The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

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After an embarrassing capitulation last season that saw them give away a sizeable lead and miss the playoffs, Utica (the Phillies' AAA club) makes no mistake the second time around, sweeping the Brownsville Browns to win their first Championship.

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... with a no-no in the final game of the season.

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... in a lot of ways I prefer the simulated world to the real one. No Covid, lockouts or human drama, the ability to do away with racism at the check of a box, and this sort of thing involving the mighty Heavy Johnson from the A's.

IRL no doubt he would have sat out the final game as his average was right on 400 and the game had no bearing in the standings.

Here, he plays it like it is any other game.

Gets 2 hits in 5 AB to preserve his 400 for the year.

Both hits are homers. Drives in 5. Team wins 7-3.

Gotta love this game, dontcha? I said before this has been my favourite season so far. This makes it official.

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... yep, you are reading that correctly - 77 homers.

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We score 4 in the 9th to steal the first game of the month and this sets the tone as we stretch our win string to 10 games and hit the front with 20 to play.

We orchestrate another miraculous escape against the Braves, again scoring 4 in the final frame for a 9-8 walkoff win, then walk off another one a couple days later. Yet another win on the final play of the game against the Jints a few days after that and suddenly there’s an air of destiny around the joint as we stretch our lead to 6 and shrink our MN to 4.

Perhaps the boys start believing their own hype, however, as we get a dose of the staggers. But they regather themselves and we cruise to our 7th straight NL pennant, eventually going 20-6 for Sep / Oct and winning the division by 6 games from the Braves with an 89-65 record.




It's funny how things work out sometimes. Had our negotiations with Carey gone differently then Heinie Mueller would have been looking at a few years' wait to get his chance to play on an everyday basis. Instead, he got that chance this year and boy did he make the most of it. All the bats remain as fantastic as they've been the entire season and we are only heading back to the Big Dance again because of them, but Mueller's spark at the top of the lineup is a major part of that. I hope he is rewarded with a RoY Award despite his call-up coming relatively late in the campaign. He ends up with a slash line of 389/416/568 with 4 HR, 39 RBI and 3.0 WAR over 60 games / 249 PA, and his 3.2 ZR shows he is a more than capable replacement for Scoops defensively as well. Fingers crossed it's not the flash in the pan sort of deal his 407 BABIP suggests.



Train comes good at the right time to lock down the Sep pitching award. But, save Leblanc, our pitching is fairly on the nose all year and this area of our game will take up a large proportion of my off-season focus.



A surprisingly gentle on the heart AL pennant this time around for the Browns which sets up our fifth WS meeting with them in seven years.



As revealed in the previous post, Heavy Johnson becomes just the fourth player in history to hit 400 for a season, thereby giving him his third AL batting title. Ray "Bummer" Grimes of the Phillies has an outstanding sophomore season, hitting 394 to take the title - his first - in the senior circuit. Amazingly close to the IRL figures, in which Harry Heilmann led the AL with a 394 mark and Rajah led the NL with 397. The Babe goes a bit quiet late, finishing with 48 HR (HJ and Biz Mackey are tied for second with 23), while Ghost Marcell and Cy Williams jointly lead the NL with 21, ahead of Ken Williams with 19. Chicago's Dave Brown leads the NL in wins and ERA but misses the TC with a third-place finish in strikeouts, his 173 well behind leader Bullet Rogan's 230. Washington's Dick Redding also leads 2 of the 3 categories and both Waddell Award races should be rippers this year, as should the Wagner-Lajoie Medals.

Awards, news and final leaders. back for a look at the Series soon.






Oh, and just before I go, this was our Game 153 of the season. A nice tune-up for the entire squad.





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Most HRs over a 3 year span

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St. Louis Browns (90-64) v Pittsburgh Pirates (89-65)

Best-of-nine, Browns with the home-field advantage.

ST. LOUIS BROWNS S+ PAGE

PITTSBURGH PIRATES S+ PAGE

Little to say here that hasn’t already been said over the course of this fantastic, epic rivalry. The Browns’ performance this year, in light of the injuries they have suffered including three members of their rotation (most notably Joe Williams) has been nothing short of miraculous and I have no doubt whatsoever that our success or failure in this Series rests with how our pitching performs. Mackey, Sisler, Collins, Spratt and McHenry are all weapons and they hit a whopping 307 as a team this year. I’ve moved Leblanc up to SP2 with Streeter, who really struggled after his hot start, down to SP3 and Ruether will get that one start in the SP4 slot.

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Game 1 in St. Louis, October 6th 1921
Urban Shocker (15-18, 4.89) v Walter Johnson (21-17, 3.87)

We need Walter’s late-season form to continue here to get us off on the right foot against the usually-tough Urban Shocker. After wavering in the lead-up, I have decided to keep Whitted in the squad rather than bring Christenbury in, purely because of our thinness at 1B.

We stage a two-out rally in the 1st and open the scoring on a Lundy single but Walter starts disastrously, giving up a 3-run gopher ball to Mackey in the home half to put us behind. They smash him about with two more doubles making it 4-1 and highlighting the very issue I was most concerned about from the off.

The bats respond with one on 2 hits and a Mueller SF in the 2nd and Traynor closes the gap back to one with an RBI single. But Johnson looks absolutely lost again, and they push back away with a run and eventually leave the bases loaded.

We put together a rally in the top 6th, scoring one on a Bigbee single and another to tie it on a Traynor hit. We load the bases but Williams grounds out weakly into a force at home. Lundy then earns a two-out walk to give us the lead again.

After 5 of the untidiest innings of his storied career in which he gives up 5 ER on 8 hits with 5 walks and 2 hit batsmen, Train gets the hook and Krause replaces him.

We get an insurance run in the 8th on a single by Lundy and Snyder gives us 2 more to work with via a double.

Krause is fantastic, giving us 3 scoreless, and Lundy finishes them off with a 2-run single in the 9th to make it 5 RBI for the game for King Richard. A scoreless bottom frame by Comstock makes it official.

Pirates 11, Browns 5
BOX SCORE


Game 2 in St. Louis, October 7th 1921
Erskine Mayer (12-5, 4.26) v Jose Leblanc (23-11, 3.07)
Pirates lead series 1-0

Count has been a massive add for us and as I mentioned in the final regular season recap all but held our staff together this year. He faces a tricky opponent in submariner Erskine Mayer, who on his day can be as good as the best of them but does rely on pinpoint placement. Patience at the plate will be key.

Another poor start for us as Leblanc gives up 2 in the 1st and we are once again set to the chase. Another conceded in the 3rd digs us a deeper hole and we fail to register a hit until the 4th, when Traynor doubles. Lundy continues on his merry way, singling two runs in to get us on the board.

They kick away again in the 6th as their meat is just feasting on our pitching, adding 2 to make it 5-2 and that’s Leblanc done.

Mayer meanwhile is keeping our bats quiet and when Cooper gives up a solo shot, this one looks done. We get a couple aboard in the 8th and 9th but this is a flat performance from all and we lose it 6-2.

Browns 6, Pirates 2
BOX SCORE


Game 3 in St. Louis, October 8th 1921
Juan Padron (13-8, 3.42) v Sam Streeter (14-13, 4.10)
Series tied 1-1

It was almost as if it came too easy for Sam Streeter in the early phase of his rookie season and, for whatever reason, that was the worst possible outcome for him because he was terrible the rest of the way. We’ve taken him back to basics in the lead-up to this game and hopefully he can put that into practice. Padron is a money pitcher, a real gamer who we’ll need to fight tooth and nail for every run. Carey will start at CF tonight to try and give us better split balance against the southpaw. Marcell is our key man here.

Cobb shows he’s up for it with an inside-the-park home run with two out in the 1st and we pad our lead with one on a trip by O’Farrell, who then scores on a Charleston single.

Streeter holds fast over the first 3 despite some horrible defence behind him as we make two routine misplays, but the concern is how much the extra effort has taken out of him. That question seems to be answered in the 4th as they tonk him about and score their first run. Our third error of the game in the next narrows the gap to one as we pick the wrong time to fall apart. Then another one leads to them tying the game and that seems to completely unnerve Streeter who gives up two hits and suddenly we are behind.

Meanwhile our bats have gone ominously silent. In need of runs, I pinch hit for Streeter to lead off the 7th. That leads nowhere and Richter takes the mound. His first move is to commit our 5th error of the game but thankfully he gets out of the inning unscathed via a GIDP.

This is perhaps the most unprofessionally-played game in our franchise’s history as we shoot ourselves in the foot in the 8th by having two runners thrown out. Charleston then leads off the 9th with a double and Friberg comes though big-time for us with a game-tying RBI single. Williams then puts us ahead 5-4 with a two-out hit and a 2-run double by Ghost gives us some wiggle room and chases Padron. Lundy makes it a 4-run lead with a run-scoring single and Krause sends them down in order for a crazy, crazy win.

Pirates 8, Browns 4
BOX SCORE


Game 4 in Pittsburgh, October 10th 1921
Walter Johnson (1-0, 9.00) v Urban Shocker (0-1, 9.00)
Pirates lead series 2-1

I resisted the urge after Game 3 to tear the group a new one, choosing instead to go down the positive reinforcement route and focus on the good elements of what was a pretty gutsy – albeit ugly and lucky – win. Let’s hope that was the right course of action because I doubt we’ll get away with that sort of nonsense again.

We get the start we were looking for when Williams bombs out a 2-run homer in the 1st and we go further ahead in the 4th when Charleston triples one in and then scores himself on a Johnson sac fly.

They score their first run of the game in the next when Train just gets a bit shaky but Lundy cancels it out with a two-out RBI single in the home half. They keep us in range with another run in the next to make it 5-2.

We continue to play loose and wild with the ball, gifting them a run in the 8th courtesy of two errors and Train barely makes it out of there. Krause comes in for the 9th to try and close it out and does so, despite three hard hit balls that are each thankfully hit straight to our fielders.

Pirates 5, Browns 3
BOX SCORE


Game 5 in Pittsburgh, October 11th 1921
Jose Leblanc (0-1, 7.50) v Frank Lange (0-0, 13.50)
Pirates lead series 3-1

We need Count to follow Train’s lead and turn things around after his iffy Game 2 performance. They are going with Frank Lange in this one.

They go ahead with a run in the 2nd but we leapfrog them with 2 on the 4th, as Snyder and Marcell chime in with a ribbie each.

Not much offence in this one but a leadoff double by Traynor in the 7th chases Lange and Lundy then gets his 10th RBI of the Series with a single. A two-out hit by Marcell makes it 4-1.

Leblanc has been sensational and, after some deliberation I leave him in to hit leading off the bottom 8th and therefore to start the 9th. But the hook is ready. In the meantime, the lads conjure up another run with the help of a Browns error.

Count, however, doesn’t need it as he closes out a great performance with a clean 9th.

Pirates 5, Browns 1
BOX SCORE


Game 6 in Pittsburgh, October 12th 1921
Sam Streeter (0-0, 1.50) v Erskine Mayer (1-0, 2.00)
Pirates lead series 4-1

There’s an easy way for us to finish the job and there’s a hard way. The former revolves greatly around Streeter coming out tonight and showing us exactly what he’s got and our bats doing far better against Mayer the second time around. The latter involves complications and permutations I simply don’t choose to contemplate at this juncture.

After Streeter gets himself in and out of a jam in the 2nd without conceding, we take the lead in the home half when Marcell goes solo yard. But they respond immediately in kind as McHenry takes one deep in the 4th to tie it up. Then Williams does likewise to restore our lead.

It looks like we have wasted a man on third with none out situation in the next, but Mueller comes through with a two out RBI single. We do mess up another chance in the next when Cobb is doubled up at home on a deep flyout.

Streeter gets into trouble in the 8th, putting the tying runs on with two out and I go to the bullpen, with Richter getting the dangerous Mackey to pop out and preserve our lead. We add to our lead in the home half when Cobb triples Mueller in all the way from first, but Ty is unbelievably thrown out trying to score again.

Richter gives up a leadoff hit but then shuts them down to give us our 7th MLB Championship.

We are sloppier than I’d have hoped but in the end the overabundance of talent this club is fortunate enough to have at its disposal right now proves simply insurmountable.

Pirates 4, Browns 1
BOX SCORE


PITTSBURGH WINS SERIES 5-1
SERIES MVP: Ken Williams (Pittsburgh)




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[luckymann]

Plenty of decisions to be made at season-end. We keep Frank Baker on for the final year of his contract but lose Carey, Krause, Whitted and Drucke to FA.

Pitching Coach Herminio Tamm retires and we promote 3B Coach Patsy Flaherty to replace him. Our AAA Hitting Coach Tom O'Hara gets poached by the Damn Yankees and we hire former big-leaguer Cy Seymour in his place.

Just one manager cut this time around – Brooklyn’s Pete Weckbecker – and Washington shunts GM Steven Bazen as well. The White Sox will be in the market for a new skipper after Danny Cota retires.

No big-name player retirees again this year.

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AL 1921 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1921 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY


All debut winners in the major gongs this year, with the Babe claiming his first AL WLM, while Ray Grimes of the Phillies wins it in the NL. The Waddell Medals go to Boston's Jim Scott in the AL and Dave Brown of the Cubs. RoYs are Detroit's Riggs Stephenson and Lew Fonseca of the Braves.

AOK on the sim accuracy again, although SB attempts are down.

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We use up both of our allotted FA signings to thicken some thinness in the position player ranks, picking up middle IF Zeb Terry and 1B/OF Rube Bressler on 1-year deals.

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Held on 12/20/1921.

8 Legacies this year and once again some fine NeL talent is entering the league, so it should be an interesting Draft indeed.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1922 season:

Chicago Cubs: Gabby Hartnett (55.9; 1926)
Chicago White Sox: Ted Blankenship (12.1; 241)
Cleveland Indians: Joe Shaute (17.8; 252)
New York Giants: Travis Jackson (44.0; 1656)
Philadelphia Athletics: Joe Hauser 12.4; 767 (conceded, 94% of games))
Philadelphia Phillies: Syl Johnson (27.5; 211)
St. Louis Cardinals: Jim Bottomley (35.4; 1392)
Washington Senators: Ossie Bluege (28.5; 1867)


Ray Blades (15.4; 767 (conceded, one-club player)) was also eligible for the Cardinals, but Bottomley’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

Syl Johnson was also eligible for the Cardinals, but the Phillies’ higher pick (and Bottomley’s higher WAR) give them the selection.

There are 160 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 7 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1921 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. Chicago Cubs (418)
2. New York Giants (614)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (569)
4. Washington Senators (523)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (331)
6. Cleveland Indians (610)
7. Philadelphia Athletics (346)
8. Chicago White Sox (403)
9. Cincinnati Reds (458)
10. Detroit Tigers (464)
11. Boston Red Sox (487)
12. Brooklyn Robins (507)
13. Boston Braves (516)
14. St. Louis Browns (526)
15. Pittsburgh Pirates (588)
16. New York Yankees (641)

Rounds 2 thru 7

1. Philadelphia Phillies (331)
2. Philadelphia Athletics (346)
3. Chicago White Sox (403)
4. Chicago Cubs (418)
5. Cincinnati Reds (458)
6. Detroit Tigers (464)
7. Boston Red Sox (487)
8. Brooklyn Robins (507)
9. Boston Braves (516)
10. Washington Senators (523)
11. St. Louis Browns (526)
12. St. Louis Cardinals (569)
13. Pittsburgh Pirates (588)
14. Cleveland Indians (610)
15. New York Giants (614)
16. New York Yankees (641)


Pretty much a “play it as it lies” sort of mentality going into this Draft. We have some needs for sure, and hope to fill them. But I’m not sure the players we are eyeing off will still be around given our low pick. If not, we'll just be taking the best players available that will be of some use to us either at the parent club or Wilkes-Barre.

Here’s who we end up selecting:

1. P Webster McDonald, 21

• I am shocked that “56 Varieties” isn’t picked up within the first free pick or two, utterly gobsmacked when he’s still there for us. He is a quality pitcher who’ll slot in quite nicely to the post-Johnson era.

2. 2B Newt Allen, 20

• We dip further into the NeL ranks with Colt, a glove-heavy middle IF in the Pops Lloyd mould who will be of great use for us along the way, albeit in a backup capacity.

3. C / OF Rags Roberts, 26
4. P Jim Lindsey, 25
5. P Heinie Meine, 25

• All to do with AAA depth from this point. A couple of longer-term smokies among them. No idea where Miney and Mo are...

6. P Curly Ogden, 20
7. 1B Snake Henry, 26

• Scout’s picks.

Pretty happy with that lot.

FULL DRAFT LOG

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A repeat of the previous season as the Yanks and Giants win their respective pennants; the Yanks by the barest margin over the unlucky Browns. The effort must have drained them as they are swept (with one tie) in the Series, which has reverted to the best-of-seven format, to give their co-tenants and crosstown rivals their third Championship.

AL CHAMPIONS: New York Yankees (94-60)
NL CHAMPIONS: New York Giants (93-61)
WORLD SERIES: Giants 4, Yankees 0 (1 tie)

Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. ROGERS HORNSBY, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .401 average, 141 runs, 250 hits, 46 doubles, 12 triples, 42 home runs, 152 RBIs, 17 stolen bases, .459 on-base percentage, .722 slugging percentage.
• In easily his most prodigious year, Hornsby won the NL’s first triple crown since 1894.

2. MAX CAREY, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .329 average, 140 runs, 207 hits, 28 doubles, 12 triples, 10 home runs, 70 RBIs, 80 walks, 51 stolen bases, 2 caught stealing.
• At age 32, the perennial stolen base leader was as potent and effective as ever; in a time when most major leaguers were happy with a 50% stolen base rate, Carey was only caught twice.

3. RAY GRIMES, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 138 games, .354 average, 99 runs, 180 hits, 45 doubles, 12 triples, 14 home runs, 99 RBIs, 75 walks.
• Before injuries exiled him to the minors, Grimes had a terrific (and final) full major league effort which included a record 17 straight games with at least one RBI.

4. CARSON BIGBEE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .350 average, 113 runs, 215 hits, 29 doubles, 15 triples, 99 RBIs, 24 stolen bases.
• The “B” in the future “ABC Affair” that tore the Pirates apart in 1926, Bigbee peaked with personal bests in just about every offensive category.

5. IRISH MEUSEL, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .331 average, 100 runs, 204 hits, 28 doubles, 17 triples, 16 home runs, 132 RBIs.
• The Giants remained thrilled with Meusel’s output, even if it cost them Curt Walker (below), the man they traded to get him a year earlier.

6. ZACK WHEAT, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .335 average, 92 runs, 201 hits, 29 doubles, 12 triples, 16 home runs, 112 RBIs.
• At 34, Wheat continued to age like fine wine thanks to the live ball; his home run and RBIs totals set career highs.

7. CURT WALKER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .337 average, 102 runs, 196 hits, 36 doubles, 11 triples, 12 home runs, 89 RBIs.
• Traded to the Phillies from the Giants a year earlier, Walker showed in his first full year that not all trades involving the Giants during the 1920s were one-sided.

8. ROSS YOUNGS, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .331 average, 105 runs, 185 hits, 34 doubles, 10 triples, 7 home runs, 86 RBIs.
• Another routinely dynamic effort from the highly popular Giants outfielder.

9. JAKE DAUBERT, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .336 average, 114 runs, 205 hits, 15 doubles, 22 triples, 12 home runs, 66 RBIs.
• The former two-time batting champ, now 38 years of age, rose to the occasion to pick up the slack in Cincinnati for the departed Heinie Groh and holdout Edd Roush—all despite starting the season hitless in his first 22 at-bats.

10. CY WILLIAMS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .308 average, 98 runs, 180 hits, 30 doubles, 26 home runs, 92 RBIs, 74 walks.
• The “Williams Shift” was named after Ted Williams, but maybe it should have been credited to Cy, for whom defenses also stacked the right side of the infield. In both cases, it didn’t work.

AL Hitters

1. KEN WILLIAMS, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .332 average, 128 runs, 194 hits, 34 doubles, 11 triples, 39 home runs, 155 RBIs, 74 walks, 37 stolen bases.
• While Babe Ruth was busy racking up suspensions, Williams temporarily laid claim to the AL slugging throne—and in the process became the majors’ first 30-30 man. (There wouldn’t be another until Willie Mays in 1956.)

2. GEORGE SISLER, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .420 average, 134 runs, 246 hits, 42 doubles, 18 triples, 8 home runs, 105 RBIs, 51 stolen bases.
• Only Nap Lajoie hit higher in any AL season than Sisler in 1922, though Sisler didn’t have Lajoie’s 1901 advantage of not having foul balls counted as strikes.

3. TY COBB, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 137 games, .401 average, 99 runs, 211 hits, 42 doubles, 16 triples, 4 home runs, 99 RBIs.
• At age 35, Cobb hit over .400 for the last time in his career—though it was at the center of a postseason scoring dispute over an earlier hit that would have dropped him under the mark if deleted.

4. TRIS SPEAKER, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 131 games, .378 average, 48 doubles, 8 triples, 11 home runs, 71 RBIs, 77 walks, .474 on-base percentage.
• But of course the all-time leader in doubles would pace the AL once again, for a seventh time.

5. HARRY HEILMANN, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 118 games, .356 average, 92 runs, 162 hits, 27 doubles, 10 triples, 21 home runs, 92 RBIs.
• Homers away from home: Heilmann hit 10 of his blasts at Philadelphia’s Shibe Park.

6. BABE RUTH, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 110 games, .315 average, 94 runs, 24 doubles, 8 triples, 35 home runs, 99 RBIs, 84 walks, .672 slugging percentage.
• Forty-nine home runs, 139 RBIs and 118 walks: That’s what Ruth would have totaled had he played a full season instead of being sidetracked by suspension.

7. BOBBY VEACH, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 155 games, .327 average, 96 runs, 202 hits, 34 doubles, 13 triples, 9 home runs, 126 RBIs.
• Stealing from Branch Rickey’s philosophy, Detroit player-manager Ty Cobb tried to trade Veach a year too early—to the Yankees, no less, but they declined.

8. TILLIE WALKER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .283 average, 111 runs, 31 doubles, 37 home runs, 99 RBIs.
• The bringing in of Shibe Park’s left-field wall benefitted no one more than Walker, a one-time home run leader in the Deadball Era (with 11 in 1918); he’d hit only two homers the next year as age (36) and defensive deficiencies curtailed whatever future he had left.

9. JACK TOBIN, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .331 average, 122 runs, 207 hits, 34 doubles, 8 triples, 13 home runs.
• The Browns’ leadoff sparkplug easily racked up over 100 runs for the second straight year, but he remained lost in a spotlight hogged by teammates Ken Williams and George Sisler.

10. BING MILLER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .335 average, 29 doubles, 12 triples, 21 home runs, 90 RBIs.
• Among the first of the star Athletics to be featured in Connie Mack’s second dynasty, Miller also gorged on the reduced left-field distance at Shibe Park, with a .370 average and 14 homers at home.

NL Pitchers

1. EPPA RIXEY, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 3.53 ERA, 25 wins, 13 losses, 38 starts, 313.1 innings, 45 walks.
• Before Warren Spahn came along, Rixey would reign as the NL’s winningest lefty—and he never won more games than in 1922.

2. PETE DONOHUE, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 3.12 ERA, 18 wins, 9 losses.
• In his first full-time campaign, the 21-year-old Texan enjoyed the creature comforts of then-spacious Crosley Field, going 13-3 with a 2.17 ERA at the ballpark.

3. JEFF PFEFFER, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.58 ERA, 19 wins, 12 losses, 261.1 innings.
• After eight-plus years serving Brooklyn as a star Deadball Era pitcher, Pfeffer gave it one last hurrah as a member of the Cardinals.

4. WILBUR COOPER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 3.18 ERA, 23 wins, 14 losses, 27 complete games, 294.2 innings.
• The Pittsburgh ace won 20-plus games for the third straight season—but also contributed on offense, hitting four of his six career homers in 1922.

5. PHIL DOUGLAS, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.63 ERA, 11 wins, 4 losses.
• Douglas logged just enough innings to qualify as the NL’s ERA champ before being kicked out of baseball for attempted bribery.

6. DOLF LUQUE, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 3.31 ERA, 13 wins, 23 losses, 261 innings.
• Life just isn’t fair sometimes: Luque set a career-high mark in losses, though only five NL pitchers had a lower ERA.

7. DUTCH RUETHER, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 3.53 ERA, 21 wins, 12 losses, 267.1 innings.
• There ain’t nothing like racking them up against the weak; Ruether was a combined 12-0 against the NL’s worst two clubs, the Phillies and Braves.

8. ROSY RYAN, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.01 ERA, 17 wins, 46 appearances, 22 starts.
• More reliever than starter, Ryan set a career high in wins and threw his only major league shutout in 1922.

9. BABE ADAMS, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 3.57 ERA, 8 wins, 11 losses, 171.1 innings, 15 walks.
• The veteran Pirates hurler hit the big 4-0 but continued to be effective in spite of a deceiving record.

10. ART NEHF, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.29 ERA, 19 wins, 13 losses, 268.1 innings.
• Nehf barely failed to win 20 games for the first time in three years but remained the Giants’ best option on the mound.

AL Pitchers

1. RED FABER, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.81 ERA, 21 wins, 17 losses, 38 starts, 31 complete games, 352 innings.
• With his second straight AL ERA crown, Faber and his legal spitball continued to be an oasis in the wasteland that was Chicago after the Black Sox Scandal.

2. HERMAN PILLETTE, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 2.85 ERA, 19 wins, 12 losses, 37 starts, 274.2 innings.
• Detroit pitching once again stifled any attempt by a team with a prolific offense to leap towards pennant consideration, but don’t blame Pillette—who shined in a preciously short (two full seasons) career.

3. BOB SHAWKEY, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.91 ERA, 20 wins, 12 losses, 299.2 innings.
• Shawkey won exactly 20 games for the third time in four years—but fell one out shy of exactly 300 innings for what would have been the only time in his career.

4. URBAN SHOCKER, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 2.97 ERA, 24 wins, 17 losses, 48 appearances, 38 starts, 348 innings, 149 strikeouts.
• Shocker racked up workhorse figures despite missing three weeks due to injury during mid-season.

5. RASTY WRIGHT, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 2.92 ERA, 9 wins, 7 losses.
• Yes, there were two Rasty Wrights in major league annals; one who briefly starred in 1890—and this one, who barely qualified for the distinction of having the Browns’ best ERA by throwing exactly 154 innings (a third of an inning less and he wouldn’t have qualified).

6. EDDIE ROMMEL, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.28 ERA, 27 wins, 13 losses, 51 appearances, 294 innings.
• Rommel led the AL in wins a year after leading it in losses, and helped the A’s out of the basement for the first time in eight years.

7. TOM ZACHARY, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.12 ERA, 15 wins, 10 losses.
• The man who would be well known for serving up Babe Ruth’s 60th home run in 1927 never faced him in 1922; maybe that’s why he pitched so well.

8. BULLET JOE BUSH, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.31 ERA, 26 wins, 7 losses, .788 win percentage.
• Thank you Boston, again; the former Red Sock celebrated his release from Harry Frazee’s purgatory by winning 20 games—and then some—for the only time in his career.

9. ELAM VANGILDER, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.42 ERA, 19 wins, 13 losses.
• It’s almost amazing that Vangilder didn’t secure well over 20 wins when he was given nearly seven runs of support per start on average.

10. JACK QUINN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 3.48 ERA, 13 wins, 16 losses.
• The ageless (39) but unfortunate Quinn was sent from penthouse to outhouse as the Yankees shipped him to Boston, though he did his best to make the Red Sox respectable.

[luckymann]

Ed Walsh joins the immortals.

[luckymann]

Brooklyn has lost ace Burleigh Grimes for the full quota of 90 days (reduced from 169 under the Legacy Player rules) to shoulder inflammation, while the A's will start the season without their biggest weapon.

[luckymann]

I forgot to mention we lost minor-league pitchers Vic Aldridge and Bill Sherdel in the Rule 5 Draft. Aldridge is returned at the end of ST.

Here are the major off-season moves:

• P Dick Redding: Senators, 6 years / $63600 (extension)
• P Jim Scott: Giants, 5 years / $45000
• OF Max Carey: Braves, 5 years / $41300
• P Harry Krause: Athletics, 5 years / $40500
• P Andrew Foster: Red Sox, 4 years / $20400 (extension)
• 2B Pete Kilduff: Braves, 3 years / $13980 (extension)
• SS Harry Spratt: Browns, 1 year / $8200
• P Dave Danforth: Giants, 3 years / $7080
• P Chick Brandom: Cubs, 1 year / $6500
• P Dutch Hinrichs: Giants, 3 year / $6240
• OF Ray Powell: Senators, 1 year / $6200
• P Alex Molloy: Browns, 2 years / $6000
• P Johnny Lush: Indians, 1 year / $5600
• OF Joe Connolly: Cubs, 1 year / $5200

• P Hod Eller and 2B Hod Ford from Indians to Robins for OF Les Mann
• OF Cliff Heathcote and OF Chaney White from Yankees to White Sox for SS Art Fletcher
• SS Wally Kimmick and P Lefty Stewart from White Sox to Athletics for OF Dave Robertson
• OF Hugh High and C Luke Sewell from Red Sox to White Sox for C Muddy Ruel
• P Joe Hovlik and 3B Gene Robertson from Reds to Braves for OF Wade Johnston
• P Lefty Weinert and P Percy Jones from Phillies to Tigers for C Bubbles Hargrave
• 3B Thomas Healy from Braves to Cubs for P Suds Sutherland and OF Bill Lamar
• P Bill Drake from White Sox to Tigers for OF Fats Jenkins, SS Red Shannon and 1B Eggie Dallard

ALL TRANSACTIONS


The lads look good to go after a solid 12-6 ST tune-up.

As far as the predictions go, the boffins are unable to separate ourselves and the Redbirds this year, while they expect the Yanks to finally break through and narrowly take the AL over the Browns.


FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

[luckymann]

Our team page can be accessed HERE. Here’s the annual summary.

A fair turnover in the offseason and some moves inside the playing group as well means our Opening Day lineups will look like this:

Catchers

• C Frank Snyder (R)
• Bob O’Farrell (R) v LHP and when Snyder needs a rest

Both were huge last year and the platoon seems to work well despite them both being RHB.

Infielders

• 1B Rube Bressler (R)
• 2B Pie Traynor (R)
• 3B Oliver Marcell (R)
• SS Dick Lundy (S)

• Frank Baker (L)
• Zeb Terry (R)
• Wally Gerber (R)
• Bernie Friberg (R)

Bressler impressed in ST and I just prefer this makeup both defensively and with regard to splits. Lundy struggled in ST and I'll be keeping an eye on him.

Outfielders

• LF Ken Williams (L)
• CF Oscar Charleston (L)
• RF Ty Cobb (L)

• Heinie Mueller (L)
• Carson Bigbee (L)
• Smoky Joe Wood (R)

As sensational a rookie season as he had, I’m taking nothing for granted with Mueller, who’ll have to earn that spot back this season.

Rotation

1. LHP Sam Streeter
2. LHP Jose Leblanc
3. RHP Walter Johnson
4. LHP Wilbur Cooper

Undoubtedly an eye to the future here. Wilbur gets first crack at SP4 while McDonald finds his feet at AAA. How quickly he is called up is still undecided.

Bullpen

• RHP Garland Braxton
• RHP Ralph Comstock
• LHP Dutch Reuther
• RHP Reggie Richter
• RHP Smoky Joe Wood

Braxton projects well but is still raw and will be carefully scripted.

[luckymann]

... for Sunny Jim Bottomley. Not so nice for The Train, who gives up 7 ER in 6+, and downright unpleasant for Dutch Reuther, who gets shelled for 7 more in 1+.

[luckymann]

... a nice waste of $8k for the A's.

[luckymann]