Alltime Allstar League begins operation

[edog23]

Great stuff Eugene!! I really enjoyed this season and to have the Bombers win their 2nd World Series tops it off. Awesome writing also. I'm looking for the next season already. Good job, Erik.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by knuckler

Congrats EC on completing another season in this great dynasty.

Great World Series Logo, knuckler.

Thanks.

When you get time, do one for each of the World Series winners.

Yankees 1901
Athletics 1902
Cardinals 1903

I'll try to use them on my website.

[Eugene Church]

Thanks to all of you guys who follow this.

I appreciate it.

Also the nice comments.

Now to get ready for 1905.

I have to find some new players for the ballteams.

[Eugene Church]

Same as the Ruthlandian-Tycobbian League, just haven't had the time to spend on it.

But I will.

I really love this league. I hope it will be possible to import it into V2007 and keep all of its history.

If not, I will continue to use V6.51.

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Sunday, October 21, 1904

HOME RUNS POWER NY YANKS TO SERIES WIN OVER CHICUBS

The experts predicted it. The New York Yankees just had too much power and too much pitching for the Chicago Cubs in the 1904 World Series. The Bronx Bombers out-boomed the Bruins 15 to 5 with Joe Gordon leading the way with 4 circuit smashes.

In the pitching department, Chicago had nobody to compare with Whitey Ford, Lefty Gomez and Herb Pennock. Ford sparkled and shined with three excellent starts and two victories, finishing up with a 2-0 mark, one shutout and a superlative 0.72 ERA. Gomez and Pennock has two starts each, struggling in the first games, but rebounding with fine outings in their next ones. Gomez (1-1 4.58) and Pennock (1-0 4.50) both had important wins late in the Series. Gomez took the decisive ninth game, 8-1, with an outstanding effort and Pennock put the Yanks up 4 games to 2 , winning 8-2 in a solid sixth game performance.

None of the Cubs starters had good Series except for Ed Reulbach, who had the misfortune to go up against Ford three times. Reulbach was 0-2 with a 3.20 ERA. Mordecai Brown (0-2 9.00), Bill Lee (1-1 6.97) and Ferguson Jenkins (1-0 6.00) all fizzled. Overall Yankee pitching compiled a 3.44 ERA and Chicago finished with a 4.33 ERA.

Chicago actually outhit the Yankees, hitting .284 as a team, while New York was batting .264. The old axiom "homers beat singles and doubles" prevailed this time. It certainly proved to be the difference this year.

At bat Joe Gordon sizzled for the Yanks with a .400 batting average, 4 doubles, 4 home runs, scored 7 times and blasted in a whopping 13 runs. And he had plenty of help from Joe DiMaggio (.308/2 HR/5 RBI/4 R), Derek Jeter (.324/1 HR/3 RBI/3 R) and Lou Gehrig (.286/2 HR/7 RBI/6 R). Babe Ruth (.222/2 HR/3 RBI/7 R) had a very quiet Series for the most part, but did speak loudly one time with a game-winning homer in Game One.

Chicago countered with fine efforts by Turkey Stearnes (.359/3 HR/9 RBI/7 R), Ernie Banks (.361/2 HR/8 RBI/ 3 R), Hack Wilson (.382/0 HR/4 RBI/3 R) and Billy Herman (.289/0 HR/6 RBI/5 R). They just didn't have enough firepower to compete with the Bronx Bombers. A very poor performance by Cool Papa Bell severely hampered the Cubs. The swift center fielder found out you can't steal first base, batting a paltry .171 for the Series. His presence on the bases was sorely missed .

Looking at the stats, it is really surprising that the Cubs could take the Series to nine games.

[Y0DA55]

Looking forward to the next season!

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Monday, October 21, 1904

YANKS FORD AND GORDON WORLD SERIES CO-MVP

The two guys who did the most to lead the New York Yankees to the 1904 World Series title have been named the Most Valuable Players by the Baseball Writers of America. Pitcher Whitey Ford and second baseman Joe Gordon tied in the voting and were declared Co-MVPs.

Southpaw Ford hurled three fine ballgames, winning two of them with complete games and going a strong seven innings in a third. Overall he was 2-0 with a brilliant 0.72 ERA in 25 innings of work, finishing with 20 strikeouts and only 3 walks. He was as close to domination as a pitcher can get.

In the batting department Joe "Flash" Gordon was without peer in the 1904 Series. He outhit and outslugged everybody on both talented and heavy-hitting ballclubs. Gordon outdistanced everyone by compiling a .400 batting average with 14 hits, 4 doubles and 4 home runs, driving in 13 runs and scoring 7 in an outstanding performance.

New York's first baseman Lou Gehrig (.286/2 HR/6 RBI/7 R) and bullpen ace Mariano Rivera (0-1/1.64 ERA/1 save) received some support in the balloting, but finished a distant third and fourth in the voting.

Chicago's splendid right fielder Turkey Stearnes (.359/3 HR/9RBI/7 R) finished fifth in the balloting.

No other players received any votes.

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Saturday, October 26, 1904

AMERICAN LEAGUE ANNOUNCES AWARD WINNERS

The 1904 award winners in the American League were announced today by the Baseball Writers of America. This year's major category winners were Babe Ruth, Whitey Ford and Kent Hrbek.

Ruth ran away with the voting and took the Golden Bat Award for the third time in four seasons. He led the New York Yankees to the pennant with a standout season, setting a new AAA and AL standard with 50 home runs, breaking the old season record of 45, set by Turkey Stearnes of Chicago in 1903. Overall Ruth finished with the third best batting average at .308 and topped the league with 115 RBIs and 110 runs scored.

Boston's fine outfielder, Oscar Charleston, finished a distant second in the voting. He hit .307 (4th) with 30 home runs (3rd), 109 runs (2nd), 90 RBIs (9th) and 62 stolen bases (2nd). He was third in hits with 189.

Yankee center fielder Joe DiMaggio had a fine season and finished third in the Golden Bat competition. "Joltin' Joe" was a vital cog in the New York attack as he batted .297 (10th), finished with 33 homers (2nd), 106 runs (3rd), drove in 87 runs (10th), and was fourth in hits with 186.

Rounding out the voting were the league's top hitter and basestealer, Ty Cobb of Detroit (.326 BA/6 HR/68 RBI/101 R/66 SB) and Nomar Garciaparra of the Red Sox (.295/23 HR/97 RBI/85 R).

On the hill New York's great southpaw, Whitey Ford, picked up the crown as the Golden Arm Award winner with an outstanding season. He led the AL in wins, ERA, IP and shutouts, compiling a 22-7 record with a 2.50 ERA in 259 IP with 5 shutouts. His mark of 22 victories tied the Alltime Allstar Association's record, set in 1902 by Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants.

His biggest competition came from teammate Lefty Gomez, who gave the Yanks a great 1-2 punch with a 20-5 mark, 234 IP, and a 2.88 ERA.

Other votegetters were Walter Johnson of the second place Senators (17-9 3.10), who finished third, followed by Ed Plank of the Athletics (15-12 2.79) and George Ruth of the Red Sox (16-12 3.98). Ruth is Babe Ruth's twin brother.

The final award went to the Washington Senators' sensational first baseman, Kent Hrbek, who easily captured the American League Rookie of the Year honors. In his inaugural season he played liked a seasoned vet, batting cleanup and was a very important reason for the Senators sudden rise to second place in the league standings. During the season he hit .287 with 27 home runs and 97 RBIs to comfortably top his freshman peers.

Other votegetters in the newcomer category were righthander Alvin Crowder of Washington, who came in second in the voting. Crowder moved into the starting rotation and responded with a solid 13-7 record, 3.38 ERA and 1 shutout. Browns' outfielder Jack Tobin was third. He hit .306 with 13 home runs, scored 77 times and batted in 45. Fourth was New York pitcher, Jack Chesbro. He compiled a 12-6 record and a 3.92 ERA with 3 shutouts for the pennant winners. Catcher Johnny Bassler of Detroit was fifth, finishing up his first year in the league with a .303 batting average (8th), 68 RBIs and 61 runs scored.

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Sunday, October 27, 1904

NATIONAL LEAGUE

BROOKLYN'S KOUFAX AND CHICAGO'S STEARNES RUNWAY WINNERS IN NL

It wasn't even close. Brooklyn Dodger portsider Sandy Koufax and Chicub outfielder Turkey Stearnes dominated the Baseball Writers Association awards voting just like they did National League hitters and pitchers in 1904.

Koufax was named the top pitcher by the BWA and will be presented the Golden Arm trophy at the awards banquet next weekend. The talented southpaw led the National League in wins, ERA, strikeouts and shutouts, compiling a 20-10 record, 2.24 ERA, 216 strikeouts and 5 shutouts for the third place Dodgers.

Chicago's Mordecai Brown led his club to the NL title and was the runner-up with a 19-7 mark and 2.79 ERA. Lefty Harry "The Cat" Brecheen of the second place Cardinals was next with a sparkling 17-5 record, 2.99 ERA and 3 shutouts. Fourth and fifth in the vote were Philadelphia's Jiro Noguchi and New York's Christy Mathewson, both outstanding righthanders. Noguchi finished up his season at 14-10 and 2.88 ERA for a fifth place club, while Mathewson logged a 17-11 won-lost record, 2.97 ERA and 3 shutouts for the fourth place Giants.

The outstanding rightfielder for the NL champion Cubs, Turkey Stearnes, was the top votegetter in the race for the Golden Bat Award. He came close to winning the Triple Crown, falling only 4 points short with a .331 batting average, topped only by Cincy's Ed Roush. Stearnes was first in home runs with 45 and RBIs with 132. He holds the NL record for homers, having hit 45 twice.

Teammate Cool Papa Bell was Stearnes' closest competitor for the award. Bell played a big part in Chicago's success this season. He hit .315 (3rd), had 205 hits (1st), 128 runs (1st) and stole 101 bases (1st). Rounding out the top 5 were Stan "The Man" Musial of the Cardinals (.306 BA/35 HR/105 RBI/102 R), Ernie Banks of the Cubs (.234 BA/37 HR/118 RBI) and Johnny Mize of the Cardinals (.275 BA/ 27 HR/119 RBI/94 R).

Not many rookies contributed much this year in the National League. The most productive was New York Giant first baseman, Willie McCovey. He was selected the Rookie of the Year by the BWA. McCovey hit 25 home runs, drove in 87 runs and batted .258 in his initial season. Bill Lee (14-12 3.63 ERA), righthander for the Cubs, was the only other player to get any votes in this category.

[batted balls]

Eugene,

I continue to follow and love your league. What's in store for the White Sox this season? Will Joe Crede make the 25-man roster? Will Bill Melton or Carlos Lee get looks during spring training? What about Alex Fernandez? If you have another draft it looks like the Chisox could use either a quality pitcher or bat.

Keep up the good work!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by batted balls

Eugene,

I continue to follow and love your league. What's in store for the White Sox this season? Will Joe Crede make the 25-man roster? Will Bill Melton or Carlos Lee get looks during spring training? What about Alex Fernandez? If you have another draft it looks like the Chisox could use either a quality pitcher or bat.

Keep up the good work!

I have tried to always take the oldest ballplayer first when adding players each season. After the initial team selection, Modern Day players will have to wait until I go through the early year players.

That is, players from the early years will get added before the later years.

Since I have gone through just about all of the White Sox's third basemen and none of them have done the job, Crede may be added this year.

Bill Melton flunked his shot last year...same thing for Carlos Lee and Alex Fernandez.

Fernandez was 0-2 with an 8.59 ERA in 16 games with one start in 1903.
He gave up 39 hits in 22 innings with 5 BB and 16 K.

Melton was a .165 hitter in 1903.
41 G, 121 AB, 18 R, 20 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB, 12 BB, 31 K

Lee was a .238 hitter in 1902.
17 G, 42 AB, 9 R, 10 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 6 BB, 11 K

Robin Ventura was the original 3B in 1901...he hit only .185 with 2 homers in limited action. I may give him another shot this season.

Same thing for Lee. He deserves another chance.

Paul Konerko and Willie Kamm split time at third last season.

Konerko has played three years now, hit only .226 and averaged 10 home runs and 45 rbis.

Kamm batted .291 in 50 games in 1904, with one homer, 15 rbis, 25 runs.

Present infielders are Eddie Collins (.297), Nellie Fox (.237), Luis Aparicio (.235), Luke Appling (.258), Buck Weaver (.400), Dick Lundy (.288), Konerko and Kamm. None have stood out yet. Batting average is last year's.

Weaver only played 7 games at the end of the season.

Chicago only has three solid players, Joe Jackson (.303/10 HR/63 RBI), Eddie Collins (.297/0 HR/25 RBI) and Louis Santop (.272/22 HR/92 RBI).

Collins missed half the season with an injury.

Frank Thomas (.220/28 HR/90 RBI) hits homers and drives in runs, but not for average...and can you believe it?...won a Golden Glove in 1904...only in OOTPB.

Ordonez (.250/19 HR/68 RBI) has been a pretty good ballplayer at times...(.256 career hitter)

Lineup at the end of 1904:

Weaver 3B
Jackson CF
Ordonez LF
Thomas 1B
Santop C
Minoso RF
Lundy SS
Appling 2B

Eddie Collins will get second back this year. Career-wise he is hitting .293, second on the team to Jackson's .322.

White Sox finished sixth last season, mainly because of less than average hitting (.253...league average .256) and less than average pitching (3.92 ERA...league average 3.82).

The Chisox only hit 110 homers (league average 127).

Ed Walsh (14-13 3.41 ERA), Mark Buehrle (8-7 3.12), Billy Pierce (5-5 3.35 ERA) and Juan Pizarro (2-4 3.37) look like starters right now.

Pierce and Pizarro only played the second half of the season.
Pierce was injured, Pizarro was called up in August.
Buehrle spent the first two months of the season in the bullpen.

The White Sox need a lot of help.

I don't think I am going to draft any more Negro and Japanese players as the teams may lose their identity if I do. Notice Santop and Lundy are starting now. That's 25% of the lineup.

I want to keep the ballclubs intact as much as possible. Several years down the road I may include some expansion teams to get their players in the league.

I don't plan to draft the expansion team players for the same reason as not adding more Negro and Japanese players. The original franchise would lose its identity.

Outlook for 1905: not good unless pitchers make a comeback...Wilbur Wood (9-11 4.42), Ed Cicotte (9-18 4.19) and Gary Peters (8-8 4.64) need to improve over 1904 season...all were mediocre.

Joe Horlen was called up from the minors in September and did very well. He was 0-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 15 games. He started one game and had one save in 32 innings. Looks like he might be a starter again. He has struggled since a 14-11 mark in 1901. Spent a lot of time in the minors since.

Ted Lyons was 9-2 with a 4.24 ERA. He wins, in spite of high ERA, so he deserves a shot at the starting rotation.

Still have relief ace, Bobby Thigpen, who had a fine season: 70 appearances (5th), 29 saves (2nd), 6-6 won-lost record and 3.40 ERA. He was second to Washington's Rick Aguilera in saves. Aguilera topped the AL with 32 saves.

[Eugene Church]

I plan to get busy soon and get the rosters ready for 1905.

Once I do that, I will give the preseason outlook for the the National and American Leagues.

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Monday, October 28, 1904

AAA AWARDS GOLDEN GLOVES IN NATIONAL LEAGUE

The Baseball Writers of America have picked the best National League glovemen in the Alltime Allstar Association. The top defenders in the 1904 season will receive their Golden Glove trophy at the awards banquet scheduled in New York this Saturday.

Pitcher: Christy Mathewson (New York Giants)
Catcher: Johnny Bench (Cincinnati Reds)
First Base: Buck Leonard (Boston Braves)
Second Base: Honus Wagner (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Third Base: Mike Schmidt (Philadelphia Phillies)
Shortstop: Dobie Moore (St. Louis Cardinals)
Left Field: Ralph Kiner (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Center Field: Vada Pinson (Cincinnati Reds)
Right Field: Turkey Stearnes (Chicago Cubs)

[batted balls]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

I have tried to always take the oldest ballplayer first when adding players each season. After the initial team selection, Modern Day players will have to wait until I go through the early year players.

That is, players from the early years will get added before the later years.

Since I have gone through just about all of the White Sox's third basemen and none of them have done the job, Crede may be added this year.

Bill Melton flunked his shot last year...same thing for Carlos Lee and Alex Fernandez.

Fernandez was 0-2 with an 8.59 ERA in 16 games with one start in 1903.
He gave up 39 hits in 22 innings with 5 BB and 16 K.

Melton was a .165 hitter in 1903.
41 G, 121 AB, 18 R, 20 H, 2 2B, 0 3B, 4 HR, 18 RBI, 0 SB, 12 BB, 31 K

Lee was a .238 hitter in 1902.
17 G, 42 AB, 9 R, 10 H, 2 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 3 SB, 6 BB, 11 K

Robin Ventura was the original 3B in 1901...he hit only .185 with 2 homers in limited action. I may give him another shot this season.

Same thing for Lee. He deserves another chance.

Paul Konerko and Willie Kamm split time at third last season.

Konerko has played three years now, hit only .226 and averaged 10 home runs and 45 rbis.

Kamm batted .291 in 50 games in 1904, with one homer, 15 rbis, 25 runs.

Present infielders are Eddie Collins (.297), Nellie Fox (.237), Luis Aparicio (.235), Luke Appling (.258), Buck Weaver (.400), Dick Lundy (.288), Konerko and Kamm. None have stood out yet. Batting average is last year's.

Weaver only played 7 games at the end of the season.

Chicago only has three solid players, Joe Jackson (.303/10 HR/63 RBI), Eddie Collins (.297/0 HR/25 RBI) and Louis Santop (.272/22 HR/92 RBI).

Collins missed half the season with an injury.

Frank Thomas (.220/28 HR/90 RBI) hits homers and drives in runs, but not for average...and can you believe it?...won a Golden Glove in 1904...only in OOTPB.

Ordonez (.250/19 HR/68 RBI) has been a pretty good ballplayer at times...(.256 career hitter)

Lineup at the end of 1904:

Weaver 3B
Jackson CF
Ordonez LF
Thomas 1B
Santop C
Minoso RF
Lundy SS
Appling 2B

Eddie Collins will get second back this year. Career-wise he is hitting .293, second on the team to Jackson's .322.

White Sox finished sixth last season, mainly because of less than average hitting (.253...league average .256) and less than average pitching (3.92 ERA...league average 3.82).

The Chisox only hit 110 homers (league average 127).

Ed Walsh (14-13 3.41 ERA), Mark Buehrle (8-7 3.12), Billy Pierce (5-5 3.35 ERA) and Juan Pizarro (2-4 3.37) look like starters right now.

Pierce and Pizarro only played the second half of the season.
Pierce was injured, Pizarro was called up in August.
Buehrle spent the first two months of the season in the bullpen.

The White Sox need a lot of help.

I don't think I am going to draft any more Negro and Japanese players as the teams may lose their identity if I do. Notice Santop and Lundy are starting now. That's 25% of the lineup.

I want to keep the ballclubs intact as much as possible. Several years down the road I may include some expansion teams to get their players in the league.

I don't play to draft the expansion team players for the same reason as not adding more Negro and Japanese players. The original franchise would lose its identity.

Outlook for 1905: not good unless pitchers make a comeback...Wilbur Wood (9-11 4.42), Ed Cicotte (9-18 4.19) and Gary Peters (8-8 4.64) need to improve over 1904 season...all were mediocre.

Joe Horlen was called up from the minors in September and did very well. He was 0-1 with a 1.82 ERA in 15 games. He started one game and had one save in 32 innings. Looks like he might be a starter again. He has struggled since a 14-11 mark in 1901. Spent a lot of time in the minors since.

Ted Lyons was 9-2 with a 4.24 ERA. He wins, in spite of high ERA, so he deserves a shot at the starting rotation.

Still have relief ace, Bobby Thigpen, who had a fine season: 70 appearances (5th), 29 saves (2nd), 6-6 won-lost record and 3.40 ERA. He was second to Washington's Rick Aguilera in saves. Aguilera topped the AL with 32 saves.

Eugene,

Wow, thanks for your comprehensive update on the White Sox. I agree with you about the draft of Negro Leaguers and Japanese players. Keep the teams intact for several more seasons.

Whether the Sox win or lose, it's still fun to follow your dynasty!

[Eugene Church]

Thanks for following it and thanks for the nice words.

This is my favorite league.

I may try and convert it to V2007. I understand there is a utility that may allow you to import a 6.51 league's history into it.

If I don't lose any history I will do it.

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Tuesday, October 29, 1904

AAA AWARDS GOLDEN GLOVES IN AMERICAN LEAGUE

The Baseball Writers of America have picked the best American League glovemen in the Alltime Allstar Association. The top defenders in the 1904 season will receive their Golden Glove trophy at the awards banquet scheduled in New York this Saturday.

Pitcher: Camilo Pascaul (Washington Senators)
Catcher: Josh Gibson (St. Louis Browns)
First Base: Frank Thomas (Chicago White Sox)
Second Base: Joe Gordon (New York Yankees)
Third Base: Shigeo Nagashima (Philadelphia Athletics)
Shortstop: Cal Ripken (St. Louis Browns)
Left Field: Albert Belle (Cleveland Indians)
Center Field: Alejandro Oms (Philadelphia Athletics)
Right Field: Bobby Veach (Detroit Tigers)

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

April 1, 1905

NATIONAL LEAGUE

CUBS MOE BROWN INJURED --- OUT FOR SEASON

The defending National League champions, the Chicago Cubs, were stunned today to find out that the ace of their mound staff, Mordecai Brown, was injured in Spring Training and will be out for the season. He tore a groin muscle in a recent exhibition game.

Brown was 19-8 with a 2.79 ERA in 1904 and will be sorely missed.

Manager Charlie Grimm said he will use Larry French, Orval Overall and recent-signee Rube Foster as Brown's replacement in the starting rotation.

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Tuesday, April 8, 1905

AMERICAN LEAGUE

NY YANKS PICKED TO WIN 3RD TITLE IN 5 YEARS

The mighty New York Yankees will win the American League pennant in 1905. That is what the baseball experts predict in the latest poll by the Baseball Writers of America.

Rank Team (1904 record) (Rank)

1. New York Yankees (96-58) (1st)
2. Washington Senators (85-69) (2nd)
3. Philadelphia Athletics (77-77) (5th)
4. Boston Red Sox (79-75) (3rd)
5. Cleveland Indians (79-75) (3rd)
6. Chicago White Sox (74-80) (6th)
7. Detroit Tigers (60-94) (8th)
8. St. Louis Browns (66-88) (7th)

The Bronx Bombers are the dominant team in the Alltime Allstar Association with excellent pitching, both starting and in the bullpen, and a powerful lineup of longball hitters, that walloped an AAA alltime record 208 home runs last year. They won the pennant by a whopping eleven games over the surprising Washington Senators and are expected to win easily again this season.

They also won the World Series, edging the Chicago Cubs in a thrilling nine-game series, 5 games to 4.

With Whitey Ford (22-7), Lefty Gomez (20-5) , Mariano Rivera (7-5, 28 saves) and company on the mound and Babe Ruth (.306 BA/50 HR), Lou Gehrig (.293 BA/27 HR), Joe DiMaggio (.297 BA/33 HR) at bat, Manager Casey Stengel's club will be hard to beat.

The only additions to the roster this season are third baseman Graig Nettles, back for another try as a backup to Derek Jeter, and righthanded pitcher, Red Ruffing, who will get a shot at the starting rotation.

One of the great stories of last season, the Washington Senators are the choice to finish second to the almighty Yanks. A solid mound staff and timely hitting led the Nats to their surprising second place finish. Manager Clark Griffith will rely on pitchers Walter Johnson (17-9), Alvin Crowder (13-7), Frank Viola (13-9), Camilo Pascual (14-14) and bullpen ace, Rick Aguilera (8-4, 32 saves) to keep the Senators in the battle with New York.

Last year's rookie of the year, Kent Hrbek (.287 BA/27 HR), and the AL batting champ, Heinie Manush (.342 BA/5 HR) will be back, hoping to continue their outstanding play. Reliable regulars Goose Goslin (.280 BA/11 HR), Rod Carew (.276 BA/5 HR) and Cecil Travis (.259 BA/1 HR) will be back as well.

Washington will add two lefthanders to the staff, rookies Johan Santana and Tom Zachary. Santana will be a spot starter, Zachary will be used in long and short relief.

Right fielder Kirby Puckett will be given the postion by Griffith and every chance to fail. He has not managed to hang on to it in three previous trials. Griffith says he has too much talent not to be successful and will be given every chance to make it this year. He told the press, "I'm gonna be more patient with him and give him time to develop." The Senator skipper did this last year with third baseman, Harmon Killebrew, who responded with 21 homers and 69 RBIs.

The Philadelphia Athletics, decimated by the loss of pitchers Lefty Grove (6-8) and Rube Waddell (12-2) for half the season, are ready to rebound from a fifth place finish. They are forecast to finish third in 1905. Manager Connie Mack has added a rookie righthander, Jack Coombs, to the starting rotation and expects good things from him. Add lefty Ed Plank (15-12) and righthander Tim Hudson (12-8) to the starting mix and Mack has a solid club that just needs to perform up to potential and they could rival New York.

The A's only weakness is home run power. Mack is hoping for a breakout season from first baseman Jimmie Foxx.

"Foxx (.247 BA/20 HR] has the physical strength to be up there with Ruth in the home run derby," Mack said. "One of these years he is going to bust loose. I hope it is this year."

The Philadelphia skipper added, "John Henry Lloyd (.248 BA/13 HR) is another key to our success, along with Al Simmons (.275 BA/12 HR). Both of them had disappointing seasons."

Mack told reporters during his press interview, "Mickey Cochrane (.303 BA/11 HR) and Shigeo Nagashima (.280 BA/18 HR) both had solid seasons at catcher and third base. I am looking for bigger and better things from them, too."

The hard-hitting Boston Red Sox will end up the season in fourth place this year according to the baseball prognosticators. Manager Joe McCarthy's fate will live or die with his pitching. The Bosox finished next-to-last in that department last year with a 4.12 ERA. Lousy relief pitching cost starters George Ruth (16-12), Pedro Martinez (14-8), Roger Clemens (13-13), Smokey Joe Wood (14-14) dearly. McCarthy has brought in two rookie hurlers this year and has added righthander Bill Dinneen and lefty Bruce Hurst to his staff. The Red Sox manager said that reliever Dick Radatz has to improve this year, too. "4-13 and 5.19 ERA just won't cut it this year".

Boston has the top team batting average in the AL at .262, led by Oscar Charleston (.309/30 HR), Ted Williams (.276 BA/26 HR) and Nomar Garciaparra (.295 BA/23 HR). David Ortiz (.247 BA/22 HR), Bobby Doerr (.265 BA/18 HR) and Fred Lynn (.281 BA/15 HR) also make their presence known from time-to-time.

Rookie outfielder Doc Cramer is the only new position player on the Red Sox roster. He will be a backup outfielder.

Steve O'Neill's Cleveland Indians are predicted to come in fifth. Last season they tied with Boston for fourth place, 17 games out. But this year the A's are expected to move up ahead of the Tribe. O'Neill has good pitching, but needs help in the hitting department. He hopes rookie first baseman, Travis Hafner, can energize the offense with his home run power. "Hafner, Al Rosen and Earl Averill will be given a long look at their positions in the hope we can get some solid run production out of them," the Indian skipper told the press. "They are the keys for us to challenge the Yankees in this year's race."

Light-hitting infielders Nap Lajoie (.306 BA/6 HR) and Willie Wells (.270 BA/16 HR) were the best Cleveland had average-wise.

Cleveland has a solid group of starters: Bob Feller (14-11), Addie Joss (11-14) and Herb Score (12-14). They also can count on Doug Jones (13-4, 23 saves) to bail them out when needed. He had an outstanding season in the bullpen last year. Manager O'Neill's newcomers to the mound corps this season are rookies Gary Bell and C. C. Sabathia. They will be used initially in relief roles.

The Chicago White Sox have renewed hopes for the 1905 season with the addition of five new players. Two are true freshmen, southpaw pitcher Tommy John and second baseman Ray Durham. The other two are semi-rookies back from the minors for another chance at the Majors, third baseman Robin Ventura and outfielder Carlos Lee, both of them have less than 100 at bats in the Majors. Manager Al Lopez said Ventura and Lee hit very well in the minors and he thinks this year they can do it in the American League. He told the baseball writers, "I think I gave up on them too soon in their previous tries. This time they will be given a thorough opportunity to show their stuff."

Lopez added, "We will be better this year for sure. We'll have Billy Pierce for the whole season and look for Tommy John to be a solid pitcher. I expect good things from him. He will be my #4 starter. With him, Pierce (5-5), Ed Walsh (14-13), Mark Buehrle (8-7), Ted Lyons (9-2) and relief standout Bobby Thigpen (6-6 29 saves), we are looking strong. Don't forget Joe Horlen, either. He looked real good at the end of the season last year."

The Chisox will need improvement from last season's top producers, Louis Santop (.272 BA/22 HR), Frank Thomas (.220 BA/28 HR) and Joe Jackson (.303 BA/10 HR), if they expect to rise up in the AL standings.

The writers think the Pale Hose will finish sixth, just like last year. But Lopez thinks he will end up in the first division.

The Detroit Tigers were dead last in 1904. This upcoming season will not be much better. According to the BWA they will be seventh in this year's race, beating out only the St. Louis Browns. Manager Hughie Jennings is pinning his hopes on three new pitchers, all rookies. Lefthander Frank Tanana and two righthanders, Hooks Dauss and Joe Coleman. Tanana will move into a starting role immediately. The other two will bide their time and have to prove themselves in relief roles at first. Virgil Trucks (13-13) and Hal Newhouser (11-17) are the Tigers best starters. Jennings thinks Bill Donovan (4-2) will do well as the #4 starter.

Detroit was the best hitting team in the American League with a .272 batting average, but were the worst in home runs, hitting only 64. Rookie third baseman, Carlos Guillen will bring some needed power to that position. Hank Greenberg (.283 BA/21 HR), Ty Cobb (.326 BA/6 HR), Charlie Gehringer (.318 BA/6 HR), Harvey Kuenn (.291 BA/4 HR) and Johnny Bassler (.303 BA/0 HR) are back for another go-round. Besides Guillen, outfielder Pete Fox is the only new position player.

Better pitching will move the Tigers up a little in the standings, but no first division this year according to the baseball scribes.

It looks like another long, long season for the St. Louis Browns and Manager Earl Weaver. They came in seventh last season and it looks worse this year. Weaver has made wholesale changes to his roster, adding seven rookies. New position players are second baseman Brian Roberts, third baseman Melvin Mora and outfielder Fred Schulte, all are good hitters, but only Mora has any pop in his bat. St. Louis will move newcomers Ben McDonald and Jack Powell into starting roles and will use Carl Weilman and Harry Howell in relief. One of the few Browns bright spots is pitching. Weaver has some quality starters in Jim Palmer (13-13) and Mike Mussina (11-12). Dick McNally (3-7) pitched very well despite his won-loss mark. Former starter Hoyt Wilhelm (13-13) will go to the bullpen and become Weaver's relief specialist.

The Browns are the worst hitting team in the American League, batting a composite .245 last year, led by Josh Gibson (.243 BA/32 HR), Ken Williams (.282 BA/26 HR), Jack Tobin (.305 BA/13 HR) and George Sisler (.275 BA/11 HR).

If the pitching improves, St. Louis could move up slightly...sixth at the most.

[batted balls]

Eugene,

Looking forward to the 1905 season getting under way. Go White Sox!

[Eugene Church]

ALLTIME ALLSTAR ASSOCIATION

Wednesday, April 9, 1905

NATIONAL LEAGUE

BWA SEE DOGFIGHT IN NL RACE...CARDS, CUBS, GIANTS AND DODGERS

There is no clear cut favorite in the National pennant chase this year according to the Baseball Writers of America preseason analysis. Four clubs are expected to fight it out for the 1905 league title. The scribes have given the St. Louis Cardinals a slight edge over the Chicago Cubs, New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers.

Rank Team (1904 record - Rank)

1. St. Louis Cardinals (87-67) (2nd)
2. Chicago Cubs (88-66) (1st)
3. New York Giants (82-72) (4th)
4. Brooklyn Dodgers (85-69) (3rd)
5. Boston Braves (69-85) (6th)
6. Philadelphia Phillies (73-81) (5th)
7. Pittsburgh Pirates (65-89) (8th)
8. Cincinnati Reds (67-87) (7th)

The St. Louis Cardinals are a blend of good pitching and good hitting. They are the number one choice to win the 1905 National League flag. They had the chance to win it last year, but missed several chances to win it in the last week of the season. They wilted badly, some say, choked, against the league's weak sisters, the Pirates and the Reds, and allowed the Cubs to back into the World Series against the Yankees. It seemed in the closing days of the season neither team wanted to win it.

Manager Tony Larussa has a solid ballclub with only one weakness -- in the bullpen. Otherwise he is happy with his team. Lefty Harry "The Cat" Brecheen (17-5) stepped it up last year and took over as the ace of the mound staff. He, Matt Morris (17-9), Larry Jackson (12-6) and John Tudor (14-12) form a fine nucleus to start the season. Larussa will have reliever John Worrell back from the minors and will give him a chance to nail down the closer spot. The Cards skipper said, "I think Worrell can handle the pressure better now. He did very well in the minors at Columbus and deserves a shot. We've tried Dean, Paige, Gibson...and none of them did the job. Harvey Haddix did a good job last year, except in the last week of the season." Rookie reliever Lindy McDaniel will get his opportunity in the middle innings and might move into the closer, if Worrell struggles.

Larussa bluntly added, "I'm hoping Dizzy Dean, Bob Gibson and Satchel Paige can get their heads and arms straight this year. They have the talent to excell. How could Paige go from 19-6 to 4-10 in one season. He ain't hurt. I hope Gibby will revert to his rookie season form, when he went 16-8. And if Diz would start doin' instead of talkin', he would do better. I keep hearing how good he was in Houston. Well, this is St. Louis. If all of these guys lived up to their reputations, we would run away with the league title. They will be used as spot starters this year, but I'm hoping they will get regular spots in the rotation."

Next to the Cubs, the Redbirds are the second best hitting team in the National League. They hit .264 to Chicago's .268 and were second in homers, too. The Cubs outhomered them 181 to 166. St. Louis features a sweet swinging lineup of Stan "The Man" Musial (.306/35 HR), Johnny "Big Cat" Mize (.275/27 HR), Rogers Hornsby (.295/15 HR), Dobie Moore (.286/18 HR) and Jim Edmonds (.272/18 HR). Outfielder Willard Brown (.261/9 HR) impressed in the second half of the season last year and will be the starter in right field. He gives Larussa another good longball threat and an outstanding defensive outfielder.

It looks like the Cardinals are loaded again this season and may make a return trip to the World Series. They won it all in 1903 beating the Red Sox in seven games, 5 games to 2.

But the Chicago Cubs will have a lot say about who goes to the World Series, despite losing their ace, Moe Brown (19-8), for the whole season due to injury. Manager Charlie Grimm is blessed with an array of talent, mainly hitters. Turkey Stearnes (.331/45 HR), Ernie Banks (.234/37 HR) and Cool Papa Bell (.315/14 HR) bring a smile to Cholly Jolly's face. And the Cubs don't stop there -- Hack Wilson (.235/21 HR), Tetsuharu Kawakami (.308/11 HR), Billy Herman (.314/4 HR) and Bad Bill Dahlen (.286/12 HR) add even more offensive punch to the lineup. A new rookie outfielder, Riggs Stephenson, is up from Triple A. He is regarded as quite a contact hitter, but may have trouble getting playing time with the likes of Wilson and Hank Sauer ahead of him.

To make up for the devastating loss of Brown, Chicago signed free agent Rube Foster, who had a run with the New York Yankees in 1901 and 1902, going 9-6 and 1-6 in those respective seasons. Foster is a pitcher of immense talent and could fill the bill, if he can come close to his Negro League numbers. Grimm will also use journeyman Larry French and second year man Orval Overall (10-3) to try and make up for the drastic loss of Brown. French was 14-12 and 10-6 in two seasons of starting, 1902-03. Last year he was used mainly in relief and logged a 0-0 mark in 44 innings, 20 games and 4 starts. French might prove to be Grimm's "ace in the hole".

Chicago still has starters Big Ed Reulbach (13-11), Bill Lee (14-12) and Ferguson Jenkins (14-12) to anchor the pitching corps, along with relief ace, Bruce Sutter. Sutter was 11-5 with 21 saves in 77 appearances in an outstanding performance last year. Ready for middle relief is Lee Smith, who sparkled in the World Series against the Yankees. He stoodout with a 1-0 record, 5 games, 7 innings and a brilliant 1.23 ERA. Grimm thinks Smith may be ready to take an active role this year and continue his great postseason performance.

If Foster, French and Overall falter, rookie Claude Passeau and third-year man, Carlos Zambrano, might be thrown to the wolves, so to speak. If Foster, French and Overall do well -- Look out New York Yankees! The Cubs are coming back for another try!

Things are not happy at the Polo Grounds...but then again, John McGraw is not even happy when when he wins the National League championship, like he did in 1902. The Philadelphia A's spoiled his happiness that season in the World Series. And he has been grousing ever since.

Last year the Giants were only six games out of first place. All they need is one more consistent starter to go with Christy Mathewson (17-11) and Johnny Antonelli (13-8)...or more consistent hitters like Martin Dihigo (.309/28 HR). As a team New York hit for only a .251 batting average. They do hit homers (162 - 3rd), but not for average. "We lose too many close ballgames because we just don't hit anything but home runs," McGraw told the press. "I am going back and get me some guys who will get me some base hits and manufacture some runs. I'm tired of finishing third and fourth with the sluggers." This year Ross Youngs (.297/3 HR), Freddie Lindstrom (.294/1 HR) and Travis Jackson (.222/3 HR) are going to play and get me some base hits. Rookie George Burns may even crack the lineup if the big bats don't produce. I may recall Bill Terry from the minors, too. I won a pennant when he was my first baseman. He don't hit homers, but he produces runs and wins." The big bats are Barry Bonds (.262/32 HR), Mel Ott (.261/24 HR) and Willie McCovey (.258/25 HR).

On the pitching side McGraw expressed dismay with Carl Hubbell, saying, "There is no reason he and Christy shouldn't both win 20 games a year. Carl's 15-15 last year is not what I want. He was 16-10 in 1901 and 22-6 in 1902. That's what I expect from someone with his talent. And by golly, I'm gonna get it this year. I am sick and tired of losing." McGraw has some choice words for another underachiever, Juan Marichal, but they were not printable. Sufficient to say, he has higher expectations from the Dominican Dandy this season. The disgruntled Giants manager wants Marichal to pitch like he did in 1901, when he posted a 15-9 record. He was 8-6 with a dismal 4.47 ERA last year.

The Giants will try to contend this year with rookies Hal Schumacher and Fred Toney, two portsiders. McGraw will use them as spot starters and middle relief. In the closer department Robb Nen seems to be headed in the right direction after a stint in the minors last year. He was recalled late in the season and was 3-0 with 3 saves and a very impressive 2.11 ERA in 24 appearances. He will get first call on that assignment this year.

In closing, McGraw said he guaranteed New York would win the pennant in 1905.

If Christy, King Carl and the Dominican Dandy do their job on the mound, McGraw may be right...even if the big bats only hit home runs.

Brooklyn had strong starting pitching last year, finishing second to the Cubs with a 3.64 ERA. Chicago was first with a 3.62 ERA. That is what Manager Tommy Lasorda is pining his hopes on this year. The Dodgers only came up three games short in the NL race. It wouldn't take too much for them to win it all this season. Lasorda has the brilliant lefty Sandy Koufax (20-9), the Golden Arm Award winner. In fact, he has won it two years in a row. That is a great starting point. In addition he has proven pitchers in Dazzy Vance (14-12), Don Sutton (13-11) and Don Drysdale (14-15). Toss in second-year man, Claude Osteen (6-1) and Fernando Valenzuela (1-1) in the spot starters slots, and you have an excellent staff. Relievers will be the key for Brooklyn. Eric Gagne, Ron Perranoski, Burt Hooton and Kevin Brown have got to step it up a notch for the Dodgers to surpass the Redbirds, Chicubs and Giants.

The Dodgers just need to hit better. They were next-to-last in runs scored, just barely outdoing the pathetic Pittsburgh Pirates, 633 to 632. Lasorda has added power-hitting Eric Karros at first base to his lineup to go with Adrian Beltre (.280/32 HR), Jackie Robinson (.308/11 HR), Pee Wee Reese (.301/10 HR) and Mike Piazza (.269/23 HR). Lasorda indicated that he has to get more out of Duke Snider (.221/12 HR) and Cristobel Torriente (.285/9 HR). "Duke needs to get his average way up. He's not going to be a regular hitting in the low .200s and Cristobel needs to get up around .300, too. They are lucky the guys on the bench aren't hitting, too."

The Dodgers could very easily move up past the other three contenders. It wouldn't take too much to do so. All four teams are tightly bunched. They all could finish anywhere from first to fourth place in the standings.

Expected to come in fifth are the Boston Braves, managed by Bobby Cox. Pitching is his greatest need, especially relief pitching. Starters Greg Maddux (12-9), Warren Spahn (12-16) and John Smoltz (12-15) might be 20-game winners with a contending team. Kid Nichols (7-10) will be the other starter. Cox has added two rookies to his staff, Pat Jarvis and Carl Morton, both will be used as spot starters. Reliever Steve Bedrosian is back for another try and will battle Don McMahon (4-4) for the fireman's role. Lou Burdette (5-5) and Tom Glavine (7-7) will be in long relief this season.

The offensive leaders on the Braves are Chipper Jones (.280/30 HR), Buck Leonard (.281/25 HR) and Tommy Holmes (.301/14 HR). To kickstart the attack Cox will put rookie slugger Dale Murphy and vet Hank Aaron in the outfield with Holmes. Cox told reporters, "Aaron has never played the whole season to show what he can do. It's time he got the chance. This year he will get it. I'm gonna sink or swim with him this year. I think he can do it. I'm excited about the kid Murphy, too. He can hit the ball a long way and he can go get 'em in the outfield, too."

Fifth place is about the best Boston can do. The teams above them are just better and more talented than the Braves.

Manager Danny Ozark has done a fine job with the Philadelphia Phillies with two third place finishes in four years. That is remarkable considering his talent pool. The Phils strong point is their starters. Pete Alexander, one of the league's best, has a career record of 62-36 with a 3.13 ERA. He is the ace of the staff and was 16-7 last year. Steve Carlton (14-6) stepped it up last season and pitched the way Ozark thought he could. Two fine Japanese imports round out the starting rotation, Jiro Noguchi (14-10) and Ahiro Bessho (9-18). Don't let Bessho's record fool you. He lost a lot of heartbreakers. Robin Roberts (4-7) and Curt Schilling (5-9) will vie for the #5 slot in the rotation.

Philadelphia needs bullpen help. Ozark has recalled Tug McGraw from the minors to take over the closer position, saying, "Tug has the talent to do the job. He does it superbly in the minors and he can do it here, too. This year he will be my closer. I think our new rookies Ron Reed and Vicente Padilla will give us some good relief innings as well."

So goes Dick Allen (.267/27 HR), Mike Schmidt (.267/27 HR) and Chuck Klein (.262/27 HR), so goes the Phillies. This year Ozark hopes to get them some help. Gavvy Cravath will get the start in left field. He really shined in the late season last year, hitting .315 in 17 games with 7 homers and 21 RBIs. The Phils hope he picks up where he left off and picks them up this year. Fifth place may be the best Philadelphia can hope for.

But Ozark and Company have made us very wrong before.

Pittsburgh and Cincinnati will battle it out for seventh place. It is not likely either will get any higher. They just can't play with the other six clubs in the league.

The Pirates, managed by Danny Murtaugh, will beat out the Reds for seventh place in the National League standings. Pittsburgh has better pitching, led by the real fine righthander, Deacon Phillippe (9-19), who pitched quite well last season as evidenced by his 3.13 ERA, he just got no run support. The Bucs were last in hitting, batting only .247 and were last in runs scored, too. Sam Leever (10-5) and rookie Bob Friend (9-5) did very well last year. Leever was injured in August and missed the last two months. He will not come back until June or July. Other starters Bob Veale (12-13) and John Candelaria (6-17) also pitched better than records show.

Newcomers to the Pittsburgh roster are pitchers Murry Dickson and Rip Sewell. Dickson will be the #4 man in the rotation, Sewell will split starts with the veteran Vic Willis (6-11).

Murtaugh is hoping that his young Japanese slugger, Sadaharu Oh, will get back his swing and hit like he did his first two years in the league, when he hit .285 with 83 homers and 243 RBIs. Last year he tailed off miserably to .219 with just 22 home runs and only 60 RBIs. He was benched in mid-August. Ralph Kiner (.245/30 HR), Paul Waner (.303/1 HR) and Roberto Clemente (.270/12 HR) were the only shining lights in the lineup. Murtaugh is looking for a good year from shortstop Glenn Wright, who hit .285 with 5 home runs and 24 RBIs in 35 starts after being inserted into the lineup late last season.

Cincy skipper Sparky Anderson has never finished higher than seventh, ending up last twice in four years. This year it looks like last place again. Terrible pitching is the Reds main problem. The team ERA was a sky-high 4.59 last year, the worst in the National League and the worst in the Alltime Allstar Association. Anderson reported this year, "I am going with my most talented players this year. Joe Morgan (.295/5 HR) and Tony Perez are winners and make things happen. They will play the whole season at second and third base. Paul O'Neill (.299/15 HR) will also be in the right field fulltime...no more platooning."

Ted Kluszewski (.273/29 HR) was a workhorse last season with 113 RBIs. He and the NL top hitter, Ed Roush (.335/1 HR), along with Frank Robinson (.250/28 HR) were the few bright spots on the team. Roush kept Chicago's Turkey Stearnes from winning the Triple Crown by taking the batting title from him.

Newcomers to the pitching staff include two righthanders, Mario Soto and Ewell Blackwell, and a lefty, Jim O'Toole. Anderson told the press corps, "They all could be starters very soon, if my other guys don't produce. We can't continue to stay at the bottom of the league. I am desparate to find some pitching."

Pete Donahue was 16-10 last season, but sported a 5.00 ERA. Rookie Bob Purkey was the only pitcher on the staff with an ERA under 4.00. He was 5-4 with a 3.78 ERA.