The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

Chicago Cubs (99-55) v Boston Red Sox (91-63)
Best-of-seven, Red Sox with the home-field advantage.


CHICAGO CUBS S+ PAGE

BOSTON RED SOX S+ PAGE

And so we get a rematch of last year, albeit one under markedly different circumstances, if not entirely reversed. For this year it is the Cubbies who go into the Series as prohibitive favourites, and rightly so. They dominated the NL this year and really don't have a weakness in the squad, especially now that they've got last season's experience at this time of year under their belts. None of their four SP being used here lost more than 9 games, which I think is the best thing they have going for them.

Still, the Red Sox are defending Champs and can mix it with any side in this league, especially on offence. They won handily a year ago without Williams having his usual influence (just 2 ribbies despite hitting 357), and you'd have to think the odds of that happening again are long. The pitching is sneaky good, too, led by Max Lanier and with Satchel Paige in a rotation you know you'll have to earn your wins.

I do think Chicago will get the prize, but it will be a hard-fought win in seven as I see it.

[luckymann]

Biggest Delta Between Times on Base and Runs Scored

[luckymann]

Game 1 in Boston

Dizzy Trout (12-11, 4.01) v Johnny Schmitz (19-3, 2.50)

First blood to the hosts and a massive wake-up call to the Cubs as the Sox control this one throughout and eventually lock down a fairly routine win. Trout is masterful over 6+, allowing just an unearned run, while Schmitz discovers the difference between regular- and post-season success is a mile wide.

Game 2 in Boston

Max Lanier (21-8, 2.76) v Spud Chandler (18-6, 3.20)

Red Sox lead series 1-0

The sign of a good side is one that can bounce back from losses quickly and emphatically, which is what the Baby Bears do here to square things up heading back to ChiTown. The underrated Chandler pitches a beauty, while the bats come alive to give him more than enough runs to play with.

Game 3 in Chicago

Claude Passeau (11-4, 3.01) v Tex Hughson (13-14, 3.16)

Series tied 1-1

The seesawing continues as the Sox dominate Game 3 behind a masterful 5-hit shutout by Hughson. Williams has 3 hits and 4 ribbies in an ominous display that would have Cubs fans feeling more than a tad squeamish right about now.

Game 4 in Chicago

Hank Wyse (13-9, 3.42) v Satchel Paige (13-9, 2.75)

Red Sox lead series 2-1

The Cubs have to dig deeper than they ever have before to get past the wily Satchel Paige in an absolute ripper Game 4. The two sides exchange 3-spots in the 4th and singles in the 7th, but in the end it is the run they post in the 1st that proves the difference. Game. On.

Game 5 in Chicago

Johnny Schmitz (0-1, 8.53) v Dizzy Trout (1-0, 0.00)

Series tied 2-2

A grinding win to the Sox puts them within a win of going back-to-back as Trout hangs tough despite issuing 5 walks. The Cubs are left to rue some missed opportunities over the late innings and now need to win both at Fenway, a daunting task indeed.

Game 6 in Boston

Max Lanier (21-8, 2.76) v Spud Chandler (18-6, 3.20)

Red Sox lead series 3-2

The Sox only need one shot to wrap up the club's 5th Championship and put them level with their arch nemisis from the Bronx. This is another nip-and-tuck affair that is decided by the huge bat of Ted Williams, who belts a 2-run blast in the 3rd and is eventually named MVP. No disgrace for the Cubs but still a whole world of disappointment as they go toe-to-toe with the Sox but come up short yet again.

BOSTON WINS SERIES 4-2

SERIES MVP: Ted Williams (Boston)

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[luckymann]

The Austin Senators take their third AAA title with a gripping win in five over the Syracuse Chiefs.

[luckymann]

A fair dose of carnage among my fellow managers, with John Donaldson (Indians), Parson Perryman (Yankees), Moxie Manuel (Browns), Kent Greenfield (Dodgers) and Bobby Schang (Braves) all out of work.

Retirements of note include Hal Schumacher, Dizzy Dean, Joe Cronin, Cookie Lavagetto, Lonny Frey, Cy Blanton, Bill Dickey (who gets his #8 retired by the Yanks, as IRL), Mel Harder and Ed Brandt, along with a couple others I’ll give separate billing to.

We non-tender Wally Judnich and send pitchers Phil Marchildon and Red Lynn to arbitration. Ray Dandridge is allowed to walk. With just $450k from the boss for next year we’re gonna need to watch every penny.

[luckymann]

Not too many of the NeLers left now - just 21 to be precise including the "Hybrids" Campy, Monte Irvin, Larry Doby and of course Jackie - and we lose four this year including two mighty pitchers.

Between them, Ray Brown and Roosevelt "Rosey" Davis racked up 623 wins and 7 Johnson-Waddell Medals, along with 7 World Series rings and a combined pWAR in excess of 200. Ray was clearly the more dominant of the two, with Rosey another NeL pitcher who enjoyed a long and sustained run, playing 21 seasons. Each should have no problems earning a place at C-Town.

[luckymann]

AL 1945 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1945 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY


First-time winners abound this year - Willard Brown and Max Lanier are the only previous recipients among the major awards - with Sam Bankhead (NL Wagner-Lajoie), Ewell Blackwell (NL Johnson-Waddell), and relievers Nick Strincevich and Dick Mauney earning gongs, and RoYs going to Hoot Evers and Jackie Robinson.


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[luckymann]

With no money available at the moment for FA signings we are forced to get creative. This is by no means a trade I like doing but we need to bulk up our pitching and there's very little on offer in the upcoming Rookie Draft. So it is a necessity more than anything else and the best we can summon up in the circumstances.

While Sam was our best position player, he was also one of our most expensive and - most importantly of all - the only one at the top of our payroll that other clubs were interested in. Jimmy Grant was great for us last year but with Arky dropping off the cliff we need a shortstop (two, actually) and with Benny Zientara at AAA ready to fill his 2B slot he was dispesible as well. Sibby gives us some good backup around the IF and at 25 should have both upside and longevity going for him.

Same goes for Bill Bevens, with both pitchers acquired having some TC years left. That should buy us some time, if nothing else.

[luckymann]

Well the dearth of Legacy activity over the war years is quickly compensated for here with eight coming through including our first since Bob Elliott in ’39.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1946 season:

Boston Red Sox: Ellis Kinder (28.9; 365)
Brooklyn Dodgers: Carl Furillo (34.6; 1806 – one-club player)
Chicago White Sox: Sherm Lollar (30.1; 1358)
Cleveland Indians: Dale Mitchell (19.6; 1108 – conceded)
New York Giants: Bobby Thomson (33.8; 1135)
New York Yankees: Yogi Berra (59.4; 2116 – one-club player (conceded))
Philadelphia Phillies: Del Ennis (30.1; 1630)
Pittsburgh Pirates: Ralph Kiner (48.1; 1095)

There are 108 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 6 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1945 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. New York Yankees (533)
2. Pittsburgh Pirates (532)
3. Brooklyn Dodgers (565; dice roll)
4. New York Giants (513)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (299)
6. Chicago White Sox (477)
7. Boston Red Sox (461)
8. Cleveland Indians (503)
9. Philadelphia Athletics (347)
10. Cincinnati Reds (396)
11. Boston Braves (441)
12. St. Louis Browns (536)
13. Washington Senators (565; dice roll)
14. Detroit Tigers (575)
15. St. Louis Cardinals (617)
16. Chicago Cubs (636)


Rounds 2 thru 6

1. Philadelphia Phillies (299)
2. Philadelphia Athletics (347)
3. Cincinnati Reds (396)
4. Boston Braves (441)
5. Boston Red Sox (461)
6. Chicago White Sox (477)
7. Cleveland Indians (503)
8. New York Giants (513)
9. Pittsburgh Pirates (532)
10. New York Yankees (533)
11. St. Louis Browns (536)
12. Brooklyn Dodgers (565; dice roll)
13. Washington Senators (565; dice roll)
14. Detroit Tigers (575)
15. St. Louis Cardinals (617)
16. Chicago Cubs (636)


With no selection agency until pick 25, we fully expect this Draft to be a stockpiling mission mainly of young arms, followed by AAA filler.

Here are our new additions:
1. OF Ralph Kiner, 23

• Thus why Jethroe became trade fodder. Big bat, little glove but a great add for us.

2. P Russ Meyer, 22
3. P Monte Kennedy, 23

Two who project to be handy enough types a few years hence.

4. P Walter Wilson, 31
5. P Harry Taylor, 26
6. C Bob Brady, 23
7. IF Cecil Garriott, 29

Pretty much played out as we expected.

FULL DRAFT LOG

[luckymann]

Three legends of the game get their plaque this year, all first-rounders.

[luckymann]

The game welcomes its heroes back from service with a drama-filled season as it takes the first-ever tiebreaker to separate the Dodgers and Cards after they finish tied thru 154. The Cards get past the proto-Boys of Summer in three, then knock off the Red Sox for another Championship in a World Series that goes the distance and is best-remembered for Country Slaughter’s dash and Johnny Pesky’s double-pump.

AL CHAMPIONS: Boston Red Sox (104-50)
NL CHAMPIONS: St. Louis Cardinals (98-58)
WORLD SERIES: Cardinals 4, Red Sox 3

AL MVP: Ted Williams (Red Sox)
NL MVP: Stan Musial (Cardinals)


Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. STAN MUSIAL, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .365 average, 624 at-bats, 124 runs, 228 hits, 50 doubles, 20 triples, 16 home runs, 103 RBIs, 73 walks, .587 slugging percentage.
• For now, home runs were a luxury for Musial; he led the NL in singles, doubles and triples.

2. ENOS SLAUGHTER, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 156 games, .300 average, 100 runs, 183 hits, 30 doubles, 8 triples, 18 home runs, 130 RBIs, 69 walks.
• Slaughter’s famed “mad dash” in the World Series wasn’t the only time he created anxieties for opponents; he led the NL in reaching base on error (16), which could be read as a measure of fielders feeling more rushed to make a play.

3. DIXIE WALKER, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .319 average, 80 runs, 184 hits, 29 doubles, 9 triples, 9 home runs, 116 RBIs, 67 walks, 19 intentional walks, 14 stolen bases.
• In the year before Jackie Robinson disrupted his Southern-bred comfort zone, Walker was hitting as high as .382 in early August before slumping down the stretch, possibly costing the Dodgers a pennant in the process. It was also the second straight year he knocked in well over 100 runs on less than 10 home runs.

4. JOHNNY MIZE, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 101 games, .337 average, 70 runs, 22 home runs, 70 RBIs, 62 walks.
• A broken hand suffered in a midseason exhibition game against the Yankees shortened a potential MVP season; without him in the lineup, the Giants went 15-42 and finished last for the first time in a non-wartime season since 1915.

5. WHITEY KUROWSKI, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .301 average, 32 doubles, 5 triples, 14 home runs, 89 RBIs, 72 walks.
• The third baseman showed he was no wartime fluke by maintaining his level of play against superior competition.

6. PHIL CAVARRETTA, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 139 games, .294 average, 89 runs, 28 doubles, 10 triples, 8 home runs, 78 RBIs, 88 walks.
• His career having peaked during the war, Cavarretta continued to put up solid numbers as he hit age 30.

7. PETE REISER, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 127 games, .277 average, 75 runs, 21 doubles, 5 triples, 11 home runs, 73 RBIs, 34 stolen bases.
• After three years serving in the Army, Reiser resumed his hazardous baseball life in the outfield trenches and, for the most part, survived without major injury.

8. DEL ENNIS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 30 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 73 RBIs.
• A year before the Baseball Writers’ Association of America began picking the Rookie of the Year, The Sporting News initiated their own first-year honor by selecting the 21-year-old Ennis, who hit a career-high .313.

9. TOMMY HOLMES, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .310 average, 80 runs, 176 hits, 35 doubles, 6 triples, 6 home runs, 79 RBIs.
• The reigning NL MVP hit well with the star players back, but his home run production shriveled from 28 to a mere six—including just two at Braves Field.

10. JOHNNY HOPP, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 129 games, .333 average, 23 doubles, 8 triples, 21 stolen bases.
• Traded to the Braves to make room for Enos Slaughter and Stan Musial back in St. Louis, Hopp ran his average up to .380 by mid-summer before, like Dixie Walker above, slumping late.

AL Hitters

1. TED WILLIAMS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .342 average, 142 runs, 176 hits, 37 doubles, 8 triples, 38 home runs, 123 RBIs, 156 walks, 29 intentional walks, .497 on-base percentage, .667 slugging percentage.
• Williams overcame desperate defensive shifts and contentious voters to pick up his first (and long overdue) MVP—and he still barely edged out the #2, Detroit pitcher Hal Newhouser.

2. HANK GREENBERG, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: .277 average, 91 runs, 29 doubles, 5 triples, 44 home runs, 127 RBIs, 80 walks.
• In his last year at Detroit, Greenberg paced the majors in homers—but also became the first AL player to park 40 over the fence while hitting under .300.

3. CHARLIE KELLER, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .275 average, 98 runs, 29 doubles, 10 triples, 30 home runs, 101 RBIs, 113 walks, 101 strikeouts.
• Keller cleared the triple-double—at least 10 doubles, triples and homers each—while surpassing 100 in RBIs, walks and strikeouts.

4. MICKEY VERNON, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .353 average, 88 runs, 207 hits, 51 doubles, 8 triples, 8 home runs, 85 RBIs, 14 stolen bases.
• Vernon never got to .300 during the 1940s—except in 1946 with an eye-popping burst of hitting that won him the AL batting title.

5. JOE DIMAGGIO, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 132 games, .290 average, 81 runs, 20 doubles, 8 triples, 25 home runs, 95 RBIs.
• A muted return to major league life for Joltin’ Joe, who struggled with a slow start and injuries before becoming the familiar DiMaggio of old late in the year; he finished below the .300 mark for only one of two times in his career.

6. BOBBY DOERR, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .271 average, 95 runs, 34 doubles, 9 triples, 18 home runs, 116 RBIs, 66 walks.
• Doerr happily reclaimed his pre-war role as Ted Williams’ faithful sidekick in Boston.

7. RUDY YORK, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .276 average, 78 runs, 160 hits, 30 doubles, 6 triples, 17 home runs, 119 RBIs, 86 walks.
• Ten of York’s 119 RBIs came in one game—making him the only American Leaguer to knock in at least 10 during a 1940s contest.

8. JOHNNY PESKY, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .335 average, 621 at-bats, 115 runs, 208 hits, 43 doubles, 65 walks.
• In his second major league season—four years after his first—Pesky put up a virtual carbon copy of his set of rookie numbers.

9. STAN SPENCE, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .292 average, 83 runs, 169 hits, 50 doubles, 10 triples, 16 home runs, 87 RBIs, 62 walks.
• Spence continued to be the Senators’ version of a slugger, though only two of his 16 homers came at Griffith Stadium; he would be the only member of the team from 1942-48 to clear 10 in any year.

10. JEFF HEATH, WASHINGTON-ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 134 games, .278 average, 32 doubles, 7 triples, 16 home runs, 84 RBIs, 73 walks.
• The veteran outfielder might have joined Spence in Washington’s double-digit club had he played out the entire season there; he had four homers in 48 games for the Senators before his trade to the Browns.

NL Pitchers

1. JOHNNY SAIN, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.21 ERA, 20 wins, 14 losses, 37 appearances, 34 starts, 24 complete games, 265 innings.
• Sain, who would tutor a bunch of future pitchers into 20-game winners, was his own first student.

2. HOWIE POLLET, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 2.10 ERA, 21 wins, 10 losses, .677 win percentage, 5 saves, 40 appearances, 32 starts, 22 complete games, 266 innings.
• When last seen on the mound, Pollet was on his way to the 1943 NL ERA crown—before the military grabbed him; three years later, he got to finish the job.

3. HARRY BRECHEEN, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 2.49 ERA, 15 wins, 15 losses, 36 appearances, 30 starts, 5 shutouts, 231.1 innings.
• The wins came much harder for Brecheen, all because the Cardinals—who led the NL in runs scored—tallied no more than twice in 10 of his losses.

4. JOHNNY SCHMITZ, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.61 ERA, 11 wins, 11 losses, 41 appearances, 31 starts, 224.1 innings, 135 strikeouts.
• His younger years on the diamond canceled out by the war, Schmitz made for an impressive first full year and led the NL in strikeouts—though Bob Feller, his AL counterpart passed up his eventual season total on June 12.

5. MURRY DICKSON, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: 2.88 ERA, 15 wins, 6 losses, .714 win percentage, 47 appearances, 19 starts.
• The future hard-luck loser for the Pirates enjoyed a rare taste of the winning life, easily posting his highest win percentage of his career.

6. EWELL BLACKWELL, CINCINNATI

• Key Numbers: 2.45 ERA, 9 wins, 13 losses, 33 appearances, 25 starts, 5 shutouts, 194.1 innings.
• And talk about hard luck; the 23-year-old rookie had to scratch and claw for his precious few wins, with five of them by shutout.

7. KIRBY HIGBE, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: 3.03 ERA, 17 wins, 8 losses, .680 win percentage, 42 appearances, 29 starts, 210.2 innings, 107 walks, 6 wild pitches.
• After a two-year layoff, rust wasn’t much of a factor for the veteran right-hander as he didn’t lose his first game until July 5.

8. SCHOOLBOY ROWE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.12 ERA, 11 wins, 4 losses, 16 starts, 136 innings, 21 walks.
• A groin injury prematurely spelled an end to a terrific comeback effort for the 36-year old, missing the season’s final two months.

9. HANK WYSE, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.68 ERA, 14 wins, 12 losses, 40 appearances, 27 starts, 201.1 innings, 52 walks.
• The 22-game winner of a year earlier posted the same exact ERA but collected eight less victories.

10. FRITZ OSTERMUELLER, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.84 ERA, 13 wins, 10 losses, 25 starts, 193.1 innings.
• Likely relieved for a different reason that war was over, the guy with a very German name did his best to salvage a poor Pirates ballclub at age 38.

AL Pitchers

1. HAL NEWHOUSER, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 1.94 ERA, 26 wins, 9 losses, .743 win percentage, 37 appearances, 34 starts, 29 complete games, 292.2 innings, 275 strikeouts.
• Newhouser proved that his wartime stats were no fluke and neutralized the best of the best—with only Williams getting in his way of an unprecedented third straight MVP.

2. BOB FELLER, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.18 ERA, 26 wins, 15 losses, 4 saves, 48 appearances, 42 starts, 36 complete games, 10 shutouts, 371.1 innings, 153 walks, 348 strikeouts.
• Feller’s 36 complete games were the most since the deadball era; his 348 strikeouts were thought to be one more than Rube Waddell’s 1904 record, until historians later ramped Waddell back ahead by one. Besides throwing his second career no-hitter, Feller also tossed two one-hitters.

3. SPUD CHANDLER, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.10 ERA, 20 wins, 8 losses, 32 starts, 257.1 innings, 36 grounded into double plays.
• Amid a year very comparable to his stifling 1943 campaign, Chandler won his final three starts—two by shutout—to clinch his second career 20-win ledger.

4. TEX HUGHSON, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.75 ERA, 20 wins, 11 losses, 39 appearances, 35 starts, 278 innings, 51 walks.
• Echoing Chandler, Hughson also won his last three starts to compile his second 20-win record.

5. BILL BEVENS, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.23 ERA, 16 wins, 13 losses, 31 starts, 249.2 innings.
• Bevens’ brief and wild career peaked mostly because he kept his control in check.

6. DIZZY TROUT, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 2.34 ERA, 17 wins, 13 losses, 38 appearances, 32 starts, 23 complete games, 5 shutouts, 276.1 innings, 30 grounded into double plays.
• After sticking around through the war, Trout skipped nary a beat against enhanced postwar competition.

7. BOO FERRISS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 3.25 ERA, 25 wins, 6 losses, .806 win percentage, 40 appearances 35 starts, 26 complete games, 274 innings.
• Boo didn’t scare a lot of opponents as, despite that record and ERA, he led the AL in runs allowed; it didn’t hurt that the Red Sox gave him over six runs of support per start.

8. BOBO NEWSOM, PHILADELPHIA-WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 2.93 ERA, 14 wins, 13 losses, 34 appearances, 31 starts, 236.2 innings, 7 hit-by-pitches.
• Baseball’s ultimate transient of the day, Newsom not surprisingly switched addresses once again during the year; it would be his fourth trade to Washington. A fifth D.C. tenure lay ahead in 1952.

9. JESSE FLORES, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.32 ERA, 9 wins, 7 losses, 29 appearances, 15 starts, 155 innings, 38 walks.
• The otherwise common Flores posted a 7-3 record and 1.58 ERA over the season’s final two months, giving brief life to a lifeless (49-105) A’s team.

10. ED LOPAT, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.73 ERA, 13 wins, 13 losses, 29 starts, 231 innings, 48 walks.
• The southpaw had to win his final two starts to finish with a .500 mark; he wouldn’t sweat out the possibility of a losing record again until 1955.

[luckymann]

A bit of an in-between year with not much action but those prices are rising as shown by the massive Cavaretta deal with the Dodgers, who must be about due with the bunch they’re putting together.

Here are the major moves of interest:

• 1B Phil Cavaretta: Dodgers, 7 years / $337200
• SS Marty Marion: Cubs, 5 years / $178000
• SS Sam Bankhead: Red Sox, 3 years / $155000
• P Marv Breuer: Phillies, 4 years / $148800
• OF Roy Cullenbine: Braves, 4 years / $143800
• 2B Snuffy Stirnweiss: Phillies, 5 years / $138400 (extension)
• OF Tommy Holmes: Athletics, 5 years / $109200 (extension)
• C Ernie Lombardi: White Sox, 3 years / $109000
• P Schoolboy Rowe: Yankees, 3 years / $98400
• IF Ray Dandridge: Browns, 2 years / $61000

• P Roger Wolff from Reds to Red Sox for C Clyde Kluttz and C Martin Tabacheck
• C Earl Skaggs and OF Al Gionfriddo from Braves to Athletics for P Ed Heusser
• P Dutch Leonard from Indians to Cubs for P Erv Palica
• P Alex Carrasquel and 2B Gene Mauch from Cardinals to White Sox for P Jim Wilson and P Joe Coleman

ALL TRANSACTIONS


We go an injury-free 10-8 in ST and are unbelievably pegged to win the NL with 90 wins! Look, we're better than we were last year but still, 14 games - I just don't see it. Happy to be proved wrong, though!

FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS


Top 20 ranked players at OD.

[CubMariner]

Rough off season for the Cubs...losing two big hitters in Phil and Cullenbine and adding Marion.

Probably was tough for you to jettison Jethroe, but totally understand why you needed to...plus Kiner will hopefully soften the blow some.

[luckymann]

Our team page can be accessed HERE.

We nab outfielder Clyde Vollmer in the Rule 5 on a bit of a punt and have also signed a couple IFs to MiLB option deals and have a couple waiver claims in, but here's how we look on OD.

My expectation is that we'll neither score nor concede as many runs as we did last season. How the group gels will be a key deciding factor in whether that leads to more wins or losses. I'll be disappointed if we don't finish with a winning record, but think 82 to 83 wins is the upper limit to where we settle - competitive but not quite there yet.

We shall see.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by CubMariner

Rough off season for the Cubs...losing two big hitters in Phil and Cullenbine and adding Marion.

Probably was tough for you to jettison Jethroe, but totally understand why you needed to...plus Kiner will hopefully soften the blow some.

They've got the best pitching in the league but their offence now has a few holes in it. Buck Leonard signing kinda fills the Phillabuck hole with the bat but he is shot on D at 37.

I don't do the Legacies until Nov 1 and am not a Pittsburgh fan so not familiar enough with their history to know if we'll be getting one in any given year. I actually thought Kiner split his career so that he wouldn't have enough service time for us and he only just made it by 95 games.

Once I knew we were getting him Jet was a goner because our other OFs had little or no trade cachet and that was the only spot we had enough cover to trade away a guy. And because we had zero in the kitty for FAs it had to be a cash positive deal, so his $20k was literally gold to us.

The joys of a small-market team, but this is what I've been waiting for - to test myself on a shoestring budget - currently less than a third of the big guys, although that'll jump because of Kiner's salary, for which I use the real life or thereabouts and Legacies get discounted from the total payroll. Can't wait until 1950 when I pull back the scouting as well, although with historicals scouting is a nonsense because you have the IRL stats as a guide.

[luckymann]

A somewhat soggy start for us and yet a win on the final day of May sees us move above 500.






Fair to say that, were it not for Ralph Kiner, we would not have our noses above the water line. I've not seen too many rookies make such an immediate impression as he has (or Grady Hatton of the Browns for that matter) - slashing 308/373/642 with 14 HR and 35 RBI over his first 45 games in the bigs. Thurman Tucker, Harry Craft and Bob Elliott have also been good, but Babe Young has given us nothing and our bench players need to be way better.




While inarguably a notch improved on last season, our pitching is still a ways off where it has to be for us to be competitive. Bevens has been great, the others not so much - Sain, in particular, continues to underwhelm.


Other than that and all in all, a fairly subdued start to the season.




Monthly Award Winners

May

American League

• Batter – Ted Williams (Red Sox): 430 / 4 HR / 15 RBI
• Pitcher – Tex Hughson (Red Sox): 6-0 / 1.58 / 21 K / 51.1 IP
• Rookie – Grady Hatton (Browns): 343 / 5 HR / 18 RBI

National League

• Batter – Ralph Kiner (Pirates): 315 / 12 HR / 27 RBI
• Pitcher – Murry Dickson (Giants): 5-1 / 2.83 / 17 K / 47.2 IP
• Rookie – Ralph Kiner

News and Leaders






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[luckymann]

Most RBIs without Scoring a Run (position players)

[CubMariner]

Looks like if you could get some production from the right side of the infield or from the catcher spot, those results could start improving.

[luckymann]

Originally Posted by CubMariner

Looks like if you could get some production from the right side of the infield or from the catcher spot, those results could start improving.

Lord helps us if / when Ralphy boy cools off. He's hit almost half our dingers!

[luckymann]

Just as his IRL version was so renowned for doing, Satchel Paige's avatar in this save sure knows how to grab the headlines.

A 6-3 decision against the Sens makes Satch just the second pitcher after Walter Johnson with 400 MLB wins...

... while simultaneously relegating this gem against the Yanks from A's hurler Mickey Harris to below the fold.