The Bucs Start Here - A Pirates Do-Over

[luckymann]

I am, as those of you who have followed any of my saves would most likely know, an Australian. Of Welch extraction, but born and raised in beautiful Sydney, where I have lived almost all of my 53 years. That said, I am anything but the typical Aussie male stereotype. I love sport, but prefer art, music and poetry. I am a redhead with skin so pale it verges on albinism. Not fat, but nor have I ever been mistaken for one of the Hemsworth brothers. I cannot swim to – literally, as the lifesavers at Cronulla beach found out regularly when I was a lad – save my life. I do NOT like the taste of beer. I’m kind of Mother Nature’s practical joke. I can hear Her saying as I was being conjured up, Here’s a pale, freckled boy with a somewhat unathletic physique who is afraid of water. Where shall I put him? Ahhh yes, an island with one of the sunniest climates outside the Equatorial Zone on which sport is basically a religious pursuit and the discussion thereof seen as philosophical debate of the highest order. Perfect. There you go, my boy, have fun and take care.

One of the many points of difference I have from the land of my birth is some of the vernacular I’ve encountered over the course of my life. Fair dinkum? What the heck does that even mean? Stone the crows? No thanks, I’d rather quote Eliot and wear the look of contempt from those around me who want to talk football and cars and knock down a dozen cold ones while ogling women way out of their league in every regard.

Of all the odd sayings we Antipodeans have at our disposal, there is one I have never used in my life. Until now, that is because stone the flippin’ crows you could have fair dinkum blown me down with a feather if you’d even suggested that what has just happened was possible a month or so ago (in simulated baseball time).

I do believe it is a tale best told (mainly) in images. After all, everybody loves a montage.

Boston since August 1 (24-30)





Pittsburgh since August 1 (36-20)





From August 15, at which point we trail the Braves by 12 1/2 games, we go 32-11.

NL Standings, September 1



NL Pennant Race, September 18



NL Pennant Race, September 20



This is the first time we have led the NL since the first few games of the season.

NL Pennant Race, October 1



October 5, 1912

We win our penultimate game 4-2 in 17 innings over the Reds, meaning the Braves have to win to force us to win our final game to clinch.



This happens.



Which means this happens.



Does anybody know the number for 911?

Back for The World Series once I can see straight again.

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[luckymann]

Pittsburgh Pirates (89-65) v Washington Senators (103-51)

Best-of-seven, Pirates with the home-field advantage.

PITTSBURGH PIRATES S+ PAGE

WASHINGTON SENATORS S+ PAGE

No person in their right mind believes we have a chance here. The Sens, who became the first team in MLB history to win 100 games in a season, are a beast of a side with everything in their favour who has been in control of their own destiny for almost the entire season. The chunkiest meat of any team, led by Shoeless Joe and his 356 / 429 / 539 slash and 120 RBI and rookie Jack Fournier’s 11 HR, along with fellow first-year sensation Ray Chapman. A rotation containing not one, but two 30-game winners in Walter Johnson and Dick Redding. The eldest of whom is Train, at the grand age of 24. Connie Mack pulling the strings. A bunch of playoff experience and the desperation to go one better than in their previous tries.

Like I said, a beast.

We, on the other hand, have a rotation whose average age is well on the wrong side of 30 and a starting lineup featuring two 38- and two 33-year-olds. One of those 38-year-olds is the reigning batting champion, but none of our players reached double figures in homers or the century mark in RBI. We only locked down our playoff berth on the next-to-last day of the season after fighting tooth and nail to get there and are pretty well operating on fumes. Few of our group have any playoff experience at all and those who do got it long enough ago for it to feel like it never actually happened. And they’ve got me running things.

So we go into this Series with no expectation at all. Perhaps we’ve already “won” our “Series” just by getting here. Perhaps to be giving stalwarts like Big Six and Rube Vickers their first taste of post-season action and the other veterans one last hurrah before they shuffle off into retirement is achievement enough.

To which I say, bollocks. We’re in it to win it.

No expectation, sure. But no fear, either.

[luckymann]

Game 1 in Pittsburgh, October 9th 1912
Christy Mathewson (23-16, 2.62) v Walter Johnson (32-13, 2.70)

Nothing more to say. Now it is all about the doing.

We fall behind immediately as they score one on two hits and a throwing error by Campbell, but then tie it in the 2nd on a bases-loaded walk to Matty and go ahead on a 2-run single by Carey with two out.

Both pitchers have started nervously as they get one back in the 3rd and we are lucky not to concede again in the next. But then Bridwell, who has had such a poor season but still seemed our best bet at short, comes through with a big 2-run homer in the bottom 4th to make it 5-2 and Larry adds another one with a single after Carey doubles but also chases the Big Train.

A routine flub by Herzog – our third of the game – gifts them an unearned run in the 7th and then our fourth lets them add two more in the 8th to pull within one.

Mathewson is gassed and so I call Ford in to try and close it out but he gives up a leadoff double that eventually becomes the tying run. In our half, Campbell leads off with a walk and a one-out single by Herzog puts him at second, but we can’t bring him in and it’s into spares we go.

They have their chances, as do we although our bats have gone extremely quiet after that early flourish, and amazingly it is still tied until the 18th, when Dauss hits two batters and gives up a single for them to take the 7-6 lead, only for us to tie it on a Campbell single in the home half.

We have the winning run thrown out at home in the 20th, by which stage I have had to bring Vickers into the game, and our seventh error of this farcical game leads to them going ahead in the... wait for it... 24th inning. This time we’ve got nothing and it is finally over.

I mean what can I say about this performance? 7 errors to basically hand them the game, a bunch of chances to win it ourselves. It is, above all, a missed opportunity. But nothing to be done now but regroup as best we can and try and win the next one.

Some stats from a truly astounding game;

• 207 plate appearances and 174 at-bats between the two teams, with Max Carey’s 12 the most AB, both in this game and in MLB history;
• 48 LOB combined;
• Vin Campbell has 5 hits, Max Carey and Fred Snodgrass 4;
• Roger Bresnahan goes 0-for-7, Pop Lloyd 0-for-6;
• Both sides use 22 of the 23 players on their Active Roster, with only Game 2 starters Eddie Plank and Dick Redding not involved;
• Each set of pitchers throw 350 pitches, for a combined total of 700;
• Their bullpen allows just one run in 20+ innings;
• The game lasts 7 hours and 40 minutes.

Senators 8, Pirates 7 (24 innings)
BOX SCORE

[luckymann]

Game 2 in Pittsburgh, October 10th 1912
Eddie Plank (22-13, 2.29) v Dick Redding (31-9, 2.52)
Senators lead series 1-0

We need to dig deep and bounce back to avoid heading to Washington in an 0-2 hole.

They again score a run in the 1st and pad it with another in the 2nd as Snodgrass continues to rake. We fight back in the bottom 2nd when Wagner triples with two out and Bridwell singles him in and then get even on a WP in the 3rd but leave three on the deck in another wasted chance.

That doesn’t hold long, with Plank having all sorts of problems containing them as they post a deuce in the 4th to go back ahead and once again we are our own worst enemy, leaving men stranded in both the 5th and 6th.

They show us how it’s done and all but put us away with 3 in the 7th, ending a dreadful outing by Plank.

Bresnahan finally gets his first hit of the series to knock one in and another run costs us two when Herzog GIDPs. But they finish us off with one in the 9th and it ends 8-4.

Our wastefulness here is best highlighted by the fact that, despite outhitting them 16 to 14, they still outscore us 2 to 1.

Senators 8, Pirates 4
BOX SCORE

[luckymann]

Game 3 in Washington, October 12th 1912
Walter Johnson (0-0, 16.20) v Christy Mathewson (0-0, 2.25)
Senators lead series 2-0

Pretty much do-or-die for us today, so I roll the dice and put Big Six in ahead of Rube Vickers. They obviously feel the same way, sending Big Train out. Zaza Harvey, still hitless, needs to step up here.

We once again fall behind early as they score twice in the 2nd and they fairly wail on Mathewson with 9 hits in the first 3 innings, although he somehow manages not to concede further. We, on the other hand, have just 2 hits thru 5 as the real Walter Johnson turns up, worse luck.

But Matty settles down and we do get it together at plate, scoring 2 in the 8th on a double by Larry Lajoie to tie it, in the process of which I have pinch-hit for Mathewson and Ford enters the game.

Once again extra innings are needed.

They walk it off in the 11th. Three games in which we have competed. Three games we had every chance to win. Three games we have lost.


Senators 3, Pirates 2 (11 innings)
BOX SCORE

[luckymann]

Game 4 in Washington, October 13th 1912
Jack Pfiester (15-10, 3.34) v Rube Vickers (19-16, 2.69)
Senators lead series 3-0

Pfiester and Vickers get their first starts of the series here. Rube was monumental for us down the stretch and will need to be again here to give us a chance of extending things. Harvey out with the lefty on the hill, hopefully we can get him in later and he can have an impact.

We open the scoring for the first time so far, when Campbell triples and scores on a single by Marsans in the 2nd and we add another the next inning on an error by Jackson. We keep the score ticking over with a third in the next on a Herzog sac fly but they cancel that one out with one of their own in the home half.

That sparks them to life as they find their range and hone in on Vickers, tying the game with 2 on 4 hits in the 5th. But Campbell and Marsans repeat their earlier dose to put us back ahead. We get bases loaded with none out and look to have wasted another chance with two weak forceouts at home, but Lajoie comes through with a double to clear them and make it 7-3, ending Pfiester’s game.

Bresnahan has been a complete liability on both offence and defence in this series, and his throwing error allows them to bounce back immediately with a run and Snodgrass then continues to murder us with an RBI single. Then Herzog throws one into the stands and they close to within one, and Jackson ties it with a single, chasing a very disappointing Vickers.

Their lineup is an unstoppable force for which we have no answer, as they score the go-ahead run off Dauss, and we go down quietly to end it.

Look, I’m really proud of what we did this season and being swept by the best side in the league takes nothing away from that, especially given we could well have won all four ourselves. But we didn’t, and our utter lack of polish is the main reason why, and also shows us just how far we have still to go if we want to consistently compete with the best of them. Well done, Washington – you certainly deserve your club’s first Championship. I doubt it will be your last over the next few years.

Senators 8, Pirates 7
BOX SCORE


WASHINGTON SENATORS WIN SERIES 4-0
SERIES MVP: Fred Snodgrass (Washington)



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[luckymann]

AL 1912 HISTORY INDEX

NL 1912 HISTORY INDEX

AWARDS HISTORY

For the first time, a player not from the Cubs wins the NL CYA, with Brooklyn's Smoky Joe Wood taking the honour. Walter Johnson caps off a superlative season winning his 5th in the AL, with teammate Dick Redding runner-up. Some new faces in the MVP ranks as Boston's Tris Speaker and Frank Baker win the award for the first time.




And all clear once again on the sim accuracy front.



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[luckymann]

Held on 12/20/12.

Very light on this time around, with just six Legacies and a fairly weak Pool.

These are the Legacy Players for the 1913 season:

Boston Red Sox: Dutch Leonard (36.9; 211)
Chicago White Sox: Reb Russell (27.8; 242)
Cincinnati Reds: Edd Roush (45.1; 1399)
Detroit Tigers: Bubbles Hargrave (21.6; 767 (conceded; 94.5% of games))
New York Yankees: Bob Shawkey (47.0; 415)
Washington Senators: Jim Shaw (17.6; 287)

Doc Ayers (13.6; 227) was also eligible for the Senators, but Shaw’s higher WAR makes him the selection.
Lefty Williams (12.3; 183 conceded) was also eligible for the White Sox, but Russell’s higher WAR makes him the selection.
Wally Pipp (31.2; 1488) was also eligible for the Yankees, but Shawkey’s higher WAR makes him the selection.
Rube Foster (12.4; 138 – one-club player) was also eligible for the Red Sox, but Leonard’s higher WAR makes him the selection.

There are 215 rookies for this season, and the Draft will consist of 8 rounds.

The Draft order will be as follows (winning percentage from 1912 IRL season in brackets; bold indicates Legacy Pick in 1st Round):

Round 1

1. New York Yankees (329)
2. Cincinnati Reds (490; 29 GB)
3. Boston Red Sox (691)
4. Chicago White Sox (506)
5. Detroit Tigers (451)
6. Washington Senators (599)
7. Boston Braves (340)
8. St. Louis Browns (344)
9. Brooklyn Superbas (379)
10. St. Louis Cardinals (412)
11. Philadelphia Phillies (480)
12. Cleveland Naps (490; 30.5 GB)
13. Philadelphia Athletics (592)
14. Chicago Cubs (607)
15. Pittsburgh Pirates (616)
16. New York Giants (682)

Rounds 2 to 8

1. New York Yankees (329)
2. Boston Braves (340)
3. St. Louis Browns (344)
4. Brooklyn Superbas (379)
5. St. Louis Cardinals (412)
6. Detroit Tigers (451)
7. Philadelphia Phillies (480)
8. Cleveland Naps (490; 30.5 GB)
9. Cincinnati Reds (490; 29 GB)
10. Chicago White Sox (506)
11. Philadelphia Athletics (592)
12. Washington Senators (599)
13. Chicago Cubs (607)
14. Pittsburgh Pirates (616)
15. New York Giants (682)
16. Boston Red Sox (691)


No Legacy for us and, to be honest, I go into this Draft utterly confused about where we’re at and what we need. Everything worked OK last season, but our group’s age looms like a dark cloud on the horizon. So in the end I look for potential replacements for those soon to be lost.

Here’s who we end up selecting:

1. 1B Wally Pipp, 19

• I do not like players who only hold down one position, as is the case with Wally. But he was head and shoulders better than the other players on offer and so I shelved my mono-dimensional prejudice and grabbed him. He is a solid hitter who looks likely to settle into the bigs pretty quick.

2. P Harry Harper, 17

• Seen more as a reliever right now, but I believe he has the potential to become a starter in a few years. Only 17, so plenty of time on his side. Plus, he’s a lefty.

3. OF Joe Gedeon, 19

• Another longer-term project who looks OK. Also plays the hot corner and we’ll teach him 1B while he’s biding his time on the RR.

4. P Al Mamaux, 18

• By this point, it is just grab what you can. Al is decent enough but I’m not sure we’ve got room for straight relief pitchers.

5. P Lefty Williams, 19

• My final pick before handing over to the SD is a pure punt on a guy I’d been given a wrap about.

6. SS Chick Keating, 21
7. 2B Jimmy Whelan, 22
8. 3B Pepper Peplosky, 21

• Scout’s picks.

A few lively sorts added, only time will tell how they turn out for us.

FULL DRAFT LOG

[luckymann]

The Giants repeat in the NL by a comfortable margin with another 100-win campaign, while the A’s win a tighter AL race by 6 ½ games. The New Yorkers, however, come up short again as the A’s cruise to a 4-1 series win. Coincidentally, current sim teammates Eddie Plank and Christy Mathewson face off twice in this WS, with Matty winning Game 2 but Gettysburg Eddie clinching for Philadelphia in Game 5.

AL CHAMPIONS: Philadelphia Athletics (96-57)
NL CHAMPIONS: New York Giants (101-51)
WORLD SERIES: Athletics 4, Giants 1

Top Ten Lists (courtesy of thisgreatgame.com)

NL Hitters

1. GAVVY CRAVATH, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .341 average, 179 hits, 34 doubles, 14 triples, 19 home runs, 128 RBIs, .568 slugging percentage.
• A late bloomer at 32, Cravath took over for Wildfire Schulte as baseball’s pre-Babe Ruth super-slugger.

2. VIC SAIER, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .289 average, 94 runs, 21 triples, 14 home runs, 92 RBIs, 62 walks, 26 stolen bases.
• Not only did Frank Chance’s replacement at first base mushroom his home run totals from two the year before—he hit 11 just at home—but his 21 triples tied a Cubs record which remains today.

3. SHERRY MAGEE, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .306 average, 92 runs, 36 doubles, 11 home runs.
• Now in his 10th year with the Phillies, Magee remained one of the team’s best, but one of the least liked among his home fans—because, Philadelphia.

4. HEINIE ZIMMERMAN, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .313 average, 28 doubles, 12 triples, 9 home runs, 95 RBIs.
• A dropdown from 1912, but it’s hard to duplicate a Triple Crown performance.

5. JIM VIOX, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .317 average, 86 runs, 32 doubles, 8 triples, 64 walks.
• In his first—and best—of only three seasons at the major league level, Viox became the first Pirate other than Honus Wagner to lead the team in hitting since 1902.

6. HANS LOBERT, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .300 average, 98 runs, 172 hits, 28 doubles, 11 triples, 7 home runs, 41 stolen bases.
• With an uncanny resemblance to Honus Wagner—he was even nicknamed Honus—Lobert put up numbers that nearly evoked those of the Flying Dutchman.

7. MAX CAREY, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: .277 average, 620 at-bats, 99 runs, 23 doubles, 10 triples, 61 stolen bases.
• Carey won his first of 10 basestealing titles as his success rate jumped out among the typical lot stuck at 50%.

8. TOMMY LEACH, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: .287 average, 99 runs, 23 doubles, 10 triples, 77 walks.
• In a somewhat vintage effort at age 35, Leach finished his first full year at Chicago topping the NL charts in runs for the second time in his career.

9. LARRY DOYLE, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: .280 average, 5 home runs, 73 RBIs, 38 stolen bases.
• On a Giants lineup from which no one player statistically stood out—good or bad—Doyle still held the advantage once all the metrics were figured in.

10. JAKE DAUBERT, BROOKLYN

• Key Numbers: .350 average, 76 runs, 178 hits, 25 stolen bases.
• Daubert won the first of two NL batting titles and a Chalmers auto, given to the NL MVP—all despite his team’s sixth-place finish.

AL Hitters

1. FRANK BAKER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .337 average, 116 runs, 190 hits, 34 doubles, 9 triples, 12 home runs, 117 RBIs, 34 stolen bases.
• Baker set a career high in his nickname (“Home Run”) and contributed in so many other ways, but MVP voters didn’t even get him the most votes on his team (see Eddie Collins, below).

2. JOE JACKSON, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: .373 average, 109 runs, 197 hits, 39 doubles, 17 triples, 7 home runs, 71 RBIs, 80 walks, .551 slugging percentage.
• Shoeless Joe never won a batting title; he finished second behind Ty Cobb for the third straight year.

3. TY COBB, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: 122 games, .390 average, 18 doubles, 16 triples, 67 RBIs, 51 stolen bases, .466 on-base percentage.
• Holding out through most of April for higher wages didn’t handicap Cobb’s productivity once he did return to the field.

4. TRIS SPEAKER, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: .363 average, 94 runs, 189 hits, 35 doubles, 22 triples, 71 RBIs, 65 walks, 46 stolen bases.
• Don’t blame Spoke for the Red Sox’ fall from championship grace in 1913; the all-time leader in doubles set a personal high in triples.

5. EDDIE COLLINS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .345 average, 125 runs, 184 hits, 13 triples, 73 RBIs, 85 walks, 55 stolen bases.
• Steady Eddie, who amazingly never copped a batting crown of his own (at least, ceremoniously—see Ty Cobb, 1914), still impressed with yet another .340-something effort.

6. SAM CRAWFORD, DETROIT

• Key Numbers: .317 average, 609 at-bats, 193 hits, 32 doubles, 23 triples, 9 home runs, 83 RBIs.
• As he neared his mid-30s, Crawford remained Cobb’s faithful sidekick in the Detroit lineup; without both of them, the Tigers hit just .244.

7. CLYDE MILAN, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: .301 average, 92 runs, 9 triples, 75 stolen bases.
• “Deerfoot” ran his two-year total for stolen bases to a whopping 163 while hitting over .300 for the third straight year.

8. STUFFY MCINNIS, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .324 average, 176 hits, 30 doubles, 90 RBIs.
• His defensive excellence at first base starting to hit full flower, McInnis had to continually remind baseball fans that he was a pretty good hitter, too.

9. RUBE OLDRING, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: .283 average, 101 runs, 27 doubles, 9 triples, 71 RBIs, 40 stolen bases.
• Oldring got back into shape (both physically and mentally) after being suspended by the A’s late in 1912, making the most of a career-high 137 games.

10. BURT SHOTTON, ST. LOUIS

• Key Numbers: .297 average, 105 runs, 8 triples, 99 walks, 43 stolen bases.
• The future manager did what he could to spark a bad Browns team from the top of the order, but more importantly began to build a fruitful relationship with future baseball mastermind Branch Rickey.

NL Pitchers

1. CHRISTY MATHEWSON, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.06 ERA, 25 wins, 11 losses, 306 innings, 21 walks.
• Accurate as ever, Mathewson piled up more wins than walks; he also became the first NL pitcher in 10 years to win the ERA crown with a figure over the 2.00 mark.

2. BABE ADAMS, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.15 ERA, 21 wins, 10 losses, 313.2 innings.
• Adams’ innings count peaked by eclipsing 300 for the sole time in his career.

3. RUBE MARQUARD, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.50 ERA, 23 wins, 10 losses, 288 innings.
• The gifted lefty capped the salad days portion of his career with his last of three straight 20-win campaigns. He’d lose 20 the next season.

4. JEFF TESREAU, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.17 ERA, 22 wins, 13 losses, 38 starts, 282 innings.
• The right-hander’s follow-up to his rookie campaign was superb in its own right and gave the Giants three 20-game winners.

5. TOM SEATON, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.60 ERA, 27 wins, 12 losses,52 appearances, 322.1 innings, 136 walks, 168 strikeouts.
• Arguably the NL’s first knuckleballer, Seaton looked every bit as good as teammate Pete Alexander before making a wrong turn into the Federal League.

6. AL DEMAREE, NEW YORK

• Key Numbers: 2.21 ERA, 13 wins, 4 losses, .765 win percentage.
• Often described as having a pitching motion similar to that of a shotput athlete, the 28-year-old rookie could have made it four 20-game winners on the Giants’ staff had he been given more starts.

7. HANK ROBINSON, PITTSBURGH

• Key Numbers: 2.38 ERA, 14 wins, 9 losses.
• Another under-the-radar season for the quasi-reliever (43 appearances, 22 starts) apparently wasn’t good enough for the Pirates to lock onto him; they made him part of a massive postseason trade with the Cardinals.

8. LARRY CHENEY, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 2.57 ERA, 21 wins, 14 losses, 11 saves, 54 appearances, 305 innings, 19 wild pitches.
• The Cubs’ ace was almost better as a reliever, coming out of the bullpen 18 times with a 5-0 record, 2.02 ERA and league-leading 11 saves.

9. PETE ALEXANDER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.79 ERA, 22 wins, 8 losses, .733 win percentage, 47 appearances, 9 shutouts, 306.1 innings.
• Alexander had one of the more muted efforts of his young career despite busting out to a 10-0 start.

10. AD BRENNAN, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.39 ERA, 14 wins, 12 losses.
• The southpaw’s one shining season in the majors before jumping to the Federal League counted among his highlights a punch-out of Giants manager John McGraw.

AL Pitchers

1. WALTER JOHNSON, WASHINGTON

• Key Numbers: 1.14 ERA, 36 wins, 7 losses, .837 win percentage, 29 complete games, 346 innings, 11 shutouts, 243 strikeouts, 38 walks.
• How incredible was the Big Train? He allowed just one run over his first 53.2 innings of the year.

2. REB RUSSELL, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 1.90 ERA, 22 wins, 16 losses, 52 appearances, 8 shutouts, 316.2 innings, 4 balks.
• Thought to be Pacific Coast League-bound at the start of the year, the 24-year-old rookie barely made the White Sox and became their surprise premier starter by hurling an AL rookie record-tying eight shutouts.

3. JIM SCOTT, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 1.90 ERA, 20 wins, 21 losses, 38 starts, 312.1 innings.
• Not only did Scott share Russell’s duties as White Sox workhorse, he also shared the angst of not getting enough support with less than three runs per start. Hence, 21 losses.

4. EDDIE CICOTTE, CHICAGO

• Key Numbers: 1.58 ERA, 18 wins, 12 losses, 268 innings.
• The future Black Sox participant solidified his place in the White Sox rotation after four-plus years of relative frustration with the Red Sox; with fellow teammates Russell and Scott (above), Cicotte helped make it 2-3-4 in the ERA race after Johnson.

5. CHIEF BENDER, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.21 ERA, 21 wins, 10 losses, 48 appearances, 21 starts, 13 saves.
• Used more as reliever than starter, Bender become an early version of a legitimate closer and still managed to win 20 games for the second (and last) time of his career.

6. CY FALKENBERG, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.22 ERA, 23 wins, 10 losses, 276 innings, 13 wild pitches.
• After scraping the .500 mark for years, Falkenberg finally got a breakthrough in Cleveland—though some credited an illegal emery ball for his success.

7. EDDIE PLANK, PHILADELPHIA

• Key Numbers: 2.60 ERA, 18 wins, 10 losses, 7 shutouts.
• In his 14th season at Philadelphia, the last active original Athletic* remained one of the best—even as he turned 38 at mid-season. (*-Harry Davis was still with the A’s in 1914 as he was in 1901, but he broke away to spend a year at Cleveland.)

8. WILLIE MITCHELL, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 1.91 ERA, 14 wins, 8 losses.
• With a better ERA than teammates Cy Falkenberg (above) and Vean Gregg (below), Mitchell had one of the more satisfying years of an otherwise checkered career.

9. RAY COLLINS, BOSTON

• Key Numbers: 2.63 ERA, 19 wins, 8 losses.
• After three years of struggling to stay above .500 despite solid pitching and a solid group of hitters supposedly backing him, Collins finally got his just due in victories.

10. VEAN GREGG, CLEVELAND

• Key Numbers: 2.24 ERA, 20 wins, 13 losses, 285.2 innings, 124 walks.
• Gregg won at least 20 for the third straight year, struck out Ty Cobb three times in one game, ran off a 32-inning scoreless streak and, in a postseason exhibition against Pittsburgh, struck out 19 in a 13-inning win. At 28, he’d only win 29 more games in his major league career.

[luckymann]

Just one of my managerial counterparts lost their job at the end of last season, with Jason Rohrbaugh cut by the Browns and later replaced by former Reds skipper Jimmy Bertolette.

A host of big names lost to retirement, with Mordecai Brown undoubtedly the biggest surprise, given he was just 36 and had a fantastic 1912 campaign. Two of our former players – Jack Chesbro and Cy Young – were also among them.

The FA / trade market has been relatively quiet; here are the signings of note:

• OF Tommy Leach: White Sox, 3 years / $10500
• OF Solly Hofman: Naps, 2 years / $5280 (re-sign)
• P Lave Winham: A’s, 2 years / $4440
• 3B Kid Elberfeld: Reds, 1 year / $3880
• P Ralph Caldwell: Senators, 1 year / $3560
• 1B Claude Rossman: Red Sox, 1 year / $2860
• P Mal Eason: Braves, 1 year / $2720
• 1B John Black: Red Sox, 2 year / $2600
• P Alex Pearson: Cardinals, 1 year / $2340
• P Lefty James: Giants, 2 years / $2180
• P Maury Kent: Tigers, 2 years / $2100
• P Ed Karger: Braves, 1 year / $1540
• P Charlie Smith: Detroit, 1 year / $1500

The Phillies very astutely lock down elite outfielder Sherry Magee for another 5 years with the contract worth a princely $29000. Same goes for Wildfire Schulte, who extends for 5 years / $20060 with the Cubs.

And we’ll be seeing plenty of Danny Murphy as he signs a one-year / $3000 deal with the Braves.

Despite a strong 14-4 showing in ST, we are seen as also-rans this year, predicted to finish well down in the standings at 73-81 with the experts thinking an all-Boston World Series is on the cards.

FULL PRESEASON PREDICTIONS

[luckymann]

Remember you can access our team page if so inclined HERE, but here’s the annual summary.

Look, I don’t disagree with the pundits. This is undoubtedly a pivotal year for our franchise. Is there any juice left in our carbuncled old lemons? Obviously I believe so, which is why they are getting one final squeeze. But I am realistic enough to know we have little chance of being in the mix come stretch time. That’s not how I’ll be measuring this season with regard to success and failure. I want to see our young guys show they are going to be useful for us over the oncoming years. I want Carey and Herzog to get back to their 1911 form. I want Pop Lloyd to finally show his potential. I want us to finish with a winning record. Anything over that is gravy in my bowl.

Catchers

• C Roger Bresnahan (R)
• Les Nunamaker (R)

Infielders

• 1B Honus Wagner (R)
• 2B Nap Lajoie (R)
• 3B Buck Herzog (R)
• SS Al Bridwell (L)

• Wally Pipp (L)
• Alex McCarthy (R)
• Scotty Ingerton (R) will play 1B v LHP, with Dutchie at short
• Hans Lobert (R)
• John Henry Lloyd (L)

Outfielders

• LF Max Carey (S)
• CF Vin Campbell (L)
• RF Zaza Harvey (L)

• Red Killefer (R)
• Armando Marsans (R)

Rotation

1. RHP Christy Mathewson
2. RHP Rube Vickers
3. RHP Hooks Dauss
4. LHP Wilbur Cooper

Bullpen

• RHP Babe Adams
• RHP Russ Ford
• LHP Eddie Plank

RHP Howie Camnitz has been squeezed out but will be back if form and / or injuries decree.

[luckymann]

Suffice to say we do not get a good start.

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[luckymann]

Given our ugly first fortnight and the parameters I am applying to this season, I must say I'm not too dissatisfied with where we are at. A 17-12 May has brought us within a game of 500 and some good signs have emerged from the wreckage of April.





So far, we've had enough fingers to enable us to plug whatever breaches in the dam wall have presented themselves. Bresnahan's poor form has given Nunamaker the chance to show he belongs in the bigs. Wagner's continued slide and Pipp's unreadiness has allowed Marsans - fantastic in a bit role last year - to play everyday at 1B and excel. Herzog and Carey have bounced back, while Campbell, Harvey and Lajoie have held their 1912 form fairly well. That's not to say everything is hunky-dory, however. Shortstop remains a huge problem for us, with neither Bridwell nor Lloyd making any improvement this season so far. I am on the hunt for a solution, but easier said than done - this league is not overburdened with quality middle infielders, which makes them almost impossible to procure.



Matty has settled down after completely losing his fastball early on, Vickers has been fantastic, to the point that he wins the May Pitching award. Dauss has taken another step, while Cooper is going better than his metrics might suggest.



All of which, combined with the senior circuit being very evenly-balanced to this point, means that our 23-24 overall record has us well within shooting range of the division-leading Braves, who top us by 4. The AL is tight as well, with the Browns maintaining their lead ahead of a pack of teams. Detroit is enduring a season from hell so far and look the only side unlikely to feature in that race.



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[luckymann]

On-Base plus Slugging Average, 1913 season to date

[luckymann]

Highest career H/K ratio (minimum 100 hits)

[luckymann]

First to 2500 hits.

[luckymann]

Little to report, other than that the preseason prognostications of an all-Boston playoff seem prescient at this point.

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[luckymann]

I'm actually just going to keep things ticking along this season as there really isn't much to report. We go 15-13 and remain well out of contention, with the only real point of note the continued pitching excellence from Rube Vickers, who wins his second straight monthly award and should figure in the CYA discussions this year for sure.






The two races look almost certain to fizzle out and the all-Boston WS come to pass as predicted. Should that change, or anything remotely of importance take place, I'll let you know.

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[luckymann]

Most SB in final season (retired players)

[luckymann]

A poor 10-15 month in a season panning out with little to recommend it.

The only real point of interest is the AL Pennant Race, in which Boston has faltered enough to give Washington the faintest sniff.



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