Time Warp Baseball

[mauboy]

Originally posted by Matt from TN

Swervin' Ervin Skjerly, CF, New York (A) - Ervin began to heat up and hit .347 in June.

Yay Ervin!

[Matt from TN]

July, 1928

The Tigers went 13-11 in July, but they stayed on top of the standings because the A's went just 15-10. The A's did gain a game-and-a-half on Detroit, and the race should go down to the wire. Philadelphia also swapped starting pitchers with the White Sox. They shipped established starter Davie "Nightmare" Kendrick to Chicago for young, but talented pitcher Mark Ponfick, who currently leads the majors with 104 strikeouts. Unhappy with their overall pitching depth, the A's also parted ways with first base prospect Daniel Lutzke, whom they traded to Cleveland for relief pitcher Bill Kasey.

In the NL, the Braves not only appear to be dead set on snapping their major-league-high 14-year losing streak, but they appear to be challenging their franchise record for wins (94) and the NL record for wins (103). They have easily been the most dominant team in baseball this season. They lead the majors with a .304 average and they are the only team with a sub-3.00 ERA. The top two ERA's in the NL are Braves pitchers, and some of the best overall hitters are theirs too. Seemingly adding the icing to their cake, Boston reacquired talented young catcher Dud Dietzsch, whom they traded to the Giants just last season. Dietzsch is currently second in the NL with a .361 average, and at age 24, he is already becoming one of the top catchers around.

Only once in history has a team lost 100 or more games. That happened in 1912 when the Braves lost 102. Their winning percentage that season was .338. This season, the Pirates are on pace to lose 111 games. Their winning percentage actually dropped from .295 in June to .279 after July. With no hope for this season, the team has decided to promote many of their youngsters in hopes of building for the future. Unfortunately, their farm system is among the worst of all franchises. None of their minor league teams have winning records, and their AAA and AA teams are both in last place.

For the first time in TWB history, there were 5 ancestor pitchers listed in the top 3 in both league's ERA race. In the AL, Ahrend Nagel and Otto Kahle are 1 and 2. In the NL, the Allen brothers are 1 and 2, and before a July 24th back injury, the Cubs' David Wickersham was 3rd.


Batters of the Month:

AL - Ralph "Thunder" Tumbridge, 1B, New York Yankees - He hit .383 with 23 RBI, 20 runs scored and 5 home runs.

NL - Ron Bennarivo, SS, Cincinnati Reds - He hit .429 with 25 RBI, 19 runs scored, 10 stolen bases and 3 home runs.

Pitchers of the Month:

AL - "Hook" Jackson, Boston Red Sox - He was 5-0 with a 1.31 ERA.

NL - Tobe Palmer, Philadelphia Phillies - He was 5-1 with a 1.70 ERA and 1 shutout.

American League Standings 
  
Detroit          65 36 .644 -
Philadelphia (A) 64 37 .634 1.0
Chicago (A)      56 46 .549 9.5 
Boston (A)       48 54 .471 17.5
Washington       47 54 .465 18.0
New York (A)     45 57 .441 20.5
St. Louis (A)    42 59 .416 23.0 
Cleveland        39 63 .382 26.5
 
National League Standings 
 
Boston (N)       71 30 .703 -  
Philadelphia (N) 58 45 .563 14.0
Chicago (N)      55 47 .539 16.5
Cincinnati       53 47 .530 17.5 
St. Louis (N)    52 49 .515 19.0
New York (N)     48 55 .466 24.0
Brooklyn         43 61 .413 29.5 
Pittsburgh       29 75 .279 43.5

Ancestors:

George Ward, RF, Boston (N) - After returning from his injury, George hit .435 in 17 games.

John "Pops" Falise, RF, Philadelphia (N) - Pops hit .287 with 20 RBI and another 6 HR. He now has 23 longballs on the season, which is just 3 sky of tying the NL record and 6 shy of setting a new major league record.

Sam Kass, CF, Pittsburgh - Sam has the misfortune of playing for perhaps the worst team in history. However, he hit .337 in July and is trying to rally the team around himself. Despite playing for such a poor team, he is miraculously 3rd in the NL with 72 RBI.

Ben "Rabbi" Baum, CF, Philadelphia (A) - Baum hit .396 with 5 HR and 22 RBI. His 17 longballs are tied for the AL lead.

Will Miller, LF, Washington - Will hit .304 with 8 steals.

Levi "Tyke" Walls, SS, Chicago (N) - Tyke hit .300 with 7 steals. He is 3rd in the NL with 32 steals.

David "Pops" McAuliffe, 3B, Chicago (N) - David hit .289 with 14 RBI and 17 runs scored this month. He and fellow ancestor Walls are key reasons why the Cubs are finally turning things around.

August "Fat Gus" Kahle, 3B, New York (A) - Gus hit .351 in July. His .362 average is 4th in the AL.

Genaro "Tito" Nunez, 2B, Boston (A) - Tito hit .302 and he is just 8 hits away from 3000!

Kid Fite, 2B, Detroit - Kid hit .329 and his season average dipped to .395, which is currently 2nd best in the AL.

Donald "Duckie" Andrew, 2B, Cleveland - Duckie hit .253 and stole an impressive 13 bases. His 46 steals lead the AL. Imagine how many bases he could steal if his average was above .225.

Salvatore "The Sicilian Saucer" Rossi, 1B, Philadelphia (A) - Sal hit .308 with no home runs and just 9 RBI in 21 games. He is currently suffering from a strained abdominal muscle, and he should miss nearly the first two weeks in August.

Horst "Harry" Nagel, C, Boston (N) - Harry hit just .213 in July, and now that the team reacquired Dud Dietzsch, his playing time will be limited.

Chuck "Pudge" Harris, C, St. Louis (N) - Pudge hit .304 this month and is hitting .291 on the season.

Harry Finley, C, New York (A) - After a great June, Harry hit .268 with just 4 RBI in July.

Ahrend "Professor" Nagel, SP, Philadelphia (A) - Nagel went 3-3 with a 3.46 ERA and 2 shutouts.

"Nasty Ned" Fargo, SP, St. Louis (A) - Ned went 2-4 with a 3.47 ERA as he attempts to reclaim a lost season.

Whiskey Allen, Jr., SP, Boston (N) - Junior went 5-2 with a 2.71 ERA. He is 2nd in the NL in ERA and Wins and 3rd in K's.

Bourbon Allen, SP, Boston (N) - Bourbon went 4-1 with a 2.14 ERA. He currently leads the NL in ERA and Wins.

Otto "Kaiser" Kahle, SP, Cleveland - Otto went 6-1 with a 2.39 ERA and a shutout. He is 2nd in the AL with a 2.70 ERA.

David Wickersham, SP, Chicago (N) - David went 4-0 with a 1.51 ERA and is 4th in the NL with a 2.83 ERA. Unfortunately, he hurt his back on July 24th and will be out until September.

Adolf "The Human Torch" Greisbach, SS, Detroit - Adolf hit .365 in 17 games after returning from injury. His .422 average would be tops in the AL if he qualified.

Lloyd Johnson, 1B, New York (N) - Lloyd was finally awarded the starting first base job, and he hit .256 in July.

Alan Liao, 3B, Cincinnati - Liao hit just .222 this month, but his season average is still .293.

Carmack "Country" Alford, LF, Cincinnati - Carmack was finally handed the starting job in left field. He hit .371 with 2 HR and 17 RBI. He has also yet to commit an error in 50 games in LF.

Foglesong "Fuzz" Allen, LF, New York (N) - Fuzz hit .299 with 11 RBI. He also has 22 steals on the season.

John "Bucky" Smith, SP, Chicago (N) - Bucky had his best month, going 4-2 with a 2.21 ERA and his first shutout of the season.

Swervin' Ervin Skjerly, CF, New York (A) - Ervin hit .277 with 15 RBI and 4 steals.

Ricardo "Tiny" Bowden, SS, Boston (A) - Tiny hit .315 with 11 runs and 3 more steals.

F.X. Ditty, 2B, Brooklyn - Ditty was traded to Brooklyn this month in return for RF Jerald Tanner. Ditty has had just 7 at-bats this season, but is hitting .429. He is still slotted at the end of Brooklyn's bench, but with his skills, it is only a matter of time before his playing time increases and he takes over at second base.

Dewey Mickelsen, CF, Chicago (N) - Yet another ancestor with the Cubs, Dewey saw his playing time increase to 50 AB in 16 games before pulling a muscle in his back on July 27th, which will sideline him for a month.

[metsgeek]

There's my fix I was starting to get the Time Warp D.T.'s!!

[Matt from TN]

WEB PAGES UPDATED... INCLUDING PLAYER PAGES...


August 1928

The Tigers went 17-13 which was enough to put some distance between them and the A's. Philadelphia went just 14-16 and fell 4 games back. These two teams played their final 7 head-to-head games of the season this month, and Detroit won 4 of them. While Detroit has two of their starting pitchers out with injuries, the A's lost recently acquired Mark Ponfick for the remainder of the pennant race. If the A's win the pennant, Ponfick should be ready for the World Series. Lost in much of the excitement of the pennant race is the fact that Detroit is the only major league team to have never won a pennant. They are four weeks away from their first. The last team to win their first pennant was Cincinnati in 1920.

The Braves continue to excel, going 21-9 and nearly clenching the pennant. They have a 16-game lead over defending World Champion Philadelphia, they are just 3 wins away from a franchise record, and they are 12 wins away from a new NL record. With the struggles of both baseball teams in Boston over the years, fans in Beantown are ecstatic about the Braves' World Series chances if they do indeed win their first pennant since 1910. In 27 seasons, the Braves have won just two pennants, and in their only World Series appearance (1910), they defeated Cleveland, who set a major league record that season with 107 wins and a .695 winning percentage. Those two records are in jeapardy of being broken this season by the Braves.


Batters of the Month:

AL - Nick Graves, RF, Detroit Tigers - He hit .408 with 26 RBI, 18 runs scored and 3 home runs.

NL - Marcus Fortson, SS, Boston Braves - He hit .400 with 21 RBI, 34 runs scored and 7 home runs. Fortson has long been known as one of the best shortstops in history but he gets little press as part of a historically poor Braves franchise, but he continued to dazzle us with an astonishing 7 home runs and 34 runs scored this month. Those offensive numbers are much more than we are accustomed to seeing from a middle infielder.

Pitchers of the Month:

AL - Grover Baxter, Philadelphia Athletics - He was 2-1 with a 0.69 ERA and a shutout. After missing the end of July and beginning of August with back spasms, this performance was key to keeping the A's afloat, especially with the injury to Ponfick.

NL - "Jersey" Piccininno, Boston Braves - He was 5-0 with a 1.02 ERA and 1 shutout.

American League Standings 
  
Detroit          82 49 .626 -
Philadelphia (A) 78 53 .595 4.0
Chicago (A)      75 56 .573 7.0 
Boston (A)       64 67 .489 18.0
Washington       62 69 .473 20.0
St. Louis (A)    56 75 .427 26.0 
New York (A)     55 76 .420 27.0
Cleveland        52 79 .397 30.0
 
National League Standings 
 
Boston (N)       92 39 .702 -  
Philadelphia (N) 76 55 .580 16.0
Chicago (N)      68 62 .523 23.5
St. Louis (N)    67 64 .511 25.0
Cincinnati       65 65 .500 26.5 
New York (N)     62 69 .473 30.0
Brooklyn         53 79 .402 39.5 
Pittsburgh       41 91 .311 51.5

Ancestors:

George Ward, RF, Boston (N) - Ward hit .386 with 23 RBI, 26 runs scored and 3 home runs.

John "Pops" Falise, RF, Philadelphia (N) - Pops hit .369 with 21 RBI and 2 HR. His 25 HR are tops in the majors and just 3 shy of the major league record. His 101 RBI are 2nd in the NL.

Thomas Strasser, CF, Detroit - Strasser hit .388 with 4 HR this month before hurting his hamstring on August 14th. He missed the rest of the month and could miss the first two weeks of September. His 13 HR this season tied a career high that he initially set in 1924, his last full season in Cleveland.

Ben "Rabbi" Baum, CF, Philadelphia (A) - Baum hit .323 with 23 RBI, 5 steals and 7 home runs. He now has 24 home runs which is 4 shy of the major league record.

Jean-Francois "Flaky" Arsenault, SS, Chicago (A) - After finally returning to the lineup, Flaky hit .314 in 27 games.

Genaro "Tito" Nunez, 2B, Boston (A) - Tito became the 6th player in history to record 3000 hits. He did it on August 5th against White Sox pitcher "Stuffy" Zinn. With 773 career steals, he is now just 30 steals shy of becoming first all-time. Over his 18-year career, he has gotten 30 steals every season except his rookie year and this season, in which he currently has just 11.

Salvatore "The Sicilian Saucer" Rossi, 1B, Philadelphia (A) - Sal hit .397 but had just 6 RBI in 17 games after returning on August 12th.

Ahrend "Professor" Nagel, SP, Philadelphia (A) - Nagel went 3-5 with a 3.59 ERA.

"Nasty Ned" Fargo, SP, St. Louis (A) - Ned went 3-4 with a 4.65 ERA.

Whiskey Allen, Jr., SP, Boston (N) - Junior went 3-2 with a 3.14 ERA before being removed from the rotation with back spasms. He will likely miss the rest of the regular season and is questionable for a potential appearance in the World Series.

Bourbon Allen, SP, Boston (N) - Bourbon went 5-2 with a 3.10 ERA including two 2-hit shutouts.

Otto "Kaiser" Kahle, SP, Cleveland - Otto went 2-1 with a 1.80 ERA in just 3 starts, but missed 3 starts with a pulled muscle in his arm.

Adolf "The Human Torch" Greisbach, SS, Detroit - Adolf hit .352 in August and he now has enough at-bats to be first in the AL with a .403 average.

Frank Smith, SP, Brooklyn - Frank was just 1-2 in 7 starts this month, but he had a respectable 2.58 ERA, bringing his season mark to 4.71.

[lgkeeper]

Harry got sent down to AAA - looks like he won't end up as the all-time hits king. Maybe he'll get a call up, but it looks unlikely.

[tward13]

It's going to be real close. Ward may just get enough plate appearances by year end to qualify for the batting title. 6 weeks off is a lot to overcome.

[scprideandms]

Bourbon and Whiskey kicking a$$

[Matt from TN]

September 27, 1928

The Braves clinched their first pennant in 18 years and in doing so, snapped a 14-year losing streak. They snapped that horrendous streak in flamboyant fashion by setting a new National League record for wins along the way. The old record of 103 wins was set by the 1915 Cardinals, but the Braves collected win number 104 on September 21st against the Giants. Two days later, they added win number 105. They finished out the season with a three-game series against Brooklyn, and a series sweep would give them a new major league record. The series was indeed a sweep, but it was Boston who was swept, leaving them with 105 victories on the season.

In the AL, Detroit never let up, and the A's were never able to climb any closer than 3 games back. On September 23rd, Detroit finished up a 3-game sweep of the White Sox which clinched the Tigers' first pennant in the franchise's 28-year history. They became the final team in major league history to win a pennant.

In other news, the Pirates did set a new record with 103 losses, but to their credit, they improved over the final two months of the season - not that it would have taken much to do that. They went 12-16 in August and 10-12 in September. Loss number 103 came on September 23rd against the Reds, but the Pirates managed to end the season on a 5 game winning streak - including a sweep of the mighty Phillies - to keep from falling any further into infamy.

American League Standings 
  
Detroit           93 61 .604 -
Philadelphia (A)  89 65 .578 4.0
Chicago (A)       83 71 .539 10.0 
Boston (A)        81 73 .526 12.0
Washington        75 79 .487 18.0
New York (A)      67 87 .435 26.0
St. Louis (A)     67 87 .435 26.0 
Cleveland         61 93 .396 32.0
 
National League Standings 
 
Boston (N)       105 49 .682 -  
Philadelphia (N)  90 64 .584 15.0
St. Louis (N)     83 71 .539 22.0
Chicago (N)       82 72 .532 23.0
Cincinnati        72 82 .468 33.0 
New York (N)      72 82 .468 33.0
Brooklyn          61 93 .396 44.0 
Pittsburgh        51 103 .331 54.0

World Series

The Braves have begun to shed their "loser" and "underachieving" tags by winning their first pennant since 1910 and winning a NL-record 105 games. They made an unprescedented 40-game turnaround from last year's 65-89 record. They are already one of the most dominant regular season teams to make the World Series. They led the majors with a .303 team batting average and 3.04 team ERA. The top three ERA's in the NL are all Braves starters - Bourbon Allen, Whiskey Allen, Jr. and "Jersey" Piccininno. They boast the batting champion - George Ward - who at age 23 has now won three straight batting titles. Their offense scored the most runs, hit the 2nd most homers and drew the 3rd most walks in the majors. Their pitching staff led the majors in practically every category, except allowing walks which was their one weakness. In other words, Boston is heavily favored to win the Series.

Detroit and their fans are ecstatic over winning the first pennant in the franchise's 28-year history. They did it with teamwork. Their offense had the 2nd best batting average in the majors at .300 and they scored the 2nd most runs to the Braves. Despite playing in homerun-friendly Tiger Stadium, the team hit just the 6th most longballs in the majors this season. Their pitching staff struggled at times and put up a 4.42 ERA overall. Again despite playing half their games in Tiger Stadium, they still allowed the 2nd fewest homers in the big leagues (second to the Braves). Their middle infielders, Kid Fite and Adolf Griesbach, finished 2nd and 3rd in the AL batting race respectively, and their 3 through 7 hitters all had 11 or more home runs. Rightfielder Nick Graves and first baseman Quenton Misisca have each driven in over 100 runs in three of the past four seasons. This year, they, along with third baseman Troy Kinnear, finished 1-2-3 in the AL with 130, 127 and 122 RBI.

My Prediction: Both teams are very talented and both have been known as underachievers for many years now. For anyone who favors the underdog, both teams tug at your heartstrings. It is only a shame that just one of these teams and just one of these beleaguered fan bases can win a title. The Braves are just too good, and with a pitching staff that is leaps-and-bounds above the Tigers' rotation, Boston should not have too much difficulty winning the Series. I predict Boston will win in 6 games.

Ancestors Involved:

Detroit
Adolf Greisbach, starting SS, batting 2nd
Kid Fite, starting 2B, batting 3rd
Thomas Strasser, starting CF, batting 7th

Boston
George Ward, starting RF, batting 3rd
Bourbon Allen, SP
Whiskey Allen Jr., SP
Roy Hobbs, starting CF, batting 5th

[tward13]

OK, he got enough ABs. Go Grandpa Ward. Also, now that he's led the league again and has helped lead his team to the Series I think I'll go with that earlier suggestion of "The General" for his nickname. George "The General" Ward. General George: first in war, first in peace and no longer last in the National League.

[Matt from TN]

ALL WEB PAGES ARE UPDATED... INCLUDING PLAYER PAGES AND WORLD SERIES BOX SCORES...


WORLD SERIES

Detroit 4 - Boston 6: The Tigers scored 2 runs off Whiskey Allen, Jr. in the 3rd inning, but after that it was a pitching duel between Allen and Floyd Bettles. That ended in the bottom of the 8th when the Braves scored 6 runs, capped off by a 2-out, 2-run double by Allen himself. The Tigers scored two more runs in the top off the 9th off a 2-run home run by third baseman Troy Kinnear, but that was all they could muster as the Braves took Game 1.

Detroit 2 - Boston 5: Bourbon Allen was the story of the game, allowing just two runs off 9 hits and a walk in a complete game victory. The Tigers pitching weakness after ace Floyd Bettles may already be beginning to show.

Boston 2 - Detroit 11: The Braves got a rather cold welcome to Tiger Stadium as Detroit pounded "Jersey" Piccininno and three Boston relievers for 11 runs off 17 hits. Second baseman Kid Fite went 4-for-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBI and was named Player of the Game. Rightfielder Nick Graves helped with a 3-for-5 night and 4 RBI.

Boston 4 - Detroit 8: The Braves led 4-2 until the Tigers scored a run off Whiskey Allen Jr. in the bottom of the 8th to close the score to 4-3. Detroit then led off the bottom of the 9th with back-to-back pinch hit singles. Leftfielder Lawrence Barry singled in the tying run and then with still no one out, Allen walked shortstop Jim LeClear to load the bases. The next pitch was one Allen will long regret as Kid Fite planted the ball over the right field wall for the first Grand Slam in World Series history, and a walkoff version at that!

Boston 1 - Detroit 5: Detroit starter Arden Killbreath got revenge for his Game 2 failure by allowing just one run off 9 hits and no walks. The victory gave the Tigers a 3-game home sweep and a 3-2 Series lead.

Detroit 8 - Boston 2: Behind the arm of James "Buckshot" Beck, the Tigers completed the daunting task of knocking off the heavily favored Braves. Beck allowed 2 runs (1 earned) off 8 hits and 4 walks, and he proved that Detroit's pitching was better than advertised. First baseman Quenton Misisca and centerfielder Thomas Strasser were both 4-for-5 in the game, and Misisca added 3 RBI.


Late in the season, the Braves were often compared to the 1910 Cleveland Blues, who won a major league record 107 games. Strangely enough, the Blues were also upset in the World Series much like this season's Braves were. The funniest fact of all is that the Blues were toppled by an unsung Braves team. That 1910 season was the last time the Braves finished in first until now. Perhaps turnabout is fair play in the TWB.



James "Buckshot" Beck was named World Series MVP. Formerly a top young prospect in the Tigers organization, Beck had never really lived up to expectations. He carried much of the weight of the Tigers repeated underachievements on his shoulders. Poetically, it was him who rode to his team's rescue. Facing a dominant Braves rotation, Detroit knew their #2 and #3 starters would need to pitch well if they were to have any chance of success. After being down 2-games-to-none and having their ace already loose Game 1, Beck faced immense pressure in the Tigers' home opener, but he came through. Then in Game 6 back in Boston with the World Championship nearly in his grasp, Beck put together another gutsy performance and nailed down the victory for his team and their long-beleaguered fans. Overall, Beck was 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in the series.

[Matt from TN]

September Batters of the Month:

AL - Adam Sommer, LF, Chicago White Sox - He hit .473 with 10 RBI and 7 runs scored.

NL - Whitey Kohse, SS, New York Giants - He hit .413 with 18 RBI, 11 runs scored and 2 home runs.

September Pitchers of the Month:

AL - Babe Goodrum, Boston Red Sox - He went 3-0 with a 0.86 ERA.

NL - Chester Haines, Philadelphia Phillies - He went 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA and a shutout.




Ancestors:

Campbell Ditty, CF, New York (N), Age 40 - Ditty stuck around to play this season with his son F.X. and he hit .259 and added 2 HR, 17 RBI and 7 doubles to the career lists that he leads. Now that F.X. has been traded to Brooklyn, Ditty will almost certainly retire.


Harry "The Haymaker" Cohan, C, Chicago (N), Age 41 - Harry gave it one more shot to see if he could still compete, and he proved that he could by hitting .296, albeit in just 27 games. After being asked to move to the minor this summers, Harry will undoubtedly retire as one of the all-time greats.


John "Pops" Falise, RF, Philadelphia (N), Age 36 - Pops continues to get better with age, tying the major league record with 28 HR. He has also had 100+ RBI in 5 straight seasons.


Jean-Francois "Flaky" Arsenault, SS, Chicago (A), Age 36 - Flaky missed 2 months of the season, but hit .327 overall and crept to within 42 hits of breaking Whiskey Allen's all-time hits record.


Genaro "Tito" Nunez, 2B, Boston (A), Age 35 - Tito became the 6th player to 3000 hits. This was the first time since his rookie year in 1911 that he did not steal at least 30 bases. He is still 27 steals away from becoming #1 all-time. He also won his 8th Gold Glove.


"Nasty Ned" Fargo, SP, St. Louis (A), Age 33 - After winning 28 games last season, Ned turned around and lost 24 this season. He started off terribly, but managed to improve late in the season and keep his stats from looking too awful.


Will Miller, LF, Washington, Age 33 - Will's .366 career average is currently the best all-time. He is 200 hits away from 3000. He is also just 8 steals away from becoming the 4th player to 600.


Thomas Strasser, CF, Detroit, Age 34 - Strasser hit .320 and tied a career best with 13 HR. He made his first World Series appearance since 1916 with Cleveland, and he hit .400. This is his third World Championship.


Chuck "Pudge" Harris, C, St. Louis (N), Age 32 - Pudge slipped late in the season and finished with a .281 average. That was his first sub-.300 average since 1920.


Ahrend "Professor" Nagel, SP, Philadelphia (A), Age 31 - Nagel won 20+ games for the 5th time. At age 31, he has 248 career wins.


Horst "Harry" Nagel, C, Boston (N), Age 29 - Harry hit well once he returned from last season's broken wrist, but the reaquisition of Dud Dietzsch hurts his future in Boston.


Donald "Duckie" Andrew, 2B, Cleveland, Age 29 - Duckie hit just .239, but he stole 63 bases and scored 100 runs.


Ben "Rabbi" Baum, CF, Philadelphia (A), Age 28 - Ben had another great season, hitting a career-high 25 HR and driving in 110 RBI. His career OPS is .961 after 11 seasons! He also won his first Gold Glove.


Bourbon Allen, SP, Boston (N), Age 28 - Bourbon had his greatest season, going 27-7 with a 2.28 ERA. He led the NL in wins and ERA. He was 1-1 with a 2.65 ERA in the World Series.


Whiskey Allen, Jr., SP, Boston (N), Age 27 - Junior may have finally arrived, although it took him 10 years. He won 20 games for the first time and had a 2.53 ERA, which was 2nd best in the NL. He went 1-1 with a 6.35 ERA in a World Series defeat.


Sam Kass, CF, Pittsburgh, Age 26 - Despite playing on the worst team in TWB history, Sam managed to drive in 90 RBI.


August "Fat Gus" Kahle, 3B, New York (A), Age 24 - Gus hit .366, which was 4th best in the AL.


Salvatore "The Sicilian Saucer" Rossi, CF, Philadelphia (A), Age 25 - Sal had the best average of his career, but because of injuries, had just 72 RBI.


Levi "Tyke" Walls, SS, Chicago (N), Age 30 - Tyke had yet another above-.300 season and scored over 100 runs for the 4th time. He also stole a career high 40 bases.


Kid Fite, 2B, Detroit, Age 24 - Kid finished 2nd in the AL batting race with a .388 average. He also tied a career high with 11 HR. His 96 RBI were a career best, and he led the AL with 121 runs scored. He hit .375 with 1 HR and 9 RBI in a World Series win.


Harry Finley, C, New York (A), Age 23 - Harry hit just .268 in his second full season, but he hit 8 HR and stole 36 bases. He also won his 2nd Gold Glove.


David "Pops" McAuliffe, 3B, Chicago (N), Age 22 - McAuliffe hit .322 and set a career best with a .828 OPS.


George "The General" Ward, RF, Boston (N), Age 23 - At age 23, Ward has won three straight batting titles. Now known as the General, he also hit a career high 8 HR. He hit .316 in a World Series loss.


Otto "Kaiser" Kahle, SP, Cleveland, Age 22 - At age 22, Otto has now had two 20-win seasons, going 20-9 with a career best 2.56 ERA, which led the AL.


David Wickersham, SP, Chicago (N), Age 21 - David had another great season, going 17-9 with a 2.99 ERA. Had he not missed the entire month of August, he could possibly have won 20 games.


Lloyd Johnson, 1B, New York (N), Age 20 - Lloyd had a lot of opportunities to start, but never nailed down a full-time job. He hit .272 with a career-best 7 HR and 60 RBI.


Alan Liao, 3B, Cincinnati, Age 21 - In his first full season, Liao hit .284 with 8 HR. He finished the season batting 3rd for the Reds. He also got talent increases in HR's and K's.


Woodrow "Woody" Woodworth, 2B, St. Louis (A), Age 21 - Woody hit .283 in 180 AB, but he has still been buried behind regular starters at 2B, 3B and SS. He is expected to contend for the starting SS job next spring.


Adolf "The Human Torch" Greisbach, SS, Detroit, Age 21 - Adolf got his first chance to start, and it paid off for the Tigers. He finished 3rd in the AL with a .388 average. In the World Series, he hit .286.


Carmack "Country" Alford, LF, Cincinnati, Age 20 - Late in the season, Carmack finally won a starting job in LF. He hit .324 with 6 HR in only 401 AB, and the Reds expect a lot out of him next season.


Carl "Dutch" Kahle, 3B, Washington, Age 21 - Dutch hit .252 in 218 AB, and he may be able to win a starting job next season.


Foglesong "Fuzz" Allen, LF, Cincinnati, Age 19 - Fuzz hit .323 with 11 HR, 74 RBI and 43 SB. That's very impressive for this 19-year-old who is batting 3rd for the Giants.


John "Bucky" Smith, SP, Chicago (N), Age 19 - In just his second season, Bucky won 18 games with a 4.13 ERA.


Leonard "Sunny" Davie, C, Chicago (A), Age 19 - Sunny hit just .233, but he is expected to make a serious run at a starting job next spring.


Swervin' Ervin Skjerly, CF, New York (A), Age 19 - Ervin hit .301 in his first full season.


Ricardo "Tiny" Bowden, SS, Boston (A), Age 19 - Tiny hit .308 with 61 RBI and 25 steals in his first full season.


Keith "Dead-Eye" Laverick, 1B, St. Louis (N), Age 19 - Keith hit .285 in 207 AB and should have a good shot at a starting job next spring.


Frank Smith, SP, Brooklyn, Age 18 - In his first season with the Robins, Frank went 6-14 with a 4.59 ERA. He is already #3 in Brooklyn's rotation, and great things are expected of him in the near future.


F.X. Ditty, 2B, Brooklyn, Age 18 - After beginning the season with his father on the Giants, Ditty was traded to Brooklyn, where he could become a starter as soon as next season.


Dewey Mickelsen, CF, Chicago (N), Age 18 - Dewey managed to get into 63 games while hitting .239. The Cubs have a very crowded outfield, but he could potentially become a starter if he is moved to LF next season.


Wolter "Boeken" Tjeenk-Willink, LF, Washington, Age 18 - Boeken hit just .200 (4 for 20) and it is unlikely he will see much more time next season with the great Will Miller ahead of him in LF and two strong 3B on the roster.


Virgil "Tank" Lusk, C, Philadelphia (A), Age 18 - Tank hit just .206 in his first shot in the majors. The A's have several other catchers and have a solid 1B in Sal Rossi, so Tank will have to fight for playing time.

[Matt from TN]

1928 Postseason

World Series Champs - Detroit Tigers 1st AL Pennant, 1st WS Title, They became the last team to win a pennant

AL Champs - Boston Braves 3rd AL Pennant, It was their first pennant in 18 years


AL BOY: "Juicy" Shiflet, BOS, .394, 22 HR, 111 RBI, 23 SB
NL BOY: John "Pops" Falise, PHI, .337, 28 HR, 118 RBI --- He has won 4 straight BOY Awards

AL POY: Ahrend "Professor" Nagel, PHA, 24-13, 2.64 ERA, 105 BB, 87 K
NL POY: Bourbon Allen, BSN, 27-7, 2.28 ERA, 50 BB, 102 K

AL ROY: Ricardo "Tiny" Bowden, BOS, .308, 3 HR, 61 RBI, 25 SB
NL ROY: Frank Smith, CHN, 6-14, 4.59 ERA, 60 BB, 64 K
--- These two are the first ancestor ROY's since 1921


AL AVG: "Juicy" Shiflet, BOS, .394
NL AVG: George Ward, BSN, .394 --- This is his 3rd straight batting title

AL HR: Ben "Rabbi" Baum, PHA, 25
NL HR: John "Pops" Falise, PHI, 28 --- This tied a major league record

AL RBI: Quenton Misisca, DET, 130
NL RBI: John Schmeider, BSN, 124

AL SB: Duckie Andrews, CLE, 63
NL SB: Dale "The Wizard" Reneau, PHI, 58

AL ERA: Otto "Kaiser" Kahle, CLE, 2.56
NL ERA: Bourbon Allen, BSN, 2.28

AL Wins: Ahrend "Professor" Nagel, SLA, and "Hook" Jackson, BOS, 24
NL Wins: Bourbon Allen, BSN, 27

AL K's: Jethro "Dodge" Lee, WSH, 163
NL K's: Robert Mahoney, CIN, 136

AL Saves: David Vivian, CLE, 14
NL Saves: Kirt LaFountain, CHN and Jonathan Revis, CIN 14


Records/Milestones

AL - 59 Doubles, Stanley Dancer, CLE
AL - 42 Games Started, "Nasty Ned" Fargo, SLA
AL - 14 Saves, David Vivian

NL - 28 Home Runs - John "Pops" Falise, PHI
NL - 135 Runs - Marcus Fortson, BSN
NL - 105 Wins - Boston Braves
NL - 103 Losses - Pittsburgh Pirates


3000 Hits - Genaro "Tito" Nunez, BOS


2000 Hits - Mike Boardway, PHI
2000 Hits - Thomas Strasser, DET


1384 Walks - Whitey Kohse, NYG... He became the all-time leader, passing Woody Woodson's mark, but two other players also passed that mark and are right on Kohse's tail.

[Matt from TN]

Franchise Histories

BLUE - Won World Series
GREEN - Won Pennant but No WS Played
BLACK - Won Pennant

Boston Red Sox - 1 Pennant, 1-0 in WS, Last Pennant (1918), Last WS Title (1918)
Most Wins 81 (1928), Most Losses 91 (1921)
Winning Seasons 6, Losing Seasons 19, .500 Seasons 3
Longest Winning Streak: 1 Season
Longest Losing Streak: 12 Seasons (1906-17)
1900-10: 2-8
1911-20: 2-7-1 - 1918
1921-30: 2-4-2
Last 10 Seasons 3-4-3
Last 5 Seasons 2-1-2

Chicago White Sox - 4 Pennants, 1-3 in WS, Last Pennant (1920), Last WS Title (1920)
Most Wins 102 (1920), Most Losses 91 (1910)
Winning Seasons 13, Losing Seasons 15
Longest Winning Streak: 9 Seasons (1913-21)
Longest Losing Streak: 9 Seasons (1904-12)
1900-10: 1-9 - 1903
1911-20: 8-2 - 1917, 1919, 1920
1921-30: 4-4
Last 10 Seasons 6-4
Last 5 Seasons 3-2

Cleveland Indians - 5 Pennants, 2-3 in WS, Last Pennant (1916), Last WS Title (1916)
Most Wins 107 (1910), Most Losses 94 (1905)
Winning Seasons 17, Losing Seasons 11
Longest Winning Streak: 13 Seasons (1906-18)
Longest Losing Streak: 4 Seasons (1922-25)
1900-10: 6-4 - 1907, 1910
1911-20: 9-1 - 1914, 1915, 1916
1921-30: 2-6
Last 10 Seasons 3-7
Last 5 Seasons 1-4

Detroit Tigers - 1 Pennant, 1-0 in WS, Last Pennant (1928), Last WS Win (1928)
Most Wins 93 (1928), Most Losses 94 (1906, 1922)
Winning Seasons 13, Losing Seasons 15
Longest Winning Streak: 5 Seasons (1901-05)
Longest Losing Streak: 7 Seasons (1906-12)
1900-10: 5-5
1911-20: 3-7
1921-30: 4-4 - 1928
Last 10 Seasons 4-6
Last 5 Seasons 3-2

New York Yankees - 7 Pennants, 3-4 in WS, Last Pennant (1927), Last WS Win (1912)
Most Wins 103 (1923), Most Losses 93 (1920)
Winning Seasons 14, Losing Seasons 13, .500 Seasons 1
Longest Winning Streak: 8 Seasons (1905-12)
Longest Losing Streak: 7 Seasons (1915-21)
1900-10: 7-3 - 1905, 1908, 1909
1911-20: 3-7 - 1911, 1912
1921-30: 4-3-1 - 1923, 1927
Last 10 Seasons 4-5-1
Last 5 Seasons 2-2-1

Philadelphia Athletics - 3 Pennants, 1-2 in WS, Last Pennant (1926), Last WS Title (1906)
Most Wins 91 (1925, 1926), Most Losses 97 (1917)
Winning Seasons 15, Losing Seasons 13
Longest Winning Streak: 4 Seasons (1905-08, 1925-Present)
Longest Losing Streak: 10 Seasons (1912-21)
1900-10: 8-2 - 1906
1911-20: 1-9
1921-30: 6-2 - 1925, 1926
Last 10 Seasons 6-4
Last 5 Seasons 4-1

St. Louis Browns - 4 Pennants, 1-0 in WS, Last Pennant (1922), Last WS Title (1922)
Most Wins 89 (1904), Most Losses 94 (1915)
Winning Seasons 11, Losing Seasons 16, .500 Seasons 1
Longest Winning Streak: 2 Seasons (1901-02, 1918-19, 1921-22)
Longest Losing Streak: 7 Seasons (1910-16)
1900-10: 5-5 - 1901, 1902, 1904
1911-20: 2-7-1
1921-30: 4-4 - 1922
Last 10 Seasons 5-5
Last 5 Seasons 2-3

Washington Senators - 3 Pennants, 2-1 in WS, Last Pennant (1924), Last WS Title (1924)
Most Wins 87 (1924), Most Losses 88 (1907)
Winning Seasons 12, Losing Seasons 15, .500 Seasons 1
Longest Winning Streak: 4 Seasons (1921-1924)
Longest Losing Streak: 5 Seasons (1916-20)
1900-10: 3-6-1
1911-20: 4-6 - 1913
1921-30: 5-3 - 1921, 1924
Last 10 Seasons 5-5
Last 5 Seasons 2-3



Boston Braves - 3 Pennants, 1-1 in WS, Last Pennant (1928), Last WS Title (1910)
Most Wins 105 (1928), Most Losses 102 (1915)
Winning Seasons 8, Losing Seasons 20
Longest Winning Streak: 3 Seasons (1902-04)
Longest Losing Streak: 14 Seasons (1914-27)
1900-10: 6-4 - 1904, 1910
1911-20: 1-9
1921-30: 1-7 - 1928
Last 10 Seasons 1-9
Last 5 Seasons 1-4

Brooklyn Robins - 2 Pennants, 2-0 in WS, Last Pennant (1926), Last WS Title (1926)
Most Wins 91 (1926), Most Losses 94 (1927)
Winning Seasons 15, Losing Seasons 12, .500 Seasons 1
Longest Winning Streak: 5 Seasons (1922-26)
Longest Losing Streak: 4 Seasons (1903-06)
1900-10: 3-7
1911-20: 7-2-1 - 1919
1921-30: 5-3 - 1926
Last 10 Seasons 7-3
Last 5 Seasons 3-2

Chicago Cubs - 3 Pennants, 2-1 in WS, Last Pennant (1917), Last WS Title (1917)
Most Wins 93 (1913), Most Losses 97 (1925)
Winning Seasons 19, Losing Seasons 9
Longest Winning Streak: 14 Seasons (1901-14)
Longest Losing Streak: 6 Seasons (1922-27)
1900-10: 10-0 - 1905
1911-20: 7-3 - 1913, 1917
1921-30: 2-6
Last 10 Seasons 3-7
Last 5 Seasons 1-4

Cincinnati Reds - 1 Pennant, 0-1 in WS, Last Pennant (1920)
Most Wins 92 (1927), Most Losses 95 (1906)
Winning Seasons 18, Losing Seasons 10
Longest Winning Streak: 11 Seasons (1913-1923)
Longest Losing Streak: 3 Seasons (1924-26)
1900-10: 5-5
1911-20: 9-1 - 1920
1921-30: 4-4
Last 10 Seasons 6-4
Last 5 Seasons 1-4

New York Giants - 4 Pennants, 2-2 in WS, Last Pennant (1922), Last WS Title (1921)
Most Wins 90 (1922, 1923), Most Losses 94 (1913)
Winning Seasons 11, Losing Seasons 16, .500 Seasons 1
Longest Winning Streak: 6 Seasons (1918-1923)
Longest Losing Streak: 7 Seasons (1908-14)
1900-10: 1-8-1 - 1907
1911-20: 5-5 - 1918
1921-30: 5-3 - 1921, 1922
Last 10 Seasons 7-3
Last 5 Seasons 2-3

Philadelphia Phillies - 5 Pennants, 3-0 in WS, Last Pennant (1927), Last WS Title (1927)
Most Wins 100 (1927), Most Losses 91 (1920)
Winning Seasons 13, Losing Seasons 14, .500 Seasons 1
Longest Winning Streak: 5 Seasons (1901-05, 1924-Present)
Longest Losing Streak: 9 Seasons (1915-1923)
1900-10: 7-2-1 - 1901, 1902, 1903
1911-20: 1-9
1921-30: 5-3 - 1925, 1927
Last 10 Seasons 5-5
Last 5 Seasons 5-0

Pittsburgh Pirates - 4 Pennants, 1-3 in WS, Last Pennant (1912), Last WS Win (1909)
Most Wins 92 (1908), Most Losses 103 (1928)
Winning Seasons 8, Losing Seasons 19, .500 Seasons 1
Longest Winning Streak: 5 Seasons (1908-12)
Longest Losing Streak: 7 Seasons (1913-19)
1900-10: 4-6 - 1908, 1909
1911-20: 2-8 - 1911, 1912
1921-30: 1-6-1
Last 10 Seasons 2-7-1
Last 5 Seasons 1-4

St. Louis Cardinals - 6 Pennants, 2-4 in WS, Last Pennant (1924), Last WS Win (1923)
Most Wins 103 (1915), Most Losses 95 (1910)
Winning Seasons 16, Losing Seasons 9, .500 Seasons 3
Longest Winning Streak: 5 Seasons (1914-18, 1921-25)
Longest Losing Streak: 4 Seasons (1908-11)
1900-10: 3-6-1 - 1906
1911-20: 6-2-2 - 1914, 1915, 1916
1921-30: 7-1 - 1923, 1924
Last 10 Seasons 7-2-1
Last 5 Seasons 4-1

[tward13]

The General has still not made an error in his 6 year career.

[scprideandms]

Bourbon had better be Pitcher of the Year!!!!

[Matt from TN]

Originally posted by Matt from TN
NL POY: Bourbon Allen, BSN, 27-7, 2.28 ERA, 50 BB, 102 K

[Matt from TN]

Key Retirees:


Tim "Presto" Lopresto, SP
St. Louis Cardinals 1911-1928



Presto retired as the all-time leader in wins with 359. After a cup of coffee with the Cardinals in 1911, he burst onto the scene in 1912, going 18-14 with a 2.77 ERA. Just two years later at age 25, he set a still standing major league record with 33 wins. He and the Cardinals also won the World Series that year. The next season, he won 29 games and set a still standing NL record with a 1.33 ERA. Just two years after that in 1917, he won 31 games and set yet another a still standing major league record with 46 games started. That made him the only pitcher at that time (and one of only two to this day) to have won 30 or more games twice in his career. Overall, he won 20 or more games 8 times, he threw two no-hitters and even won two Gold Gloves. He pitched in 3 World Series, and he won two of them. He was a five-time Pitcher of the Year, and he led the NL in ERA 6 times, in WHIP 10 times, in wins 5 times and in shutouts 4 times. He retired with a 359-188 record (Most Wins All-Time), 2.62 ERA (11th Best All-Time), 1382 K's, 462 complete games (2nd All-Time) and 65 shutouts (5th All-Time).


Bop Vacha, 3B
Boston Red Sox 1908-1914
Cincinnati Reds 1914-1928



Not only did Vacha have a great first name for a slugger, but he backed it up as an offensive leader throughout his career, especially after arriving in Cincinnati. He never won any major awards nor led the league in any category (although he often finished in the top 10 in several categories), but Vacha was always a forceful presence in the lineup. He finished his career with a .298 average, 2641 hits (19th Most All-Time), 90 home runs (19th All-Time), 1268 RBI (8th All-Time), 1275 runs scored (19th All-Time) and 1346 walks (3rd All-Time).



Retiring Ancestors:


Amazingly both Campbell Ditty and Harry Cohan decided to attempt yet another season. Both veterans (and likely future HOF'ers) agreed to start out the season in AAA. Apparently, they just can't give up the ghost of their younger days.

[lgkeeper]

Originally posted by Matt from TN
Key Retirees:

Amazingly both Campbell Ditty and Harry Cohan decided to attempt yet another season. Both veterans (and likely future HOF'ers) agreed to start out the season in AAA. Apparently, they just can't give up the ghost of their younger days.

Likely? LIKELY? What did we deserve to not be LOCKS?

[Matt from TN]

Originally posted by lgkeeper
Likely? LIKELY? What did we deserve to not be LOCKS?

I want to keep alive what suspense there is!

[Matt from TN]

WEB PAGES UPDATED... INCLUDING PLAYER PAGES...


1929

Detroit won their first pennant last season after 28 years of baseball. The city and its fans are still overjoyed with the Tigers shocking World Series victory over the highly favored Braves. The team is optimistic about its chances this season, but they do not enter April as the favorite. Instead, they are again playing second fiddle to the Athletics, who still look strong and who played well late last year. Behind these two teams is a host of would-be contenders. Any one of the Red Sox, White Sox, Yankees, Browns or Senators could sneak up on the A's and Tigers and become a pennant contender.

The National League is primarily a story of the have's versus the have not's. The top two teams - Philadelphia and Boston - are light years ahead of most other teams in the league. The Braves proved last season how mighty they could be, but once again the Phillies feel like they have something to prove, and that is never good news for the rest of the NL. The closest potential contenders are the Cubs, Cardinals and Giants. While one of them could post a solid record, they will be hard pressed to finish in 2nd place behind one of these Goliaths. Then you have the dregs of the NL - the Robins, Reds and Pirates. Pittsburgh should be better than last season, but none of these teams will provide serious competition for a number of years.

After 17 years at the helm, long-time Brooklyn manager Ben Lafayette stepped down from his post amid rumors that he could not provide the leadership that this team needed. Despite those rumors, he was quickly asked to take over the managing duties in Cleveland, where he will be asked to help get their rebuiling process on track and provide results on the field. Finding themselves third in the New York marketplace behind the Giants and Yankees, the Robins wanted to make a splash with Lafayette's replacement. They did that by coaxing the great Carl Sweeney out of his two-year semi-retirement. The news sent shockwaves across the Big Apple, where Sweeney is known and loved by many fans. He skippered the Yankees during their heyday. Over 23 seasons, he led them to three World Series championships, six pennants and three second place finishes. Needless to say, the buzz around Ebbets Field has been fantastic this spring. And, oh yeah, the Robins have some hot young prospects on their roster, and several more developing in the minors.



Ancestors Added:


Damon "Lefty" Bowden, SP, Cleveland Indians



Damon, the brother of Red Sox shortstop "Tiny" Bowden, joins an Indians franchise in search of a way to reclaim its storied history. Bowden looks like a star in the making, and he should soon join another young phenomenon, Otto Kahle, in the Indians rotation. Currently, Bowden will begin the season at AA, but it is only a matter of time before he debuts in Cleveland.


Ping "The Outlander" Hung, CF, New York Yankees



Hung, a native of Taiwan, agreed to move to America in hopes of pursuing his love of baseball. The Yankees obliged and signed "The Outlander" and transplanted him in the Big Apple. Hung has shown a great eye at the plate, which will help him in getting on base both via walks and base hits. He could one day find himself leading the batting race. He has plenty of speed and an inate ability to steal bases. He is a very sure fielder, but he does not have much range. The Yankees have several other young outfielders both in the majors and minors, and Ping will have to battle for playing time. However, once he hones his skills, getting into the starting lineup should not be a problem. He will start the season in AAA, but could debut in the majors at any time.