[CT Wolverine]

Metaphysical League Baseball (MLB)
1935 Season


The 1935 season was not one of pennant races, but of all-time greats chasing their place in history and, in the end, the beginning of a changing of the guard.

First, to the pennant races. In the AL, the defending champion Red Sox were never out of first place, starting the season 13-1, finishing 99-55, 13 games ahead of Detroit. The NL was not much different with the Phillies taking the lead for good on May 20, finishing at 90-64, 8 games ahead of the Cubs.

The major story, however, was several of the best hitters who may ever play the game at the same time, battling for all-time records and to convince the fans that each was the best of his generation, if not for all-time.

The pure hitters, with their career totals at the end of 1935, () indicate rank all-time:

HR( )-RBI( )-AVG( )-SB( ), Hits( ), Runs( ), OBP( ), SLG( ),
Other
Ty Cobb, 38,113(29)-1492(2)-.382(1)-791(4), 3579(3), 1694(3), .441(1), .538(1),
2B:661(2),3B:222(3), TB:5041(3), VORP:1186.3(1), WAR:114.29(1), AB:9363(7)

HWagner,41,134(24)-1466(3)-.327(10)-857(2), 3745(1), 1861(1), .386(19), .465(20),
2B:734(1), 3B:227(1), TB:5327(1), VORP:864.36(3), WAR:86.11(4), AB:11446(1)

RHornsby,37,235(4)-1544(1)-.335(5)-134(u), 3582(2), 1742(2), .395(11), .494(8),
2B:629(3), 3B:186(6), TB: 5288(2), VORP: 1033.02(2), WAR: 92.54(2), AB: 10699(2)

The power guys:

Harmon Killebrew, 37, led all baseball with 29 HR, increasing his all-time record to 281 HRs, lengthening his lead over Frank Robinson, 35, whose 20 HRs left him at 270 for his career.

In a year-ending shock, on Dec. 18th, Ty Cobb called a press conference for his 39th birthday to announce his retirement. Cobb, who hit .298 with 4 SBs in 1935, stated simply: “I always told myself, the year I don’t hit .300, it’s time to take off the spikes. Leave it to the other guys to keep adding up the numbers. I’ll take quality over quantity any day. I love this game!”
True to his word, one season below .300, and Cobb walked away form the game he loved. He never hit below .327 nor stole less than 17 bases before 1935.

1935 saw a rash of other big names retiring, a virtual changing of the guard in baseball. Among the position players:
C King Kelly, 36, Cardinals, 76-879-.301-252, 2115 H, 1050 R
2B Roberto Alomar, 37, Pirates, 84-1154-.304-376, 2620 H, 1329 R
OF Tim Raines SR, 43, Phillies, 58-847-.293-759(6), 2266 H, 1145 R

All 4 of the active 300-game-winning pitchers retired, as well as other 2 other high profile SPs:
Cliff P Lee, 43, White Sox, 313(6)-294-100(1)-3.49 (note Lee also is #1 all-time in Saves)
Monty Stratton, 45, Dodgers, 305(7)-304-58-3.33
Jered Weaver, 45 Giants, 302(8)-258-48-3.16
Justin Verlander, 40, Athletics, 301(9)-275-57-3.75
Bret Saberhagen, 42, Dodgers, 265-191-43-3.05
Ben Sheets, 37, Senators, 199-177-52-3.48

The 1935 World Series featured the Philadelphia Phillies (90-64), 2-2 in World Series play, last appearing in 1926, last winning in 1912, vs the defending Champion Boston Red Sox (99-55), 7-2 in World Series play (most wins ever).

The Red Sox went into the Series without their starting LF & CF, Batting Champion Tommy Davis 8-63-.354 and Torii Hunter 17-103-.302. The Phillies were without Rookie SP Bill Butland, 2-2-2.49 in 11 starts.

Surprisingly, the Phillies won both games in Boston to start out the series, 8-2 (Wise defeating Boston ace Black) and 6-5. Boston broke through in Game 3 at Philadelphia, 4-1. But Wise then outdueled Black, 1-0 in Game 4 for a 3-1 Phillies.series lead. Vance Worley and Stan Rees combined for a shutout in Game 5, 3-0, for a relatively easy 4 games to 1 Phillies victory.

The Philadelphia Phillies win their 3rd World Championship in 5 tries, their first in 23 years.

MVP Bill Wise was 2-0-1.00, 18 IP, 17 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 K, 2 CG.



1935 Awards and Accomplishments:

Batting Avg: AL: Tommy Davis, Red Sox, .354
Batting Avg: NL: Vin Campbell, Pirates, .341
Rookie of Year: AL: Andre Dawson, Indians, 13-77-.307-7, 87 R
Rookie of Year: NL: Mat Latos, Bees, 14-11-1-3.73
Pitcher of Year: AL: Bob Black, Red Sox, 20(LL)-7-2.65(LL)
Pitcher of Year: NL: Bill J Sweeney, Reds, 22(LL)-13-2.76(LL)
Hitter of Year: AL: Harmon Killebrew, Senators, 29(LL)-104-.294-0
Hitter of Year: NL: Kirk Gibson, Giants, 25(LL)-118(LL)-.324-13, also HOY: 1933

Hitting Streaks:
Will Clark, Giants, hit in 25 straight games
Tommy Davis, Red Sox, hit in 21 straight games

Milestones:
Jered Weaver, Giants, reached win # 300
Justin Verlander, A’s, reached win # 300
Bobo Newsom, Indians, reached win # 250
Waite Hoyt, Tigers, reached win # 200
Bill Hill, Pirates, reached win # 200
Bill J Sweeney, Reds, reached win # 200

Rogers Hornsby, Yankees, reached hit # 3500 (2nd player ever)
Ty Cobb, A’s, reached hit # 3500 (3rd player ever – 8 days after Hornsby)
Joe Tinker, Cardinals, reached hit # 2000
Wade Boggs, Phillies, reached hit # 2000
Ginger Beaumont, Dodgers, reached hit # 2000
Hall of Fame:

Bill Vinton, 42, Giants, 1911-30, 211-170-24-3.07, 3582.2 IP, 3398 H, 1235 BB, 1408 K,
Pitcher of Year: 1915-16, LL W: 1915, ERA: 1916