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

[darnoff]

Season Awards

All first timers this season!


Batter of the Year




Pitcher of the Year




Rookie of the Year




Fireman Award




Gold Gloves
P - Red Donahue, SFG
C - Tom Daly, CHN
1B - Tom Parrott, CHN
2B - Heinie Reitz, PIT
3B - Billy Nash, ATL (4th overall)
SS - Hughie Jennings, LAD (3rd overall)
LF - Joe Kelley, ATL (2nd overall)
CF - Mike Griffin, LAD (2nd overall)
RF - Sam Thompson, CIN (NL record 6th overall!)

[darnoff]

1895 Key Retirees - Hitters


Lew Brown, C, Braves

Longest tenured player in the league and final member of the inaugural 1876 season. Two Gold Gloves. Led league in strikeouts in 1879.





Arlie Latham, 3B, Cardinals

Two Gold Gloves. Top 10 in stolen bases ten times, including five second place finishes. Top 10 in hits three times and batting average twice.




Dave Orr, RF/1B, Giants

Fine hitter who was forced to play outfield for most of his career due to the presence of Dan Brouthers at first base. 1883 RoY. Led league in hits as a rookie, and finished Top 10 an additional four times. Led league in runs in 1884. Top 10 in batting average three times and SLG twice.




Fred Pfeffer, SS, Giants

Power hitting infielder. Led league in triples in 1884 and sac flies in 1882. Top 10 in strikeouts five times and stolen bases twice.

[darnoff]

1895 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Hugh Daily, Cardinals

First player to ever pitch in 700 games, although the Giants Myron Allen currently has 2 more career games pitched than Daily. Recorded 30+ saves twice. Top 5 in holds three times.




Old Hoss Radbourn, Cardinals

Disappointing career for a HOF'er. Top 10 in wins four times, innings pitched three times, WHIP four times and strikeouts four times. Led league in losses twice and home runs allowed once. Finished Top 10 in HR allowed an additional seven times. Led league in K/BB ratio twice and finished Top 10 an additional eight times. Top 10 in BB/9 ratio seven times, K/9 four times and complete games three times.




Jim Whitney, Braves

Won Gold Glove in 1882. Top 10 in wins twice and losses six times. Top 10 in innings pitched three times, strikeouts three times, ERA twice, WHIP three times and home runs allowed three times. Led league in K/BB ratio in 1888 and finished Top 10 an additional five times. Finished Top 10 in BB/9 ratio four times, K/9 four times and quality starts three times. Led league in complete games twice and finished Top 10 an additional six times. Finished Top 5 in shutouts four times.

[darnoff]

1895 Rookies


Jimmy Collins, 3B, Age 24, Braves

MLB HoF'er Collins should be a solid hitter and a fine defensive third baseman. He replaces 4-time Gold Glover Billy Nash (.236, 14 HR, 50 RBI) at third, who was an equally fine defender but a weaker hitter. Collins has 20+ home run power, which means he hits cleanup in the Braves' weak lineup.




Joe Corbett, SP, Age 19, Cardinals

In MLB, Corbett was known as a kid with loads of talent who never fully saw it to fruition due to his temperament and desire to stay near home in California. In MLHR, he has no such option. He will begin his career as the #5 starter in perhaps the best rotation in the game, joining Cy Young, Amos Rusie and crew. His addition bumps 37-year-old Ed Cushman (10-17, 4.75 ERA) to the bullpen as a long reliever.




Jack Cronin, SP, Age 20, Dodgers

Cronin is a solid pitcher who will take over the #5 slot in the rotation, moving Brickyard Kennedy (10-13, 4.58 ERA) to the bullpen after one season in the rotation. Kennedy will take over as closer, replacing 4-time Fireman Award winner Jack Cattanach (11-9, 20 Sv, 4.29 ERA).




Bill Everitt, 1B, Age 24, Cubs

Everitt joins the team as a first baseman, but that position is occupied by slugger Tom Parrott (.292, 32 HR, 109 ERA). Everitt will instead move to his secondary position of third base, bumping Duke Farrell (.232, 8 HR, 34 RBI) to a bench role. Everitt should provide a nice spark for Chicago. He hits for high contact, plays great defense and has great range at third base.




Doc McJames, SP, Age 20, Dodgers

McJames joins Cronin in the Dodgers rotation. Doc will take the #4 slot, which allows the team to move Charlie Sweeney (12-9, 4.38 ERA) to the bullpen. McJames throws hard and should rack up several strikeouts. Here's an excerpt from his bio on the SABR website:

"Jimmy’s outstanding work in the box left a lasting impression on many of his contemporaries. Pitcher Bill Donovan told a reporter, “McJames had the best curve ball out of any other pitcher in baseball” while Hall of Famer Nap Lajoie said McJames was one of the toughest pitchers he ever faced. Future Hall of Fame inductees Ed Delahanty and Tommy McCarthy also expressed similar statements about Doc’s dominant pitching style."

Doc McJames | SABR

[darnoff]

1895 Preseason Predictions

For the first time in franchise history, the Phillies are coming off back-to-back pennants. They are again favored to win this season, but the team needs to recognize that four of their five starting pitchers are age 29 or older. It was wise that they brought on rookie Jimmy Callahan (13-9, 3.77 ERA) last season. They will need to continually bring in young talent to keep their hold on the league. The Cubs and Cardinals of the 1880's and present-day Giants are an example of the struggles a team faces if they do not do that.

The modern day Cardinals are excited about their prospects this season, especially after adding another sharp young pitcher, Joe Corbett (7-6-6 ratings), to their rotation. Their offense should bounce back from a lackluster season. They will need it if they are to fend off the Dodgers, who have last season's BoY Bill Joyce (.285, 45 HR, 123 RBI) in the heart of their lineup. Los Angeles also added two intriguing rookies to their starting rotation in Doc McJames (7-6-6 ratings) and Jack Cronin (6-6-7 ratings). Their bullpen is in transition though, as long time closer Jack Cattanach (49-68, 328 Sv, 2.71 career ERA) concedes the closer's role to 27-year-old Brickyard Kennedy.

The Pirates, Cubs and Reds make up the third tier of teams. Each have strengths but their weaknesses will likely be too much for them to expect to seriously compete for the pennant over the long 6-month season. However, stranger things have happened.




MLB results for 1895

Champs: Baltimore Orioles (defunct), (87-43, .669)

Batting Title: Jesse Burkett, CLV, .405
OPS+: Ed Delahanty, PHI, 187
AB/HR: Jack Clements, PHI, 24.8
RBI: Sam Thompson, PHI, 165
Runs: Billy Hamilton, PHI, 166
SB: Billy Hamilton, PHI, 97

ERA+: Al Maul, WHS, 197
Win%: Bill Hoffer, BLN, .838
WHIP: Cy Young, CLV, 1.185
K/9: Amos Rusie, NYG, 4.599


MLHR Milestone Watch

3000 Hits
Dan Brouthers, SFG, Age 37, 2888 hits

2500 Hits
Roger Connor, SFG, Age 38, 2468 hits
Pete Browning, PIT, Age 34, 2401 hits

1700 Runs
Dan Brouthers, SFG, Age 37, 1689 runs
(Brouthers passed Ross Barnes for first all-time last season and can become the first ever to reach 1700)

1500 Runs
Roger Connor, SFG, Age 38, 1437 runs

1656 RBI
Dan Brouthers, SFG, Age 37, 1649 RBI
Roger Connor, SFG, Age 38, 1648 RBI
(The teammates are just 1 RBI apart. The first to 1656 will break Cap Anson's career record.)

200 Wins
John Ewing, SFG, Age 32, 185 wins

3000 Strikeouts
John Clarkson, PHI, Age 34, 2868 K's

350 Saves
Will Sawyer, PIT, Age 31, 347 Sv
John Cattanach, LAD, Age 32, 328 Sv
(Sawyer passed Bill McGunnigle for first all-time last season. He will likely become the first to 350.)

700 Games pitched
The Only Nolan, PIT, Age 38, 694 games
Tommy Bond, LAD, Age 38, 661 games

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report

The Pirates led the league for nearly two solid months before an ugly 6-21 stretch from May 26 to June 24. Despite a fine beginning, their offense has plummeted to last in the league. Left fielder Fred Clarke (.288, 14 HR, 51 RBI) is one of the few batters having a solid season. On the other hand, the Pirates pitching staff is ranked 1st overall. Ed Morris (10-3, 2.38 ERA) is having a great first half and leads the league in ERA and wins.

Meanwhile, the two-time defending champion Phillies came on strong with a 20-7 June record which included a 10-game winning streak. Centerfielder Billy Hamilton (.325, 7 HR, 39 RBI, 65 R, 31 SB) is 2nd in the batting race while left fielder Ed Delahanty (.312, 22 HR, 69 RBI) leads the league in HR, RBI and OPS. Hamilton and Delahanty are #1 and #2 respectively in OBP, while second baseman Cupid Childs (.301, 24 RBI, 56 R) is third. So, there should be no surprise when you hear the team has the top offense in the league. What baffles the team is their 5th ranked pitching staff. Last season's PoY Ben Sanders (9-4, 3.38 ERA) has been the top performer thus far. Former starter John Clarkson (1-3, 21 Sv, 2.27 ERA) is doing a fine job in his second year as closer.

Despite mediocre play that has resulted in a 5th ranked offense and a 6th ranked pitching staff, the Cardinals have passed Pittsburgh and currently sit in 2nd place. Second baseman George Davis (.284, 16 HR, 52 RBI) has already tied his homerun total from last season. On the pitching side, the team's fate rests largely in the ability of aces Cy Young (8-5, 3.53 ERA) and Amos Rusie (4-5, 3.56 ERA) to increase their production and help carry the team. The team also needs some improvement from their 7th ranked bullpen.

In Chicago, the production of left fielder Hugh Duffy (.283, 18 HR, 59 RBI) and centerfielder Jake Stenzel (.291, 6 HR, 34 RBI, 51 R, 35 SB) is being overlooked due to a 7th ranked pitching staff that is preventing the team from making a real pennant run.

Despite the struggles of last season's BoY Bill Joyce (.224, 15 HR, 38 RBI), the Dodgers have the 4th best offense. Third baseman Denny Lyons (.312, 21 HR, 62 RBI) leads the charge. The pitching staff, led by Sadie McMahon (7-3, 3.01 ERA), is also ranked 4th. Many around baseball expect this team to make a late push, but it could be too little, too late.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

Just returned from a week's vacation... my first in almost 10 years. I will be getting back on track shortly.

My plan going forward is first to finish out the 19th century (just five more seasons!) and recap what happened over the initial 25 years, including individual and team records.

Then once we start the 1901 season and add the American League, I will begin previewing for you how the first decade of the 20th century unfolded in MLB history. And since franchises will have stabilized at that point, as far as none going defunct as happened many times in the 19th century, we will truly be able to compare how MLHR's results compare as we finish that decade.

We will also have our first World Series!


But first, let's finish the 19th century.

[darnoff]

Season Wrap-up

For the third straight season, the mighty Phillies have won over 100 games and won the pennant by more than 10 games. Their offense was once again #1 in the league, this time despite no everyday player batting over .300. Ed Delahanty hit .298 and had a monster season with 41 homers and 139 RBI - both good enough for the league lead. His RBI total was tied for 6th highest in league history. The last time a total that high was reached was 10 seasons ago when L.A.'s Billy O'Brien achieved the same total of 139. The Phillies pitching staff made a big comeback and also finished 1st in the league. Ben Sanders made a second half surge and finished with a 20-7 record and league-leading 2.85 ERA. John Clarkson was the league's best closer at age 35 after posting a 1.78 ERA with a league-high 42 saves.

The Cardinals and Dodgers wound up tied for second place with 89 wins each. The St. Louis pitching staff never quite found their groove, but second baseman George Davis (.281, 25 HR, 97 RBI) and third baseman John McGraw (.308, 10 HR, 63 RBI, 120 R, 56 SB) had fine offensive seasons. As for Los Angeles, they did bounce back from a slow start but they could not gain enough ground on the Phillies. Dodgers first baseman and last season's BoY Bill Joyce had a strong July and August to improve his overall season total to .249 with 32 homers and 96 RBI. In his first season as a closer, L.A.'s Brickyard Kennedy (5-7, 36 SV, 2.11 ERA) was dominant.

Chicago's 28-year-old Jake Stenzel set career highs with a .314 average, 202 hits and 63 stolen bases. Cincinnati flaunted two hitters with over 30 home runs - right fielder Sam Thompson (.277, 35 HR, 97 RBI) and center fielder Bug Holliday (.277, 32 HR, 101 RBI). They also had first baseman Jocko Halligan (.246, 93 RBI) with 29 long balls. Braves starter Kid Nichols posted his best ERA+ (131) which resulted in just a 11-14 record, despite the 2.98 ERA and league best 281 K's. 22-year-old Pirates left fielder Fred Clarke hit .382 in April and led the early batting race before struggling in May and June. However, he came back to record a solid .305 average with 26 homers and 103 RBI in just his second season.

Despite another down year by his standards, Giants great Dan Brouthers (.245, 18 HR, 65 RBI) became the second player to reach 3,000 hits on September 7th against the Pirates at age 38. How cool is it that he and teammate Roger Connor (.235, 26 HR, 98 RBI, Age 39) both broke the 500 home run barrier in the same 1893 season and now, two seasons later, finish this campaign atop the all time leader boards separated by a single home run. While no one wants to see these two great players go, part of me can't help but wish that they would retire now while they are together atop that list, as well as the all time RBI list.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




Records

Strikeouts by a batter: 213, Pete Browning, PIT

BB per 9 IP: 0.801, Clark Griffith, CHN, shattering the record of 1.016 set last season by Cy Young

[darnoff]

Season Awards


Batter of the Year




Pitcher of the Year




Rookie of the Year




Fireman Award




Gold Gloves
P - Doc McJames, LAD
C - Tom Daly, CHN (2nd consecutive)
1B - Jack Doyle, STL
2B - Cupid Childs, PHI (2nd overall)
3B - Lave Cross, PHI (4th overall)
SS - Herman Long, ATL (2nd overall)
LF - Fred Clarke, PIT
CF - Steve Brodie, ATL (2nd overall)
RF - Willie Keeler, SFG (2nd overall)

[darnoff]

1896 Rookies


Buttons Briggs, SP, Age 20, Cubs

The hard-throwing Briggs should be a key addition to Chicago's mediocre pitching staff. He will move into the #2 slot in the rotation behind Clark Griffith (16-10, 3.11 ERA). He has a weakness for issuing walks, but he tends to allow few hits which often nullify the effect of the free passes. Chicago hopes his addition will help them move into the top tier of teams and compete for the pennant this season.




Ned Garvin, SP, Age 22, Phillies

The addition of Garvin and Nops (below) is a major boon for the Phillies. Their #2 ranked pitching staff is just beginning to show some age, as four of their five starters are now 30 or older. 1894 rookie Jimmy Callahan (17-8, 3.32 ERA), at age 21, is the only starter not over 30. Garvin is a stud and will move into the rotation immediately. Whoever he replaces will move to the pen and be an immediate upgrade there.




Bill Keister, 2B, Age 24, Braves

Keister should provide some much needed help for last season's worst offense in the league. He hits for high average and runs the bases well. Unfortunately his defense is below average. He replaces Bobby Lowe (.251, 16 HR, 67 RBI) who, despite a career year in 1895, swings a light bat. However, he was a solid defender who actually won a Gold Glove in 1892. Still, Keister's presence in the lineup should be a big help as Atlanta tries to assemble a winning team.




Nap Lajoie, 2B, Age 21, Phillies

With Cupid Childs (.290, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 119 R, 113 BB, 2 Gold Gloves) entrenched at second, Lajoie will move to his secondary position of first base and replace aging veteran Henry Larkin (.216, 9 HR, 44 RBI). The addition of MLB Hall of Famer Lajoie is another impressive coup for Philadelphia. Along with Garvin and Nops, these three new players almost guarantee the Phillies will be among the pennant favorites for the next 6-10 seasons. Wow, what a team!




Ted Lewis, SP, Age 23, Braves

Lewis, along with fellow rookie Fred Klobedanz (7-5-5 ratings) are above average pitchers, but that is still a big help for a Braves pitching staff that finished 7th in the league last season. Lewis should find himself in the Braves rotation this season, while Klobedanz may join him, or he may find a key role in the bullpen. While these two additions may not be earth-shattering, they should go a long way in helping the Braves move out of the cellar.




Jerry Nops, SP, Age 20, Phillies

The Phillies have a loaded rotation, especially with Garvin's addition. That will force Nops to the bullpen, the team's one weakness. He will be a big upgrade, and should be a fixture on the pitching staff for a number of years.

[darnoff]

Unfortunately, my laptop lost power while in the middle of simming thru the offseason. I had to create a support ticket for technical help. Hopefully this can be resolved. I was prepared to start the next season today, but while I'm waiting for support help, I will post the key retirees.

[darnoff]

Well, I have some good news. After not hearing anything from tech support, I dug around last weekend and found a file from the 1895 preseason. That meant I've only lost one season. Literally only 10 minutes after finding that file, I walked away from the laptop and my cat jumped on the table and knocked a glass of water on top of the laptop and ...poof!

Luckily, my wife reminded me of the box of rice trick. I left it in a tote full of rice for 48 hrs and - voila! - it works!

I immediately backed up my 1895 file online and I've since set off to replicating the 1895 season and finally moving forward with the league.

These have been a long three weeks for me and I'm so excited to get MLHR back in action!

[darnoff]

The 1895 season posts above have all been edited to show the new version of 1895. Fortunately, we had the same pennant winner and the same BoY and PoY. Now, I will catch up on the 1896 prep as quickly as possible so we can get on with things.

[darnoff]

1896 Key Retirees - Batters


Buck Ewing, Giants

Most hits and home runs of any catcher in MLHR history. 1882 BoY. Seven time Gold Glove winner. 4th all time in home runs with 427, 5th all time in RBI with 1,387. Top 10 in home runs nine times and RBI seven times. Top 10 in stolen bases and runs four times. Top 10 in the batting race four times. Led league in OBP, SLG and OPS in 1882. Top 10 in OBP five times, SLG five times and OPS four times.




Henry Larkin, Phillies

Six time Gold Glove winner. Top 10 in triples, walks and OBP twice.




Jocko Milligan, Dodgers

1888 Gold Glove winner. Top 10 in doubles three times.

[darnoff]

1896 Key Retirees - Pitchers


Myron Allen, Giants

1888 Fireman Award winner. Led league in saves in 1888. Top 8 in saves three times. Most games pitched all time with 765. Top 10 in games pitched eight times and holds seven times. Top 10 in games finished six times.




Tommy Bond, Dodgers

Last remaining player from the inaugural 1876 season. 1876 PoY. All-time leader with 277 wins, as well as 230 losses. Also the all-time leader in games started, complete games, innings pitched and strikeouts. His 4,601.2 innings pitched are more than 600 innings greater than 2nd place Terry Larkin of the Giants. In 1894, Bond joined Fred Goldsmith as the only pitcher to reach 4,000 strikeouts, then he passed Goldsmith the following season for most all-time. Top 10 in wins eight times and losses four times. Top 10 in winning percentage five times. Also finished 7th with 21 saves in his only stint as closer in 1894. Finished Top 10 in innings a remarkable 13 times, including five 2nd place finishes. Top 10 in K's fourteen times. Led league in ERA in 1876 and finished Top 10 ten times. Led league in WHIP in 1886 and 1890 and finished Top 10 eleven times. Led league in K/BB three times, R/9 twice, HR/9 once, H/9 twice, QS twice, shutouts twice and CG once.





Ed Cushman, Cardinals

Top 10 in wins twice and losses four times. Led league in HR allowed in 1894. Top 10 in WHIP twice, K/BB five times, BB/9 five times and complete games twice. Led league in shutouts in 1883 and finished Top 7 four times.




The Only Nolan, Pirates

One of only four pitchers with over 700 games pitched. Top 10 in games pitched four times. Top 10 in wins four times, including 19 in 1880. Top 8 in saves twice. Top 10 in holds three times, innings pitched three times, K's twice, ERA five times, K/BB twice and complete games five times. Led league with fewest H/9 in 1880 and finished Top 10 five times. Led league in games finished in 1884 and finished Top 10 four times. Led league in WHIP in 1883 and finished Top 10 four times.




Mickey Welch, Giants

Two time Gold Glove winner Welch clearly hung on well past his prime due to the fact that the Giants had so few pitching options in their organization. He finished Top 10 in wins five times and losses four times. Top 10 in walks seven times, K's three times, ERA twice, innings pitched twice, K/9 four times and complete games twice. Led the league in shutouts twice and finished Top 6 four times.

[darnoff]

1896 Preseason Predictions

After winning four of the past five pennants, the mighty Phillies went out and added some exceptional talent. They replaced retiring first baseman Henry Larkin with MLB HOF'er Nap Lajoie. Lajoie's primary position is second base, but he makes a better first baseman than Cupid Childs (.259, 59 RBI, 109 R, 101 BB) the team's established second sacker. Lajoie also projects as a much better hitter than Larkin - particularly when compared to Larkin's past seven seasons during the team's run of dominance. The Phillies also added another potential ace in Ned Garvin to a rotation that already sports seven PoY Awards. The team also upgraded the bullpen with rookies Jerry Nops (6-6-7 ratings) and Chick Fraser (7-6-5 ratings). This leaves no doubt that the Phillies are the clear pennant favorites again this season.

The Cardinals and Dodgers tied for second place last season. The Cardinals are expected to improve this year as their pitching staff underperformed last year. Honestly, the team has not gotten the level of consistent dominance that they expected from rotation leaders Cy Young and Amos Rusie up to this point. We are all left to wonder whether or not they ever will. In L.A., Sadie McMahon (14-8, 3.14 ERA) leads an above-average pitching rotation that could be the difference between which of these two teams challenges the Phillies this season.

The Cubs are still expected to improve. They have a lot of offensive potential. They also hope to improve their defense by moving Bill Lange (.278, 17 HR, 95 RBI, 47 SB) from second base, where he committed 35 errors last season, to his preferred position of centerfield. That will cost the team some offense as outfielder George Van Haltren (.289, 14 HR, 51 RBI, 18 SB) moves to the bench in favor of Harry Truby (.190 in 58 AB) who they expect to improve offensively from last season while significantly cutting down on their infield errors.

The Braves are a team that is quietly putting things together. They already have a solid pitching staff led by Kid Nichols (11-14, 2.98 ERA), and they added hard-throwing rookie Ted Lewis (7-5-5 ratings). Their bullpen is below average but not without some potential stars. Last season's offense was ranked last. They were the only team to fail to score 4 runs per game. Left fielder Joe Kelley (.286, 23 HR, 82 RBI, 20 SB) and rookie third baseman Jimmy Collins (.279, 14 HR, 92 RBI) led the way, and the team added talented second baseman Bill Keister (8-8-6-5-6 ratings) to the mix this season.

Another interesting question going into the season is whether or not the Pirates can put together a winning season. Their offense underperformed last season, but their pitching staff likely overperformed. A rebound from first baseman Jake Beckley (.260, 11 HR, 61 RBI) would go a long way toward providing a realization of expectations in the Steel City.


Predicted Standings

I've grown tired of the OOTP predictions, and my comments in these posts never seem to go along with what OOTP predicts so I will attempt to do my own.

Rank	Team	Rotation	Bullpen	Offense	Bench	Speed	Defense	Totals	Grade
1	Philadelphia Phillies	10	9	9	10	7	9	9.1	A-
2	St. Louis Cardinals	10	8	8	6	8	9	8.6	B+
3	Los Angeles Dodgers	7	8	8	8	6	8	7.6	B
4	Chicago Cubs	6	7	9	9	9	6	7.4	B
5	Atlanta Braves	8	5	5	6	5	9	6.6	B-
6	Pittsburgh Pirates	5	6	8	7	6	6	6.3	B-
7	Cincinnati Reds	5	6	6	6	3	8	5.9	C+
8	San Francisco Giants	4	4	6	8	7	4	5.0	C

MLB results for 1896

Champs: Baltimore Orioles (defunct), (90-39, .698)

Batting Title: Jesse Burkett, CLV, .410
OPS+: Ed Delahanty, PHI, 190
AB/HR: Bill Joyce, WHS/NYG, 36.5
RBI: Ed Delahanty, PHI, 126
Runs: Jesse Burkett, CLV, 160
SB: Joe Kelley, BLN, 87

ERA+: Billy Rhines, CIN, 189
Win%: Bill Hoffer, BLN, .781
WHIP: Billy Rhines, CIN, 1.231
K/9: Buttons Briggs, CHC, 3.897


MLHR Milestone Watch

400 Home Runs
Sam Thompson, CIN, Age 36, 381 HR

1500 Runs
Roger Connor, SFG, Age 39, 1498 runs

600 Stolen Bases
Billy Hamilton, PHI, Age 31, 574 SB

200 Wins
John Ewing, SFG, Age 33, 195 wins
Charlie Ferguson, PHI, Age 33, 194 wins
Bill Vinton, PHI, Age 31, 182 wins

3000 Strikeouts
John Clarkson, PHI, Age 35, 2976 K's
Lady Baldwin, CIN, Age 36, 2859 K's

400 Saves
Will Sawyer, PIT, Age 32, 375 Sv
(No previous player has reached this number!)

700 Games pitched
Will Sawyer, PIT, Age 32, 651 Games

[darnoff]

Mid-Season Report

The Phillies finished June with a comfortable 6.5-game lead. Centerfielder Billy Hamilton (.358, 9 HR, 37 RBI, 70 R, 34 SB) leads the batting race while left fielder Ed Delahanty (.342, 15 HR, 66 RBI) leads the league in SLG and OPS. Rookie Nap Lajoie (.276, 11 HR, 78 RBI) leads the league in RBI while batting cleanup for the Phils. In addition to having the top offense in the league, Philadelphia also has the top pitching staff and top defense in the league thus far. Their rotation has an impressive four pitchers with ERA's below 3.00. Veterans Ben Sanders (8-7, 2.99 ERA) and Bill Vinton (8-4, 2.09 ERA) have performed consistently at this level, but the team is also benefitting from the fine play of 3rd year player Jimmy Callahan (10-2, 2.70 ERA) and rookie Ned Garvin (8-4, 2.07 ERA). On a down note, last season's Fireman Award winner John Clarkson (2-5, 14 Sv, 5.68 ERA) has been demoted to the back of the bullpen and the team will turn the closer's role over to rookie Jerry Nops (1-1, 1.42 ERA).

Rookie Buttons Briggs (9-2, 2.63 ERA) has lead the Cubs to second place along with offensive standouts Jake Stenzel (.298, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 21 SB), Hugh Duffy (.305, 12 HR, 50 RBI) and Tom Parrott (.295, 11 HR, 42 RBI). The Cardinals are right on their heels thanks to a 2nd ranked offense. Unfortunately, Cy Young (5-6, 4.37 ERA), Amos Rusie (7-5, 4.03 ERA) and Nig Cuppy (4-9, 4.43 ERA) are again underperforming. If they get their act together, St. Louis should have the skills to skip ahead of Chicago in the standings. The question, though, is whether or not it will be too late to catch Philly.

While Atlanta is en route to their first winning season since 1880 thanks to a resurgent offense, the Dodgers are struggling with a 6th ranked offense. Only one everyday Dodger is hitting above .265, but Bill Joyce (.264, 19 HR, 50 RBI) is still providing power and timely hits. As for the Pirates, their offense has struggled all season and their pitching staff isn't much better.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders

[darnoff]

Season Wrap-up

It may not look like it when you see the final standings, but the pennant race was heated throughout the summer. At the end of July, the Phillies had just a 2-game lead over the Cubs. Three weeks later on August 22nd, the Cubs and Dodgers were both just 1 game out. However, on August 23rd, the Phillies began a 7-game win streak that included a 3-game sweep of the Dodgers. L.A. never really recovered and no one really got close to the Phillies over the final four weeks of the season as they went on to become the first team to win four straight pennants.

Despite winning "only" 100 games, the Phillies had a phenomenal season. All nine offensive regulars hit 11 or more home runs. Ed Delahanty (.328, 29 HR, 129 RBI) and rookie Nap Lajoie (.271, 21 HR, 129 RBI) tied for the league lead in RBI. Billy Hamilton (.333, 15 HR, 71 RBI, 130 R, 108 BB, 57 SB) won his first batting title while also leading the league in steals and becoming just the seond player to reach 600 career steals. Cupid Childs (.312, 15 HR, 70 RBI, 136 R, 121 BB) nearly tied the MLHR record for both walks and runs, finishing just fourteen shy of Jack Burdock's record for walks set in 1876 and 5 runs shy of Dan Brouthers' 1880 record. On the pitching side, rookie Ned Garvin (18-6, 2.25 ERA) exceeded all expectations by leading the league in ERA and tying teammate Jimmy Callahan (18-7, 2.93 ERA) for the league lead in wins. Meanwhile, rookie Jerry Nops took over the closer's role at the beginning of July and recorded an astonishing 24 saves over the final three months.

The Cardinals had a fine season, despite falling short of the Phillies. They scored the 3rd most runs behind Charlie Frank (.299, 22 HR, 92 RBI), John McGraw (.293, 54 RBI, 96 R, 43 SB) and Jimmy Bannon (.282, 25 HR, 91 RBI), who had a bounce back season. Their pitching rotation improved after a slow start to finish ranked #2. No starting pitcher had an ERA over 4.00.

Conversely, the Cubs were ranked #2 in offense and #3 in pitching. Rookie Buttons Briggs (17-10, 3.56 ERA) had a lot to do with Chicago's pitching resurgence, while Jake Stenzel (.289, 21 HR, 99 RBI, 45 SB), Hugh Duffy (.302, 28 HR, 107 RBI, 27 SB) and Tom Parrott (.295, 28 HR, 110 RBI) led the offensive charge. After moving to centerfield, Bill Lange played fantastic defense and even put himself in the Gold Glove conversation. He also had a fine offensive season, hitting .278 with 17 HR, 74 RBI, 108 Runs and 53 SB.

The Dodgers, despite a late season slump, fared well overall. Bill Joyce (.254, 38 HR, 100 RBI) and Denny Lyons (.260, 29 HR, 94 RBI) slugged the team to the second highest home run total of the season, but the Dodgers scored only the 5th most runs. 27-year-old right fielder George Treadway (.282, 22 HR, 78 RBI) had the best season of his young career. Like the Cardinals, the Dodgers didn't have a single starting pitcher with an ERA above 4.00. 33-year-old Adonis Terry (12-6, 3.06 ERA) continued to prove the naysayers wrong with one of the best seasons of his 13-year-career.

As for Atlanta, their offense improved from worst in the league last season to 4th this season. Their .267 team batting average was 2nd best in the league. They had productive seasons for players throughout the lineup, from shortstop Herman Long (.286, 25 HR, 88 RBI) who is the veteran at age 30 on a team of youngsters, to rookie of the year candidate Dan McGann (.277, 17 HR, 67 RBI).

Cincinnati's Sam Thompson became the 9th member of the 400 home run club with a blast against the Giants on July 23rd. Pirates closer Will Sawyer became the first pitcher to record his 400th save in a 3-1 win at Chicago on August 25th.


Standings




Batting Leaders




Pitching Leaders




Records

Games pitched: 81, Bill Daley, ATL and Pink Hawley, STL

[darnoff]

Season Awards


Batter of the Year

Delahanty surpassed Dan Brouthers for the record with 7 lifetime BoY awards!.




Pitcher and Rookie of the Year

This is the first time a player has won both the PoY and RoY awards in the same season. Twice a player has won both the RoY and BoY awards - Dan Brouthers in 1879 and Ed Delahanty in 1888 - but this is the first time a pitcher has done it.




Fireman Award




Gold Gloves
P - Sadie McMahon, LAD (2nd overall)
C - Art Twineham, STL (2nd overall)
1B - Jack Doyle, STL (3rd overall - 2 at 1B, 1 at C)
2B - Hub Collins, LAD
3B - John McGraw, STL
SS - Hughie Jennings, LAD (4th overall)
LF - Hugh Duffy, CHN (2nd overall)
CF - Bill Lange, CHN
RF - Willie Keeler, SFG (3rd overall)

[darnoff]

1897 Rookies


Charlie Hickman, 1B, Age 20, Braves

As Atlanta continues to quietly build an effective offense, Hickman is exactly what they needed - a power hitter. Dan McGann (.277, 17 HR, 67 RBI) had a successful rookie campaign at first base last season, so it is difficult to say where Hickman will fit in. He could compete for the right field job, except that's likely where fellow rookie Chick Stahl will be playing. Wherever the Braves put him, rest assured that Hickman will be playing and hitting homeruns on a regular basis for Atlanta.




Jack Powell, SP, Age 22, Cardinals

Powell is another solid addition to the St. Louis pitching staff. He will likely be the odd man out in an already loaded - if not underperforming - rotation. Expect him to be placed in a critical bullpen role, such as setup.




Tully Sparks, SP, Age 22, Phillies

Did someone forget to tell the Phillies that they don't need more pitching? Of course, you can never have "too much" pitching. Sparks won't be able to crack the best rotation in the game, and in fact, he might have trouble cracking what has become a strong bullpen unless 36-year-old John Clarkson (3-5, 14 Sv, 4.72 ERA) were to call it quits.




Chick Stahl, CF, Age 23, Braves

Stahl adds yet another solid bat to the new and exciting Braves offense. He will battle for the starting right field job with veteran Patsy Donovan (.259, 37 RBI) but Stahl is a more well-rounded batter so he may have the upper hand.




Rube Waddell, SP, Age 21, Pirates

Waddell is just what the doctor ordered for Pittsburgh - a true ace. That's something they haven't had since Jim Devlin (213-149, 3.14 career ERA) had his last strong season in 1886. HOF'er Waddell was one of the most dominant pitchers of his era, with an amazing K-to-BB ratio. He projects to be a dominant strikeout artist in MLHR as well. He was known to have his infield leave the field and strikeout the side in exhibition play. He will instantly put the MLHR Pirates in the pennant discussion, although they still have a lot of ground to make up on the dominant Phillies.




Honus Wagner, SS, Age 22, Pirates

We truly saved the best for last here. In MLHR's 21 seasons, we have had dominant and HOF-worthy players at every position except shortstop. That's about to change with the addition of Wagner, who will immediately take over the everyday shortstop job and improve the Pirates both offensively and defensively. In addition to his hitting prowess, Wagner also adds an element of speed to the club. Along with rookie pitcher Waddell, the Pirates just may jump into contention this season.