MLHR: Major League Historical Replay... what if?

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1900 Rookies

A very small class of rookies, but it contains one of my favorite players of the early 20th century. Both top rookies join the Giants, who have been in desperate need of new talent for almost a decade.


Christy Mathewson, SP, Age 19, Giants

Mathewson gives the Giants exactly what they have needed for well over a decade - a legitimate ace atop their rotation. Mathewson will have his work cut out for him earning wins with this motley crew behind him, but fortunately the Giants have a decent offense. The bullpen will likely cost him several wins though. Perhaps he will have to pitch a lot of complete games.




Dummy Taylor, SP, Age 23, Giants

Again, this is just what San Fran needed. Taylor will slide into the #2 slot in the rotation. His presence, along with Mathewson, will allow the Giants to move two of their weaker starting pitchers to the bullpen where they belong. That will likely be Jouett Meekin (11-14, 5.48 ERA) and Jack Taylor (8-19, 5.57 ERA). Hopefully, they will find much more success in the pen.

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1900 Key Retirees - Batters


Danny Richardson, 2B, Giants

Two-time Gold Glove winner.

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1900 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Dad Clarke, Cubs

Top 10 in wins twice, losses twice, holds twice, HR/9 twice and BB/9 seven times. Finished 2nd in shutouts in 1892.




Kid Gleason, Phillies

Led league with .650 winning percentage in 1890 and finished Top 10 three times. Led league with 1.04 WHIP and 4 shutouts in 1893. Top 10 in wins twice, ERA four times, RA/9 twice, H/9 twice and BB/9 twice.




Alex Jones, Pirates

Led league in losses twice and finished 2nd once. Top 10 in BB/9 twice and shutouts three times.

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1900 Preseason Predictions

It's finally here. The final NL-only season. This is the final time that the winner of the pennant race will be crowned champion without the added challenge of defeating the best team from the AL in the World Series. So who will it be? After six dominant seasons from the Phillies, they suddenly looked human last season, finishing in 3rd place but just two games out. The Cardinals won their first pennant in 20 seasons, and the Cubs finished just a single game out. And let's not forget the Dodgers, Pirates and Braves. All three clubs are talented and capable of staging a championship run, but all three also have their weaknesses.

According to my rankings below, the Cardinals and Cubs have essentially equal shots at the pennant, with Chicago perhaps having a slight edge thanks to their deep bench and team speed. To capture the pennant, the Cubs will need strong performances from their pitching staff. St. Louis, on the other hand, has a better rotation and an offense that can be just as dominant as Chicago's.

The Phillies will be out to reclaim their throne, but age is slowly creeping in. Their impressive starting rotation showed its first cracks last season. Their offense is also not quite as dominant as in years past, but make no mistake that this team has all the tools to capture their ninth pennant in thirteen seasons. Perhaps the biggest impact that age has had on this team is the subtle decline in defense and team speed. Those intangibles can often decide close games, and over the course of a season, a single game's difference in the win column can decide a pennant.

The Dodgers and Pirates are the top of the second tier of teams, with the Braves right behind. Los Angeles could surprise this season. People within the organization are excited about the coming season, and they believe they have what it takes to win the pennant. Their young rotation should continue to improve, but production from the offense could be the deciding factor for them.

In Pittsburgh, they believe that their pitching staff is as good as, or better than, any other staff in the league. Few would deny their bullpen's prowess, but to be considered the best, their young rotation will need to perform at a high level this season. That being said, in order to win a pennant, the offense will need to be at the top of their game as well. The Pirates offense is not considered to be as potent as the other top teams in the league, and they have mediocre team speed, so they will need to be efficient.

As for Atlanta, few people give the Braves a legitimate shot at winning the pennant, but they were not expected to perform as well as they did in the first half of last season either. Perhaps they will come together as a unit this season and outperform expectations. In order to do that, their offense will need continued improvement from key players - they had the 4th best offense last season - and their pitching staff will need to get its act together. Last season was very disappointing for Vic Willis (6-18, 5.63 ERA), who is now 23 and entering his third season. Kid Madden (10-13, 5.23 ERA), who turned 33 the day after last season ended, also had the worst season of his twelve year career. He has been dropped to the 5th spot in the rotation behind Willis and rookie Togie Pittinger (7-6-5 ratings).


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade
1	Chicago Cubs	7	6	9	10	9	9	8.10	A-
2	St. Louis Cardinals	9	6	9	7	7	8	8.05	A-
3	Pittsburgh Pirates	9	9	7	7	5	8	7.8	B+
4	Los Angeles Dodgers	7	7	8	9	5	9	7.6	B+
5	Philadelphia Phillies	8	7	8	8	6	5	7.1	B
6	Atlanta Braves	6	5	6	6	5	7	6.0	B-
7	San Francisco Giants	6	2	6	8	6	5	5.3	C+
8	Cincinnati Reds	6	3	6	5	3	6	5.2	C+

MLB results for 1900

Champs: Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers), (82-54, .603)

Batting Title: Honus Wagner, PIT, .381
OPS+: Honus Wagner, PIT, 176
AB/HR: Herman Long, BSN, 40.5
RBI: Elmer Flick, PHI, 110
Runs: Roy Thomas, PHI, 132
SB: Patsy Donovan, STL and George Van Haltren, NYG, 45

ERA+: Rube Waddell, PIT, 153
Win%: Joe McGinnity, BRO, .778
WHIP: Rube Waddell, PIT, 1.107
K/9: Rube Waddell, PIT, 5.607


MLHR Milestone Watch

2500 Hits
Sam Thompson, CIN, Age 40, 2487 Hits

500 Home Runs
Sam Thompson, CIN, Age 40, 482 HR

400 Home Runs
Mike Tiernan, SFG, Age 34, 378 HR

1500 Runs
Denny Lyons, LAD, Age 35, 1432 Runs
Billy Hamilton, PHI, Age 35, 1431 Runs

1000 Runs
Jack Clements, PHI, Age 36, 990 Runs
Jake Beckley, PIT, Age 33, 982 Runs
Hub Collins, LAD, Age 36, 979 Runs
Jake Stenzel, CHN, Age 32, 962 Runs
John McGraw, STL, Age 26, 960 Runs
Bug Holliday, CIN, Age 33, 924 Runs

1500 RBI
Ed Delahanty, PHI, Age 33, 1451 RBI
Denny Lyons, LAD, Age 35, 1450 RBI

1000 RBI
Bill Joyce, LAD, Age 32, 971 RBI
Jake Beckley, PIT, Age 33, 922 RBI
Mike Smith, PIT, Age 33, 906 RBI

1000 Walks
Hugh Duffy, CHN, Age 33, 975 BB
Mike Tiernan, SFG, Age 34, 964 BB

250 Wins
Bill Vinton, PHI, Age 35, 244 Wins

200 Wins
Ben Sanders, PHI, Age 36, 196 Wins
Jocko Flynn, CHN, Age 36, 196 Wins

3500 Strikeouts
Bill Vinton, PHI, Age 35, 3378 K's

3000 Strikeouts
Jocko Flynn, CHN, Age 36, 2855 K's

2500 Strikeouts
Cy Young, STL, Age 33, 2426 K's

700 Games Pitched
Phenominal Smith, CIN, Age 36, 671 Games

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Mid-Season Report

The Phillies led the pennant race for most of the first half before losing 11 of their final 14 games in June. Their offense is once again #1 in the league and their pitching staff is #2, so they should end this streak of poor play and remain in the race. Nap Lajoie is having another BoY-caliber season. He leads the batting race with a .340 average and leads the league with 109 hits and 82 RBI while hitting 12 home runs. While the team's overall pitching numbers are good, their rotation is not as dominant as in years past. Also, closer Jerry Nops (1-6, 15 Sv, 4.67 ERA) struggled again to start the season, but he seems to have hit his stride, going 0-1 with 4 saves and a 1.69 ERA in June.

On the other side of the spectrum, the Cubs have won 10 of their last 11 games and are currently on a 7-game winning streak. Centerfielder Bill Lange (.310, 14 HR, 54 RBI, 24 SB) once again leads the offense. The team is second to the Phillies in runs scored despite having several regulars below career averages, so there is a chance that the Cubs offense could improve in the second half. The team's pitching staff is ranked 4th, and ace Buttons Briggs (8-6, 4.55 ERA) has scuffled so far.

The Pirates and Cardinals are also in the thick of things. Pittsburgh's offense is ranked only 4th, but they lead the league every key pitching and defensive category. Rube Waddell (10-4, 1.85 ERA) leads the way as the best pitcher in the league thus far. Closer Jock Menefee (1-6, 16 Sv, 5.25 ERA), the 1898 Fireman Award winner, has been removed from the closer's role in favor of sophomore setup man Patsy Flaherty (5-1, 2.52 ERA).

In St. Louis, the Cardinals rank 3rd in both offense and defense. They have players having good seasons and some stars that are struggling. They will need more consistency in order to repeat as league champions. In the rotation for example, Cy Young (4-8, 4.28 ERA) is struggling, Amos Rusie (8-7, 2.19 ERA) and Joe Corbett (8-6, 2.72 ERA) are picking up the slack. Offensively, last season's BoY and RoY Mike Donlin (.275, 12 HR, 56 RBI) is having another solid season, although not as good as his debut.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

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Season Wrap-up

This pennant race was another nail-biter. Going into August, the Cubs held a 4-game lead over the surging Cardinals with the Phillies and Pirates close behind. By August 21st, the Phils were on an 8-game winning streak while the Cardinals had lost 7 straight and the Pirates had lost 5 straight. Pittsburgh would never be a serious contender again the rest of the season, and St. Louis would remain on the outside looking in.

At this point in the season, the Phillies had taken a slim half-game lead over Chicago. By Labor Day, the Cubs would hold an equally slim 1.5-game lead over Philly. On September 22nd, the Phillies again held the lead, this time by 1.5 games. Then they lost their next two games to the Reds while the Cubs finished a sweep of the Cardinals, once again placing the Cubs in first by a half-game.

The Cubs and Phillies both won 2 of their first 3 in the season's final week. The Cubs then dropped their final series opener to the Braves in Atlanta 5-4 when Braves third baseman Jimmy Collins (.266, 19 HR, 65 RBI) hit a solo homer off Cubs closer Tom Hughes (6-11, 30 Sv, 4.14 ERA). That meant the Cubs and Phillies were tied with three games left.

On September 28th, the Cubs beat Atlanta 6-2 while the much-improved Giants defeated Philadelphia 3-2 in 12 innings. On the following day, the Giants again came back to score 2 runs in the 9th to tie the game before winning 6-4 in the 11th. The Cubs, though, failed to clinch when they lost 2-0 to Kid Nichols (10-16, 3.79 ERA) and the Braves.

On the final day of the season, Phillies outfielder Roy Thomas (.275, 23 RBI in 142 AB) hit a bases loaded single in the bottom of the 9th off Giants reliever Jack Taylor (9-8, 5.56 ERA) to win the game. At the same time, the Cubs scored 3 runs in the 9th but lost to Atlanta 7-5, forcing a one-game playoff. Neither starting pitcher had their best stuff during the extra game, but the Phillies scored a run in the 6th, two in the 7th and four more in the 8th to win at home in Philly 8-3, reclaiming the pennant.

There was no more exciting way to finish the first quarter century of MLHR and the final NL-only season than this one-game playoff. The Phillies close out the 19th century as possibly one of the most dominant franchises we will ever see. They won 9 pennants over 13 seasons from 1888 to 1900. It will be interesting to see if any other franchise can come close to that level of dominance. Perhaps the best chance we have of seeing that occur are the Yankees of the 1950's and 1960's, but we will have to wait a while to see.

As for this season, Giants centerfielder Mike Tiernan (.297, 27 HR, 88 RBI) joined the 400 home run club while leading the league in OPS. 36-year-old Phillies pitcher Bill Vinton (15-8, 3.44 ERA) proved that age is just a number, while having his best season in three years and recording his 250th win. He finished the season with 259, which is good for 2nd all-time, just 19 wins from passing Tommy Bond for first place. Pirates ace Rube Waddell (17-11, 2.00 ERA) had a superb season and recorded the lowest ERA ever for a starting pitcher at 1.996 - rounded up to 2.00 - well better than the former record of 2.17 set in 1881 by the Giants' Terry Larkin. He also set single season records for H/9, WHIP, OAVG and OOBP!


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




Records

ERA: Rube Waddell, PIT, 2.00
Games Pitched: Jack Taylor, SFG, 89
H/9: Rube Waddell, PIT, 5.92
WHIP: Rube Waddell, PIT, 0.89
OAVG: Rube Waddell, PIT, .185
OOBP: Rube Waddell, PIT, .238

Career Walks (Batter): Cupid Childs, PHI, 1342
Career Walks (Batter): Billy Hamilton, PHI, 1341 - both batters passed Dan Brouthers' 1285 this season
Career Saves: Jack Sharrott, SFG, 332 - passed John Cattanach (331) for 3rd all-time
Career Innings Pitched: Bill Vinton, PHI, 4107.2 - passed Terry Larkin (3986.1) for 2nd all-time
Career Strikeouts (Pitcher): Bill Vinton, PHI, 3554 - became 4th pitcher to surpass 3500

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Season Awards


Batter of the Year

Lange gets some much deserved recognition. He won a tight race with San Francisco's Mike Tiernan (.297, 27 HR, 88 RBI, 22 SB) and Philadelphia's Nap Lajoie (.337, 22 HR, 145 RBI).




Pitcher of the Year




Rookie of the Year




Fireman Award

Sudhoff went largely unnoticed by the national press, but the reliever did not allow an earned run until July!




Gold Gloves
P - Sadie McMahon, LAD (3rd overall)
C - Marty Bergen, ATL (2nd overall)
1B - Charlie Hickman, ATL
2B - Claude Ritchey, CIN
3B - John McGraw, STL (2nd overall)
SS - Hughie Jennings, LAD (5th overall)
LF - Fred Clarke, PIT (4th overall)
CF - Mike Griffin, LAD (4th overall)
RF - Jimmy Bannon, STL (2nd consecutive)

[Husky417]

Just stumbled on to this and really enjoying it! (I'm about 10 years behind, I think). Keep up the great work.

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Originally Posted by Husky417

Just stumbled on to this and really enjoying it! (I'm about 10 years behind, I think). Keep up the great work.

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback.

[darnoff]

19th Century Recap

Before we begin looking forward to 1901 with the addition of the American League and the beginning of the World Series, let's look back at the first 25 years of MLHR.


Franchises

The Phillies were easily the most successful team of the 19th Century with their 9 pennants, but despite six straight 100+ win seasons, they did not have the best Win-Loss record during this period thanks to some very lean early years. People forget that the Phillies of the 1870's and 1880's didn't finish higher than 5th place for the first twelve years of MLHR.

Instead, the Cubs narrowly beat out the Cardinals for the best overall record during this time span. The Cubs won five pennants and had only five losing seasons in 25 years. They also were blessed with some of the most successful players in MLHR history, particularly from the early days of the league. The Cardinals won two back-to-back pennants in 1878 and 1879 and then did not win their third until 1899. They had seven consecutive losing seasons from 1885 to 1891, but they had no other losing seasons before or since that period.




Batting Records




Pitching Records




Key Batting Leaderboards

Average




Hits




Doubles




Home Runs




RBI




Runs




Stolen Bases




Walks




Key Pitching Leaderboards

Wins




ERA




WHIP




Shutouts




Complete Games




Innings Pitched




Strikeouts




Saves




Games Pitched

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1900's Preview
(The Decade, not the Century!)


National League Pennants

Pirates - 4
Cubs - 4
Giants - 2

The Pirates start out the MLB decade with three straight pennants from 1901-03 with just about the same lineup as they have in MLHR. It will be interesting to see if the MLHR version of this club can have similar success. It will be tough to do with the talent level of the other top NL teams around them.

In MLB, the Giants won the 1904 and 1905 pennants before the Cubs won three straight from 1906-08. The Giants won't have the benefit of Joe McGinnity in the rotation, since he debuted with the Dodgers. They also had Mike Donlin in the outfield in 1905, but he is with the Cardinals in MLHR. The Cubs may also find it more difficult to capture pennants later in the decade since future star Mordecai Brown debuted with the Cardinals and will never play for the Cubs.


American League Pennants

Athletics - 3
Tigers - 3
White Sox - 2
Red Sox - 2

The AL in the first decade of the 20th Century will look different than it did in MLB because no NL stars will be jumping to the AL. I will allow some lesser players who are not on the NL teams' major league roster to jump to the AL simply to fill out rosters. I suspect it will take several seasons for the AL to catch up in talent to where the NL is. I wonder if any AL team will win a World Series this decade.


One team to watch will be the Athletics, who by 1903 will have perhaps the top pitching duo in the AL with Eddie Plank and Chief Bender.

[darnoff]

Took a long time to get the American League setup, plus there are more rookies now with two leagues. I also decided to release some players from the National League reserve rosters - guys who weren't making the major league roster - just to fill out the AL rosters for now.

Now on to 1901!

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1901 National League Rookies

Doc White, SP, Age 21, Phillies

The Phillies continue to do a great job of adding young talent to their pitching staff with the hopes of remaining competitive as some of their veterans near retirement age. White is a solid second-tier starter, who will have little pressure on him in the Phillies loaded rotation. He will begin the season as the #4 starter, but he is projected as more of a #2 down the road.




Bob Wicker, SP, Age 23, Cardinals

The Cardinals are following Philadelphia's lead and also trying to add fresh talent to their pitching staff. While they have not added as many young arms as the Phillies, they certainly have their fair share. Wicker will start this season as St. Louis' #5 starter. He is expected to move up in the rotation over time and is projected as a #3 guy.

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1901 American League Rookies

Nick Altrock, SP, Age 21, Red Sox

The Red Sox will have a strong pitching rotation in their inaugural season, and Altrock will be a key member. He has good control of 3 solid pitches, and he is known for playing superb defense from the mound as well. If the Red Sox can assemble a decent offense, this team could be tough.




Tim Jordan, 1B, Age 21, Twins

The only batter on this list this season from either league, Jordan is quite simply a power hitter. His batting average will likely be in the .250 range, but he has 30+ home run power. That kind of offensive potential will be important since the Twins do not have much pitching to speak of.




Earl Moore, SP, Age 23, Indians

Moore is the only star on this Indians rotation, but he could be one of the top 2 or 3 stars in the entire AL right now. He has three pitches, two of which are dominant. He is accurate and can blow a batter away when needed. His winning percentage may suffer due to a mediocre offense, so we will have to watch and see how many wins he can grind out.




Frank Owen, SP, Age 21, Tigers

Owen will be Detroit's opening day starter. He is a solid pitcher all around and should be successful. The Tigers have a decent pitching staff, but as with the other new teams, their offense is a question.




Eddie Plank, SP, Age 24, Athletics

MLB HOF'er Plank is the top new star in either league this season. He had an incredible 326-194 career MLB record. He should be as dominant as any pitcher in the National League, let alone the young American League. He certainly makes the A's a team to fear, at least once out of every five days. His winning percentage will depend on how much he can dominate opposing lineups and whether or not his team's offense does their part, because at this point, no AL team has much offensive talent.




Ed Siever, SP, Age 24, Tigers

Siever will be the #2 starter behind Owen. He is known primarily for his control. As the league matures, he may wind up a #3 or #4 starter.




George Winter, SP, Age 22, Red Sox

Another solid pitcher for Boston, Winter is known for his control. He is not overpowering, but he should find success in the AL. He will more than likely be a #3 starter down the road as the AL gathers more talent. For now, he is Boston's #2 behind Altrock.

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1901 Key Retirees - Batters


Oyster Burns, RF, Dodgers

Key piece to four Dodger pennants as a starter in 1886, 1889, 1890 and 1892. Top 10 in hits twice, triples twice, home runs twice, RBI three times, walks twice, batting average four times, OBP six times, slugging five times and OPS five times.




Jack Clements, C, Phillies

Power-hitting catcher was a key component to the team's many pennants, particularly as a starter in 1888, 1891 and 1893-95 then as a bench player for several more. Won two Gold Gloves. Led the league in home runs in 1884 and finished Top 10 five times. Led the league in RBI in 1892 and finished Top 10 ten times. Finished Top 10 in doubles, slugging and OPS three times each.




Hub Collins, 2B, Dodgers

Key piece to four Dodger pennants, particularly in 1890. Won 1896 Gold Glove. Finished Top 10 in stolen bases ten times, doubles twice and runs three times.




Tom Daly, C/3B, Cubs

Won two Gold Gloves at catcher in 1894 and 1895.




Tom Parrott, 1B, Cubs

Won two Gold Gloves at first base in brief time as a power-hitting starter in the Cubs lineup. Finished Top 10 in home runs five times, hits twice, RBI four times and slugging three times.




Sam Thompson, RF, Reds

Offensive leader for Reds for many seasons. Retired with most hits (2515), home runs (489), RBI (1361), Runs (1384) and Strikeouts (1980) as well as the highest OPS+ (139) of any right fielder in history. Won six Gold Gloves. Led league in Total Bases three times, triples once and runs once. Led league in home runs for four consecutive seasons from 1889-1892.

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1901 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Charlie Ferguson, Phillies

A fine starting pitcher for the Phillies who began his career before they were a dynasty, won several pennants with the team and finished his career as a reliever. Won 1884 Rookie of the Year. Won 1888 and 1890 Pitcher of the Year. Won 1891 Gold Glove. Led league in wins twice and finished Top 10 nine times. Led league with 263 strikeouts in 1888 and Finished Top 10 twelve times. Finished Top 10 in ERA ten times with an amazing seven consecutive finishes in the Top four from 1884-1890. Led league in shutouts an impressive five times. Led league in WHIP in 1888 and finished Top 10 nine times. Led league in fewest HR/9 four times and finished Top 10 ten times. Led league in fewest H/9 twice and finished Top 10 ten times. Led league in quality start percentage in 1893 and finished Top 10 twelve times. Led league in complete games in 1888 and finished Top 10 eight times. Finished Top 10 in inning pitched ten times, K/BB seven times, RA/9 nine times, BB/9 three times, K/9 ten times,




George Haddock, Dodgers

Finished Top 10 in wins three times and HR/9 twice.




Gus Krock, Cubs

Led league with 19 wins in 1891 and finished Top 10 three times. Led league with fewest BB/9 in 1888 and finished Top 10 nine times. Led league in complete games in 1891 and finished Top 10 seven times. Led league in shutouts in 1897 and finished Top 10 three times. Finished Top 10 in innings pitched three times, WHIP three times, K/BB nine times and RA/9 three times. Led league with most home runs allowed three times and most losses three times.




Phenomenal Smith, Reds

Retired as 7th pitcher to reach 700 games pitched. Led league in holds in 1887 and 1895 and finished Top 10 eight times. Finished Top 10 in games pitched four times.




Adonis Terry, Dodgers

Started and ended his career as a reliever but had some fine seasons as a key member of the Dodgers rotation in between. Led league in fewest HR/9 in 1896 and finished Top 10 seven times. Finished Top 10 in wins twice, winning percentage six times, ERA four times, fewest H/9 six times and quality starts six times. Led league in holds in 1885. Led league in walks allowed three times and finished Top 10 eleven times.

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Hall of Fame


I wanted to wait until the first 25 years of MLHR were completed before beginning the HOF induction so that we would have some history and a pretty good idea of what types of milestones would be significant in this world. For example, we still have not had a 300-game winning pitcher. The most career wins is 277 by Tommy Bond of the Dodgers. I am not sure if we will ever see a 300-game winner, so I will have to settle on a new standard in that category. That said, I will need to weigh the total number of wins with other key categories like winning percentage, ERA, strikeouts, shutouts, etc. when determining HOF worthiness.

I haven't decided just yet how I will handle the voting for future HOF classes, but for the initial class, I decided to simply induct the players who were clearly the pinnacle of the first 25 years.


Ross Barnes, 2B, Cubs

3553 H, 746 doubles, 93 triples, 171 HR, 1643 R, 1265 RBI, 821 BB, 1851 K, 255 SB, .325 AVG, .377 OBP, .457 SLG, .834 OPS, 10933 AB, 2604 G

1 BOY
4 GG
5 Pennants

Career leader in AVG, Hits, Doubles
Single season leader in AVG (.392), OBP (.447), Hits (265), Doubles (62)


Dan Brouthers, 1B, Giants

3296 H, 644 double, 95 triples, 613 HR, 1888 R, 1871 RBI, 1285 BB, 3233 K, 272 SB, .287 AVG, .362 OBP, .519 SLG, .882 OPS, 11491 AB, 3101 G

6 BOY
1 GG
3 Pennants

Career leader in AB, Runs, Total Bases, Triples, HR, RBI, K's
Single season leader in Runs (141), Total Bases (391)


Al Spalding, SP, Cubs

243-134, .645 Win%, 490 G, 490 GS, 3667 IP, 148 CG, 43 SHO, 678 BB, 1.66 BB/9, 2328 K, 5.71 K/9, 3420 HA, 297 HRA, 3.32 ERA, 1.12 WHIP

4 POY
4 Pennants

Career leader in Shutouts
Single season leader in Wins (24), Win% (.889), Shutouts (9), HA 292 , OSLG (.271), OOPS (.520)

Jim Devlin, SP, Pirates

213-149, .588 Win%, 461 G, 442 GS, 3351 IP, 119 CG, 33 SHO, 997 BB, 2.68 BB/9, 2645 K, 7.10 K/9, 2854 HA, 233 HRA, 3.14 ERA, 1.15 WHIP

2 POY
1 GG
2 Pennants

Career leader in ERA by a starting pitcher

[darnoff]

1901 NL Preseason Predictions

Despite the Phillies winning yet another pennant last season, it does not appear that they will be dominating the league like they once did. After all, they won the pennant with a late surge and a victory over the Cubs in the 163rd game of the season. Instead, I am predicting them to continue to be one of the top teams this season, but I believe that age is finally catching up to them. The pitching staff and lineup, while still solid, are not quite as dominant as they once were. The pitching staff is of particular concern, but Ben Sanders (20-7, 3.21 ERA) proved that he was still a force to be reckoned with last season at age 36. However, he is now 37 and long time rotation-mate Bill Vinton (15-8, 3.44 ERA) turns 37 in three weeks and you can't help but wonder how long they can keep it up. Tully Sparks (12-13, 4.40 ERA) has moved to the bullpen in favor of rookie Doc White (7-6-7 ratings). The bullpen remains one of the best in the league, and their offense is dangerous as well. That said, four of the starting eight regulars in the lineup are veterans between the ages of 34 and 36.

Despite a disappointing 4th place finish last season, I am predicting the Pirates to win the pennant this season. Theirs is the only rotation that stacks up to Philly's, and both their bullpen and offense match up well too. While their bench is much thinner than Philly's, they do sport the best defense around. Rube Waddell set records last season, including the lowest ERA for a starter in a season at 2.00 en route to his first PoY Award. Other young pitchers, such as Deacon Phillippe (13-10, 3.30 ERA) and Jack Chesbro (13-8, 3.52 ERA), continue to improve their game. Patsy Flaherty (9-1, 19 Sv, 2.08 ERA) had a great season in the bullpen, but only closed for half a season. The Pirates should benefit from his being in that role from day one this year. The Pirates offense admittedly underperformed last season, which tends to be a recurring theme in Pittsburgh. If they collectively improve their play, they should have the edge in the pennant race.

The Cubs tied Philadelphia for first place at the end of the regular season last year before losing a one-game playoff for the pennant. They have the best offense, deepest bench and most team speed in the league. They also have a defense that is likely second only to Pittsburgh's. The key for this team will be the performance of their starting rotation. After a superb season in 1898, Buttons Briggs backslid in 1899 and faltered last season with a 12-13 record and 4.17 ERA. The Cubs have no true ace, so a dominant offense and defense will be that much more important. 37-year-old Jocko Flynn (17-5, 2.84 ERA) had a superb season and was a big key to the Cubs' pennant run last season, but the team can't expect the same dominant results this year so another pitcher will likely need to step up.

The Cardinals finished 3rd last season and still expect to be in the hunt this year. Their offense is one of the best in the league, and their bullpen is a strength as well. However, we have talked about their potentially great pitching rotation for about a decade now and, while they are talented, they have only once put together a season where they were clearly the best rotation in the league. In that season, 1899, they won the pennant. The question now is, can they do it again?


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade
1	Pittsburgh Pirates	8	10	9	4	5	8	8.1	B+
2a	Chicago Cubs	6	8	9	9	8	7	7.6	B
2b	Philadelphia Phillies	8	10	8	7	5	6	7.6	B
4	St. Louis Cardinals	7	9	9	6	6	6	7.5	B
5	Atlanta Braves	7	8	7	8	4	6	6.7	C+
6	Los Angeles Dodgers	7	9	6	5	4	6	6.5	C+
7	San Francisco Giants	6	7	7	6	5	5	6.1	C+
8	Cincinnati Reds	6	6	7	6	2	5	5.7	C

MLB results for the NL in 1901

Champs: Pittsburgh Pirates, (90-49, .647)

Batting Title: Jesse Burkett, STL, .376
OPS+: Jesse Burkett, STL, 181
AB/HR: Sam Crawford, CIN, 32.2
RBI: Honus Wagner, PIT, 126
Runs: Jesse Burkett, STL, 142
SB: Honus Wagner, PIT, 49

ERA+: Vic Willis, BSN (ATL), 154
Win%: Sam Leever, PIT, .737
WHIP: Al Orth, PHI, 1.001
K/9: Tom Hughes, CHN, 6.568


MLHR Milestone Watch

2500 Hits
Ed Delahanty, PHI, Age 34, 2430 Hits
Mike Smith, PIT, Age 34, 2412 Hits
Billy Hamilton, PHI, Age 36, 2309 Hits

400 Home Runs
Bug Holliday, CIN, Age 34, 397 HR

1000 Runs
Bill Joyce, LAD, Age 33, 965 Runs
George Davis, STL, Age 30, 919 Runs
Jesse Burkett, SFG, Age 32, 913 Runs

1000 RBI
Mike Smith, PIT, Age 34, 971 RBI
Lave Cross, PHI, Age 35, 907 RBI

1000 Walks
Mike Griffin, LAD, Age 37, 959 BB
Bill Joyce, LAD, Age 33, 941 BB
John McGraw, STL, Age 27, 925 BB

600 Stolen Bases
John McGraw, STL, Age 27, 558 SB

3000 Strikeouts
Kid Nichols, ATL, Age 31, 2833 K's

2500 Strikeouts
Silver King, STL, Age 34, 2303 K's

350 Saves
Jack Sharrott, SFG, Age 31, 332 Sv

600 Games Pitched
Jack Sharrott, SFG, Age 31, 558 G
George Davies, ATL, Age 33, 555 G
Bill Vinton, PHI, Age 36, 551 G - entire career as a starting pitcher!

[darnoff]

1901 AL Preseason Predictions

In MLB's 1901 season, a lot of established National League stars jumped to the fledgling American League. The AL franchises have no such luck in MLHR. After all, this historical replay is an exercise to determine which teams would have had the best results had they kept the players that debuted with the team. That being said, I did allow for many of the NL players who were not on the active roster to jump to the AL in order to fill out rosters there and avoid needing computer-generated players. However, it will be interesting to see how quickly the AL teams will develop to the caliber of the NL and how long it will take the AL to win its first World Series.

In my first American League preseason rankings below, you will see that the top 7 teams are all within a half point of each other. That means that anything could happen this season. So if most teams are evenly matched, what could be the potential deciding factors?

The Indians are picked to finish just ahead of the Orioles for the first AL pennant primarily thanks to a better bullpen and team speed. However, the Indians also have one of the best young pitchers in either league in Earl Moore (7-6-7 ratings). He could be a difference maker. But if you are going to talk about pitching, you have to give an edge to the Athletics, who have a star in the making in ace Eddie Plank (8-6-7 ratings). Oakland's primary weakness, though, is defense.

The Twins, on the other hand, sport two of the AL's best sluggers in their lineup with first baseman Tim Jordan (5-5-8-7-5 ratings) and right fielder Jake Gettman (6-5-7-5-5 ratings). Pitching will be key to this team's ability to win the first AL pennant, but keep in mind that they have very poor team speed and will very much rely on the home run to score runs.


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade
1a	Cleveland Indians	6	7	5	6	7	6	6.0	B-
1b	Baltimore Orioles	6	6	5	6	6	7	6.0	B-
3	Minnesota Twins	6	7	6	6	3	6	5.9	B-
4	Detroit Tigers	7	6	4	5	6	6	5.7	C+
5	Oakland Athletics	8	6	5	4	5	4	5.7	C+
6	Boston Red Sox	7	6	4	4	5	6	5.6	C+
7	Chicago White Sox	7	7	4	5	4	5	5.5	C+
8	New York Yankees	5	8	3	3	4	4	4.6	C

MLB results for the AL in 1901

Champs: Chicago White Sox, (83-53, .610)

Batting Title: Nap Lajoie, PHA (OAK), .426
OPS+: Nap Lajoie, PHA (OAK), 198
AB/HR: Mike Grady, WSH (MIN), 38.6
RBI: Nap Lajoie, PHA (OAK), 125
Runs: Nap Lajoie, PHA (OAK), 145
SB: Frank Isbell, CHW, 52

ERA+: Cy Young, BOS, 219
Win%: Clark Griffith, CHW, .774
WHIP: Cy Young, BOS, 0.972
K/9: Ned Garvin, MLA (BAL), 4.267

[darnoff]

NL Mid-Season Report

The Cubs have taken the early lead this season thanks to a pitching staff that is surprising the league with the fewest runs allowed, best bullpen ERA and second best rotation ERA in the National League. No single pitcher is dominating, but instead just about every pitcher on the roster is having a great first half. Four of the team's five starting pitchers have ERA's at 3.05 or lower. Meanwhile, the team also ranks 1st in defense and 3rd in offense.

The Pirates and Phillies are tied for second place currently. The Pirates have come on strong lately by winning 18 of their last 24 games. The team's offense and pitching staff are both ranked 4th in the league while their defense - believed to be a strength - is only ranked 6th. Expect those numbers to improve now that they seem to have their act together after a slow start. The Phillies, on the other hand, lead the league in offense but their pitching staff is ranked just 5th. Nap Lajoie (.295, 15 HR, 69 RBI) and Elmer Flick (.307, 13 HR, 39 RBI) lead the offensive attack, while Ned Garvin (7-2, 2.99 ERA) and the ageless Ben Sanders (5-5, 2.97 ERA) lead the rotation. Rookie Doc White (9-4, 3.77 ERA) has also been impressive in his debut.

The Cardinals are floundering so far this season. Their offense is tied for just 5th in the league with only Mike Donlin (.320, 17 HR, 62 RBI) performing at a high level. The pitching staff is ranked third with Cy Young (7-4, 2.84 ERA) and rookie Bob Wicker (7-5, 2.84 ERA) surprisingly leading the staff. Closer Willie Sudhoff (7-6, 12 SV, 6.27 ERA) has struggled and is barely holding on to his job after winning last season's Fireman's Award.

Both the Braves and Giants were near the top of the standings early in the season before recent swoons. The Braves lead the league in starters' ERA but they rank last in bullpen ERA. They also rank next to last in offense, so expect them to continue sliding downward. The Giants, however, rank 4th in starters' ERA, 6th in bullpen ERA and 7th in defense but they rank 2nd in offense. That may be enough to get their first winning season since 1886.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders