Season 6
August
Speaker Lost For Season
Awards
Batter of the month AL: Dwight Evans (1974 Red Sox)
Batter of the month NL - Ginger Beaumont (1906 Pirates)
Pitcher of the month AL - John Tudor (1985 Cardinals)
Pitcher of the month NL - Dolph Luque (1921 Reds)
Injuries
Tris Speaker - (1910 Red Sox) - Broken kneecap - Season
Jon Lieber (2002 Cubs) - Torn rotator cuff - Season
American League East
It was time for the 1985 Cardinals to turn it on and that is exactly what they did in August winning 19 games and overtaking the 1960 Cubs. John Tudor won pitcher of the month throwing two shutouts while Willie McGee continues a big season hitting .315 and Jack Clark has 26 HR and 91 RBI. The Cubs still had a good month and enter the final month with all to play for only a game out. They remain first in home runs with 171 and can score but it will be the pitching that will need to stand tall for the miracle to happen. The teams play three times at Wrigley in the last week of the season. The 1974 Red Sox had a big month winning 17 lead by Dwight Evans who couldn't be put out. The Sox are 7.5 games back and would need a real act of God to finish top; still their emergence to end the season is notable. The 1930 Pirates limp to the finish line in a terrible effort in Season 6. A club with abundant talent was never in it from start to finish. Larry French will come close to winning 20 games.
American League West
The feeling in LA is great as the 2016 Dodgers should wrap up the division with weeks to spare. Corey Seager has his average up to .344 and leads a depedable offense but it has been Dodger pitching that has taken the league by storm. Alex Wood won his 20th game in August while Clayton Kershaw and Kenta Maeda have helped the staff strikeout 912 batters. The Dodgers are thinking of only a championship now. The 1994 Padres sit at .500 with Tony Gwynn now at .375. Trevor Hoffman adds 34 saves but the backend of the pen and a lack of almost any real power to the lineup have cost this team dearly. The 1988 Tigers have packed it in and Jack Morris is ending a nightmare season with 15 losses and a 5.63 ERA. Despite fine defense behind them, the pitching just never showed up allowing the most home runs in the game; no one can catch them there. Dave Kingman continues his effort to hit 50 HR as he sits on 44 but also has 104 RBI. Cubs pitching and defense has let them down even with Bruce Sutter and Willie Hernandez anchoring a strong bullpen.
National League East
A tragedy what happened to Tris Speaker when he went down on the 28th against the Cubs to suffer a gruesome knee injury and end his season. Speaker was clearly the MVP front runner for his first place 2010 Red Sox. He had a 11.4 WAR with a month to play and had an outside shot to win the triple crown. The Sox should be able to hold on for the division win, but their morale and viability just went crumbling down. The 1946 Cardinals now have to suffer the distinction of being a world champion club that wont be moving on. Stan Musial couldn't carry the Cards despite hi excellent season. The Cards are minus 8 in their pythagorium record and should have been much better. As expected the 2002 Cubs saw a load of Sammy Sosa home runs but their pitching couldn't stay healthy with Mark Prior and Jon Lieber calling it an early season. The 1909 Phillies had heads turning early in the season but they have won 20 games in 2 months anc could not get over spotty pitching. Sherry Magee should finish off a nice season with a .942 OPS.
National League West
The race in the West is far from decided and should take things to the wire. The 1906 Pirates go 18-10 in th. e month as Ed Karger has won 21 games over 248 innings. Ginger Beaumont may be the hottest hitter in the game now batting .325 with 95 RBI and poised for a strong finish. The 1921 Reds saw the Bucs surge past them but they intend to turn the tide. Reds pitching and defense remain elite as no one threw the ball better then Dolph Luque in August. The offense is the key for this team to end strong. The two clubs end the season with 4 games against eachother at Exposition Park. The 1985 Tigers fell out of the race with a tough 18 loss month. Jack Morris on this team hasn't been good either losing 17 times meanwhile Sparky's pen has been in shambles most of the season. Finally the 1948 Cubs were never really in it but can play spoilers to end the season. The Cubs barely have 500 runs on the season and the team pitching, even though it has been decent, could not make up the differance.