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

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1909 American League Rookies


Fred Anderson, SP, Age 23, Red Sox

Anderson is a talented pitcher who should find a spot in the already talented Red Sox rotation. The real question is, who will he displace? Overall, the rotation performed very well last season. The most likely person to move to the bullpen to make room for Anderson is Nick Altrock (13-12, 3.52 ERA), who turns 30 in September. Although, Altrock did win 21 games two seasons ago while posting an impressive 2.58 ERA. Despite going 19-6 with a 2.88 ERA last season, 30-year old George Winter, the grizzled veteran of this young rotation, did struggle in 1907, so it's always possible that he could go to the pen at some point this season.




Ray Collins, SP, Age 21, Red Sox

Collins is a control artist that also has his sights set on the Red Sox rotation. Perhaps Boston will move both Altrock and Winter to the bullpen in favor of these two young arms. It is more likely that Collins will start in the pen and move to the rotation if any other pitcher slips.




Ted Easterly, C, Age 23, Indians

Easterly is a solid hitter in a time when most catchers start regularly due to their defensive prowess. However, Easterly is solid defensively as well. This comes at a good time for Cleveland as former starting catcher Peaches Graham has slipped in recent years.




Russ Ford, SP, Age 24, Yankees

Ford is the first of a trio of exciting new pitchers for New York. All three should make the starting rotation for the Yankees, which tells you how much help the team needed in that department. They will join 25-year-old Tom Hughes (11-14, 3.71 ERA) and 20-year-old Hippo Vaughn (13-15, 2.94 ERA) to form a quintet of young, talented hurlers that could rival the rotations in Oakland and Boston.




Harry Hooper, RF, Age 21, Red Sox

The only MLB Hall of Famer in this year's crop of rookies, Hooper is solid all around - at the plate with both average and power, on the base paths and on defense. The problem for Boston is that they now have a logjam in the outfield. That may mean that 30-year-old George Stone (.298, 16 HR, 83 RBI) may be relegated to the bench. Or he may initially split time in left field with Hooper.




George McConnell, SP, Age 24, Yankees

McConnell is the second of New York's three rookie starting pitchers. Their addition in New York will not only improve the rotation, but at least one former starting pitcher, Bobby Keefe (13-11, 3.76 ERA) should move to the bullpen and provide an upgrade there as well.




Stuffy McInnis, 1B, Age 18, Athletics

Oakland finds themselves with a real challenge now that McInnis is on their roster. He is known primarily for his glove and his ability to hit for an above .300 average. He has little power to speak of, instead scattering singles around the field. With the addition of rookie Frank Baker (.305, 51 HR, 148 RBI) at third base last season, the A's were forced to move Ed Lennox (.274, 46 HR, 126 RBI) to first base to keep both bats in the lineup. I do not see how the team can get McInnis in the lineup on a regular basis unless he moves to shortstop, where defensive specialist Jack Hannifin (.222, 10 HR, 35 RBI) holds down that job.




Willie Mitchell, SP, Age 19, Indians

The hard-throwing Mitchell is just what Cleveland's pitching staff needs after the consistent decline of Otto Hess, whose ERA has gone from 3.64 in 1907 to 4.16 in 1908 and then 5.12 last season. Mitchell has a dominant fastball and a wicked curve. He is also proficient at preventing home runs.




Jack Quinn, SP, Age 24, Yankees

The final member of New York's trio of new pitchers, Quinn is the control artist of the group. He doesn't throw hard, but he has pin-point control. Hopefully, New York can field a strong defense behind these new hurlers. If they do, I expect them to find much success in preventing runs. New York's nagging weakness will be its offense, which means the young pitchers may find wins tough to come by.




Jim Scott, SP, Age 20, White Sox

Scott is a hard-thrower with a nasty fade-away pitch and a tough fastball. Chicago needs upgrades in a dozen places, but the bottom of their rotation boasted two 20-game losers last season, so this is as good a place to start as any. Scott joins talented pitchers Ed Walsh (9-17, 3.01 ERA) and Frank Smith (9-15, 3.69 ERA), whose win-loss records do not do them justice, atop the rotation. Chicago must add significant offense if they ever hope to be taken seriously though.




Burt Shotton, CF, Age 24, Orioles

Baltimore, like many AL teams, needs significant offensive help. Shotton is a beginning for them, but they will need more. Either he or veteran Davy Jones (.252, 13 HR, 51 RBI) will move to right field and replace Pinky Swander (.216, 8 HR, 41 RBI).

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1909 Key Retirees - Batters


Jimmy Bannon, RF, Cardinals

Bannon was the leader of the St. Louis offense throughout his 16-year career. He won four pennants and his teams went 3-for-3 in the World Series - the most World Series won by a single franchise up to this point. He went out on a high note after winning the title last season. He won two Gold Gloves but never a BoY award. However, many (myself included) felt as though he deserved the BoY in 1903, but that was the year his teammate Mike Donlin recorded MLHR's only Triple Crown. Regardless, everyone in St. Louis knows how valuable Bannon was. He led the league in home runs in 1901 and led the league in XBH, SLG, OPS and VORP in 1903. He finished in the Top 10 in hits four times, doubles eight times, triples five times, home runs ten times, stolen bases five times, RBI nine times, runs six times, XBH eight times, AVG three times, OBP three times, SLG nine times, OPS six times, VORP six times and WAR six times.




Marty Bergen, C, Braves

Won three Gold Gloves.




Jack Doyle, C/1B, Cardinals

Doyle was an underrated contributor to four Cardinals pennants. Few fans outside of St. Louis knew him, but Cardinals fans adored his hard-nosed play. He played wherever the team needed him, but primarily as a catcher or first baseman, and he was always productive. Led the league in doubles in 1891.




Willie Keeler, RF, Giants

Keeler was a very productive outfielder for 17 years but he was often overlooked because he played on very poor teams in San Francisco. He retired with the second highest career batting average and fourth highest hit total of all-time. He was the 1892 RoY and a 5-time Gold Glove winner. He led the league in hits seven times, including five consecutive seasons from 1892-96. He also won seven batting titles! He even finished in the Top 10 in stolen bases seven times.




Jake Stenzel, RF/CF, Cubs

Stenzel was a highly productive member of the Cubs for 19 years. He finished with a career 127 OPS+, placing him in the Top 25 all-time. He led the league in triples five times and stolen bases once. He finished in the Top 10 in hits five times, doubles nine times, triples nine times, stolen bases fourteen times, RBI four times, runs seven times, AVG seven times, SLG six times, OPS six times, VORP seven times and WAR six times. He retired 8th all-time in doubles, 5th in triples and 5th in stolen bases.

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1909 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Ed Doheny, Giants

Doheny had some very productive seasons and some very ugly seasons. He is just one on a long list of recent and current Giants pitchers that have underperformed when compared to their expectations. Since all fields in MLHR are neutral, I have to assume that this is a result of poor defense for nearly two decades. After all, his career BABIP is .319, which I think speaks volumes. The league average is about .299. He did lead the league with 19 wins in 1901 and also had a superb 1905 season where he posted a 1.91 ERA in 70.2 relief innings. He was also in the Top 10 in losses five times and twice led the league in walks allowed. Then again, he finished in the Top 10 in saves twice, holds twice, K's six times, fewest HR/9 six times and most K/9 six times.




Kid Nichols, Braves

Nichols had a solid MLHR career, but he never quite approached the dominance I expected. He was the 1897 PoY. He finished in the Top 10 in wins four times, including his final season in which he tied his career high with 17 wins. He also led the league in losses in 1904 and 1907 and finished in the Top 10 ten times. He was also a huge innings eater, leading the league in 1892 and finishing in the Top 10 an amazing fourteen times. He led the league in strikeouts five times. He was also in the Top 10 an impressive thirteen times. He also put up a ton of Top 10 finishes in several key pitching ratios: ERA four times, WHIP nine times (led league once), K/BB thirteen times (led league twice), fewest RA/9 nine times (led league once), fewest H/9 six times (led league once), fewest BB/9 fourteen times (led league once), most K/9 thirteen times (led league four times), quality start percentage seven times and complete game percentage eleven times (led league once). He also finished in the Top 10 in WAR eleven times (led league twice) and VORP five times. This all tells me that had he played for a more successful team like the Phillies, Cardinals or Cubs, he might be on the verge of a Hall of Fame nomination.




Amos Rusie, Cardinals

Rusie's former teammate Cy Young was supposed to be the ace of the St. Louis staff, but it was actually Rusie who consistently earned that title. He won two PoY awards and finished second all-time in wins. In fact, he led the league in wins twice and finished in the Top 10 nine times. He was also in the Top 10 in innings four times, strikeouts eight times, ERA ten times (led league twice), WHIP five times (led league once), fewest RA/9 six times (led league once), fewest HR/9 fifteen times (led league four times), fewest H/9 ten times (led league twice), most K/9 five times, VORP ten times (led league twice), quality start percentage eleven times (led league four times) and WAR fourteen times (led league twice). He also led the league in walks in 1908 and finished in the Top 10 eight times.

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1909 Hall of Fame Induction


Ed Delahanty, LF/1B, Phillies

3539 H, 792 doubles, 99 triples, 541 HR, 2041 R, 2184 RBI, 1831 BB, 2878 K, 347 SB, .297 AVG, .389 OBP, .516 SLG, .904 OPS, 11930 AB, 3139 G

8 BOY
1 ROY
1 GG
10 Pennants

All-time leaderboards: OPS (1st), VORP (1st), Runs (1st), RBI (1st), Total Bases (1st), Doubles (1st), Hits (2nd), OBP (2nd), SLG (2nd), Triples (2nd), Walks (2nd), AVG (4th), HR (5th), Strikeouts (5th)


Sam Thompson, RF, Reds

2515 H, 459 doubles, 49 triples, 489 HR, 1384 R, 1361 RBI, 812 BB, 1980 K, 87 SB, .277 AVG, .338 OBP, .499 SLG, .839 OPS, 9094 AB, 2396 G

6 GG

All-time leaderboards: SLG (5th), OPS (8th), HR (8th)


Hugh Duffy, LF, Cubs

2821 H, 419 doubles, 58 triples, 416 HR, 1584 R, 1634 RBI, 1404 BB, 2086 K, 325 SB, .280 AVG, .367 OBP, .457 SLG, .824 OPS, 10068 AB, 2749 G

2 GG
2 Pennants

All-time leaderboards: OBP (5th), RBI (6th), Walks (9th), OPS (11th)

[darnoff]

1909 NL Preseason Predictions

The National League is going through a transitional period. While the league still has more depth overall than the American League, the NL has seen many of its top stars retire over the past five years. While they have seen several talented young players join the league recently as well, the AL rookies have captured most of the headlines. That said, there is a lot of young talent in the NL today. The combination of the established stars leaving and new stars entering the league is causing a steady upheaval in the status quo.

The two teams who should benefit most by this changing of the guard are the Reds and Giants. Cincinnati has one of the top pitching staffs in the league, but they have struggled to find their way in recent years, so it is difficult to say that this will be the year that they finally put it all together. The fact that they now have one of the top defenses in the league should help their pitchers' cause. Plus their offense is now considered to be one of the best and deepest out there.

The Giants also have a talented pitching rotation that has consistently failed to live up to expectations. The team's defense has improved this year, so we will see if that is enough for this unit to finally perform. This team is young and has one of the best offenses in the league. While their bullpen has improved on paper, it is still one of the weakest relief corps around. If their starting rotation can perform well and go deep into games, their offense should be good enough to overcome their bullpen weaknesses. But, those are a lof of "if's."

The safe money is on Pittsburgh winning the pennant this season. They are established and solid all around. Their pitching staff is beginning to age, but they still have plenty of talent. They were very disappointed to win just 87 games and finish in second place by three games last year. Perhaps that is enough motivation for them to take control of the race. After all, they have the most veteran team in the league now.

The defending World Champion Cardinals were not expected to win the pennant last season, and they look like long shots on paper again this year. Three key contributors did retire after the World Series in catcher Jack Doyle, right fielder Jimmy Bannon and starting pitcher Amos Rusie. They expect 24-year-old outfielder Red Murray (.248, 5 HR, 17 RBI in 258 AB) and 25-year-old reliever-turned-starter Art Fromme (2-1, 4.68 ERA in 25 IP) to make up for most of that lost production. Even though they are ranked 5th in my ratings below, I believe they are more likely to finish in 3rd place than the young Giants are.

The Cubs and Phillies are also both still legitimate threats, but their teams have aged in recent years and some cracks are showing. It is unlikely that Philadelphia will be a true pennant contender, but Chicago should be. If they can avoid the slow start they had last season, the Cubs should find themselves in the race until the end. Their offense may be the best in the NL, as usual, but their pitching staff is a big concern.


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Wins
1a	Cincinnati Reds	8	7	8	9	8	9	8.1	B+	94	68
1b	Pittsburgh Pirates	7	10	8	9	6	9	8.1	B+	94	68
3	San Francisco Giants	8	5	9	9	8	7	7.7	B	89	73
4	Chicago Cubs	6	6	10	11	8	5	7.3	B-	84	78
5	St. Louis Cardinals	8	7	6	6	7	7	7.0	B-	81	81
6	Philadelphia Phillies	7	7	6	6	6	8	6.8	C+	79	83
7	Los Angeles Dodgers	6	7	4	5	5	9	6.1	C	71	91
8	Atlanta Braves	6	5	6	3	4	3	4.9	D+	57	105

MLB results for the NL in 1909

Champs: Pittsburgh Pirates, (110-42, .724)
World Series: Pirates defeated Tigers 4-3

Combined WAR: Honus Wagner, Pirates, 9.2
Offensive WAR: Honus Wagner, Pirates, 8.2
Defensive WAR: Joe Tinker, Cubs, 3.0
Batting Title: Honus Wagner, Pirates, .339
Runs: Tommy Leach, Pirates, 126
RBI: Honus Wagner, Pirates, 100
SB: Bob Bescher, Reds, 54
OPS+: Honus Wagner, Pirates, 177
AB/HR: Red Murray, Giants, 81.4

Pitching WAR: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 9.2
Win%: Christy Mathewson, Giants and Howie Camnitz, Pirates, .806
WHIP: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 0.828
K/9: Orval Overall, Cubs, 6.474
Innings: Mordecai Brown, Cubs, 342.2
Shutouts: Orval Overall, Cubs, 9
K/BB: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 4.139
ERA+: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 222
FIP: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1.62


MLHR Milestone Watch

3000 Hits
Joe Kelley, ATL, Age 37, 2992 Hits

2500 Hits
Fred Clarke, PIT, Age 36, 2476 Hits

1500 RBI
Nap Lajoie, PHI, Age 33, 1458 RBI
Bill Lange, CHN, Age 36, 1443 RBI

600 Stolen Bases
Joe Kelley, ATL, Age 37, 594 SB

200 Wins
Rube Waddell, PIT, Age 33, 199 Wins
Ned Garvin, PHI, Age 35, 196 Wins

3500 Strikeouts
Rube Waddell, PIT, Age 33, 3400 K's

3000 Strikeouts
Ned Garvin, PHI, Age 35, 2990 K's
Buttons Briggs, CHN, Age 33, 2904 K's

300 Saves
Martin Glendon, CIN, Age 31, 260 Sv

700 Games Pitched
Ted Lewis, ATL, Age 36, 689 Games

[darnoff]

1909 AL Preseason Predictions

According to my ratings below, the Red Sox are ready to challenge the three-time defending American League champion Athletics. The Red Sox won 104 games last season but still finished a jaw-dropping 14 games out of first place. However, over the offseason they upgraded their pitching staff. Rookie Ray Collins (6-6-8 ratings) will be the team's new #4 starter while Fred Anderson (7-6-7 ratings) begins his career in middle relief. The team has also decided to move former closer Joe Harris (6-7, 36 Sv, 3.38 ERA) to middle relief in favor of former #1 starter Nick Altrock (13-12, 3.52 ERA). Overall, these changes give the team a much better pitching staff and potentially the best bullpen in the league. Meanwhile, rookie shortstop Steve Yerkes (6-6-2-6-6 ratings) will provide a significant offensive improvement over John Goodwin (.196 AVG, 22 RBI, 45 OPS+ in 409 AB), although they are sacrificing defense with the move. And let's not forget that the team has added MLB Hall of Fame outfielder Harry Hooper (6-6-6-7-7 ratings) to the roster, although he will initially split time in left field with veteran standout George Stone (.298, 16 HR, 83 RBI).

After winning a record 121 games last season, Oakland is not too concerned about the chances of not repeating. Despite being upset in the World Series by St. Louis, the A's are very confident going into 1909. And they should be. After all, they have five MLB Hall of Famers on their roster, as well as several other top performers. Their #3 starting pitcher Jimmy Dygert (17-5, 2.04 ERA) won the PoY Award and #4 starting pitcher Tom Walker (24-2, 2.53 ERA) came one win short of tying the MLHR record of 25 wins set by Walter Johnson the year before. The one change Oakland made was upgrading the shortstop position offensively by moving Stuffy McInnis (8-5-3-4-9 ratings) there. Shortstop is his secondary position, but he has displayed good range and should do an acceptable job defensively while replacing Jack Hannifin (.222, 10 HR, 35 RBI in 405 AB).

While the pennant race will almost certainly amount to a two team race, the Tigers and Yankees both have something to prove. Detroit's pitching is still a major concern, but they are expected to do much better than their last place showing last season. Offensively, they made an upgrade by adding rookie Del Gainer (6-5-6-5-4 ratings) to first base and moving the consistently productive Doc Gessler (.273, 18 HR, 70 RBI, 103 RBI, 17 SB) to right field, his preferred position.

As for the Yankees, they posted the best record in franchise history last season (77-85) but still did not manage a winning season. This offseason, they made yet another major upgrade to their pitching staff by adding rookies George McConnell (7-6-7 ratings), Russ Ford (7-6-7 ratings) and Jack Quinn (5-6-8 ratings) to the numbers 3-4-5 spots in their rotation. That allowed them to load up an already potent bullpen with former starters Bobby Keefe (13-11, 3.76 ERA) and Barney Wolfe (10-19, 4.73 ERA). The Yankees believe they have a pitching staff that can stack up to the staffs in Oakland and Boston, and they could be right. However, their offense continues to be a sore spot. This offseason they added new right fielder Clyde Engle (6-5-3-6-5 ratings, 8 range) and third baseman Jimmy Austin (5-4-2-6-4 ratings, 8 range) who should provide both offensive and defensive improvement at their positions. However, the Yankees offense is still light years behind Oakland's and Boston's.

Minnesota hopes to get back in the race after a disappointing 96-loss season in 1908 that followed a 93-win season in 1907 in which they lost in a one-game playoff for the pennant to Oakland. Of course, Oakland added a ton of talent in 1908 and are in a different class now. That said, the Twins did continue to improve their pitching rotation around Walter Johnson (13-15, 2.76 ERA) this winter with rookie Bob Groom (6-6-6 ratings). That allowed them to move Beany Jacobson (7-15, 4.49 ERA), a two-time 17-game winner, to the closer's role. They also added rookies Dixie Walker (6-6-6 ratings) and Dolly Gray (5-6-6 ratings) to the bullpen. Offensively, the Twins added rookie Jack Lelivelt (7-5-2-5-5 ratings) in left field, but that is far from enough to make them a pennant contender.


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Record
1	Boston Red Sox	7	9	11	10	6	9	8.8	A	104	58
2	Oakland Athletics	8	8	11	9	7	8	8.7	A	104	58
3	Detroit Tigers	6	8	9	5	7	7	7.3	B-	87	75
4	New York Yankees	8	9	4	8	8	8	7.2	B-	85	77
5	Minnesota Twins	6	7	4	8	6	10	6.6	C+	78	84
6	Cleveland Indians	7	6	3	7	6	7	5.8	C	69	93
7	Baltimore Orioles	5	5	5	8	6	5	5.3	C-	63	99
8	Chicago White Sox	7	6	1	1	5	7	4.9	D+	58	104

MLB results for the AL in 1909

Champs: Detroit Tigers, (98-54, .588)
World Series: Cubs defeated Tigers 4-1

Combined WAR: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 9.8
Offensive WAR: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 9.5
Defensive WAR: Freddy Parent, White Sox, 2.5
Batting Title: Ty Cobb, Tigers, .377
Runs: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 116
RBI: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 107
SB: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 76
OPS+: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 193
AB/HR: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 63.7

Pitching WAR: Cy Morgan, Red Sox and Athletics, 6.8
Win%: George Mullin, Tigers, .784
WHIP: Ed Walsh, White Sox, 0.938
K/9: Heinie Berger, Naps (Indians), 5.903
Innings: Frank Smith, White Sox, 365.0
Shutouts: Ed Walsh, White Sox, 8
K/BB: Chief Bender, Athletics, 3.578
ERA+: Harry Krause, Athletics, 174
FIP: Chief Bender, Athletics, 1.58

[darnoff]

NL Mid-Season Report

The Reds have been in first place all season so far. Early on, they were battling with the Cardinals and Cubs but in the month of June they posted an impressive 22-7 record while other top teams struggled. That has allowed them to open up an 8 1/2 game lead. Could this be the year the Reds win their first pennant? Their talented pitching staff appears to have finally reached the potential we have been expecting for five years. They rank first in the league with Noodles Hahn (10-2, 2.13 ERA) atop the ERA charts. Rube Vickers (5-5, 2.86 ERA) and Jesse Tannehill (7-4, 2.88 ERA) rank 4th and 5th respectively on the league's ERA leaderboard. The staff is also aided by a defense that has gotten consistently better over recent years. They rank 2nd this year. The offense has been the team's weakness for a number of years. They currently lead the league in OBP and stolen bases, even though they rank just 4th in runs scored.

No other National League team has been steady enough up to this point to look like a bonafide contender. Surely, someone will come on strong in the second half. Someone always does. But the question is, who will that be? The Pirates started off miserably but finally heated up in late May before cooling off again a month later. Their pitching staff ranks 3rd in the league, but their offense is just 6th. Although, the offense was 8th earlier in the year, so they have improved. This team certainly has the firepower to come on strong in the second half and pose a real threat to the Reds, but to do that, a lot of players need to improve on their first half performances. Nick Maddox (9-3, 2.76 ERA) is the top pitcher so far, but most of the rest of the staff has struggled. Offensively, the only performers really doing well are leadoff man Hans Lobert (.322, 9 HR, 51 R, 25 SB), sophomore right fielder Chief Wilson (.264, 14 HR, 45 RBI) and second baseman Jimmy Williams (.272, 13 HR, 42 RBI). The other key veterans in the lineup have struggled.

The defending champion Cardinals are ranked 3rd offensively and 6th in pitching. Mike Donlin (.323, 16 HR, 53 RBI) and Ed Konetchy (.281, 22 HR, 59 RBI) continue to perform well, but the pitching staff is a real concern. In fact, even closer Jake Thielman (1-8, 18 Sv, 5.08 ERA) has struggled.

The Cubs are struggling too. Their offense has been ranked 1st in the league all season, but pitching has been their downfall. The staff is ranked 7th overall and only one starting pitcher, Bob Rhoads (6-6, 3.05 ERA), who is in his first season as a starting pitcher after three years in the bullpen, has an ERA below 4.00. The bullpen isn't much better, ranking 5th overall as a unit. The team is even ranked next to last in defense. If they don't see improvement in pitching and defense, they cannot be expected to climb back into the race this year.

The Giants are actually thrilled to be 8 1/2 games back this season. They are tied for second place and could be on their way to the franchise's first winning season in 23 years. The team's defense has improved to 6th in the league, and the pitching staff has benefitted. But the pitching staff, which is currently ranked 2nd in the league, has improved on its own merit as well. We have been waiting to see their starting rotation have some success, much like the Reds, and this year they seem to have begun to do that. Christy Mathewson (9-5, 3.05 ERA) and Rube Marquard (9-4, 3.08 ERA) have led the charge. With the team's offense scoring the second most runs in the NL, any pitching improvement should generate wins. And that's what we're finally seeing in San Francisco. What impresses me most is the fact that their bullpen is ranked 5th in the league. That's a major leap forward for this team.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

AL Mid-Season Report

Detroit and Boston have kept the pennant race close, but Oakland has begun to pull away. The A's lead the American league in pitching and are 2nd in offense and defense. To be quite honest, about half of their lineup is having a down season compared to last year, so the fact that they are still the second best offense is scary. They are being led this season by Joe Jackson (.355, 23 HR, 83 RBI, 11 SB), Eddie Collins (.337, 8 HR, 66 R, 37 SB) and Frank Baker (.248, 17 HR, 64 RBI). And yes, if you noticed, Jackson has an impressive 83 RBI already. He is on pace to get 170, which would be a new record. In fact, a player has reached 150 RBI only twice in 33 years. Just two seasons removed from one of his poorest seasons (which was still above league average, by the way), Eddie Plank (10-3, 1.87 ERA) is pitching his tail off this year. New closer Jack Coombs (4-4, 18 Sv, 1.64 ERA) has been nearly automatic closing out games.

Boston is sitting 7 games out of first. That normally would not be an insurmountable lead, but with Oakland bound to get better, the Red Sox will need to get hot and stay hot. They lead the AL in offense, thanks primarily to Gavvy Cravath (.308, 34 HR, 76 RBI) and Tris Speaker (.308, 19 HR, 53 RBI, 11 SB). Their pitching staff is only ranked 4th in the league. Sophomore Frank Arellanes (7-3, 2.37 ERA) is having the best season on the rotation so far, and new closer Nick Altrock (2-4, 16 Sv, 2.76 ERA) is doing well.

The Tigers have surprised me this season. They were actually in first place in early May. They rank 3rd in offense, and their pitching staff has rebounded to a shocking 2nd place ranking. A much improved defense has a lot to do with that improvement. Ty Cobb (.369, 16 HR, 63 RBI, 32 SB) is incredible as usual, and he is one of five Tigers to already have 10 or more home runs. 27-year-old Bugs Raymond (10-6, 2.11 ERA) is having the best season of his career so far.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

NL Season Wrap-up

Well, it's official. The Cincinnati Reds have finally won their first pennant in MLHR's 34-year history! Congrats Reds! Now, the only NL team to have never won a pennant is Atlanta. Honestly, there wasn't much of a race. The Reds had a double-digit lead for most of the summer. They clinched in early September, but beginning the next-to-last week of the season, they went on a 7-game losing streak. In fact, they lost 11 of their final 16 games. Not a very good way to end the year. Hopefully for Reds fans who have waited an entire generation for this, the team puts it's best foot forward in the World Series and shows the American League what they're made of.

Regardless of who the Reds play in the World Series, they will be a powerful team. The Reds will need to stick with what they do well - hold the opposition down with outstanding pitching and defense. Their offense was only ranked 6th in runs scored, but they led the league in OBP and stolen bases. So that's their formula - get on base frequently and steal a lot of bases. You can expect bunting and hit and run plays too. The team ranked last in the league with just 134 home runs. Heck, Boston's Gavvy Cravath almost hit that many by himself!

The Pirates came on strong late, as I thought they would. Unfortunately, a poor start doomed their season early on. The offense wound up ranked 4th. Sophomore slugger Beals Becker had played behind veteran Fred Clarke (.255, 3 HR, 37 RBI in 302 AB) for the first season and a half of his career, but he took over for the struggling Clarke half way through the season and wound up hitting .248 with 20 home runs in just 407 AB. Expect him to be a fixture in Pittsburgh's lineup from now on.

Other than the fact that Cincinnati won their first pennant, the other major storyline in the NL this season was the performance of several talented rookies. L.A. left fielder Zack Wheat (.333, 38 HR, 103 RBI) led the league in doubles, SLG and OPS. He was also leading the batting race for about 70% of the season and finished in second place, just four percentage points behind St. Louis' Mike Donlin (.337, 31 HR, 120 RBI). Chicago first baseman Fred Luderus (.284, 48 HR, 123 RBI) led the league in Isolated Power and finished second in home runs with an impressive 48. Atlanta's rookie left fielder Fred Beck (.242, 30 HR, 75 RBI) provided extra power for a team that, once again, led the league in long balls.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




National League Rosters

[darnoff]

AL Season Wrap-up

The American League race was exciting right down to the end. Although Detroit had fallen out of the race by September, the Athletics and Red Sox went toe to toe for the final month. With one week left in the season, the A's led by one and a half games. They had to host the difficult Tigers for three games while Boston hosted the much weaker White Sox. That gave Boston an opportunity to close the gap with Oakland, and they did in fact sweep Chicago while facing the White Sox top three starting pitchers, all of whom are tenacious on the mound. However, the A's did their part and swept the Tigers as well, maintaining their lead.

Then the tables turned and Oakland hosted Chicago for four games while Boston hosted Detroit for three. Now the advantage was clearly in Oakland's favor. The A's won their first game while Boston enjoyed their final day off. That win increased Oakland's lead to two games with only three games remaining. Both Oakland and Boston won on the next day. Then on October 2nd, Boston lost a 5-3 heart-breaker to Detroit while Oakland shutout the White Sox 6-0 to clinch their fourth consecutive pennant.

Joe Jackson (.376, 48 HR, 172 RBI, 22 SB) had a monster season. He won the batting title and led the league in OBP, OPS, hits, doubles, runs, extra base hits and total bases. He also set a new MLHR record with 172 RBI, breaking a mark that had stood since the MLHR's inaugural 1876 season. That mark of 157 was set by Cubs HoF first baseman Cap Anson. Jackson walloped the 33-year-old record by 15 RBI !!

Speaking of records, Boston slugger Gavvy Cravath (.283, 64 HR, 142 RBI) smashed the previous record of 58 home runs by clubbing an amazing 64 long balls. Only five times in the entire decade of the 1890's did a player even top 40 home runs, and none of them hit more than Dodgers first baseman Bill Joyce's 45 in 1894. However, in the decade of between 1900-1901, the 40 home run mark has been passed a shocking thirty times! The 50 home run mark, which had only been reached five times in the MLHR's first 31 seasons, has now been reached five more times in the past three seasons alone! We are clearly in an era of sluggers.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




National League Rosters

[darnoff]

1909 World Series

Game 1

This game was much closer than the final score shows. Oakland led 2-1 after six innings, but in the top of the 7th, Reds starter Jesse Tannehill gave up a single to Stuffy McInnis to lead off the inning. After getting an out, he walked opposing pitcher Eddie Plank and then uncorked a wild pitch, allowing the runners to advance. He then intentionally walked Eddie Collins to load the bases and the Reds went to their bullpen.

Hoping for a strikeout, they went to hard-throwing Charley Hall who coughed up a grand slam to Matty McIntyre on his second pitch. In the following inning, Hall stayed in the game and with two outs, he allowed a 2-run homer to Collins followed by a solo homer to McIntyre before finally being removed from the game. Oakland added another run in the 9th off long reliever Harry Gaspar to finish off a 10-1 win.




Game 2

Reds starter Noodles Hahn was doing well on the mound early on and in the bottom of the 3rd he helped himself with a 1-out double. He then scored on a triple by the speedy Bob Bescher. However, the Reds were unable to drive Bescher in. Then in the next frame, Hahn allowed two singles and then with one out, Danny Hoffman hit a 3-run dinger. In the next inning, Eddie Collins reached base on an error and Joe Jackson hit a 2-run homer. The Reds couldn't recover as Jimmy Dygert tossed 8 innings of 4-hit, 1-run ball, allowing 3 walks with 6 K's.




Game 3

The Reds started off the first game in Oakland well with a run in the first, but they left the bases loaded. In the bottom of the inning, Oakland came roaring back as Matty McIntyre hit a solo homer and then both Frank Baker and Danny Hoffman hit RBI doubles to take a 3-1 lead after just one inning. The game then went back and forth as both teams scored a run in the 4th and 5th innings, but just as we have seen in the previous two games, the Reds could not maintain a close score late in the game.

This time, Reds starter Orval Overall gave up a walk and a single to start the bottom of the 7th. Then Ed Lennox singled in a run. After Hoffman bunted the runners to second and third, Stuffy McInnis was intentionally walked to load the bases. Then #8 hitter Jack Lapp hit a ball to second baseman Miller Huggins, who bobbled it and allowed another run to score. Pinch hitter Charlie Carr drove in another run with a ground out before the Reds got out of the inning en route to another disappointing loss.




Game 4

This was another tight game with the Reds leading 2-1 after five innings. In the top of the 6th, Reds first baseman Socks Seybold hit a 3-run home run off A's starter Tom Walker. They added another run in the 8th to take a 6-1 lead. But Oakland proved you can never count out their potent offense.

In the bottom of the 8th, Reds rookie starter Jean Dubuc allowed two singles and then a 1-out RBI double to Joe Jackson. Setup man Bob Ewing entered the game and got an out. Then he walked Ed Lennox before Danny Hoffman hit a double scoring two runs. Lennox was thrown out trying to score from first which ended the threat. That was probably not a wise decision by Oakland, but they did narrow the Reds lead to 6-4.

In the 9th, the A's brought in their setup man Highball Wilson, but he was not himself. Perhaps it was the long layoff, but Wilson allowed two singles. Pinch runner Dick Egan advanced to third on the second single and then scored on a sac fly. Wilson then walked leadoff man Bob Bescher and then gave up a single to Miller Huggins. That hit allowed a run to score and Bescher advanced to third. The A's finally pulled Wilson, but Cincinnati scored another run on a sac fly before ending the inning.

Now with a 9-4 lead in the bottom of the 9th, Cincy avoided their closer Martin Glendon, perhaps the best closer in the game, to save him in case he was needed tomorrow. Instead, they brought in Rube Vickers who gave up two walks and a single to the bottom of the A's lineup. After the Reds pitching coach paid a visit to the mound, Vickers got a ground out from lead off man Eddie Collins, which scored a run. He got another ground out from Matty McIntyre, which also scored a run. Now with two outs and a runner on third, Cincy maintained a 9-6 lead. Vickers got Joe Jackson to ground out to end the game, avoiding elimination for the Reds.




Game 5

This game was an absolute thriller. The Reds scored a run in the first and the A's, as usual, game back with two in the same inning. The Reds tied it in the 3rd and then Oakland took a 3-2 lead in the 5th. So in the top of the 8th, the Reds still trailed by a single run. Miller Huggins led off with a single off starting pitcher Eddie Plank. Sam Crawford struck out and then Socks Seybold doubled Huggins home to tie the game. Reliever Weldon Henley, who had been Oakland's closer for his entire career until this season, intentionally walked Dode Paskert before getting the next two batters out to end the frame with the game tied 3-3.

In the bottom of the 8th, Reds starter Jesse Tannehill sat the heart of Oakland's lineup - Jackson, Baker and Lennox - down 1-2-3. Then in the 9th, Cincy's #8 hitter, shortstop Al Bridwell, singled off Henley. He was replaced with speedy pinch runner Cozy Dolan. Henley then hit pinch hitter Jimmy Barrett with a 3-1 pitch. Leadoff man Bob Bescher laid down a beautiful bunt up the first base line to advance the runners to 2nd and 3rd. Henley then got Miller Huggins to ground out to the mound, freezing the runners. Now with two outs an the go-ahead run at 3rd, up stepped Cincinnati's #3 hitter, right fielder Crawford.

First let me preface this by saying that Crawford was having an awful World Series at the plate. Before this at-bat he was a mere 2-for-18. If you remember, he struck out the inning before in a key situation. This time, with the Oakland fans jeering him mercilessly, Crawford swung at the first pitch he saw and laced it into centerfield, scoring both runners and giving Cincinnati a 5-3 lead. Now, the Reds were able to finally bring Martin Glendon into a game, and the 5-time Fireman Award winner did his thing, sitting down the A's 1-2-3 on just seven pitches. Now the Reds have a chance to go home, still needing to win two games for the title.




Game 6

Back at home, the underdog Reds jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Jimmy Dygert. Then in the 4th, Oakland scored two off Noodles Hahn to make the score 3-2. In the top of the 6th, the A's had a runner at second with two out. Cincinnati decided to walk Jack Lapp to get to the pitcher. Dygert came through with a huge RBI single. Eddie Collins then singled to load the bases and Matty McIntyre singled home two more runs. Joe Jackson struck out to end the threat, but now Oakland had a 5-3 lead.

Surprisingly, Cincinnati came right back in the bottom of the 6th thanks to a clutch 2-out single by #8 hitter Al Bridwell. Pinch hitter Mike Mitchell doubled Bridwell to third. Bob Bescher then singled them both home to tie the game. The score remained tied through the 9th and the game went into extra innings.

In the top of the 10th, Reds reliever Rube Vickers allowed two one-out singles. Then Danny Hoffman was caught trying to steal third. Vickers then walked Jack Lapp and with runners at 1st and 2nd, Oakland sent up powerful pinch hitter Harry Armbruster, who had three World Series home runs on his resume from the 1906 and 1907 series when he was a regular. This move forced the Reds to bring in closer Martin Glendon as part of a double-switch. Glendon uncorked an uncharacteristic wild pitch that allowed the runners to move up. Now with the go-ahead runner at third, Glendon had to bear down. With the count 2-1, Armbruster fouled off six consecutive pitches before finally sending a ball to right field. Unfortunately for him, Jimmy Barrett, who had just entered the game as part of the double-switch, made the catch.

In the bottom of the 10th, Oakland put in regular-season starting pitcher Harry Krause. The first batter he faced was Socks Seybold, who doubled. The Reds sent in fleet-footed pinch runner Harry Wolter and the A's intentionally walked Dode Paskert. Krause then struck out the next two batters. With two outs, Al Bridwell stepped to the plate. He got behind 1-2 but he took three straight pitches for balls to draw a walk and load the bases. Now Barrett stepped to the plate for his first at-bat. He fouled off a 3-2 pitch and then Krause's next pitch was just out of the strike zone and Barrett took the walk, forcing in the winning run. Now, after being down 3 games to none against the mighty A's, the Reds had won three straight to force a Game 7.




Game 7

What better way for this series to end than with another thrilling game? Oakland scored a run off Orval Overall in the first, but the Reds came storming back and scored two runs off Chief Bender in the second and two more in the third. In the top of the 4th, Oakland scored two to make it 4-3 Cincinnati. Then in the 5th, Frank Baker hit an RBI double that was followed by an Ed Lennox 2-run homer, giving Oakland a 6-4 lead.

In the 6th, the Reds scratched across a run against Bender to make it a one-run game. It went into the 9th inning with that same score. Cincy brought in closer Martin Glendon to keep things close, but he showed his mortal side and allowed two 1-out singles followed by a walk and then a 2-run single to Frank Baker. That meant that the A's had an 8-5 lead going into the bottom of the 9th.

The A's brought in closer Jack Coombs, who had not pitched the entire series. He showed some rust and allowed a leadoff double to Al Bridwell. Pinch hitter Cozy Dolan then singled Bridwell home and advanced to second himself on the throw to the plate. Henley then struck out Bob Bescher and got Miller Huggins to fly out to right field. Dolan, who has a lot of speed, decided to tag up on the play but Joe Jackson gunned him down at third to end the World Series!




Recap

I never expected the series to be this close after Oakland took a 3-0 lead. The Reds deserve a ton of credit for winning 3 straight elimination games against a very tough opponent. In the end, Oakland had a little more fire-power and a better bullpen. The Reds also committed 9 errors to Oakland's 2. I have no doubt that Oakland will be contending for yet another pennant next season, but it will be interesting to see what happens with the Reds and the rest of the NL. Oakland meanwhile has won 5 pennants the past 6 seasons and now has two World Series titles. They hope to one day rival the Philadelphia Phillies dynasty who won 10 pennants over 15 years. It's funny to think that in real life, both these teams played in Philadelphia. Imagine how many titles that city could have had.

Series MVP

Matty McIntyre, LF, OAK: .438 AVG, .844 SLG, 3 HR, 13 RBI

This performance comes only one year after McIntyre hit just .045 (1-for-22) in an upset World Series loss to the Cardinals. Sweet redemption, Matty!

[darnoff]

Season Awards


NL Batter of the Year




NL Pitcher of the Year




NL Rookie of the Year




NL Fireman Award




NL Gold Gloves
P - Jesse Tannehill, CIN
C - Bill Rariden, ATL
1B - Solly Hoffman, PIT
2B - Nap Lajoie, PHI (2nd overall)
3B - Hans Lobert, PIT (2nd overall)
SS - Honus Wagner, PIT (7th overall)
LF - Zach Wheat, LAD (rookie!)
CF - Hi Myers, LAD (rookie!)
RF - Chick Stahl, ATL


AL Batter of the Year




AL Pitcher of the Year




AL Rookie of the Year




AL Fireman Award




AL Gold Gloves
P - Ed Walsh, CHA
C - Jack Lapp, OAK
1B - Claude Rossman, CLE
2B - Frank LaPorte, NYA
3B - Frank Baker, OAK
SS - Baldy Louden, NYA
LF - Matty McIntyre, OAK (2nd overall)
CF - Tris Speaker, BOS
RF - Doc Gessler, DET

[darnoff]

1910 National League Rookies


Max Carey, CF, Age 19, Pirates

Carey has a lot of talent and can be considered a true 5-tool player. He hits for average and power, plays great defense and has incredible speed. He is young and should be an impact player for a long time. The trick for Pittsburgh is the fact that they already have a talented outfield. Carey is most likely the heir apparent in centerfield for 33-year-old veteran Ginger Beaumont (.279, 15 HR, 59 RBI). The question is who will get the bulk of the playing time this season.




Jack Dalton, CF, Age 24, Dodgers

The Dodgers have needed offense for a long time and they have finally begun to assemble a powerful offense, particularly thanks to last season's RoY Zack Wheat (.333, 38 HR, 103 RBI). Dalton is a guy who gets on base often and has some speed, and this team needs a true leadoff hitter. It is unknown just where he will play, although right fielder Harry Lumley (.235, 17 HR, 59 RBI) has been falling out of favor in recent years, particularly due to the fact that he strikes out around 200 times per year. However, he also hit 30+ home runs in each of his first three seasons, but he has not hit 30 over the past three seasons and dipped to his lowest total last year. So perhaps Dalton will find work in right field.




Jake Daubert, 1B, Age 24, Dodgers

If the Dodgers forego the power of Lumley in right field they can make up for the lost power with rookie Daubert at first base. He is a solid all-around player who hits for high average, has power and speed while playing capable defense. These new additions to the L.A. offense may help this franchise get closer to the .500 mark after 10 straight losing seasons.




Jim Doyle, 3B, Age 24, Reds

As the Reds hope to build on the National League pennant from last season, the addition of a power hitter like Doyle is just what they needed. Veteran Harry Steinfeldt (.247, 18 HR, 72 RBI) still performs well at the hot corner but it will be hard for Cincy to stick with him when Doyle is waiting in the wings.




Hank Gowdy, C, Age 20, Giants

This is the third year in a row that the Giants have added a talented catcher. Gowdy played most of his early career with the Braves, but he had 18 at-bats with the Giants first, so he finds himself in San Francisco. The team may move Art Wilson (.302, 10 HR, 38 RBI in 245 AB) to third base to make room for Gowdy, who will still be fighting for playing time with Chief Meyers (.290, 6 HR, 47 RBI).




Bert Humphries, SP, Age 24, Phillies

The Phillies continue to pump young arms into their pitching staff, which is crucial as veterans Jimmy Callahan (16-13, 3.79 ERA) and Ned Garvin (2-12, 5.90 ERA) age. Garvin had a disastrous 1909 season and was demoted to the bullpen after going 11-14 with a 3.74 ERA in 1908. However, he is 36 and his time in the rotation is likely over. In steps Humphries, a soft-throwing control specialist.




Dick Rudolph, SP, Age 23, Giants

Here the Braves get hosed again as Rudolph pitched most of his career with that team but he began his career with 14 innings with the Giants. He will solidify an improving pitching staff, which is primarily what the Giants need if they hope to compete for the pennant.




Lefty Tyler, SP, Age 20, Braves

With Tyler, the Braves finally land some talent. There are so many issues with Atlanta's pitching staff, I don't know where to start. That being said, Tyler will certainly be in the starting rotation and his presence can only help the team.

[darnoff]

1910 American League Rookies


Jay Kirke, LF, Age 21, Tigers

Kirke is another solid hitter to add to Detroit's already-dangerous lineup. However, I don't see him taking over at a corner outfield spot with Kid Nance (.270, 16 HR, 106 RBI) and Doc Gessler (.291, 18 HR, 77 RBI, 16 SB) holding down those positions. The team also has sophomore Del Gainer (.239, 21 HR, 97 RBI) at first base. So, the Tigers will likely give Kirke a shot at an everyday job at third base, even though it is one of his least familiar positions. He will be a big upgrade there over Charley O'Leary (.241, 11 HR, 36 RBI).




Duffy Lewis, LF, Age 21, Red Sox

Last season, Boston already had a glut of outfielders with rookie sensation Harry Hooper (.304, 19 HR, 65 RBI in 335 AB) splitting time primarily with veteran left fielder George Stone (.270, 14 HR, 67 RBI in 463 AB). With Tris Speaker (.350, 42 HR, 129 RBI, 24 SB) and Gavvy Cravath (.283, 64 HR, 142 RBI) holding down the other spots, I don't know where the talented Lewis will play.




Roger Peckinpaugh, SS, Age 18, Indians

Cleveland desperately needs young, talented players on offense. Peckinpaugh may not be a superstar, but he has some pop in his bat, he has speed and is an above-average defensive shortstop. He will easily be an upgrade over George Perring (.211, 5 HR, 46 RBI).

[darnoff]

1910 Key Retirees - Batters


Fred Clarke, LF, Pirates

Clarke was the leader of Pittsburgh's offense before Honus Wagner got his feet beneath him. Even then, Clarke remained an integral part of some superb Pirates teams until the day he retired. He was known as a triples hitter and he retired as the all-time leader in that category. He recorded double-digit triples six times and tied the MLHR record for 13 in 1907. He also led the league in triples eight times. He won 5 Gold Gloves and the 1894 RoY Award. He finished in the Top 10 in hits five times, RBI six times, batting average six times, OBP four times, SLG four times, OPS four times and WAR three times.




Kid Elberfeld, SS/3B, Phillies

Played on the final three pennant winning teams from the Phillies dynasty. Had a couple of solid seasons as a starter. Was good defensively, although he never won an award recognizing it. He led the league in hit-by-pitch eight times. Ouch!




Jimmy Hart, 1B, White Sox

One of the few offensive stand-outs from the White Sox first decade. Led the AL in OBP in its first season.




Hughie Hearne, C, Dodgers

Man, this guy was lousy offensively - usually one of the worst offensive starters in the NL. But, man could he play defense. Won only one Gold Glove though.




Tom McCreery, 2B/1B/OF, Giants

McCreery played just about everywhere for the Giants. He was only an everyday player a few years out of his career, but he had some very productive seasons.




Cy Seymour, CF, Giants

Had a breakout season at age 29 once he finally got an everyday job in the Giants' loaded outfield. He was never able to duplicate that magical season, but he was always a steady offensive player and a good defensive centerfielder.

[darnoff]

1910 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Bill Bernhard, Phillies

The Phillies won nine pennants before there was a World Series. Bernhard was the closer for their only pennant in the new World Series era. That season was 1902, and the Phillies won it all. Bernhard was their closer for 6 1/2 years, losing the job briefly in 1905. He led the NL with 39 saves in 1907.




Jimmy Callahan, Phillies

Callahan was supposed to be the Phillies' heir apparent to HoF'ers Ben Sanders and Bill Vinton. Instead, he had an up-and-down career in which he was above or below league average in any given season. Thanks to having a great offense around him his whole career, he never lost more than 15 games and actually went 16-10 in his worst statistical season. He finished with an impressive 232-177 career record. He led the NL in innings pitched once, complete games once and shutouts twice. He also led the NL in most home runs allowed five times.




Win Mercer, Giants

Mercer would not have been part of the rotation long for most teams, but until recently, the Giants were so desperate for pitching that he had to remain in the rotation. There were a few seasons when the Giants struggled to fill their bullpen with live bodies. Anyway, Mercer may have been a successful reliever had he had the chance earlier in his career. As a starter, he led the NL in most home runs allowed twice, but he also led the NL in best BB/9 ratio in 1902.




Jack Powell, Cardinals

Powell had an incredibly up and down career. He was never above league average in consecutive seasons but only once was he below league average in two consecutive seasons. From 1903 until his final season in 1909, his performance fluctuated greatly as measure by ERA+ from 79 to 184 to 75 to 126 to 67 to 287 to 88. In 1901 and 1902, he led the league in games pitched and runs allowed, but in 1902 he also led in holds.




Ed Siever, Tigers

From 1901-1903 - when the AL's offenses were weaker - Siever was one of the better pitchers in the league with a WAR over 7.0 each season. In 1903, he led the AL in fewest HR allowed per 9 innings.




Tully Sparks, Phillies

Sparks was a bit of a phenomenon when he arrived on the scene in 1897. He was incredible out of the bullpen in the first half of that season and was then promoted to the rotation as the Phillies won the pennant. They won the pennant in 1898 with Sparks again in the rotation. Sparks' performance began to drop after that and he had his poorest season as a starter when the Phillies won their next pennant in 1900. He went to the bullpen in 1901 and was dominant again by 1902 when the Phillies won their final pennant and only World Series. Overall, his career numbers were very good. He won nearly 2/3 of his decisions.




Jim St. Vrain, Cubs

St. Vrain also burst onto the scene as a rookie. In 1902 he was immediately thrust into the closer's role and nearly won the Rookie of the Year Award. He won the Fireman Award in 1902 and led the league in saves and games finished in 1906. He is the Cubs leader in career saves with 249.




Willie Sudhoff, Cardinals

Sudhoff was the closer for the Cardinals' last three pennants, winning two World Series in 1903 and 1904. He was also the 1900 Fireman Award winner.




Jack Taylor, Cubs

Taylor was a solid starting pitcher for the Cubs for six seasons before becoming an even better reliever for his first three seasons in the bullpen. He led the NL in shutouts in 1902 and finished in the Top 10 in holds four times.

[darnoff]

1910 Hall of Fame Induction


Jimmy Bannon, RF, Cardinals

2670 H, 498 doubles, 63 triples, 423 HR, 1470 R, 1606 RBI, 795 BB, 2338 K, 306 SB, .283 AVG, .337 OBP, .483 SLG, .820 OPS, 129 OPS+, 9445 AB, 2470 G

2 Gold Gloves
4 Pennants
3 World Series titles

All-time leaderboards: RBI (10th), SLG (11th)


Willie Keeler, RF, Giants

3294 H, 351 doubles, 49 triples, 283 HR, 1520 R, 1113 RBI, 516 BB, 914 K, 321 SB, .312 AVG, .347 OBP, .435 SLG, .782 OPS, 120 OPS+, 10546 AB, 2615 G

1 ROY
5 Gold Gloves

All-time leaderboards: AVG (2nd), Hits (5th), Total Bases (11th)


Jake Stenzel, RF/CF, Cubs

2749 H, 545 doubles, 92 triples, 305 HR, 1476 R, 1313 RBI, 700 BB, 1232 K, 659 SB, .290 AVG, .343 OBP, .464 SLG, .807 OPS, 127 OPS+, 9466 AB, 2700 G


2 Pennants
2 World Series titles

All-time leaderboards: Triples (5th), Stolen Bases (5th), AVG (7th), Doubles (8th)



Amos Rusie, SP, Cardinals

281-208, .575 Win%, 681 G, 638 GS, 4472.2 IP, 69 CG, 21 SHO, 1536 BB, 3.1 BB/9, 3898 K, 7.8 K/9, 4081 HA, 338 HRA, 3.52 ERA, 118 ERA+, 1.26 WHIP

2 POY
4 Pennants
3 World Series titles

All-time leaderboards: Wins (2nd), WAR (2nd), Walks (2nd), Innings (3rd), Hits Allowed (4th), Strikeouts (5th), VORP (5th), Losses (6th)

[darnoff]

1910 NL Preseason Predictions

After coming off the franchise's first ever pennant and a gut-wrenching Game 7 loss to the Athletics in the World Series, the Reds are favored to repeat as National League champs this year. Their pitching led them last season, but their offense is expected to be one of the best offenses in the NL this season. And don't forget that they have the best defense in the league too, which really helps that pitching staff. Part of the reason Cincinnati's offense is expected to improve is the presence of slugging rookie third baseman Jim Doyle (6-7-7-6-4 ratings). Rookie Rube Denton (6-6-7 ratings) is moving into the #5 slot in an already strong rotation. That move pushes Rube Vickers (10-9, 3.35 ERA) to the bullpen. He should help solidify a relief corps that some think will backslide after a fine 1909 campaign.

While I still believe that the Pirates will be the primary challenger to the Reds, my rankings say that Cincy needs to watch out for the Giants instead. San Francisco's defense appears to have improved on paper. If it has, their pitching staff should benefit. Again, on paper, the Giants' starting rotation should be the best in the league this year after adding rookie Dick Rudolph (6-6-8 ratings) and bumping the always underperforming Red Ames (8-18, 5.04 ERA) to the bullpen where hopefully he can thrive. Speaking of the bullpen, it has come a long, long way since being one of the worst bullpens I have seen in MLHR just a few short years ago.

The Pirates, meanwhile, are beginning to show their age like the Cubs, Cardinals and Phillies have done before them. Their once-dominant pitching rotation is showing some wear and tear, but their bullpen remains an elite unit. The offense is also slowing down with age, but in addition to 26-year-old Chief Wilson (.280, 32 HR, 94 RBI), they will be giving another young outfielder, 23-year-old Beals Becker (.248, 20 HR, 63 RBI in 407 AB), a much anticipated shot at an everyday job due to the retirement of Fred Clarke. Age is also wearing down the team's speed and their overall offensive depth is poor. All those factors are why they are expected to finish third.

The Cubs still have an offense to be proud of and a ridiculously deep bench. As usual, their pitching is a big question mark and the fact that their defense will likely be one of the worst in the league just exacerbates their pitching weakness. To highlight their pitching concerns, 28-year-old rookie Fred Beebe (7-6-4 ratings) will be joining the rotation as their #5 starter. Ahead of him in the rotation are Bob Rhoads (11-15, 4.40 ERA), who did a fair job in his first season as a starter, and Carl Lundgren (8-4, 4.65 ERA), who couldn't even stay in the rotation all season. Both Rhoads and Lundgren are 30 now.

If things break just right, the Phillies could be a sleeper team. Their rotation, bullpen, offense and defense are all considered to be above average, with their bullpen and defense being their primary strengths. Their biggest weakness is a poor hitting bench. However, they added slugging rookie third baseman Jimmy Walsh (6-6-7-4-4 ratings) to the mix this season. He will bat 6th and just might hit 30-35 home runs. Their biggest offensive concern is the reliability of leadoff man Roy Thomas' (.235 AVG, .366 OBP, 82 R, 2 SB) ability to get on base consistently. Unfortunately, he has below average speed, as does #2 hitter John Titus (.265 AVG, .340 OBP, 17 HR, 73 RBI, 95 R, 5 SB). Another reason why the Phillies feel good about this year is the addition of rookie starting pitchers Bert Humphries (5-6-9 ratings) and Ad Brennan (6-6-7 ratings).


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Wins
1	Cincinnati Reds	7	7	8	10	8	9	7.9	B+	94	68
2	San Francisco Giants	8	7	8	10	8	7	7.8	B+	92	70
3	Pittsburgh Pirates	7	9	7	4	6	8	7.3	B	86	76
4	Chicago Cubs	6	6	9	11	8	5	7.0	B-	83	79
5	Philadelphia Phillies	7	7	7	3	6	8	6.9	B-	82	80
6	St. Louis Cardinals	8	7	5	7	7	7	6.8	B-	80	82
7	Los Angeles Dodgers	6	7	4	4	5	7	5.7	C-	67	95
8	Atlanta Braves	7	5	5	5	4	4	5.2	D+	62	100

MLB results for the NL in 1910

Champs: Chicago Cubs, (104-50, .675)
World Series: Athletics defeated Cubs 4-1

Combined WAR: Sherry Magee, Phillies, 6.7
Offensive WAR: Sherry Magee, Phillies, 7.1
Defensive WAR: Mickey Doolin, Phillies, 2.8
Batting Title: Sherry Magee, Phillies, .331
Runs: Sherry Magee, Phillies, 110
RBI: Sherry Magee, Phillies, 123
SB: Bob Bescher, Reds, 70
OPS+: Sherry Magee, Phillies, 174
AB/HR: John Flynn, Pirates, 55.3 (rookie!)

Pitching WAR: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 7.3
Win%: Deacon Phillippe, Pirates, .875
WHIP: Mordecai Brown, Cubs, 1.084
K/9: Louis Drucke, Giants, 6.311
Innings: Nap Rucker, Dodgers, 320.1
Shutouts: Four Player Tied, 6
K/BB: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 3.067
ERA+: King Cole, Cubs, 160
FIP: Christy Mathewson, Giants, 1.96


MLHR Milestone Watch

3500 Hits
John McGraw, STL, Age 36, 3428 Hits

2500 Hits
Honus Wagner, PIT, Age 36, 2404 Hits

700 Doubles
Nap Lajoie, PHI, Age 35, 649 doubles

600 Doubles
Joe Kelley, ATL, Age 38, 586 doubles

100 Triples
Honus Wagner, PIT, Age 36, 90 triples

500 Home Runs
Buck Freeman, ATL, Age 29, 457 HR

400 Home Runs
Bill Lange, CHN, Age 38, 398 HR

2000 Walks
John McGraw, STL, Age 36, 1941 BB

600 Stolen Bases
Joe Kelley, ATL, Age 38, 594 SB

200 Wins
Ned Garvin, PHI, Age 36, 198 Wins
Jesse Tannehill, CIN, Age 35, 191 Wins
Joe Corbett, STL, Age 34, 186 Wins

3000 Strikeouts
Buttons Briggs, CHN, Age 34, 2998 K's
Jesse Tannehill, CIN, Age 35, 2955 K's

800 Games Pitched
Frank Kitson, LAD, Age 35, 778 Games - the all-time record is 802!

700 Games Pitched
Jim Hughes, LAD, Age 36, 679 Games
Red Donahue, SFG, Age 37, 659 Games
Doc McJames, LAD, Age 35, 649 Games

[darnoff]

1910 AL Preseason Predictions

In the previous nine seasons of American League ball, the Red Sox have consistently underperformed my rankings. This season, they are again expected to be neck-and-neck with the Athletics. They certainly have the talent, but I will believe that they can unseat Oakland when I see it. That being said, they did find a way to squeeze another talented outfielder into the lineup by moving Gavvy Cravath to first base, a position he has very limited experience with. That unfortunately means that Jake Stahl (.239, 19 HR, 74 RBI) will move to the bench after seven productive seasons for Boston, but this allows the team to get Harry Hooper (.304, 19 HR, 65 RBI in 335 AB) into the game every day.

Standing in Boston's way though is the four-time defending AL champion Athletics. They have no need to make roster moves, but the one significant change they made was to move Jack Coombs (4-7, 37 Sv, 1.61 ERA) to the pitching rotation after one very successful season as closer. He will replace Harry Krause (15-11, 3.79 ERA), who switches roles to closer. The team feels as though this will make them more successful. Other than that, no changes really took place, but then again, they have won 231 games the past two seasons. So, they don't need to reinvent themselves.

The Tigers had a great run last season before the A's broke loose. The Tigers still won 94 games, but finished 16 games off the pace. This season, they have again improved their offense with the addition of Jay Kirke (7-6-6-3-5 ratings), who will take over at third base. Their biggest weakness has always been pitching and they believe they have improved that unit as well. Rookie Sailor Stroud (5-6-7 ratings) takes over as the #5 starter, pushing Ed Willett (12-8, 4.19 ERA) to the bullpen. Other than closer Wish Egan (6-5, 33 Sv, 2.77 ERA) and setup man George Suggs (7-3, 2.66 ERA), the bullpen was completely overhauled. In addition to Willett, the team added three talented rookies in middle relievers Hub Pernoll (6-6-7 ratings) and Frank Browning (4-7-8 ratings) and long reliever Bill Lelivelt (3-6-8 ratings). They believe this season's pitching staff could be one of the best they have had. If that is true, the depth of their bench and the quality of their defense will be key factors in their ability to compete with Oakland and Boston for the pennant.

The Yankees also continue to improve their roster. They added rookie Eddie Foster (6-5-2-6-8 ratings) to play third base and bat second in the lineup. They also feel like they have improved their bullpen with rookies Ray Fisher (7-6-7 ratings) and Ray Caldwell (7-6-6 ratings). They could have the best pitching staff in the American League, and their defense is great. However, their offense is still lacking the kind of productivity required to stand up to the mighty A's and Red Sox.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the upgrades made by the Orioles and White Sox this offseason. Baltimore focused on their bullpen with the additions of Alex Malloy (8-7-6 ratings), Ray Boyd (8-7-5 ratings), Roy Mitchell (5-6-7 ratings) and Farmer Ray (5-6-6 ratings). They also added left fielder Hub Northern (6-6-4-6-4 ratings) to the lineup to bat third.

Chicago couldn't have had a worse offense than they have had the past several seasons, so any upgrade would be significant. However, they only return three starters from last season. So yes, they have five new starters. The key additions are leadoff man and second baseman Rollie Zeider (5-4-2-6-7 ratings), #2 hitter and first baseman Chick Gandil (6-6-3-5-6 ratings) and #5 hitter and centerfielder Dutch Zwilling (5-5-7-5-3 ratings), who will provide some much needed power support for cleanup hitting veteran shortstop Dave Brain (.234, 28 HR, 88 RBI). At the bottom of the lineup, the Sox also added rookies Paul Meloan (5-5-6-5-3) in right field and Shano Collins (5-6-3-4-5) in left field. Good luck Chicago!


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Record
1	Boston Red Sox	8	9	12	9	6	8	9.0	A	105	57
2	Oakland Athletics	8	8	11	10	7	9	9.0	A	104	58
3	Detroit Tigers	7	7	10	4	7	6	7.4	B	86	76
4	New York Yankees	9	8	4	7	8	8	7.2	B-	84	78
5	Minnesota Twins	7	5	3	8	6	10	6.3	C+	73	89
6	Baltimore Orioles	6	8	6	6	6	4	5.9	C	69	93
7	Cleveland Indians	8	7	2	5	5	7	5.7	C-	66	96
8	Chicago White Sox	7	5	2	3	6	7	5.2	D+	60	102

MLB results for the AL in 1910

Champs: Philadelphia Athletics, (102-48, .680)
World Series: Athletics defeated Cubs 4-1

Combined WAR: Ty Cobb, Tigers and Eddie Collins, Athletics, 10.5
Offensive WAR: Nap Lajoie, Naps (Indians), 10.1
Defensive WAR: Eddie Collins, Athletics, 2.8
Batting Title: Nap Lajoie, Naps (Indians), .384
Runs: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 106
RBI: Sam Crawford, Tigers, 120
SB: Eddie Collins, Athletics, 81
OPS+: Ty Cobb, Tigers, 206
AB/HR: Jake Stahl, Red Sox, 53.1

Pitching WAR: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 11.2
Win%: Chief Bender, Athletics, .821
WHIP: Ed Walsh, White Sox, 0.820
K/9: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 7.614
Innings: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 370.0
Shutouts: Jack Coombs, Athletics, 13
K/BB: Ed Walsh, White Sox, 4.230
ERA+: Ed Walsh, White Sox, 189
FIP: Walter Johnson, Senators (Twins), 1.39

[darnoff]

NL Mid-Season Report

The National League race has been tight from top to bottom this season with no team really separating themselves just yet. In fact, at the end of June, only 9 games separated the league leading Pirates from the last place Reds. That's right, the defending NL champion Reds were in last place just a month ago thanks to an awful 8-20 record in April followed by a mediocre 12-15 record in May. They have seemed to get things on track since then, going 18-9 in June. However, they are still 8 games out of first. The good news is, there is no one powerhouse team this season so the Reds should have plenty of time to get into the race if they stay hot. To do that, they will need to improve in all facets of the game.

Meanwhile, the Pirates have been in first place for most of the season so far. Their pitching staff and defense are once again the best in the league. The staff is led by 23-year-old Nick Maddox (9-5, 3.01 ERA), who leads the NL in ERA, and the bullpen is anchored by closer Cy Falkenberg (2-1, 15 Sv, 1.88 ERA). After a tough year in 1909, Jack Pfiester (7-4, 3.71 ERA) has bounced back. Offensively, centerfielder Ginger Beaumont (.343, 7 HR, 25 RBI) is having his best season statistically so far, perhaps motivated by the presence of rookie Max Carey (.243, 6 HR, 24 RBI) breathing down his neck for playing time. Shortstop Honus Wagner (.312, 10 HR, 46 RBI) is looking like an MVP again at age 36.

The Cubs are right on Pittsburgh's tail thanks to a resurgent pitching staff that ranks 2nd in the league. Ed Reulbach (9-5, 3.11 ERA) and Carl Lundgren (7-7, 3.04 ERA) are having bounce-back seasons and Frank Corridon (7-5, 3.09 ERA) is having a second consecutive good season for the first time since his rookie and sophomore seasons in 1904 and 1905. The team's offense is #1 as usual with third baseman Heinie Zimmerman (.354, 17 HR, 51 RBI) and first baseman Fred Luderus (.285, 32 HR, 73 RBI) doing most of the damage.

Philadelphia and St. Louis are right in the mix, just 5 games behind Pittsburgh. The Phillies' pitching staff is solid, ranked 3rd overall, but the offense has scuffled. They are ranked last in the NL in batting average and home runs and next to last in runs scored. They should be performing better than that, so they need to get their act together soon if they have any shot at the pennant. The Cardinals are ranked in the middle of the pack in both pitching and offense, although they are tied for second in stolen bases thanks to third baseman John McGraw (.281, 57 R, 25 SB) and centerfielder Emmet Heidrick (.278, 46 R, 15 SB) in the 1-2 slots of the lineup.

The Giants were looking good early in the season but went on a lousy 11-28 stretch from mid-May to late June. However, they are currently on a 5-game winning streak which may bode well for the second half of the season. They are tied for the 2nd best offense in the league even though Larry Doyle (.286, 12 HR, 46 RBI, 14 SB), who was won either a RoY or BoY award in each of his three seasons, is having a slightly down year. Fred Merkle (.294, 16 HR, 51 RBI, 10 SB), Steve Evans (.253, 10 HR, 42 RBI) and Danny Murphy (.288, 15 HR, 46 RBI) are pitching in to make the offense shine. Unfortunately, the team is still ranked last in defense which continues to hurt their pitching staff, which ranks 6th in the league. On a positive note, the often maligned bullpen is ranked 2nd in the league, led by closer Doc Crandall (4-1, 14 Sv, 0.91 ERA), who is having a superb season.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders