1903 National League Rookies
Red Ames, SP, Age 20, Giants
Ames should be a nice addition to the Giants' mediocre pitching staff. Unfortunately, the team has a recent history of top pitching prospects not panning out. He will likely begin the season as the #3 starter and bump
Red Donahue (11-15, 5.29 ERA) to the bullpen, where he will likely have more success.
Mordecai Brown, SP, Age 24, Cardinals
From Brown's SABR bio:
"Mordecai's most familiar nickname was Three Finger, although he actually had four and a half fingers on his pitching hand. Because of childhood curiosity, Mordecai lost most of his right index finger in a piece of farming equipment. Not long after, he fell while chasing a rabbit and broke his other fingers. The result was a bent middle finger, a paralyzed little finger, and a stump where the index finger used to be."
Brown was an MLB HOF'er with one of the best career ERA's and WHIP's in baseball history, and the first MLB pitcher to throw four consecutive shutouts. In MLHR, he will jump right into an already talented, but consistently underperforming Cardinals rotation. Before long, he could be their ace. His addition should also help the bullpen with a former starter, perhaps
Nig Cuppy (7-19, 4.73 ERA), improving their ranks. Brown's presence could be enough to boost St. Louis back into pennant contention if their offense continues to perform well.
Cy Falkenberg, SP, Age 23, Pirates
On a loaded Pirates' pitching staff, the talented Falkenberg will have to fight just to earn a bullpen role. The team already had one of the top pens in the league and Falkenberg's addition should make them the clear #1 relief staff in the game, perhaps the best that any team has had up to this point in MLHR history.
Solly Hofman, CF, Age 20, Pirates
The Pirates already have a talented outfield, so Hofman may initially split time at first base with 36-year-old veteran
Jake Beckley (.253, 12 HR, 63 RBI). His future could be at first, or he may eventually take over right field from 35-year-old
Mike Smith (.250, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 17 SB).
Hans Lobert, 3B, Age 21, Pirates
From his SABR bio:
"Hans Lobert's game was built around speed. Aside from 1912, when an injury caused him to miss more than half the season, the stocky, bowlegged third baseman stole 30 or more bases each year from 1907 to 1914. At a field day in Cincinnati on October 12, 1910, Lobert rounded the bases in 13.8 seconds, considered a record at the time. He also raced against— and defeated —Olympic gold-medal winner Jim Thorpe, collegiate track-star Vince Campbell, and even a racehorse. One reporter suggested that if Hans put his mind to it, he could be the world-record holder in the 110 and the 440. But the hardnosed Lobert was far from one-dimensional. The lifetime .274 hitter batted over .300 four times and twice led National League third basemen in fielding percentage."
In MLHR, Lobert will likely take over third base from 33-year-old
Fred Hartman (.229, 17 HR, 58 RBI), whose skills are in decline. Lobert plays fine defense and will add a touch of speed to the team, if only providing above-average batting numbers.
Jack Pfiester, SP, Age 24, Pirates
A fine pitcher who debuted with MLB's Pirates but made his name with the Cubs, he was known as "Giant Killer" for his career 15-5 record against the Cubs' rival New York Giants. In MLHR, he will immediately join perhaps the finest rotation we have ever seen with
Rube Waddell (18-8, 2.55 ERA),
Deacon Phillippe (17-12, 3.10 ERA),
Sam Leever (15-10, 3.00 ERA) and
Jack Chesbro (11-11, 3.86 ERA). If the Pirates offense improves from their disappointing 1902 campaign, there is no reason the Pirates shouldn't be favored to win the pennant.
John Titus, RF, Age 24, Phillies
From his SABR bio:
"Silent John" Titus was a strong-armed outfielder who recorded more than 20 assists for seven straight seasons, but he was better known for his quiet demeanor, his mustache, his selectivity at the plate, and the ubiquitous toothpick in his mouth. "Titus had one of the best batting eyes I ever saw," said [HOF'er] Pete Alexander, who played with Titus on the Phillies during the early part of his career. "He would take his position at the plate with the easiest and most confident air in the world. If the ball was an inch outside of the plate, he would watch it go by and never bat an eye lash. If it was an inch inside, he wouldn't move. He would just draw in his stomach and let the ball pass. But if you put the ball over the plate, he would whale the cover off. It used to exasperate me merely to watch him. Many a time I have said to myself, If I were pitching, Old Man, I'd knock that toothpick out of your mouth and maybe then you'd move over."
In MLHR, Titus finds himself in a loaded, but aging, Phillies outfield. There really is nowhere for him to play regularly as of yet with 36-year-old
Ed Delahanty (.262, 24 HR, 84 RBI) manning left field, 37-year-old
Billy Hamilton (.262, 14 HR, 106 R, 75 SB) in center and 27-year-old
Elmer Flick (.292, 25 HR, 93 RBI) in right. The future of center field is 27-year-old
Roy Thomas (.386 OBP in 564 career AB), so Titus will have to bide his time waiting for Delahanty, a remarkable 8-time BoY, to relinquish the left field job.
Jake Weimer, SP, Age 24, Cubs
Weimer had a brief but successful MLB career that did not begin until age 29. In MLHR, he has the luxury of starting five years younger, but the Cubs already have a talented pitching staff, so Weimer will be fighting for a bullpen job this season. He throws hard, which is often a good trait in a reliever. The question is whether or not he will get many innings and if he will have the kind of success he had in MLB.
