The Best Ever

[John C]

While listening to Baseball Today on my way home from my baseball game earlier, the conversation got into Mariano Rivera, and who would replace him. And the question was brought up, do you want to be the one to replace the best ever at a position?

That got me thinking about how one finds the best ever.

And, so, I plan on trying to do that.

This dynasty will attempt to find the best in everything. Best at every position. Best team. Best month, best week, best single performance...I will try to find it all.

Bill James would be proud.

[John C]

The layout:

This dynasty will consist of two major leagues, the American Baseball Circuit and the National Baseball Congress. The ABC is based east of the Mississippi, and is more akin to the old MLB setup. The NBC is based in the midwest and what would be, basically, the PCL. The champions of both leagues will meet in a national championship.

The league will begin in 1901. I will sim monthly and dissect the two leagues, and make observations. Simple as that.

At the end of the year, I will attempt to rank the best teams and players ever. I will utilize both leagues and continue the ranking system as something more fluid.

The teams:

American Baseball Circuit

Federal League: Baltimore Chesepeakes, Boston Colonials, Chicago Mutuals, Cleveland Blues, Detroit Olds, New York Stars, Philadelphia Keystones, St. Louis Perfectos

National Association: Boston Pilgrims, Brooklyn Atlantics, Chicago Barrons, Cincinnati Monarchs, New York Gothams, Philadelphia Grays, Pittsburgh Alleghenys, Washington Federals

National Baseball Congress

Midwestern League: Dallas Marshalls, Houston Colts, Indianapolis Indians, Kansas City River Pilots, Louisville Colonels, Milwaukee Brewers, Minneapolis Millers, St. Paul Saints

Pacific Baseball League: Denver Bears, Los Angeles Stars, Oakland Oaks, Portland Beavers, Salt Lake City Bees, San Diego Friars, San Francisco Seals, Seattle Rainiers

[John C]

January 2, 1901

Grays Select Berry First in Circuit
Burton First Over-All in Congress

NEW YORK--Pitcher Johnny Berry was informed that he owns a first in the subsequent annals of the American Baseball Circuit.

He was the first player placed on a team.

The Philadelphia Grays selected Berry, a 24-year-old who hails from San Jose, California, with the first over-all selection in the league's dispersal draft. The lefthander is expected to serve as the team's bread-winner on the mound for years to come.

In Los Angeles, 20-year-old Larry Burton was selected as the first overall selection of the National Baseball Congress. The left-handed left-fielder is considered to be crackerjack with the lumber, and fleet of foot. At his young age, Burton can put up records hard to break in the NBC.

ABC Round 1

Round 1, Pick 1 - Philadelphia Grays: SP Johnny Berry
Round 1, Pick 2 - Chicago Barrons: RF Jared Donovan
Round 1, Pick 3 - Philadelphia Keystones: SS Joe Cook
Round 1, Pick 4 - New York Stars: SS Don Garrison
Round 1, Pick 5 - Brooklyn Atlantics: SP Alex Hickman
Round 1, Pick 6 - Detroit Olds: CF Bobby Rose
Round 1, Pick 7 - Baltimore Chesepeakes: RF Mark Smith
Round 1, Pick 8 - Cleveland Blues: SP Gerald Fulton
Round 1, Pick 9 - St. Louis Perfectos: SP Nelson Holman
Round 1, Pick 10 - Boston Colonials: SP Mike Banks
Round 1, Pick 11 - Boston Pilgrims: SP Martín Taylor
Round 1, Pick 12 - Cincinnati Monarchs: SP Russ Harris
Round 1, Pick 13 - Washington Federals: SP Jeff Brown
Round 1, Pick 14 - Chicago Mutuals: SP Charlie Hale
Round 1, Pick 15 - New York Gothams: SP Jim Ladd
Round 1, Pick 16 - Pittsburgh Alleghenys: SP Tomás González

NBC Round 1

Round 1, Pick 1 - Los Angeles Stars: LF Larry Burton
Round 1, Pick 2 - Seattle Rainiers: SP Jacob Briggs
Round 1, Pick 3 - San Francisco Seals: SP Dean Blair
Round 1, Pick 4 - Milwaukee Brewers: CF Bob Weeks
Round 1, Pick 5 - Minneapolis Millers: SP John Townsend
Round 1, Pick 6 - Indianapolis Indians: RF Blake Parks
Round 1, Pick 7 - Kansas City River Pilots: SP J.J. McElyea
Round 1, Pick 8 - Portland Beavers: SP Bill Roberts
Round 1, Pick 9 - Louisville Colonels: CF Jarrod Quinn
Round 1, Pick 10 - Denver Bears: SP Dave Conley
Round 1, Pick 11 - Salt Lake City Bees: RF Conan Koonts
Round 1, Pick 12 - Dallas Marshalls: CF Marcos Casillas
Round 1, Pick 13 - San Diego Friars: SP Rodney MacMinn
Round 1, Pick 14 - St. Paul Saints: SP Julián Hernández
Round 1, Pick 15 - Oakland Oaks: CF Gary Jones
Round 1, Pick 16 - Houston Colts: 3B Jonathan Saunders

[John C]

(For the first couple of seasons, I won't be making any Best-Ever predictions. I will begin to formulate lists, including league champions, as well as individual seasons. Careers won't begin to tabulate for at least five seasons.)

1901 Season Outlook
by Joe Simpson
(3/31/1901)

As we near the 1901 campaign, both leagues--the Circuit and the Congress--are ready to present their brand of base-ball. Nobody knows whose will be more attractive yet, but those who have an ear to inside talk say the players of the Circuit have it all over the Congress. Time will time, of course.

Here is how I see the action unfolding over the course of the season.

Federal League

In the Fed, expect a tight battle between five teams. St. Louis and Philadelphia may have the upper-hand. The Keystones have Joe Cook and George Grant handling the bat, at Pat McLaughlin on the mound. Meanwhile, the Perfectos have more depth than stars to lead the way. However, the Stars of New York, the Cleveland Blues, and Detroit Olds all have a say before September. Expect rooters of Boston, Chicago, and especially Baltimore to pine for next season early on.

Those in Boston may enjoy the work of Bobby Rose, however, while Baltimore should root for 25-year-old outfielder Mark Smith. Both can run and hit the ball with authoritative ease.

National Association

Whereas those in Boston's South Side expect to be crying, those on the North End should be ecstatic. They have what many consider to be the best team in the ABC at the present in the Pilgrims. Led by the Wonderboy, 23-year-old Michael Thomas, and hurler Martin Taylor, the Pilgrims have it on both sides of the ball. Taylor is a good bet to win 25, at least.

Count Cincinnati and Pittsburgh as clubs who have a shot to ruin Boston's good feelings. Matt Keys, who at 36 is an elder before he even takes the mound, leads the Alleghenys. Ben Sharp, 24, has come from Pittsburgh to lead the Monarchs on the hill. At the plate, Eric Lovell and Chris Leonard are top marksmen for Pittsburgh.

Many eyes will be watching Chicago outfielder Jared Donovan; Donovan, the #2 selection overall in the ABC draft, carries a lot of weight on his shoulders for the likely lowly Barrons.

Midwest League

This may be a two-team race between St. Paul and Milwaukee. St. Paul is expected to have the best offense in the league, led by 1B Bryan Wilson and OF Craig McIntyre. It helps to have Ken Ewart and Gator Perkins on the mound, too. Milwaukee may have the league's best pitching, with Robin LeLong, lefty Rich Stewart, and Jeremy Jackson manning the mound. LeLong and Stewart are both nearing the end of their playing days, so Milwaukee's chances for long-term winning are shallow. Fans will be quick to root for Bob Weeks; the center-fielder could hit .350 with 90 steals this season.

Dallas and Minneapolis may prove to be surprises, but this should prove to be up to the Saints and Brewers to win.

Pacific Baseball League

If you happen to live in the Bay Area, you should be watching winning base ball this season. Both San Francisco and Oakland have crackerjack clubs, and some of the most entertaining players you will see. San Francisco has a top-flight offense, behind second sacker Eddie Young and outfielders Bruce Wood and Eric Hanson. They also have Waylon McDonald and Dean Blair on the mound, which gives the Seals a formidable duo.

Meanwhile, Oakland has Steady Reynolds and Lucky Larry Henson, as well as Thomas Collins. The trio gives the Oaks would may be the best rotation in the country. Oh, and they also have Bad News Hall, Riley Williams and Gary Jones in the lineup.

Salt Lake City is the one who may spoil the party in northern California. Doug Simpson and Peter Woodard are solid pitchers, while Conan Koonts, the 26-year-old left-fielder, is one of the best players anywhere. Expect him to handle the club in a way most pitchers fear.

Predictions:

Federal: Philadelphia Keystones
National: Boston Pilgrims
ABC Championship: Boston over Philadelphia 4-2

Midwest: Milwaukee
Pacific: San Francisco
NBC Championship: San Francisco over Milwaukee 4-3

BA Championship: Boston over San Francisco 4-2

[John C]

April 1901

In the Fed, Cleveland got off to a slow start, starting off 3-4. The Blues then went 16-4, the rest of the month. They lead the Perfectos by two games after their 17-9 beginning. Gerald Fulton went 6-1, 1.41 in the month, while Chris Burns went 5-0, 2.08. At the plate, Tony Martinez hit .372 with 12 RBI to lead the way. Stan Tucker, one of the top catchers in the league, hit .308-2-16. The Stars and Keystones are around .500.

Brooklyn (18-10) leads the Gothams and Pilgrims by a game and a half in the NA. Brooklyn's lead does not look sustainable, mainly due to their pitching. They are middle of the pack in runs against, and while lead in many offensive categories, they may come back to the pack sooner. One player I would have liked to see at a younger stage is Chandler Greeson. The 35-year-old shortstop hit .450-0-20 in April, and has the goods to keep that going.

The #1 OA pick, Terrible Berry, is 4-2 with a 2.29 ERA. The rest of the staff is mediocre, though.

Kansas City did their part to give fans of the Midwest something to talk about. Their 16-10 mark is good for second, one game behind Milwaukee. 21-year-old OF Jim Chapman, inserted into the lineup towards the end of the month, is hitting .400. OF Barney Hood is on pace for 100+ RBI (.323-0-17). Meanwhile, the Brewers of Milwaukee are led by Bob Weeks (.432-1-20) and OF Jeff Hartman (.371-0-10, 12 steals). LeLong and Stewart are a combined 11-3, and both have ERAs hovering around two.

Doug Simpson (5-1, 1.41) and Conan Koonts (.411-3-20) are leading the way for the Bees, who sit 3.5 up on San Francisco and Oakland a month into the Pacific League season. Koonts is behind teammate Howard Carlson in average; the 2B is hitting .430-0-13 on the year, and already has forty hits. The Seals are getting production from Bruce Wood, but not average. He is .277-2-22 thus far. Oddly enough, the starting ERA of the Seals is first in the Pacific (2.69), despite having one pitcher (Dean Blair) showing anything sparkling. His 6-1, 1.74 mark is second behind Simpson.

Dave Conley (7-1, 1.90) has half of Denver's 14 wins.

Other notes: Greeson's .450 leads all hitters in the Association, while George Grant's .437 mark is the only other average higher than .400 in the ABC. Tom Cook, a 28-year-old outfielder with the Monarchs, hit .303-6-20 in April. It will be interesting to see if he continues that pace. Matt Christensen (NY Stars) is 4-1, 0.68 in April. With a WHIP of 1.19, he is not expected to continue that pace.

[John C]

May 1901

Circuit: St. Louis (32-24) leads by a half-game over Cleveland, while the Stars (29-26) and Philly (28-27) sit a couple back. Brooklyn (33-22) is a half-game up on Boston, two up on New York, and three up on Philadelphia.

Congress: Milwaukee and Kansas City (30-25) sit atop the league, while St. Paul is a half-game back. Minneapolis and the Houston Colts are two back at 28-27. Salt Lake City (35-20) are 4.5 up on the surprising Denver Bears, and five on San Francisco and Oakland.

Dave Conley leads the Bears with a 10-4 mark, and a 2.54 ERA), which also puts him tied atop the leaderboard with a pair of Bees, Mark West (10-4, 2.71) and Peter Woodard (10-4, 2.61). Louisville's Boyd Parker leads the NBC with a 2.12 ERA, and sits 9-5 on the year. SLC's Simpson is 8-4, 2.13. So, right now, this is what you see in Salt Lake:

Simpson: 8-4, 2.13
Woodard: 10-4, 2.61
West: 10-4, 2.71
Richard: 5-6, 3.90

That 1-3 is as good as it gets, and is why SLC has the best record in the country as of now.

Gary Jones of Oakland is considered to be, at this time, the highest-rated position player in the NBC. He is hitting .369 with 16 doubles, six triples, 35 RBI, and 23 steals. He has a .934 OPS, and has scored 42 runs in 54 games. Other players worth noting at this time are SLC's Koonts (.388-6-37, 45 runs, .966 OPS), Minneapolis SS Lou Cochrane (.315, 11 doubles, 4 homers, 47 RBI), and Denver 1B Francisco Fuentes, who came over via trade from Houston after a week. Since the move, he is hitting .390 with 41 runs and 32 RBI.

In the ABC, Greeson is continuing a phenomenal season, hitting .425 (94-for-221), with 15 doubles and 37 RBI. He has a 1.017 OPS and a 4.3 WAR right now. He is the only player above a 1.000 in OPS in the country. He leads in average, OBP, SLG, OPS, wOBA, WAR, hits and total bases, is third in doubles and runs scored, fourth in XBH, and fifth in RBI. Very impressive.

Other players of note include Cincy's Tim Cook (.318-6-43, 15 SB), Brooklyn's Tim White (.378, 14 doubles, 28 RBI), and Davey Davis of Philly (.365, 32 runs, 20 XBH, 15 steals).

Pitching-wise, Timothy Glover is showing his experience by leading all pitchers with a 1.46 ERA for the NY Gothams (NA).

Now, this needs considering:

Pitcher A: 120 IP, 119 hits, 2 HR, 74 K, 19 BB, .295 BABIP
Pitcher B: 118 IP, 120 hits, 2 HR, 54 K, 18 BB, .286 BABIP

One of these pitchers is 10-3, the other 4-10. Pitcher A is Terrible Berry (yes, the #1 OA pick in the dispersal draft), who is 10-4 for the Grays. Pitcher B is Jeff Brown of the Washington Feds, who may be the hard-luck pitcher in the game right now. He hasn't been great, but he's gotten 24 runs of support in his 10 losses. If you take two of those losses out, he's had 13 runs in eight losses. When he was 0-3, his ERA was 1.69.

The amazing thing here is, Washington's defense has 32 less errors than the Grays. The Grays have a .925 fielding mark; the Feds are at .941, which is middle of the pack. Washington does have the NA's worst offense, while Philly is second. There's your difference.

[John C]

So a couple of things happened overnight that caused a little reworking:

1) My computer rebooting, making my writeups of June, July and August 1901 pointless.
2) I realized that this needs to go at a little bit of a faster speed.

Hence, I'll be doing yearly recaps and more investigation of individual teams, players, prospects, etc. Hopefully that will also make it more interesting.

[John C]

Going into the final weekend of the 1901 season, all four leagues in the Association have pennant races. In the NBC, Milwaukee (82-69) leads KC by two games; Houston is all but out at three games back. Salt Lake City (87-64) has led wire-to-wire, and leads Denver by two heading into the final weekend.

In the ABC, however, the Perfectos, at 86-65, lead by a game over the surging New York Stars. The Stars, who were 43-40 at the end of June, have gone 42-26 since, and find themselves one game back heading into the final weekend. Meanwhile, their cross-town brethren, the Gothams, find themselves reeling...and tied with Boston. The Pilgrims, who were favored in the preseason to win it all, have struggled after flying out of the gate; they are 22-24 since August 1st. Team-wise, they are decidedly average; they rank middle of the pack offensively, and while their pitching is solid (2nd in the NA in ERA, first in hits allowed, 2nd in BABIP), they are simply not a team you fear. They will have Martin Taylor (19-17, 2.54) and Joe Emery (19-15, 2.53) throwing the final two games of their season, whereas the Gothams, without Pitcher of the Year candidate Tim Glover (24-10, 1.92) and starting battery mate Karl Maloney, are forced to rely on seldom-used Wayne Lucas (7-6, 3.82) in one of their games. The calling card of Boston is their consistency; all four of their starters have won at least 19 games.

On the final day of the season, the Perfectos and Pilgrims sat one game up on the New York teams. The Stars simply could not keep St. Louis from winning, while the Gothams could not stop losing (six straight heading into September 22nd). Meanwhile, in the Midwest League, Kansas City caught Milwaukee; worse for the Brewers, the last two losses occured in Kansas City...the site of their final game of the year. Salt Lake City clinched in beating Oakland.

And so, on September 22, 1901, the Brewers went into Kansas City, and knocked their heads off. Behind Jeremy Jackson's (23-14) stellar pitching (CG, 4 H, 3 K), and a steady offense--every starter had at least one hit--the Brewers clinched the ML with a 9-2 win.

In the ABC, St. Louis made things easy with a 10-4 victory over Boston. That clinched the Fed title for the Perfectos. However, they'll have to wait to see who they play. The Gothams needed some late-game heroics...they got it, and some hysterics. With the Barrons leading 4-2 going into the bottom of the ninth, Edgardo Medellin tripled with one out. Lou Bennett walked, followed by a Carson Williams double that scored Medellin. Barron pitcher got Albert Thurman to ground out to second, not allowing Bennett to score the tying run. Armando Chavez coaxed a walk, however, bringing up starting pitcher Donald Laverty...with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, the Gothams sent their pitcher to the plate. A curious decision, but perhaps Duane Roger had a hunch. Either way, he was right. Fisher walked Laverty, scoring Bennett to tie it.

Two pitches later, a passed ball scored Williams, giving the Gothams a 5-4 win. That, combined with Pittsburgh's 1-0 win in Boston, set up a one-game playoff for the NA title.

In that game, the Clarence Jones scored the tie-breaking run on Medellin's single with two outs in the eighth, giving the Gothams a 4-3 win over the Pilgrims. Medellin went 4-4 with 3 RBI; Jones also went 4-4, scoring two runs. Lucas, the goat a few days before, outpitched Jim Gilmore (23-14) with a seven-hitter, en route to the win. Boston star Michael Thomas was hurt during the game, which no doubt affected the Pilgrims.

Thus, the matchups for the Association Playoffs are:

St. Louis Perfectos (Federal, 89-65) vs New York Gothams (National Assoc, 88-67)
Milwaukee Brewers (Midwest), 83-71 vs Salt Lake City (Pacific, 89-65)

[John C]

Before the playoffs, here are the top individual performances this season. As I go along, I will try to compare and rank them in a historical context.

Conan Koonts, Salt Lake City LF: Koonts had a season that many will talk about for decades. He hit .369 with 231 hits, 30 doubles, 10 triples, 16 homers, and 103 RBI. He had a 50-18 BB/K ratio, and stole 45 bases. He picked up two legs of the Triple Crown, winning the HR title, and tying phenom Larry Burton for the batting title. Gary Jones of Oakland spoiled the RBI title, netting 113 to take it.

Larry Burton, Los Angeles LF: Koonts isn't the only one who gets praise here. Burton also hit .369, with 26 doubles, 22 triples, five homers, 59 RBI, 98 walks (against 15 strikeouts) and 87 steals. His OBP was a stone cold .472. The amazing thing? He's just 21. If he keeps this up, he will be in the conversation for best ever in the outfield.

Gary Jones, Oakland CF: The 28-year-old Jones hit .357 with 36 doubles, 25 triples, two homers and 113 RBI. He stole 63 bases on the year, while netting 219 hits.

Stan Tucker, Cleveland C: Tucker lead the Federal League in hitting, with a .373 mark. He hit seven home runs and brought home 92 runs as well.

Davey Davis, Philly Grays CF: Davis, 28, lead the NA in hitting, at .359. He, like Tucker, hit seven bombs, along with 31 doubles, 12 triples, knocked in 85, and stole 40 bases.

Tim Glover, NY Gothams: Glover, who has been out for the past couple of weeks, still finished with a 24-10 record, against a 1.92 ERA. He also struck out 119 in his 323 innings. Out of his 37 starts, he finished 31 of them.

Nelson Holman, St. Louis P: The 19-year-old Holman, under the radar most of the year despite his age, led the Circuit in wins (25-12). He also recorded a 2.39 ERA for the Federal League champions.

Dave Conley, Denver P: Conley may have been the best pitcher in base ball this year, leading all hurlers in wins (28-10) and racking up a 2.19 ERA, which also tied for the Congress lead.

Mark West, Salt Lake City P: Went 26-10 with a 2.53 ERA. Walked a lot of hitters (107), but he managed to keep them from scoring.

Players who could end up in Best-Ever discussion:

All-Time, Any Position
OF Conan Koonts, Salt Lake City
OF Larry Burton, Los Angeles

All-Time, Pitcher
Dave Conley, Denver
Tim Glover, New York Gothams
Nelson Holman, St. Louis

All-Time, Catcher
Stan Tucker, Cleveland

All-Time, First Base
Tim White, Brooklyn (.333-6-82)

All-Time, Second Base
Francisco Fuentes, Denver (.368-4-95, 40 SB, 122 R)

All-Time, Third Base
Ant Graham, Seattle (.344-2-64, 89 R)

All-Time, Shortstop
Merlin Astley, Louisville (.332-2-75, 207 H, 60 SB, 101 R, age 22)

All-Time, Left Field
Larry Burton, Los Angeles
Conan Koonts, Salt Lake City

All-Time, Center Field
Joe Knox, Chicago Barrons (.339-1-91, 106 R, 20 3B, 53 SB, 203 H)
Gary Jones, Oakland (.357-2-113, 63 SB, 121 R, 25 3B)

All-Time, Right Field
None

All-Association Team

C: Stan Tucker, Cleveland
1B: Tim White, Brooklyn
2B: Francisco Fuentes, Denver
3B: Ant Graham, Seattle
SS: Merlin Astley, Louisville
LF: Conan Koonts, Salt Lake City
CF: Gary Jones, Oakland
RF: George Grant, Phila Keystones
SP: Dave Conley, Denver
SP: Timothy Glover, NY Gothams
SP: Nelson Holman, St. Louis

[John C]

1901 Association Playoffs

ABC Playoffs - New York Gothams (88-67) vs St. Louis Perfectos (89-65)

Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was the Gothams' dominance over the Perfectos. The team that could do no right closing the season could do no wrong in the playoffs. Perhaps the series was won in Game 3; the Perfectos, having dropped their two games at home to open the ABC Championship, found themselves up 4-2 going into the bottom of the night. Lou Bennett, who was a hero many times over down the stretch, opened the ninth with a double off Perfecto starter Wayne Martin. After Ben Quinn reached on an error, Cal Campbell grounded out to first, scoring Bennett and getting Quinn to second with the tying run.

Stan Hunter, the Gothams' catcher, took a strike. The next one he hit over the center field wall, sending the rooters into a craze. The 5-4 victory demoralized the Perfectos; they would try to muster a battle against de facto ace Jim Ladd the next day, scoring a run in the beginning frame. However, with the Gothams scored two in the bottom of the inning, that seemed to end the Perfectos' hopes. Sure enough, they fell 6-1, ssending the Gothams to the BA Championship. Ladd went 2-0 in the series, giving up 14 hits and a pair of earned runs in his two starts.

Game 1: Gothams 6, Perfectos 2
Game 2: Gothams 4, Perfectos 2
Game 3: Gothams 5, Perfectos 4
Game 4: Gothams 6, Perfectos 1

New York Wins 4-0

NBC Playoffs - Milwaukee Brewers (83-71) vs Salt Lake City Bees (89-65)

Just as the Gothams, the Bees were dominant against the Brewers; again, one event can be pinpointed as the springboard to victory. This moment came in the eighth inning of tied Game 1, where the Bees methodically put their first six men on base. The final blow, a Calvin Collins triple with the bases loaded (he would later score on a groundout) gave the Bees a six-run inning. The 9-3 score came innocently enough, and demonstrated to the Brewers that they were simply not in the league of the mighty Bees.

They would play as such the rest of the series. The final blow came in the eighth inning again, this time in Game 4. The Brewers, who never led in the series, managed to tie the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the seventh on Jeff Hartman's single. The Bees immediately loaded the bases to open the eighth; Collins brought Walt Bowling home on a groundout to third. Ron Warner fought off a few pitches, working the count full, before singling home Conan Koonts and Eddie Maxwell. The final runs in the Bees' 5-2 victory brought forth an unlikely pairing in the first Association final...the greatest city in the world against the tiny town from Utah.

Game 1: Bees 9, Brewers 3
Game 2: Bees 6, Brewers 0
Game 3: Bees 5, Brewers 1
Game 4: Bees 5, Brewers 2

Salt Lake City Wins 4-0

[John C]

BA Championship - New York Gothams (ABC) vs Salt Lake City Bees (NBC)

The Bees came to New York full of confidence. In Game 1, that showed; by the fourth inning, they were up 4-0 on the Circuit champions. But it was the way the Gothams closed the game, despite a 5-4 loss, that shook up the rest of the series.

Working against ace Doug Simpson, Edgardo Medellin doubled to open the bottom of the ninth. Jack Crockett then singled; after Clarence Jones grounded back to the pitcher, Matt Boyer's triple scored both runners. He scored on the next pitch to Lou Bennett, as the ball went clear to the backstop. Simpson was able to finish the Gothams off, but the damage was done. These Gothams could hang with the vaunted Bees.

The Gothams tied the series on a 4-3, 11-inning win, which saw Gothams' pitcher Alex Cameron distribute ten hits and five walks in his complete-game effort. The New York outfit then laid up a convincing 10-0 result in Salt Lake City, scoring all of their runs after the fifth inning. Four SLC errors contributed mightily to the closing score, though Jim Ladd only needed one run.

Another 4-3 extra-inning result gave the Gothams a 3-1 lead. The Bees gave their fans some relief with a sloppy 6-0 victory (seven errors between the two teams) in Game 5, shifting the series back to New York.

This appears to be what the Gothams wanted.

New York, down 4-2 going into the bottom of the eighth, unloaded off Mark West yet again. This time, a seven in the eighth frame , on the strength of key hits and Medellin's grand slam, secured the first-ever BA Championship for the Gothams. The team counted out in the final weeks of the season stunned the Bees, and hoisted the BA Cup for the first time.

Game 1: Bees 5, Gothams 4
Game 2: Gothams 4, Bees 3 (11)
Game 3: Gothams 10, Bees 0
Game 4: Gothams 4, Bees 3 (12)
Game 5: Bees 6, Gothams 0
Game 6: Gothams 9, Bees 4

New York Wins 4-2
Playoff MVP: Jim Ladd, NY Gothams: 4-0, 36 IP, 32 H, 14 K, 6 BB, 1.25 ERA

Best-Ever Chances: The loss took the Bees out of the discussion. The Gothams, meanwhile, needed a one-game playoff to avoid an epic collapse. Needless to say, the chances of one of these teams being included in the discussion, even in a top-ten listing, is next-to-nil.

[John C]

Before we move to 1901 draft, here is what the sportswriters believe are the best players and prospects today:

Circuit Top 20, 1901:



Congress Top 20, 1901:



Circuit Top Hitting Prospects, 1901:



Circuit Top Pitching Prospects, 1901:



Congress Top Hitting Prospects, 1901:



Congress Top Pitching Prospects, 1901:



Out of the prospects, I'm very anxious to see Gore Smith alongside Larry Burton in Los Angeles. That should be a fun duo.