With wins in each of our first two games for the month, we take the outright lead for the first time all season. The second of those is a three-hitter by Chesbro that sets the tone for him in July. Three straight wins coupled with our nearest rivals all stumbling a bit and all of a sudden we’re a couple clear.
We consolidate this by taking our next six games, including back-to-back extra-inning walkoffs against Boston, in the second of which Hickman has five hits including the game-winning RBI single.
This is our longest win streak so far and puts us four ahead at 44-32.
We drop our next three, however, including our worst of the year – a 14-2 humbling by the Phillies in which we commit seven errors that cost us 11 unearned runs. Even for us, that is poor.
We get back on track and by the end of the month (in which we post an 18-8 record) a slight schism seems to have appeared in the NL splitting ourselves, the Reds and the Cubs – who have been playing really well, with both going 18-9 for July – from the rest of the division. 4 ˝ games separate the third-placed Reds from the fourth-placed Beaneaters, with another 3˝ down to the fifth-placed Giants. As August commences, we are 54-38 and lead the Cubs by 1˝.
Still early doors yet, though.
Hot- Honus Wagner: snags himself another PotM Award for his 347/416/565 with 1 HR and 18 RBI.
- Charlie Hickman: the improvement continues as he hits 343 (second only to Dutchie) and post a 373 wOBA and 144 OPS+.
- Jack Chesbro: Happy bounced back strongly in July to go 7-1 with a 1.07 ERA and 1.6 WAR, and was most unlucky not to win the monthly award.
- Doc McJames: bullpens aren’t really a focus in this era but they play a key part all the same, and Doc seems to have found his role. 1.59 ERA for the season to date in 34 IP is an excellent performance.
Not- Danny Murphy: it has been a dirty season from the get-go for our skipper and, after Danny hits just 210 with 5 ribbies for the month (putting him at 215 YTD), Dexter will now have a crack at everyday 2B. It would have been Robinson, except...
- Rabbit Robinson: a major bust so far hitting sub-200 and making little contribution.
Around the Leagues- The Senators (17-9) and Highlanders (16-10) both make a move in the AL, and the Naps are still right in the mix. But the A’s are still hanging onto first by the barest margin, a half-game.
- Detroit’s Pop Foster hits for the cycle in a 5-2 win against the Naps.
- Boston deals 1B Mike Grady to Detroit for 1B Jack Burns and P Harry Kane.
- The Cards flip 2B Harry Arndt and P Bob Rhoads to the Cubs for P Lew Moren – bit of an odd one that, seems very lopsided.
- A strained oblique will sideline Brooklyn shortstop Bill Keister for 7 weeks or so.
- The updated Top 100 Prospects list is released. Howie Camnitz is at #3, Charlie Smith at #25.
Awards- 07/04 POTW: AL – Dan McGann (Philadelphia) 481 / 9 RBI; NL – Cy Seymour (Chicago) 455 / 3 RBI.
- 07/11 POTW: AL – Pop Foster (Detroit) 429 / 2 HR / 4 RBI; NL – Oscar Jones (Cincinnati) 2-0 / 0.00 ERA / 6 K / 18 IP.
- 07/18 POTW: AL – Mike Donlin (New York) 455 / 7 RBI; NL – Bill Keister (Brooklyn) 483 / 4 RBI.
- 07/25 POTW: AL – Kip Selbach (Philadelphia) 522 / 6 RBI; NL – Jimmy Barrett (Boston) 625 / 1 HR / 6 RBI.
- AL Batter of the Month: Kip Selbach (Philadelphia) 344 / 0 HR / 14 RBI.
- NL Batter of the Month: Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 347 / 1 HR / 18 RBI.
- AL Pitcher of the Month: Addie Joss (Philadelphia) 7-1 / 1.75 / 28 K / 67 IP.
- NL Pitcher of the Month: Rube Waddell (Chicago) 7-1 / 1.62 / 65 K / 72 IP.
- AL Rookie of the Month: Ed Walsh (Chicago) 4-4 / 2.56 / 34 K / 66.2 IP.
- NL Rookie of the Month: Beany Jacobson (Cincinnati) 3-1 / 2.47 / 20 K / 51 IP.
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