1906 RECAP
MLB OFF-SEASON MOVES
The Chicago White Sox did not rest on their World Series championship, as they are likely the most improved club over the off-season. The Sox added 30 year old gold glove shortstop Zach Fitzpatrick (.259,8,60) in a trade with the Athletics and signed 36 year old free agent outfielder Dan Perkins (.312,29,95), who split last season between the Pirates and Reds. The best news for Sox fans is they did this without losing any of the key contributors from their championship squad.
The Yankees added two players in free agency including the top hitter available in 30 year old outfielder Jason Barr (.345,27,104) who was with the Browns a year ago, but they also lost a pair of key player via free agency.
The Cardinals fared the best in the National League, losing a couple of regulars but adding two talents in 30 year old pitcher Luffy Yazid (16-10, 2.34 with A's) and 34 year old free agent shortstop Eric Doerr (.235,17,68) from the Yankees.
NCAA
Another tight season in college baseball as three conferences went down to the wire with 2 of them needing a one-game playoff to determine a champion. The SEC was decided on the final day of the season when Mississippi State clinched it's first conference title with a 1-0 win over LSU while second place Florida was losing to Mississippi. The result game the Bulldogs a 1 game lead on the Gators with Alabama finishing 2 games off the pace. All 3 qualified for the tournament, which for Alabama marked the fourth straight season.
Virginia beat North Carolina in a playoff to claim the ACC crown while Penn State needed 15 innings to beat South Carolina 7-5 and win the Big Eat. The Gamecocks would have to play the following day against Rice, to determine who gets the final wildcard berth. It would go to the Owls after an 8-2 win.
Nebraska-Omaha, College World Series champs in 1904 and losers in the finals a year ago, punched their ticket back to the tournament with a 4th straight Big 8 title. With two of the best pitchers in the game in senior Jason Garrison (24-14, 1.90, 351 k's) and junior David Joint (26-7, 2.12, 276 k's) the Mavericks have to be considered one of the favourites to win this season.
THE TOURNAMENT
The brackets for the 1906 NCAA Tournament were as follows:
Code:
EAST REGION
ACC champ Virginia Cavaliers 72-55
IVY champ Harvard Crimson 69-57
At Large 8 Rice Owls 71-56
At Large 1 Kansas Jayhawks 78-48
SOUTH REGION
SEC champ Mississippi State Bulldogs 74-52
Big East champ Penn State Nittany Lions 71-56
At Large 4 Illinois Illini 72-54
At Large 5 Alabama Crimson Tide 72-54
MIDWEST REGION
Big10 champ Purdue Boilermakers 81-45
Big 8 champ Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks 79-47
At Large 2 Ohio State Buckeyes 74-52
At Large 7 Washington State Cougars 71-56
WEST REGION
PAC10 champ Oregon Ducks 73-53
SWC champ SMU Mustangs 73-53
At Large 3 Florida Gators 73-53
At Large 6 North Carolina Tar Heels 71-56
So much for my Nebraska-Omaha prediction as they went 1-5 in the Midwest Regional and were bounced. Purdue and Kansas were the top teams coming out of the regionals as each went 5-1. Mississippi State, Illinois, Rice, SMU, Ohio State and Oregon also advanced.
Purdue and Kansas survived to meet in the College World Series. Both were making their first championship appearances but the Boilermakers had been to the final four previously. Purdue gave up the second lowest run total in the NCAA this year but were missing one of their key starters with injury. They did still have sophomores Steve Arnold (22-8, 2.15) and Joe Kay (15-11, 2.62) and freshman closer Kevin Montana (0.95, 13 saves) along with offensive catalyst Luis Sanchez (.318,40,97) a power hitting junior outfielder. The Jayhawks were nearly as stingy, allowing the fifth lowest run total in the NCAA and were led by freshman Zack O'Dowd (26-9, 1.92) and sophomore John Polansky (22-10, 2.83). The Kansas offense is more balanced than Purdue's but they will likely be without junior outfielder Mike McMaster (.290,29,78) for at least the start of the series.
Purdue took the first two games, both in extra innings with a 7-6, 13 inning win in the opener followed by a 1-0, 10 inning victory in game two. Kansas battled back to tie the series, winning 3-0 and then 4-3 in yet another extra inning game - this one going 11.
Purdue would strike early with 4 runs in the first inning and cruise to the National Championship with a 7-3 victory in the deciding Game Five.
THE DRAFT
The Pittsburgh Pirates failed to sign first overall pick Andy Green last season but they get another chance this year as they own the top two picks. They once again selected the former Michigan pitcher with their first pick. With the second selection the Pirates took Mississippi State outfielder Juan Garcia (.339,38,93). The third pick was also a holdover from last year as Brooklyn took ex-Indiana Hoosier Zack Cupples, who failed to sign with the Phillies last season.
MAJOR LEAGUE SEASON
Despite losing some key pieces over the off-season and not really dominating in any category, the Philadelphia Athletics somehow managed to go from last place a year ago to winning the American League pennant. It was as much a case of injuries derailing the defending champion Chicago White Sox and the top contender Boston Red Sox as anything the A's did to enable them to claim their first pennant, but Philadelphia does deserve credit for developing some good young talent.
Dave Alonso (.337,16,82), the first pick in the 1902 draft, had a breakout year in his fourth major league season, winning the American League batting title and providing the A's with another strong bat to join first baseman Jesse Booker (.306,19,78). Booker, acquired from the Cardinals in the off-season, did not become a regular until late May when Josh Clardy - who averaged 25 homers and 95 rbi's over his first 5 seasons with Philadelphia, went down with a hip injury.
Lacking much offensive punch (A's were 5th in the AL in runs scored and 7th in homers) their pitching had to be on nearly every game. For the A's, their young prospects came up huge. 22 year old Antonio Martinez (23-6, 2.21) emerged as an ace just a year after being taken 6th overall out of Miami. Matt Simpson (17-12, 3.47) was another 22 year old who had a breakout season after the former 6th round pick was claimed on waivers from the Yankees.
The Boston Braves were also an unlikely pennant winner. The Braves are no longer the highest salaried team in the major leagues as they were when they dominated in the first few years of the league. This Braves club ranks 15th in payroll and, like the Athletics, relies heavily on youth.
Boston's top three starters and closer are all 24 or under including Nate Grimm (20-9, 2.39), the 21st pick of the 1905 draft and closer Nate Wert (24sv, 1.13) who went 17th in the same draft. Bill Gilpin (.333,23,61), who led the club in batting average as well as homeruns is also a product of a rich 1905 draft class for the Braves. Gilpin not only won the NL rookie of the year award but was also selected the loop's Most Valuable Player.
WORLD SERIES
The clubs split the first two games in Philadelphia with the home side winning the first game 2-1 thanks to a walk-off 9th inning homerun from Jesse Booker (.257,19,78) as Martinez outduelled Grimm while the Braves took Game Two 6-4 despite another homerun from Booker.
Boston scored 4 runs in the bottom of the 9th to stage an improbable Game Three comeback and win 6-5 but the Athletics took the fourth game 5-3 to again even the series.
Game Five needed 13 innings to declare a winner and it was the hometown Braves who won 2-1 to take a 3 games to two lead in the series. The Braves tied the game in the bottom of the ninth and won it in the 13th with a solo homerun from Jesus Castillo (.275,13,48). Starters Martinez and Grimm battled to a stalemate for 9 innings before each gave way to their respective bullpens.
I don't know if we could ask for any more drama in this series after game five but the 6th game certainly provided it. Tied at 5 after 9 innings the score would remain that way until the Braves Bobby England (.285,7,32) hit a bases-loaded infield single with two out in the top of the 12th to put Boston up 6-5. The A's would get out of the inning without further trouble and have runners on first and second with 1 out in the bottom of the 12th but be unable to get the equalizer, giving the World Series to the Boston Braves - their third such title in 4 years.
OTHER NOTES
For the first time a AAA player finished the season with a batting average over .400. Montreal Royals 24 year old first baseman Nick Kellner turned the trick, hitting .401 with 53 homers and 128 rbi's in 136 games to also claim the first triple crown in International League history. Kellner, a second round pick of the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1905, played his college ball at Oregon but gave no indication of his future pro success by averaging just .283 in 336 games for the Ducks. He is considered to be the Dodgers top prospect.
Another Dodger prospect had an even more impressive season in the Eastern League. First baseman Mike Bowen won the triple crown with a .410,61,184 season, setting minor league records for homers and rbi's in a season. The 24 year old former Nebraska Cornhusker played just 134 games at Williamsport before being promoted to AA Mobile, where he hit 2 more homers and drove in 13 runs in 17 games with the Bears.
The Tampico Alijadores continue to be the class of the Mexican League as they won their 5th playoff championship in the 6 year history of the league. Despite finishing second to the Mexico City Red Devils in the regular season, Tampico claimed the playoff series in the maximum 7 games.
The Victoria Royals won the Canadian Series after beating the St. Jean Canadians in the finals. Victoria won it's second straight and 4th Western Canada League pennant in six years while St. Jean was a first time winner of the Quebec Provincial League.
Minor league champions were as follows:
Code:
LEAGUE CHAMPION PARENT CLUB
American Association Louisville Colonels Bos Red Sox
International League Baltimore Orioles Cleveland
Pacific Coast League Sacramento Solons Washington
Southern Association Memphis Chickasaws Cincinnati
Texas League Dallas Rebels Detroit
Eastern League Scranton Red Sox Bos Red Sox
SALLY League Columbia Reds Cincinnati
Three I League Decatur Commodores Independent
Interstate League Wilmington Blue Rocks Independent
West Texas-New Mex L Pampa Oilers Independent