1932 AL Pennant Race
 

It has been nip-and-tuck all year between the Yankees, Tigers and Red Sox in the AL, and this continues right to the death, with Boston finally knocked out in Game 153 and the other two still unable to be separated at 93-60 entering the final day.

The Tigers, who have come from the clouds with a 9-1 run but are still reeling from the news that ace Andy Cooper would miss the rest of the campaign courtesy of a torn labrum, host the Browns for their Game 154. The Yankees have to face the Sox at Fenway.

Here's how that plays out:

https://i.imgur.com/rbFcbZD.png


Go crazy, Tigers fans - your boys just bought themselves a ticket to The Big Dance.

The View from the Gangplank: end of regular season, 1932
 

That, to quote the great Vinnie Jones, was emotional.

We get the news early that Bill McCall is done for the year, making him our 4th pitcher on the 60-day IL.

Kicking off a long roadtrip, we travel to Philly for 3 barely hanging on in every regard, with the two of us now tied in the standings. Somehow we manage to win all 3, giving us a 15-7 head-to-head record against them for the year and reducing our magic number to a tantalisingly out of reach 10.

It has become a tantalisingly within reach 6 with 10 to play.

The bats lift us up time and again for scrappy, close wins as the patchwork quilt that is our rotation does what it can to keep us in games.

With 7 to play and our MN at 2, we finally get Ted Trent back.

It feels entirely proper when, in game 148, it is Willie Foster’s 26th victory of an outstanding year that gets us back to the playoffs for the first time since 1927.

The fact that we lose 5 of our remaining 6 games shows just how much this has taken out of the group, both mentally and physically.

To top things off, Willie Wells fractures a rib in a collision on the basepaths in the next to last game of the regular season and is gone for the year. You have got to be kidding me.

https://i.imgur.com/s0ZQLdS.png?1
https://i.imgur.com/3w5WIZh.png?1


The effort the lads have put in this season has been unbelievable. Foxx will get most of the plaudits and rightly so, but the second half of the season that Dihigo puts together after struggling early is something like I have rarely, if ever, seen. And Bill Foster's performance as all is falling down around him will stay with me for a long time.

https://i.imgur.com/hPi7eRO.png?1
https://i.imgur.com/LoboI9m.png?1


Here's how the final standings look.

https://i.imgur.com/8oVee4z.png?1


Some ridiculous individual performances this season.

First and foremost, we get not one but TWO Triple Crown winners.

https://i.imgur.com/iwk3vo2.png
https://i.imgur.com/Z92C87T.png


Klein's 156 RBI is a new all-time mark. Lou Gehrig also sets a new record by scoring 153 runs - he now holds four of the five best seasonal returns in this stat cat. Lou finishes 1932 second in HR with 49, third with 124 RBI and 7th with a 331 BA. John Beckwith finishes second in BA with 345 and RBI with 127, and third with 32 dingers. Turkey Stearnes is third with a 341 BA, sixth with 27 HR and fourth with 122 RBI. Over in the NL, our own Jimmie Foxx is 6th with a 323 BA and runner up in HR (33) and RBI (123).

Lefty Grove wins 30, Andy Cooper 29 (including, in the game before suffering his season-ending injury, the 250th of his career), and both finish Top 3 in all TC categories, while sophomore Ray Brown nails down 28 W.

Frankie Frisch gets his 2500th hit.

What a year it has been. Here are the final top 20s by WAR and leaders.

https://i.imgur.com/Ra6u76P.png?1
https://i.imgur.com/K9Qogxj.png?1
https://i.imgur.com/ogVbBkA.png?1https://i.imgur.com/wi1ocSC.png?1


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1932 World Series Preview
 

PITTSBURGH PIRATES S+ PAGE

DETROIT TIGERS S+ PAGE


Not a lot from me for once, mainly because I have more questions than answers as we enter this series. How much do we have left in the tank? How few runs can our pitching keep their huge lineup to and will we be able to score more? How much will we miss Wells and, them, Cooper?

The answer to each of these and many more will come over the next four-to-seven games. That is the only thing I am sure of here.

So tightly have we maintained our roster this season that we only have 22 eligible players to field.

Here goes nothing.

"So tightly have we maintained our roster this season that we only have 22 eligible players to field."

I've never played with the playoff eligible feature enabled. Does this happen often?

First time. I should mention the Active Roster is just 24, so we're only 2 short. It will become a problem if we have any more pitchers injured, though - Dihigo will almost certainly have to be used.

1932 World Series Recap
 

Game 1 in Pittsburgh, September 28th 1932

Willie Foster (26-12, 3.33) v Ping Gardner (17-8, 3.27)

Even more so than normal in these short matchups, I feel the result of this series will mainly come down to which staff comports itself better throughout. So many huge bats in both lineups capable of wreaking havoc, which means I am expecting shootouts galore. This first game should really set the tone for the remainder.

They go ahead in the 2nd with an early run and we don’t get our first hit until the 4th, although it leads nowhere. We do, however, tie it up in the next on a two-out Dihigo single. Another hit to Big Poison extends the inning and then their third error of the game gifts us a pair.

Rita Hayworth extends our lead again with a run-scoring hit in the 6th and we eventually load the bases with one out for Dihigo, but he can only ground into a force out at home and we waste a big chance to take control of the game as Paul Waner flies out to end the frame.

Still, our bats are doing well and Little Poison tacks on another run in the next to put us ahead by 4 and Grantham singles one home in the 8th to make it 6-1. A two-out 2-run trip by Combs all but ends it and Foster goes all 9 in a superb outing in which he allows just 2 hits.

Just the start we were after.


Pirates 8, Tigers 1

BOX SCORE

Game 2 in Pittsburgh, September 29th 1932

Ted Trent (15-14, 3.28) v John Williams (21-10, 3.84)

Pirates lead series 1-0

Consistency has been Ted Trent’s bugbear this season. He’ll turn it on one start then get bombed the next. It goes without saying that we are looking for the former from him here rather than the latter.

We take a 1st-inning lead on a solo shot by Dihigo and load the bases with three straight singles, with one scoring on a Combs groundout, another on a two-out single by Little P, and a third on a Hayworth hit.

Doubles in the next to Vaughan and Dihigo further stretch our advantage but they answer with a leadoff homer to Rap Dixon in the 3rd. Hayworth has been a great find for us and he reasserts our 5-run lead with an RBI double in the home half, with another scoring on a groundout by Trent, ending Williams’ game.

Our big guys keep firing as Paul Waner doubles one home in the 6th and scores on another two-bagger by Foxx. Two more hits get us yet another run to make it 10-1, with Combs driving it in, and after we reload them a Hayworth groundout plates one more.

We don’t stop there, and eventually romp it in 14-1. Perhaps two of the best games we’ve played all season put us in a strong position heading to Motown. Trent is excellent, allowing just 5 hits over 8+.

Pirates 14, Tigers 1

BOX SCORE

Game 3 in Detroit, October 1st 1932

Earl Whitehill (14-17, 4.48) v Oral Hildebrand (8-7, 4.69)

Pirates lead series 2-0

The absolute worst thing we can do here is take our foot off the gas pedal. All we have done so far is win two at home, as we should have done. The ease with which we did so is more problematic than helpful. You know things went about as smoothly as they possibly could have. You know the likelihood of their bats staying quiet are infinitesimal. You know that every inch of ground gained from this point in is almost certain to be exponentially more difficult to procure. So we need to keep pushing as hard as if we were two games down rather than up, protect the lightning we seem to have caught in the bottle for as long as we can.

Dihigo once again gives us a 1st-inning lead with a solo jack and a run-scoring double by Grantham adds a second, but they get even with a pair in the 3rd, then go ahead with another run in the next as Hildebrand struggles to contain them.

Oral does himself a favour in the top 6th, knocking in the tying run with a two-out single, and Grantham goes solo yard in the 8th to give us back the lead, 4-3. An RBI single by Berry gets us an insurance run and I decide to play it conservatively and pull Oral for a PH.

We still lead by two entering the 9th after Slim Harriss gets us a scoreless frame. But then they get two on base and Hank Johnson gives up a walkoff 3-run bomb to Rap Dixon. That’s how easily everything can change.

Tigers 6, Pirates 5

BOX SCORE

Game 4 in Detroit, October 2nd 1932

Ping Gardner (0-1, 7.04) v Willie Foster (1-0, 1.00)

Pirates lead series 2-1

Anyone even remotely familiar with baseball knows how a game like yesterday’s so often proves the fulcrum on which momentum shifts. It has a double effect, lifting the winner’s spirits while quashing those of the vanquished who know they were so close to victory only to come up short in the most dramatic fashion, more so than a normal decision does, even if that decision is a loss.

So today will be a real mental test for our lads to try and wrest back that momentum, to swing the pendulum back onto our side of the equation.

Dixon gets us again, this time with an RBI triple in the 3rd to open the scoring and another three-base hit by Dick Porter puts them two to the good. They add a third in the next to take control of the game.

We get two on with none out in the 4th but a horrible baserunning gaffe by Hayworth gets him doubled up on a bunt popout, and then narrowly escape a bases-loaded jam in the home frame.

In need of that elusive run, I lift Foster for a pinch-hitter in the 7th and it pays off as O’Doul and then Vaughan both single to knot it up at 3. Dihigo then continues his outstanding series with a 2-run triple and Big Poison singles him in to make it 6-3.

Our short-handedness is brought to bear once more as they come at us in the 9th. This time, however, we get home with a 6-4 final. A truly gutsy win by the group.

Pirates 6, Tigers 4

BOX SCORE

Game 5 in Detroit, October 3rd 1932

John Williams (0-1, 27.00) v Ted Trent (1-0, 1.08)

Pirates lead series 3-1

While I am overjoyed to be where we are it all means nothing in the end without that fourth win. Ted Trent gets the call for the biggest start of his career and you can be sure they’ll be throwing everything at him in this one.

We get the start we were looking for when Grantham singles one in with two out and then, after an error extends the inning, Little P singles in a second run. We go further ahead in the 4th on an RBI single by Hayworth.

Trent starts strongly but gets into a spot of bother in the home half of that one as they get on the board with a run. Dihigo cancels that one out immediately with a tater to lead off the 5th, his third of the series, but they answer that with another one in the home half to make it 4-2.

As with Dihigo for them, we just cannot stop Rap Dixon, who brings them within one in the 7th with a run-scoring single. Trent barely escapes the 8th with our lead still intact and that brings his game to an end.

We have also threatened in the 8th and 9th but just cannot find that key hit, and we enter the bottom 9th with the score still 4-3 and Nip Winters on the hill. He gets the first two outs but then – oh, cruelty – Dihigo botches what would have been the Championship-clinching play. Thankfully – oh, rapture – Slim Harriss gets Odell Hale to fly out to LF and we are once again on the mountaintop.

What this group has achieved given all the expectations placed upon them and all of the adversity thrown at them is nothing short of monumental. One of the truly special moments for our franchise.

Pirates 4, Tigers 3

BOX SCORE

In a Minor Key
 

Our club completes a rare double as Wilkes Barre takes the AAA title.

https://i.imgur.com/yczl1aa.png

1932 Offseason
 

It comes as little surprise when Earle Combs tells us he intends to void the final three years of his contract. I see him as part of our future at Pittsburgh and so we sit down to renegotiate, eventually hashing out a 3+1 / $57k deal that keeps him at our club.

The Browns fire GM Nate Zello, the Reds cut their GM Earl Moore, and the Giants get rid of Manager Farmer Burns.
Burleigh Grimes, Eddie Rommel, the mighty Heavy Johnson, Jim Viox, Earl Smith, Dutch Ruether, Ray Chapman and Swede Risberg head the names of those ending their career.

Stat Check: K
 

https://i.imgur.com/kXAKXo1.png

Active leader is Andy Cooper with 2435.

1932 Awards & Leaders
 

AL 1932 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1932 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY


Lou Gehrig again comes out on top in a highly-contested AL Wagner-Lajoie count, with he, runner-up Babe Ruth and third-placed John Beckwith separated by just 11 points. It is The Iron Horse's 6th win. Chuck Klein wins his 2nd in the NL.

Andy Cooper and Carl Hubbell win the Johnson-Waddell, their 4th and 3rd respectively.

RoYs go to Boston pitcher Bud Tinning and our own Arky Vaughan, while the Reliever gongs go to Chicago hurlers Jack Russell (White Sox) and Fred Heimach (Cubs).


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1932/33 Rookie Draft
 

A bit thin on the ground again this year with just 5 Legacies, along with 3 from the NeL ranks.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1933 season:

Chicago White Sox: Thornton Lee (34.3; 261)
Cleveland Indians: Hal Trosky sr (30.0; 1124)
Detroit Tigers: Schoolboy Rowe (42.5; 245)
Philadelphia Athletics: Bob Johnson (55.6; 1459)
Washington Senators: Dutch Leonard (48.9; 262)

Cecil Travis (30.3; 1328 – one-club player) was also eligible for the Senators, but Leonard’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

There are 75 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 4 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1932 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. Philadelphia Athletics (610)
2. Washington Senators (604)
3. Detroit Tigers (503)
4. Chicago White Sox (325)
5. Cleveland Indians (572)
6. Boston Red Sox (279)
7. Cincinnati Reds (390)
8. St. Louis Browns (409)
9. St. Louis Cardinals (468; dice roll)
10. New York Giants (468; dice roll)
11. Boston Braves (500)
12. Philadelphia Phillies (506)
13. Brooklyn Dodgers (526)
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (558)
15. Chicago Cubs (584)
16. New York Yankees (695)

Rounds 2 thru 4

1. Boston Red Sox (279)
2. Chicago White Sox (325)
3. Cincinnati Reds (390)
4. St. Louis Browns (409)
5. St. Louis Cardinals (468; dice roll)
6. New York Giants (468; dice roll)
7. Boston Braves (500)
8. Detroit Tigers (503)
9. Philadelphia Phillies (506)
10. Brooklyn Dodgers (526)
11. Pittsburgh Pirates (558)
12. Cleveland Indians (572)
13. Chicago Cubs (584)
14. Washington Senators (604)
15. Philadelphia Athletics (610)
16. New York Yankees (695)



We go into this Draft with two distinct needs, neither of which we have managed to adequately cover in the off-season FA market (more on which later). Our course of action will be ultimately decided by who is available when it comes our turn to pick.

Here’s who we take:

1. SS Lonny Frey, 22

• Our lack of depth around the D is unnerving and Lonny will bring us one step closer to having this back under control.

2. SS Jimmy Jordan, 24

• Not sure he ever makes it to the bigs, but Wilkes-Barre is in the same boat we are and there’s little left already.

3. 2B Tony Robello, 19
4. P Ira Hutchinson, 22

• Two more for Wilkes-Barre.

Sadly, with both of the players we’d earmarked gone early, we come away pretty unfulfilled.

Here's the full 1st Round:

https://i.imgur.com/gyyDkJL.png?1

FULL DRAFT LOG

The Wheeling and the Dealing
 

As mentioned, while the strength of our starting lineup cannot be questioned, our depth at certain positions - 2B/3B/SS and pitcher - leaves a lot to be desired.

With just one FA signing at our disposal, this leaves us with quite the dilemma. How to best use it? There's quite a dearth of quality SP in the league, so in the end we try to lock down Roosevelt Davis. However, after drawn-out negotiations that can only be described as "fraught", we end up walking away. The only other SP we are even remotely interested in is Darltie Cooper, but he wants too much for too long and those talks never even really get off the ground.

The two players we were keen on in the Draft were Bill Byrd and Ray Dandridge, but as I mentioned they went early. Frey is a handy pickup, but still we need reinforcement in the infield and so we eventually sign this guy for 2 years at a bargain-basement $6k per.

https://i.imgur.com/JQrCrn6.png?1


That still leaves us with just two at 2B plus Martin Dihigo, for whom it is his least accomplished position. The big issue with Lonny Frey is he only plays 3B/SS which means he doesn't solve our immediate needs. So off I go to the trade market to do so.

After a couple false starts I strike the following deal:

TRADE 1 OF 3 (01/11/32)

3B Randy Moore and P Hank Johnson traded to Philadelphia (AL) for IF/OF Andy Reese and P Boom-Boom Beck.

I really like Randy Moore as a player, but sometimes you just have to kill your darlings, so to speak. Andy covers all of his positions plus the all-important 2B, although he is a slight step down offensively and a couple years older. Johnson for Beck is about as straight-up a trade as you can get.


We lose a couple minor leaguers in the Rule 5 Draft, OF Denny Sothern and C Merv Shea.

Call from the Hall
 

Two more legends added to C-Town. Of the 19 who've made it there so far, Wilbur is just the second from our club after Honus.

1933 The First Time Around
 

Just a year after the retirement of legendary skipper (and certifiable psychopath) John McGraw, the Giants turn things around after a lacklustre 1932 campaign to take the NL pennant and then go on to comfortably beat a surprisingly competitive Senators unit in the World Series.

AL CHAMPIONS: Washington Senators (99-53)
NL CHAMPIONS: New York Giants (91-61)
WORLD SERIES: Giants 4, Senators 1


Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. CHUCK KLEIN, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .368 average, 101 runs, 223 hits, 44 doubles, 7 triples, 28 home runs, 120 RBIs, 56 walks, 15 stolen bases, .422 on-base percentage, .602 slugging percentage.
• One of two triple crown winners based at Philadelphia in 1933, Klein continued to embrace Baker Bowl (where he hit a career-high .467) as his best friend and plowed over the 200-hit mark for the fifth straight year. How did the Phillies reward him? By trading him to the Cubs for $65,000 and three common players.

2. WALLY BERGER, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 37 doubles, 8 triples, 27 home runs, 106 RBIs, 77 strikeouts.
• As it had been since 1930, Berger continued to account for roughly half of the Braves’ home runs.

3. PEPPER MARTIN, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .316 average, 122 runs, 189 hits, 36 doubles, 12 triples, 8 home runs, 57 RBIs, 67 walks, 26 stolen bases.
• For one of the few times in his career, Martin lived up to the expectations pinned upon him after his unforgettable work at the 1931 World Series.

4. ARKY VAUGHAN, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .314 average, 29 doubles, 19 triples, 9 home runs, 97 RBIs, 64 walks, 12 intentional walks.
• The sophomore shortstop was intent on becoming Honus Wagner resurrected—and so were the Bucs, who brought the Pirates legend in to mentor and room with him.

5. BABE HERMAN, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .289 average, 36 doubles, 12 triples, 16 home runs, 93 RBIs.
• Herman’s cycle on the season’s penultimate day gave the majors eight such achievements for the year—setting the record for the most in one season (equaled in 2009). He also had the NL’s only 3-homer game of the year.

6. MEL OTT, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .283 average, 98 runs, 36 doubles, 23 home runs, 103 RBIs, 75 walks.
• Though going through one of the more statistically mild campaigns of his career, Ott was still feared enough that in one game (September 1 at Boston) he went 0-for-0—with five walks.

7. PAUL WANER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 154 games, .309 average, 101 runs, 191 hits, 38 doubles, 16 triples, 7 home runs, 70 RBIs.
• Now in his eighth year, Waner had all but secured the title as the NL equivalent of Charlie Gehringer, putting forward “Mechanical Man” numbers.

8. JOE MEDWICK, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .306 average, 92 runs, 182 hits, 40 doubles, 10 triples, 18 home runs, 98 RBIs.
• In his first full season at the major-league level, the 21-year-old Medwick proved that his late-season audition of the year before (.349 in 26 games) was no fluke.

9. RIPPER COLLINS, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 132 games, .310 average, 26 doubles, 7 triples, 10 home runs, 68 RBIs.
• The switch-hitter strangely hit only one of his 10 home runs at typically live Sportsman’s Park—but it was all just a warm-up for what he had in store a year later.

10. CHICK FULLIS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .309 average, 647 at-bats, 91 runs, 200 hits, 31 doubles, 6 triples, 18 stolen bases.
• No, not Chick-fil-A, but the part-time outfielder who was given a rare chance to play every day, rewarding the Phillies with an excellent showing from the leadoff spot.

AL Hitters

1. JIMMIE FOXX, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .356 average, 125 runs, 204 hits, 37 doubles, 9 triples, 48 home runs, 163 RBIs, 96 walks, 9 intentional walks, 93 strikeouts, .703 slugging percentage.
• Double-X matched Chuck Klein down the street with a Triple Crown effort, getting many of his numbers in bunches; he hit three homers in one game, four in a doubleheader, and hit for the cycle, knocking in nine runs. All this, and his second straight MVP—and he got a slight pay cut in salary.

2. LOU GEHRIG, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .334 average, 138 runs, 198 hits, 41 doubles, 12 triples, 32 home runs, 139 RBIs, 92 walks.
• Another superb year for the Iron Horse was sweetened at the end of the year with his marriage to Eleanor Twitchell.

3. BABE RUTH, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 137 games, .301 average, 97 runs, 34 home runs, 103 RBIs, 114 walks.
• A seven-year streak of 40-plus home runs came to an end, but Ruth remained remarkably potent at age 38.

4. CHARLIE GEHRINGER, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 155 games, .325 average, 103 runs, 204 hits, 42 doubles, 6 triples, 12 home runs, 105 RBIs, 68 walks.
• Gehringer managed to co-lead the team in home runs with rookie Hank Greenberg; that wasn’t going to happen again, given Greenberg’s eventual power surge.

5. MICKEY COCHRANE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 130 games, .322 average, 104 runs, 30 doubles, 15 home runs, 60 RBIs, 106 walks, .459 on-base percentage.
• Cochrane hit for the cycle for the second straight season, thus becoming the only catcher to do it more than once.

6. JOE CRONIN, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .309 average, 89 runs, 186 hits, 45 doubles, 11 triples, 5 home runs, 118 RBIs, 87 walks.
• While leading the Senators to the World Series in his first year of managing, Cronin still found enough concentration to remain a top AL hitter.

7. HEINIE MANUSH, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .336 average, 115 runs, 221 hits, 32 doubles, 17 triples, 5 home runs, 95 RBIs.
• Manush fashioned together the season’s two longest hitting streaks—including a 33-game run unsurpassed in Senators/Twins history.

8. BOB JOHNSON, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .290 average, 103 runs, 44 doubles, 21 home runs, 93 RBIs, 85 walks.
• After a pair of star seasons with Portland in the Pacific Coast League, Johnson began a terrific but almost anonymous (particularly in historical terms) career; maybe he’d be better remembered if his name wasn’t so generic.

9. TONY LAZZERI, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .294 average, 94 runs, 22 doubles, 12 triples, 18 home runs, 104 RBIs, 73 walks, 15 stolen bases.
• Lazzeri matched his career high in home runs for the third time; he denied himself a chance to break it when given permission to skip out on the Yankees’ final eight games to head back home to San Francisco.

10. AL SIMMONS, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .331 average, 85 runs, 200 hits, 29 doubles, 10 triples, 14 home runs, 119 RBIs.
• Sent to Chicago as the first clearance item in Connie Mack’s second fire sale at Philadelphia, Simmons equaled Chuck Klein by earning 200 hits over five straight seasons.

NL Pitchers

1. CARL HUBBELL, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 1.66 ERA, 23 wins, 12 losses, 5 saves, 45 appearances, 33 starts, 10 shutouts, 308.2 innings, 47 walks.
• Carl Hubbell wasn’t great because he could be, but because he had to be; five of his victories were by scores of 1-0—including his epic 18-inning shutout of the Cardinals on July 2.

2. LON WARNEKE, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.00 ERA, 18 wins, 13 losses, 36 appearances, 34 starts, 26 complete games, 287.1 innings.
• The young right-hander lowered his ERA from his league-leading figure of the year before, but failed to get a second straight crown thanks to Hubbell. His own hitting helped his cause; he batted .300 for the Cubs over 100 at-bats, and actually rapped the first triple in All-Star Game history.

3. HAL SCHUMACHER, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.16 ERA, 19 wins, 12 losses, 7 shutouts, 258.2 innings, 36 grounded into double plays.
• In his breakout campaign, Schumacher used an overhand sinker to induce a multitude of grounders—many of which were turned into double plays. He missed out on a chance to give the Giants two 20-game winners when he lost his final start at home against the lowly Phillies.

4. ED BRANDT, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.60 ERA, 18 wins, 14 losses, 41 appearances, 32 starts, 4 shutouts, 287.2 innings.
• The left-hander in the midst of a solid four-year run with the Braves could make the claim that he was the NL’s second-best lefty, after Hubbell.

5. DIZZY DEAN, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.04 ERA, 20 wins, 18 losses, 48 appearances, 34 starts, 26 complete games, 293 innings, 64 walks, 199 strikeouts.
• Still trying to make his record look good in spite of a terrific ERA, Dean became the first modern pitcher to strike out 17 in a game.

6. LARRY FRENCH, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.72 ERA, 18 wins, 13 losses, 47 appearances, 35 starts, 291.1 innings, 55 walks.
• Hubbell may have made headlines with his screwball success in 1933, but French used the same pitch to keep everyone happy in Pittsburgh with his continued, effective workhorse ethic.

7. BEN CANTWELL, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.62 ERA, 20 wins, 10 losses, .667 win percentage, 40 appearances, 29 starts, 254.2 innings, 54 walks.
• Perennial loser Cantwell (56-98 over previous 10 years) sprang to life and became the Braves’ first 20-game winner since 1921, in their first winning season since…1921.

8. HUCK BETTS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.79 ERA, 11 wins, 11 losses, 242 innings, 55 walks.
• The veteran right-hander produced a virtual carbon copy of his 1932 effort, though it would have been nice if the Braves didn’t give him almost a full run less of support per start than the year before.

9. VAN LINGLE MUNGO, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 2.72 ERA, 16 wins, 15 losses, 41 appearances, 28 starts, 248 innings.
• Just saying his name is fun enough—the “Lingle” is the rare case of a newborn being given his mother’s maiden name for a middle moniker—but his blistering fastball and colorful Carolina charm also made him fun for Brooklyn fans to watch.

10. GUY BUSH, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.75 ERA, 20 wins, 12 losses, 41 appearances, 32 starts, 4 shutouts, 259 innings.
• A year after just missing out on his first 20-win campaign, Bush clinched the milestone for the only time in his career by outdueling Dizzy Dean in his last start of the season.

AL Pitchers

1. MEL HARDER, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.95 ERA, 15 wins, 17 losses, 43 appearances, 31 starts, 253 innings.
• Harder found it just that trying to win games, his AL-best ERA spoiled by an Indians offense struggling to adjust to the distant fences at monstrous Cleveland Stadium.

2. LEFTY GROVE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.20 ERA, 24 wins, 8 losses, .750 win percentage, 6 saves, 45 appearances, 28 starts, 21 complete games, 275.1 innings.
• Grove put the finishing touches on a six-year domination (152 wins, 41 losses) within the AL.

3. FIRPO MARBERRY, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 3.29 ERA, 16 wins, 11 losses, 37 appearances, 32 starts, 238.1 innings.
• Best known for closing out games throughout his career, Marberry arrived in Detroit after 10 years with the Senators and became as full-time a starter as he would be, proving he could be superior rotation material.

4. EARL WHITEHILL, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.33 ERA, 22 wins, 8 losses, .733 win percentage, 39 appearances, 37 starts, 19 complete games, 270 innings.
• Amid a steady career full of .500 pitching and standard ERAs, Whitehill—the guy sent from Detroit to D.C. in exchange for Marberry—enjoyed his one summer of content.

5. TOMMY BRIDGES, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 3.09 ERA, 14 wins, 12 losses, 233 innings, 6 hit-by-pitches.
• Among Bridges’ 14 wins were two one-hitters—with the lone hits coming in the eighth inning of each.

6. GENERAL CROWDER, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.97 ERA, 24 wins, 15 losses, 52 appearances, 35 starts, 299.1 innings.
• Crowder led the roll call for the Senators and, three years later, still had the Browns kicking themselves for sending him to Washington for Goose Goslin—who, by the way, was back with the Senators in 1933.

7. MONTE WEAVER, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.25 ERA, 10 wins, 5 losses, 152.1 innings.
• Bouncing off a 22-win campaign the year before, Weaver was stiffened up by a sore shoulder—but recovered with a terrific late-season run to help lift the Senators over the top toward the AL pennant. No wonder, at the time, that the Yankees wanted him in exchange for Red Ruffing.

8. CLINT BROWN, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 3.41 ERA, 11 wins, 12 losses, 185 innings, 34 walks.
• Like Mel Harder above, Brown put together some nice sabermetrics thanks to life at Cleveland Stadium (where he was 8-5 with a 2.17 ERA)—but it didn’t translate into a nice record overall.

9. BUMP HADLEY, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.92 ERA, 15 wins, 20 losses, 45 appearances, 36 starts, 19 complete games, 316.2 innings, 141 walks.
• Leading the league in almost everything accumulative, workhorse Hadley had the upper hand on triple crown guy Jimmie Foxx, having him go 0-5 with 4 Ks on September 16.

10. LEFTY GOMEZ, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.18 ERA, 16 wins, 10 losses, 234.2 innings, 163 strikeouts.
• Gomez’s ERA was easily the best on a Yankee staff that likely cost the team a shot at the pennant.

1933 Preseason / Spring Training
 

Another relatively low-key offseason trade market, with the following the most noteworthy transactions:

• OF Chick Hafey: Phillies, 7 years / $133800
• P Roosevelt Davis: Athletics, 7 years / $117000
• P Darltie Cooper: Yankees, 4 years / $68800
• OF Babe Ruth: Yankees, 3 years / $61000 (extension)
• OF Alex Metzler: White Sox, 4 years / $59200
• SS Dick Bartell: Indians, 3 years / $55200
• P Dazzy Vance: Phillies, 3 years / $38400
• 2B George Grantham: Indians, 2 years / $20000

• OF Jake Powell from Red Sox to White Sox for C Spud Davis
• P Luis Tiant and 3B Bill Brubaker from Browns to Red Sox for P Monte Pearson
• OF Buzz Boyle and OF Vince Barton from Cardinals to Indians for C Al Lopez
• C Clarence Palm from Cubs to Giants for P Benny Frey and OF Jo-Jo White
• OF Wes Ferrell from Athletics to Tigers for P John Williams and P Johnny Murphy
• P John Taylor and 3B Bobby Reis from Browns to Phillies for C Jim Spotts and P Tony Freitas
• OF John Stone from Reds to Senators for C Paul Richards and 3B Joe Cicero

ALL TRANSACTIONS


We go 13-5 in ST and thankfully get through unscathed. This is going to be a constant theme this season.
We’ve been predicted to win the NL in a blanket finish from a group led by the Giants, while the Yankees are being looked upon to dominate the AL. I’d be watching the Red Sox if I were you, they have added more great talent to their squad. I also like what the Tribe has been up to.

FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS


Here are the Top 20 ranked position players and pitchers at OD:

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1933 Opening Day
 

Our team page can be accessed HERE.

We enter the season with the 2nd-highest payroll ($242k) and 3rd-lowest budget ($650k).

Our Opening Day squad will look like this:

Catchers

• C Ray Hayworth (R)
• C Earl Grace (R) v LHP and when Hayworth needs a rest

Youth gets the nod here with Earl having a super 1932 season at Wilkes-Barre


Infielders

• 1B Jimmie Foxx (R)
• 2B Willie Wells (R)
• 3B Martin Dihigo (R)
• SS Arky Vaughan (R)

• Andy Reese (R)
• Lonny Frey (L)
• Mark Koenig (S)

Only injuries and the sharp dropoff from starters to backups concern me here.


Outfielders

• LF Earl Combs (L)
• CF Lloyd Waner (L)
• RF Paul Waner (L)

• Lefty O’Doul (L)
• Maurice Archdeacon (L)
• Kiddo Davis (R)

Deeper stocks here but still would prefer injuries are kept to a minimum.


Rotation

• LHP Willie Foster
• RHP Ted Trent
• LHP Bill McCall
• RHP Bobo Newsom

Paul Derringer is expected to return late in the season but our planning for the year has not included him. Bill Swift looks ready to come up and will almost certainly become part of this group at some stage of the season.


Bullpen

• LHP Carl Fischer (MR)
• RHP Joe Heving (MR)
• RHP Oral Hildebrand (LR)
• LHP Harry Hulihan (MR)
• RHP Boom-Boom Beck (ST)

Ray Benge is about a month off returning and will eventually rejoin this group.

Did I mention how worried I am about injuries?

The View from the Gangplank May 1, 1933
 

What a weird start to 1933 we've had. We win our first three, lose the next five and finish the month on an unbeaten win streak of six to post a 10-7 record.

Bats doing well (Vaughan and Dihigo in particular, although neither Foxx nor Wells has a HR to this point), pitchers inconsistent. Thankfully no injuries as yet. Here's hoping we can settle down and find our groove.

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George Grantham reaches 1500 career hits, Hack Wilson 250 HR, George Uhle 250 wins.

Standings, awards, news, leaders. The Braves have been the big surprise, opening the season with a league-best 14-6 run.

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The View from the Gangplank June 1, 1933
 

Our group continues to appear out-of-sorts as we pass another month without any great heights being reached, going 16-14.

The first game of May sees us not just get humiliated 11-3 by the Phils, but lose Hildebrand for 2 weeks to an arm injury and Koenig is hurt as well, although thankfully he ends up not missing any time. They smash us again 13-5 the next day in an ominous early statement of intent. We bounce back to win the final game of the series, but Beck goes down hurt (he’ll miss a month) and we are sure glad to see the back of The City of Brotherly Love for a while.

We struggle through the middle part of the month before stringing a few wins together. Sadly during this period we lose Bill McCall for the year to an elbow injury. That might well be him done with us, as he is proving too old, too injury prone and too expensive, and we’ll almost certainly void his final contract year. Bill Swift moves into the spin, with Ray Benge – who had been on a rehab assignment at AAA – back to the main group as part of the BP.

In the end it takes a bit of a late flurry of wins just to get our noses above 500 for the sectional.

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As you can see from those metrics, there's nothing inherently wrong with our offence. Every starter with the exception of Combs is hitting 290+. We just haven't been able to find our continuity as yet. I have no doubt it will happen eventually. Dihigo and Vaughan have both started the season exceptionally well.

We have also been more error-prone than we should be and will need to tighten this part of our game right up.

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Our pitching has not been great aside from rookie Bobo Newsom, who wins the monthly award for his 6-2 / 2.44 effort. Again, I remain confident this area of our game will improve.

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Tight races again in both divisions, with no decisive moves as yet.

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Hack Wilson and Travis Jackson each gets his 1500th career hit; Lou Gehrig his 350th HR, Bill Terry his 200th. Turkey Stearnes has just been destroying AL pitchers and heads all three TC cats early, with a massive 4.4 WAR points already to his credit.

Awards, news, leaders.

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Life Is a Two-Way Street
 

No often you see two hurlers each going yard twice, as John Donaldson and Red Ruffing do here in cruisy wins.

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The View from the Gangplank July 1, 1933
 

Our injury woes persist as Swift is hurt in a bad loss to open the month and needs to go for a minimum IL stint. We claim Joe Strong off Waivers as a purely stopgap measure – things have got that dire among our staff. Then Dihigo picks up a knee niggle but thankfully he’ll be able to be nursed through it. All in all, however, it is bit of a messy start to the month as our pitchers get beat up pretty bad on a number of occasions.

Our pitching continues to struggle but our bats fire up and we string together some wins yet again. In fact, we manage to best our season high of 6 straight with 9 on the go to briefly move into first place.

That doesn’t last long as we revert to some inconsistent form over the rest of the month, but still finish it with a 17-10 mark and well in the hunt.

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The bats continue to be our driving force, with our starting eight now all hitting at least 270. Power numbers remain down, however, with only Dihigo in double-figures to this point with 10. Still, this side of our game is firing on all cylinders.

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If not precisely a shambles, our pitching is nevertheless our big worry. Neither Newsom nor Hildebrand seem up for SPing in the bigs just yet but these injuries of ours leave us little choice but to use them as if they are. Swift will be back soon, I just sent him to AAA for a freshen-up. As for Derringer, given he won't even be eligible for the roster if we do make the WS, if he does make it back this year it will be off to Wilkes-Barre for a rehab stint for him to see the season out. Foster seems to slowly be finding his groove and Trent has been our rock all year.

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It is still incredibly tight in both divs, with the Yanks coming back to the pack this month as both the White Sox and Tigers make their move. Our half of the draw seems a race in four, with just 3 1/2 games separating Philly, ourselves, Boston and the Jints as we approach the halfway point.

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Turkey Stearnes looks a sure thing for the AL Triple Crown, leading each category comfortably. He also registers his 1500th career hit this month, while Joe Sewell reaches the 2000 plateau. John Beckwith belts his 300th HR, Mel Ott #200.


Awards, news, leaders.

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