1918 National League Rookies
Jesse Haines, SP, Age 24, Reds
Haines is a solid pitcher with good control. He was a HOF'er who pitched 554 games for the Cardinals in his MLB days, but will begin his career in MLHR with the Reds thanks to 1 game that he pitched with them in 1917. He joins an already solid Reds rotation as the #4 starter. The question is whether or not the Reds will have enough offense. They didn't have enough last season.
Charlie Hollocher, SS, Age 21, Cubs
Hollocher takes over at shortstop for the defending NL champion Cubs from 2-time Gold Glover
Bill Sweeney (.260, 45 RBI, 52 R). Hollocher plays solid defense, but his primary skill is at the plate where he projects to have a high OBP with 15+ stolen bases. That's why Chicago plans to bat him in the leadoff spot.
Waite Hoyt, SP, Age 18, Giants
Hoyt, another HOF'er, will join a Giants rotation that has plenty of talent but significantly underperformed in a disappointing 84-78 season in 1917. Even though
Al Demaree (13-8, 3.41 ERA) was one of the few bright spots on the pitching staff last season, he will move into a setup role in the bullpen to make room for Hoyt.
Austin McHenry, LF, Age 22, Cardinals
Here is an excerpt from his SABR bio:
"By the time he was 25 years old, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Austin McHenry was considered one of baseball’s best outfielders and hitters, especially after enjoying a 1921 season that saw him finish with a .350 batting average, second only to teammate and future Hall of Famer Rogers Hornsby. McHenry also finished second to Hornsby in slugging at .531, placed among the top five National League hitters in doubles, home runs, RBIs, total bases, and extra-base hits, and was one of only six N.L. hitters with 200 hits that season. Combined with a strong arm and an easy gait that was sometimes mistaken for indifference, McHenry was considered not only one of baseball’s best outfielders and hitters after his remarkable 1921 campaign, but one of the ten best left fielders of all time to that point in baseball history.
His performance tailed off in 1922 as he battled inconsistency at the plate and in the field, caused mostly by problems with his vision that had McHenry fearing he was going blind. Concerned about his health, Cardinals manager Branch Rickey sent McHenry to his Ohio home to rest, where it was discovered the star outfielder had a brain tumor. He died four months later."
Fortunately, McHenry will have a shot at a long career in MLHR. He will begin his career as the cleanup hitter in a good Cardinals lineup and will be expected to provide some protection for 2-time BoY
Rogers Hornsby (.344, 57 HR, 125 RBI, 133 R).
