[abell1198]

The American League 1920's Division has proven interesting in the first month. This division was suppose to be won by a landslide according to preseason predictions, but has been competitive thus far. Leading the division after the first month are two teams: The 1925 Washington Senators and the 1921 New York Yankees, both at 17-11.

The Senators were picked to finished 7th in the division, but a five game winning streak has them tied for the lead. The Senators are led by RF Sam Rice, who is batting .371. SP Dutch Ruether (3-2, 2.86 ERA, 2 SHO) and Walter Johnson (3-1, 3.89 ERA) lead the team in pitching.

The 1921 Yankees started out the season 6-0, sweeping the 1924 Chicago White Sox and 1909 Detroit Tigers. The team also brought out the brooms against the 1918 Boston Red Sox. C Wally Schang is batting .333, but LF Babe Ruth is only hitting .220. However, the Babe is 2nd in the AL in walks with 34.

The overwhelming favorite to win the division, and possibly the pennant, are the 1927 New York Yankees, who find themselves 1 GB at 16-12. The '27 Yanks were surprised to start the season 0-3 after being swept by the 1958 Yankees, but later returned the favor on the road against them. The Yankees were also swept by the 1988 Oakland A's, but managed to sweep the 1975 Boston Red Sox. They finished the month strong though, winning 9 of their last 10 and currently have a six game winning streak. LF Babe Ruth leads the Yankees, batting .313, 10 HR 24 RBI. SP Wilcy Moore, Herb Penneck and Waite Hoyt all have ERA's under 2.00.

In fourth place are the 1929 Philadelphia Athletics and 1920 Cleveland Indians at 15-13, 2 GB. The Athletics are led by 1B Jimmie Foxx (.343 avg) and SP Lefty Grove (3-2, 1.47 ERA). Indians CF Tris Speaker is batting .355.

In sixth place are the 1928 New York Yankees at 14-14, 3 GB. The team started out with promise, as they started 6-0, sweeping the 2006 Detroit Tigers and 1949 New York Yankees. They've gone 8-14 since, with three of those wins coming in a sweep of the 2005 Chicago White Sox. 2B Tony Lazzeri leads the team with a .392 batting average. RF Babe Ruth is batting .326, with 8 HR and 20 RBI. Ruth is tied for 3rd in the AL with 31 walks.

Tied for sixth place are the 1926 New York Yankees, also at 14-14, 3 GB. The pitching staff so far has been problematic. RF Babe Ruth is carrying the team at this point and is leading the Majors in most offensive categories. Ruth won AL Batter of the Month honors, hitting .406, with 17 HR and 44 RBI.

In eighth place are the 1924 Washington Senators at 13-15, 4 GB. The team has a struggling bullpen and a lack of power. 1B Joe Judge (.321 avg) and CF Nemo Leibold (.320 avg) lead the team in hitting, while SP George Magridge (4-1, 2.96 ERA) and Tom Zachary (3-1, 2.92 ERA) lead the pitching staff. SP Walter Johnson has struggled at 0-4, 3.19 ERA.

The 1923 New York Yankees are in 9th place at 12-16, 5 GB. The team has won only one series. No hitter is batting .300 and three players are hitting under .200.

The 1922 New York Yankees finish out in last place at 10-18, 7 GB. Although LF Babe Ruth is batting .367, with 11 HR and 23 RBI, their bullpen is the worst in the AL.

The National League 1920's Division is led by the 1928 St. Louis Cardinals and the 1926 St. Louis Cardinals at 17-11. The 1928 Cards are one of the favorites to win the division. LF Chick Hafey is 4th in the NL, hitting .407. Hafey is 2nd in the NL in hits with 46 and 3rd in the NL in doubles with 15. SP Syl Johnson has started strong at 3-1, 1.40 ERA. The 1926 Cards were predicted to finish in the middle of the pack, but have won their last four games to keep in contention. SP Bill Sherdel is pitching well at 3-1, 2.21 ERA.

The 1925 Pittsburgh Pirates are in third place at 16-12, 1 GB. The team is streaky, with two 4 game and one 5 game winning streaks. Starting pitching has been a weakness, but their solid bullpen is keeping them alive. CF Max Carey leads the team hitting .382, while SP Vic Aldridge has started out 4-1, 3.89 ERA.

Tied for fourth in the division are the 1922 New York Giants and the 1929 Chicago Cubs at 14-14, 3 GB. The Giants are led by C Frank Snyder (.324 avg) and CF Casey Stengel (.321 avg). The Cubs are 6th in the NL in batting, but their weak bullpen is costing them. The Cubs do seem to have the Cardinals number, winning 2 of 3 from the 1924, 1964 and 2004 squads. 1B Charlie Grimm is hitting .386, while SP Pat Malone leads the pitchers at 4-1, 2.28 ERA.

The 1923 New York Giants are in sixth place at 13-15, 4 GB. 2B Frankie Frisch is batting .375 and four other players are batting over .300, placing the team in the top 10% in hitting in the NL. Unfortunately, their pitching is in the bottom 10% of the NL teams.

The 1921 New York Giants and the 1920 Brooklyn Robins find themselves at 11-17, 6 GB and tied for seventh in the division. The Giants have struggled with their pitching, although three starters have shown promise with each throwing a shutout. RF Ross Youngs leads the hitters with a .318 batting average. The Robins were one of the favorites to win the division, but find themselves struggling with hitting and consistent play. 3B Jimmy Johnston is hitting .340, but three players are hitting under .200. The starting pitching has a combined ERA of 2.95, which is 10th in the NL. The Robins have been swept three times and swept other teams twice.

In ninth place are the 1924 New York Giants at 10-18, 7 GB. The team has shown good pitching, but has poor hitting. 2B Frankie Frisch (.304 avg) is the only hitter over .300. The Giants have had losing streaks of five and six games.

The 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates are in last place at 8-20, 9 GB. Their only highlight has been 3B Pie Traynor (.324 avg). At one point in the middle of April, the Pirates had lost 11 of 12 games.