[Matt from TN]

1920 National League

Team                        W   L   %  GB
New York Giants            94 60 .610 -
St. Louis Cardinals        85 69 .552 9
Boston Braves              77 77 .500 17
Brooklyn Robins            76 78 .494 18
Philadelphia Phillies      73 81 .474 21
Cincinnati Reds            73 81 .474 21
Chicago Cubs               73 81 .474 21
Pittsburgh Pirates         65 89 .422 29

League AVG: .283
League ERA: 4.07


Offense took off this season with the NL posting the highest league ERA ever. The 4.07 mark is similar to the 4.00 league ERA in 1901 and even the 3.76 ERA in 1912, but it was still unexpected. The Giants capitalized by scoring the most runs in the majors. Fred Merkle had a fantastic season hitting .349 with 13 HR and 119 RBI while fending off 27-year-old Walter Holke, who hit .388 in just 85 AB, and keeping George Kelly in AAA, where he hit .303 with 71 RBI.

Cubs outfielder Cy Williams set a new league record with 16 homeruns, despite hitting just .249. His teammate, 2B Heinie Zimmerman, led the league with a .370 average.

The Cardinals were thrilled by 24-year-old Jakie May, who led the league with a 2.58 ERA. And 24-year-old Rogers Hornsby led the team with a .339 average. He should top 1,000 hits next season.

Pittsburgh's Wilbur Cooper is establishing himself as one of the top pitchers in the NL. He went 19-10 for the last place Pirates and his 3.03 ERA was 3rd in the league. But it's worth mentioning that he pitched far more innings (341.1) than May (202) or New York's Rube Marquard (2.93, 212 IP).

After four Top Batter Awards from 1914-18, Boston's Johnny Bates continues to plug along at age 38. This season he hit .338 with 88 RBI. He how has 2,618 career hits and a .321 lifetime average.

In an offense that was otherwise ugly, Phillies RF Vern Duncan hit a surprising .355 in his 3rd season as a starter at age 30. He was the only hitter above .300 on the league's worst offense. Too bad the hitting stinks, because the pitching was superb.



Batting AVG
.370 Heinie Zimmerman, CHC
.355 Vern Duncan, PHI
.354 Larry Doyle, NYG
.349 Greasy Neale, CIN
.349 Fred Merkle, NYG

HOMERUNS
16 Cy Williams, CHC
14 Vic Saier, CHC
13 Fred Merkle, NYG
11 Carson Bigbee, PIT

RBI
119 Fred Merkle, NYG
111 Larry Doyle, NYG
106 Ross Youngs, NYG
99 Cy Williams, CHC
96 Rogers Hornsby, STL

OPS
.874 Fred Merkle, NYG
.864 Heinie Zimmerman, CHC
.860 Heinie Groh, NYG
.842 Larry Doyle, NYG
.841 Ross Youngs, NYG

STEALS
32 Max Carey, PIT
24 Harry Pattee, BRO
21 Armando Marsans, CIN
21 Charlie Hollocher, CHC
21 Greasy Neale, CIN

ERA
2.58 Jakie May, STL
2.93 Rube Marquard, NYG
3.03 Wilbur Cooper, PIT
3.04 Jim Bagby, CIN
3.05 Doc Crandall, NYG

WINS
24 Doc Crandall, NYG
22 Fred Toney, CHC
22 Jim Bagby, CIN
20 Frank Allen, BRO
20 Ernie Shore, NYG
20 Eppa Rixey, PHI

STRIKEOUTS
132 Claude Hendrix, PIT
117 Pete Alexander, PHI
106 Doc Crandall, NYG
103 Eppa Rixey, PHI
100 Nap Rucker, BRO

POY: Doc Crandall, NYG, 33, 24-7, 3.05 ERA, 40 BB, 106 K, .254 OAVG, 1.13 WHIP
BOY: 1B Fred Merkle, NYG, 31, .349, 13 HR, 119 RBI, .874 OPS
ROY: Jesse Haines, CIN, 27, 12-14, 4.39 ERA, 51 BB, 46 K, .289 OAVG, 1.40 WHIP

Gold Gloves:

Pitcher: Harry Coveleski, PHI, 1
Catcher: Otto Miller, BRO, 1
First Base: Ed Konetchy, STL, 3
Second Base: Bruno Betzel, STL, 1
Third Base: Joe Ward, PHI, 8
Shortstop: Alex McCarthy, PIT, 6
Leftfield: Max Flack, CHC, 1
Centerfield: Hy Myers, BRO, 3
Rightfield: Casey Stengel, BRO, 2




1920 American League

Team                        W   L   %  GB
Philadelphia Athletics     97 57 .630 -
Detroit Tigers             96 58 .623 1
Boston Red Sox             86 68 .558 11
Washington Senators        74 80 .481 23
New York Yankees           71 83 .461 26
Cleveland Indians          66 88 .429 31
Chicago White Sox          64 90 .416 33
St. Louis Browns           62 92 .403 35

League AVG: .274
League ERA: 3.95


The Tigers were the story of 1920. They led the AL pennant race all season long. At the end of September, they were a half-game up on the surging Athletics. On October 1st, Cleveland beat Detroit 6-3, and Philly beat Washington 4-3 to take over 1st place. The next day, both teams won. With the A's off on October 3rd, all the Tigers had to do was win to force a one-game playoff. Instead, they fell to the Indians 5-4 when Cleveland catcher Ted Easterly singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 9th. The Tigers had runners on the corners with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th, but Ira Flagstead struck out and Baby Doll Jacobson popped out to end their season.

Surprisingly, the Tigers allowed the most runs per game in the league while the A's led the league in pitching and offense. Joe Jackson had another stellar season, hitting .353 with 12 HR and 115 RBI. Eddie Collins hit .362 with 101 RBI and 25 steals. Frank Baker hit .344 with 10 HR and 119 RBI. Catcher Wally Schang hit .327 with 91 RBI. Herb Pennock went 27-9 with a 2.98 ERA and was named Top Pitcher.

Ty Cobb became the first player to hit abover .400 since Live Oak Taylor in 1889. Ross Barnes, in 1884, was the only other player to do this. Cobb's .409 average tops his own .392 average from 1912 as the highest in AL history - and the highest in the 1900s. After Cobb, the A's had the next four highest averages.

Boston slugger Babe Ruth set a new major league record with 21 homeruns. He hit .263 and his .826 OPS was the best of his career. His 89 walks were the 8th most in major league history (He drew 91 in 1918).

The Indians were the only team to not have a .300 hitter. In fact, their top hitter, 1B Pete Shields, hit just .279.



Batting AVG
.409 Ty Cobb, DET
.362 Eddie Collins, PHA
.353 Joe Jackson, PHA
.344 Frank Baker, PHA
.327 Wally Schang, PHA

HOMERUNS
21 Babe Ruth, BOS
12 George Sisler, SLB
12 Joe Jackson, PHA
12 Tris Speaker, BOS
11 Harry Heilmann, DET

RBI
119 Frank Baker, PHA
116 Herry Heilmann, DET
115 Joe Jackson, PHA
101 Eddie Collins, PHA
97 Ty Cobb, DET

OPS
.945 Ty Cobb, DET
.890 Joe Jackson, PHA
.884 Eddie Collins, PHA
.846 Frank Baker, PHA
.839 Tris Speaker, BOS

STEALS
30 Ty Cobb, DET
25 Eddie Collins, PHA
24 Donie Bush, DET
22 Burt Shotton, SLB
22 Clyde Milan, WSH
22 Ray Chapman, CLE

ERA
2.98 HErb Pennock, PHA
3.05 Walter Johnson, WSH
3.06 Dutch Leonard, BOS
3.11 Dickie Kerr, CHW
3.32 Allen Sothoron, SLB

WINS
27 Herb Pennock, PHA
23 Dixie Walker, WSH
22 Joe Bush, PHA
22 Eddie Cicotte, DET
21 Dutch Leonard, BOS
20 Joe Wood, BOS

STRIKEOUTS
117 Walter Johnson, WSH
109 Gene Krapp, CLE
104 Hippo Vaughn, NYY
100 Jim Scott, CHW
98 Jack Rowan, DET

POY: Herb Pennock, PHA, 26, 27-9, 2.98 ERA, 58 BB, 71 K, .256 OAVG, 1.15 WHIP
BOY: CF Ty Cobb, DET, 33, .409, 97 RBI, 30 SB, .945 OPS
ROY: LF Bob Meusel, NYA, .313, 87 RBI, .763 OPS

Gold Gloves:
Pitcher: Jack Quinn, NYY, 2
Catcher: Les Nunamaker, BOS, 1
First Base: Hal Chase, NYY, 8
Second Base: Eddie Collins, PHA, 6
Third Base: Lyman Lamb, SLB, 1
Shortstop: John Knight, PHA, 4
Leftfield: Jack Tobin, SLB, 2
Centerfield: Happy Felsch, CHW, 3
Rightfield: Shano Collins, CHW, 4