Hurkman's Baseball-An Interactive Journey Throughout the Century

[lewis31lewis52]

Yes, my second WS MVP! Congrats Stuart on the co-MVP, I couldn't have done it without you!

[Splitter24]

Originally Posted by lewis31lewis52

Yes, my second WS MVP! Congrats Stuart on the co-MVP, I couldn't have done it without you!

"I taught that Feldbush kid pretty well."

- Stuart Adamson

Some World Series rings, two regular season MVP's, a ton of Gold Gloves and now the final piece of hardware missing from the old trophy case. I say it's been quite a career for ol' Stu. Do we have to wait until 1936 to see if he makes into the Hall of Fame?

Now if only Chubby Mueller could get his considerable butt in gear and develop into a real player...

[lewis31lewis52]

Originally Posted by Splitter24

"I taught that Feldbush kid pretty well."

- Stuart Adamson

Always the best to learn from the best.

[Hurkman]

Originally Posted by Splitter24

"I taught that Feldbush kid pretty well."

- Stuart Adamson

Some World Series rings, two regular season MVP's, a ton of Gold Gloves and now the final piece of hardware missing from the old trophy case. I say it's been quite a career for ol' Stu. Do we have to wait until 1936 to see if he makes into the Hall of Fame?

I figure I should add that right now, he's also the career leader in homeruns, although with the era that's being entered now, I doubt that will last much longer, but he's got that going for him, too.

[Sir Lurksalot]

I'm bummed the Browns didn't win but you gotta give your props to the Giants. They are some kind of team.

[Hurkman]

Originally Posted by Sir Lurksalot

I'm bummed the Browns didn't win but you gotta give your props to the Giants. They are some kind of team.

Yeah, the Giants played about as well as they had all season in those games. It wasn't any fault of Christian, though. He hit .381, stole three bases and scored five times. He only drove in one run though.

[Hurkman]

End of the Year Awards

Rookie of the Year
American League ROY: Ira Flagstead, CF (BOS)- The Boston Red Sox were the worst team in baseball last season, but there was at least one player on the team that was deserving of praise. Rookie Ira Flagstead erased just about all of the old Red Sox rookie records with an amazing 1920 season. Flagstead finished his first year in the majors with a .350 batting average, 5 homeruns and 61 runs batted in. Though his season ended when he broke his hand in September, Ira is being looked at by Boston as one of the keys to getting their team back where it needs to be.

National League ROY: Ken Williams, LF (BRO)- At age 30, Ken Williams has the age most first year players don't have, but he also has many of the skills that younger players need to develop. In his first year with the Brooklyn Robins, Williams helped propel them towards the top of the National League with some incredible offensive numbers. He finished third in the National League in batting, with a .339 average, finished tied with Jamee Gray for the lead in homeruns with 26 and led the league in hits and runs batted in. Although he's already on the wrong side of 30, for however long Brooklyn has him, they have to be considered a contender.

Most Valuable Pitcher
American League MVP: Walter Johnson, SP (PHA)- Despite the collapse of the Philadelphia Athletics this past season, Walter Johnson still managed to have one of his best seasons to date. It's almost impossible to believe that one of, if not the best pitcher in the American League was once a struggling young man stuck with the St. Louis Cardinals. Now, he has won his fifth Most Valuable Pitcher award, this time with a 27-9 record, a 2.70 ERA and 181 strikeouts in 363 innings of work.

National League MVP: Roy Walker, SP (BSN)- Last year, Roy Walker was an average pitcher at best, going 16-18 with the Boston Braves. This season, Walker managed to turn his entire game around, becoming one of the most dominant pitchers in the National League and helping the Braves get to within two games of the National League pennant. Walker finished the season with a record of 27-9, along with 184 strikeouts and a very impressive 2.49 ERA in 364.1 innings on the mound. Boston will need him to put up similar numbers in 1921 if they want another shot at their first pennant.

Most Valuable Batter
American League MVB: Babe Ruth, RF (CHA)- There are people who have good seasons, people who have great seasons and people who have outstanding seasons. Then, there's Babe Ruth. The powerful star of the Chicago White Sox may have had the best power season ever in 1920, shattering his own homerun record and placing him among the top players in the game. Ruth batted .307 for Chicago this past season, adding a record 37 homeruns to lead all of baseball, as well as 118 runs batted in, 133 runs scored and 120 walks. If he keeps up this pace, before long, he will be seen as the best power hitter in baseball history.

National League MVB: Ken Williams, LF (BRO)- There is very little else that can be said about Ken's season that hasn't already been said. Brooklyn is obviously thrilled to have him in their uniform, and it looks like there is little chance that he will ever call another team home. Once again, with him and his amazing numbers in the lineup, the Robins are one of the best teams in the National League.

Gold Glove Award Winners
American League
Pitcher: Guy Morton (WSH)
Catcher: Ivey Wingo (WSH)
First Base: Ed Konetchy (CLE)
Second Base: Bobby Vaughn (NYY)
Third Base: Howie Shanks (WSH)
Shortstop: Charlie Hollocher (BOS)
Leftfield: Ham Hyatt (CHA)
Centerfield: Tris Speaker (PHA)
Rightfield: Baby Doll Jacobson (NYY)

National League
Pitcher: Elmer Steele (CIN)
Catcher: Dick Cotter (NYG)
First Base: Joe Harris (BSN)
Second Base: Eddie Collins (BRO)
Third Base: Jimmy Dykes (BRO)
Shortstop: Tillie Shafer (PIT)
Leftfield: George Anderson (NYG)
Centerfield: Stuart Adamson (NYG)
Rightfield: Les Mann (PHI)

Top 5 Leaderboard
TOP 5 in BATTING AVG :
.363 Ed Konetchy(CLE)
.343 Enos Kirkpatrick(BSN)
.342 Tillie Shafer(PIT)
.339 Christian Gray(SLA)
.339 Benny Kauff(WSH)

TOP 5 in HOMERUNS :
37 Babe Ruth(CHA)
26 Jamee Gray(BSN)
26 Ken Williams( BRO)
23 Deke Taggart(SLN)
15 Rogers Hornsby(NYY PHI)

TOP 5 in RBI :
118 Babe Ruth(CHA)
115 Ken Williams( BRO)
104 George Burns(PIT)
100 Jack Tobin(SLA)
96 Heinie Groh(NYG)

TOP 5 in ERA :
2.17 Erskine Mayer(NYG)
2.20 Ferdie Schupp(CLE NYY)
2.49 Roy Walker(BSN)
2.55 Willie Mitchell(DET)
2.63 George Kahler(PHA)

TOP 5 in WINS :
27 Roy Walker(BSN)
27 Walter Johnson(PHA)
24 George Kahler(PHA)
24 Charlie Becker(SLA)
24 Earl Yingling(PHA CHN)

TOP 5 in SAVES :
7 Hal Haid(CIN)
7 Harley Young(BRO)
7 Clarence Mitchell(PIT)
6 Ralph Caldwell(BOS)
6 King Cole(SLA)

[Hurkman]

February 1, 1921

News

The biggest news to come out of baseball this winter was the retirement of one of the best pitchers of all time. Cincinnati's Noodles Hahn decided to walk away from the game following 22 years on the mound, all with the Reds. He leaves as baseball's all time pitching leader in wins, strikeouts, complete games and shutouts, and is second all time in earned run average. While most of his records will likely one day be broken, the one that should stand the test of time is his 422 career wins, which is almost 100 more than the 328 of Kid Nichols.

Noodles had already spent time with the Reds Class AAA team as a pitching assistant the past two seasons, and Cincinnati decided to make that an official position, naming him the new manager of the Class AAA club and keeping him within the Reds organization. Cincinnati's up and coming pitchers should be well prepared by the time they reach the major leagues, especially after being coached by one of the best pitchers in baseball history.

Also, team owners decided that after this season the World Series will return to a best of seven game format, saying that the travel needs of the teams were costing more than the ticket sales were bringing in at the games. It also certainly did not help that the Giants were able to dispatch the Browns in a series that would have only taken five games in the previous format this past season, either.

Rookie Watch
While last year's draft featured more talent at the pitcher's position, this year the draft is filled with possible young hitting superstars. The names Lu Blue, Ray Grimes and Joe Sewell may all one day be remembered in baseball lore. Then there is the most likely selection for the first pick, a player who could possibly change the face of the game in more ways than one.

James "Cool Papa" Bell, CF

Young James Bell is amazing for several reasons. First and foremost, he is a fine young player, showing great hitting abilities and blazing fast speed that makes him a threat to steal whenever he is on any base. Second of all, at only 17 years old, he will have plenty of time to develop before he is needed to play in the major leagues, which will give him time to build his confidence and skills as a player.

Finally, Bell is black, making him the first black player to even enter the major league draft. While there are some players who are less than thrilled with this concept of an integrated league, the Boston Red Sox, who own the first pick in the draft, have already told Bell that they will do everything they can to make him feel comfortable and at home, which may be difficult depending on where the minor league team he is with is going, but it is certainly a comforting thought for this young man. If he is given the proper time to grow and can ignore the harmful words that will come from opposing fans and players, James may just become one of the better players in the game.

Current Ratings (Contact/Gap/Power/Eye/Avoid K): 35/47/33/17/30
Total Talent Ratings: 80/50/40/65/60

[Hurkman]

Draft Results

The air around this year's amatuer draft was filled with tension. Most people believed that the Boston Red Sox would selected African-American outfielder James Bell with the first overall pick, despite the cries of some players, including the great Ty Cobb. When it came time to select, the Red Sox did indeed choose Bell, making him the first African-American player in the major leagues. Of course, he is not quite ready for the majors yet, but the Red Sox placed him down in their Class AA club for development. Hopefully, players and fans will give him the respect he deserves.

The depth of hitting in this draft showed as well, as it took until the St. Louis Browns with the 16th overall pick until a pitcher was selected. The Cincinnati Reds took Lu Blue second, first baseman Ray Grimes went third to Cleveland, Marty McManus will be taking his second baseman's glove to Detroit and Washington added centerfielder Johnny Mostil to round out the top five. Here's how the rest of the first round panned out.

Draft Results
Boston (A) pick: CF James Bell
Cincinnati pick: 1B Lu Blue
Cleveland pick: 1B Ray Grimes
Detroit pick: 2B Marty Mcmanus
Washington pick: CF Johnny Mostil
St. Louis (N) pick: LF Cliff Lee
Chicago (N) pick: SS Joe Sewell
Chicago (A) pick: C Johnny Bassler
Pittsburgh pick: LF Bibb Falk
Philadelphia (N) pick: RF Joe Connolly
New York (A) pick: 1B Earl Sheely
Boston (N) pick: 1B Chicken Hawks
Brooklyn pick: 2B John Monroe
New York (N) pick: RF Bing Miller
Philadelphia (A) pick: CF Clyde Barnhart
St. Louis (A) pick: P Chief Yellowhorse

Season Preview
American League

St. Louis Browns
Despite their play in the World Series last year, the St. Louis Browns are still seen as the team to beat in the American League this coming season. Team leader Christian Gray is coming off of one of his best seasons yet, and they still have a solid batting order that includes Jack Fournier, Jack Tobin, Zach Wheat and Ed Lennox. Thier pitching is also among the top of the league as Joe Wood, Charlie Becker, Harry Moran and Rube Benton form one of the best pitching rotations in all of baseball.

It took a small miracle for the Browns to make it to the World Series last season, but this year, they find themselves atop the American League once again. If they want to avenge last season's horrible disappointment, they will have to play at the top of their game all year, instead of finding themselves in August, like last season.

Philadelphia Athletics
Up until the end of last season, the Philadelphia Athletics spent almost every day of the year in first place in the American League. When it came down to the end, however, they just couldn't get it done. This, of course, left a bitter taste in the mouths of the Athletics' players, who thought they should have been in the World Series rather than the Browns. Well, this year is their chance to prove that they can finish the season in first place, rather than falter at the end.

Philadelphia's main strength is it's pitching staff. Walter Johnson and George Kahler each won 24 or more games last season, and Johnson may just become a 300 game winner this season. Behind them, Urban Shocker is a solid number three pitcher, but Ben Tincup will make very few people forget about Earl Yingling. At the plate, Tris Speaker is still one of the best pure hitters in all of baseball, while the young Austin McHenry, Sam Rice and Rabbit Maranville protect him in the lineup. Aside from those four hitters, however, there is little depth even on the bench for Philadelphia, and that could prove to be their downfall. If they can overcome it, they could easily see themselves in the World Series this year to at least make ammends for their collapse last season.

Chicago White Sox
When you have the best power hitter in all of baseball, you should be competing for a pennant every year. Well, the Chicago White Sox have Babe Ruth, the best power hitter in baseball, and this year, they look like they could in fact challenge for the American League pennant.

Of course, a team is not just one player, and the White Sox know that. Hard hitting Harry Heilmann is an excellent young first baseman and has hit over .330 in back to back seasons, making him an excellent companion with Ruth. Third baseman Del Paddock is a good leadoff hitter, while their first draft pick of this season, Johnny Bassler looks like he will be the team's backstop for the forseeable future.

Where the problem lies for Chicago is within their pitching staff. Nap Rucker is 36 years old and doesn't scare many batters, and neither do Jeff Tesreau, Johnny Morrison and Al Schacht. However, if the White Sox potent offense can win games by themselves, their pitching may not be as big of a concern. It will take quite the effort from Ruth, but it may turn out that the White Sox become the team to beat in the American League.

National League

New York Giants
One thing that can certainly be said about the defending World Series champions is that they're not getting any younger. Every one of their starting pitchers is over the age of 30, and most of their starting batting order is as well. However, as Stuart Adamson, now 37, has shown, age is only a number to many of these players.

Erskine Mayer and Ludwig Van Cleef lead a well aged and usually quite good pitching staff, although the depth behind them can be a little shaky at times. Van Cleef is still the unquestioned leader of the staff, but Mayer has seen his role grow in the past year and a half as Van Cleef has started to age. Both of them are capable of taking over a game by themselves, and either one could compete for the Most Valuable Pitcher award this season.

Stuart Adamson may be 37, but he is still the leader and face of the Giants. He leads one of the best lineups in all of baseball, which still includes Michael Feldbush, Heinie Groh, Vic Saier and Ray Chapman. If these men play at their peak, no team can beat them. While age will almost certainly take its toll one day, for now, the Giants are still the best team in baseball until someone else can prove otherwise.

Boston Braves
If one team could be the mirror image of another, it would be the Chicago White Sox and the Boston Braves. Both teams have a tremendous threat in the power department, and both teams are now considered potential pennant winners. However, where the White Sox lack in pitching, the Braves have that area more than covered.

Three of Boston's four starting pitchers are under the age of 30, and ace Roy Walker is the defending Most Valuable Pitcher award winner. However, this group suffered a blow when Phil Douglas was lost for the season with an injury early in the spring. Thirty-five year old Chief Johnson will take his place in the rotation, but they are not expecting much from him. This only adds more pressure to the other three pitchers ahead of him.

As stated before, Jamee Gray may just be the best power hitter in the National League, and with the emergence of Killian Ditty over the past two seasons, the Braves have the solid one-two punch on offense they were lacking for so many seasons. Max Carey and Enos Kirkpatrick help solidify the lineup, but there are still more questions than answers when it comes to that department. The Braves had a chance last year to go to their first World Series, and they may just do it this year. It depends whether or not their lineup and pitching staff can gel. If they do, then this team could certainly surprise New York and take the pennant.

Brooklyn Robins
With defending Most Valuable Batter and Rookie of the Year winner Ken Williams anchoring a solid lineup, the Brooklyn Robins are literally just a pitcher or two away from reaching their first World Series. If they can get their pitching staff together, then they may be the ones who manage to overcome that short distance between them and the Giants at the top of the National League.

As already stated, Ken Williams is the heart and soul of the Robins' lineup. He has the power needed to drive the ball and the skills to hit it anywhere in the park, making him a very dangerous hitter. Surrounding him are Irish Meusel, a solid player who hit .312 last season, Whitey Witt, a decent leadoff hitter and Eddie Collins, who was traded from the Cubs back to the team that drafted him last season. He seems to be playing angry now, and is convinced that the Cubs gave up on him too soon. The Robins are hoping that anger turns into solid play, because they need him to do well in order to win.

However, the Robins do have some questions on the pitching mound. Only one starter (Paul Carter) won over 20 games last season, and two of their pitchers saw very little starting time last season. The group has potential, but that will only get them so far. The Robins and their fans are looking to this group to come together and push them over the top in the National League. This team came close to winning the pennant last season, and they could do it this year, but they will need their pitching to come together, and fast.

[Hurkman]

Star/Prospect Watch

Stuart Adamson, CF-New York Giants

Career Batting Stats 

Year     G   AB    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI    R   BB HP SF    K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams  
1904   105  352   89   6   3   1   15   44   19  2  1   97  46  10 .253 .294 .295 .590  SLN
1905   141  553  129  12   8   2   52   60   29  3  2  157  44  10 .233 .274 .295 .569  SLN
1906   144  564  139  14   3   4   44   66   47  3  3  148  57  12 .246 .306 .303 .610  SLN
1907   145  518  124  15   3   2   49   56   44  4  4  130  60  12 .239 .302 .292 .593  SLN
1908   149  549  151  15   6  14   66   70   55  3  2  156  60  22 .275 .343 .401 .744  SLN
1909    89  159   37   4   3   2   12   24   28  1  1   59  15   5 .233 .349 .333 .683  SLN
1910   144  503  131  22   2   9   51   71   79  1  2  144  56  13 .260 .361 .366 .726 SLN NYG
1911   132  482  138  23   6  14   85   78   81  3  4  151  55  20 .286 .389 .446 .836  NYG
1912   150  533  160  26   6  15   98  106  109  8  8  149  82  10 .300 .421 .456 .877  NYG
1913   149  532  163  23  12  10   71  110  102  4  6  144  77  22 .306 .418 .451 .869  NYG
1914   150  563  153  20  11  14   83  103  110  4  8  172  90  15 .272 .390 .421 .811  NYG
1915   134  493  146  18   7  13   80  100   89  3  7  137  62  15 .296 .402 .440 .842  NYG
1916   148  572  156  18   8  12   73  110   93  1  2  150  77  17 .273 .374 .395 .769  NYG
1917   149  569  174  25  17   9   81   97   76  1  9  156  75  13 .306 .383 .457 .840  NYG
1918   121  456  139  20  10   6   74   85   61  5  3  100  55   9 .305 .390 .432 .822  NYG
1919    20   82   21   5   0   2   16   11    6  0  1   11  11   1 .256 .303 .390 .694  NYG
1920   123  449  130  19  11  15   79   72   62  1  7  120  50   7 .290 .372 .481 .853  NYG
Total 2193 7929 2180 285 116 144 1029 1263 1090 47 70 2181 972 213 .275 .363 .395 .758

Current Ratings: 71/67/65/69/30

Total Talent Ratings: 66/69/67/77/29

Adamson capped off an excellent return season last year with another World Series title and a share of the World Series MVP award. It seems as if he has nothing left to earn, but the skills are still there, so there is no point in him walking away from the game yet. Besides, he is still the career leader in homeruns and has said he would like to stay that way, so he needs to put some distance between himself and players such as Babe Ruth and Jamee Gray.

Don Ayers, 2B-Philadelphia Athletics

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF    K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams  
1905    52   84   24   3  1  0  14  10  10  0  0   26   2   2 .286 .362 .345 .707  CLE
1906    62   98   21   4  1  0  11  10   9  2  0   25   3   4 .214 .294 .276 .569  CLE
1907    59   81   18   2  0  0   8  13  10  0  3   21   1   2 .222 .298 .247 .545  CLE
1908   104  343   83  12  5  1  31  30  29  2  3   82   8  11 .242 .302 .315 .617  CLE
1909   142  540  140  28 10  1  58  66  59  6  2  126  21   7 .259 .338 .354 .691  CLE
1910   146  549  141  18  5  5  89  82  89  4  3  140  18   7 .257 .363 .335 .698  CLE
1911   144  546  172  25  8  3 106  85  66  6  4  111  25  13 .315 .392 .407 .799  CLE
1912   147  535  155  27  2  6  74  89  86  6  6  122  15  12 .290 .390 .381 .772  CLE
1913   147  524  155  23  7  5  71  72  71  5  6   97  20  14 .296 .381 .395 .776  CLE
1914   141  542  157  22  5  6  80  89  81  3  7  119  13  17 .290 .381 .382 .763  CLE
1915   148  543  142  20  4  6  60  81  79  9  0  109  17  13 .262 .365 .346 .711  CLE
1916   146  527  133  15  8  5  71  72  91  5  1  107  18  28 .252 .367 .340 .707  CLE
1917   145  513  130  11  3  0  63  53  67  7  7  106  19  19 .253 .343 .287 .630  CLE
1918   121  446  130  16  4  1  67  59  64  3  2   56  12  18 .291 .383 .352 .735  CLE
1919   117  420  103  14  3  4  58  44  38  4  9   91   7   8 .245 .308 .321 .629  CLE
1920     4    3    2   0  0  0   1   0   0  0  0    0   0   0 .667 .667 .667 1.333 CLE PHA 
Total 1825 6294 1706 240 66 43 862 855 849 62 53 1338 199 175 .271 .361 .351 .711

Current Ratings: 31/38/13/26/29

Total Talent Ratings: 27/38/4/33/30

For some reason or another, Ayers decided not to retire this winter and has stayed on the Athletics' Class AAA ball club as a sort of player/coach. It looks like he'll be doing more coaching than playing, but his knowledge is quite valuable to the young players coming through the Philadelphia system. It's unlikely he'll see any time at the big leagues this season, but his real worth is now on the bench as a mentor.

Sandford Freshlam, SP-Washington Senators

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year    G  GS   W   L SV   ERA     IP   HA    R   ER  HR  BB    K  CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1906    6   0   0   1  1 11.57    7.0   10    9    9   1   7    0   0   0 2.43 .310  WSH
1907    1   0   0   0  0  0.00    2.0    1    0    0   0   0    1   0   0 0.50 .167  WSH
1908			PITCHED IN A BALL		       	 
1909			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1910			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1911			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1912   34  34  17  14  0  3.52  288.2  242  137  113  25 114  287  27   5 1.23 .287  WSH
1913   42  42  18  20  0  3.64  353.1  294  157  143  45  84  326  35   3 1.07 .269  WSH
1914   41  41  17  17  0  2.62  356.2  267  111  104  31  53  353  32   4 0.90 .260  WSH
1915   40  40  24  11  0  2.24  353.0  250  107   88  32  44  348  33   5 0.83 .246  WSH
1916   30  30  22   4  0  1.87  264.1  175   68   55  18  24  243  22   3 0.75 .227  WSH
1917   33  33  17  15  0  2.94  281.1  249  111   92  26  28  221  26   1 0.98 .277  WSH
1918   32  32  13  14  0  2.61  286.2  237   95   83  23  36  203  24   1 0.95 .256  WSH
1919   32  32  12  16  0  3.64  272.1  258  123  110  29  32  195  27   0 1.06 .282  WSH
1920   32  32  11  12  0  3.25  277.0  250  118  100  33  24  197  23   1 0.99 .261  WSH
Total 323 316 151 124  1  2.94 2742.1 2233 1036  897 263 446 2374 249  23 0.98 .263

Current Ratings: 79/99/40

Total Talent Ratings: 86/135/44

Sandford seems to have lost some of his touch in the past few seasons, but Washington is hoping that he can regain it, as they have decided to start this season with him at the top of their rotation yet again. If he can regain what he once had, it should be a smart move. However, if he struggles along with the Washington lineup, then it could be another long season for Sandford and the Senators.

Ludwig Van Cleef, SP-New York Giants

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year    G  GS   W  L SV  ERA     IP   HA   R  ER  HR  BB    K  CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1907    1   0   0  0  0 0.00    3.1    0   0   0   0   3    2   0   0 0.90 .000  NYG 
1908			PITCHED IN AA BALL			
1909			PITCHED IN AAA BALL
1910    1   0   0  0  0 0.00    1.0    0   0   0   0   0    0   0   0 0.00 .000  NYG
1911   17   2   0  5  5 8.10   30.0   30  27  27   4  29   19   0   0 1.97 .277  NYG
1912   31  12  11  6  7 1.96  133.1   78  32  29   2  55  145  11   2 1.00 .244  NYG
1913   40  40  25 11  0 2.54  339.2  230 105  96  13 119  387  30   9 1.03 .273  NYG
1914   42  42  27  5  0 1.95  368.2  228  83  80  12  81  397  26   7 0.84 .247  NYG
1915   41  41  31  8  0 1.65  359.0  204  79  66  14  56  423  35  16 0.72 .237  NYG
1916   41  41  30  4  0 1.55  360.1  217  72  62  13  38  408  27   8 0.71 .241  NYG
1917   42  42  26 10  0 2.00  369.0  241  87  82  12  34  396  34  10 0.75 .254  NYG
1918   33  33  25  3  0 1.36  297.2  167  50  45   4  33  257  26   8 0.67 .214  NYG
1919   33  33  19 10  0 3.13  290.1  227 107 101  29  20  290  27   3 0.85 .264  NYG
1920   41  41  21 16  0 3.26  359.1  298 146 130  37  37  316  33   2 0.93 .263  NYG
Total 363 327 215 78 12 2.22 2911.2 1920 788 718 140 505 3040 249  65 0.83 .250

Current Ratings: 102/98/70

Total Talent Ratings: 103/127/60

Van Cleef started out last season slowly, but when his team needed him the most, he was able to right the ship and help guide the Giants to their third world championship. As he starts to feel the effects of age, less is going to be expected of him, but that isn't stopping himself from adding pressure to how he should perform. If he can pitch to the level where he thinks he should be, this year will be his best yet.

Christian Gray, SS-St. Louis Browns

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF    K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1908     5   11    0   0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0    6   0   1 .000 .083 .000 .083  SLA
1909     5   12    2   0  0  0   2   3   4  0  0    3   2   0 .167 .375 .167 .542  SLA
1910    30   91   10   1  0  0   9   9   5  1  0   31   6   2 .110 .165 .121 .286  SLA
1911   138  533  117  13  8  4  53  72  43  1  1  165  46   9 .220 .279 .296 .575  SLA
1912   146  587  179  26  6  6  65  94  50  4  0  156  78  16 .305 .363 .400 .764  SLA
1913   147  555  199  21  8  4  75 100  61  4  3  101  68  21 .359 .424 .447 .871  SLA
1914   139  521  136  11  4  2  62  73  59  5  4  103  65  17 .261 .340 .309 .649  SLA
1915   153  626  157  21  5  2  46  95  63  4  5  127  74  20 .251 .321 .310 .631  SLA
1916   147  591  174  22  4  2  48  76  51  9  4   92  71  13 .294 .357 .355 .713  SLA
1917   145  585  179  12  5  3  53  82  44  3  6   89  76  22 .306 .354 .359 .713  SLA
1918   102  419  128  10  2  4  40  67  42  3  1   45  62  16 .305 .372 .368 .740  SLA
1919   133  526  158  10  8  3  63  79  49  7  1   81  79  14 .300 .367 .367 .734  SLA
1920   120  442  150  22  7  4  56  67  54  3  4   61  61  17 .339 .412 .448 .859  SLA
Total 1410 5499 1589 169 57 34 572 817 526 44 29 1060 688 168 .289 .354 .359 .713

Current Ratings: 66/38/19/56/28

Total Talent Ratings: 74/40/22/63/22

Last season was one of the best of Christian's career, but the Browns were overwhelmed by the Giants in the World Series, despite Christian's .381 batting average. This season he is again being looked at as the leader in St. Louis, and most people again believe that if he plays well, then the Browns will have a shot at the World Series. If he doesn't though, it could very well be a long year for the Browns.

Fletcher Parslofski, LF-Philadelphia Phillies

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB   H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1909     2    3   0   0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0   2  0  0 .000 .250 .000 .250 PHI
1910     0    0   0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000 PHI
1911    17   22   3   1  0  0   1   3   8  0  0   4  0  0 .136 .367 .182 .548 PHI
1912    38   53  11   3  0  0   9   2   9  0  0   8  0  0 .208 .323 .264 .587 PHI
1913   116  373 103  13  5  8  40  51  66  2  0  50  2  1 .276 .388 .402 .790 PHI
1914   145  496 117  22  3  6  62  59 101  2  6  60  5  0 .236 .364 .329 .692 PHI
1915   147  502 135  27  2  9  56  64  99  1  3  74  1  1 .269 .388 .384 .773 PHI
1916   142  486 143  26  3  7  55  69 106  3  0  51  3  0 .294 .424 .403 .827 PHI
1917   145  501 136  32  1  9  59  60 103  1  6  53  2  1 .271 .393 .393 .786 PHI
1918    48  172  47   8  1  1  14  16  21  1  2  14  0  0 .273 .352 .349 .701 PHI
1919   132  454 137  27  3 11  55  67  83  1  4  40  2  1 .302 .408 .447 .855 PHI
1920   118  381 122  25  5 13  59  67  70  2  3  27  1  0 .320 .425 .514 .940 PHI
Total 1050 3443 954 184 23 64 410 458 667 13 24 383 16  4 .277 .394 .400 .794

Current Ratings: 65/87/44/93/80

Total Talent Ratings: 69/78/50/99/75

Fletcher had his best season yet last year, and with Rogers Hornsby now hitting in front of him in the Phillies' lineup, things are looking up for both him and the city of Philadelphia. The Phillies are just hoping that Fletcher can keep his batting average and homerun totals at the same level because it seems obvious that almost everything else should jump to new heights.

Michael Feldbush, 2B-New York Giants

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1910    97  241   53  13  3  2  28  25  21  3  1  82  15   8 .220 .289 .324 .613 NYG
1911   103  266   68  14  4  2  30  43  52  4  1  61  14  10 .256 .384 .361 .745 NYG
1912   147  532  139  20  6  4  67  80  89  2  5 123  42  20 .261 .366 .344 .710 NYG
1913   149  565  170  40  6  4  49 104  85  2  2 103  43  16 .301 .393 .414 .807 NYG
1914   150  569  138  19  6  4  61  81  87  8  3 107  47  18 .243 .349 .318 .667 NYG
1915   146  510  155  24 10  8  86  87 102  9  4  97  40  19 .304 .426 .437 .863 NYG
1916   145  547  155  25  5  5  81  98  93  4  4  97  41  21 .283 .389 .375 .764 NYG
1917   150  529  144  18  8  6  76  92  98  4  4  85  50  22 .272 .387 .371 .758 NYG
1918    54  201   56   5  0  1  28  28  17  1  2  32   9   6 .279 .335 .318 .653 NYG
1919   132  474  151  17  3  5  71  75  87  3  5  66  43  19 .319 .424 .399 .822 NYG
1920   149  563  171  24  8 15  87 116  71  4  6  82  48  15 .304 .382 .455 .837 NYG
Total 1422 4997 1400 219 59 56 664 829 802 44 37 935 392 174 .280 .382 .381 .763

Current Ratings: 85/61/50/70/65

Total Talent Ratings: 90/55/42/73/71

The return of Stuart Adamson to New York's lineup last season was more than a benefit to Michael Feldbush. In fact, it led to one of his best seasons yet and helped him get the Giants to another World Series appearance. His increased power numbers were an added surprise last year, and now more people are expecting him to hit the ball out of the park, as well as hit for average. His skills have yet to even start fading and if he puts up solid numbers once again, he should be seen as the best veteran second baseman in all of baseball.

Killian Ditty, 3B-Boston Braves

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G   AB   H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1911    2    0   0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000  PHI
1912    1    1   0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000  PHI
1913   13   31  12   4  0  0   7   6   6  0  0   8  0  0 .387 .486 .516 1.003 PHI BSN
1914   23   70  19   3  0  0   6   5   7  0  0  16  0  0 .271 .338 .314 .652  BSN
1915   93  314  84  18  1  5  52  34  33  3  4  68  2  0 .268 .339 .379 .718  BSN
1916   51  138  20   2  0  0  10  12  25  4  1  40  0  1 .145 .292 .159 .451  BSN
1917  106  354  80  23  2  4  40  41  39  1  2  85  0  0 .226 .303 .336 .639  BSN
1918  115  413 119  30  0  4  63  45  31  1  3  58  0  1 .288 .337 .390 .727  BSN
1919  135  493 145  44  4  9  80  53  63  7  5  65  0  0 .294 .379 .454 .833  BSN
1920  148  530 168  40  2 14  93  73  64  3  7  76  0  1 .317 .389 .479 .868  BSN
Total 687 2344 647 164  9 36 351 269 268 19 22 416  2  3 .276 .352 .400 .752

Current Ratings: 69/105/50/59/62

Total Talent Ratings: 66/109/49/67/55

It is now official: Killian Ditty is no longer a bust or a fluke. His 1920 season proved that he can in fact play on the same level as some of the best in the game, and was a main reason why the Braves were in the hunt for the pennant until the very end of the season. Fans are expecting him to again improve on last year's performance, but that may be asking just a bit too much this time.

Shamus O'Brien, MR-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Pitching Stats 

Year   G   GS  W  L SV  ERA     IP  HA   R  ER  HR  BB   K CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1912   12   0  1  1  0 3.95   13.2  12   6   6   3   9  10  0   0 1.54 .243  SLN
1913   31   0  2  3  0 3.02   44.2  38  16  15   6  11  25  0   0 1.10 .237  SLN
1914   26  11  8  5  3 2.98   90.2  82  31  30   9  38  71  2   0 1.32 .292  SLN
1915   35  35  9 13  0 2.98  256.2 181  95  85  21  86 205  5   1 1.04 .235  SLN
1916   17  17  3 12  0 3.99  137.2 118  69  61   9  64  97 13   1 1.32 .275  SLN
1917			PITCHED IN AAA BALL
1918    2   1  1  1  0 1.80   15.0   8   4   3   1   1   5  1   0 0.60 .156  SLN
1919   35  35 14 15  0 3.22  290.2 239 121 104  22 102 199 25   0 1.17 .260  SLN
1920   27  27  7 18  0 4.45  222.2 216 127 110  30  84 154 22   1 1.35 .277  SLN
Total 185 126 45 68  3 3.48 1071.2 894 469 414 101 395 766 68   3 1.20 .260

Current Ratings: 61/68/58

Total Talent Ratings: 66/91/59

After a horrific 1920 season, Shamus finds himself starting this season coming out of the bullpen, and you can bet that he is not very happy with it at all. He's blamed just about anyone he can, including fans and the weather, so long as he doesn't have to blame himself. At this rate, he'll find himself on the first train out of St. Louis, although that may be what he really wants right now.

Jamee Gray, SS-Boston Braves

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G   AB   H  2B 3B  HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1913   11   41   7   1  0   1   4   3   0  0  0  15  0  0 .171 .171 .268 .439 BSN
1914  145  538 128  21  1   2  69  50  39 10  5 137  1  0 .238 .299 .292 .591 BSN
1915  143  530 148  22  5  11  74  62  67  4  5 120  2  0 .279 .361 .402 .763 BSN
1916  144  538 135  23  2  15  66  72  69  7  2 160  2  0 .251 .343 .385 .727 BSN
1917  117  437 102  29  0  20  58  57  49  5  2 114  0  0 .233 .316 .437 .754 BSN
1918  118  451 111  20  2  11  51  58  47  2  2  95  1  0 .246 .319 .373 .691 BSN
1919  136  500 148  38  0  26  91  84  74  2  5 116  1  0 .296 .386 .528 .914 BSN
1920  146  549 153  33  2  26  88  98  70  3  6  97  2  0 .279 .360 .488 .848 BSN
Total 960 3584 932 187 12 112 501 484 415 33 27 854  9  0 .260 .340 .413 .753

Current Ratings: 85/69/107/57/51

Total Talent Ratings: 87/65/112/49/44

Last season saw Jamee lose some of his clout as the best power hitter in the National League when Ken Williams came to Brooklyn and promptly went after almost all of Jamee's power records. This off season, Jamee did nothing but attempt to improve his swing even more in an attempt to raise both his batting average and homerun total. Whether or not all his effort paid off will quickly be seen because, if he stumbles, the fans may just turn to Williams for good.

Justin Williamson, SP-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year    G  GS  W  L SV  ERA     IP   HA   R  ER  HR  BB    K CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams
1914			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1915   22   7  3  9  3 4.60   74.1   65  43  38  14  43   59  1   0 1.45 .251  SLN
1916   41  41 12 11  0 2.81  294.2  199 105  92  23 108  300  2   0 1.04 .239  SLN
1917   42  42 15 15  0 2.77  305.2  203 102  94  19 109  316  2   0 1.02 .243  SLN
1918   34  34 15  6  0 1.84  258.2  179  57  53   8  49  233  5   2 0.88 .249  SLN
1919   37  37 11 10  0 2.22  279.2  198  85  69  12  61  262  4   0 0.93 .257  SLN
1920   41  41 21 17  0 2.72  358.0  285 127 108  42  61  316 35   4 0.97 .248  SLN
Total 217 202 77 68  3 2.60 1571.0 1129 519 454 118 431 1486 49   6 0.99 .247

Current Ratings:  104/83/72

Total Talent Ratings: 100/85/66

While Shamus O'Brien faltered in St. Louis, Justin Williamson has thrived, placing himself with the best pitchers the National League has to offer. He broke the 20 win barrier for the first time last season, and at the young age of 25, still has more than enough time to establish himself as the heir apparent to Ludwig Van Cleef as the most feared pitcher in all of baseball. If he pitches well enough this year, that title may very well be his before anyone expects it.

Cristobal Torriente, 3B/RF-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G   AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1915   11   19   5  0  0  0   1   1   2  0  0   5  2  0 .263 .333 .263 .596 SLN
1916   19   68  13  2  0  1   7   3   3  0  0  23  0  0 .191 .225 .265 .490 SLN
1917   35  116  26  4  0  0   6  12  13  2  0  26  4  0 .224 .313 .259 .572 SLN
1918   49  152  40  5  2  1  10  21  12  1  0  29  3  0 .263 .321 .342 .663 SLN
1919  124  483 127 29  3  1  33  52  38  1  4  87  8  7 .263 .316 .342 .657 SLN
1920  144  526 147 19  9  4  44  72  49  6  3  93 19 10 .279 .346 .373 .719 SLN
Total 382 1364 358 59 14  7 101 161 117 10  7 263 36 17 .262 .324 .342 .665

Current Ratings: 57/59/28/37/46

Total Talent Ratings: 62/55/96/71/40

The Cardinals were impressed with the way Cristobal played last season, but they still believe he can do better, and have gone about challenging him at the start of this season. Until he proves himself in the eyes of the Cardinals' management, he will be splitting time at third base with Peter Bernard. Hopefully, this helps push him to the next level because if he fails this time, the results could be horrible.

Peter Bernard, C/3B-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G  AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB HP SF  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams
1916			PLAYED IN A BALL
1917			PLAYED IN A BALL
1918			PLAYED IN A BALL
1919   16  53  12  5  0  0   6  2  5  3  1 14  0  0 .226 .323 .321 .643 SLN
1920  100 348 104 17  2  6  42 25 15  1  2 64  0  1 .299 .328 .411 .739 SLN
Total 116 401 116 22  2  6  48 27 20  4  3 78  0  1 .289 .327 .399 .726

Current Ratings: 56/46/34/33/44

Total Talent Ratings: 64/50/79/63/38

Peter fully recovered from his broken hip that he suffered at the end of last season, but it appears as if the once great talent he had may have taken a hit due to the injury. However, that has not stopped St. Louis from placing him in the starting lineup both at third base and at catcher in different situations. While he does not really wish to be part of this "challenge" involving Cristobal Torriente, he does believe that anything to help the team is worthwhile, so he is going along with it.

Deke Taggart, 2B-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G   AB   H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams
1917   96  322  94  18  0  3  28  25  29  7  1  55  0  0 .292 .362 .376 .738 SLN
1918  126  435 132  26  0  6  47  53  67 12  4  70  0  0 .303 .407 .405 .812 SLN
1919  129  466 148  30  2 11  63  60  62 12  3  68  2  0 .318 .409 .461 .870 SLN
1920  150  552 180  33  6 23  88 102  60  8  2  73  0  0 .326 .399 .533 .931 SLN
Total 501 1775 554 107  8 43 226 240 218 39 10 266  2  0 .312 .397 .454 .851

Current Ratings: 97/80/88/50/62

Total Talent Ratings: 100/76/93/57/58

One player that has not been struggling in any way, shape or form is Deke Taggart. Coming into just his fifth season in the major leagues, Deke has already set himself as one of the best second baseman in all of baseball, and with his increasing average and power numbers, there are even some opposing fans that have started to come to the ballpark just to see him play. It is certainly an exciting time in the life of Deke Taggart, and the sky seems to be the limit right now.

Marty Mueller, C-Cleveland Indians

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year G AB H 2B 3B HR RBI R BB HP SF K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS Teams 
1918			PLAYED IN A BALL
1919			PLAYED IN A BALL
1920			PLAYED IN A BALL

Current Ratings: 32/75/14/35/64

Total Talent Ratings: 85/110/40/60/70

It appears as if the little taste of the big leagues that Marty got to see last season has inspired him to perform even better this season. He is still starting the year in Class A ball, but it finally looks like he will get promoted some time very soon. While it may not be time for him to reach the majors yet, it now seems as if it is only a matter of time before the Indians see him behind the plate.

Juan Carrillo, 1B-Chicago Cubs

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year   G AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI R BB HP SF  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1919   1  1  0  0  0  0   0 0  0  0  0  1  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000 CHN
1920  18 67 19  6  0  0  11 6  5  0  0 11  0  0 .284 .333 .373 .706 CHN
Total 19 68 19  6  0  0  11 6  5  0  0 12  0  0 .279 .329 .368 .696

Current Ratings: 68/88/28/26/58

Total Talent Ratings: 85/95/110/87/65

Apparently, the Cubs liked what they saw of Carrillo last season, because they have made him the starter at first base for at least the start of the 1921 season. Carrillo still has yet to show the power that made him so famous before he was drafted, but the rest of his skills have come along quite well, and now it only seems like a little more waiting will be needed before he is knocking balls over the heads of outfielders.

Gabriel Valiente, SP-Boston Red Sox

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year  G  GS  W  L SV ERA     IP  HA   R ER HR BB   K CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1920  34 33 12 15  0 3.64 245.0 225 116 99 26 69 171  5   1 1.20 .272  BOS
Total 34 33 12 15  0 3.64 245.0 225 116 99 26 69 171  5   1 1.20 .272

Current Ratings:  89/70/63

Total Talent Ratings: 110/75/52

Gabriel was not the best pitcher last season, but there wasn't that much expected out of the 21 year old in Boston. This year, the 22 year old is being looked at as the ace of a very shaky pitching staff, which places much more pressure onto his shoulders. It will be interesting to see if he can stand up to it, because if he can, he should become a fan favorite for the Red Sox very quickly.

[lewis31lewis52]

Wow, 15 homers for Mike. Bit of a power surge there, eh?

Anyways, hope the Giants can make it their whatever-straight NL Pennant. How many is it in a row now anyways?

[Hurkman]

Originally Posted by lewis31lewis52

Wow, 15 homers for Mike. Bit of a power surge there, eh?

Anyways, hope the Giants can make it their whatever-straight NL Pennant. How many is it in a row now anyways?

Well, hey, when his highest total before last season was 8, hitting 15 in a season is a strong power surge, especially back in those days.

Actually, the Giants missed the pennant in 1919. Before that, they won five in a row, and then their sixth last year. They've got three World Series in six tries.

That actually leads me to a thought. Once I get done with the 20th World Series in 1923, I'll post all the previous pennant winners and awards and things like that, like a summary so people have something to look back on, rather than having to go back through every page.

[lewis31lewis52]

That recap thing would be a great idea. Are you gonna post all-time leaderboards as well?

This is a great dynasty, and it's good to know you keep working on it. Too many of these just fall apart. Good job!

[Hurkman]

Originally Posted by lewis31lewis52

That recap thing would be a great idea. Are you gonna post all-time leaderboards as well?

This is a great dynasty, and it's good to know you keep working on it. Too many of these just fall apart. Good job!

Yeah, I'll do a leaderboard and recap to keep everyone up to date on your favorite historical and created players.

Thanks for the support too. I'm glad you enjoy it, and barring any sort of catostrophic event on my computer, I'll keep this going as long as I can.

[Sir Lurksalot]

Originally Posted by Hurkman

Yeah, I'll do a leaderboard and recap to keep everyone up to date on your favorite historical and created players.

Excellent!

[Splitter24]

Originally Posted by lewis31lewis52

That recap thing would be a great idea. Are you gonna post all-time leaderboards as well?

This is a great dynasty, and it's good to know you keep working on it. Too many of these just fall apart. Good job!

I second this. It's been a lot of fun following this dynasty as it rolls along.

It might also be helpful to post in your sign-up thread which years are available for new sign-ups. Once Stu retires (and if Chubby doesn't pan out) I may have to sign up another player at some point.

[Hurkman]

July 1, 1921

Athletics use Speaker, Johnson to vault over Browns in two team American League race.

Much like the 1920 season, the American League pennant race is already down to two teams. Just like last year at this same time, the Philadelphia Athletics lead the St. Louis Browns, but this year, the margin is only 5 games as opposed to the 7 and a half games at the midway point last season.

Once again, the Athletics are being led by two of the best players in baseball. Both Tris Speaker and Walter Johnson are having great seasons, with Speaker hitting .320 with 6 homeruns and 55 runs batted in, and Johnson winning 14 games with a 2.51 ERA. They have gotten help from the other players on their team as well. Sam Rice is leading the team in batting at .332, while George Kahler has 11 wins and a major league leading 2.13 ERA.

In St. Louis, Christian Gray is having the season of his life, leading the major leagues with a .385 batting average, but aside from Jack Tobin and his 50 runs batted in, the Browns' normally potent offense has been quiet so far this year. The one place where they could catch the Athletics is with their pitching. Rube Benton, Harry Moran and Joe Wood all have 10 or more wins, and Charlie Becker has recovered after a slow start. If Philadelphia falters again down the stretch, the Browns could be there once again to pick up what the Athletics drop.

American League Standings 

Team             W  L   PCT   GB  Pyt.Rec Diff  Home   Away   XInn  1Run  M#  Streak Last10 
Philadelphia (A) 48 24 .667    -  46-26   2     23-11  25-13  5-5   13-6  63  W5     7-3 
St. Louis (A)    44 30 .595  5.0  49-25  -5     22-13  22-17  7-4    9-9   -  W1     3-7 
Boston (A)       35 37 .486 13.0  30-42   5     20-15  15-22  3-3   15-9   -  W1     5-5 
Washington       36 40 .474 14.0  40-36  -4     19-22  17-18  3-2   10-12  -  L2     6-4 
Detroit          35 39 .473 14.0  32-42   3     16-23  19-16  3-1   10-8   -  W1     4-6 
Cleveland        34 39 .466 14.5  36-37  -2     19-16  15-23  1-3    8-15  -  L1     7-3 
Chicago (A)      32 40 .444 16.0  32-40   0     16-20  16-20  2-4    8-10  -  L1     5-5 
New York (A)     30 45 .400 19.5  31-44  -1     14-25  16-20  2-4    8-12  -  L1     2-8

Late June collapse by Pittsburgh leads to Robins taking control of wide open National League pennant hunt.

Before the last two weeks of June, it looked like the Pittsburgh Pirates and New York Giants would be involved in a two team chase for the National League pennant. Now, with both teams in the middle of horrible slumps, just about every team in the National League has a chance to get back into the race, and the Brooklyn Robins have actually taken command of first place.

The Robins have gotten probably the best production possible out of their batting order, where only two players are not hitting over .300, and one of them is Ken Williams, who had an absolutely horrific start to the season, but has bounced back nicely in the last month. Eddie Collins leads the team with a .356 average, and also had a National League record 28 game hitting streak throughout May and June. Their pitching is a concern with just Fin Wilson having over 10 wins, but with the offense producing like they are, they can score enough runs to beat almost anyone.

In New York and Pittsburgh, no one is sure what is going on, but fans are getting quite concerned over both teams' recent struggles. The Giants are doing fine on offense, with the usual suspects of Adamson, Feldbush and Saier leading the way, but their pitching has been shaky at best this season. Ludwig Van Cleef has just 8 wins and an ERA over 4, which is a major cause for concern. In Pittsburgh, there is even more confusion. Billy Southworth and Amos Strunk both are hitting over .330, and their pitching staff has three pitchers with 10 or more wins starting for them this season. Most are convinced that it's only a matter of time before Pittsburgh comes out of their funk, but they are less sure about the Giants. One thing is certain though; one of them had better come out soon, or the Robins, or even the surprising Chicago Cubs, may just run off with the pennant.

National League Standings 
 
Team             W  L   PCT   GB  Pyt.Rec Diff  Home   Away   XInn  1Run  M#  Streak Last10 
Brooklyn         40 31 .563    -  42-29  -2     22-13  18-18  5-3   16-9  67  W5     7-3 
Pittsburgh       39 34 .534  2.0  37-36   2     16-17  23-17  5-2   11-11  -  L8     2-8 
Chicago (N)      38 35 .521  3.0  39-34  -1     24-15  14-20  5-3   16-14  -  W4     6-4 
New York (N)     38 37 .507  4.0  40-35  -2     20-15  18-22  5-5   13-15  -  L5     3-7 
Boston (N)       36 37 .493  5.0  35-38   1     19-17  17-20  4-4    8-9   -  W2     7-3 
St. Louis (N)    35 38 .479  6.0  35-38   0     22-16  13-22  3-6   10-11  -  L3     5-5 
Philadelphia (N) 34 38 .472  6.5  31-41   3     19-17  15-21  3-4    9-10  -  L2     3-7 
Cincinnati       31 41 .431  9.5  32-40  -1     16-23  15-18  1-4    9-13  -  W6     6-4

Players of the Month
American League
April
Batter of the Month: Babe Ruth (CHA)- .339, 7 HR, 19 RBI
Pitcher of the Month: Harry Moran (SLA)- 37 IP, 3-0, 1.46 ERA

May
Batter of the Month: Hack Miller (BSA)- .402, 6 HR, 26 RBI
Pitcher of the Month: Walter Johnson (PHA)- 62 IP, 6-1, 2.76 ERA

June
Batter of the Month: Frank Gilhooley (CLE)- .463, 4 HR, 21 RBI
Pitcher of the Month: Walter Johnson (PHA)- 59 IP, 6-1, 2.14 ERA

National League
April
Batter of the Month: Stuart Adamson (NYG)- .415, 5 HR, 18 RBI
Pitcher of the Month: Pete Schneider (PIT)- 45 IP, 5-0, 1.80 ERA

May
Batter of the Month: Michael Feldbush (NYG)- .449, 3 HR, 13 RBI
Pitcher of the Month: Bill James (PIT)- 71 IP, 6-2, 2.79 ERA

June
Batter of the Month: Deke Taggart (SLN)- .381, 7 HR, 24 RBI
Pitcher of the Month: Orlie Weaver (SLN)- 27 IP, 3-0, 1.33 ERA

[lewis31lewis52]

Sweet, batter of the month for Feldbush, not too bad.

Now we just need to start winning some more games!

[Hurkman]

Star/Prospect Watch

Stuart Adamson, CF-New York Giants

Career Batting Stats 

Year     G   AB    H  2B  3B  HR  RBI    R   BB HP SF    K   SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams  
1904   105  352   89   6   3   1   15   44   19  2  1   97   46  10 .253 .294 .295 .590  SLN
1905   141  553  129  12   8   2   52   60   29  3  2  157   44  10 .233 .274 .295 .569  SLN
1906   144  564  139  14   3   4   44   66   47  3  3  148   57  12 .246 .306 .303 .610  SLN
1907   145  518  124  15   3   2   49   56   44  4  4  130   60  12 .239 .302 .292 .593  SLN
1908   149  549  151  15   6  14   66   70   55  3  2  156   60  22 .275 .343 .401 .744  SLN
1909    89  159   37   4   3   2   12   24   28  1  1   59   15   5 .233 .349 .333 .683  SLN
1910   144  503  131  22   2   9   51   71   79  1  2  144   56  13 .260 .361 .366 .726 SLN NYG
1911   132  482  138  23   6  14   85   78   81  3  4  151   55  20 .286 .389 .446 .836  NYG
1912   150  533  160  26   6  15   98  106  109  8  8  149   82  10 .300 .421 .456 .877  NYG
1913   149  532  163  23  12  10   71  110  102  4  6  144   77  22 .306 .418 .451 .869  NYG
1914   150  563  153  20  11  14   83  103  110  4  8  172   90  15 .272 .390 .421 .811  NYG
1915   134  493  146  18   7  13   80  100   89  3  7  137   62  15 .296 .402 .440 .842  NYG
1916   148  572  156  18   8  12   73  110   93  1  2  150   77  17 .273 .374 .395 .769  NYG
1917   149  569  174  25  17   9   81   97   76  1  9  156   75  13 .306 .383 .457 .840  NYG
1918   121  456  139  20  10   6   74   85   61  5  3  100   55   9 .305 .390 .432 .822  NYG
1919    20   82   21   5   0   2   16   11    6  0  1   11   11   1 .256 .303 .390 .694  NYG
1920   123  449  130  19  11  15   79   72   62  1  7  120   50   7 .290 .372 .481 .853  NYG
1921    59  202   70   9   2   5   38   47   37  2  4   37   29   3 .347 .445 .485 .930  NYG
Total 2252 8131 2250 294 118 149 1067 1310 1127 49 74 2218 1001 216 .277 .365 .397 .762

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 71/67/65/69/30
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 48/46/40/69/26
					  -23 -21 -20   -4
					   
Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):  	  66/69/67/77/29
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 44/47/40/77/29
				       -22 -22 -27

Stuart is having yet another age-defying season, and even won the Batter of the Month award for his play in April, but now it appears as if this may be his last fully productive season in the major leagues. If that is the case, he is going out on top after becoming the first player in baseball history to steal 1,000 bases earlier this season. He's also second on the Giants in batting average and is still a major contributor to the team. Now, all he wants is one last shot at the World Series, but that will take an effort by the pitching staff for that to happen.

Don Ayers, 2B-Philadelphia Athletics

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF    K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams  
1905    52   84   24   3  1  0  14  10  10  0  0   26   2   2 .286 .362 .345 .707  CLE
1906    62   98   21   4  1  0  11  10   9  2  0   25   3   4 .214 .294 .276 .569  CLE
1907    59   81   18   2  0  0   8  13  10  0  3   21   1   2 .222 .298 .247 .545  CLE
1908   104  343   83  12  5  1  31  30  29  2  3   82   8  11 .242 .302 .315 .617  CLE
1909   142  540  140  28 10  1  58  66  59  6  2  126  21   7 .259 .338 .354 .691  CLE
1910   146  549  141  18  5  5  89  82  89  4  3  140  18   7 .257 .363 .335 .698  CLE
1911   144  546  172  25  8  3 106  85  66  6  4  111  25  13 .315 .392 .407 .799  CLE
1912   147  535  155  27  2  6  74  89  86  6  6  122  15  12 .290 .390 .381 .772  CLE
1913   147  524  155  23  7  5  71  72  71  5  6   97  20  14 .296 .381 .395 .776  CLE
1914   141  542  157  22  5  6  80  89  81  3  7  119  13  17 .290 .381 .382 .763  CLE
1915   148  543  142  20  4  6  60  81  79  9  0  109  17  13 .262 .365 .346 .711  CLE
1916   146  527  133  15  8  5  71  72  91  5  1  107  18  28 .252 .367 .340 .707  CLE
1917   145  513  130  11  3  0  63  53  67  7  7  106  19  19 .253 .343 .287 .630  CLE
1918   121  446  130  16  4  1  67  59  64  3  2   56  12  18 .291 .383 .352 .735  CLE
1919   117  420  103  14  3  4  58  44  38  4  9   91   7   8 .245 .308 .321 .629  CLE
1920     4    3    2   0  0  0   1   0   0  0  0    0   0   0 .667 .667 .667 1.333 CLE PHA
1921			PLAYED IN AAA BALL
Total 1825 6294 1706 240 66 43 862 855 849 62 53 1338 199 175 .271 .361 .351 .711

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 31/38/13/26/29
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 24/34/13/26/28
					    -7 -4       -1
 
Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):  	  27/38/4/33/30
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 27/38/4/33/30

Ayers has fit in just fine with his new role on the Athletics Class AAA team, and he has become a mentor to many of the younger players who are on their way up to Philadelphia. He still plays from time to time, but he is used mostly due to injuries or when a player is tired. It doesn't matter to him anymore though, he knows what his job is with the team now.

Sandford Freshlam, SP-Washington Senators

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year    G  GS   W   L SV   ERA     IP   HA    R   ER  HR  BB    K  CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1906    6   0   0   1  1 11.57    7.0   10    9    9   1   7    0   0   0 2.43 .310  WSH
1907    1   0   0   0  0  0.00    2.0    1    0    0   0   0    1   0   0 0.50 .167  WSH
1908			PITCHED IN A BALL		       	 
1909			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1910			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1911			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1912   34  34  17  14  0  3.52  288.2  242  137  113  25 114  287  27   5 1.23 .287  WSH
1913   42  42  18  20  0  3.64  353.1  294  157  143  45  84  326  35   3 1.07 .269  WSH
1914   41  41  17  17  0  2.62  356.2  267  111  104  31  53  353  32   4 0.90 .260  WSH
1915   40  40  24  11  0  2.24  353.0  250  107   88  32  44  348  33   5 0.83 .246  WSH
1916   30  30  22   4  0  1.87  264.1  175   68   55  18  24  243  22   3 0.75 .227  WSH
1917   33  33  17  15  0  2.94  281.1  249  111   92  26  28  221  26   1 0.98 .277  WSH
1918   32  32  13  14  0  2.61  286.2  237   95   83  23  36  203  24   1 0.95 .256  WSH
1919   32  32  12  16  0  3.64  272.1  258  123  110  29  32  195  27   0 1.06 .282  WSH
1920   32  32  11  12  0  3.25  277.0  250  118  100  33  24  197  23   1 0.99 .261  WSH
1921   13  13   3   8  0  4.63  107.0  116   60   55  22   9   96   9   0 1.17 .301  WSH
Total 336 329 154 132  1  3.01 2849.1 2349 1096  952 285 455 2470 258  23 0.98 .265

Starting Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement):  79/99/40
Current Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement):  80/99/40
					   +1	
					  
Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):      86/135/44
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	      	  86/135/44

It sure looks like the Sandford of old isn't coming back anytime soon, if ever. Even with the struggles that Washington is having, Sandford is in the middle of maybe his worst season ever, and it doesn't look like things will change this time around. He is having a hard time adjusting to the new power hitters and gives up far too many homeruns. Washington would like the old Sandford back, but they may just have to get used to the new one, and that's not a good thing.

Ludwig Van Cleef, SP-New York Giants

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year    G  GS   W  L SV  ERA     IP   HA   R  ER  HR  BB    K  CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1907    1   0   0  0  0 0.00    3.1    0   0   0   0   3    2   0   0 0.90 .000  NYG 
1908			PITCHED IN AA BALL			
1909			PITCHED IN AAA BALL
1910    1   0   0  0  0 0.00    1.0    0   0   0   0   0    0   0   0 0.00 .000  NYG
1911   17   2   0  5  5 8.10   30.0   30  27  27   4  29   19   0   0 1.97 .277  NYG
1912   31  12  11  6  7 1.96  133.1   78  32  29   2  55  145  11   2 1.00 .244  NYG
1913   40  40  25 11  0 2.54  339.2  230 105  96  13 119  387  30   9 1.03 .273  NYG
1914   42  42  27  5  0 1.95  368.2  228  83  80  12  81  397  26   7 0.84 .247  NYG
1915   41  41  31  8  0 1.65  359.0  204  79  66  14  56  423  35  16 0.72 .237  NYG
1916   41  41  30  4  0 1.55  360.1  217  72  62  13  38  408  27   8 0.71 .241  NYG
1917   42  42  26 10  0 2.00  369.0  241  87  82  12  34  396  34  10 0.75 .254  NYG
1918   33  33  25  3  0 1.36  297.2  167  50  45   4  33  257  26   8 0.67 .214  NYG
1919   33  33  19 10  0 3.13  290.1  227 107 101  29  20  290  27   3 0.85 .264  NYG
1920   41  41  21 16  0 3.26  359.1  298 146 130  37  37  316  33   2 0.93 .263  NYG
1921   19  19   8  6  0 4.04  167.0  161  79  75  22  15  150  13   0 1.05 .296  NYG
Total 382 346 223 84 12 2.32 3078.2 2081 867 793 162 520 3190 262  65 0.84 .252

Starting Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement): 102/98/70
Current Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement): 100/98/68
					   -2    -2	

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):  	  103/127/60
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 103/127/60

Spealing of pitchers who give up far too many homeruns, Ludwig Van Cleef also seems to be having some trouble adjusting to the way the ball has been flying out of the park against him lately. He is struggling again this season and it seems like the frustration is starting to get to him more than usual because the Giants aren't winning like they normally do. He is still a good pitcher, but now he needs his team to help him win games, and sometimes that just doesn't happen now.

Christian Gray, SS-St. Louis Browns

Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF    K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1908     5   11    0   0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0    6   0   1 .000 .083 .000 .083  SLA
1909     5   12    2   0  0  0   2   3   4  0  0    3   2   0 .167 .375 .167 .542  SLA
1910    30   91   10   1  0  0   9   9   5  1  0   31   6   2 .110 .165 .121 .286  SLA
1911   138  533  117  13  8  4  53  72  43  1  1  165  46   9 .220 .279 .296 .575  SLA
1912   146  587  179  26  6  6  65  94  50  4  0  156  78  16 .305 .363 .400 .764  SLA
1913   147  555  199  21  8  4  75 100  61  4  3  101  68  21 .359 .424 .447 .871  SLA
1914   139  521  136  11  4  2  62  73  59  5  4  103  65  17 .261 .340 .309 .649  SLA
1915   153  626  157  21  5  2  46  95  63  4  5  127  74  20 .251 .321 .310 .631  SLA
1916   147  591  174  22  4  2  48  76  51  9  4   92  71  13 .294 .357 .355 .713  SLA
1917   145  585  179  12  5  3  53  82  44  3  6   89  76  22 .306 .354 .359 .713  SLA
1918   102  419  128  10  2  4  40  67  42  3  1   45  62  16 .305 .372 .368 .740  SLA
1919   133  526  158  10  8  3  63  79  49  7  1   81  79  14 .300 .367 .367 .734  SLA
1920   120  442  150  22  7  4  56  67  54  3  4   61  61  17 .339 .412 .448 .859  SLA
1921    71  244   94   7  3  1  31  38  41  2  1   32  31   8 .385 .476 .451 .927  SLA
Total 1481 5743 1683 176 60 35 603 855 567 46 30 1092 719 176 .293 .360 .363 .722

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 66/38/19/56/28
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 66/38/19/56/28
					  
Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):     74/40/22/63/22
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 74/40/22/63/22

The only thing that's going wrong with Christian's season so far this year is that the Browns are not in first place. Other than that, this season has been incredible for the leader of the Browns. He currently leads the major leagues in battingand stolen bases and is on pace for his best season ever. He's doing his part this year to get St. Louis back to another World Series, but some of his fellow Browns are going to have to pick up the slack if they want to be playing in late October again.

Fletcher Parslofski, LF-Philadelphia Phillies

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1909     2    3    0   0  0  0   0   0   1  0  0   2  0  0 .000 .250 .000 .250 PHI
1910     0    0    0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000 PHI
1911    17   22    3   1  0  0   1   3   8  0  0   4  0  0 .136 .367 .182 .548 PHI
1912    38   53   11   3  0  0   9   2   9  0  0   8  0  0 .208 .323 .264 .587 PHI
1913   116  373  103  13  5  8  40  51  66  2  0  50  2  1 .276 .388 .402 .790 PHI
1914   145  496  117  22  3  6  62  59 101  2  6  60  5  0 .236 .364 .329 .692 PHI
1915   147  502  135  27  2  9  56  64  99  1  3  74  1  1 .269 .388 .384 .773 PHI
1916   142  486  143  26  3  7  55  69 106  3  0  51  3  0 .294 .424 .403 .827 PHI
1917   145  501  136  32  1  9  59  60 103  1  6  53  2  1 .271 .393 .393 .786 PHI
1918    48  172   47   8  1  1  14  16  21  1  2  14  0  0 .273 .352 .349 .701 PHI
1919   132  454  137  27  3 11  55  67  83  1  4  40  2  1 .302 .408 .447 .855 PHI
1920   118  381  122  25  5 13  59  67  70  2  3  27  1  0 .320 .425 .514 .940 PHI
1921    71  245   70  19  1  7  46  33  41  1  3  19  0  0 .286 .386 .457 .843 PHI
Total 1121 3688 1024 203 24 71 456 491 708 14 27 402 16  4 .278 .394 .403 .797

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 65/87/44/93/80
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 65/87/44/92/80
						     -1	

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):  	  69/78/50/99/75
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 69/78/50/99/75

Right now, Fletcher is just having an average season. It's not bad, but it's not that good either, it's just sort of there, and the Phillies are struggling without him doing just a little better. The addition of Rogers Hornsby has helped his RBI total jump, but his batting average is down, and that is what needs to come up in order for the Phillies to rise to a respectable level in the second half of the season.

Michael Feldbush, 2B-New York Giants

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K  SB  CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1910    97  241   53  13  3  2  28  25  21  3  1  82  15   8 .220 .289 .324 .613 NYG
1911   103  266   68  14  4  2  30  43  52  4  1  61  14  10 .256 .384 .361 .745 NYG
1912   147  532  139  20  6  4  67  80  89  2  5 123  42  20 .261 .366 .344 .710 NYG
1913   149  565  170  40  6  4  49 104  85  2  2 103  43  16 .301 .393 .414 .807 NYG
1914   150  569  138  19  6  4  61  81  87  8  3 107  47  18 .243 .349 .318 .667 NYG
1915   146  510  155  24 10  8  86  87 102  9  4  97  40  19 .304 .426 .437 .863 NYG
1916   145  547  155  25  5  5  81  98  93  4  4  97  41  21 .283 .389 .375 .764 NYG
1917   150  529  144  18  8  6  76  92  98  4  4  85  50  22 .272 .387 .371 .758 NYG
1918    54  201   56   5  0  1  28  28  17  1  2  32   9   6 .279 .335 .318 .653 NYG
1919   132  474  151  17  3  5  71  75  87  3  5  66  43  19 .319 .424 .399 .822 NYG
1920   149  563  171  24  8 15  87 116  71  4  6  82  48  15 .304 .382 .455 .837 NYG
1921    71  266  101  12  4  6  34  56  42  3  3  24  25  10 .380 .465 .523 .988 NYG
Total 1493 5263 1501 231 63 62 698 885 844 47 40 959 417 184 .285 .386 .388 .775

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 85/61/50/70/65
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 87/63/50/69/65
					    +2 +2    -1		

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):  	  90/55/42/73/71
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 90/55/42/73/71

While some of the other Giants may not be pulling their weight this season, Michael Feldbush apparently has decided to pull more than his fair share of the load. So far this year he leads the National League in batting average and is on pace for almost 200 hits and 100 runs scored. The only thing that seems to be slowing him down right now is the fact that the Giants just aren't as good this season, and that is ruining what should be a career year for this fine player.

Killian Ditty, 3B-Boston Braves

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G   AB   H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1911    2    0   0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000  PHI
1912    1    1   0   0  0  0   0   0   0  0  0   0  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000  PHI
1913   13   31  12   4  0  0   7   6   6  0  0   8  0  0 .387 .486 .516 1.003 PHI BSN
1914   23   70  19   3  0  0   6   5   7  0  0  16  0  0 .271 .338 .314 .652  BSN
1915   93  314  84  18  1  5  52  34  33  3  4  68  2  0 .268 .339 .379 .718  BSN
1916   51  138  20   2  0  0  10  12  25  4  1  40  0  1 .145 .292 .159 .451  BSN
1917  106  354  80  23  2  4  40  41  39  1  2  85  0  0 .226 .303 .336 .639  BSN
1918  115  413 119  30  0  4  63  45  31  1  3  58  0  1 .288 .337 .390 .727  BSN
1919  135  493 145  44  4  9  80  53  63  7  5  65  0  0 .294 .379 .454 .833  BSN
1920  148  530 168  40  2 14  93  73  64  3  7  76  0  1 .317 .389 .479 .868  BSN
1921   71  262  76  19  3 12  49  35  23  1  3  37  1  0 .290 .346 .523 .869  BSN
Total 758 2606 723 183 12 48 400 304 291 20 25 453  3  3 .277 .351 .412 .764

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 69/105/50/59/62
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 69/104/47/59/61
						-1 -3    -1
 
Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):  	   66/109/49/67/55
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	  66/109/49/67/55

It certainly seems like all of those people who were doubting Killian Ditty just a few years ago have gotten awfully quiet over the past two and a half seasons. This year is no exception to the new Killian, as he is second on the Braves in homeruns as well as runs batted in. He is pulling his share of the weight, but many of the other Braves are not, and they will need to if they want to have a shot at the National League pennant this season.

Shamus O'Brien, MR-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Pitching Stats 

Year   G   GS  W  L SV  ERA     IP  HA   R  ER  HR  BB   K CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1912   12   0  1  1  0 3.95   13.2  12   6   6   3   9  10  0   0 1.54 .243  SLN
1913   31   0  2  3  0 3.02   44.2  38  16  15   6  11  25  0   0 1.10 .237  SLN
1914   26  11  8  5  3 2.98   90.2  82  31  30   9  38  71  2   0 1.32 .292  SLN
1915   35  35  9 13  0 2.98  256.2 181  95  85  21  86 205  5   1 1.04 .235  SLN
1916   17  17  3 12  0 3.99  137.2 118  69  61   9  64  97 13   1 1.32 .275  SLN
1917			PITCHED IN AAA BALL
1918    2   1  1  1  0 1.80   15.0   8   4   3   1   1   5  1   0 0.60 .156  SLN
1919   35  35 14 15  0 3.22  290.2 239 121 104  22 102 199 25   0 1.17 .260  SLN
1920   27  27  7 18  0 4.45  222.2 216 127 110  30  84 154 22   1 1.35 .277  SLN
1921   10   0  1  3  010.64   11.0  13  13  13   2   9   9  0   0 2.00 .367  SLN
Total 195 126 46 71  3 3.55 1082.2 907 482 427 103 404 775 68   3 1.21 .261

Starting Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement): 61/68/58
Current Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement): 62/70/58
					  +1 +2

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):     66/91/59
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 66/91/59

As punishment for blaming the team for his demotion to the bullpen, the Cardinals again sent Shamus down to the minor leagues, where he pitched well enough to warrant his return to the Cardinals. However, ever since he got back to St. Louis, he has been nothing but bad luck for the team, and another trip to Class AAA seems likely. If that happens, we may have seen the last of Shamus in a St. Louis uniform.

Jamee Gray, SS-Boston Braves

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year     G   AB    H  2B 3B  HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS  Teams 
1913    11   41    7   1  0   1   4   3   0  0  0  15  0  0 .171 .171 .268 .439  BSN
1914   145  538  128  21  1   2  69  50  39 10  5 137  1  0 .238 .299 .292 .591  BSN
1915   143  530  148  22  5  11  74  62  67  4  5 120  2  0 .279 .361 .402 .763  BSN
1916   144  538  135  23  2  15  66  72  69  7  2 160  2  0 .251 .343 .385 .727  BSN
1917   117  437  102  29  0  20  58  57  49  5  2 114  0  0 .233 .316 .437 .754  BSN
1918   118  451  111  20  2  11  51  58  47  2  2  95  1  0 .246 .319 .373 .691  BSN
1919   136  500  148  38  0  26  91  84  74  2  5 116  1  0 .296 .386 .528 .914  BSN
1920   146  549  153  33  2  26  88  98  70  3  6  97  2  0 .279 .360 .488 .848  BSN
1921    70  262   83  14  3  23  61  51  39  1  0  51  0  0 .317 .407 .656 1.064 BSN
Total 1030 3846 1015 201 15 135 562 535 454 34 27 905  9  0 .264 .345 .429 .774

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 85/69/107/57/51
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 85/69/107/57/51
					 
Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):  	   87/65/112/49/44
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	  87/65/112/49/44

It appears as if the talk of Jamee Gray not being the best power hitter in the National League has inspired him this season. He needs just three more homeruns to tie the National League record, and is on pace to become the first player to hit over 40 in one season. Not only that, he's also hitting for average better this year as well. if he can keep up this incredible pace, this year may be seen as one of the best in baseball history.

Justin Williamson, SP-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year    G  GS  W  L SV  ERA     IP   HA   R  ER  HR  BB    K CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams
1914			PITCHED IN AA BALL
1915   22   7  3  9  3 4.60   74.1   65  43  38  14  43   59  1   0 1.45 .251  SLN
1916   41  41 12 11  0 2.81  294.2  199 105  92  23 108  300  2   0 1.04 .239  SLN
1917   42  42 15 15  0 2.77  305.2  203 102  94  19 109  316  2   0 1.02 .243  SLN
1918   34  34 15  6  0 1.84  258.2  179  57  53   8  49  233  5   2 0.88 .249  SLN
1919   37  37 11 10  0 2.22  279.2  198  85  69  12  61  262  4   0 0.93 .257  SLN
1920   41  41 21 17  0 2.72  358.0  285 127 108  42  61  316 35   4 0.97 .248  SLN
1921   18  18 12  5  0 3.53  153.0  131  66  60  15  30  139 15   1 1.05 .274  SLN
Total 235 220 89 73  3 2.68 1724.0 1260 585 514 133 461 1625 64   7 1.00 .250

Starting Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement): 104/83/72
Current Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement): 104/82/74
					      -1 +2			

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):     100/85/66
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 100/85/66

It looks like this may just be the year that Justin steps into the spotlight as one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. So far this year, he is third in the National League in wins and second in strikeouts. The rest of the Cardinals' pitchers are trying just to keep pace with him this year, and it looks like it's actually starting to help some of them. Hopefully, St. Louis can improve so Williamson is not just a great pitcher on a bad team.

Cristobal Torriente, 3B/RF-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G   AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1915   11   19   5  0  0  0   1   1   2  0  0   5  2  0 .263 .333 .263 .596 SLN
1916   19   68  13  2  0  1   7   3   3  0  0  23  0  0 .191 .225 .265 .490 SLN
1917   35  116  26  4  0  0   6  12  13  2  0  26  4  0 .224 .313 .259 .572 SLN
1918   49  152  40  5  2  1  10  21  12  1  0  29  3  0 .263 .321 .342 .663 SLN
1919  124  483 127 29  3  1  33  52  38  1  4  87  8  7 .263 .316 .342 .657 SLN
1920  144  526 147 19  9  4  44  72  49  6  3  93 19 10 .279 .346 .373 .719 SLN
1921   66  218  71 12  7  4  39  35  22  3  2  36  5  3 .326 .392 .500 .892 SLN
Total 448 1582 429 71 21 11 140 196 139 13  9 299 41 20 .271 .333 .363 .697

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 57/59/28/37/46
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 59/63/47/38/46
					    +2 +4 +19 +1	

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921): 	   62/55/96/71/40
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	  62/55/96/71/40

It's only halfway through the season, but so far it looks like this may be Cristobal's best season yet. He has clearly marked himself as the starting third baseman for the Cardinals and now his power numbers are slowly starting to increase as well. It may just be a matter of time now before he becomes one of the main points of a growing St. Louis team.

Peter Bernard, C/3B-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G  AB   H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams
1916			PLAYED IN A BALL
1917			PLAYED IN A BALL
1918			PLAYED IN A BALL
1919   16  53  12  5  0  0   6  2  5  3  1  14  0  0 .226 .323 .321 .643 SLN
1920  100 348 104 17  2  6  42 25 15  1  2  64  0  1 .299 .328 .411 .739 SLN
1921   63 227  71 11  3  4  30 17  8  1  2  37  0  0 .313 .336 .441 .777 SLN
Total 179 628 187 33  5 10  78 44 28  5  5 115  0  1 .298 .330 .414 .744

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 56/46/34/33/44
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 57/46/34/33/44
					    +1	

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921): 	    64/50/79/63/38
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	   64/50/79/63/38

Perhaps those people who thought Peter Bernard would not be able to play on a major league level after his injury should have waited to see how he actually played this season. So far this year, there has been no noticable difference from last season and in fact, Peter is actually playing a little better this year. He is St. Louis' starting catcher for the long term, it looks like, and there is no reason to think he won't be back there for quite some time.

Deke Taggart, 2B-St. Louis Cardinals

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year    G   AB   H  2B 3B HR RBI   R  BB HP SF   K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS  Teams
1917   96  322  94  18  0  3  28  25  29  7  1  55  0  0 .292 .362 .376 .738  SLN
1918  126  435 132  26  0  6  47  53  67 12  4  70  0  0 .303 .407 .405 .812  SLN
1919  129  466 148  30  2 11  63  60  62 12  3  68  2  0 .318 .409 .461 .870  SLN
1920  150  552 180  33  6 23  88 102  60  8  2  73  0  0 .326 .399 .533 .931  SLN
1921   70  250  89  14  4 16  58  58  30  7  6  32  1  0 .356 .430 .636 1.066 SLN
Total 571 2025 643 121 12 59 284 298 248 46 16 298  3  0 .318 .401 .477 .878

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 97/80/88/50/62
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 97/78/88/51/65
					       -2    +1 +3	

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921): 	   100/76/93/57/58
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	  100/76/93/57/58

It's just another great season so far for Deke, who has quietly become one of the best young players in baseball. This year is no exception, as he is second in the National League in both homeruns and runs batted in, and he leads the Cardinals in almost every major statistical category. If the Cardinals are to make a run this season or anytime soon, it will be with Deke leading the way, and with him out in front, it could very well happen.

Marty Mueller, C-Cleveland Indians

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year G AB H 2B 3B HR RBI R BB HP SF K SB CS AVG OBP SLG OPS Teams 
1918			PLAYED IN A BALL
1919			PLAYED IN A BALL
1920			PLAYED IN A BALL
1921			PLAYED IN AA BALL

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 32/75/14/35/64
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 35/79/14/39/64
					    +3 +4    +4			

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921): 	   85/110/40/60/70
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	  85/110/40/60/70

After three long seasons of toiling down in Class A ball, Marty finally got promoted to Class AA ball early this season, and has actually done quite well in his time there. So far this year, he is hitting .276 there, and it looks like he may just get promoted to Class AAA by the end of the season, as long as he doesn't suffer any kind of setbacks.

Juan Carrillo, 1B-Chicago Cubs

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year   G  AB  H 2B 3B HR RBI  R BB HP SF  K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1919   1   1  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0 .000 .000 .000 .000 CHN
1920  18  67 19  6  0  0  11  6  5  0  0 11  0  0 .284 .333 .373 .706 CHN
1921  70 265 76 24  1  4  27 33 12  1  1 35  1  0 .287 .319 .430 .749 CHN
Total 89 333 95 30  1  4  38 39 17  1  1 47  1  0 .285 .321 .417 .738

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 68/88/28/26/58
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 80/88/31/29/60
					   +12    +3 +3 +2

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921): 	   85/95/110/87/65
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	  85/95/110/87/65

It looks like Juan Carrillo is just about ready to become the next big hitter for the Chicago Cubs. In just his first season as a starter, Juan has been nothing short of impressive, knocking the ball to every corner of the park, and his power performance is starting to go up as well. It should be just a matter of time now before he becomes the complete hitter that Chicago knew they were getting when they drafted him just three years ago.

Gabriel Valiente, SP-Boston Red Sox

Career Pitching Stats 
 
Year  G  GS  W  L SV ERA     IP  HA   R  ER HR  BB   K CG SHO WHIP BABIP Teams 
1920  34 33 12 15  0 3.64 245.0 225 116  99 26  69 171  5   1 1.20 .272  BOS
1921  19 19  5  6  0 4.15 125.2 115  66  58 15  36 113  0   0 1.20 .284  BOS
Total 53 52 17 21  0 3.81 370.2 340 182 157 41 105 284  5   1 1.20 .276

Starting Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement):  89/70/63
Current Ratings (Stuff/Control/Movement): 106/68/53
					  +17 -2 -10	

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921):     110/75/52
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	 110/59/35
					    -16 -17

It appears now as if the Red Sox may have been a bit hasty in bringing Gabriel up to the major leagues so soon. While it looks like he will become one of the better strikeout pitchers of this decade, he has lost most of the movement that made his pitches even harder to hit, and the team just isn't that good yet, despite their performance so far this season, and that has been damaging to his self confidence. It's too late to send him down now, but the Red Sox need to be careful they don't ruin his career before it really even gets started.

James Bell, CF-Boston Red Sox

Career Batting Stats 
 
Year   G AB H 2B 3B HR RBI R BB HP SF K SB CS  AVG  OBP  SLG  OPS Teams 
1921  15 21 7  0  0  0   6 2  1  0  0 1  6  0 .333 .364 .333 .697 BOS
Total 15 21 7  0  0  0   6 2  1  0  0 1  6  0 .333 .364 .333 .697

Starting Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 35/47/33/17/30
Current Ratings (Cont/Gap/Pow/Eye/Avoid K): 37/47/33/17/34
					    +2          +4

Total Talent Ratings (Start of 1921): 	   80/50/40/65/60
Total Talent Ratings (NOW):	     	  80/50/40/65/60

After absolutely destroying Class AA pitching through April, James was promoted to the Red Sox and actually played quite well despite the reactions of some of the opposing players and fans. However, after a game in Detroit in which his three runs batted in won the game for the Red Sox, he received a threatening letter which was enough for Boston to send him back down to Class AA for now. However, the way he is playing and winning over his teammates there, it won't be much longer before he is back in Boston for another go, threats or not.

[thehatfield]

Good lord the detail in this dynasty is top shelf! Great work!