Washington: A Baseball Capital

[TSmith1969]

In the 75+ seasons of Washington Senators/Nationals baseball, the Nation's Capital has won exactly one World Series, the 1924 classic when Walter Johnson's Senators beat the New York Giants in seven games. In real life the Senators repeated as AL champs in 1925 and won another flag in 1933, but never won another World Series. I'm taking over the Senators in 1925 and will try to improve on the historical record by bringing more World Series glory to Griffith Stadium.

I'm using the Gambo/Spritze database and normalized stats. I am not using historical transactions, but will try to keep trading to a minimum.

I have no set rules on how many games I will play out and how many I will sim, but I am the commissioner of an active league so you won't be seeing massive season preview articles and a ton of individual game reports. Having said that, I will give a brief summary overview of each team heading into the 1925 campaign and will try to throw in some historical analysis and stories along the way.

[TSmith1969]

Before diving into 1925, let's start by taking a look back at the historic 1924 season and the Nats' championship run.

[TSmith1969]

Player-Manager Bucky Harris

February 9
Washington owner Clark Griffith names SS Bucky Harris‚ last year's team captain as the new Nationals' manager. Harris had annoyed Griffith by playing pro basketball over the winter‚ in violation of his contract‚ but the owner still tabbed him the job. Harris‚ 28‚ team captain‚ was at spring training when he received the offer by letter.

March 22
In a spring training game‚ Rogers Hornsby faces Walter Johnson for the second and last time in his career‚ this time popping up and hitting into a DP.

April 15
After President Coolidge tosses out the first ball‚ Walter Johnson shuts out the A's 4-0 on Opening Day‚ his 99th shutout. Slim Harriss‚ who topped Walter in last year's Opening Day game‚ is the loser. One of the 4 hits off Johnson is a single by rookie Al Simmons‚ who hit .360 at Shreveport (Texas) and .398 in Milwaukee (AA) last season.

April 20
In Washington‚ Walter Johnson picks up an easy 12-3 win over the Yankees. Babe Ruth scores 2 of the New York runs on a triple and an 8th inning home run.

May 14
It is Babe Ruth Day at Yankee Stadium‚ as Ruth receives the AL MVP Award for 1923. He is then held to a single as the Browns spoil the occasion with an 11-1 win.

May 23
Walter Johnson strikes out 14‚ a career-high‚ including 6 in a row‚ in a 4-0 one-hitter over the White Sox for his 103rd shutout. Harry Hooper‚ who had the lone hit in a 1915 game against Johnson‚ does it again. Johnson will have his best season in 5 years‚ going 23-7.

June 2
In Philadelphia‚ Joe Hauser hits a 2-run HR off Walter Johnson in the 6th‚ but the Nationals coast to an 8-3 win.

June 14
The Yankees regain first place with a 6-2 win over the Tigers‚ but 10 days later the Senators will pass both of them.

June 15
Washington brings back funnyman Al Schacht‚ not as a player‚ but as a coach. Washington will promptly go on a winning streak‚ though they lose to day to Chicago‚ 6-4.

June 17
Playing for Hartford‚ Lou Gehrig‚ who will hit a record 23 bases-loaded homers in the majors‚ hits his only minor league grand slam. Hartford wins‚ 5-2‚ over Worcester.

June 26
President and Mrs. Coolidge are on hand in Washington as Walter Johnson shuts out the A's‚ 5-0. For the front-running Nationals‚ it is their 10th straight win.

June 30
W L GB
WAS 38 28 --
DET 37 32 2.5
NYY 34 29 2.5
BOS 32 32 5.0
CHW 32 32 5.0
SLB 31 31 5.0
CLE 31 33 6.0
PHA 23 41 14.0

[TSmith1969]

July 5
Babe Ruth is 3-for-3 with two doubles and a run scored to lead New York to a 2-0 win over Walter Johnson and Washington.

July 20
In Washington‚ George Sisler hits 1st inning solo off Walter Johnson‚ but the Senators come back to win‚ 5-4. Allan Russell is the winner in relief.

August 10
Ty Cobb steals 2B once‚ 3B twice‚ and home once (in the 7th) in the Tigers' 13-7 win over Boston. The Tiger manager also scores 4 times. The win puts them on top in the AL‚ as the Indians beat the Yankees 7-1.

August 12
High priced rookie Earl McNeely debuts in CF for Washington‚ as Johnson shuts out Cleveland 4-0. McNeely will hit .330 over the last 45 games of the year.

August 13
The Yankees regain the AL lead with 1-0 and 2-1 wins over the Browns.

August 17
Walter Johnson beat the Tigers 8-1 as Washington reclaims second place in the AL by taking 4 out of 5 games in Detroit.

August 25
Walter Johnson hurls his 6th shutout of the year‚ a 7-inning rain-shortened no-hitter against the Browns‚ winning by a score of 2-0. For the Nats‚ it is their 9th win in a row and they are now even with New York. The scheduled nitecap is postponed.

August 28
Babe Ruth belts two HRs‚ but the Senators beat the Yankees 11-6 by scoring 8 runs in the 8th inning‚ and move into sole possession of first place. Goose Goslin hits for the cycle for Washington. The Yankees will tie the Nationals for 2 days in September‚ but otherwise the Senators stay on top till the end.

August 29
With most of the 30‚000 fans at Yankee Stadium cheering the underdog Senators‚ Walter Johnson holds New York scoreless for 7 innings. In the 8th‚ a line drive clips his pitching hand and he is lifted‚ but still wins 5-1. Goslin has another three hits and scores 3 runs as the Nationals now lead by 1 1/2 games.

September 8
Washington‚ with a 2-game lead in the AL‚ beats the A's 8-4. Despite giving up solo HRs by Joe Hauser and Bing Miller‚ Walter Johnson's wins his 10th straight and his 20th of the year‚ For Hauser‚ trailing Babe Ruth in the home run race‚ it's his 3rd four bagger of the year off Johnson.

September 17
With the Senators and Yankees deadlocked at 83-59‚ Johnson edges the Indians 3-2. Washington will win tomorrow to sweep the three game series.

September 19
The Senators coast to a 15-9 win in St. Louis to stay even with the Yankees.

September 20
Pitching on 2 days rest in St. Louis‚ Walter Johnson is pounded out of the box by the Browns and pinch hit for in the 2nd. Each team collects 18 hits as the Browns prevail 15-14. Goslin gives the Nats a 14-13 lead in the 10th with his 2nd HR of the game‚ but a wild throw to 2nd by reliever Firpo Marberry gives the win to the Browns.

September 22
The Senators open a 2-game lead as Walter Johnson wins his 13th in a row‚ 8-3 over Chicago. It's his 23rd win of the year. Washington will take the next two games in Chicago to sweep.

September 26
With the Yankees beating the A's‚ Boston tightens the race by edging the Senators 2-1. September call-up Wade Lefler drives in Nemo Leibold in the 8th with a pinch double for the Nats only run. Washington now leads by a game. For the Senators‚ the loss stops Walter Johnson's 13-game win streak and Sam Rice's 31-game hit streak.

September 27
Down 4-0 in the first‚ the Senators rally to top the Red Sox 7-5‚ as the Fenway crowd of 20‚000 cheers the Washington win. Rookie pinch hitter Wade Lefler‚ who had one at-bat with the Braves previously‚ drives in 3 runs with a bases loaded double to win it. Lefler drove in Washington's only run in Friday's loss‚ but his five games with Washington (5-for-9 with 3 doubles) and one with Boston will sum up his ML career. In Philadelphia‚ the A's beat the Yankees 4-3 to give the Senators a 2-game lead with 2 to play.

September 29
With the blue law preventing any games yesterday in Boston or Philadelphia‚ the Senators clinch the pennant by beating the Red Sox 4-2‚ finishing 2 games in front of the Yankees‚ rained out in Philley. The win goes to Firpo Marberry.

September 30
In the only game scheduled‚ the Series-bound Senators lose a laugher 13-1 to the Red Sox. Coach Nick Altrock‚ 48‚ pitches the last 2 innings for the Nats and gives up a run‚ while driving in the lone tally with a triple. With the Red Sox outfielders making little attempt to run the ball down‚ Altrock is the oldest player in ML history to hit a triple. Howard Ehmke is the winning pitcher but still leads the AL in losses with 17‚ the same number of losses he's had the previous 2 years.

October 1
In Washington‚ a crowd estimated at 100‚000 lines Pennsylvania Avenue to cheer the Senators.

Final Standings
W L GB
WAS 92 62 --
NYY 89 63 2.0
DET 86 68 6.0
SLB 74 78 17.0
PHA 71 81 20.0
CLE 67 86 24.5
BOS 67 87 25.0
CHW 66 87 25.5

[TSmith1969]

President Calvin Coolidge with Washington player-manager Bucky Harris

October 4
For the 4th straight year‚ the Giants are in the Series. At 3B is Fred Lindstrom‚ at 18 years‚ 10 months‚ the youngest ever to play in a WS. President Calvin Coolidge is among 35‚760 who jam the DC stands in game 1 as an Army band greets the two teams by playing Sidewalks of New York and Dixie. George Kelly drops a HR into the temporary bleachers in the 2nd‚ and Terry does the same in the 4th for a 2-0 New York lead. Art Nehf (14-4) gives up one in the 6th. In the last of the 9th‚ the Senators score to send the game into extra innings. The Giants net 2 runs in the 12th. In the last of the 12th‚ Washington scores one‚ but the rally falls a run short‚ and Walter Johnson (23-7) loses his WS debut. Johnson strikes out 12 in the loss. Nehf becomes the 5th pitcher to get 3 hits in a WS game‚ a feat that will not be repeated until Orel Hershiser does it in 1988.

October 5
A 2-run HR in the first by Goose Goslin and a solo blast by manager Bucky Harris in the 5th give Tom Zachary (15-9) a 3-0 lead. The Giants tie it in the 9th‚ but a double by Roger Peckinpaugh scores Joe Judge with the winning run in the bottom of the 9th.

October 6
Washington's surprise starter Firpo Marberry (11-12) and the Giants starter Hugh McQuillan (14-8) will be gone by the 4th. The Giants lead 3-0 after 3 and are never caught‚ for a 6-4 victory. The only HR is hit by Giants reliever Rosy Ryan; it is the only HR he hits in 6 years at New York.

October 7
The preceding day's record attendance is topped when 49‚243 show up in New York to see what turns into Goose Goslin day. The Senators' top batter has 3 singles and a HR for 4 RBI in a 7-4 victory.

October 8
Walter Johnson tries for a WS win again‚ but he's far from invincible. Fred Lindstrom is 4-for-5 with 2 RBI‚ and Johnson's pitching opponent Jack Bentley (16-5) clouts a 2-run homer for a 6-2 New York win.

October 9
In the WS‚ Tom Zachary is touched for a run on 2 hits in the first‚ but scatters only 5 more hits and issues no passes the rest of the way. The Senators win 2-1.

October 10
President and Mrs. Coolidge and 31‚665 others thrill to the 2nd 3-hour battle of the Series. Bucky Harris starts 23-year-old righthander Curly Ogden (9-8) against Virgil Barnes (16-10)‚ then pulls him after he fans Fred Lindstrom and walks Frisch. In comes lefty George Mogridge (16-11)‚ a move intended to keep lefty Bill Terry on the Giants bench. Bucky Harris lifts one into the temporary seats in LF for a 1-0 lead. In the 6th a single ties it at 1-1‚ and Harris brings in Firpo Marberry for his 4th appearance. A base hit and 2 costly errors give the Giants a 3-1 lead. In the 8th‚ PH Nemo Liebold doubles and C Muddy Ruel singles. A walk loads the bases and up comes Harris‚ who hits a hard bounder to 3B that strikes a pebble and skips over Lindstrom's head and down the LF line as the tying runs score. Walter Johnson‚ pitching on one days rest‚ then comes in to hold New York. With one out in the last of the 12th‚ Giants reliever Jack Bentley gets Muddy Ruel to pop up near home plate‚ but veteran C Hank Gowdy steps on his discarded mask‚ which he cannot shake from his shoe‚ and the ball falls to the ground. Ruel then gets his 2nd hit‚ a double. Walter Johnson reaches 1B on SS Travis Jackson's error. Earl McNeely hits a grounder at Lindstrom‚ and improbably‚ the ball again takes a bounce over his head. Ruel tears home with Washington's first WS championship.

[TSmith1969]

December 12
The Senators pick up 35-year-old Stan Coveleski from Cleveland in exchange for Byron Speece and Emanuel Carr Smith. Coveleski‚ a future Hall of Famer‚ will go 20-5 and lead the AL in ERA.

December 17
The Senators add another veteran pitcher to its staff by purchasing Dutch Ruether from Brooklyn. Ruether will go 30-13 for his year and a half in Washington.

[scott1964]

I have Nick Altrock on my 1901 Senators team.

[Amazin69]

Apparently, one way to improve on history will be to keep Wade Lefler around. Fascinating information; I was raised on the story of the '24 Series, but I didn't know about the Sens' fight for the pennant.

[TSmith1969]

1. R Walter Johnson, 37
At the ripe age of 36, the Big Train showed no signs of slowing down in 1924. Johnson was 23-7, 2.72 with 158 Ks in 38 starts, and led the league in ERA, wins, WHIP, and strikeouts. Johnson enters 1925 as the highest rated pitcher in the American League, and the highest paid pitcher in baseball ($15,600). Johnson is the all-time leader in strikeouts, having overtaken Cy Young in 1922, and his 377 wins rank second all-time, having surpassed Christy Mathewson last September. He is far and away the best player in Washington franchise history and arguably the best pitcher in baseball in the first quarter of the 20th century.

2. R Stan Coveleski, 35
The 35-year old righthander was a key acquisition and gives the Nats perhaps the best 1-2 pitching combo in the league. Covey won 20 games four years running from 1918 to 1921 and led the Indians to their first World Championship in 1920. He was 15-16, 4.04 in 1924, posting his worst ERA and WHIP in his career. Only time will tell whether he is in the twilight of his career or still has some gas left in the tank.

3. L Tom Zachary, 28
The only starter under 35 years of age, Zachary had something of a breakout year in 1924, going 15-9 with a 2.75 ERA, about a full run below his career average.

4. L George Mogridge, 35
Mogridge joined the Nats in 1921, and has notched 65 wins in four seasons, second only to Johnson. Previously, the Rochester, N.Y. native pitched six seasons with the New York Yankees, where he never fully broke into the rotation. His best season game in 1918, when he posted a 2.18 ERA and 16 wins in a mixed starter-reliever role.

Reserves. L Dutch Ruether, 31
The newly acquired 31-year-old was 19-6 for the 1919 Reds and won 21 games for the Brooklyn Robins in 1922, but his ERA has hovered around 4.00 over the past four seasons.

Bottom line: With three-quarters of the rotation over age 35, the Nats face a short window of opportunity to win. To have any hope of repeating as AL champs, Covelski will have to bounce back from his off-season and Zachary must build on his breakout season. Finding the next generation of starters to backfill the rotation will be a top priority for the club's scouts.

[TSmith1969]

Originally Posted by Amazin69

Apparently, one way to improve on history will be to keep Wade Lefler around. Fascinating information; I was raised on the story of the '24 Series, but I didn't know about the Sens' fight for the pennant.

Unfortunately, Lefler is gone. He hit 5-for-8 in 5 games, including three doubles, but went back to the minors in 1925, retired at the age of 29, and went on to become an attorney. He has the distinction of being the first player to make the majors after attending Duke University.

[TSmith1969]

Firpo Marberry

What the starting rotation lacks in youth, the relief corps makes up for in spades. The Nats start the season with four men in the bullpen, two veterans and two rookies, but the "veterans" are 26 and 23. Rookie righthander Firpo Marberry, 26, was the staff workhorse last year, appearing in a league-leading 50 games and finishing 31 of them. He was 11-12 with a 3.09 ERA, pitched 195 innings, and is rated as the top reliever pitcher in baseball. The SABR Biography Project has this to say:

"Fred Marberry, one of the best pitchers in baseball for a decade, was the first great hurler to be used primarily as a relief pitcher. He played a large role in Washington's only World Series triumph, and set many records for relievers that would not be bested for many years. Almost forgotten today, he has been denied larger fame by splitting his career between starting and relieving-had he done one or the other, he might be in baseball's Hall of Fame today."

And playing in Washington certainly didn't do much for his "larger fame" either.

Curly Ogden, 23, started all 16 games he pitched in last year, but returns to his more typical bullpen role. The third-year man out of Swarthmore College was 9-5 with a 2.58 ERA and nine complete games. The two rookies on the staff are 21-year-old Lefty Thomas out of Lynchburg College in Virginia, and 27-year-old righty Win Ballou from Eastern Kentucky University, who pitched with the Chattanooga Lookouts in the Southern League last season.

Other relievers likely to see action in 1925 include Parkin, Arkansas rookie Harry Kelley, 18, and veteran lefty Vean Gregg, 39, who hasn't pitched in the bigs since 1918, and 31-year-old Allen "Rubberarm" Russell, who was a key contributor last season with a 5-1 record and 8 saves in 37 relief appearances.

[golander40]

Good stuff---enjoyable
Thanks
Gil The Ancient One

[TSmith1969]

Joe Judge

1. 1B Joe Judge, 30
Entering his 11th season with the Senators, first baseman Joe Judge joined the club in 1915 and became a regular in 1916. He has compiled a .295 average and over 1300 hits in 10 seasons. Last year he hit .324-3-79 with a .393 OBP, the fourth best among regular first basemen.
League Ranking at his position: 7th of 16

2. 2B Bucky Harris, 28
Bucky joined the club in 1919 and quickly established himself as a fixture at second base, getting at least 150 hits in each of his first four seasons. A better than average fielder, Harris hit .268-1-58 with a .344 OBP last season, while managing the club to its first pennant and World Championship in franchise history.
League Ranking: 14th of 16

3. RF Sam Rice, 35
In his 10th season with the Senators, Rice established career highs in hits (216), doubles (39), and OBP (.382). He led the league in hits, with five more than Ty Cobb and 16 more than Babe Ruth.
League Ranking: 4th of 16

4. LF Goose Goslin, 24
The young Oregonian fell one hit shy of his first 200-hit season in just his second year as a full-time player. Goslin's 12 homers led the club and his 129 RBIs lead the league, and his fielding rating for left field is the highest in the league.
League Ranking: 5th of 16

5. C Muddy Ruel, 29
Ruel played his second season at Griffith Stadium last year after seven years with the Browns, Yankees, and Red Sox. Ruel played all but five games and his production suffered. His average dropped 33 points to .283 and his slugging dropped more than 50 points, but he still managed to lead all catchers in hits (142).
League Ranking: 13th of 16

6. 3B Ossie Bluege, 24
The sophomore hot corner jockey hit a respectable .281, a 36-point improvement over his rookie year.
League Ranking: 16th of 16

7. CF Nemo Leibold, 33
Nemo joined the Nats midseason in 1923 after 10 AL seasons with Cleveland, Chicago, and Boston. After hitting .263 the previous five seasons, Nemo hit .299 in his first two years in D.C. He has good range and a steady glove, but a weak arm and below average speed.
League Ranking: 11th of 16

8. SS Roger Peckinpaugh, 34
A fixture with the Yankees for the better part of a decade, Roger came to Washington in 1922 and immediately provided stability; previously the Nats had four shortstops in five years. The Wooster, Ohio native hit .272 in 1924, his best average in three years, and drove in 73 runs, the most of his career. One of the finest defensive shortstops of the era, Peck has led the AL in assists and double plays five times each.
League Ranking: N/A (on DL)

[TSmith1969]

SS Roger Peckinpaugh

Roger Peckinpaugh was one of the finest defensive shortstops and on-field leaders of the Deadball Era. Like Honus Wagner, the 5'10", 165-lb. "Peck" was rangy and bowlegged, with a big barrel chest, broad shoulders, large hands, and the best throwing arm of his generation. From 1916 to 1924, Peckinpaugh led American League shortstops in assists and double plays five times each. As Shirley Povich later reflected, "the spectacle of Peckinpaugh, slinging himself after ground balls, throwing from out of position and nailing his man by half a step was an American League commonplace." The even-tempered Peckinpaugh was equally admired for his leadership, becoming the youngest manager in baseball history when he briefly took the reins of the New York Yankees in 1914. Described as the "calmest man in baseball," Peckinpaugh's steadying influence later helped the Washington Senators to their only world championship, and won him the 1925 Most Valuable Player Award, making him the first shortstop in baseball history to receive the honor. (From SABR Baseball Biography Project)

[TSmith1969]

Babe Ruth and Jimmie Foxx

Catcher
1. Jimmie Foxx, PHA -- #1 rated prospect at the age of 17
2. Johnny Bassler, DET -- hit .346 last year
3. Glenn Myatt, CLE -- .342-8-73 last year

First Basemen
1. Jack Fournier, BRO -- 35-year-old hit .342 in last two seasons
2. Jim Bottomley, STL -- hit .371 in his first full season in '22
3. Lou Gehrig, NYY -- overrated, only 24 games, surely Joe Hauser is better

Second Basemen
1. Rogers Hornsby, STL -- fourth 200-hit season in fives years, .424 avg led both leagues
2. Eddie Collins, CHW -- average 212 hits and .348 average over last 5 years
3. Harry Rice, SLB -- only 59 career games, but great potential

Third Basemen
1. Frankie Frisch, BRO -- "Fordham Flash" averaged about 200 hits in last 4 years.
2. Marty McManus, SLB -- age 25 and already has three .300 seasons
3. Bob Meusel, NYY -- 120 RBIs was 3rd most in AL

Shortstops
1. Buddy Myer, WAS -- 21yo rookie from Missouri, great contact and gap power
2. Joe Sewell, CLE -- great fielder, hit .353 with 195 hits in '22
3. Ernie Johnson, NYY -- seriously? dude has 79 hits in last 3 seasons

Left Fielders
1. Babe Ruth, NYY -- a bit off his '20-'21 peak, Ruth still hit .378-46-121, 1.252 OPS
2. Zach Wheat, BRO -- age 36, but had 200-hit seasons in '22 and '24
3. Goose Goslin, WAS -- had 99- and 129-RBI seasons before 24th birthday

Center Fielders
1. Tris Speaker, CLE -- "Grey Eagle" averaged 224 hits and .377 batting from '20-23
2. Ty Cobb, DET -- had 9th 200-hit season at age 37, but .338 average was 2nd lowest since '08
3. Earle Combs, NYY -- great potential, but only 25 career games

Right Fielders
1. Harry Heilman, DET -- cannon for an arm, hit .403 in '22, .330 career avg
2. Cy Williams, PHI -- 24 HR was 3rd in NL, 93 RBI led Phils
3. Ross Youngs, NYG -- career highs in average (.356) and walks (77)

Starting Pitchers
1. Dolf Luque, BRO -- "Pride of Havana" was 27-8, 1.93 in '23
2. Walter Johnson, WAS -- league AL in W, ERA, and K, 23 wins was most in six years
3. Dazzy Vance, BRO -- Won Triple Crown (28-6, 2.62) in 3rd year as starter, nearly twice as many Ks as next best NL pitcher
4. Lee Meadows, PIT -- overrated, only 13-12, 3.26 last year, ho-hum
5. Herb Pennoch, NYY -- 40-15, 2.97 since leaving Red Sox after '22

Relief Pitchers
1. Firpo Marberry, WAS -- rookie had 15 saves, whatever those are
2. Dixie Davis, SLB -- overrated, converted starter, 4.10 last year
3. Tom Sheehan, DET -- 3.24 ERA in 39 games, 23 from the pen

[TSmith1969]

Contenders
The Giants won their fourth straight pennant last year, but Brooklyn and Pittsburgh finished within 2.5 games. New York boasted the senior circuit's best offense, by a mile, scoring 117 more runs than the second-best Cardinals, and all the key hitters--Ross Youngs, Frankie Frisch, and High Pockets Kelly--are in their mid-20s and entering their prime.

Brooklyn jumped four spots to 2nd last year despite ranking 4th in both hitting and pitching, but had oldest team in the NL. Top two hitters, Jack Fourner and Zach Wheat, are 34 and 36, and the Brooks only have two batters among the Top 100 Prospects. Triple Crown winner Dazzy Vance is only quality starter in rotation.

Pittsburgh combined the 2nd best pitching staff with the speediest lineup to finish in the top three for the fourth year running. But 20-game winner Wilbur Cooper has moved to the Cubs. Top hitters include Max Carey (49 SB) and Kiki Cuyler (.354-9-85).

Also Rans

Cincinnati -- Reds are only team in either league with two pitchers ranked in the top 5: Dolf Luque (10-15, 3.16) and Pete Donohue (16-9, 3.60). Luque is one of only eight foreign-born players in both leagues (5 Cubans, 2 Canadians, and 1 Welshman). Top hitters include CF Edd Roush (.348-3-72) and 3B Rube Bressler (.347-4-49)

Chicago -- Cubs again finished in their customary middle-of-the-pack and had no standout players. Pete Alexander, 38, was 12-5, 3.03 and got his 300th career win.

St. Louis -- Hornsby (.424-25-94) and Bottomley (.316-14-111) are All-Star caliber, but the rest of the lineup is subpar, and Jesse Haines had his worst year after winning 20 games in '23.

Philadelphia -- sixth straight bottom two finish in '24. Only legitimate star is RF Cy Williams, who hit .328 last year and had 114 RBIs in '23.

Boston -- three straight 100-loss seasons, no batters topped 50 RBIs last year, and Jesse Barnes was only 15-game winner in last three seasons.

[TSmith1969]

Contenders

The Yankees finished two games back, ranking 2nd in both batting and pitching. The trio of Bob Meusal, Babe Ruth, and Wally Pipp combined for 355 RBI, and Ruth's 46 home runs were almost double that of Philly's Joe Hauser. The Yanks added four-time 20-game winner Urban Shocker from the Browns and rookie 1B Lou Gehrig, which make them clear favorites to recapture the pennant.

Washington improved by 17 wins and jumped three places to win their first AL pennant. The Nats' 3.34 ERA was a half point better than the Yanks, led by Triple Crown winner Walter Johnson (23-7, 2.72, 158 K) and southpaw Tom Zachary (15-9, 2.75) who challenged his teammate for the ERA title. The offense ranked 6th but features three quality hitters: Goose Goslin (.344), Sam Rice (.334), and Joe Judge (.324)

Philadelphia finished 10 games below .500 but is poised for a big leap forward with the addition of three rookies that are rated 1-2-3 in the Top 100 Prospects list: 1B Jimmie Foxx, SP Lefty Grove, and C Mickey Cochrane. The Athletics already have several potent bats with LF Al Simmons (.308-8-102), CF Bing Miller (.342-6-62) and slugging 1B Joe Hauser (.288-27-115) who was second only to Ruth in home runs.

Detroit finished six games back but led the league with 847 runs. RF Harry Heilman (.346) and C Johnny Bassler (.346) both outhit Ty Cobb, who posted his second worst batting average in 16 years: a mere .338. The pitching staff ranked 2nd in WHIP and 3rd in ERA, and was led by rookie lefthander Earl Whitehill, 25, who was 17-9, 3.86.

Also Rans

St. Louis -- The second worst pitching staff kept the Browns in midtable, despite the batting heroics of CF Baby Doll Jacobson (.318-19-97), LF Ken Williams (.324-18-84) and 2B Marty McManus (.333-5-80). Look for "Gorgeous George" Sisler to bounce back from a .305 season after hitting over .400 in '20 and '22.

Cleveland -- The Indians have been in slow decline since winning the 1920 Fall Classic. The few bright spots include LF Charlie Jamieson (.359, 213 hits), SS Joe Sewell (.316, 106 RBI), and Joe Shaute (20-17, 3.75). But they lost one of their top starters, Stan Coveleski, to Washington in the offseason.

Boston -- It has been six straight years in the second division for the Red Sox. The pitching staff, a relative strength, was led by Howard Ehmke (19-17, 3.46) and should get a boost from rookie righthander Red Ruffing.

Chicago -- another dismal year from the Pale Hose, who have yet to recover from the Black Sox scandal. They had the third leading offense, but ranked dead last in ERA. LF Bibb "Jockey" Falk hit .352 with 99 RBI and 1B Earl Sheely drove in 103 runs, but the opening day starter is expected to be Red Faber, who is 36 and won just 9 games last year.

[TSmith1969]

So the safe money is on another Yankees-Giants series, a repeat of three of the last four Classics. The Giants won the 1921 and 1922 Series and the Yankees won their first World Series in 1923.

Here is a summary of pennant and World Series wins since the Series began in 1903:

American League Pennants
5 - Boston Red Sox
5 - Philadelphia Athletics
3 - Chicago White Sox
3 - Detroit Tigers
3 - New York Yankees
1 - Cleveland Indians
1 - Washington Senators
0 - St. Louis Browns

National League Pennants
9 - New York Giants
5 - Chicago Cubs
2 - Brooklyn Robins
2 - Pittsburgh Pirates
1 - Boston Braves
1 - Cincinnati Reds
1 - Philadelphia Phillies
0 - St. Louis Cardinals

World Series Wins
5 - Boston Red Sox
3 - New York Giants
3 - Philadelphia Athletics
2 - Chicago Cubs
2 - Chicago White Sox
1 - Boston Braves
1 - Cincinnati Reds
1 - Cleveland Indians
1 - New York Yankees
1 - Pittsburgh Pirates
1 - Washington Senators
0 - Brooklyn Robins
0 - Detroit Tigers
0 - Philadelphia Phillies
0 - St. Louis Browns
0 - St. Louis Cardinals

AL leads all-time series, 13-8

[TSmith1969]

April 14, 1925 -- Opening Day at Yankee Stadium. Walter Johnson goes the distance on 109 pitches, allowing two earned runs, but loses 3-1 to Herb Pennock, who authors a seven-hit complete game. Lou Gehrig hit 3-for-4 with a double, driving in a run. Only #3 hitter Sam Rice had two hits for the Senators, and 4-5 hitters Goose Goslin and Muddy Ruel were a combined 0-for-8.

In other Opening Day action, the Tigers beat the White Sox in 10 innings on a two-run homer by Al Wingo, the Browns nippled Cleveland in the 11th on a Jimmy Austin sacrifice fly, and the player of the day was Cincinnati's Dolf Luque, who blanked the Cardinals 3-0 with a six-hit shutout.

Dolf Luque

[TSmith1969]

Tom Zachary

Tuesday, April 21
So the opening seven-game road trip to New York and Philadelphia was a success by all accounts, were it not for a certain play at the plate. . . After the opening day loss, we took the next three over the Yankees. Stan Coveleski and Lefty Thomas combined for a five-hit shutout in a 9-0 romp, pitcher Tom Zachary drove in three runs in an error-assisted 9-7 win, and George Mogridge outduelled George Pipgras in the 4-2 finale.

At Shibe Park, we faced the up-and-coming Athletics, who I fear will have the league's most fearsome lineup before long. Sam Rice was 3-for-3 in the opener, but we lost 4-1 to Sad Sam Jones who allowed just six hits. But again after losing the opener we went on the take the rest of the series. Goslin homered twice and drove in 5 runs in a 10-6 win, and Zachary was solid and Muddy Ruel homered in the 4-2 rubber game.

The worst news of the week came in the top of the seventh, when starting pitcher Tom Zachary was injured in a collision at the plate. Zachary will miss four weeks with a torn thumb ligament, and to add insult to injury (quite literally) he was called out on the play. Former Brooklyn man Dutch Reuther will take Zach's place in the rotation.

So a week into the season and we are 5-2 and in second place, a half-game back of the red-hot Tigers. Our opener at Griffith Stadium is tomorrow and President Coolidge will be in attendance. We have a four-game set with the Yanks then hit the road again for a three game series at Boston.