[CT Wolverine]

Metaphysical League Baseball (MLB)
1904 Season

For the first time, MLB expanded to a 154-game schedule. Balance continued to be the overall theme of the new league as, for the fourth consecutive year, two new teams made it into the World Series. Altogether, however, 1904 was a relatively bland year, as pitching dominated even more than in the previous three seasons.

The 1903 draft leading into the season was very weak.
• #1 CF Dutch Zwilling – Chicago White Sox
• #3 CF Jim Wynn – New York Giants
• #12 SP Ray Collins – Pittsburgh Pirates
were the only real notables who were either big names or would play a big role during the season.

The early leaders in the pennant races were the Cleveland Naps and New York Highlanders in the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League. The defending champion St. Louis Cardinals got off to a terrible start and traded star 3B Graig Nettles to the Chicago White Sox on May 11. This proved to be key to the AL race as the White Sox took the lead by the end of June and never looked back, winning by a 5 game margin over the Philadelphia A’s. In the NL, the Phillies led until August when their intra-state rival Pittsburgh Pirates passed them and won going away by 10 games. The White Sox (1903 cellar-dwellers in the AL at 50-90) concluded an incredible turnaround at 90-64, while the Pirates established a new record for wins at 97-57.

Expectations were that pitching would dominate the World Series, and in this case the expectations were fulfilled. Every game was a shutout except for one. Visiting Chicago took Game 1, 3-0, on Frank Knauss’ (27-11, 1.76) 3-hitter and the bats of #1 pick Zwilling and Nettles. Game 2 went to Pittsburgh, 2-0, behind Buddy Napier’s (18-13, 1.74) 5-hitter, a clutch sac fly by Larry Parrish and a big RBI triple by 2B Carlos Rodriguez. Chicago bounced back in Game 3, 2-0, as rookie Catfish Hunter (13-9, 1.90) twirled a 3-hitter and Jack Wilson
had the game-winning RBI in the 4th. Pittsburgh’s Game 4 win, 3-0, knotted the series on rookie Ray Collins (23-14, 1.42) 3-hitter and Carlos Rodriguez GW RBI. Game 5 was the turning point. In an 11-inning affair, Buddy Napier of Pittsburgh pitched a complete game (163 pitches), allowing 6 hits, for his 2nd win of the series as Pittsburgh took the game on the road, 4-2 for a 3 games to 2 lead. The go-ahead run scored on back-to-back doubles by David Justice and Larry Parrish. The finale was a pitchers’ duel between Catfish Hunter for the White Sox and Anibal Sanchez for the Pirates. The Pirates got a run in the bottom of the 5th on a Bream bunt single, Carlos Rodriguez single and a 2-out single by Stennett, and Sanchez made it hold up, tossing a 4-hit shutout, Pittsburgh 1 Chicago 0.
Pittsburgh wins 4 games to 2!
Series MVP was Buddy Napier for his 2 complete-game victories and 0.45 ERA in 20 IP.

During the regular season, the second no-hitter in league history was pitched Gary Serum of the St. Louis Browns vs. the Chicago white Sox in a 1-0 victory on 9/29. He allowed only 2 BB and struck out nobody.

Season record-breakers and season leaders are listed below. Before closing, a note regarding the upcoming 1905 season. The November 1904 draft for the upcoming season will be the best to date, with prospects like Stephen Strasburg, Johnny Bench, Frank Tanana, Reggie Sanders, Max Carey, Pascual Perez, Chris Chambliss, Lou Whitaker, Willie Davis, Monte Ward and Carl Crawford. In addition, I will begin to profile a team, starting with the New York Giants, who have fallen from World Champions in 1901 to last in the NL in 1904, and have the #2 pick in the upcoming draft. I will cut back on the more mundane parts of this report to compensate.

1904 Single Season Records:

• Triples: Bill Delancey, Cle, 31
• Losses (pitching): Jean Dubec, Detroit, 27
• Saves: Nelson Cruz, NYH, 6
• Complete Games: Doc White, ChC, 37
• Shutouts: Tim Belcher, Boston Beaneaters, 9
• Innings Pitched: Glenn J. Liebhardt, ChC, 381
• Strikeouts: Juan Pizarro, St.L Cardinals, 327
• Opp Avg: Anibal Sanchez, Pit, .196
• Opp SLG: Anibal Sanchez, Pit, .259

League Awards

Outstanding Pitcher
• AL: Frank Knauss – Chicago White Sox 27-11, 1.76, 357.2 IP, 291 K
• NL: Glenn J. Liebhardt – Chicago Cubs 24-13, 1.68, 381 IP, 204 K

Outstanding Hitter
• AL: Joe Evans, Cleveland 1-68-.305, 20 2B, 27 3B, 26 SB
• NL: Steve Yerkes, Pittsburgh 1-48-.312, 30 2B, 22 3B, 31 SB

Batting Leaders
AL: HR: Vlad Guerrero, Was, 10; RBI: Joey Votto, NYH, 77; Avg: Joe Evans, Cle, .305;
SB Steve B Dunn, Phi, 95
NL: HR: David Justice, Pit, Larry Parrish, Pit, Rick Wilkins, Pit, 7; RBI: Larry Parrish, Pit, 74: Avg: Steve Yerkes, Pit, .312:
SB: Ward Miller, Phil, 76

Pitching Leaders
AL: Wins: Frank Knauss, ChW, 27; Sv: Nelson Cruz, NYH, 6; ERA: Ken Gables, Cle, 1.54;
K: Frank Knauss, ChW, 291
NL: Wins: Anibal Sanchez, Pit, 25; Sv: Hipolito Pichardo, Pit, 5; ERA, Ray Collins, Pit, 1.42;
K: Juan Pizarro, St.L, 327