Baseball in Boston -- 1901 & Beyond

[OmahaBaseball]

Another game in which the opposition jumps out to an early lead that is too large for Boston to come back from. While Johnny Lush was tagged with the loss, the 4 runs were a result of sloppy defense. Jack Hayden continues to have an outstanding spring training and is making a case for a backup spot on the parent club.

[OmahaBaseball]

While the defense is still a bit shaky, Jesse Tannehill pitched a fine game to lead his Boston Americans to a 3 to 1 victory over the Cleveland Naps. Homer Smoot had a tremendous day at the plate, while Jesse Hoffmeister contributed with a 2nd-inning solo shot.

[OmahaBaseball]

Another meltdown by reliever Ham Iburg spoiled the outing of Sam Leever. The result was Boston falling to Philadelphia by a 7 to 3 score. At the plate, Bill Lange, Johnny Lush, and Danny Shay played well.

[OmahaBaseball]

The losing streak continues for the Americans, this time falling to the Browns by a 5 to 2 score. Solly Hofman put up the best batting line with a 2 for 2 day (Double, 2 Runs, 2 Stolen Bases).

[OmahaBaseball]

Make that 3 losses in a row and 8 of the last 10. Not the ideal way to play with less than 2 weeks before the start of the regular season. In this game, the Senators beat the Americans 5 to 4 in the extra-innings game. Johnny Lush got the start and lasted 4 innings in which he allowed 2 earned runs on 4 hits, but did not factor into the decision. It was disappointing to see Ralph Caldwell blow the save and take the loss. Harry Truby, Rabbit Robinson, and Jack Hayden played well at the plate.

[OmahaBaseball]

The Americans appeared to have turned things around after posting a 6 run lead after the 3rd inning, yet somehow they found a way to lose the game. In the latest folly, the Tigers trumped Boston by a 10 to 8 score. Noodles Hahn pitched well (4 scoreless, no-hit innings), Tom Smith was roughed up (4 runs, 2 earned on 4 hits in 2 innings of play), and the Boston defense let John Skopec down (6 unearned runs). John Farrell, Solly Hofman, and Frank Chance hit the ball very well.

[OmahaBaseball]

UGH! Well another loss finds Boston tied for last-place in the American League standings. In the latest debacle, the Americans fell to the Highlanders by a 4 to 1 score. Willie Garoni pitched reasonably well but did not factor into the decision. Solly Hofman and Homer Smoot provided Boston's limited offense.

[OmahaBaseball]

As the preseason begins to wrap up, the starters are going further into the game. Here, Johnny Lush went 7 innings and just simply dominated the White Sox to lead his Boston Americans to a 3 to 0 victory. Bill Lange has effectively squashed trade rumors as he continues to pound the ball (.426 batting average), while Jack Hayden is making a solid case to stay with the big league club (.371 batting average).

[OmahaBaseball]

Another dominate pitching performance by Boston's staff, with Noodles Hahn coming up big in the 1 to 0 shutout victory over the Cleveland Naps. Rabbit Robinson was the star at the plate today, going 2 for 2 with a Triple and a Run.

[OmahaBaseball]

Starter Jesse Tannehill didn't factor into the decision due to a rather shaky outing, but his bullpen backed him up to pull out Boston's 5 to 4 victory over the Athletics. At the plate, Fred Clarke, Ossee Schreckengost, and Jesse Tannehill each had 2 hits on the day.

[OmahaBaseball]

It took extra innings, but the Americans were able to top the visiting Browns by a 5 to 4 score. Starter Sam Leever's outing was lacking today, as he allowed 4 earned runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in 4 innings of play. The bullpen (a combination of 6 pitches) covered the final 7 innings of scoreless, 2-hit ball to lead the team to victory. Danny Shay and Jesse Hoffmeister each had 2 hits on the day.

[OmahaBaseball]

A rather sloppy defensive game for both teams, which did not help the pitching lines for Lundgren and Garoni, as there was a combined 9 runs scored in the first inning. As in the previous game, Boston's bullepn settled in and covered the final 5 innings of 1-hit scoreless ball. Rabbit Robinson continues to hit the ball well, going 1 for 2 (Double, Run, 2 RBIs) today.

[OmahaBaseball]

The final preseason game was a gem for Johnny Lush, as the rookie lefty tossed 6 scoreless innings of 1-hit ball to lead Boston to a 10 to 0 win over Detroit. Not only was Lush dominate on the mound, he smashed the ball to the tune of a 2 for 3 day (Triple, Run, 3 RBI's, Walk). Bill Lange ended his fine preseason with a 2 for 2 day to bring his batting average to a team-leading .404 mark.

The hard part now is that over the next several days I need to set the big-league roster which will require sending some deserving players back to the minors, and could end up in trades and/or cuts. Let the fun begin...

[OmahaBaseball]

The Boston Americans reached agreement to send centerfielder Orth Collins and an 8th round draft pick to the Philadelphia Athletics in return for first baseman Bob Unglaub and $155 in cash. Both players were selected in the most recent draft by their respective teams; Collins a 4th round selection (60th overall) and Unglaub 2nd round pick (29th overall).

[OmahaBaseball]

With the 1904 regular season beginning tomorrow, the Boston front office found a trading partner for a deal in which 2nd baseman Harry Truby and a 6th round draft pick was sent to the Detroit Tigers in return for 3rd baseman George Moriarty and $510 in cash. While Truby is coming off of an All-Star, Silver Slugger, and MVP season (.358/.416/.521; 6.3 WAR) at the Triple-A level, he is 33-years old and unfortunately there is not an open spot at the major-league level. Getting Moriarty is a low-risk, potentially high-reward situation, given that he is only 18-years old and is currently the 66th ranked prospect; just need him to develop down the right path.

[OmahaBaseball]

A snapshot of which teams added to their overall WAR via trades. The Philadelphia Phillies are the clear winner by adding 7.3 WAR player value, while the Washington Senators gave up 12.0 WAR. The Boston Americans finished 15th out of 16 teams, by giving up a net 2.0 WAR.

[OmahaBaseball]

The top prospect list is out, with the Top-10 shown below. While the Americans were able to place one player on the list (Johnny Lush, #6), it is the St. Louis Browns who dominate with three players (#1, #3, and #8) in the Top-10.

[OmahaBaseball]

The latest player development report is out, with Solly Hoffman getting a little boost to his power and eye rating. I am happy to see Tom Fisher developing better velocity which in turn added to his movement. Rabbit Robinson took a step backwards.

[OmahaBaseball]

Playing better than .500 ball is a must for me, and I really would love to see the team bounce back and challenge for the American League pennant.

[OmahaBaseball]

In posts #954 and #955, I shared what the game thought would happen prior to the start of the preseason. With spring training games now complete, the game has generated updated season predictions. Based on the projections, the Boston Americans are poised for an outstanding season, with a comfortable gap behind the 2nd place New York Highlanders. From the player side, Honus Wagner and Frank Chance look like strong candidates for the AL MVP award, while the battle for the NL Platinum Pitcher will be a fun one to watch.