The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

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A few tough decisions with regard to our lineup, and no doubt we’ll tinker with it along the way.

That said, this is how we'll line up on OD:

Catchers

• C Bob O’Farrell

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

Bob has applied himself beyond belief since being sent down for last season and it shows, to the point that he’s not only been called up but has won the everyday spot. Taylor was fantastic last season and is ready to be deployed if and when needed.

Infielders

• 1B Rube Bressler (R)
• 2B Pie Traynor (R)
• 3B John Beckwith (R)
• SS Specs Toporcer (L) / Dobie Moore (R) platoon

• Dick Lundy (S)
• Oliver Marcell (R)

When Cobb returns, there’s every chance Freddie Spurgeon will get the callup at Davis's expense. Marcell only just scraped in as it was, but hopefully his pop can prove handy off the bench.

Outfielders

• LF Ken Williams (L)
• CF Oscar Charleston (L)
• RF Curt Walker (L)

• Carson Bigbee (L)
• Walter Davis (L)
• Les Mann (R)

To be honest, I am line-ball as to whether Walker or Cobb gets the everyday role. The plan was a season / season-and-a-half transition but Walker looks really good and his defence next to Charlie makes our outfield a veritable fortress. So we’ll just see how things play out.

Rotation

1. LHP Dave Brown
2. LHP Sam Streeter
3. LHP Wilbur Cooper
4. LHP Willie Foster

Our heroes from last season remain intact. Let’s hope they stay healthy and can approximate their 1924 performances.

Bullpen

• LHP Garland Braxton
• RHP Ralph Comstock
• RHP Juanelo Mirabal
• RHP Webster McDonald

Looking for Comstock to step up now that Richter has gone. McDonald continues to underwhelm and may find himself at Wilkes-Barre at some point.

[luckymann]

... for the great Leftimus.





And, without going and checking, I'm pretty sure this is the first time these two have homered in the same game. You can bet it won't be the last...

[luckymann]

He's keeping pretty good pace with Babe and is just the second player to reach this mark. No-one else is within cooee of it, with perhaps only Rajah of the current crop looking likely to making it there in the next few seasons (he had 301 IRL).




He's been such a superstar I really hope the A's revival happens in a timely enough fashion for him to see some playoff action.

[luckymann]

A patchy start to say the least but we still manage to scrape together a winning record for the month. The group is definitely taking some time to gel but hopefully that will come with increased familiarity over oncoming months.




Even early on it looks clear this is going to be an incredibly tight competition in both leagues, with loads of chances.




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[luckymann]

A few years in the wilderness for the Baby Bears, but they have begun strongly this season and a lot of that has to do with catcher Gabby Hartnett, who with this outstanding performance takes his HR total to 10, the most in either division.

[luckymann]

A hard-earned and well-deserved milestone for Bullet Joe.




Here's how the upper echelon of NeL pitchers have fared over their careers to this point:



We lost Rube Foster to retirement last year and as you can see the first wave group are all close enough to following suit. But what careers they've all put together. Bullet now makes it six with 200+ wins.

While we're at it, here are the hitters. Not quite the outstanding numbers of the hurlers but the current wave may well redress that imbalance.

[luckymann]

A fantastic game for the big Browns catcher who has been a bit quiet of late and will be looking for more like it.

[luckymann]

At first it looks as if May is going to follow April’s pattern, as we struggle in the first fortnight of the month. But then it just comes together for us and things start to click, as we win 9 road games on the trot before losing at home to the Cubs.

We get a bit sloppy again in the final few games but still finish the month at 17-13.





I opt to start Cobb ahead of Walker when he returns from his injury, and he repays my faith in spades. By end May he is slashing 381/441/694 with an equal career-high 8 HR along with 25 RBI. Walker, it must be said, is still getting plenty of PAs and making the most of them with a 319 BA. Beckwith, with 8 HR, and Williams, with 7, are also providing plenty of pop.




Apart from Brown, who has come back with a vengeance, our pitching continues to struggle for consistency. Cooper is worrisome enough that I promote Foster above him to SP3, and if he continues in this vein the BP beckons.




I've never seen a division race as tight as the AL is at the moment. Nearly 1/3 of the way through and only 5 1/2 games from first to last. The NL isn't quite so bunched but still looms as another humdinger.




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[luckymann]

Failing to Hit His Weight (Minimum 100 PAs)

[luckymann]

Team Leaderboards - Batting

Team Leaderboards - Pitching

[luckymann]

OK let's try this again...

With the offseason addition of Dazzy Vance to the rotation and the emergence of Nip Winters (acquired from the Pale Hose late in '23), the Yanks now seem ready to give this a proper go.

They are batting Ruth and Gehrig the opposite way around from how it worked IRL, but it seems not to be mattering much as they both look good.

The pitchers haven't quite hit their straps as yet, which might explain why the Bombers are in a tie for first with the surprising Tigers, and with this race looking as close as it does, they'll need to in order for them to get over the top. One would think it's only a matter of time before Ruffing is moved into the spin at Fred Anderson's expense.

We'll be following along at any rate.

[luckymann]

A huge loss for the Tigers, who are finally showing signs of life after a long time on the outer.

[luckymann]

The HR race is ferocious this season and we may well see Ruth's single-season record of 48 under threat. HJ is once again right amongst it. This is, however, the first 3-homer game of his career.

[luckymann]

Little to report, really, so I'll keep this brief... brief.

We continue to mix good with bad, posting a 13-11 record for June. Still far from firing on all cylinders which, given our proximity to the top of the standings, can be taken as a positive. As long as we eventually do, that is.




Still tight as tight can be in both races, with only the Giants looking no real hope of figuring in the finish.




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[luckymann]

Veteran Walter Holke, playing for San Antonio in AAA, is putting together one of the best seasons I've seen so far at any level.

[luckymann]

With his rep as the league's HR King under siege from seemingly all quarters, Babe makes a statement.

[luckymann]

The thing of beauty that is Walter Holke's 1925 AAA season continues as he racks up a long hit streak. His BA continues to stay above 500. Remarkable.

[luckymann]

Something about the big guy on a bike just makes me chuckle...

[luckymann]

At 33 with flagging form and high salary expectations, I doubt he gets another runaround with us next year, but Wilbur has been a fantastic player for our club and this should cement his spot in the Hall. His 3 Waddell Medals and 6 Championships won't hurt his chances either. He will leave as our franchise's all-time wins leader.

[luckymann]

If the wheels don't exactly fall off this month then we certainly start running out of gas, particularly toward the end. After winning 7 of our first 8 games, we post a losing record over the remainder to end the month 17-12.





We're certainly getting our share of pop, 2nd in the division with 77 HR and our hitting overall has been somewhat improved on last season. But Charleston hasn't offered much all year (241/294/364; 7 HR / 44 RBI / 1 WAR) and, if he opts out at the end of this season, I'm not sure we chase him. Cobb goes down with an injury that will see him on the IL for a stint.




In an almost mirror image of 1924, it is our pitching in the doldrums this time around. Brown has been great, but Streeter and Foster have struggled, and this month sees our staff in constant turmoil. Cooper finally gets shunted into the pen, with McDonald moved into the spin. Then Foster goes down for a month with a herniated disc and Wilbur gets his spot back. Then McDonald, who simply hasn’t come on as we’d hoped, loses his spot to Mirabal after a couple of dreadful performances.

In short, we are a bit of a mess in this area right now, and unless we straighten things out I just don't see us getting home here.




The standings remains tight. Only Wilbur’s 250th career win – see my previous post – keeps us in sole possession of first place as we enter the stretch run, with the Cards hot on our heels and a bunched field behind them and well within reach. In the AL the Yanks lead narrowly from the Red Sox and A's, and both races look set to deliver on the grandstand finish they've been promising since OD.




Awards, news, leaders. Rajah is a realistic chance to take out the NL Triple Crown.






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