[Lee]

As it was:
In the American League the always loaded Philadelphia Athletics, led by Connie Mack, were a threat to take the pennant year in and year out. The mackmen had the finest collection of arms to be found in the first 10 years of the century, boasting rotations that included the likes of Eddie Plank, Rube Waddell and Chief Bender (All Hall of Famers) while getting occasional stellar years from players such as Colby Jack Coombs, Jimmy Dygert, Andy Coakley and Harry Krause, who was 18-8 record in 1909 and 18-18 in his other four injury plagued Seasons combined. The A’s secured 3 pennants and 1 World during the decade.

Detroit also took home three pennants behind the quick bat and quicker temper of Ty Cobb and the slugging Sam Crawford. The impressive 3 straight run from 1907-1909, produced no World Series wins however as the Tigers were cursed with facing deeper Teams from Chicago and Pittsburgh in the Fall classic. The Red Sox and White Sox split the other four pennants, with the latter club, known as the hitless wonders in 1906, with a team BA of only .230 and 7 total Homeruns, upsetting the Cubs in the Fall Classic.

In the National League the pennant went through Chicago (4) Pittsburgh (4) or New York (2) every single year. Each club was well balanced and between them also captured 4 World Series wins. Christy Matthewson, Joe McGinnity paced the Broadway Bullies on the mound with help from Red Ames and Hooks Wiltse. At the dish Roger Bresnahan, Dan McGann and Art Devlin lead the offense. In Chicago Mordecai Brown, Ed Ruelbach and the Jack “The Giant Killer” Pfiester led the pitching corps while Tinker to Evers to Chance may well be the best known infield of all-time, thanks to the poetic waxing of Franklin Pierce Adams. In reality the Cubbies lineup was usually strong form top to bottom with Players such as Frank “Wildfire” Schulte, Jimmy Sheckard, and the fourth member of the infield, Harry Steinfeldt also pitching in.

The Pirates boasted solid pitching, with Deacon Phillippe, Vic Willis, Sam Leever and Lefty Leifield seeing time on the hill. The true force on the Alleghany however was a potent offense that saw .300+ Seasons during the decade from Honus Wagner, Ginger Beaumont, Fred Clarke and Tommy Leach. The 1903 version of this juggernaught hit .286 as a team and averaged 5.62 runs a game, only to be humiliated in the very first World Series by upstart Boston.

As it is now:
The American League truly ran in cycles as the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Naps split the first 4 pennants in Alternate Reality Baseball History, with each team taking 2nd the years it did not win. The Naps had a potent lineup led by Napoleon Lajoie and Elmer Flick, both perennial .300 hitters who were joined by the fleet Harry Bay and other capable stickmen such as Bill Bradley and Charlie Hickman. The Cleveland Staff was anchored by Addie Joss, a brilliant pitcher, but a tragic story, (One of our upcoming profiles) and Earl Moore who would win over 260 games between stops in the Majors and the American association.

Detroit seemed to rely on different Pitchers every year as Bill Donovan, George Mullin, John Deering, Jack Doscher and Henry Gehring all won 20 games for the Tigers during the decade. Sam Crawford carried the Offense throughout the decade and the talented Nebraskan cracked the League top 10 in nearly every category and various times. The Highlanders were the new Tigers, taking three straight pennants from 1907-1909 and took it a notch higher, winning a World Championship each year as well. This potent crew boasted 200 game winner and ARB Hall of Famer Andy Coakley as the team’s ace of the decade and a lineup that included Art Devlin, Willie Keeler, Sherry McGee and one of the first Black players in the Major Leagues in Pop Lloyd, who showed promise, but didn’t truly blossom until he was traded to Cleveland in early 1909, where he went on to have 5 .300+ Seasons at the plate.

The Washington Senators captured the AL and World crowns to close the decade, in part due to their abysmal history. With just one winning Season prior to 1909 the Senators had struck gold with the brilliant maneuverings of front office wizard Clark Griffith, acquiring Stars such as Ty Cobb, Eddie Collins, Harry Hooper, Johnny Lush and Orval Overall via the draft. All of these players with the exception of Cobb were instrumental in the Senators rise to the top of the Baseball kingdom as the decade closed. Though in smoke filled Bars and Friday evening Fireplace gatherings throughout Washington there is still talk of what Cobb could have become, if only……………….


In the National League the Decade could just as well have been titled New York, New York as the Giants were the toast of Broadway throughout the first 10 years of the Century…..alas, each time the gilded elites of Manhattan prepared to raise their glasses in a final toast to the greatness of their heroes, their hopes were dashed, scattered like the glistening shards of glass from angrily discarded Champagne Goblets as the Giants had failed once again to defeat the American Leaguers when it mattered most. Yes, four times the New Yorkers, led by Dapper ace Christy Matthewson and the gallant Duke of Tralee, Roger Bresnahan had captured the National pennant and each time they failed to win the World Series. To compound matters two of the defeats came at the hands of the hated Highlanders, referred to derisively as “The Bowery’s Team”

Joining the Giants as the National League Champions were the St Louis Cardinals (twice) and the Boston Beaneaters and Chicago Cubs with one each. The Cardinals, led by talented twirlers Bob Wicker and Ralph Caldwell, whose 1.36 ERA in 1906 is the second lowest in history to date, are the only National League Team to win a World Series, beating Cleveland in both 1903 and 1906. The Cardinals, who fielded the a different everyday lineup every year, with the exception of 1903 and 1904, can boast of no real Stars. In fact the only memorable performances on Offense were 1B Frank Bowerman’s Seasons of .307 and .319 in 03 and 04. and Patsy Donovan stroking rival Pitchers to the tune of .336 in 1903. Both were out of Baseball within 3 Years after this. Fielder Jones stopped by in 1906 to bat .355, then took his Bat and World title to Cincinnati the next year.


Epilog-The gathering Mob:
As a new decade begins it seems a changing of the guard may be upon the World of professional Baseball. Already we have begun to witness the nomadic nature of players who have fulfilled their 10 year reserve to the Teams drafting them. Many Teams, who have yet to breathe the rarified Air of a Pennant winner are getting better. And now they gather at the threshold of the first division, Bats raised like flaming torches, clamoring for the Lords of the game to relinquish their thrones.

In response to this trend, many owners of established powers are allowing their Stars to leave prior to the reserve clause expiring, knowing that they will be compensated with draft picks from the acquiring team. This, in theory will allow them to rebuild with talented youth, a risky, yet viable proposition, when the alternative is nothing. This youth movement has also driven some veterans to the American Association after being discarded by Major League Clubs, wary of escalating salaries. Often these yesterday's Heroes have produced productive Seasons in the minors and rebuffed attempts by Major League teams to reacquire them, preferring instead to toil in anonimity.

As we start the second decade, ticket prices have risen and the public, though not happy, does not appear to have lost faith in, or love for the great American Pastime.

Next up are the profiles of some of the players, some still playing, others only fading echoes in an empty palace of Concrete and Steel.