The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

Another empty year for the Tribe, but they are getting closer and this is a nice memento from the season.

[luckymann]

We begin the month with arguably our worst game of the year, a 13-1 home spanking by last-placed St. Louis, but then right the ship with 6 wins from our next 6 to skip 4½ in front.

But then, just when we need them to step up, the bats once again go completely AWOL and we lose 3 straight at Boston. Then we lose O’Doul for the year to a knee injury.

Again, the loss of key players seems only to strengthen the group’s resolve and we get back-to-back wins against two of the best in Carl Hubbell and Andy Cooper, with Chaney White’s heroics I posted about earlier the highlight of that second win.

Three straight losses put us right back in the firing line as the Phils close to within a game and a half. Four more on the bounce at Brooklyn knock us out of top spot for the first time in a long time with just six games to play.

Even a return home can’t stop what has to go down as one of the greatest chokes in MLB history as we drop two more, making us 3-12 over the last 15, and eventually the Phillies clinch their first-ever pennant with a win at the Giants. On the same day, the Yanks do likewise as Ruth belts 2 homers in a 7-4 win at the A’s, thereby guaranteeing that a first-time World Champion will be crowned this year.




Look, as utterly galling as it is to lose in the manner we have here, if you’d have told me at the start of the season we’d win 84 games and be in the race until the very end, I’d probably have taken it no questions asked. Ignominious collapse aside, for us to even finish as close as we have is a feat unto itself. The key injuries we suffered exposed our lack of depth and in the end we just had too many holes and not enough fingers. At least I now know precisely what I need to go out and get in the offseason to get us over the hump. At least I have a better idea of whom I can count on moving forward and on whom I cannot.







John Beckwith posts another stellar campaign, winning the AL batting title with 367, while Heinie Manush's 347 nets him the NL crown. Chick Hafey leads the league with 35 HR from Babe's 33.

Red Ruffing wins a league-high 31 games, including a stunning 6-0 / 1.00 September that earns him the monthly award, while Andy Cooper's 232 K tops that category.

Final Top 20s by WAR for the year:





Final awards, news and leaders:






S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

Philadelphia Phillies (87-67) v New York Yankees (93-61)
Best-of-seven, Phillies with the home-field advantage.

PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES S+ PAGE

NEW YORK YANKEES S+ PAGE

What a thrill for Phillies fanatics – 30 long, lean years and finally they’ve got a ticket to The Big Dance.

Despite the wight of expectations after such a long wait, I doubt this squad will fear the Yankees, who themselves will be keen to make amends for years of underperformance. The Phillies can match them blow for blow, with Chuck Klein, Hack Wilson, George Scales, Del Bissonette and the highly-underrated Adam Comorosky all guns. The addition of Dazzy Vance in the offseason has really bolstered their rotation, led by Jesse Hubbard, and the bullpen is serviceable enough. It is a good, well-rounded squad in every aspect.

That said, this Yankees lineup is up there with the best, with Gehrig and Ruth still the fulcrum but Stearnes possibly their most dangerous hitter right now. Rap Dixon has had the season he’s been working towards since entering the league, while Bill Dickey drove in 91 runs from the 6 slot and “Poosh ‘em up” Tony Lazzeri has plenty of pop as well.

But it is in the pitching ranks that the Yankees have made the biggest strides, with two of the league’s best young arms now in pinstripes: 31-game winner Red Ruffing and presumptive AL RoY Lefty Gomez. If they can handle the pressure then I think the Yanks just have the edge.

I’m expecting another riveting Series here, with both clubs absolutely going for it from first pitch to last.

Yankees in seven for mine.

[luckymann]

Game 1 in Philadelphia, October 1st 1930
Jesse Hubbard (24-15, 3.48) v Red Ruffing (31-8, 3.04)

Ruffing looks a virtual lock for the AL Waddell Medal, and Hubbard will come into serious consideration in the NL, so this opening game showcases two of the league’s premier pitchers right now.

And, while neither dominates, we get a classic to start the series off as it takes 11 innings to separate the two sides. It is close all the way through, with the visitors holding a 4-3 lead entering the bottom 9th before the Phils manage to square it up and send it into spares. A 2-run double by Lazzeri puts the Yanks back on top in the 11th and this time Tommy Thomas makes no mistake to give the New Yorkers a 6-4 road win and the early advantage.

Yankees 6, Phillies 4 (11 innings)

BOX SCORE


Game 2 in Philadelphia, October 2nd 1930
Dazzy Vance (18-12, 3.90) v Lefty Gomez (23-19, 3.45)
Yankees lead series 1-0

Vance is just one of those guys who brings a winning attitude with them to a ballclub, and the Phillies finally reaching the playoffs in the wake of his arrival is no coincidence. But he and they will have to negotiate one of the league’s young guns and future stars here if they want to get the win.

Unfortunately for the home side, the veteran leaves his best stuff in the dugout as the Yanks go ahead early and then get to him big time in the middle innings with 3 in the 6th and 4 in the 7th to cruise to a relatively comfortable 10-6 win.

Gomez struggles to find the zone, walking 8, but the bats come through for him to pick up the slack. Gehrig goes 4-for-4 with two homers and 4 RBI, while Stearnes and Ruth also go deep and Dickey chimes in with a 4-for-5 game to put the Yanks in control heading home.

Yankees 10, Phillies 6

BOX SCORE


Game 3 in New York, October 4th 1930
Tom Williams (14-13, 3.96) v Syl Johnson (15-18, 4.65)
Yankees lead series 2-0

A slight on-paper advantage to the home side here as far as the starting pitchers are concerned, and if that is brought to bear then the Phils look done for here.

It is brought to bear, as Williams pitches a 3-hit gem and Stearnes belts another one out (as does Leo Durocher, which is a nice touch) in a 4-1 Yankees triumph. The Phils go ahead early but then the bats go completely missing as Williams allows nary a man aboard over the last 5 innings and the New York bats do their thing.

Yankees 4, Phillies 1

BOX SCORE


Game 4 in New York, October 5th 1930
Red Ruffing (1-0, 3.60) v Jesse Hubbard (0-0, 4.70)
Yankees lead series 3-0

Hubbard held his own in that Game 1 no-decision, but the Phillies bats will need to figure out a way to give him some runs to play with here, easier said than done against Ruffing.

It isn’t to be, as the Philadelphians make a dismal exit in what has turned out to be a real fizzer of a series.

Take nothing away from the Pinstripers. They were clinical and just never let their opponents find their groove, earning the franchise’s long-overdue first Championship with a 6-3 decision. Hubbard only lasts 4 innings and once again it is in the mid-section that the Yanks do the damage, going ahead with 4 in the 4th and adding another pair in the next on a 2-run double by Carey Selph. The Phils never stop trying, but are no match for an dominant Yankees side.

The perfect finish to Walter Johnson's career as he gets his 6th Championship Ring - I don't see him returning next season. Nice for Babe, too, who at 35 must have been starting to feel like it was never going to happen for him. One down, 20-odd to go for the Bronx Bombers!

Yankees 6, Phillies 3

BOX SCORE


NEW YORK WINS SERIES 4-0

SERIES MVP: Lou Gehrig (New York)





S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

Both St. Louis clubs off their skipper, with Fred Mitchell dumped by the Browns and Scott Perry (along with GM Jack Sharrott) let go by the Cards. The Brooklyn franchise changes hands with Tim Winkler selling out to Cody Kingsley.

Four absolute legends of the game announce their retirement and I’ll speak of these in a separate post. Others who make this season their last include Carl Mays, Bernardo Baro, Dobie Moore, Dave Bancroft, Joe Dugan, Lewis Hampton, Elmer Smith, one of the George Burnses (no idea which...), Harry Spratt and Erskine Mayer.

We lose Legacy Ray Kremer and Branch Russell to retirement.

[luckymann]

After scraping into the playoffs thanks mainly to Jersey City "pulling a Pittsburgh" and collapsing within the shadows of the finish line, Scranton take full advantage by beating Brownsville in a hard-fought AAA Series that goes the distance to lock down their 3rd title.

[luckymann]

So often we see bunches of the game's legends hang up the glove at the same time, as is the case here when in one fell swoop we lose four of the best to ever grace the field.

Walter Johnson

You always want to go out on your own terms, and few have been able to pull this off with Walter's aplomb. The WS win of course, and serendipity strikes as he leaves the game with exactly 500 wins.

I doubt this record will ever be broken. Only Satchel Paige strikes me as someone who'll even go close and I reckon 400 is a more realistic target for him.

What a career. In his honour, the award for best pitcher each year - which he himself won six times - will henceforth be named the Johnson-Waddell Medal.

Tris Speaker

The Grey Eagle leaves the game as its all-time WAR leader among position players with 155.6 (in fact, among all players as this is 3 more than Train, who leads all pitchers), and while this and doubles (721) are the only categories he heads, he's top 5 in many others including OBP (409, 4th), games played (3087, 3rd), AB (11268, 3rd), runs scored (1780, 3rd), hits (3623, 3rd), TB (5175, 2nd), triples (255, 3rd), RBI (1502, 4th), SB (541, 4th) and bases on balls (1620, 2nd). He won 6 Wagner-Lajoie Medals and 2 championships with that mighty Red Sox side of the mid-teens.

Shoeless Joe Jackson

One of the many "Black Sox" who have benefitted not from filthy lucre but rather the absence of it in this simulated universe, Joe may have never won a major award since his RoY all the way back in '09, and may have seen increasingly reduced action in his later years, but he stands among the pantheon in this league all the same. It is fitting that he gets to share the stage here - and, presumably, on his first ballot in 1935/6 - with Walter, with whom he shared so many great times and triumphs as members of a fantastic Senators club. He closes out his career with a lifetime 331 / 399 / 481 slash, an astonishing 162 OPS+, more than 2700 hits and 80 WAR.

Bullet Rogan

Only Cannonball Dick Redding remains from that first group of NeL pitching legends that broke the colour line in '09, with Bullet coming aboard a few years after that.

Two Johnson-Waddell Medals and 279 wins later, he retires as one of the game's true immortals with 2827 strikeouts and just shy of 100 WAR to his name.

Enjoy your free time lads, the game will be immeasurably poorer for your absence from it.

[luckymann]

AL 1930 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1930 HISTORY INDEX


AWARDS HISTORY


John Beckwith claims his second straight Wagner-Lajoie in the AL, as does Mel Ott in the NL.

The newly-minted Johnsons-Waddell Medals go to Red Ruffing (his first) and Andy Cooper (his third), while relievers Nip Winters and our own Walter Anderson get gongs for their fine seasons from the pen.

RoY honours go to Boston's Ben Chapman and Wally Berger, who just edges out Josh Gibson.



S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

As it is designed to, limiting myself to just the one FA signing per year makes the business a very tricky one. Not just in selecting that one player, but in pitching the deal - within reason - in a way that you get your man, because if you get stuck in a bidding war and don't get the deal done, by the time it's all over there's nobody left as a Plan B.

When I saw the impending FA list, I knew immediately who that man was. And thankfully, unlike last year's fiasco with El Diablo, this negotiation went super smooth. We went in (wicked) hard early, haggling only a little under his demands, and that seemed to scare the others off so that the deal went through without a hitch.

And what a deal it is for our club.




Hard to know why the Red Sox let him go. At just 23 and with one of the biggest bats in the league, he is a prime asset. For us he is clearly the missing piece in our lineup. Our HR total last year was 75. Jimmie had 21 all by himself. At four, with Wells and O'Doul behind him, pitchers will have little choice but to try and get him out, so we expect that total of his will rise greatly.

A massive get.

We also lock up our ace for a good part of the rest of his career.

[luckymann]

Held on 12/20/1930.

A little bit thin on the Legacy front this time around, which means there are a host of decent players up for grabs.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1931 season:

Brooklyn Robins: Dixie Walker (45.1; 1207)
Chicago Cubs: Billy Herman (57.4; 1344)
Cincinnati Reds: Bucky Walters (53.5; 312)
New York Giants: Hal Schumacher (29.6; 391 – one-club player)
New York Yankees: Red Rolfe (29.1; 1175 – one-club player)


Ernie Lombardi (37.9; 1203) and Paul Derringer (36.0; 393) were both also eligible for the Reds, but Walters’ higher WAR makes him the selection.

Billy Jurges (28.8; 1072) was also eligible for the Cubs, but Herman’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

Van Mungo (32.9; 284) was also eligible for the Robins, but Walker’s higher WAR makes him the selection.


There are 106 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 5 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1930 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. Chicago Cubs (584)
2. Cincinnati Reds (383)
3. Brooklyn Robins (558; dice roll)
4. New York Yankees (558; dice roll)
5. New York Giants (565)
6. Boston Red Sox (338; dice roll)
7. Philadelphia Phillies (338; dice roll)
8. Chicago White Sox (403)
9. St. Louis Browns (416)
10. Boston Braves (455)
11. Detroit Tigers (487)
12. Pittsburgh Pirates (519)
13. Cleveland Indians (526)
14. St. Louis Cardinals (597)
15. Washington Senators (610)
16. Philadelphia Athletics (662)

Rounds 2 thru 5

1. Boston Red Sox (338; dice roll)
2. Philadelphia Phillies (338; dice roll)
3. Cincinnati Reds (383)
4. Chicago White Sox (403)
5. St. Louis Browns (416)
6. Boston Braves (455)
7. Detroit Tigers (487)
8. Pittsburgh Pirates (519)
9. Cleveland Indians (526)
10. Brooklyn Robins (558; dice roll)
11. New York Yankees (558; dice roll)
12. New York Giants (565)
13. Chicago Cubs (584)
14. St. Louis Cardinals (597)
15. Washington Senators (610)
16. Philadelphia Athletics (662)



No Legacy for us this year, and we go into the Draft fully understanding what we need from it.

Here’s all of our new additions:

1. P Paul Derringer, 24

• Were he still available, we would almost certainly have gone with catcher Ernie Lombardi, but that was only ever a pipe-dream and this Draft was all about reinforcing our staff. Paul was a coin-toss with Ray Brown for our first choice and Ray went early. Barney Brown was our Plan B, Van Mungo behind him but in the end we took Paul and he’s a fine addition to the club.

2. P Oral Hildebrand, 23

• A bit of a smoky who is some years off but should play a role down the track.

3. P Monte Weaver, 24
4. P Vic Frazier, 26
5. P Whitey Hilcher, 21

• By now there were no even halfway-decent position players so we went full press with the pitchers.

Here is the 1st Round in full:



FULL DRAFT LOG

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

Yet again I am amazed at how the stars stay so aligned for this save. I couldn't think of any better way for these two NeL legends to be inducted than side-by-side. It would have been nice if Bombin had made three, but I just don't know if he's got the numbers to make it.

[luckymann]

After cruisy pennant wins to both, the Redbirds end the A’s Championship streak at two with a tough win in seven games behind a rampant Pepper Martin, known for good reason as “The Wild Mustang of the Osage”.

AL CHAMPIONS: Philadelphia Athletics (107-45)
NL CHAMPIONS: St. Louis Cardinals (101-53)
WORLD SERIES: Cardinals 4, Athletics 3


Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. CHUCK KLEIN, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .337 average, 121 runs, 200 hits, 34 doubles, 10 triples, 31 home runs, 121 RBIs, .584 slugging percentage.
• No one continued to embrace Philadelphia’s Baker Bowl more than Klein, who hit over .400 there for the second straight year. (He hit just .269 on the road.)

2. BILL TERRY, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .349 average, 121 runs, 213 hits, 43 doubles, 20 triples, 9 home runs, 112 RBIs.
• Terry’s league-leading dose of triples included four games with multiple three-baggers.

3. CHICK HAFEY, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .349 average, 94 runs, 35 doubles, 8 triples, 16 home runs, 95 RBIs, .404 on-base percentage.
• Hafey thanked the optometrist and became the first bespectacled batting champ; a year later, he found himself in Cincinnati after being embroiled in a salary dispute with the Cardinals.

4. MEL OTT, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .292 average, 104 runs, 23 doubles, 8 triples, 29 home runs, 115 RBIs, 80 walks.
• Ott quietly hit his 100th career home run at age 22.

5. BABE HERMAN, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 93 runs, 191 hits, 43 doubles, 16 triples, 18 home runs, 97 RBIs, 17 stolen bases.
• Herman became the first player to hit for the cycle twice in one season; no one would do that again until Aaron Hill in 2012.

6. KIKI CUYLER, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .330 average, 110 runs, 202 hits, 37 doubles, 12 triples, 9 home runs, 88 RBIs, 72 walks, 13 stolen bases, 17 caught stealing.
• Kiki continued to hit like the wind, but his velocity on the basepaths started to slow—Stealing only 13 of 30 attempted bases after being successful 84% of the time over the previous four years.

7. WALLY BERGER, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .323 average, 94 runs, 199 hits, 44 doubles, 8 triples, 19 home runs, 84 RBIs, 13 stolen bases.
• In what would be a standard state of affairs for much of the 1930s, Berger collected more home runs (19) than the rest of his teammates combined (15).

8. ROGERS HORNSBY, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 100 games, .331 average, 37 doubles, 16 home runs, 90 RBIs, 56 walks.
• At age 35, Hornsby gave it one last solid ride as a hitter; in fact, he set career marks on April 24 with three home runs and eight RBIs—at Pittsburgh’s spacious Forbes Field, of all places.

9. WOODY ENGLISH, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .319 average, 117 runs, 202 hits, 38 doubles, 8 triples, 68 walks, 12 stolen bases.
• Along with Kiki Cuyler, English provided sparkplug energy for the Cubs’ offense.

10. BUZZ ARLETT, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 121 games, .313 average, 26 doubles, 7 triples, 18 home runs, 72 RBIs.
• The curious case of Arlett, who played his one and only season in the majors—sandwiched between 19 minor league years and 432 home runs. Reason he was gone by 1932? He wanted to go back to the minors.

AL Hitters

1. LOU GEHRIG, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 155 games, .341 average, 163 runs, 211 hits, 31 doubles, 15 triples, 46 home runs, 185 RBIs, 117 walks, 17 stolen bases.
• For many years, Gehrig’s RBI total actually sat at 184, but sabermetric clean-up in the Retrosheet era discovered that he should have had one more—thus giving him the sole AL record and demoting Hank Greenberg (who also knocked in 184, in 1937) to second.

2. BABE RUTH, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .373 average, 149 runs, 199 hits, 31 doubles, 46 home runs, 162 RBIs, 128 walks, .495 on-base percentage, .700 slugging percentage.
• Ruth tied Gehrig for what would be his last ranking at the top of the AL home run chart; he paired with the Iron Horse to set a major league record for most RBIs (347) by a pair of teammates in one season.

3. AL SIMMONS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .390 average, 105 runs, 200 hits, 37 doubles, 13 triples, 22 home runs, 128 RBIs.
• Simmons finished above .360 for the third straight year; no one would do that again until Larry Walker (1997-99).

4. EARL AVERILL, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .333 average, 627 at-bats, 140 runs, 209 hits, 36 doubles, 10 triples, 32 home runs, 143 RBIs, 68 walks.
• Averill was one of the few hitters whose stats actually improved over 1930, setting career highs in runs, home runs and RBIs.

5. BEN CHAPMAN, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .315 average, 120 runs, 189 hits, 28 doubles, 11 triples, 17 home runs, 122 RBIs, 75 walks, 61 stolen bases, 23 caught stealing.
• The guy who would later make for notoriety as the Phillies manager who taunted Jackie Robinson was, for now, the guy who stole the most bases in a season between 1920 and 1943.

6. GOOSE GOSLIN, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .328 average, 114 runs, 194 hits, 42 doubles, 10 triples, 24 home runs, 105 RBIs, 80 walks.
• Goslin was on his way to matching his highest career batting average (.379 in 1928) before slumping off in the season’s final two-plus months.

7. JIMMIE FOXX, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .291 average, 93 runs, 32 doubles, 10 triples, 30 home runs, 120 RBIs, 73 walks, 84 strikeouts.
• Although still potent enough to make this list, Foxx struggled with knee, foot and sinus issues that brought him below .300 for the only time throughout his first 12 seasons.

8. JOE CRONIN, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .306 average, 103 runs, 187 hits, 44 doubles, 13 triples, 12 home runs, 126 RBIs, 81 walks.
• With Goslin now firmly entrenched in St. Louis, Cronin became the de facto home run leader for the Senators—and of course, most of them were hit away from expansive Griffith Stadium.

9. EARL WEBB, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .333 average, 96 runs, 196 hits, 67 doubles, 14 home runs, 103 RBIs, 70 walks.
• Webb’s doubly good hitting theatrics helped the Red Sox end their six-year run in the AL cellar.

10. MICKEY COCHRANE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 122 games, .349 average, 87 runs, 31 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 89 RBIs.
• Not to take anything away from the Hall-of-Fame catcher, but no one’s going to complain about batting in front of Al Simmons and Jimmie Foxx.

NL Pitchers

1. BILL WALKER, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.26 ERA, 16 wins 9 losses, 37 appearances, 28 starts, 6 shutouts, 239.1 innings.
• Known qualities in Carl Hubbell and Freddie Fitzsimmons were overshadowed by the relatively unknown Walker, who captured his second NL ERA title in three years.

2. HEINIE MEINE, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.98 ERA, 19 wins, 13 losses, 36 appearances, 35 starts, 22 complete games, 284 innings.
• In a year where the NL had no 20-game winners for the first time ever, among those who came closest was Heinie Meine—a junkballer whose career appeared doomed 10 years earlier when his bread-and-butter spitball was declared toast by the majors.

3. ED BRANDT, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.92 ERA, 18 wins, 11 losses, 23 complete games, 250 innings.
• Brandt turned a 21-45 record over his three previous years into something completely different, thanks to an 8-0 start.

4. CARL HUBBELL, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.65 ERA, 14 wins, 12 losses, 21 complete games, 248 innings, 155 strikeouts.
• About the only thing the screwball master had yet to actually master was run support from his teammates—how else would one explain a 13-12 record to go with the NL’s second-best ERA behind teammate Walker?

5. CHARLIE ROOT, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.48 ERA, 17 wins, 14 losses, 39 appearances, 31 starts, 251 innings.
• It was Root, Root, Root for the Cubbies at the Friendly Confines: The 32-year-old righty was 12-6 with a 2.35 ERA at Wrigley Field, 5-8 with a 5.15 mark on the road.

6. SYL JOHNSON, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.00 ERA, 11 wins, 9 losses, 207.1 innings, 29 walks.
• A common pitcher who managed to stick with the majors for 19 years—collecting four World Series rings along the way—Johnson was uncommonly good despite the common record; his .286 opposing on-base percentage was the NL’s third best.

7. FREDDIE FITZSIMMONS, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.05 ERA, 18 wins, 11 losses, 253.2 innings, 62 walks.
• Some would say Fitzsimmons was lucky to gather up 18 wins because his team averaged nearly six runs per start—but with four home runs and 18 RBIs over 92 at-bats, he had a little something to do with it.

8. WATTY CLARK, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 3.24 ERA, 14 wins, 10 loses, 233.1 innings, 52 walks.
• Maybe it was the deadening of the ball over the 1930 model, but Clark reduced his home run allowed total from 20 to four.

9. BILL HALLAHAN, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 3.29 ERA, 19 wins, 9 losses, .679 win percentage, 37 appearances, 30 starts, 248.2 innings, 159 strikeouts, 112 walks, 11 wild pitches.
• They didn’t call him Wild Bill for nothing—and by leading the NL in strikeouts, walks and hit batsmen, he was seldom wilder.

10. BOB SMITH, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.22 ERA, 15 wins, 12 losses, 240.1 innings.
• Just years earlier an infielder for the Braves, Smith deservedly and finally reached the promising land of above-.500 pitching after suffering through five straight losing records.

AL Pitchers

1. LEFTY GROVE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.06 ERA, 31 wins, 4 losses, .886 win percentage, 41 appearances, 30 starts, 27 complete games, 4 shutouts, 288.2 innings, 175 strikeouts, 62 walks.
• Grove became the only AL pitcher to win 30 games between 1920 and 1968.

2. LEFTY GOMEZ, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.67 ERA, 21 wins, 9 losses, .700 win percentage, 40 appearances, 26 starts, 243 innings.
• The debut of Gomez on the major league stage was a thriving oasis in a temporary wasteland of bad Yankees pitching.

3. GEORGE EARNSHAW, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.20 ERA, 15 wins, 14 losses, 42 appearances, 32 starts, 258.2 innings.
• Lefty Grove’s faithful sidekick in the A’s rotation continued to be one of the majors’ most generously supported pitchers—receiving over six runs of support per start.

4. LLOYD BROWN, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.73 ERA, 15 wins, 11 losses, 42 appearances, 34 starts, 260.1 innings.
• The Texan southpaw reached the peak of a career that would see him pitch past the age of 50 in the minors during the 1950s.

5. FIRPO MARBERRY, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.45 ERA, 16 wins, 4 losses, .800 win percentage, 8 saves, 45 appearances, 25 starts.
• Baseball’s first full-time reliever and now part-time starter, Marberry ran his three-year record to 50-21.

6. BUMP HADLEY, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.06 ERA, 11 wins, 10 losses, 7 saves, 55 appearances, 11 starts.
• Though Marberry (barely) nailed down the team lead in saves, it was Hadley who spent most of the year as the chief closer (or finisher, as they might as well had called it back then), posting a 2.52 ERA coming out of the bullpen as opposed to a 4.59 mark when starting.

7. WES FERRELL, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 3.75 ERA, 22 wins, 12 starts, 40 appearances, 35 starts, 27 complete games, 276.1 innings, 130 walks.
• In year dominated by Grove, Ferrell stole honors for the game of the year, throwing his lone career no-hitter while pumping out one of his nine homers—a major league season record for pitchers.

8. RUBE WALBERG, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 3.74 ERA, 20 wins, 12 losses, 44 appearances, 35 starts, 291 innings.
• After admirably toiling in the shadows of Lefty Grove in Philadelphia, Walberg scored 20 wins for the first and only time in his career—and still finished 11 wins behind Grove.

9. GEORGE UHLE, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 3.50 ERA, 11 wins, 12 losses.
• The veteran right-hander and former Cleveland workhorse finished the year on a high, winning six of his last seven decisions just to get near the .500 mark.

10. GENERAL CROWDER, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.88 ERA, 18 wins, 11 losses, 44 appearances, 26 starts.
• Firmly back in Washington where he began his career in 1926, Crowder was just warming up for the productive peak of his career to follow in 1932-33.

[luckymann]

A typically frenzied trade and FA market over the offseason, with the Tigers the most prominent club. Here are the highlights:

• P Satchel Paige: Red Sox, 7 years / $98600 (extension)
• C Mickey Cochrane: Phillies, 5 years / $87000
• P Ping Gardner: Tigers, 6 years / $84000
• OF Kiki Cuyler: Senators, 5 years / $79800
• P Andy Cooper: Tigers, 4 years / $74400
• OF Babe Ruth: Yankees, 4 years / $63200
• P George Uhle: Braves, 5 years / $73000
• 2B Frankie Frisch: Robins, 5 years / $73000
• 3B Marty McManus: Phillies, 4 years / $58800
• 2B Dick Lundy: Cardinals, 4 years / $49200
• P Lefty Williams: Cubs, 4 years / $48600
• P John Taylor: Browns, 4 years / $45600

• 1B Buck Jordan and P Hank Johnson from Tigers to Giants for P Slim Branham
• P Dick Coffman, P Johnny Welch and C Ameal Brooks from Robins to Reds for SS John Kerr
• C Earl Grace and OF Randy Moore from Red Sox to Robins for C Shanty Hogan
• 1B George Giles, OF George Puccinelli and OF Bob Seeds from Tigers to Athletics for OF Taylor Douthit

ALL TRANSACTIONS


We go 13-8 in ST but lose three pitchers in the process. Thankfully, of them only Gene Lansing would be in our main squad. Still, it leaves us weak for reinforcements which I don’t like at all. The pundits are tipping ourselves and the Tigers to come out on top this year, with our race being close once again.


FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

[luckymann]

Our team page can be accessed HERE.

Our Opening Day squad will look like this:

Catchers

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

One position at which we really need an upgrade. Charlie gets his chance after Peck Lerian’s disastrous 1930 campaign.


Infielders

• 1B Jimmie Foxx (R)
• 2B George Grantham (L)
• 3B Pie Traynor (R)
• SS Willie Wells (R)

• Gus Suhr (L)
• Freddie Spurgeon (R)
• Howard Freigau (R)
• Heinie Sand (R)

With both Traynor and Grantham out of contract over the next two years, we need to start thinking about the future. So a move might be on the cards here. Right now, this is as good an IF as any. But Lord help us if someone gets hurt. Especially at SS.


Outfielders

• LF Lefty O’Doul (L)
• CF Earl Combs (L)
• RF Paul Waner (L)

• Lloyd Waner (L)
• Chaney White (R)

Again, depth – especially at CF – is our major concern here. We need Little Poison and Lefty O'Doul to bounce back from underwhelming 1930s.


Rotation

• LHP Willie Foster
• RHP Ted Trent
• LHP Bill McCall
• RHP Paul Derringer

Really settled now in this area, let’s hope we can keep everyone on the paddock.


Bullpen

• RHP Slim Harriss (MR)
• LHP Bob Steele (MR)
• LHP Carl Fischer (LR)
• RHP Ray Benge (LR)
• LHP Walter Anderson (ST)

As handy as Kremer’s retirement was with regard to freeing up payroll, we now find ourselves short of arms behind this.

Scared money never wins, but we are on a bit of a knife-edge here.

[luckymann]

A solid enough start with the usual ups and downs common to the start of every season. A bit of rust on Bill Foster but he hurls a shutout in his final start for the month so hopefully that’s been scraped away now. El Diablo going magnificently, XX seems to be settling in, and Duke Derringer wins the Rookie award. We finish at 10-6.

Jim Bottomley - who has flown out of the gates - and Hack Wilson both reach the 200 HR mark, while Kiki Cuyler gets his 1500th career hit.








S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

The "Wild Horse (or Mustang) of the Osage" goes ballistic against the Big Cats.

[luckymann]

Our big offeason signing is already delivering the goods.

[luckymann]

The Cards will have to do without their young gun for a while.

[luckymann]

A really hot-and-cold May for us as we win 7 of our first 10, then lose 8 of our next 10, then win the last 6 to finish at 16-12 for the month.





The offence is really purring, with Foxx's presence markedly noticeable and Wells' continued excellence (2.2 WAR already) leading the way. Grantham has picked up a knock and will need to be nursed through the next little while.




The pitching, on the other hand, has struggled. He seems to be coming good now, but Bill Foster's form over the first 5 weeks of the season has been the worst of his career. Derringer has been super impressive so far.




Babe Ruth reaches the 450 HR mark, Al Simmons 200. John Beckwith, injured early in the season, has suffered a setback and will miss another month at least.


Standings, awards, news, leaders.







S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME