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1907 June
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We finish out our long series against the baby Bears well, winning five of seven to briefly take a share of the lead, then three wins from four against the Doves gets us solo top spot for the first time this season.
Ourselves, the Cubs and Phillies flip-flop throughout the remainder of what is a fairly uneventful first half of the month. But then a dreadful home series against Philadelphia, in which we lose three of four and score just 5 runs on a handful of hits, rattles the nerves a bit. Thankfully we seem to get past this bump in the road fairly quickly and get back to winning more than we lose. Meanwhile, the Cards have put together a nice little stretch, winning 12 straight to affix themselves to the leading bunch. That bunch is incredibly bunched come month-end, with us a half-game clear of the Cards and the Phillies another game back from them. Our 17-11 June leaves us at 43-29 overall. Hot / Not
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1907 July
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Tempered aspirations for this month, just wanting to remain in close contact with the lead to position ourselves nicely for a sustained stretch run. Anything above that is gravy. Strong series against the Cards and Phillies are the perfect way to start.
The league cancelled the Reserve Clause after the ’06 season which means that Free Agency has been introduced. I have been slowly working my way through the players signing those we want and with whom we are keen to avoid arb. In the process thereof, Charlie Hickman told us point blank he wasn’t interested in re-signing and wanted to test the market. While I respect his wish to do so, it leaves us in a bind if we can’t find a replacement. And so, somewhat reluctantly given how smoothly things seem to be going, I end up pre-empting his departure thus: TRADE 1 OF 5: (07/11): 1B Charlie Hickman and P John Skopec traded to Philadelphia (AL) for IF Del Howard. I’ve had my eye on Del since he entered the league in 1905, and his form this year has only intensified my interest. He plays all but 3B as well so that should add to our versatility, although he’ll man 1B for the most part. He is also under team control until 1915, although I’ll try and lock him down for at least a few years. We lose a solid lefty reliever in Skopec, but that frees up a spot for Babe Adams to come up. Hopefully this is a good move for us both now and in the seasons to come. We suffer a bit of a stumble against the Giants, losing three of three including back-to-back walkoffs, before bouncing back with four wins from four against the Doves, although our performance in this series is far from convincing. We keep it going with a couple wins against Philly, and in the middle of this series a fantastic trade virtually falls into my lap: TRADE 2 OF 5: (07/26): OF Billy Maloney, SS Lee DeMontreville and OF Gene Good traded to New York (AL) for OF Zaza Harvey. Zaza is an absolute gun, but for whatever reason things between him and the Highlanders weren’t working out. This is a huge gain for us, and for very little cost indeed. Especially so close on the heels of the Howard deal, I believe this the missing piece of the puzzle for our offence. Billy has been a fantastic servant to this ballclub but this is a clear and sizeable upgrade for us. Despite Zaza tripling in a run on debut, we drop his first game after Altrock is injured early and then Phillippe implodes to let them pinch it from us in the 9th, snapping our string at six. It seems only a niggle for Nick, but we play it safe and IL him, moving Maddox into the rotation for the first time. We finish off another strong month in questionable style against the struggling Doves, dropping one and then just scraping through in the next on a 12th-inning bases-loaded walk by Howard. That gives us a 17-8 July and puts us at 60-37, two clear of the Phillies with the Cards a further 2½ behind them. Hot
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1907 August
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An iffy start to the month with a couple heavy losses just shaking our confidence and stalling the momentum we’d built up in July. Thankfully it doesn’t hurt us much on the standings as both the Phillies and Cards also struggle for consistent form.
We get Nick Altrock back from the IL but I decide to let Nick Maddox show us what he’s got for a bit longer and so Altrock goes into the pen for now. We seem to put this behind us with a really strong four-game road sweep of Brooklyn, only to undo our good work with a couple of poor losses at 37-71 Boston, including a 6-5 walkoff after we led by five. Yet again, however, our rivals fail to punish us for our wastefulness. After a period where we alternate wins and losses literally on a daily basis, we win four of five to finish off the month on a positive note, with an emphatic 12-3 home win on the very last day a real statement to our nearest rivals, against whom we still have six to play. That win, which gives us a ?-? record for August, puts us 5½ games ahead of St. Louis at 75-46, with the Phillies still within reach at 7 GB. Hot
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1907 Stretch
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A touch of deja-vu all over again, with us in basically the same position we were in this time last season. Let’s hope the outcome is entirely different.
We start the season in nervous fashion, dropping a couple of games to Cincy in each of which we muster just five hits. We win two of three against the Cubs and split a two-gamer with the Reds, as the Phillies keep coming and close to within five. The Cards, who we meet next for six, are a game in back of them. Straight away we put ourselves under enormous pressure with two bad home losses. The Phillies are charging and all the ghosts of ’06 float back into the picture, as we go on to drop seven straight and it’s all gone to hell in a handbag just like it did last year at almost the identical time. I’m so mad I can hardly see straight. We host Brooklyn for four a game-and-a-half clear of Philadelphia and two ahead of the Cards. A split there and then two wins from three against the Jints reduces that further so that, as we enter a four-game road series at the Doves, we lead by just one, with the Cards still the same margin back. A big 11-1 win the first game comes at a cost, with Nick Maddox injured. It forms part of a double-header in which Matty McIntyre has 7 hits, with the nightcap a wild 12-6 win. We get away with one the next day, scoring 3 in the 9th to walk it off 4-3, and finish off the sweep with a 5-1 win behind Camnitz. Maddox is gone for the year with a torn meniscus. I have neither the time nor energy right now to contemplate what that means longer-term. Altrock back into the spin, Tacks Neuer gets his first taste of the bigs. Again, the parallels with last season are uncanny as we host the Phillies for four up by 1½ with our magic number at 6. Chesbro gets us a 6-1 win in the opener and then, in what may prove the key moment of the season, Del Howard gets us a 4-3 walkoff win with an RBI single the next day. Not home yet by any stretch, but one more will do it. The Cards are gone. We fail miserably the next day, blown out 7-0, which means Nick Altrock, making his first start in months, has to beat Al Orth, against whom we have historically had problems. We lose it 5-3. So nothing has changed from the start of the series apart from the vital factor of four less games to defend our lead over. That lead jumps to two on our off day as Big Six Mathewson does us a solid and beats the Phils. Magic Number = 1. Two left, at Cincinnati. Chesbro v Hahn in the opening game. We lose 5-2. The Phillies have won their final game, putting us both at 91 wins. It all comes down to game 154 as to whether a dreaded tiebreaker will be needed. Cy Young v George Bell. We win it 1-0 as Young shuts them out on 5 hits for his 29th – and obviously most crucial – win of the season. Sweet. Relief. I’m off to get a pacemaker fitted. Hot
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1907 World Series Preview
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Chicago White Sox (89-65) v Pittsburgh Pirates (92-62)
Best-of-seven, Sox with the home-field advantage. CHICAGO WHITE SOX S+ PAGE PITTSBURGH PIRATES S+ PAGE How much left in the tank do these two sides have after such epic stretch runs? That is the key question here. I can’t speak for them, but if our guys are anything to go by then both sides are operating on fumes. Then again, the World Series has some strangely recuperative powers. It’s easy – and, in my opinion a rookie error – to focus all of your attention on Collins when assessing the ’07 White Sox, same as if you do so with Wagner in our squad. They have a bunch of weapons, including Fielder Jones, Frank Chance and Erve Beck, along with one of the best pitchers in the game in Ed Walsh leading a really solid rotation. So we will be treating each player with the respect they are due. This should be a fantastic match-up involving two sides desperate to make worth having endured what they’ve just been through these past six weeks. |
1907 World Series - Game One
Game 1 in Chicago, October 10th 1907
Ed Walsh (28-13, 2.58) v Jack Chesbro (23-20, 2.32) A huge challenge from the off against Walsh, who is an out-and-out gun. We need Jack to keep us close enough and see how we go from there. A dreadful start as the first three hitters go triple-double-double to post a deuce. We actually outhit them thru five but fail to take our chances until finally getting on the board with one in the 6th, singled in by Howard. Jack is certainly doing his bit after his early wobble, and then Leach puts us ahead in the 7th with a 2-run homer that bounces off the foul pole, only for them to tie it up in the home half. Our defence has improved over the past few seasons, but Wagner continues to be a problem in this area. His second error for the game gifts them the go-ahead run in the 8th and we look done for. But this amazing lineup finds another level and ties it up on three hits in the 9th, with Bresnahan knocking it in with a single, and have two in scoring position with just one out. But Harvey, one of the best hitters in the game, lets us down in the clutch and they stay where they are. I’ve hit for Jack in the process, so it’s Altrock facing them for the bottom 9th, which he negotiates no problem. We get two on in the 11th but just can’t get the key hit, then go ahead in the next on a McIntyre double, our 16th hit of the game to their 9. It’s up to Babe Adams to close it out, but they lead off with a double and the runner gets to third as they make the second out of the inning. Beck triples and it is tied at 5. We again get a rally going in the 13th, putting men at the points with one out, and this time Harvey brings it in to get our noses back in front. A two-out single by Wagner with an error by their RF puts runners at second and third. I decide to hit Clymer for Adams and he doesn’t let us down, doubling both men in to make it 8-5. Now it’s up to Charlie Rhodes. A 1-2-3 inning finally ends it. What a start to the series. Pittsburgh 8, Philadelphia 5 (13 innings) BOX SCORE |
1907 World Series - Game Two
Game 2 in Chicago, October 11th 1907
Eddie Cicotte (20-19, 3.16) v Cy Young (29-12, 2.09) Pittsburgh leads series 1-0 Our Game 154 hero has the chance to put us in a really strong spot heading home to Pittsburgh, but we’ll have to handle the tricky Eddie Cicotte if we are to get the win. We fall behind early again as they tag Cy for two in the second, and seem sluggish from the get-go. Cicotte adds a third a few innings later with a two-out single and another man is nailed at home by a great assist by Murphy. They just keep wailing on Young, who looks a shell of his usual self, and further pad their lead with a pair in the 5th. That’s it for him in this one as I go to the bullpen. We have just two hits to this point and look gone. We load them up but fail to score in the 8th and in the end, this is a simple math equation: it took us 19 hits to beat them yesterday; little chance of us winning this one with just 4. And we don’t. Chicago 5, Pittsburgh 0 BOX SCORE |
1907 World Series - Game Three
Game 3 in Pittsburgh, October 13th 1907
Howie Camnitz (18-13, 2.67) v Andy Coakley (21-18, 2.51) Series tied 1-1 For the first time in the series it is we who open the scoring, as Honus knocks one in for us in the 1st with a two-out hit. A single and a walk load them up and Steinfeldt comes through to wipe them clean with a triple. Camnitz, despite a couple scoreless innings, is looking shaky, and they tag him for a run in the third on a Collins double. Both hurlers settle right down and hold sway thru the middle innings, with it still 4-1 until we add one in the bottom 6th on a Murphy groundout. Howie has done really well but gets a bit woolly in the 8th, putting two on and so I go to the pen. Altrock gets us out of the inning with no runs conceded. They get one on in the 9th but Nick shuts them down for the win. Pittsburgh 5, Chicago 1 BOX SCORE |
1907 World Series - Game Four
Game 4 in Pittsburgh, October 14th 1907
Jack Chesbro (0-0, 3.38) v Ed Walsh (0-1, 4.97) Pittsburgh leads series 2-1 I think it’s fair to presume we won’t be getting our own way as much with Walsh this time around as in Game 1. Harvey, just 2-for-15, is the key man we need to lift from this point on. Leach, hitting 143, is another. A couple of poor pieces of baserunning – including Chesbro being doubled up at third after tripling – cost us runs early, but they make two errors in the 3rd and Wagner and Foster both cash in with two-out RBI singles to put us ahead. Jack doesn’t give up a hit until the 4th but we extend our lead in the home half of that inning after they misplay two more grounders, but leave another man at third whom we should have plated. We do score again in the next, with Howard singling one in as Wagner and Foster are both causing plenty of trouble for Walsh. A sac fly by McIntyre makes it 5-0 later that same inning and we end up leaving them loaded. We ride our luck as they leave them full in the 6th and Wagner spills one in the 7th, but this one is all about Happy Jack Chesbro, who pitches a 4-hit shutout to get us within a win of taking the prize. Pittsburgh 5, Chicago 0 BOX SCORE |
1907 World Series - Game Five
Game 5 in Pittsburgh, October 15th 1903
Cy Young (0-1, 9.00) v Eddie Cicotte (1-0, 0.00) Pittsburgh leads series 3-1 Not in any way getting ahead of myself when I say this, but Young clinching tonight would be most apropos given the stellar season he had and role he played in getting us here. In reality, I just want a better start from him than the shocker he posted in G2. They take a 1-0 lead in the 2nd as Collins continues to give our pitchers fits, and that run holds deep into the game as our bats just cannot solve the wily Cicotte. The outs tick by and nothing doing. Cy is magnificent, allowing just 3 hits, but it looks to be all in vain as we go into the 9th still down 1-0. Foster leads off with a single and I put in Cannell, who also gets on with a base hit. A Steinfeldt GIDP moves the runner to third but leaves us with just one out left. Then Murphy comes through for us with the tying RBI single. We give it straight back in the 10th, with Collins again in the thick of it. Back we come again, as Clymer – hitting for Young – singles and a one-out walk to Bresnahan puts the championship-winning run aboard. Harvey singles to load them up for Dutchie. He, of all people, hits into a game-ending 1-2-3 double play. This game will break your heart and kill you, won’t it? Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 1 (10 innings) BOX SCORE |
1907 World Series - Game Six
Game 6 in Chicago, October 17th 1907
Andy Coakley (0-1, 5.62) v Howie Camnitz (1-0, 1.23) Philadelphia leads series 4-1 Well, now we have to do it the hard way. One win from two on the road, with the boys still reeling from how Game 5 slipped from their grasp. This will test their gumption, that’s for sure and certain. They come out swinging but it takes a two-out error for us to score as Honus again fails miserably in the bases-loaded clutch. We get at least one baserunner every inning but just can’t get a second run. In the 7th we leave two in scoring position yet again. Camnitz has a no-no going until the leadoff man in the 8th gets on with an infield hit. Fortunately, that leads to nothing and we still hold onto our slim lead entering the 9th. They get their second hit with one out. Chance flies out to left to get us within one out of the end, with Collins up. He gets on with an infield hit. Beck doubles and they walk it off. Unbelievable. Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 1 BOX SCORE |
1907 World Series - Game Seven
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Game 7 in Chicago, October 18th 1907
Ed Walsh (0-2, 3.92) v Jack Chesbro (1-0, 1.59) Series tied 3-3 No point in saying anything, you all know what’s what. I will add one thing, however: I’ve got a bad feeling about this. Beck gets us again to score the opening run with a single in the 4th. We have, over the course of the past three games, completely lost the ability to drive in runs. The outs tick down and we don’t look a remote chance of scoring, and when they add a second in the 7th the sunset looms. Murphy leads off the 8th with a single but the rally is snuffed out by Bresnahan, simply having a dire series, who GIDPs. Again we get the leadoff man on in the 9th but he’s still there with two out. Howard then doubles to give us one final chance, men at second and third with McIntyre due up. I put Cannell in for him. He flies out to CF and it is over. We've nobody to blame but ourselves. Without taking anything away from Chicago, who fully deserve the win, we lost this as much as anything. We threw it away – twice – and then do anywhere near enough to get it back. We have to live with that. Chicago 2, Pittsburgh 0 CHICAGO WINS SERIES 4-3. SERIES MVP: Eddie Cicotte (Chicago) BOX SCORE |
1907 Awards & Leaders
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AL 1907 HISTORY INDEX
NL 1907 HISTORY INDEX AWARDS HISTORY Walter Johnson wins the AL CYA as a rookie. Honus Wagner wins his 5th NL MVP. HR back in line but trips blew out a bit this year. Not too bad, but again, bears watching. |
A quick word about Rube Waddell
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7 seasons in, 7 NL Cy Young Awards for Rube. I've never seen one player dominate like this. Strasburg won 6 over the course of his career in one save, but his 100% strike rate is something else, as are the numbers he has put up so far:
Simply outstanding. |
1907/08 Rookie Draft
Held on 12/20/07.
Our biggest group of Legacies to this point, albeit one of lesser obvious quality than some of its predecessors. These are the Legacy Players for the 1908 season:
Birdie Cree (15.4; 742 – conceded (one club player)) was also eligible for the Highlanders, but Warhop’s higher WAR makes him the selection. Doc Crandall (21.2 WAR; 217) was also eligible for the Giants, but Marquard’s higher WAR makes him the selection. Ed Summers (10.5; 138 – conceded (one-club player)) was also eligible for the Tigers, but Bush’s higher WAR makes him the selection. Smoky Joe Wood (39.9; 225) was also eligible for the Red Sox, but Gardner’s higher WAR makes him the selection. There are 124 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 5 rounds. The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1907 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round): Round 1 1. Boston Red Sox (396) – Larry Gardner 2. Chicago Cubs (704) – Hippo Vaughn 3. Detroit Tigers (613) – Donie Bush 4. St. Louis Cardinals (340) – Slim Sallee 5. Philadelphia Phillies (565) – Gavvy Cravath 6. New York Giants (536) – Rube Marquard 7. Philadelphia Athletics (607) – Amos Strunk 8. New York Highlanders (473) – Jack Warhop 9. Cleveland Naps (559) – Jack Graney 10. Washington Senators (325) 11. Boston Doves (392) 12. Cincinnati Reds (431) 13. Brooklyn Superbas (439) 14. St. Louis Browns (454) 15. Chicago White Sox (576) 16. Pittsburgh Pirates (591) Rounds 2 thru 5 1. Washington Senators (325) 2. St. Louis Cardinals (340) 3. Boston Doves (392) 4. Boston Red Sox (396) 5. Cincinnati Reds (431) 6. Brooklyn Superbas (439) 7. St. Louis Browns (454) 8. New York Highlanders (473) 9. New York Giants (536) 10. Cleveland Naps (559) 11. Philadelphia Phillies (565) 12. Chicago White Sox (576) 13. Pittsburgh Pirates (591) 14. Philadelphia Athletics (607) 15. Detroit Tigers (613) 16. Chicago Cubs (704) No Legacy for us this year and so, due to a combination of the high number of Legacies and there being a few quality players who don’t qualify for the designation, this is the first really interesting Draft for us. Joe Jackson – whose 674 games for Cleveland was the most he played for any club – heads the list of available Draftees. Others in the mix include outfielders Birdie Cree, Fred Snodgrass, Vin Campbell, Owen Wilson, Josh Devore and Beals Becker; pitchers Smoky Joe Wood and Harry Krause; and infielders Home Run Baker, Dick Hoblitzel and Amby McConnell. There’s no doubt in my mind that, if he is still available, Joe will be our choice. However, we are unfortunately seventh and last to pick of the teams without a Legacy, which means the likelihood of him being so is remote. That’s when I’ll have a tough decision to make. Then again, not that tough – worst case scenario we’re still guaranteed of a handy player from Round One. After the Legacies are out of the way, it is Washington to pick first. They take Shoeless. A wise move, but now it’s back to the drawing board for us. The Doves take Baker, the Reds take Cree, the Superbas take Joe Wood. The Browns take southpaw Harry Krause, who was in all likelihood going to be our first pick. Bummer. The White Sox go a little off-track and pick pitcher Joe Lake. Our turn. After a quick sit rep, we make our decision. Here’s who we take: 1. OF Vin Campbell
An utterly engrossing Draft that completely changes the complexion of this league. Watch out for the Sens now, who all of a sudden have some offence to help The Big Train win more games. FULL DRAFT LOG |
1908 The First Time Around
Two incredibly close races, with the NL of course culminating in the infamous “boner” by Fred Merkle to get the Cubs home.
AL CHAMPIONS: Detroit Tigers (90-63) NL CHAMPIONS: Chicago Cubs (99-55) WORLD SERIES: Cubs 4, Tigers 1 Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com) NL Hitters 1. HONUS WAGNER, PITTSBURGH
AL Hitters 1. TY COBB, DETROIT
NL Pitchers 1. CHRISTY MATHEWSON, NEW YORK
AL Pitchers 1. ADDIE JOSS, CLEVELAND
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