Cardinal Rule: A Fictional Historical 1901 Replay

[Afino]

After finally removing myself from my first OOTP dynasty (where I took the fictional St. Louis Blues to 5 World Championships in 6 years beginning in 1950), I've decided to start completely over. I wish I had started writing on that franchise, because it was tough to let go considering I had spent 6 months on that one dynasty. Now I have a chance to start this from the beginning.

Syd Thrift's guidelines (slightly modified to fit my personal tastes) have set the baseline to start a historical (but fictional) league beginning in 1901. Feeling the nostaglia from my first franchise, I've decided to take over the St. Louis Cardinals.

To begin, I simulated the 1900 season in order to get the correct (and more realistic) league totals modifiers, erased the league history, and started with an inaugural draft in 1901.

As I did with my old dynasty, I play out every single game. If the game is a blowout, I may skip to the end of the game and don't play out the last couple of innings. And just as a guideline to the soon to be faithful readers, my previous dynasty took just under a month to complete a 154 game season + playoffs. Now, personal issues may arise, but that's the general plan here.

League setup: 16 team historical in 1901, all fictional players, 20 man major and minor league rosters, 30 man expanded rosters, 0% foreigners, ML/AAA/AA/A.

Guidelines for posting:

- Daily box score and any other scores of interest that I see fit around MLB.
- Weekly standings update/players of the week
- Monthly stats update/players of the month
- Injury news as I see fit

[Afino]

Draft results:

[Afino]

Ratings are on a 1-100 scale.

Here's my custom lineups/depth charts and pitching staff setup.

[Afino]

April 17th, 1901

Spring Training has come to a close. The mighty Cardinals finished the spring at 20-4. All four starters finished with four wins, as did reliever Pablo Gutierrez, who also had five saves and a 1.09 ERA over 33 IP in 14 games.

3B Preston Thomas hit .422 in spring training, and 2B Orlando Ortiz hit .364 with 16 RBI. Robison Field was a cavern for RHB, and playing in the deadball era as well, the Cardinals only hit 2 HR over the entire course of the spring. I guess I better get used to that.

No major injuries in spring training!

The owners expectations: Make the playoffs. Of course, that means I need to win the National League!

The 1901 season begins with four games with the Chicago Orphans.

[Afino]

April 18th, 1901

Opening Day at Robison Field!!

A sparse crowd of 1743 showed up to see the Cardinals open the 1901 campaign with a 9-2 victory over the Chicago Orphans.

The Cards got on the board early with two base hits, a walk, and a bases-clearing triple by Orlando Ortiz. A groundout later, and it was 4-0 after one. They went right back at it in the 5th with a little help from the Chicago defense. Three errors in the inning coupled with a HBP, and a sac fly resulted in five St. Louis runs.

Angelo Pacheco went the distance, only giving up 6 hits in the CG, striking out five.

[Afino]

The St. Louis Cardinals made it a 2-0 start, defeating the Orphans today at Robison Field by a score of 4-3.

The top of the St. Louis order picked up where it left off yesterday, giving the pitching staff an early lead to work with. Star John Burt picked up his first RBI on a 1st inning single, then picked up another RBI on a FC groundout in the 7th. This was followed by an Ortiz RBI single to make it 4-1.

The Orphans finally got to Steve O'Herhily in the 8th, scoring three runs and actually getting the Birds bullpen up and throwing, but Pablo Gutierrez shut down the Chicago team in the 9th inning for his first save of 1901.

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If the top of the order keeps getting on like they have, Burt and Ortiz will drive in runs by the truckload. This is VERY promising.

[Afino]

The Cardinals stretched their winning streak to three on the strength of a dominant pitching performance by Jorge Montalvo, in a 4-1 decision. Montalvo went the distance, giving up only 7 hits and 1 walk.

The heart of this offense is still the top of the order, as Preston Thomas, Stephen Downing, and John Burt drove in all four Cardinals runs. All three of them are batting over .500 for the first three games. Other than that, the team isn't hitting very well, but the pitching has been good enough to win.

One more against the Orphans, then the Pirates come into town.

Dynasty note: The first three games were completed already before I started this thread - hence the quick turnaround. Wanted to start it before it was too late.

[Afino]

Well, the dream of a perfect season (ha) is over.

The Cardinals were spanked by the Orphans to the tune of 11-2 today at Robison Field.

I had my worries about Jorge Velasco (my #4 starter) before the season started, and he didn't do a good job confirming my fears, as bad pitching and bad defense led to a 5-0 Orphans lead after one inning. It didn't get much better from there, as Velasco was chased after 5 innings and Chase George failed in his first appearance of the season, getting lit up for four runs in his 2/3rd inning of work.

I used the remainder of the game with the score out of hand to get some PT for the bench players. I don't play my bench very often by design, so this was a good chance to familiarize myself with my bench players a little. Quinn Allison is a utility infielder with good speed and decent pop, and will also see the occasional spot start.

A 3-game series with the Pirates is next.

[Afino]

It took 8 innings for the St. Louis Cardinals' bats to wake up. Unfortunately, it also woke up the bats of their Pittsburgh counterparts. The Cards dropped an 8-7 10-inning decision to Pittsburgh today.

Down 5-1 in the 8th inning, Preston Thomas hit a leadoff triple and was sent home by a Steve Downing groundout. Orlando Ortiz scored on a Cesar Duarte double, which put runners on 2nd and 3rd, but no more runs were scored. Unforunately, Pittsburgh got a run back in the 9th on a Luis Salas triple and a Rudy Ward single.

In the bottom half of the ninth, down 6-3, the Cards would not go down without a fight. Thomas led off with a single. Steve Downing singled into short center, and the ball squirted through the CF's legs for an error, which put the tying run at the plate with two down. John Burt singled home Thomas, and Orlando Ortiz doubled home both runners to tie the game! After an error and a HBP, St. Louis had the winning run on 3rd, but couldn't get that run home. It proved costly as Chase George once again could not leave runners off the base paths, and he gave up two runs in the 10th that the Cards could not come back from this time.

The Cards are now 3-2.

[Afino]

St. Louis drops another today as Pittsburgh wins again, 4-1.

Pirates pitcher Antonio Sandoval took a no-no into the 8th, broken up with one out by Orlando Ortiz. He was driven home by a Willie Keith sac fly to make it 2-1 Pirates after 8.

Pittsburgh added two runs in the 9th after a Lopez error, Connor Godwin double, and a Rudy Ward double.

Sandoval finished with a 3-hitter as Pittsburgh takes its second in a row against the Cardinals.

[Afino]

The Cardinals bust out the bats with 15 hits and stave off the sweep today against Pittsburgh in a 9-5 victory at Robison Field.

Preston Thomas went 4-for-5, every starter except Willie Keith scored at least one run, and Keith and Cesar Duarte has two RBI each.

Jorge Montalvo went the distance, allowing 9 hits.

Off day tomorrow, then it's.......Pittsburgh, again. This time it's in Pittsburgh for four more games!

[Afino]

On Opening Day here in Pittsburgh, St. Louis busted out the bats again, scoring 15 runs on 19 hits in a 15-9 win over the Pirates.

The Cardinals got a run on the board early against Pittsburgh starter Jose Bravo with a Thomas single, a Downing double, and a Burt sac fly. Lopez drove in Downing with a single into center and it was 2-0 Cardinals.

Of course, Jorge Velasco pitched today for St. Louis, so Pittsburgh tied the game in the 3rd on a Will Atkins single. After re-loading the bases, Kyle Fish added an RBI single, but that was all the damage to be done.

The Cardinals loaded the bases in the 5th, and Orlando Ortiz tied the game with a two-run double! A sac fly by Ernesto Lopez put the Birds up, and Duarte made it a 6-4 game with another single. Ortiz added another RBI to his total with another single in the 6th, which chased Bravo. Lopez greeted new pitcher Willie Stokes with an RBI double, and Duarte sent Ortiz home with a sac fly and a 9-5 Cards lead.

Walks and wild pitches brought the Pirates within 3 again with one out, and that was it for Velasco. Unfortunately, Pablo Gutierrez came in, walked a batter, then booted a double play ball allowing a run to score. Kyle Fish then tied the game with a 2-run single to right center (god damnit).

Of course, Orlando Ortiz dod the job again with runners on base, driving home Downing for his 4th RBI of the day and 10th of the season. Lopez added to his total as well with another single, and so did Duarte. St. Louis up 12-9.

(At this point, I'm thinking WHAT dead-ball era?? )

Pittsburgh RP Steve Jones walked in a couple more St. Louis batters to make it 15-9, and Gutierrez settled down, not allowing a run over the last three innings.

[Afino]

The Cardinals faced Deron Lowe, who dominated them last time out. This time was a little different, as St. Louis came out with a 3-2 victory on the strength of a Angelo Pacheco masterpiece.

Chris Ryals had an RBI double in the 3rd, but St. Louis answered with their first home run of the season, by John Burt!

After a Manny Torres triple to lead off the 5th, Pacheco helped himself and drove him home on a groundout to tie the game. The Cards left them loaded in the 6th, but then after a leadoff double by Gerardo Alvarado in the 7th, Pacheco sacrificed him over and then when Downing hit one to the right side, it looked like Pittsburgh was going to get out of it again. But this time, Rudy Ward booted it, allowing Alvarado to score!

The 3-2 score would hold up as Pacheco set down the Pirates in order in the 9th to finish the complete game. 9 hits allowed and 6 strikeouts.

Off day tomorrow, then back at it to finish the four game set.

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League News Today

New York Giants pitcher Jorge Ramirez pitches a 4-hit shutout against the Philadelphia Phillies with 3 strikeouts and 1 BB allowed!

Boston Beaneaters 2B Harry Stewart is injured. Ankle soreness, out for 3 days.

[Afino]

Players of the Week 4/21-4/28

[Afino]

(Insomnia got the best of me here)

The Cardinals 3 game winning streak was extended to 4 in Pittsburgh today as the Cardinals thrashed the Pirates by a score of 10-2

St. Louis loaded the bases in the first off Antonio Sandoval, and got a runner in when Cesar Duarte beat out an infield hit to second. They picked up another run in the 2nd when on a botched hit and run, Pitt catcher Stan Hahn threw the ball away, allowing Alvarado to score. Downing made it 3-1 via RBI groundout, bringing in Preston Thomas.

The bats came out again in the 5th when Willie Keith hit a ball into right that Pirates RF Santiago Hernandez misplayed and a run scored. That let into another RBI single by Alvarado, a O'Herhily sac fly, and a 5-0 lead.

Pittsburgh finally got on the board with an Eric Lehman triple off the CF wall and a looper by Kyle Fish.

O'Herhily was the star of the game, allowing only 6 hits in his 9 innings, striking out four!

[Afino]

The St. Louis Cardinals close out April with an 8-3 record after a sloppy 15-2 win in Pittsburgh.

The good guys got on the board with (big surprise) the top of the order in the 3rd inning. John Burt drove home Preston Thomas, and Orlando Ortiz drove home with Burt and Downing with a double. But the Pirates came back and after a triple by pitcher Eddie Oregel, Luis Salas drove him home with a single.

Starting Cardinals pitcher Jorge Montalvo then helped himself with an RBI triple in the 4th, and then the Cardinals took advantage of another Pirates error when Thomas tripled deep off the right field fence with the sacks jacked to make it 7-1. All seven runs to that point were unearned!

In the seventh, you guessed it, more sloppy Pirate fielding! Back to back errors led to two more unearned runs (three in total) and a 10-1 Cardinals lead. Montalvo helped himself again with another RBI single. Just when you thought the Pirates were out of it......ANOTHER ERROR! The 6th error of the day and 3rd of the inning on a throw to 1st that the pitcher dropped led to the bases being reloaded. After a walk, Burt dribbled one in front of the plate.....

.......You know what happened here. Another error. The carnage finally ended with 5 St. Louis runners crossing the plate and the score 12-1. 5 errors by the Pirates in the 7th inning alone.

At this point, the bench was emptied and I kind of played out the string. But three more runs were scored for a 15-2 final. What I missed in that 9th inning?

Five more Pittsburgh errors. TWELVE ERRORS IN THE GAME!!!!!

Is that some sort of record???

[Afino]

No players of the month yet.

Standings as of 5/1/1901:

[Afino]

5/1/1901 Batting and Pitching Leaders. Cards well represented!

[Afino]

Finally, the Cardinals stats as of 5/1/1901:

[Afino]

The Cardinals were back at home today, facing the Cincinnati Reds and coming away with their 6th win in a row, by a score of 3-2.

This was a pitchers duel between the Reds' Arthur Carter and Angelo Pacheco. In the 8th inning and a 1-1 score, Henry Beard got a leadoff walk, was sacrificed to 2nd, advanced to 3rd on a Thompson single, and scored when Robby Wilson beat out the double play ball that could have ended the inning.

The Cardinals got two men on in the bottom half of the 8th, and Willie Keith brought them both home with an RBI single into right. That would prove to be the difference as Pacheco shut em down in the 9th.

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League News


Wednesday, May 1st, 1901
Pittsburgh Pirates: S. Torres is ill. The Diagnosis: flu-like symptoms. This is a day-to-day injury expected to last 1 day.
Milwaukee Brewers: T. Coleman was injured while throwing the ball. The Diagnosis: mild shoulder inflammation. He's expected to miss about one week.