1909
Changes- Change age 4*+ (higher) - Russ Ford's age was increased from 25 to 34. This is pretty brutal luck for New Jersey, who are terrible, and just picked Ford first overall.
- 4-team expansion - We're expanding quickly! Following the season, the New York Yankees will be added to the AL East, the St. Louis Browns join the AL West, the Buffalo Bisons will be added to the NL East, and the Kansas City Packers will be added to the NL West.
- Swap two team best - Nap Lajoie (Philadelphia Athletics) and Christy Mathewson (New York Giants) were traded for each other. Lajoie is probably a better player than Mathewson, but he is 34, while "Big Six" is only 28.
American League East
Philadelphia Athletics (79-61)
Boston Americans (76-64)
Providence Angels (75-65)
Baltimore Orioles (73-67)
Washington Senators (65-75)
American League West
Chicago White Sox (86-54)
Milwaukee Brewers (76-64)
Cleveland Blues (63-77)
Detroit Tigers (54-86)
Duluth Dragons (53-87)
AL MVP: Pete Hill (Boston) (4th award)
AL CYA: Eddie Plank (Chicago)
AL ROY: Fred Beck (Providence)
National League East
Brooklyn Superbas (93-47)
Boston Beaneaters (78-62)
New York Giants (77-63)
Philadelphia Phillies (76-64)
New Jersey Nationals (30-110)
National League West
Cincinnati Reds (87-53)
Pittsburgh Pirates (86-54)
St. Louis Cardinals (70-70)
Chicago Orphans (69-71)
Louisville Colonels (34-106)
NL MVP: Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) (4th award)
NL MOP: Togie Pittinger (Brooklyn)
NL ROY: Zack Wheat (Louisville)
Statistical Leaders
Batting Average: Ty Cobb (Providence) .335, Eddie Collins (Boston) .338
Home Runs: John Anderson (Milwaukee) 9, Harry Lumley (Pittsburgh) 9
Runs Batted In: John Anderson (Milwaukee) 83, Harry Lumley (Pittsburgh) 90
Stolen Bases: Ty Cobb (Providence) 71, Joe Birmingham (Pittsburgh) 62
WAR: Pete Hill (Boston) 11.1, Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh) 11.1
Wins: Eddie Plank (Chicago) 20, Jack Chesbro (Pittsburgh) 27
ERA: Casey Patten (Chicago) 1.41, Togie Pittinger (Brooklyn) 1.69
Strikeouts: Fred Beebe (Cleveland) 196, Willie Mitchell (St. Louis) 162
Saves: Joe Harris (Milwaukee) 26, Jim Buchanan (Philadelphia) / Ed Kusel (Brooklyn) 31
WAR: Christy Mathewson (Philadelphia) 8.0, Noodles Hahn (Cincinnati) 8.0
Notes
- Boston missed out on the postseason for the first time in five years, as new acquisition Christy Mathewson led the Athletics to the division title.
- The White Sox's twin aces of Eddie Plank and Casey Patten let them win the West.
- Nap Lajoie (New York) had a bad first year in the NL; he played in only 47 games due to injury, the Giants' crosstown rivals in Brooklyn had the best record in baseball, and his old team won their division after trading him.
- The Reds ran off an amazing 18-game winning streak in September, to comeback from being seven games back at the start of the month to overhaul the Pirates.
- Jack Chesbro's 27 wins were the most since Rube Waddell won 28 for the Pirates in 1901.
- Zaza Harvey (Chicago WS) hit for the cycle against Duluth.
- Joe Wood (Duluth) and Nick Maddox (White Sox) both threw no-hitters.
- Ty Cobb had a 31-game hitting streak.
ALCS
- Philadelphia defeated Cleveland, 4 games to 1.
- Christy Mathewson won MVP, as he allowed just one run in his two victories.
- The Athletics won their first pennant.
- Ward Miller (Chicago) cracked a walk-off tenth-inning single to win Game Two.
NLCS
- Brooklyn defeated Cincinnati, 4 games to 2.
- Solly Hofman was MVP, as he went 8-21.
- Brooklyn won their first pennant.
- Hooks Wiltse (Brooklyn) allowed just one run in sixteen innings of work.
- Noodles Hahn threw ten scoreless innings for the Reds.
World Series
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Philadelphia defeated Brooklyn, 5 games to 4.
- Bill Coughlin (Brooklyn) was the MVP despite losing, as he batted a ferocious 18-37 with 7 RBI. His teammates Solly Hofman and Lefty Davis also batted better than .400 and drove in seven men.
- Pinch hitter Danny Moeller (Brooklyn) hit a walk-off single to win Game Five.
- Philadelphia won the last three games in the series, as Brooklyn blew a 4-2 lead.
- Christy Mathewson won Game Four, and then was the winning pitcher in Game Nine, throwing five scoreless frames. Pitching as a starter and in relief, he allowed four earned runs in 20.1 World Series innings.
- Philadelphia's first World Series win.
Off-Season
- The Yankees picked Jesse Tannehill (Pittsburgh) with the first pick in the expansion draft. Catcher Harry Bemis (Pittsburgh) went second to Kansas City, Buffalo picked Erve Beck (Cleveland), and the Browns chose Del Howard (Boston Americans). Each existing team was only allowed to protect 13 players (rather than 15) in an attempt to help the expansion teams compete.
- The Browns picked CF Max Carey with the first pick in the regular draft.
- Roger Peckinpaugh went second to Buffalo.
- The Packers chose pitcher Dick Rudolph at three.
- Outfielder Doc Miller was the Yankees' first selection.
- Lefty Tyler went fifth to New Jersey.
- New Jersey traded (prematurely aged) ace Russ Ford to the Americans for shortstop Tony Smith and pitching prospect Marty O'Toole.
Eddie Plank won the Al Cy Young Award, as the White Sox took their division.
Trading for Christy Mathewson paid off for the Athletics, who won the World Series.