The Excellence Project
 

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Introduction

We all have them, our favorites. Whether it is because we saw them in person as a child or because we heard of their legends from others, we all have the preconceived theory of who the greatest baseball team is of all time.

In the only sport that spans the generations of your great grandfathers, the debate is deep rooted and comes from all corners of our nation. Passion of generations and their heroes are held more tightly then a sacred family recipe as their era, those they rooted for, are their own definition and identity of greatness.

Somewhere or someday when we are all gone; when that meteor finally hits us and we are in our Einstein youth picking up sticks again, will there be peace. Maybe at that time in a place loosely called heaven, the greatest of this old game can assemble together again, and have it out for one last fight to really see who was the best. Whose legend was the most valid and real.

It does little good to debate who the best player of all time was as it could never be fair or sensible to compare a pitcher to a right fielder, or a closer to a base stealer. The point to all of these greats and what they are made of comes down to wining, winning the greatest prize of them all which is that pennant and a chance at World Series glory. All great players had them, even Ernie Banks and Ryne Sandberg, that one team that may have not won it all, but is still considered legendary and good enough to be in consideration. It is all about team and not about records, stats, or comparisons. It is in the end about the win, about the winning side that for 150 or more games reached their goal. No one but no one can argue with a winner.

So the winners need to take their place, need to play things out and prove their greatness against others like them, others just as keen and confident. A legend versus legends is the only way to solve this ultimate test. The quest is to prove to you and to myself that there is a measuring stick and there are moments that can be tested to see the definition of greatness. It can not be found in the stats or the theories, it can only be found on the field of play, with a wooden bat and a ball, the same rules that have been for 120 years, this is the only judge that everyone will accept, the only mechanism to determine our answers. For on the diamond there can be no debate, a winner wins but a legend keeps winning.

This will be an analysis as well. This process is all too important to rush through or to get instant gratification from. It has to be enjoyed, like a fine wine or a long tale that can be unfolded in layers before the ultimate answer. All great things need to be worked at and this endeavor is definitely great and deserves all the focus we can give to it.

Format of Finding the Greatest

Baseball is a different type of game; it is a game of longevity and patience. Baseball is a game of seasons that lead up to a moment rather then immediate matchups and results. A season is so important in an undertaking like this because it keeps things the way the participants know it and excel in, a pennant race. A pennant race for all of 162 games will determine the best team every time, there is no room for flukes or hot streaks, this is about the cream rising to the top, this is the way baseball has always been.

The format for the season will also help provide a very intriguing side of things. We will be able to track and compare all the teams in a 162 game schedule and will be able to create our won leader boards and record book. The hallowed numbers of .400 or 56 straight games can be chased by the greatest. Batting titles will be played out and records in direct competition by the likes of Ty Cobb vs. Pete Rose and Barry Bonds vs. Babe Ruth will create themselves. So in an inadvertent way, we are able to measure individual greatness under a familiar measuring stick while keeping the overall focus on the ultimate finding of the greatest team.

So each and every team will be inserted into a pennant race. There are a total of 2624 major league baseball clubs between the year 1900 and 2023.

Every major league team will be included. These teams will be divided into six tiers, tier one including the strongest teams in history and tier 6 the weakest. Each tier will have 480 teams.

Round 1. One Hundred Sixty Four seasons will be played out. The rules to the seasons will be as follows:

- 162 game schedule
- 1986 settings
- 4 divisions of 4 teams.
- Winners of each division will advance, no wild cards.
- Injuries will be low

Only pennant winners advance, I like this because I think part of the importance of winning a pennant has been lost of late. 164 seasons means 164 champions. These 80 teams will receive a bye to the round 3. The 164 other pennant winners will also advance.

Round 2 The remaining 164 pennant winners will face off against each other in a best of seven series leaving 82 teams.

Round 3 The 82 will be added to the 164 making 256 total teams.


There will be an allstar game each season including a home run derby. This will be tracked as the best names to ever play will likely compete.
All awards will be tracked and awarded.

One issue that came forth was rather to use injuries of not. There are two sides to this debate; one is that injuries shouldn’t play a role in a perfect world where you are trying to find the best team based on skill and merit alone. I would argue however that we are not trying to find the best team on skill alone, but rather on everything else that incorporates a champion including endurance, stamina, and conditioning in a long season. So for this reason injuries will be included, I will however curtail them a bit in hopes that they won’t be too frequent. But make it known from now; at some point the engine will create an injury that greatly impacts a team and a season or pennant race.

On a final note of course the process isn’t perfect, but I can not think of a better way then to play out seasons to determine greatness. Will luck have a part of things? Surely to some extent, but with the marathon of the process the hope is that the standard deviation for any outliners will be greatly reduced and we will have a conclusive champion of all time. For what would baseball be without a little intervention from the baseball Gods?

American League Preview Season 1
 

National League Preview Season 1
 

April Season 1
 

Season 1
April

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Three HR For Crawford On Opening Day

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Awards
Batter of the month AL: Frank Schulte (1912 Cubs)
Batter of the month NL - Ted Kluszewski (1954 Redlegs)
Pitcher of the month AL - Clayton Kershaw (2012 Dodgers)
Pitcher of the month NL - Jack Quinn (1928 Athletics)

Injuries
Harry Perkowsi - Joint infection (2 weeks)

Team Notes

1991 Toronto Blue Jays - A perfect start up by 4 games in the division already with 19 wins. John Olerud has 20 RBI while Mark Whiten is hitting .350. Jimmy Key has a 1.60 ERA in his last 4 games.

1912 Chicago Cubs - Cubs have scored the most runs in the league at 162 and Frank Schulte has 14 home runs already to lead the league with 33 RBI. Chicago pitching and defense needs to improve.

1996 New York Mets - Not bad at .500 in the division. Jason Isringhausen is 4-0 with a 1.90 ERA in the rotation while John Franco has 6 saves and looks domiant as a closer. Lance Johnson providing a spark in the lineup.

1903 Chicago White Sox - Roy Patterson has a 1.37 ERA with 4 wins but the Sox offense is last in team WAR scoring only 98 runs for the entire month.

1920 Cleveland Indians - Pushing into first place late in the month Tris Speaker has spoken about his club pacing itself. Speaker himself is hitting only .260 but Steve O'Neil is a top catcher hitting .342.

2012 Los Angeles Dodgers - Clayton Kershaw was pitcher of the month and is in for a huge season winning 6 already with a 1.83 ERA. Matt Kemp has 7 home runs and Kanley Jansen 9 saves.

1992 Philadelphia Phillies - Curt Schilling has been hammered with an ERA over 6 and the team defense has been shotty. The Phillies do fight in close games and Jim Fergosi has the club afloat.

1927 Boston Braves - Boston pitching has been hit hard and there are no easy answers in the rotation. George Mogridge has been used as a closer and has saved 10 of the 11 Boston wins with a 1.04 ERA.

1928 Philadelphia Athletics - Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons are on fire and will be a nemesis for pitchers all season long. Lefty Grove however has lost 5 games already and looks way off for an ace.

1972 Los Angeles Dodgers - Tops in runs scored and very good on defense. The Dodgers feel they can beat the Athletics. Don Sutton is 5-1 and 36 year old Frank Robinson hit .400 in Aprl.

2022 Detroit Tigers - Few birght spots for the Tigers who struggle with strikeouts and getting on base. Tarik Skubal has been good with a 2.53 ERA and Javier Baez hit .462 in the last six games of the month.

1947 Cincinnati Reds - Harry Perkowski will miss two weeks with injury as the Reds chase a slow start. Johnny Van DerMeer has an ERA over 6 and Kent Patterson is 0-4 as Reds pitching has started off slow.

2021 Toronto Blue Jays - The best record in the league and first in batting average the Jays looked poised early. Teoscar Hernandez has 25 RBI and Vlad Guerrero is hitting .363 to start.

2005 Milwaukee Brewers - Leading in strikeouts and defense the Brewers have played well to start. Jeff Cirillo and JJ Hardy may not be household names but have helped the Crew offense to a good start.

1954 Cincinnati Red Legs - Injuries have hit the Redlegs a bit but they still won 15 games. including nine at home and two in extras. Ted Kluszewski has been on fire with 25 RBI and nine home runs.

1905 Boston Beaneaters - Only 5 wins in the month in what will likely be a very long season. Tied for last in runs and a defense that leaves alot of outs on the field. One hundred losses may be coming.

May Season 1
 

Season 1
May

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Awards
Batter of the month AL: Heinie Zimmerman (1912 Cubs)
Batter of the month NL - Mickey Cochrance (1928 Athletics)
Pitcher of the month AL - Stan Coveleski (1920 Indians)
Pitcher of the month NL - Lefty Grove (1928 Athletics)

Injuries
Nixey Callahan - (1903 White Sox) - 5 weeks - Fractured Thumb

Here Come The Jays

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Team Notes

1991 Toronto Blue Jays -Holding off the Cubs isnt easy but these Jays are starting to believe. The blub is 21-9 at the load Sky Dome and is an impressive 16-6 in one run games.

1912 Chicago Cubs - Tops in the league in runs and average including OPS, the Chicago offense has been leading with Franck Schulte continuing his MVP pace (.312/22/54). Most feel Chicago will right the ship and chase down the Jays.

1996 New York Mets - Mets are still playing good baseball as Lance Johnson is hitting .320 at the top of the order and Jason Isringhausen is now a perfect 8-0.

1903 Chicago White Sox - The loss of Nixey Callahan wont help a Sox team that cant really hit to begin with. Even more troublesome has been Chicago pitching that has a 4.62 starters ERA.

1920 Cleveland Indians - The champions went 21-8 in May making everyone forget their slow start. Ray Caldwell and Elmer Myers had great months on the mound and Tris Speaker is up to .320 with 42 runs. It is also good to see Ray Chapman playing well.

1992 Philadelphia Phillies - Darren Daulton hit .330 for the month and Lenny Dykstra still leads the entire league in WAR as the Phils try and stay in the race. Philly pitching has been the issue as their pen ERA sits at 5.06

2012 Los Angeles Dodgers - The Pythagorean record of this club is much worse then their record. Yes Clayton Kershaw is great but Dodger hitting is in the tank with the least runs in the league and only one batter (Matt Kemp) hitting over .260.

1927 Boston Braves - The season is getting away from the Braves with nothing to really lean on. Johnny Werts has already lost 10 games and Dan Bancroft is hitting just .195

1972 Los Angeles Dodgers - A ten game winning streak has the Dodgers in first. At total of 350 runs and 82 home runs are tops in the NL and the 5 game margin over the mighty A's has many really taking notice heading to the All Star break.

1928 Philadelphia Athletics - The A's are not playing bad winning 17 games in June but the Dodgers are just hotter. Forty one year old Ty Cobb is hitting .325 at the top of the order while Lefty Grove turned it on in June winning pitcher of the month with 6 wins.

1947 Cincinnati Reds - Not enough offensive power for the Reds who are last in slugging and home runs. Ewell Blackwell is carrying the rotation and should make the All Star game but the remainder of the staff has been hit hard.

2022 Detroit Tigers - Only 9 wins in June but any real hope for this club away. They are first in stolen bases to many peoples surprise but the overall hitting has not been good enough. Starter Tyler Alexander has a 10.22 ERA in the month and is still in the rotation.

2021 Toronto Blue Jays - The best pennant race is in the west where the Jays are getting great starting pitching including from Alex Manoah who has a 1.35 ERA in his last three starts. The team has a .350 OBP and leads the league in average at .286.

2005 Milwaukee Brewers - The Crew were swept at Rogers Center to end the month but they are still only two back in the race. Carlos Lee has 10 home runs hitting .364 and the Milwaukee team defense has been best in the league.

1954 Cincinnati Red Legs - The Reds had a winning month and are only five back playing better baseball then most thought. They hammer left handed pitching but real holes in their rotation likely will see a farther slide from them.

1905 Boston Beaneaters - Eleven wins heading into July as the Beaneaters look to set a standard for losing baseball. There are really no bright spots as the Beans are 4-29 away from home and are 0-6 in extra inning games. Ugly isnt a strong enough word.

Season 1 - June -
 

Season 1
June

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Awards
Batter of the month AL: Elmer Smith (1920 Indians)
Batter of the month NL - Frank Robinson (1972 Dodgers)
Pitcher of the month AL - Jimmy Key (1991 Blue Jays)
Pitcher of the month NL - Tarik Skubal (2022 Tigers)

Injuries
Johnny Van Der Meer (1947 Reds) - Broken elbow - Season done

Still Getting It Done

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Team Notes

1991 Toronto Blue Jays - The Jays are in a battle to hold off the Cubs and are holding their own. Pitcher of the month Jimmy Key proving he is a real ace with 11 win already. John Olerud has 67 RBI.

1912 Chicago Cubs - Frank Chance is still confident his club can in the end prevail in the division. Charlie Smith and Claude Hendrix have combined for 23 wins while the Cubs defense is first in run prevention.

1996 New York Mets - After a good start closer John Franco has run into some trouble and on offense the Mets are the slowest team in the league on the bases. Still The Mets are sitting with a winning record.

1903 Chicago White Sox - Seven wins for the second consecutive month and the White Sox can taste 100 losses. This team is 7-35 away from home and is last in OPS.

1920 Cleveland Indians - Almost 500 runs for the season the Indians have pulled away in the division after winning 42 games over the last two months. The club is first in WoBa and first in pitching ERA plus. The tribe could cruise to the pennant.

1992 Philadelphia Phillies - Darren Daulton should be a sure fire all star at catcher with 14 home runs and 59 RBI. Lenny Dykstra is hitting .321 with 31 steals but the Indians seem to be just too good to catch.

2012 Los Angeles Dodgers - The Dodgers just cant score enough runs and are hitting .230 as a team. Chris Capuano is 1-11 as a starter and a 6-21 June was a disaster.

1927 Boston Braves - A winning month for Boston and they really feel they can pull out of the cellar. Charlie Robertson continues his good season as the ace with 11 wins and Jack Fournier already has 2.5 WAR.

1972 Los Angeles Dodgers - A real fight in this division as Walter Alston feels his young Dodgers can win the flag. Don Sutton leads a good rotation but it is the Dodger hitting lead by the ancient wonder Frank Robinson, who is hitting .338/.450/.613 that is really something.

1928 Philadelphia Athletics - Tops in team ERA and strikeouts, Connie Mack will say that he feels his team has the better talent then the Dodgers. Mickey Cochrane has 18 home runs and Jimmie Foxx 15 while A's baserunning is tops in the league.

2022 Detroit Tigers - Ninety one stolen bases is first in the league in a surprise for these Tigers. Miguel Cabrera however is hitting just 5 for his las 29 while the backend of the Detroit rotation is a mess.

1947 Cincinnati Reds - The loss of Johnny Van Der Meer for the season is a big blow for this club. Eddie Miller has 14 home runs but the club depends too much on the long ball.

2005 Milwaukee Brewers - The Crew have played consistent and pass the Jays by three games. The Brewers pen is quite good while Geoff Jenkins has 59 RBI heading into July.

2021 Toronto Blue Jays - A 17 loss month cost Toronto first place including playing poorly against the Brewers. Vlad Guerrero has been on fire hitting .375 for the month but the arms need to improve as Robbie Ray and Alex Manoah struggled.

1954 Cincinnati Red Legs - Holding at .500, the Red Legs are only 6 games off the lead. Gus Bell has team with Ted Kluszewski for a fearsome tandem but no real table setter hurts.

1905 Boston Beaneaters - A club that has been tough to watch in every aspect of the game. Jim Delahanty and Pat Moran, who have combined for 27 home runs, are the one and only thing worth watching.

Season 1
Derby And All Stars

Bell First Derby Winner

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Season 1
July

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Awards
Batter of the month AL: Vic Saier (1912 Cubs)
Batter of the month NL - Jimmie Foxx (1928 Athletics)
Pitcher of the month AL - Larry Cheney (1912 Cubs)
Pitcher of the month NL - Rube Walberg (1928 Athletics)

Injuries
Alex Manoah (2021 Blue Jays) - Being evaluated for elbow soreness

Team Notes

1991 Toronto Blue Jays - Jimmy Key is up to 15 wins and John Olerud has MVP on his mind with 84 RBI. The Jays are really hot under Cito Gaston and are starting to believe they can hold off Chicago.

1912 Chicago Cubs - Chicago will not panic but stay the course. Frank Schulte is the first to 30 home runs and 90 RBI as Chicago has a league best 131 home runs and stolen bases with 192.

1996 New York Mets - A good season may not be good enough in such a tough division. Lack of speed hurts the club but catcher Todd Hundley remains hot with 20 home runs and Lance Johnson his hitting .323 with 64 runs scored.

1903 Chicago White Sox - Davey Dunkle has already lost 20 games and the Sox may have 4 arms that end with more then that number. Fielder Jones has hit .522 in his last 12 games.

1920 Cleveland Indians - A flat out run away for the Tribe who lead the division by 17 games. First in almost every offensive catagory, Elmer Smith has 96 RBI for a club that has 614 runs. Stan Coveleski already has 18 wins.

1992 Philadelphia Phillies - The Phillies played the Indians 6 times in July and lost all six of them. The club doesn't have the depth especially pitching and should just have the goal to finish with a winning record.

2012 Los Angeles Dodgers - A terrible season in LA as the Dodgers offense has fallen apart. Clayton Kershaw is still fun to watch going 2-0 with a 1.90 ERA in his last three starts. The team has scored 362 measley runs.

1927 Boston Braves - Eight wins in July the Braves may be ready to pack it in. Jack Fournier leads the club with 15 home runs and 55 RBI with Jimmy Welsh the only other hitter with a OPS+ over 100.

1972 Los Angeles Dodgers - The fight for this division is what makes baseball great. The Dodgers have some concerns in their pen with no real closer on the club but the bats are alive and well; Bill Buckner hitting .326 at the age of 22.

1928 Philadelphia Athletics - Most still expect this team to take the division. Jimmie Foxx had an incredible month as did George Earnshaw. The A's are 16-7 in one run games and Howard Ehmke has 26 saves.

1947 Cincinnati Reds - The offense cooled off as the weather heated up but the Reds have earned respect especially at home. Ted Kluszewski has only 9 home runs after a hot start to the year.

2022 Detroit Tigers - The Tiger pen has been a mess as the club followed up a winning June with a losing July. The Tigers lead in stolen bases with 4 players over 15 steals. Tarik Skubal has been hot with a 1.95 ERA in his last 15 starts.

2005 Milwaukee Brewers - The Brewers hold on to the division lead and they have done it with a strong pen and a rotation that gets alot of whiffs. Ben Sheets has a 9 K/9 and the club is 11-2 in extra inning games.

1954 Cincinnati Redlegs - Seventeen wins in July and only 4 games back, Reds fans are starting to believe. Joe Nuxhall has been a credited ace with a 14-7 record and a 2.77 ERA. while the middle of the Cincy lineup is poison for opposing pitchers.

2021 Toronto Blue Jays - The Jays are only 5 back and are just one hot streak of making a real run. The injury to Alex Manoah is of concern but the offense has carried well with Lourdes Gurriel hitting .450 in his last 7 games. The team has bashed 158 home runs going into August.

1905 Boston Beaneaters - Four wins in July and a historic pace for losses the Beaneaters have no pitching or defense, two things a bit crucial to be missing in the game of baseball.

Season 1
August

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Awards
Batter of the month AL: Heinie Zimmerman (1912 Cubs)
Batter of the month NL - Ted Kluszewski (1954 Redlegs)
Pitcher of the month AL - Stan Coveleski (1920 Indians)
Pitcher of the month NL - Don Sutton (1972 Dodgers)

Injuries
Jack Smith (1927 Braves) - Torn Flexor Tendon

The Pennant Race

American League East
The 1991 Toronto Blue Jays are seeing their hopes become reality as they open September with an 8 game lead on the favored 1912 Cubbies. The Jays swept Chicago at Skydome and should have enough cushion in the division despite a three game trip to Chicago this month. Juan Guzman and Dave Stieb have had great finishes to the season as the Toronto rotation is really what is leading the way. The Jays just have to avoid a major crash and they will be set for an unexpected title this fall.

American League West
It is all Indians and more Indians. Tris Speaker has taken his game to an entirely new level as the Indians lead their race by over 20 games and have a magic number of only 4. Speaker is hitting .333 with 101 runs scored while Elmer Smith has driven in 116 runs. Stan Coveleski is 24-7 with a 2.32 ERA making him the odds on favorite for the Cy Young award. The Indians can rest and prepare for the post season after a runaway season in which this Cleveland side has proven why they are truly championship caliber. Finishing with the best record in the league is another likely goal for them as is approaching 1000 runs scored.

National League East
The 1928 Athletics and 1972 Dodgers continue to tussle in what has been a ballroom dance all season long. The Athletics take the division lead heading into September but the winner will be decided on the field as these teams face off 6 times in the month including a season closing three game series at Dodger Stadium. Jimmie Foxx and Al Simmons have been finishing the season strong while for the Dodgers Don Sutton won the pitching award for August and looks solid along side Tommy John. This race has had it all including great managing by two Hall of Famers in Walter Alston and Connie Mack. OOTP likes the Athletics to win the division at an 81.0% percent rate.

National League West
The 2021 Blue Jays won 19 games in September and are rolling into September having cut the division lead on the 2005 Brewers to 2 games. Bo Bichette has hit .457 in his last 10 games and Robbie Ray has gone 3-1 with a 2.10 mark in his last 4. The Brewers have kept playing winning baseball but Prince Fielder is sidelined with a strained oblique and he may miss at least half of September. The two teams face off six times this month including a all telling three game set at Miller Park to end the season. Not to be overlooked, The 1954 Redlegs lead by player of the month Ted Kluszewski, are still just 8 games back and are hoping for a miracle.

Season 1
September

Final Standings

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National League Championship Series

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1928 Philadelphia Athletics (98-64) vs 2005 Milwaukee Brewers (95-67)

Both winning clubs in the National League took their respective division races to the final weekend of the season. The 1928 Athletics came into the last three games tied with the 1972 Dodgers and won the first two games at Dodger Stadium to clinch the postseason, including coming from behind and scoring 4 runs in the ninth for the clincher. Connie Mack had to be happy with his team's effort and contribution as the battle with the Dodgers was intense and confrontational all season long.

Now the strong roster goes to the NLDS lead by some of the best names in the game. Al Simmons won the batting title and and drove in 125 runs as the offense lead the league with 886 runs. Lefty Grove struck out 322 batters but it was Jack Quinn who went 26-9 to pace the A's staff. Mickey Cochrane hit .391 in the last 10 games of the season and goes into the postseason red hot. Forty one year old Ty Cobb is sure to leave his mark in the playoffs as well, he finished the year hitting .319.

The 2005 Brewers won 16 games in September and held a two game lead on the 2022 Jays as the final weekend started. The Brewers wasted no time clinching the division on Friday night and culminating a fine season with 95 wins. Craig Counsell could be confident in his team that played well down the stretch lead by a dominant bullpen. Rick Helling had 31 saves with a 3.13 ERA.

Prince Fielder is healthy again and his presence is huge in the order. Geoff Jenkins drove in 100 runs while the Brewers defense made the fewest errors in the league. Ben Sheets threw 320 innings and finished with 18 wins as he anchors the staff. The Brewers were 13-2 in extra inning games and seem to play their best when the stakes are highest.

The two clubs faced off 24 times during the season with Milwaukee winning 14 of them.

American League Championship Series

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1920 Cleveland Indians (105-57) vs 1991 Toronto Blue Jays (96-66)

The most dominant club by a long shot this season were the 1920 Indians who won 105 games and took their division by 23 games. Lead by the dynamic player manager Tris Speaker, the Indians look like a sure bet and the all out favorites to claim the title of season 1.

The Tribe had three 20 game winners lead by Stan Coveleski who won the pitching triple crown with a 27-9 record and a 2.24 ERA. The club scored 890 runs as Speaker hit .348 with 118 runs while Elmer Smith drove in 131. It was great to see Ray Chapman finish the season and play outstanding defense at third base for a team that went 28-12 against left handed pitching.

The 1991 Blue Jays will be no strangers to being underdogs as they won the East by outpacing the favored 1912 Cubs and winning it by 5 games. Cito Gaston had his team believing and the Jays played particularly well at Sky Dome. The club is anchored around its great defensive play with Devon White and Roberto Alomar controlling the middle of the field.

John Olerud drove in 113 runs and the team stole more bases then hit home runs. The ace of the staff was Jimmy Key who went 21-11 with a 2.77 ERA and will be the perfect confident ace to face the Indians. Duane Ward had to be the closer of the year with 44 saves and a 2.71 ERA. The Jays were 37-17 in one run games this year.

In their matchups this season the Indians held the edge with a 13-11 record but all the games between them were competetive.

Season 1 Batting Title

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Al Simmons - 1928 Athletics
.355 average with 215 hits and 45 doubles.

Season 1 Championship Series
 

Season 1
Post Season Edition

National League Championship Series

Attachment 1017668

Simmons Carries Athletics
Philadelphia Defeats Milwaukee In Four Games

Al Simmons continues to grow his case for league MVP as his 11 RBI helped carry the 1928 Philadelphia Athletics to the pennant defeating the 2005 Milwaukee Brewers in six games.

Milwaukee took the opening game but Jack Quinn quickly righted the ship winning game two 2-1. In a similar spot, Lefty Grove pitched a shutout in game four to again tie the series. Simmons hit a three run home run in game five and two home runs in game six as the Athletics were determined to move on.

The Brewers likely deserved better but the margin of error in the post season is indeed miniscule.

American League Championship Series

Attachment 1017669

Blue Jays Stun Indians
Toronto Make It Look Easy In 5 Games

Postseason baseball truly can not be scripted. The 1991 Toronto Blue Jays overrun the 1920 Cleveland Indians in five games pushing aside the 105 win club.

A 10-2 romp in the opening game by Toronto set the tone and the Juan Guzman pitched outstanding as the Jays took both game in Cleveland. After losing game three big, the Jays wrapped the series up at home beating Stan Coveleski twice in the process. Devon White was named the MVP hitting .333 with 9 RBI while David Wells won two games allowing 2 earned runs in 15 innings.

"There is something special about this club" says manager Cito Gaston. Now the World Series awaits them.

Season 1
World Series

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1928 Philadelphia Athletics vs 1991 Toronto Blue Jays

What A Series!
Athletics Rally And Are First Champions Of Season 1

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In a series that lived up to all the billing, it was the 1928 Philadelphia Athletics who came from a 1-3 game deficit in the series to win in seven games. Al Simmons was named MVP but many thought it was the heart of Lefty Grove that helped the Athletics find a way to survive and win. Simmons hit .448 in series and drove in 8 bit Grove struck out 29 in 23 innings winning two games, including game seven. Here is a quick recap of the seven games.

Game 1 In Philadelphia
Jimmy Dykes hit a two run home run and Lefty Grove struck out seven in a good pitching matchup with Juan Guzman. Each side only had three hits but the Dykes homer in the 7th broke a 1-1 tie and gave Connie Mack and his side the opener.

Game 2 in Philadelphia
After letting up three runs in the bottom of the first, Jimmy Key settled down and helped navigate a 6-3 victory for the Jays to tie the series. Devon White drove in two and Roberto Alomar made some sparkling defensive plays as the series moves to Canada.

Game 3 In Toronto
Devon White came through again in a big way as Toronto was on fire at the Skydome to take the series lead. White drove in four runs and Duane Ward shut the door as it became obvious that the Jays were more then capable of winning the series.

Game 4 In Toronto
Rene Gonzales singled in the bottom of the 10th to walk off another Blue Jays win and break the hearts of the A's. Dave Stieb comes in the game in relief and pitches two clutch innings to get the win and Roberto Alomar has three hits and scores two runs.

Game 5 In Toronto
Six outs away from a championship the Jays lead the A's 5-1 heading into the 8th inning. The Athletics would not quit and rallied for 4 runs behind a bases clearing hit by Ty Cobb. In the 9th the Athletics took the series home scoring three more runs in what was a telling collapse by the Toronto team and bullpen.

Game 6 In Philadelphia
An offensive show at Shibe Park as the Athletics opened up a 9-0 lead but the Jays scored six times in the 6th inning to make a game of it. Jimmy Dykes hit two home runs and Al Simmons drove in three as the confident A's scored 14 runs in a barrage of offense to force a game seven.

Game 7 In Philadelphia
It was Lefty Grove's night at the star threw a complete game shutout and the offense supported him with 8 runs with Simmons again coming through going 3-3 with a home run. The spirit of the Jays seemed to have left them completely, and Connie Mack celebrated the fantastic resolve and effort of his club

CHAMPIONS SEASON 1
1928 PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS

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Season 2
Derby And All Star Game

Evans Rockets Into Derby Win
Eleven Home Runs In Final Round

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Hayes Walks Off Nationals In All 12th

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