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

[darnoff]

NL Season Wrap-up

By the end of Labor Day weekend, the Cardinals led the Pirates by seven games. A week later, the Cardinals appeared to be reeling after losing four straight games in Cincinnati. The following week, the Cards won 2-of-3 in San Francisco but then dropped 3-of-4 in Philadelphia. The Pirates didn't fare much better, posting a 7-8 record in the first half of September. The Giants, on the other hand, went 10-4 over that stretch. With two weeks left in the season, the Cardinals led the Pirates by 4 1/2 games and the Giants by 5 1/2 games.

The following week, St. Louis won 2-of-3 versus the Cubs but then lost 2-of-3 at home to the Pirates. The Giants won four straight games to begin the week before losing their final two in Atlanta. So then with just one week left, the Cardinals still led Pittsburgh by 4 games and the Giants by 4 1/2 games. The Cardinals also had a significant edge because they finished the season at home playing three games against the Dodgers - who were on the verge of posting one of the worst records in MLHR history - and then three games against the slumping Phillies.

On the first day of the final week, the Pirates lost a heartbreaker 4-3 in Cincinnati, but the Cardinals also fell 8-3 to the Dodgers. However, the Giants did capitalize by winning 6-0 in Chicago to pass Pittsburgh into 2nd place just 3 1/2 games out. On the next day, the Pirates lost another tough game 1-0 in 10 innings. St. Louis scored two runs in the bottom of the 9th but still lost to the lowly Dodgers 3-2. Meanwhile, the Giants walloped the Cubs 10-3 and were suddenly just 2 1/2 games behind the Cardinals. On 9/26, the Reds completed their sweep of the Pirates with a 6-2 win, eliminating Pittsburgh from the pennant race. St. Louis salvaged the final game against the Dodgers in a 4-3 nail-biter while the Giants fell 5-3 in Chicago. That pushed the Cardinals' lead back to 3 1/2 games and their magic number fell to one. On the following day with St. Louis off, Cincinnati had a shot at playing spolier and eliminating two teams from the race on back-to-back days, but it didn't happen as the Giants scored 4 runs in the 9th inning to avoid elimination by a 8-5 score.

As the final series of the season began, the Giants clobbered the Reds 10-0 and the Cardinals fell at home 6-3 to the Phillies allowing the Giants to stay alive for another day. The next day, the Giants fell 5-3 to Cincinnati ace Pete Donohue, eliminating them from the race. At the same time, St. Louis was wrapping up a 6-2 win against the Phillies after which they celebrated their pennant on the field in front of the home town crowd. Bill Hallahan did his job as the staff ace allowing just one unearned run over 8 1/3 innings.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




National League Rosters

[darnoff]

AL Season Wrap-up

On August 12th, Cleveland completed a 3-game sweep of the Yankees in New York and went on to win 11 of their next 17 games. As of the end of August, the Indians had taken over first place and led New York by a single game. From September 6-9, the Indians and Yankees split a 4-game set in Cleveland. The next week, Cleveland dropped 5 of 7 games on an ugly road trip through Baltimore and Detroit. New York went 5-2 against the same two teams and took a half-game lead with two weeks left to play. Not to be forgotten, the Twins went 11-3 over the first half of September and sat five games behind the Yankees as they began the final stretch.

As hot as Oakland was beginning the month, they turned just as cold when it really counted. They were swept in a 3-game series in Baltimore from September 17-19. They then lost to the Yankees 2-1 in a key series opener in New York. When they lost to New York and Milt Gaston 8-0 the following day, they were eliminated from contention. The Yankees went 5-2 that week while the Indians lost 2-of-3 games in Boston and were then swept in a 3-game series in Minnesota, completing what may have been the worst road trip in team history (3-10 in total!). That meant that with just one week left, they were four games behind New York and had to face the tough Athletics for a 3-game set in Cleveland. After a day off, New York would head to Minnesota for three games.

Cleveland began the final week with a huge 3-1 win over the A's behind a complete game from rookie pitcher Mel Harder. The Yankees had the day off so the Indians crept a half-game closer. On the following day, the Indians pulled off another big win over Oakland. It was a 3-0 shutout tossed by George Uhle. The Yankees lost their series opener in Minnesota 4-3 and the Indians were now 2 1/2 games back. On 9/26, Oakland pulled out a 5-3 win but the Yankees fell 3-1 in Minnesota. The next day with Cleveland off, the Yankees scored a run in the top of the 9th to tie their game in Minnesota 2-2. The Twins scored in the bottom of the 11th though and finished off a sweep of the Yankees. That loss shrunk New York's lead to two games with three left to play, but they still had a significant advantage with a magic number of two.

On the first day of the teams' final series, New York held off Baltimore 5-4 while Cleveland pounded the last place Tigers 8-3. The Yankees win dropped their magic number to one with two games left. On the following day, Yankees ace George Pipgras pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings as the Yankees defeated the Orioles 5-0 to clinch the first pennant in the team's 28-year history!

One other milestone note, Boston's Tris Speaker passed John McGraw for the most career games played. He also became the third player (all of which occurred in the past 5 seasons!) to surpass 4,000 hits joining Ty Cobb & Joe Jackson.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




American League Rosters

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1928 World Series

Game 1

This game was scoreless for three innings but in the bottom of the 4th, Yankees right fielder Bob Meusel hit a 2-run home run off Cardinals starting pitcher Fred Frankhouse. In the following inning, St. Louis left fielder Chick Hafey led off with a solo homer off George Murray to get one run back. Then in the 6th, the Cardinals got two singles and an RBI double from Rogers Hornsby all off Murray with one out to tie the game. Reliever Archie Campbell came in and struck out BOY candidate Jim Bottomley, but then Hafey hit a double on an 0-1 pitch to score two more runs and give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead. St. Louis scored another run in the 7th, which proved to be pivotal. That's beacuse closer Hi Bell entered the game with a 3-run lead in the 9th. He allowed a leadoff single to Lou Gehrig followed by two outs. Then Bill Dickey doubled in a run and Harvey Hendrick followed with another RBI double and suddenly it was a 1-run game with the tying run at 2nd base. Mark Koenig singled to shallow left field and Hendrick was held at 3rd. Then Bell got pinch hitter Joe Harris swinging on a 2-2 slider to end the game. Despite the loss, New York made a statement in that final inning about the power of their offense. Pitchers beware!




Game 2

Both teams sent out their staff ace for this game. New York's George Pipgras did not have his best stuff though. The Cardinals scored two runs in the first inning. He limited the damage for much of the game, but they hit him hard all night. Even outs were hit hard. The Cards added another run in the 5th for a 3-0 lead. Meanwhile, Bill Hallahan tossed eight shutout innings. The Yankees did manage to score a run in the 9th again, this time a solo home run from Bob Meusel off reliever Bob Steele, but that was all they could muster as the Cardinals took a big 2-0 series lead and headed home to St. Louis.




Game 3

The Yankees jumped out to an early lead with two runs in the first inning off Flint Rhem. However, Rhem settled in after that and did not allow another run over his six innings pitched. Meanwhile, in the bottom of the 3rd, the Cardinals offense got to Yankees starter Hank Johnson. #8 hitter Howard Freigau led off with a single and was then bunted to second base by Rhem. After a fly out for out #2, catcher Spud Davis got a clutch single which drove Freigau home for the Cardinals' first run. That also allowed 8-time BOY Rogers Hornsby to come up to the plate, and he made Johnson pay with a 2-run line drive homer that just made it over the right field fence. The next batter was Jim Bottomley, and he hit a solo bomb to deep right-center to give St. Louis a 4-2 lead. The Cardinals added two more runs in the 6th and New York came back with two runs in the 8th. Then closer Hi Bell came in and pitched more like he has all season and set the Yankees 1-2-3 hitters down easily for his 2nd save.




Game 4

Both teams used their 4th starters for this game - Rip Collins for New York and former staff ace Jakie May for St. Louis - and most people expected a high scoring affair with these two top notch offenses squaring off. Rogers Hornsby got the scoring started with a solo home run in the bottom of the 1st inning. New York tied the game in the 2nd, but St. Louis took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the inning thanks to a Chick Hafey solo shot. While the Cardinals had the lead, New York's Collins was actually pitching better than St. Louis' May. He just made two bad pitches that the Cardinals' #3 and #4 hitters took advantage of. Otherwise, Collins went on to pitch the first four innings and allowed only those two runs. May, on the other hand, loaded the bases in both of the first two innings but New York could not capitalize. He did not look sharp and actually walked six batters over five innings but managed to allow just a single run.

Collins allowed a third run when pinch hitter Austin McHenry doubled home Howard Freigau from second in the 5th inning. After the 5th, both teams turned to their bullpens and both bullpens performed well. For the next three innings, both teams' bullpens combined to allow no runs and just three hits and three walks while striking out eight batters. In the top of the 9th with St. Louis still leading 3-1, closer Hi Bell entered the game. He got two quick outs, but then Lou Gehrig hit a solo home run to right-center field. Bell then got Lefty O'Doul to strike out swinging to end the game and finish off a series sweep.




Recap

The bottom line in this series was that the vaunted Yankees offense simply did not perform. Their 1 through 5 hitters combined to go 14-for-76 (.184) with three home runs and six RBI. One home run did not come until the final inning of the series when Gehrig hit a solo shot that wound up meaning little. The other two were hit by Bob Meusel in Games 1 and 2. All four games were very close and exciting, but the Cardinals played like seasoned veterans with clutch hits and timely pitching, while the Yankees seemed to squander most opportunities.

Series MVP

Rogers Hornsby, 2B, STL: .438 AVG, 1.596 OPS, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 5 R

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1928 Season Awards


NL Batter of the Year




NL Pitcher of the Year




NL Rookie of the Year




NL Fireman Award




NL Gold Gloves
P - Bob Osborn, CHN
C - Shanty Hogan, ATL
1B - Don Hurst, PHI (rookie!)
2B - Fresco Thompson, PIT
3B - Les Bell, STL
SS - Travis Jackson, SFG (4th overall)
LF - Freddy Leach, PHI
CF - Taylor Douthit, STL (4th overall)
RF - Jimmy Welsh, ATL


AL Batter of the Year




AL Pitcher of the Year




AL Rookie of the Year




AL Fireman Award




AL Gold Gloves
P - Herb Bradley, BOS
C - Buck Crouse, CHW (2nd overall)
1B - Ed Morgan, CLE (rookie!)
2B - Bill Cissell, CHW (rookie!)
3B - Willie Kamm, CHW (5th consecutive)
SS - Joe Sewell, CLE (2nd consecutive)
LF - Al Simmons, OAK
CF - Johnny Mostil, CHW (5th overall)
RF - Edd Roush, CHW (9th overall) - This breaks Honus Wagner's record of 8 Gold Gloves for the most ever by a single player!

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1929 National League Rookies


Johnny Frederick, CF, Age 24, Dodgers

He should be a huge help for the Dodgers. His presence will help improve their mediocre lineup, but more importantly, he will provide top level defense in centerfield. That is critically important for a team struggling to improve in the pitching category.




Larry French, SP, Age 21, Pirates

With Dazzy Vance turning 38 in March and last season's POY Johnny Morrison now 33, French helps the team stay young but also provides the team a potential future ace. If he lives up to his potential, he could join a long line of Pittsburgh aces that include HOF'ers Jim Devlin and Rube Waddell, as well as future HOF'er Vance.




Al Grabowski, SP, Age 24, Cardinals

St. Louis already had some excellent pitchers with Bill Hallahan and Fred Frankhouse, but Grabowski has the talent to challenge Hallahan for ace status one day. Improving the rest of the rotation, which St. Louis has long needed to do, will go a long way toward helping St. Louis keep ahead of the Giants and stay on top in the NL.




Cy Moore, SP, Age 23, Dodgers; Bobo Newsom, SP, Age 21, Dodgers

Few teams need anything more than the Dodgers need pitching. They have been without reliable starting pitching for most of the past 2 to 3 decades. Newsom is a hard thrower with true ace potential. He will easily be the leader of this staff. Moore is a well-rounded, quality pitcher who could be the #2 or #3 starter on just about any rotation in the game. The tandem of Newsom and Moore may be enough to jump start this lowly franchise and give them a shot at their first winning season since 1917.







Roy Parmelee, SP, Age 21, Giants

Make no mistake, the Giants have a great roster. However, if they have a weakness, it is the bottom of their rotation. Enter Parmelee, who should solidify the #4 spot in that rotation. The Giants just might have one of the best rotations in the NL now. Add that to a potent offense, and look out St. Louis!

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1929 American League Rookies


Dale Alexander, 1B, Age 24; Roy Johnson, LF, Age 24, Tigers

With the retirement of first baseman George "High Pockets" Kelly, the timing for the arrival of Dale Alexander could not have been better. He should bat 5th in Detroit's lineup and help bring them back to respectability after an awful 1928 campaign that saw them lose 103 games. Roy Johnson will begin his career with a part-time outfield role. While his defense lacks a little to be desired, he has great speed and a keen ability to get on base. Those are qualities that this team sorely needs. Therefore, it may not be long until he forces his way into the everday lineup.






Earl Averill, CF, Age 24, Indians

Averill is just what Cleveland needed. He is a good hitter with a high OBP and power, plus he plays very good defense in center field, which the team has always been in short supply of. He may be considered the best centerfielder in the AL by season's end with New York's Earle Combs currently holding that title. And let's not forget that improving the team's centerfield defense, which has been pretty atrocious over the past 15 or more seasons, will only help an already stellar pitching staff. Let's see just how dominant they can be!




Whit Wyatt, SP, Age 21, Tigers

Sam Gibson has performed admirably in recent years as is evidenced by his 1926 Rookie of the Year Award. However, he is more of a middle of the rotation pitcher. Detroit has never really had a true ace on its staff, although Eddie Cicotte came close with his 1905 POY Award and career 248-201 record. Wyatt could be the best pitcher Detroit has ever had. That is a lot of pressure to put on the 21-year-old, but if he comes close to his potential, the Tigers will benefit greatly. One of the key reasons they had a poor season last year was an ugly pitching staff. Adding Wyatt will be a big help.

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1929 Key Retirees - Batters


George Burns, 1B, Tigers

Won two Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in doubles seven times and batting average twice. He won two World Series with Detroit.




Bucky Harris, 2B, Twins

Won two Gold Gloves. Led the AL in triples once. Finished in the Top 10 in stolen bases four times. He played in two World Series with the Twins, winning one.




George "High Pockets" Kelly, 1B, Giants

Won three Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in doubles four times, home runs seven times, RBI six times, runs four times, slugging seven times, OPS four times and WAR four times. He played in eight World Series with the Giants, winning four.




Austin McHenry, LF, Cardinals

Won four Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in doubles five times, home runs three times, RBI three times, slugging three times and OPS twice. He played in two World Series with St. Louis, winning one.




Billy Southworth, LF, Indians

Named the 1913 Rookie of the Year and the 1923 Batter of the Year. He also won two Gold Gloves. In 1923, he led the AL in hits and won the batting title. He also led the AL in triples once. He finished in the Top 10 in hits five times, triples five times, home runs three times, RBI six times, batting average three times, slugging three times and OPS twice. He won one pennant with the Indians.

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1929 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Leon Cadore, Dodgers

Languished with a poor Dodgers franchise throughout his career. Finished in the Top 10 in wins twice, losses three times, innings four times, WHIP three times, complete games seven times.




Howard Ehmke, Tigers

One of very few pitchers to win two Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in wins five times, innings four times, home runs allowed four times, walks allowed five times and complete games five times.




Carl Mays, Red Sox

Led the AL in wins twice, but also in losses once. Finished in the Top 10 in wins seven times, losses six times, innings six times, strikeouts three times, ERA six times, WHIP eight times, K/BB ratio seven times, fewest HR/9 five times, fewest H/9 five times, fewest BB/9 five times, FIP eight times, quality starts nine times, complete games three times and WAR six times.




Elmer Ponder, Pirates

Named 1917 NL Rookie of the Year when he led the NL in ERA. Won one Gold Glove. Finished in the Top 10 in wins four times, ERA three times, WHIP five times, K/BB ratio eight times, fewest HR/9 three times, fewest BB/9 nine times, FIP three times and quality starts four times.




Eppa Rixey, Phillies

Finished in the Top 10 in losses ten times with some really poor Phillies teams. Also finished in the Top 10 in innings eleven times, home runs allowed five times, WHIP three times, K/BB ratio three times, fewest HR/9 eight times, fewest BB/9 six times, FIP four times, complete games eleven times and WAR six times. He also led the NL in shutouts once.




Bill Sherdel, Cardinals

Named the 1923 NL Pitcher of the Year when he led the NL in ERA. Finished in the Top 10 in wins four times, innings six times, home runs allowed four times, ERA four times, WHIP five times, fewest H/9 three times, FIP four times, quality starts four times and WAR three times.




Urban Shocker, Yankees

Named the 1916 AL Rookie of the Year. Won one Gold Glove. Led the AL in losses and home runs allowed in 1919. Finished in the Top 10 in losses three times, home runs allowed four times and fewest BB/9 three times.




Oscar Tuero, Cardinals

Won 1919 NL Fireman Award. Finished in the Top 10 in saves four times and holds four times.

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1929 Hall of Fame Induction


"Shoeless Joe" Jackson, LF, Athletics

4005 H, 846 doubles, 107 triples, 546 HR, 2135 R, 2197 RBI, 1173 BB, 1856 K, 299 SB, .327 AVG, .387 OBP, .547 SLG, .934 OPS, 165 OPS+, 12263 AB, 3113 G

1908 Rookie of the Year
2 Batter of the Year
1 Gold Glove
8 Pennants
5-3 in World Series

All-time leaderboards Top 20: AVG (2nd), OPS (2nd), RBI (2nd), Hits (3rd), Doubles (4th), Triples (4th), SLG (5th), Runs (5th), OBP (7th), Walks (17th), Home Runs (19th)

Single season records: Runs (146 in 1909), Total Bases (452 in 1909), RBI (172 in 1909)


Cy Williams, CF, Cubs

2166 H, 248 doubles, 15 triples, 867 HR, 1484 R, 1888 RBI, 813 BB, 2608 K, 11 SB, .245 AVG, .311 OBP, .571 SLG, .882 OPS, 148 OPS+, 8841 AB, 2470 G

1912 Rookie of the Year
1 Batter of the Year
1 Gold Glove
2 Pennants
0-2 in World Series

All-time leaderboards Top 20: SLG (2nd), Home Runs (2nd), OPS (9th), RBI (9th)


Max Carey, CF, Pirates

2701 H, 478 doubles, 75 triples, 367 HR, 1575 R, 1263 RBI, 1003 BB, 2074 K, 1131 SB, .268 AVG, .338 OBP, .439 SLG, .778 OPS, 122 OPS+, 10086 AB, 2674 G

1 Batter of the Year
5 Gold Gloves
3 Pennants
0-3 in World Series

All-time leaderboards Top 20: Stolen Bases (4th), Triples (19th)


Vin Campbell, RF, Cubs

3130 H, 514 doubles, 62 triples, 308 HR, 1538 R, 1258 RBI, 737 BB, 2315 K, 289 SB, .283 AVG, .329 OBP, .424 SLG, .753 OPS, 114 OPS+, 11074 AB, 2909 G

2 Gold Gloves
4 Pennants
0-4 in World Series

All-time leaderboards Top 20: Hits (15th)


"Smoky Joe" Wood, SP, Red Sox

304-196, 60.8 Win%, 658 G, 658 GS, 4548.2 IP, 54 CG, 23 SHO, 1246 BB, 2.5 BB/9, 4761 K, 9.4 K/9, 3767 HA, 466 HRA, 3.13 ERA, 124 ERA+, 1.10 WHIP

3 Pitcher of the Year
3 Pennants
3-0 in World Series

All-time leaderboards Top 20: Strikeouts (1st), H/9 (2nd among starters), Games Started (3rd), WAR (3rd), ERA (4th among starters), Wins (4th), WHIP (4th), Innings (6th), K/9 (7th among starters), Walks (12th), Win% (13th), Shutouts (15th)

[darnoff]

1929 NL Preseason Predictions

The Giants failed to win last year's pennant and so they set out to make an additional improvement to their already talented team. This improvement was the addition of rookie starting pitcher Roy Parmelee (8-7-5 ratings), who is slotted to be the team's #4 starter. The Giants already have Carl Hubbell (17-11, 2.58 ERA), who finished 2nd in both the Rookie and Pitcher of the Year voting last season. Despite falling short last year, I expect the Giants to be the odds-on favorites to win this season.

The Cardinals won the NL pennant and the World Series last year. While they are predicted to finish 2nd, I expect the race to be much closer than what the numbers show below. The Cardinals had the best offense in the NL last season, and they should continue to be productive this season. They tend to play very good defense every year, even though I am continually surprised because on paper they do not have as much range as some other teams. That efficient defense also benefits a pitching staff which is not necessarily the team's strong suit. However, that staff performed well last season and led to a sweep of the Yankees in October. Then they added rookie Al Grabowski (7-8-6 ratings) this offseason which should make their pitching staff one of the better ones in the league, especially if 26-year-old Bill Hallahan (19-11, 2.72 ERA) bounces back from what he would consider a down year.

The Cubs and Pirates will likely battle for 3rd place this year, but both teams have the potential to do more. I don't think this gets talked about enough, but among all NL teams (the teams that have been around since 1876, that is), the Cubs and Pirates have the best overall winning percentages. Chicago leads with a .553 winning percentage over that 48-year period, which is quite impressive. Pittsburgh's winning percentage is .537. The truly impressive thing is that the Cubs have not had a losing season since 1894 when they finished 80-82! In fact, they have only posted five losing seasons in nearly half a century! Pittsburgh's last losing season was in 1916, just thirteen years ago. They have produced just 11 losing seasons with most of those coming between the 1889-1896 seasons when they were always below .500 except for one 81-81 season.

I digress, but the Cubs and Pirates should be in the mix again this year. While neither team is dominant, they both have enough amunition to put together a pennant run. The Cubs have a formidable pitching staff and a reliable offense. Pittsburgh has a deep offense that scored just 12 fewer runs than the #1 Giants offense last season. However, their pitching staff can be a concern. The good news for Pirates fans is that the team has brought in two exciting looking rookie pitchers for the rotation in Larry French (7-7-8 ratings) and Leon Chagnon (7-5-8 ratings).

Last season, the Phillies brought in some exciting new talent and it helped them to a winning season at 83-79, the franchise's first winning season since 1908 when their once proud dynasty was in its final days. That has added some excitement to a pennant race that has included primarily the same four teams for most of the past decade. Now the Dodgers are getting in on the act. They added some exciting young hitters last season, but this year's rookies should have a much larger impact. First off, new centerfielder Johnny Frederick (8-7-6-4-8 ratings) gives the team much improved defense in center field, as well as a deeper lineup. After having the worst pitching staff in either league for a very long time, the Dodgers also brought in some big pitching talent in 21-year-old Bobo Newsom (10-7-5 ratings). He gives the team the first legitimate staff ace since the previous century! The team also added 24-year-old Cy Moore (7-7-6 ratings), who is a legitimate middle-of-the-rotation guy, as well as 24-year-old Clise Dudley (5-7-6 ratings), who may belong in the bullpen but is actually an upgrade for L.A.'s rotation where he will be the #5 starter.


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Record
1	San Francisco Giants	8	8	12	12	7	8	9.3	A+	109	53
2	St. Louis Cardinals	7	7	11	8	7	6	8.0	B+	94	68
3	Chicago Cubs	8	9	9	7	6	7	7.9	B+	92	70
4	Pittsburgh Pirates	7	7	9	7	8	7	7.6	B	90	72
5	Philadelphia Phillies	5	5	7	5	6	8	6.0	C	71	91
6	Cincinnati Reds	7	7	3	5	8	7	5.8	C	69	93
7	Los Angeles Dodgers	6	6	4	5	5	6	5.3	C-	62	100
8	Atlanta Braves	7	9	1	5	7	8	5.2	C-	61	101

MLB results for the NL in 1929

Champs: Chicago Cubs, (98-54, .645)
World Series: Athletics defeated Cubs 4-1

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, Cubs (Cardinals), 10.4
Offensive WAR: Rogers Hornsby, Cubs (Cardinals), 9.4
Defensive WAR: Travis Jackson, Giants, 3.2
Batting Title: Lefty O'Doul, Phillies (Yankees), .398
On-Base%: Lefty O'Doul, Phillies (Yankees), .465
Slugging%: Rogers Hornsby, Cubs (Cardinals), .679
Runs: Rogers Hornsby, Cubs (Cardinals), 156
RBI: Hack Wilson, Cubs (Giants), 159
SB: Kiki Cuyler, Cubs (Pirates), 43
OPS+: Rogers Hornsby, Cubs (Cardinals), 178
AB/HR: Mel Ott, Giants, 13.0

Pitching WAR: Watty Clark, Dodgers (Indians), 5.8
Win%: Charlie Root, Cubs (Orioles), .760
WHIP: Red Lucas, Reds (Giants), 1.204
K/9: Pat Malone, Cubs, 5.596
Innings: Watty Clark, Dodgers (Indians), 279.0
K/BB: Dazzy Vance, Dodgers (Pirates), 2.681
ERA+: Burleigh Grimes, Pirates, 154
FIP: Watty Clark, Dodgers (Indians), 3.61


MLHR Milestone Watch

700 Home Runs
Rogers Hornsby, STL, Age 32, 688 HR
Ken Williams, CIN, Age 38, 669 HR

1500 Runs
Ken Williams, CIN, Age 38, 1409 R

500 Stolen Bases
Kiki Cuyler, PIT, Age 30, 499 SB

250 Wins
Dazzy Vance, PIT, Age 38, 238 W

400 Saves
Rosy Ryan, SFG, Age 31, 389 Sv

[darnoff]

1929 AL Preseason Predictions

The Yankees are coming of the first pennant in franchise history. Unfortunately, they did not perform up to their capabilities in the World Series and were swept by the Cardinals. Now they are out to prove that they were no fluke. They hope to be even better after adding a new starting pitcher in Roy Sherid (6-7-5 ratings). He is no superstar, but he should be a solid pitcher and the Yankees have lacked for starting pitching for most of the past decade. They also believe they have made a small improvement to the best offense in MLHR with shortstop Lyn Lary (6-6-3-7-5 ratings). "Broadway," as Lary is known, is gifted with great speed. He will be batting second in the lineup because he also has an above average ability to get on base, plus he plays above average defense. The team is excited about adding an element of speed to this powerful lineup ahead of the likes of Gehrig (.298, 54 HR, 124 RBI), O'Doul (.300, 45 HR, 155 RBI), Dickey (.295, 23 HR, 69 RBI) and Meusel (.221, 30 HR, 86 RBI).

There are several teams who may be New York's primary competition this season. My favorite is Cleveland. They already possess a superb pitching staff, but the addition of rookie centerfielder Earl Averill (8-8-7-6-6 ratings) lengthens their lineup and vastly improves their defense in centerfield, an area in which they were sorely lacking for a number of years. The Athletics will be in the mix as usual, but they have some question marks in the bullpen, at the end of their rotation and in the leadoff spot where second baseman Max Bishop (.230 AVG, .383 OBP, 51 R, 38 RBI) takes his low contact but high OBP skills.

The Twins are another exciting option. They won 88 games last season, but I believe that they can be better. There's also the Tigers, who added a big time bat in first baseman Dale Alexander (9-8-6-6-6 ratings) and, more importantly, a starting pitcher with ace potential in Whit Wyatt (9-7-6 ratings). Even Baltimore has an outside shot this season, but they will need a lot to go right for them in order to capture their first pennant.

If we know anything about the American League this season, it is that no team is truly dominant and that all teams have weaknesses. You can expect another exciting race where almost every team has a shot and where the battle goes down to the bitter end.


Predicted Standings
(Scale of 1-12)

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade	Predicted Record
1	New York Yankees	6	8	12	9	8	6	8.4	A-	97	65
2	Oakland Athletics	8	6	10	7	6	5	7.7	B+	88	74
3	Minnesota Twins	8	9	7	9	7	7	7.6	B+	87	75
4	Cleveland Indians	9	9	8	6	5	7	7.5	B+	87	75
5	Detroit Tigers	6	7	6	9	7	10	7.2	B	83	79
6	Baltimore Orioles	7	8	6	5	8	6	6.6	B-	76	86
7	Chicago White Sox	7	6	3	6	9	8	5.9	C	68	94
8	Boston Red Sox	6	5	5	3	6	7	5.3	C-	61	101

MLB results for the AL in 1929

Champs: Philadelphia Athletics, (104-46, .693)
World Series: Athletics defeated Cubs 4-1

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), 8.0
Offensive WAR: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 7.9
Defensive WAR: Ski Melillo, Orioles, 1.9
Batting Title: Lew Fonseca, Indians (Reds), .369
On-Base%: Jimmie Foxx, Athletics, .463
Slugging%: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), .697
Runs: Charlie Gehringer, Tigers, 131
RBI: Al Simmons, Athletics, 157
SB: Charlie Gehringer, Tigers, 27
OPS+: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 193
AB/HR: Babe Ruth, Yankees (Red Sox), 10.8

Pitching WAR: Willis Hudlin, Indians, 7.5
Win%: Lefty Grove, Athletics, .769
WHIP: Firpo Marberry, Twins, 1.206
K/9: Lefty Grove, Athletics, 5.557
Innings: Sam Gray, Orioles (Athletics), 305.0
K/BB: Lefty Grove, Athletics, 2.099
ERA+: Lefty Grove, Athletics, 149
FIP: Lefty Grove, Athletics, 3.22


MLHR Milestone Watch

3000 Hits
Edd Roush, CHW, Age 35, 2830 Hits

900 Home Runs (He will be the first to reach this mark!)
Babe Ruth, BOS, Age 34, 875 HR

500 Home Runs
Elmer Smith, CLE, Age 36, 480 HR

2000 RBI
Tris Speaker, BOS, Age 40, 1973 RBI
Babe Ruth, BOS, Age 34, 1958 RBI

1500 Runs
Harry Heilmann, DET, Age 34, 1497 R
Irish Meusel, MIN, Age 35, 1419 R

1000 Games Pitched
Mellie Wolfgang, CHW, Age 39, 938 G
Red Hoff, NYY, Age 37, 936 G

250 Wins
Reb Russell, CHW, Age 40, 237 W

[darnoff]

NL Mid-Season Report

Despite going 15-17 in June, the Cubs have been strong all season. You can give most of that credit to their superb pitching staff which is led by a trio of standouts in Ed Morris (9-3, 2.68 ERA), Pat Malone (12-3, 2.33 ERA) and Bob Osborn (7-2, 2.36 ERA). The team's offense has been strong too. Catcher Gabby Hartnett (.290, 19 HR, 48 RBI) has been an early season BOY candidate. Left fielder Mandy Brooks (.232, 27 HR, 66 RBI) leads the NL in home runs, and second baseman George Grantham (.306, 18 HR, 42 RBI, 53 R, 17 SB) has been excellent in the #2 hole. The Cubs bullpen ranks just 4th in the league, but they have also been a strength thanks to the pitching of closer Jumbo Brown (2-4, 27 Sv, 2.44 ERA) and setup man Johnny Welch (3-1, 2.17 ERA).

The Cardinals are 5 1/2 games behind Chicago, but they have been heating up. Their 2nd ranked offense is carrying them. After winning the last of his eight BOY Awards four years ago, Rogers Hornsby (.331, 20 HR, 41 RBI) is again looking like a BOY candidate. The Cardinals boast two other former BOY winners in Jim Bottomley (.314, 21 HR, 65 RBI) and Chick Hafey (.290, 19 HR, 59 RBI). The team's pitching rotation has been disappointing up to this point. Rookie Al Grabowski (9-4, 2.32 ERA) has not disappointed and Flint Rhem (5-5, 2.58 ERA) is also shouldering his share of the load. Now, if the team sees improvement from their #1 and #2 starters - Bill Hallahan (7-8, 3.75 ERA) and Fred Frankhouse (8-5, 3.58 ERA) - then you can expect this Cardinals team to take flight. It's also key to mention that closer Hi Bell (8-1, 20 Sv) has a miniscule 0.71 ERA.

San Francisco sits 8 1/2 games back of Chicago, but we all know they have the firepower to make up that ground quickly. Their offense is ranked #1 in the NL, as is their bullpen. However, their defense is struggling again and their starting rotation is as well. That is a key reason why they have allowed the 3rd most runs in the NL. Despite those numbers, ace Carl Hubbell (10-1, 2.50 ERA) has been dominant.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

AL Mid-Season Report

The Detroit Tigers had been in first place for most of the season so far, but they posted a 15-13 record in June and have fallen behind Oakland. This is a big turnaround for a Tigers team that lost 103 games last season. Amazingly, they lead the AL in both defense and pitching. Sam Gibson (9-4, 2.90 ERA) has bounced back and is proving he was no flash in the pan. Sophomore Josh Billings (9-6, 3.16 ERA) has come on strong after an ugly April, and rookie Whit Wyatt (10-4, 3.42 ERA) has provided a boost. The Tigers rank 3rd in offense. They are still seeing plenty of production from stars like Harry Heilmann (.314, 20 HR, 71 RBI), Charlie Gehringer (.283, 12 HR, 52 RBI, 14 SB) and Heinie Manush (.328, 8 HR, 35 RBI, 66 R), but rookie first baseman Dale Alexander (.317, 11 HR, 48 RBI) is more than doing his part. In fact, he was leading the AL batting race in May.

Oakland has pushed into first place thanks to a 2nd ranked offense, a 2nd ranked pitching rotation and much improved defense. Their bullpen is still a concern, and it is not clear if they can do anything to improve it this season.

New York got off to a slow start, but they went 18-9 in June to surge into 3rd place. They are currently just four games behind the A's. They lead the AL in offense, as usual. Lou Gehrig (.301, 33 HR, 70 RBI) again looks like a BOY candidate. Bill Dickey (.360, 14 HR, 55 RBI) leads the AL batting race. Rookie shortstop Lyn Lary is batting second and only has a .298 OBP, but he has managed to steal 46 bases so far. The team's defense has struggled, and their pitching staff has struggled. The latter is primarily due to the lackluster performance of rookie starter Roy Sherid (6-9, 5.17 ERA) and closer Wilcy Moore (1-6, 21 Sv, 4.42 ERA).


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

NL Season Wrap-up

At the end of July and into early August the Cubs went on an ugly stretch that saw them lose 13 of 15 games. That allowed the Cardinals to take over first place and the Giants to tie Chicago for second place, four games behind St. Louis. For the next month and a half, these three teams battled. The standings ebbed and flowed a little, but the Cardinals maintained first place the entire time. With one week left in the season, the Cardinals held a 5-game lead on Chicago and a 3 1/2-game lead on San Francisco. The Cubs would need a miracle to win the pennant, but the Giants had a shot because the final week of the season began with the Giants playing three games in St. Louis.

On Monday, the Cardinals and Fred Frankhouse held off the Giants 4-3 and their ace Carl Hubbell which put a big damper on the Giants' chances. On Tuesday, the Cardinals and rookie star Al Grabowski defeated the Giants 5-2. That victory eliminated both the Cubs and Giants, giving St. Louis their first back-to-back pennants since they won two World Series in 1903-04.

One other note: Cubs closer Jumbo Brown tied the MLHR record with 52 saves. The original record was set by Giants closer Rosy Ryan in 1923. Despite an overall fine season by Brown, he struggled in a key stretch from late June to early August which coincided with the team's slide from first place. During those two months, Brown went 1-5 with 14 saves but also 7 blown saves an an ERA over 7.00. That said, Brown was only one of several players who slumped during this period as the Cubs faded.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




National League Rosters

[darnoff]

AL Season Wrap-up

When we last checked in on the AL race, the A's were in first place with a 1.5-game lead on Detroit and a 4-game lead on New York. A month later, the Yankees had tied the A's for first place with Detroit still 1.5-games back. The Yankees kept chugging along and by the end of August, they were alone in first place with a 3.5-game lead on Oakland and a 4.5-game lead on Detroit. Then over the first three weeks of September, New York floundered with a 10-12 record which included losing 2-of-3 in Detroit early in the month and losing 3-of-4 at home versus Baltimore to end the 3rd week of the month. The A's and Tigers kept pace during this time frame and with just one week left to play, the Yankees held a slim 1-game lead on both Oakland and Detroit.

The Yankees began the final week with three games in Cleveland. Oakland was at home against Boston but Detroit had the toughest assignment with three games at home versus Baltimore. On Monday, Detroit and Sam Gibson lost 3-1 to Baltimore and Charlie Root while Oakland and New York enjoyed their final day off. On Tuesday, New York scored a run in the 8th to beat Cleveland 4-3. Oakland won a pitcher's duel with Boston 2-1. Detroit battled the Orioles through a scoreless game started by Detroit's Earl Whitehill and Baltimore's Jumbo Elliott. In the top of the 9th, Baltimore shortstop Red Kress hit a solo home run off closer Lefty Stewart to lead off the inning and the Orioles went on to win 1-0.

On Wednesday, New York clobbered Cleveland 13-8. Baltimore spanked Detroit 9-2 to complete a series sweep, and Oakland fell to last place Boston and Herb Bradley 2-0. Then on Thursday, Cleveland held off the Yankees 4-3 and Oakland scored a run in the bottom of the 9th to tie Boston and then scored in the 11th to win 5-4. Now with every team having three games left, the Yankees led Oakland by one game and Detroit by three. All three teams played their final series at home. The Yankees faced last place Boston. Oakland faced the Indians, and Detroit played the Twins.

New York lost their first game, opening the door for Oakland and Detroit. The Tigers stayed alive by beating the Twins 6-4. Oakland again came from behind, this time scoring two runs in the 9th to tie Cleveland. But this time, the Indians scored in the 12th and won 5-4, preventing the A's from gaining any ground. On the following day, New York scored 5 runs in the bottom of the 8th to down the Red Sox. Detroit crushed Minnesota 11-4, but the Yankees win eliminated Detroit from the pennant race. Meanwhile, Oakland had ace Lefty Grove on the mound but still lost to Cleveland 5-2, eliminating them as well and giving New York a second straight pennant.

1929 may also be remembered as a year of volatility at the closer's position. The NL suffered from this problem too, but it was more exacerbated in the AL. While Baltimore's Hub Pruett (2-1, 40 Sv, 0.79 ERA in 56.2 innings) was truly outstanding, most other AL teams had real issues with their closer. Oakland's Carroll Yerkes (7-7, 32 Sv, 4.64 ERA) had the highest ERA of any closer in either league, but he impressively blew just four saves. The pennant-winning Yankees had some trouble with Wilcy Moore (2-10, 44 Sv, 4.04 ERA), who lost 10 games. Although it should be noted that his high ERA was not helped by the AL's worst defensive team. Boston's Les Howe (1-8, 37 Sv, 3.50 ERA) lost eight games. Cleveland's Jake Miller (3-6, 28 Sv, 3.27 ERA) converted just 75.7% of his save opportunities. Chicago's Sarge Connally (5-6, 28 Sv, 2.93 ERA) and Detroit's Lefty Stewart (3-5, 42 Sv, 2.91 ERA) had solid ERA's and Stewart converted nearly 90% of his save opportunities, but both pitchers had high FIP's (Fielding Independant Pitching), which is indicative of how the pitcher would have fared with a league-average defense behind them. Due to both pitchers benefiting from good defenses all season, Stewart's fielding independant ERA would have been 3.85, but Connally's FIP of 4.57 was the worst among all closers in either league.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




American League Rosters

[darnoff]

1929 World Series

Game 1

After St. Louis dismantled the Yankees offense a year ago, the New York batters seemed to be motivated to not repeat that mistake this year. In the first inning, they jumped on St. Louis ace Bill Hallahan for four runs. Leadoff hitter Earle Combs fought off four straight foul balls before earning a single. Lyn Lary then sent a 1-1 pitch up the middle for another single. Lou Gehrig earned a walk on a 6-pitch at bat. Lefty O'Doul then jumped on Hallahan's first pitch for a bases clearing triple, which quickly silenced the St. Louis fans. O'Doul then scored on a Bill Dickey single before Hallahan got the first out.

Fortunately, Hallahan settled in and got three straight outs. He was allowed to stay in the game and threw three shutout innings before allowing a run in the 5th and being lifted in the bottom of that inning for a pinch hitter. Meanwhile, Yankees starter George Pipgras pitched like an ace, allowing no runs on just five hits and a walk over seven innings. The Yankees scored more runs later on the back end of the St. Louis bullpen en route to a 9-0 rout.




Game 2

The Yankees put together a 3-run second inning to take an early lead on Fred Frankhouse and the Cardinals. Fortunately for the home town crowd, Rogers Hornsby hit a 3-run homer off Rip Collins in the bottom of the 3rd to tie the game. The Cardinals scored a run in the 4th and added three more in the 5th, and it looked like an easy Cardinals win. Then the Yankees scored two runs in the 7th to make the game close at 9-5. The Yankees still had the bases loaded with just one out and setup man Clyde Day was brought in. He struck out Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri to end the threat. The Yankees got two singles off closer Hi Bell in the 8th and one more in the 9th but were unable to score either time as the Cardinals knotted up the series at one game a piece.




Game 3

Both teams sent rookies to the mound for Game 3. The Cardinals used Al Grabowski and the Yankees had Roy Sherid. The Yankees put a run on the board thanks to a sac fly by Lefty O'Doul in the 4th inning. The score remained 1-0, but then there was a 1 hour rain delay in the bottom of the 5th inning. When Sherid came back to pitch the 6th, he wasn't the same pitcher and the Cardinals made him pay with two runs. Grabowski was a little shaky too, but he managed to complete the 5th and 6th innings unscathed. Then in the 7th, both Bill Dickey and Tony Lazzeri hit solo home runs off St. Louis reliever Eddie Dyer. That was all New York needed as their bullpen threw scoreless 7th, 8th and 9th innings for a big win.




Game 4

The Yankees scored two runs in the first inning off Flint Rhem. They added another run in the second inning. This run was unearned because the batter who scored originally reached base due to an error by first baseman Jim Bottomley, who dropped a throw on what should have been an out at first base. In the top of the 4th, Chick Hafey made all that go away when he hit a clutch 2-out, 3-run homer off Yankees starter Hank Johnson. The Cardinals went on to score a single run in each of the 6th, 7th and 8th innings to take a 6-3 lead. Then in the bottom of the 8th, Lou Gehrig and Bill Dickey each hit solo home runs off Cardinals setup man Clyde Day, narrowing the score to 6-5.

In the top of the 9th, Yankees reliever George Murray gave up a single to leadoff hitter Taylor Douthit. Then after Douthit advanced to second base on a ground out, Murray intentionally walked Rogers Hornsby. The Yankees brought in lefty specialist, and former closer, Red Hoff to face Jim Bottomley and he allowed a walk. Hoff uncorked a wild pitch which scored a run and was forced to intentionally walk Chick Hafey. Then on a 1-1 count to third baseman Les Bell, Hoff threw a splitter which got by catcher Bill Dickey for a passed ball, allowing a second run to score. Hoff would end up retiring Bell and the following batter, but the Cardinals had extended their lead. Clyde Day remained on the mound for the 9th inning and retired the Yankees 1-2-3 on just five pitches to seal the win and again tie the series.




Game 5

This game saw some fine pitching as well as a few clutch hits that made all the difference in its outcome. In the 2nd inning, Cardinals right fielder Pepper Martin hit a 2-out triple off George Pipgras to score Chick Hafey from first base, giving St. Louis an early 1-0 lead. Then in the 3rd, Lou Gehrig hit a clutch 2-out single off Bill Hallahan, scoring Pipgras from second base to tie the game. New York took the lead the following inning thanks to a Bob Meusel solo homer. The Yankees added a run in the 6th, and then in the 7th, Ray Blades hit a 2-out pinch hit RBI single for St. Louis to narrow the score to 3-2. However, the Yankees bullpen shut it down from there as Al Shealy had a 1-2-3 eighth inning and Wilcy Moore pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, giving New York a 3-2 series lead heading back to St. Louis. This would be the first World Series since 1924 to require a Game 6.




Game 6

The Cardinals took the early lead in this key game on another clutch 2-out hit by Chick Hafey. This time it was a 2-out single off Rip Collins which scored Taylor Douthit from third base. In the following frame, Lefty O'Doul tied the game when he hit a solo dinger off Fred Frankhouse. The Yankees manufactured two runs off Frankhouse in the top of the 4th off four consecutive singles and then a 1-out sac fly by Tony Lazzeri. The Yankees then broke the game open in the 6th when they scored three runs off Frankhouse and setup man Clyde Day. The Cardinals did manage a run in the 7th, but Al Shealy and Wilcy Moore again combined to shut them down in the 8th and 9th innings to seal the win and capture New York's first ever World Series championship!




Recap

Even though St. Louis did win two games, New York seemed to have this series under control. They hit much more consistently in this year's World Series rematch than they did the year before when they lost to St. Louis. Plus, New York's often maligned bullpen was in control and sealed each of the team's final three wins. Lefty O'Doul was a force, driving in 12 RBI. For St. Louis, Chick Hafey was consistently clutch, but 1928 Batter of the Year Jim Bottomley had an awful series at the plate, going 1-for-24. Ouch!

Series MVP

Lefty O'Doul, NYY, LF: .522 AVG, .957 SLG, 12 hits, 5 Runs, 2 HR, 12 RBI

[darnoff]

1929 Season Awards


NL Batter of the Year




NL Pitcher of the Year




NL Rookie of the Year




NL Fireman Award




NL Gold Gloves
P - Fred Frankhouse, STL (2nd overall)
C - Al Lopez, LAD
1B - Don Hurst, PHI (2nd consecutive)
2B - Bernie James, ATL (rookie!)
3B - Chuck Dressen, CIN
SS - Joe Stripp, CIN
LF - Hack Wilson, SFG
CF - Denny Southern, PHI
RF - Pepper Martin, STL


AL Batter of the Year




AL Pitcher of the Year




AL Rookie of the Year




AL Fireman Award




AL Gold Gloves
P - Rip Collins, NYY
C - Bill Dickey, NYY
1B - Joe Hauser, OAK (3rd overall)
2B - Charlie Gehringer, DET
3B - Willie Kamm, CHW (6th consecutive)
SS - Babe Pinelli, CHW
LF - Heinie Manush, DET (4th overall)
CF - Sam West, MIN
RF - Jack Rothrock, BOS

[darnoff]

1930 National League Rookies


Wally Berger, CF, Age 24, Braves

Berger will provide a much needed offensive boost for Atlanta. The Braves still lack a lot of talent, so for Berger's sake, I hope they add more offense in the coming years. For now, Berger will likely bat cleanup behind Shanty Hogan. Berger should also be a defensive upgrade wherever he plays, which will likely be left field. After all, Atlanta has a Gold Glove centerfielder in Jimmy Welsh.




Bob Brown, SP, Age 18, Braves

Atlanta has a pretty solid pitching rotation, but they had a down year as a group last season. Brown's presence will deepen the staff and send one of the starters that struggled last year to the bullpen. Brown throws hard but his problem is a lack of control. He will likely rank near the top of the league in walks allowed. However, he should minimize the damage done by those walks by allowing few hits and even fewer home runs.




Dizzy Dean, SP, Age 19, Cardinals

St. Louis has the 1926 POY in Bill Hallahan, and over the past three seasons they have added two Rookies of the Year who are also in their pitching rotation - Fred Frankhouse in 1927 and Al Grabowski in 1929. Now they are adding Dizzy Dean, who could be one of the best pitchers we have ever seen in the National League. This really gives St. Louis a great pitching staff. When you consider the fact that they also had the best offense last season, it is easy to believe that they have a great shot at winning a 3rd straight pennant.




Joe Heving, RP, Age 24, Giants

Heving is the best reliever signed by a team this offseason. He joins a Giants staff that is already loaded with talent. In fact, they have several pitchers in reserve that would be pitching for several other teams. Despite his talent, Heving will have to battle several veterans to make the roster this spring.




George Puccinelli, RF, Age 22, Cardinals

Pooch is a prototypical swing-for-the fences slugger. He has the ability to hit 25+ home runs but also to strikeout 200+ times. For that reason, we will likely have to share time with another outfielder. The Cardinals already have a talented lineup, so it is hard to see just where Pooch fits in. He and fellow rookie George Watkins (7-7-6-5-4 ratings) will be fighting for a spot on the major league roster. Watkins may have a leg up simply because he can also play first base.




Lon Warneke, SP, Age 20, Cubs

Warneke is an all-around great pitcher. He will be fighting this spring to earn a spot in a Chicago pitching rotation that has ranked #1 in the league for several seasons now. That may be a tough battle, but Chicago does have some aging veterans who had down seasons last year. Perhaps "the Arkansas Hummingbird" can displace one of them.

[darnoff]

1930 American League Rookies


Luke Appling, SS, Age 22, White Sox

Babe Pinelli (.218, 28 RBI in 509 AB) is a fine defensive shortstop with a Gold Glove to his name. However, he has always struggled at the plate with a career OPS+ of just 71. In comes Appling, who may have slightly less range than Pinelli but who has significantly more offensive potential and speed to boot. He will bat at the top of Chicago's lineup, providing ample opportunities for the middle of their lineup to drive him in. Unfortunately for Appling, the middle of Chicago's order is in flux right now and not very intimidating. That said, the White Sox have more team speed than any club in MLHR and they know how to manufacture runs. Appling fits that mold to a tee.




Tommy Bridges, SP, Age 23, Tigers

Bridges is a flamethrowing right-hander from Tennessee who may give Detroit the first true ace in franchise history. He stuggles at times with control, and he will give up the occasional gopher ball, but he will also challenge Oakland's Lefty Grove for the strikeout title every year. After a bounce-back season that saw Detroit go from 103 losses in 1928 to 91 wins in 1929, finishing just three games out of first, Bridges' arrival should make Detroit a legitimate threat to New York's title defense.




Ben Chapman, CF, Age 21; Billy Werber, 3B, Age 21, Yankees

Chapman and Werber are both good, all-around hitters who will have a good OBP and also hit 15+ home runs. Both of them even play good defense. Their primary weapon, though, is blazing speed. In fact, these players are probably the fastest basestealers in MLHR. The challenge for New York is finding them both a spot in their deep lineup. Werber could play second, third or shortstop, and he may begin his career splitting time between each spot until he forces himself into the starting lineup. Chapman will likely do the same in the outfield, splitting time in each spot until someone loses their starting job.






Carl Fischer, SP, Age 24, Twins

Fischer is a fine talent who will add depth to Minnesota's pitching staff. The Twins had the best bullpen last season. They are also believed to have a good starting rotation, but that group fell to dead last in the AL with a 4.06 ERA last season. As the Twins try to figure out who will fill out their rotation this season, you can expect Fischer to have a part to play.




Lefty Gomez, SP, Age 21, Yankees

Could it be Yankees fans? After years and years of struggling at pitching, could the Yankees finally be building a competent pitching rotation to go along with their awesome offense? Well, it looks like it now that Lefty Gomez has arrived. Gomez was the prize of the offseason for the American League. He is another in a long line of fireballers who have joined MLHR's ranks this season. He throws exceptionally hard and has a devastating curveball as well as a nasty changeup. While George Pipgras has performed admirably atop New York's rotation for the past seven years, even leading the Yankees to their first ever pennants, there should be no doubt that Gomez is now the ace of this staff.




Hank Greenberg, 1B, Age 19, Tigers

"Hammerin' Hank" is a big-time slugger who, along with the addition of pitcher Tommy Bridges above, now gives Detroit one of the best teams in the American League. Greenberg will strikeout frequently, but he makes up for that flaw with a ton of home runs and an ability to drive in plenty of runs. He should immediately challenge the likes of Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and others for the AL home run crown. And he is just 19, so he will be doing this for years to come! The one problem Detroit has is finding him regular work. They already have 1929 Rookie of the Year Dale Alexander at first base and leadoff hitter Heinie Manush in left field. Manush has won four Gold Gloves in left field, but I do not think he has the range to move to center field. And Detroit already has 2-time BOY Harry Heilmann in right field, although Heilmann is age 35 now and should be on the down side of his career although he hit 40 home runs and led the AL with 144 RBI last season. In order to fit Greenberg's bat into the every day lineup, Detroit will be forced to shuffle things around which will likely cause some issues defensively.

[darnoff]

1930 Key Retirees - Batters


Frank Brower, 1B, Twins

Won two Gold Gloves. Finished in the Top 10 in OPS twice. Played in two World Series, winning one.




Elmer Smith, RF/LF, Indians

Won one Gold Glove in RF. Power-hitting right fielder finished in the Top 10 in triples three times, home runs eleven times and RBI six times. Played in one World Series. Retired one home run shy of 500 for his career.




Frank Snyder, C, Cardinals

Won two Gold Gloves. Played in three World Series, winning one.




Tris Speaker, CF, Red Sox

2-time Batter of the Year and the 1907 AL Rookie of the Year. 6-time Gold Glove centerfielder. He and Babe Ruth were the driving offensive force for the Red Sox - Speaker played for 23 years! He was a doubles machine too, setting the single season record with 66 in 1913 and setting the all-time record of 1,032 two-baggers which is 130 doubles more than second place Nap Lajoie. He won three batting titles and led the AL in doubles eight times, triples once, runs twice, walks twice, OBP twice, OPS once and WAR four times. It seems like there never was a time that Speaker wasn't in the Red Sox lineup since he played for 23 of the team's 29 seasons. He played in three World Series with Boston, winning all three. He also retires as the all-time leader in games played (3,580), at-bats (13,285) and WAR (201.5).





Jack Tobin, RF, Orioles

Finished in the Top 10 in doubles and RBI twice each.




Aaron Ward, SS, Yankees

Named the 1917 AL Rookie of the Year. Was New York's starting shortstop for ten seasons. In his final two seasons, he finally enjoyed two pennants and one World Series win.