September 1929
Both the A's and Phillies made relatively quick work of the rest of the league. By the time there were 10 days left in the season, both teams had clinched the pennant. The Braves finished the season in 7th place in the NL, 27 games behind the Phillies. One must wonder how a team goes from 65-89 in 1927 to a record-setting 105-49 in 1928 to 71-83 in 1929. Their counterpart in last season's World Series, Detroit, finished just barely above .500.
This was a season full of records. On September 20th, Phillies catcher
Willard Schwarz hit his 40th home run of the season against Brooklyn's
Brandon Felmet. This will go down as one of the most spectacular offensive seasons of all-time, as Schwarz also drove in 113 RBI. He has become the unquestioned offensive leader of the team, as 37-year old
John Falise, who has won the past 4 BOY Awards, was second on the team with just 14 homers!
In the AL, meanwhile, Boston's
Tyrell Chestnut broke the AL record of 28 homers and finished the season with 30. Prior to this season, no man had ever clubbed 30 taters, and two men have done it in one season! Chestnut also set a new AL record with 138 RBI. Detroit's
Quenton Misisca, the previous owner of the AL home run record, matched his career high with another 28 longballs this season. One player in each league, Cardinals leftfielder
"Big Lou" Zaitz and Detroit third baseman
Troy Kinnear, hit 27 homers on the season.
In other record breaking news, Cleveland's
"Duckie" Andrew set a new AL record with 72 stolen bases. He became just the second player in history to steal 70 or more bases. The other was former Cubs outfielder James Allaire, who stole a still-standing major league record 74 in 1915. Also, Brooklyn rookie outfielder
Oscar "The Kid" Vancini set a new major league rookie record with 19 home runs. The former record was 15 set by the Yankees'
Ralph "Thunder" Tumbridge, but the old NL record of 11 was set way back in 1901 by Tim Baily, who also played for the Cubs.
Code:
American League Standings
Philadelphia (A) 98 56 .636 -
Chicago (A) 83 71 .539 15.0
Detroit 79 75 .513 19.0
Boston (A) 77 77 .500 21.0
New York (A) 75 79 .487 23.0
St. Louis (A) 70 84 .455 28.0
Washington 70 84 .455 28.0
Cleveland 64 90 .416 34.0
National League Standings
Philadelphia (N) 98 56 .636 -
Chicago (N) 82 72 .532 16.0
St. Louis (N) 82 72 .532 16.0
Brooklyn 79 75 .513 19.0
Pittsburgh 74 80 .481 24.0
Cincinnati 73 81 .474 25.0
Boston (N) 71 83 .461 27.0
New York (N) 57 97 .370 41.0
World Series
Four years ago when the A's and Phillies met in the World Series, most experts and fans around the game believed we would see many more intra-Philly World Series over the coming years. However, as three more seasons have passed, both teams have made one more appearance in the Series, but never against each other. The A's lost a heart-breaker to Brooklyn in 1926 and the Phillies defeated the Yankees in 1927. With the A's still seeking their first World Championship since 1906, they are desperate to win this year. The Phillies have always been favored in the city dating back to their dominant teams at the turn of the century, but their fan base has grown significantly in and around Philadelphia since defeating the A's in 1925 and winning another title in 1927. The A's need to win this series to move off Philadelphia's back page and into the limelight.
The A's offense is deadly as always. They led the majors in batting average, walks and runs scored and they were second in home runs. They boast five hitters with double-digit homers, including three with 20 or more. Their pitching staff is ranked 3rd in most categories, and they have two dominant pitchers atop the rotation. Third starter
Alex Winterhalter went 15-5 with a 3.00 ERA and will be a key component to the A's success. They elected to start him over 20-game winner
Kyle Osio, who struggled in September.
The Phillies again enter the Series with a mighty 1-2-3 rotation. Even their 4th and 5th starters are better than many teams' #2 starter. Their staff is 1st in most categories, and will be the main ingredient in what the team hopes is a 3rd World Championship in 5 years. Their offense is around the middle of the pack in batting average and runs scored, but they usually make up for it by drawing walks, stealing bases and hitting the longball.
My Prediction: Both teams are hungry, and this could be one of the most exciting Series we've seen. It may come down to who wants it more, but understand that more rides on this World Series than just a championship. Men's livelihoods and the standing of each franchise within their shared city is at stake. Both teams are very evenly matched, but the Phillies' occaisional offensive struggles could make things easier on the A's pitching. Meanwhile, the Phillie starters will face perhaps their biggest test in a dangerous A's offense that is more mature and out for blood. It does not help that the Phillies' Game 1 starter,
Terry Schukraft, will pitch his first game since August 25th after straining his tricep. I predict the A's will win in 6 games.
Ancestors Involved:
Athletics
Ahrend "Professor" Nagel, #1 SP
Virgil "Tank" Lusk, starting catcher, batting 8th
Salvatore "The Sicilian Saucer" Rossi, starting 1B, batting 5th
Ben "Rabbi" Baum, starting CF, batting 3rd
Phillies
John "Pops" Falise, starting RF, batting 3rd