The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over
 

The Bucs are, as most if not all of you would know, the Pittsburgh Pirates, one of the MLB foundation teams who began in the American Association in 1881 as the Pittsburgh Allegheny before joining the National League in 1887. They moved to the NL East when divisional play began in 1969, eventually ending up in their current slot in the Central Division.

The Bucs had one of the game’s first true superstars in Honus Wagner and enjoyed early success, winning the first three NL pennants after the AL had come into existence to form Major League baseball, and then the World Series in 1909. Since then, they have won just four more Championships – 1925, 1960, 1971 and 1979. They have won 9 NL Pennants all up, the last being that 1979 squad. The four-plus decades since have been fairly lean for the Buccos, with some heartbreaking losses in the NL Championship Series in the early 90s and a smattering of Wild Card appearances in the 2010s that led nowhere. The franchise is currently in pretty poor shape, with only a couple of winning seasons since their last playoff appearance in 2015.

Even though I’m actually an A’s fan, I think they deserve better.


Premise

This sim will start in 1901 and follow the historical course of MLB to the present day as far as league expansion and franchise relocations are concerned. I will be acting as the Pirates’ GM and Manager throughout.

Teams will play at their historical parks with Garlon’s quadratic factors in use, as well as some tweaking on my part to reflect L/R splits. All historical uniforms and logos will be applied.

Coaching is ON. Owner goals are OFF. Storylines are ON. Lineups TRADITIONAL.

AI evaluation settings are 32/37/21/11. 5-year recalc with double-weighted current season. Neutralized stats for ratings / peak seasons for POT / fielding and pitcher stamina based on entire career. Historical LTMs with actual BABIP as per BBRef.

Injuries are set to LOW. Suspensions NORMAL. TCR 110 for now but may get ticked up a wee bit over time.

Financials are ON and will also follow the default settings throughout.

Historical MLB Schedules used, with 3-week Spring Training. Playoffs as per history.

Trading difficulty is set two notches toward HARD with the same slider setting toward favouring prospects. I’ll get to some house trading rules and roster settings in a bit.

No historical transactions, missed seasons, or retirements are being applied.

Most other settings are as per the defaults, set to evolve automatically with the league.

This being my first full historical venture, I’m going to learn as I go along and tinker accordingly as per what I’m seeing play out.

I’m the first to admit I have a tendency toward oversharing in my saves. This one will suffer no such logorrhoea. Given it aims to cover 120+ seasons, I want to whizz through it at a brisk pace. I am no longer a young man... I’ll be doing a lot of behind the scenes work for strategy and AI settings then just fast-simming games daily. One punchy report per month throughout each season is the plan, with a quick off- / pre-season recap to set up the next one. A few updates if any major settings changes occur. I love what 3fBrown has done with his Replay League so I’m also going to provide summaries of important players – both from the Pirates and elsewhere – as they retire. I'm also in the process of adding this save to my Stats+ pages so you'll be able to follow along and immerse yourself as deeply as you want to. That’s it. Might change, but I doubt it. Let’s see how things roll.

Rosters

The Active Roster will begin at 20 and be ticked up to 25 as new players come in to allow some depth. Reserve Clause in effect as per default settings until it changes IRL.

I’ll be handling minors manually. Just going to have 3 all told: 1930 – AAA; 1950 – AA; 1970 – A. I’ll handpick appropriate MiLB franchises to best represent the historical ones without having to move them around all the time.

Max age for players on Active Roster is 45, so as to avoid the phenomenon I’ve read a lot about happening whereby players keep playing into their dotage if the “retire according to history” setting isn’t applied. Apologies to Phil Niekro and Satchel Paige.

AI trading has been set to VERY LOW. No Draft Pick trading allowed.


Legacy Players

While I want this sim to have its own life and create its own history, I also want there to be some level of verisimilitude to the past it is recreating. To achieve the balance of these two factors I wany, I’ve come up with the concept of “Legacy Players”.

As new rookies enter the league, a process will be put in place whereby a selection of these players go to the franchise with which they are most readily associated from their IRL careers.

Rules for Legacy Player Eligibility

For a player to be classed a “Legacy”, they must fulfil the following criteria:

• Minimum career WAR of 10
• Minimum 1200 games (position players) OR 200 games (pitchers) OR more than 90% of career games played for one or more franchises

In the cases where a player is an eligible Legacy for more than one franchise, it does not come down to which club a player played more games for. If he played 1000+ games or pitched 200+ games for one club, then went to another club and played more games there then he is eligible for both and it comes down to whichever club has the higher Draft Pick that year.

This is probably the best time to explain how I’ll be doing Drafts.

I like the idea of dominant franchises and underdogs overcoming that dominance. Drafts aim for parity. I don’t want parity in this save.

And so, rather than the Draft order being based on standings from the previous season in the save, it will be based on standings from the previous season according to history.

This should provide some really interesting shifts of dynamic as teams do well or poorly in the save but did the opposite, historically-speaking.

To begin with, the Rookie Draft will be held in December each year. This will almost certainly change at some point to mid-year as is done now IRL. The number of rookies entering the league will determine the number of Rounds in the Draft each year.

In each Rookie Draft, each franchise is able to claim one Legacy, as long as they meet the criteria stipulated above. This player will be whichever has the highest career WAR total.

These players are then reserved and selected by the respective franchise with their 1st Round Pick (or their higher pick in the 1st Round if they have received compensatory supplemental picks).

Other rookies will be selected by career WAR to complete the 1st Round picks for teams without Legacy Players in that year’s Draft. After that the AI (and myself for the Bucs) will handle things as per normal.


House Trading Rules

With respect to Pittsburgh, some additional rules are to be imposed:

1. No Legacy from another club can be acquired unless that player is offered in a trade instigated by their club or has become a Free Agent.
2. All Pirates legacies must be retained for 10 full seasons.
3. Only five instigated trades may be conducted per calendar year.

1901 Inaugural Draft

The Inaugural Draft Order was decided by the roll of 5 dice, with the Draft itself held prior to the 1901 season.

Each club was allocated their first 3 legacies. Because I wanted the league to be as competitive as possible from the off, for this season only these players were those with the highest WAR for the club in the IRL 1901 season, with at least 1 position player and 1 pitcher, all at or under their age-30 season.

These players, who were selected in the first three rounds of the Draft, are as follows:

• Baltimore Orioles: P Joe McGinnity; 1B Mike Donlin; P Harry Howell
• Boston Americans: SS Freddy Parent; 1B Buck Freeman; P Ted Lewis
• Boston Beaneaters: P Vic Willis; P Bill Dinneen; 2B Gene DeMontreville
• Brooklyn Superbas: OF Jimmy Sheckhard; P Bill Donovan; 1B Joe Kelley
• Chicago Orphans: OF Topsy Hartsel; OF Danny Green; P Rube Waddell
• Chicago White Sox: P Jimmy Callahan; P Roy Patterson; OF Fielder Jones
• Cincinnati Reds: P Noodles Hahn; OF Sam Crawford; C Heinie Peitz
• Cleveland Blues: P Earl Moore; 3B Bill Bradley; P Pete Dowling
• Detroit Tigers: P Roscoe Miller; P Joe Yeager; SS Kid Elberfeld
• Milwaukee Brewers: 1B John Anderson; P Bill Reidy; P Ned Garvin
• New York Giants: P Christy Mathewson; SS George Davis; IF Sammy Strang
• Philadelphia Athletics: 2B Nap Lajoie; P Eddie Plank; P Snake Wiltse
• Philadelphia Phillies: P Al Orth; OF Elmer Flick; P Red Donahue
• Pittsburgh Pirates: UT Honus Wagner; P Deacon Phillippe; P Jack Chesbro
• St. Louis Cardinals: SS Bobby Wallace; OF Emmet Heidrich; P Jack Powell
• Washington Senators: P Bill Carrick; 2B / OF John Farrell; P Casey Patten

From this point on, the official Legacy Player rules will be adhered to.

This exercise is dedicated to Brad K and all those other long-suffering Bucs fans out there. Hope I can do you proud!

NEXT: THE WAGNER YEARS

Wow, just wow. Thank you.

I don't read the dynasty forum and I wouldn't have found this except I searched "eval" trying to confirm the default AI evaluation settings. Which you did!

You have some interesting concepts. They should make the game more fun.

Consider it as thanks for always taking an interest in my little universes bud.

BTW Those weren't the eval defaults I quoted, but rather the settings I've come up with through trial and error.

Oh, well then I must have seen the eval defaults elsewhere and got confused.

Anyway its still great.

Always have had a soft spot for the Pirates. I'll be following along! The draft and Legacy ideas will be interesting for sure!

Thanks mate I think it should be a good one.

One thing about the Legacies that isn't perhaps immediately apparent is that it can be to a club's detriment to have a Legacy in some years.

For example, if a club has a high Draft Pick and there are some really high-quality non-Legacies in the Pool, but they instead have to pick a lower-quality player because of the Legacy Rules.

For us there's also the fact that we're stuck with them for 10 seasons, no matter what.

So it can - and should, over the course of the 120-odd years I plan to cover with this sim - very much work both ways, in a totally random luck-of-the-draw fashion.

That should add an interesting twist indeed.

1901 Foundation Squad
 

After the Draft, we have a squad of 25 players that I'm fairly happy with. That said, there are a couple of glaring holes that need plugging. I use the first 2 of my 5 trades to try and do so.

TRADE 1/5 (01/15): CF Bill Friel and P Ed Doheny to Washington for UT Charlie Dexter.

With only 20 on the Active, flexibility is key. Dexter plays every position except pitcher and LF, the latter of which he'd have no issue filling it at. He's handy with the bat to boot. My kinda guy.


TRADE 2/5: (04/05): 1B Jiggs Donahue to Washington for 3B Charlie Irwin and LHP Win Kellum.

The one spot we have little depth at is SS. Irwin is merely a stop-gap backup there and at the hot corner until we can get our hands on someone more long-term. They threw Kellum in for nix. He's better than that. Plus, how can you not want a pitcher whose first name in Win on your roster?


OK, so after a ST that seems like a dream so well does it go, here's our final foundation squad (legacies will appear throughout in PURPLE):

CATCHERS

Ossee Schreckengrost: Far from the best backstop in the game, but the best available and should provide solid service both at and behind the plate.

Charlie Luskey: pure filler who'll see very little action and is RR bound once we need the spot.

INFIELDERS

Honus Wagner: Needs no introduction. Will play SS and hit at 3.

Jimmy Williams: The Laurel to Wagner's Hardy. Excellent across-the-board hitter with both solid contact and plenty of pop. Will bat clean-up and man 2B with the occasional fill-in at 3B.

Harry Steinfeldt: Our everyday man at the hot corner who projects to start off OK and get really good.

Danny Murphy: Selected as much – and even perhaps more – for his leadership qualities as his talents on the diamond. That said, he’s no slouch and will get plenty of game time at 2B and RF.

Jim Delahanty: A longer-term 1B / 2B project who won’t see much live game time initially but looks a good type.

Charlie Dexter: Will fill in where needed as needed. Will probably see most of his action from behind home plate.

Charlie Irwin: Will rarely start. The rickety lifeboat should - touch every wood known to man or beast - anything scupper SS Wagner.

OUTFIELDERS

Matty McIntyre: More of a slap hitter but an excellent plate discipline that should see him with a high OBP. Plus defensively in LF and solid in RF.

Lefty Davis: Speedy type with sharp eye at the plate, which makes him the perfect leadoff man. Will be our everyday RF although is only average in the field.

Billy Maloney: More journeyman than superstar, but will start off as our #1 CF. Also plays catcher, which enhanced his appeal.

Fred Ketcham: Pure RR filler.


ROTATION

Jack Chesbro (R): One of the club leaders and certainly the boss of the rotation. This will be his age-26 season so he's just about to enter his prime.

Deacon Phillippe (R): The ideal SP2. A slight step down in quality but a true workhorse who should give our rotation the stability and reliability it needs at its core.

Mike O’Neill (R): Just 24, and may struggle at this level to begin with but looks a likely type when he fully matures.

Frank Owen (R): All going accordingly, he'll eventually be the ace of this club. Only 21 now so I'll just be happy if he holds his own.

BULLPEN

John Malarkey (R): was so surprised to see him still in the pool in the 25th round. A nice surprise indeed, as he'll be our stopper this year.

Wiley Piatt (L): Will be our first-resource southpaw reliever. A real livewire.

Doc McJames (R): Perhaps our key reliever. Will be handed the ball for long relief duties whenever the starters struggle.

Cowboy Jones (L): A bit of a placeholder until some of the others come on. Will be mainly used for mop and slop.

Nick Altrock (L): A bit too much of a nibbler for my liking, a habit we'll be trying to coach out of him as he spends time on the RR.

Buttons Briggs (R): Will only see time in the short-term if injuries and/or form decree.

Joe Corbett (R): I really like the look of this guy and reckon he’s a bit of a dark horse, especially if we can get his mind how it needs to be as he has a few issues with regard to application and dedication. In the meantime, he’ll start on the RR.

Win Kellum (L): My earlier comments notwithstanding, if Win has made it onto the Active Roster, it means we are in all sorts of strife.

NEXT: SEASON 1901, THE BIRTH OF THE MLB

1901 The First Time Around
 

Philadelphia Athletics second-baseman Nap Lajoie is the star attraction in 1901, winning the AL Batting Triple Crown with a .426 BA / 14 HR / 126 RBI line. Despite his outstanding efforts, the A’s finish mid-standings.

On Opening Day, nearly two-thirds of all AL players are NL veterans. Some familiar names to fall into this category include Cy Young, Jimmy Collins, Nap Lajoie, John McGraw, Mike Donlin, Joe McGinnity, Clark Griffith and Hugh Duffy.
On the 24th of April, the Chicago White Sox – mainly by dint of the fact that the other three AL games are rainouts – wins the very first game in the American League, beating the Cleveland Blues 8-2.

Cleveland draws 6500 fans to its home opener, more than the Spiders had attracted in the same city over the entire 1899 season. Overall, the newly-formed AL almost matches the so-called “senior circuit” with an average attendance per game of 3100 vs the NL’s 3500. Both the Boston Americans and Chicago White Sox outdraw their more-established cross-city rivals.

Cy Young, now pitching for the Boston Americans in his age-33 season, proves his former employer, Cardinals boss Frank Robison, wrong in his opinion that Young is over the hill by putting together a 33-10 record with a 1.62 ERA over an astonishing 371.1 innings. Even more astounding: he walks just 37 batters all season.

Results-wise, in the National League the Pirates take first place in mid-June and never give it back, eventually taking the flag by seven games. Honus Wagner, who very nearly joined the ranks of the defectors to the AL, continues his offensive dominance of seasons prior, batting .353 and leading the NL with 126 RBIs and 49 steals. The Bucs’ starting rotation, featuring three right-handers in Deacon Phillippe (22-12, 2.22 ERA), Jack Chesbro (21-10, 2.38), Sam Leever (14-5, 2.86) and a southpaw Jesse Tannehill (18-10, 2.18) put together the league’s best ERA.

Meanwhile in the American League, the Chicago White Sox / Stockings parlay their way to the pennant with all the hallmarks of their early 20th-century playing style—great pitching, astute baserunning and light hitting. Veteran player-manager Clark Griffith leads the way with a 24-7 / 2.67 campaign, ably supported by rookie Roy Patterson (20-16 / 3.37), as the White Stockings see off a mid-season rally from the Boston Americans to win the flag by four games.

At the time, this is all the glory to be had. The World Series is still but a glint in Ban Johnson’s eye.


Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. HONUS WAGNER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .353 average, 101 runs, 201 hits, 37 doubles, 11 triples, 6 home runs, 126 RBIs, 49 stolen bases.
• In one of the few years of the decade in which he didn’t win a batting title, Wagner still excelled at an elite level, setting a career high with 126 RBIs.

2. JIMMY SHECKARD, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .354 average, 116 runs, 19 triples, 11 home runs, 104 RBIs, .534 slugging percentage.
• The young (age 22) outfielder proved the Superbas wrong for placing him second on the depth chart behind Fielder Jones the year before.

3. ED DELAHANTY, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .354 average, 106 runs, 38 doubles, 8 home runs, 108 RBIs.
• In his last of 11 seasons before jumping to the American League—and reportedly helping others jump as well—Delahanty still possessed a wicked bat at age 33.

4. JESSE BURKETT, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .376 average, 142 runs, 226 hits, 10 home runs, 75 RBIs.
• Burkett played as if he was selling himself to the highest bidder—and that would come with the crosstown St. Louis Browns a year later.

5. ELMER FLICK, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .333 average, 112 runs, 32 doubles, 17 triples, 8 home runs, 88 RBIs.
• Like Delahanty above, Flick also was ready to scram from the Phillies—though he made the mistake of staying within state lines (moving to the A’s) and within the jurisdiction of courts who would eventually order him back to the Phillies.

6. SAM CRAWFORD, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .330 average, 16 home runs, 104 RBIs.
• Barely 21, Crawford exploded into stardom at Cincinnati following two years of monotone output; his 16 homers represented the highest season total by any major leaguer during the 1900s.

7. TOPSY HARTSEL, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .335 average, 111 runs, 74 walks, 41 stolen bases.
• After bouncing around the NL for three years, Hartsel finally found a full-time taker with the Orphans (Cubs).

8. TOM DALY, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .315 average, 38 doubles, 90 RBIs.
• The 35-year-old veteran finally logged his first season of 500+ at-bats and made them count, easily setting career highs in doubles and RBIs before fading out with the White Sox over the next two years.

9. FRED CLARKE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .324 average, 118 runs, 15 triples, 6 home runs, 60 RBIs.
• In his second year as Pirates skipper-outfielder, Clarke nabbed his first of four pennants and led by example at the plate.

10. GINGER BEAUMONT, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .332 average, 120 runs, 8 home runs, 72 RBIs, 36 stolen bases.
• His slight sophomore slide behind him, the swift, red-haired Beaumont put it into overdrive for the Bucs.

AL Hitters

1. NAP LAJOIE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .426 average, 145 runs, 232 hits, 48 doubles, 14 triples, 14 home runs, 125 RBIs.
• Until (and after) Babe Ruth came along and threw the record book on its head, Lajoie’s über-dominant campaign arguably ranks as the greatest, even if it was done against fledgling AL competition.

2. BUCK FREEMAN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .339 average, 88 runs, 15 triples, 12 home runs, 114 RBIs.
• Two years after his 25 home runs nearly tied a then-major league record, Freeman qualified as a premier AL slugger by homering in double figures.

3. JIMMY WILLIAMS, BALTIMORE

• Key Numbers: .317 average, 113 runs, 21 triples, 7 home runs, 96 RBIs.
• A young rising star for the Pirates, Williams was all but kidnapped off the train to Pittsburgh spring camp by Baltimore manager John McGraw, who offered him a better baseball life with the Orioles.

4. JIMMY COLLINS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .332 average, 108 runs, 42 doubles, 16 triples, 6 home runs, 94 RBIs.
• Same city, different team, same results for the ex-Beaneaters (Braves) star.

5. MIKE DONLIN, BALTIMORE

• Key Numbers: 121 games, .340 average, 107 runs 5 home runs, 67 RBIs, 33 stolen bases.
• The talented but volatile hitting prodigy excelled in his first year at the major league level, delivering for the doomed Orioles.

6. JOHN ANDERSON, MILWAUKEE

• Key Numbers: .330 average, 190 hits, 46 doubles, 8 home runs, 99 RBIs.
• The Norway-born Anderson put on a marvelous hitting exhibition during Milwaukee’s lone year at the major league level before the Braves parked there 50 years later.

7. BILL KEISTER, BALTIMORE

• Key Numbers: 115 games, .328 average, 21 triples, 93 RBIs, 24 stolen bases.
• The Orioles loved Keister’s hitting but held their breath whenever a ball came his way at shortstop; he committed 97 errors at the position.

8. SOCKS SEYBOLD, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .334 average, 8 home runs, 90 RBIs.
• One of the few players who welcomed expanded major league employment with the birth of the AL, Seybold became a mainstay for the A’s after being buried in the minors in 1900.

9. FIELDER JONES, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .311 average, 120 runs, 84 walks, 38 stolen bases.
• Playing as a charter member of the White Sox three years before becoming their manager, Jones hit over .300 for the second of three straight years and hiked his on-base percentage to an impressive .412.

10. LAVE CROSS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .328 average, 82 runs, 28 doubles, 12 triples, 73 RBIs, 23 stolen bases.
• Cross returned to Philadelphia after spending much of the 1890s racking up solid numbers for the Phillies, and at 35 gave the A’s a vintage effort.

NL Pitchers

1. DEACON PHILLIPPE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.22 ERA, 22 wins, 12 losses, 296 innings.
• Solid if not superlative numbers for the time, Phillippe still managed to represent the NL’s best pitching package for the moment.

2. AL ORTH, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.27 ERA, 20 wins, 12 losses, 6 shutouts, 281.2 innings.
• The stingiest of three Phillies pitchers with exactly 20 wins on the year, Orth also led the NL in shutouts.

3. NOODLES HAHN, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 2.71 ERA, 22 wins, 19 losses, 375.1 innings.
• Hahn became the Reds’ workhorse because he had to; almost no one else on the staff produced an ERA below 4.00, and that’s bad news in an era named after a lifeless ball.

4. JACK CHESBRO, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.38 ERA, 21 wins, 10 losses, 6 shutouts, .677 win percentage, 287.2 innings.
• By joining Phillippe with over 20 wins (and tying Orth with six shutouts), Chesbro flourished full flower in a career that would peak three years later with a superhuman effort.

5. CHRISTY MATHEWSON, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.41 ERA, 20 wins, 17 losses, 336 innings.
• Though the AL stole most of the headlines in its inaugural campaign, the breakout effort from the 20-year-old Mathewson captured what little attention was left over for the NL.

6. WILD BILL DONOVAN, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 2.77 ERA, 25 wins, 15 losses, 45 appearances, 351 innings.
• After winning just one game over each of his previous three seasons, Donovan developed something else in common with the number one: He was number one in NL victories.

7. VIC WILLIS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.36 ERA, 20 wins, 17 losses, 305.1 innings.
• Willis found wins increasingly tough to come by as the Beaneaters sank deep in the standings for the long haul, but he managed to keep the victories ahead of pace with the losses for one of the few times while at Boston.

8. RED DONAHUE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.60 ERA, 21 wins, 13 losses, 304.1 innings.
• Four years after giving up 306 runs in one season for St. Louis, Donahue welcomed the Deadball Era with open arms and produced his best ERA yet.

9. JESSE TANNEHILL, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.18 ERA, 18 wins 10 losses.
• A relative lack of offensive support is the reason Tannehill, who delivered the lone ERA crown of his career, didn’t win 20 games for the only time over a five-year stretch.

10. JACK POWELL, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.54 ERA, 19 wins, 19 losses, 45 appearances, 338.1 innings.
• Before splitting across town to join the AL Browns, Powell gave the Cardinals one last tireless effort—but remained susceptible to the gopher ball, leading his league in allowing home runs (14) for one of four times in his career.

AL Pitchers

1. CY YOUNG, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 1.62 ERA, 33 wins, 10 losses, 371.1 innings.
• Young’s dominant AL debut led to the only ERA title he would gain in the junior circuit—and the second (and last) of his storied career.

2. CLARK GRIFFITH, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.67 ERA, 24 wins, 7 losses, .774 win percentage.
• In securing his seventh (and last) 20-win campaign before focusing more on managing and, later, ownership, Griffith was greatly aided by teammates who supported him with over seven runs per start.

3. ROSCOE MILLER, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 2.95 ERA, 23 wins, 13 losses, 332 innings.
• Miller’s solid debut with Detroit would make him a one-year wonder; he would be 16-32 over the next three years before exiting the major league scene at 27.

4. NIXEY CALLAHAN, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.42 ERA, 15 wins, 8 losses.
• Callahan might have joined Griffith as a fellow 20-game winner for the White Sox, but a broken arm kept him out of action in the season’s first month.

5. JOE MCGINNITY, BALTIMORE

• Key Numbers: 3.56 ERA, 26 wins, 20 losses, 48 appearances, 43 starts, 382 innings.
• McGinnity brought his workhorse ethic to the AL in the first of two tumultuous years with the ill-fated Orioles.

6. GEORGE WINTER, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.80 ERA, 16 wins, 12 losses.
• The young right-hander would manage to hang in Boston for the bulk of the decade, but he could never duplicate these numbers.

7. JOE YEAGER, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 2.61 ERA, 12 wins, 11 losses.
• The Tigers greatly benefitted from flash-in-the-pan pitchers; like Roscoe Miller above, Yeager’s inaugural output would be followed over the next two seasons by a 6-13 record and 4.77 ERA before he exited the majors for good.

8. ROY PATTERSON, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.37 ERA, 20 wins, 16 losses, 312.1 innings.
• Like Miller and Yeager above, Patterson’s star would also fall after a terrific first shot at it in Chicago—but unlike the others, his fade would be more gradual and not without additional honor.

9. EDDIE PLANK, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.31 ERA, 17 wins, 13 losses.
• While many pitchers on this list thrived (than died) as the AL’s shaky level of overall talent solidified, Plank—who came straight from Gettysburg College—proved he was the real deal and began his run as the AL’s all-time winning southpaw.

10. CHICK FRASER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.81 ERA, 22 wins, 16 losses, 331 innings, 32 hit-by-pitches.
• Workhorse effort for the right-hander during his one and only season in wonderland, before being brought back to reality when the courts ordered his return to the woebegone Phillies in 1902.

AL Pennant: Chicago White Sox (83-53)

NL Pennant: Pittsburgh Pirates (90-49)

World Series: Still just a glint in Ban Jonson's eye

1901 April
 

Then I guess we had to crash / Valium would’ve helped that bash, to paraphrase a nasally voice from the distant future. A strong Spring Training gives no warning of our horrendous start to the season as we lose our first four games before finally getting on the board with a spot of daylight robbery in St. Louis. We steady a bit to be 4-6 after 10 and 4-7 in April.

Good to put that in the rear-vision mirror.


Hot

• SS Honus Wagner, as you’d expect. Hitting .455 with 9 RBI. 201 OPS+. .541 wOBA. On pace for 10 WAR.
• C Ossee Schreckengost, who you might not. Second to Wagner in almost every category. 0.5 WAR. Batting .378.

Not

• Pretty much any player who has trod the mound wearing a Bucs uniform, although Phillippe’s last two starts were OK.
• 2B Jimmy Williams. While he leads the team in ribbies with 10 (tied with Steinfeldt), his .261 BA is unders and he’s actually WAR neg to this point. We need better from our cleanup guy.

Around the Leagues

• The AL schedule starts a week after the NL, but from the off the A’s show they are the side to beat with a 6-0 start that sees them simply tearing teams apart – plus 28 run diff – as Lajoie and co run amok. Detroit’s Wid Conroy also has a hot early hand.
• In the NL, Cincy cools off a bit after their torrid start to share the lead with the Beaneaters and Giants. Just 3 games separate first and last. Were the award given for this shortened opening month, there’s no doubt Boston’s Ed Delahanty would win the Batter of the Month Award for his .558 / .642 / .721 performance. He also has 1.0 WAR already, along with an OPS+ of 232 and a .604 wOBA. Hitters are in the ascendancy, with pitchers across the board being shelled to within an inch of their life.

Awards

• 04/29 POTW: AL – Mike Donlin (Baltimore) .684 / 2 HR / 6 RBI; NL – Harry Wolverton (St. Louis) .560 / 5 RBI.

1901 May
 

Without being anything near what we are looking for, May is a key month with our 16-12 record at least settling the nerves a bit and nosing us back above 500 ball.

Our offence in particular is coming around nicely, as we lead the NL with our 320 BA, 799 OPS, and 358 wOBA. Lefty Davis hits a ton (449 to be exact) for the month, Billy Maloney and Jimmy Williams each knock in 22 and Honus gets on base 30 games in a row. More of a mixed bag on the pitching side, with Frank Owen’s RotM-winning 5-0 / 2.10 month being offset by Jack Chesbro’s 4-7 / 5.29 section.

I decide to start playing Billy Maloney as our everyday catcher with Schreckengost – who has fallen into a complete hole since his first week tearaway – now his backup, thereby giving Davis increased game time.

Hot

• Our bats: NL-best 320 BA / 799 OPS / 358 wOBA.
• Lefty Davis 449 BA in May. Billy Maloney / Jimmy Williams 22 RBI.
• P Frank Owen: 5-0 / 2.10 / Rookie of the Month.
• SS Honus Wagner gets on base in 30 consecutive games.
• 2B Danny Murphy puts together a 15-game hit streak.

Not

• C Ossee Schreckengost: see above.
• Jack Chesbro: 4-7 / 5.29.

Around the Leagues

• The A’s continue to dominate the AL but the White Sox loom as legitimate challengers, just 1½ games behind.
• Frank Chance of the White Sox has started the season well, leading the AL with a 442 BA and 2.4 WAR.
• Very bunched in the NL, with just 6 games between top (Chicago; 23-17) and bottom (St. Louis; 16-22).
• A's catcher Boileryard Clarke hits in 26 straight.

Awards

• 05/06 POTW: AL – Wid Conroy (Detroit) .462 / 12 RBI; NL – Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) .433 / 2 HR / 8 RBI.
• 05/13 POTW: AL – Charlie Hickman (Baltimore) .652 / 1 HR / 11 RBI; NL – Danny Green (Chicago) .526 / 3 HR / 13 RBI.
• 05/20 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) .560 / 1 HR / 10 RBI; NL – Harry Wolverton (St. Louis) .583 / 5 RBI.
• 05/27 POTW: AL – Kid Elberfeld (Detroit) .538 / 7 RBI; NL – Bill Keister (Brooklyn) .577 / 1 HR / 9 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Charlie Hickman (Baltimore) 415 / 3 HR / 32 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 400 / 0 HR / 24 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Jack Harper (Baltimore) 7-1 / 3.23 / 23 K / 69.2 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Christy Mathewson (New York) 5-2 / 1.71 / 50 K / 63 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Ed Poole (Cleveland) 4-4 / 2.94 / 26 K / 70.1 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Frank Owen (Pittsburgh) 5-0 / 2.10 / 23 K / 51.1 IP.

1901 June
 

We get a good run on early in the month, with two four-win streaks in quick succession, but the Orphans are still going strong and we actually lose ground to them. The second half of the month is somewhat patchy as we struggle for consistency, mainly with our pitching, and our defence continues to bleed unearned runs at key moments. Still, we finish 15-9 for June and remain well in the mix.

Hot

• Matty McIntyre scores a run or more in 14 consecutive games.
• The bats continue to shine. Our 323 BA leads either league by some margin, as does our OPS of 1253, and we rank at or near the top in most offensive categories.
• Jimmy Williams. Crushed it again this month. 436 BA / 5 HR / 23 RBI.
• Deacon Phillippe. The only member of our staff outperforming. 5-1 / 2.21 in June.

Not

• Our pitching, with the exception of the afore mentioned Phillippe. 4.11 Starter ERA is 6th in the NL. If we can get this area of our game sorted, we’re a real chance.
• Defence. 154 errors put us 6th in the NL and that’s our best reading. We are dead last in both ZR and efficiency.
• Clutch performance. 8-12 in one-run games, 1-2 in extras. Need to get tougher.

Around the Leagues

• The AL has tightened right up as the A’s come to earth a bit. The White Sox, Brewers and O’s have caught up and / or passed them and just 3 ½ games separate the four of them.
• Algie McBride of the White Sox puts together a 31-game hitting streak.
• Detroit’s Sam Mertes hits for the cycle.
• A slight bifurcation in the NL, but not enough to state unequivocally that certain teams have no chance. Although the Phillies (10 ½ GB) and Cards (12 GB) are on the cusp of that designation.
• Age-33 Jake Beckley continues to defy Father Time and is having a superb season for an otherwise underwhelming Phillies club.

Awards

• 06/03 POTW: AL – Bill Bradley (Cleveland) 500 / 1 HR / 5 RBI; NL – Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 500 / 10 RBI.
• 06/10 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 455 / 5 RBI; NL – Jimmy Williams (Pittsburgh) 577 / 2 HR / 7 RBI.
• 06/17 POTW: AL – John McGraw (Milwaukee) 609 / 4 RBI; NL – Matty McIntyre (Pittsburgh) 500 / 7 RBI.
• 06/24 POTW: AL – Bill Bradley (Cleveland) 517 / 1 HR / 11 RBI; NL – George Davis (New York) 667 / 1 HR / 3 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 447 / 3 HR / 24 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Sam Crawford (Cincinnati) 443 / 3 HR / 27 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Bill Reidy (Milwaukee) 6-1 / 2.71 / 14 K / 63 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Doc Newton (Chicago) 6-1 / 1.89 / 30 K / 62 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Joe Yeager (Detroit) 4-1 / 3.02 / 10 K / 44.2 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Ed Siever (Cincinnati) 4-1 / 2.78 / 24 K / 55 IP.

1901 July
 

I would dearly love to try and pinch an early Championship. We’re close, no doubt about it. I reckon we are just a player short but cannot put my finger on exactly what we need or who that player might be. Schreckengost is a waste for us and seems the obvious bait.

But for whom? is the $64,843 question.

John McGraw stands out but we can’t afford him, plus I hear he’s a bit toxic. Sam Crawford of the Reds and Baltimore’s Mike Donlin appeal, but both are Legacy Players and therefore off-limits. Jesse Tannehill is a possibility, as he could slot into our rotation and give us some bench pop to boot. But when I canvass the Superbas their demands are unreasonable.

The search intensifies when we have easily our poorest stretch of the season in the new month’s first week, losing six straight including four at home in a horror series with the Giants, pushing us six off the lead. The nature of the losses, as much as the losses themselves, is a real worry as we drop four of them by a run and the other two by a pair. In more lucid moments one might look at this optimistically – at least we’re not getting whipped, blahdy blah – but, in the heat of battle, all you feel is despair.

On such fadeouts are many a baseball season scuttled.

An absolutely crucial 13-game run for us follows. Anything shy of ten wins probably means we’re kaput.

We get three outs away from losing another one against the Beaneaters before walking it off with 2 in the 9th to win it 6-5. This marks a bit of a turnaround for us as we do indeed win ten from that stretch. What’s more, Chicago hits a rough patch as they go on a losing string of 6, minimising the overall damage of our rollercoaster form. The Reds take first place. We are 3 GB, still 4th, still in it.

In the middle of this, I get my man. Sort of.

TRADE 3/5: (07/10): 2B Jim Delahanty to Cleveland for RF Socks Seybold.

This was a tough one. Seybold is a gun, but only plays RF and is 30, 8 years older than Jim. Were Jim more of a reliable defender he would have been untouchable, but he isn’t, so he wasn’t. My other major hesitation with the trade was who plays where now? Seybold is our everyday in right, that’s obvious. But Danny Murphy has been sensational for us at that position. For now, the answer is this: we try Murphy at 1B, move Dexter to catcher in platoon with Maloney.


Apart from a couple of stumbles, we finish the month strongly for a 13-12 sectional that leaves us at 48-40 overall. The Reds still lead the NL by a half-game from the Giants, with us another 2½ back of them.

Hot

• Jack Chesbro finally delivers with a 4-2 record and 2.07 ERA in 61 IP.
• Honus Wagner, leading by example: 356 BA / 2 HR / 15 RBI / 170 OPS+.
• Socks Seybold has been a fantastic addition for us, the missing piece we were seeking: 372 BA with 2 HR and 14 RBI, along with a wOBA of 421, second only to Honus.
• Danny Murphy: king of clutch with a WPA of 1.53, miles ahead of anyone else at our club.
• Charlie Dexter: proving to be the backbone of our group with his versatility and willingness to just get out there and do it.

Not

• Billy Maloney. Seems like there a “Curse of the Catcher” going on here. 246 BA / 292 wOBA. Needs to be better than that.
• Defence. Another 54 errors for the month. 'Twill be the death of us, I fear.

Around the Leagues

• The A’s are on the cusp of losing touch, which would make it a two-horse race between the White Sox and Orioles. Two really talented, very evenly matched squads so this looks like it is going down to the wire.
• Still plenty of chances in the NL, although the Orphans need to arrest their recent slide and the Superbas will need to get a move on.
• The Phillies break a bunch of records with a 29-hit 24-7 annihilation of Cincy as CF John Dobbs hits for the cycle and knocks in 5.
• Americans backstop Lou Criger’s season comes to an early end thanks to a torn labrum.
• The updated Top 100 Prospects list is released and Nick Altrock has been rated at Number 1. Obviously there’s not a huge pool of eligible players just yet, but this is still a great honour for him and us. Win Kellum comes in at #13.

Awards

• 07/01 POTW: AL – Kip Selbach (Philadelphia) 560 / 8 RBI; NL – Jake Beckley (Philadelphia) 500 / 1 RBI.
• 07/08 POTW: AL – John McGraw (Milwaukee) 615 / 3 RBI; NL – Tom McCreery (Cincinnati) 467 / 10 RBI.
• 07/15 POTW: AL – Hobe Ferris (Baltimore) 480 / 4 RBI; NL – Christy Matthewson (New York) 2-0 / 0.53 / 14 K / 17 IP.
• 07/22 POTW: AL – Candy LaChance (Chicago) 455 / 6 RBI; NL – Tommy Dowd (New York) 542 / 1 HR / 10 RBI.
• 07/29 POTW: AL – Herm McFarland (Boston) 476 / 2 HR / 7 RBI; NL – Topsy Hartsel (Chicago) 524 / 1 HR / 2 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 425 / 1 HR / 21 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 414 / 3 HR / 21 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Joe McGinnity (Baltimore) 6-1 / 1.45 / 14 K / 62 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Noodles Hahn (New York) 6-0 / 2.51 / 48 K / 61 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 6-1 / 2.82 / 21 K / 60.2 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Bob Wicker (New York) 5-3 / 3.50 / 37 K / 64.1 IP.

1901 August
 

We have the first two days of the month off. How will this break treat us? Rested or rusty? As we return to action, we sit 3 games behind the Reds, 2 behind the Giants, and 3 ahead of the slumping Orphans.

I’m keen to keep the majority of our playing group for the foreseeable future, and have gradually been locking them down over the course of the season so far. During the break, I sign Charlie Dexter to a $660 contract for 1902. More, perhaps, than he is worth on stats alone (Wagner, for instance, is on $750). But his flexibility means he is one of our most integral players.

I needn’t have worried about rustiness, as we come out firing on all cylinders and win eight of our next ten games. We take sole possession of the lead for the first time on 08/15. A week after that, we’re five games clear, mainly by dint of the Jints dropping 7 straight (and counting) and the Reds going 3-7 for their past 10.

We are still up by the same margin going into our last series of the month, a homestand with Chicago. Maybe the lads start getting ahead of themselves, maybe the Orphans make one big push to try and get back in contention, maybe baseball happens. I don’t know. Whatever the case, we play terribly, drop all three games, and virtually reattach ourselves to the peloton.

Not an ideal end to an otherwise spectacular month.

Hot

• Honus Wagner: 21-game hit streak.
• Us as a team: 16-7 for the month, even with that last-ditch horror show.

Not

• Honus Wagner: after his hit streak, Dutchie cools right off to finish with a 301 BA for the month, low by his lofty standards, and his 8 RBI show just how little he has contributed.
• Our bats v LHP: 11-15 for the season.
• Socks Seybold: not cold, exactly, but after his hot early spurt he certainly hasn’t quite provided the pop we were after with just 2 dingers in his 143 AB for us.

Around the Leagues

• The Orioles have put their foot down and now lead the White Sox by 4 games. Zaza Harvey has been sensational and is riding a hit streak of 36 games into September. Unfortunately for him it is snapped at that number on the 1st of Sep.
• Giants ace Christy Mathewson becomes the first hurler to reach 20 wins. But the Jints also lose Bob Wicker for the season to a torn UCL.
• Buck Freeman of Boston wallops 6 homers in a six-game stretch.

Awards

• 08/05 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 538 / 2 HR / 7 RBI; NL – Joe Kelley (Brooklyn) 464 / 8 RBI.
• 08/12 POTW: AL – Bill Reidy (Milwaukee) 2-0 / 0.00 / 4 K / 18 IP; NL – Al Orth (Philadelphia) 2-0 / 0.00 / 4 K / 18 IP.
• 08/19 POTW: AL – Tommy Corcoran (Baltimore) 545 / 3 RBI; NL – John Dobbs (Philadelphia) 545 / 1 HR / 9 RBI.
• 08/26 POTW: AL – Buck Freeman (Boston) 516 / 6 HR / 14 RBI; NL – Emmet Heidrick (St. Louis) 394 / 3 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 491 / 1 HR / 18 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Ed Delahanty (Boston) 388 / 4 HR / 21 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Jack Harper (Baltimore) 5-1 / 1.02 / 22 K / 53 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Bill Dineen (Boston) 6-0 / 2.14 / 30 K / 63 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Watty Lee (Baltimore) 5-1 / 2.79 / 24 K / 61.1 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Happy Townsend (New York) 4-2 / 2.55 / 26 K / 53 IP.

1901 Stretch
 

So much for punchy (see post #1 for context)...

A much-needed lay day but then a super tricky start to the month with back-to-back doubleheaders at the Beaneaters. Not really what we needed right now, and we make it even harder for ourselves from the off, losing the early game on the 2nd 8-7 despite Williams homering and knocking in 4. The universe has completely turned on us as a massive thunderstorm rains out the late game, further bunching our schedule. Phillippe responds like champions do the next day, getting us a huge 6-0 win with a superb 4-hitter, and O’Neill is also solid in the late game to help us get an 8-2 decision, with Seybold getting four hits and three RBI in one of his best performances for us so far.

Those last two games are just the fillip we need as we head to NYC for three against the Giants, with the division lead on the line and Matty looming large in the middle game. That matchup makes the opening game even more important for us, especially given the rough treatment they doled out on us in our previous meeting, a home sweep loss. It is against Gene McCann, a replacement pitcher for the injured Bob Wicker, one we should be able to pen in the W column. But this is what pressure does to players, as we give up a 4-1 lead late and they walk it off 5-4. Somehow the lads pick themselves up and scald Matty for 14 hits the next day (9 of them in a stunning 6th) to get us a 9-5 win. Even Chesbro gets amongst it with a solo homer. With all the games in a rush you can see the boys are almost out on their feet, but they give me everything and more in a four hour, 14-inning marathon 4-2 win. If we get home this year, this game will be the one that did it; if not, it’ll be the one that cruelled us.

Especially with nine more games before we get another break.

A quirky northeastern swing next courtesy of the rainout just to really test our mettle. I won’t even try to explain it just follow along if you can.

One at the Phillies. We rally late and storm home to a 9-5 win.

A makeup game at Boston. Owen pitches an absolute gem, three-hitting them as we win it 5-0.

Back to Philly for two more. We drop the opener 8-7 as Chesbro’s inconsistency continues to plague him. Worse than that, Dexter hurts his wrist and I’m going to have to manage him real close. I call up Fred Ketchum just to cover us. We win the next day 7-3, although by this stage the world is but a blur to me.

Three at Brooklyn next. A tough 5-2 win gets us off on the right foot as O’Neill continues to grind out key wins for us. Wagner, who goes 3-for-5 with a solo shot (just his second since the start of August), is also showing signs of getting back to his best, which would be a huge plus for us down the stretch. We are on our last fumes by now, as shown in a lifeless 2-0 loss the next day in which we get just 5 hits and waste a great outing by Owen. I have no choice but to rest a bunch the next game, they are just spent, and we lose 9-5 with Chesbro again letting us down when we needed him to step up and the cobbled-together lineup able to muster just 7 hits.

One day to go before a three-day break. It is at home to Cincy, but we have nothing left and cop a 10-4 thumping. The only redeeming thing is the Giants also lose, keeping them 2½ back.

Dexter’s recovery is taking longer than expected, which is not good – we’ve missed him and need him back ASAP.

We resume with a three-game homestand against the Phillies with an off-day between the second and third games. The opener is an absolute shocker, as we give up 7 in the 9th to throw it away 11-6. It’s nearly panic stations when we lose the next one 5-4 in 10 to make it 5 straight defeats. We look like making it 6 but somehow rally with 2 in the 9th to walk off a 3-2 mercy win on a Seybold single. A Giants loss puts us back out to two in front.

Undoubtedly the most important four-game stretch of the season begins with a one-gamer at Chicago. We grit it out for a 6-5 result in 10. Chesbro is good but Malarkey’s poor run continues as he gives up 2 late to send it into spares.

Next, three at home with New York, who are now tied with the Reds 3 back. We can make or imperil our season right here. Our magic number sits at 9. Matty is first up, with Deacon given the huge task to get past him. He doesn’t let us down, keeping them relatively quiet as we take it 4-1. Next, Owen needs to take care of the wily Tom Hughes. He isn’t at his best, but the bats come through for a 9-4 win, with Wagner and Seybold each having three hits. Finally, O’Neill v Happy Townsend. He delivers as well, as we squeeze by 4 to 3, as he goes the distance, doubles twice and drives one in for us in a sensational all-round showing.

That has all but seen off the Jints, but the Reds have also swept their series with Brooklyn and remain 3 back and well within range. The last thing we can afford to do is ease off now. The O’s clinch and can sit back and watch this unfold.

The Superbas come to town for three. They have given us trouble so we will need to be sharp as can be here. Sure enough, we drop the opener 5-4 as Malarkey’s woes continue. Thankfully the Reds also lose. Magic number down to 5. Our bugbear Tannehill next, with Deacon looking for his 20th win. But he, and we, come up short with a 7-6 heartbreaker in a pretty forgettable game all around. The Reds win. Somehow we have to solve these guys. Owen goes up against Bill Donovan in the finale. He isn’t great, but we win another nipper, 7-6 in 10, with Davis the walkoff hero thanks to his game-winning single. Wagner cracks his 10th homer, while Seybold drives in 3. Better news awaits, as the Reds drop their game and we’re down to # 3.

A day off, then our final homestand of the season, against Boston. Of all the times we need a good one from Chesbro, now is that time as he faces Dinneen in the opener. And for once, he doesn’t disappoint as we win it 6-3 and he goes the distance. Wagner is fantastic, homering and knocking in 3, and the Giants are eliminated, leaving only us and Cincy, still 3 adrift.

September becomes October. Frank Owen wins Pitcher of the Month, but we’ve bigger prizes in mind now.

Deacon takes on Vic Willis but puts in an absolute shocker as we are humiliated 12-1 in one of our worst games of the season. The Reds win and close to within two. O’Neill v Winter to close it out – our last home game of the year unless we get into the playoffs. He is great again and we win it 3-2.

Simple math here as we take two days off then head to Chicago for the final series: 2 games left. We just need to win one or have Cincy lose one and we’re home.

In the end we only need one, with Chesbro keeping them quiet in the opener to get us a 7-1 win. He allows just 3 hits in one of his best of the season, while Wagner – magnificent for us down the stretch – homers again.

With apologies to Deacon, who misses one final chance to get his 20th, I sub out as many starters as I can for the final game. It’s been a long and fraught pennant race and some battery-recharging is in order with the Series just a few days off. We lose it 3-1 and finish at 81-59, a solitary game clear of the Reds.

Hot

• Honus Wagner: finally having the impact we’d like.
• The whole squad: for its sheer determination and guts to get us home.

Not

• Jack Chesbro: 2-3 / 5.90 for September.

Around the Leagues

• The O’s clinch going away and end up winning the AL by 6 from the A’s.
• Baltimore’s Charlie Hickman hits for the cycle in a 12-11 loss to the A’s.
• The White Sox lose Fielder Jones for a month with a hip strain. It may not single-handedly cost them the season, but it doesn’t do them any favours either, as their fadeout attests.

Awards

• 09/02 POTW: AL – Bill Bradley (Cleveland) 462 / 1 HR / 7 RBI; NL – Patsy Donovan (Brooklyn) 552 / 3 RBI.
• 09/09 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 538 / 4 RBI; NL – Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 552 / 7 RBI.
• 09/16 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 562 / 1 HR / 8 RBI; NL – Jake Beckley (Philadelphia) 642 / 2 RBI.
• 09/23 POTW: AL – Mike Donlin (Baltimore) 467 / 2 HR / 9 RBI; NL – George Van Haltren (New York) 615 / 3 RBI.
• 09/30 POTW: AL – Frank Chance (Chicago) 500 / 3 HR / 6 RBI; NL – Topsy Hartsel (Chicago) 433 / 8 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 487 / 3 HR / 27 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Harry Davis (New York) 458 / 4 HR / 27 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Doc White (Detroit) 5-1 / 2.31 / 30 K / 50.2 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Mike O’Neill (Pittsburgh) 5-0 / 1.84 / 12 K / 44 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Doc White (Detroit).
• NL Rookie of the Month: Mike O’Neill (Pittsburgh).

And so we're back live...
 

I've got the S+ page for this save now up and running so you can put the SCUBA gear on and immerse to your heart's content.

From here on in, updates both on here and there will be done monthly, so everyone will be roughly on the same page.

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1901 World Series
 

Baltimore Orioles (87-53) v Pittsburgh Pirates (81-59)

The horse race analogy is a commonly used one when describing baseball contests, so let me trot one out (see what I did...) here. Were this World Series a horse race it would be something akin to Secretariat running against one of those Clydesdales that takes rich folk and tourists on joyrides around Central Park.

They are a classy bunch of ballplayers, with Charlie Hickman (368 / 19 HR / 151 HR) arguably the best in the NL this year, Zaza Harvey (380 BA) nigh on impossible to stop, and Mike Donlin a force to be reckoned with. Watty Lee and Jack Harper each won 23, their stopper Dale Gear didn’t lose a game. They topped the AL in almost every stat cat as a team.

We have Honus and Jimmy Williams in that sort of stratosphere, but the rest of our guys – no disrespect meant, I love them with every sinew in my body – are a bunch of scrappers.

And scrapping is what we’ll need to do to win this. They have a fair bit more room for error than we do, so we simply must make (warning: another nag trope coming) every post a winner.

I make no changes. (One more to see us off.) You don’t change jockeys halfway through a race.


Game 1 in Baltimore
Watty Lee (23-10) v Jack Chesbro (19-17)

It starts off with the pitchers in the ascendancy and remains scoreless thru 3.

They take the lead on a Donlin run-scoring double in the 4th and our first error of the series (by Steinfeldt) ramps up the pressure, putting men at the points with none out. They are forced into a two-for-one trade when a run scores on a GIDP.

We get a rally going immediately, loading the bases in the top 5th with one out, but Wagner hits into a force at home and Williams pops out meekly to end the threat.

We finally get on the board in the 7th via a two-out RBI trip by Williams.

Chesbro nearly gives it straight back in the home half but does exceptionally well to keep them from scoring, and then Schreckengost comes through in the next with a double to bring in the tying run.

This time Chesbro can’t hold them off, however, as they put together a two-out rally that nets them a pair of runs.

Nothing doing in the 9th and we lose it 4-2.

Baltimore 4, Pittsburgh 2.

BOX SCORE


Game 2 in Baltimore
Jack Harper (23-9) v Deacon Phillippe (19-14)
Baltimore leads series 1-0

We start positively as Murphy leads off the game with a triple and comes home on an infield hit by McIntyre. A single by Wagner and a Seybold groundout add a second. A two-out hit by Steinfeldt, a third.

Phillippe keeps them hitless thru 3 but then they get to work, scoring one on two hits. Harper, meanwhile, seems to have found his groove after his early problems.

It all comes unglued in the next when Phillippe loads the bases and then gives up a slam to his opposing pitcher. Talk about making it hard for yourself.

We respond immediately, as good sides do, as Steinfeldt doubles one in to make it 5-4. With two on and two out, and Deacon’s recent form in the can, I roll the dice and hit for him. Sadly it comes to nought when Dexter strikes out looking.

McJames comes on in relief, Dexter stays at 1B, Davis leaves. Murphy to LF.

We have our chances over the next two but just can’t get that key hit. They show us how to do it in the home 8th to get an insurance run, then close it out to go two-nil up.

We outplayed them tonight for the most part, but still got beat.

That’s class for ya.

Baltimore 6, Pittsburgh 4.

BOX SCORE


Game 3 in Pittsburgh
Mike O’Neill (15-8) v Joe McGinnity (17-16)
Baltimore leads series 2-0

Wagner 1-for-9. Seybold 1-for-8. Williams 2-for-10. That’s what our heart has hit so far. We’ve done well to push them as much as we have, given those incriminating stats. Davis, another one in awful nick, is benched in favour of Dexter.

They get to O’Neill early but a fantastic assist by McIntyre nails a runner at home and we escape the 1st unscathed.

We take the lead in the 2nd on a 2-run triple by Murphy, who then scores on an error by the RF, their second already. We load them up with one out but Wagner again lets us down by striking out. This time, however, Williams comes through with a double that clears the bases and stretches our lead to 6. A Seybold hit makes that 7.

They get a run in the top 5th but we answer with 4 of our own in the home half to take complete control.

A 2-run double in the next continues Murphy’s big game and in the end we coast home 13-2. Murphy finishes with 5 RBI in a true Captain’s knock. O’Neill goes the distance in a fine performance.

Pittsburgh 13, Baltimore 2

BOX SCORE


Game 4 in Pittsburgh
Frank Owen (16-8) v Watty Lee (1-0)
Baltimore leads series 2-0

Slight variation of approach between the two sides as they run a three-man rotation while we’ve got all four of ours going. I’m just not confident enough in any of them to increase their respective workloads. We’ll see if I was correct to opt for this strategy.

We get a run before making an out as Dexter singles and McIntyre doubles him all the way home. But the 3-4-5 guys go 1-2-3 and that’s all we get.

Then Owen just implodes and again their pitcher does damage with the bat. Before we know it we are trailing 3-1.

Murphy keeps his hot hand going with a two-out RBI double in the 4th to cut the deficit in half, but only briefly, as they are teeing off on Owen and cancel that run out with one of their own.

Owen barely hangs in there for 7 before I go to the pen with it still 4-2.

We get back within a run thanks to a bases-loaded hit by Williams in the home 7th and then Seybold picks the perfect moment to rediscover his swing, clearing the decks with a double to give is the 6-4 lead.

Dexter comes through in the clutch with a two-out RBI double in the next to give us one more run to work with, then McIntyre singles him in to make it 8-4.

We put them down in order to close out a great SCRAPPY win and tie the series at 2. McIntyre superb with 4-for-5 / 2 RBI and Dexter with 3 hits.

Pittsburgh 8, Baltimore 4

BOX SCORE


Game 5 in Pittsburgh
Jack Chesbro (0-1) v Jack Harper (1-0)
Series tied 2-2

After a torpid start to the series, Seybold has come alive and it’s no coincidence our recent performances have been far better. He scores the game’s opening run on a sac fly by Murphy in the 2nd. A two-out hit by Chesbro keeps the inning alive and moves a runner to third who subsequently scores on a wild pitch.

We stretch our lead in the 4th when the irrepressible Murphy doubles and scores on a single by Maloney.

Chesbro has his moments, including needing a Seybold special to mow down a runner at home in the 6th, but manages to keep a clean sheet to that point. That said, you can see they are zoning in on him with every inning.

We need more runs. Only thing is our hitting has ground to a dead halt.

Chesbro gets into two-out trouble in the 8th and I make a pitching change, bringing Piatt in to face their LHB. It’s a call I may be forced to relive for years to come as he gives up a 2-run triple.

Wagner and Williams single and then we are gifted a run by a horror gaffe by Donlin in RF. A Murphy RBI single restores our 3-run advantage and Malarkey gets them in order for the save, win, and 3-2 series lead.

Pittsburgh 5, Baltimore 2

BOX SCORE


Game 6 in Baltimore
Joe McGinnity (0-1) v Deacon Phillippe (0-1)
Pittsburgh leads series 3-2

Home ground advantage obviously playing a huge part here, with every game so far going to the hosts. We need to snap that string to win it all. We know what Deacon is capable of. He’s been down a long while, winless since 09/23. He needs to dig deep and turn it around here, and Wagner simply has to start contributing.

A not-unexpectedly tentative start to the game with a scattering of baserunners but no real threats thru 2.

We go ahead in the 3rd when McIntyre – who has been his usual superbly understated self in this series – is HBP and a Williams triple brings him in, before Williams scores in turn on two-out double by Steinfeldt. Another two-bagger by Murphy extends our lead to three and then he scores on a Maloney single.

In between innings I urge the lads to tighten, rather than loosen, the grip.

In the end, the O’s do a lot of our work for us, making two errors in the 5th to let us pull further ahead with another run.
The pressure then takes a bite out of us, as a Williams error repays their earlier largesse and only a superb defensive play by Wagner limits the damage to the one run.

Honus then backs that up with his first hard-hit ball of the series, a triple that scores McIntyre after he’d been HBP and ends McGinnity’s game. Another misplay brings Wagner in, making it 7-1, and then Steinfeldt plates another with a single.
It starts getting messy out there, as Murphy misplays a routine flyball and then Maloney throws one into the outfield trying to prevent a steal. Phillippe, however, keeps his head while all around him are losing theirs, and retires the side without conceding.

Honus, with a taste for it now, gets us another run in the 7th with a two-out RBI double.

9-1. Nine outs needed.

They inch closer when Howell hustles for an inside-the-park homer, the second of the series by their hurlers.

9-2. Six outs needed.

A clean 8th gets us to within three outs of the mountaintop.

Deacon is due up to lead off the 9th. He deserves his chance to close this out, so I let him hit. He grounds out and we don’t add to our lead.

Stahl grounds out 4-3.

Harvey grounds out 3-1.

Moran grounds out 5-3.

We are World Champions. Hey, even Secretariat lost a race or five.

Pittsburgh 9, Baltimore 2

BOX SCORE

1901 Awards & Leaders
 

1901 AL HISTORY INDEX

1901 NL HISTORY INDEX

Ah, a championship!

Yes indeed. Nice to get one under the belt early. We don't have a Ruth, Hornsby, or Johnson coming through as a Legacy so we're going to have to scrape for every one.

1901/02 Rookie Draft
 

Held on 12/20/01.

There are five new Legacies entering the League:

• Chicago Orphans – Joe Tinker 53.2 WAR / 1539 games
• Detroit Tigers – George Mullin 47.5 / 435
• Cleveland Bronchos – Addie Joss 45.4 WAR / 286
• Cincinnati Reds (374) – Bob Ewing 29.9 WAR / 252
• Boston Americans – Heinie Wagner 17.1 WAR / 966 (conceded: 98.3% of career games)

NB Johnny Evers (47.7 WAR; 1409 games played) was also eligible for the Orphans, but Tinker’s higher WAR makes him the selection. He is eventually taken with the first free pick by the Browns.

Five rounds, pretty small quality pool especially position players. The one spot I was hoping to get some further depth at is SS, but there simply aren’t any worthwhile candidates so we’ll have to make do and keep those good-luck charms working overtime for Honus’s continued robust health.

The only other area I’d like to stock up in is LHP so I’ll be looking for a couple of those as well, more prospects than for now.

Other than that I’ll simply be selecting the best players who offer the best fit in our franchise. Worst case, they are trade fodder.

Our picks are as follows:

1. P Charlie Smith
A strong RHP prospect. Only 21 so a fair way away and will spend that time on the RR.

2. UT Ernie Courtney
A handy defensive utility who plays pretty good 1B, passable 3B / SS and solid LF, but is pretty light with bat in hand.

3. LHRP Alex Hardy
Will replace Jones as one of our LHRPs.

4. LHRP Lave Winham
What you’d expect from a 4th Round pick—serviceable at best.

5. RHRP Red Long
Great stuff without being too wild like most flamethrowers tend to be. Could be a low-pick find if he comes on better than projected.

FULL DRAFT LOG

1902 The First Time Around
 

The 1902 season sees almost as much action off the field as on. Perhaps even more.

There are defections, suspensions, litigation, recrimination and much more as the two leagues behave more like warring factions than symbiotic organisations, in the process trampling all over the sacred institution of professional baseball.

The A’s are front and centre in all this, aggressively raiding the playing stocks of their crosstown rivals the Phillies to such an extent that the Phillies take them to court. And win. Ex-Phillies including Nap Lajoie, who had crossed over the season before, are ordered back to their original team. Some go quietly, others not so much. Lajoie and Elmer Flick simply move to Cleveland, where the court’s ruling has no jurisdiction, and play for the Bronchos (except when they are playing the A’s in Philly).

Despite this setback, A’s Manager Connie Mack still manages to put together a quality side. Helped greatly by the acquisition of loose cannon Rube Waddell, at one point in September the A’s win 20 of 23 games and eventually take the AL Pennant by five games from the Browns, who had moved from Milwaukee in the off-season.

At the other end of the spectrum are the Baltimore Orioles, piloted by perhaps the greatest troublemaker in the game’s history: John McGraw. When AL President Ban Johnson suspends McGraw indefinitely for repeated infringements of the league’s code of conduct, McGraw sells his stake in the O’s to Reds owner John Brush and moves to the Giants, where he would stay as manager for the next three decades. Brush then guts the O’s, moving players both to his Cincinnati club and McGraw’s Giants, doing such a thorough job that the club is forced to forfeit a game against the Browns due to having insufficient players to put on the field.

None of which helped either club in the standings, as the Pirates creamed the division, starting 30-5 and finishing the season 27½ games clear with a 103-36 record.

This tumultuous season was the beginning of the end of the internecine wars between the two leagues.

• Tommy Leach of the Pittsburgh Pirates leads the National League in home runs—with six. It is the fewest ever hit by a league leader.
• The first pinch-hit grand slam in major league history is belted on June 2 by the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mike O’Neill—a pitcher.
• In his very first major league start on April 19, Cincinnati rookie pitcher Bob Ewing walks a modern NL record seven batters in the fourth inning against the Cubs. Overall, the 29-year-old Ewing will walk 10 in the Reds’ 9-5 loss. Ewing will settle down and into an otherwise fine career, winning 20 games in 1905 and a total of 124 over an 11-year career.
• In the first inning of a game on May 16, Dummy Hoy of the Reds bats against Dummy Taylor of the Giants. It is the first time that two deaf-mutes have faced one another.
• Bill Bradley homers in four straight games for the Cleveland Blues, a feat that will not be matched until Babe Ruth does it in 1918.
• On June 2, Cleveland commits six errors in one inning, the most for the entire 20th century.
• In his first game for the A’s, after arriving to the park late Danny Murphy goes 6-for-6 with a slam.

Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. HONUS WAGNER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .330 average, 105 runs, 30 doubles, 16 triples, 91 RBIs, 14 hit-by-pitches, 42 stolen bases.
• Hitting for his worst average (.330) of the decade wasn’t enough to ground the Flying Dutchman from his customary spot as the NL’s best.

2. FRED CLARKE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .316 average, 103 runs, 14 hit-by-pitches, 29 stolen bases.
• The Pirates’ manager-outfielder contributed quite well to his team’s best performance (103-36) under his direction.

3. GINGER BEAUMONT, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .357 average, 100 runs, 193 hits, 33 stolen bases.
• Beaumont won his lone batting title (a difficult thing to do even once in the era of Wagner) and led the NL in hits for the first of three straight seasons.

4. SAM CRAWFORD, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .333 average, 92 runs, 22 triples, 3 home runs, 78 RBIs.
• In his final year at Cincinnati before bolting to the AL and a prosperous tenure with Detroit, Crawford led the NL with 22 triples—his first of six such seasons in which the eventual all-time leader in three-baggers would pace the league.

5. TOMMY LEACH, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .278 average, 97 runs, 22 triples, 6 home runs, 85 RBIs.
• Like Delahanty above, Flick also was ready to scram from the Phillies—though he made the mistake of staying within state lines (moving to the A’s) and within the jurisdiction of courts who would eventually order him back to the Phillies.

6. SAM CRAWFORD, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .330 average, 16 home runs, 104 RBIs.
• Leach matched Crawford with 22 triples, but no one else in the NL could equal or top his six home runs; no player has ever led a major league circuit with so few round-trippers.

7. FRED TENNEY, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .315 average, 88 runs, 73 walks, 29 sacrifice hits, 21 stolen bases.
• After flourishing in the 1890s and then tottering at the turn of the century, Tenney enjoyed a comeback campaign at the plate.

8. WILLIE KEELER, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .333 average, 86 runs, 186 hits, 19 stolen bases.
• One of the great contact hitters of the game continued to be a nuisance, even if he didn’t reach 200 hits for the first time in eight years.

9. HEINIE PEITZ, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 112 games, .315 average, 22 doubles.
• Never an everyday player, Peitz made the most of the career-high 112 games he would log.

10. DUFF COOLEY, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .296 average, 26 doubles, 27 stolen bases.
• A once promising table-setter for the Phillies in the late 1890s, Cooley began a brief two-year renaissance with the Beaneaters.

AL Hitters

1. ED DELAHANTY, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .376 average, 103 runs, 43 doubles, 10 home runs, 93 RBIs.
• The 34-year-old veteran, who batted over .400 three times in the 1890s, spent his first year in Washington wishing he was playing in New York; despite that and other personal problems, he dominated the AL.

2. CHARLIE HICKMAN, BOSTON-CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .361 average, 193 hits, 36 doubles, 11 home runs, 110 RBIs.
• Hickman would enjoy the first and finest of many seasons in which he would play for multiple teams, especially thriving at Cleveland—where he hit .378 in 102 games.

3. BUCK FREEMAN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .309 average, 38 doubles, 19 triples, 11 home runs, 121 RBIs.
• One of the few major leaguers who insisted on offseason weight training, Freeman continued to show off his muscles as one of the AL’s early sluggers.

4. BILL BRADLEY, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .340 average, 104 runs, 187 hits, 39 doubles, 11 home runs, 77 RBIs.
• The Cleveland native benefitted from the midseason arrivals of Hickman (above) and Nap Lajoie (below), leading to career highs in almost every major offensive category.

5. LAVE CROSS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .342 average, 191 hits, 39 doubles, 0 home runs, 108 RBIs.
• At the spry age of 36, Cross set a still-standing record by knocking in 108 runs without the benefit of a single home run.

6. SOCKS SEYBOLD, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .316 average, 16 home runs, 97 RBIs.
• Unlike Cross, Seybold did round the bases on his own—16 times, the most homers by any AL player during the 1900s—but still knocked in 11 fewer runs.

7. NAP LAJOIE, PHILADELPHIA-CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 95 games, .378 average, 81 runs, 35 doubles, 7 home runs, 65 RBIs.
• Lajoie’s follow-up to his superb 1901 numbers was legally obstructed by Pennsylvania courts, but he did his best to make up for lost time once freed in Cleveland.

8. BILL KEISTER, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .300 average, 33 doubles, 9 home runs, 90 RBIs.
• Playing for what would be his fifth out of six teams over a six-year period, the all-hit, no-glove Keister remained consistent in one facet, once again hitting at or over .300.

9. JIMMY WILLIAMS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 27 doubles, 21 triples, 8 home runs, 83 RBIs.
• One of the few players to hang around through the Orioles’ midseason collapse, Williams collected 21 triples for the second straight year.

10. TOPSY HARTSEL, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .283 average, 109 runs, 87 walks, 47 stolen bases.
• After establishing himself as a prime everyday presence with the Orphans (Cubs) in 1901, Hartsel took his act to the AL and proved he was no one-shot wonder.

NL Pitchers

1. JACK TAYLOR, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 1.29 ERA, 23 wins, 11 losses, 8 shutouts, 333.2 innings.
• Pitching well enough not to be seduced by gamblers—yet—Taylor secured his lone ERA crown and started a remarkable string of five straight seasons in which he completed every game he started.

2. NOODLES HAHN, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 1.77 ERA, 23 wins, 12 losses, 321 innings.
• Hahn remained the saving grace of an ace, logging over 300 innings for the fourth straight year, producing a career-low ERA and giving an otherwise weak Reds rotation some solidity.

3. JESSE TANNEHILL, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 1.95 ERA, 20 wins, 6 losses.
• A year before bolting to the AL, Tannehill was the stingiest of three 20-game winners for the Pirates, authoring a team-best ERA.

4. JACK CHESBRO, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.17 ERA, 28 wins, 6 losses, 8 shutouts, .824 win percentage, 286.1 innings.
• Happy Jack surely lived up to his nickname as everything went his way on the mound—before joining Tannehill in New York with the AL’s Highlanders.

5. DEACON PHILLIPPE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.05 ERA, 20 wins, 9 losses, 272 innings, 26 walks.
• Phillippe was never finer, posting a career-low ERA while allowing less than one walk per nine innings pitched.

6. VIC WILLIS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.27 ERA, 27 wins, 20 losses, 51 games, 46 starts, 45 complete games, 410 innings.
• Willis was one of two Boston pitchers to extensively labor and make up for the rest of a weak and short-handed pitching staff.

7. TOGIE PITTINGER, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.52 ERA, 27 wins, 16 losses, 389.1 innings.
• The 30-year-old right-hander was Boston’s other workhorse, giving the Beaneaters a combined 800 innings, 81 starts and 54 wins between he and Willis; the rest of the staff grouped for 460, 43 and 19, respectively.

8. JOE MCGINNITY, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.06 ERA, 8 wins, 8 losses.
• Despite not showing up at the Polo Grounds until mid-July, McGinnity still was productive and efficient enough to make the list; between the Giants and Orioles, he won 21 games and tossed 351.2 innings.

9. SAM LEEVER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.39 ERA, 15 wins, 7 losses.
• Leever did not join Chesbro, Tannehill and Phillippe in the land of 20 wins, but was effective nevertheless.

10. DOC NEWTON, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 2.42 ERA, 15 wins, 14 losses, 264.1 innings.
• A strong showing for a pitcher who would move west and win 74 games (including the Pacific Coast League’s first no-hitter) from 1903-04 before returning to the majors and the AL in 1905.

AL Pitchers

1. CY YOUNG, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.15 ERA, 32 wins, 11 losses, 45 games, 43 starts, 384.2 innings.
• In forging yet another sizzling season for Boston, Young completed 41 of his 43 starts—but he didn’t make it past the first inning in the other two.

2. RUBE WADDELL, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.05 ERA, 24 wins, 7 losses, 276.1 innings, 210 strikeouts.
• What’s amazing about the late-arriving Waddell is that he didn’t even pick up his first of 24 wins until July.

3. BILL BERNHARD, PHILADELPHIA-CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.15 ERA, 18 wins, 5 losses, .783 win percentage.
• Despite the distractions of the Pennsylvania courts, Bill Bernhard’s escape from Philadelphia to Cleveland apparently had no effect on his performance.

4. RED DONAHUE, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 2.76 ERA, 22 wins, 11 losses, 316.1 innings.
• Donahue’s return to St. Louis was far more successful than his previous campaign there, in 1897—when he finished 10-35 with a 6.13 ERA for the NL Browns.

5. ED SIEVER, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 1.91 ERA, 8 wins, 11 losses.
• On the seventh-place Tigers, not one pitcher put together a winning record—not even Siever, despite winning the AL ERA crown.

6. BILL DINNEEN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.92 ERA, 21 wins, 21 losses, 39 complete games, 371.1 innings.
• The right-hander and Cy Young’s right-handed man nearly matched the star ace in complete games and innings.

7. ADDIE JOSS, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.77 ERA, 17 wins, 13 losses, 269.1 innings.
• The man who would ultimately furnish baseball’s second-best career ERA introduced himself to the majors by throwing a one-hitter in his first start—and nearly tossed a no-hitter in his second.

8. JACK POWELL, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.21 ERA, 22 wins, 17 losses, 328.1 innings.
• Powell welcomed the Browns from Milwaukee by joining them—and joined Red Donahue (above) as the first two 20-game winners in Browns history.

9. NED GARVIN, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.21 ERA, 10 wins, 10 losses.
• After going 8-20 for Milwaukee in 1901, Garvin eschewed the franchise’s move to St. Louis and joined the White Sox—with more satisfying results.

10. EDDIE PLANK, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.30 ERA, 20 wins, 15 losses, 300 innings.
• Steady Eddie delivered the first of eight 20-win efforts as a major leaguer—his last of which would come in 1915 as a member of the Federal League’s St. Louis Terriers.

Going to play for the world champions and Charlie Smith's Morale rating is Angry.

These kids...

1902 Preseason / Spring Training
 

The Beaneaters lose pitcher Brickyard Kennedy for a good portion of the season to a torn labrum. He’s not expected to return until August at the earliest.

A scare for A’s superstar Nap Lajoie when he strains a back muscle. Fortunately it is only a minor injury and he should be back a game or so after Opening Day.


We go 11-7 in ST. Everyone looks in pretty good nick. Jimmy Williams gets suspended late and will miss Opening Day.

1902 Opening Day
 

Only a fool would tinker too much with a squad that’s just won you a Championship, and I ain’t that sort of fool. No real budget pressure of which to speak, so happy to keep Irwin and Schreckengost as “just-in-casers” even though they won’t see a lot of playing time if nothing out of the ordinary happens. That doesn’t mean I’ll just sit on my hands. Should our performance dip for any prolonged period I’ll have my finger hovering over the trigger.

Active Roster now 22 so we’ll carry 14 position players and 8 pitchers.

Just a quick run through of our squad and some numbers from 1901 where appropriate. Click on the player’s name for their S+ page if you want to dive deeper.

Catchers

• Billy Maloney: 311 BA / 71 RBI
• Ossee Schreckengost: 296 BA
• Charlie Luskey

Infielders

• Charlie Dexter: 308 BA / 4 HR
• Danny Murphy: 337 BA / 130 OPS+
• Jimmy Williams: 327 BA / 10 HR / 110 RBI
• Harry Steinfeldt: 303 BA / 83 RBI
• Honus Wagner: 362/438/583 slash / 173 OPS+ / 8.3 WAR / NL MVP
• Charlie Irwin

Outfielders

• Lefty Davis: 336 BA / 129 OPS+
• Matty McIntyre: 345 BA / 135 wRC+ / 3.6 WAR / NL RotY
• Socks Seybold: 337 BA / 5 HR in 255 PA
• Fred Ketcham
• Ernie Courtney

Rotation

• Jack Chesbro: 19-17 / 330.2 IP / 4.9 WAR
• Deacon Phillippe: 19-14 / 3.24 ERA / 5.5 WAR / 90 FIP-
• Frank Owen: 16-8 / 121 ERA+ / 3.0 WAR
• Mike O’Neill: 15-8 / 2.9 WAR

Bullpen

• John Malarkey: 2.39 ERA / 10 SV
• Doc McJames: 3.55 ERA / 5 SV in 45.2 IP
• Wiley Piatt: 2.33 ERA / 1.19 WHIP
• Alex Hardy

The preseason predictions have us going 74-66 and finishing in third, 6 games back from the Superbas. They are picking the White Sox to pip the Browns in the AL.

S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

1902 April
 

A strange old month indeed. We win nine of our first ten and finish the month at 10-2. It’s a nice way to start but you can already see how unsustainable it is as we are pretty ordinary in our last three or four games. Still, we’ll take it gleefully and gratefully.

Hot

• Honus Wagner: carries over a hit streak from ’01 and makes it to 24 games before taking an ohfer. He also gets on base in 42 straight games.
• Socks Seybold: 347 BA / 16 RBI / 176 OPS+ / 168 wRC+
• Our pitching staff: Starter ERA 1.68; bullpen yet to give up an earned run.

Not

• The rest of our hitters: Seybold the only starter hitting above 300; 255 team BA is 7th in the NL.

Around the Leagues

• The Phillies are hot as well, going 9-3. The Cards lose their first eleven before beating us on the final day of the month.
• Red Donahue of the Phillies pitches the league’s first ever no-hitter in a 2-0 win over Brooklyn.
• Chicago and Baltimore have flown out of the gates in the AL, losing just a game apiece.

Awards

• 04/28 POTW: AL – Roy Patterson (Chicago) 2-0 / 0.50 / 9 K / 18 IP; NL – Socks Seybold (Pittsburgh) .500 / 1 HR / 10 RBI.

S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

10 - 2 better be sustainable in case 9 - 3 behind you is!!!

I'll take us being 1 game in front at the end of the reg season...

1902 May
 

The Reds overtake us early in the month as they sweep us with three one-run decisions (they would end up running that winning string to ten). I’m not so bothered about this development. I like the idea of us finding our groove and slowly improving over the course of the season – like we did in ’01 – more than I do having a sensational start but then drifting off into mid-standings mediocrity. Nobody remembers who led the league in May or June. Nor do they give you a ring and a trophy for doing so.

A game versus Brooklyn not long after that Reds series deserves special mention. Deacon up against Jesse Tannehill, who regularly gives us trouble. Tied at 1 after 8. Both sides score a deuce in the 9th to send it into extras, then score another one in the 11th to keep it going. We finally get the 5-4 win in the 15th on a walkoff single by Seybold. Here’s the box score and game log if you want to check it out.

When the Phillies come to town toward the end of the month, I arrange a sit down with their GM Jose Vazquez. By the end of which, I have made my first trade for the year.

TRADE 1 OF 5: (05/21): OF Lefty Davis and P Buttons Briggs to Philadelphia for OF Fred Clarke.

As I mentioned at the top, I don’t see myself doing much trading this year unless circumstances – form, injury, the exigencies of a tight race – force my hand. But I saw the opportunity to upgrade at left with a player who, all things considered, should have been a member of our squad (and would have been had the league started in 1902) all along. Lefty is a solid player and had a good ’01, but has struggled this year and I just think we’ve got enough flexibility in the group to cover Fred’s defensive one-dimensionality (he only plays LF). Buttons, too, is a good pitcher but we’ve got enough so that his absence should never even really be noticed. Again we are pivoting (slightly) older, which is something I need to keep an eye on. But at 29, “Cap” Clarke has plenty of good years left in him, all things going accordingly, and it’s not as if Lefty (27) or Buttons (26) were all that much younger.

Cap’s Pittsburgh debut turns out to be the most astounding game in our short history. At home. Deacon against the mighty Christy Mathewson, so we are expecting a tough one. What we get instead is a 21-0 rout as we chase Matty with 10 runs in less than 5 innings and just keep on scoring. Here are the boxscore and game log in all their glory, but the Cliff Notes go something like this: we have 19 hits, of which only four are for EB; Seybold has a career day with 7 RBI, tying the NL record; Clarke homers and drives in 3; Phillippe pitches a 3-hitter; Wagner and Williams each score four runs.

We lose 5-0 the next day. Ahhh, baseball, you’re a piece of work, you are.

Right at the end of the month, we get to face the recently-traded Buttons Briggs as the Phils come to town again. Deacon makes sure I don’t look foolish for having traded him (see comments re Jiggs Donahue in the end of month recap for context) by pitching us to a 5-1 win.

The final game of the month is an unpalatable finish, as Frank Owen – the only one of our pitchers not having a banner year so far – is pummelled by the Orphans in an 11-2 loss, the first time in the season we’ve conceded 10 or more. It is confirmation of a sneaking suspicion I had that we are just dying on our run a bit.

That shocker notwithstanding, May pans out to be an OK month for us, a nice consolidation after our scorching April. Mind you, our 16-12 record for the month would look a fair bit worse if not for a few close (read: lucky) wins, with us 8-8 in one-run games and 4-0 in extras. We’re still a bit too hot-and-cold for my liking, but to be sitting just a half-game off the lead at 26-14 overall is pretty much where we want to be.

Hot

• Mike O’Neill: 10 Quality Starts on the trot before a loss to the Reds.
• Honus Wagner: a deserved Hitter of the Month, hit 390 with 11 RBI / OPS+ of 211 / 470 wOBA / 201 wRC+.
• Socks Seybold: MLB high 36 ribbies so far, 21 of which were earned in May.
• Ossee Schreckengost: had a diametric May to ’01, back as starting catcher thanks to his 328 BA.
• Jack Chesbro: unlucky not to win the monthly pitching award for his 4-2 / 1.21 effort; 81 FIP- and 1.4 WAR among the league’s best.
• Deacon Phillippe: not quite as stellar as his rotation mate, but still an excellent month; 4.3 K/BB is the best in either league and 74 FIP- shows how much of his own heavy lifting he’s been doing.

Not

• Billy Maloney: his light hitting (216 BA for May) cost him the everyday catcher role, which only improved performance will earn him back.
• Jimmy Williams: knocking enough in (14 RBI in May, 20 season-to-date), but his 243 BA needs upping or a lineup reshuffle might be on the cards.
• Frank Owen: lost his way in May, going 0-6 with a 4.36 ERA (ERA+ of just 70), and is on the cusp of being switched out of the rotation should improvement not be steep and swift.

Around the Leagues

• The Cards are having one of the most bizarre seasons imaginable. After a 1-11 April, they have completely turned things around and their 18-8 May has got them back to smack bang on 500 ball. They are currently riding a 7-game win streak and are 12 of their last 14. Another month along those lines and they’ll be well in this, even as is they only trail the Reds – who lead us by the aforementioned ½ game – by 6½.
• Both the Beaneaters (8-18) and Phillies (8-19) had shocking months, and Boston is already 14 GB.
• The AL is anyone’s as it stands, with just 7 games from first (the A’s and White Sox at 20-15) to last (the 13-22 Tigers), with the top five within two games of one another.
• Our erstwhile teammate Jiggs Donahue has certainly found a home at the Sens, as only a late quiet patch sees his BA dip under 400 and his 2.8 WAR is tied for top in the AL with the mighty Nap Lajoie.
• Cincy ace Noodles Hahn pitches a one-hitter in a 9-0 win over the Orphans. On the same day, Red Donahue of the Phillies and Tom Hughes of the Giants duke it out for 16 innings before the Phils finally get the win, 2-0.
• Chicago Legacy Player Roy Patterson also pitches a one-hitter over 10 in a 2-0 win over Cleveland.

Awards

• 05/05 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) .481 / 1 HR / 3 RBI; NL – Red Donahue (Philadelphia) 2-0 / 0.72 / 4 K / 25 IP.
• 05/12 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) .481 / 2 HR / 8 RBI; NL – Sam Crawford (Cincinnati) .577 / 4 RBI.
• 05/19 POTW: AL – Jiggs Donahue (Washington) .655 / 1 HR / 4 RBI; NL – Willie Keeler (Chicago) .833 / 4 RBI.
• 05/26 POTW: AL – Dan McGann (Philadelphia) .615 / 1 RBI; NL – Jack Chesbro (Pittsburgh) 2-0 / 0.00 / 6 K / 18 IP.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) .362 / 5 HR / 26 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) .390 / 0 HR / 11 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Roy Patterson (Chicago) 7-1 / 1.71 / 20 K / 73.2 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Rube Waddell (Chicago) 6-3 / 1.91 / 63 K / 85 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Addie Joss (Cleveland) 6-2 / 1.71 / 40 K / 63 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Fred Glade (New York) 4-3 / 1.62 / 24 K / 61 IP.

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1902 June
 

We start June in middling fashion, dropping six of our first 10 and getting shelled in a few of them as our pitchers regress to the mean. It doesn’t much harm us in the standings at first glance, as we actually pull into a ½ game lead, but what it does is let teams such as St. Louis – who go on another mini-tear at the very same time – and Chicago and Brooklyn bunch up just behind us and Cincy, who are playing even worse than we are.

This leaves us at 30-20 thru our first 50 games.

We finally win back-to-back games for the first time in the month, stringing four in a row and looking like we might make a wee run for it. But then we drop three straight to the Cards and suddenly it’s all very tight indeed.

(Pointless observation alert: we score 7 runs in each of the four games we win and 2 runs in each of the three we lose. You’re welcome...)

An excellent road sweep at the Orphans and a two-game split at Cincy puts our record for June at 13-11 and leaves us with a 39-25 record, four games to the good of the Reds with the Cards, Orphans and Superbas lined up behind them, all well within reach.

I feel the target on our back.

Hot

• Jack Chesbro: pitches 18 Quality Starts in a row before a loss near the end of the month to the Cardinals. His excellent form continues right up until his last start of the month, when he takes an 8-2 battering from the Reds.
• Fred Clarke: after a slowish start, Cap’s quality shines through as he gives us the solidity we are looking for in the 2-slot. I make a wise investment in locking him down for three more years at $3k apiece.
• Ossee Schreckengost: 400 BA / 7.8 RC27 / 157 OPS+ (second only to Steinfeldt) for the month—and to think I was going to trade him...
• Harry Steinfeldt: 319 BA / 16 RBI / 404 wOBA / 159 OPS+ - just keeps getting better.

Not

• Our rotation: while I knew their early form was unsustainable, the dropoff in performance for June is a worry, Phillippe in particular (4.76 ERA).
• Honus Wagner: same goes, as Dutchie cools off considerably with a 295 BA and just 9 ribbies.

Around the Leagues

• The Reds go 8-15, but the rest of the NL contenders have a fairly similar month. The Cards are the best of us, going 16-11.
• The AL is slightly more strung-out than the NL, but still well and truly up for grabs. The A’s hold a 2-game advantage over the White Sox, with the Browns 2 again back of them. The last-placed Tigers are 10 off the pace.
• Cincy’s Noodles Hahn, the A’s Chick Fraser, and Jack Powell of the Cards each hurl a one-hitter over the course of the month.
• The Athletics post an 8-spot in the top 9th to pick a game right out of the O’s pocket, with the final score 14-9.

Awards

• 06/02 POTW: AL – Buck Freeman (Boston) 500 / 0 HR / 13 RBI; NL – Jesse Tannehill (Brooklyn) 2-0 / 0.00 / 11 K / 18 IP.
• 06/09 POTW: AL – Jack Harper (Baltimore) 2-0 / 0.00 / 9 K / 18 IP; NL – Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 500 / 1 HR / 4 RBI.
• 06/16 POTW: AL – Ginger Beaumont (Philadelphia) 444 / 1 HR / 11 RBI; NL – Bobby Wallace (St. Louis) 500 / 5 RBI.
• 06/23 POTW: AL – Hugh Duffy (Chicago) 818 / 4 RBI; NL – Kitty Bransfield (Boston) 500 / 3 RBI.
• 06/30 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 565 / 0 HR / 12 RBI; NL – Joe Kelley (Brooklyn) 500 / 0 HR / 4 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 377 / 0 HR / 24 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Bobby Wallace (St. Louis) 402 / 0 HR / 11 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Clark Griffith (Boston) 6-1 / 1.46 / 14 K / 67.2 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Jesse Tannehill (Brooklyn) 7-1 / 1.34 / 34 K / 74 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: George Mullin (Detroit) 3-4 / 3.43 / 20 K / 63 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Fred Glade (New York) 5-2 / 3.28 / 27 K / 68.2 IP.

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Stat of the Day
 

S+ has this great little new feature called Stat of the Day, where various stats are produced - you guessed it - each day!

So whenever I do an update (and remember), I'll put the link here.

Today's is Most IBB without a HR

1902 July
 

Just because the rotation is looking a bit wonky of late, I flip Alex Hardy to the Reserve and promote Nick Altrock. Let’s hope he barely pitches an inning—that means all is good with the starters.

After we win two of two against Cincy, the wheels completely fall off in a homestand with Brooklyn as we drop both games in back-to-back doubleheaders and play abysmally. The hits dry up, the pitching blows up, Matty McIntyre pulls up lame—it’s a complete disaster.

The mid-season blues are upon us. In earnest.

After that Brooklyn series, we lose four more of our next five. Then, just as we seem to have righted the ship somewhat with a couple good wins over the Giants, we lose Ossee Schreckengost for the year with a severe hip strain.

Rains, pours, you know the drill.

He has been superb for us, hitting 341 and rarely oscillating like some of the others have. We are fortunate to have the depth we do at the position, but Maloney will need to get it together as his buck-eighty-three to this point just won’t cut it and we need Dexter kept free up for utility duties. He’ll get the chance to re-establish himself at the position, but if he doesn’t then a trade will almost certainly be in order. And with the deadline less than three weeks away, he won’t want to spare the horses.

The Reds, smelling blood in the water, close to within a half-game.

We’ve got nothing to offer by way of resistance, losing far more games than we win including five in a row, two of which are consecutive shutouts at the hands of the Orphans in which we collect the grand total of six hits, and finally falling out of top spot for the first time in some time. Wagner goes hitless in an unheard of four games in a row during this time and is having a dirty month indeed (more below), but he isn’t alone by any means.

The only redeeming feature in all this is Cincy start going just as poorly as we are and the Cards are pretty up and down as well. Which means that, when we do finally stem the bleeding right at the end of the month and string a few wins together, we have regained the standings lead by two games.

The trade deadline comes and goes without any action on my part. I’m too tired to wheel and deal. After that (12-15) month, what I need is a long lie down.

Hot

• Jimmy Williams: almost Kiplingesque in how he kept his head while all around were losing theirs, Jimmy went 353 with a team-leading 18 ribbies, 176 OPS+ and 188 wRC+.
• Fred Clarke: Cap turned it around to hit 316 with an OPS+ of 137 and 147 wRC+.

Not

• Honus Wagner: while we were, almost to a man, incredibly poor this month, Honus was – relatively speaking – the worst, hitting just 253 in July with 6 RBI and an OPS+ of only 79, which has seen his overall mark dip precariously close to under 300. He is our talisman, and our best player, and needs to pick this side up and drag it over the line.

Around the Leagues

• If we can take heart from anything that happened in July, it is that the A’s were similarly challenged as we were but fought back to close out the month 4 ½ games ahead of the White Sox. But both divisions are still totally up for grabs.
• Brooklyn’s Joe Kelley has 6 hits and 4 RBI in a 10-2 win over the Reds.
• The updated Top 100 Prospects list is released and two of our players feature near the top, with Nick Altrock at #4 and Charlie Smith #8.

Awards

• 07/07 POTW: AL – John Farrell (Washington) 577 / 8 RBI; NL – Bill Keister (Brooklyn) 405 / 1 HR / 8 RBI.
• 07/14 POTW: AL – Chick Stahl (Baltimore) 500 / 2 RBI; NL – Doc Casey (Boston) 536 / 5 RBI.
• 07/21 POTW: AL – Buck Freeman (Boston) 476 / 1 HR / 8 RBI; NL – Sam Crawford (Cincinnati) 571 / 1 HR / 6 RBI.
• 07/28 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 471 / 2 HR / 8 RBI; NL – Rube Waddell (Chicago) 2-0 / 0.50 ERA / 23 K / 18 IP.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 362 / 3 HR / 26 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Joe Kelley (Brooklyn) 359 / 2 HR / 25 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 6-2 / 1.81 / 30 K / 74.2 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Jesse Tannehill (Brooklyn) 7-1 / 1.88 / 32 K / 72 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Addie Joss (Cleveland) 3-5 / 2.42 / 21 K / 67 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Fred Glade (New York) 4-2 / 3.60 / 22 K / 60 IP.

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Stat of the Day
 

1902 August
 

We get a couple close wins early, as Phillippe pitches a 10-inning shutout and knocks in two runs himself in a 3-0 win at New York and then we sneak by the following day 4-3 on a 2-run single in the top 9th by Murphy. The most positive aspect of all to be taken from this four-game swing, which we sweep, is some signs of Wagner turning things around.

We go on a decent enough run in that period, winning seven of our next ten, but Owen’s continued poor form forces my hand and I move McJames into the rotation in his place.
Our strong form continues over the next couple of weeks, allowing us to hold our destiny in our own hands. We are helped in this regard by Cincy’s seemingly uncanny ability to lose whenever we do (which I’d be quite happy for them to keep doing for the duration!) and somewhat inconsistent form by the others still within range.

We just taper off ever so slightly in the next-to-final week of August, and I decide to try and keep morale up by locking down a few players for next season and beyond. With Wagner, Phillippe and Chesbro already under lock and key via the Legacy Player rules (every Legacy is signed for 10 years at a rate based on their IRL earnings with a no-trade clause imposed; Wagner, for example, gets $61k over that period), I first sit down and talk with Steinfeldt, Williams, Murphy, Dexter, O’Neill, McIntyre and Altrock—each of whom is offered a multi-season contract ranging between three and five years. Next, Seybold, Schreckengost, Malarkey, Owen, Maloney, McJames are each offered single-year deals. By month’s end almost half have agreed to terms and hopefully there’ll be no hiccups with the rest.

It seems to have the desired effect, and two sterling performances in particular from this period deserve mentioning.

Mike O’Neill, having another excellent campaign, pitches a 10-inning three-hitter and delivers the offensive punch with a 3-run walkoff dinger to get us home 3-0 against Boston.

The very next game, Phillippe notches his 20th win for the season in fine style, shutting out the Beaneaters on 5 hits and outduelling the great Rube Waddell for a 1-0 squeaker.

And so, after a home sweep to round off an 18-8 month, we are 8½ games clear of a bunched field led by the Reds, with a 69-48 overall record.

Hot / Not

• Just a really even performance by the group so I feel it unwarranted to single any of them out.

Around the Leagues

• The White Sox sweep the A’s early in the month to close within 2½, but that’s as near as they get as Philadelphia steadies and then pushes back out with a 19-8 month to lead the Browns by 11 games and look in complete control.
• Brooklyn’s Jesse Tannehill becomes the league’s first 20-game winner this season.
• Clark Griffith pitches a 16-inning 7-hit shutout for Boston in a 1-0 win over the White Sox.
• The Cards lose Emmet Heidrick for a month to a torn quad.
• Jesse Burkett goes a perfect 6-for-6 with 2 RBI as the Browns annihilate Washington 17-1.
• Lave Cross hits in 25 straight.

Awards

• 08/04 POTW: AL – Chick Stahl (Baltimore) 565 / 3 RBI; NL – Bill Keister (Brooklyn) 391 / 2 HR / 7 RBI.
• 08/11 POTW: AL – Lave Cross (Chicago) 560 / 2 RBI; NL – Harry Davis (New York) 448 / 1 HR / 8 RBI.
• 08/18 POTW: AL – John McGraw (St. Louis) 579 / 7 RBI; NL – Noodles Hahn (Cincinnati) 2-0 / 0.50 / 8 K / 18 IP.
• 08/25 POTW: AL – Pop Foster (Detroit) 450 / 3 HR / 8 RBI; NL – Sam Crawford (Cincinnati) 455 / 1 HR / 5 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: John McGraw (St. Louis) 381 / 15 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Jimmy Barrett (Boston) 383 / 2 HR / 19 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 4-0 / 1.48 / 42 K / 73 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Rube Waddell (Chicago) 6-1 / 1.92 / 48 K / 61 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Addie Joss (Cleveland) 5-3 / 2.70 / 26 K / 73.1 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Carl Lundgren (Philadelphia) 4-3 / 3.41 / 24 K / 58 IP.

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Stat of the Day
 

1902 Stretch
 

I won’t lie to you—the end to this season’s schedule is one of the most bizarre things I have encountered in this game. We play just 19 games in September with a five-day break right near the end. Our final five games are all in October and all against Cincinnati, a series I really do not want to be of any consequence in the standings.

But it is what it is and we just have to get out there and lock this thing down with as little bother as possible.

We start the month poorly, dropping three of our first four before Phillippe once again steps up and pitches a shutout against the Beaneaters, who are by this point our nearest competitors. The benefit of this is short-lived, however, as we continue to struggle, drop games and moonwalk back in the general direction of the pack at a quite alarming pace. Wagner hits 167 over the first ten games of the month, Steinfeldt 207, Dexter 067. Not surprising we lose seven of them.

Compounding our mini-collapse is the fact that the Superbas have caught fire just at the right time, winning nine straight and moving into second.

We escape with our lives in a game at New York, scoring 4 in the 9th to pinch it 6-5, with a bases-clearing triple by Danny Murphy the key hit. That seems to wake us up as we beat the Phillies 11-1 the next day, with O’Neill pitching a CG and driving in 3 runs, then win the next 3 as well.

I won’t bore you any further with a daily / series rundown. It never really gets that close, as we do what’s necessary and clinch it on the 20th with an 8-2 home win, most appropriately with Phillippe on the hill for us.

That said, we limp home, losing four of that five-game final swing against the Reds including a 9-0 humiliation in the very last game after Mike O’Neill had to leave the game hurt when he was hit on the foot by a pitch, and if that’s all we’ve got left in the tank we’ll be nothing more than a speed hump for the A’s on their journey to glory.

Fortunately, O’Neill’s injury is just a bad bruise and he should be right to go in a few days.

Hot

• Deacon Phillippe: a couple key wins when we absolutely needed them to cap off a superb season.
• Doc McJames: 2-2 / 1.41 in 32 IP.
• Jimmy Williams, Danny Murphy, Billy Maloney: stood tall as others struggled with consistent form.

Not

• Charlie Dexter: 185 with 0 RBI and an OPS+ of 25. Not a great year for Charlie, he needs to be better than that.

Around the Leagues

• The Athletics encounter little difficulty in clinching mid-Sep, and they end up with a record of 88-52, a healthy 15 games clear of the White Sox. Their 17-9 September vs our 12-11 Sep / Oct is a huge concern for us heading into the World Series.
• Their second-baseman Nap Lajoie wins the AL Triple Crown with a 377 BA, 12 HR and 112 RBI, the first time this feat has been achieved.
• St. Louis’s Cy Young goes 5-for-6 in a game against the Phillies but still gets saddled with the L, 6-5.

Awards

• 09/01 POTW: AL – Charlie Hickman (Baltimore) 483 / 1 HR / 11 RBI; NL – Jimmy Barrett (Boston) 588 / 2 HR / 7 RBI.
• 09/08 POTW: AL – Erve Beck (Chicago) 484 / 1 HR / 12 RBI; NL – Deacon Phillippe (Pittsburgh) 2-0 / 0.00 / 5 K / 18 IP.
• 09/15 POTW: AL – John Anderson (St. Louis) 462 / 8 RBI; NL – Jake Beckley (Philadelphia) 500 / 0 RBI.
• 09/22 POTW: AL – Willie Sudhoff (Philadelphia) 2-0 / 0.50 / 5 K / 18 IP; NL – George Davis (New York) 688 / 8 RBI.
• 09/29 POTW: AL – Bill Reidy (St. Louis) 2-0 / 0.00 / 5 K / 18 IP; NL – Dave Brain (Philadelphia) 478 / 1 HR / 7 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 390 / 2 HR / 24 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Elmer Flick (Philadelphia) 398 / 18 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Addie Joss (Cleveland) 7-0 / 1.34 / 37 K / 67 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Rube Waddell (Chicago) 5-1 / 1.67 / 42 K / 54 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Addie Joss (Cleveland).
• NL Rookie of the Month: Fred Glade (New York) 4-3 / 3.18 / 35 K / 62.1 IP.

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1902 World Series
 

Philadelphia Athletics (88-52) v Pittsburgh Pirates (81-59)

You know there’s not a lot of difference between the 1902 A’s and the 1901 O’s. They are a classy unit who can beat you in any number of ways. Perhaps the main point of differential is the fact that they have clearly the best player in the AL, and arguably all of MLB, in Nap Lajoie. Only truly special players win Triple Crowns, as he has just done, and if he stays hot in this series we are going to be in all sorts of trouble.

Still, we have our own weapons led by our own true superstar in Dutchie Wagner. He had an underwhelming World Series last year and never really hit the heights we expect of him through the 1902 regular season. Now would be the ideal time for him to do so.

And in fact, even beyond the Wagner-Lajoie correlation, these two sides match up fairly even on paper, both statistically as well as personnel-wise: Plank-Phillippe; Chesbro-Sudhoff; Clarke-Beaumont; Dolan- Seybold; Steinfeldt-McGann. As is usually the case, it will come down to whichever side takes their chances and does the little things as well as the big.

I’m going to risk O’Neill, even though he suffered that foot contusion. The medical staff and Mike himself all seem to think there’s no damage there, so that’s how we’ll roll – at least to begin with. Phillippe to start Game 1. Apart from that, no other changes.

Game 1 in Pittsburgh
Deacon Phillippe (25-11) v Eddie Plank (28-7)

Not the start we were looking for as Phillippe surrenders a run before even getting an out with Lajoie singling it in.

Our bats stay quiet and when they double their lead in the 4th our plight worsens. But we cop a break when Lajoie proves he is human after all and muffs a grounder with two out to extend the inning and Seybold makes them pay with a run-scoring triple, just our second hit of the game.

We tie it at 2 in the next on a sac fly by Murphy and then Cap Clarke comes through with a two-out single to score another run and give us the lead for the first time in the game. A HBP to Wagner and another single by Williams makes it 4-2.

We extend our lead again in the 7th on three straight hits, with Wagner singling it in, then Steinfeldt all but puts them away with a two-out two-run two-bagger to make it 7-2. That ends Plank’s game.

Light rain had made the field slippery, but still, Steinfeldt’s two errors in the 8th are hard to take, and we are lucky to only concede the one run.

With Phillippe at 120 pitches and due up to bat, I decide to hit for him and let the pen close it out. Altrock lets two get aboard, but Malarkey comes in and gets Lajoie to ground out to end it. A positive beginning but there’s a long way to go.

Pittsburgh 7, Philadelphia 3.

BOX SCORE


Game 2 in Pittsburgh
Jack Chesbro (18-18) v Willie Sudhoff (16-15)

Pittsburgh leads series 1-0

Jack has been good and bad throughout the regular season. Let’s hope the good Jack comes out to play tonight and for the remainder of the Series.

He gets a scoreless 1st and we go ahead on an inside-the-park home run by Wagner, who seems much more focused than in recent times. But then they respond with a run in the 2nd to tie it back up again, and I’m not liking what I’m seeing when Chesbro gives up a hit to their pitcher, even though it leads to nothing.

The next inning doesn’t change my opinion as he gives up three straight hits and the go-ahead run but he recovers to keep it at that. By this point they have outhit us seven to two, and when we give up a totally pointless run on a double to their pitcher followed by an idiotic throwing error by Maloney, we are further in the hole at 3-1.

Wagner again sparks us to life, tripling and scoring on a Williams single, and another trip with two out by Steinfeldt gets us back square with them. But they are just pounding Chesbro, and go straight back ahead with a run on two hits, and again we dodge a major bullet when they leave the bags full.

Sudhoff gets his third hit, another double, and I have seen all I want to see when Chesbro then gives up a single to score him and make it 5-3. I bring Owen on in relief.

Wagner and Williams get aboard with none out in the home 6th. A Seybold groundout scores one and then Sudhoff is forced from the game with an injury. When play resumes, Steinfeldt knots it up once again with a single.

After both sides threaten without scoring in the 7th, we fall behind yet again in the next as their relentless offence just keeps churning out hits. This time, however, we have no response and they take the game by a run to tie the series at one.

Philadelphia 6, Pittsburgh 5.

BOX SCORE


Game 3 in Philadelphia
Chick Fraser (18-17) v Mike O’Neill (15-12)

Series tied 1-1

They have lost Sudhoff for the rest of the Series and most, if not all, of next season as well with a UCL tear. Tough break. It was only knowing we had the travel day coming up that allowed me the luxury of deploying the pen so early in Game 2. With a three-game run ahead of us, I certainly don’t want to have to do so tonight. But if O’Neill shows any signs of not being right my hand may well be forced in that regard.

We fall behind early again, as they post a run on two hits in the second and then another in the third.

Then the heavens open and the game is delayed for more than an hour.

When play resumes, so does their unstoppable hit machine, as they go three up in the 4th. Our bats, on the other hand, are ominously quiet, with just 3 hits thru 5, and when Lajoie homers to add another run to their lead we just look beat.

We finally get a run in the 8th on a Murphy single and then get a rally going in the 9th. With Wagner and Williams aboard and none out, Dexter – hitting for a dreadful Seybold who is 1-for-10 to this point – doubles one in, and he represents the tying run. Then McIntyre, also hitting 100 in the Series, triples them both in and we’ve somehow drawn level with the go-ahead run now at third with one out. But Maloney and Courtney fail to bring him in and we waste a golden chance to nick it.

They get a man on in the home half but don’t capitalise and it goes into extra innings. But not for long, as Owen gives up a leadoff trip in the 10th and a passed ball walks it off for them. We were messy and ill-disciplined tonight and paid the price.

Philadelphia 5, Pittsburgh 4 (10 innings)

BOX SCORE


Game 4 in Philadelphia
Eddie Plank (0-1) v Deacon Phillippe (1-0)

Philadelphia leads series 2-1

After a tentative first couple, we take the lead in the 3rd on a two-out Murphy single. Lajoie triples and scores on a Beaumont single in the 4th to tie it at 1 and they start up again, adding another on two hits. Then Wagner boots one and only a turned DP gets us out of the inning just the one behind.

No change until the top 7th when we get the bases full with no outs and tie the game when McGann makes an error at 1B. We look to have wasted another chance when a runner is doubled up at home, but Clarke saves our bacon with a 2-run single. Then Phillippe comes through in the next with a two-out RBI single to make it 5-2.

Clarke makes a dreadful misplay in the home 8th but then redeems himself with an outstanding throw to mow down Lajoie trying to score. Then we make three more errors in the 9th to put our game total at a disgraceful 7 and, more importantly, bring up Lajoie as the winning run with one out. After deliberating as long as I can I stick with Deacon. He gets Nap but then they tie it with a hit and I’m about to self-destruct.

In the top 10th we make two outs quickly, but then McIntyre walks and Dexter delivers one of the biggest hits of his career, a double that scores the run all the way from first.

Malarkey comes in to pitch and gives up a leadoff single. He gets one out but a single moves the tying run to third with one out. But we escape somehow a game we deserved to neither win nor lose, as he gets a GIDP to end it.

Pittsburgh 6, Baltimore 5 (10 innings)

BOX SCORE


Game 5 in Pittsburgh
Jack Chesbro (0-0) v Snake Wiltse (0-0)

Series tied 2-2

My heart rate is still elevated from that 9th inning last night when the first pitch is thrown, not the ideal frame of mind with Jack Chesbro on the mound. Even though he’s now 1-for-15, with the lefty on the mound I have little choice but to keep Seybold in the lineup and hope he comes good. Come Draft time I shall be looking to improve our bench options, that’s for sure.

Dexter is having some series, and he triples and scores the game’s first run on a single by Chesbro, who is no slouch with the bat (he hit 239 with 19 RBI in the regular season). A Murphy double scores him but Wagner and Williams fail to bring Danny in. Those are the ones that’ll kill you in this type of contest and sure enough they get on the board with a run in the 4th.

Seybold, who had singled earlier, finally finds his swing, homering to lead off the 6th and restore our 2-run lead. But then Chesbro loses his shape in the 7th and they tag him for 2 runs on 4 hits to tie the game at 3.

For the third game in a row, we sort it out in extra innings.
In the top 10th, we load the bases with one out. I hit Maloney for McIntyre, who is struggling with form, but he strikes out and Dexter grounds out and we miss our chance.

Chesbro, fantastic in this one, comes out after 10.

Murphy doubles and Clarke triples to get us the go-ahead run in the 11th. A passed ball gets us a buffer run.

McJames comes in for his first appearance of the Series, pitches a scoreless inning for the save to send us home needing one more win to get the bikkies.

Pittsburgh 5, Baltimore 3 (11 innings)

BOX SCORE


Game 6 in Pittsburgh
Mike O’Neill (0-0) v Chick Fraser (1-0)

Pittsburgh leads series 3-2

It goes without saying we don’t want to face Plank in a Game 7. So it’s up to Mike to wrap it up in six. I decide to play Maloney in CF in place of McIntyre, with Dexter behind the plate.

That all changes when Cap is hit by a pitch and has to leave the game. We regather and Wagner puts us ahead with a groundout and another one by Williams makes it 2-0. O’Neill starts strongly, but then our defence lets him, and us, down in the 4th with Wagner throwing one into the dugout to gift them a run.

They return the favour and we bring one in on a Maloney groundout in the home half. O’Neill walks to keep the inning alive and another error loads them up, but McIntyre can only ground out weakly to strand them all.

We stretch our lead to 3 in the bottom 5th on a run-scoring double by Seybold and then that man Dexter comes up trumps again with a two-out single to plate one and make it 5-1. Singles to Maloney and then O’Neill bring yet another one in for us. Then Murphy, such a champion, blows it even wider open with a two-out two-run two-bagger. 8-1, but still lots of time for them to come back, especially with their lineup.

O’Neill gets into trouble when he gives up a triple to Lajoie, but fortune favours us as Maloney throws an absolute bullet to double him up at home.

We load them up with one out in the 6th but for once Dexter can’t get it done, GIDP to douse the threat. But it matters little when Wagner bombs out a 3-run dinger in the next.

O’Neill has been just superb and with a 10-run advantage I would love to let him finish it. But at 130+ pitches and with everything to lose from the idea, I go to the pen instead. Mr Conservative wins out. At least Irwin makes it worthwhile with a single, and then an error by their CF gets us yet another run. A McIntyre single loads the bases and Wagner puts an exclamation point on a truly magical day for the club with a 3-run double. They don’t stop there, however, as Seybold singes one in, our 20th hit of the game, that makes it 16-1.

I give Deacon Phillippe the honour of finishing the game, which he does to give us our second World Championship.

Amazing!

Pittsburgh 16, Philadelphia 1

PITTSBURGH WINS SERIES 4-2.

SERIES MVP: Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh)

BOX SCORE

1902 Awards & Leaders
 

1902 AL HISTORY INDEX

1902 NL HISTORY INDEX

1902/03 Rookie Draft
 

Held on 12/20/02.

There are eight new Legacies entering the League:

• Brooklyn Superbas: Doc Scanlan (12.2; 176 (conceded-97% of games))
• Chicago Cubs: Mordecai Brown (58.4 WAR; 386 games pitched)
• Chicago White Sox: Lee Tannehill 20.9 WAR; 1090 games played)
• Detroit Tigers: Ed Killian (26.0 WAR; 214 games pitched)
• New York Giants: Red Ames (24.7 WAR; 282 games pitched)
• Philadelphia Athletics: Charles Bender (47.9 WAR; 385 games pitched)
• Philadelphia Phillies: John Titus (30.0 WAR; 1402 games played)
• St. Louis Browns: George Stone (26.0 WAR; 846 games played (conceded; all but 2 career games played for SLA))

NB Barney Pelty (19.2 WAR; 266 games pitched) was also eligible for the Browns, but Stone’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

Not a deep pool again this year and we attack it with the single purpose of shoring up our position player section of the bench, with RHB the priority.

We end up taking the following players:

1. OF Danny Hoffman
It came down to Danny and Jake Stahl, with the latter being a RHB in his favour. But in the end, Danny was just too good a player to turn down. He has a big bat and plays all three OF positions well.

2. SS Charles Moran
Had my eye on both Charles and Rabbit Robinson, who went a few picks before ours, rendering the decision moot. Charles fits the bill under the circumstances, offering solid defence at 2B / SS / 3B with only an average bat.

3. SS Lee DeMontreville
The best of the bunch left by this point, but will see little if any action.

4. LHRP Jack Doscher
By this time the only players worth taking were relievers, so we opted for a southpaw in Jack.

5. RHRP Tad Quinn
A surprisingly good player for so far down in the Draft, a handy relief backup or trade bait.

FULL DRAFT LOG

1903 The First Time Around
 

After two full seasons of utter turmoil, the AL and NL finally bury the hatchet. 1903 will be the first united Major League campaign.

After a slow start as they reel from the loss of two of their best pitchers in Jack Chesbro and Jesse Tannehill – who had combined for nearly half of the Pirates’ 103 wins in ’02 – to the Highlanders, the Pirates storm back into contention, winning 15 straight including a record six shutouts in a row. Led by pitchers Sam Leever and Deacon Phillippe and with their offence powered by Honus Wagner, player-manager Fred Clarke and outfielder Ginger Beaumont, the Bucs eventually kick clear of the Giants to win another NL pennant by 6½ games.

In the AL, a 36-year-old Cy Young along with fellow pitcher Bill Dinneen and position players Buck Freeman and Patsy Daugherty lead the Boston Americans to a 91-47 year and comfortable pennant win, 14½ games clear of the defending champion A’s.

The tough campaign takes its toll on Pittsburgh, and with Wagner hobbled by a leg injury the Americans account for them in the first ever World Series by 5 games to 3. Of those eight games, Deacon Phillippe starts five for the Pirates in a superhuman, yet ultimately futile, effort.

• Twelve spectators are killed and nearly 300 injured when an overhang behind the third-base stands at Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl collapses during the first game of a doubleheader between the Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals on August 8.
• Washington’s Ed Delahanty is killed under mysterious circumstances near Niagara Falls on July 2. His body is found two days later at the bottom of the falls. His death ends a stellar career in which he batted .346 with 2,597 hits. Only four other players in the history of the game will list a higher career batting mark.
• The AL follows the lead of the NL and commences applying the foul ball rule as we now know it. As happened in the NL in 1901, the impact on the AL is telling as scoring falls by 17% and batting average drops from .275 to .255.
• The White Sox tie a major league record by committing 12 errors in one game on May 6. Detroit adds six to set an all-time mark for the most errors by both teams in one game, at 18. Still manages to beat the Tigers, 10-9.
• On August 1, Rube Waddell of the Philadelphia Athletics goes the distance and allows four hits against the New York Highlanders; all four hits are by Kid Elberfeld, setting an AL mark for most hits by one player while his teammates collect none. Elberfeld’s hits—and six walks given up by Waddell—lead to a 3-2 Highlanders victory over the A’s.
• The Boston Americans score in a major league record 17 straight innings over three games, setting the record on the day they clinch the AL pennant with a 14-3 home rout over Cleveland.
• The first known moving picture footage of a major league game is shot during a postseason series between the Cleveland Blues and the Cincinnati Reds.
• Cleveland Blues rookie Jesse Stovall tosses an 11-inning shutout against the Detroit Tigers, a feat that still remains as the longest shutout ever for a major league pitching debut.
• On October 1, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jimmy Sebring becomes the first player to hit a home run in the World Series when he connects for a solo shot off of Boston's Cy Young in the seventh inning. The very next day, Americans outfielder Patsy Dougherty becomes the first player to hit multiple homers in a WS game when he drills solo shots in each of the 1st and 6th inning of Game 2.

Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. HONUS WAGNER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .355 average, 19 triples, 5 home runs, 101 RBIs, 46 stolen bases.
• Wagner returned to the top podium in the NL batting race for the first time in three years—and the first of six times over the next seven seasons.

2. JIMMY SHECKARD, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .332 average, 99 runs, 9 home runs, 75 RBIs, 75 walks, 67 stolen bases.
• Sheckard returned to prominence in Brooklyn following a disappointing 1902 season in which he fled to the AL’s Baltimore Orioles—and then fled from them after four games when he realized what a mistake he had made.

3. FRANK CHANCE, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .327 average, 83 runs, 81 RBIs, 78 walks, 67 stolen bases, .439 on-base percentage.
• The soon-to-be Cubs manager evolved from part-time catcher to everyday first baseman, allowing him the opportunity to show off his everyday penchant for reaching base.

4. MIKE DONLIN, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .351 average, 110 runs, 18 triples, 7 home runs, 67 RBIs.
• A year after spending five months in jail for assaulting an actress and her boyfriend/escort, Donlin got in a rare full season—and a good one, too.

5. FRED CLARKE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .351 average, 88 runs, 32 doubles, 15 triples, 5 home runs, 70 RBIs.
• The Pirates’ manager-outfielder continued to lead by example, hitting for his second highest average following a .390 mark during his 1897 rookie managerial effort at Louisville.

6. SAM MERTES, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .280 average, 100 runs, 32 doubles, 14 triples, 7 home runs, 104 RBIs, 45 stolen bases.
• One of the rare cases of an AL player being stolen away from a NL team (though the Giants had become awfully good at that), Mertes cooled off after a blazing start but still reigned as one of the NL’s top sluggers of the moment.

7. ROGER BRESNAHAN, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 113 games, .350 average, 87 runs, 30 doubles, 61 walks.
• Playing most of the year in the outfield before finding his calling as an inventive catcher, Bresnahan sparkled with a career-high batting average.

8. GINGER BEAUMONT, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .341 average, 137 runs, 209 hits, 7 home runs, 68 RBIs.
• The speedy redhead paced the NL in runs for the only time in his career, while notching his lone 200-hit season.

9. CY SEYMOUR, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .342 average, 85 runs, 191 hits, 15 triples, 7 home runs, 72 RBIs.
• Seymour returned to the NL as a dangerous hitter after leaving it as a workhorse pitcher in 1900.

10. JAKE BECKLEY, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .327 average, 29 doubles, 10 triples, 81 RBIs.
• Like fine wine, the 36-year-old Beckley continued to show how he could do it better than most others in the majors.

AL Hitters

1. NAP LAJOIE, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 125 games, .344 average, 90 runs, 167 hits, 41 doubles, 7 home runs, 93 RBIs.
• Lajoie was able to fully concentrate on baseball a year after the bitter tug-of-war between the leagues got him sidelined by the courts.

2. SAM CRAWFORD, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: .335 average, 23 doubles, 25 triples, 89 RBIs.
• After being among the last of the highly disputed acquisitions between the AL and NL, Crawford came, saw and conquered the junior circuit.

3. BILL BRADLEY, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 101 runs, 36 doubles, 22 triples.
• A solid year for Bradley highlighted with single-game accomplishments; he became the first player in franchise history to hit for the cycle, while becoming the first American Leaguer to nail three triples in one game.

4. BUCK FREEMAN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 141 games, .287 average, 39 doubles, 20 triples, 13 home runs, 104 RBIs.
• The AL’s premier bruiser by the numbers, Freeman led the AL for the second straight year in both extra-base hits and RBIs while leading it in home runs for the only time in his career.

5. PATSY DOUGHERTY, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .331 average, 107 runs, 195 hits, 35 stolen bases.
• Dougherty enjoyed the salad days of his very short—yet popular—tenure at Boston.

6. JIMMY COLLINS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .296 average, 33 doubles, 17 triples, 5 home runs, 72 RBIs.
• Despite not hitting .300 for the first time in three years, the third baseman-manager remained a tough out while leading the Americans (Red Sox) to their first world title.

7. FREDDY PARENT, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .304 average, 31 doubles, 17 triples, 4 home runs, 80 RBIs.
• Known more for his abilities at shortstop, Parent had one of his stronger years at the plate.

8. HARRY DAVIS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 106 games, .298 average, 6 home runs, 55 RBIs.
• A midseason injury kept Davis from ranking higher on the list as he warmed up for his upcoming reign as the AL’s premier bopper.

9. SOCKS SEYBOLD, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .299 average, 45 doubles, 8 home runs, 84 RBIs.
• The veteran outfielder kept the top home run spot warm for Davis by leading the A’s with eight—while leading the AL with 45 doubles.

10. CHARLIE HICKMAN, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .295 average, 12 home runs, 97 RBIs.
• In one of the few seasons he’d spend with just one team, Hickman set a career high in home runs.

NL Pitchers

1. JOE MCGINNITY, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.43 ERA, 31 wins, 20 losses, 55 games, 48 starts, 44 complete games, 434 innings.
• Firmly established in New York under manager John McGraw, McGinnity was let loose and racked up a NL modern era-record 434 innings along with his first of two straight 30-win campaigns.

2. SAM LEEVER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.06 ERA, 25 wins, 7 losses, .781 win percentage, 284.1 innings.
• Though Deacon Phillippe would be remembered in this season for his workhorse performance at the World Series, Leever was his exhaustive equal during the regular season—with slightly better efficiency.

3. DEACON PHILLIPPE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.43 ERA, 25 wins, 9 losses, 289.1 innings.
• Phillippe’s 25 wins would represent a personal best and cap a run of five straight years with at least 20.

4. JACK TAYLOR, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.45 ERA, 21 wins, 14 losses, 312.1 innings.
• A slight dropdown for Taylor from his stellar 1902 effort—but the Cubs still got rid of him after the season because of his attraction to being bribed. Not that Chicago risked talent loss; in trading Taylor to the Cardinals, the Cubs got Three Finger Brown in return.

5. CHRISTY MATHEWSON, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.26 ERA, 30 wins, 13 losses, 45 games, 42 starts, 366.1 innings, 267 strikeouts.
• The Giants’ saint to the sinner that was the feisty Joe McGinnity (above), the straitlaced Mathewson began his run of three straight 30-win efforts—and his strikeout total was the most by a National Leaguer until Sandy Koufax came along.

6. NOODLES HAHN, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 2.52 ERA, 22 wins, 12 losses, 296 innings.
• The Reds’ workhorse ace completed every one of his 34 starts but failed to pitch over 300 innings for the first time in his career.

7. JAKE WEIMER, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.30 ERA, 20 wins, 8 losses, 282 innings.
• The rookie 20-game-winner felt close to home in Chicago; after all, he was only 250 miles from his Iowa hometown.

8. TULLY SPARKS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.72 ERA, 11 wins, 15 losses.
• After bouncing around here and there over the past six seasons with virtually no success, Sparks finally found his rhythm with the Phillies by becoming a master of mixing up the velocity of his pitches.

9. OSCAR JONES, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 2.94 ERA, 19 wins, 14 losses, 324.1 innings.
• Nicknamed Flip-Flap for reasons we’re yet to uncover, Jones set a career mark for wins in his first (and arguably best) of a mere three years he’d spend in the majors.

10. VIC WILLIS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.98 ERA, 12 wins, 18 losses, 278 innings.
• A rare year in the career of Willis when he didn’t win and/or lose 20 games; still, his 12-18 mark failed to dignify a quality ERA.

AL Pitchers

1. CY YOUNG, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.08 ERA, 28 wins, 9 losses, .757 win percentage, 341.2 innings, 37 walks.
• Young failed to reach 30 wins for the first time since joining the AL, but for all it was worth, he certainly could hit (a career-high .321 in 137 at-bats).

2. BILL DINNEEN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.26 ERA, 21 wins, 13 losses, 299 innings.
• The Americans’ World Series hero (two shutouts against Pittsburgh) continued to flank Young as a worthy #2 during the regular season at Boston.

3. EARL MOORE, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 1.74 ERA, 20 wins, 8 losses.
• In between a rotten start and final month curtailed by injury, the sidewinding Moore put together a sterling career-year campaign.

4. ADDIE JOSS, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.19 ERA, 18 wins, 13 losses, 283.2 innings.
• There would be no sophomore jinx for Joss, who followed up a solid rookie season with a better second one; from here, it would only get better.

5. RUBE WADDELL, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.44 ERA, 21 wins, 16 losses, 324 innings.
• For the second straight season, Waddell managed to rack up 20+ wins for the A’s despite not being around from start to finish; in this case, he left in mid-August to chase a stage career.

6. EDDIE PLANK, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.38 ERA, 23 wins, 16 losses, 43 games, 40 starts, 336 innings.
• The A’s gave Plank one less run of support per start than the year before, but that’s okay—he lowered his ERA by a run to compensate.

7. BILL BERNHARD, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.12 ERA, 14 wins, 5 losses.
• Though he was limited to 20 appearances, Bernhard made the most of it and ran his two-year record to a terrific 32-10.

8. WILLIE SUDHOFF, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 2.27 ERA, 21 wins, 15 losses, 293.2 innings.
• Typically an average major league pitcher (at best) who historically lost more than he won, Sudhoff had one shining moment of a season for the Browns.

9. BILL DONOVAN, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 2.29 ERA, 17 wins, 16 losses, 307 innings.
• The right-hander began a consistently efficient (if not injury-prone) 10-year tenure with the Tigers with his finest career ERA to date.

10. GEORGE MULLIN, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 2.25 ERA, 19 wins, 15 losses, 320.2 innings.
• Despite his predilection for walks—he led the AL for the first of four straight years with 106—Mullin dropped his ERA from a 3.67 rookie showing the year before, and logged 300 innings for the first of five consecutive seasons.

1903 Preseason / Spring Training
 

White Sox outfielder Hugh Duffy decides to retire at age 37.

A torn elbow flexor knocks Americans’ reliever Dad Hale out for the season.

Little to report from ST as all goes well and we fashion a 14-4 record. The Reds are tipped to win the NL this year, 3 games ahead of us with an 84-56 record. The Browns are expected to kind of romp it in in the AL, winning it by 9 from the Highlanders (a new franchise in New York, moved from Baltimore) in a blanket finish.

FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

1903 Opening Day
 

Our attempt at a three-peat has been made immeasurably more difficult by the addition of some quality players to some of our rivals’ ranks. Still, I feel no compulsion to change our squad at the outset.

Here’s an update on how that squad looks at Opening Day and their 1902 highlights:

Catchers

• Billy Maloney: 307 wOBA / 1.7 WAR did enough after Ossee went down to regain the everyday role to start the season
• Ossee Schreckengost: 341 BA / 1.5 WAR in just 58 games before being injured
• Charlie Dexter can also fill in at backstop but will continue to be our #1 utility around the horn

Infielders

• Danny Murphy: 273 BA / 108 OPS+ will be our everyday 1B despite a drop in production in ’02 and his defensive liabilities at the slot
• Jimmy Williams: 19 3B and 154 ISO led the league, ended up with 4.7 WAR after a slow start
• Harry Steinfeldt: 74 RBI / 361 wOBA / 137 OPS+ rock solid all year
• Honus Wagner: 6.1 RC27 / 149 OPS+ / 6.6 WAR / NL MVP again despite a slightly down year
• Charlie Irwin
• Charles Moran

Outfielders

• Fred Clarke 301/348/433 slash, 5 HR / 132 ISO / 4.6 WAR combined for us and the Phillies
• Matty McIntyre: 4.6 RC27 but undoubtedly suffered a sophomore slump and needs to get back to his best with Hoffman in the wings
• Socks Seybold: 312 BA and with 5.1 WAR a solid contribution despite his power numbers being down
• Danny Hoffman
• Ernie Courtney

Rotation

• Deacon Phillippe: 25-11 / 2.63 ERA / 6.9 WAR / 85 FIP- our rock in ’02 and promoted to SP1
• Jack Chesbro: 18-18 / 2.62 ERA / 343.2 IP / 7.4 WAR a true workhorse but consistency issues are a concern and we need him to sort them out
• Mike O’Neill: 15-12 / 2.50 ERA / 87 FIP- more improvement from Mike in ’02 in a really solid year and looking for the same again here
• Doc McJames: 1.44 ERA / 84 FIP- in 68.2 IP did enough after his promotion into the rotation to hold his spot

Bullpen

• Frank Owen: 10-13 / 3.84 ERA needs to bounce back from a poor year
• John Malarkey: 7-3 / 2.37 ERA / 11 SV another reliable campaign, but I’m going with Altrock in the stopper role to begin the year; I just like the LHP there
• Wiley Piatt: just 13 IP but 1.35 ERA shows he did what was asked of him
• Nick Altrock called up late but looked great and gets a promotion as reward

The preseason predictions have us going 74-66 and finishing in third, 6 games back from the Superbas. They are picking the White Sox to pip the Browns in the AL.

I say: BRING IT!!

PITTSBURGH HOME PAGE

1903 April
 

An anything-but-convincing start to our 1903 campaign indeed, but the fact that we’ve come out of it with a winning record is heartening because I am not sure we can play much worse than we have to this point.

We end the month at 7-6, 2½ games behind Boston. Surprisingly, the Giants – whom, with Ames now joining Mathewson to give them the best 1-2 pitching punch in the league, I believe to be the favourites this season – are a game behind us. Still, only early doors and I am sure they are panicking as little as we are.

Hot - April

• Danny Hoffmann: has impressed mightily in limited opportunities and is pushing for everyday selection.
• Danny Murphy: stood tall while others went missing to finish with a 367 BA.
• Jack Chesbro: undoubtedly the only reason we are above 500, took his relegation from the #1 spot with typical good grace and then went out and won Pitcher of the Month with a 4-0 / 0.71 stanza.

Not - April

• The rest of our pitchers: team ERA of 3.27 would be a fair whack higher without Chesbro’s contribution.
• Socks Seybold / Jimmy Williams / Harry Steinfeldt / Matty McIntyre: all hitting sub-225 with OPS at or below 600.

Around the Leagues

• No clear leader in the AL, who again started their season some time after us. Cleveland nominally leads from the A’s and Highlanders.
• The Beaneaters have set the pace in the NL, and lead Cincy by 1½ with a 10-4 record.

Awards

• 04/20 POTW: AL – N/A; NL – Bobby Wallace (St. Louis) .450 / 5 RBI.
• 04/27 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) .500 / 5 RBI; NL – Ed Delahanty (Boston) .444 / 6 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) .436 / 1 HR / 11 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Ed Delahanty (Boston) .421 / 0 HR / 11 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Earl Moore (Cleveland) 2-0 / 1.50 / 10 K / 18 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Jack Chesbro (Pittsburgh) 4-0 / 0.71 / 15 K / 38 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Jake Weimer (Boston) 2-1 / 1.67 / 15 K / 27 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Oscar Jones (Cincinnati) 3-0 / 2.33 / 10 K / 27 IP.

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1903 May
 

After an off-day we have fifteen straight games, which should hopefully shake off the cobwebs.

It doesn’t, at least not to begin with as we trade wins and losses with apparent equanimity over the first week and show signs of both improvement (O’Neill, Steinfeldt) and regression (Chesbro in a big way—his ERA balloons to 2.58 within two May starts). We’re not alone; the league looks very evenly-matched this season, and only five games separate top from bottom in both circuits entering mid-month. Still, it’s disconcerting this middling form nearly a month into the season, and I have to remind myself that this is the group that has won us two rings and they can’t have collectively dropped off a cliff.

One thing that certainly hasn’t changed is our abject inability to beat the Reds. They beat us 12 of 20 last season and take seven of our first nine this time around.

And it only gets harder to keep the faith as things progressively worsen over the remainder of the month, with few aspects of our game working at all. Even our defence, which had been much tighter in the early going, reverts to type and we post consecutive five-error games, giving up five unearned runs in each, both losses of course. (Although saying that, we commit seven in a later game against the Giants and still win.)

This coincides with the Beaneaters putting together a nice run as we fall well off the pace, at one point 7 ½ games back before we rally just a smidge to finish at 20-21, five games adrift. That means we have gone 13-15 for May.

Hot

• Honus Wagner: strings together a hitting streak of 34 consecutive games before an ohfer late in the month strands him just 2 shy of Zaza Harvey’s record 36. This is perhaps Honus’s finest month in this league. He slashes 413/471/624 with 3 HR and 17 RBI, has a wOBA of 493, 223 wRC+ and 2.5 WAR, and as we enter June sits in the top five for all three Triple Crown categories.
• Fred Clarke: no second-banana to Dutchie by any means, Cap hits 321 and bests Honus with 18 RBI.
• Danny Murphy: without these top three, we’d be twice as far back as we are. Murph is third in the league with 27 runs, and continued his fine year with a 300/320/370 slash line for May.
• Doc McJames: continues to impress, going 3-2 with a 1.60 for the month and winning a couple of tough and crucial matchups for us.

Not

• Jimmy Williams: OPS+ of 58 is the most damning stat for a hugely talented guy who often doesn’t seem like his heart’s in it and who appears on this side of the ledger far too regularly.
• Socks Seybold: a month of two halves, with the first fortnight just dire. Has woken up a bit in recent games and hopefully this is a sign of him returning to his swashbuckling best.
• Jack Chesbro: his greatness will always be tarnished by his inconsistency. After that stupendous April he goes a decidedly pedestrian 0-5 / 4.28. Simply must control the whiplash.

Around the Leagues

• The Beaneaters have pinched a tiny break in the NL to lead by 3 from a pack of five teams within two games of each other (in which we are the back-marker).
• The AL is tighter at the top – with the new Highlanders franchise starting well to lead by a game and a half from the White Sox – but a bit more strung out as you move downward. Still, far too early to be drawing too much from it.
• Andy Coakley pitches a 13-inning two-hitter with 9 strikeouts (and 7 walks!) for the White Sox in a 1-0 win over Boston.

Awards

• 05/04 POTW: AL – Bill Bradley (Cleveland) .520 / 4 RBI; NL – Bobby Wallace (St. Louis) .423 / 2 HR / 9 RBI.
• 05/11 POTW: AL – Charlie Hickman (New York) .444 / 6 RBI; NL – Duff Cooley (Chicago) .433 / 3 RBI.
• 05/18 POTW: AL – Patsy Dougherty (New York) .400 / 10 RBI; NL – Harry Bemis (New York) .667 / 2 RBI.
• 05/25 POTW: AL – Earl Moore (Cleveland) 2-0 / 0.00 / 11 K / 18 IP; NL – George Browne (St. Louis) .458 / 1 HR / 7 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Charlie Hickman (New York) .382 / 2 HR / 20 RBI.
  
• NL Batter of the Month: Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) .413 / 3 HR / 17 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Otto Hess (Washington) 7-0 / 1.22 / 30 K / 73.2 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Christy Mathewson (New York) 6-1 / 1.34 / 45 K / 67 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Norwood Gibson (Washington) 4-3 / 2.43 / 38 K / 59.1 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Barney Wolfe (Boston) 5-3 / 2.07 / 24 K / 74 IP.

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Getting Clarke was a good move. The team can't be all Wagner.

He's been huge for us since coming over.

1903 June
 

Early in the month, I pull the trigger on my first trade of the season.

TRADE 1 OF 5: (06/03): 2B Jimmy Williams and RP Lave Winham to New York for IF Charlie Hickman.

I just felt this was a bit of a twofer, not just swapping out a patchy hitter whose numbers have dropped each season for a more consistent one, but also one that helps us defensively, allowing Murphy to move to his more familiar 2B and Charlie to man first. He can also play the other three IF slots with varying degrees of skill as well as OF. I certainly feel it makes us a better club moving forward, especially given the attitudinal issues of Jimmy’s I have spoken about.

It certainly has the desired effect, as we put together a pair of good wins not long after, beating the Beaneaters 8-3 and 12-1 in successive games to stick our noses above 500. In the second of those games, Wagner has five hits and Hickman goes deep for the first time this year.

We slowly drag ourselves up the standings with a 7-3 run in mid-month and some good signs are definitely creeping into our play. One of these is a 13-0 hammering of Brooklyn in which Chesbro pitches a five-hitter and Wagner goes yard twice to continue his outstanding year. Seybold, who also homers in this one, is working so hard to turn it around and I feel confident a breakthrough in that regard is imminent. But we are still way too inconsistent, as our 3-0 shutout loss the day after that blowout is testament to, as we collect just three hits and look as impotent as impotent can be.

The pack bunches right up over this period as the Beaneaters lose six on the trot and the peloton reels them in. We go into a four-game swing against them just two back and therefore within reach. Instead, we drop three from four and head back into mid-standings no man’s land.

The last of these games, a poor 8-1 loss, finally forces my hand as O’Neill is banished to the pen, with McJames moved up to SP3 and Owen in as the spot starter.

We continue our spotty form right thru the end of the month and finish – almost as if in a deliberate effort to highlight our middle-of-the-road status – at 33-33, six games off the pace.

Hot

• Jack Chesbro: continues his rollercoaster ride with a 5-1 / 0.75 month.
• Deacon Phillippe: 5-2 with a 1.60 ERA and has improved with each month after an iffy start to the season.
• Honus Wagner: cools off just a bit, but still well within range of a Triple Crown. 347/402/592 slash with 190 OPS+, 454 wOBA and 2.1 WAR for the month.
• Danny Murphy: continues to be our driving force at the top of the lineup. Fourth in the NL with 45 runs scored and his 12 ribbies for the month from the leadoff spot are our third highest.

Not

• We are not doing anything dreadfully, but rather down across the board from previous campaigns.
• Charlie Hickman: some adjustment issues no doubt, as he hits just 250 for June. Still contributes 3 homers and an equal-high 15 RBI, so no buyer’s remorse just yet.

Around the Leagues

• I accept now that I have been guilty of taking the Beaneaters too lightly, as it becomes clear over the course of the month that they are indeed the real deal. They convince me of this when they rebound from a six-game losing streak in the first half to go 10-4 in the second. With this run, they stretch their lead at the top of the NL to 3½ games, a margin that would be wider were it not for the Superbas stringing together eight on the trot, a streak they’ll carry into the new month. Ed Delahanty is having an unbelievable season for Boston, with his BA currently sitting at 418 after a POTM-winning June in which he hits 469, and their rotation looks solid as a rock. They’ll take some catching from the look of it.
• The AL remains incredibly tight, with the top three teams – Chicago, Cleveland and New York – within two games of each other and just nine games separating penthouse from cellar.

Awards

• 06/01 POTW: AL – Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia) 458 / 1 HR / 6 RBI; NL – Steve Brodie (Brooklyn) 632 / 1 HR / 6 RBI.
• 06/08 POTW: AL – Buck Freeman (Boston) 435 / 4 HR / 10 RBI; NL – Ed Delahanty (Boston) 600 / 2 RBI.
• 06/15 POTW: AL – Mike Donlin (New York) 609 / 3 RBI; NL – Dummy Taylor (Chicago) 2-0 / 0.00 / 9 K / 22 IP.
• 06/22 POTW: AL – Ed Abbaticchio (Cleveland) 486 / 4 RBI; NL – Bill Keister (Boston) 423 / 1 HR / 8 RBI.
• 06/29 POTW: AL – Mike Donlin (New York) 464 / 6 RBI; NL – Jimmy Sheckhard (Brooklyn) 500 / 1 HR / 7 RBI.

• AL Batter of the Month: Buck Freeman (Boston) 358 / 7 HR / 23 RBI.
• NL Batter of the Month: Ed Delahanty (Boston) 469 / 2 HR / 16 RBI.
• AL Pitcher of the Month: Otto Hess (Washington) 5-2 / 1.41 / 36 K / 70 IP.
• NL Pitcher of the Month: Bill Donovan (Brooklyn) 6-2 / 1.35 / 32 K / 66.2 IP.
• AL Rookie of the Month: Charles Bender (Philadelphia) 4-3 / 2.91 / 21 K / 58.2 IP.
• NL Rookie of the Month: Weldon Henley (St. Louis) 6-1 / 2.55 / 29 K / 60 IP.

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