[CT Wolverine]

Metaphysical League Baseball (MLB)
1915 Season


The 1914 draft was rather light. The top 6 picks were:
1. LF Gavvy Cravath, 25, Senators
2. CF Hack Miller, 21, Pirates
3. LF Red Murray, 20, Phillies
4. SP Bob Ewing, 27, Indians
5. SP Cliff P Lee, 22, White Sox
6. SP Dean Chance, 18, Red Sox

Several interesting players went later in the draft:
• Jonathan Papelbon, 22, Yankees #16
• Ryan Zimmerman, 19, Reds, #2-11
• Adrian Beltre, 17, Senators, #3-1

Going into the 1915 season, the defending world champion Indians were heavily favored to repeat in the AL. In the NL, the defending champion Cubs looked strong, but many were impressed with the Cardinals. The Cards had a couple of significant lineup changes. Lead-off hitter Hans Lobert shifted from 3B to Lf, making room for 22-year-old slugger Jim Thome at 3B. Rookie Pat Donahue (#3-11) earned the starting C job. Finally Andy O’Connor gained the 4th starter’s spot on a rotation anchored by #3 all-time winner Vic Aldridge (211 wins).

April saw rookie Dean Chance, Bos, dazzle the AL, going 4-0-1.06 garnering Pitcher and Rookie of Month awards, leading surprising Boston to an early tie for 1st in the AL.

By the end of May, however, the cream had risen to the top of both leagues. Cleveland @ 31-15 led the AL by 2 games over Boston. In the NL, Brooklyn @30-13 led St. Louis by 5 games. In the AL, Cleveland continued to pull away in a race that was never close. The NL was another story. By the end of July, Brooklyn and St. Louis were in a daily see-saw for the lead. St. Louis had a hot August, pulling ahead by as much as 6 ½ games before Brooklyn’s September run brought them within 2 ½. Finally, St. Louis held on and clinched the pennant with 3 games remaining.

The Cards, however, paid a price, as 3 of their starters, CF Billy Lush, C Donahue and SS Yunel Escobar were all injured in the final week of September and would miss the World Series against Cleveland.

The defending champion Cleveland Indians (93-61) and St. Louis Cardinals (94-60) met for the world title. The Indians came in fully healthy, while as mentioned above, the Cards were down 3 position players. Some highlights:

• Game 1: Pitching Triple Crown winner Vinegar Bend Mizell (26-8-1.46) dominated for Cleveland, with a 9 5 0 0 0 6 line in an easy win, Cleveland 4, St. Louis 0
• Game 2: Tex Hughson of Cleveland makes it look nearly as easy with a 9 7 2 2 0 3 line, while Lefty Marr sets an AL playoff record with 2 3B. Cle 3, StL 2
• Game 3: StL takes the lead for the first time in the series in the top of the first but Cleveland wipes that out with 3 runs of their own in the bottom of the inning and Casey Coleman coast from there. Cle 4, StL 2
• Game 4: Clendenon puts StL on top with a 2-run HR off Mizell in the top of the 1st. Cleveland gets 1 back in the 1st then attacks with Covington’s 2-run HR in the 3rd, 1 in the 4th and 1 in the 5th for a 5-2 lead. StL gets 2 in the 8th, but it is too late.
Cle 5, Stl 4

MVP: MIzell, 2-0-2.00. Mantle (0-4-.429) and Covington (1-6-.235) also star.

Cleveland becomes the only team in the 15-year history of MLB to repeat as World Champions!

Individual Season and Career Records/Milestones Broken or Tied in 1915:

Season:
• 1B: Nap Lajoie, Brooklyn, 182
• HR: Jim Thome, SLN, 17 (breaking Mark McGwire’s record on final day)
• Games: U Larkin, SLA/NYY, 155
• No-hitters:
o Denny Galehouse, SLA, 1-0 vs NYY, 0 BB, 4K (2 errors)
o Bill C Lee, NYG, 7-0 vs SLN, 4 BB, 3K (1st start of year)
o Andy Benes, BosA, 4-0 vs SLA, 3 BB, 6K
o Tom Candiotti, SLA, 1-0 vs NYY, 4 BB, 4K
• 6-hit game: Frank Taveras, Pit, (7-8-.875 for year) all 1Bs in Pit 6-5 loss to ChC
Career:
• 250 Wins: Anibal Sanchez, Pit (2nd pitcher in MLB history)
Note: The rivalry between Sanchez, 34, 1902-15and Harry Salisbury, 35, 1904-15 for the claim of MLBs best all-time pitcher continues. Some #s:
o Ks: Sanchez 2354; Salisbury 2353
o W: Salisbury 274; Sanchez 261
o ERA: Salisbury 2.10; Sanchez 2.19
o W%: Salisbury .613: Sanchez .540
o GS: Sanchez 518; Salisbury 469
o CG: Salisbury 375; Sanchez 363
o SHO: Salisbury 60; Sanchez 59
o IP: Sanchez 4434; Salisbury 4102
• 200 Wins: Aaron Harang, BosA (5th pitcher in MLB history)
• 2000 Hits: Salvador Perez, Det

Awards
• Avg: AL Mickey Mantle, Cle, .332; NL Nap Lajoie, Bro, .323
• Rookie of Year: AL Dean Chance, Bos,20-11-2.50
• Rookie of Year: NL Jim Lefebvre, Phil, 6-85-.269-5, 156 H, 73 R
• Pitching Triple Crown!: AL Vinegar Bend Mizell, Cle, 26-8-1.46
• Best Pitcher: NL Bill Vinton, NYG, 22-15-2.07, led league in wins
• Best Hitter: AL Mickey Mantle, Cle, 4-48-.332-13, led league in avg, BB, OBP, OPS
• Best Hitter: NL Donn Clendenon, StL, 884-.319-11, led league in SLG, OPS, 3B, R, XBH, TB