The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

... for big Beck, who puts himself back on top in all 3 TC categories with this nice doubleheader flourish. This makes it 12 straight wins for the Tiges, who are a game ahead of the BoSox in the AL.

[luckymann]

... ain't got nothing on these guys in the shootout stakes.

Neither club will be seeing playoff action (perhaps the scoreline here is as good an indication as any of why that might be...), but still they'll have this unbelievable game as a takeaway from season 1929.

[luckymann]

No joy for the parent club this season (more on which in a post or two), but the AAA boys take home their 2nd Championship with a 3-1 series win over San Antonio.

[luckymann]

Well it is a close-run thing in both divisions but the Tigers and Giants are never headed down the stretch and take tight pennant wins. For the Tigers, this means their first WS appearance since 1911. The club's only Championship came way back in 1905.




The Bucs close out the year with a 13-inning 9-8 win over the Cubs to finish at 81-73, a dozen games out of first. In the end, that power vacuum and wonky pitching take their toll and Honus will have plenty of work ahead of him over the offseason to get this squad back to competing for the playoffs. They still have a really good nucleus - one that should ensure them a winning record - but will need to find about 15 wins from somewhere if they want to reassume the pinnacle of the NL.









John Beckwith takes the AL Triple Crown with a 358 BA, 38 HR and 146 RBI, netting him a cool 10.4 WAR. Roy Carlyle of the Cards takes the NL batting title by hitting 346.

Not quite the overwhelmingly dominant performance of 1928, but Satchel Paige nevertheless leads the league with 269. Lefty Williams' late-career renaissance continues as he tops the MLB with 27 wins, while Cool Papa Bell's 55 SB are the most.

One of the biggest news stories over the offseason will undoubtedly be whether or not Walter Johnson returns for another year, after he finishes the regular season on 499 career wins. I think I speak for all baseball fans when say I hope he does. A 9-7 / 4.24 season shows he's still got something to offer.







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[luckymann]

Detroit Tigers (97-67) v New York Giants (93-61)
Best-of-seven, Tigers with the home-field advantage.

DETROIT TIGERS S+ PAGE

NEW YORK GIANTS S+ PAGE

On paper, I am finding it almost impossible to separate these two top-notch ballclubs.

On the one hand, you have the Tigers who simply by dint of their having seen off the super-strong Red Sox have shown they aren’t to be underestimated. John Beckwith has taken all before him and has shown he is a money player during his time at the Bucs. Even should he unexpectedly go quiet, there’s Rogers Hornsby, Charlie Gehringer, Harry Heilmann, Mickey Cochrane and others there to pick up the slack. If they do have a weakness it is their pitching, with the loss of McCall a huge blow. John Williams has been great but there are question marks about how he’ll handle the pressure here.

On the other there’s the Giants, who came oh so close to knocking off those same Red Sox this time last year. Led by Mel Ott, their lineup is also incredibly solid, even if not quite the match of the Tigers, and I think they have a slight edge in the pitching ranks, despite Rube Curry being unavailable. The absence of Topper Rigney will also hurt them.

In the end, the home-field advantage has swayed me in Detroit’s favour. But I think it will go the distance and be an epic series indeed.

[luckymann]

Game 1 in Detroit, October 9th 1929
John Williams (24-10, 3.41) v Carl Hubbell (17-17, 3.46)

I’m expecting the tone of this series to be set from the get-go, with lots of runs and plenty of headaches for the pitchers, even two guys like Williams and Hubbell who are quality arms.

Which is precisely how things turn out, as the Giants start the series strongly and cruise to a comfortable 10-3 road win. Hubbell struggles with his control but hangs tough to go the distance and his offence makes it fairly easy for him to do so, racking up 16 hits including homers to Lindstrom (who knocks in 4 runs), Travis Jackson and Hubbell himself.

Giants 10, Red Sox 3

BOX SCORE


Game 2 in Detroit, October 10th 1929
Earl Whitehill (17-17, 5.01) v Slim Branham (20-15, 3.74)
Giants lead series 1-0

Both of today’s pitchers are more dependable than dominant, offering up league average ERA and getting their share of wins. They will, it is fair to say, have their hands full here.

The Detroit bats come alive from the get-go, exploding with a 7-run 1st that holds up the entire way. The Giants chip away with a 3-run 5th to keep it interesting but never really look like catching the Tigers, despite outhitting them 14 to 8.

Red Sox 7, Giants 4

BOX SCORE


Game 3 in New York, October 12th 1929
Bill Walker (19-12, 3.79) v Vic Sorrell (6-6, 5.81)
Series tied 1-1

This is where things might get a bit hairy for both clubs as the lower rotation tries to quell these enormous bats.

For a while they do well, with three scoreless innings and it is still just 2-1 Detroit after 6. But then Beckwith, quiet to that point, enters the fray, bombing out 2 jacks as Walker tires and the Tigers run away with it 8-1. Sorrell pitches well above himself, allowing just 4 hits over the full 9 – although he does walk 7 – to put the Tiges ahead in the series for the first time.

Tigers 8, Giants 1

BOX SCORE


Game 4 in New York, October 13th 1929
Carl Hubbell (1-0, 3.00) v John Williams (0-1, 8.10)
Tigers lead series 2-1

He has been huge for them over these past two WS, but I’m not sure the Jints have needed Carl Hubbell to come up trumps as much as they do here. To fall behind 3-1 facing two games in Detroit would be an almost insurmountable ask, one would think.

Sadly, he cannot do what is needed as the Tigers get to him early and keep at him until he comes out in the 6th with the game seemingly lost at 7-2. To their credit, the Giants knuckle down and plate 4 in the bottom half of that frame but just can’t manufacture the necessary run as the Tigers bullpen holds fast to get them home. Gehringer is huge for the visitors with 3 hits and 4 RBI, while Lindstrom continues his hot form with 3 hits including a triple, while knocking in 3. Tough from here for the Jints, but they saw what the Red Sox did to them last year and so would not have given up hope just yet of turning the tables.

Tigers 7, Giants 6

BOX SCORE


Game 5 in New York, October 14th 1929
Slim Branham (0-1, 40.50) v Earl Whitehill (1-0, 4.50)
Tigers lead series 3-1

All or nothing now for New York, which as often as not can be the impetus for playing more freely.

Which they do, but it isn’t enough as the relentless Detroit offensive onslaught continues and they take a 10-6 victory to give the franchise its second Championship. It is closer than that final score might indicate, with the two sides exchange runs pretty much all the way through the first six innings, at the end of which the Tigers once again lead 7-6. But Detroit stopper Lloyd Brown is superb, allowing just two hits over 3 shutout innings, and the Tigers put them away with 3 in the top 9th. Heilmann, Cochrane and Hornsby each drive in 3 and it must be a sweet day indeed for Rajah after all those years of futility with the Cards. Freddie Lindstrom never stops trying for the Giants, hitting .524 with 10 RBI, and is rewarded for his efforts with series MVP honours. That is I’m sure small consolation in a disappointing performance and result for the Giants.

Tigers 10, Giants 6

BOX SCORE


DETROIT WINS SERIES 4-1

SERIES MVP: Freddie Lindstrom (New York)




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[luckymann]

I mean, a Championship and two years with a winning record (overall he went 256-206) shouldn't lose you your job, should it?

Anyway, after more deliberation than you might think, this happens:




I had planned to wait for a few more years (thinking Honus would be there longer than has panned out), but I feel the time is right. New decade. Squad needs a bunch of work. Other clubs strong and getting stronger.

Plus ca change, plus la meme chose.

[luckymann]

OK, as much for my benefit as anyone’s, let’s refamiliarise ourselves with the viable members of our squad. While, as I remarked recently, the nucleus of this squad is still very strong, its edges are decidedly ragged. And the farm system has gone completely to seed, falling from top to bottom in my absence. Obviously the Brown situation didn’t help matters in this regard.

MARQUEE & LEGACY PLAYERS

These players, of course, cannot be traded.

IF Pie Traynor, 30

• Signed thru 1931. Still a fantastic player and our starting 3B.

OF Paul Waner, 26

• Signed thru 1942. Most likely will stay in RF, although he can play at LF if needs be.

OF Lloyd Waner, 23

• Signed thru 1938. LF is his preferred slot, but can play all three and exigencies will be the deciding factor as to where he’ll play.

P Ray Kremer, 36

• Signed thru 1933. Handy only as a backup SP, but will – given the self-imposed trade and acquisition limitations (3 trades and 2 FA signings per season) – almost certainly form a part of the parent club bullpen.

CATCHERS

Walt Lerian, 26

• Had a somewhat disappointing 1929, slashing just 238/367/371 with 10 HR and 51 RBI, but is still our #1 catcher. Still on league min for another year and we’ll almost certainly try to lock him down for a long-term contract.

Bob O’Farrell, 32

• Only barely passable and at 32 we’ll be on the hunt for a suitable replacement as quickly as we can. Still, we may need to keep him on for another season or two in the meantime. Out of contract now.

Zack Taylor, 31

• Another step down again from O’Farrell, but if we can’t lock Bob down for a reasonable rate then he’ll be our plan B as he is under team control until 1931.

INFIELDERS

1B / LF Lefty O’Doul, 32

• His late arrival in the bigs means he is still under team control thru 1932. Not the greatest defensive 1B but that’s where we’ll play him.

2B George Grantham, 29

• Probably Honus’s best acquisition during his tenure. Under contract thru 1932.

• At this point I will be looking to re-sign Sam Bohne, Branch Russell and Howard Freigau.
• Freddy Spurgeon remains under TC thru 1932.
• Mike Knode was only drafted this year but will be AAA bound.
• Dobie Moore, Dink Mothell, Frank Brower, Gene Robertson and Wally Kimmick are all out of contract and won’t be back.

OUTFIELDERS

Evar Swanson, 27
Liz Funk, 24

• For now, these guys will have to do for backup OFs. Both are handy. Neither is a superstar. They may prove to be trade bait, as the larder is bare.

• Curt Walker, Tris Speaker, Bill Barrett, Rube Bressler and Earl Combs are all out of contract. Combs might just be kept, especially if we need to offload Swanson, Funk or both. The rest are gone.
• Walter Davis is fairly much useless at this level, but can always be called upon for warm body duties.

STARTING PITCHERS

Willie Foster, 26

• Our undoubted ace. Contracted thru 1931.

Sam Streeter, 29

• His age and chunky contract thru 1931 (that one’s on me...) mean we are probably stuck with him. Did show some signs of improvement in the latter part of the season just past, so perhaps all is not lost.

Ed Rile, 30

• Was really impressive this year and I’ll be looking to keep him on.

Bill Force, 34

• Provided it can be done cheaply, he’ll get another go-around with us.

Juanelo Mirabal, 29

• No doubt he’s slipped but as an arb-eligible player he’ll stay on for now.

• We have General Crowder, Heinie Meine, Milt Gaston and Bobo Newsom at AAA. All of them have some upside in my opinion, with Bobo the pick.

RELIEVERS

Walter Anderson, 32

• I’ll be looking to re-sign him as our stopper.

Bob Steele, 35

• Despite his age I still think Bill has something to offer. He is out of contract so we’ll need to try and re-sign him on a 1- or 2-year deal.

• Gene Lansing, Harry Hulihan and Sarge Connally are all under TC for the next couple of years. Which means the bullpen from this season - such as it was - will pretty much remain untouched.

SHOPPING LIST

• At least one SP.
• A power hitter.
• A good shortstop.

UPCOMING FAs OF INTEREST

Were it this time a year ago I would have done everything possible to sign Rogers Hornsby. Sadly, there are no do-overs.

Our absolute first choice is Willie Wells. Failing him, Glenn Wright or Walter Cannady. The latter two of these are perhaps the best fit for us, given they play 2B / 3B / SS, but Wells is an out-and-out gun as is three years younger than the others.

Chick Hafey or Babe Ruth comes after them as the big bat option.

That would take care of our two permitted signings. Were we not to get one or both, our plan Bs would be as follows:

• At 38, Dazzy Vance might seem a silly choice but I think he is the sort of guy we need at 2 in our spin. For a year or two only, though.
• Bill McCall is another I’ll look at. A lot of whether we sign him or not will have to do with his injury status.

POTENTIAL TRADES

With Funk and Swanson both recent draftees, we are fairly much handcuffed until after this year’s Draft, which is when they can be traded.

So I’ll be spending that time drawing up a wishlist to try and act upon once they are freed up.


Then, of course, there's the Draft itself. The pool has just been released and - spoiler alert - we get a Legacy. A solid enough player, but not one that really helps us where we need it. We may be lucky enough to pick up someone half-decent in the second round, but it will be touch and go.

We also need a host of new personnel. I immediately promote Hitting Coach Jon Woolridge from AAA and will get moving on the others.

[luckymann]

Giants Manager George Stallings calls it quits, I guess those two WS losses were hard on him. Other than Honus, however, no other skippers were axed.

This year also sees two absolute champions in Ty Cobb and Eddie Collins hang up the cleats, and I’ll have more to say on both in the next post. Ken Williams, Sam Rice, Art Nehf, Billy Southworth, Whitey Witt, Ray Powell and Braggo Roth are among the other names bringing an end to their career.

[luckymann]

As was the case with Honus and Larry Lajoie 15 years or so earlier, it seems entirely apropos that Ty Cobb and Eddie Collins have simultaneously called "time" on their careers, which greatly paralleled each other, and will undoubtedly share the same year of HOF enshrinement.

Ty, of course, retires as the league's all-time hit leader with 4125 (doffs cap to devs), and also leads with 12174 AB, 1982 R, 5685 TB, 281 3B, 1729 RBI and 758 SB. His final career slash was 339/404/467, with 132.9 WAR to his name. He won the Player of the Week 30 times, the Batter of the Month 23 times, 9 Silver Slugger Awards, 4 MVPs, 4 WS MVPs and 10 Championships - 9 of them with us.

Here are his career stats in full:



Cocky Collins came up the year after Ty and finishes his career with 3627 hits (currently 2nd but Tris Speaker needs only 5 to pass him), a 308/403/399 slash and 113.9 WAR. He won the RoY and 1 MVP, along with 11 Silver Sluggers and 4 Championships.

Here are his stats:





We wish both of these legends of the game all the best for their post-baseball lives.

[luckymann]

AL 1929 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1929 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY


John Beckwith breaks Lou Gehrig's hold on the AL MVP, with he and Mel Ott in the NL both winning their first. John Williams and Rosey Davis take out the Waddell Medals, Lyn Lary and Johnny Frederick the RoYs and Ted Lyons and Red Lucas both repeat as Reliever of the Year.

[luckymann]

Held on 12/20/1929.

A quality bunch coming in with one Marquee and 8 Legacies. But the biggest news of all is perhaps the arrival of the mighty Josh Gibson.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1930 season:
Boston Braves: Wally Berger (42.5; 1057)
Chicago Cubs: Lon Warneke (45.8; 262)
Chicago White Sox: Luke Appling (77.6; 2422 – one-club player) MARQUEE
Detroit Tigers: Hank Greenberg (55.5; 1269)
New York Giants: Jo-Jo Moore (18.9; 1335 – one-club player)
New York Yankees: Lefty Gomez (38.7; 367)
Pittsburgh Pirates: Gus Suhr (22.3; 1365)
St. Louis Cardinals: Dizzy Dean (46.2; 273)
Washington Senators: Joe Kuhel (30.3; 1205)

Tommy Bridges (50.5; 424 – one-club player) was also eligible for the Tigers, but Greenberg’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

There are 103 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 5 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1929 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. Chicago White Sox (388)
2. Detroit Tigers (455)
3. St. Louis Cardinals (513)
4. Chicago Cubs (645)
5. Boston Braves (364)
6. New York Yankees (571)
7. Washington Senators (467)
8. Pittsburgh Pirates (575)
9. New York Giants (556)
10. Boston Red Sox (377)
11. Cincinnati Reds (429)
12. Brooklyn Robins (458)
13. Philadelphia Phillies (464)
14. St. Louis Browns (520)
15. Cleveland Indians (533)
16. Philadelphia Athletics (693)

Rounds 2 thru 5

1. Boston Braves (364)
2. Boston Red Sox (377)
3. Chicago White Sox (388)
4. Cincinnati Reds (429)
5. Detroit Tigers (455)
6. Brooklyn Robins (458)
7. Philadelphia Phillies (464)
8. Washington Senators (467)
9. St. Louis Cardinals (513)
10. St. Louis Browns (520)
11. Cleveland Indians (533)
12. New York Giants (556)
13. New York Yankees (571)
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (575)
15. Chicago Cubs (645)
16. Philadelphia Athletics (693)


So we get Gus Suhr as a Legacy, a fine hitter but he can only play 1B which will always limit his appeal to me.

Here’s all of our new additions:

1. 1B Gus Suhr, 23

• As I said a fine hitter with plenty of pop. Despite this attribute, I’m still not quite sure just how we’ll deploy him immediately - our success and / or failure with the other players we are chasing will have a lot to do with it.

2. P Carl Fischer, 24

• A decent enough arm and we need to start stocking up on pitchers.

3. No pick

4. P Joe Heving, 29

• A mature-age entry to the MLB ranks and the best of what was there to be had by this stage.

5. P Herm Holshouser, 22

• AAA filler Scout’s pick.

FULL DRAFT LOG


Here are the full 1st Round picks - the Red Sox chose Ben Chapman over Josh Gibson, who has ended up at Cincy.

[luckymann]

So we get our men. Just.

Bill McCall comes quietly, on a 4+1 / $62k deal.

Willie Wells, not so much. A bidding war with the Sens ensues and in the end it takes the 4th largest contract in MLB history to finally seal the deal - 9 years for $320k.

We also nail down all those players I mentioned earlier - with the exception of Ed Rile, who opted for FA - on multi-year deals, as well as keeping Earl Combs.

We lose Zack Taylor when he is claimed on waivers by the Cubs and Milt Gaston in the Rule 5 Draft.

Still, with all the salary offloaded at the end of this season, we actually have reduced our payroll for 1930 by 5%.

I have a crack at luring Martin Dihigo from the Braves but no dice. He's eligible for FA next season so we might have a better chance of getting him then.

For now, I keep my powder dry on the trade front. Let's see how things shake out first.

[luckymann]

I must admit I thought it would be Pete Hill who got this honour, but in the end it is Jose Mendez who becomes the first NeLer to get a plaque.

[luckymann]

Another decade has come and gone and what a fascinating one it has been.

Here's the franchise summary over the league's first 29 seasons.




And just for the 1920s (Championships and Pennant are for all time).




For those interested, here are the individual and team stats from 1920 to 1929.

INDIVIDUAL HITTING

INDIVIDUAL PITCHING

TEAM HITTING

TEAM PITCHING


Babe Ruth led all position players with just under 85 WAR, with Dave Brown's 70-odd the best among the pitchers.

[luckymann]

My having finally honed my process to make the NeL hitters more reflective of their real-life selves has certainly brought them to prominence, as John Beckwith's stellar 1929 campaign is testament to. Which makes the timing of Josh Gibson's entry into the MLB ranks almost perfect.

I can understand - with Jimmie Foxx already there - why the Red Sox opted for Ben Chapman over Josh in the Draft just held, but I still would have taken him and found a way to make it work. Instead, we'll see a lot of him on the Reds, who now must be favourites to lock down numerous NL titles over the oncoming years.

It's not as if the Bucs have had a terrible dropoff in performance and I'm still utterly shocked to be back at the helm. We've got a few players - most notably Bill Foster and Pie Traynor - coming off contract over the next few seasons so I've some key decisions to make about who stays and who goes. The Wells acquisition really tightens up our D again, which was one area I do feel we've slipped dramatically in, and we could do with a few more like him. But the limitations I have placed on myself in this game mean we need to be smart in our roster management and extremely selective in who we take on board.

On the topic of which, I have decided to reduce from 2 to 1 the number of FA signings and from 3 to 2 the number of trades I'm allowed each season, just to ratchet up the difficulty another notch. As salaries continue to increase and budgets become more important, I'll also be looking at various ways to add challenges of a fiscal nature. Because I am adhering to historical salaries as much as possible, I'm reluctant to make league-wide changes to things like budgetary control. Instead I will be making manual changes to our finances that make it harder for us to keep and acquire players.

I have also reset our fan interest to the midpoint of 50, as it was up at 100 which was giving us some advantage I felt could and should be removed. Same with loyalty, which I have moved down from 10 to 5.

I'll keep tinkering with these along the way.

[luckymann]

The new decade is ushered in with some outstanding individual offensive performances as Hack Wilson (191), Lou Gehrig (173) and Chuck Klein (170) go RBI crazy and the Liveball Era reaches its peak. Bill Terry also becomes the last NL player to date to hit over .400. The A’s and Cards set up a World Series rematch with the Philadelphians victorious again.

AL CHAMPIONS: Philadelphia Athletics (102-52)
NL CHAMPIONS: St. Louis Cardinals (92-62)
WORLD SERIES: Athletics 4, Cardinals 2

Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. HACK WILSON, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .356 average, 146 runs, 208 hits, 35 doubles, 6 triples, 56 home runs, 191 RBIs, 105 walks, 84 strikeouts, .723 slugging percentage.
• Get this: From August 1 on alone, Wilson drove in 100 runs.

2. CHUCK KLEIN, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .386 average, 158 runs, 250 hits, 59 doubles, 8 triples, 40 home runs, 170 RBIs.
• Klein’s 170 RBIs are the second most all-time by a National Leaguer—and the second most in 1930. He wasn’t about to miss a minute of this batting bonanza, playing every inning but one—after he was tossed late from a game.

3. BABE HERMAN, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .393 average, 143 runs, 241 hits, 48 doubles, 11 triples, 35 home runs, 130 RBIs, 66 walks, 18 stolen bases, 13 caught stealing.
• A late-August slump dropped Herman below .400, into the .380s; he never recovered enough to reclaim it, preventing the NL from seeing two players end the year over the hallowed mark.

4. KIKI CUYLER, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .355 average, 155 runs, 228 hits, 50 doubles, 17 triples, 13 home runs, 134 RBIs, 72 walk, 10 hit-by-pitches, 37 stolen bases.
• Cuyler had the kind of numbers that reminded many of his breakout 1925 season—but as you’re seeing, a lot of players had those kind of numbers in 1930.

5. BILL TERRY, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .401 average, 139 runs, 254 hits, 39 doubles, 15 triples, 23 home runs, 129 RBIs.
• Bill Terry produced the last NL .400 average to date—and needed just two bats all year to do it.

6. MEL OTT, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .349 average, 122 runs, 182 hits, 34 doubles, 25 home runs, 119 RBIs, 103 walks, 20 sacrifice hits, .458 on-base percentage.
• Strangely, Ott’s home run numbers tumbled from the year before from 42—and he was especially light on the road, hitting just four jacks all season away from the Polo Grounds.

7. CHICK HAFEY, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 120 games, .336 average, 108 runs, 150 hits, 39 doubles, 12 triples, 26 home runs, 107 RBIs, 12 stolen bases.
• Missing out on 30 games kept Hafey from increasing his numbers to those listed above.

8. LEFTY O’DOUL, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .383 average, 122 runs, 202 hits, 37 doubles, 7 triples, 22 home runs, 97 RBIs, 63 walks.
• Various injuries all but sidelined O’Doul in September—yet he remained effective thanks to a potent pinch-hitting run.

9. FREDDIE LINDSTROM, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .379 average, 127 runs, 231 hits, 39 doubles, 7 triples, 22 home runs, 106 RBIs, 15 stolen bases.
• Lindstrom collected 231 hits for the second time in three seasons; only four other players (George Sisler, Rogers Hornsby, Paul Waner and Ichiro Suuzki) have managed to collect as many twice.

10. FRANKIE FRISCH, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .346 average, 121 runs, 187 hits, 46 doubles, 9 triples, 10 home runs, 114 RBIs, 15 stolen bases.
• The Fordham Flash slugged over .500 for the only time in his Hall-of-Fame career.

AL Hitters

1. LOU GEHRIG, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 154 games, .379 average, 143 runs, 220 hits, 42 doubles, 17 triples, 41 home runs, 173 RBIs, 101 walks.
• Gehrig continued to be every bit as effective as Babe Ruth, initiating an eight-year stretch in which he would average 155 RBIs.

2. AL SIMMONS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .381 average, 152 runs, 211 hits, 41 doubles, 16 triples, 36 home runs, 165 RBIs.
• Of Simmons’ career-best 36 homers, 25 were hit at Shibe Park.

3. BABE RUTH, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .359 average, 150 runs, 49 home runs, 153 RBIs, 136 walks, .493 on-base percentage, .732 slugging percentage.
• Ruth was twice robbed of home runs by a speaker above the right field wall at Philadelphia that kept him from reaching 50 on the year.

4. JIMMIE FOXX, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .335 average, 127 runs, 33 doubles, 13 triples, 37 home runs, 156 RBIs, 93 walks, 66 strikeouts.
• Foxx began a decade in which he would lead all major leaguers with 415 homers.

5. EDDIE MORGAN, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .349 average, 122 runs, 204 hits, 47 doubles, 11 triples, 26 home runs, 136 RBIs, 62 walks.
• Morgan took over for injured, reigning AL batting champ Lew Fonseca at first base and briefly made everyone forget about him.

6. JOE CRONIN, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 154 games, .346 average, 127 runs, 203 hits, 41 doubles, 9 triples, 13 home runs, 16 RBIs, 72 walks, 17 stolen bases.
• Cast adrift by a hard-hitting Pirates team that couldn’t find a spot for him, Cronin made Pittsburgh think twice as he emerged as a premier shortstop at Washington.

7. GOOSE GOSLIN, WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .308 average, 115 runs, 36 doubles, 12 triples, 37 home runs, 138 RBIs, 67 walks, 17 stolen bases.
• Traded to the Browns, Goslin finally got the chance to show his true power on a home field where the fences weren’t set back to the next county.

8. CHARLIE GEHRINGER, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 154 games, .330 average, 144 runs, 201 hits, 47 doubles, 15 triples, 16 home runs, 98 RBIs, 69 walks, 19 stolen bases, 15 caught stealing.
• Gehringer set a career high in runs; Dale Alexander was second on the team with 58 fewer platings.

9. CARL REYNOLDS, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .359 average, 103 runs, 202 hits, 25 doubles, 18 triples, 22 home runs, 104 RBIs, 16 stolen bases.
• Three of Reynolds’ career-high 22 home runs came in consecutive at-bats to tie a major league record.

10. EARL AVERILL, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .339 average, 102 runs, 181 hits, 33 doubles, 8 triples, 19 home runs, 119 RBIs.
• There was no sophomore slump for Averill, who by and large matched his rookie numbers.

NL Pitchers

1. DAZZY VANCE, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 2.61 ERA, 17 wins, 15 losses, 4 shutouts, 258.2 innings, 55 walks.
• Owner of baseball’s lowest opposing batting average (.246), Vance also won the hard-luck award for managing a record barely above the .500 mark.

2. PAT MALONE, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.94 ERA, 20 wins, 9 losses, 45 appearances, 35 starts, 22 complete games, 271.2 innings.
• Congrats to Malone, the NL’s only 20-game winner with an ERA below 5.00.

3. CARL HUBBELL, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.87 ERA, 17 wins, 12 losses, 37 appearances, 32 starts, 241.2 innings, 11 hit-by-pitches.
• In a year like this, you could bend King Carl—but you couldn’t break him.

4. BILL WALKER, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.93 ERA, 17 wins, 15 losses, 39 appearances, 34 starts, 245.1 innings.
• Sandwiched between two NL ERA crowns, Bill Walker was just happy to keep his batter-fatigued ERA under 4.00 in 1930.

5. ROY KOLP, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 4.22 ERA, 7 wins, 12 losses, 168.1 innings, 34 walks.
• The veteran hybrid starter/reliever, better known for his colorful bench jockeying that drove opponents mad—or absolutely deranged, as in the case of Hack Wilson in 1929—had to wonder how the Cubs’ Guy Bush finished 15-10 with an ERA two full runs worse.

6. FREDDIE FITZSIMMONS, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 4.25 ERA, 19 wins, 7 losses, .731 win percentage, 41 appearances, 29 starts.
• Fitzsimmons’ ERA was as high as 6.64 on July 23 before going 11-2 with a 2.35 figure thereafter.

7. WATTY CLARK, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 4.18 ERA, 13 wins, 13 losses, 7 saves, 44 appearances, 24 starts, 200 innings, 38 walks.
• The Louisiana southpaw nearly pulled off the impossible—throwing a no-hitter in a season gone offensively mad—as he produced the majors’ lone one-hit shutout on the year in July against Pittsburgh.

8. SOCKS SEIBOLD, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 4.12 ERA, 15 wins, 16 losses, 36 appearances, 33 starts, 251 innings.
• Once a youthful member of the awful A’s teams of the mid-1910s before disappearing from the major league scene for most of the 1920s, Seibold’s second year at Boston was his staunchest yet, even if his record didn’t show it.

9. JUMBO ELLIOTT, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 3.95 ERA, 10 wins, 7 losses.
• Mostly a failure coming into the season with a 16-31 record over four previous campaigns for the Robins, the 6’3”, 235-pound lefty managed to hold his weight in success amid, ironically, a year as hitter-crazed as this one.

10. LARRY FRENCH, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 4.36 ERA, 17 wins, 18 losses, 42 appearances, 35 starts, 21 complete games, 274.2 innings.
• The second-year left-hander was said to have almost a good a screwball as Carl Hubbell, but in 1930 he didn’t have quite the same luck in the win-loss column.

AL Pitchers

1. LEFTY GROVE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.54 ERA, 28 wins, 5 losses, .848 win percentage, 9 saves, 50 appearances, 32 starts, 291 innings, 60 walks, 209 strikeouts.
• Grove appeared to be the only pitcher stuck in time, throwing like it was 1909.

2. WES FERRELL, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 3.31 ERA, 25 wins, 13 losses, 43 appearances, 35 starts, 25 complete games, 296.2 innings.
• When your ERA is this low in a year like 1930, 25 wins should be a cinch; 16 of them came at home.

3. TED LYONS, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.78 ERA, 22 wins, 15 losses, 42 appearances, 36 starts, 29 complete games, 297.2 innings, 57 walks.
• The first half of Lyons’ 21-year career peaked, a year before arm troubles made him rely more on a knuckleball to extend his major league lifespan.

4. BUMP HADLEY, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.73 ERA, 15 wins, 11 losses, 42 appearances, 34 starts, 260.1 innings.
• Oddly, Hadley had one of his more efficient seasons in a year where pitchers seemed to be highly handicapped by a very live ball.

5. LEFTY STEWART, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.45 ERA, 20 wins, 12 losses, 271 innings.
• Just happy to be around after nearly dying of appendix problems in 1927, Stewart had the second-best ERA by a player named Lefty—and third best in the AL, regardless of name.

6. GENERAL CROWDER, ST. LOUIS-WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.89 ERA, 18 wins, 16 losses, 40 appearances, 35 starts, 279.2 innings.
• The Senators were happy to get General Crowder and Heinie Manush for Goslin, after Browns owner Phil Ball was happy to get rid of them in the aftermath of numerous run-ins.

7. SAD SAM JONES, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 4.07 ERA, 15 wins, 7 losses, 14 complete games, 25 starts, .682 win percentage.
• Sparingly used at age 37, Jones managed two streaks of six straight wins in six straight starts—going the distance in 10 of those 12 outings.

8. GEORGE EARNSHAW, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 4.44 ERA, 22 wins, 13 losses, 49 appearances, 39 starts, 3 shutouts, 296 innings, 139 walks.
• Nobody faced more batters in 1930 than Earnshaw, who managed to churn out his second straight 20-win season after tolerating 1,299 batters’ worth of live-ball apex.

9. AD LISKA, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.29 ERA, 9 wins, 7 losses.
• Though he only managed to pitch in the majors five seasons—three of them effectively full-time—Liska still had a tendency to prosper (especially against right-handed batters) with a submarine pitch that was fired all the way down from his ankles.

10. PAT CARAWAY, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.86 ERA, 10 wins, 10 losses.
• Using one of the more confounding pitching motions that one reporter described as “tracing the design of a pretzel in the air,” the rookie southpaw had a strong showing—he even struck out Joe Sewell, who literally never, ever struck out, twice in the same game—before collapsing out of the majors over the next two seasons.

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

I've got a bunch of stuff to do so and am itching to get the season underway so I am going to be super selective with regard to the transactions I list, limiting them to only the absolute key ones. If you want to see more the link below opens all kinds of doors.

Here we go:

• OF Chick Hafey: Red Sox, 8 years / $153400
• P Ed Rile: SS Glenn Wright, 8 years / $110600
• 2B Walter Cannady: Cubs, 7 years / $95200
• OF Heinie Manush: Cubs, 6 years / $79400
• P Chet Brewer: Indians, 6 years / $73200
• P Ed Rile: Cardinals, 5 years / $64000
• OF Babe Ruth: Yankees, 4 years / $63200
• IF Max Bishop: Giants, 4 years / $52200
• P Dazzy Vance: Phillies, 3 years / $42000

• 2B Halley Harding and OF Fred Brickell from Yankees to Cubs for OF Lew Fonseca
• OF Agustin Bejerano and IF Leo Durocher from Braves to Yankees for P Webster McDonald
• OF Buzz Boyle from Giants to Cardinals for P Andy Cooper
• 1B Del Bissonette and OF Vic Harris from Browns to Phillies for 2B Pat Crawford and P Jim Willis
• OF Dave Harris and P Red Peery from Cubs to Browns for P Waite Hoyt and P Bob Weiland

ALL TRANSACTIONS


The Reds lose Waddell Medallist Rosey Davis for 4 months to a partial UCL tear, while boom Washington pitching prospect Leroy Matlock will miss a similar amount of time thanks to a torn elbow tendon.

After a so-so 10-8 ST, we are picked to finish mid-standings at slightly above 500, which sounds about right to me. The experts see the Tigers repeating in the AL from the Red Sox and Yanks, with the Reds on top in the NL from New York and Boston.

FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

[luckymann]

Back to the old ways...

Here's how we'll line up on OD:

Catchers

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

Pretty thin behind these two so let’s hope they stay injury-free and in decent form.

Infielders

• 1B Lefty O’Doul (L)
• 2B George Grantham (L)
• 3B Pie Traynor (R)
• SS Willie Wells (R)

• Sam Bohne (R)
• Freddie Spurgeon (R)
• Howard Freigau (R)
• Branch Russell (L)

Did we pay overs for Wells? Absolutely. But at 25 and playing a position we’ve historically had trouble finding quality players, he is the dictionary definition of a franchise cornerstone. And, as we've done with him, from here on in we are going to have to make the few transactions we are permitted count big time.

The front-line group are up there with any others but again our biggest problem this year is going to be depth, as the backups aren’t much chop offensively.

Outfielders

• LF Earl Combs (L)
• CF Lloyd Waner (L)
• RF Paul Waner (L)

• Evar Swanson (R)
• Liz Funk (L)

O’Doul and Grantham can capably fill in at LF if required.

Rotation

1. LHP Willie Foster
2. LHP Bill McCall
3. LHP Sam Streeter
4. RHP Bill Force

Our main financial priority is to extend Bill Foster’s contract. The biggest question about this group is whether or not they can keep us in games. It is a legitimate concern. As, again, is depth. No doubt, if we make a trade it will be to bolster this area of the squad.

Bullpen

• RHP Gene Lansing (MR)
• LHP Bob Steele (MR)
• RHP Juanelo Mirabal (LR)
• RHP Ray Kremer (LR)
• LHP Walter Anderson (ST)

We’re running with the extra reliever to try and limit late-inning fadeouts. Our starters will all have fairly tight pitch-count limits enforced.


As always, our team page can be accessed HERE.