WWII Ends Early: The 1941 Boston Red Sox
 

February 20, 1941

HITLER KILLED! ALLIED FORCES BRING DOWN NAZIS!
AMERICA NO LONGER ON BRINK OF WAR

Joyous news was heard over radios all over the United States as the UK, France and Poland joined forces with Japan to bring an end to Nazi Germany.

For the last year, many Americans sat in fear that they would be called upon to the war over in Europe but thanks to brilliant European strategy, Americans can focus on what they most enjoy: Democracy, apple pie and baseball.

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I thought it would be fun to see what would happen from a baseball perspective if WWII never affected the MLB. I'll be the GM and manager of the 1941 Boston Red Sox.

I thought 1941 would be the best place to start because players weren't around to start the 1942 season and this way the rosters all make sense.

A few notes:
-I'll be playing in Challenge Mode
-I'll be using the 2012 CBA rules. Now, you may say that free agency wasn't a thing in the MLB until the 70's. Yeah. You're right but this is more fun and I'm more curious how this would affect career numbers for players as opposed to total historical accuracy.
-I'll be having an amateur draft too for the same reason.
-I'll be inputting the Full Minors option but only allowing for A, AA, and AAA teams. The minors in the 40's-60's could unwieldy at times and I can't focus on all of that.
-I don't know how the game will bring in Negro League players but in this world, America figured out not be racist jerks in the free time they had after not having to worry about Nazis. So if OOTP gives me the option to bring in players from that time, they are in.

This will be a fun exercise and I'll try to update my progress (or failures) here.

I'll likely be starting tonight so if anyone has any tips from playing in this era (I typically only played OOTP from 1958-on), I'm all ears.

Let's all enjoy ourselves and worry about the only evil empire we have have to defeat now in 1941...the New York Yankees!

There is an option to turn off the color barrier. I think it's in the "Rules" tab of the league settings.

I did exactly that.Thanks!

2/23/1941

Despite it being a terrible winter in Boston, I was doing everything I could to delay going to Florida to meet with my new team.

Joe Cronin hates me.

I don't think he hates me personally. But he hates that he used to be a player-manager and is now just a player. Not only that, but he is the most popular guy on the team. Everyone loves him. I'm guessing everyone hates me now.

The Boston Red Sox hates me. Sigh.

It hasn't been a great week. Brutal snow has made me more depressed. I know I need to get down to Florida and that makes me feel worse. Tom Yawkey, my boss, keeps walking by my office. He stares at me and makes an odd face when he does. I've been GM/Manager of the Red Sox for 4 weeks and I haven't made a a single move yet. Not yet.

It's not for lack of trying. I've been calling every team I can to find a catcher and right fielder. I'd love an ace starting pitcher. I want to re-invent the entire bullpen and try to use a single guy to finish close games. I have big plans. Huge plans!

I just haven't made any yet.

Yawkey walked by again. He made a face again. I think he farted.

I can't do this anymore. I have to do something. I have to get to work!

Right then, the phone rings. It's James Gallagher, the Chicago Cubs GM.

Gallagher: I have a, um, problem with Swish. He said he won't report to the team for Spring Training and he won't play this year unless I trade him. It's going to come out in the papers tomorrow or the next day so I might as well tell you. I need to make a deal.

Bill "Swish" Nicholson was someone I had my eye on for the past month. He's only 26 and had 25 homers last year and even made the All-Star Game. Not only that, it was his first full season.But I had to ask why he wanted to leave Chicago so bad.

Gallagher: It's these goddamn crabs. He loves eating crabs so much. He's a Maryland kid. He was born there. I bet the sumbitch dies there. All he wants for breakfast,lunch or dinner is crabs! He says the crabs in Chicago are lousy. I'm guessing you have better crabs in Boston.

He wanted a deal based around my 24 year old third baseman Jim Tabor. I gave him up. An outfield of Williams, Dom DiMaggio and Swish Nicholson was too good to pass up.

Boston Red Sox trade 3B Jim Tabor, minor league SS Austin Knickerbocker and minor league LF Eb McGah to Chicago Cubs for RF Bill Nicholson and CF Peanuts Lowrey.

I did it! I did something! Swish can eat good crabs again! Tom Yawkey won't stare at me and fart near my office. I'll earn respect! I...

I need a third baseman.

Maybe I'll stay in Boston a little longer...

Here's some advice: Jimmy Foxx isn't getting any younger.

I'm pretty sure he's going to start the season as my guy at first but I am verrrrrry nervous.

2/25/1941

Harlond Clift.

This was one of the first guys I wanted to get on when I got hired. A powerful third baseman who walked a ton and never scored less than 92 runs a season.He is 28 years old and probably the biggest name on his terrible team: the St. Louis Browns.

The Browns had been lousy for year. The last time they had a winning season was 1929. Their young GM Bill DeWitt wanted to bring in young players and was always happy to talk a trade with Clift with me...as long as I was willing to trade my infield prospect Johnny Pesky.

I wanted to keep Pesky as I saw him as the heir apparent to Joe Cronin at shortstop. I knew Cronin was signed to a short term deal so I was planning on letting him walk at the end of 1941 and letting Pesky become the starting SS in 1942.

One problem.

Yawkey let me know over a chili lunch ("When are you going to see the boys in Florida? You should really get down there. You are the manager. You going to get down there? I really enjoys these beans. Beans are wonderful. My favorite food.") some pretty big news that would have been nice to know when I was hired.

When Yawkey told Cronin that he was considering hiring me, an unknown history teacher who simply had written Tom Yawkey with a manifesto about how the Red Sox could beat the Yankees, Cronin told him he'd retire. Cronin said he would go back home and work at his family's store. Well, unless...

So Joe Cronin got a 4 year extension. Looks like Cronin is my shortstop for the present...and the future.

I called DeWitt and told him he could have Pesky.We ended up exchanging pitchers too. But got the third baseman I wanted from Day 1.

Boston Red Sox trade SP Dick Newsome and minor league SS Johnny Pesky to St. Louis Browns for 3B Harlond Clift, OF Glenn McQuillen and RP Bob Harris

Harlond Clift.

Who I also just found out is signed to a 4 year extension. Cronin & Clift. My whole future is tied to them.

3/12/1941

I landed in Florida for Spring Training and was excited to meet my new team. I got to my hotel and was so excited for the next day that I could barely sleep.

When I got to the ballpark, my excitement quickly vanished. The entire team ignored me. Not a hello. Or even a grunt. Nothing. I was not welcome.They wanted Joe Cronin to remain as manager.

I made my way onto the field and started shuffling things around in the dugout. Maybe they'll take awhile but they'll like me when they get to know me. It might just take some time.

In the corner of my eye, I saw a face with a smile on it running towards me. It was my center fielder Dom DiMaggio.

"Hey Skip!" he said as he ran towards me. "I'm so excited to have you be our manag-"

He crumpled to the ground and screamed and grabbed at his left leg.

The doctors said he would miss all of spring training and most of April which meant about 20 regular season games with a strained quad.

Now the team didn't just ignore me. They scowled at me.

Boston Red Sox place CF Dom DiMaggio on on 10-day DL