The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

Thankfully, a far less eventful offseason this time around, with only Leroy Matlock needing a decision. No decision, really, given he was our sole shining light in the pen this year, and we exercise his option.

We lock down Doc Cramer for another year at $5k. We let Mark Koenig and Gordon Slade walk.

Two managerial firings this time around: Frank Browning from the Bees and Ben Beville from the Cards.

Retirements this season include Bill Force, Luther Farrell, Ossie Bluege, Earle Combs, Marty McManus, Pie Traynor, Bob Meusel, Ed Rile and a certain guy by the name of Ruth I’ll cover separately.

[luckymann]

Our AAA Barons missed the playoffs by a game, with their vanquishers Syracuse going on to win their 2nd title.

[luckymann]

A seminal chapter in the game has come to the end as the Babe calls time on his amazing career.

So many hurdles to his replicating what he did IRL that his achievements here are far greater than the comparison belies and it is nice he got to do it all in a Yankees uniform.

The big man leaves the game as its all-time leader in HR with 569, RBI with 2013, walks with 1929 and OBP with .442. He is also 16th in BA, 3rd in SLG, 2nd in OPS, 4th in games played, 10th in AB, 4th in runs scored, 8th in hits, tied for 3rd in TB (unbelievably, with his great rival the Rajah), and 3rd in bWAR. He also won 145 games as a pitcher and racked up 29.6 pWAR.

Vale, big guy, thanks for the memories.

[luckymann]

AL 1937 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1937 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY


Joe DiMaggio makes it back-to-back Wagner-Lajoies, while budding superstar Willard Brown takes the NL award.

Barney Brown also repeats as Johnson-Waddell Medal winner in the AL, while Giants rookie Cliff Melton wins in the NL, also taking the RoY. Browns shortstop Jimmy Brown wins the AL rookie award.

And to cap off one of the oddest coincidences imaginable, Lloyd Brown wins the AL Reliever award, meaning a Brown one every major award this season. Leroy Matlock wins his second straight on the NL.

It's Brownfest, 1937!!

S+ HOME

REPORTS HOME

PIRATES HOME

[luckymann]

Can't believe I nearly missed another near lock for the HoF ending his career, the great Frankie Frisch.

One of just five players in the 3000 Hit Club, the one glaring omission from Frankie's fine resume is a championship ring. Sadly, he spent his entire career at the Cards and Dodgers, who have made the playoffs once between them.

[luckymann]

We just got a fairly clear window into the challenges this franchise will face in the future, a future that will be driven, nay dominated, by the dreaded c-word...

... block your ears, kids...

Compromise.

Our number one need right now is better pitching, with some IF reinforcement right behind that. With one of the best of all time entering the FA market this offseason, there was no way we weren't going to at least try to bring him to Forbes Field.

Our opening gambit with Satchel Paige was a fairly aggressive one, designed to shake the tree or, even better, scare off other prospective suitors. As soon, however, as the Yanks and Tigers - both of whose budgets are more than double ours - entered the fray, we knew we were going to be hard-pressed to stay in the race for his services. Sure enough, by the time the bidding war had barely got going, we were priced out. The same with Joe Cronin.

When I say "priced out", I'm perhaps being a bit disingenuous. Our budget for this year is $500k; our current payroll barely half that. So we could actually have gone wild and acquired one of them without it really putting any pressure on us fiscally. But forking out $40k per for Satchel or $30k per for Joe would have been nothing more than stubborn irresponsibility on my part. Therefore, we walked. In the end, Satchel signs a 6-year / $200k deal with the Yanks, while JoCro ends up at the A's on a 5-year / $133k hook-up.

Still, the matter of our team needs remained. No other FA pitchers grabbed me and there isn't much on offer in the upcoming Draft, especially with us once again having a low pick. Which left trading as our only recourse.

Barney Brown was my preferred option. Sadly, while we were kidding ourselves dilly-dallying around with Satch, the Tribe dealt him to Detroit.

In the end, I "settled" on a player we nearly got via waiver claim a couple years back, dealing away a guy who had worn out my patience and another who was unlikely to see much action at the top level, while also picking up just the sort of backup utility IF we were looking for.


TRADE 1 OF 2 (11/28/37)

P Ted Radcliffe and P Oral Hildebrand traded to Boston (NL) for P Red Ruffing and IF Pep Young.


Ted won 52 games for us, 26 of those in 1936 alone. But, at 35 and with a dreadful season just past, he had no future here past the one remaining year of his contract. While I'll miss having him about as a third catching option, his defence had fallen away noticeably as well and so when he was a name on their list for Red it was a no-brainer.

With the two trades per year house rule in place, we need to make them count. Pep had been on my list for a while and as I mentioned above, Oral wasn't part of our future plans - again, a fairly easy decision. It was a slightly salary-positive deal for us.

Red, in his age-33 season and with three 20-game losing seasons in the last four, is a definite risk. But we've rolled the dice now and I'll have to live with how it plays out. He is a FA at the end of 1938 and his performance for us will determine whether or not his tenure exceeds the single season. Pep will push Billy Jurges down to AAA.

[luckymann]

This year sees seven new Legacies enter the MLB.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1938 season:

Brooklyn Dodgers: Preacher Roe (29.7; 201)
Chicago White Sox: Taffy Wright (16.9; special WW2 dispensation)
Cleveland Indians: Lou Boudreau (63.3; 1560)
New York Giants: Monte Irvin (32.1; special NeL dispensation)
New York Yankees: Joe Gordon (55.8; 1000)
Philadelphia Athletics: Sam Chapman (17.2; special WW2 dispensation)
St. Louis Cardinals: Enos Slaughter (57.8; 1820)

Mort Cooper (32.7; 228) was also eligible for the Cardinals, but Slaughter’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

Max Lanier (30.2; 277) was also eligible for the Cardinals, but Slaughter’s higher WAR makes him the selection.


There are 112 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 5 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1937 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. Cleveland Indians (539)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (526; dice roll)
3. New York Yankees (666)
4. New York Giants (625)
5. Brooklyn Dodgers (405)
6. Philadelphia Athletics (358)
7. Chicago White Sox (558; dice roll)
8. St. Louis Browns (299)
9. Cincinnati Reds (364)
10. Philadelphia Phillies (399)
11. Washington Senators (477)
12. Boston Bees (520)
13. Boston Red Sox (526; dice roll)
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (558; dice roll)
15. Detroit Tigers (578)
16. Chicago Cubs (604)

Rounds 2 thru 5

1. St. Louis Browns (299)
2. Philadelphia Athletics (358)
3. Cincinnati Reds (364)
4. Philadelphia Phillies (399)
5. Brooklyn Dodgers (405)
6. Washington Senators (477)
7. Boston Bees (520)
8. St. Louis Cardinals (526; dice roll)
9. Boston Red Sox (526; dice roll)
10. Cleveland Indians (539)
11. Pittsburgh Pirates (558; dice roll)
12. Chicago White Sox (558; dice roll)
13. Detroit Tigers (578)
14. Chicago Cubs (604)
15. New York Giants (625)
16. New York Yankees (666)


Only the loosest of strategies in place entering this Draft; we’ll assess who’s available when our picks come and deal accordingly. There’s a decent group of unspoken-fors, so we’ll pick up at least one handy type whatever the case.

Here’s who we end up grabbing:

1. P Max Lanier, 22

• We miss our first-choice player by a couple but pick up a nice southpaw prospect in Max.

2. C Mike Tresh, 23

• Ken O’Dea’s disappointing season and the exit of Double Duty have left us a bit thin behind the plate, a situation Mike goes some way to redressing.

3. P Jim Bagby jr, 21

• A longer-term project for Dave Brown.

4. LF Dick West, 22
5. P Max Macon, 22

• Two Scout’s picks for Wilkes-Barre.

A bit of a non-event in the end, but the top two picks make it worthwhile and JBJ may well turn out to be something.

FULL DRAFT LOG

[luckymann]

I usually don't like using both of my trade tickets early, let alone before the season has even started - they are a nice little insurance policy against the unforeseen.

Still, I got a call from the Browns offering Hank Leiber, whose big bat caught my eye early on and has kept catching it with increasing vividness ever since - he mashed 35 taters last season. They didn't want anything we weren't willing to lose, and so the following deal was struck:


TRADE 2 OF 2 (12/20/37)

P Chet Brewer, C Hank Garrity and OF Hub Walker traded to St. Louis (AL) for OF Hank Leiber and minor league P George Gill.


Brewer's metrics deteriorated badly last season, and I was more than happy to part with him and his $16k salary. Walker had been OK for us but was landlocked down at AAA, while Garrity became expendable with the addition of Tresh. Gill's ceiling is AAA. Again, this was a slightly net positive salary flip for us, although there is some risk involved with Hank a FA at the end of next season. We'll have a sit-down at some point and see if we can nut out an extension. He'll be our starting LF with Little Poison relegated to the bench.

On the topic of catchers, we've had a bit of a surprise development with Don Padgett, who used to play the position in the early part of his career but had given it away. He came to me and raised this point with the thought of him perhaps getting more game time with this extra feather in his cap. So he'll certainly see some innings in that capacity, and should O'Dea not lift his game, may even slot into the backup role.

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

[luckymann]

Three in a row for the Yanks, who finish comfortably ahead of the Red Sox then dispatch the Cubs – who sneak past the Bucs thanks to Gabby Hartnett’s famous homer – in four straight. It is the first time a club has achieved a three-peat.

AL CHAMPIONS: New York Yankees (99-53)
NL CHAMPIONS: Chicago Cubs (89-63)
WORLD SERIES: Yankees 4, Cubs 0

AL MVP: Jimmie Foxx (Red Sox)
NL MVP: Ernie Lombardi (Reds)


Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. MEL OTT, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .311 average, 116 runs, 36 home runs, 116 RBIs, 118 walks, .442 on-base percentage.
• Ott’s one-year move to third base not only shored up a Giant weakness, but failed to distract him at the plate—reaching .300, 30 homers, 100 runs, 100 RBIs and 100 walks for the fourth and final time in his career.

2. JOHNNY MIZE, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .337 average, 179 hits, 34 doubles, 16 triples, 27 home runs, 102 RBIs, 74 walks, .614 slugging percentage.
• The Big Cat had his first two of six career three-homer games—seven days apart.

3. JOE MEDWICK, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .322 average, 100 runs, 190 hits, 47 doubles, 8 triples, 21 home runs, 122 RBIs.
• One of baseball’s most ornery men of the moment led the NL both in doubles and RBIs for a third straight season.

4. DOLPH CAMILLI, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .251 average, 106 runs, 25 doubles, 11 triples, 24 home runs, 100 RBIs, 119 walks.
• The Dodgers sent $45,000 and Eddie Morgan to the Phillies for Camilli. For the Phillies’ sake, the $45,000 hopefully was well spent—because Morgan never made it to the majors.

5. IVAL GOODMAN, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .292 average, 103 runs, 27 doubles, 10 triples, 30 home runs, 92 RBIs, 63 walks, 15 hit-by-pitches.
• With Cincinnati’s Crosley Field becoming more of a hitter’s park after years of keeping pitchers happy, Goodman took advantage and became the first Red to hit 30, let alone 20, home runs; he actually led the NL in four-baggers into August before Mel Ott overtook him down the home stretch.

6. JOHNNY RIZZO, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .301 average, 97 runs, 167 hits, 31 doubles, 9 triples, 23 home runs, 111 RBIs.
• The latest in a long line of 1930s rookies who enjoyed the honeymoon before pitchers quickly figured them out, Rizzo became the first player in Pirates history to hit 20 homers.

7. ARKY VAUGHAN, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .322 average, 88 runs, 174 hits, 35 doubles, 5 triples, 7 home runs, 68 RBIs, 104 walks, 14 stolen bases.
• Six did the trick for Vaughan, who batted .406 in the 47 games he was placed in the #6 spot of the batting order; otherwise, he had a relatively mundane .289.

8. STAN HACK, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 152 games, .320 average, 109 runs, 195 hits, 34 doubles, 11 triples, 94 walks, 16 stolen bases, 15 caught stealing.
• To show how lead-footed baseball had become, Hack’s 16 steals set an all-time NL low for a league leader.

9. ERNIE KOY, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .299 average, 29 doubles, 13 triples, 11 home runs, 76 RBIs, 15 stolen bases.
• Stuck in the Yankees’ minor league system because too many stars on the parent team blocked his progress, Koy finally found major league freedom at Brooklyn as a 29-year-old rookie.

10. FRANK MCCORMICK, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: .327 average, 640 at-bats, 89 runs, 209 hits, 40 doubles, 5 home runs, 106 RBIs.
• One way or another, the Reds’ breakout first baseman was going to make contact with the ball—walking just 17 times and striking out 18 over 671 plate appearances. He was one of the primary reasons the Reds finished over the .500 mark for the first time in 10 years.

AL Hitters

1. JIMMIE FOXX, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .349 average, 139 runs, 197 hits, 33 doubles, 9 triples, 50 home runs, 175 RBIs, 119 walks, .462 on-base percentage, .704 slugging percentage.
• Foxx had a full season’s worth of stats at Fenway Park alone, with 35 homers and 104 RBIs—but also showed that he wasn’t all downtown by winning his third batting title.

2. HANK GREENBERG, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: .315 average, 143 runs, 175 hits, 58 home runs, 146 RBIs, 119 walks, 15 intentional walks.
• Foxx was robbed of a second triple crown thanks to Greenberg and his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s season home run record; 39 of Greenberg’s blasts were hit at Tiger Stadium, and he had 11 multi-homer games overall.

3. JOE DIMAGGIO, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .324 average, 129 runs, 194 hits, 32 doubles, 13 triples, 32 home runs, 140 RBIs.
• Missing nearly the first two weeks of the season due to his fabled contract holdout, DiMaggio ended up justifying his fight for a raise.

4. HARLOND CLIFT, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .290 average, 119 runs, 25 doubles, 7 triples, 34 home runs, 118 RBIs, 118 walks, 10 stolen bases.
• The Oklahoma native hit his career peak and especially came alive after the All-Star Break with 23 of his 34 homers—including 15 in August alone.

5. JEFF HEATH, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .343 average, 104 runs, 172 hits, 31 doubles, 18 triples, 21 home runs, 112 RBIs.
• The 22-year-old rookie kept Jimmie Foxx sweating to the end in the batting race, collecting 19 hits over his final 43 at-bats to finish a close second.

6. CHARLIE GEHRINGER, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: .306 average, 133 runs, 174 hits, 32 doubles, 5 triples, 20 home runs, 107 RBIs, 113 walks, 14 stolen bases.
• The Mechanical Man played his last All-Star Game at age 35; he was the only player to see action in each of the first six Midsummer Classics.

7. BOB JOHNSON, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 114 runs, 176 hits, 27 doubles, 9 triples, 30 home runs, 113 RBIs, 87 walks.
• The underrated Johnson showed he was more than just power by putting together a career-high 26-game hitting streak in midsummer.

8. RUDY YORK, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 135 games, .298 average, 85 runs, 27 doubles, 33 home runs, 127 RBIs, 92 walks.
• As if the Tigers didn’t need another hammer in their lineup, along came York, the burly slugger who powered on a year after smacking 35 taters over 375 at-bats.

9. LOU GEHRIG, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 157 games, .295 average, 115 runs, 170 hits, 32 doubles, 6 triples, 29 home runs, 114 RBIs, 107 walks.
• Though slipping in overall productivity—a symptom perhaps related to the tragic events that lay ahead—Gehrig still managed to score and knock in 100 runs each for the 13th straight year.

10. BILL DICKEY, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 132 games, .313 average, 84 runs, 27 doubles, 27 home runs, 115 RBIs, 75 walks.
• The Hall-of-Fame catcher belted 23 of his 27 homers and knocked in 84 of his 116 RBIs at Yankee Stadium.

NL Pitchers

1. BILL LEE, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.66 ERA, 22 wins, 9 losses, .710 win percentage, 44 appearances, 37 starts, 19 complete games, 9 shutouts, 291 innings.
• Four of Bill Lee’s NL-high nine shutouts came consecutively and, along with the majors’ two longest consecutive scoreless inning streaks (39 and 35.1) on the year, helped secure his only NL ERA title.

2. DANNY MACFAYDEN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.95 ERA, 14 wins, 9 losses, 19 complete games, 5 shutouts, 219.2 innings.
• After spending the bulk of his career solely using a fastball that seldom got his ERA below 5.00, MacFayden wrapped up his third straight year south of 3.00 thanks to a more successful mix of deliveries.

3. RUSS BAUERS, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 3.07 ERA, 13 wins, 14 losses, 40 appearances, 34 starts, 243 innings, 29 grounded into double plays.
• The tall southpaw had a second straight solid campaign despite a lack of support, but it would all fall apart for him over the next couple of seasons due to a series of unfortunate events off the field that revealed a certain clumsiness about him.

4. CLAY BRYANT, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.10 ERA, 19 wins, 11 losses, 44 appearances, 30 starts, 270.1 innings, 125 walks, 19 intentional walks, 135 strikeouts.
• The closest thing to a NL version of Bob Feller, Bryant performed a September surge (6-1, 1.97 ERA in eight starts) that helped lift the Cubs to the pennant as much as Gabby Hartnett’s dusk-time homer.

5. PAUL DERRINGER, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 2.93 ERA, 21 wins, 14 losses, 41 appearances, 37 starts, 26 complete games, 307 innings, 49 walks.
• Derringer clicked into his peak years with a workhorse effort that yielded a second 20-win campaign.

6. FREDDIE FITZSIMMONS, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 3.02 ERA, 11 wins, 8 losses, 202.2 innings, 43 walks.
• Following in the footsteps of Rube Marquard over two decades earlier, the 37-year-old Fitzsimmons moved from tireless times with the Giants to a less oft-used yet more effective existence across town in Brooklyn.

7. BOB KLINGER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.99 ERA, 12 wins, 5 losses, .706 win percentage, 159.1 innings.
• Having escaped from the Cardinals’ voluminous minor league system, Klinger got his major league break at 29 and excelled for the Bucs.

8. CHARLIE ROOT, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.86 ERA, 8 wins, 7 losses, 8 saves, 44 appearances, 11 starts, 160.2 innings, 30 walks.
• When it came time to go to the bullpen in Chicago, the reliever of choice was the 39-year-old former ace, who pitched better than ever.

9. JIM TURNER, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 3.46 ERA, 14 wins, 19 losses, 35 appearances, 34 starts, 22 complete games, 268 innings, 54 walks.
• Turner’s follow-up to his terrific major league debut of a year earlier encountered less luck as he was infrequently supported; giving up a NL-high 21 home runs didn’t help.

10. JOHNNY VANDER MEER, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 3.12 ERA, 15 wins, 10 losses, 225.1 innings.
• Besides his two straight no-hitters, Vander Meer also won the All-Star Game for the NL.

AL Pitchers

1. LEFTY GOMEZ, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.35 ERA, 18 wins, 12 losses, 20 complete games, 4 shutouts, 239 innings, 30 grounded into double plays.
• Lefty didn’t commandeer the marquee statistical categories, but he got the critical outs when he needed to in order to reach the top of this chart.

2. RED RUFFING, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 3.31 ERA, 21 wins, 7 losses, 22 complete games, .750 win percentage, 247.1 innings.
• First there was Three Finger Brown, and then there was One Toe Red Ruffing, making it work for the Yankees despite his handicap brought on by a mining accident in another life.

3. LEFTY GROVE, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 3.08 ERA, 14 wins, 4 losses, .778 win percentage, 24 appearances, 21 starts.
• Like Jimmie Foxx above, home would be a good thing for Grove, who won his last eight straight decisions at Fenway Park as part of a 20-game home streak that would last three years; an arm injury while fielding a bunt in July shortened his season.

4. MEL HARDER, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 3.83 ERA, 17 wins, 10 losses, 4 saves, 38 appearances, 29 starts, 240 innings.
• The veteran hurler won the same number of games as supersonic teammate Bob Feller with less than half the strikeouts—but also less than a third of the walks.

5. THORNTON LEE, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 3.49 ERA, 13 wins, 12 losses, 18 complete games, 245.1 innings, 26 grounded into double plays.
• The big left-hander was unfairly starting to earn a reputation as a .500 pitcher and nothing more.

6. DUTCH LEONARD, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 3.43 ERA, 12 wins, 15 losses, 223.1 innings, 53 walks, 11 wild pitches.
• The knuckleballer had to wonder how he could have had a worse record and far better ERA than veteran teammate Wes Ferrell (13-8, 5.92 ERA).

7. BOB FELLER, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 4.08 ERA, 17 wins, 11 losses, 39 appearances, 36 starts, 20 complete games, 277.2 innings, 208 walks, 240 strikeouts.
• In his second full season, the 19-year-old Feller became the first pitcher to walk 200 batters, but made up as opponents hit an AL-low .220 against him.

8. SPUD CHANDLER, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 4.03 ERA, 14 wins, 5 losses, .737 win percentage, 172 innings.
• A modest full-time debut for the guy who’d go onto a career 109-43 record; a sore arm ended his season early in September.

9. BOBO NEWSOM, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 5.08 ERA, 20 wins, 16 losses, 44 appearances, 40 starts, 31 complete games, 329.2 innings, 192 walks, 226 strikeouts.
• After finishing 16-20 in his previous one full year with the Browns, Newsom reversed the record in 1938—despite an ERA that was a full run higher. His 192 walks would have also broken the AL record had Bob Feller not conceded even more passes.

10. GEORGE CASTER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 4.35 ERA, 16 wins, 20 losses, 42 appearances, 40 starts, 20 complete games, 281.1 innings.
• The recipient of this year’s baseball’s Purple Heart goes to the righty who was given the ball often and tolerate a bad A’s team; this, on the heels of a 19-loss campaign the year before, and another two years down the line.

[luckymann]

Yankees owner Mike Meek passes away, with control of the club passing to his son, Mike jr.

The Tigers lose offseason recruit Barney Brown for a couple of months in ST.

The Tigers and Yanks make some huge moves to try and reassert their superiority in the AL, only for the A’s to counter with the Cronin signing. Not sure what’s going on with the Red Sox, who let Satchel walk and then trade away Hilton Smith as well.

Here are the big signings and switches:

• P Satchel Paige: Yankees, 6 years / $201200
• Joe Cronin: Athletics, 5 years / $133000
• P Johnny Allen: Tigers, 5 years / $122000
• C Clarence Palm: Giants, 5 years / $114800
• OF Bruce Campbell: Cardinals, 4 years / $100000
• P Bill Walker: Yankees, 4 years / $96000
• 2B Lyn Lary: Dodgers, 4 years / $92800
• SS Red Kress: Senators, 3 years / $66000
• P Leon Day: Athletics, 4 years / $58700 (extension)
• P Lefty Grove: Yankees, 2 years / $56400
• C Gabby Hartnett: Reds, 2 years / $45200

• C Harry Danning and 2B Al Cuccinello from Bees to Cubs for P Bob Weiland and C Tommy Heath
• SS Leo Norris and 2B Dick Culler from Browns to Indians for OF Jesse Hill
• P Barney Brown from Indians to Tigers for OF Buster Mills and P Al Milnar
• P Hilton Smith from Red Sox to Dodgers for OF Dixie Walker and P Eddie Smith
• P Archie Campbell, 2B Jimmy Bloodworth and C Ben Huffman from Bees to Athletics for OF Vince DiMaggio
• P Hal Smith and 1B Les Scarsella from Bees to Giants for 2B Stu Martin

ALL TRANSACTIONS


We look strong in ST, going 14-4, but lose Neck Stanley for the first month of the season with a shoulder strain.

The pundits believe we’ll bounce back to win 100+ and take back the division; I’m not so sure about that, for reasons I’ll explain in my OD post. We do agree, however, that the Yanks are the team to beat this season – BNN has pegged them for 107 wins.

FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

[luckymann]

Our team page can be accessed HERE.

While I am pleased with the offseason moves we have made, and think our starting lineup is the match of any others, we have regressed a fair bit in the depth department and once again find ourselves left extremely vulnerable should any of our main position players go down—even more so with my having used both of our trades. So this will be the real crux of how we go this season: if we are fortunate enough to keep everyone healthy for the most part, then all good; if not, we’ll struggle. I’ll be keeping a very close eye on the Waiver Wire and also looking to make some minor league FA deals to see if we can bolster this situation a bit.

We enter the season with the 3rd-highest payroll ($265k) and smallest budget ($500k).

Our Opening Day squad will look like this:

Catchers

• C Josh Gibson (R)
• C Ken O’Dea (L)

As mentioned earlier, Don Padgett will also see a bit of time here, more so if O’Dea doesn’t get it together.


Infielders

• 1B Jimmie Foxx (R)
• 2B Ray Dandridge (R)
• 3B Martin Dihigo (R)
• SS Arky Vaughan (R)

• Don Padgett (L)
• Pep Young (R)
• Frenchy Bordagaray (R)
• Billy Jurges (R)

Bordagary was a really nice WW get last year and he also covers all three OF slots.


Outfielders

• LF Hank Leiber (R)
• CF Wild Bill Wright (S)
• RF Paul Waner (L)

• Lloyd Waner (L)
• Doc Cramer (L)

We lost Myril Hoag on waivers, although he hadn’t come back at all well from his injury last year. The larder is fairly bare at AAA.

Rotation

1. RHP Paul Derringer
2. RHP Ray Brown
3. RHP Red Ruffing
4. RHP Bill Lee

Bullpen

• LHP Leroy Matlock (ST)
• LHP Clyde Shoun (MR)
• RHP Bud Tinning (MR)
• RHP Hugh Casey (LR)
• RHP Jim Tobin (LR)
• LHP Neck Stanley (LR) will most likely replace Casey when he returns from the IL.

Key that we get this department back on track. Tobin will be the first called up to the rotation if needed. A few decent prospects in the wings to be deployed as well.

[luckymann]

A nice start to the 1938 season for veteran Tiger Charlie Gehringer.

[luckymann]

As you'll see from the end of May update, things have been... let's say... interesting for us in the early going.

XX has been monumental just when we needed him to be, as this game clearly shows.




UPDATE: Amazingly, he does it again later that month!

[Makonnen]

Nice to see Leon Day in the WS. Some very respected sources would put him as the #2 all time NeL pitcher behind Satchel--I don't think he gets that recognition more widely, but I think it's pretty warranted.

I'm enjoying following the rebuild more than the constant string of WS wins!

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by Makonnen

Nice to see Leon Day in the WS. Some very respected sources would put him as the #2 all time NeL pitcher behind Satchel--I don't think he gets that recognition more widely, but I think it's pretty warranted.

I'm enjoying following the rebuild more than the constant string of WS wins!

Agreed, I'd put him at 2 or 3 behind only Satch and maybe Bill Foster. He's set for a big career in this save if all goes to plan.

Yeah, look, I am very much aware of how boring it can get in a save being reported like this with win after win and take great pains to continually make it harder to do so.

I could easily have signed Satchel without it jeopardising our finances in any way, but want to start adopting the penurious stance we'll need to moving forward, being a smaller club. The budget I've allocated us of $500k is actually cut down from the $1.1m the Owner allotted. The house rules can't get any tighter. I constantly wind back our Fan Interest and have set our finances really tight in the editor, as you can see from this screenshot.

From the start, this save was always designed with a number of specific goals. From the moment I decided to integrate, showcasing the NeL players in an MLB environment was the main focus, something that - as you well know - I have worked extremely hard on and will continue to until they have all been and gone. After that, so by 1950 or thereabouts, by which time the financials will well and truly have caught up with us, it will be all about trying to achieve and maintain success as a small-market, financially challenged club.

All the while I will keep tinkering with things to make it enjoyable and challenging for me, and therefore continually interesting for those following along on here.

My plan is to step back fairly soon and just GM for a bit, probably throughout the 1940s, cut back the reporting to every second month during that period for the purpose of speeding things up through the war years. I'll see how GM-only goes and choose the path forward on that basis - either stay in that singular role or return to complete control.

I was so happy that the Reds finally made it back to the playoffs last season, and even happier that they look to be handling their player management better of late. A big test will be when Willard Brown - a franchise player if ever there was one - is up for FA in a few years. The one thing I refuse to do is interfere with other clubs' roster management choices directly. For the first time, their budget this season actually jumped substantially without my involvement, so hopefully that's a sign of things to come.

Now I just need the Tribe and Brooky to come around. Not a playoff appearance between them to this point. But, then again, that's kind of how it was IRL - even though they did better historically than they have so far here.

We're all up against it now, however, with this Yankees lineup to be dealt with. Yikes!

[luckymann]

The all-time leader is Walter Johnson with 76.

[luckymann]

This AL battle between the A's and Yanks - two absolute monster teams - looks set to be one of the best of all-time. Each is replete to the gunnels with talent and have started the year white-hot. Case in point, this day out at the park by Philly OF Bob Johnson.

[luckymann]

Age-38 Lefty Grove becomes just the seventh member of the 300-win club, in a game that seems him injured before it is through. Let's hope it's nothing too serious. A reminder that he finished his IRL career right on this number, although in this save he has lost 209 vs 141 historically and his ERA is 42 points higher.

Bill Foster and Satch should be the next two to join them; not many others on the horizon, though.




UPDATE: Grove will miss most of what's left of the season after being diagnosed with bone spurs in his elbow and given a recovery timeframe of three months. A huge blow to him and the Yanks.