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Hurkman · 07-10-2006, 04:36 PM

Draft Results

The St. Louis Cardinals again had the first overall pick in the 1915 draft, and with Cristobal Torriente being both a right fielder and a third baseman, it seemed obvious who they would select. Despite Torriente possibly needing a few years in the minor leagues to fully develop, the Cardinals went with him, basically giving Clive Woodstock a notice about how much more time he has left as a starter. Picking second, the New York Yankees took a giant step in attempting to bring back the glory days of their team by selecting George Sisler. Sisler is already very well established as both a hitter and a first baseman, and should help bring a spark back to a lineup that has been lacking for the past few seasons.

Round One Results
St. Louis (N) pick: RF Cristobal Torriente
New York (A) pick: 1B George Sisler
Washington pick: CF Cy Williams
Philadelphia (A) pick: RF Elmer Smith
Cincinnati pick: RF Braggo Roth
St. Louis (A) pick: CF Edd Roush
Pittsburgh pick: RF Billy Southworth
Boston (N) pick: 1B Wally Pipp
Brooklyn pick: 3B Fred Lear
Philadelphia (N) pick: P George Ruth
Boston (A) pick: 2B Ty Helfrich
Chicago (A) pick: P Carl Mays
Detroit pick: P Ferdie Schupp
Chicago (N) pick: CF Happy Felsch
New York (N) pick: P Dave Davenport
Cleveland pick: SS Dave Bancroft

Season Preview

American League

Cleveland Indians
The former Cleveland Bronchos may have a new name, but the majority of their team has stayed the same throughout their dominance of the American League. Yet, despite all that, they have not won a World Series in five attempts, leaving some to believe that they may never be able to finish off one of their great seasons. However, no matter what their doubters say, they always seem to pick up right where they left off in the regular season. This year should be no different, with Ty Cobb, Don Ayers and Ed Konetchy all back again, and Bobby Veach has developed into another solid piece in the middle of their lineup. On the mound, the Indians return with four pitchers who all won 15 or more games, including the 1914 Most Valuable Pitcher Johnny Lush. It is hard to find a glaring weakness in Cleveland, which makes them the odds on favorite to represent the American League in the World Series once again.

Chicago White Sox
Last season, the White Sox were a pleasant surprise to the people of Chicago, and it appears as if their third place finish last year was not merely a one time act. Ed Lennox leads the way for Chicago at the plate, but their real strength is in their pitching, where a combination of both talented youth and strong veterans help to make the White Sox an imposing force. They may not have enough to catch Cleveland just yet, but if they continue to improve, it shouldn't be long before the White Sox are in their first World Series.

Philadelphia Athletics
Last season, it seemed like the Athletics never fully recovered from the shock of losing the 1913 World Series. Now, with a full year between them and and that series, Connie Mack's squad seems ready to take back what they believe is theirs. Walter Johnson has fully recovered from arm problems that plauged him throughout 1914, and leads a strong pitching staff back into action. George Kahler emerged as a solid compliment to Johnson last season, winning 22 games and filling in nicely when the rest of Philadelphia's staff struggled. Tris Speaker was one of the few players who didn't miss a beat last season, and he spent most of the offseason preparing himself to perform even better this year. He is going to have to, because the heart of the Athletics' lineup is getting older and is now relying even more heavily on Speaker. If everyone can stay healthy, this could be a team that can knock off Cleveland.

National League

New York Giants
The Giants played like a team posessed when it counted the most last season, sweeping Cleveland and winning their first World Series. However, it came at a price for the future, as Joe Jackson, their leader on offense, severely injured his leg, ending his player career. Jackson returned to the Giants, but is now a hitting instructor, leaving a huge hole to be filled in left field. George Anderson will attempt to take Jackson's spot, but there are questions about how well he can do. They remain strong at most of the other offensive postions, with Stuart Adamson, Ray Chapman, Vic Saier and World Series Most Valuable Player Michael Feldbush making up the core of the lineup. Two time Most Valuable Pitcher winner Ludwig Van Cleef has unquestionably become the best pitcher in baseball after two amazing seasons, and with him on the mound, the Giants are primed to win another National League pennant, and possibly a second straight World Series.

Chicago Cubs
Could it be possible that both Chicago teams make it to the World Series in 1915? The chance is there, but it is going to take an effort from both teams, especially the Cubs, if they want to keep playing baseball in the middle of October. Every year it seems like the Cubs are knocking on the door for a pennant, but every year, no one answers. Dieter Kahle and Eddie Collins would like to make sure that that door is answered this season, as both of them return to make up a potent 1-2 punch in the middle of Chicago's lineup. Their pitching is again questionable, but every starter won 10 or more games last season, giving their fans hope that greater success can come their way. The Cubs are one of many teams that are starting to feel the pinch of age on some of their core players, so this year may be the last chance they have to make it to the World Series for quite some time.

Cincinnati Reds
The Reds last season were a shell of themselves as they never really recovered from Doc Crandall's offseason foot injury and finished with the second worst record in the National League. This year, Crandall is back at full strength, and the Reds are looking to retake the National League crown. They still have Noodles Hahn, baseball's all time leader in wins, but he is coming off of his first losing season since 1903, and at age 35 it is uncertain how much more time he has left to pitch. Aside from Crandall and Hahn, their pitching is unproven, and their lineup is starting to show signs of age as well. Sam Crawford, Solly Hofman, Hans Lobert and Jack Lapp are all 30 years of age or older, meaning that the Reds may only have a year or two left before some of these players start thinking about retirement. The Reds should be much better this season than last, but they only have to look at the Pittsburgh Pirates to see what happens when a team relies too much on aging players for too long.

07-10-2006, 04:36 PM	#178
Hurkman All Star Reserve Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 762	Draft Results The St. Louis Cardinals again had the first overall pick in the 1915 draft, and with Cristobal Torriente being both a right fielder and a third baseman, it seemed obvious who they would select. Despite Torriente possibly needing a few years in the minor leagues to fully develop, the Cardinals went with him, basically giving Clive Woodstock a notice about how much more time he has left as a starter. Picking second, the New York Yankees took a giant step in attempting to bring back the glory days of their team by selecting George Sisler. Sisler is already very well established as both a hitter and a first baseman, and should help bring a spark back to a lineup that has been lacking for the past few seasons. Round One Results St. Louis (N) pick: RF Cristobal Torriente New York (A) pick: 1B George Sisler Washington pick: CF Cy Williams Philadelphia (A) pick: RF Elmer Smith Cincinnati pick: RF Braggo Roth St. Louis (A) pick: CF Edd Roush Pittsburgh pick: RF Billy Southworth Boston (N) pick: 1B Wally Pipp Brooklyn pick: 3B Fred Lear Philadelphia (N) pick: P George Ruth Boston (A) pick: 2B Ty Helfrich Chicago (A) pick: P Carl Mays Detroit pick: P Ferdie Schupp Chicago (N) pick: CF Happy Felsch New York (N) pick: P Dave Davenport Cleveland pick: SS Dave Bancroft Season Preview American League Cleveland Indians The former Cleveland Bronchos may have a new name, but the majority of their team has stayed the same throughout their dominance of the American League. Yet, despite all that, they have not won a World Series in five attempts, leaving some to believe that they may never be able to finish off one of their great seasons. However, no matter what their doubters say, they always seem to pick up right where they left off in the regular season. This year should be no different, with Ty Cobb, Don Ayers and Ed Konetchy all back again, and Bobby Veach has developed into another solid piece in the middle of their lineup. On the mound, the Indians return with four pitchers who all won 15 or more games, including the 1914 Most Valuable Pitcher Johnny Lush. It is hard to find a glaring weakness in Cleveland, which makes them the odds on favorite to represent the American League in the World Series once again. Chicago White Sox Last season, the White Sox were a pleasant surprise to the people of Chicago, and it appears as if their third place finish last year was not merely a one time act. Ed Lennox leads the way for Chicago at the plate, but their real strength is in their pitching, where a combination of both talented youth and strong veterans help to make the White Sox an imposing force. They may not have enough to catch Cleveland just yet, but if they continue to improve, it shouldn't be long before the White Sox are in their first World Series. Philadelphia Athletics Last season, it seemed like the Athletics never fully recovered from the shock of losing the 1913 World Series. Now, with a full year between them and and that series, Connie Mack's squad seems ready to take back what they believe is theirs. Walter Johnson has fully recovered from arm problems that plauged him throughout 1914, and leads a strong pitching staff back into action. George Kahler emerged as a solid compliment to Johnson last season, winning 22 games and filling in nicely when the rest of Philadelphia's staff struggled. Tris Speaker was one of the few players who didn't miss a beat last season, and he spent most of the offseason preparing himself to perform even better this year. He is going to have to, because the heart of the Athletics' lineup is getting older and is now relying even more heavily on Speaker. If everyone can stay healthy, this could be a team that can knock off Cleveland. National League New York Giants The Giants played like a team posessed when it counted the most last season, sweeping Cleveland and winning their first World Series. However, it came at a price for the future, as Joe Jackson, their leader on offense, severely injured his leg, ending his player career. Jackson returned to the Giants, but is now a hitting instructor, leaving a huge hole to be filled in left field. George Anderson will attempt to take Jackson's spot, but there are questions about how well he can do. They remain strong at most of the other offensive postions, with Stuart Adamson, Ray Chapman, Vic Saier and World Series Most Valuable Player Michael Feldbush making up the core of the lineup. Two time Most Valuable Pitcher winner Ludwig Van Cleef has unquestionably become the best pitcher in baseball after two amazing seasons, and with him on the mound, the Giants are primed to win another National League pennant, and possibly a second straight World Series. Chicago Cubs Could it be possible that both Chicago teams make it to the World Series in 1915? The chance is there, but it is going to take an effort from both teams, especially the Cubs, if they want to keep playing baseball in the middle of October. Every year it seems like the Cubs are knocking on the door for a pennant, but every year, no one answers. Dieter Kahle and Eddie Collins would like to make sure that that door is answered this season, as both of them return to make up a potent 1-2 punch in the middle of Chicago's lineup. Their pitching is again questionable, but every starter won 10 or more games last season, giving their fans hope that greater success can come their way. The Cubs are one of many teams that are starting to feel the pinch of age on some of their core players, so this year may be the last chance they have to make it to the World Series for quite some time. Cincinnati Reds The Reds last season were a shell of themselves as they never really recovered from Doc Crandall's offseason foot injury and finished with the second worst record in the National League. This year, Crandall is back at full strength, and the Reds are looking to retake the National League crown. They still have Noodles Hahn, baseball's all time leader in wins, but he is coming off of his first losing season since 1903, and at age 35 it is uncertain how much more time he has left to pitch. Aside from Crandall and Hahn, their pitching is unproven, and their lineup is starting to show signs of age as well. Sam Crawford, Solly Hofman, Hans Lobert and Jack Lapp are all 30 years of age or older, meaning that the Reds may only have a year or two left before some of these players start thinking about retirement. The Reds should be much better this season than last, but they only have to look at the Pittsburgh Pirates to see what happens when a team relies too much on aging players for too long.