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

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1920 American League Rookies


Frank Brower, RF, Age 24, Twins

A solid addition to the Twins lineup, Brower may well take over first base from Joe Judge (.239, 4 HR, 47 RBI) since he has had a disappointing start to his career and because the Twins have a talented outfield already. Brower will provide some much-needed left-handed protection for sluggers Irish Meusel (.273, 37 HR, 105 RBI) and Tillie Walker (.264, 37 HR, 115 RBI).




Rip Collins, SP, Age 23, Yankees

Collins should provide help for a Yankees rotation that is aging and has under-performed for several years now. His control is an issue at times, but overall, he will provide a solid presence on the mound for the Yankees as they try to move into the upper echelon of the American League.




Bibb Falk, LF, Age 20, White Sox

Falk is a talented hitter but he will find it hard to earn a spot in Chicago's outfield. He will begin by battling Braggo Roth (.262, 19 HR, 69 RBI, 43 SB) for time in left field. The team is loathe to move Roth back to third base where he struggled defensively.




Ray Grimes, 1B, Age 24, Red Sox

Grimes will be a much-needed addition to Boston's lineup, which has leaned far too much on three key hitters in recent years. Grimes' arrival will move Babe Ruth to left field though and will lead Boston to platoon 37-year-old Gavvy Cravath (.231, 41 HR, 109 RBI) with 32-year-old Harry Hooper (.242, 16 HR, 64 RBI) in right field.




Slim Harriss, SP, Age 22, Athletics

Oakland's pitching staff has struggled for several seasons now, and that has caused the team to fall short of the pennant for six straight years. The A's still have a powerful offense though, so look out this season because they have just added three talented young pitchers to their staff. Slim Harriss is the most talented of the group and will almost certainly be in the starting rotation. Roy Moore and Fred Heimach will battle for spots on the team, with their exact role in question. Both would be serviceable starters, but I have a feeling that Moore could be a dominant reliever one day.




Fred Heimach, SP, Age 18, Athletics




Roy Moore, SP, Age 21, Athletics




Marty McManus, 2B, Age 19, Orioles

Baltimore is another team in desperate need of more offense. McManus fills that need and will bat 4th behind George Sisler (.315, 15 HR, 83 RBI, 58 SB). 8-year veteran and fan favorite Del Pratt (.260, 13 HR, 65 RBI) will move to first base and Sisler will move to left field. That moves speedy but strikeout-prone Gus Williams (.238, 18 HR, 65 RBI, 34 SB, 219 K in 1918) to the bench where he will be more useful as a pinch hitter and pinch runner.




Bob Meusel, LF, Age 23, Yankees

Meusel's talent is unquestioned. The brother of Minnesota's Irish Meusel, Bob joins a Yankees team with an outfield already full of talent. The team will move him to third base in order to get his bat in the lineup. That slides Fritz Maisel (.293 OBP, 84 R, 76 SB) to second base. Meusel's glove at third base is a concern however.




Doc Prothro, 3B, Age 24, Twins

Doc will bat 2nd for the Twins as they continue an offensive makeover. He will get on base frequently ahead of Minnesota's power hitters. With the addition of Prothro batting 2nd and Brower batting 5th, we may be surprised with Minnesota this year!




Joe Sewell, SS, Age 21, Indians

The Indians have Ray Chapman (.262, 65 RBI, 47 SB) at shortstop so Sewell will take up residence at third base this season, although it is possible that the two could swap spots some day since Chapman played third base from his rookie season of 1912 up until he moved to shortstop last year. Sewell doesn't have much power, but he hits for doubles and is an overall better hitter than Chapman. He should bat 2nd behind Chapman and ahead of three power hitters in Billy Southworth (.265, 19 HR, 78 RBI), Elmer Smith (.234, 34 HR, 89 RBI) and Ben Paschal (.293, 22 HR, 76 RBI) so he could score a lot of runs.

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1920 Key Retirees - Batters


Ping Bodie, LF, White Sox

Won two Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in home runs three times and doubles twice. Played in three consecutive World Series with the White Sox as the starting left fielder, winning two titles.




Hal Chase, 1B, Yankees

Won three Gold Gloves. Chase was the top hitter in the Yankees lineup for most of his career. He finished in the Top 10 in hits five times, doubles five times, triples three times, home runs five times, stolen bases nine times, RBI seven times, runs four times, batting average four times, SLG seven times, OPS three times, VORP three times and WAR four times.




Ed Lennox, 1B, Athletics

Lennox was always overshadowed by bigger stars on the Athletics teams that won seven pennants and four World Series during his tenure, but he was a critical part of their lineup. He won two Gold Gloves and led the AL in home runs and RBI in 1906. He finished in the Top 10 in triples three times, home runs six times, RBI eight times, runs three times, walks five times, OBP four times, SLG five times, OPS six times, VORP five times and WAR five times.




Chief Meyers, C, Giants

The Giants became the top team in the NL in Chief's fifth season in the league. They then won six pennants and two World Series over his final seven seasons. He won two Gold Gloves and the 1913 batting title.




Clyde Milan, CF, Twins

Won two Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in triples twice and stolen bases nine times.




George Perring, IF, Indians

Perring played all over the infield for the Indians over his 12-year career. He was a good defender and played 673 games at first base, 623 games at second base, 329 games at shortstop and 256 games at third base. His first two seasons were as Cleveland's starting shortstop. Then after a year as a utility infielder, he became the everyday second baseman for four years. He then became the starting first baseman for four years and finished his career with one season as the starting third baseman.




Fred Snodgrass, CF, Giants

Snodgrass was the Giants' leadoff hitter for many seasons. He won one Gold Glove and played for six of the Giants' pennant winning teams, also capturing two World Series titles. He finished in the Top 10 in triples three times, stolen bases seven times, runs three times and walks four times.

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1920 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Heinie Berger, Indians

Berger was a member of Cleveland's rotation for eight seasons. He pitched around league average for his entire career, but he did finish in the Top 10 in losses five times.




Sam Frock, Braves

Finished 3rd in the 1911 PoY voting. He also finished 2nd in ERA that year. He finished in the Top 10 in HR/9 four times, H/9 three times and quality start percentage four times.




Nick Maddox, Pirates

Won one Gold Glove. Finished 3rd in the NL PoY voting in both 1909 and 1910. Later finished 3rd in the NL Fireman Award voting in 1917. He led the league in wins, winning percentage and fewest H/9 in 1909. He led the league in holds in both 1914 and 1917. He finished in the Top 10 in strikeouts three times, ERA twice, WHIP twice and WAR twice.

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1920 Hall of Fame Induction


Buck Freeman, 1B/RF, Braves

3137 H, 666 doubles, 44 triples, 772 HR, 1740 R, 2074 RBI, 910 BB, 3285 K, 47 SB, .262 AVG, .315 OBP, .518 SLG, .833 OPS, 129 OPS+, 11976 AB, 3121 G

No Awards

All-time leaderboards Top 20: Home Runs (1st), Strikeouts (1st), SLG (2nd), RBI (2nd), Games (4th), Doubles (7th), Runs (10th), Hits (10th), OPS (12th)

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1920 NL Preseason Predictions

The Giants have won seven of the past eight NL pennants and there is no sign of them slowing down. They are on pace to equal or surpass the dominance of the Philadelphia Phillies, who won ten pennants over fifteen seasons from 1888-1902. The biggest frustration for San Francisco is the fact that they have won only two of their six World Series appearances, a challenge that the old Phillies only faced once, when they won the 1902 World Series against the fledgling American League. The Giants did not add any new talent this offseason, but they did not need to. They have the most balanced lineup in the National League. They have a solid pitching staff and now they have a fine young closer in 22-year-old Rosy Ryan (4-5, 43 Sv, 2.12 ERA), who should be closing out games for the next decade.

St. Louis and Pittsburgh are considered to be the Giants' main competition. In my preseason rankings, both teams are tied for 2nd place. The Cardinals proved last season that they were on the verge of unseating the Giants, but this offseason, the Pirates added a great deal of talent to their team and made three key moves to upgrade their offense. Those moves were the addition of third baseman Pie Traynor (8-7-4-4-9 ratings), who will bat leadoff, second baseman Cotton Tierney (7-7-6-3-6) and Clyde Barnhart (7-6-4-6-8 ratings), who takes over in left field and allows Beals Becker (.232, 23 HR, 70 RBI) to move to first base where the team needed an upgrade. On the pitching side, where Pittsburgh was already dominant, they added Johnny Morrison (7-7-6 ratings) and Whitey Glazner (7-6-6 ratings) to the end of their rotation which allows Hank Robinson (14-10, 3.35 ERA as a starter) to take over as the team's new closer and 2-time PoY Claude Hendrix (6-5, 4.43 ERA) to try to revitalize his career in long relief. As for the Cardinals, they believe they already have the talent needed to compete again this year and they made no significant changes.

The next tier of challengers contains the Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds. The Cubs are closer to being a legitimate challenger with their powerful offense led by home run king Cy Williams (.236, 63 HR, 141 RBI). However, they continue to age and their pitching is not getting any better. As for Cincinnati, they hope to perform better this year if their pitching staff regains its dominant form. Unfortunately, their offense is still mainly a one-man show with 2-time BoY Ken Williams (.331, 48 HR, 116 RBI) leading the way. Williams, who is also a 3-time Gold Glove winner, will move from left field to center field this season as well.


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Wins
1	San Francisco Giants	7	7	11	11	9	8	8.8	A	101	61
2a	St. Louis Cardinals	7	7	9	8	8	9	8.1	A-	93	69
2b	Pittsburgh Pirates	10	9	8	7	7	7	8.1	A-	93	69
4	Chicago Cubs	6	5	12	8	7	7	7.8	B+	90	72
5	Cincinnati Reds	9	5	6	5	10	8	7.2	B	83	79
6	Los Angeles Dodgers	4	7	8	5	6	6	6.0	C	68	94
7	Atlanta Braves	7	6	2	9	6	9	5.7	C	66	96
8	Philadelphia Phillies	8	7	1	1	6	6	4.9	D+	56	106

MLB results for the NL in 1920

Champs: Brooklyn Robins (Dodgers), (93-61, .604)
World Series: Indians defeated Robins 5-2

For players who appear below on a team they are not playing with in MLHR, their MLHR team is listed in parenthesis

Combined WAR: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals, 9.6
Offensive WAR: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals, 9.0
Defensive WAR: Dave Bancroft, Phillies and Giants, 4.0
Batting Title: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals, .370
On-Base%: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals, .431
Slugging%: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals, .559
Runs: George Burns, Giants, 115
RBI: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals and "High Pockets" Kelly, Giants, 94
SB: Max Carey, Pirates, 52
OPS+: Rogers Hornsby, Cardinals, 185
AB/HR: Irish Meusel, Phillies (Twins), 37.0

Pitching WAR: Grover Cleveland Alexander, Cubs (Phillies), 12.1
Win%: Burleigh Grimes, Dodgers (Pirates), .760
WHIP: Babe Adams, Pirates (Cardinals), 0.981
K/9: Al Mamaux, Dodgers (Pirates), 4.768
Innings: Grover Cleveland Alexander, Cubs (Phillies), 363.1
K/BB: Babe Adams, Pirates (Cardinals), 4.667
ERA+: Grover Cleveland Alexander, Cubs (Phillies), 166
FIP: Babe Adams, Pirates (Cardinals), 2.62


MLHR Milestone Watch

80 Triples (Top 8 All-Time!)
Sherry Magee, PHI, Age 36, 77 triples

500 Home Runs
Fred Luderus, CHN, Age 34, 496 HR
Cy Williams, CHN, Age 32, 463 HR

1000 Walks
Sherry Magee, PHI, Age 36, 949 BB

700 Games Pitched
Chick Brandom, PIT, Age 33, 643 G

[darnoff]

1920 AL Preseason Predictions

After upsetting Detroit in the regular season and winning last season's World Series, the Red Sox are favored to win the pennant again this year. Their once mighty offense had been eroding for several years, relying almost exclusively on three key players to create runs, primarily 5-time BoY Babe Ruth (.331, 69 HR, 136 RBI). This offseason, they strengthened their attack with the addition of rookie first baseman Ray Grimes (9-8-6-7-6 ratings). The team is already known for having one of the better pitching staffs in the league.

Winning the AL pennant will be no easy task this season because there are more contenders than ever before. For most of the AL's history, there has been a clear division between the have's and have not's. The have's have always been a small, select group of teams - often only 2 or 3 teams. In recent years, there have been four legitimate contenders, but this season I believe the New York Yankees are finally ready to join those ranks.

In my calculations, the Yankees are actually one of the most dangerous teams this year. Their pitching rotation and defense could be a weakness, but both areas have the potential to be surprisingly good. The team has long had one of the top bullpens in the AL, but this year for the first time, New York feels like it has a legitimate offense that can keep up with other AL contenders. You can base that conclusion on two key facts: first the addition of last season's Rookie of the Year Lefty O'Doul (.341, 26 HR, 90 RBI), who won the batting title in his first season, was a big boost along with fellow rookie Curt Walker (.273, 14 HR, 77 RBI). Second is the addition of rookie Bob Meusel (8-9-8-5-4 ratings) who joins the team this year and will bat 4th. The unfortunate news is the fact that Meusel must play third base, a position he will likely struggle at defensively. It is also helpful to point out that the Yankees have added another rookie, Rip Collins (7-7-5 ratings), to their pitching rotation.

The White Sox, Athletics and Tigers will all be battling for the pennant, as we have come to expect in recent years. Chicago does it with exceptional pitching and defense. Detroit's strategy is based upon having perhaps the most formidable offense in the AL. Oakland is the most balanced of these three teams and may be the most serious challenge to Boston's chances of repeating. After all, Oakland upgraded their aging pitching staff with the addition of rookies Slim Harriss (7-7-6 ratings) and Roy Moore (7-8-4 ratings) to their rotation.

I honestly believe that any of these teams could win the pennant. When you consider the improvements made by the Twins, Indians and Orioles as well, the AL could be so competitive that no one wins 90 games. That would be an incredible change from ten years ago when Oakland won 117 games and Boston won 110 while the third place Tigers finished below .500 and were 37 games out of first place.


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Record
1	Boston Red Sox	8	8	9	7	6	8	8.0	A	91	71
2a	New York Yankees	6	9	11	5	7	5	7.8	A-	88	74
2b	Chicago White Sox	8	8	5	8	9	10	7.8	A-	88	74
4	Oakland Athletics	8	6	9	9	7	5	7.6	B+	87	75
5	Detroit Tigers	5	6	9	10	7	9	7.6	B+	86	76
6a	Minnesota Twins	8	8	4	7	7	9	6.7	B-	76	86
6b	Cleveland Indians	8	5	7	5	7	7	6.7	B-	76	86
8	Baltimore Orioles	5	8	2	4	7	5	4.9	D+	55	107

MLB results for the AL in 1920

Champs: Cleveland Indians, (98-56, .636)
World Series: Indians defeated Robins (Dodgers) 5-2

For players who appear below on a team they are not playing with in MLHR, their MLHR team is listed in parenthesis

Combined WAR: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 11.9
Offensive WAR: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 11.8
Defensive WAR: Roger Peckinpaugh, Yankees (Indians) and Everett Scott, Red Sox, 2.7
Batting Title: George Sisler, Orioles, .407
On-Base%: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), .532
Slugging%: Yankees (Red Sox), .847 (215 points ahead of Sisler in second place!)
Runs: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 158
RBI: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 135
SB: Sam Rice, Twins, 63
OPS+: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 255
AB/HR: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 8.5 (more than 4 times as frequent as Sisler in second place!)

Pitching WAR: Stan Coveleski, Indians (Athletics), 8.5
Win%: Jim Bagby, Indians (Reds), .721
WHIP: Stan Coveleski, Indians (Athletics), 1.108
K/9: Doc Ayers, Tigers (Twins), 4.443
Innings: Jim Bagby, Indians (Reds), 339.2
K/BB: Jack Quinn, Yankees, 2.104
ERA+: Bob Shawkey, Yankees (Athletics), 156
FIP: Stan Coveleski, Indians (Athletics), 2.81


MLHR Milestone Watch

700 Doubles (Good enough for 4th all-time!)
Tris Speaker, BOS, Age 32, 647 doubles

118 Triples (Good enough for #1 all-time!)
Ty Cobb, DET, Age 33, 115 triples

80 Triples (Top 8 all-time!)
Eddie Collins, OAK, Age 32, 77 triples
Joe Jackson, OAK, Age 32, 72 triples

1500 RBI
Gavvy Cravath, BOS, Age 37, 1482 RBI
Joe Jackson, OAK, Age 32, 1444 RBI

1500 Runs
Joe Jackson, OAK, Age 32, 1437 R

1000 Walks
Donie Bush, DET, Age 32, 923 BB

700 Games Pitched
Harry Krause, OAK, Age 31, 662 G
Harry Suter, CHA, Age 32, 638 G

250 Wins
Addie Joss, CLE, Age 39, 246 W

400 Saves
Harry Krause, OAK, Age 31, 356 Sv

4000 Innings Pitched
Ed Walsh, CHA, Age 38, 3935.2 IP

3000 Innings Pitched
Hippo Vaughn, NYA, Age 31, 2845.1 IP
Joe Wood, BOS, Age 30, 2774.2 IP

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NL Mid-Season Report

The Cubs have jumped out to an early lead in the NL pennant race. Their offense is ranked 1st, as usual, but the biggest diference has been the surprising performance of their pitching staff. They have actually allowed the fewest runs in the NL so far this season. Dutch Ruether (11-3, 2.27 ERA) leads the staff with rookie Percy Jones (6-4, 2.19 ERA) performing well also. The Cubs' bullpen also has the best ERA in the league.

The Cardinals have been the second most consistent team in the NL this season, remaining among the top three teams at all time up to this point. Rogers Hornsby (.367, 23 HR, 54 RBI) leads a strong offense that also includes third baseman John Kelleher (.323, 12 HR, 45 RBI) and left fielder Austin McHenry (.306, 18 HR, 51 RBI). The team's pitching staff is also doing well. They are ranked 4th overall, but their bullpen has the 2nd best ERA at 2.57. Closer Slim Sallee (5-6, 18 Sv, 1.72 ERA) continues to shut down games. I must also mention that the team is playing top notch defense and leads the league in that category.

The defending NL champion Giants are in third place with a 3rd ranked offense, 3rd ranked pitching staff and 3rd ranked defense. Several key players have had down seasons so far, but three primary bright spots have been the continued excellence of these youngsters: pitcher Waite Hoyt (8-3, 2.13 ERA), second baseman Frankie Frisch (.332, 53 R, 27 SB) and closer Rosy Ryan (4-1, 16 Sv, 0.57 ERA).

Pittsburgh is just a half-game behind San Francisco, but they have slipped after losing seven of their last eight games and finishing 15-13 in June. Their pitching staff is still #2 in the league. Dazzy Vance (7-2, 2.13 ERA) is on pace to break the 38-year-old record for strikeouts in a season, and Al Mamaux (10-4, 2.54 ERA) is backing up last year's PoY Award with another fine season. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, their offense hasn't quite clicked yet. They rank 5th out of eight teams in runs scored. That is more a result of down seasons from some key veterans because sophomore catcher Cliff Lee (.300, 26 HR, 58 RBI) and rookie third baseman Pie Traynor (.325, 9 HR, 30 RBI, 47 R) are certainly doing their part.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

AL Mid-Season Report

After starting 14-9 in April, the White Sox have remained at or near the top of the AL standings all season. The league has been competitive, as expected, and currently only the White Sox and Tigers have winning records. However, the White Sox .662 winning percentage says that they have played dominant baseball for three months. In fact, they rank first in all major pitching categories and their offense ranks 2nd in runs scored thanks to team speed and timely home runs. First baseman Jack Fournier (.294, 26 HR, 76 RBI) leads the offense while closer Mellie Wolfgang (2-2, 27 Sv, 1.64 ERA) has been dominant. Even though his win-loss record doesn't show it, ace Reb Russell (6-5, 3.01 ERA) has pitched well, but the most dominant starting pitchers for Chicago have actually been their #4 and #5 starters, Jim Scott (10-4, 3.17 ERA) and Phil Douglas (10-3, 2.96 ERA).

Detroit is doing the best job of chasing Chicago and they are seven games back. The Tigers offense is still lethal and leads the AL in every major offensive category. The team's defense is ranked 2nd, but their pitching staff has taken a step back and ranks just 5th overall. Ty Cobb (.333, 12 HR, 32 RBI, 65 R, 41 SB) is having another great season and is actually on pace to set a new personal best in stolen bases. The team actually has five of their regular eight fielders batting over .300. In addition to Cobb, the team has second baseman Harry Heilmann (.332, 14 HR, 47 RBI), centerfielder Baby Doll Jacobson (.300, 18 HR, 55 RBI, 53 R), first baseman George Burns (.312, 11 HR, 52 RBI) and rookie third baseman Sammy Hale (.327, 10 HR, 39 RBI). However, if this team hopes to catch Chicago, their pitching must improve.

The biggest story of the season may be the sub-par performance of the defending World Series champion Red Sox, as well as mediocre play by the Athletics, who many people expected to win the pennant. The Yankees were hot early on but have cooled off recently and are tied with Oakland at one game below .500. Oakland's offense has slumped badly, and Boston has struggled in every aspect of the game. Of the three teams, New York has been the most balanced. The Yankees are ranked 2nd in pitching and 3rd in offense, but just 5th defensively.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

NL Season Wrap-up

The Pirates went 18-7 in July and 20-9 in August to make this a two-team race between them and the Cubs. As of September 1st, Chicago led Pittsburgh by 4 games. The Cubs won just four of their first seven games in September heading into a 4-game showdown with the Pirates in Chicago. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh went 4-2 over that same span, gaining a half game. What happened next was pure joy for Pirates fans but pure horror for Cubs fans. The Pirates swept the entire 4-game series... in Chicago! In the first game, Pittsburgh crushed rookie Percy Jones (15-9, 3.21 ERA) 7-2. Then the Pirates won three nailbiters by the following scores: 3-1, 5-3 and 4-3. That gave Pittsburgh a narrow half-game lead in the standings with three weeks left to play.

Over the next two weeks, Pittsburgh went just 8-6 but Chicago continued to slump with a 5-8 record over the same span. The Cubs began the final week of the season with a 8-5 loss to the Reds which gave them a 6-game losing streak at the most critical point of the season. They went on to win the next two games against the Reds, but they lost their next two games to the last place Phillies while the Pirates won seven straight games to clinch their first pennant since 1907. For Pittsburgh, their pitching rotation continued to be their strength. Unfortunately, their bullpen struggled to a 6th place ranking, which could be crucial in the World Series. Their offense did come on strong late in the season and finished ranked 4th overall. However, they did lead the NL with a .262 team batting average.

Pittsburgh ace Dazzy Vance (19-3, 2.21 ERA) tied the MLHR record for strikeouts with 338. That record had stood since San Francisco's Fred Goldsmith set it in 1882 - 38 years ago. Vance also finished mere percentage points from breaking Goldsmith's record of a 12.433 K/9 rate from that season. Vance also set a new MLHR record for pitching WAR at 10.76, edging out Ed Walsh's record of 10.44 from 1906. And Vance's 19-3 record resulted in a .8636 winning percentage which was good enough for 3rd best all-time, just surpassing Walter Johnson's .8621 mark set in his rookie year when he posted a superb 25-4 record.

Meanwhile, three MLHR batters snapped the record for strikeouts as a hitter which had been set at 224 in 1899. The new owner of that dubious distinction is Phillies centerfielder Bevo LeBourveau (.219, 14 HR, 52 RBI) who fanned an amazing 234 times in 656 plate appearances.

And while we are discussing new records, Cincinnati's Dixie Davis (16-11, 3.04 ERA) set a new MLHR record for the fewest BB/9 with a rate of just 0.76, beating out the rate of 0.801 which had stood since 1895 when it was set by then-Cubs pitcher Clark Griffith.

On the team record front, Pittsburgh's pitching staff set new NL records for team ERA, WHIP and BB/9 ratio. However, the hapless Phillies also set a new standard for failure with 121 losses. The previous two highest loss totals also belonged to the Phillies. They lost 119 in 1880 and 116 in 1917. Oddly enough, in between these two periods of ineptitude in Philadelphia was the finest run for any team in history when the Phillies won 10 pennant in 15 years. Feast or famine, I suppose.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




National League Rosters

[darnoff]

AL Season Wrap-up

The White Sox finished the first half of the season with a 7-game lead over Detroit. One month later, they had opened it up to an 18-game lead! The pennant was sewn up in early September in shocking runaway fashion. The White Sox had the best pitching staff in the American League. Add to that the fact that closer Mellie Wolfgang (3-4, 50 Sv, 2.27 ERA) broke his own teammate's 4-year old record for single-season saves and also became the first closer in MLHR's 45-year history to reach 50 saves! The offense was ranked 3rd overall.

Oakland came on strong late to finish in second place, but Chicago clearly had no real challenge for the last half of the season. It is amazing to see how disappointing teams in Boston, Detroit, New York and even Oakland fared this year. Boston's season was a disaster in almost every sense of the word as nearly every key player underperformed their career averages, particularly stars like last year's PoY Joe Wood (9-16, 4.47 ERA), who had only lost 11 games four times in his career but lost 16 this year at age 30, and 1919 World Series MVP Fritz Coumbe (3-13, 15 Sv, 5.67 ERA), who was removed from the closer's role this season. There is some concern in Boston that Wood, a 3-time PoY, may no longer be dominant after two poor seasons in the past three years - even though the other season was a PoY campaign. Detroit's pitching staff fell apart and wound up ranked next-to-last in the league. New York had just the second winning season in franchise history, tying the team record with 83 wins, but that is still less than what they had hoped to achieve this year. Their offense scored the most runs in the AL, but their starting rotation struggled somewhat and their team defense was dead last in the league - something that surely needs to be addressed. As for Oakland, their pitching staff improved from recent years but their offense took a step back and their defense was ranked 6th.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




National League Rosters

[darnoff]

1920 World Series

Game 1

This game was billed as a fantastic pitching match with both teams sending out their aces. Chicago's Reb Russell did his part, allowing just one run over seven innings. However, record-setting Pittsburgh ace Dazzy Vance was not himself as he coughed up seven runs over seven innings, all of them coming on five home runs. It was a a very uncharacteristic performance by Vance, who will certainly hope to get another shot in Game 5.




Game 2

This game was tied 2-2 after six innings, but in the top of the 7th, Pittsburgh rookie Cotton Tierney hit a solo home run off starting pitcher Ed Walsh to lead off the inning and give the Pirates the lead. Pirates starter Elmer Ponder shut the White Sox down in the bottom of the inning. Then in the bottom of the 8th, reliever Hank Robinson, who actually began the season as Pittsburgh's closer after a career in the starting rotation, came in to face three straight lefties. However, he walked the first two batters and then gave up an RBI single to Chicago rookie Bibb Falk. After getting the next batter out, Pittsburgh brought in setup reliever Carmen Hill to keep the game tied. He recorded out number two but then he hit #8 hitter Ray Schalk. He then gave up two singles which scored three runs.

In the top of the 9th, another rookie, Clyde Barnhart, hit a solo homer for Pittsburgh with one out off Frank Miller. After recording the second out, Miller walked pinch hitter Carson Bigbee. Chicago turned to closer Mellie Wolfgang to face yet another rookie in leadoff man Pie Traynor. Traynor singled off the secod pitch he saw, bringing the winning run to the plate. Wolfgang then walked Pat Duncan, and the winning run was at first with the bases loaded and two outs. On the first pitch of the next at-bat, Pirates #3 hitter Max Carey, who had struggled early in the season but was hitting .571 during the World Series, swung at the first pitch and grounded out to end the game.




Game 3

The White Sox took an early 4-0 lead on Pittsburgh's Al Mamaux. The Pirates scored one run off Chicago starter Dickey Kerr in the 3rd and another in the 5th when Pie Traynor hit a solo home run. That made the score 4-2. Then in the bottom of the 8th, Kerr allowed three singles and a double before being removed in a 4-4 tie. With one out, Joe Benz came in to pitch and got a strike out before allowing a walk and then a single for one more run as the Pirates took a 5-4 lead. In the top of the 9th, Pirates closer Claude Hendrix gave up a leadoff single. The White Sox brought in speedy Johnny Mostil as a pinch runner, and he was bunted to second. However, Hendrix got a fly out and a strike out to earn the save in Pittsburgh's first win of the series.




Game 4

The White Sox scored five runs off Pittsburgh rookie Johnny Morrison over five innings, and they added three more runs in the 6th off reliever Jack Scott. Chicago's Jim Scott didn't have his best day, scattering 10 hits, but he allowed just three runs over six innings and came out victorious.




Game 5

Dazzy Vance got some revenge in Game 5, allowing just two runs off five hits and two walks over eight innings. Reb Russell pitched well, but not well enough to earn the victory. He tossed eight innings but allowed four runs off eight hits and earned the loss.




Game 6

This one turned out to be a superb pitching duel. Pittsburgh's Elmer Ponder pitched a complete game, allowing just one run on eight hits. Meanwhile, Chicago's Ed Walsh allowed only four hits but Pittsburgh turned those hits into two runs, which was good enough to win the game and force a Game 7 for a third straight year.




Game 7

What a spectacular Game 7! First of all, this game featured eight shutout innings and the pressure heightened as each inning passed. Chicago's Dickie Kerr tossed seven shutout innings, allowing just five hits and one walk, while Pittsburgh's Al Mamaux threw eight shutouts innings while scattering ten hits and two walks. It then came down to a battle of bullpens. Chicago setup man George Mogridge saw his first action of the Series. After tossing a scoreless eighth inning, Mogridge started the 9th with a single and a 2-run homer to Beals Becker. All looked lost for the White Sox and their home town fans as Pirates closer Claude Hendrix walked to the mound in the bottom of the 9th. After getting the first batter out, Hendrix proceeded to walk three straight batters on a total of 16 pitches. After a visit to the mound, Hendrix was allowed to stay in the game and on his second pitch to leadoff man Jimmy Johnston, he gave up a 2-run double which tied the game. Pittsburgh then brought in rookie Whitey Glazner, who was a starter during the season, but had pitched twice in this series as a reliever, and had thrown a scoreless inning both times. He started by intentionally walking the bases loaded to setup a force play at any base. With the infield drawn in, Edd Roush slapped a single over the shortstop's head to score the winning run!




Recap

The White Sox dominated the series early, but despite being up 3-games-to-1, it felt like such an improbable victory when they battled back after being down 2-0 in the bottom of the 9th in Game 7. Both teams were known for their pitching this season, but overall Chicago pitched a little better in the Series, especially their bullpen, and that was enough to nip the Pirates in seven games.

Series MVP

Despite a tough game seven where he grounded into three double plays and stranded six runners, rookie Bibb Falk was still named Series MVP based on the merits of his performance throughout the first six games. Not only did he lead the offense in OPS but he also made several impressive catches in the outfield which undoubtedly saved runs.

Bibb Falk, LF, CHA: .370 AVG, .414 OBP, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R

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Season Awards


NL Batter of the Year




NL Pitcher of the Year




NL Rookie of the Year




NL Fireman Award




NL Gold Gloves
P - Lee Meadows, STL
C - Frank Snyder, STL (2nd consecutive)
1B - George Kelly, SFG (2nd consecutive)
2B - Bernie Friberg, CHN
3B - Red Smith, LAD (2nd overall)
SS - Gene Paulette, SFG
LF - Clyde Barnhart, PIT (rookie!)
CF - Max Carey, PIT (4th overall)
RF - Mike Fitzgerald, PHI


AL Batter of the Year




AL Pitcher of the Year




AL Rookie of the Year




AL Fireman Award




AL Gold Gloves
P - Scott Perry, BAL (3rd overall... first pitcher since 1900 to win a 3rd Gold Glove and the first ever in the AL!)
C - Ray Schalk, CHA (3rd overall)
1B - Joe Harris, NYA (2nd consecutive)
2B - Harry Heilmann, DET (2nd consecutive)
3B - Sammy Hale, DET (rookie!)
SS - Buck Weaver, CHA, 2nd overall)
LF - Babe Ruth, BOS (2nd overall - one at 1B and one for LF)
CF - Happy Felsch, CHA (4th overall)
RF - Ty Cobb, DET (4th overall)

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End of Decade Recap

We have finished another decade in MLHR. This past decade has been marked by the rise of several sluggers that possess home run power far greater than the average player of their generation, which skews home runs in their favor. Therefore, we have seen home run, slugging and OPS numbers higher than normal for today's top sluggers. What this means is that they are were far better than their contemporaries in the home run hitting department when they played their actual MLB careers. But keep in mind that any active player's ranking on a career leaderboard for any "ratio" statistic such as batting average or a pitcher's ERA will certainly drop as their career progresses and they age.


Batting Records




Pitching Records




Key Batting Leaderboards

Average




Hits




Doubles




Home Runs




RBI




Runs




Stolen Bases




Walks




WAR




Key Pitching Leaderboards

Wins




ERA




WHIP




Shutouts




Complete Games




Innings Pitched




Strikeouts




Saves




Games Pitched




WAR

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1910's Wrap-up


National League Pennants

Giants - 6 in MLHR (2-4 in WS), 4 in MLB
Cubs - 3 in MLHR (0-3 in WS), 1 in MLB
Pirates - 1 in MLHR (0-1 in WS), 0 in MLB
Dodgers - 0 in MLHR, 2 in MLB
Braves - 0 in MLHR, 1 in MLB
Phillies - 0 in MLHR, 1 in MLB
Reds - 0 in MLHR, 1 in MLB

The Giants had a lot to live up to with four MLB pennants in the real decade of the 1910's and they actually surpassed it by winning six in MLHR. Unfortunately, they only won two of those six World Series. Of all National League teams, the Giants received the most talent in MLHR which means that in MLB they had the largest quantity of rookies over the decade as well as the most overall talent to begin their careers with the club. Where those players finished their careers in MLB is another story.

The Cubs had better success in MLHR than they did in MLB. That is partly due to the fact that in MLHR players do not get injured and have longer careers. That allowed their talent from the late 1900's carry over into the early 1910's. Their success is also due to the fact that they added more new talent than any other NL team except the Giants.

The biggest disappointment were the Dodgers, who won two pennants in MLB but only had three winning seasons over the decade in MLHR. That tells me that most of the talent from the two MLB pennant winning clubs were not actually developed or signed as amateurs by the Dodgers organization, but acquired in trades.

American League Pennants


White Sox - 4 in MLHR (3-1 in WS), 2 in MLB
Red Sox - 3 in MLHR (3-0 in WS), 4 in MLB
Athletics - 2 in MLHR (1-1 in WS), 3 in MLB
Tigers - 1 in MLHR (1-0 in WS), 0 in MLB
Indians - 0 in MLHR, 1 in MLB

The MLHR Athletics came off a dominant decade from 1901-10 and they won their two pennants in this decade at the very beginning - 1911 and 1913. After that, they saw decline as some key players aged and limited top tier talent was added.

The MLHR Red Sox have benefitted from not selling off key players as they did in MLB. They still have players like Babe Ruth, Tris Speaker and Carl Mays on their roster. Since most of those key players were sold at the end of the 1910's in MLB, we should see a real change in Boston's fortunes in the next decade - the 1920's - as these players remain with the Red Sox.

The White Sox saw the biggest improvement over their MLB results. Their MLHR pitching staff has been dominant, but it will be interesting to see how they do in the 1920's since no players were banned due to throwing the 1919 World Series. In fact, that also affects Oakland since outfielder Shoeless Joe Jackson will get to finish his career where he began - with the A's.


Franchises

[darnoff]

1920's Preview


National League Pennants

Giants - 4
Cardinals - 3
Pirates - 2
Cubs - 1

In MLB, the Giants won the first four pennants of the 1920's, but did not win another one over the final six years of the decade. That could potentially happen in MLHR because the Giants are still one of the most balanced and talented teams in the NL.

The Cardinals and Pirates were competitive throughout the MLB decade and combined to win half the pennants. Both teams are talented in MLHR as well. The Pirates won the last pennant of the previous decade in MLHR, so perhaps they can do better than the two pennants they won in MLB. The MLHR Cardinals currently have a nice offense led by Rogers Hornsby and Austin McHenry. In 1922, they will add slugging first baseman Jim Bottomley. Now, if they can improve their pitching, I think they could be the dominant National League team of the MLHR 1920's.


American League Pennants

Yankees - 6
Twins - 2
Athletics - 2

The 1920's is when the MLB Yankees began their run of dominance with the duo of Ruth and Gehrig. Well, they won't have Ruth but the Iron Horse is on his way soon, as are Tony Lazerri, Earle Combs and Bill Dickey. Interestingly enough, even without Ruth the Yankees had the top offense in MLHR's 1920 season. More so than the addition of Gehrig, Dickey and company, I want to see what kind of pitching talent the Yankees can add. Winning six pennants will be a mighty challenge for the MLHR Yankees to undertake.

The Senators (Twins) won the 1924 and 1925 AL pennants in MLB. The MLHR version of the team has assembled a nice offense, despite their poor results last season. Now, if they can add some pitching talent in the rotation alongside Walter Johnson, they may have a chance. However, there are still other AL teams that are very talented, so winning a pennant will be a challenge for the MLHR Twins.

The MLB Athletics won the final two pennants of the real 1920's as Connie Mack assembled his second - and perhaps better - dynasty. I think that these A's will be quite dominant in the MLHR 1930's as well, because unlike other MLB teams like the Yankees, the Athletics were known for signing most of their key stars themselves. Look for players like Mickey Cochrane, Jimmie Foxx, Al Simmons and Lefty Grove. These are some of my all-time favorite players, so I will be very excited to see them join the league, even if it means rooting for the Athletics again.

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1921 National League Rookies


Garland Braxton, MR, Age 20, Braves

The Braves need a lot more help than this one player, but it's not a bad place to start. Braxton is young and should be a steady closer for 10-15 years. He has the stuff to maintain a high strikeout rate, which is crucial in this role. He projects to be slightly better than league average in preventing walks and home runs. Atlanta would love for him to be a starting pitcher, but he doesn't quite have the stamina.




Kiki Cuyler, RF, Age 22, Pirates

Despite a solid rookie debut last season, Clyde Barnhart (.274, 6 HR, 51 RBI) will loose his position to Cuyler, who will bat 3rd and should be an offensive upgrade for the Bucs. Cuyler is also one of the few rookies with speed that has joined the league in recent years, so that is a plus for Pittsburgh. Cuyler should steal 30-45 bags per year.




Pete Donohue, SP, Age 20, Reds

Donohue is an expert at controlling his pitches. He does not strike out many batters, but he makes up for any lack of velocity in pin-point control and an ability to keep the ball down and avoid home runs. His presence puts the Reds' rotation nearly on par with Pittsburgh's. Now Cincy needs to work on their offense.




Lew Fonseca, 1B, Age 21, Reds

Speaking of offense for the Reds, Fonseca is the first major offensive addition Cincinnati has made since they landed slugging outfielder Ken Williams (.338, 50 HR, 109 RBI) in 1915. Fonseca does not have Williams' power, but he will hit for a high average. He is also an impressive defensive infielder and will likely be moved to second base where the Reds have had very little offensive production in recent years.




Claude Jonnard, MR, Age 23, Giants

If the Giants didn't already have young Rosy Ryan (4-5, 33 Sv, 2.21 ERA) as their closer, Jonnard would be a candidate for the job. Instead, he will get a lot of work as Ryan's setup man. Jonnard should be about league average in terms of home runs and walks allowed, but he will rack up plenty of strikeouts, which should make him well suited for a relief role that limits him to one-inning outings. This addition gives San Francisco one of the best bullpens in the league.




Johnny Mokan, LF, Age 24, Pirates

Mokan is a solid talent who would be starting on most teams. However, the Pirates currently have a young and loaded outfield, so he will play a part-time role and hope to collect 250-300 plate appearances. Should any of Pittsburgh's starters struggle, Mokan's role will likely be increased.




Frank Parkinson, 2B, Age 24, Phillies

At first glance, it does not appear as though Parkinson should be on this list. However, he is a superb defensive infielder. He also has 15-20 home run power. His biggest issue will be a propensity for strikeouts. He will likely challenge teammate Bevo LeBourveau (.219, 14 HR, 52 RBI), who set a new MLHR record last season with 234 K's, for the league lead in strikeouts. However, Parkinson should have a major impact on the Phillies in terms of the defense he will play, and that is worthy of being noted here.

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1921 American League Rookies


Goose Goslin, LF, Age 20, Twins

Goslin is a superior hitter who adds additional depth to Minnesota's improved offense. He will bat third ahead of slugger Irish Meusel (.261, 34 HR, 109 RBI) and sophomore first baseman Frank Brower (.310, 22 HR, 79 RBI). Unfortunately, to get Goslin into the every day lineup, the Twins had to relegate 33-year-old Tillie Walker (.229, 31 HR, 97 RBI) to a part time role. However, Goslin will hit for a much higher average than Walker and should hit about the same number of home runs.




Ray Kolp, SP, Age 24, Orioles

The Orioles need help in several areas, but none more so than their starting rotation. Baltimore hopes that Kolp can provide some stability there. He does have excellent control of his pitches, but he is at or above league average in most other areas.




Bing Miller, RF, Age 24, Twins

Miller is an excellent young hitter. He should be a .300 hitter with 25+ home runs. Unfortunately, Minnesota has no room for him, which means that he will have a part-time role on the Twins' roster. Perhaps that will change if center fielder Sam Rice (.318, 100 R, 56 RBI, 30 SB) shows any signs of decline at age 31.




Jesse Petty, SP, Age 24, Indians

As the Indians have made great strides to improve their offense in recent years, they are now adding some additional talent to their pitching staff. Oddly enough, pitching was once the Indians' primary strength. 40-year-old Addie Joss will relinquish the starting job he has held for 19 years and move to the bullpen. That means that Petty joins a rotation that is actually quite young with the likes of "Sad Sam" Jones (11-9, 3.62 ERA), Guy Morton (13-14, 4.31 ERA) and George Uhle (11-9, 4.04 ERA) all aged 28 or younger. This rotation has plenty of talent. They now just need to put it all together. One key component to consider is a defense that struggles regularly.




Earl Sheely, 1B, Age 24, White Sox

Sheely is a solid hitter and good defensive first baseman. Unfortunately, first base for the White Sox is manned by their top hitter, Jack Fournier (.280, 48 HR, 129 RBI). However, Fournier is a natural outfielder and would welcome a move to the outfield. The problem is, Chicago's outfield is already loaded with talent.




Riggs Stephenson, LF, Age 22, Indians

Stephenson may be the best offensive rookie this season. He should hit for a high average and hit 25+ home runs. He will bat 3rd for Cleveland and his presence lengthens the Indians' lineup to the point that it could soon be considered the best in the league. Because Cleveland has a solid outfield, Stephenson will move to second base, replacing Bill Wambsganss (.235, 1 HR, 28 RBI, 41 R in 523 AB).




Lefty Stewart, SP, Age 20, Tigers

Finally, the Tigers add some pitching! Stewart is not an ace, but he should be a strong addition to Detroit's often maligned pitching rotation. Detroit needs to continue to add pitching if they hope to consistently be the best team in the AL.

[darnoff]

1921 Key Retirees - Batters


Tex Erwin, C, Tigers

Erwin was a little known force in Detroit's mighty lineup for 14 seasons. He retired with the third most home runs (309) of any catcher in MLHR history.




Steve Evans, RF, Giants

Was a key member of the Giants lineup in the early days of their recent dynasty. He finished in the Top 10 in OBP four times and OPS twice.




Ed Konetchy, 1B, Cardinals

Koney was known for both his glove and his bat. He won five Gold Gloves. He also led the NL in doubles in 1913 and triples twice. He finished in the Top 10 in home runs five times, RBI nine times, runs three times, walks four times, OBP five times, SLG five times, OPS five times, VORP four times and WAR four times.




Sherry Magee, 1B/LF, Phillies

Won two Gold Gloves early in his career as a left fielder, but he played the majority of his career at first base. He led the NL in doubles in 1916, triples in 1910 and RBI in 1911. He finished in the Top 10 in hits three times, doubles six times, triples eight times, home runs three times, stolen bases twelve times, RBI three times, runs four times, walks five times and OPS three times.




Fred Merkle, 1B, Giants

Won two Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in triples five times, home runs three times, SLG four times and OPS four times.




Dots Miller, IF, Pirates

Miller played all over the infield for the Pirates from 1909-20. He even won a Gold Glove at shortstop in 1915. He played 725 career games at shortstop, 422 at first base, 202 at second base and 54 at third base.

[darnoff]

1921 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Chick Brandom, Pirates

Finished 2nd in the Fireman Award voting in 1913 and 1918.




Ed Reulbach, Cubs

Named the 1905 Rookie of the Year when he led the NL in quality start percentage. Pitched in six World Series with the Cubs, winning two. He led the NL in wins in 1910 and fewest HR/9 three times. He also finished in the Top 10 in wins four times, innings three times, strikeouts five times, ERA four times, WHIP five times, RA/9 four times, HR/9 seven times, H/9 six times, K/9 six times, VORP three times, quality starts four times and WAR five times, but also in walks six times.

[darnoff]

1921 Hall of Fame Induction


NONE