1902 Cleveland: Napoleon & Joss Are Fine

[Dukie98]

The Cleveland Indians continued to wallow in mediocrity, going 14-13 in August, and ending the month in a fourth place tie with the Athletics, with a 63-66 overall record, 12 games behind the league-leading Senators. Despite the loss of slugger Bobby Veach for most of the month with an elbow injury, the Tribe's offense played well; however, their pitching staff continued to decline.

MVP candidate Riggs Stephenson continued his brilliant sophomore campaign, hitting .410 with a .695 slugging percentage, including 11 doubles, 5 triples, 3 homers, and 19 RBIs. Newly-acquired third sacker Russ Wrightstone, who batted cleanup in Veach's absence, hit .387 with a team-high 4 homers, 20 RBI's, and 26 runs scored. Shortstop Joe Sewell hit .355 with 14 extra base hits and scored 25 runs in 26 games. Steady Ted Easterly hit .330 with 9 doubles and 21 RBI's in a platoon role. None of the Indians struggled at the plate; the weakest performances were by left fielder Joe Kelly, pressed into service to replace Veach, who hit .268 but drove in 15 runs, and rookie center fielder Bunny Roser, who just .266 but slugged .453, including 2 homers and 11 RBI's.

The mound, however, was another story. Southpaw Dickie Kerr, who replaced Earl Hamilton in the rotation, was the highlight, going 3-1 with a 3.48 and a mediocre 1.46 WHIP. Eppa Rixey went 3-3 with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Herb Pennock's stellar season stalled, as he went just 1-3 with a 4.44 ERA and a 1.44 WHIP. Newcomer Art Nehf continued tos struggle, as he went 1-2 with a bloated 6.32 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP. Jim Bagby's disappointing season continued, as he somehow managed a 2-2 record despite a hefty 6.51 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP, striking out just 3 hitters in 47 innings. Out of the bullpen, Jesse Barnes, who had recently been replaced as stopper by Al Mamaux, continued his dreadful season, getting battered for 10 runs and 13 hits in just 5.1 innings. Mamaux, despite struggling with his control, yielded just a 1.65 ERA in 16 innings despite 12 walks.

The Indians were clearly stuck in neutral. However, their offense had shown signs of life, and the Tribe ended August tied for fourth in the league in runs scored, as they eliminated their two major weaknesses in the lineup. Despite the apparent emergence of Kerr, the starting rotation was nonetheless a substantial concern. In this season of enhanced offense, pitching took on a heightened importance, as both league leaders, the Senators and Giants, sported the best pitching staff in each league. While the Senators maintained a modest 3 1/2 game lead over the Browns, the Giants struggled to hold off the slugging Pirates, as they took just a half-game lead into September.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Tribe looks through the end of August:

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After a slow start to September, the Cleveland Indians finished strong, ending the season with a 13-12 mark, good enough for a 76-78 record. The Tribe finished in 4th place, 11 1/2 games behind the Yankees, who rallied to catch the Senators, winning the the American League pennant in a one-game playoff. The Tribe recovered after losing 7 of 8 games early in September to finish the month with a winning record.

Although the Indians struggled offensively throughout the year, finishing just fifth in the 8-team league, they hit well in September. Right fielder Sam Rice hit .365 with 14 doubles, 2 homers, 16 RBI's, topping 200 hits for the third straight season and finished the year with a league-leading 44 steals. Veteran catcher Ted Easterly finished strong, hitting .426 in a platoon role for the month to bring his season average to .333. Rookie center fielder Bunny Roser hit just .288, but he ripped a team-high 4 homers and drove in 14 runs. Left fielder Bobby Veach had a strong return from an elbow injury, hitting .355 and slugging .494 for the month.
Surprisingly, second baseman Riggs Stephenson slowed down, hitting just .273 for the month, but he ripped 2 homers and drove in 21 runs, finishing the year with a sparkling .369 batting average. New third baseman Russ Wrightstone struggled down the stretch, hitting just .221 with a .267 slugging percentage, driving in only 7 runs despite batting cleanup for much of the month.

The Indians' pitchers gave up scads of baserunners throughout September, although some were more successful than others in preventing them from scoring. Ace Herb Pennock went just 3-3, despite a strong 3.61 ERA and a 1.47 WHIP. Southpaw Dickie Kerr went just 1-3 despite a 3.86 ERA, but he had a subpar 1.78 WHIP. Rookie righthander Joe Genewich, who replaced the demoted Earl Hamilton in the rotation, went 3-1 with a superficially-solid 3.68 ERA but a ghastly 1.82 ERA; however, he gave up nearly as many unearned runs (7) as earned runs (9), and struggled to last deep into games. Eppa Rixey went 3-1, bringing his season total for victories to 19, despite a 6.50 ERA and a 1.75 WHIP; he surrendered a team-high 5 homers in just 35 innings. Finally, righthander Jim Bagby went just 1-3 with a 6.11 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP; he continued to struggle to retire hitters, striking out just 1 batter in 28 innings.

Overall, the season had to be considered a moderate disappointment -- particularly with respect to the collapse of the pitching staff. Heading into next year, the roles of Pennock, Rixey, Kerr, and reliever Al Mamaux were relatively safe -- but all the other roles on the staff were up for grabs. The lineup appeared to be relatively stable heading into next year, with the primary concerns being the gradual decline of first baseman Wally Pipp and the eventual need to replace the ageless Easterly behind the plate.

Both pennant races drew from the same formula: in each instance, an under-the-radar upstart seized control of the pennant race early on behind a strong pitching staff, only to be caught in the end by the established favorite. In the National League, the Pirates cruised to the pennant as the Giants collapsed down the stretch, going 11-18 after September 1, including a 3-11 stretch after Labor Day. Meanwhile, in the American League, the Yankees went 17-8 after September 1 to seize the pennant, beating the Senators in a makeup game on the final day of the regular season to force a one-game playoff behind a six-hitter from Ray Caldwell, then winning the playoff 8-5 behind a three-RBI performance from Bob Meusel.

Yankee star Rogers Hornsby was the overwhelming favorite to win his fourth MVP in five years, winning the Triple Crown with a sizable margin in each category, as he hit .411 with 33 homers and 129 RBI's. Meanwhile, in the National League, Brooklyn first baseman Lou Gehrig rewrote the record book after hitting 46 homers, and he led baseball with 145 RBI's.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look at the end of the year:

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In a rematch of the 1920 World Series, the favored Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the New York Yankees, four games to two. Pirates shortstop Pie Traynor was named the series MVP, leading all hitters with 13 hits on his way to a .448 batting average, along with 2 homers and 6 RBIs. Pirates slugger Babe Ruth hit three homers and remarkably, for the third straight postseason, had exactly 12 RBI's. Pirates righthander Karl Adams won three games despite pitching just 13 innings and sporting a middling 4.85 ERA.

The Yankees jumped out to an early series lead, erasing an early two-run deficit in Game 1, as they prevailed 10-6, as Yankee centerfielder Curt Walker had four hits and scored three runs, and Rogers Hornsby had three hits, including a two-run homer. The Pirates evened the series in Game 2, winning 14-8, as Traynor had five hits, including a homer and two doubles, and scored four runs, while Ruth homered and drove in five runs. The Pirates eked out a win in a pitchers' duel in Game 3, winning 3-2 in 12 innings, on a pinch-hit single by Johnny Mokan. Ray Collins went the distance for the Yankees, allowing only a single earned run in the loss, while Adams notched the win after two hitless innings in relief.

The Pirates took command of the series in a seesaw Game 4, which saw eight lead changes as the Pirates prevailed 11-10. The Pirates scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, on Harry Heilmann's second triple of the game and a sacrifice fly by George "High Pockets" Kelly. Traynor and center fielder Baby Doll Jacobson homered for the Pirates. The Yankees extended their season momentarily, pulling out a tension-fraught 6-5 victory in Game 5. The Pirates erased a 4-1 deficit in the eighth inning by scoring four runs to take the lead, with a three-run homer by Clyde Barnhart being the crushing blow -- only to see the Yankees score twice in the top of the ninth, behind a clutch triple from backup outfielder Jim Thorpe and an RBI single by Hornsby. Game 6 proved to be anticlimactic, as the Pirates cruised to an 8-0 victory behind six shutout innings from Adams and two homers by Ruth, and three hits apiece by Heilmann and Kelly.

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Here are the major award winners for 1922:

AL MVP- Rogers Hornsby, 2B/3B, NYY: .411/ .468/ .701, 269 hits, 45 doubles, 23 triples, 33 HR, 133 RBI, 144 runs, 71 BB, 11 SB, 190 OPS+, 11.2 WAR
Second place- Goose Goslin, RF, WAS: .371/ .445/ .563, 208 hits, 30 doubles, 15 triples, 16 HR, 99 RBI, 111 runs, 79 BB, 5 SB, 160 OPS+, 5.6 WAR
Third place- George Sisler, 1B, SLB: .376/ .426/ .547, 239 hits, 48 doubles, 14 triples, 11 HR, 121 RBI, 115 runs, 58 BB, 39 SB, 136 OPS+, 5.5 WAR

AL Cy Young- Ray Keating, SLB: 22-10, 3.49 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 292 IP, 129 K, 101 BB, 1 shutout, 130 ERA+, 5.4 WAR
Second place- Speed Martin, WAS: 20-14, 2.92 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 336 IP, 98 K, 116 BB, 23 CG, 1 shutout, 147 ERA+, 5.4 WAR
Third place- Urban Shocker, NYY: 19-11, 3.84 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 310 IP, 73 K, 73 BB, 19 CG, 1 shutout, 115 ERA+, 4.1 WAR

AL Rookie of the Year- Earle Combs, LF, BOS: .334/ .395/ .467, 203 hits, 43 doubles, 7 triples, 8 HR, 73 RBI, 98 runs, 62 BB, 14 SB, 113 OPS+, 4.8 WAR

NL MVP- Babe Ruth, RF, PIT: .388/ .503/ .694, 221 hits, 32 doubles, 8 triples, 42 HR, 127 RBI, 162 runs, 135 BB, 12 SB, 196 OPS+, 10.3 WAR
Second place- Lou Gehrig, 1B, BRO: .342/ .427/ .659, 205 hits, 22 doubles, 15 triples, 46 HR, 145 RBI, 129 runs, 88 BB, 6 SB, 173 OPS+, 8.0 WAR
Third place- Jakie May, SP, STL: 27-12, 3.02 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 336 IP, 169 K, 118 BB, 15 CG, 3 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 7.3 WAR

NL Cy Young- Jakie May, STL: 27-12, 3.02 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 336 IP, 169 K, 118 BB, 15 CG, 3 shutouts, 145 ERA+, 7.3 WAR
Second place- Hippo Vaughn, NYG, 24-13, 3.39 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 350 IP, 154 K, 84 BB, 26 CG, 2 shutouts, 129 ERA+, 7.7 WAR
Third place- Johnny Morrison, PIT: 22-11, 3.80 ERA, 1.45 WHIP, 336 IP, 117 K, 110 BB, 21 CG, 3 shutouts, 117 ERA+, 6.7 WAR

NL Rookie of the Year- Andy High, SS, CIN: .340/ .399/ .450, 206 hits, 24 doubles, 11 triples, 7 HR, 92 RBI, 88 runs, 62 BB, 2 SB, 118 OPS+, 4.8 WAR

[Dukie98]

Despite a middling performance in the regular season, the Cleveland Indians had a relatively quiet offseason, as they appeared to upgrade multiple positions of weakness during the regular season. They also looked forward to the return of righthander George Uhle, who missed the 1922 season with an arm injury.

The Tribe made two minor trades. Reliever Jesse Barnes, who struggled throughout the season before being relieved of his duties, finishing the year with a bloated 6.31 ERA and 1.79 WHIP in 51 ineffective innings, was shipped to the Giants for reliever Mule Watson. A week later, disappointing starting pitcher Earl Hamilton and minor league shortstop Hank Janda -- more of a "suspect" than a prospect -- were shipped to the Braves for backup outfielder Tommy Griffith and rookie second baseman Fresco Thompson.

In the draft, the Tribe selected hard-hitting first baseman Dale Alexander with the #9 overall pick, expecting him to succeed Wally Pipp, who tailed off significantly throughout the season. Third baseman Arthur Sullivan, who had moderate power but would struggle to hit for average, was tabbed in the second round, and gap-hitting centerfielder Hugh Ormand was picked in the third round. Later rounds saw the selections of groundballer Jim Bishop, power-hitting first baseman Guy Froman, sinkerballing reliever Art Johnson, line-drive hitting second baseman Chester Brooks, teenaged pitching prospect George Blaeholder, power-hitting right fielder Herman Collins, a similar but weaker overall prospect in right fielder Buddy Crump, junkballing starter Tex Wilson, and slap-hitting shortstop Doc Wood.

As with last season, the leaguewide draft class was heavy on outfielders and light on pitchers. Picking first overall, the Phillies selected slugging center fielder Chick Hafey. The Cubs selected left fielder Heinie Manush with the second pick of the draft. The Reds tabbed catcher Mickey Cochrane with the third pick. Overall, no pitchers were selected until the twelfth pick of the draft, when the Senators selected Red Ruffing.

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Expectations were modest for the Cleveland Indians as they geared up for the 1923 season. The Tribe spent much of the prior season lurking well below .500, and they needed a late season rally just to flirt with the break-even mark -- and that rally impaired their ability to obtain an impact rookie in the draft. With no offseason acquisitions of note, other than the anticipated return of starting pitcher George Uhle, the Indians were not markedly improved on paper.

In fact, the writers thought the Indians would be substantially worse. Despite going 16-14 in spring training, the Indians were picked to tie the Tigers in the basement with a 62-92 record. The Red Sox, with several talented young bats to join veteran Tris Speaker and a traditionally-strong pitching staff, were picked to dislodge the Yankees at the top of the standings. In the Senior Circuit, the Giants' top-notch pitching staff was expected to topple the two-time defending champion Pirates, who had won the pennant in four of the last five seasons.

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The Cleveland Indians began 1923 with an unexpectedly hot start, going 9-4 in April, including winning 8 out of 9 games at one point. The ended the month in second place, 1 1/2 games behind the red-hot Red Sox. Oddly, they played exclusively against the Tigers and White Sox.

The Tribe had the best offense in the American League for most of the month, before slowing down in the final days. They were led offensively by leadoff hitter Sam Rice, who hit .382 with a .509 slugging percentage and scored 12 runs in 12 games. He also had a league-high seven steals. Ageless catcher Ted Easterly hit .375 with 8 RBI's and slugged .500. Center fielder Bunny Roser hit just .280, but had a team-high 3 homers and a league-leading 15 RBI's. Left fielder Bobby Veach wasn't far behind, hitting .283 with 2 homers and 14 RBI's. However, the sharp decline of first baseman Wally Pipp remained a concern, as he hit just .212 with a meager .309 slugging percentage and just 6 RBI's despite batting in the middle of the lineup.

The Indians had a strong month on the mound as well, finishing the month second in the league in ERA. Southpaw Eppa Rixey won all three of his starts, sporting a 2.49 ERA and strong 1.14 WHIP. George Uhle got off to a strong start after missing all of 1922 with a shoulder injury, going 2-0 with a sparkling 1.08 ERA, but a middling 1.44 WHIP. Dickie Kerr went 1-1 with a mediocre 4.32 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP. Staff ace Herb Pennock struggled; despite a 2-0 record, he yielded a 4.67 ERA and a 1.56 WHIP. Joe Genewich struggled mightily, as he went 1-2 with a 5.04 ERA -- plus an additional eight unearned runs in just 25 innings -- and a 1.68 WHIP, surrendering a team-high four homers.

It remained to be seen whether the Tribe could continue their hot start after the schedule tightened up. The Red Sox, with a league-best pitching staff and young slugger Hack Wilson, appeared to be the team to beat. Meanwhile, in the National League, the Pirates, Giants, and Cardinals ended April in a three-way tie for first.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Tribe looks through the end of April:

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For the second year in a row, the Cleveland Indians followed up on an unexpectedly strong April by crashing back to earth in May. The Tribe went just 11-19, ending the month in seventh place, 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Tigers. There was a substantial logjam in the standings, however, as just half a game separated the second-place Red Sox from the sixth place Tigers.

The Indians slowed down offensively, ending May in sixth or seventh place in the American League in most offensive categories -- although curiously, they remained second in runs scored. Second baseman Riggs Stephenson led the way offensively, hitting .415 with 13 extra base hits, including a homer and 18 RBI's, and a remarkable .515 on-base percentage. Star shortstop Joe Sewell hit .371 with 11 RBI's in just 17 games, but he missed the back half of the month with a wrist injury. Backup Lew Malone filled in admirably, hitting .361 with 3 triples and 11 RBI's of his own. However, first base appeared to be a crisis situation, as Wally Pipp hit a soft .183 with a homer and ten RBI's, and started losing playing time to Sam Post. Center fielder Bunny Roser had a disastrous month, hitting just .148 with a single extra base-hit and just 5 RBI's in 81 at bats, and the Tribe began to explore options from beyond the organization.

The Indians' pitching was mediocre, at best. George Uhle led the way, going 3-2 with a 4.01 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. Joe Genewich was 3-3 with a deceptive 4.14 ERA, as he also gave up 8 unearned runs in 45 innings, and he yielded a bloated 1.75 WHIP. Dickie Kerr was mediocre, going 2-2 with a 4.66 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP. Southpaw Eppa Rixey struggled, going 0-4 with a 5.04 ERA and a 1.68 WHIP. Staff ace Herb Pennock struggled mightily, going 2-4 with a dreadful 6.75 ERA and a 1.99 WHIP. The staff's woes spread to the bullpen, as formerly reliable stopper Al Mamaux went 0-4 with a 7.47 ERA and a hefty 1.85 WHIP.

The Tribe's struggles on both side of the ball made it apparent that rebuilding was necessary. Significant trades were likely, potentially including formerly untouchable veteran talent such as Sam Rice or Herb Pennock. Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers unexpectedly opened up a 5 1/2 game lead on the Senators and Red Sox, led by talented rookie infielder Harry Rice and slugging left fielder Ken Williams. In the Senior Circuit, the blistering Pirates, led by Babe Ruth, went 24-6 for the month to open up a 4-game lead on the Giants.

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Here's how the Indians look through the end of May:

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After a red-hot April and an ice-cold May, the Cleveland Indians settled in with a fairly pedestrian June, going 14-13. The Tribe ended the month on the fringe of contention: although they were in sixth place, they were just 5 1/2 games behind the first-place Senators. Languishing in the standings, management finally bit the bullet and started making some long-overdue trades in an attempt to develop young talent. First, they traded struggling reliever Al Mamaux to the Cubs in exchange for 22-year-old reliever Ted Blankenship, who showed signs of being able to move into the rotation if he harnessed his control.

In a shocking move, nominal staff ace Herb Pennock, who was suffering through a dreadful season with a 6.00 ERA and 1.78 WHIP was sent to Pittsburgh, along with minor leaguers Fresco Thompson and Red Causey, in exchange for right field prospect Kiki Cuyler. Cuyler was effectively blocked by Babe Ruth. The Indians replaced the hole in the rotation created by Pennock's departure with Jim Bagby, who had been effective in long relief, and they called up rookie Claude Jonnard to replace Mamaux. Pennock departs Cleveland with his placed carved out in the franchise record books: with a 105-81 career record, he departs Cleveland seventh in franchise history in wins, sixth in losses, ninth in winning percentage (.565), sixth in WAR (23.4), fifth in games pitched (280), and tenth in strikeouts (466)

The Indians slowed down offensively in June, but star second baseman Riggs Stephenson continued to shine, hitting .372 with a .470 on-base percentage and a .585 slugging percentage, including six triples, a homer, and 25 RBI's for the month, bringing his total to a league-best 54. Outfielder Sam Rice, who spent more time in center field after Cuyler's acquisition, hit .323 with 11 doubles and scored 17 runs in 22 games. Shortstop Joe Sewell returned from the disabled list, hitting .304 and slugging .464, despite just 5 RBI's in 69 at bats. However, catcher Ted Easterly showed signs of slowing down, hitting just .212 and slugging .231, and found himself gradually phased out of the lineup in favor of Ray Schalk. Third baseman Russ Wrightstone struggled, hitting just .208 with a .287 slugging percentage, although he managed to drive in 12 runs in 24 games.

The Tribe's pitching improved markedly. Lefty Dickie Kerr was named AL Pitcher of the Month after going 5-1 with a 2.55 ERA and a 1.30 WHIP. Righthander George Uhle suffered from limited run support, going just 1-1 despite a sparkling 2.70 ERA and a less-sparkling 1.46 WHIP, and he ended June second in the league with a 3.03 ERA. Jim Bagby won both his starts after Pennock was traded, and he sported a 2.81 ERA and 1.05 WHIP. Southpaw Eppa Rixey was just 2-2 despite a solid 3.18 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Only Joe Genewich struggled, going 2-2 as well with a bloated 5.29 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP.

The American League standings were tightly jumbled, with the Red Sox, Athletics, Yankees, and Tigers ending June within a game of each other, and all within 2 1/2 games of the first-place Senators. Only the White Sox were safely out of contention. The same cannot be said in the National League-- even though the Cardinals ended the month with a 9-game winning streak, they ended the month in a distant second, 7 1/2 games behind the explosive Pirates offense. The seventh-place Browns were closer to first place in the American League than the second-place Cardinals were in the National League. Once again, the home run race between sluggers Babe Ruth of Pittsburgh and Lou Gehrig of Brooklyn far outpaced the entire Junior Circuit -- they ended June with 25 and 21 round-trippers, respectively -- more than twice as many as anyone in the American League.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Tribe looks through the end of June:

[Dukie98]

The Indians' rebuilding efforts were interrupted by an unexpected event: contention. Despite the Indians' efforts to get younger at several positions while shopping their veterans, they rallied their way into the mix for the American League pennant, going 18-10 in July, and they ended the month tied for fourth place, just 2 1/2 games behind the first place Yankees. The highlights of the month were a 7-game winning streak and a 4-game sweep of the then-first place Senators, with each game being decided by a run. The Tribe ended July with a 52-46 record.

The Indians had a strong teamwide effort offensively. Third baseman Russ Wrightstone led the way, hitting .354 with a team-high four homers and 23 RBI's. Left fielder Bobby Veach hit .361 and slugged .530 with three homers and 13 RBI's. Third baseman Riggs Stephenson hit .370, scored a team-high 23 runs, and ripped nine doubles while slugging .500. Center fielder Sam Rice hit .346 with ten extra-base hits and 20 RBI's out of the leadoff slot. Only rookie right fielder Kiki Cuyler struggled, hitting just .227 with a soft .307 slugging percentage. Catcher Ray Schalk, who gradually took over a majority of the playing time from veteran Ted Easterly, hit a modest .277 with ten RBI's

The Indians' pitching was solid if unspectacular -- effective enough to allow their explosive offense to do its job. They were led by Joe Genewich, who had his strongest month of the season, going 4-3 with a 3.86 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP. George Uhle went 2-1 with a 3.81 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP. Southpaw Eppa Rixey went 2-1 as well, with a 3.99 ERA and a mediocre 1.50 WHIP. Dickie Kerr went 3-1, despite a middling 4.54 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. Jim Bagby enjoyed tremendous offensive support, going 4-1 despite a hefty 4.78 ERA (plus an additional ten unearned runs in 49 innings), a 1.51 WHIP, and he surrendered a MLB-worst nine homers for the month.

The Indians' rebuilding plan would have to go on hiatus for a few months. Before rattling off the 7-game winning streak at the start of the month, the Tribe planned to shop veteran outfielders Bobby Veach and Sam Rice, along with struggling first baseman Wally Pipp. In light of the team's offensive resurgence, however, management decided to once again delay the inevitable rebuild. Once again, more than half of the American League was in pennant contention, with five teams separated by just two and a half games, and the sixth and seventh place Browns and Tigers were not altogether eliminated from contention. By comparison, the seventh-place Tigers were closer to first place than the second-place Cardinals were to the dominant Pirates in the National League. The Pirates' star right fielder Babe Ruth once again flirted with a triple crown, and he ended July with 38 homers and 100 RBI's - exceeding the power output of four teams.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look through the end of July:

[Dukie98]

Whatever slim hopes the Cleveland Indians had of sneaking their way into a wholly unexpected pennant were extinguished by a mediocre August. The Tribe stumbled, going just 11-12, and falling 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Red Sox, ending the month in a distant fourth place. The Indians finished August with a 63-58 overall record.

The Indians were led offensively by third baseman Russ Wrightstone, who hit .410 for the month with ten extra-base hits, including a homer and 20 RBI's. Second baseman Riggs Stephenson enhanced his MVP candidacy, hitting .360 for the month with 3 homers, 19 RBI's, and a team-high 22 runs scored. Center fielder Sam Rice hit a solid .347 with a homer and 10 RBI's, but no one else on the team topped .300. Star shortstop Joe Sewell had a disappointing month, hitting just .281 with only 7 RBI's despite hitting behind Rice. Rookie right fielder Kiki Cuyler rallied from a very poor start to hit .263 with a homer and 8 RBI's in part-time duty.

George Uhle continued to outperform his pedestrian peripheral stats, going 2-1 with a stellar 2.20 ERA despite a frightful 1.57 WHIP, and he ended August leading the American League with a 3.01 ERA. Lefty Dickie Kerr went 2-2 with a 3.90 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Righty Jim Bagby went 4-2 with a 3.96 and a solid 1.24 WHIP, but struggled mightily with the longball, surrendering ten round-trippers on the month. Indeed, Bagby faced the prospect of surrendering more homers than strikeouts on the year, ending August by yielding 19 homers in 140 innings, but striking out only 15 opposing hitters. Joe Genewich continued to struggle, going 1-2 with a 4.64 ERA and a dreadful 1.70 WHIP. Eppa Rixey continued his disappointing campaign, going 2-3 with a bloated 5.59 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP.

By mid-August, it was apparent that the Tribe should be playing for the future. Although first baseman Wally Pipp belatedly recovered from his dreadful start, he started losing significant playing time to backup Sam Post. Veteran left fielder Bobby Veach, though still productive, saw his playing time gradually reduced in favor of youngsters Cuyler and Joe Kelly. And behind the plate, veteran Ted Easterly's playing time was dramatically slashed in favor of Ray Schalk and Luke Sewell. Meanwhile, the Red Sox, led by slugger Hack Wilson, enjoyed a modest lead over the Athletics and Yankees. In the National League, Babe Ruth set a new career high by month's end with 44 homers and continued to flirt with .400, as the Pirates opened up a 10-game lead on the second-place Cardinals and a ridiculous 25-game lead on the third-place Giants.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look as of the end of August:

[Dukie98]

A middling September resulted in the Cleveland Indians falling hopelessly behind the first-place Red Sox, and demonstrated that the Indians' management made a crucial strategic error in deferring a full-fledged rebuild in the hope of chasing a remote chance at a pennant. The Tribe went 12-13 in September, ending the month in fifth place with a 75-71 record, thirteen games behind the streaking Red Sox. To make matters worse, southpaw Dickey Kerr, who was 15-8 with a solid 3.79 ERA in his first full season in the majors, suffered a career-ending rupture of his ulnar collateral ligament. The team trainer commented that the injury was effectively incurable, noting that a solution was probably at least half a century away.

The offense struggled, with only two players -- star second baseman Riggs Stephenson and rookie corner outfielder Earl Webb -- reaching even 10 RBI's for the month. Stephenson continued to lead the way offensively, hitting .350, including fifteen extra-base hits, with two homers and 25 RBI's. Center fielder Sam Rice hit .344, stole six bases, and drove in 9 runs for the month. First baseman Sam Post gradually seized control of the position from veteran Wally Pipp, hitting .365 with a .476 slugging percentage and scored a team-high 15 runs in just 17 games. But shortstop Joe Sewell continued his disappointing second-half swoon, hitting just .271 and driving in just six runs for the month. Left fielder Bobby Veach virtually assured his offseason departure by hitting just .267 and driving in a single run from the cleanup slot in 45 at bats. Catcher Ray Schalk hit an empty .271 with a meager .339 slugging percentage and just 4 RBI's. Rookie right fielder Kiki Cuyler continued his underwhelming rookie season by hitting just .216 with a .231 on-base percentage in nine starts.

The Indians actually had a solid month on the mound, notwithstanding Kerr's late-season injury. Eppa Rixey was terrific, going 4-0 with a 2.83 ERA and a stellar 1.06 WHIP. Joe Genewich nearly matched Rixey, going 3-1 with a 2.84 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. Kerr went 2-1 with a 3.23 ERA and a 1.33 WHIP before blowing out his elbow. Jim Bagby continued to struggle with the longball, going 2-4 with a 4.11 ERA and a 1.39 WHIP. George Uhle's hopes of winning the league ERA title vanished with a dreadful September, as he went 1-4 with a 5.66 ERA and a 1.74 WHIP.

The Indians were trapped in a holding pattern: by repeatedly finishing slightly above .500, management preferred to tinker around the edges in lieu of a full rebuild. But with the return to glory of the Red Sox, it was apparent that even a modest improvement would not be sufficient. At the same time, the Indians played just well enough to prevent themselves from obtaining impact players through the draft. With the late-season loss of Kerr, it appeared that the Indians would need to get worse in order to get better.

[Dukie98]

Here's how the Indians look as of the end of September: