Baseball in Boston -- 1901 & Beyond

[OmahaBaseball]

The winning streak rolls on, as Boston (7-2) prevailed over the Athletics (3-6) by a score of 8 to 3. Boston shortstop Kid Elberfeld continued to pound the ball, going 2 for 5 (2 Doubles, 2 Runs, 1 RBI) on the day. In fact, this marked the 7th consecutive game that Elberfeld had at least 1 RBI and unlocked the first "Achievement" of the season. Also contributing to the Americans 12-hit day was Fred Clarke (2 for 4, 2 Runs ) and Ossee Schreckengost (3 for 5, 1 Run, 1 RBI).

Boston ace Noodles Hahn (3-0) picked up the complete game victory, scattering 3 ER on 8 hits while striking out 6 and finishing with a Game Score of 62. Taking the loss for the Athletics was Sam Leever (2-1) who finished with a Game Score of 40. Honus Wagner again played well (2 for 5, 2 Runs) in the losing effort.

Player of the Game: Noodles Hahn (Season: #3 / Career: #3)

[OmahaBaseball]

The win streak came to an end! The Philadelphia Athletics (4-6) topped the Boston Americans (7-3) by a score of 8-2. Not only did Athletics pitcher Earl Moore (1-2) toss a solid game (CG 5 hitter, 2 ER, 5 Ks, and Game Score of 74), he aided his cause by going 2 for 3 (Triple, 2 Runs, 1 RBI) at the plate. Helping Moore was centerfielder George Davis who went 3 for 4 (2 Doubles, 3 RBIs, 1 BB) on the day. Boston was unimpressive on both sides of the plate, with the Americans batters eking out just 5 singles on the day, and pitcher Cy Young (1-2) having a rather dreadful (allowed 8 ER on 13 hits and 3 BBs) outing on the mound.

Player of the Game: Earl Moore

[OmahaBaseball]

Behind the strong pitching performance of Jesse Tannehill, the Boston Americans (8-3) topped the Philadelphia Athletics (4-7) by a 3-2 score. Tannehill (2-1) scattered 8 hits to get the CG win in which he did not allow an earned run, and finished with a Game Score of 68. The Boston hit-attack was led by Fred Clarke (2 for 4) and Win Mercer (2 for 4), though the 5th inning double by Dave Brain (1 for 4, 1 run, 1 rbi) provided the eventual winning run. Philadelphia starter Red Donahue (1-2) was tagged with the loss, allowing 3 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk.

Player of the Game: Jesse Tannehill (Season: #2 / Career: #2)

[OmahaBaseball]

The Boston faithful were excited to see the home team return for the start of a 3 game series against the Washington Senators. While the Americans (9-3) ultimately treated the fans to a 10-9 victory, how they got there was not one for the faint of heart. This was a contest of sudden reversals of fortune, with each team piling on runs to capture the lead just to see it lost soon after.

Down by a score of 4-0 heading into the bottom of the 7th inning, Boston roughed up Washington (4-8) pitcher Arlie Pond for 7 runs to take the lead, only to squander the lead in the top of the 9th inning. Losing by a score of 9-8 with 2 outs and runners on 2nd and 3rd, pitch hitter Harry Truby smacked a single to right field to score Win Mercer from 3rd and a sliding Kid Elberfeld from 2nd to win the game. What a finish!

Boston had 19 hits on the day, led by Win Mercer (4 for 5, 1 run), and John Farrell (3 for 5, double, triple, 1 run, 2 rbi). Fred Klobedanz (3-0) picked up the win, despite allowing 9 runs (4 earned) on 14 hits and 1 walk. It wasn't pretty but it got the job done.

Player of the Game: John Farrell (Season: #1 / Career: #1)

[OmahaBaseball]

In a match-up featuring two of the top pitchers in baseball, Washington (5-8) ace Rube Waddell showed why he is considered the early season favorite for national awards. Waddell (3-2) tossed a complete game 7-hitter, allowing 2 runs (1 earned) with 7 k's and a Game Score of 70. Taking the loss for the Americans (9-4) was Noodles Hahn (3-1) who allowed 5 runs (3 earned) on 11 hits and 2 walks; Game Score of 52.

Boston's 7 hits on the day were limited to singles, with John Farrell and Bill Lange each going 2 for 4. In the win, the Senators hit-attack was led by Danny Green (3 for 3, 1 run, 2 rbi) and Doc Casey (2 for 3, 2 runs, 1 walk).

Player of the Game: Rube Waddell

[OmahaBaseball]

After 14 consecutive days of baseball and a rest day finally in sight, Boston (10-4) jumped out to a 2-0 lead over the Senators (5-9) and were able to hold on for the 3-2 victory. Veteran pitcher Cy Young (2-2) went the distance to pick up the win; allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits, and finished with a Game Score of 68. Taking the loss for Washington was Jack Chesbro (1-3) who gave up 3 runs (2 earned) on 10 hits and 2 walks; Game Score of 52.

While there were no dominate displays of power at the plate for either team (only 1 extra base hit on the day), each of the Boston hitters had at least 1 hit (Kid Elberfeld 2-3, double) on the day. Senators left fielder Duff Cooley went 2 for 3 in the loss.

Player of the Game: Cy Young (Season: #2 / Career: #2)

[OmahaBaseball]

Several outstanding game performances from the past week that are worthy of a spotlight:

Deacon Phillippe ~ the Pittsburgh pitcher tossed a 3-hit shutout to lead his team to a 1-0 win over the Chicago Orphans.

George Davis ~ the Philadelphia centerfielder was unstoppable at the plate, going a perfect 5 for 5 on the day to raise his average to .407 for the season.

Doc Newton ~ the rookie hurler kept the New York Giant hitters baffled all day, with Newton leading his Brooklyn teammates to a 3-0 win.

John McGraw ~ the star St. Louis third baseman continues to amaze, going 5 for 5 on the day (3 singles and 2 doubles) to raise his season batting average to .500; tops in the MLB.

[OmahaBaseball]

Given the week that they had at the plate, it should be no surprise that George Davis and John McGraw were selected for the AL & NL Player of the Week awards.

[OmahaBaseball]

While it is still early in the 1901 MLB season, it is great to see the Americans playing solid ball and staying near the top in both the Power Rankings and Standings. This should be a fun season to see unfold!

[OmahaBaseball]

The Boston Americans travel to Cleveland for a 3-game series against the Blues. Boston heads into the series in a first place tie in the American League standings, while the Blues sit 4 games back.

Game 15: Cleveland (9-6) jumped out to an early lead and held on to top Boston (10-5) by a score of 6 to 5. Despite the Americans pounding out 12 hits on the day, they could not string the hits to bring in the needed runs. Blues starter Watty Lee (2-2) did just enough to pick up the win; tossing a complete game on 152 pitches and finished with a Game Score of 52. Jesse Tannehill (2-2) took the loss, allowing 6 runs (5 earned) on 7 hits to finish with a Game Score of 44. Fred Clarke went 4 for 5 in the losing cause to raise his team leading batting average to .429 on the season. Not to be overlooked was just how sloppy a defensive game this was, with a combined 8 errors on the day.

Player of the Game: Watty Lee



Game 16: Not sure how he keeps doing it, but Boston (11-5) pitcher Fred Klobedanz (4-0) won again, this time beating the Blues (9-7) by a score of 3 to 2. Klobedanz allowed 2 runs (1 earned) while scattering 8 hits and 1 walk to finish with a Game Score of 64; lowering his ERA to 2.50 on the season. Taking the loss for the Blues was Kid Nichols (1-2) who allowed 3 runs on 11 hits; Game Score of 55. Filling in at shortstop for Kid Elberfeld, backup Sport McAllister made the most of it by going 2 for 4 (double) and drove in the winning run. Win Mercer also contributed with a 3 for 4 day (stolen base). On a disappointing note, Boston catcher Ossee Schreckengost had a terrible day on the base paths; getting caught stealing, tagged out trying to stretch a double into a triple, and called out on a play at the plate.

Player of the Game: Fred Klobedanz (Season: #1 / Career: #1)



Game 17: The final game of the series was a pitching duel, with Noodles Hahn (4-1) topping Bill Donovan (4-1) to give Boston (12-5) a 2 to 1 win over the Blues (9-8). Both pitchers baffled hitters throughout the day, with Hahn allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits and 1 walk (Game Score of 78), while Donovan gave up 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 2 walks (Game Score of 71). Boston 1st baseman Frank Chance provided the spark needed for the win, going 0 for 1 with 2 walks, 2 runs, and a stolen base.

Player of the Game: Noodles Hahn (Season: #4 / Career: #4)

[OmahaBaseball]

Sorry for the delay -- life got in the way of my OOTP fun!

In a series that proved to be much closer than it should have been, the Milwaukee Brewers came to town to take on the Boston Americans for a 3-game matchup. While Boston was able to take 2 of 3 games, sloppy defense and little power from the lineup is becoming all too common. While the season is still young, this is something that I will need to keep an eye on and, if not improved, look for ways to fix the issues.


Game 18: Jumping out to a quick 3 to 0 lead after the 3rd inning, the hometown faithful thought they would see an easy victory; the Brewers had other plans. Bouncing back with 3 runs of their own, Milwaukee (6-12) made the Americans (13-5) work for the victory. Cy Young (3-2) picked up the win, going the distance while allowing 3 runs (1 earned) on 9 hits and finishing with a Game Score of 67. Scrappy second baseman John Farrell led the way for the home team, going 2 for 4 (Double, 2 RBIs, and 1 Run) to raise his batting average to .375 for the season.

Player of the Game: Cy Young (Season: #3 / Career: #3)



Game 19: What a game! While the pitching duel was fun for baseball purists to watch, it wrecked the nerves of the home team fans. While Milwaukee (6-13) jumped out to a quick 1 to 0 lead and kept Boston (14-5) hitters in check for the first 6 1/2 innings, they could not muster enough hits to prevail. In route to the victory, Jesse Tannehill (3-2) twirled a masterful 5-hitter, allowing 1 unearned run for a Game Score of 81 to pick up the victory. Kid Elberfeld (2 for 3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 Runs, 1 Walk) and John Farrell (3 for 4, Double, 1 RBI - team leading .397 batting average) each had a solid day at the plate to contribute in the win.

Player of the Game: Jesse Tannehill (Season: #3 / Career: #3)



Game 20: This was a rough game for fans to watch, as the Brewers (7-13) cruised to an easy 8 to 2 victory over Boston (14-6). Fred Klobedanz (4-1) took the loss, allowing 8 runs on 15 hits and 3 walks, finishing with a dreadful Game Score of 24. Milwaukee's hitting attack was led by Malachi Kittridge (4 for 5, 2 Runs, 1 RBI), Jim Connor (3 for 5, Double, 1 RBI), and Jimmy Barrett (2 for 4, 1 Run, 1 RBI, and 1 Walk). Other than Fred Clarke's 3 for 4 day (Double, team leading .413 batting average), there was not much for Boston's fan to be happy about.

Player of the Game: Jack Suthoff

[OmahaBaseball]

Washington Senators shortstop Monte Cross took home AL Player of the Week honors. Cross led his team to a 6-0 record, smashing the ball by going 11 for 20 (.550 batting average) with 2 HR's, 4 Runs, and 5 RBI's.

NL honors went to second baseman Jimmy Williams of the Boston Beaneaters. Williams batted .500 (14 for 28), cracking 1 HR, 8 Runs, and 8 RBI's to lead his team to a 5-1 record.

[OmahaBaseball]

The Detroit Tigers (15-5) remain at the top of the American League standings. While Boston (14-6) continues to hold onto second place, the Washington Senators (11-9) reeled off 6 consecutive wins to move into third place. There is a 3-way battle for last place.

[OmahaBaseball]

While the season is still young, the Boston Beaneaters (16-4) are off to an amazing start in leading the National League. On the other end of the spectrum are the Chicago Orphans (6-14) who are maintaining a solid hold on last place.

[OmahaBaseball]

It should come as no surprise that the Boston Beaneaters (16-4) remain at the top of the Power Rankings. Washington had the biggest jump forward, moving from 14th to 4th, while Baltimore suffered the biggest drop, plummeting from 7th to 15th.

[OmahaBaseball]

The Baltimore Orioles travelled up to the Bay State to take on the Boston Americans. In what proved to be a challenging series for the hometown team, Baltimore took 2 of 3 games and highlighted several weaknesses in the Boston lineup.

Game 21: While the crowd did not like ending up on the losing side of the scoreboard, they were treated to a match-up between two of the best pitchers in baseball. Baltimore ace Christy Mathewson lead the Orioles (8-13) to a 2 to 1 victory over the Americans (14-7). Mathewson (2-4) scattered 8 hits and allowed just 1 earned run (Game Score of 69) to top the performance of Noodles Hahn (4-2) who, despite his best efforts, was saddled with the loss (Game Score of 68). Boston's hitting attack was led by Fred Clarke (3-4, team leading .430 batting average), Ossie Schreckengost (2-3), and Win Mercer (2-4, Double, 1 Run).

Player of the Game: Christy Mathewson


Game 22: Building on their victory from the day before, Baltimore (9-13) came out on fire and never looked back, topping the Americans (14-8) by a score of 9 to 1. The Orioles were led by Ed Siever (4-2) who tossed a complete game 9-hitter, allowing 1 earned run while striking out 5 (Game Score of 70). In stark contrast was the pitching of Cy Young (3-3) who lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing 8 runs (7 earned) on 9 hits and 2 walks (Game Score of 9). Baltimore was led by shortstop Otto Krueger (2 for 3, HR, 2 Runs, 1 RBI), while Boston's lone bright spot on the day was the batting of Fred Clarke (3-4, 1 Run, team leading .446 batting average).

Player of the Game: Ed Siever


Game 23: Boston (15-8) narrowly pulled out the victory of the Orioles (9-14) due to the 2-run blast from Kid Elberfeld in the bottom of the 8th inning. In an error filled game (7 combined errors), Boston pitcher Jesse Tannehill (4-2) kept Baltimore largely in check (Game Score of 64) but his fielding support made this a closer game than it should have been. The top of the Americans lineup combined for a 6 for 11 day (3 Runs, 1 RBI, and 3 Stolen Bases), with Fred Clarke raising his batting average to .448 on the season.

Player of the Game: Jesse Tannehill (Season: #4 / Career: #4)

[OmahaBaseball]

After a rough homestand, the Boston Americans were looking forward to getting on the road to take on the first-place Detroit Tigers. While they dominated in the first game, Boston dropped the next two, and have created more questions than answers regarding their season outlook.

Game 24: Thanks to a 6-run 4th inning, Boston (16-8) cruised to a 9 to 1 victory over the Tigers (16-8). To be honest, not entirely sure how Boston pitcher Fred Klobedanz (5-1) continues to win. Not having even average scouting ratings or dominate stuff, Klobedanz once again squared off against a top team and prevailed, allowing 1 earned run in the complete game victory (Game Score of 66). At the plate, the Americans cracked 11 hits, led by Fred Clarke (2 for 4, with 2 Doubles, 2 RBIs, 1 Run, and raised his batting average to .451), Dave Brain (2 for 5, with 2 Runs, 1 RBI), and Fred Klobedanz (2 for 4, with 2 RBIs, 1 Run). While Tigers pitcher Nixey Callahan (3-2) took the loss (Game Score of 31), he had a great day at the plate by going 2 for 3 (Double, Triple, RBI).

Player of the Game: Fred Klobedanz (Season: #2 / Career: #2)


Game 25: Ouch, this was a complete beat-down. The Tigers (17-8) came out on fire and had the Americans (16-9) by a score of 8 to 0 after 4th inning, and went on to the easy 9 to 2 win. Detroit ace Doc White (3-4) was dominant, limiting the opposing team to 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 3 walks (Game Score of 70). Taking the loss for Boston was Noodles Hahn (4-3) who allowed 8 runs (4 earned) on 10 hits over 6 innings (Game Score of 34). Detroit had 5 batters who had a multi-hit game, led by Mike Dolin (3 for 5, Double, 1 Run, 1 RBI) and Freddy Parent (2 for 3, Triple, 1 Run, 3 RBI). The lone bright spot at the plate for the Americans was Dave Brain's 2 for 3 (HR, 1 Run, 1 RBI) performance. As a side note, Boston committed 8 errors on the day - yikes!

Player of the Game: Doc White


Game 26: This was a frustrating game to watch play out as Boston (16-10) blew leads of 4 to 1 and 7 to 6, eventually falling to the Tigers (18-8) by a score of 8 to 7. Detroit pitcher Togie Pittinger (6-1) picked up the win, allowing 7 runs (5 earned) on 10 hits and 1 walk; Game Score of 32. Clay Fauver gained his first hold of the season, while John Malarkey locked down his first save on the year. Boston pitcher Cy Young lasted only 5 innings, allowing 6 runs on 8 hits and 1 walk; Game Score of 27. Bob Lawson (0-1) had both a blown serve and loss when he allowed 2 runs on 5 hits. Fred Clarke (3 for 5, 1 Run, 2 RBI, .440 batting average) and Ossee Schreckengost (3 for 5, 2 Runs, 2 RBI) were the bright spots at the plate. Hugh Duffy went 2 for 5 at the plate (1 Run, 3 RBI, Double, Triple), while Mike Dolin set a record with 2 Triples in the game.

Player of the Game: Hugh Duffy

[OmahaBaseball]

Outstanding Game Performances from the past week:

[OmahaBaseball]

The American League Player of the Week award went to Blues slugger Ed Delahanty after batting .593 by going 16 for 27 and smashing 1 HR and 9 RBI.

[OmahaBaseball]

Chicago slugger Jake Beckley picked up National League Player of the Week honors by batting .448 on the week (13 for 29) with 10 RBIs and 3 Runs.