Time Warp Baseball

[Matt from TN]

WEB PAGES UPDATED... INCLUDING PLAYER PAGES... I have moved the main pages to our new website, so if you have them bookmarked, you should make the change....


1940 Season Preview

American League

The American League looks tougher than it has in many years. For some time now, there have been just a few dominant teams. This year, there are four potentially dominant teams, and one or two other teams who could have some surprises in store.


1. Yankees (96-58, 1st) - They managed to get back to the World Series but left heart-broken in a Game 7 defeat to Brooklyn. They open this season as favorites, thanks to a solid pitching staff and good offense. However, there is some very stiff competition in the league this year.

Top Starters:
SP Art Booth (24-10, 2.97)
SP Luke Riley (24-12, 3.53)
SP Hale Scheepers (15-12, 3.95)

SS Clarence Davis (.334, 79 RBI)
LF Allen March (.294, 13 HR, 98 RBI)
CF Jimmy Ditty (.290, 19 HR, 85 RBI)
RF "Moonlight" Graham (.325, 99 RBI, 29 SB)

Top Prospects:
SP Mel Serrano (AA)


2. Senators (89-65, 2nd) - Washington has a great pitching staff and possibly the best offense in the AL. They may be ranked second, but only barely. They have a definite shot at winning the pennant.

Top Starters:
SP Chris Frays (19-16, 3.76)
SP Micky Guyton (19-11, 3.21)
SP Jethro Lee (15-12, 3.37)

2B Woody Woodworth (.343, 52 RBI in 382 AB)
3B Carl Kahle (.319, 27 HR, 120 RBI)
SS Blake Crocitto (.403, 12 HR, 84 RBI)
LF Wolter Tjeenk-Willink (.380, 12 HR, 90 RBI)

Top Prospects:
SP Johnny Gordley (Majors)
3B "Jungle Jim" Dunkel (AAA)
SP Van Melbourn (A)


3. Browns (83-71, 3rd) - Did anyone even notice the Browns quietly snuck up to 3rd last year? They have a great looking pitching staff. Their biggest question will be offense, but if they score runs, the pitching should carry the team.

Top Starters:
SP George Cone (25-13, 3.42)
SP Mark Ponfick (17-16, 3.33)

1B Bill Simard (.313, 14 HR, 87 RBI)
3B Steven Bussell (.290, 12 HR, 76 RBI)
SS Ted Stuart (.320, 83 RBI)
RF Tony Monachino (.272, 54 RBI, 20 SB)

Top Prospects:
SP Cotton Simson (Majors)
1B George Maringo (Majors)
SP George Skoropat (AAA)
SP Sam Cumby (A)
1B Rik Kaladimos (A)


4. White Sox (74-80, 5th) - They had to start last season without starter Stuffy Zinn, and they now must start this season without Lewis Lamson, who tore a ligament in his elbow during his first start of 1939. He will not be ready until 2 weeks into the season. Their offense is strong, but they need their pitching to remain healthy. If they do, they can be serious contenders.

Top Starters:
SP Lewis Lamson (1 GS)
SP Stuffy Zinn (21-11, 3.32)

C Leonard Davie (.295, 19 HR, 80 RBI)
1B Louis Kirkes (.322, 73 RBI)
LF Enos Fletcher (.327, 76 RBI)

Top Prospects:
CF Homer Jewell (A)


5. Red Sox (65-89, 7th) - Their offense is very strong, and it improves every day. Manager Chip Houk has them believing in themselves, which is half the battle. Their rotation relies on two NL castoffs, so their time has likely not yet come. If you have any doubt about their future, just check out their list of prospects.

Top Starters:
SP Mitchell Haynam (9-12, 3.78)

1B Jessie Holt (.327, 16 HR, 87 RBI)
2B Pokey Dorsey (.291, 95 RBI)
SS Ricardo Bowden (.323, 63 RBI, 54 SB)
LF Al Arsenault (.324, 19 HR, 98 RBI)
CF Howard Sheridan (.280, 25 HR, 99 RBI)

Top Prospects:
C Cecil Marziani (Majors)
C Chuck Rauch (Majors)
2B Ray Specht (Majors)
CF Jack Zenisek (Majors)
RF Ben Hargey (Majors)
SP Hill Basford (AAA)
SP James Basford (AA)
SP Cort Nagel (AA)
2B Maurice Goza (AA)


6. Indians (77-77, 4th) - Cleveland has some solid pitchers, but their offense is questionable at times. If their hitters come through, they have a shot at being competitive.

Top Starters:
SP George Bowers (25-10, 3.15)
SP Billy Crowell (20-14, 3.30)

1B Daniel Lutzke (.240, 31 HR, 104 RBI)

Top Prospects:

1B Em Pelto (AAA)
SP Ed Aul (AA)
SP Terry Lucewicz (AA)
1B Lonny Arrendale (A)


7. Athletics (62-92, 8th) - There's a huge dropoff from 6th to 7th. They are hoping new player-manager Sal Rossi can light a fire under these guys, but there is little talent available.

Top Starters:
SP Mickey Lonergan (13-17, 3.99)
SP William O'Neill (19-16, 3.52)

Top Prospects:
CF Peaches Badeau (Majors)
1B Lee Richardson (A)
1B Laszlo Szabo-Nagy (A)


8. Tigers (70-84, 6th) - They have a better offense than the A's, but Philly has two solid starters where Detroit has none. Pitching is usually the difference.

Top Starters:
SP Bob Guilderson (14-20, 3.76)

2B Ray Dimeo (.314, 12 HR, 62 RBI)
SS Adolf Greisbach (.345, 47 RBI)

Top Prospects:
SP Hal Andrew (AAA)
CF Roland Fish (AAA)

[Matt from TN]

National League

Brooklyn ran away with the NL last season, winning by 19 games. The Cubs were decimated by injuries, and they should bounce back. However, a lot of subpar teams showed improvement last year, and many of them could be on the verge of a breakout.


1. Dodgers (97-57, 1st) - Brooklyn has 4 solid starters and some big offensive components. That will make them hard to unseat as league champions.

Top Starters:
SP Edwin Impens (21-13, 3.50)
SP Remmy Paul (22-11, 3.66)
SP Frank Smith (23-10, 2.71)

1B Jeff Bundy (.322, 26 HR, 111 RBI)
2B Brad Coffenberger (.335, 79 RBI)
LF Oscar Vancini (.333, 59 HR, 156 RBI)
RF Jonathan Wright (.353, 18 HR, 99 RBI)

Top Prospects:
SP James Bajofer (A)
C Leroy Daurio (A)
1B Dennis Kitterman (A)
3B Paul Varghese (A)


2. Cubs (76-78, 5th) - Injuries destroyed their season after three consecutive pennants. They still have an impressive rotation, probably the best in the majors. Their offense is great too, and they should once again play neck-and-neck with Brooklyn all season.

Top Starters:
SP Punchy Cote (3-5, 3.39)
SP David Wickersham (18-9, 2.52)
SP Alex Winterhalter (14-18, 3.70)

C Earle Clipp (.310, 10 HR, 68 RBI)
CF Dave Arkless (.286, 11 HR, 51 RBI in 252 AB)
RF Dewey Mickelsen (.307, 20 HR, 78 RBI)

Top Prospects:
SP Jay Wallsworth (AAA)


3. Bees (77-77, T-3rd) - This could be Boston's last shot at a pennant with an aging roster and some tough young teams creeping up from behind. They have some solid players but not enough to compete. They could be in jeopardy of falling to 5th or 6th place.

Top Starters:
SP Bourbon Allen (16-11, 4.19)
SP Otto Kahle (23-14, 3.66)

C Dud Dietzsch (.347, 66 RBI)
RF George Ward (.313, 14 HR, 88 RBI)

Top Prospects:
SP Zachariah Smith (Majors)
2B Bonnard Shadle (Majors)
2B John Valcarcel (A)


4. Pirates (78-76, 2nd) - They emerged last season from the logjam of teams in the middle of the league, finishing 2nd. They have some solid pitchers, but their improving offense is the key.

Top Starters:
SP Bill Blakemore (13-12, 4.22)

C Reggie Woodson (.331, 47 RBI)
1B Vic Ullom (.346, 17 HR, 97 RBI)
SS Elmer Menard (.360, 83 RBI)
CF Bud Breckenridge (.307, 18 HR, 84 RBI, 60 SB)
RF Rudy Young (.308, 11 HR, 102 RBI)

Top Prospects:
SP Marvin Herpel (Majors)
SS Russell Kalin (AAA)
2B Cutter Brekke (A)


5. Cardinals (75-79, 6th) - This is another young team on the rise. Their offense has some raw talent, but their success mainly rests in their ability to sort out their pitching staff.

Top Starters:
SP Abraham Dickens (16-14, 3.78)

3B Genarito Nunez (.342, 74 RBI)
SS Rob Forrestal (.321, 63 RBI)
LF Phil Starkey (.313, 69 RBI)
CF Morton Chamblee (.269, 18 HR, 100 RBI)

Top Prospects:
2B Edwin Keesaer (Majors)
LF Ogden Wing (Majors)
SP Marty Davie (AAA)
2B Skeeter Schaldemose (AAA)
CF Francis Gilmartin (AA)
SP Clyde Eakes (A)
SP Roy Wolfe (A)
CF Otto Wisley (A)


6. Giants (77-77, T-3rd) - New York has two good pitchers and some quality offense. If some other players step up, they could be a surprise. Most likely, they will hover around the middle of the pack.

Top Starters:
SP Clint Rohm (22-16, 3.48)

C Lloyd Johnson (.276, 12 HR, 49 RBI in 283 AB)
2B Bobby Martin (.328, 79 RBI)
3B Dale Lamberty (.263, 21 HR, 83 RBI, 101 BB)
CF Froggy Borgert (.278, 33 HR, 129 RBI)
RF Hal Smith (.280, 15 HR, 69 RBI, 22 SB)

Top Prospects:
SP Paul Rivest (AAA)
SP Jack Schoonover (AAA)
SP Tom Zonneveld (A)
RF Stu Cripps (A)


7. Reds (71-83, 7th) - Cincinnati is building an impressive core of young players, but they still have a way to go.

Top Starters:
SP Brett Smith (19-12, 3.65)

1B Hank Faver (.340, 23 HR, 90 RBI)
2B Pee Wee Osborne (.283, 13 HR, 81 RBI)
3B Alan Liao (.307, 78 RBI)
LF Carmack Alford (.312, 16 HR, 94 RBI)

Top Prospects:
LF Mitch Leibowitz (Majors)
CF Artie Albrecht (Majors)
RF Herman Baily (Majors)
1B Edward Rossi (AA)
SP Gene Masarech (A)


8. Phillies (65-89, 8th) - Philadelphia is not as bad as they were in 1938 when they lost 98 games. They have some quality players, but they are far from being competitive. The worst news is the fact that they have no farm system to show for their struggles.

Top Starters:
NONE

Top Prospects:
1B Bobby Johnson (A)

[Matt from TN]

May 1940

Disclaimer: I imported a 154-game schedule from the mod forums & the season started in mid-April. Since April was only about 2 weeks long, I decided to sim thru May. Making a 2-week April post would've been a waste of time.

The Yankees broke out with the best record in baseball. They are 1st or 2nd among the majors in many offensive and pitching categories. Luke Riley already has 8 wins, and Clarence Davis is second in the majors with a .408 average, and he leads the majors with 38 runs scored. Washington and Chicago are performing well, as expected, but Detroit has been surprising in 4th place. Desperately trying to improve their offense, Cleveland already has pulled off three trades. The two most significant pickups were 3B Sparky Mazur from the Phillies, who will move to SS, and 3B Stew Tremere from the Red Sox. In the three deals, they traded away a total of 6 young players, including struggling pitcher Damon "Lefty" Bowden.

Brooklyn leads the NL, but just a half-game back are the Giants, who are riding the offense of Carlos Hulse and Dale Lamberty and the NL-best 8 wins of Clint Rohm. The Cubs are three games back, but perhaps the biggest shock of all is seeing the Phillies at .500.

On April 23rd, a Reds-Cardinals game was washed out in Cincinnati and called on account of darkness. It was the first time a flood caused the postponement of a game. The teams rescheduled the game for May 8th, but they forgot to alert the league office, and no umpires were assigned to the game. Coach Chris Gorin and pitcher Brett Smith were forced into action as umpires, until umpire Larry Goetz, who was at home in Cincinnati on a day off, arrived to officiate.

On May 12th after a 8-7 loss to the Cardinals, Brooklyn became the first NL team to fly, going from St. Louis to Chicago on two planes. The Red Sox flew the same route in 1936, but for reasons of cost and risk, no other teams have yet tried the airlines.

On May 17th at Pittsburgh, Brooklyn slugger Oscar Vancini became the first player to ever reach 400 career homeruns. He hit two homeruns in the game, #400 and #401, as the Dodgers romped 10-3. View the BOX SCORE here.

American League-Pitcher of the Month:
Babe Hardin (CHA)!
He had a record of 6-0 in 8 games started, with an ERA of 2.41 and 1 shutouts.

American League-Batter of the Month:
Sam Kass (WSH)!
He batted .353 in 102 AB, with 10 homers and 27 RBI.

National League-Pitcher of the Month:
Frank Smith (BKN)!
He had a record of 5-2 in 8 games started, with an ERA of 1.67.

National League-Batter of the Month:
Brad Coffenberger (BKN)!
He batted .396 in 111 AB, with 1 homers and 16 RBI.

American League Standings 
  
New York (A)     30 12 .714 -
Washington       26 19 .578 5.5
Chicago (A)      23 20 .535 7.5 
Detroit          23 21 .523 8.0
Cleveland        20 22 .476 10.0
St. Louis (A)    18 23 .439 11.5
Boston (A)       17 26 .395 13.5
Philadelphia (A) 14 28 .333 16.0
 
National League Standings 
 
Brooklyn         26 15 .634 -
New York (N)     26 16 .619 0.5
Chicago (N)      22 17 .564 3.0
Philadelphia (N) 20 20 .500 5.5
St. Louis (N)    21 22 .488 6.0
Boston (N)       19 25 .432 8.5 
Pittsburgh       18 25 .419 9.0
Cincinnati       15 27 .357 11.5

AL AVG
.408 Louis Kirkes, White Sox
.408 Clarence Davis, Yankees
.391 Wolter Tjeenk-Willink, Senators

NL AVG
.376 Carlso Hulse, Giants
.358 David McAuliffe, Cubs
.346 George Ward, Bees

AL HOMERUNS
12 Daniel Lutzke, Indians
11 Sam Kass, Senators
11 Quenton Misisca, Tigers

NL HOMERUNS
11 Dale Lamberty, Giants
10 Oscar Vancini, Dodgers
9 Dave Arkless, Cubs

AL RBI
35 Daniel Lutzke, Indians
33 Sam Kass, Senators
31 Quenton Misisca, Tigers

NL RBI
32 Carmack Alford, Reds
31 Dale Lamberty, Giants
29 Oscar Vancini, Dodgers

AL STEALS
20 Joe Campbell, Indians
18 Art Brandstetter, A's
14 Buford Holstead, A's

NL STEALS
29 Jonny Perly, Dodgers
20 Foglesong Allen, Giants
17 David Hunter, Bees

AL ERA
1.78 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
2.01 Stuffy Zinn, White Sox
2.18 Jethro Lee, Senators

NL ERA
2.13 Frank Smith, Dodgers
2.47 Abraham Dickens, Cardinals
2.50 Clint Rohm, Giants

AL WINS
8 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
8 Jethro Lee, Senators
8 Luke Riley, Yankees

NL WINS
8 Clint Rohm, Giants
7 Bill Blakemore, Pirates
7 Punchy Cote, Cubs

AL STRIKEOUTS
60 Jethro Lee, Senators
54 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
54 Lewis Lamson, White Sox

NL STRIKEOUTS
55 David Wickersham, Cubs
56 Roy Mills, Reds
55 Frank Smith, Dodgers

Ancestors:

George "The General" Ward, RF, Bees - Ward hit .346 with 18 RBI and 23 runs scored.

Sam Kass, CF, Senators - Kass hit .295 with 11 homeruns, 33 RBI and 26 runs scored.

David "Pops" McAuliffe, 3B, Cubs - Pops hit .358 with 4 homeruns and 16 runs scored.

August "Fat Gus" Kahle, 3B, Yankees - Gus hit .349 with 11 runs scored.

Salvatore "The Sicilian Saucer" Rossi, 1B, Athletics - Sal hit .318 with 27 RBI and 21 runs scored.

Bourbon Allen, SP, Bees - Bourbon went 4-5 with a 3.99 ERA.

Otto "Kaiser" Kahle, SP, Bees - Otto went 6-4 with a 2.60 ERA and a shutout.

David Wickersham, SP, Cubs - David returned at went 4-6 with a 5.11 ERA. He has a shoulder injury and will be out until early July.

Adolf "The Human Torch" Greisbach, SS, Tigers - Adolf hit .262 with 18 RBI and 18 runs scored.

Lloyd Johnson, C, Giants - Lloyd hit .198 with 5 homeruns and 26 RBI.

Alan Liao, 3B, Reds - Liao hit .188 with 11 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Woody Woodworth, 2B, Senators - Woody hit .287 in 129 AB, but he could miss all of June with a shoulder strain.

Carl "Dutch" Kahle, C, Senators - Dutch hit .305 with 8 homeruns, 24 RBI and 31 runs scored.

Carmack "Country" Alford, LF, Reds - Alford hit .336 with 8 homeruns, 32 RBI and 22 runs scored.

Foglesong "Fuzz" Allen, LF, Giants - Fuzz hit .303 with 16 RBI, 21 runs scored and 20 steals.

Leonard "Sunny" Davie, C, White Sox - Sunny hit .286 with 8 homeruns, 24 RBI and 28 runs scored.

Swervin' Ervin Skjerly, 2B, Yankees - Ervin hit .295 with 16 RBI and 21 runs scored.

Ricardo "Tiny" Bowden, SS, Red Sox - Tiny hit .288 with 17 RBI, 16 runs scored and 12 steals.

Keith "Dead-Eye" Laverick, 1B, Senators - Keith hit .264 with 4 homeruns, 19 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Frank Smith, SP, Dodgers - Frank went 6-4 with a 2.13 ERA.

F.X. Ditty, 2B, Indians - Ditty hit .299 with 20 RBI and 23 runs scored.

Dewey Mickelsen, LF, Cubs - Dewey hit .343 with 8 homeruns, 19 RBI and 24 runs scored.

Wolter "Boeken" Tjeenk-Willink, LF, Senators - Wolter hit .391 with 5 homeruns, 27 RBI and 24 runs scored.

Damon "Lefty" Bowden, SP, Red Sox - Lefty was traded to the Red Sox on April 19th for 3B Stew Tremere. Overall, Lefty went 3-3 with a 5.14, but he strained his arm and could miss all of June.

George "The Joker" Bowers, SP, Indians - Bowers went 6-4 with a 2.59 ERA.

Blake "Hitman" Crocitto, SS, Senators - Blake hit .362 with 4 homeruns, 20 RBI and 26 runs scored.

David "Harlequin" Hunter, 2B, Bees - David hit .338 with 23 RBI, 37 runs scored and 17 steals.

Bill "Red" Finley, SP, Senators - Red went 5-5 with a 3.93 ERA

Jimmy "The Schnozz" Ditty, CF, Yankees - Ditty hit .291 with 8 homeruns, 30 RBI and 21 runs scored.

Jeronimo Arsenault, SP, Browns - Jeronimo earned a starting role this spring, and he went 6-3 with a 4.74 ERA.

Al Arsenault, LF, Red Sox - Al hit .305 with 3 homeruns, 19 RBI and 26 runs scored.

Peyton "Flamethrower" Arana, SP, Cardinals - Strangely, Arana was sent to the bullpen this season. In his only start, he threw a 1-hit shutout against the mighty Dodgers, and yet the team still demoted him to the pen.

William "Bill" Berry, RF, Indians - Bill hit .315 with 5 homeruns, 21 RBI and 20 runs scored.

Bobby "Tree" Martin, 2B, Giants - Martin hit .297 with 23 RBI and 24 runs scored.

Jonathan "White Rhino" Wright, RF, Dodgers - Wright hit .219 with 3 homeruns, 15 RBI and 17 runs scored.

Elmer "The Jeweler" Menard, SS, Pirates - Elmer hit .288 with 15 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Tequila Allen, 3B, Red Sox - With the trade of Stew Tremere to Cleveland, the 3B job is once again Allen's. He hit .264 with 5 homeruns, 25 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Elmer "The Jeweler" Menard, SS, Pirates - Elmer hit .288 with 15 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Carlos "The Colonel" Hulse, 1B, Giants - Hulse hit .376 with 5 homeruns, 22 RBI and 29 runs scored.

Jonny "Speedy" Perly, SS, Dodgers - Perly hit .274 with 11 RBI, 21 runs scored and 29 steals.

Bud Moore, C, Tigers - Bud was named starting catcher, and he hit .272 with 16 RBI.

Herman "Dunk" Dunkel, C, Cardinals - Dunk hit .200 with 16 RBI.

Chi "The Light" Hung, 3B, Yankees - Chi was given the starting catcher's job, hitting .309 with 9 RBI.

Kyle "Knuckleball" Stevens, SP, Giants - Kyle earned a starting job, and he went 6-4 with a 3.07 ERA and the first shutout of his career.

Genarito Nunez, 3B, Cardinals - Nunez hit .277 with 20 RBI and 21 runs scored.

Bonnard Shadle, 2B, Bees - Shadle made his major league debut, going 3-for-10. His first career hit came on May 4th against the Giants' Kyle Osio.

Rollin' Roland Fish, CF, Tigers - Fish made his major league debut, going just 3-for-19, getting his first career hit on April 24th against Ben Fatt of the A's.

[scprideandms]

Bourbons 400 win countdown now @ 15!!!

[Kaline]

Kyle "Knuckleball" Stevens, SP, Giants - Kyle earned a starting job, and he went 6-4 with a 3.07 ERA and the first shutout of his career.

Bout time my namesake (still spooky) got a chance. After a bad year in AAA last year despite good ratings he's finally producing. Too bad he'll likley get shipped off to war and never amount to anything.

[Matt from TN]

WEB PAGES UPDATED....


June 1940

The Yankees continue to clobber the AL, and only Washington seems able to keep pace. The rest of the league is surprisingly similar, all below .500 but none separated by more than 4 games in the standings.

The Cubs pulled into a tie with Brooklyn, while the Giants sank to 6 games back. The Phillies continue to hover at .500 and in 4th place, earning rave reviews for the job that manager Bop Vacha is doing.

Athletics starter William O'Neill threw the first perfect game in 15 years. He did it on June 12 against the Tigers. As if his performance was not enough, the A's offense scored 11 runs in the rout. It is the 4th perfect game in history (2nd in the AL). The last perfect game thrown in the AL was in 1916.

In other history making news, Senators ace Jethro Lee earned his 300th win on June 9th in a 1-0 defeat of the Browns. After a subpar 1939 season had some reporters claiming that Dodge's days were numbered, he seems to have put those worries to rest with a 13-4 record while leading the AL with a 1.95 ERA and 93 K's.

Some statisticians have noticed a marked drop in offense this season. After both leagues combined for a .279 batting average and 4.45 ERA last year, they currently have a .265 average and 4.07 ERA. Strangely enough, homeruns are actually up this season, even though homerun king Oscar Vancini is tied for the NL lead with just 17, putting him on pace for just 37 after clouting 59 last year.

Note: These stats are in line with real 1940 production, as baseball began its fall from the lively ball era. Compare real 1939 stats to 1940 and you will see what I mean. As always, my league settings are recalculated every season to match real MLB results (and yearly fluctuations) as closely as possible.

American League-Pitcher of the Month:
Bob Guilderson (DET)!
He had a record of 7-1 in 8 games started, with an ERA of 2.30 and 2 shutouts.

American League-Batter of the Month:
Clarence Davis (NYA)!
He batted .429 in 105 AB, with 0 homers and 13 RBI.

National League-Pitcher of the Month:
Frank Smith (BKN)!
He had a record of 6-1 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 1.29 and 3 shutouts.

National League-Batter of the Month:
Dan Troge (CHN)!
He batted .346 in 104 AB, with 7 homers and 26 RBI.

American League Standings 
  
New York (A)     48 22 .686 -
Washington       41 31 .569 8.0
Cleveland        34 36 .486 14.0
Boston (A)       33 35 .485 14.0
Detroit          34 37 .479 14.5
Philadelphia (A) 31 40 .437 17.5
Chicago (A)      30 40 .429 18.0 
St. Louis (A)    30 40 .429 18.0
 
National League Standings 
 
Chicago (N)      41 26 .612 -
Brooklyn         43 28 .606 -
New York (N)     36 33 .522 6.0
Philadelphia (N) 34 34 .500 7.5
St. Louis (N)    34 37 .479 9.0
Boston (N)       34 38 .472 9.5 
Pittsburgh       31 39 .443 11.5
Cincinnati       26 44 .371 16.5

AL AVG
.416 Clarence Davis, Yankees
.378 Louis Kirkes, White Sox
.355 Jessie Holt, Red Sox

NL AVG
.374 Eric Teeuw, Bees
.361 Lou Zaitz, Phillies
.348 Dewey Mickelsen, Cubs

AL HOMERUNS
19 Daniel Lutzke, Indians
14 Sam Kass, Senators
14 Jimmy Ditty, Yankees

NL HOMERUNS
17 Dale Lamberty, Giants
17 Oscar Vancini, Dodgers
14 Dave Arkless, Cubs

AL RBI
52 Daniel Lutzke, Indians
51 Jimmy Ditty, Yankees
50 Salvatore Rossi, A's

NL RBI
53 Carmack Alford, Reds
51 Oscar Vancini, Dodgers
50 Dave Arkless, Cubs

AL STEALS
29 Joe Campbell, Indians
25 Art Brandstetter, A's
25 Buford Holstead, A's

NL STEALS
40 Jonny Perly, Dodgers
28 Foglesong Allen, Giants
28 David Hunter, Bees

AL ERA
1.95 Jethro Lee, Senators
2.00 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
2.50 Art Booth, Yankees

NL ERA
1.79 Frank Smith, Dodgers
2.76 Mike Buntain, Cubs
2.84 Otto Kahle, Bees

AL WINS
15 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
14 Luke Riley, Yankees
13 Jethro Lee, Senators

NL WINS
12 Punchy Cote, Cubs
12 Frank Smith, Dodgers
11 Gerald Saxton, Cardinals

AL STRIKEOUTS
93 Jethro Lee, Senators
86 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
78 Art Booth, Yankees

NL STRIKEOUTS
96 Frank Smith, Dodgers
88 Roy Mills, Reds
84 Punchy Cote, Cubs

Ancestors:

Since the league reports are linked at the top, you can check out your ancestors there. I'll have another update later today & update them as normal then.

[Matt from TN]

World News

War Update

May 10 - Germany invades Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. Churchill takes over as prime minister of Britain.

May 12 - Germans enter France.

June 10 - Italy declares war on France and Britain; invades France.

June 14 - Germans enter Paris. City is undefended.

June 22 - France and Germany sign armistice.

[Kaline]

Errr uh, WWII started in 1939. September of '39 France actually invaded a little German territory (Saar Front).....

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by Kaline

Errr uh, WWII started in 1939. September of '39 France actually invaded a little German territory (Saar Front).....

yes, this was a war "update" not the beginning... I've mentioned some previous happenings for the past 2 seasons... These dates above are accurate....

[Kaline]

Originally Posted by Matt from TN

yes, this was a war "update" not the beginning... I've mentioned some previous happenings for the past 2 seasons... These dates above are accurate....

Must have read over the other stuff

[jdw]

Unreal. Vic Ullom goes on the DL for more than a month. Do the Pirates take the chance to give former #1 draft pick Willie Young a starting gig? Nah. Instead they give the job to 33 year old journeyman 1B Teddy Plihtov.

Matt - you might want to keep an eye on this one:

"Thursday 6/7/1940 :
Elmer Menard was put on the 15 Day DL."

The Jewler currently is neither on (i) the Pirates MLB roster, (ii) on the DL, or (iii) in the minors on a rehab stint. His player card didn't even consider it a serious enough injury to list. Might want to make sure that he hasn't Fallen Into The Void, and if he has, manually put him back on the roster and into the starting line-up if healthy (rather than leaving it to the wacky AI). This is the defending NL batting champ, one of the bright stars in the game _and_ an Ancestor. We wouldn't want what happened to Stephen Henry (major career altering Void Falling) happing to the Jewler.


John

[socs624]

wow speedy is really stealing those bases

[jdw]

jdw wrote:

> Unreal. Vic Ullom goes on the DL for more than a month.
> Do the Pirates take the chance to give former #1 draft
> pick Willie Young a starting gig? Nah. Instead they give
> the job to 33 year old journeyman 1B Teddy Plihtov.

Goose - the Conspiracy Against The Class of 1934 continues:

Longtime White Sox star SS Jamie Kubic continues to slide due to aging:

.232/.306/.314/.620 - SS Kubic (35 years old) in 245 PA

But he was one of the club's starts in the 30s, so one can understand him hanging onto his gig. On the other hand, after finally winning back his job after the dreaded Falling Into The Void, Stepher Henry got off to a horrid start:

.208/.314/.302/.616 - 2B Henry (32) in 172 PA

Well... about as horrid as Kubic's anyway. With the Sox far adrift in the table, it's time for changes, so jackass^H^H^H^manager Jeffrey Roland makes a change. Could it finally be?

You haven't been paying close attention if you think that. Of course Roland went with a vet:

.324/.342/.454/.796 - 2B Asher (30) in 114 PA

Back to Asher who lost his job last year because he stank. And given how bad the Sox offense is, that level of production will keep the job in his hands. Yet oddly enough, the is also finding playing time for:

.248/.288/.343/.631 - 2B Lazo (30) in 111 PA

To stink up the joint as well.

Wait, that's a lot of PAs for the middle of the IF, so what's going on? Actually the team gave Lazo the 2B job while Asher has 11 games at 2B, 9 at 3B, amd 15 at SS as the jack of all trades.

Meanwhile, Doc Barton sits on the pine with his thumb in a certain place:

.000/.000/.000/.000 - SS/2B Barton (23/24) in 3 PA

Here's the update on the Class of 1934:

#1 Overall - Willie Young, 2B/SS/1B, Pittsburgh Pirates

.238/.288/.330/.618 in about 300 *career* MLB PAs. HOLY COW!


#2 Overall - Easy Out Skjerly, SP, St. Louis Browns

7.46 in 19 MLB starts in his *career*. OUCH!


#4 Overall - Buster Darling, 3B, Detroit Tigers

.292/.320/.417/.737 in 50 *career* MLB PAs, 38 of them *this season*. LORDY!


#6 Overall - Doc Barton, SS/2B, Chicago White Sox

.247/.295/.336/.631 in about 260 career PAs, 145 of which came way back in *1936*. GRRRRR!


#8 Overall - Speedy Perly, 2B, Brooklyn Dodgers

.286/.345/.397/.742 for his career in his third full season of holding down the Dodgers SS spot. 331 SB already at the age of 24, 603 hits under his belt, a World Title under his belt along with a BOM Award. Clearly the Ancestor of the Draft so far.

Among the top Non-Ancestors who mixed in with the Ancerstors listed above:


#3 Overall - Boston (A) pick: CF Lee Friedman

Currently riding the pine for the White Sox. This looked like a great deal by the ChiSox to fleece him from the BoSox back in 1937, but he lost his job in 1938 and has gotten a little over 40 PA the last season and a half.


#5 Overall - St. Louis (N) pick: P Fred Francis.

5.87 ERA in 79 starts. Has been put in the Cards rotation three times for long looks (1934, 1937 and 1938) and has yet to post an ERA under 5.00.


#7 Overall - Cincinnati pick: P Monty Rottier.

Has never pitched to even one *batter* in the majors. Amazingly has never risen above A level in the minors, even after going 17-8 with a 3.44 ERA there last year.

This has got to be the WORST draft class in the history of TWB. Certainly the worst crop of performances by Ancestors not in their 7TH! seasons after the draft.

It's a Conspiracy I tell you!!!




John

[socs624]

#8 Overall - Speedy Perly, 2B, Brooklyn Dodgers

.286/.345/.397/.742 for his career in his third full season of holding down the Dodgers SS spot. 331 SB already at the age of 24, 603 hits under his belt, a World Title under his belt along with a BOM Award. Clearly the Ancestor of the Draft so far.

haha nice

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by jdw

Unreal. Vic Ullom goes on the DL for more than a month. Do the Pirates take the chance to give former #1 draft pick Willie Young a starting gig? Nah. Instead they give the job to 33 year old journeyman 1B Teddy Plihtov.

Matt - you might want to keep an eye on this one:

"Thursday 6/7/1940 :
Elmer Menard was put on the 15 Day DL."

The Jewler currently is neither on (i) the Pirates MLB roster, (ii) on the DL, or (iii) in the minors on a rehab stint. His player card didn't even consider it a serious enough injury to list. Might want to make sure that he hasn't Fallen Into The Void, and if he has, manually put him back on the roster and into the starting line-up if healthy (rather than leaving it to the wacky AI). This is the defending NL batting champ, one of the bright stars in the game _and_ an Ancestor. We wouldn't want what happened to Stephen Henry (major career altering Void Falling) happing to the Jewler.

He's currently on the DL... 1 week left w/ a inflamed PCL.

[Matt from TN]

Originally Posted by jdw

It's a Conspiracy I tell you!!!

LMAO readin this

I agree that this must be the worst draft ever... I keep track of a lot of careers & most of the players you mentioned were guys I've noticed never amounting to much... I knew you guys were following Doc and Willie, but I didn't even realize Buster Darling, Skjerly & Francis were all from the same draft... wow! Honestly, I don't think Buster or Willie will ever amount to anything, because their talents have dropped a lot over time....

[jdw]

socs624 wrote:

> haha nice

He's having a nice career, Socs. Goose and I would kill for that at this point.


John

[jdw]

Matt wrote:

> LMAO readin this

I'd be laughing if I weren't crying!!!




> Honestly, I don't think Buster or Willie will
> ever amount to anything, because their
> talents have dropped a lot over time....

I know I volunteered Doc to go to War after the 1943 season, so I don't want to change that. But perhaps Buster and Willie deserve to be 4-F'd as a make-good for getting so hosed by the nutty AI's of their teams. Willie's just isn't fair at all. No #1 overall would get that type of treatment, especially from a bad team like the Pirates that need talented players.


John

[Matt from TN]

July 1940

The Yankees went 13-13 this month, but the Senators were just 14-11, gaining only 1.5 games in the standings. The Cubs emerged from the month with a 1-game lead on the Dodgers. Chicago continues to suffer injuries. Pitcher David Wickersham missed nearly 6 weeks with shoulder inflammation. Now that he is back, Alex Winterhalter is out with a shoulder injury of his own, which should sideline him until early September.

This was a very busy month of trading. Cleveland continued to bolster its offense by acquiring leftfielder "Big Lou" Zaitz from the Phillies. His average at the time put him among the top 3 in the AL. In return, Philadelphia landed pitcher Tom "The Octopus" Mierhofer. On the same day, the Pirates received third baseman Eric Teeuw, who was also among the batting leaders, from the Bees for pitchers Cliff Umbaugh, Trip Cano and cash. A week later, Umbaugh was involved in a 3-team trade that sent him to the Phillies, Teeuw back to the Bees and pitcher Elmer Finch to the Pirates. If that was not strange enough, the Bees traded Teeuw back to the Pirates 20 days later for Finch and infield prospect Cutter Brekke.

The Reds made several trades. Their first sent leftfielder Carmack Alford to the Browns for pitcher "Schoolboy" Emberling. Their final trade was a blockbuster, part of several trades that saw the top teams in both leagues jockey for position. In this trade, Cincinnati sent longtime star pitcher Brett Smith to the Cardinals for three prospects just one day before Smith was named POTM. St. Louis believes they are very close to being a contender, and they know that pitching is their main weakness.

In other big trades, the Senators improved their offense with rightfielder John Shears and first baseman Sugar McDonald from the White Sox. In return, Chicago got two young pitchers and two young outfielders. The Senators also picked up Pittsburgh closer Dale Cisek to improve their bullpen. Cleveland improved their rotation by acquiring William O'Neill from the A's, fresh off his perfect game, in return for two prospects. A's outfielder Mickey McWhorter returned to Brooklyn where he started his career, and the Dodgers plan to move him to centerfield. The Giants bolstered their rotation with George Cone of the Browns, and the Yankees picked up first baseman Louis Kirkes and second baseman Stephen Henry from the White Sox. Kirkes may take over at first for Doc Reed since he is hitting .343 and is much better defensively. Henry will give the team another option at second when Ervin Skjerly is being ineffective.

American League-Pitcher of the Month:
Hale Scheepers (NYA)!
He had a record of 6-0 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 1.65 and 1 shutouts.

American League-Batter of the Month:
Blake "Hitman" Crocitto (WSH)!
He batted .398 in 103 AB, with 5 homers and 15 RBI.

National League-Pitcher of the Month:
Brett Smith (STL)!
He had a record of 6-0 in 7 games started, with an ERA of 2.37 and 1 shutouts.

National League-Batter of the Month:
Oscar "The Kid" Vancini (BKN)!
He batted .321 in 84 AB, with 9 homers and 20 RBI.

American League Standings 
  
New York (A)     61 35 .635 -
Washington       55 42 .567 6.5
Cleveland        49 49 .500 13.0
Boston (A)       47 49 .490 14.0
Chicago (A)      46 51 .474 15.5 
Detroit          44 53 .454 17.5
St. Louis (A)    43 54 .443 18.5
Philadelphia (A) 43 55 .439 19.0
 
National League Standings 
 
Chicago (N)      57 37 .606 -
Brooklyn         57 39 .594 1.0
New York (N)     49 47 .510 9.0
Philadelphia (N) 47 48 .495 10.5
St. Louis (N)    48 51 .485 11.5
Pittsburgh       44 53 .454 14.5
Boston (N)       44 54 .449 15.0 
Cincinnati       40 57 .412 18.5

AL AVG
.400 Clarence Davis, Yankees
.355 Blake Crocitto, Senators
.351 Wolter Tjeenk-Willink, Senators

NL AVG
.357 Eric Teeuw, Pirates
.339 Dewey Mickelsen, Cubs
.332 Flip DeLeon, Dodgers

AL HOMERUNS
25 Daniel Lutzke, Indians
20 Quenton Misisca, Tigers
19 Carl Kahle, Senators

NL HOMERUNS
26 Oscar Vancini, Dodgers
22 Dale Lamberty, Giants
19 Froggy Borgert, Giants

AL RBI
70 Daniel Lutzke, Indians
66 Jessie Holt, Red Sox
65 Wolter Tjeenk-Willink, Senators

NL RBI
71 Oscar Vancini, Dodgers
68 Jeff Bundy, Dodgers
66 Froggy Borgert, Giants

AL STEALS
40 Joe Campbell, Indians
33 Buford Holstead, A's
30 Art Brandstetter, A's

NL STEALS
50 Jonny Perly, Dodgers
39 Foglesong Allen, Giants
34 David Hunter, Bees

AL ERA
2.08 Jethro Lee, Senators
2.16 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
2.39 Hale Scheepers, Yankees

NL ERA
1.77 Frank Smith, Dodgers
2.72 Mike Buntain, Cubs
2.76 Otto Kahle, Bees

AL WINS
19 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
17 Luke Riley, Yankees
17 Jethro Lee, Senators

NL WINS
16 Frank Smith, Dodgers
15 Punchy Cote, Cubs
15 Brett Smith, Cardinals

AL STRIKEOUTS
136 Jethro Lee, Senators
113 Bob Guilderson, Tigers
99 Luke Riley, Yankees

NL STRIKEOUTS
123 Frank Smith, Dodgers
120 Roy Mills, Reds
118 Punchy Cote, Cubs

Ancestors:

George "The General" Ward, RF, Bees - Ward hit .284 with 17 RBI and 14 runs scored.

Sam Kass, CF, Senators - Kass hit .205 with 3 homeruns, 17 RBI and 10 runs scored.

David "Pops" McAuliffe, 3B, Cubs - Pops hit .306 with 2 homeruns, 17 RBI and 14 runs scored.

August "Fat Gus" Kahle, 3B, Yankees - Gus hit .242 with 3 homeruns, 16 RBI and 13 runs scored.

Kid Fite, 2B, Phillies - Kid got back in the starting lineup and hit .245 with 6 homeruns and 16 RBI.

Salvatore "The Sicilian Saucer" Rossi, 1B, Athletics - Sal hit .229 with 9 runs scored.

Bourbon Allen, SP, Bees - Bourbon went 1-5 with a 4.42 ERA.

Otto "Kaiser" Kahle, SP, Bees - Otto went 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA and a shutout.

David Wickersham, SP, Cubs - After returning from his shoulder problem, David went just 1-4 with a 6.81 ERA.

Adolf "The Human Torch" Greisbach, SS, Tigers - Adolf hit .280 with 15 runs scored.

Lloyd Johnson, C, Giants - Lloyd hit .185 with 3 homeruns and 11 RBI.

Alan Liao, 3B, Reds - Liao hit .290 with 3 homeruns, 12 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Woody Woodworth, 2B, Senators - Woody hit .219 with 12 runs scored.

Carl "Dutch" Kahle, C, Senators - Dutch hit .386 with 7 homeruns, 18 RBI and 19 runs scored.

Carmack "Country" Alford, LF, Browns - Alford hit .182 and was traded to the Browns.

Foglesong "Fuzz" Allen, LF, Giants - Fuzz hit .278 with 15 runs scored and 11 steals.

Leonard "Sunny" Davie, C, White Sox - Sunny hit .298 with 4 homeruns, 16 RBI and 17 runs scored.

Swervin' Ervin Skjerly, 2B, Yankees - Ervin hit .338 with 8 RBI.

Ricardo "Tiny" Bowden, SS, Red Sox - Tiny hit .287 with 17 RBI, 13 runs scored and 6 steals.

Frank Smith, SP, Dodgers - Frank went 4-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 2 shutouts.

F.X. Ditty, 2B, Indians - Ditty hit .333 with 13 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Dewey Mickelsen, LF, Cubs - Dewey hit .320 with 4 homeruns, 13 RBI and 18 runs scored.

Wolter "Boeken" Tjeenk-Willink, LF, Senators - Wolter hit .341 with 16 RBI and 13 runs scored.

Virgil "Tank" Lusk, C, Phillies - Tank was traded to the Phillies and should become their starting catcher. This is great for his career, because he was quickly being squeezed out in Boston with their two star backstops.

Damon "Lefty" Bowden, SP, Red Sox - Lefty went 2-3 with a 4.58 ERA after missing 5 weeks with an arm strain.

George "The Joker" Bowers, SP, Indians - Bowers went 6-1 with a 4.74 ERA.

Blake "Hitman" Crocitto, SS, Senators - Blake hit .398 with 5 homeruns, 15 RBI and 22 runs scored.

David "Harlequin" Hunter, 2B, Bees - David hit .225 with 2 homeruns, 15 RBI, 16 runs scored and 6 steals.

Bill "Red" Finley, SP, Senators - Red went 2-0 with a 1.80 ERA in 3 starts after missing a month with a shoulder injury.

Jimmy "The Schnozz" Ditty, CF, Yankees - Ditty hit .327 with 2 homeruns, 13 RBI and 14 runs scored.

Jeronimo Arsenault, SP, Browns - Jeronimo went 5-0 with a 2.51 ERA, easily the best month of his career.

Al Arsenault, LF, Red Sox - Al hit .260 with 6 homeruns, 13 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Peyton "Flamethrower" Arana, SP, Reds - Arana continued to struggle in the bullpen, and on July 31st, he was traded to the Reds where he should be back in the rotation.

William "Bill" Berry, RF, Indians - Bill hit .299 with 3 homeruns, 15 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Bobby "Tree" Martin, 2B, Giants - Martin hit .298 with 12 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Jonathan "White Rhino" Wright, RF, Dodgers - Wright hit .337 with 3 homeruns, 16 RBI and 16 runs scored.

Tequila Allen, 3B, Red Sox - Allen hit .298 with 2 homeruns, 12 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Elmer "The Jeweler" Menard, SS, Pirates - Elmer hit .298 in 13 games but missed time with a leg injury. He should be back in about a week.

Carlos "The Colonel" Hulse, 1B, Giants - Hulse hit .250 with 5 homeruns, 15 RBI and 18 runs scored.

Jonny "Speedy" Perly, SS, Dodgers - Perly hit .158 with 13 runs scored and 10 steals.

Bud Moore, C, Tigers - Bud hit .294 in 51 AB.

Herman "Dunk" Dunkel, C, Cardinals - Dunk hit .329 with 4 homeruns, 15 RBI and 11 runs scored.

Chi "The Light" Hung, C, Yankees - Chi hit .342 with 2 homeruns, 14 RBI and 13 runs scored.

Kyle "Knuckleball" Stevens, SP, Giants - Kyle 2-4 with a 4.17 ERA.

Mitch Leibowitz, LF, Reds - Mitch hit .316 with 15 RBI and 10 runs scored. With the trade of Carmack Alford to the Browns, Mitch has the LF job all to himself.

Cutter Brekke, SS, Bees - Brekke was surprisingly dealt to the Bees as part of the trade that brought 3B Eric Teeuw to Pittsburgh.

Genarito Nunez, 3B, Cardinals - Nunez hit .343 with 3 homeruns, 19 RBI and 15 runs scored.

Pernearo "Edward" Rossi, 1B, Reds - Edward made his big league debut this month, but went 0-for-1. However, he has spent most of the season at AAA, where he has hit .303 with 15 HR.

Hal Andrew, SP, Tigers - Hal made his first major league start, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in 8 innings in a loss to the Yankees.

Marty "Uncle" Davie, SP, Reds - Marty was traded to the Reds as part of a deal that sent ace Brett Smith to the Cardinals.

[rogmax11]

Nice to check in and find Pops a "Triple Crown" candidate, still roaring along with his beloved Dodgers. I haven't the time to check back, but has anyone lead their league in the "big three" pitching categories thus far in TWB? If Frank makes it, I do believe we might have a 7th POY on our hands.

You guys might be getting tired of hearing/seeing his name, but I am hanging on every report and loving each season of this spectacular career. I would be captivated by the unfolding of such a story even if he weren't my ancestor. Big fun!