1923-24 OFF-SEASON
AWARDS
Empire League
Hitter: John Schute, Newcastle (.372, 3 HR, 83 RBI, 94 R, 34 2B, .419 OBP, .511 SLG)
Pitcher: Nick Fernyhough, Liverpool (22-8, 2.67 ERA, 313.1 IP, 83 K, 1.15 WHIP, .242 OAVG, 5 SHO)
Manager: Richard Oxley, Birmingham (83-71, 4th place)
Rookie: Orren Skeeles, Nottingham (.341, 12 HR, 78 RBI, 92 R, 33 2B, 23 SB, .404 OBP, .499 SLG)
Dominion Association
Hitter: Dave Anderson, Sheffield (.376, 13 HR, 107 RBI, 124 R, 77 BB, 12 SB, .446 OBP, .503 SLG)
Pitcher: Allan "Big Stick" Milborn, Stoke (25-12, 2.51 ERA, 337 IP, 150 K, 1.21 WHIP, .259 OAVG)
Manager: Jack MacAuliffe, Kensington (81-73, 3rd place)
Rookie: Bill Norris, Sheffield (20-10, 3.19 ERA, 276.2 IP, 1.30 WHIP)
Not many surprises in the awards this year except for the manager trophies, which bypassed the pennant winners
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Glasgow pitcher Tom Oulton made the pilgrimage to bucolic Clappersgate to receive the accolades due him as the newest member of the Hall of Fame. Starting in 1894, Oulton spent twenty-five seasons in a Gaelic uniform. In that time, the Irish right hander won 288 games and compiled a 2.68 ERA. The DA's outstanding pitcher in 1897, when he led the Association with a 26-11 record, Oulton ranks tenth in the all-time list for games pitched and was named to four all-star teams.
Leeds pitching legend Jake Bain had a disappointing 9-15 record for the Ironsides, but he reached a personal milestone on 25 July when he defeated Leicester for his 300th career victory. Bain becomes the twenty-second pitcher to reach that plateau. In a 1 October game against Portsmouth at Camberwell, Whitecap first baseman Greg Helton went five-for-six with a double and a grand slam to drive in eight runs and led his team to a 14-1 win. Birmingham hurler Shamus Scanlan, who recorded his 300th career victory last year, notched his 2,500th strikeout in a 27 April game against Dublin.
ALLIANCE NEWS
Sir Radcliffe Baloneigh, Bart., the BA's commissioner since 1888, announced his long-awaited retirement at the Alliance's annual winter meeting in Brighton. After successfully guiding the BA through the Great War and presiding over its fiftieth anniversary, the octogenarian Baloneigh told the assembled team owners that he would be retiring to his estate near Chipping Camden in the Cotswolds. As expected, the office of commissioner was passed to his son, Sir Barnard Baloneigh, who has been active in Alliance affairs for some time and who is expected to continue his father's legacy of steady leadership.
Through a massive public subscription, Dublin were able to raise the last of the funds needed to complete construction on a new ballpark to replace their current cramped quarters. The new park, to be opened in time for the 1924 home opener, will be named in honor of Patrick Pearse, Irish patriot and late leader of the 1916 uprising.
1921 DA rookie of the year Beattie Vittery was traded by Manchester to Edinburgh in exchange for relief pitcher and distant relative Shane Vittery. Bradford bullpen ace Jeff Silander finished with a 12-7 record and nine saves for the Badgers. His reward: he was traded to Leicester for infielder Mike Despencer, who batted .309 for the Leopards. EL pennant winners Liverpool showed they were serious about defending their title when they signed rookie free agent shortstop Ed Bousquet to a one-year deal worth $14,820.
WESTMINSTER NEWS
Despite leading the League in hitting again and making improvements in the pitching staff, the Peers were unable to repeat as EL champions. Six regulars hit over .300, including George Mawer, who led the club with a .327 average in his first full season as Westminster's second baseman. On the mound, it was a confused situation, as manager Eric Bellairs continually tinkered with the rotation in search of the right combination. Ultimately, Jerry Parker and Christopher O'Shinnick emerged as the leaders, while September call-up Danny Smith won three games in four starts, which made him a favorite to break into the rotation in 1924. On the other hand, Dave Sledge, a seventeen-game winner in 1922, dropped to 10-11 with a shocking 4.27 ERA, and long-time fan favorite Aidan "Tido" Mabley was demoted to the bullpen despite his 19-17 record. The twenty-three-year old Sledge will be given another chance, but the handwriting was on the wall for Mabley, and he was shipped off to Stoke after the new year for minor-league hurler Sean Tupper.
At the end of spring training, Westminster cut their last ties with the team that won ten-straight pennants when they gave reliever Murrough Ariss his unconditional release. The BA all-time save leader with 157, Ariss wore a Peers uniform from 1908 to 1923, compiling a 130-67 record in 585 appearances.
SPRING TRAINING 1924
The early line on the EL pennant race had a repeat of the 1923 results, with Liverpool edging out Westminster by a pair of games and Dublin coming in third. In the DA, the punters liked Lambeth, giving them the advantage over Manchester and Leeds.
Vince Perkins, who went 13-22 with a 4.27 ERA for Islington last year, left a 20 March game with what turned out to be a damaged elbow ligament that doctors say will keep him out of action for the rest of the year. Islington fans are still deciding whether that's good news or bad news. Young right-handed starter Aidan Stuart, who compiled a 3-1 record last year in his maiden season with Kensington and was expected to compete for a spot in the rotation this year, will have to wait for his big chance as a shoulder injury will keep him on the sidelines until September at the earliest.
Glasgow took the spring title with an 18-6 mark. Westminster and Nottingham shared the EL honors with 16-8 marks.