[Nick Soulis]

Season 2
August



Awards
Batter of the month AL: Mookie Betts (2015 Red Sox)
Batter of the month NL - Frank McCormick (1942 Reds)
Pitcher of the month AL - Francisco Barrios (1977 White Sox)
Pitcher of the month NL - Cy Young (1907 Americans

American League East

1925 Philadelphia Athletics - The Athletics have held their own heading into the final stretch. Their pitching is lead by Rube Walberg and Lefty Grove for a staff that leads in strikeouts with 907. Al Simmons gets all the headlines but Mickey Cochrane is the heart of the club with 20 homers and 78 RBI and outstanding catching. Its the A's division to lose.

1972 Atlanta Braves - If the club could get any kind of pitching they would be in a much better spot. The team ERA is around 5 and too many games have been high scoring affairs. Hank Aaron has 40 long ones for a club that has hit 179 already. The Braves will play three against the Athletics at Fulton County Stadium the last week of the season.

1977 Chicago White Sox - A strong month from the White Sox who wo 18 games. Although players will never give up, it is surely too late for the Sox who will try to be spoilers. Steve Stone has imploded in his role as closer and the rotation is being pushed to longer outings on close games. Seven players in the Chicago lineup are up and over 50 RBI's heading into September.

1995 Detroit Tigers - Limping to the final month the Tigers can expect over 100 losses. The offense never came together despite good individual performances by the likes of Bobby Higginson who hit .435 for the month of August. Scott Aldred was torched this month proving that the lack of depth in this rotation is why the Tigers are no where near competitive.

American League West

2015 Boston Red Sox - Boston finished the month up strong and are holding off the Senators by two games. Rick Pocello has a 19-6 record and is making his case for the Cy Young. Jackie Bradley is back in the lineup after injury and had a red hot month along with Xander Bogaerts who is hitting a robust .342 on the season. The Red Sox finish the season with a series in Washington which could be for all the marbles.

1924 Washington Senators - Walter Johnson went 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in the month but the Senators had a losing record in August and are now playing catchup. Goose Goslin has hit 25 of the 88 team home runs and pitchers are choosing to throw around him and no one has really picked up the slack. Building confidence heading down the stretch shouldn't be a problem for a club that has won it all.

1987 Philadelphia Phillies - Refusing to roll over and die, the Phils won 16 games in August and are still six games out with an outside chance to make a late run. Where Mike Maddux learned how to pitch like his brother isnt clear, but the Phillies arms are what has this team 15 games over .500. Milt Thompson has stole 31 bases and the team has 80 total, and John Felske has used any means necessary to score runs. This team has been a good story all season long.

1929 Boston Braves - Things go from bad to worst for the Braves who lost 22 games in the month. The Braves lost 10 games in a row to end the month and are still last in the league in runs scored. No starter has over 6 wins and other then Red Peery who has a 1.98 ERA, the pen has been a house of horrors.

National League East

2002 Los Angeles Dodgers - Eighteen wins in August and the Dodgers have built a little bit of a cushion over the Reds. Hideo Nomo had a strong month and now has lowered his ERA to 3.15. Adrian Beltre has heated up and is up to .304 with 83 RBI's to go with his golden glove. Fianlly a team with a winning record in this division and it would prove that Los Angeles just has too much talent for their rivals.

1942 Cincinnati Reds - The Reds desperately trying to stay in the fight won 16 games in August. Paul Derringer continues to lead a good pitching staff now with 15 wins and a 2.94 ERA. Frank McCormick has 80 RBI and is hitting .313 to pace the offense but there is no real run producer on the roster. The Reds can be comended for staying in it this long, they finish the year with a four game series at Dodger Stadium and they hope to have something to play for.

2012 Toronto Blue Jays - The Jays seem to be in the mood to finish strong. Jose Bautista is up to 96 RBI while Brett Lawrie has had a good year with 31 steals already. The jays pitching continues to be a letdown and with a better set or arms this club could really be in the mix. The Jays starters have an ERA of 5.24 and have lost 50 games including 22 from Ricky Romero.

1912 St. Louis Cardinals - There have been some good stories for the Cards like Lee Magee who is hitting .317 and Rube Ellis who already has 90 RBI. The Cards also stole 263 bases and are on form for an incredible total. The overall results however have not come about and this club can only hope to finish with a nice September. Possum Whitted hit .452 in his last 20 games earning the job at short.

National League West

1983 Philadelphia Phillies Their magic number now sits at eleven as the Phillies prepare for the post season and likely 100 wins. John Denny has won 21 games and Steve Carlton is right behind him. Ron Reed has 37 saves out of the pen but it is the hitting that has really bolstered the club this year. Mike Schmidt has driven in 102 already and is eyeing an MVP while Bob Dernier, Juan Samuel, and Joe Morgan has been great on the bases and scoring runs. Ony Pete Rose seems unhappy, batting only .247.

1968 New York Mets - The pitching staff for the Mets has been something to watch with young arms in Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver combining well with Jerry Koosman. The Mets will likely win 90 games this year but the Phillies just never gave them a chance. Cleon Jones continues his outstanding year and deserves MVP consideration, he had a three homer game this month and is still hitting .354 with 26 steals.

1931 Pittsburgh Pirates - Pittsburgh didnt do very much at all well this season. Their defense has let the pitching down and a lack of confidence for Bill Harris and Larry French has prompted veteran Ray Kremer to make some starts late in the year. Lloyd Waner is the only one hitting over .300 and George grantham hit .375 for the month, but the Pirates never really sustained much of anything in a lost season.

1907 Boston Americans - Cy Young will be well over 300 innings when the season ends and he has lived up to the legend of late with a 2.20 ERA in August. Last in runs the Americans were easy pickings for opposing pitching and a .297 OBP and .669 team totals say it all. The Americans did not represent the deadball era well and will try to save face by finishing strong.