We get a couple close wins early, as Phillippe pitches a 10-inning shutout and knocks in two runs himself in a 3-0 win at New York and then we sneak by the following day 4-3 on a 2-run single in the top 9th by Murphy. The most positive aspect of all to be taken from this four-game swing, which we sweep, is some signs of Wagner turning things around.
We go on a decent enough run in that period, winning seven of our next ten, but Owen’s continued poor form forces my hand and I move McJames into the rotation in his place.
Our strong form continues over the next couple of weeks, allowing us to hold our destiny in our own hands. We are helped in this regard by Cincy’s seemingly uncanny ability to lose whenever we do (which I’d be quite happy for them to keep doing for the duration!) and somewhat inconsistent form by the others still within range.
We just taper off ever so slightly in the next-to-final week of August, and I decide to try and keep morale up by locking down a few players for next season and beyond. With Wagner, Phillippe and Chesbro already under lock and key via the Legacy Player rules (every Legacy is signed for 10 years at a rate based on their IRL earnings with a no-trade clause imposed; Wagner, for example, gets $61k over that period), I first sit down and talk with Steinfeldt, Williams, Murphy, Dexter, O’Neill, McIntyre and Altrock—each of whom is offered a multi-season contract ranging between three and five years. Next, Seybold, Schreckengost, Malarkey, Owen, Maloney, McJames are each offered single-year deals. By month’s end almost half have agreed to terms and hopefully there’ll be no hiccups with the rest.
It seems to have the desired effect, and two sterling performances in particular from this period deserve mentioning.
Mike O’Neill, having another excellent campaign, pitches a 10-inning three-hitter and delivers the offensive punch with a 3-run walkoff dinger to get us home 3-0 against Boston.
The very next game, Phillippe notches his 20th win for the season in fine style, shutting out the Beaneaters on 5 hits and outduelling the great Rube Waddell for a 1-0 squeaker.
And so, after a home sweep to round off an 18-8 month, we are 8½ games clear of a bunched field led by the Reds, with a 69-48 overall record.
Hot / Not- Just a really even performance by the group so I feel it unwarranted to single any of them out.
Around the Leagues- The White Sox sweep the A’s early in the month to close within 2½, but that’s as near as they get as Philadelphia steadies and then pushes back out with a 19-8 month to lead the Browns by 11 games and look in complete control.
- Brooklyn’s Jesse Tannehill becomes the league’s first 20-game winner this season.
- Clark Griffith pitches a 16-inning 7-hit shutout for Boston in a 1-0 win over the White Sox.
- The Cards lose Emmet Heidrick for a month to a torn quad.
- Jesse Burkett goes a perfect 6-for-6 with 2 RBI as the Browns annihilate Washington 17-1.
- Lave Cross hits in 25 straight.
Awards- 08/04 POTW: AL – Chick Stahl (Baltimore) 565 / 3 RBI; NL – Bill Keister (Brooklyn) 391 / 2 HR / 7 RBI.
- 08/11 POTW: AL – Lave Cross (Chicago) 560 / 2 RBI; NL – Harry Davis (New York) 448 / 1 HR / 8 RBI.
- 08/18 POTW: AL – John McGraw (St. Louis) 579 / 7 RBI; NL – Noodles Hahn (Cincinnati) 2-0 / 0.50 / 8 K / 18 IP.
- 08/25 POTW: AL – Pop Foster (Detroit) 450 / 3 HR / 8 RBI; NL – Sam Crawford (Cincinnati) 455 / 1 HR / 5 RBI.
- AL Batter of the Month: John McGraw (St. Louis) 381 / 15 RBI.
- NL Batter of the Month: Jimmy Barrett (Boston) 383 / 2 HR / 19 RBI.
- AL Pitcher of the Month: Eddie Plank (Philadelphia) 4-0 / 1.48 / 42 K / 73 IP.
- NL Pitcher of the Month: Rube Waddell (Chicago) 6-1 / 1.92 / 48 K / 61 IP.
- AL Rookie of the Month: Addie Joss (Cleveland) 5-3 / 2.70 / 26 K / 73.1 IP.
- NL Rookie of the Month: Carl Lundgren (Philadelphia) 4-3 / 3.41 / 24 K / 58 IP.
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