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I didn't figure an AI manager would do that but if he was I wanted to know how you made him do it.
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Quote:
It's not as if Rube's particularly slow or anything: https://i.imgur.com/PXnWfuF.png?1 So I probably have overcorrected here, especially given the overriding team strategy. He is 0-for-1 in steal attempts in 3 years, although was batting 2 until this season. https://i.imgur.com/SnaSOuO.png?1https://i.imgur.com/JUEgRO9.png?1 I might just tick him up a bit next year, we'll see. Then again, he scored nearly 100 runs two years ago and is on pace for that again, so... |
Heavy Vibes, Brother Johnson
The big guy is having another stellar season. Love to see what he could do on a better club.
https://i.imgur.com/HNibQdl.png?1 |
Out of His League...
Biding his time down at AAA Scranton after a pre-season injury and then a cup of coffee with the parent team Braves, Marty Dihigo is, as one would expect, carving it up.
Not even sure why he's down there. Service time concerns are past, the big club is dead last at 46-65 - where's the downside? Two of these homers came off Jose Mendez, down on a rehab assignment, which shows he can hit the big-leaguers. I presume he'll come up with expanded rosters, but - despite my knowing full well that on many occasions in the future I'll wish he was back down there because he just kicked our behinds - it makes little or no sense to me. https://i.imgur.com/INClRGE.png?1 |
Hack Having a Crack
Fair to say Mr Wilson's impact on the league has been pretty much immediate, and he's putting together a stellar sophomore campaign that should see him in the mix come awards season. After a few lean years, the BoSox faithful will be hoping he ushers in another period of success for the club.
https://i.imgur.com/J8gQDaD.png?1 |
Man Down!
Just as the stretch looms and they can least afford it, the Redbirds lose one of their main men almost for its duration as Frankie Frisch goes down with a groin strain.
https://i.imgur.com/QuscC8N.png?1 |
Oh, Baby!
Another disappointing year for the Bronx Bombers but the big guy keeps doing his bit all the same.
https://i.imgur.com/ZQRH6i1.png?1 |
The View from the Gangplank September 1, 1924
Truth be told things have turned slightly surreal this past month.
Consider these monthly statistics:
You don't win anything in August, but gee this has been fun. https://i.imgur.com/Gsl3l81.png?2 https://i.imgur.com/sZU3VM5.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/rOrpZOS.png?1 I've not seen pitching of the quality we put up this month. It is simply stunning. Even more so when you consider Dave Brown only rejoins the squad on August 30th and is yet to pitch. Wilbur Cooper's 8-0 / 1.67 sectional is the stuff of legends, but all are superb. https://i.imgur.com/uAvbJcT.png?1 While they get a bit lost in the rush, our hitters deserve their share of the credit as well. Charleston (429/448/643; 4 HR / 20 RBI) can consider himself most unlucky not to join Cooper and Foster on the monthly awards list, Bressler hits 400 and drives in 13. Toporcer has been a massive add. All have done their bit, big or small. https://i.imgur.com/vmkhkGu.png?1 All of which means we are in the box seat. Not quite home yet, but close. Same goes for the Sens. https://i.imgur.com/pVvKKj4.png?1 Awards, News, Leaders. https://i.imgur.com/0Fuoxj3.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/7nzmXbV.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/JQnH4aR.png?1https://i.imgur.com/ccgVazt.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
Stat of the Day
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Stat of the Month: BABIP
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The View from the Gangplank: end of regular season, 1924
We all but put the Cards away with a 4-game sweep early in the month and clinch in mid-month.
But little good happens from there as we take our foot right off the pedal and go a horrid 10-17 for the month, including a 3-10 stretch to finish things off. This, ladies and gentlemen, is called peaking too early. https://i.imgur.com/GjOimaO.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/rxkn534.png?1 The pitching cools off to near sub-zero temps with Brown and Streeter’s form the biggest worry. The bats continue with the patchy form that has plagued them all year. https://i.imgur.com/duTC78R.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/dI5x7EZ.png?1 But look, the main thing is we are back at The Big Dance, where anything can happen and usually does. Our opponent will be the Senators, looking for their 3rd Championship. We are going for number 8. https://i.imgur.com/XQW7VvW.png?1 Al Simmons, who seems almost guaranteed of winning the AL RoY award, wins the AL batting title with a 367 mark, while Philadelphia outfielder Kiki Cuyler's 366 gets him the NL crown. Heavy Johnson puts together another scintillating campaign, finishing top 3 in each of the TC categories, including a 366 BA. He also records his 1500th career hit. Our own Wilbur Cooper leads the NL in ERA and Wins. A sad finish to the year for Lewis Hampton of the Phillies, who is sure to feature heavily in the NL Waddell Medal calculations this year. He ruptures his UCL right and will miss all of 1925. https://i.imgur.com/YaYwwrq.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/cQILQo1.png?2 https://i.imgur.com/ESE53Xr.png?1https://i.imgur.com/cqz9cwW.png?1 Finally, here are the Top 20 players by WAR for the year. Hitters https://i.imgur.com/5ALSdSM.png?1 Pitchers https://i.imgur.com/4LCzP81.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
1924 World Series Preview
Pittsburgh Pirates (91-63) v Washington Senators (91-63)
Best-of-seven, Pirates with the home-field advantage. PITTSBURGH PIRATES S+ PAGE WASHINGTON SENATORS S+ PAGE Both sides fairly limped home with dreadful Septembers and this Series will be won by the team who best manages to turn things around. Identical records for the year reflect the closeness in natural talent both have at their disposal, and the two are actually very similar in structure. All of which means if everything goes according to Hoyle, this should be a really tight one. Of course, that is predicated on us performing to our ability. We have been scorching and we have been arctic, form-wise, this year. Our success here rides on which end of this spectrum we find ourselves at over the 4 to 7 games required to settle the matter. Apart from Streeter, the final composition of our rotation was a really close-run thing. Brown’s injury-interrupted season has left his form in tatters. Cooper has been great but historically struggles at this time of the year. Foster is raw and inconsistent. Mirabal was great as our SP4 in Brown’s absence. Even McDonald got a look-in. But in the end I played it conservatively and we’ll go with Streeter-Brown-Cooper. But any early shockers and this will almost certainly change. With the position players, Traynor gets the nod over Lundy at 2B. Marcell will start at 3B against the lefty Sherdel, a former member of our farm system. https://i.imgur.com/1LmE1BE.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/8niW8SX.png?1 |
1924 World Series Recap
Game 1 in Pittsburgh, October 3rd 1924
Sam Streeter (19-13, 3.39) v Dick Redding (18-15, 3.65) The young tyro faces the wily veteran to kick things off here. Streeter was just so good for us until a dire September, and we need him to recapture that form here to give us a positive start to the Series. The two teams exchange hits but no runs until Williams goes solo yard in the bottom 3rd. Despite it staying that way into the middle innings, neither pitcher has their best stuff and the game looks ready to blow open at any stage. But heart is what makes good pitchers great and these two great pitchers show plenty of it. We finally extend our lead in the 7th on a 2-run trip by Charleston. I hit for Streeter in the 8th and Braxton takes over in the 9th and finishes off the shutout win. Pirates 3, Senators 0 BOX SCORE Game 2 in Pittsburgh, October 4th 1924 Dave Brown (3-6, 4.00) v Bill Drake (21-16, 4.84) Pirates lead series 1-0 After a long injury layoff like the one Dave had to endure this year, the battle is more mental than mechanical. You have to trust those mechanics that make you the pitcher you are. You have to believe in yourself unequivocally. We know how dominant he can be, that’s why we acquired him and gave him the long contract. He just needs to drink from the Kool-Aid. Cobb gives us the early lead with a solo shot in the 1st and Williams does likewise the very next AB. But Brown gets the wobbles in the next, walks 2 and they put one in the frame without the benefit of a hit. We get two RISP in the home half but waste the chance to go further ahead. We do that in the 3rd on an RBI double by Charleston but again Brown struggles with his control and they cancel that run out with one of their own in the 4th. The see-sawing continues in the bottom of that frame as Toporcer knocks in 2 with a trip but again we leave the runner stranded. We make no such mistake in the 6th as we load the bases and a Snyder hit plates a pair, chasing Drake. They score one in the top 7th and that ends Brown’s game as well. They threaten but don’t score in each of the 8th and 9th to send us on the road two to the good. Pirates 7, Senators 3 BOX SCORE Game 3 in Washington, October 6th 1924 Jim Shaw (18-11, 3.87) v Wilbur Cooper (24-11, 2.84) Pirates lead series 2-0 It really looked like Wilbur had overcome his early postseason bluesfest. He was great in 1917 thru 1920. But then he slipped back into trouble again in our two most recent WS appearances, albeit only pitching a handful of innings. Still, we’ve every confidence in him today. They’ve flip-flopped and are going with Jim Shaw instead of Bill Sherdel. Things start disastrously for us when Toporcer is injured running the bases in the 1st. I put Marcell in to replace him at 3B and he scores the game’s first run on a Williams SF. Their second miscue of the inning extends it and we make them pay with another run on a Traynor single. Quite the eventful top 1st. We keep the score ticking over with another run in the 3rd via a sac fly by Charley, who adds a fourth with a two-out single in the next as well. From there, little happens as Cooper gives us just what we need and, despite a wee spot of bother in the 9th, ends up with a fantastic 6-hitter. Pirates 4, Senators 0 BOX SCORE Game 4 in Washington, October 7th 1924 Dick Redding (0-1, 3.38) v Sam Streeter (1-0, 0.00) Pirates lead series 3-0 Sadly, Specs is done for the year with knee tendinitis and Steel Arm Davis – the only other eligible position player on our roster – gets the call-up to fill the spare spot. We’ve done everything pretty much perfectly so far, but none of that counts if we don’t get win number four. We need to be clinical and finish the job. The Game 1 combatants return for this one. On a hunch I move Moore to 3B and start Gerber at SS. They come out swinging as Willie Wells takes Lefty deep in the bottom 1st and another 2-run jack by Goose Goslin puts us in an 0-3 hole before we’ve even got an out. They go further ahead with another run in the 4th as the inconsistency that seems to plague Streeter rears its ugly head again. We don’t register our first hit until the 7th, when Traynor goes solo yard and I lift Streeter for a PH in the 8th, but the bats stay quiet with just 4 hits and we take our first loss of the Series. Redding is injured in the late part of the game, which may have huge ramifications down the track. But hopefully not. Senators 4, Pirates 1 BOX SCORE Game 5 in Washington, October 8th 1924 Bill Drake (0-1, 11.81) v Dave Brown (1-0, 3.86) Pirates lead series 3-1 While he got the job done in Game 2, you can’t say Dave was all that convincing, and I doubt Drake will be so easy to score off this time around. So we need to shrug off yesterday’s disappointing performance and get this done. Marcell in at 3B for this one. No score thru the first 3 but then we go ahead on a run-scoring double by Cobb. Once again, however, we leave runs on the deck as we strand him there from none out to three. It stays 1-0 with Brown working a two-hitter entering the 9th. He gets Goslin on a flyout to RF but then walks Jackson and I go with the splits and bring in Comstock. Joe Judge flies out to CF to bring us within an out of the win and a groundout to Marcell at third brings us our 8th World Championship. I wasn’t being deprecating at the start of the season when I said my expectations were low. After last year I really did see a winning record being a step in the right direction. So to have the boys do what they’ve done here will always remain one of my most treasured memories in the game. They have been nothing short of magnificent and – given how crucial our pitching has been to this success – it is entirely appropriate that three of our wins in the WS are shutouts. Pirates 1, Senators 0 BOX SCORE PITTSBURGH WINS SERIES 4-1 SERIES MVP: Pie Traynor (Pittsburgh) https://i.imgur.com/IOyYnsT.png?1https://i.imgur.com/9yynr7U.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
1924 Offseason
Huge news from out of the blue as the Pirates franchise is sold, with ownership going from Kevin Sanchez to “investment magnate” Antonio Gutierrez.
Meet Antonio and see my comments in a few posts’ time for my response to this development. https://i.imgur.com/zAAronf.png?1 We do not exercise the option over Wally Gerber’s final contract year. Nor do we offer Smoky Joe Wood an extension. Let’s see how the FA market looks and, you never know, we might see him again. Curt Welch of the Braves and William Burke of the Reds get their pink slips. Some big names give the game away at the end of the season. Rube Foster. Pete Alexander. Rube Marquard. Pete Hill. Stuffy McInnis. |
1924 Awards & Leaders
AL 1924 HISTORY INDEX
NL 1924 HISTORY INDEX AWARDS HISTORY Ruth and Hornsby win the Wagner-Lajoie Medals as expected. That's Babe's third and Rajah's 5th. A couple of surprises in the Waddell Medal as former Pirate Lefty Williams wins in the AL and Wilbur Cooper wins his 3rd in the NL. Glenn Wright edges out Al Simmons for AL RoY and Earle Combs wins it in the NL. Given my LTM misadventure, little surprise that the Sim Accuracy comes in all green. https://i.imgur.com/IfY8Syj.png?1 |
Formerly Indecisive, Now Not So Sure
120 years is a long time...
As you may have gathered, I've just been having a bit of an existential crisis these past few seasons. Not with the save, which is easily the most fun I've had with this wonderful game. Rather, with my role at Pittsburgh. 8 wins now from 24 including a bunch of late. Success, as the old saying goes, breeds contempt. In my case, contempt is far too harsh a word. More dulled my motivation. I need a new challenge for a while. The advent of our new "unmerciful" owner opens a door for me here. Up until now, because of the nature of the save I have turned off the ability to be fired. I now intend to turn that back on. Longer-term, I plan to stay at the Bucs until 1930. If I last that long, I will scope the current lay of the land. My initial thoughts are to take a few years off then go to Beantown in time for Teddy Ballgame's arrival in '35 or '36. But this will all depend on the state of the Red Sox franchise. If they are strong then there isn't much of a challenge for me, so I'll look elsewhere for one. I will return to the Pirates at some point. May even leave them again and go back again. But I definitely want to be there for the drought-ridden years after Pops and the gang thru the present day. Maybe even earlier for Bobby C et al. Anyway, that's the outline. The next few years will fill it in. Until then it's On with the Show. G |
The Wheeling and the Dealing
With Wood gone, Bigbee in his last year and unlikely to be extended, Mueller not really having come on after his stunning rookie year, Cobb a rising 38 and Williams not far behind him, our OF larder is a bit bare.
So I use one of our FA slots to sign Curt Walker to a 5+1 $90k deal. He is just 28 so that should cover his fruitful years and, while he'll backup this season, he will see plenty of ABs as we transition him into RF. He's a lifetime 295 hitter, not much pop - sort of like a Ty "lite". A handy pickup. Then, on the eve of the Draft, the Braves offer us a deal we can't - and don't - refuse, even though I am sure it results from the player in question being up for FA in 1926: TRADE 1 OF 3 (12/19/24) OF Heinie Mueller and P Guy Bush traded to Boston (NL) for 3B John Beckwith. Both Oliver Marcell and Dick Lundy are off-contract after this season and have really struggled to contribute in the past couple years. John will give us a fantastic power corner guy for at least one year and hopefully more. I’ve commented on Heinie earlier and Guy was only a remote chance of ever figuring into our plans. So it was a bit of a no-brainer. |
1924/25 Rookie Draft
Held on 12/20/1924.
Lefty Grove becomes the league’s latest Marquee Player and heads a Legacy class of just 7 this year. Some really handy unattached players and a couple NeL guns will make this another fascinating Draft. These are the Legacy Players for the 1925 season: Detroit Tigers: Billy Rogell (25.1; 1207) New York Giants: Freddie Fitzsimmons (35.8; 403) Philadelphia Athletics: Lefty Grove (106.8; 402) MARQUEE Philadelphia Phillies: Ray Benge (13.3; 210) St. Louis Browns: George Blaeholder (22.0; 280) St. Louis Cardinals: Bill Hallahan (14.2; 259) Washington Senators: Buddy Myer (48.6; 1643) Jimmie Foxx (93.1; 1256) was also eligible for the A’s, but Grove’s higher WAR makes him the selection. Mickey Cochrane (49.9; 1167) was also eligible for the A’s, but Grove’s higher WAR makes him the selection. There are 119 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 6 rounds. The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1924 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round): Round 1 1. Philadelphia Athletics (579) 2. Washington Senators (636) 3. New York Giants (566) 4. Detroit Tigers (526) 5. St. Louis Browns (536) 6. St. Louis Cardinals (503) 7. Philadelphia Phillies (444; dice roll) 8. Boston Red Sox (309) 9. Chicago Cubs (442) 10. Brooklyn Robins (444; dice roll) 11. New York Yankees (448) 12. Cleveland Indians (455) 13. Boston Braves (458) 14. Chicago White Sox (513) 15. Cincinnati Reds (523) 16. Pittsburgh Pirates (621) Rounds 2 thru 6 1. Boston Red Sox (309) 2. Chicago Cubs (442) 3. Philadelphia Phillies (444; dice roll) 4. Brooklyn Robins (444; dice roll) 5. New York Yankees (448) 6. Cleveland Indians (455) 7. Boston Braves (458) 8. St. Louis Cardinals (503) 9. Chicago White Sox (513) 10. Cincinnati Reds (523) 11. Detroit Tigers (526) 12. St. Louis Browns (536) 13. New York Giants (566) 14. Philadelphia Athletics (579) 15. Pittsburgh Pirates (621) 16. Washington Senators (636) No Legacy again for us this year and sadly the 16th overall pick means no absolute guns either. Still, we should pick up one or two handy types from a fairly deep pool. Given our two big offseason acquisitions, that’s fine with me as our current squad is pretty set now. Here’s who we end up selecting: 1. OF Mule Haas, 21
4. C Leo Tankersley, 23 5. P Jess Doyle, 26
Here are all the 1st Round picks: https://i.imgur.com/VQSXBp9.png?1 FULL DRAFT LOG |
1925 The First Time Around
Fairly cruisy pennant wins for the Senators and Pirates, each of whom finish 8½ games clear. The Sens take a 3-1 lead in the World Series and look set for back-to-back Championships, only to fall apart and lose it in 7.
AL CHAMPIONS: Washington Senators (96-55) NL CHAMPIONS: Pittsburgh Pirates (95-58) WORLD SERIES: Pirates 4, Senators 3 Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com) NL Hitters 1. ROGERS HORNSBY, ST. LOUIS
AL Hitters 1. HARRY HEILMANN, DETROIT
NL Pitchers 1. PETE DONOHUE, CINCINNATI
AL Pitchers 1. STAN COVELESKI, WASHINGTON
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1925 Preseason / Spring Training
The Yankees and Phillies both make their intentions clear in the offseason with key signings. The Vance acquisition is a particularly astute one for the Bronx Bombers, after they let both Pennock and Shawkey go. The A’s are another club I feel is heading in the right direction, especially with Grove on the books now.
Here are the main transactions from over the break:
ALL TRANSACTIONS Mainly just niggles around the league in ST this year, which we finish 9-9. We lose Cobb for a month to a back strain and then have a brief moment of panic when Brown is injured. Fortunately at this stage it just seems like dead arm and he should be right to go. The pundits, who even caught me on the hop when they picked us last year, are looking for a rematch between us and the Sens. FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS |
1925 Opening Day
Our team page can be accessed HERE.
A few tough decisions with regard to our lineup, and no doubt we’ll tinker with it along the way. That said, this is how we'll line up on OD: Catchers
Bob has applied himself beyond belief since being sent down for last season and it shows, to the point that he’s not only been called up but has won the everyday spot. Taylor was fantastic last season and is ready to be deployed if and when needed. Infielders
When Cobb returns, there’s every chance Freddie Spurgeon will get the callup at Davis's expense. Marcell only just scraped in as it was, but hopefully his pop can prove handy off the bench. Outfielders
To be honest, I am line-ball as to whether Walker or Cobb gets the everyday role. The plan was a season / season-and-a-half transition but Walker looks really good and his defence next to Charlie makes our outfield a veritable fortress. So we’ll just see how things play out. Rotation
Our heroes from last season remain intact. Let’s hope they stay healthy and can approximate their 1924 performances. Bullpen
Looking for Comstock to step up now that Richter has gone. McDonald continues to underwhelm and may find himself at Wilkes-Barre at some point. |
Nice debut in the bigs...
... for the great Leftimus.
https://i.imgur.com/F8M5kMy.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/kvyNivD.png?1 And, without going and checking, I'm pretty sure this is the first time these two have homered in the same game. You can bet it won't be the last... https://i.imgur.com/RbxOa7O.png?1 |
200 Taters for HJ
He's keeping pretty good pace with Babe and is just the second player to reach this mark. No-one else is within cooee of it, with perhaps only Rajah of the current crop looking likely to making it there in the next few seasons (he had 301 IRL).
https://i.imgur.com/hzs8EGY.png?1https://i.imgur.com/BgkLjNW.png?1 He's been such a superstar I really hope the A's revival happens in a timely enough fashion for him to see some playoff action. https://i.imgur.com/nonU6n1.png?1 |
The View from the Gangplank May 1, 1925
A patchy start to say the least but we still manage to scrape together a winning record for the month. The group is definitely taking some time to gel but hopefully that will come with increased familiarity over oncoming months.
https://i.imgur.com/OKgrOIi.png?1 Even early on it looks clear this is going to be an incredibly tight competition in both leagues, with loads of chances. https://i.imgur.com/N0BDXq4.png?1 Awards, news, leaders. https://i.imgur.com/Hqcr9E4.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/sfztJCb.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/TSWEHsn.png?1https://i.imgur.com/USYx043.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
Cubs on the Prowl
A few years in the wilderness for the Baby Bears, but they have begun strongly this season and a lot of that has to do with catcher Gabby Hartnett, who with this outstanding performance takes his HR total to 10, the most in either division.
https://i.imgur.com/bIc3itB.png?1 |
#200 with a Bullet
A hard-earned and well-deserved milestone for Bullet Joe.
https://i.imgur.com/G1PtbqL.png?1 Here's how the upper echelon of NeL pitchers have fared over their careers to this point: https://i.imgur.com/CYkjkAR.png?1 We lost Rube Foster to retirement last year and as you can see the first wave group are all close enough to following suit. But what careers they've all put together. Bullet now makes it six with 200+ wins. While we're at it, here are the hitters. Not quite the outstanding numbers of the hurlers but the current wave may well redress that imbalance. https://i.imgur.com/p37I9kI.png?1 |
Doin' the Biz
A fantastic game for the big Browns catcher who has been a bit quiet of late and will be looking for more like it.
https://i.imgur.com/Onci33y.png?1 |
The View from the Gangplank June 1, 1925
At first it looks as if May is going to follow April’s pattern, as we struggle in the first fortnight of the month. But then it just comes together for us and things start to click, as we win 9 road games on the trot before losing at home to the Cubs.
We get a bit sloppy again in the final few games but still finish the month at 17-13. https://i.imgur.com/zl4TQEr.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/nnSD08V.png?1 I opt to start Cobb ahead of Walker when he returns from his injury, and he repays my faith in spades. By end May he is slashing 381/441/694 with an equal career-high 8 HR along with 25 RBI. Walker, it must be said, is still getting plenty of PAs and making the most of them with a 319 BA. Beckwith, with 8 HR, and Williams, with 7, are also providing plenty of pop. https://i.imgur.com/q4oj8mU.png?1 Apart from Brown, who has come back with a vengeance, our pitching continues to struggle for consistency. Cooper is worrisome enough that I promote Foster above him to SP3, and if he continues in this vein the BP beckons. https://i.imgur.com/i6TdqeH.png?1 I've never seen a division race as tight as the AL is at the moment. Nearly 1/3 of the way through and only 5 1/2 games from first to last. The NL isn't quite so bunched but still looms as another humdinger. https://i.imgur.com/wFCTmoO.png?1 Awards, news, leaders. https://i.imgur.com/0mcYW6y.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/h7nAk8S.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/AhP0TO0.png?1https://i.imgur.com/LTuG3jh.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
Stat of the Day
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Stat of the Month: Team Leaderboards
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Pinstripin' (Redux) - June 4, 1925
OK let's try this again...
With the offseason addition of Dazzy Vance to the rotation and the emergence of Nip Winters (acquired from the Pale Hose late in '23), the Yanks now seem ready to give this a proper go. They are batting Ruth and Gehrig the opposite way around from how it worked IRL, but it seems not to be mattering much as they both look good. The pitchers haven't quite hit their straps as yet, which might explain why the Bombers are in a tie for first with the surprising Tigers, and with this race looking as close as it does, they'll need to in order for them to get over the top. One would think it's only a matter of time before Ruffing is moved into the spin at Fred Anderson's expense. We'll be following along at any rate. https://i.imgur.com/zznnIFC.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/sQ7aKMV.png?1 |
Slug Slugged
A huge loss for the Tigers, who are finally showing signs of life after a long time on the outer.
https://i.imgur.com/0bOHWeV.png?1 |
Heavy on the Mustard
The HR race is ferocious this season and we may well see Ruth's single-season record of 48 under threat. HJ is once again right amongst it. This is, however, the first 3-homer game of his career.
https://i.imgur.com/lx3yDgl.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/tSrYY4w.png?1 |
The View from the Gangplank July 1, 1925
Little to report, really, so I'll keep this brief... brief.
We continue to mix good with bad, posting a 13-11 record for June. Still far from firing on all cylinders which, given our proximity to the top of the standings, can be taken as a positive. As long as we eventually do, that is. https://i.imgur.com/ZcjBUM3.png?2 https://i.imgur.com/UO29J2v.png?1 Still tight as tight can be in both races, with only the Giants looking no real hope of figuring in the finish. https://i.imgur.com/ZrlG7tv.png?1 Awards, news, leaders. https://i.imgur.com/KK87O5I.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/9Lg1W9M.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/FMIdcGL.png?1https://i.imgur.com/aBhewnp.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
In a Minor Key
Veteran Walter Holke, playing for San Antonio in AAA, is putting together one of the best seasons I've seen so far at any level.
https://i.imgur.com/Wh31LzX.png?1 |
That Swat I'm Talkin' About
With his rep as the league's HR King under siege from seemingly all quarters, Babe makes a statement.
https://i.imgur.com/3CtTCX2.png?1 |
In a Minor Key
The thing of beauty that is Walter Holke's 1925 AAA season continues as he racks up a long hit streak. His BA continues to stay above 500. Remarkable.
https://i.imgur.com/EVgg8nq.png?1 |
Fat-Bottomed Guys
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Super Duper Cooper
At 33 with flagging form and high salary expectations, I doubt he gets another runaround with us next year, but Wilbur has been a fantastic player for our club and this should cement his spot in the Hall. His 3 Waddell Medals and 6 Championships won't hurt his chances either. He will leave as our franchise's all-time wins leader.
https://i.imgur.com/h9W07R3.png?1 |
The View from the Gangplank August 1, 1925
If the wheels don't exactly fall off this month then we certainly start running out of gas, particularly toward the end. After winning 7 of our first 8 games, we post a losing record over the remainder to end the month 17-12.
https://i.imgur.com/0bIV1te.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/f99HWPZ.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/CpNVXwJ.png?1 We're certainly getting our share of pop, 2nd in the division with 77 HR and our hitting overall has been somewhat improved on last season. But Charleston hasn't offered much all year (241/294/364; 7 HR / 44 RBI / 1 WAR) and, if he opts out at the end of this season, I'm not sure we chase him. Cobb goes down with an injury that will see him on the IL for a stint. https://i.imgur.com/auz9Huv.png?1 In an almost mirror image of 1924, it is our pitching in the doldrums this time around. Brown has been great, but Streeter and Foster have struggled, and this month sees our staff in constant turmoil. Cooper finally gets shunted into the pen, with McDonald moved into the spin. Then Foster goes down for a month with a herniated disc and Wilbur gets his spot back. Then McDonald, who simply hasn’t come on as we’d hoped, loses his spot to Mirabal after a couple of dreadful performances. In short, we are a bit of a mess in this area right now, and unless we straighten things out I just don't see us getting home here. https://i.imgur.com/ims4Ww6.png?1 The standings remains tight. Only Wilbur’s 250th career win – see my previous post – keeps us in sole possession of first place as we enter the stretch run, with the Cards hot on our heels and a bunched field behind them and well within reach. In the AL the Yanks lead narrowly from the Red Sox and A's, and both races look set to deliver on the grandstand finish they've been promising since OD. https://i.imgur.com/fRcFhRZ.png?1 Awards, news, leaders. Rajah is a realistic chance to take out the NL Triple Crown. https://i.imgur.com/pCkx72p.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/qLJneY3.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/2dCIYSk.png?1https://i.imgur.com/zgoWo8g.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
Anything you can do...
The career-long tit-for-tat between the Sultan and the Rajah continues...
https://i.imgur.com/2XjanmY.png?1 |
The dreaded injury bug...
... that always seems to strike the Cards just at the most inopportune moment has done so again.
https://i.imgur.com/431FHcv.png?1 |
The View from the Gangplank September 1, 1925
The lads do pull it together and then some, losing just 1 of the month’s first 15 games, with the pitching much-improved, and Traynor, Williams and Walker leading the offence.
Cobb returns from the IL but has to be content with a bench role for the moment as Walker is simply too hot not to play every day. A wobble in which we drop 4 straight signals a general cooling-off but still we keep on winning more than we lose and end the month with a superb 21-6 record and a stranglehold on the division once again. https://i.imgur.com/fDRwtt5.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/xiXEJGo.png?1 Williams (25) and Beckwith (22) have both surpassed the previous single-season club record for HR, and Ken needs just 9 more RBI to get past Jimmie Williams long-held mark. Walker has been a massive add for us and he seems to be getting better as the season progresses, as shown by his 389/491/663 August with 4 HR and 24 RBI. Let's hope that continues to the end. https://i.imgur.com/P9pzaOo.png?1 Another player who seems to follow this pattern every season is Wilbur Cooper, and he's at it again this year. After that horror start he is now an outside chance of another 20-win season and has made me seriously rethink how we proceed with him, contract-wise. By dint of his 6-1 / 2.70 performance, he wins the monthly pitching award. Foster will be back in the next week or so after a brief rehab assignment to scrape off the rust. https://i.imgur.com/y4LJFjc.png?1 So we aren't quite home yet but certainly where we want to be. The AL race pretty much begins now with the Yanks and BoSox tied heading into the final month and four other teams still some hope if they get a wriggle-on. https://i.imgur.com/7AcNpPI.png?1 Awards, news, leaders. In addition to still being well in line for the NL Triple Crown, Rajah needs just 18 RBI to break Charlie Hickman's season record of 151 set all the way back in 1901, the league's first year of existence. https://i.imgur.com/bUDgvmK.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/s6P31OU.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/m2uJzsh.png?1https://i.imgur.com/QWj4Kyx.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
Al Puts Down His (Bucket) Foot
Can't remember any player so far who has had the impact in their first two seasons Al has. He is a gun.
https://i.imgur.com/wcKtQIJ.png?1 This is just another walk in the park for him. https://i.imgur.com/Ggwgiwg.png?1 |
The League Loses One of its Greats
I toyed with the idea of reversing it but I think Joe's done. He's been so good, especially in the clutch, and with 4 Waddell Medals and 3 Championships should be a HoF lock.
https://i.imgur.com/w3Wlpay.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/qSZuEik.png?1 Meanwhile Babe is still setting the pace for career HR. He's currently 14 clear of HJ. I'm thinking if he makes 600 all up it'll be a good result. https://i.imgur.com/nt1B0oR.png?1 |
Pinstripin' - September 15, 1925
And while on the topic of the Yanks, they look to have seen off the BoSox, 5 games up with 14 to play and with an MN of 11.
https://i.imgur.com/O3dyAcK.png?1 |
I think allowing yourself to be fired is a good thing. Lots of good narratives in taking an underperforming team and returning them to glory. There is also an odd satisfaction in seeing how quickly the AI ruins the franchise you so carefully built ..
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250 for the OG Knuckles
Amazing what the absence of gamblers, gangsters and tightwad owners can do for a guy's career... He did this in style, shutting us out on 6 hits.
Not sure this gets him a plaque but for sheer endurance alone he must get serious consideration. Personally, however, 60-odd career WAR doesn't get my vote unless it comes with a lot more wins. https://i.imgur.com/uo4SCNZ.png?1 |
See my comments...
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The View from the Gangplank: end of regular season, 1925
Our 4-into-3 outfielder problem is “solved” when we lose Williams for a fortnight to a foot injury early in September. Then it is unsolved again when Cobb goes down with a niggle that limits him to PH duties for a week or so.
Nevertheless, we wrap it up in mid-month and avoid our traditional post-clinch swoon to go on to win the division by 17 games. https://i.imgur.com/GojvP1J.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/s8wf3Cp.png?1 Just a superb all-round season from the group. John Beckwith does indeed set new franchise marks for HR (28) and RBI (121) with Ken Williams (25 / 107) not far behind. Walker is simply magnificent, slashing 364/444/542 with a career-best 7.5 WAR and Cobb and O'Farrell also hit 300+. Dave Brown leads a strong pitching performance with 26 wins, nigh on 11 WAR and top-3 finishes in two of the TC categories, while Sam Streeter also wins 20. Ralph Comstock deserves special mention with a 1.21 ERA over 74 IP from the BP. https://i.imgur.com/KBjZ1j1.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/lNjHJsN.png?1 The Yankees have finally arrived. You'll hear more on them in a bit. https://i.imgur.com/txJ4OAD.png?1 Rogers Hornsby puts together the best individual season to date, winning the NL Triple Crown and amassing a walloping 12.7 WAR, beating Babe's 12.4 of a few seasons back. Al Simmons wins the AL batting title. HJ emerges triumphant in the HR race with 44 in a blanket finish. https://i.imgur.com/AUmJvzI.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/MFgtUSF.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/61vF090.png?1https://i.imgur.com/5AqwLTn.png?1 Finally, here are the Top 20 players by WAR for the year. https://i.imgur.com/1va0zre.png?1 https://i.imgur.com/SAO75kN.png?1 S+ HOME REPORTS HOME PIRATES HOME |
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