This season's schedule is a beast from the get-go. Seven straight, a day off and then 25 games without a break.
We split our first series against the Redbirds, drop two of three at Cincy. Odd start, really. Big losses followed by big wins.
Off we go on our long stretch.
It begins with our home opener, against St. Louis. Three from four gives us our first series win of the season. We head to Chi-Town for four at the Cubs, who have flown out of the blocks at 9-2. A split series comes at a huge cost, as we lose Harvey to an oblique strain for 5 weeks. Campbell gets his first taste of the Show.
We finish the month mid-standings at 8-8, 4 GB of the Cubs.
The View from the Gangplank- Obviously the loss of Harvey isn’t what we wanted, but you have to make lemonade etc., and so I see this as a chance for Cannell to strut his stuff with more game time, same with Herzog and even young Campbell.
- The pitching is, as predicted, the first area of concern. Both Chesbro (3-1 / 3.74 / 1.51 WHIP / 116 FIP-) and, in particular, Young (1-4 / 3.35), have started shakily. The close eye gets closer.
- Tommy Leach and Danny Murphy have both begun the season well.
- Our run diff of +1 compares unfavourably with sides like the Cubs (+28), A’s (+27) and Superbas (+22).
Around the Leagues- The season starts with a bang as Ed Walsh of the White Sox pitches an 8-strikeout no-no, with just the one walk and one error stopping it from being a perfect game. Five of the eight Opening Day contests – including all four in the NL – end up in shutouts, and Walsh’s game isn’t even one of them, as the Tigers manage to score an unearned run in the 5-1 result.
- Cincy’s Noodles Hahn hurls a 15-inning 7-hit shutout in a 1-0 win over the Cards.
Awards- 04/20 POTW: AL – Hal Chase (New York) 476 / 1 HR / 6 RBI; NL – Smoky Joe Wood (Brooklyn) 2-0 / 0.00 / 9 K / 18.1 IP.
- 04/27 POTW: AL – Admiral Schlei (Philadelphia) 588 / 1 HR / 6 RBI; NL – George Moriarty (Brooklyn) 545 / 2 RBI.
- AL Batter of the Month: Homer Smoot (Philadelphia) 397 / 0 HR / 8 RBI.
- NL Batter of the Month: George Moriarty (Brooklyn) 460 / 0 HR / 5 RBI.
- AL Pitcher of the Month: Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 4-0 / 2.37 / 21 K / 38 IP.
- NL Pitcher of the Month: Rube Waddell (Chicago) 5-1 / 1.29 / 40 K / 49 IP.
- AL Rookie of the Month: Elmer Steele (Chicago) 2-2 / 1.82 / 15 K / 34.2 IP.
- NL Rookie of the Month: Smoky Joe Wood (Brooklyn) 3-2 / 2.04 / 21 K / 35.1 IP.
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