1930
Changes- Change trade deadline (later) - The trade deadline is moved to August 10th.
- Remove minor league - AA is deleted, leaving only AAA.
- Change BBs (higher) - Walks will now be 50% more common than real life, an interesting factor with hits and strikeouts already down.
Off-Season
- Montreal traded starter George Uhle to the Red Sox for two minor leaguers.
- Smokey Joe Wood signed with the Boston Braves.
American League
Minnesota Twins (94-60)
St. Louis Browns (91-63)
New York Yankees (79-75)
Washington Senators (79-75)
Detroit Tigers (78-76)
Boston Red Sox (77-77)
Providence Angels (76-78)
Chicago White Sox (72-82)
Milwaukee Brewers (72-82)
Cleveland Indians (71-83)
Kansas City Athletics (71-83)
Baltimore Orioles (64-90)
AL MVP: Chuck Klein (Minnesota) (2nd award)
AL CYA: Lefty Grove (Washington) (3rd award)
AL ROY: Ben Chapman (Baltimore)
National League
Boston Braves (100-54)
Cincinnati Reds (93-61)
Newark Bears (91-63)
Pittsburgh Pirates (81-73)
Texas Rangers (78-76)
Chicago Cubs (77-77)
Brooklyn Dodgers (76-78)
Montreal Expos (70-84)
Philadelphia Phillies (70-84)
New York Giants (67-87)
St. Louis Cardinals (65-89)
Louisville Colonels (56-98)
NL MVP: Babe Ruth (Boston) (14th award)
NL MOP: Pete Donohue (Newark) (6th award)
NL ROY: Wally Berger (Brooklyn)
Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: Chuck Klein (Minnesota) .294, Babe Ruth (Boston) .297
Home Runs: Chuck Klein (Minnesota) 68, Babe Ruth (Boston) 64
Runs Batted In: Chuck Klein (Minnesota) 138, Earl Averill (Cincinnati) 143
Stolen Bases: Ben Chapman (Baltimore) 17, Bernie Neis (Chicago) / Carl Reynolds (New York) 15
WAR: Chuck Klein (Minnesota) 12.7, Babe Ruth (Boston) 13.9
Wins: Lefty Grove (Washington) 23, Pete Schneider (Boston) 27
ERA: Jakie May (Cleveland) 1.77, Pete Donohue (Newark) 1.13
Strikeouts: Lefty Grove (Washington) 249, Lefty Gomez (Montreal) 177
Saves: Elmer Ponder (Minnesota) 31, Frank Woodward (Cincinnati) 30
WAR: Lefty Grove (Washington) 15.4, Red Lucas (Louisville) 12.8
Notes
- Chuck Klein's second Triple Crown powered the Twins to the pennant.
- Boston returned to the postseason, setting up a rematch of the 1927 World Series.
- If Grove had conceded one fewer earned run, he would have won the Triple Crown.
- The Angels slipped from the AL pennant to a losing record.
- The first time since 1916 that Ruth didn't lead the NL in runs scored.
- Cincinnati's power hitting duo of Earl Averill and Lou Gehrig wasn't enough to challenge the Braves.
- Newark led the league in run prevention, but were outhit by Boston and Cincinnati.
- Cleveland traded Whitey Witt to the Yankees for two young pitchers.
Achievements & Milestones
- Lou Gehrig (Cincinnati), Harry Rice (Providence), Johnny Gill (Providence), and Earl Averill (Cincinnati) all hit three home runs in a game.
- Marty McManus (Cardinals), Dick Burrus (Minnesota), and Lyn Lary (Washington) hit for the cycle.
- Joe Wood (Braves) and Burleigh Grimes (Cubs) threw perfect games.
- Austin McHenry (NY Yankees), Ross Youngs (Louisville), and Ray Morgan (NY Giants) reached 2000 hits.
- Milt Stock (Cubs) and Harry Heilmann (Newark) collected their 2500th hit.
- George Smith (Cleveland), Pete Schneider (Newark), and Al Mamaux (Minnesota) won game #200.
- Joe Wood (Braves) became the third man to win 350 games.
World Series
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Boston defeated Minnesota, 5 games to 3.
- Ace Rube Foster was the series MVP, winning both his starts, and allowing just a single earned run in 17 IP.
- Al Mamaux (Minnesota) threw a shutout in Game Three, allowing a hit and four walks, as the Twins won 2-0.
- Chuck Klein (Minnesota) single-handedly tied the series in Game Four, hitting two solo homers to give the Twins the 2-1 victory.
- Foster was the dominant hurler in Game Five, shutting out the Twins, as the Braves won 3-0 to retake the lead.
- Boston won Game Six in a walk-off, as catcher Rollie Hemsley hit the first pitch of the bottom of the eleventh inning for a home run.
- Minnesota tied Game Seven in the top of the ninth, after being down to their last out. Klein then hit a two-run home run in the top of the 15th inning, as the Twins won 6-4.
- Joe Wood (Boston) secured the championship for the Braves, allowing just one run in Game Eight, as his B's won 4-1.
- Babe Ruth (Boston) had a quiet World Series, going just 5-31 with a single homer.
- Pat Crawford (Boston) was 8-31 with two homers and eight RBI.
- Klein batted 8-36 with four homers and eight RBI.
- Boston's third title in four years, and their fifth overall.
Retirements
- Doc Ayers. Workhorse who pitched excellently for bad teams in New York and St. Louis. 234-250 with a 113 OPS+.
- George Harper. An important piece of the Cleveland dynasty who won four consecutive rings. Career 127 OPS+ and a .300 batting average in left field.
- Joe Jackson. One of the finest hitters of all-time. Eleven times an All-Star, and eleven Silver Sluggers. A .318 average, 162 OPS+, and 3280 hits in a long career for New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia Quakers, Milwaukee, and the Cubs.
- Rabbit Maranville. 1915 AL MVP in Chicago. Star shortstop who was an important complement to the power hitting of Babe Ruth in Boston. 2430 hits, 100 OPS+, six Gold Gloves, six rings, and the 1918 NLCS MVP.
- George Smith. Another Cleveland Indian who won four World Series, the ace made four All-Star games, and picked up 207 wins.
- Red Smith. Third baseman who won ALCS MVP and the World Series with Providence in 1914. 2586 hits, five All-Star games, and a 123 OPS+.
Draft
- The Colonels drafted Ripper Collins first overall.
- Billy Herman went second to Baltimore.
- The Cardinals picked catcher Ernie Lombardi at three.
Joe Wood threw a perfect game, picked up his 350th win, and won the clinching game of the World Series.
Earl Averill denied Babe Ruth another Triple Crown.