[CT Wolverine]

Metaphysical League Baseball (MLB)
1931 Season


The 1931 pennant races looked to be interesting. In the AL, the World Champion Red Sox were led by single-season HR champ Ken Williams and star pitcher Bob Black. Their principal rival, the Washington Senators, had 2B Charlie Hickman, coming off a single-season record 177 RBIs, LF Harmon Killebrew, 1B Rod Carew, and SPs Greg Maddux and Claude Passeau.

Over in the NL, the formidable Reds were led by 1B Lou Gehrig and SP Kid Nichols. They would be challenged by the very deep St Louis Cardinals, led by SP Waite Hoyt and position players C Joe Mauer, 1B Dale Long, 3B Ken Boyer, SS Joe Tinker and RF Roger Maris.

According to form, after the 1st month of the season, the Red Sox and Senators sat tied atop the AL. In the NL, the Reds held a 1 game lead over the surprising Braves and 1 ½ games over the Cardinals. On 5/19, the Cards, still 2 games back, made a big trade, acquiring 35-yr-old J.R. Richard, 4-1-1.75, from the Cubs for 4 players. However, by the end of May, they had fallen to 5 ½ games behind the Reds. Over in the AL, the White Sox had taken the lead over Boston and Washington.

By the end of June, order had been restored in the AL, with the Senators on top, the Red Sox trailing by a scant ½ game. Over in the NL, Cincinnati and Brooklyn were tied, St Louis in 3rd, 4 ½ games behind.

On July 10, Boston leading Washington, by 2 games, the league leaders pulled off an earth-shattering trade. Washington sent Charlie Hickman (of the 177 RBIs the previous season, but struggling) to Boston for speedster SS Terry Turner. Observers felt that this deal could very well decide the outcome of the AL race. By the end of July, however not much had changed, The Red Sox held a 1 game lead. In the NL, St Louis, by virtue Batter of the Month Boyer and Pitcher of the Month Hoyt, took a 2 game lead on Cincinnati. The Cards’ Dale Long led baseball in RBIs (84) and the Cards’ J.R Richard led baseball in ERA (2.22).

Injuries, however, began to hit the Cardinals. Mauer went out on 8/1 for 5-6 weeks, then Tinker, who had already missed over two weeks, would be delayed for another week. This slowed, but did not stop the Cardinals. When the Reds won 7 straight into early September while the Cards lost 3 in a row, the Reds pulled ahead by 5 games with 22 to play. At the same time, the Red Sox 8 game win streak and a Senators slump gave Boston an 8 ½ game lead and all but cinched the AL race.

On 9/17, the Red Sox clinched the AL pennant with 9 games remaining.

The NL, however, would prove to be quite another story. On 9/21, the Reds clinched a tie with 5 games remaining. They then lost the next two games, while the Cards won 2, setting up a 3-game finale at home vs the Cards. St Louis won the 1st game and the tension mounted. Finally, in game #153, Cincinnati defeated St Louis 7-3, on the back of Matt Joyce’s 2-4, HR, 4 RBI day to win the pennant.




The 1931 World Series would be a rematch of the defending champion Red Sox (all-time leader at 6-1 in World Series play) and the Reds (2-4 in World Series play).

Surprisingly, and controversially, the Reds announced that their ace, Kid Nichols, would not pitch until the 1st home game in Cincinnati. However, the Reds Bill J Sweeney (11-18) outdueled the Red Sox Bob Black, 2-1, in Game 1. In Game 2, Ken Williams’ 3-4, HR, 3 RBI day and Mike Hampton’s led the Sox to an easy 7-3 win. Nichols finally appeared in Game 3, and the visiting Red Sox promptly beat him, 4-3 behind Joe Horlen. The Rds bounced back in Game 4, as Sweeney again defeated Black, 4-3, on Norm Miller’s 1-our walkoff RBI 1B in the 9th. The Reds retook the series lead in Game 5 with a tense 2-1 victory on another walkoff, this time an Eric Hinske 2B in the 11th. Nichols got another chance vs Horlen in Game 6 in Boston. This one was a slugfest fitting of Fenway Park. The Reds took a 5-0 lead in the 1st, the key blow a Bob Watson 3-run HR. They increased their lead to as much as 8-2 by the top of the 5th. Then the Red Sox stormed back. By the end of 7 innings, the game was tied at 8-8. Cincinnati, however, had one more rally left, scoring two in the top of the 8th for a 10-8 lead. Nichols and Lee Smith finished up for the Reds win.

The Reds won their 3rd World Championship (2nd in 3 seasons), 4 games to 2.

Bill J Sweeney, 2-0-2.00 in 18 IP defeated the Red Sox star pitcher Bob Black in 2 games to garner the MVP honers.

Records:
Ty Cobb, A’s, set single-season record for 2B: 62


1931 Awards and Accomplishments:

Triple Crown: Will Clark, NYG, 21-118-.355 (3rd ever in MLB play, 2nd consecutive for Clark)

Batting Avg: AL: Ty Cobb, A’s, .396 (6th in a row, 11th leading lg); NL: Will Clark, NYG, .355
Rookie of Year: AL: Baby Doll Jacobson, Cle, 13-83-.359-3
Rookie of Year: NL: Cliff Johnson, ChC, 21-79-.269-1
Pitcher of Year: AL: Bob Black, Bos, 23-8-2.65
Pitcher of Year: NL: Kid Nichols, Cin, 24-9-2.92 (2nd consecutive)
Hitter of Year: AL: Ty Cobb, A’s, 4-81-.396-37, 233 H, 62 2B, 13 3B, 126 R (2nd Consecutive)
Hitter of Year: NL: Will Clark, NYG, 21-118-.355-2, 224 H, 36 2B, 20 3B, 123 RBI (2nd Consecutive)

Hitting Streaks:
Ty Cobb hit in 33 straight games
Joe Adcock hit in 32 straight games

Milestones:
Honus Wagner, Pirates, reached hi # 3000 (2nd all-time to Nap Lajoie, 3129)
Rod Carew, Senators, reached hit # 2500

Bobo Newsom, Indians, reached win # 200

Hall of Fame:

Early Wynn, 1902-26, 334-350-11-3.09; 762 G, 694 GS, 5956 IP, 5968 H, 2034 BB, 2255 K, 500 CG. All-time leader in Wins, GS, CG, IP, Losses. One World Championship (SLA ’24), one League Championship.

Parke Swartzel, 1910-26, 226-195-21-2.91; 3979.1 IP,3897 H, 800 BB, 1488 K. Outstanding Pitcher: 1914, led league in W (2), CG (3), K/BB (4). Two World Championships (A’s ’16, ’19).

Retired:

Jackie Robinson, 1918-29, 77-758-.282-131. Six Gold Gloves (5 @ 2B, 1 @ 1B)

Overachiever:
Doug Rader, 1916-31, 81-918-.281-17

Underachiever:
Fred Lynn, 1916-31, 108-820-.273-34