philadelphia Athletics--10-3, 1.04 ERA

National League:

2B Joe Morgan, 1976 Cincinnati Reds--.309, 10 HR, 43 RBI
1B Stan Musial, 1946 St. Louis Cardinals--.420, 7 HR, 42 RBI
LF Barry Bonds, 2002 San Francisco Giants--.365, 22 HR, 58 RBI
CF Willie Mays, 1954 New York Giants--.313, 24 HR, 55 RBI
C Roy Campanella, 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers--.325, 14 HR, 61 RBI
RF Lance Berkman, 2011 St. Louis Cardinals--.345, 18 HR, 54 RBI
3B Richie Hebner, 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates--.331, 17 HR, 52 RBI
SS Kevin Mitchell, 1986 New York Mets--.316, 14 HR, 55 RBI
P Randy Johnson, 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks, 5-4, 1.15 ERA

MVP: LF Willie Horton, 1968 Detroit Tigers--.330, 32 HR, 74 RBI

[abell1198]

In an effort to speed this dynasty up and move into the playoffs, I'm only going to do team reports on those teams that are within 10 games of the lead or who lead their division. This still leaves about 45 of the 108 teams in each league to cover. So, while it may be one team who is running away with the division or the entire division in a tight race, the teams who are in the running will get the press. So, here goes.

In the American League, the 1900's Division is a three team race between three Detroit Tigers teams. In first place are the 1908 Detroit Tigers at 54-57. The 1908 Tigers are 12th in the AL in average at .278. LF Matty McIntyre (.329, 0 HR, 37 RBI), RF Ty Cobb (.319, 9 HR, 67 RBI), 1B Claude Rossman (.316, 8 HR, 73 RBI) and CF Sam Crawford (.290, 10 HR, 71 RBI) lead the way for Detroit. The pitching staff is below average, although SP George Winter made headlines for the club on July 30th. Winter (11-8, 5.06 ERA) shutout the 1975 Boston Red Sox (46-64) by a score of 8-0, allowing six hits, striking out seven and walking one.

In second place are the 1909 Detroit Tigers at 51-60, 3 GB. The 1909 squad is 6th in the AL in average (.281), 2nd in runs scored (602) and 1st in stolen bases (219). RF Ty Cobb (.361, 21 HR, 89 RBI) is 1st in the Majors in runs scored (108) and stolen bases (66). Cobb is 2nd in the AL in hits with 162. CF Sam Crawford (.326, 20 HR, 104 RBI) is 2nd in the AL in RBI. Unfortunately for the Tigers, their pitching is ranked 104th in runs against (637) and 105th in starter's ERA (5.56).

The 1907 Detroit Tigers are in third place at 45-66, 9 GB. The team is 7th in the AL in stolen bases with 152. RF Ty Cobb (.338, 17 HR, 70 RBI) and CF Sam Crawford (.296, 15 HR, 72 RBI) lead the Tigers at the plate. SP Bill Donovan is the team's best pitcher at 9-9, 3.54 ERA.

In the National League, it is a two team race. In first place are the 1906 Chicago Cubs at 72-39. Now, being a Cardinals fan, it's tough for me to say something positive about the Cubbies, but this team is no joke. The 1906 Cubs posted their best monthly record to date, 21-8. They are 10th in the NL in runs scored (531), 17th in average (.273), 12th in OBP (.344) and 3rd in stolen bases (172). 3B Harry Steinfeldt (.365, 12 HR, 90 RBI) is one of three .300 hitters in the lineup and won NL Batter of the Month for July. Steinfeldt hit .404 with 8 HR and 30 RBI in 29 games. RF Frank Schulte (.281, 18 HR, 88 RBI) provides the power for Chicago. In the field, the Cubs are 17th in the NL in runs against (400), 16th in starting pitcher ERA (3.11) and 4th in defense. Their starting five look like this:

SP Mordecai Brown 10-6, 3.20 ERA
SP Fred Beebe 13-7, 2.87 ERA
SP Jack Pfiester 11-3, 2.72 ERA
SP Orval Overall 11-7, 3.49 ERA
SP Bob Wicker 13-3, 3.24 ERA

CL Ed Reulback (1-10, 4.25 ERA, 34 Saves) is tied for 1st in the NL in saves. The Cubs made headlines multiple times this month. On July 8th, Overall defeated the 1946 St. Louis Cardinals (28-61) 5-0, allowing only two hits and striking out six. On July 11th, Beebe threw a NO-HITTER against the 1940 Cincinnati Reds (49-43), winning 2-0. Beebe struck out six and walked seven!!!! On July 26th, Beebe again made headlines with a 10-0 win over the 1933 New York Giants (41-65), allowing four hits, striking out 11 and walking three. The following day, July 27th, Wicker threw a 5-0 shutout over the 33 Giants (41-66), allowing four hits, striking out six and walking three. The Cubs would sweep the Giants, shutting them out (again) in game three of the series. Apparently, you don't make headlines when the bullpen helps out.

The 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates are in second place at 66-45, 6 GB and currently hold down the last wild card spot. Pittsburgh is tied for 14th in the NL in runs scored (.273), 15th in OBP (.342), 7th in stolen bases (143) and 19th in defense. SS Honus Wagner (.327, 13 HR, 69 RBI) and CF Tommy Leach (.278, 17 HR, 79 RBI) lead the team at the dish. SP Nick Maddox (12-3, 2.98 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. SP Vic Willis (13-6, 4.17 ERA) made news for the team on July 30th with a 7-0 win over the 1958 Milwaukee Braves (50-60). Willis scattered five hits, struck out eight and walked one in the game.

[abell1198]

The American League 1910's Division is basically a two team race at the end of July. In the division lead are the 1912 Boston Red Sox at 73-38. CF Tris Speaker leads the team in hitting at .372, 16 HR, 65 RBI. Speaker is 2nd in the AL in average. The Red Sox pitching is 2nd in the AL in runs against (342) and starter ERA (2.81). The bullpen is 17th in the AL at 3.49 ERA and the defense is ranked 3rd. Here's a look at the pitching staff:

SP Smoky Joe Wood 15-6, 2.24 ERA
SP Eddie Cicotte 11-7, 3.17 ERA
SP Buck O'Brien 11-5, 2.43 ERA
SP Ray Collins 13-5, 2.89 ERA
SP Hugh Bedient 12-6, 3.34 ERA
CL Charley Hall 2-4, 2.44 ERA, 35 Saves

Hall is currently 1st in the Majors in saves. Collins made news for the team on July 8th after a 6-0 win over the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics (47-42). Collins allowed only two hits, struck out four and walked one. Wood also made the headlines on July 20th after a 3-0 win over the 2005 Chicago White Sox (38-62). Wood allowed one hit, struck out ten and walked none.

Competing for the division and holding down the 2nd Wildcard spot are the 1913 Philadelphia Athletics at 69-42, 4 GB. The Athletics are tied for 4th in the AL in runs scored (597), 8th in average (.280), 4th in OBP (.364), 2nd in stolen bases (218), 16th in starting pitcher ERA (3.59) and 12th in defense. 2B Eddie Collins Sr. (.333, 6 HR, 69 RBI), 3B Home Run Baker (.324, 15 HR, 74 RBI) and 1B Stuffy McInnis (.314, 4 HR, 101 RBI) lead the team at the plate. McInnis is currently 4th in the AL in RBI. SP Eddie Plank (12-7, 2.29 ERA), SP Bullet Joe Bush (13-5, 2.67 ERA) and SP Chief Bender (10-5, 3.07 ERA) lead the team on the mound. Plank made the news on July 21st after a 9-0 win over the 1976 New York Yankees (41-60). Plank allowed five hits, struck out four and walked none. Bush hit the headlines on July 31st with a 7-0 win over the 1942 New York Yankees (56-55). Bush held the Yankees to two hits, struck out nine and walked three in the game.

The National League has four teams in the race at this point in the season. Leading the division are the 1910 Chicago Cubs at 72-39. The Cubs were five game back on July 1st, but flew through the month with a 23-6 record to take over first place. Chicago is 13th in the NL in runs scored (526), 18th in average (.272) and 14th in OBP (.342). CF Solly Hofman (.302, 5 HR, 57 RBI) and 1B Frank Chance (.300, 0 HR, 47 RBI) lead the team in hitting, while RF Frank Schulte (.286, 13 HR, 69 RBI) and LF Jimmy Sheckard (.295, 13 HR, 67 RBI) provide the pop in the lineup. SP Ed Reulbach (15-5, 2.61 ERA) leads the team on the mound and is 3rd in the NL in wins. Reulbach made news on July 28th with a 5-0 win over the 1936 New York Giants (39-69). Reulbach scattered five hits, struck out three and walked none.

In second place are the 1913 New York Giants at 69-42, 3 GB. The Giants currently hold down the third Wildcard spot in the NL. New York is 12th in the NL in runs scored (527), 2nd in stolen bases (187), 11th in runs against (386), 12th in bullpen ERA (3.12) and 9th in defense. C Chief Meyers (.320, 7 HR, 66 RBI) and CF Fred Snodgrass (.317, 3 HR, 50 RBI) lead the team at the dish. SP Al Demaree (13-7, 2.96 ERA) and SP Red Ames (12-6, 2.53 ERA) are the team's best pitchers. CL Hooks Wiltse (2-4, 2.49 ERA, 34 Saves) is tied for 1st in the NL in saves. Making headlines for the team this month was 3B Buck Herzog (.276, 7 HR, 41 RBI). Herzog went 5 for 5 in an 8-2 win over the 1987 St. Louis Cardinals (39-53) on July 11th. Buck hit one single and four doubles.

The 1912 New York Giants find themselves in third place at 66-45, 6 GB. The Giants are currently tied with two other teams for the fourth and final Wild Card spot. New York is tied for 16th in the NL in runs scored (517), 8th in stolen bases (142) and 5th in defense. 2B Larry Doyle is hitting .350 with 19 home runs and 64 runs batted in. Doyle had a 25 game hit streak snapped on July 20th. SP Christy Mathewson is 16-2 with a 2.08 ERA. Mathewson is tied for 1st in the NL in wins and made headlines on two occasions in July. On July 4th, Mathewson and the Giants defeated the 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers (45-41) by a score of 1-0. Mathewson allowed three hits, struck out eleven and walked none. On July 30th, Mathewson made headlines again with a 10-0 beat down of the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals (51-59). Mathewson allowed only four hits, struck out seven and walked one.

Holding down fourth place are the 1916 Brooklyn Robins at 63-48, 9 GB. While winning the division may be a stretch for this team, they are only 3 GB of a Wild Card spot. The Robins are 15th in the NL in average (.273), 16th in stolen bases (104) and 12th in starter ERA (3.04), but are 101st in bullpen ERA (5.42). 1B Jake Danbert (.322, 9 HR, 57 RBI) and LF Zack Wheat (.307, 15 HR, 67 RBI) lead the team in hitting. The Robins' starting four are pretty good.

SP Rube Marquard 13-7, 2.48 ERA
SP Jeff Pfeffer 8-7, 2.95 ERA
SP Larry Cheney 10-5, 2.84 ERA
SP Wheezer Dell 10-6, 2.95 ERA

If the 5th starter and the bullpen can improve, this team may have a chance to make the playoffs. They gained a game on first place in July, going 19-10, but will have to turn it up a notch in August and September in order to make it.

[pgd44]

Was the QuickStart for this ever posted ? It looks like it would be great to play.

[abell1198]

I never made a quickstart for it. One of the problems is you can't play more than a single season without aging players out. Would love to be able to turn that off so I can continually play the same teams without having to rebuild the league.

[pgd44]

How did you go about making this roster ?

[abell1198]

Custom build with the divisions and just imported each of the historical teams. Took a while because of the number of teams (108 in each league, 216 total). Rosters on the historical teams are already built by OOTP, so just had to put the league together.

[abell1198]

In the American League, there's only one team in the 1920's Division worth talking about. You know them...the 1927 New York Yankees. The '27 Yankees are 76-35 with a 12 game lead on their nearest opponent. New York is tied for 17th in the AL in runs scored (559) and OBP (.355). They are 6th in the AL in runs against (382), 3rd in starter ERA (3.02) and 6th in defense. 1B Lou Gehrig (.332, 27 HR, 92 RBI) and RF Babe Ruth (.281, 31 HR, 88 RBI) lead the team at the plate, to no one's surprise. New York's pitching has been outstanding. Check out their rotation:

SP George Pipgras 11-7, 3.19 ERA
SP Wiley Moore 9-6, 2.20 ERA
SP Waite Hoyt 14-2, 2.54 ERA
SP Herb Pennock 12-5, 3.45 ERA
SP Urban Shocker 14-5, 3.61 ERA

Three Yankees made headlines in July. On July 1st, CF Earl Combs (.318, 5 HR, 47 RBI) went 5 for 5 with five singles in a 12-3 win over the 1950 New York Yankees (38-45). On July 13th, 2B Tony Lazzeri (.275, 9 HR, 33 RBI) went 5 for 6 with five singles in an 11-2 victory over the 1918 Boston Red Sox (36-58). Last, but not least, Pipgras made news on July 26th after a 1-0 win over the 1978 New York Yankees (49-57). Pipgras allowed three hits, struck out seven and walked two. But the real headline for that game should have been for Babe Ruth, who hit a home run with one out in the bottom of the 9th inning off of Rich "Goose" Gossage to win the game.

In the National League, the race is a little tighter, with nine teams still within ten games of the division title. The 1929 Chicago Cubs are 61-50 and maintain their one game lead. The Cubs are 7th in the NL in average (.279) and 6th in OBP (.352). LF Riggs Stephenson (.343, 12 HR, 50 RBI) and 2B Rogers Hornsby (.340, 21 HR, 76 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Pat Malone (13-4, 2.09 ERA) is Chicago's best pitcher. Malone made headlines on two occasions in July. On July 15th, Malone defeated the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals (51-45) by the score of 5-1. Malone held St. Louis to four hits, struck out 15 and walked one. Malone was in the press again on July 21st after a 14-2 win over the 1933 New York Giants (39-62). Malone again struck out 15 batters, while scattering six hits and walking one.

In second place are the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals at 60-51, 1 GB. The Cardinals are 12th in the NL in defense. LF Chick Hafey (.329, 28 HR, 77 RBI) leads the team at the plate, while SP Jesse Haines (13-7, 2.99 ERA) is the best Cardinal on the mound. Haines made news on July 1st after a 5-0 win over the 1917 New York Giants (41-42). Haines held the Giants to five hits, struck out five and walked two.

The 1924 New York Giants are in third place with a mark of 55-56, 6 GB. The Giants are 7th in the NL in defense. RF Ross Youngs (.324, 3 HR, 44 RBI) leads New York at the dish, while SP Virgil Barnes (9-8, 2.38 ERA) is the team's ace. On July 14th, SP Jack Bentley (9-8, 3.54 ERA) made headlines after a 7-0 win over the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals (47-48). Bentley allowed five hits, struck out eight and walked one in the game.

In fourth place are the 1921 New York Giants at 54-57, 7 GB. RF Ross Youngs leads the team with his .314 average. The Giant's starting pitching is ranked 104th with a 4.75 ERA.

The 1923 New York Giants hold down fifth place with a record of 53-58, 8 GB. New York is 13th in the NL in batting average (.274) and 17th in OBP (.340). 2B Frankie Frisch (.324, 11 HR, 56 RBI) and RF Ross Youngs (.324, 2 HR, 46 RBI) lead the team at the plate. The Giant's starting pitching is ranked 101st in the NL with a 4.54 ERA, while the bullpen is ranked 100th with an ERA of 5.39.

Two teams are tied for sixth place at 52-59, 9 GB. The first are the 1920 Brooklyn Robins. The Robins are ranked 103rd in the NL in runs scored (365), 101st in OBP (.298) and 108th in home runs (26). They're starting pitching, however, is ranked 18th with a 3.17 ERA. The team has no .300 hitters, but 1B Ed Konetchy (.296, 6 HR, 55 RBI) is close. SP Rube Marquard (9-11, 2.18 ERA) is the team's best pitcher, but needs more run support. The second team in the tie are the 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates' bullpen is ranked 8th in the NL with a 3.01 ERA and 11th in defense. RF Paul Waner (.316, 9 HR, 46 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SP Carmen Hill (11-8, 3.35 ERA) and SP Lee Meadows (9-9, 2.73 ERA) are the best starters, while CL Johnny Morrison (2-5, 1.99 ERA, 22 saves) is closing the door from the bullpen.

Two teams also find themselves tied for eighth place at 51-60, 10 GB. The first are the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates are ranked 16th in the NL in OBP at .340. RF Kiki Cuyler leads the team with his .340 batting average. SP Emil Yde continues to be the team's top pitcher with a record of 12-4 and a 2.82 ERA. Yde made headlines on July 13th following a 6-0 win over the 1970 Cincinnati Reds (46-48). Yde allowed two hits, struck out five and walked one. The second team is the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals. 2B Rogers Hornsby (.312, 10 HR, 52 RBI) and 3B Les Bell (.303, 15 HR, 73 RBI) lead the team at the plate. SP Pete Alexander (11-6, 2.43 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. Alexander made news two times this month. On July 10th, Alexander defeated the 1984 San Diego Padres (35-56) by a score of 6-0. He scattered six hits, struck out two and walked none. On July 21st, Alexander shutout the 1961 Cincinnati Reds (46-55) 1-0. The Reds were held to four hits, struck out 13 times and walked once.

[abell1198]

In the American League, six teams find themselves battling for control of the 1930's Division. The National League's 1930's Division is weaker and has only four teams challenging for the division title. The American League 1930's Division is led by the 1939 New York Yankees at 71-40. The '39 Yankees are 10th in the AL in runs scored (578), 5th in OBP (.361), 3rd in runs against (374), 7th in starting pitcher ERA (3.10), 12th in bullpen ERA (3.29) and 1st in defense. CF Joe DiMaggio (.328, 16 HR, 77 RBI) is the team's best hitter. The starting rotation is something to admire:

SP Lefty Gomez 11-7, 2.08 ERA
SP Red Ruffing 13-5, 2.69 ERA
SP Marius Russo 13-5, 3.83 ERA
SP Monte Pearson 7-5, 3.89 ERA
SP Atley Donald 13-4, 3.17 ERA

It was the pitching staff leading the headlines this month for the Yankees, who were 20-9 in July. On July 12th, Russo pitched a 7-0 shutout against the 2006 Detroit Tigers (34-59). Russo allowed only one hit, struck out six and walked one. On July 20th, Donald pitched an 8-0 shutout against the 1915 Boston Red Sox (55-45). Donald allowed five hits and walked one. Last, but not least, Ruffing made headlines on July 31st in a 10-2 win over the 2005 Chicago White Sox. Ruffing allowed seven hits while striking out 15 batters.

In second place, and only 1 GB, are the 1932 New York Yankees at 70-41. The '32 Yankees are 6th in the AL in OBP (.361), 5th in runs against (376), 5th in starting pitcher ERA (3.09), 10th in bullpen ERA (3.20) and 16th in defense. RF Babe Ruth (.322, 27 HR, 83 RBI) leads the lineup in hitting. SP Lefty Gomez (14-5, 2.80 ERA) and SP Red Ruffing (12-7, 2.35 ERA) are tops for the starters, while CL Jumbo Brown (3-1, 1.86 ERA, 27 Saves) leads the bullpen staff. Ruffing is currently 2nd in the AL in strikeouts with 255. Ruffing also made news for the club on July 15th after an 11-2 win over the 1974 Oakland A's (54-42). Ruffing allowed only three hits, struck out 16 and walked two in the game. The '32 Yankees had a nine game win streak in the middle of the month, sweeping the 1954 Cleveland Indians and 2001 New York Yankees during that stretch. They finished 20-9 for the month and are currently 1st in the Wild Card standings.

The 1936 New York Yankees are in third place at 67-44, 4 GB. The '36 Yankees are 8th in the AL in OBP (.359), 15th in runs against (428) and 11th in defense. C Bill Dickey (.329, 15 HR, 65 RBI) and 1B Lou Gehrig (.314, 21 HR, 85 RBI) lead the club in hitting. SP Lefty Gomez (12-5, 2.39 ERA) and SP Pat Malone (10-1, 3.02 ERA) are the team's best pitchers. Gomez made the press on July 15th after an 11-0 shutout of the 1963 New York Yankees (52-44). Gomez allowed six hits, struck out seven and walked three in the contest. The team is currently third in the Wild Card race.

In fourth place are the 1931 Philadelphia Athletics at 62-49, 9 GB. The Athletics are 7th in the AL in OBP at .360. LF Al Simmons (.363, 13 HR, 62 RBI), C Mickey Cochrane (.325, 19 HR, 68 RBI) and DH Jimmie Foxx (.281, 21 HR, 70 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Lefty Grove is the team's best pitcher at 10-5, 3.22 ERA. SP George Earnshaw (10-5, 4.21 ERA) made headlines for the club on July 11th after a 5-0 win over the 1903 Boston Americans (27-65). Earnshaw allowed only three hits, struck out 10 and walked two. Philadelphia put together a 12 game win streak in the second half of July, sweeping the 1908 Detroit Tigers, the 2006 Detroit Tigers and the 1949 New York Yankees in that time. The Athletics finished July 20-9.

Two teams are tied for fifth place at 61-50, 10 GB. The 1938 New York Yankees are the first team. The '38 Yankees have no .300 hitters in their lineup and are led on the mound by SP Lefty Gomez (13-3, 1.86 ERA). C Bill Dickey (.258, 18 HR, 63 RBI) made headlines for the club on July 3rd after a 12-2 win over the 1985 Kansas City Royals (37-48). Dickey was 5 for 5 in the game, with two singles, three doubles and five runs batted in. The second team in the tie are the 1933 Washington Senators. The Senators are 1st in the AL in batting average (.289) and 10th in OBP (.357). LF Heinie Manush (.335, 2 HR, 68 RBI) and 1B Joe Kuhel (.316, 9 HR, 69 RBI) are the top hitters for the team, but they are only two of five .300 hitters in this lineup! Manush is currently 3rd in the AL in triples with 11. SP Earl Whitehill (13-7, 3.21 ERA) and SP General Crowder (10-7, 3.09 ERA) lead the team in pitching. SP Monte Weaver (9-7, 3.71 ERA) made the press for the club on July 24th after a 4-0 shutout of the 1937 New York Yankees (49-55). Weaver held the Yankees to four hits, struck out seven and walked one.

In the National League, the 1930's Division is led by the 1935 Chicago Cubs at 61-50. 2B Billy Herman (.338) leads the team in hitting, while SP Larry French (13-6, 3.21 ERA) leads the team in pitching. French made news for the team on July 20th after a 6-0 win against the 1915 Philadelphia Phillies (49-51). French held the Phils to three hits, struck out eight and walked three in the game. The Cubs were 19-10 in July and took over first place.

Formerly in first place, and now in second place, are the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals at 57-54, 4 GB. LF Joe Medwick (.347, 11 HR, 73 RBI) and 1B Ripper Collins (.313, 18 HR, 71 RBI) lead the team at the plate. SP Paul Dean (11-7, 2.64 ERA) and SP Flint Rhem (12-6, 3.03 ERA) are tops on the mound. Rhem made the news for the Cardinals on July 23rd after a 2-0 win over the 1942 St. Louis Cardinals (55-48). Rhem allowed only three hits, struck out three and walked two.

The 1938 Chicago Cubs dropped to third place this month and sit 7 GB at 54-57. The Cubs are 101st in the NL in runs scored (371) and 103rd in batting average (.239). The team has no .300 hitters. SP Clay Bryant (10-8, 2.36 ERA) leads the pitching staff.

In fourth place are the 1932 Chicago Cubs at 51-60, 10 GB. LF Riggs Stephenson (.323, 0 HR, 30 RBI) leads the team in average, but CF Danny Taylor (.322, 11 HR, 69 RBI) it the best all around hitter. SP Charlie Root (10-7, 2.77 ERA) and SP Lon Warneke (11-10, 2.84 ERA) lead the pitchers.

[abell1198]

The American League 1940's Division is down to four teams at this point in the season, while the National League division race is down to two teams. Let's start with the American League.

Leading the 1940's Division in the AL are the 1941 New York Yankees at 68-43. The '41 Yankees are 8th in the AL in runs against (393), 9th in starting pitcher ERA (3.27), 2nd in bullpen ERA (2.72) and 8th in defense. C Bill Dickey (.334, 5 HR, 41 RBI), CF Joe DiMaggio (.333, 11 HR, 89 RBI) and LF Charlie Keller (.306, 18 HR, 68 RBI) lead the team at the plate. SP Marius Russo (18-1, 1.84 ERA) is the team's leading pitcher. Three players made headlines for the club this month. On July 7th, SP Marv Breuer (7-10, 4.08 ERA) pitched a 6-0 shutout against the 1955 New York Yankees (44-44). Breuer allowed three hits, struck out nine and walked two. On July 20th, Russo pitched a 5-0 shutout against the 2011 Texas Rangers (48-52). Russo allowed six hits, struck out eight and walked two in the game. Last, but not least, on July 26th, SP Atley Donald (11-4, 3.02 ERA) threw a 5-0 shutout against the 1925 Washington Senators (56-50). Donald held the Senators to five hits, while striking out six and walking three. The Yankees ended July with an eight game winning streak.

In second place are the 1943 New York Yankees at 63-48, 5 GB. The '43 team is 1st in the AL in runs against (327), 1st in starting pitcher ERA (2.52), 13th in bullpen ERA (3.33) and 17th in defense. CF Roy Weatherly leads the team with a .304 batting average. But the pitching is the real story. Check out this staff's numbers:

SP Spud Chandler 10-7, 1.46 ERA (2nd in the AL in ERA, 1st in the Majors with five shutouts)
SP Butch Wensloff 13-6, 2.49 ERA
SP Hank Bowory 12-8, 3.56 ERA
SP Tiny Bonham 12-6, 2.67 ERA
SP Bill Zuber 11-9, 2.54 ERA

Chandler made news for the team on July 22nd after a 2-0 shutout of the 1981 New York Yankees (54-48). Chandler allowed only four hits, struck out nine and walked one. The '43 Yankees were tied for 1st place at the end of June, but a 14-15 record in July has set them back.

The 1947 New York Yankees are in third place at 61-50, 7 GB. CF Joe DiMaggio (.335, 19 HR, 83 RBI) and RF Tommy Henrich (.308, 25 HR, 81 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Spud Chandler (12-5, 2.18 ERA) is the team's top pitcher. On July 29th, SP Bill Bevans (10-10, 4.11 ERA) made headlines with a 4-0 win over the 2012 Detroit Tigers (50-59). Bevans allowed four hits, struck out six and walked two in the contest.

The fourth team in the hunt for the division title are the 1948 Cleveland Indians at 58-53, 10 GB. Well, at least they were in the hunt, before a 10-19 record in July set them back nine games from this time last month. They need to turn things around if they're going to have a chance. The Indians are 16th in the AL in runs scored (560), 4th in home runs (138) and 19th in defense. SS Lou Boudreau (.328, 13 HR, 66 RBI) leads the team in average, while 3B Ken Keltner (.280, 31 HR, 95 RBI) leads the team in power. The Indians suffered a seven game skid in the middle of July, being swept by the 2009 and 1960 New York Yankees.

The National League 1940's Division is led by the 1944 St. Louis Cardinals at 74-37. The Cardinals are 19th in the NL in average (.272), 18th in OBP (.339), 4th in runs against (355), 4th in starting pitcher ERA (2.86), 18th in bullpen ERA (3.27) and 17th in defense. CF Johnny Hopp (.343, 10 HR, 47 RBI) leads the team in hitting, while SP Max Lanier (14-4, 1.86 ERA) is tops on the mound for St. Louis. The Cardinals added four games to their lead in July, going 21-8 for the month. The pitching staff threw eight shutouts!!! Lanier had shutouts in back to back starts and three for the month. On July 10th, Lanier pitched a 4-0 shutout against the 1966 Los Angeles Dodgers (56-35), allowing four hits, striking out nine and walking two. His next start, on July 15th, Lanier pitched a 5-0 win over the 1913 New York Giants (59-37), allowing only three hits, while striking out four and walking none. SP Mort Cooper (9-8, 2.78 ERA), inspired by Lanier's performance, went out the next day on July 16th and threw a 5-0 shutout against the 1932 Chicago Cubs (45-52). Cooper allowed six hits, struck out five and walked none. Lanier was back in the press on July 26th with his next shutout, a 9-0 win over the 1922 New York Giants (41-65). Lanier held the Giants to three hits, struck out 12 and walked none.

In second place, and 10 GB, are the 1948 Boston Braves at 64-47. The Braves are 8th in the NL in runs against (372), 6th in starting pitcher ERA (2.91) and 6th in defense. LF Jeff Heath (.310, 19 HR, 60 RBI) leads the team in hitting. SS Al Dark (.308, 2 HR, 44 RBI) leads the NL in doubles with 47. SP Warren Spahn (13-6, 2.40 ERA) is the team's best pitcher.

[baseballfanmas]

Originally Posted by The Game

Teams I will watch and cheer for:
2005, 1917, 1919, 1959, 1906 White Sox. Hope the Cubs teams all fail.

You are pure evil sir. And them is fightin words. lol

[abell1198]

There are 11 teams still in the hunt for the playoffs in the 1950's Divisions. Seven in the American League and four in the National League. In the AL, six of the seven are Yankees teams, while all four in the NL are from New York as well.

In the American League, the team to beat is the 1952 New York Yankees at 66-45. The '52 squad is 12th in the AL in runs scored (567), 17th in runs against (435), 11th in starting pitcher ERA (3.47) and 4th in defense. DH Gene Woodling (.315, 15 HR, 79 RBI) and C Yogi Berra (.301, 19 HR, 81 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Allie Reynolds (10-5, 2.44 ERA), SP Vic Raschi (14-4, 3.31 ERA) and SP Eddie Lopat (14-4, 3.10 ERA) lead the team on the mound. Reynolds made headlines for the team on July 31st after a 10-0 win over the 1935 Detroit Tigers (48-63). Reynolds held the Tigers to three hits, struck out 12 and walked four.

In second place are the 1958 New York Yankees at 64-47, 2 GB. The '58 team has no .300 hitters. The leading hitters are C Elston Howard (.297, 9 HR, 44 RBI), RF Yogi Berra (.284, 25 HR, 97 RBI) and CF Mickey Mantle (.288, 28 HR, 66 RBI). SP Bobby Shantz (10-5, 2.57 ERA) is the teams best pitcher. Two players made the news this month for the team. On July 14th, SP Don Larsen (11-5, 4.16 ERA) pitched an 11-0 win over the 1903 Boston Americans (28-67). Larsen allowed five hits, struck out nine and walked none. The following day, July 15th, LF Norm Siebern (.291, 10 HR, 48 RBI) went 5 for 6 in a 12-4 win over the Americans (28-68). Siebern hit three singles and two doubles.

The 1954 Cleveland Indians are in third place at 63-48, 3 GB. The Indians are 13th in the AL in runs against (403) and 6th in starter ERA (3.10). 1B Al Rosen (.302, 21 HR, 74 RBI) and CF Larry Doby (.283, 20 HR, 81 RBI) lead the lineup at the plate. SP Bob Feller (12-7, 2.41 ERA) and SP Early Wynn (11-7, 2.79 ERA) lead the pitching staff. Feller made headlines for the club on July 3rd after a 4-0 win over the 1942 New York Yankees (41-44). Feller held the Yankees to six hits, struck out one and walked one.

In fourth place are the 1953 New York Yankees at 62-49, 4 GB. The '53 Yankees are tied for 19th in the AL in runs scored (558), 19th in on-base percentage (.354) and 15th in defense. CF Mickey Mantle (.303, 25 HR, 76 RBI) is the team's best hitter, while SP Vic Raschi (14-5, 2.39 ERA) is the leading pitcher. But two other pitchers made the news this month. On July 1st, SP Whitey Ford (8-10, 5.01 ERA) pitched a 13-0 win over the 1936 New York Yankees (50-33), allowing three hits, striking out eight and walking two. On July 8th, SP Eddie Lopat (9-7, 4.25 ERA) threw a 5-0 win over the 1926 New York Yankees (44-45). Lopat allowed three hits, struck out four and walked none.

The 1957 New York Yankees are in fifth place at 60-51, 6 GB. DH Mickey Mantle (.346, 18 HR, 65 RBI) and 1B Bill Skowron (.320, 19 HR, 88 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Bob Turley (15-5, 3.12 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. Turley made headlines on July 4th after pitching a 3-1 win over the 1974 Oakland Athletics (50-36). Turley allowed only five hits, struck out 15 and walked none. On July 8th, Skowron made news after going 5 for 6 in a 16-11 win over the 1918 Boston Red Sox (35-54). Skowron had two singles, two doubles, a home run and three RBI.

Two teams are tied for sixth place at 56-55, 10 GB. The first team is the 1951 New York Yankees. 3B Billy Johnson (.303, 6 HR, 31 RBI) and C Yogi Berra (.270, 19 HR, 70 RBI) lead the team in hitting and the pitching staff is average. SP Eddie Lopat, however, was not average, pitching three consecutive shutouts!!! On July 7th, Lopat (8-9, 3.54 ERA) threw a 4-0 win over the 1952 New York Yankees (51-37). Lopat allowed six hits, struck out six and walked two. On July 12th, Lopat pitched a 1-0 win over the 1972 Oakland Athletics (53-40). Lopat allowed five hits, struck out three and walked one. And on July 17th, Lopat threw a 5-0 win against the 1985 Kansas City Royals (43-55). Lopat allowed six hits, struck out nine and walked one. Berra also made headlines for the team on July 27th. Berra went 5 for 5 in a 5-4 win over the 1912 Boston Red Sox (71-36). Berra had four singles and a double. The second team in the tie are the 1955 New York Yankees. The '55 squad has no .300 hitters, but three hitters are close. DH Enos Slaughter (.291, 3 HR, 54 RBI, 1B Bill Skowron (.290, 15 HR, 62 RBI) and CF Mickey Mantle (.290, 22 HR, 79 RBI) lead the team in hitting. The pitching is average, with SP Johnny Kucks (6-5, 3.44 ERA) and setup man Jim Konstanty (6-1, 1.84, 4 Saves) rising to the top of the staff. The problem with the pitching is control. The team is 104th in walks allowed with 513.

In the National League, the division is led by the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers at 62-49. The Dodgers are 2nd in the NL in runs scored (622), 4th in average (.287), 3rd in OBP (.360), 1st in home runs (146). That is great offensively, but what is really offensive is the pitching and fielding. The Dodgers are tied for 91st in the NL in runs allowed (511), 96th in starter ERA (4.27), 80th in bullpen ERA (4.58) and 96th in defense. Six players are hitting well for this team. LF Jackie Robinson (.311, 9 HR, 49 RBI), 1B Gil Hodges (.299, 33 HR, 84 RBI), CF Duke Snider (.312, 30 HR, 78 RBI), C Roy Campanella (.300, 20 HR, 80 RBI), RF Carl Furillo (.346, 20 HR, 74 RBI) and 3B Billy Cox (.318, 8 HR, 56 RBI). SP Carl Erskine (12-3, 2.35 ERA) is the team's best pitcher. Erskine made headlines on July 10th after a 9-0 win over the 1923 New York Giants (44-47).Erskine allowed five hits, struck out 10 and walked two in the game. Hodges took home Player of the Week honors on July 8th after going 14 for 26 with a home run and six RBI in six games. Although they are in first place now, this team is on the decline. They went 13-16 for the month, with fewer wins every month they play. They lost four games on their lead this month and are currently in a 10 game losing streak after being swept by the 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers, the 2000 New York Mets and the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates.

In second place are the 1951 New York Giants at 60-51, 2 GB. The Giants are 19th in the NL in OBP (.339) and 8th in home runs (123). SS Al Dark (.317, 16 HR, 49 RBI), 1B Monte Irvin (.312, 23 HR, 66 RBI) and LF Bobby Thompson (.302, 20 HR, 69 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Sal Maglie (12-4, 2.28 ERA) is the team's ace. Three players made news for the club this month. On July 2nd, SP Dave Koslo (8-12, 4.87 ERA) pitched a 7-0 shutout against the 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers (44-40). Koslo allowed only one hit, struck out five and walked none. On July 17th, SP Jim Hearn (9-7, 4.16 ERA) pitched a 7-0 shutout over the 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates (47-51). Hearn held the Pirates to four hits, struck out two and walked one. And on July 28th, Dark went 5 for 6 in a 19-2 rout of the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals (51-57). Dark had two singles, two doubles and a home run.

In third place are the 1954 New York Giants at 55-56, 7 GB. The Giants are 3rd in the NL in home runs with 140. CF Willie Mays (.352, 37 HR, 89 RBI) leads the team at the plate, while SP Johnny Antonelli (9-7, 3.01 ERA) leads the staff on the mound. The Giants made headlines three times this month. On July 1st, RF Don Mueller (.345, 3 HR, 34 RBI) went 5 for 6 in a 15-2 throttling of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers (37-46). Mueller hit three singles, a double and a triple. On July 9th, Mays hit for the cycle in a 7-4 win over the 1970 Cincinnati Reds (43-47). Mays was 4 for 5 with 4 RBI. And on July 28th, SP Ruben Gomez (8-5, 3.96 ERA) threw a 6-0 shutout against the 1921 New York Giants (52-56), allowing four hits, striking out six and walking two.

The 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers are in fourth place at 52-59, 10 GB. The Dodgers are 9th in the NL in runs scored (546) and 6th in home runs (131). Seven hitters have 10+ home runs for Brooklyn. However, the Dodgers have problems in the field. The team is 106th in the NL in runs against (595), 105th in starter ERA (4.75), 105th in bullpen ERA (5.59) and 105th in defense. 3B Andy Pafko (.324, 18 HR, 61 RBI), 2B Jackie Robinson (.318, 13 HR, 48 RBI), CF Duke Snider (.309, 14 HR, 75 RBI) and C Roy Campanella (.301, 26 HR, 88 RBI) lead the team in hitting. SP Billy Loes (8-5, 3.31 ERA) is tops on the mound. Robinson made news on July 25th after a 16-2 whipping of the 1931 St. Louis Cardinals (43-62). Robinson was 5 for 5 with three singles and two doubles in the game.

[jaysdailydose]

I know you hadn't posted too much up until now, but I, for one, am very glad you did.

You're a very talented writer and this is an extremely interesting dynasty to follow.

I have a suggestion for you, since you say you would like to continue the league into future seasons... under your "Player Development" settings in the "Players and Facegen" tab in game settings, try these:

Batter Aging Speed: 0.001
Batter Dev Speed: 0.001
Pitcher Aging Speed: 0.001
Pitcher Dev Speed: 0.001

and check "Disable Player Development."

In theory, this will stop the players from further development, and the aging settings should essentially suspend the aging process.

If someone was set to retire on this setting, I would think it would be so few of players that you could just commissioner them back into the league. Would probably save a lot on time rather than rebuilding the league.

My other suggestion (since it sounds like you rebuild the league) is definitely saving at least a template during creation, if not a quickstart upon initial start. It will save you a ton of time.

Great work here.

[abell1198]

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely try it out in my next version of the league. My ideal would be to have the teams play multiple seasons and see how they would perform over time. If your theory is right, it would be possible.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by abell1198

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely try it out in my next version of the league. My ideal would be to have the teams play multiple seasons and see how they would perform over time. If your theory is right, it would be possible.

I'm going to run a small test for you right now and see how it works out. I'm 99% positive you could get at least a few seasons out of it... I will get back to you ASAP.

Also, thank you very much for voting in my poll thread, it is appreciated!